THE SIMPSONS NEWS

I was a bit stressed out this weekend because of what happened at work Friday.  Friday afternoon I got called back in to be told that the original plans they had laid out for me were changing.  The new crew I was going to work with, I no longer was going to work with.  Instead, I was put on another crew.  Which is fine. The thing is, the new crew is the second show of the new season. Which is actually REALLY great.  Maybe I won’t go on hiatus at all and I could work straight through the year.

So why was I stressed out?  Well, because things are changing again.  As of the time of this writing, I’m not allowed to explain how, since most of the crew doesn’t know, but I will say that our job has now gotten a little more intense.  The reason this was stressing me out is not because I thought it was bad or anything.  The reason I was  stressing out was for the same reason I always stress out when a new situation arises, namely: I don’t have a method of dealing with the situation since I’m not in it and therefore I couldn’t have a plan of attack to deal with the problem. Without being in the new situation and actually dealing with the new changes, I felt nervous and stressed.

Matters got a bit worse when, on Monday, I was told that I wasn’t going to start on the new crew until Tuesday.  I helped out on the last of Lance’s show on Monday and on Tuesday, I started on the new crew.  We had a crew meeting that morning where we were told what the situation was and how we were going to handle it.  Once all that was done, I felt much better, mostly because now I had some control of what I could do.   It’s almost like I’m back on the movie again.  In fact, some of the people I’m working with in this crew where the people I worked with on the Fox lot during the movie.  Including the editor that’s working with us. It was good to see him again.

Funny how that is.  As a layout artist on the show, we never really get to know any editors. We are our own department and we don’t really leave it, but during the movie at the Fox lot, when working on the story reels, many different department were all working together in the same rooms to get the job done and we found ourselves getting to know different people from different parts of the process. That was one of the unique parts about working on the movie.

In lighter news…

Another drawing of superheroes. I don’t have a drawing from Tommy this time, again.  As last time, I’m not sure it’s appropriate for my site.  If you want to check it out on HIS site, click HERE. Paul asked me NOT to put his drawing up because he’s planning to print a Sketchbook of his drawings. In fact, there is another drawing he did that falls under the same “please don’t post that drawing because I’m planning to publish it in my Sketchbook” rule, that I can’t put up.  So enjoy the drawings that are here.  I’ll tell you what he drew though.

Martian Manhunter (DC comics) versus Marvin the Martian (Warner Brothers).  Though technically Marvin isn’t a “comic book character” there are such things as Looney Toon comics so…

Besides, it’s funny.  They fight because they are both Martians. Wanna see it? You’ll have to buy Paul‘s Sketchbook when he’s finally done with it and publishes it.

I drew Black Adam (DC comics) versus Namor (Marvel Comics). They fight because they are often drawn exactly the same.  I went out of my way to make them look different but in most comics, if it wasn’t for their costumes, they generally look like the same person.  And of course, they both have pointy ears.  I also tried drawing  Zachary Quinto in there since he’s playing Spock in the new Star Trek movie.  Not sure if I quite got his likeness, but I gave it a shot anyway.

COMIC BOOKS

Since I’ve been drawing all these superhero comics, I’ve been getting back to reading comics again. It’s been a month or so since I was really able to read any.  I’m really behind on my comic continuity.  Mostly because I can’t really afford to buy comics.  Luckily, I’m rescued from this comic Limbo by none other than comic book artist Drew Johnson.

Drew comes into the studio often.  He’s married to the director of our retakes crew and they’ve recently had a baby. Sometimes he brings a box of comics he doesn’t want and leaves it in the studio “kitchen”.

Ever seen a bunch of hungry hyenas fight over a fresh carcass? Ever seen one of them beat the heck out of all the other ones to get the choice meat? That’s me. Snarling, growling and biting my way to the comics I want.  “My Superman! Mine! Mine!” “Don’t you dare touch that Final Crisis!”  The last time, I left with so many comics, I could barely hold them using both arms.  Then, like the dog I am, I peed on them to mark them as mine…okay…maybe not, but I would pace back and forth in my cubicle giving people the evil eye who even looked in the direction of my stack of comics.  “My own…my…preciousssss.

In any case, this is the only way I can get caught up on my comic reading.  I always look forward to the next box of comics he brings in, just because I finally can get caught up on all the things I’m missing  out on in the DC universe. Most of the comics he brings are a year of two old.  This doesn’t bother me since I’m that far behind anyway. Although sometimes there is one or two that are pretty current.

Now if only I can find someone who works at Marvel and get free comics from them…

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