March 2004
Journal Notes Archive
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3/1/2004 - Well, I'm growing into an adult finally. No scrapping plans this time. The contact list for "Little Dee" is not even half done, so my hopeful date of releasing it May 3rd cannot happen. But I will now adapt my plan. So I will now shoot for May 31st. if that date is missed, and since nothing in business and publishing really happens during the summer months, it will have to wait until September 1st.

For now, I'll just keep plugging away. (and you can strill help, just go
here)

Oh, and I've put my links back on the sidebar here. Didn't make sense on a secondary page. Who the hell ever goes there.

(link: http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200403.html#20040301)

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3/2/2004 - By-the-way. If anybody's noticed the total lack of light-heartedness in Bruno for the last who-knows-how-long--but-way-too-long time, just so you know, "yes", I notice it too. I'm trying to do something about it in both my life and Bruno. but yes, I know, I know.

I'll just hope the heaviness is a good heaviness, I've received a few emails telling me that it has been, so that's something. Thank you.

(link:
http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200403.html#20040302)

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3/5/2004 - So, sketches this week. The only ones penciled-before-inked were the woman on the left with the greek/jewish nose and the squatting woman. The one with the "nose" is me still trying to figure out a character design (sketched a version of her before, neither of which are "right") and the squatting woman was just me testing out a shading technique (zip-a-tone behind loose hatching). The face in the lower left was just doodling. The middle three were from the March 2004 National Geographic. And the two on the right, i drew using "Nausicaa" by Miyazaki as my reference. I've been re-reading it yet again and am so amazed at this long epic story he created. Owen was not drawn this week, but he's here in spirit I'm sure.

(link:
http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200403.html#20040305)

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3/8/2004 - Two things today. First, the "Little Dee" mailing list, and then a "Bruno" question for you all.

1.

Okay, so the newspaper mailing list. As i mentioned before, I was not able to get it together enough for a May release of "Little Dee." But I am still hoping for June.

So anyonw who wants to help, find out how
here.

Also, anyone already working on one of the states, please try and push forward what you're working on, if nobody has replied to your emails, try someone else on the staff, or else try to compile and send me the information. With at least the mailing address and phone if you found it, and very important who you have tried to contact so i won't try them again.

Thanks again for everyone helping out, it has really made this go faster than it ever would have.

2.

A Bruno question for you all. I received a few emails last week concerning Bruno possibly being a little shaken-up or woken-up by the events currently going on in her life. But being that I'm totally not objective, and am a little "in my head" and in Bruno's head too, i was curious what people thought.

I think I'd boil it down to two questions. What advice would you give to Bruno (regarding both her life in general and her particular current situation), and what adventure/dream/craziness/thing would you like to see her do/experience/deal with next?

And if you are feeling that maybe your opinion doesn't matter, that it's just some silly thought in your head, that I probably have other or better ides from people... well, I'd like to hear yours too. Espeically the private little silly ideas, the "well, it's her life, I don't want to tell her what to do" ideas. As well as the "I know it's silly, but this would make me so happy inside like a little blossom" ideas. Seriously.

My email address is



(link: http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200403.html#20040308)

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3/12/2004 - So, today's sketches. All were pencil-sketched first, and all were from photos (referenced, as you can see), except the bottom middle which was from my head (still trying to work on a design for the protagonist for my graphic novel) but who resembles my friend, Jenn, from college. My favorites here ar the three on the left-hand side.

(link:
http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200403.html#20040312)

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3/17/2004 - I so much want to post interesting and juicy things, but I'm afraid they are few these days, and I am so overtired from working on the "Little Dee" release, that there's not much else. I've been making sure to write "Bruno" on Sunday morning, pretty much the only rested clear-headed time in the week, so at least the scripts have been pretty good. I do wish i had photo-sourced a new home for Stanley, as I had planned, but I didn't. And so it goes.

Life continues on, though. "Little Dee" is slated to be released May 31st, and there is no good reason that will not happen. It's weird throwing myself into all this as far as I have. I'm decent at business, but I have an odd relationship with it, mostly involving me doing a pretty adequate job and grumbling the whole way. But ah well. I'm excited at the prospect, the mere magnitude of this release. All US dailies. All of them. Yike.

And you know what, I'm not a quitter. Durnit'. And i do not view rejection as reason to give up. I am willing to take the foolish road if that seems the way i think i should go. And jeeze, it's about time I saw something through to this extent. Photocopying for a living is just doing nunthin' good for this poor boy's soul.

(link:
http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200403.html#20040317)

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3/19/2004 - Today's sketches. Not much to say. Got some books on animals, that was fun. Tried Stanley in an ink-brush style. The leopard's expression is priceless. I like that I played with a lot of styles, and I like most of the results. Happy.

Oh, and also, I know I haven't properly thanked everyone for ideas about Bruno last week. So many good ideas, they're still rattling around in my head, finding corners to sit in. Much to say on it, but this week I've been spreading things too thin and haven't had the chance. But I will. But the spreading thin will be continuing, what gets done in the next month of two that isn't "Little Dee" is all just luck. Hope for luck, it'd be nice.

Oh, and Katalin's comment about the Irish. Someone (hi Auros) pointed out how that was the day before St. Patrick's day. It hadn't even crossed my mind. And yeah, Katalin has her quirks. Which is all it was about. Not even feeling defensive, it's just kinda'... I don't know. I guess, once it was pointed out to me, even I felt it was too much of a coincidence to not at least mention.

(link:
http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200403.html#20040319)

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3/26/2004 - Today's sketches. Well, I sat for a while looking at the paper. I flipped through some reference books and maagzines. Finally I sketched the woman in the upper right, then the woman on the upper left. I managed to do another angle (not as good) of the woman in the upper left, plus the monster. And it didn't feel like quite eneough, but i was spent (sometimes, unless something is scripted and has a goal, staring at the blank paper goes nowhere), and so i scanned in a drawing I did back in college, with nothing but my trusty Pilot Precise V5 pen (whichi also draw bruno with) of some lemons and one of my old sweaters.

But, the cream-of-the-cream is the woman in the upper left. Not perfect, but she's the closest I've come to so far with trying to design the protagonist of my graphic novel (even though it's kinda' on hold during the "Little Dee" release ramp-up.). but yeah, I want a protagonist who has a feeling of a ton of depth to her, and I think I caught some of that.

Anyhow. It''s been a long week. I'm off to bed. Have a great weekend. :)

(link:
http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200403.html#20040326)

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3/29/2004 - Thank you all for helping out last week during the "Little Dee" fundraiser, it was very successful and will definitely help me in paying for this large project. I'll try to have the drawings off this week as soon as I can, and will keep you posted on the printing of the booklets.

This weekend was good and bad. I spent Saturday actually allowing myself a day off, enjoying the day with Bethanne. We went to the beach, we ate Thai, we watched "The Sting".

Sunday, well, Sunday was spent unsuccessfully redesigning the "Little Dee" site and trying to install Mac OS 9.0 on my Mac in order to use my new printer. No good. No good at all. but ah well. The "Little Dee" postcards should arrive on Tuesday, and worse comes to worse we can print the labels from Bethanne's computer. And maybe they'll even be off by Saturday. We'll see how things go. Anyhoo.

(link:
http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200403.html#20040329)

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3/31/2004 - Question. I need to find out about exclusivity for newspapers. Some larger newspapers will not only pay for a strip, but also for exclusivity. I'm curious what the agreements are and what kind of price is offered. Anybody have any leads/connections with info on this?

(link:
http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200403.html#20040331)

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March 2004
Journal Notes Archive
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