Song-Stress

A lot of my freelance work is writing presentation documents, or pitches, for proposed television shows which producers try to sell to networks. Many of these are music specials, and it's my job to imagine the show, and come up with a list of guest performers. They may not be the people they can actually get, but the names give an idea of what kind of show it will be. Still, I think it's funny to imagine what would happen if guests who were supposed to play together hated each other, and things went terribly wrong. Above, the sweet songstress of the classical guitar is going a little mad. Slightly looser in the watercolour, including dragging a sleeve over the wet paint. I suppose it all goes to make it look interesting.

P.s.: This would be funnier if he were dropping some exotic instrument: an oud, or a vintage autoharp. I guess I could photoshop one in.

Cyclist's Paranoia

Today's cartoon is an expression of what it feels to be an urban cyclist.

Trying to do more cartoons and pictures with a point, instead of just sketches (though there will be lots of those, too). Building up the old portfolio. Plus I like it if something gets attention, like that horse cartoon last week.



Went to the Montreal premiere of my friend's documentary, American Psyche. (Called it "American Psycho" at the ticket booth, but that's a different film. Er, that's a joke, son, in current parlance: "LOL") It went very well. The theatre was full, and the Q&A was lively afterwards. Everything you could wish for if you're having a screening (I've been to some bad ones - nay, disasterous!)

Met a filmmmaker at the screening named Howard Goldberg who is showing his own film S&M - Short and Male at the same theatre, the Cinema du Parc (good for them for giving screen time for documentary filmmakers, but the admission prices are the same as for their first run features, even if the film is only an hour long!) Will try to get the details and post them here, later.

Hot Docs

Toronto's Hot Docs, which finished up on Sunday, is Canada's largest Documentary Film Festival. On the advice of friends, I went down there for a couple of days. Quite overwhelming. At the industry centre, you could find people exchanging cards, meeting each other and pitching projects. This guy had the right idea:



I chatted and gave out some cards. It seemed to be the thing to do. Met many interesting people.

(UPDATE: Oh yeah, I also ran into a former editor of mine, Meg Hewings, and she was on her bike (because of the threat of a transit strike in T.O. - which came to pass!), and watching films in the dark all week. Her web diary on HOUR.CA talks about all the cool films I was missing.)

Drew some sketches. That woman was standing near me, and looked striking. The worried guy is out of the Hot Docs Catalog, and is a hockey player from the film Junior. Then, R. Crumb, because I bought a DVD of the movie Crumb cheap.

Friday Collaboration and Fun, and My Latest TV Episode is Airing Tonight!

Another meet with my friend, R. Gagnon, produced this sketch of our favourite other-dimensional gal, Clea, from the Doctor Strange comics.

Wish I had a picture of Gagnon playing this crazy unrollable flexible keyboard, which is like the paper piano keyboard you had to practice on if you were a poor kid, but this one makes sounds and can accompany you like a Hammond Organ.

I'll settle for this nifty portrait by Gagnon of a Video Lottery Terminal gamer:



Meanwhile, I was drawing bar characters, and the Saint Paddy's Day decorations, which were up. I added the grey in photoshop with a lot of effort. Don't know if it was worth it. Would have rather done it in wash, but that cockles the thin paper in this book:


A programming note, please tune in tonight at 7 pm. to watch the latest of the episodes of What's That About? I wrote, on Discovery Canada. Tonight, it's "Power Quest." Zap, zap!

Ugly Cats, and Spies

Gosh, I haven't been posting at my usual feverish volume the last two days. No bar meeting and drawing the other night, but I am going to this event today: [link]. So, will have something about that, later, unless decide not to go, or totally do awful drawings. In the meantime, here's an unflattering picture of one of the cats:

Not so pretty and poised now, eh, Miz B.?
(A possible "LOLCAT" caption could be: "Your offering disgusts Godfather Kitteh." Or: "LURP LURP LURP LURP")

Also, tonight on the Discovery Channel in Canada, is the premiere of the second of three episodes of the TV show "What's That About?" I wrote. This one is "Spies and Security Ops." I recommend seeing it, especially if you love guns, fast driving, and things that go "boom!" (I seem to love One and Three. Two, not so much!)

Tonight, (Saturday) at 7 pm eastern, Discovery Canada.