Hobo Blues

Between September and December it seems to me only a five minute jumble. I'm still out here, right there, over yonder, as Sexton Ming once said, still kicking.

In the newly refashioned Comics Journal as an online animal, indomitable author Bob Levin grapples with my In Tongues Illustrated book and interrogates yours unruly.

At the end of September, I returned to SPX, this time with partner in slime Brian Manley (aka Brine Manley) and made fast buddies with the classiest of cartooning dames (and the best tablemates one could hope for in a convention type setting) Sally Bloodblath & Erin Colby Griffin. Tom Neely stumbled across me, and we discovered that great minds think alike (both Neely, along with Manley and myself, are interested in producing soundtracks for our comics projects), which resulted in his preaching the gospel via the microphone of Sparkplug Comics. Then, more recently, Mr. Neely did me the honor of including my book in his "top 5" list for the year over at The Daily Cross Hatch.

The aforementioned Griffin greased the wheels with Benn Ray (or at least she pointed out my book to him) from Atomic Books of Baltimore, and that led to my book being in the store and available online from them. A fact I'm quite proud of, thanks to Miss Erin.

Oh, and I ain't been idle, party people. I've been building lots of contraptions that have become something else. Brine Manley and I took with us to SPX an old fashioned photocopied mini-comic version of the first chapter of a novel in progress, Creekwater. One thing leads to another, and now that book is being serialized in the Lexington, KY rag, North of Center. The last three images from my sketchbook above were preparatory numbers for my non-collaborative work in progress, The Organ-Grinder.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I'm scattered. Not always in the same place and time as my scanner, but my ink and pens and brushes and bristol and Moleskine sketchbooks remain, like a gunslinger's six-shooter, at my side.

Some Nice Things I've Missed

The phrase is Frank Sinatra's; the sentiment is mine. As the ancients would say, I've been gone for far too long (or was that Mick Jagger?). But I've had things to do, hurtles to hurtle. I got my old scanner. And a new computer. I'm back in the saddle, I say, hopefully.

The sketches above were done as part of a project that Greensboro, NC based artiste/graphic designer, Sam Bridges, has going on with his Bugbear Union goings on.

Richard Polt included a reprint in a recent issue of his Harry Stephen Keeler News of the Harry Stephen Keeler Society my own biography of the aformentioned HSK in comics form from the In Tongues book.

And lastly, but certainly not leastly, Andrew Crawford's comix anthology, Qhamics? , included in its first issue a selection from the graphic novel in progress collaboration betwixt Nick Tosches and yours unruly, Spud Crazy.

Beyond Time & Space

I haven't been on the horn since the COMIX show, which was a blast to be a part of and was really well attended. In that time period, letter press printmaker Alex Brooks did a mighty fine profile on me for the March issue of the local rag Chevy Chaser, which also plugged the aforementioned COMIX show, which was on display through the end of last month.

And Andrew Crawford did a benefit concert for his comics publishing venture, Qhamics? (the first issue of which will feature pages by yours unruly) this past weekend that featured my band, the Smacks!, and he was selling original art in a handy trading card format to help raise money...my idea was to make a design in which each small image was part of a complete image. Andrew was kind enough to scan them for me before he sliced and diced 'em, so I present them here (a few of the cards are left at the bargain price of 2 dollars each...drop me a line if interested).

There's plenty of material in my sketchbooks to keep the Covertly train on track for ages...unfortunately I have computer issues, and it's unclear exactly when I'll have them sorted to make this thing a regular gig again. So keep your pantyhose on, and I'll be scanning and uploading like it's my day job as soon as that's possible.

Comix

As I previously alluded, this Friday Feb. 20th at the Downtown Art Center (141 E. Main St) in Lexington, KY, the Lexington Art League presents the opening reception from 5-8pm as part of Gallery Hop for COMIX, a group show of original art by comic book artists.

Included is eight pages by yours unruly: four pages from the graphic novel in progress in collaboration with author Nick Tosches, Spud Crazy, and four pages from my book, In Tongues Illustrated. And this makes for something of a bookend along with my originial local release of the latter.

The finest independent book store on the local scene, Morris Book Shop, is sponsoring the event. They'll be on hand selling books, including my own, during the reception. Here's some relevant links:

Lexington Art League at the Downtown Art Center

Morris Book Shop

Nick Tosches

Spud Crazy sample

Injuns

Sometimes I hear Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills" in my head. Sometimes I hear that song "Cowboys are Square" by that Billy Childish. I'm not sure if the "Injuns Died Here" label is a warning, or a mere statement of fact. Perhaps both.

The Power of Gobbedlygook

Secret societies aren't very secret anymore. Actually, I was meditating about artist Rick Griffin's propensity for lapsing into lettering that's either indecipherable or near-indecipherable. I figure if he could lapse, I can lapse. Let's lapse.

Evolution & Revolution

This is not a call-to-arms, nor is it a biological treatise. I was reading Howard Bloom's The Lucifer Principle, and I seemed (and that might yet be still present tense) to get lost in this claustrophobic crosshatched sketchbook landscape. Lost, or would that be trapped?

Expanse

Ah, but to be expansive in the claustrophobic void...

Dualities, Naturally

Them dualities pop up everywhere. Reality is in fact an endless multitude of dualities. But it's not always about doubles. Triples figure largely, too. Belch. What was I saying?