25 Years Ago: My first cross-country adventure

The Bay Bridge, which I first saw on Thursday 19 February 1998. This photo taken on 24 June 2022. Camera: Olympus XA2 Film: Fuji 200 I've lived on the West Coast of the United States for almost twenty-three years. I'm quickly reaching the point where my West Coast life will be longer than my East...

Twenty-five years of Ten Foot Rule

Ten Foot Rule comics, 1997-2000 I don't remember the exact date, but I do know this: In July of 1997, I took a collection of comics that I made, went down to the local Staples, and printed my very first mini-comic (or comic-zine), TEN FOOT RULE #1. It was a pretty humble start, just twelve...

On the nostalgia and reality of a past decade

Camera: Minolta XD5 Lens: Minolta MD 50mm f/1.7 Film: Kodak Ultramax 400 The rule of thumb is that nostalgia for a particular decade occurs twenty years after it happens. This is because people in their teens to early twenties during that decade would be in their thirties or older when the nostalgia comes around. It's...

Reflections on three or so years of working (mostly) for myself

Self-Portrait at Vestal School. 24 Dec 2021. Samsung Maxima Zoom 105/Kodak Ultramax 400. It's 2022, and I'm still working towards the goal of being some sort of Professional Artist. This idea is not new. By the time I hit high school at the very, very end of the 80s 1 my hope was that I'd...

The value of a P.O. Box in a digital world

I don't typically share my list of pet peeves 1 as it just gives ammo to those who would get a kick out of annoying me. But I will share one: When someone wants to send me something and asks me for my address. Now you may think that this a weird pet peeve. Shawn,...

Ten Years since my Cross-Con Tour

It's a long time ago, yet feels like yesterday: Ten years ago on this very day my then-partner April and I embarked on a cross-continent tour. Our goal was big: Ride from the Pacific Northwest eastward, with a detour into the Canadian Rockies and Prairies, then through the Midwest and Northeast, hopefully ending up in...

Twenty-five years of zine and alt-comix culture

A look into my zine collection, long considered to be "lost". More proof that I'm getting older: Another milestone to celebrate that can be measured in a fraction of a century! This anniversary may not seem to be such a big deal to some, but for me it was a game changer. If not for...