Let the Editing Begin!

I've laid aside my 69 hand drawn pages with doodles, scribblings, and first draft text and am now working exclusively with the 25 Publisher files, each page of which has six panels.

The first of those 25 files was opened this week for the first time since I wrote it last December. As mentioned, I did NOT review what I wrote on purpose; I wanted to "flesh out" the whole narrative arc first.

That first file (named EU1) contains the text from Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 and is 19 pages long. Here's what I'm discovering.

1.  One of the characters in this fictional graphic novel speaks text that I did not write. This is perhaps unique in story writing. I am given dialog I cannot change, alter, or edit. Mr. Q speaks and I deal with it.

2.  As a writer I react to, interact with, and make my actors act upon Mr. Q's words. Think of a grain of sand in an oyster....I hope to create pearls around that often aggravating irritation.

3.  The me who interacts with Mr. Q has one brain, but that brain has neural multiplicity. Just like a shopper looks at a used car through various lenses (cost, mileage, color, MPG, leg room), I looked at Mr. Q's words through a variety of lenses, none of which was explicit or discreet. I just read quip from Mr. Q and jotted whatever came to mind. After 3 months I came up with 400+ pages of random reactions.

4.  Now that I'm revisiting my random reactions I'm sorting through them, bunching them according to common themes, and shaping characters from those common themes. For example, many student quotes were silly, off the cuff comments (like Chandler on Friends). Other quotes were absurdly serious, deferring, and loyal to Mr. Q (like Dwight Shrute on the Office). Still other quotes were panicky and reactive (think of the anxious Chicken Little). There is also an aging hippie, a vegan foodie, and a scientific materialist who embraces atheism. There are also bit parts played by an agnostic, Earnest Hemingway, a pregnant student, and even me in a cameo role (a conceit I copy from Alfred Hitchcock).

5. This seems like an odd way to create characters. I've never taken a creative writing course or asked any novelists how they come up with their characters. Maybe they all start with words/point of view and then figure out age, gender, costume, back story, and appearance later. I somehow had the notion that writers start with a body and give it attitude and then words; I'm staring with words, giving the speaker of those words attitude, and someday will flesh them out in 2-D. (If this were a play or movie it'd be 3-D).

6.  As I plow through those 19 pages of random quips and quotes I'm adjusting the size of the word balloons so they are uniform (Publisher has a nifty "shapes" tool which I use to outline the text boxes with round edged rectangles). I'm also mindful of pagination; I'll start EU2 with page 20.

7.  I then printed a paper copy of those 19 pages and read and reread them all in one sitting trying to imagine the flow, how this narrative arc is getting launched, and the trajectories that are being established. Since this is the first scene, readers will be making many important assumptions, so I gotta get 'em right. I want all the loose threads to eventually be tied up.

8. The decision to not draw anything yet (faces, rooms, desks, lap tops, costume, etc) forces me to stick with character development via ideas. I'm imagining characters as pure thought (like Plato's or Jung's arch types). Only later will the word become flesh (or in this case, ink).

9.  Since I do not plan on including any chapter divisions (a decision I may reverse), I do plan on helping readers distinguish each passage (what Bible scholars call a pericope) by coloring the backgrounds differently. In the case of EU1, text 1:1-8a will have a different color background from 1:8b-11.

10.  Editing text on paper is easier for me than on a screen. Seeing my dialog on a page as future readers will see it (the finished product will be a book, not an eBook--another decision I may reverse), I have greater empathy with my readers. Consequently, I'm astonished at how much editing I did on EU1. The text is now (so it seems in this moment) crisper, snappier, and funnier. This is evolution at work; much of the first creation survived, but natural selection has not been kind to many other of those first words--extinction! The remaining words are fit for survival. During this geologic era at least.

It strikes me just now (as it often does when I mix metaphors or create clunky prose) that if I were an English teacher teaching creative writing I'd love to stumble upon this blog wherein students can listen to one guy's creative process.

But then, I've been overly influenced by that nutty quote by Edgar Allan Poe, "If you find yourself being burned at the stake be sure to jot down all your experiences." I not only love to create but I love to describe the creative process, an experience very unlike torture.

Finished First Rough Draft!

A pile of sixty-nine large (14" x 18") hand written notes have been converted to twenty five Publisher files, each of which contain about 20 pages, each of which consists of six panels. I've got a huge drawing task ahead of me. I am going to pencil, hand ink, and then hand color approximately 3000 individual panels.

Each of those 3000 individual panels already contain the word balloons and text I started writing last Christmas. Converting the book of Ecclesiastes into a classroom dialog was a blast. I was able to ponder each word and react to it.

Achieving this milestone marks the end of stage one and the beginning of stage two: reread and edit while fleshing out the characters. I do not want to design the classroom or costumes yet.

At the same time I read somewhere that some movie makers edit their script just before filming. We'll just have to see what stage two entails. Stay tuned.

Juggling Words and Pictures

As I near the completion of draft one (which consists entirely of text; no drawings or layout yet) I'm contemplating how to proceed with stage two of creating this graphic novel. Part of me wants to stick entirely to editing text and NOT yet experiment with panel sizes, shapes, and "timing" (the space between panels represents the passage of time).

On the other hand, stumbling upon this page from King Ottokar's Scepter got my creative juices flowing.

Just look at how evocative the "wide angle" shot is! Instead of Bianca Castafiore, I can see Mr. Q standing in front of a class of students. Visual imagining taps a different region of my brain than the "text writing" region. (I'm not good at playing the "name that cortex" game....the precise labels for brain regions is of little use in my work as therapist or artist; besides neuroscience geeks, who really needs to know the difference between an nucleus accumbens, visual cortex, prefrontal cortex, insula, or amygdala?).

After handwriting text on large sheets of paper (First Draft) I enter the dialog into a Publisher page divided up into six evenly sized panels (Second Draft). You can see these on display in old posts on this blog. The repetition will be maddening to readers (and me!) so the possibility of combining panels is exciting.

BUT...if I indulge the "tweak the layout" part of my brain too soon I may short change the "tweak the words" part of my brain. It's taking all my will power to say NO to the visual part and stick to the language part. Once the second draft of text is complete I will rearrange panels; until then I purpose to work entirely on dialog.  I want the dialog to "stand alone" for the time being, unaffected by pictures. Once complete THEN I will indulge the sweet symbiosis of blending words and pictures. Ahhh.....the anticipation is killing me!

12 Angry Men

Both the 1957 original film and the 1997 remake of Twelve Angry Men enthrall me because the directors (Sidney Lumet and William Friedkin) were "forced" to create dramatic action inside one stuffy jury room!  I wonder if they were familiar with Kierkegaard's famous line, "The more a person limits himself the more resourceful he becomes" (Either/Or).


Their amazing feat of cinematic legerdemain inspires me because the graphic novel I'm working on will take place entirely inside a university classroom. Can I use creative camera angles, close up/wide shots, and evocative poses/facial expressions to keep the plot from feeling cramped or bogged down?


These are the questions I'm grappling with as I near the completion of the second draft of dialog. I haven't started story boarding this thing yet; I gotta get the words right, first. I'm only 4 verses away from completion and I find my mind wandering from what the actors say to how I'll depict them saying those words.


My inspiration for drawing a graphic novel is Tin Tin's Herge (Georges Remi) but he had the whole universe as stage: cargo ships, deserts, the moon, under water, inside a mansion, etc. I will have only the classroom setting.


My plan:

• draw interesting characters with exquisite facial expressions who make snappy bon mots
• introduce Power Point slide shows for several lengthy passages 
• give each student a lap top on which can appear in images as needed
• close ups/long shots
• movable "camera" angles 
• the point of view needn't be fixed; we can look down upon or look up into each character
• colorful clothing/costume (I am losing interest in making this black and white; I think hand drawn with colored pencils will look nice; it'll be a ton of work but it's enjoyable work)

Such are my musings as I wrap up rough draft number 2.

Mr. Q Has Left The Building

Just a quick note of self congratulations. Tonight I finished the last of Mr. Q's lectures (12:8). I first put pen to paper December 21, 2011. His departure 3 months later, ends like his arrival, with him muttering "meaningless, meaningless."

If I draw this thing correctly, there will be a tinge of cinematic drama in his departure. The class has dwindled by attrition (many if not most couldn't hack his outrageous claims and walked out or dropped the class) but the few who remain have become stalwarts of Qoholeth the Teacher.

I gotta say I was sad to see him go. This is a good sign. If I, probably the most exasperated "student" of all, grew fond of the the old buzzard, I hope readers will, too.

All that's left now is to bring the TA to the front of the class and have her wrap up the loose ends (and do damage control)! Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 are not the words of Qoholeth but of an editor who added their commentary on the lectures just delivered.

I'm highly persuaded the book of Ecclesiastes is loaded with additions, glosses, and inserted verses by persons other than Mr. Q, but for artistic purposes I've made all those (often contradictory) comments come from the mouth of Mr. Q. It's possible the giant leaps and flip flops are the machinations of a double minded soul, or even a moody and intentionally enigmatic singular author, but I think not. Readers of the graphic novel will never know this, only those who bother themselves to read this blog, the behind the scenes look of creation at work.

Mr. Q has left the building. While he's gone I'll reread his entire lecture, tweaking the student comments, and designing his body, size, shape, attire, cranium and facial features.

Facial Expressions

Remember this scene from Shrek I? Shrek just heard from Fiona that she's got a "big" day ahead of her but Shrek knows she's about to meet "short" King Farquardt. He looks at Donkey with a face that says, "I don't know whether to break the news to her or not...should I?"

Out of context it's not that funny (although it is a fabulous digital drawing). In the film this facial expression triggered a big laugh. It was a non verbal gag. I aspire to the same heights of subtlety as these animators.


Ergo, I just ordered on Amazon a book entitled, "Facial Expressions: A Visual Reference for Artists" by Mark Simon. I'm hoping when I start drawing I'll benefit from this guide. 

This morning I began writing dialog for chapter 11; I'm almost done with the first draft! Once completed I'll review the entire collection of accumulated pages (about 400 by my reckoning; the files are separated and I don't have an accurate page count just yet). The wait is killing me! I'm so eager to wed text with images.

PS: I have a friend about to hike the Pacific Crest Trail and he's currently in the "accumulating gear" stage. In like manner, this stage of creating my first graphic novel is in the accumulation stage. My friend is eager to walk; I'm eager to draw. But beginning either project ill-prepared would mean disaster. Without proper gear he'd get cold, wet, tired, and hungry. Without my proper gear (dialog, references, commentaries, etc) I'd produce a less than sterling bit of art. I want sterling!

The Challenge of Writing Humor

First the good news about writing humor. Unlike the stand up comic, extemporaneous quipper of bon mots, or off the cuff jester, humor writers have time to think, edit, and rewrite their material.


Now the bad news: how do we know what's funny? I sit alone in my living room, silent but for the sound of our gas fireplace, the neighbor's chickens, and Saturday morning traffic on the road by our house. I read a line from Ecclesiastes, imagine how a classroom of modern university students might respond, then search for a play on words, surprise twist, or witty conundrum which I hope readers will find cleaver if not outright humorous. I know my limitations and don't even try for hilarity, knee slapping guffaws, or belly laughs. Ecclesiastes isn't the right setting for prat falls, slapstick, squirting flowers or joy buzzers. My ambition is for readers to smile. Which, given the somber and gloomy tenor of the book, will be a great accomplishment. I'm aiming for gallows humor with heart. 


Here's a prime example of the difficulty of writing humor. I just completed writing the dialog for section 22 and the final verse (10:20) says this: "Do not revile the king even in your thoughts; or curse the rich in your bedroom because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say." 


These words beg for comic treatment. Here's what I've done; let's see if it still has merit after it marinates several weeks (I'll do the second edit once the first draft is done). Bear with me; dissecting humor is, Mark Twain said, like dissecting a frog.


Section 22, Page 22


Panel 1: Mr. Q, Do not revile the king.
Panel 2: Student, There goes talk radio.
Panel 3: Student, There goes punditry.
Panel 4: Student, There go editorials, blogs, and satirical parodies of pomposity.
Panel 5: Student, Just when incivility is becoming an art form Mr. Q squashes it.
Panel 6: Student, Political party pooper.

Mr. Q's comment, like most of his comments, crash against 21st century life. On this page I'm trying to point out how difficult it would be to follow his advice to "not revile a king." The conventional interpretation of this verse among many religious folks, "Don't badmouth the president," a sentiment with which I generally concur (due more to my conciliatory nature than any theological or political conviction). I enjoy Steven Colbert, Bill Maher, and John Stewart. And I defend their first amendment right to make jokes about politicians. But my point on page 22 is to use the students as foil and call attention to the difficulty of following Mr. Q's command. Blending two phrases ("political party" and "party pooper") is the sort of word play I enjoy.

Section 22, Page 23

Panel 1: Mr. Q, Even in your thoughts.

Panel 2: Student, I can’t question political leaders even in my mind?

Panel 3: Student, There goes freedom of thought.

Panel 4: Student, (deep in concentration)

Panel 5: Student 2, What are you doing? 

Panel 6: Student, Tear gassing the protesters in my mind.

Reviling the king (or president) is important in a democracy (even though I sometimes cringe at the lack of civility, gravitas, and respect due hard working, civic minded, public servants). But I do not agree with this statement at all. I'm sure Mr. Q meant well...but c'mon. We can't even think about criticizing the government? I do not concur. Hopefully this comes across in a gentle (and witty?) way. (NOTE: I am doing my best not to lock my graphic novel in time and space by naming current events, an increasingly difficult challenge in this year of presidential election, national discombobulation, and economic woes. Political tensions are at a fever pitch and I'm so tempted to jump into the fray...but I want Ecclesiastes U to transcend the year 2012).

Section 22, Page 24

Panel 1: Mr. Q, Or curse the rich in your bedroom.

Panel 2: Student, If I want to curse the rich in my bedroom I will.

Panel 3: Student (looking like Groucho Marx), How they got in my bedroom I’ll never know.

Panel 4: Student, Those without bedrooms curse me because I’m richer than them and I don’t care.

Panel 5: Student, Cursing is a spectator sport.

Panel 6: Student, I wonder who the 1% of the world’s richest people curse.

One of the current events I'm avoiding mentioning in this book is the Occupy Wall Street movement, where protesters, saying they represent 99% of the population, are asking the richest 1% to pay more taxes. Amid this dialog has erupted a real anger toward the super rich. I do not share that anger. Rather than embroil these students in that debate I riff on the "curse" theme. The student dialog in Panel 4 is as close as I get to declaring my colors on this issue. If a rich person got rich ethically, good for them. And while I wish they'd pay more taxes, the underdeveloped world could occupy Ferndale and just as easily ask me (lower middle class by American standards) to share my wealth with them. So, the ethics of wealth distribution is a thornier issue than I can solve here. My point is to help readers read and grapple with Ecclesiastes, not engage in discussions of redistribution of wealth. 

Section 22, Page 25

Panel 1: Mr. Q, Because a bird in the sky may carry your words.

Section 22, Page 26

Panel 1: Mr. Q, And a bird on the wing may report what you say.

At this point I'm really stumped. I'm not proud of what I've done; and I'm not sure it'll survive the next edit. I planned to draw a bird visiting (caricatures of) Trump, Gates, Buffett, and a dozen other of the world's richest men (whom I'll find on Google). That bird will be cursing these rich dudes. However, those curses are lifted from a fabulously funny web site, The Luther Insulter. I couldn't muster the gumption to criticize these wealthy men so I used Luther's insults. It's incongruous, since Luther was insulting religious heretics. Plus, I'm not sure those rich dudes deserve such invective. Yet I'm stuck with this damn bird who's gotta say something to somebody. 

The humor muses have abandoned me. Writing humor isn't pretty.

Maddening Repetition in Ecclesiastes

It’s hard to know the precise source of my increasing difficulties creating dialog for the final chapters of Ecclesiastes. Is my brain weary? Are extra stressors draining my creative juices (watching my dementia-inflicted wife slowly vanish is anguish; my client case load keeps me on my toes, I still don’t have a healthy routine for shopping and cooking)? Is the repetition in Ecclesiastes making me numb? 

Let’s explore this last possibility, repetition. At a later date I hope to describe my “energy managing strategy” for coping with grief. And if I get bored I can talk about my love/hate relationship with grocery stores and kitchens.

As I’ve said many times, I’m plowing through the book of Ecclesiastes one verse at a time, mulling over each phrase and imagining how a classroom of modern university students would react to Qoholeth’s utterances. In the early chapters the ideas came easily. How witty or insightful they are remains to be seen; for now I am purposely not rereading what I’ve written but rather tackle each new phrase without benefit of hindsight. Once I complete this first draft THEN I reread and edit, streamline, etc. 

But as the chapters progress (I’m up to 10:17) I find Mr. Q saying the same things over and over. This taxes my limited powers of imagination. At the risk of totally boring readers of this blog, here are his most repeated phrases (conveniently cut and pasted from the Westminster Theological Journal 37 (1974) 57-73. Copyright © 1974 by Westminster Theological Seminary. QOHELETH'S WORLD AND LIFE VIEW AS SEEN IN HIS RECURRING PHRASES by H. CARL SHANK: 

Phrase 1: “All is vanity" or “This is vanity" (1:2, 14; 2:1, 11, 17, 26, 15, 19,21,23; 3:19; 4:4, 8, 7, 16; 5:7(6), 10(9); 6:2, 4, 9, 11, 12; 7:6, 15; 8:10, 14; 9:9; 11:8, 10; 12:8 repetition of 1:2) 

Phrase 2: "under the sun" (1:3, 9, 14; 2:11, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22; 3:16; 4:1, 3, 7, 15; 5:13, 18; 6:1, 5, 12; 8:9, 15, 17: 9:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 10:5) 

Phrase 3: "striving after wind" (1:14; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6; 6:9) 

Phrase 4: (a) "I perceived" (1:17; 2:14; 3:22) (b) "I said in my heart" (2:1, 15; 3:17, 18; 9:1) ( c) "I gave my heart to consider" & variations (1:13, 17; 2:3; 7:25; 8:9, 16; 9:1) 

Phrase 5: "There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and make his soul enjoy good in his labor" (2:24; 3:12, 13; 3:22; 8:15; 5:18, 19; 9:7, 9 

Phrase 6: Instances employing some variation of “fear God" (5:7; 12:13; 3:14; 7:18; 8:12, 13) 

To which I add Phrase 7: Intimations that human knowledge is limited 

1. man will not find out the work which God has done 3:11

2. Who will bring him to see what will occur after him? 3:22 

3. It never sees the sun and in never knows anything 6:5 

4. Man may not discover anything that will be after him 7:14 

5. What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious; who can discover it? 7:28 

6. I am still seeking but have not found out 7:28

7. who knows the interpretation of a matter? 8:1 

8. no one knows what will happen 8:6 

9. I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done 8:17a 

10. He cannot discover. 8:17b 

11. the dead do not know anything 9:5 

12. man does not know his time 9:12 

13. no man knows what will happen 10:14 

14. he does not even know how to go to a city 10:15 

15. you do not now what misfortune may occur 11:2 

16. you do not know the path of the wind 11:5 

17. you do not know (which) will succeed 11:8 

 How do I keep this repetition from driving readers crazy? How do I keep them from driving me crazy? This challenge inspires me and fuels my eagerness to get up early and stay up late. I enjoy working on this and 100 other puzzles in this Ecclesiastical literary and (eventually) artistic project. 

Finished Section 21 (9:11-10:3)

That wall I just mentioned hitting (see last post) continues to put up resistance. I created 23 strips but two are incomplete. I included a "slide show," I deconstructed verse 11, and I staged a violent fight that breaks out between students while Mr. Q babbles on. I'm not sure if these surreal shenanigans are the result of brain fatigue or inspiration.

The point of this post is to mark the completion of chapter nine; 40 verses to go.

In reflecting on those initial character thumbnails posted earlier, I'm reminded that I'm going to not only draw this guy a lot but I've got to look at him constantly for months so I better find his face appealing, interesting, and engaging. I do not find those quickie sketches anywhere near done, but drawing them was a good change of brain power and they helped me finish writing the text for that section.

These posts will be so much more interesting when I can insert more drawings. Please stand by.

Character Design: Mr. Q

Halfway through creating text in chapter 9 I hit a wall. My idea generating brain dried up and I found myself forcing dialog. The text was strained, the humor was lame, and I basically lost the joy of imagining conversations in the classroom. To get the creative juices flowing again I switched tasks and indulged my yearning to draw. I’ve been postponing drawing until after completing the script. With this change of tasks I will tap different regions of my brain. Creating text is left hemisphere (linear, grammatical, syntactical, and literary). Drawing is right hemisphere (mooshy, gooshy, fluid, and surreal). Or so my inner amateur neurologist assumes. Before beginning designing my main character Mr. Q and putting pen to paper I reminded myself of the basics.

1. Mr. Q will be acting on a stage (university classroom) consisting of straight lines, right angles, and edgy edges. I therefore plan on making him round. This will, I hope, add an eye pleasing visual contrast.

2. Mr. Q is a white male, late 60s, professorial egg head, who wears glasses, and is mostly depressed. He will smile from time to time but I need to create facial features that lend themselves to melancholia. Not sure how to do this yet.

3. Keep it simple. I’m going to draw this guy several hundred times so I will NOT draw every wrinkle, beard stubble, or hair. I once heard a character design lecture from Steven Silver who said, “Draw your characters in silhouette.”

Here are my first sketches. Sadly, I don't like these guys. Back to the drawing board.

Secret Weapon

When I need to think of rhymes for an occasional bit of doggerel, I use this tool to find and make up words.

I put this gadget together years ago and printed many copies on my desk top. I've got stray wheels like this stashed in all the places I write...living room coffee table drawer, desk drawer, drawing table, office, and bookshelf. I keep finding new letters to add, which explains the additional consonant blends.

Why don't I use Rhyme.com? It is a fabulous site and I do peruse it on occasion. But I find that turning the dials of the Word Whirl forces my brain to concentrate. Working through the zillions of combinations is like doing cerebral push ups. And to be honest, it's fun.

I just completed section 20 (Ecclesiastes 9:1-10). It's another section jam packed with morose prose so I do my best to lighten things up with doggerel. Tonight I wrote a limerick (not my favorite type of poetry but it fit in this case) and needed words to complete this sentence, "There once was a man without meaning..."

How many words could you come up with that rhyme with meaning? By aligning the letters on the inner wheels to spell the word "__eaning" I spun the outer wheel and came up with:

preening
screening
weaning
dry cleaning
gleaning
queening
leaning
careening
demeaning
intervening

I used three of the above words for one of the strips. Not sure the limerick will make the final editing cut so I won't share it here just yet. But I'm trying to jazz up the text with a juxtaposition of Ecclesiastes, one liners, quips, quotes, and poems.

In this stage of the creative process I'm piling dialog upon dialog, strip upon strip, section upon section, and I am eager to get to the final chapter so I can then reread what I've written. I'm forcing myself not to look back (or ahead) just yet. Once I've written the dialog for all 12 chapters (24 sections) I'll begin the first (of several) edits.

Note to aspiring writers: this probably isn't a good vocation if you don't like words. I don't know any writers real well but I'll bet they like Scrabble, spelling, cross words, word games, reading, and thesauruses.

Stray Drawings from the Archives

1972 comic me and my buds drew 

Bellevue Community College Newspaper published some strips, 1972.

To drum up business at fairs I'd pass these out to people wandering by, 2004

I like faces AND groups! 2005

Caricatures

1998: I discovered hundreds of caricature artists on line, joined the National Caricature Network, and over the next 8 years drew over 20,000 noses.

Performed at corporate gigs, fairs, and fests (Tugboat Fest, Sausage Fest, Etc. Fest).

For $5 and three minutes customers would get a quick profile sketch. It was a blast.

I'd set up my booth and the crowds would gather.

I was invited to teach a summer art class for kids at Western Washington University (Bellingham). More fun!

I sold maybe one quarter of the 2500 gag cartoons I drew over the years.

I love faces.

Dennis Hopper

I draw studio drawings from photos.

And for a grand finale I want to illustrate Ecclesiastes. Hopefully these samples will convince you to hang in here and wait for the finished product. I'm itchin' to get drawing. But as Russell Myers, the creator of the comic strip Broom Hilda told me in 1980, "Learning how to write is harder than learning how to draw. So get the words right first." 

So...I keep plugging away at the words. Please stand by.

My Artistic Credentials

The fact that I'd feel compelled to note my artistic credentials suggests how old I am (59). I suspect adolescents and young adults care not one whit about credentials but rather the finished product. Since I'm not yet drawing this graphic novel I have no finished product to display. But I feel compelled to give stray readers who happen upon this blog assurance that all this prose will someday be illustrated. Here's my arty curriculum vitae.

1952: born to middle class parents, both of whom dabbled with drawing. 

1957: saw Mickey Mouse Club and Uncle Roy as he encouraged TV viewers to put a plastic sheet over their TV screen and trace with a wax marker the doodles he made. I watched in awe as my older sister did this.

1958: received the first of many PEANUTS comic strip collections book. I still have them all.

1959: moved from NY to the Pacific Northwest where it rained so much I went stir crazy with boredom. My mom suggested I occupy myself with drawing. Great advice.

1960: Began a love affair with Hanna Barbera TV animated cartoons. Drew Quick Draw McGraw a lot.

1965: Discovered MAD magazine. Got adrenaline buzz!

1968: High school pals introduced me to Robert Crumb and under ground comix. My adrenaline spiked! 

1969: first requests to draw for non profit organizations. Learned what "free" in freelance means.

1970: discovered Mother Earth News issue #1 with a number of articles on freelance cartooning. More adrenaline! Learned the importance of sketching everywhere. 

1970: graduated from HS and went to Burbank, CA to apply for job as animator for Hanna Barbera. Not hired. 

1972: got hired in sign shop and learned some lettering techniques to earn extra cash. 

Me (on right) 19th birthday painting wall sign

1972: hired at Seattle Goodwill where I was promoted from fumigator loader to sign painter.

1973: launched my own business, Peacock Sign Co...lettering grocery store banners, trucks, ply signs, etc.

from 1970s business card

1977: married Vicki who was an inspiration. Great pen and ink artist...calligraphy, pointillism. I submitted cartoons to dozens of magazines trying to break into print.

1980: subscribed to Leadership Journal and in the first issue they invited cartoon submissions. I submitted several and sold my first gag cartoons (2 at $100 each). Ecstasy reigned. Vicki and I did something we seldom did: we danced and traipsed around the living room of our Seattle apartment like we won the lottery. To a married couple living on a youth pastor's salary (supplemented by Vicki teaching high school), that $200 check was pure gold! Did freelance work for magazines, newspapers, and film strip producers. 

1983: started comic with/for teenagers in Whatcom County (WA) called What Comics. Self published 3 issues.

1986: Drew comics for my kids.

1995: self syndicated a single panel strip GOIN' BONKERS and submitted to hundreds of newspapers. (Filed somewhere!) Landed one contract; sold each weekly cartoon for $5.00. Had I nailed contracts with 100 newspapers I would have earned $500 a week.

More to come....

Dividing Chapter 9

According to that 1919 commentary (A Gentle Cynic by Morris Jastrow) section 20 is comprised of ten verses, 9:1-9:10. Since I'm using his outline I get out my scissors, scotch tape, and large sheet of paper (# 54) and begin cutting and taping those verses on the left hand side. I do this while sitting in my living room, cushioned lap board on my lap, coffee cup, cell phone, and fountain pens on the small table next to me. I'm comfy, serene, in a meditative and contemplative state. My task today is to divide each verse into smaller chunks for the students to respond to. Let the dividing begin.


Ecclesiastes 9

 ¹ So I reflected on all this and concluded

I make this the first meme to come from Mr. Q's mouth in this section. Throughout Ecclesiastes Mr. Q describes in astonishing detail his "research." He was a thoughtful, intentional, empiricist, scientist. Not sure what new response I'll have students make to this comment yet but I am steering readers attention to the fact that this guy was no armchair scholar; it's almost (but not quite) like he was doing double blind control group experiments.

that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands

Well this certainly deserves comment by students. Soft determinism runs through Ecclesiastes although in this verse it looks like hard determinism to me. Is God responsible for what the righteous do? I don't know but being in God's hands is to me a comforting thought. 

but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. 

^{Mr. Q has dropped so many zingers like this throughout the text that I've lost count. It's Mr. Q's acknowledgement of the mysterious future that appeals to me.}

² All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

This is one of the lengthier verses I'll put into Mr. Q's mouth. The more words the larger the word balloon and the smaller the panel space in which to draw. I could make a separate page for each of these four comparisons but my initial thought is that doing so will bog down the flow. 

As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them.

I feel the same way about these additional comparisons. It's possible to riff on all six of these binary characters but the bigger literary (and exegetical?) question, "What do I make of his assertion that there is no ultimate difference in the destinies of these twelve individuals?"

 ³ This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. 

It's clear from Mr. Q's previous comments what he thinks of this assertion: it's evil. If he were here I'd ask him several questions: "Why does this bug you so much? Are you sure the same destiny awaits everyone regardless of their virtue or turpitude? Didn't you say earlier that there are some advantages to being righteous? And by the way, why DO you keep contradicting yourself? Have you seen your manuscript lately? How much of what you wrote is still in tact and how many insertions have others made?" The questions never end!

The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 

^{At this point in my cut and tape project I've kept the above text in one word balloon. I may later change this because Mr. Q makes two comments that beg for student reaction: "full of evil" and "madness in their hearts." The ANE notions of depravity and insanity deserve comment. I'm not sure yet if I'll address both of these in one strip or give each comment its own strip.}

⁴ Anyone who is among the living has hope


Mr. Q's positive comments are so rare I give them a place of their own. The overall tone of the book is pessimistic, glum, and depressing so I highlight every upbeat phrase that I can.

—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

John Stuart Mill said, "It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, are of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question. The other party to the comparison knows both sides." I'm going to try to compare these two comments. 

 ⁵ For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; 


This verse irritates me; I've had to untangle his contradictions so often I'm getting bored. This concerns me. If I get bored readers will too.

they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. 


In an earlier chapter we batted around the existential quandary of extinction, obliterated memories, and the angst of pointlessness. I'll revisit that notion again. I've felt the sting of being forgotten since my wife contracted Alzheimer's dementia and her memories of me are fading. It's very painful. I'm scouring every word of Ecclesiastes looking for hope. I trust that some breakthrough awaits me, us, him.

⁶ Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; 


Here comes more of the pessimism. What a gloomy frame of mind. It's hard to say (as do many commentators) that this comment emerges from sarcasm, Satan, or disconnection from God ("under the sun" is understood by many as "secular humanism"). I reject all those theories....but have yet to come up with a theory of my own. Pondering continues.

never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.


Ditto.

⁷ Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, 


Another ray of sunshine amid dark clouds of doom and gloom. 


for God has already approved what you do. 


Another theological puzzle.


⁸ Always be clothed in white, 


For sheer comic relief I'm going to have fun with this one...Tom Wolfe, the Pope, brides, white socks.... It's Mr. Q's intent to affirm happiness despite all this doom and gloom...but the oddity of such a comment begs for response.


and always anoint your head with oil.


How does one apply this custom in the 21st century?


⁹ Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. 


Another long blurb from the mouth of Mr. Q, rich with provocative ideas.


For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 


<sup>"Lots" remind me of lotteries which remind me of randomness which contrasts with destiny and fate. Lots to untangle here (no pun intended). 


10</sup> Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, 


As gloomy as Mr. Q is, he was no nihilist. He apparently found enough oomph (by faith?) to get a stiff upper lip and make the best of a bad situation. Viktor Frankl did so in Auschwitz and David Livingston did this while suffering in Africa. 


for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.


Sadly, I'm confronted with yet another conundrum. Did or did not Mr. Q believe in an after life? At times yes, at other times, no. Can't wait to see how I slog though this quagmire yet again without boring myself or readers.


NOTE: Each of those purple quotes will appear in the first panel of a six panel strip. Therefore, these ten verses have been expanded to 21 strips. No wonder the estimated size of this graphic novel is massive.

ETC (Estimated Time of Completion) and More Decisions....

1. Finish writing First Draft dialog for final 5 sections by April 15, 2012.
2. Reread and edit entire script Second Draft (450+ 6 panel strips) by May 15.
3. Create and draw character sheets for 8-12 key students by July 1.
4. Start printing Third Draft of all 8.5" x 11" pages on paper for thumbnails on July 1.
5. Scan and post these "roughs" on Ecclesiastes University blog as they emerge.
6. Finish thumbnails by September 1.
7. Start printing Forth Draft of 8.5" x 11" pages on card stock for pencil and ink: September 1.
8. Post those finished drawings on this site as they emerge. (Check for visual clarity, font sizes, word balloon placement, etc).
9. Post last page (450?) on this blog by Dec. 31, 2012.

Still to be decided: brush pen or felt tip? Black and white or color? Will there be section breaks? It's possible that I could simply number pages 1-450+ with no chapter/section breaks. If I do make section breaks, how? We'll see. Will I limit myself to six strips per page? I'm tempted to do several one panel drawings to fill a whole page (homage to Herge and a visual relief to talking heads). Do I identify in each strip verse references? If so, how to do so unobtrusively. Do I add footnotes at the end siting my sources? I'd rather not; any direct quotes I make are public domain (I quote Shakespeare a lot, the Declaration of Independence, various philosophers and comedians, etc without credit. Will revisit this; un-credited quotes could be thorny).

Finished Chapter Eight!

As mentioned, Ecclesiastes has 12 chapters. We know these were not part of the original manuscript but were added later by (we presume) well-intentioned scribes and amanuenses. In my research I came across a 1919 commentary in which the author Morris Jastrow made his own outline; he created 24 "sections." I found his division compelling and am using it. Not sure that readers of the final product will pay attention to this but smaller chunks of text are easier to manage. I have therefore just finished section 19 with 5 to go. Or by the old reckoning, I've finished 8 chapters with 4 to go. 5 is more than 4 but 19 is more than 8....so I'm tricking myself into thinking I'm far along and nearing the finish line!

If one counts verses, I've completed 158 with 64 to go. Technically, this doesn't tell us much because one lengthy verse could be broken down into 4 or 5 pages of text. How I divide verses will be the subject of another post.

As I ponder each section (usually 10 - 20 verses) I do not go back and reread the dialog I've written in earlier sections. I imagine I'm a student in Mr. Q's class without total recall of what he's said earlier. I face each verse and imagine how 21st century college students would react. The final three verses of this chapter are some of my favorites which was a nice gift since some of the earlier verses were my least favorite (because they are repetitious).

Here is the final verse:

"No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, humanity can not discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it." 

Some commentators chalk up this uncertainty to Qoholeth's lack of faith, unbelieving heart, and secular humanism. Goodness! I do not. I think Mr. Q is a man of faith and an honest observer of life's conundrums. What knocks his socks off is that those conundrums do not fit his theology of a commensurate link between righteousness and health/wealth.

In a fit of creative energy I put the following words into the mouth of the evangelical student in the class (set to the tune of that old Shaker hymn, 'Tis a Gift to be Simple).

'Tis a gift to be certain; I’ve a brain that’s doubt free.
‘Tis a gift knowing life has no ambiguity.
And when I have some questions I do not get up tight;
I ignore pesky facts with all of my might.
When happy certitude is gain'd,
My black and white brain will not be asham'd,
Avoiding counter evidence will be my delight,
Till by turning, turning I come 'round right.

I hope this graphic novel comes out right!

No Followers

I am intentionally not telling friends about this blog. Reading a journal about creating a graphic novel with no graphics would drive me crazy.

Once I'm done writing the text and begin to create characters, draw caricatures, and explore different drawing styles I'll have plenty of pictures to post and then may tell my 300+ Facebook friends about this project.

I hope to be able to post completed pages in this blog. What will the quality be like? I've published a few pages of text which to me didn't look clear or crisp. Is there another way to make my drawings available for public viewing without buying a domain name? Does Blogger link to file share sites? Are there ways to make this blog template more user friendly for posting 8.5" x 11" drawings? We'll have to wait and see.

Until then, I'm happy to talk to the air.

Chapter 8:1-9 and the Muses

As mentioned in a previous post, writing dialog for Chapter 7 was taxing. It took several days of hard thinking and problem solving. I finished chapter 8:1-9 in several hours. Why the difference? I was either extra creative or extra lazy. Here's the background.

I approached 8:1-9 with a tired brain, stuffy nose (I'm fighting a cold), and weariness from a busy work week. Dealing with people's intense emotions usually doesn't drain me but this week was especially challenging. Given this depleted state I took some short cuts on 8:1-9.

8:1a says, "Who is like the wise man?" Rather than create dialog of students answering this question I drew 5 thumbnail sketches of five wise people from history, each making a famous quote. Chapters seven and eight raise issues of gender equality and I used many females in chapter seven. To keep things relatively balanced I chose five men for chapter 8.

8:1b, "Who knows the explanation of things?" Because I used five men whom I admire in the previous five panel strip I chose to put five controversial figures in this strip, those who claim to be able to explain things. No student dialog, just five caricatures with one of their (to me grandiose) quotes. I'm no big fan of certitude, pontification, or smug cockiness for assertions. Finding five imperative smug folk was easy. 

8:1c, "Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance." For this I wrote student dialog with a weak joke at the end. It needs to be improved later. 

But for verses 8:2-8:6 I created 6 full page strips, the words of Qoholeth interwoven with the writings of a famous document in American history (spoken by students directly to Mr. Q). Thus I originated no new dialog but merely cut and pasted dialog in point counterpoint. It was a fun process and saved me a ton of time. I actually think it works well. I hate to be so cryptic in this post but I'm not ready to go public with this first draft. We'll see how I feel about it after it's marinated for several weeks.

I summed up the chapter with 4 more pages of student dialog and then then wrapped up the whole thing with one last page of quotes from that historical document. 

Putting famous faces in the classroom is a gamble. It makes writing dialog easier but it adds a surreal bent to the class. In chapter 1 Ernest Hemingway makes an appearance. By chapter 8 the philosophical ramblings of Mr. Q have become so convoluted it may not pose any problem at all to add a touch of fantasy to the plot. 

Remember the film, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid by Steve Martin? He cleverly wove old clips from film noir into his modern movie. It was quite effective. Zelig, too, by Woody Allen had a documentary feel to it as he cut and pasted interviews into the narrative. Ecclesiastes U is my attempt at doing something similar. Mr. Q is speaking the words of the book of Ecclesiastes and student banter back and forth with each other and with him. Thus the student dialog I write is both responsive and anticipatory. Again I apologize for not showing samples yet. That'll have to wait until the happy day I begin to add graphics to the novel. Words first, pictures later.

Statistics

There are 12 chapters, 222 verses and roughly 5261 words in Ecclesiastes. I just completed creating text/dialog for chapter seven, the lengthiest chapter in the book. This means I've grappled with seven chapters, 143 verses, and 4064 words of Ecclesiastes so far. 

I've got five chapters, 79 verses, and 1197 words to go. Seeing progress is encouraging since the going is so slow. 

Chapter seven was the most difficult to transform into a classroom lecture. The content was random, repetitious, inconsistent with other chapters of Ecclesiastes, and very uncomplimentary to women. It provided good fodder for class reactions, but man, was it hard. Good thing I like a challenge.

Five more (shortish) chapters to go and then I get the delicious pleasure of giving the students names and character. (At this point all I have are word balloons with dialog but only rough ideas of who the students are). I'll also do thumb nail sketches, examine the grand arc to the narrative, and make many corrections to the dialog. 

I simply can't wait to see how this thing turns out. In his brilliant book, Stumbling on Happiness, Daniel Gilbert says we are notorious for imagining futures that are way better than they are likely to be (a mistake Qoholeth was prone to  make). On this side of drawing I imagine a Pulitzer, Reuben, Golden Nosey, Mark Twain Award and even a Nobel or two, one for literature and the other for .... oh, I don't know, it doesn't matter. Let's say economics! Let's add appearances on Colbert and Piers Morgan. Grandiosity fuels my creativity. 

On the other hand, waves of self doubt plague me. I imagine this graphic novel will be a disaster and colossal waste of time. I feel like those singers on American Idol who think they're fabulous but can't carry a tune.

I actually relish this double-mindedness. Grandiosity keeps me energized;  insecurity keeps me real. Such are my creative musings today at the completion of a very difficult chapter. Onward!

Random Questions About Drawing This Thing

Where do I make the chapter breaks?
Do I ink in black and white or color?
Do I use pen or brush?
How do I escape the boredom of creating a graphic novel of "talking heads?"

I'll add to this list as new questions occur to me.

Qoheleth the Religious

In a previous post I listed Qoholeth’s comments (up to 7:16) us religious folk find outrageous. In this post I list his comments (up to 7:16) I find nourishing, edifying, and strangely comforting.

“The eye is not satisfied with seeing.” It’s nice to know that my obsession with reading, art appreciation, drawing, and visual input isn’t an anomaly. Apparently the whole human race just can’t get enough through their eye gate.

“Grievous tasks are from God.” I find it easier to cope with my wife’s terminal illness believing there is divine and benevolent purpose behind it.

“I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine.” I’m not a big fan of wine but I do love exploring the world of nut brown ales, mai tais, and peppermint schnapps.

“I turned to consider madness and folly.” As one who frequently counsels the conflicted, pathological, and emotionally disturbed, I too consider mental and emotional illness, with a view to being therapeutic, of course.

“In the coming days all will be forgotten.” This is certainly true when we take the long view. Eventually the sun will explode and all my memoirs, handouts, drawings, and graphic novels will be incinerated. Yet I continue to write and draw for the short view. I’d like my kids, grandkids, and as many generations as possible have some record of my existence.

“My progeny will have control over my literary/artistic oeuvre” (my paraphrase of 2:19). This reminds me that the point of my existence is bigger than my creative output. Somebody may just throw a match on the boxes of manuscripts my kids will inherit. This reminds me not to lay up treasures on earth.

“Even at night his mind does not rest.” I have a black belt in insomnia (and mixing metaphors). Nice to know I’m in good company.

“There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good.” Qoholeth’s cataloging of anomalies, paradoxes, absurdities, enigmas, and puzzling existential questions was genius. Yet on top of that list he lays the “good.” Despite the sorrows and heartaches, he still affirms the goodness of food, drink, and work. I like that.

“This is from the hand of God.” I’ve studied theodicy (justifying the goodness of God in light of a bad world) for nearly 40 years and have yet to discover one that works. Evil is THE Achilles heel for theists. And yet while theists wrestle with the problem of evil, atheists must wrestle with the problem of good. Either nut brown ale, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and Euclid’s Elements are the products of mindless evolution, natural selection, and random mutation alone or they are evidences of a creator who gives good beer, good art, and good math. I choose to believe the latter; they are “from the hand of God.”

“There is a time for peace.” Ahhh. This resonates with my love of shalom, harmony, and reconciliation.

“He has set eternity in the hearts of people.” This notion fits with my theology of imago dei. We’re created in the image of God and bear his likeness—a love of spirit, transcendence, metaphysical meaning, ethics, and so forth.

“Man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning.” There is to me an under addressed notion in the Bible which I call a “theology of ignorance.” As often as we’re reminded we “see through a glass darkly,” the evangelical subculture is awash in certitude, dogmatism, and unabashed confidence that what we claim to know is absolute. I like the many admissions in Ecclesiastes that we really shouldn’t be as pontifical as we are.

“Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward?” See recent comment.

“Who can bring him to see what will happen after him?” Ditto.

“The oppressed have no one to comfort them.” I’m not happy the oppressed have no comfort; I am happy that Qoholeth sees this as a problem. We do have an obligation to fight on behalf of the disenfranchised.

“One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of striving.” As one prone to workaholism I like this reminder to chill once in a while.

“Two are better than one.” My wife of 34 years was recently moved to a nursing home and I have now joined the ranks of the 33 million American’s who live alone (see this week’s TIME Magazine, March 12, page 60). I am mindful more than ever of the benefits of companionship, partnership, and togetherness. Qoholeth nailed it!

“Do not become an old guy who cannot receive instruction” (paraphrase of 4:13). Lord deliver me from becoming a stodgy old codger set is his ways.

“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money.” Good reminder.

“The sleep of the working man is pleasant.” I practice segmented sleep; periods of wakefulness sandwiched between periods of snoozing (naps are periods of snoozing sandwiched between periods of wakefulness). There is something comforting about flopping into bed exhausted from the day’s activities.

“The full stomach of a rich man does not allow him to sleep.” I’m not sure we needed divine revelation to learn not to eat French fries before going to bed, but there it is.

“It is good and fitting to eat, drink, and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor.” As stated earlier, finding weal in the midst of woe is a good thing.

“God empowers folks to rejoice in their labor.” In Mark Twain’s fabulous Diaries of Adam and Eve, Twain puts these words into the mouth of Adam, “I believe I see what the week is for, it is to give him time to rest up from the weariness of Sunday.” In other words, vacations are a good break from the tedium of work; and work is a good break from the tedium of leisure.

“I have seen the righteous perish and the wicked prosper.” It’s nice to know somebody else besides Job and Asaph in Psalm 73 make this observation. It seems disingenuous to me that some Christians pretend ethics and prosperity are commensurate. I’m sure it took courage for Qoholeth to publish his assault on a Pollyanna-like eudemonism. My saintly wife suffers with Alzheimer’s dementia, a curse undeserved. When I encounter “health and wealth” preachers I’m tempted to forsake my pacifism and take them down a notch. But that’s unbefitting a Christian therapist so I restrain my ire.

As you can see in this and the previous post I’m guilty of cherry picking from Ecclesiastes. Some verses are puzzling. Some are comforting. I’m trying to bake a cherry pie from sweet and sour cherries. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!