Despite the amount of silence over here, I have been active on my Twitter and Instagram and - to a point - I still Function. o.O

The most important thing is I've been doing my damnedest to plug along in spite of *Gestures to the World* Everything. Unlike what folks were claiming toward the beginning of the year, it's amazingly hard for me as a "Creative" to be productive while also being a "Witness to History"... especially when that history is what we're going through currently.

Artwork is slow going and writing just hasn't been happening. I know what I need to do but Yeah! Yeah. -.-

That said... I do have some good news concerning the comic.

I have two new strips set to post with the first one showing up this Sunday. The next will skip a week and will go up on the 28th. This is mostly to give me the most amount of time to finish the one that's sitting next to the Art Desk. Why next to it? Well, the desk is currently loaded up with my Tablet Screen Thingie. I'm not feeling like working on the strip But I want to work so I'm going to roll with a bit of a different schedule for the foreseeable future.

The idea for tonight is to finish some shading on my 'Saltwater Girlfriend' pic - a holdover from Mermay that I Will Finish This Year. Before I get into the background stuff on that, I'll move that gear over to finish the currently sketched up strip and leap frog between art projects and the comic like that so I'm not just banging my head against the wall on one while not getting anything done at all.

You can see the current progress on that over at my IG account here -> [Art LinkTastic!]

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I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the current situation here in the US (and around the World). What we are seeing is a bit of a unique situation regarding long established institutions and their desperate need for change.

To be as honest as possible... shit's been messed up for generations but it took the creation of the Internet, everyone having excellent cameras on them at all times and a Friggin' Pandemic for anything even close to a needle movement on these matters to happen. We've seen everything from peaceful protesters and the Press being caught up in Police Riots (read: A riot in which the Cops get froggy and jump at the chance to beat, maim and arrest folks by starting a riot) to old historic monuments to figures with Horrific pasts being torn down with a side of minor institutional change.

If you can't tell, I'm on the side of the Protesters.

I remember watching the LA Riots as a kid and Ferguson live as it was happening hoping for some modicum of change to come out of them. This is the first time I have had some kind of hope that those changes will take place. I know LEO's and I've had run ins with Cops in the past. Shit has Never been right and it looks like the folks least affected by it on the daily are starting to realize that. Maybe this will gain the traction needed to make solid changes in community policing and folks will see just how deep the hurt goes. Maybe we'll even get a better system out of this.

That's the hope, anyway.

To those who, like myself, can't be out there in the thick of things: This doesn't stop once it falls off national radar. We have to help those continue this battle until it's done. Here's a page with some ways you can help that's fairly up-to-date - [Link]

To those out there protesting: This isn't done yet. Pace yourselves and enjoy the little victories when and where you can. Like I said back in 2016 - I ask that we all stand together against those who wish to divide us even more than we currently are. Together, we are stronger than their hate.

You might be wondering why I need projects like this (outside of our current climate, that is). Well... it's muscle memory.

I draw on paper. I write on paper. I am surrounded by these tools and they are at the ready for when I want to rock out and get work done. Have been for the bulk of my life. So... Yeah! I need things to do that use these new tools or I'll default to what I already know well.

In this case, it's inking an existing image in SketchBook on my slightly overpowered system on my magic screen that wasn't even a possibility for me to own when I learned the digital ropes as a kid in the 90's. = )

Anyhoo! You can see the progress I've been making over on my Instagram here. -> [IG LinkTastic!]

That's also where you'll find cheeky updates for when I've finished the pencils on strips or glances at the usual Instagram fare like food, pets and stuff I bought. = P

The ultimate end for this Altered Beast piece? Simple. It's both digital practice and I think it might make for a neat wallpaper or something. Unless I can figure out a way to get it to be blessed fanart merch from SEGA but I think that's out of the question. I'm not Completely against selling fanart on merch outside of that but this one Definitely walks that line of possibly having corporate breathing down my neck... which gives me pause.

Now to do my usual post-work stretch, snacking and some laundry 'cause I forgot to do that earlier in the week.

'Till next time! = )