The glasses made whole

I hiked out to Asterix Eyewear (though the sign says All American Eyewear) in NE Portland to see if my glasses could be repaired… my ocular vision a little strained from seeing the world through a sagging bandaid repair and a little bit afraid to move my head. Every time I tilted my head down my glasses would fall off and I ended up tucking the arms of my glasses into my hair for greater security.

Once at Asterix Eyewear (there may be buses everywhere in Portland, but oh my they can take a long time to get anywhere) I was told it would be $50 and an overnight job to weld my glasses back together. I looked very sad indeed and said I was willing to wait, wait a long time, but I needed my eyes to get home. The nice guy took pity on this poor Australian with no spare glasses and set to work.

I was told where convenient cafes were, but all felt a bit too far to go without my eyes on, so I waited, listened to The ComicsSpot, watched TED talks, read and tried to get some work done.

And hurrah hooray, an hour and a half later I had whole glasses. Normally he would take longer to test the weld, do a proper paintjob etc, but normally he would have a whole lot more time. The repair comes with a 3 month warranty, so if the weld does not hold I’ll be right. It was a very fiddly job to get all the things to align and I’m very glad to have my eyes back.

It feels mighty nice to have glasses that stay on my face.

Bearskull and glasses

Thanks for all the glasses tips everyone – it looks like it will all come in handy. I have some gorgeous french frames from a friend that I plan to put new lenses into and am seriously tempted by some online cheapo shopping.

Steampunk Reloaded II – comics reprinting opportunity

Ann and Jeff VanderMeer are editing their second Steampunk anthology, Steampunk Reloaded II… and… I’ve just checked in with them, they love the idea of including comics.

So here it is short and sweet:

• They only accept reprints
• Reading period is December 15, 2009, and February 15, 2010
• Their definition of Steampunk is broad (if in doubt send it in)
• Go to Jeff VanderMeer’s website for further info
• Payment will be on publication as an advance against royalties
• Publication in fall 2010 by Tachyon Publication

Please pass it on to other comic creators. Lets put on a good showing and get our comics to exciting new audiences (and in… bookstores!)

Oh no melon! my glasses broke

I got out of the shower this morning, I polished my glasses and they snapped in half. Oh no!

I don’t think I have spare glasses and shall subsist for a time with my specs stuck together with tape.

I am considering shopping online for my new specs given I have a recent prescription. Any recommendations for online or Portland, OR places to get glasses?

Creating Comics in Canberra, Australia

I’ve noticed (through the power of google analytics) that quite a few people have found my website while looking for comic workshops in Canberra. I don’t live in Canberra anymore, but I am happy to help you find local comicers if you need someone.

Impact Comics might be able to help you as well, I’m sure they’ll do their best. They are a wonderful comics store in Civic (right near the chessboard) who really support independent comics and local creators. They’ve organised events like Women in Comics as part of International Women’s Day, hosted events during Canberra Living Artists Week; and looking at their website I’ve just found out they hosted an event for OtakuFest. I highly recommend going to them as a first port of call for anyone interested in comics in Canberra.

And Yes they do host Free Comic Book Day. A lot of Canberrans I know assume Free Comic Book Day does not come to us… well it does! Remember to get your free comics on 1 May.

Oh dear, you can see how enthusiastic I get when I’m talking about Impact Comics, I can’t help it. They’ve earned my love with a great store and great conversations. As a comic creator, having a good retailer who you can chat about the business (and art) with is a wonderful thing.

Happy comic creating and Happy New Year

TLM Dukkah

I love to make Dukkah, ok well technically it is some strange evolving seed, spice and herb mixture that is inspired by Dukkah and other delicious spice traditions throughout the world. In my imagination there are probably as many Dukkah recipes as there are Egyptian grandmothers. Food is a dynamic and adaptive creature moving to different climates, intersecting with different cultures and different foods have been available. My Dukkah has traits that are more similar to Za’atar, especially with its high sesame seed content and I’ll keep tweaking it and playing around with it. I am sure it is also influenced by delicious Japanese rice seasoning (that I still call shaky stuff thanks to good friends back in Australia). It’s a constant exploration and excuse to buy interesting looking spices. I never use measurements or make exactly the same Dukkah twice.

Read on for my ‘recipe’ and what to do with Dukkah.

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Exploring the Skribit

I’ve recently added a handy dandy widgit called skribit. This lets you post suggestions on the dashboard on the right over there and looks like a pretty cool idea. It should be easy and intuitive to use, just write in a suggestion. Let me know if it isn’t easy to use.

I love creating as part of community, so I would love to hear what you want to know – be it how’s America, what do you miss about Australia or what are your views on Kant’s Critique of Aesthetic Judgment (which can be surmised by saying watch Douglas Wolk’s Ignite Portland Talk).

Over time I’m going to write my lurking ideas for blog posts in the suggestions box as well. You can then support posts you’re keen to see written and say please noooooooooo.

Cracked Leather on The Pedestal

Cracked Leather, a flash fiction piece I wrote during my first week at Clarion, has just been published at The Pedestal Magazine. I am delighted to be included. Go to go to, and, if you have time in this hectic festive season, I would love to know what you think.

To anyone who wandered over here from The Pedestal website. Hello and welcome, make yourself at home. Let me know if you have any questions, thoughts, or if you would like a cool refreshing beverage.

If you would like to discuss Cracked Leather in the comments section please feel free to do so (there may be spoilers).

Clarion Blogs and Journals page has been updated

As part of its monthly maintenance program The Clarion Blogs Collection has grown. This month Philip Brewer, Pamela Rentz, Wendy A. Shaffer and Neile Graham have been added. Currently the collection is sorted chronologically, by when I stumbled across the blog.

Things Read and Reading

What a joy it is to read, and how important as a writer. It is joyful to read different texts and see how they fuel the creative process. Cosmicomics has inspired a short story. Love in the Time of Cholera reminds me how fluid time, language and can be reminiscence. I always think about Marquez’s writing as non-linear and yet in some ways it is quite linear; my mind darts like a fish between the then and now, a collage of memory. I’m afraid Jonathan Livingston Seagull reminded me of what I don’t like in beast fables and what I especially don’t like in spiritual teaching stories – but even there there was benefit. Jonathan Livingston Seagull reminded me of the down to earth fables and teaching stories from China and Japan I loved and read as a child.

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Mid-December Roundup – Thanksgiving, shows, publishing, audio

Well Thanksgiving was a blast, and my strange fears totally unfounded. We attended two vegetarian thanksgivings with delightful company at both. A Thanksgiving that included a small child talking about how Earth is the best planet and Venus is the worst planet (because Venus will crush you with its enormous gravity) gave me strong hopes for the new generation. I highly recommend at least renting a child of this type for all such occasions.

’tis the season of festivities and events. Lee and Annaliese Moyer (our lovely hosts who kindly keep us in their basement) have both just had shows open. Lee is showing at the Radio Room and last night we went to the opening of Elementum, which is showcasing Annaliese’s photography. Mike took photos of her art with his iPhone, I love how you can see the reflection of happy viewers in the glass

Annaliese's Gallery Show - Mermaids and Observers

Annaliese's Gallery Show - Photographer and Mermaid

In other delightful news Cracked Leather be published in The Pedestal Magazine on 21 December. Cracked Leather was the first story I wrote at Clarion Writers Workshop, I wrote it during Holly Black’s tutelage and it was critiqued under the care of Larissa Lai.

Love and Spandex, a comic I created with Ben Hutchings, has just come out in Tango – Love and War, the ongoing romance comics anthology by Cardigan Comics. This edition shared it’s launch with The Tango Collection launch, which has been published by Allen and Unwin. It’s a fantastic recognition of the hard work Cargdigan Comics have done over the years bringing together diverse, independent Australian comics. I heard the launch was fabulous and would expect nothing less.

And finally, if you would like to hear my dulcet (or not so dulcet) tones you have two options! The Comics Spot back in Melbourne have been putting up podcasts of shows. It’s jolly good all round and you can hear my pre-departure interview, chat, with the crew – talking about grants, writing, America and why Portland and many other things.

You can also hear a small snippet of me describing the Hawaiian shirt I was wearing at the Jay Lake recording during Orycon. The snippet is in Banter 2, but you should really check out the other recordings as a source of delight. Mary Robinette and her stalwart crew did a fantastic job reading stories by Jay Lake (different fab writers doing the voices of different characters and Mary Robinette as the narrator). I am astounded by the sound quality of the recording given the terrible acoustics of the space. I imagine that is a big bravo to Robert Kowal, sound guy, for doing such a splendiforous job.

I hope you all have a happy and safe festive season and a joyous 2010.