What I’m Up To

25 October 202225 October 2022 ~ Not Alison ~ Leave a comment

These are some of the things keeping me busy these days:

The Work in Progress

Every day I’m drawing more panels for my work in progress, seen sporadically in my “Teaser Fragments” posts. Here’s a couple more glimpses:

drawing of a woman seen from a slight distance as she assembles a floor lamp with a desk on one side of her and a window with blinds pulled up on the other side; a lampshade sits on the floor

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Updates to Not a Cat Lady

I’m modifying multiple pages of Not a Cat Lady. Much of the work is mere tweaking and still more polishing, but I’ve also been fixing a number of panels that made me cringe every time I saw them.

While doing that I’m revising the posts for the entire novella, doing away with the gallery interface and presenting the art pages directly. It’s not something I can do all at once, so the Not a Cat Lady posts will transition gradually.

a drawing of a woman in low light seen directly from above as she lies in bed with her eyes wide open; one arm is bent with a hand beside her pillow, and the other arm stretches along her side with the hand on top of the sheet

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Movies and TV Shows

My self-indulgent reviews of shows I watch have dragged to a halt because right now I’m working my way through the original Thundercats series (130 episodes), and I can’t resist writing an in-depth commentary on nearly every episode. I’m struggling to figure out how much of that content to post here. I don’t mean for this to become a Thundercats fan site, and I know I’m going off the deep end analyzing it all.

I focus a lot on the “proper” order in which to watch the episodes—neither broadcast order nor production order fully works for season one, even accounting for how multi-part stories were divided—so that brings up the question of how to arrange whatever entries I do post.

At this point I’m still in season two, with about fifty episodes to go, although I might get started posting something even before I’ve finished rewatching everything.

detail of a photo of the inner cover of the Thundercats complete series DVD set, focused on the circular Thundercats symbol

Teaser Fragments 5

28 September 202228 September 2022 ~ Not Alison ~ Leave a comment

More pieces of my work in progress, uncleaned and uncorrected.

pencil drawing of a woman sitting on the floor looking up at a less distinct, more dimly drawn bookcase

pencil drawing of two stacks of books of varying dimensions, including The Chicago Manual of Style (14th edition), Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary (10th edition), Gardner’s Art Through the Ages vols. 1-2 (8th edition), Kiki Strike, Dress Codes for Small Towns, The House of Mirth, and The Golden Notebook, as well as a flower identification book by itself

pencil drawing of two adjacent scenes of a woman sitting on a couch cushion set on the floor in front of a couch; in the first she is leaning back with her shoulders against the couch, with wireless computer keyboard and mouse on a board in her lap; in the second she is stretching her back and looking up, while the board with the keyboard and mouse is beside her; there’s also a table lamp on the floor

pencil drawing of a masked woman squatting near a large, open box while a girl (whose torso will have to be digitally shortened) stands on tiptoes in front of her raising both hands dramatically and puffing out her cheeks

pencil drawing of a wide room showing curtains, pictures on the walls, and a distant couch on the left; a mid-ground chest of drawers in the middle; and a table with chairs in the foreground on the right

pencil drawing of a woman seen from behind standing and puncturing something (air packets used in packaging) with a screwdriver; to her right, on top of a large upright box with indistinguishable markings on the front, a book rests in an opened cardboard shipping wrapper next to a DVD box; beside the large box on the floor is a smaller, more cube-like opened box

You Raised Me Up

27 September 202215 January 2024 ~ Not Alison ~ Leave a comment

When I was young, and my soul so cheerful
No troubles yet, and my heart burden-free
I wasn’t still and danced there in reliance
That you would come and laugh awhile with me.

In my life, you spared me cold and hunger
Grandparents said that you and they loved me
But when need came, and I began to tumble
You turned away and held back silently.

You raised me up
So I could roll down mountains
You raised me up
To drop in storming seas
I am safe
	when I stay off your shoulders
You raised me up
And then let go of me.

Unguardian

31 August 202215 January 2024 ~ Not Alison ~ Leave a comment

Watching this girl with half-grown fingers
Pushing fruit into an unbaked pie
And looking at me with a smile of pride
Sure she will find approval in my eye
I am seized in belly and in chest
At my center, lower, and above
By that which fabled mothers always have,
This fiery, flaming, fierce instinctive love.
I would lose anything in her protection:
Starve myself so she could eat
Take angry bears within my teeth 
Leap into traffic in the street
For her.

And I must wonder
	Because the world is not all innocence
If my own mother ever felt this, even once
Why she deserted my defense.

Teaser Fragments 4

2 August 20222 August 2022 ~ Not Alison ~ Leave a comment

More pieces from my work in progress: scans of pencil drawings, with no editing or cleanup yet, and still a long way from page composition and addition of captions and dialogue.

pencil drawing of a kitchen showing cabinets, countertop, oven/stove, sink, and narrow uncurtained window

pencil drawing of a woman standing and putting dishes into a kitchen cabinet with a dishwasher open beside her leg and some dishes pulled out

pencil drawing of a flat aerial view of a bedroom layout, showing bed, desk, chair, dresser, two bookcases, window, and two open doors

pencil drawing of a woman sitting on a bus wearing a mask and looking at her phone, which is held between her hands, and two shopping bags in the aisle seat beside her

pencil drawing of pliers, travel alarm clock, broom, T-square, pillow or cushion, measuring spoons, small spice bottle, round container with the partial word “COCO” on it, table lamp with dangling chain switch, saucepan, and scrubbing brush, with no background

pencil drawing of a woman seen from behind with her hands on her hips and leaning slightly forward; another, much smaller head, ponytailed, is to her left; there is no other background