An epiphany

 

Back in 1984 I was sort of at the crossroads, age 28, sort of floundering artistically, not sure what direction to go in next.

I had spent the previous two years publishing a punk rock underground newspaper. But that had run its course. So I decided I wanted to do a comic strip next. But I couldn’t decide what kind of strip to do.  I experimented for quite some time, coming up with different cartoon characters and different comic strip concepts. But they all sucked.  I even spent several months trying to develop a mainstream, commercial “Garfield” type strip. But that was the worst.

Nothing really jelled. None of the comic strips satisfied me, or even held my interest. I felt completely stymied.

But then one day, while sitting at the ole drawing board, staring painfully at the blank piece of paper, and trying (and failing) to think up something worthwhile to put on it. . . I suddenly thought;

“FUCK IT! From now on I’m just gonna draw whatever I feel like!!”

So I wrote “WHATEVER I FEEL LIKE COMIX” on the top of the strip. And it was like a light bulb went off in my head. And, well, I just started drawing whatever the hell I felt like drawing. Whatever popped into my strange and peculiar head.

And it was like the floodgates of my imagination had been opened. And I would go on from there to have a pretty fruitful and productive 10-year run as a cartoonist.

And from that point on in my artistic career, whenever I felt stumped, or got writer’s block, or wasn’t sure which direction to go, I’d always remind myself: “Just write whatever you feel like it!” And that would forever be the guiding principal from which I lived my life. And from there I went on to become the homeless street bum that I am today!

So you see, kids, dreams CAN come true.

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