Drawn

B.E.M. 31 drawn

B.E.M. 32 drawn

B.E.M. 33 drawn

B.E.M. 34 drawn

B.E.M. 35 drawn

B.E.M. 36 drawn

Teach

 When I quit, I quit just like that.

Pitch

 Mention "pitch" in my presence and we've done talking.

Aalto university

 Aalto university makes me wanna smoke crack.

Likely

 It is somewhat likely that book 2 will come out year from now. Not much left to do. Book 3 and 4? I'm not sure if there is any POINT. 

Ridiculous

 This whole series, ridicuosly hard to do. All the time I'm waiting when it gets normal and I don't have to think: this is totally wrong, everything is wrong. And I already thought I passed that point. Maybe there is some future turn of events that'll turn things around, but so far... 

Closercloser

 Ok, well. Almost only the few panels I need to arrange a photoshoot are left to do. This is good. Better. Hard to say how different chapters go together eventually. I will be wiser when the first lay out is done.

I have (probably) one month that I can spend NOT doing this project and I have choices:

A. Think of a sideproject I can finish in a month. 

B. Start on the third collection of short stories. Second still unpublished.

C. Draw something just 4 fun. Unlikely.

D. Write something about teaching. Maybe talk with some of my old students.

Etc. Maybe

I feel slightly optimistic of the third Ateneum book. Have couple of choices of where to start. But... it's called the sinking Ateneum for a reason. I think this project will: collapse, unravel itself, break apart... one way or another. Just a HUNCH.

 

Happening

 I don't think my collection of essays on teaching comics will be happening anytime too soon. But if it would, wouldn't SHUT UP YOU LITTLE FUCKS be a fine title? Wouldn't it, though?

Well, it's not the only thing I've lost faith in during the last couple of weeks, but who's keeping score. The "book project" currently on my drawing board hasn't certainly been a fountain of joy, nor youth for that matter. 33 months under my belt and positive feelings and overall trust has been scarce. Reading part two today didn't get my spirits high. Putting this "thing" together won't be an easy task. Well boohoo...

15

 15 months and it's not ok

Really

 You don't really need to know how the story ends.

Read

 Will start reading Ateneum 2 tomorrow. Hard to say how many things to improve. There are actual holes there too, but mostly in images. Slightly optimistic although pretty sure book 3 will be better. 

Better

 I am able to write better, draw better, I should

Book 2

 Book 2 drawn from beginning to the end,next round two of the same

Launch

 

Info

 Book two pretty close to finished. One panel to go. Then one page worth of stuff that require a photosession. Then frontpapers...colors...all that. This is the deal.

Something

 Fall starting. Means classes starting. Students are nice, but what can I teach. Nothing much. That's something. At least.

Joking

 I know you think I'm joking when I'm saying I have 4 books all set for printing but it's the TRUTH and feels like conspitation.

1. B.EM.böle

2. Sirkusprinsessa

3. Go left

4. Nakupelle

Tired

 I don't think I've ever been this tired starting the semester. Not much to do about that.

Book 2

 Book two still needs 5 pages and end papers. Cover is done or almost. Getting back to work a bit complicated, but that's how it goes. 

Book one in quality book stores. It came out pretty ok.

First part is out

 

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Chances are

 Chances are I will not do another book

Half decent

 Ah reckon ah'll do something half decent some time next year.

Slightly

 Slightly optimistic on the Ateneum project. Book one is now at the printer, book two inside pages quite close to being finished. Book three supposedly much easier to do than one and two, but remains to be seen. So I might actually be able to finish the project, even if book one is disliked to the max. Won't go to details but this is easily the most difficult book I've ever done. Happy that I crossed that barrier, what ever it was. 

Helsinki comics festival cable factory

 Going to miss it although 2 new books out and studio in the same building. But you can get the books from there: Vajoava Ateneum (kreegah bundolo) and On the Honeylands of Mars (kus)

Inshallah

Sense

 Sense of relief when Ateneum-book now, so it seems, finished and out of my hands. If the rest goes smoothly it should be out of the printer in a month or so. Inshallah!

Book 2

 

Estimating that I have 15 pgs left to do, not counting the forepages. Then filling in gaps here and there, polishing texts, making changes. Then, maybe, ready for the printer June 2025.

Looking

Looking for French, English, German, Spanish publishers for these and OTHER books. Find me from instagram.

Nuff said

 

Tragedies

 I do tragedies but you're probably not getting it

Commercial

 I'm done doing this commercial stuff I've been doing.

One two

 I will correct the mistakes of book one in book two...

Mistakes were made

Unique mistakes

This book

 This book is really taking some time to finish, but printing will start 1st of July. Nuff said

Much

 Haven't done much.

Lined up

 Ok, so: Ateneum book one almost done, book two coming out next year. As is the Sirkusprinsessa book. Apart from those two I have four book lined up only waiting for funding to start the process. So it goes.

B.E.M. series

 Basically I feel I should've had a book out annually and some of these "books" are quite small and/or actually no books at all. With some luck I could still get two books out this year, but money is an issue, material is there but need to be scanned and all and printed. Still 30 books in 32 years is not that bad...

Ah reckon

 Ah reckon there is only one really good literary editor of comics in Finland.

Calculating

 Done some calculating and looks like I've been proceeding with the rate of 3 pgs in a month for the last 3 years. However, I'm not counting the other projects I've been preoccupied with, only the Ateneum book. And, yes, three years from when I started the book. I sort of estimate it'll get faster, not much faster, but a bit faster. Whether it does or not I expect to be done with this one in spring 2027.

Sinking Ateneum

 The plan is that there will be 4 books of 64 pages. I have various plotlines, maybe too many. The one that I enjoy the most is the, let's call it love story. Pretty down to earth kinda story of two people meeting etc. Although it's not really a love story. Anyways.

Then there are the bigger two conspiracy kind of stories revolving around the legacy of Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Each with their individual twists and turns. 

What I'm trying to figure out is whether I will reveal  the actual outcomes of these stories, or just leave them hanging. I'm tempted to do just that.

When I was starting the book I knew I would need a secret or secrets that could then be little by little revealed, or left unrevealed. After working on the book like, let's say four years, I certainly have secrets. Most of the secrets will be hinted to already in the first book that will come out Fall 2024. 

I have influences for my Ateneum, certainly. D.F. Wallace's tennis academy for one, but also Hogwarts and why not dr Xavier's school for gifted youngsters. 

Really curious to see how this one will play out.

Excelsior!

Bit

 Started to feel a bit enthusiastic of the Ateneum book so what gives?

Second

 Second collection of small short stories. Looks like it's going to be 192 pages if everything goes as planned. Should be out in 2025, like second book of Ateneum whether you want it or not. Be it as it may, I don't want likes. Keep them in a safe place for further use.

Healthy

 Only healthy stance to media attention and publicity is that of Thomas Pynchon's. Just saying.

Prefer

 I think I'm starting to prefer Erato to Harmonia mundi, but it's a difficult choice.

Plans

 I have plans

Seriously

 I take teaching too seriously.

I liked

 

Manuscript circle

 I been running the manuscript circle at the comics center here in Helsinki for some, who knows how many, years. The original idea was to provide editorial assistance to people in the middle of a larger comics project. My role is not that major, the group carries it mostly. Anyways anyways the format has been succesful. Participants are a heterogenic lot, just the way I like it. Results have been good. 12 students, each working on their individual projects, each working with their own individual goals. We'll keep on going

Doubts

 I have way over 100 pages done of the Ateneum book. At this stage Läskimooses was on a pretty solid ground while this book is almost daily on the stage of toppling down and not rising back. At the same time I keep coming up with cool stuff to add to the book, even while writing this. So what gives? What certainly plays a part is the fact that I published two books last year and the response was minimal and mostly lukewarm. Basically I expect the same for this book too. So why bother?

Problem

 In order to be able to decline the so called Sarjisfinlandia-prize, one would first have to win it. So this is a problem.