Well well well
Ateneum 3 now really in printer. Sirkusprinsessa moving along, yes. Other books, trouble. I don't have any solution to fund the projects that need to be funded. Well, for sure, I could get a grant, yes. But I did some math and the money I need, it's more than I can expect to get
Festival came/went. Now back to work. And how is work? Not bad. No idea when Ateneum3 could come out, this year, I guess. Wondering if my direction is all wrong and should be doing tarot readings instead. Let me know.
There are three important factors in the act of drawing
1. Materiality
2. Elements of drawing aka every drawing is abstract
3. Feeling of danger
How long exactly? 1998 I started at the University. Minor subject from 2007. But I was teaching in different places already before 1998. Just curious, I guess. I think it has been 30 years, must've. I've had my moments and I guess I still do, but in general I feel I was at my sharpest maybe 2010. Could someone check this out for me? Thanks
Now working for real with book 4. This means saying goodbye to many characters. Or does it? Book 5 is in plans and at least Juri will return and Tsitsin. Riittamaari maybe not.
But before that I will have over 40 pages to do. And although Tempera is no longer selling the scrsperboard of my choice, I will have enough to conclude this book. And I ordered more from Italy. If the package arrives safely I will order even more.
Day starts with a class at Aalto. So then.
The amount of time and effort put to this project makes it easily the most difficult thing I ever did. Book 3 now just about finished and book 4 has 25 pages done. But why on earth do I keep on keeping on?
I've picked some bad habits on the way. When I send the material to Hans to be scanned it is not really finished. First thing: it's a mess, text added here and there. It is a bit like a manuscript of Joyce, a jungle to push through. Snd I'm not really able to read it myself before the first lay out comes along. And then there will be changes, and I will notice typos, or Hans will. The latest book is now in this process. One more time I will have to read it through and one more time check the timeline. After all this I basically just want to forget it all. And I can't since one more book coming along. At least one. Rest depends on whether I will feel like it or not.
On monday the hopefully last adjustments to Ateneum3. 72 pages worth of strange stories from the early 80s. Going to move onwards to book 4 on tuesday. Meanwhile more stuff piling up for book 5.
Book 3 is keeping me awake. Everything is taking too much time. The book is not even coming out until November, I think. This particular project has been the most difficult I've ever started. The almost complete lack of interest doesn't help either.
Book 4 I have 25 pages done, but should I even try to finish. For what reason?
Teaching comics since 1998. A bit longer actually, but at the Aalto university since that year. I don't know if I've done good, but I've done something. I've seen how things have gone harder for students, pressures piling up, less chances to evolve.
I had planned I could continue for six more years, but will it happen?
Ateneum3 still needs some work, not much but some. This is only possible after I see some samples of the colors, so while waiting I have one pictureless short story I can work on. But wait, this means I'm pretty close to finalizing the 3rd short story collection, and 2nd hasn't even come out yet!
Two people have read Ateneum3 and according to them this third book is better than first and second. Now all I have to do is not to ruin anything with the color design. Stressful
Doing coloring, which pretty much means all else is done. Well, not quite not quite, almost, though. Hoping to get the book out by end of October. Nuff said
What am I doing
-thinking about the colors for Ateneum3
-waiting for the second proofs for A3
-writing/lettering third short story collection, coming out who knows when
-thinking of the stuff that need to be done for the second short story collection coming out 2027
-thinking about the stuff I (myself) need to do for the English edition of Läskimooses coming out next year (probably)
-thinking of the other projects that are basically done but unscanned or otherwise in the middle of the process
-other stuff
Been proofreading Ateneum3, making some corrections. This book is, I think, quite different from the two previous ones. Hard to say anything of the over all quality. There are places that I think function just fine, then others I still need to work on. Lost faith in this project so many times that I stopped counting. Basically I'm just pushing through.
If I manage etc the book will come out in October. No promises on book 4.
I've probably done my share of teaching. Promised myself 7 more years, but will it happen? Is it good for anyone? There are moments when I feel that it is for a purpose.
One thing remaining to do of Sirkusprinsessa book. Also covers and title pages. I'd say I'll manage to do the one thing tomorrow, although not necessarily. Next stage is scanning, lay out. Monday I will maybe start the third collection of short stories, or at least cut the pages. Third one should be totally pictureless, that is the plan. Plans do change, so we'll see, we'll see unless we go blind.
Started to finalize a book called Sirkusprinsessa. Should be out sometime next year. Otherwise struggling to find funding for all the other books.
Sirkusprinsessa maybe coming out next year. Around 200 pages, short stories, Asema.
Times are...
Don't know, but started to feel that it is a bit too hard getting a book out. Ateneum3 is being scanned and cleaned, but still I'm lacking funding. One year to go to conclude the series or sort of conclude. After that need to figure out some new way of working. Maybe.
Things moving slow. I have 17 finished pages for Ateneum4, aim to have 24 before summer. All and all the whole book should be done year from now. Book 5 is in plans but not absolutely necessary.
Meanwhile I have 4 other books ready and waiting for funding, one very small book that I plan go do during the summer and third book of almost pictureless short stories.
But things are in a bit of a standstill.
The English translation of Läskimooses is done, Lola Rogers did an excellent job. Plans to publish exist but no timeline.
The Matti Hagelberg interview: 'The secret to my humor is that I don’t have a sense of humor' - The Comics Journal https://share.google/BSaBJyIpkhqGK53d6
Going to make some additions to Ateneum3, going to continue Ateneum4. Four needs writing, don't have any finished scripts, needs to be done. Three will probably be 72 pages although it was supposed to be 64. At this moment I prefer to draw, so I will. Will draw the back cover and will draw an additional page.
Glanced through Ateneum3, many thing seemed to function quite good, some spots might require SOLUTIONS, or maybe not. When there's a lay-out I'll be wiser. This book will be quite quite different from book 2, as book 2 was different from book 1.
Am I more confident with this than I was with 2? I don't know. The book was done during a really stressful period of my life and the reviews of book 2 were short, few, and not so sweet. So, we'll see, we'll see...
Well, there's really no way A2 could win so called SF award. Easy enough to figure it out. LÄskimooses could've, SR could've, A1 or 4 just barely could've/could. Two reasons I wouldnt mind seeing some my book win: a. I like the cash b. Would be interesting to see whether I really would not accept the price, which has been my general FEEL all these years. Well, we'll never know, will we?
Theoretically I should be able to do 2, even 3 pages in a week. But with classes and everything else going on one page in a week is realistic. Maybe when the book gets going, but it hasn't. I would prefer to be a bit faster, but apparently not. Thursday I got slowed down with the text, today I just ended up struggling with a doomed panel. Monday I will be able to continue.
Some mistakes were made, but got the first page of Ateneum4 started. If very lucky, I will finish it today.
A3 is now drawn, except for some minor detail. Lacking funds to get it scanned etc, not that I'm too excited of that prospect. Spent the day speculating mostly what I really should be doing in January. Starting A4 feels like a rather stupid idea.
Cant quite remember when I started to teach comics, but at the university in 1998. Safe to say that I've been doing it for 30 years, probably longer and mostly adults. I have had the good fortune to teach a wonderful group of people, no idea how many, many.
All this will fade.
One third of the book proof read. Pages done last spring are filled with holes, undecided texts, also lettered with another pen (due to difficulties in getting my trusted edding 1880)... on the bright side, it's interesting to arrange the material into a meaningful order.
I should really stop this useless blog, but oh well... new plan is I start a very small comic book series in -27. Print run maybe 20 copies. As soon as I'm done with Ateneum. Maybe 50 issues, something like that. Start really modest and ugly, maybe also keep it like that.
Would prefer not to think about teaching, would prefer not to write about teaching
