Birthday Soon

On the 30th. Another year nearer the grave is arguably nowt to celebrate. But still, I hope lots of people are nice to me. I’m updating this place a bit as I really have not felt like posting on here at all for ages. And I ain’t gonna promise to do so more either, because that means I won’t. What happens, happens. I’m not even sure anyone is reading this bilge anymore, to be honest!

—Chrissie, 13:14 | Permalink | 1 Comment »

A Few Visuals

My speculative cover design for the Lon Chaney Jr book I’m working on:

A possible cover image for a new small press comic:

A Jack Kirby drawing traced and inked by me with colouring by Randy Sargent:

—Chrissie, 22:00 | Permalink | No Comments »

Meeting Tori

(Posted later but back-dated.)

So I met Tori Amos today. I showed up at the ‘Meet and Greet’ before her show at the Birmingham Symphony Hall, where maybe 15 people were gathered. The crowd eventually grew to about 60-70. I got there at 12.45pm or thereabouts. Tori eventually showed up and I got in the queue about halfway down so the wait wasn’t too awful. Our conversation went something like this…

TA: Hi, how are you?
CH: Er [zoning out slightly, ‘It’s really HER!’], yeah, I’m good.
TA: What’s your name?
CH: Chrissie. Ah, I wanted to give you this. [hands over copy of Jack Kirby Quarterly #15]
TA: Oh! What is this?
CH: It’s a magazine I worked on about the comic artist, Jack Kirby.
TA: So this is your work? [looking at cover]
CH: No, no, that’s Jack Kirby art. Your friend Neil [Gaiman] would know Kirby quite well! [flicks to the editorial page] I just worked on it—see, there’s my pic. A very flattering one.
TA: Ah, so you’re a journalist!
CH: Yes!
TA: That’s great. So you want a photo taken? [we pose for a photo; her minder takes it on my camera]
CH: This is probably gonna look awful!
TA: Of course it won’t! You’re a redhead!

Well, actually, the photo did look a bit awful. The lighting didn’t flatter either of us, but especially not me! Here it is anyway…

But what the hell! I met Tori! I only made a slight tit of myself. It was a wonderful experience.

The show, too, was a great time. It started with the so-so support act around 7.30, but once T was on stage it was pretty amazing on the whole. My faves were ‘Cornflake Girl’ and ‘Take to the Sky’… her earpiece went off at one point and she did a really cute improv while a stage hand came on and fixed it. There are clips from the show on YouTube if you do a search for ‘Tori Amos Birmingham’. I managed to get a couple of photos myself, but they didn’t turn out great. But take a look if you like…

(Click on pic to see it full-size.)

—Chrissie, 23:59 | Permalink | No Comments »

King Kirby

(Backdated post!)

Jack “King” Kirby would’ve been 92 today. He passed away on Feb 6th 1994. I drew this quick portrait, quite spontaneously.

—Chrissie, 13:51 | Permalink | No Comments »

I Lied

I haven’t been posting at all! Well, I thought I might. Must do something about that. Meanwhile, you can see my Twittery in the sidebar, if that kind of thing amuses you. More later. Probably.

—Chrissie, 20:42 | Permalink | Comments Off

I Shall Post More Often!

Okay, so I was toying with the idea of trying to post every day this month—just as an experiment. But the demand seems a bit too contrived and I can’t be arsed. Besides which, I am very seriously anxious and worried about financial matters. I have bills I can’t afford to pay right now and it’s worrying me sick. I mean it is literally make me unwell. My failure to find work has me backed into a very uncomfortable corner. I’ve been struggling against it for over a year now, to no avail. So the depression aspect’s not good. Still, I shall try to give this place more attention than I have for a while, okay? Now, look, given the pickle I’m in—if you want to shock the hell out of me by using the PayPal donate button, I won’t complain. It’s been there nearly five years and has never once been used. Hell, if everyone who reads this site sends me a pound, I’ll have… oh, a fiver. *sigh* Never mind!!

—Chrissie, 22:44 | Permalink | Comments Off

Lon Portrait

Just a quick doodle of the subject of my biography.

—Chrissie, 14:20 | Permalink | 1 Comment »

Quick Post: Lon Chaney Jr

Those curious about the biography project mention in the March 21st posting can go here to read more about it, including cover preview & extract!

—Chrissie, 13:56 | Permalink | 1 Comment »

My Dog Would Love to Get Laid

Well, maybe he will. While walking him, a car pulled up with a woman and two kids inside. The kids got out and asked me if Fred was male and would I like to ‘pair’ him with a female Westie? And have one of the puppies? I said, ‘Maybe!’ So they took my number. Apparently, a friend of the woman driver has a girl Westie and wants to breed them. No idea if I’ll hear anything back, but it’s an amusing thought.

—Chrissie, 18:00 | Permalink | Comments Off

The Big Hiatus

Again! Is anyone really still reading this thing? Do leave a comment. I just thought I’d bring 2009 to life in this place. ‘Should old acquaintance be forgot…’

I note that the last time I wrote, PaulG was due to come down and stay over for the Birmingham comics thingy. Back in October. Well, it was an okay event, and we had a couple of nice meals and watched a couple of fun videos, but no photos or reports. It’s old news now anyway, really.

Last year ended with some major financial problems—I’m still trying to get a job, but I had to switch to Jobseekers from sickness after being declared ‘fit for work’. Actually I said I felt ‘almost fit for work’ but these people don’t see the distinction… no matter, except a load of delays and, as they put it, ‘hiccups’ had me literally starving a few times, whilst making countless angry calls and selling whatever I could just to eat!! This also succeeded wonderfully in making me feel quite unwell at times, but then, these organisations seem to have a knack for achieving that.

But, anyway, I have made about 300 job applications & inquiries in the last three months. No dice—and apparently the recession’s worsening—but continuing on this money isn’t optional. I can’t really believe that anyone literally desires poverty over doing work, but after a year of it, I’ve pretty much had my fill. And I didn’t even want it to begin with. i just didn’t feel up to much of anything a year ago.

Proper, stable work leads may be eluding me for the moment, but I have discussed the possibility of doing a one-shot magazine devoted to legendary artist Alex Toth. I’m not pondering that too much at the moment, but over the Summer, perhaps we’ll make some more solid plans.

My chief project at the moment is a biography & filmography of one of my favourite, old-time horror movie stars. I don’t want to get specific about this just yet. I don’t have a publisher, but have received a bit of interest from two places. I had pondered the idea around the end of last year, but it was only about a month ago that I decided to start some serious work on it. I’ve done a ton of research, watched a load of films and written about 15,000 words so far. I don’t even think there’s a hell of a lot of money in it—it’s just something I want to do, and do thoroughly and well.

PaulG was down here again last month, just for a day visit. So that was a nice time, and another nice meal—an Indian—at a place in Birmingham we last ate at, along with a large group of other folks, back in September 1997! It hadn’t changed much, either.

I have here a piece of artwork received, and done especially for moi, a couple of weeks ago, that I will try to post on here shortly, as I was so very thrilled with it. More details soon… you know, if I can persuade myself to write on here regularly again!!

—Chrissie, 04:25 | Permalink | 5 Comments »