laura_seabrook | Refocussing (Reply)

Last Wednesday I found myself with a bit of leisure time. I'd come down to Sydney and though I was supposed to meet _blubloo_ in Newtown about 6pm, I'd arrived just before 1pm at Strathfield.

I did some window shopping in Strathfield, and later at Ashfield, but that only went so far. The Ashfield Library was right next to the shopping centre there, so I went in for a browse. Decided to check out what listings they had on the catalogue for Graphic Novels.

Pay dirt - they had two bays of graphic novels! Golly, not in the "humour" section, not in the "young adults" section, but in their own section (all close to 741.59). Not only that, but there's a good mix too - stories of all sorts, from superhero stuff to biographical drama (and history and theory of graphic novels). I like their acquisition policy!

I sat down and read part 2 of For Tomorrow (a Superman story), and glanced/browsed at Epileptic and The Fixer. For Tomorrow was only important because it completed the story I'd read elsewhere in volume 1. The Fixer by Joe Sacco seemed involved and episodic, painting a picture of the times in those parts that used to be Yugoslavia.

Epileptic however was another matter. as I have a history of epilepsy and have done my own (6 page) comic on the subject. But this book, by David Beauchard is a biographical account of his experiences with his older brother who was epileptic, and had violent seizures. Two hundred pages of intense detail and drama. I'm going to request an interlibrary loan to read this.

But it also made me think.

My Thoughts

Earlier this year I posted a list of things to do for 2007. Of the things on that list, here's what's done and what's not:

replace lawn mower - done
replace car - unlikely
replace/upgrade computer & peripherals - partly done
fix gutters on house - not yet
fix roof on house - not yet
find employment of some sort - sort of (I'm looking)
start writing short stories - haven't started yet
go to Queer Collaborations in Hobart (maybe) - unlikely
visit friends in Nimbin and Melbourne - maybe!
Have more fun, and maybe some romance - maybe
lose weight and get healthier - almost!

The following two sets of projects are becoming more important to me:

develop trans tarot deck
- produce a proper deck for sale - no money for this yet
- have exhibition in Sydney (before Mardi Gras?) - after
start writing graphic novels - neither started yet
- "Gender Transition for Innocents" (about the issues)
- "Real Life Test" (semi-autobiographical)

After my graduation it's just been so hard to stay focussed. I've done two pages of web comics in three weeks. Not good. But I think, and I know, that I need to tackle the projects above. Even if I don't know how and where they'll be published, I still need to start working on them. I think the response at the Amnesty meeting is a hint. It's time to get serious.

Expect some web comic pages this weekend.