On the road to FCBD...

I was originally planning to ride a motorcycle -- probably my Gold Wing -- to New Hampshire for Free Comic Book Day, along with Jim Lawson and Steve Lavigne. Unfortunately, the predicted weather for today and Saturday was just too iffy, and that plan got shelved.

So today Mike, Jim, Dan and I drove up to Portsmouth (where we're staying overnight) in my car. Here's a photo taken by Eric Talbot (who can't come with us, sob, weep, wail!) just before we took off from Mirage early this afternoon:



I drove, and I like to take some non-highway roads to get to Portsmouth. One of these led us close to "Madame Sherri's Castle" (which I have blogged about before), and I aksed the guys if they'd like to check it out. They were interested, so I took them there. Here's a photo I took of Jim bravely climbing to the top of the ruined staircase:



... and here's a photo of Jim, Mike and Dan with that same staircase:



This little digression, plus a stop at the Vermont Deli in Brattleboro (where Mike bought a cookie that was almost as big as his head), and a later one to a Toys 'R' Us for a bathroom break, may have led to our being a little bit late in meeting up with Steve Lavigne in Portsmouth. Okay, it was also my missing the entrance to Route 95, which led us to travel some miles up the coastal road to Portsmouth -- nice views of the ocean, but definitely not as quick.

But Steve forgave us, and we all had a nice dinner at the Rusty Hammer in the center of Portsmouth. Being a little tired after dinner, I bid adieu to the dudes, who were going out on the town, and headed back to the hotel. I hope they had a lot of fun. Not TOO much fun, though... we have to work tomorrow! -- PL

Fugitoid, still on the run...

I've been having more fun taking photos of the vacuum-metalized Fugitoid figure in different locations. Yesterday, while bicycling with Rick and Rob, I stopped along the way, at a spot on the banks of the Connecticut River, to take this photo...



And today, I thought it would be fun to pose the 'Toid next to my favorite local roadside waterfall. Unfortunately, my shiny little friend slipped out of my grasp as I was positioning him on a mossy rock, and fell.

In falling, his left arm popped out of its socket (this has happened a couple of times before, and I have Super Glued it back in), and he fell into the rushing water in two pieces. I managed to grab his body before it was swept down the stream, but his arm vanished under the water. I was starting to freak out as I imagined the arm getting lost somewhere downstream.



Fortunately, the arm got trapped under a tiny waterfall, and -- because it's so shiny -- I was able to see it and retrieve it without too much trouble. Except for soaking my sleeve and watch, that is. -- PL

Fugitoid on the run in the forests of D'Hoonib...

... or maybe just in a puddle on a rock near my house.



I know I already posted photos of the vac-metalized Fugitoid prototype, but I've been waiting to take him outside so I could get some shots with some cool environmental reflections -- you know, that classic sky/earth thing you see in chrome. The weather lately has not been great -- many clouds, very little sun. It lightened up a bit yesterday, and I decided to try to get a photo or two of the 'Toid in some natural surroundings. This was the best one.

Sharp-eyed fans may have already noticed that the pose of this non-articulated figure is largely based on an image of the Fugitoid from one specific page in one of his comic book appearances. Can you guess which one? -- PL

Blast from the Past #83 repost: Pete in old studio

Steve Murphy found this old photo of me while going through some files. I think it was taken by our photographer friend, the late Fred Moore, but I'm not completely sure. It was shot in the old factory building in Northampton where Mirage rented, for a few years, a big art studio space -- one large open room -- in which all of the artists worked, before we centralized both art and business spaces in one location in downtown Northampton. (Kevin Eastman would later buy part of this same building to house his Tundra publishing venture.)



I'm not sure when exactly this was taken, but I suspect it was sometime in the late 1980's or early 1990's. This was my workspace in the northwest corner of the studio -- note the cork board with all of the COMMANDOSAURS art in the background, and the classic homemade drawing table constructed from a hollow-core door mounted on a frame made with two-by-fours (and maybe a few two-by-sixes). If I'm remembering the layout of the room correctly, looking straight ahead from my spot I would see Jim Lawson, then further down Kevin Eastman and Eric Talbot. To my left, Ryan Brown and Steve Lavigne had their work spaces. I know Mike Dooney had a space here, but I can't remember where it was. (I think it was next to Jim's... I'll have to ask them.) I think Steve Murphy may have also had a desk here, but I could be mistaken.

I just noticed one of my daughter's baby toys -- a rattle -- hanging from one of my desk lamps. I occasionally brought her in with me, and she'd have fun rolling around in her little rolling seat thing. (I have a distinct memory of one time watching Mike Dooney welcome her by yelling "EmmyEmmyEmmy!" as she was rolling around.)

I like the lighting in this photo. -- PL

UPDATE 03-03-09 3:45PM: Just had coffee with Dan, Mike and Jim and asked them about the layout of the old studio. Turns out I got almost everything right -- Murph had a desk between Jim's and Kevin's, and Mike's space was over near Ryan's, close to the basketball hoop. Dan didn't have an official space, but he says because Ryan wasn't there a lot, he used Ryan's table often. -- PL

Turtle in the sun

The chill of winter is beginning to tighten its grip on Massachusetts, so I thought it might be fun to look at a photo taken during a much warmer day back in June of this year.



This turtle (I'm not sure what variety it is) was sunning itself alongside the bike path in Pittsfield, MA, and I stopped to snap a few photos. -- PL