Sugar Unsweet

Wednesday November 28 started out a normal enough day.
But early in the afternoon until well after midnight I knew how it felt to be dying.

Shortness of breath all day which turned into barely breathing had me crawling around my hallway knocking on doors at 2 in the morning and finally waking up in the hospital emerency room strapped to a bed. I don't really remember much, except some of the hallway crawling because I blacked out soon after. But the reason for being strapped to a bed was because apparently I put up a tough fight with the ambulance medics and some of the emergency room staff. And perhaps having a catheter inserted had a lot to do with it.

Once I was brought back to consciousness and was semi normal, a doctor told me that a sudden surge in my blood sugar took my breath away and knocked me out putting me into sort of a diabetic coma which is why I was so violent. And I could've died that night. Yep, I got diabetes.

All this time I've been walking around with diabetes and never knew. I guess it pays to have regular check ups. So, after a week and a half in the hospital I was released on Friday, December 7 and I'm now a card carrying. insulin injecting part of the diabetic public.

I would like to write more, but I'm exhausted. My doctor friend says it's normal and keeps telling me that I simply don't realize how sick I was and still am. So, I'm gonna sign off now before she reads this and sees how much I haven't been resting.

Until next time.

They Used to Grow Them

Another post in less than one week? Must be important.
Not really. Just a couple of occurences that had me curious. Tits. Yep, they're the couple that's got me curious-or I should say, that's got other people curious.

Over the past bunch of years doing comic cons and salons, I've ran into quite a few girls who were convinced that the tits I paint are fake. Huh? I'll repeat-there are females out there who actually think I'm painting women with breast implants. During one San Diego con there were two instances. I had a painting of Girl displayed on my table-nipples covered, of course (don't wanna be banned)-one young couple walked by saw my painting and the girl points at it and says "They're fake." I started laughing and she embarassingly dragged her drooling boyfriend away. A few hours later, another young pair walked by, and this time the young dude stopped dead in his tracks and just ogled the painting for a few seconds before his girly angrily yanked his arm and pulled him away.

More recently, last month to be exact, me and my friend were in a pub hanging out with a girl from England that we met earlier this year. She's cool, but she loves her red wine, if you follow me. I'd never shown her my work before last month because she said early on she never liked comics. Okay-that's cool. Well, she was on her way back to England the following week and after a few bottles of the grape, she asked to see one of my books. I thought, fuck it, show her the hard stuff. I normally show prudes and girls from the U.K. and the U.S. my FANG books just to avoid...what happened next.I showed her "Girl's Kama Sutra" and from the first page it was "Those are fake." Okay, that's it. Number one, it's a goddamned drawing. Number two-why the hell would I draw or paint fake tits? Oh, did I mention she hates men? Always picks the wrong guy and keeps going back to them. I did my best to acknowledge that,okay, she was wasted and kept a reign on my temper. I was used to comments like this, but I guess this night was a little diferent. And I wasn't even drunk-but she was a looker. I just wanted to know why someone would think I draw fake tits. The answer I got that ended the conversation was "Because you're a man."

I truly believe that at some point in history, women grew large breasts. Not all women. But every now and then there are women who have exceptional, natural busoms, and I'm convinced that some of them walk the earth even today. I even remember seeing a few of them in person. But I guess I'm just imagining things. I guess I'll be seeing Elvis next and the Yeti. Now that breast implants are all the rage, I guess women just don't want to grow them anymore-except really fat women. I figured out they're the only type of women whose tits will be accepted as natural. I paint tits because let's face it, they sell books. People think I'm a big boob guy, but personally, I'll take what a girl has. I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but my paintings don't stop below the tits. I focus on everything because it's my duty.

It's a shame that some women's insecurities have led them to put down other women who've "got more" than they do in an effort to make themselves feel better. "Mine are small, but at least they're real!" So much so that they begin to put down fantasy images. This hapened again last night in a pub. One of the spanish waiters saw a copy of FANG that was left there by the ridiculously gorgeous spanish waitress whom I gave it to who simply loved every page of it. The waiter says to me "I really enjoyed your book with all the colors and the women with all the surgery made tits. Very nice."

And I'm leaving that right there. I don't even have a response to statements like that from a guy. From women, I understand those sad comments. But when a guy says something like that, my audio shuts off and he is off my radar for good.

Maybe next time I'll write about the comments I've heard from the fellas over the years about the dicks I've drawn in my books. Then again, maybe not. I just don't have that kind of time. And you though THIS was a long post.

It's Their World

I'm finally realizing what an entirely different world the online community is and how it's inhabitants can make up lives and have characteristics that are completely opposite of their own. I'm not just talking about gender hoaxes just to string along some poor slobs who can't figure it out-like a few years ago with the Kysa Braswell hoax, who actually wrote me several times and sent me "photos" of herself, writing how much of a fan she was of my work. I mentioned to my friends and webmaster back then that something seemed strange about this "girl", and between the photos and e-mails sent to me and her online erotic stories, I picked up on it immediately. There's always something in a persons nature that will trap them, no matter how much they try to fake it.

Now I'm seeing other characteristics online, mainly in forums that people create and moderate. I go to a few girlie forums when I have time, and, as much as I try to only check for images, I always get caught up in the insaneness of the comments. some are funny, but the comments and replies are usually regarding someone's taste in women, which I could care less about. You like what you like, and I'll never fault a guy for what he finds attractive at any given moment. We've all been there. Then the moderator would chime in to referee-"Hey, cut out this dumb talk and get back to posting. Keep it up and I'll ban you" One site I check out has the moderator constantly berating guys for their comments, like an E-Daddy. One guy called him an E-Thug, which is a perfect way of describing these people. This same site even has a rule of not posting nipples.
Yes-a forum catering to pictures of women where nipples are forbidden. But racial slurs and utterly foul usernames and language is the norm. However,break the no nipple rule and the moderator is quick to point out, "Listen, dipshit, I see a part of a nipple on the third photo. This is your one and only warning. Next time you'll be banned!" I guess the idea is to create a world of your own so you can be in control of others that enter it. I guess it's a rush to be tough and in control of people-as long as no one knows who you really are.

I won't get into the whole "reposting" thing, where people actually get ridiculously pissed off if someone posts a photo that they stole-I mean, that they posted first, as though they took the photo themself. I'm always tempted to electronically bitch slap some of these people back to reality. "Hey, Mr. or Miss Poster, you all got the photos from the same place-you stole them off the internet! And a nipple never hurt no one, E-Daddy. Please don't ban me from your family site." But I know getting into it with these people will be a never ending mess. They have more time than I do for that stuff. And why not? It's a world they feel more comfortable in.

Me, I'm not afraid of girls. They're fun to be around. And since today is my birthday, I'm gonna be around a few of them tonight. Here in Spain, any reason is a good one for a fiesta. So, if you'll excuse me, I must prepare for a world where I'm more comfortable.

SIN TITULO

I knew I would be no good at writing regularly on a computer. And the added nuisance of my present internet connection makes going on the internet even more of an annoyance. For almost the past year I've been leeching off of a neighbor's wireless connection and this has a habit of going out, depending on the weather-or if the person with the wireless decides to shut it off, or leave town. That's what happened over the summer, and from the end of June until about the end of August, I was without internet service, and even now it goes on and off constantly. But, to be honest, this probably would have been the only update since the end of June anyway.

The e-mails have started up again asking when GIRL:The Second Coming, Volume 4 will be out and all I can say is that I wish I had a definitive answer. Doing a graphic novel is no joke and doing one by yourself would make a clown depressed. (No, forget the clown analogy-depression is why they're clowns.) The bottom line is it's a lot of work, and there's only so much I can do in one day, which turns into one week, and so on, until it's time to pay the bills, and rent. The only way to keep up with it all is through commissions and side projects. (A special thanks to the fans that have been requesting commissions. It's kept me going and even inspired.)Another reason is that I don't use computer programs for any of my illustrative work, but I understand why so many good artists do-it gives them time to enjoy life away from the drawing board. I wish I knew what that was like, but my computer skills are nil.

Which brings me to the image I've added, "Bio Girls". One of those little side projects that I may finish. It's a planned portfolio I'd like to offer for sale with about six pieces including this one for the cover. I was planning it for this summer, but maybe this fall I'll have it done. I'll make another post when it's done and how to get it, depending on my wireless connection. And whether or not I strangle this goddamned computer.

Sincere form of Flattery or..?

I wasn't planning on posting again so soon, but I wanted to get this done.
At least 4 or 5 times a year over the last three years-maybe longer-I've gotten e-mails asking if I knew about this guy John Persons. I just didn't pay attention until about two years ago when I checked out this dude's site and, whatta you know, I recognized just about every drawing he did was from one of my books-at least all the ones in the preview section. I let it go as just inspiring another artist and didn't expect to hear anymore about it. Every artist has learned from other artists by copying them.
Now, here it is two years later and I'm still being asked about this guy. I didn't expect him to still have a site up, but I checked it out today and there it is. I'll never knock another artist for learning from others this way. I've had my Gil Kane and Barry Smith moments (tits and ass, Corben and Frazetta) but I eventually broke away from that and developed my own thang. And I'm hoping that's what Mr. Persons will be able to do. It takes a while, I know, so I'm trying not to be too paranoid about someone doing better with my work than I am. And it's not something to get riled up about: if he were simply printing my books online then I'd just sic my publisher on him. My biggest complaint with him is his decision to re-draw the male characters as Tarzan stereotypes with Jane of the jungle. And that dialogue! I'm sure somewhere in that site is the phrase "Feets, do yo' stuff!"
Go check him out at www.JohnPersons.com and see for yourself. I'm not worried about giving him exposure because from the looks of it, he'll have to wait for me to do more work to continue. Oh, damn...Body Heat 2 just hit the stores. I guess that'll keep him going for a while. Does anyone think I deserve a lifetime membership?

Can't Please Everyone

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In and Out the Pokey

Just hours before her release, Paris Hilton was heard screaming "Who do I have to blow to get outta this joint?!"
And to think, she turned herself in early just for the cavity search.

I wish I had a rich daddy.

Me...a Bastard?!

Back in March at the Salon del Comics de Granada in Spain, I was told a story by my buddy Lance (www.lancetooks.com) that one of our spanish compadres related to him while we were there.
It happens that one of our friends Javi was at the salon also and, a day before, was in a conversation at one of the stands with a
friend of his and the subject of Kevin Taylor came up. At this point someone else at the stand joined the conversation
by saying "Kevin Taylor es una cabron!" ("cabron" being" the spanish equivalent of "bastard") Javi, being puzzled by
this, asked "Why is Kevin Taylor a bastard?" The newcomer explained "I met him at a salon some years ago and asked him to do a drawing for me, and he did. But while he was sitting there doing my drawing, he couldn't take his eyes off of this girl standing next
to me and kept looking at her. I was expecting the worst drawing from him, but when he finally finished it, after signing it to me, I
looked at it and it was a perfect drawing. I couldn't believe it! He's a bastard!"
How could I not laugh at that?
But wait...this is even funnier.
That same night after the salon, we cruised to a pub which was where all of the guests, and anyone else, would meet for a round of copas (drinks - and, man, I mean drinks!) and I met some other young spaniards who were guests of the salon. One of them worked with KISS, the music group, as a graphic designer, and the other was an art director. I thought, "Man, these guys are getting younger and younger", meaning, to me, people in those positions used to be wizened old chaps with thick grey hair billowing from ginormous ears. After a few copas, and watching a bunch of drunk American girls try to dance to Abba, I showed some new and old work to the new guys and talked a bit. As it turned out, the art director was taking a class in erotic art in comics at the university in Madrid and he told me that he knew about my work because his professor used it regularly as (I'm not making this up) a "how to" method in erotic comics. He also told me that his professor is an erotic comics illustrator and we've both worked for the same spanish magazines-and I'm very pissed that I don't remember his name. Like I said, there was lots of drinking done by then and those goddamned American girls were loud-but at least they knew the words to most the disco songs playing.
I told my buddy Lance this latest story and, after laughing for five minutes he said, "Aw, man-you're part of the curriculum!"
I share these stories because, as a graphic artist, it's difficult to know the impact my work has on anyone, if at all. I spend an unnatural amount of time behind a drawing board, trying to do the best work I can-not only to give something to fans, but something I can look at later and say, "Yeah, that came out pretty good." But the only way I know if my work is well received is if or when I do a comic book convention, something I just don't like doing anymore. Now I just like to go as a spectator and telling people what a bastard Kevin Taylor is.
I don't know what I can accomplish by doing a blog because I hate typing on the computer. I did all the lettering this way for the first volume of GIRL: The Second Coming and my eyes were never the same from staring at this goddamned monitor. Maybe I can communicate with you this way and figure out a way to explain why it's taking so long to finish my last GIRL book or how they make Fig Newtons. I just don't know.
I'll write here as often as time allows and put up a new drawing or two to keep you updated on what I'm working on.I'm hoping I can do this at least once a month. Trust me, for me that's a lot. Mainly because I don't have much to say.
I'm trying to get my work done.

stay tuned...