Link-A-Day: The Encyclopedia of Arda  

Posted by Devin Parker

Yeah, I missed a day. That'll happen.

If you've got a question about Middle-Earth, The Encyclopedia of Arda may be the place to go online. Today's link could be a handy resource if you happen to be running or playing in a Middle-Earth game...

Yesterday was a pretty good drawing day, but I still feel a bit awkward. Don't take this as bragging, because I certainly don't mean it that way, but I'm not used to working along with an artist who is better than me. I feel rather inadequate most of the time. I'll say in my defense that a) I'm not used to drawing superhero material, and b) I'm kind of trying to draw along Patrick's style. Hopefully, I am learning. It's hard to tell sometimes; most often I just feel like I'm kind of fumbling along. When Pat explains something, I don't always get it; not in the sense of "the words coming out of your mouth don't make any sense to me," but more along the lines of "yes, I see what you're saying, I just have no idea how in the world I could intentionally plan to do what you're saying." There are many, many aspects of design involved in drawing comics, but so many of them almost seem to be on an intuitive level...and it's an intuition I haven't completely developed yet. When Pat goes back over the mistakes I've made, I can't argue with what he points out; I try to learn from them, and hopefully I am, but there's a lot to know, and I feel a little dense sometimes.

Again, this is not to complain about my internship - nothing of the sort! I'm enjoying it quite a bit, and Pat is a great teacher. I just really hope that I actually am able to internalize this stuff, that I'm able to remember it and intentionally employ it when I draw my own material.

I also went to the comics store yesterday after drawing with Pat. As I said, the owner of the store asked me in Des Moines to take some copies of my minicomics and sell them to his store, so they could sell them. I expected that they would pay me less than the price I was asking for them, like 60 cents on the dollar or something. To my surprise, they paid me full price for them: $20 for ten copies of both comics. The guy I talked to reiterated what the owner said, that they like to support local artists. They certainly do. I did a little bit to support the store by buying the first issue of Green Lantern Corps, which is on the shelves now. If you pick up a copy, I drew the mine in the foreground in the top panel on page 14 (in the bottom right corner). This was before my internship started, mind you, so I'll have more work in the next few issues. Again, bear in mind that Pat draws over everything I draw, so it'll be in his style (and more than a little better, in my opinion).

Everyone buying a "Green Lantern" comic yesterday got a free plastic Power Ring. It's a little snug, but I can make it fit on my ring finger. Unfortunately, it runs on willpower, which means I can't get it to do more than halfheartedly nudge the dirty dishes in the sink. Oh, well.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 at Thursday, June 15, 2006 . You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed .

3 comments

Anonymous  

These "Link-A-Day" entries have been fun to read, Devin. Admitedly, I haven't had much time to browse the websites themselves, but it's fun to see what's out there.

Congrats on getting some of your work published in Green Lantern, man. Stick with this intern thing, and try not to get discouraged. You're one of the most intuitive, and artistically sensible guys I know, and it's just a matter of time before the things Pat is teaching you catch on. I'll make sure to get out and grab a copy of that Green Lantern comic, and will be looking for the upcoming issues in the series (be sure to keep us updated on which panels you drew in each).

I loved the "Elmore" story you related a few days back.

Hope all's well with you, and that you're enjoying your summer!

2:38 PM
Both Fex  

Bub:

So my own internship... a friend likes my cooking and asks if I'd be interested in cooking for his family twice a week. Pretty soon I'm catering for his department functions at the university. Three years later I have my own commercial kitchen and I have churches so big that they seperate their parking lot into books of the Bible so you'll remember where you parked (yes, just like Disneyland- "remember kid's we parked in Isaiah") calling me up asking if I can cater functions on a regular basis. And all this with NO training.

It's a bit nerve wracking and at times I get frustrated or discouraged, but more and more often I find myself taking gigs that a year ago where out of my scope, it's just a matter of numbers. Take this week:

Monday- lunch for 30 Chamber of Commerce members, 13 sack lunches for a local factory and dinner take-out for 8.

Tuesday- breakfast for 18, lunch for 13, dessert for 30.

Wednesday- lunch for 13.

Thursday- lunch for 13, appetizers for 30, dinner take-out for 8, prep for weekend wedding.

Friday- lunch for 12, dinner take-out scheduled, prep for weekend wedding.

Saturday- wedding= appetizers and dinner for 221.

And that doesn't count dealing with home, children, husband, shopping for gigs, shuttling family about, oh! and MY OTHER FRACKING JOB!!!!

My point is that I couldn't imagine this kind of work load when I began this insanity, er business and now... well while not easy it's doable with massive amounts of caffine and cash and an understanding family. Add some bumping music and I can bop right on through (I say this now- check back in Sunday). ;)

And while I enjoy playing with fire and knives, my abilities in the kitchen aren't squat compared to your natural talent. So keep on keeping on, brother. And do me a favor when Pat compliments you on something jump up and flex like Hulk Hogan. That's what I do when I pull off a really difficult dish and that's what I'll be doing Sunday. The bride and groom will be dancing their first dance and I'll be in the kitchen scaring the staff with my victory pose ommage to the Hulkster.

Why? Because we're just that cool Bub. And we'll fake it till we make it. Now I gotta go and get a few winks before the next evolution begins.

P.S. Aren't I just the awesome Mom, who knows a comic book artist! My boys are most impressed.

2:20 AM
Kathie  

Hey Devster,

I'm not sure there is much brilliance in me commenting further after Beth--she certainly captured the spirit of this whole "ride the internship" thing. And in the Bethy-way that makes me miss her so much--don't we all want to go EAT up there? Whether it comes in a structured apprentice format or not, she's right, I think...we fake it till we make it, and we load it with prayer (if you're us!) and then amazing things start to happen.

I just thought I would let you know I have been on a similar ride in many ways over my three years at MAF, and for me, the hardest part was agreeing to it--not because I am not willing to be taught, but more because I balked at the idea of where it would take me (submission issues, anyone?). Everywhere I have worked during college and after has asked me to move into a leadership role eventually, and I have always screamed, "NO!" I don't want to head the charge and be the one where the buck stops.

When I got to MAF, it became clear pretty quickly that the guy who recruited me, the Learning Technologies director and my boss, wanted to prepare me to take on more of a leadership role. He's terrific--so HE should be leading, not me! I thought, oh man, here we go again--but this time, because the path to MAF had been so clearly orchestrated by the Lord, I thought I had better at least kinda agree to it. One evening at my parents' house, I was bemoaning God hounding me for so many years to step up and take on more, that it was out of my comfort zone, and hadn't he heard me clearly express my "Yikes!", and I guess I gotta give over now that I was working in ministry. My mom and dad looked me square in the eye and said, "Don't you think this is a perfect time? God has prepared a Godly mentor for you, who is a good, gentle guide, who sees more in you than you see in yourself. Do you think maybe you could be quiet and let God do what he wants in this situation? Maybe it's time for you to listen."

Pow! The double Mama-Papa smackdown!

But, of course, it was what I needed. It's been three years I never would have predicted, and I have learned so much about servant leadership, this ministry work, and myself. And Richard's not good for everything--he wears himself ragged, and it makes me think I have to do the same. I told him outright last week that he was a wonderful mentor in everything but taking rest--God-ordered rest, no less.

He took Monday off :)

12:41 PM

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