BLOG: Changes, Recommends and Taking Breaks

Good morning my friends! Sometimes I am blessed with an early rise where my brain says, “Get up, asshole! I wanna work!” So I got up at 6am, brewed some coffee, turned on some jazz and got some Photoshop stuff done on STARSLAM. I also organized some files, put things in the office away and now I am writing you… which I am long overdue to do! This one goes all over the place so let’s take the ride shall we? Also, I got some recommends for you!

First up, I watched a movie on Amazon Prime called I LIKE MOVIES. Its a really great indie comedy/drama that certainly is worth your attention. Made me reflect a lot in my old video store job days! (I worked at a mom and pop place called VIDEO UNLIMITED and also BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO! So long ago now…) It’s the kind of storytelling I tend to gravitate to so please go check it out:

I have been busy working on new STARSLAM pages. I am into the finale of Book 5, setting everything up for Book 6, which I will begin mere seconds after finishing this first one. So far I am over the 200 page mark. I got about 10-15 pages to go and the book art is completed! If epic NSFW Superhero erotica comics is your thing, you can read it all on my Patreon right here: http://www.patreon.com/adamtalley - Here’s some loose pencils for the finale fight that I am working on right now:

Speaking of books and comics, I got my reads this week. The new BATTLE BEAST (Which I am quite enjoying) and I actually bought a STAR TREK VOYAGER comic. Probably my first one ever. But the story idea is one I am looking forward to seeing told.

Another comic I gotta recommend is an Indie comics sensation called “When We Were Trekkies,” By Joe Sykoryak. A true life comedy/drama about the early days of Trek Conventions as told by someone who lived it! It gets my highest recommend and you can get all 10 issues with a nice handy slipcase at a discount price right here: https://www.birdcagebottombooks.com/products/when-we-were-trekkies-bundle-issues-1-10

Speaking of books, I was at a thrift store yesterday and I scored a 1952 printing copy of CYRANO DE BERGERAC by Edmond Rostand. And inside was a written dedication to someone, lovingly written in 1966. I love when I find old books and in there it shows off its history a bit. Makes me feel like I am curating other people’s lives who might no longer be here, so a small piece of them is not forgotten. I wonder who these people were, where they came from, if they are still around now and did they enjoy the book. Every book has a story in addition to the one told inside its pages.

Life at the Talley Ranch has been in chaos this last week, as I moved things around again. I moved the desk out into the living room from the nerd lair, creating my old office out there again. And I moved the living room around as well. I really am digging it so far. (Here’s some pics but excuse the mess. Still finding homes for everything when I snapped the photos…)

Belle Belle is quite done with the noise and moving things around.

And speaking of the cats: I told you before about Lily’s rash and the complications involved with it all. Well, its still happening. She won’t stop licking the area! I put her in a onezee and she fucking CHEWED THROUGH IT! Yes, she chewed two big holes where the rash is so she can get to it. I sewed it up last night but this morning she tore it back open, obviously working on that project all night! (sigh) And she is still hissing at her cat buddy Luna too! But if they are on the bed together, its cuddle city. I just don’t get it.

I went and got new meds for her plus a new and larger onezee, bringing up the total spent on her and this incident to $466!!! She has pissed on my bed, various blankets, bathroom rugs, my workout hoodie, my son’s pillow, my gig bag and a plastic bag on the goddamn kitchen counter! I’m really about done with this whole thing. But I refuse to give up. If she cannot beat this thing, she might have to get these steroid shots that I definitely cannot afford. So I might have to make some difficult decisions coming up. BUT, I am hoping it won’t come to that and this new med and onezee will work. She might be the biggest money draining, obsessively destructive, moody complicated asshole in my life, but somehow I still love her fuzzy ass.

Lately I have been moody as fuck as a result of the cat, the world at large and various work stress. Luckily today is my last day of working and then (drumroll) VACATION!!! I’m not doing much, honestly. Can’t afford a big trip or anything. So it is mostly a stay-cation, as they call it. Just being at home, getting stuff done there. Which obviously means work of another type. Writing, drawing comics, etc. I just got on another freelance sketch card gig involving Red Sonja and Vampirella and the blanks are coming today. Plus one of my regular clients is wanting more page commission work. I got a lot of lettering to do and I would like to get to some writing very soon! No rest for the wicked!

I did spring for one night in a hotel out of town. Just a quick day trip. And I got a jacuzzi room to spoil myself. It will do wonders on my back and to actually be able to relax and unwind will be a most welcome joy. But, while there I do plan to sit and write a short story or two. Call it, a one day writer’s retreat! I got two ideas bouncing around in my head right now and I want to get them out. My eventual goal is to write 4-6 pages a day or one short story a week. I can’t do that right now while I’m drawing on TWO comic book properties! (PLEASANT LIFE and STARSLAM) While I am close to finishing the next to last book on STARSLAM, PLEASANT LIFE is still ongoing. I am a bit ahead on it but not as ahead as I would like.

So it is with that in mind, I have to announce that after next week’s comic drop on Monday, I will be taking a bit of a break on the comics posting. Probably a month or so. Issue 6 which we are currently on ends on an act and Issue 7 takes on a new part of the arc, so its a logical stop point. I don’t want to make people wait, but I also don’t want to burn myself out. I need just a little breathing room. I’m doing a lot of work right now with the writing, two comics, dealing with my health, cat health, day job stuff, running a household, being a father, navigating the outside world… you know how it is.

But I am taking breaks when I can. I am actively reading STEPHEN KING ON WRITING and STAR TREK PRIME DIRECTIVE. I am watching new episodes of TWILIGHT ZONE and a movie here and there, like the one mentioned above. I got some concerts coming up this month and again, I am taking 5 days off for a staycation to catch up on life and just get away from it all. Self care. Always.

So, this coming Monday, the end of Issue 6. Be here for it! Thanks for reading. Much love, T

________PLUG TIME!______

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