So Carla is blowing my mind with her mad phat character design technique. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had this much fun trying to figure out what my people LOOK like. It’s usually one of my least favorite parts of the process, because I have next-to-no vocabulary for it (indeed, it’s one of the very few things that can reduce Leland and I to a bickering old couple in about five minutes). The problem boils down to my totally annoying habit of really counting on the artist to fill in my gaps when most artists, kindly, are much more concerned with giving me what I want. When I don’t know what the fudge that is, well, we have a problem.

Anyway. Who knew that searching for Carla’s reference shots would lead me back to everyone’s favorite fire-and-brimstone alt.country rockers, 16 Horsepower? There is some serious religious irony here.

By way of Simon: Garfield Minus Garfield

By way of Bee: Wear a sweater for Mr. Rogers

For my brother, who used to sit riveted in front of the TV back in the Day: EMERGENCY! reruns

Cav’s piece on Deep6 (that’s Fiffe sitting behind Simon at Leland’s desk, by the way)

Tarotists: I think this is a fabulous idea.

I’m due to leave for Port Authority in a few, so I’m not sure why I’m sitting here rambling on. Going to see my old friend Kat in Boston. It’ll be good to get away for the weekend - I could use the change of scenery and a little of that old-skool New England charm, truth be told.

Ah, I’m getting a little verklempt…

My friend Anton regaled me for a year with tales of writing this bad boy… and now it’s out!

Today, in fact. Fans of paranormal investigation stories, start your wiggling!

In other Anton news, a little birdie told me that he’ll be signing at B&N over on 6th Avenue & 8th Street (you know, that one over by the West 4th Street station), tonight at 7:30.

Congrats, dude. I wish you nothing but every smashing success (you know, as long as the smashing’s metaphorical).

Who is the artist? Anyone know? (edited: yes! Wendalyn knows! Artist is Ken Wong; see it in its full glory here!)

The book sounds great, too:

“According to 15-year-old Magdalena’s mother, the world is strange, beautiful, and watery-full of secrets and discoveries known only to mother and daughter. But when her mother dies suspiciously, it becomes an arid world of anxiety, sexual confusion, and desperate loneliness, where an imaginary family of bickering fish torment her. Magda’s only outlet is the beautiful but destructive fires she starts in the marshes near her house. As her father and aunt try to pull her into a mundane world of school, schedules, and stepmothers, the voices of the fish in her head tempt her toward insanity. Magda must plot a course between her mother’s fatal madness and her father’s soul-destroying normalcy.

The Shape of Water is a darkly lyrical and surprising tapestry of mundane and imaginative worlds. Magda untangles family secrets, struggles to cope with profound loss, and finally discovers a stable place in the world-without compromising herself.”

Flux has got some really compelling stuff in their lineup, I’ve gotta say.

The Shape of Water by Anne Spollen will be released in April.

Latest WT assignment had me spending altogether waaay too much time on YouTube. I desperately want to blame this incessant time-wasting on Stephen; alas, deep in my easily distracted soul, I know my hindbrain must take the fall. Fruits of my so-called labors include a guy who has lots of clips from one of Tori’s shows on the Dew Drop Inn tour, and a rekindled romance with Bjork. There is a lot of Bjork on YouTube.

(Speaking of WT, head on over to the blog for details on a fun new contest.)

One of my new favorite blogs is that of YA author Kristopher Reisz. Kris is funny, charming as hell and has stories to burn. I haven not yet read his novels, mostly because I seem to have a hard time finding the first one in B&N (and my online shopping has dwindled to nil, pretty much).

Anyways. His latest, UNLEASHED, was, uh, unleashed on Tuesday. Huzzah!

Over at Stephanie Meyer’s website are press releases aplenty about the movie version of TWILIGHT, the first novel in her acclaimed (and wildly popular) YA vampire romance trilogy. Most recent additions include cast pictures of the Cullen Clan (oo la la!). Scrolling down further we have the pix and announcement of Kristen Stewart as Bella, and Meyer’s comments:

For every actress that has been suggested as Bella in the past few years, there are always a slew of critics that cry, “But she doesn’t look like Bella!” (Which can often be translated thusly: “She doesn’t look like ME!”) To this I would like to say: “Of course she doesn’t!” Bella is a fictional character, and she looks different to everyone. As is the same with every actor who will be cast in the next few months, no one is going to match up with your mental picture exactly—or mine.

Interesting.

I read TWILIGHT when it came out a few years ago. I didn’t fall in love with it, but then again, my tombstone may eventually read: “Just not into vampires”. I did notice some storytelling stuff in it, as I often do, as I’m usually on high alert when I read.

Many of these have to do with the portrayal of Bella. And I maintain: one reason behind the insane popularity of this book is how effortlessly we readers glide into that role ourselves. I remember thinking and feeling that the whole thing had been deliberately set up to turn us into Bella as we read. There are lots of parts to this, but here’s one: there is no, or perhaps barely any, physical description of Bella in the book.

(Once I noticed it, I remember flipping back through the pages and checking. Someone correct me if I’m wrong. I also remember wanting to buy Meyer a drink for really nailing that.)

So, any of us could be on the receiving end of the attention and that delicious vampiric sexual tension. And who in the lion’s share of the audience for TWILIGHT wouldn’t want to be?

(I realize this may be a “well duh“. But as I don’t read tons of writer blogs and most of the folks in my day-to-day sphere are comics people, most of my writerly observations and education come from my reading and talking to comics artists. And I remember it really stuck out in TWILIGHT.)

I still think it’s very clever and effective.

As I mentioned previously (on Twitter, if you must know), February is not exactly shaping up as my most productive month ever. With a visit last weekend from my longtime pal Richard, various n’ sundry signings and tea with folks most Interstitial, last weekend was a complete bust, work-wise. This weekend, I don’t have that option. Nonetheless, I’m breaking up the WEIRD TALES work I’ve been doing all day to post at a time when absolutely nobody is hanging around on the Internet but I.

In honor of Horny Werewolf Day, Leland and I took some much needed together time at The Museum of Natural History. I think the last time I was there was with Mr. WIZARD, pre-Robot Chicken. So it’s been a while. Once we found our way out of the school group check-in station on the first floor, we were A-OK. No werewolves, just kissing. Yes, married people kiss in the shadowy parts of empty rooms, too. A lot.

Believe it or not, I’ve started keeping a running list of Things To Post About. So here are some from the previous week, in no particular order:

Roy Scheider, may he rest in peace. A few people reading this know of my longtime crush on the man, so I was a bit broken up to hear about his death last week. Then I watched Jaws again, and felt better. I need to have a Roy Scheider film festival, I’ve decided. The French Connection, All That Jazz, and Jaws yet again, because I’m almost always up for watching Jaws, even if I just watched it a few hours ago. Because I’m a dork like dat.

I recently read the first trade of Jason Aaron’s Scalped. While I was very impressed with the storytelling, I can’t say that I cared much about all but one of the characters (those who have read the book can probably guess which one). And - forgive me for quoting Sir Robert here - well, it makes me wonder. Why does something like Brubaker’s Criminal keep me utterly emotionally engaged, and Scalped leaves me totally exhausted and disaffected and shrugging my shoulders? I’m still pondering, but one hunch is, while I empathize with anger on the page very deeply, I need more than that to keep me going.

My new favorite blog is a bit of a departure.

From the “what fresh hell is this?” department: my all-time favorite red lipstick, Dietrich from BeneFit, appears to be missing in action. Walked into Sephora to get a new one; no dice. Came home and checked the website; denied. Ghah!

I find myself charmed as all get-out by this.

Took a few new pictures.

Back to work…

I don’t think I revealed the artist of awesomeness on the Tori Amos anthology story, did I? I meant to, and was going to, then promptly forgot.

Anyway, huzzah:

And the squeeing continues! And sympathy. As Lady Speed ’splains on her blog, she’s currently choking under a killer deadline - four inked pages a day or some such. As we’ve been through it a time or two in this household, I’ve seen that bad boy firsthand and up close - it ain’t fun.

I’m still not allowed to spill which song we’re doing for the Tori book, else a certain Darling Yet In No Uncertain Terms Mighty Editor will have no choice but to defy time and space between Southern California and Brooklyn to smite me, uh, mightily. Trust me, he just doesn’t need the hassle right now.

In other news, Streetfables veteran and Brooklyn comics maverick Kevin Colden has unveiled Strangle/Switch on Zuda. It’s sharp as tacks so far, so go give it a whirl. And your support! Because then we’d have two Brooklyn comics maverick Zuda winners, and that would not be a bad thing at all.

David Gallaher, the second maverick alluded to above, dropped a note yesterday to announce a new webcomics collective, The Scienteers. Yay! However, I would love it if I had an easier list of contributors to navigate, as I am impatient.

The primitive mad dash for SDCC hotel rooms begins tomorrow @ 12 pm EST sharp. Yes, I will be participating. Our “backup plan” - hastily arranged yesterday - would cost more than our monthly rent. Sweet Lord In Heaven. (Confidential to all finances-paranoid parents who are reading this: relax. It will work out, much cheaper.)

… and their keepers, if you happen to be in the city on February 12, mark your calendars. I hear tell that one Ms. Libba Bray will be at the Union Square Barnes & Noble at 7 pm, wrapping up the The Sweet Far Thing World Domination Tour 2008.

I also hear there will be singing. Not sure if she’ll be bringing the boogie; nonetheless, I will most likely be there raising the roof from wherever I’m sitting/standing.

You know, as is my way.

ALSO! Sweet Lord In Heaven, it’s the Spiderwick Chronicles premiere photos!

Blogging is not the only thing we’ve neglected in the past couple of weeks. Yesterday, we wheeled three bags of laundry to the ‘mat down on MacDonald. Plus a backpack. Plus two quilts, which I carried by hand. Someday, and someday well before we make our millions, we’ll have our own washer and dryer.

Big news first: last week, Leland delivered 120 pages to Simon & Schuster. Yay! One book down, four to go. Go, baby, go! So we’ve been taking it a bit easy for a few days and getting caught up. I spent Friday at Deep 6, working and chatting it up with the fellahs. Which was actually considerably more productive than you might think.

Got my contributor copies of the latest WEIRD TALES in the mail, and they are stunning. I continue to be impressed with the reboot of the magazine. And it’s got comics this time! Oh yeah, and an interview of mine, with Donald Tyson. I think it’s on stands now.

Sami has another look at this thing we’re working on over at his blog. Also check the cute new vampiric profile photo! And another one in an interview that you might not be able to read, but that’s okay! Because the picture is awesome!

Lots piling up on the reading shelf, including this Yeats biography (with some crappy reviews on Amazon that I don’t agree with), The Hound Of Rowan, a smart, readable introduction to Western esoteric traditions (from the guys who brought us Gnosis magazine, back in the day), and Betwixt, a young adult novel I’ve been wanting to read for a while now.

If you missed the Superbowl, you missed the new Iron Man trailer. My only complaint: it’s too short.

Electric Angel New Wave Rock N’ Roller crush I forgot about ’til some recent late night YouTube surfing with my Lady Bee: Ben Orr.