Old City Blues

Old City Blues

Hi, guys. This is a little personal, but here goes.

I really loved this comic. I loved reading it, and I loved the art, and I now have my very own hardcover copy that I just purchased tonight. I've got it on my lap as I type, and I may even take it to bed with me.

But it's not just because of the comic itself.

Don't get me wrong. The inking and the lettering and the design, the forms, the pacing, the timing on OCB is all impeccable. It was refreshing to read for both halves of my brain, which doesn't happen very often. But more happened to me as I devoured the pages. New Greece, Solando, Thermidor, Hayashi, the chief--all these characters are now emblazoned on my memory banks, and--more importantly--my heart. I really appreciate what they have done for me, and what the artist did by providing this for the public to read.

It's because it reminded me.
It reminded me of my own comics and my ideas. It reminded me of the things that I love and enjoy. It reminded me that I should keep dreaming. I hadn't been able to really think about my own comic in a long time. But after reading this, I was inspired, in the very best sense of that word. It wasn't just the parts, or the sum thereof, that got me. It was that I suddenly remembered how happy I was with my own ideas, and how good comics could be. I could think about how fun it would be to draw my own characters and my own comic, rather than how much work it would be, without believing in much possibility of return.

Suddenly, I've been thinking about drawing my pages. I've been thinking about my characters and my scenes, and how cool they'd be, not how much work.

I had to go out and get a copy. I wasn't even planning to tonight; I just wanted to check and see if they had a copy. I ended up buying it anyway, and I don't even regret it. I tend to suffer from buyer's remorse a lot, partly because I have such a good memory, but this? This was worth it. I don't even care that it's available free online. Everything about buying this book felt right.

tl;dr
Essentially, Old City Blues brought me back into the world of my imagination.

And it sure feels good to be back.