September 28, 2007: 2008 Calendar now in the store

I happily announce that the 2008 Ozy and Millie wall calendar is now available! And, if I may brag (and I may, because it's my web site), picture-for-picture it's easily the best one yet.

September 24, 2007: Yeah, it's a new layout

Is it permanent? I don't know, yet. It was sort of a spontaneous thing, when I started working on this week's strips--it suddenly seemed very stupid that I was still working in the standard newspaper comic layout.

There's a reason, I guess, that so many web cartoonists work in a more vertically-oriented layout than newspaper cartoonists do. (Both layouts probably have correct names, but, sadly enough, I have no idea what they are.) It makes more sense in terms of web page layout. It also fits better in books.

This way I don't have to shrink the artwork down so much to fit it on the page, so you can see more detail. It's also a more flexible set of dimensions, which suited some of the upcoming strips much better than the more rigid layout I've always used in the past. (I think you'll see what I mean.) And, since the originals are now on a much more standard paper size, it'll be a lot easier for people to get them framed.

So, I'm experimenting with this size. I'm loving it so far, so don't be surprised if, soon, I rearrange this web page a bit, to better suit the new comic dimensions.

September 17, 2007: Sunday on a Monday (and happy anniversary)

Yes, today I'm treating you to a Sunday-style color affair. Also, I finally decided that, on the occasions when I do that, it really makes no sense to have the strips be wider than they are tall. That would make sense if I were drawing for the traditional Sunday comic pages; on my web site and in the eventual book, it just makes much more sense to orient them vertically like this. So, yeah, this will be the Sunday-strip format. (How many years has it been since I actually ran one on a Sunday? Perk of being an independent cartoonist: no big faceless corporation tells you when you can and can't run long, colorful strips.)

Also, this is as good a time as any to mention this, because I only just remembered it: this month is the tenth anniversary of the first time Ozy and Millie appeared in print, in my college newspaper: The Cooper Point Journal, at the Evergreen State College. (Any Greeners reading this? Keep the faith.)

There was a time I planned to end the strip on that anniversary. It seemed like ten years was plenty. But I'm still having too much fun to quit. Still, the anniversary does bear mentioning.

September 7, 2007: Thanks, part 2

So that I don't get my face sued off by the Kelly estate, I'll say here that, all kidding aside, I drew today's strip as a tribute to a great artist who has always inspired me and to this day makes me feel horribly inadequate. (Then again, I'm younger now than Walt Kelly was when he started drawing "Pogo," so maybe I'm just getting warmed up.

Thanks again to this week's wonderful guest artists, Derrick Fish, Albert Temple and Flinthoof. I hope you enjoyed their contributions as much as I did.

Back to the main storyline on Monday. I'm sure you've all been losing a lot of sleep wondering how Millie will replace her blue marker. Maybe it's a metaphor for how, in life, we usually can't get our first choices. Or maybe I just really hated it when my baby sister would eat the tips off my pens, and 25 years later I'm still bitter.

September 3, 2007: Thanks

Many, many thanks to everyone who's bought stuff from me recently, and everyone who's inquired about it. (If you haven't heard from me yet, give me another nudge--though it'll probably be a day or three right now anyway, since I'm reassembling my life after moving to a bigger place.)

Also, I've added some new designes to the store. I don't have the time to post images here just now (and my keyboard seems to be on its last legs--mm, just what I needed) but they are totally worth a look in in my utterly unbiased view.

Because I'll be so busy (and suffering through limited 'net access) for the next few days, I'll be running guest comics by some other web tooners. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

August 22, 2007: Convention time

This weekend I'm going to be in the dealer's room at Rainfurrest, in SeaTac, Washington. I'll be selling books, originals, and sketches.

August 8, 2007: Support the cartoonist

I'm afraid this periodically becomes necessary...

My little nontraditional family is moving in September, so in August I'm determined to pull my own weight in terms of raising money for moving expenses. So, it would be extremely helpful if people bought things. To that end, I'm having a sale on strip originals for $75 (25% off), and signed strip prints for $20 (33% off). I'll throw a sketch in, too.

If you've ever thought about buying an original, this would be a great time. Thanks.

August 3, 2007: "Closer to the Void" swag

I have finally added various "Closer To The Void" merchandise to the Ozy and Millie store.

Also, I want to thank everyone who, in response to Thursday's strip, filled me in on the origins of the phrase "pleased as Punch," which most people say is a reference to the classic domestic-abuse-themed puppet show "Punch and Judy." (One person said it was a reference to Pontius Pilate, which seems wrong to me, but he wins for most interesting answer.)July 21, 2007: The book is out!

It's here!

I now proudly announce the release of the new book collection, "Closer to the Void: Ozy and Millie, 2006-2007."

It covers all the strips from the beginning of 2006 to just a few weeks ago, and also features a "zen introduction" by Ozy, as well as a 7-page bonus feature, "The ABCs of Ozy and Millie" (and, what the heck, here's a sample page of that to whet your appetite).

I'll be selling some t-shirts, posters, etc. featuring the front and back cover art, soon--probably before the end of the weekend, if Harry Potter doesn't keep me too distracted.