Nizzibet and I have a new home phone number. While it feels a little silly to post about it, given the crazy variety of ways that we keep in touch with each other these days, it also seems sensible to get the word out any way possible. We had our old phone number for at least 15 years but, for some reason, when our new phone arrangement was being set up we were told it would be a month before we could get our old number attached to it. Rather than have a different number for a month and then changing back we’re just giving up the old one.

I’ve emailed most of the folks that we communicate with regularly but I’m sure I’ve missed a few people. If you haven’t gotten the new phone number by now (and you want it) please send me a note via the email address on the right side of this page and I’ll be happy to update you.

www.Oz-Squad.com

Full Site Launching August 31st, 2011

(Launch postponed from July 31st due to technical difficulties.)

March of the Tin Soldiers

The new Oz Squad novel by Steve Ahlquist

Available now at Smashwords.com

6/01/11

Steve Ahlquist interview at Jazma Online

Amazing Spider-Man #103 is the first comic book I ever bought. It’s also the both the first story and the first comic I can remember reading. In all likelihood my mom bought it for me but I know I bought each subsequent issue myself. My brother and I got small monthly allowances and most of mine went to buying Spider-Man each month. The date on the cover is December 1971. Since magazines post dated their issues by about four months that issue was probably on the stands in September. I would have been a little more than seven years old. I’d obviously read other stories prior to this one – after all, I knew how to read. But this is the story that made its mark. If you look at the type of things I draw and the sorts of stories read then Spider-Man #103 looks like a big sign post pointing me toward those interests.

Things are going to stay quiet for a while. In the meantime, let’s dance!

Useless idea #245671 – Helen Vaughn, Wilbur Whately and the Frankenstein Monster form a detective agency and solve supernatural crimes. Or maybe they plot to destroy humanity.

My family is one of those blended concoctions – a mix of steps, halves and full blooded siblings with about 20 years difference between the oldest and the youngest. While we did get together for various holidays over the years we never managed to get more than 6 of us in the same room together. At this point, in this world, we never will get more than six of us together.

One of the handy things about being an artist is that you can create your own worlds whenever you feel like it. So for my Big Sister’s birthday this year I gave her this picture of a full sibling get together.

And before you ask, I have no idea why Big Big Brother is wearing moose antlers or why there’s a green mammoth in the background. Just because I create new worlds doesn’t mean I understand them.

On Friday I posted this to my Facebook status – Reorganizing and replanning needed for Operation 2011. The Day Job and I have parted company. It was a relatively amicable divorce. The biggest annoyance I’m feeling at the moment is that I just bought a case of Cup O Soups for lunches at work.

I got quite a few of my friends congratulating me on the event. Reading the note now I see that I could have been clearer about what happened.

I’ve been laid off. It’s nothing personal and if the work were there I still be there as well. Laying me off right now is just cold blooded economics. I was a
salaried employee at the previous incarnation of the Day Job and I kept most of that salary when I moved to the current version. The amount of work I’ve had in front of me has stayed as high as did in part because the many of the systems were pretty inefficient and needed a human being available to make sure folks got what they needed.

Over the last few months the company has been going through a lot of changes. We got a CEO whose focus has been on setting up effective systems, streamlining the day to day operations and making sure the company is in good shape going forward. One of the biggest steps lately was a complete redesign of the company’s website. The new website is set up in way that eliminates most of the problems that were predictable in the old systems and thus eliminates a lot of the hands on work that I did.

I’ve gotten a small severance and an exit letter that should make it easy for me to get unemployment. Looking for work is not something I’m looking forward to but I’m not going to start worrying about that until Monday. I’ve been working a few hours a day, seven days a week since the beginning of 2010. I didn’t have any company emails to answer yesterday. I won’t have any to answer today. I’m enjoying the peace.

Happy New Year!

Yeah, yeah, January First was two days ago pretty much everywhere on the planet. I’ve been working. And stuff.

I just wanted to pop in and wish y’all a better year this year than the one you had in 2010. And if 2010 was already a great year for you then 2011 should be staggering.

Stay tuned for new posts of old sketches!