I dropped off the Slice O’ Life original format collection at the printers today. I about gagged when I saw how much this is going to cost me for a 40+ page comic book.
Prices have really jumped since I last did this…obviously it’s been quite a while.
They should be ready by next week. Check the website (probably the “news” button) to obtain a copy and when and where I’ll have a signing.
I’m going to eventually have a “store” page on the website very soon to purchase books, t-shirts and other ‘one-off’ art pieces.
Yes, I am a busy little beaver.

Back from Sacramento and boy am I tired. I’m not too used to staying up past 2 am anymore. I hope Steve got what he wanted as he had a few snafus with his recording equipment but I think it all turned out okay. The guy is good.
I also enjoyed recording with my old pal, Marty Montana. Marty is an excellent bassist and musician. He and I go all the way back to playing in some of our first bands in the mid 70’s in Oak Park with our buddy Art Arias when I was a sophomore and they were both juniors in high school.

Sacramento, on the other hand looks almost nothing like how I remembered it when I moved away 26+ years ago. Sure, I’ve been back there countless times since I left but I rarely went anywhere other than my mom’s house. I rolled around a bit after I left but that was the first 5 years and not much changed in 5 years.

She’s been gone for 10 years this coming August and since then I have been up there maybe 5 times and most of those 5 times was right after she had passed away. The other time was for Aldo’s funeral a few years back literally a couple of days after I was out of a 5 day hospital stay (I had no business behind the wheel. Man!). I never really explored the place like I did yesterday after say, 1982.

I spent most of a day just driving and walking around and I was almost heartbroken to find that most of the stuff I remember is gone and what’s left has changed so much I don’t really recognize any of it anymore.

I did drop in on Esoteric Records which hasn't been at it's original location in about 30 years. I got to shoot the bull with my old pal (and once employer) Denis Tomassetti and have a Fat Tire Ale too. I used to hang out then began to work a bit at the original Alhambra Boulevard location when Rick DaPrado owned it (across the street from McKinley Park) and then it's 2Nd location on Broadway (right down the street from the original Tower records). During my visit yesterday we were laughing our asses off about all of the characters that came into the shop(s) and crazy times we had at those places. Thanks, Denis. A great guy from a great family!

Almost every one I grew up with that I was real close to, like myself have moved away. What parents that are still alive have also moved.
There are still some folks I wonder about and have lost touch with and I don’t know where they are. There is even one person who (I thought) I was pretty good friends with but he got real pissed off at me for wishing him a happy birthday last year on what I thought was his 50Th birthday but it turned out it was his 49Th. Geez, how did I know he was going to be such a jerk about it? At least I remembered his birthday, right? Now the guy doesn’t speak to me. Oh well. Life’s too short to hold grudges or to drink crappy beer.

Anyway--Sacramento is about twice the size (population) as when I lived there. It’s somewhere in the area of 470,000 in the metropolitan area. Hey, at least it isn’t San Jose…I mean, I have nothing against San Jose but they were always roughly the same size as Sacramento and today they have just topped the metropolitan population of 1,000,000! That’s not counting the surrounding areas. Yikes!

I miss a lot about Sacramento but most of those things I miss are just memories from a different time and places just change, for better or for worse things just change. You can’t stop time.
I suppose that old saying applies here; “You can never go back.”

Oh, last thing…Big ups to Alex Pearlstone for his excellent job at the scrimmage today at the Coliseum down at UCLA! Home boy is a walk-on for the Bruins football team and it looks like he may have made it through what is the 2Nd phase of a 4 phase situation. Way to go, bro!

Geez-Louise! My back is still a little stiff and sore. I'm just now able to do some stretches and sit-ups. Hopefully this will all mend sooner than later.

I'll be in bee-u-ti-ful Sacramento (aka; Sac, the Bag, Sack-o-pimentos, Psycho-mental)recording with guitarist extraordinaire, Steve Brooks this weekend. Though Mr. Brooks is primarily known as a bad-ass jazz guitarist he can also play any style that you can think of...and sometimes things no one can think of. Yeah, he's that good. He and I have a loose sort of guitar duo that we've been fooling with since the mid-1980's and we are recording this weekend for a goofy project Steve is involved with.

Oh, I will also be at the APE (Alternative Press Expo) this coming November in San Francisco. I was at the first three APE's when they started in San Jose back in the early-mid 1990's. I'd be great to see you all. I'll have a couple of books by then and hopefully a t-shirt or two as well as some original art for sale.

My heart felt condolences go out to the family of Phoebe Washer who died last Monday when hiking the Marin Headlands. Phoebe was a gifted young artist whose life was cut way too short.
You can see some of her work by going to www.phoebewasher.com.

I forgot to mention in my last blog that I had the opportunity to interview Leon Redbone on the radio (by phone) at KWMR in Pt. Reyes Station this past Tuesday evening. He is truly a rare performer these days and quite the gentleman. Thank you, Leon for the time and a special thank you to Kay Clements for setting the whole deal up!

Oh, for those of you who may be wondering how I was able to interview Leon Redbone on a radio station… I am a programmer (this is what a radio “DJ” is called these days) at KWMR which, as I stated before is located in West Marin County in the beautiful town of Pt. Reyes Station. My program is called Fault Line Radio and I’m on every Tuesday evening from 9pm until 12 midnight PST. It’s a music show where I play “random music randomly” and occasionally have interviews or a tribute show focusing on an artist or particular musical genre. I’ve been there almost 9 years now just 3 months short of the actual on-air beginning of the station.

You can stream the station on-line by going to www.kwmr.org (or go to my links page and find the address there) and then clicking on the little cow standing on top of the flashing “On Air” sign you can just follow the prompters from there on. There are loads of excellent and interesting programs on our little, listener supported station. Check it out.

My last visit to my chiropractor for this freakin’ back pull is today. I can’t wait. I’ve been a pretzel for 8 days now (a personal record) and though I am far from being hunched over and in excruciating pain and walking with a cane, which was the case for three days I am still a bit stiff and slightly tilted to one side. I missed an entire week of work to boot. I tried to work last Monday but spent about 10 minutes in my chair and the rest of the time on my back on the floor, so I bagged working last week until I could actually sit down for more than 10 minutes.
I miss the ocean, surfing, paddle boarding and riding my bike to work and just around in general.
Well, looks to be light at the end of this long, lame-ass tunnel.

Other news—I’m looking to send off the Slice O’ Life ‘original format series’ collection to the printer this week. I am also thinking of having a book signing for this collection as well. I’ve never done a signing before and I’m not too sure how it works or if anyone will show up. I’ll probably hold it in Santa Rosa some where since Slice O’ Life is in the North Bay Bohemian and that paper reaches three counties (Sonoma, Napa and Marin Counties) but is based in Santa Rosa, so….Stay tuned and I’ll keep you few who look at this blog posted on the date and location.
For those of you who are not near the North Bay location or in this part of California (or even in the great state of California for that matter) the collection will be in comic book and book stores as well as available from my web site.

My next project is to re-work and then release Throb. This was a 24 page, 9 panels-per-page wordless comic, somewhat like Istvan Banyai’s Zoom but different I created several years ago. I’m changing the ending of the book and adding a few extra pages, changing the entire cover (front and back, inside as well). This book wasn’t even distributed and I think I may have taken it to a comic/zine con somewhere but don’t really remember when and which one.

On top of all of this I am currently working on the first issue of Tortilla and a couple of poetry chap books and of course more Slice O’ Life strips.
All of these will be with me at this years APE con (Alternative Press Expo) in San Francisco. I was at the first three APE’s when Dan Vado ran them down in San Jose. I haven’t been back and am pretty excited and curious as to how it all shakes out these days.

When my back is out...so is my work. Between my back and my right knee 2008 is turning out to be a painfully crippling year.

Okay, okay, oh-f%#king-kay already! The reading is on SATURDAY the 5Th. 8pm. I have received six (6) emails including Norman Zelaya who is hosting this event already on how I effed-up on the actual day.
S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y. A-P-R-I-L 5Th! Got it!
An aside, I'm surprised that six (6) people actually read my blog....

Hey, if you happen to be in San Francisco’s Mission district on Friday night about 8 pm you’ll be able to catch me reading….poetry (yeah, you read that right). It’s a fairly well hidden fact that I not only read poetry but I read my own poetry.
Now, I’m not saying that it’s any good but it is mine.
If you do show up you won’t be totally disappointed as Norman Zelaya is hosting this event and his work is GREAT!
It’s at the Galeria de la Raza located on 24th @ Bryant.
Check out the website for more info….

www.galeriadelaraza.org

I was recently sent one of those annoying “group emails” where it had something to do with “…if you’re over 30 you’ll enjoy this,” Type of thing. I don’t like these type of emails and please never, EVER send me a chain email. I hate those most. I automatically delete those without even reading them.

Now, this particular email focused on how easy kids have it today. I for one wouldn’t say that kids have it any easier today compared to back when I was a kid because things are pretty much circling the drain today (increased violence, AIDS, over crowding, global warming, war, value of the dollar dropping, gas going up to name a few). Where the email went wrong was it stated a lot of technological things we didn’t have, which is true however that had very little to do with “how easy” kids have it. I would say that it’s just different now and will continue to be for every single generation to come.

However, coming from a bit more of a challenged socioeconomic background as I did we didn’t have a lot of the things most middle class Americans did have back then and that’s where I had even further issue with this lame-ass email. But that's not what I was trying to get at here.

Even though we didn’t have a lot of the technological advances that are available today and the fact that my family were poor I still feel the exact opposite of how easy kids have it today because it wasn't so bad then compared to how kids have it today. Things were less crowded and a little less hectic…even in the ‘hood! I’m not saying that it was “the good old days” but it wasn’t so bad either. Sure, we had gangs but not as many (gang membership and activity has grown ten-fold since I was a kid) and I didn't have to worry about what color I wore to school for example.

I was going to write my own comparisons to what we did and didn’t have when I was a kid but I’ll spare you.

It's a pretty stressful world and I feel that even though kids may have a lot of advantages it still ain't no picnic.

Went to the doctor yesterday to get my creaking and sore knee looked at. The good news: I don’t need any surgery. The bad news: I screwed up my ACL way back during my college baseball years (27 years ago!) and I didn’t get it treated properly (ah, macho youth) and now the ‘ol knee isn’t what it once was.
The doctor’s solution; two weeks of horse-sized ibuprofen and NO bikes, surfing or skateboarding for two weeks.
My studio is a three-story walk up and stairs hurt the most and I look like Fred Sanford when I traverse them but one figures out how to handle these things. It just takes me a little longer to go up and down them.
Save some surf for me…I’ll be back sooner than you think.

I was gliding along on the tanker bike this morning on my way to make goofy pictures and as I was enjoying the weather while listening to my knees creak-and-howl a huge, black Chevrolet Suburban (also known as a Land Yacht) chugged by being operated by a single occupant.
I rode behind it for a few blocks on the frontage road that I often use to get to work. As I’m inhaling the fumes I read the sole bumper sticker on the back; Keep Tahoe Blue. I couldn’t help but wonder if the irony of that bumper sticker on that vehicle is lost on its owner.

What with the nice weather, a nice swell and a mid-day dental appointment I played hooky yesterday and went surfing at the “good spot.” I paddled out with fellow Set Wasters Jim Lerer and Steve Braun. Though the surf was shifty it was worth it with such a beautiful day. Also, a shout out to Water Polo/Swim Guru, Mark Anderson who was in the drink with us as well as the bad-ass surfer and retired Fire Chief, Tim Eke. Fun was had by all.
There were even two male Sea Lions snoozing in the sun, on the beach, up in the Ice Plant.
Take a day every now and again. It’s good for your head.

I just got back the other day from a week spent in Santa Barbara. I haven’t been there in several years and was a bit bummed to see that State Street is looking more and more like an even-more-plastic-version of Orange County.
I also paid a visit to the Santa Barbara Surf Shop and what a great shop it is! It’s a great surf shop for having all of the gear a surfer needs to the amazing collection of historic surfboards that are hanging all over this huge shop. Man, looking at the old, balsa Yater’s was worth the visit alone. Reynolds Yater is one of the last great shapers from the golden era of surfing. If you’re ever in town, even if you don’t surf you should stop in and check it out because anyone with any amount of soul would definitely appreciate the art and craftsmanship that goes into his boards.
Oh, the last thing about State Street. I saw a white rat riding on the back of a calico cat, who was riding on the back of a dog as they were being walked up and down State Street. I know that sounded a trifle “Dr. Seuss” but it’s what I saw. In all of my travels half around this globe thus far I had never seen anything quite like that before.

I ended up watching the Academy Awards last night. One of a few surprises to me was the Borne Ultimatum winning anything! That movie made me wish I took Dramamine before I watched it and it wasn’t nearly as good as the first one was.
I was also surprised and disappointed by how tame and restrained Jon Stewart was. I guess he was too worried about pleasing the Hollywood machine. He lost a couple of points from me.
I really liked the film No Country for Old Men, though I was surprised by how many awards it won. I pretty much like most if not all of the Cohen’s films. However, was it me or were the Cohen brothers just a bit too smug and ungrateful? I can understand not really digging the whole, phony Hollywood scene but if you’re going to behave as if your mom has nagged you into taking out the trash I ask; Dudes, you’re grown men, why even bother to show up?
The event on a whole was pretty boring. Still, my biggest question is; how does one “judge” something as subjective as film?
I’m just glad that Juno got a few nods.

I'm now riding my old, beater 1967 Schwinn "Typhoon" with the huge, messanger-stlye basket on the front of it to work every day. I'm even running errands on it as well. Man, do those 4.1 miles (each way) seem a lot longer and a HELL OF A LOT HARDER on that thing, especially with a head wind. Still, the down hills are worth it. There is nothing like bombing a hill on an old tanker bike. Nothing.
Which reminds me, if you ever get the chance to rent (buy or borrow) a copy of the documnetary, Klunkerz do it! It pretty much covers the history of the Mountain Bike (which was done right here in Marin County)and is really interesting and fun. My buddy, John Pedersen's group; the Road Oilers has more than a few tunes in it and I even know a handful of the kooks in the film that were there (inadvertantly) making history.

As for me opting to ride the balloon tire bike over my titanium/carbon fiber bike is so typical of me trying to keep it simple. It seems most things in my life: transportation, surfing or whatever; One Fin, One Gear, One Kid, One World. I like it.

I had less than an hour to kill last night and I wasted that time watching TV. After I just wrote about how the writers strike is probably a good thing, less TV, blah, blah and I'm here writing about a lame-ass TV show.
Anyway, you wanna know what I wasted 40 minutes of my life on? A game show about being smarter than a grade school kid. If you haven't seen it, good! If you have seen it, do you feel as amazed by its stupidity as I do? Man, the questions were INCREDIBLY easy as they are for a bunch of grade school kids and, in this case one arrogant, ditsy blond who kept yammering on about every thought that bounced into her amply hollow head.
It seemed that every question that the host would ask the blond would boast on how she's really good at that subject and how she aced that course in college (must of been Whopper college)...and oh, the host is one of those "We're Rednecks" comedians from Comedy Central, Jeff Foxworthy; nice career move, Jeff. As if I didn't think you were funny in the first place, apparently you're not very bright either.

Now, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I answered every-single-question correctly almost before good 'ol boy Foxworthy was done reciting them from his index card. I was like Kevin Bacon from the film, Diner when he was answering the questions for a game show he was watching.

The final question for a million bucks, no less was; "Who was the first pilot to break the sound barrier?" Geez-Louise! THAT was the million dollar question? What the hell!? How stupid have we become??? Why not ask, "Is the world round?"
I sat there bored, finger on the remote ready to change the channel when I mumbled, "Chuck Fucking Yeager. Everyone knows that."
Well, apparently not everyone knows that.
To my astonishment the blond begins to roll her eyes sky-ward and begins to tell everyone how her favorite museum is the Smithsonian Aerospace museum in D.C. and then she rattles off some pseudo list of great aviators out loud starting with the Wright brothers! The fucking Write brothers!!! C'mon, sweetheart we're talking the sound barrier here not the Flintstones for Christ sakes!
After she recites Charles Lindberg and Amelia Earhart she then says..."Hmm...Howard Hughes was the Spruce Goose.....hm. I think it was Howard Hughes.

I could of won a million dollars last night but I really don't want to meet Jeff Foxworthy.


By the way...R.I.P. In The Nite Press (1994-2007)
My new "self-publishing" aegis is now; EL COMEX PRESS.

I know that I am not the most fashionable guy around. Heck, my son continually reminds me of this. I own a few nice suits and I clean up good but I’m no fashion magnet.
Well, an incident that happened to me yesterday proved my son right.
It was around 1 pm and I was working away at my studio when I figured I needed a quick break. I heated up the few pieces of chicken quesadia I brought from home (yeah, I’m hopelessly Chicano) in the microwave and then decided to eat them while I take a long walk as I do a few errands around down town.
On my way back from the computer store I was carrying a plastic bag with my small purchases in it and eating the last, little piece of quesadia while walking along a frontage road between the freeway and the old, abandoned railroad tracks. I was on my way to pick something else up and then grab a coffee to go and head back to the studio for more work. It’s a nice little 35/40 minute walk.
Suddenly, to my left a new, white Mercedes Benz slows down and comes almost to a stop as the window rolls down. I hear a familiar voice; “Hey, Jaime! Is that you?”
I turn to look to see who is calling me from such a nice ride and I recognize an old acquaintance, Dave who was a customer of mine when I once owned a record store.
“Hey, Dave! Nice car, bro!” I answer back.
“You need a ride?” was Dave’s semi-concerned response.
“Naw, I’m just out running a couple of errands. Thanks anyway.”
“Are you doing okay?” Dave says a bit more seriously than before.
“What? I…huh?” was about all I could muster when it finally dawned on me what Dave was getting at. Dave thought I was homeless.
“What the fuck, Dave? I fine, bro. I’m just out enjoying the nice weather we’re having.”
Dave looked really embarrassed as we exchanged a few more pleasantries and before you knew it we were both on our separate ways.
As I was done with the errands and returning to my studio I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a store window. There I was with my full salt & pepper beard, glasses with dark ski cap, beater pants and beat-to-shit Converse and an old, dingy zip-up hoodie sucking on my coffee and carrying a white, plastic bag. All I needed was a shopping cart full of belongings. I laughed out loud upon seeing myself.
Man, no wonder my kid shakes his head at me sometimes.

Is it just me or are we better off with the writers strike? It seems that people may be watching less TV because of the striking writers (meaning; no new programming) and I feel that’s a good thing. I’m not trying to be high-minded or self-righteous here. I’m not one of those people with the “Kill Your TV” bumper sticker affixed to my ride. No. I like to view the Lava Lamp with sound (aka TV) every now-and-again but it seems to me that as a whole we watch far too much TV instead of reading or listening to music.
Then again I have also noticed how most people seem to have either a cell phone or an ipod attatched to thier noggins, far too busy to actually interact with other human beings...well, unless they are on the other end of the cell phone. I just worry that the collective critical thinking is getting as flabby as our bodies are.
I notice that most of the people I come in contact with talk about TV show’s more than anything else. The only other thing they may talk about more is what they found/saw on the internet….seems appropriate here, doesn’t it?
Ah, but what more should I expect? When I do turn on my TV just about every-other-morning to the local news to get some weather up dates I first get inundated with what really concerns our modern American culture: Brittney Spears. Man, I’ve walked through puddles deeper than that.

Is anyone else not even remotely interested in the Super Bowl this year (and I am a sports fan)? The only thing more dismal than the Super Bowl to me is the Presidential canidates that are left that we have to choose from. Circling the drain doesn't even begin to cover it.
Sorry to be so negative. I'm trying to have a bit of a reality check here.