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There's a new shampoo for those, I hear.

71% of those tested found it removed all traces of small floating people next to their heads?

If it'll make me draw, I'll buy a multipack. I've been too idle the last week...

NEW! this medicated shampoo goes straight to the source to eradicate that embarrassing metaphorical duality! now you too can go out in public confidently, without having to worry about cliche-based moral ambivalency ever again! for a healthy, strong, unified state of mind and head of hair, ask your hairstylist for it today!

there's just no two ways about it!

Does this shampoo contain medication for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder? Because to anyone who has this disease, like myself, the term 'inner demons' has a somewhat different meaning. A main symptom, which I like to call 'spontaneous thought' is a truly irritating affliction. It causes you to think things that you don't want to think. Evil, wicked things, most of the time. I'm not going to go into detail, but I will say that I have to battle these evil thoughts constantly. Putting my mind on something else, often enamoring (for example, my new eMac computer) is the best treatment. For those of you who don't know who I am, I was formerly known as JimBob. Thanks for your time.

All The Best,
Jim

I meant 'inner demons' in a fairly jovial way (as the context in the picture might suggest), although in a sense it is like what you describe; how unwanted ideas can catch all of us unawares and lead us to do things we know we shouldn't. The conflict of the super-ego and the id, or something like that. But I certainly didn't intend to mock anyone's afflictions.

I've been reading Arthur Koestler's The Act of Creation, which is very interesting about how the subconscious and conscious mind interact...

Bleh.... Know what? I think I have the same problem.

I'm sitting and trying with everything I've got to come up with creative punchlines for Untitled! But.... nothing!!! Absolutely nothing!!! (think UHF)

I should start reading again. That's probably what's wrong.

However, it's hard to find time to read, and hard to focus, between this humid heat and people screaming all day around here....

Man, I need to get out of here.

*puts on a Dave Brubeck CD* Here, listen to this. It usually seems to soothe me, so maybe it'll help you some. *hopeful smile*

P.S. - Some nice warm earl gray does the trick too...

Actually, a cup of catnip tea is what I usually drink to sooth my nerves. It seems that every intellectual suffers from some sort of Block every once in a while (or, in some rare cases, all the time.) Rather frequently, I get scientists' block, which is basically the same as any other: lack of inspiration and any good ideas. Not that that's put me in a bad mood. In fact, right now I'm feeling quite jocular; one of the many joys of life is staying up very late, because you can't sleep after a long hard day in bed.
See? Now I can't think of anything else to write. Anyone have any more topics? I'd love to hear them. Oh, by the way, James, you put the subject of inner demons into context quite nicely, and I certainly didn't think you were mocking me (I was mocking myself more or less!).

Mick, Jim, Jimbo, James, Jamie, Chesh, Chessie, or whatever you want to call me.

Catnip tea... Sounds... Catty...

Never heard of it myself o.O I'll just stick to my Tetly and two sugars. Hasn't failed me yet.

As for those inner demons, I swear I've only got one. One, and then me. Maybe it really should just be called a conscience. But most of the time it's just me talking to myself in my head, ahh, the joys of having imaginary conversations in ones head.... Now that I think about it, it's a little boring in my skull... I just keep shoving outside stimulus in and it keeps whatever voices there may be nice and quiet.

Of course... You get those times at night... When you want to write a book, or a computer game, or just go home... Or is that just me?

Personnaly, I wouldn't say I'm suffering from any writers block, ohkay I haven't a clue what to do next in my comic, but I just haven't had any time to even give it any thought... So... Workers block I suppose ^.^[/b][/code]

As it happens, Koestler tries in his book to pin down what makes jokes funny. They're meant to arise from the sudden intersection of two incompatible 'matrices' (a matrix being, very basically, a code of behaviour). So the 'man walks into a bar' joke is funny because of the intersection of the matrix suggested by 'walks into', which says a 'bar' is a drinking place, and the matrix which says a 'bar' is a rod of metal.

This is quite helpful in thinking of and refining jokes. Stephen Notley apparently writes lists of random things down in order to brainstorm funny combinations. And it's good to be able to look at a punchline, work out why it's funny, and then cut away anything in the strip which doesn't contribute towards that. (If you're on a pure comedy tip, that is.)

And this is linked to the unconscious mind, which is the source of all new ideas. This is probably why I always think of strips when I'm about to go to sleep.

And then there are 400 more pages, which I haven't read yet.

maybe i should read that book.

yeah, i tried the Notley method on my strip once and got my June 6th strip which confused the hell out of everyone who read it.

i think Stephen Notley has (had) a certain finesse with the writing that made that sort of random juxtaposition possible. and the premise of his Bob comics-- if there is one-- is very loose and inconsistent. he could put Bob ANYWHERE, and we just aren't supposed to ask how he could possibly have become a U.N. diplomat or a NASA scientist or a giant Robogalactic Megabrain. alas, i've been very disappointed with the standards of his strips in the past few months... but his archives more than make up for it.

Yes.

Every time I read the BtAF archives, I want to do something equally flexible and wild, but it'd clash with the way my mind demands 'realism'. (And you need a hell of a lot of artistic ability to carry it off.)

It's odd; I don't actually write in the same way as the comic strips/sketch shows/comedians who I really like, but more like the ones I can take or leave. Except for the storyline with Dermot, which was a shot at imitating Dylan Moran's rambling style, but which dissolved pretty quickly when brought into contact with plot and things.

LAGtheNoggin wrote:Personnaly, I wouldn't say I'm suffering from any writers block, ohkay I haven't a clue what to do next in my comic, but I just haven't had any time to even give it any thought... So... Workers block I suppose ^.^[/b][/code]

I think we're all anxiously waiting to find out if Alex gets his throat ripped out by one of those sinister-looking critters of yours, or if he jumped out of the truck while we weren't looking!

Oh, wait! Nope! There he is! ::points::

Ahck! You're not supposed to go there! Shoo! Shoo! Off! Begone! Gah! Stop! Halt! Cease and desist! Arhhhh...

Hrmpf... I suppose that's what one gets for drawing fan art and cameos... Hrmpf... grrr... You try as hard as you possibly can to stop people visiting and then you go and innocently draw a picture of Sybil or Jack or even Basil Flint...

>sigh< Oh well, you can't stop everyone. Now for me to get this three month old comic done. I'm half way there! And who knows what'll happen to Alex? Not me that's for sure ^.^

Tek Roo wrote: I think we're all anxiously waiting to find out if Alex gets his throat ripped out by one of those sinister-looking critters of yours, or if he jumped out of the truck while we weren't looking!

Ack! I hope poor Alex's fate isn't anything like poor Joyce Kilmers! The idea of a poet in uiniform is scarey at best...

I hope someone is able to at least slip Alex lots of kevlar underwear, it looks like he's gonna need it...

CYa!
Mako

PS http://www.write-fitcomm.com/kilmer.htm will fill you in on why this is all relevant &ct...

LAGtheNoggin wrote:Ahck! You're not supposed to go there! Shoo! Shoo! Off! Begone! Gah! Stop! Halt! Cease and desist! Arhhhh...

Hrmpf... I suppose that's what one gets for drawing fan art and cameos... Hrmpf... grrr... You try as hard as you possibly can to stop people visiting and then you go and innocently draw a picture of Sybil or Jack or even Basil Flint...

Ha! Too late, I've been lurking your strip since about #8 or so, word is out LAG... Drawing is hard indeed

CYa!
Mako