Giving Thanks, Belatedly

The whole gang was out at the park today. I’m starting to get used the smell, too. We roughhoused together a little, but not too much because it scares the kid. I had to do quite a little growling to restore order, but they listened. I’ve earned their respect.

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Sorry for the delay in posting. Aside from Thanksgiving, a few things came up:

1) I spent a fair amount of time getting new pictures ready for my one-man show at TAMA Gallery. I modestly admit to the new pictures' total awesomeness, and I might be persuaded to post them to my site if I get any requests or even sense grudging assent from some or even one of you.

But be forewarned: the show has been postponed. TAMA is having a densely packed December (Auction this Saturday! Fundraiser the week after!), and taking down the current show and hanging mine was more than they could do. So we're now planning on opening in February. I'll send more info when we firm up the date.*

All in all, a good thing. Less craziness for all involved, and more lead time can't help but be good for an event like this. So, thanks!

2) Part-Time Dog (and me) was the subject of a feature in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle! (The Eagle was founded by Walt Whitman's old paper, by the way, until he managed to get himself fired off his own paper. That has nothing to do with the article, but I find that story just damn wonderful.) Thanks again!

3) Finally, I am now being represented by the renowned Bob Mecoy Literary Agency. Bob is an amazing guy, a true professional and one of the best representatives for graphic novels in the business. I cannot tell you how excited I am to be working with him. Thanks, Bob!

This week's dogs were roughly modeled on pictures from Steve Weinstein, Fiona Watson, Robery Fullum and Emily Newman. (None of these were really portraits, so it's possible that their pets may show up elsewhere down the line...)

More soon, promise. In the meantime, keep sending in dog photos (thanks to all of those I got this week!!), write me emails, make some comments on the blog, read the story so far or check out seltzerstudio.com. By the way, to see the Studio's portfolio in the same great format as Part-Time Dog, just click here.

*As for the contest, I've decided to extend the entry dates until closer to the actual opening. If you're reading this, you're entered.

**For all other agents or agencies on this list, thank you very much for your time and interest. Even if we're not doing business, I hope you're enjoying the story and I'll keep you on and include you in the contest unless I hear otherwise.

Squaresville

"Slow day at the bookstore. I read about dogs. Turns out that they’re color blind, and now I keep staring at my shirt, trying to decide whether it’s yellow or green. Also, I think my ears are perking up whenever I hear a high-pitched noise."

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Would it be too precious to say that I chose the square format for this book because I was deeply influenced by Gustav Klimt's Secessionist Movement? Yes? Would you believe me anyway? No? Howzabout if I said that the square format fancy-pants Holbein drawing pads I like so much are considerably cheaper than the rectangular pads? You'd buy that? So let's see: somehow you've intuited I'm pretentious, insincere and cheap. Wonderful. This has been a fine Yom Kippur all around.

Why this matters is because this panel is nominally a crowd scene, but in a square format it's hard to fit in much of a crowd. Two and a half people is what you get, and that's not much to get the feeling of Boerum Hil across. If the ratio of hipsters to normal people (1.5:1) in this image seems a little high, remember, I have to live here.

This week's dog is Jake, sent by Belinda Hoosech of Lake St. Louis, MO. I'm from University City, MO, myself, which is about 45 minutes or so east of Lake St. Louis. And while I've lived in New York for more than 20 years, because I am not some type of pinko commie, I am still loyal to the St. Louis Cardinals, who just clinched their division. I am assuming that Belinda, and also Jake, neither of whom give off a pinko commie vibe, will join in when I say: Go Cards!

One other St. Louis-area native of note, Rob Brown, the model for the protagonist of this book, is hosting a fundraiser for The Dysfunctional Theatre Company at Deacon Brodie's Bar at 370 West 46th Street from 6-10 PM this Thursday, October 1. For more info, click here. I'm going to try to drop by myself to hoist a few for a good cause.

More soon, promise. In the meantime, keep sending in dog photos (thanks to all of those I got this week!!), write me emails, make some comments on the blog, read the story so far or check out seltzerstudio.com. By the way, to see the Studio's portfolio in the same great format as Part-Time Dog, just click here.

Open publication - Free publishing - More satire

Excuses, excuses

Been busy. Deadline crunches. Last-minute jobs. No time for drawing. No time for painting. No time for verbs.

But now I'm back into the groove. As usual, time away from this project encouraged me to improve it. Hence the new, streamlined look and a couple of new features. Now when you click “Forward to a Friend” up top, a new email self-generates that both directs your friend to the Blog and automatically cc's me, thus guaranteeing your extra contest entry. If you hit “Subscribe,” an email will automatically be created with my address and a request to sign up. And if you hit “Unsubscribe,” I burst into tears without any annoying lagtime.

My one regret about this format is that I'm no longer including the entire project as a readable page in the email. It's not gone -- it can still be found on the blog, or when you click on “Read the Story So Far” at the top of the page. But because it was Flash-based, enough people couldn't get it to work in their email reader that I figured I might as well drop it. (If you want it back in, or if you find any features aren't working, or if you have anything else to say, please send me a note.)

More soon, promise. In the meantime, keep sending in dog photos (thanks to all of those I got this week!!), write me emails, make some comments on the blog, read the story so far or check out seltzerstudio.com. By the way, to see the Studio's portfolio in the same great format as Part-Time Dog, just click here.

Open publication - Free publishing - More satire

Tom Seltzer Will Draw Your Dog

As I've said before, thanks to everyone who sends me a picture of their dog to use in the book. Of course, I will draw your dog absolutely gratis, and send you a print-resolution of the drawing JPG as a thank-you. I could not be more grateful to everyone who participates.

But I have gotten inquiries as to whether I would be willing to draw or paint dogs on commission, not for use in the book. And I said I'd post on that.

Here’s what I’m thinking: A pen, brush & ink – with or without a color wash added – on acid-free archival paper, up to 11” x 14”, will go for $150, plus shipping. (That’s the same technique as I’m using for the dog pictures in the book.) A full-on watercolor painting on acid-free archival quality paper, up to 11” x 14”, will go for $350, plus shipping.

I do believe that I’ll have to charge sales tax on these, too. I haven’t checked officially, but my understanding is that when an actual object changes hands, as opposed to merely the rights to reproduce the objects, the boys in Albany want their cut.