Sure, like most, I’d read and loved Calvin and Hobbes, Far Side, and Peanuts as a kid. I’d also read most of the others, like Hagar the Horrible, Beetle Baily, and Bloom County.

I often forget that I did a very awful comic in my High School’s newspaper called “Hype”. It was about a metal head who hated hippies and hung out with a giant bunny. Basically the metal head was an idealized version of myself, complete with long, spiky hair, big wrap-around sunglasses, and a matching bad attitude. It was pretty messed up, but then, so was I. By then I was hip deep in playing bass guitar in all manner of bands, which occupied most of my creative time for the next 10 years.

When I was going to college in Portland, OR, I discovered Life is Hell, and loved it’s bold iconoclasm. Comic strips could be cool.

Shannon Potratz reintroduced me to comic books in the early 90′s, after a long hiatus since childhood. I’d read a few, but I never considered myself “into” comics. I had D&D to contend with.

I digress.

Shannon turned me onto Mike Mignola just before he launched Hellboy, and it turned my head around. I’d never seen anything so cinematic and graphic; Mike kicked my ass, and continues to do so everytime I reread one of his books. Mignola lead to Miller, Geof Darrow, and other comics of semi-superhero status or less.

Chris Ware was discovered not long after this, and his work continues to capture my imagination. The draftsmanship, somber storytelling, and fabulous color and design make the Acme Novelty Library some of my favorite books of alltime. I get drawn in about every time I pick one up.

Today, I read comics haphazardly. I don’t hit the comic store weekly or anything like that, but I do always have comics around to read. Indie folks are always handing me their comics, and I read most of them. Sometimes I trade with folks that I like or admire, and yes, I do got to the store from time to time and pick up graphic novels. I’m into stories, not soap operas, so collections are what I like the most.

Some of my favorite webcomics are WE THE ROBOTS, ScaryBear, HER, Kawaii Not, Kiskaloo, Kukuburi, the F Chords, PVP, and so on. I’m discovering new ones all of the time, since I’m behind everyone else. (I’ve been busy!)

It’s an exciting time for comics, even though traditional book sales are supposedly falling. There are far more independent books being produced today than any other time, and that’s besides the fact that there are tens of thousands of comics being made right now on the interwebs. Comic sales may be down, but there is a LOT of creativity and consumption going on out there.

It’s not dead.

It’s a crazy time, but I’m really glad to see comics shared with someone other than gigantic publishers.

I can’t wait to join the noise with my little comic wreck.

- Daniel

This is where the journey begins.

Endless traffic in a monster world. Halloween on wheels, punctuated by the steampunk scents of oil, smoke, and hot steam filling the cab.

We’ll be outfitting you with a new Monster Commute comic, Monday through Friday.

<>

My family and I carpool together, here in Phoenix, Arizona. (3 hours a day is pretty normal.)

We’ve spent the last few years feeling like we’re living in our car. It’s sometimes been scary (that one time we got run off of the 101), often frustrating (wanting to throw my shoe at the police helicopter), and occasionally interesting to watch life on the serpent highway.

I’ve had to add this situation to the mythology of my brain, and see if I could use this situation into something that would keep me out of the local asylum. (Web comic counseling?)

Now, when I look over the ever blazing highway, I try to look for story ideas, instead of a place to jump out of my moving car.

Welcome to my hellway highway.

- Daniel

The other day, he decided to get into the action, and do his own version. (With no coaxing from his old man. Who says “old man“?)

Anyway, I thought that it was pretty delightful, and funny.

I like how happy Beastio and Machine are, and check out the Steam Crow head on the top.

Classic.

- Daniel

Current weekly schedule:

4:45 am – Dawna wakes me up
5:10 am – On the road to work (My turn to drive)
5:30 am – Try not to die merging on the South bound I-17
5:45 am – Eating breakfast in the car
6:05 am – at work, doing work
11:00 am – Lunch
4:30 pm – drive home (Dawna’s turn to drive)
5:00 – 5:30 am – writing 2 comic scripts on the drive home
6:00 pm – Home (gasp)
6:10 pm – Help make dinner OR check email
7:00 pm – Finishing dinner/hang with family
7:25 pm – Begin creating comic artwork
8:30 pm – Family goes to bed – Say goodnight
9 – 10:30 pm – Finishing up a single comic strip (Making web and eps versions)
10:30 – Sleep

So, it’s kinda intense for me to keep things rolling.

I’m trying my hardest to survive, but it often takes a lot of will to work and not just go to sleep.

I’m going to move to a weekly shipping schedule (Shipping on Saturday every week) so that we don’t mess this schedule up by going to the post office all of the time. When we do that, we’re not getting home until 7:00, and the whole thing get’s botched.

Certainly, I could have it way worse.  I DO get to work all day on Friday, so that’s a BIG help.  I’ve simply built this schedule into my life, the best that I may.

Sunday, I schedule the next weeks strips, and write all of the individual blog posts. Hopefully, I’ve gotten enough rest that this works out okay.

- Daniel

Here’s a video that Ben recorded during the epic 24 hours.

This was one of my first attempts to draw vector art straight into the computer, and as Ben indicated, I got a little bit of a head start before the 24 hours began.

Both of these guys are super talented illustrators, and we had a good time surviving this epic challenge. Make sure you look at Ben and Shannon’s work.

This year, I’ll be doing another 24 hr Comic with some of the TINY ARMY gang, at SpazDog comics. This should be a lot of fun, as sitting in my chair for that long will kill.

I should add that I’m doing a variation of the basic 24 hr plan: I’m just working on the Monster Commute. So, I’m ignoring the 24 pages bit, as I’m using it work on the comic non-stop.

- Daniel

“Many years later the Jolly Beans Corporation was purchased by a rutheless gladiator.”

I don’t know why, but this honesty on a candy label makes me happy. It’s as if the writer herself was angry enough to hide this little tidbit of dark company history into the package copy.

I guess that it would be interesting if other companies did the same thing; said something brutally honest about their business.

“We stole some vital technology from our competitor because he used to be a partner in this firm.”

“Our products are just so-so, but that’s the way you like them.”

And my favorite, a real one: “Grapple: it tastes like an apple but it’s a grape.”

Sounding like Andy Rooney: “Why wouldn’t I just eat a grape when I want a grape? Couldn’t I just choose to eat an apple when I want an apple?”

It’s sorta wierd if you ask me.

- Daniel

It’s a nice way to hear what some of the other artists think of 24 HR Comic Day, AND see what kinds of shenanigans we were up to:

Yet another big thanks to Shawn, for hosting us, and for taking the time to create this video.

If you’re in the Phoenix area, be sure to give SpazDog Comics a Visit.

- Daniel

For the record, I happen to like kung-fu, haiku, cous-cous, and owlbears quite a lot.

Gnocci and cork, I can live without.

The furnace itself is somewhat inspired by my mom’s antique wood cook stove, which she’d been using until the last few years. Of course, I added a bunch of pipes and stuff, though really, it doesn’t look anything like this.

Lazy?

I have to admit that I could have broken this out as 2 separate days worths of posts, but I felt like the rythm was all wrong to break it up. If I was smart, I probably would have done it anyway, but what the heck.

I aim to please. So sue me…

…OR link Steam Crow up, or post us up on a forum. It’s up to you. You have the power.

- Daniel

Autumn is in the air, even here in the deep, dark, desert. By “dark” I mean “deep”, of course.

A chill is in the air, which means that I feel alive again, once or twice every 14 months or so. It’s seriously great to listen to the air, and not hear the constant droning of overpriced air conditioning units reducing our bank account with every fan-turn.

But I’m not mad.

Taxes make me mad. Well that, and feral centaurs and drunk wizards named “Ghary”.

- Daniel

When I was a teenager, I spend a number of years living without running water, electricity, and modern plumbing.

No, really. It’s one of the reasons I’m creative, and erm… weird.

Anyway, later on, we had a water cistern (tank) on the top of our pine covered hill, where we lived. Once every week, I’d drive this old 1940′s water truck and go fill it with a hose at the odd neighbor’s house.

The neighbor was a nice fella, late 40′s, and still living at home with his parents. His name was Junion, and he didn’t “believe” in having a drivers license, and he’d talk my ear off for hours at a time, while I was a captive audience filling our water tank.

All I wanted to do was read fantasy pulp novels, or plan my Dungeons and Dragons campaign, but oh no.

Junior had all manner of livestock, and even some deadstock, including piles and piles of rotting sheep skins in the barn. They had to have been there for decades, and they were plague-like.

It was pretty rank there anyway, Junior’s pigpen often sitting with a dead bloated pig in all of the slop. But somehow, those sheep pelts maintained their very own, sweaty odor.

So, you can imaging my thrill of my weekly water chore. Too bad my friends the Trents’ or the Careys’ or the Proctors’ lived so far away.

Oh well, at least I have some lingering mental illness because of the time I spent on that farm.

- Daniel

Being one of the 13th sloppiest people in the world, I can assure you that cleaning is not one of my strengths. I’m messy, and I’m not terribly shy about admitting it.

However, there is one thing in my life (okay, two things, smartass) that I must keep clean at all costs; my glasses.

If my glasses get smudgy or covered in some strange life-putty, I HAVE to get them clean, at all costs. I go crazy and get all fidgety with dirty glasses, and it’s not nice.

That said, I can now understand just a little bit more of my Type-A friends out there. Yes, you know who you are.

And I feel sorry for you*.

- Daniel

*Okay, so I’m not that uppity. I’m just joshing.

So, it may make sense to you, that this was written a couple of months ago, in the dazzling Phoenix, Arizona heat.

I was in the car, as I often wrote these, and it was probably about 110 outside. Basically, it makes you car, tires, and face melt.

Later, my oft neglected buddy and writer Alan Macfarlane, read over my script, and essentially rewrote it with the line “a dry hate” which is the best that this strip has seen so far. I think I readjusted the situation a little, but that line is all good, and it’s all Alan.

It’s probably the best fitting description of the Arizona Highway system. I can see it now: “Drive Arizona – It’s a dry hate”.

Maybe I need to make a bumper sticker for this.

Thanks Alan!

- Daniel

I’ve been confusing hammers and wrenches my whole life.

Sure, one is used for turning bolts, but you must admit that they both are good for hitting things. Wrenches and hammers are usually made with forged steel, are rather heavy, and have a satisfying heft.

And yes, both are pretty great for throwing. (I knew what you were thinking.)

I believe that if someone made a vacation resort where people lounged, ate great food with nice drinks, and threw hammers, it would be an instant success. I’d go, and I’d love it.

(Oh! What if you could throw these hammers at big, rubber animatronic trolls! That would rock!)

We could call it “Hammer Time” or “Hammer Town” or “Yon Hammer” or “Troll Defender” something great like that.

Would you go?

- Daniel

I like to envision how the television hucksters, like Billy Mays, might try to pitch the Fistus: (yelling)

Billy Mays here, for the FISTUS!

Are you tired of flimsy wrenches?

You don’t need a cabinet full of hammers!

Do you like hitting stuff, with the power of Zues?

They you’ll love the all-new FISTUS!

Triple-forged by albino monkeys, the FISTUS is made from celestial-blessed, cold mithril.

This isn’t your grandma’s hammer! It’s like a wrench, but it’s a HAMMER!

CALL NOW!

- Daniel