Cover art for second Rudy Park book almost complete

Today, I'm finishing up work on the back cover for the second Rudy Park book, Peace, Love and Lattes. This design is a lot less cluttered than the first one. I'll post the front and back cover sometime in August, once the catalogs go out to retailers.

Last year, for the first book, The People Must Be Wired, we all thought it would be a good idea to show all seven of the main characters doing what they do best. It was the first collection, so it was necessary to introduce ALL the characters. Darlene was ignoring Randy who was hitting on her while standing next to Sadie who was giving the evil eye to Rudy who was tangled in gadget wires, one of which was being chewed on by Monkey who was standing next to Armstrong who was counting money next to Mort who was getting ready to drop some knowledge through his trusty bullhorn (whew!). Needless to say, that left me very few options for design considerations, and next to no chance I could create something that would really catch the eye on a book shelf. It turned out well, but I thought we could do better.

This year will be different. The front cover features only one main character. It's the one main character (and the one theme) that pretty much dominated the second year of the strip.

Back to work...

Hiking today

Great day for a hike at Mount Tam. I twisted my ankle playing tennis a couple weeks ago, and I'm pretty sure the best way to heal a twisted ankle is a 10 mile hike over rough terrain.

'Candidaldea' growing

Candidaldea, the Spanish-language version of Candorville, adds another newspaper to its growing list of clients. It will soon be seen in The Hispano Weekly, in Lubbock, Texas.

Candidaldea is produced by Darrin Bell and his fiancé, Laura Bustamante. Laura, a professional translator, is also an accomplished Spanish-language voiceover artist who's worked in the Spanish versions of several feature films including Jurassic Park, Casper, An American Tail (where she starred as Fievel), and many others. Currently she works as a television reporter for the Latin American culture show Latin Eyes. Latin Eyes is currently appearing in the San Francisco Bay Area, Fresno, CA, Louisville, KY and other cities, and will be seen nationwide through syndication later this year.

Creating Candidaldea isn't as easy as it seems. Some things just don't translate directly from English to Spanish. So when the humor isn't universal, Laura basically rewrites the cartoon, with a different joke, and sometimes an entirely different storyline. It's a challenge, but it's important to do it right.

Star Trek: Enterprise NOT cancelled

Trek Today is reporting that, contrary to predictions, UPN has officially renewed Star Trek: Enterprise. In other news, high quality genre shows Farscape, Firefly, Odyssey 5 and Angel are still dead.

I'm beginning to think the only thing I need to do to keep a series I like on the air is not to like it. And vice versa. I've just now decided I love America's Next Top Model, Will & Grace, and the entire UPN network.

In all fairness, Enterprise improved a great deal in its third season. There were story arcs (okay, one long arc) with real consequences, there were a few genuine surprises, and they've given a reason for the formation of the Federation. Unfortunately, it isn't the same reason given by all the other Trek shows & films over the past 30+ years.

What's the point of making a prequel if it's not going to stick to the established stories and concepts?

Bakersfield story to be continued...

The one-week test of Candorville in the Bakersfield Californian is nearly over, but this week's story is not. In a couple weeks, Susan's going to have to get time off to attend her uncle's funeral in Bakersfield, and she might be bringing a friend or two - along with a big misunderstanding - with her. If you'd like to see what happens, you need to write or call the Bakersfield Californian and let them know. And be sure to complete the survey. They'll post it here at the end of next week.

Hello, Bakersfield!

If you live in or around Bakersfield, you can see Candorville this week in The Bakersfield Californian. The Californian is running a one-week test, and if you want to read it in your paper from now on, you'll have to complete their survey, or call or write them to tell them what you think.

If you send them a letter (and send a copy to us) AND they subsequently add Candorville, we'll send you a free sketch or a print of the daily strip of your choice. Feel free to e-mail us and let us know what you think!

Candorville to be tested in Bakersfield Californian Next Week

If you live in Bakersfield, keep an eye out for Candorville next week. The Bakersfield Californian is testing 10 new strips to see which ones readers want added to the paper. If you like what you see next week and you want to see Candorville in your paper every day, you need to complete their survey.

Fighting the Power on Air America Radio

If anyone ever doubted the intellect of Chuck D. (formerly of Public Enemy), check out his morning show Unfiltered on Air America, or his weekly Saturday show, Bring the Noise. Listening to Chuck D., I've suddenly remembered why I used to love rap when I was a kid. It used to have something to say.

Dear Diary...

Welcome to the Candorville blog. From time to time I may post something interesting (or not), like a sketch or a clip from a strip in progress. News, etc...



If you haven't heard of Candorville, it's a new comic strip about a diverse group of friends in the big city, who deal with the important issues of the day: war, discrimination, homelessness and writers' block. Check it out at Comics.com. If you like what you see, it wouldn't hurt if you'd write to your local paper and angrily demand that they add it to their comics pages. Threaten to stop reading their paper if they don't, and accuse them of having bad taste in clothing. But above all, be polite.

Candorville is my second syndicated strip. You can also see my first one, Rudy Park (co-created by writer Theron Heir), at comics.com.