Hello! I'm a longtime fan, and I just read the thread about Japanese art supplies in which you mention that your mom is your assistant. Maybe I'm just a silly southern boy with a protestant upbringing, but I gotta know: was there ever any nervousness about you mom helping you illustrate scenes where...oh, you know... people, um, take off their clothes? And, like, do naked stuff?

This is a delightful question that made me laugh right out loud!

I confess that there are a couple of times where I opted to do certain pages without any help from Mom! Last issue there was a gay love scene. I was so nervous about it, I didn't even let Mom see it until the book was published! That week, I had dinner with my parents and they teased me mercilessly about it! Mom hadn't even known there was a page in that issue she hadn't worked on.

Sometimes Mom makes jokes, and comments about the anatomy. She's pretty cool about it all. In fact, I am probably more nervous about showing it to her than she is about seeing it!

The whole family has had some good laughs about the content of my book.

Once, some years back, I actually did do the illustrations for an erotic graphic novel. Mom NEVER saw than one, and whenever she would walk in my studio, I would fling myself across the art on the drawing board. It was a pretty funny situation!

Colleen

www.adistantsoil.com

Reading this kind of stuff beats Dave Sim's latest rant any day of the week! [img]/resources/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Ah, I can see the Enquirer headline now: Doran Leaps Atop Naked People While Mom Watches

I made Mom read this! She laughed her head off!

I have never been more embarassed in my life than when I had to do the naughty graphic novel! I was originally hired to do one story, in black and white, which was very erotic, but kind of sweet. You know, young romance and all that in the Victorian era, everyone releases inhibitions, lots of pretty naked drawings, blah blah. No problem, I had fun and it turned out to be one of my best art jobs, the kind I can never show my parents.

After that pleasant experience, the company offered me another story. I agreed and signed the contract, sight unseen. What a big mistake! It was way more explicit and way too, uh, well, off kilter for my tastes. I begged to be let out of the contract, but no go! I was stuck! So, I, er, screwed up my courage and went to. Hated the whole thing! Not only did I do a lousy job, but I found myself unable to draw some of the bits I was supposed to draw. It's not like I had any laying around the house. If you know what I mean.

So it takes me nearly two weeks to paint this dog, all of which I spent flinging myself across the drawing board lest Mummy get an eyeful. Finally, after days of procrastination, I force myself to finally finish the thing, waaaaay past deadline. I spend all night trying to do the job and there's a knock on my door about ten AM after I'd spent a sleepless night trying to bring this thing to a climax.

Who would it be? A friend of mine and he's brought his young neice! They'd like to see my studio! YAAAGHHH!! I had dragged the drawing board into the living room and popped some erotic videos in the vcr to get in the mood and a twelve year old girl shows up to see a real professional at work! I nearly broke some vital body parts trying to cover up all the evidence of my depravity.

This was my last foray into adult material and now that I've destroyed my reputation as a decent woman, I can never marry a senator. Oh wel, I needed the money at the time.

Funny thing is, the original art was bought by the mother of a very prominent film director to put in her guest room as a "marital aid for young couples". Neil Gaiman took a gander at the story I painted and commented that it looked like I was reluctant to render the naughty bits, which was true, but I also didn't have a model hanging about, so what's a girl to do? The videos weren't that erotic!

Anyway, now that my sordid past is all out in the open, no one can use it for blackmail.

colleen


www.adistantsoil.com

Colleen,

Why bother considering marrying a Senator, when you should go after a President? [img]/resources/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

Beacuse a cigar is just a cigar and I don't want to have sex with one! Rimshot!

Hyuk!

colleen


www.adistantsoil.com

"but I also didn't have a model hanging about.."


tee-hee


I had a similar experience when I was asked to do some xxx work. Good money, but about three pages into a sample I couldn't imagine doing it for 20 pages every month.

Not with three small children always sneaking into the studio.


Lomi Monet

Wow, three kids! I can barely handle my pets.

I don't mind erotica if there's a decent story to go along with it, or if there's a romantic atmosphere, but most is just gross.

The story I had to do involved a young girl coming on to her obese, elderly stepfather. I was completely disgusted. I changed some elements of the tale, including what went on on panel and what went on off panel, much to the consternation of the editor. Too bad.

Naturally, I made the stepfather much handsomer than described in the script and I drew the girl to look much older. It was the only way I could stomach the material. I also avoided closeups of all the bits. Geez.

If there was good erotica aimed at women readers I bet it would sell, but you can't convince most American comics companies to publish anything for women, so why bother to try! I hear there are romance graphic novels being produced for American publishers, but only for sale overseas! Isn't that a hoot!

Anyway, I'm with you on this subject. The X-rated stuff is amusing for about two pages. I can't imagine having to do it full time.


colleen

www.adistantsoil.com

Hey Colleen,

Are you the creator that makes frequent stops in Charlottesville? I'm trying to remember if you are the one who visited my local comic store not that long ago.

-Brian Jacks
Slushfactory.com