Decisions...

Been cleaning house here. And not literally my house. I gave up on that since, most of my shit is in boxes and we're anxiously awaiting moving into our new roomier apartment. (That is, after we see it we still like it!) No, I am referring to "in here". Like last week, I quit soda. Today is one week Soda free. I just got inspired by hearing the guys on the podcasts talk about all the crap thats in them and I decided that since I was on a daily of 7-10 sodas a day, I need to stop. The sugars and crap in them were helping to kill me much faster. So I just quit. I switched to water, punch and juice. Its been tough, like at restaurants finding ALTERNATE choices in drinks. And the temptation to grab a coke or 2 liter has been immense. But I held strong and here it is a week later. No soda has touched my lips.

The other thing about it is that every day this past week, I woke up with a massive headache. And as soon as an asprin hits my tongue, it goes away. Caffeine headache. But this morning, no headache! And I didn't even drink a coffee.

________

I decided something else yesterday. For the last year or so, I've had this grand plan that in 2012, the ten year anniversary of PLEASANT LIFE, that I would collect all of the previous tradebooks (the long sold out first 3 and WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND) along with all the supplementary material I can find and any NEW content I could provide and make it a huge 600 page book. Quite an undertaking. But my regular print company only prints books 500 or below in page count. So that wouldn't work and I wanted it to be one big who-ha! Also, I would feel guilty making people rebuy the second trade of material. So I decided this: In the next two years, I will combine the long sold out 1-3 trades into one book-with all the extra materials in that book and it will be the same size as the WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND trade. It will be known as the "Collected College Years." And then the second trade will always be the WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND. And since things work in Trilogies, there will be a THIRD Tradebook out in 2012, the anniversary of PLEASANT LIFE, containing all NEW MATERIAL.

Yes, I am not done with Pleasant Life, even though I said that the story was finished. And indeed the story is. But there was one story I never got to tell. And after thinking on it for the last three years (I wrote the story that long ago), I decided that it does add a bit to the overall tale, so why not include it? Its a short, simple story that I plan to have alot of fun with. And then once those three trades are done, thats it. No more PLEASANT LIFE.

So: My long term plan is to finish ANNA 1-3 this year. ANNA #1 just came out this past week. I am coloring ANNA #2 and ANNA #3 is starting pencils phase. And I hope to be done done done with ANNA by the beginning of next year. And then the rest of 2011, I will work on the remastering and cleaning up of the "College Years" PLEASANT LIFE trade. While, starting art on PLEASANT LIFE TRADEBOOK #3. And I also got EXPENDABLES 3-5 to work on in there sometime. And I have this other graphic novel idea I wrote back in college that I plan to do at some point. And there's this other ANNA POCALYPSE mini series that I want to do. So, there's plenty on my long term plate. Enough to keep you all interested for the next few years anyway.

(Also, I'm gonna make an announcement later this year that may top ALL of that. Watch for that later this year.)

Indeed, there's alot on the horizon in my mind sponge and it shall explode from me in a dirty form of creative, explosive diarrhea.

_____________

Lastly, tomorrow is the big day. Progressive rock wet dream of me seeing TRANSATLANTIC live in Chicago. I'm ridin' over with my pal Tim and we're gonna Prog Out! Expect pics and a full report upon my return. Come what may, I am excited.

Thanks for reading folks!

T