Jurascals approaches 1 year in the Auburn Citizen!

Jurascals began its run in the Auburn Citizen newspaper on 4/11/2011! It's now approaching the one year mark and I'm very excited. On 4/11/2012 I'll have a look back at the entire year of Jurascals.

The post today, however, explains a part of the vision for the future:

Future: Jurascals in COLOR! What will make year very special is to have the Jurascals made in COLOR (even if not printed in color) so I've been working towards that goal.  In preparation I've tried a few different techniques (crayon, marker, watercolor, acrylic and computer "paint" from a program). I like making ART and although I believe most comic strips are done with computer enhanced colors, it's not the look I prefer.  Paint advances the medium forward in a really interesting way so I want to go with that method.

Therefore I've created the new version of the comic strip using acrylic as the main color element, using watercolor "sparingly" and then I've inked it to fine tune the lines. The color really looks great in the first week (week of 4/2) and the second week looks even BETTER! I can't wait to see week three!


So that's the big news!

I'll actually tweet about this and put this info on facebook/jurascals on Monday but those who check out www.jurascals.com now have the first SCOOP!

The Liebster Award

My friend Julie Frayn of the awesome www.juliebird.ca and who can be found on twitter at @juliefrayn awarded me (among others) the Liebster award, which is a pay-it-forward award for blogs with fewer than 200 followers. I did not set up my blog to have "followers" so mine qualifies! The idea is that each award recipient keeps the good karma flowing by bestowing the award on up to five other blogs they love. Blogs that maybe others don’t know about yet. There are “rules” to follow in order to claim acceptance.

1. Thank the person that nominated you on your blog and link back to them.
2. Nominate up to 5 other blogs for the award.
3. Let them know via comment on their blog
4. Post the award on your blog

I do like the sentiment because it is always great to share the blogs you enjoy with your own readers.
So I officially thank Julie for bestowing the award to www.jurascals.com
I will link back to Julie as I figure out the technology to do so, though I believe as this blog posting actually has the hyperlink to her site so I think that part of the rules is covered!

For my nominations, let me preface this by stating that I do not know how many "followers" these sites have and I'm sure they have much more than 200 followers but 1) I want to nominate them and bring your attention to them so that you can enjoy them too and 2) since I took liberal arts math in college I do not guarantee to have perfect math. So I believe my awards to the following honorees is in keeping with the "spirit" of this award! This is not in any order 1-5, please just know that all five made this list!

1) http://www.mjmonaghan.com/ Mr. Monaghan has a wonderful blog and can be found on twitter at @mjmonaghan_  Mr. Monaghan is a quite the humorist and very funny blogger and three times now I have taken what he has had to say seriously! I even took one of his "challenge questions"  and wrote out a blog posting as a response! So he is well worth the read and please enjoy!

2) www.gretchenleary.com I nominate Gretchen Leary's blog. It is her main site and contact page. Gretchen can also be found on twitter at @Gretchenleary . Her blog is linked to the "journal" section which is happily titled "Happy Thoughts". She wants to let the world know that she is "a writer who has Aspergers and wants to make a difference in this world".  So follow her as she succeeds in her goal!

3) http://mikaleebyerman.wordpress.com/ I am awarding one to Mikalee Byerman (who can also be found on twitter @mikaleebyerman ) whose blog boasts an impressive 76 million followers but as far as I know that's only by her own account so I'm awarding the Liebster award anyway! She is a writer and editor and her blog is very funny! She ends her "about me" section of her blog by writing "Thank you for reading. Now leave me a nice comment below — to let me know you stopped by. Otherwise, you just look like a stalker. "
So read her work!

4) http://my.opera.com/jbaird/blog/ I am awarding an award to Janean Baird who can be found on twitter @turquoisetangle . Janean is a mom, wife and writer and artist. She posts reflections about her life, her struggles and triumphs and the things that make every day special. I know you will enjoy her work.

5) www.karenglosserdesigns.tumblr.com I nominate Karen Glosser of Karen Glosser designs. Her blog "The View From Here" demonstrates her talent as an artist. She is a jewelry artist but I especially enjoy her blog for her photography.  Her photos of the sky and of western NY are fantastic!

So there you have it!

Enjoy and have a wonderful morning/afternoon/night in the blogosphere!

Jurascals series about the Fingerlakes SPCA-CNY at Auburn

It has always been my intention to use the comic strip as a means to morally support the good work that goes on in Auburn and the surrounding communities. It is with that focus in mind that the series from the end of February through end of March discusses the Fingerlakes SPCA-CNY at Auburn!

The Fingerlakes SPCA-CNY at Auburn is a very special place, a no-kill shelter for animals that need protection and adoption and it has been my pleasure to communicate with the great folks over there, especially Carol and Ginger. As one can imagine, some of the stories involving the animals are quite sad and do not lend itself easily to the comic strip format. So I reviewed their website http://www.flspcaofcny.org/ and on the site there is a list of questions for prospective petowners to consider and "ponder" before adopting a pet. I felt this was the most appropriate topic to discuss and so I created the story that Dinosaur and Lina want a pet but they may not be ready for one yet.

The Fingerlakes SPCA-CNY at Auburn is having a fundraiser on 3/25/2012 at Dilaj's motor inn and four of my comic strips for the week of 3/19-3/24 will discuss the fundraiser! If a reader is in that area, please consider supporting this wonderful organization and attend! Let 'em know you read Jurascals!
Here's MY Jurascals promo for the fundraiser-


For your reading pleasure, here's a selection from the Fingerlakes SPCA series

And MORE to come! Thank you for reading and thank you for reading more about the

Fingerlakes SPCA-CNY at Auburn. Visit them at

http://www.flspcaofcny.org/

International Awesome Day is 3/10/2012

Yes, international awesome day is 3/10/2012 and to celebrate this momentous occasion, we have usurped the idea and decided to create a publication for 3/10/2012. So friends on twitter and facebook have joined together and I am compiling their work into one volume. We're still thinking of a name for the entire magazine but the website is this:  http://collectedworksofawesome.blogspot.com/ Check it out for the idea and for the details! It's going to be GREAT!

A poem for my wife

I have written a poem for my wife for Valentines day. She hasn't seen it yet. I am going to post it to her facebook page at midnight tonight. Here it is:


Jennifer

Water

Flows freely

A bountiful gift

Descends gracefully

Sounding a joyful repetition

That it gives life; preserves life

It is the reason and the cause of life

Winding its way past the rocky barriers

Seeking out the cracks of manmade obstructions

Charting its own sweet, beautiful course deliberately

Finding its path

Yet

Treasured because it is fragile not despite its fragility

Worth everything for without it there is nothing

Needing protection with constant vigilance for

Water steams in heat and freezes in cold

Striving to keep its perfection

Abundant but not guaranteed

Gratefully received

Happily accepted

Blessed

Water

Your Love

Flows to Me

-J. Timothy Quirk

Jurascals road trip to Poughkeepsie!

For last week and for this upcoming week, the family is heading from Auburn, NY to Poughkeepsie, NY for a visit! Here are a couple from last week

Jurascals Ballet: week of 1/31 through 2/4

Jurascals (soon to be Jurrascals) about the rascally dinosaur from the Jurassic era in Auburn NY focuses this week on Ballet. One day, I really would like to see a ballet production that is not unlike the Nutcracker that kids flock to and parents enjoy and if it works out-who knows-maybe the Jurascals dinosaur can be the subject. This one printed in the Auburn Citizen 1/31/2012

This one printed from 1/31/2012. It's based on a true event!

This one is 2/1-also semi-autobiographical except instead of dinosaur, me and slightly different attire...slightly.