Sandboxes 2

As I mentioned in a previous post, Tim and I had a lot of sandboxes, or fictional places filled with character and stories. One idea and set of characters were ever-present though. This was a story I really wanted to make into something someday. I concepted the main character when I was 17. We considered graphic novels, a comic book, a video game or most likely, a sort of graphic novel / website hybrid. We even came really close to starting on it about 6 to 7 years ago. This was something we actually had piles and piles of character sketches, plot outlines, scene write-ups, and historical accuracy notes for. And my friend was a huge help in all of that. But something always held us up.

One problem is the scope of the thing. But more often than not, it was just life stuff. Jobs, job changes, moving, break-ups, bouts of creative block, an ongoing sketch blog we shared, marriage, more moving, etc. It didn’t help that I had an 8 year long addiction to riding bicycles every chance I had.

My wife and I moving into our new place in October, 2018

About four years ago, it really seemed like producing something was becoming a reality. Then I got a call from Tim’s sister telling me that he had collapsed and a body scan found that he had cancer again (he also had it when he was only three years old). Despite that, he still wanted to be a part working on this thing.

Now that my friend has passed away, it seems a little empty to pursue it further despite having poured so much into it. But then I imagine him wanting to slap me upside the head for walking away from it just because he’s gone. Besides, no matter how many times I have tried, I’ve never been able to get those characters to leave me alone. I suppose stories are just how some people make sense of life or the world.

So I’m at a little bit of a crossroads. Delve deeper into this world of characters for good or bad? Or do I follow my new idea of becoming a portrait artist for the fitness crowd? That at least seems like something that could be lucrative. Plus, I do love illustrating fit people in action.

I know… how terrible to have options in life.