Elephant Haiku - 1.25.20

Not something that I dabble with lately, but in college and a little beyond even handstands and handstand walking were a good way to pass the time. And so it goes with elephants. Onward and upward, February awaits!

Elephant Haiku 1.20.20

I got a little behind on my #3perweek attempt, but I do like doing these when I get the chance. This one, completed late on MLK Day, is a good place to begin the week. We need some leadership these days - someone who is looking out for the greater prospects of humanity at large. And so it goes...

Harts Pass No. 468

A little at a loss for this one. I, for one, am happy about the depths of winter. It gets a bad rap. That being said I guess the wolverines and I are expressing just a little winter optimism as we head into the midst of the snowy season. Cheers!

Elephant Haiku 1.12.20

A little more light hearted, this one :) 3-4 more inches of snow here on the eastern slope of the Cascades. No elephants skiing - at least none that I've seen - but lots of other happy folk. Three cheers for a steady adding to the winter snow pack -- both for skiing and the summer season ahead.

Elephant Haiku 1.7.20

With similar inspirations to this week's Harts Pass... alas, the world is often on fire these days and none of the people in power seem to care to do anything about it. 

Harts Pass No. 467

Our hearts go out to the wildlife in Australia... Safe refuge to one and all wherever it can be found.

Elephant Haiku 1.4.20

Three drawings in. Still having fun. It will get harder in another few days.

Elephant Haiku 1.3.20

I like this one. Promises to stay away from constantly sad and somber poses will be forthcoming.

Elephant Haiku: A drawing challenge for the New Year!

SO many artists start in on drawing challenges for the New Year -- admirable efforts for pushing the envelope of their work through non-contracted assignments and many times some excellent vehicles for creative growth and/or just simply trying fun, short, satisfying stuff :) 

Anyway, the internets are BURSTING with it right now. With my teaching and and coaching and clawing my way back to making things of my own (not to mention living and sleeping) there is pretty much ZERO chance that I will do something like this on a daily basis -- there are just too many other things to do and not enough hours in the day. That being said, goals are good and some kind of drawing challenge sounded like a good idea (plus I got wistful and a wee bit jealous just looking at too many January 1st "daily drawing" beginnings.)

On January 2nd I drew an elephant. Kind of a "wait for me" moment for the daily drawing crowd. The next day (posts to follow) I drew another elephant... and decided that the elephant - at least for now - is a good totem creature for the effort (since an elephant never forgets.) Added to that moment I decided to write a bit with each illustration. I will break rules for sure and push the envelope for syllable counts etc. but the goal for now is a collection of elephant haiku. Spur of the moment - ideas drafted on the spot - probably not spending much more than an hour on each piece (TBD). I will definitely NOT do seven per week. If I get #3perweek it will be AMAZING. 

Stay tuned and thanks for taking a look. I'll post here and to Instagram @erikbrooksbooks 

Enjoy!

PS I would LOVE to do these all in watercolor. In the spirit of trying new things I'll be using the procreate app and an iPad Pro. I'm good with that on the inking side, but more of a watercolor / painterly feel will be good to practice. 

Harts Pass no. 451 - a process video!

Thor Scratchboard!

Getting some samples ready for my high school Drawing & Painting class. Not sure if I have ever done scratchboard before, but it seemed like a nice transition -- and just a different way of thinking/drawing -- after several weeks spent with pen and ink. For those not familiar with it, a thin sheet of paper with a clay-like surface has been coated in ink. Using "scratch knives" or any sharp tool, you slowly remove the black ink surface to expose the white underneath. A strong graphic line in this case, but also versatile enough with practice for a wide range of tones and values. Thor the wolverine represented here in all of his wolverine glory. Enjoy!

Cat Diaries on the MSN Homepage!

It's just an ad, and it might indeed be skewed to my particular viewership due to recent internet browsing, but still kind of a kick to scroll through the MSN website today and to see my Cat Diaries book show up! Thank you Amazon cookies for the early morning psyche boost :)

Harts Pass No. 430

Mysteriously, HP #229 is no where to be found. I will keep looking and add it to the stack when the opportunity presents.

Harts Pass No. 428

It's that time of year again... and the wolverines just want you to know that they don't feel left out AT ALL!

Harts Pass No. 427

Sometimes the weather is all that we can talk about. Too bad. There are SO many other things...

Harts Pass No. 426

I have been TERRIBLE about posting to my blog. I started teaching HS/JRH art last year (Sept. 2018) and in my efforts to sort all of that out and  to keep up with the rest of my life and work in general, the blog has been neglected.

I'm 'gonna cheat time and reality and all that and back date pretty much the entire year of comics to the date that they appeared in the paper, but once that New Year's resolution is accomplished I will do my darndest to me a little more regular about updates for 2020.

Cheers and "new" years greetings!

Harts Pass No. 425

Over the last 6 months... or really I guess the last 14, I've been teaching art at my local HS & JRH. After a shocking period of adjustment, I've still been making comics and slowly crafting stories in my spare moments, but my updates to this website have been sorely lacking.

Feeling the end of the XC coaching season here this fall, and feeling like I'll have even a little more time to spend getting caught up on posts and other illustration business. Not anywhere near the mid-winter break just yet (this is from last February!) but I'll aim to be totally caught up again and hopefully more regular about my website by the end of Christmas break :)

A few chronological updates of the comics to come in the next few weeks.

PS I HAVE been making regular use of my @erikbrooksbooks Instagram account, so if you'd like regular updates on the comics thats the best place to go.

Harts Pass No. 424

My wife made a "mix tape" thumb drive for me as a Christmas gift. I'm Sticking With You (Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground) is a favorite. It seemed like a good Valentine's Day prompt for the comic strip, so here you go. 

If you're not already familiar with this quirky and sweet little song -- original release 1969 ?? (as best I can tell) you can get a fuller appreciation via the video below. Enjoy!

Harts Pass No. 423

Reading something over the weekend before the strip about porcupines. Thought that there might be also something to their prickly nature that prevents them from denning together (except in extreme circumstances) but also just like the idea that they might be a little self-conscious. An extended streak of single-digit and low-teen degree temps here in the ever lovely Methow Valley. Any hope of that (going on 3+ weeks now) doing some damage control on the pine bark beetle infestations? Natural history and all of its wonders!

Harts Pass No. 422

Always some little nugget of information or inspiration to help contextualize a comic idea. #GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 421

I did not know Mary Oliver's work until her passing last week. I will seek it out for future days -- in due consideration of how to spend "one wild and precious life." #wolverinewednesdays

Harts Pass No. 420

On this week before Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- remembering out trip to the powerful memorial in D.C. a few springs back.

Harts Pass No. 419

#betterthanbearhugs

Harts Pass No. 418

"Out with the old, in with the new", etc. etc. I'm not really sure that this always works. How about a little institutional knowledge and some common goals/concerns for both the "old" and the "new." Agreed for sure that sometimes we need a fresh start -- and goodness know that I am hopeful for many "new" things to make 2019 a better year, but one thing does lead to another and perhaps an additive rather than subtractive process would be more productive and successful in the long term. But what do I know? Just sayin' #GRRR! #HappyNewYear!

Happy New Year!

Harts Pass No. 417

A little late in getting this on the blog, but Merry Christmas all!

Harts Pass No. 416

More species reintroduction to the North Cascades National Park... and Thor is doing his best impression of righteous indignation -- coupled with a complete and total lack of understanding what is really going on. Sound familiar? Another strip here that did not quite make the deadlines for the paper. Bonus for you if you follow along via the blog or on Instagram. Cheers!

Harts Pass No. 415

And my own lovely daughter IS super enthusiastic about many, many things. It's awesome! Keep it it up kiddo. Your energy and verve are contagious!

Harts Pass No. 414

There's always a Thanksgiving strip. Or at least there has been for the last eight years. True to form of late I was  a little tardy in the posting, but the strip did get done in time for the newspaper deadline! Thanks to all of you who follow the strip. I'm back on a more even keel with posting and look forward to wrapping up the year in style. GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 413

With so many other things going on I have not been keeping up the comic very well. So it goes. I  really do like making these so hopefully my sense of available time changes at least a little bit this week -- although we shall see :) No matter what, I'm very thankful this week for friends and family. And for big hugs and welcome returns after times away that are long or short or anywhere between. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Harts Pass No. 412

You can watch any number of videos on YouTube or read more about it in the Seattle Times, but the relocation of an "exotic" mountain goat population from Washington's Olympic peninsula to the more appropriate setting of the north cascades was one of the more fascinating things to happen this summer. About 350 goats were relocated. The others were unfortunately eliminated by other means.

PS This comic was never published in the Methow Valley News. I drew it a little late, and it seemed less appropriate to send in the following week.

Harts Pass No. 411

So I started teaching art classes at our local high school this fall... and thusly time has been slipping ever-so-quickly through my fingers! My first week of September DID very quickly become the second week of October, and so on and so fourth. The comics are coming back though. Slowly but surely!

Harts Pass No. 410

Hard to ignore the wild fire smoke right now. Both from an "I'm living here" standpoint, and from the fact that for three years running the first several weeks of our fall XC running season (coaching for my part) have been compromised by at least 3-8 days of unhealthy air quality. This is not normal. It is not acceptable. The policy makers of the world need to wake up and pull their hands out of Big Oil and corporate-interest pockets. Its not all supposed to be about money and greed. It should not be a business-first kind of world. They need to start thinking more critically and with long-term vision about the health and well fare of the American people. GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 409

Pretty much how I've been operating of late. There is an outward projection (hopefully calm and collected)... and an internal chaos that hard to ignor. GRRR! #wolverinesarepeopletoo

Harts Pass No. 407 & 408

UHG! The wildfire smoke from Canada and local sources is hitting us HARD! Atmospheric particular matter (PMI) readings in the 400's today -- which is among the highest on the planet right now according to the air quality index listing at PurpleAir.com... We've had intermittent smoke and good/bad days over the two weeks since the first strip, but it has been consistently worse just to our south. The lack of air movement is layering it in all around and there is no real change in site. Stay inside if you can. The wolverines and other critters have far fewer options. GRRR!

The most awesome POLAR OPPOSITES reading ever!

OK, I don't really haunt the YouTubes looking for my books, but in a random search today I came across this POLAR OPPOSITES reading by the incredibly awesome Sauda for the YouTube channel, ABC Read, ABC Learn. It doesn't look like Sauda does too many of their other readings, but this one I definitely had to share. Enjoy!

Harts Pass No. 406

The strip pretty much says it all. Tim's Jalapeño chips are totally addictive. GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 405

It seems to me that free time is filled with too many practical and objective pursuits these days. I mean, its one thing if you're older and using that time to pursue a passion or to get on track with some other thing that leads to something else, and I'm all for a high bar and goals and drive... but for kids - especially kids of a younger age - they really don't need to be getting ahead on next year's school work with their summer time lazy days. Relaxed is relaxed, a wandering mind is good. A laser focus on the "next thing" or some sort of objective lesson with literally EVERY activity will only wear you down before your time.

Harts Pass No. 404

Another weather strip. PS Summer is NOT my favorite season! #wolverineworries #snowforlife #summer...

Harts Pass No. 403

I'm late in posting last week's strip -- which is too bad because I was pretty happy with it :) So many of these little comics are just a reaction to everyday normal things like the weather etc. (RE WINDY of late!) but then I get to draw some cute animals and try to find a little humor in it. As always, enjoy!

Harts Pass No. 402

Up in the mountains since the 4th of July. A summer-like tardiness to the posting of this strip but the sentiment rings true -- and perhaps even more so as we move past holiday feelings of freedom on to taking a measure of the actual freedoms that we should cultivate and encourage. Onward! 

Harts Pass No. 401

Summer started last week, but I was busy celebrating that 400th strip. For that matter, with highs today really just barely reaching 70 degrees, the swimming hole will be slightly more appealing in another week or two. Not a huge fan of the "hot" part of summer... so I'm good. Enjoy!

Harts Pass No. 400!!!!!!

Our 8th year anniversary here from the lofty heights at Harts Pass Comics. Progress is hard, but our wolverines keep giving it a go. Onwards and upwards. GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 399

Happy graduation class of 2018!!!!

Harts Pass No. 397 & 398

And still behind on my online posts! A little rush to catch up on other things at the end of the track season. I should be back into a more normal rhythm and flow next week.

Harts Pass No. 395 & 396

A little behind on the uploads from last week. NOT because of imminent flooding, but there have been a lot of happenings in the studio and beyond.

And this week's strip basically sums the goings on of the greater world. Things like clean energy, higher cafe standards, regulations to protect worker's rights or to prevent stupid things from happening with the banking industry... some things are just better for everyone. I mean seriously! Except of course for those very few who stand to make a lot of many from continued pillaging and abuse. Anyway, the river's up.

Until next week!

Harts Pass No. 394

WSDOT reports that the North Cascades Highway will open on Friday -- just in time for the 49er's Day Weekend here in Winthrop, WA. Always an important boon to the start of summer tourism, this open stretch of scenic highway through the heart of the north cascades is also a popular bike route -- especially in the week or so period of time when its just almost  done but not quite open to cars. The wolverines and other non-cycling members of the animal kingdom must also take a least a passing fancy to these pre-car days of open road. Enjoy! 

PS Headline news in the Seattle Times today: Breeding Wolverine Heralds Comeback in Washington's Cascades. A quick story about the first documented breeding female south of 1-90. Coming soon as a topic of interest to Harts Pass Comics :)

Harts Pass No. 393

May 2nd truly was #greatamericangrumpoutday - and it turns out that it was actually #takeababytolunchday #truffleday #tunaday #brotherandsisterday #scurvyawarenessday AND #playyourukeleleday as well. Who knew? #ukelele #wolverine #procreateapp #comics