Harts Pass No. 550

 

After a terribly long stretch of heat and fire this summer, my daughter and I got extremely lucky with a respite in the mountains. We weren't quite sure of the weather... and banked more on roasting rather than freezing. That being said, it was two nights and three excellent days of amazing exploration in the hills! The smoke FINALLY cleared as we headed up Valley. The breeze kicked up and we had three glorious days of overcast skies and cool-ish temperatures. A little excitement on the trail -- and MANY many trees to climb over in some farther reaches of the loop (and actually SO much rain and coolness on the last day that we missed a LOT of incredible mountain views) but it was a 5-star excellent adventure all around :) 

Harts Pass No. 549

Another #haikucomics as inspired by the heat and smokey air. Truly. Winter please!

Harts Pass No. 548

OK. This week the Virgina Ridge fire forced us to evacuate our home. We are fortunate. My mom was out of town and visiting my brother, so we set up camp in her house... for nearly two weeks! Ultimately our house was fine. I mowed back a ton of stuff, cut down shrubs, and watered like crazy. We live in a neighborhood on the fringe of the woods, but it is a neighborhood with dirt roads and most people have 30+ feet of cleared and watered lawn or landscaping. It felt reasonably safe to leave... and the fire crews checked on everything and touched up a firewise effort or two in the process. The blaze came within about 1/4 mile of home -- on the ridge above -- but it felt much closer than that. So many of these strips are autobiographical... and this one more than most. Thank you fire fighters!

Harts Pass No. 547

To me, this strip perfectly illustrates both Thor's insatiable curiosity... and the kinds of things that happen when you sometimes just blindly follow your gut. Keep it up, Thor! We love you for it!

Harts Pass No. 546

 

Amazing to think that we can now make a joke or two about masking. Don't get me wrong. It was invaluable and NECESSARY! With the return on wildfire smoke however...  

Harts Pass No. 545

Just a little pondering on the one potential upside of the summer heat... 

Harts Pass No. 544

The "heat" comics continue. I need some kind of outlet for my existential angst about the temperatures!

Harts Pass No. 543

Getting into the mountains is usually a good way to escape the heat. This summer? Not so much, but the wolverines are hopeful!

Harts Pass No. 542

Another #haikucomic to kick off the summer days. And hot, Hot, HOT ones at that! 100+ degrees on June 14th. What?? This is no an auspicious way to kick things off for the summer fire season :( #soitgoes #climatechange

Harts Pass No. 541

Today's comic takes us up to the final days of school and the first "unofficial" days of summer. Still a few more days until we hit that calendar solstice, but we'll take it! The adventure begins!!! 

 

Harts Pass no. 540

The wolverines are watching here, but my own daughter just graduated from high school! We feel INCREDIBLY fortunate that we were able to host an outdoor graduation and that on some relative scale as compared to last year and the most recent school year -- graduation was about as normal as can be. Congrats, kiddo, to you and all of your fellow graduates in the class of 2021. GRRR!!!

Hart Pass no. 539

One of those fun little attempts to find a connection between animals in the world and the wolverines right here in our little slice of the North Cascades. 

 

Harts Pass no. 538

 

We have reached to stage of this pandemic, where the masks can come off a bit. Vaccines are here and the spread (for now) feels calmed. That being said, I'd really like to NOT be wearing masks again for poor air quality and smoke. Be smart out there people!

PS Sorry, I missed last week with the comic-making. It happens :)

Harts Pass no. 536

Almost Mother's Day. Have a good one :) 

 

Harts Pass no. 535

Since 2006 I have walked the woods above our house. It is the edge of wilderness - coyotes, black bears, maybe a cougar or two watching me as I walk. Today there are flags. Change. Someone is marking things -- reclaiming their space. What is happening? All I know is with the intrusion of "civilization" I have never felt more uncomfortable in these woods. 

Harts Pass no. 534

 

Some of my favorite strips are the ones that make sense both philosophically... and in relation to current happenings and/or a liberal use of Harts Pass critters as anthropomorphic stand-ins :) And here we have a very nice match-up (if I do say so myself) of both some good advice, the current track season, AND of course the hawk (or eagle) and the hare -- just a little quick and obvious for his own good. More updates on the way!

Harts Pass no. 533

Kind of fun when a current news brief fits nicely with the comic. Sometimes I seek out news on wolverines or specific stories about the North Cascades. This week, a blurb about grizzly research just came across my "feed." Interesting to a degree, but based on following deer paths through the woods etc. I am usually surprised at how "logical" they seem. When looking up the hill myself and trying to plot the most efficient, least steep way to ascend, it commonly fits with some sort of animal trail. Nobody wants to work TOO hard if there isn't some more compelling reason to make the path more direct. 

 

Harts Pass no. 532

Ah, the spring break. And so it always goes. Something of a break. Something of a chore. I know that some people really embrace this annual ritual with an escape to some sort of warmer clime. That has not been my practice, nor, I think, would it be my preference. A little yard work. A little wandering the hills. Call me "vacationed." Let's get on with it. 

 

Harts Pass no. 531

THIS comic is a total inside joke based on some discussions amongst the XC team. And so I ask you, which is more pleasant, a worm or a snake? Somehow the "worm moon" coincides with this ongoing debate. Snakes are clearly the best!

 

Harts Pass no. 530

Birds chirping insanely in the morning. Blustery, windy days that look warm but are actually frigid... spring is delightfully cruel. 

 

Harts Pass no. 529

I DO really like this one. Just a simple visual with a kind of nice surprise at the end -- AND it makes perfect sense with the 3.17 publication date for the comic :)

 

Harts Pass no. 528

Phew! At this point in the ever-evolving pandemic, I feel like we might be removing masks and getting a little too comfortable with the idea that a vaccine with fix everything. I mean, for starters, we have to convince a bunch of people to actually go and GET the vaccine... 

 

Harts Pass no. 527

If you don't already know Yayoi Kusama's artwork, you should check it out! Amazing patterns. Awesome, saturated color. Every inch is covered in dancing lines and texture. We've been exploring and replicating her work with my JRH art classes. Art imitates life and visa versa.

 

Harts Pass no. 526

Maybe not one of my best efforts here. Sometimes, when you are doing something like this mostly for fun and weekly practice, you end up phoning it in... I WAS thinking about Covid, and art, and being cooped up and looking for something new, but at the same time I was pretty much trying to hit a deadline :) GRRR!

 

Harts Pass no. 525

My wedding anniversary coincides with this comic... and Thor and Melanie here are based loosely on my own relationships and happenings. No one I would rather take a walk with, Melanie :)

Harts Pass no. 524

I like this one. Sorry to brag. It's a simple conceit, and it was fun to draw -- to try and pull off the consideration and change of expression in a fairly limited range of movement. Not a huge audience for this strip by any stretch of the imagination, but I've definitely practiced a LOT of comic-making with these characters in the last 10+ years and 524 strips. I should be decent at it :)

Harts Pass no. 523

No masks in this one. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow. Don't overthink it. Don't "understand." Just cruise and enjoy that rare moment of effortless motion. And smile too :) Such feelings will happen again for sure, but they are hard to plan for and never predictable. 

 

Harts Pass no. 522

And today's strip continues -- like ALL things in the world right now -- in the Covid vein. Like many times in history, it does go to form that even a simple comic strip in a random small-town newspaper can take up the call to public service and hopefully help to spread information in an approachable way. GRRR!

Harts Pass no. 521

I usually find a Dr. King quote to honor this week and to pay respect to his work for civil rights and social justice. This year, I came across a statement from Senator Robert F. Kennedy given on the eve of Dr. King's assassination. It seems appropriate to our own current moment in history and carries in fact a similar sentiment to President Biden's words from Wednesday afternoon. 

 

Build Back Better Bears no. 9 - 1.20.21

Amanda Gorman's poem was AMAZING... inauguration bears!

Harts Pass no. 520

There ARE indeed too many people skiing in the dark while listening to music. They are also, by all appearances, too far from the trailheads with too far to go and with no additional light to guide their way. I'm all for adventure and that thrilling experience in the "out of doors" but please, please, please DO remember that we take certain risks here on the urban-rural fringe. Best not to look TOO much like a clueless chew toy for the wild kitties!

Harts Pass no. 519

I wrote this strip on Tuesday morning, January 5th... with a "no news is good news" sort of hope for the first full week of 2021. With the comic hitting print on Wednesday, I really wish that I'd been right. I mean I was, "nothing" happening on 1/6/21 would have been MUCH preferred to a riotous storming of Capitol Hill, but I was wrong in that way too much happened and we are really just beginning to hear the full extent. Truly hoping for a quieter week ahead. Best regards.

Build Back Better Bears no. 8 - 1.15.21

United bears. Together bears. Black bears. White bears. Social justice bears. We got your back bears!

 

Build Back Better Bears no. 7 - 1.5.21

 

Roll up the sleeves and get to work bears!

Harts Pass no. 518

 

A rare instance this week where the newspaper editor gave me a little prompt for what was going on in the paper. Basically it was a summary of the year, which when you get right down to it was pretty much dominated by Covid. I chose to skip over that in this little contribution, but as per usual it is implied. Looking forward to less pandemic inspiration in 2021, but true to the life a wolverine, we're not out of the woods yet. GRRR!

Build Back Better Bears no. 6 - 12.30.20

Passing the torch. The new year needs to shine! 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Build Back Better Bears no. 5 - 12.23.20

 

This is, I suppose my wish for Christmas eve. Looking forward to many new and positive changes for the year ahead. "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight..."

Harts Pass no. 517

For the better part of ten years, I have published a comic strip in my local newspaper, The Methow Valley News. It’s a small thing, yes, but making this simple little comic each week is a hugely important artistic act for me.

Each strip feels like the improv game “Yes, And!” I have characters, yes, a trio of wolverines that somewhat approximate my family, but otherwise I take things in from the week, the news, the actual lives of wildlife in the north cascades, and, I try to act quickly to spin out some ideas. Then I commit. I get free and total reign from the editor (accept for the occasional typo), but I do have some deadlines to keep me accountable. Each week I engage with a relatively quick and low-stakes (not much pay) creative process in order to share something with my community. It’s SO satisfying.

Humor is a part of it, but I know for sure that many of my comics are far from “funny”. I also like the writing/drawing challenge and the synthesizing current events or emotional touchstones challenge. And the “synthesizing” part is really important. If children’s books are short, then comic strips are succinct verging on terse. There is so little space and time in which to communicate an idea. It’s a game for sure, and an important part of the appeal. Some days it works, and some days it feels a LOT more forced.

I could go on for sure, but on this final week of a tumultuous year, I’ll keep this relevant with a nod to the feelings of “GRRR-Attitude” that inspired this recent strip.

Covid-19 and the global pandemic clearly inspired most of my 2020 comics. And despite hopeful news of a vaccine we are far from finished with its influence. We need the single-minded grit and tenacity of a wolverine to guide us. We need the fight. We need the willingness to adapt to our surroundings, and we need to keep going no matter what. The wolverine does this for itself and its family. We need to do it for ourselves and for our communities.

Thank you beyond words to the many doctors, nurses, front-line workers, teachers and others who have put themselves in harms way for months on end. I can say with absolute certainty that I am grateful for your service.

A new year awaits. Be safe.

GRRR!

Harts Pass no. 516

One of those ideas that started one way and then finished with something completely different. I was pretty sure that the "12 days" were leading up to Christmas and was going to create some kind of Harts Pass appropriate countdown. That being said, when I learned a little more this is where I ended up :) If memory serves, I also had to rush the Kit drawing in the final panel a bit to stay on deadline... and it shows. Aside from that I'm pretty happy with the way that this one ended up. 

Build Back Better Bears no. 4 - 12.14.20

Uhg. SO. MUCH. TO DO! And at present, the outgoing administration seems to be doing all that it can to thwart the idea of a functioning and stable government. My heart goes out to all that will deal with this nightmare. I hope that we are able to find a level path. 

Harts Pass no. 515

Sometimes when creating my comic I simply scour the news. This past week saw the death of General Chuck Yeager, an American test pilot and adventure seeker who'd have been much admired by the likes of a wolverine. GRRR!
 

Build Back Better Bears no. 3 - 12.2.20

 United we stand. 

Harts Pass no. 514

If counting and re-counting isn't proof... I have nothing more to say. 
 

Build Back Better Bear no. 2 - 11.24.20

Strong. Stable. Predictable. THIS is the kind of job creation and reliable work that we need. Eternally hopeful that our new administration can help to get us there and help to get government assistance into the hands of those who truly need it rather than the top-down trickle-down economic handouts that have proven time and time again to be false. 

Harts Pass no. 513

 Phew. My Thanksgiving strip this year got a little crazy. One of those ideas that never quite FULLY found its center and thusly drifts around a bit. Some days are like that :) Anyway, DEFINITELY a different kind of year. A little wild. A little cold. A memorable occasion that we hope to NEVER repeat again (although we could make do if totally necessary.) Be well. Stay safe. Wear a mask and take care of those around you. 

Build Back Better Bears!

I'm painting bears again. It's been a while, and who knows if I'll be able to hit a consistent enough groove to keep it going. That being said. I'm excited to try. Loosely speaking, I'd like to do a weekly bear. I'll post them here and share 'em around. I might even mail 'em out. I relished in a personal participation sort of way the "artistic advocacy" of the #polarbearpostcardproject but something like a #buildbackbetterbears campaign could be a little more broad. The point as always is hopeful. Just a little art to make a statement, to grab some attention, or to call out a need or highlight an action. We shall see. Bear no. 1 is ready to go.

Harts Pass no. 512

This happens all of the time, but our recently forecast 2" of snow turned into 11! No great radar on this side of the cascades but we'll take it when we can get it. Thor's expression is a little misleading here, because we in the wolverine family actually DELIGHT in the surprise blast of winter. Onward and upward!
 

Harts Pass no. 511

 This was my Veteran's Day strip. When researching the day I was surprised to learn that Bob Ross had an extensive military career prior to his work with PBS... and it also gave me certain pause for thought about the many MANY contributions that our veterans make beyond their service duties. In many ways a military career is not that different from that of a professional athlete. There is active duty, and then there is a huge span of time beyond that prime physical employment. Grateful for the work and the contributions in so many things. 

Harts Pass no. 510

I read this quote in a Biden campaign speech. Its a good one -- both for the necessity of a functioning society and a less partisan government, AND for the kind of community work that needs to happen for the supposedly United States to finally get our act together and to overcome this pandemic. GRRR!