Mannyacs

Back-up Vocal~ One of my favorite elements in crafting Mannyacs has always been displaying the little things in the lives of my characters. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: strip away the guitars, the capes, the hovercraft, the zany antics, all the “Zip-Bam-Pow” and at it’s true essence, Mannyacs is a Comic all about relationships. Communication. Characters finding a way to understand each other. One of my real models for those dynamics has always been “Firefly”. Those nine souls on that ship shared a communion with each other that I truly strive to emulate amongst the critters in my little zoo.

I really love exploring the simple moments between my guys. Our most recent story was imbued with a considerable amount of complexity, insular details and depth. It struck me that the boys have earned some down time. So, I chose to present a simple notion. Just a relaxed Comic featuring Manny and Soxx.  Just hangin’ out together. Just being buds. Enjoying each other’s company. Kicking back in their lawn chairs. Sipping some tea. While sitting in the backfield of their property and taking in the stars of the Splendorland night sky. The brotherhood these two share has always been sacred to me. I felt it had been too long since they got the chance to just…….be. So, I gave it to them. They wanted the monogrammed scarves and smoking jackets.

Finally, Mark Knopfler has always been my absolute favorite guitar player. Unlike most of his fans who came to him through Dire Straits albums, I worked backwards. His solo soundtrack work was my gateway into his music and from there I explored the band. I can’t say enough about his talents as a film composer and just like our guys, I can’t figure out how he does it either. A Southpaw who plays right handed, with roots firmly grounded in Bluegrass and Country finger-picking style. Manny and Soxx are not alone. The “Knopfler Mystique” completely eludes me, too.