Mannyacs

Back-up Vocal~ In thinking of the best method to close the Bo “solo album” tale (at least Phase 1 of it), I felt it was most appropriate to bring our friends at “Zoop Magazine” further into the mix. Now, sure we have relied on them to show us where our intrepid “Bass Guru” has placed on the charts in the initial days of his project’s release. So, giving them the parting shot was the only way to fly. After all, they ARE “The Siren Song Of Sydney”. As I have discussed in the past, the “Zoop Magazine” component was originally introduced with a specific purpose in mind. It was simply meant to be a plot device in the moment several years ago and no real thought was given to its potential for broader context down the road. But over time, it has revealed itself to be a fantastic sixth character, with a wealth of applications. Perhaps my favorite of its functions, is the role as “Greek Chorus”, which can even manifest itself in the form of an issue cover. These are always fun to make. They challenge me to craft something unique within a limited canvas size and they demand that I trim the fat and make every piece of the larger picture fit and work together. Once again, I’m lucky that the Pago Pago flag boasts such a clean, straight-forward design. I can complicate anything, so working from such a centered foundation forced me to keep things approachable. Long-time readers (Thank You again for staying with me), may recall the spotlight ideal from several past Comics. Yes, I brought it back again. It’s a great little trick that calls attention where needed, without being overpowering. I’ve seen the “glitter/sparkle” finish on many guitars before. It always came across to me as too loud. Even if I was a fan, I have no clue how to replicate it in Photoshop myself. So, the scattered stars were an understated alternative which ultimately worked better. Plus, I already know how to make them. 

Finally, I work ahead as much as I can. Most often when I post a new Comic, the next eight or so are already done. It allows real life to happen and even inspire new story lines, while all of those current Comics are posted one-by-one. That said, in the time since completing this Comic, I had the pleasure of catching up with Good Sir Reb Beach again. He was playing a show at a venue just outside of Pittsburgh called Jergel’s. Once I learned of his upcoming gig, I felt called by the Cosmos to go there and hand deliver him his own “Mannyacs” t-shirt. The shirt served as a “Thank You”, both for putting up with my liberal use of his name in these pages and even more because he’s NEVER SUED me for it! Reb Beach has always been supremely nice to me and he absolutely deserved a show of gratitude for his kindness and patience with a lunatic like me. Reb Beach is now part of the family!