Mannyacs

Back-up Vocal~ I will admit to having much larger initial plans for the Double-Decker bus in this Comic. True, they are employed in an array of locales around the globe and we have them in various spots Stateside as well. Still, whether right or wrong, I have always thought of them first as a uniquely iconic slice of British culture and I wanted them included in the trip my boys have taken across the pond. Having said that, I did try crafting one in software from a few different angles and none of them seemed to work the right way. My best approaches even left me cold and I just wasn’t doing justice to the look of it. The only element that survived all of my attempts, was the upper deck front. So, I ran with that and moved forward. Ultimately, the dialogue was much more important anyway, as it sets us up to advance the next phase of our current story. A bit wordy, this one? Depends whom you ask. I’m the first to admit I think so. Yet, it was the best way to make it work. So, I’m at peace with it, since I know the payoff down the road is worth it.

Once again, Soxx surprises me, as he reveals himself to be a visionary the brightest minds of Philosophy, Science and Art have yet to calibrate. If I follow his line of logic properly, our boy seems to advocate an old-fashioned motto with a twist: “if you can’t beat ‘em, get ‘em to JOIN YOU and be sure it makes YOU look FABULOUS!” Clearly, Manny has yet to see the full spectrum of color Soxx is convinced his mode of thinking can offer. I’m still a bit baffled by the machinations of endorsements in the musical instrument world. I’m told there are different levels to it all and the caliber of company support for the artist will change depending on the tiers of commitment. I had the pleasure of seeing the Travis Larson Band twice in one weekend and they talked with me after both shows. Even with their explanations regarding how the endorsement rodeo runs, I still haven’t wrapped my head around all the details. However, I do grasp enough to know that the inroads Soxx proposes are….unorthodox, to say the least.

A few parting thoughts to share: I was recently introduced to “kerfuffle”. It’s a magical word that has now found a warm, snuggly home in the Mannyacs vernacular. I know what a few might be thinking. The Osmonds as Entertainment moguls?! Look, if you enacted the kind of research I had to do on that family before I started catapulting jokes at them, you’d know that Jimmy Osmond is a super smart business man and an immensely talented force in the realm of Musical Theater, both on AND off the stage. The term absolutely applies, as does all due credit for his lifetime of accomplishments. Along with undying gratitude from my camp, for his EXTRAORDINARY patience in putting up with US! Finally, it will come as NO kind of shock to long-time readers that there’s a “Wiseguy” TV show Shout-Out in this one. You’ve seen it before and you’ll see it again. Stay Tooned.