Alex Robinson's Blog, page 126

I just reread 'Tricked' for the first time in about five years. For all the detail and world building you put into the book (love all those fake celeb names), you leave plenty to our imaginations in regards to 'The Tricks' themselves. Which bands influence

I intentionally left the details of their music vague to allow the reader to imagine what they sounded like. I also definitely wanted to avoid any lyrics since song lyrics are almost always clunky out of a musical context. 

Personally, I can see them as a power-pop act along the lines of Elvis Costello and the Attractions (and Mr. Costello certainly inspired Ray Beam's look). 

I've always enjoyed reading biographies and other books about pop music, even musicians or bands I only have a passing interest in, so I drew on a lot of different sources when it came to filling out the sketchy details of the band. I looked to The Police for an example of a band that released relatively few albums but still became huge stars. I took the idea of a crazy, doomed drummer from that band with the crazy, doomed drummer whose name escapes me. An early version of the story had Ray being a much more reclusive Lennon-esque figure so he was definitely a model (especially when it came to his rivalry with his old band-mate who had a more popular touch). 

You will be happy to learn that from time to time I've considered revisiting The Tricks but have never really gotten beyond the doodling stage. 2015 will mark ten years since the book was published, so maybe that will give me a good excuse to see what Ray has been up to. 

Thanks for the question! 

I just reread 'Tricked' for the first time in about five years. For all the detail and world building you put into the book (love all those fake celeb names), you leave plenty to our imaginations in regards to 'The Tricks' themselves. Which bands influence

I intentionally left the details of their music vague to allow the reader to imagine what they sounded like. I also definitely wanted to avoid any lyrics since song lyrics are almost always clunky out of a musical context. 

Personally, I can see them as a power-pop act along the lines of Elvis Costello and the Attractions (and Mr. Costello certainly inspired Ray Beam's look). 

I've always enjoyed reading biographies and other books about pop music, even musicians or bands I only have a passing interest in, so I drew on a lot of different sources when it came to filling out the sketchy details of the band. I looked to The Police for an example of a band that released relatively few albums but still became huge stars. I took the idea of a crazy, doomed drummer from that band with the crazy, doomed drummer whose name escapes me. An early version of the story had Ray being a much more reclusive Lennon-esque figure so he was definitely a model (especially when it came to his rivalry with his old band-mate who had a more popular touch). 

You will be happy to learn that from time to time I've considered revisiting The Tricks but have never really gotten beyond the doodling stage. 2015 will mark ten years since the book was published, so maybe that will give me a good excuse to see what Ray has been up to. 

Thanks for the question! 

I just reread 'Tricked' for the first time in about five years. For all the detail and world building you put into the book (love all those fake celeb names), you leave plenty to our imaginations in regards to 'The Tricks' themselves. Which bands influence

I intentionally left the details of their music vague to allow the reader to imagine what they sounded like. I also definitely wanted to avoid any lyrics since song lyrics are almost always clunky out of a musical context. 

Personally, I can see them as a power-pop act along the lines of Elvis Costello and the Attractions (and Mr. Costello certainly inspired Ray Beam's look). 

I've always enjoyed reading biographies and other books about pop music, even musicians or bands I only have a passing interest in, so I drew on a lot of different sources when it came to filling out the sketchy details of the band. I looked to The Police for an example of a band that released relatively few albums but still became huge stars. I took the idea of a crazy, doomed drummer from that band with the crazy, doomed drummer whose name escapes me. An early version of the story had Ray being a much more reclusive Lennon-esque figure so he was definitely a model (especially when it came to his rivalry with his old band-mate who had a more popular touch). 

You will be happy to learn that from time to time I've considered revisiting The Tricks but have never really gotten beyond the doodling stage. 2015 will mark ten years since the book was published, so maybe that will give me a good excuse to see what Ray has been up to. 

Thanks for the question! 

I just reread 'Tricked' for the first time in about five years. For all the detail and world building you put into the book (love all those fake celeb names), you leave plenty to our imaginations in regards to 'The Tricks' themselves. Which bands influence

I intentionally left the details of their music vague to allow the reader to imagine what they sounded like. I also definitely wanted to avoid any lyrics since song lyrics are almost always clunky out of a musical context. 

Personally, I can see them as a power-pop act along the lines of Elvis Costello and the Attractions (and Mr. Costello certainly inspired Ray Beam's look). 

I've always enjoyed reading biographies and other books about pop music, even musicians or bands I only have a passing interest in, so I drew on a lot of different sources when it came to filling out the sketchy details of the band. I looked to The Police for an example of a band that released relatively few albums but still became huge stars. I took the idea of a crazy, doomed drummer from that band with the crazy, doomed drummer whose name escapes me. An early version of the story had Ray being a much more reclusive Lennon-esque figure so he was definitely a model (especially when it came to his rivalry with his old band-mate who had a more popular touch). 

You will be happy to learn that from time to time I've considered revisiting The Tricks but have never really gotten beyond the doodling stage. 2015 will mark ten years since the book was published, so maybe that will give me a good excuse to see what Ray has been up to. 

Thanks for the question! 

I just reread 'Tricked' for the first time in about five years. For all the detail and world building you put into the book (love all those fake celeb names), you leave plenty to our imaginations in regards to 'The Tricks' themselves. Which bands influence

I intentionally left the details of their music vague to allow the reader to imagine what they sounded like. I also definitely wanted to avoid any lyrics since song lyrics are almost always clunky out of a musical context. 

Personally, I can see them as a power-pop act along the lines of Elvis Costello and the Attractions (and Mr. Costello certainly inspired Ray Beam's look). 

I've always enjoyed reading biographies and other books about pop music, even musicians or bands I only have a passing interest in, so I drew on a lot of different sources when it came to filling out the sketchy details of the band. I looked to The Police for an example of a band that released relatively few albums but still became huge stars. I took the idea of a crazy, doomed drummer from that band with the crazy, doomed drummer whose name escapes me. An early version of the story had Ray being a much more reclusive Lennon-esque figure so he was definitely a model (especially when it came to his rivalry with his old band-mate who had a more popular touch). 

You will be happy to learn that from time to time I've considered revisiting The Tricks but have never really gotten beyond the doodling stage. 2015 will mark ten years since the book was published, so maybe that will give me a good excuse to see what Ray has been up to. 

Thanks for the question! 

It's Sundog!

It's Sundog!

fantagraphics:Poster illustration by Tim Kreider as presented...

fantagraphics:

Poster illustration by Tim Kreider as presented to Nichelle Nichols on her Feb. 29, 2012 visit to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for the MLK/African American History Month Keynote Event.

T.I.P.S. clip #1 Mitt Romney Falls Flat on His Face

inkpanthers:

Mitt Romney Falls Flat on His Face

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A T.I.P.S. clip from episode 120, featuring Tony Consiglio.

Original Article

If you've never listened to the podcast I co-host with Mike Dawson here's a sample  to give you a taste. Enjoy!

Anna, one of the characters from my new book. What's the...

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This is both fascinating and a kind of sad. This gentleman...

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