A Return to (relative) Normalcy

Sitting here now, in front of a blank LJ window, it seems like this is my first chance to take a breathe all week.

It has been a hectic, frantic, and yet very creative time for me. And, looming over it all was the fear and worry of a two potential medical scares within the family. Both of those scares have ended well for those concerned and that has relieved a huge burden of anxiety we had been feeling. Sorry for being cryptic, but its not something I'm going to go into here.

Nevertheless, there have been emergencies with client sites, sick children (colds, upset tummies) and an abundance of uncompleted paperwork and accounts that just had to be tackled.

On top of that I submitted the first of my regular articles for 'Black Magazine', a 3-panel comic strip to accompany it, and three other commissioned illustrations that will all be appearing in issue #2.

The article and comic-strip are both called "Black Roads, Dark Highways". The strip will always accompany the text of the article in someway - 'compliment' it, or something, I have no idea really, but that's half the fun.

What's it going to be about?

"Black Roads, Dark Highways" will be a fairly tongue-in-cheek look at Australian folk-lore and urban legends. It's an examination of the tales told in truck-stops around the country, on late-night talk-back radio, in the small columns of tabloid newspapers, and in your email inbox in an urgent message from Aunty Gladys. The friend-of-a-friend stories that shock us into disbelief.

Most of the time, there is good reason for that disbelief. The stories are often outlandish! We can't possibly believe in Panthers roaming the bushland of Penrith, UFOs on the Nullarbor, serial killers stalking dry desert highways, Thylacines in Cairns... and yet we continue to tell them as if they are true. And, if they fail to scare and titillate us any longer, we'll try them out on the tourists!

Australian's love a tale, and the taller the tale the better. But how often is there any truth in them? Where do these tales come from and why do they continue to thrive as part of the Australian culture?

That's what 'Black Roads, Dark Highways' is going to be about and I can't tell you much more than that... because I don't really know myself yet.  We'll just have to wait and find out. I'd love for you to all come along for the ride too.

Black Issue #2 will be out September. Look out for it in your newsagent.