TIME TO CATCH UP.
WHERE HAVE I BEEN?
FIND OUT, WITH CAPS ON "LOCK."



Or not.

Okay, I have something I need to tell you.
Years ago, I had some problems. Were ladies involved in the problems? I choose not to deny that. Were my problems on the side of God yet strangely also on the side of Illegal? Again, my choice is to not deny that. What I will say is this: Some ladies should be illegal.
Anyhoo, the point is, to solve the problem(s) I did what had to be done and I became five people.

1. Chip Zdarsky: Your friend, a ne'er-do-well cartoonist who fought the good fight and now fights the great fight: Being Chip Zdarsky. One. Day. At a time.

2.Steve Murray: Also your friend. An old illustrator who yearns for more, caught up in the news business, and, frankly, too many peoples' business. He reports, satirizes, and learns to trust again.

3. MC Champagne: You can't stop his rhymes, and that's okay, because his rhymes will change the way you view a region of France called Champagne. He has four basic rules and you would be well to follow them unless you want corks popped.

4. S_____ M_____: A harmless children's book illustrator who, frankly, is a little scared of you and prefers to toil in secret, like he did when he was but a tot in New England.

5. Number five is even secreter than number 4.


Now, this isn't to say that, as Chip, I love you with 1/5 of my heart. It's more that I'm also loving others with 4/5 of my heart, when you're not there.
I know what you're thinking. "What? Chip, do you have a disorder of some kind? Why are you telling us this now, after fucking us so slowly and sweetly in front of the fire that is "livejournal"? Well, dear reader, I'm telling you this because when I split myself up I began a journey that would eventually consume me, like some sort of journey-bear that would later become some sort of bear-phoenix. You see, how can someone live five lives in any given day? At first it was fine, as all those lives were equally shit, filled with much daytime-teevee and taco jobs. But then they all started getting busy, making friends, finding love, falling into employment. You know the drill.

So, a few months ago it all came to a head. I was constantly travelling, working multiple jobs, dating nine women and three men, and I near-collapsed. This lifestyle of mine, filled with all manner of snacks and technology, was destroying my insides. I vowed to go on a quest, to clear my professional and personal debts (but never my financial debts) from all aspects of my life and make way for a healthier tomorrow, a tomorrow where I won't be afraid to raise my many, many children.

So, I'm back now. I've left my old studio behind, the location for the Royal Academy of Illustration & Design, and moved into a nice 2 and a half bedroom apartment where my studio fits quite nicely. Pictures to come when I actually unpack.

But, for now, I want to show you a big slice of the last couple of months.




This was done for the National Post. During the Toronto elections I also contributed several commentary pieces under the banner "Steve Murray's Newsmaker Fortune," my first ever column of sorts. I'm still doing them when I have a moment and a subject.


Quick mockups for Lorimer Publishing, to be completed by another illustrator. I do a lot of work for them. Mostly sports novel covers!


Comic page for a trade magazine, Tracks & Treads.


Aging rocker for the Globe & Mail...


...and a mouse hotel for them too!


Okay, this one might be a little shocking. I sometimes do graphic reporting for newspapers and magazines. This piece was about traffic and I got to go to a university and help interview an engineer. I think it's weird too, don't worry.

On the same topic...



I do a lot of this kind of work. It totally stretches different muscles in my feeble brain, which is nice.






These were a bunch of illustrations for a series of newspaper articles.


And these were for a December events calendar!









I have a couple of comic things too, but they probably deserve a fresh thread.

Currently, I just finished teaching for the semester and I'm working on a Christmas comic for the Ottawa Citizen and my next ZDARSKYVERSE, which is mammoth in scope. Things are very good and I am very happy. Thank you for asking.

I am sorry I've been away. I swear I won't hurt you again.

Love,
Chip!