Bushy-Eyed and Blurry-Tailed

I popped in for the opening session of yesterday's final day of the first 2007 CCS summer workshop, arriving in time to assemble and trim my own copy of the amazing World War Awesome comic we created, and for Robyn Chapman and James Sturm to snap some class photos (hey, Robyn and James, send me copies, I'll post 'em here!). World War Awesome is sweet, sweet creative chaos, and I enjoyed reading it again and again yesterday.

I enjoyed the first hour of James's session, then had to head out -- expecting to pick up Henrik earlier in the day. Continental Airlines had other plans!

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Our friend Henrik Andreasen arrived -- at last! -- at about 11:20 PM last night, after a day of plane delays (starting in Copenhagen) ensuring his Friday the 13th lived up (or down) to superstitious expectations many harbor about said day.

Still, he arrived safe and sound, nary a bit of luggage lost or damaged, so all is well. We drove under starry skies and through a bit of fog, got to Hacienda Bissettios around 1:30 AM this morning. Though Henrik hadn't slept in two days, we ended up talking all the way back, finding Marge still awake upon our arrival here; greetings, helped Henrik with his luggage up to his room, Marge showed him the lay of the land thereabouts and then we were all off to bed. Not in one big bed, wiseass -- Henrik has the guest room, we have our room.

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Killing time while Henrik's departure from Newark was delayed again and again, I ducked into a cinema to catch Live Free or Die Hard, the one movie in town Marge had no interest in seeing with me (and I'm saving Transformers to see with Jon-Mikel later this week). It proved to be a completely efficient and engaging time-waster aided immeasurably by the fellow in his 60s sitting about four seats away from me on my right.

He and I both began to laugh heartily at the film's most outrageous action setpieces, which became outrageous almost instantly after the fairly believable opening act. The shared high hilarity proved contagious and appropriate to the film. By the time Bruce Willis was cranking an eighteen-wheeler while targeted by Air Force firepower, we were in hysterics and practically crying with laughter. A fine time had by all, and a woman sitting in the stadium seats above us thanked us on the way out for improving her evening: "you guys got me in the spirit, I wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much as I did without you in the theater!" Better than having someone punch us in the collective nose, mind you.

With Harry Potter's latest opus also playing in the same cineplex, parking and getting to and from the ticket counter and then popcorn was a lengthy process. Still, all went well, time was duly killed, and then I was off to the airport for the final leg of the journey.

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Monday kicks off the second 2007 CCS Create Comics Workshop, which runs from July 16th to the 20th, with Robyn Chapman helming alongside visiting cartoonists and teachers -- extraordinary in both capacities! -- Alec Longstreth and Aaron Renier.

Alec, Aaron and Robyn are comic-making dynamos individually: as a team, they are more formidable than Bruce Willis in Live Free or Die Hard.

And I ain't shitting ya.
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Have a great Saturday, one and all!