"As I write this letter..."

A Place I Don't Belong is my latest graphic-novel magazine project. You may already know this. It includes the same nine characters I used in my first project, "Ain't gonna hang no pixel." You may already know that, as well. In PIXEL, the story is about two people -- the artist and the girl who works at the frame shop. The included 'celebrities' -- Bob Dylan, Emily Dickinson, Jack Kerouac, Paul McCartney, Marilyn Monroe, Edgar Allan Poe, Billie Holiday, Bette Davis and Alfred Hitchcock -- illustrate analogies like "I stood as still as Kerouac," or references like (Paul McCartney illustrating)"a Beatles' song" or 'themselves' as Bob Dylan does as the 'inspiration' behind the artist's decision to "stop painting with paint."

In PLACE, these nine characters play roles in my script. And my script is based on the lyrics of an original song with the same title.

You may already know that.

This song has three verses.

My problem has been in creating the "story" that isn't covered in these lyrics. I saw it as visual story-telling challenge. But that challenge has become quite daunting. On the way into work yesterday, I came up with a solution.

I think Bob Dylan would be proud!

MORE lyrics!

Yes, so I set out at lunchtime to create another verse (I think I will need at least three more in total). This verse takes Jack and Norma from the coffee shop to the nightclub where they hear Billie and her band. I think the verse came out quite nice. It inspired this quick spread design.