M/M Pulp Stick Figure Theater

A part of me loves old pulp covers. I think they're awesome and hilarious. Another part of me loves gay romance books because I also think they're awesome and amazing (and sometimes hilarious.)

Then a mysterious third part of me (I'm not sure where it is, somewhere behind my eyeballs) loves the idea of gay romance pulp covers, ala Paul Richmond's Cheesecake Boys or the fantastically pulpy covers of M.J. Pearson's gay regency romances. (Yes, they exist! It. Is. Awesome.)

Unfortunately, I'm not Paul Richmond and am too lazy/unskilled to draw hot guys swooning over each other in various stages of nakedness, with cool call-outs in text surrounding them, like "He knew NO SHAME" or "He said goodbye to virtue, and hello TO THE NIGHT."

What I can do is stick figures though, in various stages of not-obvious nakedness, and mediocre call-outs to some of my fave gay romances.

Why? I dunno. Boredom? And because I love them? I feel like that's reason enough to draw messy stick figures fondling each other.

Now on to M/M Pulp Stick Figure Theater! 

New! 

Among the Living by Jordan Castillo Price. #1 in the awesome Psycop series, which is set in our world except psychic abilities exist. Chicago cop Victor Bayne enjoys coasting through life, except he's always hounded by ghosts since he's the only one who can see them. Things change in Among the Living though, since Victor faces a killer so thorough, not even ghosts are left behind. (That, and of course, Jacob Marks forces his way into Victor's bubble of non-committed living.) Great series.

Zero at the Bone by Jane Saville. I think of it as the mothership for m/m romances about an assassin who falls for his target. It's super long, and it is awesome.

Muscling Through by J.L. Merrow. Wonderful contemporary romance novella about Al, a big guy who many consider not-too-bright, and his sweet-sweet love for Larry, a posh professor. 

Fatal Shadows by Josh Lanyon. The first in the five-part Adrien English Mysteries series, and one of the first gay mystery romances I read. Excellent first-person narrator. Really fun books.

Burying the Lead

Sometime ago, I had a comic idea about a guy who goes into an interview for a position, but he goes in under the unclear guidance from a hiring company, who had only told him that the company he was applying for "made video games," He knew nothing else. He went to a big blocky building in Kirkland, and couldn't find info about the video games around the lobby or front office area, but he's called into the interview, and is in front of a panel of people.

Faced with the question, "What do you like about our game?" the hapless interviewee finds himself BS-ing his way through, and just makes up a fake video game. He talks about the "riveting conflict" and the "tragic back-story" and the "amazing character development" and just makes a bunch of shit up. At one point, he's interrupted by someone who asks, "Do you even know what we do here?" And the interviewee, still riding his creative high from his made-up glorious game, retorts back, "DO YOU???" In the end, he stomps out of the interview, declaring that his idea for this awesome game is "MINE-ALL-MINE!" and he runs away.

Later, his roommate finds him at his laptop, posting fanart for his own made-up, still non-existent game "Trash Can Terror," which is about a rancid trash can and a recycle bin that fight crime. "You already slashed them??" his roommate asks, pointing at the screen to a messily drawn picture of the recycle bin slowing entering the trash can's opening. "You're making...porn???"

"It was going to happen anyway!" yells the failed-interviewee as he draws another panel. The Recycle Bin is blushing as he sinks down into Rancid Bin's warm, enveloping heat. "I call them Rancycle."

This whole thing came out of me almost applying to a nebulous job that only referred to the employer as "Game Company in Kirkland" but demanded throughout the job requirements that you would need to have "extension knowledge and love of the company's (unspecified) game."

But like my failed interviewee, I got so caught up in the thought of the fake video game, that all I came up with in the end was my slash Rancyle pairing.

Center of the Universe - Wake-up Call

 

This is based on true events, although my cat makes more of a "whump whump whump" sound on my door when he wakes me up in the middle of the night to announce that he's vomited somewhere in the apartment.

Although it reminds me of when my sister and I were kids and whenever we found that one of our many pets made a mess, we would just leave the room, act like we never saw it, and wait for Mom to clean it up. (Sorry, Mom! If it makes you feel better, I now I have to clean up a lot of messes!)

Happy Heart Day!

Need a special valentine for that quirky person in your life? Or do you just like the idea of a crow watching you whenever you leave the house???

Your prayers have been answered! Here are this year's batch of valentines that were requested by MB's facebook followers. Thanks, guys!! I hope these small tokens of weirdness express my everlasting love for you!

Monster Barrel Valentines!

Valentine Requests, Balloons, and Voting Love

Summer Vacation continues into the winter! But that doesn't mean love can't prevail!

Facebook Valentine Requests

I'll be making special Monster Barrel Valentines and posting them to anyone's timeline on Facebook who requests one. Want a MB valentine? Just visit our Facebook page and leave a request!

Birthday Balloons!

Speaking of gifts, here's a recent Monster and Bunny sighting. This time, for a special birthday gift for a friend.

 

Vote Love!

This past November, Washington State voters went to the polls, and included on the 2012 ballot was Referendum 74. If approved, Ref. 74 meant that Washington State would join the growing ranks of states that legalized marriage equality.

The good news is that it was approved! And you can see the joyous fruits of that approval already!

As part of supporting the campaign to bring marriage equality to Washington State, MB posted a "Vote Love" pic, and we were psyched to see it shared across Facebook!

Way to go, Washington State voters! Thank you for standing up and approving such an important human right!

Scenes from a Summer Vacation

Celebrating my second full week of "Summer Vacation." But what has Monster been up to?

Monsters In the Wild

Monster sightings around Seattle.

Monster and Bunny seen browsing on an Ipad at the Mac Store. 

Monster and Bunny sighting in the ladies bathroom at the Latona Pub. Those sneaky guys.

Where will the next sighting be???

A Whole New World

Two big changes have hit Monster Barrel, the wonderful land of grumpy monsters, happy bunnies, and frustrated stick people.

1- I got a new laptop that has MS Paint 2010. To say that Paint 2010 is different from Paint XP is to say that...I don't know where I'm going with that. IT'S DIFFERENT. Probably better, although I'm just trying out the different pieces. Drawing with the wireless mouse isn't smooth yet, but maybe with more practice....

2- I'm out of work! That's right--due to sudden lay-offs and downsizing, MB finally meets the recession head on. (Because it was looking like that 47% had too few grumpy monsters in it. NOT ANY MORE!)

Does this mean more comics? Probably. Does this mean more references to hotty actor James McAvoy? Probably not since James-the-hole finally closed up in July after two long months and 23 doctor visits (!) (Thank god I was employed then and had health care!!) Any future appearances of McAvoy will be...just because I find him very attractive. Maybe I can work something in with him and Love Love Octopus, since that character basically embodies all that is love, romance, and inappropriate obsessive behavior.

So, it's a brand new day for Monster Barrel--one filled with possibilities like "What will I have for lunch?" and "When shall I take a nap?" and "What section can I put 'squinting" under in my resume?"

Plus lots of job searching, since Monster wants to keep Bunny happy, and that means a steady stream of hugs, tummy rubs, and carrots.

What job would best be enhanced by non-stop glaring? I'm thinking the Department of Licensing or the TSA.