First order of business: since replacing my old computer with a new one, I've managed to solve most of the transitory glitches, except one: my spellchecker. So I'm blogging on the net without a net. Thankfully, I'm a pretty decent speller on my own. Last week, I cringed when I realized far too late that I had used the word "fortuous, which should have been fortuitous. *Whew* That's been a burden I'm glad to have gotten off my back!

   Just returned this evening from mailing out the final inks to Spider-Man/Human Torch #4, and now I can decompress from the rush of the past few days.Marvel just recently switched back to Fed Ex, which I applaud. Over the past five years, both Marvel and DC were using other companies, to cut costs on shipping, but the gold standard for delivery, IMHO, is still Fed Ex. I take it as a healthy sign for the industry that The Big Two have gone back to Fed Ex.

   What I personally love about it is that the local Fed Ex hub is minutes away from my house and accepts packages until 7:30, which is a Godsend! Believe me, when you're down to the wire with a deadline, you need every hour and minute you can get! I don't usually like to run the gauntlet at the last minute, but sometimes you have a lot to do in a little time. I didn't even have time to make full-sized photocopies before mailing out. I usually make copies of all line art before mailing, as you would 'back up' files on your hard drive, in case something catastrophic happens. It's rare that a package doesn't make it, especially when it's Fed Ex. Only once did artwork I had sent not make it's destination, and thankfully, I had the photocopies to mail into the New York offices the next day.

   I still go to another shipping company to make photocopies, because this particular one has the best copier for my needs, in terms of holding up line quality. I can't yet justify leasing a copier, because it'd be mostly just another house bill, and I don't really need a copier until I mail out (said 'other shipping company' also mails Fed Ex, so I take out two birds with one stone).

   Last week, I pitched in on Young Avengers #4, at the request of penciller Jimmy Cheung. Nothing makes you feel more validated as an inker than being requested by a 'hot' artist, or ANY artist for that matter. Jimmy's work was very laborious (a word I just double-checked in my Funk & Wagnalls dictionary), as you can expect. It was rewarding to ink Jimmy again. I had done some inking over him at Crossgen (Route 666 #18 cover) and pitching in on backgrounds over the years, as well as an Exeter figure that appeared on the credits page around Scion #9 or so. Don't worry, John Dell fans, he's still the regular inker, I was just helping with a deadline, attempting to hold up to Jimmy & John's high standards. Intimidating stuff, that! Young Avengers #4, Legion #4, Spidey/Torch #4...Something about the number #4 lately... Seems to be my lucky number. If I were the superstitious type, I'd start buying lottery tickets. Maybe I'll end up on the Fantastic Four, which would be a dream come true!

   Anyway, after I'd handed Jimmy the page, he offered a refresher course on inking his work, adding touches here and there. One thing that facinated me was that no matter how much detail he adds to a page, when given the chance, he'll add MORE to the page in the ink stage. Jimmy also scans his own work with a professional grade scanner, so not only does it save a day of delivery, but Jimmy can also control the qualitity of the scans. Initially, when I inked the first few pages, I was a bit heavy-handed, because my inks had suffered from poor printing in the past, so I had the tendency to 'idiot proof' the pages with bolder linework. Jimmy suggested I pull back a bit, so I went 180 degrees in the opposite direction, using a tiny rapitograph on everything, which gave it a Travis Charest fragility, knowing that Jimmy could scan even the grayest, smallest line. If you saw the original art to his latest Wizard cover, you'd be shocked at how Jimmy's faintest lines held up so well! It turns out I was too thin in places the second go-round, and Jimmy showed me what he wanted, which was somewhere in the middle of what I had done on both my inking attempts. Next time, I'll have a better understanding of what he wants and is capable of reproducing. It also helps that Jedi Master Colorist Justin Ponsor makes everything look breathtaking without overpowering the linework

   That's it for this week. Time for a post-deadline brewski and sleep.