Mel's Inktober 21 - Scooby-Doo

Good old Scooby-Doo; I couldn't get enough of him as a kid. I still like him today, although my feelings vary on the myriad of adaptations.

Suffice it to say some adaptations are done better than others, and I really don't want to think about what they've done to Velma, Daphne, and Scrappy nowadays.

I'm still pretty proud of that FanX version I drew in 2022.

2023 Inktober 12 - Halloween Pup

Once again, work has been a killer. Today was supposed to be my day off, but I got a last-minute message this morning, asking if I could come in as soon as possible. I guess I can't complain too much, since I can easily walk to work (it's only a couple of blocks away) and thus I'm in a better position to come in at a moment's notice, and I could really use the money.

But holy cow, what a nuthouse. Customers just kept coming and coming and coming, and some were more patient than others. We were up to our necks in orders, and there were only so many hands on deck. I was practically chained to that cash register all day, and it's taking a physical toll on me to stay calm. I remember how one coworker once told me, "I don't know how you stand it."

Some customers had the nerve to ask what was taking so long with their order, as if they somehow couldn't see the big crowd around them. One guy told me to my face that he deserved an extra roll to go with his soup, "but I guess you'll charge me for that, too." Like it's somehow a mind-blower that most things cost actual money, like I somehow have any say in the prices.

One lady said, "No tip," out loud as she was pushing the button, as if I weren't standing right there and couldn't hear her perfectly well. Sure, I don't believe in forcing tips, but the least you can do is keep it to yourself, not rub it in my face, not make me feel like I'm somehow undeserving.

And all these people leave a terrible mess and a half behind, as if we didn't have enough work to do already.

I am not looking forward to the holidays.

So, today's Inktober entry is kept simple, too. It's really adorable to see how some people dress up their dogs, cats, even their horses for Halloween.

What kind of treats would you give a dog if it came up to you with a trick-or-treat bag or bucket?

My Inktober 2021 #22 - Halloween Horse

Holy smokes, less than 10 days left! Time does indeed fly when you're having fun, no? 

So, we've done a Halloween feline and canine, therefore it's only fitting we do a Halloween equine as well. 

A plain bedsheet ghost sounded boring, so I gave this horse a "Charlie Brown ghost" costume. Simple, yet charming. 

My Inktober 2021 #16 - Ghostbusters

Even if you never watched the movie or the cartoon series, no doubt you recognize this symbol (minus the Xs) and heard this theme song multiple times in your life, especially around Halloween. 

 

 

I was feeling kind of lazy (and a bit burned out creatively, not to mention physically and mentally exhausted from life in general) to do more than the iconic symbol, with the Xs replacing the dot eyes to spice it up a bit. 

 

I'm not much of a fan myself, but I don't appreciate how they made that obligatory "gender-swap" reboot in 2016: depicting the Ghostbusters as girls because they just had to show women saving the day. 

 

 

Now, if they had done something a bit more unique, come up with a completely different story about a pack of girls pitted against a pack of supernatural creatures, I would have been fine with that. Instead, we get a cheap carbon copy (with minor tweaks at best) that positively reeks of political correctness. 

 

I love strong female characters, but I can't stand female characters who come off more as "bad-A wannabes." You can always tell when the writers are trying way too hard. 

 

Besides, like the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. What was wrong with the 1984 movie the way it was, besides the obvious all-male cast?

 

Yes, I'm aware that if we don't like a movie, no one's forcing us to watch it. But I must lament the "copycat age" we live in just the same; it's like no one's got any real creativity left. 

 

And yes, original stuff takes time and effort (and a boatload of both) but it's not as though certain people are trying so hard anymore. 

 

 

Oh, well, rant over. Time to revisit my happy place...

Inktober 2019 - Day 22

Finally back on track! Just a little less than a week left; boy, has this month passed by in a flash. Time has that uncanny way of speeding up when you get older. And with increased hours at work, time goes even faster for me, not that I'm complaining...at least, not too much!

Day 22 of "Inktober": Ghost. Give me the cute little ghosts any day, the ones who are far more charming than terrifying!

Day 22 of "Fantasytober": Scary Mermaid. The ocean may be beautiful and wondrous but it does have its scary parts, and you most definitely don't want to be part of her world!

Inktober 2019 - Days 20 and 21

Had a little glitch with my computer, and work hours have been piling up lately, so I had to combine entries again.

Well, the important thing is that I get the artwork done (even if this is just for fun, it's still good practice for finishing what I start) and that I have a good time with the art itself.

And I'm sure not complaining about more hours at Kneaders! I remember the dark days of WinCo (okay, not that dark, but definitely less pleasant) when I was hardly working and making anything at all.

My old boss kept promising me more hours for more than six months straight, and nothing happened. (Yeah, boss, talk of extra hours still leaves me and my expenses unpaid, and it's easy for you to talk when you get a nice cushy 40 hours each week because you're in charge.) And on the few times when I was there, the boss would get as much work out of me as possible as fast as possible, as if I were a machine rather than a person, and breathe down my neck the entire time.

Granted, he did have a knack for keeping things running smoothly, and being a manager sure ain't for the faint of heart. I know for a fact I couldn't handle that kind of pressure. All the same, morale would take a serious blow whenever that guy was around, and I wasn't the only one who didn't like him and wondered how he got to be in charge. I hear he's still around, and the coworker/friend who's keeping me informed tells me he's a real jerk and has lost several more deli workers since I left, meaning the whole store has a very high turnover rate, which isn't good for a business in the long run.

Not trying to villainize my old boss or the rest of WinCo's management or anything. Like I said, I understood where he was coming from (even if he didn't understand where I was coming from) and there are much worse people than him out there. But if I may speak my mind, he's by far the worst boss I ever had and I can't say I miss WinCo all that much. Sure, it was a good experience for me (that place really teaches you to control your temper), I made a few friendships there, and it's still a nice place to shop.

But I have no intentions of working there again. Once was enough.

In fact, in hindsight, it appears that those guys were discriminating against me on purpose; Mom thinks I could have taken them to court if this had gone on for much longer. My former coworker believes it was discrimination, too.

Oh, well. All I can say now is good luck to those guys (and good riddance!) and their loss is Kneaders' gain.

Kneaders has its share of hard work, which I don't mind; I understand it's a bakery and a cafe rolled into one, and at least I'm getting more hours, which means more money, and management is a hundred times friendlier. I've been happier at Kneaders in six months than I was at WinCo for two years, and I plan to stick around Kneaders for a good while yet.

Now that I got that little rant out of my system, here's day 20 of "Inktober": Tread. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be "tread" or "thread," since I saw entries from other artists for both words. But I went with "tread" and the best thing I could think of was treading water.

I'm hardly a swimmer myself but I'm always looking for an excuse to practice swim art. As scarce as the details are in this drawing, there's plenty to see below the water, and this gal's only up for a fresh breath before she dives down again, since a snorkel is all she's got. I get a real kick out of drawing wet hair, and there's something about people in snorkel/scuba gear that gives me pleasant shivers.

Day 20 of "Fantasytober": Headless Waiter. I don't have a strong stomach for decapitation scenes, least of all with blood involved. So I went for a plain skull, but the grin on that bony face still creeps me out! Hey, as long as you're here, waiter, why don't you fetch me a triple cheeseburger with extra pickles, onions, and bacon, along with a heap of fries, a large Dr. Pepper, and a hot fudge sundae?

Now, on to day 21! This day for "Inktober" presents: Treasure. There's a myriad of ways to interpret a prompt like this. I ended up settling for sunken treasure, which gave me yet another excuse to draw a girl underwater, this time with full scuba equipment.

Yes, I show boys underwater, too; I love to draw Reid swimming in his backyard lake. He's every bit as passionate about the water as his ancestor Terence was, and even invents a "water mask" to protect his eyes, so he sort of introduces Daire to "scuba diving," or the fantasy version of it. Those shells they use to breathe (which Terence himself got as a gift from the merfolk; details of that story still pending!) let you breathe underwater all you want, but your eyes are still exposed. And as we all know, a mask traps air in front of your eyes, which not only saves your eyes from pain and irritation but also vastly improves your underwater view.

And finally, here's day 21 of "Fantasytober": Two Dwarves and a Ghost. Not only do I really, really like this image, but I think I might use it for a story later. Sometimes I draw an illustration to accompany my story; other times, like in the case of Reid's story, the illustration sparks the idea for the story!

For the record, this isn't an evil ghost. Mischievous, yes; evil, no. Sort of like a more naughty version of Casper.

 

Inktober 2018 - Days 3 and 4

Silly me. I remembered the art, but forgot the post. Oh, well, I guess it's bound to happen at least once...especially if you stay up until well past two in the morning! I'm not as inclined to go to bed when I don't have work the next day, and I have a difficult time settling down anyway.

So I'll just have to post six pictures on this blog instead of the usual three.

For day 3: Roasted. Nice, fluffy marshmallow chickens on a stick; get 'em while they're hot!

For day 3 of Disney: Red. Oh, bother, Pooh Bear! How are we supposed to get down from here???

And for day 3 of Fantasytober: Dragon. Both my gray Sharpie and my drawing hand hate me for this!

Day 4 for the official: Spell. Could this be from Harry Potter? Possibly; I just wanted to do something simple, with all the art I've made already and all the art I've yet to make.

Day 4 for Disney: Cinderella. I could have made this more elaborate, but once again, simplicity was the way to go! Besides, I find it rather funny.

And day 4 for Fantasytober: Dwarf. Looks like somebody's got second thoughts!