MAGICINKWELL is BACK!

catgarza · Post by **catgarza** » Sat Jan 12, 2002 9:53 pm

we're back up. check it out at: http://www.magicinkwell.com

new design.

Tailsteak · Post by **Tailsteak** » Sun Jan 13, 2002 1:42 pm

Magnifique.

Tim Mallos · Post by **Tim Mallos** » Sun Jan 13, 2002 9:11 pm

Congrats Cat!

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Mon Jan 14, 2002 1:28 pm

awesome! I checked out the new strip, and it is really good.

vince

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Mon Jan 14, 2002 7:30 pm

Great site design Cat! Can't wait to see more!

catgarza · Post by **catgarza** » Mon Jan 14, 2002 8:17 pm

thanks everyone! i should have a new strip up on Friday (wait till you see THAT one!).

cat

by the by, anyone going to APE?

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Mon Jan 14, 2002 10:15 pm

sounds fun... i'd love to APE. what is it?

catgarza · Post by **catgarza** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 10:25 am

<a href="http://www.comic-con.org/pages/APE2002wn.html">this</a> is APE. i'll be there this year for those of you that are going. so is a long list of really cool webcomics people...

Post by **Scott McCloud** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 12:07 pm

Specifically:

Patrick Farley
http://www.e-sheep.com/main
Tristan Farnon
http://www.leisuretown.com
David Gaddis
http://www.davidgaddis.com
Cayetano Garza
http://www.magicinkwell.com
Derek Kirk
http://www.geocities.com/smallstoriesonline
Jasen Lex (tentative)
http://www.opi8.com/sequence/asf/asf.shtml
Me
http://www.scottmccloud.com
Justine Shaw
http://www.nowheregirl.com
Jason Turner
http://www.strongmanpress.com
Tracy White
http://www.traced.com
Vicki Wong
http://www.ndroid.com

catgarza · Post by **catgarza** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 12:10 pm

heh, thanks scott!

catgarza · Post by **catgarza** » Fri Jan 18, 2002 12:01 pm

i've posted my first of my newest friday strips. hope everyone likes it! it's kind of big so if you need to take a coffee break or snack break it'd be perfect. i'd love to know what everyone thinks...

cat

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: catgarza on 2002-01-18 11:02 ]</font>

Post by **Greg Stephens** » Fri Jan 18, 2002 12:38 pm

Cat- That's GREAT! Even though my life's been much different from yours of late, I can really relate to what you're saying.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Sat Jan 19, 2002 11:23 am

Loved the new comic Cat! My first response is to say that I'm sorry that you had to go to the street, but on thinking about it for a moment I think that it was on of the best things that could have happened for you. You seem to realize some things that others don't. I have a friend that when he was young would make a game out of seeing how far from home he could hitchike out and back by his curfew of 9:00. Then at about 18 he packed up a back and left. He's been all over the US and has many stories.

Anyway, keep drawing. Even if you don't feel like it. Because usually when you start, you don't want to stop.

Later,
Randy
(Who hasn't updated the Subatomic Cafe in HOW long? It should be up by Tuesday)

catgarza · Post by **catgarza** » Sat Jan 19, 2002 12:19 pm

i think what's happened to me in my life has made me a better artist. well, at least i'd like to think so.

i'm glad everyone likes the strip. thanks for all the kind words of encouragement. i don't want everyone to feel bad about my experiences. that's not why i'm relating them. i haven't been in a situation yet that has been so bad or weird that it's freaked me out. i've been in strange situations, found myself in odd places, but at no time was any of it BAD to me (even if it might be to someone else upon relating it to them). i have so many stories to tell now, i can't wait to tell them all!

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Sat Jan 19, 2002 3:09 pm

Wow!! Incredible stuff, both art-wise and content-wise.

I didn't know that you were from Austin! I lived in Austin since I was about 13 years old, and went to UT. I read your story up until the part where you meantioned the drag, and that was a real blast from the past. Of course I used to walk along that very street every day for a long time. I used to have a friend from highschool who decided to live on the drag for a while. When I went back to Austin to visit my folks, he had cleaned up and had a place... but now I have reason to believe that he might be back on the street again. Of course I have no way of finding out from where I am!

Anyhow, I don't see anything inately wrong with living on the street... in some cultures it is a respected religious lifestyle. Here in Japan, where begging on the street used to be a big deal, the monks can be seen taking a break to talk on their cell phones... the only real beggars are the actual homeless people, and they don't come this far north because they would probably die in the cold. No one really has what it takes to live that lifestyle around here, that's for sure (including me).

But I imagine that there must be a lot of hard experiences in terms of basic stuff like hunger or warmth and what not.

On the other hand, does living on the street tend to give you a better focus? What I mean is, you cut right down to the basics, and you know exactly why you are alive... I wonder if that sort of lifestyle promotes that sort of stuff..... but I suppose that all depends on the person.

Unfortunately, most of the images from your newest comic didn't download properly. I don't know if that is a problem on my end or yours...

I hope to be able to read the whole thing soon!! What I saw looked really good!

vince

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Sat Jan 19, 2002 3:13 pm

2 things:

I just saw that you are not "from" Austin, but lived there for a year. Sorry for not checking that more thoroughly.

Also, I wanted to mention that everything I said about being homeless is really just academic, because I have never been homeless before. I don't really know anything about it at all...

Well, once again.. great stuff! I can't wait to see the rest of it!

vince

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Mon Jan 21, 2002 11:41 pm

finally I was able to download the whole story! Awesome work. I really like how you have put a lot of time into the design. I also like the mix of what seems to be computer generated techniques with traditional cartooning techniques. Not to mention the painterly feel of the "street paintings" mixed with the tight feel of the more clean cut style work. Totally intense! I feel challenged to make my site look better now!!

As for the story, it was pretty interesting. It really left me wanting to see more. Give me my fix!

I really connected with how you "felt like an artist". It is easy to loose touch with that feeling sometimes... given the harshness of life and all... There have been many times when I felt degraded by certain things, like working to make a buck and getting too tired to make art and stuff like that. One time, after not making art seriously for almost a year, I was drawing something on a napkin on an airplane. The sky-waitress smiled and asked me if I was an artist. I said yes without thinking. It was a great feeling to be an artist again. Ever since that moment, I have decided to think of myself as an artist first, all the time, no matter what activity I am involved in. Of course I don't walk around telling everyone this, but the outlook has given me a new confidence in myself. Never loose touch with that!!

Thanks again for making such a cool comic! I look forward to seeing more!!!!

vince

catgarza · Post by **catgarza** » Tue Jan 22, 2002 2:52 am

thanks for the posts, guys! i've been getting lots of encouraging emails and replies on the message boards. it's good to be working on the site again and to have so many wonderful people responding to it. it's definitely keeping me inspired!!!

catgarza · Post by **catgarza** » Fri Jan 25, 2002 10:06 am

just posted yet another friday strip!

promise i won't announce it EVERY week. this is just the first time in a while i've been regular again!!! (thank god for bran muffins! kidding...)

cat
http://www.magicinkwell.com

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Fri Jan 25, 2002 11:48 am

I personally love to see that you have posted new stuff... Are you going to have a regular update schedule? If not, would you impliment some sort of e-mail notice system for updates?

vince

catgarza · Post by **catgarza** » Fri Jan 25, 2002 2:32 pm

i'm just going to try to keep to my old schedule (new strip every Fri.) and see what happens. if i have to skip a week, there'll be a notice on the site.

Post by **Greg Stephens** » Fri Jan 25, 2002 3:44 pm

Wow.

OK, now I'm going to have to get back to work myself.

catgarza · Post by **catgarza** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 9:15 am

yet another weekly strip posted. please let me know just how hard it really is to follow!

cat

Post by **Scott McCloud** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 11:53 am

Pretty hard actually -- but who cares? It's Cool!!