Idea that doesn’t work…

rejected Bob the Squirrel ideaIt is very rare that I work on a Bob the Squirrel strip that doesn’t work.  I pride myself on getting it right (or right enough) on the first pass.  With everything that’s going on in our world, including a wedding date rapidly approaching, time is at a premium.  Quality time… time in which my brain is not mush from the day… premium.

I’d been working on this Sunday panel off and on for two days.  I NEVER work on a strip for that long.  But, I thought I could salvage it if I worked on it a little longer.  Maybe a light would shine once I got to the bottom of the bristol.

Nope. No light.  Not even a firefly.

I made the decision to scrap it all late last night.  It may not sound like a big deal to anyone else, but for me… it’s unusual.  I hate starting over, but I guess it’s better than throwing out an idea that, for lack of a better adjective, sucks.

Just thought you’d like to know that.

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TED and Bob…

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I’ve held off posting this news (for mostly superstitious reasons) because it’s not really ‘news’ in the definite sense.

Then I thought, “What the hell Frank?  Just post it.”  So, I’m posting it.

tedxUtica_logohomeLast year, I submitted a talk proposal to TEDxUtica… an independently organized TED event in Utica, pretty much down the street from where I live.  If you’ve been on the internet for at least 5 minutes in your life, you’ve heard of, or seen a TED talk.  It’s filled with creative, innovative and inspiring people giving talks about all that stuff I just said.  Of course, my idea was rejected.

It hurt.  But, it didn’t hurt that much.  After all, I’m a cartoonist… our backsides are made for repeatedly hitting the ground.

Fast forward a year.  The Utica event was successful enough to happen in 2014.  This time, I hesitate to submit.  Not because I didn’t think I had the chops for it.. but because if my idea wasn’t good enough the first time, why would it be the second time.

I ultimately submitted again, tweaking the idea slightly.  I promptly forgot about it until I get an email on June 3rd.  The subject line: Your TEDxUtica Speaker Submission.  I didn’t open it right away.  Why?  It was just a rejection notice, right?  Why start my day off like that when I can get it later in the day when I’m too tired to over-react?

Well, I did get to over-react.  But in a good way. The committee liked my idea and wants to hear more.  The next step is to make a 5 minute video fleshing out my talk a bit more.  I should re-iterate:  THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTANCE  TO SPEAK!  It’s merely my ticket into the second round.  If they like what they see, I’ll know for sure in July if I’m in the November event.

If they don’t… there’s always next year.

Either way I’m excited.

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