Happy New Year! Time to look at last year’s post and see how I fared:

• Create ashcan sample of original graphic novel. Attend NY Comic-Con to assess market.

Working avidly on this as a remedy to the frustration of not drawing much by hand in 2008, my eleven complete pages are a good sample of achieving this one to the best of my ability. The Con only served to enforce that it’s all about superheroes.

• Break with under-performing music project(a). Concentrate on the TMJ Ensemble exclusively (while continuing home recording pursuits) to free up time for graphic novel

This was easy, too. The amount of betrayal, disloyalty and “cut-throatedness” I have experienced in cover bands over the last twelve years is mind-blowing. I’m completely retired from playing music with other people. I have only recently begun rewiring my modest MIDI home studio and am pushing my gear to the best of it’s capacity, and my ability.

• Register at New School Professional Studies and take at least one online course

I did this, and was accepted but needed to withdraw. There is no tuition reimbursement with my employer, and the conundrum of a respectable combined household income disqualifies us for financial aid. Taking on out-of-pocket debt of this size is not something I’m comfortable with.

• Work out more intensely – lose some weight

Yep, the universal one. And I did – depending on which scale you believe. I really enjoy the Spinning Class that I discovered, it’s the best way to break a sweat and I’ve never experienced exercise so tightly integrated to music. I’ve taken off ten pounds and kept it off, but I’d like to lose another ten.

• Play fewer video games

I think I fared well here, too and would like to take this further. Played Beatles: Rock Band (a must-have, come on!) , and I’m playing Uncharted 2 at this writing, but I may return it to my friend unfinished.

So, how about 2010 resolutions?

• Webcomic (which wasn’t even a concept last year):
  To continue building readership by doing the best strip I can and stop obsessing over daily traffic in the interest of growing over time. As long as the monthly readership trends upward (however much is irrelevant), I’ll be satisfied. This is my top priority.
• Pick up the free weights.
• Assimilate at work, spent more time chatting (if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em)
• Resume painting. This can be either fantasy or the figurative work I typically do; this is akin to the “draw more by hand” desire

Thanks for reading. I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

– Tim