My reaction to 2010 is something like, “Wait, that actually happened?” Weirdly, I feel I started the year on top (thanks to the success of Nic Cage Colorforms), came out defeated, but am somehow grateful for the experience.

In just the first couple of months last year, I watched a hero get his due, survived an IRS audit, and took in a moving piece of live theater. I went to Toronto for the first time ever, on the coldest day ever, for the funnest convention ever.

I got a new agent who’s actually worth a damn, scored some amazing mainstream press coverage, and put some possible future projects in motion.



I stayed in New York for a all of June (corollaries: gained ten pounds, have way less money); visited Marvel Comics HQ one morning and hung out in New Hope, PA that same afternoon.

I said goodbye to a dear friend, put on a hugely stressful art show (that I made the diorama up top for, which was seriously the most fun I’ve had working on an art project ever), and now have a cool memory of dropping off art at the condo of someone I admire.



And the best thing to come out of that show was, without a doubt, a whole lot of new and amazing art friendships.

I’m a little ashamed, however, that I only finished one new painting. I was still a little burnt out from 2009 (actually, I was burnt out from running full-steam all through 2008 but it took me a whole year to notice). But now I’ve had some time to decompress, I have some fiery stuff in my belly, and I’ve got seven paintings on the assembly line for 2011. At the very least, I’m aiming for “more than one.”

My absolute favorite thing about 2010, the thing that puts it ahead of every other dumb year, was being able to spend most of it with a girl who was out of this world.



I wish that were still the case, but as my pal Liz wrote in her Christmas card this year, “The past sucks. Future rules!” (You’d better be right, Liz!)