The MuseStand Blog

Santa had to appear in traffic court and plead his case to the judge.  Hopefully, reason will prevail.

It's the holiday season, my favorite time of year!  Family, great food, and festivities are just the beginning... hot coco, warm PJ's, a cozy fireplace, and a good book pretty much rounds off the list.  In today's strip, we see that Max still believes in the spirit of Christmas which is shaped by his passion for science.  His innocence and naivete, being an 8 year old, makes for an adorable character... I really love telling his story in this strip!  

... and for the colored (airbrush) sketch!

​Christmas is my favorite time of year.  Enough said.  

For the upcoming December 1st Think Shop strip, I sketched Max judiciously listing all the presents he wants Santa to deliver on Christmas Eve.  He seems pretty confident that he's deserving of all that he writes down.

We'll see exactly what he's written on December 1st.  So keep following!       

Is Finn destined for a career in industry, or will he follow his passion and stay in academics?  For a research scientist like Finn, there are pros and cons to both paths.  Although I'm not sure where the strip will take Finn, I am sure there will be an industry component to Max's career path chronicled in Think Shop.  Entrepreneurship is Max's thing... for now.  Anything beyond the next few months is anyone's guess.             

Every scientist wants to think their research is relevant.  Building on the work of others is how scientific progress occurs.  Knowing that you've added to a field's body of knowledge, contributing to such progress, is gratifying for a researcher.  Therefore, it come as no surprise that Max isn't interested in listening to his overly critical twin brother who could clearly use a hefty dose of empathy and tact.  Hope you enjoy this strip as much as I enjoyed creating it!     

A whole new world opens up for Finn whenever he peers through the eyepieces of his microscope.  What will he discover next?  This is the introductory sketch depicting Finn with his most prized possession.  You will see this unique bond play out on multiple Think Shop comic strips.  So stay connected!

If you have any ideas for how you'd like to see how Finn's affinity with his microscope evolves, feel free to contact me.      

Max is Finn's 8 year old twin brother, an equally bright happy-go-lucky kid with a passion for nature and computer science.  Despite his ambitious goal of starting a company that positively impacts the world, Max has an unfortunate knack for failing miserably.  No matter, Max just gets back up and pursues his next big idea, with unflinching optimism.  We need more people like Max in this world.

This sketch is from the 'Fall Elections' Think Shop Comic strip.  The strip can be viewed here. 

Max gets animated telling Landon that he won't lie to secure more votes.  We definitely need more politicians committed to such ideals! 

​This is my character sketch of Finn posing for the 'Fit For A King' Think Shop strip where he voices his disappointment about the unexpected guest at Thanksgiving dinner.  Check out the strip here. 

I love doing these character sketches, so stay connected for all future sketch posts.  I'll also post additional background blurbs about each characters with these posts, just to help you get acquainted with the cast.

Finn (no last name yet) is an 8 year old neuroscientist who is enamored with the scientific world, the true nerdy birdie of the bunch.  He's so singularly focused on his research that the rest of the world just passes by him... and he's perfectly fine with that!

Thanksgiving dinner is arguably one of the best meals of the year, and Max and Finn were eager to chow down!  They were surprised when LeBron, "King James," the most dominant player in the NBA today (and many would say, of all time) showed up to eat.  You can imagine Mr. James can eat quite a bit!  Best of luck to him in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers!    

Aristotle loves to read and is quite the intellectual as a result.  But he misses the point sometimes.

It's Friday ya'll.  I hope you have a great weekend!  Stay safe... see you next week!

It's election time and Max wants in on the action.  He's not sure of his platform yet, but he feels inspired to contribute.  Are you planning to vote?  You should! 

Think Shop Expressions

It's the weekend, and Max has plans to relax!  I hope you do too... have a great weekend everyone!

Oh how I love cheeseburgers and fries!  Is it health?  Of course not... not for everyday!  But on occasion, I certainly find the strength to suppress any guilt.  The confluence of flavors on my palate emulates the assured feeling of being in heaven, and after creating this strip, I will probably indulge... next month!  What's my favorite burger joint you ask?  Outies, of course!

For those of you who subscribe to Story Monsters Ink magazine, you'll see one of my November comic strips inside.  The current issue has been published and is available online here!  If you are not a subscriber, consider subscribing.  Story Monsters Ink is a great literary resource to help you decide on your next children's book.  Author James Petterson also pens a monthly column inside! 

​Don't worry too much about missing out on early access to Think Shop comic strips if you're not a subscriber.  They'll all end up on this blog and website eventually.  Cheers!

This is an artwork redo of an old post.  I think my skills have (slightly) improved, and I just couldn't stand looking at my original strip anymore... it just wasn't good!  Not that the artwork of my current strips are that much better.  I will periodically go back to old strips and update them.  Sorry to those of you who want historical perspective on Think Shop, but my sanity and sense of self are more important, usually!       

Photo News Story | The MuseStand

Photo News Story | The MuseStand

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and I thought it appropriate to at least mention the term in my Think Shop comic strip.  Bullying is not funny and neither is harming the environment, but the two topics can be spun into a lighthearted little strip that does not take away from the serious tone these topics should garner.  More information on preventing bullying can be found at www.stopbullying.gov/ and PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center.  Taking care of our planet as best we can for our children and their children is the responsible thing to do!

Photo News Story | The MuseStand

​BOSTON - Life can be hard, but a new study suggests it doesn’t have to be. Sponsored by the esteemed Part-Time Scientists of America or PTSA, leading part-time and alternative-schedule researchers from 17 universities collected and analyzed cohort data to better understand the struggles facing today’s youth and to help explain the uptick in underachievement among young people. Although sloppily compiled, with page after page of grammatical errors, misprints and completely unnecessary emojis, the results were nearly definitive and only slightly depressing. It turns out, PTSA’s most compelling study to date can’t explain why this generation of young adults are lazy to the point of incompetence. However, the nearly 12 hours of collective effort that went into this study offers a conclusive guide for dealing with adversity.

Lackluster effort generally produces failure, and failure hurts. So how can today’s youth that’s trying so little, hurt a little bit less?

Try Less
As if it were even possible, one of the recommendations of the study is for young down-and-comers to put forth LESS effort in their various endeavors. Polling data suggests that the harder an employee or student tries, the more likely they’ll be disappointed with the inevitable failure that follows. The reasoning makes sense here, but it’s hard to imagine young Jayden or Zoey becoming MORE apathetic than they already are. Maybe rolling out of bed at 3pm instead of noon is a good start.

Create Your Own Awards
Participation ribbons give solace to the apathetic. It’s no secret. But even the name of this anti-prize has proven to be just as hurtful as a, “loser’s award,” to many youngsters. Research suggests that even the most unsuccessful do-nothings are turning their backs on these sad ribbons and creating their own trophies. Many of today’s slouches are literally designing and manufacturing personalized awards to give themselves. For many, completing as little as 10% of a task or work project deserves a prize, which they then proudly display on their parents’ mantle.

Fail, On Purpose
The most controversial conclusion this team of researchers arrived upon was a simple white flag surrender in the face of hard work, or work in general. There’s only one thing better than failing, and that’s meaning to do it. The logic is sound. How can you be disappointed in an outcome when you’ve actively tried to sabotage it? PTSA public relations intern, Colby Slanders, broke it down with a certain je ne sais quoi. “We suggest blowing it on purpose, it’s that simple,” the floppy-haired surfer beamed. “If you know you’re never going to work hard enough to succeed, why not have a good reason for it? It’s much less impactful on one’s self-esteem if they meant to fail.”

Everyday, thousands of young Americans are venturing out into the cold, harsh reality of adulthood. They’re emotionally fragile, yet unrelentingly confident and wildly optimistic; a dangerous combination, to be sure. What they soon learn is that the real world doesn’t placate them with unearned “likes” and smiley-faces. Most jobs require ACTUAL work. Bosses aren’t brimming with praise, encouragement and gentle hugs. Sometimes, success can be hard to obtain, but that’s no reason to fret, thanks to this cutting-edge new data.
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The lesson is simple: you don’t have to be good at anything to feel good about yourself. Try hard if you want. Or don’t. You’re still awesome. *eye roll emoji*

Photo News Story | The MuseStand

Photo News Story | The MuseStand

Photo News Story | The MuseStand

Photo News Story | The MuseStand