September 18, 2008
I am officially in the Zone. Woke up at 2:30 this morning brimming with REM sleep ideas on Mickey Free. Had to go out to the kitchen and write them all down. Meanwhile, where I'm really in the Zone is with my art. It's just oozing out of me. Case in point:



A Hint of Assimilation Scandal
This is an image of Beauty and one of her professors at the Carlisle Indian School who took an avid interest in her cultural assimilation. She was beautiful and he was smitten and there was a scandal (his wife didn't appreciate her husband's extra-curricular efforts with his Apache student) and she was quietly sent home to Arizona. Her father, horrified at what the "White Fathers" had done to his daughter, quickly married her off to Curly.

Or, at least that is the rumors on the res.

Meanwhile, here are a couple more critiques of the Mickey Free: The Graphic Novel covers, two by art directors and one by a professional writer:

Art Director's Directions
“I hope it's not too late for a guy with a Graphic Design degree to weigh in on your cover designs. I got it down to 2.....the red cover with the scratch board image of Mickey, and my favorite: the russet cover with the same stark black & white image of Mickey and the red,white, & blue flag design. It is very nice!!!!!!! This will sell your book!!!!! The others look like comic books, not ‘Illustrated Novels’....and the type face on the one was cribbed from ‘There Will Be Blood’, wasn't it?”
—JIM HATZELL

[No, not consciously anyway. We were looking for something authentic but out of fashion, which come to think of it, is probably how Anderson got to the Old English for “There Will Be Blood.”]

“I just thought I'd give ya my 2¢ worth as far as cover design preference for your graphic novel... I love em all.... they all have design aspects that I like, but the one that
REALLY jumps out and grabs my attention is the one with the red/orange & black cover, with the flag draped over Mickey's shoulder.

“OUTSTANDING! the simple graphic of that piece is eye popping, and visually grabbed me instantly.

“I think that's the one.

“I think the black bar at the top needs to go, put ‘Mickey’ in black,
then I think that will work....I'm thinking the black bar at the top
throws the balance of the piece off. Love the black at the bottom,
it anchors the piece nicely, and the red, white & blue of the flag,
contrasts nicely with the black & red/orange of the cover.

“Whoever designed this cover piece....WELL DONE!!”
—Jeff Prechtel

“I like Harshberger's take a lot. I can't decide about the banner effect on ‘Mickey’ but it might be right. Make the writer and artist credits larger! This is not a time for modesty!”
—Will Shetterly

"Tis sweet to hear of heroes dead,
To know them still alive;
But sweeter if we earn their bread,
And in us they survive."
—Henry David Thoreau