Manuel Labor

For a while now I've been meeting with friend, online comics genius and uber-talented graphics artist Paul Horn for a collaborative effort on his strip, Cool Jerk. At first we were kicking around general ideas but mostly we just caffeinated ourselves and laughed our asses off. We used to work together at the San Diego Union-Tribune, but neither of us are there anymore, so we don't see each other too often despite the fact we live in the same neighborhood, City Wok Heights.*


But over the past couple months we've been more actively brainstorming and scripting a series of strips for Cool Jerk in which a long-established character, Manuel, comes out.

We met on my days off and the resulting series of strips (start reading here) was a blast to work on. As proud as I am of anything I may have contributed, I'm more proud that the strips and characters all retain their voices, voices Horn has nurtured and crafted over the past *cough* decades *cough*. We didn't want this to be "a very special episode in which Manuel learns the true meaning of friendship" in any way, with lots of tear-stained faces and happy talk. And I was especially careful in that I didn't want the strips to sound like they came from anyone other than Horn himself.

Plus Horn is brilliant and it was just plain fun to hang with him.

I hope the strips have a feeling of reality about them, and that we avoided the pitfalls in a lot of popcult coming out stories. And that we threw a few curves.

He posted something about the series, and about yours truly, on his blog. Do my ego a favor and read some nice things about me. My Jewish Mother™ will be happy if you do.


And leave Paul some comments on the strips. Let us know what you think. Did we blow it? Did we nail it? Did it need more cowbell? Or maybe I should make that "disco-ball."

*Not really the name of our neighborhood.