People been pointing out to me that I've grown rather quiet on Skype, IRC and so on. And yeah, I probably did. I'm just not feeling too communicative these days, I suppose. One possible reason for it is that I'm still feeling rather exhausted and übertired all the time, something which has been going since mid December or so. I started seeing doctors because of this, but well... no results of any kind yet. So I'll have to see. Either way, by the end of the end I'm often just too tired to start conversations on the net, more or less. ^^''

Another factor is that I get less stuff done when I'm chatting... and my God, I'm so behind! D: I'm not really making any progress on my request list (as short as it is), and I struggle to keep up with my main comic. But still, the latter still has priority. It might now generate lots of faves, let alone even comments (No ideas about readers though. The pages get views... but does anyone really sit down an READ them? I don't know! XD ) , but it's stuff that keeps me going... and it's certainly better than not being productive at all. ;) So basically I'm just drawing it amuse myself.

And... well, I'm also watching other artists' streams a lot. Mainly  gonechoo 's because a) he's pretty much ALWAYS streaming :D and b) I like the comic a lot and it's fun witnessing how it comes into existence. It also makes me working more on my own thing, I always find it very motivating to have an artist stream running in the background anyway. And, as the artist of said comic mentioned, it motivates HIM a lot to work on his comic when people are watching, and he's getting more work done in result.

So dunno. Maybe I should start streaming myself? Who knows, maybe a few people might even turn up to watch for a bit? ;)

So... umyeah. There's that. Possibly even more... but this is pretty much all I have to say right now. Just wanted to show that I'm still around after all. :D

Blimey, it's March already? Where did all the time go? Last time I checked we still had New Year's Day? D:

Let's look at what I actually managed to do, shall we?

- At least one more strip
- At least one thing from the sketchbook list (especially since I haven't looked into it for a long time now! D: I bet most people that are on it have completely forgotten about it by now, haha.)
- Trying to come up with some sketch for  lobocursor s minigame
- And (this is the most important part) FFS clean the flat!!

Uh, well. But hey, my flat was the hardest pressing matter of them all and it really had to be done, haha.

And the strip... hmyeah... there just always is a next strip, isn't there? Makes me kinda wonder what on earth I let myself into when I started it. *sigh*

Well, let's keep the rest of the list on my journal page for a while as a little (and constantly nagging) reminder. X3

...with all to be done by the end of Sunday.

- At least one more strip
- At least one thing from the sketchbook list (especially since I haven't looked into it for a long time now! D: I bet most people that are on it have completely forgotten about it by now, haha.)
- Trying to come up with some sketch for  lobocursor s minigame
- And (this is the most important part) FFS clean the flat!!

Watch this space for progress, hoho! <.<

It'll be interesting to see how much of it I'll actually do. Want to take any bets?

And there we go, from A to B to C:

A) Jolson & Jones

So there's this comic I've been doing for almost 6 months now (or, to be pedantic, revived after a very long hiatus), and my plan was to churn out a page every week - no matter what! The behind it was so I would finally sit on my arse and do something instead of constantly moaning about never getting anything done. Another reason was so I would have an excercise in discipline, since this is an area of my personality that has always been lacking. And to be frank, I'm really astonished that I kept it going for as long as I did. I started slipping near the end, however. Time started to become an issue... and the whole thing became a bit of a nervewrecking experience for me. It just kind of stops being fun when you're doing something just for the sake of doing it, especially when schedules are getting tighter and tighter. So maybe I should do the comic bi-weekly instead of weekly? It would give me more room to breathe and relax between pages. But then again two weeks between pages is just too much of a long time. I don't even know how many people of you actually read this bloody thing... lol ...but I suppose it would be too much waiting time, and plot development would be just really reeeaaally slow. So... hm.

B) More comics

And here's the thing; I'd really love to do more stuff, other comics even. A few short stories in particular. I already have them all in my head, or at least general ideas I'd like to push. But with the "main comic" eating up about 90% of all my drawing time it's a bit of a pain to pull off.

C) General practicing

You know, like sketching and stuff. I'd really like to make more out of my style, putting more versatility and dynamic into it. Because as it is it really bothers me how stiff it often comes across. At least that's how the characters are most of the time in my panels or pictures. They're just standing around, often looking from the same angle. *lol* Seriously, something has to happen about that, because it just can't go on like this forever.

---

Well, so yeah, there we are. These are my thoughts and plans for 2015. "And nothing else??" you might wonder, and rightly so! But hey, that's pretty much all I have right now, sad as it is. XD At least it's the thing which is most important for me these days. So that's where the emphasis is coming from.

But then... you know... I recently went through some old stories of mine. And I'd love to do some writing again as well.

Oh heck, why aren't there more hours in a day? All the things I'd love to do... and so little time...

But hey, at least it's not a matter of motivation. Which is a good thing, I suppose.

...or at least that's how it feels like for me. As we're moving closer and closer towards the holidays I'm starting to feel completely burned out. No idea if it has to do with the long shifts at work I've been assigned to this month, the short dark days, the weather... but when I'm home I just want to do nothing but lying in my bed all day and doze around aimlessly. X3 And... err... yeah, I don't think anyone noticed, but I haven't even half-finished the Jolson & Jones page that was supposed to be out last Monday. *g* It's just not that I hardly had any time to work on it, I also didn't feel for drawing it. And it's not the fault of lack of inspiration or something like that, I'm just generally strung out from pretty much everything right now. I hope to finish it for next Monday, though. But after that I think it'll be it for the two wolves this year. Because more or less right after that I'll be away visiting my family over Christmas and will have even LESS time to work on the comic. Might do some sketchbook stuff at least, though. But bottom line is that my mind needs to take a rest from coming up with panel arrangements and how to squeez bits of narrative into an at least somewhat self-contained comic page. X3 You won't believe how much time this kind of thing eats up. And I'm just an amateur by the very word of it. I don't even want to know how the pros deal with this kind of stuff day in day out! D: (But then again that's their job full-time... and not a silly hobby they're acting out when they return home at the end of the day. *g*)

Ahwell... Ramblerambleramble... Just want to explain my current lack of updates. :3 Might upload a few sketchbook things I haven't put up here yet, though.

Anyway, how well are you doing right now, at this very tail end of the year? :3 Are you exhausted as I am? Or are you overflowing with energy and don't know where to spend it all? :D

Just moved more than half of my gallery into scraps because ffs my eyes were bleeding when I just went through that poor thing.

It's here! https://twitter.com/draakaoru

Have it for a while now, actually. Just never advertised it here all that much.

Add me if you like... and let's have some tweet talk over there! :)

I got myself one of these big sketchbooks with way too many pages (Well, some nightshifts can become a bit boring after all, and in these hours I need something to do) and since I'm one of these people who sometimes struggle to think of what they should do next... why not have a list to fall back on made up with with you guys? ;)

Because, really, I love drawing other people's characters! :) So don't be shy, write a comment, drop a note, say a word, send a telegram, wave a flag - and I'll put you on my "Things to do!"-list. Just give me references (can be a picture or a description), that's really all you need to do to to have me wasting some ink and pencils. :D

List to work off:
-  shador
-  lobocursor
-  mtt3
-
.....

(These aren't slots, it's just a list for orientation! And for you to see who else is on it and what to expect.)

Let's have one. Because I never did one before!

So go ahead and ask! :3

And whoever you might be, dear number #200, I'll make a sketch of your character! :3

Because, as you might know, I'm not a native English speaker, so naturally I'm going to put all kinds of mistakes into texts, whether I like it or not. :D

So if you like to help me out... drop me a note or contact me on Skype. :)

You know, the more time passes the more I'm seriously considering a name change. :-/ It's starting to feel terribly worn out by this point, and mainly because I just don't feel that it's really representing me anymore. It's a more or less random thing that I picked in another fandom (if not even in another life) and it sort of carried over. In the beginning it seemed to work well enough for me, but I'm slightly starting to feel sick of it. It does come with a few preconceptions ("Oh, he surely loves his anime/manga/bla-thing, I bet!" - Haven't seen or read much of it in years now, though), and it annoys me to no end.

But then: People been knowing me under this name for years now. I mean, I'm hardly the most well known guy here by any standards, but I've still been around a bit. That name does ring a bell in a few quarters, at least. To change clothes "so late in the game" probably would be a very stupid move. Or would it?

Ah, I don't know... *sigh*

Oh yeah, and at least here on FA there's that stupid "is_here" extension, of which everybody seems to think that it's PART of the name, even though it was just supposed to be something a bit more clever than putting a number at the end of it. Yeah right, really clever. You can't believe how much of a nuisance this has become for me. :-/

Or maybe I just need a good hot cuppa tea to get my head straight. *sip* Eh?

I need to pass some time, so I nicked this meme from  mtt3

1. First thing you wash in the shower?
Unless my hand grabs for the wrong bottle, I usually go for the shampoo. So hair!

2. What color is your favorite hoodie?
Uh... Since I only have ONE hoodie, it's the black one. ;)

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
No, honestly no.

4. Do you plan outfits?
Only so far as the weather goes. Everything else usually results into optical road accidents. I'm really THAT bad with fashion.

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?
Goodgood, quite relaxed. Those two weeks at home really are what I just needed.

6. What's the closest thing to you that's red?
The power off button on the DVD remote.

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
Last few nights have been a bit of a slush, really. But the last thing I remember most clearly was discovering a local Finnish radio station on the airwaves and  FlintGF was one of its DJs. Then it somehow segued into my great aunt going into emergency surgery and telling me about it on her telepathic wireless phone. Yeah, I dunno.

8. Did you meet anybody new today?
Do those random people inside the waiting room of the doctor's office count? No? Arhm, thought as much.

9. What are you craving right now?
Tea and biscuits.

10. Do you floss?
No, because clumsy me would only manage to cut my teeth out.

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
"Sure, why not?"

12. Are you emotional?
Uh... I suppose? Who isn't, except for robots?

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000?
Only on my calculator. You know... 1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1... In insanely boring school hours.

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
Depends on how creamy or hard the ice is!

15. Do you like your hair?
....and now on to the next question! :3

16. Do you like yourself?
Currently I'm pretty much at ease. If you asked me more than 6 months ago however... But let's not go into that, yes? :o

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?
Yes, because I'm curious at least.

18. What are you listening to right now?
Blondie - Parallel Lines. Had this one on my shelves for years without ever really realizing until a friend discovered it there last Saturday. Have it on repeat since then, because blimey it's so good! Why did nobody tell me?

19. Are your parents strict?
(Single parent!) Not really... but sometimes I wish she had been. At least in some areas. Not that I don't love my mum, but the more years pass by the more it becomes apparent that she didn't prepare me for the world as well as she could have done. ^^''

20. Would you go sky diving?
Only with naturally grown wings, I suppose. Everything else sounds frightening to me!

21. Do you like cottage cheese?
Yus! :3

22. Have you ever met a celebrity?
A couple... but only lame ones. Err, okay. Read it as "public figures, but no one TOO famous".

23. Do you rent movies often?
More than the average person, I suppose. In any case I'm more of the type who buys them.

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?
Do lava lamps count? :3

25. How many countries have you visited?
Uuuuh... Lessee... Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland... and Bavaria. ;)

26. Have you made a prank phone call?
Oh, there have been countless of them. My brother and me were just the worst. We were SO BAD we even taped them and kept them as trophies.

27. Ever been on a train?
All the time, pal. All the time. Or else I wouldn't get to work!

28. Brown or white eggs?
Uh... EGGS! (Does anyone really care? I mean... really??)

29. Do you have a cell-phone?
I do! And since 5 weeks or so even a smartphone, finally. *g*

30. Do you use chap stick?
Once every two years or so.

31. Do you own a gun?
Since I'm neither North American nor Swiss... no.

32. Can you use chop sticks?
I can! Probably only in a way that would make a native Asian's heart bleed, though. *lol*

33. Who are you going to be with tonight?
Eh... since this is a Monday, probably only with people on Skype and IRC. (Does anyone actually still use AIM or ICQ??) And a DVD.

34. Are you too forgiving?
You need to work really hard to earn my scorn, I suppose. Ah, I don't know. Generally, I'm pretty easy-going.

35. Ever been in love?
Only with the wrong ones.

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow (or the next soonest week day)?
Meeting up with me for a coffee. :3

37. Ever have cream puffs?
Yeah... and felt bad shortly afterwards. It's called lactose intolerance, guys!!

38. Last time you cried?
Season 2 finale of "Hannibal". As sad as it sounds. X3

39. What was the last question you asked?
"On which shelves do you have salad dressings?"

40. Favorite time of the year?
Autumn. I prefer the cooler seasons.

41. Do you have any tattoos?
Nope. Can't say I'm a tattoo person, never got the appeal of those.

42. Are you sarcastic?
It's soft-tongued sarcasm! :3 Or at least I hope so. lol

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?
Yes, I have... many years ago. But... er... most random question ever?

44. Ever walked into a wall?
They cross my path all the bloody time.

45. Favorite color?
Oh, come on! GUESS!!!!

46. Have you ever slapped someone?
Managed to hold back so far.

47. Is your hair curly?
It's as uncurly as it gets!

48. What was the last CD you bought?
Janelle Monáe - The Electric Lady. But generally I don't buy CDs anymore. Only when they're cheaper than the mp3 version.

49. Do looks matter?
In a way... yes. As mentioned above, I'm the last person to care about fashion and things. But things stop being fun once it gets filthy, eh?

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater?
Let's see when it happens. IF it happens.

51. Is your phone bill sky high?
No, I'm not really much of a phone person. Using phones at work all the time bascially killed all the fun.

52. Do you like your life right now?
Ah well, it could be better, I suppose. But at the same time it could be worse. So middle ground.

53. Do you sleep with the TV on?
No, all those flashing lights would drive me nuts. I do leave the radio on, however. Or play things on my iPod.

54. Can you handle the truth?
I can handle honesty.

55. Do you have good vision?
Grab the glasses off my face and watch me going B-L-I-N-D!

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?
Uuuufffh... *leans back and thinks hard, counting* Actually... yes. But what can you do? I'm sure there are enough people out there who aren't so keen on me either. So all is good, we're even.

57. How often do you talk on the phone?
I avoid it as much as I can. Strangely enough though, I don't mind skyping. Probably because I don't have to hold an annoying plastic object that produces a bad tinny sound to my ear.

58. The last person you held hands with?
Oh.....

59. What are you wearing?
T-shirt, pants.

60.What is your favorite animal?
http://youtu.be/eQcvlyjcaPM

61. Where was your favorite picture taken at?
Uh... that's a very good question. Basically all the photos that exist of myself are just average random snapshots. It's like... "Here are 10.000 white eggs! Now choose your favourite!"

62. Can you hula hoop?
Never tried it! So I suppose not!

63. Do you have a job?
Yes. D:

64. What was the most recent thing you bought?
Aphex Twin - Syro. The 3 LP version. ;3

65. Have you ever crawled through a window?
Yes, through MINE a couple of times. Since then I double and triple check my pockets for the keys when I leave my home. -.-

...which I had on saturday. And I still can't say that I feel terribly well. If anything it puts a bit of a damper on my mood; it's just not particularly fun when your belly hurts all the time. Especially when I laugh! Be still my aching sides, indeed. Urgh.

Well, anyway. At least I get to have two weeks off work this way. Which means that I might actually get some stuff done with which I could fill my gallery. Would be nice for a change. ;)

...because I'm curious and really would like to know. :)

Besides, I want to talk a bit more with you guys! ^.=.^

https://youtu.be/-Sh-BAkSWJw

And yeah... sorry about that picture quality. X3 But the only way I had to sort-of-digitize it was to film a projection of it with my webcam. Which is still better than not putting it out at all. But well, if anything it makes the thing look even more retro and older. *g* EF from 1981! Or 1942 once the black and white section of the film starts. ;)

...because I only was a visitor of the lobby for two days, without a ticket, without access to pretty much everything. lol

But yeah, it was one of those "Why didn't I do this earlier?" moments, mixed with "What were the reasons for not going?". Well, whatever they were - certainly nothing of the valid kind, I suppose.

Hope to do it full time next year. :3 And having the whole thing more or less right next to your doorstep is really rather nifty and handy. ;)

Because it's about damn time. I was almost beginng to feel as if I was practicing the theory of obscurity. But now I collected a good chunk of pages that give me a bit of a head-start, preventing me from running out of material to upload any time soon, so: Go out and see the world, oh all of you pages of "Jolson & Jolson", comic of wolves who stray and have adventures (of the smaller as well as of the longer kind)!

Anyway, you can find it
here
here
here
here! :D

It'll update every monday... and eventually even here on FA, I think. But to see the truly latest and newest pages you need to go its actual homepage. ;) And yeah, that very first page you see there is already up here, so basically a rerun. But a first page is a first page, and I'm not going to waste it, so bear with me! :3

Besides, wolves are fluffy and awesome.

So I'm into day 4 of my "Nursing Mom"-week... and it's actually been rather relaxing so far, and not even half as annoying as expected. Some bits of oddities aside my mother seems to be back to her old self again. At least she finally reached a point where I can actually recognize her as the person who raised me as a child. (However, when I leave her home for longer than 30 minutes she's near having panic attacs because she just can't be on her own. And she can't go out that much, so we're spending most of our time watching movies and stuff. Or playing old SNES games on the Ouya. And since I forgot my netbook at home all my internet activity is reduced to what I can do on my Kindle - which isn't much. And boy is it a pain to type on that darn thing.

Ah well.

And what are you doing?

Tell me! Offer! Suggest!

...I notice that most of the characters I drew love to put up their index finger.

What's up with that? Is it because I talk like that in real life? Now there's a bad habit to break with, especially when it manages to sneak into everything you scribble...

...because drawing characters is what I want to do right now! Got some days off work and time to spare. ;)

1)  orkekum (finished)

2)  agentofempathy (drawing)

And a few examples of what you might end up with:

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11329600/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11266497/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11441443/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11364615/

Just contact me, drop me a note, write me up on AIM or Skype or etc, place a comment below... and then we'll see. :)

...the last Sofurry account has been shown, the last Weasyl account posted, only then you will realize that you can't eat them.

Or something like that.

Wellyeah, I recently got myself a kindle after all. (You know... after railing against them for YEARS. Story of my life, look under "iPod", "DVD", "BluRay", etc for further nonsense.) And after putting all the usual stuff on it like tons of classics from the public domain, fan-fiction things and so on, there's just the FURI stuff missing. But I have no real idea of what to get because, so far, I never bothered with the author part of the fandom that much.

Sooo... what should I read? Tell me all about the awesome eBook stuff that's out there.

(Just one exception, though: No gay romances with furry characters that could have just as well been human, please! That kind of thing bores me.)