The video card in my MacBook Pro died this morning. So while the harddrive is fine, as I can hear it ticking along, I have no access to the drive’s material. No display. From a mechnical standpoint this is a very small problem. Production-wise, it’s a serious one. I have 4 deadlines tomorrows plus a presentation. One of those deadlines was already an extensions. Like I said, serious problem.

Luckily I own a Mac -and hardly my first experience with this type of issue. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost drives, motherboards, etc. -And, yes, there is such a thing as a computer dying at a good time. Like, for example, not before several deadlines and a presentation. So here’s alil pro-Mac bit.

First, the laptop was backed up. Just last night actually. So blam. It’s also covered under “Apple Care” and I’m a Pro Care member. So after calling Apple (800-MY APPLE) and waiting maybe 2-minutes one of their specialists booked an appointment with the local Apple Store for me. I had 1-hour to be there. The tech at the Apple Store diagnosed the problem in under 5-minutes and, because I’m a Pro Care member, the parts will arrive to the Apple Store tomorrow morning. Worst case I’ll have to wait until Friday for the repair (2-days). Best case I’ll have it fixed by noon tomorrow. They even let me keep the laptop. That way I can turn it into a “Target Drive” (CMD + T @ startup w/Firewire connected to other Mac computer) and continue to work off it using another Mac. The display is dead but the actually drive is fine. So…

…will I meet my deadlines? Somehow. We always do in this field, right? Was this a learning experience? Hell no! As brotha’s say, “I been done this ah’ready.” Does Apple’s hardware suck? Hardly! It’s a mechanical device that will ultimately fail no matter what. But Apple’s customer service is outstanding and will continue to give them as much business as I can.

-Now back to work.

It’s not often I revisit an illustration. The “what’s done is done” approach keeps me away from the filed material. However, this illustration is an exception. It’s getting printing so I had to unearth it, rework several elements, and color it (next). So…here’s a revised, pencil’d version of “Evan’s flight to school.”

…I miss the border on the old one. But I’m not sure how that’d look in a frame. Mmmh. Suggestions?

…made some signs for a neighborhood garage sale and totally took the safe route…

…but considering the audience, it wasn’t like I could (or should) have gone crazy. Afterwards, while managing the register I drew these…

…which amount to more of a Gig Poster style and suggest more of an event than mere garage sale. Probably not exactly fair, huh? And while obviously not readable at a glance…well, like I always need to care about that.

Earlier in the week my daughter planned to sell lemonade during the sale (with 1/2 the profits going to the local SPCA) so I thought I could help her with her signage. -No go. She wanted total control. So what do you say to a 7-year old who wants to make their own lemonade stand signs? Yeah. You hand them the markers and shut up. -But I had this bubbly, graffiti style lettering and this lil’ guy all planned out…

(quick rough)

…but, ya know, maybe another time. Although I did get to design the labels for my wife’s “Honey Almond Granola” which she sold during the sale.

I took Pete’s advice, considered myself a designer, and went for it. So…word.

(Based on “Evan’s Flight to School“)