New Year's Resolutions

In the hopes of forestalling the inevitable eye roll that will undoubtedly accompany your perusal of the title of this post, know that there will be no mention of diets, unreasonable exercise regimes, or bad habits in need of kicking on this list. Everyone knows those are just uncreative and will fail within the first few weeks of 2010 anyways.

So here, as follows, are my New Year's Resolutions--a more specific and hopefully do-able to-do list than last list, or the list before that, or the list before that.... 
(1) Learn how to make:

          - sourdough bread

          - cinnamon rolls

          - stovetop cheese

          - frosting roses

          - tamales

(2) Expand the range of facial expressions I'm capable of drawing

(3) Get better at drawing feet

(4) Back up my computer on an external hard drive, just in cases

(5) As per Tessa's request: get into Lady Gaga

(6) And hey! Here's one that will directly benefit you, MTTPL fans: Create one piece of 2D art at least as large as a notecard every single day (a challenge I plan on undertaking with Tessa, as per her suggestion)

(7) Taking a page from Haley's book: get SCUBA certified

(8) Eat at the Alpenhaus....finally

(Note: this list is currently under construction, as I will continue to add to it until 11:59 p.m. tonight. Feel free to post your own reasonable resolutions in the comments section. I'm curious to see what high hopes you have for yourself in the coming decade.)

Christmas presents!

I got a Christmas present yesterday! My momma took me to a foundry to make the final aesthetic decisions regarding....wait for it....wait for it....

a MANTA RAY NECKLACE!

Last summer, I was fiddling with one of the many pieces of sculpting wax lying around my apartment-- you know, like you do--and I made this. And then my mom had it cast!

Best present ever.

More Than This Provincial DEATH

The greatest homage to my blog that will ever be, in Christmas card form, courtesy of Katie. Feel free to ask for clarification, since inside jokes, TV references, and "Twilight" jabs abound.

'Tis the season!

It's December, dear darling cherished readers, and you know what that means, don't you? A new nickname!  Or, uh, St. Nickname, if you will...

MANTA CLAUS

For those of you keeping track out there: 1 exam down, 2 to go.

Snowman(ta)*

I had to go to the mall today. It went something like this.

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So...it's snowing now. Like, a lot. So much so that if Obama were for some reason visiting Montreal right now, he'd be wearing a parka AND a scarf:

(image from http://obama-weather.com/)

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The view from my window.

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*Incidentally, Snowmanta is my January nickname.

Happy Sinterklaas!!!!

I just found this is my shoe, attached to a box of chocolates. For those of you who don't know, Sinterklaas is the celebration of the name day of St. Nicholas, patron saint of children (and more!). In Holland, Sinterklaas leaves presents in children's shoes on the eve of December 5 for the children to unwrap when they wake up the next day. Black Pete (pictured above) is Sinterklaas' unfortunately black-faced assistant.

Katie, who wishes she were Dutch, has decided to embrace this holiday by wearing her Netherlands jersey all day, and by gifting me and Hal our very own Sinterklaas presents. Thanks Katie!

Which holiday pie are you?

I've never had this kind of pie before, but I bet it's good.


A quote about pie (from the delightful "Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog"):
Penny: Sometimes people are layered like that. There's something totally different underneath than what's on the surface.
Dr. Horrible: And sometimes there's a third, even deeper level, and that one is the same as the top surface one. Like with pie.

Which holiday pie are you? Find out by clicking: http://www.marthastewart.com/quiz/holiday-pies

Good news, MTTPL fans!

Um, did I mention that I'm done with school now*? Because I am. Expect more comics ANY DAY NOW!


*Or, as the Canadians would say, "did I mention that I'm done school now." Seriously people: that phrase requires a preposition.

What to get your salamander sweetie for Christmas

So, salamanders have a very peculiar way of mating that involves packets of sperm, called spermatophores, and complex mating rituals, including though not limited to: chin-slapping, tail-wrapping and orgies.

I drew this whilst listening to Herp presentations last Tuesday. It seemed topical. Also this:

There's a rhyme to help you remember the different between the extremely venomous coral snake and the non-venomous king snake that goes: "Red touching black is a friend of Jack, red touching yellow, you're a dead fellow" (or some variation thereof). However, this rhyme only works in the southeastern US.

I never tip over 10%

Manta rays, on the other hand, are great tippers.

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Credit for this excellent elasmobranch comic goes to Nigel, who submitted it mere moments ago!!! I'm glad someone out there rose to the challenge. Thanks Nige! Enjoy, readers!

Conservation Bio Doodles

The Gaspé Shrew (Sorex gaspensis)

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In fisheries management, lobsters are given honorary fish status...just what they've always wanted!

Mammal Doodles

Some semi-aquatic mammals for you:

Forget about the baby...

Professor Mole said "labyrinth of adventures." What else am I supposed to think of?

Bird doodles

I have several doodle motifs. Birds is one of them.

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I didn't start out drawing my parrot, but somehow it happened anyway.

This is the look he gets when he's contemplating shredding something important--you know, like bills, or homework, or priceless books...

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Doesn't the one on the right look like it's doing karate?

Doodles

Hello all. Sorry I've been absent from MTTPL for the past few days. Some updates:
- I made a pumpkin pie with a gingersnap crust for American Thanksgiving. I didn't take a picture, but a picture wouldn't really have captured the tastiness.
- Diana came to visit. It was awesome.
- I got no work done. This is why I will be in the library all day. All. Day. 
- Next week is the last week of school. Honestly, I'm looking forward to finals as a respite from paper writing.


So I have now several actual comics in the works (and many more requests for comics I just don't know when I can fill). I still haven't received any guest submissions so...you guys suck. But I figured I may as well post some of my doodles from class, which seem to be increasing in intensity the later in the semester it's gotten. I don't know why. I have a bunch, which I'll be posting over the course of the next few days, while I'm working on a) my Victorian Lit essay, b) my Conservation Bio paper, and c) revising my Herp paper, d) finishing a book, and e) shopping for Christmas presents. Oh boy.


First off, some Herp-related doodles:

Anoles are very territorial. Males flare out the colourful flap of skin underneath their chin to display to other males to get the hell away. They also use them to impress the ladies.

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"Fame"

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During a presentation in Conservation Bio about Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina, in case you were wondering), some girl said "Many people can relate to it [the snapping turtle] on a personal level" and I immediately pictured this. Sorry, presenter-girl, I really was listening before. 

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Ok, I know this isn't a comic, but it made me laugh (and if you have spent any significant amount of time around me, you probably will laugh too, or at the very least, smile knowingly). This is one of the peer evaluation slips I got back from my marine reptiles presentation in Herpetology. Most were very positive, and this one is too...sorta. I'm not even really offended, just tickled. Yeah, I talk with my hands. What of it?

More to follow.

This is weird

Ok, so two mornings in a row I have overslept my alarm by nearly an hour because I was in the middle of dreams in which Martha Stewart was giving me tips on how to live better: this morning it was how to prepare a Thanksgiving feast. Yesterday? Organizing my home.


Any bets on what tomorrow might be? 

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YOUR BETS

Katie says: "How to crash P. Diddy's birthday party and take inappropriate drunk pictures with horse lamps."

She's referring to this picture:

Although Martha doesn't need to crash P. Diddy's parties--she gets an invite. Probably hand-delivered. Because she's just that badass.

Why I don't need a blow-dryer

That last panel features my friend Nicolette! This is her debut appearance in my blog. We are sitting in my favourite classroom on campus, the Redpath Museum Auditorium. So...theoretically, this comic takes place on a Tuesday. Whatever.

This comic also features the return guest appearance of The Leaves from "Pocahontas."

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I have a case of the Mondays. Do you?

Guest Contributors

Don't think I'm going to let you all forget about my call for guest contributors. I'm not. I'm going to be extra-super-duper busy next week so...if you want to see anything new on MTTPL, you're going to have to get cracking on those doodles/collages/stick figures.

NSFW: Fridge Photos

I totally meant to post these like, months ago. 

BEFORE

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AFTER

Earlier this semester, Katie went away for a weekend, so Haley and I replaced all her precious soccer (I mean, football) pics--which have been monopolizing the refrigerator for 2 years--with pictures of animals. Needless to say, she was somewhat...less-than-thrilled when she got home. 

Surprisingly enough, the animals have stayed up. Even "that freaky bird" (the orange one that reads "man juice" in magnetic poetry magnets) that Katie insisted "[had] to go."

Note: I apologize for the, um, salty language.  I don't, however, apologize for Mario Lopez naked on a bearskin rug.


He should apologize to me.

I guess I missed this memo...?

And yes, that is a child with a laser pointer, in case you were wondering.

UPDATE: Haha, Katie just informed me that Saturday was in fact the Christmas parade on St. Catherine. Whoops. Nonetheless: babies EVERYWHERE.

I'm finally getting a balcony!

On my way home from school the other day, I got this phone call from my roommate Katie:

Yes, because the limiting factor of this equation is obviously lemonade.

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So, I meant to post this last week, when it was still freshly-baked news, but life got in the way. Regardless, it's probably new news for most of you, so...

For those of you who have never been in it/have never heard me talk about it, I have about the most nonsensical room you can imagine. Not only is it dimly-lit and awkwardly-shaped, but it has a closet that's basically just an open nook in one wall, a door that opens into a creepy dark spiral staircase/fire escape on another wall AND a large window on the third of its six walls. Oh wait--that's not a large window...it's a door. A door that opens onto nothing. Our apartment is on the second floor. You do the math.


But finally--FINALLY--after 2 1/2 years of living in this nonsensical violet room, I'm getting a balcony! Sure, I won't be able to do this (totally unsafe and definitely not mom-sanctioned) thing anymore:

But...a balcony! 

Yeah, so last Wednesday morning, I wandered down the hallway--bleary-eyed and still in my pajamas--to find a bunch of men just outside our kitchen, dismantling the balcony. It was all rather unexpected, seeing as how our landlord Dolores (or Dolly, as we fondly call her) never bothered to inform us that this massive construction project was actually happening ON WEDNESDAY, AT 7:00 A.M., ON OUR BALCONY.  But it's not like I can really complain because, well...balcony.

It's gonna be like this every day:

I can't wait.

Come on in, the water's...cold, low oxygen, high pressure, and salty

My marine reptiles presentation is today! I'm including these drawings in my powerpoint:

This one is my last slide: 

Any questions?

Wish me luck!

Notes From a Meeting

Hey everybody--I got the first of my guest submissions today! This one's from my dad!!!


Here's what he said:
"While others are taking notes or checking their Blackberries, this is what I do during meetings. I'm sure I have no idea what they mean - aside from the one about coffee."

(Remember, you can enlarge the picture by clicking on it...if you haven't figured that out already)

My gmail inbox is lonely--send it some comics to keep it company!

And now for something *a little* different...

New comic is on its way--but in the meantime, I thought I'd try something different. 

Now, because I'm going to be a little bit pressed for time these next few weeks (four papers, a presentation, little sis coming to visit), I was hoping I could perhaps get some guest contributers. I'm not asking for much (clip art, stick figures, collages, etc. WILL be accepted) but yeah, if you hear/see/do/think of something comic-worthy, draw it, scan it, and send it to me, Manta, at montreal.manta@gmail.com. I know I've got some funny and talented readers out there, and just think, you'll be doing this busy little elasmobranch a BIG favor.


Manta

Happy Birthday Tessa!!!!!!!

Tessa, Alan and Martha were so thrilled with that portrait you did of them, they decided to throw you a party! Complete with quesadillas and homemade salsa and banana margaritas--non-virgin, obviously, because you are no kid (22! what?) and without tequila, a margarita is just a smoothie! If you're lucky, there may even be a sombrero for you too!

For those of you who are not Tessa and/or don't read Tessa's blogs, Tessa did the best portrait in the world, based on this segment from the Martha Stewart show, featuring the unlikely duo of Martha Stewart and Alan Cumming, in sombreros. 

This is their way of giving back.

Relief

As indicated by the increased presence of herpetofauna on MTTPL and the decreased presence of actual comics, I was studying all week for my Herpetology lab exam, which was rumored to be "one of the toughest exams at McGill" (my TA's words). And while the exam itself turned out to be not as bad as I thought it would be, let's just say Tuesday was a very looonnnnngggggg day. Not only was this hanging over my head, but I had a monster cold AND I had to look pretty for grad photos (made challenging by said monster cold) AND I had to give a presentation on why the pygmy snaketail should be considered threatened in Canada (also made challenging by said monster cold). So by the time I got onto the metro, headed at long last for home, I was ready to drop.

I'm not joking, I nearly fell asleep standing up in the LITERALLY TWO STOPS between school and my apartment. That look on my face? Pure relief--relief and anticipation of a good night's sleep and dreams mercifully free of slithering, croaking, hopping damp and scaly things.

As a side note, I can now recognize SEVENTEEN FROG CALLS! A skill that will undoubtedly serve me well in my urban surroundings!!!

Emily Peal

Hey guys, comics are on their way! I swear!

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I just want to take a moment to give a shout-out to my friend Emily who just released her album, Stacking Doll, a couple days ago. Emily is my oldest friend in all the world: we've known each other since we were something ridiculous like 2 weeks old AND we share the best birthday in the world, May 7. And basically since I've known Emily, she's always wanted to be a singer so...I've been waiting for this for like, forever. And let me tell you, this album was definitely worth the wait. Not only does she have the loveliest voice but her songs are all kinds of delightful and clever.

Give her a listen at http://emilypeal.bandcamp.com/album/stacking-doll. You will be glad you did. And make sure you listen to the songs from her EP as well, because they are likewise awesome.