{"id":23612,"date":"2018-05-09T06:06:22","date_gmt":"2018-05-09T10:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/?p=23612"},"modified":"2019-11-27T11:37:28","modified_gmt":"2019-11-27T16:37:28","slug":"just-like-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2018\/05\/09\/just-like-heaven\/","title":{"rendered":"Just Like Heaven"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\"\"A year ago I was polishing off what turned out to be one of my all-time favorite sketchbooks which I referred to as The Sketchbook from Heaven<\/a>.<\/em> I tried to find or, in some cases, make a replacement<\/a>, but nothing fit the bill. As luck would have it, my eagle-eyed wife found a very similar sketchbook by the same manufacturer at the same store this past Christmas. The difference between this and last year’s sketchbook is that the covers are colorfully festooned with graphics meant to entice it’s intended juvenile audience. The graphics didn’t do anything for me, but I carried the book with me everywhere and kept it close at hand in case inspiration struck.<\/p>\n

…but it wasn’t the same. I only occasionally jotted a note or scribbled something down. It seemed similar to the old sketchbook, but it wasn’t the same. The inspiration did not strike.<\/p>\n

Sigh.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Then the motor turned over or the rust shook off or some other metaphor occurred, and I found myself flipping open the cheap, little,\u00a0llama<\/em> sketchbook more and more. It was slow going at first, but a flow was starting. The stuff I drew was making me happy.<\/p>\n

\"Doodles <\/a>
Doodles of the fearsome Atomic Warrior <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
The hideous two-headed, mutant monster that was the horrifying result of the fusion between a Led Zeppelin fan and a Pink Floyd fan. Pink Zeppelin! <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Variation <\/a>
Variation on the Atomic Warrior <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
The two-headed monster that guards the ruins of a record shop <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"A <\/a>
A toothy, mutant freak <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

For some reason I keep revisiting the Atomic Warrior<\/em><\/a> which was a character I cooked up<\/a> as a Halloween costume for my son. The original idea was What if George Lucas forged ahead with Star Wars<\/strong> with no budget?<\/em> More characters and a storyline percolated up through the pages as I doodled. It’s now a post-apocalyptic story following the Third World War<\/em> that started and ended very quickly around 1980. The creatures and freaks battle it out in the radioactive remains of what is known as The Delaware Valley.<\/a>\u00a0So it’s a short time ago in an area not too far away…<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A year ago I was polishing off what turned out to be one of my all-time favorite sketchbooks which I referred to as The Sketchbook from Heaven. I tried to find or, in some cases, make a replacement, but nothing … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":23617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[49],"tags":[4388,17,8,312,726,9,20,76,43,3661,5,23,122,354,3669,4081,25,4134,480,4389],"class_list":["post-23612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-it-came-from-the-sketchbook","tag-apocalypse","tag-cartoon","tag-cartoons","tag-comic","tag-comic-book","tag-comics","tag-handmade","tag-horror","tag-humor","tag-illustration","tag-joe-williams","tag-monster","tag-new-jersey","tag-pennsylvania","tag-philadelphia","tag-pink-zeppelin","tag-sketchbook","tag-the-atomic-warrior","tag-usa","tag-ww-iii"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/AW_4-9-2018.jpg?fit=800%2C552&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1ed1x-68Q","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":22241,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2017\/05\/09\/sketchbook-from-heaven-%e2%80%a2-1222017-572017\/","url_meta":{"origin":23612,"position":0},"title":"Sketchbook from Heaven \u2022 1\/22\/2017 – 5\/7\/2017","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"May 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Usually when I finish off a sketchbook, I have either a feeling of accomplishment because I've managed a few competent scribbles within or relief in that I finally put an especially irritating pad that I made the mistake of purchasing out of my\u00a0misery. With this cheap little scratch-pad I got\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "It Came From the Sketchbook"","block_context":{"text":"It Came From the Sketchbook","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/sfh-the_end.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/sfh-the_end.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/sfh-the_end.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22141,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2017\/04\/15\/swing-and-a-miss\/","url_meta":{"origin":23612,"position":1},"title":"Swing and a Miss","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"April 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is another doodle with Derwent Dark Wash pencils. This one was done in a Canson XL Mix Media pad which I will be using regularly just as soon as the Sketchbook from Heaven is exhausted which I'm sad to say will be soon.","rel":"","context":"In "It Came From the Sketchbook"","block_context":{"text":"It Came From the Sketchbook","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"deadly blow","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/c1.staticflickr.com\/3\/2940\/33893718752_55a53cd910_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/c1.staticflickr.com\/3\/2940\/33893718752_55a53cd910_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/c1.staticflickr.com\/3\/2940\/33893718752_55a53cd910_z.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43849,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2024\/10\/04\/so-long-cursed-sketchbook\/","url_meta":{"origin":23612,"position":2},"title":"So Long, Cursed Sketchbook","author":"Joe","date":"October 4, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Fuxi Sketchbook No. 2 of 2 5\/16\/23 - 10\/3\/24 I was finally able to put this disappointing sketchbook out of my misery. Why was it disappointing? Well, the size, price and the binding were right. It measured 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches and it was bound along the short side.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "It Came From the Sketchbook"","block_context":{"text":"It Came From the Sketchbook","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/psycho-apple-guy.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":40850,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2023\/07\/12\/done-with-another-discount-sketchbook\/","url_meta":{"origin":23612,"position":3},"title":"Done With Another Discount Sketchbook","author":"Joe","date":"July 12, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I finished off the HQ Fine Stroke Sketch Draw that I picked up from Philadelphia based discounter Five Below. The price was right, and I liked the pad's size of 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches as well as the wire binding being placed along one of the short ends, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "It Came From the Sketchbook"","block_context":{"text":"It Came From the Sketchbook","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Nora-the-cave-woman.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Nora-the-cave-woman.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Nora-the-cave-woman.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":39545,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2022\/11\/22\/mesmerized-by-a-cheap-sketchbook\/","url_meta":{"origin":23612,"position":4},"title":"Mesmerized by a Cheap Sketchbook","author":"Joe","date":"November 22, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"My love affair with a three-dollar sketchbook meant for the juvenile market continues as I find myself doodling in it regularly. I keep it within reach in case inspiration strikes and I have to jot down a note or scribble a drawing. Fortunately inspiration has been visiting me regularly, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Doodle Tuesday"","block_context":{"text":"Doodle Tuesday","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/doodle-tuesday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Big-Bad-Wolf.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Big-Bad-Wolf.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Big-Bad-Wolf.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22204,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2017\/05\/04\/going-going\/","url_meta":{"origin":23612,"position":5},"title":"Going…going…","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"May 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Sketchbook from Heaven is fading fast. I only have a couple of blank pages left as of this writing. I'll soon be moving on to the sketchbook I cleaved in two in order to approximate the aspect ratio of my soon-to-be completed pad. Hopefully the new sketchbook will be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "It Came From the Sketchbook"","block_context":{"text":"It Came From the Sketchbook","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/White-Heat.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23612\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}