Autumn Schoolgirl

After a HORRIFIC heat wave that ended about a week ago, it has since been unseasonably cool here in Michigan, which for me is how this cursed time of year SHOULD be. This weekend, for examples, highs are only hitting the 60s. So, since it FEELS all nice and autumnal, it seemed like a good time to make something with a nice, fall setting.

Also, this time of year when, although summer is far from over, every unfortunate child in America is being bombarded with constant reminders that the new schoolyear looms overhead. I can only assume it's WORSE nowadays, but when I was a kid, we'd be starting to get pelted with constant Back to School ads right about now. And Meijer was one of the worst offenders, because they'd try to be all cute and play the children's misery and parent's jubilation over having to go back to school for laughs. Which, in addition to pissing me off as a child, offends my sense of humor NOW as a grown man because it's so damn hackneyed. Throw in some jokes about airline food and men leaving the toilet seat up and you have a Triple Crown of half-assed comedy.

Not only that, every damn adult you met would gleefully ask "So, are you ready for school for start?" and then LAUGH AND LAUGH when one of us kids replied in a negative fashion. Ever wonder what kind of people genuinely and unabashedly enjoyed the show Full House and thought it was funny? HERE THEY ARE, my friends! I just wish I'd possessed that same sense of sarcasm when I was ten. Oh well. I'm not a kid anymore. You can't hurt me anymore, Back to School sales! Unless I have children someday, then, well, then you'll hurt my wallet. Dick.

As for the drawing itself, this is a revisit of something I made ten years ago. I got into a habit for a while of drawing schoolgirls in late summer. You can see a little more of at 20-year-old male mentality in the original, in the way the girl is dressed down a bit more. Because, hey ladies, how many of you HAVEN'T sat in a shady spot of the schoolyard, and relaxed by unbuttoning your blouse and kicking back? So, you can see that, yes, as I've grown older, I HAVE developed a sense of restraint.

I changed the setting from spring to fall for the reasons I stated at the top there. I'm in an Autumnal mood. Also, I gave her more of a western school uniform, I'm thinking especially British. Which is why her copy of </i>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</i> has the British cover. Why Order of the Phoenix? Couple reasons. One, it was the most recent book as of 2003, when I made my original version. Also, I thought the colors would match the fall setting really well.

I had a lot of fun making the environment, especially those lamp posts. I'm not sure what made me decide to depict this as an overcast day, but I like how it looks. The only problem is it now makes a little strange for that girl to be out there. It's like "The wind is picking up, and those dark clouds sure look ominous. I think I'll have a seat, kick off my heels, and do a little reading in the fresh air."

Anyway, if you're like me and not so crazy about the hot weather, or even if you love summer: THINK AUTUMN, people! Remember, it's the season that brings us football and Halloween. And if you have kids, it marks the return to them being the damn STATE'S problem for seven hours each day! That's gotta have its perks.