(no subject)
Sometimes the dial loops all the way back around to the bottom and goes past it, so that it becomes the top again. Sometimes you just have to laugh. And this evening has definitely been more surreal than an episode of a sitcom. I showed up at the home of Carl Lundgren (the ConFusion Art GoH) and his wife, and it went like this.
Carl: "Matt, hi! I didn't expect to see you here."
Me: "You sent me an email asking me to come over and bring another copy of last year's program book."
Carl: "No I didn't. Did you send it, Michele?"
Michele: "Yes, that was me. Sometimes I send email as my husband."
Carl: "And then forgets to tell me. Well I'm glad you're here anyway, Matt. The WordPad documents of content which they sent me are all in different fonts. How do I put different WordPad documents into one WordPad document? Plus WordPad only seems to put it in all one long page. How do you make separate pages so it can be printed as a book?"
Me: "I thought you were almost done."
Michele: "Well more like not started. We don't have one of those fancy programs, you see."
Carl: "How do you cut and paste from an email?"
Me: "Well, first click in it, press CTRL-A... Oh, that doesn't work in America Online? Then I guess you don't."
Carl: "And I don't have a printer, so I'm not sure how I will rubber cement the photos onto the pages. I'm not really all that good with the words stuff."
Me: *sees where this is going*
Michele: "Matt, what was used to make this program book from last year?"
Me: "Somebody just took my last ConFusion program book from two years ago, and slotted new info into it, sloppily, at the last minute."
Me: *thinks about sending those InDesign documents to Richard Sussman, since he is extremely capable...*
Carl: "Could... could you do the words part? If I help with advice and guidance?"
Me: *wonders if Richard has the fonts and the same version of InDesign... Thinks about all the work of solving technological incompatibilities... Thinks about the unfairness of asking Richard to do a week of work in two days...*
Me: "Sure. I lost my job today, so I have plenty of time. Just send me the illustrations you make and I'll slot them in."
So then they wanted to make paper mock-ups and tell me what content would go on what pages. Which I am going to diplomatically ignore. Argued about which GoHs were the most important and which were the least important. Then I taught their daughter how to send photos from her camera phone to the web, since "the phone doesn't have a disk slot."
Then I came home and made this drawing.
Comments
atdt1991 on Jan. 5, 2008 3:30 AM
Aw, shit. I'm really sorry to hear that (all of it).
zillafan on Jan. 5, 2008 9:26 AM
As it is always better to laugh than cry (which why you see me laughing all the time) I especially enjoy the graphic and the post. I think I see the frustrated bemusement you must have felt with the situation at hand and wish you (and Richard) well with the program book.
I liked reading the bit about rubber cement.
In my college days at the Center for Creative Studies, just as they were beginning to move away from the bank Apple IIe computers to more Industrial Design machinery, I used to mix my own “rubber cement” for a class on what was than known commonly as “key-lining” and I am certain the old fashioned preparing and laying out of graphic materials in the form of "ink, paper, glue and board" for photo reproduction goes on even today (and probably is more prevalent than I want to believe).
I have been more than thankful for advancements in technology and software (notably HP, Corel and Adobe!) over the years and their contribution to personal and professional desktop publishing. From an artist’s perspective having to go through the process from soup to nuts this tech sure can give you time to focus on the soup! At least more time than in the “bygone days of yore”.
I wonder if Chief Engineer Scott would look back on the whole thing and marvel at how quaint it is/was but it gives some perspective on how quickly things evolve doesn’t it? We have grown reliant on these miraculous instruction-executing machines of the Information Age known commonly as computers; when I meet someone schooled in the “old ways” and struggling, as we all struggle, with the ever-changing tools and technologies I like to think I am still young enough (or is it old enough) to know when to envy them and when to pity them. So many disparate skills and tools to bring to bear I think we forget what an achievement it can be to meet that deadline and get that project done.
Sorry to digress and for being oh so verbose this early on a Saturday morning however it just struck a resonate cord and ignited a personal memory/opinion I needed to share.
More importantly than any of that, keep perspective on the program book and, in all your future projects and endeavors best regards and good luck! I do feel your pain.
Now I wonder if I have the old formula for rubber cement around here somewhere... where is my Bestine?
rwhe on Jan. 5, 2008 10:36 AM — Laughcry
Dude! Sorry about your losing your job. I'm making it my mission to import all the Michigan guys like you and Clark to Seattle, where the streets are paved with milk and honey, and we have a great gaming and game design scene.
It is a sad, sad story you tell. None of my electronics have "disk slots" anymore either. I wonder why I never noticed that before.
Chin up.
Ron
blue-duck on Jan. 5, 2008 12:35 PM
Wow. I'm kind of laughing and crying for you over here. Hang in. Things tend to get better in stupid-weird ways.
Leave a Comment