RKdia Comics

Okay, I hate my day job…night job…whatever. I work 4pm-close, four measly days a week (I refuse to work that 5th day, I save that for art projects, which is what this blog is about,) for about 6-7 hours as a dishwasher/prep/general kitchen bitchery at a local “Upscale American Bistro.” and as much as I need the money and tolerate the Bro-riffic atmosphere of a kitchen, and the hopeless, selfish, mindlessness of most of the people up-front…there is one thing I will not tolerate, and tonight someone decided to cross that line.

Wednesdays and Thursdays during the summer are simply the WORST for me. Basically, the job I have is a 2-man job…I always have a backup dishwasher to work the sinks while I take care of all my prep/deserts etc…except on Wed and Thurs during the summer because it’s so incredibly slow. This of course means I’m doing the work of 2 people all night, including the cleanup and dishwashing/pot sink for the entire kitchen at the end of night. It’s a lot of work, and I never look forward to it.

To the point: Tonight was one of those nights I had to close by myself. The servers up front are always breathing down your neck after close because they want all their dishes and bar materials brought up front asap so they can put them away, polish and get the hell outta’ dodge. I’m usually already pretty tired, smelly, achy and just not wanting to be there by this point in the night…but I generaly just clam up and crawl towards the finish line.

Tonight a Co-Worker decided that telling me while discussing getting the fuck out of work: “oh, c’mon…you’re just going to go home and draw, and not do anything cool like play video games.” BAD IDEA. I was pretty put off by this. There’s a saying that goes “If you do what you love, you never have to work a day in your life.” The bros and hos I work with generally don’t understand what I do, they don’t get us cartoonists, which is unfortunate for them because we’re everywhere in White River Junction, but I LOVE drawing, I LOVE working on my comic. One day I hope to turn this “not-cool” thing into what puts food on my table.

I don’t know if this co-worker has EVER had a creative endeavor in her life, but how would you feel if you put your heart and soul into something every day…something you think you could make a career of…and then be told that the hours and hours of work you put into it is not what you should be doing with your free time? I raged a bit, I honestly did, but mostly inside…I’m not about to lose even a shitty job in this down economy because of someone’s ignorance and inability to keep her mouth shut. Let’s see her draw even a straight line, much less study and then attempt to create a compelling fantasy narrative.

Also, since WHEN did “video games = cooler than comics?” The nerds truly have won…but even after my 2 years at CCS and now as I work on Citadel…I’m not entirely convinced Cartoonists are among the nerds that have won still. It’s an up-hill battle with both the general public, the publishers and other cartoonists…and hearing people saying things like that really do make me question the last 2 years of my life.

Did I mention the whole reason I’m doing comics is because of video games? Thanks.

Regardless…just as I tolerate that awful night-job of mine, I’ll tolerate the ignorance of the general public I serve and work with in hopes that by putting a quality product in their hands…they’ll change their tune.

In the meantime: anyone need a full time illustrator/designer/cartoonist…or want a freelance commission so I don’t have to go to that job anymore?

-RD