I killed a bunch of (imaginary) people today...

Going through a lot of old art folders and sketchbooks, and came upon an old, old folder full of weird characters from a strange Heavy Metal-ish story I used to tinker with about fifteen years ago. Lots of science-fiction and super-hero type stuff...the kind of stuff I'm completely disinterested in at this point.

It wasn't anything published, mind you--just some stuff I used to doodle and daydream about.

The artwork itself was awful, and the concepts and ideas were pretty much ripped off from anything and anyone. You know...the kind of crap you do when you're in your early 20s. ;)

I've been toting this stuff around for almost 20 years, because I threw a bunch of art away when I was 22, and regretted doing so. Told myself I'd never do it again.

However, looking through some of this crap...well, it's just embarrassing. So I took out some pieces I was still fond of, and ran the rest through the shredder.

It felt odd, but not bad. Like I was closing a door I never planned on opening again.

All told, there were about nine or ten characters from this old folder who I'll never see again. That sounds very melancholy, but it's not. All the good ones survived, and I may end up sticking them in a Locus comic a few years down the road.

It's good, every now and then, to trim the fat from your life. Helps you focus on the things you want to develop some more.

I feel 10 years younger and 10 pounds lighter somehow. :)