#lna vol 3

[gccladiesnight]

LNA Creator Spotlight: Laura Neubert

Enjoy our second installment of the LNA Creator Spotlight! This week we’re focused on alumni Laura Neubert!

Social Media Info

 Twitter - https://twitter.com/MissRosengeist

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/miss_rosengeist/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/laura.neubert.7

Tumblr - https://www.tumblr.com/blog/rosengeist

Portfolio/website - http://rosengeist.daportfolio.com

Credits

Where might we know you from? - Recently, I worked as the

cover artist, and interior pencil artist for the Artful comic

series from Action Lab Entertainment. I have also been

featured in several comic anthologies, including Valor,

Then it was Dark, and Secret Loves of Geek Girls.

Which volume of Ladies Night Anthology did you work on? – I was in

Volume 3 : How to Magic

 What’s next for you? – I’m looking to do some work on

personal projects. :)

Background

 How did you become a comics fan? - I casually always read

comics and manga. As a kid, my parents would get me

Disney comics from the grocery store, and I was secretly

reading Elfquest whenever I was in the library and could

sneak it away to the kids section. In high school and middle

school I had a massive artist crush on Rumiko Takahashi.

When I got into my early 20’s and found Neil Gaiman’s The

Sandman comics, and Marian Churchland’s Beast, I was

sold.

Who are your biggest writing/art influences? – I try to take

influences from areas outside of comics, as well as inside.

As a creative person, I have deep respect and owe a lot to

the influence of the Impressionists (particularly Degas), and

Klimt, as well as authors like Charlotte Bronte and Tanith

Lee. As far as current comics, I dig a lot of the stuff that’s

coming out of web comics, and of course, have a love for

Marian Churchland’s work. I’m also kind of a nerd for

Adrian Alphona’s work, especially in Miss Marvel.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that at one point I

wanted to be in theater, and also wanted to be an animator,

so Broadway musicals and Disney/Miyazaki/animation in

general are deep pools of inspiration for me.

At the risk of sounding like an ass, I think its best to try and

find inspiration anywhere you can. Why limit yourself to one

medium, or one kind of storytelling outlet. People are

complex, we should honor that.

 What is your dream job? There are so many things I still want to do. I’m not sure I can really limit it to one thing. I work in comics, but I’d also

like to write novels, and I’m deeply interested in trying to

learn more about science, medicine, and social work.

I am not entirely sure what my dream job is. The one thing

I’ve learned about dreams is that they constantly are in flux.

As you change, they change. At the moment, I just want to

make cool, engaging things and try to help people around

me better.

What work are you most proud of?

I’m pretty happy with Artful, as it was my first title as a solo

penciller and cover artist.

Why do you want to work in comics?

Comics are such an amazing, diverse, low cost, medium. I

feel like that’s as close as you can get to complete control.

Aside from sound, the artist and author is in charge of

everything. It’s a lot of responsibility, and sometimes, it

makes for some awkwardly revealing work, but there is a

sincerity to it that I really enjoy.

I mean, even when you’re getting into something that’s

much more tightly controlled like licensed characters, I

loved that you can still be like “That’s John Romita Sr.’s

Spiderman!” or “That’s totally Humberto Ramos work!”

There is still a lot more of the individual apparent. I kind of

love that it can be so intimate on a small, indie level, but

even when you get to mainstream comics in any genre, you

can see the fingerprints of many different people on it at

different times.

Advice

 What helps you get into a creative headspace?

Musicals, a good nights rest, exercise, talking with friends

and novels. The older I get, the more I firmly believe that

creative headspaces are fueled by the world they come

from. No artist can help but be a product of their

environment, so, it helps to have a good environment.

Best critique you’ve ever had?

“Just because you put your heart into it, doesn’t mean

anyone is obligated to like it.” I think a lot of times, because

artists put so much of themselves into their work, we can

feel devastated and defensive when people critique us.

Learning that everyone has a right to dislike your stuff for

any reason, and that it is not a reflection on you as a

person is, I think, a fundamental skill for any creative

person to develop.

Also “Damnit, you’ve been sitting in the chair for 8 hours.

Go, take a break!”

Take breaks…legit. Take care of your body as best you

can.

Best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t abuse your body by overworking it. Also, don’t take

on work you aren’t interested in.

What advice would you give to creators just starting out?

Be patient and don’t quit your day job until art pays most

the bills. When you have to depend on something as

unpredictable as art to survive, it can wear you out. By being

patient and allowing your art and reputation to develop over time,

without being dependent on it to survive, you can approach it

much more healthily.

Do you have any specific writing/art tips?

Don’t take inspiration from only one source. If you only

watch anime, read something completely out of left field

like a theoretical non-fiction science book, or watch a

medical drama. Any time you pull inspiration from varied

sources, it gives you a better understanding of what works

in some media and what doesn’t…also, you just get more

interesting ideas that way.

Nothing will ever really feel perfect, and most artists

actually dislike their own work as soon as it’s done. Don’t

seek perfection, perfection takes time, and its subjective.

Seek completion.

How do you relax?

Novels in the bath tub. And cats, and cooking, and delightful

little coffee shops.

Industry

 How long have you been working in comics?

This is my 3 rd year working in the industry, going on 4.

Realistically, if I count in school, and hobby comics, I’ve been

trying to sort this out for about 7-8 years now.

Do you have a day job?

Yes and no. Currently I’m a full time artist, but I do tend to

run a lot of errands for people, and I’m interested in

learning new job skills.

Have you seen changes in the industry since you joined?

Yes! I think we’re starting to see more respect for Indie comics,

story telling and style in general, and there is a LOT more room

for small press and indie press to get their work out in the public,

which I love, because that’s what I tend to gravitate towards

anyway. 

Favorite convention

I don’t have a fave per se, but I definitely enjoy smaller

cons like Mocca, Vancaf and Dink that lean more towards

small press publishers. That being said, Emerald City

Comic Con, and Geek Girl Con are always a blast for me.

The former for being so insanely massive and having so

much talent, and the latter just because it’s so fun! I love

the environment that convention has been developing.

[mitchbeck]

CANTLON: WOLF PACK OFF-SEASON - VOL. 8

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The final trophy in professional hockey for the 2018-2019 has been awarded when the Stanley Cup was presented to the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night. But now the real work begins as every team will start to make their plans to fill their rosters with the best possible talent in search of a championship in 2019-20. STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS It was a classic Game 7, and the AHL played had a big role in directing Lord Stanley to St. Louis. It's been 49 years since the Blues last appeared in a Stanley Cup final (1970) and it was their first win in the franchise's 52 years in existence. The Blues' 4-1 victory was aided by a spectacular performance from goaltender Jordan Binnington. He made 32 saves including 12 superlative stops in the first period. Remember, the Blues were dead last in the NHL on January 3rd. They were 31st out of 31 teams when they fired head coach Mike Yeo and named Craig Berube their interim head coach. But that wasn't the only move that turned their franchise around. The first move was to relegate their then-starter, Jake Allen, to his being their backup goalie. They traded away ex-Pack Chad Johnson to the Anaheim Ducks and elevated Binnington from the AHL's San Antonio Rampage. The Rampage started off just as bad as their parent club. They went 2-8 in October but were able to get back to near .500 with a 16-7-1-0 run that included a seven-game winning streak. Binnington, who was nicknamed Winnington by his Rampage teammates, was summoned to calm the icy waters between the team's 4 x 6 cage. What's truly ironic is that a year ago Binnington was playing for the Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence, just 50 miles south of where he hoisted hockey’s Holy Grail on Wednesday. He was assigned there because St. Louis out of Chicago for an affiliate had to assign prospects throughout the AHL before getting their affiliation in San Antonio this year. Binnington becomes just the fourth rookie goalie to win a Stanley Cup Game 7. The other names on that list are pretty good goalies. They include Ken Dryden (Montreal 1971), Cam Ward (Carolina 2006) and Frank McCool (Toronto 1935). The AHL is an NHL development league. It would be fitting for the cover of the 2019-20 AHL Media Guide to feature Binnington. CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS The Checkers pulled off checkmate in five games and captured their first AHL Calder Cup in team history. The Checkers were the AHL’s best team in the regular season and now post season as well. The Checkers on the road in Chicago captured the top prize of the AHL with a 5-3 win over the Chicago Wolves. Andrew Poturlarski scored two goals including the game’s first goal just 1:31 in and the eventual game-winner. He was awarded the Jack Butterfield Playoff MVP trophy registering 12 goals and 23 points in 18 games. Morgan Geekie also chipped in a goal and assist in the championship-clinching win. Ex-Pack goalie, Dustin Tokarski, was amazing and earned his second Calder Cup ring. Since his loan reassignment to Charlotte on February 28th, Tokarski didn’t lose a game. While with the Checkers during the regular season he went 7-0-0 with a 1.14 GAA and a .935 save percentage. In the regular season with the Pack, he was 10-6-2-1 with a 3.10 GAA and a .901 save percentage. Following a 9-1-1-0 hot streak, Tokarski finished by going 1-5-1-1 and was pulled in his last game with the Wolf Pack on February 17th against the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins. It was the second time he was pulled from a game in two weeks. In the postseason for Charlotte, Tokarski went 5-0 and posted a 1.74 GAA and a .935 save percentage. He will likely head next year to play in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) after having received four offers. Ex-Whaler Mike Vellucci, who was voted the Louis A. Pieri AHL Coach of the Year, as well as ex-Nighthawk Don Waddell, the team GM, will get Calder Cup rings. Ex-Pack Bobby Sanguinetti played in ten playoff games leading up to the finals, added a goal and five assists, However, Sanguinetti didn’t play in any of the game's Calder Cup Finals. Neither did Zach Stortini, who's one of the toughest guys in AHL history and who's likely to retire this summer that’s the only blemish on one of the best AHL teams along with Manchester to capture the tile in the last ten years. The team should send a ring to former Hurricanes GM and Whaler great Ron Francis. The players on that roster are his draft picks and helped fuel this championship run. Next stop Saturday, October 5th, the Wolf Pack home opener. PLAYERS & COACHING MOVEMENT The first of JD’s roving development coaches to work with younger prospects has been hired. Ex-Pack, Tanner Glass, 35, hung up the player skates after playing for GHC Bordeau (France-FREL) last year. He played 527 NHL games and 186 in the AHL. The Dartmouth grad was a superb blend of hard work, skill, toughness, and brains. It's a good first choice by JD. Head coach Jay Woodcroft of the Bakersfield Condors has been given a two-year extension by Edmonton. The Ontario Reign's assistant coach, and one-time Springfield Falcon player and assistant coach, David Bell, has left the team. He's bounced around the last few years between the OHL and AHL. John Madden, the former NJ Devil, not the Oakland Raider Coach, was let go by the Cleveland Monsters after two seasons. Officially, it was mutually agreed, but it is rumored that Madden and his players didn’t mesh well. AHL TO EUROPE LIST GROWS The fourth player lost by The Bridgeport Sound Tigers to heading across the pond is goalie Jeremy Smith. He signed with Kunlun (China-KHL). Joining him in China is Spencer Foo (Stockton), an Asian-Canadian kid who could potentially play for the Chinese Olympic Team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. Ex-CT Whale Tim Erixon finally heads back to Sweden. He signed with Vaxjo (Sweden-SHL), Goalie, Eddie Pasquale, goes from Syracuse to Barys Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan-KHL), Emil Petterson Tucson/Milwaukee joins Erixon at Vaxjo HC (Sweden-SHL) and Sam Carrick leaves San Diego to EV Zug (Switzerland-LNA). Leaving the AHL to Euro number at 43. Ex-Pack and former captain, Mat Bodie, moves from Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL) to Vaxjo HC (Sweden-SHL) on a one year deal. Ex-Pack Simon Denis leaves the Daemyung Killer Whale (South Korea-ALIH) and signs with Tokohu Free Blades (Japan-ALIH) next season. Mike Little (Enfield) leaves EC Kassel Huskies (Germany DEL-2) for SonderyskE (Denmark-DHL). Goalie, Patrick Spano (Yale/Westminster Prep), goes from HC Chambery (France Division-2) to Liege (Belgium-Netherlands BEL-NED) next season. Chad Staley of the University Alaska-Fairbanks (WCHA) heads to Hamburg (Germany- Division-3). That makes 34 collegians to sign Euro deals and 219 total US collegians Division I and III to sign pro deals. Ex-Pack, Garth Murray was named the full-time head coach for Aalborg Pirates (Denmark-DHL). He was the assistant coach for a year-and-a-half and was elevated on February 5th, 2018 to the head spot. Former Whaler, Robert Petrovicky, was named the coach of Slovakia’s U-20 team that will play in the 2020 World Junior Championship (WJC). The Championships will be held in the Czech Republic in Ostrava and Trinec, which is near the Czech Republic-Slovak Republic border from December 26th to January 5th. In his playing days, Petrovicky played for the last Czechoslovakia WJC team in 1993 before the country split into two separate republics. Missed this one from the NAHL Draft. Will Dineen, the son of former Hartford Whaler great, Kevin Dineen, was drafted by the Odessa Jackalopes in the seventh round (162nd overall) and he was also selected in the April USHL Draft by the Omaha Lancers in the seventh round (98th overall). The younger Dineen played for the prestigious Chicago Mission U-18 program that plays in the HPHL U-18 Division. Hockey is in this family tree. His daughter, Hannah, finished her college hockey career at Colby (Maine) and his niece, Ashley, finished her D-III career as well at St. Michael’s, VT. Kevin's brother, Gord is the assistant coach with Rochester. His brother Shawn is an ex-Nighthawk is a pro scour for Nashville, brother Peter is an assistant coach with Adirondack (ECHL) after 19 years as a scout with Columbus and brother and Jerry has been the Rangers video coach for the last 16 years. Their late father Bill started the hockey lineage as he played on two Stanley Cup championships back to back with the Detroit Red Wings 1953-1955 with Gordie Howe. He coached the WHA Houston Aeros all seven years of their existence in the league with his old linemate, Gordie Howe, still playing, winning two Avco Cups. He coached the last WHA New England Whalers team. He was a scout for the Hartford Whalers their first two NHL seasons. From the “They-Grow-Up-Up-Quickly" department, after receiving a text from ex-Wolf Pack great, Derek Armstrong, his oldest son, Dawson, now 18, and who was born in Hartford will be trying out in the fall for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJHL). The Jr. Sabres assistant coach is one of Army’s old Wolf Pack teammates, Tony Tuzzolino, whose older brother, Nick is the Head Coach). The other assistant is former CT Whale, Tim Kennedy. Army's second son, Easton Armstrong, just finished his second junior camp with Regina (WHL), but he will play for the LA Kings AAA U-18 (TIEHL) squad this year. KEVIN DINEEN Click HERE for a great article on Kevin Dineen In addition, a companion video of Dineen’s discussing his favorite hockey memorabilia is HERE. Dineen would make the perfect next coach for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Dineen fits what the team so badly needs right now, a strong leader. No offense is not meant in a disparaging way the last two head coaches in Keith McCambridge, and Ken Gernander. A coach with a strong playing background in the NHL 1,188 games with 355 goals, 405 assists for 760 points and 2,229 PIM. He played two stints with the Whalers 1984-1991 and from 1995-1997. He played in that fateful last game in Whalers history and was the captain for the last Whalers team and the Carolina Hurricanes first team. He played for Philadelphia where he wore the A twice, skated for Ottawa and closed out his playing days the last three years with Columbus. Dineen has a solid NHL coaching resume. He spent three years as Head Coach of the Florida Panthers. He then spent a little over four years in Chicago with the Blackhawks earning a Stanley Cup ring as the assistant coach with his close friend and former Whaler teammate, Joel Quenneville. Ironically, he just took the head coaching job at Florida last month. Dineen, Quenneville, and Ulf Samuelsson, the three Whalers amigo’s, were let go by Chicago last November 6th, but their Whaler jersey numbers 5, 10, and 11 remain “retired” in the rafters of the XL Center. Between his Florida and Chicago gigs, Dineen helped guide the Canadian women to the Gold medal at the Olympics. He was also the Head Coach of the Canadian U-18 team at their WJC tournament. Dineen is a former Whaler who was highly popular here is second in all the top player categories with 587 games, 235 goals 268 assists and 503 points tops is, of course, Ron Francis (714-264-557-821) and he is second in PIM at 1,237 to Torrie Robertson’s 1,368. and met his wife here and their kids were born here. When he was in Portland, where he spent six years as the team's head coach, the players there spoke highly of his motivational value and willingness to work with younger players and incorporate new ideas. Give him some good new younger assistant coaches seeking to patch the holes in the Wolf Pack ship, and get some energy in the locker room, and maybe jump start the non-existent marketing of this team with that big smile and love of Hartford from Dineen. It’s worth a shot. QMHL DRAFT From a CT point of view Selects Academy of South Kent Prep school was the big winner with eight players selected at the QMJHL Draft last Saturday in Quebec City. The first part is an open-ended draft and there is a second American only draft where three of the eight were taken. Oscar Plandowski was the first taken in the 1st round (18th overall) by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. He is a Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) commit for 2020-21. Cam MacDonald was taken in the 3rd round (51st overall) by the Saint John Sea Dogs. He is scheduled to play for the Sioux City Stampede (USHL) next season but has no current college commit. Ryan Greene was taken in the 4th round (59th overall) by the Charlottetown Islanders. Greene is a Boston University (HE) commit for 2021-22. Eli Barnett went in the 11th round (188th overall) by the Quebec Remparts and is a University Vermont (HE) 2021-22 commit. Cam Miranda went in the 12th round (200th overall) by Saint John and has no college commit. There had to be some silence when in the 5th round (74th overall) selection was announced…Robert Orr by Saint John. No relation to the great Robert Gordon Orr #4 in Boston. The second overall pick of the draft, Justin Robidas, by the Val d'Or Foreurs, is the son of former NHL’er, Stephane Robidas. The only other NHL/AHL father/son combo was Zack Morrissette, the son of Dave “Moose” Morrissette was taken in the 3rd round (53rd overall) by his hometown team, Baie Comeau. In the American-only portion of the draft, a familiar name was a high selection in Ryan St. Louis (Riverside/Brunswick Prep) was taken in the first round (5th overall) by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He is the eldest son of former Rangers and recent NHL Hall of Fame inductee, Martin St. Louis, and is a Northeastern (HE) 2021-22 commit. Jack Kurrie, another Selects Academy at South Kent Prep product was taken in the 1st round (9th overall) by the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Kurrie a Vermont native is a commit to University Vermont (HE) for 2022-23. Two picks later he saw his teammate Jake Bongo (Ridgefield) selected by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Then 1st round (13th overall) pick was John P. Turner (Westport/Avon Old Farms) by the Charlottetown (PEI) Islanders. He was also taken by Sioux City (USHL) 6th round (89th overall) in April and is a University New Hampshire (HE) commit for 2021-22 Goalie, Jake Fillion from the Connecticut Chiefs (Newington) U-16 team in the AYHL (Atlantic Youth Hockey League) was taken in the 1st round (15th overall) by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar who just hired a new head coach. Then in the 1st round (16th overall) Paul Davey (Greenwich/Brunswick Prep) was taken by the Memorial Cup finalist Halifax Mooseheads. He is a Boston College (HE) 2021-22 commit. The next pick saw Oliver Flynn (Wolcott) of the Connecticut Chiefs U-16 team taken by the Drummondville Voltigeurs. He was also taken by Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) 6th round (89th overall) in April. Then in the 2nd round (23rd overall) Matt McGroarty (Westport/Brunswick Prep) was taken by Blaineville-Boisbrand and was selected by Madison (USHL) in their draft two months ago. He is a Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) 2021-22 commit. Then in the 2nd round (26th overall) Casey Raffone (Guilford) the last of the Selects Academy at South Kent Prep players was taken by the Quebec Remparts. Then in the 2nd round (34th overall), Luke Holyfield (Cromwell) of the Connecticut Chiefs U-16 squad was taken by Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The last players taken went in the 2nd round (36th overall) in Matt Samokevich (Newtown) by the newly-crowned Memorial Cup champion, Rouyn Noranda Huskies. He played this year for nationally-renowned Shattuck’s St. Mary’s program (MNPREP) and few games for the Chicago Steel (USHL) who drafted him in 2018 in the 4th round (63rd overall) and is a University Michigan (Big 10) commit in 2020-21. POOLSIDE CHATTER With hockey playing in North America and Europe completed everybody is undefeated and now the business of hockey 2019-20 takes center stage with first the NHL Awards in Las Vegas on the 19th, then the NHL Draft in Vancouver June 21-22, free agent frenzy on July 1st for the NHL and AHL. Rumblings from the West Coast say that Calgary is likely to move their AHL farm from Stockton after next season and a possible location will be Fresno, a onetime ECHL market. The issue isn’t the building or the fans they like both very much, but the gang violence in Stockton is considered a bad environment for the players and team staff alike. Any possible changes however will wait until Seattle makes its selection for its AHL team. The same Western source says that Palm Springs is a possible location for an AHL team for expansion Seattle. It's not a fantasy and that there is plenty of serious talk going on. The potential team would be centrally located for the Pacific Division for Ontario and San Diego. Easy short, inexpensive flights to the Northern California teams and direct flights to Tucson and Colorado, two other Pacific Division teams. Keeping the rink viable in the desert in the heat will be an issue, but Arizona and Las Vegas are not Edmonton both in desert climates have rinks and there is an ice rink in Abu Dhabi, and it gets crazy hot there and Palm Springs, maybe it can work. Rejected the first team suggested name - The Palm Beach Conquistadors. Yes, resurrecting the old ABA name from the San Diego franchise would be great and make a superb logo for merch sales… The AHL could see that team in two years, a truly universal homogenized schedule of 70 or 72 games than the present 76-68 East-West split which everyone agrees is not very professional for the second best league in the world. The key is whether the teams in the East particularly teams like Hershey, Cleveland and Grand Rapids would give up two lucrative home dates will likely have to be compensated in some other manner and the West wants no three in three-game structure a deal. This could allow for a compromise and a deal to be struck and once the new Seattle team is finalized. Staying out West, some early word is that an initial sketch of an NCAA Division I Western conference is taking shape with Arizona State currently, and, independent D-I program being the first school. The Sun Devils are starting to break ground on their brand new on-campus arena that is expected to be ready by the 2021. Some of the schools being bandied about for such a conference are; USC, UCLA, University of Oregon, University of Washington, Boise State and Stanford. There could be some wild cards in that mix, possibly UNLV, Portland State, or Montana. Players are not the issue, it’s the lack of a conference. Once all the details are worked out, like rinks and leases, travel, NCAA compliance issues and regulations for a conference this is going to be another shot in the arm for hockey out West on the heels of Seattle being awarded an NHL expansion franchise. Speaking of Seattle, the price tag for the renovations for the KeyArena (which will be renamed with a new title sponsor upon reopening) have seen their costs ballooned already to $930 million (take note CT residents) from its original $600 million initial price tag back in October. The completion date has moved to the summer of 2021, four months before their first NHL season is slated to start in 2021-22. The work has also begun on its brand new training facility that is said to be state of the art and will hopefully meet any new requirements in the next NHL CBA agreement as well as the current one. Here is an update from KING-TV Channel 5 in Seattle; Watch it HERE. The name Sockeyes might be one of the finalists for a team name as a logo with salmon colors (thank God no black) is circulating. I’m still partial to Sea Lions and I think a great mascot name, Sammy the Sea Lion could emerge. Seattle has trademarked 13 possible names and Sockeyes and Sea Lions are among them. Closer to home the Islander new arena at Belmont Park is awaiting three final approvals before putting the shovels in the ground. The Empire State Development, the Franchise Oversight Board and Public Authority Central Board are slated to sign off on the deal in the next 60 days so the 18,000 seat arena can be built by the 2022 season. Read the full article

[isaertrunner]

Diagonale 2017, Doublement Fou !

Avec ses 167km de bonheur et 9780m de dénivelé positif à travers l’île de la Réunion et son environnement classé au Patrimoine Mondial de l’Humanité, la Diagonale des Fous est une course aphrodisiaque voir même quelque peu SM. Un seul impératif : parcourir la distance en moins de 66h. Elle a beau te faire souffrir comme ce n’est pas possible, elle t’attire inexorablement et te hante.

Après une première participation en 2016 (722e en 47h42) durant laquelle je m’étais juré de ne plus y retourner, j’ai vite replongé. Mais pas seul, cette fois-ci, car nous étions trois potes sur la distance avec Yansé Gara et Sohier Sylvain. Et même cinq gravelinois au total si l’on ajoute Guillaume Descombes (445e) sur le Trail de Bourbon et Jérôme Angele Lory Leguay sur la Mascareignes. Sur cette édition, Yanse et Sylvain étaient soutenus par leurs employeurs et portaient les couleurs de Saga Mercedes et de BASF ; pour ma part je courrais pour “Solidaires En Peloton Arsep” et la “Fondation ARSEP - Vaincre la sclérose en plaques” afin de lutter contre la Sclérose en Plaques. Côté préparation, c’est à la fois mieux armé (35h d’entraînement en + sur les 12 dernières semaines) que j’arrivais au cœur de l’océan indien mais aussi plus fragile et empli de doutes quant à une douleur au talon apparue fin août et qui me fait souffrir dès que j’allonge les sorties et surtout en descente. Frustrant car la tendinose que je traînais depuis janvier n’est plus qu’un mauvais souvenir grâce à l’excellent travail de Cédric Rathe et de Franck Gaeremynck. Je visais un temps inférieur à 45h pour pouvoir tenter le tirage au sort de la Western States (qui finalement est passé sub 50h), sans pour autant oublier que l’objectif n°1 sur la Diag c’est de couper la ligne d’arrivée !

Atterrissage lundi 16 octobre au petit matin à l’aéroport Roland Garros de Saint Denis. Je partage un tipunch avec Christian Barthélémy (abd cause gros lumbago au 40e), un coureur nordiste super sympa, qui était sur le même vol. Nous profitons d’une danse de Maloya suivi d'un briefing de Robert Chicaud, le boss du Grand Raid, toujours présent.Hormis un manque de sommeil et des problématiques extrasportives dont je me serai bien passé durant les dernières semaines, je suis dans un état d’esprit positif et les trois jours qui précédent le grand départ sont une belle bouffée d’oxygène entre lagon, piscine et cascades. « l’Ile Intense » est juste magique.

Mercredi 18 octobre au matin, direction Saint Pierre pour le retrait des dossards où j'y retrouve les compères et croise pas mal de nordistes : JB Jbb (680e, 46h08), Alexandre Delplace (189e de la Mascareignes en 12h55), la Team LNA avec Renaud Bailly (1553e, 58h15 entre amis)... La star américaine Jim Walmsley (abd Sans Souci) déambule sur le village. Après avoir récupéré le sésame et les cadeaux des partenaires nous allons nous restaurer dans la même crêperie bretonne que l'an passé avec nos épouses. Le cidre passe comme une lettre à la poste; ça doit être une question d’index glycémique. On se retrouvera également le soir à l'hôtel pour partager ce qui sera le rhum de la décompression. 1 verre pour Jérôme, 2 pour Christophe, 3 pour Yanse et 4 pour Sylvain …. N’en tirez pas de conclusion hâtive sur le meilleur régime d’avant course lol L'ambiance est vraiment au top entre nous.

Jeudi 19 octobre, réveil un peu avant 6h du mat à cause d'une voisine aussi discrète qu'un éléphant dans un magasin de porcelaine. On se lance dans la préparation des sacs après avoir consulté la météo avec Jérôme engagé sur la Mascareignes (65km). Un beau casse-tête tellement il y a de choses à caser dans le sac de course et les sacs d’allégement que je retrouverai à Cilaos (67km) et Sans Souci (123km).

Le petit dej et le repas du midi sont copieux. La montre tourne et c'est vite l'heure de la sieste. Je ne dors pas vraiment mais ce moment m’apaise. Réveil 16h45. J'enfile la tenue et le sac qui fait 4/5 kilos, j’avale une dernière assiette de pâtes au blé complet en guise de gouter et hop c'est parti.  Je somnole dans la navette tout en savourant le magnifique coucher de soleil sur l'océan indien et la ferveur qui grimpe dans les rues à notre passage.

J'arrive à Saint Pierre vers 19h30 et, cette année, je passe le contrôle des  sacs sans encombre. Je retrouve Sylvain, Yanse et son cousin Fulbert (abd car malade) qui sont allongés près des barrières qui s’ouvriront un peu plus tard pour libérer le chemin vers la ligne. Un petit selfie pour nos vieux jours en maison de retraite et hop on fait une sieste sur un sol truffé de cailloux. 21h20, « Tout le monde debout ! » comme dirait les Negmarrons. L'hymne du Grand Raid prend les tripes. Les barrières s'ouvrent et là ça sert des coudes sévères comme à la bande de Dunkerque pour se faire une place de choix sur la ligne. Je me retrouve quelques mètres derrière les élites, j’aperçois Charles Hubert Queval (abd Cilaos) et sa femme Pauline (abd début Taïbit), d'autres nordistes vice-champions de France de raid multisports entraînés par Guillaume. Par contre, j'ai perdu mes deux acolytes dans la bande. Je sais que l'on se retrouvera vite car nous avons décidé de partir sur bon tempo tout au moins jusque Domaine Vidot (14e km) pour éviter les bouchons. Je profite de ce moment juste magique. Les artères de Saint Pierre sont bondées et c'est la fête à tous les étages.

Top Départ, comme prévu je me cale sur un rythme sympa mais qui me permet tout de même de savourer l’instant. Pas question de faire grimper le cardio. La ville est en ébullition, c’est grisant. Des milliers de mains se tendent pour nous faire des checks, les yeux des enfants brillent d’admiration. Sur les premiers kilomètres de plat, je slalome entre les quads de Canal + Grand Raid tout en appréciant le feu d’artifice. Sur les premières pentes la foule est tellement dense que le passage ne s’ouvre qu’à notre approche comme sur le tour de France. Bientôt le serpentin de frontales entre dans les champs de canne à sucre alors que j’aperçois une magnifique étoile filante. Je vous laisse deviner le vœu que j’ai pu faire…

Au 7e kilomètre mes compères me rattrapent. On échange quelques mots. Sylvain va trop vite, je ne préfère pas jouer avec le feu. Je fais un kilomètre avec Yanse mais pas plus, il part comme cendrillon avant minuit. A Domaine Vidot, j’avais imaginé passer autour de la 500e place mais ce n’est pas évident de se faire une idée en course. En réalité, je pointe 131e contre 1293e en 2016... Une dizaine de places derrière mes compères. Autant dire que je ne perdrai pas de temps dans les bouchons cette année. Comme prévu je ralentis un peu mais à dire vrai je n’aurai pas pu tenir ce rythme beaucoup plus longtemps. La nuit défile alors que les sensations sont mi-figue mi-raisin d’autant plus que je régresse logiquement au classement. La douleur au talon est présente mais supportable, par contre j’ai les deux genoux qui tiraillent sévère ainsi que la hanche. Le moral n’est déjà pas au top qu’en compagnie d’une centaine de coureurs dont Yanse, je m’égare quelques minutes juste après le nouveau ravito de “Nez de Bœuf” qui remplace celui de Piton Textor. Après m’être fait déposer dans la descente vers Mare à Boue, je suis 377e (49e km). Je me jette sur un Carry Poulet qui fera office de petit dej et je retrouve Yanse qui termine son repas. Sous la grisaille, on essaie de se remonter le moral mais à ce moment-là nous ne sommes pas des plus glorieux et il reste 116km…Le jour se lève et au fil de la montée du Coteau Kerveguen, je retrouve d’excellentes sensations d’autant que le paysage est magnifique. Je repasse Yanse et une trentaine de coureurs dans la montée ; par contre cette descente mythique est ultra technique et dangereuse : 750m de dénivelé négatif en 2.2km. Pas de question de prendre des risques démesurés pour ma part et comme je ne suis pas technique en descente, je perds quasiment tout ce que j’avais gagné. RRRRrrrrr.

Une fois en bas, le paysage est somptueux. Je profite d’une portion bitumée pour appeler Elise et lui faire part de mes craintes sur mon état. Elle n’en parlera pas afin de ne pas inquiéter mes proches. J’arrive ensuite à Cilaos où je récupère le sac d’allégement. Bye bye les Hoka Speedgoat 2, welcome les Sportiva Akasha. Je ne traîne pas dans cette cuvette surchauffée et je prends le sentier qui mène au pied du Taïbit. Je suis dans le dur et il me faut un peu de temps pour comprendre que je suis carencé en sodium. Heureusement, trois TUC plus tard ça repart. La fin d’ascension du Taïbit passe comme un velours tout comme la descente vers Marla ou j’arrive à 14h. J’adore ce lieu improbable, véritable porte d’entrée du cirque de Mafate.

Ça y est, je vais pouvoir profiter du cirque en plein jour contrairement à l’an passé. Le spectacle est grandiose notamment lorsque nous passons sur une crête vertigineuse surplombant les nuages entre deux ravins. De jour, je me sens d’avantage en sécurité.La pénombre tombe et mon cerveau transforme les pierres et la végétation en forme originales, tantôt j’aperçois des animaux imaginaires, tantôt Anakin Skywalker… Apriori c’est la même chose pour tout le monde.

J’enquille sur un train de sénateur (donc surement mais mollement, s’il fallait le préciser) les kilomètres jusqu’au ravitaillement de Grand Place École au km98. Grand Place, c’est un Ilet où se trouve le ravito qui annonce la montée du Maïdo et où je pointe en 404e position. Après 100km de course c’est donc l’équivalent de 125 montées des escaliers du PAarc qui nous attendent ! Un velours. Mais avant cela, la nuit est tombée et je suis fatigué ; je trouve une place dans une tente et demande au bénévole de me réveiller 20mn plus tard sauf que c’est bondé, ça bouge et je vous passe les odeurs ; je tarde à trouver le sommeil j’allonge donc la pause de 10mn mais en vain. Et mince, dans l’obscurité, j’ai mis mon short à l’envers, doublure apparente… oups je rectifie le tir. Au moment de repartir, j’aperçois Yanse allongé mais éveillé. On échange quelques mots, un sourire et puis je me lance sur la 1ère partie d’ascension qui mène à Roche Plate avec ACDC à fond dans les oreilles. Je n’utilise jamais de musique habituellement mais je voulais tenter l’expérience. Cet endroit est terrible car on aperçoit des frontales 2000m plus haut et on a tendance à les confondre avec les étoiles d’autant plus que le ciel scintille de partout. A Roche Plate que l’on pourrait qualifier de cour des miracles ; je suis super bien alors je fais le gourmand en me lançant dans l’ascension Maïdo Tête Dure après un ravito express et en me disant qu’il faut profiter de cet état de forme. J’esquive de justesse une chauve-souris qui allait me foncer dedans ébloui par la frontale. Après un joli coup de bambou, je relance bien en fin d’ascension et voilà le sommet. J’ai repris 80 places sur les 15km pour 2000m+. Yes !!!!J’avais gardé un bon souvenir de la longue descente de 13km qui mène vers Sans Souci ; un peu trop car elle n’est vraiment pas si roulante surtout en pleine nuit. Je suis fatigué, j’hésite à faire une sieste mais j’aperçois trop de rongeurs pour me laisser tenter. Juste avant d’arriver au ravitaillement, je suis bêtement un coureur et nous nous égarons bernés par un catadioptre de voiture que l’on a pris pour du rubalise. Et hop encore 10mn de perdues. Comparativement à 2016, ce sera d’ailleurs l’unique section que je parcourrais plus lentement.A sans Souci, je me restaure mais je sature du salé et j’ai des hauts le coeur. Je n’ai plus d’appétit si ce n’est pour les crêpes à la confiture.

Et hop ça repart avec ce passage toujours sympathique à travers la rivière des galets. La portion qui mène à Dos D’âne, n’est pas la plus belle du parcours ni la plus dure mais le rythme est correct. Sur le Chemin Ratineau qui suit, au milieu des lianes, je double le nordiste Emmanuel Hadoux (616e, 45h25) qui habite désormais à la Réunion et qui souffre de la cheville depuis le 85e km. En warrior, il ralliera l’arrivée en 45h tout de même ! Bravo !

Puis voilà, la Possession, en bord de mer, ou je retrouve Elise Isaert - Legoutheil et Jules qui me rapportent la Pompote dont je rêvais et de la Saint Yorre ! C’est bon pour le moral même si je ne traîne pas trop car le soleil recommence à taper. Et ce n’est pas cette année que je vais me réconcilier avec le chemin des Anglais qui brûle déjà à 10h du matin… Une gentille dame m’accompagne sur plusieurs hectomètres et m’arrose régulièrement avec sa bouteille d’eau. A Grande Chaloupe, je refais les niveaux et je repars pour les 800 derniers mètres de dénivelé positif vers le Colorado. Plusieurs habitants ont sorti les tuyaux d’arrosage et nous apportent un peu de fraîcheur salvatrice bien que le vent fort nous sèche rapidement. La fin d’ascension pique mais l’approche de l’arrivée me donne l’énergie nécessaire pour faire le trou sur quelques poursuivants. Dernier ravitaillement, je mets le t-shirt obligatoire fourni pour l’arrivée et me voilà parti pour l’ultime descente et pas la moindre… C’est vraiment un chantier.

Et là, la magie opère. Jules et Elise m’attendent à l’entrée du Stade ; Jules me fait rire car il a décidé de se faire son arrivée solitaire en sprint sous les applaudissements. Je coupe finalement la ligne 320e /2570 au départ pour 41h01 de course pour mes 41 ans ça colle ! soit 6h41 de mieux que l’an passé. Elise est émue ; je réponds à une question du speaker avant de retrouver les amis venus m’accueillir. Sylvain qui a terminé dans le temps canon de 35h03 et à la 116e place est resté sur le stade pour nous attendre. Il vient juste de conclure une saison hallucinante avec des performances de premier plan sur tous ses objectifs (AMT, TCO, Kylian Classic, Grand Raid…). Un peu moins de deux heures plus tard c’est Yanse que nous accueillons, son sourire et les larmes de Céline sont émouvants. C’est son 3e Grand Raid et il a terminé les 3 qui plus est en explosant son record ! Comme c’est bon d’avoir conclu l’affaire à trois et en remplissant largement nos objectifs ! Il n’y a pas de doute l’effet de groupe nous a boosté même si nous avions choisi de faire chacun nos courses pour ne pas nous retrouver sur de faux rythmes. Les traits sont tirés mais les sourires sont là ! On l’a fait et cette aventure restera gravée.

Comme je l’ai dit, je dédis cette course à mon papa et à  toutes les personnes atteintes de sclérose en plaques. Vous êtes  nombreux à m'avoir demandé si j'avais mis en place une cagnotte en ligne  pour l'aventure dans le cadre de Solidaires En Peloton Arsep , si vous souhaitez faire un don en ligne à l'Arsep (même minime c'est  le geste qui compte) pour la recherche contre la maladie je serai encore  plus comblé :https://www.arsep.org/fr/faire-un-d... . Comme sur l'île de la Réunion, les petits ruisseaux font  les grandes cascades. Epilogue : J’ai beau avoir fini moins éprouvé qu’en 2016, je suis tombé endormi à 19h dès le début de ma séance de Compex. Musculairement la récupération est plus rapide que l’an passé, par contre je me sens bien plus fatigué. Je vais m’employer à ne pas tomber dans le piège de l’euphorie connu l’an passé et je vais prendre le temps de récupérer. Concernant les prochains objectifs, j’espère un tirage au sort positif pour l’UTMB 2018, probablement la Mascareigne en mode coach, peut-être un marathon au printemps et un ultra de 100km en mai/juin ; à voir !Merci à tous !Remerciements (entre autres) :

- Franck Gaeremynck (rééquilibrage et techniques innovantes, osthéo)

- Cédric Rathe (ondes de choc et tecar au top, kiné)

- Vanessa Braye (massage sportif à la fois relaxant et dynamisant)

- Stephane Sabine Louka Maxine (conseils expert kiné/ostheo)

- Hélène Hayotte Sophrologue Psychomotricienne Gravelines (conseils sophro)

- Frédérique Garat (la conférence nutrition était instructive)

- Cryopale Calais (la cryo à -150C qui aide à aborder les compets)

- Air France et CE Lignes (billets R1/hôtel)

- Compex France (je ne peux plus m’en passer depuis 3 ans)

- Solidaires En Peloton Arsep et la Fondation ARSEP - Vaincre la sclérose en plaques pour votre action au quotidien pour lutter contre la Sclérose en Plaques

- RDL RADIO, Le Phare dunkerquois - Le Journal des Flandres; La Voix du Nord Dunkerque et DELTA FM pour le partage de l’aventure- L’ensemble des organisateurs et bénévoles du Grand Raid Réunion - Officiel

- Le Team Gravelines Trail pour l’état d’esprit et les encouragements qui mettent une bonne pression. Quelle belle aventure humaine que ce team !

- Tous les amis, collègues et la famille qui ont envoyé de bonnes ondes

- Mily Mily Sohier Couvreur, Celine Gara, Angele pour nous avoir supporté et pour la comm au top !!!!

- Sylvain, Yanse et Jéjé, partenaires de cette belle aventure et Guillaume Descombes même si l’on ne s’est pas croisé

- Et surtout Elise pour sa patience et son soutien au quotidien !

Et oups, j’allais oublier : RHUM Charette  bien sûr !

[gccladiesnight]

Meet Our #LNASisters Creators: #TeamDontAsk

We only have 3 DAYS left in the Ladies’ Night Anthology Vol. 5: SISTERS Kickstarter campaign! Here is a sneak peek of artwork from #TeamDontAsk along with bios of the creators.

Jade Armstrong Artist, Letterer

Jade is an animation student hailing from Almonte, ON! She is currently working as a background painter and is the artist for the webtoon Crutch. Being the middle child of two sisters taught her valuable skills like how to fight two people at once over the last bowl of corn pops.

Ellen Linzer Writer

Ellen took way too long trying to write a clever bio and decided to just ask you to look up characteristics of a Taurus because that'd be the best description of them.

Caitlin Rosberg Editor

Caitlin is a writing, knitting, tea drinking machine with all requisite robotic enhancements. She's the treasurer for LNA and on the board of Chicago Nerd Social Club. She's an Eisner Award–winning writer on the A.V. Club's Comics Panel and Paste Magazine's Required Reading.

To see the full comic from #TeamDontAsk, back Ladies’ Night Anthology: SISTERS today! Campaign ends 10/4

[gccladiesnight]

#throwbackthursday To the envelope stuffing party LNA editors had two years ago when we shipped our 3rd volume, How to Magic✨ We will be stuffing envelopes again in the near future after we send #LNASisters to print! 💕👑 LNA Vol 3: How to Magic cover art by Amanda Schwarz & @burnteyesblahg Witchsona zine cover art by @emirozedesign Print by @burnteyesblahg

[gccladiesnight]

LNA Creator Spotlight: Kata Kane

Happy Wednesday! 

To kick off the creation of Ladies Night Anthology vol 5: Sisters, we’re taking a look back at some of our alumni from our previous volumes. We asked them a few questions designed to inspire, enlighten and commiserate. We’re checking in on what they’re doing now and getting advice for people just starting out!

Without further ado, please enjoy our spotlight of Kata Kane

Social Media Info

Twitter @kata_kane

Instagram @robokiss

Tumblr/Facebook altar-girl.tumblr.com / facebook.com/altargirl

Portfolio/website kata-kane.com

Credits

Where might we know you from? I'm best known for my ongoing manga series Altar Girl! I do the story & art, and publish as a webcomic. The first 2 books have been printed as well.

Which volume of Ladies' Night did you work on? V4 Eat it Up! The story was written by Kaia Danielle and it's about a Muslim girl at a low country boil who can't eat pork and instead falls in love with a very traditional and basic American meal. I had never been to a seafood boil myself when I drew the comic, but just recently when we had a freakishly warm day in February a neighbor invited us over for one and I was telling everyone who would listen how I drew a comic about it! It made the meal that much tastier.

What’s next for you? I'm currently working as artist (pencils/inks) on two OGNs with Papercutz debuting this year: Ana and the Cosmic Race hits shelves in May (order code MAR171967 and MAR171968) and GFFs: Ghost Friends Forever will be here later this Fall. I'm also planning an upcoming Kickstarter campaign for Altar Girl Book 3!

Background

Who are your biggest writing/art influences? Everything Rumiko Takahashi, but especially Ranma 1/2. Takahashi's characters are delightful and fun, and she just has this amazing ability to blend action, drama, romance and comedy perfectly in her comics. I appreciated a lot of CLAMP's work too like Card Captor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth and X/1999. I idolize Sailor Moon of course, but I was never able to draw as delicate and pretty as Naoko Takeuchi. Chynna Clugston's Blue Monday and Scooter Girl were huge for me as a teenager too.

What work are you most proud of? My original comic Altar Girl! It's something I've been working on since I was 16 years old, so it has had a special place in my heart for a long time. It's grown with me over the years. I'm still proud of it, even for all the missteps along the way. It helped me learn to be a better artist and storyteller on my own terms.

Why do you want to work in comics? I love telling stories, and I love drawing and creating characters. When I was little, I wanted to be an "Author/Illustrator" until I found comics. Then I was like, oh yeah, that's what I was trying to do all this time!

Advice

What advice would you give to creators just starting out? Don't hold back. Don't get caught up in your own head thinking you're not good enough. Everyone has to start somewhere by taking that first step on the path of your own magical journey! Put your comic art or story out there into the world; learn as you go, and don't be afraid to ask your peers for advice.

How do you handle rejection? Let it fuel you to keep going and try again, improving yourself along the way. I honestly try my hardest not to dwell on any rejection. I take it in, feel the initial pangs of disappointment, but I don't let it consume me or convince me that I'm not good enough. I remind myself that I just have to keep trying; it's not the end of anything! I've had it happen enough times that things always end up working out in ways I couldn't even foresee, and other opportunities were there on the horizon.

Industry

How long have you been working in comics? Professionally, I'd say about 6-7 years now. But I was putting my webcomics and art online like, 15 years ago! Wow. Now I feel old. But I think that experience helped a lot too when I finally made the leap to comics as a full-time gig.

Do you have a day job? Does being a mom count? I think it should count. I had my son during the time we were all working on V4 together. As my editor Lauren once put it I "had a baby like 2 minutes ago" but I was really grateful for a fun, exciting comics project to work on during those first few months. I used to have a graphic design 9-5 but I quit that life about 2 years ago to do full-time comics, illustration, and graphic design. I'm for hire!

Favorite convention? Baltimore Comic Con! It's my hometown con, so I get to see lots of friends from all over, but also sleep in my own bed at the end of the day. It's one of those shows that really balances creators and industry. It's not all about the celebs and dealer booths, it's really about the publishers and the creators too.

[gccladiesnight]

Behold: Monica Ras's art submission for LNA Vol. 3: How to Magic! There is still time to send us your own art or story pitch. The deadline is January 12th (more info here)! 

You can follow and see more of Monica's artwork here