FEBRUARY 6, 2004
The associates apologize on the author's behalf for his long absence. A number of MR. OVERBROOKE features were created in the fall of this year and have not yet been posted on this site. This is because they were arguably of questionable quality. Having made this asssessment, the author decided as of mid-November to no longer produce MR. OVERBROOKE, Esq. & ASSOCIATES on a regular basis. He thanks his readers for their faithfulness and apologizes for any inconvenience caused by this unannounced and unconfirmed retirement.
The author has taken up other creative ventures in the meantime, not the least of which include the glam rock band P1xel and the Chronic Network, the math-pop band Millimeters Mercury, and, in a visual capacity, art director of and illustration contributor to "The Saturnine Detractor".
Thank you all. It was fun, wasn't it?
MAY 30, 2003
The entry for today brings the quarter's story to a close. The author offers his sincerest apologies as he was unable to achieve as overtly satifying an ending as he would have liked. He apologizes also for the sporadic updates and the questionable quality of the last few entries. If excuses would make any difference, he would no doubt offer some.
The feature that was MR. OVERBROOKE, Esq. & ASSOCIATES went on hiatus at the start of this "strip" business, and now the strip itself has (perhaps aimlessly and uninspiredly) run its course. The author reports that he has planned for one final feature to run in the "Senior Issue" of the Chicago Maroon(rumors suggest that this entry may be published under the MR. OVERBROOKE moniker).
Though MR. OVERBROOKE and the nameless strips have both come to natural resting places for the time being, the author will continue to work. Look for illustrations from the author in mid-June in a new online magazine to be titled FacadeRebateProgram (or was it The [Saturnine] Detractor?). More information about those pursuits and other graphic activities of the artist will be posted here as fresh news arrives.
P.S. The author has not forgotten his plans to create a printed MR. OVERBROOKE volume. At this time, however, the possibility of the creation of such a volume is slight at best. Should the author ultimately decide not to oversee the manufacture of a bound MR. OVERBROOKE collection, he may at least post some of the more interesting developmental material intended for inclusion in that volume here on this site.
MAY 1, 2003
We thought we could get an entry together for MAY 2, 2003, but we've just admitted that it isn't going to happen. The author has had personal matters to attend to; next week promises to include two separate culminations of his entire life to this point (a live performance and an academic enterprise). The author begs the forgiveness of his readership and assures them that the feature will continue as regularly as he is able to produce it.
APRIL 14, 2003
There will be no entry for APRIL 15, 2003 because we're sick and we're very tired and we're hungry. To say nothing of various creative crises. We apologize. This whole continuity business is getting a bit tedious, isn't it?
We'll see.
APRIL 7, 2003
The associates have added a new link to the author page. The page they have linked to is so spectacular that they insisted that a special announcement be made to ensure that the readership will visit it as soon as possible.
While this page has nothing directly, logically, immediately to do with MR. OVERBROOKE, it has ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING to do with it some inexplicable, tangential, perfect way. The author of this page has (it seems) inadvertently beat us at our own game: whatever it is that MR. OVERBROOKE has tried to accomplish, this page rivals if not easily overtakes the sum of the efforts of the creative staff at MR. OVERBROOKE in our seventy-some textual/graphic attempts. We beg you to read the entire page and look at all of the pictures. Something about this page is more than funny, or cute, or nostalgic, or real. Something about it is pure and invincible.
APRIL 4, 2003
Attentive readers have noticed that as of APRIL 4, 2003, MR. OVERBROOKE has taken a new shape. This change provides the author with many story-telling capabilities which were unavailable in the single panel format. He plans to exploit these new opportunities: the most recent entry is the first installment in what may very well be a quarter-long narrative. Characters will recur, plots develop and thicken, and the story will continue from one strip to the next, twice a week, as usual.
All of us at MR. OVERBROOKE are very excited about this new format and we beg for your indulgence during what is sure to be another uneven experimental period.
P.S. This latest feature was not printed under the name of MR. OVERBROOKE; it was in fact run in the Maroon without a title. The author has refused to comment on whether or not this newest entry will in fact ultimately be filed with those entries created under the name of MR. OVERBROOKE, Esq. & ASSOCIATES. No one knows for sure.
MARCH 10, 2003
The entry dated MARCH 11, 2003 will be the last entry for a few weeks. The associates have planned a short vacation to coincide with the annual lapse in Chicago Maroon publication.
It is possible that, come April, MR. OVERBROOKE will reappear in a frightening and/or unfamiliar form. The author may in fact see fit to discontinue MR. OVERBROOKE if the work he decides to take up in the spring proves requisient of its own distinct iconography, ideology, phraseology, and title.
MARCH 7, 2003
MR. OVERBROOKE, Esq. & ASSOCIATES has officially failed to impress the judges of the Scripps Howard Foundation's National Journalism Awards. All of us at MR. OVERBROOKE extend our congratulations to the winner and the finalists in the "College Cartooning" Category, of whom readers can be made aware by visiting this page.
In other news, the author wishes to disclose that he has been considering compiling a bound collection of MR. OVERBROOKE entries, sketches, and related materials, and making copies of this bound collection available to interested parties. Such a project exists only in the most theoretical embryonic form, but the author hopes that some early admissions of intent might help to foster "anticipation" among the readership.
FEBRUARY 18, 2003
The wallpapers once downloadable from the DESKTOP DECORATIONS page are currently unavailable. They had to be removed from the server due to a shortage of space. It is unknown at this time how this shortage will affect this site in the future. In any case, we apologize for this inconvenience and will keep readers advised of all important changes in the content and/or operation of this site.
FEBRUARY 18, 2003
Readers may have noticed that there was no entry posted for the date FEBRUARY 11, 2003. No entry was produced because The Chicago Maroon did not publish an issue for that date. Although the Maroon no longer necessarily adheres to our schedule (see below), we remain faithful to theirs. We apologize for any inconveniences the lack of an entry may have caused.
JANUARY 28, 2003
We have been informed that for the first time in MR. OVERBROOKE history, The Chicago Maroon will not be printing our latest entry; the feature dated JANUARY 28, 2003 will not appear in today's issue of the Maroon. Sympathetic editors have cited a lack of space due to recent financial wariness.
Fear not: Though said wariness may, on rare occasion, prevent the feature from appearing in the Maroon, readers can rest assured that no matter what the situation at that illustrious newspaper, they will find each and every entry available on this web site.
The author wishes to thank gracious, patient, faithful Maroon editors (in particular Mr. B. T. A. Miller, Mr. P.T. Beatty, and Mr. E. W. Moser) for their continued efforts on MR. OVERBROOKE's behalf.
JANUARY 28, 2003
Readers may have noticed a certain unpolished quality in the entries posted since the onset of this calendar year. The author feels that he owes the readers an explanation:
In an attempt to make the "collage" nature of the feature more apparent, the author has reduced the size of his original constructions from 8 inches by 10 and seven eighths inches to 3 inches by 4 inches, less than one seventh of their 2002 size.
The images are still presented to you at the same consumable size to which you are accustomed, though now, the images you seen on your screen (on in the pages of The Chicago Maroon) are larger than the physical products the author constructs; the grain of the paper, and the texture of other ingredients in a given composition should from now on be more visible, and, the author hopes, add to one's enjoyment of the feature.
He realizes, rather unhappily, that he has for the time being traded texture for subtlety of line and form, and is fighting to find middle ground as his skills with tweezers and jeweler's glasses improve.
We thank you for your patience during this time of wanton experimentation.
JANUARY 28, 2003
This section is new. It has been constructed to allow the author to communicate with readers in a form other than the bi-weekly graphic/textual entries. Recent developments have necessitated this invention (see above).
The author promises to relate information solely on a need-to-know basis. You will find no superfluous, repetitive, or irrelevent text here.
