Alex is the best/least annoying character from Art Club, so here he is as a young adult, woo. Mostly he compares the bullshit in his life to Doug and Deanna, who get married and have babies, and they seem so happy. Why can’t he be happy? Then once his life maybe starts taking a turn for the better, his friends’ relationship begins to fall apart. Or at least it would have if I’d kept writing these.
I kind of hate these, but I have to acknowledge them because they look pretty good and they represent a huge leap in the type of writing I was producing around this time (aka I was learning how to write in school). I think I made five of these and was working on another til I finally reached realized that I had no business writing about what I was writing about.
I also rewrote the Thanksgiving story as a screenplay for a class because I couldn’t think of anything better, and it was absolutely torn apart when my class critiqued it–my first time having my writing workshopped. It was so bad, I wanted to drop the class and change majors, but a lot of what they said about the story and the premise of Art Club in general was spot on. I think a lot of my embarrassment surrounding these stories stems from that experience, and in rereading these in order to post this, they aren’t that bad? I dunno.
Thanksgiving: Alex visits Deanna and Doug at school over Thanksgiving break, is made uncomfortable by the fact that they are basically shacking up at this point, but it turns out that they invited Alex to visit in order to ask for his blessing for the two of them to get married.
The Wedding: A couple of years later, Alex is in college and banging his professor (as one does). He visits home to attend Doug and Deanna’s wedding. Doug gets cold feet, and Alex winds up practically giving Doug away at the ceremony. Alex hangs out with Genevieve at the reception, then drives home and finds professor puttin’ the moves on someone else. Pretty sure this is the first and only appearance of Alex’s mom! Here’s the whole story, eeek.
Lexie: It’s been a few more years. Alex is still in school and works in a music store where he gives piano lessons. He reminisces about his high school days with Doug in preparation for a school project, then he goes to meet Doug, Deanna, and their baby, Lexie (ugh lol) for a dinner date. Alex marvels at the changes that have occurred in Doug since becoming a dad. They visit his home, and Alex meets his neighbor Dylan in the elevator after they leave. I might regret this later, but here’s the whole thing:
Christmas: It’s been five years; Alex and Dylan, who now live together, visit Deanna/Doug/Lexie for Christmas. Dylan gives Alex a ring, and they discuss adopting a kid (moving a little fast, aren’t we? ha ha). What the hell, here’s the whole thing:
(unfinished story in which Alex babysits for Deanna (who is pregnant again, I think) and Doug while they see a marriage counselor; here’s the only page that exists
Lila: Alex and Dylan meet a foster child named Lila. I don’t think I finished this one, either. Here, have a excerpt.
Here’s some art from this period:
Lexie/Lila
I also wrote some stories (like, actual prose stories that you will never see, ha ha) about Lila and Lexie as teenagers. They were…interesting? Lila is painfully shy. She attends an expensive private school and has helicopter parents. Lexie’s parents are divorced (Doug is nowhere to be found) and extremely lax. She smokes, goes to parties, and has green hair. Lila has a crush on Lexie’s neighbor Vince, who is sweet and gregarious but probably an alcoholic, while jealous Lexie kind of digs both of them.
Here’s some pictures~
