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.
Thanksgiving: Alex visits Deanna and Doug at school over Thanksgiving break, is made uncomfortable by the fact that they are basically shacking up, 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. You know, as one does three months into their first semester of college.
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.
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.
This one has probably aged the worst of all of these? Alex’s “relationship” seems especially abuse-y, but maybe that was the point. I don’t remember.
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 can’t find the cover artwork for this story, if it ever even existed, so the thumbnail is a random page instead.
Christmas: It’s been five years; Alex and Dylan, who now live together, visit Deanna/Doug/Lexie for Christmas. Lexie dotes on Alex, and even takes piano lessons so she can be just like him.
Dylan gives Alex a ring, and they discuss adopting a kid (moving a little fast, aren’t we? ha ha).
An unfinished story set a couple of years later, in which Alex and Dylan babysit Lexie while Deanna (who is pregnant again) and Doug see a marriage counselor. Lexie is bullied at school and convinced her parents are getting a divorce, so they try to cheer her up while also telling her their plans to adopt a child. Alex admits to Lexie that he is nervous about potentially being a parent, but Lexie reassures him that he would be an awesome dad. Maybe their kid will wind up becoming Lexie’s best friend? Who knows?!
Lila: Alex and Dylan meet a foster child named Lila. Alex adores her immediately, but Dylan is apprehensive because she has clearly endured some traumatic stuff. I don’t think I finished this one, either.
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 and extremely lax. She goes to beauty school and has green hair. Lila has a crush on Lexie’s neighbor Vince, who is sweet and gregarious and seems to like her back, but might also be an alcoholic, while Lexie is jealous af.
I like Lexie and Lila, but they are pretty much just Doug and Alex as girls. Would like to do something with this premise again at some point.
Here’s some pictures~
