Dreams don't give up on you: A Study in Garbage Pail Kids

This post is all about dreams.

You've been warned.

Turn back now if you are feeling cynical.

I won't judge.

It's Tuesday. Tuesday the 21st Jaunary to be exact. The day after Blue Monday, or "the most depressing day of the year". It's cold here in London. Its so bloody cold. I feel like all I want to do is put on my fleece pjs and curl up with a mug of chocolate tea until the world warms up. I want to burrow under my nest of blankets and let myself get completely caught up on Sleepy Hollow (I'm two episodes behind, NO spoilers! Though I heard Ichabod Crane wore skinny jeans? Am trying to rein in my swooning!).

*SWOON*

January is a dark, cold honey badger of a month. January don't care. She really doesn't. She rolls in here all filled with promise and change and good intentions. By the time that bitch leaves she's stolen your boyfriend, favourite pair of boots (the ones with the perfect heels that you can seriously walk for miles in, no fooling) and your hope. January must be stopped.

But, how can we fight this never ending war against January?

Fret not. Much like our heroes (aka "Witnesses") of Sleepy Hollow, there are things you can do. I don't have George Washington's magic Bible (ok, the more I use these analogies the sillier I feel), but I do have a story. It's a good story. If it doesn't make you smile I am beginning to think you might be on January's side.

Let's flash back to the mid 1980s. Stay with me. We open on our hero, a shy, suburban English boy who loves Garbage Pail Kids cards. Loves them. He's thrilled at the weekend when he can spend his pocket money (allowance) on buying a new pack of cards. He spends his free time playing the card game and drawing the characters. His dream is to one day design a Garbage Pail Kid card for Topps. Even as a small child he knows its an impossible dream. Topps is all the way in America. He's only a child. Many people want the same opportunity.

So he begins to draw characters in his spare time. First copying them and then, as the years go on, he begins creating his own characters.

Our hero doesn't have formal artistic training. He's just a guy who likes to draw. He likes coming up with clever concepts. He is British so he knows his way around a pun. Our hero grows up and posts his concepts/drawings on online fan forums. He finds like minded people. Praise for his drawings, but still no sign of them ever being more than a well-liked drawing on the internet.

Our hero gets married. He is busy with work. He doesn't draw as much. He loses touch with the forums he used to visit. He forgets about his dream. He's too caught up in the frantic pace of life to dream.

And then he gets an email.

You see, his dream hadn't given up on him. All of that hard work. All of his drawings. All of it was leading to this email.

After years of work, of dreaming, but most importantly of doing, he was about to be offered the chance of a lifetime. An artist at Topps loved his concepts and wanted to sell them to the company to use in the latest series of trading cards.

After decades of doing, actively working to make his dream happen, my husband got to see his drawing on a Garbage Pail Kids card.

That's how you beat January. You do. You toss off the blankets. You let your Sleepy Hollow episodes wait in the DVR and you do. Even something small. Because the dreams you have while curled up under your fleece blanket have every possibility of coming true, you just have to put down the mug of delicious chocolate tea and pick up your pen, open your Word Document, paint brush, etc and get started.

And if you needed any further encouragement, here's the trailer for the Minikins figures they made from the latest series of trading card. The trailer features the character my husband created.


Dreams are only impossible when you fail to try. Sorry, Ichabod, we've got a date for next week. This week its all about my manuscript. You understand. You've got a good work ethic.