Zebra Pony…We’re Home.

This was a huge chore to draw. Took two hours. Well worth it.

I decided to use pretty much the original art process, with no modifications, in the drawing of this…because yes, it’s about doing things the Old School Way, and thus, doing them the Right Way. Obviously, the image has been processed, and the lettering is digital…that’s out of respect for what the content is about. The image itself is a direct homage to a scene in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, where Han solo regains possession of his beloved ship, the Millennium Falcon.

Finally…my car is once again sitting at home, where she belongs. Parked downstairs, in spot No. 3, and all is right in the world.

That is owed, in no small amount, to the excellent mechanics at Culver Automotive. In a couple of weeks, they managed to resolve all of my issues, getting the car running smoothly, and virtually like new. I also really respect the fact that they refused to talk trash about the other shop…instead, they directed me to look at the detailed invoice, to see the things that needed to be corrected. That’s kind of excellent. I mean…someone else doesn’t have to be a bad mechanic, in order for a mechanic to be a good one. They focused entirely on what needed to be done, not the why or wherefore. i respect that a whole lot.

In fact, it was in the course of making sure all was well in a second test drive that they confirmed a little thing that had been nagging me for a while. Basically a brake pad job needed to be done, which the other shop assured me did not need to be done. The owner even showed me the pads and rotors, so that I could understand the job. That’s pretty awesome. Done in a couple of hours.

I’ve sung the praises of Culver Automotive before. It’s a good shop with honest mechanics, who take their work very seriously. There’s no BS about the work that needs to be done, or estimates. They stay in touch as the work is being done, but again, I want to point out…they went out of their way to avoid saying anything negative. That’s huge. after reading the detailed invoice, at home…I was pretty negative toward the other shop. In fact…I regret limping the car the three blocks to them, instead of just getting a tow to Dimitry’s shop, Culver Automotive.

I’ve said the name of the shop like, a jillion times in the post, so that you know where it is, and remember it. Auto work in West Los Angeles…it’s THE place to go, in my opinion. When you find a good mechanic…you should stay with him, even if it’s a bit of a drive. Lesson learned by me…to be sure.

We both agreed that we should keep an eye on the transmission…ostensibly the only part of the job that the other shop did right, or well. It’s the job that I brought the car to them for, and initially, they failed to do it right. Again…we are keeping an eye on it.

You’ll note, Gentle Reader, that I’ve never mentioned the other shop’s name. I’m also trying not to be negative…trying to get some emotional distance from the event before I decide whether it’s worth it. I think that on some level I should…for all I know, that other Mercedes of similar vintage is STILL sitting in their bay, and the owner wondering what’s going on. Instead of focusing on THAT, I’d rather focus on the Good Thing…Dimitry got everything settled, including that dangerous knocking sound that I had never had before. I took a long Test Drive, with Zebra Pony riding shotgun, and all seemed right in the world.

In fact, Zebra Pony, who had been looking depressed (kind of hard to do for a plush animal) seemed his usual happy self again. Maybe the angle of his favorite seat shows his smile better, I don’t know. It was just a Good Thing. A good way to start my Summer off.

The art with no text logos or white border.

The art here was drawn in two layers, instead of a background merge. I laid out the interior of the ship, drew it, and then laid out where the figures would go, over it. I then erased the light pencils, drew the figures, and then went over the completed pencils again, in their entirety, for contrast. It was a whole lot of work, but so was fixing my car. Also, it is (hopefully) the end to this plotline for a while at least.

The next time I take the car in, I want it to be for an Oil Change. Like regular people.

As Stan Lee would say…Excelsior!

• June 15, 2016
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