dennisvogen

The Lighthouse

January 25th, 2021 There once was a dude on a ship. He didn’t remember how he got there. But he was in the middle of the sea, in the center of a storm that had been raging as far back as his memory could recall. The wind cut his cheeks and the rain soaked intoContinue reading “The Lighthouse”

A More Perfect Union

January 20th, 2021 It was pointed out to me today that the Constitution starts with the promise of a “more perfect union” — the key word not being “perfect,” but “more.” It immediately states that there is nothing perfect about us or this country, and that it could be and will be better perpetually. ItContinue reading “A More Perfect Union”

Any & Everything

January 19th, 2021 Anything can be saved. Everything can be destroyed. These were two phrases I repeated in my head when I was still “in it.” I repeated them because I knew I wanted them in my first comic book, and because these words were keeping me alive. I spent a lot of time thinkingContinue reading “Any & Everything”

You’re Going To Make It After All

January 18th, 2021 You would think that because we’re not prehistoric people fighting for our daily survival that we wouldn’t be so stressed out. But what humans did was change the definition of survival itself. It is no longer just having shelter and something to eat and not dying. It’s having a home that isn’tContinue reading “You’re Going To Make It After All”

falling asleep behind the wheel

January 16th, 2021 Highway hypnosis is the phenomenon of daydreaming so profoundly that you find yourself at the destination of a journey without being able to remember how you got there. It’s called that because it usually happens behind the wheel. I never thought that my grief would sometimes manifest itself in this way. Often,Continue reading “falling asleep behind the wheel”

Brushfire In-Depth: January 14th, 2021

January 14th, 2021 The creation of my first all-ages graphic novel, Brushfire, is well underway and (as promised!) here’s an update of how it’s going. This is concept art for arguably the most important location in the entire series: Faribault’s Central Park. Brushfire — which, if this is the first you’ve heard of it, isContinue reading “Brushfire In-Depth: January 14th, 2021”

Told Ya

January 14th, 2021 Imagine that you’re at a restaurant with your family. A few tables down sits a man, and he is drunk. Initially, he’s just rambling incoherently and maybe using language and slurs that make your family uncomfortable. Eventually, though, he starts to say undeniably threatening remarks. You alert some of the staff andContinue reading “Told Ya”

Forgive & I’ll Live

January 10th, 2021 Somebody on the internet set me off tonight. Someone I love said, “You’re a writer. You should be better than the words that you’re saying right now.” She’s right. I can not, no matter how hard I try, ever understand people who live to set fire to the world, and who intentionallyContinue reading “Forgive & I’ll Live”