Was It Worth The Weight?

No one likes the beard

Wow. I was surprised by the amount of remarks I received about updating the blog. I wasn't aware of the many people who visit this page. Apparently it's more than the amount that the posted comments lead me to believe. I appreciate the time you fine internet-wanderers and friends of friends take out of your day just to see if I have anything new to say. Thanks.

It's been a hell of a bloody week and a half. That's my excuse. The past week or so can be considered the fill-in issues of life. That is, in comic books, when a critically acclaimed writer/artist team finishes their run, but it's not time for the new creative team to take over yet, so a fill in writer and artist are found to bridge the gap, resulting in a couple sub-par or shitty stories with sloppy art. (Phew!) From the looks of things at work, it's not likely things will get any better any time soon. I'm not going to sit here and whine about it. We all have bad days (weeks) and it was just my turn to feel the burn. And I'm not alone, as I've learned from a few of my comrades, misery loves company.

Instead, there are several other things I'd like to talk about.

The Iraqi Elections: It's good to finally see something positive come out of this war. President Bush calls the elections a "resounding success." I don't trust the President's judgment more than I can trust a child molester to behave himself at a day care center, but I have to agree with him. Seeing, hearing, and reading the people's reactions to a country's first free election in fifty years of its dark history is heartwarming, and I'm hoping for the best in Iraq's future.

Comics: You knew it was coming. I just wanted to point out some of the best comic stories I've read recently.

We3: A three issue miniseries published by Vertigo/DC Comics, written by Grant Morrison with art by Frank Quitely. The story of three household animals transformed into killer cyborgs against their will, and their desire to go home. A heartwrenching and extremely violent tale, easily the best of Morrison's writing and Quitely's art is amazingly detailed and innovative. The best comic story I've ever read. I'm not kidding. (Mature Readers)

Ex Machina: Also published under DC Comics but under their Wildstorm imprint, written by Brian K. Vaughn and penciled by Tony Harris. The story of the post 9-11 world's only superhero retiring to run for mayor of New York City, winning by a landslide. He's forced to tackle real-world issues like censorship and gay marriage, which proves tougher than anything he's ever faced as a superhero. Awesomely intriguing. (Mature Readers)

It's A Bird... : published by Vertigo/DC Comics written by Steven Seagle, drawn by Teddy Kristiansen. The semi-autobiographical story of a man tasked with a great honor: to write Superman comics. But he doesn't want to, and he's got more important things to worry about. His father is missing, and he's discovered a fatal genetic disease that threatens to destroy another generation of his family. It's a touching tale of the need for heroes in a real world where Superman is just a comic book character, and how being tasked with the impossible helps him through it.

That's it for now, I'll have more recommendations later.

Resident Evil 4: Yup, still in geek territory. I've never liked the Resident Evil series. What with the crappy controls and the frustrating puzzles and rendered backgrounds and lack of ammo for my weapons that I can't aim at any zombie. I ended up reading the novel adaptions in order to get the low down on the story.

That all changed with the release of Resident Evil 4. The game is in full 3-D, the graphics are amazing, and since the camera is behind your character, the controls are actually playable. It also goes in a new direction, as there are no zombies in the game. That's right. No zombies. They also made it more action oriented, and gives you a reasonable amount of ammo. It's also creepy and scary as all Hell when a bunch of crazy villagers armed with axes and pitchforks run at you in a frenzy. But it's okay because you can aim your weapon at their legs and knock them down. That's right, I said AIM! The game never stops being amazing and fun, yet still remains ungodly creepy. The cutscenes, voice acting and sounds are all top notch. I love this game.

Classes: Okay back to safer territory. I started the new semester today and so far it looks good. The video class I'm taking to fill the tax-deductible-necessary credits looks remarkably enjoyable and I'm already brimming with ideas. The French class being taken for same reason and also to help with transfer is not going to be difficult and the class is only about ten people, which makes it more personal. And the online Art History class isn't as intimidating as it sounded (so far). All in all, a good selection for the time being.

Dream Girl: No news to report.

The Shawshank Redemption: I gave this movie to my dad for Christmas and late one night when I couldn't sleep I popped it in the ol' DVD player. I was reminded of how great this movie is. It's the best movie I have ever seen and makes me feel good every time I watch it. It's not just a prison movie, it's a story of friendship and hope. "Get busy living or get busy dying." I cried the first time I saw it years ago, I'm not ashamed to say it.

Plugs: I'm just going to plug some other weblogs. The Cranky Liberal recently left a comment on my site, and I thank him for that. Comic book artist Jim Lee has a blog whose format looks remarkably similar to my own. Baghdad Burning is a blog from the hot spot. And also, as I have before, I'm plugging Jeff Parker's blog. Because I like the guy.

And I'm spent! I'll post something or other some other time...or other.

The Evolution of Malcolm

This weekend being extremely boring, I decided to showcase more of my art. But instead of posting just one drawing from today, I'm going to post past drawings of the same thing from years ago. In this case, it's your buddy and mine: Malcolm.

1994: This one is from the Savoy comic my friends and I made in middle school. The comic was in the same style as MAD Magazine, making fun of our math teacher. Malcolm was one of the supporting cast members. He suffers from a condition known as "overdrawn mouth" and for some reason, his butt crack is showing.

2001:This one is from my famous Dogs of War graphic novel. It doesn't really look like Malcolm, but I wanted him in there anyway. I was drawing 200 pages in three months, so I didn't really go into detail. Just as long as a character referred to him as "Malcolm," it was him. He suffers from "Trapezoid Eye."

Late 2001: I did this one in basic training, when I had a lot of time on my hands, as part of a bigger piece. It was cartoony, just like the rest of it, but it made me feel better. I like it.

2005: I just did this one. I paid much more attention to what he actually looks like (from my memory anyway).

I've known this guy for a long time. And I STILL draw him.

Who Says Physics Isn't Fun?

Thanks to a mod for Half-Life 2 called Garry's Mod, I can do almost anything with the physics engine in the game. Here's a couple of my personal favorites I created while messing around.

Hate to be the guy on the right

Take that!

Not Gonna Finish the Day on a Sour Note...

This happened to me more than once.

I Hope These People Go to Hell

I found an article about a Christian relief group who refused to give much-needed supplies to a Hindu village in India devistated by the tsunamis because they wouldn't convert to Christianity. The world is full of assholes, and men and women of the cloth are not exempt.

Word of Advice from Tony

Tomato Basil to Rule Them All

Last night I had one of those cravings. I've been having a lot lately, with shrimp, calzones, et cetera, but this one was no ordinary craving.

Tomato Basil Soup.

But not just any tomato basil soup, but the one you only get from La Madeline. This, my friends, is one of the best soups you will ever have. I couldn't get to La Madeline last night, so I pulled a Progresso off the shelf to tide me over until I can. It wasn't bad, good enough to tide you over for when you can't get there, but it's no La Madeline.

I'm going tomorrow. No doubt about it. But I thought I'd post the recipe here on my blog:

La Madeline's Tomato Basil Soup

4 cups Tomatoes (8-10) -- peeled, cored and chopped

Or

4 cups Canned whole tomatoes -- Crushed

12 Fresh basil leaves -- Washed

1 cup Heavy cream

1/4 lb Sweet unsalted butter, salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon Cracked black pepper -- Cracked

Combine tomatoes, juice and/or stock in saucepan. Simmer 30 minutes. Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender or food processor. Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, while stirring, over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.

Darth Tater

Tempted by the Dark Side of the Forks

Video Killed The Radio Star

Anybody know what happened to WHFS 99.1 FM ? It was an alternative-rock station and now....spanish music. The change was so abrupt it caught everyone by surprise. I haven't listened to the radio at all lately (or watched much TV) but still, what's the deal?

I guess playing Linkin Park three times an hour wasn't such a good idea...

Girl of My Dreams (Only One of Them)

This is a quick drawing of the girl that appeared in my awesome dream that I mentioned a few days ago. I had another one drawn but Zahir can tell you it looked like poop. I scanned it in and in an unusual move for me, I colorized it. More for experimentation than anything else but also to help bring a clearer picture. And no, she isn't misproportioned, she's leaning forward. I'm trying a little foreshortening...I don't know if I succeeded though.

Dream Girl???

I don't know this girl. I don't know anyone who matches the description, but my dream would lead me to believe I do. If this is my dream girl, there are some things I would expect, and some things I wouldn't. I've always liked the glasses look, and the boots are a turn on for me, and may have something to do with my military life, subconsciously. Skirts are formal and look nice, but as you can see this one isn't too short. Just enough leg to tease. I don't recall what color the shirt was in the dream but looking at the picture now I wish I went with something other than purple. The green eyes I guess are a reflection of my own. The biggest surprise though: she's blond. I'm a brunette kinda guy, so the fact that she was blond is sort of unexpected.

But whatever. If you know anybody who looks like this, give me her number. Man am I desperate or what?

Cyclops is in "Superman" !!!

Okay maybe not so much, but James Marsden, who played Cyclops in the X-Men movies, has been cast as Richard White, a relative of Perry White, editor of the Daily Planet. This would be the third time Marsden has worked with director Bryan Singer.

Dogs of War

This was the idea I thought of a few days ago. This sketch is inspired by Dogs of War, the graphic novel I made four years ago. I haven't drawn anything related to it in quite a while, so I thought I'd revisit the characters. I've learned a lot since I drew the original book. I'll never forget my greatest feat. Needless to say, the book and these characters mean a lot to me.

Dogs of War

Accomplishment Orgasm

It feels good being productive. I accomplished so much today, I'm about to have an accomplishment orgasm.

Unfortunately I didn't do a drawing, but no biggity. I still have the idea in my head. In the meantime, here's a pic of me being a bad guy.

Opposing Force

Update: I think all that orgasm talk got to me. I was having an awesome dream last night. You know, the kind you usually don't share with others for fear of scaring them away. Right when it got to the point of climax, my alarm went off, waking me up. Why does that always happen?

WeakEnd

The end of another drill weekend, and I'm flippin' tired. I'm too spent to draw anything. Back in the day that wouldn't have stopped me. But back in the day I wasn't in the Army. Here's part of a panel from the unreleased sequel to my graphic novel.

Burlow

I didn't get any shots, I was all up to date. When I was going to go to Kuwait, they pumped me full of everything and it's still effective. Maybe that's why I never get fully sick anymore. I had what was going to be a sore throat but that dissipated. A new soldier was there and I was chosen to be his sponsor. That is, the guy who makes sure he smoothly integrates himself into the unit. I guess it's a good thing to be chosen for such a task. It means the command trusts me with new blood. Next stop is Sergeant, right?

I may have no choice now. The Army isn't letting reserve soldiers go IRR at this time. IRR means Inactive Ready Reserve. When you sign up, a reservist usually signs an 8 year contract. Six of those years you regularly attend drill one weekend a month with active time 2 weeks a year, and can be activated at any time. The remaining two years are IRR, you don't have to do any of that, but you're still able to be called upon to be activated with your unit. This of course is because of the current world situation. A few months ago you may have heard about the soldiers who were called back from IRR to active duty, and only a third of them bothered to show up. Looks like they struck a nerve, and is likely the reason they took it away for the time being. I just learned of this yesterday. Tony, of course, is not happy, and he's not the only one. If this is still in effect by the end of my first 6 years, I'll probably end up becoming a sergeant in those remaining two years.

Also at drill I observed two types of people. There's the soldiers who know what they have to do and get it done in a reasonable fashion, and there's the soldiers who ...don't. They try to avoid as much work or sense of accomplishment as possible. Just an observation.

I have an idea for a drawing, I'll probably do it tomorrow. Out.

Paulsa

Another quick sketch. I have problems with this one, but it was done quickly last night and decided to post it anyway. I didn't darken it this time either. Ah well.

Paulsa

This weekend is drill. I'm told we're going to get shots, and lots of 'em. Hurray for immunization!

The Project That Was Never Finished

Following up on the promise to myself to showcase more of my art, I reached in the vault and pulled this out.

As some of you know, I wrote, illustrated, and produced a small 12 page comic or zine titled simply "PAT" to give to some of my friends. It was originally made for a class assignment, but got such positive feedback I pimped it for all it was worth. Penciled on computer paper and reproduced at Kinko's, it told a quick story of my comic-self's adventure at the mall.

I decided I was going to make a sequel not intended for a grade, but didn't have a story. Then I was activated. When not doing Army related things, I had plenty of free time to develop the comic. It took me about a month to finish in a little sketchbook. However, I never took the initiative to reproduce it and compose multiple copies. One reason was that I didn't have the proper tools to format the pages at the time. When I tried to copy it, the drawings were too light, and I didn't want to bother retracing the lines. Another reason is it ended up being twice as long as I intended. And well, I've just had other things to do. Most of the time.

Anyway, here's the cover to the second comic.

As you can see, the story was based within the concept of my activation. The guys behind me are Kevin and Tony, two good buddies of mine whom I deeply respect. Kevin is a sergeant now. Tony is almost out, lucky dog.

Now that I have Photoshop, I suppose I could work on it again, but who knows?

This isn't the first sequel of mine to never be finished. I was writing a sequel to my 200 page graphic novel until I couldn't work my way out of my own plot holes. Hey, I wrote the thing 4 years ago. And my grammar sucks.

The Interman by Jeff Parker

I may be a comic book fan, but sometimes I can't help but notice what goes on behind the scenes of the two big companies, Marvel and DC, and feel disgusted. When that happens, I venture outward.

While reading an article about such behind-the-scene nonsense I started getting that feeling. But later in the article I found a picture of John Kerry commanding electricity in order to get comic book readers to vote, and depicted Republicans as an Ork army. I thought, "Whoever made this has the same sense of humor as me." It turned out to be none other than comic book artist Jeff Parker.

They had a link to his blog there, but at the time I didn't know what a blog was. Once I saw it I thought, "I could do something like this!" And signed up on Blogger that same day. And go figure, he wrote and illustrated an original graphic novel, which is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for in the first place. Now Mr. Parker tells me not to blame him for my blog, but you see, I wouldn't have made one if I didn't visit his that day!

Jeff was kind enough to visit this site, so I figured the least I could do to thank him is plug his work.

The Interman by Jeff Parker

The graphic novel Jeff wrote is called The Interman, and is one of the best comic reads I've ever read. I couldn't find it in the bookstore or my comicshop so I ordered it through Amazon.com. It's the story of a forgotten military project, a supersoldier, running from the government agencies that made him decades ago and suddenly remembered his existence. He did nothing wrong, but they fear him, so they're after him. I don't want to say any more though, I want you to read it yourself! It's good stuff. Makes The Bourne Identity look like Dr. Seuss...with a shaky camera.

It kinda reminds me of my own graphic novel (a.k.a. that mess in a sketchbook) I did a few years ago. But this is by far, much better.

Thanks for your time, Jeff!

His blog can be found here, and his website can be found at parkerspace.com

He also suggested I have more action figures fightin'. I'll try and see that through.

Go Bunny Go!

One of the things I pledged to do this year is make more art. And whichever ones I feel deserve it, put it up on this site. So here's the first piece of art I did for 2005. A quick sketch I did at work.

Run with the Bunny

.

I like showing off most of my art, so I'll do it when I can. I just have to make sure the ones I doodle at work aren't snatched up by fellow employees for when I become "famous."

Loads of Chedda Makes It Betta

It's a new year, and I have a huge craving for cheese. Not that crappy single-slice wrapped crap, but the kind you cut from a brick. Of course, I have none of that in my house.