Not much to say other than I set up a tumblr for some of my artwork.
You can visit it here ---> link
Monday, October 24, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Urk
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Work's been nuts and money's tight. I did have a brief reprieve while visiting my in-laws in Syracuse. Though I have discovered I have a low threshold for state fairs; I went to the NY one and by 6pm I was ready. To. Go. Apparently, I can't ride some of the big fair rides either. After about four rides, I was doubled-over and pale. How did I get so old so quick?
The more I look around for jobs and art commissions, the more I am liking the idea of a webcomic. It's my art, my writing, my way, independent schedule. It's just a matter of coming up with something every few days that's worth visiting the site for. Can't decide if I want to do a continuing story with mainstay characters (like most comics; X-Men, Garfield, The Boondocks, Penny Arcade) or non sequitur vignettes (like Far Side or Hark, A Vagrant).
Here's some recent stuff for you. Got a possible project on my hands. Going to find out today or sometime this week if this is a sure thing.
She- Hulk
Poison Ivy redesign
The more I look around for jobs and art commissions, the more I am liking the idea of a webcomic. It's my art, my writing, my way, independent schedule. It's just a matter of coming up with something every few days that's worth visiting the site for. Can't decide if I want to do a continuing story with mainstay characters (like most comics; X-Men, Garfield, The Boondocks, Penny Arcade) or non sequitur vignettes (like Far Side or Hark, A Vagrant).
Here's some recent stuff for you. Got a possible project on my hands. Going to find out today or sometime this week if this is a sure thing.
She- Hulk
Poison Ivy redesign
Monday, July 18, 2011
That's all I Got
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Scary story time and more Wonder Woman!
For the first time in a long time, I felt like writing, so I looked up some journal prompts to get me going.
There actually hasn't been many that I can think of, aside from being in a car accident.
However, one particular moment stands out in my mind.
My friends Pat and Jamie, Jamie's girlfriend (also named Jamey) and I went to spend a day out at Paramount Carowinds. We stayed until the very last minute at the park going on rides, completely wet from the water slide we just got off. I live about two to three hours away from the park, and we didn't end up driving back until about 11:30 at night.
Only Jamie had a driver's license at the time, but he was too tired to drive, so I took over for a while. At some point on the road, headlights came screaming behind me. A van was on my ass for a good minute or so, despite me in the right lane and no one else on the road. Also, remember I was essentially driving with only a limited permit so I was making sure I went the speed limit. The lights behind us would jump periodically, a sign that he was braking suddenly to avoid smashing into me. We didn't know what to do. There was nowhere to pull over.
By the time we considered slowing down and hoping the guy would pass us, the van suddenly swooped around us and sped off. The taillights were almost out of sight when they suddenly brightened and pulled over to the side of the road.
At this point, everyone got apprehensive. Pat and Jamie were much bigger than me, and I could tell they were scared. We were starting to run low on gas. With no idea when the next exit with a station would come up, we held our breath passing the van.
A few seconds after passing him, the van gets right back on the road. He is now not tailgating me, but he's within sight. We're all freaking out in the car now. Should we pull over? Should we call the cops? Maybe we can't because I wasn't supposed to be driving? No one's sure. But we're all getting images of news reports the next morning of an abandoned car found on the side of the road and four teens missing.
Luckily, we spot a sign for a rest stop that's a few miles down. And when we reach it, we can tell there are a few cars there as well. We pull in. So does he. There are three cars parked between us. The rest stop is well lit and there are some families lazily brushing up to vending machines, walking their dogs, etc. All of us have to go to the bathroom really bad now, so we decide to go in pairs. Whoever is in the van doesn't get out the whole time. Now all of us have empty bladders but are terrified. Will he follow us again? We spot some cars leaving the rest spot, and we decide that's our cue. We follow them out. The van stays parked. We get home safely.
And now for something completely different!
There actually hasn't been many that I can think of, aside from being in a car accident.
However, one particular moment stands out in my mind.
My friends Pat and Jamie, Jamie's girlfriend (also named Jamey) and I went to spend a day out at Paramount Carowinds. We stayed until the very last minute at the park going on rides, completely wet from the water slide we just got off. I live about two to three hours away from the park, and we didn't end up driving back until about 11:30 at night.
Only Jamie had a driver's license at the time, but he was too tired to drive, so I took over for a while. At some point on the road, headlights came screaming behind me. A van was on my ass for a good minute or so, despite me in the right lane and no one else on the road. Also, remember I was essentially driving with only a limited permit so I was making sure I went the speed limit. The lights behind us would jump periodically, a sign that he was braking suddenly to avoid smashing into me. We didn't know what to do. There was nowhere to pull over.
By the time we considered slowing down and hoping the guy would pass us, the van suddenly swooped around us and sped off. The taillights were almost out of sight when they suddenly brightened and pulled over to the side of the road.
At this point, everyone got apprehensive. Pat and Jamie were much bigger than me, and I could tell they were scared. We were starting to run low on gas. With no idea when the next exit with a station would come up, we held our breath passing the van.
A few seconds after passing him, the van gets right back on the road. He is now not tailgating me, but he's within sight. We're all freaking out in the car now. Should we pull over? Should we call the cops? Maybe we can't because I wasn't supposed to be driving? No one's sure. But we're all getting images of news reports the next morning of an abandoned car found on the side of the road and four teens missing.
Luckily, we spot a sign for a rest stop that's a few miles down. And when we reach it, we can tell there are a few cars there as well. We pull in. So does he. There are three cars parked between us. The rest stop is well lit and there are some families lazily brushing up to vending machines, walking their dogs, etc. All of us have to go to the bathroom really bad now, so we decide to go in pairs. Whoever is in the van doesn't get out the whole time. Now all of us have empty bladders but are terrified. Will he follow us again? We spot some cars leaving the rest spot, and we decide that's our cue. We follow them out. The van stays parked. We get home safely.
And now for something completely different!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Some more stuff
Well, life is full of ups and downs. This month has been an example. Things at work have been much like a rollercoaster, and same here. Nicole's grandmother died, our car was rear-ended, Nicole did not get the baking job (no one's really sure why), and one of our rats has a tumor. On the other hand, I have been actively drawing more and pushing my stuff out. I have to admit, when things go bad at work, I tend to produce more art. I guess it is a healing medium for me after all.
My sister's graduating from high school next week, so I'm looking forward to spending the weekend back home! We're also still planning a week-long trip in Syracuse in late summer. And I'm really pushing for spending Christmas in Ohio with my family. I've been pushing my work a bit more, and thinking about starting a project with some former SCADites.
That said, here's some stuff (some of it was requested by others).
Diana in a bikini just dancing to music. Tried out a new color method, and I like how it came out.
This is actually quite a few months ago, but I still really like the personality that came out of this little sketch. So I scanned it, put in some shading, and slapped it on here.

Samus from my attempt to draw some video game girls as sexy and cool and battle-worn and all that. (this piece is older than the above ones)
My sister's graduating from high school next week, so I'm looking forward to spending the weekend back home! We're also still planning a week-long trip in Syracuse in late summer. And I'm really pushing for spending Christmas in Ohio with my family. I've been pushing my work a bit more, and thinking about starting a project with some former SCADites.
That said, here's some stuff (some of it was requested by others).
Diana in a bikini just dancing to music. Tried out a new color method, and I like how it came out.
This is actually quite a few months ago, but I still really like the personality that came out of this little sketch. So I scanned it, put in some shading, and slapped it on here.
Samus from my attempt to draw some video game girls as sexy and cool and battle-worn and all that. (this piece is older than the above ones)
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
A bit of bad news
Things aren't going well for my wife's mother's side of the family. A lot of health issues have hit the family clan all at once, and it doesn't look good. So please keep them in your prayers.
Not much to report aside from a minor fender-bender to our car that scratched up some paint. Things are going a little better at work so I don't have much to complain or report on. As promised, a new art is posted is posted below. Any of you suckas like playing Smash Bros.? My best friend was a killer with Sheik, and I did a bit of a fanart to that character.
Not much else is going on. Just a parting word: Talk to your family relatives. You only have them for so long.
Not much to report aside from a minor fender-bender to our car that scratched up some paint. Things are going a little better at work so I don't have much to complain or report on. As promised, a new art is posted is posted below. Any of you suckas like playing Smash Bros.? My best friend was a killer with Sheik, and I did a bit of a fanart to that character.
Not much else is going on. Just a parting word: Talk to your family relatives. You only have them for so long.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
State of Anxiety
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. There have been changes in management at work in the past month, and so things are getting a little . . . hectic right now.
A few good things:
Nicole is taking some trial shifts at a wonderful bakery where she'll hopefully be hired full time at.
Our friends Bear and Amy got married (and we helped!)
More people we know are with child now.
Zoey, one of our rats, had a tumor but we did have that removed at a much lower price than expected.
I made at least one new art -- Red Sonja (apparently they're making a movie starring Rose McGowan to play the She-Devil With a Sword)
Edit: See what happens with a little contrast bump?
Sorry my Disney post has been all delayed. I have something like four pages just on our second day and it's not even finished yet.
Don't know where things are headed right now. They could be better, but they could be much, much worse. Only time will tell I suppose.
A few good things:
Nicole is taking some trial shifts at a wonderful bakery where she'll hopefully be hired full time at.
Our friends Bear and Amy got married (and we helped!)
More people we know are with child now.
Zoey, one of our rats, had a tumor but we did have that removed at a much lower price than expected.
I made at least one new art -- Red Sonja (apparently they're making a movie starring Rose McGowan to play the She-Devil With a Sword)

Edit: See what happens with a little contrast bump?

Sorry my Disney post has been all delayed. I have something like four pages just on our second day and it's not even finished yet.
Don't know where things are headed right now. They could be better, but they could be much, much worse. Only time will tell I suppose.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Disney World Chronicles (part 1)
After eight months of putting $50 in a Disney lunch box per week, my wife and I were finally ready for the big trip. Nicole had been planning this trip since we started saving, and had been planning it even sooner in her head. We would be going to Disney World for six days, and after spending a single day at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Islands of Adventure, we would regrettably pack our things and return home.
We started saving in April and by the end of summer we had our hotel reserved, tickets bought, dinner reservations, and a timed schedule of when to go on rides. This was Disney World after all, not some theme park joke like Knott's Berry Farm. Disney wasn't just a theme park; it was an experience. If a person did not heed to the strict ride plans given out by The Unofficial Guide to Disney World, they were to expect an additional two hours of waiting to their day. You don't mess around with the crowds there. Took too long to eat your cornbread at Liberty Tree Tavern? Congratulations, the line at Thunder Mountain Railroad is now three hours long.
It was with this in mind that Nikki had planned everything to the minute. I'm sure somewhere in a folder somewhere inside her Disney World notebook there was a pee schedule.
Our trip was to be right in the middle of the two biggest American traveling holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. According to some data analysts that live inside Splash Mountain and have subsequently gone insane from listening to "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" nonstop, this was the time of the year that saw the smallest crowds in Disney. In theory, as this was in Florida, the weather would hover around the upper sixties to lower seventies. You can't plan a more perfect vacation which is why the weather suddenly decided to invade the American east coast with a cold snap. Our vacation was spent with many layers of socks, hoodies, sweaters, Mickey Mouse long johns, and a Goofy crotch heater (not really, but I'm waiting for Disney to make one).
Monday morning we woke at eight in the morning which is an ungodly hour for me because I like waking up when most people take their lunch breaks (the perks of working evening shifts). Nicole is racing through the house, packing away sweaters and blankets. It was very fun to watch her do this. By 9am, we were set. Suitcases in the car, bags of snacks and food in the backseat, and the very important notebook with schedules, reservation confirmation print-outs, maps, and guides on how to exit a moving vehicle in case of a Godzilla attack in my lap. We were ready. Or almost. Nicole put in the mix Disney mp3 CD she made. It had over 100 songs on it.
Five hours to go.
Okay, I'm acting like the grumpy husband who doesn't want to be seen passing cars with his wife bouncing up and down in the driver's seat, singing "Nobody has a swell cleft in his chin like Gaston!," but the truth is I actually like it. I probably did sing along with some of the songs. And the closer we got to Orlando, "Disney hyperventilating" occurs, and you can only cure it with more singing. This is a scientific fact.
In Lake Buena Vista, where our hotel is, is some of the most gaudy stores and restaurants in existence. There were second-hand Disney retail stores with giant sculpted wizards and mermaids hanging out of the roof. There was a Cici's Pizza with a waterfall. It was like walking into a daycare center for giants. Nothing was subtle. I think about that crying Indian commercial, and maybe he was lamenting less about litter and more about golf stores that emphasize the fact that they sell golf equipment by erecting a golf ball the size of a small house onto the front of its facade. Luckily, our hotel was not flashy and conveniently shared the parking lot with a Chinese take-out place.
Our first Disney experience would be a dinner show at the Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue around 8. Seeing as how we arrived at our hotel around 4, we spent our valuable time watching "Ghost Whisperer." It's a show about Jennifer Love-Hewitt crying a lot.
We give ourselves a reasonable hour to get to the show. After all, according to the map, we weren't that far at all from Disney World. But somehow, between seeing the big welcome sign for Disney and Frontierland, we got lost. We ended up at a barrier, then a dead end, until finally we were leaving Disney World. With half an hour to go, we start panicking. We turn around and finally find Frontierland, a giant campground that is reasonably deserted, given the fact that it's almost thirty degrees outside. We parked and boarded a bus that would take us to the revue. On the way, I got really excited about seeing a wild deer in the camp.
Now to interrupt for a second, I must give you readers a little insight on me. I don't like being the center of attention. At least, not usually. If it's my birthday at Hooters, okay, but usually no. So Nicole had wanted to get us a table near the front. I italicize because that's what we intended. Near, but not close. So when we go inside the massive theater patterned with logs, antlers, and red curtains, we are directed to our table that, to my horror, is not close to the stage. It's practically on the stage. I sat down and my toes hit the stage.
"The horror," I thought. "The horror."
When the music started, the cast ran out, greeting tables and such. One of the cast members greeted us and my wife luckily told him it was our anniversary. Our first anniversary! This was cause for a celebration. I felt a spotlight come on and suddenly we're told to dance.
It was a bit like this
Okay, that may have been a bit overdramatic. It probably lasted no more than a minute, but I'm not good at dancing and lots of people watching me doesn't aid my footloose rhythm.
The food was good though. They brought ribs, fried chicken, beans, mashed potatoes out all in buckets. Imagine! A bucket of ribs. And it's for me.
"Well," I thought. "Maybe I won't kill these people with my psycho mind powers. Perhaps I'll give this a shot."
It was a little cold inside and I was worried the show would be corny and bad, like Van Helsing. GeeeeeZUS! But no, it was more like 1966 Batman.
I was called out by a showgirl that I was looking up her skirt, but her crotch was eye level so I hardly see how that was my fault. But it was all in fun. I took away a great quote from the show that I will use when I become a dad. (The quote is "Well, call me butter 'cuz I'm on a roll!" Classic.) There was audience participation, which added to the hilarity. And at the end, they handed out washboards to play on with our spoons.
Mental note: never give kids metal washboards and spoons at the same time.
We left the revue and Frontierland with the metal ringing still in our ears, only to find that we somehow ended up right behind Space Mountain. Maintenance people stared at us. We hoped we would be able to figure out how to get inside Disney World by tomorrow.
We started saving in April and by the end of summer we had our hotel reserved, tickets bought, dinner reservations, and a timed schedule of when to go on rides. This was Disney World after all, not some theme park joke like Knott's Berry Farm. Disney wasn't just a theme park; it was an experience. If a person did not heed to the strict ride plans given out by The Unofficial Guide to Disney World, they were to expect an additional two hours of waiting to their day. You don't mess around with the crowds there. Took too long to eat your cornbread at Liberty Tree Tavern? Congratulations, the line at Thunder Mountain Railroad is now three hours long.
It was with this in mind that Nikki had planned everything to the minute. I'm sure somewhere in a folder somewhere inside her Disney World notebook there was a pee schedule.
Our trip was to be right in the middle of the two biggest American traveling holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. According to some data analysts that live inside Splash Mountain and have subsequently gone insane from listening to "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" nonstop, this was the time of the year that saw the smallest crowds in Disney. In theory, as this was in Florida, the weather would hover around the upper sixties to lower seventies. You can't plan a more perfect vacation which is why the weather suddenly decided to invade the American east coast with a cold snap. Our vacation was spent with many layers of socks, hoodies, sweaters, Mickey Mouse long johns, and a Goofy crotch heater (not really, but I'm waiting for Disney to make one).
Monday morning we woke at eight in the morning which is an ungodly hour for me because I like waking up when most people take their lunch breaks (the perks of working evening shifts). Nicole is racing through the house, packing away sweaters and blankets. It was very fun to watch her do this. By 9am, we were set. Suitcases in the car, bags of snacks and food in the backseat, and the very important notebook with schedules, reservation confirmation print-outs, maps, and guides on how to exit a moving vehicle in case of a Godzilla attack in my lap. We were ready. Or almost. Nicole put in the mix Disney mp3 CD she made. It had over 100 songs on it.
Five hours to go.
Okay, I'm acting like the grumpy husband who doesn't want to be seen passing cars with his wife bouncing up and down in the driver's seat, singing "Nobody has a swell cleft in his chin like Gaston!," but the truth is I actually like it. I probably did sing along with some of the songs. And the closer we got to Orlando, "Disney hyperventilating" occurs, and you can only cure it with more singing. This is a scientific fact.
In Lake Buena Vista, where our hotel is, is some of the most gaudy stores and restaurants in existence. There were second-hand Disney retail stores with giant sculpted wizards and mermaids hanging out of the roof. There was a Cici's Pizza with a waterfall. It was like walking into a daycare center for giants. Nothing was subtle. I think about that crying Indian commercial, and maybe he was lamenting less about litter and more about golf stores that emphasize the fact that they sell golf equipment by erecting a golf ball the size of a small house onto the front of its facade. Luckily, our hotel was not flashy and conveniently shared the parking lot with a Chinese take-out place.
Our first Disney experience would be a dinner show at the Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue around 8. Seeing as how we arrived at our hotel around 4, we spent our valuable time watching "Ghost Whisperer." It's a show about Jennifer Love-Hewitt crying a lot.
We give ourselves a reasonable hour to get to the show. After all, according to the map, we weren't that far at all from Disney World. But somehow, between seeing the big welcome sign for Disney and Frontierland, we got lost. We ended up at a barrier, then a dead end, until finally we were leaving Disney World. With half an hour to go, we start panicking. We turn around and finally find Frontierland, a giant campground that is reasonably deserted, given the fact that it's almost thirty degrees outside. We parked and boarded a bus that would take us to the revue. On the way, I got really excited about seeing a wild deer in the camp.
Now to interrupt for a second, I must give you readers a little insight on me. I don't like being the center of attention. At least, not usually. If it's my birthday at Hooters, okay, but usually no. So Nicole had wanted to get us a table near the front. I italicize because that's what we intended. Near, but not close. So when we go inside the massive theater patterned with logs, antlers, and red curtains, we are directed to our table that, to my horror, is not close to the stage. It's practically on the stage. I sat down and my toes hit the stage.
"The horror," I thought. "The horror."
When the music started, the cast ran out, greeting tables and such. One of the cast members greeted us and my wife luckily told him it was our anniversary. Our first anniversary! This was cause for a celebration. I felt a spotlight come on and suddenly we're told to dance.
It was a bit like this
Okay, that may have been a bit overdramatic. It probably lasted no more than a minute, but I'm not good at dancing and lots of people watching me doesn't aid my footloose rhythm.
The food was good though. They brought ribs, fried chicken, beans, mashed potatoes out all in buckets. Imagine! A bucket of ribs. And it's for me.
"Well," I thought. "Maybe I won't kill these people with my psycho mind powers. Perhaps I'll give this a shot."
It was a little cold inside and I was worried the show would be corny and bad, like Van Helsing. GeeeeeZUS! But no, it was more like 1966 Batman.
I was called out by a showgirl that I was looking up her skirt, but her crotch was eye level so I hardly see how that was my fault. But it was all in fun. I took away a great quote from the show that I will use when I become a dad. (The quote is "Well, call me butter 'cuz I'm on a roll!" Classic.) There was audience participation, which added to the hilarity. And at the end, they handed out washboards to play on with our spoons.
Mental note: never give kids metal washboards and spoons at the same time.
We left the revue and Frontierland with the metal ringing still in our ears, only to find that we somehow ended up right behind Space Mountain. Maintenance people stared at us. We hoped we would be able to figure out how to get inside Disney World by tomorrow.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Stuff

After watching Beauty & the Beast now that I'm older, I realize how goddang childish all the male characters in this film are. They're all so immature in some way; selfish, brash, and kind of dumb. But the amazing thing is, they're still all likable, even Gaston (until he runs off to the Beast's castle and tries to fight on a roof against a giant bison man in the rain).
With the way things are going at work, I can't really talk about it too much here. But, Nikki and I have been trying to go out on our days off to someplace new. Last week we visited the old Sheldon Church ruins, and this week we hit Charleston. We've visited Charleston several times before (it's where we were married and where Nikki grew up), but it doesn't get old to visit. We're still dreaming about living there. Nicole likes to shop around there, so maybe next time we go, I can find something a little more adventurous to do. The weather's getting nice enough that I might start going to places like Pickney Island again.
My mom has completed her reconstructive surgery after her battle with breast cancer, and my sister will be graduating from high school this June. Man . . . a lot has changed in just a few years.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
New WW redesign and life updates!
Yeesh. I usually try to keep my updates within a month! Sorry folks! A lot has happened in a month so I'll be brief.
- The biggest news in our lives right now is that management has changed hands at work, so we'll see how that goes. It's too early to tell whether or not this is a positive thing or not, but I have coworkers poised to jump ship any second, which I think is a bit hasty.
- One of our close friends is pregnant . . . with twins! Not only that, but there's at least six other people we know who are pregnant as well (one is having twins too)!
- Mom has just finished her reconstructive surgery after battling breast cancer. She can't work for two months, which sounds like a blessing and a curse. I'm sure it'll get old quick, as she's not allowed to lift anything over 5 lbs. or walk the dog for a while.
And, as always, I try to provide some new art each post. So here it is: possibly a final redesign of Wonder Woman!
And here's an action pose I sketched out quickly.

Also, one of her eating ice cream and chilling in her living room.
- The biggest news in our lives right now is that management has changed hands at work, so we'll see how that goes. It's too early to tell whether or not this is a positive thing or not, but I have coworkers poised to jump ship any second, which I think is a bit hasty.
- One of our close friends is pregnant . . . with twins! Not only that, but there's at least six other people we know who are pregnant as well (one is having twins too)!
- Mom has just finished her reconstructive surgery after battling breast cancer. She can't work for two months, which sounds like a blessing and a curse. I'm sure it'll get old quick, as she's not allowed to lift anything over 5 lbs. or walk the dog for a while.
And, as always, I try to provide some new art each post. So here it is: possibly a final redesign of Wonder Woman!

And here's an action pose I sketched out quickly.

Also, one of her eating ice cream and chilling in her living room.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Upcoming ideas and projects
We have since finished our big trip to Disney. Nicole has uploaded all the pics on Facebook, and I'm not sure if I want to upload them all here (but maybe a few). The trip was wonderful and it seems like ages ago even though it's only been a week since we got back.
Anyway, I have a bit of a New Year's resolution: I want to start up a web comic (maybe the Zoey & Milly one; not sure) and on the side continue my Wonder Woman revamp story. I think it's turning out great, and once I get enough promotional images, and about 60-ish pages fully made (that's about nine months by industry standards) I'd like to propose it to DC.
This new incarnation of Wonder Woman will have more personality, spunk, and purpose behind her. Here's an image I did last night of her just having a good time.
Anyway, I have a bit of a New Year's resolution: I want to start up a web comic (maybe the Zoey & Milly one; not sure) and on the side continue my Wonder Woman revamp story. I think it's turning out great, and once I get enough promotional images, and about 60-ish pages fully made (that's about nine months by industry standards) I'd like to propose it to DC.
This new incarnation of Wonder Woman will have more personality, spunk, and purpose behind her. Here's an image I did last night of her just having a good time.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Holidays and news
I apologize for not updating since . . . uh, September? Geez. Well, life has been moving along at a pretty slow pace. It doesn't help that we're on our toes about our Disney trip that's in thirteen days. Our holiday plans have suffered because of it, and we won't be seeing family for Thanksgiving, but hopefully we may try to work something out for Christmas. But we will be spending this festive Thursday with our boss; which isn't as bad as it sounds since he can really cook. I'm just looking forward to yams and apple pie. Those are the highlights of my Thanksgiving.
I didn't post on here in a while due to not having almost any artwork to show. But I'm doing a sort of "secret santa" fanart gift and I finished it today. I think I'm safe to give you guys an early preview. (You might also want to be aware that I'm a big Batman nerd)
I didn't post on here in a while due to not having almost any artwork to show. But I'm doing a sort of "secret santa" fanart gift and I finished it today. I think I'm safe to give you guys an early preview. (You might also want to be aware that I'm a big Batman nerd)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Insect post No. 1
I was taught how to draw people for the most part at school. Animals (specifically mammals) were secondary. But attempting to even do gestures of insects is difficult. They are alien to mammalian form. At least six legs for most, segmented bodies, wings, bulging eyes, crowbar-shaped feet, pincers, sleek exoskeletons, etc. They have amazing camouflage and defense mechanisms. They live practically everywhere, and yet we only take notice of them when they're in our house, eating our food, or sucking our blood.So suffice to say I difficulty pulling off any forms. I didn't know where to start. You'd think it'd be easy. They're divided into three parts -- head, abdomen, thorax. But I don't just want to put shapes together. I want to understand how these insects move and fly. The top left sketch was me trying to see what a leafhopper bug would look like if you gave it more human qualities. The top right is a wasp that has some sort of needle or tube it sticks through wood to lay eggs. And bottom left is the face of a cicada (which are the ugliest things on earth).
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Last daily post
Spent most of the day cleaning and coloring. Here's a pic I'm working on from a photo.

Original photo is here.

Original photo is here.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
A new year alive and a new challenge
Today was my wife's 27th birthday today, so we invited a bunch of people and dined at a local seafood restaurant for lunch. So far we've had two different types of cake today. I didn't get much sleep last night, so with two meals with fat slices of cake involved added in, I'm feeling pretty tired. We got a free meal at the restaurant for dinner.
Anyway, my two-week pledge is almost up. I like that I've been making constant updates, and I've noticed the visitations have bumped up since doing this. Now that I've almost fulfilled my challenge, I may not be doing another daily post after this. However, my new challenge is to draw at least five sketches a day. And for no particular reason, I've chosen bugs. So from the 15th to the 21st, I will be making some drawings. They don't have to be posted every day, but they have to be done and posted before midnight on the 21st.
Well, the wife just got the complete series of Daria on DVD, so I'm off to watch some episodes.
Anyway, my two-week pledge is almost up. I like that I've been making constant updates, and I've noticed the visitations have bumped up since doing this. Now that I've almost fulfilled my challenge, I may not be doing another daily post after this. However, my new challenge is to draw at least five sketches a day. And for no particular reason, I've chosen bugs. So from the 15th to the 21st, I will be making some drawings. They don't have to be posted every day, but they have to be done and posted before midnight on the 21st.
Well, the wife just got the complete series of Daria on DVD, so I'm off to watch some episodes.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Where I was on 9/11
In September of 2001, I was in 10th grade. When I first heard about the attacks, I was in Geometry class. A teacher poked his head in, and said that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. This will probably sound callous now, but my class started to joke about how pilots can't fly these days. It sounds horrible, but the last thing on our mind was that the plane was used as a missile to kill people within the tower -- or that there would be three more of these planes.
After class ended and I walked to Biology, a student ran past me and told my teacher that there were several planes that had attacked buildings, and that it was done by terrorists. My teacher got so riled up, he made a long rant followed by a pro-USA speech. I was just so flabbergasted by all that was going on, and that I didn't have any info on the attacks, that I didn't react much to his message. I just wondered if we would be able to get out of school.
There was a little buzz about it in my next class, English. But again, everyone had little info. It was a terrorist attack. The Pentagon had been hit as well as the WTCs. But that was it. Was this a nationwide thing? Would we be sent home? Were we in danger? Would the terrorists target public schools? I lived in central North Carolina, away from any iconic or important structures, and yet nothing seemed safe now. Are we at war now? The principal got on the intercom at this point and confirmed that there were attacks that had been made on several buildings, but at this time school is still in session. Remain calm. That was it.
It wasn't until my next to last class, World History, that I was able to see what had happened. My teacher had driven from his home and brought a TV in, and we sat quietly, some of us sobbing, as we watched repeated footage of the attacks. I know at some point I had tears in my eyes. What really got to me was an interview from a distraught survivor who had just come down from the tower. He had passed by a man in a wheelchair on the staircase who was calling out for people to carry him, but no one would. The man, now safely away from the ruins, was shattered emotionally. "I can't believe I didn't help him! Why didn't I help him? Oh God, I hope he got out! Oh Jesus!"
When I got home I saw the footage of people jumping out of the towers. That really put me out of it. I had just never seen anything like that before. This wasn't a depressed person bent on suicide. This was someone desperately trying to escape the burning insides of the tower. And it wasn't just one person. Firefighters had reported they kept hearing thumps in the lobby of the bodies hitting the ground. This was all new and horrendous to me. This wasn't the movies. This wasn't in some faraway country you could just forget about. It was home.
I was in a daze for a week or so, determined that this was some sort of nightmare I would wake up from. But I think I snapped out of it after seeing a special report where they interviewed some of the NY firemen. One of the fire chiefs stepped outside with the cameraman and the interviewer, obviously a day or two after the attacks, and pointed down the street.
"Everyday the towers were there. Now there's nuthin'. They're gone."
It was that image-- the image of something you see everyday, take for granted because it had always been there, and now was gone. Gone forever. And it shakes your reality.
After that, I tried to join the ROTC but because of my asthma I wasn't admitted. I'm grateful for that now because of the way things in my life went after high school.
If kids some day down the road find this post, hopefully this video will kind of help show how these attacks took a lot of America by surprise.
After class ended and I walked to Biology, a student ran past me and told my teacher that there were several planes that had attacked buildings, and that it was done by terrorists. My teacher got so riled up, he made a long rant followed by a pro-USA speech. I was just so flabbergasted by all that was going on, and that I didn't have any info on the attacks, that I didn't react much to his message. I just wondered if we would be able to get out of school.
There was a little buzz about it in my next class, English. But again, everyone had little info. It was a terrorist attack. The Pentagon had been hit as well as the WTCs. But that was it. Was this a nationwide thing? Would we be sent home? Were we in danger? Would the terrorists target public schools? I lived in central North Carolina, away from any iconic or important structures, and yet nothing seemed safe now. Are we at war now? The principal got on the intercom at this point and confirmed that there were attacks that had been made on several buildings, but at this time school is still in session. Remain calm. That was it.
It wasn't until my next to last class, World History, that I was able to see what had happened. My teacher had driven from his home and brought a TV in, and we sat quietly, some of us sobbing, as we watched repeated footage of the attacks. I know at some point I had tears in my eyes. What really got to me was an interview from a distraught survivor who had just come down from the tower. He had passed by a man in a wheelchair on the staircase who was calling out for people to carry him, but no one would. The man, now safely away from the ruins, was shattered emotionally. "I can't believe I didn't help him! Why didn't I help him? Oh God, I hope he got out! Oh Jesus!"
When I got home I saw the footage of people jumping out of the towers. That really put me out of it. I had just never seen anything like that before. This wasn't a depressed person bent on suicide. This was someone desperately trying to escape the burning insides of the tower. And it wasn't just one person. Firefighters had reported they kept hearing thumps in the lobby of the bodies hitting the ground. This was all new and horrendous to me. This wasn't the movies. This wasn't in some faraway country you could just forget about. It was home.
I was in a daze for a week or so, determined that this was some sort of nightmare I would wake up from. But I think I snapped out of it after seeing a special report where they interviewed some of the NY firemen. One of the fire chiefs stepped outside with the cameraman and the interviewer, obviously a day or two after the attacks, and pointed down the street.
"Everyday the towers were there. Now there's nuthin'. They're gone."
It was that image-- the image of something you see everyday, take for granted because it had always been there, and now was gone. Gone forever. And it shakes your reality.
After that, I tried to join the ROTC but because of my asthma I wasn't admitted. I'm grateful for that now because of the way things in my life went after high school.
If kids some day down the road find this post, hopefully this video will kind of help show how these attacks took a lot of America by surprise.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Movie Time
To get the requirement out of the way, I did see something new: I'm about a quarter of the way through Season 3 of Dexter. I really like that show. It's one of the few I go, "Ooh! What's gonna happen next!? Gotta see the next episode!"
To add some meat to this post, I'll add in some of my favorite scenes from my favorite movies (in no particular order).
John Carpenter's The Thing Blood Test scene
I love horror movies. And I don't go looking for the crappy movies that are made pretty much just to show people getting killed in various ways. I LOATHE the slasher flicks. Same formula, different killer. They all have some schtick, but they all love to kill stupid teens. In theory, it sounds hilarious and entertaining. But in practice, it gets old quick. Why? Because it's obvious the writer/director didn't have any new ideas to contribute to the genre, other than how someone can be killed using a paper mache doll.
You just don't see tension in horror movies nowadays that you do in this scene here. In this scene, Kurt Russel's character Mac has discovered that the alien not only disguises itself as other beings, but it can separate yet act as a singular being. This prompts his forced blood test.
Coraline - Clip Bug Room
Uploaded by ohmygore. - Check out other Film & TV videos.
I couldn't find any of my favorite scenes from Coraline (one of my favorite movies in recent years), but this clip at least represents the color and style of the movie very well. Word of warning: it's not really a kid's film. It looks innocent at first, but there were scenes that freaked me out. And I watched The Exorcist unfazed.
Again, wasn't able to find any of my favorite scenes from this gem, but nobody doesn't like Die Hard. Even my wife, who usually just rolls her eyes over steroid-pumped heroes mowing down badguys with their giant guns, loves this movie. All the characters are involved in the plot instead of just being there to make a joke or look good. The whole Die Hard series is great, but the first one shot Bruce Willis from rom/coms into action hero stardom.
Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com
This was my favorite movie in middle school. It's not my favorite anymore, but it has great action scenes. It also has one of the best rallying speeches in film history- and that's saying something. I would vote for Bill Pullman as President.
Another great frightening scene with tension. Unfortunately, the added music drowns out some of the sound, but you can gather that Jake Gyllenhaal's character does NOT want to be there. He's invited to the man's basement RIGHT after discovering that his #1 suspect for the Zodiac killer is this guy. While inside, he hears movement upstairs, previously thinking they were alone.
To add some meat to this post, I'll add in some of my favorite scenes from my favorite movies (in no particular order).
John Carpenter's The Thing Blood Test scene
I love horror movies. And I don't go looking for the crappy movies that are made pretty much just to show people getting killed in various ways. I LOATHE the slasher flicks. Same formula, different killer. They all have some schtick, but they all love to kill stupid teens. In theory, it sounds hilarious and entertaining. But in practice, it gets old quick. Why? Because it's obvious the writer/director didn't have any new ideas to contribute to the genre, other than how someone can be killed using a paper mache doll.
You just don't see tension in horror movies nowadays that you do in this scene here. In this scene, Kurt Russel's character Mac has discovered that the alien not only disguises itself as other beings, but it can separate yet act as a singular being. This prompts his forced blood test.
Coraline - Clip Bug Room
Uploaded by ohmygore. - Check out other Film & TV videos.
I couldn't find any of my favorite scenes from Coraline (one of my favorite movies in recent years), but this clip at least represents the color and style of the movie very well. Word of warning: it's not really a kid's film. It looks innocent at first, but there were scenes that freaked me out. And I watched The Exorcist unfazed.
Again, wasn't able to find any of my favorite scenes from this gem, but nobody doesn't like Die Hard. Even my wife, who usually just rolls her eyes over steroid-pumped heroes mowing down badguys with their giant guns, loves this movie. All the characters are involved in the plot instead of just being there to make a joke or look good. The whole Die Hard series is great, but the first one shot Bruce Willis from rom/coms into action hero stardom.
Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com
This was my favorite movie in middle school. It's not my favorite anymore, but it has great action scenes. It also has one of the best rallying speeches in film history- and that's saying something. I would vote for Bill Pullman as President.
Another great frightening scene with tension. Unfortunately, the added music drowns out some of the sound, but you can gather that Jake Gyllenhaal's character does NOT want to be there. He's invited to the man's basement RIGHT after discovering that his #1 suspect for the Zodiac killer is this guy. While inside, he hears movement upstairs, previously thinking they were alone.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Dinosaurs and scary movies
Dinosaur Puppets
When I was young, my parents were pretty strict on what I could watch. I wasn't allowed to see the evening news until I started grade school. So it was a very long time (at least when compared to most kids) before I saw any kind of movie that was remotely violent.
My friend Phillip had gotten the movie Jurassic Park on tape and, probably knowing the scariest movie I had seen was Ernest Scared Stupid, put it in the VCR, saying something along the lines that it was an awesome movie.
Now don't get me wrong. Jurassic Park is an awesome movie.
I don't know how I got through the first scene, but I do remember the part where the T-Rex tries to eat the kids in the jeep. Phillip's mom spots me trying to claw my way backwards inside her armchair, eyes wide open, and decides that the movie was too much for me.
Phillip protested and said that I didn't mind. Did I?
No words came out. Just a slow shake of the head. "No? What? I don't care. Oh my God. That dinosaur was going to eat those kids. They were screaming. I will never curse dinosaurs again."
Now, of course, I'm the one watching the movies with the jump scenes and my wife is repeatedly asking me, through a wad of fingers, when the next scary part was going to come up. And my sister blows through scary movies like nothing. It took me years to build up an immunity. But while I was watching "The Mummy" for the first time in our living room at age 13, she was six.
When I was young, my parents were pretty strict on what I could watch. I wasn't allowed to see the evening news until I started grade school. So it was a very long time (at least when compared to most kids) before I saw any kind of movie that was remotely violent.
My friend Phillip had gotten the movie Jurassic Park on tape and, probably knowing the scariest movie I had seen was Ernest Scared Stupid, put it in the VCR, saying something along the lines that it was an awesome movie.
Now don't get me wrong. Jurassic Park is an awesome movie.
I don't know how I got through the first scene, but I do remember the part where the T-Rex tries to eat the kids in the jeep. Phillip's mom spots me trying to claw my way backwards inside her armchair, eyes wide open, and decides that the movie was too much for me.
Phillip protested and said that I didn't mind. Did I?
No words came out. Just a slow shake of the head. "No? What? I don't care. Oh my God. That dinosaur was going to eat those kids. They were screaming. I will never curse dinosaurs again."
Now, of course, I'm the one watching the movies with the jump scenes and my wife is repeatedly asking me, through a wad of fingers, when the next scary part was going to come up. And my sister blows through scary movies like nothing. It took me years to build up an immunity. But while I was watching "The Mummy" for the first time in our living room at age 13, she was six.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
CAVES
Man, I love caves. Not that I want to do the hardcore spelunking. I'm a bit claustrophobic. Heck, when my wife and I went with a friend to the Atlanta Aquarium, there was a section in the penguin area where you could crawl in and stand up in this glass tube in the middle of the exhibit. You could be in the midst of penguins! Well, the tunnel happened to be full of loud kids and their loud parents speaking over their kids, so it ended up being this hot, dark, enclosed space full of writhing tiny bodies and screaming. There was also a line inside the tunnel (which was about 3' tall) to get to the glass tube. Needless to say, the penguins weren't worth it.
And I'm terrified of the cave exploring that requires you squeezing your body between rocks and spending a few days in an area with no sunlight and sudden drops into the abyss. I'm perfectly okay with the guided tours in caves with the nicknames for all the stalactites and such.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1310129/British-explorers-map-cave-network-underneath-Borneo-jungle.html
Deer Cave in Borneo has been shown on one of my favorite documentaries, Planet Earth. In fact, the whole cave episode is my favorite. You have a cave full of bat dung and covered with cockroaches, one full of a river of sulfuric acid, and another that has giant gypsum crystals you can walk on.
When we visited my in-laws in Alabama, it was suggested we go see the DeSoto Caverns. I was excited about it, as it also had some fun activities you could do - like panning for minerals! I hadn't done that since I was 10! Not only that, but the caverns had a laser light show! Neato!
When we got there, we found out the laser light show was about how the creation of the cave was made. I was a little disappointed it wasn't going to be a recreation of the Tron story or something, but I wanted to check it out anyway. We get inside, and they turn off the lights. Pitch black. I start getting excited. I'm expecting the narrator to start talking about rivers of molten lava barreling through crust, and iron and oxygen mixing and blowing up or some sort of epic science like that. Instead, it was a direct reading from Genesis chapter 1. The narrator would say, "And God said, 'Let the land and waters teem with life, and give the sky the birds in the air," and behind me would be this squawking speaker that would etch out animal noises.
"Let the land -"
"CRAW! CRAW! CRAW!"
"with life and-"
"RRRROOOOOOAAAARRR!"
"water-"
"MOOOOOOOO!"
They also had toilet racers.
Yes, this is real.
It's as exciting as it looks.
And I'm terrified of the cave exploring that requires you squeezing your body between rocks and spending a few days in an area with no sunlight and sudden drops into the abyss. I'm perfectly okay with the guided tours in caves with the nicknames for all the stalactites and such.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1310129/British-explorers-map-cave-network-underneath-Borneo-jungle.html
Deer Cave in Borneo has been shown on one of my favorite documentaries, Planet Earth. In fact, the whole cave episode is my favorite. You have a cave full of bat dung and covered with cockroaches, one full of a river of sulfuric acid, and another that has giant gypsum crystals you can walk on.
When we visited my in-laws in Alabama, it was suggested we go see the DeSoto Caverns. I was excited about it, as it also had some fun activities you could do - like panning for minerals! I hadn't done that since I was 10! Not only that, but the caverns had a laser light show! Neato!
When we got there, we found out the laser light show was about how the creation of the cave was made. I was a little disappointed it wasn't going to be a recreation of the Tron story or something, but I wanted to check it out anyway. We get inside, and they turn off the lights. Pitch black. I start getting excited. I'm expecting the narrator to start talking about rivers of molten lava barreling through crust, and iron and oxygen mixing and blowing up or some sort of epic science like that. Instead, it was a direct reading from Genesis chapter 1. The narrator would say, "And God said, 'Let the land and waters teem with life, and give the sky the birds in the air," and behind me would be this squawking speaker that would etch out animal noises.
"Let the land -"
"CRAW! CRAW! CRAW!"
"with life and-"
"RRRROOOOOOAAAARRR!"
"water-"
"MOOOOOOOO!"
They also had toilet racers.
Yes, this is real.
It's as exciting as it looks.
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