Monday, March 30, 2009

Needing to Start Ignoring the Distracting Things of Life

Lately, my writing has suffered.

Forty to sixty percent of this has been my fault. I keep getting wrapped up in the glorious entertainment the world has to offer. And by this, I mean the latest Prince of Persia for Xbox 360, and the Settlers of Catan expansion: Knights and Cities. These games--along with my art habits--are keeping me from doing what I should be doing: writing. What's weird is that I enjoy my writing as much as playing either of those games, yet I keep ignoring it. I blame this on the other 40 to 60 percent of why my writing has suffered.

This stems from the novel itself. It keeps causing problems for me. So far, the problems have been solvable, but they've been speed bumps, if not outright stop signs, in my progress. Little issues pop up, wave me do, and ask me "Excuse me, sir, do you know what the hell you're doing?" Often I can say, "I think so." But lately, it's been, "Let me get back to you on that..."

I'm getting back to them, and should soon have my thesis done. Away I go. Gibberish tomorrow.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Not Including the Idea of Sleeping...

The only thing that has me excited is this.

I've been waiting for this trailer for years. Years, I say. I remember finding out about this film not long after Spike Jonze finished Adaptation, and from the looks of things, it might just be worth the wait.

Granted, I've never been a devoted fan to the book. I've always enjoyed the art, and the story is fun enough, but I didn't grow up on it. I never read the thing until I was in my teens, so maybe I'm not as emotionally attached to the story as some will be. However, from what I can see, Jonze and David Eggers have taken the simple idea of a boy escaping his punishment and turned it into a coming of age story. I think it's brilliant. What better way to have a child cope with life than by creating his own world?

I have a feeling that this isn't quite going to be the mainstream hit that many will want it to be--especially the studio--but I think it will be one of the better, and I'll go ahead and sound like a sap, and heartwarming films of the year. (The biggest downfall is that it will probably be paced too slow for a family audience.) As much as I want it to come out, I can wait these few extra months. As I said, I've already waited years for just the trailer.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

+Steal My Light+

Archive
Coat tails, it's the ride of the future.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

On to Regular Everyday Life...

I get bored everyday at work, mutha fucka! (If you don't understand this joke, please click here. Take heed that there will be ample cursing.)

I'm back to the grind, and really not wanting to be here. Over my extended weekend, I killed tons of zombies and watched a good chunk of films, and I want to just keep doing the same things. *sigh* Stupid responsibilities.

Resident Evil 5: My friend and I finished this game last night, and it was quite a good time. As I mentioned on Monday, it's not quite the same as its predecessors, but it is still an amusing game. However, the reason I bring this up again is because of it's controversy about being racist.

All things considered--being an American white male slaughtering hordes of African, and mostly black, zombies--I thought the game handled its content as well as it could. I mean the SETTING is AFRICA. But if the developers hadn't had hordes of black zombies, wouldn't everyone have complained that it was unrealistic? That being said, that doesn't mean that RE 5 needed to be set in Africa, it could've taken place in any number of other countries (though if you really think about it, the previous installments are Japanese-made games about Americans screwing up the entire world through viral warfare and destroying most of the life around them, yet no one--to my knowledg--has ever commented on this rather interesting fact).

One thing that might've helped is if it hadn't drawn on stereotypes as much as it did. While I've never been to Africa myself, I couldn't help but feel like this was the Africa of an American-made action flick and not one of a true to life representation (What? No real life in a video game?)

In all honesty, I don't really know what I'm trying to get at, but I guess I just didn't really see the inherent racism within the game. There were no vocalizations of the "N" word, or were there any outright derogatory comments based on ethnicity--unless you count the initial conversation between Chris and Sheva, saying that she is there to help "smooth things over" as Chris is white and she is black. Granted, one can take the implication that yes, it is an American, white male shooting black people in the face, but they are zombies. I would hope that if I ever became a zombie, some tactical force of another ethnicity wouldn't hesitate and debate about whether or not to shoot me in the face for fear of being labeled "racist"--especially if I was after their brain meats.

When you get down to it, it is a game. And if someone becomes racist after playing a game such as this, then, I have a feeling this is the type of person the world doesn't want to be playing violent things in the first place--especially if they are that easily influenced. Rather than leagues of gamers becoming a racist from playing games (though this would still be a very detrimental outcome), I'm still wondering what the effect of making violence so-freaking-cool will do to the future generations--and myself... but that is a musing for another time. Perhaps.

Until then, more Gibberish tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

+Humalloon+

Nothing is quite like that first loss of human life...

Monday, March 23, 2009

I Really Should Quit Lying to Everyone

No comic today. Since my friend has come to visit, I haven't had the normal time to spend on making such fantastic amusements for the lot of you. Instead, we've been playing video games and watching movies, which I will detail for you here.

Resident Evil 5: The newest installment in the Resident Evil franchise has been a rather amusing game, although it is much different compared to the other games. The most notable of these is the co-op addition, which makes for a good time. Also, the atmosphere of the earlier games has been replaced by the fear of numbers, the vast array of zombies coming your way. In some ways this is good, as you never know when and where the zombies will be coming from. In other ways, it detracts from the game as a series. While there are still a few moody/atmospheric moments, overall the game feels/plays more like a Gears of War or Army of Two. Don't get me wrong, it's still a fun game. It's just a bit of a departure from the normal RE formula.

I Love You, Man: The latest buddy comedy has become a full on bro-mance. Basically, take your ordinary chick-flick/relationship film and replace the chick with a dude and subtract all the making out. It's actually quite amusing how John Hamburg has taken an often used storyline and made it fresh--but nothing ground-breaking. It's a consistently amusing film, but there isn't really any ONE moment that makes the film amazing. Many will probably just find the film stupid, but the other half will enjoy themselves. Honestly, if the trailer looked like something you might enjoy, then you probably would.

Shinobi: Heart Under Blade: Yet another random martial arts/ninja movie. This one has a few cool moments, the fight sequences being the highlight, but it's nothing that will melt your face. If you are a fan of such films, this one is one of the better ones. It's pretty enough, but the story is rather lacking. I can't really recommend it, but you don't need to avoid it like the plague either.

Gibberish tomorrow.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Best. Game. Ever.

Lately, a group of friends and I have been obsessed with this game, Settlers of Catan. If you're into games like Risk and Monopoly, but you always get pissed about your crappy rolls, this is the game for you.

What makes Settlers so freaking amazing is that it is ridiculously well balanced between strategy and chance. Every game is different, and one strategy one serve you to rule for every single game. Instead of only your rolls benefieting you, your opponents rolls can do just as much to help you, or more so, than your rolls. Of course, their rolls and your own can equally screw you over. Regardless, this game is incredibly well balanced and a must play for any board gamer.

In other news, a friend of mine will be visiting for the next few days, so I'll probably be playing lots of video games, watching a crapton of movies, and basically non-existent from the web. So, Monday will probably be a bonus comic for you all.

Until Wednesday...

Thursday, March 19, 2009

+Feeling Love+

Archive
Nothing feels quite like it... well, almost.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

What's the Deal?

I bet many of you thought this about yesterday's comic. What's the deal with the the crazy texture? It's a painting. The first I've completed. I plan on doing more of such things, in fact, tomorrow is another painting Gibberish. Unlike this one though--as it is already spoken for--tomorrow's issue/painting will be for sale on my Etsy shop, which I also plan to do more of--painting and selling the paintings.

And now that the self-promotion is out of the way...

The Wackness. Whether or not you've heard of the film is beside the point--though now that you have, I urge you to add it to your Netflix queue. The point, for me, is that someone told my story. Not my true-life tale or any such thing, but I've never watched or heard or read a story that has such similar themes to my own novel--Levine's film even has slight variations of my characters. This bothers me, because now I have a mild feeling that my story has already been told.

I realize that every story has been told before, but it is a little disheartening to find your story being told in such a recent form--as the film just came out late last year. *sigh*

I'll carry on though. Why? Becuase not everyone is going to see that film. Even those of you reading this, will doubtless forget about it in a day or two. And I think it is a good story, one that needs to be told and reach as many people as possible. Hopefully, my novel will stretch into the corners and territories that The Wackness and other similar stories which I haven't discovered yet, and the message will expand. Because that's what any form of storytelling is, right? Having a message, and trying to communicate it.

I have one.

I'm trying.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

+Family Reunions+


And then there is always the cousin you thought was hot, until you found out cousins aren't supposed to be hot...

Monday, March 16, 2009

Movies, Movies, Movies

I started thinking about it, and I've watched a number of new films this weekend. Here is my quick breakdown of each, in no particular order:

The Science of Sleep. I adore the work of Michel Gondry. His visual stylings are some of the best around. However, as visually pleasing as this one was, I felt like it failed on the story front. Whether or not he meant to, he built so many opportunities that he forgot to add the story, a fact that was even more disheartening as the characters were rather interesting creations. I really just wish we could have cared about them a little bit more. It's a stunning watch, but it didn't feel any more enlightening than simply watching his body of music videos.

Let the Right One In
. I'd heard this was good. I'd hoped it would be good. And it still exceeded my expectations. Tomas Alfredson takes horror back to its roots of atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere. Plus, he weaves in--as all vampire stories should have--a touching love story amidst the violence. Each scene reeks of tension. And the climax of the film is simply gorgeous. Seriously, one of the last few shots of the film is so good it hurts. If you can stomach a little blood and are looking for a MOODY horror film rather than the current trend of big bangs and gorno, this is one of the better films you'll see.

The Promise. I usually love these kinds of films. More often than not, the visuals override the story, and I'm completely sucked in. And while many of the sights were quite stunning, the cheesy computer effects often ruined them for me. Don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible film by any means, it just doesn't quite have the same flare and styel of, say, a Yimou Zhang film. You might check this one out, if you are a fan of these types of films, but don't expect too much.

Henry Poole is Here. For some reason or another, I resonate with Mark Pellington's films. His visual style wonderful--to me at least. So, I've been bummed that it's taken so long for him to follow up Mothman Prophecies. And after he gave us such a wonderful thriller--despite Richard Gere--I was a bit worried about him directing a heartfelt dramedy. However, he succeeds. This isn't a film for everyone. Most will probably find it too cheesy or be turned off by the religious themes. But it's a well-produced story about what it means to live, find hope, and love. It might not be as compelling as Mothman, or even Arlington Road, but I'm eagerly awaiting, once again, Pellington's next release.

Coraline. Technically, this one isn't new. But I saw it in 3-D and it felt like a new film. I don't care what you say about the story--I think it almost works better in the film than the novel--this film is so stunning and visualy breath-taking that any animation/aesthetiphile should see. Henry Selick is a very under-valued director in today's film world. I can only hope his relationship with the production company, Laika, stays well.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Blogging Stylin's

I realized that my blogs tend to break down into about four categories: the hum-drum of my days, self-promotion, actual intellectual thoughts, and internet discoveries. Then I realized that the first two styles are rather annoying. So, from here on out, I'll try to keep things brief if I don't have something important on my mind or some discovery to share.

Today, though, I DO have a discovery to share with you: Artist Trading Cards. This is a ridiculously addicting community for people to have a "governed" art swap. Swapping art is one of the cooler practices in this world, and I think people are all too often too greedy to do so, wanting things like money--like anyone needs that? I figure that I'm going to be making art anyway, so if someone wants to trade me some of theirs for some of mine, who am I to argue? (Though, it should hopefully be something that both parties actually like.) Plus, with all the hosts and the diverse array of themes, I'm hoping to experiment with my art by being FORCED to try new things. I don't like being in an art rut where I just draw the same characters and figures over and over and over. So, if you're into art for art's sake, I'd suggest joining.

Hope to see you there. My handle is--gasp!--Gibberish. Track me down. Lets trade arts.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Not the Watchmen Review You Were Hoping For

And is that surprising? Really?

Mostly, this is because I figured that everyone and their pet python would be writing such a review. Sure, I could add my voice to the whole debate on whether or not it is a worthwhile film, but it's going to boil down to the same crap Joe Comicface said on Thursday night after seeing the midnight viewing.

Really, why I think you should see this film is this: It is a message pertinent to our dark times. We don't even realize how self-destructive our society is, and things are just going to get worse. In the end, the only thing that will bring us together, that we as a people can do, is our fear of something outside and too strong for us to deal with as an entire world. Which, to me, is sad, that it'll be our fear of extinction that finally brings us together and not simply each of us reaching out to someone in need. And I'm just as, if not more so, guilty.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

+Smile Like You Mean It+


That's also a good time to work on one's maniacal laughter.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Almost Etsy

These were supposed to be my first Etsy items in my shop, but the stupid plastic coverings are coming up on the Eggmen and Walrus buttons, so I must remake them in order to have quality products for sale.

Depending on how my inspiration goes, I plan on making more buttons-based-on-lyrics sets. They will range from three to five buttons per set and probably run $2.50 for the set of three and $4.00 for the set of five. I might sell singles, but only very rarely or if they are commissioned, which I am open to.

I also went and saw Watchmen this weekend, and I urge you to either read the graphic novel or--at the bare minimum--see the film. Just don't expect a X-Men or Dark Knight, as it is a very different style of story. But what it has to say about society in general is something we all should take to heart. I'll try and write up a more in depth review/thought process for Wednesday, but don't be surprised if it doesn't happen.

Regardless, more Gibberish tomorrow.

Friday, March 6, 2009

More Adventures of Sam: "The Waiting Game"

Apparently this was the week of guest comics for me. I'd meant to let you all know about this one back on Wednesday, but the Ravilob thing sort of took precedence. As you might remember, I did a Sam comic for Ross a few weeks back, and he contacted me about doing another, which, as you can see, I did.

I seriously am having a good time working on other people's material. Doing my comics is fun and all, but there's just something about this. Maybe it just makes me feel like someone else sees merit in what I'm doing--especially if they've asked me to do another. To make matters even better, Ross signed a deal with an e-book publisher to put together a Sam Anthology, and he's decided to include the last Sam comic I did, "Ship-Shape." In a roundabout way, I now have my first "published" comic, which is cool--at least for me. You can find out more about it here.

And one more thing before I leave you alone for the weekend. I've been chatting with a wonderful person, Michael Elder, who is helping me out with the Gibberish site. This guy is awesome, and I suggest you do me a favor by doing him a favor and checking out his site.

I'll keep you updated as everything develops. Have a great weekend.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

+Thesaurus+

Archive

Just goes to show the danger of using a thesaurus.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

More Guesting

Good news, everyone. There is a guest comic of mine up at Ravilob.com. Apparently, I helped save the day, as I sent this to the writer a day or so ago, and he'd been having interweb troubles, so my comic gave him the extra day he needs to get back on track. It's nice to be helpful. Overall, I'm not sure how I like the final product on this one, but I had a fun time working on it. For some reason or another, I'm finding it more and more entertaining to work on other peoples' comics. I like how it keeps me from drawing my same characters over and over.

Speaking of... I've been kicking around the idea of writing a few longer comics--or finishing some earlier projects. I don't know whether or not they will fit into my Gibberish stylings, so I don't know where, or how, they will post. Perhaps some subdomains... Don't know for sure, but things are in the works.

Also, I should be receiving my button maker today, so there should be some Etsy updates soon. I hope.

Anyway, have a productive day, and I'll see you tomorrow with more Gibberish, and some publishing news on Friday.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Monday, March 2, 2009

Sam and Max: Freelance Police

I just rediscovered a long-lost cartoon from my childhood, Sam and Max: Freelance Police. As a teenier Christopher, I had played through the ridiculously awesome LucasArts game, and had seen a few of the comics. When the cartoon came out, I'd wanted to watch it for all I was worth, but as the show was on Saturday mornings--when my family went to church--my mother never let me.

Now, years later and after the wonderful invention of DVD--and my finally remembering to look that show up, having read Steve Purcell's short comic on Tell Tale Games (be sure to hover over the pics to read the comic)--I started watching the lost show. All things considered, it's quite a nice program. The dialogue is by far the best part of the thing, with Sam spouting off some of the best bits of gibberish--not my comic--a guy could hope for. Plus the fast-paced dialogue gave the writers a chance to slip in some very off-color jokes, considering it is a children's show.

Fans of other such ill-fated programs as Ren and Stimpy (the Nickalodean stuff), Invader Zim, and The Tick will find copious amounts of laughter her. Plus, considering how old it is, the animation isn't half bad--not the eyesore of some of today's toons. Watch, and be merry.