Much Love and Respect

Today is Veterans Day and we should all take a moment to honor those who have served, fought, and died for our freedom. So to all of you who have served to defend us, I say thank you!


Yesterday I was asked to be in an independent film. Ultimately I had to turn it down, but it was very flattering to be asked.

The writer of the screenplay is Bill Gladman, a fellow ComicRelated.com contributor going by the name of G-Man on their forums. I had the great pleasure of meeting him and his daughter at Mid-Ohio-Con this year, and he left a lasting impression. Very nice guy and one of the first to buy a copy of Wannabez. And if that wasn't enough, he gave us a glowing review on CR's site!

He had sent me a private message on the forums yesterday asking me if I wanted to be in the movie, then directed me to his latest blog post, which can be read here. The post hints at what part he asked me to play, given my username on the internet.

For those that really know me, if you get a chance to read any of the script excerpts here, you'll understand completely why I had to turn it down. Basically, the film is very akin to Kevin Smith type films, like Mallrats, Clerks, etc., which I'm personally a fan of. But those films, and this one, are filled with a lot of language and mature topics, and I'm just not personally comfortable in doing that with my background and beliefs. I know it's acting, but still.

It would have been a lot of fun, and it would have been a blast working with Bill (which I may yet - I've asked if there are any bit parts), but it is what it is. It should be a good film, though, and one I'll watch.


Yesterday I got half of Corrective Measures #8 done, and a few small things. It was a trying day, though, with some drama on the homefront I won't go into here. Everything's fine, just very distracting is all.

Today I hope to finish that issue, and I've got to do a couple of pages of Zombie Cop to wrap that book up (inside cover and dedications pages).

I've got plenty to keep me busy right now, that's for sure.


Last night's episode of Heroes was pretty good. It was kind of a flashback episode with Hiro in a trance, seeing what unfolded in the past. It took us back to season one and plugged in some pieces that kind of tied a lot of things together. It was pretty interesting and pretty telling, and then the end was a shocker! The next few episodes should be a blast.


I crashed fairly early (for me, anyway) last night at 11, and actually slept all night until about 6 this morning. Then I was so cold and still tired, so I laid there until 8 trying to get back to sleep before finally giving in to the fact I had to start my day. But at least I do feel rested, and I'm getting warmer in my plush robe and a beanie. Hey, it's only 34 degrees outside right now!


My upcoming column is ready to go, I've just got to compile some images for each installment before sending them into Chuck.


And with that, I better stop procrastinating and get to it. Make sure you take a moment of silence for our veterans today!

B-Out

It's Monday Again

I got up around 6 today and have been working ever since. Had some corrections to make on Zombie Cop again, then had to compile some pages to send via CD to Jeff. I also had to resize some pages for ECA.

After that I took a few minutes to get acclimated to StumbleUpon.com and proceeded to add Stumble buttons to this blog, the Wannabez blog and Gonzogoose.com.

There's a thread on DigitalWebbing.com talking about stumbling, so I finally jumped on the bandwagon. Hopefully it'll bring some traffic to my other sites, and hopefully there's no rule about talking about it!

I forgot to add a button to the Wannabez main site, so I'll have to do that as well I guess.

I've also applied to Project Wonderful for this site and Gonzogoose.com, as a publisher, so I'm still waiting to hear if I qualify or not. Hopefully soon you'll see some PW ad spaces pop up here and there. :)

Heroes is back on tonight, so I'm looking forward to that!

As for today, I haven't really planned out what I'm working on yet. I know I need to compile Lightning Squirrel #2 for Ka-Blam (which means resizing and adding in some ads, then zipping it all up), but that shouldn't take too long. I've got more Tainted pages and a page or two more of Genotype Prime I can work on.

I'll probably try to dive into Corrective Measures #8 though as it's been a couple of weeks longer than I wanted to get to it. Then if I have time maybe work on those pesky logos!

Good problems, good problems.

There are other things I'd love to talk about, but I don't want to speak too soon. I tend to express desires to do this and that and then time and other projects take precedence, and you never hear about them again. So I think I'll kind of stay mum on plans for a while until there's really something solid to discuss on the various topics.

Well, I hope wherever you are it's nice and warm because it's cold and dreary here in the Bluegrass today!

B-Out

I LOVE You People!

I've said it before, but you guys are awesome! I've talked about the steady growth of my readership here on the blog, but you all continue to blow me away! The numbers from week to week keep on more than doubling, and that's just amazing to me. I really appreciate your support.

I'll try to make that the last time I praise all of you as I'm starting to sound like a broken record. It's just that I'm blown away each Sunday when I receive my weekly stat report and fine the numbers so much greater than the previous week. It's really humbling.

* * *

Now, I have to say that today I'm beaming with creativity and feel totally inspired by my experience yesterday. I was so impressed with the progress and works of Ringtail Cafe I even came home and listened to their podcast interview on the Related Recap (linked in the last post). It's one thing to be a naturally creative person, but when you're surrounded by equally creative people it just brings that desire to create to the forefront. Soon I hope to get together with Scott in person and take our Wannabez planning to the next level.

Today, however, my energies will be spent on lettering as I have a few things I've promised today. I'll be doing some fill-in work (basically re-lettering in a mimic style for Cary Kelley, who's unable to provide high-res files at the moment) on Extracurricular Activities, which is in the current Zuda competition. GO VOTE!

I'll also be doing some work on a logo I haven't been able to perfect as fast as I would have liked.

Then I've got plenty of other work I need to do to make room for new work coming in soon!

I really need to sit down and finish the current Wannabez issue I'm working on (#2), but I just can't find the time. I'm going to have to fit it in, though, as I've made a deal with Scott on it. Read about that on the Wannabez blog.

And so that's how my Sunday will be spent. Wish me luck!

B-Out

Long, Wonderful Day

Yesterday was a day to remember as I met a lot of cool people and turned an interview into a day long event.

As you know, Scott and I were interviewed by Chuck Moore of ComicRelated.com up at Comics2Games, the heart of BlueLinePro and Sketch Magazine. It was about an hour or so drive for Chuck and I, and 20 minutes or so for Scott, so not too bad a drive.

Chuck picked me up a bit after 11am and we headed on our way. We had a nice chat on the way up and it seemed like no time we were there. What was cool was, having never met these people, I was able to just walk down into the basement and sit down at a table with them as they had a meeting. Nicer people on this planet you'll be hard pressed to meet, let me tell ya.

So as I sat there listening to all the plans they have for various things, and listening to stories and such, I learned what Chuck had been telling me for a while, that these guys were a family, not just a comic book store. It was a great atmosphere to be in, and I had an amazing time.

Before we started the interview I got to look around the store and bought a few things. It's a nice setup and very warm and welcoming. People just hang out there, but it's not like a lot of comic stores where no one looks up at you or speaks to you, it was fun.

The interview was a long one, but it was a lot of fun. We had a lot to talk about, and we tried our best to fit everything in. Sorry if I forgot anything or anyone. It'll be up soon, and I'll provide a link.

Afterwards, we got to chat a bit with Darren and Krista Muller and Jackie Hernandez of Ringtail Cafe, and Jackie just started sketching Wannabez characters! And boy is she fast! And very talented at that.

After speaking with them, Bill Love and Bob Hickey, all extremely nice and open people to my impression, Scott and I headed over to Comic Book World that's carrying Wannabez to talk about an upcoming signing. More on that when we have a date and time on the Wannabez blog.

Then we headed to Darren's house where Chuck was at so we could do dinner before heading off back home with Chuck. Aside from comics, Darren is a graphic designer I believe, and he's doing the programming end on Comic Related's relaunch (in 6 days!). We just walked right in and they began showing us all kinds of stuff they're working on, including Ringtail Cafe, Zombie, the Musical, Don't Read This and so much more. They've got so much going on, and so much unique and creative stuff at that, I was so impressed. It was a joy to meet them and spend a little time with them.

Afterwards, Scott, Chuck and I headed to dinner at Applebee's, but it was too crowded, so we walked over to Cracker Barrel. We had a decent dinner and a nice long chat, then we were off. Amazingly, we still had stuff to talk about as Chuck and I chatted all the way home.

It was a wonderful day, and a better spent Saturday I hadn't had in a long while.

Here's Chuck's take on the day: Saturday in Florence

B-Out

Off to Comics2Games!

In less than two hours I will be on the road with Chuck Moore to head north about 70 miles to record an interview for an upcoming podcast with Scott about Wannabez and a host of other things.

I've mentioned this upcoming interview before on here, but I'm really excited to do this. First, I'm excited to discuss all sorts of things with Chuck on the ride there and back, like about ComicRelated.com's relaunch in ONE WEEK, and much more. Should be fun. I just hope we don't run out of things to talk about before the interview! Not likely.

And as much as Chuck raves about this store, I'm eager to check it out. I know we'll have plenty of time to browse and check the place out.

I'm also looking forward to meeting some people while there, and hopefully turning them onto Wannabez! That would be nice.

We're making a whole day of it, doing lunch and just hanging out. I know Chuck's got to meet with his web designers for a bit as well. It will be a productive trip indeed, and not a bad way to spend a Saturday considering I'm usually stuck right here working.

I'll check back in either tonight or tomorrow with how everything went. Until then...

B-Out

DaNaNaNa... Batmobile!

Finally, here are the pictures of me and Zach inside the cockpit of the famed TV Batmobile!

The red mark on my forehead is from a hat I was wearing in case anyone cares. :)

Here's me with a cheesy grin

Zach behind the wheel. Quick, get off the road!

Mr. Smooth here cruisin' down the convention alleyway.

We had these taken at Mid-Ohio-Con back in October and this was the first chance I had to put them up. I just had to let my inner fanboy out to pose for these pictures no matter how dorky (and unbelievably pale!) I looked. It was fun!

B-Out

Gonzogoose Roost

By the way, for all you Comic Related readers, you can now access my blog straight from that site! Just go to the blogs section (linked to the title of this post) and scroll down to see the external link to this blog. So if you're on Comic Related reading up on the latest news, columns or reviews and feel like heading over you you've got a simple, quick way to do so! :)

B-Out

League of Extraodinary Gentlemen

As you know, if you've been reading the blog, the other day I picked up the first trade of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen since I had never read it before. Well, now I've read the first chapter (or issue as it were) and I have to say I'm loving it.

One reason I had never checked it out was because the art style didn't appeal to me, but I've come to actually enjoy it. It's quirky and old school, and it works nicely with the story.

I have not read a lot of Moore's stuff, but gradually I intend to read more and more of it. I really liked Watchmen when I read it for the first time earlier this year, and I like this so far as well.

After having read only one chapter of this book, though, I can now understand why fans of the comic where sorely disappointed in the movie. Now, I really enjoyed the movie and have watched it several times, but I had nothing to compare it to. As a stand alone movie with no ties to anything I think it's a pretty enjoyable popcorn flick. Great action, great drama, and great acting. But even after reading just the small amount of the book that I have, it is nothing like the comic.

Now, had Moore gotten involved in the films instead of washing his hands of them, like Frank Miller, maybe they would have been more faithful, who knows? But as it is, the characters are completely different and the story, from the very beginning, is much different. Quartermain is a much more complex character in the book and has more appeal to me personally.

So I do understand the chagrin of Moore fans who watched the movie hoping for an adaptation, but I also understand the merits of the movie by itself.

As for the book, I am finding myself to be a Moore fan. He's not my favorite writer, and I don't think he's the god people make him out to be. But he is very talented and has a unique style all his own that certainly stands out. He also has unique ideas and a sensibility that is in tune with what readers want.

Hopefully I still feel that way after I've read the entire trade...

B-Out

ArUUgGHH!

You know that thing they say about speaking too soon...?

Well, no sooner had I posted the last post then I get emails about both Zombie Cop and Spud. Turns out there are some edits needed, and a couple of things I totally goofed on. I guess that's what I get for working early in the morning.

Oh well, it looks like that's what I'll be working on today.

B-Out

Winding Down... Or Not

While the week may be reaching its end, my schedule is not. However, I have made tremendous headway in the past 24 hours.

Barring any coming edits, I've wrapped the lettering on two projects this morning - one a small one, one a large one.

The first is Spud, a Small Press Idol contender #0 issue I was asked to do recently. It was a very text-heavy 12 pages, though, so it took me longer than normal. But I just sent in the final three pages, so that's one more to add to the completed list.

The second is one of the funnest projects I've worked on, and that is Jeff Mariotte's Zombie Cop for Shadowline (Image)! 96 pages of sequentials followed by 124 pages of prose, all laid out by yours truly. And it was so much fun! They all seemed rather pleased with my work as well, which means the world to me. This is the first book I've worked on for a top four publisher, and the experience was amazing.

Zombie Cop was the biggest current project I've been working on. I have a couple more graphic novels coming up soon, and one 100 pager I'm about half way through, but the rest have been single issues and short stories for the most part lately.

I still have plenty to do, of course. Yesterday I updated my MySpace page with the current list of projects I'm working on, so you can see (if you head over there) what all I've got on my plate. In fact, I may just add that list to the sidebar of this blog as well...

Today I haven't decided what I'll focus on. I know I've GOT to get some work done on these logos I have (about four of them I haven't started on). I also need to do a postcard up for Wannabez to send to retailers through Haven. Aside from that, I'll probably work on Corrective Measures #8 and some more pages that came in that I'm filling in on for a friend, then go from there.

Tomorrow, more of the same, as well as some cleaning house and menial chores like that. Then Saturday it's off to our interview, of course, which should be a lot of fun.

Saturday is also my cousin's birthday, so Happy B-Day, Jay! For the next four and a half months I can make fun of you being older than me! :)

I was watching a bit of some news channel last night where they had relatively young representatives of each party (Republican, Democrat and Independent), and the three were going back and forth arguing with each other about who was doing what right and wrong. The funniest part was the Republican rep. passed McCain's losing off as him and many other "stars" of the party not being true conservatives, and thus not properly representing the GOP. He just made a fool of the entire Republican party with his comments, and the other two were pretty much constantly laughing at him while making points for unity among the parties. Probably the most eloquent and well informed of the three was the Independent rep.

I'll be honest, I am technically registered as a Republican, and I voted for Bush, both times, and his father before that. I don't regret voting for Bush the first term, and I feel he handled that term extremely well with what was put upon his shoulders. The second term, I still think he was a better choice than John Kerry ever would have been, but I'm not happy with his actions in that term.

I also was against Clinton and Dukakis, and I stand by my decisions on those.

However, I don't consider myself a Republican or Democrat, and really wish I was registered as an Independent. I do think the Democratic Party does represent themselves better and as for ALL people where the Republican Party, like many of the religious folk they strongly represent, are very separatist regardless of what they claim. At least that's how they come across, and truly that is why they are losing support.

One fact was noted in this news panel, and that was that Lincoln was Republican, BUT it was at a time when the Republican Party was the liberal side, NOT the conservative side. I thought that was a very interesting note indeed.

Anyway, the buzz this week, naturally, is all about Obama's win and what it means for our country. I'm eager to see what changes he brings, and how fast he brings them. Our economy needs dire help, and needs it fast. If he addresses that in earnest I'll be happy.

The weather here has been great this week! Sunny and warm, but not too hot. It's a nice change from the weeks of cold we've been getting, though I know it won't last. Me, I wish it would stay nice up until Christmas week, then have snowfall for through New Years, then return to that comfortable weather. If only...

Oh! I finished five installments of my new column now, so soon it will be ready to go live! I'll keep you informed.

B-Out

Half Price Books

Yesterday at lunch with RD, I forgot to mention that we hit this bookstore called "Half Price Books" that I didn't even know was there. I really need to get out more!

It's full of books, graphic novels, CDs, DVDs and all kinds of cool stuff. I found the first volume of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen for half price, and since I had been meaning to check that out sometime I snatched it up.

This weekend they're having a sale where everything in your tote is 20% off what it's already marked down to. I just may have to check that out.

I don't get to buy books very often these days, but that's a deal I may not be able to pass up.

And by the way, Tony of Collectibles, Etc., if by chance you come to read this, I do still pop in there from time to time, you're just never there when I do. :) I'll try to make it a more regular stop though.

B-Out

It Has All Changed

Well, love it or hate it, embrace it or resist it, change has come and Barack Obama is the president of the United States - the first African-American president at that. History has been made, and change is upon us.

At least, that's what we've been told for two years now, that "it's time for a change" and "yes we can". Whether or not that change will come, and whether or not that change will be a good thing or what we actually need remains to be seen.

The next four years (at least) will be something to watch intently. There are issues and stances in Obama's platform that I agree with, and there are issues and stances in his platform I disagree with. We oppose each other on certain morals, principles and values, and unite in other areas.

I also agreed and disagreed with a lot of things John McCain stood for, and my voting decision was not made lightly, nor was it an easy one. I wrestled up to the very time I hit the button locking in my vote, as I have mentioned before. I made all my other selections saving the presidential candidate for last. My finger hovered over the buttons for what seemed an eternity in the span of a minute. I wasn't sure which was the lesser of two evils, and which would represent me and what I stand for the best.

In the end I'm still not sure if I made the right choice, but I stand by my decision. What the choice was I won't discuss here. Sometimes there's a time to stand on a soap box, for me that time is not now. I didn't and still don't feel strongly enough about either candidate over the other to take such a permanent stance.

I considered not voting, and I couldn't even remember if I had registered this year. Fortunately, yesterday afternoon I remembered that I had registered when I renewed my license earlier this year. And then I realized that I did not want the most historical election in our nation's history to pass by without me having my voice in the matter, however small.

If I voted for McCain, it did little to sway the vote. Though Kentucky predominately voted McCain, he was not the victor.

If I voted for Obama, it also did little as Kentucky's electoral votes went for McCain.

In the grand scheme of things, my one vote changed nothing in this particular instance. But, also in the grand scheme of things, all of us together, as a people and not as individuals, did choose our president by knowing that collectively our votes do count.

I am proud to live in a democracy where our voices, however small they may be individually, can be heard and counted in the matters of this nation. I'm not completely sold on the government actually supporting its people and is working towards our betterment, but I hold out hope for that to be the case nevertheless.

I hope you went out and voted yesterday and made your voice be heard whoever your affiliation or choice. And let's all pray that regardless of who holds that esteemed office that whatever changes they bring will be for the betterment of the people of the United States of America. We can only pray and hope that is the case.

B-Out

Home At Last

Well, today turned out to be a very nice day. Sunny with a light breeze, so it was warm but not muggy. Lunch went well. And I got to vote.

I finally met RD Hall after all this time and I think we hit it off pretty well. He's a very down to earth, friendly guy, and we never ran out of things to talk about. We broke the cardinal rules and spoke about religion and politics, along with TV, movies, novels, comics, and life in general. It was a great meeting with pretty good food and I hope to do it again soon sometime.

I also swung by the local polling place on my way home and luckily the line was really small, so I got in and out in five minutes with a sticker on my shirt and a good feeling about having my small say in how this election pans out.

I was torn on who to vote for all the way until I hit the button locking in my vote. I'm still not sure I made the right choice, but we'll see. If who I voted for gets elected we'll see how well he does and hopefully I made the right decision.

So now I'm back home, exhausted since I've been up since about 8:30pm last night, and with a ton of work on my plate I need to get to before I pass out early yet again.

B-Out

The Journey

I finished a third installment of my upcoming column this morning. This one felt a little like it was going all over the place, but I think I reigned it in enough.

I wasn't able to get back to sleep last night, so I'm a little tired, but wide awake if that makes sense.

It's supposed to be 75 degrees here today. Man, Kentucky weather. It was in the 30s just a few days ago.

This morning I also laid out the Site Map for ComicJobz.com, trying to further detail how the site will be laid out. I also thought of a few more ideas for it, and I can't wait until I'm able to bring this thing to life. There is no set date on it as of right now, just 2009. I'm hoping for sooner than later, but that also depends on the moolah involved! I ain't rich after all.

There will be features similar to those former users of the site were familiar with, but there will also be new things. And I'm hoping it's a much friendlier interface with a lot of user customization ability for whatever your needs are.

But more about all that when there's more definite things to discuss.

There's not a whole lot to talk about this morning that I haven't already said in this or previous posts. I'll be heading off to lunch in a couple of hours or so, and other than that it's pretty much business as usual. I'm really hungry though as I haven't eaten since about 9pm last night. And when you've been up all night that's a long time with no food! But given that I'm eating pizza this afternoon I didn't really want to chance eating too much so I don't cause myself some pain.

Speaking of, I looked up Old Chicago Pizza and it seems to be a pretty classy joint. Definitely not your typical Pizza Hut type dine in, but it has a huge menu with some pretty unique things to choose from. Should be fun.

And so, maybe I'll check in after lunch if I have a chance, and if I have anything to talk about. Right now I'm pretty much dry.

B-Out

Happy Voting, America!

Well, the day is finally upon us. The most talked about election in a long time is finally here and everyone is or should be down at their polling stations casting their votes. I read somewhere about 188 million people are registered to vote this year.

Whether you like the candidates or not, one thing is for sure - this election will make history. Either we have our first African-American president, or our first ever female Vice President. Either way it's a milestone.

I honestly still have no idea how I'll vote, though I know which way I'm leaning. As I mentioned before, I don't really care particularly for either candidate, and I agree and disagree with certain issues from both campaigns. So it will come down to choosing the lesser of two evils for me. Not to say either of them is evil, but you get the point.

I never really talk about who I vote for, and I'm not starting now. Some people get on a pedestal, but I prefer to keep my choice to myself. If I felt really strongly about a certain candidate I probably would speak up, but sadly, that hasn't happened this year.

I don't really consider myself either a Republican or Democrat. I vote on the issues and the candidates. I am conservative in some things and liberal in others, and I absolutely hate labels. To each their own.

So, this election is finally here and hopefully all the crap that goes along with it will cease! I'm tired of paid programming, 2 hour preempts, smear commercials, and all the other stuff we all loathe about election years. The sad thing is that they work! Sheep, I tell ya, sheep!

Ok, I'm done, and I'm just giving you a hard time. Go vote, let your voice be heard, and hopefully whatever happens something good will come of it.

B-Out

Gearing Up

This looks to be a busy week indeed. Tomorrow I'm having lunch with a local creator, RD Hall at Old Chicago Pizza, and it should be fun. I'm looking forward to it. Yeah, I know it's not going to help me in the least bit in losing weight or with the gall stones, but it'll be okay. It's a one time thing, the pizza that is.

Tomorrow is also Election Day, though I'm honestly not crazy about either candidate, and, like my friend Chuck Kennedy, I'm sick of all the mud-slinging and smear campaigns and am ready for the stench of the political season to be over.

Saturday we have the interview with Chuck Moore, and that will most definitely be a blast.

And of course, throughout the week I'll be fast at work on all these lettering, logo, web design and Haven projects I have in the works.

Today I all but finished up Spud (the lettering at the link is not mine - re-lettered the pages) for Jeff Fox for his Dimestore #0 issue from being in the final round of the last Idol contest. It's a fun, comical story and was a lot of fun to letter.

I also managed to write the first two installments of my upcoming column at Comic Related. Only three more to go before I'm ready to launch it with a store of columns in the bag. So far I'm having a lot of fun with it, taking a completely different writing approach than you've seen in my previous columns, or even here on the blog I think. It's kind of a mesh between prose and blogging with a little self-deprecating humor just to add a nice twist. It's all in good fun though.

On the topic of Comic Related, only 12 more days before it all changes!

Tonight I've been working on Haven stuff for a little bit, and I hope to get pretty far into the Zombie Cop prose section of the GN as well. I had like 7 pages of it done, but I had forgotten I needed to add some illustrations into the text, so I have to rework those now.

Speaking of Zombie Cop, a preview went up at Literate Machine today. The PDF is a little blurry if enlarged, so I recommend reading it at 75%. I'm not sure what happened there, but I assure you the book with be crystal clear.

I've not felt good the past couple of days to be honest, and I've been really fatigued. I did actually get quite a bit of sleep tonight, though totally by accident. I slept yesterday as well, but I didn't feel rested at all. Tonight I did, I just wish I hadn't fallen asleep so early (4pm).

I've not drank pop in like 3-4 days, nor have I eaten anything sweet save a few pieces of candy, and yet I've GAINED weight! Go figure. You know, they say to lose weight you have to eat because otherwise your body has nothing to burn. Well burn, baby, burn, because I have been eating small healthy snacks throughout the day (not ALL day, but you get the picture). I don't know. Maybe I should do that liquid cleansing thing Peter Rios over at Comic Geek Speak sent me the info on after all...

I've finally read quite a bit of the Secret Invasion stuff, and while it's somewhat entertaining, I wish I hadn't missed the lead up to it because everything I read nothing's a secret anymore. There are just skrulls popping up everywhere, almost to the point of overkill. The writing just isn't as smart as I had hoped. In the Avengers titles they keep flashing back spelling out the events, but then it's a completely different story the next issue, then back to the one before that the next, and so on. It's just a mess. I love the IDEA of the Skrull Invasion and how they've been hiding for years. And I commend them for laying down the seeds to this over the past few years (even if it does scream cop out and a way to bring people back to life - the Skrulls were even responsible for M-Day? What?). But I just think it could have played out better from what I've read so far.

I haven't read any DC titles except Trinity in quite some time, so I'm totally out of the loop there. I'm also several weeks behind on Trinity.

Speaking of comics, someone should inform ANYONE who EVER mails a comic that mail carriers do not care if you put "Do Not Bend" on it. If it can bend, that puppy's being folded and crammed into the mailbox. I can't tell you how many books have arrived damaged because of poor packaging and poor care by our mail carriers.

I had a weird dream last night, but I can't remember what it was.

And that's all.

B-Out

It's November!

You know, I forgot to mention last month, but October of this year marked two years I've been posting to this blog! So I've now passed the two-year mark, and I've loved every minute of it.

Turkey Day is only a few short weeks away, which is my cousin's favorite holiday. Not just for the food, but because my whole family gets together and it's a very special bonding time. We do at Christmas too, but it's a different vibe. Christmas is my favorite time of year, but the holidays in general bring us all closer, which is always a good thing.

Well, I didn't feel too well last night, but I'm recovering. I still got plenty of work done yesterday, so it's all good. Today I'll be working on a submission package for Victor Carungi (Pencilneck), and more Zombie Cop. If I have time after that I'll be working on some logos, maybe, and Corrective Measures #8. So much to do...

Yesterday I caught up on Haven work, and was given some more responsibilities, so that should be fun. I've got to remind Lance to get me the info for the newsletter, though, as it needs to go out soon!

Election Day is in a couple of days, but I'm not going into it here and now. Just thought I'd mention it for the sake of it.

Last night I watched Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. It was okay. What prompted me to watch it was my little cousin sent over the series of books, which I'd never read. Then I realized we had the DVD for a while, but I had never watched it (picked it up at a flea market for like $5). I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. It had potential, but I don't think it was realized.

And because of Jim Carey being in that movie, it made me think of something. Remember when he played the Grinch? Remember the little girl that played Cindy Lou Who? Well, I just recently found out she's on this show called Gossip Girl these days all grown up. Man I feel old. I wasn't that young when that movie came out! I think I was like 24. Man.

I started to watch this movie on G4 called The Host, which is a creature feature movie, but the subtitles got on my nerves. It looked decent though for that type of movie. I wanted to try to watch something scary, but I couldn't find anything to get into. Oh well.

Oh, in one week...

I have yet to write the first installment of this new column I mentioned a few posts back. Don't worry, though, I'm planning on having five installments written before it goes live just to be safe.

Don't forget to set your clocks back tonight!

What would you do-oo-oo for a Klondike Bar? Me, nothing, I hate the things. I don't know, just because...

I have too much junk, and not enough stuff. Ever feel like that? I wish I could just throw everything out and start over. All my furniture, accessories, most of my clothing... everything. I'm just bored with it all. Most of my clothes don't currently fit, and they're just not me anymore anyway. Sigh, one of these days.

Speaking of, we're about to paint in the house. We've been dealing with drab white walls for over four years now. It's time for a change. We're going with a pale green in the kitchen, which looks better than it sounds. And in the loft upstairs it'll be a tan with a thick black stripe (yep, I'm gettin' creative). My room is going to be black and silver, though I'm not sure how I'll do it up yet. I used to paint houses and apartments, so I know what I'm doing somewhat. I hate cutting in and doing baseboards though - don't have the patience for it anymore. So I'll be doing the rolling and letting someone else do the tedious stuff.

You know what sucks? I have an HD cable box and no HDTV. My brother has an HDTV in his room (got it off my uncle), hence the boxes, but I get HD channels (what handful my sad cable company offers) but they do me no good. Sigh.

I may be having lunch with a local creator sometime next week, but I haven't heard back from him on when, so we'll see. He had asked me to lunch a looong time ago, but at the time I couldn't, then I forgot about it. I remembered recently and contacted him and he seemed game. It'll be cool because aside from Chuck Moore I don't know many locals into comics.

So, a lot to talk about, yet I haven't said much at all really. Ponder that.

B-Out

Happy Halloween!

I've said it before on this blog, but Halloween is not really my holiday. But I hope all of you who dig it go out and have some safe fun tonight!

Check out this cool interview over at CR about a town that's Halloween all year round!

I went and got my hair cut this morning, and man, do I feel better... and worse. I feel better because it looks better shorter, and it was getting on my nerves how it kept falling in my face. But it's also getting thinner, which is no fun.

I have been up all night again, mostly working, though I did take a little time to read and watch TV. Had to watch Supernatural, and I caught up on some comics. Mostly I worked though.

I'm completely caught up on Genotype Prime and Tainted (pages kept spilling in throughout the week). Zombie Cop is also on schedule, and I've started on the prose section of the book now, which is fun.

I've still got plenty to work on though, and still have stuff coming soon as well. I just hope I can stay awake to do it today! I took a nap yesterday afternoon, so I've been up since about 7:30 last night, so about 16 hours as I type this, and I'm starting to get tired.

Tonight I'm not doing anything special. My brother may or may not have plans with his friends, and some of the family is getting together at my aunt's to have chili. I'll probably be here working a little and catching some scary flicks on TV for the fun of it. Why not, right? I can't eat chili anyway. And I'm trying to stay away from the candy!

Why are Comicraft fonts so expensive?! I get that they're famous and popular and really good and all that, but I find Blambot's prices much more reasonable! And they're fonts are just as good. Just sayin'. I do love a lot of CC's fonts though. But who has $100-200 for a font these days?

Today, if I can stay awake, I'll be working more on Zombie Cop, as well as a fill-in for a friend, and then a submission packet. I'm hoping to work on logos this weekend, and I've still got an issue of Corrective Measures I need to finish over the next few days. Then more Ellium, and a few other things.

So, I guess I better get to it before I start snoozing!

B-Out

Halloween Man Art Contest Reminder

I told Scott I'd post this, so here goes:

RUSSELL HILLMAN, editor of Hackoween, writes the following:

A quick reminder about the Hack/Slash vs Halloween man art contest. We want you to design a cover/poster/pin-up for us, featuring characters from Hack/Slash and Halloween Man. It has to be a tribute to a classic horror movie poster or video/DVD cover.

We gave you a deadline of 28th October, but folks, we want to get in as many entries as possible so we're extending the deadline to Halloween. Midnight on Halloween, Las Vegas time. Send your entries to hmartwork (at) gmail (dot) com

If you haven't yet done so, check out Hack/Slash vs Halloween Man: Hackoween over at www.halloweenman.com.


Scott D.M. Simmons
http://www.scottdmsimmons.com

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WBZ Grayscales

Have you been keeping up with the Wannabez blog? If you haven't, head on over there (click the title of this post) for a peek at issue 1 grayscales!

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Movie (Short) Reviews

Hittin' 'em quick, just 'cause I can!

3:10 to Yuma
I'm not a big Western guy, and there are very few I actually like, but I thought I'd give this one a shot. I wasn't disappointed. It wasn't the greatest movie I had ever seen (or even the greatest Western), but it was entertaining, if a little slow and drawn out at times. I don't regret watching it though.

Speed Racer
I think I may have already talked about this one on here. Maybe not, I can't remember. Anyway, it was a fun flick. I'm glad I didn't pay money to go see it, but it was still pretty entertaining for me. Having only seen the cartoon a couple of times I didn't really have anything to compare it to, but it seemed to get all the references and homages to it correct.

The Heartbreak Kid
All of Ben Stiller's movies feel like the same movie to me anymore. I loved Meet the Parents, but all the rest just seem like lame attempts to recapture that particular magic. This one does not. Moving on...

The Happening
M. Night Shyamalan is notorious for making novels/films with deep, underlying themes and "lessons" in them, and this one is no different. Unfortunately, from the first mention of plants it becomes apparent what this movie is really about and it comes off overly preachy. Furthermore, while I really liked what The Village represented, all of his movies feel the same. They have the same type of dialogue, the same pacing, and the same, well, dumbness intertwined in them all. And finally, whoever told Mark Wahlburg to portray his character in the manner he did issued him no favors. He was so unbelievable in that role.

The Forbidden Kingdom
Not exactly what I expected, but it was a fun, family friendly martial arts flick, surprisingly with the kid from Sky High as the lead. Jet Li was phenomenal as the Monkey King, and Chan, of course, was a natural as a drunken master again. And the girl that played Sparrow was not only a talented actress and martial artist, she was stunning as well. Overall, I enjoyed it enough.

Definitely, Maybe
Cheesy at times, but romantic to be sure. Decent date movie, and it made me feel lonely. It was good for what it was to be sure.

I know there are a couple more I watched recently, but I still can't think of what they were. Must not have left a lasting impression...

B-Out

Sojourn

The last book in the Dark Elf Trilogy, Sojourn, was better than Exile, but still not quite as good as Homeland. But it was still an enjoyable read, and the adventures of Drizzt and his friends are fast becoming one of my favorite epics of all time.

In this volume Drizzt makes his way to the surface, forever leaving the Underdark, his natural home, in his past. But his trials are in trying to discover, learn and live in this unknown world with the elements he has never known. He has to unlearn everything he was taught by his people and find out for himself what the surface dwellers are truly like.

As soon as Drizzt makes his way out in the world he finds himself in a world of trouble, and once again on the run. He resigns in himself that he'll never be able to fit in because of the reputation of his people. But later he meets Mooshie, who fast becomes a friend and mentor, and inspires hope in the Dark Elf. Unfortunately, his recent past catches up with him again and again, and after a couple of years on the surface it still haunts him.

Toward the end of the book, Drizzt finally meets some of the characters in The Crystal Shard, namely the dwarf leader Breunor and his adopted human daughter Cattie-Brie. And after facing off against a deadly foe, the three become friends after some early hesitancy.

Homeland was all about Drizzt's upbringing and his people, and we learn why he fled them in the first place. Exile showed Drizzt trying to escape his past, but being surrounded by it. But Sojourn finally connects the dots between the Dark Elf Trilogy and the Icewind Dale Trilogy as the course of Drizzt's life changes forever.

This book was filled with all the themes you'd expect to find, and they are all well placed and utilized. Drizzt grows in this book from a young, unlearned forager to an even more skilled warrior knowing the ways of the realms. He finds friends in unusual places, and enemies in unexpected ones. He's still every bit the warrior, but throughout most of the book he tried to leave those ways behind him, but he wasn't permitted that luxury.

It's a fine send off into the next chapter of Drizzt's travels, and a wonderful ending to the trilogy.

Still Up and Going

Well, aside from a two-hour power nap yesterday afternoon, I have been up since 2:30am yesterday morning! I got really tired around 4 yesterday and laid down, then got up at 6:30 or so and worked a little bit before Heroes came on. Then I worked through the night, and I'm still up and at 'em.

I made a dent in both Tainted and Genotype Prime yesterday, as well as did some more work on the project I worked on over the weekend, so I feel good about my progress.

Today I'm mainly focusing on Corrective Measures and Zombie Cop, but Tainted and Genotype Prime are in there as well.

I've also got Ellium and a couple of other lettering projects I'm working on as I can get to them. So everything's on schedule.

Logos are a different story. Still haven't made any headway there yet, but I will!

While I won't say I'm motivated to start exercising today with everything I have to do and what little sleep I've gotten, I am motivated to start this week, and I will. I'm just going to make my mind up to do it and to get back to my healthier eating habits I had picked up and just go with that. I'd really like to drop at least ten pounds by Thanksgiving, being realistic. Then I'll tackle the other ten, or at least try to between the holidays.

Just as an asides, keep an eye on www.comicrelated.com. If you've never visited the site before, you definitely need to start checking it out. And in just 18 days the entire site is metamorphosing into something very dynamic. I've seen a peek and it's going to be great!

And that's all I have in me at the moment.

B-Out

Starting the Day

Well, I finally got to sleep yesterday... at 10am! Then I wound up sleeping the entire day until about 5:30. Got up and worked a bit, ate and watched a program, then went back to sleep around 11:30, got up at 2:30 this morning and here I am at 5am still up and will most likely be staying up.

I'm still exhausted and sluggish, but nothing else seems to be wrong, at least not right now. Hopefully that will continue through the day, and I'll be energized enough to get done what I need to get done!

Today I'll be working on Tainted and Genotype Prime mainly. I hope to fit in a few other things, but we'll see how it goes.

Things are in the home stretch with Zombie Cop. The team works really well together and we're cranking it out fast. The artist. Szymon Kudranski, is super fast and super talented, and I letter them as fast as he sends them over. I've loved working on this particular project immensely.

I was considering going with some of the family up to Illinois this weekend to visit my aunt, but it doesn't really look like that's going to happen, at least not for me. Whether the rest of the family will make it or not I don't know. It's all up in the air right now. Gas prices, though down from what they were, don't really help the situation either. If they take my aunt's car my mom has to pay for the gas, and it's a guzzler. Mom's car won't make the trip, and the cost of renting a car may be too much right now. So who knows?

I need to lose weight. I'm so disgusted with myself. People who have seen me would probably argue that I don't, but the truth is I do carry my weight well - which just means it's well hidden! I know what I look like and, more importantly, what I feel like. I really want to drop 20 pounds. I could live with that, even though that's still 10-15 above my normal weight. I keep wanting to go to this gym with my cousin, but we have yet to work it out. I don't like going alone, and I won't stay properly motivated like that, at least not at first. And I can't afford equipment for the home, nor would I have any place to put it. I would use it (I used to have a weight bench when I was 13-15 and I used it every day), but that's not an option. Oh well, it'll work out I'm sure. I really do want to lose as much as I can before the holidays hit though. Even if that means gaining it back during!

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Renewed

Well, sadly, it's been yet another week in between posts, though I did make quite a few posts last week. But even with my lack of posting this week my hits went up a tremendous amount again! You guys (and gals) rock!

I feel I must address the very long post I made last week about having no life. What can I say, I was having an off day. That's what these blogs are for anyway, though, right? To vent, to express ourselves, and just to rant from time to time? Yeah, they're for updates and new information and all that as well, but hey, I'm a complex guy. :)

Anyway, It was just one day and I'm fine. I am under a lot of pressure, and I am contemplating things, but I'm sure no more than the next guy, and I'll live, and I'll get above it, be assured of that. Even when I'm down and out I'm a fighter, and I've been through enough in my life not to let these things get the best of me.

Moving on...

I'm going to start doing a column again. It just feels right this time, and it's something I really want to right about and not just something I tried to come up with to fill a slot like my last two columns, though I still gave those everything I had as well. So I'll let you know the when, where and what of this new column very soon.

All of my websites are going to get an overhaul in the new year, I'm just not sure how or when just yet. Still working out the details...

It's almost November! Man, this year has just rocketed by me. Most of this year has been good for me, and definitely a better year than the previous three by far, hands down, no question about it. So I'll be thankful for that come turkey day (man, I can't wait to eat that home cooked meal!). And then Christmas! Wow, it's already almost here!

Lettering is going steady as usual. I really cranked out quite a bit last week, and I hope to keep that momentum up this week.

I'm still way behind on logos, but hopefully I'll be able to tackle those this week as well.

I have been up all night working on a project, and now it's daylight. Of course, I slept pretty much all day yesterday. I haven't been feeling well the past couple of days. I can't say I've had any symptoms of any ailment, I've just been extremely tired and very sluggish. I just haven't been able to stay up and about. Maybe it's a side effect of the gallstones, I don't know. I know there's a virus going around (my brother went to the doctor Thursday and was out of school Thursday and Friday because of it). All that was really wrong with him was a really bad headache and fatigue, so that could be it. I don't know. But I finally got motivated enough last night to start working on a daunting project and made some pretty good headway on it.

I have now read all of the Dark Elf Trilogy (finished Sojourn the other night). So since I've already read The Crystal Shard, I'm now on Streams of Silver, three or four chapters deep. So far, so good. I'll have to make a post on Sojourn here soon.

I'm also reviewing a few comics for Comic Related, if I can find the time to read them!

I've watched a bunch of movies lately, and maybe I'll do a short review of each in a post soon as well. Among them are The Forbidden Kingdom, The Happening, 3:10 to Yuma, Definitely/Maybe, The Heartbreak Kid, and a couple of others that escape me right now.

I'm really tired, but I'm really wired. My leg is shaking like crazy, and I know I still have so much to do, yet I'm still feeling sluggish and weary, but I know if I laid down I wouldn't be able to sleep. That really bites.

I've really got to find some new things to eat. I have been eating the same things forever it seams. And almost everything includes chicken! Hey, I don't do any other meat save turkey and occasionally (very rarely) bacon, and I'm not big on rice and can't have beans, so that doesn't leave a whole lot. I'm also not too keen on most veggies. I like peas, carrots, potatoes, corn, peppers, and sometimes squash. But I don't like any kind of greens, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, or any of that other stuff that's supposed to be good for you. So what am I left with? Chicken, pasta and turkey sandwiches. Sigh.

We need to clean out the garage before it gets too cold, but I don't want to do it. It's full of dead (and live) bugs and maybe a mouse or two, and it's such a mess you can't even walk around in it. Our house doesn't have nearly enough storage space for all the junk we've got. The closets are small, and there's no room in the tiny garage for much, otherwise, if we could even fit the car in there now, there would be no room to get in the doors. We need to get rid of half our stuff!

Did you hear about Jennifer Hudson's (American Idol, Dream Girls) mother and brother? They were found slain, and now her nephew is missing. That's a sad, sad ordeal. I was shocked, as I'm sure she was. I hope they find her nephew.

I understand in last night's UFC main event, Patrick Cote, who was facing Anderson Silva for the Middleweight title, popped his knee out at the beginning of the 3rd round, so they gave the bout to Silva, who hated taking it like that. Cote was the first to take Silva past the 2nd round in the UFC, and now Silva has won, I believe, 8 straight bouts. They're calling him the best in the world today. He didn't really get to show that in this fight as I understand he danced around these first two rounds (championship fights are 5 rounds), but I have seen him in action and I can't argue that too much. He tore Rick Franklin apart to win the title and hasn't lost it since.

Okay, I'm going to try to rest. Probably won't but ya know.

B-Out

And the Hits Keep On Coming!

I must again thank all of you so much as hits and unique visitors to this blog keep on climbing from week to week. I'm blessed that there are so many of you out there that find what I have to say interesting enough to keep coming back.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

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Fangoria

One of the books I'm lettering (Ellium) is now going to be on Fangoria's new web initiative. Click the title of this post to read all about the initiative.

I'm not sure when the first issue of Ellium will go up, but I know it will be soon. I'll keep you all informed!

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Off to Dinner

Well, I'm off to dinner with Scott and Shannon at Olive Garden. Dinner's not for another hour and twenty minutes, but I'm hoping to hit a couple of comic shops in the area to try to get them to carry my book beforehand. There are two within five minutes of the restaurant, and it takes me about 30-40 minutes to get to the restaurant from my house (as it's the busiest side of town in Lexington and traffic is not great), so that should give me just enough time to shoot into the comic shops, then get back to the restaurant to get a table and weight for my dinner companions to show.

I wish I had someone to go with me. It was just supposed to be Scott and I, but then Shannon decided to come. I don't care for being the third person, but I'll live. :)

I just hope my stomach can handle Olive Garden...

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This Site Needs a Facelift!

Just thought I'd mention real quick that I am so bored of this website! In the new year I will find a way to redesign this site the way I really want it to be, whether I do it myself or hire someone. Probably for the Gonzogoose site as well. I'm just bored with them and it's time for a change.

Stay tuned...

I Have No Life

Friday night and I've been home all night long. Such is the case every Friday night, and most nights in general. Any friends I have left are either in other cities or states, or have their own things going on.

I'm not having a pity party, and I'm not down about it, just being observational. I've got to get out more! I stay tied to this computer more than anything. I get lost on this thing for days, and generally I'm not goofing off. I barely even check message boards or blogs anymore. I check emails, and I work. Occasionally I'll watch a show I missed on one of the network sites, but aside from that it's work, work, work.

And that's a good thing, I'm not complaining. Just saying I need to get out of this house more! I get stir crazy from time to time. Then there's times like tonight, when I should either be working or sleeping, and I can't bring myself to do either. I'm bored and listless.

I'm really not crying and whining here, I mean it. I'm just publicly evaluating my current life status as it were. :) I have nothing better to do, so why not, right? I mean, that's what most people blog for isn't it? To get things they're thinking about out? It's like writing in a journal, except instead of it being by your bed under lock and key, it's on the world wide web for millions of people to potentially read. No biggie.

Lately, though, I've felt like I've only used this blog to talk specifically about my work status more than anything. That's not solely why I started this blog though. A while back someone told me I should keep personal stuff off this blog since it's tied to my website, which is work-centric. But then that betrays the real reason I started the blog, which was to talk about my life and what's going on, and what I'm thinking about at any given time. It's also why many of you started following it, and some of you became good friends through.

But lately I feel like I've neglected that side of things. Or when I have gone that route it's been negative. The truth is, my life is pretty boring. I don't have a ton of stories to tell, or experiences every week to share. And frankly, I don't have time to think about the important issues I should be concerning myself with at my age.

Like politics for example. I've barely even followed the election stuff this time around. I don't know much about McCain or Obama, and while I do feel like if you don't vote you don't really have a right to complain, I just don't care that much because it's the same old nonsense. Smear campaigns left and right, left wingers vs right wingers, religious folk vs non-religious folk... you have celebrities endorsing Obama, and churches backing McCain, and the truth is in almost every election it's like choosing the lesser of two evils, and you're never quite clear just who that is. It just gets old!

Then there's religion, which is a big part of my life. Well, I hate the term "religion", but belief in God and my relationship with Him is something that has molded me and shaped me into who I am. But I don't talk about it much, or even think about it as much as I should these days. Ever since what went down a few years ago I've found myself trying to figure out a lot of things and find the answers for myself instead of taking the word of those I don't necessarily trust anymore. Not that I ever followed what anyone said vs. what I found myself, but I have to admit that some of it I didn't research as much as I should have, and now I have questions.

And there are a whole bunch of other things I should be thinking and talking about, but I just don't. I keep it pretty shallow here with discussions on movies and books, and comics and work. Nothing too deep and meaty. Not that I have to be deep and philosophical all the time - Lord knows we have enough of that in this world already - but I suppose I figure every once in a while I should.

I don't know, now I'm rambling and ranting for no reason at all, and I'm not even sure what brought this on. I guess that's what boredom does to you - it makes you think.

About a year and a half ago I became disillusioned with the idea of turning 30, and I blogged about that, noting that my life wasn't where I wanted it to be. That blog brought a lot of people emailing me asking if I was happy with this or that, and that I needn't think to poorly of getting older, and yadda, yadda, yadda. In March I turn 32 and, sadly, not much has changed in nearly two years. I've finally got a book out, and I've met some people I had wanted to meet for a while, but aside from that not much else is different.

That said, I'm not crying over my tea wishing I had done this or that anymore. I'm really trying not to live in the past anymore lamenting over decisions or the lack thereof. I spent a number of years doing just that and was miserable. The past year or so I've really tried to shed that way of thinking and only concentrate on today, looking forward to tomorrow. It's not always easy, but it's what you have to do to move forward or you become stuck.

Do I think I'm stuck? I think I'm stalled, not stuck. I have moved forward, albeit at a snail's pace, but that's still moving forward. I'm looking ahead and not back, and I'm no longer depressed, but hopeful, which is something I couldn't say two years ago. I've come a long way, thanks to the support of those that read this blog, specifically some people who have become dear friends over the past few years.

I'm not sure what my path is anymore to be honest. I know there are things I still want to do, but I still haven't discovered the right route to take to get there. And I know there are still things I'm supposed to do, that I believe firmly in, but that route, too, is undiscovered. I have no doubt I will achieve these things. I have no questions about whether they are the right things to pursue or not any longer. The only questions I have are about the routes to take to reach those places. But over time I'll figure that out too, I'm sure, with a little help here and there.

I used to think about my age and all that I had missed in life. I used to think that because of my age I wouldn't be able to do certain things I had wanted to. I would think about not having a house of my own, being single at 32, not being settled into a good paying career, not living my dreams or my calling, and so forth and so on. While those things are natural, and I do still wonder from time to time, I can't be consumed with things like that. Yeah, I'm 31 and haven't been on a date in longer than I care to admit. No, I don't own my own home, and no I'm not living all my dreams... yet. But I am hopeful and I see things in a positive light, which, again, is not something I could have said two years ago.

I've often thought about ending this blog and starting fresh at some point. I don't know why, I just feel like everything here over the past two years is a part of my past. Maybe at some point I actually will end it and start over. Maybe it will come at a time that I make a change in my life. Maybe I'll just get fed up and do it one day. Or maybe this thing will go on until I can blog no longer. Who knows? I sure don't.

But right now it's still here, I'm still here, and as long as I have something... anything to say, I'll be posting here. It may not be all that interesting at times. It may just be updates on my lettering and writing, or links to other blogs, or whatever. It may be late night rants like this when I can't sleep. It may be... well, I don't know what else it could be. But it'll be something.

And as I try to bring this particular post to a close I find myself thinking about what a monumental waste of time this post is! I've basically said nothing at all, yet still I feel accomplished for having ridded my mind of some unneccessary junk that was taking up unneeded space. So I guess that was the purpose of this post and nothing more. Maybe I said something in there that resonates with someone, maybe not. Maybe it sounds like the same old drivel, or not. I don't know, take from it what you will.

And off I go on another tangent because that made me think of something that's totally unrelated and has no connection or segue to in any way, shape or form. Sometimes people are surprised by me. Why, I don't know. Sometimes it's how deep my voice is when people speak to me for the first time because, for some unknown reason, everyone assumes I'd have a higher voice. Sometimes it's because of the way I talk, which changes from time to time. I'm not referring to any accent or tone, but in the way I speak. Sometimes I'll be silent and somber, while other times I'll be loud and exuberant, and people who are used to one way are shocked by the other like I can't have different moods or something.

Just the other day Scott called and I, knowing it was him, answered the phone with a loud SCOTTY! to which he replied with hesitation not sure it was even me he called. I found this humorous that someone would get so baffled by a change of inflection. I mean sure, most of the time I talk to Scott, which isn't very much, I'm a little subdued. And since we've only met in person twice, both times at cons I'd never been to, meeting people I'd never met, and doing things I'd never done, I was a little gunshy. I'm the kind of person it takes me a minute to warm up to you, and in those situations I held back a bit at first. But still, the poor guy seemed helpless and completely shocked, which was just hilarious to me.

Even my brother acts like I'm crazy when I go all goofy, something I've done for years with him, but still gets him panicked like something's wrong with me. In his case, what he doesn't understand is that these four walls are what I see more times than not and sometimes I just have to let that fun side out to gain some sanity.

I guess things like that let me know I still have a little mystery to me, which is a comforting thing seeing how much of my life, however eventless it may be, is on display through this blog. It's funny, though, that people who have known me my whole life still really don't know me, or at least don't know all sides of me. Admittedly, I'm a guarded person, and I rarely let anyone in to the point of familiarity, and never do I let anyone completely in, not even family. There are parts of me just for me that no one sees, at least so far. And I like it that way to be honest. I like saving something for, possibly, someone special someday, if I ever meet her. haha.

I don't know, this rant has run the gamut now. I think I've covered everything, and if I haven't, if I don't quit now, I'm sure I'll run off on another tangent. Believe it or not, I'm actually holding back right now. There are things I want to talk about but am thinking better of.

So on that note, I think I'll call it quits before I change my mind. I do know one thing though. I've got to find a way and time to write, because a lot of what goes through my mind that I shouldn't talk about here could be put to use, masked of course, in the form of writing. Plus I just don't get to write that often anymore and it all bottles up inside, all these ideas and such.

Anyway, there I go again...

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Runnin' and Gunnin'

This week has been a monster! I'll be glad to see it end and send me into a new one.

Last night I had a gallbladder attack and was up half the night. I finally was able to get a little comfortable in the tub. It's passed now, but some of the residual discomfort is still there. So no food for a while today. One of these days I'll have the money to get that surgery...

I've got two issues of Corrective Measures prepped and started (I have all the text laid out on all the pages... just have to shape it and put balloons around it). So progress is good there.

Ellium is also on track, so it's all good.

Today I had to chase down the mailman to give him some packages to pick up. I missed him at my house because he came about an hour and a half earlier than he has all week, so I hopped in the car and drove down two streets to find him. I don't know where the post office is here (never been to the one here), and even if I could find a drop off mailbox (I hate this small town), one of the packages I had was too big to fit in it. He wasn't sure if he could take it, though, so it may wind up being back at my doorstep tomorrow.

Speaking of mailing, I made three trips out to the stores picking up mailing supplies over the past couple of days. I kept forgetting something or getting the wrong thing. I still wound up with labels too small (I was using Stamps.com, which I don't recommend unless you have the money to purchase a scale and their custom label sheets - those sizes are hard to find unless you buy them in bulk at like an Office Depot or something).

I've been looking into graphic design schools here and nearby (well, relatively nearby, in Cincinnati and Atlanta, which aren't too far from me). I haven't looked into online yet, but I will. I haven't discovered the costs on any of these yet, so they may not even be an option. We'll see. I still owe a huge student loan, so I don't even know if I could get another, or a grant, or whatever.

The weather's starting to change here finally. Today it's in the upper 50s. It's been in the 70s and 80s up until yesterday when we got a few drizzles of rain, then it got a bit colder. Whether it will stay like that who knows?

Well, now I just found out I have to go pick up some clothes for my brother at my aunt's house (our dryer's busted) right this minute, so I have to cut this short. Don't feel like moving from this spot right now, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right?

Later,

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Hackoween!

The project Scott (Wannabez) inked that he couldn't talk about for a year is now live as a webcomic! It was supposed to be printed, and still may, but for now, check it out by clicking the title of this post!

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YIKES!

There I go slipping on posts again! Sorry, all my faithful!

And once again, I have to thank everyone for continually reading the blog. Numbers spiked once again this past week to the highest number of hits I've had... ever! So thanks!

Numbers also spiked on the Wannabez blog, which is so cool!

Speaking of Wannabez, it got a glowing review on ComicRelated.com!

And while I'm at it, we'll be having a couple of interviews and other cool stuff to announce on the Wannabez blog right after I post this. So check it out when you get a chance.

I've just been super busy this past week with lettering and work for Haven. The Haven work I was doing is all caught up now, and lettering is getting there. Zombie Cop is well on track and may actually be ready in January instead of February now!

Ellium and Corrective Measures is what I'm mainly working on this week as I'm a bit behind on both of those. Then Tainted and Genotype Prime are on my agenda. I also have to squeeze in a logo or two in there somewhere. These are good problems though. ")

This Saturday Scott will be nearby, so we're going to have dinner. He and his dad will be attending a Star Wars Collectors Fall Festival in Lexington, so we'll be hitting Olive Garden afterward since it's close to where he'll be.

I wanted to hit the first Screaming Tiki Con this weekend simply because Adam West and others from the Batman TV show are going to be there. They'll even have the Batcopter and Batcycle! But alas, I just can't. Mid-Ohio kind of tapped me out.

I also won't be going to Wizard World Texas this year unfortunately, but it's all good. Scott and I are considering several cons next year.

At the end of this month I may be going to Illinois to visit family. My mom is for sure, as it's a special time of year for my aunt in East Peoria. I can't remember, it's either her birthday or her anniversary (one relative has a b-day then, one has an anniversary, and I can never remember which is which). Plus, although I'm not big on Halloween, my cousin's husband is decorating their house up really nice and they want everyone to see it. Their house has been in the local paper there for years for their Christmas decorations (and I'm thinking I've already posted about this now), so they're trying their hand at Halloween this year. Should be fun.

It all depends on if it conflicts with another engagement on my part that weekend, but we'll see. Well, it also depends on money and how much work I have to do, but again, we'll see.

I'm going to try to start going to the gym again as I could stand to lose a few pounds and get back in shape. It's hard to do when all day long you sit in front of a computer! I'd like to get down and in decent shape by the holidays so I don't wind up making it worse with all that holiday eating! Thanksgiving is a big deal with my family, and my family can cook! Christmas is a big deal too, but not so much food wise. We usually do Subway or something (in bulk) and have a couple of desserts for Christmas, but Thanksgiving everything goes. A HUGE spread of appetizers, entrees, side dishes and desserts! And I've actually missed the past couple of Thanksgivings with the family, so this one will be one to remember. :)

And with that I've got to get back to work... before I end up taking a snack break! All this food talk has me salivating!

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All Things Wannabez

With the con a modest success Scott and I are excited about Wannabez and will be updating the site and blog much more frequently than the past several months. So please continue to check it out periodically.

Recently we've posted pics from the con as mentioned in the last post, a picture of the WBZ t-shirt in all its glory, and an announcement of a pending letters page in the next issue that we need, yep, letters for!

Scott updated his bio on the site as well, and soon we'll have links to interviews and pictures, and we'll be posting a 2009 convention appearance list in the coming months. Plus there will be updates to the store and much more. So we have a lot going on that you should check out!

I appreciate all the support on this blog. The numbers keep on spiking from week to week, the last one being over 400 unique visitors, which is just awesome! Thanks for checking it out and please continue to do so. And please check out the Wannabez site and blog as well!

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Pictures Are Up!

Just click the title of this post to see pictures of the Wannabez booth and other pictures from Mid-Ohio-Con!

Ignore the guy who looks like me. He's like 20 pounds heavier than he wants to be right now, and 10 pounds heavier than he was at Wizard World Chicago!

Soon I'll post pics of me and my brother in the Batmobile on this blog, as well as some prints we picked up and other stuff.

Stay tuned!

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Back from Mid-Ohio-Con!

One long, but enjoyable weekend later and I'm back home! Soon I'll have a post on the Wannabez blog about our experience as 'team Wannabez' at the con, but this is just about me, me, me and my experience at the con.

Despite some running around prior to leaving for the con, which left me a bit tired before I even took off, I had a wonderful time. The Columbus Convention Center is HUGE! The hotel was nice also, but honestly, aside from the convenience and the service, the rooms weren't as nice as say a Holiday Inn or Comfort Inn to be perfectly honest.

But we're talking about the show, which was pretty cool. There were some cool guests, both in comics and other media in attendance, and we joked about how cool it was that Jason Mewes was just seen walking the aisles from time to time like a regular convention goer. Scott and I also had the pleasure of sitting in between Sean McKeever and Alan Davis (for a day anyway - they moved Alan to another location Sunday, probably because his line NEVER died down all weekend, and it was blocking the aisles in his previous spot)! Alan was too busy most of the time sketching to chat, but seemed very nice and down to earth. And Sean was just too cool, chatting it up with us all weekend long.

I got to meet David Mack for the first time, who was super generous and gave me and Scott some signed books. I met Joe Kubert as well, which was a huge honor for me as I nearly enrolled in his school in New Jersey several years ago. I was an aspiring artist, but it was a huge move, and my brother was still young, so I wasn't too sure about it. I still think about it from time to time. Who knows, maybe I'll still go someday.

But anyway, Mr. Kubert is one of the nicest, most humble guys I've ever met in my life. He was so cool and didn't seem to think of himself as any kind of legend or superstar, or anything like that.

Bob McCleod was also very nice, as was Josh Medors, who signed a print and a book I picked up for my brother.

I finally got to meet Sean Forney, who I've talked to on and off for years now. He's sort of local living close to the Ohio/Kentucky border, and I once hired him for some work, but, long story short, it didn't work out. He's a super friendly and very talented guy, and it was cool to finally see him and talk to him a couple of times. I'm sure I'll see him again as the guy manages to make it to tons of conventions every year.

I finally met Nate Lovett and Jeremy Dale, both of whom I've seen on various messageboards, and they were both cool people. And I got to meet several of the Comic Related staff, who are all very pleasant, very genuine people that I would love to hang out with and get to know. Oh, and I finally met Jon from Wicket and Imp (a former Small Press Idol contender the year I was lettering Kansas Hit and Warbreed). Jon's a cool, funny guy and a talented artist.

Scott and I did some interviews (there will be a list of coverage we got on the WBZ blog soon) and sold some books, made some connections, and got to hang out. I got to see Chuck Kennedy and Chuck Moore again, and that's always cool. I got to meet Chuck Kennedy's brother-in-law, who also seems to be a cool guy. Zach and I had our pictures taken in the Batmobile (from the TV show), and Zach got to meet Jason Mewes.

So all in all it was a successful trip. I had some fun. On the way home I was kind of tired as I had been up since 4:30 that morning (couldn't sleep but three to four hours) and had to drive 3 hours home. So we pulled over and got something to eat, which woke me up a little. But I didn't want to leave it to chance, so I bought my first Monster (a coffee drink - I don't drink coffee or cappucino, and this is like a super one). That woke me up alright, and had me talking a mile a minute, then much later on fidgeting. But I didn't get sleepy anymore until I got home. Once I sat down and relaxed, though, I crashed. Fell asleep on the couch downstairs with all my clothes on including jacket and hat. The only thing I had taken off were my shoes because every toe had a blister on it. In fact, one pinky toe had a blister on top of a blister! It still hurts to walk.

This morning we all overslept until 10am. :)

Like I said, it was a fruitful and fun weekend, and I don't regret going overall. Didn't sell any of the books I lettered though, but then Wannabez selling was more important, and for a first outing I think we did alright.

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Off to Mid-Ohio-Con!

I leave for the con in just over ten hours, so I will be out of touch all weekend.

The past couple of weeks has been crazy, and I haven't gotten much sleep! I've been running all over the place preparing for the con, and trying in earnest to get as much work done as I could before the con. I am so tired right now and still have so much to do. I haven't even started packing yet!

I had some really sharp, almost electrical pains shoot through my chest yesterday morning. They only lasted for a few minutes, but they doubled me over. I don't know if it's gall bladder related or not, but I'll have to get it checked out if it happens again.

My workload (and wallet) is increasing a little bit soon, thankfully. I'm still plugging away at freelance stuff at the moment, which keeps me more than busy enough at present.

My cousin Danielle's wedding is this weekend and I really, really wish I could go. But I had already committed to the con and it's important to me. The dates just unfortunately conflicted. Hopefully I'll get to go visit her soon. I haven't seen her in several years.

Well, I just wanted to post before I headed out. I doubt very seriously I'll have a chance to post anymore on here before next week.

Everyone stay safe out there, and if you're in the Columbus area please come check out our booth! We will be posting pictures up on the Wannabez blog when we get back, so please check it out periodically. We are really (finally) moving forward with Wannabez in a big way, and thus we'll be updating the site and much more.

On top of that, I'm revealing a new site at the con. I'll tell you all more about it when I get back.

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Wannabez Blog Updates

Made several posts today, check 'em out!

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Wannabez.com Updated

Check out the Wannabez blog for what was changed, and for more information on our appearance at Mid-Ohio-Con!

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Wannabez Issue #1 is Out...

... but issue #0 is still in. No, Wannabez #1 will NOT be ready for Mid-Ohio-Con as planned, but an improved issue #0 will still be on hand among other things.

Click the title of this post for all the details.

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Hectic Daze

Sorry for my lack of posting the past week, I've just been really busy. Mid-Ohio-Con is only a week away and I've been busting my butt trying to get as much lettering as I can done before then. I've also been working on stuff for the con for Wannabez and other stuff, so my time has just been swallowed up.

Not to mention there's been a little drama here and there, but nothing to go into here and now.

Overall things are good. I'm looking forward to the con next week, my second, and first as an exhibitor or what have you.

By the way, it turns out that they gave both Scott and I our own tables side by side, so we have 12 feet of real estate! I think it's going to look pretty cool, and things are coming together nicely so far. I still don't know what our table number is (they told us they might not be able to tell us for sure until the last minute), but surely you can't miss a twelve foot table draped in a tablecloth with the Wannabez logo on it!

More on the con in the coming days.

Lettering is keeping me busy at the moment, as I mentioned. I'm currently working on 5 lettering projects, one more to come, plus Wannabez, and two logos, as well as finishing up some things from before those. But those are good problems!

So we're officially into Autumn now, wow. This year has really flown by for me. So much has happened this year, and so much change. While this year has definitely had some ups and downs, the changes this year brought me so far have been a good thing overall, even with the pitfalls.

Anyway, just wanted to pop in here with an update since it had been so long.

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Exile

Well, it took me longer than the last one (mainly due to time constraints), but I finished Forgotten Realms: Exile a couple of days ago.

I have to say I wasn't as impressed with this installment as I was with Homeland. It just didn't compel me like Homeland did. It was a good read, don't get me wrong, and it covered a lot of ground. But it didn't hold my interest as well because the plot wasn't nearly as complex, nor were the characters nearly as entertaining, which is odd since most were the same characters from the previous novel.

In Exile, Drizzt has left his homeland to live in the wild of the Underdark, fending for himself, all alone, and has become a vicious hunter because of it. He's nearly lost himself until he chances upon an unusual friend in the bitter enemy of the Drow, the Svirneblin (deep gnomes). Meanwhile, his family, who have fallen out of favor with their deity because of Drizzt have sent an undead warrior to track and kill the wayward son.

So the plot is interesting, and it does take the series in a natural progression from Homeland, but Homeland was a more personal story in my opinion, which made it more entertaining. In Exile, we do get to see Drizzt battle with his inner demons and come face-to-face with his worst fear. We also see him grow from that young Drow in Homeland, to the warrior, and then beyond, putting him on the path to what he was to become in Crystal Shard. So it does lend to the flow of Drizzt's history, and flows in the progression of the story. It just doesn't deliver quite as well as it could have in my humble opinion.

Next up is Sojourn, where Drizzt, and his mystical panther friend, finally travel to the surface to escape his past and never return. Seeing how the bulk of Drizzt's trials, and the very first introduction to the character (in Crystal Shard) came on the surface, I'm eager to see where this book takes the dark elf.

More soon...

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Computer's Back Up

Just so everyone knows, yesterday afternoon I finally got everything in order and running smoothly. So I'm good to go.

That said, I've been playing catch up from the four days I was down, so bear with me.

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Power Supply

So, it seems the power supply in my computer is going bad again. Today it started making an awful racket. I cleaned out all the fans hoping that was the problem, but it's still rattling like a 50 year old two-seater plane that's been sitting in an abandoned airstrip for the last decade.

That said, hopefully I can get it back up today so I can meet my deadlines. If not, I will definitely find a way to get it working this weekend by hook or crook. Gotta have my money maker!

So that's what's up this not so fine day. Sigh.

By the way, this is my 750th post.

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A Big Thank You!

Thanks to all you faithful readers out there who have stuck with me through thick and thin! The past few weeks the number of hits I've gotten on this blog have been steadily climbing regardless of the lack of consistent posts on my part. So I just wanted to take a minute to thank you all for continuing to read me. :)

Not a whole lot going on at the moment save still working my butt off. Things are going steady and well with all current lettering projects.

Scott and I are gearing up for Mid-Ohio, which is now less than a month away. Hope to see you there! We'll have a b&w version of Wannabez #1 for sale! We'll also have copies of MVA #5, which has Wannabez #0 in it on hand.

Oh, and Haven Distributors will be carrying Wannabez! So retailers, come October you will be able to order it from them!

Thanks to some friends who recently helped me out.

New TV season starts soon. Hopefully something good will finally be on TV. Not that I don't have plenty enough to keep me busy aside from watching TV, I just love sitting back and watching some good TV. Nice escapism and relaxation and all that.

Speaking of TV, I don't know how familiar any of you are with the UFC (possibly the only real sport I really like - basketball and boxing are okay too, but I don't watch them that often), but I read that Chuck Liddell got KNOCKED OUT! by Rashad Evans last night. I like Evans and I'm not a fan of Liddell, so that was really nice to hear. :) But I'm REALLY looking forward to the upcoming Randy Couture/Brock Lesnar fight. I'd love to see that one.

One book I lettered a while back, Lightning Squirrel #1, just went on sale. You can find it at www.indyplanet.com.

And I guess that's it for now. Thanks again for reading, I'll try to update again real soon.

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