I Am So Weak...

I want to lose weight, I really do. And I want to be healthy, more than you know. But I love food, man, I can't help it.

I used to be very strong willed and could resist no matter what was in the house or around me. I stayed fairly thin (never skinny) for years, and still splurged on occasion. But after a rough 2-3 years with some stuff going on I just lost that will power, and now, if there's something delectable in the house I'll eat it, even if I don't want it!

For instance, tonight, I had nothing for dessert in the house, or at least nothing ready made. And the thing is, I wasn't even hungry so it shouldn't have mattered. But I have this thing where I feel like I have to eat when I watch a movie, and I was about to watch a movie. So even though I had just eaten a sandwich like an hour earlier I decided to fix myself a sandwich, mainly because I wanted to eat food-food before eating dessert. Crazy logic, I know.

So anyway, I started foraging through the house for something to eat for dessert afterward. Well, I had bought a graham cracker crust by accident at the store and was going to take it back. So then I started thinking of what I could put in that crust. I had bought some pudding for a dish for Thanksgiving, but I didn't want to use that. Then I remembered there was a small box of pistachio pudding in the cupboard, and so I went with it, despite the fact I'm not supposed to eat any kind of nuts, and despite the fact that I wasn't really sure how well pistachio pie was going to taste.

Well, I made the pudding and poured it in the crust and discovered it barely came halfway up the crust. So I chilled it for an hour to get it firm, then I covered it with cool whip. Yeah.

Now, the idea of pistachio pudding on a graham cracker crust alone is bad enough, but adding cool whip to it just made it that much worse.

So I proceeded to eat my sandwich and watch my movie. Then about halfway through the movie, even though I wasn't hungry at all, I cut me a slice of the pie and, get this, poured myself a glass of egg nog, and returned to the movie.

Suffice it to say, I'm sorely regretting that terrible decision on many levels. And I feel guilty about indulging myself like that.

See, I was a heavy kid up until the age of 15 (I may have mentioned this before). So I never wanted to be heavy again. Then I got heavier than I'd been in my life, lost some of it, then put half of that back on. And I'm just not happy with my current state and want to change it, but I'm so weak.

Oh, and last night I had pizza. It was a small pizza, but pizza no less, and half of it had green peppers and onions on it. Great for the gall stones I know. I guess I got what I deserved with that one, though, because they burnt it.

I guess the good thing is I haven't actually gained any weight recently, probably because I only eat like one meal a day (supper) and a few light snacks through the day (graham crackers, wheat thins, and the like). But I haven't lost any either, which sucks. I really wanted to lose some before the holidays, but with Thanksgiving in a few days I just don't see that happening. Maybe before Christmas, but come on. My family is having like 15 desserts at Thanksgiving, and wants to get together and make candy for Christmas. I mean really?

I am so weak.

Honestly, I think if I was living on my own right now I wouldn't have this problem because I wouldn't buy the stuff. It's just hard and I've got to break the cycle somehow.

I was supposed to be starting a gym with my cousin, but he never called me back about it, and I don't want to go alone, at least not yet. And the treadmill is still buried under boxes in the garage, and there's nowhere in the house to put it anyway, so...

Sigh, I need to find my will power again and stay away from all the junk! Luckily, I've been spared attacks for the past few days somehow, but if I keep eating like this it's only a matter of time.

I did eat healthier this week up until yesterday, so I was doing good. I just shouldn't have caved with that stupid nasty pie tonight because now I feel like I'm gonna puke!

I am so weak.

B-Out

A Few Notes About the Blog

You may have noticed some slight clean up has begun. I mentioned several posts ago that I'm not really happy with the current layout of the blog, but time is not on my side to totally revamp it right now. So I thought I'd clean it up a tad just to clean out the clutter.

I completely removed the Gonzogoose Wireless and PowerMall stuff because, frankly, they've not brought me 1 cent. Granted, I haven't pushed them hard, but still.

I finally got the video preview box at the very bottom to change where it's not always Spider-Man. I think I had it set where I had to choose the films, which I never got around to. Now it's on current releases within specified genres.

I moved the PW buttons down just a bit and added a larger PW ad where they were, though as you can see, it hasn't been put to use just yet.

I removed the dead column links and will replace them with accurate links as soon as I can. With one site gone and the other deleting my column, I have to republish them all on my own server, and I think I'll just wait until I have the site redesigned to do that. And there is no centralized link for my new column just yet, so that will have to wait as well.

For all you ambitious Christmas shoppers out there, I've added my Amazon.com wish list to the sidebar as well, just for the fun of it really.

And finally, I took off the Amazon search box because nobody was using it.

So there you go, a few unobtrusive (hopefully) minor changes, hope you all don't mind.

More to come in time.

B-Out

Weather, Woes and Web Comics

It's really cold outside, but it's been colder. My bedroom, though, doesn't circulate well in the winter and is consistently the coldest in the house. Ironically, the air condition circulates very well in my room making it the coldest in the house all summer as well, even with the vent closed. So I'm always cold in my room. That's doesn't make me happy.

Well, I managed to get the grocery shopping done, even though I had to go to three different places to pick up a couple of specific items. And luckily the hair cut place wasn't busy, so I popped in there on my way home. Unfortunately, they cut it too short, and what was looking good now looks awful and I'm a bit upset about it. I really liked the style I had it in, and now it's too short to do that with. Sigh. I'll know better for Christmas.

I also accidentally broke a trifle dish. Actually, I didn't break it - I was carrying it by the stem and the whole top just fell off! Fortunately, they just sent it to claims and didn't charge me for it.

As for the last part of the title, well, just stay tuned. :)

Enjoy your Saturday, everyone.

B-Out

Gathering Supplies

Yep, I'm braving the cold (30 degrees at the moment) to head up the street to Kroger to purchase Thanksgiving and home groceries on a Saturday no less. We're making a few things for the family holiday, and we have no food at home, so off I go.

I was going to try to get my hair cut today as well, but as late as it is on a Saturday I doubt that's going to happen without spending the whole afternoon waiting. So I'll probably take care of that Monday morning and hope it grows out enough to be manageable for Thanksgiving.

Didn't get a whole lot done yesterday, hence the lack of update post concerning that. Family was here most of the day, and I just got sidetracked a lot. Today other matters have taken precedence, but tonight and tomorrow I'll most likely be home alone, so I'm going to take advantage of that and get to work.

I did lay out Corrective Measures #9, which I finally received yesterday, and did some more work on logos and a little bit on Haven. This weekend I've got some music artist descriptions to write on top of all the other stuff (Haven, lettering, APA site) I'm gradually working on.

Well, I'm about to enter the insanity. Say a prayer for me, this is the main grocery people here go to besides Walmart, so it will most likely be packed.

Hey, maybe I'll finally run into Chuck Moore! You never know.

B-Out

Journey of a Wannabe - Who Am I?

My column is now officially live! Check it out my clicking the title of this post.

As I noted earlier, this is just an introductory installment, but I hope you get a beat of what my style in this column will be like, and I hope you find it intriguing enough to keep coming back every other week to read more of it!

Oh, and you may notice in my bio at the bottom of the column that I've been named PR Coordinator. This came about as a result of me hyping the site, and I was more than glad to take it on.

B-Out

What I Got Done - Thursday

Well, today was, again, not as productive as I had hoped, but I still got some stuff done.

As I mentioned last post, the first half of the day involved some family drama. Then cleaning house became the issue early evening as some furniture is coming in from my uncle tomorrow morning, so we had to get the house in order.

In between those two events, I did manage to work on some logos, as I briefly mentioned last post.

I made great strides in the Visionary logo first draft, so that's a plus.

I also nearly finished the first take on the Wagon Wheel Comics logo. Just have to refine the graphic in it, but I finished enough to show.

I completed the revision of the Usen Wareagle signature, so that's wrapped.

I nearly had a scare with Zombie Cop though. Apparently there was some misunderstanding on my part and I ran the prose two pages too long! They're going to adjust it as such, but I still feel bad about it.

On the plus side, I just discovered that Jeff Mariotte mentioned me in an interview with CBR yesterday when he totally didn't have to. It's just a small mention towards the end, but seeing as how I'm the letterer, and letterers are usually 'invisible' it was nice to get the acknowledgement. So thanks, Jeff!

Let's see, I did some minor Haven work, but not much.

I chatted with a couple of clients about jobs, but did no work on them.

I compiled and sent off the high res files for Genotype Prime to Hard Way Studios.

And that's about it. Not a great deal, but still progress.

Got some more cleaning and redecorating to do tonight, then bed, and back at it again tomorrow!

B-OUt

What I Got Done - Wednesday

Well, I finished Ellium and sent that in, and no corrections are needed, so I did good. :)

I kind of ran into several roadblocks with the APA site and so I got stalled quite a bit on that.

I did a little bit of Haven work.

I laid out some prep work for some other stuff, then called the day early to be honest.

Today, so far, I've redone the Usen Wareagle signature and made some strong headway on the logo for Visionary, which is a very ambitious logo. It has a lot of design elements to it, so it's taking quite some time.

We also had to deal with some family stuff for the first half of the day up to lunch time, so I haven't been able to get a lot done today.

I've not received Corrective Measures #9 yet, so I haven't been able to work on that. So I'll probably shift some of next week's lettering work to tomorrow unless it comes in, and use today to work on logos and do some corrections.

Tonight or tomorrow I'll be putting up a temporary landing page for APA.

And that's that.

B-Out

Reflecting on the Interview

Well, I finally got a chance to listen to the podcast interview in its entirety and I have to say it went pretty well! I am always filled with both a sense of excitement and dread for these things as I tend to get embarrassed when I hear myself talk, but this one I did okay. :)

We got to talk about a lot of things, even though I know there were many that I left out. But it was a really fun exchange, and I think that came across brilliantly in hearing it back. Of course, I could be a little biased.

My column, Journey of a Wannabe, will go live on the site tomorrow unless things change. It's just an introduction piece this week, then every two week after that will be a new installment, so make sure you check it out and bookmark it! I talk about my entire life as it pertains to my creative influences and endeavors. I go into detail about my first experience in a comic shop, my first creative influence, my passion for art and so much more. I talk about how it tied into the rest of my life, how I got to where I am today, and eventually, where I hope to go from here. It's a very introspective look into my creative side, so I hope you join me for the journey.

That said, yes, I'm aware I missed my update last night again, so that's coming up next.

Peace.

B-Out

The Podcast is Live!

Click the title of this post to go listen to a long, in depth interview with myself and Scott Simmons about Wannabez and many other projects we're both involved in.

This podcast took place in the middle of Blue Line Pro and Comics 2 Games in Florence, KY. It was a blast to record, so please take some time to take a listen!

B-Out

Got the Blues

Yep, I'm feeling kind of down today. I'm feeling better physically, just kind of in the dumps for some reason. Just one of those days I guess.

I'll update later in the night when the podcast goes live, and with what I accomplished today.

Tonight I'll be veggin' out to Ultimate Fighter and Top Chef. Yep, I'm hooked on those two reality shows, sue me. Wanted to be a chef when I was a kid, and MMA is the only real sport I can get into anymore.

Learned today that a graphic novel I was going to letter got dumped by the publisher, so it's a no go now. That bummed me a little, but it wasn't money I was banking on or anything. It was a cool book though and it allowed me to experiment with lettering styles a bit. So if the Earth Boy creators are out there and you haven't found a letterer but have new financing, email me!

If you have checked out Comic Related but haven't joined the forums yet please do. You all need yet another place online to go and chill at after all, right? Seriously, it's a great community over there, and soon it will be growing. The forums will have a new skin and new content, and there's just some cool conversation over there.

I gotta give a shout out to my girl Nictoria who got a sweet new job recently. She's doing really well for herself and I couldn't be happier for her.

I'm still bummed. Hey, this is supposed to be therapeutic! Oh well, maybe next post.

B-Out

Zombie Cop Press Release!

Click the title of this post to see the first official press release for the Zombie Cop graphic novel from Shadowline/Image - the first Image title I've worked on!

B-Out

What I Got Done - Tuesday

You know, I need not say I'm going to post something, because inevitably something happens to where I can't when I say I will. Like these daily updates. I was fine until I said "yeah, I'll give a daily update on this schedule thing" and then I miss the very next day! Sheesh.

Anyway, I got most everything I intended to done yesterday.

I finished En Garde! pages 1-5 (though I have some changes to make to them now).

I finished the Usen Wareagle Signature (though I have to make changes to it now).

I did the Tainted page 56 correction and page 61 (I updated the schedule post to reflect this - I don't have page 62 in hand yet).

I did Corrective Measures #8 page 13 (the one page of that issue I was waiting on to wrap it - just over inks and I still need the colors to properly wrap the issue - now I have to make a minor correction on that page).

I got a good way into the Ellium #2 rework before getting too tired and crashing. I'll finish that up today.

I did Academy of Heroes #3 pages 14 and 17-22 (pages 15 and 16 are being inked still).

And finally, I made some progress on the Haven cart before it all went to naught.

Basically, between my edits and Lance coming in behind me and doing edits we managed to mess it up really bad, and so it was down for a period last night. So someone else came in and fixed our mess and actually put it in the colors I was trying to with my buttons I created (www.havendistro.com then log in with the user/pass combo of guest/guest to see it - the Coldcut logo and colors are finally gone).

So I'm no longer working on the Haven cart. heh.

As you can see, I got a little preoccupied and didn't get a chance to post. Not to mention the fact that the first half of the day I still wasn't feeling well. I got a bit better and had a good night's sleep, and now I'm decently ok for now, so it's all good.

TODAY I will be finishing up the Ellium #2 rework, working on the APA site and maybe finishing up some Haven work. I'll probably shuffle the Visionary logo to tomorrow since I have some of Ellium to do, and I suspect work on the APA site will take some time. But we'll see.

B-Out

Upcoming

I talked to a couple of people yesterday about a cool idea and they're totally on board with it. We probably won't implement it until the new year, but it's a really cool idea I've been wanting to do for some time. Hopefully it will all work out and come to fruition this time.

Next Wednesday or Thursday I'll probably do my annual "what I'm thankful for" post to commemorate the holiday. This has been a very special year, so I will have a lot to say.

Every day this week I'll be updating you all on what I actually got accomplished from my tentative list. Eventually I hope to do this consistently in the sidebar or somewhere else on the site after the redesign.

I understand that the Enemi/Haven catalog is now being shipped to retailers, and Wannabez has a listing in there, or at least I'm pretty sure it does. Hopefully your retailer will receive the catalog and you can order it straight from them. In the meantime, don't forget you can order it straight from the Wannabez blog as well! So far I've yet to sell one copy via that method. :-(

I've mentioned this before, but sometime next year Scott and I will be doing a Wannabez side strip on the Wannabez site. Keep an eye out for more details on that on the Wannabez blog in the weeks and months ahead.

My column did not go up Sunday or Monday most likely due to the minor setbacks Chuck and Darren encountered with the site relaunch, and Chuck having too much other important stuff to do first. The column page isn't even linked yet as Darren is probably wiped out and Chuck is still doing plenty on his end. But I'm sure it won't be too long before the column is up. I told Chuck to put it up whenever he could, so I'm in no hurry. I just wanted to remind you all that it is upcoming.

There's plenty more upcoming in the near future and next year, so this is just a little taste of things to come!

B-Out

What I Got Done - Monday

Well, I didn't get it all accomplished, but I made plenty of headway.

I got all the Academy of Heroes pages I had slated for today done, and tomorrow's laid out.

I got half of the En Garde! pages done.

I got half of the Usen Wareagle Signature done.

But most of my time got lost between being sick and trying to figure out the code in the Haven cart to reconfigure it a bit. I spent about three hours just working on Haven, playing around with settings and stuff trying to get things to work.

Tomorrow (or today now) will be better I hope. I'm not feeling nearly as bad or groggy, so it should be. Though I may have to shift things around just a tad because of what I didn't finish Monday. We'll see.

B-Out

Leave a Message!

For anyone who has my home number, when you call me leave a message! I screen my calls if it's an unknown or private number and doesn't show up on caller ID.

Just wanted to put that out there as I've been getting a lot of unknown numbers the past couple of days with no voicemails, and I want to make sure I'm not missing anything important.

Thanks!

B-Out

Tentative Schedule for This Week

Ok, I'm looking through the list of things I would like to accomplish this week with next week being a holiday week, and so here is a tentative list of what I hope to complete this week. This list is subject to change, however.

Monday, November 17
En Garde! Pages 1-5
Academy of Heroes #3 Pages 8-13
Usen Wareagle Signature Logo
Some Progress on Haven Cart Redesign

Tuesday, November 18
Ellium #2 Rework (12 Pages)
Academy of Heroes #3 Pages 14, 17-22
Tainted Pages 56 Correction, 61
Corrective Measures #8 Page 13
Haven Cart Work
Special Project


Wednesday, November 19
Atomic Pop Art Site Work
Logo for Visionary Studios
Special Project

Thursday, November 20
Corrective Measures #9 Pages 1-11
Finish Wagon Wheel Comics Logo
Special Project

Friday, November 21
Corrective Measures #9 12-22
Haven Cart and Submissions Work
Special Project


I've left space on most days to add other stuff in as I need to, and I may move stuff around. I'm also expecting some more pages from other projects throughout the week, so I'm leaving the weekend open for that.

Again, this is all subject to change, but this is what I'm hoping to get accomplished at the least.

B-Out

Condolences and Wishes

Well, I now feel like a complete jerk. Somehow I totally missed that my friend Cary lost his father to cancer 5 days ago. I've been so wrapped up in my own world and everything going on directly around me that I wasn't there for one of my closest friends I've never met. My condolences to you, my friend, and please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers always.

Like Cary, my parents divorced when I was four, and my father and I were never really close. Cary got a chance to reconnect with his dad, so they did have some good times and were able to get beyond that gap. I recently reconnected with my own father, and even more recently had a dream that he passed. And with Cary's father passing away it makes the reality of the shortness of time we have that much more tangible for me. I hope that I get the chance to spend more time with my dad before I lose that chance.

I also somehow missed Cary's birthday, so happy belated to you, my friend. It couldn't have been all that pleasant a birthday given your loss, but I hope you managed to have a good day full of memories and surrounded by people who love you.

I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, bro, but I'm here for you now whatever you need.

Brant

Zzzzzzawwfudge!

Okay, so I'm in the writing mood, but I can't decide on what to write. haha. I don't know if I want to try to tackle the remainder of Wannabez #2, the first draft of Dowry #1, a couple of comic strip ideas I've been thinking about, poetry, prose or what. So here I am blogging. Hey, it's still writing! Just not really productive writing is all...

I am awake at 3:30am because I wasn't feeling well and couldn't sleep. And now I half feel like writing, but I'm not sure I'm awake enough to get deep into anything. It's a strange feeling. I am still on that creative high I received from visiting Comics 2 Games, but I've had a hard time focusing that energy in any specific direction. I've got so much on my plate right now, and so much I'm wanting to do outside of that that diving into anything else is just not really feasible, at least not at full speed. So it's hard to know what to do with these creative juices flowing strongly through me at the moment.

So again, I blog. And not just blog, but Twitter, MySpace and email. Yep, I'm getting loads done. I haven't been this active on social sites in months!


Changing the subject, I watched another movie or two yesterday while I was working. I watched Be Kind, Rewind while working on a logo and some other stuff. It was kind of boring and one-note for me. I love Jack Black, who is an acquired taste, but this movie, while fun in parts, just came across kind of boring. I loved the message in it, but still.

The other one I watched while working on some Haven graphics, and that was A Lot Like Love with Amanda Peet and Ashton Kutcher. I'm an Ashton fan and Peet's also a really good actress. This was your typical romantic love story movie, and both actors were good in it. It was a bit sappy, but nothing else was on, so I left it on. I liked it well enough, but it left me feeling lonely as these types of movies often do. These two met on a plane then kept hooking up over the course of several years before finally getting together. It was cute.

I also listened to The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, the cartoon, which was as good as I remembered, but much shorter than it seemed when I was a kid. This is actually the first time I've "watched" it in several years, probably since the Grinch movie came out.

Of course I also caught True Blood and Entourage, both which I have a hard time watching parts of as they have some mature content. True Blood is becoming a phenomenon though, and everyone I talk to seems to be really digging this one. It's about vampires in Louisiana, but it's not your typical vampire story, which makes it really cool. The creators and writers behind this really came up with a unique twist on the favorite monster of the moment, and the actors are all excellent in their various roles. I haven't missed an episode yet.


It never did snow this weekend, though it got real rainy, cold and nasty out. I didn't even leave the house.


Not too long ago I thought I might reach 1000 posts by the end of the year, but as of right now I'd have to make around 5 posts a day to reach that, and since I'm not trying to I seriously doubt that's going to happen. Would have been cool if it just happened, but it would take the steam out of it if I tried to on purpose.


Oh, I just found out that yesterday (not sure if that was the official date, but it was celebrated then) was my friend Heather's 21st birthday, so Happy Birthday, Heather!

Heather used to go to the church I used to go to and was sometimes in Sunday School when I taught. I was pretty close to everyone in the church, but Heather was one I knew for a long time since she was a little shy girl and she, as many do, holds a special place in my heart. Hope you had a great one, girl.


Ok, I'm getting tired now, and I think I'm well enough to actually catch some Zs this time. So until next time...

B-Out

The New ComicRelated.com is Live!

Last one, I promise (at least for today!). Just wanted to include the press release I made up about it:



November 16, 2008, Winchester, KY - Popular comic news website ComicRelated.com has officially relaunched with an all-new web design and upcoming new content. Four years in the making, ComicRelated.com over the past year has grown phenomenally. Boasting over 2 million hits a month, and loaded with unique and interesting content, this relaunch only stands to make it stronger.

Coming into the era of Web 2.0, Comic Related not only has a new design, but leaves behind the old basic HTML coded site for a content management system allowing much more ease in adding content, thus enabling more and more content to be added. Comic Related has original columns, blogs and articles with a slant on independent comics, but also spilling over into mainstream as well as movies, television, gaming and much more.

The weekly Related Recap podcast has also become a mainstay feature on the site hosted by the site's creator Chuck Moore. And several creators and studios have joined the forum community hosting their own forums through the site.

In 2009, Comic Related will be represented at several comic conventions across the country including a three table setup at the New York Comic Con in February.

Come join the community that is Comic Related and watch it to continue to grow as it heads towards future phases of the relaunch with more features added in the months ahead. If it's comic related you'll find it here...

www.comicrelated.com

And it's Go Time!

The new Comic Related is now live! Go check it out, marvel at its splendor, enjoy the all-new ComicRelated.com (click the title).

And this is just the beginning. There are more changes to come!

B-Out

Whaaatt?

I guess all my Comic Related praise scared a lot of you away as numbers dipped quite a bit this week. And I realize my thoughts and posts weren't nearly as 'meaty' as they had been. So I'll try to do better this week.

I fell asleep in the tub last night. That's right, the tub. I wasn't feeling great and took some medicine anzzzzzz. Yep, knocked me out cold. And what else was cold was me when I woke up!

I watched 88 Minutes last night, which was okay, but predictable. Plus Pacino's acting just wasn't quite there in this film, and a couple of the younger class were clearly overacting. The guy that played Ryan in The O.C., though, was pretty good in this even though he only had a small part.

Didn't get a whole lot of work done yesterday. I got half way through a complex logo, made updates to another, and created one for my new column. I also worked on Haven stuff for a while. I also worked on something else I'm not ready to discuss just yet, but that was fun.

I want to give a shout out to my Uncle Billy and his daughter (my cousin) Kristy, who had birthdays Friday and Saturday. So Happy Birthday, guys!

I had a weird dream last night about people in my life now and people who used to be in my life, and people I've never met. I won't go into full detail, but it was the holidays and there was a big gathering, and it was just strange. My cousin was there with his date, who was a year older than him, and his ex-girlfriend was there as well and not too happy about it. This girl I used to have a thing for was there also, and we were pseudo-hanging out. It was somebody's b-day and they got this big bright yellow 1970s station wagon as a present. Then it shifted to this family I'd never met and turns out my Dad was involved with them, then he, well, he wasn't around anymore. And oddly, they had these letters and things for me from him.

It was strange. Of course, it probably didn't help that out of boredom I caught the last 30 minues or so of The Wizard of Oz in HD last night. That probably had something to do with it, ya think? That and the medicine that knocked me out!

I'm still tired and may go back to sleep...

Today... i have no idea what I'm doing. Most likely I'll be here doing something. I want to work on En Garde!, and I've got a couple of web projects I really need to tackle. Tomorrow I'll dive deep back into lettering. On the tap for this week are Ellium, AOH, Genesis, Tainted, and probably more that I can't think of at the moment. I'll try to give a better breakdown tomorrow.

Scott disappeared on me yesterday. He called late Friday night and I missed his call, and he said he'd call me yesterday, but no calls or emails. He probably took a break from everything to either get some inking done or spend some time with his wife. Hopefully one of those two things was the cause and not something being wrong!

Living with my brother is like living in the Odd Couple. He's such a slob, and I'm a neat freak (not to the insane level, I just like things tidy). Every time he uses my computer I come back to it with pop cans or water bottles and whatever dishes he's used strewn around it. Drives me crazy! We have a loft that overlooks the living room, and there's a banister or mantle or whatever that keeps us from falling off the edge. On top of that there's a mass of cans and dishes (I'm counting 17 cans, 4 water bottles, three plates, a bowl and two glasses). The trash can up here broke, so that's from about three days that I just haven't had the time to clean up yet. Yeah, I know, it's awful. Doesn't happen often, just been busy and haven't felt like cleaning lately. :) They'll be cleaned up today.

Okay, yeah, I'm tired still, sozzzzzzzzzz

B-Out

Tomorrow Then...

Well, it looks like midnight is pushing it a bit, but Chuck and Darren are working hard through the night to get it up and going as soon as possible. If you've been following the feed at all you know that the coding has given them a few more setbacks than they anticipated, but it's still flowing and will be live soon enough.

As for me, I'm largely without internet access tonight, and away from my home computer, so I'm not doing much either. My connection is shoddy at best, but I wanted to pop in here one more time before signing off. I'll check back in tomorrow.

Have a good one, everybody!

B-Out

The Change is... Stalled

Seems as though the Comic Related relaunch is taking just a wee bit longer than anticipated as they've hit a few stumbles here and there. But they are looking to get it up, at least in part, by midnight. It will be an ongoing relaunch, but it should still begin to go live today technically. And that's East Coast time, so all you West-Coasters should see it up by 9!

I've been glued to the Twitter feed anticipating the launch. Change is always exciting, and this one's a big one.

Speaking of change, I wonder if Brock Lesnar will be able to wrest the UFC Heavyweight title from The Natural, Randy Couture tonight? It's only Brock's, what, fourth professional MMA fight?! But Brock is a monster and he dominated all three of his previous bouts even though he got caught in his first UFC fight by his inexperience and excitement. He should have won that fight too. But Randy's a veteran of the Octagon and it should be a great fight. Wish I was watching it.

And moving on with the theme of change, I've added a Twitter feed to the sidebar. I've only got it set to show my latest update so as not to be too intrusive. And it blends in with the rest of the sidebar content, so hopefully it's not too much for you all.

I'm really going to change things up as I mentioned on the blog as soon as I have some free time to do so. I'm not really digging the way it's laid out, and there are a few things I want to get rid of.

Change is in the air, and I like it!

B-Out

The Change Has Begun

Click the title of this post to head over to the Comic Related twitter feed that is updating the progress of the site migration and relaunch in real time. They've already switched over to the new server and are working on getting the site up in sections. It's only a matter of time now!

Speaking of Comic Related, I designed a logo for my new column, which, I'm told, will go live either tomorrow or Monday! I'll post more about the column soon.

It's supposed to snow this weekend last I heard, so more change is coming.

Keep watching the Twitter feed and the Comic Related website and very soon you will see what is, in my opinion, the best looking comic news website out there.

B-Out

Why Comic Related?

Some of you may be wondering why I give so much praise to this little site that could, and why I push them so much trying to spread the word as it were. Well, let me tell you a little story that should explain my undying support for this site and its creator.

As most of you know, I've been working in and around comics for the better part of a decade now in some capacity. Whether as an editor, letterer, writer or even web designer, comics have been a big part of my day-to-day life for years. So when the opportunity to do something productive and give back to fellow comic fans came about I jumped at.

This first happened, oh, three years ago or so? Maybe longer. I discovered a site, ComicAvalanche.com, via some writers I knew who had columns over there. So I started checking out the site and pitched a column idea of my own. And thus, Indy-Pendant was born (a play on words and spelling, somewhat ill-conceived, but I stand by it). This column focused on spotlighting independent comic creators, properties and publishers/studios. It was a fun ride lasting 75 installments, and I made a lot of friends and contacts through it, and forced myself to explore independent comics more as well. Why? I'll get into that in an installment of my upcoming column at ComicRelated.com in the near future.

While I was with CA, I began redesigning their website, a couple of times actually, though looking back, neither design was that great. But it was an improvement, and the site at least had a fun and quirky feel to it. I also began posting and somewhat editing.

Not too long afterwards I found an ad for paid editorial positions for SilverBulletComics.com (not to be confused with SilverBulletComicBooks.com, which is now ComicsBulletin.com), so I bit. I was brought on as PR editor, which just meant I posted press releases and such to the site part-time. I also wrote a column called Myth Conceptions, which I inherited from a friend. This all led to an eventual full-time EIC position with the site, and before all was said and done I was practically running the entire site by myself for the better part of the year. In that year, I made tons of contacts and had tons of ideas, many which I never would be able to implement. I was limited by what I was able to do for various reasons. Then, for reasons I won't discuss in detail here, I had to leave the site, and now the site just isn't there anymore.

Actually, while I was still with the site, but in the dying days, an idea hatched - I should do my own site! So it was in the back of my mind if I wasn't able to do everything I wanted to do with SBC I should do it elsewhere.

Earlier this year the plan was set in motion. I had a partner and a staff of contributors, and was even in talks with a web designer. We had big plans and were eager to go forward with all of them! Then something happened - I got offered a job. And while the job wasn't really completely in competition with what we wanted to do, they were dead set on me not doing the site if I worked for them. Ultimately, the job didn't work out, but then my partner (and financial backer) got gun-shy for valid reasons and backed out. So the dream was dead. There was just no way at the time that I could take it on by myself.

Then I discovered a little-known site that happened to be run by someone who literally lives 4 miles from my house totally unbeknownst to me. That site was Comic Related. And while modest, it seemed to be gaining a following and had a lot of cool content, especially indy focused. And that's one thing that carried over from my days with CA was that particular focus. I tried to do more and more of it at SBC, but the fact is SBC was also a comic store and had to have mainstream content to try to promote sales through the store. And my plans for my own site heavily included an indy focus. So it was cool to see a site really doing that in earnest like CR.

Once I spoke with Chuck Moore a few times I became excited about the man's passion for the site. He updates the site 365 days a year by himself, even on the holidays. You just don't find that kind of passion and love too often, and I admired and respected that. He basically did the same thing I did with SBC, so I found a kindred spirit.

As time went on I submitted a review here and there and just kind of sat back and watched the site grow. In the little time I've been following the site - a year or so - the site has just grown phenomenally. They've added podcasts, a host of columns and blogs, a bunch of creator forums, strong articles and overall content, a strong convention presence and much more! And their numbers show that this is the kind of site people want! So I was very eager to be a part of it, but didn't really know how I wanted to contribute. I had kind of left that dream behind when plans for my own site fell apart, and I had honestly completely moved on. But I was so impressed with what they were doing I had to be involved in some small way.

So I just began communicating with everyone and trying to hype it up and support it as best I could. It wasn't that much at first, but over the past few months I have just become enthralled and consumed with the growth of this site and the kindness and community feel of everyone involved. It really is like a family, and a totally supportive one at that! I'm thankful for the press and promotion Chuck has given me and Wannabez, and more than that I'm thankful for the friendships I've gained through this site. I have a feeling, for one, that Chuck and I will be friends for life, and I'm sure other longtime friends will be made through this site as well.

With the relaunch of the site coming tomorrow (and it is a gradual relaunch, but the new look will go live tomorrow) I really wanted to share my thoughts and reasons why I love this site with all of you, and why I just have to be involved with this site in some way. I am not paid to work for this site, nor have I contributed all that much up to this point. This is purely a love for what is being done with this site, and the feeling that I'm standing on the verge of something big. Not to mention that the more I learn about Chuck's plans for the site the more I find how dead on similar it is to what I wanted to do with my own site, and so I just have to back that. It's not a case of "oh, I wish I could do that - so I'll ride the coat tails" kind of thing. It's more of a mutual support and love for the industry and for what is being done through Comic Related.

Mark my words: Comic Related is THE comic site to watch. And very soon many will agree with me. And the reason I can so boldly say that is because Chuck is NOT trying to compete with other sites of the same ilk. His goal is not to take them down or outdo them. He's simply doing this for the love of the medium, and it just so happens that everything he's doing and plans to do is and will be very appealing to the masses. Chuck is all about helping people out, cross-promoting, and even partnering up in certain cases. Some other sites aren't that kind about things, and that's what separates Comic Related.

So if I seem to be kissing-up or blindly praising because I will be writing a column for the site, that's not the case. I truly love what this site is doing and completely respect the people involved in it. I can't say enough good things about Comic Related, and I doubt I'll run out of things to say for some time to come.

B-Out

800th Post!

Yep, that's right, this is my 800th post. Man, it's been a long, pleasant ride here so far.

Well, I just wanted to pop in before Supernatural came on and kill some time. I missed half of Smallville, so I figured I'd catch it online or something.

I'm kind of bummed that My Own Worst Enemy got canceled, but not totally bummed. It was an okay show and it gave me something to do after Heroes on Mondays. Not nearly as good as Journeyman, which also followed Heroes before it got canceled. I'm starting to get the feeling that time slot just isn't good, because Journeyman was a really good show.

Speaking of watching things, I've found myself watching cartooning videos on YouTube lately. I used to watch that Blitz on Cartooning when I was 15, and I loved that stuff. I wanted to be a comic strip artist for a long time. But lately I've been getting the itch, especially with the growth of webcomics. So I figured I'd check some out and maybe start doodling around again. Who knows what will come of that.

I do need to start making use of this drawing table and all these Blue Line Pro art supplies I have lying around. One of these days...

Are you keeping an eye on Comic Related? I know I sound like a broken record, but I'm just really excited about the pending relaunch. It all begins at midnight tomorrow night as the transition starts taking place. The forums are going to go down for a while as they're actually moving to a new web host as well, so there will be some minimum downtime. But it will be worth it. Then the new site and forums will go up sometime Saturday and it will be a beautiful thing! You can see a tiny sneak peek in the right sidebar on the site now of what the new site will look like. It's right below the "2 Days" tag (well, it says 2 days now. Tomorrow it will be 1 day).

Well, Supernatural comes on in just a few minutes, so I'm gonna jet. Later!

B-Out

PW is Live!

Well, as you can see over in the sidebar, I've begun adding Project Wonderful ads to the site. I figured I'd start out slow with a couple of buttons and see how well they do.

I moved my own little Gonzogoose Design button down a bit to make room for the new ads, plus it was larger than the buttons.

I am probably going to redesign the layout of the blog in the near future to better accommodate things as everything right now is just kind of haphazardly placed.


Today I've been working on a number of things, but got a late start and thus haven't gotten quite as much accomplished as I had hoped to. I'm going to try to work through the night tonight, taking a break this afternoon and hitting it back late tonight to knock some stuff out before the weekend.

Pages for En Garde! have started to come in, and I'm excited about that project, mainly because I finally get to work with a new friend, Sean Forney, whom I worked with briefly in the past. Very nice guy who's not too far away. I met him for the first time in person at Mid-Ohio-Con and he's got a lot of projects going on. Luckily they needed a letterer and that's how En Garde! came about.


And sadly, there's not much else to talk about today. This weekend I'll have plenty to talk about I'm sure, with the Comic Related relaunch. And I'm told that our podcast will go live November 19th on the site, so be sure to check that out. Of course I'll link it on here and the Wannabez blog, among other places.

I'll check back in late tonight or in the morning. So be watching!

B-Out

Busy Day!

Well, if you wondered why I was so quiet today after several posts over the last few days, simply put, I was really busy!

Today I finished up the additional Zombie Cop pages I mentioned (title page, back cover and dedications page).

I also finished the second half of Corrective Measures #8.

I did two pages of Genotype Prime #1 and 5 pages of Tainted.

And I re-did two pages of Spud with revised text.

Not to mention I compiled the Haven newsletter today, which took about an hour and 45 minutes total.

I also did a few small things here and there to round everything out. So as you can see, it was a pretty full day. Especially since Spud had a LOT of text, which was very challenging. And I still have to make one more change to that and a page of Tainted. And I believe 2-3 more pages of Tainted hit my email today as well.

The week will continue to be busy, naturally, but this is a good thing.

Pretty soon you'll see Project Wonderful ad boxes popping up here on the blog as I got approved as a publisher today! I've also applied for Gonzogoose.com, so hopefully that one will get approved as well.

Comic Related relaunches in three days! It's exciting. I promise you'll love the new design!

And Top Chef debuted tonight, but I missed it, so I'm about to catch the replay in four minutes. So I bid you adieu.

B-Out

The Beanie

I thought some clarification would be in order after my last post where I mentioned I was wearing a plush robe and a beanie. For those uninitiated, a beanie is a hat.

NOT a beanie baby:

Though my little brother did used to collect these when he was little, and had a ton of them.


NOT a propeller beanie:
Though it's always cool to see those cartoons where the propeller actually works!


And NOT even a regular beanie:
Though I have plenty of those as well. I even have one with manly tassels. :)


BUT, rather, a beanie visor, much like this one:

And that, my friends, is beanie 101.

B-Out

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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