So I started reading Saint Young Men. It's a little strange and some of the jokes are lost on me, but it's entertaining. Thanks to Natalie Nourigat for bringing it to my attention (via Between the Gears). Emerald City Comic Con was this weekend and I missed it owing to being chained to the Valley of Ash. I'm desperately wanting to leave this place, but where to build a new nest and how?


Uploaded by meytalll on Jun 16, 2010

I've been recently having dreams about women I'm attracted to but don't know. Well I did actually meet Kina back in Oct. 2009.


Uploaded by kinagrannis on Feb 28, 2011

It must be the approaching spring messing with my body chemistry and trying to get my subconscious in a sentimental figure four. Too bad I'm painfully aware of my own skepticism and awkwardness. If I could just be an idiot for a while again I would surrender.


Uploaded by joeljosefsson on Jul 11, 2008

I created a tumblr: King of the Siams

Here are a few of the tumblr's I now follow:

Ming Doyle
hello, jordyn b.
Roman Muradov
midnite surprise
pancake pancake pancake
Emmy
drawhthisdress

I also have some projects I want to get around to starting including another tumblr page, a tribute to Dwayne McDuffie, and a March-themed autobio comic. Wish me luck this month that I get off my lazy donkey and burrow into the fertile soil of my subconscious. Did you see what I did--aww never mind. Peace and Goodwill my friends.


Uploaded by DanielaSings on Mar 5, 2011

Magical Thinking

10-4 good buddy! I just had to say that.

I hope you all are enjoying your Sunday wherever you are. Another Sunday being unemployed makes me want to bury my face in my pillow, kick my feet around, and force myself into sleep until Monday. But that would just be a terrible way to be, and I can't let that happen. Y'know, for the children's sake.

Take a ride with me.

America Now by Brad Neely



Mameshiba!


Yes these are great, I know! Magical, no? Y'know I've heard that term magical thinking thrown around here and there for a few years and just never took much stock in what it meant. My initial assessment is that it is used by rationalists and skeptics to indicate a type of everyday psychosis which may or may not be harmful to someone's well being. For instance, does it serve me good or bad to believe a series of minor mishaps can make a day of important decisions disastrous? Should I put off the decision, or charge headlong in optimistic defiance? Would stronger optimism have prevented or lessened the impact of the mishaps? Trying to rationalize around our behavior & what we should expect of ourselves seems a lot like trying to cut one's own hair. It might be possible to do it right, but then again we can't make our eyes orbit our head independently.

Hmmmmmm . . .

So my wonderful announcement of the weekend is that I overcome a bout of nervousness and met one of my internet crushes, Kina Grannis!



And let me tell you, she is just as sweet and wonderful in person as she seems over the internet. I've never known another rising celebrity to be as personable as she is. From the personalized shout outs and messages she creatively works into her videos, to her constant contact with fans through Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and Youtube, this is one phenomenal woman! She remembered me from twitter right off the bat, which contributed to the beet-red hue in my goofball smiling mug above. Oh, and I also fumbled with my Zi6 to take some video, but based on the excessive shaking and zip-panning I'm convinced I had a seizure while taking it. And my voice jumped two octaves while talking to her. You will never see this footage

I may start writing Kina Grannis facts (in the style of Chuck Norris facts) to the tune of: Kina Grannis' smile regularly disarms terrorist cells upon contact.

Also I have a few doodlies to share:







http://www.optimumwound.com/artist-michael-cho-on-putting-in-his-time-at-the-board.htm Michael Cho is a man worthy of acclaim.

I will be opening up a shop soon where you can buy original prints and other neat stuff. Until that launch I will be taking commission, and as always donations are greatly appreciated. Have a great Sunday everybody!

Fweak, Fury and Terror

Because it's Sunday somewhere.

I have some exciting things to share this Sunday, including some snazzy doodles and a few attempts at drawing comics. Yeah I do that stuff sometime. All this for Sunday August 30, 2009--the final Sunday of August, nearing the official end of summer. This is the 242nd day of the year and there are only 123, count 'em, 123 days left until next year.



Patrick Boivin does not disappoint with this awesome Black Ox skateboard short. Mr. Boivin is definitely on my list of favorite things Canadian.

I recently discovered hireanillustrator.com which I will now be using as a springboard to celebrity and ridiculous wealth. I'll write when I've become too big to address you in public without bodyguards and a throng of reporters. ;)

Let's see a show of hands for people who use stumbleupon? Oh come on you'll tweet but you won't stumble? Am I really addressing the cult of Disney Channel Celebrity Fans? Oh well. Here's doodles:

1) my attempt at classical figure construction which reminds me strangely enough of classical roman sculpture. can you tell i struggle with anatomy, especially hands? 2) a look into the mystical process behind my scribbles aka wasted Friday night and uinspired faces and bodies 3) loosening up a bit. i scanned up the original page before i started inking the girl on the left. what seems like good foresight is actually failure to commit to a finishing line.

Also whet your appetite on these mediocre comic strips:

1) originally on one of the above pages; it's just a practice with gestures and minimalism 2) kate beaton is addiction in its silliest form 3) what came of a germ of an idea: a series of strips wherein the protagonist gets "one shot" (of various definitions) but ultimately fails; it is the epitome of my own sense of imminent fail.

But wait, this just in from Sgt. Fury and the Black Terror!

Do you music junkies out there know about thesixtyone.com?

I found out Jack Conte has a page there. Originally Kina Grannis brought me there. I was just wondering if those of you plugged into the internet music scene could give me the run down on what sites are good, or where you go for music and why. Seriously, is that too big of a request?

Also is it too big a request for someone to just say hi? Pretty please? Say (moving along) did anybody see the E! True Hollywood story on Michael Jackson this past week? What's the name of the guy who kept saying "fweak"? That was rad. Ahem. I mean. I don't have time to watch tv.

I've been lifting pencil and pen to paper a lot lately. I had mistakenly run off a 20 page wad of bank mumbo-jumbo while trying to apply online for a new account, thus forcing me to use the half-wasted sheets as scratch paper. It was therein I discovered that my drawin' mojo is more fully released when I'm not dealing with the pressure of the pristine page, but rather allowed to scribble on dummy pages. Hooray for discoveries!

I've also been taking my Zi6 with me on drives and have compiled a good hour or so of clips. I will be trying out Zweistein 4 later today to see if I can actually edit this scrap yard into something one can invest 3 or 4 minutes of their time watching. (crosses fingers). Well, I hope everyone is well. I miss you.

See you soon.

Sgt. Fury and The Black Terror are copyright their respective owners. Requests by the copyright owners to have these works removed will be addressed immediately by the site admin.

Are You Not Entertained!?

Hi! How are you? I realize when we go visit somewhere with our minds (on the internetz) we often need a sunny greeting to ease us in. I think of Nat's (Community Channel) girly "hi's" at each video opening.



There was a place I loved to go in Madison, WI called Lazy Jane's. It was staffed by university-aged bohemians, and the exterior called to mind the hippification of 50's era neighborhood homes. But they always greeted you with sunny hellos, served up your coffee right away, while comforting Big Band and Jazz played across the two story house-converted restaurant. Despite my love-hate relationship for the snow, I yearn to go there during the winter for a hot bowl of tomato soup. Comfort.

Let me tell you about something that is the exact opposite. Gantz. For you non-anime lovers, or for those of you just not linked up who missed out on this 2004 26-episode tv series adaptation of the acclaimed manga--Gantz is essentially a survival-game story revolving around Kei Kurumono a 16-year-old, introverted, virgin, loner-type who quietly seethes at the naivete, callousness, and vacuousness of people around him. A chance encounter with an elementary-school friend of his at a train station, winds up pulling them both into a deadly survival game proctored by an ominous mechanized black orb called Gantz. In this kill or be killed environment painted with shades of Sartre-like existentialist themes Kei and his friends discover how crisis brings out their inner soul, but not without tragic and terrible consequences.

this video contains images of nudity, sexual intercourse, violence, bodily mutilation and hard hitting japanese techno-rap

I am about 2 episodes shy of finishing this, and am now tempted to read the manga. This is the type of show that initially turns me off (I've been sitting on watching this for a year or two now), but the kinetic energy of the plot kept me on my toes and curious for more. On a side note the ending theme Last Kiss by Bonnie Pink is the perfect musical match for the melancholy of the series, and quickly becoming a new favorite of mine. I (and you might) know Bonnie Pink for singing It's Gonna Rain for Rurouni Kenshin which also quickly grew on me. I'm generally not linked into the J-Pop happenings so if I sound like an old-fogey out of date, that's because I am.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/matt-groening,25525/

This interview with Matt Groening caught my eye, only because I think Futurama's got some splendid writing and I enjoy watching a string of episodes from time to time. I also often feel satisfied to see a story draw to close. Futurama is the perfect show to close. Finishing the Simpsons would draw so much backlash from lifelong fans despite the current critical density of its tiny universe, it just won't ever happen. Let's face it, our great great great grandchildren will get new episodes of the Simpsons and hopefully they'll still be just as funny.

I recently reconnected with a friend I've known since junior highschool, but haven't seen in about 15 years. Reading his facebook accoutrements I realized that he is the same sensitive, painfully shy soul he was back then. Today the idea struck me over the head concerning guys who are still confused about what women want, or at least how to find a gal who wants you.

I put together this sliding scale of male-attractiveness for the guy who hasn't yet been claimed by a woman.

1. confidence: on one side is the painfully shy guy; he constantly apologizes, does his best to make others comfortable despite his internal discomfort; he feels awkward. he will naturally attract an assertive woman who finds his vulnerability adorable and/or a refreshing change from the arrogance and vulgarity of the alpha male; the downside of the shy guy is his inability to be direct or decisive; women will often reject him for what they see as wishy-washiness, a lack of a backbone, or excessive pouting, whining, or crying. on the other side is the extrovert who has a mastery of certain inflections of presence; he often makes good eye contact, he chooses his words and his conversations carefully and matches them to the appropriate company and situation. he speaks clearly, audibly, and with a playful understanding of language. he is decisive, and often seems spontaneous and/or resolved to do what he promises. he will attract a wide variety of women, but most especially a traditional feminine type who wants to be doted on, swept off her feet, and/or rescued. he can expect to face resistance from women who have had their hearts played with by playboy types or women for whom charm conflicts with their idea of a gentleman or good man--these women will go out of their way to find an introverted guy. Most of us are somewhere in the middle of this scale with trade-offs in any of the aspects. Some guys are very decisive but falter when they speak. Some guys are outwardly very comfortable in crowds, but are inwardly very awkward and this comes out to the fore with the women in their lives. Its really difficult to point out a perfect middle-ground between the two because confidence can show in so many different ways, and its essentially up to the lady to glean from us what she can. That's when it pays to be true to yourself.

2. physicality. on one extreme is the scrawny, non-athletic type. on the other is the pinnacle of rugged, angular manliness. this is another one of those multidimensional scales where a middle ground is tough to pick out. what's important to realize, though, is women will use extreme prejudice when matching themselves up with someone physically. Some women want a man who makes them feel small and demure, while some want a tender, gorgeous adonis. some want a guy with stubble on his chin and grit in his fingernails, some want a guy with supernatural hygiene. there's three important things about your physicality when it comes to a woman's opinion of you: how the sex is going to be, how you will reflect her in the midst of company, and how the sex is going to be.

3. smarts. on one side of the scale you've got your eccentric genius, on the other you've got the guy who can guzzle 6 beers and make his lady friend giggle all night as if he were a puppy that followed her home. some women, usually women in search of themselves, are drawn to virtuosos and eccentric intellectuals. just ask nikolas tesla. and somewhere a very different type of woman just doesn't want all the emotional baggage or gravity of being with someone like that. she just wants to laugh and fly by the seat of her pants with someone who lives in the moment with no regard for how we're going to pay tomorrow's rent. therein lies the problem with the not so smart guy. he's generally unreliable and just good for a few good times, so she either moves on to the next fun guy, or does a 180 toward the smart guys. on the other hand women can often feel invisible in the midst of the smart guy's passion for his smarts, which leads to her feeling unappreciated, untouched, and essentially not really in much of a relationship. this is pretty much when she finds someone to have sex with. somewhere in the middle we hope there is a guy smart enough to actually put the effort into pleasing his lady, and guessing her every move and emotion--which up until now we know so very little about. Maybe we'll start by remembering all important calendar dates, as well as significant things about her life that she's shared with us. Oh yeah, and listen even if it doesn't mean much to you at the moment.

4. finances. pretty self-explanatory scale. i once heard it put this way: when women ask about how much money you have, it's not because they want yours. they just don't want to have to lend you any. but then again, I do know a few girls who are more than happy to spend their life savings, inheritances, or trust funds on a guy who makes their heart go pitter-patter. i just don't know how long those setups usually last. trust me, money matters, just not in the way you might think. generally i don't see how having a negative credit score or being flat broke will help your luck with women. we're mostly talking about either being on a young bachelor budget, or having a princely surplus to buy nice things and trips with. and then there is also the difference between having earned it all the hard way, or having the silver spoon. in general women will pay attention to how you earn money, how you spend money, and how they fit into your budget. yes some women will date a pimp and drug lord if he'll fix their problems, while some just want to see that you know how to choose between saving up for a family vacation or a tricked out gadget.

5. family. loose cannon with no friends, or George Bailey from It's a Wonderful Life. In my experience women have always chocked up my wide circle of friends and family to my charm. Parading them around on my arm in front of smiling, warm-welcoming crowds made them feel like royalty is my guess. But I have some friends whose constant presence of their family and friends perpetually puts nails in the coffin of their relationship. i believe women are always weighing out your personality, and one of the most important of the unspoken criteria, is how you get along with others. some women like their men stern and guarded, some want a guy who knows all his neighbors kids and their birthdays--it literally melts them to see a man with that much thoughtfullness and diplomacy. its a great comfort.

My update on Gantz: I should have seen it coming. Talk about unresolved endings. A little birdy told me the manga goes on to say and show more, but one glance tells me its just not the same little story the anime was setting it up to be. So now I'm stuck caring about characters whose fate remains unmitigated. Don't you hate that? These downer anime's are really rubbing me wrong. Maybe Full Metal Panic will get me in a lighter mood. I find myself reminiscing about watching Kimagure Orange Road for the first time. Seishun. The spring of my youth.



I think I'm going to get painting soon, I found myself wandering a few art supply stores yesterday. I borrowed from the library two books: a collected works of Norman Rockwell, and a collected works of Maxfield Parrish. I'm thinking some inspiration will hit me over the head. I only wish I had found an affordable lightweight easel, and picked out a nice spot to paint undisturbed. I'll also be bringing along Charles Burns' Blackhole, Zot Book 1, and Dan Hipp's Gyakushu!. Okay, time to hit the sun and enjoy Sunday. Hope you do the same :)