quick update

Ok, so Bob Barker retired from The Price is Right recently and there was a lot of speculation about who was going to replace him. Well, turns out its Drew Carry is who they chose. I'll give you a moment to let that sink in.
exactly.

Now don't get me wrong, they could of done a lot worse. And by a lot worse I mean Rosie O Donald and the guy who played Slater on Saved by the bell. I mean this just seems like such a random choice to me. I guess its just me, but I don't find Drew Carry charming in the least, ya know? Like old game show hosts where charming as hell, they where all of the Hugh Heffner variety. Todays gameshow hosts are people who where big at one point and just need work now. That and game shows are just so different now, they used to be about mostly ridiculous challenges, questions and GAMES, now its shit like open boxes to see if you won something, or answer a few questions and get insane amounts of money. Like I would totally go on Deal or No Deal just because its about an hour of your time to win at least 20,000. If you can't walk away from Deal or no Deal with at least 20k you should not fly home because you're the unluckiest guy ever.

Same with "are you smarter then a 5th grader" which i saw an episode of, and to me it seemed like the only challenge was to not over think the question. The one that made me kind of trip up was "which star is closest to the earth" and I sat there thinking "ok, they must mean 'besides the sun' on that one, because otherwise they should just ask 'name that giant fiery ball in the sky'" But apparently "the Sun" was correct and you just need to take the questions at face value. I mean some of the questions where just simple math equations that would be asked to a 4th grader.

Thats why I like the older game shows more, where it does take some amount of work or whatever to win at them, but its not just crazy hard like say Jeopardy. anyway, sleep for now.

shit

Funeral and viewing information is as fallows.


Viewing: tomorrow 6-8 viewing restland, off of Greenville

Funeral: friday 12:30 at chapel hill on restland. Don't wear all black, but do dress nice.

Sammy's old cell number, which is in posesion of his parents if you want to try and call or whatever 214-662-4318

web-comic news

OK, so I've started really playing with the concept art for a web comic that I could draw myself. Its the stick figure style in previous posts but its a bit more refined now. A few issues arose while doodeling though that I still need help on and might requisition the aid of sean tomorrow.

1) chicks. I cant really mage gender apparent yet, without drawing awkward boobs and or huge lips.
2) Hands. Cant quite get 'em the way I like them yet, but practice will change that.

I'm getting to the point where I need to decide on what exactly I'm going to do with this once I'm done. I suppose I could just re-start the old web-comic and maybe either re-do the first few strips in this new style, or maybe just pick up where the last one left off?
I mean they're so different I should probably just start over I guess. I mean I only got up to like 10 strips anyway so it would be entirely possible for me to just do that again. But then that Raises other questions like the Ogre character. Origonally the main cast was going to revolve around the main character (who I never named) the Ogre (who was named Krog, but I might change because the name is really similar to the demon on VGcats) and a zombie that never made it into the comic yet named Lord Lexington nickelbottom III. I have yet to try and draw an ogre or a zombie in the new style yet so I might try and it could look completely incomprehensible/silly. In the event that it does, I'm stuck with ether needing to learn how to draw like a normal person or getting a whole new cast.

Anyway, I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill, but its still a bit of a concern of mine. I also need to think about how I want to do my web-comic. Do I want to update every day? only 3 days a week? Or should I just update as often as I can, be it once a week, twice a day or whatever? I kind of like the third option as it doesn't really tie me down to any set routine and I won't have to dive into the realm of Filler material for updates, and thats something I want to avoid completely. Not that theres anything wrong with filler, I mean its better to give something then nothing, but its like skipping class to me: the more you do it, the more you will do it. Take ZAP! for example, they used to do filler art when they needed it, but now its just their Thursday update.

Another thing I need to worry about is originality. With so many other comics out there, its hard to come up with a truly original idea. I mean on the one hand, there really isn't anything thats REALLY original anymore. Most radio songs are covers, most movies are re-makes of older movies or older television shows, most video games are sequels. Without Dirty Harry there wouldn't be a Die Hard, without the Simpsons there wouldn't be a Family Guy, without Lord of the Rings, there wouldn't be War hammer and without War hammer there wouldn't be Warcraft. There are distinct origins of certain icons in other sources and its hard to deny that there wasn't any influence, but does influence equal plagiarism? I would like to think not, as much of our media is influenced by one source or another, generally just everyday life.

So if the topic and idea is fair game, if not all zombie movies are just ripping off Night of the Living Dead (Which is ripping off I am Legend) then where do we draw the line? What if this zombie movie has really similar zombies and rules for their zombies? What if this one is set in the 60s? what if this one is in black and white? When does something stop being original, and start being a copy?

I like this strips interpretation

Penny Arcade does the gaming comic right, and has been for a long time. You could call any number of other gaming comics a copy of Penny Arcade, just based off of the idea that its about two guys playing video games. The gray area starts when you come to realize that the style of each gaming comic is unique in some way. On the one hand, CTR-ALT-DEL is done in a 4 panel style, and has more characters that make frequent appearances then Penny Arcade; meanwhile little gamers does stick figures instead of the cartoony art of PA. On the other, both often have the same type of humor and jokes often found in Penny Arcade.

This brings me to my web-comic and how I want to conduct it. I want it to be as original as I can get it, but I know that there has to be some kind of cut off point with how much I worry about this because then I might end up producing something I don't like, out of fear of someone calling me out on something I accidentally plagiarized. I got some advice from a comic once about when people call you out for stealing material, and thats just to take it with a grain of salt, because usually the person calling you would doesn't know what he's talking about. Just because you made a joke about the post office, doesn't mean you stole it from some other comic who made a joke about the post office. They probably just heard both, and since they're both about the post office, assumed it was the same and sided with who he heard it from first. I think thats the take I need to have when it comes to originality in my webcomic, just because something may be similar to something else, doesn't mean its the same thing.

But then theres the other side of that, in where I steal something without even realizing I did it. What if I make a joke, and think that I thought it up, even though I actually saw it a few years ago and just don't remember seeing it?

I guess these are things I need to think about when it comes time to tweak my first couple of comics and get them ready for posting on a site. I think the plan right now is to get as many as I can done right now, then get a site up and running where I can post them. Maybe if I do the first say 50 or so comics, I could then post them at like 2 a day for the first month to get the ball rolling. I mean my first post should have at least 10 I'd say, then I want a good reserve going for when a few months or so down the line I want to take a week off, I can still do that while updating.

anyway, thats all for now...its about 3 am and I think I might go to Wal-mart to find something to occupy my waking hours during the night. Ugh this night job sucks right now

On Transformers

So I just saw Transformers off of Tvlinks and I gotta say I'm a little disappointed. I told myself I would just watch it until I see Optimus Prime transform, but by that point I was already half way through the film and decided to see it through. Its fatal flaw is that of a lot of action movies these days, the good stuff is at the end. Now I know they have to save the best fight for last, but they kind of take it to an extreme when Megatron, the main badguy, doesn't even un-freeze until theres only like 20 minutes left.

Plus I don't like it when a whole sub-plot ends up being unnecessary in a movie. Like the glasses apparently had a map to the All Spark imprinted on them, which is why the decepticons and autobots wanted them so badly. But then apparently they didn't need them because the government had the All Spark the whole time, and in the same building as Megatron.

My last gripe was that really none of the transformers got as much time as they should of, except like Bumblebee and the police car decepticon really. Starscream only had maybe 2 lines in the whole movie, while Jazz apparently died and I almost missed it because it happened so quickly.

anyway, overall it was still vary enjoyable, but some definite changes should be made if they plan on doing more.

some art

These are some things I did on the Graffiti application on facebook. I like them so i thought I'd post 'em here. This one I did on Sean's wall as an apology for not noticing the invitation to a party until last night. I liked it and decided to do more.


This is the first of the stick figure type drawings I did. I like how it turned out, 1/3 simple 2/3 adorable. This is my green lantern one. I was watching Justice League on Tvlinks at the time i drew these. I like it in concept but am disappointed with the head and the text, so I might try it again later.

This one is my favorite out of all of them. Its mostly from 2 sources, the first being Adam Strange and the second one being I am a rocket builder. I like how it turned out the best, both in concept and artistic skippidy do. I really like the stick figure/floating arm thing going on, and I think I might experiment more with it to try and use it in my web-comic. I know its been done before, and better, but I still like it and might try to utilize it. I would change the flag if I did it again though, something more like the American flag but with the planet Earth where the stars go.

This is the next one of the I AM a space explorer series. I don't like this one as much just due to some of the sloppy parts in it, but I think its still good all things considered. I would probably put something else where the I do what others cannot text is next time, I'm not sure if that would make it too crowded though.

My Memo Book

OK, so a few days ago I bought a memo pad to keep in my pocket for when I have ideas for sketches or jokes. I've started to fill it up and I think I'll post a few here to see if anyone who does read this likes it.

Sketch idea #1: a long series of gags all tied together.

It starts out with some guy at work, he makes a mistake and mimes Seppuku, immediately after hitting the ground a woman in a kimono rushes to the body and begins to cry over the body. The manager who told him of the mistake mentions that this must of been a lot of work for such a small gag. The camera then cuts to the woman without the makeup on getting a phonecall from the guy who would latter start the gag. She rings a gong and out pop ninja/stylists. One of the ninjas is black and says something stereotypically sassy and a jingle plays along the lines of "its shaniqua! shes black!" to indicate a type of sitcom. The Camera then zooms out to show it was all on a television being presented by these two guys to a focus group of only black people who all press the red button in front of them. Two security guards come in and one of the group members says "take 'em out back" where they are beaten up as someone films from some ways away saying "i'm puttin' this shit on youtube!" where it then cuts to us watching the clip as someone says "ok, this is just getting out of hand, are we even in the sketch anymore?" to which someone else replies "I'm not sure" and then it ends.

its long, but thats the point, I might change the punchline to "what is this? MADtv?"

its also a work in progress

Ok this next one I like better because its simpler and involves superheroes. This would go one of two ways, but both offer the same basic plot/joke.

version 1) Lex Luther is sitting there, when his henchman, Rocco, comes up and asks what the new plan to kill Superman is today. Lex replies that he's burned out, and just for kicks wants Rocco to come up with a plan. Rocco says he will, but needs time to think. Rocco then goes to watch some TV and some of his favorite cartoons are on and he watches The Road Runner and gets an idea. He asks Lex for a piece of kryptonite and puts it in a bowl of M&Ms labeled "For Superman" and leaves it on the roof of the daily planet. The Camera then shows a newspaper that reads "SUPERMAN FOUND DEAD ON DAILY PLANET ROOF" and Lex reading it in utter disbelief.

Version 2) The Joker dreams something like a roadrunner cartoon with him being wily coyote, wakes up and says "nah, that would never work...well...maybe" and it cuts to the newspaper where batman died, same basic idea only its the joker because he might actually try that, but batman would never fall for it. Just an alternate version of the same joke really.

Version 3) Same as version one but instead of watching the cartoon and everything, Rocco just starts out asking for the kryptonite piece, wrapping it in foil and handing it to superman who says "ooo, I love candy" and eats it, only to die right there. This one is quicker and more to the point, but then we also need someone to play Superman.

This last one is just a joke for a stand up routine. Basically it goes like this: So I was in wal-mart the other day and I noticed a type of body wash called Bodycology. With a name like that, doesn't that imply that someone out there is a bodycologist? That just sounds like a bad pick-up line, like "hey baby, I'm a bodicologist, let me tell you something I could write my thesis on you" *cheesy finger snap and point*

I am the cog that keeps this machine running

I haven't showered in like 3 days. I woke up early on wednsday to go to April's house, woke up early thursday AT april's house, and went to sleep at around 8 am today all without taking a shower. I really really should before I go to my job where I move boxes for approximately 8 hours.

So the Transformers movie is out and I've only heard good things about it from those lucky few who have seen it. While at April's I had the misfortune of listening to one of her friends 2nd hand criticize it for not having a plot for the second half. This made me just roll my eyes because 1) This girl listens to Bjerk and thinks I'm a typical college dude who likes the strokes, thus I roll my eyes at everything this "if anyone else likes it, I hate it" yuppie and 2) ITS TRANSFORMERS who cares if it doesn't have a plot? I don't think anyone has ever seen an episode of Transformers and come out of it a changed man because the plot was just that deep. If you're going into the film expecting to get a commentary on the war in Iraq where the Decepticons are symbolic for terrorists and the autobots are the coalition of the willing, you're probably going to be disappointed. God I hate yuppies.

Anyway, April is leaving in a few days to go to Germany in a few days for a whole month, she'll miss her and my birthday while over there, then when she comes back she'll have to play host to a German girl for a month. This is going to be weird for me, mostly because I'll have one less person/city to worry about on my days off and I wonder what I'll do for the rest of the summer. I'll have my days off on Tuesday and Wednesday, which is cool since I don't think I'll take another summer class, so my days off will actually be days off. One plan of mine is to go down to Ennis, where there is a drive in movie theater and see Transformers in my car, which will be known as "sidewinder" for that day.

The fallowing is a list of things I plan on getting when I get my first paycheck

1) Caught up on my comic books. I haven't gone comic book shopping in like a year.

2) one of those really long pillows, they look so comfortable

3) Membership for the NAACP, for two reasons, 1) To stick it to the man 2) Just feels right

anyway, thats all. I think i'm gunna take a 20 minute nap, grab a shower the go to work. Huzzah!

quick news-a-ma-goo

Couple things happening around here I feel are worth mentioning:

1) Wife of US soldier allowed to stay in country after husbands probable death. This story made me incredibly happy to hear about as it really makes me feel like theres still compassion and reason in our country. When shit like this happens I feel proud to be in America.

2) Going to Houston in like t-minus 3 or so hours. I hate the drive from here to there because it always makes me think its not going to take long, but then does. The drive from San Marcos to there is probably my favorite, except for the town that smells like sulfur.

3) I've started to loath my job, but I think its mostly because I'm in a section I don't like, and I haven't gotten actually paid yet. I got my first paycheck for my one day of orientation, but am now due my actual "you worked for us for 40 hours a week for two weeks, have some money" paycheck. I don't know what I'm going to do, if I should save it all up for something really nice (new computer, desktop this time) or save it and not get anything, so in the event I can't balance school and job this fall I'll still be able to get some hot coca at Epoch and take April out to dinner from time to time

4) I'm late for my Final exam in a class I'm making an A in. I really liked this class, its probably been my favorite class like ever in college just because the teacher is sooooo good. He really makes me interested in history, something i've never been REALLY interested in, and puts it all in perspective.

anyway, i'm off to go write about the 60s and its effects on modern America.