Possible Drop

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 What's up?  I've done a bit of thinking over the past few days, and I've slowly been coming to the idea of consolidating myself to fewer networks.  As-is, right now I have accounts up at dA, Smackjeeves, MM, here, and FB (well, originally just for a THT page but I guess I aught develop a personal page while there).  I'm just...not up to managing so many spots, especially w/ real-world stuff to take care of and how often I'm away just delving into other pursuits. 

   Because of this, I've decided to turn off my MangaMagazine account and will be shutting the blog down here, focusing topics onto my dA and Facebook pages instead.  The reality is, the blog hasn't gotten much traction, but I'm not terribly surprised.  Besides, I've had my dA account for a very long time and it would be silly to let that one die, especially since there's actual traction there.  As for FB, well, I wouldn't consider myself a heavy social media user but why be against the idea in general?  Besides, there are a lot of cool people up there I could get to know better, there's a lot of folks up there I maybe can attract attention to THT through, and...well, it's FB.  It's taken over the web, for better or worst.  Still though,...fuck Farmville.  Seriously.  I ain't got the time or patience to play that game, big draw aside or what have you.

  In the grand scheme of things, a MM account right now isn't necessary.  There's not a big clout for what I'm doing so far-not enough of one to warrant managing a page on that site at least-and besides, I get the sense that the community there at large and I just don't have that many similar tastes when it comes to our manga and comics.  Of course, putting this blog down will be a bit tough, but it's like this:  why have a completely separate site to do blogging when both dA and FB have blogging features?  Yeah, it's not as customizable as it is here (at least, not w/o HTML coding on the user's part), but it just makes more sense for me.  Less time managing yet another avenue, more time to do what I like to do best:  drawing and writing.  Sounds like a win to me.

  At the moment, I'm not totally sure when I'll call it an end for The General Express (as it is here in this form),...maybe a week from now, maybe a month.  Since a "precarious scenario" has arisen insofar as getting more THT pages done, it might be two weeks before it happens, but it will eventually occur before I drop new THT, that's a given. 

   Apologies in advance if this move ticks anyone off the wrong way; I just gotta set priorities, that's all.  A single hub site would be preferable (even less social managing, leaving more time for "teh good stuff"), but I can't program a decent site for shit, so fuck that.  It'll be a gradual thing tho, and hey, it only means more posting on dA and FB,...not a bad deal.

   L8r (oh, and, hope you don't lose any money on the Olympic bets you've placed....c'mon, I know you placed some bets.  Ah, see, you're blushing already.  Gotcha xD!)

Semi-Depressing Launch..For Dark Knight Rises

  Evening folks.  You've probably already heard, but early into the wee hours this morning, a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado underwent a great tragedy when a gunman let loose during a midnight screening of Dark Knight Rises.  It was a senseless crime, and I hope they get what they deserve.  But for now (and eternity, actually), I'm just there in spirit for the affected people who were either killed or injured; they were just fans going out to celebrate a good time, and unfortunately paid an unnecessary price.

  There is something that's been ticking my mind for a few days now tho, specifically revolving some of the hardcore fandom surrounding Dark Knight Rises.  I don't know what it is about the movie (well, I can certainly speculate, given that both Begins and Dark Knight were fantastic films in their own right), but there seems to be a very small, yet very passionate, segment of the fanbase that has been outright spiteful to anyone and anything that dares to challenge the film as being none other than 'Perfect'.  I noticed this upfront when I visited Rotten Tomatoes, catching a glimpse of comments surrounding the first negative review.  That section literally exploded in moments with all sorts of derogatory comments aimed specifically at the reviewer.  I'm talking death threats-like comments here, folks.  Granted this is the most anticipated film of the year bar none, but for fuck's sake...it's just one negative review, and not an especially damning one at that.

  Now, fast-forward a few days later up to the first midnight screenings ushering the film onto the general public, and we get this senseless tragedy in Aurora.  I can't speak much of the gunman's mindstate (and, for sake of respect of the affected, I won't mention his name), but with the miniscule number of facts that have poured in, he sounds a lot like an extremist hardcore Batman fanatic, or at least a hardcore extremist Nolanite.  And, make no mistake, I'm not trying to plaster this insane guy as the face for the crazies in either the Batman or Nolan fanbases, not even the ones posting slamming comments.  Fairly sure 99% of them would never even think of doing what this guy has done.  Having said that, though, it does at least illustrate a case of where fandom goes too far, a point where it maybe needs to be reigned in, before it becomes too late.

  I'm absolutely sure Nolan will comment on this even soon, if he hasn't already.  I know he will not condone this sort of act, and it's absolutely shameful Dark Knight Rises' premier is being saddled by this sort of episode.  I also hope the media doesn't jump down the film's throat and insinuate it somehow promotes this sort of horrific violence.  But the health of any fandom means that the rationale, healthy fans have to do their parts to keep the unruly, irrational ones in check.  I consider myself a fan of Batman and Nolan's Batman films, absolutely.  Because of that, I hope to do my part-even if it's just microscopic-to show how against I am to these sorts of incidents, whether they be physical or virtual.

  Nonetheless, I also hold the creators themselves in a high position of responsibility, and I have to be honest...I didn't like the fact Nolan defended the sort of fans that bad-mouthed and threatened some of the critics of these negative reviews.  Personally, I see those sorts of fans as the kind that turn new people from joining what's otherwise pretty awesome, and one can't blame them.  I hold that sort of action against him, but he's allowed to say and feel as he wishes.

  There's an even bigger angle I could attack this from; again, we don't know what was going through the gunman's mind, but things couldn't have been clicking for him on all sides personal, professional, economic etc.  However, this isn't the best time to do that.  I likely shouldn't have even delved into bringing up my own personal feelings on "that segment" of the fanbase.  In the end, I just feel personally for those who have suffered this hell.  We're in a time of diminishing hope and future prospects, and fewer things we can call dear and near.  Maybe that's why certain extremists in fanbases attack with such vigor,...maybe that's why the worst of the worst go to do insane acts like killing people.  Yet, I'm certain those same factors are part of the reason there are fans who like to bask in the good that can be had, to cherish those times with fellow like-minded people and living the grandness of life, even if for just a moment, even if they're critical of that great energy along the way.  But they don't deserve to be discriminated against for it,...and they sure as hell don't deserve to die for it.  Let's all try to work together, and marginalize the occurrence of these tragedies for our and future generations.

  I'm signing off for tonight.  L8r folks.

We Launch In One Hour (Approxiamate)

  What's up everyone?  The day's finally here.  I'm setting up the pages for the comic as we speak, and tho it may not be much to start with, this will definitely be an ongoing effort.  Things will be heavily refined and streamlined over the course of the next few weeks, and before too long it should all find its own voice.

  Again, just hit the typical spots between 10 and 10:30 and the first few pages will be up.  I'll probably mention more of it again in the next couple of days to show some WIPs or w/e, but we'll see how that all goes.  Humble start yes, but I hope you like what's there so far and where it will be going.

  See 'ya l8r.

Before I Call It A Night...

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  Hey peeps; making a quick drop by before I listen to some tunes and doze off for the night.  I got a new sketch/illustration to share w/ 'ya.  Hope you like it:

  It's no surprise I'm a big fan of Kishiro's Battle Angel Alita series.  I had yet to do an illustration for Gally I really liked, so I started this one some days ago.  It's something of a sketch since I decided not to use my watercolors and stuck with cheapo-grado copy paper, but thankfully the Faber-Castell markers hold up well to even the flimsiest of grounds.  Since I rarely used the colored markers, I did so w/ this sketch as well.

  I finally got a feel for the FBs, but sadly some of my Cold Greys have began to run out of ink.  I'll have to order more.  I may not get more of the color markers as soon, as I'd rather get more tubes of watercolor paint, hopefully some that match these marker equivalents.  Overall tho this was a fun little illustration to sketch, gave me some chances to get really loose here and there, keep it tight elsewhere, etc.

  Quick list of the markers used (all Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen brand):

   >Cold Greys 1-6, black >Ivory >Light Flesh >Medium Flesh >Raw Umber >May Green >Chromium Oxide Green >Sky Blue >Indathrene Blue >Dark Naples Ochre >Green Gold

  Always a challenge to scan traditional artwork to a scanner properly; for 'full-intensity' efforts I will probably just let a professional do the scans w/ high-quality equipment.  Also for w/e reason the image is stretched here..that hasn't happened w/ any other pictures I've scanned.  Maybe time to re-adjust some scanner settings?

  Can't recommend enough Faber-Castell markers.  Trust me, if money weren't an issue I'd likely get Copics,, but these babies go the long haul.  They're fantastic even on copy paper, so for the next illustration I'll see how they handle on proper illustration board ;).  

  Personal blurb:  I think my favorite color of use here was Indathrene Blue.  Well, either that or Medium Flesh, but both May and Chromium Oxide Green did neatos for the sketchy trees.  If possible I'd like to re-scan some day to a closer rep of what it looks like in person w/ optimal lighting conditions, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.

  Hope you dig the drawing; be back l8r w/ more.  Uh...nighty night, you all.

Prometheus Hate and...Tyler Perry Sci-Fi? WTF?

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  Hey people; I'll try and relax and enjoy the rest of this Saturday night in a few minutes (btw, I'm delaying "that" comic by a couple of days; I need some time to chill off), but I just wanna get a few things off my chest.  Scott's recent film Prometheus...I have not seen such a backlash against a film on the internet in quite some years.  There almost seems to be a scathing sense of hatred from the supposed base, i.e Alien and sci-fi fans.  And that doesn't begin to mention the people who just didn't understand what the fuck the film was trying to do.  Let's just say I've read some posts on various sites that aren't alone in their voice, and at time seem to drown out the proponents in favor of the film.

  I myself would recommend anyone to see it in theaters, and in 3D if possible.  As said before, it's not a perfect film by any means and may fall short of Alien, but I personally am not willing to slam or condemn it from just ONE SINGLE VIEWING.  I went to that theater to be entertained, and to see a film that would do well w/ being out at midnight in a last showing of the night.  And damnit, was Prometheus that sort of movie and damnit was it worth it.  There are 'little things' I picked up that bothered me certainly, but since I was being thoroughly entertained I dismissed them.  There's no word of exactly when the film will fit DVD and Blu-Ray, but you can bet your ass I will pick it and Alien up and watch them back-to-back before drawing any definitive conclusions on Prometheus, tho some of the harder-hitting criticisms have given me ideas on what to look out for when that time comes.

  Even so, there have been far worst movies over the years that easily deserve this sort of backlash well before Prometheus...I almost get the sense most of the bickerers are just "riding the wave" of the moment and hating on it b/c a few prominent critics did so too.  Ugh, imitators....

  Speaking of 'haters', surprise surprise..Tyler Perry (yep, that Tyler Perry) also came away disappointed from Scott and Lindolof's epic.  Now, I would-in a more immature form of myself-be quick to dismiss Perry's opinion given the dubious quality most of his own efforts have consisted of.  However, if his appearance in that new cop-drama is any indication, he might actually have interests beyond the mainly mundane, and who knows, the guy might even be able to do a sci-fi epic of his own that won't devolve into dress-up caricatures and potty jokes.  So when I heard he was writing his own sci-fi script...well I'll be honest I'm very skeptical here.  Dude's gonna have to do a lot to prove he has the chops, but (and this is some honesty here) he can at least avoid some of the biggest mistakes in Lindolof's script for Prometheus...I still can't understand how some of that got through without rewrites.  Then again, this is Tyler Perry we're talkin' about here *so*....

  Okay, I'm off for the weekend.  Uploads for Surco Fresco pages over on my dA resume Monday, which is when I'll also debut the new comic project.  Until then, stay frosty kids.  L8r.

Old Scrap Comic Posts on dA This Aft

  

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 So I realize I kinda suck at self-promoting, and tho what I'm pushing right now isn't a project I'm currently working on, I guess it's worth pushing in an archival sense.  Anyways, a few years ago I was working on this big-ass graphic novel called "Surco Fresco" (the title makes little sense now, but literally means "Fresh Valley" in Spanish..it can also mean "Fresh Groove", which was the original intent), and it was about a lot of crazy shit.  I actually got a fair amount done on it (tons of pages roughly drawn, even more written) but then stopped due to plot hole frustration, indirection, and waning interest.  Altho I could just save this for a l8r date if considering relaunching the project, the truth is it's not the sort of story I would create today.  But hey, parts of its spirit persist, albeit in a more mature fashion.

  To give some indication of just the sort of stuff I've done in the past (tho this is hardly the only example) in trying to develop my own technique both in terms of visual style and writing structure, I'll be uploading the entirety of the aborted Surco Fresco project online, in a separate gallery on my dA account.  I'll stick with uploading a page a day from here on, but there is an issue w/ some of the early pages in that I completely lost the dialog and can't recall what's happening.  In lieu of such, tho, I'll make up some stuff.  Also, since none of the drawn pages have dialog directly on the page, I'll post the dialog and narrative for them in the text description part of the respective pages.  This will also be the last time I mention the comic on this blog, as I'll be creating a separate blog for it and other comic-heavy business, since this is just a general flair space.

  First set of pages (probably around five or so) should be up by 2 pm on dA, so you know where to go.

  Btw in case it wasn't obvious by now, this is not the comic I mentioned as the "surprise"; that's on track for Saturday so..patience, grasshopper x3.

  Alright I have to go, but I'll catch 'ya around soon.  L8r.

First Watercolor Test Painting

   Heyaz; since ordering a first-ever batch of professional watercolors maybe a month ago, there has been some resistance on my part to work with them.  It's just not a medium I'm used to working with, and it'll take time and effort to learn them like the back of my hand.  There was also the issue of lack of suitable support to do any painting on (sadly, acrylic gesso on hot-pressed illustration board does not a good substitute for cold-pressed or NOT make), but that's been temporarily overcame.  And then there's just lack of experience with the medium and most of the colors, and painting in a way that is wholly different to what I was doing with acrylics before.  So far, tho, I'm liking where this is going.  Very much.

 ""Click for fullsi--" Yeah, that's redundant."

  I did this one from start to finish yesterday, finally dredging up the courage to experiment with the watercolors as best as possible.  Sadly no reference was used; I'd of painted something from outside but there were kids running about and it was somewhat sweltering.  The first thing I decided was to accept that these weren't quite the colors I originally planned to buy.  I wanted more subdued earths, cooler unsaturated colors that verged towards neutral, but the colors I ordered (with the possible exception of Shadow Green) are anything but neutrals.  Granted, in light enough washes and mixed together well any group of colors can produce neutrals, but I'm talking 'strong, clear' neutrals here, not muddy messes (which is the usual result of that aforementioned type of thinking).

  For the piece I stuck with Burnt Sienne, Ultramarine Deep Blue, Rose Madder, Cobalt Blue, Indian Yellow, Permanent Alizarin Crimson and Ivory Black.  The PAC came in accidentally b/c I thought it was the Rose Maddar :P.  Anyhow, it sounds like a big palette (at least for me, I'm used to sticking with maybe 3-4 colors max), but the Cobalt was only for laying a thin ground and Ivory Black (we won't mind the "don't use black" rule of thumb this time,..personally I'd of preferred a deeper near-neutral purple but I don't have the paint to mix it) for deeper shadows.  So that brings the primary batch down to 5.  There were also some interesting things I learned about the paints here.

  Rose Maddar is a STRONG color.  "A little bit goes a long way" or so the saying has it.  It threatened to overpower the other colors quite easily and often, but thankfully the very nature of watercolors kept it from being too big an issue for so long.  I also like its intensity.  Other Rose Maddars may be different, but I'd consider the one I use the "romantic's red", or a ruby red in tone.  I probably lucked out getting this red b/c it and Ultramarine Deep make a nice saturated purple.

  Cobalt has some unique uneven spread properties when used in heavily diluted washes.  I'm sure I read of why this is the case somewhere before, but I can't recall the text from heart.  Altho both it and Ultramarine are popular for skies, I probably prefer Cobalt for more pure, "early afternoon" skies, like where the sun is more prominent, and Ultramarine as a base elsewhere.

  Burnt Sienne...the one I have is a bit more reddish in undertone than I thought it'd be, and that was a reason why I pushed for the picture to have a reddish tonal range (like I said, Rose is powerful even in little bits).  It works very well in a more muted fashion w/ Shadow Green in creating neutral browns tho (sadly that's not present in this picture).

  Ultramarine Deep, is a stronger blue than Cobalt.  Deeper too.  I'm interested in seeing more of what it can do.  Burnt Sienne seems to knock it back in strength and neutralize it more..since I'm interested in more neutral-focused pieces, I'll definitely explore that in some future efforts.

  Indian Yellow is a very nice 'cool' yellow (I consider it cool anyway, compared to a Cadmium).  The oranges it can create w/ Maddar aren't so bright, but they worked for this picture.  I wonder if I can create a more workable neutral orange by small mixes of Burnt Sienne or Shadow Green into the equation...we shall see.

  I'd talk about the other three colors more, but I didn't use them extensively in this one, so maybe when I do a painting w/ them as dominant fixtures, we'll talk about 'em then.

  Hopefully you enjoyed the picture and the write-up; this was fun as a testing exercise and I'm already looking into getting more Strathmore watercolor paper (it's what I used for this piece) to continue w/ more, and save the Arches panels for serious work.  If there's time in the week, I'd love to try another painting to get even more comfortable with the medium.  But until then, just be awesome and do you.  I'll do the same.  L8r.