Well it's New Year's Eve. It's almost 6:00 am here and I should have been asleep hours ago. But a heavy dose of "My Name is Earl" on DVD as well as 5 hours of Zelda will keep a guy up. It's all good though, as it's almost 2007 and I have a big year planned and I'm utilizing my waking hours working on the details. 2006 was a good year with plenty of ups and downs as well as a lot of changes, and I'm hoping to make 2007 a great year. There's always room for improvements and this coming year I'd like to make some. Better health, more comic work produced, a girlfriend, and continued success at Karate are all on the agenda. I have some great project ideas in my head that I would like to make a reality, and I'd like to improve my physique in time for summer. There's opportunity to fight in the upcoming tournaments and I would like to do well if I compete. And my love life could use, well....a life! Once I get organized and settled into the new place I'm going to make an effort to get a relationship going. One step at a time :)
So here's to 2006 being a good year for change, and to 2007 continuing improvement!!
Happy New Year everyone. See you next year. Take care.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Rest in Peace Uncle Steve.
Today is one of those days that can put a real damper on the holidays. After having a busy but great last couple of days spending time with my family and celebrating Christmas, I received a phone call from my father around 8:30 that brought everything to a crashing halt. My uncle Steve died today. He was found dead on a C-Train downtown around 5 o'clock. Although nothing has been formally told to anybody, the initial cause of death seems to lead to one conclusion: He died of a broken heart.
Unfortunately though that's not the first thing asked when told of his passing. You see, my uncle had a problem. He couldn't say no to a drink. For the last 20 years at a progressive rate he lived out of a bottle. It ruined his career, his home life, and even took a toll on our relationship. Growing up I idolized him. He was the coolest uncle a boy could ever have. He took me to all kinds of cool places, let me have sleepovers when I came to Calgary for visits, and he always had a cool girlfriend who was nice to look at and nice to me. He was the absolute bachelor, living life care-free. He worked as a carpenter for as long as I can remember and was really good at what he did. But he drank all the time. A lot. And in the end it may have killed him.
In the last 10 - 15 years he really punished his body. He had a falling out with his common-law wife, left the house he helped build, and spent more time drunk than he did sober. He hit rock bottom, and ended up living on the streets. People tried to help him, from friends to family. And at one point he seemed to be turning around. But he slipped, and this time he never got back up.
I've spent the better part of a decade angry at him. We had a falling out what seems like a lifetime ago over money. I used to rent a basement suite from him and Kathy, his common-law wife. Things were good at first; I lived downstairs from the coolest guys in the world. But unfortunately I got to see a side of him I never knew before. After awhile things started to fall apart downstairs. I had an insect problem that was never addressed. His and Kathy's children would terrorize around the house and wake me at all hours of the day and night. And when they drank, Kathy and Steve did nothing but fight. So I gave my notice and moved. With the help of my mom we cleaned the place and left it spotless. And that's when Steve nailed the coffin shut in our relationship. He owed me $350 for damage deposit. And he stiffed me on it. He came up with every excuse he could as to why he wasn't going to give it to me. And at the time I needed it for my new place, so it left me in quite a bind. But more than that it left me with anger and resentment towards a man I used to look up to.
Ten plus years I stayed mad at him. Didn't bother to talk to him. And then one day I had to.
My father gave me some money that he needed me to deliver to my uncle because he was in a bind. Dad couldn't get away from work and I had time so he asked me if for one day, the five minutes it took to drive to where Steve was, if I could just put aside my anger for the man and help him out. Reluctantly I agreed to do it. The whole way over all I could think about is how pissed off I still felt about everything and how good it was going to feel to look down at Steve when I gave him his "handout". But when I arrived and he came out to the car all those thoughts went away.
I didn't recognize the man who came to the car. He sat down beside me, and when I looked at him he looked like he had aged 50 years. He looked so tired and old. And instead of looking down on him, I felt like crying inside. I put away my anger and talked to him. He wasn't the same. His life in the bottle had destroyed him and all that was left was a shell of the man he used to be. I felt so sad for him and gave him the money dad sent. As he was getting out of the car I wished him well. I didn't know what else to say. That was 2 years ago. It was the last time I would ever talk to him.
I'm crying as I write this for two reasons. First, I remember all the good times we had when I was young and how much the time we spent together meant to me. He was the coolest guy in the world to me and I looked up to him. And secondly, and most importantly, because a month and a half ago I seen Steve downtown when I was working. He looked a lot better than the last time I saw him. I was going to approach him and say hi, but he was talking to a lady and I didn't want to interupt him. I also didn't know what to say, so rather than take the time to at least say hi, I didn't say anything at all.
I'll never get that chance again.
Rest in Peace Uncle Steve. I'm sorry I never got over the shit between us. More sorry then you'll ever know.
Unfortunately though that's not the first thing asked when told of his passing. You see, my uncle had a problem. He couldn't say no to a drink. For the last 20 years at a progressive rate he lived out of a bottle. It ruined his career, his home life, and even took a toll on our relationship. Growing up I idolized him. He was the coolest uncle a boy could ever have. He took me to all kinds of cool places, let me have sleepovers when I came to Calgary for visits, and he always had a cool girlfriend who was nice to look at and nice to me. He was the absolute bachelor, living life care-free. He worked as a carpenter for as long as I can remember and was really good at what he did. But he drank all the time. A lot. And in the end it may have killed him.
In the last 10 - 15 years he really punished his body. He had a falling out with his common-law wife, left the house he helped build, and spent more time drunk than he did sober. He hit rock bottom, and ended up living on the streets. People tried to help him, from friends to family. And at one point he seemed to be turning around. But he slipped, and this time he never got back up.
I've spent the better part of a decade angry at him. We had a falling out what seems like a lifetime ago over money. I used to rent a basement suite from him and Kathy, his common-law wife. Things were good at first; I lived downstairs from the coolest guys in the world. But unfortunately I got to see a side of him I never knew before. After awhile things started to fall apart downstairs. I had an insect problem that was never addressed. His and Kathy's children would terrorize around the house and wake me at all hours of the day and night. And when they drank, Kathy and Steve did nothing but fight. So I gave my notice and moved. With the help of my mom we cleaned the place and left it spotless. And that's when Steve nailed the coffin shut in our relationship. He owed me $350 for damage deposit. And he stiffed me on it. He came up with every excuse he could as to why he wasn't going to give it to me. And at the time I needed it for my new place, so it left me in quite a bind. But more than that it left me with anger and resentment towards a man I used to look up to.
Ten plus years I stayed mad at him. Didn't bother to talk to him. And then one day I had to.
My father gave me some money that he needed me to deliver to my uncle because he was in a bind. Dad couldn't get away from work and I had time so he asked me if for one day, the five minutes it took to drive to where Steve was, if I could just put aside my anger for the man and help him out. Reluctantly I agreed to do it. The whole way over all I could think about is how pissed off I still felt about everything and how good it was going to feel to look down at Steve when I gave him his "handout". But when I arrived and he came out to the car all those thoughts went away.
I didn't recognize the man who came to the car. He sat down beside me, and when I looked at him he looked like he had aged 50 years. He looked so tired and old. And instead of looking down on him, I felt like crying inside. I put away my anger and talked to him. He wasn't the same. His life in the bottle had destroyed him and all that was left was a shell of the man he used to be. I felt so sad for him and gave him the money dad sent. As he was getting out of the car I wished him well. I didn't know what else to say. That was 2 years ago. It was the last time I would ever talk to him.
I'm crying as I write this for two reasons. First, I remember all the good times we had when I was young and how much the time we spent together meant to me. He was the coolest guy in the world to me and I looked up to him. And secondly, and most importantly, because a month and a half ago I seen Steve downtown when I was working. He looked a lot better than the last time I saw him. I was going to approach him and say hi, but he was talking to a lady and I didn't want to interupt him. I also didn't know what to say, so rather than take the time to at least say hi, I didn't say anything at all.
I'll never get that chance again.
Rest in Peace Uncle Steve. I'm sorry I never got over the shit between us. More sorry then you'll ever know.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
I survived!
Hello all. Well, as I said in my last post, this weekend was very busy. But I made it, and had a great time!
On Saturday I left the house around 7:30 to go to Mackenzie Lake and help set up the tournament. We had everything set up and ready to go in a little over an hour and the team selections and fighting began shortly there after. I was put onto Team 2, and being that I was fighting in the knockdown rounds I had quite the wait until I fought. Each person had roughly 2 fights (some more, some less) and we started the day off with the non-contact fighting for children and beginners. Everyone went out and did there best and to my knowledge made it through relatively unscathed.
I had to wait until 2 minutes before my first fight to find out who it was I was going to fight. First up was big Rudy, one of the kids/adult class members who trains with his daughter mostly in the intermediate class. He's tall and strong and doesn't fight much but he sure gives it his all when he is fighting. So I figured I would have my work cut out for me. Before we fought however, we (all the contact fighters) were advised to not go out and try and "kill" each other as no one wants to spends the holidays in pain. Sensei specifically told me that if it seems like I'm dominating the fight to back off a bit and don't hurt anybody. Good advice all around. Like I had mentioned before this tournament is geared to be fun and a good learning tournament; nobody needs to take it for any more than that. So in the ring I went. We were given 1 1/2 minutes to fight (most other tournament are 2 minute rounds, 3 for open division) and it took me that long to get into it. I didn't go near as hard as I could in this fight to start, and Sensei yelled at me to go harder so I stepped it up a bit. Like I said, Rudy is big and strong, but he seemed somewhat intimidated and I used that to move him around the mat and set up for my uchi mawashi keage (outside hooking axe kick) that I use in color belt fighting. It's a great kick to throw as it's easy to control for light contact to the head (which is a rule in color belt fights) and most opponents don't see it coming. It worked really well for me in each of my 3 fights in this tournament. I scored a wasari (1/2 point) against Rudy mid-way through the fight and then utilized my punches and low kicks to keep him on the move for the remainder, thus scoring 2 points for my team with the win.
Next up I fought my friend Gary, who fights and trains regularly with us fighters and fights in the 35 and over division in most of our tournaments. Gary is good at sneaking in jodan mawashi geri (high round house kick) when you least expect it so I knew I had to keep my guard up. This fight was a bit of a comedy of errors as Gary appeared to have scored a wasari by sneaking in his jodan mawashi geri but my guard was up so it appeared that I blocked it. To make matters worse for Gary I caught him unintentionally in the bridge of the nose with a finger (it scratched him and he started to bleed) while blocking one of his tecniques and he followed up the kick by immediately punching me in the face! That's a foul in our style and is usually rewarded with a chui (warning). The judges had to converse for a moment to decide what just happened. It was decided that the scoring kick was unconfirmed by the judges but that the punch was a foul and Gary was given a chui. I immediately went to work on his lower body throwing kicks to his inner and other thigh, one of which caught him a bit high as he was trying to move. This would normally be considered a foul on my part, but because I threw it towards his inner thigh and he moved into it he was considered at fault and no call was made. The fight stopped to give Gary a moment to recover and he came at me with more intensity once the fight started again. But I used this against him and then set him up when his hands dropped and caught him with a uchi mawashi keage. This not only earned me a 1/2 point, but also victory and another 2 points for my team as the time ran out on our fight. It's too bad we weren't given more time as it felt like both of us were just starting to get into a rhythm when the fight ended.
I wasn't sure if I was going to get to fight again but luckily for me Sensei Brad had one last fight set up. I was going to get to fight my good friend Stein in what would be my best fight of the day. Stein is a young strong fighter who continues to impress me with his constant growth as a fighter. We train with each other a lot and he always gives me a good workout. The fight started off as I would have expected, with both of us working low to set up for a high kick to score. I knew that Stein wasn't going to try and stand toe to toe and risk taking any damage from my punches and low kicks, so I used this to push him back and set him up for uchi mawashi keage which I scored with about 30 seconds into the fight. Now I know how I used to get whenever I was down a 1/2 point early in the fight and I knew Stein would do the same thing: go to the head as much as possible to get the point back. The problem with this is you stop fighting a smart fight and give your opponent too many clues as to what your game plan is and it becomes quite easy to defend against this type of attack. I spent the rest of the fight pushing Stein back and doing my best to block the flurry of high kicks that he threw my way. The fight remained back and for on offense/defense with Stein trying desperately to score the point back and force and extention, but he ran out of time and I scored 2 more points for my team. I liked this fight a lot as it was more physical then my previous 2 fights, but not to the degree that anyone was going to walk away hurt. It was more technical then my other fights and proved to me that Stein is a strong fighter who will only get better. Overall it was great to fight all three guys as I've never fought any of them in a tournament setting before and it was great to know that we could all go out there and put on a good show for the folks in attendance. And no one was hurt, which always makes me happy as fights in our style can be very physically demanding and there is always a chance of injury.
In the end, everyone had a good time and those who had never fought in a tournament before got their first taste of what it's like. Everyone did their best and everyone went home with a metal for their accomplishments. Team 1 was awarded Bronze, Team 3 Silver, and Team 2 (my team) was awarded Gold. Good job everybody! I'm looking forward to my next tournament, which I believe is the Calgary Cup in March, and stepping back into the ring, amping things up and continuing my growth as a fighter. The Team Tournament was nice for me in the sense that it showed me I can still go in and fight a good fight. I didn't fight to the extent that I would have like to, but it wasn't the sort of tournament for that. It was for fun and I had a lot! I'll post more in the next day or 2 about the rest of my busy Saturday, that includes getting a kick ass gift from my parents and some up close and personal time with some Burlesque Beauties. Take care.
On Saturday I left the house around 7:30 to go to Mackenzie Lake and help set up the tournament. We had everything set up and ready to go in a little over an hour and the team selections and fighting began shortly there after. I was put onto Team 2, and being that I was fighting in the knockdown rounds I had quite the wait until I fought. Each person had roughly 2 fights (some more, some less) and we started the day off with the non-contact fighting for children and beginners. Everyone went out and did there best and to my knowledge made it through relatively unscathed.
I had to wait until 2 minutes before my first fight to find out who it was I was going to fight. First up was big Rudy, one of the kids/adult class members who trains with his daughter mostly in the intermediate class. He's tall and strong and doesn't fight much but he sure gives it his all when he is fighting. So I figured I would have my work cut out for me. Before we fought however, we (all the contact fighters) were advised to not go out and try and "kill" each other as no one wants to spends the holidays in pain. Sensei specifically told me that if it seems like I'm dominating the fight to back off a bit and don't hurt anybody. Good advice all around. Like I had mentioned before this tournament is geared to be fun and a good learning tournament; nobody needs to take it for any more than that. So in the ring I went. We were given 1 1/2 minutes to fight (most other tournament are 2 minute rounds, 3 for open division) and it took me that long to get into it. I didn't go near as hard as I could in this fight to start, and Sensei yelled at me to go harder so I stepped it up a bit. Like I said, Rudy is big and strong, but he seemed somewhat intimidated and I used that to move him around the mat and set up for my uchi mawashi keage (outside hooking axe kick) that I use in color belt fighting. It's a great kick to throw as it's easy to control for light contact to the head (which is a rule in color belt fights) and most opponents don't see it coming. It worked really well for me in each of my 3 fights in this tournament. I scored a wasari (1/2 point) against Rudy mid-way through the fight and then utilized my punches and low kicks to keep him on the move for the remainder, thus scoring 2 points for my team with the win.
Next up I fought my friend Gary, who fights and trains regularly with us fighters and fights in the 35 and over division in most of our tournaments. Gary is good at sneaking in jodan mawashi geri (high round house kick) when you least expect it so I knew I had to keep my guard up. This fight was a bit of a comedy of errors as Gary appeared to have scored a wasari by sneaking in his jodan mawashi geri but my guard was up so it appeared that I blocked it. To make matters worse for Gary I caught him unintentionally in the bridge of the nose with a finger (it scratched him and he started to bleed) while blocking one of his tecniques and he followed up the kick by immediately punching me in the face! That's a foul in our style and is usually rewarded with a chui (warning). The judges had to converse for a moment to decide what just happened. It was decided that the scoring kick was unconfirmed by the judges but that the punch was a foul and Gary was given a chui. I immediately went to work on his lower body throwing kicks to his inner and other thigh, one of which caught him a bit high as he was trying to move. This would normally be considered a foul on my part, but because I threw it towards his inner thigh and he moved into it he was considered at fault and no call was made. The fight stopped to give Gary a moment to recover and he came at me with more intensity once the fight started again. But I used this against him and then set him up when his hands dropped and caught him with a uchi mawashi keage. This not only earned me a 1/2 point, but also victory and another 2 points for my team as the time ran out on our fight. It's too bad we weren't given more time as it felt like both of us were just starting to get into a rhythm when the fight ended.
I wasn't sure if I was going to get to fight again but luckily for me Sensei Brad had one last fight set up. I was going to get to fight my good friend Stein in what would be my best fight of the day. Stein is a young strong fighter who continues to impress me with his constant growth as a fighter. We train with each other a lot and he always gives me a good workout. The fight started off as I would have expected, with both of us working low to set up for a high kick to score. I knew that Stein wasn't going to try and stand toe to toe and risk taking any damage from my punches and low kicks, so I used this to push him back and set him up for uchi mawashi keage which I scored with about 30 seconds into the fight. Now I know how I used to get whenever I was down a 1/2 point early in the fight and I knew Stein would do the same thing: go to the head as much as possible to get the point back. The problem with this is you stop fighting a smart fight and give your opponent too many clues as to what your game plan is and it becomes quite easy to defend against this type of attack. I spent the rest of the fight pushing Stein back and doing my best to block the flurry of high kicks that he threw my way. The fight remained back and for on offense/defense with Stein trying desperately to score the point back and force and extention, but he ran out of time and I scored 2 more points for my team. I liked this fight a lot as it was more physical then my previous 2 fights, but not to the degree that anyone was going to walk away hurt. It was more technical then my other fights and proved to me that Stein is a strong fighter who will only get better. Overall it was great to fight all three guys as I've never fought any of them in a tournament setting before and it was great to know that we could all go out there and put on a good show for the folks in attendance. And no one was hurt, which always makes me happy as fights in our style can be very physically demanding and there is always a chance of injury.
In the end, everyone had a good time and those who had never fought in a tournament before got their first taste of what it's like. Everyone did their best and everyone went home with a metal for their accomplishments. Team 1 was awarded Bronze, Team 3 Silver, and Team 2 (my team) was awarded Gold. Good job everybody! I'm looking forward to my next tournament, which I believe is the Calgary Cup in March, and stepping back into the ring, amping things up and continuing my growth as a fighter. The Team Tournament was nice for me in the sense that it showed me I can still go in and fight a good fight. I didn't fight to the extent that I would have like to, but it wasn't the sort of tournament for that. It was for fun and I had a lot! I'll post more in the next day or 2 about the rest of my busy Saturday, that includes getting a kick ass gift from my parents and some up close and personal time with some Burlesque Beauties. Take care.
Friday, December 15, 2006
A busy weekend ahead!
It's been awhile since I posted, but with work and the holiday season both taking their toll on me I guess it's to be expected! Tomorrow, I get to fight in our clubs annual Team Tournament which is geared towards introducing new students to tournament fighting from non-contact to adult knockdown and even kata. It's a great tournament for learning to rules of fighting and is geared more towards fun than competition. I'm looking forward to my 2 team fights and hope everyone involved has a good time.
Once the tournament is done then I'm off to Cochrane for my mom and stepfather's family Christmas party. Every year we try to get together at my stepsister Amber's house for a family party to open gifts and stuff our faces with turkey, followed by our families traditional "Christmas Phase 10" game. It's always good to be with my family during the holidays and I'm looking quite forward to seeing everyone. But I'm not done yet!
After dinner and visiting I have to rush back to Calgary to get ready for a Christmas Burlesque show at the Warehouse that my other stepsister Chantel got us tickets for. Whenever Demonika of Demonka's Clothing puts on a show, Chantel gets us tickets for it. They're always a lot of fun and just my type of crowd: sexy, half naked Suicide Girls everywhere! This will definately be a great way to cap off the day.
On Sunday I have to try and hook up with some friends from Karate to practice a song that we're doing as a surprise for our Sensei at the Karate Christmas Party Talent Show on Monday. It's a song I've never sang much before by a band I don't sing very much like, but I'll do my best and we'll have a blast doing it! This will be my first time singing with a band playing behind me, as I'm usually just a karaoke singer. Should be interesting.
Other than that, I've finished all my Christmas shopping, have one more week of work left, and I'm still having a blast playing Final Fantasy XII! I'll do my best to update next week and let everyone know how the weekend went. And if anyone out there knows where I could get my hands on a copy of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for Gamecube please let me know. The thing's like the holy grail to find. Take care.
Once the tournament is done then I'm off to Cochrane for my mom and stepfather's family Christmas party. Every year we try to get together at my stepsister Amber's house for a family party to open gifts and stuff our faces with turkey, followed by our families traditional "Christmas Phase 10" game. It's always good to be with my family during the holidays and I'm looking quite forward to seeing everyone. But I'm not done yet!
After dinner and visiting I have to rush back to Calgary to get ready for a Christmas Burlesque show at the Warehouse that my other stepsister Chantel got us tickets for. Whenever Demonika of Demonka's Clothing puts on a show, Chantel gets us tickets for it. They're always a lot of fun and just my type of crowd: sexy, half naked Suicide Girls everywhere! This will definately be a great way to cap off the day.
On Sunday I have to try and hook up with some friends from Karate to practice a song that we're doing as a surprise for our Sensei at the Karate Christmas Party Talent Show on Monday. It's a song I've never sang much before by a band I don't sing very much like, but I'll do my best and we'll have a blast doing it! This will be my first time singing with a band playing behind me, as I'm usually just a karaoke singer. Should be interesting.
Other than that, I've finished all my Christmas shopping, have one more week of work left, and I'm still having a blast playing Final Fantasy XII! I'll do my best to update next week and let everyone know how the weekend went. And if anyone out there knows where I could get my hands on a copy of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for Gamecube please let me know. The thing's like the holy grail to find. Take care.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Damn I'm sore!
Over the past couple of weekends I've been working on tearing up all the flooring in the upper level of my new place. For those who don't know, the building that Kev, Dwight and I live in has been sold to a bunch of money-hungry bastards who think it's cool to come in and raise everyone's rent drastically. So we're all moving on and getting the fack out of here.
Good friends of Dwight and I own both sides of a duplex and have offered what used to be the Daycare side to us. It needs some reno work, but nothing that we can't handle. So even though we're not moving in until February, all of us involved felt that it would be beneficial to get everything done now. Which is a good thing, since we found out last week that the hardwood floor guys could only make it on the 23rd of this month. If not, we would have to wait until the end of February. So it's been a mad rush to pull up all the old flooring so that these guys can refinish the existing hardwood under everything. That's meant alot of pounding away with hammers and crowbars to pull up 2 layers of tile on top of 1/4 inch substrate, which is in turn on top of another layer of tile, which is covering the hardwood we are trying to get to. Did I loose you yet? And once we finished gettting all of the top layer stuff of, we then had to pull 10's of thousands of staples that were sticking out of the floor everywhere, just so we could begin to scrape off that last layer of tile.
And now my body is officially broken :P
Actually, it's not feeling as bad this weekend as it did last weekend. I spent some time in Karate yesterday morning helping train the people going to Vancouver for the Vancouver Cup in fighting, so I was a little more limber for doing yesterday's work. But I'm still sore. My legs, knees, shoulders, forearms and back are all feeling it today. Flooring is a fantastic workout for those looking to shed a few pounds. I'm telling you, it's a total body workout!
But in the end it's all well worth it because we get a new floor in our new place! I'm excited about how everything will look when it's done. Our friends Pete and Lorna are also going to paint the place and have a new tub, sink and counter going into the bathroom. It will be very nice!
So the next thing we have to concentrate on is the move, followed by the house warming party of the century!!!! Stay tuned for more.
Good friends of Dwight and I own both sides of a duplex and have offered what used to be the Daycare side to us. It needs some reno work, but nothing that we can't handle. So even though we're not moving in until February, all of us involved felt that it would be beneficial to get everything done now. Which is a good thing, since we found out last week that the hardwood floor guys could only make it on the 23rd of this month. If not, we would have to wait until the end of February. So it's been a mad rush to pull up all the old flooring so that these guys can refinish the existing hardwood under everything. That's meant alot of pounding away with hammers and crowbars to pull up 2 layers of tile on top of 1/4 inch substrate, which is in turn on top of another layer of tile, which is covering the hardwood we are trying to get to. Did I loose you yet? And once we finished gettting all of the top layer stuff of, we then had to pull 10's of thousands of staples that were sticking out of the floor everywhere, just so we could begin to scrape off that last layer of tile.
And now my body is officially broken :P
Actually, it's not feeling as bad this weekend as it did last weekend. I spent some time in Karate yesterday morning helping train the people going to Vancouver for the Vancouver Cup in fighting, so I was a little more limber for doing yesterday's work. But I'm still sore. My legs, knees, shoulders, forearms and back are all feeling it today. Flooring is a fantastic workout for those looking to shed a few pounds. I'm telling you, it's a total body workout!
But in the end it's all well worth it because we get a new floor in our new place! I'm excited about how everything will look when it's done. Our friends Pete and Lorna are also going to paint the place and have a new tub, sink and counter going into the bathroom. It will be very nice!
So the next thing we have to concentrate on is the move, followed by the house warming party of the century!!!! Stay tuned for more.
Monday, November 06, 2006
So they're going to hang him......
Just thought I'd post a quick thought. Turns out that the good folks overlooking Saddam Hussein's trial have reach a verdict in his case and have come to an agreement: Death by hanging.
I'm not an overly political person and try not to voice my opinions on such topics too loudly (you never know who's listening), but today I have to. And it's simple really. He's getting what he has earned. Pure acid could not wash away the blood that is on Saddam's hands. And now he's going to die. The afterlife should be the most punishing of all for this man.
Because now he has to face what he's done. His victims will be waiting. And whoever he meets after he takes his last breath is truly going to hold him accountable for his crimes in this life. That's a hell I wouldn't wish on anybody.
Except him.
I'm not an overly political person and try not to voice my opinions on such topics too loudly (you never know who's listening), but today I have to. And it's simple really. He's getting what he has earned. Pure acid could not wash away the blood that is on Saddam's hands. And now he's going to die. The afterlife should be the most punishing of all for this man.
Because now he has to face what he's done. His victims will be waiting. And whoever he meets after he takes his last breath is truly going to hold him accountable for his crimes in this life. That's a hell I wouldn't wish on anybody.
Except him.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
"When things were simple"
"Hey there voters, how do you feel? Tired of same old voter appeal!"
I can't get this damn song out my head that Kev played the other day. It's by a band called the Pinker Tones and I think it's called Karma Hunters. The video is totally cool but unfortunately the song is extremely catchy and will keep you awake at night because you can't stop singing it in your head. So search for it at your own risk.
Now onto my actual topic. Yesterday, by the grace of the gods and by using up what karma power I had left in reserves, I completed my latest project. It's a story called "When things were simple" and it will be published in the first volume of an antholgy series called "Tales from the Harbor". I'm not sure when it will be out but I'll definately update on here when I know. I think it's especially awesome that our good friend Jay Bardyla of Happy Harbor Comics has put together this anthology for all us up and coming creators to showcase our work. I can't applaud him enough for all he does for the local community, as he truly gives us all a lot of support.
From what I understand the anthology is going to be a regular publication, possibly quarterly. But don't quote me on that as I'm not entirely sure of all the details. I was offered a piece of the pie and didn't ask many questions. I'm much happier that way!
When I get the okay to show off some of the pages I will. I had a great time working on this project and continue to see great advancement in my work. That's truly what I strive for. I'll be working on the second issue of The Sorrow very soon, as well as issue's 3 and 4. I'd like to have the series finished for spring of next year, so hopefully I'll pull it off. There is also the ultra-cool new story that both Kevin and myself are developing now, and when we have more of a finalized idea of what we're doing I'll be posting it!
I've also had a great idea brewing for some time that I think I'm going to turn into my regular contribution for Tales from the Harbor. But I'm not willing to share it just yet!
And on a final note, I picked up the lastest installment to the greatest RPG franchise ever:
Final Fantasy XII
It totally ROCKS! It's simply beautiful, and a refreshing update to the series. The new system of battle and character build-up will take a bit to get familar with, but so far it's a truly amazing game. I'm going to play some of it now. Take care everybody!
I can't get this damn song out my head that Kev played the other day. It's by a band called the Pinker Tones and I think it's called Karma Hunters. The video is totally cool but unfortunately the song is extremely catchy and will keep you awake at night because you can't stop singing it in your head. So search for it at your own risk.
Now onto my actual topic. Yesterday, by the grace of the gods and by using up what karma power I had left in reserves, I completed my latest project. It's a story called "When things were simple" and it will be published in the first volume of an antholgy series called "Tales from the Harbor". I'm not sure when it will be out but I'll definately update on here when I know. I think it's especially awesome that our good friend Jay Bardyla of Happy Harbor Comics has put together this anthology for all us up and coming creators to showcase our work. I can't applaud him enough for all he does for the local community, as he truly gives us all a lot of support.
From what I understand the anthology is going to be a regular publication, possibly quarterly. But don't quote me on that as I'm not entirely sure of all the details. I was offered a piece of the pie and didn't ask many questions. I'm much happier that way!
When I get the okay to show off some of the pages I will. I had a great time working on this project and continue to see great advancement in my work. That's truly what I strive for. I'll be working on the second issue of The Sorrow very soon, as well as issue's 3 and 4. I'd like to have the series finished for spring of next year, so hopefully I'll pull it off. There is also the ultra-cool new story that both Kevin and myself are developing now, and when we have more of a finalized idea of what we're doing I'll be posting it!
I've also had a great idea brewing for some time that I think I'm going to turn into my regular contribution for Tales from the Harbor. But I'm not willing to share it just yet!
And on a final note, I picked up the lastest installment to the greatest RPG franchise ever:
Final Fantasy XII
It totally ROCKS! It's simply beautiful, and a refreshing update to the series. The new system of battle and character build-up will take a bit to get familar with, but so far it's a truly amazing game. I'm going to play some of it now. Take care everybody!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
The joys of bying new DVD's!
Today I decided to treat myself. My friends and I usually try and hit the big "box store" style electronic stores on Tuesdays to see what's new in the DVD, CD, and gaming departments. I tend to look for movies and cartoons while the others look for DVD box sets and T.V. shows new to DVD. Today we were searching for a couple of things: Dwight was looking for Justice League Unlimited season 1, Batman Beyond season 2, and a gem of a movie called Slither. Kevin was looking for much of the same as well as Scrubs season 4 and any other T.V. shows with seasons that peaked his interest. I was really only looking for NACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Libre! But I won't turn down a deal if I find one. And today I did.
Around this time every year I keep my eyes peeled for any specials that come up in the "Horror" sections of the many stores we travel to. I'm a bit of a horror film fan and like to add to my small collection of horror goodies when I can. As luck would have it I was able to find 2 movies in particular that were priced well ($9.99!) and that I've wanted to either see or own for awhile. The first movie, Clive Barker's HELLRAISER, is a classic that I haven't seen in many years and is a movie I can remember at the time of it's release was considered incredibly gory as well as "dark and twisted". And although I didn't watch it tonight, I'm looking quite forward seeing it before the end of the week.
The other movie I purchased was SAW II. I was fortunate enough to get an advance screening to the first SAW movie, and although I missed portions of the movie due to the non-stop screaming for the annoying prissy little girls sitting at the front of the theater, I did enjoy what I watched. And although the critics were mixed on the sequel, I was willing to pick up. The way I look at it the third movie is out this weekend and I'd really like to see it. I'd have to pay between 3-5 bucks to rent #2, or for $9.99 I can own it. If I don't like it I'm only out a couple of bucks and it can sit in my collection, and if I do then it's worth the price I payed. So really it's not much of a gamble. And because I tend to teeter on the crazy side of things I did in fact decide to watch SAW II tonight right after I watched NACHOOOOOOOOOOOO Libre! Did I mention I have to work in 6 hours? Ah, what's sleep anyways.
So after reading this drabble up to now (provided you made it this far) you're probably wondering what I thought of SAW II. Well? I liked it. I liked it very, VERY much. In fact, I think it's one of the most intelligent and enjoyable horror shows I've watched in a long time. The makers of this franchise have certainly stumbled onto a winning formula with Jigsaw and company and their puzzles. Ask anyone who knows me, I love a movie that offers me a puzzle to solve while I watch. And girls crying on film.........but that's another topic for a different day :P
Anyways, I also liked the characters used in this film, and enjoyed the acting alot more than I did in the first movie. Donny Walhberg plays a cop well and he does a great job here as Detective Eric Mathews. He's the main character by all rights, but is also closely tied into everything that Jigsaw has put into motion. Makes him a love em' or hate em' sort of guy. And of cousre there's Jigsaw. It was cool to get a glimpse into Jigsaw/John Kramer's psyche. He truly believes he's doing the right thing, and as any true puppet master he throws out clues left and right, you just have to be listening. The casting for the puzzle players was good, and offered a decent range of characters, from people you wanted to see make it out to those you were actually looking forward to seeing meet a gruesome end. All in all I thought it was a great movie, nuff said. And since SAW III is out in 3 days I figure the timing for seeing SAW II is pretty good. I'm recomending it so check it out if you get a chance.
Now what was that you were asking about NACHOOOOOOOOOOOOO Libre? Well, that's a post for a different time. As in not now. I'm still processing the sheer majesty of this soon-to-be classic, so check back in a few days.
It's all part of the game >:D And with that, I'm going to bed.
Around this time every year I keep my eyes peeled for any specials that come up in the "Horror" sections of the many stores we travel to. I'm a bit of a horror film fan and like to add to my small collection of horror goodies when I can. As luck would have it I was able to find 2 movies in particular that were priced well ($9.99!) and that I've wanted to either see or own for awhile. The first movie, Clive Barker's HELLRAISER, is a classic that I haven't seen in many years and is a movie I can remember at the time of it's release was considered incredibly gory as well as "dark and twisted". And although I didn't watch it tonight, I'm looking quite forward seeing it before the end of the week.
The other movie I purchased was SAW II. I was fortunate enough to get an advance screening to the first SAW movie, and although I missed portions of the movie due to the non-stop screaming for the annoying prissy little girls sitting at the front of the theater, I did enjoy what I watched. And although the critics were mixed on the sequel, I was willing to pick up. The way I look at it the third movie is out this weekend and I'd really like to see it. I'd have to pay between 3-5 bucks to rent #2, or for $9.99 I can own it. If I don't like it I'm only out a couple of bucks and it can sit in my collection, and if I do then it's worth the price I payed. So really it's not much of a gamble. And because I tend to teeter on the crazy side of things I did in fact decide to watch SAW II tonight right after I watched NACHOOOOOOOOOOOO Libre! Did I mention I have to work in 6 hours? Ah, what's sleep anyways.
So after reading this drabble up to now (provided you made it this far) you're probably wondering what I thought of SAW II. Well? I liked it. I liked it very, VERY much. In fact, I think it's one of the most intelligent and enjoyable horror shows I've watched in a long time. The makers of this franchise have certainly stumbled onto a winning formula with Jigsaw and company and their puzzles. Ask anyone who knows me, I love a movie that offers me a puzzle to solve while I watch. And girls crying on film.........but that's another topic for a different day :P
Anyways, I also liked the characters used in this film, and enjoyed the acting alot more than I did in the first movie. Donny Walhberg plays a cop well and he does a great job here as Detective Eric Mathews. He's the main character by all rights, but is also closely tied into everything that Jigsaw has put into motion. Makes him a love em' or hate em' sort of guy. And of cousre there's Jigsaw. It was cool to get a glimpse into Jigsaw/John Kramer's psyche. He truly believes he's doing the right thing, and as any true puppet master he throws out clues left and right, you just have to be listening. The casting for the puzzle players was good, and offered a decent range of characters, from people you wanted to see make it out to those you were actually looking forward to seeing meet a gruesome end. All in all I thought it was a great movie, nuff said. And since SAW III is out in 3 days I figure the timing for seeing SAW II is pretty good. I'm recomending it so check it out if you get a chance.
Now what was that you were asking about NACHOOOOOOOOOOOOO Libre? Well, that's a post for a different time. As in not now. I'm still processing the sheer majesty of this soon-to-be classic, so check back in a few days.
It's all part of the game >:D And with that, I'm going to bed.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
A very busy weekend.
This weekend was busy. Very, very busy. But in a very good way and for 2 very good causes.
On Saturday I had the honour of attending a wedding in Banff that united my good friends Kandrix Foong and Laurie Breitkreuz in holy matrimony. Held at the beautiful Juniper lodge over looking Lake Minnewanka, were blessed enough to have decent weather for the outside ceremony. It was a good service, filled with the typical humour and goofy moments that I've come to expect from a clown like Kandix, followed by an amazing dinner and a touching slide show to honour their history together. There was a large group of us in attendance that all work in and around the comic book industry, and having several familiar faces around to relax and hang out with is always fun. I really enjoyed the many conversations and laughs I shared with Kelly Dowd and his wife Chris, Charles Silbernagel, Rove, Jim Demonakos, and Cody Baker (and his lovely girlfriend). It was really nice to have the time to mingle and celebrate this occation with the many friends Kandrix and Laurie share in the comic book community, as I've had the privaledge to get to know many of them over the years as well. Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the evening festivities (party, party, PARTY!!!!) as I was scheduled for a Webcomics panel in Edmonton the following day and had to leave Calgary early Sunday morning for the 3 hour drive. But I had a great time for the day I was able to spend in Banff and would like to thank the Foongs (that will take some time getting used to :D) for allowing me to be a part of their big day.
After getting a generous 4 hours of sleep (the same as the previous night) I was up, packing, and off to Edmonton with Kevin. We were invited by our good friend Jay Bardyla to be a part of the Pure Speculations show held at the Edmonton Delta South hotel. Jay was once again holding a series of Comic Talks panels that cover a wide variety of topics all centered on the world of comics. Because of our involvement in both Twice Thursday and Out of Mind Studios we were invited to share the knowledge we have gained in the industry with people who are interested in that knowledge. Or something like that :P For us it's a great opportunity to hangout and talk comics with people, many of which are friends and fellow creators and some who are aspiring to be. Neither one of us knew what to expect, but both Kevin and I seen this as a chance to gain experience in a panel-like setting and also spread the word about our product.
The panel was awesome, as we had more people then I honestly thought would show. Our fellow panelist were Rudi Gunther of Deathworld, Marie-Claire Gould of Will Work for Games, and Tarol Hunt of Goblins. Each one of us had something unique and interesting to say about our comics and offered the audience a great deal of information into the why's, what's, and how's of Webcomic making. It was awesome to meet each creator and to be able to spend time with them. We also had a chance to chat up Sean O'Reilly, the owner of Arcana Studios and visit with him for awhile. Sean an old friend of ours and it's always great to talk shop with him. We were also fortunate enough to get to hang out with Bob Prowder, The Vicious Ambitious guys, the costume savvy Erin Scott, and Brian Hodgson and I thank them all for visiting with us. Unfortunately the turn out for the show that day was rather small and I know the organizers were hoping for much better then that. With more advertising and word of mouth the show will hopefully get stronger next year.
After the event we headed out for a bite to eat and more shop talk with Sean. He needed a lift to the airport and we just happened to be going that way so things worked out good for him. I was hoping to get the chance to vist with James Adamson, an old friend of mine, but our schedules just didn't coincide. I'm sure with better planning on my part we'll hook up soon. Sorry dude!
The ride there and back was great for Kevin and I as it allowed us plenty of time to discuss our plans for the immediate future of our business. We have an amazing story that we've been talking about for the last couple of weeks and the trip allowed us the opportunity to throw out more ideas and get a good sense of what it is we need to do with these ideas. It was a great time for the creative process to flow, and I'm more pumped then ever to get things rolling! 2007 will be a big year for us, just wait and see!!
We finally arrived back home around 10 pm and I did my best to put things away, grab something to snack on and relax. It's nice to be able to have had a day to absorb the weekend and look back on things. Even though it was busy I had a blast! This was pretty much the last full weekend of events for me this year and I'm already looking forward to next year and the next big busy weekend. Maybe Seattle in April? Who know right now, but whatever and whenever it is I'm sure it will rock. Thanks again to everyone I had the chance to see and visit with this weekend, it was awesome to see you all. And with that, goodnight.
On Saturday I had the honour of attending a wedding in Banff that united my good friends Kandrix Foong and Laurie Breitkreuz in holy matrimony. Held at the beautiful Juniper lodge over looking Lake Minnewanka, were blessed enough to have decent weather for the outside ceremony. It was a good service, filled with the typical humour and goofy moments that I've come to expect from a clown like Kandix, followed by an amazing dinner and a touching slide show to honour their history together. There was a large group of us in attendance that all work in and around the comic book industry, and having several familiar faces around to relax and hang out with is always fun. I really enjoyed the many conversations and laughs I shared with Kelly Dowd and his wife Chris, Charles Silbernagel, Rove, Jim Demonakos, and Cody Baker (and his lovely girlfriend). It was really nice to have the time to mingle and celebrate this occation with the many friends Kandrix and Laurie share in the comic book community, as I've had the privaledge to get to know many of them over the years as well. Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the evening festivities (party, party, PARTY!!!!) as I was scheduled for a Webcomics panel in Edmonton the following day and had to leave Calgary early Sunday morning for the 3 hour drive. But I had a great time for the day I was able to spend in Banff and would like to thank the Foongs (that will take some time getting used to :D) for allowing me to be a part of their big day.
After getting a generous 4 hours of sleep (the same as the previous night) I was up, packing, and off to Edmonton with Kevin. We were invited by our good friend Jay Bardyla to be a part of the Pure Speculations show held at the Edmonton Delta South hotel. Jay was once again holding a series of Comic Talks panels that cover a wide variety of topics all centered on the world of comics. Because of our involvement in both Twice Thursday and Out of Mind Studios we were invited to share the knowledge we have gained in the industry with people who are interested in that knowledge. Or something like that :P For us it's a great opportunity to hangout and talk comics with people, many of which are friends and fellow creators and some who are aspiring to be. Neither one of us knew what to expect, but both Kevin and I seen this as a chance to gain experience in a panel-like setting and also spread the word about our product.
The panel was awesome, as we had more people then I honestly thought would show. Our fellow panelist were Rudi Gunther of Deathworld, Marie-Claire Gould of Will Work for Games, and Tarol Hunt of Goblins. Each one of us had something unique and interesting to say about our comics and offered the audience a great deal of information into the why's, what's, and how's of Webcomic making. It was awesome to meet each creator and to be able to spend time with them. We also had a chance to chat up Sean O'Reilly, the owner of Arcana Studios and visit with him for awhile. Sean an old friend of ours and it's always great to talk shop with him. We were also fortunate enough to get to hang out with Bob Prowder, The Vicious Ambitious guys, the costume savvy Erin Scott, and Brian Hodgson and I thank them all for visiting with us. Unfortunately the turn out for the show that day was rather small and I know the organizers were hoping for much better then that. With more advertising and word of mouth the show will hopefully get stronger next year.
After the event we headed out for a bite to eat and more shop talk with Sean. He needed a lift to the airport and we just happened to be going that way so things worked out good for him. I was hoping to get the chance to vist with James Adamson, an old friend of mine, but our schedules just didn't coincide. I'm sure with better planning on my part we'll hook up soon. Sorry dude!
The ride there and back was great for Kevin and I as it allowed us plenty of time to discuss our plans for the immediate future of our business. We have an amazing story that we've been talking about for the last couple of weeks and the trip allowed us the opportunity to throw out more ideas and get a good sense of what it is we need to do with these ideas. It was a great time for the creative process to flow, and I'm more pumped then ever to get things rolling! 2007 will be a big year for us, just wait and see!!
We finally arrived back home around 10 pm and I did my best to put things away, grab something to snack on and relax. It's nice to be able to have had a day to absorb the weekend and look back on things. Even though it was busy I had a blast! This was pretty much the last full weekend of events for me this year and I'm already looking forward to next year and the next big busy weekend. Maybe Seattle in April? Who know right now, but whatever and whenever it is I'm sure it will rock. Thanks again to everyone I had the chance to see and visit with this weekend, it was awesome to see you all. And with that, goodnight.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Thank you Kingdom Come.
I sat down tonight and read Mark Waid and Alex Ross' Kingdom Come. I needed inspiration. From what I've been told Kingdom Come is an epic story that's a must-read for any and every comic fan. Until now I never bothered to take the time. I blamed not reading on "not liking Alex Ross" or "not having great character knowledge of the DC universe". Really quite lame excuses. But for some reason tonight, after having an interesting conversation with Kevin about "epic comics" and wanting to create something truly epic ourselves, I decide to read a piece of comic history that's described as being just that. So I read it. I absorbed it. And I feel I truly experienced something.....for lack of a better term: profound. Kindom Come truly is epic. It's an amazing accomplishment and a perfect example of what it is that truly makes comics worth doing. It's amazing.
I needed inspiration and I found it. Because of what I read I've been able to get more accomplished in a couple of hours then I've been able to do in a couple of weeks. I feel good about drawing and writing. I'm convinced now that I'll be able to finish what needs to get done. Because a story about never giving up has made me feel this way. A comic book story made me feel this way. Wow.
I know if read Kingdom Come a few years ago it wouldn't have meant as much. Maybe there was I reason I waited so long. But I'm glad I did. This is the most excited about comics I've been, well, quite possibly ever. The lenghts and strides that Waid and Ross were willing to go to bring this story to life is present in each and every panel and in each and every conversation. They created a story of epic proportions that I truly believe was meant to be inspiring for people like me who need that lift every now and then. I needed a boost. I really wanted to like what I've convinced myself is what I was meant to do. I'm here to create. My purpose is to develope and produce fantastic stories for others to enjoy as much as I do. I know this. But I needed to be reminded of it. I can do this. All I needed was to be inspired again.
So now I'm off to do a little more creating before I sleep. Tommorow I'll do more. And the next day and the day after that. I have fantastic ideas blazing through my head that I want to share with the world. Whenever I bounce the ideas off of Kevin I think we both get that giddy feeling inside that tells us that we're close. We're really close to breaking through. And when we do, look out folks! It can be done!
Thank you Mark Waid and thank you Alex Ross. Your story may well have saved this comic lover. I hope one day to create in a way that you've both done. And someday it will be an epic story that I helped create that will inspire someone. Somebody who just like me, needed to be reminded. Someone who needed that feeling once again.
I needed inspiration and I found it. Because of what I read I've been able to get more accomplished in a couple of hours then I've been able to do in a couple of weeks. I feel good about drawing and writing. I'm convinced now that I'll be able to finish what needs to get done. Because a story about never giving up has made me feel this way. A comic book story made me feel this way. Wow.
I know if read Kingdom Come a few years ago it wouldn't have meant as much. Maybe there was I reason I waited so long. But I'm glad I did. This is the most excited about comics I've been, well, quite possibly ever. The lenghts and strides that Waid and Ross were willing to go to bring this story to life is present in each and every panel and in each and every conversation. They created a story of epic proportions that I truly believe was meant to be inspiring for people like me who need that lift every now and then. I needed a boost. I really wanted to like what I've convinced myself is what I was meant to do. I'm here to create. My purpose is to develope and produce fantastic stories for others to enjoy as much as I do. I know this. But I needed to be reminded of it. I can do this. All I needed was to be inspired again.
So now I'm off to do a little more creating before I sleep. Tommorow I'll do more. And the next day and the day after that. I have fantastic ideas blazing through my head that I want to share with the world. Whenever I bounce the ideas off of Kevin I think we both get that giddy feeling inside that tells us that we're close. We're really close to breaking through. And when we do, look out folks! It can be done!
Thank you Mark Waid and thank you Alex Ross. Your story may well have saved this comic lover. I hope one day to create in a way that you've both done. And someday it will be an epic story that I helped create that will inspire someone. Somebody who just like me, needed to be reminded. Someone who needed that feeling once again.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Needed a change around here.
I changed the look of the blog. It needed something refreshing. So here it is! I lost all of my links and fellow bloggers, so if I missed putting you back in let me know. Other than that, enjoy the new surroundings. I know I will!
Friday, September 29, 2006
Wow, cobwebs.
I haven't been here for awhile. I think I was kidnapped or I died or something! Damn alien zombies!!!
Okay, I haven't been made into the living dead, or at least not yet. I've been doing that one dreadful thing that all mankind must do (or should do): I've been working. Alot. A fack of alot more than I want to be. But it's for a good cause. I have some bills I'd like to clear up, some new furniture I'd like to buy, and I want to travel somewhere warm this winter.
I want to live a little.
But in order to do that I need to make money, and right now I have the opportunity to do so. Unfortunately all this work has taken a toll on me. I've missed 5 classes of Karate, I've fallen way behind on my projects, and I think I'm the most out-of-shape looking that I've ever been. I look like shit, I feel like shit. But soon things will be better. I'm going to be getting my normal schedule back in about a weeks time. No more 10-14 hour days, and no more 5 days a week. Probably 4 days of work with 3 days to draw and catch up on stuff. Plus, with tournament season starting soon I'm in desparate need of some quality workout time, so I have to work that into the schedule. We (my father and I) have got some new equipment down in the gym that should help. A heavy-duty benchpress set, 300 lbs of weights, and a kickass stationary bike that doesn't hurt your ass. So things should start to get better and I can start to lose my unpleasent shape and start looking like me again!
And I'd like to send a special shout out to my friend Jose Potter. As I mentioned in my previous posting, Jose competed in N.Y.C. at the All American Open and fought incredibly well finishing second in her class. I've been told she fought 4 fights, beating the woman who placed 2nd at the World Championships, and eventually lost the finals to a very tough 17 year old from Bulgeria. Only 27 years younger than her :P So congratualations Jose on doing yourself and all of us here proud! My only wish it that she doesn't beat me up so badly now that the tournament is over. I'm getting old and my body can't take it anymore :D
Okay, I haven't been made into the living dead, or at least not yet. I've been doing that one dreadful thing that all mankind must do (or should do): I've been working. Alot. A fack of alot more than I want to be. But it's for a good cause. I have some bills I'd like to clear up, some new furniture I'd like to buy, and I want to travel somewhere warm this winter.
I want to live a little.
But in order to do that I need to make money, and right now I have the opportunity to do so. Unfortunately all this work has taken a toll on me. I've missed 5 classes of Karate, I've fallen way behind on my projects, and I think I'm the most out-of-shape looking that I've ever been. I look like shit, I feel like shit. But soon things will be better. I'm going to be getting my normal schedule back in about a weeks time. No more 10-14 hour days, and no more 5 days a week. Probably 4 days of work with 3 days to draw and catch up on stuff. Plus, with tournament season starting soon I'm in desparate need of some quality workout time, so I have to work that into the schedule. We (my father and I) have got some new equipment down in the gym that should help. A heavy-duty benchpress set, 300 lbs of weights, and a kickass stationary bike that doesn't hurt your ass. So things should start to get better and I can start to lose my unpleasent shape and start looking like me again!
And I'd like to send a special shout out to my friend Jose Potter. As I mentioned in my previous posting, Jose competed in N.Y.C. at the All American Open and fought incredibly well finishing second in her class. I've been told she fought 4 fights, beating the woman who placed 2nd at the World Championships, and eventually lost the finals to a very tough 17 year old from Bulgeria. Only 27 years younger than her :P So congratualations Jose on doing yourself and all of us here proud! My only wish it that she doesn't beat me up so badly now that the tournament is over. I'm getting old and my body can't take it anymore :D
Monday, September 11, 2006
It's feels good to be back!
Tonight was my first night of training for the fall term in Kyokushin Karate. It was an awesome class that will go a long way to getting us all back in shape for the upcoming tournament season and testing in December. We spent a good portion of the class working up a sweat through the warm-up and continued on with some moving basics and sparring. And todays sparring was a special one as this is the last sparring my friend Jose will be doing before she leaves to compete in New York on the 22nd. We have to give her some time to heel from all the hard work and training we did over the summer! It felt great to be sparring again as I've learned a few new things over the summer and I'm looking forward to getting the oppertunity to test them out. And Jose gave me a heck of a fight which tells me she's more then ready for New York and will do very well. She's already made us all quite proud through her dedication and determination!
So it was nice to get back into the swing of things. I feel out of shape, but that's typically how we all feel after summer break.
My Sensei made the comment that I look like I've gained 20 pounds over the summer, and he wasn't far off! But I'll be working hard to get into good tournament shape and I'm feeling positive the extra weight will work to my avantage in my heavily competitve division. I was considered to be on the lower end of the Heavyweight Division but now that I've been able to gain some size I'm more evenly matched, which is definately favorable when you're fighting guys in the 225-250 pound range! I'm setting my sights on the South Okanagan Tournament on November 18th, unless they decide to hold the Cranbrook Tournament before then. It's a nice tournament to get the season going and will be a great place for me to build experience in the Open Division. I'm excited to be back training and I'm looking forward to the new tournament season. And it was really nice to see everyone again. I can hardly wait until Saturday and more in-class training!
So it was nice to get back into the swing of things. I feel out of shape, but that's typically how we all feel after summer break.
My Sensei made the comment that I look like I've gained 20 pounds over the summer, and he wasn't far off! But I'll be working hard to get into good tournament shape and I'm feeling positive the extra weight will work to my avantage in my heavily competitve division. I was considered to be on the lower end of the Heavyweight Division but now that I've been able to gain some size I'm more evenly matched, which is definately favorable when you're fighting guys in the 225-250 pound range! I'm setting my sights on the South Okanagan Tournament on November 18th, unless they decide to hold the Cranbrook Tournament before then. It's a nice tournament to get the season going and will be a great place for me to build experience in the Open Division. I'm excited to be back training and I'm looking forward to the new tournament season. And it was really nice to see everyone again. I can hardly wait until Saturday and more in-class training!
Saturday, September 09, 2006
A moment of clarity.
Have you ever had a moment in your life, one fleeting perfect moment, where it seemed like everything in the cosmos suddenly became perfectly aligned and everything that you've been pondering and brooding over made absolute perfect sense?
Me neither. But right now, after a full day of watching Veronica Mars season 2 and doing my best to eliminate all the alcohol in my apartment via consumption, I suddenly feel like I might be the closest I'll ever be to that moment.
It all makes sense now.
And although this somewhat criptic message might not make sense to anyone but me, I feel it needs to be logged in my blog for future referrence. All anyone ever really needs to be satified is a reason. For some it's a cause; for others it's a purpose. Sometimes these things make us happy and sometimes they just bring about a sense of contemptment. But whatever the reason, cause or purpose, as long as there seems to be something there worth doing, the end result should always be the same. It's the journey, or quest, that we choose to take that ultimately provides us with life's pervebial "bumps in the road". They're there to teach us through trial and error the right and wrong way about things. Without them the journey would have no meaning, and therefore our purpose or reason wouldn't exist and we would all be back at square one. By taking these quests, and fullfilling our purpose, we should ultimately achieve an ending, and with that a sense of completion. I like to think of it as a "prize" for finishing our quest. Like a "trophy" that only we can see and it doesn't collect dust because it's on a shelf inside our mind. And everytime we think about it we feel warm and happy all over. It brings about a feeling of pride knowing that an end has been reached, and for better or worse no one can take that away. I'm going to be finishing a quest very soon. One that has been going on for a very long time, but it eventually had to end so that another can begin. I don't feel any sense of pride for finishing, but I do feel relieved which is a prize in itself. And my new journey will be epic; a quest that could very well take me the rest of this life to complete. The end result will be incredibly gratifying, but it's the quest that I'm most looking forward to.
It's time to unleash my potential. I've kept things under heavy lock n' key for well over a decade now. Over the past few weeks I've felt things building up, like a pot of pasta you fill too full and the water's about to boil over. It's been causing me a loss of proper sleep, a serious lack of motivation, and above all has made me feel tremendously unhappy. I like to be happy. I believe what I'm going to do will make me very happy, and above all be an achievement I'll be proud of accomplishing.
One journey ends, another takes it place. It will all happen soon and most people won't notice at first. But keep watching. All things happen for a good reason. And I have one. That's all I can say for now. Time to put a new pot on the stove, set it to the right temperature, and wait for the water to boil. You never rush if you want good pasta.
Me neither. But right now, after a full day of watching Veronica Mars season 2 and doing my best to eliminate all the alcohol in my apartment via consumption, I suddenly feel like I might be the closest I'll ever be to that moment.
It all makes sense now.
And although this somewhat criptic message might not make sense to anyone but me, I feel it needs to be logged in my blog for future referrence. All anyone ever really needs to be satified is a reason. For some it's a cause; for others it's a purpose. Sometimes these things make us happy and sometimes they just bring about a sense of contemptment. But whatever the reason, cause or purpose, as long as there seems to be something there worth doing, the end result should always be the same. It's the journey, or quest, that we choose to take that ultimately provides us with life's pervebial "bumps in the road". They're there to teach us through trial and error the right and wrong way about things. Without them the journey would have no meaning, and therefore our purpose or reason wouldn't exist and we would all be back at square one. By taking these quests, and fullfilling our purpose, we should ultimately achieve an ending, and with that a sense of completion. I like to think of it as a "prize" for finishing our quest. Like a "trophy" that only we can see and it doesn't collect dust because it's on a shelf inside our mind. And everytime we think about it we feel warm and happy all over. It brings about a feeling of pride knowing that an end has been reached, and for better or worse no one can take that away. I'm going to be finishing a quest very soon. One that has been going on for a very long time, but it eventually had to end so that another can begin. I don't feel any sense of pride for finishing, but I do feel relieved which is a prize in itself. And my new journey will be epic; a quest that could very well take me the rest of this life to complete. The end result will be incredibly gratifying, but it's the quest that I'm most looking forward to.
It's time to unleash my potential. I've kept things under heavy lock n' key for well over a decade now. Over the past few weeks I've felt things building up, like a pot of pasta you fill too full and the water's about to boil over. It's been causing me a loss of proper sleep, a serious lack of motivation, and above all has made me feel tremendously unhappy. I like to be happy. I believe what I'm going to do will make me very happy, and above all be an achievement I'll be proud of accomplishing.
One journey ends, another takes it place. It will all happen soon and most people won't notice at first. But keep watching. All things happen for a good reason. And I have one. That's all I can say for now. Time to put a new pot on the stove, set it to the right temperature, and wait for the water to boil. You never rush if you want good pasta.
Friday, September 01, 2006
I'm feeling much better now, thank you.
It's amazing what having a week off will do for a person. It's even more amazing how once that person goes back to work and is thrown face first into one of the most insane work weeks of his life, he just smiles. And that's what I'm doing now. Smiling.
It 2:12 am as I write this, and believe it or not I just got in from work. As most of you know I do sign installation projects with my friend part-time, and tonight we had a big one. We've been non-stop busy all week, putting in 30 plus hours in 3 days. Tonight we had to go to Eaton Centre, located in downtown Calgary, and remove/re-install all the signs on their escalators and elevators. It's a big job but well worth it's weight in gold. And having just spent 5 hours hanging 30 feet in the air helping to install these signs makes me giggle. Not because the thought of falling to my death if I slip is funny, although to some it might be. And not because the payout for doing this is stupid good money. It's because as of now my weekend has begun. And as of earlier this week I'm feeling it again. I want to draw. No, scratch that! I NEED TO DRAW!!!!
I'm going to be finishing up the project that has been bothering me, because I finally see that it's going to be alright. It will be good. And my next project is going to be great! And the one after that.... spectacular! Because I'll make it that way. I'm living my dream and I should be happy while doing it. Thanks to everyone who sent me words of encouragement. I heard them and they helped. I'm going to bed now. I have a busy weekend ahead of me.
I'm looking very forward to it.
It 2:12 am as I write this, and believe it or not I just got in from work. As most of you know I do sign installation projects with my friend part-time, and tonight we had a big one. We've been non-stop busy all week, putting in 30 plus hours in 3 days. Tonight we had to go to Eaton Centre, located in downtown Calgary, and remove/re-install all the signs on their escalators and elevators. It's a big job but well worth it's weight in gold. And having just spent 5 hours hanging 30 feet in the air helping to install these signs makes me giggle. Not because the thought of falling to my death if I slip is funny, although to some it might be. And not because the payout for doing this is stupid good money. It's because as of now my weekend has begun. And as of earlier this week I'm feeling it again. I want to draw. No, scratch that! I NEED TO DRAW!!!!
I'm going to be finishing up the project that has been bothering me, because I finally see that it's going to be alright. It will be good. And my next project is going to be great! And the one after that.... spectacular! Because I'll make it that way. I'm living my dream and I should be happy while doing it. Thanks to everyone who sent me words of encouragement. I heard them and they helped. I'm going to bed now. I have a busy weekend ahead of me.
I'm looking very forward to it.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Canadian Geek - A place to be heard!
There's a new forum for us Canadian Geeks to be seen and heard. And conveniently it's located at
www.canadiangeek.org/forums
It's a great new forum created for geeks everywhere, but built by you. Go check it out. It's fresh and new and has something for everyone. And I'm told this is only the beginning. Get in on the ground floor of what I'm sure will be something very big and very special down the road. Now go check it out dammit!
www.canadiangeek.org/forums
It's a great new forum created for geeks everywhere, but built by you. Go check it out. It's fresh and new and has something for everyone. And I'm told this is only the beginning. Get in on the ground floor of what I'm sure will be something very big and very special down the road. Now go check it out dammit!
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
I'm experiencing difficulties.
I'm not enjoying this. I should be working on a story that I need to get done soon and I find myself not enjoying it. I'm getting frustrated and pissed off because what I want to draw and what I am drawing are not one in the same. And it's not the story; it needs work but I'm getting through it. What's bothering me is the process. I'm not enjoying this anymore. I love drawing, but right now I don't feel it. And I want to, I really, really want to. I have alot of free time right now to draw. I should be utilizing the time. But I'm just not feeling it.
Maybe this is the equilvalent of writer's block. Maybe I need to approach things from a different perspective. But as of right now, this very moment..... it's not there. And I feel lost because it's not there. All I've wanted to do for the past 3 years is have my life set up so that I can do the one thing I love to do: draw. And I have that. So why isn't this working? Why do I feel so frustrated? Am I being too hard on myself? No, I don't think so. What I think might be the problem is that I'm missing my drive. The passion to excel and push myself and my limits to new edges. It's gone. The passion is gone. And I know where I lost it.
San Diego.
Ever since I came back from what can only be discribed as " the biggest fucking waste of $2000 I've ever spent!" I've felt empty. And angry. I feel like a part of me was sucked right out of my very core. Like I'm missing a part of my soul. And it truly is a horrible feeling. This year's trip was supposed to be fun and progressive and seen as some-what of an accomplishment. Parts of it were. Las Vegas was amazing, and San Francisco was an experience. But San Diego? I usually leave there glowing and happy. This year I just couldn't wait to leave. It's become too much. The crowds, the "Hollywood" presence. It's just too much. Where's that overwhelming feeling of "Wow, I'm at ComicCon!"? Why didn't I feel like I was part of something great? Because the spirit of what it all used to mean is gone. It's dead. And I don't think it's coming back in a future issue. Dead means dead. And I couldn't be more depressed about it if I tried. So I've come to a decision:
I'm not going back. Not without a reason; a genuine cause. And I don't see one in my immediate future.
I need to do something soon. I'm hoping to get out of town. I need to go for a drive and collect myself. Maybe Drumheller. Maybe to my old place in the mountains. But I need to get away and regroup. Look at things with a clear head. Connect with what's lost somewhere inside me. I need my passion back. Before it's too late and I give up on comics all together. More than anything in the world I don't want that to happen. But I have a burning in my chest that won't go away.
I need to do what I can to make it go away.
Maybe this is the equilvalent of writer's block. Maybe I need to approach things from a different perspective. But as of right now, this very moment..... it's not there. And I feel lost because it's not there. All I've wanted to do for the past 3 years is have my life set up so that I can do the one thing I love to do: draw. And I have that. So why isn't this working? Why do I feel so frustrated? Am I being too hard on myself? No, I don't think so. What I think might be the problem is that I'm missing my drive. The passion to excel and push myself and my limits to new edges. It's gone. The passion is gone. And I know where I lost it.
San Diego.
Ever since I came back from what can only be discribed as " the biggest fucking waste of $2000 I've ever spent!" I've felt empty. And angry. I feel like a part of me was sucked right out of my very core. Like I'm missing a part of my soul. And it truly is a horrible feeling. This year's trip was supposed to be fun and progressive and seen as some-what of an accomplishment. Parts of it were. Las Vegas was amazing, and San Francisco was an experience. But San Diego? I usually leave there glowing and happy. This year I just couldn't wait to leave. It's become too much. The crowds, the "Hollywood" presence. It's just too much. Where's that overwhelming feeling of "Wow, I'm at ComicCon!"? Why didn't I feel like I was part of something great? Because the spirit of what it all used to mean is gone. It's dead. And I don't think it's coming back in a future issue. Dead means dead. And I couldn't be more depressed about it if I tried. So I've come to a decision:
I'm not going back. Not without a reason; a genuine cause. And I don't see one in my immediate future.
I need to do something soon. I'm hoping to get out of town. I need to go for a drive and collect myself. Maybe Drumheller. Maybe to my old place in the mountains. But I need to get away and regroup. Look at things with a clear head. Connect with what's lost somewhere inside me. I need my passion back. Before it's too late and I give up on comics all together. More than anything in the world I don't want that to happen. But I have a burning in my chest that won't go away.
I need to do what I can to make it go away.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
It's my birthday and.....
.......I'll party if I want to, drink if I want to, sleep if I want to. You'd do it to if it ...well...was your birthday :P
So I'm 31 years old today. Hold the applause, please, and just send gifts! It's been a stellar 31 years of existence to date and I'm looking forward to what can only be a bright and shiny future! Okay, hopefully it's at least a good and low-on-the-shitty-side-of-things future. That would be cool.
So I raise a glass and toast to being 31. Cheers and good wishes folks, I'm off to get drunk!
So I'm 31 years old today. Hold the applause, please, and just send gifts! It's been a stellar 31 years of existence to date and I'm looking forward to what can only be a bright and shiny future! Okay, hopefully it's at least a good and low-on-the-shitty-side-of-things future. That would be cool.
So I raise a glass and toast to being 31. Cheers and good wishes folks, I'm off to get drunk!
Monday, July 31, 2006
And we go live in 3..2..1....
And I'm back. That had to be the longest bloody trip of my life. But not only did I go to San Diego to the monster of all comic book conventions, I also went to hot-as-fuck Las Vegas and cramped-as-hell San Francisco! And I have such stories to tell you all. But not today.
I'm still recovering from the very long trip back home were I received next to no sleep. Although I just slept 16 hours, it's still not enough to make my head and body feel any better. So within the next day or so I'll put up what I'd like to call the San Diego Rant, as well as share some stories and maybe even a few pictures from the rest of the trip.
So I'm announcing that I'm officially back. The 3 of you who read this should be gleeming with joy!
I'm still recovering from the very long trip back home were I received next to no sleep. Although I just slept 16 hours, it's still not enough to make my head and body feel any better. So within the next day or so I'll put up what I'd like to call the San Diego Rant, as well as share some stories and maybe even a few pictures from the rest of the trip.
So I'm announcing that I'm officially back. The 3 of you who read this should be gleeming with joy!
Friday, July 14, 2006
I'm going to San Diego!
Since I'm leaving in the morning for my fun-filled road trip to San Diego, I thought I would write one last post as sort of an "update" if you will. In true SDCC fashion, the crazy folks in the professional registration office waited until the last minute to send my confirmation forms to let me know I'll be attending the Con as a pro. At least now I know!!!!! And the good folks (great, fantastic people really!) at ComiXpress came through with our shipment and we received the books yesterday afternoon. I will now be able to distribute the new books and will have some copies to give out in San Diego. I also finished up 4 new full color pin-ups for my portfolio, and have already sold 6 prints! (Thanks Mom)
So now that the rush is over, the fun can truly begin. We'll be heading straight for Las Vegas where my crew and I will spend 2 gambling and drinking filled days at the Excaliber Hotel and Casino. I just visited the hotel site, and it's a freaking castle! So cool!!!!! From there we'll be heading to San Diego. Let the Convention Madness begin!
So I'll be gone for a few weeks. I'm so excited this year, as I'll have plenty of people I know to hang out with at the convention, and my good friend Neil is flying in from Dallas to party with us. It's going to be awesome. The only downer to this all is that my best friend and studio partner Mr. Kevin Sole will not be able to attend this year. He switched jobs a few months back and in doing so lost his holiday time. So please pop by his blog over the next couple of weeks and keep him company, while I do my best to represent for the studio. Take care everyone.
So now that the rush is over, the fun can truly begin. We'll be heading straight for Las Vegas where my crew and I will spend 2 gambling and drinking filled days at the Excaliber Hotel and Casino. I just visited the hotel site, and it's a freaking castle! So cool!!!!! From there we'll be heading to San Diego. Let the Convention Madness begin!
So I'll be gone for a few weeks. I'm so excited this year, as I'll have plenty of people I know to hang out with at the convention, and my good friend Neil is flying in from Dallas to party with us. It's going to be awesome. The only downer to this all is that my best friend and studio partner Mr. Kevin Sole will not be able to attend this year. He switched jobs a few months back and in doing so lost his holiday time. So please pop by his blog over the next couple of weeks and keep him company, while I do my best to represent for the studio. Take care everyone.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
It's arrived!
I finally received my preview copy of The Sorrow today. I'm very happy! And because I'm also quite critical of my own work, I'll have to take Kevin's word on the book. He's says it's very cool, reads well, and looks quite beautiful. I love the cover, and the print turned out nice, but I have other opinions on the book. I always feel my stuff could use something more, but again I'm my own worst critic so I'll leave it at that. It is quite cool, however to have a copy of my very own comic in my hands. I'm really very proud right now. It is definately an accomplishment and I look forward to future issues and more great work coming from Out of Mind Studios. Being a creator is so cool!!!
In the mean time the folks at ComiXpress are hard at work (I'm told) getting the rest of the order together, so with any luck I'll have copies available late next week. Then all my friends (and some of you nice people out there who read my blog!) can grab a copy for yourselves and make your own opinions on the book. Is it any good? Does it suck? Should I give up now and chase my dream of being a circus freak while there's still time? Or maybe you think it's awesome and I deserve a pat on the back. I'll leave that up to you to decide. Look (hopefully!!!) for the book to be on local comic book shelves by the 3rd week of July, or order your copy direct from ComiXpress when it becomes available. And because I want to, and I feel it's necessary, thank you in advance!
I look forward to hearing from anyone and everyone who picks up the book.
In the mean time the folks at ComiXpress are hard at work (I'm told) getting the rest of the order together, so with any luck I'll have copies available late next week. Then all my friends (and some of you nice people out there who read my blog!) can grab a copy for yourselves and make your own opinions on the book. Is it any good? Does it suck? Should I give up now and chase my dream of being a circus freak while there's still time? Or maybe you think it's awesome and I deserve a pat on the back. I'll leave that up to you to decide. Look (hopefully!!!) for the book to be on local comic book shelves by the 3rd week of July, or order your copy direct from ComiXpress when it becomes available. And because I want to, and I feel it's necessary, thank you in advance!
I look forward to hearing from anyone and everyone who picks up the book.
Monday, July 03, 2006
My new belt.
My friend Lalena wanted to see a picture of my new belt I received in Kyokushin Karate. And because I'm quite proud of the promotion, here it is. This belt is special to me because it's hand embroidered with my name and "Kyokushin Karate" and comes directly from Japan. I won the belt due to the money I raised at our clubs annual Kick-a-thon. It's a real honour to receive a belt like this, because there isn't very many like it handed out. Thanks.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Crazy things happen when women take notice.
I'm laughing right now. Very hard. And not because I read something funny, but instead because the funniest thing is happening right now to my best friend. You see, him and another friend both have blogs, both linked from this sight. And on their blogs they've both mentioned from time to time about the perils of dating and their frustration with the "game". One in particular finds the whole experience to be a great big headache, vowing instead to not bother getting into the game so he doesn't have to deal with the end results. It's a defeatist attitude, but it's something he strongly believes in so I don't push the issue more than I could. Now, I believe I have a reason.
Both my friends posted a quiz on their blogs with 56 questions in total. The same quiz can be found on this blog as well. My best friend answered in his typical fashion, with cynicism and pessimism, while my other friend seemed to take a more light-hearted approach and answered with humourous replies to many of the questions. But the end result was clear: they are down on their luck with love and frustrated by the opposite sex. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not thinking negatively about either person. They answered the questions no differently then I would have expected them to and both have their reasons for it. And I know there have been times when I've felt the same. But something happened I don't think either one of them expected to happen. Much to both their suprise, a real life, flesh and blood woman called them out. She questioned their responses and gave them something to consider. And she started it all with one reply.
She told my best friend that "both of them needed to be whomped upside the head". She said to him that in his post he doubted any girl had a crush on him, but that both he and my other friend probably get hit on all the time and just don't pick up on it. Granted, it might be subtle since girl comic geeks are often as shy and awkward as their male counterparts, but it does happen. She even told him that he was" Cute, funny and can cook Kraft Dinner, what more could a girl ask for? Start asking for phone numbers."
Now a typical response from most of us would be something like "Wow, if it was only that easy!" He wasn't sure how to respond.
But uhm, wait a second, did a girl just tell them to start asking for phone numbers? Did they get unsolicited advice from a.......girl? Holy shit, I guess they did!
Now here is where the fun starts. The questions began, and the wheels started turning. The search was on for "Miss Cellaneous". Even doubt set in and they wondered if she was real at all. But after a lengthy back-and-fourth "do I know you, have we met?" and "it's probably easy for you to give advice since if you are who I think you are you're married" reply-fest on the topic, it turns out all 3 of us have met the woman in question. She is very much real. And from what I remember (I'm the one with the good memory) she is also very nice, and very pretty. So's also NOT MARRIED. So you might be asking yourself, "What the blue hell is the point of this post then? You've only recapped events that are already documented so get to it!"
Here's my point. This girl went out of her way to point out to my friends that there are women out there who have the same doubts and insecurities that us male geeks do, but it doesn't have to be this way. Because for every girl out there who might snub you, ingnore you, or just flat out not give you the time of day, there is the "Miss Cellaneous" girls who won't. They see you. They find something in you that makes them smile, makes them feel good, and they spend time thinking about you just as much as you do about them. They exist, and now my friend has been given an opportunity for what I call self redemption. His life doesn't have to suck, and he doesn't have to be miserable and condemned to eternal loneliness. She is out there, she's real. Take the time to get out of your funk and make a change in your life for the better. Take a chance. It might end up leading to nothing but it's a start.
Now he might say "Well I don't see you doing anything to not be single!" and that's why I'm laughing. Because he may believe he's right, but he's not. In the past couple of days alone I've exchanged phone numbers, made plans for getting together with one of the girls I've met, and have made it a point to do something about my situation. I'm optomistic about things and I'm quite happy to give it a try. She has been on my mind constantly, and it's a good feeling. I have something to look forward to and I like the anticipation. Who knows, I might have met a girl I could end up very happy with, or at the very least I've made a new friend.
For me it's all about timing, always has been and always will be. Granted, he might say it's easier for me, but I say it's only easier because I let it be. And now it's his turn. The timing couldn't be better.
In the end Miss Cellaneous has given my best friend a reason try. I hope he's willing to finally do something.
Both my friends posted a quiz on their blogs with 56 questions in total. The same quiz can be found on this blog as well. My best friend answered in his typical fashion, with cynicism and pessimism, while my other friend seemed to take a more light-hearted approach and answered with humourous replies to many of the questions. But the end result was clear: they are down on their luck with love and frustrated by the opposite sex. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not thinking negatively about either person. They answered the questions no differently then I would have expected them to and both have their reasons for it. And I know there have been times when I've felt the same. But something happened I don't think either one of them expected to happen. Much to both their suprise, a real life, flesh and blood woman called them out. She questioned their responses and gave them something to consider. And she started it all with one reply.
She told my best friend that "both of them needed to be whomped upside the head". She said to him that in his post he doubted any girl had a crush on him, but that both he and my other friend probably get hit on all the time and just don't pick up on it. Granted, it might be subtle since girl comic geeks are often as shy and awkward as their male counterparts, but it does happen. She even told him that he was" Cute, funny and can cook Kraft Dinner, what more could a girl ask for? Start asking for phone numbers."
Now a typical response from most of us would be something like "Wow, if it was only that easy!" He wasn't sure how to respond.
But uhm, wait a second, did a girl just tell them to start asking for phone numbers? Did they get unsolicited advice from a.......girl? Holy shit, I guess they did!
Now here is where the fun starts. The questions began, and the wheels started turning. The search was on for "Miss Cellaneous". Even doubt set in and they wondered if she was real at all. But after a lengthy back-and-fourth "do I know you, have we met?" and "it's probably easy for you to give advice since if you are who I think you are you're married" reply-fest on the topic, it turns out all 3 of us have met the woman in question. She is very much real. And from what I remember (I'm the one with the good memory) she is also very nice, and very pretty. So's also NOT MARRIED. So you might be asking yourself, "What the blue hell is the point of this post then? You've only recapped events that are already documented so get to it!"
Here's my point. This girl went out of her way to point out to my friends that there are women out there who have the same doubts and insecurities that us male geeks do, but it doesn't have to be this way. Because for every girl out there who might snub you, ingnore you, or just flat out not give you the time of day, there is the "Miss Cellaneous" girls who won't. They see you. They find something in you that makes them smile, makes them feel good, and they spend time thinking about you just as much as you do about them. They exist, and now my friend has been given an opportunity for what I call self redemption. His life doesn't have to suck, and he doesn't have to be miserable and condemned to eternal loneliness. She is out there, she's real. Take the time to get out of your funk and make a change in your life for the better. Take a chance. It might end up leading to nothing but it's a start.
Now he might say "Well I don't see you doing anything to not be single!" and that's why I'm laughing. Because he may believe he's right, but he's not. In the past couple of days alone I've exchanged phone numbers, made plans for getting together with one of the girls I've met, and have made it a point to do something about my situation. I'm optomistic about things and I'm quite happy to give it a try. She has been on my mind constantly, and it's a good feeling. I have something to look forward to and I like the anticipation. Who knows, I might have met a girl I could end up very happy with, or at the very least I've made a new friend.
For me it's all about timing, always has been and always will be. Granted, he might say it's easier for me, but I say it's only easier because I let it be. And now it's his turn. The timing couldn't be better.
In the end Miss Cellaneous has given my best friend a reason try. I hope he's willing to finally do something.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Because all the cool kids are doing it......
Since 2 of my friends have posted this quiz in their blogs I thought I would as well. It seems like fun.
1) How old do you wish you were?
I'm comfortable being 30. I've have 30 good years of experience the lean on!
2)Where were you when 9/11 happened?
I was at home getting ready for work. I never went in that day.
3)What do you do when a vending machine steals your money?
I get a little pissed off. Then I usually walk away.
4)Do you consider yourself kind?
Most of the time.
5)If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?
I have several tattoos already; the next one will be on my right shoulder.
6)If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?
Japanese.
7)Do you know your neighbors?
Yes, he's one of my best friends.
8)What do you consider a vacation?
Anywhere that is far from home and brings me relaxation.
9)Do you follow your horoscope?
No, but I do get a kick out of reading it.
10)Would you move for the person you loved?
Yes, and I almost did once.
11)Are you touchy feely?
I am with the right woman. Right meaning someone who also likes to be touchy feely.
12)Do you believe opposites attract?
Not really. I believe attractiveness is different for everybody. Wheteher your opposites or not depends on the people involved.
13)Dream job?
Comic book creator. Oh wait, I already do that. So I'd want to be like the cool guys on Outdoor Life Network that get paid to travel the globe. Lucky guys!
14)Favorite channel(s)
Teletoon, OLN, Spike, TSN.
15)Favorite place to go on weekends?
The movie theater.
16)Showers or baths?
Showers
17)Do you paint your nails?
Not as a general rule.
18)Do you trust people easily?
I take everyone at face value. Trust is earned over time.
19)What are your phobias?
I do not like Bee's or Wasps. I'm alergic to bee stings and usually do my best to stay away from them.
20)Do you want kids?
In the right situation definately. For now I'll live viccariously through my sisters.
21)Do you keep a hand written journal?
No.
22)Where would you rather be right now?
Hawaii. So I could go surfing tommorow.
23)What makes you feel warm and fuzzy?
A sincere hug and a warm smile from someone I like. And my friend Lalena's cat Lexx. He's cool.
24)Heavy or light sleeper?
Light.
25)Are you paranoid?
Not that I'm aware of.
26)Are you impatient?
Yes, definatlely, but not with all things. Just with stuff that seems important to me that need to be addressed right away.
27)Who can you relate to?
I don't know how to answer this. I'm adaptive to my surroundings, so I guess almost anyone I meet I can find something to relate to. But I don't go out of my way to try to relate to everyone I meet. Makes sense in my head :P
28)How do you feel about interracial couples?
The same as I do about any and all couples. If you're happy and it works, go for it. Race, sexual preference, age, etc, as long as you love one another is all that matters.
29)Have you been burned by love?
Yes I have. I don't know too many people that haven't.
30)What's your favorite pick-up line?
Ha, I don't have one. Do they really even work?
31)What's the main ring tone on your mobile?
The one that came with the phone. "Hello Moto!"
32)What were you doing at midnight last night?
Eating pizza with the neighbor and his Uncle at Boston Pizza. Our waitress looked like Gwenyth Paltrow!
33)What did the last text on your cellphone say?
"Dude, that strip goes down in the history books!" It was in regards to the Twice Thursday comic strip I did this week.
34)Whose bed did you sleep in last night?
My bed.
35)What colour shirt are you wearing?
Black.
36)Most recent movie you watched?
Hitch. Very good movie I might add.
37)Name three thing you have on you at all times?
All times? My limbs, my hair, and my wonderful sense of humour!
38)What colour are your bed sheets?
Beige and Navy Blue.
39)How much cash do you have on you right now?
Around $40.
40)What is your favorite part of the chicken?
The breast.
41)What's your favorite town/city?
Besides Calgary, Seattle is awesome. San Diego is cool too.
42)I can't wait till:
I go on my upcoming trip to San Diego. It's going to be awesome!
43)Who sent this to you?
Nobody. I seen the quiz on Kevin's and Brian's blogs and decided to take it myself.
44)What did you have for dinner last night?
Tropical Chicken Pizza.
45)How tall are you barefoot?
5'10" I think.
46)Do you own a gun?
I own 2 airsoft guns. They look real and feel real, they're just not as dangerous.
47)What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Lots of water, followed by a Tim Horton's XL double double.
48)What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?
Well it wouldn't be a secret if I wrote it down here now, would it?
49)Where do you think you'll be in 10 years?
Someplace where I'm happy. Maybe the coast. So I can surf.
50)Last thing you ate?
Some Doritos.
51)What songs do you sing in the shower?
I don't sing in the shower I sing in the car. And there are too many to name.
52)Last thing that made you laugh?
Most of Kevin and Brian's answers to this quiz. Those guys are goofy!
53)Worst injury you've ever had?
It's a toss up between a broken forearm and a seperated shoulder. Both hurt like hell but I can't remember which hurt worse.
54)Does someone have a crush on you?
I don't know but I sure hope so :D And if your out there, let me know!
55)What's your favorote candy?
Licorice.
56)What song do you want played at your funeral?
I have a couple. Angel by Sarah McLachlin, I Grieve by Peter Gabriel, The Grace by Never Ending White Lights, and then King of Spain by Moxy Fruvous to lighten the mood!
So their's my answers folks. Take time and answer this quiz yourself. It's fun and you might be surprised by some of the answers you give.
1) How old do you wish you were?
I'm comfortable being 30. I've have 30 good years of experience the lean on!
2)Where were you when 9/11 happened?
I was at home getting ready for work. I never went in that day.
3)What do you do when a vending machine steals your money?
I get a little pissed off. Then I usually walk away.
4)Do you consider yourself kind?
Most of the time.
5)If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?
I have several tattoos already; the next one will be on my right shoulder.
6)If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?
Japanese.
7)Do you know your neighbors?
Yes, he's one of my best friends.
8)What do you consider a vacation?
Anywhere that is far from home and brings me relaxation.
9)Do you follow your horoscope?
No, but I do get a kick out of reading it.
10)Would you move for the person you loved?
Yes, and I almost did once.
11)Are you touchy feely?
I am with the right woman. Right meaning someone who also likes to be touchy feely.
12)Do you believe opposites attract?
Not really. I believe attractiveness is different for everybody. Wheteher your opposites or not depends on the people involved.
13)Dream job?
Comic book creator. Oh wait, I already do that. So I'd want to be like the cool guys on Outdoor Life Network that get paid to travel the globe. Lucky guys!
14)Favorite channel(s)
Teletoon, OLN, Spike, TSN.
15)Favorite place to go on weekends?
The movie theater.
16)Showers or baths?
Showers
17)Do you paint your nails?
Not as a general rule.
18)Do you trust people easily?
I take everyone at face value. Trust is earned over time.
19)What are your phobias?
I do not like Bee's or Wasps. I'm alergic to bee stings and usually do my best to stay away from them.
20)Do you want kids?
In the right situation definately. For now I'll live viccariously through my sisters.
21)Do you keep a hand written journal?
No.
22)Where would you rather be right now?
Hawaii. So I could go surfing tommorow.
23)What makes you feel warm and fuzzy?
A sincere hug and a warm smile from someone I like. And my friend Lalena's cat Lexx. He's cool.
24)Heavy or light sleeper?
Light.
25)Are you paranoid?
Not that I'm aware of.
26)Are you impatient?
Yes, definatlely, but not with all things. Just with stuff that seems important to me that need to be addressed right away.
27)Who can you relate to?
I don't know how to answer this. I'm adaptive to my surroundings, so I guess almost anyone I meet I can find something to relate to. But I don't go out of my way to try to relate to everyone I meet. Makes sense in my head :P
28)How do you feel about interracial couples?
The same as I do about any and all couples. If you're happy and it works, go for it. Race, sexual preference, age, etc, as long as you love one another is all that matters.
29)Have you been burned by love?
Yes I have. I don't know too many people that haven't.
30)What's your favorite pick-up line?
Ha, I don't have one. Do they really even work?
31)What's the main ring tone on your mobile?
The one that came with the phone. "Hello Moto!"
32)What were you doing at midnight last night?
Eating pizza with the neighbor and his Uncle at Boston Pizza. Our waitress looked like Gwenyth Paltrow!
33)What did the last text on your cellphone say?
"Dude, that strip goes down in the history books!" It was in regards to the Twice Thursday comic strip I did this week.
34)Whose bed did you sleep in last night?
My bed.
35)What colour shirt are you wearing?
Black.
36)Most recent movie you watched?
Hitch. Very good movie I might add.
37)Name three thing you have on you at all times?
All times? My limbs, my hair, and my wonderful sense of humour!
38)What colour are your bed sheets?
Beige and Navy Blue.
39)How much cash do you have on you right now?
Around $40.
40)What is your favorite part of the chicken?
The breast.
41)What's your favorite town/city?
Besides Calgary, Seattle is awesome. San Diego is cool too.
42)I can't wait till:
I go on my upcoming trip to San Diego. It's going to be awesome!
43)Who sent this to you?
Nobody. I seen the quiz on Kevin's and Brian's blogs and decided to take it myself.
44)What did you have for dinner last night?
Tropical Chicken Pizza.
45)How tall are you barefoot?
5'10" I think.
46)Do you own a gun?
I own 2 airsoft guns. They look real and feel real, they're just not as dangerous.
47)What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Lots of water, followed by a Tim Horton's XL double double.
48)What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?
Well it wouldn't be a secret if I wrote it down here now, would it?
49)Where do you think you'll be in 10 years?
Someplace where I'm happy. Maybe the coast. So I can surf.
50)Last thing you ate?
Some Doritos.
51)What songs do you sing in the shower?
I don't sing in the shower I sing in the car. And there are too many to name.
52)Last thing that made you laugh?
Most of Kevin and Brian's answers to this quiz. Those guys are goofy!
53)Worst injury you've ever had?
It's a toss up between a broken forearm and a seperated shoulder. Both hurt like hell but I can't remember which hurt worse.
54)Does someone have a crush on you?
I don't know but I sure hope so :D And if your out there, let me know!
55)What's your favorote candy?
Licorice.
56)What song do you want played at your funeral?
I have a couple. Angel by Sarah McLachlin, I Grieve by Peter Gabriel, The Grace by Never Ending White Lights, and then King of Spain by Moxy Fruvous to lighten the mood!
So their's my answers folks. Take time and answer this quiz yourself. It's fun and you might be surprised by some of the answers you give.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Happiness and frustration.
I'm going through a gambit of emotions this week. On one hand I'm quite happy. I received my belt promotion in Karate and was pleasently surprised to find out that my belt was something special. I won a regional prize this year for the Kick-a-thon fundraiser we had but assumed that I would be getting a track suit as my award. Instead, and much more to my liking, I received a personally embroidered belt, brought in from Japan, which has my name in Japanese on one end of the belt and Kyokushin Karate on the other. For me, this is something truly special.
Achieving 6th Kyu is somewhat of a milestone for me. I've trained Kyokushin for 6 years now, but not all of that was consecutive. I originally started training back in 1997, but in the fall/winter of 1999 I unfortunately had to quit. I was in school at the time, in debt, not working much and just couldn't afford to do it. The really difficult thing for me was that I had to stop before I reached the level I am now. I was 1 month away from being a 6th Kyu, which is a yellow belt in our style. I never made it. Almost 3 years would pass until I began to train again. You are allowed a 1 year period where if you do not train and come back you will be allowed to stay at your previous belt level. I had to begin again as a white belt, but I'm very glad I did. I've learned so much more in the past 3 years of training and I believe I'm much better for it. And this belt promotion means that much more. So this is my happiness for the week.
My frustration comes to me from the world of comics, and more specifically the people printing my comic and the folks who run the San Diego Comic Con. First up is my printer. The folks at Comixpress are great and delivered our last book (Fablequest) in time for our show in May. Their product is great and the price of printing can't be beat. But what is bothering me now is that I'm on a tight deadline with SDCC coming up in July and I need to know what's happening with The Sorrow. I'd like to take a few copies with me to show to publishers and friends, but I can't do that if they can't get me the books on time. The e-mail we received when we first sent off the files said that "on or before the 20th of June we would receive an e-mail to let us know the status of our book." Sounds good to me. Except the 20th was yesterday. It's now 9:30 pm on the 21st and I still don't know the status of my book. GRRRRRRRR!
And now onto the folks at SDCC. I sent them a package on the 23rd of May by Xpress Post with my form for Professional Status for this years convention, as well as a copy of Fablequest for verification. They had a deadline of June 6th for applications, so I assumed I sent off everything with plenty of time. I did the same thing last year and everything was good. This year they've updated the Comic-Con website with a list of professional who will be attending. I'm not on the list. So I've taken the steps needed to find out why. I've e-mailed them twice; no response. I've called them a couple of time at the number they gave me; I never get to talk to a real person and the mailbox for messages is always full. AHHHHHHHHH! I know this is an incredibly busy time for them and I truly understand that. But I'm travelling to San Diego from Calgary, Alberta, "CANADA". It's a long fucking trip! It would be nice to know what's going on. Did they even receive my package? Do they need more information? All it takes is a few minutes to type me an e-mail and let me know. Last year we found out at the convention that we had badges as they didn't update the site on time. But this year they did; so what's the deal folks? All I want is to know if I have a pass or not. I'll make other arrangements to get into the convention if I have to, but I need to know my status first.Very frustrating!
I'm very much a planner, especially when it comes to my comic activities. I want to know what's going on so I can make the appropriate plans. Not knowing and waiting really gets to me. Hopefully someone let's me know and soon. Until then I get to flip-flop between "Damn this belt is so cool!" and "Why the fuck won't anyone get back to me?". Bloody hell!
Achieving 6th Kyu is somewhat of a milestone for me. I've trained Kyokushin for 6 years now, but not all of that was consecutive. I originally started training back in 1997, but in the fall/winter of 1999 I unfortunately had to quit. I was in school at the time, in debt, not working much and just couldn't afford to do it. The really difficult thing for me was that I had to stop before I reached the level I am now. I was 1 month away from being a 6th Kyu, which is a yellow belt in our style. I never made it. Almost 3 years would pass until I began to train again. You are allowed a 1 year period where if you do not train and come back you will be allowed to stay at your previous belt level. I had to begin again as a white belt, but I'm very glad I did. I've learned so much more in the past 3 years of training and I believe I'm much better for it. And this belt promotion means that much more. So this is my happiness for the week.
My frustration comes to me from the world of comics, and more specifically the people printing my comic and the folks who run the San Diego Comic Con. First up is my printer. The folks at Comixpress are great and delivered our last book (Fablequest) in time for our show in May. Their product is great and the price of printing can't be beat. But what is bothering me now is that I'm on a tight deadline with SDCC coming up in July and I need to know what's happening with The Sorrow. I'd like to take a few copies with me to show to publishers and friends, but I can't do that if they can't get me the books on time. The e-mail we received when we first sent off the files said that "on or before the 20th of June we would receive an e-mail to let us know the status of our book." Sounds good to me. Except the 20th was yesterday. It's now 9:30 pm on the 21st and I still don't know the status of my book. GRRRRRRRR!
And now onto the folks at SDCC. I sent them a package on the 23rd of May by Xpress Post with my form for Professional Status for this years convention, as well as a copy of Fablequest for verification. They had a deadline of June 6th for applications, so I assumed I sent off everything with plenty of time. I did the same thing last year and everything was good. This year they've updated the Comic-Con website with a list of professional who will be attending. I'm not on the list. So I've taken the steps needed to find out why. I've e-mailed them twice; no response. I've called them a couple of time at the number they gave me; I never get to talk to a real person and the mailbox for messages is always full. AHHHHHHHHH! I know this is an incredibly busy time for them and I truly understand that. But I'm travelling to San Diego from Calgary, Alberta, "CANADA". It's a long fucking trip! It would be nice to know what's going on. Did they even receive my package? Do they need more information? All it takes is a few minutes to type me an e-mail and let me know. Last year we found out at the convention that we had badges as they didn't update the site on time. But this year they did; so what's the deal folks? All I want is to know if I have a pass or not. I'll make other arrangements to get into the convention if I have to, but I need to know my status first.Very frustrating!
I'm very much a planner, especially when it comes to my comic activities. I want to know what's going on so I can make the appropriate plans. Not knowing and waiting really gets to me. Hopefully someone let's me know and soon. Until then I get to flip-flop between "Damn this belt is so cool!" and "Why the fuck won't anyone get back to me?". Bloody hell!
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
The Deadline Dash ended at 2 am Tuesday.
Wow, what an exhausting weekend. After 4 straight days of bustin' ass we completed The Sorrow at 2 a.m. Tuesday morning. The good folks at Comixpress have recieved the files and now we play the waiting game to see if they can get the books back to us on time for the San Diego Con. All the hard work seemed worth it to hear Kevin, Dwight, and my parents tell me that it looks great. Of course, I wouldn't be much of an artist if I didn't have my personal doubts. Or my list of things I feel could have been done better if I had more time. But the end result is a comic book that I can be proud of. An accomplishment. A dream fulfilled!
Hopefully in 3-4 weeks I'll have some copies to share with the world. In the meantime, here's the cover (thanks to my friend Rove!) and one of my favorite pages. Please enjoy and thank you to everyone who had words of encouragement for me. They really helped me out.
Hopefully in 3-4 weeks I'll have some copies to share with the world. In the meantime, here's the cover (thanks to my friend Rove!) and one of my favorite pages. Please enjoy and thank you to everyone who had words of encouragement for me. They really helped me out.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
One more weekend of madness.
Hello everybody! (Hey Dr. Nick!)
I've been working my drawing hand to the bare bones over the past few weekends in hopes of finishing issue 1 of The Sorrow. I have one more weekend left to to it. 4 days, 10 pages of art left, 22 pages of greyscaling and lettering. I'm seriously going to need some drugs. And loads of coffee. But I know it will get done. Somehow I always manage to finish. I have Kevin helping with scanning and lettering, and hopefully I'll even have a cover page from my friend Rove. So it's all good. I even managed to finish this week's Twice Thursday early so I can start working on stuff tommorow night. Everybody needs to check it out this week. I had some "artistic help" with the strip and it is truly something to see. :D
All I need to do now is put it in cruise control. 10 pages between Thursday night and Sunday morning leaves all day Sunday and Monday to finish things up. Send it off Monday night and we're away to the races. Well, at least it sounds good in theory! I'll keep you posted.
On a side note, I finished my belt testing in Karate this week. Overall I think I did just fine. I got stuck on my self-defence but managed to pull through. My katas were good and I was fortunate enough to be able to fight 8 fights this time around. I'm only required to fight 4 fights, but as one of only a few Open Division fighters in our club I always enjoy fighting more. I feel I did quite well for not doing any fighting for almost 7 weeks, and walked away in good health with the exception of my left thumb which always seems to get banged up. Last fight this time too, bugger all! So *fingers crossed* I did good. I'll know in 2 weeks.
I've been working my drawing hand to the bare bones over the past few weekends in hopes of finishing issue 1 of The Sorrow. I have one more weekend left to to it. 4 days, 10 pages of art left, 22 pages of greyscaling and lettering. I'm seriously going to need some drugs. And loads of coffee. But I know it will get done. Somehow I always manage to finish. I have Kevin helping with scanning and lettering, and hopefully I'll even have a cover page from my friend Rove. So it's all good. I even managed to finish this week's Twice Thursday early so I can start working on stuff tommorow night. Everybody needs to check it out this week. I had some "artistic help" with the strip and it is truly something to see. :D
All I need to do now is put it in cruise control. 10 pages between Thursday night and Sunday morning leaves all day Sunday and Monday to finish things up. Send it off Monday night and we're away to the races. Well, at least it sounds good in theory! I'll keep you posted.
On a side note, I finished my belt testing in Karate this week. Overall I think I did just fine. I got stuck on my self-defence but managed to pull through. My katas were good and I was fortunate enough to be able to fight 8 fights this time around. I'm only required to fight 4 fights, but as one of only a few Open Division fighters in our club I always enjoy fighting more. I feel I did quite well for not doing any fighting for almost 7 weeks, and walked away in good health with the exception of my left thumb which always seems to get banged up. Last fight this time too, bugger all! So *fingers crossed* I did good. I'll know in 2 weeks.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Just a quick post.
I have failed to post in the last week. So I thought I would do a quick one to make me feel like I'm not neglecting my blog. Deep breath and.......
I went and seen The DaVinci Code on Friday, and in my opinion it's an incredible movie. Go see it and enjoy. I also started my belt test in Karate and I'm going for my 6th Kyu (in my style it's a yellow belt). That's been very fun and in the end hopefully rewarding. And I've been working as hard as I can to complete the first issue of The Sorrow by the 15th of June. It's being printed stateside and I have to get the stuff off to the printers by then. I want to have the books in my hand before I go to San Diego, and it usually takes 3 weeks to a month to get them. Oh yeah, one more thing : GO OILERS GO!!!! They are going to the finals, baby! That's all for now.
I went and seen The DaVinci Code on Friday, and in my opinion it's an incredible movie. Go see it and enjoy. I also started my belt test in Karate and I'm going for my 6th Kyu (in my style it's a yellow belt). That's been very fun and in the end hopefully rewarding. And I've been working as hard as I can to complete the first issue of The Sorrow by the 15th of June. It's being printed stateside and I have to get the stuff off to the printers by then. I want to have the books in my hand before I go to San Diego, and it usually takes 3 weeks to a month to get them. Oh yeah, one more thing : GO OILERS GO!!!! They are going to the finals, baby! That's all for now.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
That was intense.
Tonight's hockey game between Edmonton and Anahiem was crazy! First the Oilers scored 3 straight goals to open the third; they lead 4-0. Then the Ducks fought back and scored. Then they scored again. Added one more for good measure and we had a game agian at 4-3. The Oilers answered back and made it 5-3. But the Ducks kept pressing and scored agian. Then they missed the net with 12 seconds to go and almost sent things into overtime. My heart was racing like crazy. This is what the playoffs are all about. Intensity, on the edge of your seat, nail-biting drama. It's good to be a fan of the game, and I'm very happy the Oilers are 1 win away from the Cup. One more game boys, one more game. Go Oilers Go!!!!!
Sunday, May 21, 2006
My brother and sister night out with the Suicide Girls!
Last night I had the honor of accompanying my sister Chantel and her friends to the Demonika's Symphony of Horrors Show held at the Warehouse Nightclub. Suicide Girls Demonika and Visha were in attendance, and seeing as how I'm a huge Suicide Girls fan my sister figured it would be a good night for some sibbling bonding. She's so smart! The show is a combination of burlesque, gothic fantasy, and seductive skit all performed to the dark deelight and sensual pleasure of the hungry crowd in attendence. It was truly something to see! Beautiful women and men, full of tattoos and piercing, and dressed in the finest Demonika clothing entertained the audience until 2 in the morning. I was witness to some of the most erotic and sense-numbing performances I have personally ever witnessed. All the girls (and the 4 guys) who performed had something unique about their style, and they sure knew how to work the crowd. I had the pleasure of witnessing my first exotic belly dance routine, 2 very talented spinners who amazed me with their abilities, and a girl who grinds metal that is strapped to various parts of her body. There was a dark and gruesome pregnancy skit, and a wonderful topless dance number that got the crowd going. My personal favorites were a little red riding hood routine with an incredibly sexy Red, and the beautiful Visha playing head mistress and being led to the front of the stage on the backs of her subs. Very hot!!! The grand finale for the evening was miss Demonika herself being pierced with feathers and coming out of it looking somewhat angelic! It was a fantastic night.
So thanks to my sister Chantel and her friends Crystal (mohawk), little Crystal, and Tara for allowing me to tag along for the night. I rarely get to make events like this and it's always a treat when I do. And a big shout out to Demonika, Visha and all the performers who put on an awesome show for us last night. I've been told that they are going to do this again next year and I will certainly attend it again.
So thanks to my sister Chantel and her friends Crystal (mohawk), little Crystal, and Tara for allowing me to tag along for the night. I rarely get to make events like this and it's always a treat when I do. And a big shout out to Demonika, Visha and all the performers who put on an awesome show for us last night. I've been told that they are going to do this again next year and I will certainly attend it again.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Damn websites can be confusing when you don't know shit!
I just finished updating the Out of Mind Studios site, and without Kevin's help I would have been f@cked! I have very limited knowledge of computers, html, and all things to do with the "interweb" (Kevin's going to kill me for that!). But I'm trying to learn. So far I'm doing okay but I still need alot of help figuring out all the intricate detail of our website. And props to Kev, he's made it as easy as possible for me, switching to a Wordpress format and even sending me his version of "How to update our site for Dummies like you Rich!" in an easy to follow file. It will take time. But I will catch on, and very soon after that I will take over the world. You will all bow before the might and awsomeness of "SUPERVIRGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Mwahahaha.
Okay, that was a little overkill. Although I do believe I would look quite stunning in tights, I don't think I'll be taking over the laundry room, let alone the world anytime soon. So if you have nothing going on, check out the OOMS site and view my new pin-ups and laugh at my update. It would sure make me feel warm inside if you did and may even supress my "WORLD DOMINATION" hunger. This, in turn, will allow us all to live on a Supervirge-free planet for at least the next 15-20 minutes. Or until I find something better to do. :)
Okay, that was a little overkill. Although I do believe I would look quite stunning in tights, I don't think I'll be taking over the laundry room, let alone the world anytime soon. So if you have nothing going on, check out the OOMS site and view my new pin-ups and laugh at my update. It would sure make me feel warm inside if you did and may even supress my "WORLD DOMINATION" hunger. This, in turn, will allow us all to live on a Supervirge-free planet for at least the next 15-20 minutes. Or until I find something better to do. :)
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Go Oilers Go!
I didn't think they would be able to pull it off, but they did. The Edmonton Oilers beat the San Jose Sharks tonight to make it to their first Western Conference Final in 14 years. Very cool. And since the Oilers are the only Canadian team left in contention, I'm going to back them all the way. Now I've said it before but it needs to be said again: The Ducks are a solid hockey team and are going to be difficult to beat. But if any team can figure them out, it's the "we just beat Mr. MVP Joe Thorton's team's ass" Edmonton Oilers. So go get em' guys and make your country proud. You're are only hope!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
31 degrees and lovin' it!
Calgary was hot as hell today. I heard reports of 31 degrees from the DJ's at CJAY 92. The path ways around town were packed with sun worshippers of all walks of life. And I had to work.
No worries though, I was able to experience every degree first hand! I worked with my friend Dwight today doing various decal installs around the Foothills Industial park. We had a job this afternoon that we had to do outside due to the customer having limited shop space. Normally this isn't much of a problem, but when you're working with stickers the last thing you want is a blistering hot, one-touch-certain-stick surface. The heat is great for a suntan but bad for decal installations. Never the less our hands were tied and we had no choice but to do the installs outside and take in some sun while doing it. For 2 hours we worked in the 31 degree heat, pretending to complain but really just enjoying the weather. And everything went on without incident so there really wasn't any need to complain. Although, a case of wabbly pop and some sun worshipping beauties (more on them next paragraph) to chill with would have been more fun. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything!
The only side effect from today is that I'm feeling a little water logged from the copious amounts of water I drank to stay hydrated. I seriously drank alot of water, like 8 bottles! And I'm still thirsty for more! Now like I mentoned before, if only today could have been spent on a patio somewhere, or perhaps partying with the topless girls (not a typo!) who called the radio station complaining that no one was paying attention to them sunbathing on the corner of McKnight Blvd. and Center St., it would have been an even better day.
Now here are my questions of the day:
How could any male with even on ounce of testosterone drive by these bare-chested ladies and not notice them? In this weather? During "spring fever" season? And is "topless sunbathing" even allowed in Calgary? Is there a club I could join? Why don't we do any work around there? And how come all this was going on when I was on my way back from Airdrie, miles away from all the fun? I would have honked!! Probably would have crashed into someone to boot. Damn my luck :P
Man, I miss out on the good shit happing around town. I need to bring this up at the next meeting. On a patio. Or a corner. Whatever works for the boss.
No worries though, I was able to experience every degree first hand! I worked with my friend Dwight today doing various decal installs around the Foothills Industial park. We had a job this afternoon that we had to do outside due to the customer having limited shop space. Normally this isn't much of a problem, but when you're working with stickers the last thing you want is a blistering hot, one-touch-certain-stick surface. The heat is great for a suntan but bad for decal installations. Never the less our hands were tied and we had no choice but to do the installs outside and take in some sun while doing it. For 2 hours we worked in the 31 degree heat, pretending to complain but really just enjoying the weather. And everything went on without incident so there really wasn't any need to complain. Although, a case of wabbly pop and some sun worshipping beauties (more on them next paragraph) to chill with would have been more fun. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything!
The only side effect from today is that I'm feeling a little water logged from the copious amounts of water I drank to stay hydrated. I seriously drank alot of water, like 8 bottles! And I'm still thirsty for more! Now like I mentoned before, if only today could have been spent on a patio somewhere, or perhaps partying with the topless girls (not a typo!) who called the radio station complaining that no one was paying attention to them sunbathing on the corner of McKnight Blvd. and Center St., it would have been an even better day.
Now here are my questions of the day:
How could any male with even on ounce of testosterone drive by these bare-chested ladies and not notice them? In this weather? During "spring fever" season? And is "topless sunbathing" even allowed in Calgary? Is there a club I could join? Why don't we do any work around there? And how come all this was going on when I was on my way back from Airdrie, miles away from all the fun? I would have honked!! Probably would have crashed into someone to boot. Damn my luck :P
Man, I miss out on the good shit happing around town. I need to bring this up at the next meeting. On a patio. Or a corner. Whatever works for the boss.
Friday, May 12, 2006
The longest 72 hours of my life.
I'm back.I'm tired. And I'm sick of gummy candies and chips.
Road trips like the one I just endured can only be done once and awhile. Too much of that kind of punishment can not be good for the mind and body. Not that we had any problems; the trip itself was entirely uneventful. But it's incredibly difficult to expect oneself to travel from Calgary to Winnipeg, work all day upon arrival, eat like shit, and then drive back to Regina before finally stopping to sleep, shower, and clean up in general. I must admit that I missed these trips alot. Dwight and I did have a great time and kicked ass on the job. But I'm feeling the effects big time. I want to sleep now, and I never want anything remotely related to junk food again as long as I live. McDonald's can kiss my ass with their new menu, and I have to move to Winnipeg if for no other reason then to fall in love with any one of the 15 beautiful waitresses (shout out to Shailee) currently employed at the new Moxie's on the east side. It feels good to be back doing decals again. Now, if only I could get my stomach to stop hating me for the shit I ingested in the last 72 hours, I'd be a happy man.
On a side note: someone has to do something about the roads in Saskatchewan. They are the drizzling shits! I have never experienced such a rough and bumpy highway ride in my life. I use to complain about the roads in northern Ontario but now I truly believe the roads in Saskatchewan are fantastically worse. So get on it government guys and fix your shitty roads. More people would probably visit if there was no fear of literally being vibrated to death! I know the sceneries nothing to write home about but they make up for it with beautiful women ( I love you A & W girl!) and a kick ass comic store (Comic Reader's in Regina; very cool store!).
They makes me want to visit again, but not until the roads are better. And I get feeling back in my lower body. Fuckers.
Road trips like the one I just endured can only be done once and awhile. Too much of that kind of punishment can not be good for the mind and body. Not that we had any problems; the trip itself was entirely uneventful. But it's incredibly difficult to expect oneself to travel from Calgary to Winnipeg, work all day upon arrival, eat like shit, and then drive back to Regina before finally stopping to sleep, shower, and clean up in general. I must admit that I missed these trips alot. Dwight and I did have a great time and kicked ass on the job. But I'm feeling the effects big time. I want to sleep now, and I never want anything remotely related to junk food again as long as I live. McDonald's can kiss my ass with their new menu, and I have to move to Winnipeg if for no other reason then to fall in love with any one of the 15 beautiful waitresses (shout out to Shailee) currently employed at the new Moxie's on the east side. It feels good to be back doing decals again. Now, if only I could get my stomach to stop hating me for the shit I ingested in the last 72 hours, I'd be a happy man.
On a side note: someone has to do something about the roads in Saskatchewan. They are the drizzling shits! I have never experienced such a rough and bumpy highway ride in my life. I use to complain about the roads in northern Ontario but now I truly believe the roads in Saskatchewan are fantastically worse. So get on it government guys and fix your shitty roads. More people would probably visit if there was no fear of literally being vibrated to death! I know the sceneries nothing to write home about but they make up for it with beautiful women ( I love you A & W girl!) and a kick ass comic store (Comic Reader's in Regina; very cool store!).
They makes me want to visit again, but not until the roads are better. And I get feeling back in my lower body. Fuckers.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
We've re-launched OutofMindStudios.com.
Oh yeah, I forgot. Kev and I have re-launched outofmindstudios.com. It has a new look, is easier to navigate, and as Devon said " woo, verra sexah!"
So, check it out. Or don't. But know that if you do not check out our new sexy sight I will be forced to PUNCH YOU ALL IN THE FACE!!!!!
And hit you with puppies. Cute ones at that.
So, check it out. Or don't. But know that if you do not check out our new sexy sight I will be forced to PUNCH YOU ALL IN THE FACE!!!!!
And hit you with puppies. Cute ones at that.
I'm going to Winnipeg.
I got a call today from my friend Dwight to see if I wanted to do some work in Winnipeg over the next few days. Seems there's an outfit in the 'Peg that needs instruction on applying large-scale decals to their transit buses and we're the guys to do it. I'm really excited to go. I haven't been on a road trip with Dwight for some time now and it will be great to get out there and start decalling again. I'll be dedicating a couple days a week to decal installations while I spend the rest of my time working on our comic book commitments, and extra money is always good. So I'll be gone for the next couple of days while we make our way to and from Winnipeg. I think I'll utilize my time in the car to finish writing up The Sorrow and I'll do some sketches as well. It should be a great trip and I'll post an update when I get back.
In the mean time it's back to the drawing table for me. I have to get this weeks strip done before I go. And tommorow I'll be picking my Dad up from the hospital. He went in today for surgery to repair a hole in his left rotator (shoulder) and to re-attach his bicep. He's been in tremedous pain for some time now so hopefully the surgery will correct everything.
Cheers to all for now.
In the mean time it's back to the drawing table for me. I have to get this weeks strip done before I go. And tommorow I'll be picking my Dad up from the hospital. He went in today for surgery to repair a hole in his left rotator (shoulder) and to re-attach his bicep. He's been in tremedous pain for some time now so hopefully the surgery will correct everything.
Cheers to all for now.
Monday, May 08, 2006
I had the most incredible weekend!
This weekend, as some of you know, I attended a Free Comic Book Day event in Edmonton on Saturday. I also had an Artist Alley table set up for the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo on Sunday. Without a doubt I had the most amazing weekend of my artistic career!
FCBD was a blast! Kevin and I got up at 6 am to make the jaunt up to the 'Chuck to be guests for our friend Jay, owner of Happy Harbor Comics. Thankfully we had a very uneventful trip up, and amused each other with our typical banter. We even utilized some of the time to plan the near future of Out of Mind Studios. There are big plans in the works, but more on that at a later time. Once we arrived at Happy Harbor we were greeted by Jay dressed head-to-toe as DC's Captain Marvel. Sweet costume by the way. After settling down and meeting our fellow camper's for the day it was time to get to work. For me, this meant copious amounts of drawing which I totally love. And for Kev, well, this was an excellent time to grab up some free comics and scope the place out for beautiful women. Trust me, this day would turn out to be an incredible day for meeting beautiful women! So... long story short ( I could write a novel on how great of a day it was) I drew several sketches, met alot of people, picked up a copy of the Comic Talks book that HH published covering the sessions several of us local creators participated in, Kev got us some great photos, I fell in and out of love 37 time, and we were given a great opportunity to create with fellow creators and enjoy the love of comics together. We even managed to make Kev draw a picture! The girl was cute; that in itself was a great motivater. Oh yeah, since this is my blog and it needs to be said, either Catwoman (who I'm told is a friend of Jay's) or Harley Quinn (the wonderfully talented Erin) need to marry me!!!! They were terrific!
Anyways, after an exhausting but rewarding day, we started out for home and bid farewell to our friends of the north. We stopped in Leduc for a quick bite and quickly found out that the McDonald's there has the most beautiful staff of any that I've been to. I'm moving there tommorow! Okay, I'm not....for now. In total I spent 15 hours on Saturday sitting on my ass ( 7 in the car, 8 at HH), got Home, felt stoned, realized I wasn't and went to bed. End of Day 1.
On Sunday we got up at 7 am to get ready and drove to Kev's parent's place to pick up their van which was packed full of comics for the Expo. 16 comic boxes to be exact. And when we arrived at the Big 4 we quickly found out that the unloading and transporting of our goods to our final destination inside the hall was going to be one hell of a long, back-braking journey. You see, from the point where you enter at the back of the building to the place where our table were located is the equivalent of several football fields in length. Not good for 2 dudes with 4-5 hours of sleep! But like the hardcore troopers we are, we managed to make 4 trips. Then we decided to find a cart to make things easier. One load later and we were good to set up.
We weren't quite sure what to expect as far as a turnout for the show this year. In previous years the only Calgary events we attended were held at the Red and White club, a significantly smaller venue that averaged between 400-600 people yearly. That wasn't the case this year. The Expo boasted the best talent line-up ever for a Calgary show, and any doubt of there being a poor showing was extinguished by the droves of people that poured in the door at 10 am. I was later told by my buddy Dwight that people were waiting up to an hour just to get inside. And the traffic inside the Big 4 showed it. It was packed!
From the moment the show started right up to the very end I was a busy, busy man. I drew countless sketches (seriously, I don't know an exact number), sold many prints and comics, met fantastic people, and got a true taste of what being behind the table at a event like this is like. And for the first time at one of these events, I was charging for sketches. I hadn't planned on it, believe me, until my first customer insisted on giving 5 dollars for my time. It felt very weird at first. "Who the hell am I in the grand scheme of Comicdom?" I thought. Well, I guess I'm somebody who gets 5 dollars a sketch. And I gave everyone the best I had. For 5 bucks, I'm going to give people their money's worth. And everyone I sketched for went home happy. I might even get a few commissions out of this! Several people told me they were framing my stuff. My fucking stuff!!!!! This completely blew my mind. But this is something I was told I have to get used to (thanks Dale!). If you give people quality stuff, they'll reward you. I feel very rewarded today. I am very honoured that people liked my stuff and a big thanks to everyone who stopped by. You made my day. I want to cry now, I'm so happy! *sniff*
Moving away from the sketching and crying and on to the event itself. The show this year was a total blast! The Vicious Ambitious guys are starting a new webcomic and had flyers to promote it. They we good enough to include several of the Maple Ink Comics people in the strip, including Kev and myself. They even cut off my drawing arm. I love those guys, even if they are trying to kill me! I will have my revenge!!! I also picked up a copy of the Comic Jams book that our good friend G. Gerald Garcia made up for the event which I was lucky enough to by a part of! Had dozens of people stop by for autographs on the pin-up I did for the Expo Sketchbook. I was truly honoured to be showcased in a book filled with so much talent, especially knowing all proceeds from the sale go to the Christopher Reeves Foundation. I got to meet several other creators, had a great conversation with Dale Berry (great guy!) and even had Humberto Ramos stop by and say hi. * Insert geek out moment here* I met up with my friends from the north
(shout outs to Jay, Brain, Rudi, Daniel, and Erin), got to visit with Devon and Ryan, Rove and Nate stopped by, and local legend in the making Fiona Staples even chatted me up. So it was truly a great day. Oh yeah, we even made some cash today! Yay for us:)
I'm looking forward to next years con in a big way. We'll have more stuff, more talent lined up, and we may even get another day of con goodness. Thank you very much to Kandrix and all the people who worked hard to make this show a success. I think it paid off! And an extra special thanks to the 3500+ people who attended this year for you have made it possible for us to do this again next year. I desparately need sleep now. I'll post to you all again on Tuesday when I wake up from my coma. Must go sleepy now............
FCBD was a blast! Kevin and I got up at 6 am to make the jaunt up to the 'Chuck to be guests for our friend Jay, owner of Happy Harbor Comics. Thankfully we had a very uneventful trip up, and amused each other with our typical banter. We even utilized some of the time to plan the near future of Out of Mind Studios. There are big plans in the works, but more on that at a later time. Once we arrived at Happy Harbor we were greeted by Jay dressed head-to-toe as DC's Captain Marvel. Sweet costume by the way. After settling down and meeting our fellow camper's for the day it was time to get to work. For me, this meant copious amounts of drawing which I totally love. And for Kev, well, this was an excellent time to grab up some free comics and scope the place out for beautiful women. Trust me, this day would turn out to be an incredible day for meeting beautiful women! So... long story short ( I could write a novel on how great of a day it was) I drew several sketches, met alot of people, picked up a copy of the Comic Talks book that HH published covering the sessions several of us local creators participated in, Kev got us some great photos, I fell in and out of love 37 time, and we were given a great opportunity to create with fellow creators and enjoy the love of comics together. We even managed to make Kev draw a picture! The girl was cute; that in itself was a great motivater. Oh yeah, since this is my blog and it needs to be said, either Catwoman (who I'm told is a friend of Jay's) or Harley Quinn (the wonderfully talented Erin) need to marry me!!!! They were terrific!
Anyways, after an exhausting but rewarding day, we started out for home and bid farewell to our friends of the north. We stopped in Leduc for a quick bite and quickly found out that the McDonald's there has the most beautiful staff of any that I've been to. I'm moving there tommorow! Okay, I'm not....for now. In total I spent 15 hours on Saturday sitting on my ass ( 7 in the car, 8 at HH), got Home, felt stoned, realized I wasn't and went to bed. End of Day 1.
On Sunday we got up at 7 am to get ready and drove to Kev's parent's place to pick up their van which was packed full of comics for the Expo. 16 comic boxes to be exact. And when we arrived at the Big 4 we quickly found out that the unloading and transporting of our goods to our final destination inside the hall was going to be one hell of a long, back-braking journey. You see, from the point where you enter at the back of the building to the place where our table were located is the equivalent of several football fields in length. Not good for 2 dudes with 4-5 hours of sleep! But like the hardcore troopers we are, we managed to make 4 trips. Then we decided to find a cart to make things easier. One load later and we were good to set up.
We weren't quite sure what to expect as far as a turnout for the show this year. In previous years the only Calgary events we attended were held at the Red and White club, a significantly smaller venue that averaged between 400-600 people yearly. That wasn't the case this year. The Expo boasted the best talent line-up ever for a Calgary show, and any doubt of there being a poor showing was extinguished by the droves of people that poured in the door at 10 am. I was later told by my buddy Dwight that people were waiting up to an hour just to get inside. And the traffic inside the Big 4 showed it. It was packed!
From the moment the show started right up to the very end I was a busy, busy man. I drew countless sketches (seriously, I don't know an exact number), sold many prints and comics, met fantastic people, and got a true taste of what being behind the table at a event like this is like. And for the first time at one of these events, I was charging for sketches. I hadn't planned on it, believe me, until my first customer insisted on giving 5 dollars for my time. It felt very weird at first. "Who the hell am I in the grand scheme of Comicdom?" I thought. Well, I guess I'm somebody who gets 5 dollars a sketch. And I gave everyone the best I had. For 5 bucks, I'm going to give people their money's worth. And everyone I sketched for went home happy. I might even get a few commissions out of this! Several people told me they were framing my stuff. My fucking stuff!!!!! This completely blew my mind. But this is something I was told I have to get used to (thanks Dale!). If you give people quality stuff, they'll reward you. I feel very rewarded today. I am very honoured that people liked my stuff and a big thanks to everyone who stopped by. You made my day. I want to cry now, I'm so happy! *sniff*
Moving away from the sketching and crying and on to the event itself. The show this year was a total blast! The Vicious Ambitious guys are starting a new webcomic and had flyers to promote it. They we good enough to include several of the Maple Ink Comics people in the strip, including Kev and myself. They even cut off my drawing arm. I love those guys, even if they are trying to kill me! I will have my revenge!!! I also picked up a copy of the Comic Jams book that our good friend G. Gerald Garcia made up for the event which I was lucky enough to by a part of! Had dozens of people stop by for autographs on the pin-up I did for the Expo Sketchbook. I was truly honoured to be showcased in a book filled with so much talent, especially knowing all proceeds from the sale go to the Christopher Reeves Foundation. I got to meet several other creators, had a great conversation with Dale Berry (great guy!) and even had Humberto Ramos stop by and say hi. * Insert geek out moment here* I met up with my friends from the north
(shout outs to Jay, Brain, Rudi, Daniel, and Erin), got to visit with Devon and Ryan, Rove and Nate stopped by, and local legend in the making Fiona Staples even chatted me up. So it was truly a great day. Oh yeah, we even made some cash today! Yay for us:)
I'm looking forward to next years con in a big way. We'll have more stuff, more talent lined up, and we may even get another day of con goodness. Thank you very much to Kandrix and all the people who worked hard to make this show a success. I think it paid off! And an extra special thanks to the 3500+ people who attended this year for you have made it possible for us to do this again next year. I desparately need sleep now. I'll post to you all again on Tuesday when I wake up from my coma. Must go sleepy now............
Friday, May 05, 2006
Let the Madness begin.
What a crazy, busy week this has been, and now the real fun begins. Tommorow I'm off to the City of former Champions (hopefully not fun long, GO OILERS!) for the Free Comic Book Day event being put on by the great folks at Happy Harbor Comics. If you're in the Edmonton area tommorow you should pop on by. I've been told that there are 8 artists (including myself) on hand to draw and talk comics with anyone stopping by, and nobody should pass up the oppertunity for a Free comic. It should be a good time.
In preparation for this weekend's events , Kev and myself have put together an 8 pages preview of our upcoming Dead Last graphic novel that we'll be giving away in Edmonton, as well as in Calgary for the Comic Expo. We have copies of Twice Thursday: Fablequest available for purchase, fresh off the press! I've also been busting my ass this week preparing 3 really nice limited edition prints that will be available for purchase at the Expo. They're full colour pin-ups and I personally think they're some of the finest work I've done to date. So come check things out if you're in the area. If not, we'll have stuff available on the newly revamped Out of Mind Studios website, launching this Monday. We have so much stuff going on in the studio right now, and it really is an exciting time for me as not only an artist, but a fan of the comics medium. Lots of stuff going on and no time for resting!!!! So I'll post some weekend updates as soon as I have some. Now, I'm off to get more shit done for this weekend.
Remember kids, Free Comic Book Day is nation-wide, so go support your local comic book retailers. And if you're in Calgary, makes some time to check out the Expo down at the Big Four on Sunday. With over 40 guests from various parts of the industry, there's something for everyone. You won't be dissappointed.
In preparation for this weekend's events , Kev and myself have put together an 8 pages preview of our upcoming Dead Last graphic novel that we'll be giving away in Edmonton, as well as in Calgary for the Comic Expo. We have copies of Twice Thursday: Fablequest available for purchase, fresh off the press! I've also been busting my ass this week preparing 3 really nice limited edition prints that will be available for purchase at the Expo. They're full colour pin-ups and I personally think they're some of the finest work I've done to date. So come check things out if you're in the area. If not, we'll have stuff available on the newly revamped Out of Mind Studios website, launching this Monday. We have so much stuff going on in the studio right now, and it really is an exciting time for me as not only an artist, but a fan of the comics medium. Lots of stuff going on and no time for resting!!!! So I'll post some weekend updates as soon as I have some. Now, I'm off to get more shit done for this weekend.
Remember kids, Free Comic Book Day is nation-wide, so go support your local comic book retailers. And if you're in Calgary, makes some time to check out the Expo down at the Big Four on Sunday. With over 40 guests from various parts of the industry, there's something for everyone. You won't be dissappointed.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Holy Shit! We got beat by the Ducks!
This is such a shitty thing to have to post, but tonight my Calgary Flames got their asses handed to them by the Disney fucking Ducks. So much for the Stanley Cup run and so much for the much needed battle of Alberta. We just plain blew it. We were out played, out battled, and in the end completely out done by the Ducks. The only good side to this is that the Ducks have a few good, quality, and genuinely nice player in guys like Selanne and the Niedermayers, as well as a stand-up goalie in Ilya Bryzgalov. I hope they do well. But now we as a nation are down to 2 teams, and only 2 teams. So Edmonton and Ottawa, the hockey hopes of the nation rest in your hands. Do us proud.
Next year, we'll bring the cup home. Remember this: Calgary made the cup finals in '86, lost to Montreal. After an early exit the following year we rebuilt and in '89 we brought the Cup home. So give it time. In a year or 2 we'll have lots to celebrate and this series will be a distant memory.
Next year, we'll bring the cup home. Remember this: Calgary made the cup finals in '86, lost to Montreal. After an early exit the following year we rebuilt and in '89 we brought the Cup home. So give it time. In a year or 2 we'll have lots to celebrate and this series will be a distant memory.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Day 1 of a new life. Why do I feel so sad?
Well, as of 6:00 pm yesterday afternoon my life as a heavy-duty mechanic came to an end. And although I won't miss the work very much, I found out yesterday that I will indeed miss the people involved.
I worked for K & P Drever for just over 4 years and in that time I came to meet and know alot of people. Because I was the least experienced person in the shop, I was responsible from early on in my career for going on parts runs when the other mechanics needed parts. Over the years of doing this I made some great connections at the different parts places the company had accounts at and I even made some friends. There was always somebody somewhere who had my back and went out of their way to get me the parts I was looking for. These guys took care of my parts needs, and a few even became interested in my life. Yesterday I was able to spend the better part of my last day searching for parts for the other mechanics, and this allowed me to say some goodbyes to those who I will truly miss. And it was good to know that I'll be missed right back.
I'm not the most emotional person you will ever meet, but some things do get me worked up a bit. "Goodbye guys, thanks for all you've done for me over the years." Seems like a simple enough thing to say, right? Yesterday it was incredibly hard to say. With every hand shake and every "Good luck Rich, I'll miss you pal" I had to choke back the tears. I never realized how much seeing these guys everyday meant to me. So if there is going to be any adjustment in my new life, this will be it.
Thanks to all the guys at Traction, Gregg Distributors, and Fleet Brake for making 4 dificult years of work a little more bearable. Getting to know you guys made getting through my days at K & P worth every minute.
I worked for K & P Drever for just over 4 years and in that time I came to meet and know alot of people. Because I was the least experienced person in the shop, I was responsible from early on in my career for going on parts runs when the other mechanics needed parts. Over the years of doing this I made some great connections at the different parts places the company had accounts at and I even made some friends. There was always somebody somewhere who had my back and went out of their way to get me the parts I was looking for. These guys took care of my parts needs, and a few even became interested in my life. Yesterday I was able to spend the better part of my last day searching for parts for the other mechanics, and this allowed me to say some goodbyes to those who I will truly miss. And it was good to know that I'll be missed right back.
I'm not the most emotional person you will ever meet, but some things do get me worked up a bit. "Goodbye guys, thanks for all you've done for me over the years." Seems like a simple enough thing to say, right? Yesterday it was incredibly hard to say. With every hand shake and every "Good luck Rich, I'll miss you pal" I had to choke back the tears. I never realized how much seeing these guys everyday meant to me. So if there is going to be any adjustment in my new life, this will be it.
Thanks to all the guys at Traction, Gregg Distributors, and Fleet Brake for making 4 dificult years of work a little more bearable. Getting to know you guys made getting through my days at K & P worth every minute.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Where'd all my hair go?
It's getting to be that time of year again. A time when the temperature rises, and with it my desire for short hair. So I did today what I've done a few times in the past: I buzzed off all my hair.
I went into my usual hair salon and got my old friend Mo to crop it all off. And as he has done many times in the past, he paused and said " Are you sure?". Just being cautious I guess. After assuring him that it's what I came in for, he proceeded with a smile. And in just a matter of moments, I went from having unruly, messy and hard to work with hair, to having an air-conditioned skelp. The plus side is that I'll definately use less shampoo. The down side is I can see I'm loosing more and more hair each hair cut. Sucks getting older and inheriting your Mother's family hair gene. Not that I'm complaining, I still grow lots of hair, but I miss my old locks sometimes. I'm doing better than alot of guys in the hair department, I just don't know for how much longer. But needless to say I like the look. I call it the "Jason Statham" look. Now if only I had his jaw line, swimmer build, and kick-ass accent. I could be an action movie superstar!!!!!
Or not.
I went into my usual hair salon and got my old friend Mo to crop it all off. And as he has done many times in the past, he paused and said " Are you sure?". Just being cautious I guess. After assuring him that it's what I came in for, he proceeded with a smile. And in just a matter of moments, I went from having unruly, messy and hard to work with hair, to having an air-conditioned skelp. The plus side is that I'll definately use less shampoo. The down side is I can see I'm loosing more and more hair each hair cut. Sucks getting older and inheriting your Mother's family hair gene. Not that I'm complaining, I still grow lots of hair, but I miss my old locks sometimes. I'm doing better than alot of guys in the hair department, I just don't know for how much longer. But needless to say I like the look. I call it the "Jason Statham" look. Now if only I had his jaw line, swimmer build, and kick-ass accent. I could be an action movie superstar!!!!!
Or not.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
And tonight makes it 2-1 Flames!!!!!!!
Well, the Calgary Flames responded to the critics. They responded to the skeptics. Most of all they responded to the fans. Tonight, they showed why they are considered Cup contenders as they beat the Mighty Ducks 5-2 down in good old sunny California. A commanding performance from start to finish allowed the Flames to get tonights win. And now we have home-ice advantage back. Let's hope the team continues this fired up (no pun intended, really!) style of play Thursday night and records another win, and takes another step closer to drinking out of the holy grail of hockey: The Stanley Cup!!!!!
Yes, I'm quite excited. I love playoff hockey. Go FLAMES Go!!!!!!
Yes, I'm quite excited. I love playoff hockey. Go FLAMES Go!!!!!!
2 more days!!!! And other fun stuff.
I have 2 more days left at work. 2 more days to endure in what I can only describe as "Hell on Earth" combined with toxic smells, dirt and grime, and the worst attitudes amongst grown men ever collected in one place! Well, okay, it's not quite that bad, but somedays it feels like it is. So in 2 days I have my freedom. I'm very stoked :)
I've also added a few links to some fellow bloggers of mine. Check em' out if you have a chance. I'll be adding more soon when I remember the names of my other friends blogs. (I've had a rough day and I'm having Kokanee for dinner so...... my mind is not here right now.) Cheers everybody!
I've also added a few links to some fellow bloggers of mine. Check em' out if you have a chance. I'll be adding more soon when I remember the names of my other friends blogs. (I've had a rough day and I'm having Kokanee for dinner so...... my mind is not here right now.) Cheers everybody!
Sunday, April 23, 2006
What the f......?
Okay, my blog hates me. I've been trying to post a movie review and for some reason the review won't update. That pisses me off. I've never had a problem before, and I don't wish to have any problems now. Has this ever happened to any of you? I hope it's just a temperary glitch. If not, then I guess I'll be writing the review again. Damn man-made junk!
Silent Hill, it's not for everyone.
I just came back from seeing the new movie Silent Hill. I'm a big fan of the video game franchise and I'm also a big fan of the director Christophe Gans. With my fingers crossed, I went to see this movie hoping that it would remove the bad taste left in my mouth by every other video-game based movie I've seen (Resident Evil exampt). Unfortunately, this was not to be.
The movie itself, from a visual standpoint, is quite stunning. Christophe managed to capture the eerieness and macabre atmophere you find in the video game. Too bad he didn't spend more time on the writing. The whole movie feels like a Uwe Boll directed mess. And believe folks that's not a good thing.
If you've ever played Silent Hill then you know that the story is always a bit twisted and things are never fully explained. But if you haven't played the game and you are going to see this movie, take caution: The movie is just a trippy and confusing experience, loaded with poor acting and over-the-top gore! I don't know if I can fully blame the actors though, you can only do so much with crap. And everyone tries their best in this movie, it just doesn't help. Right from the beginning of the movie I got the impression that the story was going to be weak. With no initial back story, we the viewers are thrust right into the heart of this creepy little town of Silent Hill without fully knowing why. And up until the last 15 minutes of the show we're still left guessing. Now like I said before, if you're a fan of the franchise then this is to be expected. Every game's the same way. I guess I was just hoping for so much more given the people involved and the oppertunities available. Silent Hill could be a very good, incredibly intense experience if done right. Too bad the movie makers didn't capitalize on this. I found too many parts of the movie to be cheesy, and not enough of the movie made me jumpy. I crave that jumpy, uneasy feeling in my horror movies and the scary video games I play. I'm have these feeling playing the Silent Hill games and I wanted to feel this way watching the movie. But movie just doesn't deliver.
If you like your horror movies with little story direction and alot of visually graphic scenes, then you'll like Silent Hill. If you're a fan of the franchise and are stoked to see the game brought to life, you'll probably like it as well, but will most likely feel like I do. If you're a curious movie fan and are looking at Silent Hill to be an entertaining scarefest, stay away! You'll only be dissappointed.
So consider yourself warned, Silent Hill is not for everyone. Not even me.
The movie itself, from a visual standpoint, is quite stunning. Christophe managed to capture the eerieness and macabre atmophere you find in the video game. Too bad he didn't spend more time on the writing. The whole movie feels like a Uwe Boll directed mess. And believe folks that's not a good thing.
If you've ever played Silent Hill then you know that the story is always a bit twisted and things are never fully explained. But if you haven't played the game and you are going to see this movie, take caution: The movie is just a trippy and confusing experience, loaded with poor acting and over-the-top gore! I don't know if I can fully blame the actors though, you can only do so much with crap. And everyone tries their best in this movie, it just doesn't help. Right from the beginning of the movie I got the impression that the story was going to be weak. With no initial back story, we the viewers are thrust right into the heart of this creepy little town of Silent Hill without fully knowing why. And up until the last 15 minutes of the show we're still left guessing. Now like I said before, if you're a fan of the franchise then this is to be expected. Every game's the same way. I guess I was just hoping for so much more given the people involved and the oppertunities available. Silent Hill could be a very good, incredibly intense experience if done right. Too bad the movie makers didn't capitalize on this. I found too many parts of the movie to be cheesy, and not enough of the movie made me jumpy. I crave that jumpy, uneasy feeling in my horror movies and the scary video games I play. I'm have these feeling playing the Silent Hill games and I wanted to feel this way watching the movie. But movie just doesn't deliver.
If you like your horror movies with little story direction and alot of visually graphic scenes, then you'll like Silent Hill. If you're a fan of the franchise and are stoked to see the game brought to life, you'll probably like it as well, but will most likely feel like I do. If you're a curious movie fan and are looking at Silent Hill to be an entertaining scarefest, stay away! You'll only be dissappointed.
So consider yourself warned, Silent Hill is not for everyone. Not even me.
Friday, April 21, 2006
And the Flames take game 1!!!!
Many of you who know me out there know I'm a big Flames fan. Well tonight they took the first step in their quest to win the Stanley Cup by beating the Mighty Ducks 2-1 in overtime. Good old Darren McCarty scored the game winner. What a game! It's good to see the Flames start off on the right track and hopefully they can continue this way of playing all the way to the Stanley Cup finals. I know I'll be cheering them all the way, and with any luck they can avenge 2004's 7th game loss by bringing the cup back to Calgary. Go Flames Go!!!!!!!!!
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