Sunday, January 31, 2010

Ergo Proxy


Anime "Ergo Proxy" is SF suspense Anime of the manglobe production. From February, 2006 to August, it was broadcasted in pay satellite broadcasting "WOWOW".

An unknown virus, the light of the sun to spread in the earth and the atmosphere burnt to the ground were blocked by mine dust, and the earth was full of desolatenesses. The people are forced to the life in isolated dome type cities to live under such an environment.

City Romdo in the complete regime bottom. I was model, and the people lived as an obedient "good citizen" with a robot called "AutoReivs". However, in late years infection of Cogito virus which brought the onset of the self in AutoReivs in Romdo that it seemed that I was unrelated to the crime increased, and it was it with a problem. I was infected with a virus, and I was uncontrollable, and young carrier which worked at the citizen's Information Board, Rel Mayer of Romdo hit the investigation of a reckless driving case of AutoReivs which I fell into and the case that killed the mystery citizen who occurred frequently.

One day Rel witnesses the figure of a mystery monster in the spot where I am similar newly, and a citizen was killed where I happened to meet by a follow-up survey of infection AutoReivs. And the monster appeared in mysterious message "awakening" left in the home in the evening before her astonished eyes.

When it was a delusion of Rel made with the mythomania reaction in the primary lunacy state by the stoker by concealment work of Security Bureau, the monster was cleared up, and there was never the person who believed witness testimony of Rel. Existence of mysterious monster "Proxy" hushed up to reckless driving of Security Bureau, the silence of the Information Board and darkness. Order of Romdo which seemed to be perfection has begun to shake little by little.

I begin to examine Rel which was excluded from the investigation of the murder case about Proxy secretly, but it is monkeyed around by the expectations of the appearing and disappearing upper echelon. It was asked national treason, and the man of the mystery emigrant who seemed to be the only clue escaped from Romdo.

In search of the truth, I make up my mind Rel throws away Romdo full of deceptions, and to chase emigrant Vincent Law in "Deathworld" and the outside world said to. With with Proxy and the truth to contain the world that Rel found in the end….

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Welcome to the N.H.K.


The work that Anime "Welcome to the N.H.K." made the novel of the Hatuhiko Takimoto original Anime. The Manga printing block was published serially in "monthly boy ace" (Kadokawa Publishing) to June, 2007 issue than February, 2004 issue. As for the book, eight volumes are published. It was broadcasted as TV Anime from July, 2006 to December and cooked it.

When, since university leaving school in midcourse, it goes to the convenience store to go out.
Number of friends 0.
Sleep 1st 16 hours.
Tatuhiro Sato of 22 years old that such a life entered into in the fourth year became hikikomori, anime otaku. Oneself drops out of a university, and Sato nurses delusions when I am jobless, and being hikikomori all is a plot of mystery eight-hundred-pound gorilla. The name of the organization NHK (Japan stays indoors, association).

Beautiful girl Misaki Nakahara which appeared before such Sato suddenly.

"You were chosen as my project"

It is ... that Misaki held out while saying so. It was the unbelievable contract which it stole out of the present life, and it supported to come back to its normal life!
Can Sato defeat the former invisible present conditions as expected?
And real nature of Misaki and the purpose?
Is this a plot of N H K again, too? ?
The purpose of the "project" is unclear, and counseling of Sato by Misaki begins.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Urusei Yatsura

Anime "Urusei Yatsura" regards SF gag Manga of the Rumiko Takahashi original as the original. The Manga printing block was published serially in (Shogakukan) to 8 from 39 on "weekly boy Sunday" in 1987 in 1978. As for the book, 34 volumes are published. It was broadcasted as TV Anime until March, 1986 from October, 1981. Six works are shown as Anime for theater.

The ogre group who is an alien sets earth aggression. The ogre group holds the overwhelming technology and armaments and I obtain the earth commonly, and it is too easy and is not interesting. Therefore I declared it when representative earth fought against representative ogre group with single combat and was able to beat earth representative when I occupied the earth. The single combat is performed by "tag" according to tradition of the ogre group, and it is a thing called the victory of the ogre group when a victory of the earth, an ogre group representative succeed in escaping when earth representative catches the corner of the ogre group representative before a time limit.

Because Ataru Moroboshi of the high school student who has been chosen as representative earth of "the tag" that I bet fate of the earth on wants to be bound together with her by an erotic love device of Sinobu Miyake which is a lover although I lacked the drive to do it at first, I begin to run after Lum of the ogre group representative. Of and "win marriage だ ..." which uttered while running after it when Lum proposes to oneself, misunderstand a word, and accept it. (Actually, a remark with Moroboshi yearning for Shinobu of the childhood friend)Therefore I win for tag, and the earth is saved from aggression, but Lum settles down in a person of Moroboshi. Thus endless tag of man / Ataru and Lum with much love begins.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Witch Hunter Robin


Anime "Witch Hunter Robin" is director Syukou Murase, fantasy Anime of the Sunrise production. It was broadcasted as TV Anime from July, 2002 to December.
For several thousand years, an organization called Solomon protected people from "witch" ("witch" is originally a witch, but points at the antisocial paranormal with this work). In late years I played the fight that I competed for with them by the tactics a witch performing a crime with ability uses a medicine called "Orubo" for STNJ which is Japan branch office of Solomon for increase, this, and even Japan neutralizes a witch, and to capture it, but one of the main force members dies the mystery death and falls into an underkill. Girl Robin Sena of 15 years old that it is craft trainer with the ability for ignition that I have been sent as a backup by Solomon. She begins to show power for witch hunting as a member of the teams…….

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Inukami!


The work that Anime "Inukami!" made light Novell of the Mamizu Arisawa original AManga and nime. The Manga printing block was published serially in "monthly Dengeki Comic Gao!" (ascii media works) by Mari Matuzawa drawing from December, 2005 to April, 2008. As for the book, six volumes are published. From April, 2006 to September, 2006, it was broadcasted as TV Anime.

The progeny of a high school student / the person of whole families / Kawahira of spirit of a small animal trainer that Keita Kawahara is noble who lives in Kichijitu City. However, it was disowned by circumstances of lack of ability others Moro Moro by a master's residence. Keita called by the cause of the grandmother who is such an occasion, the person of Kawahira present head of a household is compared with spirit of a small animal named "Youko". She who is original whom I met is obedient, and the figure is distinguished. Keita links the pledge of the master and servant at once and begins cohabitation.

However, a great problem child as the true character of Youko can control nobody. The original obedient manner was only a mere pose. It is rolled up, and Keita swung around in a luxurious manner whimsically of Yoko is made to have a terrible experience by various troubles.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Rat Fink Heading For "DRAGSVILLE"

Hey Finksters and Finkettes!!! A Finky little drawing I did of our favorite boss Fink heading to DragsVille, U.S.A. Take care gang and check in sooon! Your Cartoon Drag Fink Pal...Jeff

Scholastic: Ultimate Guide To Football

Aria


Anime "Aria" is science fantasy Anime of the Kozue Amano original. The Manga printing block was published serially in "monthly comics blade" (Mag Garden) until April, 2008 from April, 2002. As for the book, 12 volumes are published. It was broadcasted as TV Anime from October, 2005 to December. The sequel is broadcasted from April, 2009 to September.

Akari Mizunashi from earth (Manhome) aimed at becoming a full-fledged pilot (undine) and did it to AQUA. I send days practicing a gondola row and the guidebook as a half quota in the ARIA company where there are Alicia Florence and the President Aria Pokoteng of the cat of the senior now.

In gentle scenery of Neo-Venezia, I draw a light village and the life of the people of the circumference growing up of four seasons.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Ah My Buddha


Anime "Ah My Buddha" is original / K Bohemian, romantic comedy Anime by drawing / Toshinori Sogabe. The Manga printing block was published serially in "monthly comics gum" (crocodile books) from 2003 to 2007. The sequel from 2007 serialization until 2009. From July, 2005 to September, it was broadcasted as TV Anime from January, 2006 to March.

Ikkou Satonaka is a boy of the tenth grader of the normal. However, it is half started to getting rid of a nuisance by grandmother / Jotoku and six nun nunnery "Saienji Temple" which are when I become "full-fledged save" it from parents in the spring. And to prevent the liberation of "the special spiritual power" that Ikkou oneself has from this day; from severe ascetic practices and doubtful Reibai business and nuns is tyrannical; will send days to bear it to behave, but rotate by this "special spiritual power", and become Ryouseiryu and the days of the fight.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Contest!

I'm suffering my annual resurgence of a mono-like virus I picked up a few years back, and don't have it in me to put a post together, but I didn't want to just call in sick, so I'm holding a fun little contest.

You may remember my post about lettering, where I showed many of the most common mistakes I see in amateur lettering, and gave a general philosophy about how artists can approach this intimidating subject.

This last week it was announced that the Twilight graphic novel was going to print, and that they'd be making 350,000 copies for their initial print run, an insane number for a comic. As it turns out, Stephenie Meyer cares even less about how her books are adapted into comic form than she does about how they're adapted into film, or for that matter the quality of her writing. Stephenie could certainly pay for quality, if she wanted, but instead chose first-time comic book artist Young Kim (who, it's reported rather vaguely, has a "fine arts" background) for the job. Kim's too-shitty-to-be-called-generic, obviously hastily produced hackwork is hysterical, confusing, and infuriating. It's hard to see how such a terrible artist was chosen to helm a GN with one of the largest print runs I've ever heard of. Maybe Meyer saw in Kim a kindred spirit with absolutely no pride in her work? Meyer has stated that she was involved in every page of the book, and feels very happy with it. But the artwork actually wasn't what caught my eye first. The lettering in this book is literally- and I use that word mindfully- literally the worst published lettering I have ever seen. If I'd known lettering could look this bad, I'd have requested that Meyer actually piss in my face instead.

Here's where we get to the contest. In my post I covered nine distinct types of mistake one can make in lettering. I counted eight major types of mistake in this lettering, and four of them were ones I didn't think of when making my post. Here is a single page from the new book:


The first person who can tell me what those types of mistake were, and which ones I did not cover in my post, will win a signed print of my poster for Patton Oswalt:

Leave your answers in the comments. I'll let you know when I have a winner.

Have a good week everyone!

Appleseed


Anime "Appleseed" is SFAnime of the Masamune Shiro original. The Manga printing block was published serially in "comics Gaia" (Seisinsya) from February, 1985 to April, 1989. OVA was released in April, 1988, and, in April, 2004, it was shown as Anime for theater. I become the video game for Sony PS2 in February, 2007.

After the fifth Great War, a nation and the intelligence network were destroyed exhaustively, and Deunan and Briareos sent wandering days while wandering the uninhabited city that became the ruins from place to place. It is approached with emigration to Olympus by young woman / Hitomi which visited how long a human being survives elsewhere in the situation that I do not understand suddenly. It was two people who doubted this invitation, but it was unbelievable that I waited for two people whom Olympus became from the wish why I could return to with a police officer (SWAT) after the war with the world, and and cleanliness was a high, rich city first.

Human being, bioroids which it was controlled half of the population in Utopia / Olympus which the human built at last artificially, and was born occupied it and functioned as a buffer (a relationship of human being and bioroids is drawn exquisitely) which avoided a useless collision of the fellow creature. Deunan and Briareos begin to live on Olympus as "a guest" and make "reinstatement" as a member of Special Forces before long.

However, it held various problems that I was seen in the Utopia, and the city of the kite escaped from the work of the person without it being still possible. By the opposition of terrorism to be able to be called the aftereffects of the war, Olympus Executive Yuan and the legislative organ, tactics with other countries, the life science removal of a ban technology a person social; there is it, and interfere a state…. Two people are rolled up in various expectations and plots around the city.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Akai Ito


A Japanese-style fantastic story horror adventure game for Sony PS2 that Manga "Akai Ito" was released than a success. And it is the comics work which assumes this the original. The Mangta printing block was published serially in June issue by the Tomoyuki Yakigawa original, Yu Katase drawing from May, 2007.

I lose mother who was the only blood relationship in this summer, and Kei Hatou which paid off the inheritance knows that father had Motoyashiki on the land which he is not used to called Tukamizuka on one day of the history. In visiting Tukamizuka to watch the goods to decide whether you get rid of Kei. In the train of the journey, huge tree as carry through God and girl / Yumei which were able to follow in a crowd of the butterfly appear; have a mysterious dream…….

With a mountain god and the tradition of the sacrifice to reach Tukamizuka? The truth of the memory of lost Katsura? Tukamizuka which is a country of birth of Kei. When an actor gathers on the stage, a wheel of fortune begins to turn around calmly…….

Friday, January 22, 2010

Blue Submarine No. 6


Anime "Blue Submarine No. 6" is adventure Anime of the Satoru Ozawa original. The Manga printing block was published serially in (Shogakukan) on "weekly boy Sunday" until November from January, 1967. It is released as OVA of the GONZO production in October, 1998. It is released as video game for Sony PS2 in 2000.

In near future, the population of the earth swelled, and the environment became badness. The various countries in the world pursued hope in frontier = Sea of the human last. And I terminated a submarine from the various countries in the world and, for security on the sea and environmental protection, formed supranationality organization "blue".
In the submarine which went from the Japanese Self-Defense Force to "the blue" becomes the 6 warship, and getting a duty.
However, in such an occasion, scientist Zomdyke which was existence of the leader of the marine resources development of genius fluttered a half term suddenly and I led ocean terrorism association "Max" and I went through declaration, nine discrimination terrorism and did human extermination! "The blue" let you exercise an ultimate strategy in order to be opposed to it and challenged the fight that I bet the life and death of the human on.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Ai Yori Aoshi


Anime "Ai Yori Aoshi" is youth love Anime of the Kou Fumizuki original. As for the Manga version, it was loved to "young people animal" (Shiroizumi company) to 17 in 2005 from 1998. As for the book, 17 volumes are published. It was broadcasted as twice from October, 2004, TV Anime from April, 2002.

Ordinary university student / Kaoru Hanbishi which goes to Meiritu University. But, in fact, it was the human being who became the Hanabishi financial combine next present head of a household which had President of Hanabishi financial combine / Yuji Hanabishi to father. However, there were not the official couple relations with mother / Kumi Honjyo of Kaoru and father / Yuji Hanabishi, and therefore both Kaoru and mother / Kumi were hurt during various slander from circumference. It came to be put near "emperor education" for abuse limitlessly so that father / Yuji died at the age of 5 years old, and Kaoru consisted of grandfather / Genichiro Hanabishi (father of Yuji) to the person of Hanabishi present head of a household afterwards.

Kaoru disliked such Hanabishi, and Hanabishi broke off relations taking advantage of a university admission and left the the Hanabishis. However, there was the woman who yearned for Kaoru in Kaoru heartily from early childhood. The name is Aoi Sakuraba. Sakuraba drapery: It is an heir daughter of Sakura department store), and it is a human being becoming the present head of a household in the Hanabishi next term and the woman who bound engagement relations together. We had various interchange in a person of Sakuraba and the person of Hanabishi, and Aoi loved Kaoru since I was young, but Kaoru did not notice a feeling of Aoi.

However, because Kaoru was over a person of Hanabishi, the engagement of Aoi and Kaoru was canceled, and other marriage proposals were pushed forward in the person of Sakuraba, but I chased him, and Aoi has left the the Sakurabas without can cut off thought to Kaoru.

It was two people whom it abandoned the mission of the heir each other, and came across you, but it was the situation that was too difficult to live together. But I get the only understanding person called guardian / Miyabi Kagurazaki of Aoi with the servant of the Sakuraba drapery, and, as for Aoi and Miyabi, Kaoru will live in the detached room (the dormitory where the servant lives in) of the European-style building in a European-style building. The friends of the photograph department where Kaoru belonged to before long began to gather in this detached room, and the detached room of the European-style building has become their apartment. Therefore Miyabi will treat to manager of the European-style building, Aoi as an authority of the apartments, and the relations of Kaoru and Aoi will spend days for prevention of scandal with circumference having been able to lie down.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Eyeshield 21


Anime "Eyeshield 21" is original / Riichiro Inagaki, sports Anime by drawing / Yusuke Murata. The Manga printing block was published serially in "boy jump (Shueisha) weekly until June, 2009" from July, 2002. As for the book, 37 volumes are published. It was broadcasted as TV Anime from April, 2005 to March, 2008.

As for high school student who is faintheartedness to go to private Deimon Senior High School, Sena Kobayakawa, entrance to school will be in Deimon Senior High School American football department "Deimon Devil Bats" as a superintendent in charge from an unexpected thing at the very beginning. Got twisted up so that Passi re-similar delinquent cut off the way back, him and I did a hard race to the Deimon station to escape and dashed onto a train just before it leaves. Is done in American football department captain / Hiruma that witnessed it forcibly the next day by a player, and is the only merit; is fleet-footed, and will fight in a meeting for player registration name "eye shield 21" in spring.

Although I won while borrowing a lot of helpers, skilled "Ojo White Knights" can beat the first match for the next match. However, Sena wants to begin to beat Susumu which is the strongest linebacker from the heart. I add Monta of former baseball club and win a great victory in "Zokugaku chameleons" and, furthermore, I increase it, and new member Yukimitu, Komusubi, the Haahaa3 brothers (Jyumonji / Kuroki / Tono) tie "the sun Sphinx", too, but are defeated by narrow margin by "NASA aliens".

Therefore I meet trainer Doburoku of the forerunner "Maou Devil Bats" times, and the Deimon Devil Bats member who came to U.S.A. trains a reinforcement program intensively by "a march of the death" afterwards. I run the whole distance with dropout 0 while getting to know with a Ryu brother on the way.

I win and advance to the next around of Tokyo meeting in a fall and aim at the national convention finals (Christmas bowl) participation with friends.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Aoi Hana: Blue Flower


Anime "Aoi Hana" is school girls love Anime of the Takako Shimura original. The Manga printing block is published serially in "comics eroticism Thich F" (Oota publication) from November, 2004. As for the book, four volumes are published. From July, 2009 to September, it was broadcasted as TV Anime.

Kamakura such as the vicinities of Enoden is stages. Centering on two chief characters going to higher girl according to each, love between women and the friendship are drawn. As for the title, a novel of Novalis comes from "a blue flower".

Fumi Manjyoume which knows much of the world with Fumicyan which entered the higher girl "Matuoka girls' high school" of the Kamakura era is a reencounter after an interval of Akira Okudaira and 10 when I am called Ahcyan of the childhood friend whom I am the same, and entered the amount of young lady girl "Fujigaoka woman academy" at the Kamakura station of the Jiang ノ train on the day of the entrance ceremony. Two people come to attend school together. I feel I having been betrayed because Chizucyan (Chizu Hanashiro) of the cousin who associated married, and Fumi of that time was sunk, but begins to keep company with Yasuko Sugimoto of the senior whom I met in the clubroom of the literature club.

Monday, January 18, 2010

DEATHNOTE


Anime "DEATHNOTE" is dark fantasy mystery Anime of original / Tugumi Ohba / drawing / Takeshi Obata. The Manga printing block was published serially in "weekly boy jump" (Shueisha) from December, 2003 to May, 2006. As for the book, 12 volumes are published. The photograph taken on a spot filmization is considered to be June, 2006 in November, too. It was broadcasted as a TV animated cartoon from October, 2006 to June, 2007. The media mix work which becomes a novel or the game.

One day Light Yagami of the high school student picks up a strange black notebook in the sites of a senior high school going to. It was Death Note that a human being written a name to in the notebook which god of death / Ryuk dropped died. Light writes in criminals name in the world at a notebook in sequence and buries it to make the New World which there is not a criminal. The people who noticed the existence of the person who hushed up a criminal before long began to call it "KIRA" from a meaning of killer (= Killer) and appeared to a person I worshiped Kira with "God", and to admire.

On the other hand, ICPO (Interpol) which felt existence of Kira asks mystery excellent detective L which is the only existence to be able to move the police of the whole world that leads the case that I dealt with to the solution by all means in a beck and call for the investigation of the Kira case.

When Kira is in Japanese Kanto District, I judge L which considers Kira which continues liquidating the criminal to be a serial killer and establish the investigation headquarters in Japan and challenge Kira. "Kira" and "L" publish each justice and will face each other in this way.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

D.Gray-man


Anime "D.Gray-man" is dark fantasy Anime of the Katura Hoshino original. "A jump is squarer" than "a weekly boy jump", December, 2009 issue than 27, and the Manga printing block is published serially in (Shueisha) in 2004. As for the book, 19 volumes are published, and total circulations exceed Part 18000000. It was broadcasted as TV Anime from October, 2006 to September, 2008.

This begins from the Europe of virtual the 19th century. Sad malignancy weapon "AKUMA" (アクマ) that it is created "machine" "soul" "tragedy" to materials. "The Chitoshi earl" who pushes forward a plan to the world end with a manufacturer of AKUMA. And the "exorcist" who is existence chosen in crystal "innocence" of God who can destroy only AKUMA. A chief character: 15-year-old Allen Walker was the one, too.

Allen casts the body for a fierce fight with a friend for a long time in order to save a soul bound by world and AKUMA…….
This week: SCAD Atlanta students will destroy us all.

I assume most of you will recognize this episode of the Simpsons:

Basically, SCAD Atlanta is a training ground/hardened military facility for a sixties-era mad terrorist, probably Chris Schweizer.

How else do you explain the decor of the place, space-industrial in gaudy colors and exposed metal (And I'm pretty sure this is a transporter facility)?

The place has custom-designed recycling bins that match the building! This is the oppressive conformity indicative of a cruel dictator who cannot stand opposition even in his garbage disposal.

Look at this cafeteria, large enough to feed a small army, with the SCAD logo covering an entire wall, chanting a visual reminder of loyalty unto death.


Look at this relaxation area, straight out of a James bond film:


These pod chairs are robotically enhanced:


You enter one,


Pull the sensory isolation shield around you,

and then invert yourself, immersing yourself into a technological relaxation bubble no doubt filled with ultrasonic subliminal brainwashing messages. Mere students don't require devices like this to relax- only agents of horror, soldiers that have done things which stretch even morally bleached minds to their breaking point, require such mechanically-assisted relaxation to find peace.


There is a small "theater" which is clearly a single-stage to orbit escape pod for the facility's higher ranking officials, should something go awry:


Surrounded by smaller single-man escape pods:

Make no mistake, SCAD Atlanta students will destroy us all.

(SCAD Atlanta's building was originally a huge federal building, following which it was rennovated to the tune of $40 million by a dot-com that promptly went bankrupt upon completion, and now SCAD has a long term lease and the benefit of facilities that were supposed to be for the man-children of a failed Google. I say Man-children because I have never seen a building LESS decorated by women in my entire life. I've been to strip clubs with a more feminine touch.)

Actually, SCAD Atlanta students ARE coming to destroy us all, with their art.

Way back in October I was invited to be one of SCAD Atlanta's two guest speakers, along with Sean Murphy. We both gave a talk about our careers, two lessons with students, and did portfolio reviews. Tim O'Shea did a fan-fucking-tastic job covering it all, in an article that manages to quote myself and several others at length while never taking any of us out of context or ruining a nuanced idea. In fact, as Sean pointed out, Tim made us all seem smarter than we are, if anything.

Tim's article covers pretty much everything about what happened except stuff that was in my internal monologue. The two main themes in my head were

a: I absolutely do not deserve to be a co-equal guest artist discussing my "career" alongside a veteran artist who's been at this more than 3 times as long as I have,

b: I was so, SO glad that the lessons, which were basically "The best of Comic Tools, LIVE!" worked out.

I actually learned several new things from the students during my tools lesson, which I'll be passing along soon (I'm still gathering materials for that), and the students really responded well to the anatomy lesson. It was a lot like this blog, actually: I was mostly teaching stuff, but then they had info I didn't know, and now we'll all be able to have this information.

Regarding a: seriously, this was awkward for me. It's really stretching it to say I've had a "career" in comics at all, frankly. Sean's been a published, deadline-meeting workhorse for like 7 years now. I'm not even through my first book, and I'm WAYYYY over deadline with that. I tried to deal with my inadequacy by taking it-head on, and being as honest as possible. I ended up being a good counterpoint to Sean, as an Indie artist who has made some serious mistakes early on, but with the perspective of an indy artist, which is that I can just move on, keep working, and my peers and even my editors will help steer me back on course. This was in sharp contrast to Sean's sector of the industry, which is much more cut throat. Some of my smaller screw ups could, if made by Sean, have cost him his career in the industry forever, no joke. I don't think I deserved to be speaking next to him, but the two of us did serve to emphasize what a varied industry comics can be, and that was good for the students.

Here's Sean and me speaking:


Here's Sean doing his inking tutorial, which I sadly had to miss:

And here's me doing portfolio reviews:


Jesus, the portfolio reviews.

Everyone drawing below the industry top 5%: watch the fuck out. SCAD Atlanta is not like it's retarded cousin SCAD Savannah. As iron sharpens iron, so these artists sharpen each other. This is a school that turns down applicants. This is a school that gives failing grades to unpublishable- emphasis on PUBLISHABLE- work. This is a school that listens to it's teachers, fosters a culture of greatness, and turns out the best students I have ever seen. Several students I met were currently working on books for ONI while still in school. Others had gigs lined up, or were in the process of it. I saw exactly 2 students who weren't ready to work at a totally pro level right then.

Most of them were better than me.

That's not to say there wasn't any one of them I couldn't give a good critique to- everybody has weaknesses. But basically everyone was working close to or at a level indistinguishable from the top 30% of actual pro work. It was a huge change from SVA's huge percentage of mediocrity and borderline-retarded losers being strung along with passing grades for their tuition money. Much is demanded of SCAD students, and as people always do, the students rise to high expectations, enforced with stern grading.

SCAD Atlanta is retarded, RETARDED expensive, but if you can afford it, they are a genuinely great school, with a director and teachers who really have a vision and set of ethics for the place. It was an honor to have been chosen to speak at such a place.

(I'd like to give a special shout-out to Falynn, who toured me around the campus so I could take photos without getting lost and accidentally stumbling into the school's fusion reactor. Here is her livejournal, where you can see her lovely watercolors.)

If SCAD Atlanta ever invites you as a guest, accept. I was fed like Caligula every single day. I'm serious- one night my dinner tab was eighty something, and they didn't flinch. I was put up in a great hotel room. I wanted for nothing, and felt very obligated to give them my all in my presentations. HOSPITALITY, spelled in capital letters, is the legal middle name of everyone there.

I got in a little tourism while I was in Atlanta, which, for the record, is the least pleasant city I have ever been in. New Yorkers, if you want to know what Atlanta is like, imagine if every street in Manhattan were I-95. Now imagine the entire city is like the east side from 23rd to 50th street, but with 5 out of every 6 businesses removed from the street and replaced with parking or windowless concrete walls. Now imagine it's a zombie apocalypse, and you can cover the whole distance from 23rd to 50th and encounter only 4 people. Basically, imagine white plains at night, as an entire city.

BUT, their aquarium has whale sharks, and that redeems their entire shitty awful nightmare city:


I also went to the Coke museum, which is sort of sad but also sort of cool. They have a room where you can drink Coca Cola products from all over the world, and these were my favorites:



Notably absent was Mexican Coke, which I'm sure they didn't include because if they did nobody would drink the shitty American Coke.

SCAD did me one last great favor, by flying me out to Austin, where I was able to help my girlfriend move out of her apartment and to New York city. That was one of the most important weeks of my life, and it gains importance the farther I go into this relationship. I'll always be grateful to them for making that possible for me. My special thanks go out to Shawn Crystal and Chris Schweizer, who made this happen and treated me so very, very well. Blessings be upon you and your families.

I don't know what next week's lesson will be yet! We shall see...

Saturday, January 16, 2010

The Qwaser of Stigmata


Anime "The Qwaser of Stigmata" is the original / Hiroyuki Yoshino, school fantastic story battle action comics by drawing / Kenetsu Sato. It is published serially in "champion RED" (AKITA PUBLISHING) from September, 2006. As for the book, eight volumes are published. Broadcast was started in January, 2010 as TV Anime.

Qwaser. A person of special ability to handle a specific element freely by getting the bioenergy that it is called sacred milk from a woman. St. Mafuyu Oribe and Tomo Yamanobe which went to Mihailov Academy encountered bullying in a class. I hide embarrassment and sorrow, and Mafuyu still strongly does thought that oneself does not follow Tomo in Tomo keeping a smile. One day, before such them, a mystery boy called Sasha appears. The encounter was all openings. Mafuyu is attacked by Qwaser of an enemy handling magnesium in the evening and will not do it……! ?

Friday, January 15, 2010

Elfen Lied


Anime "Elfen Lied" is SF violence Anime of the Rin Okamoto original. The Manga printing block was published serially in "young people jump" (Shueisha) from June, 2002 to August, 2005. As for the book, 12 volumes are published. It was broadcasted as TV Anime from July, 2004 to October.

Woman type mutant having two corners making a pair and special ability to be called Vector of the both sides of the head department / 2 person (Diclonius, {corner strangeness}). It is said that they have possibility to screen the human, and I isolate it as an absolute secrecy secret at the national level, and it is studied by Kunitachi habits science laboratory of the remote island.

One day girl / Lucy of Diclonius isolated in the research institute by an accidental accident tears restriction and kills a secretary / the second lunar month between a guard and a research institute general manager / the storehouse and tries the escape from the research institute. Right before jump into the sea; of a hard and strong cannonball (was considered to be "an anti-tank rifle" of a drama, but a sniper speaking with "50-caliber", error of "the object snipe gun") on the head for anti-tanks is shocked, but get off with a happy slight wound, and she is just stretched out to the sea.

On the other hand, a Lucy meeting point puts young man / Kohta which I put in Kamakura away to rely on a relative to go to the university when I visited the Yui ヶ beach with Yuka of the cousin if I drifted to there with chance. Character has been replaced in at all in disruption another character after having lost memory by the shock that was popular with the verge head that Lusy ran away. It-free with the existence that she lets the human ruin, Kohta and Yuka which named "only Nyunyu and her who cannot talk Nyu take Nyu to maple Zhuang whom Kohta will live in with Kohta and Yuka which named only Nyunyu" and her who cannot talk Nyu and will live together, but….

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Denno Coil


Anime "Denno Coil" is SFAnime of the Mituo Iso original bill. It was broadcasted until December from May, 2007. The comics version be carried to "Cyao" (Shogakukan) in drawing / Mizuki Kuze in July, 2007. It is published than "Tokuma / NobelesEdge" (Tokuma Shoten) with a Yuko Miyamura product for a novel from April, 2007.

202X year. Glasses called "cyber glasses"-shaped wearable computer spreads in the whole world; and 11 years. The times when there are a pet and the tool which I used technology to be called it when cyber" for, and the Internet uses "the cyber glasses."

Yuko Okonogi which was called Yasako moved in Oguro City from Kanazawa-shi. I meet with mysterious cyber creature (Irigak) with Kyoko of the younger sister, and I hesitate about the old space to follow Yasako, and, during the movement, Densuke of the cyber pet is crowded. It was Fumie which gave "a cyber detective" to have saved it. Yasako finds "4423" letters and a painting such as the key hole in a picture diary of the time when oneself is young in the evening. Furthermore, I hear a voice that "I am 4423, your older brother" in the stairs where a torii in the dream affects. The next day, Yasako become the class same as Fumie in the class which moved into. The; Densuke is about to be kidnapped after school by a mystery girl. The mega grandmother who is a master of the Coil cyber detective station orders the investigation of the girl to Fumie. It was the girl, Yuko Amazawa called Isako to have appeared there as one another transfer student.

For Isako, Yasako offers you to make friends, but it is detected the problem in a school in front and is at a loss for words. I am ignored, and Daichi picks a trap with revenge though I invite Isako to a black visitor, but is defeated again. Isako begins to use the black visitor for one's purpose. It is introduced Haraten to Yasako in one by Fumie. Haraten studied the illegal which might be the cause that lost Kanna of the childhood friend. Yasako and Fumie decide to help with the study.

I was seen as if it developed what the thing which Isako looked for before long was. However, the fruit as for Isako…….

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Bokurano: Ours


Anime "Bokurano": Ours is SFAnime of the Mohiro Kitoh original. The Mannga printing block was published serially in "monthly IKKI" (Shogakukan) to August, 2009 issue than January, 2004 issue. It was broadcasted as TV Anime from April, 2007 to September.

Boy and girls 15 people who participated in a natural school in a summer vacation meet a mystery man named Kokopeli in a cave along the shore. Kokopeli tempts children whether "oneself made it does not play a game". A thing I "defeat 15 huge enemies whom I operate an unrivaled huge robot, and attack the earth, and to protect the earth" as for the contents of the game. 14 people except Kana stopped in Ushiro of the older brother think that it is a mere TV game and make a contract with Kokopeki. Before and a black huge robot and enemy appeared in the evening children 15 forwarded to a cockpit in the robot, the bad mascot of the mouth named Kokopeli and Koyemshi waited. This was the black robot / fight of the beginning of Zearth. ……The children will do the true meaning of the game in a thing of eyes as they repeat a battle.

The children in confrontation with the extreme situation question own life, a family and a connection with the society, a meaning of the life.

Paper Magic Christmas Greeting Cards

Here are a couple of greeting cards I did for the Paper Magic Group that contain sound chips so when you open them you get some sound effects like a scream and the sound of Santa ripping his pants. Ho! Ho! Ho!!!!





The Tower of Druaga


The fantasy animated cartoon that Anime "The Tower of Druaga" assumed TV game "The Tower of Druaga" of NAMCO (existing Bandai NAMCO games) the original. It was broadcasted as TV Anime until June from April, 2008. In the second season, it is broadcast from January, 2009 to March.

The world 80 years when a story of brave man Gil and medium Ki was handed down as a legend later. Summer of five Anu that the demon in the tower loses power by protection of Anu God on the sky once a year. When summer of the the third Anu was going to come, the preparation, venturers heard a rumor of legendary treasure "Blue Crystal Rod" to sleep in the top floor of the tower for the third taking the field for the Druaga subjugation, and the armed forces of an Uruk country done the founding of a country of by Gilgamesh king were full of city Meskia in the tower. Their purpose being the subjugation of Druaga or capture of "Blue Crystal Rod." A sword and great adventure of the magic begin now!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Shonan Bakusozoku


Anime "Shonan Bakusozoku" is youth Anime of the Satoshi Yoshida original. The Manga printing block was published serially in "boy KING" (boy pictorial company) from 1982 to 1988. It is produced as OVA in 1986, and, in 1987, it is shown as a documentary film.

Leader Syonan Bakusozoku2 charges eyes. Purple duck's ass permanent (a popular name super duck's ass) is a characteristic. I make the arm of handicrafts the 25th generation Namiuchigiwa Senior High School total turn with professional grade, and it is the 25th generation handicrafts department director. Popular name "Etsucyan of handicrafts." If the strength of the quarrel and the skill of the motorcycle are eccentric, and let ride a motorcycle; Seki Toichi. The quarrel was considerably strong from the junior high school times (as for dozens of people, I have anything to do with a delinquent and win alone), but was person that I was very common and was not closely related with the defectiveness. I catch eye of Mako Momoyama that the driving technology of his bicycle looked for a successor on one's way to shopping to handicrafts shop and will assume Master's name of a leader as a successor for the second generation.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

This week: Brush discussion, and turning Patton into the Moon.

First off, for all those concerned, my fingers have healed creepily well, to the point where I have fingerprints back except on a very tiny bit on my thumb, and they're growing in there too. If you want to see what they looked like after one week, click here. Do NOT click if you're squeamish at all. My thumb, which got the deepest cut, is still a tad tender, but they're both up and running with honest-to-God skin. The skin was really dry until the last few days, because my new sebaceous glands hadn't grown in yet. Now I can sweat and produce oil, so it doesn't look like I have crazy localized eczema.

So, there was a lot of conversation about last week's topic and my retraction of my endorsement of Rosemary and co's brushes, and I'd like to discuss and clarify a few things about that, while also rolling in a couple items that Chris Schweiser gave me to review when I was at SCAD Atlanta.

In the comments Kiel provided a link to a fantastic primer/comparison on five different name brand brushes on artist Mike Crowell's site. Mike has, without reservation, the worst artist web page I have ever seen in my life, which is saying a lot, which makes it all the more bizarre that this amazing tutorial is just sitting there amongst the 4 other pages of his site, which include a home page consisting almost solely of a terrible photo of him, an art page with 2 pages of art, a page with nothing but am email address, and a links page. His brush lesson is as good as the rest of the site is bafflingly poor, and I learned some new things from it. It also serves as a great primer for the point I want to make, which is about consistency and/versus quality.

Mike's brush page confirms yet again what I and many others have always said- they don't do it often, but when they do, Windsor and Newton makes the best brushes in the world. But if you just broke/lost/ruined your brush and you need one NOW for a project, you can't afford to go to 3 different stores and try every brush looking for one that works, and possibly not even find one. (This has happened to me- twice.) Everyone I know who doesn't use Windsor and Newton either never used a great one and abandoned them early, or used them for years until the quality control dropped so low they got frustrated and jumped ship. But the fact is, there are people out there still using 20 year old W&N brushes. I've used my #3 like I hated it for 6 years now and it's still as good as new. Windsor and Newton , a GOOD Windor and Newton, is a mythical beast, the brush that all other brushes aspire to be. As a brand, they suck and are FLAKY inconsistent.

Raphael is the brand most people jump ship to, and with good reason. You still need to test them, but their QC is much better than W&N. You can actually find a working Raphael brush in one store stocked with them almost every time. If you ordered five I'd give you great odds more than one would work. And their best brushes are just a hair under a good W&N, which is like being a shade slower than the Millennium Falcon but not breaking down nearly as much.

The reason I was so excited about Rosemary was not that they were amazing quality brushes- they're not. They are perfectly effective, however. A good Rosemary brush is like what I'd picture a solid military issue brush to be like- it lacks finesse, but it's solidly built and in skilled hands will get the job done. Rosemary brushes won't hold as much ink and have less spring than better brushes, but because every single one I and everyone else ordered was a perfect example, I recommended them because she was the most consistent. Rosemary brushes were, I thought, the first brushes I'd ever seen where you could order ONE brush and get a working brush every time, guaranteed.

But now I semi-frequently have reports sent to me of people ordering brushes from her that are a little off. Now, sure, she has a policy that she'll replace anything you're not satisfied with, but the point was, she was a slightly lower quality but still good brush that I was recommending because of their insane consistency. So if she lacks the consistency, and she doesn't have any edge on quality, why the hell not just tell you to rummage through the art store for Raphaels?

So it is on that basis that I retract my endorsement. I say put your effort and money into a higher quality brush. You really do get what you pay for with brushes.

Mike's brush page has a section towards the bottom about identifying quality brushes that's more specific and informative than anything I've ever posted, so you should read that, maybe even print it out and take it with you when shopping. He inspects every bristle, and if you've ever used a brush you know that's not fanatical- one splayed hair will ruin a brush. It's like a grain of sand in a Swiss army knife.

According to Mike Raphael and Scharff brushes are essentially identical in constriction and quality control, so if you need to dash out to buy one they'd both be good choices. I have never heard of ANYONE being disappointed with either. However, because mora brands means more likely hood you'll be able to find a brush if you need to find one fast, allow me to toss in a brand that's only become recently available in America, but which seems to be in growing demand amongst the students at SCAD's Atlanta campus: the Escoda, made in Tajmir, Spain.

Here you can see the #2 Tajmir on top, over my trusty #3 W&N, and my #2 Rosemary. Click to see the image larger.
I wish I had a #2 Windsor to show you how the belly's compare better, but you can see that the Escoda has a better belly than the Rosemary, though not as much as the W&N.
A simple line test showed that indeed, the Escoda holds far more ink than the Rosemary. I wish I could compare it to other brands, but I don't have any. It feels to me slightly wispier but just as springy as the Raphaels I've tried. It's a good brush and several SCAD Atlanta students and faculty seem to just love them. Chris claims the quality control is very good on them. Look for them if you're ever out brush hunting. If nothing else, it's another good option that increases your chances of coming back home with a tool you can draw with. While I was there Chris also gave me a bottle of a new Japanese ink I'd never seen nor heard of that's carried in a local art supply store that caters to the cartooning students. It's called Holbein ink. According to their company profile they started in 1900 a a Japanese company producing "European" artist materials (They do not elaborate), which presumably explains why they chose a German name. Like everything I've ever bought from Japan, the ink bottle comes in nifty, crazy sturdy plastic packaging that you don't have to destroy to open.

Here you can see the Holbein logo in a calligraphic font, with an Iron cross over it, because I guess that's what the Japanese thought people would think was German at the time.
As usual, I LOVE Japanese infographics.
The ink is one of the best I've ever tried, continuing Japan's total dominance in modern ink making. It's matte and deeply black, sort of like Dr. Ph. Martin's Black Star Hi Carb ink. I like this ink a little better. If you can get ahold of it, definitely try it. My understanding is that it comes in two thicknesses, this one, and another that is very thick and actually needs dilution before use.

Changing subjects, remember how I said you'd crap yourselves when you saw what was delaying me? It was Two large poster projects, one of which I can't show you just yet, but the other of which is finished, and I'll share it's making with you below.

First off, some of you may recall a ways back last year when Patton Oswalt had me do this poster for a show of his:


Well, he liked that one so much had asked me to design the postcard for another show.

I needed a fairly simple design that would read easily at a small size, and something that would force people to look at it, which as every artist knows means face, eyes, hands, boobs or any nudity. Patton has a fantastically expresive and distinctive face (He's one of the comedians who I think almost all of his fans know what he looks like), so I decided to go with his face. Plus, I already knew how to draw him, so that would save time.

You can now follow along with my process by matching the numbered paragraphs to their matching numbered picture:


1: This was my first doodle of what would turn out to e the final composition, although I did more than 30 other drawings to make sure, as is usual with me on illustrations. Illustrations aren't as intuitive for me as comics, and require a lot of planning. I throw away a lot of work doing illustrations. Obviously, the concept is to have his head be the moon from "La Voyage Dans La Lune." The twist is that the rocket in his eye is actually the LCross rocket stage that was launched at the moon to look for water. It took me 3 hours to find 6 good, accurate images of this goddamned thing:
The probe is the gold thing on the top.

2: This was a computer sketch I did to establish the basic lettering shapes in the title, which was to be hand-lettered, and of the overall image. I like using digital when I have to do a lot of drafts to figure out black balance but not necessarily a lot of redrawing.
3: I penciled his face and then found myself stuck for about 2 days as to how the hell to make him look like his head was the moon without making him look like he had a terrible skin condition. Nothing was working. I got really frustrated with the delay when Patton wrote me asking if it was done so he could post it for New Years and I had to tell him no.

4: Finally, I figured it out and successfully tested it it on the computer: instead of making his head the moon, I'd do what the original filmmakers had done- apply the moon like a mast around his head, with his head sliiiiiightly pushing out from the moon, so you can still barely still see his original jaw line, but then stretching his hairline and ears out to the edges of the moon. It worked perfectly- still recognizably Patton, but looking like the moon from the film.

5: Next came the pencils, for the drawing, border, and hand lettering.

6: Then came the inked lettering, which you see me holding here for scale:


Hand lettering is generally drawn large when a very smooth finished product is needed; reduction eliminates any mistakes. I also added in the rest of the lettering, a tedious process, because I wasn't using a computer font, but rather an old font that I'd scanned in and modified slightly. I had to place each and every letter by hand.

My girlfriend swooped in and gave me some help with this- she is absolutely excellent at spacing type, and her adjustments made all the difference in the world.

I emailed Patton about whether his current hairstyle matched the one I used in this drawing, but he never wrote back. As it turned out I didn't need him for that one, because that very night he was on the Tonight show, and I was able to see his hair there and adjust my drawing accordingly. (I ended up making is a mishmosh of about 4 similar hairstyles like his current one, figuring it would be more recognizable to average them.)

I had an incredibly odd moment inking the drawing. I was getting fristrated drawing the Lcross booster and I decided to move in to his face for a bit to relax (I like to eat my veggies before my meat, so to speak), and as soon as I started inking his eyebrows Patton called in live to the Best Show on WFMU, which I was listening to, so suddenly I was getting Patton through the eyes and in the ears at the same time. My night suddenly became a Russian Nesting doll of Patton. I tried emailing him to see if I could get him to talk about how I was listening to him and drawing him at the same time while he was still on the air, but he didn't get it till after. It was worth a shot.

It had been awhile since I inked anything, and in my rustiness I over-inked the left side of Patton's face, requiring me to lightbox that side and re-ink it, as you can see here: 7: I drew the border with a thick bamboo skewer and then inverted the image in photoshop.

8: And voila, the finished product, which you can see better below: (Click to enlarge)
I'm pretty damned proud of it. It's by far my best lettering job, and I love the composition.

I look forward to when I can show you the other poster I've been working on. It's still in development right now.

Finally, I thought you all might like this funny shot of me looking out of the eye window in my camera mask, which allows me to look at things for real and not just through the camera's rear screen. Next week: My visit to SCAD