Word Press thoughts.

I am considering ending this blog and starting a new one over at Word Press. It's not that I don't like Blogger, 'cause I do. It's worked out dandy but Word Press has a cool feature that will allow me to produce a weekly comic that I can attach to my blog. So I (theoretically) can talk and draw and talk about drawing all while presenting a weekly online comic. I'm working on the new design right now. Which basically means I've got a tremendous mess on my hands. If I can manage to wade through the clutter and come out the other end with a clean looking site, I'll switch everything over and start fresh. I do hate to lose 300+ brilliant posts made here but what can I do? I don't know. Do you? Not that it really matters. it's not like I'm often at a lose for words to spill out across the web. Polluting the world with my genius and gobs of utter nonsense. What I'm looking for is a nice, clean site that feels comfortable to browsers and visitors while still being uber cool. I need uber cool. At least in my own little mind.

Someone just dropped off two honkin' big monitor for me. Sweet. The Warrior Buddha is working on bulking up my sad little computer. People treat me so nice. Of course, they're not plasma. People don't treat me that nice. Actually, most people treat me like crap but those that don't are rather nice. I should probably end this little line of thought right now. Hopefully, I'll soon actually be able to work on artwork at home. All alone at three AM with coffee and artwork. It's a sad little life but I seem to like it well enough. I'll be stopping by TWB's after I get off work and I'll take him the monitors to check out. I'll also get to spend a little time with Johnny Slack. Always an adventure in adolescent mood swings and generally silliness. Why I can connect with this I'd rather not say. I did grow old if not up.

I'm not sure how much, or what, to write here since I'm making plans to move. Like, "Do I want to plant a garden at a house I'm moving out of?" Or should I just wait until I get settled in at the new place?

Hopefully the new site, the new weekly online comic, the graphic novel and the film will all be done around the same time. Okay. I must be insane. I can't get anything done and here I'm hoping to get all of this. Jeeze. Well, no one could ever call me a pessimist. I am ever the dreamer and the fool. Cool enough.

That's enough for now. Go away.

The True Gogeta.

This is a piece of artwork created by Austin Jones, son of Indiana. Also known as Captain Fancy Pants Jr. Let him know what you think.

Thinking ahead.

As the first Knight-Wolf graphic novel draws to a close and the film gets closer and closer to being done, I've found myself looking towards what's next. What's next, specifically, is FIVE STAR COMICS. An anthology that will be ongoing and hold whatever bits and pieces, artwork and stories I and my brother Ken produce over the next couple of decades. (Hey! Where else have I to go?) I'm wondering about FSC #1. What will I put in it? More Morgan Stone? Dust? Altered Ego? Something else entirely? Something old or something new? Maybe even something I haven't thought of yet? I just don't know. I'm aiming to get myself excited about creating artwork again. To push back the business end of things and enjoy the creative side.

What should I do? New "untold" stories of old characters (Knight-Wolf)?



Or maybe something completely new and different?













These are just a few of the sketches currently clogging up my clipboard since I last cleared it. I'm thinking that I really do dream too much. (Is that even possible? If it is, it shouldn't be.) If I had my way I'd just cut out the indecision and do 'em all. Why not? I've got the time. No. Wait a minute. I don't. Sometimes, life kinda' sucks. (And makes me kinda' sad.)

If you've got an opinion on what I should be doing, let me know. (Not that I'll listen.)

Wanted!

ALERT! Be on the look out:


The Notorious Johnny Slack is an up and comer, a newly arrived contender looking to gain the laid-back throne, held for years by my brother Rich. Until now, the undisputed King of Laid-back. Previously unchallenged in his inability to not really give a flying crap about anything, Rich faces, for the first time, a real threat to his position and title. The Notorious Johnny Slack brings new energy to the title fight. Not since Ali and Frazier have two heavy weights fought it out in a winner take all battle of the century. The slack title is on the line. May the most laid-back, don't really give a crap about much of anything, man win.

Did I mention that John is helping me understand stuff I'm apparently too old to understand. Which I am coming to realize is a lot. Manga, anime and video games are just a few of the topics we work on together. Along side of a candy workshop, we spend several hours a week brushing up on my uber-coolness. Which has somehow, according to reports, dwindled away to nothing more than a vague memory. I sit a listen to John talk about whatever the heck it is kids are talking about these days and I try to understand just what it is he's saying. So far I'd say that I'm at about a 15% success rate. This is up quite a bit since we first began the lessons. Whenever I'm not feeling old and decrepit, maybe I'm even feeling good about myself, John comes along and reminds me how old and used up I am. You cannot beat that, really, now can you? Who wouldn't want to be truthfully told that you really DO look fat in that? If you do, John will tell you. That's just the kind of guy he is. It's always best to know your place in the scheme of things and apparently my place was about twenty years back. Too bad I missed that one. Yup. Too bad. Would have been cool, I think. Actually I've been finding it fascinating learning new things. There is simply so much that I just don't get. I mean, I'll never be cool again (Old people cannot be cool. It's in the Bible somewhere. Seriously. Look.). I know that ship sailed a long time ago. But if I can't "be" cool maybe I can at least understand what cool is. Maybe?

I WANT to understand. I WANT to be a laid back uber-slacker (Like Rich and John - It just looks like so much fun when they do it. I mean, who really wants to care about anything when you can ... well, NOT care? It looks like it would be so much easier - and more enjoyable too!) I WANT my bills caught up. I WANT no pain or worry. I WANT the graphic novel done. I WANT the film completed. I WANT t-shirts and posters and lunch boxes. I WANT to at least know, when I fail miserably, that I've done my best and gave it a shot. I WANT to chill like the Notorious Johnny Slack. I WANT. I WANT. I WANT. I WANT. Now let's just see if I "get".

Don't hold your breath.

Beatink baby, beatnik.

I really, really hate being poor. It's not even so much about not having money but my inability to buy stuff. (I know that sounded kind of stupid.) I don't mind being poor. I'm actually rather used to it and probably wouldn't know how to function in a life with paid bills and food to boot. I'd mind being poor even less if I were able to be a poor artist. (I can still dream.) Being poor because you spend your days doing what you love is a great reason to be poor. At least I think so. It's been my life's ambition for as long as I can remember. Not the being poor part but the spending my life doing what I enjoy. (Creating art-stuff.) Being poor is something I rarely even think about. I don't care much for wandering stores. I don't browse or window shop because I know I'll never be able to afford to actually buy anything, so what's the use? But I do hate it when I can't support another artist because I don't have money. I hate it when I simply don't have the ability to financially support and encourage someone else. When I can help someone.

I just spoke to a jazz musician who stopped in to ask if I wanted to purchase one of his CDs. They were only ten dollars each and still I couldn't afford even one. Heck. My main financial concern right now is having heat by the end of the week.There simply ain't anything in my pockets, let alone enough to share. This part of being poor sucks. (Toothaches ain't no joy either.) The guy didn't have a web site for me to pass along so I can't even "token-help"there. Gripes.

Maybe one day I'll be able to support other artists and creators. Maybe one day I'll be able to live a life doing nothing but drinking coffee and creating art. I don't even care of no one ever sees my work so long as I'm able to create it. (Is that arrogant? selfish? Stupid? Or bohemian of me?)

I'm in a pretty good mood(ish). Sure hope the rest of my day don't screw it all up.

Bohemian: of French origin, to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalised and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors, associated with unorthodox or antiestablishment political or social viewpoints, which were often expressed through free love, frugality, and/or voluntary poverty.

Beatnik: a part of a sociocultural movement in the 1950s and early 1960s that subscribed to an anti-materialistic lifestyle in the wake of World War II.

I am soooo Shaggy-Doo.

KW: Movie screen caps

I've been promising for a while to post a few captures from the short film that's currently being produced. I'm pleased with the results (so far) as well as surprised at just how much work it's been to create. Learning as we go.

Here we are; below are a few screen caps from the Knight-Wolf short film.









I hope to post more as I both get the time and the material. Stay tuned.

Still standing.

Yes. I'm still thinking. I'm always thinking. I wish I could spend more time not thinking but I'm thinking it's not in my make-up. Psychologically speaking. Thinking is a good thing (I think) but thinking too much (over-thinking) probably isn't. Good, that is. Anyway ... Right at this moment I'm looking at logos etc. Older logo designs to be specific. Ken doesn't particularly care for my graffiti-inspired logo designs so I'm still thinking (see) and considering and trying to keep an open mind. I mean, it's not like I have my pulse on what's good and best and all the little kiddies like. From that perspective, I'm an idiot. I have zero idea what other people like and even less when it comes to kids. Even being the big, overgrown, bratty kid that I am, I've no idea. Soooo .... I'm thinking of getting a bunch of people together and maybe getting a mass opinion on things; logos, covers etc. Not that I'll listen, but a little input should be interesting, even if I do end up finding their opinions to be worthless. At least at first. I imagine I'll be mystified and offended right off but later (I imagine.) I'll take what I'm given into consideration and (Maybe. Theoretically.) even grow creatively from the input(ish)? It's poooossible.

Cover design for the American Standard Edition:
Cover design for the Pocket-book (manga-sized) Edition:
It's my birthday. Which, as a kid, was a magically day that revolved around just you and you alone but as an adult seems to simply be just one more reason for the government to grab a little more money out of your pocket. Re-new the tags. Re-new the driver's license. Get a new picture. Which was kind of rotten because there is something obviously wrong with their camera. The light was too bright or something because my beard looked waaay grey. Like glow-in-the-dark silver. 44. Yippee. I am now, officially a 44 year old nobody. You'd think this would bother me but it doesn't. I think I'd freak out if things were any different. I'm comfortable here in this little box hidden away from the rest of the world. Of course, you'd think (it being my freakin' birthday) that I'd have the day off. Nope. Instead I have to work even later than usual. This. Is. My. Life.

It is what it is.

BTW:

I'm not a manga artist. I'm also not a pseudo-maga artist. Manga means "comic" in Japanese so I suspect that no one who is not Japanese and/or creating comics in Japan is really creating manga. Pseudo-maga possibly, but not manga. Maybe. Theoretically. If my work appears to be manga-ish (to some), it's a complete coincidence. You could just as easily say that my work is Disney-like, or an animated style. I simply draw like I draw. I draw what I (personally) feel looks kinda' neat. I admit that my work has become more and more stylized as I've drawn more and gotten older (Birthday, remember? Did you send a card? Probably not. Thanks.) but I still just draw like me. I try NOT to pay too close attention to what, and how, other creators draw. I can't draw like someone else. Some artists are great at mimicking. I'm not. I'd prefer to draw like me (no one) than to be at best, second best at drawing like anyone else. Manga is so hot right now that I sorta' WISH I were manga but I'm not. Why am I mentioning this? Because I'm thinking of this and I already told you - I think too much.

I am ...



I'm done. Go away.