C14: WISH, HOPE, SING...

Already, Tara is hoping for better things with this new year. Me, too -- 2012 can't get here soon enough!

C13: DAY OF THE DEAD

Trying my damndest to turn things around. 2011, you will NOT have me without a fight!



First & foremost -- getting work on Skullgirls done!
Second, a schedule set for 2012, starting in NYC and finishing... well, in NYCC next Fall. The Demon Mages turned ten this year, but who would really know? Jeezus.
Third, clearing my desk of all the over over OVER OVER due work I still have for the remainder of this month & December. Merry Christmas?
Fourth, enjoying my work with National Write A Novel Month, in putting together a readable work. DM's? Yes.
Fifth, MORE MUSIC!

The end is here!

C12: NYCC 2011 pt. 0

Clockwise from the black guy (that's me, crybringer) in the middle:
Momiji Mao (Mamomiji)
Maiko Kubo
Ryusuke Hamamoto (Ryu Moto)
Randy Au
Bukubu Okawa (Bkub)


Really, this picture says a lot about New York Comic Con this year. It was chaotic, but full of really REALLY REALLY cool people, excellent eats, and just in general one of my favorite places to be -- right in the middle of the chaos. As soon as I get some batteries for my camera, I'll have a full update on NYCC, but this HAD to go up first.


Now, what's Tess & Tara up to, I wonder...

C11: NOT FORGOTTEN

Merely sidestepped by a new Tumblr page.
But I still dig you, Blogspot. Here's kindling for the smoldering furnace.

[Ziggy, and an older character "Sara", ressurected.]

[See! Not EVERYTHING I draw is saucy anime girls. Ok, so there's the making of one there, but that doesn't count!]

[Various doodles, been forcing myself to fill a page instead of just drop something in the corner of a fax sheet.]

Gotta get back to AMAZING. Been too long since I even ***SAID*** that to myself.

C10: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

The Demon Mages made it to year ten today! They've come a long way, after thousands of sketches, pictures and designs, five major rewrites, dozens of short stories, even a few video game drafts. It's been nothing but fun the whole way, but from here on out, it gets serious. Good work, ladies. Let's keep it moving.

C09: LITTLE HANDS

Japanator and reports from Japan Expo from this past June already confirm it:
"Little Hands" is a compilation book with popular and well known Japanese artists, talented French and Thai creators -- and yours truly representing USA.



All proceeds go to the Japan Red Cross, each copy is available at $10 USD. Not only the listed sites, but Hendane.com and affiliates will have copies available.
Visit the Little Hands project website, and consider donating to the Japan Red Cross and other relief & volunteer efforts closest to you. Thanks, folks!

C08: CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF

I am still around, just trying to move chains as much as possible. The halfway point of the year is almost upon us!


Tanabata is around the corner, and Tara is SO ready!


Quite the assortment of faces here.


Summer has already begun, some ridiculous weather patterns have come through already. Oh, how I wish I was on the beach instead...

[Testing to see if this blog feature will work...]

[Yeah, just a little excited for this game...]

C07: SEE ALSO

Been neglectful of the blog lately. Let's fix that.


Yeah I'm hype for the Nintendo 3DS. Yeah I'm going to get a Japanese version for Senran Kagura. Did I forget to mention I like ninjas? And platforming/fighting games? And cute moeblobs? A lot?!


Tara, actually doing her job as a medic in a rejected image. She's extra skinny here, but still very cute. I like the earnestness in her face.



I've got a lot on my desk right now, so you get to see some of the stuff that didn't make the cut here! Huzzah! The rest you can check out at Pixiv and Deviantart.

C06: CLEAR SKIES AHEAD

YES! Day job has returned to normal! Money is in the bank, a trip to New York City this weekend is in the works. Things are already looking up!


[A selection from my still-being-worked-on commissions list.]

-That said, unfortunately San Diego Comic Con is off the books. There was no way between getting set for Japan, and the events afterward for me to put in for attendee badge or pros applications. I miss California already, but another time... 2012...

-I'm deferring to the trifecta of Otakon (end of July), Anime Weekend Atlanta (late Sept.) and New York Comic Con (mid Oct.) to make my presence felt. Really it's always the fall where my work picks up, so things should work out just fine.

-Still an unhealthy stack of work to finish, so maybe this place in April will be my checklist.

C05: SEEING STARS

Game screen mock-ups, I've been doing since I was in grade school. Something to keep me going while work gets heavy with the response (and overreaction) to the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. Five points to whoever can spot the reference!

Money is back in the coffers, so way later than expected, but still on the books is a potential podcast. Sit tight!

C04: EXPLOSIVE

Heyoo all.
January was a disaster.
February was a warzone.
March has begun in earnest to bring myself back into fighting shape.



Through the generosity of my longtime friend and neighbor, "Shonuff44", I'm back in the tablet business with a like-brand-new Intuos 3! All settings calibrated, loving the extra 1x2 inches from my old Graphire 4 -- stylus is as heavy as a Magnum Sharpie, but with added weight comes power.

So, the commissions are still on! If you're reading this and have been waiting, thanks for being patient while everything kinda broke down all around me.

As of right now, I am on travel hiatus. My next destination is tentatively San Diego Comic Con, but DEFINITELY Otakon at the end of July. Afterwards, I'm looking forward to a very, VERY exciting peak convention season.
I would love to attend shows like Middle Tennesee Anime Con, Anime Boston and Boston Comic Con, etc., but my schedule is about to become an even more frightful mess than the start of the year... but in a goo--no, GREAT way! You'll see!

----

Not everyday I do this either, but I am forever a fan of two game music die-hards: CAVE and GeOnDan composer Manabu Namiki, and the phenomenal Jake "Virt" Kaufman. So, here we are, a week non-stop of listening to the Dondonpachi Daifukkatsu Black Label Arrange soundtrack -- a complete and thunderous remastering of the Ketsui: Kizuna Jigokutachi OST.

Mouthful of nonsensical names? Sure. Obscure and unreachable JXBOX360 wares? Yeah, to a degree. But in life, we should all have No Remorse.

Take care, everyone!

C03: BROKEN TABLET

To do list:

-Buy new tablet, since my 5 year old Graphire 4 died on Valentine's Day. Using markers has been very awesome, but I'm woefully out of practice, and have too much work riding on the digital end right now.
-Invest in a new laptop, since this 2 year old machine keeps flickering and overheats at the mere breath of a video/youtube clip/DVD playback.
-Invest seriously in a desktop so I don't have to rely exclusively on a laptop to do work, at home, at the day job or otherwise.
-Get a full-time, ramen and PB&J fueled art job, even if it's just freelancing and commissioning. Answering phones for crazy people in Middle America who are scared of the Middle East isn't fun. Ever. Also, not getting paid on time SUCKS.
-Quit getting so bent out of shape when finished work doesn't fall instantly from the pencil. That takes days to do, man!
-Draw more mechanical shapes and objects. The itch is a full blown rash now.
-Draw from life. Draw from more reference images.
-Shade frequently, and with intensity. Colors are fine, it's depth and form that needs work.

C02: CARBON DIOXIDE

Because the title number is C-0-2! Get it?! Hahahah--okay.



A month's gone by, and in that span I managed to put together my submission for Udon's Mega Man Tribute -- waiting to see if that got accepted.



I was a staff member at Magfest 9, and got to chat with composer Danny "Super Meat Boy" Baranowsky, and meet Hiroki "Secret of Mana" Kikuta! Aces!

I ventured out with the editors of Angry Viking Press + a few friends to Columbus for Ohayocon, and THIS happened on the way back:



Everyone involved walked away from the crash uninjured, and I was probably the worst of the lot, with a dinged knuckle from packing the car, and being freaked out at a driver's side impact. It's even a rental car with pre-paid collision insurance!



Since then, I've been hideously broke and plugging away at commission work to keep sane & motivated.

WORK HAS BEGUN IN EARNEST ON DEMON MAGES VOLUME 1 since the tail end of January, so from here on out, I hope to check in and keep a journal of progress. Posting some previews and links for such will be nice too...



Question at this time is... if I hosted a live podcast/stickcam/drawing session, who would watch?...

C01: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hello all! It's yours truly, from his trip overseas to Japan! Yes, the guy in the Ravens skully. That's me.


2010 had it's share of highs and lows, but overall I'd set a modest goal for myself -- to outdo my share of work for 2009 -- and frankly, blew the doors off the hinges!
So, again my resolution is simple: make 2011 a special year, improve on the previous year's successes and make some noteworthy strides this time. Already, the deck is well stacked! Between here and July, lots will be happening, so I invite any and everyone to stay in touch, and to visit my other haunts:

DeviantArt
Pixiv
The Demon Mages @ Twitter