Archive for April, 2006

Grad Show Cometh…

Published by
sj
at April 24, 2006 in Aestheticismo..., All for Naut and Grad Show. 5 Comments

Currently, I am (amongst other things) working towards my graduation this fall from Florida State University’s Bachelor of Fine Arts Program. Part of this entails me exhibiting within the Museum of Fine Arts on Campus.

Here is my working progress, so far:

Idea
My idea was to tell an oversize narrative about an astronaut who travels to another planet, dispatches a robot emissary to judge the indigenous lifeforms, ultimately orders the robot to execute the life to make way for conquest, the robot refuses, and the astronaut destroys the robot via remote destruct sequence. I don’t consider myself overly religious, but recognize this tale is revisionist christianity. I am not proselytizing, or preaching, nor do I have a truly deep message here, this is more about presenting comics in an artistic format, using simplified and iconic characters to tell a simple and straightforward tale which audiences can immediately feel familiar with and also ambiguous enough to be left to interpretations. I feel so often that the pretentiousness of the art world can be intimidating to blue-collar stiffs, and something like this could help to eschew that idea.

I Want to incorporate multimedia techniques and materials throughout. Printmaking, painting, sculpture, collage etc.

Here is the original draft pages of the story drawn for Robert Fichter’s Comic Books and Graphic Novels class. Not the final story as it plays out.

Character development sheets I expanded after initial story draft. Featured is the “Naut”, his robot “P.I.P.”, the “eaters”, and the “herders”. The primaries within the story.

Sculpture of the “Eater”, bipedal-alien-bovine species which feature throughout story.

Test Paintings on drywall, (NO, it’s not my final working surface, it was free, and available, probably move towards luon for majority). Fire was achieved by stamp printing. Want to experiment with the reductive surface of the drywall to build depth, same could be done with wood, I’ll give, but am still experimenting.

And finally, sketches of how I might like the final work to display.

Kirkman Kicks @$$!

Published by
sj
at April 24, 2006 in Aestheticismo.... 1 Comment

Robert Kirkman is a comic writer and artist who’s popularity has shot into the stratosphere. Writing books like “Battle Pope”, “The Walking Dead”, “Invincible”, and “Marvel Zombies”, he’s got his mitts in quite a few genre’s. If you don’t know him or his work, it’s fine time you did. Buy something by him and support the lowest form of art possible, also you’ll be helping out those skeev’s that work in your local comic store, they got bills, too, y’know!

Liftoff! Flight 3 Preview at CBR!

Published by
sj
at April 23, 2006 in Aestheticismo.... 0 Comments

I like comics, I like any combination of art fused with stories, I like the ways that different artists come up with to do the same thing different ways, I like repetition and variation.

With that said, I like Flight!

Flight is a graphic novel anthology collection of some of the best and brightest within the comics world. Featuring artists like Kazu Kibuishi, Bill Plympton, Yoko Tanaka, Alex Fuentes and more and published by Ballantine Books, Flight 3 is one of Kazu Kibuishi’s projects, and as you’ll see here, it’s beautiful. For the full 2-part preview and interview with it’s Editor, Kazu Kibuishi, head on over to CBR!

24 Hour Comics Competitors Stats!

Published by
sj
at April 22, 2006 in Aestheticismo.... 0 Comments

Our jurors have all checked in and judging has officially begun, Jurors were asked to select their favorites based on the categories “Most Creative”, “Most Fun”, and “Most Overall”.

In the mean time, some statistical information:
Competitor#1
Michael McCants
Title-The Solutions
Time Spent-24 hours
Statement-Archetypical superhero story perpetuating and perpetrating a new mythology.

Competitor#2
Kris Carstens
Title-”Lost”
Time Spent-23.5 Hours
Statement-A kid gets lost in his own mind.

Competitor#3
Stephen Scruggs
Title-Angel of Death
Time Spent-24 hours
Statement-Young Samurai becomes angel of death, laughs ensue.

Competitor#4
Todj Dragoo
Title-Pirates on Mars
Time Spent-Tadj was 2.5 hours late! She cranked hers out in 22.25 hours!
Statement- Pirates on Mars isn’t enough?

Competitor#5
Jodi Chapman
Title-Lucky Turtle
Time Spent-24 hours
Statement-Taking life, making it random, with turtles.

Competitor#6
Leela Siragusa
Title-Ode to Woe
Time Spent-24 hours
Statement-StereoTypes are funny!

Competitor#7
Alex Smith
Title-Bleeding and Dying Hearts
Time Spent-22.5 hours
Statement-Two different views on art in a fantasy setting.

Competitor#8
Garrett Hagan
Title-Apocalypse Wow!
Time Spent-24 Hours
Statement-Garrett and Death experience the end of the world.

Competitor#9
Gina Riano
Gina could only give us two hours, but she worked like a fiend!

Competitor#10
Phillip Salvagni
Young PJ Salvagni completed a 24 page comic in about six hours, but never gave us copies for judging or otherwise.

Special thanks and appreciation needs to go out to all of the Competitors, Judges, Organizers, and Supporters of Florida State University’s Art Students League’s Inaugural 24 Hour Comics Challenge! Special Thanks for our Host, Seminole Dining’s Park Avenue Diner, and their gracious and hardworking staff! Plans are in works for FSU to participate in the international “24 Hour Comics Day” celebration on October 6th and 7th, 2006.

Awards Announcement

Published by
sj
at April 22, 2006 in Aestheticismo.... 0 Comments

Back in January we applied and submitted the first issue of our comic “Hot Lunch” to the Xeric Foundation in New England. The Xeric Foundation, Set up by Peter Laird of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” Fame, gives self-publishing grants to aspiring comic book artists and writers.
We received our letter that regretted to inform us… yeah, well we still like it!

Well, Lemme tell you I was surprised….

Published by
sj
at April 21, 2006 in Fluff. 0 Comments

The Associated Press reported the following findings from a new study on driving,

For more than a year, researchers studied the behavior of the drivers of 100 vehicles in metropolitan Washington, D.C. They tracked 241 drivers, who were involved in 82 crashes of various degrees of seriousness — 15 were reported to police — and 761 near-crashes. The air bag deployed in three instances.

The project analyzed nearly 2 million miles driven and more than 43,300 hours of data.

They found that the risk of a crash increases almost threefold when a driver is dialing a cell phone.

Assessing cell phone use, the researchers said the number of crashes or near-crashes linked to dialing the phones was nearly identical to those tied to talking or listening on the phone.

Some safety organizations said the study was part of a growing body of research and worried it might lead to reactionary laws.

“I urge legislators not to interpret these results as a need for new legislative initiatives. It is simply not good public policy to pass laws addressing every type of driver behavior,” said Lt. Col. Jim Champagne, chairman of the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Me, myself, I find this disgusting. But don’t take my word for it, read it for yourself here! Oh, and, Aunt Mary, this was for you. ;) Hang up the phone and drive, Amerika, cause the person you hurt, maim, mutilate or kill, might be me!

Far from over

Published by
sj
at April 21, 2006 in Fluff. 1 Comment

Well, the semester is winding down and I feel completely worthless. I hustled and worked on projects this semester that I personally believed in, and was met time and again (3 for 3, actually) with failure and disappointment, and I had a major personal disappointment a couple of months back, to boot.

The older I get, the tougher it is to bounce back from these things.

I actually had a professor tell me that I “peaked too soon” this week.

If it weren’t for people in my life like my daughter, or my small circle of friends, or my parents, I don’t know what would sustain me.

I’m really at a loss of late, and I can’t figure out how to turn it around. I look at people like my father and mother and wonder how they made it so long in the face of adversity.

I feel worn down, old, and more than a little pathetic, But, I remain resolute with my idea that something’s got to give!

24 Hour Comics Update!!!

Published by
sj
at April 20, 2006 in Fluff. 0 Comments

Took me long enough, but as of today I am through scanning in all the work generated at the FSU 24 Hour Comics Challenge. I forwarded copies to our three illustrious Jurors (FSU Professor Emeritus Robert W. Fichter, Professor Paul Rutkovsky, and Professor Janae Easton), and hopefully we’ll have some feedback soon. Jurors were asked to select their top three in the following Categories: Most Creative, Most Fun, and Most Overall! Be sure to check back for further updates and results as they become available!

Batman: Freedom Fighter?!?

Published by
sj
at April 20, 2006 in Aestheticismo... and Politicismo.... 1 Comment

Anyone read Frank Miller? He’s worked in comics for decades, now. Wrote a Batman story that Tim Burton used as the basis for his film “Batman”. He came back to Batman a couple of years ago, writing a sequel to his long and often praised “Batman, The Dark Knight Returns” called “Batman, The Dark Knight Strikes Again” or “DK2″ for short.

It was written and drawn shortly before the 9/11 tragedies and this unending “War on Terrorism” began and finds our hero, long-thought dead by his world, hidden and plotting to overthrow a tyrranical Amerikan government, who keeps it’s subjects in check by blackmailing and strongarming them into submission through unending martial law deemed necessary for national security, domestic spying, and other dirty tricks. The result of these tactics is continued domestic and economic success, but at heart lies some nefarious doings. Examples are a holographic President, whose master complains that the compassion levels need to be spiked, a perpetuated falsehood of democracy, and most chilling, the thought that “Freedom of Press is a wonderful thing, so long as no one is listening.”

Miller’s claim is that the story was completely coincidental to real world events, and this book has largely been crucified by comics purists who hate the art or think the book itself done for the quick buck. Whatever prevailing thought might be on this book, Miller, whether intentional or unintentional, raises some good questions in his story.

Now, I hear, Miller is going to write a book, where Batman will wage a one man war on terrorism as he goes after plotters who have committed atrocities not unlike 9/11. I’ll wait for the book before I serve judgement on that.

Piracy?…hmmm

Published by
sj
at April 19, 2006 in Fluff. 0 Comments

I like to watch movies, and I like DVD’s a lot, but…I don’t know, I don’t think that there is enough being done to discourage piracy.

For instance: On two separate occasions, I have purchased DVD’s from Wal-Mart (Once within the last week) taken them home, broke that o’so ever precious seal and attempted to watch my movies. Both times now there has been an issue with the DVD. Didn’t play right, tracking was off, this last one for some reason couldn’t be recognized by my DVD player at all. So, I take the product back to Wal-Mart, attempt a refund, explain that I have bought defective product.
“NO, NO, you opened the package, you can’t return it!” is Wal-Mart’s official response. “You could have burned it to your computer !”
So, now I’m out close to Forty bucks on two worthless DVD’s! You can bet your sweet ass on one thing, I’m not buying anymore DVD’s. What is the point in buying them if you run the risk of purchasing defective product without the safety net of being able to get your money back?
Wal-Mart’s suggestion was that I contact the manufacturer.

Yeah….there’s an option.

I say, “Go Pirates!” What the hell has Tom Cruise ever done that garner’s him the money he makes? He “acts” well? Whatever!

The problem with movies is the same problem with music, you have the creators and you have the money men. The creators put their heart and soul into their work, the money men market it, sell it, and make it a household name, and then when it’s time to pay up, the money men “ahem” say that in spite of record sales, the creator lost money due to piracy and the like and as a result they had to deduct that loss from the creator’s share.

Wanna Taste? Check out the book “Fatal Subtraction: The Inside Story of Buchwald V. Paramount” for an idea of how corporate accounting practices within the entertainment industry work.

ooops, gotta go, my copy of X3 just got done downloading! Look for plot synopses and criticisms to post here tomorrow! Pics, Too!!!

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