Hahahalloween!

Here’s the costume I wore to our studio Halloween party…

The boss wanted us all to put in the effort and come in really scary costumes. Problem is, I just didn’t have enough time. Also, I am lazy.

I figured I’d just buy a simple white mask a la “Phantom of the Opera” and scare everyone by doing really bad covers of whatever’s playing in my head at the moment.

So, I bought a mask (which didn’t even look like the Phantom of the Opera) and when I get home, I put it on the table and just stare at it. My wife and kids come over and proceed to play with the boring white mask.

It was then that I realized I did have time to make a costume. I was just lazy. Or tired. Probably both. But I did have time. Enough time.

So, I got up, went straight to my wife’s closet and took out a very old white dress she hasn’t worn in years. I also took an old white bedsheet and made a few cuts here and there. All this while my wife was busy playing with the kids.

I then took all the clothes and put them in a vat and poured coffee all over them. By the time my wife saw me, it was too late. Her eyes were as big as saucers.

“Honey, I promise you this will be worth it”, I said.

“What… in … the…”, she replied.

I then kissed her on the forehead and played with the kids. She stayed there staring wide-eyed into the vat.

A few minutes later, I took out the clothes and hung them to dry. A beautiful white dress with ‘mud’ stains.

“You’re lucky I hated that dress.”, my wife says.

“I know. Besides, that dress is too small for you now anyway,” I replied.

Oops.

“I mean, it shrunk.”

I turn away but I could feel her icy stare penetrating the back of my thick, hard skull.

An hour later, I try on the costume.

This will do.

“Honey, I guarantee you I will win the prize for best costume”, I tell her.

“Take off that dress. You’re creeping me out.”

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I come home after the party and tell everyone I won the prize for best costume. My wife was so impressed, she wore the costume and went trick or treating with the kids.

She made a couple of kids cry and scared the hell out of our neighbor.

Happy Halloween, everybody!

Echo Chamber 4!

Issue no.4 of the comic book anthology that I’m a part of, “Echo Chamber”, is dropping this weekend (Aug. 6) at the Komikon Indieket and at the GTMACCON! That’s two big events on the same day!

Here’s the promo video I put together at the last minute…

 

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The past few weeks have been extremely hectic—keeping up with deadlines at work, last minute changes to the comic book and working on a couple of personal projects that will hopefully be online within the next couple of months.

I haven’t been sleeping properly, my back hurts, my fingers are numb and my brain is about to walk out on me. On the bright side, my two kids think my works are awesome and my wife loves it when I talk to myself. My three biggest fans. I don’t even care if they’re my  ONLY fans. I am totally fine with that.

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I just love the smell of a freshly printed comic book. Actually, no. It smells like gasoline and it makes my head hurt.

 

 

 

 

Angels and Dragons

December 31, 1999. The dream was so vivid I can still recall every detail as if I’ve just watched a sci-fi/horror/action movie in HD. Although I’ve had a few other nightmares that were as vivid and scary, this one probably takes the cake.

I won’t go into too many details here though since it will probably creep people enough to have me banned or something (or at least, unfollow me). The only details I can probably give out is that it involved names I have never ever heard of prior to this dream—Zadkiel and Ouroboros*.

It also involved some premonition stuff  which still creeps me out to this day because I couple of them HAVE come true. (I’m not into mystical stuff or things like that, but this dream makes me think about it sometimes.)

Anyway, the painting above is a ‘scene’ from that dream/nightmare where after Zadkiel said to me,”I will show you the future.”, I found myself in my room talking to my brother who told me to “… reach behind the moon. You’ll find Ouroborus there.”

So, there’s the moon and Ouroboros is in flames, coiled up behind it. The dream ends the moment I held Ouroboros in my hand and everything is engulfed in flames. It was like a scene from some weird post-apocalyptic Japanese anime movie.

*I only found out about Zadkiel and Ouroboros the following day when I told my brother about the dream. He then hooked me up with his friend who, weirdly enough, was doing research about angels for a class project. And I thought coincidences like this happen only in movies!

(painting: ink and colored pencil on canvas, with additional digital coloring)

P.S. Sorry for the fragmented (incoherent?) style of writing. I often post during lunch breaks and it’s hard to write while shoveling food into my mouth.

Anyway, here’s some classic Metallica (I’ve been listening to the whole Black album on loop for a couple of days now. OCD in full rev!)

Do Da Robot

Another filler post. I haven’t done any sketches or paintings good enough for posting, just doodles and super rough pencil sketches so I thought I’d just show you guys an old animation test I did for a personal project…

3D elements were done in Maya, camera tracking in Boujou, compositing in After Effects. I’m looking to do a few animated shorts featuring this character, maybe 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes long per episode. I’ve finished a few scripts, and all I need is the time to actually do it. I have A LOT of other personal projects on the shelf but… NOT ENOUGH TIME! AARRRRGGGH!

Anyway, here’s a stand-up comedian cat…

 

Shreds (Pt. 2)

I’ve been so busy with a couple of projects at work and I barely have time to pick up a pencil and draw anything so I thought I’d just make a quick post about what I’ve been up to on the side. Kamao Komiks‘ “Echo Chamber Anthology” #4 will be at the Komikon Indieket this August and my entry, “The Adventures of Jonathan West: A Steampunk Saga”, is a bit behind schedule. Sometimes I wish I could just clone myself. (On second thought, scrap that. I don’t think the world can handle another me. Yasssss!)

Here are a few sample pages from the previous Jonathan West issues: (click to gigantify)

 

A Little Background on the Jonathan West Project

I came up with the story a couple of years ago and initially wanted to do it as a 3D animated short. What prevented me from going down that road was, of course, production costs. It was going to take a few months and some additional manpower to finish the project.

Then, last year, a couple of friends asked me if I wanted to join them in putting together a comic book anthology. At the very last minute, I decided to include “Jonathan West”. Everything was done in 3D, but rendered with toonshade to give it that comic book style illustration.

Funny how things work out sometimes. I still hope to eventually have it done as an animated short, but for now, I’m fine with it being in comic book form.

Maaan, I’m still 2 pages behind for the final issue, and I still have a ton of deadlines at work. I also haven’t drawn anything in a week (not even a doodle!) and my fingers are itchin’ for a sketchin’! Hopefully, things will have settled down by this weekend. If not, I’m gonna have to buy another straightjacket.

*Please excuse the fragmented writing. This post was done during lunch break and it’s hard shoveling food into my mouth while typing. Maybe I do need another me!

Random:  Here’s another shred…

Whoever made these things, I salute you. You have something I really wish I had plenty of—free time.