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by admin on July 27, 2011 at 8:12 pm
Posted In: But I don't want to listen, Chapter 2, Comics
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Technical difficulties

by admin on July 17, 2011 at 9:23 pm
Posted In: Random

Not really technical difficulties in the strictest sense, but I had a new bathroom installed, and it took them two whole weeks to install it. It’s a huge improvement over the seventies crap-tiles, I really should thank the landlord. Now if only they’d fix up my kitchen, where the awfully orange tiles are still throwing me back to the days when Sonny and Cher still performed together.

Long story short, it took a while, my entire appartment was covered in dust and I had to shower and void my bowels at other people’s places… which is kind of a big deal for me. But we’re back on track, the comic is going to get regular updates, so after missing a week, I’m going to update every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

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Previews…

by admin on June 13, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Posted In: Random

So I said I wouldn’t do previews, because I wanted to keep things a bit more low-profile this time around, but I’ve succesfully worked up a buffer for the rest of the month, so I figure why not tempt fate?

Tempting fate is one of those things you should always try to do, because even though you kno it’s going to end badly, you know that it’s going to be totally worth it.  So here it is, a preview, this is a preview for the 24th of June, so it’s still a couple of weeks away. Working on this new project has opened my eyes. I’m dabbling in a slightly different style, and I’m experimenting more. Looking back I’m not a 100% proud of the first couple of pages, but I’m finding it easier to produce new pages. I think I’m improving with each new page. Just goes to show that getting stranded in a creative limbo for over a month does take its toll on you.

As for upcoming updates, Let me be cryptic and just say: 15 – 18 – 21 -24, although to be fair, it’s not that cryptic once you realize the only thing you need to stick behind those numbers is the word June… so much for mystery.

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The Almighty Johnsons

by admin on June 11, 2011 at 11:31 pm
Posted In: Random, Reviews

I can’t be the only one watching this show!

The premise is an easy one: four brothers turn out to be Norse gods, and while it seems like a sweet deal, it turns out being a God bring a whole lot of grief with it, especially when the youngest of the bunch turns out to be the reincarnation of Odin.

The story itself manages to distinguish itself nicely from the various other supernatural shows out there. The Norse pantheon is a welcome change from the various Vampires and Werewolves that have been running across the screen ever since True Blood became a hit. It’s different enough to keep watching and not write it off as “just another show about supernatural beings”.

The acting is solid for the most part, and while the characters do start out as insufferable twats, they grow on you as the series progresses. Although, in defense of the show, the gods of yesteryear tend to be a horribly annoying lot. I don’t think anyone has ever accused the old gods of being the most kind, moral, and trustworthy of people. Taking them from mythology and putting them in human form with all the failings of mortal men, it’s easy to depict them as utter and complete dicks.

The Almighty Johnsons tells a story about the fate of mankind and godkind, but at the same time, it tells a story about four brothers who aren’t exactly the best of friends. It managed to entertain me, I enjoyed seeing the main characters grow and develop themselves. Some twists and turns the characters take, can be seen from miles away, but others are come as a genuine surprise. The first season ended with just the right amount of questions answered, and the right amount unanswered, to make me curious about the second season.

It might not be perfect, but it sure is a fun ride.

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X-men: First Class – spoilers, although mild ones.

by admin on June 3, 2011 at 11:08 am
Posted In: Random, Reviews

I got to see X-men: First class this weekend, hurray for me and a whole bunch of other people!

I used to be a huge fan of the X-men, I read the comics, watched the cartoons, dutifully saw the movies twice in theatres, but these days that love is more like a distant memory of the good ol’ days. X-men: First Class gave me the opportunity to go back to the franchise and see if it could still captivate me.

I tried going in without spoilers, and I sort of succeeded at that. I had no idea what the movie was going to be about save for the bare essentials. I had, however, read a couple of comments from others. People were really positive about the experience, claiming this movie delivered what Wolverine and X3 failed to deliver (namely a pesky little thing called “quality”).

I got out of my seat utterly confused. This was a decent movie, but at the same time it hurt my fanboy heart. Flawed from start to finish, but still fun to watch. The geek in me could pick this film apart from top to bottom, pointing out that they rushed the story and failed to really present the big picture in the process… but that same geek could just smile and tell you the whole thing is an awesome flick that is filled to the brim with action and fun.

But it did make me confront an uncomfortable truth… I’m no longer in love with the X-men.

After X-men First Class I went out and bought a couple of Essentials… basically massive black-and-white reprints of the old X-men comics. They’re as thick as phonebooks and they contain the stories that made the X-men great in the first place. It doesn’t hurt that they’re really cheap.

I love them. I really do, and that’s why I’m now, more than ever, convinced that my love for the X-men is gone. I love what the X-men used to be. I started reading the X-men when I was a teenager and Onlsaught came rolling in. I kept buying back issues and I just loved the relationships between the characters and the adventures they went on. Saving the world from one threat or another. These days the X-men are a franchise, they feel empty. There’s no longer a sense of exploring the world and the characters. It’s all about churning out six-issue storylines that are laced with chronically cool phrases and ideas, because it’s what the target demographic enjoys according to haphazard research.

Back in the good old days, the days that I never really was a part of, stories went on and on and on. Characters grew into new roles and they defined themselved through their various journeys. As a reader the characters were infinitely more human and relatable back then. I miss those days. I miss the days when you could still sit down and actually read a comic, instead of going through an issue in a five-minute-flurry of all flash and no substance.

I guess I’m just getting old and nostalgic,  those damn kids should keep off my lawn!

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Loaded Dice – Fill in work

by admin on June 2, 2011 at 11:30 am
Posted In: Random

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m currently providing the web comic Loaded Dice with a fill-in story.

When I started my site I bumped into Loaded Dice, I’ve linked to the site since the beginning. Loaded Dice started around the same time I started, so I sort of felt a connection. I kept going back and check things out, but I noticed that there was a bit of a gap, the comic wasn’t updating as often as it used to. Something I should be able to relate to, since my own updates tend to be… irregular at best.

So I started thinking and brainstorming and sketching, and I contacted the writer of Loaded Dice. He didn’t mind me doing a fill-in story, and the rest is history. 8 finished pages later and the thing is in the process of being published. So why not go and pay Loaded Dice a visit…

Preview.

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