subablomic

It is fully operational.

2006-01-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

Well, there will always be tweaks, but the new blog is ready to go. This blog will eventually become another lost soul filling up the sewage system of the internet, but who cares. On to bigger and better things.

Check my new site out at: Intermedia 380

Take care ya'll.
Catch you at the new blog.

The New Blog

2006-01-19T22:06:00.000-08:00

I have begun work on my new blog. I'll release the link to it next week sometime. I first want to get the basic graphics and other crap created first before releasing the link to everyone.

R.I.P.

2006-01-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

This blog is dead. Everbody else knows it, so do I. Last semester of school was incredibly busy, and I don't see how this semester is going to change. But, my blogging lifestyle is going to.

I'm not sure how I'm going to do it, but subablomic will either become no more, or become entirely retooled. What I will be working on is a blog for my Intermedia class that catalogues my research and progress through my projects. This will be set up in the next week or two, and you should expect a post AT LEAST once a week, but probably more. I will announce the new blog through email to whoever I can, and I'll also have Pilot announce it on his blog as well.

Will there ever be a comic by me? Maybe. Maybe not. If I make one, I'll post it. But it's a lot of friggin work.

Till next time...

Beware the Scary Monsters!

2005-10-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

This is my latest art piece I made up in my Printmaking class. Not really my style to actually go for the cartoony look for my University classes, but what the hell. Sometimes it's nice to go with what you know. I had absolute shit for ideas and time was ticking away to get it done. So, in tune with the time of the year, I made a little Halloween treat for myself. Printmaking is definitely kickass. Something about the process of etching the plate, applying and wiping ink, and pulling up that piece of paper is so rewarding. It is definitely an area I want to further explore. I think that it will be my focus this summer.

My second intermedia piece is almost complete. It's kind of a struggle for me. One would think with my technical background I'd be able to fly through this class, but it's a different story. The technical issues are secondary to coming up with and following through on your idea. I find that I'm not using a lot of flashy shit to complete my works, and keeping it to the basics. My last piece is very personal and I have no idea how the class is going to accept it. Hopefully, after they see it, they will feel like shit. I don't want their pity, I just want them to experience something uneasy. Perhaps my next post will deal with that. I present it Thursday morning.

At the moment, I have to study for my Art History mid-term tomorrow. I hate that fucking class. Not the subject, but the teacher. This woman makes no sense. I have no clue what to study, and my notes won't help. She's constantly all over the place, which leads to really crappy notes. But, it's gotta get done. Yippee!

Later.

Fuck

2005-10-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

me.

I'm busy. Intermedia assignments, Printmaking to work on, painfully boring art history and a big fat English paper due on Friday (maybe I should start on that).

Yeah, it's been a busy semester so far. I apologize for lack of updates, and I refuse to promise one. How about I post my first print making stuff for you? Should be done early next week. Is that good enough? Will that sustain your blogging hunger? You people are animals. You make me sick.

Go check out Kat's blog. It's fresh and new. It doesn't have the stale, musty stench of my moldy, stagnant blog. Oh, and I bet you people are so lazy you want a link eh? Well, fine. Link. She's gonna have some good stuff there. Should be seeing some of her artwork pop up soon.

Later. I'm going to bed. Or get drunk. Whichever comes first.

Congrats Aaron and Kelly

2005-10-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to say that my brother, Aaron, had his second child yesterday. That makes me UncleX2. Ava-Jane, was born sometime in the middle of the night in Winnipeg. Just a little under 7 lbs, everybody as far as I know, is healthy and happy. I hope to get a pic of the new baby soon so I can post it for the world to see. Failing that, I'll offer you a picture of the neice I already know, Chloe.

She's so cute. I believe this is a pic of Chloe's 2nd birthday. In the back is Kelly, Chloe's mom, my sister-in-law. I think you can sort it all out.

On another note, I'd like to announce that the Brick sucks ass. We're supposed to get a chair today (that we've been waiting for a month and a half for), but instead, get a phone call saying that they forgot to ship it out of Edmonton. Dealing with these guys has been frustrating from the moment we signed for the shit. I do not recommend the Brick to anybody, and I hope to hell I get something out of all the bullshit they've put us through.

Later.

Wow, I still have a blog.

2005-09-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

Man, almost 3 weeks without a post. And this one will be short. I promise. But it will be a heads up for a more elaborate post for tomorrow.

I have seriously been swamped with work through my two studio classes. Printmaking always has some little project due for next class and I just finished my first Intermedia project and presented it this morning (which went surprisingly well). The past week has been the worst. I've pretty much been at the school from about 9:00 - 9:30, or if I go home earlier, it's just to end up working on crap there.

Other than the fact that it is a little physically and mentally draining (being hit so hard so quickly) I really can't complain. I'm working with two mediums that I have really had no previous experience with. Some people that know me will say that I've done intermedia stuff, but I haven't. It's a different art form that I haven't even touched on. Yes, the digital tools are the same or quite familiar to what I've done in the past, but the approach to the project is completely different.

Well, I'm getting more sleep now. It's amazing how much I treasure it now so much more in the summer in which I had more than I wanted. I managed to actually sneak a nap in this afternoon. It was awesome. It usually takes me a long time to fall asleep, but when I closed my eyes, I was out. And had a very strange, intricately confusing dream as well. My nap dreams are pretty lame, and most of the time non-existent. But I've found it before and am discovering it again, that if you like to have vivid dreams, deprive yourself of sleep and study something that is completely new to you. I think it's the brain coping with both sleep deprivation and new neuron connections that does it.

Till next time,
Nathan.

A Response To Pilotsworld.

2005-09-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

This was going to be a comment on pilotsworld.blogspot.com, but I decided to make it a post. You can read his original post here that inspired my response.

It's true. What did cause the riots? Was it the hurricane? Lack of food? Because, last I checked, they didn't store food in shirts and shoe boxes. They don't keep blankets in electronic stores. The shops with busted windows didn't seem to be any less flooded than some homes, so it wasn't to find a dry place to stay safe.
This hurricane has taken an underlying social problem that can generally be controlled by policing. But due to the disaster, the rules change.
The question I'd like to ask is this: Would this situation of rioting and anarchy happen in Regina were it to be hit by a natural disaster? I'd like to say no, but I wonder. If I lived in poverty and had the chance to make my life a little better by looting some items (that would eventually be destroyed by the disaster anyway), why wouldn't I take it. I wouldn't be able to get it any other time. I'd like to say I wouldn't do it, but if I was the person living in North Central with a bad habit for whatever drug comes my way, my story might change. It just sometimes takes some tragic things to make the society realize what they are capable of and that problems do exist.
We'll take the example of the surge of American patriotism after the disaster of 9/11. I've never seen so much flag wagging and other patriotic dribble ever before. I'm not saying that being proud of your nation is a bad thing (because I'm quite proud of my nation) but it was almost to the point of mass fanaticism. Every public event that followed shortly after would somehow work the message of standing firm in the face of travesty and blah blah blah. Other private citizens took it on themselves to insult and shun Canadians and French for "their lack of support". But what I don't think a lot of people realized, is that this was just a symptom of a serious national affliction. These people were scared out of their fucking minds. The show of patriotism was just a screen to prove to terrorists that nothing they could do would shake the foundations of what made the good ol' US of fuckin A so great. But I think that underneath it all, they were scared. Scared for what they had done in the past to piss these people off. Scared for the other countries they had pissed off and wondering if they would do anything about it. They were scared for what their Commander-in-chief was going to do next. But we won't let anyone see it. We will stand proud, and united.
Now to bring it back to the hurricane, the symptom is shooting, looting, and all the other crimes that are going unchecked after the storm. The problem is poverty. These people were down to begin with. And from what I've heard (and my sources might be questioned) they didn't have much help to get out. They piled some in a stadium and others just had to fend for themselves. So is what they're doing is surviving? Yes and no. But they are taking what may not be deserved, but what society prevents them from having in the first place. Do I have a solution. Fuck no. I don't have solutions for any of the great world problems. But I do like to recognize things for what they are. I guess it's the first step to solving a problem.

Back to School

2005-09-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

Yessss! I've been waiting months for this day. Maybe some might call me a nerd, but I can't get enough of university. As I write this, I've only attended one class so far. But that's enough to get me going. At the last moment, I decided to switch from Ceramics to Intermedia. The reason for the switch was so that I didn't get swamped with work. This evening I will be starting Printmaking, which I hear is fairly labour intensive (lots of overtime needed). And that's the story I hear about Ceramics too. I'm not afraid to work hard or long hours; I just don't want to be caught in a situation where I have to much to do and not enough hours to do it.

Intermedia looks very interesting. I mean, it definitely appeals to me for a couple of reasons. A lot of ideas I have for an art piece generally has movement to it. Thus video projection. The second most appealing fact is that it will feel a little more like I know what I'm doing. I know that a lot of what I've learned from my SIAST course will help me out here. It's going to be a completely different product from what I made at SIAST, but some of the technical stuff will be the same. I plan to go ape-doody with Photoshop for my slide presentation. Really blow some socks off, man. But, if I do use the computer lab provided, I'm going to have to shed my evil Windows skin and get out the old Mac leisure suit. That suit is pretty wrinkled and moth-bitten, but once I slip into it, it'll be like I never took it off. I just thank Jebus that they use two-button wheel mice. I mean seriously Stevie J., just suck it up and realize that the world needs more than one button.

Aside from the digital designs that I look forward too, the course subject should be interesting and lead to creative explosions. The basic idea is going to be about how we can represent ourselves, and what it means to be me, and maybe how others view me. It's going to take some thinking outside of the box to come up with some ways to portray how I think of myself, but I like the challenge.

The instructor, or prof it you prefer, is gonna be cool to work with. His name is Lee Henderson and he is in the final stages of completing his Masters of Fine Arts (MFA). It's kinda weird that he's my teacher, because for one, he's fairly young (which really doesn't matter in my opinion) and that I would've considered us on fairly friendly terms before I entered his classroom. Because my sister is an Intermedia major, I was always hanging around there and she introduced me to a handful of artists. Lee was one of them, and we liked to talk about computers (cause they're cool). But honestly, as time went on with my last semester, I started to see Jon (my instructor for both studio classes) become to be more of a friend than a teacher (although I think he always maintained the level with all of us that he was the teacher).

Well, I'll give another detailed acocunt of my other classes as I enter them. I'll finish the first-day run through by tomorrow afternoon. Oh, and in case you guys didn't guess, now that I'm in university, this blog will probably now be mostly of that stuff. But don't worry, a particular person will still get a prize, and if I have time, a comic may float around every now and then.

So long suckers,
Till next time.

On Being Unemployed

2005-08-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

I never really thought that I'd enjoy wasting so many days so much. Let me give you a quick breakdown of my day:

9:30-10:00 - Wake up, decide to get out of bed.
10:00-11:30 - Make breakfast, eat breakfast. Think about getting more breakfast. Decide it takes to much effort and my stomach is sastisfied for now. Watch movie while eating and stomach digests.
11:30-12:30 - Read online comics, online forums, blogs, watch anything interesting at ebaumsworld or muchosucko (usually skip most of it),
miscellaneous web browsing
12:30-1:00 - Conclude browsing, try to postpone smoke. Go for smoke.
1:00 - 2:00 - Tummy rumbles, look through cupboards and realize I don't have any food. Scrounge for awhile and settle on KD. Prepare and eat KD. Watch crap TV.
2:00-2:05 - Tell myself I should do something worthwhile today. Think about working on art, or comics.
2:05-2:06 - Plan on doing it tomorrow.
2:06-5:00 - This is open time. If I have a quick errand do that (do not usually have one). Read book or play video games. Lately I have been wasting a lot of time and straining my eyes on Tumblebugs.
5:00-6:00 - Ash gets home from work, annoy Ash, cook supper, eat, while watching more TV.
6:00-7:00 - Supper clean up, annoy Ash, go back to internet to see if anything is different.
7:00-9:00 - Sit on couch and try and find something on TV. Might go for walk, might play more tumblebugs.
9:00-11:00 - Watch TV. Have snack. Get ready for bed.
11:00-9:30 - Talk to Ash, think about shit I should do tomorrow, fall asleep.

It's pretty sad, but this is what unemployment is like for me. Don't get me wrong. I'm enjoying myself. I should've gone outside today, but I didn't realize it was nice until about 3:00 when I had a smoke. By then, all ambition had been wiped out by a day of lazing around. It's my last week before classes start. I don't know if I'll actually get anything accomplished other than watching all the movies I've wanted to watch on Free Front Row and read a few Steven King books. But wtf. In another two weeks, I'll be rolling in homework, submersed in my studio classes and generally going nuts again. This has probably been the best part of the summer hands down. Another week of this lethargy, but right now I'm in a good place with it. I haven't been this lazy since high school.

K, my fingers are tired now. If I find the ambition, you might get a post some time later.

Till then, have fun at work. SUCKERS!

I Shall Thwart Thee!

2005-08-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, I won't. But blogger.com will help. You will now see in my comments that you have to punch in a verification thingy. This is put into effect to block the recent outbreak of spam posts that I have been getting. I'm sorry to hinder you with this extra step, but in the end it will save me that agony of having to clean up my comment section.
Thanks to Pilot for giving me the tip for protection.

Later.

The End of Summer is Almost Nigh...

2005-08-24T16:47:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone (if anyone still visits my stagnant page)!
Been too long since my last post, but do not fear the blog is not dead. I am resuming my work on comics after a brief period of no development. Something about this summer just didn't want me to be sitting in front of my computer. I can seriously say in the last three weeks, I've maybe spent a total of five hours in front of my PC. Usually, it is to just check email and other people's blogs.

I really haven't done too much this summer...trip to Moose Jaw, lots of movies, a few piss ups, and TV of course. Last week was my last time working at PC Place. I was supposed to keep my job until school started, but due to slow business, I was let go. I'm not really too disappointed. I've wanted out of the computer business for awhile now (hence my return to school) but this sealed the deal. I'm officially done. Not even working Saturdays. It's somewhat sad, for that's where most of my friends are, but maybe it's just another step forward in my life. And to me, stepping forward always makes one look back, to times that are good and times that are bad. But mostly, it makes me realize of time that you will never have again. I do realize that the sand is constantly slipping through the hour glass. Problem is, we can't turn the glass back over. It's glued to the table people.

Not trying to be depressing, just expressing a thought.

So, now my interest with my new found free time, has turned to reading. I've been reading a bunch of Stephen King books (re-reading some) that I've put off for awhile. I know in my own head that I should be working on art or my comics, but I don't think one should feel guilty about reading. I need to read more (and maybe even something NOT written by King). But those grains of sand keep slipping through the orifice (I found that's the technical name for the narrow part) and I find I never have enough time to do all that I want to get done in a day/week/season.

Side note: When one actually uses the hourglass as a metaphor for one's own timeline, I would have to postulate that one actually exists in the orifice itself. Time to come - above, time that has passed - below. Actually existing there would never let one see how full the glass is above or below, for sight would be blocked with the continuous flow of sand. Only until the very last grains were to pass by would one realize that they could finally see the top of the glass, and the mound of dust piled below. And then what? Does one find oneself as the last grain, falling to the peak of sand that has already passed by? Or would one just float in the nether region of the clock with nothing to look forward to and only grains to look down upon but never be able to feel flow past again?

Either way, this post sounds quite depressing.
(The problem I find when I read a lot, it tends to make me write much more as well.)

I leave you with a piece of geekery I came up with last night while enjoying my bed-time smoke. It's a haiku for SMS enthusiasts. Enjoy:

LOL

lmao
rotfl
ttyl

/Till next time.

...drumroll Please

2005-08-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

ratatatatatatatatatatatatatat And now.... I will announce the winner.

Soulfood! The two characters will now be known as Derek and Kurt.

Your prize will arrive some day, hopefully by Christmas. But thanks for the submissions from the rest of you clowns. You were no help at all.

Now, I guess I have no excuses for not getting a comic done. Oh wait, yeah I do. I'm lazy.

The Winner Is...

2005-08-03T21:58:00.000-07:00

I have picked the winner. But I've been on holidays and sick at the same time. Not to mention I didn't have internet for the past couple days (switching provider). But it is late and I don't feel like writing. But the winner has been picked. I will announce more soon.

(I'm feeling much better by the way).

Oh yeah, FUCKING NINE INCH NAILS CONCERT! I am going. Not sure which city yet. Right now it's a toss up between Edmonton and Winnipeg. Still planning which city is the best option, but my decision will have to be quick, tickets go on sale this Saturday.

Peace doggies. Till next time.

2005-07-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is the sophisticated art that I had been picking away at all summer. This is a copy of an Albrecht Durer sketch of an old man he was using as a study for reference for a future engraving. I believe the completed engraving was entitled "St. Jerome in his Study", but I might be wrong. I'll check it out and fix it if I am. Anywho, the background story to this is that it is supposedly the oldest man that he had ever found on his travels and wanted to draw him. I think the old man got bored from an extensive sitting and started falling asleep, but the expression is classic nonethless. Durer himself is most famous for his Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse woodcuts, and I have been enamoured and inspired with his talent and skills ever since I discovered his work in high school.

The next step to this project (now that I believe I have somewhat figured out how he did what he was doing) is to then draw a portrait of the oldest man I know. This man what I refer to as an adopted grandfather. His name is Ed Conrad, of Weyburn Sk, and I believe he is now 91 years of age. He might be 92, but I'll have to check on that. The only problem with Ed, is he doesn't have that many wrinkles or a huge, curly beard. The pose I have of him (taken with my digital camera) is still a thoughtful one that I think reflects his quiet, caring personality. I am also trying to catch something of a wise but tired look as well. I don't know how it will turn out. I do have the first sketches down, and I have started filling in his eye, but I think it's too big already. But I'll finish it, and if I don't like it, I'll do another one.

I was also happy how the picture turned out. I took it with my digital camera with no extra lighting other than the sun coming in through a large window in my studio. As for the materials I have used, I chose a grey-toned paper and used a 6B pencil for the lines and white and grey conte crayon. Durer's original piece, I believe, was done in black and white ink. It was hard to get an exact replica because the differences in materials used, and I believe his was a lot smaller. Mine measures approx. 11x14, maybe a bit bigger. Just from looking at the size Durer's strokes which I believe to be done with an ink nib, and the fact that it was a sketch, I have come to the conclusion that his was more like an 8x10 or smaller.

Please enjoy, and if you would like a high-res image for wallpaper, or to make your own prints, let me know and I'd be happy to send them to you.

Blomic Names and Blogger Links

2005-07-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

I'll give it another week or so for names submissions, so I'd like to hear more suggestions. Let's make the closing date...ummm...the 28th of July. Just because that's the end of the contest doesn't mean that is the day the prize gets sent. You will get it, but don't be surprised if it doesn't show up until the end of August.

And if anyone would like me to link up their blog to my site, let me know. I do read a few that I've stumbled on through Pilot's blog. I think I know who most of you are, and if I don't know exactly who you are, I probably know you're brother or sister. And I'd like to steal from the blogginator and have pictorial links to each blog. I can create the graphics myself, but if you can provide me with relevant material, it would help.

Later gators.

Distracted Doodles

2005-07-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

I get distracted easily. As I was drawing out the basics of my comics (I have three started, none finished), this freaky looking kid walked by and made me snicker. I figured I should draw him, as you don't see living, walking, geek caricatures every day. There might be some slight exaggeration in this representation, but I'm serious when I say that it is not that much. This kid really looked like this. I imagine he might of been maybe 9 or 10 years old, so he's got a long life of solitary computer usage, years of cruel teasing and beatings, and a few experiences of awkward rejection and utter defeat of ego and self-worth as girls reject his creepy advances. Keep your chin up nerdo (or what lack of chin you have) and keep on truckin. Anybody that has known me for a long time can tell you that in my Junior High days I was a geek living on social scraps tossed to me from my slightly more popular friends. I grew up and look at me now. Right? RIGHT?! I'm cool now! Chicks dig me! Whatever, I'm going to go draw my comics.

Pick-the-Names Contest

2005-07-13T14:34:00.000-07:00

Just so everyone doesn't worry, I am still working on these things. My progress has slowed way down because I've become much busier at work these past two weeks. I produce most of the base drawings while I'm sitting around waiting for someone to buy a phone card.

Anyway, the point of this post is that I would like to invite everyone to give me name suggestions for both of the characters in my comic. Please keep your suggestions to "real" names: i.e. John, Paul, George, Ringo... but nickname suggestions are good too. The name "fatso" was never meant to stick with that character. It's just what I called him to differentiate the two characters.

Now you might ask, "Why should I do anything for you? What's in it for me? Why are my pubic hairs itchy and falling out?" Well, I can't do much about your itch, except suggest you visit a doctor and use a condom, but as for the first questions: I will give you something! What more do you want?

The grand prize is going to be a 8.5"x11" full color glossy picture of the two characters doing something. I can't say what, cause I haven't drawn it yet. If you would like the picture autographed, I can do that too. If you would rather recieve a picture of my girlfriend while she is sleeping, I might be able to arrange that. But you either get the drawing or the pic. Not both.
The grand prize will be awarded to the person/persons that provide me with the winning names. If I select the two names from two different people, then each person will get a grand prize award. Anyone who participates in the contest will receive a limited addition email that has a limited edition copy of the poster art attached.

Your suggestions can be posted in the comments below, or you can email me @ (god I don't believe I'm putting my email out here) binns_n@hotmail.com . Failing these routes, you can stuff your suggestion in a bottle and set it in the nearest stream. I'm sure it will eventually get to me.

Later.

To Prove I Have at Least One Friend

2005-07-07T20:55:00.000-07:00

The following is an MSN correspondence between my friend Jamie and myself a couple nights back. As I was telling him all about my ideas, I realized I should save this thing for future reference. It basically outlines the rough background ideas for the comic as well as my current approach on how to deal with some of the issues I think I'll face. As for the contest that is mentioned (should you read on) I am going to work out the prize and the timeline for my next blog entry, so keep an eye open for that. I've never reproduced a MSN log for Interweb reading, so some parts may make no sense, and spelling (especially on Jamie's behalf) gets to be atrocious in parts. Give me some feedback of how you like this format. There are a lot of MSN conversations that Jeremy and I have shared that might have been entertaining for readers as well. I have made a few edits for simple clarification, and links where needed and possible.

Commencing Communication Replication:...

(edit: This conversation has been stepped into after the initial "Sup dogg?" greetings and immediately after I had sent him the sketch of the dude that I displayed in the previous blog post.)
NB (that's me,) : This is the plan for my main character. The background story to these characters (including fatso from the fart strip) is that they've been buddies since grade 7. Fatso is going to University for an engineering degree, and skinny guy is going for his Vis Arts degree. Basically an odd couple for college.

JC (dis is my bud, not Jesus Christ. Using initials here folks. Keep up please.) : Ill say

NB : The fat guy is socially inept, disgusting pig that likes porn, beer, and porn with beer. The arts guy works at a computer store (obviously) and is more the synical type that pokes fun at everything and everyone he sees. He is a little uptight but can get crazy when the mood hits him.

JC : lol

NB : They are both comp. geeks with a gaming/geek culture side but still happen to maintain normal social lives (somewhat). They both live in their own little worlds built up inside their heads (which stems from playing so much D&D together as adolesents).

JC : ah, cool

NB : The story line still remains mostly autobiographical of my own life, but many engineer story lines will have to come from Mike (my bro) and Terry.(edit: guy I work with)
.
JC : i see.

NB : Gaming influence I'll have to rely on myself, but mostly you and todd. (edit:another guy I work with, also featured in this comic.)

NB : I need you to start playing more console games.

JC : Only thing todd plays is BF

JC : a sacrifice you must make.

JC : buit it is for a noble casue

NB : Other geek culture will come from my buddy Jeremy up in LaRonge. I may take him on as a secondary story line writer. His humor is really close to mine and fatso is somewhat at least physically based on him.

JC : lol

NB : They still need names though, and that will be a blog contest (edit: Inspired by the infamous Hires Root Beer Contest.). So now you have the basic outline for the fucking comic that is a constant bug in my ass.

JC : sweet

JC : The fatso should have some name that turns into a really bad nickname.

NB : Even though not much has been produced yet, a lot of the stupid foundation stuff is starting to get tweaked. And in my opinion, that's the hardest part. Eventually, I hope this thing will build up enough momentum and practically writes and draws itself.

JC : but thast just top of my head sort of idea.

NB : Yeah, that's the kind of basic story lines that I need that I can take and flesh out.

JC : from what I read from others is that yes sometimes it does, and yes a lot of times it doesnt

NB : If it don't, and it becomes a hassle to produce, and I stop learning and enjoying myself, I'll quit this and do something else. The only person that feels guilty about it and wants to really see come to fruition (as far as I know) is me.

JC : and its either 'work with what ya know' or 'Make some crazy shit up'

NB : And I see a lot of crazy shit story lines in the future as well.

NB : Just a few strips of something completely retarded, like getting a happy meal. Whatever. Look at Seinfield. Anything, if delivered properly, can be funny.

JC : yeah

NB : To me, right now developing the art is key, without good art, the story isn't as good. But eventually, the delivery of the joke will far outweigh any art. I've seen some well drawn Mac Hall comics that either don't make sense or just aren't funny.

NB : But then Real Life has pretty basic art, but is consistently a good laugh.

NB : I have been doing my homework on this stuff, and I honestly think I can make something that will work.

JC : awesome

NB : It's not hard for me to make a joke, but it's hard for me to make one that will bust someone's gut. And that is the ultimate goal with this. Make a consistently humorous strip that will have readers wanting to read the next one, and the occasional gut buster. I still giggle everytime I think about the "Shit in my computer" or "Then we fucked like 20 times behind the barn."

NB : Not every PA (edit: Penny Arcade) strip makes me laugh like that, but I want to read every single one that comes out.

JC : yeah no doubt, its my favorite strip.

JC : I like Vgcats to, hes got awesome artwork, but only puts a stirp out once a week.

JC : Ya should read the new VG cast though its kinda funny

NB : I know, but if I can get it to once a week, I'll be happy.

NB : I'll make sure to check it all tomorrow. I was way to busy to be reading those things today, but I'm pretty much caught up now.

NB : Anyway, I'm fuckin tired and stressed. I need my bedtime smoke and get some shut eye. I hope I didn't bore you with this, but this is what occupies a large percentage of my thinking for the past two months.

JC : Ididnt bore me at all

NB : that's good. It's all I talk about too. Anyway, gnight.

JC : laters

Introducing: This Guy!

2005-07-07T04:16:00.000-07:00

I believe after making crappy sketches after crappy sketches of a portraiture of myself, I have come to the realization that my physical features do not translate well into an interesting toon character. I really had no desire to have this guy look like me, but it was worth a shot. There may be some slight alterations (as in clothing, the eyebrow ring) to this character, but overall to me, he looks like a snide, sarcast, son-of-a-bitch. This is what I was going for. This character is the one to point out all the flaws of society, human nature, and other people's personal flaws. This drawing, believe-it-or-not, was actually first drawn with a pencil, then inked with actual ink. It's unbelievable, but with enough practice, it is possible to create a comic strip (or sketches as this case presents) without Photoshop and Painter and a Wacom tablet. I still prefer the latter method, because I have more tools at my disposal and there is always the undo button. I leave the pencil and pens for when I go back to U of R in the fall.

Which is a nice transition mind you to let you in on a little idea I have been cooking up. This grand scheme involves the two web comic heros (fart guy and dude pictured above) that depicts their trials and tribulations at a generic university. The tall lanky guy is studying in visual arts, and his roomate/friend since grade 8 is going for his engineering degree. With this "oddcouple" scenario still loosely based around geek culture, will now be more related to university jokes. This shift in story line (the one I had originally planned in my head) came from picking up the Carillon (the U of R weekly newspaper) and reading the comic strip section. To say the least, as I have said every other time I have read these strips, is that the humor occassionally contains a chuckle, but the art is sub-Ziggy. I was drawing shit like that in Grade 7. I don't want to come off like an ass (even though I am) but damn. If you want to write a comic and can't draw, find someone who can and just be the writer. But, I don't want to get stuck on that tangent.

My plan is to put together a few strips with these two guys and approach the Carillon about publishing them in their wonderful weekly paper. I am still going to maintain this website and all comics will be posted here as well. I have my suspicions (SP?) that I won't be able to use full color, so expect a lot of black & white. This is fine, but I'll probably still color them every once and again for this wonderful blog. I don't know if it is my own insecurities or delusions of grandeur, but if I'm going to really work on this comic, I want an audience that will read it. I know that if you are reading this, that makes you my audience. But I've pretty much have figured out everyone that is a frequent guest here (thank you for your patronage by the way) and if I'm lucky, that number of frequent viewers is approaching ten. By publishing a comic in the Carillon, my reader base is going to be a lot more. I'm not saying that the whole campus is instantly going to fall in love with my comic. I have a feeling that there is going to be many people that will in fact hate it and either won't get the jokes, or will be offended by them. I have no plans to water down any content. I plan to rip on international students, talk about getting wasted and fucking some fat chick, demean Vis. Arts majors by describing them as light-loafered flaky hippies. Engineers will be thus described as beer-swilling, egomaniacal assholes. And the admin girls will constantly be getting harrassed by both sides due to owning breasts. This comic is based on two idiots that are going to University. That's where the story line will follow. If I get edited (which I highly doubt I will from reading previous news and editorials) I get edited. If they tell me to tone it down, then I'll see if it is worth it. Family Guy was successful because the would make racist statemeants without actually using racial slurs. They would make fun of any and all handicaps because if presented right, it can be funny. Wording things right, they got away with a lot of vulgar sexual humour as well.

I better quit typing. I woke up from a bad dream (I've never had a more stressful night of sleep) and couldn't fall back into uneasy slumber. Now it is 5:50 am, and I need more rest. Coming up next blog: An MSN conversation with my buddy in which I explain some of the other complexities that will be this stupid comic.

Later.

Very Sofistercated

2005-07-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

This one's pretty explanatory. Enjoy.

Gettin Flashy

2005-06-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

With a little ingenuity, I've sidestepped my file type limitations imposed on me by flickr.com and blogger.com. To host the wonderfully animated flash banner you see above you, I had to find some way to host .swf for free. With a brainfart last night, I came up with the idea to open a Geocities website. They provide 15mb of space, and basically allow you to build whatever web page you like (as long as you don't mind a bit of overbearing advertising). But I really didn't care, seeing as I just needed someplace to sit this file and access it with a url link. I've found that you can do a lot of stuff for free on the internet if you have the ambition to look around and set up accounts left and right. And, a lot of these freebies are customizable if you can hack apart the provided HTML (I'll thank Mr. Pilot again for his help).

As for the animation, it wasn't too difficult to achieve, but it took a little drudging of the memory banks. It's unbelievable how much junk one forgets when one doesn't use it. Man, I used to be unbelievable with Flash. Well, let's say pretty darn good. I was all into actionscripting (the backend coding junk), manipulating movie clips, drag and drop features... I mean, I've seen a lot cooler stuff out there then I've ever done, but I think I got fairly proficient with that program. That was back in '02 with Flash 5. Now we have the new fangled Flash MX with its unsightly usage of tool bars and menus. I find it almost impossible to operate the god damn program without a secondary display set up. You either have no space for the main stage, or you're constantly maximizing and minimizing windows. I think if I ever seriously get back into flash I will be able to do away with the extraneous items, but being so rusty and unfamiliar with the program itself, I'm not sure what I really need up there.

Till next time...enjoy the flying electrons.

Work In Progress

2005-06-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

Here are the wonderful sketches that I had promised. Some are pretty rough yet, but it'll give you an idea of what is yet to come. A lot of these characters are the preliminary sketches for future story lines I have cooking up in my noggin. I know it's not much, but enjoy.

Another Disappointment

2005-06-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

So it seems that I didn't get a blomic done for this week. I basically spent the whole time sketching characters that may or may not appear in future strips. As a consolation prize, I'll be posting a collage of my sketches that I have worked on. They are very rough, but will give you an idea of the artistic style that I have almost worked out. I still have some technical issues yet to work out, but I am almost 100% on how I'd like to do these things. First step (which you will see in my preliminary drawings) is the sketching stage which is done with my handy-dandy Wacom tablet and Painter 8. Next, is to take the rough sketches and trace the lines and fill in the color with Illustrator. I will also make up the text bubbles here as well. Then, it will be onto my old pal Photoshop to compile all the frames into the extravaganza that will be known as a "Subablomic Comic" (you may also to refer to it as the "intolerable-shit-you-get-in-your-internet-cache-while-surfing-the-web").
Right now I'm getting ready to head off to Gayburn to do that roofing job I had previously mentioned that got cancelled due to thunderstorms. But I'll have them sketches up by Sat. for you all to drool over. Please place a towel over your keyboard to prevent any damages*.

*Subablomic is not responsible for any damages that may occur to your software and/or hardware. By reading this, you have waived all liabilities and have promised your vital organs to be harvested should the creator of Subablomic need and/or want them for his own organ replacement due to unhealthy lifestyle choices and/or his whimsical pleasure.

And To Your Right...

2005-06-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

I've been doing more reading of online comics than actually developing my own as of late. But just like writing your own song, it sometimes helps to see what others have done before you. What works, what dooesn't, and what you can steal and get away with. I've noticed a few little tricks here and there (blue pencil sketching is awesome)that will help me get started, but this comic thing is about as much work as I figured it would be. And if I do it the way I want, it's a lot of work! Not that I'm complaining, even the little bit that I have done has been a lot of fun to put together, but it takes a lot of time right now for me to produce these abominations. I'm still struggling with a style (which you can see if you compare the comics posted) and each comic I'm doing I'm approaching it with a different angle. This means thinking, deciding, and a shitload of preliminary sketches before I can lay some solid lines down. At some point in time, my goal is to produce three comics a week. Two black and whites during the week (say a Tuesday/Friday thing) and then a color comic for Sunday. But right now, I'm going to be happy if I can get one a week done. If I take my time, I hope to get things right from the start.

The other thing I noticed about these web comics is that these guys have huge archives. Penny Arcade and PvP are just a couple of great comics with an insane volume of work. What I need to realize is that these guys have also been doing this for years. I hope to one day have a repertoire of material like this, but give me a little while, and I'll get there.

If I might jump ahead a bit, some may ask,"So...Is this like what you want to do for a career perhaps?" Right now I'd say no. It's just a hobby at the moment, a side project, something to fill a small void in my life. If the Interweb gods smile on me and it does produce a small amount of popularity and I can make a few bucks, well sure. Why not. I mean, what else was my training in high school drawing pictures of ugly retards (students and teachers alike) meant to produce. I've pretty much have forced my path in life to produce something like an online comic. It all adds up and I think it's cool. Now if I can only get past my laziness and procrastination, I might do great things. But a final answer to why I'm even embarking on this drawing quest, would be to say I'm doing it for me. To see if I can do it. And if a few of my friends get a laugh out of it, then I have been successful.

Now, to bring your attention to the new blog feature, look to your right and you will see the "Blomic Archive Drop Down Menu" (triumphent horns please begin). This is designed to cope with the outrageous and incomprehensible volumes of work yet to come. The way this blog site is structured (which is great for blogging) it helps to efficiently archive your blogging into previous months. The design effectively eliminates any ease of searching for something that happened not to long ago. And, how I'm not overly concerned that my readers study my past texts (however interesting and rambling as they are), I want them to easily pick a comic and go straight to it, without having to sort through pages of links that generally discuss my boring life and what my fart smelled like three months ago (by the way, it was delicious). I still have to work out a scheme for back and forth buttons, as some comics will work in series, and having to go to the drop down won't always be as useful.

So, have fun with the archive menu, please let me know if you find a bug (a.k.a. dead link) and let's cross our fingers for a new blog for next week. It'll be a gooder.

/Peace.

It's Funny Cause It's True

2005-06-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

(Sorry about the poor quality. I had to resize it with img settings. I don't have photoshop on my comp. yet, and I'm not sure where the disk is either. I'll have her fixed in a couple days. Bear with me, but I figured a blog was well over due.)

This is a comic about my buddy and his Battlefield 1942 antics. I personally have begun to develop a passion for the online gaming (which I had ignored for a long time), but I doubt I'll ever develop a passion for the online community. It seems that one half is a bunch of hardcore assholes and the other half is a bunch of n00b retards that don't know what the hell they're doing. And they make your gaming experience shit because of it. I am exaggerating those figures a bit for effect, but there are a lot of them. And when these people get in your group or on your team, they really take the fun out the whole game. Maybe that's why I don't do as much group work in WoW. I've had a lot of bad experiences with idiots or people that make me feel like a stupid n00b because I don't have a handle on all the inside tricks. On the other hand, a really good group that works together makes the game almost ecstactic. Everything is easier and more enjoyable. The grinding (in WoW) is taken out for the most part (or seems to be taken out). Things get done and that wonderful sense of good team effort and accomplishment sets in. The way these games are designed, one person can't do it all. And that's good. It should be designed to encourage grouping with others, or what's the point of an MMO?

I would more or less call myself a n00b for the most part, even for games that I've been playing for months. I really am a casual gamer that enjoys to step out of my mundane life and frak some guy with Anti-Aircraft rounds or kill troll after troll to complete some quest. It's a past time for me. Other friends of mine (this guy included) take things a little more seriously, but in a quasi-healthy way. They don't get too worked up over the other assholes and it only dominates a small portion of their life. I wish I could be more hardcore about some of these games (WoW especially), but I am hard pressed to find the time, energy, and patience to become one of the l33t.

/I wasn't going to write much cause it's late and I'm tired. I have a roofing gig to do in Weyburn, and it's going to be an early morning tomorrow. But I'll enjoy being outside for once and doing some real manual labour. It makes me feel good to get my hands dirty once in awhile. I prefer to get them dirty with pencils and other art junk, but roofing tar and tiny shingle scrapes are o.k. in moderation.

Till next time...

What The F%@K?

2005-06-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I need more channels or something. Maybe Spike needs to get a few more episodes of CSI, 'cause I seen 'em all too many times. But whatever, I ended up watching Canadian Idol. The competition for the most part doesn't seem too bad, but Ash had pointed something that both Ash and myself feel is very odd.

Some may remember, some may have tried to forget, and some don't really give a shit, but I believe it was before the turn of the century, and after Mmmbop, a band called The Moffatts had existed. Now this family of gay rock music had experienced some success. Their success quickly faded, much like the gay stylings of the Hanson brothers, but it seems that one Moffatt just didn't get enough.

This is Dave Moffatt.
Pictured left in his glory days as a teenage rockstar.
Pictured right is his new plan to reclaim his former glory: Singing his heart out for the for retarded Canadian Idol judges. Or is it just that his mouth is permanently stretched out from sucking record exec cock. I don't know, you decide.

The point is, this guy was once "successful" in the music biz. Shouldn't this contest be open to those people who haven't already had recording contracts?; people who haven't already had an opportunity to be in the limelight?; people that haven't been Canadian pop icons yet? But the way shit's going these days (I will refer here to the grand shit splattering of the new Backstreet Boys comeback (sorry Ash)), I guess he gets another shot too. But honestly, I think if you are washed up by the time you're 21, you obviously didn't have the talent to do it the first time around. You got lucky, were at the right place at the right time, pleasured the right man, whatever. Does lightening strike twice? I guess we'll have to tune in to see Mulroney make an ass of himself to find out.

I'm Still Alive Folks

2005-06-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

Been a bit since my last post. I did get my computer going again. Nothing like a nice wipe and reload. If it wasn't a bigger pain in the ass, I'd do it once a month. But after that, I had to get a little work done on me.

Last Wednesday, about 10:00 in the a.m., a friendly, quiet Dr. Grieman stuck a small needle into my hand. It was a slight pinch, but I was more curious about what was to happen soon after. I asked the doc, "So, what's actually in this stuff?"

He responded without alarm, "Well, it's basically a mixture of morphine and valium."

With a slanted smirk I reply, "Intersting. How long till it kicks in?"

"About three minutes," he began to explain. "After the first minute, you'll feel a little woozy, like you've had a couple martinis. After that, the full effects will kick in. You'll be able to respond to my questions, being semi-awake, you just won't care. And you won't remember much of what happened."

He was right. A few minutes after this banter, I don't really recall much of anything. I have some recollection of what I believe to be something like plastic plyers holding my mouth apart, and a sensation of tugging on my lower left jaw. That's about it. To me, I was just enjoying a comfortable nap in a chair until someone had the audacity to tap my shoulder and wake me from my very deep, dark, dreamless slumber.

"Feeling O.K.?" the docter asked (the man who woke me up).

"Yeah not too bad." I really didn't feel too bad at all. I couldn't feel much of anything to be honest. My sister-in-law Wendy was there to pick me up and take me home. Standing up seemed to be a little tricky however. I was still pretty woozy. Not that I'm complaining, it was like a nice, gentle drunk feeling. Almost a weightless effect. It's weird now that I recollect, that after coming under, things took a little while for me to realize what was different. I couldn't move my mouth very well, and talking didn't work to good either. This was most likely due to the fact that four wisdom teeth had been wrenched out of the back of my mouth. Other problems that I slowly came to realize was that my whole mouth region was frozen numb, and I had two giant wads of gauze in the back of my mouth as well.

Wendy took me home, where Ash was waiting with some tuna fish sandwiches. I slowly and carefully ate those with my front teeth while Wendy went and got me a smoothie and some drugs.

To move the story along, I took the next two days off from work. I couldn't really open my mouth very wide, so eating and talking were still slightly hindered. My mouth slowly leaked blood for about three days as well. But by Saturday, my jaw began to move again and the bleeding had more or less stopped. Since then, it's kind of been a back and forth between feeling really good (generally first thing in the morning) to feeling sort of stiff and sore (like right now at 10:30pm). I am recovering well, and this whole ordeal wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I'm not saying I want it to be a yearly event, but it wasn't the nightmare of pain and suffering that I've heard from others.

So here's crossing my fingers in hopes that everything in my slowly heals and resumes to feeling normal again. I think the only problem in the near future is that there seems to be a little flap of flesh that either didn't get completely cut out or sewn shut with everything else. It also could be a loose stitch. I don't know. It doesn't hurt, but if it is gum tissue, I could see food getting stuck in there and giving me grief later on. I'll just have to wait and see about that.

I'll make another update about this whole surgery and my healing process in a week or so. Hopefully I'll be fully healed by then.

Later.

Oh, and by the way, I totally milked it for all it was worth. "But Ash, I just had surgery... You're going to have to take out the garbage."

It didn't work as well as I had hoped.

I Gots Problems

2005-05-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

I really did a number on my computer this time. It was in need of a format anyway, due to an abundant amount of garbage software loaded and unloaded on it while I was trying to figure out how to make VCD's and splitting up .avi's and so on. But I downloaded a deliciously addictive game from MSN Game Zone called Luxor. If you ever played Zuma, it's a lot like that, or more basically, kind of like a linear Bust-a-move. Anyway, it's a simple game that challenges your reflexes and your knowledge of colours. So after playing this game for more than an hour without blinking, I noticed that my trial had expired. This sounded like a job for astalavista. After following shit link after shit link, and voraciously closing pop ups after pop ups, I gave up and downloaded it from Kazaa. Well, needless to say, I got some nasty spyware that I couldn't clean up. My internet does work, sort of, but I'm getting some pretty nasty pop ups.

The point of this story is that I have to back up my files and wipe my machine. It's not that bad of a process, but it takes time to get all of my software back on the way I like it. And to my devoted blog readers (??), there most likely won't be another post made till next week sometime.

I knew I had to format my computer, I just didn't want it to have to be like this. I hate spyware soooo much. But maybe that should teach me for going to those crackz and warez sites again.

Now We Know

2005-05-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

This is the real reason Anakin Skywalker went to the Dark Side. Obi-Wan had a half-brother named Kobe-wan Kenobi. It happened one cold and lonely night on Coruscant, while Anakin was in tormented meditation about his love-that-couldn't-be for Padme, as Kobe-wan came to "comfort" the young Jedi-in-training. Well, one thing led to another...and we're left with a pervert that leaves disturbing messages of heavy breathing on holograph-answering machines.

Now, I haven't seen Episode III yet, but I'm pretty sure this is what's going to happen.

Shut Up!

2005-05-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

As I walked through the mall tonight Darth Vadar passed me by. I honestly thought he would be a little bit bigger. But nonetheless, he was out to support his reappearance at the opening night of Episode III. I would like to see it right now, but I imagine the hour wait to get a good seat surrounded by more people like Vadar isn't worth the hassle. I am patient and can wait another week to see it. I did the same for the last two LotR movies, and it didn't adversly effect me.

But this post is a formal announcement for everyone to please keep their pie-holes shut and not tell me anything about the movie. I like to walk into these things not knowing all the stupid little details, because if I know some little fact, that is what I'll spend the whole time looking for. An example with Episode I, is when someone told me to look for the Wookies and ETs. Oh, and don't forget Willow too. Then I was sitting in the theatre watching this movie like I'm looking through a friggen Where's Waldo book. All I ask is that I experience the movie just like the rest of you hardcore geeks that had to see it the first night. Blissfully unaware of what you are about to experience.

Take That Stupid Emo.

2005-05-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a funny little music video that I found on the stupid humor site I frequent called muchosucko.com. To sum it up, it's a rap song about how retarded the numbers of emo bands on the scene and their popularity is. You could easily replace emo with other music fads (nu metal or Pearl Jam wannabes or pop punk or...), but the subject works for the music industry today. I haven't heard rappin' like this since I had a pair of biker shorts with the neon stripes. Where's the oversized clock and shoes without laces. Kick it yo.

The Search Continues

2005-05-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

If a zombie were to walk into a computer store looking for a meal, he'd go home hungry.

You'd think that when you walk into a computer store, you'd find mobs of people sporting the latest pocket-protectors and taped glasses all with Kleenex up their nostrils to stop the nosebleeds due to allergies. But these shower-phobic whiz kids are definitely there, but do not make up the only customer base.

I would rather deal with a roaming pack of zombies then what is the typical computer store shopper. We're talkin' about the general public here people. And the general public don't know jack about computers. I don't want to come off like a high and mighty jerk (which I am), but with the overwhelming use of computers in our society today, one would think that most people would have a good handle on them. And I'm not implying that you have to be a computer guru to own a computer, because I am far from that state of being as well. All I'm asking is that people know how to run an anti-virus program, keep spyware off the computer, and maybe have some understanding about their hardware and drivers. Computer troubleshooting is hard, and most people will have to take it into a shop to get certain things fixed, but when your screen size is off, learn the basics and go into display settings.

But even beyond this point of basic computer knowledge, the general public is scary when it comes to comprehension. Most of my friends and loved ones aren't computer geeks like me, but when they have a question and I explain what they should do about it, there is usually a nodding of the head and something clicking inside. I do enjoy a customer that does know his stuff (as long as he isn't a know-it-all-that-actually-doesn't) because it's nice to use the jargon that comes with computers. With all the anagrams and terms from USB to AGP to Socket 478 to DDR and so on, there is a lot to remember. Don't freak out about it, you really don't have to know all this stuff. Your local computer guy can help you sort this mess out. But generally, when you see that a computer that is called a PIII 866 Mhz, and one labelled P4 1.8 Ghz, you'd be safe to say that the P4 is better because it 4 is greater than 3, and the P4 costs twice as much. I'll get to my main beef here.

It's not my problem that there is a lack of understanding about computers (which our school systems might be helping out with now), but the problem lies with dumb people. I knew that stupid people were out there, but I didn't realize how many there are. I'm not calling them dumb because they don't know the difference between PCI and ISA, I'm calling them dumb because they refuse to listen when someone is talking to them. Customers will ask me a question and I'll provide an answer. Like I mentioned before, most people will have that universal nod and look of comprehension, but then there is the otherside. Some people will just look at me with a vacant stare. So I restate my answer using simpler words and less tech jargon. Their vacant eyes seem to slowly devolop a milky glaze as their brain returns to its natural comatose state. No matter how many times I explain myself, draw pictures, resort to pantomime, nothing gets through. By this time I'm so frustrated I have to tell that they'll have to figure it out or bring in their machine. It may be that they really don't know shit about computers, but they know enough to get on the Internet and download God-knows-what to bitch it in the first place, but I don't think so. They may be afraid of this technological revolution in our society and resist learning about computers because of their longing for simpler days, but I don't think that's it either.

I'm a nice guy and I do try to work with these people, but man, it's hard. Especially when I'm hungover.

/Rant over.

(Note: Anyone that found this page and was able to read it, you're probably smart enough to have this not apply to you. These are extremes cases, but there are more extreme cases than I would have thought before I got into this business.)

Here's an Update No One Cares About

2005-05-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

This is a screen shot from World of Warcraft. I got a pet chicken that follows me around. It's pretty sweet.

Well, I think I have the basics done to my template. A big shout out has to go to my bud Pilot (his blog link is on the side there) for helping me get this shit rollin'. It is still basic, but the main stuff is there. I do like a clean design, so don't expect to much more. I'll slowly add bits and pieces, and change the odd thing, but right now I'm happy with the nice clean design. Check back in the next few days for my big first blog-comic. It's not great, but it's a start.

Peace.

Getting Ready for the Big Show!

2005-05-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

Ashley (my girlfriend who from here on in will be known as Ash) and I have began the ever so important pilgrimage of watching all the Star Wars movies in preparation for Episode III's release. I've seen the first three (episode 4, 5, 6) countless times, Episode I more than I'd like to have (about four viewings) and Episode II only once fully.

The fun part about watching them all again is that Ash has only seen the first one in it's entirety and that was a long time ago. It's awesome to watch these movies with someone who has fresh eyes. We've only watched the original movie so far, but she's full of questions and anticipations for what's to come. My favourite is when she asks, "So who's Leia going to hook up with? Luke or Han?" At this point I bite my lip and tell her to just wait and she'll find out. Now, because she lives in our society and hasn't been locked in a basement cellar, Ash does have some basic understanding of the Star Wars saga. She knows Vadar is Luke's daddy, and she knows some of the creatures and characters such as the Jawas (known as Dinks from Spaceballs). But many of the little features like R2's wittyness and cutsey emotional beeps is being discovered for what seems like the first time. It lets me almost watch it vicariously again for the first time.

-- Side note: While checking the spelling of Leia's name on Google, I stumbled across this little web site about Leia's outfit. Classic.

But, one can never go back and have a clean slate. So, I'll never be able to watch Episode I and be sorely dissapointed (except for the pod race), and never have the thrill of listening to the Ewok's celebration music on fresh ears. "Yub nub!" I've always been a bit of a geek, but the beauty is seeing that Ash is a little bit of one too. I think a lot of people would like this type of genre if they'd just watch it and enjoy the story for what it is: A good adventure saga.

As for my expectations for the Episode III, I have to admit that I have high hopes, but I'm still wary. The trailers look super cool, but Episode I and II just didn't quite do it for me. Maybe it's just all the computer animation, but it doesn't have the same quality that the first three were produced with. I did like Episode II a lot more than I, but it just isn't on par with the first series.

I guess I'll find out in a few weeks (and no I'm not going opening night, or week. I'm a geek, but I'm not retarded enough to stand in line for two hours with the uber-geeks). I'll wait for the hype to settle down and plug my ears until I get a chance to go.

Well, I was planning to post something else tonight, but content is still being developed for that. If this blog does become bitched over the next week or two, just relax. I've started desinging graphics to suit my tastes, but it will take a little while to get it fully functional.

Smell ya later,
Nathan.

A New Beginning

2005-05-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

Here is my first post:

I figured it was about time that I got myself a Blog. I have a lot of stupid crap to say that no one really cares to listen to. So what better place to vent my thoughts than on a blog. This will hopefully remain a buried jewel amongst the treasures of the internet that friends can cherish and revisit time and time again to find out what good ol' Nate is up to.

Being that this blog is primarily about me and my life, I am sure that it be will excessively boring. You might hope to find news, ramblings, pictures, home video, and hopefully a blomic (blog comic strip) will be developed. But, this is starting to sound like a retarded "first post" post. All promises of great things to come. I'll end here by saying visit often. I hope to keep on this thing. We'll see if I do. And leave comments. I like to feel needed. I do intend to change all the graphics and personalize this mofo, but I'm sure it will take some time. So be patient, and content will arrive shortly (don't hold your breath).

/Nathan out.