The Day After

Well folks, it's officially the second day of 2006 and New Years has come to a close. No more holidays until February, and that one hasn't really meant much to me for several years anyway. Though my birthday is in March, but I haven't really celebrated it for years either, or I should say others haven't celebrated for me or with me. :) I still get a homemade German cheesecake from my aunt though, and that always rocks!


Anyway, neither of my projects made the Dark Horse deadline, but I honestly don't feel bad about it at all. I am looking forward to getting them ready to go out to various publishers and what not.


I HAVE to make myself finish this lettering job I have today. This past weekend just made me go into relax and procrastinate mode and I'm trying hard to break out of it now. I promised pages Friday and here it is Monday and I've sent nothing. I have finished some, but I don't want to send just a few pages three days late. So that's what I'll be doing for most of today.


I saw an ad posted on Digital Webbing looking for projects to publish. They say they'll cover printing and advertising, which "sounds" good. They are predominately looking for projects in the sci-fi/fantasy genres. They are called Dominion Publishing, and the ad is in the DW Talent Search section under Submissions. Worth looking into.


I contacted William Ward of Ronin Studios last week to see if there were any spots open for inclusion in the Fantasy anthology they're doing that Jason [Berek-Lewis] is writing for. I have a six page story with pencils and inks already complete by an artist from a while back, so I thought this would be a good opportunity for it to see the light of day. The artist had come up with the basic concept, and I had scripted it for him for inclusion in another fantasy anthology that evidently never came to fruition.

Long story short, it's competing with several others for a spot in the Ronin anthology and it's not a guaranteed thing, but at least it's something to go on. I need to revise it a little and I think I'm going to re-letter it. It's already lettered (not by me) but it's not a great job.


I have come to yet another realization about my art. While participating in the draw-offs on Digital Webbing is fun and it's good practice, it really doesn't do anything to boost my confidence. While most others' works get commented on I have to practically beg for comments, and then they're mostly negative. I think what I'll do until I improve a bit is continue to participate in the draw offs and excercises, but not post them. I just don't really desire to get negative feedback. Constructive criticism is one thing, but negative stuff just don't cut it for me. Once I feel I can garner at least some constructive criticism without begging for it I'll start posting again.

That doesn't mean, however, that I won't post them here, because I still may.


I am really going to crack down and focus on my writing this year. For the past few years it just hasn't been my main focus. I didn't have a lot of time to concentrate on it as EIC of the two companies I worked for, and while I wouldn't trade either experience, I am actually relieved that I don't have that responsibility on my shoulders right now. I really realized late last year and even moreso now that what I truly want to focus on is my own stuff, however selfish that may sound.


I watched a LOT of TV this past weekend. Mainly older movies I found on flipping channels. I actually got bored enough to watch "Clueless"...twice! I also watched "That Thing You DO", which is a good movie I think. Plus it's about music, and I'm addicted to any movie about music.


Sting (the wrestler, not the rock star) has joined TNA wrestling as was rumored for the past couple of months. Now he and Christian will be teaming up. That's an interesting combination to say the least. I just sincerely hope that Sting has expanded his move set and gets back to being as exciting as he once was. The whole "Crow" thing he did in the late 90's worked really well...until he got in the ring and started wrestling again.

Now I love Sting, always have. But he has pretty much gone the way of most veterans by never adding to his repotoire or just doing something different. His moves consist of chops, body slams, hip tosses, bulldogs, suplexes and his two finishers and the Stinger splash, which are all pretty boring moves except his reverse DDT. I really hope he has picked up his game, or it will be the same crap as when Hall and Nash tried to make comebacks.


TV shows come back from hiatus starting this week, but now I have a TV and don't have to tape them! Yay!


I beat Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater in a little over 36 hours according to my save file. I really wish that game had been a lot longer, or at least as long as 2. Of course I beat 2 relatively fast as well. Oddly enough I never beat 1. I got stuck when you first face the Metal Gear.

I was telling my brother that they could make a great movie out of the Metal Gear franchise, even an animated one. I hope they do someday. I have loved Metal Gear since the NES days when I played the first one. I still remember affectionately the first time I used a card key.


My column returns this coming Sunday. I have no idea what I'm going to write about yet, but I think I'm going to start taking a page out of Cary's book and write a few columns ahead so I don't have to stress about it at the end of the week.


Scryptic Studios will be getting new forum icons featuring the Scryptic logo, which is pretty cool, as soon as I can access the site to upload them. For some reason the site won't load at all for me. It was just the ftp, but now the whole site's down (at least I hope it's down and I haven't just been blocked from another site!).


We are FINALLY getting a washer and dryer today. We've lived here in the new house for over a year without one. Someone we know is moving and are giving us their washer and dryer because they won't need it. We are also possibly being given a queen or king size bed, so the new year has brought some generous blessings already!


Everyone loved the digital cards I sent out this holiday season. I had personalized a few I sent to some close friends and my Pastor, and they really enjoyed them. I also made one for my family and due to poor eyesight had to read it aloud three times on Christmas Day. But they loved it.


And that's about it so far. The day is young yet, and more may take place to post about. For now I'm off to letter and maybe later I'll play a little Syphon Filter: Omega Strain that I never finished when my TV went out. Until later...

B-Out