After getting back from Pennsylvania, we needed to grab a hotel room for a few more days since the apartment isn’t done with all the work being done. So here I sit on a pile of strips in various states of completion, working in exile in a Holiday Inn.

On the brighter side though, if I ever get near a scanner again I’ll have a hell of a buffer.

Also coming up after our trip and construction work is a wedding tomorrow and I’ll be speaking at FanimeCon in San Jose on a webcomics panel. Then (please PLEASE) things should settle down. I can’t remember such a hectic time in a long time. Oh yeah, and stressing out during the week leading up tot the trip got me sick. Then I got the rest of the family sick.

It seems like I should be really bummed and down, but we had suceh a great visit in PA and we’re all together and just on auto pilot now. Things are good and should be on the upswing soon.

Hello gang. I am typing to you from the wilds of Pennsylvania. This forgotten land, bereft of human habitation and a most hostile environment has left me nary a moment to cartoon, as I am in a constant struggle for survival.

Well, no. It’s just that while I brought my comics to work on it’s been too much fun visiting the ol’ homestead and we’ve had too much going on for me to get a moment in to cartoon. Plus I think the missus is enjoying me not being on the computer all the time. I know the wee ones are enjoying the undivided daddy time. Everyone is finally asleep as I type this in my father’s chair (which has become “Grandpas chair”) and it’s 1:30 here (10:30 my time) which leaves me a bit of cartooning time. So expect one soon.

But before that, a bit about the trip. I grew up here in Norristown Pennsylvania. I am a PA boy, born and bred. While we’ve been here I’ve introduced my Cali clan to the delicacies Pennsylvania has to offer. “Shoo Fly” pie, hoagies, Tastycakes, Lebanonbologna, Philly soft pretzels (squashed and with an authentic salt like glaze), cold pizza, Dunkin Donoughts and of course … cheese steaks. Now if we can wrangle up a funnel cake somewhere the menu will be complete.

Every time we come to PA to visit, my wife just marvels at the fact that we have yards here. Anything more that the six foot walkways between houses in the Bay Area is a miracle of nature to her. I too find myself feeling like a stranger in a strange land when looking at property and property values out here in comparison to the Bay Area. The same 500k that can get you a McMansion out here is likely to almost get you a run of the mill condo back in California.

The trip has been wonderful for the girls as well. Running in grassy yards, swimming in the pool, catching fireflies and even taking a flight in Grandpa’s airplane have all been highlights of the trip.

So, I’ll sign off now and get to toonin. Hopefully I’ll get a few done (or at least ready for scanning tomorrow) and then … back to fun times with the family. After all , it’s always sunny in Pennsylvania.

I finally got the opportunity to watch Avatar the other day (well, days actually. I got to watch it while the wee one napped). I know, I know. Before there are cries for me to turn in my geek card, I must point out that it is near impossible for me and the wife to catch movies in a theatre that aren’t about dogs, or talking babies, or talking dogs or what ever passes for suitable for a four year old. I am ashamed to admit that I can recite lines from Hotel for Dogs as opposed to lines from Avatar.

That being said though, here are my thoughts on Avatar.

I enjoyed it, and it was entertaining but ultimately a pretty standard summer blockbuster. I was repeatedly blown away with the amount of pure character they were able to elicit from the 3D vactors (virtual actors, I just made that up … I think). I think a one two punch of 1) too much movie hype and 2) me recently delving into story development and screen writing left the film a bit flat for me. Perhaps if I had gotten to see it in the theatre, lights down low, perhaps even in 3D I might have been more immersed and swept away. As it was tough I was always in “ready mode” for that character, that effect, that scene or moment that would give me that “YESSS!” feeling I heard so much about from friends and colleagues.

Add that to that anticipatory feeling the constant background chatter in my mind of “ahh, this is the death of the mentor scene”,”whiff of death scene here”,”and here we go into the third act” left me constantly being pulled out of the experience. I am in the unfortunate possession of forbidden knowledge in that I am currently reading a lot of “how to” books on story development and writing. This means that all this recently acquired knowledge, these glimpses behind the curtain keep bubbling ot the surface when ever I watch a movie or read a book.

Makes for great learning, but lousy immersion.

So, while Avatar will hold a prime position on my DVD shelf, I think it will just sit there, awaiting the discovery of one who has graduated from talking dogs and genius baby movies and is ready to take on more spectacular flights of fancy. And I will be there, watching it with new eyes.

Expect to see comics again soon. I got hit by real life this week and while the strips are penciled, I need to focus my attentions elsewhere. Nothing bad, I just have a lot of job interviews going on and need to keep my resume updated and hone up on my skills and beat the bushes for references. As a small preview though, here is a sneak peek of an upcoming strip. I just did a quick one minute sketch of the Avengers just to work out some poses.

I should be back in the swing of things by Saturday.

That’s right, Free Comic Book Day is coming up again on the first Saturday in May. Be sure to stop by your local comic book shop and see what there is to see. Pick up a free comic or two, get the latest issues of your favorite characters or even catch up on old favorites with some collected trade paperback versions.

Aside from the free books offered (which will vary a bit from store to store), I recomend the following books to buy:

Atomic Robo: Vol 1 – I was introduced to Atomic Robo on a previous Free Comic Book Day and it has become one of my all time favorites. As much as Brian hates the comparison, think “Hellboy with science”. And funnier. And with better characters. And more fun. If you only get one book, make this that book.

Invincible Vol. 1: Family Matters – A great superhero comic from Robert Kirkland. Pretty much a standard for any pull list. This first volume gives you a glimpse into the Invincible world of adventure, heroics, humor and tragedy.

Walking Dead Vol 1: Days Gone By – The greatist zombie story ever told, also by Robert Kirkland. Currently on it’s 11th volume, this is where the epic begins. It’s too much story to fit on the movie screen or the TV.

52 (volumes 1 -4) – An amazing story originally done as a full comic book a WEEK! It takes place in the DC universe while the big three (Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman) are all taking time off. Who fills in the gap when the top three heroes take a break? I’m not a big DC guy, but this series just blew me away. Lot’s of great characterizations and behind the scenes content on making a weekly comic book.

And be sure to peruse the shelves and see what else grabs your attention.

You! Who are moving now! Answer ME!

God help me, I just love this thing. Apparently these are the interactive elements of a Star Trek “interactive” game strung together, courtesy of Everything Is Terrible! on Vimeo.

I did a Firefly based strip a while back. In it I drew two of my favorite characters. Captain Malcom Reynolds (played by Nathan Fillion) and his second in command, Zoe Washburne (played by the lovely Gina Torres). I was super nervous drawing them because I wanted to make them recognizable, but still cartoony. I don’t draw real people very often, but I was quite pleased with how they turned out. However, at 72 DPI and scaled down for the strip, you loose a bit of the image. So here, for your viewing pleasure, are the (near) full sized drawings I originally did.

I was so pleased with this experiment that I am considering doing a full cast pic. Something that will test my skills and might even be a desktop wallpaper option. I just love the show and the characters and have seen so much great fan art that I feel it is my duty as a true Browncoat to give the crew of the Serenity the “InkTank” treatment. =)

Well, hardcore for podcasting that is. I’ll be doing a podcast this Sunday at 4:00pm PST with the Casually Hardcore guys, who are part of the VWR group. It was fun doing the PUG podcast with them where I demonstrated my innate WoW trivia abilities (and distinct lack of meta-trivia knowledge) and I look forward to chatting with the guys again. Expect me to talk comics, World of Warcraft and any manner of nonsense that pops into my head.

Be sure to tune in, it’s bound to be a good time. =)