Soooo, months are flying by. Had to finish off some quick Marvel work, fly home to be an uncle, came back, slept a bit and then went to Disneyland. My last 2-3 weeks in a nutshell. It's exactly how it felt. Bam bam bam! Happy New Year, btw!

Tak

Busssyyyyy!!! Fack!! Seriously not cool. Although, I got big plans for next year cookin' so it's all good, yo. Just finished a coupla Marvel books and I've got another to polish off before the year ends. Gotta fly home in about 2 weeks time so hopefully I don't have to take any work with me. It'll be nice to bite into a juicy Harvey's ultra burger and drink some Timmy's. Most other luxuries I can get here.

So, the second half of this year has been pretty messed up. I like it though. Better than being bored I guess. Oh, shit. I just noticed Blogger has a spell check function. Win. Friends are having babies and I'm feeling a bit older now. The sis is having her's at around Christmas time so I'll be turning into an uncle. I'll be the nutty uncle she never sees. All these changes happening around me while I stay, uhh, pretty damn constant. haha I'm a rock!

I wish I could show you guys some art but a lot of the stuff is, well, prone for backlash from the people paying for it. I haven't done much personal stuff lately other than sketches and doodles. Oh, I bought a new computer!!! but haven't even set it up. It's just sitting on my coffee table. It's gonna be outdated by the time I get around to installing all the programs I need on it. lol Man, I need a bigger apartment... Watching Dexter. It's awesome. I'm hooked. So, yeah. That's been pretty much my life in a nutshell. Sooo thrilling, I know.

TAK

I just used this to paint a cover for Marvel. Can't recommend this little program enough for any artists out there who can't get there heads around Painter like me. I'm still trying to get used to the hotkeys and figuring out what does what but it's a quick and easy program that can give you great results. The basic look and feel is photoshop but with more powerful tools and drawing options. Best of all, it's free!! Go! Download it!!

edit: it's free for 31 days... My bad. Totally worth buyin' tho.

Otherwise, workin' like a work horse. Plowin' fields, yo.

TAK

TAK

Finally a nice day to do some laundry. These dreary fall days are nice and calming but get a bit dull after a while. Been inking like mad this past week and now I'm on to some different work. I had some time to pick up some new books in between jobs and they are:

I am a Hero #1 by Kengo Hanazawa. The guy who did Ressentiment. It's a zombie book and, on the surface, will make you compare it to I am Legend but is very different. The main protagonist is a manga artist and goes through his daily routine of visiting the studio working as an assistant and trying to spend time with his girlfriend. There are surreal moments and touching scenes of vulnerability peppered throughout. This first issue is a slow burn for character moments and world building. This guy's art has grown so much it took me by surprise. Heavily photo-refed and realistic, it helps to flesh out the everyday in order to show the shock of the undead pandemic creeping up around Tokyo. Recommended.

Mugen no Jyuunin #25 by Hiroaki Samura. Not much to say other than it was another awesome issue. The big showdown with Shira which everyone has been waiting for. I haven't been following the monthly installments so it was great ot be able to read it in one sitting. Brutal brutal stuff. Just when you think you've seen every possible way to slice and dice flesh another is tossed in your face. Beautiful art and compelling characters. Recommended.

Sister Generator by Hiroaki Samura. A collection of shorts I recall seeing in Afternoon over the years. Not sure if they've all seen print before since about half the book was new to me and I try and read everything he's done. Anyway, Samura awesomeness set in different time periods and locations with all the quirky moments, characters and light S&M you've come to expect from the man. Recommended.

It's been a good week for new reads.

TAK

Nice to have some new tv to watch. Been following Top Chef and Hung. I watched the first episode of Survivor but that big guy was really annoying that I don't think I can watch it anymore. He's got nothing to gain except being an asshole! But I suppose every show needs a heel that everyone wants kicked off.

In terms of comics, I've been reading Homunculus and I gotta say it's one of the most intriguing books I've read recently. It's by the guy who did Ichi the Killer so I expected a lot of introspective and twisted material but it pleasantly surprises with it's depth of character and unpredictability. The art is painstakingly gorgeous as well. I can't believe how much information is packed into each panel. Recommended.

TAK