Dreamworks SKG....The S Stands for Spielberg...Remember? 1993, A Year in Pop Culture History [20 Years Later]

Ahhh. Yes, 1993 was a good year for TV and movies...

I was 10 years old in 1993. How quickly they forget.

2 of the Biggest, Most profitable and visionary directors in Hollywood had one of their best box office years ever in 1993, because those two directors both had a film of their own in theaters that they directed, that dominated the box office in 1993, one quite a bit more than the other, in one sense.

1993 saw the theatrical release of:

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

Jurassic Park (Steven Spielberg)

Two of the best Hollywood blockbusters of all time

Those two films are (arguably) the directors's best films they've ever released, quality and profit wise.

And 1993 television wise, saw the release of a hit TV show by the name of Beavis & Butt-Head...Before it got DISGRACED BY being vaguely associated with that BORING, HORRIBLE follow up pseudo-hit show, King of the Hill, even!

Beavis & Butt-Head aside, Fox also had a good year in 1993, with The X-Files

Comics Also had a big year, what with Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, and that was also one of Todd McFarlane's biggest comic book-related years. 

Got a feelin' 93 is gonna be a good year.

Good times. Good times...

I was born in 1983. I was 10 years old when all that stuff made its' debut. 

An 8,000-page Struggle

I've drawn and written over 8,000 pages of art and writing literature of all varieties.

It was a struggle and not all of that work came easily.

But I'm sitting on an enormous pile of pages in a private sense.

Most of it is writing.

What is the secret to such prolificacy over the last 13 years and 4,000+ days when my career started in the year 2000, when I began keeping a journal?

Simple. No matter how simple the visual or literary creation in the last 13 years....

Not a day went by when I didn't jot some phrase down with a mechanical pen, or type up SOME words with Microsoft Word.

I spent every single day of the last 13 years working and creating.

Work of a Dual Brain: Art - Literature, Drawing - Writing

It's weird how I have mastered art and writing separately, individually, separated, but never found away to make the unified, combined, integrated, and together. I've found that's the most challenging element over all is combining words and pictures, not just mastering each separately (which I already have).

I've self published a book of only artwork I've done

And I've self-published a  book of only writing I've done

And yet I haven't found a way to author a book that combines the two.

If I did, it would be either an illustrated storybook or a graphic novel of Fantasy.

If you're gonna aim that bazooka, aim it high.

Comics and Animation, and the Freedom it Offers Writer-Artist Types

One of my all time favorite aspects of both comics and animation, in any country, isn't just the art, or the writing, but both art and writing, and how many creators who have made careers for themselves in these two mediums are artists and writers simultaneously, or "artist-writers". I've been studying "artists who can write" and "writers who can draw" for years now, as I'm one of the creators who does both, too.

Wife, Kids, and all that other stupid SHIT

I fly solo. I don't, will not and never will have any wife or kids. And I more than likely never will.

I LIKE flying solo. Actually, I am quite anti-family. I don't get caught up in FAMILY-related shit. And I have little tolerance for people who do.

What Is "The Ideal Life" Anyway?

To me, the perfect life is not "raising kids and having a family". It never has been.

No sirree

I've always had a very specific visionary vision of the perfect life.

To me the perfect life is success and a manifested career that pays well and is fulfilling.

The Perfect Life IS the American Dream. Having the perfect career. Knowing important people, calling the shots, collecting a paycheck.

Just because it doesn't happen to MOST people and doesn't happen to EVERYONE....

Doesn't mean that very success isn't happening to new groups of people, one percenters, ever day.

I assure you epic success DOES happen to SOMEONE, some BUSINESS everyday,

Just as failure and death is a part of everyday life

So to is success, wealth, and prosperity. It's just not advertised. The REAL Midas touch is almost always concealed from public view. But it IS happening to SOMEONE.

Not everyone is "doomed". Not ME, and probably not YOU. IF you're fortunate and work hard at your goals and will power.

Comparing American and Japanese Comics and Animation....

While traditional comics (artists like Alex Ross, Jim Lee, Jamie Hewlett, and Todd McFarlane) do compare favorably to Japanese manga in terms of detail levels, it's a different story with comparing anime to mainstream American animation.

While the  visuals of anime-influenced American mainstream TV animation can compare favorably to the visuals of anime, 97% of the visuals in American comedy animation don't even come CLOSE to the artwork in anime. Even if and when the writing actually does.

But you know what in American animation does compare favorably to Japanese anime??

The pay. Popular American creators often earn a lot more than their Japanese "competition". 

With the possible main exception being popular manga-ka in Japan, who, just as American creators / Executive producers do, get a 4%-6% cut in licensing residuals and royalties. That is how the contracts are set up. So if Ben 10 is worth $295 million as a Cartoon Network's most profitable "lame" action-adventure franchise (which it literally is!), take a small guess how big Man of Action's paycheck is...

Nuff said....

De-Listed: And Now...A List of Things That Have Been Known to Fall off the American Pop Culture Radar

Countries

·        Japan

·        Russia

·        France

·        Canada

·        China

·        Hong Kong

·        South Korea

·        Britain

Artists

·        Osamu Tezuka

·        Hiroaki Samura

·        Katsuhiro Otomo

·        Yasuhiro Nightow

·        Raynart Tradnor

·        Fung Chin Pang

·        Thomas Romain

·        Shoji Kawamori

·        Moebius

·        Enki Bilal

·        Savin Yeatman-Eiffell

·        THORES Shibamoto

·        Jamie Hewlett

·        Tool

·        Primus

·        They Might Be Giants

Titles / Projects

·        BASQUASH!

·        Royal Space Academy

·        Space Pirate Captain Harlock

·        Martin Mystery

·        Bots Master

·        Marsupilami

·        Code Lyoko

·        Totally Spies

·        X/1999

·        Final Fantasy

·        BlazBlue

·        Dead Leaves

·        Tank Girl

·        Gorillaz

·        The Last Unicorn

·        Gundam

·        Spawn The Animation

·        Tron: Uprising

·        Star Wars: The Clone Wars

·        Motorcity

·        Magi Nation

·        Monster Allergy

·        Yu-Gi-Oh

·        Monsuno

·        Digimon

·        Alfred Hedgehog

·        The Beast Trilogy

·        Blade Runner

·        Elric of Melnibone

·        Man Bites Dog

·        Loreline (Fr)

·        Generator Rex

·        Redakai

Studios

·        Bullet

·        Production I.G.

·        Sav! The World

·        Madhouse

·        Satelight

·        Marathon

·        Gainax

·        Titmouse

·        HBO Animation

Websites

·        Amazon

·        Amazon.co.jp

·        Amazon.fr

·        YouTube

·        YouTube.fr

·        Anime News Network

·        Halcyon Realms

·        Wikipedia

·        Wikipedia.fr

Genres / Product

·        Bandes Dessinee

·        South Korean TV/Theatrical Anime

·        Anime Art Book

·        Manga Art Book

·        Anime

·        Manga

·        J-Cinema

·        J-Pop

·        J-Rock

·        Chinese Science Fiction Manga

·        Franime

·        French Co-Productions

·        Chinese Co-Productions

·        Japanese Co-Productions

Lydia Deetz

I had this dream I had a crush on a Lydia Deetz type character, who I asked out on a date and got to hang out with. And got to be in a relationship with after I defended her from a bully.sitting next to her.

Wow. Goth chicks are cute.

Who knows..Maybe that WAS Lydia Deetz HERSELF that I was dating, and not someone resembling her. She is an archetype after all

Wiretap: Gee. They say-ed thee saym thing as me right after I sayed it. What a not a coincidence!

The media and feds have been bugging my comps for a while now. No one seems to want to do anything about it other than me. Weird...

FEAR

I have many fears, in numerous numbers.

But the truth is, I can't go through a single day withOUT being forced by someone or someTHING to confront one of those 2 dozen fears every 5 minutes. It's quite torturous. I am the meek. My things I fear are not.

I'm not any braver than anyone else. It's a simple matter of I HAVE TO confront many of my fears just to survive another day.

For instance, one less obvious thing I've ALWAYS been REALLY Terrified of me is a poorly constructed TV DOUBLE of me. They don't really actually resemble me, and they're amoral and creepy.

Doesn't get scarier than that.  

UPDATES AND REPORTS. FROM ANIMATION COMEDY AND DRAMA REPORTERS

As much as I WANT to turn away from the media and lead my own life. The fact that the people working in the media keep up with the affairs, developments, and events of MY life (like a friendly version of a toon creator tabloid). I like reading about people's interpretations of the events and developments of my life, and at times get as much entertainment out of watching, hearing about, and reading about myself, my life, and the people in it as everyone else. Though the feed back isn't always positive, and can be more than a little rude and biased at times, or skewered away from the truth. It's still fun to hear people's interpretations of my life, as though it were a news story or a historic biography. I do get a hearty laugh out of it, if nothing else. Better to be the center of attention than lost and depressed in invisibility. 

"FUN!" - Miss Choi, an old friend

Oh Dear Lord...

EVERYBODY HATES MY HAIR!

A MOEBIUS TRIBUTE

Some Concept Art....Just 4 U!

My Problems With Aspiring Local Manga-Anime Artists Who "Want Work in Manga"....

I think the worst thing about aspiring anime and manga artists in America, is the hypocrisy. The lack of support for their own local medium, genre and industry. Honestly, for those who aren't aware of the state of American manga and anime, it kind of makes you look like an arrogant, snobby fanboy or fangirl asshole when you go on and on about how you have all these BIG dreams of drawing manga or anime locally, as an American, and yet you can't think of one person working IN THAT medium whose work you read, choosing instead to go on about how "everything sucks and you could do better" which obviously isn't the case (yet anyway). If you're not going to support the local American manga or anime / anime-influenced industry, and the artists and writers who draw their own, you have no right to participate. There is a connection between love of you're own genre and medium, and successful carving out your OWN niche in it. People who don't support their own industry (American manga and anime) yet have aspirations to work in it are just one big contradiction. You have to support the artists, creators, and writers in the West who do what YOU want to do...

No one makes a living at local manga because all the people who want to draw it don't actually support anyone or anything but their own aspirations and dreams, without any emphasis on the community or bigger picture of the business. REAL businesses support themselves, their communities.If artists can't be bothered to support EACHOTHER, they have no right to support themSELVES.

The main problem I see with what happened to local manga (manga made in the U.S.) was and still is all the negativity and criticism surrounding it. Criticism and negativity wouldn't be such a bad thing in and of itself: IF that  very negativity aimed at titles and creators wasn't coming from OTHER creators who wanted to do for a living the very thing they were insulting and tearing down. Not cool man. As an artists, it's NOT COOL to hate on and criticize your industry peers. An industry that doesn't play nice and get along peacefully with itself is not an industry that's going to survive for very long.

Be nice, girls. Be nice to your peers. Community is just as important as Quality of comics content.

People don't have to respect every anime drawing they see, from Japan or otherwise.
But it is important to respect the effort to TRY.

I don't recall any Japanese creator or editor (ever) saying "Hate and discourage any artist who doesn't come DIRECTLY FROM JAPAN/TOKYO" Fans say things like that sometimes. Actual manga-ka should never be so discouraging to everybody. 

GOT IT! So Without Further Ado....I Bring to You. Comics Pages, That I Authored!...

OK OK, I admit it.....

Now is the time when you say "So Joe, how bout dem comic book pages."
And I give some excuse that comes out like "Uhhh, because they're not ready for public consumption yet"
And then comes the part where you BELIEVE my lie.....
When the truth is I REALLY didn't upload my new comics pages cuz my JPEGs are having formatting problems and the Blogger server isn't currently ACCEPTING any of my GIF or JPEG uploads.

Mmmmmm. Yeah, can we have those in by Monday Joe?

NO.

Word of the Day...is

The Word of the Day is..."Don't Let Her Know Yer Ah VIRGIN!"

Uh, THANKS...for that, but I'd really prefer NOT to be a loser

I kind of DON'T want to sit around the house watching bad half-assed worthless cable TV shows all day.

That sounds like a LOSER'S life. It really does. PASS.

Let me tell a little something, women who pretend to be girls....

If you're a woman-girl who is actually 32, but looks 16. You're lucky. You're the hottest looking kind of woman there is, and I'd bang the shit out of you. But I ain't gonna fuck ya if you're 30, look 16 and go around telling everyone in the world and in L.A. you're "16 years old" when you're really 32. I'm looking at you, Mila Kunis! Fuck you and your AGE deceit. What's wrong with getting fucked by someone cuz you look young but actually tell the truth about your age. That makes you more attractive. Age deception just makes you look like a freak, a freakish LIAR. No guy will ever go near you if you look like a teenager, are old enough to fuck people (28 or older) and yet don't be honest with guys about this fact. Guys want to know your old enough to FUCK them, even if you LOOK LIKE you're not. That's a bonus. Not an embarrassment.

Why lie?

Look, ladies. Lying is wrong. I don't want to date a girl who's half my age and looks that way.
That would be WRONG.

I want a date a girl who LOOKS half my age but IS my own age, give or take a few years. THAT'S hot. Deceptive women who lie about their age is creepy.

Fuck THAT CRAP, man!

Ender's Game is gonna be fucking badass and awesome!

One of the last remaining Hollywood projects that HASN'T been demasculated and castrated by GAY HOMO POLITICS in Hollywood.

Oh, I see. You've enlightened me yet again! So Orson Scott Card ISN'T a BIG FUCKIN' SISSY! Like Seth Macfarlane or some other equally FAGGY CELEBRITY PUSS FACTORY.

For SHAME!

HEY GUESS WHAT, MASS MEDIA MAINSTREAM!

Now it's YOU who is SMALL,

And I who am BIG!

Turns out WE on the INTERNET are all bigger than YOU on the TV now!

HA HA!

Good ol' Reliable, LOYAL 52

In the last week I wrote and drew a cross medium mixture of 52 pgs. of scripts, sketches, and sequential art pages, adaptations, and revisions. Apparently I am all over the place.

I'm noncommital to one style or medium, but at least I'm getting a bit more consistent, if you ask me....

This work isn't pleasurable, fun, compassionate towards myself AT ALL. It's brutal, punishing, strenuous work. With all the opposition and people opening fire on me, drawing first Rogue Rambo blood against me and whatnot, it's like lifting weights outside in a thunderstorm.. I'm starting to feel like The Terminator, as practice and work for me is NOT a pleasant experience. But as the old saying goes, no pain no gain. 

I'm ALWAYS hard though.

Training and Abilities

Honestly? I was trained and groomed by family and teachers in how to draw for the most part

...NOT how to write. For the most part...

That's the REALLY IRONIC part!

Write an ACTION STORY, Jay!

ok

Old Godzilla was hoppin' around,

Tokyo City like a big playground,

When suddenly Batman burst from the shade,

And hit Godzilla with a bat grenade,

Godzilla got pissed and began to attack,

But didn't expect to be blocked by Shaq,

Who proceeded to open up a can of Shaq Fu,

When Aaron Carter came out of the blue,

And he started beating up Shaquille O'Neal,

Then they both got flattened by the Batmobile,

But before he could make it back to the Batcave,

Abraham Lincoln popped out of his grave,

And took an AK-47out from under his hat,

And blew Batman away with a rat-a-tat-tat,

But he ran out of bullets and he ran away,

Because Optimus Prime came to save the day!

This is the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny!

Good guys, bad guys and explosions,

As far as the eye can see,

And only one will survive,

I wonder who it will be.

This is the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny.

Godzilla took a bite out of Optimus Prime,

Like Scruff McGruff took a bite out of crime,

Then Shaq came back covered in a tire track,

But Jackie Chan jumped out and landed on his back,

And Batman was injured and trying to get steady,

When Abraham Lincoln came back with a machete,

But suddenly something caught his leg and he tripped,

Indiana Jones took him out with his whip,

Then he saw Godzilla sneaking up from behind,

And he reached for his gun which he just couldn't find,

Because Batman stole it, and he shot and he missed,

And Jackie Chan deflected it with his fist,

Then he jumped in the air and he did a somersault,

While Abraham Lincoln tried to polevault,

Onto Optimus Prime, but they collided in the air,

Then they both got hit by a Care Bear Stare,

This is the ultimate showdown, of ultimate destiny!

Good guys, bad guys and explosions,

As far as the eye can see,

and only one will survive,

I wonder who it will be,

This is the ultimate showdown.

Angels sang out,

in immaculate chorus,

Down from the heavens,

Descended Chuck Norris,

Who delivered a kick,

Which could shatter bones,

Into the crotch,

Of Indiana Jones,

Who fell over on the ground,

Writhing in pain,

As Batman changed back,

Into Bruce Wayne,

But Chuck saw through,

His clever disguise,

And he crushed Batman's head,

In between his thighs.

Then Gandalf the Grey,

And Gandalf the White,

The Monty Python and the Holy Grail's Black Knight,

And Benilo Mussolini,

And the Blue Meanie,

And Cowboy Curtis,

And Jambi the Genie,

Robocop,

The Terminator,

Captain Kirk,

And Darth Vader,

Lo Pan,

Superman,

Every single Power Ranger,

Bill S. Preston,

And Theadore Logan,

Spock,

The Rock,

Doc Ock,

And Hulk Hogan.

All came out of nowhere lightning fast,

And they kicked Chuck Norris in his cowboy ass,

It was the bloodiest battle that the world ever saw,

With civilians looking on in total awe,

The fight raged on for a century,

Many lives were claimed but eventually,

The champion stood,

The rest saw the better,

Mr. Rogers in a blood stained sweater,

This is the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny!

Good guys, bad guys and explosions,

As far as the eye can see,

And only one will survive,

I wonder who it will be,

This is the ultimate showdown!

(this is the ultimate showdown)

This is the ultimate showdown!

(this is the ultimate showdown)

This is the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny!

They say if you want to succeed as a leader you have to face your fears....

I always feared punishment and losing face. Losing my dignity.

But when I confronted that demon in front of the entire world, it suddenly became weakened, its' powerful hold on me lost. Now I'm nothing  but confidence. I got over my twitching and flinching. You could throw a firecracker at me and I wouldn't flinch. I'm just very used to bullies and confrontation by now...

You could even say I've been desensitized to those things, to the point of not fearing them. AT ALL.

Hey, I'm only human

I'm only human. I'm as much of a team player as anyone. And I'm not above teaming up with places I don't have the best history with. The point is not losing sight of the bigger picture your career. Not getting caught up in bitterness and grudges.

I mean, shit, man. I hate my adoptive brother with a PASSION, and we have plenty of confrontation in our history, and he sort of hates me too. But does that stop us from buying each other birthday and Christmas gifts every year out of common respect, because we are both human. No, it does not stop us from getting along SOME of the time

I work with anyone interested in working with me, as long as they keep the integrity of my  vision...

The day of reckoning is approaching.

I'm inching closer (and closer) to the day I have a finished script to sell.

Actually, I shouldn't lie. I already COMPLETED the first draft of my spec script.

But I'm in the process of reviewing it and fixing up typos. After that, who knows?

There is power in just ONE spec script.

Initially I planned on writing 26 individual script or more, until I discovered the awesome power

of "leveraging" what work you HAVE created and DO own, and not relying on something you WANT to draw or write that may or may not ever happen. Always develop what you DO HAVE. Don't wait around for a "future masterpiece", for the muse may never grant you that privilege. Muses are unreliable.

10 at night. That's a wrap.

Have a good one folks!

ActionToon Update

Saturday, 8/17/2013

ActionToonTV August day long preview....

IS NOW LIVE

www.actiontoontv.com

Here's the major problem with traditional media, Hollywood, L.A., New York, television, radio. Internet killed the TV star. Traditional offline television is no longer cool for the most part...

Me? I'm Cool. Because I know Asia and the Internet and Modern media and social media.

Family Guy? Johnny Test? Nickelodeon? Viacom? For the most part. THEY'RE NOT COOL!!!

And for the most part, Nickelodeon and Viacom in the beginning aside, none of those things EVER WERE cool. Shock Humor, Clones, Clowns? News? NOT COOL. More like obnoxious and childish. They're about as "cool and hip" as my adoptive dad. As opposed to my birth dad, who ACTUALLY is cool. Or me, who is naturally cool and hip.

I watch TV during the day, one of the uncoolest times of the day, and I cannot begin to describe the number of times the phrases "not cool" and "lame" crept into my head.

IT'S NOT COOL! JAPAN IS COOL! MANGA IS COOL! TOONAMI 2012 is COOL! INDIE AND SUPERHERO COMICS ARE COOL! ACTION MOVIES ARE COOL! WEAPONS ARE COOL! YOUTUBE IS COOL! GOOGLE, MICROSOFT, and APPLE ARE COOL! INTERNET IS COOL! EURASIA IS COOL!

In terms of cool culture, something has to be cool to have any edge whatsoever.

NEVER confuse "cool" with "lame". That's mortal mistake number 1.

[The End]

Yer Goin DOWN, Dave Sim! Thanks for signing my memorabilia, BTW! LOL!

Whole bunch of neo-feminist BULLSHIT. Like usual.

Have you SEEN these guys? One's a wanted criminal. The other's a celebrity! Please do not confuse the 2. And yes, there are only 2. No need to dig any deeper.

Shit my ADOPTIVE Dad says.....

JAY

"Hey, uh, Dad. Can I ask you something?"

JAY'S DAD

"What." 

JAY

"Can I update my LinkedIn Business Profile"

JAY'S DAD

"How much does it cost."

JAY

"Twenty bucks."

JAY'S DAD

"FUCK no."
(Walks off on his merry way)

I always wanted to write a script

And with enough free Ritalin, it just might happen....

You know, I really WANT to write 1 script, but I'm too lazy. Still procrastinating I guess.

dammit! I'm NEVER gonna finish my first script!

I may not have any money, but

The various companies I work for make more headlines and articles than my adoptive father's employer ever did. His job is dull. It's not glamorous like my job.

But I don't WORK in Hollywood....

I do the online "Most photographed man in the world with no actual salary" thing.

The internet is my thing. That is my thing. My thing is THIS thing.

Current Status

By now I've made more television appearances than I care to remember. 

Okay. Who done it?

Who's the wise guy actually bothering to read all my actual blog posts now.

Whoever you are, you need to return to only reading some of them, OCCASIONALLY, like the lazy readers.

Just kidding. Whoever you are, you rock..

WOW. We all knew your were envious, but THIS envious??

LINK

Steven Colbert:

Constantly REDEFINING the term "Poor Sport"

But ENOUGH about that Railthin faggot

Everyone please by my book "Diss-cussing the Sacred".

Pretty Please! I'll pay you!!!

You're right. That WOULD be some GREAT, GREAT SEX

Not a big fan of getting ARRESTED though....So I think I'll leave that one in the dust...

AD-MITT IT

The only reason you recommend "Elfen Lied" to everyone is because you're horny as hell and you like to see little girls BOOBIES hangin' out everywhere...AD-MITT it...Not that there's anything WRONG with seein little girls boobies hanging out everywhere. That horns most males right the fuck out.

Wheel of Bureaucracy, Turn Turn Turn, Tell Us The Lesson That We Should Learn....

And the moral of the story IS...Never take Joe seriously.

WHAT. THE. FUCK. Ed Wood and pulp sci fi is NOT ANIME.

"No No No! Now that's all wrong. This thing will NEVER make a present. It's been Dead for Much Too Long, Try Something Fresher, SOMETHING PLEASANT."

Look people. Anime is cool and all. And other, NON-ANIME stuff is cool.

But just because something is cool DOESN'T MAKE IT ANIME!!! GODDAMIT!!!!!!

ED WOOD AND EDGAR ALLAN POE ISN'T ANIME!!!!

It's not even JAPANESE.

God, I don't know why I'm so frustrated by this fact. Probably because anime fans can be so gullible and stupid sometimes, blinded by their passion for "defining" the medium.

I Write Like - Short Story Compilation Edition!

I Write Journals Like

Cory Doctorow

I Write Fiction Like

Edgar Allan Poe

James Joyce

William Gibson

Douglas Adams

Dan Brown

Gertrude Stein

Chuck Palahniuk

H.P. Lovecraft

Jack London

I Write Like...

I write like

Cory Doctorow

I Write Like. Analyze your writing!

While I know it's gonna upset some people, I deactivated my twitter account

To focus on my work. I need to cut distractions out of my life. Twitter is one of those distractions keeping me from my goal. If they let me use banner ads for compensation, this sort of traffic jam wouldn't happen, but they refused, so it DID happen.

I honestly don't care about breaking any sort of "character", addiction, from me or to anything else or "form". Whatever THAT is.

This Next One's Goin Out To ALL the fellow psychics in the audience

The Breakthrough: Solving the Re-incarnation code

There are ways of writing the biography of your past lives, and the other people who populated them. You have to observe the signs and psychic hints of THIS life. Who are your friends? Who are your enemies? What are their biographies? Where DID you live? Where DO you live? Where do you WANT to live and travel to? What cultures and types of people and ethnicities are you attracted and drawn to? What kind of situations do you always end up in? What is your personality and physical characteristics like? What are the physical characteristics of your family, colleagues, rivals, arch enemies (if you have any) and friends? What are the problems and advantages of your life These all provide hints and clues into solving where you're karma and current situation came from. Simply follow up on it. Not everything about your past lives will be spelled out to you. I learned this from Jerry Conser...

Think about it...Losers and nerds.

And now....An Ode. To My Newest Passion: Academic Documentary Filmmaking!

Newest profession I'm fascinated by (and there are a lot)? Documentary Filmmaking! Kevin Smith, Anime DVD special feature Docs, TV Docs, 90s MTV docs, Ovation, art, literary, film, anime, comic book, and Historical Docs, BBC, Ken Burns, Werner Herzog, Michael Moore, Morgan Spurlock. I LOVE documentaries. Anything that analyzes a popular or academic subject matter. Maybe with a camera, perhaps even just my smart phone I could practice making my own documentary on my favorite subjects! I could make documentaries about important or influential or obscure issues. Or I could make amateur documentaries about nothing at all. Anything to sharpen my skills!

Why do they hate it?

Why do people dislike Obama, hip-hop, and the Boondocks in America so much, you ask? I know exactly why. Racism. America has always been very racist, and it's historically been the MOST racist against blacks.

Few things are scarier to an uptight white audience than accepting African Americans. Black people. ESPECIALLY CONSERVATIVES and TRADITIONALISTS!

Obama, hip-hop, and The Boondocks (the triple threat) aren't just hated by white conservatives for no reason. They're hated because they make us feel LESS afraid and superior to BLACK people. NOT MORE! 

"All color but the black",and all that. Right Mr. Kubo?

Old 2012 Quote -

"I'd like to get back to writing about Japan and Japanese culture and History, whether it's Edo or WWII. I don't pass judgment on the Japanese. I'm here to embrace them and they're wonderful language, art, literature, and culture. Along with all the rest. I became a little culturally jaded when I sensed superficial interlopers involving Japan online. Like they were only talking about Japan so they could be associated with me or something. That was weird. Not in love with myself that much that I need ass kissers in America who worship my Japanese credibility. If they really want to pay their respects, they can recommend some good cyberpunk anime titles to me other than Akira and Ghost in the Shell, which I've kind of seen the highlights of a million times."

Website Recommendation: Best Wuxia Website Online? VintageNinja

VintageNinja.net is a site with a TON of wuxia resources that are really amazing. Especially if you like to film, draw, write, read, or watch that sort of thing.

A Little Publicity

Wikipedia - Webcomics: ["web launch date ambiguous"] End Times: The Chronicles of Mono Jubei

The Webcomics List: End Times

The Webcomics Guide: End Times
[warning: gross ass NC-17 banner adds crop my comic for no apparent reason.]
[Spam polluting the page inappropriate for kids.]
[I did not approve]

Movin on Up....

Luminosity of The Setting Sun

My newest work. Yes, I do dabble in photography...if I'm inspired. This photo was taken at the foot of my front driveway.

Before I took the photo a strange luminous red-yellow light was illuminating my computer room window, blinds and everything. The whole window was literally glowing yellow, orange, and light red.

That's an amazing light shade! I hadn't really seen a glow like that too often before. It had just finished up with light rain, so the ground was wet, so I had to put some sandals on. So I walked through my front door out the garage, opened the garage door and noticed the sun was setting. I knew I had to capture it so I took a few photos of the sunset over my neighborhood that was illuminating the air.

Sunset + remainder of raincloud = THIS. An unusual sunset

[No doctoring required...]

To Become a Pokemon Master, One Must Train: Art Lessons and Anime Education

In the 90s and beginning of the 2000s - I trained and studied my ASS off.

As a kid in school, I read and watched and was a fan of and grew up on Indie comics like Bone and Johnny the Homicidal Maniac; Comic Strips like Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes; Imported Japanese untranslated manga magazines similar to Shonen Jump, that friends of my parents gave me, that I didn't know how to read by would constantly study the art of; Superheroes like Daredevil, Punisher, X-Men, Spider-Man, Batman, and Battle Chasers by artists like Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, and Joe Mad; Cable Television Animation like The Simpsons, 90s Disney Afternoon, early formative Nicktoons, Batman, Dexter's Laboratory, Doug, Beavis & Butt-Head, Spawn Animated

Then came the 2000s when I took actual formal and less formal art lessons. I studied under 2 main art teachers, who were both locally renowned by the local Central and South Florida community: Rima Jabbur and Phil Ferretti. The lessons were structured differently for each teacher.

Rima's lessons were with other students, in an art studio setting at a local community college and a community program that still operates currently in Florida, the community college  being Valencia, in Orlando, and the Crealde School of Art, in Winter Park.

Phil's lesson's were kind of like having a sports trainer, except it was 1 on 1 training with drawing, and learning about how the animation industry and community works. Phil is the Tony Robbins of animation, and is quite famous and admired for that fact. 

I was trained actively in 2 seperate style early on at the ages of 17 and 18. Rima trained her students in humble photo realism and every form of classical painting known to man, no Photoshop or pencils for the most part. She had her students study the Masters of Renaissance and classical fine art; artists like Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Vermeer, among others of that variety. Very serious, very epic and painstaking. All the drawings I did in her classes were done on paper that is almost as tall as I am (and I'm 6 feet tall).

Phil was more laid back. He was always calm, cool, and collected, and never lost his temper easily. He was very patient and encouraging and forgiving. He was less harsh in his critiques like Rima was. Phil trained at the School of Visual Arts, and taught himself a classical Warner Brothers, Disney, and Hannah Barbera influenced style

Neither of those teachers is much of a fan of anime or manga, nor will they ever be. That's just how they are.  But they taught me things like textures, perspective, anatomy, foreshortening, composition. I was raised in the most traditional of styles. Then the internet and Deviant Art came along sometime after art school at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, which I attended briefly. I've never had a mentor or teacher in anime and manga, with the exception of recently when I've gotten to interact with pros in anime and manga a bit more. It was quite a shift I had to make, switching from traditional classical and stylized fine art and classical design to a more Asian based composition and style. Being trained in the fundamentals of classical status quo art on all levels other than comics, is kind of like training as a classical pianist in music, and then choosing to become a progressive metal musician, INSTEAD of a classical pianist, because it speaks to your sense of structure, and well learned sense of the fundamentals and complexity. They look different on the surface, but structurally they have  a similar emphasis on fundamentals and complexity, knowing rhythm and instruments and melody and tempo and whatnot. That's the  best way I can think to describe what  being trained by a professional America animator from the 90s and a Fine Arts Master, but redirecting my talents into anime and manga and indie comics and indie noir anime is like. I enjoy the challenge of it. Of switching gears and seeing if I can. 

X-Y, Generation X, Generation Y. 1/4th Generation X, 3/4th Millennial

People who are turning 30 this year belong to both the Generation X and Generation Y, or Millennial demographic. Where's MY market pandering from advertisers?

One Thing That They'll Never Touch, My Holy Memory. No Not My Memory

NOW TAKE ME BACK
TAKE ME BACK
TAKE ME BACK
TAKE ME BACK
TAKE ME BACK
TAKE ME BACK
TAKE ME BACK
SAN SIMEON
SAN SIMEON
SAN SIMEON
SAN SIMEON
SAN SIMEON
SAN SIMEON!

Meeting Japan-Based Professional Animator and Cartoonist Changed My Life....!

I didn't think anything could possibly get me back into watching anime again, UNTIL I was online and got to meet (well, online anyway) some of the people in Japan who  get to make anime for a living. I haven't seen every anime show they've made, but that is what YouTube browsing is for. Getting to interact with famous anime and manga people online who live in Japan feels like an honor.

It changed my life for the better and motivated me to get back into drawing and watching anime and reading and drawing manga. The current American scene for the most part is incredibly uninspiring. Good thing there's Asia and Europe to escape to in the mail and online! Asia and Europe truly are the saviors of future comics and animation.

I (Tyler Durden) Say, LICENSE EVERYTHING! LICENSE EVERY FRIGGIN ANIME WE CAN GET OUR FILTHY AMERICAN HANDS ON!!! ONLINE, ON SCREEN, AND IN PRINT!!!! 

HISTORY AND SUPERFANS WILL THANK YOU IF THE AMERICAN INDUSTRY DOESN'T

The more choice of quality entertainment multimedia there is everywhere, the better. There's no reason it needs to be hoarded by Toonami, Adult Swim, and no one else. EVERYONE  needs to see this stuff! It's amazing and it deserves to be seen. Wow I'm in a good mood.

Japanese artist, when they actually reached out to me, with few exceptions, has never really happened before on this tangible of a level. The difference is night and day. You feel cleaner when you correspond with Japan and Tokyo and Europe somehow. American mainstream can be so muddy it makes you feel grimy, smelly, and dirty all over. America makes you feel like you're rolling around in your own body waste or something. Yes, the American market is indeed that nasty in reality. Japan and Europe are a clean sweet smelling shower by comparison. Just, cleaner. No stank, Less mud to wallow in. Such a breath of fresh air...

Thank you...

Post-IT Note:

Speaking as a fan-turned-semi-pro, I can honestly say interaction and involvement with the industry itself of anime and manga is important. Just because fans are in America and animators are in Japan doesn't mean we all shouldn't share insights and correspond and talk to each other. Asking questions, small talk, insights on the industry itself, etc. Be it publicly at cons and on message boards and twitter, or privately, by IM and email. I've done all of the above throughout my career. And yes, feeling involved in the industry you love, meeting your heroes (if your lucky enough to, the last one isn't guaranteed) is important. It keeps artists motivated and happy to interact with, talk to, correspond with, write to, trade ideas with, show artwork and writing to, and genuinely communicate with, working pros. This keeps the industry alive. As long as people are nice to each other and not hypercompetitive, sadistically envious, anonymous and nasty, it isn't a problem..Communication gives fans and aspiring professionals hope. You genuinely will find you want to watch the anime and manga made by the people you meet online.

Because believe me, I know what it feels like to be ignored, to be passed over, to  be looked down upon, to not be involved, or treated like you are invisible and don't matter or effect things, like you're NOT important or an annoying pest no one likes, who isn't popular in ANY circles. I know what that kind of person feels like. I've been there myself plenty of times. It's the worst feeling in the world (10,000 worse than any form of awkward encounter, embarrassment, confrontation, or humiliation and degradation), feeling cut off from the industry. No young artists or writer DESERVES a fate like that, being isolated and excluded. The point is to make more artists and writers feel special and involved. Like they have an impact and influence on things, even if it's not blatantly stated, if you give a man his due, HE'LL know it, if not anyone else.

I speak for a lot of fans when I say...

Bottom line, in my case, the less attachment to and involvement I feel in the anime and manga community, the less motivated I am to draw read and watch.

The more involved I am, the happier I am to work for you or anyone else, or at least be an active contributor.

You don't have to HAVE a million bucks just to FEEL LIKE a million bucks. You just need mentorship and feedback.

Bottom line, communication builds vitality, especially for creative spirits. You can have all the power, strength and raw talent in the world, but as I found out, it can end up meaning nothing and doing nothing much without the power of communication with other creative types at the same level, and vitality. Spiritual vitality is an important part of the creative lifestyle. Not always being alone or in solitude helps, whether your communicating with friends or online. Fatigue, and lack of Vitality, is a side effect of depression. I've gotten plenty depressed at times, but mostly it was the times I LOST my vitality.