I'm a Regular Todd McFarlane...LOL

Man I love drawing flowing and wrinkly cloth and flares and folds and wrinkles in the anime style. One of the best since Trigun and Spawn if I do say so myself. I like drawing drapery and folded, flowing, and sometimes wrinkled cloth and fabric in coats, jeans, shirts, and cloaks so much, I could just lie around my house drawing cloaks all damn day. WEEEEEE!!! :D Ha ha ha! Seriously though, shit man, that stuff's FUN! To me cloth studies and costume designs are more fun than work. LOVIN IT! I take a lot of inspiration from artists like McFarlane, Frank Miller, Kazuki Takahashi, Yasuhiro Nightow, and myself of course. I've come to enjoy my own cloth studies just as much as that of the artists I've admired from afar. Is this style of cloth dominated by males? Yes. But I don't see why female artists couldn't draw that way too. I guess a lot of people associate cloth with masculinity, like being a king in a robe or something. A symbol associated historically with masculinity, much like swords.

If you want to draw like those guys, most of the time you need to approach drawing the basic shapes of trenchcoats with a healthy eye for not just curves and wavy lines (which is  very John Buscema), but instead approach the flares of a trenchcoat in terms of basic shapes in the form of deformed mutated elongated exaggerated, flowing, and interconnected triangular, rectangular and angular shapes. You have to have a strong eye for curves and angles that can take on a life of their own in the drafting stage. 

The Internet and the Fight For Democracy and Against Censorship Worldwide

After seeing how the web (a British invention pioneered in North America), I've realize how crucial the web has been to the process and development of the evolution of Free Speech in America. In nearly every country BUT America, the social and political hierarchy reigns and persists to this day. Political figures, and people in "Supreme Authority" Kings and Prime Ministers, are freely allowed to speak out ("Within Reason" and as long as its not politically contrary), but the voice of the common people is forced into submissive silence, often by violence and brutal deadly torture and force, as has been seen in the Arab Spring as it was happening. A celebrity like myself, wouldn't even manage to survive or exist in the Middle East and other places especially. America is the one of few countries, if not the only country, where a chaste system doesn't exist, freedom of speech is test every or almost every day, and censorship AND dictatorship is constantly attacked, questioned, exposed, and scrutinized.

The internet brings democracy to places and fields of study and authority that severely need it, and it allows us to challenge those we perceive as having too much power and authority. No matter WHO they may be or how powerful and deadly they are, in almost ANY country.

It also allows us to fight censorship and state censorship when the occasion calls for it. 

22: Master Builder Writes a Script: First Screenwriter Journal Ever

Here's what I had to say in my journal 1 to 2 years ago when I first made the decision to pursue screenwriting. I'm happy showing this because it's a perfect example of how I approach (and often over-analyze) my major professional hobbies  before I ever actually attempt them. Still. The passion to write and pioneer is there in all its newly planted glory in my mind...

"I still do hold hopes of one day becoming one of the great modern day American episodic TV writers and producers, or maybe just writer. I want to script an animated series. I want to Author a TV Saga, less like Mike Judge and Matt Groening or Trey Parker – Matt Stone, and more like Yoshiyuki Tomino, of Gundam Universe fame. Now that I know he’s the mastermind and Immortal TV God behind the entire thing, and not just “Hajime Yatate”, which is nothing but a pseudonym for nameless others: “Team Spirit”.

I want to be just like a combination of Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira Toriyama, and Yoshiyuki Tomino when I’m their age.

In other words, I take this job incredibly serious. With Parallax: The Apocalypse Samurai, The Dream Lords, and Oliver-E, I planning on penning all of the initial Volumes (Sets), Seasons (TV show), Story Arcs (writing), Chapters/Episodes (scripts), and Bible Scripts that make up the heart of those three series. I sense that if I really buy some good script formatting software to get used to working on, I can take TV animation writing to absolutely new levels in the U.S., in a way that is not often seen as coming from the United States, but instead people are used to seeing it coming from Japan or Britain with such good screenwriting. But I’m a good enough linguist and general writer that if I worked hard enough at mastering the art of narrative (and write enough scripts between now and then). I might use a pseudonym for much of my work and I might not, I’ll just have to see. Up till this point TV Writing in the U.S. has been South Park, Seinfeld, and The Simpsons, and not much else, in terms of multidimensional writing. Studios are always looking for good screenwriters, and if I can prove myself as a highly literate writer of television drama, for animation no less, I could go very far, financially, intellectually, and creatively. When I’m 40 or older, I want to be a great dramatic serial animation screenwriter. I see shows like Avatar, The Boondocks, and Samurai Jack and look at their stories, and get very excited about them and my own potential to maybe be that good one day. It is possible to make up to $50 million a year screenwriting, as a screenwriter or writer, but that’s just about only for major networks like Fox. But not through writing the kinds of things I want to...

I’ll explain why I really, really like the Final Draft 8 software. That’s easy: Because it does everything for you…EXCEPT write the actual words. It formats the pages, sets up a “script writer interface” type thing. Though it is over $100, seriously! Who could ask for more than that! I love their slogan! “Just add words” So simple and brilliantly concise. I fucking love that slogan! That’s all I have to do?? Fuck I love it. It really speaks to me. It understands my situation. I do well over and more than enough words. It’s just all in the wrong format: Psychotic epistolary monologues. I’m sick of writing that way. I want to write fantasy monologues, epic storytelling narration, and great action sequences. (Later in 2011: Then this means I have to read those things by others too). Anything is possible with screenwriting. You can be as epic as you want if you’re a head writer, or at least literary bible supervisor, or even story concept man.

Eventually, I am planning on writing spec scripts in my spare time. I plan on writing out all episodic scripts for Parallax, which pans out to a few hundred pgs of script, or half the length of Manifesto, pagewise, because each speculative episode script of continuing sagas and narratives would be approximately 25 pages in length each, which equals 25 minutes for each 30 minute episode. Honestly, I love writing screenplays and scripts so much that I’ll even go so far as to write 100 – 200 pages if I can. (Retrospective: I really need to stop doing the “Number and quantity jumping ahead” thing. It’s crippling me. Just start) I’m not expecting all of my scripts to make it to final form. I’ll leave what actually gets sold and optioned up to my producers and agent(s), whenever I get around to getting one, if I get one that is. As of now I’m just focused on the writing. Of course I’ll do a lot of note taking, revising, and strategizing in general, by hand, but when it comes to formatting, everything (or at least most of my work) will be done through Final Cut 8 (Retrospective, what I mean to say is, CeltX). It’s just easier that way.

I love my newfound passion as an American action-drama and fantasy screenwriter."

Please note: I don't hate DeviantART. Don't know that I ever actually did in reality. [also, the POWER AND LIE OF HOW THINGS LOOK]

I did my share of ranting, but so did a lot of people.

But I can't help but notice the site's positive aspects.

Where else can one eavesdrop on some of the most amazing Asian Artists in their native habitat that's not anime. That doesn't sound prejudiced does it because it's not meant to be a negative statement.

I love Asians with all my BEING, but as a mixed blood Asian who grew up in a completely American white family only, where else do I get to hang out with Asians that isn't DeviantART the internet and ChinaTown

If some of them consider me a "rival" so be it, but I Refuse to "accept" Asians as my rival. WWII is history to me and nothing else in my opinion. They are all kindred spirits to me. There IS a spiritual connection there, not just a creative one. To me, we are one on some level. Sometimes I wish people WOULD notice I'm not just white but part Asian.

No one ever does though. To them I'm "just another white person trying to copy Asian culture". A" foreigner imposter" with my "crappy design and OEL". I'm so misunderstood. By Asians too. Not just white Americans.

French people seem to like me and take a liking to me. I just wish they weren't the only ones...Ah well.

Let's talk about the LIE that is race and racial profiling, stereotyping, and typecasting for a minute.

Probably the biggest line of bullshit reasoning and ignorance going on in America today, and pay attention now because this is important to people in America, even though it's a complete publicized LIE is the following mindset:

The ignorant and short sighted mindset that you have to look like the race, class, national heritage, or profession you are to BE the race, class, national heritage, or profession YOU ARE. This is racist  bullshit. What? You have to LOOK WHITE to BE WHITE??? You have to LOOK CHINESE to BE CHINESE??? You have to LOOK ARAB TO  BE ARAB??? You have to LOOK WHITE TO BE WHITE! And if you LOOK LIKE A CRIMINAL You ARE A CRIMINAL???

THE FUCK???

This is TV's fault entirely, for emphasizing looks over soul or heart or statistics.

What, you have to LOOK LIKE an ARTIST just to BE AN ARTIST?? You have to look like an EXECUTIVE PRODUCER to BE AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER TO BE ONE???

The list of stereotypical social positions you have to look like just to "belong to in the eyes of others" goes on. Even in Asian culture looks are important, a culture that pioneered the field of invisibility.

I for one am sick of all this media and social judgement from my peers.

Looks are often bullshit, always lie, and can often be faked. Just keep that in mind when you don't believe the fact I have a dynasty of Eurasian Heritage in my Blood. Which I do.

I'm tired of ignorance based entirely on how things LOOK. Your eyes deceive you.

And they deceive everyone else as a result.

Okay?? No, it is NOT okay.

It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It's BETTER than okay.

The Past is The Past

Sometimes I used to secretly have this wish that someone out of the blue, some stranger who was familiar with me, would have pulled me aside from the crowd, sat me down in a work room and simply just said to me "You know, Joe, you matter TOO."

No one EVER did that though. Ah, who am I kidding, no one cares. No one does that STILL either.

In many ways, nothing's changed from the past.

It's FUN seeing Far Eastern Fanart

You don't get the credit, that's kind of taboo, or so it would seem.

But you do get to see the birth of beautiful re-interpretations and re-configurations. It's a profound joy.

Learning how to let go is its own reward.

First Rule of Fight Club?

Copyright, Trademark and Legal and Proprietary Ownership Standards....

Are not followed the same way in the Far East as they are in the Wild West.

No one explains this element to you.

You just kind of eventually pick it up.

I'm all for the pirates, in pretty much ANY nation. But in Japan especially copyright holds a lot of sway over the law, way more than in the United States, especially since YouTube. The legal system regarding copying of existing work for fan or commercial purposes is a slippery slope in much of the West. But American companies nowadays, ever since YouTube, aren't half as ruthless as the Japanese in terms of copyright protection. They actively persecute violators. Not fair in my eyes, but it's reality. Just another form of culture shock I guess that many Japanese businessmen are uptight about copyright. Best to look before you leap, especially in the Far East. Many don't seem to be doing that. They assume they're living in a legal climate equal to America's legal climate. Oh how I wish that was the case, and how I wish pirates did have that much freedom in Asia. They don't. Not yet anyway. Many people who copy videos in Japan would be much safer and better off drawing Dojinshi, if they're so obsessed with copying professional stuff. Honest advice.