New year.New projects.New modivation

Hello, this journal has been silent as it has beena rough year. I moved back from New Orleans (the most dangerous place I have ever lived. Ever.) I made and lost some new friends; healed old wounds, earned some new scars. I have had one of the most eventful years of my entire life. And with all of this I have found new motivation. I have decided to stop procrastinating on so many things and run full force at projects I have been putting off for literally years. Maybe it was a sense of worry, perhaps it was a fear of failure/success, perhaps it was a manufactured vision that I simply do not have the time to complete everything I want to get don in or on any sort of manageable time frame or by a deadline. I have entered a contest (and won) a spot in the Wizards of the coast contest posted 2 months ago. The contest was to rework a classic piece of art from a list of moduales. Once reworked (and if my art was chosen) my art was to be included in an updated new hardcover edition collection of the Moduals. Well in July or August it goes to print! I am included this is the artwork below: I have started reworking Worlds of Ether, my larp system that I have already ran for a few seasons, but I felt it needed reworking. I have a good friend working on the project with me and we have already begun to streamline the system while allowing for more player options as well. The final project will be nearing completion in the early fall I am expecting and will be getting a playtest at that time. I plan of saving money and running a series of games next year (perhaps a entire season if possible) I have begun working on a new tabletop RPG (ie. pen, miniatures, Paper, snacks, friends, dice) which I am already making progress on , and I expect that I will have the game nearly complete by summer's end as well. I am planning several rounds of play-testing as well as a big Kickstarter campaign in most likely September!Keep posted for further details. The features of the game will be a fast yet robust combat system, magic, a dozen unusual races, an all inclusive hard cover book with artwork and everything you need to play the game included (except for dice... maybe that will be one of the Kickstarter awards...) My comic has had some progress but every once in a while I am reminded the price of procrastination and some one had a very similar concept to mine AGAIN, so I have made new changes and soldier on, I am looking forward to working on the comic as a back burner at a slightly less breakneck speed to the writing projects. Assorted art projects, commissions and the like round out my upcoming projects.

Comics, Movies, Pop culture references and more!

So it has been quite some time since I wrote a journal entry on here that wasn't a one line self contained apology for not writing more. This is now going to be a much more used way of expressing myself. I am going to try for at least one entry each week if not more.

I have the final arch worked out for the comic/mythical entity I have been struggling with for years.

I have pared down the story, worked over the rogues gallery, picking and choosing the best (I can muster)storylines and with any luck I can stay on target. Words of encouragement and critique are welcome. I hope to increase readership, and therefore increase the number of voices, heard.

I have read, watched and enjoyed so much nerdy,From comic adaptations, old school Japanese super hero show/movies. I have also reread a scifi adaptation of the Illiad, I enjoyed the Jeff Smith retelling of the Capatin Marvel (Shazaaam!)comics, read articles on self publishing (yeah I know I am getting ahead of myself), watched the episodes of many web series including Mercury Men! (awesome), read science books, historical fiction, as many of the old xmen issues as I could. OH and i nearly forgot I need to get going on this comic as I already have an idea for a fantasy-comedy comic plot and some sketches for the next project!!!

I also am learning more about Voodoo, magic, spiritualism. I have moved nearly 2000 miles from Salem, Ma. to NOLA. Dangerous city, wonderful people. I am missing larping. Hope to return to it asap.

http://trollishdelver.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-you-need-to-know-about-d-5th.html

Ta-Da!

Move is complete. Book restarting this week!

A soon as I am in the new apartment ill be reactivating this journal

After much hesitation and procrastination I have finally laid pencil to paper and have 5 pages drawn out. (still looking for a good program or technique for inking, however)

The opening chapter is the battle for London followed by a montage and a few short stories/ brief descriptions of the early career of the Acolyte. Locales include NYC, LA, Miami, Tokyo and Chicago.

This project will provide me with the opportunity to draw all kinds of things not usual found in most comics (save for Mignola-esque stuff, and a few others) such as military costuming throughout the ages,ancient weaponry, occult/magic stuff, monsters, exotic locales, different historical and non-historical time periods.

The New 52, The Mighty Thor, Self publishing

New drawing table- Check! New character design sheets- check! New direction, new inspiration, new goals Check, Check, Check!

So, the past few weeks have been filled with hope and excitement over the prospect of my comic and its long overdue start. I have been reading some new material put out by the biggies (ie. Marvel, Dc, Darkhorse, etc) both new and old comics, reading blogs about self publishing comics and makes a hero, world and political history. Finding unexplained phenomena to use as starting points for various story elements.

I am going to review some of this stuff now, partially for you and partially for me.

The Legion Lost and Demon Knights (#1's) have surprised me; each in it's own way. The new 52 is a push that DC has taken to recreate their lineup, to attract new readership- Superman, Wonder woman, Batmat, Aquaman, Deadman, Hawkman, Animal man, The Demon, The legion of Superheroes, The JLA, etc all have gotten (or will be getting) newly reworked versions.

Now DC says they are going to avoid retelling origin stories but it is clear they have rethought at least a few of the main 52 titles with a few characters that had been in committed relationships; now, barely knowing their former spouses. While, other characters are dead or powerless, etc. Costumes, tried and true, are tossed aside for new redesigned "futuristic/armor like" new costumes. Certain trade paperbacks and major events have been stricken from the now revamped canon; while other things thought trivial are now shaping the world. (note: Perhaps they should call it the new 50 since 2 of the "52" are actually revolving writer/inker/penciller- type fare with one shot stories featuring heroes and characters possibly from other series- one being a cowboy western serial and the other is Dc Presents: Action Comics!)

I have read 2 titles out of the 52 (many have not been released yet, and others still, do not pique my interest at all.) The titles I have read Demon knights and The legion lost restart both are changing characters I have liked for a long while now.

Legion Lost (the graphic novel) was brilliant Coipel pencils, DnA writing- on overwhelming great story, with each issue of the 12 issue run,narrated by a different character. Each of the characters was so well written, even if you where new to the series ( As I was) you quickly "knew" them, powers, friends, foes, feelings- everything. This new start however is (IMHO) starkly barren. The artwork is not up to par of a restart of a series- the exposition hamfisted at best, characters that have supposedly known each other for years yelling to each other saying things like: "You should use your super strength "full name".While I, "full name" will use my super speed powers to do "effect"."

Sigh. Seriously? You have started these titles over to draw new readers. I tried to give them a chance. this title is a definite "skip"

Demon knight is better. The artwork, is interesting. The writing though it still has some strange segways, and exposition is not nearly as odd. The Main character Etrigan the Demon, has been summoned by Merlin to ancient England. The premise is cliche, but so far I am willing to see where it goes. I do feel the artwork could be a touch better. hopefully the penciller and inker find their own version of the character and setting.

The Mighty Thor which restarted in April and is available to issue #5 (the #6 issue comes out on Sept 28) and is in my opinion, one of the best super hero comics I have read in years. The plot is great Asgard is crashed down in the Midwest. The Asgardians are mingling with a town, filled with fear and religiously whipped up. Meanwhile Galactis figures into the story predominantly, as well as the newly reborn Loki. The scripting is amazing as are the inks and the great pencils of Coipel. The characters of Sif, Hogun, Thor, Odin, Loki, etc look great. Galactis, and the Silver surfer, the Asgardians are all sporting classic costumes (as well as futuristic space suits!)and all look terrific. I cannot stress enough- if you are a comics fan do yourself a favor and catch up on the 5 back issues. READ THIS! (to be continued)

Berlin, Giant robots and super heroes WWII

Reference found, prelim character sketches worked out, scripting rough drafts written down- and still I am beside myself with a fear to begin. The blue line pages are sitting in the library at my house ( I know it is pretentious to have a library but hell I have the space and so-)

Perhaps it is a drawn out and long cultivated fear of having to restart after this once again. After so many false starts or the stack... the absolute fact there is a pile of pages inked and lettered that are all so much debris from this whole process. Frustration will not keep me from telling this story. I really need to press forward. Part of me needs to whip together something to get started knowing full well I will again in the future go back to bring those up to what I want them to be. The other part of me wants to do this right from the start and deal with the inherent stumbling blocks and growing pains that will be unavoidable.

Alas, I'll press on and I will keep you up to date as I move forward.