Hi there. Yeah, it's been awhile. 😁
I came to check my blog, because the 10 year anniversary is coming up at the end of the month. I can't believe that it's already been that long. 😎
Monday, March 19, 2018
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Moving to new blog
Hi!
After almost eight years, this blog will be basically shutting down.
What? Oh, no - I'm not going away - I'm just moving to a new neighborhood!
Here's the deal: the first issue of The Mighty Andromeda is finally closing in, and the purpose of this blog is about to change in a drastic way - so drastic that it is easier to just create a new blog rather than try to repurpose this blog. Understand that I love this blog - this is where it all started for me, and this is where I reached out to the online world, and the online world reached back, and in ways that I never imagined. This is where it all began for me before I was ever on Facebook.
And speaking of Facebook, I still haven't heard a peep as to why my account got suspended. Rather than create a new account and invite the possibility of being suspended again (since I don't know why I was suspended in the first place), I have chosen to not make a new account until I hear from FB; or until my old FB account is reactivated. I wish they would tell me what I did. Anyway...
There will be a new blog, with a new purpose, and it's to serve both for the comic, and for Araujo Arts, the company that brings you the comic, and that has brought me to you through this blog, and until recently, through FB. I work for the boss of AA, whom you know through me as "the boss". His name is John Araujo, and along with my continued role as a blogger and reviewer, he also will be contributing posts to the new blog, called (/drumroll):
Andi4Indies
Why "Andi4Indies"? Because, along with promoting TMA, AA, and any other news concerning the company and its products, we will also be promoting the friends we have made over these past eight years, our fellow independent comic creators, who have had an indispensable role in helping to bring about the TMA comic. In essence, the Andi4Indies blog is our thank-you for their assistance. We couldn't have gotten this close without them!
So "Andi4Indies" means
"Andi" - that is, me, your friendly neighborhood blogger
"4" - that is, "for"
"Indies" - our independent comic creator friends.
Thus, it's "Andi for Indies". Cute, huh? :-)
Like I said above, the new blog will have me continuing my role as blogger and reviewer, and will also have the boss making contributions, but also - we will be encouraging guest columns and guest reviewers, and we will help promote our indie creator friends. So basically we're expanding what we do with the blog, and now you see why it was easier to just make a new blog!
It's only recently made, and we're going to be experimenting with what we want to do, but we hope that it will serve its purpose of reaching out to the same online world that helped bring about The Mighty One to your home.
Thank you for reading Busty Superhero Chick. This blog will always hold a special place in my heart. :-D
But it's now time for new challenges, and new adventures. Join me at the new blog, won't you?
See you there, my little nerdlings! :-)
After almost eight years, this blog will be basically shutting down.
What? Oh, no - I'm not going away - I'm just moving to a new neighborhood!
Here's the deal: the first issue of The Mighty Andromeda is finally closing in, and the purpose of this blog is about to change in a drastic way - so drastic that it is easier to just create a new blog rather than try to repurpose this blog. Understand that I love this blog - this is where it all started for me, and this is where I reached out to the online world, and the online world reached back, and in ways that I never imagined. This is where it all began for me before I was ever on Facebook.
And speaking of Facebook, I still haven't heard a peep as to why my account got suspended. Rather than create a new account and invite the possibility of being suspended again (since I don't know why I was suspended in the first place), I have chosen to not make a new account until I hear from FB; or until my old FB account is reactivated. I wish they would tell me what I did. Anyway...
There will be a new blog, with a new purpose, and it's to serve both for the comic, and for Araujo Arts, the company that brings you the comic, and that has brought me to you through this blog, and until recently, through FB. I work for the boss of AA, whom you know through me as "the boss". His name is John Araujo, and along with my continued role as a blogger and reviewer, he also will be contributing posts to the new blog, called (/drumroll):
Andi4Indies
Why "Andi4Indies"? Because, along with promoting TMA, AA, and any other news concerning the company and its products, we will also be promoting the friends we have made over these past eight years, our fellow independent comic creators, who have had an indispensable role in helping to bring about the TMA comic. In essence, the Andi4Indies blog is our thank-you for their assistance. We couldn't have gotten this close without them!
So "Andi4Indies" means
"Andi" - that is, me, your friendly neighborhood blogger
"4" - that is, "for"
"Indies" - our independent comic creator friends.
Thus, it's "Andi for Indies". Cute, huh? :-)
Like I said above, the new blog will have me continuing my role as blogger and reviewer, and will also have the boss making contributions, but also - we will be encouraging guest columns and guest reviewers, and we will help promote our indie creator friends. So basically we're expanding what we do with the blog, and now you see why it was easier to just make a new blog!
It's only recently made, and we're going to be experimenting with what we want to do, but we hope that it will serve its purpose of reaching out to the same online world that helped bring about The Mighty One to your home.
Thank you for reading Busty Superhero Chick. This blog will always hold a special place in my heart. :-D
But it's now time for new challenges, and new adventures. Join me at the new blog, won't you?
See you there, my little nerdlings! :-)
Friday, May 20, 2016
Facebook issues: Updated
As of today, I still don't know why I was booted from FB. Again, I had no warning, no CLUE as to why I was kicked out. Sure I had the occasional debates with others, but none of them indicated to me that they were that outraged by my comments. I certainly can think of no one among my FB friends who seemed so incensed and offended over something I said that they'd report me to FB.
On the contrary, just like in my real life, I had many very passionate leftists among my FB friends who were as dedicated to their views as I am to my conservative views. And I didn't hide the fact that I am conservative. I never did before I came on FB, and for the entire eight year run, I never hid my views. Everyone who friended me knew how I felt on the issues, and yet they were still my FB friends. I enjoyed their company, even if they had contrary views to mine, and as far as I could tell, they enjoyed my company.
I did not see any sort of indication of anyone being that upset with me, because I think that they would have told me. I've had rather spirited discussions before, but we always still got along afterwards. I try to make it a point of being an "approachable" conservative, and I think most people felt that way about me. So after saying all this, I find it hard to believe that anyone would report me. I'm not denying the possibility, but again, I can't think of anyone among my FB friends who would do that. One of my FB friends is as leftist as you can get, and yet we're downright chummy when we're not engaging in virtual fisticuffs.
I thought about this a LOT, and about the only reason I can think of as to why FB would boot me is because my email is "bustyherochick" and my blog is "Busty Superhero Chick"; that is, some part-time unpaid intern at FB saw my account name, assumed that "busty" meant that I was some porn spammer, and gave me the axe, because boobs. Boobs always cause problems, and I wouldn't doubt it if this was why I was booted. Here's why I think this is a logical reason why I got booted: For FB, it probably IS that easy to spot the porn spammers, by using keywords like "busty" to find accounts that are most likely porn hustlers. Porn people have been trying to disguise what they do by getting creative, like using b00b$, but they still have to give some clue as to what they're about, so they can't get too creative, or their potential customers won't be able to find them.
The thing is, I've been "busty" for nearly 10 years, and only now they find me? I guess I was hiding in plain sight all this time because I used the actual word instead of strange and rare but still readable characters like ßŨŞŦŸ! So I am still out of the loop. I just hope you're all behaving out there!
Meanwhile, I still have my duties as the Director of Social Media Marketing to take care of. Plans that were in the making before the Big Boot are still in effect, although now without me there, we'll have to get creative as to how to promote the book once it comes out. Oh! And that's another thing! The first issue has finally made progress on getting those final, six, infuriating pages completed, so we're finally moving along, friends! WHOOHOO!!! :-D
Also, the boss has been working diligently on getting artists lined up and hired to take care of TMA2 and TMA3, so that, once the first book comes out, the wait for the following issues hopefully won't be nearly as long. We are still at the mercy of the artists' schedules, but with more time to do their work, hopefully this will reduce the wait time like we had with TMA1. We are also working on marketing strategies like t-shirts, variant covers, replica earrings, and other merchy products. All about the merch, of course! ;-) And last, we're making decisions on what sort of fundraiser to use. Kickstarter? We don't have the merch yet to offer as incentives, so that might not be likely. GoFundMe? Something else? The boss is going to ask for input from others on what we could do for this first go-round until he can get us some decent merch to pitch for KS.
While all that is going on, the time that I normally spent being on FB has instead been spent on catching up on books, movies, logging onto World of Warcraft more than usual (can never be on WoW TOO much! LOL), and staying up to date on the 2016 election and other recent events. I'm still conservative, by the way, so that hasn't changed. >.<
I'm also going to see a movie that I've been strongly encouraged to see, which is Captain America: Civil War. The other movie that I will most definitely go see, and perhaps see several times - IN THE THEATER! - is the OMGWarcraft movie! Okay, it's actually Warcraft, but those of you who've followed me all this time know how much I love me some WoW!
Also, while I may not be on FB, I still have my blog. This is where it all started, actually, and I suppose it's only fitting that I come back here and show it the kind of love that I had not been giving it in recent years. I love blogging, but FB needed my attention more, and more often, if I was to keep up with the contacts that I had made over the years. And you know - that's what kills me the most - all those people I connected with and got to know over the years, all those artists whom I helped connect with the boss and get pin-ups from, all those creators who helped us to finally put together a book, and creators who joined up and formed Creators United - ALL GONE in an instant! That really, really kills me so much that it actually hurts, especially in the way I was unceremoniously dumped from FB.
But I can't change things, so here I am. So be it. I won't be swayed from my conservative views, even if I am cut out entirely from the social media. I'd rather be cut out from the social media than surrender ONE viewpoint; that's how much I believe in my views. And again, while FB was the most amount of contact that I had with others, it was still only ONE contact. There's still other means of reaching out to others, and now I have my excuse to explore those alternatives. Give me some time, I should be popping up somewhere else soon, but do keep up with my blog to see what I'm up to. ;-)
In closing, I leave this quote by Captain America, which he said during the comic version of Civil War. I love it, because it captures WHY I stick by my beliefs. Thank you, friends. I miss you, and I love you. Take care.
On the contrary, just like in my real life, I had many very passionate leftists among my FB friends who were as dedicated to their views as I am to my conservative views. And I didn't hide the fact that I am conservative. I never did before I came on FB, and for the entire eight year run, I never hid my views. Everyone who friended me knew how I felt on the issues, and yet they were still my FB friends. I enjoyed their company, even if they had contrary views to mine, and as far as I could tell, they enjoyed my company.
I did not see any sort of indication of anyone being that upset with me, because I think that they would have told me. I've had rather spirited discussions before, but we always still got along afterwards. I try to make it a point of being an "approachable" conservative, and I think most people felt that way about me. So after saying all this, I find it hard to believe that anyone would report me. I'm not denying the possibility, but again, I can't think of anyone among my FB friends who would do that. One of my FB friends is as leftist as you can get, and yet we're downright chummy when we're not engaging in virtual fisticuffs.
I thought about this a LOT, and about the only reason I can think of as to why FB would boot me is because my email is "bustyherochick" and my blog is "Busty Superhero Chick"; that is, some part-time unpaid intern at FB saw my account name, assumed that "busty" meant that I was some porn spammer, and gave me the axe, because boobs. Boobs always cause problems, and I wouldn't doubt it if this was why I was booted. Here's why I think this is a logical reason why I got booted: For FB, it probably IS that easy to spot the porn spammers, by using keywords like "busty" to find accounts that are most likely porn hustlers. Porn people have been trying to disguise what they do by getting creative, like using b00b$, but they still have to give some clue as to what they're about, so they can't get too creative, or their potential customers won't be able to find them.
The thing is, I've been "busty" for nearly 10 years, and only now they find me? I guess I was hiding in plain sight all this time because I used the actual word instead of strange and rare but still readable characters like ßŨŞŦŸ! So I am still out of the loop. I just hope you're all behaving out there!
Meanwhile, I still have my duties as the Director of Social Media Marketing to take care of. Plans that were in the making before the Big Boot are still in effect, although now without me there, we'll have to get creative as to how to promote the book once it comes out. Oh! And that's another thing! The first issue has finally made progress on getting those final, six, infuriating pages completed, so we're finally moving along, friends! WHOOHOO!!! :-D
Also, the boss has been working diligently on getting artists lined up and hired to take care of TMA2 and TMA3, so that, once the first book comes out, the wait for the following issues hopefully won't be nearly as long. We are still at the mercy of the artists' schedules, but with more time to do their work, hopefully this will reduce the wait time like we had with TMA1. We are also working on marketing strategies like t-shirts, variant covers, replica earrings, and other merchy products. All about the merch, of course! ;-) And last, we're making decisions on what sort of fundraiser to use. Kickstarter? We don't have the merch yet to offer as incentives, so that might not be likely. GoFundMe? Something else? The boss is going to ask for input from others on what we could do for this first go-round until he can get us some decent merch to pitch for KS.
While all that is going on, the time that I normally spent being on FB has instead been spent on catching up on books, movies, logging onto World of Warcraft more than usual (can never be on WoW TOO much! LOL), and staying up to date on the 2016 election and other recent events. I'm still conservative, by the way, so that hasn't changed. >.<
I'm also going to see a movie that I've been strongly encouraged to see, which is Captain America: Civil War. The other movie that I will most definitely go see, and perhaps see several times - IN THE THEATER! - is the OMGWarcraft movie! Okay, it's actually Warcraft, but those of you who've followed me all this time know how much I love me some WoW!
Also, while I may not be on FB, I still have my blog. This is where it all started, actually, and I suppose it's only fitting that I come back here and show it the kind of love that I had not been giving it in recent years. I love blogging, but FB needed my attention more, and more often, if I was to keep up with the contacts that I had made over the years. And you know - that's what kills me the most - all those people I connected with and got to know over the years, all those artists whom I helped connect with the boss and get pin-ups from, all those creators who helped us to finally put together a book, and creators who joined up and formed Creators United - ALL GONE in an instant! That really, really kills me so much that it actually hurts, especially in the way I was unceremoniously dumped from FB.
But I can't change things, so here I am. So be it. I won't be swayed from my conservative views, even if I am cut out entirely from the social media. I'd rather be cut out from the social media than surrender ONE viewpoint; that's how much I believe in my views. And again, while FB was the most amount of contact that I had with others, it was still only ONE contact. There's still other means of reaching out to others, and now I have my excuse to explore those alternatives. Give me some time, I should be popping up somewhere else soon, but do keep up with my blog to see what I'm up to. ;-)
In closing, I leave this quote by Captain America, which he said during the comic version of Civil War. I love it, because it captures WHY I stick by my beliefs. Thank you, friends. I miss you, and I love you. Take care.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
My Facebook Account
Hello, everyone!
This morning, I logged onto my FB account to wish my mother a Happy Mother's Day. Later in the morning I was going to mention the second anniversary of my having been named my boss' Director of Social Media Marketing, but I couldn't log onto my account.
I got a message that my account was suspended. Understand friends, that this came without warning. I heard NOTHING of any problems from FB regarding my account, nor was I given any reports from anyone upset about something I posted - NOTHING! This was just plain out of the blue.
I've been trying to contact FB over what happened, and whether we can resolve whatever the problem is, but I can't get ahold of them. I'll keep working on the problem, but in the meantime, I will be out of the loop and out of touch with my FB friends. WAAAAAAHH!!!! :'-(
I mean, this is EIGHT years out of my online life we are talking here! Eight years of contacts made and formed with artists and other creative types from all over the world that I've gotten to know and love! And then I'm cut off, and for what?!? I wish I'd have some warning or some way to explain my side of things, instead of this kill from out of nowhere!!
I COULD just make another account, but I'd like to know why I was cut off in the first place. And on top of that, I'd like my old account back if possible, because like I said, I made many connections over the years that I'd rather not lose just like that. That's lots of friendships made, lots of interesting people that I no longer have contact with, FB groups that I am now cut off from, so that's a lot of rebuilding should I have to make a new account.
So bear with me friends, as I try to figure this out. In the meantime, I can be contacted by email: bustyherochick@yahoo.com
As I try to work through this, the boss will keep you posted on any updates or goings-on.
Thanks friends, and I hope to see you all again REAL soon!
This morning, I logged onto my FB account to wish my mother a Happy Mother's Day. Later in the morning I was going to mention the second anniversary of my having been named my boss' Director of Social Media Marketing, but I couldn't log onto my account.
I got a message that my account was suspended. Understand friends, that this came without warning. I heard NOTHING of any problems from FB regarding my account, nor was I given any reports from anyone upset about something I posted - NOTHING! This was just plain out of the blue.
I've been trying to contact FB over what happened, and whether we can resolve whatever the problem is, but I can't get ahold of them. I'll keep working on the problem, but in the meantime, I will be out of the loop and out of touch with my FB friends. WAAAAAAHH!!!! :'-(
I mean, this is EIGHT years out of my online life we are talking here! Eight years of contacts made and formed with artists and other creative types from all over the world that I've gotten to know and love! And then I'm cut off, and for what?!? I wish I'd have some warning or some way to explain my side of things, instead of this kill from out of nowhere!!
I COULD just make another account, but I'd like to know why I was cut off in the first place. And on top of that, I'd like my old account back if possible, because like I said, I made many connections over the years that I'd rather not lose just like that. That's lots of friendships made, lots of interesting people that I no longer have contact with, FB groups that I am now cut off from, so that's a lot of rebuilding should I have to make a new account.
So bear with me friends, as I try to figure this out. In the meantime, I can be contacted by email: bustyherochick@yahoo.com
As I try to work through this, the boss will keep you posted on any updates or goings-on.
Thanks friends, and I hope to see you all again REAL soon!
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Alright,
before I get into my spoilery review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (TFA), let
me say here and now before I get any grief from those who haven’t seen SW: TFA –
AHEAD BE SPOILERS!!!
***SPOILERZZ!!!***
That is, what I’m about to say below has CONTENT FROM THE MOVIE THAT WILL SPOIL IT for you if you haven’t seen it! GOT IT? GOOD!!
Okay, before I continue, let me give my preference in regards to the whole Star Wars/Star Trek debate: I prefer Star Trek. However, before any of you SW fanz start losing your shit, let me quickly add that honestly, that’s not saying much, as I do not have a great deal of passion for either franchise. When it comes to ST or SW, I much love me some World of Warcraft. WoW comes way, way before any Jedi or Vulcan. Let’s say that on a scale of 1 to 10, and WoW (and comics, my other huge pop culture passion) is 10, then SW comes in at 4, while ST at 5. Yeah. So. No big difference.
This, by the way, is one of the reasons why I was in no rush to go see TFA when it first came out in the theaters. And I didn’t see it until the boss bought me the BluRay of it for my birthday. Only THEN did I see it. As longtime readers of my blog know, I’m a cheapskate – that is, I don’t hand out my money willy-nilly just because some movie is hyped up. For most movies, I have to be DRAGGED to a movie with someone else paying my way before I’ll go. And now that I’ve seen TFA, I see that I would have been disappointed had I spent money to see it in the theaters.
It’s not that it was a bad movie, it’s just that it really was (in my opinion, of course) a rehash reboot of the very first (from 1977, that is) Star Wars. In other words, TFA was meant to reboot the franchise for future SW films. Did it do that – reboot the franchise? Yes, it did, but by being basically formulaic in that there was even a new death star to blow up by striking just the right spot in an otherwise impenetrable fortress. Kinda curious how those engineers always leave in that one little flaw that some hotshot pilot can fire into to blow the whole thing to smithereens. That’s probably the main thing that bothered me about TFA – that it was basically another Star Wars: A New Hope.
Don’t get me wrong – it was fun and exciting and visually entertaining, but there was the old Han, Leia, Chewie, C-3P0, R2-D2, and the new Luke, Han, R2-D2 and even Darth Vader in his grandson, Kylo Ren. And of course, there was the mysterious new “emperor” behind the corruption of the new Vader, a new Sith Lord. There was even a desert planet where the film started in and the film finished with the ginormous explosion. So in short, I’ve seen this before.
***SPOILERZZ!!!***
That is, what I’m about to say below has CONTENT FROM THE MOVIE THAT WILL SPOIL IT for you if you haven’t seen it! GOT IT? GOOD!!
Okay, before I continue, let me give my preference in regards to the whole Star Wars/Star Trek debate: I prefer Star Trek. However, before any of you SW fanz start losing your shit, let me quickly add that honestly, that’s not saying much, as I do not have a great deal of passion for either franchise. When it comes to ST or SW, I much love me some World of Warcraft. WoW comes way, way before any Jedi or Vulcan. Let’s say that on a scale of 1 to 10, and WoW (and comics, my other huge pop culture passion) is 10, then SW comes in at 4, while ST at 5. Yeah. So. No big difference.
This, by the way, is one of the reasons why I was in no rush to go see TFA when it first came out in the theaters. And I didn’t see it until the boss bought me the BluRay of it for my birthday. Only THEN did I see it. As longtime readers of my blog know, I’m a cheapskate – that is, I don’t hand out my money willy-nilly just because some movie is hyped up. For most movies, I have to be DRAGGED to a movie with someone else paying my way before I’ll go. And now that I’ve seen TFA, I see that I would have been disappointed had I spent money to see it in the theaters.
It’s not that it was a bad movie, it’s just that it really was (in my opinion, of course) a rehash reboot of the very first (from 1977, that is) Star Wars. In other words, TFA was meant to reboot the franchise for future SW films. Did it do that – reboot the franchise? Yes, it did, but by being basically formulaic in that there was even a new death star to blow up by striking just the right spot in an otherwise impenetrable fortress. Kinda curious how those engineers always leave in that one little flaw that some hotshot pilot can fire into to blow the whole thing to smithereens. That’s probably the main thing that bothered me about TFA – that it was basically another Star Wars: A New Hope.
Don’t get me wrong – it was fun and exciting and visually entertaining, but there was the old Han, Leia, Chewie, C-3P0, R2-D2, and the new Luke, Han, R2-D2 and even Darth Vader in his grandson, Kylo Ren. And of course, there was the mysterious new “emperor” behind the corruption of the new Vader, a new Sith Lord. There was even a desert planet where the film started in and the film finished with the ginormous explosion. So in short, I’ve seen this before.
Thing is, I get why Disney went with the familiarity route. They just spent Kim Kardashian-sized buttloads of money to acquire the franchise from that chubby nerdy slob whose name I can't recall right now, so dammit, the people want Star Wars, they're gonna get friggin' Star Wars! And Disney knows that people are willing to spend buttloads of money to go see it, so it's a guaranteed audience so long as they stay with the safe and familiar - which is why we have TFA.
George Lucas. Yeah, that's the chubby nerdy slob guy.
So what happens after this? Will Disney venture into new, unexplored territory with the SW franchise? Don't count on it, because again, it's a known and beloved franchise, so they can't risk straying from the safe and familiar without risking scathing hatred from the loyal SW fandom. Let's face it, SW is going to be Disney's little profit-producer from here on in, and they're not about to upset that apple cart - not after what they spent to get it.
George Lucas. Yeah, that's the chubby nerdy slob guy.
So what happens after this? Will Disney venture into new, unexplored territory with the SW franchise? Don't count on it, because again, it's a known and beloved franchise, so they can't risk straying from the safe and familiar without risking scathing hatred from the loyal SW fandom. Let's face it, SW is going to be Disney's little profit-producer from here on in, and they're not about to upset that apple cart - not after what they spent to get it.
I know that this isn't what loyal SW fans wanted to hear from me, but I have to be honest in that TFA stayed with the safe and familiar by giving us a modern retelling of A New Hope. I honestly hope that I'm wrong, and that Disney does indeed takes the franchise into a bold new direction, but the shameless capitalist in me knows how capitalists and capitalism work, and I can't see them making any serious changes and risking SW not being the planned profit generator. On the one hand, Disney's purchase of the SW franchise saved it, because we will finally have films that take place after The Empire Strikes Back, but at the same time, the franchise was doomed by Disney's purchase of it, because of what I just described above.
So on a scale of 1 to 10 in which 1 is a bomb and 10 is THE bomb, I give SW: TFA a 7.5. It was marvelously put together, but sadly very predictable. Let's hope Disney surprises me with their future films.
So on a scale of 1 to 10 in which 1 is a bomb and 10 is THE bomb, I give SW: TFA a 7.5. It was marvelously put together, but sadly very predictable. Let's hope Disney surprises me with their future films.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Review of Stuart Black's The 4Horsefemmes, and my first shameless marketing promo
It's time for my very first shameless sales pitch for my very first marketing promotion as the Director of Social Media Marketing! Time to earn my bread! Here we go! WHOOHOOO!!!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, friends! This comic, by the awesomely talented Stuart Black, creator of The 4Horsefemmes, has produced the comic with the VERY FIRST APPEARANCE of The Mighty One - ANYWHERE! It is issue #7, but don't hesitate to buy the whole series while you're at it! I've owed this dude a review for a long time now, and I'll be taking care of that below, but first, make sure you get a copy of 4HFs #7 in your greedy and grubby little hands as quickly as possible! Otherwise, you'll be dissed and maybe even cussed out by your kids, grandkids, and even great-grandkids for having missed this historic opportunity! Okay, time for the review!
Gosh, what to say about Stuart Black and his book, The 4Horsefemmes? Let's go ahead and start by introducing his four main characters. They are, in no particular order, Lacey the sword-swinging de facto leader of the group, Mussk the sai-wielding blonde who smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish, Rasta the Hawaiian who is from a family of super-powered folks, and Talena, whom Stuart describes as a "loveable douchebag." Talena's power is basically the discharging of static electricity for mostly destructive actions. There's also Harvey, Talena's turtle, who is just a turtle. He doesn't talk or anything, he's just a turtle, but he's a cute little guy!
What I'm about to get into now is kinda spoilery, so if you haven't read The 4Horsefemmes and don't want what's in it spoiled for you, then
STOP READING NOW!!! You have been warned!!!
The first four issues begin with Lacey and Talena on the run from Australia's superhero team, Supreme Justice (did I mention that Stuart is from Australia, and that his stories take place there? Now you know!), and have been for years. Lacey and Talena are located by Mussk and Rasta, who are members of SJ. But a bad guy named Satan (not THAT Satan, but if you have a name like "Satan", you gotta be a bad guy, right?) is also pursuing Talena, and after a brawl in which Talena basically tasers Satan, Lacey and Talena are back on the run.
Long story short, it turns out that the head of SJ is actually a bad guy, and the other bad guys also pursuing Lacey and Talena are all doing so on his orders. So, he has his SJ team looking for Lacey and Talena, and he also has bad guys looking for them. Big battle happens, the head bad guy loses, and Rasta and Mussk join up with Lacey and Talena, and The 4Horsefemmes are born. I don't want to reveal TOO much of this story arc, because I won't do it justice. You'll just have to read the books yourself!
After this first story arc, Stuart takes a one issue respite with a book called Plan B, which is another superhero team that also works for SJ (by the way, The 4HFs now work for SJ as well), and it is basically Stuart's way of having a little fun, and it is indeed a quick and fun read. His current story arc is about an invasion from Mars, and it's in the 7th issue that The Mighty One makes her appearance. She's come to help out, but is stopped by a giant glowing energy shield that's surrounding the SJ headquarters, where The 4HFs are trapped. The Mighty One does not like big, glowy energy shields stopping her punches, but what can she do? This isn't her book! LOL
I'm going to stop here in regards to describing the stories, because really, you'll just have to read them. But I will say this - Stuart's books are a fun, fun read, and you will go through each book very quickly. For those of you who may want to be told of this, there's adult language, and there's heads and other body parts being lopped off, and other kinds of "PG-17"-type fare. For those of you who are Christian (as I am), there's also an occasional use of the Lord's name in vain, although I don't get the impression at all that Stuart is out to bash Christianity. So in short, The 4HFs isn't a kids' book, so be aware of that! The stories themselves are fast-paced, and the backstory scenes of Lacey and Talena's youth are touching and very moving. The two ladies aren't related, but they are orphans who bonded together in order to survive, so they are very much sisters in every which way except biologically.
Lacey sticks by Talena, despite Talena having just destroyed Lacey's car in the very first page of the very first book, and also Talena often not seeming to even be grateful for when Lacey comes to her aid. Talena often annoys and even angers Lacey, but she'll still run to her side, as she did one time when Lacey lost her turtle in a lake, and Talena was on the verge of tears, and Lacey flung a blanket around her and doted on her much like a mother. Back when they were kids, Lacey once came to fight off bullies who were tormenting Talena, and they've stuck with each other ever since. In a future issue, I'd love to see more of their backstory, with a better explanation as to why Lacey cares so much for Talena, even when there are times she wants to smack her. This is why I described their relationship as a sisterhood, although I would still like the backstory.
In fact, as he did with Plan B as a fill-in between story arcs, perhaps Stuart can dedicate one issue to back stories of each of the ladies? I'm not at all telling him what to write, I'm simply suggesting what I'd like to see. For example, a short story of Rasta and her brothers, and also what drove Mussk to be the chain smoker and drinker that she is. Just bad habits, or is she using these habits to shield herself from something that she doesn't want to face? One of the things I enjoy about the stories is that the ladies are both simple and easy to understand as to why they do what they do on the surface, and yet something about how they're written suggests that there's more story to tell for each of them. I'm speaking here mainly as a comic nerd who loves her some comic lore, and I feel that each of the ladies has more story to tell. Or at least that's the vibe I'm getting as I read each new issue.
So in summary in regards to the books themselves, The 4HFs is a great, fun, roller-coaster of a ride series that will probably make a fan out of you right off the bat, as it did me. The main question for me to answer when I do these reviews is this: Do I want to know "What happens next?" To me, answering that question is the make-or-break of a given comic's worth as a comic, because, after reading it, if I don't have that desire to know "what happens next?" - if I don't come away with that feeling of anticipation for the next issue, that I will probably die before the next one comes out - then that comic still has things to work out. That is NOT a problem for The 4HFs! I DEFINITELY want to know "what happens next", and I am already ready for #8 to come out! WHOOHOO!! :-D
Normally at this point, this is where I end the review, but I have a little more to tell here, and this is in regards to Stuart Black himself. Stuart is part of the same FB group for independent comic creators that the boss and I are in that's called Creators United. Ever since joining up, Stuart has been very eager to join up in group exercises, and has often contributed artworks of other creator's characters, and - as shown in 4HFs #7, he's even offered to have cameos of other creator's characters in his book! How cool is that? On top of that Stuart has a maniacal work ethic, having done all seven (plus Plan B!) of his issues in an insanely short span of time.
You'd think that these books would look or feel rushed, but IMHO, they're all quality works. Yes, it's an insanely short time span, but still, he questions and fusses over how to illustrate his scenes and paces his stories like any other creator. I'm simply amazed at his output. To call him a "dedicated comic creator" isn't enough, he's more like "a comic creator's comic creator". He's also an excellent lesson on what a little dedication to the dream and skill of being an independent comic creator can do, especially in our day and age in which indies have access to all sorts of avenues for self-publishing. Stuart is definitely a child of our modern age of comic creation. Well done, Stuart! Keep up the awesome work! By the way, I hope The Mighty One didn't cause any problems while she was in Australia... :-P
---------------------------------------------------------------
Gosh, what to say about Stuart Black and his book, The 4Horsefemmes? Let's go ahead and start by introducing his four main characters. They are, in no particular order, Lacey the sword-swinging de facto leader of the group, Mussk the sai-wielding blonde who smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish, Rasta the Hawaiian who is from a family of super-powered folks, and Talena, whom Stuart describes as a "loveable douchebag." Talena's power is basically the discharging of static electricity for mostly destructive actions. There's also Harvey, Talena's turtle, who is just a turtle. He doesn't talk or anything, he's just a turtle, but he's a cute little guy!
What I'm about to get into now is kinda spoilery, so if you haven't read The 4Horsefemmes and don't want what's in it spoiled for you, then
STOP READING NOW!!! You have been warned!!!
The first four issues begin with Lacey and Talena on the run from Australia's superhero team, Supreme Justice (did I mention that Stuart is from Australia, and that his stories take place there? Now you know!), and have been for years. Lacey and Talena are located by Mussk and Rasta, who are members of SJ. But a bad guy named Satan (not THAT Satan, but if you have a name like "Satan", you gotta be a bad guy, right?) is also pursuing Talena, and after a brawl in which Talena basically tasers Satan, Lacey and Talena are back on the run.
Long story short, it turns out that the head of SJ is actually a bad guy, and the other bad guys also pursuing Lacey and Talena are all doing so on his orders. So, he has his SJ team looking for Lacey and Talena, and he also has bad guys looking for them. Big battle happens, the head bad guy loses, and Rasta and Mussk join up with Lacey and Talena, and The 4Horsefemmes are born. I don't want to reveal TOO much of this story arc, because I won't do it justice. You'll just have to read the books yourself!
After this first story arc, Stuart takes a one issue respite with a book called Plan B, which is another superhero team that also works for SJ (by the way, The 4HFs now work for SJ as well), and it is basically Stuart's way of having a little fun, and it is indeed a quick and fun read. His current story arc is about an invasion from Mars, and it's in the 7th issue that The Mighty One makes her appearance. She's come to help out, but is stopped by a giant glowing energy shield that's surrounding the SJ headquarters, where The 4HFs are trapped. The Mighty One does not like big, glowy energy shields stopping her punches, but what can she do? This isn't her book! LOL
I'm going to stop here in regards to describing the stories, because really, you'll just have to read them. But I will say this - Stuart's books are a fun, fun read, and you will go through each book very quickly. For those of you who may want to be told of this, there's adult language, and there's heads and other body parts being lopped off, and other kinds of "PG-17"-type fare. For those of you who are Christian (as I am), there's also an occasional use of the Lord's name in vain, although I don't get the impression at all that Stuart is out to bash Christianity. So in short, The 4HFs isn't a kids' book, so be aware of that! The stories themselves are fast-paced, and the backstory scenes of Lacey and Talena's youth are touching and very moving. The two ladies aren't related, but they are orphans who bonded together in order to survive, so they are very much sisters in every which way except biologically.
Lacey sticks by Talena, despite Talena having just destroyed Lacey's car in the very first page of the very first book, and also Talena often not seeming to even be grateful for when Lacey comes to her aid. Talena often annoys and even angers Lacey, but she'll still run to her side, as she did one time when Lacey lost her turtle in a lake, and Talena was on the verge of tears, and Lacey flung a blanket around her and doted on her much like a mother. Back when they were kids, Lacey once came to fight off bullies who were tormenting Talena, and they've stuck with each other ever since. In a future issue, I'd love to see more of their backstory, with a better explanation as to why Lacey cares so much for Talena, even when there are times she wants to smack her. This is why I described their relationship as a sisterhood, although I would still like the backstory.
In fact, as he did with Plan B as a fill-in between story arcs, perhaps Stuart can dedicate one issue to back stories of each of the ladies? I'm not at all telling him what to write, I'm simply suggesting what I'd like to see. For example, a short story of Rasta and her brothers, and also what drove Mussk to be the chain smoker and drinker that she is. Just bad habits, or is she using these habits to shield herself from something that she doesn't want to face? One of the things I enjoy about the stories is that the ladies are both simple and easy to understand as to why they do what they do on the surface, and yet something about how they're written suggests that there's more story to tell for each of them. I'm speaking here mainly as a comic nerd who loves her some comic lore, and I feel that each of the ladies has more story to tell. Or at least that's the vibe I'm getting as I read each new issue.
So in summary in regards to the books themselves, The 4HFs is a great, fun, roller-coaster of a ride series that will probably make a fan out of you right off the bat, as it did me. The main question for me to answer when I do these reviews is this: Do I want to know "What happens next?" To me, answering that question is the make-or-break of a given comic's worth as a comic, because, after reading it, if I don't have that desire to know "what happens next?" - if I don't come away with that feeling of anticipation for the next issue, that I will probably die before the next one comes out - then that comic still has things to work out. That is NOT a problem for The 4HFs! I DEFINITELY want to know "what happens next", and I am already ready for #8 to come out! WHOOHOO!! :-D
Normally at this point, this is where I end the review, but I have a little more to tell here, and this is in regards to Stuart Black himself. Stuart is part of the same FB group for independent comic creators that the boss and I are in that's called Creators United. Ever since joining up, Stuart has been very eager to join up in group exercises, and has often contributed artworks of other creator's characters, and - as shown in 4HFs #7, he's even offered to have cameos of other creator's characters in his book! How cool is that? On top of that Stuart has a maniacal work ethic, having done all seven (plus Plan B!) of his issues in an insanely short span of time.
You'd think that these books would look or feel rushed, but IMHO, they're all quality works. Yes, it's an insanely short time span, but still, he questions and fusses over how to illustrate his scenes and paces his stories like any other creator. I'm simply amazed at his output. To call him a "dedicated comic creator" isn't enough, he's more like "a comic creator's comic creator". He's also an excellent lesson on what a little dedication to the dream and skill of being an independent comic creator can do, especially in our day and age in which indies have access to all sorts of avenues for self-publishing. Stuart is definitely a child of our modern age of comic creation. Well done, Stuart! Keep up the awesome work! By the way, I hope The Mighty One didn't cause any problems while she was in Australia... :-P
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Awesomely detailed statue of Red Sonja
Check out this upcoming statue of Red Sonja.
Hopefully, one day, there will be a similarly detailed and awesome statue of The Mighty One. And fanboys and fangirls everywhere will celebrate. :-D
Hopefully, one day, there will be a similarly detailed and awesome statue of The Mighty One. And fanboys and fangirls everywhere will celebrate. :-D
Sunday, February 14, 2016
YOU are the heart and soul of the Democratic Party's future
Okay, I know that's an odd title coming from a self-proclaimed right-wing nutjob. And yet, it's an important title to convey what I hope to bring to you today. And by "you", I mean those of you who are:
* "Millennial" - born mostly between 1980 and 1990,
* Democrats or Democrat-leaning,
* among the rank-and-file (that is, not wealthy),
* and are Bernie Sanders supporters.
Before I continue to my point for this blog entry, let me first state that I am not a Democrat, nor will I be one for a very, very long time - if ever. That's because I know its past, and I know its present, and I like neither one. It's because of that past and present that I can't foresee myself becoming a Democrat for many, many years to come, because I can't see the party changing in any significant way that would cause me to consider joining it. Right now I know that some of you who are Democrat are thinking "Well, the GOP has its flaws! Many of them!"
I agree, and the two main reasons that I am with the GOP are, 1.) It's the only serious alternative to the Democratic Party, and 2.) It's allegedly the pro-life party, an issue that I hold very dear. Don't get me wrong - I know the GOP has its flaws, primary among them is that it is filled with cowards who do not stand with the courage of their convictions, which annoys me to no end. So my standing with the GOP is mainly because it's the only alternative to the Democrats. That the GOP relies so much on that reason for so many of its members to be in their ranks should be a damn embarrassment to them, but they actually seem to be okay with that, and that's just damn disgusting. And yet, I and most other members of the GOP really don't have a choice, and the GOP knows it. Bleh. Let's move on, before I barf on my keyboard. :-P
Here's a little history: Let's take the side that fought FOR slavery during the American Civil War. Let's take the side that fought against changes to laws to help former slaves in their new lives in the post-war world. Let's take the side that had the KKK, had lynchings, Jim Crow Laws, separated water fountains, segregated schools, pools, lunch counters, and many public facilities. Let's take the side that fought against civil rights laws, and that attacked peaceful protesters with clubs, dogs, water cannons, and other instruments of enforcement. Let's take the side that fought against school segregation, with even a governor blocking a school entrance. Let's take the side that fought tooth and nail against laws and changes for a century after the end of the war before the former slaves and then their descendants finally had all the rights that our Constitution guaranteed for everyone. Know which side that was? All of that was from Democrats. DEM-O-CRATS. Check your history, folks - it's all there.
And yet.
And yet.
And yet, for some reason, the Dems are the side that's considered "on the side" of "the people." They're considered the good guys, the ones with all the smart people, the ones who will go all out for the many categories of "oppressed" classes - especially in the faces of the GOP's "tactics" to keep those "oppressed folks" down. When I bring up the Democrat party's very ugly past, it's usually explained to me that "those guys changed parties to the GOP sometime in the 70s" I have to disagree; especially since it's the Dems who still need a class of our society to designate as "not human". I speak, of course, of the unborn. It took over a century for the party to finally recognize the humanity of the slaves and their descendants, and not a decade passed before they replaced them with the unborn as their new class to deny basic human rights. It's plain as vanilla for anyone who really wants to see the truth. But this is a battle that I'm not going to win overnight, and I'm certainly not going to win with one blog post. It's time to get to the point of what I'm trying to write here today.
At this time, the majority of my fellow Millennials vote Democrat, and they also believe that Socialism holds the cure to all of our country's ills. They couldn't be further from the truth, but again, I'm not going to convince them of that with one blog post. Right now, all I can do is to suggest a course of action in this 2016 presidential election. Right now, they support Bernie Sanders as their candidate. But also right now, the Democratic leadership has made it abundantly clear that they want Hillary Clinton as their candidate. So the establishment and the Millennial voters are clashing over which candidate will get the nod. In all honesty, the odds are overwhelmingly against the Millennials, and my fellow Millennials are known as the generation that got "participation trophies", so this seems to be a battle in which my generation is expected to simply give up and go home.
That indeed seems to be the case, but I am hoping that right here, right now, is when my generation finally grows a pair. I am hoping that this election season will be when the Millennials finally grow up, and fight for a cause that they believe in. Now, here's the thing, friends - I will support my fellow Millennials fighting for Socialism and for Bernie Sanders, even if I am wholly against both - if it means that, for once in their entitled and "participation trophy-awarded" little lives, my generation will finally stand for something and fight for it.
Again, the odds are almost completely stacked against them. The odds are, by my guesstimation, to be at least 90+% that this will be a fight that they will lose. But I hope they fight away. I hope they make the Democratic Party leadership choosing Hillary Clinton as difficult as possible. I hope they make the leadership pull all of their con games and other chicanery cards out, and very much in public, and make the leadership look in all the worst ways possible in order to get their desired candidate on the ballot. I hope that my generation will help expose the Democratic leadership to be the party of corruption that I've long known them to be. I could point it out to my fellow Millennials until I was blue in the face, but it's going to take being conned by the party before they will see it. But they will only see it if they keep on fighting for Bernie, and they will only see it if they get burned by the party when the party finally selects Hillary.
So, despite my preferences for a GOP candidate, I hope my fellow Millennials fight for Bernie - in fact, I wholly encourage them to do so, even if it means dealing with the expected disappointment in the end, because it will mean that, for once in their lives, they fought for something, even if they fought for it and lost, so long as they participated in the battle. And in the process, they will have helped expose the Democratic party for ALL to see. I will be honest in admitting that I hope that the Democratic party crashes and burns, and collapses in a heap under the weight of their corruption, because that's what it's going to take for the party to finally, finally change.
And if this indeed happens, then it will be my fellow Millennials who will be there to pick up the pieces. This is why I said in the title of this post that they are the heart and soul of the Democratic party's future. So the battle for Bernie is for more than just for 2016, it's for all the upcoming elections in the near future, when the Baby Boomers step down and retire, and the next generation - my generation - takes their place. You can either follow in the footsteps of the past generations, and continue all the ugliness that comes with it, or you can make your own footsteps, into a new and brighter future.
So please, my friends, choose the latter. We can always talk about your mistaken attachment to Socialism another time. ;-)
* "Millennial" - born mostly between 1980 and 1990,
* Democrats or Democrat-leaning,
* among the rank-and-file (that is, not wealthy),
* and are Bernie Sanders supporters.
Before I continue to my point for this blog entry, let me first state that I am not a Democrat, nor will I be one for a very, very long time - if ever. That's because I know its past, and I know its present, and I like neither one. It's because of that past and present that I can't foresee myself becoming a Democrat for many, many years to come, because I can't see the party changing in any significant way that would cause me to consider joining it. Right now I know that some of you who are Democrat are thinking "Well, the GOP has its flaws! Many of them!"
I agree, and the two main reasons that I am with the GOP are, 1.) It's the only serious alternative to the Democratic Party, and 2.) It's allegedly the pro-life party, an issue that I hold very dear. Don't get me wrong - I know the GOP has its flaws, primary among them is that it is filled with cowards who do not stand with the courage of their convictions, which annoys me to no end. So my standing with the GOP is mainly because it's the only alternative to the Democrats. That the GOP relies so much on that reason for so many of its members to be in their ranks should be a damn embarrassment to them, but they actually seem to be okay with that, and that's just damn disgusting. And yet, I and most other members of the GOP really don't have a choice, and the GOP knows it. Bleh. Let's move on, before I barf on my keyboard. :-P
Here's a little history: Let's take the side that fought FOR slavery during the American Civil War. Let's take the side that fought against changes to laws to help former slaves in their new lives in the post-war world. Let's take the side that had the KKK, had lynchings, Jim Crow Laws, separated water fountains, segregated schools, pools, lunch counters, and many public facilities. Let's take the side that fought against civil rights laws, and that attacked peaceful protesters with clubs, dogs, water cannons, and other instruments of enforcement. Let's take the side that fought against school segregation, with even a governor blocking a school entrance. Let's take the side that fought tooth and nail against laws and changes for a century after the end of the war before the former slaves and then their descendants finally had all the rights that our Constitution guaranteed for everyone. Know which side that was? All of that was from Democrats. DEM-O-CRATS. Check your history, folks - it's all there.
And yet.
And yet.
And yet, for some reason, the Dems are the side that's considered "on the side" of "the people." They're considered the good guys, the ones with all the smart people, the ones who will go all out for the many categories of "oppressed" classes - especially in the faces of the GOP's "tactics" to keep those "oppressed folks" down. When I bring up the Democrat party's very ugly past, it's usually explained to me that "those guys changed parties to the GOP sometime in the 70s" I have to disagree; especially since it's the Dems who still need a class of our society to designate as "not human". I speak, of course, of the unborn. It took over a century for the party to finally recognize the humanity of the slaves and their descendants, and not a decade passed before they replaced them with the unborn as their new class to deny basic human rights. It's plain as vanilla for anyone who really wants to see the truth. But this is a battle that I'm not going to win overnight, and I'm certainly not going to win with one blog post. It's time to get to the point of what I'm trying to write here today.
At this time, the majority of my fellow Millennials vote Democrat, and they also believe that Socialism holds the cure to all of our country's ills. They couldn't be further from the truth, but again, I'm not going to convince them of that with one blog post. Right now, all I can do is to suggest a course of action in this 2016 presidential election. Right now, they support Bernie Sanders as their candidate. But also right now, the Democratic leadership has made it abundantly clear that they want Hillary Clinton as their candidate. So the establishment and the Millennial voters are clashing over which candidate will get the nod. In all honesty, the odds are overwhelmingly against the Millennials, and my fellow Millennials are known as the generation that got "participation trophies", so this seems to be a battle in which my generation is expected to simply give up and go home.
That indeed seems to be the case, but I am hoping that right here, right now, is when my generation finally grows a pair. I am hoping that this election season will be when the Millennials finally grow up, and fight for a cause that they believe in. Now, here's the thing, friends - I will support my fellow Millennials fighting for Socialism and for Bernie Sanders, even if I am wholly against both - if it means that, for once in their entitled and "participation trophy-awarded" little lives, my generation will finally stand for something and fight for it.
Again, the odds are almost completely stacked against them. The odds are, by my guesstimation, to be at least 90+% that this will be a fight that they will lose. But I hope they fight away. I hope they make the Democratic Party leadership choosing Hillary Clinton as difficult as possible. I hope they make the leadership pull all of their con games and other chicanery cards out, and very much in public, and make the leadership look in all the worst ways possible in order to get their desired candidate on the ballot. I hope that my generation will help expose the Democratic leadership to be the party of corruption that I've long known them to be. I could point it out to my fellow Millennials until I was blue in the face, but it's going to take being conned by the party before they will see it. But they will only see it if they keep on fighting for Bernie, and they will only see it if they get burned by the party when the party finally selects Hillary.
So, despite my preferences for a GOP candidate, I hope my fellow Millennials fight for Bernie - in fact, I wholly encourage them to do so, even if it means dealing with the expected disappointment in the end, because it will mean that, for once in their lives, they fought for something, even if they fought for it and lost, so long as they participated in the battle. And in the process, they will have helped expose the Democratic party for ALL to see. I will be honest in admitting that I hope that the Democratic party crashes and burns, and collapses in a heap under the weight of their corruption, because that's what it's going to take for the party to finally, finally change.
And if this indeed happens, then it will be my fellow Millennials who will be there to pick up the pieces. This is why I said in the title of this post that they are the heart and soul of the Democratic party's future. So the battle for Bernie is for more than just for 2016, it's for all the upcoming elections in the near future, when the Baby Boomers step down and retire, and the next generation - my generation - takes their place. You can either follow in the footsteps of the past generations, and continue all the ugliness that comes with it, or you can make your own footsteps, into a new and brighter future.
So please, my friends, choose the latter. We can always talk about your mistaken attachment to Socialism another time. ;-)
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Hello! Welcome to my blog!
If you're here because you read my FB post about posting to my blog while I am AFK for 40 Days from FB, then hello! ^.^
Unlike in recent years, in which I went AFK from both FB and my blog for Lent, this time around I will be posting to my blog during Lent, because I haven't shown my poor blog much love in quite awhile, and it's not really "stepping away" if I'm not here on my blog anyway.
So in the coming 40 days, I'll try to catch up on many topics that I didn't cover on FB, and at the same time, I'll reinvigorate those writing muscles that I used to cut my writing teeth during my pre-FB days.
Stay tuned, my friends! More to come! :-D
Unlike in recent years, in which I went AFK from both FB and my blog for Lent, this time around I will be posting to my blog during Lent, because I haven't shown my poor blog much love in quite awhile, and it's not really "stepping away" if I'm not here on my blog anyway.
So in the coming 40 days, I'll try to catch up on many topics that I didn't cover on FB, and at the same time, I'll reinvigorate those writing muscles that I used to cut my writing teeth during my pre-FB days.
Stay tuned, my friends! More to come! :-D
Monday, December 28, 2015
Science!
(Note: This post originally appeared in my FB account. I'm posting it here for future reference)
First, read the story, and read the comic, so that you and I can both say we read it. Let's get that part out of the way first. I'll wait. :-)
I hope by now that you've read both, and haven't skipped them and instead continued on to this sentence. If any of you respond, then I'm going to ask if you read the story and comic, and if you haven't then I'm just going to ignore you until you do.
Now, let's assume that you've read both. And now, know that I understand *and support* the benefit of vaccines, so don't get the wrong idea when I bring up a certain question that I'm about to get to. Most of the time, when people ask about new vaccines or medicines, there will be others who have what I call a "science-ism" mentality - that is, they believe that science trumps all, even debates about science, so they'll simply shout "Science!" and that is supposed to close any debate or discussion on a given scientific issue.
First, read the story, and read the comic, so that you and I can both say we read it. Let's get that part out of the way first. I'll wait. :-)
I hope by now that you've read both, and haven't skipped them and instead continued on to this sentence. If any of you respond, then I'm going to ask if you read the story and comic, and if you haven't then I'm just going to ignore you until you do.
Now, let's assume that you've read both. And now, know that I understand *and support* the benefit of vaccines, so don't get the wrong idea when I bring up a certain question that I'm about to get to. Most of the time, when people ask about new vaccines or medicines, there will be others who have what I call a "science-ism" mentality - that is, they believe that science trumps all, even debates about science, so they'll simply shout "Science!" and that is supposed to close any debate or discussion on a given scientific issue.
However, as the cartoon itself demonstrates, it's rather easy for bad
people to cloak themselves in "Science!" clothing, and cause all kinds
of problems because trying to debate people who shout "Science!" is met
with looks of disgust and claims of clinging to backwards superstitions
and old wives' tales. Then it takes a real long time for the real
science to catch up to the "Science!" and refute it, and by then,
millions have been spent (and usually of taxpayer money!) and much harm
has been caused, all because some doofus shouted "Science!" and no
debate was allowed.
So my question is this: With so much misinformation and bad "science" out there, how is the regular layman supposed to know what to do? I'm not particularly fond of the cartoon, despite its attempt to clarify much misinformation (which it did accomplish, I will add), but it came across as condescending at times, and I don't like "scientific facts" being presented along with condescending humor, because it only adds to the "Science!" atmosphere that already causes too many problems in our society. When "science" is presented along with condescension, then that screams to me "Science!" rather than science as it should be presented. Call me suspicious, but that's how I roll, as many of you should know about me by now.
So my question is this: With so much misinformation and bad "science" out there, how is the regular layman supposed to know what to do? I'm not particularly fond of the cartoon, despite its attempt to clarify much misinformation (which it did accomplish, I will add), but it came across as condescending at times, and I don't like "scientific facts" being presented along with condescending humor, because it only adds to the "Science!" atmosphere that already causes too many problems in our society. When "science" is presented along with condescension, then that screams to me "Science!" rather than science as it should be presented. Call me suspicious, but that's how I roll, as many of you should know about me by now.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
New Commission Contest! SLAVE LEIA ANDROMEDA!! YEEEAAHHH!!!
Back in your teen years, you drooled over Slave Leia! Yeah, you know you did!
Now is your chance to relive those long-ago teen days with this commission contest to combine your teen idol with The Mighty One herself in:
Yes, my little nerdlings, in honor of the upcoming Star Wars movie, we are hosting a contest to find the best artwork for a chance to appear in the second issue of The Mighty Andromeda - and get paid a commission, to boot! Of course, there are rules for this contest, and here they are!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
* This is going to be a mash-up of Carrie Fisher's Slave Leia and The Mighty Andromeda. Just to note, Carrie Fisher is short, like 5 foot 1, while TMO is 6 foot 1, so make sure that you reflect that height difference! Also remember that TMO has very long brown hair, and blue eyes, and her curves are more abundant that Carrie Fisher's, so make sure that your art reflects that this is TMO wearing the gold bikini that made the world lose its shit!
* The finished art will need to be in a format to fit on a standard comic page, either vertically or horizontally (aka, "portrait" or "landscape").
* Along with a chance for the winning entry to appear in the pages of TMA#2, the winner will also be paid a commission of $50 USD! WHOOHOO!!! Free Market Capitalism works again! :-D
* If you choose to participate, then note that what you'll be sending us at first is ROUGH DRAFT ART! That is, DON'T send finished art yet! Your entry will need to be in pencils, and completed enough so that we can see what scene you're trying to play out in your art. IF you want to add some color in order to give a better idea of how the finished work might look, it's up to you, but just like the pencils, keep it loose and don't spend a lot of time on it - but again, color is NOT necessary at this stage. We just need enough to see where your idea is going.
* You can also send more than one entry if you wish, but just make sure they're rough drafts.
* You will need a PayPal account in order to get paid if you win, because we ain't sending a check by mail, and we certainly ain't sending cash!
* The winning entry, once submitted to us, will belong to the boss, John P. Araujo, - FOR. EV. VER. That is, it becomes the property of the boss, for him to use in whatever format he desires, wherever he may desire to use it, FOR. EV. VER. Just be aware of that, okay?
* As stated above, the winning entry has a chance to appear in TMA#2, but we don't want just any ol' artwork, we want something FABULOUS!! So make sure you do your dang-di-doodliest best to make it spectacular!
* As for the content of the artwork, that's up to you. Of course, it needs to have Andromeda wearing the Slave Leia costume, but you decide whether TMO is in a scene from Return of the Jedi, or if she is at a Star Wars convention, or a comicon, or some other environment that would make sense for such a set-up. You COULD do just a simple, straight pin-up, but while we would still pay the winning entry the $50 commission, a basic pin-up is not what we'd like to run in TMA#2, so keep that in mind.
* Send your rough drafts to this email address: tcucomicsnerd@yahoo.com, and in the subject line, put: SLAVE LEIA ANDROMEDA CONTEST
--------------------------------------------------------------------
And them's the rules!
The contest starts - hey, TODAY! - and your rough draft entries will need to be sent to us no later than one month from now, October 15, 2015.
If your entry is selected, then you will have until December 15th to complete your entry, so that we have time to announce the winner on the date of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on December 18th. We will do our best to decide a winner as quickly as possible to give the winning artist time to complete the work.
One last note: The artist will get paid once the winning entry is in our greedy little hands. Remember that you will need a PayPal account to get paid.
Thanks, my friends, and best of luck to you all!
Now is your chance to relive those long-ago teen days with this commission contest to combine your teen idol with The Mighty One herself in:
SLAVE LEIA ANDROMEDA!!
Yes, my little nerdlings, in honor of the upcoming Star Wars movie, we are hosting a contest to find the best artwork for a chance to appear in the second issue of The Mighty Andromeda - and get paid a commission, to boot! Of course, there are rules for this contest, and here they are!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
* This is going to be a mash-up of Carrie Fisher's Slave Leia and The Mighty Andromeda. Just to note, Carrie Fisher is short, like 5 foot 1, while TMO is 6 foot 1, so make sure that you reflect that height difference! Also remember that TMO has very long brown hair, and blue eyes, and her curves are more abundant that Carrie Fisher's, so make sure that your art reflects that this is TMO wearing the gold bikini that made the world lose its shit!
* The finished art will need to be in a format to fit on a standard comic page, either vertically or horizontally (aka, "portrait" or "landscape").
* Along with a chance for the winning entry to appear in the pages of TMA#2, the winner will also be paid a commission of $50 USD! WHOOHOO!!! Free Market Capitalism works again! :-D
* If you choose to participate, then note that what you'll be sending us at first is ROUGH DRAFT ART! That is, DON'T send finished art yet! Your entry will need to be in pencils, and completed enough so that we can see what scene you're trying to play out in your art. IF you want to add some color in order to give a better idea of how the finished work might look, it's up to you, but just like the pencils, keep it loose and don't spend a lot of time on it - but again, color is NOT necessary at this stage. We just need enough to see where your idea is going.
* You can also send more than one entry if you wish, but just make sure they're rough drafts.
* You will need a PayPal account in order to get paid if you win, because we ain't sending a check by mail, and we certainly ain't sending cash!
* The winning entry, once submitted to us, will belong to the boss, John P. Araujo, - FOR. EV. VER. That is, it becomes the property of the boss, for him to use in whatever format he desires, wherever he may desire to use it, FOR. EV. VER. Just be aware of that, okay?
* As stated above, the winning entry has a chance to appear in TMA#2, but we don't want just any ol' artwork, we want something FABULOUS!! So make sure you do your dang-di-doodliest best to make it spectacular!
* As for the content of the artwork, that's up to you. Of course, it needs to have Andromeda wearing the Slave Leia costume, but you decide whether TMO is in a scene from Return of the Jedi, or if she is at a Star Wars convention, or a comicon, or some other environment that would make sense for such a set-up. You COULD do just a simple, straight pin-up, but while we would still pay the winning entry the $50 commission, a basic pin-up is not what we'd like to run in TMA#2, so keep that in mind.
* Send your rough drafts to this email address: tcucomicsnerd@yahoo.com, and in the subject line, put: SLAVE LEIA ANDROMEDA CONTEST
--------------------------------------------------------------------
And them's the rules!
The contest starts - hey, TODAY! - and your rough draft entries will need to be sent to us no later than one month from now, October 15, 2015.
If your entry is selected, then you will have until December 15th to complete your entry, so that we have time to announce the winner on the date of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on December 18th. We will do our best to decide a winner as quickly as possible to give the winning artist time to complete the work.
One last note: The artist will get paid once the winning entry is in our greedy little hands. Remember that you will need a PayPal account to get paid.
Thanks, my friends, and best of luck to you all!
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Millennials: The most aborted generation in human history
It's been awhile since I've shown my blog some love, and even longer since I spoke on an issue, but the recent videos on Planned Parenthood has spurred me to answer a frequent question as to why I, a millennial, am pro-life. It's a real easy answer: I am pro-life because my generation is the most aborted generation in human history - some estimates have at least a third of our brothers and sisters never having made it out of the womb.
It's also easy to explain how this happened. Our parents, the baby boomers, were at their most fertile time during our origins, roughly the late 1970s and into the early 1990s, and they were also awash in the ideology of "my body, my choice", and flush with the "If it feels good, do it" philosophy that was going on at the time. "Doing it", for the most part, translated into "lots and lots of sex", because holding back on your sexual urges meant that you were repressed and you needed to be free, so you just went nuts on the copulation. They were, of course, also supposed to be using birth control, and many did, but many did not, because you know - passion of the moment often got in the way. Also, it's theoretically possible to get pregnant despite the use of some birth controls. So with the largest generation in human history going nutzo with the promiscuity, the logical outcome would be many, many unplanned pregnancies.
And those "unplanned pregnancies" were us, the millennials. Well, they were pregnant, but thanks to the new attitudes about pregnancy and motherhood, they didn't have to stay that way, and a good third of them did not! So our generation was the recipient - more accurately, the victim - of this new way of thinking, and we are missing brothers and sisters that we should be growing up with right now. So this is why I am pro-life - for my brothers and sisters that couldn't be here with me right here and right now. Having to explain all this is mind-boggling to me, but I apparently need to, because many of my generation seem to think that we all should be "down" with this line of thinking as well. Many of my generation also seem to be "down" with socialism, and that really boggles my mind, because socialism is the greatest inhibitor and destroyer of human rights in human history, so why would I be "down" with that?
Also puzzling to me is the belief that millennials should view that aborting their own children shows that they've "arrived". Given how extensively our parents aborted our generation, why would it be a point of pride that we abort our own children? If anything, this makes us worse than our parents, and not better, because rather than learn from our own victimization, we instead continue it with our own children. But it's said that patterns of abuse in one generation usually continue into the next generation, so this really shouldn't be surprising.
So I will be pro-life, for the reasons I listed above, because I think it's the best way to break the cycle of abuse begun by our parents. If I must stand alone in this belief, then so be it. I'd rather stand alone and be right than be in a crowd and be wrong. I am very much a people person, but I'm not afraid to be alone if it comes to that.
This is why I, a millennial, am pro-life.
Oh, one last note: Those unborn children that you're seeing in those PP videos? Those aren't the children of baby boomers - they're the children of millennials! We have become our parents!
It's also easy to explain how this happened. Our parents, the baby boomers, were at their most fertile time during our origins, roughly the late 1970s and into the early 1990s, and they were also awash in the ideology of "my body, my choice", and flush with the "If it feels good, do it" philosophy that was going on at the time. "Doing it", for the most part, translated into "lots and lots of sex", because holding back on your sexual urges meant that you were repressed and you needed to be free, so you just went nuts on the copulation. They were, of course, also supposed to be using birth control, and many did, but many did not, because you know - passion of the moment often got in the way. Also, it's theoretically possible to get pregnant despite the use of some birth controls. So with the largest generation in human history going nutzo with the promiscuity, the logical outcome would be many, many unplanned pregnancies.
And those "unplanned pregnancies" were us, the millennials. Well, they were pregnant, but thanks to the new attitudes about pregnancy and motherhood, they didn't have to stay that way, and a good third of them did not! So our generation was the recipient - more accurately, the victim - of this new way of thinking, and we are missing brothers and sisters that we should be growing up with right now. So this is why I am pro-life - for my brothers and sisters that couldn't be here with me right here and right now. Having to explain all this is mind-boggling to me, but I apparently need to, because many of my generation seem to think that we all should be "down" with this line of thinking as well. Many of my generation also seem to be "down" with socialism, and that really boggles my mind, because socialism is the greatest inhibitor and destroyer of human rights in human history, so why would I be "down" with that?
Also puzzling to me is the belief that millennials should view that aborting their own children shows that they've "arrived". Given how extensively our parents aborted our generation, why would it be a point of pride that we abort our own children? If anything, this makes us worse than our parents, and not better, because rather than learn from our own victimization, we instead continue it with our own children. But it's said that patterns of abuse in one generation usually continue into the next generation, so this really shouldn't be surprising.
So I will be pro-life, for the reasons I listed above, because I think it's the best way to break the cycle of abuse begun by our parents. If I must stand alone in this belief, then so be it. I'd rather stand alone and be right than be in a crowd and be wrong. I am very much a people person, but I'm not afraid to be alone if it comes to that.
This is why I, a millennial, am pro-life.
Oh, one last note: Those unborn children that you're seeing in those PP videos? Those aren't the children of baby boomers - they're the children of millennials! We have become our parents!
Saturday, May 2, 2015
It's Free Comic Book Day! And you get a free comic from me! Sort of!
Hello, my little nerdlings!
In the spirit of Free Comic Book Day, at the suggestion of one of our FB BFFs (Scott Markley, creator of Unconscious), the boss has approved the release of the first chapter (of a total of four) of the upcoming The Mighty Andromeda #1 (still scheduled to come out this year) to my blog!
The chapter below comes at a time before everyone's favorite busty superhero comic nerd became The Mighty One, which means that it precedes the superhuman uprising from five years ago, a landmark event in TMO's universe that ultimately led her to donning the costume and the role of a superhero.
So read on and enjoy, and know that much more is to come when the book comes out. A special thank-you to Martheus Wade the artist, to the colorist Andrew Chandler, and to the letterer, Justin Carmona, who along with the boss (the writer) put together the pages that you see below.
And hey, don't forget to visit your local participating comic shop for your free comics! And other comics! That you'll have to buy if you want them! But you'll buy them because you love comics! I hope you enjoy this sneak preview, and I hope you'll be ready, willing, and able to buy the book when it comes out!
Thank you, and have a great day reading your free comics! ^.^
In the spirit of Free Comic Book Day, at the suggestion of one of our FB BFFs (Scott Markley, creator of Unconscious), the boss has approved the release of the first chapter (of a total of four) of the upcoming The Mighty Andromeda #1 (still scheduled to come out this year) to my blog!
The chapter below comes at a time before everyone's favorite busty superhero comic nerd became The Mighty One, which means that it precedes the superhuman uprising from five years ago, a landmark event in TMO's universe that ultimately led her to donning the costume and the role of a superhero.
So read on and enjoy, and know that much more is to come when the book comes out. A special thank-you to Martheus Wade the artist, to the colorist Andrew Chandler, and to the letterer, Justin Carmona, who along with the boss (the writer) put together the pages that you see below.
And hey, don't forget to visit your local participating comic shop for your free comics! And other comics! That you'll have to buy if you want them! But you'll buy them because you love comics! I hope you enjoy this sneak preview, and I hope you'll be ready, willing, and able to buy the book when it comes out!
Thank you, and have a great day reading your free comics! ^.^
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Andi's back, yes she is! News and notes
Aaaaaaand….. I am back!
Hi, everyone! Well, it’s been a very restful sabbatical, but now I’m ready to hit the ground running and get back into the thick of things! I’m going to just rattle off a list of things in no particular order, just to get my creative juices flowing again. So here goes!
The Comic
Is making progress! We are nearly three chapters (of four) into completion, with only the last chapter to go! If all goes well, then we should be looking at mid-summer for when the book is ready (after a hopefully successful Kickstarter campaign, of course!). Yes, I know that this has taken longer than expected, but this is the first go-round for the boss in making a comic, so he had to learn everything from scratch. The good news is that, once he’s gotten one book out of the way, then he’ll have the benefit of experience for when it comes to future issues, which should speed things up a bit. I know that he’s gotten the script for the second issue near completion, so he’s already gotten a head start on that, and he’s also gotten one artist lined up to do one of the chapters for the second book.
From discussions we’ve had, I know that he’s gotten the storylines set up for the books after that, building up to the completion of the first story arc at around issue 5 or 6, after which, if we’re still fortunate to be up and publishing, he should be ready for the big announcement! I can’t reveal that right now, because other things need to happen first, but know that if all goes well, I shall be letting you all know what that big news is when the time comes. Just consider this my little blurb to encourage you all to help us out by buying the book when it's available, so that we can get to that end of the first story arc, and I’ll do my best to help prod the boss into making a quality product worth your hard-earned money! As for me, I am just bouncing around in excitement as the book gets closer and closer to reality! Dare to chase your dreams, my friends!
Andi the Blogger webcomic
During my sabbatical, I had discussions with the boss about what we could do to fill the time in between issues of The Mighty One, and the one idea that seemed to appeal to both of us is a semi-regular comic feature here on my blog called “Andi the Blogger (ATB)”, which will be a cartoony version of TMO (so as to be distinct from TMO as she will be represented in the book). What ATB will consist of is “illustrated” blog posts; that is, my usual blog posts written by me, and as illustrated by the boss. This will also be a way to show my blog some love. I've really cut back on my blogging in recent years, and I'd like to get back to it, because it was here that it all began.
For a blog post to be made into an ATB comic, it will need to written in such a way as to inspire an illustration to go with it. We’re still working out the criteria for that, but basically, something about the blog post under consideration to be illustrated will need to justify the extra work for the boss to illustrate it. In other words, the blog post would need to make its point better as a comic strip than if I had just written it as the usual written blog post. More details to come on that, but I like the idea a lot, and I hope you will, too. One idea for a ATB comic page is Andi meeting and introducing various new comics by independent comic creators, but first things first - we are going to try the webcomic first, before we decide to have something like guest appearances and guest strips (especially for when I take my annual Lenten sabbaticals).
Moar awesum pin-upz!
Also while I was away, the boss was hard at work getting more pin-ups of everyone’s favorite busty superhero comic nerd! Friends, I KNOW that you will love them! Gah! I can’t wait for you to see them! One of them will be made into a t-shirt that you will want to wear to show off to all your nerdy little friends. That t-shirt is planned to be part of an online fundraiser to help the boss learn what’s involved in running an online fundraiser, so as to help him with getting the Kickstarter set up later. I think the art for the t-shirt will be worth the price for buying the shirt, and once you see the art, I truly believe that you’ll agree. And of course, there’s other awesome pin-up artwork to show, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself by blurting out something that needs my usual build-ups as I introduce them. Patience, friends – it WILL be worth the wait!
Book reviews
I haven’t done a book review in quite some time, so it’s time for me to get back to that. First up will be Stuart Black’s 4Horsefemmes, followed afterwards by Scott Markley’s Unconscious (called “Uncy” for short). While I was away, the boss handed me a pile of their books to go through – like I needed a lot of persuasion to read comics! I won’t give away my opinions of the book yet, other than to say that I enjoyed reading them all. Plus, I always enjoy doing my part to help the independent comic creator cause.
Yes, I'm still a right-wing nutjob
The political season for the 2016 presidential election is officially under way, with two candidates having announced. As has been the case for nearly the entire time that I've had a blog, I will be making the occasional post on topics and news stories of the day. It's just how I roll, Sunshine, as most of you know. :-)
I will say, though, that I think Hillary Clinton should just retire. In fact, I think all baby boomer politicians should just step down and stop pretending that it's still the 1960s. The 60s were fifty years ago! That's half a century! The world has changed since their happy hippie heydays! Go home - you're drunk! Getting back to Hillary, seriously man - her lies suck so bad it's not even funny. THIS is what the Dems want as their candidate? There's truly no one better? Honestly? The very idea of a Hillary presidency horrifies me to no end. All the more reason that the GOP needs to pick a quality candidate, and not the usual "Democrat-Lite" that we've been getting ever since I came of age to vote. Damn, I want a candidate to vote for that's a better reason than "better than having a Democrat in office!" I'm really tired of "hold your nose" voting. Please GOP, give me something to look forward to!
More to come, folks.
Superheroes and Comics on TV
My current favorite superhero on TV is The Flash! I just love it! I haven't really kept up with the others, like Arrow, or iZombie. Those really haven't excited me like The Flash. I kept up loyally with The Walking Dead for a time, but I stopped watching it sometime this season. I'm not sure what caused me to lose interest - I suppose it's because there's only so much watching of the shooting up of walking corpses that I could take. I mean, how many ways can they show the destroying of zombies before it gets repetitive? I think the zombie fad has kinda died off for me. I'll discuss The Flash some more at another time.
And that's it for now, friends. I will do my best to be more diligent about posting to my blog on a regular basis - in fact, that's what we hope ATB will encourage me to do - to post more regularly. In the meantime, see you all on Facebook!
Hi, everyone! Well, it’s been a very restful sabbatical, but now I’m ready to hit the ground running and get back into the thick of things! I’m going to just rattle off a list of things in no particular order, just to get my creative juices flowing again. So here goes!
The Comic
Is making progress! We are nearly three chapters (of four) into completion, with only the last chapter to go! If all goes well, then we should be looking at mid-summer for when the book is ready (after a hopefully successful Kickstarter campaign, of course!). Yes, I know that this has taken longer than expected, but this is the first go-round for the boss in making a comic, so he had to learn everything from scratch. The good news is that, once he’s gotten one book out of the way, then he’ll have the benefit of experience for when it comes to future issues, which should speed things up a bit. I know that he’s gotten the script for the second issue near completion, so he’s already gotten a head start on that, and he’s also gotten one artist lined up to do one of the chapters for the second book.
From discussions we’ve had, I know that he’s gotten the storylines set up for the books after that, building up to the completion of the first story arc at around issue 5 or 6, after which, if we’re still fortunate to be up and publishing, he should be ready for the big announcement! I can’t reveal that right now, because other things need to happen first, but know that if all goes well, I shall be letting you all know what that big news is when the time comes. Just consider this my little blurb to encourage you all to help us out by buying the book when it's available, so that we can get to that end of the first story arc, and I’ll do my best to help prod the boss into making a quality product worth your hard-earned money! As for me, I am just bouncing around in excitement as the book gets closer and closer to reality! Dare to chase your dreams, my friends!
Andi the Blogger webcomic
During my sabbatical, I had discussions with the boss about what we could do to fill the time in between issues of The Mighty One, and the one idea that seemed to appeal to both of us is a semi-regular comic feature here on my blog called “Andi the Blogger (ATB)”, which will be a cartoony version of TMO (so as to be distinct from TMO as she will be represented in the book). What ATB will consist of is “illustrated” blog posts; that is, my usual blog posts written by me, and as illustrated by the boss. This will also be a way to show my blog some love. I've really cut back on my blogging in recent years, and I'd like to get back to it, because it was here that it all began.
For a blog post to be made into an ATB comic, it will need to written in such a way as to inspire an illustration to go with it. We’re still working out the criteria for that, but basically, something about the blog post under consideration to be illustrated will need to justify the extra work for the boss to illustrate it. In other words, the blog post would need to make its point better as a comic strip than if I had just written it as the usual written blog post. More details to come on that, but I like the idea a lot, and I hope you will, too. One idea for a ATB comic page is Andi meeting and introducing various new comics by independent comic creators, but first things first - we are going to try the webcomic first, before we decide to have something like guest appearances and guest strips (especially for when I take my annual Lenten sabbaticals).
Moar awesum pin-upz!
Also while I was away, the boss was hard at work getting more pin-ups of everyone’s favorite busty superhero comic nerd! Friends, I KNOW that you will love them! Gah! I can’t wait for you to see them! One of them will be made into a t-shirt that you will want to wear to show off to all your nerdy little friends. That t-shirt is planned to be part of an online fundraiser to help the boss learn what’s involved in running an online fundraiser, so as to help him with getting the Kickstarter set up later. I think the art for the t-shirt will be worth the price for buying the shirt, and once you see the art, I truly believe that you’ll agree. And of course, there’s other awesome pin-up artwork to show, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself by blurting out something that needs my usual build-ups as I introduce them. Patience, friends – it WILL be worth the wait!
Book reviews
I haven’t done a book review in quite some time, so it’s time for me to get back to that. First up will be Stuart Black’s 4Horsefemmes, followed afterwards by Scott Markley’s Unconscious (called “Uncy” for short). While I was away, the boss handed me a pile of their books to go through – like I needed a lot of persuasion to read comics! I won’t give away my opinions of the book yet, other than to say that I enjoyed reading them all. Plus, I always enjoy doing my part to help the independent comic creator cause.
Yes, I'm still a right-wing nutjob
The political season for the 2016 presidential election is officially under way, with two candidates having announced. As has been the case for nearly the entire time that I've had a blog, I will be making the occasional post on topics and news stories of the day. It's just how I roll, Sunshine, as most of you know. :-)
I will say, though, that I think Hillary Clinton should just retire. In fact, I think all baby boomer politicians should just step down and stop pretending that it's still the 1960s. The 60s were fifty years ago! That's half a century! The world has changed since their happy hippie heydays! Go home - you're drunk! Getting back to Hillary, seriously man - her lies suck so bad it's not even funny. THIS is what the Dems want as their candidate? There's truly no one better? Honestly? The very idea of a Hillary presidency horrifies me to no end. All the more reason that the GOP needs to pick a quality candidate, and not the usual "Democrat-Lite" that we've been getting ever since I came of age to vote. Damn, I want a candidate to vote for that's a better reason than "better than having a Democrat in office!" I'm really tired of "hold your nose" voting. Please GOP, give me something to look forward to!
More to come, folks.
Superheroes and Comics on TV
My current favorite superhero on TV is The Flash! I just love it! I haven't really kept up with the others, like Arrow, or iZombie. Those really haven't excited me like The Flash. I kept up loyally with The Walking Dead for a time, but I stopped watching it sometime this season. I'm not sure what caused me to lose interest - I suppose it's because there's only so much watching of the shooting up of walking corpses that I could take. I mean, how many ways can they show the destroying of zombies before it gets repetitive? I think the zombie fad has kinda died off for me. I'll discuss The Flash some more at another time.
And that's it for now, friends. I will do my best to be more diligent about posting to my blog on a regular basis - in fact, that's what we hope ATB will encourage me to do - to post more regularly. In the meantime, see you all on Facebook!
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Time once again for AFK for 40 Days
Yes, friends - the first post on my blog this year, and it's just to let you know that it's time for my annual AFK for 40 Days. :-P
I have not shown my poor blog much love since I've been on Facebook, but hey - at least you hear more from me there, right? And it's not like I don't have anything to write about here; it's just not enough time! SO much to do, so little time! Ain't that how it always goes?
Anywhoo...
If you're new to the world of The Mighty Andromeda, then welcome! The Mighty One's very first comic is progressing nicely, and when I come back from my Lenten sabbatical, I should be much closer to a completed comic! YEEEAAAAHH!!!
I know it's frustrating to not have the comic out yet, but these things take time, especially if the first one off the block is going to be amazing enough for you all to want the second one off the block. And the third. And the fifth. And so on. You get the idea - the first one needs to be as best as we can make it, because if you aren't impressed with the first book, then why should you buy the second book? And truth be told, I think we made the first book even better because of this delay than had we rushed it to production just because we wanted to have the book out sooner rather than later.
But yeah, like I'm sure it is with the rest of you, I'm ready for this book to come out! :-D
Coming up soon will be the boss' "trial run" online fundraiser, which will occur while I'm away (if all goes according to plan, that is). This test run is to help the boss to understand what is involved in putting out an online fundraiser, so that he has some experience in doing one before we put out the Kickstarter for the book. Makes sense, yes? Anyway, I've given him the okay to put the promotion for the test run fundraiser on my own FB wall rather than the TMA FB group, because my own wall gets more eyeballs than the FB group does - and if the fundraiser is going to work as planned, then it needs to be posted where most people will see it. Marketing, people!
I have already given him the "blurb" to promote the test run fundraiser, so he'll have it when he's good to go on it. So when it hits, help him out! :-)
Okay, one last thing: Unlike in the past AFK for 40 Days, in which I was gone the whole time, this time around I will be checking my FB mail on Sundays, but ONLY VERY BRIEFLY. With the coming of the comic being so close now, we thought that it would be best for me to check my mail at least once a week in case anything important related to the comic came up, and if it did, then I would forward it to him to handle. So if you have anything to say to me while I'm away, go ahead and mail me there; just understand that it may be a week before I respond. Again, the plan is to be on FB on Sundays very briefly - long enough to check my mail - and then log back off. I won't engage in any chats or discussion threads or so forth, because I want to stay consistent with my sabbatical as much as possible, so please understand when I don't respond as usual.
I think that's it, friends. Please be excellent to one another while I'm away. I hope to have happy news when I get back. Bye, my little nerdlings! :-)
Andi
I have not shown my poor blog much love since I've been on Facebook, but hey - at least you hear more from me there, right? And it's not like I don't have anything to write about here; it's just not enough time! SO much to do, so little time! Ain't that how it always goes?
Anywhoo...
If you're new to the world of The Mighty Andromeda, then welcome! The Mighty One's very first comic is progressing nicely, and when I come back from my Lenten sabbatical, I should be much closer to a completed comic! YEEEAAAAHH!!!
I know it's frustrating to not have the comic out yet, but these things take time, especially if the first one off the block is going to be amazing enough for you all to want the second one off the block. And the third. And the fifth. And so on. You get the idea - the first one needs to be as best as we can make it, because if you aren't impressed with the first book, then why should you buy the second book? And truth be told, I think we made the first book even better because of this delay than had we rushed it to production just because we wanted to have the book out sooner rather than later.
But yeah, like I'm sure it is with the rest of you, I'm ready for this book to come out! :-D
Coming up soon will be the boss' "trial run" online fundraiser, which will occur while I'm away (if all goes according to plan, that is). This test run is to help the boss to understand what is involved in putting out an online fundraiser, so that he has some experience in doing one before we put out the Kickstarter for the book. Makes sense, yes? Anyway, I've given him the okay to put the promotion for the test run fundraiser on my own FB wall rather than the TMA FB group, because my own wall gets more eyeballs than the FB group does - and if the fundraiser is going to work as planned, then it needs to be posted where most people will see it. Marketing, people!
I have already given him the "blurb" to promote the test run fundraiser, so he'll have it when he's good to go on it. So when it hits, help him out! :-)
Okay, one last thing: Unlike in the past AFK for 40 Days, in which I was gone the whole time, this time around I will be checking my FB mail on Sundays, but ONLY VERY BRIEFLY. With the coming of the comic being so close now, we thought that it would be best for me to check my mail at least once a week in case anything important related to the comic came up, and if it did, then I would forward it to him to handle. So if you have anything to say to me while I'm away, go ahead and mail me there; just understand that it may be a week before I respond. Again, the plan is to be on FB on Sundays very briefly - long enough to check my mail - and then log back off. I won't engage in any chats or discussion threads or so forth, because I want to stay consistent with my sabbatical as much as possible, so please understand when I don't respond as usual.
I think that's it, friends. Please be excellent to one another while I'm away. I hope to have happy news when I get back. Bye, my little nerdlings! :-)
Andi
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
The Mighty One's first printed appearance EVER!!!!
Hello, friends!
Sorry that I haven't been on my blog very much for - well, pretty much all year! But I should be posting more next year, because my very first comic is scheduled to come out! :-D
Anyway, as the title of this post hints at, you can still purchase the VERY FIRST printed appearance of The Mighty One EVER! Yes, friends! This will be a collectors' item for that very reason! Just click on this link to buy the 2015 Creators United calendar!
Regular readers to my blog will remember this artwork from a couple of years ago. Just so that the artist gets his much-deserved credit, his name is Chris Butler, and the link is to his FB group. Show him some love, people!
But it's not just TMO contained within it's pages; you can also meet many of her superhero friends that she's come to know ever since she's joined a FB group called Creator United. It's through this great group that this calendar even exists, so please share the love by purchasing their products and helping the many awesome independent comic creators out there. You want alternatives to Marvel and DC? Here's where you look!
My thanks to you all for your support over the years as the boss and I have worked on putting out my first comic. It's getting close, friends! WHOOHOO!!! Here's a sneak preview to TMO's appearance in the calendar. She is on the page for January. :-)
So what are you waiting for? Go buy the calendar today! Heck, buy a hundred! LOL
Hey, and while I have you, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! The new year is coming, and so much to look forward to! I can't wait! GLEEEE!!!
Sorry that I haven't been on my blog very much for - well, pretty much all year! But I should be posting more next year, because my very first comic is scheduled to come out! :-D
Anyway, as the title of this post hints at, you can still purchase the VERY FIRST printed appearance of The Mighty One EVER! Yes, friends! This will be a collectors' item for that very reason! Just click on this link to buy the 2015 Creators United calendar!
Regular readers to my blog will remember this artwork from a couple of years ago. Just so that the artist gets his much-deserved credit, his name is Chris Butler, and the link is to his FB group. Show him some love, people!
But it's not just TMO contained within it's pages; you can also meet many of her superhero friends that she's come to know ever since she's joined a FB group called Creator United. It's through this great group that this calendar even exists, so please share the love by purchasing their products and helping the many awesome independent comic creators out there. You want alternatives to Marvel and DC? Here's where you look!
My thanks to you all for your support over the years as the boss and I have worked on putting out my first comic. It's getting close, friends! WHOOHOO!!! Here's a sneak preview to TMO's appearance in the calendar. She is on the page for January. :-)
So what are you waiting for? Go buy the calendar today! Heck, buy a hundred! LOL
Hey, and while I have you, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! The new year is coming, and so much to look forward to! I can't wait! GLEEEE!!!
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Coming in November: A bunch of art of The Mighty One! (and Lucky Shot, too!)
Alright, it's been almost two months since I've shown my blog some love, so come November, I am going to post some recent and almost recent artworks of The Mighty One and Lucky Shot that has been appearing on my Facebook page.
It's been great - awesome, even - to see so much new art on my FB site, but the artists who made these spectacular illustrations should also be shown here, where the online adventures of TMO started: the BSC blog. So if you haven't seen these artworks yet, then you're in for a real treat. Prepare to be amazed, my friends. :-)
It's been great - awesome, even - to see so much new art on my FB site, but the artists who made these spectacular illustrations should also be shown here, where the online adventures of TMO started: the BSC blog. So if you haven't seen these artworks yet, then you're in for a real treat. Prepare to be amazed, my friends. :-)
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Today begins "Laugh at the Odds" Independent Comics Awareness Month!
Hello, friends! :-D
As of today, we begin what I hope will become an annual tradition! I call it "Laugh at the Odds" Independent Comics Awareness Month (LatOICAM)! In short, all participants will join in the promoting of awareness of all the great independent comics out there, whether they are print comics, webcomics, or otherwise! Unlike the "Big Boys" of Marvel and DC, the indies totally depend on their readership to survive in the brutal comics industry! I hope to make each September the month to help show the love for indie creators! Here's what you do!
Everyone:
* Find or make yourself a Robin Hood hat, and shoot a video of yourself "laughing" at the virtually insurmountable odds that independent comic creators face! What you'll say leading up to the moment that you laugh out loud will depend upon if you are doing this as an independent creator, or as one of his or her fans!
Independent comic creators:
* For you guys and gals, you will start by saying something like: "I am (name), and I am the creator of (comic or webcomic), and I join my laughter at the odds with my fellow comic creators for September's "Laugh at the Odds Independent Comics Awareness Month! Please show the love to (other creators and their comics), because we all need your love! And I invite all my fans to join me in laughing at the odds, so please shoot a video of yourself laughing at the odds along with me! Know that I love and appreciate each and every one of you!"
Then put on your hat, put your hands on your hips, and let out a hearty laugh!
Fans of independent comic creators:
* For the fans of indies, your job in a very real sense is the most important of all, because you will be showing the love for your favorite independent comic creators! You will start by saying something like "Hello! I am participating in September's Laugh at the Odds Independent Comics Awareness Month by showing my love for (creator's name), creator of (comic or webcomic)! (creator's name), I love you! Please keep at it! I will be with your ALL. THE. WAY! I join my laughter at the odds with yours to show you my support, and I invite all the fans of (creator's name)'s work to join me in sharing our love and support for him/her! Here we go!"
Then put on your hat, put your hands on your hips, and let out a hearty laugh!
All professional, semi-pro, and novice cosplayers:
Yes, cosplayers are invited, because they share a very common love for comics, but in a different way, and for you guys, you can go all the way in decking out in a Robin Hood costume, just for the chance to show off your skillz! :-D
When you shoot your video, say something like: "Hello! I'm (name or cosplayer name), and I'm a cosplayer who joins my laughter at the odds with those of independent comic creators, because I know what it's like to labor for what you love! So for you indies, here's my contribution to Laugh at the Odds Independent Comics Awareness Month! Good luck indies! You got my support! Here we go!"
Then put your hands on your hips and let out a hearty laugh!
Feel free to cut and paste!
Yes, I'm aware that some of you out there won't be keen on linking to the blog post of a conservative right-wing nutjob, so feel free to cut-and-paste the above info to your Facebook wall or blog. I'm not out for personal credit or glory here, I just want to help spread the awareness of all the hard-working independent comic creators, because those guys and gals deserve it. This is bigger than me, so feel free to cut-and-paste to spread the word!
HAVE FUN, EVERYONE! ^.^
As of today, we begin what I hope will become an annual tradition! I call it "Laugh at the Odds" Independent Comics Awareness Month (LatOICAM)! In short, all participants will join in the promoting of awareness of all the great independent comics out there, whether they are print comics, webcomics, or otherwise! Unlike the "Big Boys" of Marvel and DC, the indies totally depend on their readership to survive in the brutal comics industry! I hope to make each September the month to help show the love for indie creators! Here's what you do!
Everyone:
* Find or make yourself a Robin Hood hat, and shoot a video of yourself "laughing" at the virtually insurmountable odds that independent comic creators face! What you'll say leading up to the moment that you laugh out loud will depend upon if you are doing this as an independent creator, or as one of his or her fans!
Independent comic creators:
* For you guys and gals, you will start by saying something like: "I am (name), and I am the creator of (comic or webcomic), and I join my laughter at the odds with my fellow comic creators for September's "Laugh at the Odds Independent Comics Awareness Month! Please show the love to (other creators and their comics), because we all need your love! And I invite all my fans to join me in laughing at the odds, so please shoot a video of yourself laughing at the odds along with me! Know that I love and appreciate each and every one of you!"
Then put on your hat, put your hands on your hips, and let out a hearty laugh!
Fans of independent comic creators:
* For the fans of indies, your job in a very real sense is the most important of all, because you will be showing the love for your favorite independent comic creators! You will start by saying something like "Hello! I am participating in September's Laugh at the Odds Independent Comics Awareness Month by showing my love for (creator's name), creator of (comic or webcomic)! (creator's name), I love you! Please keep at it! I will be with your ALL. THE. WAY! I join my laughter at the odds with yours to show you my support, and I invite all the fans of (creator's name)'s work to join me in sharing our love and support for him/her! Here we go!"
Then put on your hat, put your hands on your hips, and let out a hearty laugh!
All professional, semi-pro, and novice cosplayers:
Yes, cosplayers are invited, because they share a very common love for comics, but in a different way, and for you guys, you can go all the way in decking out in a Robin Hood costume, just for the chance to show off your skillz! :-D
When you shoot your video, say something like: "Hello! I'm (name or cosplayer name), and I'm a cosplayer who joins my laughter at the odds with those of independent comic creators, because I know what it's like to labor for what you love! So for you indies, here's my contribution to Laugh at the Odds Independent Comics Awareness Month! Good luck indies! You got my support! Here we go!"
Then put your hands on your hips and let out a hearty laugh!
Feel free to cut and paste!
Yes, I'm aware that some of you out there won't be keen on linking to the blog post of a conservative right-wing nutjob, so feel free to cut-and-paste the above info to your Facebook wall or blog. I'm not out for personal credit or glory here, I just want to help spread the awareness of all the hard-working independent comic creators, because those guys and gals deserve it. This is bigger than me, so feel free to cut-and-paste to spread the word!
HAVE FUN, EVERYONE! ^.^
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