Discovered Artist

I got an email just now saying, "You've been discovered! A video called Discovered Artists just got released and you're one of the artists." Here's a link to the video since the ability to imbed the video doesn't seem to be working.
I'm flattered to be discovered. There's no such thing as bad publicity. If I had my druthers, I'd have had them use different images and it's not good that the images are blurry.
Oh, well. Like I said, can't complain about free publicity. Oh, wait. I guess I just did.

Booklist

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith - I almost didn't read this because, let's face it, it just seems a little bit ridiculous. I thought, "Why waste your time on something you know is going to be silly." I was wrong. This book is quite good and the reason it works is because it handles the subject matter very seriously. What could have gone way over the top stays subtle and you find yourself almost wondering if it really didn't happen that way. I recommend it.

Ghostopolis by Doug Tennapel - Found this one at the library. A quick but fun read about a boy who accidentally gets pulled into the land of the dead.

3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man by Matt Kindt - Interesting tale of a (gasp) giant man. Heard it was being turned into a movie. Could be interesting.

Dead High Yearbook by various artists and writers - Weird anthology-style graphic novel I picked up at the library. Strange, macabre, gross...these are a few of my favorite things.

Lucy by Laurence Gonzales - I really enjoyed this story of a half-human, half bonobo chimp female. Typical in that you know the world will find out her secret and the religious right will go ape. All this does happen. What I liked about the book was the characters. You cared about Lucy, her friends and family. And it's a little bit odd to think that humans have tried to cross breed chimps and humans unsuccessfully...so far.

The Passage by Justin Cronin - This apocalyptic pseudo-vampire virus tale is one of this summer's hot reads...and I don't get it. I found it to be too long and boring. I didn't care about any of the characters and the story didn't make a bit of sense. If you want to read a fantastic apocalyptic tale, pick up Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon. You won't regret it.

The Way We Play

I've been listening to a podcast this morning from Radiowest called "The Way We Play." Click on the title to go there and listen yourself. Here's the synopsis of what's being discussed.

"Tucked into a neighborhood in west Salt Lake City is a bit of movie history. In the summer of 1992 a small, vacant field was the set of "The Sandlot." It's about a brand of baseball that's just not played anymore and about a kind of childhood that might not exist anymore. Almost 20 years later the lot's still there, but there aren't any kids in it. Monday on RadioWest, guest host Matthew LaPlante looks at how child's play has changed and what it means for growing up."

This has got me thinking about the difference between play when I was growing up and what I see now. When I was a kid, we were kicked out of the house and the neighborhood became a wonderland limited only by our imaginations. In fact, I did a collage about this very subject called "The Imagine Nation." (I'll insert it into this entry so you can see it) I haven't been blogging very much lately but I think I want to write about how my friends and I played when I was growing up. Stay tuned. I hope to begin very soon.

Booklist

Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis - Making my way thru the Narnia books I haven't read. Since Dawn Treader is the next movie, I figured I'd better get it read. More a series of vignettes than a continuing storyline. I'll be interested to see how they adapt it into a movie.

Red by Warren Ellis & Cully Hamner - Pretty great graphic novel about a former CIA operative who becomes active again and goes on a revenge driven killing spree. This is going to be a movie but based on the trailer they have expanded the story quite a bit.

JLA/Avengers by Kurt Busiek and George Perez - I love George Perez as an artist but this story was so dense it was impossible to penetrate. Too many characters doing too many things. Still, Perez's art is incredible.

Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer - This is a pretty good urban fantasy book that I ran across on the shelf in the library. I liked the concept and the characters enough that I hope there's a sequel. Basically the story revolves around a group of guardians keeping demons under lock and key in an old amusement park. Kinda fun.

Preacher: War in the Sun by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon -This series keeps my interest. It's very strange but interesting enough to continue. Really curious about how it will end.

The Astounding Wolf-Man Vol. 2 by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard - Pretty cool comic about a werewolf superhero. Kirkman is a hot commodity right now w/ Frank Darabont turning his The Walking Dead comic into a TV series. I wouldn't be surprised to see this book turned into a movie or something like that.

Area 51 by Robert Doherty - So boring and confusing I finally put it down.

Booklist

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey - This first book in a new YA series (although it was very intense for a YA book) centers around a scientist who concentrates on the study of monsters and his young ward. The story is set in 1888 when an infestation of anthopophagi (cannibalistic, headless monsters) hit American soil. The book started slow but I enjoyed it. The tone is dark and suspenseful. The book is very graphic and it shocked me to learn that it was a YA novel.

X-Men: First Class - Knights of Hykon - These X-books, set in the timeline when Claremont, Cockrum, and Byrne were working their magic with Marvel's mutants, are very enjoyable. The stories are very reminiscent of that time period. If only we could get Claremont, Byrne and Austin to return to the book. That would be incredible.

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden - Australia is invaded by a foreign power and a group of teenagers wage guerilla warfare to survive. Sounds like an Aussie version of Red Dawn, doesn't it? It's a YA series and I didn't enjoy the first book enough to continue.

Facebook: Blessing and Curse

Wow. I don't blog much anymore. I guess you can blame that on Facebook. Since there are 500-some-odd people following me on there, I don't feel the need to share too much on a blog that gets only a few hits a day. Facebook has been great for connecting to long-lost friends and keeping people up-to-date on my art career. What isn't so great about it is that I have to censor myself quite a bit. There are people I'm friends with that probably wouldn't appreciate some of my thoughts and feelings. I guess that's my fault. I should have been more choosy about who I friend on FB. But it's also good in a way. When I find myself wanting to be nitpicky and mean about something someone said on FB, I hold my tongue. There's no sense alienating every person I know on the planet just because I don't agree with their theology, politics or the fact that they can't spell.
So, I will continue to bite my tongue and keep the peace as I'm sure they are doing with me. I'll just keep ranting in my art where only a few can understand.

Booklist

I like doing these mini reviews better than the long, boring ones I was doing. So, I'm going to keep it up. In case you're wondering why I'm reading so many graphic novels, it's because a) I like them for the most part and b) I can't find any regular books to read that I like. Got any suggestions?

Kick-Ass by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. - The movie is better than the comic. I've never been a big fan of JRJR's artwork.

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan - These books are entertaining but very shallow when it comes to story and character. It's going to be awhile before we see another YA series that's as good as Harry Potter.

Welcome to Tranquility: Vol. 1 & 2 by Gail Simone and Neil Googe - It's about the fictional town of Tranquility, CA which is home to retired superheroes. Interesting premise (I understand there is a book by Stephen King that's similar) and good artwork. I liked it.

The Avengers: Nights of Wundagore by David Michelinie and John Byrne - This originally saw print in 1979 so I read it when I was in high school. I'm a huge fan of Byrne but didn't remember that they let Klaus Jansen ink his pencils. Jansen's inks are too dark for Byrne's work. The story is interesting though because it's the beginning of finding out that the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are Magneto's kids. Lots of crossover with X-Men back then...you know...when you could keep up with all the storylines because there weren't 1000 books per character being published per month.

Preacher: Ancient History by Garth Ennis, Steve Pugh, Carlos Ezquerra. - This book presented back stories of existing characters. Interesting to see the origin of the Saint of Killers and Arseface but the other story was crap. I didn't like Pugh's art at all but Ezquerra was all right. I'm ready to get back to the regular storyline.

Preacher: Dixie Fried by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon - More weirdness but back to the regular storyline. I'm going to keep going.

Uncanny X-Men: First Class/Hated and Feared by various writers and artists - I liked this. It hearkens back to the days when Claremont, Cockrum and Byrne were working their magic with Marvel's mutants. It's too bad we can't have Claremont, Byrne and Austin back to do some new stories. That would be something.

Sample Page from Masters: Collage Book

The book is officially published as of today. Here's the first of eight pages about me. At the suggestion of a friend, I think I will buy an extra book, pull the pages out and lay them flat for a high quality scan.
Anywho, still pretty exciting in an odd way. While it's way cool to be featured in a book, I'll be curious to see if this does anything to boost me into bigger and better things. Meanwhile, buy a book or better yet, buy one of my originals. Or both.

Booklist

Again, no time for long reviews. Here's a short look at what I've been reading lately.

Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman - Pretty cool novel in the superhero genre. Can't help but say it would have been nice to see it in comic form but it was great to use my imagination visualizing everything.

Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness, Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together, Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe by Bryan Lee O'Malley - Read these in prep for the new movie coming out. I hope Edgar Wright does something creative with this material. I'm sure he will.

The Hunt for Atlantis by Andy McDermott - Pretty standard action story in the vein of Clive Cussler, Preston/Child, James Rollins or Matthew Reilly. I may continue w/ the series. May not. Depends on how thin my reading list gets.

Hack/Slash Omnibus by various writers and artists - Picked this up on a whim at the library. Kinda fun in a bent sort of way.

Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 1 & 2 by Ed Brubaker, etc. - I loved Iron Fist when I was a kid especially the run John Byrne did on the series. This story was okay. Enjoyed the second more than the first.

THE BOOK!

I just got my comp copies of Masters: Collage via UPS! It looks amazing! I'm kinda stunned.
I was doing my back stretches when our buzzer went off. The phone thingy is broken so I can't communicate with whoever's down there so I don't usually buzz people in unless I'm expecting someone. I guess someone else buzzed him in because I looked out the window and saw the UPS guy leaving. We weren't expecting any packages so I went downstairs to see what was up and I discovered the box from Sterling Books with my name on it. It was then that my body and brain kinda went numb. I came back upstairs, opened the box, and pulled the book out. I then, slowly, found the pages featuring my art. Wow! I don't know what to say. It's really cool! Then I looked thru the rest of the book and saw all the other amazing artists and there work and I immediately thought, "What is my stuff doing in here?" I'm honored to be counted among all the talented artists that are also in the book.
Ha! Then reality snapped in after I found a typo on one of my pages and in my bio. It says I show extensively in Washington and California. I've never had a show in California. I guess we'll have to remedy that.
So, anyway, I'm a little excited. I don't know what this will mean for me and my art career down the road but for right now, it's pretty dang cool!
If you want to pre-order the book, there's a link here on my blog and at www.whatwouldjesusglue.com. It will be available to everyone else in June.
Okay, I'll stop now before I hyperventilate.

Booklist

Been busy. No time to write about what I've been reading. Here's a list w/ short comments.

Rising Stars: Volume 1 by J. Michael Straczynski - Meh. I'll pick up Volume 2 and see if it goes anywhere.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World by Bryan Lee O'Malley - Reading these in prep for the Edgar Wright's film that's coming out this summer.

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman - Short story collection. I liked some, didn't like others. Favorites were the one about the months of the year and the American Gods related story.

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher - Thought I had given up on Butcher but I read that his next book really shakes things up so I thought I'd catch up and see if that's true. This one was better than the previous 2 or 3. He's been in a rut. I hope he gets out.

Preacher: Book 1 & 2 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon - Interesting comic about a preacher possessed by a half-demon/half-angel who's searching for the Lord so he can tell him off. There's more to it than that but...you get the gist. It's weird, quirky, violent...so...right up my alley.

Powers: Who Killed Retro Girl by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming - I read this before but forgot it. I re-read it so I can read the whole series.

Booklist

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Miranda's disbelief turns to fear in a split second when an asteroid knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove. In her journal, Miranda records the events of each desperate day, while she and her family struggle to hold on to their most priceless resource--hope.
Yet another post-apocalyptic novel for me. This one was better than I thought it would be. It's told thru the journal entries of a 16-year-old girl so I wasn't sure if it would be too "teenybopper" for me. It turned out to be a pretty interesting story about survival.


Scott Pilgrim 's Precious Little Lies by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Scott Pilgrim's life is totally sweet. He's 23 years old, he's in a rock band, he's "between jobs," and he's dating a cute high school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrong, unless a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. Will Scott's awesome life get turned upside-down? Will he have to face Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle?
I never would have read this if there wasn't a movie based on it coming soon. I was curious. It's interesting but I have to say the movie looks very cool. I don't like Michael Cera (one-note actor) but I trust director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) to do something cool with the material. At least I hope he will. If not, there's always Ant-Man, the movie he's going to work on next.

The Stranger

It was very cool to have my art grace the cover of the Stranger, Seattle's alternative newspaper. I had no idea what the cover text would say but I figured it would be "edgy." Can't wait to hear my parent's reaction to that.
Not sure if this will lead to anything good or not. It hasn't spiked visits to my website or anything. But it was very cool.

Weird Dreams

Night before last I had some funky dreams. I was still in ministry and the world was dominated by 2 religions or denominations; a conservative Republican type and a more touchy-feely, more liberal type. The leader of Republicans was someone from my past and he was scary as hell. At one point in the dream I was put on trial. The "courtroom" was full of people from my past telling lies about me. I can't remember much more than that but I can tell you that I woke up feeling really crappy and unnerved as hell. No more dreams like that, thank you very much.

Booklist

The Good, the Bad and the Uncanny by Simon R. Green
Things were going so well for P.I. John Taylor, that it was only a matter of time before everything hit the fan. Walker, the powerful, ever-present, never-to-be-trusted agent who runs the Nightside on behalf of The Authorities, is dying. And he wants John to be his successor-a job that comes with more baggage, and more enemies, than anyone can possibly imagine.
This is the tenth book in the Nightside series. I have really enjoyed the whole series. Green fills his world with interesting characters. I like to imagine what they and the world look like. They're not the most brilliant books ever written but they are fun.

French Milk by Lucy Knisley
This is a drawn journal about the author/artist's time living in Paris with her mother. I found Knisley online and really admire her artistic talent. I've only been reading her stuff online but I found this at the library and thought I would give it a go. Her style has changed a bit since this book but I really enjoyed it. I love the idea of a drawn journal, something I've toyed with in the past but never fully jumped in and done. Knisley does it quite nicely.

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs and others
Mercy Thompson is a walker, a magical being with the power to transform into a coyote. She lives on the fine line dividing the everyday world from a darker dimension, observing the supernatural community while standing apart. When Mercy travels to the Tri-Cities of Washington for a job interview, she quickly finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a gang war between rival packs of werewolves. And as if fangs and fur weren't bad enough, Mercy must deal with the scariest creature of all: her mother, who is convinced that Mercy is making a mess of her life and determined to set her daughter on the right course. The thrilling adventures of Mercy Thompson-Moon Called, Blood Bound, and Iron Kissed-have topped the New York Times bestseller list. Now Mercy makes her comics debut in an exclusive new story created by Patricia Briggs. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming is sure to please longtime fans and capture new ones with its mix of unforgettable characters and thrilling supernatural intrigue.
This is a graphic novel based on the characters from the Mercy Thompson novels. I've read a couple of those and liked them so I thought I'd give this a go. It was okay for a quick read. It sets up some of the relationships from the novels and gives you a glimpse into Mercy's move to the Tri-Cities. Beyond that, it's nothing special. A brief distraction, nothing more.