Stuff: Derailed

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You may have noticed that there hasn't been a posting here, or at the NTA Blogspot for about a month, now. You see, with employment issues - as well as personal challenges, life has gotten a bit epic.

Never one to say die, I am struggling to move forward. Hopefully I'll have a few new postings here, before the year is up; including book and music recommendations, funnies, and - of course- more "Stuff".

Also, NTA now has its own website. It's not much to look at right now; as I am frustratingly trying to learn how to manage it Hopefully, by the end of the year, it will be up and running; including a character gallery and fun extras. When it goes live, my Blogspots will shut down. But, I will announce when that is happening.

Thanks for sticking it out with me; I hope to bring you more fun stuff in the near future.

~IronChuck

Health Reform: A Keith Olberman Speical comment

Few I know understand the health care reform issue as I do. I watched Momma Irons work so very hard to make sure I had the coverage to help me battle cancer as a teen. And now I watch her fight for the health care she so seriously needs... and deserves.. in her own health battles.

Please... PLEASE... I urge you to watch all 5 parts of this, and if you feel so moved, please support the National Association of Free Clinics.

Ah, the Golden Age of Video...

Stuff: Adventures in Culture

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It's funny when someone asks you what you do and you tell them you're an illustrator (Or, graphic artist, or cartoonist, etc.) what they'll usually pop off, next. I have been asked if I work for Disney, Marvel, DC; and if I know any of the big names. (Usually they just want to know if I've met Robert Downey, Jr.) And then there's the usual; "can you draw me Spiderman?"

Of course, once they find out it's not all big money and high life... Well, they tend to lose interest real quick like.

Last week I was supposed to go to my friend James' house. He's a lawyer who lives up in the hills of San Francisco. He likes to throw these fancy dress Scotch tastings. Basically, everyone brings a Scotch (One rule: It must be from a glass bottle.) and we all take turns trying it out. I was so excited because I was finally going to be able to go.

And yet, even with directions, I could not, for the life of me, find his place. I must have gone back and forth, up and down, and through every possible twist and turn. At one point you could smell the NEWLY and EXPENSIVELY repaired brakes starting to burn, some.

After about an hour of this, I gave up and started to try and find my way home. It was then that I found my other friends' house in the same area. You see, they were throwing a social, too. And I was going to go to there's as well. Since they lived so close to James, I figured we'd just walk to their house. So, I didn't bother to get directions. And yet, there I was, at their door.

At Krys and Rob's place - my other friends - I met Rob and Ryn. He worked with my friend Rob doing video games, and Ryn, his wife, worked at Berkeley studying air pollution. Our conversations turned from science, to cartoons, to culture. Then a couple from Finland jumped into what was becoming a fun stand up routine about growing up a dumb American. When they mentioned they were from Finland, all I could say - since I know nothing about Finland - was a Montey Python line.

Yeah, no one was impressed. But I got to keep my Scotch, so that was a plus!

Harry Potter and the Dungeon of Delight?

Well, I guess if you're eager to break type casting, this is about as good as any. (Well, no; but there's no way I'm putting Daniel Radcliffe's nekkid tush on here.)

Bewbs

Don't think for a second I don't know why most of you really like anime...

(WARNING: Probably NOT SAFE FOR WORK.)

All the single... goths?!

Proof goths have, not only, a sense of humor, but really can dance.

The paradox of the sci-fi fan.

Or are they?

So, as a self published sci-fi writer, I like to take long , hard looks at the genre from time to time. You know; to gauge the trends and seek insight on how I can make my stories better.

Well, see, I was at Taco Bell when just such a flash came to me.

Basically, I find it paradoxically interesting that Christians would be a fan of Star Trek. Why? Well, you see, it's like this; in the Star Trek universe Earth is run by one world wide government (Born from a great world war and subsequent technological revolution.) that has one single currency (credited accounts) and recognizes no official religious doctrine. (Though it does allow the belief in any religion within socially acceptable tolerances.)

Why, you may ask, is this paradoxical? Well, if you read along in their story book, you'll see that a cashless (I could spend time here drawing correlations to the whole mark of the beast nonsense in regards to money; but I'm hoping you've already seen it.), un-Christian, one world society is part of the plan for their anti-Christ. It is, in fact, part of the end times.

In effect, the Federation is Satan.

Yet I know a metric ass ton of ST fans whole also profess to be devoutly Christian. It leads me to wonder why they aren't out there denouncing ST like Harry Potter. (Especially when there's lots of other, really good reasons to dislike Harry Potter.)

Conversely is the paradox of Firefly. (Hey, it's my fav, too. So, don't feel singled out.)

In interviews, Whedon talks about the American Civil War as the primary inspiration for the Friefly universe. To put not to fine a point on it, Mal, Zoey, and all the Brown Coats were The South.

Well, minus the slavery...

Anyway, we cheered for them through 14 episodes, two comic mini series, and a movie, as they did their best to stick it to the evil, over bearing, man; namely the Alliance. All the while we, led by our ingenious story teller, vilified the government over lords who, audaciously, tried to bring about "their right way" of living. In shirt, we rooted for the bad guys who worked hard to short the system that brings law, order, and a better way of life to the backward planets.

Here's the kicker, though. We love the Federation, but hate the Alliance. Why?

Both were established after a considerable, and costly, war. Each strives to bring about the best for the people it governs. The two have brought great advancements to their peoples, as well as expanded free trade, commerce, and social-economic trade that has lead to a blending of social cultures. (Of note that this, too, flies in the face of Christian doctrine.)

I think one interesting place to look is what perspective we are viewing these worlds through. In Star Trek, we are looking it through the eyes of the Federation. The victors, if you will. We have no idea what has happened to the lesser human cultures that lost out after World War 3, or the subsequent colonies that let lose into space. All we know is that, at some point, Earth became unified, war, disease, and a host of other social evils were wiped out; which led the way for the Federation. (Also of note: in ST, to become a member of the Federation, a planet must be globally unified and enlightened, as the Federation sees fit to define.)

In Firefly, we see their universe through the eyes of the losers. Freedom to be who and what they deem fit to be are stripped away, and all must conform to Alliance way of life. You have rights, but only those that the Alliance deems to give you; within the confines of the law. Taxes are to be paid, territories to be respected, and all must bend to the whim of the law. The Alliance is an evil conglomerate (Which tied into the Blue Sun corporation; though thanks to the FOX cancellation, we'll never know how.) They move in, set up camp, and say "you will do it our way because it's for your own good and we know best."

But here's the real kicker... the true paradox, if you will. They both are reflections on us. On how we, as a nation, and society, conduct our affairs; both domestically, as well as internationally. And it's not just us, either. No. One can look back into history to Egypt, Rome, and a host of Mesopotamian cultures; as well as France, Germany, and even The United Kingdom.

When dissecting this, though, one comes to some interesting observations. After all, sure Rome stripped away cultural identity; but wasn't life under Roman ways better? (Think: literacy, health, art, technology, agriculture. Hell, in some cases, any culture.)

So, who really are the villains and who are the heroes? How can we vilify the Alliance and hold dear to the Federation? Why were the Brown Coats the good guys? Why doesn't the Federation just move in a blast the Ma'key out of the black? (Apologizes if I misspelled that name.)

Like wise, in real life, how do we despise the power of large, advancing society over the weaker, less evolved, tribal nomad? Do the rights of the many out weigh the needs of the few, or the one? In an episode of Friefly, River is almost burned alive for being a witch. We make think that that is totally backwards and wrong headed, but, to support the idea of the heroic Brown Coats is to support the right of a back water society to believe and practice what we believe to be archaic and foolish.

Then again, it's all just make believe, anyway. And I am just a story teller; so what do I know?

Musical tribute to Carl Sagan ~OR~ Auto tuning where no one has auto tuned before!

High blood pressure and you ~or~ Oh, those wacky Japanese...

IronChuck says: READ THIS!

Wow, it's been a while since there's been a book review here. And, believe it or not, this one comes with a bit of an apology; I should have posted this months ago. Sorry Paul...

Rock 'n Roll beach bums that only speak in song lyrics, bad visual puns, attack of the (David) Lynch mob, birthday parties in haunted woods, psychotic cast aways, Miss June 1993, the cast of Scooby Doo, and a skating Pokemon Prophet... The lost episode to Twin Peaks?

Nope. Just another weekend at Spittle Beach with Armpit, Puppy, and the rest of the crew.

That's right, released this past February, Paul Horn unleashes his second collected volume of hilarity in Cool Jerk volume 2: Chickadoowa.

Follow the gang as they trudge through relationships, epic eBay bidding battles, punking skater pukes, mind tampering aliens, and the most epic conclusion to Gilligan's Island that will leaving you wondering; "what ever did happen to Bob Denver?"

Cool Jerk, published by HornCo Press, is 132 pages of side splitting silliness, as well as sketch pages, author's notes, and a helpful index (Yes, you may just need it.) all for only $12; available at various retailers, or online at the Cool Jerk store.

And don't forget to follow along with the weekly hijinks online!

Stuff: Sage advice...?

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Really, this was her advice one day as she found me at the kitchen table fuming over what was, in retrospect, pretty silly. (Ah, the earth shattering turmoils of high school.) Of course, please take into consideration that she was working very hard to keep a roof over our heads as a single mom.

Well, that, and if you've ever heard mom or I try to dish out wisdom, you've no doubt heard our ass bumping its frog as it jumped. (I know at least one reader is laughing at that.) Yeah, we crack ourselves up... a lot.

Love you, mom. It may have come out wrong, but it still makes me smile.

Ta-Da! We've outposted 2008!

And with this self serving post, I have officially eclipsed last year's posting tally! Yes, I have managed to post more this year than I did in all of 2008; and I still have three and a half months left, to boot.

So, what can we expect out of the rest of 2009?

Well, for starters, more of my new feature, "Stuff"; which is a semi bio style comic. The return of the book reviews (Starting with a couple that are way over due.), and the usual batch of silly cartoons, videos, news articles, and other points of interest that you've come to expect out of me.

Also, there are things in the works to consolidate all of IronChuck Presents and Neverland Transit Authority into its very own website. That could happen well before the end of the year. All the best of both sites in one convenient, easy to use station.

So, thanks for reading. Let's see if we can end this year with a bang!

IronChuck Says: LISTEN TO THIS!

The dark is, once again, beautiful.

With a mix of Gothic, Ambient, and Techno, Canada's Johnny Hollow infuses keyboard and effects with gorgeous stringed and hauntingly beautiful vocals; delivering tracks to spook, entice, and inspire.

There latest release, Dirty Hands, is a journey delving into the echoing chasm of heart break, social frustration, and the dark twists and turns of a vengeful mind; with such tracks as "This Hollow World", "Nova Heart", and "Boogeyman".

What's so powerful about this album, and this band, is how they combine classical sounds against modern production to take us deep into the shadows of the house in our hearts. One moment you'll be entranced with a track like "Alchemy ", and then swaying along with the twisted, waltz like "Alibi"; the tale of a conflicted lover. And there cover of "People are Starnge"? Probably one of the best, ever. (Sorry Echo & the Bunnymen.)

For me, the culmination of this album has got to be the track "Superhero"; which sums up the tiring frustration of people over run by the wicked and greedy. (So inspirational it reawakened a writing project I had long left behind.)

Dirty Hands, by Johnny Hollow is available from The Orange Record Label for download or CD purchase.

Johnny Hollow... Gothic Chamber music for the 21st century.

Stuff: What a week...

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How come this never happens to me camping in the woods?

Common? That makes no sense!

Give Stan Lee some mouse ears...

... 'cause Spiderman is about to become a Mickey Mouse operation.

Problems with Quantum Gravity solved...

Just shit can that whole time and expansion thing.

New environmentally friendly train halted by... environmentalists. Huh?

Ironic?

Knowing both Menlo Park and Atherton well,

I can't say I'm surprised.

Stuff: In the Spotlight

Cleaning dirty money with comic books. Wait... what?

Police in Denver bust meth ring using comic books to launder money...

Okay, now I think I've heard everything.

La la la la...

It's no secret; I love to do karaoke. It's therapeutic, social, and a great way to keep the old ego in check. And, like most karaoke singers, I do have my favorite host and spot. For me, it's The Swingin' Door in San Mateo every Friday night with Roger Niner.

This graphic? Yeah, I did that as a little thank you for helping me keep my sanity on those long, drunken Friday nights. And just who is the Karaoke Ninja? Now that's an epic tale for another time...

Tackling the age old question: What is Goth?

Elevating the drinking game...

Gentlemen, I give you Arkeg.

Stuff: Introduction

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Well, hello, and welcome to the first installment of "Stuff"; my (attempted) regular weekly comic look into the life and times of... well... me.

I've always enjoyed biography style comics; especially those that keep it to one strip, or page, per update. As an epic writer, I've always found the small and intimate challenging; if not out right daunting. Well, that, and it gives me a good excuse for me to work on my Photoshop skills.

Pages in panel three come from Emitown, Diary of a Work in Progress, and Sketch Fervor.

Do you want to date my Avatar?

I'd hit her MMPOG like the angry fist of Zool!

You spin me wrong round, like a rouge planet, round round round round...

Large gas giant found going the wrong way in its orbit.

Strumming no more...

Real Guitar hero trades 6 stringer for harp.

Fiery little blond...

Just a little something I dug out of the old character vault.

Prismacolor pencils against a Photoshop effect background.

Let live the Legacy!

It has begun!

IronChuck says: LISTEN TO THIS!

G3rst gives us the anthem of a new century and generation.

Gotta catch it all!

This is why I will never miss a Comic-Con again... ever!

IronChuck says: LISTEN TO THIS!

Mad Mix Mustang gives us ABBA versus Korn...

Listen!

Work... not in progress...

I've been hearing a lot about this miraculous rebound of the economy, lately. But I have to tell you, *I* have yet to actually experience it. In fact, I've been out of "normal" work for enough time that I've had to close Neverland Transit Authority's Grand Central Terminal location, and move the whole operation to a smaller location in the south bay area.

It's going to be tough, for a while, but I'm working on keeping the comic going. With a number of sacrifices NTA and its first comic, the Galactic Gun, will keep chugging along; bringing you the quality entertainment and challenging themes you're coming to expect. Yeah, there may be a little lag here and there, both here and on the NTA site. So, let me say now that I'm sorry; and I promise to make it up to you.

Time poll: Who, post Cronkite, is the most trusted news man in America?

Obvious answer is... well, obvious.

But, what does this say

about news and America?

I also can't help but notice

a few noteworthy absences

from the list.

Up for some light reading?

How about Pride and Prejudice... and Zombies?

One small step for a man...

So, with not much fanfare, today marks the fortieth anniversary of, arguably, the greatest moment in human history.

On this day in 1969 Armstrong and Aldrin where the first men on the moon.

If you're familiar with the history of the original space race, then you know what it took to get there in just eight short years. If you're not, I suggest you read up on it. It is an epic tale.

There's so much that can be said about this historic moment; human triumph, tragedy, and the awe inspiring tale of human ingenuity, and all that. And, yes, I could lament the sad condition of today's space age... or lack there of.

But today I think I will put aside all my trivial problems and concerns for a few minutes and really reflect on the significance of that moment. How, only a few decades after figuring out how to glide on air, we punched through our atmosphere and stepped foot on another terrain.

Today I salute the men and women who took us there, and opened the door to a whole new, and very large, world. We may not have chosen to walk through it, but thanks for showing us the door!

First Look! Cover for next Galactic Gun!

Ta da!

In case you thought "Pocket Full of Posies" was just a one time lark for this comic book hack, I give you the cover to the second adventure of the crew of The no.7.

Not only is this a great way to fulfill that promise in the last sketching post about showing off the new look of the characters, but also to highlight my new skill set in "painting" via Photoshop. (For an old school doodler like myself, this is quite an accomplishment, let me tell you.)

In fact, this little beauty also highlights one of the new Galactic Gun logos I'm trying out, as well as a new polished NTA logo, too.

Wow... that's like four reveals in one. Check me out!

Anyway, what this means for you, my dear reader, is that starting next story arch there will be a higher finished quality to the pages; the more professional look I've been striving for.

Now, I wonder; do you see the inside joke? Like all my stories, there's a sight gag - a visual reference - about something sci-fi related.

Hungry?

No, this is not my work, but it's so good I had to share!

This little ditty was brought to you by

Mandi Flick.

I don't know about you but I could sure go

for a value menu item right about now.

Order in the Court!

I love a good mash up. Really, I do. And I love when unexpected things get mashed together, too.

Take, for instance, The blending of a classic sketch from The Frantics, and add sprites from Capcom's Phoenix Wright game... which is about layers.

Yeah, I don't get it, either.

Anyway, what do you get? Magic...

In brightest day, in darkest night...

... will Ryan Reynolds show Green Lantern's might!

I'll just call it now...

Suck.

NASA has put together an interesting sound file

of radio transmissions from Saturn

that the Cassini probe has been picking up since 2002.

Reminds me a lot of Music from the Galaxies by Dr. Fiorella Terenzi;

described as Carl Sagan meets Madonna (Well, she is a brainy and hot science nerd!)

First Look!

As mentioned in the afore posted Sketchings entry, I've been working on refining the look of the Galactic Gun. Well, it looks like I've finally managed to blend my old college day roots in the animation lab with the refinement of my [giggle] maturity.

So, I am proud to give you a first glimpse of Kali, as she'll be illustrated from this point on. (Which will be after page five of chapter four of the current run; as it loops into the production schedule.)

Give me a few days and I should have new look premieres for all the characters...

So, when's this "cartoonist" gonna get sketchy, again?

Right now, actually. We've been doing some recent renovations at Grand Central, and naturally nothing's been going according to plan. Anyone who's been reading the comic will, no doubt, notice the lag in posts, lately.

However, it looks like we've finally managed to get it all up and running; or, at least, gotten a solid work around. So, not only will we be back to regular updates on Galactic Gun, but I can show off my new sketchbook!

So, it's no secret that the current art on the Galactic Gun is a) old, and b) sucky. Yes, I admit that it's not the best I could have done, but then I did quit art for some five years for stage work. Anyway, I've been playing around with new looks and the first one I thought of was my old college animation days.

No, this is so not going to be the way I'm going to start drawing the comic. Honest.

Ah, goths. I love them. Since I am one, it makes sense, no? And I have to admit, there are few beauties that teal my eye like a gothic beauty. Too bad I'm not good at drawing them, though, huh? Also of note is a thumbnail sketch inspired by VNV Nation's "Airships", an idea for my business card (Which I need to hurry up and get made!), and a couple of more comic things; including a rough for the Intergalactic Pub Crawl Team badge - which will be the name of the GG fan club... if I ever get that far, that is.

I never use my sketchbook at the office. Some how, I figure, if I'm in the conductor's office, I should be working on pages, or pin-ups, or scripts. I know, it's a weird hang up, but what are you gonna do, right? So, I like to pack up a small art bag and take a drive. Usually I end up at one of a couple coffee shops that are no where near my studio. That's where I draw.

Usually I just got for random things that just pop into my head. Here we have Krule, a quick sketch of the banana cake and hot cider I was snacking on, two characters from the still developing "Signal to Noise" and a little pot with candle that led to a nekkid pagan chick.

Don't ask.

Anyway, one of my favorite exercises is to do thumbnails based off of songs. As it comes up in the headphones, I give myself the length of the song to work up as much as I can. When the song ends, I stop; and begin with the next song. Good for the old lay out muscles, you could say.

So, starting in the left hand corner is a tomb scene for a later story inspired by an exotic little tune from the soudtrack "Passion" by Peter Gabriel. Next to it, on the right, is "Kingdom of Rust", by the Doves. Under that, starting on the left, is "American Money", by Yoko Kanno and The Seatbelts. next to that is yours truly laying in the grass, based off of VNV's "Endless Sky". To my lower left is "Silver City Sunset" by The Lost Patrol. And to my right is "Standing on the Edge of the World" by Operetica.

I've heard of "giving your eye teeth" before...

... but this is a little too literal.

And now for something completely gothy...

By the power of Karaoke!

That Mickey Mouse sure was a gas...

Gas mask, that is.

Got a little time for Time?

Now this is a bit ironic...

Mark Sable, author of Unthinkable, gets stopped by TSA

on his way to a signing.

The Fast and the Furious: Tricycle Drift

Best. Cosplay. EVAR.

Once upon a Time My Body was a Cage...

Mix one part old west movie with one part new track from indie group.

Result? Magic.

Hey!

Tactical Corsets...?

Goth fashion meets urban assault gear...

for the new empowered woman.

Goths of Summer...

So, I finally saw The Dark Knight a couple weeks back.

Initial thought? "Wow, am I glad I didn't have to pay to see this!"

Perfect timing that Foamy the Squirrel from Ill Will Press would have some appropriate words (Some of which not safe for work) about the recent trend in Hollywood...

Army mechanic builds working mech...

Haven't we learned from Japanese films

that this will not end well?!

IronChuck says: Listen to this!

Today I'd like to share with you E-Magine's 2002 release by electronica project Operatica, called "Shine".

In the same vain as Enigma, Operatica (Which is primarily just artist Lord Vanger with various rotating guests) takes electronic style music and mixes it with female lead vocals in gorgeous harmonies. The main diference between Operatica and groups like Enigma? While most go for a world sound, Lord Vanger takes it across to the realm of opera - If the name didn't give it away, already; though there is definitely world beat style influences through out.

"Shine" contains 10 tracks, from an interpretation of Edward Grieg's "Solvejg's Song", to Lord Vanger's own works - such as the title track "Shine" and the uplifiting "Under the Desert Sky".

Operatica takes its name not so much for the band as for the project, itself. Performers rotate in and out between tracks; and even writing duties are split and shared, giving the album a unique life all its own and insuring a varied listening experience. If I were to try and put my own label to it? I'd have to say it's like operatic techno trance.

Operatica:Shine is available from E-magine Enteratinment, and can be found on Amazon, and various online music retailers.

One man can make a difference...

Wait for it... wait for it...

Also available in

Techno-funky-fresh, too!

Oh where, oh where, has little IronChuck gone?

Oh where, oh where can I be?

If you've noticed, it's been quite here for a few days. And, with some apology, the comic has missed two updates. So, where have I been?

I took a few days off and drove up to the Seattle area to visit my little brother and his darling wife in Snoqualmie, Washington. Enjoyed some nice weather (No, it's not always raining up there.), breathed actual fresh air, saw real blue sky, and did my best to avoid Starbucks as best as I could; seriously, they're on every other block there.

Of the fun sites I got to see, there were a few really fun ones. First was the waterfront market, Pike Place Market. It was a couple of old canning building - or something - jammed packed with fun stores and eateries some three stories high. At the top, which opens to another street, there's all the food vendors, including Pike Place Fish Market, that place you see on TV - usually during sports shows - that has the guys that yell out and throw your order around. It was a lot of fun!

Also, I saw the Experience Music Project and The Science Fiction Museum ; housed together on the same block as the Space Needle. (Damn, it's tall!) For a music lover, I was amazed at how much musical history comes from that area; and not as much grunge as I was expecting, too. There was an entire room dedicated to just the guitar; with actual pieces from performers on display that tracked the evolution of the instrument through Rock.

A good portion of the displays also had video accompanying them, as well as - for a $3 fee - extra audio you could hear on a custom iPod. I opted not to throw down for the iPod, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to on my next trip. And I need to go back so I can spend more time in the Science Fiction Museum, too.

On display are costume pieces, props, and interactive media that spans many generations and flavors of Sci-Fi. Robbie, from Forbidden Planet, and Robot, from Lost in Space, banter back and forth as R2-D2 looks on. Large CG interactive "windows" take you to extreme Sci-Fi worlds and let you watch as notorious space ships do fly byes. And, of course, you can't miss the ever growing interactive Wall of Fame.

This is a smaller portion of the museum, and there's definitely room for growth. But, it's still a good place for Sci-Fi lovers; and I so could have spent more time there. Again, saving it for the return trip. Hopefully I can get back before the Henson muppet experience closes mid August.

Other fun places to mention were the Snoqualmie Falls; a breath taking display of nature's most awesome waterworks. It's located not too far from my brother's house. There's a gazebo set up over a cliff just along side the gorge that has the most amazing view.

Also had sushi in the most fun place I've ever been; Blue C Sushi. Located in Bellevue, it features a solid disc conveyor belt that travels around the center of the restaurant, passing by not only the counter, but also every booth. The selections sit on large colored plates that, themselves, sit on small stands that label what they are. And not only that, they have other fun things that come along; like wacky sodas, and such.

But the best was a selection of toys from Kidrobot. You can choice from three, or four, product lines at various price levels. Each one comes in a "blind box"; which is to say you wont' know what you got until after you've opened it. Some are more rare than others. I picked up "Astro", from the mini keychain collection; a ice cream eating cosmonaut (Don't ask.) who was a rare 1 in 50 find!

The final terror of Seattle was unleashed on me in the form of, of all things, donuts. Yes, Top Pot is the local favorite in Washington. A chic donut bakery that puts Krispy Kreme to shame. I had a raspberry glazed old fashion that was delicious; but I totally forgot my glazed sprinkle in the kitchen as I left for the long drive home. Next time, for sure.

When I go back, I'll be bringing some hiking gear, as there is an unbelievable amount of trails and parks to go romping around in. And the place is littered with trees; millions of them. I'm also going to spend more time - which will definitely mean more money - out in the market place. And don't get me started on all the restaurants and pubs.

Of course, it's also funny to mention how much I stood out up there. On a couple occasions, when my bro and his wife introduced me as being from California, it was noted they could tell I saw a lot of sun. Soon I, too, was noticing how much darker I was from practically everyone. Seriously, it was like I had the Santropay tan going on.

I'm pretty sure I'm leaving stuff out, but there was just so much to see and do.

Anyway, I'm home. Look for more postings here, naturally; as well as the comic returning to its normal schedule this Friday.

A Beautiful Day...

Ain't it just?

Elementary, my dear film goer...

The other day was the 150th birthday of one of Scotland's most famous sons.

Ironic that, that same week, I find this:

Merry Christmas, Holmes fans;

better keep the reciept, just in case.

Let go my logo!

It's been a little while since I posted any art - or much of anything - in regards to the web comic. So...

Ta-da!

Well, what do you think? It's the next generation of the Galactic Gun logo. As you can see, I'm still trying to work out Photoshop, but I think I'm getting the hang of it.

Still have a few bugs to work out (Like how to get rid of all the white around it.), but if I keep going this way I should have the hang of it by year's end... I hope. Then, maybe, I can apply more of what I've learned to the actual art of the comic!

IronChuck says: Read this!

No one knows who. All they know for sure is that someone, during the war of 3022, set off a time bomb that threw all of history into one big now; clashing magic and science, past, present, and future into one new maddening time line. Thirty eight years later, order is brought to this new landscape by 30th century masons led by a man calling himself "Julies Ceasar".

Mia is a young woman living with her family in a small community when Ceasar comes to her home unexpectedly. Quickly things go awry and Mia finds herself orphaned, on the run, and bound to the genie that has taken her family from her.

Written and drawn by Deborah Erenberg, and updating Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Flux follows the journey of Mia, and the genie Kylie, as they search for a way to get Kylie home and reconcile Mia's past.

At times a bit disjointed with the back and forth between the story present and past, this is never the less a completely engaging tale. Setting aside the usual traps - like time travel mechanics or other sci-fi trappings - Deborah, instead, gives us colorful characters and odd plot twists; opting for more character and less pseudoscience mental masturbation.

And though, at times, the art can get sparse and simplistic - with minimal splashes of color, or none at all - the visuals are none the less solid; getting better as the story progresses. Personally, this is a great story, fun to read, and great for plot twists. The character play is, at times, fun, and the over all story can become addictive.

IronChuck gives Flux by Deborah Erenberg three shots (And a pint!) out of a possible five shots of whiskey. And be sure to check out May 18th's update for a guest art submission by yours truly!

IronChuck says: Listen to this!

Bon Jovi versus Justin Timberlake by DJ Schmolli.

Check it out!

Cosplay just got a whole lot hotter. Wait... what?

Two words: Burlesque cosplay.

Followed by four more words: Not safe for work.

(If you hadn't already noticed the red link.)

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!

I... I got nuthin'.

UPDATE

Looks like this video got flagged (Who knows...?)

and has had its embedding disabbled.

But that's okay, you can still find it here.

Getting motivated with Samuel Clemens...

The wit and wisdom of one of America's truly greatest authors.

IronChuck says: Listen to this Mash-up!

Get this, and all this good stuff, here.

If knowing is half the battle, then what does it take for the win?

I admit, as a geek and a child of the eighties,

I have, up until recently, been really excited about

the up coming G.I. Joe movie release.

I was.

But now they've released the new tralier and I have to say

I'm all but covinced this is going to be even more

fluff filled than X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Looks like they're doing there best to really grab hold of the campy,

cartoony silly sci-fi of the old cartoon, and not giving what the matured,

original audience has ben hoping for; a more serious Tom Clancy styled action thriller.

Oh, but there is good - and some what ironic - news;

Adult Swim on Cartoon Network has given us just that.

So, now I'm reconsidering the new movie even more.

Yo Joe...

First look! Megan Fox on the set of Jonah Hex!

I admit I had no idea Jonah Hex was in production,

let alone it would star John Malkovich

and Transformers hottie Megan Fox.

Here's pics of Ms. Fox from the shooting set.

Note the tiny waste that corset give her... OUCH!

Who knew cooking could rock?!

As mixed on TV!

IronChuck says: Listen to this!

And welcome back to a far too long neglected feature here at The Conductor's Office. Since we're brushing the dust off this topic, let me start it off with a real bang by presenting to you one of last year's real stand out indie releases...


From the mountains of North Carolina comes Matt King; Blue Grass in his heart, and Rock 'n Roll in his throat. With harlots, coal miners turned bootlegger, and murderous scorned women in his family tree (As well as a Gospel singing family), Matt cut his teeth touring under a major label; learning the ropes to break away solo.

Matt's music has a country sensibility lit up with a rock flare. Mixed with lyrics rooted in traditional mountain style blue grass and country are hard beats, radical instrumentation, and a flamboyant sense of showmanship. However, his art as a song writer never loses heart; well illustrated on his album Rube in songs like "American Dream" -the woes of a worker and the broken promise of a future, "Shanty Town" - beating back the trap of the small town monster, or the reflective "Graveyard Shift". Take a spin with "Cursing the Ohio"; the tale of country love gone wrong.

Much like Alabama 3 did for Gospel style Soul fused with Techno, Matt King brings to the country rock fusion. I found that once I had this disc spinning, I didn't want to... no, I couldn't... make it stop. This is one of those albums that gets inside you and gets everything rocking... HARD. There are rocking songs, soulful songs, and fun songs.

"Songwriting forces me to try and connect to the world," says Matt, "most of the time it has the opposite effect and I swear that I'll never get out of my own head."

IronChuck gives Rube, by Matt King SIX out of a possible five shots of whiskey!

Matt King's Rube is available from Montage Music.

Gameboy timeline...

Know your history!

Would you call this "mousing over"?

Whisky Tango Foxtrot!? No, BK! Bad King, bad...

Don't mind me; I'm just pluggin' away...

Just wanted to do a little shameless

self promoting for Neverland Transit Authority.

If you haven't yet, hit the link in the side bar and be whisked away

into a realm of Sci-Fi adventure!

Let us introduce you to Steampunk!

At the big table top in the sky...

Good night, Dave; you gave us geeks so much.

Inside the Conductor's Office: Experiments with new media and 2009's second title

So, a while back, I picked up a batch of Tombo markers, at a fairly hefty price I might add. I've always enjoyed the look of, as well as the quick and easy use, of how markers could be used to create pin up work - like those done by the commission artists you see at cons.

Well, I tried them out before, but hadn't really gotten a handle on how to get them to work for me. So, I switched over to watercolors. But I'm not as happy with that as I was hoping I would be. So, I've busted back out the pens and have started working with them, again.

Here you can see, in the upper left, a quick Justin portrait, as well as a risque Kali, Jig, and Boomer. In the center is a reworking of Samus Aran for Metroid Metal I had posted a little while ago. I'm not exactly happy with what came out, but at least it doesn't suck too bad and with some more practice I'm sure I can bump up the comic to a better level.


And here's a sneak peak for you. Back in college I had started coming up with a vigilante comic book. At the time it was a simple comedy adventure with a lot of the standard cliches that were becoming common in the comic book industry in the early 90's.

However, recent domestic events, as well as the recent success of The Watchmen, has brought this little goody out of moth balls, and back onto the drawing board.

I'm still working on tweaking it out; it was in its infancy of development when I shelved it. This is also going to be an interesting experiment as I'm going to run it like a strip, and not an actual page; posting twice a week unless this format is easier.

While I'm not sure how action, and such, will work out in strip form, I'll still be worming to keep it to the usual level of action, adventure, and comedy that readers have come to expect from me.

Looking for the right opening...

And lest we forget the Imperials...

But wait, let's get the boys of

The Federation into this, too!

It has begun...

And I, for one, welcome our new

robot scientist overlords.

Ironman versus Bruce Lee!

Texas...

You ignorant slut, you!

What? Giving us the worst

president in history wasn't enough?!

Cosplay everyday?!

Celebrating the sad, sad world of fandom...

or... a great way to get away with checking out

barely leagal girls at work.

You decide.

Wait... WHAT!?

In case you just missed that,

the rep from Illinois just dismissed global warming

in hand based on... yes, you guessed it... the bible.

Not only that, but this was also part of an argument

to repeal parts of the clean air act in in order to

reopen coal mines and refineries versus investing in

clean, renewable energies.

Seriously; we elect these people to govern?!

We deserve what we get, then.

Hot or cold? You decide...

Katy Perry

Or...

Los Colorados...?

I don't think this needs a witty tag line...

The tears of a Muppet...

The seven saddest songs ever sung by a Muppet.

Wait... what?!

Worst. Robot. Swordfight. Ever. (Wait... what?)

From the movie Exterminator City.

Spider-man saves autistic boy!

Just a little something inspirational for your Tuesday.

My "to do" list, starting this Friday... Well, minus the "wife" bit...

Saturday Morning Watchmen

A comic discussion...

Watchmen-E

Damn I'm old...

Yesterday was my 35th birthday, so somehow this seemed appropriate...

It has begun!

Galactic Gun: The Adventures of Justin Bailey

has offically launched

At Neverland Transity Authority!

All aboard!

Finally, I can get me a new spleen!

I heart guts!

And really, who doesn't?

All Aboard!

Only 52 days left!

Rising from tough times...

News article from CNN on the reemergence of Super Heroes.

Capes... why'd it have to be capes?!

How to open a champagne bottle with a saber...

Because, you know, you may just need

that something speical for your next party.

Inside the Conductor's Office: Pin-ups, pubs, and video game guitar!

Welcome to another edition of "Inside the Conductor's Office", the segment where I open up my sketchbook and let you take a peak into my rather scary mind...

Yes, that's Kali, again, from the pin up I posted quite a while back. I've been working on a new lay out for the first Galactic Gun pin up, going for more natural pose; something that looks less arranged for something more convieniantly suggestive and believable. Also of note is the refining of her look from the proto-manga looking block form to the more curve based cartooning I'm using now.

The flying blond powerhouse, to the right, is an up coming character that will prove to bring a fun level of chaos to the crew of the No. 7. Below her is the work up for a priest that will be in the third story, "Wedding Bell Blues."

The little hobbit shack in the corner? I have no idea; it just sort of came out one day. It does make a nice hermit house or remote wizard's tower. I think I can work it in, somewhere.

A little while back, I got to talking with some friends about putting together a themed bar; based off an article I found that was lamenting, in the Denver area, the lack of decent Irish styled pubs. Through a series of twists and turns I came up with a sort of Steam punk-ish themed place called "Livingston's Dark Safari Lounge". You can see the initial logo design to the right.

The locomotive in the corner is based off of a Fisher Price pull along toy - my first toy train - from 1964. Technically the toy is ten years older than me, and, to be honest, isn't my original one. (Praise to eBay for reuniting me with my childhood.) But, I have lots of fond memories of that toy, and it was the basis for the original train used in my first NTA logo. (There's a new one which I'll be unveiling soon.)

The orange fuzzy in the corner is, yes, a Galactic Gun character. The red headed nude? Just random art-ness.

And here we have Samus Aran. (I told you she's gonna pop up every now and then.) This started as a test for some new art pens I got a while back. Nice ones. From Japan. That, in total, cost me over $100. Pens, it seems, I can't figure out how to use.

But this didn't turn out so bad, so I stuck up a logo for Metroid Metal (A Stemage side project.) and have been entertaining the idea of sending it their way.

In truth, though, I'm not too happy about this particular picture. I think I'm going to do a couple more, including using the Zero Suit. Most likely I'll go back to watercolor for the other two I have in mind.

Fire from rubber and water?!

This is definitely going to change

my views on "protected" sex.

GAME TIME! HD Tetris...

No, not all games belong in High Def.

However, it does promise HOURS of fun.

IronChuck says: READ THIS!

Holy cow! Two book reviews in the same week, let alone the same month?! Well, yes, true believers, and this is a score from Wondercon.

It's 3535, and man has moved to Mars, used it up, and left it for bigger places. It's the Reno, Nevada of its time; as tourist traps and casinos dart the barren red landscape. Those left behind to live there do so in poverty, paying (Sometimes quite literally) through the nose for breathable air. One professor's discovery could change that... if he hadn't just been murdered.

Boone, who works as a scavenger with his partner Lou, collects ancient lost human artifacts for Spinner, a giant talking bear that runs a junk yard and deals antiques on the side. It falls on them to solve the professor's murder and uncover his lost experiment before they, too, wind up all dead.

As sci-fi comics go, The Martian Confederacy has just about it all; action, suspense, comedy, and a kinky android. Brought to us by the creative team of Jason McNamara and Paige Braddock, the story is just serious enough, and hints just enough, to get you into the universe it inhabits without getting overly bogged down or preachy; much like some stories of similar vain can.


The art is done in a lose, cartoony style (My personal favorite, if you couldn't guess.) that goes well with the characters and story, and, rather than distracts, actually compliments it quite well. There are a few ironic twists in it; including a couple of plot wrap ups I didn't see coming.


There was only one snag, for me, in this book; the over use of reds. Everything is red, everywhere. I can see where this is used to show the Martian environment. And, in exterior shots, it works very well. But it seems a bit off, visually, for interior shots, as well as being a bit much, over all.

But, all in all, this is a fun, solid piece of work, that I enjoyed very much. Labeled as "Volume 1", I can tell you, quite honestly, that I am so looking forward to "Volume 2". (No pressure, guys.)

The Martian Confederacy vol. 1 is published by Girl Twirl Comics and is available for $15 in a small 143 page graphic novel format.