My good friends, RayRay are on the new MTV show DJ & The Fro. Please, please vote for Soup Torture.

...I may or may not have been involved with this man's kidnapping.

Labels: RayRay, video

I missed it back in the day when the Muppets were all about eating things and random explosions.

Labels: muppets, puppets

Labels: muppets, music, puppets

With the unexpected death of Michael Jackson, I wanted to post a drawing I did of him that was published in a short-lived magazine that debuted (and canceled) in 2005. Unfortunately, I can't find this image on the web. I have a copy of the magazine somewhere, but it would require me to look in boxes and I'm too lazy to do this.

Instead, here is the article about the illustration that caused a bit of controversy.

Michael Jackson Image Deemed "Pornographic" By U.S. Postal Service
Author: BERNARD FOX Associated Press Writer
---Los Angeles, CA
The U.S. Postal Service notified the Los Angeles-based publisher of a national humor magazine today that the image of Michael Jackson on the magazine's back cover is "pornographic", and that as a result, the USPS refuses to mail the magazine to thousands of subscribers.
The image in question is a one-panel color cartoon on the outside cover of the recent issue of RAVEN Magazine, a national humor magazine for men. It depicts the pop singer in his signature crotch-grabbing dance pose. At the same time, Jackson seems to be putting his other hand in the pants of a young boy who wears a shocked expression on his face. The image is captioned, "Michael Jackson, 1993-2003, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" and seems to refer to the two cases of very similar molestation charges leveled against the singer, one in 1993 and another ten years later.
Post Office Supervisor Heather Ortega in the bulk mail center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida said the one-panel cartoon of Michael Jackson was "sexual" and so the mailing of it is prohibited by the USPS Domestic Mail Manual. She said, "It's right in front of me while we speak. Personally, I think it's hilarious. But just like the Eminem video. That's considered offensive too". Ortega is refering to the recent video by rapper Eminem depicting Jackson chasing after young boys and trying to get them onto his bed.
RAVEN Magazine publisher Zane Valenti responded, "I doubt there's anyone who would feel anything sexual looking at this totally satirical cartoon which is clearly meant to be funny. Who needs to be protected from seeing this cartoon? Nobody. This is totally silly and is a sign of just how far out of hand things have gotten in this country."
Valenti said that the forbidden magazines will still be mailed to subscribers after being placed inside opaque envelopes and readdressed, causing delay and additional cost.

Although Michael Jackson was a freak of nature, he was also a talented superstar. The sort of world-wide phenomenon that you'll probably never see again. Its very hard to feel any sort of mourning to a man who may or may not be a pedophile, was or wasn't proud of his heritage, and may or may not have been an animatronic automoton.

But I'll admit, when I was a kid I would try to do the moonwalk, emulate his "woo" and listen to my brother's Michael Jackson records with glee.

And when I hear "Smooth Criminal" my head tends to bob.

Labels: music, my work, video

Labels: lecture, video

http://sendables.jibjab.com/originals/hes_barack_obama

Okay, this animation is just freak'n crazy good. I didn't care much for JibJab before, but this kicks ass. Check out their making of blog.

Labels: animation, pirates, politics

http://twitter.com/T_of_E_comics

I don't plan to tell you what I'm doing every single minute of my life.

But I do plan on tweeting every minute when I'm at conventions, signings or other events.

Think of it, if you want to see if I'm available to do a sketch or something, you could find out if I'm at the table.

Or maybe I'm heading to a panel discussion, and instead of walking around the floor at Comic Con, you think-- that sounds like a good discussion.

Maybe I'm completely hung over, and instead of going to my table expecting I'd be there, you'd know that I'm vomiting into a toilet.

Labels: blog, comics, God(tm), my work, Speak No Evil, updates

Just look at all the comments people have left on the shout box [most likely for God(tm)]

Olia Hoshi says "Nice, I like it."

Willetta Markham raved "Nice, I liked it."

Guntar Sheffield cried out with sheer joy "Very nice, I loved it."

Fionna Boland whispered in girlish glee "Very nice, I like it."

Agosto Kuruppillai yelled out of a fiftieth floor window "Very nice, I loved it."

Leona Willhoff communicated in sign language "Very nice, I liked it."

Hakeem Bress forged a neon sign using his knowledge of noble gases and talents in glass blowing exclaiming to the world "Nice, I liked it."

Granger Herod developed a new system of mathematics which uses nothing but prime numbers and fractions in order to formulate the simple and elegant idea of "Very nice, I like it."

Harbert McColl murdered a drifter that only exists in his mind and used the imaginary blood to spell out "Nice, I like it."

Dyane Farmer lost two colleagues during her climb to the top of Mt. Everest and planted a flag that states her feelings about Theory of Everything Comics which spells in Sanskrit: "Very nice, I love it."

Elli Capes was a 16th century sea going Captain who had mystical visions of the 21st century. One of his visions was of Theory of Everything Comics and in his memoirs, which, at the time were deemed evidence of his madness, gave a positive review of a web comic that did not yet exist and it said in remarkable handwriting: "Nice, I love it."

Kelly Buggie, through her psychic link with her male half-breed Chihuahua expressed, without words or facial cues, in consummate canine brainwaves "Very nice, I love it."

Wang Reiser had a car accident that left half of his body susceptible to the elements. Through a secret Canadian Government Project, that missing half was recreated, but as a robot. It took fifteen years for the Canadian Government to find an adequately realistic voice box. And as soon as his new voice box was 100% functional, he could only respond to the new and interesting web comic created by Elan' Rodger Trinidad. And in a voice that uncannily synthesized the tone and tamber of musician/actor Tom Waits, he said "Nice, I liked it."

...and then gave a pretty good interpretation of Tom Waits "Chocolate Jesus."

Thank you, all of you for your love of my work. If anyone would like to continue the tradition liking and loving my work, you are very welcome to. Just go to our homepage http://www.theoryofeverythingcomics.com/, scroll down a bit, and write in the shout box.

Labels: blog, God(tm), my work, review

comicbookreligion.com Is a nice long database logging the religious or non-religious affiliations of several comic book characters and characters of other media that have appeared in comics.

They just updated their site to include Joeb Kim, Mormotron and Mormobot.

Its one of those sites that you look at in two in the morning and you use it to impress the guys at the comic shop when you make the counter argument: "Batman is Episcopalian! He'd never say that!"

Labels: comics, God(tm), religion

This video probably fuels an already eccentric obsession.

Labels: j-pop, music, Shiina Ringo, video

This is the fastest I've done a section.

...Well, technically, I didn't draw it.

...No, correction, I just didn't draw it at all! (except for the coke can and the bowl of matzah ball soup).

I have a new respect and jealousy for clip art comics.



Check it out from the beginning.

Labels: God(tm), my work, updates

Labels: animation, video

Labels: music, video

I've started a new section, Section 5: The Marketing Strategy. We're working with Guest Artist, Tom Tierney who happens to work for a very affordable wage.

If you haven't finished reading the last section, or just aren't sure if you finished reading it, or just feel like reading it all over again, its still available online.

And also, today is the last day to vote for the Eisners. If you are webcomics creator or comic book creator, you are eligible to vote.

As I've been making a big whoop about it, Speak No Evil is nominated for Best Digital Comic.

If I win this award, I guarantee you that I'll give a very memorable acceptance speech.

Labels: Eisner Awards, God(tm), Speak No Evil, updates

In 1995, my brother interviewed Conan O'Brien for the USC news paper. Early on in the interview, he puts Conan on hold and its my ex-girlfriend calling for me.

http://www.elsongs.com/mp3/other/elson_interviews_conan_obrien_1995.mp3

I remembered, back then, I would tell all my friends that my brother interviewed Conan O'Brien. And they would say, "Who's that?"

Labels: friends

Labels: Jim Henson, philosophy, video

Labels: gnostic, poetry, religion, video

Labels: gnostic, religion

I gotta practice my posing!





sauce : http://asianposes.com/

Labels: asian, found on the floor

At Robot 6 they did a little piece on this year's Digital Comics Eisner Nominees. They're questioning, "What is a web comic?" and ask if this year's nominees fits into their definition of it.

[I was asked this same question for an article on Animation Magazine and I'll let you know when that issue comes out.]

Anyway, I put my two cents about web comics and this particular Eisner category in the comments, and when the administrator of that blog approves it, you can read it.


http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/06/unbound-reconsidering-the-eisners/comment-page-1/#comment-11269

Labels: Eisner Awards, Speak No Evil

Awe, it sounds like classic Shiina Ringo.

It reminds me of a video I storyboarded.

Labels: j-pop, music, Shiina Ringo, video

Labels: j-pop, music, puppets, Shiina Ringo, video

This seems to be a stupid question that Filipino Americans can't properly answer. But, ask a Filipino in the Philippines and they'll say "yes" and look at you like an idiot.

I put some comments there.

They make me sound smart.

http://www.asian-central.com/stuffasianpeoplelike/2009/06/09/open-topic-filipinos-asian/comment-page-1/#comment-38905

Labels: filipino

[SAUCE]

When the Dalai Lama paid a visit to Emory University, he offered an introductory lecture to Tibetan Buddhism. The lecture is not exactly what you’d normally get in the university classroom. The talk is not entirely linear. And he spends some time speaking in English, then speaks in his native tongue (with the help of an interpreter). But, he can talk about Buddhism with the authority that few authors can, and there’s a reason audiences come to see him in droves.

Things really get going about 23 minutes in.

Labels: lecture, religion, video

1)Stop calling it a "roadblock" think of it as a problem or obstacle. You can solve a problem. You can overcome an obstacle. But when you're driving and you hit a roadblock you're screwed. And when you keep telling yourself that you're creatively screwed, then you are SCREWED.

2) Maybe your art should be the truth about finding yourself. The theme of identity. The truth that you feel like someone else. You might try to write a story about teenage angst, a lot of identity issues there. Or maybe a guy who has amnesia and is trying to figure out who he is. There's truth in the struggle and the frustration because a lot of people have felt this way before, but when you put it in fiction or genre fiction, then you could add aliens and assassins and heighten up the emotional level and dazzle people with visuals. Check out "Battle Royal" (I heard the sequel sucked) -- its basically dealing with the problems and relationships in high school, but by putting these high school students on an island and telling them to murder each other, the emotions become greater and exaggerated. Friendships become life-long bonds, mild distrust becomes hate.

But also another thing you have to remember when creating, and to paraphrase Brad Bird "If you want to make good shit, eat well." Meaning, surround yourself with quality people who inspire you, who you can learn from in some way, if its in your social circles or work or school (around how old are you?), just by being around good artists can improve you, read good books, watch good movies.

Although, a counter argument about reading good books and watching good movies is advice from Ray Bradbury. He says to watch bad movies because good movies, you don't know why its good because so many things went right it just becomes magic. When you watch bad movies, you know exactly what you hated about it and you know what to avoid or improve one.

Labels: blog, Lessons in Cartooning

So I got an email from a fan this morning. I think he was asking me about my creative process. I thought I'd refine my answer for the blog.

First off, when I write a comic, I draw and write it at the same time. I make a very messy comic book in my sketchbook. I make scribbles to indicate composition and I write in the word balloons as I go along. This is my first draft.

My second draft, I type a script based on the first one. I fix the dialogue, sometimes I get new ideas and make notes of something else to draw.

My third draft, I draw a comic based on the lat two drafts.


I'll go back and forth between typing and drawing. I get different ideas as I take on the role of writer and different ideas as I take on the role of artists. Depending on how I feel about the comic, I'll go back and forth between sketching and typing. But the draft before I draw is always a drawing draft.

That's because I take my sketchy drawing page, pop it in photoshop, pop in perspective guides (somtimes its a grid, sometimes I'll grab a photo of a building and alter it to my needs. I don't like drawing a million lines from a vanishing point with my ruler.) I'll also do the lettering and figure out how to compose the word balloons. I will also edit the dialogue as I do this.

I print that out. All the lines in light blue.

Then with a blue pencil, I draw in the detail. Then I ink it.

Next it gets scanned in. I cut and paste the word balloons from the draft file. And I might do more dialogue changes. I also color it.

Then its ready for the web.

But that's the practical process.

The mental process is a bit harder to explain.

I try to go for a "feeling" in my first draft. I recently took a clowning class. Actually, it was more like an improv class for actors trying to do comedy. The heart of a clown is messing up but being funny. When I was making my class laugh, I had the same sort of "feeling" performing.

In that class, the coach was trying to talk about "the truth", and I don't mean as reason and fact, but he was saying how "the truth" was funny. And it was. It was a sort of poetic truth. When the actors stopped trying to act and stated to be truthful of their frustration, fear, and failure to not get a laugh, they became funny.

Some of the exercises reminded me of George Carlin. He once went up on stage. He didn't say a single word and made the audience laugh. George Carlin, stood there silent, just being George Carlin, just "being honest" with himself and to the audience.

I try "to be honest". I think real art comes from "being honest" with yourself and "being truthful" to yourself. And if religion is about "truth", philosophy is about "truth", tragedy is about "truth" and science is about fact (which is about "truth") then religion is funny, science is philosophical, tragedy is religious, tragedy is comedic, science is religious, etc. etc. It all blends and connects into the human condition.

I've spent my life trying to not lie to myself. Try to not lie to others (although that's really hard, and I'm honest with myself when I fail, and sometimes I remedy it, eventually.--although in some instances in my life, I have no choice but to bluff). And I try to be honest with my work. In the past few years its been starting to come together.

I don't know if the honesty thing makes any sense. Its sort of like wu-wei, doing without doing. It would probably make more sense to an artist or performer who puts their all into their craft. Or perhaps someone who has studied Zen.

But, according to my readership who've emailed me, this sort of think does make a difference.

Anyway, I got a freelance thingy to finish. The next page will be kind of a jip storywise, but I'll make that up with the next next part.

Labels: blog, Lessons in Cartooning, my work