Here you’ll find an exploration on how to make a living, by being creative. This blog gives you a little bit of a window into the day in the life of a Simpsons artist, who’s doing his own art on the side. You’ll also get an insight into what goes on in an artist’s brain. As well, as how he tries to improve his skills and his way of life with his creativity.
He also draws things that will hopefully make you laugh, or at the very least, crack a smile.
I’m a Storyboard artist on The Simpsons TV show and The Simpsons Movie. I drew Simpsons comics, on the side, for Bongo Comics for 12 years as well. Author of The Art of Draw Fu: Beginners Level. I live in California with my wife, daughter and four sons who I love very much. I’m Roman Catholic and I was born in El Salvador.
COMIC BOOKS – Four Reasons to read Brian Michael Bendis’ First Five Year Run on Avengers.
I’m going to give you the four reasons you should check out the first five year run of Brian Michael Bendis’ Avengers. As well as a list, in order, to read them. Along with an explanation of why you ought to, without spoiling anything.
Why am I focusing only on the first five years of Bendis’ Avengers run? Well, mostly because I didn’t read the later part of his run. Not yet anyway. So I really can’t talk about them in.
Alright so let’s get Started…
He Made the Avengers Cool
I’m sorry but, as a kid, there was pretty much NOTHING that made me interested in reading the Avengers. I used to look at them and wonder, “Who are these losers?” They looked like a poor man’s Justice League.
I used to read Spider-Man comics mostly, and some X-Men comics. That was pretty much it.
Captain America seemed like a joke to me. Ironman wasn’t techy enough for me to like. If he had looked more like an Anime mecha, I would have been all over it.
Thor talked funny and it was hard to understand what he was saying. His universe was too weird and he wasn’t very “Norse.” Scarlett Witch and The Vision where “C” list characters that seemed to be there to fill in the roster.
Antman and Wasp? Lame.
There was nothing about the group that I found intriguing. Then I read Bendis’ House of M
I’ll write more about that below in my recommendations, but I will say this, it was the book that made the Scarlett Witch interesting to me.
This led directly to the Avengers Disassembled storyline which ended up being a great introduction to the Avengers.
I liked them, A LOT. Especially Captain America. Turned out, he was totally awesome.
The story was so brutal and dramatic that it really made you empathize with them. You wanted to follow up on who they were and what they did next.
But then they reintroduced the Avengers in New Avengers: Breakout doing something with the group that they should have done a long time ago. Instead of the “poor man’s Justice League,” Avengers became truly the Marvel Universe’s Justice League.
They took the most popular Marvel Characters in the Marvel U and one or two who weren’t, added a made new superhero that was effectively Superman, and made them the Avengers. Captain America, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Ironman, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage, and The Sentry.
And they were COOL. I mean, how could you not read this book? From that point on, you get hooked.
The Characters
The stories told with these characters were exciting but what really set these books apart are the characters themselves.
The two characters in the team that where considered “C” list characters, Spider-Woman and Luke Cage, became the break out stars of the team.
But over all, it was an all-star cast. You WANTED to see these characters interact and go on adventures. And the new character The Sentry, was a fascinating new superhero.
With “the power of ten exploding suns” he pretty much is one of the two Supermen of the Marvel Universe. The other one being a little used character called Blue Marvel.
But since this is the Marvel Universe, The Sentry had all kinds of horrible, psychological issues. This of course made him fun to read.
In general, it was tough not to like this group of characters and it’s so much fun to read about how they interact with one another.
It’s Addicting
It was so much fun to read about them in fact, that I couldn’t get enough. I started picking up every tradepaper back of their adventures I could get my hands on.
The stories are fun, exciting and addicting. They’re real page turners and you really end up involved emotionally with these characters.
This is exactly what superhero comics is all about. The way these books read are the reason we read superhero comics in the first place.
It’s Epic
The stories that Bendis tells with this team is pretty epic. Things don’t stay the same for too long. The team changes splits up and comes back together in different ways through out the five year run.
Epic storylines like, House of M, Avenger Disassembled, Civil War, to it’s even more epic aftermath, The Ultron Initiative, The Venom Bomb, the Secret Invasion, the Dark Avengers and finally The Siege. It’s an over the top insane epic ride.
Through it all, the stories stay really personal and character based while sill being grand in scope. It’s pretty amazing.
Where to Start
So if all this sounds right up your alley, I made a list with links to where you can purchase the books either in print on digitally. I’ll also give you some small spoiler free thoughts on each book.
Just to be clear, the blue header links and the picture are links to the print book on Amazon and they’re affiliate links (thanks for your support). The links under “Digital Comics Link” are links to Comixology (they are not affiliate links):
This is where it all kinda starts. The events in this story set up the events in the New Avengers books. That means, even though it’s not about the Avengers, it’s still a really good story, and it’s good to know what happens in it.
This is the ultimate, “get me started” volume. It contains about 40+ comics. From Avenger: Disassembledto New Avengers #31 and more. It’s the most hassle free and cheapest way to get caught up.
This is the only non Bendis book on the list. I didn’t read the Avengers tie ins to this story either. That said, you need to read this because the events set up Avengers stories in New Avengers and Mighty Avengers.
After Civil War, certain things change in the Avengers universe. There’s two Avengers teams. These are the stories that occur under Ironman’s Avengers.
The last of the stories featuring the other Avengers team. These stories directly set up the invasion that occurs next.
The version I won compiles Vol. 7 – 10 in three volumes. I couldn’t find a link to those versions of the books. Seems like they’re now out of print, so instead I’m linking to the individual trade paperbacks.
The grand finale of this long Avengers Saga that began with House of M. To be honest, it was a bit weaker than I would have liked for a finale, but the journey was great and worth taking.
SUPERHEROES/ROLE PLAYING GAMES – Six of the Best Superhero Tabletop Role Playing Games
There’s a TON of Superhero Tabletop Role Playing Games (RPGs) out there. I own quite a few. I thought I’d point out six that are worth taking a closer look at.
These are by no means the only ones worth looking at. Just a few of the good ones.
If you’ve read my blog enough, you know I love the superhero genre and I also like tabletop RPGs.
I also, occasionally run games. When a person does this, they are usually called a “Game Master” or GM for short.
Some tabletop RPGs are “crunchier” than other. Which is to say, they have more complicated rules. Others are not so bad. Some take more effort to GM, others take less because of the rules and resources available. Some are even easy to improvise.
Some games allow a lot of versatility in character creation and gameplay. Others are more restrictive.
Champions is the granddaddy of the superhero tabletop RPG genre…well…sort of. I should say, it’s the granddaddy of the versatile, character generating, superhero Tabletop RPG genre.
ChampionsComplete is the latest 6th edition of the HERO system rules in one books.
Versatility
When it comes to character creation you can create anything you can imagine. The sky’s the limit. The HERO system is especially designed to be the most versatile rpg out there. Its deep.
As far as versatility of superhero play and how well is simulates comics, it’s good but not great. You can’t get too creative with your powers. If you want to do a crazy stunt that fudges the boundaries of your powers, you pretty much can’t do it. If you didn’t buy the ability, it’s off limits.
Crunch – Very High
This system is deep, the basics of the system is actually very simple, but it’s very granular. It can make for some slow deep fights.
The character creation can be a huge burden. Lot’s of math, lots of looking stuff up. We’re talking hours per character.
It’s best to buy the computer program that helps you generate characters, if you’re going to be using this system a lot.
GM Friendliness
As I said before, the gameplay system is deep. It will take a lot of work to really learn it so that it plays fast. Character creation is just too much work. Which means inventing characters on the fly is out. Hours of prep work will be needed.
However, the Champions source book is an encyclopedia of superhero ideas and resources worth owning even if you’re not planning to run this system.
Mutants and Masterminds (M&M) might as well be called “Son of Champions.” It’s a slightly less math intensive version of the HERO System. Although the M&M is a superhero system, only.
It’s based on a slightly streamline version of the D20 system.
Versatility
M&M is just as versatile as Champions. Any superhero and power you can think to create you can create. The sky’s the limit.
As to the versatility of play in how it captures the comic book feel, it’s quite good. Players get “Hero points” which can be spent on “stunts” that allow them an occasional, one time only, extra power or rules brake when the story or moment calls for it.
This makes the M&M game feel more superheroic .
Crunch – High
The game play system is simple in theory. However there’s a lot of small crunchy rules to keep track of.
It’s much easier to make supers in M&M. However, it’s still not fast. Character creation takes quite a bit of time and there’s still a bit of math and looking up powers involved.
GM Friendliness
Again, because of the time it takes to make characters, it’s difficult to make characters on the fly. However, the best thing about M&M is that it had the DC Universe license and you can get the DC Adventures Heroes Handbook with stats of the DC heroes in them. In fact, this is the version I own and I love it.
Source books for running different superhero genres in M&M are great too.
Like HERO System, Savage Worlds is meant to be a complete and versatile system. It’s also meant to be a faster and simpler playing game.
The Superheroes Companion is a source book for Savage Worlds that helps you play superheroes in the system.
Versatility
In order to cut down on complexity, the versatility of the types of characters and power that can be created using the Superheroes Companion isn’t as robust as in Champions and M&M. That said, it’s not bad at all.
However, it does capture the heroics of superhero play very well. Players get points called “Beanies” that are awarded to the player by the GM or other players which can be used to do superheroic stuff and break rules.
Also, the inclusion of “exploding dice” just takes it over the top. “Exploding dice” is when you roll the highest number on a die and when you do, you get to roll it again and add the extra number to the roll.
Crunch – Medium
Character creation can take about 30 minutes or less in the system. Almost no math required.
Fighting is fast, furious and fun. Everything is very straight forward. Super easy system to learn.
It’s one of my personal favorite systems.
GM Friendliness
One of the few systems, that I know of, which require almost no prep time. You can easily make characters up on the spot.
Fights are really fast. The system is super easy to learn. It’s really a great system to GM.
BASH! was especially designed for kids and for education. It was designed to be simple enough for almost anyone to pick up and play.
Versatility
It’s not quite as robust as Champions and M&M but it’s quite good. Character creation is quick and easy.
As some other games above, BASH! has what it calls a “Hero Point” which every character is given at the beginning a session. It allows rules breaking to simulate heroic action. It also includes type of “exploding dice” that occurs when doubles are rolled.
Crunch – Medium
The game play system is simple but it’s very math heavy, requiring multiplication. The reasoning for this is to teach math calculations to kids as the game is played.
It’s not as bad as it sounds. I kinda found myself looking forward to the math. It’s very helpful.
Character creation is very simple and fast.
GM Friendliness
Very easy to improvise. Characters can be created on the spot.
Resources for the game are a bit limited, but a lot of them are free.
Not as many resources in the system to help a GM come up with story ideas.
A simpler superhero game from the designer of Mutants and Masterminds. This is the pick up and play superheroes game based on the FATE system.
Versatility
This game is not meant to have a versatile character creation system. It’s simply supposed to be fast.
You randomly roll up a character, and in about fifteen minutes, you’re ready to play. There is an optional point buy system but it’s not as fun as rolling up a character. The powers here are limited.
However, the gameplay is VERY open. It’s a very versatile system in that it allows players to really play out their powers in a very limitless way.
Crunch –Lite
The game is based on the FATE system. It’s really a very lite system. Easy to pick up. Easy to understand.
GM Friendliness
This is a very easy and fun system. It’s unique and expressive. You can play this game without prep time. Characters can be created on the spot.
Resources for story and adventure creation aren’t very robust.
Still, this is a great system. Especially if you just want to get a game up and running fast.
Prowlers & Paragons (P&P) is the game I just recently became aware of. The art for the game really caught my eye. It’s the best things about the books.
That said, it’s also a pretty good system.
Versatility
Like Champions and M&M, character creation in P&P is very robust. You can make anything you can think to make and you can do it relatively quick.
This systems emphasizes, storytelling over rules. This makes it very easy to simulate superheroic situations you might find in comics.
It has a points systems called “Resolve” that is awarded to players many different ways. The “Resolve” points can be use do to, many things that play up the heroic aspects of characters in play.
It also has an “exploding dice” system, that only make the game that much cooler.
Crunch – Lite
P&P is very rules lite. It’s meant to be more about the story than the mechanics. The mechanics are there mostly to enforce creativity.
It’s easy to learn, and easy to play.
Character creation is simple. Almost no math required…almost.
GM Friendliness
When the players are inputting as much story into the game as the GM, it can only make the game easier to run. This is much more a collaborative storytelling session than it is the GM having to come up with everything.
Characters can be improvised on the fly. There’s plenty of resources and idea generators in the book to help create adventures.
Great superhero game system.
What’s Your Favorite System
Do you play superhero tabletop RPGs? What’s you’re favorite? Let me know in the comments below.
Want Me to Draw Your RPG Superhero Character?
I’m currently experimenting and I’m curious about maybe drawing some superhero characters that you may have made up. I’ll do them from free (for a limited time.) I’d just like your permission to make a video of me drawing it.
Let me know if you’re interested by commenting below.
SUPERHEROES/TV SHOWS – What to Watch if you Like the ARROW TV Show.
The TV show Arrow has introduced Green Arrow to a larger audience than the comics have. If it’s made you a fan of the character and makes you crave a bit more of him, I’ll show you where to get more.
Besides the comics, which I recommend, there are other shows Green Arrow makes an appearance in that you might be interested in. So I’ve made a list.
While picking up Black Canary at the airport, Count Vertigo and the Merlin show up and are up to no good.
If you’re curious about how different the Arrow TV show is to the Green Arrow character as he’s originally been written in the comics, this is a great way to find out.
In JLU, you will get much deeper into the character of Green Arrow than you do in the animated short above. You especially, get to see how well he interacts with other superheroes like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
He’s a very entertaining guy on his own but when he meets Black Canary in the show, it gets even more fun.
If you’re interested, here are the episodes of the shows where he is most prominently featured:
My favorite animated superhero cartoon also features Green Arrow, although, not a lot. He only make a substantial appearance in two episodes in season 2 of the show, and one is very dramatic. Those episodes are:
“Salvage”
“Satisfaction”
The thing that makes Green Arrow worth watching in the show is his relationship with Roy Harker, his protégé. Roy in Young Justice reminds me a lot of the Roy in the Arrow TV show.
I think, as a fan of Arrow, you might find this version of Roy fascinating. Especially when you discover what happens to him in season 2.
If you’re more interested in a live action version of Green Arrow, you can always give the Green Arrow of Smallville a try.
This version of the character was played by Justin Heartley and is no where near as dark and brooding as the Oliver in Arrow Still, he’s very much the antihero of the show.
That said, he’s no less interesting and heroic. He’s also quite a bit wittier and much more humorous.
Green Arrow made his appearance beginning is season 6 of Smallville and he stayed on till the show’s end. His role in the show is pretty significant .
I recommend giving this Green Arrow a try as well.
What Did I Miss?
Did I miss anything? Let me know on the comments below.
Otherwise, what do you think? Have you watched any of the things above? What do you think of my suggestions? Comment below.
Today I’m writing about the best computer generated animated movies that have come out in recent years.
This type of animated film is relatively new, but it’s really taken animated storytelling and managed to broaden it greatly. Especially in the eyes of mainstream audiences.
You’d think this list would be dominated only by Pixar and Dreamworks films. Well, you’d almost be right, but I decided to clump some of the Pixar and Dreamworks CG films into series. This frees up the list to allow other great CG films to get put on the list.
So let’s get started.
(Some of the links below are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.)
There have been many directors who have attempted to make motion capture movies that look right. Beowulf,Polar Express, A Christmas Carol, all have gone into the “uncanny valley” territory, that happens when the you rely too heavily on the computer to do all the work.
This has made these movies, not only ugly, but not worth watching.
Along came Tin Tin. A motion capture CG movie done right.
Tin Tin does away with the attempt of making it’s characters super realistic. Also, when watching Tin Tin, it becomes obvious that the animators enhanced and touched up the motion capture until it looked just right.
I’m pretty sure they added and took away from the performances to make it all work. THIS is how motion capture is done well. When motion capture and animators work together in harmony to make something animate look right.
On top of that, the movie was directed by none other than Steven Spielberg. The movie comes across like an adventure movie in the same vain as his best Indiana Jones movies. It’s so much fun.
More animated movies should be in this genre. I’m looking forward to the sequel.
Rango was a unexpected surprise. A great western told with animals.
The unique look and feel of this movie was fascinating. It was odd, quirky, and fun.
Watching Rango, I wasn’t expecting much of anything, but it was a great surprise. Fun story, interesting characters, a unique genre. It really blew me away.
It became one of my favorite CG movies. A must watch for anyone who’s a fan of CG animated movies and westerns.
I have to admit, I’m a little bias about this one. I went to Sony animation studio to visit a friend when this movie was in development. I had lunch with the concept artists and I was blown away by the concept art for this movie.
This movie is totally fun and completely underrated. Mostly because it has been overshadowed another movie with singing and dancing penguins, whose name we will not mention.
Surf’s Up is nothing like that other movie.
So much of the dialogue is improvised by the actors. It’s funny, and that art direction is beautiful. The character designs are fantastic, the animation acting it awesome.
Also the water effects are pretty spectacular.
This movie is great. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it.
Oh boy, this movie rocks. One of the funniest CG animated movies ever.
It also doesn’t actually look like a typical CG movie. It actually looks like the movie was animated using Legos
It’s a surprisingly deeper movie than it seems at first.
It was written and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the guys who brought us Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. A movie that also belongs on this list (only if it was on this list Tin Tin would be knocked off so I’m mentioning it here.)
This movie is super awesome. It’s about Legos and who doesn’t love Legos?
I had to put at least one Disney movie in this list. Tangled made my list for a few reasons. It’s a typical Disney formula princes movie that actually works well.
The art direction is beautiful. I love the colors.
I like the character designs of the protagonists a lot.
And it’s the last Disney movie Glen Keane worked on before he left Disney.
If you were to watch a CG Disney movie, this is the one I’d recommend. Yes, I like it more than Frozen.
Again, I’m clumping all the movies together here for the same reason I clumped the Toy Story movies.
I love Kung Fu, and I love animated action movies. These movies combine the things I love and makes them work really well in an action comedy environment.
These movies where a great idea, well executed.
Great action, great story, great designs, fantastic animated acting. You can’t go wrong.
It’s tough for a CG movie to beat this movie for me. It has superheroes in it, great look, a great setting, fantastic characters, amazing action, and exciting and moving story, and it’s so relateable.
The acting is amazing, it’s funny…it’s got a great director…I mean, it’s just so good.
It’s absolutely the best CG movie made so far. It’s a tough movie to beat.
What are Your Thoughts?
Did I miss your favorite? Have you seen all these movies? Do you think I’m missing anything?
If you want the best of the best, read that post. I won’t be writing about any of those movies in this list. Instead I’ll be writing about all the other movies that didn’t make that list.
The first of the DC animated movies. This one still holds up. It’s a great story, although it’s a tad predictable and Bruce Wayne seem a little out of character.
The character designs look a bit dated compared to the much more sleek designs in later movies.
The uncut version of this is pretty darn awesome. By far one of the best of the animated superhero movies. Sleek designs, a cool story with an incredible dramatic twist.
The portrayal of the Joker in this movie is one of the darkest. It’s a very intense movie and the hand drawn special effect are worth studying.
Alright, so this movie is really bad. It just isn’t very good. It’s the story of how Doomsday kills Superman.
The problem is that this story was done so much better in the Superman Animated Series. It had so much more resonance and pathos than this movie had and it was produced by the same people.
All that said, it’s a guilty pleasure because it’s got some of the best superhero fighting in an animated superhero movie.
People who think that the destruction of Metropolis in the live action Man of Steel was excessive, obviously haven’t seen this movie.
The movie looks great, and there’s some really good acting moments in it. Especially in the character of Lois Lane.
Is it worth watching?
Only if you watch it to see some great fights. Otherwise, pass.
Based on the comic by Darwin Cooke that, I’m ashamed to say, I haven’t read yet. It made me curious about how much better the comic might be.
I thought this movie was okay but it wasn’t as good I heard the comic was. Thing is, I think the movie spoiled the comic for me and I didn’t much like the story here.
Batman’s voice was weird and the story was a bit upsetting somehow.
I loved the designs and the era this movie took place in. It’s visually a fantastic movie.
Is it worth watching?
Sort of. It’s not the best thing out there but it’s neat.
Batman goes anime in this anthology. This is basically a Japanese retelling of the Batman Animated Series episode Legends of the Dark Knight.
It’s also following in the footsteps of the Animatrix animated anthology. It allows Japanese animation directors to tell their version of a Batman story.
I like anime but I wasn’t very impressed with this movie. I don’t even own a copy. I though it was interesting but I’d rather watch the animated series version. It was much more fun.
Is it worth watching?
I think so, if your a Batman fan and want to see interesting takes on the character.
I love Ed McGinnis’ artwork, however, I don’t think it translates very well into animation. At least, not in the way it was translated in this movie.
I find a lot of the characters designs in this movie not to my taste. Especially Powergirl.
All that said, this is one of the more entertaining superhero animated movies DC has put out. It’s adapted from a Superman/Batman comic written by Jeph Loeb that’s just as fun to read.
Yet another adaptation of a story from the Superman/Batman comics written by Jeph Loeb.
This time the art style was an adaptation of the late Micheal Turner’s. Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of his style.
For some reason, the first time I watched it, it really left a bad impression. I had a difficult time liking it.
However, I’ve changed my mind about it now. I really enjoy it. Especially because is has some of the best Wonder Woman fighting scenes in any animated DC product out there.
This is a Green Lantern animated anthology. It’s actually quite fun.
Nathan Fillion voices Hall Jordan and fits the part perfectly.
The character designs are fantastic, the animation is great, and the short stories are fun. However, if you’re not much of a fan of Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corp, you might not like this.
This one is an adaptation of Mark Waid’s Tower of Babel, Justice League story line. It’s one of my all time favorite Justice League stories.
When I heard they were going to do an animated version, I was thrilled. The movie even has the same character designs as my favorite animated superhero TV show, Young Justice.
However, when I actually watched the movie, it simply wasn’t the same as the comic. They changed it just enough to make the story too different from it’s comic book counterpart, for me.
Is it worth watching?
Only if you’re a completest like me. Otherwise, pass.
This movie has cured me from ever wanting to draw gigantically buff superheroes ever again. The dudes in this movie are HUGE.
It’s an interesting story. It’s a lot of fun to watch. I read the comics this movie was adapted from and they did a great job of capturing the essence of the comics.
It has, hands down, one of the most badass versions of Aquaman in any animated anything. He’s awesome and super scary.
After watching this movie, you’ll never see Aquaman the same way again. Respect the Aquaman.
This movie is a Flash movie however. And he’s a great character to watch.
Is it worth watching?
Yeah. It basically ushers in the New 52 era of animated superhero movies.
The very different designs continues with this adaptation of the New 52 Justice League comic, written by Geoff Johns.
I was disappointed with this movie.
This is also one of the worst depictions of Wonder Woman in any of the animated movies or series. She comes across a bit dopey and her costume looks awful.
This is also the movie that introduced the Batman chin piece, that just looks weird.
There where a few laughs but…this movie just didn’t do it for me.
Is it worth watching?
Pass on this one.
EDIT 01/01/2015:
I’ve recently re-watched this movie. I also had the chance to read the comic is was based on. My thoughts have changed.
I still don’t like the designs as much, and Wonder Woman still comes across dopey. Turns out that bit is actually straight out of the comics. Yet, the second time around, I ended up enjoying this movie.
For starters, compared to the comic version, this movie is fantastic.
But, the reason I ended up changing my mind after I watched it the second time, it’s a fun beat ’em up. That’s all it really is, the Justice League fighting each other and fighting bad guys. It’s mindless and fun. If you go into it wanting more, you’ll be disappointed like I was initially.
This movie should really be called “Suicide Squad” the animated movie, but no one would have bought that, so they use Batman’s name on the title.
This is basically a Oceans 11 with DC super villains.
The Suicide Squad is a group of super villains assembled by the government to do suicide mission in exchange for pardons. Bombs are implanted in their heads so they stay in line and follow orders during the mission.
The team has made an appearance in the Smallville TV show and on the Arrow TV show. Warners is also planning a live action movie.
This particular movie takes place in the “Batman: Arkham” video game universe.
I have to say, I didn’t expect much when I put it in to watch the movie but I ended up loving it. It’s a great story. A lot of fun. Very violent, so it’s not for kids.
I like the designs on most of the characters. The take on each character is great.
The protagonist of the movie is not Batman but Deadshot. He’s the lead and he’s very cool. Batman is secondary character. This is a good thing. It makes him even more mysterious.
This is definitely one of the best animated superhero movies Warners has produced in a while.
Is it worth watching?
Absolutely
Thought?
What do you think? Which movies do you like most?
Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts on some of these movies.
COMIC BOOKS – 3 Reasons to Read MEANWHILE an Interactive Print Comic Book
Want to try reading an interactive “Choose Your Own Adventure type comic books? Meanwhile is the book for you.
Today I’ll tell you my experience with it.
As a comic creator I, like many other artists, have contemplated making a “Choose your own Adventure” like interactive comic. I know the reason I haven’t done it is because it’s WAY too much work. At least, that’s what I thought. More on that later.
I became aware of the comic and Jason Shiga when listening to an episode of the Comics Are Great podcast. I don’t remember exactly which episode it was where I first heard about it, but that was where I was made aware of it.
I went to Jason Shiga‘s site and found some other of his experiments (which are no longer there) as well as his bio.
I was intrigued by the concept of the book and put it on my Amazon Wish List until it was the right time to purchase it.
Well, I bought the book recently and loved it. Here’s the three reasons why I think you will too:
It’s a “Choose Your Own Adventure” Type Comic
This it THE reason to get the book. It’s so clever. You start with a basic choice between vanilla and chocolate ice cream and next thing you know you’re traveling through time or causing the end of the world.
It’s so much fun to read. The clever way the story branches around using “tubes” is ingenious.
The story splits and splints. And when you think you’re just going around in circles you find that you’re really not.
Which bring me to…
It’s Deep
The comic is much deeper than it appears at first. There’s codes in the game that allow you to access “secret pages.” The trick is to go through the branches of the story and MEMORIZE them once you come across them.
Once you get to the the right page that allows you use the code, you can follow the tube to the correct story path.
It’s pretty cool. I haven’t been able to do it yet.
It’s a Great for Kids
Even though the book is a bit deeper than they can understand, my kids LOVE it. They think it’s hilarious. It’s also good for their vocabulary.
They love the decisions and the branching paths.
The art is cartoony and accessible. It’s also fun and funny. The story can be a little dark sometimes but generally it’s lighthearted.
Get It
I absolutely love this book. It blows my mind that it even exists and that it’s as cool as it is.
BOARD GAMES- Dungeons and Dragons: Castle Ravenloft Board Game Review – Playing With Little Kids.
I managed to play the Dungeons and Dragons: Castle Ravenloft Board Game with my kids. As of the time of this writing my eldest kid is seven years old. Today I’m writing a review of the game,and whether it plays well with little kids.
I managed to score a used copy of this game at half price a while back. I’ve been wanting to pick up the game and the others like it for a while.
I have to say, ever since that first game, the game has been on my mind ever since. I kinda want to get back to playing another session. At the same time, I kinda want to NOT play the game again and just start a regular tabletop fantasy role playing game instead.
As I said above, I played this game with my kids. The age range on the box says: AGE 12+. My kids, whom I played this game with are, from oldest to youngest: seven, five and three.
So the question is, what are the pros and cons of playing this game with kids that are so under the age range of this game?
That’s what I will write about below. I’ll explain the type of game this is below as well, but if you want a full overview of the game, there will be a video at the end that will explain it all.
(The links in this post are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.)
Basically you go through a randomly created castle, fight monsters to get to an objective. The objective varies depending on the scenario you choose to play from the adventure book.
The characters you play as are typical Dungeons & Dragons characters, and you can even customize them to an extent.
You move your character and fight, explore the castle, when a new part of the castle is revealed monsters appear, they fight you, rinse and repeat until you reach your objective. That’s the game in a nutshell.
My kids and I had a lot of fun playing the game. Here’s the Pros and Cons when playing this game with little kids.
Pros
Cooperative
The game is a cooperative game which is the biggest benefit the game has when playing with little kids. It means you’re not in competition with them and you are suppose to help out.
The game box says the game can be played by ONE to five players. The fact that it allows you to play solo, should give you a clue about the kind of help you can give your kids.
Especially if they’re really little like maybe three. You simply tell the little one what his best move is and then you can simply help him do it.
“Move to this spot. Do this thing. Roll this die. You did it! Good job,” the little kids feels like he did something great and you can move the game forward. It’s great.
Great Miniatures
The toy factor is great. The game comes with some really fantatic Miniatures. The kids LOVE moving the monsters and heroes around the board. It’s eye candy.
It really gets their imagination going.
Easy to Explain
It’s really very simple to explain to them. You just tell them what it is they need to do each turn and they just do it. The game isn’t complicated.
It’s involved. There’s things to keep track of, but I found, my kids could keep up with what was going on.
They new what they needed to roll, and if they didn’t, you just tell them and move on.
Cons
Requires Reading and Reading Comprehension
Ideally you want to play this game with kids that can read. It will save you a lot of time if the kids can read their cards themselves. Otherwise you’re going to be doing all the reading.
On other hand, this con can be a plus if your kids are decent enough at reading that they can use the cards as practice.
Requires Math
Similar to the reading, this game is better if you’re kids are good at adding their own die rolls.
It’s no big deal if you have to do it for them. They have just as much fun.
Just like the reading above, this con can be a pro if your kids are at an age where they can practice their addition skills as they play the game.
A Bit Burdensome
The reading, the math, keeping track of what’s going on where. Who has what monsters, who has what powers or items…it can become a bit much.
Keep in mind, this game can be played solo, that said, it really helps if don’t HAVE to keep track of everything and your kids can help out.
It helps if you set up the table so that you can give maximum help to the youngest kid.
Is it Worth Getting
My kids and I had a ton of fun playing this game. Granted, we’ve only played it once and we got some rules wrong, but it was fun none the less.
My five year old was ready to play it again right away and has been bugging me to play it again since. I must admit, I feel the same.
This game and it’s companion games are VERY expensive but having played this one, I think they’re well worth it. I’m absolutely going to be picking up the other ones.
And since they’re board games, their “operating system” doesn’t become obsolete. Although, they do run the danger of going out of print.
The links below are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.
The Story
I’m not going to say too much about what the story is about. That’s kinda the point of reading the comic. I will repeat what Gene Yang said in the video above, it’s the origin story of The Green Turtle.
I will write about the feel and the execution of the story and whether or not I liked it.
I did like the story. It was very fun. There was a lot more comedy than I expected. This is absolutely not a bad thing.
I think it helps going in that it will be a bit of a comedy. But it’s not completely comedic. People die in the story. The stakes can be high.
There is one particular character, the protagonist’s mother, who’s there to make you laugh. It’s odd because she’s introduced so seriously only to be portrayed so comically. She’s fun to read.
She reminded me, so much, of a lot of my Asian friend’s mothers.
There are elements of fantasy in the story that I liked as well. Although I kinda wished that they came into the story sooner. The story starts off with them and they then get placed aside for quite a while before they appear again.
I found myself becoming impatient for them to show up. They where the elements that fascinated me the most.
My favorite part of the whole story was the final confrontation with “the big bad.” It was so good, I almost wished the set up to becoming the hero took less time so we could have more of the kind of stuff that was happening in the later part of the book.
The Art
Sonny Liew’s art is simply fantastic. It’s just eye candy.
He’s go this really rough looking ink brush line that has so much life and energy.
His characters designs are fantastic and his acting is hilarious. I love the way he layout pages too.
I can stare at the art all day long. It’s so good. It’s very unique.
The colors in the book and the way it compliments that line work is simply amazing.
I can’t say enough great things. It’s great to see an Asian person draw Asian people and not have it look like Anime.
Last Thoughts
If you’re a fan of Gene Yang, this won’t disappoint. It’s a fun read.
I wish there where a few more modern one shot stories of The Turtle’s adventures so we could see him in action. That said, the book does provides a reprint of one of The Turtle’s golden age adventures.
I found the idea of an Asian superhero from the 1940s fascinating.
It’s a universal story that anyone can relate to. The human struggles the characters are going through are very relate-able, but I think it might be a bit more poignant and true to life if you’re Asian.
That said, I’m not, and I really enjoyed the story. Can’t wait to see more from Gene and I have to look more into Sonny Liew’s work.
COMIC BOOKS – The Pros and Cons of Buying and Reading Digital Comics
I’ve been reading a lot of digital comics lately. Being new to reading mainstream comics this way has made me think about what I like and don’t like about doing so. I thought I’d share my thoughts in this post.
Those are the two Apps I use to read most of the comics I purchase.
I tend to read a lot of mainstream comics. DC and Marvel superhero comics, mostly. Though I also read others.
This post is mostly about reading digital comics on the two devices I mentioned, and they’re about reading comics that I can download from those two companies.
Most of the comics I download are NOT directly made to be read digitally. They where intended to be read in print and where also digitized.
I’m certain that some of what I’m going to writing below doesn’t apply to all digital comics. Especially comic that are intended to be read digitally.
Below you’ll read what I think are the pros and cons of reading and buying digital mainstream comics. As I usually do in these type of post, I will start with the cons so that I can end the article on a positive note:
Cons
Not the Ideal Way of Reading Comics
Unless you’re reading a comic especially designed to be read digitally, reading comics on a device is less than ideal. Even when you have a big enough device like I do, you come across problem pages. Pages like double page spreads.
They effectively shrink the pages having the opposite effect they where intended to have. This means you have to turn the device on it’s side and zoom a bit to read them correctly. Unless you’re reading it on a Kindle which doesn’t rotate the art, then you have to double tap on panels to get zoomed in panels.
It’s annoying.
I also don’t like having to occasionally touch the screen every so often to prevent it from turning off and going into standby mode. It puts unecassary pressure on you as a reader, and takes you out of what you’re reading.
When you DON’T have a big enough device, reading tiny comics or panel by panel slide shows of the comic, really takes away from the reading experience.’
Disposable
Once upon a time, comics were a disposable form of entertainment. They were printed on the cheapest paper and printed badly. They didn’t have any real value.
Over the years, this has changed.
With digital comics, this mindset has come back. I’ve found myself not caring about the digital comics I’ve purchased. I just want to read them.
Once I’ve done that, I just erase them from my device. I really don’t care much about them after that.
It’s very odd because I don’t react this way with my digital prose books.
I think, if I really liked a digital comic I read, I would buy it again in print.
Which brings me to my biggest problem with most digital comics…
Renting Not Buying
When you buy a digital comic from the main sources of digital comics, namely Comixology and Kindle, you don’t actually OWN the comics you “purchase.” You’re more like renting them. For example, say your whole comic collection is from Comixology.
Well, what if it goes out of business, or it get’s sold to another company which shuts it down, well what happens to your collection? I mean, Comixology never really let you download the comics.
Not as a raw digital file, or pdf. Only within the Comixology program. Kindle does something similar. Your more like renting the comics, not really owning them.
You really can’t do anything with them outside the program once you bought them.
Pros
Beautiful Looking
Digital comics sure are pretty. The colors are more vibrant. The lines are sharper.
In short, it’s difficult to find a more beautiful media to read comics in.
Potentially Cheaper
Depending on where you purchase your comic, you can get some decent deals.
Kindle comics tend to usually be cheaper, that said, the reading experience in Comixology is a tad more user friendly.
Most trade paperbacks on the Kindle (as of the time of this writing) are $9.99, meanwhile the same comics,on Comixology tend to be sold at the same cover price as the print copy. I found this odd.
Meanwhile Comixology run sales every month on multiple comic lines. Depending on the sale, it’s possible to come away with some incredible deals.
The best part of all though is the fact that you don’t pay taxes on the comics. You pay cover price. So even if the comic you buy cost the same as the print version, you’re still getting it for a little less.
Convenient Comic Collecting
Because digital comics are…well…digital, they don’t actually take up any space in your house. This means you could have paid for hundreds of comics and they won’t clutter up the place.
You don’t have to find a storage solution of them.
You also have access to your whole collection in one or a few devices. You can basically carry your comics anywhere.
It’s remarkable
Does NOT Replace Print Comics
And yet with all those awesome things about digital comics, they don’t really replace print comics. At least not for me. The biggest reason is the value of a print. When I read a GREAT comic, I mean a mind blowing good one, I want to keep it. I want the art at my finger tips.
Not a digital reproduction but I want to own a copy of the artwork.
That experience simply can’t be replaced.
For example, I wouldn’t want to own a digital comic with great artwork without also owning the print version. I want to HAVE that artwork. I want to own it and be able to have it open and study it.
I don’t simply want a digital representation that requires electricity to see it.
Worth Checking Out
Is is worth buying and reading digital comics on these devices. My answer is, “Yes.”
It’s a good experience. At least for me. What do you think?
Do you have a device you can read comics in. What is it and how do you like? I’d like to know. You can do so on the comments section below.
I was in need of a Cintiq. I use one at work and it’s kinda become a tool that, as an artist, it’s tough to live without.
The problem is, Cintiqs are not only expensive, but they’re big, bulky, and force you to only work in one spot for long stretches at a time.
Sometimes, I like drawing in different places and I wanted something that was a little bit more versatile, like an iPod or an Android Tablet. But those things where never as good as Cintiqs. I kinda needed both.
Well, turns out Wacom made a Cintiq that IS both. Here’s what I think of it.
(This post has affiliate links, thanks for your support)
The Good
It’s a Cintiq and an Android Tablet
THE number one best thing about the Wacom Cintiq Companion Hybrid is that it’s both a Cintiq AND an Android Tablet. This means you get two devices for the price of one.
If you want a portable sketch book you can draw on with the same accuracy as a Wacom Cintiq, this is it. Download an inexpensive drawing App like Skechbook Pro, or better yet, Layer Paint HD, and you can draw anywhere.
Layer Paint HD creates artwork at 600 dpi. You can pretty much do professional drawing on that program alone.
Put if you have Photoshop or Manga Studio on your computer and want to work on one of those programs instead, simply hook up your Hybrid to your computer and the Hybrid become a regular Cintiq like any other one.
Not to mention it’s an Android Tablet so you can read comics and play games on it too. But that’s not REALLY why you get this.
It’s SO handy.
Which leads me to the next great thing about it…
It’s Portable
No more having to wait til you get home to work on the Cintiq, you can take it with you.
Sit on the couch and draw, take it to the park. the Zoo, the mall, a story meeting…etc. Pretty much anywhere you can take a sketchbook.
Get some sun as you work. It’s great.
And it comes with a stand that props it up.
Good Battery Life
The best way to work with this tablet is to obviously have it plugged in. That said, you don’t have to. It’s got a remarkably long battery life.
So far, I worked on it for about four hours and barely saw it taxed at all. It’s suppose to have a 12 hour battery life. That’s pretty awesome.
Especially since I don’t plan to draw on it for that long without ever being somewhere I can plug it in.
The Bad
Not Enough Apps
I think the most annoying problem with the Hybrid is the very fact it’s an Android Tablet. It doesn’t have nearly the amount of quality Apps you would find in an iOS device.
I have an iPod and an iPhone, there are drawing Apps I own in those devices that I would LOVE to use with my Hybrid but they aren’t available for Android.
That said, Layer Paint HD works well enough for my purposes.
It’s Got a Small Screen
If you’re used to working on a large screen Cintiq, this is going to take some getting used to.
You’re going to have to get used to either working on less drawing real estate or simply turning the menus on the screen on and off a lot.
The screen’s width is not as wide as a regular piece of paper but it’s a tad longer. If you don’t mind this and can work around it, that’s not a big deal.
Otherwise, it might very well be a deal breaker, all the other pros aside.
This was a great purchase for me. I tend to do a lot of my drawing on the couch or on the go. I find it annoying to always have to be attached to a computer to do my work. Especially if my computer is a desktop located in one place.
The Hybrid let’s me draw anywhere I want and if I need to attach it to a computer, there’s always my Laptop.
I love it.
If this sounds like something you’d benefit from as well, I highly recommend picking this device up. It’s a great investment.
Just found your page about Italy! Loved it! Lived in Italy a couple of years; just doing a YouTube video about how to get to the Sistine Chapel. Your sketches brought back so many memories (especially the “Metro at Rush Hour” type).
Dear Luis,
Very interesting and thoughtful blog. If you are interested in Catholicism and boardgames you might appreciate “Vatican” the boardgame I designed. It has been selling worldwide and we have gotten very favorable comments
Sincerely,
Stephen Haliczer Ph.D.
Distinguished Research Professor
Product Designer
The College of DuPage Press
Hey! I’ve been trying to call you for a couple weeks! I should have checked your blog sooner. I thought you might have had the baby by now! Congrats! Call me ya bum. My number…unlike yours… is the same xxx-xxx-xxxx.
im doing a piece of it coursework and wondered if i could put your
“computer stoopid” picture on it.
I would acknowledge where it came from beneath it and in the bibliography.
If the answer is yes then could you tell me the artists name too?
thanks. keith.
I just came upon your Nephilim skeleton debunking image….very interesting.
I wish we could have met at Comic Con to discuss certain issues. Nothing that
I would want to discuss openly here.
If you want to discuss something privately, you could always e-mail me. The address is up there under the “Hi, Welcome!” about the top commentators. It’s luis(at)luisescobarblog(dot)com.
Can you give me permission to use one of your illustrations for a tee shirt. I really want to wear “there must be some way to plug this keyboard into this game” – It’s how I see the world.. and you explained everything I want to tell the world in that one illustrzt8ion.
Gina
Yes, Gina. You can make it into a shirt for yourself off of that cartoon. I’m flattered.
I’ve been thinking about making shirts off of my little cartoons but I’m not sure which ones to do. Outside of an occasional cartoon that really hits home for someone, I’m not sure if they would sell.
Hi Luis,
My name is Phil and I came across your site while looking up information about animation and voice-over work. I’m a huge fan of the Simpsons & Futurama and a big Billy West fan (Ren&Stimpy, Futurama, Ect.). It is truly amazing to me how so many individuals come together to create these animated cartoons and the quality of the end product. I’m curious from your perspective how much work you have to re-do sometimes because of the networks and the way they censor some of the work that is being done. Best of luck to you in your projects. – Phil
You’d be surprised Phil. The biggest censors of the show are the writers themselves. They often pull back a joke they think is going too far. Sometimes, some of the jokes are funny too. It’s the artists that end up complaining about it. For example, there was a joke in one of the Halloween shows that all the artists thought was really funny. It was the show where Homer goes back in time on his toaster. In one of the futures he comes back too, he finds himself married to Patty and Selma. He discovers this when they show up waring lingerie. They looked really nasty, with their flab and hairy legs. When we saw it, everyone roared with horrified laughter. It was crazy. For some reason, during the re-write, they cut the gag because they thought it was too much. It was very disappointing. They didn’t even put the scene as an extra on the DVD.
It does. Thanks for the reply Luis. That gag actually would have been hilarious! Too bad it didn’t make it. I wonder if some unnecessary second guessing happens though because the writers feel they may be going over the top? (If that’s possible.) I know there is that fine line that writers and creators have to walk probably not only with the content of the show that’s created but with the networks as well. At least from what I understand in reading interviews and seeing convention interviews. Storyboards I think really help to set the tone of an episode and I bet it probably helps to justify many of the ideas that get spun out during the writing sessions of the writers. You all do great work on the show and I’m going to continue reading through your website. Thanks! – Phil
Hello there. I was researching nephilim for a report and I foung your blog. Its too bad those pics were all frauds. If they had been real, it would have been amazing.
After I read your stuff on the pictures I hung around a little, and read your “about me section”.
I am merely curious, so if I overstep a boundary, please feel free to tell me so.
I was wondering, sir, since you state that you are in fact a roman catholic, weather or not you believed in the deity of Jesus Christ?
I myself am a Christian, but I research other religions and alternate sects of my own. You could say its a hobby. In any case, if you find my inquiry impolite, I am sorry. I mean no offense.
Heh, no Christine, your question isn’t impolite. It’s good of you to ask. Too often people just assume things about Catholicism without asking.
The simple answer to your question is, “Yes”. Catholicism, teaches that Jesus Christ is God, the second person of the Holy Trinity.
The slightly more involved answer is as follows: The Catechism of the Catholic Church (the official book that explains all that the Catholic Church teaches) in paragraphs 446-451 ( http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P1H.HTM ) states the following:
446 In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the ineffable Hebrew name YHWH, by which God revealed himself to Moses,59 is rendered as Kyrios, “Lord”. From then on, “Lord” becomes the more usual name by which to indicate the divinity of Israel’s God. the New Testament uses this full sense of the title “Lord” both for the Father and – what is new – for Jesus, who is thereby recognized as God Himself.60
447 Jesus ascribes this title to himself in a veiled way when he disputes with the Pharisees about the meaning of Psalm 110, but also in an explicit way when he addresses his apostles.61 Throughout his public life, he demonstrated his divine sovereignty by works of power over nature, illnesses, demons, death and sin.
448 Very often in the Gospels people address Jesus as “Lord”. This title testifies to the respect and trust of those who approach him for help and healing.62 At the prompting of the Holy Spirit, “Lord” expresses the recognition of the divine mystery of Jesus.63 In the encounter with the risen Jesus, this title becomes adoration: “My Lord and my God!” It thus takes on a connotation of love and affection that remains proper to the Christian tradition: “It is the Lord!”64
449 By attributing to Jesus the divine title “Lord”, the first confessions of the Church’s faith affirm from the beginning that the power, honour and glory due to God the Father are due also to Jesus, because “he was in the form of God”,65 and the Father manifested the sovereignty of Jesus by raising him from the dead and exalting him into his glory.66
450 From the beginning of Christian history, the assertion of Christ’s lordship over the world and over history has implicitly recognized that man should not submit his personal freedom in an absolute manner to any earthly power, but only to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Caesar is not “the Lord”.67 “The Church. . . believes that the key, the centre and the purpose of the whole of man’s history is to be found in its Lord and Master.”68
451 Christian prayer is characterized by the title “Lord”, whether in the invitation to prayer (“The Lord be with you”), its conclusion (“through Christ our Lord”) or the exclamation full of trust and hope: Maranatha (“Our Lord, come!”) or Maranatha (“Come, Lord!”) – “Amen Come Lord Jesus!”69
Luis – my name is Luis Escobar – every now and then I Google my name just to see what pops up. Well – I often come across you. No doubt – you have discovered me too. Anyway – sure there a ton of our Luis Escobar’s out there but I thought that I would just say hello and let you know that you have a cool name. BTW – I am the third Luis in four! Grandpa, Father, me and my son. Louie’s all around!
wow – that was fast – I am a photographer, distance runner and high school cross country coach. I live in Santa Maria California. Married with three kids. Your work is great. You are very skilled. I will take some time and learn a little more about you and your work. Very cool. Well – I am off to a work with one of my running students. I will look forward to talking with you a little more in the future. Luis
Howdee Luis, if you are a real Christian then i would suggest you to do some research on your big boss (Matt Groening being a 33rd degree mason).
Loads of subliminal messages in the Simpsons, and occult symbolism.
(Even 9-11 was announced).
Greetings…. (Peace be upon you)
I would like to present to you all the sciences related to cosmogony together with its rules as per its identity which is something not similar to any of the other things and is out of any and assimilation according to the following point of view:
1. The theories of on cosmogony lack the fundamentals of the origin of things as they are mainly based on incidence and on the unseen.
2. The cosmic extension that has been taking place is the result of the range of vision through using the telescope and any other instruments because the thing being seen is determined by vision and this is one of the universe laws.
3. Knowing the within secrets of man will uncover secrets of the universe as the apparent entities of existence are of six kinds: the perspective (what is being seen), the tangible world (what can be touched and felt), what can be weighed, what can be heard, things that have flavor and things that have smell. These, in most cases, are overlapping and are counted six in number.
The origin of all entities are bare pictures of materials, void of force and readiness; it shines in debate and is complete when read. The investigation of scientists is restricted to this reading (capability and liability) where the material is with all its atoms, energy and speed and this alone is useless compared with its radiance.
The first cosmic law is that nothing can be determined unless established with what is contrary to it. And things are sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract and both are the same according to law.
The origin of radiance is the brain and by saying this I do not mean perception but the simple core of it. By formulating this equation the truth becomes uncovered.
The subject is highly complicated and can only be clarified by word of mouth or by arguments.
So, what do you have to present. (show)
بعد التحية :-
أود أن أعرض عليكم جميع علوم نشأة مفردات الكون وقوانينه وفق ذاتيته التي هي شئ ليس كباقي الأشياء خارجه عن حد التعطيل والتشبيه حسب النظرة التالية :-
1/ أن نظريات نشأة الكون تفتقد لأصول نشأة الأشياء وتحيل على ألصدفه أو الغيب .وكذلك استغراق البحث في الأفاق لم يأتي بغايته إلا بقدر ربطه بالوعي الإنساني.
2/ التوسع الكوني الحاصل هو نتيجة المد البصري من خلال التلسكوب وغيره لأن المنظور أليه يثبت بالبصر وهذا أحد قوانين الكون
3/ معرفة أسرار بطون الإنسان تكشف أسرار الكون حيث أن مفردات الوجود الظاهر على ستة أنواع (المنظور أليها ). (الملموسة). (الموزونة). (المسموعة). (ذات طعم). (ذات رائحة). وتكون في أغلب الأحيان متداخلة .وأصل الأشياء كلها صور عارية عن المواد . خاليه من القوه والاستعداد . بمناظرتها تشرق وبمطالعتها تتم . وبحث العلماء ينحصر في هذه المطالعة (القوه والاستعداد) حيث المادة ودقائقها وطاقتها وسرعتها وهذا وحده لا جدوى منه بقدر إشراقها . . وأصل الإشراق هو العقل ولا أقصد به الإدراك أنما هو )جوهر بسيط درأك محيط) وبتكوين هذه المعادلة تنكشف الحقيقة .
الموضوع غاية بالتعقيد يوضح بالمشافهة والجدل فما هو عرضكم ؟
توضيح:-
* أود أن أبين بأن وسائط الإدراك هي الحواس ألخمسه + تحسس الوزن.
* إما أحوال الإدراك ( تصوراته أي المعاني التي يلبسها ) فهي ستة أيضا ثلاثة وخلافها :-
1/ الحياة والموجود ولها صور فمثلا صورة الحياة هي الماء.
2/ الحركة والسكون ولها صور فمثلا صورة الحركة هي الهواء.
3/ الانفعال والسكينة ولها صور فمثلا صورة الانفعال هي النار.
* إما مراتب نفس الإدراك إي نفس ألصوره فهي خمسه:-
1)الجماد 2) النبات 3) الحيوان 4) الملكوت 5) الإنسان وصور ذلك كثيرة.
*** وكل هذه الصور تندرج ضمن تصورات الإدراك .منها ظاهره ومنها كامنة إي لم تظهر لحد الآن . والتوسع الكوني الحاصل هو ظهور لبعض هذه الصور الكامنة.
*وأروع إبداعات الإدراك هو العقل (جوهر بسيط درأك محيط ) ولكل واحده تفصيلاتها الوظيفية.
ووظيفة العقل هي ربط كل الصور المذكورة أعلاه بعوالمها الحسيه ألسبعه. وعالمنا هو العالم السابع وفق نمطيته الحسيه. وتجري آثار العقل على كل الصور الكونية فتصبح محسوسة وفق قوتها واستعدادها التصوري.
قد لا يفهم الموضوع بشكل جيد كونه لم يطرق بتاتا
I’m doing some onsite interviews at Mystic Dragon’s Festival of Books. Would you have time to talk with me about your work and “The Art of Draw Fu”? at 4 pm on August 15th? Please let me know (and your “Black Terror Kid” comics, along with your comic about your trip to Rome, are really fun!).
is an encyclopedia of superhero ideas and resources worth owning even if you’re not planning to run this system.
with stats of the DC heroes in them. In fact, this is the version I own and I love it.
has introduced Green Arrow to a larger audience than the comics have. If it’s made you a fan of the character and makes you crave a bit more of him, I’ll show you where to get more.
(JLU)
(Series)
(Series)
(Series)
movie.
The uncut version of this is pretty darn awesome. By far one of the best of the animated superhero movies. Sleek designs, a cool story with an incredible dramatic twist.
, but it’s cool.
characters, and you can even customize them to an extent.
Who was the first Asian American Superhero? Well the unconfirmed rumor is that it was a golden age character called The Green Turtle.
. Since the Hybrid is an Android tablet I downloaded the Comixology App and the Kindle App into it.
, which is a different device.
. I use one at work and it’s kinda become a tool that, as an artist, it’s tough to live without.
Luise,
That is a great illustration of the Podcast Expo. Sorry you did not make it to the Mass.
God bless,
Fr. Jay
Just found your page about Italy! Loved it! Lived in Italy a couple of years; just doing a YouTube video about how to get to the Sistine Chapel. Your sketches brought back so many memories (especially the “Metro at Rush Hour” type).
Dear Luis,
Very interesting and thoughtful blog. If you are interested in Catholicism and boardgames you might appreciate “Vatican” the boardgame I designed. It has been selling worldwide and we have gotten very favorable comments
Sincerely,
Stephen Haliczer Ph.D.
Distinguished Research Professor
Product Designer
The College of DuPage Press
Hey! I’ve been trying to call you for a couple weeks! I should have checked your blog sooner. I thought you might have had the baby by now! Congrats! Call me ya bum. My number…unlike yours… is the same xxx-xxx-xxxx.
im doing a piece of it coursework and wondered if i could put your
“computer stoopid” picture on it.
I would acknowledge where it came from beneath it and in the bibliography.
If the answer is yes then could you tell me the artists name too?
thanks. keith.
Sure, absolutely, go right ahead. Thanks for asking.
Hi Luise,
I just came upon your Nephilim skeleton debunking image….very interesting.
I wish we could have met at Comic Con to discuss certain issues. Nothing that
I would want to discuss openly here.
Hope to hear from you,
Den
If you want to discuss something privately, you could always e-mail me. The address is up there under the “Hi, Welcome!” about the top commentators. It’s luis(at)luisescobarblog(dot)com.
Can you give me permission to use one of your illustrations for a tee shirt. I really want to wear “there must be some way to plug this keyboard into this game” – It’s how I see the world.. and you explained everything I want to tell the world in that one illustrzt8ion.
Gina
Yes, Gina. You can make it into a shirt for yourself off of that cartoon. I’m flattered.
I’ve been thinking about making shirts off of my little cartoons but I’m not sure which ones to do. Outside of an occasional cartoon that really hits home for someone, I’m not sure if they would sell.
So go right ahead Gina. Have fun.
Hi Luis,
My name is Phil and I came across your site while looking up information about animation and voice-over work. I’m a huge fan of the Simpsons & Futurama and a big Billy West fan (Ren&Stimpy, Futurama, Ect.). It is truly amazing to me how so many individuals come together to create these animated cartoons and the quality of the end product. I’m curious from your perspective how much work you have to re-do sometimes because of the networks and the way they censor some of the work that is being done. Best of luck to you in your projects. – Phil
You’d be surprised Phil. The biggest censors of the show are the writers themselves. They often pull back a joke they think is going too far. Sometimes, some of the jokes are funny too. It’s the artists that end up complaining about it. For example, there was a joke in one of the Halloween shows that all the artists thought was really funny. It was the show where Homer goes back in time on his toaster. In one of the futures he comes back too, he finds himself married to Patty and Selma. He discovers this when they show up waring lingerie. They looked really nasty, with their flab and hairy legs. When we saw it, everyone roared with horrified laughter. It was crazy. For some reason, during the re-write, they cut the gag because they thought it was too much. It was very disappointing. They didn’t even put the scene as an extra on the DVD.
Hope that answers your question.
It does. Thanks for the reply Luis. That gag actually would have been hilarious! Too bad it didn’t make it. I wonder if some unnecessary second guessing happens though because the writers feel they may be going over the top? (If that’s possible.) I know there is that fine line that writers and creators have to walk probably not only with the content of the show that’s created but with the networks as well. At least from what I understand in reading interviews and seeing convention interviews. Storyboards I think really help to set the tone of an episode and I bet it probably helps to justify many of the ideas that get spun out during the writing sessions of the writers. You all do great work on the show and I’m going to continue reading through your website. Thanks! – Phil
Hello there. I was researching nephilim for a report and I foung your blog. Its too bad those pics were all frauds. If they had been real, it would have been amazing.
After I read your stuff on the pictures I hung around a little, and read your “about me section”.
I am merely curious, so if I overstep a boundary, please feel free to tell me so.
I was wondering, sir, since you state that you are in fact a roman catholic, weather or not you believed in the deity of Jesus Christ?
I myself am a Christian, but I research other religions and alternate sects of my own. You could say its a hobby. In any case, if you find my inquiry impolite, I am sorry. I mean no offense.
Heh, no Christine, your question isn’t impolite. It’s good of you to ask. Too often people just assume things about Catholicism without asking.
The simple answer to your question is, “Yes”. Catholicism, teaches that Jesus Christ is God, the second person of the Holy Trinity.
The slightly more involved answer is as follows: The Catechism of the Catholic Church (the official book that explains all that the Catholic Church teaches) in paragraphs 446-451 ( http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P1H.HTM ) states the following:
Arianism was a Heresy that the Catholic Church fought against that deputed this belief around the years AD 250-336 which concluded in the Council of Nicea. For more info go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arianism or http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01707c.htm .
Hope that answers your question.
thank you. most people would out-right refuse to answer that question nowadays.
May the Lord bless you, Luis!
Luis – my name is Luis Escobar – every now and then I Google my name just to see what pops up. Well – I often come across you. No doubt – you have discovered me too. Anyway – sure there a ton of our Luis Escobar’s out there but I thought that I would just say hello and let you know that you have a cool name. BTW – I am the third Luis in four! Grandpa, Father, me and my son. Louie’s all around!
HA ha! Yeah, you have a great name too.
Wow! That’s a lot of Luisesesss in your family. Pretty cool. Love your site dude. I’ll link to you.
wow – that was fast – I am a photographer, distance runner and high school cross country coach. I live in Santa Maria California. Married with three kids. Your work is great. You are very skilled. I will take some time and learn a little more about you and your work. Very cool. Well – I am off to a work with one of my running students. I will look forward to talking with you a little more in the future. Luis
Cool. Anytime.
i like simpsons, starting watch becouse my doughter like it
I write comment but strange dropdown
Howdee Luis, if you are a real Christian then i would suggest you to do some research on your big boss (Matt Groening being a 33rd degree mason).
Loads of subliminal messages in the Simpsons, and occult symbolism.
(Even 9-11 was announced).
Greetings…. (Peace be upon you)
I would like to present to you all the sciences related to cosmogony together with its rules as per its identity which is something not similar to any of the other things and is out of any and assimilation according to the following point of view:
1. The theories of on cosmogony lack the fundamentals of the origin of things as they are mainly based on incidence and on the unseen.
2. The cosmic extension that has been taking place is the result of the range of vision through using the telescope and any other instruments because the thing being seen is determined by vision and this is one of the universe laws.
3. Knowing the within secrets of man will uncover secrets of the universe as the apparent entities of existence are of six kinds: the perspective (what is being seen), the tangible world (what can be touched and felt), what can be weighed, what can be heard, things that have flavor and things that have smell. These, in most cases, are overlapping and are counted six in number.
The origin of all entities are bare pictures of materials, void of force and readiness; it shines in debate and is complete when read. The investigation of scientists is restricted to this reading (capability and liability) where the material is with all its atoms, energy and speed and this alone is useless compared with its radiance.
The first cosmic law is that nothing can be determined unless established with what is contrary to it. And things are sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract and both are the same according to law.
The origin of radiance is the brain and by saying this I do not mean perception but the simple core of it. By formulating this equation the truth becomes uncovered.
The subject is highly complicated and can only be clarified by word of mouth or by arguments.
So, what do you have to present. (show)
بعد التحية :-
أود أن أعرض عليكم جميع علوم نشأة مفردات الكون وقوانينه وفق ذاتيته التي هي شئ ليس كباقي الأشياء خارجه عن حد التعطيل والتشبيه حسب النظرة التالية :-
1/ أن نظريات نشأة الكون تفتقد لأصول نشأة الأشياء وتحيل على ألصدفه أو الغيب .وكذلك استغراق البحث في الأفاق لم يأتي بغايته إلا بقدر ربطه بالوعي الإنساني.
2/ التوسع الكوني الحاصل هو نتيجة المد البصري من خلال التلسكوب وغيره لأن المنظور أليه يثبت بالبصر وهذا أحد قوانين الكون
3/ معرفة أسرار بطون الإنسان تكشف أسرار الكون حيث أن مفردات الوجود الظاهر على ستة أنواع (المنظور أليها ). (الملموسة). (الموزونة). (المسموعة). (ذات طعم). (ذات رائحة). وتكون في أغلب الأحيان متداخلة .وأصل الأشياء كلها صور عارية عن المواد . خاليه من القوه والاستعداد . بمناظرتها تشرق وبمطالعتها تتم . وبحث العلماء ينحصر في هذه المطالعة (القوه والاستعداد) حيث المادة ودقائقها وطاقتها وسرعتها وهذا وحده لا جدوى منه بقدر إشراقها . . وأصل الإشراق هو العقل ولا أقصد به الإدراك أنما هو )جوهر بسيط درأك محيط) وبتكوين هذه المعادلة تنكشف الحقيقة .
الموضوع غاية بالتعقيد يوضح بالمشافهة والجدل فما هو عرضكم ؟
توضيح:-
* أود أن أبين بأن وسائط الإدراك هي الحواس ألخمسه + تحسس الوزن.
* إما أحوال الإدراك ( تصوراته أي المعاني التي يلبسها ) فهي ستة أيضا ثلاثة وخلافها :-
1/ الحياة والموجود ولها صور فمثلا صورة الحياة هي الماء.
2/ الحركة والسكون ولها صور فمثلا صورة الحركة هي الهواء.
3/ الانفعال والسكينة ولها صور فمثلا صورة الانفعال هي النار.
* إما مراتب نفس الإدراك إي نفس ألصوره فهي خمسه:-
1)الجماد 2) النبات 3) الحيوان 4) الملكوت 5) الإنسان وصور ذلك كثيرة.
*** وكل هذه الصور تندرج ضمن تصورات الإدراك .منها ظاهره ومنها كامنة إي لم تظهر لحد الآن . والتوسع الكوني الحاصل هو ظهور لبعض هذه الصور الكامنة.
*وأروع إبداعات الإدراك هو العقل (جوهر بسيط درأك محيط ) ولكل واحده تفصيلاتها الوظيفية.
ووظيفة العقل هي ربط كل الصور المذكورة أعلاه بعوالمها الحسيه ألسبعه. وعالمنا هو العالم السابع وفق نمطيته الحسيه. وتجري آثار العقل على كل الصور الكونية فتصبح محسوسة وفق قوتها واستعدادها التصوري.
قد لا يفهم الموضوع بشكل جيد كونه لم يطرق بتاتا
Lol been stalking you. You’re pretty good. Not bad for a dad of many. Very talented. Don’t know how you keep up. Chat soon on twitter
An overwhelming desire to keep sane helps.
I’m doing some onsite interviews at Mystic Dragon’s Festival of Books. Would you have time to talk with me about your work and “The Art of Draw Fu”? at 4 pm on August 15th? Please let me know (and your “Black Terror Kid” comics, along with your comic about your trip to Rome, are really fun!).
Yes, absolutely. I’d be happy to.
Great, thank you! Could you email me a contact for you, at the above email link, and I’ll send you more information (and I’m ordering your book now!).