000116 - plugs

Wow, looks like it's already coming to that time of the year. It's got a name change this year, it's now known as the ComiKaze 24 Hour Challenge. I've entered the 24 hour comic challenge for the past 5 years and I'm going to make a go of it this year as well. Hopefully I'll finally get to finish that elusive 24 pages.

Also want to plug a new internet sitcom (a webcom?) made by a bunch of very funny and entertaining guys based in New York. The show is called 72nd to Canal and is about the adventures of Lorin and Ray. The pilot is up live on the site now. Although a little bit rough around the edges, I think the show is absolutely hilarious and well worth the price of admission (it's free!). Check it out.

I found out about the Kodansha International Manga Competition around the beginning of the month, too. Was all excited to enter it but unfortunately, I had a few freelance jobs that I had to get done before being able to start any art on it, so it was just constant brain-storming and story ideas. When I finally got around to penciling my entry, I had about 13 days left before the closing date, so that meant I had to do the bare minimum which was 12 pages. After 3 pencilled pages, and job interviews in between, I just had to give up. There was no way I could fit what I wanted in 12 pages and the pages that I had done, I absolutely loathed them.

On a more personal note, this month has been mainly doing some storyboards including some for an indie Australian film that I can't really discuss and going to recruitment and job interviews. Nothing solid to report I'm afraid, just a whole lot of possibly maybe-s. Being unemployed has honestly loomed over my overall performance creatively, that's for sure. Anyway, I guess I just gotta roll with the punches and keep on trucking.

Comics plugging:
Girls - got and read all 3 books by the Luna brothers published through Image Comics about a guy that meets a girl that's not really a girl in a small rural town. Part survival horror, part sci-fi and part social commentary on the battle of the sexes. Very addictive read. Can't wait for the forth and final book which comes out end of this month.

Manga plugging:
Bokurano - is about 15 kids that have to control a huge mecha named Zearth in order to save and protect Earth. The premise sounds like a kid's cartoon show but it's quite mature and has a lot of dark and emotional themes. The manga is written and drawn by Mohiro Kitoh who also did Shadow Star which Dark Horse Manga published for a while, so maybe they might pick up and license Bokurano. Speaking of Dark Horse, be sure to pick up the English version of MPD Psycho next month!

King City vol. 1- really enjoyed this first book by Brandon Graham published through TokyoPop about a guy named Joe that has a very special cat. Nice clean art, interesting story. Highly recommended.

Anime plugging:
Death Note - have been watching this weekly up to episode 30. Follows the manga quite closely and skips most of the boring parts, so it's a great adaption. Only 7 more episodes to go, so can't wait to see it all come to an end.

Bokurano - animated by Gonzo, the pacing and sequences are actually a bit different compared to the original manga. I think this anime adaption is more logical and realistic and although the first episode does start off slow, so far it's been great seeing this anime unravel.

Movies plugging:
Blood Diamond - an eye-opener of a movie. Yes, DiCaprio's accent is a bit irritating but you can get over it. The war scene in the city is just ridiculously amazing and took my breath away. Really devastating and makes you think.

Spider-Man 3 - was enjoyable. The multiple villains made the whole movie a bit cramped and rushed at times but the emo Peter Parker bits were funny and had some amazing fight scenes. I can see why and how some people might not have loved it as much since the last two prequels had set the bar pretty high. I think it's still a great pop-corn movie and should be enjoyed at the cinemas first if possible.

Brick - a detective noir movie set in an American high school with teenagers as the cast. Fantastic movie, great characters and a very intriguing story. The way the characters talk with their language and everything, especially with break neck speed, can take a bit of getting used.

Games plugging:
I ended up getting Final Fantasy XII, which is quite fun to play. I also got TMNT for the GBA, which is absolutely awesome! It's an old school style 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up just the way I like them. It's developed by Ubisoft but I don't think it has a distributor here in Australia as I had to order a copy online. I love side-scrolling beat 'em ups and if any one love them as well, I recommend you get TMNT for the GBA as well.