Batman

I am a Marvel girl. It sounds ridiculously nerdy, but Marvel Comics have always held a special place in my heart. Dc Comics rule, but at some point, we have to choose a side, and while the Justice league, superman, and the teen titans will always be kings, I still tend to lean closer to the Marvel world. Impossible stories of people rising above their circumstances, gifted with amazing talents, in a fight for survival with a team who had your back.... X-men, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four; hell, even the Acolytes or the Brotherhood. Fact is, Marvel rocks and whether it be comic or movie, they are my usually my first choice for my comic fix.

BUT. There is one character in the DC universe that stands above all others combined, no matter whether it be Marvel, DC, Dark-Horse, or Phantom. A character that i believe is so strong, so deep, and so noble that he should be recognized not as comic material, but as a masterpiece of fine art. That character is Batman. It sounds silly, but I believe it to be true.

The character of Bruce Wayne and the Gotham world is complex, deep, fantastical, yet believable. It is dark, gritty, mournful, and hopeful. There is tragedy, loss, horror, depression; yet there is also redemption, honor, justice, and beauty. The entire thing is like a macabre dance, one that is lovely but so sad that it is sometimes hard to watch.

I have been a comic fan for as long as i can remember, and in no other series have i ever encountered a world as meaningful as this. You love the characters, but almost hate them at the same time. Among my favorite comics is the story of Arkham Asylum, it is bone chilling, and in certain places, disgusting. However, it maintains a small thread of silver light, one that pulls you through each page as you encounter the horrors that our knight must endure. The end is never happy. Merely satisfying. It is always right.

Among the batman universe, there are beautiful pieces that also illustrate the story. We have Novels, multiple cartoon series, animated films (admittedly, these are my favorite), and actual films. At the pinnacle of this franchise (in my opinion) are Christopher Nolan's batman trilogy.

Nolan has created a masterpiece in this trilogy, one that I deeply believe will be hard to surpass. There are few film series that come to mind with as much detail, plot, character, beauty and awe as these three; in fact i am hard pressed to name any aside from Peter Jacksons adaption of the lord of the rings, or possibly the original star wars trilogy. There are certain films that take on a life of their own. They are the ones that inspire others. The ones that you continue to watch and know will eventually show your children.

Nolan is a champion in his own right, one that i salute him for. While prior to the films he created i was a fan, i must say that this mans work of art has made my love for Batman's world deepen to ridiculous depths.

Thank you Mr. Nolan.
I believe in The Dark Knight.

a moment.

I say many stupid, thoughtless things. My mouth some times opens and words come out that are either offensive, rude, nonsensical or dumb. This is why i like writing. I can be clear, concise, well-prepared and complete. Sometimes however, words, be they written or spoken, escape me.

There are many bad things in this world. There are many bad people. There are many hurtful, sorrow-filled, depressing, hopeless circumstances. On the flip side, there are great things that happen for no reason. There are noble, honorable and good folk. There is love, joy, kindness and understanding.

In my mind, there must be a balance of both the good and the bad in order to produce a well-developed, fully rounded, understanding individual. People who know the two sides of the coin are more likely to reach out from a foundation of awareness and wisdom. They can help others achieve the same foundation, and from there, a better, more loving world. One that eventually, will strive for the good. Slowly, very slowly and carefully, we can leave that bad behind. I say slow, because we learn from the bad. It is the best teacher we can have on our path to good.

We must rally together, those from the opposite sides of the coin to come to a place of understanding, acceptance, and above all, the pursuit of Good and Love.

In the midst of this, we loose many along the way. People we thought we know. People we admired. People we loved, respected, related-to or trusted. Do we condemn them for their choices? No. this is not our place. We mourn the loss of a loved relationship, do what we can to to reach out to them, and understand that people are a delicate balance of understanding. There is good and bad. Sometimes, a simple side might overshadow the other.

People are people. People are flawed.

We must realize that things will not be the same and continue froward. Leaving the door open for the lost brother in the hopes that they will return to us on our journey for balance. understanding. good.

I have no wisdom. Only knowledge and that is sparse. I seek answers. I do not grant them. I hope one day i might. As of now, i am still on my journey, searching for balance. I will mourn the brother. But i will not condemn him. That is not my place. I hope for a glorious return so that we might continue the journey together.

But what do i know. Words, be they written or said, sometimes just escape me...

Post AX

Man, it has been way too long since i updated this sad little corner of internet space. Allow me to retell of my adventures of the past couple of weeks... I bought my ticket for Batman: the dark knight rises. me and a bunch of friends are going to wait in lone as characters that never made it into the movie. i myself am gonna be the penguin. we will also have a Robin, a Riddler, a Poison Ivy and an officer Bullock. It shall be Epic!!!!
Also, i have been going partially mad trying to get stuff ready for Anime Expo this year. My friend, myself and my sister all ran a table in Artist Alley, and while there were definitely some rough spots, (being placed in the far back and having to deal with the neighbor from nasty porny hell) we overall had a good experience. We met lots of cool people and it was great reassurance to know that people truly enjoyed what i created. Fer sure we will be doing it again.
Another fun thing. i might possibly have the opportunity to work a commission for a fancy ice cream chain! HOOHAH! lets not get ahead of ourselves though.... things are still in the works, but in the meantime, here is hoping.
In other news, I have passed my motorcycle exam, I am fer sure moving out in August, and i have secured my spot at BIOLA University. goodie :) in less good news, i have a friend that care for, but he is unfortunately making very bad life choices. it is frustrating, cuz i know he has tons of potential, and so does everyone else, it just seems as though he has given up on his own life and is settling. hmmm... here is hoping he sees his mistakes...
oh.
BTDUBS,
AMERICA.

Happy 4th of July

one month

Until Anime Expo and i feel like i have nothing to show... ugh, frustration. i need to lock myself at my art dest and do nothing but work. in the meantime, have some sillies

off the planet

huzzah! it feels good to be back on my little piece of cyberspace. Monday was Everett's 15th birthday, I am super tired, school is nuts and today I had my two hardest finals, (only two more to go!). Any who, I have not been doing much in the way of creativity, but have some crappy doodles...

 FACT. I saw the avengers on opening night and words can not describe how freaking amazing it was. All the characters were great and the writing was superb; seriously, I am probably gonna go and see it for a third time this weekend. Brilliant stuff. Have some Hawkeye.

 FACT. Me and my brothers enjoy going through series together; our last escapade was the entire series of Nickelodeons Danny Phantom. I think i will always like this show despite the extremely thing and molten layer of these coating it. The shows not that great, but its still fun.

 FACT. My wonderful darling friend was kind enough to gift unto me a book of expressions. It is unbelievably useful for figuring out the face, these are a couple of exercises.

 FACT. The second blog i recently joined is kind of awesome in that every week there is a new random topic and everyone has to draw something that is relatable. two weeks ago, it was "nonconformist". Here is the silly thing i came up with.

Aaaand, Last but not least, we have some more Avengers. Tony Stark is kind of super rockin. Why he is cooking a soufflé is of no consequence; it only adds to his greatness (although in fairness, it might be a slight projection of my hunger).

stuff

also. my cat has rat feet.

oh, I also got my button machine :D

Thought

Listening to Fredrick Chopin, feeling thoughtful and wanting a cigar. Nocturne in C minor, OP. 48 NO. 1
A perfect balance of beauty and melancholy.

Its April

And I am on spring beak. so far, I have done nothing aside from clean the house. Not really complaining about that, but i now have this weir feverish energy like i need to get something done or like i am forgetting something important. Ph well, when i remember, i will freak and do whatever it is i need to do. BTDUBS, the first two episode of Legend of Korra are online and AWESOME. can not wait for more! have some fan crap.

A couple of facts.

1. Ethiopian food rocks; if in doubt, throw caution to the wind and odds are high you won't regret it.
2. Panic and stress are not conducive to a productive working environment.
3. Fellow artist are not so rare as you may think.
4. Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are not gay; neither are Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee. To say that is small minded and pushes the opinion that every deep and meaningful friendship is based on the want for sex. Not True.
5. I want to break free. Just as Freddy M before me.

Tumblr Shtuff

I like Tumblr, but want to hold onto this corner of the net still :) I just have fun wasting digital space.

All super quick doodle with textures thrown over them, yay!

Stop Motion

Two beautiful looking Stop Motion fils that are coming out that I need to see!!!!
Paranorman. This looks amazing. Fact.

and Frakenweenie. awesome.

leap Year 2012

Spent the day at Disneyland! it was a success, (despite the fact that the entire place was packed to the max)... however, i have a year pass with another couple of months on it, so no complaints here :) happy mystery, rip in the time-space continuum, non-day!!!

Cause for Celebration

First off, today are the Oscars. I freaking Love the Oscars. They are kinda silly and frivolous to the max, but i really enjoy watching them... its a good thing.
Second. I want a Honey Badger.
as seen here.

Yes. I also want the narrator to host a show on National geographic. Fact.
Third, I can't stop my horrible obsession with BBC's Sherlock. HELP. Can't Stop.
Fourth (and final) I got accepted to Biola :) Hoohah, we shall see wether or not this plan falls through like all of my other, but in the meantime, its gonna be a good day

Deus Ex Machina

Latin. The god of the Machine.
Salvation from nowhere.

Latin

"Immittendi in Profundum"
-Launch into the deep

Applying

Things need to move. I am trying to be patient and positive; attitude is key.
if i do not get accepted to this college, i will not let it crush me.
if i am not able to move into this new place, it will be okay, i will just keep looking.
if that job does not work out, its alright, it wasn't for me.
anywho, i gots a Tumblr, (Time to waste moar internet space!!!)
and i am having a good laugh at Skeletor. He is a thing of awesome.

Arts

fun with photoshop 15 min

 45 min

 17 min

12 min

School has Started

and with it come the dull, dull routine of classwork, and subjects you really don't care about. In this event, i have sunk even further into my horrible obsession with BBC's Sherlock. It is eating away at my very brain. AND THE NEXT SEASON WILL NOT BE DONE UNTILL NEXT YEAR. death will be soon >_<

Anywho, In other news, I have made a move that i have been juggling about for a year or so. I am very aware that i need a bachelors degree to have any sort of credibility in the job word out there, so despite my great frustration and contempt, i have applied to University. I have not told anyone, in the even that i do not get in, i don't want to have to risk the same disappointment that i faced when attempting to go to the Academy. (that was a dark period in the life). Anywho, the fee is paid, i have plenty of transferable units, my transfer sheets are in the mail and the fafsa is more then halfway done. Here is to change, Cheers.

LOTR Marathon 2012

"I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."
"What are we holding onto, Sam?"
"That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for."

101

Wow, finally breached 100!
anywho, i figure that i might as well put this up, to remember me by, haha.
I actually did this in spring of last year on my FB and some of the facts are slightly outdated, (for instance, the LOTR count is now up to 18, Steve is soon moving out and my poor beautiful black cat Rafiel has since passed) but still, everything else is pretty spot on.

Haha, here is stuff you probably already know about me


1. I am a Christian, and am trying to live in a way that would testify just that


2. my house is always crazy. it is kind of impossible for it not to be with all the people living here! there is my mom, me, candace (on occasion), Rachel, Everett, Noah, Jessie, and Steve. plus the addition of the family pets including three cats, a demon possessed bird, and Tonka, the genie pug... yes. he is magic.


3. My greatest passions in life is creativity. not just art, but anything that allows self expression; books, film, music, art, comedy, dancing, you name it. i think that creativity is one of the greatest gifts we have been given.


4. one of my greatest aspirations in life is to own a professional animation studio. words could not describe the joy i would feel it that came to pass.


5. my favorite bands in the world are Muse and Queen. i wish Freddy Mercury was alive and that he was my friend. i would play cards with him and Matt Bellamy every tuesday.


6. my favorite animals are Rams (or goats) and Giant Squids. i like horses, but i am pretty sure that every girl likes horses, therefore rams and squids take number one!!!!


7. i have been a long time nerd and proud of it. my list of bragging right is as follows... i have read Lord of the ring 17 times now, at age eight i had a college reading level, when i was bored i would read the dictionary, i have taken apart my computer and put it back together, i know the definition of steampunk and cannon, and until recently, i could probably name more classical composers then contemporary bands. there is more, but i wont bore you.


8. cockroaches scare the crap outta me.


9. a thought that i have always entertained is the idea of me opening a little coffee joint. i would call it the cranberry cafe and there would giant overstuffed chairs, classy big-band jazz in the background, a bookshelf filled with old hardcover classics that no one remembers, a creaky wood and red brick stage for mini-shows, photography and art by my friends, family and customers framed on the walls, and my own neon. i always thought that would be cool.


10. i love coffee, diet coke, cranberry juice and ice water.


11. i like to think that i am a good listener. i don't know how true you guys would say that is, but i genuinely enjoy listening to people talk, even if it is nonsense


12. i know that it sounds heartless and horrible, but sometimes i secretly hope for a natural disaster to strike where we live. not to satisfy some sick pleasure, but because i think that too many people take for granted the greatness and resources that we have. a good wake up call to humble the minds of the masses is in my opinion, a good thing.


13. when i am with certain people, i speak in certain accents. its kind of awesome.


14. i love getting things in the mail, even if i know what it is. when i order something off of amazon, i freak when it arrives! when i get a note, i make sure that the whole house knows!


15. despite popular belief, Zombies DO scare the crap outta me. i think that is why i like the idea of them so much; because i am genuinely afraid of a mindless creature that has nothing else going through its head aside from wanting to tear my flesh from bone... they do exist.


16. the best concert i have been to was not an actual rock show, but John Williams and the L.A Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl.


17. Cartoons are a way of life for me. if i am quoting something witty and clever, it is probably from a cartoon


18. i love to cook meat. and i love my steak raw.


19. throwing cats is a hobby of mine. not my beautiful loverly handsome kind black cat, but the young ones. you just pick it up and chuck it as far as you can!


20. i have several written stories. a few of them are pretty awesome. not gonna lie.


21. i have been fleshing out a graphic novel for the past two years. it is a work in process but it is still my baby. most of the characters are based off of my friends in some way, and allot of the designs are pretty funny too. the whole thing takes place in a post apocalyptic world of greatness. some day i might show it off, but for now, it shall hide in the closet.


22. i Deeply wish that fantasy and legend were true. specially hogwarts and middle earth.


23. Air guitar is a skill that i have honed to such a perfection that i am now not afraid to do it in public (not that i have ever been before)


24. i hate top 40 music. i may know all the lyrics and dance moves, but i still hate it. it is unimaginative and repetitive, totally not good quality stuff.


25. i love spending time with my wonderful friends and am always hoping for a unforgettable, unheard of adventure with them!!!

Meh, slightly Cheesy, but its all good :D

Idea.

Todays question.
"Today you lost _______"
Many things could fill that.
Sanity.
Respect for someone.
A dollar.
My appetite.
A train of thought.
All of the above.
Inspiration.
Focus.
I rather like this Q&A Journal that I got.
Hm. here is something new.

lets see how this looks once it is done then, shall we?

One Week

One week into the new year and things are seeming to go well. well enough at least :) I am quite enjoying the use of my new Q&A Journal,

 and have become increasingly obsessed with BBC's Sherlock series. Its utterly Brilliant. Also, preparations for AX 2012 are going sportingly. School will start soon,but i choose not to think of that. Instead, have some Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holms.

Before its Over

Happy New Years Day! Wow, i always find it so weird to back at the start of things. Typically I am not so big on celebrating new years, but I am gonna be about making changes this year. Trying to get back in touch with certain people, work on personal growth, strive for things that I would usually dismiss as out of my league.... I am making no promises what so ever, and this is in no way a new years resolution, but i am going to try holding my self to a higher standard.
In other news, tomorrow me and several friends are going to see the New Years Parade, so we will be leaving at around four. Hoohah! We did float decorating this year as well, (fifth year now) so it will be fun to see our work in full.
One last thing. I will be keeping a journal for the next five years entitled the Q&A Journal. it has a question for every day, the first being "what is your mission?"... Food for thought and hopefully an item of self discovery. wow. Cheese. any who, here is to the new year!