Saturday, September 08, 2007
Friday, September 07, 2007
"we're showing our arses and that will raise awareness"
There's been a lot of debate lately, in Australia about what "our national character" actually is. Mostly instigated by our right wing nationalists ( self admitted, I'm not attacking him ) Prime Minister, who's even made up a series of questions for prospective new Australian citizens to have to prove their "australianness" or something out of his own insecurites. I know other people in the world think we just like to drink and say "G'day" a lot while we wrestle crocodiles and stingrays, ( well ok we do a lot of that ) but honestly, we're having a bit of a real debate as to what the Aussie character actually is over here.
Now, thanks to the expensive nightmare that is the APEC meeting, currently putting Sydney in lockdown and everyone being threatened with being shot by snipers if they even look at the helicopters buzzing overhead, things just got really, really good.
First, we had our top stunt comedy/hoax tv show get through this "tough security" with a fake motorcade containing an Osama Bin Laden look alike, and now we have have people showing their arses in a "bums for Bush" protest. Only stuffy nosed morons are against this stuff here. The rest of the country loves it and has remembered our most common trait is really liking to take the piss and mock authority.
Rock on pranksters and piss takers. Rock on.
Around 50 people lined up at Hyde Park's north end and mooned an audience of several hundred people, including supporters and media.
After two encores of the performance, rain dispersed the protest, which then moved to Elizabeth Street, outside the Sheraton on the Park hotel, where witnesses said protesters blocked an APEC motorcade.
Protesters took to the streets before police officers forcibly pushed people off the road, yelling: "Move, get off the road."
Around 200 protesters lined both sides of Elizabeth Street and played blaring music, as police on bicycles stood watch.
Barely minutes after many in the crowd moved towards the hotel, a helicopter swooped over the scene while a bus delivered an additional 20 police officers.
Protesters, carrying placards reading "Sign Kyoto, you wankers", cheered and clapped, chanting "Bush, Howard, USA, how many kids did you kill today?"
Police could not immediately confirm the reports that protesters had hindered a motorcade.
At the Bums for Bush protest, organiser Will Saunders said while the protest did not approach the mooning world record - 2,000 people, or 4,000 cheeks - it was enjoyed by all.
"Just because you feel strongly about an issue doesn't mean you can't laugh about it," Mr Saunders said.
"There's many ways of making a point, (this is) the Australian way."
The protest also involved a 21-bum salute to the 21 countries in APEC, some spelling out "bums not bombs".
High school students Ben Leffley and Daniel Holmes travelled for three hours from Lithgow, west of the NSW Blue Mountains, to attend the rally.
Mr Leffley, 18, said the war in Iraq was the biggest motivation for him to join the protest, and he did not believe mooning was the best way to oppose it.
"We've come here because we really believe what George Bush and John Howard are doing is not right," he said.
"(The protest) was good, though probably not the most effective way."
But Mr Holmes, 17, said mooning was an excellent way of attracting attention to a cause.
"It may be somewhat symbolic but it's more the fact that it's raising awareness ... people are going to want to find out why we're showing our arses and that will raise awareness," he said.
Now, thanks to the expensive nightmare that is the APEC meeting, currently putting Sydney in lockdown and everyone being threatened with being shot by snipers if they even look at the helicopters buzzing overhead, things just got really, really good.
First, we had our top stunt comedy/hoax tv show get through this "tough security" with a fake motorcade containing an Osama Bin Laden look alike, and now we have have people showing their arses in a "bums for Bush" protest. Only stuffy nosed morons are against this stuff here. The rest of the country loves it and has remembered our most common trait is really liking to take the piss and mock authority.
Rock on pranksters and piss takers. Rock on.
Bare-bottomed activists scuffle with police
A PROTEST involving around 50 bare-bottomed activists spilled onto Sydney streets today, stalling an APEC motorcade and triggering scuffles with police.
Around 50 people lined up at Hyde Park's north end and mooned an audience of several hundred people, including supporters and media.
After two encores of the performance, rain dispersed the protest, which then moved to Elizabeth Street, outside the Sheraton on the Park hotel, where witnesses said protesters blocked an APEC motorcade.
Protesters took to the streets before police officers forcibly pushed people off the road, yelling: "Move, get off the road."
Around 200 protesters lined both sides of Elizabeth Street and played blaring music, as police on bicycles stood watch.
Barely minutes after many in the crowd moved towards the hotel, a helicopter swooped over the scene while a bus delivered an additional 20 police officers.
Protesters, carrying placards reading "Sign Kyoto, you wankers", cheered and clapped, chanting "Bush, Howard, USA, how many kids did you kill today?"
Police could not immediately confirm the reports that protesters had hindered a motorcade.
At the Bums for Bush protest, organiser Will Saunders said while the protest did not approach the mooning world record - 2,000 people, or 4,000 cheeks - it was enjoyed by all.
"Just because you feel strongly about an issue doesn't mean you can't laugh about it," Mr Saunders said.
"There's many ways of making a point, (this is) the Australian way."
The protest also involved a 21-bum salute to the 21 countries in APEC, some spelling out "bums not bombs".
High school students Ben Leffley and Daniel Holmes travelled for three hours from Lithgow, west of the NSW Blue Mountains, to attend the rally.
Mr Leffley, 18, said the war in Iraq was the biggest motivation for him to join the protest, and he did not believe mooning was the best way to oppose it.
"We've come here because we really believe what George Bush and John Howard are doing is not right," he said.
"(The protest) was good, though probably not the most effective way."
But Mr Holmes, 17, said mooning was an excellent way of attracting attention to a cause.
"It may be somewhat symbolic but it's more the fact that it's raising awareness ... people are going to want to find out why we're showing our arses and that will raise awareness," he said.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
30 Days of Night The Movie Film: The Game and Me
Via a large article on me and the game at IGN:
One might think that making the leap to videogames would have posed unique challenges for a comic book artist but for Templesmith, "It was actually easier than the comics, as character creation is the not so hard bit! I had only broad guidelines to go with so it was quick and easy really. I've done an entire book of character generation recently, so overall this was a fun job, not difficult in the slightest."
Indeed, Templesmith has found the experience of seeing his work turned into both a film and now a game vastly rewarding. "It makes me feel like a pale sweaty middle aged businessman as he sits on a tropical beach drinking a cocktail watching the sun set after he's just defrauded a large group of senior citizen investors of their life savings and fled the country. In other words, like I'm getting away with something that's almost criminal. It's just not right that little ol' me should get my visuals so amazingly put to film far more faithfully than I thought possible. David Slade, his art guys and WETA did a bang up job."
Start playing the 30 Days of Night Online Multiplayer Fighting Game by clicking here.
I'll post a bunch of stuff from my designs and art for it next. There's a bunch in the article as well if you can't wait.
One might think that making the leap to videogames would have posed unique challenges for a comic book artist but for Templesmith, "It was actually easier than the comics, as character creation is the not so hard bit! I had only broad guidelines to go with so it was quick and easy really. I've done an entire book of character generation recently, so overall this was a fun job, not difficult in the slightest."
Indeed, Templesmith has found the experience of seeing his work turned into both a film and now a game vastly rewarding. "It makes me feel like a pale sweaty middle aged businessman as he sits on a tropical beach drinking a cocktail watching the sun set after he's just defrauded a large group of senior citizen investors of their life savings and fled the country. In other words, like I'm getting away with something that's almost criminal. It's just not right that little ol' me should get my visuals so amazingly put to film far more faithfully than I thought possible. David Slade, his art guys and WETA did a bang up job."
Start playing the 30 Days of Night Online Multiplayer Fighting Game by clicking here.
I'll post a bunch of stuff from my designs and art for it next. There's a bunch in the article as well if you can't wait.
Scream Awards 2007
Bugger me. Just got a nomination for Wormwood in the Scream Awards 2007
Later on, I'll bug people to go vote on their website.
BEST COMIC BOOK ARTIST
• JOHN CASSADY, ASTONISHING X-MEN
• DARWYN COOK, THE SPIRIT
• PIA GUERRA, Y: THE LAST MAN
• STEVE MCNIVEN, CIVIL WAR
• BEN TEMPLESMITH, WORMWOOD: GENTLEMAN CORPSE/FELL
Later on, I'll bug people to go vote on their website.
BEST COMIC BOOK ARTIST
• JOHN CASSADY, ASTONISHING X-MEN
• DARWYN COOK, THE SPIRIT
• PIA GUERRA, Y: THE LAST MAN
• STEVE MCNIVEN, CIVIL WAR
• BEN TEMPLESMITH, WORMWOOD: GENTLEMAN CORPSE/FELL
Piracy means you sell more stuff
Apparently.
Just read this wonderful article from the mucho talented Cory Doctorow, ( who, as luck would have it I just worked on something for ) via Skullring.org, on how giving his books away online is actually boosting the print sales of those books for him. Apart from the many great points in the article, I found this bit really quite telling:
"David Blackburn, a Harvard PhD candidate in economics, published a paper in 2004 in which he calculated that, for music, "piracy" results in a net increase in sales for all titles in the 75th percentile and lower; negligible change in sales for the "middle class" of titles between the 75th percentile and the 97th percentile; and a small drag on the "super-rich" in the 97th percentile and higher. Publisher Tim O'Reilly describes this as "piracy's progressive taxation," apportioning a small wealth-redistribution to the vast majority of works, no net change to the middle, and a small cost on the richest few"
So, based on some actual academic research, ( as opposed to the usual bleatings of a music company executive perhaps ) it would seem that piracy can actually help sales, at least in the music industry, ( and according to Doctorow in the book biz also in his experience ) at least, if you're not already one of the highly successful mega rich who are really going to hurt for that lost million dollars or so when they decide to renovate their summer vacation mansion in the Bahamas or something.
Which probably explains why we're told piracy is so evil. It hurts the big guy and benefits the smaller operators. Surely, we can't have that.
I'm conflicted when it comes to comicbook piracy myself. On one hand, comics are hard to find for many people, so downloading is at times the only way. On the other hand, for smaller publishers, every sale really counts. We're not all huge corporate entities like Marvel and DC. But perhaps I'm mistaken that it hurts the smaller publishers now? On the other hand, those comics can still be very hard to get in the real world, depending on retailers and location, so...who really knows.
Just read this wonderful article from the mucho talented Cory Doctorow, ( who, as luck would have it I just worked on something for ) via Skullring.org, on how giving his books away online is actually boosting the print sales of those books for him. Apart from the many great points in the article, I found this bit really quite telling:
"David Blackburn, a Harvard PhD candidate in economics, published a paper in 2004 in which he calculated that, for music, "piracy" results in a net increase in sales for all titles in the 75th percentile and lower; negligible change in sales for the "middle class" of titles between the 75th percentile and the 97th percentile; and a small drag on the "super-rich" in the 97th percentile and higher. Publisher Tim O'Reilly describes this as "piracy's progressive taxation," apportioning a small wealth-redistribution to the vast majority of works, no net change to the middle, and a small cost on the richest few"
So, based on some actual academic research, ( as opposed to the usual bleatings of a music company executive perhaps ) it would seem that piracy can actually help sales, at least in the music industry, ( and according to Doctorow in the book biz also in his experience ) at least, if you're not already one of the highly successful mega rich who are really going to hurt for that lost million dollars or so when they decide to renovate their summer vacation mansion in the Bahamas or something.
Which probably explains why we're told piracy is so evil. It hurts the big guy and benefits the smaller operators. Surely, we can't have that.
I'm conflicted when it comes to comicbook piracy myself. On one hand, comics are hard to find for many people, so downloading is at times the only way. On the other hand, for smaller publishers, every sale really counts. We're not all huge corporate entities like Marvel and DC. But perhaps I'm mistaken that it hurts the smaller publishers now? On the other hand, those comics can still be very hard to get in the real world, depending on retailers and location, so...who really knows.
The missing Conluvio page...
The page below never got put in the back of my latest art book. Just found it again by chance going through my archives looking for things I need to put together for something.
I missed the last update before it went to print I think, or something like that. Either way, it never made it in. Was meant to be the back page pretty much, just after the story ended.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Man Texan dogs are ugly.
Has a Mythical Beast Turned Up in Texas?
Chupacabra means "goat sucker" in Spanish, and it is said to have originated in Latin America, specifically Puerto Rico and Mexico.
Canion thinks recent heavy rains ran them right out of their dens.
"I think it could have wolf in it," Canion said. "It has to be a cross between two or three different things."
She said the finding has captured the imagination of locals, just like purported sightings of Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster have elsewhere.
But what folks are calling a chupacabra is probably just a strange breed of dog, said veterinarian Travis Schaar of the Main Street Animal Hospital in nearby Victoria.
Monday, September 03, 2007
For peeps in Perth: Comiczone signed books again
For anyone living in Perth, Comiczone got another shipment in of my stuff, including copies of FELL, TOMMYROT, NIGHTMARE FACTORY, HATTER M, and of course, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT books as the last bunch I signed basically sold out a few days after I signed them all.
So I signed this bunch too. So anything they've got, should be autographed if you're so inclined and missed out last time. No new CONLUVIO's as yet, but was told more are on the way.
ComicZone are at 572 Hay Street Perth, Western Australia.
No 30 Days of Night: Red Snow as yet, but when it's in, any copy you get there should be scribbled on also.
Got to support the local boys who try to grow the comics market!
So I signed this bunch too. So anything they've got, should be autographed if you're so inclined and missed out last time. No new CONLUVIO's as yet, but was told more are on the way.
ComicZone are at 572 Hay Street Perth, Western Australia.
No 30 Days of Night: Red Snow as yet, but when it's in, any copy you get there should be scribbled on also.
Got to support the local boys who try to grow the comics market!
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Stopping manipulation of the American Electoral System.
I barely bother with politics anymore, due to it's horribly depressing recent history in most places in the world. However I do have a bit of a fascination with the way countries actually elect their leaders and how democratic or undemocratic some of the systems actually are. Which usually just makes me more depressed about it all, but hey, I'd rather not live in ignorance of how it all works!
So, this is something I couldn't really pass up. Apparently some clever people in California want to change their voting system for president, which, on the face of it is actually slightly more democratic, except that all it will do is deliberately distort the rest of the system America uses to elect their next president. The bizarre "Electoral College" system they use, not a popular vote. ( No one actually votes for president you know, just for a set number of dignitaries who then vote for president based on 1920's population levels of each US state ) Since this is kinda important, it probably shouldn't be manipulated like that unless the entire nation was to swap to giving individual electoral votes instead of the most often used system in most states of "winner takes all" . California is the biggest state, so if it swaps to giving votes to both candidates, and the other big states such as New York, Texas and Florida don't also change, then it virtually hands the election to one party, and this is before the election even gets underway.
So, if you'd rather it be a fair election done the usual ( yes with all it's current inherent flaws ) way you can sign this petition and have your voice heard before Californians have to vote for this measure on their next ballot, put there by a lobby group.
This is something that will ultimately affect the whole world, so I thought it probably worth posting.
So, this is something I couldn't really pass up. Apparently some clever people in California want to change their voting system for president, which, on the face of it is actually slightly more democratic, except that all it will do is deliberately distort the rest of the system America uses to elect their next president. The bizarre "Electoral College" system they use, not a popular vote. ( No one actually votes for president you know, just for a set number of dignitaries who then vote for president based on 1920's population levels of each US state ) Since this is kinda important, it probably shouldn't be manipulated like that unless the entire nation was to swap to giving individual electoral votes instead of the most often used system in most states of "winner takes all" . California is the biggest state, so if it swaps to giving votes to both candidates, and the other big states such as New York, Texas and Florida don't also change, then it virtually hands the election to one party, and this is before the election even gets underway.
So, if you'd rather it be a fair election done the usual ( yes with all it's current inherent flaws ) way you can sign this petition and have your voice heard before Californians have to vote for this measure on their next ballot, put there by a lobby group.
This is something that will ultimately affect the whole world, so I thought it probably worth posting.
The Great Wall of Sydney
( Or how to do a protesters job for them )
The APEC summit starts in Sydney shortly and authorities decided to act like the entire population of Sydney might be the enemy.
A FIVE-KILOMETRE, 2.8-metre fence will lock up sections of the CBD during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit next month. Sydneysiders will face the greatest dislocation since the 2000 Olympics.
Pedestrians may need identification to cross some streets. The Cahill Expressway off-ramp to Macquarie Street will be closed from Tuesday, September 4 until Monday, September 10, adding to the transport chaos that the summit will cause.
The APEC summit starts in Sydney shortly and authorities decided to act like the entire population of Sydney might be the enemy.
A FIVE-KILOMETRE, 2.8-metre fence will lock up sections of the CBD during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit next month. Sydneysiders will face the greatest dislocation since the 2000 Olympics.
Pedestrians may need identification to cross some streets. The Cahill Expressway off-ramp to Macquarie Street will be closed from Tuesday, September 4 until Monday, September 10, adding to the transport chaos that the summit will cause.
A few more headlines about it. I'm so happy I'm not in Sydney right now.
- Stay away, or be ready for traffic chaos
- Coming our way: a foreign invasion yet lots of room at the inns
- Waiter, there are a few restaurants in a stew
- Sorry for the trouble I cause, says Bush
- APEC hijacks commuters' new buses
- Shady character loses his lunch watching activists
- Fortress Sydney: the lockdown begins
- To collect your photo ID card, please show us your photo ID card
- Police gee up but stables are bolted
- APEC pass farce: it's no go
- Horse flu forces cancellation of Olympic qualifying event
- Pick APEC, a party pooper
- Greens keen to cage Bush, not Sydney
- Mayors call for new security body
- More APEC pain revealed
- Lunch leaves Bondi cold
- APEC's first fleet founders
- APEC visitors to bypass quarantine
- Show ID to get past Great Wall of Sydney
- Sir, we need to grill your chef … to make the world safe
Vids for the weekend
How to end your TV career.
How not to interview Iraqi rebel fighters.
How to be a human meteorite.
How not to interview Iraqi rebel fighters.
How to be a human meteorite.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
First real 30 Days of Night: Red Snow review I've seen
...and amazingly, Playbackstl.com really seem to dig it. I am quite speechless.
The book is currently listed with IDW as being out on shelves from September 5th. If you can't get it out there, you can also get it here.
Templesmith's characterizations are top-notch as well. The vampires maintain an aura of mystery; only occasionally are they seen, and even then, usually only in glimpses. The few clear images of them are delightfully creepy. There are a few instances of obvious set-ups. Of course, the Nazi sniper with a penchant for gleefully raping and murdering Russian women will get his comeuppance. But what of the German who hesitantly questions the command to shoot Russian women and children in the back? Or the young Russian lad eager to prove his worth in battle? Templesmith does an excellent job of making the reader care about his characters, whether you want to see them live through the promised melee, or torn to shreds by the murderous, toothy undead.
Damn pity about the logo placement over the cover though. Ah well. Wasn't my choice.
Edit: Ooh, perhaps I spoke to soon. This looks like the real actual cover. Looks like the way it was planned too. Happy happy joy joy.
The book is currently listed with IDW as being out on shelves from September 5th. If you can't get it out there, you can also get it here.
Templesmith's characterizations are top-notch as well. The vampires maintain an aura of mystery; only occasionally are they seen, and even then, usually only in glimpses. The few clear images of them are delightfully creepy. There are a few instances of obvious set-ups. Of course, the Nazi sniper with a penchant for gleefully raping and murdering Russian women will get his comeuppance. But what of the German who hesitantly questions the command to shoot Russian women and children in the back? Or the young Russian lad eager to prove his worth in battle? Templesmith does an excellent job of making the reader care about his characters, whether you want to see them live through the promised melee, or torn to shreds by the murderous, toothy undead.
Damn pity about the logo placement over the cover though. Ah well. Wasn't my choice.
Edit: Ooh, perhaps I spoke to soon. This looks like the real actual cover. Looks like the way it was planned too. Happy happy joy joy.
Friday, August 31, 2007
ComicAddiction.com Interview
I am positively knackered. As in, ready to have my body fat boiled down and made into glue, or whatever it was they did in the "olden days".
I am pretty sure, 30 Days of Night: Red Snow is now finally all done.
And I am still alive. Now onto yet more deadlines and other interesting things! I may actually be able to catch up on my inbox now, ( but don't hold your breath just yet. )
Recently I did a little interview for the website comicaddiction.com. Check it out. I say some...stuff.
Also did a podcast recently, but that won't be out for a little while yet, but it was a lot of fun to basically piss about. Made for some good conversations and probably ruin my career...so stay tuned!
I'm off to collapse in the corner for a bit.
( Page below is from Red Snow by the way. )
I am pretty sure, 30 Days of Night: Red Snow is now finally all done.
And I am still alive. Now onto yet more deadlines and other interesting things! I may actually be able to catch up on my inbox now, ( but don't hold your breath just yet. )
Recently I did a little interview for the website comicaddiction.com. Check it out. I say some...stuff.
Also did a podcast recently, but that won't be out for a little while yet, but it was a lot of fun to basically piss about. Made for some good conversations and probably ruin my career...so stay tuned!
I'm off to collapse in the corner for a bit.
( Page below is from Red Snow by the way. )
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Original Art 14: Hellbooooy Doodle
Did this when I was desperately searching for an artistic break from the stuff I'd been working on for a week straight. It was a nice change of pace and just something I guess I had to get out. A random sketch I did up a bit. Don't usually add colour much to my actual originals. Pen, ink, tonal marker and watercolour.
Whacked it up on ebay if anyone's interested in the sketch.
Whacked it up on ebay if anyone's interested in the sketch.
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