Saturday, March 4, 2006

   Hey everybody. How's it going?

I'm a little disappointed by how few (worth-while) people read my posting on the 27th (it was the post before last, meaning it should be at the bottom of the page).
With the exception of Vankala 86 (whom I thank heavily for doing so), the only people who read, or at least commented, were J Briones and DeViL InSiDe. And if you've ever gotten a comment from either of them, you know that they suck >=P (I even mentioned on the bottom of the post below this one how miffed I was about the fact that they don't even read the posts they comment on. And, low & behold, DeViL InSiDe left yet another crappy, generic comment on it, even though the post she was commenting on specifically referred to how I hated that!)
Sheesh, if you're going to put up a comment, type one that will make me think you actually read the post you're commenting on.
I mean, honestly, "cooly!!! have fun at work!" is NOT even a remotely appropriate comment for my post on the 27th. "Work"? I didn't even mention "work". What the Hell are you smoking?
Sheesh, it’s people like that that really get on my nerves.

I'm sorry I've been in such a foul state-of-mind lately. That's mostly why I haven't been on The Otaku a lot recently (the stuff that's putting me in that foul mood just got too out of hand for me for the past few days).
Regardless, on to the happy things....

I went on a solo manga-run today (Josh's mom was running a fever of 104 degrees on Friday, and we didn't want to put the stress of driving us on her).

Anywho, I finally read the epilogue of Love Hina today!
Yes, yes, I know, I was supposed to have read it last week when I was on my manga-run with Josh. But when we got to Boarders, I just didn't have the mind-set for it. I mean, it's the finale of a series I've been reading for over a year (even though it only took that long because Barne's & Noble's takes their sweet-ass pimp time updating their manga-section :p ). For some reason, I was a bit restless last Saturday, so I saved it for today so I could be nice and relaxed when I read it.

But that's beside the point.
The point is, I finally have officially finished my first entire manga-series! \^o^/
Whoo-hoo! This is a mile-stone for me! ^_^
Anywho, the epilogue was a bit shorter then I expected, but iss all good. ^_^ Though, I sort of wonder why Mr. Akamatsu went to the trouble of creating and introducing a new character that only took part in the epilogue (other Hina-fans who have finished the series will know who/what I'm talking about). Maybe he wanted the series to seem open-ended? Although, that wouldn't make sense, since Akamatsu wouldn't continue the Love Hina story in some kind of sequel manga-series in the future. As cool as it would be, Akamatsu unfortunately won't ever return to the same project for a second time, even for something as popular as Love Hina. After spending 3 years of hard work on that series, he's eager to get started on newer, fresher projects (who could blame him?). It would be awesome, though.

As for the Love Hina manga-series as a whole, it was great. ^_^
Obvious flaws in certain mechanics of Akamatsu's formula keep it from being an absolutely perfect manga (though said formula is undoubtedly a classic), but it's still a wonderfully funny and romantic manga to read, and I highly suggest it.
Would you guys care to hear me do a full review of the series? Obviously, I wouldn't spoil anything (I myself even dislike teasers), but I don't want to bore you all to death with my specific opinions about a manga-series that no one really cares to hear about.
Please tell me if you'd like to hear me do an in-depth review for the series, or if you'd rather that I just kept my opinions to myself.

Anywho, as for the last volume of Love Hina, it was pretty suspenseful. Not as suspenseful as some other parts of the manga, but it was a relatively great way to tie-up the series (aside from the few small qualms I mentioned in the paragraphs above).
The ending was just so happy....it was one of those "warm & fuzzy" moments, you know? I almost got a little choked-up and watery-eyed at the end as a matter of fact.
Keyword being "almost", that is.
*tough-guy shrug* Yeah, I'd never get all teary and sentimental about something as trivial as the finale of a manga series or something like that. Never ever, ever, ever, ever. *averts eyes to random corner of the room*

Anyway, after that, I continued reading the first volume of a manga that I've been wanting to try out for the longest time (I say "continued reading" because I actually started it last week with Josh. I just didn't tell you guys about it. ^^; ).
I've had to wait so long to try it because B&N's has only had the 6th volume for as long as I can remember (so I was glad to find out that Boarders carried the first couple volumes).
Anybody else here ever tried out Mahoromatic?
I can tell ya', I'm trying to read the first volume, and I can't say I'm likin' it that much. But don't get me wrong, the series does have its good points.
If nothing else, the series so far is cute. And I don't mean just "cute" cute. I'm talking cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, cute, CUTE!!! Though, I'm really just referring to the main character there. But she's seriously cute enough to make up for all the other characters who don't quite reach that level (believe me people, I kid you not, she's that cute!!).

However, the plot is absolutely laughable. (And that's not even the biggest problem.)
Basically, a female battle-android named "Mahoro" was used by the collective governments to fend off a violent alien invasion. An invasion that the governments apparently were able to successfully keep secret from all the civilians (search me on how they were able to do that. If you could keep it a secret, then what were they violently invading?).
Anyway, after the android's job of protecting the planet is over, her life-systems have enough power to keep her alive & functioning for a little over a year. She's given the freedom to choose what she wants to do with her remaining time to live.
So, what does she do? She becomes a maid. A house-cleaning meal-cooking maid.
Anyway, a boy named "Suguru", a young highschooler who was recently orphaned as a result of his parents being involved in a fatal accident, puts out an add in the paper that he's hiring a maid to help keep the house clean, which is of course answered by Mahoro.
Naturally, Mahoro trying to go from military killing machine to quiet domestic servant leads to plenty of "crazy" mishaps.

Honestly, I find the plot ridiculous, not to mentioned filled with plot-holes in its logic.

And it gets worse.
"Mahoromatic" has a level of sexual content that's borderline hentai.
Events and reactions are unrealistically scripted to result in excessively sexual situations, all of which have nothing censored (unlike Love Hina, which need only imply things like nudity).
It seems the whole series was designed to be sexual entertainment for s 40-year-old pedophile.

However, I'm gonna' give the first volume a fair run (it may get cleaner as the story progresses). Today it even revealed a very interesting plot twist that may just keep me reading.
Anybody else familiar with this manga-series? What are your thoughts?

Well, hopefully I'll be able to draw tonight (I'd appreciate prayers for creativity, by the way).

By the way, if you haven't seen my 2 recently submitted pieces of art, I'd really appreciate it if you'd check them out.
If you missed the blood-stained ghost in the kiddy-mask, click here.

And if you missed the soldier ghost who needs a name and suggestions for changes, click here.

Thanks for the votes & comments.
As always, they're greatly appreciated.

I'll see you all later, OK?
Comments (4) | Permalink

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

   Hey everybody. How's it going?

I submitted a new piece of artwork last night, as well as one the night before.
I'd greatly appreciate any comments, especially on the newer one submitted yesterday (he needs a name, as well as any suggestions for things to add, since I'm going to color him soon & have a chance to add some stuff).

If you missed the blood-stained ghost in the kiddy-mask, click here.

If you're yet to see my newer piece, the soldier ghost who needs a name and suggestions for changes, click here.

Thanks for the votes & comments.
As always, they're greatly appreciated.

Please read yesterday's post if you haven't already.

In case you're wondering, my test actually went better then I expected.
Now I just have to pass that mo-fo of a test on Thursday. @_@

And as for the issues here on The Otaku, if you're interested, things are still going to absolute crap.
One person I respected in particular recently revealed himself/herself to be involved in something I'm just not willing to compromise on.
It's not a matter of likes & dislikes; it's a matter or right & wrong.
I honestly cannot respect somebody with ideals that flimsy.

The people I honestly thought I could look-up to and be true-friends with, all at the same time, nailed me with some shocking issues about their true personas.

I'm sick of the hypocrisy of this site's policies and the utter depravity of its members. It's honestly enough to make my stomach churn.

I'll hopefully see you guys a little later this week.
Just wanted to stop by and update you on my current status, art-wise and life-wise.

I'll come by your sites a little bit later tonight, OK?

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, how long 'till I finally snap? Nobody knows....
But when I finally do, ya'll will finally get to get hit with the full-force of this little 'mystery-issue' of mine.
I'll try my best to savor the time until then.

Oh, and I'd like to thank "DeViL InSiDe" for the most BS comment I've ever gotten.
If you're gonna' comment, please read the post.
Comments (2) | Permalink

Monday, February 27, 2006

   Hey everybody. How's it going?

I went on a bit of a drawing-spree this weekend, particularly yesterday. I drew from about 2:00 'till 6:00, but had to stop to study a while.

I did 2 pics I really like, one of which I even submitted yesterday right after I drew it.
If you'd like to see it, here's a quick link: Click here.
It's another ghost that's fairly 'Silent Hill' inspired.
True, it's dark, but I've been hearing that criticism from my mom so much I honestly don't care anymore.
Votes & comments are greatly appreciated, but not necessary if you're not in the mood.

I'll post the other pic I did yesterday pretty soon. I really like how it came out.
It's another Ghost-pic, and it may very well be the first ghost I've drawn that I'll put in color rather then the stylish B&W.

In other news, I've got several things that are chapping my ass pretty badly right now.
If you're one of the few people that actually cares to hear me bitch & moan, please read-on:

Firstly, I've gotta' study my brains out for a Civics test tomorrow. @_@
Though, Mr. Dickerson was nice enough to split the test in half, putting the second half on Thursday rather then giving it all tomorrow, so I guess that's a plus.
The test tomorrow will be a standard test on the most recent chapter we've been studying (which is pretty massive, by the way X_x).
The part moved to Thursday is a special test on a long list of Supreme Court cases. We have to remember the names, the circumstances and the amendments/laws involved in each case, and it's a bitch to learn.
On top of that, in English class we have a massive Essay-test coming up in the 7th of March that all sophomores in North Carolina have to take.
And guess how much it weighs-for....
25% of my yearly grade.
Are you fucking kidding!?
Final exams only cost us 20% of our grade!
Jeesh, that's the school system for you: Screwing you over more efficiently then anyone else!

Secondly, remember Kylee?
Yeah, well, she's feeling a lot better now, so thanks to all of you who prayed for her.

So, why am I miffed at that?
Well, it's a bit complicated...
Back when I first saw her gallery, I was deeply impressed. So impressed that I thought to myself, "you know, this girl is so good that I need to send her an in-depth artistic review telling her how amazing she is". Kylee is the only artist I've been so impressed with that I thought of doing that, minus another wildly-creative artist who goes by "Endling".
Anyway, by the time I was ready to type-up that long, in-depth review, Kylee was feeling pretty down.
So, I sent her a message asking if she wanted me to pray for her, as well as give her that in-depth review I was planning (she had been feeling down about her artwork as well, so she said she "could use the pick-me-up".
Well, I sent her that art review.
You know how long it was?
7 pages. That's right, 7 pages. It took me a whapping 2 nights to type (both of which I could have spent drawing). And keep in mind that aside from "sometimes your scans look a little smeared", these were basically 7 pages of positive praise. She deserved it all, it was just a pain in the butt to type.

So anyway, it would have been cool to get a response from her. Ya' know, after a 7-page message of praise and support.
I know that may sound selfish, but it's cool to know that intelligent praise is appreciated.
Kylee did put a very, VERY general "thank-you" on her journal entry today that said she was better, but something a bit more personal would have been nice.
Though, that's kind of a selfish thought.
Kylee has a freakin' massive fan-base that rushed to her aid in her time of need, many of which were people she had known for a good long time.
I may have put a fair amount of effort into assuring her how talented she was, but I was still just one out of what are probably hundreds that did so.

Thirdly and my least favorite of what I'm dealing with right now, things are still going to absolute shit on The Otaku.

Some of you are getting pretty miffed at me for not being more specific with these 'issues' on The Otaku, and that's understandable, but let me ask you this: Did you ever think there might be a reason I'm not being more open about it?

I wouldn't put you in question without a good reason. And trust me, I have a damn good reason.

Things just seriously suck here, and they've been getting exponentially crappier every day.
People disrespect me, diss me, and turn-coat on the person they really are.
People I respected are turning out to be a major part of some of the biggest problems on here; problems that are hurting me.

Another reason I've been less then open is because blowing the lid off the issue may just signify me leaving The Otaku for good.
You remember how Josh used to have a site here as "phantomlord882"? Well, the issue I'm talking about is why he left.
Then you may remember he gave The Otaku a second chance and started a new account as "Drunken Master" in June of this passing year? Well, the same problem came back, and stronger then it was before. Josh was so repulsed he left The Otaku again, and probably will never come back.

Plus, if you guys knew this issue, most of you would probably hate me.
I'm not willing to put my values aside for the sake of friendship, especially not for some people I met over the net.
I'm really questioning if it's even worth it to be a part of the community.

Oh, and those of you who actually care about what I'm going through, don't worry, I'm sure you'll find out soon.
You won't like it, that's for sure, but you'll find out soon.

Well, I'm off to work off some of this crippling frustration.
See you when I get back.

-AD898 (^)>_<(^)
Comments (3) | Permalink

Friday, February 24, 2006

   Hey everybody. How's it going?

I'll be getting to your sites and commenting as soon as I finish posting, so don't worry. ~_^

Me and Josh are finally planning to go on a manga-run together tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed.

Speaking of manga, I went on a solo manga-run last Sunday, and ya' know what I read?
The last volume of Love Hina!!!! ^o^
They finally got it in stock, so I got to read the dramatic conclusion of what's been one of the most incredible mangas I've ever laid hands on!!!

Well, technically, I didn't finish the whole thing, but I finished all of the actual story. There's an epilogue at the end of the last volume that show's (as you probably guessed) the future of the manga's beloved characters. It occupies the last 1/4th of the book, so that's what I'm gonna' read when we go tomorrow. ^_^ I can't wait to see what the future has in store for one of my favorite sets of anime characters.

But, even though I haven’t technically finished the manga, I can tell you the finale is something to behold.
It was so romantic and cheerful (it did leave a few loose ends, but those will be tied up in the epilogue). It wasn't as pulse-pounding and suspenseful as the AWESOME end of the 10th volume (other Hina-fans know what I'm talking about. You may remember me mentioning the climax of vol. 10 here 4 or 5 months ago when I read it), but it was so spiritually lifting that it made up for the lack of suspense.

Call me a wuss if you have to, but I find the softer moments of Love Hina to be just incredibly romantic.
True, the perverted moments as well as the parts where the story was just ruthless toward a character were a little off-putting, but they made the true moments of romance feel even better. I constantly had that warm & fuzzy feeling when it got to one of those points. *blush* It was a truly heart-warming series, that it was. ^///^

Anyway, if you're a fellow Hina-fan, I'd love to talk to you about the series, particularly vol. 10. Just make sure you put a 'Spoiler Warning' before you say anything specific, so as to not ruin it for those yet to read it. (And if you've already read the epilogue of the series, PLEASE don't spoil ANYTHING about it for me, OK!?)

Speaking of Love Hina, Miyoko-chan has posted her (belated) Holiday Gift for her brother.
If you'd like to see it, you can check it out via the hyperlink: Scott’s a Lucky Bastard.

In addition, I'd appreciate you checking out my latest drawing if you haven't already. Some helpful information on it can be found in the post below this one, and you can save a couple clicks on getting to the actual drawing via this hyperlink: Click Here To See What Shotguns Do To Zombie-legs.

Before I go, I have a prayer-request for you guys.
I recently met a very impressive young artist named Kylee, who goes by the screename/psuedonym "SonicRocksMySocks" (she's not on The Otaku, so don't bother searching for her).
Kylee's been feeling really down lately, in that she's wrestling with the all-too-common issues of self-doubt about her artwork and that feeling of growing up too fast. She feels that she's slowly loosing her childhood and being thrust into the world of adult responsibilities too quickly.

Kylee's asked me to get the Prayer Ring involved by praying for her (after all, that's what we're here for ~_^).
Please pray for Kylee, and I'll update you as things progress.
Kylee's a very sweet person, and a spectacular artist. I wish I could show you some of her work, but it's all saved in PNG format (for some reason, my computer doesn't seem to want to save PNG's. They always save as a blank. Anybody know how to fix this?).

Thanks, and I'll see you guys tomorrow!

Oh, and please be patient, I will get to your sites and comment, so don't worry!
Comments (4) | Permalink

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

   New art 4 U!
Hey everybody. How's it going?

I've already read your posts, and I'll come & comment a little later tonight. I gotta' do homework right now. -_-'

If you haven't read yesterday's post yet, I'd really appreciate it if you did. At least the first part.

I wanted to stop by and tell you all that I submitted a new pic last night. ^.^
It's that month-old zombie I mentioned yesterday (not any of the ones I drew over the weekend).
Votes & comments are greatly appreciated, but feel free to take your time in getting around to it.

However, if you'd rather check it out now, here's a quick link to take you directly to it (saving a step for those of you with slow-poke internet): Clicky-clicky!.

But please know, before you do view this piece, I got a few things to say in my defense...
As in the pic's description, the scanner screwed-up the blood on his pants. The area where his legs were blown-off was supposed to be a soggy red, not black. :p Silly scanner.
It's an office-zombie (like "Zombie 3") that got his legs blown-off with a shotgun by a non-zombified coworker. But, being a zombie, he's more then a little resilient. He's up and back on his...stubs, and hungry for flesh.
This was an idea for a zombie inspired by something I saw in a drawing on the internet. I kicked it around in my head for a little while, and I finally got it down on paper. I started it on the 2nd of January and finished it on the 16th.

Allrightie, since I got nothin' else to bore you with, I'll post some more shots of the current inner-working of my computer!:


This is my current Desktop.
Flogging Molly is the shiz-nite.



"Crownless" is a freakin' awesome song by Nightwish.
I highly suggest you check it out if you can.



*tear-drop*
Such a beautiful song...*sniff*



"You'll take my life, but I'll take yours to!", Duh-na-na-na!
"You'll fire your musket, but I'll run ya' through!", Duh-na-na-na!
"So when you're waiting for the next attack...", Duh-na-na-na!
"You better stand, there's no turning back!!!!", *breaks into air-guitar*
This is such an awesome song! ^_^



"Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die...
Run, live to fly, fly to live, Aces High!!!"
Has anybody listened to this at the top of my page yet?
Please do! It still has bandwidth and it's such a cool song! ToT

OK everybody, I'll see ya' later.
Please pray that Erin-chan can start feeling better soon (physically, that is). She's a tad under the weather.

Next time, I'll tell ya' what I did on my solo manga-run on Sunday! ^_^
I think you'll enjoy it!

See ya' tomorrow!
Comments (3) | Permalink

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

   Hey everybody. How's it going today?

My day at school was long a difficult, but regardless I was feeling good when I got home....that is, until I logged onto The Otaku....

-_-' I'm not going to give any names or any specifics, but I have to say that for me, things have been falling apart here.
The Otaku has become an increasingly hostile place for people like me. Hell, it was hostile when I joined; it's just gotten even worse since then.
There was a serious political issue I was going to bring up today. Believe me, I originally had no doubts that everyone here would agree with me on my opinion of the matter I was going to bring up. But, before I could talk about said issue, one of my friends here on The Otaku posted something about it today. Again, no names, but he/she proved to be on an opposing side of the matter. Naturally, I didn't comment, because to talk about it with him/her I'd either start a fight and look stupid or lie about my opinion on it.
And don't give me any of this "agree to disagree" shit, OK? The issue we disagree on isn’t one of those things where it's a matter of opinion, like 'which anime character is the best' or 'what style of music is coolest'. It's a case of right & wrong, and only one of us can be right.

More time I've spent on The Otaku, the more I learn about the people I'm friends with. But, needless to say, I didn't like a lot of the information I learned. It's stuff that makes me think that said people aren't really the best people to be friends with.
Isn't that fun? Questioning weather the few people you thought you liked are really worth being friends with? Yeah, I friggen' love it (sarcasm).

And you remember that other issue I keep mentioning? Yeah, that hasn't gotten any better either.

The current state of The Otaku positively sickens me.
I thought this was a place for honest, intelligent anime fans to come together and use their creativity to show their appreciation for the artistic side of the anime-world.
But no, that was too good to be true. Even the few I thought I respected are now getting more then a little shaky in my eyes. *sigh*, isn't life great?

Well, if there is a bright-side to my post today, it's that I used the extra day off to go on a bit of a drawing-spree.
I finished the line-art on 2 zombies that I'm really, really proud of, and started the line-art on a few zombies that I'm only sort of proud of.
Those first 2 only need color, which is the fun part, so you'll see those soon.
Though, I still have a zombie I drew about a month ago that still needs to be submitted, so you may see him before the new ones.

What prompted even more zombie-obsessed madness from me then usual?
The new trailer for a little thing called "Dead Rising"...

Do any of you remember a loooooooong time ago when I asked you to identify this video-game character?:

Yeah, well, I know I told you that I'd eventually tell you who he was since none of you knew, but I sorta' forgot, ya' know? ^_^' Sorry...

Anyway, the man's name is Frank, and he's from a video-game to be released later this year called "Dead Rising".
Frank's a war-time photo-journalist who gets a tip that something important might be happening at Willamette Mall.
Naturally, he gets there as soon as possible and investigates what could be going on.
Upon entry, the mall seems deserted. But, like in any video-game, when something seems deserted, it never is. >=D
Naturally, Frank soon finds that the place is crawling with zombies, and quickly gets to breakin' heads and snappin' photos.

Not only am I excited that this will be the first zombie-themed game on a Next-Gen system, but the concept for the game is great.
The setting is in and around a mall, just like in the movie "Dawn Of The Dead".
Plus, the fact that Frank is a photo-journalist means that you'll be snapping photos whenever you can so frank can tell his story if and when he survives. This adds a great creative aspect to the game: taking cool-looking shots of the action-packed zombie horror that's occurring at the mall.

What prompted my drawing spree is the new trailer for the game which was released this weekend. You can find it & watch it here if you're interested, where it will be labeled as "Trailer 3". (I suggest you watch the non-HD one, since most of you have slow connections.)
Honestly, it one of the most awesome trailers I've ever seen, so I highly recommend it.

"Dead Rising" comes out in May this year on the XBOX 360.
Obviously, I'm excited, mainly because it was made by Capcom; the creators of the "Resident Evil" series.
Only 3 more months 'till the dead rise again!
Logan-kun loves killin' zombies! =3

I'll see you all later!
Comments (6) | Permalink

Saturday, February 18, 2006

   *Wheeeeew!!!!* X_x
Whoa man, am I ever beat!!!

As you may remember me saying prior, today is the day me and my mom deep-cleaned/organized my room.
As you may have guessed by the title, it was one Hell of an ordeal. x_x'

I cannot believe how long that took and how hard it was! Seriously!
My mom started working with me between 1 or 2 this afternoon (though I had been cleaning since I woke up, 2 hours prior), and it took us 'till 8:40 tonight to finish! Ugh, that took WAY too long!

What really miffs me is that I had taken steps to make this day easier on the both of us, and it still took all day.
Last Saturday, I spent the whole day cleaning out the messy area under my TV and under my bed while my mom and my brother cleaned his room. I went even more out of my way to make the job easier when I spent 3 hours cleaning out closet last night!
I cleared out 2 of my most messy areas by my self just to make today bearable, and I still spent almost 9 hours cleaning! @_@ Logan-kun is burned-out, that he is.

Meh, I guess it was a damn good thing I had the initiative to get those 2 places cleaned-out early, 'cause if we had had to do it today I would have frikken' gone insane!
After all these years, I've finally learned the benefits of getting things done early and not procrastinating.

Regardless, my room's now cleaner then it's been since we moved in. ^_^'
I cleared out so much crap from my room. Naturally, with me being an artist, most of it was paper. (Don't worry, I'm recycling it all. I bugged my mom until she finally gave me a way to recycle em', which is that she'll take it all to work with her and put it in the bin there since we don't have a paper-bin here. I throw away so much paper that there's no excuse for me not to recycle it, so I'm makin' sure I do my part for the environment. ^///^)

In the process, I also got to look through my old, OLD archives of drawings, from like 6th and 7th grade. o_o' Man oh man, was that a groaner! Seriously, it was almost painful how bad those drawings were!
As embarrassing as they are, I might just have to scan one for you guys to show you how much I've improved since then. Would you guys be interested? (But you have to promise you won't make fun of me! I'm sensitive enough with how bad these drawings are, so please don't be mean to me! T_T)

Anyway, I may take some pictures to show you guys how clean my room is now.
We switched some stuff around as well. My Boom-Box now sits on the dresser in front of my window in between the lava-lamp and the "book stack"-shaped tissue-box, and my Scanner is now in the newly cleared-out space in the desk to the right of my keyboard (I'm extremely happy with this, because, though I didn't mention it, I had recently been wishing for my Scanner to be able to be placed on my desk, so I could scan stuff while still sitting down. I know that's a weird convenience to wish for, but I'm glad I have it! =^^=).

Ah, it feels good to have all that work done!
Plus, I've finished all my homework, FMA's coming on tonight (*edge of my seat*), and I have Monday off! ^^ Logan-kun is a happy, happy boy right now. ^o^
On the only sad note, Josh may not be able to do a manga-run tomorrow because he's been feeling a tad sick lately. -_-' It sucks, 'cause this would have been the first week in over a month we would have been able to do one.
Meh, oh well, nothin' I can do. If you could, I would appreciate a minor prayer for Josh's health if you have some room to spare. Yes, I know I should only ask you to pray about matters more pressing then my petty manga-runs, but if you don't mind, I'd be very thankful.

Please also pray that Living Doll will start feeling better to (emotionally, that is). She's been feeling down a little recently.
Oh, and speaking of Karen-san she has a special personality-finding device set up for her that needs our participation. Click here to help her out with that poll, and click here for more info on said poll and Karen's current situation.
If you still need incentive, she has a nice new Fruits Basket avatar you can see if you check out her site.

OK everybody, I'll see you tomorrow!
Comments (2) | Permalink

Thursday, February 16, 2006

   Hey everybody. How's it going?
Alright, I'm gonna' try again to keep my post short. Wish me luck.

I am tired after today. @_@
This was a rough, loooooooooooooong day for Logan-kun, that it was.
Classes seemed to drag on for a particularly long time today, and as you may remember me mentioning yesterday I had to stay late today to make up that test in Civics. After that, I had to wait around for about 45 minutes for my mom to leave work and come pick me up. That made me a little miffed at the time, because earlier this week she told me she'd be able to pick me up immediately since she was gonna' take half of that day off. But plans changed. No biggie, though, because I got a lot of reading done in "All Quiet On The Western Front" while I waited for her. (I mentioned yesterday that "All Quiet On The Western Front" is the book we're currently reading out of class for English. I only have 15 more pages to read by Tuesday. =3)

Funny thing about me making up that Civics test today. Heh heh...
You see, the Friday I was out I missed the test he gave about The Federal Bureaucracy.
But, I came back in time to take the test he gave the next Thursday (Thursday of last week), which was on Taxes (meaning, I needed to make up the Bureaucracy test but had already taken the Taxes test).

So, I go in today to take the test on the Federal Bureaucracy, but Mr. Dickerson gives me the test on Taxes.
I tell him so, and he says, "The test on the Bureaucracy was a while ago...how about you take this test and just see what happens?", and then he smiled.
XD Mr. Dickerson is a laid-back teacher. I guess he trusted I knew the stuff about the Bureaucracy and thought giving me a test I had already taken would give me about the same score as a test on the Bureaucracy.

Pretty weird, huh?
I don't know weather that'll end up helping or hurting me in the end, though.
I knew the stuff about taxes pretty well, but I wasn't prepared to recall it for a test again.
I spent a lot of last night studying for the Bureaucracy test rather then the Taxes test for obvious reasons.
We'll just have to see how this all works out, won't we? X)

By the way, since a lot of you missed it yesterday, I'm gonna' post it again...
My buddy Zach wants you to critique him on his doodle.
NOTE: He wants a CRITIQUE! He wants to know how to improve!
Please don't just say "It's good" or something.
Please give him as much advice as possible, OK?
Here's the doodle again:

Please see yesterday's post for more details.

Put your thoughts on this piece in the comments for this post.
I'm going to e-mail them to Zach as soon as you all are finished.

Thanks VERY much for your participation and time.
As I said, Zig would really like to improve his craft and get back in the saddle.
The more helpful and specific you are, the better (obviously).

And thank you to everyone who commented on my latest piece of artwork.
^_^ I really enjoyed reading those in particular. You guys really took your time on those comments, so I thank you. ~_^ You guys rock.

Well, I'm off for today.
Please pray for me as I spend this Saturday with my mom deep-cleaning/organizing my room. -_-' That's gonna' be no fun.

I'll see you all tomorrow!
I'm gonna' go comment on your art! ^o^
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Wednesday, February 15, 2006

   Hey everybody.

I'm gonna' try my best not to spend an hour typing this post (that wastes my time and yours). I need to get out of that habit.

I won't go into details now, but just know things are sort of going to crap for me right now.
Remember that issue that I keep complaining about but immaturely keep refusing to explain? The one that's solely on The Otaku? Yeah...that one. I'm still teetering on a melt-down about it, as always. This issue became particularly tough to deal with due to its influx over Valentine's Day (another thing V-day brings that I don't exactly enjoy).
I know some of you might be getting ancey over what it is, but until it becomes necessary I'm not gonna' talk about it with you guys (and when I finally do, it's gonna' be an explosion of rage and brutal honesty, which I'm sure none of you will like).
The saddest thing is...many of you that are reading this are heavily involved. I found out about it at various points in my time on The Otaku, many times after I thought those people were respectable and up-right friends. But, finding this out about them has altered my opinion on them, and when you finally tell you why, your opinion of me will likely also be altered.
And don't give me this "if they're really a friend then you won't let this issue determine weather you like them anymore" crap, OK? Imagine meeting someone in an Anime-bookstore you get along with. You get to know them better and the two of you are starting to become friends. Then, one day while at their house, you find heroin under their bed, and they admit to and try to justify using it.
Now, will you think the same of that person as you did when you first met them? I think not.
Breaking a friendship with someone due to facts previously unknown to you coming to light does not make you a hypocrite.

School's not going so hot either.
So far, this week has been gruelingly boring.
I had a math test today, and I think I bombed it. -_-'
I'm staying late tomorrow to make-up that Civics & Econ. test I missed Friday before last when I was at home recovering from my braces (though, I did get a lucky break since Mr. Dickerson is letting me retake it even though it's been over a week).
Plus, we're now reading the book "All Quiet in the Western Front" out of class now, so that may take up a lot of time I'd normally spend drawing.
And for my final bitch-session, I have a date with my mom to spend all-day Saturday deep-cleaning/organizing my room. @_@ That's gonna' suck...

A little prayer would be greatly appreciated at this point, if you're willing to spare some.

Whoa! I need to finish this up!
Sorry! >_<'

Before I go, I have an artistic favor to ask you all.
I've become acquaintances with a kid at my school named Zach (though he usually goes by "Z", "Ziggity", "Zig", or one of his many other nick-names).
Zach is probably the most major gamer I know, and he also claims to have some artistic talent.
Unfortunately, he asserts that his drawing skills have decayed considerably over time, since he hasn't drawn in a good long time.
However, he's now trying to get back into drawing, and he'd like your help in doing so.

Here's a doodle Zach did yesterday (Tuesday) in Spanish class:

He gave it to me to scan and post here, since being a member of The Otaku means I have artistic friends with great artistic minds.

Zach would like you to critique and make suggestions for improvement on the above drawing, to get a head-start in re-launching his art career.
Please leave as much artistic input and suggestions for improvement on the drawing in a comment on this post as you are willing to.
I will show your comments and suggestions to Zach in a day or so, so please be as helpful as possible.

Thanks everybody. This is a real big help, so I appreciate you taking the time to participate. ^_^

By the way, Zach is a MAJOR 'Halo'-fan, so that's what inspired his doodle (he's not a creepy, dark Goth or anything, Heaven forbid...).
That's why the above is a little dark-looking (it's meant to be taken as more Sci-Fi, not Horror oriented).

Thanks again, guys.
Please check out yesterday's post if you haven’t already.

Whoa! 9:37! I need to work a little more on cutting back on my time spent posting! >o<'

I'll see you tomorrow!
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Tuesday, February 14, 2006

   Happy Valentine's Day!
Hey everybody. How are you all doing today?

Please, please, PLEASE forgive me if I'm yet to comment on your sites yet. I promise, I'm getting around to it, but the familiar crap continues getting in the way.
But rest assured, I will comment, and for the most part, I've read everything you've posted, so know I'm not ignoring or overlooking you. I'm just having trouble both thinking up & typing a comment you'd actually want to read, and having time to do so.
I'm really sorry, and please know I haven't forgotten you guys. T_T

So, anyway, today is Valentine's Day (duh).
How was your V-Day?
Mine was just fabulous.
All the exchanging of chocolate, heart-shaped boxes, stuffed animals and oh-such-pretty pink flowers totally didn't have my stomach doing 180-degree flips from the sappiness and commercialism of it all. :p
Nah! It wasn't that bad...just annoying. XP
Same thing with the small spike in PDA that occurs around this time of year: Not enraging, just annoying. I've been seeing a lot less of it this year, as a matter of fact (or maybe I just have been taking less notice of it despite the amount remaining constant. I did have a lot of growth in the maturity area last year, so maybe PDA being less of a big deal now is just an unexpected result. Meh...I got a lot of growing up to do, don't I? >///<).

I remember how I got kinda' angsty around this time of year last year (and you probably do to...*sweatdrop*). I remember how my hormone-soaked teenage mind viewed shooting-up scrapped cars at a local junk-yard with an Uzi would have been a relief.
I still wanna' do that sometimes (as random as that activity may sound), just not at the moment.

Anyway, speaking of teenage nerd Valentine's Day rage, I submitted my Valentine's Day pic today! XD
I would really appreciate comments, but before you do so, I'd like to ask that you finish reading today's post first (I need to explain a few things that *obviously* couldn't fit in the tiny information section The Otaku gives you).
If you'd like to go ahead and take a look at the artwork before or while you read my following description, you can open it up real-quick right here. (I recommend right-clicking the link and selecting "Open In New Window", since if you're doing so, it's just so you know what I'm talking about in the next paragraph, since I don't want y'all to comment on it 'till you've read it).

Anyway, here's what you need to know (remember, don't read 'till you've seen the pic, and don't comment on the pic 'till you've read if you can!):
As you may have guessed, this piece can possibly be attributed to nerd-rage/angst. XD
Like I said earlier this week, it's not your regular Valentine's Day pic.
I wanted to do something that would capture my (current) feelings toward the holiday, which you can easily guess.
In case you couldn't tell, it's me chain-sawing my way through a crappy fabric back-drop (like the background for a play of some sort). The back-drop has a crappy, drippy red-heart painted on it for, of course, Valentine's Day (it's not blood, by the way!).
You see the ultra-shallow symbolism? XD

First off, I want to apologize for the crappy job I did in both drawing and editing this pic.
I wanted to have it submitted by today, so it was a little rushed.
Here's what I already know is a problem, so you don't need to mention it to me:
-Stray-marks are EVERYWHERE
-I didn't center the piece properly (he should be more to the middle of the tear since he cut it and then walked through it)
-The hands aren't my best, but they'll do...
-The flap on the lower side of the cut wasn't drawn long enough to realistically look like a tear in the fabric

I may redo this piece at some later date, maybe even adding color.

As you may have noticed (I need to quit begging sentences like this...), the look of my anime-self has changed a little bit.
His hair is little bit longer now. As you may remember, I mentioned that I'm letting my hair get longer now (I loved the short & fuzzy cut, but I want to start trying some new things, starting with my hair). So, until I cut my hair, my anime-self is most likely gonna' keep the new look. (By the way, feel free to snuggle my hair once again on your way out. It's even softer and fluffier then it was the last time).
He's also in a new piece of wardrobe. Usually he's wearing his Constantine-esque white shirt and black suit & tie so he looks nice and professional for an exorcism. But this time I tried something new with a little less seriousness to it. He's now wearing an aviation jacket, most likely inspired by my addiction to the song "Aces High", by Iron Maiden (which is available at the top of my site! Please listen to it!!! It's SOOOOOOOOOO good!!!!! ToT).
I think it looks kind of cool. What do you think (tell me in a comment on the pic, not here :P).

And just and FYI, the chain-saw took FOREVER.
I swear, on the 2 and 1/2 hours I spent on this thing, over an hour of it was drawing and re-drawing that damn chain-saw to make sure it looked realistic.
I'm pretty happy with it, but all the erasing I had to do made the hands come out really dark.

So, votes & comments greatly appreciated. ^_^ Please be forgiving, though. I did this piece for fun, not for flaunting my technical skills.

Well, I'm off to comment on your sites!
Oh, and please check out EAMR's new V-Day pic as well!

And one more thing, please visit and pray for Living Doll, could you?
Details are on her site, but just know she's feeling kinda' shitty right now.

I'll see you all later. Happy V-Day!
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