Lessons of the heart (piece)

I was taught that love is a white dress with the top caught off,
a perversion of a lie,
a truth that sits around and whispers at all hours of the morning. 


I was taught that love is a lifetime of waiting,
an hour of walking,
and a few seconds of dancing.


I often wondered what shoes I would wear if one day it came calling,
but then again,
I was taught that love is that bus that likes to leave you in the winter.
It leaves enough tracks for you to find your way back.


I was taught that love is a Wednesday,
not quite a Monday,
but still too middle of the road for anyone's taste.


In short,
I was told that love is a "mothafucka,"
it feels good when you say it,
but then again,
who wants to be judged by the weight of their words? 

great news

Hey Inkbots,


I have lots of great news to share with you.


This week marks the official release of Zomboy on the ipad, and to celebrate we have decided to give away The Devil Died Different for free. So, if you have an ipad, and you wish to own one of Inkbot's most popular titles, go to itunes, download the cloud9 app, and enjoy ;)  http://cloud9comix.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=263&Itemid=352


On that note, Zomboy and The Devil Died Different are the first two inkbot titles to go digital, but we will be uploading more and more titles as the weeks progress. We will also be including original artwork and extended story pages with the digital downloads (which will not be available on the site). So stay tuned ;) 


February 7th is going to be a huge day for us. First we're going to debut our newest monthly title Buddha Monkey. Then we're going to post our newest weekly titled called mallville. And last, but certainly not least, we will have updates for both K and Revolvers. 


The whole month of February is shaping up to be a pretty big one for us overall. We will be debuting two online novel AND the fourth issue of Zomboy ;)


I appreciate the fact that so many of you have hit us up on our facebook fan page. I also hope that you continue to voice your opinions on our titles, and really the industry at large. I also hope that you take advantage of our forums, as that is the best place to interact with the whole Inkbot crew ;)


Attention all Allen Shrugged fans, a book of your favorite troubled connoisseur is in the works. So stay tuned, as I hope to have more info for you in the weeks to come. 


In two weeks I will be a guest on the Sci fi Saturday podcast. So if you been waiting for the day that you can finally put a voice to my sexy...eh type, well, now's your chance ;)

The meaning of art

Hey Inkbots,


As of today I will resume my daily blog. I wanted to give you some time to warm up to our new group of bloggers known to me as the "speakeasy crew" (I like the name). I also wanted to recharge and refocus my reasoning for doing a daily blog in the first place ;)


The meaning of art:
First let me start out by saying I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about. So, if you're looking for a textbook description, or an uber artsy definition of the term, prepare to be sorely disappointed. In truth, I only know what I feel, and most times if something makes me feel then I'm quick to consider it art. Now, I know this might seem absurd, but in actuality that's exactly what I mean. Our attitudes, opinions, biases, truths, lies, prejudices, dreams, and ambitions are all unprinted forms of art. So when we finally succeed in photographing at least a portion of that, and allow other people to take part in it, then the question, in my mind, isn't whether its art, but whether it's effective. Just something to think about.

My name is human (piece)

Two dots balancing on a sheet of glass

While all the world whispers, wondering who I am

I believe that I survived only to go to hell

And all your stares confirm it, as far as I can tell

I often wondered if playgrounds are a symbol of humanity

full of angry spectators begging to lose their sanity

And what of I, who ran, wanting to end the tragedy

The world became elusive

And my name became stupid

So there you are surprised, begging for me to stay

As if its in my nature to sit down and decay

To wear pea coats on Friday and listen to the fray

As if somehow I'm above it

As if somehow you're above me 

Sneakity Peekities!!!

Inkbotters!

Randy has asked me to quickly whip up a Buddha Monkey piece for the Inkbot homepage. And of course, my love for kung-fu and monkeys will not allow me to refuse that sort of thing. I spent last night researching monkeys and kung-fu poses and listening to The Wu-Tang Clan while my mom watched the Golden Globers (that typo is awesome, let's keep it.)

Let me digress for a sec, it's what I do, am I the only guy here that would totally get it on with Helen Mirren? I mean, holy crap, for an old lady, COT DAMN! I wanna come over for some tea and crumpets, knowhatumsayin'?

*ahem*, yes, Buddha Monkey. ......sketches. here.


Usually I wouldn't share this sort of thing, but this was pretty fun. Anyone know what he's yelling at the top in traditional chinese? (Or the best I could draw the characters, at any rate) It's the title of what is probably the most popular song at the moment. I heart Google Translator. (PLUG! PAY ME, Big G!)




"But Dave, what about me, mate?!?"


Don't worry, St. George. I have not forgotten you. It would be dumb to piss off a dragon slaying maybe-crazy person, anyway.


Remember that, kids.




Here's a quick grab from a panel in an upcoming page from St. G. He's upset about something. And it's not that new Black Eyed Peas song. He's just been betrayed by the woman he loves, y'know the usual...



That's all fer now. Back to the drawing board, as they say. PEACE.

We're beautiful (poem)

The ones you like

Will make you care

The color's right

The narrow stairs

Yes I forgive

No, I don't care

What's fair is fair

And what's not is here

But  here we are

And there are you

So all is right

I'm almost through

Just past the pins

Don't push it through

It's come to life

I've come to you

Don't be afraid

It's what you asked

Just hold your hand,

And feel our skin,

No, don't you stare

I'm still a lady

Though mostly you

I'm mostly you

Oh please don't cry

This is how it works

I leave with bruises

You say it hurts

You show me pictures

I pray it works

And then you say your prayers as I make it work

That one's too long

I fucked it up

The rhythm's gone

Our time is up

More ways than one

We die as one

But love as two hearts sown apart

Introduction to Dave....ahhh screw it, let's talk about Spider-Man.

Hello, Inkbot Nation!!!

I'm Dave Michaels, and I will be the artist for an upcoming title to Inkbot from Speakeasy Primates called Saint George. Saint George (or St. G, as we call it in the hood, yo) is a tale written by the talented Brad Bellmore about a man of the cloth that is struggling with his sanity because he actually believes an angel has come to him with a mission to battle demonic forces. So basically, he is institutionalized for being a priest that actually believes in what he preaches. Y'know, the usual fun stuff..well, I thought this would be a fun book to do. I'm not a very religious person, but the concept is interesting to me, and while the book is largely about christian mythology, I believe the root of the story is about society's hypocrisies, and while people say they believe, they are very quick to judge others that believe different, less or even in this case, more. Also? There's monsters. And I pretty much love drawing monsters. :)

In fact, let's begin by giving y'all a bit of preview of St. G.
Don't get too excited in your pantses just yet, cuz we're just getting warmed up.


I plan on not just talking about my own art, I would like to use this space to also speak on comics, pop culture, and pretty much whatever I wanna....so be ready. I'm not one to hold back on this wonderful forum that is the internets, so shit's gonna get real very fast. LOL


Actually, speaking of pop culture, I don't know if any of you have seen the first pic of Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man. It's....different. Very. Different.




I'm not sure if Pete has been beaten up by Kraven The Hunter or some angry fanboys here, but whatever. Both are pretty equally dangerous.


So, I'm not one of those comic guys that will trash something that is totally different than what I was expecting. But "you don't mess with a classic"...and Spidey has probably one of the greatest costumes in the history of comics! So. Okay....that's all I'll say for now.





On the light side, Emma Stone looks like a cutie as Gwen Stacy, right?.....right?




Hmm.....even she doesn't look too thrilled at the new costume...why's this movie look like sucha downer?! Everyone is all serious. What is this, Terms of Endearment? With fancy spandex?


Where's the friendly neighborhood spidey goodness?!?! ......nice bangs though....watch out for those bridges, Gwenzy, kay?



Alright, kids. That will be all the fun from me for now. I got lots of projects on tap and I hope to talk about them here! Stay tuned!

Don't wake the baby (poem)

Stop!
Don't wake the baby.
Stop!
Don't wake the baby.
No!
Why are you leaving?
Stop!
You're acting crazy.
No!
You cannot blame me.
Stop!
I told you don't go.
What?!
I hear your whispers. 
I know your feeling disturbed, but the sky just doesn't think you're right.
Why do we worship night? 
It hides our wickedness. 
And minutes seem so limitless.
Let face it, its what our dreams look like.
So don't stay angry!
Stop!
Don't  move! 
Our people worshiped you for years and yet the night sky still appeared.
So, I think you need to grow up.
Stop!
Don't wake the baby.
No!
You just don't hear me!
How can you be so bright and yet still fail to see things clearly?
Just cause your not our god it doesn't mean you wont be missed.
 I mean its just a title anyway, so don't give me this shit about respect. 
What's that?!
Oh yeah, your childish acts are killing me, 
but not more if you don't come back. 
So, lets go home.
No wait!
You woke the baby! 
You know you must be crazy.
You're really going to turn your back?
You know what?
Just go!
That's right. If beings like you are really vain, then our gods are overrated. 
And they deserve our hatred. 
And yes, you'll miss the baby, 
but I doubt she'll miss you much. 
For my people didn't abandon her. 
You did.
So best of luck.

R.I.P. Peanut

Hey Inkbots,


My sister's dog peanut died on Friday. He was hit by a car after escaping through the front door. Interestingly, I had no idea that I would be so affected by his death. I mean, prior to this weekend, I never really thought about him much. But now that he's gone, and the rest of my family are in mourning, I can't help it. So, with that, my thoughts go out to anyone who has ever "lost" a family pet. I don't believe in an afterlife, but I know that I won't ever take another pet for granted. 

Inkbot update

Hey Inkbots,

I apologize for my three day absence. I was going through a few things. Still, I have lots of great things to talk about. So, here we go...

New Titles
Come February 10, we will be introducing TWO NEW TITLES! One is a mutli-page monthly named Buddha Monkey, made from our newest creative team, who go by the name of "Speakeasy Primates." The other is a weekly strip called mallville, which is the brainchild of Odessa's very own editor Gary Cohen. Also, sometime next month,we will be launching two more online novels. One by a remarkable writer from the UK named Leslie Beer, and the other by yours truly ;)

Digital Publishing
As early as next week, many of our titles will be available for purchase on the ipod, ipad, or any other digital device that has a touch screen. This is a huge opportunity for us to expand our fanbase and to get our titles into your hands. So, expect more details in the days to come ;)

Creator/fan interaction
Since there are quite a few us that contribute to this site, I figured it would be great if more creators host their own blogs. I also think it would be great if a few of us posted on the forums, that way we can discuss everything from our favorite movie to our least favorite comic strips with you guys  (well as long as none of my titles our included in that list) So, expect more posts from us in the days to come. AND, i expect some of you to make your presence known ;)

Original Anthology
For those of you who plan on attending Mocca or the Big Apple Con, we will be selling a very special Inkbot anthology which will feature original stories from The Revolvers, American Ambition, and Odessa creative teams AND, these stories will not be available on the site (well, at least not in the immediate future).

With that, I hope you guys had a great weekend and I'll see you tomorrow ;)

Inkbot update

Hey Inkbots,


It's been a while since I updated you guys on some of the new things that are taking place on the site. So, here we go...


Going Digital Baby!
Yup, in about a week or so, most, if not all, of your favorite Inkbot comics will be available for purchase via ipad, ipod, or pretty much any other electronic device. ;)


New Year, New titles.
Although we have some pretty amazing titles here on the site, we here at inkbot are never fulfilled unless we have more. So, in a about a month, we will premiering FOUR NEW TITLES (a monthly, a weekly, and two online novels). So, get ready to spend a lot more time at your computer (I'm sorry bosses of the world). 


Convention Season:
Just when you thought it was safe to take your kids outside again, the comic book convention season starts. And, to make things worse, we have a table at some of the biggest conventions in the NYC area. So, for those of you who will be attending Mocca or the big apple con, brace yourself cause INKBOTS TAKING OVER BABY!!!


Site redesign:
With the influx of so many new titles we figured its about time we shuffled a few thingS around. So, expect a few changes to our main and archive pages.


Zomboy in February
Due to a personal matter, Zomboy will not be able concluded until February. So, take this month to catch up on all of your favorite Zomboy issues, or send Jan Velazquez as much hate mail as you'd like ;)


K!
If by chance you were away for the holiday, a few weeks ago we launched our first online novel "K." K is a steam punk narrative from Brent Martone, writer of Revolvers, which also features some killer artwork from Clay Graham, also from Revolvers. So, put your reading glasses on, warm up a glass a milk, and get ready to do some reading, but you do not want to miss out on such a wonderful story.


Odessa 
In case you missed it, the whole first arc of Odessa is now available for viewing. So please, check it out, and as always, let us know what you think.


With that, I hope your enjoying your week so far. I'll be back tomorrow with another blog entry. PEACE!!!

I like lists ;)

Hey Inkbots,


I don't know what it is, but there  are certain books that you just know you're going to love. This past week I was given "Return of The Dapper Men," and just by looking at it I can tell that it's going to be one of my favorite books of all time.  


So, since i'm on the subject of favorite books (particularly comics), I figured this would be a good time to show you a list of my top 20 favorite graphic novels of all time (in no specific order).


1. Watchmen- this book is so popular it will be considered cliche to have it as part of my list...Oh Well ;)


2. Silver Surfer, In thy name- Don't be fooled by the fact that it's a Silver Surfer story. This book is brilliant.


3. Silver Surfer, Requiem- I told you not to be fooled. Stories such as this, and the one above, taught me that there is no such thing as a bad character. 


4. The Spirt- Darywn Cooke's run- If you like The Spirit, Gumshoe Noir narratives, Darwyn Cooke, or you're just a fan of amazing storytelling, this is the book for you.


5.Detective Comics, heart of hush (Paul Dini)- turned a fairly one dimensional villain into an epic Batman rogue. 


6.V for Vendetta- despite it being written in two different phases of his life, this is one of Alan Moore's best.


7. Persepolis- is Marjane Satrapi's masterpiece about religious extremism and the fight for personal expression. This was also turned into an amazing animated film. 


8. La Perdida- Jessica Abel's incredible tale about an American female expatriot who tries to find herself in Mexico City. 


9. Oz, book 1- Marvel's adaption of the classic children's story is nothing short of extraordinary. .


10. I kill Giants- One of the greatest stories I have ever had the privilege of reading, hands down. 


11. Neil Gailman's Sandman- like Watchmen, its cliche for a reason ;)


12. Superman, What ever happened to the man of tomorrow- A great Superman story which effectively discusses the relationship between Superman and those who are close to him.


13. Justice League, The New Frontier- much like the title above, this is an amazing "What If" story which also manages to put the magnifying glass on some my favorite DC characters. 


14. Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol- this book taught me the possibilities of what can be done with brilliant storytelling and and pure off the wall originality. 


15. All Star Superman- what more can be said about this book that hasn't already been said. Simply put, its a modern day masterpiece.


16. Daredevil, Frank Miller's run- this run is directly responsible for me wanting to become a creator. 


17. Maus- this was one of the first books to show me just how powerful this medium can be, if used correctly.


18. Preacher, Book 2,- great writing, ridiculously clever dialogue, and a great ending.


19. Sin City- like The Spirit, it has all the ingredients that make this medium great and sexy ;)


20. Return of The Dapper Men- what I told you. I would simply hate myself if, in the future, for not trusting my instincts and putting it on this list. 


I would love to know all of your personal favorites. So hit me up via forums, email, or facebook ;P

Sad day (R.I.P.)

Hey Inkbots,


In a lot of ways I have been lucky to have never had someone close to me pass away, but on the other hand it is still hard to turn a blind eye to all the horrible things that happen around me. 


An hour ago I received word that one of my former classmates was allegedly strangled to death by her husband, on New Year's eve. Now, as someone who feels bad whenever I raise my voice to my wife, I can't possibly understand what could lead someone to do such a horrible thing. I mean if you don't want to be with her then why didn't you just leave? Why did you have to kill her? And why did you lie about it afterwards (as if you weren't enough of a coward already)?


Still, in all honesty, my former classmate's husband isn't the only one to blame.  Many times, in situations like this, the victim's  family is also responsible. Yes, often times they ignore the abuse in hopes that it will just go away, when in actuality it doesn't.  As a matter of fact hundreds of thousands of women are victims of spousal abuse every year. Which leads me to ask "What the fuck is wrong with society?"

HAPPY NEW YEAR...AGAIN!!!

Hey Inkbots,


I hope you enjoyed your New Years Celebration. The wife and I celebrated by going to a few movies and making one hell of a Mexican dinner.


Looking toward the New Year: One of my goals, when I first came up with the idea for this site, was to have as much diversity among our titles as possible. I think often times people tend to look at comics as a genre and not as a medium, which is a huge mistake, especially for those who are tired of all the crap that Hollywood pumps out.  Fortunately, it seems that we're inching closer and closer to achieving that goal, as none of our titles appear to be too similar, and all of our future releases seem to want to take this great website of ours to new heights. So, for the new year, I plan on achieving a new goal, which is basically expanding the reach of the Inkbot brand. I want to create a newsletter which is sent out on a monthly basis. I want to finally show you all of the fabulous things that Inkbot films has been working on. I want to make this brand of ours synonymous with top quality web comics. And finally, I want all of our great titles to become more accessible to the you, the reader, whether it be through web, i pad, or print ;)