Sunday, August 29, 2010

Where the Wild Things Are, Inkbot round table, Comics going mainstream, and Boxing

Hey Inkbots,


I apologize for not posting this yesterday, but the Mrs. and I got home a little bit past our bedtime this morning (yikes). Now, before you start speculating about what we were doing let me just say that ITS PROBABLY ALL TRUE!!. No, the reason why were up so late was because we were having a meeting with the rest of the Inkbot crew. Okay, so what was this meeting about? Well...we talked about several new things that we can try with the site to make it more innovative and interactive, we talked about all the goodies we're going to have at our table at the NY Comic Con, and we talked about the potential debut of two new series here on the site (more info coming soon). So, with that noted, what did we talk about? WE TALKED ABOUT WAYS TO MAKE YOU HAPPY!!! ;)


Although this wasn't necessarily discussed yesterday, one of the subjects that gets brought up regularly, whenever several comic professionals get together, is whether the mainstream exposure that comic books is currently enjoying a good thing? Is it fair that a large portion of the exhibitors at the NY Comic Con are vaguely if not at all connected to comics (most of them are promotional tables for television networks, cable shows, non-comic related movies and video games)? Well, the way I see it, any type of exposure, whether mainstream or independent, is a good thing. If someone goes to the con just to see a handful of move/television actors or to play the many video game demos that are available, then so be it. At the end of the day we shouldn't criticize whatever brings them to the dance, we should work hard to make sure that our industry is what made the event memorable for them. So, if you see someone at the con who doesn't know who Hellboy is, don't make them feel alienated, walk on over and talk to them, share a comic with them, hell, do whatever it takes to make sure that they leave with an understanding of what this beautiful medium is about. ;)


It's funny because when I was a kid my mother used to buy so many books that I used to use them as props for my daily make-believe adventures. However, there was this one book that I refused to use as anything but a steering wheel (what, did you think it would be excluded from my adventures), and that book was Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. For some reason this book's illustration just captured my imagination. I was only four years old when I owned it, so my reading skills were non-existent (makes you wonder why Ma brought me so many books). Still, the pictures in this book helped take me to a place that I thought only existed in cartoons, and for that I will always have a soft spot for it, as well as the dark, probably too deep for most kids movie. ;)


Boxing: Ahh Mr. James Toney, I knew you were making a mistake when you not only decided to step into the world of MMA, but decided to do it against one of their all time greats Randy "The Natural" Couture. Tsk Tsk...you should have known better James. Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts are two different sports. For one thing, in MMA, the two best usually fight each other (here's looking at you Mayweather and Pacquiao). Still, you do deserve some credit for trying to challenge yourself, but...could you have at least came in shape (I know, I know, I'm asking for too much).


Well with that said, I hope you guys enjoyed chatting with me today (I have voices in my head), I hope you all have a great weekend (whatever's left of it), and I hope you guys keep reading, stay safe, and try not to suck! ;P

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Keeping an open mind, a hint of things to come, Mark Beer, and other fun things!

Hey Inkbots,


It's been two days since my last confession and I have to say that I'm eager to clean my slate and continue sinning Batman & Robin style!


I love talking to fans, so when you see me at a convention please feel free to talk to me. Often times other creators seem to either have a chip on their shoulder or be apathetic towards their fan base, which really confuses me. I mean why would you want to treat anyone like that? Have you forgotten that without these people you would not be doing what you love for a living (that is if you still love it)? Hmm...I don't know, I know this is a weird subject to start off my blog with, but its just something that has always gotten to me.


On another note I can't wait for you guys to see the third issue of The Blue Bullet. This past week my team has been working around the clock trying to finalize everything in time for the new release date (September 6th), and all I have to say is...IT LOOKS AMAZING!!!


Speaking of September 6th., there is a chance that we may be premiering a new weekly strip that is nothing like anything that has been posted on Inkbot before. The creator of this strip is a good friend of Louie's (you know, the artistic mastermind behind ODESSA), so make sure you buy some earplugs, because the hardest thing about reading a great web comic is reading it while your boss is threatening you. (For the record, let me just say that Inkbot.net is not responsible for the loss of anyone's job, especially if they decide to read our stories while their boss is screaming at them) ;P


BRUHAHAHAHA....that is the sound I made as Mark Beer told me his ideas for THE EXCLUSIVE COMIC CON TITLE COVERS that he will be painting for us. Now for those of you who are not familiar with Mark Beer's work I strongly suggest that you give it a look. I mean this man's art is so life like and so deliciously evil that...that...well. that I had to give you a sample...

NOW TELL ME THIS IS NOT AWESOME!!! http://reebkram.daportfolio.com/gallery/37767#6


Lol, no but in all seriousness Mark is very passionate about what he does, and for some odd reason he's very passionate about Inkbot (personally I think he has wet dreams about our robot). So, again, this is just another reason as to why you should stop by our table in October (other than to tip it over as previously discussed).


Inkbot films: Rob a.k.a. can anyone hear me when I talk and I finally finalized the script for Inkbot Film's first project called "Childhood in a Stream." The story is a drama about a young man who deals with the consequences of coming out to his parents (yes, he's gay for those of you who don't know what "coming out" means). Casting for this film will be held in NY in a few weeks, so I'll keep you posted aspiring actors and actresses.


Finally, I want to reiterate how much fun it is to talk to some of you guys on facebook. Most of you know that I have no problem checking out other people's work, and I'm that I'm certainly open to criticism, so pease...GIVE ME MORE!!! ;)


With that, I hope everyone has a great weekend and that you continue to read, be safe, and try not to suck! ;P

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Feedback, Restrepo vs. War, and other randomness

Hey Inkbots,


American Ambition is crazy funny. The pacing of the comic is remarkable considering there is a lot of dialogue, and the characterization is just great. Again, I highly recommend it to anyone who just wants to be thoroughly entertained. Still, I have to say I'm disappointed in the fact that there has been no mention of this great title on our forums or fan page. It'll be a shame to see such a great title like this fall through the cracks, so please, check it out and show the creators some love!


On that note make sure you guys take advantage of the feedback contest. All you have to do is post some feedback, on any of the stories, on our forums or facebook fan page, and you will be entered to win a $25 gift card! HOW IS THAT NOT AWESOME....;)


Flying Sparks: Speaking of web comics, Jon Del Arroz, the talented letterer of Odessa, has just debuted his first web comic. Congratulations sir! Its a great start for what I hope is a great series: http://flyingsparkscomic.com (check it out).


Restrepo vs. War: War is a book written by Sebastian Junger which details the exploits of several American Soldiers in the dreaded Korengal Valley (known as the most dangerous military post on earth). Restrepo is the documentary based on the book, which is more of a visual companion to the book then a full out documentary. If anyone is interested, I highly recommend that you check out the book first. It offers an extremely detailed look into the minds of these young soldiers, and it truly brings to life just how horrible war can be (regardless of what side of the political spectrum you reside). The documentary on the other hand, though good, is not as revealing simply because you need to know the back story in order to make out what you are seeing (aside from  a few confessionals given by some of the soldiers). Still, I recommend it, and hope that some good can come out of what appears to be a horrible situation.


Random Flurries:
I Saw Girl with the dragon tattoo last night...and I LOVED IT!


I am the only fight fan who is not eager to see James Toney vs. Randy Couture. James, though an excellent boxer (Hall of Fame shoe in) has no place inside the octagon, especially with someone as skilled as "The Natural." Still, I might be the one eating crow on Sunday so... we'll see ;)


Although he jumped my boy "The American Dragon" I still like The Miz. He has come a long way since he first came into the WWE, and he does a great promo (my random wrestling thought).


I loved the last issue of DMZ. (my random comic thought)


I'm totally stoked about appearing at the NY Comic Con!


Aside from that, I don't really have much else to say except be safe, read comics, and try not to suck! :P

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Fun at the beach, a not so fun announcement, and random thoughts

Hey Inkbots,


In an effort to make sure I stay consistent with my blog updates, I decided to officially brand Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday "Blog days." So, expect to have a new blog up on each of these days ;)


Unfortunately, while on the subject of consistency, I regret to inform everyone that because of the untimely death of one of our computers, the third issue of The Blue Bullet will now be posted a week later than initially planned (it will post Monday, September 6th). Now, most of the people who work with me know how much I hate missing deadlines,but, in this case, it was really out of our hands. Still, I want you to know that we understand how important it is to keep up with our release schedule, and that we promise to take greater measures, going forward, to make sure that this doesn't become the norm. We also want you to know that we here at Inkbot take great pride in posting new content on a weekly basis ;)


On another note, I had a great time at the beach yesterday! I got to showcase my hairy man boobs to the world, and I even got to win my wife a Smurf doll (what, she really likes The Smurfs). I also got a chance to eat the world's largest pizza slice (which does nothing for my man boobs).


Odessa a.k.a. the gift that keeps giving: For those of you who are totally in love with Louie's art work in Odessa, we have great news! Odessa, issue one & two, will be available for purchase at the NY comic con! You will also get a chance to meet Louie Chin in person (unless he sends his evil Hispanic clone, Christian Rubiano, to fill in for him).


I also want to thank our friends over at http://www.renderwrx.net/apps/blog/ for posting a great press release on Odessa #2. They are, in our opinion, the premiere site for Indy comic news because they update on a daily basis and get this...THEY ACTUALLY COVER INDY COMIC NEWS! (No ladies and germs, Marvel is not considered an independent publisher)


Volunteer work: This past week I joined an organization that will help to build after school programs for inner city kids. Now, having taught and visited in many schools throughout the state of NJ, I can tell you that this is a great thing because urban kids are not exposed to the same quality of education as their suburban counterparts, despite what some will have you believe. Students in urban schools usually do not get exposed to subjects such as Psychology and Philosophy until they reach college, and their school clubs are usually centered around athletics and music, rather than in literacy and critical thinking. So, with that said, lets hope that we can do more than just build a hopscotch program ;)


Movies: I got a chance to see Moon, a science fiction film, released last year, which deals with the subject of cloning and corporate morality (a funny term if you think about it). It was one hell of a movie! It had great acting, good pacing, and it made the most of its limited budget (something that my friends over at Inkbot Films really appreciate). I highly recommend it to any science fiction fan out there, and I urge you to send me some feedback so that we can discuss any of the aforementioned topics (cloning and corporate morality...ha, its still funny).


Lastly, I hope everyone has a great weekend, a half decent Monday, and an incredible Tuesday (that way my blog doesn't have to be as impressive). Peace!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Another spew of random thoughts including a few things about the Inkbot crew!

Hey Inkbots,


It's been a crazy few days since my last post, but I'm still here and still perky (much to the dislike of my sleepy wife). For one, I've been  working countless hours on back to back scripts (rewrites after rewrites),so my brain, at the moment, is a bit fried. Still, i'm eager to see how these projects turn out, and I'm excited about the prospect of INKBOT FILMS! 


Yeah Inkbots, you read correctly, Inkbot Films. A few members of my team are independent film makers, so the thought that inevitably crossed their minds was "Hey, why don't we join up and make a few films under the Inkbot banner," and of course, me being the cunning opportunist that I am, my first reply was "Sure...I mean...as long as they're good." So, with that it mind, I figured this would be a good time as any to introduce a few of the members of my team (including me). 


Chris a.k.a- me: Despite my upbeat blogs, I am what my friends refer to as "a happy manic depressed person," which means that I'm extremely nice to everyone I meet and I like to think that I try to help people as much as possible. However, when I'm by myself I listen to nothing but Radio Head and Segur Ros and write some of the most disturbing stories I can think of (see The Devil Died Different or Crying Rainbows). The majority of the reason I do this is because of my discontent with the world at large (what else is new). I wish I could say that the majority of people I have come in contact with are helpful and sincere, but I can't. The truth is, from my limited understanding, is that selfishness is taught to many people as some sort of survival technique, which is sad when you consider just how many people there are in the world. On another note, I enjoy lots of things besides crying on my blogs ;) I like pro wrestling, boxing, comics, movies, video games, anime, music, stand up comedy, documentaries, and my wife (last but not least honey). So, if you catch me at a convention, feel free to talk to me about any of these things, including world issues (or my wife) ;)


Jan a.k.a. the architect: Jan is one of my favorite people in the world. He is the senior artist here at Inkbot.net and he is responsible for almost half the content you see on the site (The Blue Bullet, The Devil Died Different, Crying Rainbows). He is one of the most selfless people I have ever met, and his only dream in life is to dye his hair pink and draw comics till he passes out (neat huh). On  that note, it should be known that Jan is a die hard comic book fan. His bedroom looks like a comic book shop, and if he was ever in need of a hamburger I'm sure he could sell his Walking Dead #1,or any of the other highly regarded #1's that he has in his possession. Jan is also a serious gamer. He'll seriously challenge anyone who is reading this blog to a game of Street Fighter 4 (as will I) and he'll make friends with you while he's kicking your ass ;) Last but not least, Jan really loves horror movies. As a matter of fact, if a zombie apocalypse were to happen, not only would Jan be ready, he'd be the first in line waiting to be turned into one (a zombie that is). 


Rob a.k.a. I can't hear what he's saying:  Rob's is like Inkbot's everyman. He does a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. Rob is also one hell of a filmmaker. He's written and directed a few shorts, which I highly recommend, and he's one half of the head of Inkbot Films. Rob is a great story editor. He understands pacing very well and is constantly pushing me to try new things (the hell with you Rob). Rob's biggest dream is to find the world biggest banana and rape it. No, I'm just joking LOL. His biggest dream in life is to direct and write all the movies he can, and to inspire people along the way. With that said, Rob is also a pretty big gamer. He'll challenge anyone to SF4 and Fight Night, and you'll think he's whispering in your ear while he's playing you, but that's just how he talks. 


Joules a.k.a.Afro Samurai: Joules is the other half in charge of Inkbot films. She is a talented editor, writer, and WEB DESIGNER! Yes, Joules is responsible for this blog, the majority of this site, and it's maintenance! Joules is also my sexy ass wife :) She has the biggest Afro money can buy, and she is who keeps me focused, motivated, and good (she critiques all my work). Joules biggest dream is to work full time in the film industry whether it be editing, writing, directing, or producing. She has a degree in English and a degree in Film, and I'm waiting to see what other trades she's hiding in that Afro so I can exploit her for all she's worth (another lame attempt at humor Ladies & Germs). With that said, Joules really is the heart and soul of Inkbot.net. She makes sure that everything is being taken care of and she knows what stories are worth telling and what stories should just be made into horror movies (ouch, a stab to both Jan and Joules, they are both horror freaks). 


Random thoughts:
Boxing- Chad Dawson, I'm so upset with you man. This past Saturday you got your ass handed to you simply because you were content with just surviving. (Chad was the light heavyweight champion of the world). Now, I have no doubt that you can return to the top of the division, but you have to stay focused (look at me writing to him as if he's actually reading this lol). 


Wrestling- Bryan Danielson, all I can do is give you a big Robert De niro like "you...you're good you." And to think that just last week I was bitching and moaning about how the WWE let you go, only for you to return at Summer Slam this past Sunday. Oh well....;)


Scott Pilgrim- I realized that I didn't really spend much time talking about Scott Pilgrim in the last blog, other than to say that it was AWESOME (I  mean really, what else needs to be said)! Still, for those of you that are standing on the fence for this one, know that the movie is much more than just a tribute to video games and comic books; its about couples learning to deal with each other's baggage and fighting to keep the relationship alive. So....go see it...NOW!!! 


Podcast: http://reelartent.com/?paged=2 : If you guys have the slightest interest in hearing how we sound like and what's on our ridiculous minds, I strongly suggest that you check out this podcast hosted by our friends over at Reel Art Entertainment. Its a fun podcast...trust me ;)


Goodbye: Alright Inkbots we've reached the end of our rope today, but no worries I'll be back in a few days with a few embarrassing stories, and maybe even a few embarrassing pics. However, in the meantime make sure you check out this week's debut of American Ambition, Issue 2 of Odessa, Revolver's weekly update, and Issue 5 of Girl Skout Warz! Have a great day!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Random thoughts on Inkbot, movies, and wrestling!

Hey Inkbots,


Its been a while since my last post, but I assure you that for now on you will be hearing from me at least three times a week (yes I love to type)! 


A lot of things are brewing for us here at Inkbot.net. For one we have NY Comic Con around the corner, and for those who don't know WE HAVE A TABLE!!! Yes, comic con was foolish enough to allow us to come in and ruin the party for everyone! And to make things worse, WE'RE ALSO ON THE MAIN FLOOR! So, if you are in town, in time for the con, and just feel like tipping over our table, thus making Jan cry in the process, then be our guest ;)


On another note, I hope you guys are enjoying this current period of cinematic history because us comic fans are getting some serious love from Hollywood. I mean to think that we have had both Kick Ass and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World in the span of just a few months is nothing short of amazing! I mean what's next a Green Lantern Movie overseen by Geoff Johns ( I know, I know, I'm a little corny today, but bear with me, its late. )


Odessa! Thank you all for all the love and support you've been showing my newest baby. I assure you, Louie's having as much fun drawing it as I am writing it, and we both have some pretty kick ass things planned for it  in the future. Also, NEXT MONDAY, AUGUST 16TH, marks the launch of Odessa #2. So, if you like the first one make sure you check it out, and make sure you show it some love on the forums too! 


American Ambition is another title that is going to launch on MONDAY, AUGUST 16TH! AA is a ridiculously funny comic created by the same team behind Revolvers and its debuting with a 26 PAGE FIRST ISSUE! Yep, you read correctly. All I can say is that those boys over at Up comics love you guys and hell...we think you're pretty swell too ;)


The first arc of The Blue Bullet is also coming to a close this month and as I said in the last blog its going to be one hell of a final issue! (August 30th).


Lastly, I have to tip my hat to Bryan Danielson. In my opinion he's one of the greatest wrestlers in the world and a few weeks ago, at the Dragon Gate USA event in Philly, he tore down the house against Japan's Shingo. Bryan, keep doing what you're doing. I'm sure, sooner or later, the WWE will realize what a huge mistake they did in letting you go.


With that said, I hope you all have a good weekend. Be safe, keep reading, and try not to suck :) Peace!