A piece of me ;)

Today is my wife's birthday and quite frankly without her I wouldn't be the person I am today. She is amazing in every way and she is without a doubt the greatest person I have ever met. So, in celebration of today, I have decided to share with you a very special piece. Now, in all likelihood, you will not fully understand it, for it has many "inside meanings" hidden between the lines, but still, I hope  you can appreciate enough of it to understand just how much I love this woman ;) 


A toast to all that is no more

The hug that broke a thousand doors

and left much more without a job

The smile that laid my heart to rest

for seconds in I knew a god

The rhythms breathing through your hair

the loom of doom was rather odd

dressed up as our own concierge 

renting our rooms to those who called

The thoughts we thought would awaken us

they never came, they must be late

Your lips made years just drizzle by

it be a curse to call it wait

For nights like this are much too short

and yet we stretched our night for years

till tears of old embraced the floor

and still, we will not live in fear

The flood, the pain, the world at large

the loss of names, the death of ours

what life and tragedy aren't friends

and yet why run, 

the walks not far,

we'll get there. 

Happy B-day my love. With you at my side I'll gladly continue to walk the road less traveled.

Reason for my absence and two embarrassing stories ;)

Hey Inkbots,


Its been a little over a week since my last post which is like a cardinal sin in the world of  blogging. I apologize for the delay but my wife and I have been working feverishly on some Inkbot film related stuff, so my time was split between that and writing scripts. Still, there's no use in crying over spilled mango juice, so as promised, here are some embarrassing stories about  ME ;)


Double dipping: When approaching me at a convention or on the street, its best not to have anything of value in your hands because chances are I will trip over something and break it. Yes, I am that clumsy ladies and germs. "How clumsy" an unimaginative television audience might be tempted to ask. Well, I once entered a fun house at a carnival and left with a broken nose, glasses, and a bruised face. Oh no wait, it gets better. I also once walked into a parking meter and fell inside the bath tub ON THE SAME DAY! Yup,needless to say, my clumsiness has created some "fond" memories over the years, but still I think none is as memorable as my little sister's birthday party (she was five at the time). 


My little sister's birthday was held at a local park, just a few blocks from my father's house. "The girl of my dreams" who looking back makes me question my sanity as a pre-teen, was going to be there, so my outfit was a bit more stylish than usual (which for kids in the hood meant that I did NOT have a beer company's logo on my t-shirt). Anyway, once we entered the park, my brothers and I came in contact with a dried up stream, or like my brother liked to called it "the park's muddy butt crack" (hey, we were like twelve). We needed to cross it in order to reach the party in time, so everyone just hopped over the mud stream, well, everyone except "I". Yup, as can be expected, I fell face first into the mud...but wait...THAT'S NOT THE EMBARRASSING PART. Yup, aside from the wave of laughter that soon followed my 10 point belly flop into the park's muddy crevice, the real fun began after I returned to park with a change of clothes. So, did I fall once again when attempting to cross the mud stream of doom for a second time? No, Instead, it happened while chasing "the girl of my dreams." That's right, one minute I'm chasing her around the park, the next minute I trip over her foot and knock both of us into the muddy stream...CLASSIC! 


Another one Mr. Chris


Can't make the Olympics: Some of my greatest memories growing up were with my cousin Jean. And most of those memories included doing something that we probably shouldn't have. Now before I continue, I have to let you know that as I kid I was extremely overweight. "HOW OVERWEIGHT," says the annoying tv audience once agian. Well, I once ate a White Castle crave case (28 hamburger sliders) by myself ( I wish I was exaggerating). So, when I say that I was overweight, trust me, I was fat. Anyway, my less than stellar physique, like my aforementioned clumsiness, created some pretty hilarious moments, and this is just one out of a hundred.


Roof hopping, yup, that is what poor kids with nothing to do did during summer afternoons. They climbed up on the roofs of unsuspecting suburban households and leaped from one house to another (they were only a few feet apart at most). Well, all poor kids except me. You see aside from being overweight I was also terribly afraid of heights. So nothing, I was convinced, would ever put me on the roof of a house, nothing except  my unexplainable need to prove myself to my cousin (something he never asked of me to do, by the way).  So, with my brain in my pocket and my heart near my neither regions I climbed up a house and attempted my first roof hop ( now how the hell I managed to climb up a house is anyone's guess). 


 "Don't worry, I got you," was the words uttered from my fearless cousin, who was waiting on the other side of the leap. "Just run, jump, and don't look down." Okay, I thought. I can do this. I took a deep breath, rubbed my hands, and did every warm up cliche in the book before running towards the edge of the roof, jumping, and almost making it untill someone screamed "Hey, what the hell are you kids doing up there," which temporarily distracted my cousin enough for him to forget to help me up from the ledge. So, did I fall? Of course I did. Well, that's not very surprising. I know its not, but what is, is the fact that I landed on a dog house with a sleeping guard dog in it! ;)  So, how the hell did I get out of that? My cousin. Yeah right. I know, this is going to sound ridiculous but I swear, by cousin jumped down, helped me up, hurried me out of the yard, and PUNCHED THE DOG IN THE FACE all within a matter of minutes. So, what the hell is this cousin of yours doing today...he's in the military (a hand to a glove). 


Well, that wraps up this weekly installment of embarrassing stories, but join me tomorrow for another exciting blog. Peace out Inkbots! ;P

Lets try this again, Odessa 3, Inkbot films etc...

Hey Inkbots,


Its been quite a few days since my last blog and I think I figured out why, I NEED TO CHANGE MY SCHEDULE. Yes, my Tues, Thurs, Sat schedule is not working out because they happen to be my busiest days. So, as of this posting my new blog days will be on Monday and Friday, and as a treat I promise I'll share some compelling or at least embarrassing stories with you this Friday.


On another note, lots of things to talk about. First we have the third issue of ODESSA, which was posted yesterday morning. So far its getting some great reviews but I figured that now is as good a time as any to discuss the series in some detail or at least some of its core concepts. Odessa, which was created by both Louie Chin and myself, is a real treat to write, as I'm sure it is to draw, because a lot of research needed to be done in order to truly comprehend the major social issues of its time and to make this historical fiction seem real. One of those major issues is of course racism, which is something that is still a touchy subject in this country and is still something that people, quite frankly, just don't want to talk about. This of course is extremely disheartening because how do we plan on moving past what happened in the past without actually discussing it first? Do we assume that it will just go away, or do we allow ourselves to accept that it never will? I must say that when I was in high school I used to subscribe to the "realist" train of thought, in that it never will, but then I did some research on the history of racism and what I found was not the golden age of peace, which some "paradise lost" scholars would have you believe, but a concentrated effort on the part of some to make intercultural conflict a color issue, when in fact it was only a tribal one. Now, I know some  might see this point as arbitrary, as most members of a tribe tend to "look alike," but if you look at the world before the inception of chattel slavery most traders saw themselves as not only being part of the tribe that they were born into but as also being part of a larger multicultural tribe that existed in the largest African cities of the old world.  Yes, in these ancient cities Africans, Asians, and Mediterranean Europeans traded so frequently that it became commonplace to value each other's  ideals and natural treasures, or at the very least to see each other as equal. Now if you're rolling your eyes while reading this then I urge you to consider that one doesn't trade with someone that they see as being inferior to them, they simply take what they want (the history of colonialism I suppose). Still, others might  be tempted to say that this "multicultural tribe" exists in today's world in places like NYC, but I wouldn't be one of them, because you see true multiculturalism is the exchange of ideals and goods, not simply the exchange of goods under the same ideal. So, what I mean by this is that when you see people of different ethnic backgrounds shopping in the same place, or working in wall street, that is not true multiculturalism because they are working or living under the same ideal(s) Capitalism, Modernism, Consumerism, you name it. But I digress, one of the essential questions that I think students of history need to ask more, especially those with an interest in Ancient African and Meso American History, is not just what happened, but why it happened. I mean how could the world go from the statues of black scholars being a commonplace in Greek households and the building of black faces on the coast of Mexico being built as a tribute to those who came before Columbus, to the inception of chattel Slavery, Jim Crow, black face, and now accepted racism (in that we allow ourselves to accept that it will never go away)? How and why my friends? Yup, a tricky one indeed, which is why I really hope you stick around because with enough time Odessa might either become my greatest triumph or my greatest failure (which is something that I'm more than comfortable with). 


*Sigh*...well now that that's out of the way, lets move on to something more fun. INKBOT FILMS ladies and germs. Yes, I mentioned it briefly in the past, but finally, this Saturday, it will be more than just a mention, it will be a fully functioning Independent film company headed by our very own Robert Vicente and Julie Rubiano. Now, I can't give too much away, as I don't want to spoil the surprises that they have in store for you guys, but what I can say is that we have three projects lined up. The first being a short called "Childhood in a stream" which is being casted for this weekend, and the second being "The Devil Died Different." Yes, that's right, The Devil Died Different. Inkbot's first one shot, hell first story period, is going to be made into a short, and quite frankly I CAN'T WAIT! ;)  Lastly, the third project is a yet to be named, but its script is something that I'm extremely proud of as it was penned by my very own wife Julie Rubiano! 


Comic Convention: This past Sunday I attended a small convention and was appalled to see how some people continue to turn new fans away from this beautiful medium by essentially making them feel bad for being "new" fans. I mean how ridiculous is that? Who cares if someone can't remember the number of the first issue they read when they were seven years old, how the hell is that important? You should be glad that someone else is taking an interest in your medium because that is the only thing that will ensure that it sticks around for years to come...JACK ASS! Sigh...anyway other than that I had a hell of a good time ;)


Big two weeks: I hope you guys have been enjoying these last two weeks because we have posted some major updates. Think about it, in just fourteen days we have debuted a new series (Allen Shrugged), concluded a story arc (The Blue Bullet), began a new story arc (American Ambition), continue with an already amazing story arc (Revolvers), updated a fan favorite (Girl Skout Warz), and last but not least posted the next issue of Odessa. Yup, I think its safe to say that we like you. 


Well, with that, I hope you guys check back in on Friday as I plan to tell some ridiculous stories (and yes most will be from my childhood). So, until then, make sure you keep reading, stay safe, and try not to suck ;P

Labor day, The Blue Bullet, Zomboy, Angle vs. Jeff, favorite matches and other randomness

Hey Inkbots,


To say that last week was incredibly busy would be an understatement, because IT WAS HELL. The Inkbot crew and I were working feverishly to make sure that all the surprises that we have in store for the NY comic con were in place, and that all the titles that were suppose to launch yesterday were launched on time. Luckily, we got through it with very little scrapes and burns, and we certainly learned a lot about time management ;)


Now, with that said, WASN'T IT AWESOME?! The finale of The Blue Bullet's first arc was posted yesterday, and all I can say is that I am extremely proud of the work that Jan and I did. When I first started writing the series, I wanted to hit the ground running and produce the most original piece of work that I could. Now, looking back, I think I succeeded in most areas because not only is The Blue Bullet a little "out there" its also entertaining ;) Still, for those of you who haven't checked it out, I strongly suggest that you do. All three issues are now up, so you can read through the whole first arc in under a half hour.


On that same token make sure you check out Allen Shrugged. The debut of this series marks a high point when it comes to diversity on the site because Allen Shrugged is nothing like anything else you have read on Inkbot before...well...except that its AWESOME!!! ;) 


Labor day was pretty uneventful for me but I hope that it was an amazing day for all of you. The end of the summer is something that should be celebrated because it means that the NY Comic Con and Halloween are only a few weeks away ;)


Speaking of Halloween the wife and I are probably going to dress like Burt and Ernie. Last year we were The Silk Spectre and Night Owl (from The Watchmen). We also went on a Haunted Hayride at Sleepy Hollow, NY. This year we're looking at going down to Princeton for a zombie survival thing that they might do, but still, things might change seeing as how we're both indecisive little jerks ;)


If you guys are wondering what title is going to take the place of The Blue Bullet, while Jan and I work on the second arc, then I have one word...eh two words...eh a compound word for you ZOMBOY. That's right, in the same sense that The Blue Bullet was my unorthodox take on the bounty hunter genre, ZOMBOY is Jan's unorthodox tale about humanity...oops I mean zombies ;)


TNA's September ppv was yesterday and I heard from quite a lot of people that Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Hardy was one of the greatest matches EVER. Now I haven't seen the match so I can't testify whether that's true or not, but what I can say is that if it is true than maybe Kurt and Jeff should headline Bound for Glory ;) 


Speaking of ppvs, for all you wrestling fans out there I hope you check out TNA's Bound for Glory. It is TNA's version of Wrestlemania and it is usually AWESOME.!


Also, while on the subject of favorite matches I decided, for the sake of random randomness, to post a list of some of my all time favorite matches (and yes before you sigh, I have no clue how any of this will be useful to your life).
RVD vs. Jerry Lyn
Taz vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat
Ric Flair vs. Edge (Ladder Match)
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio (Halloween Havoc)
Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle (ironman match)
Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels (ironman match)
Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin (Wrestlemania)
Steve Austin vs. Triple H (Three stages of hell)
Steve Austin vs. The Rock (any of them)
Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels (any of them)
Brian Danielson vs. Nigel Mcguiness
Brian Danielson vs. Shingo
AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels
and the list goes on... ;)


Well, with that out of my system I don't have really much else to say today except watch Machete, keep reading, stay safe, and please...please try not to suck (well, unless you really want to) ;P

Philosophy behind the stories, Spreading the word, more samples of Mark's great work etc...

Hey Inkbots,


I apologize if my last entry was a little brief. This past week has been an extremely busy one for me, but I have now regained my composure and I'm ready to go another round (I have no clue what this means either). 


A love story: It's crazy to see just how much this site has changed in just a few short months (four to be exact). We went from only having two titles on the site (The Devil Died Different and Girl Skout Warz) to now having 8 (2 weeklies, four monthlies, and two one shots). We now also have a growing facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/pages/INKBOTNET/111034208928357 and Inkbot films (I promise to give more info on some of their projects on Sunday). But still, the true measurement of growth, I believe, is not so much how many titles we have, or how many outside endorsements we get (although its pretty nice), its the variety of our stories. I mean if you look at it there are no two titles on our site that is the same. The Blue Bullet is an off the wall gritty bounty hunter tale that is meant to be more of a psychological drama than anything else. Revolvers is a funny action packed tale about a young man who wants to join the Revolvers, a group of bad ass pistol swinging guardians whose job it is to protect the innocent. American Ambition is a downright hilarious comic about two superheroes who are better at making you laugh than saving you from danger. Odessa is a WWII historical fiction which examines race relations, gender relations, and patriotism. Girl Skout Warz is a funny single strip which details the exploits of a sexy group of heroines who are out to stop, what appears to be, a zombie apocalypse. Allen Shrugged, our new weekly strip set to debut on Monday Sept. 6th, is a lighthearted comedy which examines the life of Allen, an aspiring wine taster and potential good husband. The Devil Died Different is a one shot that deals with the dangers of religious extremism, and really any type of ideological extremism for that matter. Last, but certainly not least, Crying Rainbows is a one shot dealing with the dangers of intolerance, complacency, and traditionalism. 


On that note I have to take this moment and thank Robert Sodero of Girl Skout Warz. He was the first one who believed in us, and he was the only one at the time willing to take the chance to post his baby on "some stranger's" web comic site. We appreciate it buddy ;)


I also want to thank you Inkbots for spreading the word. Visits has gone up tremendously since the redesign, and we owe it all to you. You guys keep us on our toes and you help us get through the day. 

On another note, as a treat, every now and then I'm going to post a sample of Mark Beer's work, our brilliant NY Comic Con cover artist! Enjoy! http://reebkram.daportfolio.com/about/


Odessa: I'm currently finishing the final issue of Odessa's first story arc "Birth of a Nation," and all I can say is "Wow." There are so many surprises in this arc that it is going to be a real challenge keeping you guys on your toes in the next one (but of course you do know we love a challenge). 


Nas: Although this is going to sound a bit cliche, I love many different types of music. I grew up on Hip Hop, fell in love with Alternative,  married Old Salsa (I mean really old), had an affair with electronica, dabbled with country, admired classical, and wrote a love letter to Old Soul (Sam Cooke baby!). Still, despite my long list of admired artists, there are few artists that manage to bring me back to the golden age of music (and we all have our own) than Nasty Nas. That's right, the queensbridge native took me back this past week with his new single (the name is too explicit to post...but check it out)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu749XFXZDk&feature=related
Man, I really miss early 90's Hip Hop. Its way better than the buffoonery we hear now (just my opinion).


Lastly, I hope everyone enjoys this last weekend of summer. It's crazy how fast it went by, but then again, time always passes when your having fun. 


With that, as always, I hope you guys keep reading comics, do your best to stay safe, and try not to suck! ;P

Allen Shrugged, Big Monday coming up, and a little bit more ;)

Hey Inkbots,


I hope everyone enjoyed their weekends. The whole Inkbot crew is working overtime to make sure that we have everything ready for the con, and that we continue delivering quality titles, on time, all the time ;)


Next Monday is a huge Monday for many reasons (one of them of course being Labor Day), we are going to post the 12 page finale to THE BLUE BULLET (awesome stuff, it really is), we are going to post the next weekly installment of Revolvers #2 (so far its been one hell of a ride), we are going to post the next installment of GIRL SKOUT WARS (great stuff ), and we are going to debut a new weekly title (actually, it will be updating twice a week) called ALLEN SHRUGGED! Now, I don't want to give away too much, but what I can say is that this strip is completely different than anything we have up AND its funny as hell (as in a comic book version of Seinfield mixed with a bit of Everybody Loves Raymond). So, be sure you check back next Monday (after you stuffed yourself beyond belief), and enjoy the show!


I was asked, the other day, whether we will be printing any of our one shots? Well, at the moment, no, but as we get a few more under our belt (keep in mind our one shot's are only 4-8 pages), then yeah, we would definitely like to do so. Now, for those of you who haven't checked out our one shots I strongly urge you to do so. They deal with some pretty heavy stuff, but they are written in a way that they're still entertaining.


I got a chance, the other day, to check out the animated Scott Pilgrim short made by Adult Swim, and it was excellent! I really hope all the press that Scott Pilgrim is getting leads to other highly regarded strips being turned into movies and/or animation. I mean, can you imagine how awesome it would be to see a Mouse Guard Movie?!


Speaking of animation, Kudos to DC for continuing to push out a good amount of quality animated movies. At first when they began their animated initiative I was doubtful, but now, having seen THE NEW FRONTIER, WONDER WOMAN, and INFINITE CRISIS, I am totally stoked to see what they come out with next (notice how I excluded the Green Lantern Animated)! I'm also a huge fan of THE HELLBOY ANIMATED FILMS (had to throw that out there)!


Well, we have come to the end of our journey for today (yes, our one sided conversation is now a journey lol) but I want you guys to know that we're working hard, and we're trying our best to take over the web comic world (pretty ambitious huh). So, with that said keep reading, stay safe, and try not to suck! ;)