Addicted to Tech :(

Hola Dudes and Dudett's,
                                          Another gap between blogs lol. I knew I would not be good at updating this frequently. Just to dang busy, but its a good thing :). Now for something different....

                 Yesterday my daughter and I went to the Borders book store. She need a certain book for school. Well as most people might know Borders is closing all its stores. Funny thing is our Borders is not even 5 years old. We went inside and it was so so sad. The cafe where they played live music is gone : ' (.. as I typed this I just erased an entire paragraph of rant.....whew... okay composing myself...... Books and everything were I guess 25 - 75% off , but I didn't really see anything that was 75% except the sign that said everything was 75% off. Signs everywhere said computers not working. I was able to get a sales person to help me. Problem is without the computers no one knows where the books are???????? Wow so I sat back and let this guy try and help me. I finally had to pull the plug and thank him. He nor anyone else knew where anything was. Sad part is that guy worked there since the store opened ( true story ) . So now what??? is Barnes and Noble next???? I guess we still have the library .....Kinda a funny thing . When I started reading comics as a kid we had no " LCS ". The only options were going to the library and or 7/11. So does this mean the spinner rack will return to 7/11 :). Ehhh maybe wishful thinking but history does have a tendency to repeat itself. For now, I am just glad that I have donated my comics through the years to the local libraries. Looks like I will continue to do so, until they make it were I can drop of pixels ;)

Later days dudes :)

New Direction

Well its been a while since I wrote one of these. To be honest it might be a while longer lol. Let me explain, I have been putting pieces together slowly one by one. I think I might be on to something!!! My entry into the comic world has been interesting to say the least. I have gone from being a fan boy to a penciler, Writer, inker, colorist, pod caster, web cartoonist, am I leaving anything out....whew!!!! Exhausting isn't it :) . Well it sure as hell is!!! lol so I had to really simplify things. I am canning the Podcasting right off the bat. Its just not me and its that simple. I had already had a long run on another Podcast before mine. Even though several people suggested I do this, it started to take away from the true goal which is " Being a better Artist" ! I did two podcast shows on my own, and I proved I could do it!!! Even though one individual in particular made it seem like this was rocket science LOL, Well its not!!!! So if your reading this and want to start one ask me and Ill help you :). Same goes for Web comics and any other venture that takes me away from the true goal at hand. I just want to be creative and do what I Love to do!!! I went into this whole comic thing the total wrong way but I have learned SO much I would not trade it for anything. I have met some very shady and broken people which I like to call them " Wizards" they will tell you what you want to hear only to use and exploit you!!!! With that though came very awesome good people as well!!!! Positive people that will make you a better person all around :) That is the true key friends, " You are what you hang around with"!!! If you want to get a book done or any other project for that matter. It will not happen if the the peers you hang around are not doing anything except " Talking" about doing something!!! Surround your self with Healthy minded positive people and you would be amazed of the results!!! That being said I want to take a second and Thank those peeps for just being Awesome!!! My mentor Richard Dominguez!!!!! My rad awesome Punk Rock Comic buddy Kevin Cross!! My Latino comic brother Javier Hernandez!!! My amazing talented friend with tons of awesome advice Devon Devereaux!! Thanks to him and his awesome hospitality I have belonged to his Illustration club and will do so as long as he will have me :) That club brought me to the amazing talented positive people I needed in my life :) Matt,Aja,Dan,Alan,Beca, to many to list :) My good friend and publisher Jim Main who with out him I could not see so much of my work in print :) Thanks guys I love you all :) . Lastly I think I am shaping up to be a good daddy and a good husband, which thats probably the most important part at the end of the day. Wish you all the best and keep creating :)

Life is a lesson learned when your through!!!!

So I learned a hard lesson today. My buddy Rusty over in FB land made me aware of something ( Thanks man) I messed up lol!!!! Now I did so not on purpose, but pure ignorance. I created a rock poster based off of one of my favorite bands " Boston " . I originally thought of selling it as a print. A whopping $11 bucks, now as you can see it's not a fortune. I don't know of anyone " rolling" in it off of Etsy. This being said my buddy was right! Even though I created a image of the band that has not been created in the past, it's still infringement! So that poster will have all funds donated to the Humane Society. I know the lead guitarist of the band would be okay with that. In the future forward I will only sell 100% ORIGINAL prints and art work!!! I will still draw posters of my favorite band and post them on line for others to enjoy. The difference will be I will not profit what's so ever when it comes to $$$$$. Only profit would be enjoyment, and that you cant put a price on!

Dude

Fighting the good fight

Bam...Kapow.....Zap.....Kaplow...... This is how I have to start this blog. Today was a crazy day indeed, lots of stuff going on several levels. The things I want to focus on though, are all positive :). First and foremost we got a huge order from a single customer!!!!!! Whooo Hooooo. I could not believe the order when I saw it, I cant wait to get to it!!! So it is true " If you build it , they will come " this is so true. I went into this comic thing all wrong when I started, everything takes time!!!  No matter what the goal is, Strong foundation = Solid structure!!!

            Free Comic book day is this Saturday, so I decided to do something different. Instead of going to the already established FCBD events that happen in Portland every year. I decided to try my own city of Vancouver WA!!!! Well upon researching, I found out that only one comic book store remains in all of Vancouver WA!!!! Yikes!!!!! so so sad. Now even though I could cross the bridge into Portland and go to any number of comic book stores,  I 'll pass. My hope is, I can pull of a few things in this one event. The plan is ( if the store allows me to ) to set up a table for myself and maybe another artist. In turn we would do free sketches for the kids, and I would give out free all ages mini comics. This would not only be a fun event, but we are also promoting community, literacy, and the arts. Being the last Comic book store in Vancouver, I shudder to think what if that one closes also???????? Maybe its just the inevitable, maybe everything is going digital????? The Local Comic Book store concept is antiquated???? Did Video Games really win????? Well .....Maybe all of that might be true. I think its worth a fight!!!!!!! If the above does take place and no longer does Vancouver have a Comic book store. Well the failure for me would have been not contacting the store, outside of that it was out of my control. Fighting the good Fight

Yours Truly

G

Pick yourself up and start all over again!!!

Hola,
            Well I write this blog today on a very uneventful day. I am okay with this, hence the blog tee hee. I thought I would turn it around simply by blogging. On this new journey I have taken in life and art, I find many roads that are unfamiliar. One of those roads would be " Pod casting " !!! Some might know that I was co-host on another podcast. On that show I did nothing but co-host, That's it!!!! Easy just be myself and someone else did the editing etc. Well now there's no one else just me. I love that portion, since you can flow the show in away that is beneficial to everyone involved.  I did not take pod casting 101 and just pushed forward. First two shows went great!!!!. Now enter the Technical problems UGGHHHH!!!!! Last night I recorded a show that I thought went awesome, upon playback that good feeling went away:( I tried most of all day to get that show running, and to no avail. Now the old me would have sunk into a dark hole and crawled into a ball and not come out. Like I said the " Old " me, today I spoke with two mentors of mine. Both doing this way longer than I have, they seem to have the same point of view. " Shit Happens" and that's just it. You have to know when to walk away and come back later!! Even if just for a walk, that would have made a world of difference. So in closing I share this with you . Failure is not getting the end result you sought after, but never taking the journey is!!!

George

Make Time your Amigo!!!!!

Well another lesson learned. Back when I was a podcast listening junkie :) I made a point to listen to a select amount of shows. Comic Geek Speak, Planet Comic Book Radio, Big Illustration Party Time, Comicology and Art and Story. Whew a lot to keep up with trust me lol. I spent more time listening and no time doing lol. Its totally flipped flopped now and I like it !!!! Along the way certain information I kept in the memory banks to store away for a rainy day. Out came the huge Golfer Umbrella baby!!!!!! I listen to BIPT and I zoned in on host Kevin Cross segment about time management . It really makes so much sense now, but back then I could not put it in practice for some reason or another. I thank my compadre Kevin for this :) My wife writes out what I need to do for the week. We have a meeting on Monday and she draws it up, just like that. Monday - Friday 9-5 this not only allows me to complete tasks and stay focused, but it gives me down time and family time :)
( not even gonna list all the positives, self worth, work ethic, fulfilment, etc) . I guess those can be one in the same, but you get the picture :) . Now if something else in your life is taking time away form your passion, you have two choices.

1) Do something about it

2)  ?????????????

:)

Dude

Take your time!!!! Dang it lol

Another Blog!!! yes yes..... Well I posted a very VERY inspirational video segment today on Facebook. It was a segment on Doug Tennaple!!! ( a true art hero of mine) I wish to be as good as he. I am sure I will be  at the rate I am going.  I have watched this segment SOOOO many times lol. Never knowing that his words stand SO true, more today than then. Watch and listen!!!!! that is my advice on the video. Once you begin to ink ( shoot even chew gum lol ) as an extension of your inner self!!!! You will be amazed of what you will put down on paper. Granted fundamentals are needed no doubt, it goes without saying. The difference is no teaching, no school, NO ONE!!!!! but yourself can bring that true raw energy out!!!!! Once you unleash it, you then begin to tap into your true raw self. That is the moment when you invite and seek out knowledge!!!! I found myself reading all the how to books that have been sitting on my shelves for years collecting dust. No one told me to pick these books up and read them now. I just thirst for the knowledge!!!!!

Love you Guys

Dude

Trimming the FAT!!!!!!

Hola,
           Well today marks yet another milestone for me!!!! :) Yes lots of questions and tapes being played in my head ( no im not going bonkers folks tee hee ). Two years of therapy will do this to you, but in a good way :). Today I will be posting on Facebook that I am in " Trim the FAT " mode. This does not mean I am on a new fade diet lol or I am getting rid of my " Friends " . It just means that I was wrong, not you!!! I either added you as a friend for the wrong reasons or you added me vice versa . Regardless the time has come to part ways. No hard feelings at all really, in fact if you think about it we were never really " Friends" to begin with :). So there you have it, if your still on my list its meant to be. If I have not interacted with you in the last 30 days then you are to busy for me as I am for you :) again no hard feelings. If it was meant to be we will meet again :) .
            
                Along with this, I am also changing my Art direction!!!!! I no longer yearn to work for anyone!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not Marvel, Not DC, and yes not Top Shelf!!!!!!  TAH DAH!!! If I am good enough they will come to me!!! thats just it plain and simple!!! Why should I wait in long lines at a con to get affirmation from possibly a guy that never picked up a pencil!!!! Better yet why submit your hard work to a company who has such " Iron Claw " submission guidelines!!!! So you kill yourself to turn out your best work only to have these guys put you in the back burner and get to you when they want to!!!!!!!  WHY!!!!! So I can keep looking in the rear view mirror, looking, hoping someone waives back.........Well not this kid anymore!!!!  I will draw my @$$ off, I will approach every piece with Love and soul. No more will my art be a tool to gain affirmation of any kind. So if you still see my blog post show up on Facebook, lets just say I consider you a true Friend :)

Dude

For Art Sakes

Well most of you are my FB buddies, so you probably saw the image of Johnny Test I did for my son this morning. I'm sure my comic book buddies can relate with the " NO COPY " rule. Now for those of you that might not be sure what this is, let me explain. At some point a nose in the air type artist made it vocal that tracing or copying an already created image was a sin of some sort!!!!!!! Let me just call BS!!!!! Today's drawing sent home the message that cartooning is just not lines on paper!!! Back in 2008 I took a character design course taught by the amazing Steven Silver ( Kim Possible, Clerks, etc) that cost me $1000 clams!!!!YIKES!!! Now some might be saying " Wow that's a lot of money " yes I can see why you would say that. Shoot I said it myself when I was paying it lol. Please understand I get no $$$$ from this nor am I saying sign yourself up. My point is I was serious and I wanted to be a character designer!!!! Getting back to my point, while breaking down the character Johnny Test to it's foundation things just Clicked!!!!!! Johnny Test was just not a cool looking kids cartoon, it has science behind it. The pupils matched up, the line of the nose to the eyebrows!! It was a well put together puzzle!! The lessons I learned from Steven Silver still ring true today and will always!!!! I encourage all my art buddies to TRACE and copy!!!! Joe Kubert says copy!!! Also John K has a blog where not only does he hammer this point home. John K himself said that if people took the lessons he laid out to heart, he would be happy to do critiques of people's work!!!! Something to keep in mind my artist buddies!!!

George

Post Stump Town

Well it came and went, just like that. Armed with mini comics and my side kick Sancho we set out. Car troubles and weirdos on the Maxx would not keep us away. I was able to get rid of all my mini comics and put them in the hands of some real cool amazing people. The best part was giving my mini comic to Brent Warnock from Top Shelf, man he is such a cool cat. You heard it here first DAMN IT!!!!! lol j/k I want to work for Top Shelf!!! It is my goal and dream:) some might think its silly and small, but I know it will happen. Maybe not anytime soon, but I will give it my all. Really a major highlight was seeing my comic buddies from the Illustration group. Devon, Dan, and Matt you guys rock!!!! I did have a friend go, who in turn took his little kids to the show. Well they came across the " Adult " non kid friendly comics. Everyone that knows me, knows that I am no prude. But for crying out loud peeps, who is laying out the tables for this show!!! I know nothing is perfect and the crew I am sure tries really hard. Something should be done to maybe layout the tables a little better. I cant control the Organizers, but I hear the voice of other creators also wanting to make all ages comics. Maybe that is the answer either way it was fun. Much more space than the Llyod center Double Tree. Not a big crowd this time, but I only went to the Sunday show. Will be there again next year. Thanks for reading

George

Let's do this the right way, this time..

I've been artistic all my life. It's never anything that I learned in a class or anything like that. I just liked to draw & was good at it. Up until my later teens, I chalked it up to a hobby. You know, no different than my friends who liked to play sports, skateboard, ski or act. I liked to draw...
As I got closer to becoming an adult, I realized that it really was more than a "hobby", it was becoming my passion.. something in me... a part of who I was, not what I liked to do. Unfortunately, I ignored that direction & followed something a little more expected of me. I joined the military & spent 4 years in the United States Navy, serving in Desert Storm. I also spent time in other places, spreading peace...ya right. I hate war! Not because I served in one, resulting in time lost with my family, but because I Just don't believe in it. Beyond that, I don't & will not discuss it.
Once I finished my term in the military, I went to school. I studied in graphic design. Now mind you, this was the very early 90's & so graphic design was all that was really seriously offered in school. So I went for it! Even though it wasn't my interest.. time past & I graduated. I landed a job in graphic design, married, quit my job & moved out of state, all in a two year period. Once in Washington State, I started working corporate jobs...nothing that had to do with art or graphic design. It took little or no time for me to get lost in the ties & latte's. I put down my pencil, and wouldn't pick it up again for 8 years. In 2005, I divorced and found myself kinda just standing still in time...wondering what I was gonna do. I had this moment, where I realized, I'm on my own. There's no one to tell me that my desire to draw & be somebody was cute, but a waste of time as a responsible man. I could actually do what I wanted...I could prioritize how ever I'd like. If I wanted to draw and not work for food or home, then so be it! I was so scared... but excited. I had been out of the loop for so long. I had no idea how far the industry had advanced. I mean, I remained a friend of the graphic novels & comic art. I kept tabs on the careers of my heroes, old and new. Like Robert Crumb, Jim Lee, Jack Kirby & Jim Mahfood. But if asked what my plans were to make myself successfully known like these guys with my own art?...I had no answer. My only plan was to dust off the art supplies, buy a WACOM, a new art table, an easle, some pens, pencils, erasers, paper & computer with scanner and work at reconnecting with an old friend, myself.
Today is the first step towards putting myself out there. I've brushed up... I've learned a few things. It's amazing what you find when you attend Comicon's. I've talked with artists, both internationally known and locally. I've decided to start slow. I'm starting this blog & adding my thoughts and experiences on this journey. I'm going to share with whoever wants to see.

G

Etsy

It's been 6 months since I quit my corporate job to do what I love most....raise our children full time.  Going in to business for ourselves is more taxing than we imagined...and trust me, we imagined it would be taxing.  *blows bangs out of eyes*  But we wouldn't go back to corporate.  Our kids are healthier, happier...moving along, just fine!  We've been overcoming the obstacles thrown at us by Autism.  And with the newest sacrifices made, financially...we are taking extra pride in who we've become.  A family owned and run business!!  Google Analytics says we're getting steady hits on the website and our bounce rate has come down more than half!!  Not back for our first month as "official".  Check us out and tell us what you think!  www.customcomicshop.com.

Etsy has been fun!!  A complete ball!!  I've met some great, GREAT people.  I've gone from a world where art was considered doodling..to art, being my network, my friends and my neighbors.  Thanks Etsy

Trading Cards...CUSTOM style :)

Since it's always about diversity for me, I have been racking my brain to come up with something new to add to The Custom Comic Shop.  I've had people ask for comic book covers..so I'm adding this...and then I thought...what about custom trading cards?  So I went to the art store and picked up some miniature vellum boards and gave it a go.  I like it!!  And I'm adding this to the custom shop, as well.  :)

With stats on the back?  Cute!!

Check out at our Etsy Shop!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CustomComicShop?ref=seller_info

Takin' it to Alaska!

This was done for a good friend, who was promoted to Captain w/Alaska Airlines!  Way to go, Howard, and thanks for the order!!