"All the time, I say-- with my FISTS!!!"

So I started my Wu Xing Ba Fa (Five Animal Style) Shaolin Gong Fu again today after not doing anything for over a year now. It was really good to see Sifu Tracy Fleming again. Sifu has a great spirit and disposition, very positive in spite of any adversity. 

Class was excellent and I didn't suffer as much as I thought I would after my hiatus. The kicks were definitely my weakest point since I've got these giraffe legs to swing around.

My endurance surprised me but my cardio was as rough as ever. Sometimes I wonder if I have exercise induced asthma. I think after 2 months of steady, diligent practice I'll be back to where I was before I fell off my exercise.

I'm looking forward to this journey again as it's one of my favorites. Remember, to taste sweet you must eat bitter.

Elevate Music 'BROKE CITY' cd party

Local hiphop duo Elevate Music are debuting their disc 'BROKE CITY' at the end of the month.

And the cd cover for 'BROKE CITY.'

"Not As Brightly Lit..."

Well, I revamped the logo layout for the album. My 'negaforest', as I call it, is more of a photographic film negative than a screen negative. It feels better that way. Can't be a complete rip, eh? It makes more sense this way and is more in keeping with the homage to Tales from the Darkside that I'm referencing.

Speaking of which, I've always been completely ensorcelled (believe it...!) by the opening title sequence for this show that I watched as a wee runt. It's completely creepy and chills my blood beautifully. A while back I sought out a possible dvd set of the complete series. I found a bootleg set and when I got it delivered, home and put into my player I was wicked bummed. Not one episode had the opening title sequence!!!

Well, Cthulhu bless the interwebs, because on the old YouTube I found it. And, man, does it still give me the willies...

Tales from the Darkside Intro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnE3-0X-174

Latest Haps (Frrreeeeaaaakkkkkyyy...)

First, my apologies for indulging in the mundane drivel that I usually don't have the stomach for. But there have been some interesting, borderline bizarre, occurrences here of late. I'm blaming Facebook.

I got an e-mail on Saturday morning that Jason Willingham sent me a Facebook message. I hadn't seen Jason in 20+ years. He was responsible for turning me on to the gospel of punk rock in 1984 in podunk, intolerant Lynchburg, VA. We ended up meeting for a late lunch at the Village and then we hung out a little afterward. Blew my freaking mind...

So, today after band practice, I'm checking my e-mail again and an old girlfriend sends me a message via Facebook! Unbelievable. Jena Mae Tway and her family put me up for a little bit here in Richmond when the crew of punks I was running with in '92 turned on me like a pack of dogs. Strange times...

Seeing as how these things usually happen in clusters, whether Mercury is retrograde or whatever, I'm getting a little freaked out.

Again, I blame Facebook. But in a good way.

I decided to see who else was out there and happened to contact another old girlfriend, whom I've yet to hear back from. It's just weird.

None of this is what I'd expected. And since I haven't been turning out any artwork lately, here's the latest (freaky) haps.

Witchy Woman

Some flyers just break my heart to see. It really hurts my feelings.

The one that inspired this flyer is one such.

Fake Ass Flyers

Sometimes I take my punky self and make some fake ass flyers. Yeah! Stuff I'd like to see. Bands that would rock together and tear shit up! And then I like put those flyers on a dirty wall and smash the staples in with my freakin' head! Raaaaghh!!! But I can't do none of that crap withouts me chamomile tea...

LONG TIME COMING or "get off your ass, you worthless bum!"

So, I've been in this terrific slump of not creating artwork, really not even drawing anything at all. Not even sketches too much. I couldn't tell you why for that matter. Just a general ennui and a desire to place myself in a new environment.

Aside from my day job I've really only got 2 major things going for me that are rather encompassing on which I'm focusing my energies.

Firstly, I've decided to move to Austin, TX in about six months. And so I'm putting my plan into effect of all the usual: saving money, figuring out a job, finding a place to live, downsizing possessions, thinking about the move, etc.

Secondly, I'm seriously writing music again for the first time in 10 or so years. I've got a

 garage punk project called Drop Dead, Johnny!

This is starting out as some equal parts "Static

 Age" Misfits, "Psychedelic Jungle" Cramps, and "Experiment Zero" Man or Astro-Man? with a smattering of Tom Waits for seasoning.

The self-published debut disc will be a 7 song e.p. titled Other Side.

I might surmise that, in the past, I hadn't written any music for so long because I'd been focusing on artwork for so long. And now that I'm writing music again the flow has been redirected from the artwork to composition. Is that safe to assume?

In any case, I'm frequently guilty of 'spending too much time upstairs.' As the gears turn, the hours burn. Whether I can count the mental gestation of ideas any sort of accomplishment is probably suspect, but that's where I've been. I'd like to think they'll pay off in the future, hopefully soon enough.

Hop to the Future

OK, the third comic mash-up! This idea was given to me by my coworker/friend Josh.

I just had to bang this one out before trying to get a little sleep before going to the airport at 5:30 a.m. and flying to Austin, TX for Fun Fun Fun Fest.

This week has been surprisingly rough on me and I haven't been getting good rest. So what do I do? Stay up ridiculously late just a-drawin' and artin'.

These are not complaints, just the facts.

I'm having fun despite my delirium...
*narf* *blat* *gwinch*

THE DARK CANUCK

I gotta thank Tom Batten for inadvertently throwing me this idea. And although the DC/Marvel Amalgam series already did Dark Claw, I had my own ideas (if only slightly similar) for this treatment.

Caveat: This was only just a sketch that I wasn't even planning on taking this far, hence the busted anatomy and some generic ideas. And I accidentally gave him Thor boot tops instead of Wolverine boot tops. So I'll probably develop this more and enter it into the "MASH-UP" contest at Velocity Comics. I will say though my favorite features are the scalloped claws and the utility belt.

Not to mention the appellation of 'the Dark Canuck.' I'm sorry, that makes me chuckle each time I say it to myself. Also, what could more of a manly-man name be than Bruce Logan?!

The Mighty Incredible THORCULES!

Yea, and verily! Forsooth! I shall bestow upon you... the SPOOF!