Isma's Meditation Chamber

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T22:12:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your support! Happy New Year!

¡Gracias por su apoyo! ¡Les deseo un feliz año nuevo!

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Un teddy bear y una pedota

2011-12-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

Mi sobrina de 3 años le pidió a Santa Claus "un teddy bear y una pelota".

¡Felices fiestas a todos!

Happy Holidays, everybody!

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Pearl Jam: The Kids Are Twenty

2011-11-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to draw something to celebrate Pearl Jam’s 20th anniversary. The title is a reference to The Who’s 'The Kids Are Alright' (1979) rockumentary and it’s also the title for the alternate version of Cameron Crowe’s film, ‘Pearl Jam Twenty’ (2011). The concept is an homage to John Holmstrom and Gus McDonald ‘s cover art for the Ramones' 'Road To Ruin' (1978). And yeah, I listened to a lot of Pearl Jam, The Who, and Ramones while drawing it. This doodle was featured in Golpeavisa’s Viernes de Ilustración: Musical art jam, which was a lot of fun to be part of.

Tenía muchas ganas de dibujar algo para celebrar el 20 aniversario de Pearl Jam. El título es una referencia al rockumental de The Who, 'The Kids Are Alright' (1979) y también es el título de la versión alterna de la película de Cameron Crowe, 'Pearl Jam Twenty' (2011). El concepto es un homenaje al are de portada por John Holmstrom and Gus McDonald para el disco 'Road To Ruin’ (1978) de Ramones. Y si, escuché mucho a Pearl Jam, The Who, y Ramones cuando lo dibuje. Este dibujo fue incluido en el art jam Viernes de Ilustración: Musical de Golpeavisa, en el cual me dio mucho gusto participar.

I also put together these posters for each character:

También hice estos posters para cada personaje:

Cheers!

正義 (Justice)

2011-11-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

I made this doodle for COMCOM's "Samurai" Art Jam. There are so many varieties of Samurai armor, and they are so colorful and beautiful and complex, that the challenge for me was to simplify that by using the less number of shapes and colors to translate it into cartoon form. Also, I wanted to try coloring with a mono-chromatic scheme. In this project I only used variations of yellow for the armor, but decided to paint the mask red, just like the “rising sun” background.

Zorras Del Mal 2

2011-10-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

I made this follow-up to last year's "Zorras Del Mal" for Ben Camberos' 2011 Horror Comic Jam. Happy Halloween, everybody!!!

Productos Oficiales de IAMO/Nerdmigos en Entijuanarte 2011

2011-10-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

¡Productos oficiales de IAMO/Nerdmigos sólo en @entijuanarte 2011!

Octubre 7-9. Stand de Nerdmigos Unlimited (#59).

CAMISETAS $140 pesos c/u

(+ 1 print ó 3 botones GRATIS)

-Nerdmigos: Reservoir Nerds

-Nerdmigos: Chorizo Bandit Logo

-Nerdmigos: Drunk Jack

PRINTS $30 pesos c/u

-Batman: Blue

-Catwoman

-Don’t Be Afraid

-Jar Jar Binks vs. Darth Maul

-Nerdmigos: I Smell Hipsters

-Nerdmigos: Reservoir Nerds

BOTONES $10 pesos c/u

($75 pesos set de 9)

-Don’t Be Afraid

-Nerdmigos: Chorizo Bandit Logo

-Nerdmigos: Chucho Ortiz!

-Nerdmigos: Drunk Jack

-Nerdmigos: Reservoir Nerds

-Nerdmigos: School For Gifted Hipsters

-Robot

-Zombie

-Zorras Del Mal

¡Nos vemos el fin de semana!

Modelo: Patricia Montes ♥

Nerdmigos @ Entijuanarte 2011!

2011-10-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

¡Nos vemos en Entijuanarte Frontera Creativa 2011!

Nerdmigos Unlimited:

Ben Camberos
Carlos Lerma
Felipe Torres
Ismael Alejandro Moreno Ozuna
Roberto Gutiérrez

“Nerdmigos” by IAMO

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25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer

2011-09-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

Check out this great article for writers and aspiring writers!

25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer

Don't Be Afraid

2011-09-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

I made this doodle for COMCOM’s Monster Art Jam. I really like rock concert silkscreen posters; so, some inspiration on this piece came from that. The “Pink Elephants on Parade” sequence from Disney’s ‘Dumbo’ (yeah, the one where he’s drunk having a bad trip) was definitely another influence. I wanted to give it a dream-like feeling and have the monster be really big. The little girl holding a lollipop came as an afterthought, when I needed something to show the size of the monster. I remembered how my little 2-year-old niece is not afraid of anything, and started playing with the idea of the monster being more scared of the little girl that she is of it. The title, “Don’t Be Afraid”, is actually what the little girl is saying to the monster.

El Negro Cósmico

2011-09-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

Nerdmigos Year Two

2011-09-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

The very first “Nerdmigos” webcomic strip was made two years ago when I was playing around with ideas for an invitation flyer for my birthday party, which I shared with my friend Felipe Torres (Gelipe) who’s birthday is a day before mine. It was fitting to have Gelipe in the first strip, since I met almost all of the Nerdmigos through him (except Erick and Roy) and they all had known each other since college. Throughout 2009 we had several nerd gatherings (including Comic-Con) and I got to know these guys a bit. A lot of funny stories came from those gatherings and it felt good to have friends to hang out with, but I was still the new kid in the group. I never used the finished comic strip in the invitation, but I did post it on my blog and shared it with my friends. Some really liked it and had a laugh, others just ignored it, but the biggest support and motivation came (and still does, and I thank him publicly for that) from my friend Carlos Lerma (Lerms), who liked it a lot and said he wanted to see more of these strips. It was always my intention to include all the Nerdmigos in the comic, and even though I didn’t know them all that well, I started writing them into the strips. Most of my inspiration came from my favorite comic strips that I have always read in newspapers, like, “Peanuts” and “Mutts.” Within a week I had written the first ten strips and decided to keep going, since I saw it as a good exercise to keep writing and drawing.

By the time I was done with Year One, I had become the official documentarian of Nerdonia, and I had received several ideas/requests/suggestions/threats from friends who wanted to see themselves or other people in the comic strip. I definitely wanted to do more with the comic and try new things. So, for Year Two I decided to do two things: First, I wanted to try and learn new techniques to make the comic. Second, I wanted to establish “Nerdmigos” as an ensemble cast and keep expanding the number of characters (meaning that the comic is not about one or a couple of main characters). This gave me a chance to include new and old friends, like Luisma, Soria, Amaranta, and Insaneo (who actually had a cameo in Year One). I also got to expand on Señor Maquino’s monkey assistant, Jack, which has been a lot of fun. This year has also given me the opportunity to hang out with my friends in another arena, doing art shows and proudly using the “Nerdmigos” banner.

So, what started as an inside joke among friends, and then a creative exercise for me, has now become a strange love letter to awkwardly social friendship in general. And I have a lot of fun making it!

Thanks for reading and thanks for all your support!!!

Be sure to check out the Year One and Year Two art jams featuring several talented artists and friends!

Follow “Nerdmigos” on Blogger, Facebook, and Twitter.

Rainbow Warriors: Movie Night

2011-09-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

I made this “Rainbow Warriors” pinup for Sadhaka Studio as a follow-up to another doodle I made for them a couple of months ago based on "The Fearless Zombie Hunters.” When I read the “Rainbow Warriors” comic, I could easily imagine it as a sitcom. I noticed that in a lot of sitcoms they always have people sitting in a couch facing the audience, so I thought it would be fun to have the characters just hanging out watching movies. I also wanted to be faithful to the source material, so I decided to use the same color palette from the comic and have the characters interacting with a black and white background. I had a lot of fun with this one.

Thanks again to Manuel Ríos Sarabia for the invitation!

Robot Vs. Zombie

2011-08-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

This doodle is dedicated to my imaginary friend, Adrián "The Insane One" Zambrano. He is the one who came up with the idea of having a Bender-like robot fight off a zombie in a pose like the one in the "Rocky v. Apollo" painting by Leroy Neiman shown at the end of Rocky III (1982). For the zombie character design, I looked no further than George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1978), where the actors and extras playing zombies had a basic blue or gray makeup. For the robot, I really wanted a design with very basic shapes, like squares and circles, so, I researched some robots featured in movies and serials from 1920-1940. I loved the robots in the Superman animated short film, "The Mechanical Monsters" (1941) and also in the Italian science fiction film, The Mechanical Man (1921). So, a lot of the character design came from those robots. I also had a lot of fun doing the background, trying out different brushes. Hope you like it!

Nerdmigos Year Two Art Jam!

2011-08-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

Help me celebrate the second anniversary of my webcomic “Nerdmigos”! Just as last year, I thought it would be fun to see your take on Nerdmigos characters and situations depicted (or that you would like to see) in the comic strip. So, send your drawings to iamo@live.com and I’ll feature them on the Nerdmigos fan art gallery on Facebook and Webcomics Nation.

Thanks for reading!

Cheers!

Top 10 Movies That Made Me Crave Music

2011-06-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

I was thinking the other day that my musical taste was influenced in part (and still is) by movies that I have seen over the years. When I was growing up I didn't have older brothers or sisters to show me the way, I didn't have MTV (I still don’t watch music videos), and I didn’t meet people that I could talk to about music until much later. So, my love for music and my love for movies kinda grew together. Now, these movies are not necessarily musicals (in fact, they’re not), but they each have something that taught me to appreciate music in a way. I list them here in order of importance, not in chronological order, since I didn't see most of them when they were first released:

10. The School of Rock (2003)

Yeah, I guess I’m a sucker for sentimental bullshit, but you won’t find a better rock music 101 anywhere.

9. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Man, that Tarantino sure knows when to cue good music!

8. High Fidelity (2000)

I totally get John Cusack’s music snob character. I really identified with him. Except the part that he’s a scumbag… and a compulsive list maker. Yeah, I know this is also one of those lists. Okay, let’s move on.

7. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

I know what you’re thinking: “WTF? Why?” Well, let me put it this way: The moment I saw this movie, I started listening to rock music. And that’s all I have to say about that.

6. Almost Famous (2000)

This movie reminded me how much I would’ve loved to grow up in the 70’s. I can’t think of a better time to have listened to my first vinyl record and attend my first rock concert.

5. The Boat That Rocked (Pirate Radio) (2009)

I didn’t realize how much I love 60’s pop music. My parents grew up with this music, and my dad worked as a radio DJ for a long time, so, this movie constantly reminded me of them, since they introduced me to this music.

4. The Commitments (1991)

The "World's Hardest Working Band" that introduced soul music to the people of Dublin, Ireland, also confirmed what I knew all along: I have a soft spot for soul music.

3. Singles (1992)

The backdrop of the movie was the early nineties grunge-era Seattle and the musical fireworks sprinkled throughout the film gave us one of the best soundtracks of all time (definitely one of the most listen to records in my collection).

2. The Blues Brothers (1980)

This movie is magical in so many ways! Not only is Jake & Elwood Blues’ “mission from God” an epic road trip, but these guy’s love for music explodes on the screen. This was my first introduction to soul music. I still have the soundtrack on vinyl. It makes me do the happy dance.

1. Amadeus (1984)

This is my favorite movie of all time. I saw this movie when I was 8 years old and it had such an impact on me. It singlehandedly sparked both my love for movies and my love for music at the same time. Timeless and awesome.

Well, that’s it. What’s your top 10?

IAMO Online Store!

2011-06-25T14:38:00.001-07:00

Check out my new online store!

I'll be updating it regularly with my designs and cartoons on t-shirts, mugs, sweatshirts and more. Also, official Nerdmigos webcomic merchandise, including clothing and unique custom gift items.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Cheers!

Ooh Yeah! (R.I.P. Macho Man)

2011-06-03T13:19:00.001-07:00

Aside from his distinctively deep and raspy voice, and his "Ooh yeah!" catch phrase, what I most remember about this childhood icon was the KA-POW-pimp-slap explosion of color when he hit the ring. That is what I was aiming for with this tribute fan art I did for an art jam with my pals. So, I apologize for any eye or vision damage this has already caused. Sorry.

The Fearless Zombie Hunters Pin-up

2011-06-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

I made this piece for Sadhaka Studio's pin-up book (availabe July 2011), based on characters from their awesome comic "The Fearless Zombie Hunters." These are great and fun characters, and I really enjoyed working on this project. Big thanks to Manuel Ríos Sarabia for the invitation and the opportunity. If you are going to Comic-Con International this year, be sure to stop by the Sadhaka Studio booth!

Hice este dibujo para el libro de posters de Sadhaka Studio (a la venta en julio 2011), basado en los personajes de su cómic "The Fearless Zombie Hunters". Me gustan mucho estos personajes, son muy divertidos, y disfrute mucho trabajar en este proyecto. Muchas gracias a Manuel Ríos Sarabia por la invitación y por la oportunidad. Si van a Comic-Con International este año, asegúrense de pasar al stand de Sadhaka Studio.

I also made these individual character pin-ups:

También hice estos posters individuales de los personajes:

Whatever Happened to 1986?

2011-04-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

This was my submission for this year's Comic-Con International Souvenir Book celebrating "1986: The Year Comics Grew Up", the year that saw the debut of Art Spiegelman' Maus, Watchmen by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colourist John Higgins, and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, among other comics. This is the second time I draw a "team-up" featuring Rorschach and Batman. The first one was "The Last Beer."

Ésta fue mi entrega para el libro de recuerdo de Comic-Con International para este año, que celebra el tema "1986: El año que crecieron los cómics", el año en el que debutaron Maus por Art Spiegelman, Watchmen por el escritor Alan Moore y los artistas Dave Gibbons y John Higgins, y Batman: The Dark Knight Returns por Frank Miller, entre otros cómics. Ésta es la segunda vez que dibujo en "equipo-up" a Rorschach y a Batman. la primer vez fue "La última cerveza".

Here's another version of this piece. This time referening Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, written by Alan Moore, art by Curt Swan, George Pérez, and Kurt Schaffenberger (also a 1986 comic, and that's where the idea for the title came from in the first place.)

Esta es otra versión de esta pieza. Esta vez hace referencia a Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, escrita por Alan Moore, arte por Curt Swan, George Pérez, and Kurt Schaffenberger (que también es un cómic de 1986, y de ahí salió la idea para el título).

“Vader Arrives” ‘Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back’ 30th. Anniversary

2011-03-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

I had all the intention of finishing this piece last summer, but for some reason or the other this was another sketch that was laying around until I had the time to work on it. Oh, well. Better late than never. I still had a lot of fun working on this. This drawing represents everything I love in Star Wars: My favorite Star Wars movie (‘The Empire Strikes Back’), my favorite Star Wars character (Darth Vader), my favorite Star Wars vehicle (the AT-AT Walker), and of course, I love drawing stormtroopers/clonetroopers ever since I was a child. The idea for the composition came from this “The Force Unleashed” screen shot. I thought it would help me capture that moment when Vader arrives at Hoth. Hope you like it!

Batman: Blue

2011-03-02T14:58:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I made a quick Batman sketch on a small piece of paper. I wasn't planning on doing anything with it. It was just laying on my desk for some time. But then, I got the idea of doing something like this with it. Quick and fun doodle.

Catwoman Fan Art

2011-02-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

This was my submission for the first COMCOM Art Jam. This year’s theme was Super Heroines/Villainesses. Picking which character to do was easy. I love how Catwoman works in that gray area of comic book characters where she can be both a hero and a villain. However, deciding how I would depict my version of Catwoman took a little longer, but it was a fun process. This character has obviously gone through different looks in comics, TV, and movies through the years, so I looked at some of the stuff that has been done before, I kept those aspects that I like in the character’s design and personality, I got rid of the ones that did not work for me, and I started to draw my own rendition of the Feline Fatale. For instance, I understand the practicality of Catwoman having short hair and low-cut boots, as seen in recent portrayals, but I really like her with long hair and knee-high boots. I really like the goggles she uses in recent comics, cartoons, and videogames, so I decided to keep those. I tried a couple of different colors on the lenses, but the basic dark shades worked better for me. She always looks great in black, but I really wanted to throw more color in there, so I used the classic purple costume. Also, I wanted to stay away from the movie versions of Catwoman as much as possible. (Especially the Halle Berry version) (Except for the cleavage… I kept the cleavage). I’ve seen some great Catwoman illustrations in dynamic poses, but I was aiming for a sexier full body pin-up pose. When drawing attractive female characters, Bruce W. Timm’s style (“Batman: The Animated Series”) is always a big influence on me. At this point, I’m learning how to do a lot of stuff on my own, and with every illustration I learn something new. I had a lot of fun doing this piece.

Ésta fue mi entrega para el primer Art Jam de COMCOM. El tema de este año fue Super Heroínas/Villanas. Escoger qué personaje hacer fue fácil. Me gusta cómo Gatúbela funciona en esa área gris de los personajes de cómics donde puede ser héroe y villano. Sin embargo, decidir cómo representar mi versión de Gatúbela tardó un poco más, pero fue un proceso divertido. Obviamente, con los años este personaje ha pasado por varios cambios en cómics, TV, y películas, así que estuve viendo algo de lo que ya se ha hecho antes, me quedé con esos aspectos que me gustaron del diseño y la personalidad del personaje, me deshice de los que no funcionaban para mí, y comencé a dibujar mi propia interpretación de la Felina Fatal. Por ejemplo, entiendo el sentido práctico de que Gatúbela tenga cabello corto y botas bajas, como se ha visto en representaciones recientes, pero ella me gusta con cabello largo y botas altas. Me gustan mucho los lentes que usa en cómics, caricaturas, videojuegos recientes, así que decidí dejárselos. Intenté usar diferentes colores, pero los lentes oscuros se ven mejor para mí. Ella siempre se ve bien en traje negro, pero sí quería echarle más color, así que utilicé el traje púrpura clásico. También, quise mantenerme lo más lejos posible de las versiones de Gatúbela que se han mostrado en las películas. (Especialmente la versión de Halle Berry) (Con excepción del escote… Me quedé con el escote). He visto algunas muy buenas ilustraciones de Gatúbela en poses dinámicas, pero yo le estaba tirando a una pose de más sexy de pin-up de cuerpo completo. Cuando se trata de dibujar personajes femeninos atractivos, el estilo de Bruce W. Timm (“Batman: La serie animada") siempre es una gran influencia para mi. A estas alturas, estoy aprendiendo cómo hacer muchas cosas yo sólo, y con cada ilustración aprendo algo nuevo. Me divertí mucho haciendo esta pieza.

The Tourist

2011-01-26T15:40:00.000-08:00

Oh, man. This movie is a shitty waste of time for both the audience and the film's cast and crew. Nevermind that I sat through Angelina Jolie playing a traveling Vogue magazine robot and Johnny Depp playing a sober Jack Sparrow (for some reason, both performances were nominated for a Golden Globe), scene after scene of ridiculous dialog, and an ending that any 5-year-old could predict from the opening scenes. What I could not stand was the absurd Disney-princess-style musical score. I was almost expecting Jolie and Depp to start singing a stupid song surrounded by cartoon birds and bunnies. And what does Muse's "Starlight" in the end credits have to do with this cinematic suppository, anyway? I want my money back! (The popcorn was good, though.)

Nerdmigos Unlimited At COMCOM 2011

2011-01-26T08:16:00.000-08:00

Last year my friends and I put together the “Nerdmigos Unlimited” art group as a fun way to do some art shows. I’m very happy to say that this year we will be at COMCOM 2011, on March 19, in Tijuana. Last year, Rob, Gelipe, and Ben each had their own stand at COMCOM, and I believe that was the first time any of us decided that next show we should do something together. Also, my friend Lerms will be a special guest at COMCOM this year and will offer a lecture about his amazing artwork. Good times are ahead. I’ll see you there!

About Nerdmigos Unlimited:

“Nerdmigos Unlimited” is a group of Mexican artists that produces works, in collaboration and individually, in video production, illustration, comics, and graphic design. The members of “Nerdmigos Unlimited” for COMCOM 2011 are:

- Ben Camberos
- Carlos Lerma (Golpeavisa, Taco de Ojo)
- Felipe Torres
- Guillermo Sariñana
- Ismael Alejandro Moreno Ozuna (“Nerdmigos” webcomic)
- Luisma Lerma (Official Nerdmigos DJ)
- Roberto Gutiérrez
- Roy Calderón

About COMCOM:

COMCOM is a convention where all sorts of comics, anime, videogames, and graphic design are united in order to form a large group of talent and experts to promote new and classic culture and arts for entertainment and enjoyment of attendees.

El año pasado mis amigos y yo formamos el colectivo “Nerdmigos Unlimited” como una manera divertida de participar en exposiciones de arte. Me da mucho gusto decir que este año estaremos en COMCOM 2011, el 19 de marzo, en Tijuana. El año pasado, Rob, Gelipe, y Ben estuvieron en COMCOM en puestos individuales, y creo que esa fue la primera vez que alguno de nosotros dijo que para la próxima deberíamos hacer algo juntos. Además, este año mi amigo Lerms será invitado especial en COMCOM y ofrecerá una plática sobre sus ilustraciones chingonas. Se va a poner buena. ¡Ahí nos vemos!

Sobre Nerdmigos Unlimited:

“Nerdmigos Unlimited” es un grupo de artistas mexicanos que produce trabajos, en colaboración e individualmente, en producción de video, ilustración, cómics, y diseño grafico.

Los integrantes de “Nerdmigos Unlimited” para COMCOM 2011 son:

- Ben Camberos
- Carlos Lerma (Golpeavisa, Taco de Ojo)
- Felipe Torres
- Guillermo Sariñana
- Ismael Alejandro Moreno Ozuna (“Nerdmigos” webcómic)
- Luisma Lerma (DJ official de Nerdmigos)
- Roberto Gutiérrez
- Roy Calderón

Sobre COMCOM:

COMCOM es una convención donde se unen el cómic, anime, videojuegos y el diseño gráfico para formar a un gran grupo de talento y conocedores, para difundir la cultura de lo nuevo y lo clásico de estas artes para el entretenimiento y gusto de la gente.

Nowhere Boy

2011-01-19T12:56:00.000-08:00

An emotional chronicle of John Lennon's childhood and teenage years. Starring the guy from 'Kick-Ass' and the little kid from 'Love Actually.' There are some historical inaccuracies for dramatic effect, but nothing to bitch about. I also recommend 'Backbeat' (1994), the story of the 5th Beatle and the band's Hamburg, Germany phase.

Zorras Del Mal

2010-11-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

I did this doodle for my friend Ben Camberos’ Horror Comic Art Jam. Since it was a special occasion, I took it upon myself to spend a lot of extra time doing, uh… research. It was a lot of hard work ;) It’s been a while since I’ve drawn something other than the “Nerdmigos” webcomic, so this was a fun exercise to do something different. Also, it’s the first time I ever draw a butt shot! I think it turned out ok.

Hice este dibujo para el Art Jam de Halloween de mi amigo Ben Camberos. Ya que se trataba de una ocasión especial, me di a la tarea de pasar mucho tiempo extra haciendo, ehm... investigación. Fue un trabajo muy difícil ;) Hace tiempo que no dibujaba algo aparte del webcómic “Nerdmigos”, así que esto fue un ejercicio divertido para hacer algo diferente. Además, ¡es la primera vez que dibujo un trasero! Pienso que me salió bien.

Reservoir Nerds

2010-10-02T11:30:00.001-07:00

A couple of inside jokes here, aside from Tony mysteriously fading into the background. My friend Adrián "The Insane One" Zambrano says that I look just like Steve Buscemi :( So, I got to be Mr. Pink. Ben is a big Quentin Tarantino fan, so he got Mr. Brown. This illustration is based on this production still.

You can buy this print at Entijuanarte 2010 from October 1-3 for only $30 pesos!

Read the “Nerdmigos” webcomic here.

Aquí hay un par bromas internas, aparte de ver cómo Tony se desvanece hacia el fondo. Mi amigo Adrián “El Insaneo” Zambrano dice que yo me parezco a Steve Buscemi :( Así que, me tocó ser Mr. Pink. Ben es un super fan de Quentin Tarantino, así que a él le tocó Mr. Brown. Esta ilustración esta basada en esta foto de la película.

¡Pueden adquirir esta impresión en Entijuanarte 2010 del 1-3 de octubre por sólo $30 pesos!

Lean el webcómic “Nerdmigos” aquí.

"Nerdmigos Unlimited" Art Group at Entijuanarte 2010

2010-09-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

I’m very excited to announce that my friends and I are putting together an art group called “Nerdmigos Unlimited” and that we will be pimping our doodles at the sixth edition of Entijuanarte Frontera Creativa, to be held from October 1 – 3, at the Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT). Over the past year, we have been collaborating on each other’s side projects one way or the other, and this is a fun way to do an art show together. So, be sure to stop by our booth and say hi.

About Nerdmigos Unlimited:

“Nerdmigos Unlimited” is a group of Mexican artists that produces works, in collaboration and individually, in illustration, comics, and graphic design.

The members of “Nerdmigos Unlimited” are:

- Ben Camberos
- Carlos Lerma (Golpeavisa, Taco de Ojo)
- Felipe Torres
- Guillermo Sariñana
- Ismael Alejandro Moreno Ozuna (“Nerdmigos” webcomic)
- Manuel Ríos Sarabia (Sadhaka Studio, “The Fearless Zombie Hunters”, “Rainbow Warriors”)
- Roberto Gutiérrez

About Entijuanarte 2010:

Entijuanarte is an artistic and cultural platform that seeks to encourage the exhibition, promotion, and sale of national and foreign contemporary art from individual and collective artists. Its exhibition includes disciplines and diverse media, such as painting, sculpture, photography, digital drawing, engraving, installation and performance arts. This year, Entijuanarte 2010, renews its commitment and expands the role that its presence has been shaping from past editions within the regional and national artistic and cultural scene.

Me da mucho gusto anunciar que mis amigos y yo estamos juntando un grupo de arte llamado “Nerdmigos Unlimited” y que vamos a estar padroteando nuestros dibujos en la sexta edición de Entijuanarte Frontera Creativa, que se llevará a cabo del 1-3 de octubre, en el Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT). Durante el último año, hemos estado colaborando uno con otro en nuestros proyectos individuales de una manera u otra, y esta es una forma divertida para hacer una exposición de arte juntos. Así que, no se les olvide pasar a nuestro puesto y saludarnos.

Acerca de Nerdmigos Unlimited:

“Nerdmigos Unlimited” es un grupo de artistas mexicanos que produce trabajos, en colaboración e individualmente, en ilustración, cómics, y diseño grafico.

Los integrantes de “Nerdmigos Unlimited” son:

- Ben Camberos
- Carlos Lerma (Golpeavisa, Taco de Ojo)
- Felipe Torres
- Guillermo Sariñana
- Ismael Alejandro Moreno Ozuna (Webcómic “Nerdmigos”)
- Manuel Ríos Sarabia (Sadhaka Studio, “The Fearless Zombie Hunters”, “Rainbow Warriors”)
- Roberto Gutiérrez

Acerca de Entijuanarte 2010:

Entijuanarte es una plataforma artística y cultural que busca alentar la exposición, promoción y venta de arte contemporáneo de artistas nacionales y extranjeros, individuales y colectivos. Su convocatoria incluye disciplinas y medios diversos como pintura, escultura, fotografía, dibujo, grabado, medios digitales, instalación y performance. Este año, Entijuanarte 2010, refrenda su compromiso y expande el papel que su presencia ha ido conformando con las pasadas ediciones dentro del escenario artístico y cultural regional y nacional.

The Expendables

2010-08-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

I had a feeling this was going to be a crappy movie; I thought I knew what I was getting into. But, I was surprised to find out how boring it is. Really, I was at least expecting dumb fun. But, this? Director (and star) Sylvester Stallone centers most of the movie’s action in the final 20 minutes. But in order to get to that, we have to go through scenes of absolutely nothing and of badass guys talking about their feelings. I’m mainly referring to that scene where Mickey Rourke is talking to Stallone about a soul-shattering event in his past and he almost cries. The only way that scene could have been saved was if Stallone had paused at the end of the story, and than asked Rourke, “Awww, did you get sand in your vagina?” But, no, it just cuts to the next boring scene. The monologue is well acted and shit, but it doesn’t have any place in this movie. But at least it ends with a bang. Several loud bangs, actually. The popcorn was good too.

Nerdmigos Year One Fan Art Submissions!

2010-08-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

Help me celebrate the first anniversary of “Nerdmigos” webcomic by submitting your own fan art!

Guidelines:

-Not necessarily anniversary themed. Feel free to choose your own theme for or from the “Nerdmigos” universe.
-Color and/or B&W
-.JPG, .PNG, and .GIF formats are accepted. File must be at least 900 pixels wide.

That’s it!

Please send submissions to iamo@live.com. Make sure to include the title of your fan art, your name, and your website URL.

All submissions will be featured at nerdmigos.blogspot.com and Webcomics Nation for all to see.

Deadline: September 15, 2010.

Cheers!

¡Ayúdeme a celebrar el primer aniversario del webcómic “Nerdmigos” enviando su propio ‘fan art’!

Pautas:

-No necesariamente con el tema de aniversario. Con toda confianza, escojan su propio tema para o del universo de “Nerdmigos.”
-Color y/o Blanco & Negro.
-Se aceptan formatos .JPG, .PNG, y .GIF. El archivo debe ser por lo menos 900 píxeles de ancho.

¡Eso es todo!

Favor de enviar sus ilustraciones a iamo@live.com. Recuerden incluir el título de su ‘fan art,’ su nombre, y el URL de su sitio de internet.

Todos los trabajos entregados serán publicados en nerdmigos.blogspot.com y en Webcomics Nation para que todos los vean.

Plazo: 15 de septiembre de 2010.

¡Saludos!

I Made It Into The Comic-Con 2010 Souvenir Book

2010-08-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

Well, Comic-Con came and went, but there’s only 12 months left for the next one, and one of the best surprises for me was finding out that my “Peanuts” fan art made it into the 2010 Souvenir Book. I’ve already written about the making of this illustration, but since I’m such a flashy motherfucker, I’ll just mention it again here. By the way, my friend Felipe Torres’ cool rendition of DC Comics characters was also featured in the book. So, if you attended Comic-Con this year, or if you can get your hands on a copy of the book, be sure to check it out.

Bueno, Comic-Con vino y se fue, pero solamente faltan 12 meses para la siguiente, y una de las mejores sorpresas para mí fue descubrir que mi fan art de “Peanuts” fue incluido en el Libro de Recuerdo 2010. Ya he escrito sobre la realización de esta ilustración, pero, pues, ya que soy un cabrón que quiere llamar la atención, lo mencionaré otra vez aquí. Por cierto, la interpretación de personajes de DC Comics de mi amigo Felipe Torres también fue incluida en el libro. Así que, si ustedes asistieron a Comic-Con este año, o si pueden conseguir el libro, los invito a verlo.

10 Writing Tips

2010-08-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

This list is from the book, 'Conversations with Wilder' by Cameron Crowe, an interview book with writer/director Billy Wilder. I think it’s great and I believe than it can be applied when writing for film or TV, or a novel, or even comics. I'll just post it here as a reminder:

1. The audience is fickle.
2. Grab ‘em by the throat and never let ‘em go.
3. Develop a clean line of action for your leading character.
4. Know where you’re going.
5. The more subtle and elegant you are in hiding your plot points, the better you are as a writer.
6. If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act.
7. Let the audience add up two plus two. If you do, they’ll love you forever.
8. In doing voice-overs, be careful not to describe what the audience already sees. Add to what they’re seeing.
9. The event that occurs at the second act curtain triggers the end of the story.
10. The third act must build, build, build in tempo and action until the last event, and then—that’s it. Don’t hang around.

‘Pearl Jam’ Fan Comic. Ed & Mike in “Touring Bus”

2010-07-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

This was my submission for a Pearl Jam fan club (Ten Club) comic contest. The guidelines were pretty much open to do whatever you wanted, a concert experience, a story based on a song, or just make something up. So, I decided to do a Nerdmigos-style comic featuring a couple of the band members, based on a story that Eddie Vedder told at one of his solo concerts in San Diego, CA, back in 2008. It’s a funny story, and, also, I like reminding people that, the first time Pearl Jam played in Mexico, was at my hometown of Tijuana, on Mother’s Day 1992, at a mythical venue called Iguana’s. The original story had a friend of Ed’s named “Erick” (I think), but I changed that character to lead guitarist Mike McCready. Now, before the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service starts an investigation, everything in the story is true, except the last part where Pearl Jam hired and trained Javier as their bus driver. Ed made that up only because the story needed an ending. So, please lower your taser guns, I’m sure this guy is still driving a cab somewhere in Tijuana. Oh, and yeah, I was listening to Pearl Jam all week.

Con este trabajo participé en un concurso de cómic para el club de fans de Pearl Jam (Ten Club). Las reglas fueron bastante abiertas para hacer lo que quisiera, una experiencia de concierto, una historia basada en una canción, o nada más inventar algo. Entonces, decidí hacer un cómic estilo Nerdmigos mostrando a un par de los miembros de la banda, basado en una historia que contó Eddie Vedder en uno de sus conciertos de solista en 2008 en San Diego, California. Es una historia chistosa, y, también, me gusta recordarle a la gente que, la primera vez que Pearl Jam tocó en México, fue en mi pueblo natal de Tijuana, el día de las madres en 1992, en un lugar mítico llamado Iguana's. La historia original tenía a un amigo de Ed llamado “Erick” (creo), pero cambié ese personaje por el guitarrista Mike McCready. Bueno, pero antes de que el Servicio de Inmigración y Naturalizción de Estados Unidos comience una investigación, toda la historia es verdad, excepto la última parte donde Pearl Jam contrató y entrenó a Javier como su conductor de autobús. Ed inventó esa parte solamente porque la historia necesitaba un final. Entonces, por favor bajen sus pistolas eléctricas, seguramente este amigo todavía está manejando un taxi en alguna parte en Tijuana. Oh, y sí, estuve escuchando a Pearl Jam toda la semana.

One Year Of Blogging

2010-05-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

Aside from writing the “Nerdmigos” webcomic, I wasn’t much of a writer this month. Ironically, “Isma’s Meditation Chamber” turned 1 year old this month. So, I should at least thank the 2 or 3 people who’ve read it during this time and given their much-appreciated comments. I’ve had a lot of fun writing this blog. Let’s see what happens next. Cheers!

Aparte de escribir webcómic “Nerdmigos”, no he escrito mucho este mes, que digamos. Irónicamente, la “Isma’s Meditation Chamber” cumplió 1 año este mes. Así que, por lo menos debería dar las gracias a las 2 ó 3 personas que lo han leído durante este tiempo y que han dado sus comentarios que agradezco mucho. Me he divertido mucho escribiendo este blog. Vamos a ver qué sucede próximamente. ¡Salud!

Iron Man 2

2010-05-03T11:43:00.001-07:00

Wow! I don’t know what to say about ‘Iron Man 2’… Let’s see… Well, I wouldn’t say it’s a bad movie. It has entertaining and well-executed action sequences, but it is definitely not as good as the first movie (which is just pure awesomeness and I was blown away by it). I believe that the main problem with the movie was the story. Or I should say stories. The movie just tells too many stories, and doesn’t have enough time for each of them. We don’t get enough of War Machine (Don Cheadle as Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes), and what we get is just pretty average for the character. I was totally expecting Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson as Natalie Rushman / Natasha Romanoff) to have a sexy Russian accent, since, well, she is Russian, but instead, she acts like one of the fembots in the Austin Powers movies. Robert Downey Jr. is entertaining as always, but the long dialogue scenes where the movie wants to get serious and dark just feel unnecessary and bring the action to a halt. So, in this sense, the story feels more like just another generic sequel (but definitely better than most Marvel movies before it), and a set up for the upcoming Thor, Captain America, and The Avengers movies. One more thing: As a note to Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), when you know a bomb is moments from going off, you don’t just stay there and stare at it… you run the fuck away!!!

Peanuts 60th Anniversary: Keep Snoopy Flying!

2010-05-01T12:17:00.001-07:00

This was my contribution for this year’s Comic-Con International Souvenir Book, commemorating, among other anniversaries, 60 years of “Peanuts” (known in Mexico as “Rabanitos,” hehehe, and in other Spanish-speaking countries as “Carlitos,” “Charlie Brown” or “Snoopy”). Even if it doesn’t get published, I still wanted to share it with the 2 or 3 people who read my blog. “Peanuts” is one of my favorite comic strips of all time (including the TV specials), and believe it or not, is one of the main influences for the “Nerdmigos” webcomic. I’ve always said that the way the Snoopy/WWI Fighter Pilot alter ego works in the comic strip can be compared to the Tony/Chorizo Bandit character. This piece was inspired by a 1943 Office of War Information poster I found (shown below). I tried to mimic that Charles M. Schulz's shaky line art that I love as much as I could. Hope the Snoopy fans like it. Well, happy anniversary to “Peanuts” gang and see ya’ at Comic-Con!

Ésta fue mi contribución para el libro ‘souvenir’ de Comic-Con International de este año, conmemorando, entre otros aniversarios, 60 años de “Peanuts” (conocido en México como “Rabanitos,” jejeje, y en otros países de habla hispana como “Carlitos,” “Charlie Brown” o “Snoopy”). Aunque no se publique, de todas maneras quería compartirla con las 2 ó 3 personas que leen mi blog. “Peanuts” es una de mis historietas favoritas de toda la historia (incluyendo los especiales de TV), y aunque no lo crean, es una de las influencias principales para el webcomic de “Nerdmigos”. Siempre he dicho que la manera como funciona en la historieta el alter ego de Snoopy/Piloto de caza de la Primera Guerra Mundial se puede comparar con el personaje de Tony/Bandido del Chorizo. Esta pieza está inspirada en un cartel de 1943 de la Oficina de Información de Guerra que encontré (ver abajo). Intenté imitar lo mejor que pude ese trazo tembloroso de Charles M. Schulz' que me gusta mucho. Espero que le guste a los fans de Snoopy. Bueno, ¡feliz aniversario a los “Peanuts” y nos vemos en Comic-Con!

Cop Out

2010-04-27T15:50:00.001-07:00

Okay, well, we finally got a ‘Cop Out’ (formerly known as ‘A Couple Of Dicks’) release in Mexico (where it is now known by the stupid-ass title of ‘Dos inútiles en patrulla’) this week. Now, I have to say that I did get a couple of good laughs from the movie, especially when you got Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan (and even Seann William Scott) improvising their scenes. Also, I got that the film score (by ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ composer Harold Faltermeyer) is meant to be an homage to the '80s cop action-comedy genre. But, oh man, is this movie way off on Mexican characters. I don’t blame director Kevin Smith, since he did not write the script, nor can I confirm if he had a say on casting these supporting characters (yeah, I’m defending him, so what?). But, holy shit, somebody in Hollywood must really hate Mexicans! Aside from the characterization, and with the exception of Ana de la Reguera, I can’t say if any of the actors are Mexican (Guillermo Díaz, who plays the main bad guy Poh Boy, is from New Jersey, for fuck’s sake!), since they didn’t even bother to use a Mexican accent for their dialog in Spanish. And that’s just lazy. Anyway, I’ll just stick to “writer-director” Kev, instead of just “director.”

To infinity and beyond! (Oh, who are we kidding)

2010-04-21T16:40:00.001-07:00

The Mexican Space Agency (AEXA) was created on April 20, 2010 to peruse the development of space-related technologies. One would think the model for this endeavor would be the US NASA program, but I’m thinking it was actually the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) established in 1994 (formerly the Brazilian Space Program, 1961-1993). I guess Mexico just couldn’t stand to see Brazil have a successful space program and a leading role in Latin America, and it wouldn’t be the fist time that the Mexican government copies something that works well in another country, and then tries out a watered down version of it in Mexico using public funds (money that could go towards education and scholarships… you know, the kind of things that would actually keep talented people in Mexico and not have them run away to other countries), only to have it fail miserably. For some reason, this reminds me of the Tin Tan & Marcelo skit, where Tin Tan says that Mexico has been sending people to outer space for years… those drunks in Mexican cantinas don’t need spaceships to reach the stars.

La Agencia Espacial Mexicana (AEXA) fue creada el 20 de abril de 2010 para promover el desarrollo de tecnologías relacionadas al espacio. Uno pensaría que el modelo para este esfuerzo sería el programa NASA de los EU, pero estoy pensando que más bien fue la Agência Espacial Brasileira (AEB) establecida en 1994 (antes el Programa Espacial Brasileño, 1961-1993). Supongo que México no soportó ver que Brasil tuviera un programa espacial exitoso y un papel determinante en América Latina, y tampoco sería la primera vez que el gobierno mexicano copia algo que funciona bien en otro país, y luego intenta una versión chafa de éste en México usando fondos públicos (dinero que podría ir hacia la educación y becas… ya saben, el tipo de cosas que mantendrían a gente talentosa en México para que no corran hacia otros países), sólo para verlo fallar miserablemente. Por alguna razón, esto me recuerda al sketch de Tin Tán & Marcelo, donde Tin Tán dice que México ha estado lanzando a gente al espacio exterior durante años… esos borrachos en las cantinas mexicanas no necesitan naves espaciales para alcanzar las estrellas. “¡Pa’rriba Marcelo, y sin cuete!”

Alice In Wonderland

2010-03-06T11:14:00.001-08:00

Okay movie. However, the third act felt a bit awkward with the unnecessary battlefield action sequence at the end, which further distances the story from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice.” I tried the Disney 3D thing, (and I don’t want to sound like a jerk here) but I think that the colors would look brighter and the image would look crisper in regular 2D, since the 3D glasses dim the picture. Can’t wait for 3D to go out of fashion. Mia Wasikowska is perfect as the 19-year-old Alice faced with constantly having to prove herself in "Underland," and she holds her own against scene-stealers Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter’s energetic performances. Johnny Depp is great as always, but I still don’t know the reason why he gets first bill on this movie, other than the fact that he is Johnny Depp. Bottom line: It’s a nice visual treat, and a way less sadistic but more menacing rendition of Wonderland than previously seen, but it doesn’t feel like a good ol’ Tim Burton film at all.

Army Day in Tijuana

2010-02-27T11:32:00.000-08:00

Last week was National Army Day in México, and several Tijuana elementary schools celebrated by taking their students on a field trip to meet their Mexican action heroes stationed in the city for president Felipe Calderón’s brilliant “war on violence”… and also to get their little hands on their arsenal of drug-lord-butt-kicking-common-citizen-scaring weapons, vehicles, and accessories. This is so embarrassing. I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

La semana pasada fue el Día Nacional del Ejército en México, y varias escuelas primarias de Tijuana celebraron llevando a sus estudiantes a una visita para conocer a sus héroes mexicanos que están en la ciudad para la ingeniosa “guerra contra la violencia” del presidente Felipe Calderón... y también para que sus manitas pudieran tocar el arsenal de armas, vehículos, y accesorios que usan contra los narcos y que asustan a los ciudadanos comunes. Qué vergüenza. Mejor voy a dejar que las fotos hablen por sí mismas.

Foto: Omar Martínez. Frontera.info

Televisa Has Resolved The Crisis In Haiti

2010-01-30T10:20:00.000-08:00

From time to time the moment comes when I have the need to express my hatred for Televisa (for a long time, the only national television network in Mexico, and now one of two crappy national television networks in Mexico). Either because of their government-mediated news casting (or a government mediated by news casting, either way you want to see it), or because of their stupid-ass comedy shows, or because of their rehashed Cinderella-story soap operas. (By the way, they recently began broadcasting their programming in high definition. What they did not do was change their old-school TV production techniques. So, it did not occur to them that, in high definition, their bad makeup work would look even more atrocious, that their green screen visual effects would look even more shitty, and that the yellow teeth of some of their actors would look more yellow.) But, what I hate the most is when they take advantage the people’s ignorance, to evade taxes (which is the only reason why giving donations through private companies has become so fashionable in Mexico) through their Televisa Foundation. They’ve already done this before by using several causes as an excuse, but now, they are blatantly using the earthquake tragedy of this past January 12 in Haiti, the poorest country in the American continent, for their gain. In each commercial brake, they show TV spots where their actors ask people to donate money by means of their “Un Kilo de Ayuda” program in several stores throughout the country. Well, this is what I think: If you are in Mexico and you want to help Haiti? Then, donate directly to the Haitian Embassy in Mexico, or to UNICEF, or the International Red Cross, or many other earthquake relief organizations. But, don’t do it by making Televisa richer. Their TV production quality is not going to improve, anyway.

De vez en cuando llega el momento en el que tengo la necesidad de expresar mi odio por Televisa (durante mucho tiempo la única cadena nacional de televisión en México, y ahora una de dos cadenas nacionales de televisión chafas en México). Ya sea por sus noticieros mediados por el gobierno (o el gobierno mediado por los noticieros, como lo quieran ver), o por sus programas mamones de comedia, o por sus telenovelas con historias refritas de Cenicienta. (Por cierto, hace poco empezaron a transmitir su programación en alta definición. Lo que no cambiaron fueron sus técnicas viejas de producción. Entonces, no se le les ocurrió que, en alta definición, ahora su mal trabajo de maquillaje se vería todavía más atroz, que sus efectos visuales en pantalla verde se verían todavía más caguengues, y que los dientes amarillos de algunos de sus actores se verían todavía más amarillos.) Pero, lo que más odio es que se aprovechen de la ignorancia de la gente, para evadir impuestos (que es la única razón por la que se pusieron de moda las donaciones a través de empresas privadas en México) por medio de su Fundación Televisa. Ya lo han hecho antes usando como pretexto varias causas, pero ahora, descaradamente, están usando la tragedia del terremoto del pasado 12 de enero en Haití, el país más pobre del continente americano, para su beneficio. En cada corte comercial muestran anuncios en donde sus actores piden a la gente que done dinero por medio de su programa “Un kilo de ayuda” en varias tiendas del país. Bueno, esto es lo que yo pienso: ¿Están en México y quieren ayudar a Haití? Pues, donen directamente a la Embajada de Haití en México, o a la UNICEF, o a la Cruz Roja Internacional, o muchas otras organizaciones de apoyo por terremotos. Pero, no lo hagan haciendo más rica a Televisa. De todas maneras, su calidad de producción televisiva no va a mejorar.

Sherlock Holmes

2010-01-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

Okay movie. As far as the plot goes, it spends most of the time setting up the sequel. So, there’s a lot of exposition. But, it’s always fun to see Robert Downey, Jr. on the screen. Also, I liked Jude Law’s rendition of Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick. If this movie works in a way, it’s mainly because of the actors’ chemistry and performances. And that’s all I have to say about ‘Sherlock Holmes.’

Internet In Mexico: Expensive and Slow

2010-01-04T16:05:00.000-08:00

This chart deserves to be reposted. This is another reason why I think Mexico is beyond saving. Internet access is so costly and slow compared to other countries around the world, and it's provided by only a couple of companies throughout the country. Actually, all communication in Mexico is ridiculously expensive, especially wireless communication. Even buying a fucking book will set you back a day’s salary. How can a Third World country, where people barely earn a living, be more expensive than First World countries? So embarrassing.

Source: reddit

Esta carta merece republicada. Ésta es otra razón por la que pienso que México ya no tiene salvación. El acceso de Internet es tan costoso y lento comparado a otros países alrededor del mundo, y el servicio lo ofrecen solamente un par de compañías en todo el país. De hecho, toda la comunicación en México tiene un costo ridículo, especialmente la comunicación inalámbrica. Incluso hasta para comprar un pinche libro se necesita gastar el salario de un día. ¿Cómo es posible que un país del tercer mundo, dónde la gente apenas se gana la vida, sea más costoso que los países del primer mundo? Qué pena.

Fuente: reddit

Year In Review 2009

2009-12-31T10:21:00.001-08:00

I hate end of the year countdowns and best & worst of the year lists... they never pick anything that I agree with. So, I’ll just stick to mentioning some cool things that happened to me this year:

Blogging. Well, first of all, this year I started my blog, which has been a great exercise to keep writing, doodling, and translating. Also, this year I started micro-blogging on Twitter, which has been fun.

Doodling. I’m actually proud of myself for doing more drawings than I have ever done in a year, trying out new things, and learning new techniques. Check out my gallery on deviantART.

Comic-Con 2009. This nerd Mecca has become a second home to me, and this year’s Con was definitely one of the best. Had a great time with the Nerdmigos all that weekend. (Click here for more).

Published Work. A couple of my drawings were published this year. “Jar Jar Binks vs. Darth Maul” was published in "Star Wars Insider" magazine (click here) and “Usagi Yojimbo” was published in the Comic-Con International Souvenir Book (click here).

Filmmaking. Aside from writing and doodling, I also love filmmaking, and this year I helped my friend Roy on two of his short films: “Etiología” and “Café.”

Pearl Jam in San Diego. Best show of the year! (Click here for more).

"Nerdmigos" Webcomic. What I’m most proud of is doing this little weekly comic strip based on the real-life adventures of my friends, the Nerdmigos. I’m having a lot of fun with this. (Read the comic here)

Speaking of the Nerdmigos, the most fun I’ve had this year has been in the company of these cats. From multiple zorratastic bachelor parties, to movie screenings, to geek gatherings, to Nerdsgivin’, the first official Nerdonian holiday (where the following day I woke up to find in the living room a plush monkey wearing a 'luchador' mask among empty bottles of booze and… uh… moisturizing lotion?) (but, let’s never speak of that again).

Best quote of the year: My dad saying on last year’s New Year’s Eve, “You brought whiskey?! And here I am drinking tequila, like a sucker!”

Well, I’m sure I’m forgetting some stuff, but that’s it for now.

Happy New Year!

“Be excellent to each other… And party on, dudes!”

After Nerdsgivin' at Château de Errez in Tuna Town. (Your guess is as good as mine).

Después de Nerdsgivin' en Château de Errez en Tuna Town. (Yo tampoco sé que pasó ahí).

Odio los conteos de fin de año y las listas de lo mejor & lo peor del año… nunca escogen algo en lo que esté de acuerdo. Entonces, mejor me limitaré a mencionar algunas de las cosas cool que me sucedieron este año:

Blog. Bien, en primer lugar, este año comencé mi blog, que ha sido un buen ejercicio para seguir escribiendo, dibujando, y traduciendo. También, este año comencé a “micro-bloguear” en Twitter, que ha sido divertido.

Dibujo. La verdad sí estoy orgulloso de mí por hacer más dibujos de los que he hecho antes en un año, probando nuevas cosas, y aprendiendo nuevas técnicas. Vean mi galería en deviantART.

Comic-Con 2009. Esta Meca de los nerds se ha convertido una segunda casa para mí, y la Con de este año fue definitivamente una de las mejores. Me la pasé muy bien con los Nerdmigos todo ese fin de semana. (Más info aquí).

Trabajo publicado. Un par de mis dibujos fueron publicados este año. “Jar Jar Binks vs. Darth Maul” fue publicado en la revista “Star Wars Insider” (ver aquí) y “Usagi Yojimbo” fue publicado en el libro de recuerdo de Comic-Con (ver a aquí).

Cinematografía. Aparte de escribir y dibujar, también me gusta hacer cine, y este año le ayudé a mi amigo Roy en dos de sus cortometrajes: “Etiología” y ”Café.”

Pearl Jam en San Diego. ¡El mejor concierto de año! (Más info aquí).

Webcómic “Nerdmigos”. De lo que estoy más orgulloso es de hacer esta pequeña historieta semanal basada en las aventuras de la vida real de mis amigos, los Nerdmigos. Me estoy divirtiendo mucho con esto. (Lean el cómic aquí).

Hablando de los Nerdmigos, los momentos más divertidos que he tenido este año han sido en compañía de estos vatos. Desde múltiples zorratásticas despedidas de soltero, hasta ir a ver películas, hasta las reuniones de geeks, hasta Nerdsgivin', el primer día festivo oficial de Nerdonia (donde el día siguiente desperté para encontrar en la sala un chango de peluche con una máscara de luchador entre botellas vacías de licor y… eh... ¿loción hidratante?) (pero, no hablemos de eso nunca más).

La mejor frase del año: Mi papá diciendo el año pasado en Víspera de Año Nuevo, “¡¿Trajiste whisky?! ¡Y yo aquí tomando tequila, como pobre!”

Bueno, estoy seguro que estoy olvidando algo, pero eso es todo por ahora.

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

The People Who Stole Christmas

2009-12-24T11:13:00.000-08:00

CHARLIE BROWN: “I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I'm not happy. I don't feel the way I'm supposed to feel… I just don't understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I'm still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.”

LINUS VAN PELT: “Charlie Brown, you're the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy's right. Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest.”

Well, It’s Christmas Eve and I still don’t feel Christmassy. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Grinch, I love Christmas, it’s my favorite time of the year. Being a Grinch is so year 2000. (Yeah, I said 2000 because that’s the year the Ron Howard film came out) (No, I don’t think people who call themselves “grinches” have ever seen the 1966 Chuck Jones animated short, much less read the 1957 children’s book ‘Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas’). But, this has never happened to me. I believe it was the selfish materialistic consumer people who ruined it for me this year. They just sucked all the fun out of it. What ever happened to giving and not expecting something in return, or, receiving something and just being grateful?

But also, being depressed on Christmas time is so passé. So, fuck it! If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Time to eat and drink all night like a good ol’ Mexican!

Maybe the next generation will take back Christmas. I hope. So, I dedicate this little bit of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” to my nephews. This is an example of what a letter to Santa Claus should NOT be like:

SALLY: “I've been looking for you, big brother. Will you please write a letter to Santa Claus for me?”

CHARLIE BROWN: “Well, I don't have much time. I'm supposed to get down to the school auditorium to direct a Christmas play.”

SALLY: “You write it and I'll tell you what I want to say.”

CHARLIE BROWN: “Okay, shoot.”

SALLY: “Dear Santa Claus, How have you been? Did you have a nice summer? … How is your wife? I have been extra good this year, so I have a long list of presents that I want.”

CHARLIE BROWN: “Oh brother.”

SALLY: “Please note the size and color of each item, and send as many as possible. If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself: just send money. How about tens and twenties?”

CHARLIE BROWN: “TENS AND TWENTIES? Oh, even my baby sister!”

SALLY: “All I want is what I... I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.”

Merry Christmas!

Avatar

2009-12-21T15:34:00.000-08:00

Okay movie! I enjoyed most of it. However, what I don’t like is how people (including movie critics) are over-hyping the film. As a fantasy movie, it's not better than ‘Star Wars’ or ‘The Lord Of The Rings.’ As a science-fiction movie, it’s not better than ‘Star Trek’ or (James Cameron’s own) ‘Aliens.’ It has amazing visual and sound effects. The detail on the designs of the (photo realistic) characters, vehicles, environments, and even the native Na’vi language, are incredible. As far as eye candy goes, this is the best you can get right now. But story wise (writing and storytelling), it’s pretty average and derivative. It seems that James Cameron spent 15 years developing the technology to make this movie, but forgot to develop the script, the characters, and the story. When you take away all the effects and explosions, you’re left with very little. Also, the end credits song, “I See You,” by English pop and R&B singer/songwriter, Leona Lewis, is just awful! It really ruined the mood for me. But still, It’s a cool entertaining popcorn movie.

Christmas Eve Of The Dead

2009-12-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

I made this doodle 2 Christmases ago. My friend, Felipe Torres, did the colors and I did the pencils. The idea came from shooting the shit with my friend, Adrian “The Insane One” Zambrano. We talked about what if the zombie apocalypse had reached the North Pole, and how Elves could not be turned into undead, since they are magical, but Santa Claus could be turned into a zombie, since he is human. The Elves would then make it their mission to keep Santa Claus alive, although he could pretty well kick ass all by himself. I had a lot of fun with this project.

Buy this as a print.

An in a related note: Check out the book 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies: A Book of Zombie Christmas Carols' by Michael P. Spradlin.

Also, this looks familiar: 'The Last Christmas' by co-writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn and artists Rick Remender, Hilary Barta, and Michele Madsen.

Hice este garabato hace 2 Navidades. Mi amigo, Felipe Torres, hizo los colores y yo hice el dibujo a lápiz. La idea vino después de una plática con mi amigo, Adrian “El Insaneo” Zambrano. Hablamos de qué pasaría si el Apocalipsis de los zombis alcanzara a llegar al Polo Norte, y de cómo los duendes no se podrían convertir en muertos vivientes, ya que ellos son mágicos, pero Santa Claus (o Papá Noel, como le llamen) sí podría ser convertido en un zombi, puesto que él es humano. La misión de los duendes, entonces, sería mantener vivo a Santa Claus, aunque él podría chingarse a los zombies bastante bien él solo. Me divertí mucho con este proyecto.

Adquiera una impresión de esta ilustración.

Como una nota relacionada: Busquen el libro 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies: A Book of Zombie Christmas Carols' por Michael P. Spradlin.

También, esto me parece conocido: 'The Last Christmas' por los co-escritores Gerry Duggan y Brian Posehn y los artistas Rick Remender, Hilary Barta, y Michele Madsen.

Excuse Me While I Pimp My Comic

2009-11-21T10:57:00.000-08:00

Wow! 10 comic strips already?! Time goes by fast. I guess “10” is a good number to talk a little bit about this project. Well, the ‘Nerdmigos’ webcomic is actually about my group of friends and the stuff we talk about when we get together, or funny stories that have happened to us in our journey through geek culture. It’s not exactly biographical, but more a parody of us, since we always say that our lives feel like a sitcom. Kinda like “The Big Bang Theory,” but without sexy Kaley Cuoco and the doctorate degrees. So, what started as a little inside joke among friends, has turned into a weekly writing and drawing exercise for me, which I’m having a lot of fun with. It’s also a way of promoting my friends, who are some of the most creative people I know. So, be sure to check out their work (you can find their links listed at the site). Ideas for future installments keep popping up, so stay tuned. I guess that if I ever run out of ideas, I can always start doing ‘Nerdmigos Babies’ or ‘Nerdmigos In Space,’ or some half-assed shit like that, but I’m still a long ways from that. You can read ‘Nerdmigos’ every week at nerdmigos.blogspot.com (where you can also find a Spanish version of the strip), and also at Webcomics Nation (which I personally find easier to read). If you have a Facebook account, please drop by the Nerdmigos Facebook Page and say hi.

P.S. Thanks to all of the Nerdmigos for giving me something to write and doodle about.

¡Órale! ¡¿10 historietas ya?! El tiempo se va rápido. Supongo que “10” es un buen número para hablar un poco sobre este proyecto. Bueno, el webcómic ‘Nerdmigos’ se trata de mi grupo de amigos y de lo que hablamos cuando nos reunimos, o las historias divertidas que nos han sucedido en nuestro viaje a través de la cultura ‘geek.’ No es exactamente biográfico, sino más bien una parodia de nosotros, ya que siempre decimos que nuestras vidas se sienten como una comedia de TV. Más o menos como “The Big Bang Theory”, pero sin la sexy Kaley Cuoco y los títulos de doctorado. Entonces, lo que comenzó como una broma entre compas, se ha convertido en un ejercicio semanal de escritura y dibujo para mí, con el cual me estoy divirtiendo mucho. También es una manera de promover a mis amigos, que son algunas de las personas más creativas que conozco. Así que, los invito a ver su trabajo (pueden encontrar sus enlaces listados en el sitio). Las ideas para futuras instalaciones siguen brotando, así que sigan en sintonía. Me imagino que si algún día me quedo sin ideas, puedo empezar a hacer ‘Bebés Nerdmigos’ o ‘Nerdmigos en el espacio’, o alguna mamada por el estilo, pero, todavía falta mucho para eso. Pueden leer ‘Nerdmigos’ cada semana en nerdmigos.blogspot.com (donde también pueden encontrar una versión en español de la tira), y también en Webcomics Nation (que personalmente me parece más fácil leer). Si tienen cuenta en Facebook, por favor cáiganle a la Página Facebook de Nerdmigos y digan hola.

P.S. Gracias a todos los Nerdmigos por darme algo que escribir y garabatear.

Revolution?

2009-11-20T16:36:00.001-08:00

Foto: La Jornada

Okay, so, today we celebrate the anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, which started in 1910 and lasted about a decade. There’s not much left to celebrate these days though. The Mexican Constitution of 1917, produced by the revolution’s representatives (a socialist constitution, but, shhh, don’t tell anyone), has been shit on to this very day in the Wacky World of Mexican Politics. The established order that the revolutionaries fought against never really disappeared, it has just been changing faces over the years. All of this should inspire the Mexican people to revolt again, or at least be inspired towards change and progress, but no. It seems that the only thing that this day inspires is having an extra day off from work. For some stupid reason, the Mexican Revolution official day off was changed from Friday, November 20 to Monday, November 16. But then, Mexican legislators proposed that we should have the 16 AND the 20 off from work. Yeah, the country is struggling to survive in every aspect, but the Mexican people want too skip work and party. Why would we want an extra day off, anyway? We don’t have any money to spend. Fortunately, The Senate rejected the proposal and Mexicans had the day off on Monday the 16th… and half-ass worked on Friday the 20th.

Bueno, pues, hoy celebramos el aniversario de la revolución mexicana, que comenzó en 1910 y duró como una década. Sin embargo, no queda mucho para celebrar actualmente. Hasta la fecha, en el mundo chistosito de la política mexicana, se han cagado en la constitución mexicana de 1917, producida por los representantes de la revolución (una constitución socialista, pero, shhh, no le digan a nadie). La orden establecida que los revolucionarios combatieron realmente nunca desapareció, sólo ha cambiado de caras durante los años. Todo esto debería inspirar a la gente mexicana a rebelarse otra vez, o por lo menos ser inspirada hacia el cambio y el progreso, pero no. Parece que la única cosa que este día inspira es tener un día libre del trabajo adicional. Por alguna estúpida razón, el día libre oficial de la revolución mexicana fue cambiado del viernes 20 de noviembre al lunes 16 de noviembre. Pero después, los legisladores mexicanos propusieron que tuviéramos el 16 Y el 20 para descansar del trabajo. Así es, el país está luchando para sobrevivir en todos los aspectos, pero la gente mexicana no quiere ir a trabajar e irse de fiesta. Además, a todo esto, ¿por qué querríamos un día libre adicional? No tenemos dinero para gastar. Afortunadamente, el senado rechazó la propuesta y los mexicanos descansaron el lunes 16… y trabajaron con güeva el viernes 20.

“Mexican President Felipe Calderon” Caganer Figure

2009-11-19T08:23:00.000-08:00

This is what Mexicans are getting for Christmas this year, whether we asked for it or not! (Well, we did ask for it).

Source: Caganer.com

Esto es lo que nos va a traer Santa Claus a los mexicanos este año, ¡lo hayamos pedido o no! (Bueno, la verdad que nosotros sí nos lo buscamos).

Fuente: Caganer.com

Michael Jackson's This Is It

2009-11-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, I’m not into reading gossip tabloids or giving my opinion about somebody else’s private life. I’m also not into judging people based on their appearance. I have met some ugly weird-looking motherfuckers throughout my life that have turned out to be very creative and humble people. So, sorry, but I won’t jump on your bandwagon. Let me put it this way: if I were looking to hire a singer/dancer, I would’ve hired Michael Jackson because he was a great dancer and singer, and I wouldn’t give a shit about his personal life. And that’s what this documentary focuses on: that he was a great entertainer. I have to say that I was impressed by the editing work on the film, considering the short amount of time it took to make it. It also looks and sounds great. I was also pleased to see that Jackson was not an asshole. He never raises his voice or mistreats anyone, even when correcting them. Jackson and his team of singers, dancers, musicians, and crew give several displays of their great talent. However, the performances never reach their peak. Jackson keeps holding back throughout the film (he explains that he needs to save his voice for the upcoming tour, that unfortunately never happened). But that’s understandable, since what was recorded were only rehearsals and there was no audience, except for the crew and talent. So, the film is not an action-packed concert movie, but it gives us an idea of what the show would’ve look like.

Top 10 Zorratastic Costumes I Want To See On Halloween

2009-10-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

10. Wednesday Addams (‘The Addams Family’)

9. Batgirl

8. Red Riding Hood (not the "litte" one)

7. Ghostbusterette

6. Supergirl

5. Nyota Uhura (‘Star Trek’)

4. Silk Spectre (‘Watchmen’). Either Laurie Jupiter or Sally Jupiter. It’s a tie.

3. Padme Amidala (‘Attack Of The Clones’)

2. Princess Leia (‘A New Hope’)

1. Princess Leia (Slave Girl, ‘Return Of The Jedi’)

Where the Wild Things Are

2009-10-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful and beautiful movie! Expanding and re-imagining Maurice Sendak’s children’s book, Spike Jonze has made a modern masterpiece full of complicated emotions and complex characters, with simple and quiet sublime imagery and moments. All the cast is amazing, especially Max Records as the full of energy and mischief, Max (yeah, the character and the actor have the same name). I loved the songs in the movie written and performed by Karen O, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer. I’m guessing kids will love this movie and will want to give the wild things a hug, but I believe it will have a deeper impact on adults and have them sobbing towards the final moments of the film. Not because it’s a sad story, but because it will remind them of that long-forgotten childhood imagination they once had and the inner child they sent to bed without supper long ago and told it to stay there.

Pearl Jam in San Diego

2009-10-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

Photo by Karen Loria

What a great Pearl Jam show last Friday night!!! They played a selection of everything from greatest hits, to lesser known gems and rarities, to cover songs, to almost half the songs from their latest album ‘Backspacer.’ And best of all, no politics rants! They really made a point in the previous albums/tours to talk about how that fucking George W. Bush was the worst president, but I’m glad he is out of office, because Pearl Jam can have fun now.

The first surprise of the night was definitely when Eddie Vedder joined opening act Ben Harper and Relentless7 for a cover of Queen’s “Under Pressure.” It was amazing! Right after the song, Ben Harper said, “That’ll teach them for coming late to the show.” I totally agree. I’m so sorry for everyone who was outside the venue when this unique moment happened.

The next surprise was that as soon as Pearl Jam took the stage, they started rocking hard. I had become accustomed to Pearl Jam starting their concerts with one of their slower songs, but this time they started with “Last Exit,” one of my favorite songs from their ‘Vitalogy’ album, and they continued rocking hard through most of the main set. Before starting “Amongst The Waves” Ed said, “If you’re a surfer you’ll understand the song... If you are in love you’ll understand... If you’re a surfer in love... it’ll blow your fucking mind.” It’s such an amazing song. I wasn’t sure about “Johnny Guitar” from the new album. I know it’s a great rock song, but maybe not one of Pearl Jam’s best. But it turned out that it sounds great live. My favorite song from the new album is “Unthought Known” and it sounds awesome live. “Parachutes” was a nice surprise. Before starting, Ed said that he was probably going to fuck up the lyrics, since they don’t get to play this song too often. And he did, but only in one verse. Someone in the first row was helping Ed remember the lyrics, but the song still sounded great. I was glad they played “Daughter,” because they didn’t play it last time they came to San Diego. The main set closed with one of the best renditions of “Rearviewmirror” I’ve heard live.

The first encore was great. “The End” had been played accompanied by a string section in previous shows, but this time it was stripped down to just Ed solo on acoustic guitar, and it was just excellent and moving. Ben Harper joined the band on slide guitar for “Red Mosquito.” First time I’ve heard that one live. After the song, the band paused to sing “Happy Birthday” to Lulu, the sound guy’s daughter, along with the audience, and then dedicated “Given To Fly” to her.

Just when everybody was starting to wind down after the first encore and was getting ready to say goodbye, the band came back for a second kick-ass action-packed encore! Ed said, “It’s the last night [of the first leg of the tour], we don’t have anywhere else to go.” And they jumped directly into “Why Go,” “Black,” and “Betterman,” followed by Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” (joined by Ed and Matt’s music old instructors from San Diego) and The Byrds’ “So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star,” during which Ed told a story of when he used to work at a gas station in San Diego, and said to his former boss, who was in the audience, “that job was great… but, this job I have right now… I am never gonna give it up!” But then, with “Yellow Ledbetter,” it was time to say goodbye for the night. The band gave their all and the audience was so energetic.

I had a sore throat all weekend…

Awesome show!

Here’s the complete set list:

San Diego Viejas Arena, Oct 09, 2009

Set 1
•Last Exit
•Corduroy
•Severed Hand
•Brain Of J.
•Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
•Amongst The Waves
•Johnny Guitar
•Even Flow
•Unthought Known
•Parachutes
•Daughter
•I Got Id
•You Are
•Force of Nature
•Got Some
•Do The Evolution
•Rearviewmirror

Encore 1
•The End
•Red Mosquito
•Happy Birthday (To Lulu)
•Given To Fly
•Last Kiss
•The Fixer
•Life Wasted

Encore 2
•Why Go
•Black
•Better Man (Save it for Later)
•Little Wing
•So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star
•Alive
•Yellow Ledbetter (The Star-Spangled Banner)

NOTE: "Red Mosquito" featured Ben Harper on guitar. "Little Wing" featured John Szantos and Bud Whitcomb on guitar and drums.

Click here for more photos.

San Diego 2009 Poster

Zombieland

2009-10-07T16:05:00.001-07:00

I loved this movie! It's a great comedy with horror, but best of all, a kick-ass zombie movie. Definitely funnier and scarier than 'Shaun Of The Dead.' The mesmerizing intro scored to Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is just awesome. I really liked Columbus' rules to survive the zombie apocalypse sprinkled throughout the movie. Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, sexy Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin are great in their roles. And Bill Murray… oh man, Bill Murray is just brilliant! Best cameo ever. This is one very entertaining movie. I need a Twinkie!

My Top 10 Favorite Moments in Comics

2009-09-26T00:11:00.000-07:00

I wish I could read more comic books, but these are my favorite moments from what I’ve read over the years:

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!

10. Don’t look back you idiot! Neil Gaiman’s re-telling of The Song of Orpheus in “Sandman Special #1.”

9. Kick-Ass gets his ass kicked on his first day as a masked hero in “Kick-Ass #1.”

8. Superman fucks Wonder Woman’s brains out in ‘The Dark Knight Strikes Again.’

7. An awesome “what if” story from “Star Wars: Visionaries” where a cyborg Darth Maul attacks the Lars Homestead in Tatooine to bring Obi-Wan Kenobi out of hiding.

6. ‘Kingdom Come’ is awesome in many ways, but my favorite is this quiet epilogue moment between Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman.

5. Zorratastic Casey Hack getting it on with a hot girl in… well, any issue of “Hack/Slash” where Casey gets it on with a hot girl.

4. Marv gets the chair in ‘Sin City: The Hard Goodbye.’

3. The Joker shooting Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) and leaving her paralyzed in ‘The Killing Joke’ was shocking, but, what comes afterwards, The Joker fucking with Commissioner Gordon’s mind in order to “prove a point,” is just disturbing.

2. “Do it!” Rorschach’s last moments in ‘Watchmen.’

1. Lobo reviews portfolios for wannabe comic book artists at a comic convention and then gives the poor bastards an anatomy class they will never forget in “Lobo: Convention Special #1.”

Check out Ben's and Tony's Top 10 lists.

Pearl Jam's 'Backspacer'

2009-09-22T08:24:00.001-07:00

Every time I’ve heard a new Pearl Jam album, my immediate reaction has been, “what the hell was that?” (Well, maybe except for ‘Ten,’ which was love at first listen). But then the songs start growing on me after listening to the album again and again, until I find myself singing along and loving the whole thing. And then you hear the songs played live, and you experience how the tunes evolve from studio recording to live performance, and at that moment you just get why the songs are what they are on the record. I had become accustomed to listening to their records this way, but I have to say that, with ‘Backspacer,’ it’s the first time I hear a Pearl Jam album where things click right from the first time. It’s not a perfect album (“Speed of Sound” and “The End,” although beautiful songs, seemed odd with the rest of the album, at least after the first time), but it’s definitely Pearl Jam’s most straightforward, upbeat, and shortest record to date. And that’s a good thing. If the album’s title refers to the “backspace” key of an old typewriter, which basically means taking a step back and fixing your past mistakes, then, I have to say, Pearl Jam’s got their rock mojo back. The album’s 3-song jump-start (“Gonna See My Friend,” “Got Some,” and “The Fixer”) is just brilliant. Some of the album’s rockers like “Johnny Guitar,” “Supersonic,” and the more mid-tempo “Force of Nature” have such a fun classic 80’s rock feel to them. The highlights for me were the album’s centerpieces “Just Breathe,” “Amongst The Waves,” and “Unthought Known.” They gave me goose bumps. Another treat was Tom Tomorrow’s album artwork, which I loved. You can see that a lot of though was put into these illustrations, and the cover art stands out as one of Pearl Jam’s best. It’s just a great record to listen to. Check it out.

Cada vez que he escuchado un nuevo álbum de Pearl Jam, mi reacción inmediata ha sido, “qué demonios fue eso?” (Bueno, quizá con la excepción de ‘Ten', que fue amor a la primera escuchada). Pero luego las canciones comienzan a crecer en mí después de escuchar el álbum repetidas veces, hasta que me la paso cantando y me gusta todo el disco. Y después uno escucha las canciones en vivo, y se aprecia cómo las rolas evolucionan de una grabación en estudio a una interpretación en vivo, y en ese momento uno comprende por qué las canciones son como son en el disco. Ya me había acostumbrado a escuchar sus discos de esta manera, pero tengo que decir que, con ‘Backspacer’, es la primera vez que escucho un álbum de Pearl Jam donde me enganchan a la primera vez. No es un álbum perfecto (“Speed of Sound” y “The End,” aunque son canciones hermosas, se escuchan raras con el resto del álbum, por lo menos después de la primera vez), pero definitivamente sí es el disco de Pearl Jam más directo, más optimista, y más corto hasta la fecha. Y eso es algo bueno. Si el título del álbum se refiere a la “tecla de retroceso” de una máquina de escribir vieja, que básicamente significa regresarse y corregir nuestros últimos errores, entonces, tengo que decir Pearl Jam ha recuperado su magia. El arrancón de 3 canciones del álbum (“Gonna See My Friend,” “Got Some,” y “The Fixer ") es genial. Algunas canciones rockeras del álbum como “Johnny Guitar,” “Supersonic,” y la más tranquila “Force of Nature” se sienten como ese rock clásico y divertido de los ochenta. Los puntos culminantes para mí fueron las piezas centrales del álbum “Just Breathe,” “Amongst The Waves,” y “Unthought Known.” Se me puso la piel de gallina. Otro regalo fueron las ilustraciones del álbum de Tom Tomorrow, que me gustaron mucho. Se ve que se puso mucho empeño en la creación de estas ilustraciones, y el arte de la portada se destaca como uno los mejores de Pearl Jam. Es un buen disco. Búsquenlo.

33

2009-09-18T08:14:00.001-07:00

Check out more Nerdmigos webcomics at nerdmigos.blogspot.com.

Más webcomics de los Nerdmigos en nerdmigos.blogspot.com. También en español.

Batman, Rorschach, & Walt Kowalski in “The Last Beer”

2009-09-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

I am sure that I am not the only one who believes that Christian Bale (The Dark Knight), Jackie Earle Haley (‘Watchmen’), and Clint Eastwood (‘Gran Torino’) went to the same School of Grumpy Badass Hero Voice Acting.

Estoy seguro que no soy el único que cree que Christian Bale (‘The Dark Knight’), Jackie Earle Haley (‘Watchmen’), y Clint Eastwood (‘Gran Torino’) fueron a la misma Escuela de Actuación de Voz para Héroe Gruñón y Chingón.

Nerdmigos Art Jam: Disney Vs. Marvel - Donald Duck Vs. Wolverine

2009-09-07T11:52:00.001-07:00

You might have read in the news last week that Disney will acquire Marvel Entertainment for 4 billion dollars. So, in celebration / outrage / protest / awareness of this news, the Nerdmigos got together for this Art Jam project mashing up characters from both universes.

For my drawing, I picked Wolverine and Donald Duck. Wolvie was a no-brainer, since he is my favorite Marvel Comics character. I love the vintage brown Wolverine costume because, well, it’s just cool, and my first Wolverine action figure when I was a kid was painted with this outfit, and it was the first time I knew anything about the character. On the other hand, I picked Donald Duck because, of all of the main Disney characters, he is the only one that has an attitude and he wouldn’t go down without a fight. Also, this guy likes to party in Mexico. Come on! He’s a sailor and he has a soft spot for the ladies (click here and here). I would imagine he stopped by Adelitas Bar in Tijuana on one of his many trips to Mexico and South America with The Three Caballeros. Oh, and I always liked his guest staring role in “Duck Tales.” What’s not to like about this duck?

Quizás leyeron en las noticias la semana pasada que Disney adquirirá Marvel Entertainment por 4 mil millones de dólares. Así pues, en celebración / ultraje / protesta / conocimiento de esta noticia, los Nerdmigos nos juntamos para este proyecto Art Jam mezclando personajes de ambos universos.

Para mi dibujo, escogí a Wolverine y al Pato Donald. Wolvie fue una elección obvia, ya que es mi personaje favorito de Marvel Comics. Me encanta el disfraz café antiguo de Wolverine porque, pues, está cool, y mi primer figura de acción de Wolverine cuando era niño estaba pintado con este traje, y fue la primera vez que supe que existía el personaje. Por otro lado, escogí al Pato Donald porque, de todos los personajes principales de Disney, es el único que tiene actitud y no se dejaría ganar en una pelea. Además, a este güey le gusta tirar party en México. ¡Vamos! Es marinero y le gustan las señoritas (ver aquí y aquí). Me imagino que se la pasó en el Adelitas Bar en Tijuana en uno de sus tantos viajes a México y Sudamérica con Los Tres Caballeros. Oh, y siempre me gustaba su papel de invitado en "Pato Aventuras". ¿A quién no le cae bien este pato?

Check out these awesome and way cooler illustrations by the rest of the Nerdmigos:

Vean estos impresionantes y mucho más cool dibujos por el resto de los Nerdmigos:

"Antman & Tink " by Ben:

"Great Purchase" by Gelipe:

"Marvelously Disneyish" by Lerms:

Mexican Moviegoer Emotions

2009-09-05T10:07:00.001-07:00

The Cinepolis movie theatre chain is having a sweepstakes called “EmocionES Cinépolis” where you can win prizes by sending a text message from your cell phone telling a story in 20 words or less of how you “live your emotions” at their multiplexes. You get a golden ticket with a game code when you purchase a movie ticket. Now, this is a company that doesn’t feel the need to improve their service, since they are the main movie theatre chain of only 2 in Tijuana (and maybe a couple more in the whole country) and they really don’t have much competition. So, this is what I sent:

“Annoyed by shitty picture/sound. No IMAX screen in TJ. With only 1 digital projector for the whole city. FU Cinépolis!”

This was the automatic reply I received:

“Thanks! Your emotions have been registered. The more codes you send, more opportunities you have to win. Keep your golden ticket. Visit www.cinepolis.com”

Best 3 pesos I’ve ever spent.

La cadena de salas de cine Cinépolis está llevando a cabo un sorteo llamado “EmocionES Cinépolis” donde se pueden ganar premios enviando un mensaje de texto desde un teléfono celular contando una historia en 20 palabras o menos de cómo uno “vive sus emociones” en sus múlti-salas. Se consigue un boleto de oro con un código de juego cuando se compra un boleto para película. Ahora, ésta es una compañía que no siente la necesidad de mejorar su servicio, puesto que son la principal cadena de salas de cine de solamente 2 en Tijuana (y quizá unas 2 más en todo el país) y no tienen realmente mucha competencia. Entonces, esto es lo que envié:

“Fastidiado por imagen/sonido cagados. Sin pantalla IMAX en TJ. Con 1 sólo proyector digital para toda la ciudad. FU Cinépolis!”

Ésta fue la respuesta automática que recibí:

“Gracias! Tus emociones han sido registradas. Entre más códigos envíes, más oportunidades tienes de ganar. Conserva tu boleto de oro. Visita www.cinepolis.com”

Fueron los mejores 3 pesos que he gastado.

Vinyl Fix

2009-09-04T10:41:00.001-07:00

I recently wrote about Pearl Jam’s “The Fixer,” the first single from their upcoming ‘Backspacer’ album, and what a cool song it is. Last week I got my copy of the single in the mail. But, I’m not talking about those small crappy CD singles. What I got is a good old-fashioned 45rpm record issued in glorious 7” WHITE vinyl!!! Oh, and how I love vinyl! Be it for novelty, or the ritual of play, or the physical piece of art, or just the purity and warmth of sound that accompanies it. And Pearl Jam loves vinyl too. They even made homage to vinyl records with “Spin The Black Circle” from their ‘Vitalogy’ (1993) album. Vinyl is a solid part of the band's legacy, and is just as part of the Pearl Jam experience as seeing them live. Can’t wait for the new album in a couple of weeks.

Recientemente escribí sobre “The Fixer” de Pearl Jam, el primer sencillo de su próximo álbum ‘Backspacer,’ y qué tan cool está la canción. La semana pasada me llegó por correo mi copia del sencillo. Pero, no estoy hablando de esos pequeños sencillos cagadillos en CD. ¡¡¡Lo que conseguí fue uno de esos discos a la antigua de 45rpm grabado en un glorioso vinilo BLANCO de 18 cm!!! ¡Oh, y cómo amo el vinilo! Sea por novedad, o por el ritual del tocadiscos, o por ser un pedazo físico de arte, o sólo por la pureza y el calor del sonido que lo acompaña. Y Pearl Jam ama el vinilo también. Incluso hicieron homenaje a los discos de vinilo con “Spin The Black Circle” de su álbum ‘Vitalogy' (1993). El vinilo es una parte sólida de la herencia de la banda, y es tan parte de la experiencia de Pearl Jam como lo es verlos en vivo. No puedo esperar para el nuevo álbum en un par de semanas.

Inglourious Basterds

2009-08-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well, it's a Tarantino film, that's for sure. It has all those cool characters and long dialogs and chapters that I love in his movies. It has top-notch performances from the cast; especially Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa and Bratt Pitt as the hilariously bad-ass Lt. Aldo Raine. But, I just wasn't too thrilled about the story. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but I just didn't feel invited to join in and cheer the Basterd's Jewish USAmerican gung ho kick-assery, since I am neither. The only nerve that this film did strike was that of a love for movies, and you can see that Quentin Tarantino LOVES movies and is someone who realizes that there is no way you can be historically objective in movies (not even documentaries), so, why not have fun with it?

"Café" Shoot

2009-08-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my friend Roy Calderon shot his new short film, "Café" (called "The Traveling Writer" at the time of shooting) and I had a great time helping out on location, where I also did some still photography work. Cool cats, everyone involved in the production. Thanks for inviting me.

El fin de semana pasado, mi amigo Roy Calderón grabó su nuevo cortometraje, "Café" (llamado "El escritor viajero" durante la grabación), y me la pasé muy bien ayudando en la locación, en donde también trabajé algo de foto fija. Buena onda, todos los que participaron en la producción. Gracias por invitarme.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

2009-08-17T14:18:00.001-07:00

My inner child wanted to see this movie, but my common sense told me that it would suck (I mean, what can you expect from the director of 'The Mummy') (Yeah, I don't care how entertaining people think they are, those 'Mummy' movies suck) (And they are not funny). And suck it did (Thanks a lot, inner child!). My main issue with the movie is that it just doesn't feel like G.I. Joe (be it the one from the cartoons, or the toys, or the comic books). At least the robots in 'Transformers' transformed, you can't argue with that. But there are very few things in this movie that are true to what has been established before. Yet, there are a couple of good attempts, like Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow (although they totally misused their origin story, that was a whole other movie right there!) and (surprisingly) Zartan. But that doesn't hide the fact that they totally ruined the Baroness and got the whole character dynamics wrong. For a true G.I. Joe experience, be sure to look for "G.I. Joe: Resolute," an 11 episode animated series based on the franchise, written by Warren Ellis. It kind of makes you wish that these two projects had exchanged scripts (and production teams, for that matter). But instead we were left with an excellent animated mini series that nobody saw, and a crappy half-baked movie that everybody is running to see.

First Pamplonpendejada in Tijuana

2009-08-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

On August 9 and 23, the ‘pamplonadas’ will be held in Tijuana for the first time (by the way, they are not called “pamplonadas,” they are called “sanfermines,” but try arguing with the Spanish-wannabes of Mexico). Originally (with emphasis on “original”), this festival in honor of Saint Fermin is celebrated every year in Pamplona, Spain. But now, it turns out that the people of Tijuana, who, by the way, don’t give a shit about this Saint Fermin guy, have the need to make their own version of the Spanish traditional celebration with a crappy Region 4 copy. It is like those original songs that are later ruined by lame cumbia covers. Let’s admit it, we Mexicans are not very good at copying. Perhaps we have managed to “adapt” a few things, but not copy them. Why does Mexican society have the need to copy things from other countries, be it TV programs, festivals, or urban planning? What happened to that Mexican ingenuity to come up with original things? Why not make a new Mexican celebration? Seriously, this to me is no different than going out trick-or-treating in Mexico. Now, I do not have anything against celebrations, on the contrary, I like parties; it’s also not about being against the brutal mistreatment of animals in bullfights (which I am against, but I won’t get in to that right now); but, I do have to say that the most famous activity of the Saint Fermin Festival, called the “encierro” (the running of the bulls), which consists of a herd of dudes running in front of 6 bulls and 8 oxen during 2-3 minutes from the corrals to the Pamplona bullring, is one of the stupidest traditions that human beings have come up with in all History. Not to mention dangerous: at least 15 poor idiots have died in this activity, the most recent one less than a month ago. Although, I sincerely can't imagine something so dramatic happening in the Tijuana version (the running of the bulls activity is going to take place in a parking lot, hahaha, with old and slow bulls). But, well, anyway, my best wishes to the participants and I hope that nobody gets a bull horn up their ass. Later.

El 9 y 23 de agosto se van a llevar a cabo las pamplonadas por primera vez en Tijuana (por cierto, no se llaman “pamplonadas”, se llaman “sanfermines”, pero aléguenle a los wannabe españoles de México). Originalmente (con énfasis en lo “original”), estas fiestas en honor a San Fermín se celebran cada año en Pamplona, España. Pero ahora resulta que la gente de Tijuana, a quién por cierto le vale pito ese tal San Fermín, tiene la necesidad de hacer su propia versión de la fiesta tradicional española con una copia chafa Región 4. Es como esas canciones originales que después son arruinadas por ‘covers’ nacos de cumbia. Admitámoslo, los mexicanos no somos muy buenos para copiar. Quizás hemos logrado “adaptar” algunas cosas, pero copiar no. ¿Por qué la sociedad mexicana tiene la necesidad de copiar cosas de otros países, ya sea programas de televisión, festivales, o planeación urbana? ¿Qué pasó con el ingenio mexicano para sacar cosas originales? ¿Por qué no hacer una nueva fiesta mexicana? En serio, esto no se me hace muy diferente que salir a pedir triqui-triqui en México. Ahora, no tengo nada en contra de las celebraciones, al contrario, me gustan las fiestas; tampoco se trata de que esté en contra del brutal maltrato a los animales en las corridas de toros (que lo estoy, pero no me voy a meter en eso ahorita); pero, sí tengo que decir que la actividad más famosa de las fiestas sanfermines, llamada “el encierro”, que consiste en una manada de gueyes corriendo en frente de 6 toros y 8 bueyes durante 2-3 minutos desde los corralillos hasta la plaza de toros de Pamplona, es una de las tradiciones más estúpidas que se le han ocurrido al ser humano en toda la Historia. Aparte de peligrosa: por lo menos 15 pobres idiotas se han muerto en esta actividad, el más reciente hace menos de un mes. Aunque, sinceramente no me imagino que suceda algo tan dramático en la versión tijuanense (la actividad del encierro se va a llevar a cabo en un estacionamiento, jajaja, con toros viejos y lentos). Pero, bueno, de todas maneras, mis mejores deseos para los participantes y espero que a nadie le metan un cuerno de toro por el culo. Al rato.

"Render" Short Film

2009-08-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

Check out my brother Marcio's new short film "Render."

Los invito a ver el nuevo cortometraje de mi hermano Marcio, "Render".

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Star Wars Insider #111 Out Now

2009-07-31T08:12:00.000-07:00

The “Jar Jar Binks vs. Darth Maul” fan art I did a couple of months ago was published in issue #111 of “Star Wars Insider” magazine, and it’s on newsstands now. Check it out.

...

La ilustración “Jar Jar Binks vs. Darth Maul” que hice hace un par de meses fue publicada en la edición #111 de la revista “Star Wars Insider”, y ya la pueden encontrar en puestos de revistas.

Usagi Yojimbo 25th Anniversary

2009-07-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

There were a lot of great geek moments at Comic-Con this year, but, on a personal note, I was very happy to find out that one of my drawings was published in the “Comic-Con 2009 Souvenir Book” (page 188).

I made this illustration especially for the 25th anniversary of Usagi Yojimbo and it was the first drawing I made this year.

Also, I was invited to include this illustration in a Gratitude Portfolio, a collection of small “thank you” notes, as a gift to creator Stan Sakai, which was given to him in book form at Comic-Con. You can check out the online version here and Mr. Sakai's reaction here.

This is what Michael Takahara from the Usagi Yojimbo Dojo wrote:

‘Hello Ismael,

I got your fan art thank you for Stan. Thank you so much for contributing. Stan is going to love it.

Peace,

Maka’

So cool. Thank you, Comic-Con International and Michael Takahara for your consideration.

...

Hubo muchos buenos momentos “geek” en la Comic-Con de este año, pero, en lo personal, me dio mucho gusto descubrir que uno de mis dibujos fue publicado en el “Libro Conmemorativo Comic-Con 2009” (página 188).

Hice esta ilustración especialmente para el 25to aniversario de Usagi Yojimbo y fue el primer dibujo que hice este año.

También, me invitaron a incluir esta ilustración en un Portafolio de Gratitud, una colección de pequeñas notas de “agradecimiento”, como regalo al creador Stan Sakai, el cual se le entregó en forma de libro en la Comic-Con. Pueden ver la versión en línea aquí y la reacción del Sr. Sakai aquí.

Esto es lo que escribió Michael Takahara de Usagi Yojimbo Dojo:

‘Hola Ismael,

Recibí tu ilustración para agradecer a Stan. Gracias por contribuir. A Stan le va a encantar.

Paz,

Maka’

Cool. Gracias a Comic-Con International y a Michael Takahara por su consideración.

Comic-Con International 2009

2009-07-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

Had a great time at Comic-Con this past weekend. Here’s a quick rundown (at least of what I experienced):

Preview Night. This exclusive bonus for 4-day badge holders has lost all its meaning. Now it’s more like half a day of Comic-Con. It’s packed just like any other day. They even have programming now, when every other year they just opened the exhibit room for a couple of hours.

Obi-Wan, Anakin, Asoka, & Captain Rex, from "The Clone Wars." Photo by IAMO.

Day 1. Señor Maquino's Birthday. The Nerdmigos and I had to sit through the ‘New Moon’ panel along with thousands of screaming ‘Twilight’ fans. It was hell, but we tried to make the best of it by making fun of the whole thing and the ridiculous footage we were shown (I guess every male character in the ‘Twilight’ universe has to take off their shirt after an accident of before committing emo vampire suicide). But I guess it was worth enduring, because we also got to see Robert Zemeckis (who has directed some of my favorite movies of all time and is a supercool cat); Tim Burton in his first Comic-Con appearance, with special surprise guest Johnny Depp!!!! (Take that Robert Pattinson!); great footage from the upcoming ‘TRON Legacy’; about 25 minutes of footage from James Cameron’s amazing ‘Avatar’; and we closed the day with the world premiere screening of ‘Green Lantern: First Flight’, where Bruce Timm made more than 4 thousand nerds stand up and give the Green Lantern oath. Epic!

Kaley Cuoco. Photo by Alejandro Avila.

Day 2. We were shown footage from the upcoming Spike Jones movie ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ which took me back to my childhood and almost made me cry; The ‘Book Of Eli’ panel included Danzel Washington and Gary Oldman (in his first Comic-Con appearance); The ‘Nightmare On Elm Street’ reboot actually looks good with Jackie Earle Haley; Cameron Diaz was there promoting ‘The Box’ which feels like a cool “Twilight Zone” episode; Josh Brolin and zorratastic Megan Fox showed some footage from ‘Jonah Hex’; the always cool Robert Downey Jr. showed some footage from ‘Sherlock Holmes’; I couldn’t get into the “Big Bang Theory” panel, but I saw Kaley Cuoco outside of the Marriot (she’s cute); we finished the day with a very lame and boring Spike & Mike animation festival (deep hurting!)

"Heroes" Carnival at San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter. Photo by IAMO.

Day 3. This was a very fun day. Had a chance to go to the Heroes Carnival; I couldn’t get in, but I heard the ‘Iron Man 2’ panel was great; Some Playboy Playmates gave me a free magazine and a popcicle :); got and autographed calendar by J. Scott Thomas; our friend Carlos Lerma was at the Image Comics booth!; we closed the day with a screening of ‘Watchmen’ Director’s Cut with live commentary by the goddamn Zack Snyder!!! (supercool dude).

Iron Man suits Mark 1, Mark 2, Mark 3, and Mark 4, with Spider-Man, at the Marvel booth. Photo by IAMO.

Day 4. Last day of Comic-Con. Our friend Carlos Lerma was invited to the Image Comics booth for a second time. One last stroll through the exhibit room and back home for some rest and relaxation.

Look on the bright side… only 12 months to Comic-Con 2010.

Check out this video by Lerms:

Nerdmigos Art Jam: Zorras - Snake Dance

2009-07-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

A couple of friends and I decided to start an Art Jam as an illustration exercise. We thought it would be a good idea, but we just needed a theme. So, we picked our favorite subject of all: ZORRAS!

The one above is mine. I recently saw a stripper perform with a live snake and decided to do a tribute to her. God bless them Zorras, they bring nothing but happiness!

Buy "Snake Dance" as a print.

Unos amigos y yo decidimos comenzar un Art Jam como ejercicio de ilustración. Pensamos que sería buena idea, pero sólo necesitábamos un tema. Entonces, escogimos nuestro tema favorito de todos: ¡ZORRAS!

La de arriba es la mía, Recientemente vi a una stripper bailar con una serpiente viva y decidí hacer un tributo a ella. ¡Dios bendiga a las zorras, ellas no traen nada mas que felicidad!

Adquiera "Snake Dance" como impresión.

Check out this supercool rendition of a Zorra by my friend Ben Camberos:
Vean esta interpretación supercool de una Zorra por mi amigo Ben Camberos:

Pearl Jam's "The Fixer"

2009-07-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Pearl Jam debuted the song “The Fixer,” the first single from their upcoming studio album ‘Backspacer,’ yesterday on their MySpace page and it’s now playing on the radio. I can’t wait to listen to the whole album in September, their first independently released record. I have to say that this is the most “pop” Pearl Jam song I have heard. But still, it’s melodically tight and fun. I really liked it.

Pearl Jam debutó la canción “The Fixer”, el primer sencillo de su próximo álbum de estudio, ‘Backspacer’, ayer en su página de MySpace y ahora se está tocando en la radio. No puedo esperar para escuchar el álbum entero en septiembre, su primer disco lanzado independientemente. Tengo que decir que ésta es la canción más “pop” de Pearl Jam que he escuchado. Pero aún así, es melódicamente tenaz y divertida. Me gustó mucho.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

I don’t think any of the Harry Potter movies (or books) are stand-alone pieces (well, except maybe the first one); they are meant to be experienced as a whole. This one in particular, spends more time setting up the next and final story, so you get one exposition scene after another. This is not a bad thing; you just have to be patient, since it doesn’t have a conclusion. But, if you’ve gone through all the previous movies, you should be accustomed to that by now. The other thing is that these stories keep getting sadder, so, it’s cool to see Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint finding new ways to have fun with their characters, and keeping them in the light while rest of the story goes through the dark. Malfoy, on the other hand, has gone completely emo. But I’m glad returning director David Yates takes his time to tell the story, let’s us understand the characters better, and gives us a movie that looks great and doesn’t feel rushed.

The Sausage Bandit Strikes Again!

2009-07-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

I recently posted something about the mysterious Sausage Bandit, and now Señor Maquino pointed us to this in the news:

Oscar Mayer Wienermobile loses control, crashes into Racine home.

Tony, where were you on July 17, ehm?

Zorras & Beer

2009-07-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, so last night we went to this Exxxpoerotica 2009 convention, happening from July 17-19, hoping to have a good time, but we got bored really fast. I think it took us about 15 minutes to go through the whole exhibition room. The activities in the main stage consisted mainly of stupid contests and bad jokes. I think a lot of people were expecting it to be a porn convention, and I don’t know why. Maybe the advertising, or even how they named the event, was misleading. They only did this event, if nothing else, to promote local businesses. And, come on, Mexico is very conservative, so, how hardcore could it be? I was only expecting to see a lot of zorras, and that's what I got. It’s definitely not worth the price or the duration of the event. But, it’s not the zorras’ fault, they were very sweet, it’s just a boring event.

So, then we went to the 5th. International Craft Beer Festival, also from July 17-19, and it was so much more fun. It was originally held in the Fall to coincide with the traditional Oktoberfest time, but I think the Summer time made it more enjoyable. We ran into friends, had good beer, and saw local rocker Javier Batiz, who's starting to sound like Krusty The Clown, perform live at the inauguration. It was definitely better than last year.

Coldplay in San Diego

2009-07-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

I must confess that I am really not that into Coldplay, but I have to admit that last night was one amazing and unforgettable show.

The band gets extra points because of fan service:

The set list consisted mainly of fan favorites and I can say that I had heard most of the songs, although I’ve read that it was basically the same set list from other shows in their continuing Viva La Vida Tour.

For a moment, the band left the main stage and walked to a mini stage that was located in the middle right rows of the venue and played a couple of songs among the crowd. I thought that was very cool. But then, later on, they walked to ANOTHER mini stage in the Lawn Area way in the back of the venue (you know, the Mexican Section of the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre) and it was right where we were standing!!! It was insane! They played 3 acoustic songs in that mini stage, including a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” and we were right there with the band! I had never experienced anything like that at any other concert I’ve been to. Other artists should take note of what this band does for their fans.

There was a funny moment earlier in the show where lead singer Chris Martin fucked up in the first verse of “Yellow” and said that drummer Will Champion had given him an ugly look. He then had the audience sing along an “I am sorry Will” song for him.

Before the show ended, Martin acknowledged the opening acts Amadou & Mariam, and Kitty Daisy & Lewis. He then said that the audience would receive a free copy of their live CD “Left Right Left Right Left” (which you can also download from the official Coldplay website), and we did, when we left the venue.

Ok, so here is the set list of last night’s show, for all of you Coldplay super fans.

Set list:

Life In Technicolor
Violet Hill
Clocks
In My Place
Yellow
Glass Of Water
Cemeteries Of London
42
Fix You
Strawberry Swing
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (techno version)
Talk (techno version)
The Hardest Part (Chris piano)
Postcards From Far Away (piano instrumental)
Viva La Vida
Lost!
Green Eyes (acoustic)
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay / Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic, sung by Will)
Billie Jean

---Viva La Vida (remix interlude) (This was not actually played, but it was on the speakers when the band walked from the Lawn Area mini stage back to the main stage)---

Politik
Lovers In Japan
Death And All His Friends

---Encore---

The Scientist
Life in Technicolor II
The Escapist (outro)

Cool San Diego Bar

2009-07-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

I had a good night out last weekend in San Diego. Well, except for one minor incident.

We went to Camel's Breath Inn, a retro '50s type wood-and-vinyl-booth bar that was recommended, but we couldn’t get past the entrance. When the security guard asked us for a valid ID, we showed him our border-crossing laser visas, as we have done in any other place in the US, but the card baffled him and told us he didn’t know what it was. He then showed them to a woman who worked at the place, but she was just as perplexed by the ID, and very rudely said it was no good, and that we needed to show her our Mexican passports (which we did not have at the moment because we only use them to travel to any country in the world other that the US, since it’s the only country in the world who issues its own exclusive kind of document to cross the border: the laser visa). Another guard said that California Law states that a valid ID is only a) a driver’s license, b) a US passport, or c) an official government-issued photo ID. We tried to explain that what we had was a valid ID, but it was pointless, and we decided to go somewhere else. It was obvious that they did not want outsiders there. The same thing had happened to me once in Las Vegas. Ok, well, I have some news for all of you ignorant employees who have to deal with foreign customers: A laser visa IS an official government-issued photo ID!!! And unless you are protecting an international border, and not a bar, you do not ask for a foreign passport. Besides, the only reason you ask for a valid ID is to verify that I am older that 21, and I am 32, and my date of birth is printed in the laser visa!!! Now, the security guards, although they were clueless, were actually cool cats and very nice. But the mean white-trash blonde bitch that didn’t let us in, well, she can basically go fuck her self.

On the other hand, we had a great time at McGregor's Grill and Ale House, part sports bar, part neighborhood pub. We had absolutely no problem getting in and we immediately felt welcomed. The food is good, the beer is great, and the employees are the nicest cats in San Diego. So, if you are ever around the area, go there instead.

Brüno

2009-07-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Über-gay movie, but I laughed out loud from beginning to end. It could have used even more of those uncomfortable interviews that Sacha Baron Cohen does so well. That's why I liked 'Borat' better. But still, even if it is more shocking than smart, the whole movie is hilarious!

Check out David Letterman's "Top Ten Reasons To See The New Movie 'Bruno.'"

Tony Loves Chorizo

2009-07-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

This is an inside joke we've had with the Nerdmigos during the last 4 months. It all started when our friend Tony declared his undying love for chorizo (no gay connotation here, mind you, we all know he is all about the pussy, but, he's just a guy who, well, loves chorizo… in his mouth… I mean… to eat it… that is… ok, let's move on). Then, we started reading about these weird stories in the news involving sausage incidents ("Assault With An 8-Inch Sausage," "Sausage breaks drivers nose," "Meat Hero: Man Gets Struck By Lightning While BBQing, Only Utters 'Sausages'"). It seemed odd that Tony and this mysterious "Sausage Bandit" were never seen at the same place and time. So, anyway, for some reason this image came to my head.

This drawing is an homage of the Action Comics #1 cover, famous for introducing Superman back in 1938. I know that hot dogs are not the same as chorizo, but whatever. I found several versions of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, but I decided to go with the original 1936 Carl G. Mayer-designed vehicle since I thought it would be more fitting. For the Sausage Bandit costume I used the classic underwear over tights thing and I decided to loose the cape, since I couldn't think of a reason why he would use one. He really doesn't have any superpowers, hence the crane holding the car. For those who haven't purchased a comic since the days of Donald Duck in the 30's or haven't been to a comic book store since the silver foil-stamped embossed hologram covers in the 90's, $2.99 USD is the average price for an issue these days.

So, there you go.

This one's for you, Tony. Happy Birthday buddy!

P.S. Give'em Hell Sausage Bandit!

UPDATE:

This is so fucking creepy.

Meat-processing exec Oscar Mayer dead at 95

Did somebody show him my drawing today? Hope I didn't have anything to do with it... or the Sausage Bandit :s

Hot Dogs, Hot Dogs...

2009-07-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Nothing says 4th of July better than... hot dogs!!!

. . .

:(

Ok, whatever (you're no fun).

Last month I drew this mascot as kind of a commissioned work for a local hot dog stand (or more like someone's get-rich scheme) that didn't get off the ground. I guess they never used it, since I never got paid. Hence, it never got past the pencils & ink phase. Still, it was fun to draw because it was really fast, really simple, and I didn't have to worry about detail. So, what did I learn from this experience? It's really hard to draw a cartoon hot dog that doesn't look like the Wienerschnitzel mascot. Making it wear Converse tennis shoes doesn't help either.

El mes pasado dibujé esta mascota que fue más o menos un trabajo por encargo para un puesto de hotdogs local que no se pudo levantar. Supongo que nunca lo utilizaron, ya que nunca me pagaron. Por lo tanto, nunca pasó de la fase de lápiz & tinta. Sin embargo, fue divertido dibujarlo porque fue muy rápido, muy simple, y no tuve que preocuparme por el detalle. ¿Entonces, qué aprendí de esta experiencia? Que es muy difícil dibujar un hotdog de caricatura que no se parezca la mascota de Wienerschnitzel. Ponerle tenis Converse tampoco ayuda.

Top 10 Misheard Lyrics

2009-07-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of people who love to sing along to their favorite songs, but they just don’t know the lyrics. I really don't mind that they are horrible singers, if it makes them happy, but they really stand out when the exact words are definitely not what they are singing, and they don't even know it. It turns out that there is a word for this phenomenon. It's called "mondegreen," and it means "the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase, typically a standardized phrase, such as a line in a poem or a lyric in a song." I picked my favorite misheard lyrics from Getback.com, KissThisGuy.com, and, of course, that great SNL "Wayne's Wolrd" skit from the 90's.

10. MADONNA - Like A Virgin
Misunderstood lyric: "Like a virgin touched for the thirty-first time."
Correct lyric: "Like a virgin touched for the very first time."

9. PETER GABRIEL - Shock the Monkey
Misunderstood lyric: "Jacque the Monkey."
Correct lyric: "Shock the Monkey."

8. THE CLASH - Rock the Casbah
Misunderstood lyric: "Sherri don't like it. Rockin' the casbah."
Correct lyric: "The Sharif don't like it. Rockin' the casbah."

7. ELTON JOHN - Benny & The Jets
Misunderstood lyric: "She had electric boobs."
Correct lyric: “She's got electric boots.”

6. MICHAEL JACKSON - Billie Jean
Misunderstood lyric: "But tu quieres una manzana."
Correct lyric: "But the kid is not my son."

5. BON JOVI - Livin' on a Prayer
Misunderstood lyric: "It doesn't make a difference if we're naked or not."
Correct lyric: "It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not."

4. ALANIS MORISSETTE - You Oughta Know
Misunderstood lyric: "It's not fair to deny me of the cross-eyed bear that you gave to me."
Correct lyric: "It's not fair to deny me of the cross I bear that you gave to me."

3. This one is a classic, and I'm definitely guilty. I spent my whole childhood singing it like this.
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL - Bad Moon Rising
Misunderstood lyric: "Don't go out tonight, or it's bound to take your life. There's a bathroom on the right."
Correct lyric: "Don't go out tonight, or it's bound to take your life. There’s a bad moon on the rise."

2. This one the granddaddy of misheard lyrics.
JIMI HENDRIX - Purple Haze
Misunderstood lyric: "Excuse me while I kiss this guy."
Correct lyric: "Excuse me while I kiss the sky."

1. But my all around favorite has to be this one from Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready
KISS - Rock & Roll All Night
Misunderstood lyric: "I wanna rock and roll all night and PART of everyday."
Correct lyric: "I wanna rock and roll all night and party everyday."

Magical Mexico: Parkita & Espectrito Killed by Hookers

2009-07-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

This is the best note I read yesterday:

Mexican Midget Wrestlers Poisoned by Prostitutes.

Awesome!

Wrestling, midgets, sex, murder, hookers, political intrigue…

When is the movie coming out?

Or the Musical.

I'm in TheForce.net's Fan Art Museum!

2009-06-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say that the Star Wars fan art I made last month (Jar Jar Binks vs. Darth Maul and Ann & Tann Gella) has been getting more attention. I recently found out that it's going to be published in the next issue of Bantha Tracks in Star Wars Insider Magazine, and now it has been included in the TheForce.net's Fan Art Museum. Click here.

I would like to publicly thank Steve, TFN Fan Art Museum Curator, for his consideration.

Check out their Fan Art Museum here.

Carne Asada with the Nerdmigos

2009-06-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

Had a great time with the Nerdmigos this past weekend at my place. Check out this video by Lerms.

I always thought I would be buried with that lightsaber when I die :( … Oh well… My Master Replicas Darth Vader FX Lightsaber never looked so awesome (or funny) :)
(snort!)

"Etiología" ("Etiology") Short Film

2009-06-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

Check out my friend Roy Calderon's short film "Etiología" ("Etiology") where I did some DP work (Note to my brother Hiram: In film jargon, "DP" stands for "Director of Photography", not "Double Penetration"). The guys at Filmaka had to cut the end credits due to time restrictions.

Vean el cortometraje de mi amigo Roy Calderón, "Etiología", en el que trabajé como director de fotografía. La gente de Filmaka tuvo que cortar los créditos del final debido a restricciones de tiempo.

Intolerant net nerds single out little girl in political ads

2009-06-25T13:08:00.001-07:00

I hate bullies.

Ok, I know some people hate this political party (PRD), in fact, every Mexican political party has something we do not agree with, but, come on, going after a 7-year-old girl on Facebook groups and YouTube just because she is in their TV ads? It’s just not fair. And now these hate groups are getting media attention. This only shows how ignorant and uneducated some people are. Not proud to be Mexican today.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-06-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, I saw this movie last night. Well… there's foxy Megan Zorra running around in slow motion in dirty sweaty clothes… and… I don't remember much else, other than she kept being interrupted from time to time by some robots (including the twins Skids & Mudflap, who are just as annoying as Jar Jar Binks, only twice), big explosions, and some stupid shit involving Autobot Heaven and "special" brownies.

Ghost From The Past

2009-06-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

FUCK, how I hated junior high school.

check this out, a guy (let's call him "Rolando El Rabioso") sent me this message through facebook:

"Rolando El Rabioso wrote:
June 19 at 10:14pm
hey, this may be a bit weird but did you go to Sec. Tec. # 29 around 20 years ago? I'm just trying to find old friends from school.

Ismael Alejandro Moreno Ozuna wrote:
Today at 8:53am
Oh yeah, and weren’t you that fucking asshole who used to punch people in the face every time he got mad, and even though he said he was my friend he used to criticize every fucking thing that I did, or did not do, and talk shit about me behind my back, and even after I put up with that shit he stopped talking to me for no apparent reason and continued to talk shit about me and call me names? Yeah, unfortunately I remember you. You won’t find a friend here. Fuck off!

Rolando El Rabioso wrote:
Today at 9:01am
ja then I dare you to say it to my face pendejo. I DARE YOU THEN

Rolando El Rabioso wrote:
Today at 9:04am
things are in the past and I do apologize. We were kids and unfortunately things happen."

Hahaha…. Yeah, yeah, yeah… he’s very sorry at the end… For the record, when we were in junior high, the rest of us were 12-15 years old and this guy was 15-18… hardly a kid.

If I have learned something over the years is that bullies (and/or back stabbers, in this case) are the most sensitive kind of people in the world… if you get back at them, one of two things can happen… either you will make them cry like a little girl with a skinned knee… or they will get back at you times 3… so, it’s better to stay away from this kind of people.

How about you guys? Do you have any war stories from junior high school that we could turn into a comic book or short film? :)

You're in Bantha Tracks!‏

2009-06-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

Wow!!!

This is one of the nicest messages I have received in a while…

I recently made some Star Wars fan art, "Jar Jar Binks vs. Darth Maul" and "Ann & Tann Gella." Last night I got this e-mail:

"We’ve just finished the edit of the upcoming Insider magazine, and I’m pleased to tell you that your submission will be in the upcoming Bantha Tracks issue #42, due out on newsstands and in your subscriber mailbox soon!

Thank you for submitting your contributions to Bantha Tracks. You truly make it “By the Fans. For the Fans.”

Mary Franklin
Senior Events Lead
Editor, Bantha Tracks
Lucasfilm Ltd."

So, I guess at least one of my drawings will be published.

I would like to publicly thank Bantha Tracks, Star Wars Insider Magazine, Hyperspace (The Official Star Wars Fan Club), and StarWars.com for their kind attention.

This is so cool!

Chuper Héroes

2009-06-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

Last month I drew these drunken heroes of the internet viral videos just for fun:

El mes pasado dibujé a estos héroes borrachos de los videos virales de internet sólo para divertirme:

Chuper Héroes #1: El Hijo del Papá, Presidente de la CANACA (Central de Abastos de la republiCA mexicaNA). Video.

Chuper Héroes #2: El douchebag del "Tengo Miedo!" Video.

Chuper Héroes #3: Dulce Sarahi Garza Villarreal. No chocó, la chocaron. Video 1. Video 2.

The Hangover

2009-06-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

'La Cruda.' What a funny movie! I laughed all the way through, including the end credits. The casting of virtual unknowns is genius. The whole cast is great, but comedian Zach Galifianakis easily steals the show as the man-purse-wearing insane-o Alan. This movie holds it's own among other recent comedies and it delivers big time.

MIMG

2009-06-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

My dad, Mario Ismael Moreno Gil, painted a lot during the sixties and seventies in Sonora. He was one of the founding teachers of the Casa de la Cultura de Tijuana (Tijuana’s House of Art, the city’s premier art school). During the eighties, he was part of the Círculo del Arte 15 (Circle of Art 15), a group of independent artists in Tijuana. In recent years, he has dedicated himself voluntarily to paint and maintain murals in an elementary school in the Mesa de Otay area as a graffiti rehabilitation alternative. You can say that he is one more of the "small worlds" of which Virgilio Muñoz talks about. Well, smaller even, since I imagine that those who were directly offended by the new CECUT (Tijuana’s main museum and cultural institution) director’s comments do not know my dad either, hahaha. This is a sample of his artwork.

More images here.

Mi papá, Mario Ismael Moreno Gil, pintó mucho durante los sesenta y setenta en Sonora. Fue uno de los maestros fundadores de la Casa de la Cultura de Tijuana. Durante los ochenta, fue integrante del Circulo del Arte 15, un colectivo de artistas independientes en Tijuana. Actualmente se ha dedicado voluntariamente a pintar y mantener murales en una escuela primaria de la Mesa de Otay como rehabilitación alternativa de graffiti. Se podría decir que es uno más de los “mundos pequeños” a los que se refiere Virgilio Muñoz. Bueno, más pequeño aun, porque me imagino que los que se ofendieron directamente por los comentarios del nuevo director del CECUT tampoco conocen a mi papá, jejeje. Esta es una muestra de su trabajo artístico.

Más imágenes aquí.

My dad made this logo for me when I was born. You can find my initials somewhere there.

Mi papá me hizo este logo cuando nací. Por ahí se pueden encontrar mis iniciales.

"Etiología" Shoot

2009-06-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I did some DP work and other stuff on my friend Roy Calderon’s short film “Etiología.” All the people that participated were really cool cats and I had a great time. Here are some behind the scenes pics.

Este pasado fin de semana trabajé como director de fotografía y otras cosas en el cortometraje de mi amigo Roy Calderón, “Etiología”. Toda la gente que participó fue muy buena onda y me la pasé muy a gusto. Aquí están algunas fotos detrás de las escenas

Pornográfico Encuentro de Católicos en Playas de Tijuana

2009-06-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

Awesome!

Photo by IAMO.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 10th Anniversary. Ann & Tann Gella. Art by Isma.

2009-06-05T09:26:00.001-07:00

I just could not pass on the opportunity to draw the twins. This is based on an actual photo of models Nifa & Nishan Hindes, who played Ann & Tann in The Phantom Menace.

No pude dejar pasar la oportunidad de dibujar a las gemelas. Éste está basado en una foto real de las modelos Nifa & Nishan Hindes, quienes interpretaron a Ann & Tann en La amenaza fantasma.

Spider-Man 4 Teaser Poster‏

2009-06-03T16:23:00.001-07:00

I don't know... I've had my feelings hurt before...

Pear Jam on "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien"

2009-06-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

I stayed up last night to watch Pearl Jam’s performance on the very first “The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien”. There were a couple of great surprises. First of all, it was confirmed that the new album is going to be called ‘Backspacer.’ I guess it’s related to Backspacer, the leatherback turtle that Pear Jam sponsored and that won the Great Turtle Race. Second, Conan showed some album artwork by cartoonist Tom Tomorrow and looks like it’s going to be great. And lastly, Pearl Jam played “Got Some,” a brand new song, and the guys rocked! Now, this is my favorite band of all time, so the only bad thing I can say is that the song still needs some polishing and the sound mix from the TV show was not very good, you could barely hear Ed’s vocals, and I am sure he could barely hear himself. But I am sure the recorded album version will sound great. I read that the new album will be released some time this fall, and that instead of a record company they are going to use several partners and outlets, including Target stores, independent record stores, and their fan club, the Ten Club. A new album release also means, a TOUR!!! Last time I saw them live was on summer 2006, so it’s been a while. Can’t wait to see them live again and listen to new PJ songs.

Me quedé despierto anoche para ver a Pearl Jam en el primer “The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien”. Hubo unas buenas sorpresas. En primer lugar, se confirmó que el nuevo álbum se va a llamar ‘Backspacer’. Supongo que tiene algo que ver con Backspacer, la tortuga laúd que Pearl Jam patrocinó y ganó la Gran Carrera de la Tortuga. En segundo lugar, Conan mostró parte de las ilustraciones del álbum del dibujante Tom Tomorrow y se ve que va a estar muy bien. Y por último, Pearl Jam interpretó “Got Some,” una canción nueva, ¡y los vatos rockearon! Ahora, ésta es mi banda favorita de todos los tiempos, así que lo único malo que puedo decir es que la canción todavía necesita una pulida y la mezcla de sonido del programa de TV no fue muy buena, apenas se podía oír la voz de Ed, y estoy seguro que él apenas podía oírse a sí mismo. Pero estoy seguro que la versión grabada del álbum sonará excelente. Leí que el nuevo álbum será lanzado por ahí en el otoño, y que en vez de una compañía discográfica van a utilizar a varios socios y puntos de venta, incluyendo tiendas Target, tiendas de discos independientes, y su club de fans, el Ten Club. Un lanzamiento de álbum nuevo también significa, una GIRA!!! La última vez que los vi en vivo fue en el verano de 2006, así que ha sido un rato. No puedo esperar para verlos tocar en vivo otra vez y escuchar nuevas canciones de PJ.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 10th. Anniversary

2009-05-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

This month Star Wars Episode I turned 10. People love to hate this movie, but I believe it's not better or worse than 'Return Of The Jedi'. In fact, I have less love for those fucking Ewoks and their shenanigans than the entire Gungan Army. It seems that people like to put the blame for everything that went wrong with this movie on the shoulders of Jar Jar Binks. Although I agree that Jar Jar sucks and is in fact a monumental mistake, he is not the center of the movie. The center of the movie is Qui-Gon Jinn, that's the character people should be following, since he is the one who opens the way for the relationship between Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padme, and all of the events that follow. I guess I am okay with the movie and hold no grudge because, contrary to other people, I got what I expected. The only purpose of this movie was to introduce the characters and set up the following movies, and I did not ask for anything more. And, no matter what people say about the movie now, 10 years ago, when they saw the movie in a crowded movie theatre, they were cheering during the pod race and all through the Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon/Darth Maul lightsaber duel. Hate the movie all you want, but I saw you, and you were cheering.

Star Trek, Terminator Salvation, and Fanboys

2009-05-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

Great geek weekend. This past Saturday I saw these three movies:

Basically, 'Star Trek For Dummies', but an entertaining kick-ass movie from start to finish none the less. The sound and visuals are top notch. The cast is great. Some of the actors make their own interpretation of the characters (Kirk, Spock, Uhura) and others do their best to imitate the originals (McCoy, Scotty, Chekov), but they are all very fun to watch. I wish William Shatner would have said YES to the cameo he was offered. I admire the filmmakers' bold move of rebooting the Star Trek time line and restarting it with a clean slate. It was much needed. Welcome back Star Trek, your future looks promising. NOTE: The "Star Trek: Countdown" prequel comic book is highly recommended.

Definitely an improvement over 'Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines', but it could have been better. It has all of the elements that could have made it a great Terminator movie, story-wise, but the filmmakers just settled on making a good action movie. Which it is, it's a great action movie with memorable moments. I loved some of the nods to the previous movies. Schwarzenegger's T-800 makes a cameo and it looks amazing, but the "I'll be back" line and the crappy Guns N' Roses song from T2 are really unnecessary. I still don't understand why they gave away Marcus' revelation in the trailers; it took away the only surprise in the movie. It's unfortunate that the original ending was leaked on the internet and that they had to change it. I believe the original would have made a much interesting ending. Also, I will never forgive director McG for cutting Moon Bloodgood's topless scene from the movie just to get a PG-13 rating. She is so hot! He better put it back when the movie comes out on Blu-Ray.

I liked it. But I believe it's definitely just for the fans. So, unless you really, really love Star Wars, just stay away from this one. Oh, and Kristen Bell looks hot in her Princess Leia slave-girl outfit.

Wolverine

2009-05-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

OK movie, but it seems the filmmakers could not decide between doing a Wolverine solo-story or an X-Men prequel, and decided to cram in any character from the comic books that could not fit in the previous movies. Some characters like Remi LeBeau (Gambit), Emma Frost (White Queen, with no sign of her comic book counterpart's telepath mutant ability), and even Scott Summers (Cyclops), feel so unnecessary, underused, and forced when you know that they have nothing to do with the Wolverine origin stories from the comic books. And, Jesus Fucking Christ! What did they do to Deadpool?!!! Ryan Reynolds does a great job at portraying the motor-mouth satirical mercenary we know, but then they decided to shut him up and turn him into a lobotomized Frankenstein monster that makes the whole third act of the movie fall apart. What's the point of having a Deadpool who can't talk? Victor Creed (Sabretooth) is a cool character in this movie, but they don't explain why he is just a big dopey fuck in the first X-Men movie. And, "adamantium bullets"?! Come on! Really? "Indestructible" means "indestructible." So, I guess the only reason the movie works is Hugh Jackman, who is obviously very devoted to the Wolverine character. Could have been much better.