Productos Oficiales de IAMO/Nerdmigos en Entijuanarte 2011

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

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

-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

-Nerdmigos: The Band

-Robot Vs. Zombie

-The Last Beer

-Usagi Yojimbo

-Vader Arrives

-Zorras Del Mal

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!

¡Nos vemos en Entijuanarte Frontera Creativa 2011!

Nerdmigos Unlimited:

Ben Camberos
Carlos Lerma
Ismael Alejandro Moreno Ozuna
Roberto Gutiérrez

“Nerdmigos” by IAMO

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25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer

Check out this great article for writers and aspiring writers!

25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer

Don't Be Afraid

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

Una de mis canciones favoritas de Caifanes.

Nerdmigos Year Two

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 a guy who inspired the character of Gelipe, who’s birthday is a day before mine. It was fitting to have Gelipe in the first strip, since I met some of the Nerdmigos through him (except Erick and Roy). 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

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

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!

Who will win in this title fight of the apocalypse?

Share if you like it!

Nerdmigos Year Two Art Jam!

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

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?

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

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 for "Macho Man" Randy Savage. So, I apologize for any eye or vision damage this has already caused. Sorry.

Share if you like it!

The Fearless Zombie Hunters Pin-up

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." El Angel, Abronsius and Candy.  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:

Share if you like it!

Whatever Happened to 1986?

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."

Free download at deviantART!

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.)

Free download at deviantART!

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

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. 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 kid. 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

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

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.

Get a free download at deviantART!

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.

¡Descarga gratis en deviantART!

Nerdmigos Unlimited At COMCOM 2011

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)
- 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)- 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.

Zorras Del Mal

I did this doodle for Halloween. 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.  Their names are Jezebeth, Demona and Lucybella.  Happy Halloween!!!

Hice este dibujo para Halloween. 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.  Se llaman Jezebeth, Demona y Lucybella.  ¡¡¡Feliz Halloween!!! 

Reservoir Nerds

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

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)
- 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)
- 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.

Nerdmigos Year One Fan Art Submissions!

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

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. 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. Así que, si ustedes asistieron a Comic-Con este año, o si pueden conseguir el libro, los invito a verlo.

10 Writing Tips

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”

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.

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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

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!

Peanuts 60th Anniversary: Keep Snoopy Flying!

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!

Army Day in Tijuana

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

Foto: Omar Martínez. Frontera.info

Foto: Omar Martínez. Frontera.info

Televisa Has Resolved The Crisis In Haiti

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.

Internet In Mexico: Expensive and Slow

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