Year In Review 2009

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

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!

Excuse Me While I Pimp My Comic

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?

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.

Pearl Jam in San Diego

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

My Top 10 Favorite Moments in Comics

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.”

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Pearl Jam's 'Backspacer'

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.

Nerdmigos Webcomic Starts at 33

Here's the first strip for my webcomic, "Nerdmigos".  It's titled "33" :)

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”

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.

Disney Vs. Marvel - Donald Duck Vs. Wolverine

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, I made this doodle following the current trend of 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. I would imagine he stopped by 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, hice este dibujo siguiendo la tendencia actual de mezclar 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. Me imagino que se la pasó 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?

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Vinyl Fix

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.

"Café" Shoot

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.

First Pamplonpendejada in Tijuana

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

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

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

Star Wars Insider #111 Out Now

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

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.

Snake Dance

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!


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!

Pearl Jam's "The Fixer"

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.

The Sausage Bandit Strikes Again!

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?

Tony Loves Chorizo

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...

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

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

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!

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.

"Etiología" ("Etiology") Short Film

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.

Ghost From The Past

Oh, man.  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 f**king 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 f**king 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 s**t about me and call me names? Yeah, unfortunately I remember you. You won’t find a friend here. F**k 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… 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 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!‏

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

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.

MIMG

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

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

Awesome!

Photo by IAMO.

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

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.

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

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.

Jar Jar Binks vs. Darth Maul. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 10th Anniversary.

I love this movie, for better or for worse, and that is exactly what I wanted to represent with this drawing: the best and the worst of 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace' I thought it would be ironic to show Darth Maul loose his cool and get so annoyed with Jar Jar that he doesn’t even bother to Force-choke him or ignite his lightsaber. Also, I never liked the logo they used for all of the prequels with the word "Episode" on it, since all the previous movies had their own individually styled logo. So, I made my own. This one is based on the 'A New Hope' logo from the 1977 movie posters.

Get a free download at deviantART!

UPDATE: I got a couple of nice comments in the TheForce.net Fan Art Forum here.

Amo esta película, en las buenas y en las malas, y eso es exactamente lo que quise representar con este dibujo: lo mejor y lo peor de 'Star Wars: Episodio I -La amenaza fantasma'. Pensé que sería irónico mostrar a Darth Maul perder la calma y molestarse tanto con Jar Jar que ni siquiera pensaría en ahorcarlo con la Fuerza o encender su sable de luz. También, nunca me gustó el logo que utilizaron para todas las precuelas con la palabra "Episodio" en él, puesto que todas las películas anteriores tenían sus propios logos con estilos diferentes. Entonces, hice uno. Éste está basado en el logo de 'Una nueva esperanza', de los carteles de película de 1977.

¡Descarga gratis en deviantART!

ACTUALIZACIÓN: Tuve un par de comentarios agradables en el Foro de Arte de Fans de TheForce.net aquí.

Contact Me!

Hello! I'm IAMO (Ismael Alejandro Moreno Ozuna), Cartoonist and Character Designer.

Contact me if you have any questions or to request a signed print:

iamo@live.com

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For me creativity is all about communication and connecting with people.  That's why draw, that's why I write, that's why I'm driven to create.  This blog is about sharing what I have learned about Cartooning & Character Design with you, and I always appreciate your feedback.

Keep on doodling!

-IAMO

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