Google+ Isma's Meditation Chamber - Doodles by IAMO: December 2009

Thursday, December 31, 2009

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!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

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!