Summertime Blues

Took a vacation to Saint Francisco's town in the state of California. I have become obsessed with Plants vs. Zombies. It's only $10 and will entertain you (in the way that a heroin coma "entertains you") for hours on end. Good for a summer fling--I like the idea of "casual" games. Here's an interview with one of the programmers for Pop Cap.

Wrasslin with Mortality

Watched The Wrestler last night. T'was entertaining. A nice comment on our Immortality Projects a la Ernest Becker and The Denial of Death. You know, the whole "human civilization is ultimately an elaborate, symbolic defense mechanism against the knowledge of our mortality" kind of thing. Julie and Sam are out of town, but I'm feeling too groggy to revel in my bachelor living or fully pursue my own futile immortality projects such as "spiritual practice," "art," "teaching," and "getting off my ass from eating chips and playing Wii to do something useful like cleaning up the damn house."

Been a bit

And a good summer. Building a shack in the back yard, riding bikes with Sam, all-night Battlestar Galactica and Spore jags, working on an animation with Casey and Jennifer, on-going mid-life crisis--sorting through death and personal-cultural responses to it. Good times. School looms, but bring it on. Also, I haven't checked blog or email for about a month. My apologies. This is a background in progress from the in-progress animation. Silky. Me want draw more landscape outside, but me too afraid to tremblingly confront me inadequacy before pulsating expansive nature.

Professor Evolution Soccer

Okay, finally got around to giving all the Pro Evolution Soccer Premier League teams their proper names. No more "Lancashire Athletic." It's "Wigan," now, baby. Farewell, Teeside. Hello, 'Boro.

Some things about today for posterity

1) It was beautiful.
2) I ate at Subway.
3) I played Grand Theft Auto 4 in 3D animation class in the name of research. Thanks, Kyle.
4) Went to Fred Meyer and got some Pokemon cards with Sam.
5) Worked more on skull alien. Oops, don't have him at home, so here's an old rough concept for some warriors that lived around Crater Lake and developed an armor system powered by human blood.

Un Dimanche Matin a l'Isle de la Grande Beanery

Had a good Flash session with the 8-bit master, Scott Raedeke last night. I'm inspired to get up to speed with ActionScript so's as to teach it in some form next year. I like the way games give one a very different way of thinking about animation than the old straight-forward narrative film approach. Games feels more true to the "ha ha, these pictures look like they're moving" spirit that I think is the fundamental appeal of animation. Was that something a half-assed Clement Greenberg would say if he were an animator and kept a half-assed blog? If only I had some kind of Quantum Computer, I could arrive at an answer to this question through an elaborate computational model.

Anyhow, here are some good links to "classic" game animation sprite maps that Scott turned me on to. Handy to the game or animation student/enthusiast. If you ever have "animator's block" these could well pry you loose to shake what your mother gave you. Mark them well, my children. Mark them well.

The People's Sprites

Sprite Database

Where did he go?

I'm back after a bout with not being fully sick, just being really tired, run down and kind of sick. For the record, on Saturday, Sam and I started working on a video game, inspired by Scott Raedeke who teaches cool Flash stuff at South Medford. Julie got the stomach flu. Sam and Henry and I watched some Rugby and Lacrosse outside--a beautiful day. On Sunday, I bonked heads with Max playing basketball (saw a flash of light! all was revealed!) and read papers for my USEM class. Sam and I also created custom players for "The Men of Candy," our Pro Evolution Soccer Team (one unexpected favorite is the tall, skinny red-headed guy, whose face we lifted from a Francisco Goya self-portrait). Monday I taught all freaking day. Ugnaught. Tuesday, same thing. It's dead week, so I'm trying to help "the kids" be all that they can be. I'm a servant of the people. Har har.

Farewell, Dungeon Masters. . .

Argh. Early adolescence took two to the chest this year with the recent deaths of Steve Gerber and Gary Gygax. Gerber created Howard the Duck (the comic book, not that @#$ing worthless piece of @!#$@ movie), and Gygax, as every WoW player should have emblazoned on his elite mount, was one of the founding fathers of Dungeons and Dragons. Hommage 21st century! Hommage!

@#$%, just found out that Dave Sutherland died in 2005. His D&D Basic Set cover, not to mention his Monster Manual, Player's Handbook, and Dungeon Master's Guide work launched so many thousands of ships.

#$%^ing mortality. . . Goddamnit, don't take Tom Wham too!

The 70's and 80's were not kind. These guys did it for love--Peace be with you, spiritual fathers.

p.s. Transmutation and uplift! Just came across a really cool-looking site called WE'RE ROLLIN' THEY'RE HATIN'. Kind of gives me hope for the future. . . In their own words:

We're Rollin',They're Hatin', is a large-scale contemporary art show that examines the role of Dungeons and Dragons, Escapism and Fantasy in contemporary art and culture. The exhibition is an art show and interactive platform to explore how artists are influenced by fantasy and roll playing
games.

Sunday Lovin' Had Me a Blast

A beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon. Played some basketball in the ol' Bellview gym with a good combo of guys over 40 and kids under 15. Then ran into bearded art stars Matthew Furber and Andrew Farris at the Beanery. Jolly times. Talked video games, comics and Tom of Finland. Now, what to do? Lots of tests to grade, curriculum to develop, web site to make, happiness hole to create/fill, walls to stare at, etc.

Domestic Front: I finally got the water heater installed yesterday with lots of support from Scott, Nick and Galen. Good to have friends that are smarter than you. Nice to do something non school/art related. Also, Julie and I went out to dinner with Scott and Christy on Saturday. Twas much fun. Eatin', drinkin', and talking #$@#!. Get some carbohydrates in me and I'll start prattling on about just about anything I know absolutely nothing about.

Now, I think I'll work on the site. . . though I should be grading tests .

"Dick the Dude" and "Pete the Pirate" are two of Wooly Willy's "magnetic personalities." If you Google "Dick the Dude" you won't find images of Wooly Willy, however.

Now is the time

I suppose it's about time to get the site up. I'm going to try and go live tonight. Yikes.

Update: Well, maybe not tonight. I went and played pro-evolution soccer with Sam. I did get some Cheetos and Dr. Pepper, though, so anything's possible.

Update 2: Ah ha ha ha! I can't believe I said I'd finish the site tonight. That's a ^#%$in' laugh riot. I made some changes to the site structure, thus creating much more work that I can't just bust out ce soir. Frig. Since I work all day tomorrow, I'm guessing another week. Brilliant. Agh.

I'm Dull

Just put the Bee to bed. Time to play a bit of Flat Out. Just another swingin' Saturday night. Here's a shot of a head I created in ZBrush last month.