Custom Figures!

Eventually I'll take some good pictures of them and post them up here, probably after I finish the weapons and such.

But I am working on finishing custom figures, and making some of the evil Krew (still need a new name for them..) with some new badass designs of each of them. I think the only characters that will retain their designs are the Krew. Mostly because that's something I've tweaked so much that I'm now at a point where I love it.

Speaking of the custom figures, I'm in love with GI Joe Sigma 6 figures. I don't collect them, but using them as bases, and I just love the way they look and how poseable they are. It's a shame Hasbro doesn't make them anymore, as they were/still are really badass figures.

I'm also making tons of other customs. Like 3 more or something. Maybe 4.

At the moment, I'm painting Rash from Battletoads, and he's the closest to being done out of them, as I'm making all 3. I'm actually quite proud of how good he looks, but there's still more work to be done on him, so I might post him like next week or something, depending on when I get him done.

Also working on Charles & Viktor, and they're taking me longer than I thought because of a major problem dealing with Charles' paint app, and Viktor looks really messy. So they'll take a little while.

And sort of still working on the Grim Teddy from Ryu's Krew, as he and Pumpkinjack are two of the only villains (besides Rock Panda/Hayde/Metalhead) that still remain.

The Evolution of A Story

Ryu's Krew, since it's creation was always intended to be a comic. For I thought there was no better medium to express it in, and I felt it was the only medium in which I wanted to work. Working on it for 4 years has helped me to explore the different ways to go about storytelling, all throughout the comic medium. Changing various aspects of the story, improving it bit by bit. But not until now did I really understand what it really takes to make a story work.

My biggest problem has always been that I lacked the ability to get all of my ideas down and known to the readers, so things that made perfect sense to me made absolutely no sense to the reader. And a few of the ideas in which were very stupid.

With these sorts of things in mind, and my new aspiration to become a game designer. Whether it's being involved in the concepts, or drawing the characters out (for say, a 2D game along the lines of Warioland Shake it, or Rayman Origins), it's something I've been pondering about as of recently. This ties into Ryu's Krew, so don't feel like I'm trailing off of the main subject.

Ever since I was a child I very much enjoyed games. I was an avid gamer as an early teen, was a heavy Nintendo fanboy at one point, and it's just something I grew up on and very much enjoy. You could say games heavily influenced the man who I am today. When I got into comics, I forgot that sort of enjoyment I found with games, and I always felt this...absence. It was a very bland sort of existence, and other gamers might know what I'm talking about. Now, I don't really know if I could consider myself a gamer anymore (but I'm trying to get back into gaming), but it's nothing I ever truly stopped loving altogether. I also love all sorts of games, whether it's flash, indie, or console games (not very much into PC gaming because my computers suck and can't run them, and I prefer controllers :P). I let video games influence my artwork, and even Ryu's Krew, as I started to implement different ideas from video game culture into my world. Granted, it may not have made much sense but it made me happy. I also very much enjoy video game soundtracks, as I have quite a few I listen to regularly (Super Mario, Sonic, Jet Set Radio, MADWORLD, etc, etc) and I love chiptune music. And when I got heavy into action figure collecting, I found myself getting a lot of video game based figures...

The realization that I was in a sense destined to do something with games didn't hit me until two or so days ago. My good friend, Andrew Augustin, made the very same transition as I plan to make. He went from drawing comics, and being an aspiring independent comic artist, to being an independent gaming developer, now with his own company, Notion Games LLC under his belt.

So we get it, I love games, I always have, and always will. What does this have to do with Ryu's Krew?

As I stated before, (or may not, I can't remember at this point) I really don't feel as if comics are the best medium to have Ryu's Krew explored in. I feel it would be a much better experience as a video game, and my love of games would help it to become the great, epic story I've always wanted it to be. I lost my passion for comics long ago, and if I were to have continued on the route of comics, I would've more than likely ended up with something not only many many people would dislike/hate, but something I would repulse as well. Video games, with all the interaction going on between the player and the characters, really helps to build a strong connection, emotionally towards the characters and their paths. I intend to use that to my advantage.

This is something I plan to explore quite heavily throughout the next few years. I don't know if Ryu's Krew will be one of my first games, as I'd probably want some prior experience before working on something as this, but I do know this is what I want.

I'm coming up with millions of different concepts for the new story, and dropping many many others. Making things make sense, and more like how I wanted it to be in the first place anyway. I will say this, Ryu/Draycho/Archound were not criminals in their past lives anymore, and there's no more confusion with the Mythology, as I got rid of that aspect. Everything will make more sense, and overall will be a great story that I know you all will come to love as much as I do. I'm going to spend a lot, and I do mean a lot, crafting the world of Ryu's Krew.

Ryu, Draycho, Archound -- Still Alive

I have quit comics, for good. That much has been made certain at this point. The book that was being worked on is now no longer a thing. And to be quite honest, it's been like...a week or so since I quit? I can't remember when I did, and I don't feel a desire to even look. But I will let you know something. Since I have quit, I feel de-attached from myself. I feel like someone else.

I put so much of myself into Ryu's Krew that when I quit, I didn't know what to do. It's such a weird phenomenon. So with this realization, I decided ultimately upon keeping the 3 main characters no matter what. For what purpose they will be used? I'm unsure. But I do know for a fact that whatever it is I choose to do in the future, they will remain a part of. A big part of me is leaning towards toy design, and another part is leaning towards game design. I'm still debating on what it is that I wish to do.

There are many possibilities for my future, and I'm certain that it will be art-related. And I feel that I do want to tell a story with these characters, but maybe their time isn't yet. For all I know, it could very well be a comic later on in life. But for now, I'm just going to build these characters and have them inspire me for whatever projects I work on.

I'm probably going to start doing a rather hefty amount of fan-art. Whether it's custom action figures or illustrations, I wish to try and draw my favorite characters. I'm beginning to use my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen a lot more, and I'm hoping that with me using it as much as I have been, I can use it as part of my style. It really fits in with what I do, and I feel that, combined with some digital coloring and such, I could have something really cool going on.

With that said, the end of the Krew does not mean the end of their lives, merely the end of my 4 year journey to create a graphic novel. The world around them is going to change drastically, but the characters will live on.

The truth.

I've been posting entries over at my deviantArt every once in a while, and updating my Twitter every so often too.

First, I should say that I've been having conflicting feelings over my main comic, Ryu's Krew. But let's start this off with a critique I got that really got me thinking:

" The panels are really really busy which makes it hard to figure out what is going on in a lot of panels. In fact, I have no clue whatsoever, looking at the pictures alone, what is going on. Even things such as facial features become oddly obscured when there is all that grey- mind you different values of grey would probably clarify things. This improves a little by page nine, but by then I'm no longer even vaguely interested.

I'm not really sure why these people are anthro, but I supposed that doesn't need to be explained. The only thing I have to say is that your people end up in an awkward fusion because they aren't animal enough to make it immediately obvious that they aren't regular humans. If you're going to do anthro, then do the damn thing. I'm really confused as I go on. Are some anthro and others not?

What makes me question the premise of the comic is your use of mythology. Loki and Zeus come from two different belief systems, but even that's irrelevant in light of the fact that you can literally replace their names with made up gods and have the same effect. Usually when mythology is used, it's to add an interesting dimension to the stories/characters. I'm not seeing that here. They more or less exist in name only. Whats the point?

Additionally, when you are introducing a character, the reader does not want to be hit with their emotional baggage on that level within two pages, and they damn sure don't want to watch him brooding on the roof that for some reason isn't too far from where the guys just sort of gave up chasing him is. Isn't it a little early to be taking off his mask? Shouldn't he be waiting until he's clear to do so?

The combination of the art and the text is horrifying. The images are hard as ******** to decipher in a lot of places due to equal parts bad anatomy/stylization and your choice of greys that aren't far enough apart and your wildly inconsistent line work.

Why the hell would a god want a bunch of snot nosed brats doing anything for him anyway? If Zeus couldn't take care of it, why would they be able to? And really, theses were the best people he could gather? Really? Seriously? "desperate times" isn't really good enough as an explanation. If they have to power to give to these three, why don't they just go and ******** kill Loki?

And I just noticed on page 28 that the gods are wearing [i]halos[/i]. You're joking right?

This premise is absolutely terrible. It's nonsensical.

There is also nothing interesting about these characters. they are all generic badass archetypes and because of the art, hard to tell apart. Instead of showing the transition from criminals to justice seekers, you skip past it. All of it. That's not how you do character development. It's lazy. Lazy as all ******** hell.

Klowns? Is there anything in this comic that even vaguely relates back to the actual gods? Anything at all?

All of the dialog is incredibly stilted, unnatural and bland. No one has a unique voice.

I gave up chapter 1, page 40 after reading the thing about the energy drink. It's just too much. I don't have the patience to go any further."

I read all of that, and most artists that are so involved into a project emotionally and such would take all of that as one giant insult, and would probably just shout profanities at the critic. But..he's right. About everything.

Except I don't believe that the concepts/story are bad, and I may just be saying that because I'm the one who made it, but I do definitely think (especially at the moment) that it's not for everybody. But it definitely does need a lot of tweaking. And I do believe that the dialogue part is both right and not. There's portions where you can feel the character's voice, and personality coming out. But for the most part, I do agree. They're quite lifeless.

And I know exactly what I'm going to blame this on, not depression, not life, but my lack of skill as both a storyteller and an artist. Which is exactly why I'm stopping all work on Ryu's Krew indefinitely. It's something I'm coming back to eventually, I don't know when, but when I'm way more prepared and can actually do this project justice like it deserves. But for now, I shall focus on smaller projects and work my way up. I'm going to enroll in art classes, and start practicing writing and such to bring my stuff more to life. Storytelling is a passion of mine, and if I can't produce something I really really like at first, then it's not worth it.

I took this entire project on when I was 15, because I was so energetic and wanting to create to a point where I didn't even think for a second how it could/would affect me. Little did I know this project would change my entire life. I'm honestly really glad that I did decide to do this. It's helped me to grow as a person, and I have evolved quite a bit. But, there's still a very, very long way to go. And with that, I'll see you on deviantArt or something soon..

Lost

No, this has nothing to do with the show or me actually physically lost. It's more of a mental loss than anything.

Let me start with the hiatus of Ryu's Krew.

That was more or less myself stressing myself out over the book(s) again, not knowing what to do exactly, and just not knowing what to do in general. A big part of this is not really having a 'proper' place to draw. I was using my card table for a little while, but that takes up quite a lot of space, and I'm not a big fan of that at all, not to mention that there's no incline so I'm constantly leaning over trying to figure out the little details. Then I tried putting a sheet of glass on my computer desk (the surface of the desk is warped) and that worked for a little while, but it broke off after a while.

Last, I tried using my lap desk. Which I occasionally use if I'm too lazy to sit at a desk or anything else proper, but I tried drawing in bed, and it just wasn't right. I ended up getting too lazy because I got so comfortable. So, that obviously didn't work out. With all that, I just got frustrated (seems silly, I know) but add that to me getting 'sick' of working on Ryu's Krew. And it's not the actual story or the art that I'm sick of, it's more or less the idea of me sitting there mindless working on it. I kind of zone out whenever I draw (at least that's how it's been for a while). But when I sit and read/look through what I have...I love it. I really do. I love the way it looks, and everything. I have no complaints about that.

I suppose you could say I'm weak-minded, in a ton of aspects. I could blame it on the depression, but I really think it's a lack of self control to be quite honest. I need to put myself in a positive, motivated mindset where I can do what I can to get stuff done.

With that said, here's the second half of this rant/blog. I don't know if I posted it here or not, but about 3 or so months ago I got my first job working at McDonalds. I got a few shifts a week, but then got paid every two. Which in reality, isn't that bad for what I was doing/wanted to do. But getting 2 shifts a week for maybe 4 to 5 hours...isn't really even worth it. Despite that I am lucky enough to not have bills or anything, it was still hard to do anything, like buy presents for Christmas for example. I managed to get that done, luckily. Not to mention I was treated rather poorly there, and I really just got fed up and quit.

Then about two weeks ago or so, I got hired in at a gas station right down the street from my house. That's more or less been my dream job for a while, and I say that because it's so convenient for me just to walk to work. I don't mean dream job as in "I could see myself working there my entire life." But more or less a job I wanted because of pure convenience.

I never intended to have a full-time job, or anything like that. Just something that would take the monotony out of life (instead of sitting at home all the time basically) and also make some money while I'm at it. To support my books, art supplies, gas, advertising, and whatever else I would want. Maybe have a few shifts a week or something, and I wouldn't even care if it was day or night.

Well. The opposite basically happened. I'm unsure at this moment if it's because we're basically short a person who generally works midnights (which is what I work) because of family issues, or if this is what they intend to do, but I'm working basically every night. Christmas Eve, Christmas Night, and I finally have two days off after working a week straight. Which some of you might say, "I work that, or work more. Why would you complain?" Because I have no free time anymore. Wait, no. I have very, very sparse free time. Essentially, I work until 6:30 in the morning, I come home, I can't sleep right away, and when I do, I end up sleeping until like 4 or so, and if that's enough sleep, I'll feel lucky. But generally it's not, because I always have little interruptions here and there that fuck up my sleep schedule. In essence, I never have the energy or time to work on my books/comics anymore. Which adds onto the depression. The work itself (as long as nothing fucks up as something it did last night) isn't that bad. I have a schedule for when everything needs to be done now, and it's not too bad. It's just working every single night, back to back to back to back, and it's just too much for me. It really is.

So I'm hoping that I can talk to my manager tomorrow, and see if it's only going to last for a little while longer. Because when I was hired in, I was told I would get anywhere from 20 up to 32 hours a week. Which would be fine. But honestly, I could even live with 20 hours a week. I want something part time. So that I actually can work on the comics.

With that said, I have been going through a lot of problems lately with being confused about comics, going between hating them and such. But a few great artist friends of mine on Facebook have been posting a lot of really positive status' and such, about their dreams and aspirations. And it really made me sit back and think, "Wow, do I really want to work at a gas station for the rest of my life?" No offense to the place, it's really not too bad, but as I said, it's just too MANY hours. I don't need that much money, I've never really had a huge need for money. But also the long stressful nights I've had the past few nights at work have really given me the inspiration to really pursue the comic career. The independent comic artist thing that I've been wanting to do since I was a freshman in high school. The first step that I'm taking is getting these hours straightened out, and making sure that this isn't going to happen all the time, and let my manager know what my intentions are, and hope that it all goes smoothly. You're probably thinking that I'm crazy for almost demanding less hours and such, but it's a necessity for where I want to go with my life. Also, I'm sure there's other people there that could use the hours more than I.

I'll have 32 hours on my check next week, and 40 the check after that. Just to give you a rough idea of how much I've been working. So with that, my first purchase is going to be a proper art table. I'm thinking of buying one from Hobby Lobby that I saw for about 200 dollars. It seems nice and sturdy, and suits my needs. And it looks like it doesn't/wouldn't take up much space. And I think having a proper workspace is the first key step in order to being productive. I know a lot of people are able to draw on their computer desks and such, but with mine, and how my room is set up, I really can't. Which is a shame, but it's whatever.

So what does that mean for my comics, and even my custom action figures? At the moment, for Ryu's Krew, I want to work on it. I want to work on that, and Charles & Viktor. I'm thinking of keeping Ryu's Krew strictly as a graphic novel, and having Charles & Viktor just be an online comic of sorts, but also eventually get that in print. I feel it would make much more sense that way, so instead of people reading a few pages of Ryu's Krew, getting utterly confused and hating it, you could read it all at once and decide then. But I'm not giving up, as I can never really give up. Not on this.

As far as the action figures go, I'm waiting until I can get more Aves Apoxy Sculpt to continue, but I shall definitely keep working on them occassionally.

With that said, keep an eye on my twitter, as I'll be posting on there more often as well.

Ryu's Krew: Indefinite Hiatus

Ryu's Krew is on an indefinite hiatus, for many reasons. I don't feel the need to sit here and explain in full detail as to why, but it boils down to me needing a long break.

For the time being, I'm going to focus on creating custom action figures of my characters and such (including Ryu's Krew).

Know that Ryu's Krew is not over, and I'm not giving up. But I do need a break.

I deleted all of the pages from Book ONE on here, and any other site except for the Comicfury (official) page, but I only left the Mission 0 and Mission 1 pages on there, because that is essentially the "preview". Despite that some/most of you have already seen and read what I had up of Mission 2, I deleted that because I wasn't happy with how it looked visually. I cleaned it up, but will not be uploading any more of it online.

Sorry to anyone who has been reading, but you will be able to read more one day, I promise that.

I might work on some Charles & Viktor comic stuff in the near future possibly, as I'm working on custom figures of them as well. It's something I'll have to consider.

Until next time..

The Last stretch...

That incredibly thick stack of paper is essentially what I have left to ink and shade. There's about...40 or so pages there, including the rest of Mission 3 and the Prologue. The prologue was added to give more depth and more understanding for the reader as far as the reasoning behind the war and what occurs at the beginning.

I'm gonna be working on the Prologue very last, because I'm going to essentially do it in the style of Mission 0, with markers and such. But I'm going to have to wait until I can afford to buy more markers, as I have approximately no marker ink left. With that said, I can finally get down to work on Mission 3 and finish this bad boy up, which is super exciting. The thing that was holding me back is not exactly knowing what way my book would end up, and such is the problem with my kind of writing. But this book has been a serious learning experience, and I definitely know that I don't want to do it this way again as far as writing.

All in all, the moment I get to hold this book, completed, in my hands will be one of my greatest achievements and more than likely one of the greatest moments of my life. 3+ years of hard work, remaking, and different problems and such, it'll be all done. Sadly, I'll only have one book to show for it, but this will inevitably be the hardest part. I feel once I have a copy of even just one book in my hands, I'll have much more motivation, and much more desire to create. I love what I do, and I love my own story. It's a mixture of all the things I'm interested in, and in a story I've grown to love.

Here's to Book ONE! I'm going to start pushing this, and my next blog post will be about the book when it is in fact, done.