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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Arts Grants - Australia

By David




I'm back in Brisbane for Christmas and it's raining. Apparently it's been raining for the past three months. I'm sure it's just a little bit cooler than normal for people here, but for someone like me who's been sweating in Singapore every day of the year, it's damn freezing.

This is a quick post with a quick tip. Decent income can be hard to come by for many artists so it can be pretty helpful to find a good grant. The Australian Government has come up with a website shit-filled with grants. They have literature grants, theatre grants, community partnership grants - they have a smorgasbord of grants. 

You can find the link here:

http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/grants

Cool, thanks. Bye!


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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Friday, December 24, 2010

Alvin's Zombie Survival Sheet

by Alvin


The popular phenomenon that is Zombie Apocalypse's will continue to live long past it's decayed state, even if after a hundred years it has to de-evolve into a "cult" phenomenon to do so.

I'm not a biggarest fan but a loyal fan none the less.  So when I cam upon this bit of geekdom roleplay whilst looking for more stimulus to keep me up at night.  I was immediately taken over by the Spirit of Christmas & began filling in the boxes with whatever fantasy item I'd need to help bump up my 57% apocalypse survival rate to at least a 58.



Everything of course is fiction.  I didn't even consider items I truthfully own - I'd be grossly unprepared if I did - & where's the fun in that?

I say join this flight of fantasy if you haven't already; I have realised I'm late on this bandwagon (seeing as how this "sheet" is version 5.0), but if you're gonna complain - then I'll leave you with a pistol with zero bullets in its magazine when this rapture hits.

You can copy & paste the original template here.

Though if you're feeling rather empty on how to start, a good reading accompaniment to get you past donning your favourite pair of Havaianas in hopes they're enough protection - When you should be thinking steel cap boots with maybe a hidden blade at the toe for those nasty wasteland raiders - Is Max Brooks' bible for the end of days below.
















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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Wang: The Centaur Who Worries All The Time. Episode 2: Wang Is A Liar.

By David















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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Random Optical Illusion of the Day

by Alvin

I'm a big fan of optical puzzles & illusions and such other great Mind F**kers! Here's one to make you #2 bricks.  It's a great piece of art that cleverly blends the herd of horses into a flock of birds, BUT if you look closely that isn't the optical illusion... there's actually one hidden within.




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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Monday, December 20, 2010

Night Time Brothers V.2!

by Alvin


Before the new year and even Christmas for that matter descends upon us like a shower of armies of inter-dimensional warriors hell-bent on our destruction; blindly following their evil overlords.  We've gone into the process of updating This home of ours here in the Interwebs.

So to celebrate (only applies to Batman fans... sorry):  If you love Batman & would love to get doses of him daily, then scoot over to this sexy broad I've bumped into.

sample below...



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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Say No to Pedos: Tokyo to Cut Down Manga/Anime Porn

 By David


According to an article in The Straits Times, Tokyo is expected to pass a bill that will prevent people below 18 from buying manga comics and anime films that depict rape, incest and “other sex crimes”.

I’ve been to a few manga stores in Japan before. They have whole sections dedicated to porn, even child porn. I remember seeing a large, glossy poster of a prepubescent, naked girl.   

Apparently the Bill has faced strong opposition from artists and publishers. I’m guessing one main reason for the strong opposition is that a lot of money can be made from selling incest, rape and other similar publications to minors. Imagine losing your job because your company can’t sell rape porn to kids anymore. 

We make our world a very strange world to live in. 





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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Gotham City Map

by Alvin




I'm a Batman fan, though not enough to fill my life with batman crap for the sake of it being poor imitations of batman... stuff.  Yet still, the good batman stuff is like gold running through your veins.  One being this image, which is something I've never come across, and puts some perspective to where the Dark Knight operates.

I take it he can only cross over to the city via Robert Kane bridge on the Batmobile, sooooo take that out and I guess he takes a break for the night :p


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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Friday, November 26, 2010

How to Make Money as an Unpublished Writer

By David


For the purpose of this blog post: by “unpublished writer,” I mean a writer of literary fiction who wants to one day have a novel published by a publishing house.  

There are plenty of ways to make money. Being an unpublished fiction writer is not one of them. 

To provide you with a few tips on how to make a little extra cash, I’ve decided to list a few things I’ve done to earn money while trying to get published.


Become a paid blogger. 


Fashion blogger Bryanboy (image from his website)


Becoming a “paid” blogger costs no money but could require a substantial amount of your time. From my observations, some of the more popular blogs tend to be fashion blogs (The Sartorialist, Bryanboy), celebrity blogs (Go Fug Yourself, Perez Hilton), tech-based blogs (TechCrunch, Engadget) and political blogs (no idea). My blog (a fictional blog about a wannabe writer kid) belonged to none of these categories and made shit all.

Some ways to make money from blogging: Google AdWords, Associate Programs, product selling, sponsored advertising. 

Money I made from being a blogger: 13 bucks and a number of awards within the community.


Volunteer work. 


Random picture of sad dog

A terrible way to make money, but a great way to “give back to society”. I volunteered for a jazz festival once. I did nothing and was able to watch free jazz performances. They even gave me a free t-shirt, which I wear up to this day. 

Some ways to make money from volunteering: networking (meet people who can give you worthwhile opportunities in the future), good karma (if you have the right intentions, of course), stealing.

To find good volunteer opportunities in your city: Google

Money I made from volunteer work: I lost about thirty bucks from buying CDs by the artists.


Start a business. 


Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek (image from his website)

Though starting a business can require an intense amount of work, what you learn (and hopefully what you’ll eventually earn) can be worth it. 

The problem with starting a business is that the business will become your life. This could be great for a businessperson, but not so great for someone trying to get a literary novel published. You could be spending several late nights working on your business – nights that could have been spent developing your writing style and sending manuscripts to publishers. This being said, starting a business, sticking with it and actually enjoying what you’re doing with it could be a sign that you were destined to be a boss, and not a literary prodigy (unless you go on and write a book about your successes later on).  

Here’s where I’ll become a hypocrite: I started a nifty t-shirt design business with a friend a few years ago. Thanks to running the business, I am now lucky enough to have about a billion stories that have helped me develop my writing style. There are also people like Tim Ferriss who believe that not much work is actually required for running a business. His book, The 4-Hour Workweek, gives step-by-step advice on how to run a profitable business with little time so that you can enjoy what you’ve really always wanted to do. You can check it out and purchase it via Amazon here (I highly recommend it): 


                                    



  









There's also another book I'd like to recommend that a lot of my high brow artsy fartsy friends would want to kill me for. My designer colleague cringes and threatens to shoot my face whenever I mention it. It's Rich Dad Poor Dad, a book by Robert Kiyosaki.
















Sleazy front cover aside, this book has sold millions worldwide because of the value of its content: it pretty much reminds normal folk that they too can become financially free. Although it lacks the step-by-step preciseness and humour of The 4-Hour Workweek, it's a great "starters" book for anyone looking for much needed inspiration and guidance when it comes to the art of moneymaking.   


Money I made from starting a business: a lot (though most of it was invested back in the business). 


Join literary contests.

 
A great way to get your name out there and to add some credibility to your manuscript pitch letters is to win literary contests. Some contests even offer book publishing deals. One warning: you may not win. If you haven’t figured this out already, art (and the judges who dictate what good art is) can seem unjustly subjective and cruel. But don’t let the horrendous pain of rejection fool you: there are plenty of brilliant published authors out there who have never won a literary contest in their lives. If you don’t win, fuck ‘em. You’re an artist, remember? You’re above all of that. 

Some great contests in Australia and around the world: Young Writers Award (Queensland), the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, John Marsden Prize for Young Australian Writers (I've come third in this contest).

What I’ve made from various contests: a thousand bucks, a director wanting to make a film out of one of my stories (but eventually failing to gain enough funding), a digital camera, my stories published in various... publications.



Submit pieces to literary journals 


Like with literary contests, submitting your pieces to literary journals are a great way of nurturing your craft and building your rep. Strategise well and target your submissions: think about the editors of the journal and what type of work they publish. Once again, a rejection from them doesn’t necessarily mean your work is shit – it could possibly mean that their tastes lie elsewhere (or it could still mean your work is shit). Nonetheless, if they provide constructive feedback, analyse what they say objectively and ask yourself, “do their criticisms make sense or are they just too simple-minded to recognise the genius in my writing?” 

A couple of literary journals in Australia and Singapore: Meanjin, Going Down Swinging, Ceriph.


Get a bloody job! (What my ex-girlfriend told me)



Charles Bukowski (image from his Wikipedia)

The more unbearable your job is, the more drive you’ll have to become a paid novelist. Bukowski’s Post Office and Factotum were based on his experiences in dead-end jobs. Working in a butchery (terribly), delivering pizzas (miserably), selling mobile phones as a telemarketer (pathetically) and kissing a lot of arse (perfectly) are just but some of the jobs that have helped me fund my life. 

My most truly enjoyable experiences come from working as a copywriter. Being a copywriter has helped me do what I love most (which is to write) and be recognised for it. I’ve also been privileged enough to edit a lot of other people’s copy – a practice that has helped me be more critical and objective of my own work. Don DeLillo, Aldous Huxley, Joseph Heller and Salman Rushdie, amongst others, were once copywriters. 

The issue with being a copywriter is just that – you will be a copywriter. In my case, being a copywriter has involved me working late nights and weekends for a company that will not remember my name. When I’d reach home, all I’d want to do is drink my worries away and sleep. So I’d drink my worries away and sleep. I didn’t work on any novels or short stories and I didn’t end up reading more books or researching good publishing houses or literary agents. I was too tired. All that I’d ended up thinking about were pay days, winning advertising awards and being promoted. 

How to get a job: Google, classifieds, friends, apply for AWARD School

Money I’ve made from working: thousands of dollars. 
 
Money I’ve lost from drinking to forget about work: thousands of dollars.
Time I’ve lost complaining about work: thousands of hours. 


Invest in stuff.


Invest in things that will get you further in life. Invest in writing courses, master classes and in Matthew Reilly’s case, invest in publishing you own novel. 

Investments I’ve made in my own life: AdSchool, masterclasses, writers’ festivals, contests, music CDs, stocks, high interest bank accounts, books, time. 

How these investments have helped: AdSchool has helped me become a better copywriter. Masterclasses have helped me gain advice and support (as well as recommendations) from established authors and publishers. Writers’ festivals have given me a clearer insight into how the industry works. Contests have made me realise that I have a chance at all of this. Music has helped me enhance my writing ability in more ways than I could fit into this blog post. The study of equity investing has helped me understand the core of capitalism a little more. Books... well, I don’t need to explain how books have helped me. 

Time is something I’ve either wasted or spent well, depending on how you look at it. I’ve sacrificed a lot of nights out with friends and partners to stay home to work on projects instead. Because of all this work I’ve done, I’ve received scholarships to China and Japan, my short stories have been published in journals and magazines, I’ve heard commercials I’ve written play on the radio both in English and Chinese, I’ve met business tycoons, I’ve written three novels, I’ve given lectures and I’ve performed some of my written work in front of hundreds of people.  Because of all my work I’ve lost friends, I’ve lost loved ones, I’ve lost sleep, I’ve lost meals and most importantly, I’ve lost time. What is time? Is there a set rule to how it should be spent? Calculate how many hours you’ll have to live until you turn ninety – you’ll realise that the number isn’t that impressive. 

I still do not have a novel published.





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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Tuesday, November 23, 2010

White Ribbon Day

by Alvin




You'll have to excuse me as I get all potty-mouthed, but it really is worth the embarrassment to show support for a great cause such as White Ribbon Day; men saying NO to violence towards women.

25 November

It really is great to see a cause that's targeted towards men (not saying women can't take part in taking the oath & stamping out violence and abuse - by all means all sexes unite!); a promise that enables men to be empowered, courageous and vigilant in the watch to never: be silent, be okay, to perpetrate or to ignore violence and abuse against the XX chromosomed we share mankind with.

So I urge you all, my fellow human beings & real men, support this worthwhile cause: Buy a White Ribbon, support the events & initiatives in your countries, and if you're in Australia: make an online pledge by swearing the oath @ www.myoath.com.au & visit www.whiteribbonday.org.au to find out what great happenings are occurring to commemorate & rally like-minded advocates for this promise, this duty, & this stand against something a real MAN would never become.

Not violent, not silent...

I swear.



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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Monday, November 15, 2010

Cool Rings to rule them all... part 2!

by Alvin




Okay, so I fought the great, time stealing giant Assignmentus & defeated him atop the peak of "I Owned You 2010" - gaining; in the process, all the spare time stolen from me.  

So to celebrate, I've peered into the abyss information highway that is the Internets, & have sourced some pretty nifty examples of finger jewellery that will get you setting trends, put you on V.I.P. lists, and generally kicking ass & asking question later.

So tell me, what do you think of...


Dreamhouse rings



As a wannabe architect & building designer, I would think this would be perfect for such a person practising professionally in said industry.  Something egotistically grand and flashy to complement that bespoke tux, worn at that black tie event where your up for nomination for that coveted & prestigious: Pritzker Award.

Inquiries for this hand treasure can be directed to fine jewellery maker: Philippe Tournaire.



Serpent Nail rings



Now here's something different: If you're that Mark Anthony, wondering what to give your dear Cleopatra on her birthday.  Look no further!  There's a little irony in that - but hell - buy one for each finger & you've got a set that'll make other Egyptian, reincarnated rulers envious any moment in time.

Interested?  Hop down to Bijules & get that interest looked at.



Portrait Projection ring



I went to a wedding yesterday & remembered this ring I found out about ages ago.  Definitely an awesome engagement or even anniversary ring of sorts.  Or if that isn't your thing, you can apply different uses for such a novel invention.  I'm thinking off putting an image of the bat symbol in the ring, then whenever crime is afoot - shine a flashlight through it and the monocle; against a rendered wall or thick, very, very low hanging cloud cover, & presto!  The Dark Knight Rises!

Ask nicely & you may receive from Luke Jerram.



Antique, Ring Pistol


How awesome is this!  Sadly it's an antique (a modern replica of original, french? pistol rings from the 1800s? or earlier?), so it's definitely not in production any more, i.e. hard to find and come by unless your the sort that has the Spear of Destiny, Excalibur & 70% of the true Noah's Ark in your own private museum.  

Though this ring is very much a working firearm that served as a spy weapon & personal defence tool (I assume), it was far from perfect: the powder burn of the firing would hurt the shooter & the accuracy would be terrible.  But who cares right?  All for the glory of looking the Classy, 18th or 19th century Bad-Ass!

So if this has hooked you, and you would sell your soul to get one of these... 



Digby & Iona are selling a sterling silver imitation of sorts called the "Black Spot Pistol Ring" that has a real moving trigger & chamber with an included brass bullet to further look the part, but (for obvious reasons) does not actually fire - so you'll just have to leave that duel of honour for another time.



Stun ring


So it looks like I'm gonna end with a trend, pistol ring kicked ass right?  But if manslaughter isn't your thing, these babies make beautiful alternatives.  Considerately available in a gold and silver plating, these rings are able to disperse a close range spray of pepper spray, spray... spray, spray - Sorry, tongue tied - at a press of a trigger at the side of the ring.  James Bond material huh?  great self-defence idea for those late night joggers who risk it bit by bit by going further into those dangerous tracks, as well as anyone who has a genuine stalker ready to pounce.

A one use item - refill cartridges & the ring in question can be sought at StunMaster.



Theme Angel Dust ring


Stunning & unique, I don't see too many ring designs that incorporate wings, so this is a sight that is different in design.  Women can wear it with flawless victory, though men (there will be a few) will find a way to make this work for them.  The actual band is behind the finger, leaving a clean band less look at the front; wings hovering on the finger by magical means it seems!

fly over to Sowat and tell em I sent ya.




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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The architect's perfect design accompaniment

by Alvin


So many of you have asked me (I lie, no one has... *sob*):
"What codex of stimulus do you leech off from to aid in your fantastical building designs?"

Well my good man, I'm glad you asked.  I tend to use a mixture of google images and any relevant books about inspiring buildings.  But one fateful day; once again chickening out into talking to the pretty clerk at student services.  I wistfully happened upon an architectural design book in the library that - in time - became the best, creativity stimulating book I could ever have been graced with.

I'm sure there are others like it - but for a noob like me who is too proud to rely heavily on architectural books, this was my first introduction to something other than just photos of awesome houses on a playdate with heavy, relevant text.

"1000 Ideas by 100 Architects" is the name and literally is what it says it is... is.

Collating the wisdom from 100 architects, this book displays it all: photos of awesome building designs/landscape designs/designs/designs/etc + some helpful tips and concepts (visualised in said photos) behind what one should consider when designing.

Its not heavy on text and is juxtaposed with pictures and photos galore; sort of like reading perfect architectural porn: you want the pictures and minimal text that's to the point.

So this is my recommendation if building design gets you randy & you're looking for a one off book that solves it all.
















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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Sunday, October 31, 2010

Halloween: Scare Yourself So Bad You Shit Yourself. Plus Google's Scooby Doo Theme.

By David


Hoorah! Halloween is here. Here's my What To Do checklist for this Halloween:


1. See a lion.

Accomplished! I saw a lion last night. (No really, I did.)


2. See a ghost.

Half-assed accomplished! I saw a really old, drooling guy who wouldn't stop screaming at young girls.


3. Watch The Social Network.

Accomplished! I joined the masses and watched it last night. Hearing a dramatisation about how Mark Zuckerberg thought up of the idea of people putting their relationship status on Facebook absolutely terrified me.


4. Scare myself so bad I shit myself.

Half-assed accomplished! I nearly did it when I saw the lion.



Anyway, to finish off, here are Google and YouTube's halloween themed logos.




You can actually click on five different paws to switch between various Scooby Doo images. Imagine seeing a talking dog like Scooby Doo on Halloween. That'd be messed up.



Here's YouTube's Halloween logo. Scary little ghost.






And finally, here's a sample of Alvin and I's graphic novel about a serial killer. Watch out for it. It's called Urban Monster.



That's it. Bye!

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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Thursday, October 28, 2010

House Design: Odinson House

by Alvin


Firstly, apologies for the lack of posts on my part.  It's been a busy & bumpy road; purposely busy, out of my control bumpy.  But with some breathing time awarded, I can give you a rundown of my latest design.

Similar to the previous house design, my fictional clients were again the arty type, but this time: savvy to natural materials & open spaces for comfort and creativity.   It took me weeks of feverish sketching to finally get a design that felt right to me - a week before all my drawings were due; that's the problem with my creativity sometimes: it can be a real bitchface & starts kicking in at the last minute.

Normally I work with elevations first before grounding out the plans, & normally I need to finalise the design of one elevation before all the others fall into place.  So after that eureka moment - stroking the iconic shape of my design in place - one evening, my weekend was a non-stop, noon till twilight assignment finisher.

I was inspired by an assortment of different buildings: most conceptual and derived from my favourite inspirational architectural book.  But they all steered me to what I wanted: a majestic structure that was more curvy, an unconventional shape, open and harmonious with nature than rectilinear & a monolith out of the earth.




An Australian architect's (his full name always escapes me: "something" Godsend?) slat facade, box building gave me some incentive to make a sculpture like form that reached ark like into the sky on a sea of earth, and wasn't broken up by windows and actual house details; protecting them underneath a similar structural facade concept.





I'm getting tired; only 4 hours of sleep last night can do that to you. + Nikita's on TV atm & if there's one rule to live by: it's that Maggie Q (& Lyndsy Fonseca, hmmmmm) take priority.  So if you can read, some of my explanations & choices are in the images below.

Oh yeah.  I call it Odinson.  Thor & Loki got nothing on it.






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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Thursday, October 14, 2010

Wang: The Centaur Who Worries All The Time

By David










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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Sunday, October 10, 2010

Supernatural: The Animation, trailer

by Alvin



I'm a big fan of the Supernatural series - so when the inevitable anime conversion happened to my door near the beginning of the year, I was semi excited; "semi" only because I don't watch anime much anymore.  Saving that indulgence for the very best vintage from the best "growers" - avoiding anything with stale direction, excessive fillers & ones that don't even make an effort with their 4 frames a second.





But I am intrigued and still excited to see for myself how the land of the rising sun could interpret an already awesome show; basing this first take on season 1.  From the trailer you'll notice the brothers have a lot more agility in their combat abilities & some flashier demon forms have been given freedom to roam out of the live action series' norm.

thumbs up from me so far!



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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Monday, October 4, 2010

Gawad Kalinga GKharacter art

by Alvin


I only started last year, but I've been believing in it for years now, though being actively involved involved is still a young pup of a dedication that I haven't taken up the mantle of, but I know I'll grow into & worthy of it soon enough.


GK or its less abbreviated identity: Gawad Kalinga is a nation building, poverty fighting movement of patriots, humanitarians & shelter and value imbuing revolutionaries that have started to grace the world helping the poor.  Originating and spreading through most of all of The Philippines, its moving presence has started to change lives in Papua New Guinea, Cambodia & in a growing number of other developing countries.

So I started last year being an artist they can call; specifically the Youth partition in Sydney Oz - designing a bunch of mascot characters that represented the 7 areas of volunteering, & doing up ongoing poster art for their events & other things.

















Everybody needs to believe in something & when the time comes: support something important that will leave a helping mark on the world.  I know I'm just a little pixel of a starving artist in the great .jpg of things.  But one day, I hope what I can become will find its way doing and giving more for the sake of those who need it.

My views about life are rife with cynicism and caution due to the effects of growing up, but as finite creatures with finite givings.  I think we can can do more to benefit more, despite our own doubts; when we focus on where our time, treasure & talent will be most appreciated, most sought, most useful & most rewarding; quantity is not the prize, but how the minority can be greatly affected for many years in the fast forwarded future.




















If your interested at all in GK or anything that inspires a great woman or man out of you.  It takes a simple "Google" to know more & a few mouse clicks to begin.

Bro out!



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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Wednesday, September 29, 2010

From the Screen to the Printing Press: Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, will now star in a Graphic Novel


By David






News has been announced that Vancouver-based Bluewater Productions will be publishing a graphic novel titled: Mark Zuckerberg: Creator of Facebook.
 
"Mark was offered loads of money at a young age and turned all his suitors down because deep down he knew he had higher goals than to work for someone else... Bill Gates offered Mark a million dollars while Mark was still in high school to work for him and Mark turned it down. I mean, how many high school kids will ever be made an offer like that? Very few. And how many would have the confidence to turn it down and pursue their own path? Very few, if any. But that's what Mark did," says writer Jerome Maida when describing his research for the graphic novel.

More info can be found from the Bluewater Productions website here.


Adios!


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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Friday, September 17, 2010

Urban Monster concept art

by Alvin


We're underway getting another pitch sent to *** ****** (secret till we've actually sent it) for our graphic novel: Urban Monster.

In that time I've been motivated to doing up some new concept art  to further support our proposal.




 
Next on the list is to design the cover art, & so far David & I have a few ideas in a rabid Cockeral fight to the death, but none have climbed to fame and immortality just yet.

Will keep you in the loop




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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Devil May Cry reboot/remake = SUX

by Alvin


I don't know about you, but this revamp of the ground-breaking series came as quite a surprise.  Especially when they introduced a new character in the last game (*cough* Nero *cough*) that gave me the impression - would replace Dante from now on.

So running into the trailer proposing a remake of the series got me all excited like a junkie about to open a warehouse full of FBI seized heroin with no soul in sight.  It didn't matter that the original series was now defunct & left "hanging" in ways; it didn't matter that what very little story was going to be replaced with hopefully something with a lot more substance & a lot less cheesy grindhouse; it didn't matter - you get the drift.

The obvious grittiness the new development team were aiming to achieve hit all the right notes for me, as I saw it as a direction that heralded a mature opportunity for storytelling & horror.  And I was blasphemously hoping a different take on the gameplay, ala "less ridiculous-like" & maybe more "substantial", ie different methods of dispatching foes utilising particular items, techniques, etc.  But I soon corrected myself; that's what DMC is all about anyway - tweaks are necessary, but a complete overhaul would be insane.  I was also hoping for a supernatural & physical world a bit more grounded in our own reality; less fantasy & more based on the myths intertwined in our history's relationship with the paranormal, which would support the new gameplay elements I mentioned above - ie iron against spirits, silver against werebeasts, exorcisms against demons, etc.  But the still fictional keeping of the world; evident in the architecture, did not stain my hopes.

Now everything was keeping the "new take" still within the boundaries of what DMC should & is, my biggest gripe however (get ready for it!) is how they revamped Dante himself.  A more badass yet serious character (something like the Dante in DMC2 - even though everyone disapproved; I preferred him actually); matured, less childish wisecracks & more desperado like & fearsome in his demeanor, was what I was praying for - a fresh take that would suit the new grit of the visuals.

But instead we get the complete opposite & in my eyes - an inferior version of the original.  Now I know its just the first trailer, & it probably doesn't do the character justice yet, but first impressions count & this is sour to my taste buds. 





WHERE IS THE SILVER HAIR!
Why a lanky, skinny, junkie looking kid!
Where's his bravado & sex appeal!
WHERE IS THE SILVER HAIR!
A whip sword?! ... okay that's pretty cool...
Chain smoker!
Punk ass!
etc, etc...

Yeh, yeh... yeh...

...exactly!


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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Ah Pook Is Here: Graphic Novel by William Burroughs and Malcolm McNeill Finally to be Published


By David


A graphic novel created by author William Burroughs and artist Malcolm McNeill way back in the 70s will be published for the first time, according to an article by the Guardian. The title of the graphic novel? Ah Pook Is Here.

Burroughs was a major figure of the Beat Generation and well known for his novel, Naked Lunch, which was quite controversial at the time because of its references to drugs, violence and of course – paedophilia.  

Here’s an excerpt about Ah Pook Is Here from the Guardian article:

“The graphic novel sees Burroughs tell the story of billionaire newspaper tycoon John Stanley Hart, the "Ugly American" or "Instrument of Control" who is on a quest to discover the secret of immortality. He uses a formula he finds in ancient Mayan books to create a "Media Control Machine" using images of Fear and Death, but ends up getting on the wrong side of Ah Pook, the Mayan Death God.”

Sounds messed up and highly entertaining!



You can buy a copy of Naked Lunch here:
















You can also find the Guardian article here.

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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.



Monday, September 13, 2010

Men's Fashion - Bring back the cape!

by Alvin


I've had this idea for a while now, but remember when capes where the "IN" thing in men's fashion.  From the ancient days when actual knighted "sir's" wore armour under tunics, the Elizabethan era of Shakespeare & skeletons in cages in front of draw bridges, & the Victorian epoch where the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen should've gone after Jack the Ripper just as much as Moriarty.

They were the shiz!  Elegant, though; proven by The Incredibles, a hindrance & impractical at times.  But still, the cape was grand, dramatic and was devilish & heroic as hell!

That's why I lament that it's visage has disappeared off the face of our modern men's fashion (only women get the benefit of capes coming back in style), with sleeves being a bigger thing nowadays.  But I don't think the cape's style is lost on us, merely misplaced among Auntie Mabel's hoarded junk & cats.

Fashion design is still design, & I enjoy designing.  So here are my takes on what our modern capes should be, & they are still about drama, elegance & style - a man's man of something different & something lady killing.










When the opportunity presents itself, I'd so love to bring back the cape & design some awesome menswear in its slipstream.  Heck! I've even come up with my own Label name... it'll be a secret for now of course.

over red rover


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And now a word from the bros:

We're building an awesome video game app, so we need cash bad! Please help this nutso project of ours come to life by making a small PayPal donation. With your donation, you'll be able to help us hire developers and put a bright new game into phones and tablets worldwide.