Life sure is nuts sometimes. & not the bodacious kinda nutz with a 'z,' but the kind of nuts where yer constantly wondering what the fuck is gonna come around the next corner. I'll say this, working for a big ol' corporation makes me nuts -- especially when they pick a random Wednesday out of nowhere & start sacking people around you. Next thing you know, tears are shed, tempers flare and nothin' much seems to make sense.
Good time to escape for an extended weekend, innit? Indeed! That's why Miss M & I are off on the Megabus tonight to the Windy City, our home away from home. This time, it's for the first installment of Three Tough Guys -- a wing dinger of a thumpin' night that I'm throwin' with our best buddies Miles & Louis. Expect much slammin' funk, library rockers & the usual party goodness that people have come to expect from us. & who knew that fate would step in and take away Isaac Hayes just as we were about to throw a party in his movie's honor. Anyhoo, this one's for you, dude...
Other than that, this summer has steamrolled over everyone, it seems. Time to say goodbye to some near & dear to the ol' heart, while ushering in yet another schoolyear filled with packed houses @ the Bang! along with the always obnoxious marching band practicing down the street! It's a trade-off, I guess.
Still we continue to barrell through, smiling whenever we can even as the suits pull the rugs out from under our collective feet. It might not be a pretty way to pay the bills, but it works for now. Time to plan the takeover -- for real. Everyone who's with me come to Three Tough Guys & we'll plan. Those that can't make it, we'll brainstorm at the Boogie Bang! next weekend.
Until then, stay strong, be well, laugh lots & thank crap you've got a place to crap.
Currently
listening
:
Black Moses
By
Isaac Hayes
Release date: 1990-01-05
I Was a Hellboy II Art Contest Winner!
Current mood: satisfied
Category: satisfied Art and Photography
So by now, most of you should have seen Hellboy II by now. If not, go soon. Go now. Drop what yer doing and get ready for a super fun bonkers time at the theater! Mad props to Guillermo Del Toro for delivering such a sweet gift of goodness. Though I've never talked to the jolly genius, I sent him off a Hellboy drawing made for him after catching the first flick. Some might have seen this sketch somewhere in my various online galleries. Kind of a mix of Hellboy & the snake creature from the Barbarian Bros. movie!
So here we are a few years later & good ol' Hellboy II has finally seen the light of day. The lead-up to the release saw some fun ad ploys, starting with a fan art contest on the main Hellboy movie website. Given my background in doing special Hellboy drawings, I figured that I might as well - especially if Guillermo & Dark Horse would get to take a peek at it. So I whipped up the little sucker that you'll find below.
Pretty spiffy, huh? Below are some pics of the art in progress, starting with the pencil rough...
Next up, the final pencils inked, but with the blacks not yet filled in with Sharpee...
This is usually my favorite part of the drawing process. There's something clean about the lines that gets lost when the rendering is finished.
But then again, there's nothin' quite as satisfying as seeing the final inked product...
Though I felt pretty good about it, I noticed some stuff when I threw it into the computer -- namely that the suckers near the sword were confusing the design, so you'll see them gone in the final version. Another change is Hellboy's mouth, which ended up looking a whole lot better angling down rather than the slight smirk I threw on there.
So anyway, I finished this sucker & proceeded to upload it onto the main site -- a process that bugged the shit out of me only because the damn thing wouldn't take. For a few days I kept on trying to reupload it, but to no avail. It never showed up on the site. With one final hail mary, I did one final upload before saying fuggit. So imagine my surprise when the day after that, I got an e-mai saying that I randomly won the first leg of the contest! Yeah -- say whaaa?
Soooo, my drawing never did hit the site, but there was some 10 buck prize heading my way. Funny enough, by the time it finally got to me a month & a half later, I'd almost given up hope. Now imagine my surprise when I sliced open the box only to reveal -- A BPRD BELT BUCKLE, complete with a wicked Hellboy II leather belt.
Was it kismet that this sorta piece of gold was sent to me, namely a dude that prides himself on his belt buckle collection? Shit, I dunno. Either way, I've been rockin' it ever since, including the midnight show last night! So what if Mignola & Co. weren't able to see it on the main page's gallery? & so what if this Marketing group didn't really judge me on the craft of the work. Hell, maybe they were sick of me uploading it so many times. In the end, I can't complain. I'm still the proud owner of a bodacious BPRD belt buckle -- and that's somethin' I'll never have to give up -- no matter how big my ol' gut gets in time.
For now, I'm happy to have such a great flick to dig into for years to come. & plus, it makes for a good story. Buy me a brew someday & I'll tell you a few more. For now, see Hellboy II & check All Movie for my review come Monday. It'll no doubt be a good one!
Hooo-wee! Where the hell did the first leg of summer go?!? I dunno, but so far, it's been a b-l-a-s-t! From fantastic fun on the big screen to wild nights out on the town to highly satisfying creative output, I'd say that this summer is off to a fine & genuine start. But enough of my babble – onto the goods…
NEW POSTERS
First up, a few Bang! posters to feast yer peepers upon. The first one was for the third installment of our super-live Physical Bang! series. The night was nuts. One of those rare packed summer gigs that remind us why we throw these ridiculous parties in the first place. Loads of sweaty, beautiful people all smiling & dancing to outrageous sights + soundz. If you were there, I thank & salute you. As far as the poster goes, it's one of those rare horizontal jobs that I save for only the most special of prints.
Up next is our July Bang! – a rare no-theme party that managed to please half our crowd & piss off the other half. It's funny how you never know how people will react to this stuff. The good news is that we'll still be decking the joint out with insane decorations, as well as feature the return of one of our most beloved stage sets, so the kids can look forward to that on the 19th. Poster-wise, I was happy to not have to play into this or that theme, even if the final product does give off a certain "wet" vibe (not helped by my "hydro-sexual" choice of words). Ahh well, if people come in sexual raincoats, more power to them! Maybe I'll bring a super soaker. I'm sure the Pig would LOVE that.
Moving on, here's the newest poster for the ongoing 42nd St. Drive-In film series @ the Emagine Novi. Hmmm, I'm noticing a similar choice of blue colors in this & the last poster! Well, why not. The only important thing to me is that I keep the colors limited – plus, the blue goes with Blue Sunshine – just one of the fabulous double features on tap for this installment. Can't wait to see this sucker in all it's 27x40 glory – soon to be up on Miss M & mine's wall sometime soon.
Finally, here's the newest bit of hotness – the poster for the first of what could be a series of parties @ the best place in town, the Elks. Ever since that first fashion show – shit, nearly two years ago (!) – I've been waiting to be involved in a party there. Well the time has come & needless to say, this weekend, it's gonna get H.O.T. down there! Poster-wise, I'd been looking to use the pink on red lately & was surprised how well it fit into what was to be a stripped down b&w piece. Hopefully in the future, I'll take that color scheme to the next level – for now, they can happily coexist in this steamy flyer.
PICTURES
So I've got my own Flickr account now. Feel free to add me to your friends list – or not. Either way, this'll be a good spot to dump my own stuff, after managing The Bang!'s for a few years now. So, perfect speed-round style, here's a few sets that are worth checking out (click the pics for the galleries)…
G-Fest 2008
What's better than a non-stop July 4th party visit to Chicago? Why, the 16th Annual Godzilla Convention, of course! Genius stuff. Extremely hardcore in the best of ways. Only got to spend a few hours there, but that was enough. Little Ultramen. Lordi metal dudes. Tons of toys. Great company (LP+Deafula). SPIDER-ZILLA! What more could you ask for?
Novi Comicon 2008
This stuff's taken a while to get up – and for that, I've got no excuse. What kills me is that our buddy Kile has about 3x as many sitting somewhere in his camera back in GR! Gotta love the pics of Gibner getting' down @ Saturday night's karaoke dance party, plus the after pic of us beat down to the ground hungover on Sunday. Add in Gibs' pompadour paintings & slick Rick Weed in his Elvis sunglasses & you've got another fantastic year of comicondom (whoa! Why hasn't anyone thought of that yet!??). News Flash – The Bang! is set to throw the official party for next year's Motor City Comicon with the 501st. Believe it!
My AMG Cube
And since I'm throwing around Flickr sets, here's one of my ever-expanding cube @ AMG -- itself, a constant source of inspiration & distraction while I grind away for my copy-protection overlords. It's also the spot that most tours stop at while the suits chuckle to themselves and wonder what the hell kind of company they got themselves into. Ahh, how good it is to be interesting in a bland world of khakis and denim shirts!
Well, that's just about it. Tune in later this week when I divulge my award-winning entry in a big movie art contest! Oh, how good it is to be randomly awarded for your hard work. But then again, that's life, innit? Till next time, kiddies…
Currently
listening
:
Mo’Hawk
By
Alan Hawkshaw
Release date: 2004-04-05
Turn Up Yer Stereo -- I’m 31-Years Young Today!!!!
Current mood: giddy
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
Damn straight!
May 28th has always been a magical day, for it's the bright shining wonderfully wicked day that this dude was birthed into this wild wooly world. Even after a scant 3.5 hours of sleep last night, I'm riding on a great b-day high. Sitting on the bus this morning, I made sure to listen to happy music (Apples in Stereo) and was hit by a massive jolt of bubbly bounce when I saw the date scroll across the bus' LED screen (note to self -- get new batteries for LED belt buckle). Just walking from the bus stop to my Corporate America soul-sucking workplace, I noticed a big ol grin on my face that I couldn't shake for the life of me. The sun was out. The tunes were good. And dammit, shit is still good despite this leg of life's obstacle course that we all gotta run.
Maybe it has to do with this...
Hell, I can't imagine a hotter spot to be in than the one of a dude that's just helped build a bootleg ARK!
Looking back on my baby book with Miss Mariah last night made us both a bit teary, yet it probably has a bit to do with my good outlook today. There's a lot of history to this (still growing) boy and I gotta give my shout outs to all that have lent me a hand.
For all my in town peeps, prepare for a super explosive b-day celebration Saturday. Tonight I get my back cracked (almost fully recovered from the carpal tunnel-related b.s. unearthed a few months back) and then it's off to some tasty Cuban food & hopefully a showing of Speed Racer in ol' IMAX. It's the one that's gotten away from me with all this nutty May business, so I'm pumped.
The pics from Comicon aren't quite all up yet, though here's a preview of the new Keepin' It Wheeler comic, soon to hit 2nd printing, where a big ol' book release to follow. Keep yer peepers peeped...
Oh yeah, and I gave a facelift to my own website, even if there's still work to be done on the inside pages & links. Hey -- at least it's a start! http://jeremywheeler.net/
Not too bad for a 31-year dude, huh? So far, I'm happy to defy the triple decade slump. Hell, shit's just heating up! Who's with me?!?
Currently
listening
:
Velocity of Sound
By
The Apples in Stereo
Release date: 2002-10-08
New Poster + New Illustration + New Craziness!!!
Current mood: excited
Category: Art and Photography
Ey yey yey!
Where is the time going? Where has the time gone? Where am I? Oh, that's right -- in big business-owned hell, that's where! That's why it's time to tack the reigns on life and DIY it up once again @ my once-a-year haven in the geek world -- the Motor City Comicon! Yeah, I'll have a table AND something very new for folks to buy! That's right -- give me your money. All of it! More news on when you'll pass of your loot to me soon. Get excited. Go crazy go nuts.
In the meantime, pop your peepers on the new Bang! poster -- this one's for the secret DIA gig that I've been hinting at, but haven't yet spilled the beans on. Yup, The Bang! is headed to Detroit for a special night -- so special we're sharing the bill with a boxing ring, complete with LIVE boxing and lucha libre mexican wrestling (!!!!!). For real. This thing should be downright silly. Add in the Museum surroundings and we've got the recipe for tasty outrageous deliciousness!
But that's not all, folks! Nope, why would it be? Life is too short, just like mini-ponies (even if they are cute). So, before I overstate my welcome, here's the long-awaited color version of my newest Vault of Midnight masterpiece. Catch it in my newest comic -- coming sooner than soon and later than it should.
Til next time -- xxoo y'all lots. Lets eat BBQ together real soon!
Click the illustration for the review! Kicked this sucker out after Miss M and I hit the 8pm opening night show! Drew to various episodes of Cheers, the spaghetti western Dead Man's Bounty and two Howard On Demand shows.
PS -- pretty cool gig news coming next week! Can't wait to share!
New Comic + New Poster = Oh My!!!!
Current mood: chipper
Category: Art and Photography
Well well well, how did it come to this -- here I am with a Road Warrior-styled wrist brace (thanks to fuckin' Carpal Tunnel office work b.s.) and stuck in the middle of a winter that just won't quit!
Thankfully -- none of that will stop my crazy train anytime soon! While I'm still half in hybernation-mode, things continue to move and groove to a neat beat art-wise.
This week at All Movie you can catch a brand new comic that catches all you non-con'ers out there up on what it's like to hit a MidWest Horror Convention. Click on the preview below for the goods...
And now, for the moment I've been waiting for most of my post-young adult life, the printing of my first 27x40 movie poster! It's for a wicked brew&view that my buddy Buchanan is putting on over in Novi that should be the bees knees. Sadly, the budget won't allow more than a few copies of this to be made, but if you'd like to see the real deal, I should have one framed and up on our wall at home real soon. Can't wait! So here it is, both in a thumbnail and a big version that you can blow up to monster size!
Well that's just about it for now. Stay tuned for more hotness to come!
xxoo!
Currently
listening
:
Billy's Bag
By
Billy Preston
Release date: 12 April, 2004
This weekend I'm burnin' Chicago down in flames, so whoever's around, grab a match and come join in!
Last night, Louis, Bridge and I witnessed what could be THE most extreme flick ever seen in a theater -- none other than the pregnancy horror seige flick, Inside! This was one no bullshit flick, folks! Blood blood, oh sweet blood! I haven't screamed in a theater that much since Rambo. The whole audience left in shock. Great job, French dudes! You make one helluva wicked grossout rollercoaster ride!
Next up is Fango's Chicago Weekend of Horrors -- a high class horror convention that should be a total B-L-A-S-T out my ass!
Neil Marshall -- I'm gunnin for you, dude!
And what bloody horror con romp would be complete without an afterparty?!? So even if yer not down with the gore gore gore, come to the Continental tonight and party with Louis, Miles and I as we tear the place up with super hot tunes and sexy rock & rollers from 11-5AM! Holy god, I might need a Sparks iv!
After that, it's sleep sleep sleep sleep then repeat repeat repeat!
I'll be back in A2 on Monday! Expect a wild report on All Movie sometime next week. Right now, it's time to rock out with some smelly horror dudes!
xxoo!
Currently
listening
:
Soul Donkey
By
Sugarman Three
Release date: 21 March, 2006
artistic
amused
giddy
excited
chipper
geeky
