This week on Love It, Hate It!...
Love It!
1. My Fantasy Life. If you're not playing this you should buy it. A bit text heavy, but it's an incredible, immersive game.
2. Homage to the gimmick arrows on Arrow. This week's episode showed the classic boxing glove arrow, though it was accidental, it was still awesome.
3. Couplescraft. YouTube super-boyfriends, Will and RJ, team-up in a new Minecraft series. My only complaint: I wish the episodes were longer than 10 minutes!
4. Justice League 3000: Yesterday Lives. Volume one compilation of the series is one of the best things to come out of the New 52. It's harsh and violent, but the characters really grow on you. And the twist at the end...
5. Grayson #4. Great art, great fun, shirtless Dick - nothing else matters.
Hate It!
1. Dumb and Dumber To trailers. I'm so sick of seeing this trailer every five minutes online and on TV.
2. The Pied Piper costume. I think Andy Mientus is adorable and the perfect choice to play Hartley Rathaway, but who designed this awful costume?
3. The Bane Chronicles. I picked it up because Magnus is one of the only good things to come out of that terrible series and I want to support of having more mainstream LGBT characters out there, but this book is historically horrific. Perhaps Clare should do her research from someplace other than Wikipedia.
4. Black Friday on Thanksgiving. As a former retail slave I speak for those poor souls now forced to work Thursday night. How about giving them ONE day to spend with their family before sending them off to battle? (When exactly did Thursday turn into Black Friday Preview Day instead of Thanksgiving?)
5. BAM. I love bookstores and I'm sad that they seem to be slowly disappearing. I traveled an hour away to the giant Books A Million store hoping to pick up 6 books that I've been wanting to read for a while now and they had none of them. Zero. Sure they could order them from their warehouse, but if I want them shipped to me, I'll get them from Amazon.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Bad Artist
If you follow me regularly, then you know that I have commissioned A LOT of art over the years. I've worked with dozens of different artists from all over the world thanks to our friend Mr. Internet. There have been a lot of amazing artists that I've had the chance to work with (and continue to work with) and some that I never want to lay eyes on again.
As a professional artist myself - and someone who has worked in the realms of the advertising world for more years than I want to say - I feel I'm totally in my rights to stand on a soapbox and make my voice heard. There are two simple rules that every artist, including myself, should have to live by:
Rule #1: NEVER PISS OFF YOUR CLIENT!!!
Rule #2: If you don't agree with your client, see Rule #1.
I've recently had the misfortune of "working" with three of the most awful artists. I'll refrain from giving their names or blogs because A) it is completely tacky to name names and B) I'd hate to give them traffic/advertising of any sort.
The first "artist," kept me and my project dangling for over three weeks. I passed on working with a few other (more talented) people because I was already contracted with someone else. So, three weeks in, no peep and I finally email him only to discover that he has "decided to pass on the project in order to work on something else." WFT?!? And when exactly was I, his current client, going to be informed of this? Apparently never. I wrote a polite, but scolding, reply to which he responded that he felt I was "guilting him into doing it."
Artist number two wasn't much better. I chatted with him several times through his Livestream and, after being closed for a period, announced that he was finally opening slots for commission pieces again. I was so excited, he agreed to do my piece and he told me to email him the details. I took care of everything that very night and sent it along. And never heard from him until I saw he was streaming again a week later. I asked if he was still interested and he told me he was so busy he hadn't checked his email in a while. Understandable. He looked things over and even started working on it in that very stream. I was so excited to see him doing it live and then he made an error with my character (minor, but important) and I asked him to please change it. His response was to delete the entire piece and then ban me from the room.
The last is perhaps the worst. Due to his popularity, I understood that I would have to patiently wait my turn. Suddenly, just after I sent him all of the specs and reference pictures, he decided that he was only having a single slot open and that people would now have to "compete" for the chance to hire him. After frantically emailing him for over a month attempting to win a slot, I finally succeeded in nabbing one. Only to get an email 15 minutes after his original telling me that I didn't respond fast enough and he passed the slot to someone else on the list! Apologies, I didn't realize that I needed to sit patiently by my computer desperately hitting refresh waiting for a reply from you.
I spent a decent hour deleting every piece that I ever reblogged or favorited from any of them on any site that I could think of. It may sound petty, but why I should I give these horrible artists any support or free publicity. I didn't even know it was possible on some of the sites, but I found a way. Why would I support artists who don't appreciate their clients or fans. I try to be understanding of every situation. I know all too well that real life gets in the way of things and plans are forced to change.
These are three very extreme (albeit recent) cases. For every bad artist, there have been a dozen great ones that I loved working with. If you're interested in working with an artist you've never worked with before, get some feedback from their former commissioners. Ask them in advance about their work ethics and communication process. Do they give you any updates or progress reports, if not, can they? What is their process from payment to completion? And if anything doesn't jive with what you want, DO NOT HIRE THEM. Often times that nagging bit of doubt is telling you not to do something for good reason.
As a professional artist myself - and someone who has worked in the realms of the advertising world for more years than I want to say - I feel I'm totally in my rights to stand on a soapbox and make my voice heard. There are two simple rules that every artist, including myself, should have to live by:
Rule #1: NEVER PISS OFF YOUR CLIENT!!!
Rule #2: If you don't agree with your client, see Rule #1.
I've recently had the misfortune of "working" with three of the most awful artists. I'll refrain from giving their names or blogs because A) it is completely tacky to name names and B) I'd hate to give them traffic/advertising of any sort.
The first "artist," kept me and my project dangling for over three weeks. I passed on working with a few other (more talented) people because I was already contracted with someone else. So, three weeks in, no peep and I finally email him only to discover that he has "decided to pass on the project in order to work on something else." WFT?!? And when exactly was I, his current client, going to be informed of this? Apparently never. I wrote a polite, but scolding, reply to which he responded that he felt I was "guilting him into doing it."
Artist number two wasn't much better. I chatted with him several times through his Livestream and, after being closed for a period, announced that he was finally opening slots for commission pieces again. I was so excited, he agreed to do my piece and he told me to email him the details. I took care of everything that very night and sent it along. And never heard from him until I saw he was streaming again a week later. I asked if he was still interested and he told me he was so busy he hadn't checked his email in a while. Understandable. He looked things over and even started working on it in that very stream. I was so excited to see him doing it live and then he made an error with my character (minor, but important) and I asked him to please change it. His response was to delete the entire piece and then ban me from the room.
The last is perhaps the worst. Due to his popularity, I understood that I would have to patiently wait my turn. Suddenly, just after I sent him all of the specs and reference pictures, he decided that he was only having a single slot open and that people would now have to "compete" for the chance to hire him. After frantically emailing him for over a month attempting to win a slot, I finally succeeded in nabbing one. Only to get an email 15 minutes after his original telling me that I didn't respond fast enough and he passed the slot to someone else on the list! Apologies, I didn't realize that I needed to sit patiently by my computer desperately hitting refresh waiting for a reply from you.
I spent a decent hour deleting every piece that I ever reblogged or favorited from any of them on any site that I could think of. It may sound petty, but why I should I give these horrible artists any support or free publicity. I didn't even know it was possible on some of the sites, but I found a way. Why would I support artists who don't appreciate their clients or fans. I try to be understanding of every situation. I know all too well that real life gets in the way of things and plans are forced to change.
These are three very extreme (albeit recent) cases. For every bad artist, there have been a dozen great ones that I loved working with. If you're interested in working with an artist you've never worked with before, get some feedback from their former commissioners. Ask them in advance about their work ethics and communication process. Do they give you any updates or progress reports, if not, can they? What is their process from payment to completion? And if anything doesn't jive with what you want, DO NOT HIRE THEM. Often times that nagging bit of doubt is telling you not to do something for good reason.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Love It, Hate It
It's that time again.
Love It!
1. Daniel Radcliffe rapping. Old news, but this clip of Dan doing "Alphabet Aerobics" is amazing! It's like magic...
2. "I Ate All Your Halloween Candy." My professor actually showed us this clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live in class, and I still think it's hilarious watching it again today.
3. This week's Gotham. If you didn't see this week's episode, you have to watch it. I was on the edge of my seat the entire hour.
4. Diversity 2 with Stacy and Cupquake. I loved the interaction between these two as they struggled through the challenges in the original series. Now they're back for another round, and I'm hooked already.
5. Packages from Dean Draws. I posted about him before when I received my first commission pieces from him, and I was surprised again with my most recent order. Expect another post soon showing off my swag.
Hate It!
1. The "Alex from Target" buzz. I have no hate for the kid himself, but this media frenzy surrounding him is ridiculous. Leave the poor guy be, I'm tired of seeing him every time I turn on my phone or computer.
2. The Flash in reruns. Seriously, CW, the series is only five episodes in and you start replaying already?
3. The Simpson's Tapped Out. OK, not the whole game, but this final run of the "Treehouse of Horror" event. Seriously, the price (protein strands) of the prizes for this final run is ludicrous. It's an obvious ploy to get us to spend money buying donuts to get them.
4. Christmas movies the day after Halloween. It doesn't really need more elaboration...
5. Being the last to see a commissioned piece. I don't mind an artist posting a piece of art that I've commissioned on their blog or whatever, but at least send it to me before you post it for the world to see. Am I wrong in thinking that?
Love It!
1. Daniel Radcliffe rapping. Old news, but this clip of Dan doing "Alphabet Aerobics" is amazing! It's like magic...
2. "I Ate All Your Halloween Candy." My professor actually showed us this clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live in class, and I still think it's hilarious watching it again today.
3. This week's Gotham. If you didn't see this week's episode, you have to watch it. I was on the edge of my seat the entire hour.
4. Diversity 2 with Stacy and Cupquake. I loved the interaction between these two as they struggled through the challenges in the original series. Now they're back for another round, and I'm hooked already.
5. Packages from Dean Draws. I posted about him before when I received my first commission pieces from him, and I was surprised again with my most recent order. Expect another post soon showing off my swag.
Hate It!
1. The "Alex from Target" buzz. I have no hate for the kid himself, but this media frenzy surrounding him is ridiculous. Leave the poor guy be, I'm tired of seeing him every time I turn on my phone or computer.
2. The Flash in reruns. Seriously, CW, the series is only five episodes in and you start replaying already?
3. The Simpson's Tapped Out. OK, not the whole game, but this final run of the "Treehouse of Horror" event. Seriously, the price (protein strands) of the prizes for this final run is ludicrous. It's an obvious ploy to get us to spend money buying donuts to get them.
4. Christmas movies the day after Halloween. It doesn't really need more elaboration...
5. Being the last to see a commissioned piece. I don't mind an artist posting a piece of art that I've commissioned on their blog or whatever, but at least send it to me before you post it for the world to see. Am I wrong in thinking that?
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Halloween Movie Fest
Since I'm so disappointed by the AMC Fearfest this year, I decided to take a day and watch all of my favorite scary movies building up to the day itself. Starting tomorrow I'll be watching 7 of my favorite horror films, one a night until Halloween. Check out the list and follow along if you like.
Oct 25 - The Wolf Man
Oct 26 - Creature from the Black Lagoon
Oct 27 - An American Werewolf in London
Oct 28 - The Cabin in the Woods
Oct 29 - The Shining
Oct 30 - Friday the 13th
Oct 31 - Halloween
In the comments below, let me know what your favorite scary movies are and maybe I'll check out some of them especially if they are on Netflix. I don't have class on the 31st, so I plan to have a horror movie marathon. And just because Halloween is over doesn't mean I have stop stop watching horror flicks.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Love It, Hate It
Everyone has things they love and hate, and what better place to vent about the bad and rave about the good than online for the world to see. I've been thinking about adding in this onto the blog for a while now and finally decided to do it. I'm not sure if this will become a weekly thing or monthly - I suppose it depends on my school schedule. Regardless, here is the first Love It, Hate It!
Love It!
1. The Avengers:Age of Ultron teaser trailer. If you didn't see it yet, check it out here.
2. How To Get Away With Murder. I can't watch the series on TV because of class, but it peaked my interest so I started watching it online.
3. The Simpson's Tapped Out: Halloween. This year's Tree House of Horror is oddly alien themed, but I'm excited to have my favorite THOH character: Hugo Simpson, the "evil" twin, added to my roster.
4. The Superior Foes of Spider-Man. I picked-up "Getting the Band Back Together" and am really digging this series. Who says superheroes always deserve the spotlight?
5. Ray Palmer on Arrow. I was a bit confused when they added the character to the series line-up, but I think he's a great fit so far. I know Brandon Routh got a lot of slack playing Superman, but I'm excited to see him pull on the tights for The Atom!
Hate It!
1. Venipuncture! We've started poking people in class and I just can't get the hang of it.
2. Price gouging freelancers. I can understand if you are extremely talented and in high demand asking for a bit more, especially if it is your only source of income. But for a newbie, unestablished asking outrageous prices because they think they're the best... pass.
3. AMC Fearfest 2014. I keep seeing the same few movies over and over and over... how about switching it up and maybe playing some B&W classics?
4. The end of "Diversity" on YouTube. Well, the "Minecraft Diversity" series being played by Stacyplays and Ihascupquake - I'm ready for Diversity 2, ladies!
5. Mr. Pickles. This new (new to me, at least) series on Adult Swim ruins my Sunday night of cartoon watching.
Love It!
1. The Avengers:Age of Ultron teaser trailer. If you didn't see it yet, check it out here.
2. How To Get Away With Murder. I can't watch the series on TV because of class, but it peaked my interest so I started watching it online.
3. The Simpson's Tapped Out: Halloween. This year's Tree House of Horror is oddly alien themed, but I'm excited to have my favorite THOH character: Hugo Simpson, the "evil" twin, added to my roster.
4. The Superior Foes of Spider-Man. I picked-up "Getting the Band Back Together" and am really digging this series. Who says superheroes always deserve the spotlight?
5. Ray Palmer on Arrow. I was a bit confused when they added the character to the series line-up, but I think he's a great fit so far. I know Brandon Routh got a lot of slack playing Superman, but I'm excited to see him pull on the tights for The Atom!
Hate It!
1. Venipuncture! We've started poking people in class and I just can't get the hang of it.
2. Price gouging freelancers. I can understand if you are extremely talented and in high demand asking for a bit more, especially if it is your only source of income. But for a newbie, unestablished asking outrageous prices because they think they're the best... pass.
3. AMC Fearfest 2014. I keep seeing the same few movies over and over and over... how about switching it up and maybe playing some B&W classics?
4. The end of "Diversity" on YouTube. Well, the "Minecraft Diversity" series being played by Stacyplays and Ihascupquake - I'm ready for Diversity 2, ladies!
5. Mr. Pickles. This new (new to me, at least) series on Adult Swim ruins my Sunday night of cartoon watching.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
The Pied Piper
The Flash series officially debuted this Tuesday, though I already did a review of that a few months ago when the pilot leaked onto the web. I watched the pilot anyway to support the series and I have to say that it was just as good watching it a second time. I've yet to see any of my geek friends to get their feedback, but I'm thinking they enjoyed it enough to not blow-up my phone with rants of how horrible it was.
In conjunction with the pilot came this interesting bit of news today. Something I was very curious about would be the inclusion of one of my favorite comic characters: Pied Piper. I've always thought that Hartley Rathaway was such a cool and interesting character, even before either of us came out. As silly as it sounds, he was one of the first gay characters to whom I could really relate. Unlike a lot of LGBT characters at the time, he was not just a one-dimensional gay figure. Piper had a great background and the struggle he faced was over his morals as a villain not his sexuality. He was a well-written character who also happened to be into guys.
So it was a nice surprise when I saw that not only will they be introducing Pied Piper (somewhere around Episode 11/12), but he will be cannon gay in the series as well. The CW has yet to shy away from same sex relationships as evidenced by the lesbian storyline between Sarah and Nyssa on Arrow. I'm hoping that Hartley gets a little romance - they did include his New 52 BF, Dir. Singh in the series - but more importantly, I hope he joins Team Flash as a good guy down the line.
Just a final note, while I'm a little disappointed they didn't pick a red-head to play Hartley, the actor they chose to portray him, Andy Mientus, is quite a cutie. And he is also openly bisexual, not a requirement for playing an LGBT character, but it can't hurt. I just hope he does the character justice!
PS - CW, please don't give him the raggedy 2000's costume or his original polka-dot tights. I'd much prefer him in his new costume or something similar.
In conjunction with the pilot came this interesting bit of news today. Something I was very curious about would be the inclusion of one of my favorite comic characters: Pied Piper. I've always thought that Hartley Rathaway was such a cool and interesting character, even before either of us came out. As silly as it sounds, he was one of the first gay characters to whom I could really relate. Unlike a lot of LGBT characters at the time, he was not just a one-dimensional gay figure. Piper had a great background and the struggle he faced was over his morals as a villain not his sexuality. He was a well-written character who also happened to be into guys.
So it was a nice surprise when I saw that not only will they be introducing Pied Piper (somewhere around Episode 11/12), but he will be cannon gay in the series as well. The CW has yet to shy away from same sex relationships as evidenced by the lesbian storyline between Sarah and Nyssa on Arrow. I'm hoping that Hartley gets a little romance - they did include his New 52 BF, Dir. Singh in the series - but more importantly, I hope he joins Team Flash as a good guy down the line.
Just a final note, while I'm a little disappointed they didn't pick a red-head to play Hartley, the actor they chose to portray him, Andy Mientus, is quite a cutie. And he is also openly bisexual, not a requirement for playing an LGBT character, but it can't hurt. I just hope he does the character justice!
PS - CW, please don't give him the raggedy 2000's costume or his original polka-dot tights. I'd much prefer him in his new costume or something similar.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Sexist Superheroes
Woohoo! That is the sound of my finals being over and another semester of making the Dean's List. Now that my projects and tests are over and I have a break, brief though it may be, I'll have a bit more time to spend catching up on my social media. I know I've been lacking but you know that school is my priority right now.
The real reason I thought I'd post, is to bring a little attention to a disturbing article I found tonight on my Yahoo News page. I'll let you read the article for yourself, but I must say that I'm very upset with retailers for buying stock in such gender-biased apparel. Why is the it the girl always has to be the damsel in distress rescued by the man in a cape? There are plenty of kick-butt superwomen out there and they have to make a tee that reads: "Training to be Batman's wife?" Why not Batman's sidekick? Look at how incredible the Batgirls are: Barbra, Cassie, and Steph have proved their worth time and again. Or even better, how about: "Training to be Batwoman?" She's an amazing role model not just for women but for the LGBT fans out there.
Wonder Woman, Hawkwoman, Black Canary, Vixen, Zatanna - and those are just the DC heroines! Why should a young girl, or a woman of any age, feel that the best thing she can be is a superhero's wife? I'll gladly accept that the t-shirt was meant to funny when they make one like this for the boys:
The real reason I thought I'd post, is to bring a little attention to a disturbing article I found tonight on my Yahoo News page. I'll let you read the article for yourself, but I must say that I'm very upset with retailers for buying stock in such gender-biased apparel. Why is the it the girl always has to be the damsel in distress rescued by the man in a cape? There are plenty of kick-butt superwomen out there and they have to make a tee that reads: "Training to be Batman's wife?" Why not Batman's sidekick? Look at how incredible the Batgirls are: Barbra, Cassie, and Steph have proved their worth time and again. Or even better, how about: "Training to be Batwoman?" She's an amazing role model not just for women but for the LGBT fans out there.
Wonder Woman, Hawkwoman, Black Canary, Vixen, Zatanna - and those are just the DC heroines! Why should a young girl, or a woman of any age, feel that the best thing she can be is a superhero's wife? I'll gladly accept that the t-shirt was meant to funny when they make one like this for the boys:
PS - I would totally buy this tee if it was available.
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