Kneon

Uncle Scrooge at Christmas: Poor Huey, Dewey and Louie!

2009-11-09T20:51:00.003-05:00

Putting the "Scrooge" back into Uncle Scrooge with this pencil drawing I did...

Want to buy the original? It's for sale here.

Halloween Is Grinch Night

2009-10-20T13:36:00.002-04:00

You just don't see this classic special on TV anymore, so here it is. Enjoy!

Mickey Mouse: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

2009-10-15T19:54:00.004-04:00

More Disney art! This is a pencil sketch of Mickey Mouse as "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" from Fantasia.

Want to buy the original? I'm selling it off here.

Lock, Shock and Barrel: The Nightmare Before Christmas fan art

2009-10-11T17:13:00.004-04:00

More Disney Halloween art! This time it's LOCK, SHOCK and BARREL -- those three mirthful miscreants from Tim Burton's THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

Want to buy the original art? I'm selling it off here.

Lonesome Ghosts: Mickey, Donald and Goofy

2009-10-10T00:01:00.004-04:00

More Disney comics fan art. This one based off the classic short "Lonesome Ghosts."

Want to buy the original? I'm selling it off here.

Disney Halloween art: Huey, Dewey, Louie and Witch Hazel

2009-10-04T19:56:00.001-04:00

Here's more Halloween themed Disney fan art. Today we have Huey, Dewey and Louie and... Witch Hazel!

Want to buy the original? I'm selling it off here.

Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell as a Witch

2009-10-03T23:07:00.004-04:00

More Halloween themed Disney fan art!

Want to buy the original? It's for sale here!

Kingdom Hearts in Halloweentown: Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Sora and Jack

2009-10-02T16:15:00.004-04:00

Here's a pencil doodle I did of the Kingdom Hearts gang in Halloweentown. 'Tis the season!

Want to buy the original? I'm selling it off here.

Freelancer Advice from Twitter Part II

2009-09-17T17:53:00.005-04:00

Here's a follow up to yesterday's reposting of my tweets dealing with freelance advice. Enjoy!

True freelance horror story: Started my studio at 22. I went to a Chamber mixer and the old folks handed me their coats. I left humiliated.
True freelance horror story: I was once brought in to pinch hit for an Art Director who was fired for masturbating at work.
@Linktm Actually the people in his dept. let me know they scrubbed his desk down with Lysol before I arrived. I kid you not!
@Linktm The head of the company had no intention of telling me WHY he was fired, but found out on Day 1 from one of his female coworkers! :(
True freelance horror story: One of the most difficult clients I ever had is wanted for felony and fled the country > http://bit.ly/ICrUb
(cont'd) Felon Client used to keep me separated from his in-house employees because he didn't want them to "poison" me against him.
(cont'd) Turns out he didn't have to worry about his people poisoning the well -- he did a dandy job of making a jackass out of himself.
(cont'd) Now he's a wanted felon. I should have been shocked, but I remember thinking "How typical" when I heard the news.
Freelance advice: Watch your back if you are working someplace that also has in-house designers. If they feel threatened, it could get ugly.
Back to Felon Client: He let his asst. take the rap for him while he fled to France and took another high paying job >http://bit.ly/1DeVzM
Nice to see Felon Client is having fun on Facebook when he should be behind bars > http://bit.ly/oIR5W
@David_wc Even weirder -- the company who fired the art director for spanking it at work was run by Christians: a pastor and his wife.
Freelance advice: Give yourself breathing room. Estimate extra time into your due date. Things happen -- take that into consideration.
Freelance advice: Make sure you put a due date on invoices. And expect clients to wait until the last minute to pay. Late fees are OK too.
Freelance advice: You're not just a designer, but a salesman and business manager as well. Allow time for everything as it's all important.
Freelance advice; Make sure friends and family understand that just because you're "home" doesn't mean you're really home. Set a schedule.
(cont'd) I used to have friends hang out at my studio and play Playstation when I was working, not understanding that I was still "at work"
(cont'd) They also thought I didn't have a "job" when I worked more than they did. How else do I pay for the food you guys are eating?!
(cont'd) Family members would call me on the phone and ask me to run errands on "work time." They didn't think I was "doing anything."
Freelance advice: Make it crystal clear to family and clients that the hours of whatever O'clock to whatever O'clock are your office hours.
Freelance advice: Don't jump into freelancing. Cut your teeth at a full-time job. Let them pay you to learn -- like college in reverse!
@tudorlewis I'd agree with that. My wife @desert_starr_57 and I work very well together. :)
Freelance advice: Don't let ignorant clients bully you into an impossible date of completion at an impossible price. Good design takes time!
Freelance advice: I said before to 'be a dick.' This is in regards to getting paid. Nobody likes to work with a jerk. But don't be a doormat
True freelance horror story: Jumped into freelance at 22. Bought a $10K Mac. Was laid off from my day job because I was now "competition."
(cont'd) My day job at the time was for a commercial printer. I didn't print anything, and was doing more web design than print. Insane!
Freelance advice: Watch those non-compete agreements! I signed one with Clear Channel and was virtually unable to freelance for a year!
(cont'd) The Clear Channel contract stated I couldn't perform design duties within 100 miles of a CC owned station -- i.e. EVERYWHERE!
(cont'd) You may cut your nose off to spite your face to land just one client with a non-compete. Read very, very carefully before signing!
True freelance horror story: I once had an interview with an ad agency. It consisted of them trying to wrangle client contact info out of ME
True freelance horror story: Once had a lunch meeting with a prospective client. He tried to sell ME on his pyramid scheme. Yes, I ran!

That's all for now, folks!

Freelancer Advice courtesy the School of Hard Knocks (and Twitter!)

2009-09-16T21:47:00.007-04:00

I've been posting some advice for would be freelancers over on Twitter. I started posting these "kernels" because a friend of mine had a question about a billing issue he was having.

It dawned on me that I've spent about half of my 14-year graphic design/illustration career freelancing full-time and had plenty of battle scars to show for it. Hopefully by sharing some of these tidbits, I can help younger freelancers avoid some of the traps I've fallen into... and not be as bitter as I am when they get to be my age. ;)

So here are a bunch of my tweets dealing with the subject...

Freelancer advice: Be a dick. Don't be ashamed to be one. At the end of the day, you're the only one who has your best interests in mind.
Freelancer advice: Pro bono projects are OK every once in awhile, but you can't eat gratitude (if you even get that!)
Freelancer advice: Dealing with people is harder than any Photoshop class. You'll only learn this through real world experience.
Freelancer advice: Desperation leads to destitution. Don't attract bottom rung clients who often skip the bill. If you're good, ppl will pay
Freelancer advice: In the eyes of most employers, freelancers are treated as easily disposable employees. Go into a gig with your eyes open.
Not trying to sound like an old sourpuss with my "freelancer advice" tweets, just a 12 yr freelance vet looking to keep the kids safe. ;)
@StudioXIII The good outweighs the bad with freelancing, but there are a LOT of sleazos out there looking for cheap (free) labor, too.
Freelance advice: How to not get taken advantage of > http://bit.ly/q1o99
"I hate to see freelancers fall under the mercy of their clients (...) After all, the point is to earn a living, right?" http://bit.ly/q1o99
Freelancers: If you have any free time, you're doing something wrong! When you're not working, you should look for work or promote yourself.
@Linktm Thanks. Sorry if I sound curmudgeon-y. Freelancing is not glamorous. Honestly, a "real job" is usually much easier! Sad but true.
Successful freelancers seldom have time for movies, TV, video games and anything resembling a social life. Only so many hours in a day...
A *GOOD* credit card can be a freelancer's best friend. Use it to pay expenses between invoices (sometimes 45 days or so!) but PAY IT OFF.
Freelancers: Even the best clients with an excellent payment history can flake out. There's a first time for everything. Always have Plan B!
@dgriff13 You should get a deposit. Don't feel guilty -- you're not a charity! If you don't meet your end of the deal, they can get it back.
@JoshGorfain Heh. A contract should avoid any... issues. But some clients spend more resources avoiding bills than it would take to pay them
Pro bono work is good to hone your skills and get your name out there. But watch out -- some people will come to expect everything for free!
If YOU don't think your time and talent is worth money, why should anyone else? Even low end fast food or retail jobs pay. #FreelanceAdvice
Some freelancers fall into the trap of thinking they should be lucky to have anyone want to pay them and work too cheaply. Horse manure!
Freelance advice: At the end of the day, it's all just business. And no one has your best interests in mind except you. So take care of YOU.
Freelance advice: If you feel guilted into free work, help out a soup kitchen. Once you offer your services for free, many will expect it.
Not trying to sound bitter 'n old with the freelance advice, just speaking from experience. Want to make a living? Treat it as a BUSINESS.
You may get sob stories from your freelance clients, but I guarantee that YOUR creditors won't be as sympathetic as they expect you to be!
Freelance advice: The best way to avoid the bad stuff I've talked about is to prescreen clients. Be up front with fees. They balk? You run.
Freelance advice: Any serious client will sign a reasonable contract, which may include a deposit to cover time. No contract, no work. EVER.
Freelance advice: Let me repeat that last one for effect: No contract, no work. EVER. No exceptions for friends & family, as those can sour.
Freelance advice: If you want to turn your best friend into your worst enemy, go into business with them. Or do a job without a contract. ;)
Honestly, you're better off NOT working with friends or family as personal ties can cloud judgment. Again, this is a BUSINESS first.
Posted a bunch of "freelance advice" over the past few days. Can be applied to graphic & web design, writing, illustration etc.
@Th0r4z1n3 Yeah I'd agree with that one. Keep your friends and work relationships separate if possible.
So if you're wondering what gives me the right to spout off, I've spent more than half of my 14-year design career freelancing full-time.
If I can get through to even a fraction of starry-eyed would be freelancers with my grouchiness, then it's worth it. ;)
Freelancing is not glamorous. It's hard, hard work. There are definite perks, but you're often not as "free" as you think you'd be.
My Freelance Advice tweets may sound harsh, but get burnt a time or five and you'll come around to seeing things my way. I guarantee it. ;)
@davisac1 @eric_merced @ShivaeStudios Thanks for reading my spew! Not trying to discourage freelancers, just want to be real with them.
Freelance advice: Having only one client means you're actually an employee without the perks/protection of full-time employment. Watch out!
There were times when I only had one or two clients. When I was tossed aside (which happens to all freelancers eventually) I had no recourse
Freelance advice: Your clients will eventually tire of you, and you're much easier to get rid of than an in-house employee. Don't get comfy!
True freelance horror story: I had a client try and have me HELP them pick my replacement because they thought I was too expensive!
Freelance advice: Working in-house means you're a temp in the eyes of your employer... er... client. There's a difference.
Expecting a freelancer to be at your beck and call 24/7 makes as much sense as expecting every business to keep those hours just for you.
Freelance advice: YOU set your own hours and YOU tell the client when a project will be done. You're your own business, not their employee.
Freelance advice: Work crazy hours to please a client once, and they'll expect you to be a miracle worker every time.
True freelance horror story: I once took a project over the weekend to help out a client. They gave me work Friday afternoon from then on.
Freelance advice: Don't be afraid to lose a client if you won't work insane hours for them. Do it once, it'll be expected from then on.
Freelance advice: You can take the occasional weekend project if you're a masochist... just charge a premium. Like a 25% surcharge for OT.
Freelance advice: If you charge more for your time after hours, you'd be surprised how many projects can wait until Monday morning. ;)
Posted more "freelance advice" tweets today dealing with client relationships and sane working conditions. If anyone is interested. ;)
I have tons of advice tweets for would be #freelancers going back several days if anyone is interested.
True freelance horror story: Confronted a client who was past due on a small bill. Said he "couldn't believe I treated clients this rudely!"
(cont'd) Client only owed me like $80 yet & I'd bent over backwards time and again. Months before, asked if I'd be OK with waiting 3 months.
(cont'd) Same client also had very large government accounts and was billing 10s of thousands of dollars per month, but balked at paying me.
(cont'd) It's just insane how far people will go to skip out on a bill, and it shows you where the freelancer often is in the pecking order.
True freelance horror story: Made the mistake of doing work for a guy I knew from high school. Got stuck with business cards. (cont'd >>)
(cont'd) Had to stop by his business to pretty much demand the money he owed me, but his attitude was like "Duuuuude, we're buddies, right?"
So I can't stress enough how awkward/damaging mingling work with friendship can be when it comes down to brass tacks. #FreelanceAdvice
I'm not saying NEVER work with friends or family, just be able to separate business from relationship. Things go wrong, something WILL give.
I think spouses can work together easier than friends because they're playing for the same team: their own family.
Friends are often playing for themselves and their families, ultimately. And toes can get stepped on more easily.

That's it... for now. I'll keep you posted if the mood to tweet on the subject strikes again!

EDIT: Here's Round 2 of my freelance tweets [link]

Magica De Spell & Morgana Macawber

2009-08-31T13:11:00.001-04:00

In time for Halloween... a pencil sketch of two Disney duck witches...

Darkwing Duck vs. Gizmoduck: Disney Afternoon throwdown!

2009-07-20T12:27:00.006-04:00

Here's a pinup I did of Darkwing Duck vs. Gizmoduck... with poor Launchpad and Gyro looking on...

E3: Super Mario Galaxy 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Metroid... and Final Fantasy XIV?!

2009-06-02T21:13:00.007-04:00

So far, this year's E3 has been very good to us old school gamers. Just today, Nintendo announced not one, but TWO new Mario games for Wii and a killer looking Metroid from the Ninja Gaiden crew...

Another big surprise was the announcement of Final Fantasy XIV for the PS3. That's right, part XIII is still about a year away and they're already talking about XIV. I'd be excited -- but it's another online installment like XI, and I really don't care for MMORPGs. (I personally think the main Final Fantasy series should be strictly offline, single-player experiences and that they should save the online installments for a spinoff series. But hey, that's just me.)

So yeah, sounds like a good show so far and there are still a few days left. Maybe Square Enix will drop a Chrono bomb on us...? Maybe? Please?

whalecrash: Making webcomics with Twitter

2009-04-24T08:39:00.008-04:00

So I've started a new experiment this week. I wanted to see if I could make a webcomic with Twitter.

No, not just tweet about a comic -- make it with Twitter.

"Constrained comics" lend themselves to something like this, so I whipped up an off-the-wall image and decided to pull tweets into the word balloon.

The result? WHALECRASH! (http://whalecrash.com)

With Twitter, I can update it on the fly whenever I want, from wherever I am. There's no set update schedule, but at least once a day would be nice. To the best of my knowledge, no one else has done this yet. I'm guessing either because they haven't thought to... or it's just an awful idea. We'll see how this goes!

Want to help me out? DM or reply @whalecrash with something clever and/or funny in 140 characters or less. If I like your script, I'll tweet it. And don't forget to follow me @kneon !

'A Miser Brothers Christmas' review

2008-12-22T22:15:00.005-05:00

They're too much? Nope... they're not enough.

So I wrote a couple weeks ago about how I was cautiously optimistic regarding the A Miser Brothers' Christmas special airing this year on ABC Family. This special was, supposedly, a sequel to the Rankin/Bass classic The Year Without a Santa Claus.

It... well... fell short. I'm not completely surprised. So far, there hasn't been a single truly worthy sequel to a classic Rankin/Bass holiday special. I had a glimmer of hope because this one had so, so much more going for it than the others, including the return of original voice actors Mickey Rooney as Santa and George S. Irving as Heat Miser. It was also the only sequel done in stop motion animation (as opposed to CG,) which was a hallmark of most of Rankin/Bass' specials.

So what, exactly, didn't I like? Well, the two biggest turnoffs for me were the writing and the music. Rankin/Bass was a well oiled holiday machine, and they usually employed the services of Romeo Muller as screenwriter and Maury Laws as composer. Muller's screenplays had a certain "it" factor... it's really hard to pin down exactly was "it" was... he had a real knack for pacing and characterization.

On the few rare occasions when they did sequels, Mr. Muller often took things in a totally different direction. This show, on the other hand, simply rehashed bits of the original (Santa is out of commission... again) and what was new, was just... not all that interesting, really. The pacing was slow, and none of the new characters were all that memorable.

Besides, as great as the Misers were in the original special, they were a plot device. That's it. They existed as an obstacle for Mrs. Claus and the elves to overcome. The story wasn't about them, and they got very little screen time aside from a snappy musical number. They were never meant to carry an entire show themselves, and they just... can't. The fighting gets real old, real quick. Then they kiss and make up, so the one thing they did have going for them was gone.

So that brings me to the music. The Rankin/Bass classics had classic music. The Misers are as popular as they are because of a catchy song. No memorable showstoppers are to be found here. Even the classic Miser Brothers musical number was watered down compared to the original. In fact, I have to say that all of the original tunes were downright painful to listen to. From the opening number to Mrs. Claus' awful warbling, the music was really, really subpar. Even the background music sounded like something from your average Saturday morning cartoon show.

I understand that Maury Laws probably wanted nothing to do with this thing, but surely there are some talented folks on Broadway that could write some catchy tunes...?

The music is absolutely, absolutely a key ingredient of most successful holiday specials. Aside from the Rankin/Bass specials, where would the Grinch be without "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" or what would Charlie Brown be without "Christmastime is Here" or "Linus and Lucy" ...?

Yeah, it's that important. And one of the things I've seen mucked up the most in these Rankin/Bass "sequels."

So what was done right?

Using stop motion animation. Soooo close, yet so far to go, guys. Cuppa Coffee is the studio behind this special. They're the folks who did Jojo's Circus on Playhouse Disney. And I cannot deny that they're talented.

The animation quality is excellent. This thing looked expensive. The art direction, well, would be very nice if this weren't billed as a sequel to a show with such a classic, classic look. Rankin/Bass shows had a distinct style thanks to the uber talented Paul Coker Jr.

This show was very bright, very pastel and very stylized. That's not a bad thing... it's just hard to reconcile it with the original when many of the characters look so different (such as a skinny Mrs. Claus and an unrecognizable Mother Nature.) Oddly enough, some of the new characters (like North Wind) looked more like a Coker design than the returning cast. The elves seemed to be a throwback to the elves from Rudolf instead of the elves from The Year Without a Santa Claus. Jingle and Jangle are nowhere to be found. Rankin/Bass characters were cartoony, but the sets and costuming were usually grounded in reality. Again, not understanding the logic here.

So yeah... if it weren't a sequel to a show with an established look, I'd have nothing but praise.

Voice casting. Bringing back Mickey Rooney and George S. Irving was inspired. They both did an excellent job with the material they were given, and Mr. Rooney slipped back into the Santa role effortlessly.

And, well, that's about it. Worth checking out for the curiosity of it, but don't expect the second coming of Rankin/Bass. It is what it is. And, believe it or not, it's the best of the bunch so far.

Now, if Warner/Cuppa Coffee would've worked on a new special that wasn't a sequel to such a classic, I think I would've been much, much more receptive. I see potential to do Rankin/Bass style shows... but the classics really should be left alone. (Yeaaaaah... I'm lookin' at you, Classic Media!)

But, man... if Cuppa Coffee teamed up with Rankin, Bass, Laws and Coker on something new... that might actually work out quite well indeed. There's definitely a demand, or these "sequels" wouldn't be churned out at such an alarming rate. Who better to give the public what they want than the guys behind the originals? One can dream...

A Miser Brothers' Christmas: ABC Family churns out a sequel to 'The Year Without a Santa Claus'

2008-12-02T19:16:00.007-05:00

Wow.

This one caught me off guard, but I guess it shouldn't have. Hot on the heels of last week's Rankin/Bass post comes word that ABC Family is producing its own sequel to my favorite Rankin/Bass special of all time, The Year Without a Santa Claus. It'll be airing on December 13 at 8:00 p.m. EST as part of their 25 Days of Christmas programming event.

Wow.

See, this isn't the first time a "sequel" to a Rankin/Bass classic has been produced without, well, Mr. Rankin and/or Mr. Bass. Some were pretty mediocre, some were downright abysmal.

This is, however, the first time that such a sequel has been produced for television, as opposed to direct-to-video, and by the very same channel that aired the original at that (ABC.)

It's also the first time that a sequel to a special animated in "Animagic" (stop-motion animation) has had its sequel animated in stop-motion as well. This is a biggie, because the sequels to Rudolf and Peter Cottontail were both done in (low-rent) CGI. You see, stop motion animation is very, very expensive and very, very time consuming.

Oh, and, it's also the first time that a sequel to a Rankin/Bass special has had some of the original voice actors return. That's right folks -- Mickey Rooney returns as Santa Claus and George S. Irving reprises his role as Heat Miser.

Wow.

I really, really hate to get my hopes up for a truly worthy sequel to a Rankin/Bass classic. This one seems to have a lot going for it that the others haven't, but it's still missing several key ingredients: most notably Rankin, Bass and their Christmas special "regulars." Apparently this show was produced without any involvement or input from the original's creators, and that is worrisome.

Still, it does look a darn sight better than what has come before. The DVR is already set to record this one, and I will let you all know what I think.

In the meantime, check out the trailer and judge for yourselves...

Transformers 2: Soundwave?

2008-11-24T13:52:00.006-05:00

I admittedly wasn't a huge fan of the first live-action Transformers movie, mostly because I saw very few of the characters I grew up with make the transition to the big screen intact (save for Prime, voiced by the always excellent Peter Cullen.)

So a peristent rumor has been that Soundwave is making an appearance in Transfomers: Revenge of the Fallen. I admit that my interest was piqued, but I also expected a total mess of a design akin to Starscream and Megatron version 1.0.

A toy design was recently leaked that seems to confirm his presence, and I have to say that I'm... pleasantly surprised. The head is undeniably an homage to G1 Soundwave, and it looks as if some TLC was taken to get the colors and overall body design right (even if he's a not tapedeck in this movie.)

The vehicle mode reminds me of Soundwave in Transformers: Cybertron.

Maybe this is a good omen...?

(Pic thanks to www.tformers.com)

Rankin Bass Christmas Specials!

2008-11-24T12:34:00.028-05:00

'Tis (almost) the season!

With exactly one month to go before Christmas 2008, I thought that now would be the time to post about one of my favorite holiday pastimes -- watching Rankin/Bass Christmas specials!

First up, I thought I'd compile a list of Kneon's Top 5 favorite Rankin/Bass specials. Rudolf and Frosty top nearly everybody's list... but not mine, oddly enough. Don't get me wrong -- I also love both of those shows, but the oversaturation of Rudolf tchotchkes in recent years has proven to be too much of a good thing.

(That, and when my son was 2 we watched Rudolf 4 or 5 times a day until February. So... yeah.)

So here are my personal Top 5 Rankin/Bass Holiday Specials...

5. The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow

This special plays out like a cross between Davey and Goliath and Little House on the Prairie. It's sentimental, a bit sappy and unintentionally funny -- but I really do have a soft spot for it. Unfortunately, it's also one of the few Rankin/Bass shows not currently available on DVD. Maybe next year?

However, if you're jonesin' for your holiday hit of Sister Catherine, you can get it fairly cheap on VHS. Buy it here.

4. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Creepy little mouse nerd Albert messes up a 19th century Santa pager. Shunned, clockmaker Joshua Trundle doesn't even have enough to feed his own family, let alone the mice living in his walls (how sanitary!) Hilarity (and song) ensues.

Now what we didn't see was that Santa slipped a couple of pellets of rat poison in Albert's stocking, passing them off as York peppermint patties. Little creep.

Seriously, I love this one, as does my wife. It's currently available in the Warner Bros. Classic Christmas Favorites boxed set. Buy it here.

3. Pinocchio's Christmas

This little brat needs to have his wooden legs broken off, and his little wooden tushy spanked with them. But hey -- I really do love this one. And lucky me, it's finally available on DVD this year in the Warner Bros. Classic Christmas Favorites boxed set. Buy it here.

2. Jack Frost

He's nippin' at your nose... and stalking your daughters. Kubla Kraus is my hero. Love this one.

This one was released this year on a separate special edition DVD, which is kind of a rip considering that you can get about 10 other specials for the price of Jack Frost alone. But if you're as big a fan as I am, you can buy it here.

1. The Year Without a Santa Claus

Does it really need an introduction? Flame on, Heat Miser!

Again, this one is available in the Warner Bros. Classic Christmas Favorites boxed set. Buy it here.

And that's it for my personal Top 5. If you're a big fan of Rudolph and Frosty, then you're also going to want to check out The Original Christmas Classics set. Buy it here.

Between the two boxed sets and the Jack Frost single release, you'll have a fairly complete collection of Rankin/Bass Christmas classics.

The only three missing on DVD are The First Christmas, The Little Drummer Boy Book II (which was supposed to get a release in the Warner Bros. set, but was substituted with Pinocchio's Christmas instead) and The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Again, here's hoping for their release in 2009!

And of course, you can catch most of these specials on ABC Family during their 25 Days of Christmas. Here's this year's schedule.

(Can't help but notice that the truly abysmal CGI Rudolf "sequel" gets more airings than many of the Rankin/Bass shows this year. Boo! Hiss! Mr. ABC Family TV Exec: May the Burgermeister steal your toys!)

Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares!

2008-11-21T19:45:00.005-05:00

My wife and I have a new obsession -- Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America.

Chef Ramsay is foul-mouthed and tempermental... and right 99.9% of the time. Any aspiring business owner would do well to watch him in action. He really does have a passion for his profession and, oddly enough, usually seems to care more about the failing restaurant than the owners themselves!

Favorite episodes so far include Momma Cherri's (one of the few places where he's actually praised the food upon his first visit) and Bonapartes (with a young chef so totally incompetent he can't even cook an omelet.)

It's good stuff. And food for though (couldn't resist) for anybody thinking of entering restaurant biz.

Now, there is an American version on Fox. But it, as Ramsay would say, doesn't have the passion that its British counterpart does. Ramsay is over-the-top sensational (not unlike Simon Cowell) and the whole show is filled with American reality TV drama, drama, drama. Complete with an "extreme" restaurant makeover and reveal, I half expect waitstaff to be voted off the show weekly Survivor style.

Oh wait, they saved that bit for Hell's Kitchen.

If you get a chance to catch the British version, do so.

Review: Transformers Animated "Garbage In, Garbage Out"

2008-10-12T15:45:00.004-04:00

It's been a long time since I've had a chance to sit down and watch Transformers Animated with any regularity. Thankfully, I finally got a DVR this year and can play catch up. I'll be reviewing episodes as I record them (even if many of those are in reruns now!)

"Garbage In, Garbage Out" introduces Wreck-Gar to the TFA universe. While this incarnation of the character is very different in origin and personality from his G1 counterpart, he's voiced by "Weird Al" Yankovic and a lot of fun.

(Transformers Trivia time: Weird Al's song "Dare to Be Stupid", played during the scene that introduced Wreck-Gar in the 1986 animated movie -- one of many, many G1 nods in this episode.)

The plot goes like this: Ratchet is grumpy. There's a garbage crisis in Detroit. Ratchet's grumpiness inadvertently causes a pile of garbage to come to life via Allspark energy. Ta-daa -- Wreck-Gar is born!

And boy, he dares to be stupid. (Sorry, I had to say it!)

The hapless Wreck-Gar wanders around searching for an identity, causing mirth and mayhem wherever he goes. Eventually he winds up nearly destroying the city with a garbage barge full of microbots, but is turned back to good by a few kind words from Ratchet.

As I mentioned before, the episode is chock full with G1 homages, such as the universal greeting and an extended cameo by Spike and Carly Witwicky. This adds another layer of fun for the adult fan to an already fun episode.

Catch it if you can. I give it an 8/10.

Disney Fairies! The graphic novel that could've been...?

2008-09-19T22:24:00.011-04:00

About a year and a half ago I was contacted by [an unnamed all ages graphic novel publisher] to draw some Disney Fairies pages on spec, as they were going after the license.

They obviously didn't get it (as Tokyopop now publishes Disney Fairies manga), but it was pretty cool to be thought of for the project, anyway. Especially given that I was already a fan of the editor.

Me? Drawing Tinker Bell for a living?! Could've happened, believe it or not...

Anyway, here's a page from the package I worked on. Pencils, colors and letters by me. I had ziltch knowledge of the license when I was asked, so I had to do a crash course over a weekend by buying a bunch of the novels. All things considered, I don't think it was too shabby.

(It's been quite some time, so I'm hoping it's safe to show these...?)

UPDATE: The style I used on those pages sort of paved the way for a new webcomic project I'm involved in, "Music of the Spheres." If you dig my work, head on over to check it out!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars house party! w00t!

2008-09-17T17:50:00.009-04:00

So my wife got picked to host a Star Wars: The Clone Wars house party, and we got our package today. My son is going to invite some of his friends from school and we'll get to kick back and screen the premiere episode days before anybody else!

There's some awesome stuff here -- we're really looking forward to this! Our thanks to Cartoon Network, Hasbro and HouseParty.com for the opportunity!

And ... whoah... just look at all the swag!

Hasbro, you've made me very, very happy. Live-action Snakes Eyes is perfect. PERFECT.

2008-03-21T09:28:00.006-04:00

It's no secret that I wasn't fond of all the... creative license... taken with the live-action Transformers movie. It was a bearable popcorn flick, but certainly not the live-action Transformers movie I'd waited 20+ years for. Much of my disappointment stemmed from the fact that I could barely see many of the classic characters I'd loved growing up, both in appearance and personality.

As such, I had worries that the live-action G.I. Joe movie would share the same fate.

The first pics of Ray Park as Snake Eyes have been released and OH. MY. WORD.

He's perfect.

How perfect? Just compare this comic book cover to the promo photo...

Add to this the fact that Larry Hama is reportedly involved and it's looking excellent, excellent, excellent. There may be hope yet that a Hasbro property can be faithfully brought to the big screen, while still making for a decent action picture that appeals to a broad audience.

Time will tell.

But Hasbro, you've won back my trust... for now. ;)

(Hat tip to Ben Avery for bringing the live-action pics to my attention.)

Transformers: Mosaic "Protest" is now online!

2008-03-07T08:48:00.003-05:00

My first Mosaic webcomic is officially up! It stars G1 Mirage and Perceptor. The strip has only been up a few hours, and is already making its rounds on the web. Check it out here, here, here and here!

I had a lot fun drawing this one! My thanks to everyone involved. And there's more where this came from...

How long will they stay silent?

2008-03-05T14:30:00.004-05:00

And just who, or what, is this...?

Doncha just love a good mystery?

Drawn and colored by me.