Codefreespirit

Cover Art Not Cover Band

2010-09-11T10:24:00.000-06:00

Rumors are stirring in Bozeman, Montana. Rumblings from deep below the surface of the earth. Strange metal guitar licks echo from the stones and trees. The residents of this groggy rural city shiver with trepidation as the sense of impending gamer metal whispers through the streets of the city. Those of us who still believe in magic, know that Drow exist. We know that somewhere, someday, they will rise up and claim the music scene that was rightfully theirs. That day may be coming sooner than you think, people of the world. And yours truly, may be providing the cover art. (Because my style looks like early D&D monster manual art, which I'd admit was a huge influence on me. May be one of the nicest compliments I've ever received.) I serve my dark masters faithfully. Drow is coming!

Life in Progress.

2010-09-11T10:14:00.002-06:00

A long time ago in an interweb far away, I joined the social network site Virb. Mighty impressed with how simple and beautiful the design was, I wanted to stay there forever. Not many people visited though, and eventually Facebook was the way to go. Well, Virb reinvented themselves this year to be a web hosting site (kinda like Tumblr). I checked out their platform yesterday, and I'm pleased to say that they have exactly the layout and features I've wanted for Codefreespirit. The user interface is terrific despite being in beta. What I'm saying is that I'll be in process of moving the bulk of this site over there.

I'm not sure if I'm going to move the blog yet. All I know is, in the course of one day, Virb+ has proven that it's the style I want, with the features I want, and it's incredibly easy to use. That means that I'll have less work trying to get my art and stuff posted to the net, so you can have more time checking it out.

Keep in touch for more updates as the transition happens. From the looks of it, it should go smoothly. Thank you Virb+!!!

Addition: Check out a sneak peek of what the Virb+ site looks like. It's far from being official, but I think it's a gorgeous layout!!! http://codefreespirit.virb.com/

An Apology to an Old Friend

2010-07-03T00:06:00.000-06:00

My Dearest Blog,

I’ve been gone for so long. It’s been lifetimes in Google years since last I posted (300,000 Google years, 1 real year, 8 months, and 24 days, to be exact). I know you watched me lurking in the shadows, secretly posting on Facebook, philandering on Twitter, even moving your domain to ImageKind. Suddenly I show up when you thought I’d all but forgotten your virtues.

Perhaps it was an actual lifetime I was absent because I'm not the same person I was back then. I worked so narrowly on being stable; I forgot to move forward. I lost all hope you’d forgive me for abandoning you. I am sorry for disappearing, and I have returned with a commitment to make a real change.

I want to make a living for us through my creative talents. I’m exhausted of letting us down by not living up to my potential. My resistance tortured me to the very edge of surrender, but I refuse to believe my talents are worthless anymore. Somewhere there are people who value and appreciate what I can do and who I am.

I want to connect and collaborate with those people. I will make a place where they can ask questions, offer support, and point me in a direction. The last one is most important for me. I’ll use ImageKind, Deviant Art, and Facebook to update fans, new and old, and invite like-minded creators to work with me. (The jury is out on MySpace at the moment.)

With the help of others, I want to expand my horizons for telling a story be it motion comics, graphic novels, digital art, or tarot cards. There is so much to learn and share. I want to help others reach their goals and live their livelihood. We can be a community of creative crabs lifting each other from the boiling pot instead of pulling each other back in. There is plenty of space out there for all of us.

I know this isn’t an easy path. Not everyone shares my ideals and viewpoints. I take it with a good degree of humility many failures may lie ahead. Yet I won’t sink back into the doubting quicksand that art, craft, and honesty are of no value. I won’t sell mediocre work at premium prices simply because there’s a market for it. I invest myself in my work and set the value with integrity and honesty.

With these new commitments, I’m happy to say, I’m back from the shadows. The time is right to grow in a new direction, to move forward together. Reconstruction begins today. Please forgive me, dearest blog, for neglecting you these past few years. I only hope you missed me as much as I missed you.

Your eccentric creator,
John Glock

Jim Henson

2010-06-22T16:10:00.006-06:00

Jim Henson is one of my creative heroes and role models. This hilarious pitch for The Muppet Show inspired my apology to my blog and affirmed my commitment to being a creative person.

Yes, friends, the United States needs Codefreespirit!!! I'm not pulling any punches. There's nothing subtle about this pitch. Buy my artwork!