It's Like Storage for my Thoughts

My work featured in an E-zine

2009-03-07T15:44:00.004-05:00

My work was featured recently in the Official 405th E-Zine. Here is the link if you want to check out my work. Download the PDF to see my other piece featured and other amazing Halo related articles. It is a really good read.

Moving Image Museum

2009-02-17T18:08:00.003-05:00

I'm testing out being able to blog from my phone, so here is a pic I took while I was at the Moving Image museum in queens. It was great seeing all of these old arcades together. The noise coming out of these machines is like a choir of digital 8 bit angels. :)

I'll update this post later with more pics.

UPDATE:

and finally.......

AHHHHHH!!!!!!! OoooGAH BOOGAHHHHH!!!!!!! haha. Scared ya huh???

Stop lying, you know I did.

New Look....again.

2009-02-03T10:03:00.002-05:00

Had to change the layout of the blog again. The last one had some technical issues.
I will eventually make my own. A design that I can call mine and be able to show it proudly. But in the meantime this is more than sufficient. I love the look of it. Reminds me of my computer monitor at work with all the sticky notes on it, lol. Side note: Who ever invented Post-Its is a gawd-damn genius and a lifesaver.

What do ya'll think of the new layout.

Big News!

2009-01-12T10:56:00.005-05:00

Yup! That's my child in there. Huge news. I couldn't be more excited as I now realize the meaning of life. It's really amazing seeing the development. Just a few weeks ago it was just a spec on the sonogram screen and I couldn't tell what was what. Now, I can clearly see the XBox 360 controller in it's hands and the USB Umbilical cord that attaches it to Drea (the motherboard). Seeing the sonograms never gets old and I look forward to it every time. It's the best when the baby is moving.

And boy does this child move. The first movement me and Drea saw was a perfect Karate Kid Crane Kick. I mean it was flawless. Ralph Macchio woulda cried a little if he saw it. Two weeks later, right before we went to Ecuador, the Monkey (that's what we are calling it since we won't find out the sex until it's born) decided to show us some amazing acrobatics. Tons of jumping and then a back flip. Truly some amazing stuff when you see it. Me and Drea are both very excited about Monkey and were are glad to see alot of our friends and family are too.

This is going to be a great year. With a baby coming along and so many other things planned for this year, it may beat out 2006 as the best year for me. Great things in the horizon.

Working Hard or Hardly Working?

2008-12-16T14:26:00.003-05:00

More like working alot!Haven't posted in about a month I see. Been busy building that site but it look to launch soon. And not a moment to soon. My trip to Ecuador is next week and I don't want to think about anything but Ecuador while I am there. It's gonna be fantastic.

So I apologize if there are some actual readers that are expecting blog posts from me but I have been very busy lately. The new year will bring many shiny posts though. I promise.

P.S. Yes, that is an actual photo of me working on a website. It was taken last Tuesday. <_<

Half Life Turns 10

2008-11-20T12:33:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it has already been this long. I feel like it was just yesterday I was whacking away at zombies and crates for the first time. Where did time go?

10 years. Damn!

Everyone knows that this series is just too damn amazing. If you really want to hear me rant and rave about this game though, just ask me what my favorite game of all time is. Then prepare to be bombarded with my geekness.

Fine then....don't ask me.

So here is to another 10 more years of amazing Half-Life games.

Ahhh!

Good Stuff!

El Diez!

2008-11-10T14:36:00.003-05:00

I sure am a lucky guy. There's this amazing woman in my life that keeps my head up at all times. I love her to death and want to give her a shout here again since it is the 1oth. I love babe. Looking forward to tonight. :D

Rocking the Vote

2008-11-04T12:52:00.004-05:00

This was really exciting for me. I have never exercised my right to vote until today. I have always been a firm believer that the popular vote should be the only vote, but I wanted to finally be able to say that I contributed somehow.

First of lemme say that the lines weren't horrible. It totally helped having my wife and brother in law right there to joke around the whole time. Now when I actually got inside the both I was quite disappointed.

As I stood in the poll both I said to myself "So this ancient machine is what is going to tally my decision? "

Interesting! I pulled a lever to start. Yes a lever. I have never ever in my life ever pulled a lever. Very exciting already, then I finished by flipping some switches and pulling the lever back. Hmmm. I quickly checked the calendar and discovered that I am not buggin' out. I am still in the 21st Century. For a moment there I thought I had gotten into a DeLorean this morning, hit 88mph and traveled back to the stone age.

I've got a phone that can show me a satellite image of the house I was born in Dominican Republic, yet here I am pulling levers and switches for what people are saying is one of the most important choices I will make for this country. Am I being too picky? Should I simply just accept the system? I would, except for the fact that as we were there waiting to vote, one of the machines got stuck on someone. The lever wouldn't pull back to register the vote. Is that vote lost now? and if so, how many other people has that happened all over the country?

I guess all I am trying to say is that an upgrade is in order. A Polling System 2.0 with 5.1 surround sound and a 1080p LCD display that guides me through every step of the way with an animated Uncle Sam.
I don't think it's a lot to ask for. More accessibility and simpler user interface will produce more voters which in turn (hopefully) produce better more reliable results.

This needs to change.

Sorry if the tone is a bit negative but I had to get that out. What was your experience like on this, the most historic election to date?

Tools of Desctruction v2.0

2008-11-03T11:33:00.005-05:00

I was asked by several people to make this image a wallpaper. Here it is. I even went and added more stuff. :)

Free to use as long as the logos on the bottom aren't removed.

Click on the pic for the larger version.

Gaming Masterpiece

2008-10-24T10:12:00.038-04:00

I 've been gaming for quite some years now and I always talk about certain games like they are the best thing ever. I mean, there are some really good games out there but of course everyone has their own definition as to what the best games are. I've given some thought to my list and was finally able to narrow it down.

Shadow of The Colossus (PS2):

If you have played this game, you know exactly why I picked this. There was never a game like this before. No jumping on the heads of your enemies to kill them. No breaking barrels to get a heath pack. No guns. Just you, your horse and a magical blade.

To save the live of the one he loved, Wander rides to a temple where an ancient being will restore her, but only upon destroying the colossi roaming the land.

This game is just pure Gaming Nirvana. The story is phenomenal and will leave you with your jaw on the floor by the end of the game. The controls are sharp (some minor camera issues) and you feel a great sense of accomplishment once you have figured out how to take down each beast.

And just look at those graphics! Yeah...that's on the PS2, in real time.

Super Mario Bros. (NES):

There will be plenty of people that might disagree with me on this one, but, this is the best Mario game ever crafted. And it's the most masterful one. Period. Some may say, "Negative! Mario 64 is clearly the best and set the standard for all games to follow! You suck and your blog sucks and you can take your gay blog and shove it up your ass!".

That would be pretty rude, but this is the Internet after all. Truth is though, this game is the only game that I can say has flawless controls (well besides Tetris). Top notch graphics for it's time (I can hear my nephew laughing at that already) and gameplay that people still pick up and play today.

Truth is, I don't need to say anymore

about this game. You've played it, you love it, and you always go back to it. Oh, and you know every single song in this game.

Tetris (every system on earth, I think there's even Tetris cave paintings):

I challenge you to name me another game that has had the success, mass appeal, longevity and universal reception that this game has had...

....anyone?...

Half Life 2 + Episode 1 and 2 (PC, XBox360, PS3):

"WTF, Nelson! You lost the credibility of this post by putting an FPS on this list. You're gay!"

Thanks, Internet. Real mature.

Yes, I put an FPS here. It's the mother of all First Person Shooters. Reasons: The storytelling is pure gold.

Hollywood will have a hard time catching up to the caliber of narrative in this game. Funniest part of all is that your character, the protagonist, have never said a word in 4 games. You also never see your body, so there isn't any way to tell the emotions the character is portraying.

Everything thing is told by how the world around you reacts to your actions. Characters are scared of you, they worship you, they respect you. BRI-LLI-ANT!

Controls are great and the graphics are amazing. Also, every time a Half-Life game comes out, the industry studies it and finds a way to incorporate Half-Life's features in their game. One of the most influential games ever.

Rock Band (PS2, Wii, Xbox360, PS3):

I don't think a lot people realize this yet but we are living through a revolution. This is like when gun powder was invented. It changed the way we went to war. Now, Rock Band has changed the way we play games.

Why didn't I pick Guitar Hero since they were the first? Because what's remembered is not what was done first, it's what was done the best. That's why. Guitar Hero never unlocked the potential of the Music Games genre until the developers copied Rock Band and created GH: World Tour.

Rock Band on the other hand, did something that has never been done before; 4 gamers or non-gamers began to play together. Not only that, but it also brought Rock

music back from the grave it was being shoved into by pop music.

A Masterpiece? Yes, the music selection is brilliant. The game is deep, and the mechanics work perfectly (though the drum could be of better quality since it breaks often).

Here's how I know this game is special: My wife paid almost $200 for a videogame and it wasn't for me. It's was for her.

Resident Evil 4 (PS2, Wii, PC):

This sucker is on the top of every "Best Games of all Time" list, and I recently found out why it is so.

I am scared of the enemies in this game. Yeah, I'll admit to that. Scared! With a capital S.

"Haha what a wimp! LOL!111!!!!"

Add to that the fact that some of these zombies can kill you with one hit and you got yourself a problem. And that's not even the worst of it.

Even the control scheme keeps you one your toes. Sure you move just like a tank and can only shoot standing still, but that just adds to the terrifying pace of the game. It's a tad on the long side but definitely something that shouldn't be missed by anyone that has access to this game.

It's another masterpiece game that gets a lot of it's features "borrowed". Gears of War and many other games are better because of it.

There you have it. Those are the games that I consider to be masterful. I understand that I missed a lot of games that some people feel should be here, but these are the games that I've PLAYED that have stood out to me above anything else I've interacted with. All classics, all memorable experiences that will remain with me. I can't wait for the day when I am telling my Grandkids about the game with the falling blocks....

"What the hell was the point of that game, grandpa?"

"To make lines, and then you make another. And another, and another, an.. anoth...., an....ahn.., ZZZZZZZZ"

"MOM! grandpa fell asleep again." [then sneaks into my pocket and takes my money] "30 bucks???? That doesn't even buy me a gallon of gas!"

Damn whipper-snappers!

What's game do you consider a masterpiece?

Tools of Destruction

2008-10-13T09:37:00.002-04:00

Here I pieced together a quick tribute to the history of games. I know it's missing a lot more systems in there but I am excited to show this now. The line work is for my current web project and I wanted to see this as the wallpaper for my phone.

Also, is anybody else feeling the 8-bit nostalgia lately? I can't shake the need for some stiff animation and some two button goodness. I'm gonna have to get a fix soon. Time to fire up the ol' NES again (it's never disconnected from my TV, just for times like this).

Generation Gap

2008-10-09T14:51:00.003-04:00

Haha. Couldn't pass the opportunity to share this one! This photo was taken at my nephews birthday party just about two weeks ago. I got him exactly what he wanted. Lego Batman (as you can see in the picture) I'm the taller one in the blue shirt (duh!!!). I love this kid dearly and even when I probably couldn't afford to give him that game at the moment, I just couldn't help it. I mean, look at how happy he was. I am his game provider. Like a dealer to his game addiction , but free to him.

Anyway, this pic is a perfect example of how much things have change as far as games go. I wrapped up the "Bartman Meets Radioactive Man" for the NES and gave him that as a sort of joke. He just didn't get it though. He opened it and only me, Drea and my brother got the joke. He asked me for "a nintendo game". So I got him one. Lol.
The poor boy didn't even know what to do with it. I told him it was game cartridge and the confusion just worsened from there. Sigh!!! "You blow on it and then you jam it into your system, then keep banging the console until you get a steady image on screen!!!" I told him.

"But why? Why didn't they use CDs instead?" he asked.

<_< "Silly boy, there weren't any back then." Then I smiled.

I am feeling so oooooollld!
Old School that is!

It's for my wife.....I swear!

2008-10-03T11:29:00.004-04:00

Just finished it yesterday. Drea wanted a piece that had to have some very specific elements in it so I complied. She is very happy with it and so am I. I'll start creating the banner for her blog now with these characters.

npmedia.net

2008-10-01T15:48:00.005-04:00

And so my site goes up yet again. After some major issues with my previous free hosting service, I decided to go ahead and pay for a reliable service. Please feel free to take a look and let me know what you think and if there are some issues.

Click here for the site!

Gettin' Schooled

2008-09-16T10:59:00.005-04:00

Drea has finally decided to give Halo another go. After her initial experience of me moping the floor with her virtual avatar in Halo 2, she tried Halo 3 yesterday and couldn't stop smiling all night.

The highlight of the night was when I tried to show her how to play and she let out all the Halo 2 rage and got revenge. Here's how it went down (click the image for a larger view) :

If clicking the image isn't working, please go here.

Ha! You call this Crap a Blog??????

2008-09-12T16:23:00.006-04:00

I can't really call myself a blogger if I don't actually blog about some thing. Been too long since I had a post.

Last month I entered Gamerdigart's contest. I was to draw two video game characters and have them fighting each other. Sounded fun so I entered it and here is my entry:

I chose Kratos and Nariko, from God Of War and Heavenly Sword, respectively. It was not the most creative choice but I have been dying to draw Kratos and I haven't drawn a female character in quite some time. So I went at it and let me get on record right now and say that I hate drawing chains. Sure they look cool but man, you are really drawing the same shape over and over except from different angels. Then I had to color it. Though that was easier to do really.

Good news is that all the hard work paid off and I won the contest. Surely enough I had my game within a few days and Soul Calibur 4 is now part of my games collection (thanks again Ramel) . I was very happy about winning since this is the first real art contest I win. The first that I joined I only got to be the semi-finalist. It was great just to get that far since over 400 people entered. It was for the Alias Expose Yourself 2 contest. Weird thing is that I was looking for a link to the contest results and can't find one. I never received my prize and I was never even contacted. It just completely vanished off the Internet. Weird!

Anyway, I will try to update this blog a bit more often. I know that I have a few people that might follow this blog....maybe. No? OK sorry. Well I'm doing it anyway. See y'all in two years when I post another entry.

Ryu Challenge

2008-08-14T21:05:00.004-04:00

Fun, quick challenge I did with mah boy Ramel. We were to draw Ryu from Street Fighter and forum goers on Halo Babies voted.

This one needs more work but it had to be submitted within two days and I honestly procrastinated on this one.

Wolverine

2008-08-07T08:52:00.002-04:00

A bit of a famous character. You might have heard of him.

Click image for larger version!

Interview with a Spook!

2008-08-06T09:11:00.005-04:00

Here's a quickie! A few quick panels I did for an interview coming up at Gamersdigart! Click the image for a larger version.

Bought a Bamboo

2008-08-01T18:48:00.008-04:00

Oh Yes! Got my Wacom Pad back! Brings a little shimmer of happiness amongst all the stuff going on right now in life.

It is the Wacom Bamboo Fun Medium. Apparently it is the direct descendant from the one I had before that crapped out. The difference is that it's sleeker and sexier. So far it works like a charm and I can't wait to get back to coloring again. There's a few people that I promised I would color somethings for so I will be getting to that soon along with some other stuff I've been wanting to color and create. In other words, getting back to the grind.

Also here's a quick look at my setup at home. Not exactly an artists dream setup but, it's a comfortable working space, while maintaining the aesthetic appeal that my wife wants since it is in our living room.

I promise to have more artwork up soon, not pics of all my junk!

Long Time no Post (my review of the Dark Knight included)

2008-07-27T10:35:00.010-04:00

Wow! It's really been over a month since I last posted anything. Been a busy month for me really, and I wish I meant busy as in me and the wife been going to the beach, traveling and such but that is not the case. Well at least a bunch of BBQs. Who doesn't love grilled food and beer? Huh?

First off, I've been trying to finish up my website. I went through about 3 designs before I settled on one that I am happy with. It's hard designing for myself since I don't know exactly what I want. Should be up next week for sure though and will include my portfolio and services I offer. I would like the extra income so my design and illustration services will be for hire.

Also my Wacom pad gave out. For those who don't know what that is, it's a graphics tablet use by many digital artists. It's what I use to try and take over the world with, Pinky. Well unfortunately it's gone now. It was a gift from Drea about 7yrs ago and it's been dropped a total of about 7,456,984 times in those years. Ok maybe just a few, but honestly, it's time was up. I'm ordering a replacement soon. I never realized how much I missed this thing until I started coloring with the mouse again.

Finally, I saw The Dark Knight on opening weekend. Didn't catch it on Imax like I wanted but the experience was still awe inspiring.

Yes, it is that good. Yes, if you haven't seen it your a fool. Yes this is the best comic book movie to ever grace the screen, and YES, Heath Ledger left behind one of the most memorable character roles in film history. I have a feeling his performance will be studied by film students for a very long time.

I give The Dark Knight 5 Dead Wacom Pads out of 5. GO SEE IT!

Cotton Anniversary

2008-06-11T14:45:00.007-04:00

I can't believe it's been two years. It's funny to say such a cliche thing but it really feels like it was just yesterday I was getting butterflies at the altar when I caught a glimpse of her veil. Time passes so fast, but I am glad to say that so many great things have happened for us. We have been able to accomplish lots because of the foundations that we create together, and I look forward to being able to create many more and be able to expand our family. God sent a good down for me, I'm very lucky to have found her.

The pic above was taken at Alma Restaurant . Drea looked it up and it was a really cool Mexican spot in Brooklyn we'd never gone to. The food and atmosphere were great. Sadly we weren't able to sit in the roof dining section as it was waaaay to humid and hot for my pores to handle. Everything turned out great that day and we went home with the same smile you see on the pic above.
I love my wife very much. I would not be in a good place with out her in my life. I'll say this a million times: A great man always has an amazing woman by his side. Why do you think they don't allow single men to be President? Well, because a bachelor in Office could get so backed up....he might start pushing red buttons and launching nukes and shit. I digress.

Team Doubles Colored

2008-06-06T15:18:00.004-04:00

Ahhh, Done. This one was very fun. Took a while to get the colors just right but I think I finally got them in the end. My monitor is acting up too so I would see this in my work monitor and notice a few things off. I'm seeing everything double as I am typing this.

Hope y'all like it.

Click on the pic for larger size.

Superman Sketch

2008-06-04T09:04:00.003-04:00

I almost never do pieces of superheroes. I can remember doing maybe 4 or 5 ,including this one, in my entire life. Could be because I like to create characters so much. It's always fun to come up with stuff on your own.
I sketched this one out yesterday during my lunch break at work and little more refinement when I got home. Pencils and Photoshop, my two favorite mediums. I don't ink much 'cause I kinda like that slight roughness of pencil lines and I've been told my lines are pretty clean anyway. I'm also really getting into the faux-watercolor look. It's fun to do even if it's quick like this one.

Click the image on the right for a larger view.

Work In Progress

2008-05-27T09:51:00.003-04:00

Been working on this for a bit. This will eventually be my website design. I'm just a bit excited to show this and get some feedback. I want to make sure it is "copacetic" before I finalize it.

If anyone browses this blog, or maybe you were trying to find porn on the net and some how stumbled across my blog because of some typo or something, let me know what you think in the comments section below.

As always, clickety click on the pic for a larger view.