Doodles

This is the second page of random sketches I drew on a really long meeting on a Friday. It was the last period of the day, and, clocking in at two hours, the meeting was unnecessarily long. Therefore, in order to keep my sanity, I had to draw for a little while. I especially like the quill and the water bottle, but they are all silly simple things. Anyway, I hope you like them!

Reading List: January

Last year I read a record 63 books, but I can already tell you I will not get even close to that figure in 2010, and it doesn't make me sad at all. At the rate I'm going, I think I'll read about a third of what I did in 2009, and that is fine by me. This is what I read in January:

X-Force, vol. 2: Old Ghosts
This second trade is still written Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle, but it is drawn by Mike Choi instead of Clayton Crane. I like Crane better, but Choi is also incredibly talented, so I enjoyed this book almost as much as the first trade. Like I said somewhere else, I never thought I'd be looking forward to reading X-Force ever again, yet here I am waiting for the third volume to come out!

The Sword, vol. 3: Earth
The Luna Brothers keep delivering the goods in the third trade of The Sword. As usual, I liked the story and dialogue a lot better than the artwork, and I can't wait to see how it all ends.

Madame Xanadu, vol. 1: Disenchanted
The guys at 11 O'Clock Comics kept recommending this book, so I went ahead and got it, and boy were they right. The story by Matt Wagner is great, and the artwork by Amy Reeder Hadley is unbelievably good. If you are interested in reading a good story mixing magic and the fate of different cultures and civilizations, do not hesitate and pick up Madame Xanadu. A terrific read!

Northlanders, vol. 1: Sven the Returned
Another 11 O'Clock Comics recommendation, Northlanders turned out to be an exhilarating read. I wasn't too sure about the artwork by Davide Gianfelice at the beginning, but it quickly grew on me and I ended up really liking it. However, it was the interesting story and awesome dialogue by Brian Wood that kept me turning the pages. Plus, it's a book about Vikings, which makes it even cooler.

Papel y plástico
This book by Oscar Lombana was a surprisingly nice walk down memory lane. Since it deals with toys from my childhood, I was elated to see lots of almost-forgotten stuff and how badly I used to like them and play with them, and for that if nothing else, it was worth reading.

The Chase
This book by Clive Cussler is basically a detective story in the West that takes place in the first decade of the 20th century. Needless to say, the mixture of a very appealing time period and the detective's attempts to stop a bank robber and murderer on a rampage made me enjoy this book immensely.

And that's it for January. I did not read a lot, but I really liked everything I read. Let's see what happens next month!

Old Lady

I hadn't done any sketches in my meetings for a while, but a couple of Fridays ago I just couldn't help myself. Here you can see this old lady I drew in a style similar to the one I used in a comic book for a contest I'll be showing you soon. Other than that, I really have nothing else to say, so I hope you like it!

Weird

I recently got a chance to watch Return to Oz, a very strange movie that takes place after The Wizard of Oz and adapts two Oz novels (Ozma of Oz and The Land of Oz). Dorothy is played by a very young Fairuza Balk in her first role ever, and Dorothy's companions are a weird mixture of clockwork soldiers, scarecrows, jack-o-lanterns, talking hens, and a bodiless moose head. And if you think that's weird, then wait until you meet their enemies.

The special effects are cheesy and dated (the film was released in 1985), but I liked the rock faces quite a bit; and the acting isn't all that great, except for Fairuza Balk, who might have delivered the best performance of her career in this role. And despite all this, I enjoyed RTO more than I probably should have, probably because of its eeriness, weirdness, and sometimes nonsensical developments. So, if you're in the mood for an old, quirky movie, return to Oz with Dorothy and see what you think.

Parpadea

Aquí tenéis un dibujillo rápido que hice el otro día durante mi sesión de Dungeons & Dragons. La simpática personajilla es Blink, a quien conocimos en la estupenda saga The Age of Apocalypse. Hacía siglos que no la dibujaba, pero salió en la conversación y se me ocurrió hacer un dibujillo rápido. Espero que os guste!

Imagine That

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus turned out to be as weird and strange as I was anticipating. Directed by Terry Gilliam, this is the movie Heath Ledger was working on before his untimely death, and Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell got together to finish Ledger's scenes. The movie is very slow paced, and its two hours seem to run way longer than that. Still, it was so whimsy, imaginative, and crazy that it was fun to watch. Along with all the aforementioned actors, Christopher Plummer and Lily Cole did a wonderful job as Parnassus and his daughter, and Tom Waits as Mr. Nick was also very well cast.

While I don't think I'll feel compelled to watch this movie again, I don't regret having seen it, and if you're not afraid of what might come out of Terry Gilliam's mind, then I say you should check out Dr. Parnassus's wild imaginarium. You might see a few dreams come true!

The Importance of Reading

I went to see The Book of Eli knowing only that it was a post-apocalyptic story starring Denzel Washington. I was surprised frequently throughout the movie, but I don't think having had a certain knowledge about the film prior to going to see it would have changed this. TBOE was full of surprises and twists that I will not reveal here, and even though it was slow-paced and somewhat monotonous, I was never bored. (Right at the end it did seem to drag on for a little too long, though.)

Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman were both great, which shouldn't surprise anyone seeing as these two actors are immensely talented. Mila Kunis also did a very good job, even though her character wasn't as flashy or fully fleshed as her counterparts' were.

The aesthetics of the film were also very cool, and everything was gray and ashy and bleached and drained of color. (Except for the clouds, which were tinged with an eerie green hue.) The camera work was also interesting, especially in the action scenes, when the camera would weave in and out of holes in the wall and some other similarly fancy moves.

All in all, I enjoyed TBOE, and if you're in the mood for a post-apocalyptic story that looks like it came straight out of Fallout 3, then you won't be disappointed.

Secrets of an Assassin

Interested in an extensive look behind the scenes of Assassin's Creed II? Then check out the following interviews and quench your thirst for all things ACII!

… para la televisión

Aquí tenéis, por fin, la ilustración terminada. El dibujo, que ya pudisteis ver ayer, no varió en absoluto, pero añadir la tarjeta al conjunto resultó bastante simpático. Para lograr esta complejísima unión entre plástico y papel, recurrí a sofisticadísimas técnicas de fusión: cogí un trozo de celo, lo doblé para que pegara por ambos lados, lo puse en el papel, y luego puse la tarjeta encima y apreté hasta que dejó de moverse. Visto así, en una imagen plana, parece que la tarjeta sea una parte integral del dibujo, y eso es lo que pretendía desde el principio. A mis amigos les hizo mucha gracia el invento, así que me puedo dar por satisfecho. ¡Espero que vosotros también lo estéis!

… de la Warner Brothers...

Como ya dije ayer, antes de ponerme a repasar las líneas con mis rotuladores técnicos concluí que necesitaba añadir un fondo a la ilustración para que el espacio vacío de la tarjeta destacara más. Así pues, dibujé una espiral geométrica en un papel aparte, y la calqué en el papel donde estaba haciendo la ilustración definitiva. Una vez hecho esto, la pinté con mis rotuladores grises, y a continuación repasé todas las líneas para definir las formas con precisión.

Otra cosa que también hice entonces fue usar mi bolígrafo blanco para redibujar detalles perdidos bajo el negro en el pato Lucas y el gato Silvestre. Una vez hecho todo esto, el dibujo en sí estaba terminado, y la tarjeta destacaba tanto como había planeado. Una lástima que tuviera que tapar dicho espacio vacío con la tarjeta regalo. Ni qué decir tiene, para ver esa última fase del proceso tendréis que esperar hasta mañana.

… es una producción...

Una vez tuve el dibujo a lápiz terminado, cogí mis Prisma Markers y me puse a guarrear en la página. Como siempre, solamente utilicé dos tonos de gris y mi Sharpie negro, que si hay algo que hago bien es ser poco sofisticado. Me gustaban todos los personajes que había decidido incluir en la ilustración, pero la tarjeta, al ser blanca, se mezclaba con y desaparecía en el fondo blanco. La solución, obviamente, pasaba por hacer un fondo en grises para que el rectángulo tarjetil destacara lo máximo posible. Y si queréis apreciar dicho contraste, visitadnos mañana y podréis verlo.

Esto amigos...

Aquí tenéis la primera entrega de una nueva serie de Así se hizo, esta vez sobre un dibujo completamente diferente al anterior, tanto en temática como en estilo. Había comprado una tarjeta de regalo para Barnes & Noble como regalo navideño para unos amigos, y se me ocurrió hacer una tarjeta personalizada para acompañar a la tarjeta de regalo. Casualmente, no hacía mucho que mi amigo me había dicho que le encantaban los personajes de dibujos animados en ilustraciones en blanco y negro, así que utilicé esa valiosísima información para empezar a diseñar el dibujo. En cuestión de segundos decidí que sería gracioso que los personajes en el dibujo estuvieran sujetando la tarjeta de B&N para, de algún modo, vincular ambas ideas: la tarjeta dibujo y la tarjeta regalo. Una vez tuve un boceto lo suficientemente cutre, me puse manos a la obra, e hice el encaje preliminar a lápiz que, como podéis observar, se alejó bastante del boceto original, aunque conservó todas las ideas básicas del mismo. Contento con el resultado, la siguiente fase pasaba por ponerse en serio con los lápices, y rápidamente le di forma al encaje, y ése es el dibujo que podéis ver acompañando estas líneas. Era hora de sacar los rotuladores, fase para la cual tendréis que esperar hasta mañana.

Greek Gods

Have you see the latest trailer for The Lightning Thief? Well, if you haven't, you owe it to yourself. And if you, like me, have read and enjoyed the book, will most likely be anticipating this movie like crazy!

Horrible Box Art

Want to laugh and cringe for a while? The check out this list of the worst videogame box art ever, and think about why somebody who wants to sell these games would allow such awesomely horrendous covers to be released. I wish they had included more than just this handful, because I found the article supremely entertaining. Enjoy!

Spare me the Third Dimension

I think I like Adam Sessler so much because we seem to think along the same lines. Plus, he tells things as he sees them, and whoever gets offended, well, it's too bad. Plus, he's intelligent, funny, and eloquent. All these traits are displayed on his latest Soapbox, in which he explains why 3D movies are not more immersive than 2D movies, and why going the 3D way in videogames would be a stupid idea. Once again, I couldn't agree more.

The Unoriginal

The Uninvited wasn't original or compelling, but I found it somewhat enjoyable. Or maybe it was because I kept laughing at the movie and making fun of the characters and their actions and decisions that I had a better time than I would have otherwise had. Had I seen it in theaters, where I wouldn't have been able to be so vocal, I would have probably been bored. Watching it at home with somebody else who felt the same way I did improved the whole experience exponentially. But, in all fairness, I must say the ending caught me completely by surprise. I had definitely not anticipated that curve ball the writers threw me, and this redeemed the movie a little bit. However, I will certainly not recommend this movie to anyone, unless they're huge fans of Elizabeth Banks. (And still, I don't know that I would.) Plus, who was the Uninvited from the title? I'm still trying to figure that one out!

Forget About This Movie

I thought Forgetting Sarah Marshall was going to be a lot funnier than it turned out to be, and that is a shame. It was more bitter than sweet, and I had a hard time relating to (or even liking) the main character, Peter (Jason Segel). It was interesting to see Kristen Bell play such an unlikable character, but I thought she did a good job, and Mila Kunis was great as Rachel, and the more her wacky character was onscreen, the more I enjoyed the film. Still, the laughs were too few and too far between, and the whole movie felt just like a big meh.

So there you go. FSM disappointed me, and even though I was interested enough to watch it through, I can't really say I would recommend this movie to anyone. You watch it at your peril.

Mean Bloodsuckers

Who would have thought I would go to the movies to see an Australian movie about vampires? Well, Daybreakers opened last weekend, and I thought I'd go check it out. I had seen the preview once (and with no sound, at that), so I didn't exactly know what to expect, which is not a bad thing.

It's hard to talk about this movie without spoiling anything, so suffice it to say that the film takes place in the very near future, and most everyone has been turned into vampires. I know, I know --it's the vampire craze and all that, but at least these are feral beasts, not sissy suckers, which makes it all right in my book.

The movie wasn't great, I'll tell you that right now, but it was entertaining and fairly original, and for that I liked it. Ethan Hawke did a good job as the main character, and Willem Dafoe had several funny lines that made me laugh out loud. The ending, I think, was left a bit dangling, and I think the movie would have benefited for a longer epilogue, maybe just two or three more minutes to flesh out what's to come. Still, I had a good time at the movies, and even though I doubt Daybreakers will make it to my Top Ten list this year, it certainly won't be in the Bottom Ten either.

Santuario

Siguiendo los pasos de Amanda Tapping tras dejar la seria SGA, descubrí que trabajaba en un proyecto en el que, además de protago-

nizar, también es productora.

Santuario es una serie que creo que nos puede gustar bastante después de ver los tres primeros episodios, sobre todo a Finn, ya que una de las protagonistas es una rubia mofletuda saltarina de ojos claros, aunque con la nariz normal... No sé si eso le quitará algo de encanto.

Santuario es un "refugio", "centro de investigación" de los seres mutantes que están por el mundo y que el grupo de protagonistas quieren proteger, investigar, y en caso de que sean muy hostiles, eliminar.

Las tramas están bastante decentes, al igual que las actuaciones del trío protagonista, y los efectos y monstruos no desmerecen mucho, aunque algunos dan algo de pena. Así que si tenéis algo de tiempo libre podéis echarle un vistazo.

I'm Not Dead yet

My Monty Python education continued after watching Life of Brian. Shortly after enjoying that film, I was exposed to the famous Spanish Inquisition episode from their Flying Circus show, and I found it really funny. A couple of days after that, I was asked back to my friends' house to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail, apparently one of their most popular movies. I don't know if that's their best effort, but I definitely enjoyed it a lot more than Life of Brian. Most everything in this movie was funny, from the Black Knight to the French soldiers, but the vicious feral rabbit was hands down my favorite. And I can't forget the Holy hand grenade, a weapon of mass destruction that I actually knew from all the hundreds of hours I've spent playing Worms 2. After this Monty Python Week, I am definitely willing to watch more of their movies!

Something Completely Different

A couple of friends decided it was time to expose me to the wackiness that is Monty Python, and proceeded to play Life of Brian for me. Two events led to this hilarious outcome. The first one was a conversation we had recently had about Latin and graffiti; and the second was my confession that I had never seen a Monty Python movie. Actually, that's not true. I remember seeing Life of Brian when I was about ten, and dubbed in Spanish to boot. Needless to say, I thought the whole thing was ludicrous (but for all the wrong reasons), and wrote the British troupe off. Well, fast forward to 2009 (remember Jhannian time is different from real time), and there I was, watching again the only MP movie I had ever seen, this time being smarter in both comedy and English.

My friends told me LOB is the one MP movie fans tend to single out as their least favorite, but I laughed a lot. My favorite part was the Biggus Dickus scene, closely followed by the aforementioned Latin and graffiti lesson. All in all, the movie was funny, surreal (very much so), and farcical, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Little did I know that was going to turn out to be Monty Python Week.

Rock Me

It's taken me twenty-five years, but I finally watched Amadeus, a movie I had always wanted to watch but never had. Fortunately, the good folks at Netflix sent it to me, and I spent the two and a half hours the movie lasts glued to the couch.

I didn't know what to expect, and I certainly didn't know Amadeus won the Oscar for best movie and best director (Milos Forman) when it was released. Or that F. Murray Abraham won an Oscar for his portrayal of the bitter Salieri, who narrates the story and comments on those events as they unfold.

You guys have probably seen this movie already, so I'm curious to know what you thought. I thought the acting was great, the story interesting, and Mozart was both likable and aggravating, a conflicted figure who thinks he should be doing better than he is but seems to have a knack to sabotage his own efforts no matter what he does. At the same time, his honesty, his passion, and his willingness to tell it as he sees it (even to the king!) made me not only relate to him but root for him as well. Except when he was being an idiot and neglecting his wife --that I didn't endorse.

So, it took me twenty-five years, but I'm glad I corrected that mistake. I wonder what other classics I'm missing!

Badger Girl

Here you have another one of those silly sketches I sometimes draw while playing D&D with my friends. One of the characters in the game is a woman who can turn into a fox, so a friend of mine suggested I drew a foxy lady (the lame pun is mine, though) with a big gun. I thought that would be cool, but somehow the fox kind of turned into a badger as I was drawing. (For the record, I do know the difference between a badger and a fox. Just saying.) Therefore, the fantastic Mrs. Fox (lame pun number two) became Badger Girl, and her weapon is big enough to convince you not to call her Foxy. Regardless of her name, she is kind of cute, and I hope you like her!

Seasonal Fun

What better way to celebrate Christmas Eve than watching Religulous? This documentary written by Bill Maher looked like fun when it was released in theaters in 2008, but I never got a chance to go see it. I added it to my Netflix queue about six months ago, and what a priceless coincidence it was that I got it on December 24th.

Maher presents the thesis that mankind is doomed if they insist on being so fanatically religious, and then travels the world interviewing people about their beliefs. He defends the idea that the only sane thing to say about what happens after we die is that we don't know, but, needless to say, that is not what the interviewees claim. Maher never even pretends to be unbiased, and the whole thing is obviously played for laughs, and while I did laugh a lot, I found many people and statements deeply disturbing.

All in all, I had a good time watching it, and I would recommend it to people with a sense of humor and people who won't be offended when their beliefs are questioned. I think that makes about five in this very tolerant country.

Retrato fantástico 3/3

Aquí tenéis la tercera y última parte de esta serie sobre el retrato fantástico para mi amiga. Lo primero que hice una vez hube calcado el boceto ampliado fue concentrarme en la cara. Si no hacía bien la cara, no hacía falta que me molestara en terminar el resto, así que, usando las decenas de fotos que mi amiga me mandó, me puse manos a la obra. Antes de ponerme a dibujar en la lámina final, hice varias pruebas y estudios en otras hojas de papel, y cuando por fin estuve relativamente satisfecho con el parecido, traté de olvidarme de la dichosa cara por un par de días. Para lograrlo, me puse a trabajar en el felino que, para entonces, ya había decidido iba a ser una especie de tigre mutante. Tras buscar varias fotos de tigres en Internet, empecé por la cara y fui bajando poco a poco hasta terminar con la cola. Dicha cola, los dientes, y las rayas indican que no es un tigre normal, pero el parecido está ahí y es innegable que, si no es un tigre, es su equivalente fantástico. Y ya que hablo del tigre, diré que su pata delantera es mi parte favorita de todo el dibujo. ¿Extraño? Es posible.

Una vez hube terminado con el tigre, volví a mis bocetos del rostro de la guerrera, y reproduje mi favorito en la lámina final. Una vez hecho esto, me puse a trabajar en la armadura, que, como podéis observar, varía un poco con respecto al boceto preliminar. Aparte de las extrañas runas mágicas, cambié la forma en que la coraza se cierra en el costado, y añadí también las placas para proteger el cuello. En lo que a las manos se refiere, añadí guantes sin dedos, y añadí más detalles a la vaina del puñal. Finalmente, redibujé los detalles del arco para alterar levemente la perspectiva del boceto original, y di por terminada la figura principal.

Justo cuando iba a empezar a dibujar el dragón me enfadé conmigo mismo por dibujar siempre el mismo tipo de dragón, así que decidí borrar el encaje original y hacer algo completamente diferente. Para crear una cabeza completamente distinta pero reptiliana y realista al mismo tiempo, me puse a buscar fotos de lagartos en Internet, y afortunadamente me crucé con el horned lizard y con el armadillo lizard (cordylus cataphractus). Si miráis las fotos de ambos, podréis ver que la cabeza de mi dragón es una mezcla de los dos, y que la cola la tomé prestada tal cual del cordylus. Para el cuello y lo poco que vemos del cuerpo, simplemente repetí la textura de la cola y creé placas que no fueran tan espinosas, porque no tendría sentido que lo fueran. Esta textura de la cola la usé también en el ala, para la que me basé en alas de murciélago pero tratando de darle una textura más escamosa que membranosa. Además, había tenido claro desde el principio que el interior del ala iba a ser negro para resaltar la cara de la guerrera, que destaca al estar rodeada de un tono oscuro.

Finalmente, me puse a trabajar en el sol que, curiosamente, fue uno de los elementos más difíciles del dibujo porque, hiciera lo que hiciese, nunca estaba satisfecho. Tras probar varias cosas, al final terminé haciendo lo que veis en el dibujo terminado, asegurándome, eso sí, que el extremo del arco estaba situado en el centro de la circunferencia, para cerrar así el equilibrio geométrico con que inicié el boceto cutre original.

Una vez terminado el dibujo, lo aparté de la mesa y lo dejé reposar varios días, echándole algún vistazo rápido de vez en cuando (probablemente más de los que debería). Cuando sentí cierta distancia y desconexión, volví al dibujo e hice varios retoques aquí y allá, básicamente sombras y tonos, pero también algún detalle de la cara. En un momento dado, no obstante, tuve que decir basta, porque, de no ser así, podría haberme pasado las siguientes semanas retocándolo todo, y tampoco era plan.

Y creo que esto es todo lo que tengo que decir sobre el dibujo, que no es poco. A mi amiga le encantó, yo me lo pasé en grande durante las más de quince horas que acabé dedicándole al proyecto, y encima me saqué una pasta. Espero que os haya resultado interesante!

Retrato fantástico 2/3

Una vez tuve la composición básica resuelta, pasé a dibujar el boceto en miniatura. El boceto cutre de ayer es muy pequeño (mide unas dos por tres pulgadas), y este boceto detallado, pese a no ser muy grande (5.5x8.5 pulgadas), es gigantesco en comparación. Al principio no pensaba incluir tanto detalle, pero mientras estaba dibujando se me ocurrió que podía hacer lo mismo que hice con la portada de Worlds Collide: un dibujo pequeño que ampliar fotocopiado para calcar el encaje. Así pues, empecé a añadir montones de detalles como el barroco arco y la armadura de la guerrera, y cuando estuve contento con el resultado, amplié el dibujo a 11x17 pulgadas para pasar a la fase final. La razón por la que hice esto fue para mantener las proporciones exactas de este dibujo. Es más fácil dibujar en pequeño que en grande, y dado que ya había resuelto el dibujo en este tamaño, me parecía innecesario repetirlo todo cuando no había necesidad. Además, calcar las siluetas en el papel final me ahorra tener que borrar y dañar el papel. Como el dibujo ya está resuelto, no habrá errores o cambios o rectificaciones, con lo que no necesito preocuparme por eso. O al menos, ésa era la idea, porque al final sí hubo algunos cambios; pero para eso tendréis que esperar hasta mañana.

Retrato fantástico 1/3

El mes pasado recibí una llamada telefónica muy interesante. Una amiga mía quería que le hiciera un retrato para dárselo a su marido en Navidades. La chica en cuestión adora la fantasía y la ciencia-ficción, y quería que el retrato fuera un dibujo de fantasía. Hace años, me dijo, cuando jugaba a Dungeons & Dragons, su personaje era un ranger, así que le gustaría llevar arco y flechas en el dibujo. Aparte de eso, el único requisito era que sus proporciones fueran normales, y que la armadura no fuese demasiado provocativa. Vamos, lo opuesto a cualquier ilustración fantástica que se precie. Su idea era, para resumir, que le hiciera un dibujo en plan Frazetta, a lo que me apresuré a explicarle que, si yo pudiera dibujar o pintar como el maestro, no estaría trabajando de ídem. Tras varias clarificaciones y negociaciones, acordamos un precio justo por mis servicios, y me puse manos a la obra.

Como los lectores más avispados ya habrán colegido, esta entrada es la primera en una serie de tres, en la que os mostraré el proceso creativo que culminó en el retrato terminado. En esta inaugural entrega podéis ver el boceto, cutre y rápido y con pocos detalles. Tras darle vueltas y más vueltas y probar varias composiciones, me decidí por ésta que, aunque puede parecer simple, es algo más compleja de lo que podría parecer. (O eso, o es que me estoy dando aires de grandeza.)

La cara de la guerrera debe estar en el centro dado que es el centro de atención del dibujo (no en vano es un retrato), pero no quería un retrato tradicional en el que vemos la cabeza y el tronco y nada más, por lo que decidí añadir un par de criaturitas para llenar espacio, para crear un triángulo imaginario con sus cabezas, y para subrayar la idea de que estamos en un mundo de fantasía. Siguiendo con la composición, el arco y la flecha crean un segundo triángulo cuyo vértice central casi coincide con el del anterior (la cara), con lo que las líneas tanto reales como imaginarias que atan el dibujo convergen todas en el mismo punto: el rostro de la guerrera, que es la parte más importante. En tercer lugar, el sol en el horizonte supone otro vértice de un nuevo triángulo que se completa con la cabeza del dragón y de nuevo la cabeza de la protagonista.

Una vez tuve esta composición básica atada, pude pasar a la segunda fase del proyecto, que veremos mañana.

Witchblade #132

This issue is the first part (of two) of The Bridge, in which Sara and Gleason investigate the disappearance of three small children. There is a great scene with Sara and Gleason on vacation, and the creepy forest they find themselves in when they start investigating is rendered in beautiful cold colors that convey danger, mystery, and impending doom. I could go on and on describing the excellent work Stjepan Sejic does bringing Marz's script to life, but I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just go ahead and repeat my mantra: buy Witchblade already!

Old Guy & Confession

Here you have my rendition of Coulter Dixon, one of the main characters in Fablehaven. Other than his head being neck-breakingly big, I think this is what this character is supposed to look like, from the invisibility glove (not working in the picture) to the missing pinky. I really like how it turned out, and I hope you like it.

As for the second part of the title, I have a confession to make. I drew this picture in a style that's somewhat similar to the style I used in my Alice series. The confession is that I wanted to draw Worlds Collide in this style, but in the end I was afraid I wouldn't be able to pull it off and I therefore took the easy way out and drew it in my more "standard comic book style". I still wonder how it would have turned out had I been brave enough to do it this way, though, so maybe the next sequential story I am foolish enough to draw will be in this style. Is this something you guys would like to see, or should I stick to what's tried and true?

The Best Movies on DVD

Since yesterday I told you about the worst films I watched on DVD in 2009, I think it's only fair I list five great movies I wish I had caught in theaters because they were awesome:

1. The Departed
A great movie by Martin Scorsese. Read my original review for more details.

2. Taken
I had so much fun watching Liam Neeson kill everyone! Read my original review for more details.

3. Gone Baby Gone
The amazing directorial debut by Ben Affleck. Read my original review for more details.

4. Eyes Wide Shut
Weird but suspenseful, Kubrick's last movie was a blast to watch. Read my original review for more details.

5. The Others
Spooky, creepy, and insanely alluring. Read my original review for more details.

Here's to hoping I watch movies this good in 2010!

The Worst Movies

I thought it would be fun to make a Top Ten with the most horrible movies I've seen this year, but since I don't think I saw ten execrable films in theaters, I will split the list in two: the five worst movies I saw in theaters, and the five worst I got to watch on DVD and were therefore not released in 2009 necessarily. Folks, these movies were just awful:

2009 Movies

1. The Informant!
Hands down the vilest thing I had the dubious pleasure to experience in 2009, The Informant! Has, simply put, no redeeming qualities. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

2. Transformers 2
The only reason this movie is number two and not number one is because of a couple of hotties who, even though they can't save this cinematic excretion, were at least easy on the eye.

3. Terminator Salvation
Like I said a few months ago, Christian Bale's rant techno remix was far superior to this garbage.

4. The Box
While I wouldn't say this movie was horrendous and I did like most of it, the more I think about it the less I remember liking it. Next to the previous three films, it's still a masterpiece, though.

5. Public Enemies
This wasn't a bad movie per se, but it left me completely indifferent. Plus, I couldn't think of a fifth movie I really hated, so there you go.

Older Movies on DVD

1. The Hills Have Eyes
Utterly pointless, irrelevant, unnecessary, gratuitous… Read my original review for more details.

2. Teeth
A movie that took itself too seriously when it should have been a campy comedy. Read my original review for more details.

3. Babylon AD
Why does Vin Diesel keep doing this crap? Read my original review for more details.

4. Children of Men
Yawn. Wake me up when there's a fun movie playing. Read my original review for more details.

5. The Fountain
Talk about taking yourself too seriously. Read my original review for more details.

So what about your horror stories? Did you watch any movies so foul you wish you could have back those hours of your life? Share them with us!