Productivity?

I've been telling people that being ADD and unemployed is a mixed bag. I start 57 projects a day-- which sounds hella productive unless anyone asks the natural follow-up question, "How many did you finish."

One of the things I have been working on are comics. A lot of dialogue has been written, but I've been kind of slack in the drawing department (which is a pretty crucial component in comics).

Right now it's just a couple of stacks of sketches (most of which are just a testament to my wildly unfocused mind). Now that I have a scanner, however, I think I can get to work completing some comics. I think that I'm going to post the comics to my blog as I finish them.

Until then, here are some detail scans of some of my sketches.

(The first one is my dog being carried away by balloons).

From Something More Fantastical

From Something More Fantastical

From Something More Fantastical

From Something More Fantastical

This guy totally stole my idea...

There is sometimes a day where I sleep in and then I just mosey about eating cereal straight out of the box. There is some hardcore TV watching followed by me catching up on my comics.

Maybe after that-- a nap.

It is usually on days like these where I read about articles like this.

Motoi Yamamoto arranges giant labyrinths made entirely out of salt and they are beautiful. Yamamoto created the installation over the course of five days. He patiently worked backwards until the piece was finished.

The finished product is totally badass-- or as they say in the art world: stunning.

Prudes.

These labyrinths that he creates are just really amazing. You can't help but be inspired.

There is a balance to the universe, though. In order for people like Yamamoto to have the dedication and patience to create these mazes-- there have to be people like me in the world.

People who wake up at 11am and then scroll through the Huffington Post for two hours whilst snacking on leftovers and granola bars.

Just know that when Yamamoto is taking a break-- I am being crazy diligent.

Unnervingly dedicated... to... stuff.

Check out Yamamoto's website. There is a blog, pictures of previous projects, and videos of him creating the mazes. It is awesome.

Hipster Ariel is so over the sea

Mandy loves all things Disney.

So, when I found "Hipster Ariel", I was overjoyed.

Combining Ariel's love of humanity with a hipster's disdain for everything just creates such a hilarious panel.

Basically, I like to take things Mandy loves and corrupt them.

Comic of the Day

It's time to play the music/ It's time to light the lights!

I love the Muppets.

I love them.

I would lobby for the Muppets to be featured on American currency before any other person (living or dead).

They are an American treasure.

My childhood was spent watching Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and the Muppet Show. While Disney movies came out once a year-- Muppets were with me ever day.

Which is why I am psyched that a Muppet movie is coming out this year.

Let me innumerate the reasons this is mind-meltingly awesome.

Awesome-Amazing thing #1: The Human Cast

Mila Kunis, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, and Zack Galifianakis will all be sharing the screen with Kermit, Gonzo, and Miss Piggy.

The easiest way to see how fun it is when celebrities and Muppets unite are all the celebrities appearances on Sesame Street. Ricky Gervais, Feist, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, and even Ray Charles and Johnny Cash have all been on and each time it is amazing.

I would say what makes having such an amazing (human) cast in this movie is that it so uninterested in fame and celebrity. No matter who shows up-- they all play second fiddle to the Muppets.

Also--anyone who knows me knows that Jason Segel is kind of my hero. Love his movies, his appearances on talk shows, and his character on "How I Met Your Mother" (Marshall Erikson) is one of my favorites.

Plus-- he is almost as exited as I am about this movie.

Awesome-Amazing Thing #2: "Flight of the Concords" influence

Chris Cooper is set to do a rap in the film.

Before you cringe, hear me out.

James Bobin, the director of the film, is the mind behind "Flight of the Conchords." Bobin has drafted one part of the folk duo (Bret McKenzie) to help out with the songs. "Flight of the Conchords" is responsible for gems like "Prince of Parties", "Boom", and "Robots." So that same bizarre creative energy that fueled the first Muppet movies is going to continue on with Segel and Bobin at the helm.

Awesome-Amazing Thing #3: More "Mahna Mahna" and "Rainbow Connection"

Do I really have to explain this?

Awesome-Amazing Thing #4: Muppets

I realize I just spent the entire entry gushing over them, but seriously-- they are the best.

You can always count on them to be humble and subversive and to nurture the creative underdog in everyone.

I cannot wait until November.

Things I like are AWESOME: Hunger Games vs Twilight

I just finished the Hunger Games trilogy in a little under 48 hours and it was AMAZING. Despite being marketed as a Young Adult series-- there is still immense appeal for an older audience simply because it is an AMAZING piece of literature.

Let me first say that Hunger Games is a Young Adult book in the way that Harry Potter is a Young Adult book in that it is awesome and the classification should be considered irrelevant.

Hunger Games is the first book in Suzanne Collins' triology and it follows the life of Katniss Everdeen. Katniss lives in District 12 and has the unfortunate "honor" of being forced to participate in the Hunger Games. After government collapsed, the Capitol and 13 districts arose in its place. The Capitol proved to be pretty unjust and the districts tried to overthrow the Capitol and failed. Ever since then, the Hunger Games have existed to punish the districts for their uprising. The Hunger Games require 2 tributes from each District and then the tributes fight to the death in a televised fight to the death.

Holy CRAP, right?

In the media, however, people are saying that it is the next "Twilight" which rankles me a bit. The first reason being, the association makes me look pretty uncool for reading Hunger Games.

FACT #1: I am cool.

Really, there are not really any similarities whatsoever. Hunger Games is all about social responsibility whereas Twilight is just about one girl's (ridiculous) social life. Some people (Twilight fans) have claimed that it is hard/ impossible to compare the two stories because the they are so different. It is kind of true. Hunger Games is an exciting and heroic tale whereas Twilight is a romance full of angst and abs.

But wait! Hunger Games is a twofer. Hunger Games is a heroic tale WITH an epic romance... and abs. There is an intense love triangle in Hunger Games and unlike Twilight, it isn't based on which suitor is less likely to kill her.

FACT #2: The romance in "Hunger Games" is better than "Twilight."

Yeah, I said it.

I would also like to point out right now that EVERY children's story (even the messed up German ones) had basically the same premise: run away from monsters. Vampires and Werewolves are two of the most destructive and predatory monsters in the pantheon of monsters. You really aren't supposed to fall in love with them. It doesn't matter that they are sparkly. They want to kill you.

If Hunger Games followed Twilight's romantic formula for success, you would have dialogue like this:

Peeta: I want to kill you.

Katniss: Do me!

Peeta and Gale, the two who are fighting for Katniss' affection, prove their love by protecting her and helping to support her family. Oh, and NOT stalking her.

And just before you confuse Games as a maudlin sapfest-- fear not! There is an incredible amount of action (and violence).

For a trilogy that features supernatural creatures of the night, in terms of action, Twilight is unbearably tame. Except for the occasional decapitation and mind torture, Twilight is pretty uneventful.

FACT #3: Action and adventure are far superior to the angst.

To be fair--how could Twilight be viewed as anything but mundane when compared to Hunger Games? The action of the first novel is driven by the idea that Hunger Games exist-- where children battle to the death for the amusement of the citizens. That is where the bar is set: children killing each other for sport. In order to drive the action it only gets more intense: human trafficking, assassinations, class inequality, just warfare-- you know, kid stuff.

Hunger Games is a really awesome, exciting, and empowering novel and has 100% more bow-fighting than Twilight. It can read as a social justice primer for kids (or really awesome adults) but at its heart, it's all about love. Not only romantic love-- but love on every end of the spectrum: love for family, friends, and even people you haven't met yet.

The message at the center of each book is "Follow your heart." The only difference being, Bella's heart leads her into the arms of a sparkly supernatural beast and Katniss's leads her to overthrow an unjust government.

Mock movie poster by AnaB at Deviant Art. Pretty awesome.