The mouse that caught the spider...

Ok this is fairly fresh news for me and my overall attitude about may change as time goes by... but I just had to get this out…so here goes.
This morning I awoke to the startling news that Disney has acquired Marvel Comics. To say this shot me out of bed with a troubled brow is an understatement. My first knee-jerk reaction was utter horror. I literally saw the heroes of my childhood…well some of them, let’s not leave out DC and God knows how many others…but I digress…where was I…oh yeah…I literally saw, eh…most, heh, of the heroes of my childhood being destroyed in my minds eye and remade in the Disney image.
It put me off my coffee and made me think of canceling breakfast. Then I regained my composure and dwelled upon things after posting my remnant of a brood on FaceBook. After doing so I was slightly surprised at some folk’s complete lack of reaction, some spoke of the better line of toys Marvel would have and others spoke of more all-ages comics. The first of those are easy to answer… toys come and go, hire a sculptor that has some talent…done. But the second gave me another slice of pause in this whole matter to go with the entire full plate of things I had to digest and think about. And one I will touch on another day…in another post.
Ok…first things first… Disney owning Marvel; Let’s start with the cons shall we?
Cons; Marvel may loose it’s edge... now this point could be argued by some as a thing that has already happened. In fact the whole idea of that is an article in itself, so I won’t really touch on that here. But Disney may water down what Marvel is already putting out.
Now in Disney’s defense they have said that they are not going to change Marvel one bit to fit the Disney brand. But come on… would you buy a company and never do anything in the way it’s run to fit your way of doing things? Over time businesses have to update their plan of attack on the market and Marvel is no different. In updating their plan Disney has no choice but to mold Marvel to fit their overall scope of future goals… to do otherwise is not good business. Disney has said they will honor Marvel’s agreements with the movie companies they have made but after that is done they will bring all future films “in house” and make and distribute it themselves… but then again I would if I were them… once more it’s just smart business.
The same was said of Disney acquiring ABC. Unless your completely clueless it’s obvious that they have certainly changed…don’t get me started on those tween “comedies” they churn out…but hey, someone must dig em… so yet again…digressing…
And oh my the crossovers….sigh… or better yet… animated Marvel movies with songs just thrown in there because, “Kids just love music in their movies!” ugh…
Ok, too many things to list at the moment without sounding bitter when I’m really not. I don’t want you to get the idea that my disagreeing with a few Disney methods means I hate the company…I don’t. I actually dig the whole Disney thing in certain respects.
So that brings us to…the Pros: Ok Marvel on TV for one thing. Disney is a freaking giant in multimedia and exposure is the word here. With Disney’s reach they could be in places they never could before. Word has it that upon hearing the news of the deal that everyone from Pixar to Disney proper was excited at the idea of doing things with Marvel properties. To quote them, “Sparks will fly.”
So one must ask themselves, “If all see something will it have the same soul when they see it?”
If Marvel is changed too much from it’s core then the whole world will see nothing but a name and a pair of long johns…my fingers are crossed but with age I tend to flavor my hope with a pinch of cynicism.

One of those writing sheds like Mark Twain had...

Not a lot to say...not much to say...The only thing I will say is that on one hand I have a dictation program that needs LOTS of training...and on the other hand I never get any quiet or proper space sans interruptions to actually dictate without background noise.
God I wish I had one of those writing sheds like Mark Twain had... I think it was on his Sister-in-Law's property. A lovely little gazebo with a typewriter and writing paper. Far away from folk...when he was done he would come home...period.
Not that I'm not thankful for what I have and all...but JESUS man! Come on.... Everytime I get CLOSE to the "zone" someone come trouncing through. Or my Son pops in saying someone wants to see me...and it amounts to "Look at that..." ...which amounts to NOTHING!!! ARRRGGHHHH!!
At this rate I'l never get done with any freaking thing! .......merde.....

My art for purchase online....

I am proud to announce that high quality prints of my artwork are available for purchase for the first time ever online. To see and own a wall ready print of my art please visit jadearcade.imagekind.com

God bless Stan and John...

It's funny sometimes how someone else can remind or push you into something you've been meaning to do for ages. Recently I was invited to join a group that has, out of the bloated list of groups on FaceBook about....anything you could fathom, comes one that has long been due existence. A group on the old standby of comic book artist, the ever necessary "How to draw comics the Marvel way".
This book was a wonder to me as a child. It was a bible of art. The second I got the tome in my hot little hands, I poured over the contents until the pages broke from the spine from use. It was the first time I remember being spoken to by an adult in terms that I no only understood, but was not spoken down to. I, being a hyper had to know everything type of child...and now adult, was quite fulfilled with the step by step process I only could guess about beforehand.
Sure I, like many had learned from the world around me as far as drawing goes. But this was far more than looking at trees, the sky or the new issue of Micronauts. No this was the first that truely taught me form and structure. Dynamics of movement previously given out in mental viewings by Ditko and others were fleshed out, the body given bones, the house a foundation.
I had always wanted to meet John and Stan...although the great Mr. Buscema is gone, and I still miss his presance in the world, I still hope to meet Stan "The Man".
I could drone on forever on this book, but I'll spare you that. But I must in the highest fashion imaginable recommend that you get this book in some form if you haven't already. Myself being the eternal studant, still picks it up from time to time...to learn or wax nostalgic. It's more than worth your time....and is a large chunk of childhood for me.
It inspired me...it inspired my son. It's required reading for anyone doing comics. It's a thing I'll always treasure and go back to to this day. The only thing I miss is the hardcover....seems more official.... For any who have a problem with Marvel now...this is Marvel then.....and will always be a thing of learning and childhood wonderment. God bless Stan and John..I owe ya guys..

Note: The intelligent and talented individual who made the FaceBook group for this great book is artist Atula Siriwardane. The links to him and his world of wonder are:
http://www.atulasiriwardane.com
http://atulasiriwardane.blogspot.com/
http://tinyurl.com/MyProfile-Facebook
And of course if your interested in joining the group, and you should be, is:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=540243850#/group.php?gid=62830038643&ref=nf
Big thanks to Atula....now...Go join that group!...LOL!

A little light....

This doesn't really have anything to do with news about me but just me soapboxing a little.
Every now and then, if your lucky, you get a little light in your life. A gift.
Sometimes this come in the form of a child or that special someone. A dog, a day, something that would otherwise make what is a dull existence into a bright one.
If it ever happens to you...recognize it and never take it for granted. Treat every day as the first and last in your life. If your religious, thank the maker for what you have. But most of all be thankful for the light in your life. Life is too short and in a blink....it's gone.
Be grateful, cherish, pay attention...we only have so may lights in our life. Hold on to yours and never let it go out.

QDos

There is an online rating system for famous folk...no I did NOT say celebrities..that rates how known they are and their internet footprint. Being that I've been doing this art and writing thing for over twenty years now I happen to be one of these "famous folk", oh if only it were "rich and famous", and since that is the case I am on Qdos. Folks add web links with the sites mentioning the person and that combined with current fame is how they rate the person...I think, but I don't run the place so don't quote me on that one. I didn't put myself on it, you just show up after having a little "being known" going on. So here is the rating graphic, I think it self-updates. If it doesn't just go to this place.
Or go to qdos.com to check on yourself or your favorite "famous folk"

FaceBook...

I now have a profile on FaceBook as well as Myspace. For MySpace CLICK HERE and as far as FaceBook CLICK HERE or the fan page CLICK HERE. Come on by and be a friend...I'll be yours... we'll make a day of it...LOL!

Just for a laugh I thought I would show you the slide show you would see if you looked on my MySpace or facebook profile.

To cover one's arse...

Okay, let me set the scene up for you. It's a 9:00 in the morning, and I wake up to my wife saying there is an insulation truck next door. Next door to us is a rental property that my grandfather has and is in desperate need of fixing up in order to be rented out to someone. So the last thing he needs is an insulation truck with Windows and insulation when the entire inside of the house needs fixing first.

The backdoor to this house has a latched screen door and a door behind screens. They are checked every night to make sure no one has gotten inside the house or has done anything to it. The door can be opened in the back of the house if you push really hard. So these guys show up at nine in the morning. I see them knock on the door they go underneath the house, the whole time I'm thinking perhaps one of my Aunts called these people to look at house in the see how much insulation or new windows they need in the house.

After no response from knocking on the door these men basically break into the house by shoving the door open and walking inside the house, which they did before I got to them, so they were basically breaking in and entering the house. When they leave, the door is wide-open and all the openings to the bottom of the house, where the underpinning is…wide-open as well. Now I can understand the mistakes in addresses, the house didn't have a house number on it that makes sense. But what I don't understand is somebody going to house knocking on the door finding out to that nobody’s there and breaking into the house and when they leave… the doors are wide-open.

So I call up this insulation company and the manager calls me back. Bear in mind that my wife and I myself had seen these people go inside the house after knocking on the door. I very nicely say I understand someone going to the wrong house, but I’d thought of let you know ahead of time just in case this happens to somebody else's house that was not as nice as I am about it. Somebody else would have thrown these guys in jail for breaking into their house. This guy proceeds to cover his own arse by saying the guy never went inside the house and a guy that was with them, the man in the lead truck, which is little pickup truck and behind the big truck, that he can attest to the fact that they never went inside the house. After going around in circles with this guy for about five or ten I say ‘look, I just thought you might want to know, in the future people might not be so nice. You might have a lawsuit or somebody in jail.’ Well this guy has the attitude that is the equivalent to somebody spitting in your face. A ‘your word against theirs’ thing. A basically ‘screw you’ type of thing.

Now I'm wondering what happened to service? What happened to common decency? What happened to the customer is a human being instead of a “your word against theirs, you big freaking liar”?

I already tell this guy he’s not in trouble. That no one cares about pressing any charges or anything like that. So for this man to do things in such a way was, I guess you could say unethical? Or you could just say “wrong”.

Life is sometimes longer or shorter than we would want to be depending on what our situation is and it doesn't hurt to treat somebody like a human being. And will not kill anyone to be an honest human being.

Before anybody gets into any sort of business they need to get some books on ethics. Perhaps some books on manners. Find out not only the proper economical way of doing business, but also the proper social way of doing business. Start off by treating the customer like a person who is not out to lie, cheat and steal.

I myself am taking the high road. I'm not going to give a hint of the where this insulation company is located. I'm not going to give the slightest hint of the name, phone number or anything like that. The last thing I wish when fighting the monster is to become a monster myself.

Website Redux finished!

Just revamped the website. Some things are still going to be put in later as far as slide shows, etc. Please drop by http://www.jadearcade.com and take a look.

Cheers!