http://browse.deviantart.com/journals/?order=5&q=by%3ATomPreston deviantART RSS for in:journals sort:time by:TomPreston en-us Copyright 2013, deviantART.com Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:45:38 PDT deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://st.deviantart.net/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/XBOne-fixed-379211373 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/XBOne-fixed-379211373 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:16:30 PDT XBOne... fixed. nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston    Last week at E3, the excitement, creativity and future of our industry was on display for a global audience.

   For us, the future comes in the form of Xbox One, a system designed to be the best place to play games this year and for many years to come. As is our heritage with Xbox, we designed a system that could take full advantage of ad ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Malware-and-MS-facepalms-again-378788229 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Malware-and-MS-facepalms-again-378788229 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:03:19 PDT Malware and MS facepalms again nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston I've been informed that SYAC and other websites in the Fresh Epic's family have all been reported as containing malware. I'd like to just take a moment to reassure you all that we are aware of this issue and have determined that it's likely caused by a programing glitch and not a result of malware infected adverts or anything of the sort. The problem is known and they are working to repair it as quickly as possible. It should be fixed in the next day or two. There shouldn't be any danger to your computers but just as a safety precaution it might be best to just try and hold back on visiting any Fresh Epics page for at least 1 day or ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/XBOne-on-Windows-7-Picard-and-DA-issues-378279724 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/XBOne-on-Windows-7-Picard-and-DA-issues-378279724 Sat, 15 Jun 2013 19:47:29 PDT XBOne on Windows 7, Picard, and DA issues? nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston A lot of what happens during E3 are smoke and mirrors to make everything appear better than they actually are. How many of you remember the vertical slice of Aliens: Colonial Marines that demo'd gorgeously but then ended up looking so crappy when it was finally released, that people sued them? Well... Microsoft's bad press just continues to roll in. Recently photos have emerged of a technician installing the XBOne stations and clear as day they were running on Windows 7 machines (Yup. Microsoft doesn't even trust their own Windows 8 to run their demos).

There's a link below with more detail ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Microsoft-Employees-Disrupt-Wii-U-Best-Buy-Events-377934574 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Microsoft-Employees-Disrupt-Wii-U-Best-Buy-Events-377934574 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:30:03 PDT Microsoft Employees Disrupt Wii U Best Buy Events nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
However, the employees aren't getting what they hoped for. Most customers just start bashing the Xbox One in response. Seriously, Microsoft, the people attending these Best Buy Wii U events are people who are intimately familiar with the crap you pulled at E3. They ain't takin' your shit.

At first I thought this might just ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/The-Used-Game-Paradigm-377768155 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/The-Used-Game-Paradigm-377768155 Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:38:38 PDT The Used Game Paradigm nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Used games are a good thing for consumers. We get to try games out, and if we don't like ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/E3-Thoughts-Day-3-377589772 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/E3-Thoughts-Day-3-377589772 Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:30:00 PDT E3 Thoughts Day 3 nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston You know, I was on the fence about the new Smash Bros game. Even with Mega Man I didn't really see anything remarkable about the game to peak my interest. But then when Nintendo unveiled the Wii Fit personal trainer as a playable character? F**k Yeah!  Bludgeon your opponents to death with YOGA moves? That's the sort of nonsensical whimsy that I think was sorely lacking from this version of franchise. Count me in!

Still not sure how the 3DS and Wii U version are going to interact with each other, if at all. Iwata has said that the 3DS will have different stages, so that suggests that they aren't compatible. But then, if they ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/E3-Thoughts-Day-2-377340903 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/E3-Thoughts-Day-2-377340903 Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:53:37 PDT E3 Thoughts Day 2 nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston Well, technically it will be... except that only ONE character will be free and all the rest you have to pay for. Wow... way to be a douche, Microsoft. Free to play gaming works on handhelds and casual games, but I don't really think it's appropriate to do it to a console fighting game. Part of the fighting game experience is trying out various players and getting to know which character you identify best at playing with, with additional characters on the side as bonuses to unlock. Locking ALL the characters up from the start and making you pay for them individually? Kinda shitty move, dude. Imagine if Sma ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/E3-Day-1-Thoughts-377164308 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/E3-Day-1-Thoughts-377164308 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:08:04 PDT E3 Day 1 Thoughts nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston Honestly didn't see that one coming, but I am happy nonetheless. While the first game wasn't very remarkable, I just love the art style and the stark contrast the game presents compared to every other post-apocalyptic-near-future-world that exists. Chock me up to interested.

Killer Instinct
Didn't see this one coming either. Quite surprised, but personally don't care. I've never really paid attention to fighting games much, yes even Super Smash Bros. I have a feeling this will be one of those games that we think will be amazing, but the newest generation of kids won't understand why they should care (kinda like DuckTales).
]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Why-You-re-Wrong-about-a-Female-12th-Doctor-377039725 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Why-You-re-Wrong-about-a-Female-12th-Doctor-377039725 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 01:22:38 PDT Why You're Wrong about a Female 12th Doctor nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Writer for brentalfloss comics Dan Roth wrote a very interesting article about why having a female Doctor wouldn't be the end of the world and might actually help give new life to the Doctor Who franchise. Discouragingly, the vast majority of Doctor Who fans out there are dead-set against it.

According to an official poll http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/matt-smiths-departure-your-reaction-50404.htm 87% of fans would prefer a male Doctor over a female one, and comments made by fans on the polls and in Dan's article are rather disappointing.

I'm not ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Socially-Awkward-376504748 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Socially-Awkward-376504748 Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:26:19 PDT Socially Awkward nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
I don't know if it's just me, but I'm getting really creeped out how by how much everything is gett ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Busy-Busy-Busy-376360541 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Busy-Busy-Busy-376360541 Thu, 06 Jun 2013 18:15:12 PDT Busy Busy Busy nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
I'm trying to work my way through all the various projects I have, but I'm afraid there might be a bit of an upload gap soon. While there will always be a constant stream of brental ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Hobbit-Study-Comparison-375759651 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Hobbit-Study-Comparison-375759651 Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:52:01 PDT Hobbit Study Comparison nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Special thanks to :iconFluffySpiderz: for scanning these for us to look at!

Beorn
My versions:
:thumb375143828: :thumb375486569:

Official Rankin Bass Production Illustrations
:thumb375753323: :thumb375753542:

The Arkenstone
My ver ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Nintendo-E3-Plans-tumblr-and-My-Mistakes-375595083 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Nintendo-E3-Plans-tumblr-and-My-Mistakes-375595083 Sun, 02 Jun 2013 20:36:38 PDT Nintendo E3 Plans, tumblr, and My Mistakes nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston As you all are probably aware by now, Nintendo won't have a press conference at E3. But just because they're not up on stage doesn't mean they won't be stealing the show. At select Best Buy's around North America you'll be able to demo many of the games Nintendo will be showcasing at E3. Since E3 is only available to the press, this is a huge deal, effectively giving YOU access to play games being unveiled at E3.

The kiosks will only be accessible between 4-8pm on Wednesday June 12th and 1-5pm on Friday June 14th. To find out which Best Buy's are participating, please use this http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Games-Prom ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Thoughts-on-the-Hobbit-Cartoon-Study-375489065 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Thoughts-on-the-Hobbit-Cartoon-Study-375489065 Sun, 02 Jun 2013 11:31:10 PDT Thoughts on the 'Hobbit Cartoon Study' nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
One of the things that was tricky to deal with was the awkward hands. The Rankin Bass cartoon has very stylized grizzly hands which are drawn entirely counterintuitive to how I would naturally draw them. I frequently looked for specific hand gestures from the cartoon and used those to help draw them here. They presented quite a challenge.

The other challenge was to try and illu ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Objectification-vs-Sexuality-375294985 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Objectification-vs-Sexuality-375294985 Sat, 01 Jun 2013 13:57:03 PDT Objectification vs Sexuality? nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
For me this is a really tough question to answer. Speaking as a heterosexual male it's a bit of a double standard. On the one hand, objectification of women and the constant sexualization of women in the majority of media around us is, I think, overwhelmingly bad for us as a society (and I've talked at great length about this subject in the past ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Objectification-of-Men-374860774 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Objectification-of-Men-374860774 Thu, 30 May 2013 13:09:20 PDT Objectification of Men nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
And while that's a nice thought that sounds logical at first... any causal observer to gaming and most media today will be able to recognize that the two sides are not equal enough to make that sort of comparison. Here's the difference as I see it: Men are objectified and sexualized, yes, but it's not done for women. It's done for men. The objectification of men ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Tropes-Vs-Women-in-Video-Games-Part-2-374662353 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Tropes-Vs-Women-in-Video-Games-Part-2-374662353 Wed, 29 May 2013 13:46:50 PDT Tropes Vs Women in Video Games - Part 2 nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Yes, comments are disabled on her YouTube video. But honestly, why does everyone see this as a "problem?" I know it's common wisdom to assume that if you hide comments you're "scared" of receiving criticism or some other bullshit, but think beyond that please.
1) Comments enabled would just allow hate speech and actual sexism to persist because the internet has already determined that everyone hates Anita. No matter how thoughtful or constructive your criticisms might be, YouTube's 500 character limit isn't the best place to give it, plus it would be drowned out by the trolls and haters spewing n ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Proving-your-Geek-Creed-374415820 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Proving-your-Geek-Creed-374415820 Tue, 28 May 2013 10:21:11 PDT Proving your Geek Creed nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Personally I ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Thoughts-on-the-Trading-Places-Pin-Ups-374206432 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Thoughts-on-the-Trading-Places-Pin-Ups-374206432 Mon, 27 May 2013 11:02:00 PDT Thoughts on the 'Trading Places' Pin-Ups nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
These weren't originally meant to be seen by the public. At the time I was still very sick and had stopped making comics and art all together. This was sort of a therapeutic way to try and get me back into drawing again. And even though they're "pin-ups," aside from a little creative licensing here or there I never tried to make any of them look slutty or give them M.C. Escher spines.

I must admit that loo ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Is-the-Console-War-Over-Before-It-Began-374011670 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Is-the-Console-War-Over-Before-It-Began-374011670 Sun, 26 May 2013 13:10:53 PDT Is the Console War Over Before It Began? nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
The latest details for the Xbox One show that pretty much every aspect of gaming culture that we hate has been incorporated into it. Needing to check in every 24 hours to make sure you've legally bought a game? Check. Not able to bring games over to a friend's house unless your friend ALSO buys the game? Check. Forcing game stores to sign an agreement to pay Microsoft a large percentage of the used sale fee? ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/AFK-373636629 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/AFK-373636629 Fri, 24 May 2013 18:00:16 PDT AFK nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Washington Bridge
If you haven't heard by now a bridge in Washington collapsed. No one was hurt, thankfully. As someone who remembers the tragedy of the Minnesota I-35 collapse, it makes me very happy that no one died. Glad everyone is safe and here's hoping maybe we'll start looking into how bad our bridges actually are and... I dunno... fixing them?

Xbone
Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One to boos and hisses. I can't say I blame them. Every piece of information about the console makes me ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/The-Echo-chamber-dilemma-373291851 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/The-Echo-chamber-dilemma-373291851 Wed, 22 May 2013 23:30:02 PDT The Echo chamber dilemma nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
For years I've observed this behavior but haven't been able to vocalize it correctly. Originally I called the behavior of collective opinions as "the hive mentality" of the Internet. But that wasn't exactly right and I often got called out on it. The most prominent example was when I made a comic about a guy disagreeing with opinions and being shouted at till he remained quiet, eventually fading into the background with everyone else. The consensus of that comic was that if you disagree with someone ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Nextbox-infinity-720-zero-373087392 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Nextbox-infinity-720-zero-373087392 Tue, 21 May 2013 21:25:48 PDT Nextbox infinity 720-zero nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
The PS4 didn't really give me anything to look forward to.

XboxZero is the most boring console to date.

And all 3 of them are too f***ing expensive.

I never thought it would be possible, but I am so thoroughly uninterested in this console generation. Not even my rabid Nintendo fanboyism can get me through this apathy. ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/MCBA-Spring-Con-2013-372248793 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/MCBA-Spring-Con-2013-372248793 Fri, 17 May 2013 18:54:13 PDT MCBA Spring Con 2013 nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Hope to see you there! I won't be able to use my TV (thanks Apple), and I won't have my banner either, and I have no idea where they're gonna put my booth... If despite all that you're still able to find me, don't be shy and come up to say hello! Always great to meet people! ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Nintendo-STEALS-Money-372021782 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Nintendo-STEALS-Money-372021782 Thu, 16 May 2013 14:13:28 PDT Nintendo STEALS Money! nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
I can see both sides to the story. I can see Ninten ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Fan-and-Creator-Relationships-371503417 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Fan-and-Creator-Relationships-371503417 Mon, 13 May 2013 16:08:14 PDT Fan and Creator Relationships nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Personally I'm a little torn up on the idea. On the one hand all artists need feedback and critique to improve, and if something isn't right with their work it's much easier to notice and fix while it's in a preliminary stage. On the other hand... a creator logistically can't show the behind ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Bronies-go-nuts-and-Nintendo-Sucks-371485902 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Bronies-go-nuts-and-Nintendo-Sucks-371485902 Mon, 13 May 2013 14:32:24 PDT Bronies go nuts, and Nintendo Sucks? nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston The trailer to "Equestria Girls" (the humanized MLP spinoff film) finally was released today. Aaaannnd everyone's freaking out. Again.

You know, it actually looks pretty decent. Bronies... please understand: I know you're a major unexpected demographic for the show. I know you enjoy seeing shout-out's become canon within the show, and appreciate how the creators do little things here and there for you. But... the show isn't made for you. This is not Cartoon Network and the target demographic isn't 25 year olds in college. You're a nice addition to the target demographic of little girls, but you are not the driving force behi ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Commissions-and-MCBA-370191550 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Commissions-and-MCBA-370191550 Mon, 06 May 2013 23:31:00 PDT Commissions and MCBA nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston I'm working through a round of commissions right now. I've got quite a few lined up, plus one really BIG one, so I hope all those who have hired me don't mind if I work at my own pace on these. I've still got a few replies I need to make to people to accept their commissions as well, so if you haven't heard from me yet, keep an eye on the inbox, i'll get to you eventually.

I am still accepting commissions through so if you're interested please read through the updated info here http://tompreston.deviantart.com/art/Commission-Time-369451534

MCBA Spring Con
I'll be attending Minneapolis/St.Paul's Spring Con like I do every year. ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Commission-Time-369451534 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Commission-Time-369451534 Fri, 03 May 2013 12:30:43 PDT Commission Time! nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Submitting A Commission Request
First submit a request via e-mail to adobson66@yahoo.com detailing what you want in a commission (don't use DA notes, please). If necessary, provide images or links for specific characters or things I might need to know. The more information you can provide, the better the commission will come out. If I don't have enough information, I'll try to fill in the blanks myself and this can occasionally result in your commission being less personal.

Also, please be upfront about what you want. Don't send me an e-mail asking if I ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Sexy-VS-Sexist-368486472 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Sexy-VS-Sexist-368486472 Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:58:16 PDT Sexy VS Sexist nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
The latest controversy to break out in the video game world has been over niche gaming studio Vanillaware's recent title "Dragon's Crown," and the absurdly sexualized female character of "The Sorceress" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQKCgal1vdw

Some people are, naturally, offended that such a ludicrous character design with no sense of reality or function even exists, w ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Do-Not-Engage-367258612 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Do-Not-Engage-367258612 Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:58:16 PDT Do Not Engage nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Since I've returned to making SYAC again there's been a bit of a resurgence of trolls. There are a lot of fake accounts floating around out there with my name attached, and many of them are posting alternate SYAC strips and my old fetish work. While they are fairly obvious to spot, just to be safe I am writing to remind everyone that these accounts are not mine.

DeviantArt has made it more complicated to report copyright infringement issues, and I simply don't have the time to sift through the troll's gallery of re-uploads, find the original URL's (if any even exist anymore), and file DMCA on each and every ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/A-Link-to-the-Past-2-366301843 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/A-Link-to-the-Past-2-366301843 Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:39:10 PDT A Link to the Past 2 nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston Nintendo just announced this as part of their Nintendo Direct presentation, along side other titles like a Yoshi's Island sequel.

Nintendo. STOP BEING AWESOME. STOP IT!

Miyamoto said once that he wanted to remake A Link to the Past for the 3DS. Now it looks like this is the genesis of that idea. Of course being Miyamoto just a simple remake isn't good enough, it's got to include all new dungeons and gameplay mechanics while staying true to the tried and true top down gameplay. Any new handheld Zelda game that ditches the bullshit touch control system to move is a great idea in my books, but doing it with on ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/My-Minecraft-Server-Tour-Part-1-365695031 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/My-Minecraft-Server-Tour-Part-1-365695031 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 12:27:07 PDT My Minecraft Server Tour Part 1 nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Self-Promotion-and-SYAC-Feedback-365590395 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Self-Promotion-and-SYAC-Feedback-365590395 Sat, 13 Apr 2013 23:36:47 PDT Self Promotion and SYAC Feedback? nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
A Quick Self Promotional Plug
I don't often self promote mostly because I feel bad about trying to make people interested in my mediocre work. But since I haven't done in a long time maybe I should just remind everyone that I have a facebook page for my SYAC and Brentalfloss comics all in one spot. It's at the following http://www.facebook.com/SoYourACartoonist

I've actually had a stupid comic I wanted to post if the facebook page ever reached 9,000 likes, but sadly for a long time now it's been sitting comfortably at around 8,840 likes. If we manage to bump it up past the 9,000 mark I can finally post an outdate ob ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/DRM-Spammers-SYAC-is-Back-364584712 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/DRM-Spammers-SYAC-is-Back-364584712 Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:23:33 PDT DRM, Spammers, SYAC is Back nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston Microsoft's lead creative director Adam Orth got angry over the backlash always online DRM has gotten lately (thanks in no small part to Sim City and Diablo III), and decided to take his frustrations to twitter. Orth made a plethora of sarcastic remarks, insulting people's place of residence, and mocking anyone not rich enough to always have an internet connection. By doing so, not only did he make himself look like an ass, he may have inadvertently revealed that the upcoming XBOX 720 may include always online DRM. Nice...

Since he's made his twitter account personal, you'll have to visit this http://www.screwattack ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Poking-Fun-363750195 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Poking-Fun-363750195 Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:05:49 PDT Poking Fun nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
People seem to love to jump to conclusions. If there's one thing I want people who visit my page or read my comics to understand, it's this: If I poke fun at something, that does not automatically mean that I HATE it.

I'm restating that now because it came up again recently in the "Nintentroll" comic. People seemed to think that because the comic is making fun of certain pokemon that means I am decrying the whole series or somehow personally insulting those who actually do enjoy the specific examples I used. Let me reassure you, I am not.

I guess I just want people to lighten up and not always be in such a defensive mode all the ti ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Disney-vs-Lucas-Arts-363392508 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Disney-vs-Lucas-Arts-363392508 Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:37:59 PDT Disney vs Lucas Arts nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Since Eisner left, the Disney studio has done a ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Q-and-A-Redux-363313203 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Q-and-A-Redux-363313203 Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:06:07 PDT Q and A: Redux nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
What do you do when you have artist's block?
I tend to play video games, or go watch a movie. The best thing to do when you have artist's block is to get out of the area where the block is occurring. Go to a coffee shop and relax, or (since it's spring) go to a nearby park with a sketch pad and just start doodling. Artist blocks usually ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Q-and-A-363061592 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Q-and-A-363061592 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 02:47:55 PDT Q and A nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Etrian-Odyssey-4-Legends-of-the-Titan-362155417 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Etrian-Odyssey-4-Legends-of-the-Titan-362155417 Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:55:50 PDT Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
In many respects Etrian Odyssey is an old fashioned dungeon crawling adventure. Your party of explorers traverse the usual staple of mazes, fighting off monsters, gaining experience, leveling up, etc. Thankfully there are just enough modern day tweaks to the gameplay to shake things up.

You start by naming a guild of explorers and recruiting new members. These ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Minecraft-Quest-Reward-System-361822500 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Minecraft-Quest-Reward-System-361822500 Wed, 27 Mar 2013 01:09:39 PDT Minecraft Quest Reward System nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston A few weeks ago I came up with a simple quest reward system for my minecraft server that worked remarkably well. I thought I'd share it with everyone around here and posted this scrap deviation.
:thumb360337389:
While it contains all the details of how to set it up, I wasn't entirely happy with it because I wanted to make sure everyone could understand why it does the things it does and how all that code functions.

So I made up this tutorial video that's being hosted over on Skyrie.net's YouTube page. It's 20 minutes long, but it's a comprehensive step by step tutorial of how to set up this reward system. Ple ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/EA-is-wrong-TMNT-still-on-Duck-Tales-HD-REMAKE-361335146 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/EA-is-wrong-TMNT-still-on-Duck-Tales-HD-REMAKE-361335146 Sun, 24 Mar 2013 12:51:15 PDT EA is wrong, TMNT still on, Duck Tales HD REMAKE nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston EA refuses to waver from their stance that the always-online DRM for SimCity that's caused so many problems is absolutely necessary to the functioning of the game. However, a modder by the name of UKAzzer has proved that EA is basically full of shit. UKAzzer discovered that the code which checks for a connection every 20 minutes could be changed to 0, resulting in no checks at all. The game still plays and functions perfectly offline, with only minor hiccups.

You can view his video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Bmce9oIxJag

On a side note, EA's CEO John Riccitiello has resigned. ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Game-Over-Tinies-361041313 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Game-Over-Tinies-361041313 Sat, 23 Mar 2013 02:30:53 PDT Game Over Tinies nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Priest-Minecraft-and-MAGFEST-360341067 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Priest-Minecraft-and-MAGFEST-360341067 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:48:02 PDT Priest, Minecraft, and MAGFEST nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston Wow. 30,000 views in only 3 days. That's pretty outstanding. It's a shame that right now most of the comments are from a single butthurt troll arguing with anyone who writes a positive comment, but that's YouTube for ya. I'm proud of what I was able to accomplish in such a short amount of time, and I frankly can't get that catchy tune out of my head.

You can view the music video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=W26QDpN3au0

Quest Rewards
I wrote a simple Minecraft Quest Reward System the other day and felt like sharing, because it's a lot of fun and easy to set up. I diagrammed the whole thing and uploaded it here:

: ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/PRIEST-LIGHTNIN-359583197 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/PRIEST-LIGHTNIN-359583197 Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:07:54 PDT PRIEST LIGHTNIN! nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Then I woke up Wednesday afternoon to a txt from brent indicating that they had ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Tropes-Vs-Women-in-Video-Games-Part-1-358690408 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Tropes-Vs-Women-in-Video-Games-Part-1-358690408 Sun, 10 Mar 2013 01:49:58 PST Tropes Vs Women in Video Games: Part 1 nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston Anita Sarkeesian's first video in the much ballyhooed Tropes Vs Women in Video Games has finally been released. The verdict? Acceptable. There's really nothing that offensive in the video at all, as it's mostly just a history of the "Damsels in Distress" trope and how it's used in video games. It's fact based and fairly interesting to watch.

The only two criticisms I have are as follows:

1. As someone who's done a LOT of research into the making of Donkey Kong (primarily for the short Flossed In Time storyline that I illustrated for Brent and Dan http://www.brentalflossthecomic.com ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/MCBA-and-Sim-City-358305192 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/MCBA-and-Sim-City-358305192 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:08:27 PST MCBA and Sim City nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston I'm fairly certain I'll be attending the Minneapolis Comic Book Association's (MCBA) Spring Comic Con this year. I usually attend this convention every year and I enjoy it a lot. But it has been a long time since I've attended a convention (almost a year now), so I am nervous about having enough new stuff prepared. I'll fill you guys in on the details as we get closer to the convention date, and if any other conventions pop up I'll let you all know too.

I'd love to attend the MCM convention in England again, but I just don't know if I'll be able to afford the plane tickets in time.

Sim City Disaster
After my last journal a ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Tired-of-the-Video-Game-Industry-357802577 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Tired-of-the-Video-Game-Industry-357802577 Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:20:45 PST Tired of the Video Game Industry nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Polygones = Emotion
I'm sure you've all seen the jokes, but this one stems from David Cage, who gushed over the tech demo of an old man's face for the PS4, remarking about how the only way to get "true" emotion is by bridging the uncanny valley with high resolution models, hi-def textures, and realistic shaders. "True emotion" of course can't be found in books, TV, or cartoons because none of those things can depi ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/SYAC-PS4-and-a-new-Minecraft-videos-357425720 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/SYAC-PS4-and-a-new-Minecraft-videos-357425720 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 01:43:36 PST SYAC, PS4, and a new Minecraft videos nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston The SYAC archive has now been updated over on the website http://syacartoonist.com/ separating the 3 various series. New uploads will go to the frontpage (naturally), but from there they will be sorted automatically into the archive. That way if you want to look at only the newest SYAC comics, you can without having it cluttered up by short stories and NSYAC strips. A simple edit, but I think one well worth it. It basically means I'll be able to work on any of the 3 various incarnations of SYAC at any time I want.

New Comics
Speaking of the SYAC update, I still don't have a release date set for when new content will start pouring into ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/SYAC-356687014 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/SYAC-356687014 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:32:07 PST SYAC nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
We're working right now on categorizing everything in the archives, so you can browse just the stuff you want to look at and not have it be this clusterf**k of everything hodgepodged together. We should have something ready for viewing within the next few days.

What I am going to do differently this time around is not conform to a set release schedule. I'm gonna make the comics as I feel like it and as the jokes come to me. Hopefully, without the pressure ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/PS4-355740448 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/PS4-355740448 Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:43:06 PST PS4 nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
They revealed a number of interesting features about the system which, I must admit, are pretty damn amazing. I love the concept of being able to stream your PS4 games on your VITA from anywhere. That's a system selling concept right there, and it kinda beats Nintendo at the whole "play away from the TV with the Wii U pad" idea. (psst! Nintendo! Make an app for the 3DS that stream ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Apple-Rant-355454286 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Apple-Rant-355454286 Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:09:59 PST Apple Rant nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
But while I love my computer and my Apple products... they've been doing a lot of stuff to piss me off ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Luigi-Slavery-and-Adventure-Time-Progress-Video-355284758 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Luigi-Slavery-and-Adventure-Time-Progress-Video-355284758 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:18:36 PST Luigi, Slavery, and Adventure Time Progress Video nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston Nintendo announced recently that Luigi will be getting quite a bit of due attention this year, declaring 2013 to be "the year of Luigi." First he'll be staring in the Luigi's Mansion sequel for the 3DS, then he will be a big component of the next Mario and Luigi RPG on the 3DS. In the RPG game, Mario will enter Luigi's dreams where Luigi can be as awesome, if not better than, his overshadowing brother. Poking and prodding Luigi's face on the touch screen will also alter the dream world, allowing Mario to proceed through obstacles. And if that wasn't enough, there is a new DLC package planned for New Super Mario Bros U which bas ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Accepting-Commissions-355194684 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Accepting-Commissions-355194684 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:13:55 PST Accepting Commissions nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
If you'd like to commission me, please either send me a note with the details about your commission or e-mail me at adobson66@yahoo.com with the details. I'll be charging the standard $30 base rate for full color illustrations, with +$5 per extra character like I usually do. I won't do black and white drawings or comics.

I will try to reply promptly to let you know if I will accept your commission or not. Please do not send payment until I ask for it. I will ONLY be accepting paypal transactions. If you wish to pay with a check or money order, please do not try to hire me. I ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Keep-Calm-and-Carry-On-354884409 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Keep-Calm-and-Carry-On-354884409 Sun, 17 Feb 2013 12:37:54 PST Keep Calm and Carry On nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Minecraft-Maps-Plug-354539608 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Minecraft-Maps-Plug-354539608 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:16:19 PST Minecraft Maps Plug nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
Night Raiders http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/night-raiders---v10/
One world is lush and filled with trees. One world is desolate and full of stone. They are separated by a series of doors that only open at night. The goal of the map is to sneak into your opponents world and steal the valuable resources you need to level up your armor and win! Up to 12 players.

Traders http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/traders/
Two identical worlds are joined by a sun door. After 15 minutes, the door will open and the worl ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Minecraft-Sky-Block-Battle-Royal-Map-354460247 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Minecraft-Sky-Block-Battle-Royal-Map-354460247 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:26:01 PST Minecraft -Sky Block Battle Royal Map- nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston
In case you don't know what a skyblock challenge is, the basic premise is that you're stuck on a very VERY tiny island high up in the sky. One false move and you're dead! The goal of a skyblock challenge is to build as much as possible and gather as many resources as you can on such a tiny secluded spot. I've decided to take that basic premise and turn it into a 4 player battle royal map!

The setup is pretty simple: 2-4 players enter waiting chambers. The Admin (player 1) flicks a swit ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Equestria-Girls-No-more-donations-and-a-new-Map-354115196 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Equestria-Girls-No-more-donations-and-a-new-Map-354115196 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:15:22 PST Equestria Girls, No more donations, and a new Map nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston So a rumor that was leaked, and then possibly confirmed, is that not only is MLP:FiM getting a movie (a direct to video movie I'd wager), but a spin off series as well. This spin off series will be called Equestria Girls and be about the Mane 6 crew being transported to Earth and transformed into humanized versions of themselves.

And bronies are throwing a tantrum, yet again.

I've kinda given up trying to understand brony mentalities these days. You adore the crap out of humanized MLP fanart, but you don't support the idea of it being somehow "official"? I mean, I get that you enjoy the show because you're a niche and unexp ]]> http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Society6-353905184 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Society6-353905184 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:16:05 PST Society6 nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Its-all-a-Scam-353854441 http://tompreston.deviantart.com/journal/Its-all-a-Scam-353854441 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 01:52:34 PST Its all a Scam nonadult journals/personal TomPreston http://a.deviantart.net/avatars/t/o/tompreston.png?9 Copyright 2013 *TomPreston This is another long one, and I apologize but I need to speak my mind. This journal is in response to the "righteously indignant" users making a fuss about me "selling" fanart of copyrighted characters in my recent Adventure Time post. To the person who signed up today just to write a nasty comment on my new Society6 page. To the person who flagged my recent Adventure Time illustration on DA and then proceeded to send me an e-mail about doing it (probably the same person). To the people creating multiple accounts to try and dissuade users from spending their money how they see fit. And to a long list of people who follow everything I ]]>