http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:alonzobartley&section=today deviantART RSS for by:alonzobartley en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:38:45 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/28939307/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/28939307/ Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:46:26 PST [link]

LeSean is best known for his work on "The Boondocks" and "Superman-Batman: Public Enemies." Though his journal entry was posted some time ago, I've been "chomping on the bit" to properly answer it.

To start, I don't believe a three year or four year program in Animation guarantees a job in the business. If anyone tells you this, they are: A. lying B. talking out of their ass or C. a combination of both A and B with a side of bullshit.

I have had the honour of witnessing solid work from artists like LeSean and Darwin Cooke who have no formal post-secondary education, as well as, from those awarded a college diploma.

Honestly, it doesn't matter. Both paths carry a certain amount of bullshit. The school path has a lot more bs said then done. The hard knocks route, a lot of bs doing then done. With that being said, you have to ask yourself which path is best, or better said, which kind of frustration and bs can I put up with once all is said and done.

The school route:

Well, there's a lot, and I do mean a lot, of opinion (a.k.a. bullshit). If you don't pick the right school, you'll find yourself: A. doing a lot of pointless exercises B. listening to a lot of bs from teachers who think they know their shit but don't C. find yourself not sleeping, eating or taking care of yourself because the teaching is SO BAD that you're spending all your time trying to work things out (School IS, considering the cost, the place where some of the 'work things out' part is cut down NOT added).

The hard knocks route:

On the other hand, school does give one the false sense of being disciplined. You know all that getting up early and staying up late stuff. To add, to your false sense of self, you'll believe that you fit into the world since you'll have "friends" who are: 1. in the same boat and waste your time with pointless talk 2. bitch just as much as you do about the stupid assignments you are assigned and 3. you have some people to talk about the things you are into (This, by the way, isn't necessarily guaranteed). School can, though rare, make you work expand into areas you never would have thought of. Re-consider your style. However, I find that in most cases it doesn't.

Hard knocks can work if you're willing to put in the work. Work that's more than a few hours of doodling or scratching lines in a sketchbook. Work involving long hours of study, constant trips to the library, shelling out cash for worthy art workshops, honestly evaluating and re-evaluating your work, as well as, long hours of working and re-working drawings. Most people can't and won't do this part. It's extremely difficult especially if you have the PS3 calling you from across the room.

As J.G. Jones put it to me at SDCC '08, you have to treat "it" like work:

"I get up at 7 AM and finish work at 6 PM. Sure there's some interruptions during the course of the day but I'm not sitting around playing PlayStation for a few hours. I work. I have lunch at a relatively consistent time. I deal with calls and email at specific times but most of my time is spent working."

So here's the hard part. Art, for many, is a hobby and it's difficult to fathom, for most, that the hobby is actually work. There's also not a lot in the library or even in cyberland about working through artistic problems. The challenge, taking something 3D and conveying it to look 3D on a 2D plane. Easier said, than done.

Aristotle said, "Know thy sell and all the secrets of the universe would be revealed." I believe this answers LeSean's question. Know yourself, know what end you are committing yourself to and the answer will be revealed. It's like in Douglas Adams' "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy." In order to understand the answer to life, the universe and everything, you have to know what the question is.

BTW, there's no direct path to being successful in life. If anyone says do X, Y, Z and you there, they're feeding you a lot of self-proclaimed bullshit. Some get lucky and they certainly don't want to tell you that.

The sad part is, there are many talented people out there who never seem to catch a break. Equally, there is just as many who have little to no talent who succeed in unimaginable ways.

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/27794242/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/27794242/ Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:06:30 PST
Drawing isn't about drawing a line and seeing what happens next. It's about committing a vision to paper or, in some cases, to the blank computer screen. It's also not entirely about replicating what is in front of you like a photograph, if you're doing life drawing or a realistic cityscape or landscape. It is, in a sense, communicating your ideas, thoughts and emotions of what you're looking at OR what's in your head.

Forget silly things like "This is a great pose because it has a great silhouette." A silly utterance from a silly man who things he knows A. how to teach and B. knows how to draw well. Forget for a moment, using a single line and marking proportions... another reactive notion since you can't achieve a sense of volume and space using such a thoughtless idea.

Do, however, take as long as you have to, to look at your subject or, if you're drawing from imagination, jot down what it is you want to communicate. You should be jotting down feelings, thoughts and ideas of what it is you want to communicate.

Once this is done... and if this work is earnest... you are ready to begin.

The next simple step is defining the horizon line is. Depending upon where you set the horizon line, you've done most of the work with committing to setting a tone or mood for your piece. After which, jester in the elements of your figure, design, cityscape, what have you. Once the light jester drawing is completed, you can make adjustments with proportions, spacing, etc. later. The main thing is, you haven't committed yourself to fully rendering any part of the drawing and then finding yourself saying "Damn it! Now I have to make the rest of the drawing fit this cool rendered part."

Now here's something no one ever said was a good idea... or even proposed it as a bright light in the sea of bilge know as "I know how to give art instruction because I have business cards that say so." or worse, business cards that say they are an administrator of an art program. Put your drawing away. Let the idea sink a bit more.

At this point you might think, "Well, Adam Hughes doesn't do that." I'm sure Mr. Hughes has his way of starting his "off the hook" renderings that, though his years of practice, does what I'm proposing in a very short matter of time. See here's the thing, just because you're an accomplished artist, doesn't mean you're any good at teaching others. Teaching is very different from doing. For some reason, most artistic program haven't figured this one out. Also, Adam doesn't think step by step when he starts a drawing. He does all what I'm proposing so fast that he probably has no idea that he's following this. I have seen him draw and I've seen him muse a bit before committing his pencil to paper...or for those commissions he does Strathmore Bristol.

Anyhow, Adam and a few others have had enough practice with this part that they can keep working though but it's a good idea to get away from the euphoria of seeing the drawing through and start something else. This idea is especially good if you're working from your head. It make you forget that your first idea is A. the only idea in your head and B. it's the best idea ever. There will be more good ideas if A. you're not an old sod who needs to pass the torch to someone who's being inventive with their teaching or B. an administrator (I follow rules handed to me so I don't have to think or feel).

So there you have it. Drawing with purpose. In short, give yourself every opportunity to first develop your thoughts, feelings and ideas in your head before looking to communicate to others.

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/27652960/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/27652960/ Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:27:32 PDT
When I see a finished piece, or near finished piece, I think, "Wow, how'd that person come up with that?" When I try a variation of the piece for myself, I get frustrated. Something is not quiet right. Then, I do about 20 drawing or so of the same pose, while making changes, and still get frustrated with the result.

This happens too when I sit down and try to work though my own ideas.

Alas, I finally re-discovered the answer to my frustration. As Warren Louw puts it in his ImagineFX, November 2009 article, "State you intention. Before you pick up a pencil, the most important thing to consider is intention - visualization and knowing what you want to achieve. You have to be specific about what you want."

Before I go further, Warren makes this part sound easy. It isn't... at least, not for me. You can't move forward until this part of the equation is wrestled with. For some, they can do this in their head, in seconds. I, unfortunately, can't. For me, it's more than thinking, "design a cheerleader with a kick ass body." ...and needless to say, there's a lot of crap in my head from various illustration, animation and life drawing teachers that doesn't help move things forward one bit... one day I'll write a journal entry about that, but in the meantime back to the program... it's about working out the stance, the facial expression, the look in the eyes, the character's motivation, the character's personality, the costuming, etc. In other words, committing to something more than just a pretty picture. Environment too, must be considered since the character MUST interact with it. Often, people rush the environment part. It's often an after-thought once a character is created.

Anyhow, I'm excited about my breakthrough. I did a series of drawings of Zo Model Yamit as a superhero/action adventure girl. As I'm writing this, she's providing some worthy feedback for the character. From here, I'll be able to move toward some solid pieces.

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/27126202/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/27126202/ Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:39:39 PDT Holy changing names Batman!

In a mere 10 days, I wake up this morning to read another screaming headline in the Business Section of my morning paper (I'll admit it again. I read it on the Internet) involving the comic book industry.

DC Comics Revamped Under a New President

I expect the uproar by comic book purists to be the same as the recent "Disney to Purchase Marvel" announcement.

Personally, this too will translates to new and exciting work for people in the field. The drive behind the revamp, bringing the rich background of DC Comic characters to life. There's lots of potential too, when done right. The Watchmen (though I still would have preferred the comic's ending) and Dark Knight are perfect examples. Other examples include the Warner Premier animated movies: New Frontier, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern: First Flight.

So buckle up, Buttercup! The ride is about to get interesting.

Now, I'm totally stoked about ComicCon '10!

+++++++++++++

WARNER BROS. CREATES DC ENTERTAINMENT


Diane Nelson to Serve as President, DC Entertainment

Paul Levitz to Segue from President & Publisher of DC Comics To Writer, Contributing Editor and Overall Consultant to DC Entertainment


(Dateline – Burbank, CA) Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI) has created DC Entertainment Inc., a new company founded to fully realize the power and value of the DC Comics brand and characters across all media and platforms, to be run by Diane Nelson, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, and Alan Horn, President & COO, Warner Bros.

DC Entertainment, a separate division of WBEI, will be charged with strategically integrating the DC Comics business, brand and characters deeply into Warner Bros. Entertainment and all its content and distribution businesses. DC Entertainment, which will work with each of the Warner Bros. divisions, will also tap into the tremendous expertise the Studio has in building and sustaining franchises and prioritize DC properties as key titles and growth drivers across all of the Studio, including feature films, television, interactive entertainment, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products. The DC Comics publishing business will remain the cornerstone of DC Entertainment, releasing approximately 90 comic books through its various imprints and 30 graphic novels a month and continuing to build on its creative leadership in the comic book industry.

In her new role, Nelson will report to Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, in order to best capitalize on DC Entertainment’s theatrical development and production activities and their importance to drive its overall business with each of the divisions of Warner Bros.

Nelson will bring her expertise and more than 20 years’ experience in creative brand management, strategic marketing and content development and production to ensuring DC Entertainment’s dual mission of marshalling Warner Bros.’ resources to maximize the potential of the DC brand while remaining respectful of and collaborative with creators, talent, fans and source material. Additionally, Nelson will continue to oversee the franchise management of the Harry Potter property, which she has done since 2000, and also continue to represent the Studio’s interests with the author of the Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling. Nelson will segue from her post as President, Warner Premiere but maintain oversight responsibilities of that division. (An executive succession plan for Warner Premiere will be announced shortly.)

Paul Levitz, who has served as President & Publisher of DC Comics since 2002, will segue from that role to return to his roots as a writer for DC and become a contributing editor and overall consultant to DCE. This transition will take place as expeditiously as possible without disrupting DC’s business operations.

In his new role, Levitz will be called upon for his deep knowledge and more than three-decade history with DC Comics, both as a comic creator and an executive. Besides serving as a writer on a number of DC Comics titles, he will be a contributing editor and consultant to DC Entertainment on projects in various media. Additionally, he will consult as needed on the transition and integration of the DC Comics organization into DC Entertainment and will utilize his unique experience, knowledge and relationships with the comics industry’s creative community to help achieve DC Entertainment’s goal of maximizing the value of DC properties. Further, Levitz will advise DC Entertainment on creative and rights-holder relationships, in particular regarding the legacy relationships that have been a part of DC Comics for decades.

Widely recognized and respected for his support of writers, artists and creators in the comics industry, Levitz is b... ]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/26939842/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/26939842/ Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:44:11 PDT
No matter what, I can't stop coming up with puns and pop-culture references for this.

If you're like me, you woke up early this morning to see in the business section of your morning paper (I actually read it on the Internet) the following, screaming headline:

Disney to acquire Marvel for $4 billion

To be frank, it's a good fit for Disney. It equalizes Disney (ABC, ESPN, Touchstone Pictures, Disney Channel, etc.) with their rival Warner Bros. (Cartoon Network, DC Comics, the CW, WB Animation, etc.)

For all the comic book purist out there, just sit back and enjoy the explosion of second rate Marvel comic book heroes coming out on their own. It's been in the works for the past several years, if you cared to notice. See Ms. Marvel and Spider-woman up there with Wonder Woman and Supergirl. And let's not forget Hawkeye! I'll be first in line at Target for the complete Scarlet Witch bedding collection and my Wonder Man rice cooker.

The funny thing, for me, is the timing of this announcement. I had just sent off a letter a couple days ago to the author of [link] saying how her article needed to be better researched because the comic book industry is not about selling books but creating avenues for licensing their properties, which happen to be characters that run around in their underwear, spandex or skin tight leather, saving the world and preserving the "American" way (which, as former US President George W. Bush said, is "People need to shop.").

This means you'll soon find cool Marvel character toys at your local Wal-mart and Target stores that are just as cool as the DC Universe ones from Mattel. The books aren't going to change. If anything, there'll be more illustration work, not less. (Hmmm... now I'm really looking forward to ComicCon '10!)

If you need to read more about the Brave and the Bold starring Disney and Marvel, try this [link]

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/26425816/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/26425816/ Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:51:30 PDT
John Hughes was the director of "teen night" films: The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Sixteen Candles. These films raised the bar for the genre, a genre often filled with sophmoric antics and glorious "boobs" shots (who can forget Pheobe Cates' pool scene in "Fast Times at Ridgemount High).

To add, Hughes was the a "master of the mixtape." Though, what I'm about to say, may not sound earth-shattering in 2009, Hughes was the first to weave soundtrack of up-and-coming indie bands into his films and soundtrack. Films in the 80s often showcased big name pop acts, for example, "View to a Kill" by Duran, Duran or "Living Daylights" by A-ha (Yes, these are Bond films). But Hughes broke convention and used a little know act from the UK know as Simple Minds for the opening scene of "The Breakfast Club." The song, by the way, is "Don't You Forget About Me."

In an 1986 MTV interview, Hughes said, "a song can't just be written apart and shoved in. It's got to come out of the action, the characters, not the story, it has to augment the action."

At the end of the day, our industry is about making money. Hughes knew this. I remember the euphoric feeling people had from seeing Ferris Bueller's Day Off that the next day they went out of their way to buy The Beatles', "Twist and Shout" or Yello's, "Oh Yeah!"

It's not just about putting bums in the seats, it's also about DVD sales, CD sales (or should I say itunes downloads), t-shirts, toys, etc. These things are all linked together. When you have a great story and the parts work together. You get a movie like "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" or "The Breakfast Club" (still can't believe that that movie was shot in one place and ran for over 2 hours). However, a few directors, like Cameron Crowe, Quentin Tarantion and Wes Anderson use the "John Hughes method" for creating soundtracks.

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/26252570/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/26252570/ Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:49:58 PDT
For me, it's ComicCon '10 or bust!

Stay tuned...

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/25866451/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/25866451/ Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:31:53 PDT
Looking forward to connecting with fellow animators, artists, creators, inventors, deviantants and such. It's a good, exhausing time.

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/24732862/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/24732862/ Wed, 13 May 2009 06:31:04 PDT
]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/24662730/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/24662730/ Sat, 09 May 2009 04:07:15 PDT
Fun starts at 10 AM today at the Toronto Reference Library.

...btw Toronto is 2nd to Hong Kong in its use of their public library. I just found that out.

I'll do my best to post photos.

Lots of friends in town for the event.

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/24378497/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/24378497/ Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:21:54 PDT
And what's this, the 4 day pass for SDCC was sold out by March??? Inconceivable!

Star Trek is out in a few days???

I'm still buzzed about seeing "The Watchmen" in IMAX. It feels like it was a few days ago that I was at the movie theatre on opening night.

Too bad no giant squid from another dimension, though.

Anyhow, as always, there's more thrills, spills and chills.

...stay tuned.

Zo!

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/24080989/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/24080989/ Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:02:03 PDT
I thought this was easy. I mean, how hard is it to get a few photographic references and draw a character. Needless to say, the experience has proven to be arduous at best.

I've gone through various designs with the word "silhouette" ringing through my head. Silhouette is extremely important in designing a good character. The best example of a good silhouette is Darth Vader. Most people may not be able to draw him properly but, gosh darn it, they'd generally reproduce a good silhouette of him. Another great example is Mickey Mouse. Who can forget the mouse ears.

The thing is a good silhouette is only part of a good design....

to be continued.

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/23554011/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/23554011/ Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:09:04 PST
Stay tuned...

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/23077853/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/23077853/ Sun, 08 Feb 2009 08:55:38 PST
Anyhow, the new studio space is up and running. I'm practically living there. Some new models have come by the check out the spot, as well as, some familiar faces.

Despite the doom and gloom from the media about jobs and the economy, surprisingly, things for me haven't been busier. Hope it continues.


Zo

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/22299792/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/22299792/ Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:10:42 PST
We'll always get by with a little help from our friends.

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/21562782/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/21562782/ Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:10:54 PST
Here's my list.

Female:

Autumn Reeser
Ming Na Wen
Grace Park
Laura Bertran
Lisa Loeb
Leslie Bibb
Carly Pope
Eva Mendez
Sarah Brown
Amy Jo Johnson


Male:

David Keith
Phil LaMarr
Micheal Ironside
John Cusack
Orlando Jones


Considering the projects I'm working on (or will be soon working on), I'm sure I'll be getting the chance to work with someone from this list in the very near future.

Stay tuned...

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/21299709/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/21299709/ Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:38:06 PST

"It's been a long trip, folks. Almost 8 years! It feels like a lifetime with Yenny and Villa Los Kubos. I've laughed and cried along with the charactares of the series. They are all part of me.

I'm considering the end of the strip so I can take a sabbatical. I have no official ending date yet. I've been trying to market Yenny in many ways. Like so many things in this world some were succesful and others not. But it was worth every
try.

After the birth of my second child and the illness of my wife, my family needs me more than ever.
Thank you for your loyalty. I'll be pursuing other projects so I'll keep you posted.

Once again thanks, y ke Dios me los Kuide.

Dave"

I, for one, am sorry to see Yenny go. I've seen the character evolve from the skinny skater girl with big feet.

Dave gave it a good kick at the can. He's and his creation Yenny is an inspiration to us all. One can only shed a tear to see such a great idea suddenly pass away.


Zo

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/21057229/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/21057229/ Sun, 19 Oct 2008 03:53:37 PDT
So, as I get back to 'normal' life after an election campaign, I'll be displaying my take of the Maid of Steel.

Take that Tazman!


Zo

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/20957577/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/20957577/ Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:27:34 PDT
Although, this is my first time running, it won't be my last.

If there is one message to took to the people is the need to focus on creating opportunities by ourselves and not look for multi-national corporations or established businesses to do so. Opportunities, for many, that has become limited over the past several years due to companies focusing on the bottom line while doing everything possible to reduce overhead costs. There's truely nothing wrong with this. It's just that we need to recognized that this viscious circle comes at a price.

We all want to see cheaper prices. However, the cost has been the continued automation, and, more recently, the shipping of jobs to other regions of the globe where labour is cheaper. However, that doesn't mean, new things can't be created. Unfortunately, we, in Canada, seem to have erected a few too many barriers to keep many from doing so.

I am resolved though to put a human image in front of all the policy talk, media hype, spin control, and other hyperbole that is often associated with election campaigns. At the end of the day, you have to feel comfortable with approaching your MP when you have a problem, issue or concern you wish to be addressed AND that they will do everything they possibly can to assist you rather than saying "That's a provincial/municipal problem. Go see them." or placate.

I, for one, believe that once you get past all the policy hype, your elected MP has to serve YOU regardless of political affiliation. I am this kind of politician. I know my current MP in Scarborough-Guildwood (who I am proud to run against) is not.

I will continue to work to improve the community and support the positive people I come in contact within Scarborough-Guildwood.

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/20292010/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/20292010/ Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:49:21 PDT [link]

I've imitated this man's voice for years with my patented "There's always one in every crowd."

LaFontaine passed away Monday, September 2nd at the age of 68. Don was THE voice of movie trailers for almost 30 years.

The Minnesota-born LaFontaine reportedly voiced over 5,000 trailers and almost 350,000 commercials. He's responsible for the ubiquitous trailer-opening phrase "In a world..."

From his website:

Over the past 25 years, LaFontaine cemented his position as the "King of Voice-overs." Aside from his continuing work in the trailer industry, he has also been the voice of NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox and UPN, in addition to TNT, TBS and the Cartoon Network. By conservative estimates, he has voiced hundreds of thousands of television and radio spots, including commercials for Chevrolet, Pontiac, Ford, Budweiser, McDonalds, Coke, and many other corporate sponsors. At last count, he has worked on nearly 5000 films, including appearances as the in-show announcer for the Screen Actors Guild and Academy Awards. Based on contracts signed, he has the distinction of being perhaps the single busiest actor in the history of SAG."

We'll miss you Don. Those Ben 10 trailers on Cartoon Network will never sound the same.

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/20178022/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/20178022/ Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:20:15 PDT
With that being said, I have to shout out a big "I'm sorry." to Sarah Blake who's birthday was August 21st (...and today is the 27th).

I've been so caught up in a show pitch to Cartoon Network that I've completely lost track of time. I mean, wasn't SDCC about a week ago. What!?! It was a month ago!!!

Anyhow, I'm posting a old sketch I did of Ms. Blake... sometime I'll go back and do a finished piece.

Sarah is a wonderful, artistic (she sculpts), professional woman who I've had the honour of making her acquaintance.

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/19753064/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/19753064/ Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:31:13 PDT
Though SDCC was a lot of fun, it was a lot of work. I clocked in about 6 hours of sleep over the 3 days I spent there. Unfortunately, I ended up missing Sunday.

Met a lot of great people including Todd Nauck. Check out his site and journal on SDCC '08. He's not kidding about the hours most creatives were putting in at the Con. There's a photo in my gallery of him doing a commish at the Con.

Met lots of people. Made some great contacts. Got some amazing work. Took lots of photos (that I'll eventually share). Had amazing conversations. Got tonnes of free stuff.

Now if I can only get my frak together for SDCC '09.

Stay tuned...

For those of you who attended this year's Con, wasn't the SciFi bag cool. Big fraking bag! Way cool!

The other cool give-aways:

* The Stark Industries USB drive from Marvel
* The DC Universe Bat-signal pen from SONY & DC
* A DVD copy of "Never Back Down" Beat Down Edition from SONY
* The Watchmen carry-ALL bag courtesy of the WB

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/19585431/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/19585431/ Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:36:45 PDT
I've met everyone here including the lovely and talented Autumn Reeser from "The O.C." and more recently "Lost Boys: The Tribe" (I even got a cool Lost Boys t-shirt) who says she'd love to be arm-twisted into an animated project... Needless to say, she said uncle pretty fast.

The coolest conversations I've had here at the con were with Paul Dini (He-man, Batman: The Animated Series, Madame Marage) and his lovely wife and Marv Wolfman (co-creator of the New Teen Titans). These guys... and gal are like firing on all cylinders. I'm used to being around a lot of creative, high energy, lots of idea types and these guys blew me completely out of the water.

Paul, as much as he understands Batman... and if you're not reading Detective Comics, start doing it NOW! - also understands the industry. We spoke at length about many concepts, ideas, musings etc. and about why most never make it to print, celluloid, etc. Let's just say, there's some cool shit out-there that most never see.

I also had a great confab with J. G. Jones (Final Crisis) and Franco (Tiny Titans) and a brief run-in with Adam Hughes (All Star Wonder Woman, Catwoman).

Strange thing is, everyone I keep meeting here says they've met me before, including Ms. Reeser. I haven't met any of these people before in my life. The only exceptiion is a few emails between Marv Wolfman and myself a few years back. For example, Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko - Deep Space Nine) bumps into me at the Warner Bros. booth and we start talking to each other like we're buddies from high-school.

Mr. Dini says I have some doopleganger from another universe running around LA, 'high-fiving' all the 'right' people. Yea, Paul and he sports a goatee.

My concept work was well received at Warner Bros and I had some interesting ooo-ahs at DC Comics. I'm also trying in the midst of securing some work doing toy and statue designs.

Funy, no sighting of Kevin (Clerks, Chasing Amy) Smith... at least, not yet.

Stay tuned...


*** Cool Info ***

Mattel is releasing through their Barbie Collection, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Black Canary and Supergirl. Figures available in mid-August at Toys R Us and Walmart.

Mattel is releasing more Justice League Unlimited exclusively at Target sometime next month, as well as, more DC Universe figures. Look for an interesting 3-pack with The Question, Captain Atom and Galatea.

Mattel will have a collector website for it's Justice League, DC Universe and Masters of the Universe figures. Go to [link]

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/19296810/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/19296810/ Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:24:36 PDT
Sad thing is, some friends of mine have found themselves in the same work swamp-camp that I'm in and are cancelling their appearances. In addition, the shear cost of attending. I booked and paid for my hotel for SDCC in January and that didn't necessarily get me the closest hotel or the best price.

Eh, it's still the world's largest comic con... and it's a great party (for those that do). Anyhow, I'm working with a few others (some you'll find here in my DA space) that will be attending SDCC '09 (can you believe we're booking things already).

Stay tuned...

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/18125088/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/18125088/ Thu, 01 May 2008 21:37:01 PDT
Robert Downey Jr. wasn't acting in this film. His entire life made him Tony Stark. And to add to the fun of this film, I love the special appearance by "The Man," Samuel L. Jackson.

I'm also a big Leslie Bibb fan. Though her role is small, it's still a pleasure to see her. Any exuse to see her is worth the price of admission.

The movie doesn't get technical. There's no need for it to be. Being technical would have taken away from the overall story. However, it was a treat to see some engineering ideas and concepts displayed throughout the movie.

Trailers for this film are:
* Indian Jones and the Legend of the Crystal Skull
* Batman: Dark Knight
* The Incredible Hulk

Don't forget Free Comic Book day is Saturday, May 3rd.

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/15160082/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/15160082/ Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:14:59 PST
Shows to watch:

* Heroes
* Prison Break
* Battlestar Galatica (I didn't know there was a mini-series involving what happened to the Pegasus. That's so cool!)
* Friday Night Lights
* Smallville (I'm pretty well lost since Season 4)


Peace,
Zo!

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/13642236/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/13642236/ Sat, 07 Jul 2007 03:30:30 PDT
I laughed, I cried, I cheered... and I went home entertained. I haven't seen a comic geek film be this entertaining in a long, long time.

And what's the heck was that opening trailer about? Anyone have any idea of the movie? Someone says it's Godzilla. Nah, it can't be... or could it?


Zo!

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/13330162/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/13330162/ Tue, 26 Jun 2007 10:33:59 PDT
The TV Gods are becoming Movie Studio Gods...

Unlike Astrodevil, I thought the "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" movie OK. However, I question the decision of having Jessica Alba as Susan Storm/Invisible Woman and Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. Mind you, it was probably not the fault of these two actors that there roles suck. However, being in a US summer blockbuster film is a big payday for any leading actor... and we all have to eat.

With Transformers around the corner and Iron Man in development, the demise of Veronica Mars and the debut of Bionic Woman V 2.0, I recently came across a press release announcing Thundercats will be bought to the big screen. Thundercats?!? You've got to be kidding. The cartoon wasn't that great. It was annoying like Voltron. It was excruciatingly predictable. Bad guys come up with a scheme to get rid of the good guys. Good guys catch on to the scheme and then foil scheme. Great story until you keep seeing the same thing over and over and over again. Now they want to take this and make a movie out of it?

Thus far, the comic book movies haven't been that good. The Batman Animated and Justice League television series did a great job of bringing the printed page to the moving screen. However when it comes the the big screen, you keep wondering, "Can someone in Hollywood get it." Brad Bird's "The Incredibles" was right on the mark. It took all the good stuff out of the tired genre and made something truly entertaining. With all it's implausible features, it still delivered a plausible premise but it's an animated film.

Returning to "Rise of the Silver Surfer," I never got the sense how the FF became celebrities. The wedding of Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman seemed shoe-horned. On top of which, the coolest scene of the film was given away in trailers. The final battle scene, disappointing like in X3.

The same people who were picked on in high-school, 30 years ago are now in command. Unfortunately, we're not seeing the innovation that has given us things like the Ipod or Internet Explorer jump out in the geek mediums of choice: movies, television shows, comic books, computer games, etc. All that seems to be tossed around are the innovative ideas of 30 years in the past brought back to life like Frankenstein's monster.

Since I'm on the topic of fossils, I saw "Freaks and Geeks" the other day. This show was "critically" acclaimed in its day and yanked off the air with cries and bemoaning equaling Veronica Mars. Guess why? The show is truly awful. The dialogue is bad and there's nothing in any of the characters that makes a person want to stick around to see more. Hmmm... seems like Season 3 of Veronica Mars, though I secretly love, Parker.

Though Joe Flaherty is hilarious as a parental presence, his visage doesn't make up for a truly bad product. If you do come across an episode of "Freaks and Geeks" take a good look at the actors who have supporting roles. I'm sure you'll recognize them especially if you've been to the movie theaters lately.



Zo!

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/13225243/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/13225243/ Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:45:53 PDT
Another smartly written TV show is about to bite the dust. In this case, the creators said, "BG was ment to have a beginning, middle and end. Stringing along the audience for more seasons would be insulting their intelligence."

Nicely put. It's always best to leave the audience wanting more. Mind you I'm going to miss such lines as:

"Let's get the frack out of here before these guys get their frack together."

"What the frack is this!"

"Holy frack!"

Reminds me of the word "smeg" from Red Dwarf.

The creators have also said that Season 4 is going to be a wild ride for fans. Really?!?! I thought the whole remake of that fromage sci-fi series from the late 70s has been a ride. The spaceships are dull. There's emphasis on characters and their interactions rather than on special effects. Each twist in the story has you always wondering, "What's going to happen next." How can season 4 be a wilder ride than what the BG cast and crew has given us already?

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/13225235/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/13225235/ Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:45:01 PDT
Another smartly written TV show is about to bite the dust. In this case, the creators said, "BG was ment to have a beginning, middle and end. Stringing along the audience for more seasons would be insulting their intelligence."

Nicely put. It's always best to leave the audience wanting more. Mind you I'm going to miss such lines as:

"Let's get the frack out of here before these guys get their frack together."

"What the frack is this!"

"Holy frack!"

Reminds me of the word "smeg" from Red Dwarf.

The creators have also said that Season 4 is going to be a wild ride for fans. Really?!?! I thought the whole remake of that fromage sci-fi series from the late 70s has been a ride. The spaceships are dull. There's emphasis on characters and their interactions rather than on special effects. Each twist in the story has you always wondering, "What's going to happen next." How can season 4 be a wilder ride than what the BG cast and crew has given us already?

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/13128114/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/13128114/ Mon, 28 May 2007 16:47:56 PDT
Mind you, can someone explain why the executives of the NEW CW thought that the Gilmore Girls crowd would stick around to watch Veronica? Veronica would have done much better following the Smallville crowd.

However, the writers of Seasons 1 & 2, saw the writing on the wall and jumped ship with time to spare. Veronica quickly tailed spinned into Felicity (eeeewwww!).

And am I the only one who believes that Wallace and Veronica should have hooked up in Season 2? But no, the network execs don't want to offend the American Midwest. We will NOT have a black (whoops) African-american man date/sleep with/kiss/hug/embrace a hawt lily white (whoops) Caucasian female. Heaven forbid... RIIIIGGGHHHHTTT.

Also on the chopping block, Seventh Heaven (Really!?! I thought that one should have hit the trails when it aired its first episode or at least when the show got rid of Jessica Biel) and Gilmore Girls (Why this show lasted so long is beyond me).

So what can we expect in the fall? The Bionic Woman V 2.0 (If this girl runs at 300 mph, I'm definitely not watching the show.) Really, The Bionic Woman will be on NBC this fall. No joke.

Also from the guys who say "It doesn't mean a thing unless it goes cha-ching" Heroes, Origins. This show borrows from the "success" of the reality show genre, by having the audience vote on the superhero character they'd like to see appear on Heroes. Does this sound strangely familiar to some Sci-Fi channel show?

Is it just me or am I the only person looking for The Simpsons to redeem itself with The Simpsons Movie?

It's anything but UP for the second installment of the Fantastic Four (Mind you, Jessica Alba's eyebrows look funny... and not in a good way). The promos of the Silver Surfer are off the hook, though The Thing still looks laughable. Details, smeeltails...


Zo!

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/12974584/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/12974584/ Wed, 16 May 2007 07:24:54 PDT
Lately there seems to be more things to get a person down than to be uplifting. Seems that there is no shortage of negative criticism or having the shortsightedness of others imposed on one's self.

The only advice I can give someone is to have strong resolutions and face the onslaught of "a sea of troubles" for fortune always favours the bold.

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/12815038/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/12815038/ Wed, 02 May 2007 11:49:16 PDT
May 5th - Cinco de Mayo!

For all your freeloaders out there, it's that time of year again, Free Comic Book Day [link] Though I thought this experiment was great the first time, I certainly don't see the value of it anymore. The original idea was to use this event to attract readers to comic books. However, I believe it's more the state and production of North American comics that keeps many new readers away.

What do I mean by this? Simple, complex storylines reminding me of the days when comic books used to have a small box and the corner of a in panels saying "*Flash issue #14 - Stan" or "* from X-men #121" and your reading issue 202 Flash and 221 X-men.

Though I NOT a fan of Scott McLeod's books, "Understanding Comics," "Reinventing Comics," and "Making Comics," (His books are far too slanted to the comic book geek and he is all too proud of his own his own creation, Zot... His books make my brain hurt... and that's a bad thing... It's like me trying to use simpler language when I the word egregious will do... I just can't do it Captain!). Nonetheless, he has two points I agree with.

Point 1: Minority representation. Why does most black (and if your American... African-American) characters always come from the 'hood and and speak street or slang?

**** ASIDE ****

I actually wrote Marv Wolfman about this problem. Mav created the New Teen Titan Cyborg who:

* speaks in slang
* is confortable living in the 'hood
* is extremely athletic but not know too much for his grey matter.

when he's the offspring of two world renowned scientists.

Victor's true origin is that he would have grown up in an upper middle class family, lived in the suburbs and would never speak in slang. More so, he would be extremely intelligent just by the sake that he was exposed to science and engineering at an early age.

Marv actually wrote me back to say, he was sorry he created the character this way. He was wrong.

No shit Sherlock!

**** CONTINUING ***********************

Anyone Oriental is always in possession of a martial arts skill.... pleaaassssse. Hispanics, practically non-existent save a handful of characters and, for complete non-existence, anyone with a Southeast Asian background.

How can you ask a diverse culture to identify with many of the characters offered to the North American audience. Besides which, I can only identify two French Canadians. Oh let's not get started on how Native American/Canadians are portrayed.

Point 2: Comic continuity actually distracts readers. Why would someone want to come into the middle of a story and be confused with what's going on?

Manga and the Graphic Novel format are better at attracting new readers in the middle of a storyline. I recently read "Y the Last Man" this way and found myself wanting to go to the beginning to get a better handle on the story. The longer format at least gives the reader a chance get a sense of the characters and the story. You just can't do that in 23 pages of panels. Even the old man (Neil Adams) commented that the 23 page book is just a poor way of expanding this visual medium.

So back to Cinco de Mayo...

I'm sure comic book stores above and below the 49th parallel are going to be zoos with all the free loaders and curious onlookers. Not to mention, the media who seem to love a story like this when news is slow for their weekend newscasts. It doesn't change the fact that this day should be scrapped. Most retailers I've spoken to, hate it. It doesn't do anything for their sales.

But it is Cinco de Mayo so grab a Corona and kick back... that's what I'll be doing while reading my freebies...


Zo!

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/12418604/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/12418604/ Sun, 01 Apr 2007 15:31:14 PDT also, a comic by Adam Warren.

Empowered is classic Yenny (Ozzy) as a superhero... with little being held back. Highly recommend! Pick up a copy of Empowered #1 published by the kind people at Dark Horse Comics. Empowered #2 (according to Adam's Deviant Art site) will be available in September.

***** WARNING *******
Spoiler Alert... sort of
***** WARNING *******

Adam doesn't clue us in on Emp's civilian name... Is she an Ashley? And did that cheesecake incident really happen between Emp and Sista Spooky?

Am I the only person who though Civil War #7 was a let down? The fight of all fights and Cap just tells everyone to stand down. Come on now! The book is as bad as Star Wars Episode 3.


Zo!

]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/10887390/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/10887390/ Wed, 29 Nov 2006 06:44:54 PST
]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/10349614/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/10349614/ Tue, 10 Oct 2006 16:12:41 PDT
]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/8496211/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/8496211/ Mon, 17 Apr 2006 05:06:28 PDT ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/8035470/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/8035470/ Wed, 01 Mar 2006 08:18:41 PST
The process continues...

A ]]> ~alonzobartley http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/7951833/ http://alonzobartley.deviantart.com/journal/7951833/ Mon, 20 Feb 2006 10:58:57 PST
There often comes a time when you try to deal with things in a reasonable manner and, more often than not, it's unreasonable things you're dealing with. Then, unseen, it comes to a boiling point and you finally say to yourself, "Enough of this already!"

Things have come to a head.

Change is here. Like it or not.


A ]]> ~alonzobartley