Just Another Quick Update

Gears are turning this February on a few projects so I just thought I'd put you in the picture, as it were.

• Obscure Comic of the Month is returning. You should see the column in the next couple of days. Maybe even today!
• The short story is still coming, haven't had an update on the commercial side of things yet, but you'll know the detail as soon as I do.
• I'm hoping to get the ebook/print version of my remastered Tales of the Modern Realms out some time over the next couple of months. All the formatting is pretty much done, so It's just a matter of getting it submitted for retail.
• Plans are moving ahead on that webcomic idea, hoping to have something up by late Feb to mid March. I want to have a full prologue ready to go before weekly updates. In the meantime, here's some WIPs on the characters.

And that's all for now, have a good February. Toodle bye!

And a Lemonade for the Boy

Just a quick update on what's going to be happening over the coming months.

• I'm getting a story published by LessThan Three Press. It's been in the works for a while and I'll be going into more detail soon. It's my first paying gig, so I appreciate all the support from those interested.
• Obscure Comic of the Month is going to be taking a break for December and January to make room for Fallout 4 the coming year's affairs. This blog won't be devoid of content however, as...
• You'll be seeing a new Lisa Cummings shot story. I've been meaning to follow up The Case of the Exploding Meat, and It's been great to work with the character again. Lisa Cummings and the Five Minute Murder should be landing shortly before Christmas.
• I've been thinking about starting a webcomic. It's still in the prototype stages at the moment, but I think a weekly, three panel strip should be an achievable target. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things art wise, and should have some conclusive goals by January.
• It's likely I'll be doing a Stand Up Comedy for charity some time in April. I'll post details closer to the time.
• I'm back on Twitter, I won't be posting there much, but feel like It would be useful to engage with other creatives. Follow if you're interested.

And that's all for now, hopefully all this stuff will pan out and we'll see a productive year ahead. Thanks for bearing with me.

Hero Forge Product Review

Just over a year ago, a Kickstarter for 3D printed custom miniatures was successfully funded. I was one of the backers, mainly motivated to see the dream become a reality, since me and my fellows don't get much miniature gaming done these days, though the possibility of owning miniatures tricked out to look specifically like characters I had created was a chance I couldn't pass up. A few days ago, said tricked out miniatures arrived, so it's time to air my thoughts on the final outcome.

Before we do though, I want to talk a little about Hero Forge's character creator and the customisations on offer. First of all, it is easy to use. If you have a character in mind then there's a few pre-made templates that you can use as a starting point. Armour and weapons from all ranges can be mixed and matched accordingly, and the range of stances, as well as both the facial and anatomical sliders means you're hard pressed not to come out with something unique. There are however, a few improvements I'd like to see, namely a wider range of poses and the ability to tweak the positioning of shoulder pads and pouches and the like.

One other issue I have with the character creator is the options available. Now don't get me wrong, there's a wide range so you're never stuck for archetypal designs, but if you have a specific design in mind you might be surprised at what's not an option. The character designer does not include options for any of the list below.

Berets

Waistcoats

Medium length hair

Short, messy hair

An M-16 Assault rifle

Wings

Tails

Backpacks

A back mounted quiver

A classic shaped medium shield

A texture-less shield (so no decals 4 u!)

Skeletons/skulls

Kevlar vest over shirt/jumper

Fedoras

Any Native American stuff (despite there being a western range)

And there's probably a few more I haven't thought of, the list isn't exhaustive. Now I'm pretty sure we'll probably see some of these added in the future, but conspicuous in their absence and it's probably a bummer if you have a specific character in mind that you want a beret on, for example. All things considered, it's pretty adaptable, but like I said, also exhaustive.

Anyway, time to move onto the product itself. I designed two characters, based on two that have been rolling around for a long time, Jocasta, and Katie. I've designed both of them with Fantasy and Contemporary looks in the past, but due to the aforementioned limitations, had to compromise with going with Jocasta's fantasy design and Katie's contemporary one. Still, they came out pretty close to how I imagined them to, and soon enough the crate landed in the mail.

I was a little nervous that the miniatures would be damaged, they were after all made of resin and coming from overseas. I was convinced Katie's rifle would have snapped off when they arrived, but I needn’t have worried. The package was carefully packed, and they arrived safe and sound.

The miniatures are of a more accurate anatomical scale than the common 'Heroic Scale' a lot of companies go by. To be honest, I'm more of a fan of Heroic scale because it helps the miniatures stand out more on the table, but I know a lot of people, especially those more into the painting side of things, prefer a more detailed look, so that's what you get here. Think more Forge World than Games Workshop classic.

The models come complete, so there's no gluing required, though that might present it's own problems depending on how you've designed your characters. There doesn't seem to be any flash at all to deal with, so you can probably jump right into painting, though some surfaces that should be smooth do appear a little bumpy, so some preparation might be required before you start. Also, parts of the model can feel a little 'sweaty' when it arrives as a side affect of the 3D printing process.

They are extremely detailed, and will come as designed. They are also extremely delicate, I honestly don't expect I'll be using them for gaming since I'd worry about how to transport them. Your average foam packed case doesn't strike me as safe enough, so I wouldn't take any chances. The service does offer a more sturdier form of resin, but is more difficult to paint, so it depends on where your priorities lie.

So as for the models themselves, I am extremely satisfied, though woefully protective of them. I'll probably paint them up and get a little display case sorted out. If Hero Forge does add more options it's likely they might be joined by even more characters.

Katie and Jocasta MK1 vs Katie and Jocasta MK2. You have no idea how hard it is to find a girl with a mohawk and a rife. And in miniautre form too.

The ultimate question you have to ask yourself before purchasing is if Hero Forge is right for you. The miniatures themselves are more expensive than any of their competitors, so if you're trying to run a campaign on a budget it's a definite no no. Likewise, the options themselves are not infinite, so it might turn out that you have a better chance of finding something close to your character at Reaper. Also consider how delicate the models are. If you are the type of gamer who travels around a lot, you might be better off going with something more durable.

On a final note, I'd say that it's best to go with Hero Forge if, like me, you want something special for yourself. It's a real thrill to see a character you've designed be brought to life, rather than have to compromise on a miniature that just sort of looks like what you want them to look like. Ultimately the price ain't cheap, so you've got to really want to see your character immortalised in resin before you purchase.

Final Judgement: A highly detailed but expensive product. Recommended for vanity projects, miniature enthusiasts and gamers with a lot of clout to throw around. Wouldn't recommend for those on a budget and gamers who play fast and often.

Of New York Comic Con 2014

 

 

This year marked the third time I have visited the great New York comic convention. As always it was well organised, easy to get around, and had a great roster of events (coincidently I spoke to several people who have done San Diego in the past, and stated they much prefer the New York con).

I had a great time, met some people I admire and grabbed a lot of swag (my wallet hurts). However, this time I have decided to write a summary of some of the news and announcements that broke at the con. It bulks out my blog and is good practice if I want to write more about this kind of stuff in the future.

So, in the name of amateur journalism, here is the scoop.

• 2000ad Panel and Booth: Not much big news broke this year but it has been made clear that there is a lot of IDW stuff scheduled for future release. I also had a few words with the 2000ad staffers about the possibility of releasing the complete Friday era Rogue Trooper strips, since the first book, The War Machine, has just come out. They say there's no plans at the moment, but it's a possibility, and then I begged them. I have no shame. Also, I won a Judge Dredd badge from a Dredd off at the panel. I am the law.
• Image Booth: For some reason the next volume of Mind the Gap isn't out until next year. Couldn't find out why though. Also, despite Nowhere Men volume 1 being a volume 1, there are no future releases of that title planned. Odd. At least we have Rat Queens next month though.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Ron Pearlman: Big Ron was there plugging his autobiography, Easy Street, which is a very personal work, and it was clear he put a lot of his heart into it. He talked at length about emotional struggles in his youth, working with Del Toro, The Name of the Rose, and Fallout. Looks like an interesting read, Ron asked that you pick it up retail full price so he gets more moolah out of it.
• Dark Horse Comics: Dark Horse are planning an Aliens – Prometheus – Predator – AVP cross through series and by golly does it look fucking amazing. The creative team is pretty tight and want to emphasise a greater focus on horror than action. It certainly harkens back to Dark Horse's golden age of Alien comics. A particular highlight is the Predator series, following an Ahab like Predator in search of his white whale.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Star Wars Rebels - Episode 1 Screening: I've never really had a liking for the Star Wars animated series. Generally speaking the art style just rubs me up the wrong way and Rebels is no difference. That being said, it's a real thrill to see classic Stormtroopers and Tie Fighters in action again, and the villain, The Inquisitor, is spectacular. I'm not really warming to the main character though. The whole 'brash Jedi apprentice who needs to get over himself' is a story we've seen done to death over the years, and the rest of the main cast are far more interesting. We'll see how if pans out.
• Constantine Pilot Screening: I was prepared to be disappointed but I can tell you now that I can't wait for this series in full. Matt Ryan absolutely nails is as John, and he really feels like the character has been lifted out of the comics. The show manages to incorporate the punky chaotic vibes of Hellblazer and it certainly gets off to a good start. It's far from perfect of course, and I was a tad annoyed that they've decided to make Chaz American in this adaptation, but overall the jobs a good un'. In the after show panel Goyer revealed that they'd be adapting several of the classic story arcs (Dangerous Habits, yessssss) as well as incorporating some of the supernatural stuff from the DCU proper, which should make for an interesting hybrid. I find Goyer can come across as a bit of a prick sometimes, but he certainly seems to understand what he needs to do here, so colour me optimistic.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Killing Floor 2 First Look – I never really played much of the original Killing Floor, it was an enjoyable but frustratingly amateurish romp through a bunch of maps. KF2 polishes the game up in places, and the Unreal engine has never looked so good. The new close combat system is really charming, little things like drawing your sword counting as an attack against enemies really help it stand out from the crowd. Beyond that, the team are adding more maps and more perks, so it looks as though there's not going to be too much change to the formula. Expect a business as usual wave shooter with some new toys to play through it with. Sometimes, that's all you need to do.

And that's about that. I may revisit some more areas in detail further down the line (particularly Constantine), but for now that's all the scoop I gathered in between buying t-shirts and prints. So, see you next year I guess?

Get Mad: Why Its okay to be Angry

We've all been there. Something pisses us off, we complain about it and then someone else says we shouldn't complain and instead should give thanks for being so fortunate. Don't like the food? Be happy you've got food, some parts of the world they'd kill for what you've got. Dad messing up your plans by insisting you give him a lift into town? He's been chauffeuring you around all your life, show some fucking gratitude.

It gets brought up a lot. First world problems some people call it, to suggest that you shouldn't complain about trivial little things when there are people fighting for survival. They wouldn't even be able to conceive why you'd think something like that was an issue. You've got a roof over your head, money in the bank, and food in the cupboard, why the hell are you getting so worked up about the possibility that the new Star Wars films are going to disregard the expanded universe painted by its spin offs?

My name is Jack Harvey, I'm angry that the new Star Wars films are going to disregard its expanded universe. I get angry about a lot of trivial little things, and I'm going to tell you why thats okay.

A little background for this first example, but I'll get through this as quick as I can. George Lucas originally planned the Star Wars series to be nine films. The initial trilogy, the prequels and a follow up. After the original trilogy his creative process kind of got bogged down by turning the whole thing into a media empire, hence it wasn't till many decades later that we got to see the prequels. After years of tinkering, critical displacement and fan backlash Lucas was pretty much done with the Hollywood machine, handing the whole thing over to Disney and moving on to smaller projects/and or retiring, and who could blame him?

Star Wars was always bigger than the films though, and during all this many great, and not so great, writers fleshed out Lucas' world in ways the films couldn't even attempt to cover. As a result, the further adventures of Luke and co has been told in depth by the books, comics and games. There are plenty of sources online where you can find a detailed break down of events, but I'll run through how the story unfolds real quick. Sorry for the info dump and do bear in mind light spoilers are in effect.

After the fall of the empire Luke Skywalker essentially sets about bringing back the Jedi order, while Leia, Han, Chewie and a cavalcade of side characters go about bringing the rest of the galaxy together. This does not run smoothly, at all. Luke ends up flirting whith the dark side thanks to the Emperor having a bunch of back up clone bodies. After that they have to deal with the remnants of the empire still causing trouble, namely this blue skinned badass called Admiral Thrawn. Along the way Luke meets this choice babe (literally the best way of describing the character) called Mara Jade who he falls in love with.

So numerous adventures and escapades continue over the years. Leia and Han have kids, Luke and Mara have kids, the republic is on the up and up, the Jedi comes back. Everyone lives happily ever after right?

No. This is when the shit hits the fan and everything goes batshit crazy.

The whole universe essentially gets invaded by a bunch of sado-masochistic fascist aliens. Oh, and they're not affected by the force either so forget about all that. They basically turn up like the Romans in Gaul, forcing the republic and the empire and finally put aside their differences and set up a galactic alliance. Characters die, planets explode, kids turn over to the dark side and you can never go back.

Then a century later we follow the adventures of Luke's junkie descendant being used as a pawn in a Game of Thrones style civil war.

Thats pretty much the gist of it, and theres other great stuff like Jedi space truckers, rogue imperial guards and Boba Fett being Boba Fett.

So naturally, when they announce the new films I think “Oh man, I hope they don't plan on contradicting all the comics and games and books with the new films!”. Yet, lo and behold, Abrams and co come along and say they're not to concerned about trying to stick to the boundaries of the spin offs. When I hear this, I get mad. Real mad. Boycott Mad.

Now fair play to the new films, there is a logic in this. If you have the time I suggest you take a look at Bob “Moviebob” Chipman's justification. He's a pretty clever guy, if you're not following him, you should be. The video is about five minutes long, its okay, I'll wait.

TheBig Picture – Contunuity Wars

Done? Good. Now Bob sums it up pretty well there. Trying to accommodate the expanded universe would be logistical suicide, and it would also stifle the new team's freedom, maybe even preventing them from creating something truly great. It makes no sense in getting mad over it right?

Wrong.

I got mad, I'm still mad to a degree. I understand why they're doing it but I still won't be happy. Why? Because I'm human. Because It's my basic human right to want something. Because I don't want to go and see a Star Wars film which goes; “Remember Mara Jade? Tough, she doesn't exist any more, now watch Luke fall in love with some other woman. Remember how Boba Fett came back from the dead? Tough, he's dead again. Remember the Vong invasion?” etc etc.

It's selfish sure, but hey, why can't we be a little selfish now and again? This Star Wars film isn't for me, it isn't for die hards who have obsessed over the spin offs for years on end. The new Star Wars is for new viewers and fans who never went much further than the films. When it's put that way, why wouldn't it be justified to be just a little bit pissed off?

See this is just one example, there are many other little things that piss me off in the worlds of film, TV, games and comics. I get mad when games drop certain characters to cameo levels in sequels. I get mad when a film of a comic changes something for one reason or another. I get mad when a certain part of the fanbase gets favored over me. I get mad when comics reboot back to the start and throw out the things I liked. I get mad and that's okay.

Why was Kelly Chambers relegated to such a tiny role in Mass Effect 3? I get why Pepper and Tony get together in the films, it makes sense in the context of the story, but damn it I always loved Pepper and Happy as a couple. I'm an old skool (sic) Doctor Who fan and I never liked Rose Tyler, so it makes me fucking rage whenever she's treated as THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPANION. Also I don't like it when the Doctor kisses people. Never ever ever talk to me about the Power Girl comics coming to an end and then being restarted without bringing back Terra. I cry myself to sleep about that sometimes.

Every one of those examples has a good reason why it was done, but that still doesn't make things easier. I'm still angry. I'm still angry about a lot of those things. I'm sure you can think of a lot of examples for yourself, and upon bringing it up with a friend get told; “Well they had to do it that way,” or “It makes sense that they did that though,” or “They're a business, they exist to make money,”. You can concede defeat, shrug your shoulders and accept that argument and try to repress the rage.

I'm here today to tell you that you don't have to.

No matter how trivial, no matter how pointless, no matter what arguments there are to the contrary, It is your human right to feel this way. If someone tries to talk you down, argue your point. Get online and let the world know what you think. Stand on the rooftops and shout it to the heavens. You are angry about something, you have a right to let that be known. You deserve to feel that way.

Now, before you say that this attitude is going to cause a toxic atmosphere lets put it into a bit of perspective. Just because you have the right to get mad, doesn't mean you have the right to take it out on others, nor should it give you a sense of entitlement that everything should be your way all the time. Its your opinion, there is no right or wrong answer. Remember the first law of the internet:

I don't like Rose Tyler, but in no way does this reflect my opinion of Billie Piper, who I'm sure is a wonderful person and has done some great stuff over the years. Put me up against a Rose Tyler fan and I'll explain why I feel this way but I won't think that I'm a better person than they are, or think that it gives me an excuse to call them a moron or an idiot.

Remember, you have a right to get mad. You don't have the right to be a dick about it.

Getting angry should provoke debate, it should seek to create discussion. Getting mad should ultimately lead to refining the art form into something enjoyed by everybody. It's an important part of the evolutionarily process of popular culture. Raging can lead to pointing out flaws that others may not have previously noticed. Anger shouldn't stifle creativity, it should encourage it.

And sometimes it can change things. Another example; 2012 saw the release of Mass Effect 3, the final installment of a computer/video game series which garnered a dedicated fan base due to its detailed focus on the relationships between the main character and the game's cast, through romance, friendships and rivalries. The series is pretty damn solid, the storyline is hardly the most original but the characters and setting really drew you in. It created a hell of a lot of emotional investment with its players, who would later go on to be some of the most dedicated fans you'd ever see.

And the ending did not go down well. At. All.

ME3's ending has a lot of problems and different people tend to have different opinions on why. Minor spoilers in effect, many felt that it was too grim in comparison with the optimism shown in the rest of the series. Some felt it was too brief for a game that, up until this point, spent so much time making you face the consequences of your actions. Some just wanted blue alien space babies.

For my money, the endings real fault is that it doesn't match the tone and themes that were the focus of the games. It's as if you went to watch Star Trek with the last five minutes of Blade Runner. Up until that point you were watching a campy sci-fi actioner and all of a sudden you're being asked to meditate on what it really means to be human, what it really means to have a soul. It comes out of nowhere, It really does feel like somebody got the script mixed up with something else.

So many, myself included, got mad. We discussed why we got mad and word spread so fast and so loud that the writers had to go back and release a DLC to 'fix' the ending. I'm still not sure if caving was the right thing to do, or if the writers should have stuck to their guns. Plus the DLC didn't really change that much, just elevated it from 'bad' to 'acceptable', but it goes to show that when people get mad other people listen. Were they acting like a bunch of entitled little shits? Maybe, but when you've got a billion people acting like entitled little shits it gets you to thinking that maybe they have a point.

Getting mad can do good in many ways. You may think it pointless being pissed off about one little thing in a video game that only you seem to care about, but hey, that guy in the pub you were talking to about it may one day go on to be a video game developer, and he may remember what you said and think; “Is this action justified or is it just going to piss people off?”. You could be sitting there moaning about this or that change to a character in a comic book film and this might be overheard by someone who one day goes to work on a comic book adaption and say; “We need to keep this character the way they are in the comic, it's just going to piss fans off if you change it.”

And it can run deeper than that. I'm pissed off that every book, film and game I pick up these days seems to star white heterosexual male. Gimmie a change guys. As someone who wants to get into writing, I make it a conscious choice to create a protagonist who doesn't fit this mold. Why would I want to write about a white heterosexual male? There are plenty of good stories out there about those characters already.

And people will say to you; “If only you could get as passionate about important things instead of your stupid hobby,” well screw them because who's to say you won't? You've had the practice, one day you might really want to make a difference about something important. It could be about the poor treatment of migrant workers, or womens rights, or poverty or the cure for cancer. Remember that time you got so angry that you got a video game company to admit they were wrong and change the ending of a game? You've had the practice, one day, those skills might really come in handy.

Get angry. It may seem selfish, it may seem childish, but it's your right, and one day you might do something good with it.

In closing, here is an abridged list of trivial (and some less trivial) things that I'm angry about:

The new Star Wars films are going to disregard the expanded universe.

Kelly Chambers having such a tiny role in Mass Effect 3 and not getting a proper romance

Jack not being an f/f romance in Mass Effect 2.

Morrigan not being an f/f romance in Dragon Age.

DC finishing the Power Girl series and then restarting it without Terra as a character.

The Doctor having lots of romantic interests in Doctor Who.

Pretty much anything Games Workshop does.

Allicorn Twilight.

People who insist a humanized Twilight can't have a dark complexion.

Default male Shepard being the focus of all the marketing for the Mass Effect series.

Male Shepard being the intended protagonist of a proposed Mass Effect film.

People who read manga but refuse to even touch a comic book.

When western properties make an official anime spin off film when the style is unsuitable.

That there are never major gay characters (barring a few exceptions) in anything Star Wars related.

Superman and Wonder Woman being in a relationship when they have never had any chemistry.

Changing the ending of the Surrogates film.

Rose Tyler.

That Native American Indians never get to star in anything outside westerns.

Jonny Depp is playing Tonto.

That the Drive-By Truckers aren't bigger.

That Laurie J Marks' Elemental Logic series is so obscure.

Fans of Doctor Who who have no intention of watching any of the original series.

That Paul McGann never got a Doctor Who series.

Unreal Tournament 3 losing everything that made the series great to work on better graphics in a game where nobody cares about graphics.

The lack of Planescape: Torment fan art.

Brian Blessed not being cast as Odin in Thor.

DRM.

No development on Half Life 3.

The new Command and Conquer not having a single player mode.

That nobody makes traditionally animated films anymore.

That they changed Deadpool's character completely in X:Men Origins: Wolverine.

That nobody makes expansion packs any more.

That Dark Messiah never got a sequel.

The affinity system in Dragons Dogma.

Despite the success of The Avengers people still keep fucking up superhero adaptions.

It taking a year for each Game of Thrones season coming out on DVD.

Adventure Time and Regular Show not being out on DVD in the UK.

The IDW Dungeons and Dragons comic being canceled.

4^th Edition Dungeons and Dragons rules.

Tieflings in 4^th Edition Dungeons and Dragons.

Welcome to my Blog, Please Flame Carefully

Oh hello there, come in, sit down, do have a cup of tea. I started this blog because I believe that I have a fairly good taste in comic books, I also like the sound of my own voice, If you think thats wrong, tell me you don't like the sound of your own voice. Yeah I though so.

But seriously, I'm fairly well read in the world of comics, comic books, comic strips, graphic novels or however which you want to put it, and since I'm out of work I feel I should probably contribute something to the world.

So here I am, Reviewing various graphic works and occasionally musing on some news or having a rant about one thing or the other. Feel free to drop by and disagree with my opinion, and please show me some support on the road to legitimate journalism, It keeps me sane.