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TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2011

2011-12-30T23:51:00.000-08:00

This was the year that I made the single most important commitment of my life. That, unfortunately, had nothing to do with promising to consistently maintain this blog. At the very least, with this post I've successfully maintained one of the few personal traditions I have whilst beginning to create brand new ones with my wife.

Thankfully, the new traditions I start with her won't be as geeky or self-serving, but traditions are traditions.

And this list is all mine.

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10. THE SMASHING PUMPKINS "Siamese Dream" (Deluxe Edition)
Before Billy Corgan went insane in the worst possible way (blew up his band, brought it back just to blow it up again, started recruiting band members off YouTube, etc.) he went insane in the best possible way and almost single-handedly crafted one of the best albums of the last two decades in a haze of despair, personal torment and all-consuming alienation. There’s not much left to say about this album that hasn’t already been said or of it’s embattled architect’s rapid decline to irrelevance. The album’s proper place in the annals of rock music history secured, it was only a matter of time for a deluxe reissue complete with all the bells and whistles to come a-calling. Despite its best intentions not to come across as a last gasp cash grab, this edition of “Siamese Dream” still served as an unavoidable reminder of my young adulthood as a zero screaming nasally to my walkman. Nostalgic, I know but at least now my salivating anticipation of The Silversun Pickups’ new record is at an all-time high. So in the end, it’s a win/win for everyone.

9. THE ROOTS "undun"
I’m not going to lie but when I heard the premise of hip hop’s elder statesmen THE ROOTS new album I immediately wondered if their day job as a late night talk show’s house band was the reason why they were getting all existential. Built as a re-telling of a young thug’s misspent life in reverse starting on the moment of his death, this album finds The Legendary Roots Crew at their cinematic best. Not as aggressive as their most recent releases (“How I Got Over”) or as thoughtful (“Wake Up!”) this album was a statement that could’ve only been made after living a lifetime of witnessing or experiencing firsthand the trials and tribulations of its main character. The four part instrumental suite led by SUFJAN STEVENS’ “Redford (For Yia Yia & Pappou)” that closes this album is particularly haunting. So much so that they could probably play it on Jimmy Fallon’s funeral.

8. THE BLACK KEYS "El Camino"
After hearing the ultra infectious “Tighten Up” off their last release, I was so stoked for a whole album of rollicking bangers from THE BLACK KEYS and producer DANGERMOUSE. Since that particular album didn’t turn out the way I thought it would, I’m so glad that this year’s “El Camino” made good on the promise of “Tighten Up”. Filled with honest to goodness rock and roll barn burners, this album showed us all how truly beautiful the marriage of THE BLACK KEYS to DANGERMOUSE really is. Speaking from about 3 months experience, having a partner who really and truly gets you is such a sight to behold. Album standout “Little Black Submarines” is proof positive of that.

7. DRAKE "Take Care"
Not being one who regularly enjoys taking back what was already said, I still maintain my belief of J.COLE’s potential as an artist. 2011, just wasn’t his year. I will admit it though, when comparing full lengths, score another one for Team Drizzy. While “Cole World: The Sideline Story” came off as unbalanced and insincere, DRAKE’s sophomore album took everything he presented in his debut and built on it. The natural progression from hungry newcomer to in-the-moment It-Boy has always made for rich lyrical content and the hyper self aware DRAKE definitely ran with it in an impressively organic way. The luxurious penthouse slink of “Shot For Me” to the paparazzi baiting “Cameras” and the decadent title track duet with RIHANNA adds so much dimension to the booty call gone wrong of “Marvin’s Room” that its hard not to feel for/be jealous of DRAKE’s lonely life at the top. The kids nowadays call it #humblebrag but humanizing the jet-setting lifestyle of a hip-hop millionaire with unflinching sincerity will always be a difficult proposition and really impressive when executed well. Shake it off, J.COLE, you’ll get ‘em next year.

6. RADIOHEAD "The King of Limbs"
After the music industry shockwaves of the pay what you want release of their last album “In Rainbows” subsided, RADIOHEAD decided to change the game again but this time on a more personal level. With their disenchantment of the full length album format made public, “The King of Limbs” was born clocking in at a brisk 37 minutes and change. Almost haphazard in both nature, intent and method of release (only a handful of days separated the announcement of its existence and its actual release), this collection features everything I love about RADIOHEAD, the dynamic musical compositions writhing with Thom Yorke’s come-hither croon, but at a satisfying tapas sized bite. The dance floor boogie of “Lotus Flower” (complete with an actual chorus to sing along to after years of…not) is a polarizing sign that RADIOHEAD doesn’t give a fuck how we like our RADIOHEAD presented or consumed. Take that, everybody.

5. CROSSES "††† EP"
Imagine my surprise when the frontman of one of my favorite bands appeared out of the blue with not only a new side project but an EP of new material to go along with it. Now Chino Moreno of THE DEFTONES has taken me down this road before a few years back with his other other side project, the beat oriented trip-hop outfit TEAM SLEEP, so there is some precedence. This time however, he surfaced with the sigil dropping, quasi witch house indebted band CROSSES. Eschewing the familiar guitar crunch of THE DEFTONES, this EP features a collection of dark, pulsating stormy night soudscapes made flesh with his signature bloody wail. Like a PORTISHEAD channeling horror flicks instead of spy films, this EP succeeds primarily on its focus on one specific theme musically unlike the admittedly scatter brained TEAM SLEEP. I†s delicious po†en†ial aside, a full leng†h’s wor†h of songs †i†les implemen†ing †he † symbol has me defini†ely ant†cipa†ing †heir nex† release. Shallow, isn’† i†? Sad, bu† †rue.

4. THURSDAY "No Devolución"
So I suppose its about that time then for the heroes to ride off in the sunset. As disheartened as I was when I heard that THURSDAY as a band was to be put on indefinite hiatus (and we all know what that means), I really shouldn’t be too surprised. The signs were there all year. From the 10th anniversary tour for the classic debut “Full Collapse” where they played the album front to back on a nightly basis much to their core fan base’s delight to the majestic release of what eventually was revealed to be their final album (its title is “no returns” in Spanish for fuck’s sake), they were practically telegraphing their plays. Deep down, I was just hoping to avoid the unavoidable. The early stalwarts of the screamo/post hardcore scene of the 2K’s finally completed their metamorphosis to full on prog-rock status. More concerned with atmospherics and built around a more methodical vocal delivery from frontman Geoff Rickly, this album finds one of my all-time favorite bands completely centered with all of their influences and past iterations. They’ve taken all the best parts of each phase of their career and fused them into one final and complete artistic statement of who they were, who they are and who they will be. Having done that, now would be the best time to walk away from it all. Album closer “Stay True” parting words of wisdom for the next generation to hold fast to their beliefs against all odds is such a fitting endgame to leave on that its almost impossible to top. So thank you, fellas. Thank you and goodbye.

3. DOOMTREE "No Kings"
This Minneapolis based collective just out Wu-Tang’d the Wu-Tang Clan on a year that saw the Wu-Tang Clan drop an album. Taking the challenge of constructing a wholly effective posse album in the same vein of the quintessential posse album “36 Chambers”, this album did an amazing job of playing to each member’s strength while giving everyone equal burn. From the crew’s de-facto leader P.O.S. punk as fuck flow to producer LAZERBEAK’s hard machine gun volleys all the way down to lesser know affiliate DESSA’s scene stealing hooks and verses (think NICKI MINAJ star making turn on KANYE WEST’s “Monster”) every contribution is necessary to building the album’s boom bap mission statement to the rest of the hip-hop world of the Twin City’s relevance. This fact most evident on “Team The Best Team” featuring everyone and quite possibly their mother. Back in Minnie, the kids apparently flip their Wu hand signs upside down, just to show y’all where the true shit is currently at.

2. JAY-Z & KANYE WEST "Watch The Throne"
What else can one really say about this album that already hasn’t been printed and proven in spades? Truly decadent hip-hop from the titans of the game. Rich in its honesty of them being honestly rich, this couldn’t have stood out even more unless it was released back in the Depression. “Niggas in Paris” is the sound made when all the stars align. “Who Gon Stop Me” is just the straight plain truth. This album not topping this list only speaks of the impact my #1 pick made on me personally on levels deeper than just aurally. Sorry, Hov and ‘Ye. At least you dudes had the shiniest album cover ever in 2011, hands down. That’s something isn’t it?

1. THE WEEKND "House of Balloons / Thursday / Echoes of Silence"
Never in this generation of internet instant gratification has the music industry seen such an entity as THE WEEKND. Completely self assured and fully realized from its inception to its execution, THE WEEKND came out of nowhere in a fog of mystery ready to hit the ground running. Shrouded in heated speculation this Toronto outfit burst onto the scene with the brilliant self-released free mixtape “House of Balloons” and immediately set the blogosphere on fire. Armed with a Tumblr-baiting art house visual aesthetic and their debut’s dark swirl of lush, hedonistic R&B, THE WEEKND became the subject of many a blogger’s fevered search for any concrete information as to where they were and how they came to be. After a few tantalizing months behind the curtain, a certain Canadian hip-hop superstar decreed an official public co-sign for THE WEEKND and then the flood gates were blown wide open. Soon the parties responsible for THE WEEKND’s woozy, drug addled tales of misspent nights were revealed to be singer/lyricist Abel Tesfaye and the production team of Doc McKinney and Illangelo. Musical acumen aside, THE WEEKND became the foremost example of grassroots marketing done right. From the free release of their music exclusively through their blog/Tumblr/Twitter to the viral spreading of their steamy clip for lead single “What You Need” on YouTube all the way to the opportunistic swing of fate that led to their material finding its way onto DRAKE’s desktop, this band showed they were DIY ‘til they DIE. Now with their triptych of mixtapes completed with the sophomore “Thursday” and the just released in time for Christmas “Echoes of Silence” THE WEEKND firmly positioned themselves for a truly life-altering 2012. With tracks like the lecherous “Life of the Party” the apocalyptic MICHAEL JACKSON swipe of “D.D.” and the anthemic be-careful-of-what-you-ask-for-ladies warning of “The Birds, Pt. 1” (my personal favorite), the honey soaked, Petron spiked come-ons of Abel Tesfaye backed by Doc McKinney and Illangelo’s darkened corner trip-hop erotique showed how THE WEEKND made 2011 the year of the bastard.

LOST IN A CROWD

2011-01-08T23:45:00.000-08:00

Looks like 2011 is going to start off with a bang. A week and a half in and I've already made significant progress on my first (of six) resolutions. We haven't even gotten into the real fireworks of the next couple weeks. Whatever happens, however it ends up, this year is going to be a game changer for me. If it doesn't then I guess I'm just going to have to force it to be.

Still, this is a good start.

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2010

2011-01-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

Opening 2011 with a bit of unfinished business from 2010. Here's to the year that was, the year of the douchebag, the year of the asshole.

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10. WEEZER "Pinkerton" (Deluxe Reissue)
If you don't think that I realize how opening this list with a reissue spanks of a cop out, you're wrong because I do. It isn't an indictment of this past year in music either because it has been a pretty great year. Just like if Criterion reissued one of your favorite films with all the bells and whistles, it just can't help but make a resonating impact on your psyche. "Pinkerton" is still a revelation of uncomfortably honest, heart on your sleeve guitar rock. It's still a beautifully ramshackle masterpiece of ultra catchy nuggets of angst and sexual ineptitude. It's still all of that and then some. The live tracks from Y100 Sonic Festival and Reading instantly flood me with a sense of regret for not having ever gotten the chance to catch a show from that era of the band. It also puts into context how special this album is when considering how empty and hollow the latter day WEEZER records are in comparison. Plus, the all too brief piano sketch of "Across the Sea" opening alone is priceless enough to be included into one of my forthcoming mixtapes.

9. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE "Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys"
It is now an unequivocal truth that the most admirable quality of this band is their artistic restlessness. Never one to stand pat, they have made it their business to generate excitement for each new release through the drastic stylistic reinvention of their sound. From the shoot em' up emo crunch of "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge" to the Broadway pomp of "The Black Parade" and now with the hot blooded dance thrash of "Danger Days", Gerard Way and co. have launched their latest curve-ball. The only constant is their unflappable commitment to weaving narrative through the track-list. At this point, I'm going to stop calling them concept albums. To me, they're just audiobooks now.

8. ISLES & GLACIERS "The Hearts of Lonely People"
Talk about for the love of the game. Part urban legend and part the deepest, darkest wishes of underage Hot Topic chicks the world over, the formation of this band probably started out as a joke told one booze soaked after party many many moons ago, but to everyone's surprise actually became reality. Comprised of pieces of today's more prominent hardcore bands, this supergroup distills all the best parts of the genre and tempers it perfectly with synth beats and drum loops, resulting in a tight collection of concentrated vitriol. The definite highlight is the three part gang vocals working in concert while viciously bodying each other for pole position, Nascar vocals.

7. THE ROOTS "How I Got Over"
Despite the head scratching career turn as a late night talk show's house band, The Legendary Roots Crew return with a perfectly titled album of meditations about the moments before and after the drug deal, the fist fight, the arrest and every other hood life touchstone in between. Deeply cathartic because of its ability to fill in the blanks and paint the full picture of corner life, this album shows the world that THE ROOTS are one of the few hip hop acts that can expound on every aspect of street life with astounding clarity. Song stealing features by JOANNA NEWSOM, THE DIRTY PROJECTORS and MONSTERS OF FOLK also show us that they can invite anyone to the block and not have it feel out of place. Serious credentials for their bid as the global ambassadors of hip hop. They have my vote.

6. SPOON "Transference"
The polar opposite of MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE'S sonic precociousness, an argument can be made for SPOON being the most consistent band in all of indie rock. Having outlasted nearly all of their peers, this band still brings the style and swagger of meticulously disjointed hipster rock without the forced pretension. Frontman Britt Daniel's raspy warble is and forever will be punk as fuck. Album highlight "Written in Reverse" proves that there is a fountain of youth for cosmopolitan cool and that SPOON is obviously bottling it for themselves.

5. THE NATIONAL "High Violet"
Is there anything better than a dark, brooding winter record to play over headphones during those cold, lonely nights? Probably not, I'd wager. To me, this album qualifies as one of those mood enhancers, for better or worse, because when I'm in one of those moods I yearn for something to show me how far the rabbit hole really goes. The slow burn dirges of this album coupled with frontman Matt Berninger's signature honey warm baritone fits that bill to a tee. My personal favorite track "Anyone's Ghost" was made for a night slumped over a bar nursing that double you don't ever want to finish. Album closer "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" is the soundtrack for the long walk home after you eventually do.

4. J. COLE "Friday Night Lights"
For those who believe that this world is solely populated by either ELVIS men or BEATLES men, I humbly offer this corollary. In the realm of contemporary hip hop, I honestly think that one is either a DRAKE man or a J. COLE man. Despite one's unquestionable impact on pop culture, I'm firmly in the other's camp. Fresh off his nabbing a coveted spot on XXL'S Freshman Class of 2010 cover and the title of being the first signee to JAY-Z'S personal record label, J. COLE could potentially be the future face of hip hop. A producer with a knack for hard thumping drums in his own right, this artist sparks with an impeccable flow that flips from conscious wit to street flossin' at the drop of a dime. If he follows the new school business model pioneered by mentors JAY-Z and KANYE WEST, J.COLE being the next king of hip hop is never out of the question.

3. jj "Kills"
An extremely last minute addition to this list, this album made me thank goodness for procrastinating. A Swedish electro-pop band with ethereal gender bending vocals and everything, jj dropped this free mixtape for public consumption right on Christmas Eve. This masterpiece fuses the cooing of distant angels (think if SIGUR ROS actually sang in something that you can understand) with a murderer's row of sampled hip hop instrumental tracks (DR. DRE, DIDDY/DIRTY MONEY, KANYE WEST and TAIO CRUZ'S "Dynamite" of all things). How could I not resist a record that has a pristine, lilting voice utter the phrase "haters gonna hate"? Short answer, I cannot.

2. THE ARCADE FIRE "The Suburbs"
Win Butler and his gang are incapable of keeping things small. Deploying horns, strings, orchestral vocal arrangements and whatever else is in their musical arsenal, THE ARCADE FIRE turn ruminations of life in the suburbs that we all either live in or have lived in into grand sweeping epics of heart break, desperation and longing for that proverbial "something else" beyond the white picket fence. Even though the brilliant title track was turned into an equally brilliant, Google Chrome hocking short film by none other than director SPIKE JONZE, "We Used to Wait" is still the one record that regularly takes my breath away.

1. KANYE WEST "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"
As far as for gone conclusions go, this is the furthest and more decisive of them all. KANYE WEST released the best album of the year...again. Not content with keeping it within the confines of the audio recording, KANYE WEST turned all of his exploits of this past year into one massive, multi-level precursor to the release of this album. From the fiasco of the TAYLOR SWIFT incident to the founding of his twitter account and the weekly leaks of his G.O.O.D. FRIDAY mp3 series, all of it was calculated to lead up to this. "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" is his villain album. Its his "Empire Strikes Back" after setting a precedence within his public life that he has indeed fallen to the dark side. Steeped in stellar production and bursting at the seams with pitch perfect features from a veritable who's who of the record industry, KANYE WEST makes it abundantly clear that the rich do indeed get richer, the only thing better than excess is more excess and that being a hero will never be as viscerally more intriguing at watching the hero become the villain. The only tale more tantalizing than that would be if someone out there was brave enough to take him on and win. That's a big if.

PRINCE MADDOX OF GLENCAR

2010-10-02T18:12:00.001-07:00

(Prince Maddox of Glencar / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

The second in a series of fan art for the wife's as-yet-untitled serialized novel. This piece is especially unofficial because immediately upon presentation it was completely rejected by the author. Apparently, I took tremendous creative license with the character and he looks nothing like how he was intended to look. I personally still liked it enough to see it through to completion.

Oh well, better luck next time I suppose.

A THIEF'S THEME

2010-09-22T21:45:00.001-07:00

(Max & Solomon / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

Sometimes you just need to get punched in the mouth to remind you to get back into the fight. Frankly, I haven't been pushing hard enough. I'm still humming the same old tune. Since I can't steal time, I better figure something out before it's too late.

The two gentlemen pictured above are from a quick submission that I need to get out as soon as possible. Five pages of everything in my wheel house, so there are no excuses for this one.

I just don't want to get stuck singing the same old song, watching everything pass me by.

Sometimes...

LILY OF PAISUMS

2010-09-19T17:44:00.001-07:00

(Lily of Paisums / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

It is an honor for me to present to you the first piece of fan art for BRIANNA GLEESON'S new literary project.

A very talented writer in her own right, my lady has always been a bit hesitant when it comes to showing off her work. It was slightly surprising when she told me that she was serializing a new story on her blog. A multi-generational fantasy tale of a troubled young princess, her as of yet untitled (going under the working title "Deceptions" for the moment) hooked me from the start. Despite being obviously biased, it is a very confident narrative with a really pronounced sense of purpose.

This piece is my interpretation of the title character, Lily of Paisums. Not that it does her any justice, but I couldn't wait to try my hand at drawing Lily purely because of a scene from the book's newest installment. Frankly, I just couldn't resist.

I hope you that whoever is reading this will do themselves a favor and head over to her blog to get in on the ground floor of an epic in the making.

I'm so proud of her and I wish her all the luck in seeing this through to its conclusion.

I'm sure you will all agree with me soon enough.

THREE DECADES UNDER THE INFLUENCE

2010-09-05T12:57:00.001-07:00

(via ALRIGHTOK)

A. JACK KEROUAC: Like the countless kids whose eyes and minds he opened during the 1960's, "On the Road" blew apart my artistic sensibilities. It not only became my all-time favorite book and Kerouac my all-time favorite writer, but it also made me fall in love with the history of The Beat Generation. His hard charging, jazz riffing style of honest, heart rending prose still echoes in every word I will write or have ever written. To me, Kerouac was a game changer.

B. LOST: Never has a television show taught me more about structure and dramatic pacing than Lost. Artistic aesthetics aside, this show has informed me so much on the nuts and bolts of serialized narrative, the handling of an ensemble cast and the manipulation of time lines for non-traditional avenues for exposition. If I even come anywhere near creating such an epic body of work, I would surely die a happy man.

C. QUENTIN TARANTINO: As a budding film maker, I couldn't have picked a better role model than Quentin Tarantino. From his meager start as a lowly video store clerk to his current position as one of the most influential writer/directors of the last 20 years, he has shown me that anything can happen if you have the drive to get yourself there and that talent will always shine through despite all circumstances. He is also responsible for my love of plain black suits and non-sequitur dialogue in coffee shops.

D. HOMICIDE: Life on the Streets: Before Lost and Quentin Tarantino, this show was my be-all and end-all. Gritty, crass and unbelievably authentic, this show's documentary style film making showed me the beauty of dirty, sloppy hand held camera work, to this day is my signature look every time I get my hands on a camera. Their implementation of the jump cut still sends shivers down my spine. This show was so ahead of its time, if only it debuted on AMC instead of NBC.

E. RAYMOND CHANDLER: My first real literary obsession. The character of Philip Marlowe impacted me more as a person than an artist. His willingness to do whatever it takes to make things right is a personality trait I pride myself on having. The fact that I'm sarcastic, jaded and emotionally distant are just unfortunate side effects. With tales filled with gangsters, femme fatales, back stabbers and broken people trying to get better, I instantly fell in love with Chandler's Los Angeles and film noir as a whole.

F. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN: For my money, Christopher Nolan is the most important film maker working in the industry today. Endlessly inventive and a genius in every sense of the word, his body of work speaks for itself in terms of scope, writing and meticulous attention to detail. The best part is he gets better with each and every film, attaining next level status after every turn. Scariest part is that he's just hitting his prime.

G. SPIKE JONZE: Based purely on imagination, this man can't be topped. Every project, no matter how big or small, Spike Jonze infuses so much kinetic energy it is a sight to behold. What I admire most about him is his fearlessness as a film maker and as an artist. I mean, who else goes from "Being John Malkovich" to "Jackass" to "Where the Wild Things Are" to Kanye West's "We Were Once a Fairy Tale" and make it so damn seamless?

H. WES ANDERSON: It is hard to find a director who can compose a more densely layered and visually rich shot than Wes Anderson. Every frame he commits to film is like a painting. His color palette and general aesthetic is so uniquely his own that it cannot be properly reproduced. On a production design level alone, this man is a juggernaut. He effortlessly takes our world and turns it into a vibrant playground for the senses. He is without a doubt an auteur of the highest degree.

I. 100 BULLETS by Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso: If you crammed in everything I love about the dark side of humanity (greed, lust, ruthlessness, disjointed sense of honor, etc.) into a comic book no less, what you'd end up with is this. A film noir nut's dream, this book is an epic meditation on crime in America. Top to bottom, my all-time favorite comic book series.

J. TOMMY LEE EDWARDS: Stark without being too minimalistic and grounded without being too photo realistic, if I had the choice of which artist's style I could completely appropriate it would be Tommy Lee Edwards'. He could take a generic super hero tale and make it look like a documentary film, but get him on a crime book and watch the fuck out. My artistic idol worship for this man's work is off the charts.

K. CASANOVA by Matt Fraction, Gabriel Ba & Fabio Moon: Whip smart and balls to the wall action packed, this book is a super hero story told through the lens of a James Bond picture, then dipped into a tub of LSD. Fueled by the most insane, sci-fi spy situations and crackling with hyper aware dialogue that regularly breaks the fourth wall, writer Matt Fraction describes the creation of this book with the line "My heroes don't wear capes, the wear suits." Seriously, how could I not be all over this?

L. THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY by Gerard Way & Gabriel Ba: Another of the new breed of comic books much like Casanova, The Umbrella Academy is the most inventive re-invention of the classic super hero story. Being a huge fan of the X-Men growing up, this book is the next step in the evolution of the genre. Its a manic, hyper violent tale of a team of super folk that were emotionally fucked up by their father figure. Kinda like if Prof. X abused the X-Men when they were children. All told with a pop culture ravaging, punk rock energy all the while created by the lead singer of a very popular emo band. It taking me by surprise the first time I read it is a severe understatement.

M. SCOTT PILGRIM by Bryan Lee O'Malley: As a nerdy kid who liked video games and was kinda inept when it came to girls, this book touched my soul in a way no other work of fiction ever has, plain and simple. Plus it almost perfectly parallels my romantic relationship with my girlfriend its sort of eerie. A once in a lifetime story. It may well be the Catcher in the Rye for the indie hipster set.

N. MAD MEN: The finest example of a slow burn drama. Quiet and brooding, this show casts a whole era of American history in a glaringly candid light. The character of Don Draper is so well written and so well conceived that one can't help but be intrigued at what he'll do next. He is the car wreck that cannot keep your eyes off. Watching him tear apart every notion I had of the classic Americana lifestyle is priceless. As much as I love ensemble casts, this kind of deep single character study is something that I hope to be able to accomplish someday.

O. THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW: My reverence for Mad Men was only made possible by my unbridled love for this show. As a foreigner, this show was everything I knew about the American dream. I will always be searching for that quaint small town where I can live and be a part of a close knit community. This show is on this list mostly because of sentimental reasons and because I hope to one day finally find my own Mayberry.

P. THE CLIPSE: To me, these two brothers are the musical equivalent of Homicide: Life on the Streets. One of the last bastions for lyrical hip hop, The Clipse spin tales of grindin' so vivid that it takes me right to the corner along with them. As a huge fan of turning a phrase, Pusha T and Malice are two of that particular sport's all-time greats.

Q. FIREFLY: Joss Whedon's short lived western space opera was another example of properly executing a show with an ensemble cast as well as thinking out of the box conceptually. Despite not a lot of people really getting what this show was all about, Firefly was a small masterpiece in terms of fusing two disparate genres into one cohesive and extremely unique vision. Its a personal touchstone of mine when it comes to balancing humor with moments of complete and utter desperation. That balance makes the funny moments even funnier and the dark moments that much more bleak. The level of character development in such a short span of time, to me, is the most enviable quality of this show.

R. BRAND NEW: As a fairly musically inclined person and as someone who's art is definitely inspired by music, I have never really figured out what my favorite band was. Granted, as you grow older your tastes change along with your mindset but there has never been that one band that I could say can even remotely describe me as a person to someone I have never met. Until Brand New. Despite starting out as part of the cookie cutter crop of pop-punk bands in the 90's with the likes of blink182 and New Found Glory, these guys have evolved into artists that encapsulate every aspect of music that I love. They have the soul searing darkness in their song writing, the quiet then loud dynamics with their soundscapes, the intelligent literacy about their lyrics and singer Jesse Lacey's voice's versatility is nothing short of astounding. They're musically adventurous, catchy with moments of humor thrown in for good measure. I'm glad I finally got the whole favorite band thing squared away.

S. KANYE WEST: So has there ever been a figure in pop-culture quite like this man in recent memory? And with so many fingers in so many pies to boot? To me, Kanye West has been the bridge to so many different avenues of creativity that all lead back to where he started from (hip hop) its impressive. From fashion to music to film, he has influenced a new generation of pop star unafraid to step out of their comfort zone in the name of elevating the art form. Hip hop isn't just hip hop anymore, he regularly takes whatever he's influenced by at that moment (indie rock, pop music, country music, symphonies, Broadway, etc.) and fuses it to his music to create something completely fresh and new. He's brash and outspoken and quick to express what is on his mind at any given moment. He is a zeitgeist of cultural importance, a global superstar. Most importantly, no matter how big he's gotten he always remembers where his roots lie. An attribute not many can say they have and hopefully, fingers crossed, someday I can.

* * *

Of course, where would I be without the most important piece of this puzzle. She is the reason why I do what I do. She is the reason why I strive for success and why I hunger for greatness. After its all said and done, I just really want to make her proud.

Her name is BRIANNA GLEESON, she's not just an influence.

She is the inspiration.

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

2010-07-30T20:56:00.001-07:00

(EOTM / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

This is as close as I've ever gotten to settling on the final design for the secret project's lead character. In what started out as a test run on the new bristol comic boards that I'll be drawing the actual pages on, I ended up with his basic facial elements and, more importantly, his hairstyle. Although, I won't be going with the solid black for the hair color everything else is pretty much nailed down.

One down, twenty five some odd more to go.

Probably the worst part of working with an ensemble cast is having to actually figure out what they all fucking look like.

Incidentally, it is also officially t-minus two weeks until SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD!!!

I could probably squeeze in at least a couple more screenings of INCEPTION before then. Seeing it twice isn't nearly enough.

I also may have found my new favorite comic series, CASANOVA by MATT FRACTION, GABRIEL BA & FABIO MOON. With a majority of my old standards having reached their conclusions, its about damn time I started getting into (or obsessed by) some new stuff.

All work and no play makes JERICHO a dull boy, after all.

ME VS. THE CAPES

2010-07-20T13:10:00.001-07:00

(Batgirl / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

This is why I don't do super heroes. Done for something that turned out to being a mistake. There goes my future as part of the capes and cowls society. Boo hoo. Too bad, so sad.

The last couple of days have been extremely inspiring. On an artistic level, INCEPTION and the final volume of the SCOTT PILGRIM epic have shown me two brilliant artists at the peak of their game and the possibility of how starting small can end up turning into something majestic. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, the director of the former, started out as a little known film maker in the indie circles who kept reels of his first picture in his fridge cause he couldn't afford to get the film processed. BRYAN LEE O'MALLEY, the artistic force who created the latter, started as a little known writer/artist in the indie comics scene who's first big break in the industry came as a letterer of all things.

Such meager beginnings for both men, but talent transcends all circumstances. That lesson I'm taking straight to heart because it gives me hope that maybe, if I cross all my T's and dot all my I's, I can end up somewhere in their proximity.

Put in the work, give it your all, grind 'til you can't grind no more.

There is a happy ending out there. You just have to go out there and get it.

Time to get back to it then.

LOOK AT THIS FUCKING HIPSTER!

2010-07-01T21:37:00.001-07:00

(ROLAND (For Jac) / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

I'm not going to lie, it was kinda refreshing to work on something not about the secret project. This image was commissioned by one of my oldest friends, JACOB MILNESTEIN. Jac is a brilliant novelist who I've known for well over a decade now. We first met doing online fan-fiction during the days of AOL and dial-up. I have since watched him get published, married and grow into an even better writer than I could ever hope to be. This illustration is a pre-visualization of the main character for his new opus. I could only hope to do it justice.

(And yes, that is an IRUINCLASSICS tee he's rocking. Hooray for selfish cross-promotion!)

In other news, despite it obviously being the year of SCOTT PILGRIM they are still apparently releasing other films this year. A notable one being one of my all-time favorite directors, DAVID FINCHER'S new film THE SOCIAL NETWORK, based on the founding of FACEBOOK.

Without a doubt, this post was brought to you by the letter "H" for HIPSTER.

END OF STAGE ONE

2010-06-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

There you have it, folks. The culmination of what proved to be an extremely productive weekend manifested itself in the form of me finally finishing the layout stage of the secret project. One weight off my shoulders is immediately replaced by an even heavier one. Can't be messing around with this part though, for sure. I'm going to need a fresh batch of art supplies (pens, pencils, ink, etc.) and, more importantly, all new paper. For the past few years, I've done all of my artwork exclusively in spiral bound sketchbooks. That just won't cut it anymore for this project. I'm going to put it the extra coin to get my hands on these bad boys. If clothes make the man, then I'm hoping that these make the book. Time for this not so young man to go pro.

But that's for another day. The rest of my day is going to be spent screening a double feature of THE ROAD and THE BOOK OF ELI. If I told you that its strictly for research purposes, can you start to picture the kind of monster I'm turning this story into?

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to end this post on a sad note. As much as I'd love to show everyone the page I finished today, the page with the money shot, the page with the big cliffhanger reveal, I can not. I'd rather have it that the first time people get to see it isn't on a computer screen.

I want you to see it on the printed page.

I got one step closer to that dream today.

SOMETHING TO HANG YOUR HAT ON

2010-06-26T21:56:00.001-07:00

(The Zoners Layout Test #6 / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

The wife's gone, having moved up north for school two weeks ago, and I'm still here. So now what? Having not made any real connections with anyone in the five years I've lived in Orange County, the only thing I could really do is to bury myself in work.

And boy, have I.

The past couple of days were spent finishing up the layouts for the secret project. Its been going so well, in fact, that I've decided to add an extra page. It's a move that will probably slow the process down significantly once I get into drawing the final pages, but who cares? I like having a whole extra page set aside just for my money shot.

All bullshit aside, I can honestly say that this is the first time in a very long time that I'm actually having fun drawing and I think it shows. I'm so proud of the pages I've done from the last couple days, especially this one. I don't get that feeling too often. Considering my current situation, it couldn't have come at a better time.

Easy part's almost done.

Y'all know what comes next.

How To Let Go

2010-06-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

It wasn't the moving of heavy boxes up a narrow spiral staircase. It wasn't the punishing five and a half hour drive through endless fields and empty valleys. It wasn't the almost ten hours I spent on idle or lost on the freeways during the drive home. It wasn't the grand total of three car accidents I crawled by or the hill that I saw burn before my very eyes. It wasn't any of that.

Driving away from her was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

The coming days may prove to be even harder still.

This only slightly perked up my spirits...

...but not by much.

The Trickle Down Effect

2010-06-09T18:31:00.001-07:00

(The Zoners Layout Test #3 / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

Finally hit the halfway point of the layout process and I learned a couple things along the way.

1. Although I'm already an extremely slow artist to begin with, I can't just do these page layouts with quick, partially rendered gestures sketches. I have to actually take the time to get them as close to final draft quality as possible for me to take them seriously. This doesn't necessarily mean that the final page will look exactly the same, mind you. It just means that I'm crazy and that I don't have any sense of time management. That said, I'm particularly proud of the page that these panels came from.

2. I am a crappy letterer. Lettering and word balloon placement is such an important element of graphic storytelling and all this time I have never really given it much thought. Proper word balloon placement will not only make the reader follow the narration in the rhythm that you want but it will also set the cadence of dialogue and emphasize dramatic pauses. At some point, I'm either going to have to learn how to do this myself or I'll have to bite the bullet and outsource this to a true professional. Time will tell, but here's hoping that I somehow figure this shit out.

3. Once I get through this whole mess and finally send off my submission package, I will probably have a beard like this guy.

4. In about five days, the wife is leaving town and moving up north for school. I'll still be here with my fingers crossed hoping that this materializes into something that would help me follow her as soon as humanly possible. Either way, by hook or by crook, I'm heading up there. I just want it to be this that gets me there. Also, if you thought that I played up the angry artist thing before wait until you see me next week when she's gone.

5. Closed fists and ink-stained hands, here I come.

Mass Teen Fainting

2010-06-07T17:20:00.001-07:00

(The Zoners Layout Test #2 / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

As much as I'd like to say that the reason for this post was because I had some sort of good news to report or that I achieved major progress on the project, unfortunately I can't.

What I really needed was an excuse to put this up.

P.S. I'm seriously considering overhauling this website again. This layout is getting kinda old and I think I'm feeling something a little darker.

The Big Boy Pool

2010-06-02T14:58:00.001-07:00

(The Zoners Layout Test / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

Taking some time from character design to start laying out the pages that will ultimately be a part of my proposal submission to IMAGE COMICS. Yup, you heard it here first. I've decided against the webcomics route and I'm diving head first into the big boy pool of the monthly print comics. Rejection letters, here I come!

(Fun Fact: Those are my VANS on that page. I seriously drew my own shoes into the story. Nice!)

Onto a much sunnier subject, SCOTT PILGRIM mania has started to really get cooking. Not only was the official theatrical trailer released a couple days ago, but the first TV spot aired just last night.

HIPSTERS, NERDS & INDIE KIDS UNITE!!!!!!!

The "L" Word (Lesbian)

2010-05-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

I'm definitely going to see this with the wife in the fine city of Monterey. The first of many life changing things to happen for me in the fine city of Monterey.

Word to Big Bird!

"Whatever Happened, Happened"

2010-05-26T18:54:00.001-07:00

So the general consensus from the geek-erati was that of anger and disappointment in regards to the LOST series finale. With my personally being a part of that constituency, I can't really blame them. There were many questions left unanswered and tons of mysteries left unsolved (the secret origins of this, the ultimate fate of that, why this happened, why that happened, why, why, why?!?!).

I know.

As a self proclaimed super fan, I know and more importantly, I empathize with your pain.

But that's just the flag waving nerd in me talking.

As a writer, I couldn't help but be blown away by the ending of an epic journey that will go down as a milestone in television history. Yes, I said it. Despite my inner super fan's protestations, I was unabashedly impressed by the series final of LOST.

LOST was a once in a lifetime occurrence. From the very first moment of the very first episode, its creators knew that they caught lightning in a bottle. The pilot of LOST set such a high precedence for the series as a whole that no one would've been surprised in the slightest if the very next episode (let alone the 6 season's worth of episodes that followed) failed to live up to its promise and potential. I, for one, was happily proven wrong.

From the flashbacks of season 1 to the flashforwards of season 4 even though the time travel of season 5, the story built such momentum by mining elements from science fiction and religious theology and grafting it onto an action/drama/suspense/comedy/love story that began with the simple concept of castaways stranded on a deserted island. Having such a wide palette of genres to play with also meant that they'd have to appease a very diverse range of viewers without compromising they story that they wanted to tell the way they wanted to tell it. That fact alone meant that no matter how they chose to end this story people were going to feel left out. To their credit, they never dumbed it down to bolster ratings.

That is what I love about the show most, their faith in their audience's intelligence. Telling a tale, no matter how dense and uncompromising, that you yourself would love to be told and it gaining a loyal following of millions who get it right along with you is a reward that is rarely bestowed upon any storyteller.

Season 6 was them rewarding us back.

From the very beginning, the crash of Oceanic 815 was the singular moment of the castaway's regret. It was that one point in time that sent them down a path of struggle, fear, uncertainty and death. Despite how life after the crash eventually made them better individuals, healed their wounds and gave them purpose, the one question that lurked in their and the audience's mind is what if Oceanic 815 never crashed?

What then?

As gratifying as finding out what the smoke monster's real name was or what the light source in the heart of the island really was, seeing how life would be for the castaways if the plane landed safely at LAX was a million times more satisfying after watching these characters I've loved for 5 years fight and suffer and die. Them presenting us that alternate timeline was not only the road less travelled, but the road that I never knew I wanted to take. In its inherent nature, LOST was all about playing on the audience's perceptions. The alternate timeline of season 6 was a masterstroke.

With that said and knowing what I know now, of course I had my moments of doubt, who didn't? I asked myself why they'd dedicate so much screen time to the alternate timeline when they should've been answering the many mysteries of the island's mythology that have been amassed along the way. Again, that was the super fan in me talking, doubting. Hindsight is 20/20.

Having the peachy on the surface alternate timeline run parallel to the original one must've been a daunting task. On one hand, watching the castaways getting almost everything they originally wanted in their lives was heart warming, but on the flip side seeing them on the blood soaked collision course with the smoke monster not knowing how great they had it on the other side was heart rending. Just another testament to the show's writing staff to evoke such a stark contrast of emotions AT THE SAME FUCKING TIME!

Without knowing that the alternate timeline was really a spiritual staging ground that they collectively made (purgatory), it was still extremely satisfying to know that their time on the island with each other would still hold relevance despite being under such drastically different circumstances. Even though the grass is greener on the other side, if you're not the person you're destined to be then life would still feel hollow no matter how nice living the good life is. Life without struggle or purpose is a life half-lived.

(Considering how steeped the story was with Christian undertones, it must've been great for the fans who originally thought the island was purgatory to be told by the show's creators that, hey, you were right, too.)

Yet another tip of the cap to the writing staff's unwillingness to compromise or retract events from previous seasons was that despite showing the other side of the coin "whatever happened, happened" and "dead is dead". They stuck to their guns and held true to the show's core values regardless of all the time travel and the apparently successful pushing of the reset button at the end of season 5. Every single moment on the island, every choice made, was necessary to get them to where they needed to go. Nothing was recanted, nothing was thrown away.

It wasn't all just a dream.

Thank goodness.

The metaphysical mechanics of the alternate timeline/purgatory aside, the finale's final moments were breathtaking. The gathering of the castaway's spirits at the church by Jack's father (who's death got Jack on the plane to begin with) may have been the ending that no one wanted but I think it was the ending that the characters needed. Having gone through such a traumatic ordeal bonds people in such a profound and unique way and when their purpose was to essentially save the world by maintaining the balance of good and evil intact, it was a lofty and fitting reward. For those present at the church, no one died in vain, purpose and destiny was fulfilled.

Although I'm not a very religious person at heart, it still made me twinge a bit. Maybe if one did enough good and touch enough people's lives for the better maybe one could get rewarded like that.

The one tenet of the show that was beautifully disproved was "live together, die alone". In the same bamboo forest where Jack first opened his eyes, the moment when their story truly began, he was joined by Vincent the dog as he closed them for the final time.

Do enough good with the time you've got and you won't have to die alone.

And, boy, it was good.

Bravo, LOST.

Bravo and goodbye.

Girls (Still) Can Tell

2010-05-12T19:37:00.001-07:00

(The Zoners Test #7 / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

All these failed passes at girls, it's like I'm back in high school all of a sudden.
So according to this certain someone that I'm especially sweet on, the new sketch is unacceptable. Considering that I'm basing this character directly after her, this is input that I have to take into account. Apparently, I have this tendency to draw girls with dude hair (i.e. no body or volume, completely wrong because she would never do her hair like that, etc.) and since this is my main female lead we're talking about here, it's back to the drawing board I go. In the long run, her opinion will be of the utmost importance because not only is this a facet of my style that stands on shaky ground at best, but she's also noticed that when doing full body poses I consistently draw females packing heat (penises) from the waist down. Thank goodness she caught that in the pre-production phase instead of everyone else snickering when or if it gets released for mass consumption. Love you, babycakes!

Speaking of pre-production, I guess my original plans for getting this off the ground (like most of my plans in general) have taken an unexpected turn. Originally I was going to submit an eight page prologue of this project to the monthly webcomic competition held by ZUDA COMICS. Now, I have done this in the past with less than positive results, but since I do have such high hopes for this one I thought why not take another stab at the bastard? Guess not.

Within the past few months, ZUDA COMICS scrapped their monthly competition due to multiple instances of reported cheating during the contest and the rising trend of douche baggy slander and general hooliganism on their comment boards. I completely agree with ZUDA'S actions since I was part of their contest last year, but the loss of having the opportunity to enter again has left me at a bit of a crossroads in terms of where to go with this project next.

One option is to forget the webcomic format altogether and submit a full graphic novel proposal to IMAGE COMICS. On the one hand, I get closer to the actual goal of having the story actually printed in book form if I decide to go through IMAGE and get past their submissions process. On the other hand, I lose the immediacy of serializing directly through the internet and the potential marketing support of DC COMICS who owns the ZUDA imprint.

Where to go and what to do?

Considering that I have to make some sort of progress on this before the year's end, I certainly do have some shit to chew on.

On a lighter note, JASON BRUBAKER of reMIND fame somehow stumbled upon my little corner of the internet and dropped some kind words in the comments section of a couple of blog posts. I don't know about y'all but that's kinda huge for me. Not only is he a extremely talented artist and writer, his blog is one of the most valuable resources of practical information I will look to during this whole damn process.

So yeah.

JASON FUCKING BRUBAKER.

Dude...

Girls Can Tell

2010-05-05T10:52:00.001-07:00

(The Zoners Test #6 / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

I humbly present to you further proof that drawing girls are hard.

Engaging in a story that involves an ensemble cast, from a purely time conscious standpoint, may not have been the smartest move on my part. Somewhere down the line, I must've forgotten that I'd have to design each and every one of these individuals well enough for them to stand on their own but also meld into a pretty believable crowd. Understandably, the male cast members are easy enough, but the females are a whole different story.

Its always been completely beyond me how certain artists have gotten so good at drawing the ladies, not just the classic comic book buxom blondes mind you, but ladies from every age, ethnicity and body type. This is a particular skill that I'm kinda going to need for this project, without a doubt. For my tastes and sensibilities at this very moment, I've been studying the female form as depicted by the amazing CHRIS BACHALO. While most of his work has been spent in the super hero genre, the potential of working with his style to capture the more subtle nuances of a woman's actions (i.e. putting strands of hair behind an ear, etc.) is intriguing to say the least. Yet again, this falls into the fingers crossed, hope I figure it out category. Only time will tell.

Oh yeah, I also need to figure out how to design convincing hair styles, too.

And the list goes on and on and on.

You Call This Aisle DONE?!?!

2010-04-17T12:00:00.001-07:00

(The Zoners Test #4 / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

Holy cow! Is that progress I smell? Character tests on the cast of the secret project continues at an almost rapid pace. Rapid for me, at least.

Taking on such a daunting process like creating something like this requires equal parts focus, inspiration and education. I'm obviously lacking in the first, I just found the second, which leaves us with the third ingredient. Luckily for me, a very talented writer/artist named NATE SIMPSON has taken it upon himself to document his own journey towards creating a graphic novel on his extremely informative blog. Sparing us none of the gory details, his posts range from step by step peeks into how he completes an individual page to entertaining anecdotes about the effects his work has had on his daily life. I want to express my gratitude in advance for all of the tips and general help his blog has provided me with during my own trek through this path to finally completing something worthwhile.

So I'd like to send a big thank you to NATE SIMPSON and to his fellow graphic novelist JASON BRUBAKER for all of the guidance they've unknowingly given me from afar.

Maybe someday I'll be able to personally shake both of your hands right before I hand you dudes a copy of my own book.

Here's to the future.

This Ain't No Flash Sideways

2010-04-14T20:32:00.001-07:00

(The Zoners Test #2 / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

So I guess this was bound to happen.

Welcome to the new and somewhat improved IRUINCLASSICS.COM

After almost two years of the same stagnant look, I decided to add a little spice to my little corner of the internet. I'm not gonna lie, this was a free pre-built template, but it's still a pretty dramatic change for me. My original intention was to get something as close to the INDEXHIBIT site format as I could by messing with the HTML code, but due to my lack of proper coding skills it was just not meant to be. Regardless, I'm extremely pleased with the site's new look and I hope you are, too.

In other news, the secret project is chugging along slowly but surely. Pictured above is a sketch of my male lead who's design is almost completely finalized with the exception of the hair. Working with an ensemble cast means that there are still almost a dozen other characters to be designed and as daunting as that may sound, this is still a step in the right direction.

Speaking of the right direction, I've also found the inspiration of the overall art style of the project. His name is TOMMY LEE EDWARDS. The plan is for me to go into the art for this as if TOMMY LEE EDWARDS was my director of photography. As far as artistic influences go, his style is exactly where I need to go to not only serve the story, but it's also in vogue with my personal artistic sensibilities. His gritty, documentary film style line work plays extremely well when executed in a moody, shadow drenched film noir lighting. Even if a come within a million miles of where he's at, it'll be a tremendous improvement on my part. As you will all soon see, I'm not afraid to wear my influences on my sleeve.

With that said, I will close this post with a particularly telling missive that may or may not shed some light on another aspect of the secret project (wink wink).

Despite all of the negative reactions to the final season of LOST, I am still pretty impressed with how the creators have handled the closing act of this epic series. Now if you know me at all then you know what my thoughts are on this particular subject, so ending this show on a high note is very important to me. This season may have had its weak points, what cannot be taken away is the fact that they are giving that fans exactly what they wanted. Not only are they continuing the adventures of the castaways in the main timeline, but they've also introduced an alternate timeline where the plane from the first season never crashed. The concept alone is so ambitious I can't help but be floored by it. Once everything is said and done, once we can all take a step back and see the big picture as a whole, I am sure that everyone's doubts about this season will vanish. At the very least, they should respect the show's creative staff for the effort. I know I do.

P.S. FUCK ALL YOU HATERS!!!

Wait. / What?! / YUP!!!

2010-03-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

2010-03-03T22:11:00.001-08:00

(03/03/10 / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

Trying something new and to paraphrase:

"I'ma go 'head switch the style up. And if they hate then let 'em hate. I'll watch the money pile up."

"F"

2010-02-27T10:26:00.001-08:00

(The Zoners Test / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

For the past few weeks I've been working on a project that, for all intents and purposes, is pretty much the culmination of the past decade I've been working in retail. No capes and tights antics, no super-powered rich kids tearing up Chicago, none of that. Everything in this new project I have intimate knowledge and experience in. I've actually lived through most of the non-fantastical bits of it (there is of course fantastical aspects because it would be too damn boring otherwise). It's like wanting to write a really in-depth police procedural but you've never been a cop. I'm not saying that I couldn't give it a shot. It'll just never be as authentic. This, for me, is a different story.

For the first time in a long time, I'm actually writing what I know.

That said, the piece of artwork shown above was a design test of how my lead character is going to look. Now as excited as I am for writing this project, I'm the complete opposite when it came to the art. Frankly, my current art style doesn't really fit with the story. Aside from the obvious facts that I'm not a very competent artist to begin with, my current style is too clean, too time consuming, too sterile. It's not dark enough, not kinetic enough, not dirty enough. Its a style without any feeling, a non-style.

It just won't do.

So what's a boy to do? If you ask me, there's only one thing I can do.

Blow it up and start from scratch.

This project is getting done that way I see it in my head. Its just an added bonus if doing this will end up with me becoming a less incompetent artist.

We shall see.

A Fortune Cookie for Tomorrow

2010-01-20T21:20:00.001-08:00

(A Fortune Cookie for 2010 / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

So the GCS thing basically fell apart due to apathy and lack of communication. It was interesting while it lasted, but now its time to move on to bigger, better things.

Tomorrow, a countdown begins.

Tick tock, tick tock...

IIKX

2010-01-06T12:56:00.001-08:00

(GCS Teaser / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

Got something cooking (possibly) with the Santa Ana division of THE GLOBE CLOTHING STORE.

I don't jump the gun, I launch myself over it.

Top 10 Films of 2009

2009-12-30T15:06:00.000-08:00

One last chance to distill the year that was in the form of yet another list, my first time doing one about films. This may be a one-off because, without a doubt, 2010 will be THE YEAR OF SCOTT PILGRIM.

* * *

10. THE HANGOVER by Todd Phillips
What can one really say about this film? Personally, I believed it to be severely over-hyped, so much in fact that I never even saw it in theaters. When it came out on DVD after months and months of pressure from friends to check it out, I couldn't resist. Although it was pretty funny, it never really materialized to being as good and as hilarious as people made it out to be. With a great concept, memorable one-liners and scene-stealing performances from Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms, THE HANGOVER was the best bromance film in the year of the bromance. My favorite bits were the morning after breakfast scene featuring Galifianakis and baby Carlos, as well as Galifianakis' line about a tiger's thoughts on cinnamon.

9. 500 DAYS OF SUMMER by Marc Webb
The film that set every indie kid's hearts a-flutter proves the theory that sad, heart wrenching songs will always be more memorable that their lighter counterparts. Chronicling the disastrous relationship between true blue romantic Joseph Gordon-Levitt and jaded cynic Zooey Deschanel, this film takes a very interesting approach to presenting their journey by separating each scene by specific days in a non-linear sequence. Good days are followed by bad days then followed by good days again to give the viewer bits and pieces from the mosaic that is the couple's doomed relationship. Former music video director Marc Webb's feature film debut used a lot of very kitschy elements (a Bollywood sing-a-long complete with cartoon birds, split screens, etc.) but balanced it well with the gloomy core of the script to create a pretty bold and refreshing take on the romantic comedy. I'm very confident in the fact that a copy of this film will be a staple in many a hipster's messenger bag for years to come.

8. THE HURT LOCKER by Kathryn Bigelow
Not that I'm too gender biased to begin with (if you're good, you're good period) but it still took me by surprise that this gritty, dirty, visually unrelenting film about an Army bomb squad in Iraq was directed by a woman. I take that back actually. Its not that the director of this film was a woman, but that it was directed by the same person who was responsible for Keanu Reeves' surf-crime epic POINT BREAK! One of the most visceral, intense films I've ever seen, Kathryn Bigelow deserves every piece of acclaim she's received for this masterpiece. Not to be taken for granted is Jeremy Renner's amazing performance as the hard charging, borderline suicidal leader of the bomb squad. Personally speaking, how could I not emotionally relate to a man who's job is to not get blown up? Especially when, some days, that's all that he really wants to do.

7. SHERLOCK HOLMES by Guy Ritchie
This film was more of a relief than anything. After a couple of disappointing releases, director Guy Ritchie finally came back with some heat. One of my all-time favorite filmmakers, director Guy Ritchie took his brand of hyper-kinetic bombast to a new level of restraint of all things. His vision of Victorian London was a meticulously grimy and epic sprawl complete with smoke stack grey skies and alleyways covered in cobblestones and shadows. Amazing production design aside, the other star of this picture was definitely Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law's electric chemistry as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Despite the initial public reaction of this being too much of an action flick, I commend everyone involved for taking such a ballsy approach to such a classic character. I'm glad that the usually stiff character of Holmes was given a combustible, manic edge and I was also particularly impressed at Watson's portrayal of the long suffering housewife who just wants to get the fuck out, but can't. With a sequel more than likely already in the works, I hope that with the inclusion of a certain classic Holmes villian director Guy Ritchie takes a cue from Christopher Nolan and goes all DARK KNIGHT for the next go-around.

6. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS by Quentin Tarantino
My writing without any sort of bias when it comes to any of Quentin Tarantino's films is impossible at best. Tarantino's PULP FICTION was the film that made me want to become a filmmaker and a writer in general. Through the years, there hasn't been a more influential factor to my writing style than Quentin Tarantino. That said, when I first saw INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, I hated it. Not enough focus on Brad Pitt and the Basterds, not enough action and blood, too much of the film revolved around Shosanna Dreyfus's story, yadda yadda yadda. I HATED IT. But then you don't see it for a while and your completist's compulsion to buy the DVD firmly takes hold of your wallet, so you watch it again. I really should save my opinions after a second viewing because after watching it again did I discover and dissect all of the delicious layers and intricacies of the film. First and foremost was Christoph Waltz's brilliant performance as The Jew Hunter Col. Hans Landa. His brightly sinister and conniving take on the film's central villain was one of this year's best. Watching his character bounce through and around the other players in the tale was truly a joy to behold. Part war picture, part propaganda film, part foreign art piece, there really is a ton of elements going on in here which is a feat not so easily accomplished, but Tarantino did. Still though, not enough Basterds and the trailer was very fucking misleading. I don't hate this film as much anymore, but I should've liked it a helluva lot more.

5. UP by Peter Docter & Bob Petersen
PIXAR cannot be fucked with! How they made a film about an old man flying a house of balloons with a boy scout and a talking dog so thrilling, so emotionally sincere, so heartbreakingly sad, so...EVERYTHING is honestly beyond me. What else can one say? From top to bottom, the film is near perfect and it introduced the funniest new character of recent memory, DUG. So yeah. It's awesome. Watch it. Now.

4. THE BROTHERS BLOOM by Rian Johnson
I'm a sucker for a good confidence man movie and director Rian Johnson's second feature film gave me exactly just that. Having already fused the classic hard-boiled detective story with the high school melodrama on BRICK, Rian Johnson, for his next trick, took the archetypes of the gentleman con artists and gave it a bit of the old vaudevillian flair. Serpentine plot lines course through con upon con upon con to the point that you don't know who's trying to con who. Elegantly shot with international flavor on yachts, trains, mansions, castles, trains and crumbling theaters that span continents, this film takes you on a visual feast from one location to the other. As good as Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo were as the dysfunctional title characters, it's Rinko Kikuchi's role as the brother's silent but deadly, explosives expert/Girl Friday that steals the show.

3. FANTASTIC MR. FOX by Wes Anderson
Shot completely in lush and detailed stop motion animation, director Wes Anderson's take on the Roald Dahl's children's story is his best film since THE ROYAL TENNENBAUMS. Turning the source material into a story about a former thief and current wage slave's mid-life crisis was an inspired stroke of genius. Fueled by an understandable existential struggle as a family man trying to stave off the wilder ways of his youth as a devil may care rogue, Mr. Fox's (voiced by George Clooney) acts of misplaced kindess not only destroys his home, but also puts his family and his woodland animal friends in mortal danger. As with any Wes Anderson film, the best parts of FANTASTIC MR. FOX lies in the little, mundane moments of interaction between his quirky and hyper-aware cast of characters. The scene between Mr. Fox and Badger that starts off with them discussing real estate before quickly deteriorating to the pair growling and clawing at each other like a couple of wild animals (duh) is priceless. The level of artistry and attention to detail of the animation casts Wes Anderson's well composed shots in a brilliant new light and is, without a doubt, the star of this gorgeous production.

2. STAR TREK by J.J. Abrams
Speaking as a former writer of fan-fiction, I am a huge fan of revising, rebooting and re-imagination. The STAR TREK franchise, after having not received any sort of attention since the last of its many TV incarnations went off the air, was primed for a rebirth. So enters J.J. Abrams of LOST fame and does just that. With a cast of young, up and coming stars in tow, STAR TREK turns from a slow, clunking, political space drama to a hip, sexy, high octane explosion of technology and swagger. Much of the success stems directly from the pitch perfect recasting of legends in the science fiction world, Zachary Quinto as the new Spock being the crown jewel of the process. Chris Pine in the role of a brasher, cockier Capt. Kirk isn't too bad a move either, especially considering they made the choice to not mimic William Shatner's signature cadence. Although, the lack of a truly great villain is a negative to an otherwise bullet-proof film, it still doesn't take enough away from the amazing digital world they created to set their story in. Also, I now can understand the reasoning behind the writers' choice to basically erase any and all past continuity that occurred in the past STAR TREK films. With nothing to hold them back, the sky is officially the limit.

1. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Spike Jonze
Combining traditional puppetry with state of the art digital effects, Spike Jonze turned a 40 some odd page kid's book with roughly two paragraph's worth of narration and dialogue into a grand, sprawling masterpiece of filmmaking. With the added layer of being a child of divorce dealing with his single mother's new boyfriend, Max's transition from the real world to the fantastic island of the Wild Things doesn't seem so far-fetched when in the context of the young boy's rage and fertile imagination. Shot in a documentary style with lots of handheld camera work, this film made sequences where a bunch of monsters thrash around a forest seem so natural, as if it was a long, lost nature film. A classic through and through, this film boasts top notch production design (the work put into the Wild Things' island constructs and Carol's dioramas were breath-taking) and a sophistication in the computer generated emotions presented on the Wild Things' faces. A triumph from fade in to fade out, Spike Jonze reached a new level with this film. A poignant meditation on letting go of childhood trapped inside the fangs of living, breathing monsters, there's no going back from this one.

Top 10 Records of 2009

2009-12-09T16:41:00.000-08:00

In what has become one of the worst years in my personal history, these are the ten records that helped me get through 2009.

* * *

10. ARCTIC MONKEYS "Humbug"
In the year when Brit-rock spokes-assholes OASIS finally reached their inevitable and ultimate end, one of the young bands on the forefront of taking their throne decide that they'd rather not. Instead of following their first two records of high strung, high fructose, bombastic guitar rock, the ARCTIC MONKEYS take a trip through the desert of stoner rock and team up with QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE'S head resin hitter JOSH HOMME. The result of which is a collection of raw, sludgy jams that sound like a band finally loosening their neckties after an eternity of punching the clock. Interesting thought, this record came out months before the news of the OASIS split so maybe a hunger for the crown will manifest itself by the time they head back to the studio. Or maybe it'll just be a massive case of the munchies? Either way, you better watch your back MUSE! Watch your back!

9. THE DEAD WEATHER "Horehound"
THE DEAD WEATHER is THE WHITE STRIPES frontman JACK WHITE'S new side project. Along with members of THE KILLS (lead vocalist Alison Mosshart), QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (guitarist Dean Fertita) and White's other side project THE RACONTEURS (bassist Jack Lawrence), THE DEAD WEATHER'S debut record, HOREHOUND, has quickly become a staple in my iPod rotation. Energized by the crackling musical chemistry between lead vocalist Mosshart and drummer/vocalist White, HOREHOUND is dark, hard-charging bastard offspring of Detroit garage rock and the doomed inevitability of the showdown at the OK Corral. Much like how PORTISHEAD took the concept of spy film soundtracks and used it as part of the foundation of their sound, THE DEAD WEATHER did the same with spaghetti western scores. Its all black leather and gallows humor. Its rumble music with cigarette smoke hissing by way of ENNIO MORRICONE.

8. SILVERSUN PICKUPS "Swoon"
Having already impressed me a couple years prior with their unique brand of neo-shoegaze, these L.A. based noise enthusiasts reassure my faith with a new set of songs with sturdier walls of sound drenched in a more diverse soundscape of electronics, keyboards and strings. Nothing fancy, just a better, stronger, faster version of last year's model which is totally fine by me. I also can't forget to mention the fact that right smack dab in the middle of this record is a little song called "Panic Switch" which I highly regard as the best single of the year. If that perfect nugget of urgent speed frenzy doesn't get picked for a film soundtrack (preferably a zombie flick) it would be nothing short of a tragedy. At the very least, it would be a real damn shame.

7. KID CUDI "Man on the Moon: The End of Days"
So here's the deal, rapper Scott Mescudi drops an unheralded mixtape on the streets with an infectious single that takes rap radio completely off guard and based off that is suddenly co-signed by an industry heavy (KANYE WEST) to be featured in one of the most hotly anticipated records of 2008. Following the new business model to the letter, Cleveland born KID CUDI became one of the most hyped MCs on the blogosphere, but unlike the others in this year's crop of rap's young guns (i.e. MICKEY FACTZ, JAY ELECTRONICA, etc.) he actually held it together long enough to put out a record when he was supposed to, with interest in him at its peak. Taking his cue directly from his almost transcendent mentor, KID CUDI molds his stoner, sci-fi journal flow into an indie rock spiked travelogue of his journey from relative unknown to one of the more fully formed hip hop artists of recent memory. The ambitious "Man on the Moon: The End of Days" is not only told in five acts but also features production from hipsterati approved bands MGMT and RATATAT with spoken word narration by none other than COMMON. The LADY GAGA sampling single "Make Her Say" also has the best drum loop of the year, bar none.

6. THE CLIPSE "Til The Casket Drops"
Virginia coke rap giants THE CLIPSE having settled all of their record label issues, finally release the often delayed follow up to 2007's rap classic "Hell Hath No Fury". During an almost static free year where the duo debuted their own clothing line and strengthened their RE-UP GANG crew through subtraction (later, SANDMAN), it has never been more apparent how much the brothers Thornton need overwhelming adversity to fuel their lyrics. Although not a complete dud, this record serves as their least venomous piece of work. The signature elements are still present (coke tales, hustler dramas, chip on the shoulder anthems) but 'we got something to prove' tension is noticeably absent. They're still the standard bearers of lyrical hip hop, its just that this album finds them relaxed and without anything really substantial to say, as evidenced by the not so subtle ode to achieving the desired status quo "I'm Good" featuring a truly vanilla hook by PHARRELL. Despite the bangers ("Popular Demand (Popeye's)" and "Kinda Like a Big Deal") THE CLIPSE only fire on all cylinders if all encompassing anger is fueling them. I, for one, understand that sentiment completely so with all respect I say to them: GET MAD, MOTHERFUCKERS!

5. MOS DEF "The Ecstatic"
On the flip side of the status quo discussion, we have Brooklyn's finest, MOS DEF. If there was ever anyone who didn't need to put out a record, it is without a doubt MOS DEF, who is now a certified Hollywood commodity. His time could've been wisely spent making films for millions, MOS DEF instead cuts the rough, politically tinged "The Ecstatic". A perfect return to the more lyrical version he presented on his classic debut "Black on Both Sides" balanced by his artier, blues crooner on "The New Danger" without any of the bored, distance of the contract fulfilling "Tru3 Magic". This is the best of all worlds. He even speaks on the other side of the Middle Eastern situation on album standout "Auditorium" with SLICK RICK, no less! Alright, dude. I get it. You're multi-faceted. Geez.

4. RAEKWON "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. II"
2009 will forever go down in the annals of hip hop history as the year RAEKWON finally dropped the sequel to his legendary "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". A decade in the making, the weight of the anticipation alone could've crushed the release of this record. Rap heads the world over each have a mythical version on this gestating in their heads for years and for it to actually come out could've destroyed many a dream. Little did everyone know that it may have been worth the wait. Anchored by stellar production from J-DILLA, THE RZA and DR. DRE among others, "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. II" is the mafioso crime epic that is its father's son. On the WU-TANG CLAN posse tracks "House of Flying Daggers" and "New Wu" especially, I have never heard METHOD MAN, GHOSTFACE KILLAH and INSPECTAH DECK go in so hard and so fierce that I almost thought that I was listening to the first WU-TANG CLAN album for a split second. Welcome back, CHEF. I never realized how much I missed y'all.

3. THE XX "XX"
My most surprising, out of left field pick of the year was of course discovered through the blogs. THE XX is an English three piece comprised of kids in their very early 20's who're really into R&B production. Crisp, clean drum machine and keyboard-centric pop songs deftly balance the darkness, melancholy and whimsy within each compact composition. The delicate vocal interplay between Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim recall the brilliant PORTISHEAD under the covers with bedroom electronica. They also cover AALIYAH's "Hot Like Fire" as a rumbling thunderstorm looming on the horizon. How can you fuck with that?! The handclaps and Romy Madley Croft's syrupy swells on "Heart Skipped a Beat" is another can't miss moment. As bleak and as dreary as this record can get, its most endearing quality is that it can still put a smile on your face even during the loneliest nights driving down the loneliest roads.

2. BLAKROC "BLAKROC"
How's this for a mindfuck? Rap impresario and former Rock-A-Fella Records co-founder DAME DASH connects with blues-rock duo THE BLACK KEYS and decides to record a hip hop album with them along with an all star list of recruits that his Blackberry threw up on his designer jeans. The unlikely pairing of THE BLACK KEY's river delta, speakeasy instrumentations meshed so well with the street wise vocal stylings of a roster so disparate that it ranged from JIM JONES, MOS DEF, RAEKWON, THE RZA, PHAROAHE MONCH and Q-TIP to R&B song bird NICOLE WRAY with a posthumous drop from OL' DIRTY BASTARD to boot. Kinda jarring to think that DAME DASH might actually know what he's doing. It was detailed in their excellent series of behind the scenes webisodes how after the initial meeting with THE BLACK KEYS at their Brooklyn studio, it only took an impressed DAME DASH one phone call to get MOS DEF to come down and record vocals on what would eventually become the record's lead single "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)". His next call would've probably been to JIM JONES so that he could come down to record his verse and complete one of the best singles of the year. Just like that?! From DAME DASH?! Who'd a thunk it?!

1. BRAND NEW "Daisy"
If what BRAND NEW frontman Jesse Lacey says is true then "Daisy" is going to be the band's swan song. If so, then what a way to go out. Building on their last album's multi-layered quantum leap to prog-rock from their meager pop-punk beginnings, BRAND NEW infuses "Daisy" with massive slabs of distortion, quasi Auto-tuned vocals and samples from old gospel recordings. Pile that on top of songs about drowning victims, arson, accusations of thievery, mail order brides and a classic Mancunian bedsit, what you end up with is a fierce, bloodletting juggernaut of new school noise rock. Album centerpiece and title track "Daisy" has so much going on (from stop and go dynamics to a vocal sample of a child's voice) that it really is hard to fathom where else this band could go with their sound. Although I can understand if this is their finale, I would hope that they find something to help reinvigorate them as a band. If it ends, it ends. It just shouldn't end the moment a band finally completely opens their sound up to be able to do anything and go in any direction. Not yet, fellas. One more time, for all the kids that held you down since you first sung about Jude Law and bickered with TAKING BACK SUNDAY. For old times sake, one more time.

(The End of) TUMBLING

2009-10-18T11:00:00.001-07:00

(ryjanallen / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

Although unnoticed by just about everyone, I've decided to close down THE COLD ACADEMY'S TUMBLR blog. The main reason being that aside from serving as another archive for the series, it really had no other purpose for existing. My original intention was for it to be a work blog where I could exhibit my personal writing process, post little bits of inspiration (i.e. pictures, music videos, audio tracks, etc.) and generally glorify the lonely road I take as I slowly crawl to its completion.

Then I realized, isn't that what this blog is for?

As cool and sexy and new as TUMBLR is, I never felt completely committed to it. I've maintained this blog for over a year now, a personal best for me mind you, and I've still yet to post more than five entries in any given month. That said, it leads me to believe that I'm all about the finished product. I probably can never post a step by step dissection of my personal artistic process despite the fact that I enjoy it immensely when my favorite writers and artists do.

Maybe I just don't want anyone to know how many shortcuts I take. Maybe I want people to believe that I put myself to some arduous, emotionally searing experience every time I draw or write something. Maybe I just don't want to show you how I pulled the rabbit out of the hat. Who knows?

Maybe I just don't want the world to see how much of a charlatan I really can be.

So here we stay.

If ever I have any great, life-altering news to tell, I'm going to tell it here, if only to even out all of the bad news I've told here before.

If not here, then TWITTER.

Regardless, y'all know where to find me.

This is the Scar I Made for You

2009-09-10T21:49:00.001-07:00

(Lacy's Tattoo / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

Kinda surreal seeing something I drew tattooed onto someone's flesh. I never thought it would actually happen, but I guess I was wrong. So wrong in fact, that, yesterday, the same young lady commissioned me to whip up another tattoo design for her.

I should be flattered, right? Or should I actually charge her this time? Money or a living breathing canvas for my art?

What a weird situation.

One that I never thought in a million years I'd be in.

31.

2009-08-15T00:28:00.000-07:00

Reymundo “Rey Rey” Salazar believed in the power of shine.

Painstakingly decked out in the finest gear, Rey Rey’s five foot four frame bobbed languidly on the corner decked out in crisp grey LRG jeans and the latest A Bathing Ape’s attention hungry hoodies. The severe angles of his birdlike jaw supported a pair of thirsty eyes and a stone chiseled grimace. His head moved to the beat of Mobb Deep’s “Trife Life” despite of his obvious indifference to his current situation. To him at that precise moment in time, rocking to the poetry of Prodigy’s flow was a mere formality, adornment as necessary as the ice on his ear and the platinum chain on his neck. They too were nothing more than pieces of wardrobe he slipped on like the shirt on his back.

Standing on the corner of Cleveland and Erie at three in the morning wasn’t enough for Rey Rey. With every throb of the bass, he wore the glow of probable cause with pride.

Being born into the rugged culture of Harmony projects taught Rey Rey about life as the target of suspicion, but it was the sting of the blunt handle of a patrolman’s pistol the first time he got rolled that schooled him in the futility of fighting it.

“It is what it is,” someone told him once. “Why the fuck fight it?”

* * * * * *

ARTIFICE COMICS presents

THE COLD ACADEMY

Part V of "The Backpack Generation"

A Serialized Novel by JERICHO VILAR

{ READ THE COMPLETE ISSUE HERE }

"Games for Days"

2009-08-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

Just stumbled upon another great clip. This time from JULIAN PLENTI which just happens to be INTERPOL frontman PAUL BANKS' solo project. Directed by JAVIER AQUILERA, this short meditation on hipster stalkeristas reminds me a lot of a cross between CHELSEA WALLS and SE7EN.

Really inspiring stuff.

"P-P-P-Poke Her Face P-P-Poker Her Face"

2009-07-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder if KANYE WEST will ever miss a step. From the music to the clothing line to the shoes to spearheading his own record label, the man just doesn't seem to have any cracks in the armor. His latest protege, Cleveland rapper KID CUDI has been buzzed about all year with nothing more than a single mixtape on his resume. With his major label debut dropping this September, KID CUDI recently released the music video for the forthcoming album's second single, "Make Her Say" (feat. KANYE WEST & COMMON). The NEZ KHAMMAL directed clip is a playfully abstract and artistic piece of work not usually found in the world of hip hop. Its great use of sparse, yet impeccably well dressed, backdrops (the balloons were a stroke of genius) and the split screen composition makes it so refreshingly simple. Its like a breath of fresh air. A lot of people are expecting big things from this fellow.

Frankly, so do I and this is a great start.

"And They Say Romance is Dead..."

2009-07-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

THE DEAD WEATHER is THE WHITE STRIPES impresario JACK WHITE'S new side project. Along with members of The Kills (lead vocalist Alison Mosshart), Queens of the Stone Age (guitarist Dean Fertita) and White's other side project The Raconteurs (bassist Jack Lawrence), THE DEAD WEATHER'S debut record, HOREHOUND, has quickly become a staple in my iPod rotation. Energized by the crackling musical chemistry between lead vocalist Mosshart and drummer/vocalist White, HOREHOUND is dark, hard-charging bastard offspring of Detroit garage rock and the doomed inevitability of the showdown at the OK Corral. Much like how PORTISHEAD took the concept of spy film soundtracks and used it as part of the foundation of their sound, THE DEAD WEATHER did the same with spaghetti western scores. Its all black leather and gallows humor. Its rumble music with cigarette smoke hissing by way of ENNIO MORRICONE. Without a doubt, HOREHOUND will be on my best of list of 2009 and the year is only half over.

Plus, having an amazing video directed by JONATHAN GLAZER for their first single doesn't hurt either.

R.I.P.

2009-06-14T21:53:00.001-07:00

(R.I.P. Sweet Prince / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics)

Ivan was a dear friend and voracious lover of food. A fixture in the Gleeson family home, Ivan passed away yesterday after battling diabetes, having already beaten cancer a few years ago.

He will be missed.

The Sincerest Form of Flattery

2009-06-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

For some inexplicable reason, there seems to be one piece of artwork that I've done that stands head and shoulders above all the others in terms of popularity. Not a recent piece, but one that I did as part of a DC/VERTIGO talent contest submission in 2003. I've liked it enough since then that I've always included it in every portfolio or website archive that I've ever had, but it wasn't until I added it to my DEVIANTART archive that I started to notice how much attention it gets as opposed to everything else that I've ever done since.

As of the moment of this writing, that piece of artwork that I've titled "boots made for walking" has gotten over 4,000 views and was marked a favorite by 115 people. The numbers aren't jaw-dropping by any means, but for me they are quite something. The weird little impact of "boots made for walking" didn't really make me take notice until a fellow DEVIANTART user called NOMISART added me on their friends list. When I went to check out what they were about, guess what I found?

Their version called "Watch Your Step" was the first thing I saw on their page. I was flattered, I suppose. After thinking about it later, I wondered why I didn't react negatively to the gesture, why wasn't I livid, why wasn't I fuming? Some kid was copping my shit and I go and do nothing about it?!?! Then I realized that I was exactly where they were. I've never received any formal art training outside of high school, everything I know I've learned from imitation. From JIM LEE to TONY HARRIS to PAUL POPE to MATTHEW WOODSON, I've aped them all and from each of them I've learned certain facets of their art that I want to assimilate into my own style.

With that said, me reacting in any sort of negative manner towards this person who for some odd reason liked something I did well enough to study it and try to re-create it, an act that I've done hundreds of times myself, would be hypocritical at best.

Good luck to you, whoever you are. For that matter, good luck to me, too. Hopefully some really invigorating art comes out of all of this.

Hopefully, it'll be coming from me.

Fingers crossed.

Always Make the Last Shot Count

2009-05-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso's one hundred issue run on their creator owned Vertigo Comics' book 100 BULLETS will forever be considered as one of the medium's classic and seminal masterworks. Easily a shining example of the graphic novel as literature ala Neil Gaiman's THE SANDMAN, 100 BULLETS firmly established itself as a contemporary American crime epic, Dickensian in scope with Shakespearean levels of tragedy. With its top shelf quality writing and art only rivaled by its abnormal standard of consistency, Azzarello and Risso conclude their signature book with the twelve part story arc entitled "100 Bullets". Like all long form narratives hurtling towards its culmination, the level of expectation for this last storyline almost instantly reached a fever pitch. With its multi-generational plotlines expertly tangled up in bloody serpentine threads colliding with years upon years of critical praise, the notion that the final 100 BULLETS arc would be even the least bit anticlimactic was unthinkable.

Yet despite protestation from my heart, in the back of my mind it being a touch anticlimactic was, sadly enough, a foregone conclusion.

Seen through the prism of an obsessive fanboy's eyes, the final 100 BULLETS story arc needed to not only deliver proper resolution to the series' many subplots and dagling intricacies, but also do justice to the amazing cast of characters who the reader has seen through feast and famine. Which it does, for the most part. Characters died, others came full circle and the book's main power struggle was seen through to its brutal and bloody end. Yet there's still something lacking in the execution (to me personally, at least). The main reason for this airing of grievances falls on the fact that I just happen to be a writer as well as a fan. Which in terms of writing an unbiased review is a bad recipe from the get go. That said, after years of studying the book's tendencies, I have unconsciously written an ending of my own. To Brian Azzarello's credit, he went the complete opposite direction.

With my mouth salivating at the thought of a huge Mexican standoff with the members of The Trust, Augustus Medici, the remaining Minutemen, Lono, Dizzy, and Agent Graves himself all standing on the business end of a gun, Azzarello began the ceremonies with the off stage murder of Augustus Medici's son and heir, Benito. Having gone from spoiled, unfocused party boy to a cold, calculating power player, Benito wasn't given an ending he deserved. Found drowned in the pool in between chapters, Benito was never given the chance to confront his father for all of his sins and Dizzy to confess his true feelings for her.

Although part of a particularly juicy scene where Agent Graves thought him to be the fallen head of The Trust, the mad dog killer Lono was only given a handful of pages where he finally was seen as an equal instead of a lesser in Graves, his former leader's, eyes. His moment of triumph after years of being thought of as nothing but a mindless animal was cut short after Dizzy barges in right when Lono was about to exact revenge on Agent Graves and shoots him in the chest. An slightly unexpected caveat appeared when Lono's cold, dead body was never shown leading to an open ended ending for a character who has a tendency of cheating death.

On the other end of the spectrum was the confrontation between rogue Minuteman Cole Burns and the scheming femme fatale Megan Dietrich. Acting a bit out of character, the normally icy in the face of certain doom, Megan Dietrich literally pisses her pants while being threatenend to be burned alive by Cole Burns, the same fate that befell her father years ago at the hands of the same man. But, in an ironic turn of events, the proficient assasin Burns acidentally drops the flame on the gasoline soaked carpet killing both him and his target. Death being his only destination, it was still a bit disappointing to see Cole burn himself to hell on accident regardless of how utterly appropriate his demise mirrored his name.

Despite the perfect exits of Remy Rome, another Minuteman, and his brother Ronnie, the rest of the Minutemen were given the easy way out. Basically there to run interference, Loop Hughes and Victor Ray ended up just walking away from it all after killing a gaggle of The Trust's armed guards, primarily on account of their sudden distaste for death. This wasn't what I expected because after being treated like the little runt tagging along with the other Minutemen veterans, Loop finally reached his full potential as one of them only to leave it all behind even though the man responsible for his father's murder was vulnerable a few feet away? The loss of a potenitally riveting scene between Loop and Agent Graves (or Loop and his former trainer Lono for that matter) spoiled even further by the moment of soap opera cheese when it was revealed that the mercenary hired by the Trust to eliminate the Minutemen, Will Slaughter, was Victor Ray's father after saving his son's life during the fire fight.

Not to be overshadowed, however, was the pitch perfect ending of the last remaining Minuteman involved, Jack Daw. The muscle of the group, Jack Daw had been hinted at multiple times that he was the only one who could take on any other Minuteman that got in his way. His death came when he single handedly confronted Medici's personal bodyguard, Crete, in a battle of the heavyweights that ended with both men eaten alive in an alligator filled moat. Jack Daw, with his inate fascination with predatory animals, died a beast among beasts.

Through it all, the undisputed highlight of the arc was the final confrontation between Augustus Medici and Agent Graves. It did not disappoint. The conflict between Medici and Graves being the initial catalyst for every event that transpired in the series, there was no way it could disappoint. Every body that fell and every drop of blood spilt could be traced back to them.

From the very beginning, it was always about the moment Medici's greed clashed with Graves' code of honor. Their final scene played like the last face off between two old generals whose friendship was born from bloodshed. Inevitability fueled every nuace and every spoken word between the two. With all their plans collapsing around them set in the absolutely magnificent backdrop of Medici's burning mansion, Medici and Graves remorselessly met eye to eye still holding strong to their beliefs regardless of the consequences. When the end of all creation comes upon us all, this was how I'd imagine God and the Devil would meet. The cresendo delivered with Agent Graves shooting his old rival and friend silently in the heart. The only way it was ever going to end between the two men. The attache that held all of Graves' actions, every life and the face of every person he had to use to get to his target etched ontl each one of the hundred bullets was finally emptied.

Save for one.

Isabelle 'Dizzy' Cordova, the former gangbanger from Chicago that Agent Graves first met to open the book, the one person who every faction in the series either wanted to enlist or exterminate, the only woman of non caucasian descent to ever be elevated to Agent Graves' former position of leader of the Minutemen, the person who Graves protected and nurtured with every fiber of his being.

She was the 100th bullet.

Tasked with the duty of eliminating any one who went against the Trust even if the culprit was from within the Trust itself, Dizzy was made witness to Agent Graves' murder of Augustus Medici. With his unyielding sense of honor firmly passed onto Dizzy, Agent Graves held her closely as everything turned to ash around them confident that she would do the one thing that he meant for her to do the whole time.

Agent Graves always knew that the last bullet was meant for him. It was his game and his rules. No one was exempt.

Like Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso before him, Agent Graves has always known what he was building. Through all the victories and all of the mistakes, through every expectation, they all knew. It may have been a touch anticlimactic but more imprtantly it stayed true to itself and I cannot fault them for that. What I can do is commend them for such an amazing achievement. What they accomplished with 100 BULLETS only happens once in a lifetime and, despite all of my complaints, I am glad that I could be there to watch it unfold.

My most heartfelt congratulations to Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso and everyone else involved in the creation of what will probably end up being my all-time favorite comic book once everything is all said and done.

Still, thinking about it now, regret and disappointment were necessary materials of the monument they were erecting brick by brick for one hundred issues.

After all, they were building a house of graves.

Two Points & The Line Between Them

2009-04-11T00:19:00.000-07:00

So the ZUDA thing didn't work out, now what? With two short years separating me and 30 and the sting from the ZUDA competition still relatively fresh on my teeth, that was the one question that's been constantly ringing in my head.

Now what?

Do I just ride it out working in retail hell until the devastated economy eventually takes my job? Do I just completely sell out and find a desk job pushing a pencil for some heartless corporation or, heaven forbid, the government? Do I go back to school?

Now what?

Who knows? I don't. Just about the only thing I do know is the fact that, at this point in my life, I'm still too much of a boy to ever become a man. Sad, I know but at least I've come to grips with knowing that all this growing up I have to do, I have to do very very soon. Much to my personal dismay, of course.

Which, I guess, is why I decided to retire THEBOYOPERA. Since I've been a regular visitor of Ryan Klaverweide's ALRIGHTOK Blog I've slowly become educated on the importance of branding and one's public image. The more and more I knew and read about the subject, the more it became apparent that THEBOYOPERA name was just something that I've outgrown. Sounds pretentious, I know but what're you gonna do?

I RUIN CLASSICS.

Plain and simple, that's what I do. Whether its butchering literary genres when I write or blatantly ripping off my influences when I draw, I RUIN CLASSICS! That brand completely encapsulates everything I've ever wanted to do with art in all of it's many forms. I basically want to fuck things up. It is also an extremely honest critique on my forays into film. Why is it that I've been making my own videos of pop songs that already have videos? Cause I wanted to show people my version of it, even it means ruining the song for them. That's just me being me.

I RUIN CLASSICS.

Now looking towards the future both near and far, I present to you the following.

The former is a clue to an idea I've got bopping around in my head (maybe it'll be just practice or maybe it'll be more) and the latter is a reminder (for me mostly) that if you put the work in you just may end up being in a position to do whatever you want whenever you want and make money off it.

If they can do it, so can I.

Back in Business!

2009-03-25T16:10:00.001-07:00

( back on the grind / Originally uploaded by iruinclassics )

First day at the new office. Had an awesome caramel shake. Next stop, the white mocha.

As of right now, all is well.

15:01

2009-02-27T23:06:00.000-08:00

So it's official.

INDIE has lost the February '09 ZUDA COMICS Competition.

And the winner is.....

Back to reality.

INDIE ROCK IS EASY!

2009-02-23T23:11:00.000-08:00

After three weeks into the month long ZUDA COMICS competition, my webcomic submission INDIE has continued to hold is position in 6th place with no immediate signs of progress heading into the crucial last week of competition.

After three long weeks of watching and waiting, I have recently come to accept the fact that I am going to lose. Not only will I lose, but I am going to lose in a pretty spectacular fashion. Due to my choice to go with the one panel per page, widescreen format, INDIE has garnered more than its share of a certain flavor of criticism.

* * * * * *

"I could go on and on about how Indie is the perfect example of why Zuda's current format does not work, but that is neither here nor there. While I give the comic points for originality (as a comic itself), and whereas I am a huge fan of making comics and video games more cinematic.... this just doesn't work. Just like Nothing's On was torn to shreds because it tried to be too different, Indie implodes on itself for trying to be a genre that is not applicable to comics. If it were a shortform device, it would be a different story." - Bryy Miller

"Zuda entrants only have 8 screens to impress an audience enough to vote for their project. Jericho Vilar takes the really gutsy move and tries to do it in 8 full-page panels. It’s an absolute failure, even if it’s an audacious one. It’s really two pages of content, at best, spread over eight screens of traced and screened photos from the indie club scene. It really doesn’t seem like the creator cared enough about this to put forth an effort, which made this a thankfully short read. 0/5" - Richard Pace

"I found INDIE to be one of the worst comics ever posted on Zuda.com. It comes across as self indulgent and arrogant. If we, the readers, wanted a comic to play out like a film or documentary, we'd watch a film or documentary. If I said I hated INDIE, I would be going light on my feelings for it. I am dumbfounded by the fact that it's not in 10th place." - Anonymous

* * * * * *

Not that I haven't gotten a ton of support from my girlfriend and all of my family and friends mind you, I just find it extremely interesting how INDIE ended being so polarizing when it came to the unbiased public's reactions. It seems to be the case that you either love it or you hate it and there's nothing in between. Being an artist with a healthy ego, it kinda takes you by surprise that your work could elicit any response other than pure adoration from the masses. I suppose that was the most important lesson I learned from this whole ZUDA COMICS experience.

Still though, being an artist with a healthy ego, it stings that same ego knowing that I'm going to lose either to a hard hitting tale of a bunch of ninja ravers, a pink film noir bunny or Satan's happy-go-lucky sidekick.

Oh well.

Guess a book like INDIE was never meant to exist within the brightly colored, easily digestible, tried and true world of mainstream comic books. I probably should've known that from the get-go, but I needed to see if it would stick.

Now I know.

In retrospect, I would like to thank ZUDA COMICS for giving my little project a chance and for everyone who's support and patience through all of my constant bulletins and emails and annoying questions if they voted or not made it possible for INDIE to stay in 6th place this whole time. Especially my personal cheerleader/therapist, BRIANNA GLEESON because without her I would've probably incited a pretty gnarly flame war with the whole of ZUDA that would've probably blacklisted me from ever even touching a comic published by DC COMICS for as long as I lived. Also another special thanks to my best friend, RB DILANCHIAN, for going above and beyond during the first couple of weeks of the competition, spreading the word and "gettin' them fuckin' votes, bitch!" Thanks also to the TARGET gang (Rob, Andrew, Han, Dan, Sylvia) and lastly to my little brother EDISON for stumping for me on the MySpace.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

At least we'll have THIS to look forward to.

"Have I ever told you I was struck by lightning seven times?"

2009-01-10T19:41:00.000-08:00

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" single-handedly re-instilled in me the unbridled love and beauty of film-making that has long since been beaten down by cookie-cutter, homogenous Hollywood seizure inducers and too cool for school kitsch for the sake of kitsch indie rubbish. Director David Fincher has officially reached a new level I haven't seen since Paul Thomas Anderson released "Magnolia" in 1999 and Wes Anderson debuted "The Royal Tennenbaums" in 2001.

The amazing story of a man aging in reverse, this film is both an intricately detailed period piece that spans decades and a tragic tale of love having to endure the most rigorous test of time any two characters has ever been put through. If any other film this year even remotely comes close to this one, 2009 will go down in history as a banner year in film. But, if you ask me, 2009 already got there with this one alone.

"Dear Muse, You Are The Gift"

2008-12-27T08:52:00.000-08:00

Somewhere along the path I went down this year and a couple years past, it occurs to me that somewhere down the line I've kinda lost sight of what I wanted to be in the first place. Of course being a comic book artist would be amazing and all, but from the very beginning of me knowing what I wanted to be, being a comic book artist really wasn't it. For the longest time, all I remember is wanting to be a film maker. That was the goal. That was what cemented me with my core group of friends. That was what basically got me to where I am today, good or bad. I wonder now when I completely lost focus. I wonder now whether that's what I really want to be in the first place. Of course it is. I just get kinda introspective after doing a shoot with a bunch of friends and getting back a taste for it. It is truly invigorating stuff. It kinda gets my blood pumping.

Kinda makes me realize that this is it for me. Making films professionally is the ultimate goal and if I don't start on that path again soon then I should definitely kiss it goodbye. I say these things now and hope that I follow through. I don't want to be re-reading this post this time next year and hate myself for not doing what I told myself I would do. So I'll make it simple. I will shoot at least two more shorts in 2009 and I will do my best to push myself into going back to school for film. There! Now its on the record. Cross my heart and hope to die.

In any case, from here on out every film I make will always be just me trying to impress HER.

* * * * * *

This was what got me on this kick in the first place.

It's what I got her for Christmas.

Top 10 Records of 2008

2008-12-16T23:10:00.000-08:00

This was my year in music. How was yours?

* * *

10. DEERHUNTER "Microcastle"
Through a bit of reverse discovery, I got hip to Deerhunter's new record after listening to lead singer Bradford Cox's solo, side project, The Atlas Sound. After initially expecting the electronic sprawl of The Atlas Sound to grounded by the live instrumentation of an actual backing band, "Microcastle" took me the complete opposite direction in the best way possible. Packed with surprisingly tight and focused soundscapes, "Microcastle" ended up being Branford Cox and Co.'s official guide on how to get over "IT" through droney beats and shoegazer fuzz. Like a less experimental Sonic Youth or an artier Strokes, Deerhunter embraces all kinds of despair and informs us on the theory of a cloud's silver lining. All in all, its kind of a feel good record.

9. COLD WAR KIDS "Loyalty to Loyalty"
Storming back with the dusty piano jangle snarl that made their debut album "Robbers & Cowards" a hit with the indie blogosphere, The Cold War Kids yelp and boogie through dittys about being a woman in a punch drunk relationship and suicidal folks standing on the ledge of the Golden Gate with a sharper, more practiced version of their signature white boy blues. If ever the Prohibition Era honky tonk bars come back into fashion, these dudes would most likely be headlining each and every one of them from the hometown of Fullerton, CA all the way to the River Delta.

8. THE CLIPSE "Road To Till The Casket Drops Mixtape"
Despite being a marketing ploy to advertise the launch of their new clothing line, Play Cloths, this free mixtape comes off more like a victory lap taunt. With their excellent sophomore album "Hell Hath No Fury" receiving lackluster sales and this year's minor implosion within their Re-Up Gang crew, The Clipse remind the world who still holds the crown in the realm of lyrical hip hop the only way they know how, through the art of the street mixtape. The only way to cash in on this record's promise? How about they release their third album proper "Till The Casket Drops" early next year...when they promised it to be.

7. CINEMATIC SUNRISE "A Coloring Storybook & Long Playing Record"
Even though a side project by Chiodos frontman Craig Owens, Cinematic Sunrise boasts none of the blistering, hardcore bombast of Owens' other band. True to form, the side project indulges the singer's other tastes with polished, acoustic driven gems about heartbreak and stalking chicks through frosted windows. The ballads soar and the choruses swell on Owens' most mature and focused song writing in...ever. The old adage rings true yet again. One cannot thrash around singing in a register usually reserved for canines forever. Sorry, dudes.

6. JACK'S MANNEQUIN "The Glass Passenger"
This is my most sentimental pick of '08. I discovered this band through my girlfriend and I took her to see them this year on her 22nd birthday, which was also the first show I've gone to in over 3 years. Having just recently recovered from leukemia, frontman Andrew McMahon realizes his full piano man potential with an album of beautiful, energetic, sometimes hauntingly melancholic songs of redemption. This is truly a survivor's tale.

5. TV ON THE RADIO "Dear Science"
By the time of this writing, this album will have already topped most everyone's best of lists, so much so that these guys must list their occupation as music critic darlings on their tax forms. Building on '06's "Return to Cookie Mountain", "Dear Science" still brings the space age throbs, the apocalyptic sludge, the do-wop choruses, and the relentlessly schizophrenic walls of rhythm but this time with a new twist; a touch of hope for a brighter tomorrow. Album stand out "Golden Age" was made for November 4, 2008.

4. LOS CAMPESINOS! "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed"
This Welsh band is on the same road to recovery from the sadness of it all as Deerhunter with the exception that instead of getting there through quiet self revelation, Los Campesinos! arrive through bratty one-liners and head bobbing scrappiness. Hyper active indie pop with boy/girl shout/harmonies drama/humor laugh at you cause despite of how many slashes I used to describe their sound, you still have more on them on your emo kid wrists. Seriously though, Los Campesinos! fully believe that laughter is the best medicine to mend a broken heart and also that the hot chick that rejected you for prom probably is totally gay.

3. MARGOT & THE NUCLEAR SO & SO'S "Animal! / Not Animal"
This so indie it hurts Indiana 8 piece originally wanted to release their new record with one tracklist (Animal!) but their label wanted to go with another one (Not Animal) with more accessible songs. Instead of 'selling out' they compromised and released both versions, one as a regular mass market compact disc (Not Animal, by the label) and the other strictly as a vinyl LP (Animal! by the band). But through the magic of iTunes I have both (Animal! The Complete Edition, by ME!!!). Through all the drama, what remains is the band's intricate chamber pop symphonies and frontman Richard Edwards' warm, world weary professions of peace, love and vaginas.

2. LIL' WAYNE "Tha Carter III"
The undeniable magic of Lil' Wayne is quite possibly his ability to never hold back. After releasing mixtape after mixtape (after mixtape) and appearing as a guest on track after track (after track) one could have been led to believe that by the time the highly anticipated "Tha Carter III" was released he'd have nothing left in the tank. Boy, were they wrong. From fighting over the title of the one true "Mr. Cater" with Jay-Z to being the surgeon who eventually saves hip hop's life to busting out the Auto-Tune and the guitar (?!?!) on lead single "Lollipop", this album is loaded all the way through. Closely homing in on legendary status, Lil' Wayne has proven to all that he is hip hop's very own electric car. He's never running out of gas.

1. KANYE WEST "808s & Heartbreak"
The true goal of artist is to someday transcend all boundaries, genres, etc. and become something singular, something all their own. Kanye West is one of the few people in my generation that takes being an artist that seriously. Despite the forthcoming backlash from his fans and the hip hop community in general, Kanye realized that the next logical step in his evolution as an aritst is to set his sights off his comfort zone and onto the bigger picture. Although it has grown tremendously over the years, he knew that hip hop was still a niche genre and that nothing gets more global than pop music. When news came down that his new album would feature little to no rapping, he heard the boos, and then when news got around that he would be singing almost all of it with the aid of the Auto-Tune, he heard the boos turn into cries. Then the videos and the MTV Movie Awards performance, yet through it all was the constant fact that everyone was talking about HIM. At its core a record that centers on the death of his mother and the breakup with his fiancee, "808s & Heartbreak" is also Kanye's bid to make a universal pop album. Piled with catchy hooks on basic, primal beats, this album is built on the idea that while not everyone has ran the mean streets or flashed any sort of bling, we all have felt loss and heartache not unlike the kind he felt during the making of the album. And listening to it maybe would be as comforting, maybe even therapeutic, to us as it was for him. All in all, a brave move from a brave artist, one that only he could've made. Ultimately, its also a move that equals no turning back now.

Exhale / Deep Breath / Fingers Crossed

2008-11-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

Here goes nothing, I suppose.

More news as soon as I have something to tell.

Wish me luck, world.

Just a Little Bit of Hero Worship

2008-11-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

Kanye West speaking frankly at a press junket in Singapore.

Cribbed from Nahright.com

"This is Morning......"

2008-11-06T19:33:00.000-08:00

This past Monday, I took the wife to the Jack's Mannequin show at the House of Blues Anaheim for her birthday. Not only was it important for me to pick the right show because I haven't been to one in almost two years now I believe, but it was also the first concert we would be going to together (plus it was also her birthday) so I had to choose carefully. Now, we have kind of share a connection with the band Jack's Mannequin (she introduced me to the band early on before we started dating after having found out that I was a fan of Jack's Mannequin frontman Andrew McMahon's former band Something Corporate) so having them come into our backyard on their last west coast stop was a chance that I couldn't pass up. All in all, everything went great. The wife had a good time and I had a great time watching her having a good time. Sappy, I know.

The band performed a very spirited and bracing set. McMahon, being an O.C. native, was genuinely glad to be home performing for his friends and his family and it showed through his between song banter with the crowd and high energy antics (he slammed his ass on his piano keys to close out a song). All of the songs we wanted to hear were played which is always nice plus the added treat of them doing a cover of MGMT's "Kids" was pretty sweet.

My only gripe was that the House of Blues in Anaheim was way smaller than the one in Hollywood. The layout of the place was vertically inclined than horizontally. Instead of having a longer floor/pit space, they opted for a slightly bigger balcony area but still kept the majority of that space closed off for V.I.P.s and the like. Although I would prefer going to, say, the Henry Fonda Theatre or the Palladium, I guess I would go back to the House of Blues Anaheim if I really had to.

In conclusion, here are some shitty pics from the show I took shoved in between sweaty teenage hipsters and underage bro-ho's

THE BIRTHDAY GIRL, OF COURSE!!!

"If I Were A..." Pt. II

2008-11-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

When LOST first premiered four years ago, I had no idea what to make of it. At first glance, it seemed to be your everyday run of the mill castaway story with the twist being that the survivors were stranded on monster island. Seems safe enough. Add to that the fact that the very talented writer/director/producer J.J. Abrams of ALIAS fame co-created the project and I was sold on at least giving the pilot a good once over.

Then the opening sequence with the plane crash on the beach threw everything I originally assumed about it straight out the window.

5 seasons into a 6 season arc, LOST is by far the best show being aired on American television in my humble opinion. Starting out as a disaster show, it has since become a mystery of epic proportions with a mythos so dense, so detailed and interconnected that it can't helped but be watched and re-watched over and over again just to catch everything one probably missed during their first viewing. Now with that said, having a back story so intricate means that one has to be on board from the first episode to fully appreciate the show's wide scope. A criticism and a con that while many viewers out there share and severely colors their thoughts of the show, I completely respect. Let's just say that its the elitist in me, but if you want to be spoon fed the story by a show that constantly has to compromise its overall plotline with "jumping on" points for new viewers then you probably should find another program to watch.

With themes such as religion, philosophy, love, amorality, survival, isolation, redemption, revenge, sacrifice, fate, irony, forgiveness, betrayal, and the questioning of reality running rampant through each and every episode, LOST is an astounding exercise in storytelling and its many forms. At any given moment, the show could go from drama to action to science fiction to romance and back at the drop of a dime. Thanks to its brilliantly fleshed out ensemble cast of characters, it could jump from a tale of lost love to one of a child's abandonment to a soldier's struggle to a doctor's relentless quest for salvation. Through it all, LOST's most ambitious masterstroke is its use of time within its narrative. With the application of both flashbacks and (last season's) flash forwards, we could see how each character has been, is, and will be within the course of a given episode. A herculean task that's executed to perfection by the show's writers time and time again.

That ambitious kind of balls to the wall, throw everything and the kitchen sink brand of storytelling is why I love LOST so much. From the very beginning, I've always gotten the sense that the show's creators piled everything they loved into this series. Its versatility is matched only by its willingness to do whatever it takes to keep the viewer off balance without completely selling itself out. With its progression, I've encountered other fans of the show that have tuned out because of moments where they think that the show's "jumped the shark". The beauty of the show is that, despite those moments, it all somehow makes sense. LOST is one of the few shows out there that will ask alot of their audience but will also reward them in the long run. That sort of faith I have the utmost respect for.

With the end of the series just around the corner, I personally cannot wait to see where this amazingly complex journey will eventually take me. I have been there every step of the way and will continue to do so until we all find our way home.

Or not.

If I were a television show, I would be LOST.

Besides, who wouldn't want to be stuck on a deserted island with a half naked Evangeline Lily? Seriously?

Once A-Pun A Time...

2008-10-31T19:05:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting here, alone on Halloween night, after a half a day's worth of re-reading the 100 BULLETS collections under my belt and I'm hit with a stray thought. Brian Azzarello, writer and co-creator of 100 BULLETS, is obviously a great writer and of his many strengths the one that I'm most envious of is his masterful use of puns, wordplay, double talk and the turning of a phrase. So this bit pops up in my head, a kind of a homage to his book and his style of writing.

In 100 BULLETS, there is a group of assassins called The Minutemen.

I'm my head, I picture the group of them walking casual-as-fuck into a crowd of hundreds of their enemies at a meeting of some sort. Eye-fucked from every which way, two members from the opposing side talk about who they're up against.

MAN #1: Look.

MAN #2: Who the fuck're they?

MAN #1: Its them. The Minutemen.

MAN #2: The who? The Minutemen? Looks like a buncha dumb motherfuckers to me.

MAN #1: Don't....

MAN #2: Minutemen? Sounds like something a bitch would call a dude if the poor fuck couldn't last the distance, if you ask me.

MAN #1: Quiet down!

MAN #2: They were any smarter they'd be Hourmen at least.

MAN #1: Oh shit....

MAN #2: So what then? They Hourmen?

(Guns are drawn)

MAN #1: Hourmen?

(CA-CLICK)

MAN #1: Not by the looks of it.

(BANG!)

"With the guts in my hands that I pulled from your brains."

2008-10-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

My second time ever carving a pumpkin. I went the safe route, nothing too adventurous. Maybe next year, I'll go all out.

The wife did so much better than I did.

Check it.

Brains, beauty, and handy with a knife.

Whatta woman!!!

The Calm

2008-10-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

After almost a year in the making.

COMING SOON | WINTER ' 08

Cold Chillin' (After a Hard Day's Cat)

2008-09-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

As promised.

Sometimes the cosmos aligns with the good graces of the universe and the stars smile upon the grey lives of humanity.

Sometimes its just a fat cat and some good-ass timing.

You be the judge.

Tattoos & French Toast

2008-09-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

Taken over an impromptu speech session and a ridiculous stack of french toast. THE WIFE, in retaliation, then adorned my hand and arms with tiny hearts and rainbows. Unfortunately, no photographic evidence was recovered. Sometimes, I really truly do miss having a digital camera of my own.

Two days ago whilst day tripping in L.A., we encountered a minor celebrity down in Larchmont Village. We were reading lines with an actor friend of mine. He was ducking two faux paparazzo and a loud black lady shouting about how much she loved Matthew McConaughey.

Oh, Hollywood...

The Real Face of David Beckham

2008-09-09T15:29:00.001-07:00

Logo for my girlfriend's little brother's soccer team, THE PYTHONS.

I completely forgot the anxious giddiness I feel every time I have something new to show people.

Shame that no one reads this thing (or knows it exists, as a matter of fact).

"If I Were A..." Pt. I

2008-09-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

To paraphrase a line from one of my all time favorite films, "High Fidelity", what you like is probably just as important as who you're like. Although it may be seen as a concept brought from the shallower end of the pool, I personally think that its true. You can tell a lot about a person from the material things that they are into. Lately, I've been finding myself wondering about what my stuff says about me and whether or not whatever they're saying is true.

So, first thing's first, if I were a comic book which comic book would I be?

For the past few years, I thought that it was SCOTT PILGRIM. The indie comic phenomenon hit me like a brick in the face when it first came out. It was a story about a happy-go-lucky slacker hero that got through life basically through charm and the proper exploitation of his friends. Completely oblivious to the fact that he's kind of a complete douche bag at the beginning of the series, he falls for a girl who is exactly like him which starts him on a quest for her to officially be his "girlfriend." A mission that could only be completed if he defeats her seven evil ex-boyfriends and grow up a little along the way.

The book is part romantic comedy and part video game fight comic. It is well done, top to bottom, and oddly enough mirrors my current relationship somewhat (but not really). I love this book and for a while I thought that if I was a comic book that this would be it.

Then I rediscovered 100 BULLETS.

This is a book about revenge found in the barrel of a gun loaded with 100 untraceable bullets. This is a book that asks if you could get away with murder, would you? Loaded to the gills with con-men and gangsters, corrupt power mongers and street level ghetto trash, this book is a crime lover's dream. With influences that range from Raymond Chandler books to Quentin Taratino films to television shows like Homicide: Life on the Street and The Wire, this book pretty much has it all. With a large ensemble cast of characters that rotate in and out of the book, you could be reading about a heroin addict battling against the moral dilemma of suicide then flip that to a hard boiled detective story then flip that again to the tale of a young ex-gangster girl coming back home from jail only to find out the truth about the death of her husband and infant son. Morality, ethics, viciousness, conscience, sympathy, irony, remorse, forgiveness, ruthlessness, honor, betrayal, bravado, hopelessness and greed.

All of that set to a serpentine plot line that involves the "greatest crime ever committed in the history of mankind."

If I could someday make something even half as good as 100 BULLETS I could die happy.

If I were a comic book, this would be it.

Also, if I were a psychologist I wouldn't even know where to begin.

Sorry, Quentin...

2008-08-24T18:50:00.001-07:00

Your result for The Director Who Films Your Life Test...

Steven Soderbergh

Your film will be 54% romantic, 34% comedy, 42% complex plot, and a $ 33 million budget.

Filmography: Sex Lies and Videotape, Traffic, Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, Erin Brockovich, and various other homemade independent films. He may just want to follow you around for a few months and construct a film out of that. Your humor is either dry or non-existant, but your life is somewhat exciting romantically because you're "bad." At least you'll be surrounded by the best-looking people who will be cast as your friends, who in real life are probably just as good-looking. Then when he wins the Academy Award for your film, he won't have to make anymore "Ocean's" films.

Take The Director Who Films Your Life Test at HelloQuizzy

ROCKNROLLA!

2008-06-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

So he takes a dump with "Swept Away" and buries himself even further with the overthoughtout, quasi-philosophical, completely under everyone's radar "Revolver".

Now what?

Back to basics, kiddo. Good move doing without the crutch this time around, too.

I have high hopes for this one.

Don't Get Mad...

2008-06-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

Hello, Asperger

2008-05-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

There's really nothing more depressing than listening to a radio station playing their top 500 all time biggest songs and realizing that I was there and musically conscious when over 75% of those albums were released. When did the songs I grew up with become considered in top whatever countdown lists when I could almost exactly remember the moment I first heard them? This is the 27 year old me asking the 15 year old me the question, by the way, so its a bit on the rhetorical side.

Incidentally, all this comes out around the same time I rediscovered The Vines. Anyone remember them? The Australian band prematurely (and completely incorrectly) dubbed second coming of Nirvana by the British press with the bat-shit crazy lead singer? I loved that band and, oddly enough, I think I still do. Not altogether surprising considering that silverchair's "Frogstomp" was the first album I ever bought with my own money... at a Blockbuster Music (!!!) ... on cassette (!!!!!!!)

My turning 30 is going to be reeeeeally interesting.

In any case, guess what I'm getting next week?

Suck it, world. I'm movin' on up.

"Heart Made of Cupcakes"

2008-05-09T23:56:00.001-07:00

Bronx rapper Mickey Factz is the new new...or not. I'm usually a little bit behind the curve when it comes to these things but still. These new breed hip hop heads like The Cool Kids and The Kidz in the Hall are going to get the backlash soon, I could tell. Until then we'll always have Chester French.

The Thirteenth Month

2008-05-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

The wife and I hit the L.A. Zoo for our 13 month anniversary and, to top it all off, we went to the world famous Pink's Hot Dogs for lunch. The drive home was mired by bumper to bumper traffic and a stomach wrecked by a pastrami chili dog, but it still couldn't ruin the awesomeness that was today.

Nice try, L.A. traffic but no cigar!

And You Don't Stop

2008-05-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

Immediately after seeing Iron Man last night and looking towards the prospects of watching Speed Racer and Narnia 2 in the near future, I decided that I was in dire need of a small independent film to cleanse my palate from all the big budget summer seizure-inducers. Enter The Wackness. I found the trailer for this earlier this year around the same time I was drooling over Michel Gondry's Be Kind Rewind. This film is pretty much built for me to deal with the summer movie season. It's a quirky, hip-hop, coming of age film with Ben Kingsley as a stoner and Method Man as a Jamaican Method Man. Plus as Olsen twin appearance! Although I know that this'll be one of those indie kid movies that the hipsters are going to flock to, I'm still hanging onto the slightest of hopes that this will not disappoint.

Incidentally, Iron Man ended up exceeding my expectations and was, in fact, a very well made film. Robert Downey Jr. blew me away as Tony Stark, but that's not really much of a surprise considering it was his casting that got me in the theatre to begin with.

Also, Bryan Lee O'Malley's (writer/artist of the brilliant Scott Pilgrim series) cover of Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" is totally searing my soul these days.

In conclusion, I am a media whore.

The Music of the Night (She & I)

2008-05-03T08:27:00.001-07:00

Move b****!!! Get out the way!!!

2008-04-26T22:54:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow will be the perfect storm for the electronics department at all TARGET stores. Not only does Mario Kart Wii street tomorrow, but there'll also be a large shipment of Wii's for sale.

Annoying irate customers with their spoiled little brats first thing in the morning?

Oh happy day...

(P.S. I totally can't wait to play it.)

Too Old to be Kerouac / Too Young to be Burroughs

2008-04-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

"As I live and breathe.

****** ****, the spectre, the ghost, the familiar apparition of times past, the tiny echo of nostalgia heard during recollections of days gone by.

****** ****

As I live and breathe...

Judging by a reappearance as abrupt as your departure, I'm glad to know that as much as things have changed they've also stayed the same. It comforts me that you still possess your flair for the dramatic, exit stage left be damned! Sincerely, I hope this message finds you well, happy, in relatively good health considering your weight, and satisfied with life and where its leading you. Of the few people I know, you, sir, are truly the only one who can pull off the 11th hour escape from Orange County into the waiting arms of a Russian opera singer in San Francisco and make it seem natural, expected, and maybe even a little mundane. Kudos to you for not settling for the wage slave, day to day, paycheck to paycheck existence that most of us are shackled to. Then again, with you, I wouldn't have expected anything else. It takes a lot of gumption to find that muse and follow it wherever it may lead. Fair play to you. My respect for you has always been great, now even greater so. ****** **** living the artist's life, truer words were never spoken.

Now as for me, little old me.

What's there really to tell that's of any importance? I work a job, I love a girl, and I'm living a life. I'm not going to bore you with the details because that's just not the kind of guy I am and I sense that this really isn't that kind of a conversation. So what can I say? I'm alive, I have a purpose, and I'm working towards it. That pretty much sums it up I think, all neat and tidy.

There is something though, a revelation I've come to ever since I received your message.

Time is not on my side anymore. Youth has betrayed me for the young. I'm not that person anymore who'd casually drain his bank accounts to shoot a short film or, in this case, leave everything behind for a plane ride to the north. I can't take those chances anymore. I want to be more responsible now. Maturity and me is still a concept that is hard for me to wrap my head around. Funny how the lifestyle I've always told myself was the only lifestyle I would ever have is starting to end up as a phase I'm growing out of.

I've become too old to be Kerouac, but I'm too young to be Burroughs. Where would that leave me? Probably exactly right where I'm at, writing a letter to a friend living a life that I once thought I was destined for, at peace with knowing that it might be better left to you and young people like you.

Or I could just be rambling.

That could be it, too.

Now would be a good time to share a cigarette with you, yes it would.

Maybe in the next life."

* * *

(an excerpt from a correspondence)