Today was EdCamp Indy! I know you’d be amazed to know I talked about Comics in the Classroom, here’s the basics of my presentation including things that I had completely forgot since I was presenting off the cuff. reminding me that I really need to get a basic comics in education presentation done and put it on the cloud for just such occasions…
The Basics of Comic Creation-
Have the students consider using non-photo blue pencils. I recommend Prismacolor Verithin which can be found at most art supply stores or online. What this allows you to do is draw your artwork then ink over it (I use various sized Micron pens) and when you scan your artwork (in black & white- bitmap) the blue line disappears so it’s like having a magical eraser. You can introduce the concept of chromakey to older students at this time. Many companies produce “comic book paper” which has the margins in blue line.
Right now I use Photoshop Elements to color and add words to my comic- it is fairly inexpensive (comes free with most scanners). “Comic Life” is a great place to start and is available in Mac or PC (Learn something new every day) if you want to discuss balloon placement and layout since you can use photographs. Manga Studio was also mentioned as a PC program for comic creation.
But I Can’t Draw!-
Just like any skill, drawing is something that comes with time and practice. The more you do anything, the better you get. My suggestion to start would be to use Mark Kistler’s Draw Squad in your classroom for some quick drawing lessons. These are basic and can replace a day or two of penmanship lessons in the lower grades since it will actually help the students gain more fine motor control than just making a page of lower case d’s. There are 180 lessons in the book so it fits almost perfectly with a school year. He also has switched to lessons online which shows just how old I am, I used Mark Kistler with my first graders. For real simple basics try Ed Emberly books. For specific characters you can always use some the Walt Foster “How to Draw” books. For classic Superheroes How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way or Ty Templeton’s How to Draw the DC Universe (unfortunately some of these might be out of print and therefore really pricey).
As for putting together a comic look at Comic Book Design by Gary Spencer Millidge
Project Ideas-
You can start with something simple like taking a scene from a story and having the students recreate that in comic book form. As readers they will need to focus on the details in the descriptions so those are included in the illustration. What color was Laura’s dress? her hair? What happened when she filled her pocket with the smooth rocks from the shore of the lake? All of these need to be included to help tell the story.
Go to Unshelved.com and look at the entries in their book club while as this became popular they added more reviews many are still done in Comic Book Form like these examples from Gregor the Overlander or The Lightning Thief . Have the students do a comic form review of a book.
Have them use a comic to illustrate a science experiment or a scientific principle.
One school I work with has their 6th graders create a superhero based on the powers and abilities from an animal adaptation. The students then create a secret origin and draw the comic version, sharing it with other students at a school “Comic-Con.”
Resources-Reading With Pictures– Online 501c3 promoting comic books in the classroom. The group has an online community for sharing lessons. After the success of their Kickstarter campaign for their Anthology, they have completed another campaign for the “Graphic Textbook” which should be available in late 2013. The textbook is an experiment in how to use comics to deliver classroom content. It includes such stories as “Abraham Lincoln: Action President, and a brief explanation of Newton’s laws of motion.
Diamond Bookshelf– the online (and print newsletter from Diamond Comics which is the company that distributes comics to all those comic shops everywhere. The newsletter is focused on the benefits of comics in libraries and classrooms.
Classroom Comic Library elementary to middle school (or at least a start)-
Use the A Parent’s Guide to the Best Kids Comics as another resource or find your nearest comic shop and chat with them.
Bone by Jeff SmithAmelia Rules by Jimmy GownleyMouse Guard by David PetersenLegends of the Guard is a great way to look at how various writers and artists deal with working in the same “universe”
The Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower & Skottie YoungThe Dreamland Chronicles by Christian Scott Salva This is originally a webcomic so you can read the entire thing online.
Little Guardians by Ed Cho & Lee Cherolis Also a web comic Ed & Lee are from Indianapolis and I’m sure would love to chat with kids about the process.
Solution Squad by Jim McClain & Rose McClain Jim is a middle school math teacher who uses his heroes to help his students understand math concepts. He has done some great presentations on using comics in the classroom.
-I know a lot of this is in the genre of fantasy… sue me, it’s what I like.
Questions? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?-
I have addressed a few of the questions already but one that came up that needs to be addressed was “Do you let your reluctant readers read comics?” While many people would say “No,” I have a different viewpoint in my classroom. When the year starts off and I give them tour of the classroom we stop at the graphic novel section of my classroom library and I let the students know the rules of what you can and cannot read in the classroom. Comics BOOKS are fine reading material, comic STRIPs… not so much. A comic book follows the rules of any story- there are characters, setting, plot, and other pieces determined by the specific genre of the piece… a comic STRIP, not so much. A comic STRIP (Garfield, Calvin & Hobbes, etc.) is kind of like reading a joke book. Three panels then the punchline… so unless you are working on just phonics, sequencing, or vocabulary skills, a student isn’t going to get anything out of it. A comic book, or trade paperback, encompasses a story arc, and deals with things I can talk to the student about in a conference. Orson Scott Card once told the story of when he was a graduate assistant (and I paraphrase) Everyone else was using great works of literature in their classes, he looked at what the students needed to know and created a reading list in which he could teach those topics… instead of Hamlet he had the class read The Princess Bride. The students weren’t bogged down by the language and actually could see the concepts he wanted them to know. If I want my students to understand the “Heroes Journey” I won’t have 4th graders read Beowulf, but I might have them read Gregor the Overlander which is engaging to them and has the same concepts or maybe Binky the Space Cat is an even better choice to start off with.
So What do I do Next?-
Go out to your local comic shop and talk to them about what they think would be good ideas for your classroom or library. Ignore the concept of “Comic Book Guy” from the Simpson- if he exists his comic shop is soon to go bankrupt.
Remember to celebrate Free Comic Book Day the first weekend in May and the little known Halloween Comicfest– it happened last year, haven’t heard yet about it going on this year.
Check out your local Comic Book Convention! Fort Wayne has one, Kokomo has one, Indianapolis is getting one in March. This is just a sampling of what’s available.
Just remember- to check out every comic you put in your library, just because it’s a comic doesn’t mean it is safe for your classroom. Only you know what your community will allow.
I know, I know… where’s the comic?!? I would love to say “I’ve got one ready”, or “All I need to do it one more thing” but, I’m not quite sure how to answer that question. Right now I’m still working on stuff for school (Yes, I am a teacher, yes it is Summer vacation, but that doesn’t mean I stop working no matter what politicians and the media say about teachers). I hope to start getting back into the swing of things soon after I come back from a few conferences, get the bills paid, get the invasive honeysuckle out of the backyard, and the cat vomit cleaned up off the floor (Hemi’s fine, just hairball season). Enough with lame excuses today is Wednesday or as any comic book geek would know “New Comic Book Day!”
For the summer (forcing me to make sure I get to Comic Carnival each Wednesday) I have decided to review at least one comic in my stack for the week… I’d like to start off by talking about one all ages comic that was in my stack today- Mike Kunkel’s “Herobear and the Kid” Special #1. Originally published by Astonished Comics and now being published by Boom! the comic is a the story of Tyler (think of Chuck Jones’- Ralph Phillips“) and his toy bear that transforms into Herobear. I won’t give away any spoilers from the first arc “The Inheritance” but in my opinion it is a great all ages comic that almost any kid could really get into.
This issue starts off quickly with almost no recap of the first story arc after years of the comic being on hiatus (sound familiar?) It’s school picture day for Tyler and he has to (with the help of Herobear) stop the evil Von Klon from doing something nasty with ginormous rubber ducks… see almost no spoilers!
The one thing that I have always enjoyed about this comic is the artwork… It’s black and white with just a splash of red (Herobear’s cape), besides that the actual art is a “rough animation style” so it is extremely loose, but also helps budding artists to see some of the actual pencil work behind the finished artwork. Which is why I have used it as examples when I teach cartooning.
As many of us have experienced when a creator takes a break from a project for a long time sometimes the return effort doesn’t always meet with our expectations. Take George Lucas and episodes 1, 2 & 3, Robert Lynn Aspirin when he started back on the Myth Adventures series- while they weren’t all bad, as a fan I was expecting more and it seemed like the creators had lost some of the important pieces of the universe they had created. Mike Kunkel, after a first reading, seems to have not lost his connection with Tyler & Herobear’s world, which makes me very happy. I’m holding off on judging everything in Herobear and the Kid just because I really don’t want to dig out my old issues or break the seal on the hardcover trade I have. Upon first reading the story is solid, and similar to what I recall, the artwork is similar, although over the years, it seems that Kunkel’s style has shifted slightly and isn’t exactly as I remember. I’m one to talk looking at how my style has changed over the years.
It looks like Boom! will be reprinting the original story arc starting in August and my only hope is that Mike can keep up the regular pace of a monthly (or even bimonthly) comic- I’m getting old and waiting almost a year between issues makes me grumpy. That said- this Wednesday brought me a little joy and inspiration with Mike Kunkel’s Herobear & the Kid #1. If you have an Elementary school age kid or are a kid yourself I’d check it out at your local comic shop. “Remember your childhood and pass it on.”
This weekend had two things going on that for a geek like me were exciting- Star Trek Into Darkness opened and the Doctor Who Season Finale aired.
I have held off posting my thoughts about Star Trek Into Darkness until now not because I didn’t want to talk about it, but because I was actually pretty conflicted about how I felt about the film. I wanted to check out other reviews (spoiler filled or not) and really try to wrap my head around what was going on. Let’s start off with something simple and not spoilerish at all- I had the chance to see the film Wednesday at a local theatre in 3-D thanks to Comic Carnival North (My local comic shop) and Dan who handed me two passes one for Sue and one for me with the advice “show up early.” In some cities “Show up early” means “Camp out days ahead of time” in Indiana it usually means “arrive before the closing credits role.” Sue and I went out for a quick bite and arrived about an hour before the film was scheduled to start- the line had already formed, but it wasn’t too bad. We got to our seats and then sat. The theatre’s air conditioning was either off or broken so it started to get really hot. I would comment on the PR person trying to convince us to go to their website, who kept calling us “Star Trekkies,” but it was almost too sad to mention. SO 9:00 rolls around and… nothing. A little after nine and nothing, A little after, a little after nine and the lights start to dim, you could feel the tension in the theatre grow the theme music starts and… nothing. A blank screen. They try again- same result. We see the taskbar of the digital projector and they try again… this time a picture! except since this was the 3-D version it was all messed up. Stop again, reset try one more time… I have frankly forgotten how many times they reset, but then the movie started and everyone quieted down. Now for the spoilers.
I’m not going to go into too much detail on hyper analyze what was going on… I’m actually writing this more for me to try to figure out what the purpose of the film was (besides making money) and how it fit or doesn’t fit in the Star Trek universe. I’m going to post this as almost a wish list.
I wish John Harrison was just John Harrison – I was hoping that this new reimagined universe would have new villains not repurposed ones. While it worked well in the overall story, and made sense they way it was explained, I was hoping that this would be something different.As a friend said- I wish they would quit messing around with the Klingons… I can understand how the new timeline shifted the balance, but I don’t see how the destruction of Vulcan or Nero’s little time travel escapades changed Klingon physiology and how they look. That said I don’t have anything against the new style of Klingon, I’m just wondering how necessary it was. Then again someone could say the same thing about the Klingons from the series and those who appeared in the first film.If this had been the third film in the series I guess I wouldn’t be that nitpicky about it, but since it is basically a remake of Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan (without the Space Seed setting it up) I’m concerned that the next film will be a remake of Search for Spock and so on and so forth… Will Sybok come into the series at some point? While I did enjoy the role flip in the engine room scene at the end, I was waiting for Kirk to say ‘The needs of the many…”Why did Spock contact Spock? Was it really necessary? or was it just to get the “Star Trekkies” excited?As many have said – this was the film that needed to be made to get a certain monkey off the back of the writers- since everyone would be asking about if Khan would come back every time they make a film- he has, and now it’s done, time to move on. There have been rumors about a possible TV series, but those are just that- rumors.
I do plan on seeing it again? If only to rewatch the Simon Pegg scenes. Was it a horrible film- no not at all, I just was expecting more. As for 3-D I want to repeat that I have yet to see a film that has used 3-D in a way that makes it work for me. Save your money… Although I am considering seeing it in IMAX to see if there really is a big difference. I remember seeing Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom in a regular theatre and then on a massive screen, it did make a difference. Then again as someone commented that they are waiting for a holodeck version- so am I.
The point I keep stumbling over is that I really, really like Ultimate Spider-Man (this will make sense, just be patience). When Marvel comics had Bendis rework Spider-Man for a new audience, he did so masterfully. You started back at the beginning, old villains came back in new and sometimes more powerful roles. They really did a great job (including the clone saga). Even to the point of killing Peter Parker and then bringing in a new Spider-Man. So since I liked what happened there, why am I so mixed up in my feeling towards Into Darkness? It’s the same thing just a different universe!
I am looking forward to seeing Darth Vader come back in Star Wars 7 after the Death Star falls into a wormhole and…
—
Now to this Season of Doctor Who- where time is not linear, but kind of a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.
So the Doctor is transfixed with Clara who died in the Dalek Asylum, and Victorian London and is now in present day… Why is she so important? Why is she so special? Moffat has continued leaving breadcrumbs through every episode that will ultimately get picked up by the audience. An example of this was the first series with Matt Smith we end up seeing that the doctor at the end had come back at various times (talking with Amy on the ship filled with weeping angels comes to mind) The audience doesn’t notice, until the final episode. This time, thanks to the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, he is now going to drop the impossible girl everywhere, and it makes sense (in some sort of timey-wimey way). When the season finale started with all those clips from the various incarnations I was blown away. I feel like I need to go back and check out the graveyard and see who is actually buried there. Now for some spoilers or things that I am thinking about…
So The Great Intelligence, Clara, and the Doctor are now going to zoom around in the Doctor’s time line… I did like Clara telling the first incarnation not to take “that TARDIS, take this one the navigation’s a bit off but…” So are we going to find Clara is the reason for so many things that have happened? In the realm of Science Fiction is this possible? The rules can be made up and messed around, but there has to be an explanation- the question is will Matt Smith and Clara be interacting with all the incarnations of the Doctor or will it just be Clara (I’m assuming it will be both). So many stories have so many different twists to what is possible in time travel, “All You Zombies…” by Robert Heinlein is just one example of some weird stuff in time travel as is “By His Bootstraps” also by Heinlein.The biggest question I have is if John Hurt is an incarnation of the Doctor (before he was called the Doctor) doesn’t that make Matt Smith the twelfth and final incarnation? or is there some Timelord rule about this? The Master has come back many times past his 12 regenerations- but then again the Master is a little loopy now.
As for which was better Star Trek Into Darkness or The Name of the Doctor… until I get another chance to see Star Trek… The Doctor is ahead.
While I’ve posted this before (I’m sure it’s around here somewhere) I thought it might be nice to update the list of some of the geeky things you might want to explore and my plans for some of my geeky passions for 2013.
—
Podcasts-
Yes, these have been around for what seems like forever, but I’m always amazed at the number of people who still have no idea about what they are. A podcast is a simple interweb audio show it comes out on a regular basis and they cover a large number of topics. When I first heard about podcasting in 2005 I starting looking around and amazingly enough while I add a few here and there a few I’ve stuck with since the beginning- my top (not in any order) are:
Decoder Ring Theatre – Pure escapism from Toronto. The shows alternate (for the most part) between the Red Panda (Canada’s Greatest Super Hero) and Black Jack Justice (with Trixie Dixon, Girl Detective). Both are set in the 1930’s and 40’s and are in the style of the old-time radio serials. The Red Panda will actually get a comic book treatment in Comixology at the end of the month- an announced Feb 27 release date from Monkey Brain Comics. Many times this podcast is what makes me happy during the week.
Podcacher – Family friendly podcast all about Geocaching. When I attended a computer education conference in sunny San Diego I decided to stop in on a session that really changed my life. It was all about this thing called geocaching (gee-oh-cash-ing). Sonny and Sandy are now friends and if you are interested in learning about caching I highly recommend it. It is well produced, and filled with lots of great information.
White Roof Radio – The MINI Cooper podcast. I bought my first MINI in 2005 and started listening to the podcast around that time. The format is a roundtable discussion hosted by DB & Todd with regular appearances by Chad, Gabe, and Nathaniel. The topic is MINI Coopers. While sometimes it gets technical especially when dealing with wheels and tires its a great way to get to know what is happening in the MINI Community. I will admit there have been times when I have skipped a bit especially when they are discussing in depth events I can’t attend. I almost wish they would exercise the Zaxxon rule* but over the years, Todd & DB have become close friends (again one of those great things about podcasts is they are put together by real people) and I enjoy listening to the discussion each week.
Pop Culture Happy Hour – I’m trying to figure out how I stubbled upon this podcast, but it quickly became a favorite. PCHH is put together at NPR and is a weekly roundtable discussion about pop culture. Linda, Trey, Stephen, and Glen have opened my eyes to many parts of pop culture and have added some pieces to my vocabulary including “What’s making me happy this week” and the Zaxxon Rule*
—
Kickstarter–
It’s a crowdfunding site in which you donate money to “kickstart” someone’s project. There are hundreds of options and the rule is the creator of the project set’s a goal. If the goal is met by a certain date- you get charged, if it isn’t you are out nothing. The cool thing for most projects the backers get a reward in return for their support. in some cases it’s something as simple as “gee, thanks!” in other cases it might be some really cool items. Every project is different. I recommend just checking out some of the Kickstarter geekiness there seems to something for almost every kind of geek.
—
Comics-
I have always loved comics. For as long as I remember I have read comics. The problem right now as a long time reader of comics is that the major comics publishers seem to be trying to attract a new audience or bring back lapsed readers. So for me, I get confused as to what to read since the creative teams or story lines are getting all mixed up. I liked Captain America, but now he’s battling evil in another dimension. Don’t even get me started with what DC has done to the Teen Titans…
So while I still try to keep up with my old titles (though I keep bouncing between reading Batman & Superman) there are a few titles that I have stuck with- please note not all of these are “all ages.”
Fables- Bill Willingham’s story of what if the characters form fairy tales were real and had been exiled to our world? Not for kids, but frankly much better than some of the TV shows presently on with the premise (although I am a fan of Grimm)
Mouse Guard- David Petersen’s wonder tales of “mice with swords” but it is so much more than that. the artwork is wonderful and the tales compelling. I’m now being very patient waiting for the next issue about the “Black Axe”
The Walking Dead- Yes, it was a comic before it was a TV show. Robert Kirkman’s story of survival after the zombie apocalypse. while in black & white still not for kids.
Invincible- I’ve been reading this since issue #1 and issue #100 just arrived this week. to overly simplify it- it’s the story of Superman’s son, except… I don’t want to give anything away. Like Harry Potter where the first books were for younger kids, the same rule applies, not really for kids, especially as the story has become more violent and dark.
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man- Again another one of those I’ve been reading since the beginning. This started off as a retelling of the Spider-Man story for a new audience. The villains may have the same name, but slightly different powers and origins, making it really cool. Until they decided to kill Spider-Man. THings then became interesting as we discover another spider in the lab escapes and bites another kid and what happens after that. The first part of the story parallels the final issues of Peter Parker as Spider-Man which makes it even better.
While I have issues (and have mentioned them before) about crossover events and how they tend to make me stop reading a title. Once or twice, I can understand, but most of these things cover multiple issues and frankly they don’t need to- the red sky issues in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Hence my hesitance to read Batman or Superman.
What’s on my pull list? (a pull list is what a comic shop has for regular customers, I’ve had a pull list at Comic Carnival for close to 20 years now- to the point where Dan knows when I’ve missed something and will add it back) So here’s what usually is on mine: Earth 2, Fairest, Justice League, Justice League of America, Fables, Flash, Teen Titans, Unwritten, Ultimate Comics: X-Men, Spider-Man and, Ultimates, Captain America… then there are various titles that I bounce around with.
As for comic conventions I’m planning right now on attending C2E2 in Chicago, but will be skipping SDCC this year.
—
Games-
I’m still enjoying Fantasy Flight’s Star Wars X-Wing Miniature game. Cecil still thinks I should play an Imperial squadron… I like the game play, and while I have a few games on my shelf (right now Settlers of Catan, Munchkin, Quarriors, and Monty Python Fluxx) finding the time and the opponents seem to be the biggest issue. I am planning on attending GenCon this year (it’s local) and hopefully will branch out and actually play some games instead of just spending money in the Hall.
As for video games- I completed and throughly enjoyed “the Room” on the iPad. and when I think about it the Walking Dead and Bad Piggies are quick diversions.
—
Lego-
Yes, this is new and while coming back to Lego after 30+ years it’s like finding an old friend. While I still don’t understand the cost or the various sets or story lines. I am enjoying myself. The thing I like the most is it tends to be relaxing. I can build a kit and really can relax while doing it. Although as with many of my interests I do go a little overboard. I have promised to put together a display for Brickworld Indy and it has required me to actually attempt to create MOCs (My Own Creation) that I’m not quite sure of how well I’m doing. This is also causing me to buy more bricks than I ever thought. It all started with a visit to Brickworld Fort Wayne and thinking about using Lego Brick more at school and now, I’ve working on two different displays of Lego projects at both schools and one of my own.
—
Geocaching-
I still am caching and once the weather settles down have planned to put out a couple new series of caches. While I’m slowing down (weather related and other things) IndianaGeocaching.com is going well and keeping me busy.
—
MINI-
My initial plan at the end of 2011 was to keep my 2005 Cooper S until the rumored new John Cooper Works GP out, trade it in and have a new GP. In June that all changed and we went with plan “B” which has been wonderful (although all the hype about the GP is tiring). I cannot say how much fun it was taking Alfie (the Roadster) cross country. I really do love this new car, almost as much as my first MINI. Once Spring starts I have a few things on my list. First is new tire for Alfie, then I’m planning on spending the summer working on a much neglected Tink. With everything that has been going on Tink is in need of a lot of TLC and that is the next thing. Besides new tires, she needs a new battery and just another once over in the shop. I really feel bad how much I’ve neglected the classic and I hope that this summer I’ll have the time to get out there and get her back into running order to keep some miles off of Alfie.
—
Finally, I’ve made the decision in order to keep my sanity- My Geek Odyssey the comic will be posted once a week, this is at least a schedule I can keep up with.
SO I’ve thrown down my list of geeky suggestions and plans any thoughts? Did I forget something? Do have something you think I should try out? Tim at Comic Carnival did suggest this week that I read the Batman & Robin Annual #1 which was a wonderful story, so thanks for the suggestion.
—
*The Zaxxon Rule: from Pop Culture Happy Hour. Limiting discussion (or in some cases eliminating discussion) on something that not everyone has the opportunity to experience. This came about in the “What’s making me happy” segment specifically when Stephen Thompson for weeks would talk about a classic Zaxxon arcade game he was purchasing from Craig’s List. I feel that many podcasts could benefit from adding this rule- one of the nice things about podcasts is you can add “Very Special” episodes focused on “Zaxxon” topics for those who care.
While I was hoping 2013 would start off giving me more time to draw (it hasn’t- I’ve been updating the challenge cache list on IndianaGeocaching.com again, and again, and again.) I took some of the school break to rework my studio. This was nice until Sue and I went out for lunch one day. There’s a quirky little neighborhood in Indianapolis called Fountain Square. I have the right to call it “quirky” since I was told my beloved and also somewhat quirky grandmother grew up in the area. Since then urban blight hit it and now it has returned being a neat place for evenings and a number of my friends who are home brewers hang out there. As we were eating lunch at the Red Lion Grog House Sue noticed a new store across the street. The window had ginormous sock monkeys in the window which since Cecil was with us is always a draw. We came in a looked around Rogue Decor and was suitably impressed. While there were some of the typical trendy things you see in other shops, this place had some really unique items. Some things caught my eye for school since they were re-engineered pieces or looking very mechanical. Others caught my eye for me. I bought a little spiral notebook made for the cover of an old book ‘My First Science Experiments.” I buy these things and never use them… I never want to ruin the pristine pages- someday that will change. As we walked out I took one more look around especially focusing on the old drafting table in the front.
My “new” drawing table… Working on the lineage- circa 1920 I believe. Looking forward to drawing on it.
We were back the next week looking around again before going out to another old downtown neighborhood with some friends, and Sue asked “So are you going to regret not getting this?” My answer was a simple “Probably.” The next thing we did was buy the drafting table. Here’s the thing- as you might already know- I have a drafting table. It’s nice, it’s new, it’s got a glass top, it’s got a lot of storage, and it’s now housed in the “Pit of Despair” aka the basement.
You see when I first set up my studio years ago I had figured out the table I wanted to draw on, it was sleek, it was modern, and it was a lot of money. Sue actually bought it for me as a “Birthday/Christmas present”, but due to issues with acquiring the correct Russian birch for the veneer, they canceled the order, gave her back her money and that was that. A few years later I decided to go with something almost as good… A nice glass topped drafting ordered on line, put together by me, and I have enjoyed it for years now. It just wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned. It was functional, it was modern and while nice, I knew it wasn’t the table I would keep for the rest of my life. You see creative geeks sometimes get fond of the materials they use. A specific kind of pen, pencil or brush. My glass drafting table did the job, but it was missing something- I can’t describe it, it just was.
This “new” drafting table I see as one I will keep until it is sold in an estate sale when I die. I have yet to draw on it, but like when I first pulled up in my MINI and someone said “That’s exactly the car I could picture you driving” this is exactly the drafting table I could picture myself drawing on. I’m taking today to get the Studio organized again to make way for the new addition and figure out “workflow” and “ergonomics”, and big important words like that. I’ll post pictures once it is here and set up and update this blog post. Hopefully this will bring about a new inspiration for My Geek Odyssey.
I was born a spoiled rotten brat, so this time year has always meant one thing- presents. The more the merrier. I remember when the gift getting lasted two days and by the time it was all over every square foot of the house was covered in boxes and torn wrapping paper. Sadly, if you we’re ask me about anything I received during these years of gluttony I would be hard pressed to tell you. Although the gas powered go-kart in third grade and the bootleg copy of Star Wars in 1977 were unforgettable, in 47 years of Christmases only two gift highlights -yup! I was, and probably still am, a brat.
Something has changed in the past few years which has caused Christmas to end up being a completely different holiday. Not just with my expectations, but also with the stress of gift giving (I may be a brat, but I still gave gifts). When I grew old enough to realize that there was getting gifts, but you also had to give something it became a bit stressful. You see my family is all over the place, and we are very “close” by close I mean we talk to each other maybe once a year. Facebook has been wonderful in that I can actually know what is happening with my family without having to actually communicate with them. This means that when purchasing gifts, I have no idea what the other person wants, or needs. You settle for a gift card only to find out later that they never used it (a depressingly neat little trick). So something happened a few years ago with Sue’s family – the no gifts rule. This may sound like madness and so it is, but it has caused me to really like Christmas, and not for what was wrapped under the Christmas Tree.
What happened (as I remember it) was when the invitation came out in the Fall for the holiday- the logical statement was made that “if we want a sweater, if we need a sweater, we all have the ability to buy one, so why don’t we all just get together and enjoy that, instead?” And we did. No shipping, or over packing the MINI, no wrapping, just a family getting together once a year. Now we do celebrate, we eat, drink and are merry… But the gift is that as a family we are together. While I type this, everyone is doing their own thing, earlier some went to the grocery, I went to walk on the beach. No gifts, no expectations, no stress. As adults, we can do this, if we were with kids, yes, it would be different… But still think about it for the adults, how bad would it be if we all decided that time, that very precious and limited commodity these days, was all we were going to give. Yes, the economy would speed off some fiscal cliff, but I hear that’s happening already because some other adults are acting like spoiled children.
Yes, my family does still exchange gifts and I still get a little stressed trying to figure out what I should buy… This year I probably failed (again) but figured I’m tired of worrying about it. Hopefully, my older brother will like the electronic doohickeys I bought, my dad might appreciate the Lego set and understand that it was time with his grandson I was giving him, not just a bunch of pieces of plastic. My mom, who loves to decorate for the holidays, will hopefully appreciate the centerpiece. Sadly, time got away from me (see yesterday’s post) so some folks aren’t getting anything until I return home, but they are spending quality time with loved ones and my little gift isn’t going to make a difference- it’s not like I bought everyone a car with a big bow on it like everyone on TV does.
So here is my Christmas wish to you- may you have a safe and wonderful holiday and hopefully end up with a gift you didn’t expect some- happy time with people you care about. Merry Christmas!
While it might not come to many as a surprise, since I tend to take some time between the holidaze to rethink and catch up, I will be doing that again this year. I know I have been behind in posting, and according to the Economist and actual “professionals” in the field of Webcomics (or as some like to call them “comics”) one thing that helps with creating an audience is to actually have something for them to read. Who knew? So while many have given me support in this almost 4 year labor of love, I’m taking the next week while I’m on the road to think through some things. Mostly what can I actually accomplish given the number of hours in a day and the fact that those Official Harry Potter Time-Turners they sell online don’t really work… If anyone is interested I have a box of them, caveat emptor.
I’m not whining (although it might sound like it). I’m not looking for posts of support (I have gotten those too, the other times when I post long thought out apologies). I do love creating this comic, it is something I find joy in… When the world sometimes has no other joy in it. I appreciate all the support and friends I have made. I have learned so much and look forward to learning even more in the coming years. If you had told me when I started this, that I’d still be at it after lose to four years, I’d have laughed. I’m mulling over ideas and taking a little break to plan & scheme. So, take some time yourself and enjoy the friends & family you are with. Enjoy a little time off and I’ll see you in 2013… We survived the end of the world, so as long as the “Snowpocalypse” doesn’t keep me from my drawing board- to quote Arnold “I’ll be back”
For true Lego diehards- the Doctor Who sets from “Character Building” (an arm of COBI, a Polish toy company) and therefore do not use real Lego bricks. I knew that going in, but they are Doctor Who which is really what this should be all about. When visiting the warehouse for WHONA in Indianapolis, I decided to pick myself up a present (a birthday present, my precious) SO after looking at a number of “Lego” Doctor Who kits, I went for the TARDIS Interior which came with mini figs of the 11th Doctor, Amy Pond, Rory Williams, & River Song. Previously, I had purchased online a TARDIS set with the 11th Doctor & Amy, and the complete set of all the Doctors. The TARDIS was a simple build and very small so it really didn’t give me a feel for what building with CB bricks was like. This mega-set did, and I now understand the double entendre in the name (building with these bricks was, at times, “character building”).
The set itself is the interior of the 11th Doctor’s TARDIS which has a slightly steampunky feel to it. Unlike the TARDIS from Christopher Eccleston & David Tennant which was more of a natural construction, the pillars looking like they might be coral. This TARDIS is “shiny.” All in all it is a nice set when it is finished… but the building process and instructions that’s another story.
The Build
CB instructions are interesting in that they remove the color from any previous steps this is a help, but also a hinderance in construction. It helps because you know exactly which pieces are going where. When building the Sopwith Camel it sometimes became a game of “Where’s Waldo” to figure out where a piece went. By having the bricks you use for a step the only bricks in color, it makes it simple. The problem is when you need to check your construction as you move along in the process. In Lego you just look over the illustration and you can see all the pieces and how they fit. In CB I found the need to go back to the page in which I constructed certain parts to make sure it was correct. This back & forth did become a bit annoying. As the build continued I noticed a few things about the instructions, they seem to have missed a few key things that would have helped with the rigidity of the structure. In Lego you start building things and you overlap bricks creating a rigid structure, these directions ended up with larger pieces that were barely holding together. Adding one more connection would add stability. There is still a portion of the TARDIS wall that if I try to reattach it the entire wall breaks! I think the plan could have used someone who had been through the Lego Master Building Academy.
The actual bricks, seemed to feel different, I’m guessing they are lighter and therefore they felt flimsy… from what I could tell they weren’t, but I had the impression that they just seemed a little subpar. CB also created a number of specialty bricks for this build to create the angles needed for the interior. Unfortunately I discovered that unlike Lego bricks these bricks didn’t connect as well and while I am used to putting two bricks together in Lego and knowing that it will take some effort to separate them, in some places these disconnected effortlessly, overall this lead to a less than satisfactory building experience. Again back to one specific portion which I had to rebuild numerous times because every time I tried to attach it,the wall crumbled once the slightest pressure was put on it.
While there is always a bit of overage in any kit I was a little distraught when I got to one instruction and couldn’t find the pieces I needed! This was not my typical “teeny tiny” piece hiding in a pile. I was looking for two large grey planks. They just never made it in the box. What did make it were the exact same sized clear planks that fortunately were extra pieces. These were a middle portion of a layer being used as the floor so they were hidden from sight, but that still made me concerned, and I wasted time going over and over the instructions to see if I had read something wrong.
The flight deck… I purposely have yet to add any stickers to the set.
The exterior of the TARDIS on some planet (Skaros?) I think it would have been better if instead of a yellow background there had been something more like an alien star scape.
A view from one of the holes in the facade. These were built using upside-down bricks on the top which attached using bricks that had holes on both side and no rivets.
Coming up from the library, or was it the swimming pool?
A detail shot of the flight deck and some of the unique pieces in this set.
Cartoony versions of Rory, Amy, The Doctor and River on the flight deck.
The mini figs from the set ready to travel through space & time.
Under construction picture with the foreman looking on making sure that everything was done correctly and that I would be unable to find pieces.
Final Thoughts
I am happy with the final result, just a little leery about moving it anywhere. Will I buy any more sets? Probably not, right now I’m torn between two different Lego sets, but feel I should probably finish the Lego Master Builder Academy before moving on to any other builds. I did end up picking up some Doctor Who mini figs from series 1 & 2. The CB mini figs are not the generic Lego design which is neat, but also makes it impossible to put them in a Lego build without having them stick out like a sore thumb, Then again having an army of Daleks and Cybermen is cool.
So geeks & games…
Today I tried out a demo of Fantasy Flight’s X-Wing miniature game. This was after purchasing a copy of the game for my brother in August, and a number of expansion packs. I decided I should try it out. So here’s a first dog fight review of X-Wing.
Starting out, I’m a Star Wars fan… old skool Star Wars. Episode 4, 5, & 6 before they got “fixed.” I grew up with Star Wars, my brother & I used to beat each other senseless with broomstick light sabers. So I decided I would try this game out after avoiding it for a while.
I started out at my local game store (Saltire Games) and watched a game finish out. A squadron of Y-wing fighters against a squadron of TIE fighter lead by Darth Vader. It was little confusing at first since there are a number of elements at play each turn. So here are the basics from one game:
Pick your side and ships- Ships gain special abilities due to who is piloting them and added things like droids. Each of these things are worth points. In my case I chose Biggs Darklighter and R2-D2 for one X-Wing and a Rookie pilot for another X-Wing -50 points. I was going against a squadron of three TIE fighters also worth 50 points.
Each ship has a movement wheel where you decide how fast your ship will travel and what direction it will go. These are unique for the type of ship. You begin by setting the dial and then placing it face down so your opponent cannot see what you are going to do.
Movement is resolved along with actions- this could be locking on a specific target, or having your pilot focus or evading. Each movement is performed using a guide which fits between two bumps on the front & back of the figure’s base, making it really simple to move a piece correctly without needing a game board.
Combat is resolved by the use of eight sided dice with unique markings. Red dice are used for attack, green for defense.
When damage is taken if your ship has shields you would remove a shield token, if you don’t you take a damage card.
When you have the same number of damage cards as the ships structure the ship is destroyed. (ka-boom!)
Games have specific victory conditions which could be a time limit or until all ships are destroyed. We played until the complete destruction of our enemies.
So those are basics, with some help I was able to win (Biggs has the ability to have all enemy fire focused on him, R2 repairs shields so basically if you can’t take this combination out in one combat phase they just keep regenerating). I have skipped some game elements to keep this short. I figure I will need to try out an Imperial squadron next.
The system is very player friendly and rather simple even if at first glance it looks complicated. Each ship has certain strategies and tactics that help (ion cannons on a Y-wing). I followed the suggestion of focusing fire on one ship and taking the squadron down one ship at a time.
The game is very true to the Star Wars universe, and I was especially happy that at this moment they are sticking to the original trilogy with a Millennium Falcon, Slave 1, A-Wing and TIE Interceptor expansions coming out before the holidaze. It is not a collectible game… so if you buy three X-wing expansion packs, you end up with three copies of all the materials needed. Unlike other games where you need to keep buying in hope that you get a super exclusive piece, the only unique pilot is Luke Skywalker who comes in the Starter Set. The miniatures are painted and look really good. They went back and looked that the original models used in the film when creating the pieces, this detail makes me happy. Right now for the Star Wars universe this is a great game and I can’t wait to play it again. On a sidenote: as a Star Trek fan, I haven’t seen anything to beat FASA’s Star Trek: Starship Tactical Combat Simulator, long out of print, but that is a story for another day.
Interestingly enough I decided to try out the “Master Builder Academy” program from Lego. This because I started sliding down the slippery slope of building with Lego after an over 30 year absence. I made this decision because I work at a school and bought something that I figure will end up in my classroom, with my students. The first kit deals with building spacecraft. It goes into many techniques on building and includes sections highlighting designers. So the actual manuals are a valuable resource. I use the same excuse about watching cartoons. You build three projects and then end up getting pushed (as an adult) back into the creativity of youth when you are asked to use what you have learned and build your own design. As a kid, this would have been easy- slap a few pieces together and there it is… as an adult all those little nagging doubts surface and I realized how much my own spontaneous creativity has been squashed. I say this as I guy who draws… but pushing outside that safety zone in Lego. So while I have thrown this out to the MBA Lego community, I will also throw it out to you- My Own Creation- I consider it a draft or in engineering terms I believe it would be a “prototype.” I called it a MINI Warp Shuttle, although I’m starting to like the word “sled” instead of shuttle.
I know, I know… where’s the comic?!? I would love to say “I’ve got one ready”, or “All I need to do it one more thing” but, I’m not quite sure how to answer that question. Right now I’m still working on stuff for school (Yes, I am a teacher, yes it is Summer vacation, but that doesn’t mean I stop working no matter what politicians and the media say about teachers). I hope to start getting back into the swing of things soon after I come back from a few conferences, get the bills paid, get the invasive honeysuckle out of the backyard, and the cat vomit cleaned up off the floor (Hemi’s fine, just hairball season). Enough with lame excuses today is Wednesday or as any comic book geek would know “New Comic Book Day!”
For the summer (forcing me to make sure I get to Comic Carnival each Wednesday) I have decided to review at least one comic in my stack for the week… I’d like to start off by talking about one all ages comic that was in my stack today- Mike Kunkel’s “Herobear and the Kid” Special #1. Originally published by Astonished Comics and now being published by Boom! the comic is a the story of Tyler (think of Chuck Jones’- Ralph Phillips“) and his toy bear that transforms into Herobear. I won’t give away any spoilers from the first arc “The Inheritance” but in my opinion it is a great all ages comic that almost any kid could really get into.
This issue starts off quickly with almost no recap of the first story arc after years of the comic being on hiatus (sound familiar?) It’s school picture day for Tyler and he has to (with the help of Herobear) stop the evil Von Klon from doing something nasty with ginormous rubber ducks… see almost no spoilers!
The one thing that I have always enjoyed about this comic is the artwork… It’s black and white with just a splash of red (Herobear’s cape), besides that the actual art is a “rough animation style” so it is extremely loose, but also helps budding artists to see some of the actual pencil work behind the finished artwork. Which is why I have used it as examples when I teach cartooning.
As many of us have experienced when a creator takes a break from a project for a long time sometimes the return effort doesn’t always meet with our expectations. Take George Lucas and episodes 1, 2 & 3, Robert Lynn Aspirin when he started back on the Myth Adventures series- while they weren’t all bad, as a fan I was expecting more and it seemed like the creators had lost some of the important pieces of the universe they had created. Mike Kunkel, after a first reading, seems to have not lost his connection with Tyler & Herobear’s world, which makes me very happy. I’m holding off on judging everything in Herobear and the Kid just because I really don’t want to dig out my old issues or break the seal on the hardcover trade I have. Upon first reading the story is solid, and similar to what I recall, the artwork is similar, although over the years, it seems that Kunkel’s style has shifted slightly and isn’t exactly as I remember. I’m one to talk looking at how my style has changed over the years.
It looks like Boom! will be reprinting the original story arc starting in August and my only hope is that Mike can keep up the regular pace of a monthly (or even bimonthly) comic- I’m getting old and waiting almost a year between issues makes me grumpy. That said- this Wednesday brought me a little joy and inspiration with Mike Kunkel’s Herobear & the Kid #1. If you have an Elementary school age kid or are a kid yourself I’d check it out at your local comic shop. “Remember your childhood and pass it on.”
