More Fun Stuff - Imperial Chronicles Star Wars Fan Fiction

Yeah, yeah - I know. "Fan Fiction" brings to mind ridiculous visions of silly romance pulp, usually involving awful pairings and/or weird fetishes. Or, it's just poorly written tripe that disembarks from the source material in ways that make little sense.

I can't judge the writing quality, but I can communicate my intent - I wanted to tell a story in the Star Wars universe that is true to the spirit of Star Wars, while exploring a side that has not been delved into as prolifically - The Imperial forces.

Set between the end of the Clone Wars and Return of the Jedi, Imperial Chronicles follows Star Destroyer The Absolute and her crew as they attempt to maintain law and order on the Outer Rim of a war-torn galaxy. The first post is up, with new story posts every Saturday. Like the pulp that inspired it, Imperial Chronicles will  deliver short, action packed episodes in serial form. So if you are so inclined, please do read and share.

http://imperialchroniclesfanfiction.blogspot.com/

PS - As for GI Joe - There is more to come! The story I started in Invictus will be completed, but I find it necessary to take a step back and tell the story of Colonel Korso. More on that soon!

Thanks for reading!

24-hour Comic Challenge - 2015?

This year, my main aim - aside from cutting off my dependence on Facebook to validate and inform my existence - is to draw and improve my ability to draw, working towards the creation of a comic-story I've been burning to see realized.  As in, the story is something I feel like I have to do, and I've waited too long to really dig in and buckle down (and other hyperbole).

And maybe, I'll never see it realized.  Or someone will beat me to the punch.  Hey, it's happened before.  But if it's meant to be, and meant to be from me, I'll do it, but I need to take some steps forward anyhow.

To that end, I'm considering taking on the 24-hour Comic Challenge as a way to jump-start the process.  You can read details and inspirational platitudes here. Essentially, it's exactly what it sounds like - Create a 24-page comic in 24-hours straight, but with zero pre-planning regarding plot or story or design.  Seems doable - which may be because I'm naive, but perhaps that will work to my advantage.

However, to get it done, I think I need to sequester myself from all distractions.  And that takes more planning than the comic itself is supposed to take. I'm considering finding a cheap hotel with a desk, and close to decent food.  Some place quiet, but close to home - Do a two-night rental, check in as early as possible to get set up, and start in early morning the first day, working through until checkout the next day, which is usually about 11.  So, I could go from 9 to 9, which gives me two hours to clean up and wind down and check out after the challenge, done or not.  And then the wife can pick me up, and take me home...

OR - I do it the weekend of Comic Con.  Turns out, I didn't get passes for Friday or Saturday this year.  Maybe I get a room at the Santee Hotel down the road on Friday night, work through Saturday to Sunday morning, and then finish up the weekend at Comic Con Sunday.  Maybe I can get an early check in Friday, and do it Friday to Saturday morning, which would allow me to rest Saturday, then go to the show refreshed on Sunday, with something to show - to those still around.  I like that idea more.

I have six months to plan the logistics, but that might help turn Comic Con weekend into something more memorable than it's been in a long while.

2014 - A Few Words, and Then Drinks.

So...2014.  Ran my first 5K with Shandree. Then ran another, because why not? Said goodbye to the house I grew up in, because mom had to move.  Then she had to move again. :-/ Played a lot of shows, and opened for Weezer! But failed to write anything of substance. Had some great internet conversations.

Had some moments of absolute panic and existential dread.  Removed a chunk of skin from my back.  Turned 40.  Probably unrelated.

I realized (As I do every year) that I worry too much, and act too little.  Dreaming is great if it leads to doing, so I resolve to dream and do, in close-to equal measure. I resolve to play well, and enjoy the chances I get, while abstaining from lamenting on the chances I don't. I resolve to be an actual friend, rather than an internet friend, which feeds into my desire to leave FB behind. I resolve to make a concerted effort to be present.  To pay attention, and see needs, and try to fill them if I am able, God willing.

I will read more books.  I will read less rumor.  I will try to gossip less, and be forthright with all. I will work as if it's a gift, because it is. Basically, grow up.

I will draw pictures of giant robots and cowboys and airplanes and monsters.  I will play drums with my son, and games with my daughter, and everything in between.  I will not take myself so seriously. Basically, stay young.

And all these intentions mean nothing if I don't have love.  So I will pray that God fills me with love, and washes out judgement and vindictiveness and prejudice.  I aim to love as I have been loved. Not just in words and wishes.  How do I do that?  We'll see.

So Happy New Year, friends.  May you live and love.  I hope we see each other soon. Nothing changes tonight that can't change anytime, but I like the thought of a clean slate.  Or at least, renewed enthusiasm.  Peace and Grace, friends.
-Nas

Original "G"

I made this the other day, and thought those who like what I like might like this.  I recorded the song years ago...just a sample, some garage-band, and an enthusiastic friend, with some help from our ladies.  I think it came out pretty good.  The video, too.  Just a Movie Maker jam.  Easy.

I'm REALLY looking forward to the new movie!

Playlist, or; Loving Music

Hiya.  Here's a link, for those who FB, to an essay I wrote and performed for local San Diego group So Say We All.  I did three pieces last year, and this was the third.  Please excuse my somewhat dry delivery.  I was a bit under the weather that night.  At any rate, enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Playlist, by Nas Helewa

Book Review - Mike Baron's Skorpio

Full disclosure - Mike is a friend of mine.  We connected online over a shared love of pop-music and pop-culture, so take that as you will.  However, I stand behind this review, and want to thank Mike for sending me an advanced copy to read a couple months back.  It took me a while to get this review, as I wanted to give it the praise I think it deserves without gushing like a fanboy.  Enjoy, and thanks for reading!

            There is something about the printed word that appeals to my personality.  The feel and smell of paper and ink add a sense of importance to almost any writing. Truth be told, I’m a bit of a Luddite, and have had a hard time adapting to the “new media” practice of reading book-length text on a digital screen, so it speaks to the compelling nature of Mike Baron’s “Skorpio” that I blazed through it over a weekend in October of 2013, reading from the screen of my work-issued Galaxy Note 2.

            It is fitting, actually, that I’d prefer to read from a codex, as it helped ingratiate to me the primary protagonist of “Skorpio”; Vaughan Beadles is an anthropology professor of ancient Native-American cultures, a man’s man blessed with good looks, a good reputation, a beautiful wife, and the envy and admiration of his students.  He seems, at first blush, to have it all, and exudes the kind of self-deprecating humility that is easy to maintain when one is privileged and looking down from the top.  However, when things go south, as they invariably do when dealing with cursed artifacts of questionable origin, Beadles character is revealed to be less than pure.  His selflessness turns to selfishness, as he seeks to justify and magnify his standing, and regain the reputation he’s fought hard to maintain, even as we learn part of it was based on a lie.

            In fact, all of the characters in “Skorpio” are like broken decorative pots, at once beautiful and flawed, but clearly capable of good if just subjected to a little repair.  There is Summer; the stripper with the heart of gold, whose poor choices are quickly catching up to her in the form of Vince; her former boyfriend/pimp whose life is a mess of thuggery and drugs. But still, if only he had been able to break into MMA… Then there is Ninja, the tweaked out hacker whose exterior belies a hidden genius.  At various times, I found my sentimentalities both drawn and repulsed by each of these figures, and I appreciated that these juxtapositions kept me questioning each character’s fate, even to the last page. Mike Baron’s strength is certainly in character construction and dialogue, as it is in his comic-book work, and “Skorpio” flows because of it.  Even where events seem unbelievable, the characters react believably, which kept me connected to the story as a whole.  There are few horror cliché “dumb-ass” moves, and those that exist are punished appropriately.

            Make no mistake, this is a ghost story, and terror lurks throughout, though it often bares its claws, or rather stingers, in unusual ways.  The title character, and star of the cover art, is exactly what the jacket details – A ghost who only comes out in the sun.  The mystery and fear comes from trying to understand the motivations of this ghost, and the source of its power.  After an introductory chapter that serves as a demonstration of Skorpio’s methods, the reader is subjected to a kind of slow burn, as we learn the lore of the missing “Anasazi” tribe Professor Beadles is seeking to discover, as well as the circumstances that lead Beadles, Summer, Vince and Ninja into Skorpio’s realm and influence.  The payoff is well executed, though with any knowledge comes understanding and even a bit of sympathy.  By the time the final confrontation had reached its apex, I wasn’t really sure who I was rooting for.  However, I was still satisfied by the denouement, though there is a tonal change presented in the last paragraph which was at once exciting, but also a bit jarring, turning “Skorpio” from a ghost story to a cliffhanger adventure story, with unresolved futures waiting to be explored.

            I’ve tried to remain vague on plot points, as the fun of “Skorpio” comes with the shifting changes, like a desert in a windstorm.  I do recommend digging in, and not just for the plot twists and surprises.  Despite the slow-burn I mentioned, “Skorpio” is gripping and dripping with character. It’s a great choice for a hot day stuck in air-conditioning, or a cold night wishing for a blazing sun – sans ghosts, of course. 

-Nas

I Played with My Toys, and Then Wrote Something.

Click-r to Flickr

The description of the picture says it all.  I put these figs on a shelf, took some pictures for posterity, then wrote up a description for context.  It's all very simple and nerdy.  Plus, it was fun to play with Word a bit.  Neat little tools.

Maybe I'll do an Invictus shelf someday.  Or just do more pages...

Comic-Con Countdown: T-minus 30

Comic-Con Countdown T-minus 30:

SD Comic Con comes to town in a month! This may be the last year I get to go all 4 days, based on the way things are going, but I'm really looking forward to seeing friends both personal and professional, and finding some inspiration for my own creative endeavors. So, for the next month I will present some of my favorite Comic and Pop-Art memories and milestones to help us all get in the mood.

This month marks the 31st anniversary of the launch of a comic near and dear to my heart: GI Joe, by the indomitable Larry Hama. Hama defined GI Joe for most fans of the property, and variations on his themes is usually met with controversy at the least, and derision at worst. Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, Zartan, Cobra Commander, Scarlett, The Baroness, Destro, et al; The characters Joe fans know and love were defined by Hama in the comics, who wrote the file cards found on the back of the figures as well.

Those who know me know how much GI Joe means to me as a pop-culture property. Check out this commercial for the comic, and let me know your favorite memories of GI Joe.

 

What the Heck is Up with Invictus? (And who cares...?)

Another post to tell anyone that's listening - I haven't abandoned Invictus yet, but time has abandoned me.  Since the year began, I've been struggling to decide how to proceed with the numerous artistic projects I've taken on, and frankly, it's drawn me out thin like an overstretched rubber-band.  Comic Con is coming up, and with no Invictus pages, and no comic pages of any sort, I'm feeling rather bummed.

However, that's not to say I've been lazy.  The bands roll on - Cotton the Machine is putting the finishing touches on our new album.  The record I did with The Secret Seven is almost done, save for mastering .  In fact, you can listen to it right here. Check out "How to Imitate Thunder. 
I've also managed to do some prose writing for a local performance group called So Say We ALL.  My last story was all about collecting GI Joes, so...there is that.

Probably most difficult; On February 28th, my dad passed away from a massive stroke.  It wasn't unexpected, but it was sudden, and fast, and shocking.  His name was Joe, and he was my favorite GI Joe.  I miss him all the time.  But I'm still living, and am thankful to God for that, and for a life well lived by my father.  You can check out a blog post I wrote about it right here.

So...when will Invictus come back?  I don't know yet, but I've got the itch to get the story told, so I hope soon.  Thanks again for all who continue to check in.  I'll be having a birthday in June, and I already know what I'm getting...you might see a certain Soviet team invade my Joe universe.  Maybe...

New Year - I got nothin'

I don't know that anyone really cares for excuses so I'll just say - it rained.  A lot.  No Invictus pages yet.  HOWEVER - I got a new camera for Christmas from my lovely wife, so...

Nothing else to say on that front, really.  I hope everyone had a great Holiday season. 2013 looks to be another interesting year for all of us - I can dig it.  The best memories are those that you survived rather than floated through.  Here's to new challenges and new creative endeavors - as well as continuing some old ones. 

Gearing Up to Wind Down

I'm about to go on a little vacation, and I'm pretty stoked about what I hope to get done, (aside from eating a lot, enjoying the family, and celebrating Christmas and the new year...) I was messing around with some Joes on my desk today, and the spark ignited - I will be making it a point to have new Invictus pages up for the new year, by hook or by crook.

Also, I'm aiming to work on a couple pieces of prose I've had rattling around in my head for a while now. My friend Mike Baron, who came to prominence writing the comic Nexus in the 80's (Seriously - one of the best indy books ever made) had this to say about writers:

 "Writers are people who have to write. They write every day. They don’t talk about it, they do it. People who don’t write every day are not serious writers. All right. Five days a week, minimum. This is about writing comic books, but it applies to all fiction."

 I was glad I read that AFTER spending last night writing a full first draft of a short story tentatively called "Not Enough Time". But it encouraged me not to stop after every small victory. Forge ahead. Write. I could say more, but why talk about it?

 To all who check in, Happy Holidays, and for those brothers and sisters who will celebrate Christ's birth in a couple days, Merry Christmas!

Cogs - by Cotton the Machine

Here is a little live action from earlier this month.  You can't see me - I'm on drums.

More Art - and a recording update

This is a test of the first page of a project I hope to have fully underway in a couple months.  I'll probably have to do a couple revisions of each page before I'm fully satisfied, but I feel like I'm finally on the right track.

Invictus is kicking my ass - in that, I have big plans, but not a lot of time to execute.  Mainly because my "sets" are off-site.  I have some vacation coming up, and I hope to get the next act filmed during that time.  Be assured, I haven't given up, and seeing a post by Justin at Generals Joes today, I'm even more inspired to get back to it.  Ah, life.

Finally, I'm hip-deep in co-producing the new album by my band Cotton the Machine.  We should have it out near the beginning of the new year, but feel free to like us on FB and check out our recent live videos to get a feel for what we're doing.

Thanks, folks, for visiting regularly.  I know I've been silent, but it's encouraging to see that people are taking a minute to stop in and see what's what.

Oh work...

I'm still here, but I'm overwhelmed.  Between crazy work days, busy weekends with the kids, and too much music (a good thing) I've had to put off Invictus for much longer than I'd hoped.  I was scouting out locations this weekend again, and have some tentative plans for a shoot - we'll see.  I know - promises, promises.  Invictus isn't done, but my time is short, and I want to do the best I can for the story, so please be patient and check back. 

Monster Machine!

This is a test panel from a new project I am getting ready to dive into.  I look forward to sharing more once it gets closer to reality, but in the meantime, enjoy!

Where is Invictus?

Just a quick update - things have been crazy in GigaMach land.  Lots of work, and projects, and music happenings, but Invictus is definitely not at the back of my mind.  I will try to get a new page up by this weekend, so don't give up, and thanks for sticking with me through the dry spell.

How Do I Shot Drum? - More Recording

So, the other thing I do, apart from having a family and taking pictures of toys and trying to train my drawing skills and work 40 hours a week...is drum for local SD bands.  A lot.  This weekend, my band Cotton the Machine hit the studio, and I'm pretty excited about the results so far.  We will probably finish 11 tracks in about a month, and I will be sure to post here when it's done.

I also have an album coming soon from The Secret Seven, the drum tracks for which I recorded a couple months ago.  Two disparate rock bands, two albums...I am a blessed man.

I am hopeful Invictus will return next week.  Stay Tuned!

Invictus - Page 19 and the end of Act 1

 

Act 1 ends here.  I'm excited about where this is going, and I hope you are, too.  Stay tuned - Invictus has just begun!

Invictus - Page 18

Did anyone read the Fantastic Four?  I always appreciated when the artist drew Sue Storm as a translucent figure when she turned invisible.  How easy would it be to cop and and draw nothing?  Pretty easy, I imagine.  Sorry the post is kinda late, but I again got caught up in life and left editing till the last minute.  But I think the results speak for themselves.

Invictus - Page 17

Oh shi....!  If you wondered how Typhoid was able to sneak up on Footloose, wonder no longer.  I used this effect a while back on another pic, and wanted to expand on it.  I'm pretty stoked about the results.

I imagine that stealth tech like this would take a LOT of power in a five-minutes-into-the-future world, which would be why Typhoid doesn't maintain the invisibility all the time.  But she knows how to use it to maximum effect...