The Drunken Philosopher #1: The definition of being an adult

As an artist I would define being an adult as "the point in one's life at which one's life's work is relegated to a being mere hobby."

I suppose this may explain why the most successful artists, those who can do this for a living, tend to have a more childish personality than most of us working stiffs who have to make a living through other means.

This thought popped into my head as I sit here enjoying a mango. It is of a most enjoyable state of ripeness, just as it begins to become quite soft. Yum!

I begin to ponder the extent of the human experience. It would appear as though today's world has forgotten the significance of such things as the beauty of life, creativity, inspiration, and the simple pleasures of the natural world. In modern society, there is far too much emphasis placed on earning enough money to survive, the politics which govern our world, the institution of organized religion, and the drive to conquer, even at the expense of our own species (this part, of course, is the ultimate desire of all forms of leadersip, regardless of how altruistic their intentions may seem... so please refrain from any anti-US sentiment). While the desire to conquer may seem an extension of the natural territorial instinct, no other species has expressed it to such an extent. If the cows and pigs had opposable thumbs and could speak, would they not attempt the same, I wonder? While the presence of religion in and of itself is not inherently bad, as we all seek to interact with a power of a higher state of being which has allowed us to be self-aware and exist as individuals of free will... one cannot help but question the morality of institutions which are run by those who would use religion as a means of discrimination or control, to deny the freedom of its own members and all others who do not share its specific beliefs. And, it is not even necessary for me to point out that money and politics are entirely human creations as well.

To be sure, it is these human-created elements which are the source of progress within this world, and there is no denying that many of the technologies which have been able to come about as a result have made many aspects of our lives easier.

However, has the modern state of society really made life better for us all? In particular, those of us who wish to be able to live an expressive life of thinking freely and sharing our love of beauty with the world? Would most artists even exist if there was no monetary reward to be had from it? Would the lack of pressure from trying to keep up with the world allow more art to be created?


In other words, is it possible that this world demands that one's individuality and creativity be stripped away in order to survive as an adult?

My goals as an artist

There are two main goals which I have been striving for; the first is to be involved in the comics industry, the second to be a concept designer for video games.

I have produced a few issues of an older comic of mine, Trooper Blaze, which were overly time-consuming, and I also was not able to afford to produce the books in sufficient numbers as to sell beyond the convention I brought them to. The lack of profit compared to the time spent on the project, my lack of knowledge of good page layout / composition, and also my inability to quickly produce art which not only looked good but was also consistent, all led me to give up on comics for a while. I need to find better ways of producing interesting scenes, and more efficient methods for getting the work done before I will be able to give it another attempt. Even a couple of years later, I'm still frustrated by how the old comics turned out, and by the negative responses they received. Now I'm too stubborn to even attempt another actual comic until I know I can do it properly and be proud of it... but I'll probably need more training first.

As for the concept design job for videogames, I feel that such a job would be perhaps the best way to get my work out to the largest audience possible. In this day and age, the more immersive the experience a certain piece of media gives, the more memorable the characters and events contained therein will be, and the large the audience which will be exposed to it... which puts comics fairly low on the modern entertainment consumer's priority, and videogames and movies at the top. Also, as many may have noticed, most of my character designs are of the type which make more sense when seen in action; what better way to portray them than the environment of a game? I've applied with, been interviewed and had my portfolio reviewed by a number of game companies here in the U.S., but the most common response I get is that my style is "too original" and that they want to see more flexibility, ie fanart and such in which I copy the style of another artist. :| Pretty much the only feasible way for a relative unknown in the industry such as myself to have a game produced with my original designs (not necessarily my own stories, but just my visual designs based off of the new concepts of a creator who actually has the balls to make an original, non-derivative game) would be to start my own company.

TL;DR: I would like to become big in the aforementioned fields, but currently lack the skill sets which the companies and possibly the consumers are looking for. :(

Another grail kit obtained!

A couple of days ago, I received the 1/100 scale Nobel Gundam kit from Mobile Fighter G Gundam in the mail!


As many of you may well know, two of the things I like most are women in armor and unique mecha designs which stand out from the rest, and this one fits both criteria (well, technically, it's not a "woman in armor" so much as an "armored robot that is woman-shaped," but it applies just the same in my mind). The reason I had been wanting this kit in particular for so long, was because it is in such a dynamic pose. And then when Wijaya informed me that he happened to have an original that he'd be willing to part with, I wasted no time in taking the opportunity to get it from him.

After some test-fitting of the parts, the only possible issue that I might have during the assembly of the kit is the weight of the "hair" since it only has the head to attach to, and the neck may be a bit thin to support the weight. But, it's nothing some pins and CA can't fix! :D

As some may say, the levels of dorkdom go as follows:
The person builds model kits = Moderate Dork, maybe just average Joe with a hobby
The models in question are giant robots = Severe Dork, perhaps of the variety who listens to Japanese music all the time and shuts himself in for marathon anime sessions
The giant robot model is in the form of a Japanese schoolgirl = King Dork; one who is beyond the point of ever being considered normal. LOL

Nemesis in berserker devil form

Want to see a spoiler for the later parts of the Anubis arc of my series, DevilSaint?

Yes, that is a devil form Amanda Owens, also merged with her Nemesis Deity. Anyone who knows the connection between her and Justin, Justin and Adrian, and Nepeta's backstory should be able to figure out what triggered this. :D

On a sidenote, painting is fun.