What's Happen'in Folks?

It's that time again. Another Movie Review and this film obviously needs no introduction. So lets jump right on into it. Here's The D91 Movie Review of THE AVENGERS

*(DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone. There may be minor SPOILERS in the review to aid any critical arguments in the review, so read at your own risk. All images/screenshots belong to it's respective owners.)




© MARVEL STUDIOS/PARAMOUNT PICTURES

PLOT
Well its finally here, the movie that's more than 50 years in the making. In 2008, we were introduced to the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" with the films "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk", both with obvious hints of being part of a bigger universe and leading to future tie-ins with other movies. Soon, Thor and Captain America followed with their own feature films (after an Iron Man sequel) and each had significant build ups towards the inevitable AVENGERS movie which features the heroes teaming up to combat a greater evil under the command of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury. With every movie, the hype for this film grew bigger and bigger with a large amount of comic book fans hoping that the film will live up to the legacy of one of the more iconic super hero teams in comic book history. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is arguably the greates super hero movie/comic book movie to have ever been produced. PERIOD!

In terms of continuity, The Avengers picks up a little after the end of Captain America and Thor. Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) overlooks the research of an anicnet artifact known as the Tesseract which is the source of unlimited power. However, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is transported to Earth through the use of the Tesseract and threatens the world with war. After his defeat in the original Thor movie, he has made an agreement with a mysterious higher power to lead a powerful alien army known as the Chitauri. After losing one of his best soldiers Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to Loki under mind control along with the Tesseract, Nick Fury is forced to commence "the Avengers Initiative" despite the disinterest his superiors have on the project. Agents Phil Colson and  Natasha Romanoff  (Clark Gregg and Scarlett Johansson respectively) are assigned to round up the main candidates of the initiative which is Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), and Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). Thor (Chris Hemsworth) soon runs into the group and S.H.I.E.L.D. after learning that his brother Loki has been transported to Earth and tries to bring him back to Asgard. As all of these gifted individuals Assemble (no pun intended), they must try to put aside their differences and work as a powerful team to fight a force that the Earth was never prepared for.

That's pretty much the plot in a nut-shell. It pretty much borrows elements from earlier story-lines/sagas from the Avengers comics. However, this is definitely not your typical super hero team movie. First off, I would like to compliment the overall flow of the film. The first act of the film does a good job with not filling in a large amount of back story since there is a good chance that people have at least seen some of the previous films leading up to this one. In all honesty, if you have seen at least Captain America, Thor, of even Iron Man 2, you really should not be lost here. The movie really cuts to the chase and puts you right in the middle of the central conflict and sense of urgency that is present once Loki appears. The progression in which you are introduced to each member of the team does not really drag at all either.

This leads to my next topic of the film's plot, and thats character development. In my opinion, this film captures the personalities and traits of each of characters better than similar films such as Xmen or Fantastic Four. It's no surprise that there's indeed variety amongst the cast based on the origins, sense of justice, and the abilities that make them unique. I love how that every member of the team is not at first comfortable with the idea of teaming up solely based on those differences alone. Sure they are obligated to team up under the orders of Nick Fury, but that does'nt necessarily mean its the best idea. You can definitely see this when Iron Man and Captain America have their moments of disagreeing with one another and when Thor tries to reason with S.H.I.E.L.D. about what his brother is capable of. Even the pressence of Bruce Banner is questioned overall with the potential danger he can put the entire team (if not the world) in by transforming into the Hulk. The second act is literally the best sense of character development as we see the team struggle with how they are going to prepare for the worse. It all leads up to the greatest sense of team work I have ever seen in a movie in the climactic battle see in New York City (calling the last 30 minutes of the film "epic" is such an understatement). Such grwth as a team makes you feel satisfied at the end becuase you are truly hoping that this group of people can pull through despite their differences, the same way Nick Fury believed in them.

What I also like about the plot is how it does not stray away from the focus of either the Avengers or Loki. The film is very compact and really has no dull scenes that stray away from the plot (somewhat like the Transformers movies do at times) Each member of the team gets an equal amount of focus and character development throughout the film and the writers seem to have done a good job in not "playing favorites". If you are a fan of any of the individual members of the Avengers, then you best believe that he or she gets her time to shine on more than one scene (the same can be said for the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as well). Personally, I like what they did with Captain America in displaying his excellent leadership skills despite being out of his element in terms of the time period. The Hulk has never looked better on the big screen as well (both him and Bruce Banner). With this equal amount of focus on the character development, people are going to leave the film loving THE AVENGERS as a whole.


PRODUCTION QUALITY
I already covered the amazing writing of the film and it is well complimented by the execution of the screenplay. The special effects are very top notch even for a super hero film. They truly shine in the final act of the film with a choatic battle taking place in the heart of New York City. I also liked what they have done with the Helicarrier throughout the film. The CGI is also well done to create the Hulk and the variety of alien creatures/technology. The Hulk seems to be more organic compared to his previous incarnations, probably due to the fact he has more interaction with human characters such as Thor (you'll know what scenes I'm talking about). The Iron Man suit is also more dynamic in the film with Tony displaying the full potential of his suit compared to the last two movies.

The casting is very well done. Of course, many of the characters were reprised by their original actors, except for Bruce Banner. Mark Ruffalo does however do an amazing job portraying Banner as a very timid scientis dealing with "the other guy" that he is cursed to turn into. Even after Edward Norton's well played Banner, Ruffalo seems to surpass that especially when it came to interacting with his fellow Avengers. Tony Stark realy displays a more "heroic" side to him compared to his previous films. We find him at a crossroads when he realizes that he has to fight less forhis ego and more for the greater good of mankind. Tom Hiddleston really does a significantly better job at portraying Loki in this film. He comes off as a more sinister villain with very manipulative tactics towards the Avengers. He arguably has some of the best dialouge in the film next to Robert and Samuel. And Finally, Jeremy plays a badass Hawkeye (whether he is good or evil...).

As you know, the film is shown in both 2D and 3D. Fortunately, I had the luxury in seeing the movie in both forms. Though the 3D effects don't really show until the second or third act, its very engaging and entertaining. It's not as down played as it was in Captain America (the shiled was the only recognizable 3D effect), it fits the dynamic display of action similar to how 3D was executed in "Dark of the Moon". Either way, the lack of 3D does not hurt the movie's visual experience one bit.


FINAL THOUGHTS
Simply put, THE AVENGERS is literally a must see movie. Whether or not you are a cmoic book fan or fully followed up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the culmination of such iconic figures in comic book history makes thies film epic on so many levels and will leave you wanting more (even if you miss the post credit scenes, there will no doubt be more sequels). The formation of the Avengers and overall character development of the film accomplishes what other super hero movies could not in the past and the writers clearly learned from certain mistakes made by similar team-up movies. I highly reccomend that you go to your local theater and watch the movie that exceeds fan expectations. Hell, I would even recommend seeing it twice, its that good.


Rating
I give it 95 out of 100



That's my review. Be sure to stay tuned for more D91 Reviews this summer. I only have one more week of college and will have more time to give my thoughts on movies and video games.

Until Next Time Folks.

PEACE

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[link] [FACEBOOK PAGE]


PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

Hey Everybody

As promised, I would like to present to you all my first feature length film "DESKTOP NARRATIVES: A D91 SKETCH FILM"
It is also my Senior Project for college and is currently being hosting in a museam installation space in high definition.
BUT YOU CAN WATCH IT NOW ON THE OFFICIAL D91 YOUTUBE PAGE!!!

ACT 1 - [link]
ACT 2 - [link]
ACT 3 - [link]


PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO WATCH IT IN ITS ENTIRETY AND LEAVE A COMMENT EITHER HERE OR ON YOUTUBE!

This film would not have been possible without the supprort of fans like you who encourage me to keep doing what I love which is creating high quality art work for the world to see.


PEACE

[link] [YOUTUBE]
[link] [TWITTER]
[link] [FACEBOOK PAGE]


PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's Going on everybody

Long time, no post! I have been through soo much since my last journal update and life has been good. The reasons why I haven't updated drawing and journal wise is because i have been busy working on MY FIRST FULL LENGTH D91 MOVIE. That's right. I used my Senior Project as an opportunity to make my first feature film that is basically a sketch film featuring a variety of skits written and directed by yours truly. It is meant to explore the potential of narrative imagery through the use of new media software, interfaces, and digital art work. The whole thing is like a cross between "Robot Chicken" and Fantasia, but with new media twist to it. It contains a good mix of live action footage and screen captures of pop culture videos and live drawings/commentary by yours truly. Words can't describe how proud I am of this film as I feel like it is culmination of not only my college years, but my career as an artist since I started drawing when i was 6 years old (AND THAT'S DEEP). As of now, I am organizing my film into multiple parts on my YOUTUBE channel since its roughly 50 minutes long. I will be sure to give you all more info on the film once I make the videos public on my page. I'm sure you will all love it because none of it would be possible without the support from fans like you.

Speaking of Senior Project, I am sooooo ready to graduate college already. My class is pretty much going through ll the preparations such as submitting our Senior Project titles, ordering cap and gowns, and planning grad parties. I have been looking into some jobs and internships to start during the summer to make use of my BA along with making some connections. I would really like to take my franchise to the next level within the next couple of years (comic publications, animations, etc). I'm already talking with The New York State Council of the Arts for possible internship and part time opportunities, so thats very exciting. In the mean time, I'm going to enjoy Spring Break after all the work I've done in terms of making my movie and planning my Senior Project Exhibition. A good time to chill with my Entourage, make some money through some drawings and selling my T-Shirts, and get some gaming done.

And before I forget, since we're on the topic of gaming, I got my copy of STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN a few weeks back. I haven't had a lot of play time with it much with post-production on my movie, but I did host a launch tournament on my campus  (I made it to the semi-finals). My thoughts on the game...I think its a very solid fighting game, one of the best time I had with one since Capcom vs SNK 2, Third Strike, and Marvel 2. The fighting mechanics are very good featuring enhancements to the ones we grew familiar with in Street Fighter 4. It borrows some Tekken fundamentals such as a juggling system and low, mid, high hits. I love the amount of skill players must acquire to fully grasp to master their team synergy (which is extremely key in this game). The freedom of making you own damaging combos through good use of tags and cancels is a very nice touch. That goes along with the deep level of customization from character design to gem customization. The Gem System is also not as annoying as I though it would be. Sometimes I barley even notice the effects since the game play is so fast paced and engaging. I never really felt like I lost through cheap wins and I realize that it was my own mistakes that lost me the match, not overpowered gems. It encourages me to master my primary teams and develop strategies to counter act my opponent's moves and tactics (counter hits and reversals play a bigger role this time around). Regardless, this is a fighting game in which I will not take losses seriously since the game play is fun as it is. The strategies people can bring to their fighting style is almost as versatile as the amazing cast of characters. The Tekken characters are soo fun to play around with since they offer the most to the traditional 2D fighting plain that Street Fighter trademarked. My current team for instance is Jin and Hworang since they have deep fighting styles with some familiar Street Fighter based mix ups I like to use in my play style. The only downsides I see with the game are some of the glitches that players might go through both online and offline. However, they are not yet fully game breaking. I'm also somewhat upset about the on disc DLC characters, but I'm still hyped about their future release to the public. I also think some of the cut-scenes and rival matches are somewhat corny, but then again it's not like we come to fighting games for the story. However, you can tell that the developers tried to make this an epic crossover with the whole Pandora Story and the interactions between your favorites characters from both universes. In short, this is an awesome game for both fans of SF and Tekken. For me, it was worth the 8 year wait for this game.


©CAPCOM

Another A-List game I've been playing (and been waiting for) is SSX. The first SSX was my first game for my PS2 and I got both on launch. Since then , I loved the series. Tricky was great, but the one Loved the most (and still play to this day) is SSX3. I never played any other game in the series afterwards, except for a PSP spin off, but now the series is finally getting the next gen treatment. This time around, the series takes a more edgy tone in terms of design and game play. Players will explore a ridiculous amount of drops that span across the globe participating in events such as racing and freestyle trick runs. A new game type is introduced in this game called the Deadly Descents, and they are indeed the most challenging and intense drops ever in the franchise. Each one is different based on the continent you are on and require a variety of gear and equipment to help guarantee your survival down the mountains. They include hazards such as darkness, oxygen, rocks, trees, pit falls, ice, and avalanches. Despite the difficulty, its a hell of a good time when you are racing for your life and taking on nature in these drops. The online (though its doesn't feature traditional 1v1 racing or split screen) is very well designed with a very good arcade feel to it. The Global Events and Explore features keeps you engaged in the 150 drops across the world, encouraging you to beat your friends' scores to make in game currency. You can also place custom collectibles and make your own events with prize money to expand upon the competitive field online. Online or off, there's plenty to do in this game and even more extras to unlock. A good number of your favorite characters return in this game with more mature designs, but their trademark fun characteristics are still intact. Each one have their own signature moves and attributes  along with the ridiculous TRICKY/Uber tricks that the series is known for. The game's soundtrack is amazing by the way. SSX3 had the best video game soundtrack next to Jet Set Radio in my opinion, but this game out does its predecessor with an tight mix of techno, rap, metal, and dub step tracks.


©EA

Both games are amazing and they will keep you busy for a while. I know I will be playing both the majority of Spring Break and for months to come. If you guys want to add me on PSN to play SFxT, Call of Duty, Battlefield, or just want to add me, be sure to follow me on Twitter @ D91lLive. I just installed the  Twitter feed on my DA page above, and I tend to post when I'm playing online and what game. I also post about future projects, behind the scenes screenshots, and posts from on the go SO BE SURE TO FOLLOW! ^w^



So I pretty much have been putting my drawings on the back burner what with my Senior Project and Movie. However I do have some sketches on the side ready to be turned into high quality drawings. I'm also planning on making this a very productive summer for D91 with material for a variety for my original series starting late April. These include drawings for "INFAMY X SIEGE, READY UP!!!!, BX BOUNCERS, CHARTER PANELS, BLOODLINE, LOVELY SAINTS", and much more!!!. There will also be a good number of fan arts throughout the summer with celebrities and some parodies here and there. I also plan to make this a summer filled with a god number of collaborations with fellow artists and talented people both online and in real life. If you are interested, don't hesitate to contact me. A new drawing should be up within the next two or three weeks, but as I said before you can get exclusive sneak peaks by following me on twitter or joining my facebook page.

I'm also going to make one more vlog episode on my YouTube channel which might cover Adobe Flash. I hope to start annimating my own material and making it on Newgrounds, so stay tuned for the season finale of my vlog series.

So until next time folks. Stay tuned for more and enjoy the D91 Goodness on my page.
Thank You soo much for the ongoing support.

[link] [YOUTUBE]
[link] [TWITTER]
[link] [FACEBOOK PAGE]


PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's Happening Everybody?!

Guess who recently turned 22 years old?...

That's right, my birthday was on Feb 20th, and did I have one hell of a week to celebrate it. Spent the day getting some birthday love from my friends at college (if not everyone I came in contact with) and got to host a program in which I drew people in the trademark carton style you all know and love. I also got a chance to go out with my best friends on my birthday weekend as well. I even got the best birthday present ever, A D91 T-SHIRT!!! It's a black T-Shirt with A giant. gothic/extreme font letter D and 91 following it. I was planning on making my own line of T-Shirts to sell, and this is pretty much the head start to it. I'm going to be selling more soon with even more designs, so stay tuned on that!!!

Other than that, life has been pretty chill so far. I'm actually in  the middle of filming for my Senior Project and getting ready to present to the faculty in charge of my major. It's pretty much coming down to the wire at this point, but hopefully eerything will all come full circle by the time of my exhibition.

I want to quickly give my thoughts on a movie I saw recently. This is not a full blown D91 Review since I plan on doing one later this week on Street Fighter X Tekken. I recently saw Project X, and I hae to say that it was a very interesting comedy/party movie. Its about three high school kids trying to throw an epic birthday party to help them gain popularity before they graduate. As you can see from some of the footage of the film, this leads to total chaos (if not succeeding at hosting an epic party). The movie is based on the whole "found footage genre", but for some reason it seems to be exectuted well based on multiple sorces of found footage (mobile phones, flip cams, news footage, etc). The comedy is of course over the top, especially with a cast representing high school kids. When people say that its a mix between Superbad and The Hangover, they were not joking. I have to admit, the film tends to be somewhat unrealistic at times, but it is a solid representation of today's youth. It has some of the teen movie stereotypes, but magnifies them with some clever one liners, jokes, and party type scenarios. It's like the filmmakers where trying to outdue classic party movies (which they tend to do at some points) but some of the jokes and themes may come off as uninspired. Still, this movie is damn right entertaining and is worth both a ticket and dvd purchase. Once you look past some of the unrealstic aspects of the film, you will no doubt be entertained and have a series of laughs on this unique comedy and "game changing" party film.


So thats my thoughts on the film. Stay tuned for my review of STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN later this week and more updates on upcoming drawings, projects, and everything D91.


Until next time folks!
PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

Whats Happen'in, Everybody?

First and foremost, THANK YOU FOR 33K VIEWS ON MY DA PAGE  I really appreaciate having friends, fans, and supporters like you coming back to my page to enjoy my artwork. All of your feedback and comments inspire me to submit more work.

Sorry I haven't been updating the journal for a while. I was too busy adjusting to my last semester as an undergrad and recovering from my crazy (yet fun) Winter Break. Soo many holiday parties, birthday parties, and deadmau5 live. It was awesome. Now I'm taking my last semester of college and will be getting a Bachelors in New Media this May. I have a large amount of free time, all the more reason to have fun with my friends and fellow graduates. I also can't wait to show off Senior Project material here, its going to be my first full length movie.

Speaking of movies, I figured I would kick off my first journal of the New Year with a D91 Movie Review. This time, I will do a review of </b>CHRONICLE</b>. So here's my detailed written review of the film.

(DISCLAIMER: The thoughts and opinions expressed in his review are my own. Some minor/semi-spoilers maybe in this review to help support said opinions. All the images/screenshots used in this review belong to its respective owners.)



PLOT
When I first saw the trailer to "Chronicle", it seemed to be very self explanatory in terms of story and background. It seemed like "Cloverfield" with some aspects of X-Men, Kick Ass, and Super. You can call it a super hero movie with all the cliche found footage genre gimmicks. At first glance, this was not a bad thing since I am a fan of all of the above (although, the found footage era is getting rather stale). However, once I sat through the entire movie, all of my plot expectations were simply blown away.

The movie tells the story of a teenage boy named Andrew who lives a very troubled life with an abusive father, cancer ridden mother, and happens to have very low esteem due to his social awkwardness. He's like "Peter Parker" but with way more realistic issues and darker background. He decides to document his life with a video camera, supposedly as a why to deal with life. He spends time with his cousin, Matt, who tends to give him moral support from time to time. One night during a rave, they are joined by fellow classmate and friend Steve who asks them to investigate this hole in the woods. Once there, the three discover an artifact/alien looking rock or object. Once they came into close contact with it, they all black out with bleeding noses.

It turns out that the object granted the three telekinetic powers that grows stronger the more they use it. However, Andrew seems to develop his abilities at a more rapid rate. They start using their powers to cause some harmless mischief and gain some popularity points in their high school. Once Andrew goes overboard on using his powers by nearly killing a driver, Matt and Steve start to realize that their powers have the potential to be more dangerous than fun. Matt then starts to question his own significance and moral value now that he continues to grow stronger.After a chain of certain unfortunate events, Andrew takes a more darker approach towards using his powers and puts his friends, family, and innocent at risk because of it. This leads to a personal conflict that goes beyond good and evil.

Now Chronicle does many things great in terms of character development and the overall theme of using powers beyond human control. Every individual that has gained super powers in fiction usually goes through the cliche of automatically trying to use it for good after a journey of self realization. I bet you, in reality, like 80% of the time people will do nothing but use such overwhelming powers for their own personal gain. Chronicle does this perfectly, especially when it combines the issues and attitudes shared within today's youth. Being a teenager is the most influential period of anyone's life as you begin to discover who you are and deal with issues/changes that are both physical and emotional. Throwing super powers in the mix just enhances the personal development dramatically. All the characters do is uses their powers for fun and to boost their popularity amongst the student body. Not once do they ever shed light on fighting crime or contributing twoards mankind, and I love that sense of thinking as its a more realistic approach on normal people being granted super powers.

The character Andrew demonstrates this growth theme well and in a more dynamic fashion compared to any super human character throughout the history of media. Once he learns the true potential of his powers, he goes through a life changing phase that challenges his sense of morality, fairness, and his significance in the world. After a lifetime of torment, abuse, and sadness, Andrew decides to take his place as the "superior" being and use his powers however he pleases. His motives are driven by the twisted emotions every teenager feels from time to time based on the influence of their friends and situations. This all comes full circle in the films climax which is the best one I have seen in movie yet (especially for a found footage film since they tend to be anticlimactic.) This movie is not a hero, anti hero, or villain origin story by any means. It's more of a "chronicle" of events driven by moral values, teen angst, and the use of exceptional gifts that would make one question their own significance. Its a very engaging set of themes that many can relate to in their own way to an extent, especially with the teenage audience.

PRODUCTION VALUE
Being a found footage film, "Chronicle" does have almost everything you'd expect such as the shakey camera, pixelation/static, and quick time cuts. However, this film uses the perspective of multiple cameras used by supporting cast, security cameras, android phones, etc. This is a nice approach, but I feel like the writers could have expanded upon this form of storytelling. For example, why not have this movie in the point of view of a certain viewer who stumbles upon the footage on the internet or news story. It touches on the current "Youtube culture", but I just wish the flow of the movie could have been more dynamic with this cultrure in mind.

The special effects are not the greatest, but with a movie with such a low budget its somewhat forgivable at times. The acting makes up for the effects as the reactions towards certain scenes of using superpowers are very believable. For many no-name actors, this is a beneficial aspect to the overall movie. The special effects definitely kick in during the third act of the film (kind of gives bigger budget films a run for their money especially for a film thats based on found footage).

The writing as a whole does have a good blend of realism and science fiction. There are times when I had a good laugh here and there. The film does have a very effective shift in tone as the characters get somewhat darker as they develop. There is maybe one or two plot holes, but they are not too distracting.

FINAL THOUGHTS
"Chronicle" is a breath of fresh air in the world of superhero movies. It's unique take on individuals gaining god like abilities and the reality how they decide to use it provides a very engaging plot and character development. It reminds me of the movie "Unbreakable" as it breaks many of the comic book cliches we all know and love. It challenges viewers to relate towards an individual based on moral values and the emotional drive that would make you want to stand out in the world (whether it be for negative or positive towards others). I highly recommend seeing this film if you are a fan of the superhero/science fiction genre or just want to experience an approach to film making (plot and character development) that is both new and effective.

Rating
I give it 88 out of 100


So thats my review of "Chronicle". Hopefully my next review will be on STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN. Stay tuned for this years D91 Valentines Day special and more drawings on the way.

DON'T FORGET TO VISIT ME ON YOUTUBE AND TWITTER


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Until next time folks!
PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's Happening Everybody?

So its been a good minute since I made a new journal. For the last moth and a half, I've been pretty busy with school and life to sit down and write a journal. Now I'm enjoying a well deserved 5 week vacation from school. I am still working at my local galleria, but I still have a descent amount of free time. I'm so psyched though since next semester will be my last semester as an undergrad and I get my BA in New Media. Hopefully I can start off with a job in Web Design after I graduate. For now, I'm just going to enjoy my time off and improvise on my creativity, hopefully reaching a new break through on my senior project. I have a large amount of holiday parties to attend along with a DEADMAU5 concert, so this vacation will be very comforting.

A lot has happened in the past month and a half. Enjoyed a good family reunion for Thanksgiving ,dressed up as Mike Tyson for Halloween, and made some new videos on my Youtube Channel. In terms of gaming, I recently been plaing Modern Warfare 3 and Sonic Generations. I'm going to start playing Battlefield and Arkham City again as well. For upcoming games, Street Fighter x Tekken still looks pretty good. There is of course a large amount of debate on the gem system. Hopefully, its not a game breaking mechanic since it was confirmed that the gems have negative effects that go along with certain improvements.

I don't really have any kind of movie review for you guys, but a very funny movie I have seen recently was "The Sitter". It's not the best comedy of the year, but it will have you laughing for a majority of the scenes. A few movies I am looking forawrd to is "Chronicle", "Project X", "The Avengers", "The Amazing Spiderman", and "The Dark Knight Rises". I actually might make a video discussing the Dark Knight Rises since my previous video was soo popular.


As always, I will have a holiday special uploaded Christmas weekend. I know its a lil later than usual, but it'll be worth it. More videos will be made for my Youtube Channel as well including new Vlogs and test footage for my senior project. The crossover series "Infamy X Siege" will be expanded upon towards the beginning of the new year, so stay tuned for that. I will also start sketching new additions to "READY UP!!!" and "BX BOUNCERS".

So until next time folks. stay tuned for more and enjoy the D91 Goodness on my page.

DON'T FORGET TO VISIT ME ON YOUTUBE AND TWITTER


[link] [YOUTUBE]
[link] [TWITTER]


PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's Happen'in Everybody?

So it's been hella long since I wrote a journal. I have uploaded three new drawings since I last updated, but I have'nt spoke to you guys about how good life is treating me.

Basically, my school work is going fine. Most of my classes are not too overwhelming. I'm having fun with this one class called "Video Graphics" in which I play around with Adobe After Effects. My Senior Project is also going smoothly as well. My sponsor said that I really have something with my project and that it has great potential. As I said before, I am doing my project on "Experimental Narrative Imagery" in which I explore new ways to tell a story to an audience while studying the psychological effects it has on them along with the story teller. I decided to upload at least 2 test footage every month leading up to my Senior Showcase and I will be sure to send you guys the link to each one as time goes by. I really hope this project turns out great because I think it will be my calling card.

My CA job is going great as well. Always having a good time working with my fellow co-workers and even a better time with programs I am organizing. I'm also enjoying my job as a Sales Associate in Macy's. Its always a very chill experience, especially since I work inside a pretty cool galleria. At least I have a consistent flow of cash to shop at all the stores there (I'm one of those lolz). My most recent work day was pretty crazy since it was snowing in New York IN OCTOBER. That was a uniques experience. I had to go back home in a blizzard and the power was out in my county. It did give me a good chance to bond with my folks since we usually have compnay at our house. My parents and I like to appreciate the time we have with each other which is always nice.

I also recently got my hands on Battlefield 3. It's a pretty damn good shooter and a good break from the Call of Duty series. I'm still probably gonna buy MW3, but I like to have a little variety in my video game genres. The game reminds me of Killzone 3, but with better squad control and team effort. I also can't wait to get my hands on SONIC GENERATIONS. It seems to be the Sonic game a lot of fans are waiting for and can;t wait to revisit levels such as Chemical Plant and Sky Sanctuary.



So I have a lot of good high quality drawings coming up in the near future. First off, I will be drawing a SPACE JAM tribute to help celebrate the movie's 15th Anniversary. I am also going to draw a JERSEY SHORE and SCOTT PILGRIM drawing sometime before the end of the year. Of course, there will be a Holiday Season special. Speaking of which, I hope you all enjoy the new Halloween special featuring D91 ZOMBIES.

Having my characters being drawn as zombies was a long time coming. Also, I will be posting some Senior Project related material here every now and then. In the mean time you can check out my Youtube Channel and my official Project Webpage for more updates. Be sure to follow me on twitter as well.

[link] [Senior Project Page]
[link] [YOUTUBE]
[link] [TWITTER]


So until next time folks. stay tuned for more and enjoy the D91 Goodness on my page.

PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's Happen'in Everybody

Man, has it been quiet a while since I've updated this site. As you can tell by the title, you can probably see why. I've had a crazy few weeks of school, including my training as a Community Assistant at my college. I actually love this job, to be honest with you. I'm a very cool guy and a great people person (thanks to my personality and experience as a salesman), so this job is perfect for me. The whole training was a very great experience on both a learning standpoint and in terms of appreciating my school in general. Got to meet a lot of cool new people in the process as well. The highlight of course was this play we put on for the freshman class to help welcome them to our campus. The production was great, the writing was great, and the turn out was the best one yet apparently. I did'nt have any speaking lines, but I was in a good portion of the dance scenes. Makes me want to audition for more shows since it's been like 3 years since I have been on stage.

Now in terms of Senior year as a whole, I'm really enjoying my classes this semester. I met with my Senior Project Sponsor and he said that my "Experimental Narrative Imagery" idea has huge potential and that I might be on to something. I always though Senior Project is a huge pain, but I think I'm going to have fun working on it (except for the heavy research needed for the 20 page thesis). Other classes I'm taking include Video Art in which I use Adobe After Effects, Information Aesthetics focuses on data collecting and displaying them through artistic visualizations, and Outsider Art which focuses on the studies of non-commercial art styles and movements.

SO basically, I'm pretty much all settled with my weekly schedule of school and work. I do have an internship interview for the New Media Department at my school which involves web design. I'm still gonna continue to apply for Marvel and MTV to have a more professional standpoitn and experience. I would like to  share with you guys my thoughts about the new info on STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN, but I kinda have some work to do after writing this lolz. So I will write up a new journal sometime in this week so I can get my thoughts together about all the great info being released on the game. I also plan on writing up a review for Battlefield 3 since I reserved my own copy months ago.



As you can obviously tell, I did'nt have a lot amount of free time to sit down and draw something new for you guys compared to the work I put out during summer vacation. I do have a lot of ideas lined up for the rest of the year though. I'm gonna try to get at least 2-3 high quality projects uploaded to this page. This includes INFAMY X SIEGE work, Lovely Saints, The Space Jam/Scott Pilgrim/Jersey Shore tribute, READY UP!!!, BX BOUNCERS, and of course holiday specials. Each series should have at least one new drawing/edition released before the end of 2011. I also have a few video projects in mind for the Youtube channel. Might have some friends from school do some guest commentary with me on vlog episodes and discussions. Of course, I will also release some school projects I think you guys might like. So until next time folks, thank you sooo much for the support and sticking around. STAY TUNED FOR MORE D91 GOODNESS.


PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's Happening Everybody

It's over. My long, exciting, productive summer vacation is actually over. It was also my first summer as a 21 year old and it turned out better than I expected. I got a new job, got my driver's license, hung out with old friends/family, and gave you guys some great artwork of course. Now its time for me to move back to my on campus apartment to finish off my senior year and get a Bachelors Degree in New Media (Multi-Media). I actually have to move in a week early for Community Assistant Training. Basically, I'm in charge of a certain section of housing and help maintain residential rules. Think of it as being a Hall Monitor in college lolz. The job has some good hours which doesn't conflict with my other part time job at my local galleria. Plus, a nice perk is that the job comes with a free single bedroom for two semesters, can't complain about that. I'm going to be very busy academically with a senior project, but I have a good idea about what I'm doing. It's going to be a study on Narrative Imagery and I just need to run it by my project sponsor. I'm pretty sure I will pull through in the long run. After  graduate, I might look into grad schools in California, if not find my own place there.

Now to keep up my trademark trend of the summer, I'm gonna give you guys one last movie review (or mini review). I went with my dad to go see 30 Minutes or Less on my last day and it was a pretty good comedy. The plot is pretty straight forward (and kind of ridiculous like Bad Teacher), but the cast did indeed keep me entertained like Danny McBride whom me and my dad happen to be fans of due to his work in Eastbound and Down. I was worried about Jesse Eisenberg's performance cause I was not really a fan of his comedy roles, but he did pretty good in this film as well. The movie had somewhat of a rushed climax, but the narrative maintained it's constant sense of humor. I'm not gonna say it was the best comedy of the summer, cause that would be too much of a stretch. Out of all the comedies I saw, "Horrible Bosses" has to be the best one since The Hangover 2 had a predictable plot and Bad Teacher was just dark comedy done in a weird way. But if you want one last summer comedy or a descent comedy to lead in to the fall season, go watch 30 Minutes or Less. It's worth the ticket and a good laugh. It gets a solid 8 out of 10.

In other news, I've uploaded episode 7 own my vlog series. It'll show you guys how I go about shading my drawings. Feel free to check it out along with my other episodes and future episodes uploaded weekly.  
[link]



Since I'm going back to school, I'm going to take like a week and ahalf hiatus to get settled in with my new job and classes. I sadi before that this summer was the most productive season for my drawings in quiet a while. I premiered 3 new original series this summer and I have one more series thats going to premiere in September. For the fall season, I hoep to do more tributes/fan art such as Scott Pilgrim, Space Jam, and Jersey Shore. You can of course expect more original stuff by me, such as Infamy X Siege, Ready Up, and BX Bouncers. I'll try to get a good schedule going to draw new pics and keep my gallery fresh. I will also upload any class projects I think you guys might enjoy and to give you a good idea of what I do at school. I also got 3 more episodes lined up for my vlog, so stay tuned for that as well. Either way, thank you guys soo much for the support this summer and stay tuned for more D91 Goodness.

PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's Up Everybody

I'm here with yet another D91 Movie Review, this time I'll be reviewing The Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  I just got back from watching it opening day and wanted keep the flow going with my summer movie reviews. Oh and by the way, be sure to watch my video review of Captain America: The First Avenger on my Youtube Channel [link] .  So here's my full written review of the latest "Apes" movie.

(DISCLAIMER: The thoughts and opinions expressed in his review are my own. Some minor/semi-spoilers maybe in this review to help support said opinions. All the images/screenshots used in this review belong to its respective owners.)


©20th Century Fox



PLOT
So I just want to start off by saying I'm what you would call "a-born-again-Apes-fan".  I was first introduced to the series back when Tim Burton came out with his remake back in 2001. I know that film got a lot of mixed reviews, but for the first film that introduced me to the franchise I thought it was pretty cool. The signature ape make up effects to the overall subject matter of the film just got me deeply interested into the series. Since then, I saw bits and parts of the other five classic films until I saw a marathon like two years ago on TV.  Knowing the plot and background to the entire series, I was really looking forward to this new film while at the same time being a little skeptical about it. I'm not really a fan of "unnecessary" CGI since I'm more of the nostalgic type, like I appreciate the effort that goes into animatronics and make up compared to CGI (such as the classic Ninja Turtle movies versus the latest one even though both were equally entertaining). I also thought the plot/narrative would be too self explanatory and mundane as we already know what's going to happen in the end.  After seeing this movie, I was half right.

So the basic outline of "Rise" is that Will Rodman, played by James Franco, is trying to invent a cure for Alzheimer's and has been testing out a serum on apes before moving on to human subjects. The serum does seem to work on the apes through increased intelligence, but after a small mishap with one of the test subjects, his project was shut down and was ordered to "put down" all of the ape test subjects. However, one female chimpanzee happened to be pregnant and Will ends up taking care of the baby chimp for a short period of time. He soon learns that the baby, now named Caesar (portrayed brilliantly by Any Serkis), has genetically inherited the intelligence of his mother and continues to grow smarter as the years go by.  Will tried to convince his boss to move on with the project with the improved serum after witnessing Caesar's results and the potential the serum had on his father (who is suffering from Alzheimer's). As Caesar becomes part of the family and soon questions his significance in mankind, he is soon sent off to a sanctuary after attacking a neighbor believing that he was threatening Will's father.

This is where the true character development kicks in after Caesar is surrounded by wild apes for the first time in his life. He notices their animalistic behavior and the cruel nature of humans based on the treatment of his handlers. Caesar begins to go through his first experience of denial and depression during his separation from Will and his adoptive family. Using his higher intelligence to his advantage, Caesar works to display his dominance over the other apes and starts to become somewhat of a revolutionary as he see's his own kind mistreated by the human race. He then escapes the facility to use Will's new serum (which is actually a deadly virus to humans) on his fellow apes, increasing their intelligence in the process. Following a very intense scene in which Caesar demonstrates his capability of speech (you'll get chills) and disabling the ape handlers and guards at the sanctuary, he leads a revolt with his fellow apes and frees the apes at local zoos and the research facility where Will initially tested apes for his serum. This begins what will be the first of many conflicts between apes and mankind in the near future.

The plot may seem very straight forward, but the character development displayed through the obvious star of the movie which is Caesar makes up for some of the "two dimensional" human characters and their sub-par performance. Caesar pretty much holds this movie on his shoulders from beginning to end and is one of the most engaging characters I have witnessed in cinema. His growth throughout the film is very powerful and you can't help but relate to his pain and moments of accomplishment. As he feels isolated and confused about his significance in a world that doesn't understand him (both human and ape) just enhances his motives of self discovery and what he feels should be the way of life between humankind and apes. He comes off as a radical revolutionary later in the film, but he indeed has sympathetic traits as he tries to make a statement with as little human casualties as possible. It's definitely a nod to the fourth film in the classic series of Apes movies (which the plot is loosely based on) on which Caesar see's potential of coexistence between man and ape. This movie basically focuses on the apes rising from their oppressive bounds from mankind and not so much of humans being enslaved by intelligent apes (though there are many hints in the film about this inevitable outcome…) It may be straight forward and short due to the 100 minute run time, but the character development is where the film truly shines and keeps the audience entertained.


PRODUCTION VALUE
As I said before, the human performances are basically textbook cliché characters such as the sympathetic scientist, the mean douche bag humans, the greedy board exec, the love interests, etc. Some of the characters seem poorly cast, such as Franco's, but there are some good performances in the few key human characters in the film such as John Lithgow as Will's father. Of course, no one goes to an Apes movie for the human characters. Weta Digital from, "Avatar" fame , provide the visual effects for all the apes within the film along with amazing motion capture and performance by the talented Andy Serkis (Gollum from "The Lord of The Rings") and other motion capture actors. Initially, I was really hoping for the trademark make up effects from past movies to return, but after witnessing the execution of the CGI and motion capture, I was simply blown away.  Serkis really deserves an Oscar for bringing Caesar to life in this film and it's a damn shame he never was nominated for one for his past motion capture performances. Every motion capture actor's behavior as apes was very believable and down right incredible when it came to emotional expressions and actually ape like movements. Their performances in the key action scenes within the film were also impressive and you can't help but appreciate the time and effort put into such scenes. I always thought such use of CGI for films like Avatar seemed somewhat lazy compared to the use of make ups and animatronics, but using it to simply replicate ape like behavior and enhanced emotions made me appreciate this production choice in general. It is definitely a millstone for Weta Digital and filmmaking in general.

Final Thoughts
"Rise" is not only a great summer blockbuster movie. It's also a great reintroduction towards one of the most classic franchises in the history of cinema. The visually affects are simply amazing and brings the apes to life in a way never thought possible in the past. The emotional character development in the main character Caesar is one viewer will remember and relate to as he discovers his true destiny in the world. If you can ignore the occasional lackluster performance by human characters and the somewhat straight forward plot, this will be a film to remember and will have you hyped for possible sequels. This movie is simply a must see for fans and new comers alike and breathes new life to the Ape movies, for better and for always.

Rating
I give it 90 out of 100



Thanks for reading my review of this latest installment to the "Apes" franchise. I might have one more summer movie review next week, but in the mean time stay tuned for more drawings and videos this month.

Until next time folks.

PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's Happen'in Everybody

It's been a while since I updated this journal. Luckily I'm here today to share some of my thoughts on this year's San Diego Comic-Con. This year's convention, in my opinion, has to be the best one in years in terms of panels and new announcements.

I'm gonna start off with the video game news from the convention. I was looking forward to news regarding Street Fighter X Tekken since it's E3 showcase. Of course, Ono and his Capcom entourage came with some great updates on the game's roster, game play mechanics, and features. Every time this game shows up, it just keeps getting better and better. I like how they brought back Poison from the Final Fight series as a playable character and my all time favorite Tekken character Yoshimitsu is in the roster as well. There also seems to be a new gameplay mechanic in which four characters can be on screen simultaneously, fighting it out Smash Bros. style. I was kinda skeptical about this feature, seemed a bit overpowered and gave me flash backs about cheap X factor wins from Marvel 3. However, seeing how it drains your super meter and adds potential towards making this a four player game gets me somewhat hyped about this new feature. The game still seems to be very combo/juggle heavy with some heavy strategic aspects to it like I said before. I haven't really seen footage of pro players messing with the new build of the game like at E3, but I'm looking forward to more updates to the game at future events. Hopefully the roster will turn out well as Ono claims that its roughly halfway complete (hoping for at least 50 characters tops).


©Capcom


In other Capcom related news, they are making an updated version of Marvel vs Capcom 3 called ULTIMATE Marvel vs Capcom 3. Honestly, I have'nt touched my copy of MVC3 in like 3 months. It's not that I'm bad at the game, its just that the gameplay and certain mechanics of the game just don't appeal to me (specifically the get out of jail free card known as X factor). Apparently, Ultimate will add a total of twelve characters (with the full roster leaked), new gameplay tweaks, character re-balancing, enhanced online mode, and new costumes all for 40 bucks. I probably won't be buying this game when it comes out. The new characters (except for Ghost Rider, Vergil, and Phoenix Wright) don't reallly appeal to me and I have to see specifically the kind of re-balancing and x factor nerfs they put towards the game. I'm affraid Capcom is taking the whole Call of Duty/Activision route with annual editions of fighting games which makes me more cautious of buying games like Street Fighter X Tekken. I was more excited about STreet Fighter 3rd Strike Online Edition more than I was excited about UMVC3. Looking forward to relearning that game since it's like the most played game when I'm at college.

In terms of other games showcased, Battlefield 3 showed off some new multiplayer footage (some official, others leaked lolz). It seems to be a highly enhanced version of Bad Company 2 multiplayer, but not in the sense of how the latest Call of Duty is an "enhanced" yet lazy version of the previous Call of Duty. There was talk about how the PS3 build of the game looks as good as the PC version but the frame rate was somewhat questionable. For me, as long as the game play is good and the online runs fluently (I don't mind the 30fps) I really have no reason to complain. The people at EA and Dice are known to deliver in terms of the Battlefield series. Mortal Kombat also had a great panel at Comic-Con, revealing Freddy Krueger as the last DLC character and he is looking badass. Can't wait to download him and test him out in the training room. Perfect timing as well, since I heard they patched the online mode. The folks at NetherRealm Studios even premired the final episode of Mortal Kombat Legacy which featured Cyrax and Sektor. It was an amazing episode with great fight scenes and visual effects. NOt much was said about the second season other than possible stories and characters, but I really hope they renew the show for a new season if not make it a full length movie.

Speaking of movies,  one of the panels that I was looking forward to was The Amazing Spider-Man. The trailer looked okay (which I might make a video sharing my thoughts) but I heard some of the exclusive footage shown at Comic Con was pretty good, including some early footage of The Lizard. I like the new Peter Parker and hope that he has better character development since I though the first movie rushed his growth from high school to college. Having Gwen Stacy as the first love interest was also a wise choice and I hope her relationship with Peter is similar to that in the comics (leading to her tragic end in a possible sequel). Having Parker go back to web shooters was also a nice touch. I kinda wish they would name this movie "Ultimate" instead of "Amazing" since thats what the subject seems to be based on in my opinion. Not much news from related movies such as The Dark Knight Rises or The Avengers, however...The Avengers did have a good teaser trailer that shows at the end of Captain America (which was an awesome movie btw). I'll talk more about that in a future video, but the Avengers is looking amazing from the footage and concept art shown at Comic Con.


©Columbia Pictures/Marvel

That's pretty much all I have to say about the news I was excited about from Comic-Con. I was gonna include a short review of Captain America, but I decided to make a video review for my vlog series, so stay tuned for that. Feel free to share your thoughts about Comic- Con and the news that you are hyped about.



As I said before, I have a new vlog series on youtube that you guys can check out which is getting a new episode every week. Other than that, theres not much to say about future artowrk other than new drawings for some series. The first edition of the "Infamy X Siege" crossover series is in the works. READY UP and BX Bouncers will have new drawings in the next month or so. I might focus on making a summer theme drawing in time for labor day weekend, if not a lil mini series. Plus, I got a new spin off series lined up for September, with the first cover to be released hopefully in late August. It's something I hope the female demographic of my fanbase will enjoy, so stay tuned for that as well.

So until next time folks,

PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's Up Everybody?

Here to bring you guys some great news. I recently posted the first of many videos on my Youtube Channel. The series is called "The D91 Illustrated Vlogs" and they are tutorial/commentary videos in which I show people how I create my trademark drawings through Photoshop and various other programs. I decided to make this series since a ot of people asked me about my creativity and how I create such great projects throughout the years. The commentary in some episodes will even provide my thoughts on various topics and will contain a humorous nature which I hope will entertain many viewers. I might release a new episode every week, so if you have a Youtube channel, please feel free to rate, comment, and subscribe to my channel for updates on future episodes, new videos, and class projects I work on. Go ahead and click the link to the first episode on your free time and let me know what you guys think.

[link]

In other news, my summer vacation is pretty much halfway done. So far, I have to say it's been very productive and fun (especially being my first summer as a 21 year old ^w^ ).  I got a new job, expanding my D91 Franchise, applied for an internship at Marvel (which I hope they get back at me soon), and just recently got my drivers license! In all honesty, if I went one more summer without a drivers license, I would be so upset. Now all I have to do is figure out when I'm gonna get my own car. My folks were thinking of buying a new car and handing me theirs, but I could always rent a car to help me out during the school year. Other than that, I'm just happy to be legally driving on my own.

Also, I just got an email about an online course I need to take for my new job as a Community Assistant at my school. Never really thought I would have homework for the summer, but it would'nt matter anyway since I originall planned to study abroad in Spain this summer lolz. ALong with that, I really should get started on my senior project (which is somewhat related to my new vlog series and one of my latest short films). Hopefully everything will all turn out for the best as I get closer to my senior year.




For upcoming projects, I'm still working on the "Infamy X Siege" saga in which many of my original characters are featured in crossover drawings that narrate somewhat of a civil war between them. Other series like "READY UP!!!" and  "BX Bouncers" will have new drawings up eventually. Other than that, I got a few original drawings/ fan art to release in the next few weeks.

As I mentioned before, I will also be releasing new episodes of my new vlog series. Some of the episodes might coincide with some D91 Reviews. For example, when I write up a review for Captain America: The First Avenger, there will be a vlog video sharing my thoughts on the film as well. Speaking of reviews, I just saw Horrible Bosses. NOt much I can say about it, but its a very good dark comedy. I might talk more about it in my next vlog, so stay tuned for more and keep up the great feedback everybody.


PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's going on guys

Just got back from the movies again, and felt like I continue the Summer Blockbuster flow by reviewing Transformers: Dark of The Moon. I remember reviewing the first one, and I said it was amazing. I didn't bother reviewing the second one (for obvious, unfortunate reasons…I would have given it a 6 out of 10). Now Michael Bay has returned to the franchise for one more movie, Has the trilogy concluded on a positive note, or is it just a disappointment to fans. Read on to find out.

DISCLAIMER: This review is based on my own opinions alone. There may be semi-spoilers within this review, only for the sake of supporting said opinions. Read at your own risk. All images used in this review belong to it's respective owners)



©Paramount Pictures


PLOT
As I said before, I really did enjoy the first Transformers. It was visually amazing, great production value, and a very deep story. The second one seemed to just be your typical summer cash cow filled with Bay's signature explosions and unnecessary moments of humor. It also contained too many plot holes to count. Dark of the Moon takes place a few years after the second film in which we find Sam Witwicky trying to live a normal life with his new girlfriend Carly. While he struggles to find a new job and go about adulthood after being declared a hero, the Autobots  are still working with humans (NEST, the special ops team from the second film) to maintain global peace and prepare for possible uprisings by the Decepticons. Optimus  finds a piece of a Cybertronian space craft that landed on the moon during the 60s, which the American government tried to keep secret for many years. The ship contained a weapon capable of altering time and space, along with its inventor and former Autobot leader Sentinel Prime. Optimus and the Autobots try to retrieve both the artifacts and Sentinel before the Decepticons, while Sam meanwhile notices humans being assassinated by Decepticons. This leads to Sam reuniting with the Autobots to discover both Sentinel Primes's and the Decepticon's true motives revolving around the weapon left in the space craft, all the while fighting off a Decepticon Army sent to take over Earth.

With that being the general plot, let me first start off by saying that this movie does have a generally better plot compared to "Fallen" in terms of narrative and non-convoluted flow to it. It doesn't feel like the first two in which so many side-plots are being thrown to the audience at once. The characters do indeed to show a lot of development since the first installment. I definitely love how they focus on the struggles of Sam. Before, he was trying so hard to live a normal life after the events of the first film, but now he feels unappreciated for his actions trying to help the Autobots in their conflicts with the Decepticons. We also get a good feel of how he is dealing with his current stage in life as an adult, which was lacking in the first two films (relating to his high school/college life).  The robots in this movie also seem to have a significant amount of character development (especially Sentinel Prime). Their emotions and reactions during certain key plot points in the film just compliment this films more "darker" tone (P.S. whoever dies in this movie stays dead). It even aids to the fact that their alliance with the humans is more fleshed out in this installment (especially since a lot is at stake in the plot). You get that better sense of unity as the protagonist literally have to fight for their survival during the film's climactic battle as the Decepticons try to take over Earth. The designs of some of the robots are amazing as always, with some more clever transformation scenes.

I do have a few issues with this film that kind of hurts the overall story for me. I really like how much darker this film is compared to the last two, but there are still scenes that try to serve as comic relief that I feel is ultimately unnecessary. Not to say that the film should not have a few jokes here and there, but there are those small running jokes that I feel should have been toned down (look out for the asian guy). It's not as bad as the second one in which the comic relief characters were overused way too much and thank god they got rid of those twins from the second one. I did not notice that many plot holes SO FAR during my first screening except for one. Apparently the Decepticons needed Optimus' Energy Spark to resurrect a certain robot. My thing is, why did they wait so many years to do so and why did Megatron not take his spark in the second one after killing Optimus (I'm just saying).  The introduction of certain characters do ssem a bit rushed and, speaking of which, the ending seemed a bit rushed as well. You do get a sense of closure, but the last five minutes just seemed like it could have been presented significantly better. What also keeps this movie from being as good as the first one is the lack of anything significantly new to the franchise. Other than new characters and major plot twists during the movie's second act, its basically the same material you got the last 4 hours.


PRODUCTION VALUE
Of course, the majority of the main cast did return to reprise their roles. The first thing people are obviously going to notice is the lack of Megan Fox as Sam's previous love interest, Mikaela. Before you reject this film hoping it was going to redeem her role in Jonah Hex (sorry for that jab), I just wanna let you all know that she has been properly replaced. Rosie Huntington-Whitely does a great job in playing Sam's new love interest Carly. The acting in general for both new actors and old actors alike seems to have improved a bit, with some moments of cheesy scenes.

What made the second movie way too complicated was the whole idea of having the central cast globe trotting from one place to another which damaged any sense of narrative it was trying to maintain along with the many plot holes. This one tried to keep it more linear and build up on character development. It does show that the writers paid attention to previous criticism and improve on the franchise's story. However, what keeps this movie from being as good as the first one is the lack of anything significantly new to the franchise. Other than new characters and major plot twists during the movie's second act, it's basically the same material you got the last 4 hours.

Even though Michael Bay can't make a film without blowing up everything in sight, this film seems to have a more dynamic sense of action. The fight scenes, the chase scenes, and even the action scenes involving human characters just seemed to be more impressive. This may be due to the fact that I watched this in 3D, but Bay seemed step it up a little in this film. I'm really not sure if the action will be as engaging without 2D, but I'm sure a lot of scenes will keep you entertained and at the edge of your seat.


FINAL THOUGHTS
All in all, "Dark of The Moon" was a very good film. The cast and crew did in fact redeem themselves after the lackluster performance the second installment had for movie goers and fans alike. Though there are a few minor issues with the story that has been present in the last two films, this film's darker tone and improved character development makes it stand out more and serves as a good curtain call for Bay's involvement with the franchise. If you were hoping the series would end on a good note, you won't be disappointed. I highly recommended watching it in 3D as well.

I give it 83 out of 100



That's my review on Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Stay tuned for more summer movie reviews and new drawings in the upcoming weeks.

Until next time folks.

PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's Up Everybody

I finally release my new original series READY UP!!! this past weekend. It's been like more than a year since I've originally came up with the concept behind the series and now I just released the first profile drawing and comic.

For those of you who are new to "READY UP!!!" and it's production process, the series is an illustrated parody of the online gaming community and chronicles the many mis-adventures of gamers through a fictional third-person shooter "Galactic Calibre". It features in game avatars as the central characters and are divided into eight different classes with unique abilities (Soldier, Engineer, Recon Sniper, etc). The story within the game revolves around a Civil War taking place in a futuristic colonial nation on Saturn and the conflict is divided by two different factions, The United Arms (Blue) and The Citizen Collective (Red). The roster of soldiers will be expanded in future episodes (along with a more deep narrative/plot featuring recurring characters) but as of now I'm focusing on introducing the cast and showcasing stories of online gaming. The series covers such scenerios like team work in ranked lobbies, griefing/trolling, competitive gaming, online behavior, gameplay balancing, etc. Basically, its like my own version of Red vs Blue with subject matter similar to Team Fortress 2. I wanted to recreate what I have seen in machinima into comic book form with my own sense of humor. Be sure to check out the cover and the first two additions to the series.




That's productive work for ya half way through my summer vacation. In terms of my summer in general, I've been basically relaxing. I gotten used to my new job after working there for about 3 weeks. Thanks to my on-call status, I usually end up working like once a week unless my schedule changes. The money from work is basically used to make my summer more comfortable. Once I get a pay check, I just buy some new clothes, games, or just use it for a fun night out. Hopefully I can figure out a way to keep the job during the school year, especially with an internship planned out. I'm also still working on getting my driver's license in time for the school year. I'm bound to get it before 2012 in general,  the only thing thats not guaranteed is how soon I will get my own car afterwards. Just something eles to look forward to (minus gas prices).



For upcoming art, you can expect pics for my first major crossover series "Infamy X Seige" in which my original characters form alliances and go through what you may call "a Marvel Civil War" scenario. Full details on the story-line will be released soon, but it's basically the begining of a trilogy to give back to new fans and old fans who want a major story featuring their favorite characters. New characters are set to be introduced, but you'll have to wait and see for yourself.

In other news, I'm currently working on CamStudios to help make tutorial like videos for those who always wanted to know how I do what I do best. I'll release a two part premier on my YouTube page to start it off with future episodes being vlog like videos or commentaries with some doodling. As of now, I'm done doing screen/audio tests and working on a promotional trailer for the project. Besides that, I'm working on some more fan-art, original drawings, and a series of drawings that have a sumer theme. The next movie review I will be doing will be on "Transformers : Dark of the Moon".

So thank you all for the ongoing support and stay tuned for more.

PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What’s Happen’in Guys?

Another year, another great E3 for gamers around the world. It’s like Christmas in the summer with all the announcements about new games, technology, and hands-on time with playable demos. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it there personally this year (it will happen…) but I would like to use this journal entry to discuss my thoughts on this year’s expo.  I think I’m going to start off by discussing each of the conferences from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Then I’ll shed light on specific titles I’m hyped about and seemed to make a great impression at the show.

First I’ll talk about Microsoft’s conference. The one thing people may remember th most is the reveal of HALO 4. Everyone knew that Microsoft was going to milk the Halo series as long as they can (with no movie in sight, hehe) so it’s no surprise that the franchise was going to continue without Bungie being part of the development. I’m not much of a Halo fan, but I really hope this new game (said to be part of a new trilogy) ties up some loose ends from the story which I kind of find a little hard to follow with the different alien races and overall back story to the franchise. I also like how they are making an anniversary edition of the original Halo, so newcomers to the franchise do have something to look forward to.

Another highlight at Microsoft’s conference was the Modern Warfare 3 demo. I was kind of disappointed, being a long time Call of Duty fan. Modern Warfare 2 had its flaws in terms of online game play and response towards the community. SO far, the developer Infinity Ward seems to be listening to fan complaints, but the over design and presentation of the game just seems like the same game two years ago. By that I mean, the engine seems unchanged, the game play is the same, and the overall warfare atmosphere is the same. I know the formula to Call of Duty cannot be altered that much, but it’s kind of unfortunate that the series is starting to get stale especially with  FPS competitors stepping it up such as DICE with their Battlefield franchise (which is looking quite amazing). I did hear good things about MW3’s co-op modes and I’m looking forward to seeing what the multiplayer has to offer. I just don’t see myself buying it on release.

For Sony’s conference, I felt that use PS3 owners deserved another 10 minute apology about the PSN outage lolz. I did like the announcement of the new Playstation Vita and that it’s not going to be ridiculously over prized (Sony has a knack for that). I never used my PSP much, but seeing the potential the Vita has I might consider investing in one (including the 3G functionality). The graphics do indeed look amazing and the touch screen functions can offer up some more interesting games unlike PSX or PS2 clone games. The one thing I found interesting about both Sony’s and Microsoft’s panels is that they did showcase much of the Kinect of Move technology (or even new innovative ways to augment each console’s operating system’s) Microsoft did state that more first-party games will use Kinect support but its not necessary. I guess they are taking a not from Sony which offers Move options for many first party games such as Killzone 3. I was just hoping for more in that category to at least encourage me to give in to the gimmick.

Now theres Nintendo’s conference with all the hype and expectations for their new console previously known as “Project Cafe”. The Nintendo “Wii U” is the newest home console that features a controller that is basically an iPad with a video game pad skin. You can play games through your tv or the pad screen and the pad can be used as an interactive controller for certain games (if not and extension of a HUD). The console also features HD graphics and social networking aspects such as video calls, drawing chat, etc.  No offense to Nintendo and its community of fans, but this is somewhat of a disappointment to me. To me, the Wii U is just the Wii with HD, a new kind of Wii-mote, and functions that were already on the 3DS (minus the lack of 3D support as of now).  I don’t doubt Nintendo in terms of making new and innovative games for the console, I was just hoping for something more ground breaking, something that screams next generation of gaming. Ironically, Apple came out a day or tow later showing something similar to the Wii U that is compatible with the iPad2. This brings me to my next point, in which the line between gaming peripherals and personal devices is being blurred out which may result in a dramatic change in the gaming community. Gaming consoles are slowly taking over many aspects entertainment outside of regular gaming (such as Netflix or a Wii work out game). It changes social networking and what is considered a causal gamer. I’m not saying this is a bad thing entirely, but it has me concerned about the future of gaming and how far it can go in terms of innovation (minus the gimmicks). The Nintendo Wii U in my opinion might go through a similar phase as the Dreamcast as being too ahead of its time while Sony and Microsoft prep up for their new consoles (and by not copying Nintendo).

Since I’ve gotten my thoughts about the conferences out of the way, there is a large amount of games I’m just so hyped about in the upcoming year. Street Fighter X Tekken was showcased with new characters and more game play functions. So far, it’s still looking like an amazing game. I was soo hyped to hear how Cole from the Infamous franchise will be a Playstation exclusive. It’s too bad Namco was not there to announce their version of the crossover series, but more fighting games such as Street Fighter 3rd Strike Online Edition and Skullgirls was showcased. In terms of first person shooters, Battlefield 3 looks amazing. I saw videos demonstrating the new Frostbite Engine and it has to the best visuals showcased in an FPS in my opinion. I reserved it for the PS3, but I would love to invest in a good gaming PC to experience the games full potential. Resistance 3 is another shooter that seems to be turnig out well, especially since I was a huge fan of the franchise. I hope to have a good single player experience within the game along with a better online mode. The same can be said for Gears of War 3.  I never was a Bioshock fan, but the new game Bioshock Infinite did indeed catch my attention and I will be keeping my eye on this one. The art design and atmosphere of the game is very intriguing and compliments the creative background from the previous two games. Super Mario 3DS makes me want to go out and buy a 3DS since I’m a huge fan of Super Mario 3 and this combines elements from that classic game and current 3D Mario games. Speaking of which, Sonic Generations seems very promising as well combining elements from old games with new game play mechanics.  SSX is also making a comeback into the mainstream. That was like my favorite extreme sports game since the first game was the one I bought when I first got my PS2 on release.

There are some games I wish had more spotlight at this year’s event, such as the new Devil May Cry. Hopefully future conventions will cover such games, but that’s basically my thoughts on this year’s E3 convention. Please feel free to discuss any games and news that intrigued you this year and stay tuned for more art work and news in the upcoming weeks.

Until next time folks.

PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What’s happen’in guys

It’s that time of year again, Summer Blockbusters. As promised earlier this year, I will be making more reviews of movies and games so this is the perfect time of year to live up to that promise. To start off my series of summer movie reviews, I’m going to start off by reviewing The Hangover: Part 2. So here are my thoughts on one of the biggest comedies of the year.

DISCLAIMER : The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Review does not contain any huge spoilers, but some plot points may be used to support certain opinions. All of the images used belong to respective owners.


©Warner Bros.


As always, I’m going to start off by telling my initial thoughts on the Hangover movies. When the first Hangover came out, I was not fully interested in watching it in all honesty. I was coming to a point where I was not really interested in adult comedies, maybe due to the major influx of “Judd Apatow-esque” movies between 2006-2009. The first time I actually saw the original Hangover was when it came out on DVD. Outside the fact that many of my friends were praising the movie and quoting memorable lines, I wanted to at least give it a chance and I found it to be very entertaining and hilarious. The concept, sense of humor, and overall narrative surrounded by an actual hangover was just creative and a change I what I usually see in adult comedies. That being said, a lot of expectations are being placed upon the release of the second movie. The question is (as with many highly anticipated sequels) does it live up to such expectations?


Plot
Now I’m going to say this right off the back, you really have to watch the first film to truly understand the background and character development within the series. To keep new comers up to speed, the Hangover revolves around a group of 4 friends (Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug). In the first film, they decide to have a bachelor party in Vegas since Doug is getting married. The morning after, they wake up from a bad hangover and discover that Doug is missing. This leads to a serious of ridiculous shenanigans as they search for Doug and find clues of what happened the night before (since none of the can’t remember, obviously).

The second film picks up exactly two years after the events of the first film. We see that Stu is going to marry his new girlfriend and the wedding is being held in Thailand. Stu, however, is very skeptical about having a bachelor party with his friends since he is still recovering from the events from the first film. He decides to invite Phil, Alan, and Doug to his wedding while spending quality time with his in-laws.  The night of his wedding reception, the four of them decide to have a camp fire by a beach with Stu’s future brother-in-law Teddy (who happens to be somewhat of a prodigy). The morning after, Phil, Stu, and Alan wake up in a hotel room in Bangkok. They realized that this is similar to their events is Vegas, except this time Teddy is missing while Doug managed to be back at the reception safe and sound. Now, the three must find clues about what went down the night before once again while trying to find Teddy in time for the wedding.

The basic plot to the sequel is pretty much the same exact structure as the first film. The difference is that it’s set in a more exotic location and somewhere that’s a lil out of the group’s comfort zone. A lot more seems to be at stake (such as the group’s friendship) this time around based on Teddy’s disappearance. They are joined by a new variety of characters on their journey, including a character returning from their night at Vegas played by Ken Jeong. A small monkey also accompanies them throughout most of the movie. The clues and information they find does indeed get more graphic and engaging as the movie progresses. The gang even finds out that their actions the night before is part of an even bigger plot this time around. Though many aspects of the plot seems to be very predictable if you seen the first one, the movie does tend to have moments where it catches the audience off guard and make you die of laughter.


Production Value
With a sequel like this, the original cast definitely needed to come back (which includes cameos featured in the first film). The chemistry amongst the cast is very well written and the productive character development is indeed present thanks to references of the events within the first film. I really like the idea of having the movie take place outside of America in a place where the gang is totally not familiar with and making their journey even more interesting (and at some points, darker).

Now the one area where The Hangover Part 2 might be a hit or miss is the writing and narrative. As stated before, the sequel follows a structure very similar to the first one. I know a large amount of reviewers have complained about this, but this is not necessarily a bad thing overall. The only issue with this is that the plot might be a little too predictable in certain moments of the film. The jokes are in deed original in this film. However, you can tell that the writers were trying really hard to top the humor from the first one by deliberately relying on shock value and more gross out humor. This worked in the first one because it was a form of comedy we were not really used to, but in the sequel it might be enough to get people laughing while others may question if certain jokes/plot devices were really necessary. I figured this would be one of my main criticisms of the movie since I found it hard to top the original.

Another aspect of the film I though was lacking was the friendship between Phil, Alan, and Stu. I mentioned that there are moments in which their friendship is challenged, but they are very brief moments. I expecting something deeper and engaging since a lot more is at stack in the story. Something like the three of them arguing about the night before and going their separate ways on their journey. The story needed a point where they had to really reflect upon their friendship and figure out if its really worth it. Maybe after the climax of the film, you realize how strong their friendship is, but to me I though it was lacking psychologically and could have been more present in the narrative.


Final Thoughts
The Hangover Part 2 is definitely the funniest movie you may see this year. However, the plot and structure of the film is very similar to the first one. This is not entirely a bad thing (since the whole franchise would lose its purpose without key /trademark plot devices), but you have to wonder if a lot more could have been explored in the overall narrative. Many film franchises depend on the same formula, such as every Friday the 13th movie, but filmmakers need to add more to the table to keep every edition original and somewhat better than previous installments. The Hangover Part 2 has its own set of insane jokes and escapades to keep you entertained, but it truly had a lot more potential as a sequel. Hopefully with the third installment inevitably being made, I hope to see more character development and the friendship between the main cast challenged in the next story. If you have’nt seen the first film (though I doubt it if you plan on seeing this one), the second one may be hard to pick up, but you will laugh all they way through with the series trademark narrative and great sense of humor. It’s definitely worth a watch in theaters (with friends or as a date movie) and a must have on home video when it comes out.


I give it 80 out of 100



So that’s my review of The Hangover Part 2. Stay tuned for more movie reviews over the summer and new drawings sometime next week.

Until next time folks.

PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's Up Folks?

Just wanted to hit you guys up with a quick update of whats been happening in life. So I officially started my summer vacation and ended my junior year of college. Just two more semesters to go and I graduate with a BA New Media Degree. For my Senior Project, I will explore the innovations of narrative imagery and it's psychological impact on its viewers. Might consider using some video installations along with some research on the topic, which may cover different types of animation or creative imagery used to tell a story (such as hieroglyphics). Should probably get a head start this summer to make a very presentable exhibit next year.

In terms of plans for this summer, I'm pretty much all set. I got a part time job at a local Macy's in the Women's Shoes section with some good flexible hours and it pays well. Probably might save up on the money, but since it's in a galleria theres a good chance I might buy some new clothes, video games, gear, etc. I also might continue to apply for an internship at Marvel Comics in the art department or production work. Such an internship could open the doord towards creating my own franchise of comics or films. Other than that, I'm looking forward tojust having 3 months to relax and enjoy life.

And just to make timing even perfect, THE PLAYSTATION NETWORK IS BACK ONLINE (kinda). I'm not really addicted towards online gaming, but I have to admit I was bummed that I couldn't play most of my favorite games online (especially since I bought Mortal Kombat, which I have to wait even more to play online since you have to enter an online code in the PS Store). I'm not much of a "Console War" type gamer, I respect all 3 major consoles and game developers alike. I just favored the PS3 because I figured it had great potential as a home console. This whole outage did indeed hut the company, if not the gaming community as a whole, but in the end it shows how dedicated PS3 owners are and I do understand that Sony did everything they could to make sure such a mishap ever happens again. Hopefully Sony could up the ante on the PSN such as online parties similarto xbox live. I'm really looking forward to E3 on that note, especially with games like Street Foghter X Tekken and Battlefield 3.



Before I mention upcoming art, I want to give you all a heads up on D91 related projects. In terms of reviews, I'm looking forward to some summer movies like Captain America and The Hangover 2. I will definitely share my detailed thoughts on these films within their opening weeks. I would love to review every summer blockbuster, but I don't really like going to see films in theaters that I have no interest for (which is way there is no Thor review, not a huge fan of the character). I will try my best to give my insight on othe forms of media such as video games and tv shows. An overview on E3 and Comic-Con is another definite and might be done in a form of a joint review with a friend of mine over a Skype call. Speaking of which, I might make my own Youtube series in which I chat with friends and other artist on a variety of topics. Another series of videos I had in mind was commentary over recordings of myself drawing in Photoshop, since I recently downloaded CamStudio. In general, I hope to expand upon my YouTube channel within the upcoming months.

Now in terms of drawings, I really like the feedback som of my Fan art has been getting such as DEADMAU5 and DEADPOOL. Scott Pilgrim will be next sometime in June if all goes as planned. For original work, expect artwork for "BX Bouncer", "Infamy X Siege", and "READY UP!!!". I hope to end the summer by introducing a new spin off series. And as a special treat, I have a surprise tribute in the works which is a follow-up to a very successful drawing from last summer (can you guess what it is?...Do You Remember the Time?...)

So until next time folks, keep up the great feed back and enjoy my work.

PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What's Up Everybody

Sorry it's been a while since I've updated the journal. A lot has indeed happened in the past few weeks, like the Playstation Network being down. It;s not really that big a deal to me since I'm away at college and don't play games as frequently as I used to when I was younger (in terms of online play) I do find it ridiculous how it took Sony a week to tell users that our personal info linked to our accounts were at risk. Their whole response towards their customers in general was indeed poor throughout the whole thing, but I am gonna abuse the hell put of my free 30 day Playstation Plus trial. Hopefully this kind of incident won't happen again. It seems that Nintendo is like the only company that did not have such a huge issues with its system, what with Xbox and the Red Ring of Death and this current PSN security breach. The ironic part about this situation is what I had to do to kill time other than online gaming. I decided to catch up on some reading, but all I had to read was Game Informer mags and MVC3 player guide, which makes me want to play. It's such an interesting loop.

Speaking of having free time to play video games, I'm almost done with my Junior year of college. The Spring semester always seems to go by very fast for some reason. It's crazy that I only have two more semesters before I get my BA in New Media. In terms of plans for this upcoming summer, I was going to Study Abroad in Madrid, Spain, but the trip had to be cancelled due to under-enrollment. The good news is, I have a large amount of money saved up that was meant to pay for the trip and have the freedom to spend it anyway I please (EPIC WIN, much?)  ^w^ Most of that money might go to getting a new car since I'm taking a road test near my town. It should be easier since it takes place in the suburbs and I've been practicing for about a year now. I won't be short in cash since I got a upcoming job interview at a local Macy's. Might even get some discounts on some fancy clothes since I like to dress professionally (pinstripes, Invicta watch, Armani cologne, and some nice shades.) Other than that, I hope to have a very chill summer in my nice house, play some video games, get some drawings/animations done, and maybe event get a head start on my senior project.)

In other news, I would like to give you guys a new D91 Review/first impressions on "The Looney Tunes Show" since i just finished watching the first episode. If there's anything you need to know about me, its that I always loved the Looney Tune franchise compared to the Disney bunch (but there's still love for Mickey). I grew up on the classic shorts  that aired on Cartoon Network and spent nearly the whole day laughing from the crazy antics and slap stick humor we all know and love. I don't know about you, but I hope to expose my children to the original classics what with the mediocre cartoon series being aired nowadays.  From Mel Blanc's amazing voice work for the colorful cast to the classic gags that covered hunting seasons, Hollywood icons, and even basketball, Looney Tunes will always be  a work of art in my eyes as a viewer and as a cartoonist myself.


©Warner Bros.

Now Warner Bros. Animations seemed to have been trying hard with bringing back classic cartoon series for a new generation of audiences. It can be seen with the new Scooby-Doo series or even new Tom and Jerry specials being made straight to video. Looney Tunes seems to to suffer a bit with such efforts. Their last attempt seemed to be the "Loonatics" series, which in my opinion seemed very unoriginal and lackluster despite the interesting choice of art style (does lasting one season say anything to you?). "Baby Looney Tunes" was good for a young audience, but didn't fully appeal towards the larger Looney Tune fan base like young adults who grew up with the series like I did, or even older fans in general. To me, the last series that complemented the Looney Tune franchise was "Tiny Toons". which I miss a lot next to "Animaniacs".

"The Looney Tunes Show" is basically bringing back the original characters to a new generation of audiences with an interesting concept. Basically, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are roommates living in a suburban town and their neighbors are fellow Looney Tune characters. It seems to have more of a sitcom feel and is said to follow the relationships between different cast members. Now, whoever thought of making Bugs and Daffy roommates is a genius. With the whole wacky sitcom set up,I'm shocked no one has thought of this before. Their friendship reminds me of Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer or Will Smith and Carlton, and it complements their classic personalities well. The humor within the show is very clever with many relevant pop culture gags that made me chuckle here and there. The slapstick is very good as well, almost to the point when the characters are somewhat self aware of it which is a nice touch. The art style and animation in this show is very well done and doesn't seem as stiff as other tv shows (where you can tell that they were just lazy flash animations) From facial expressions to exaggerated body motions, the animation is very organic and complements the humor.

Judging from the first episode, I was very satisfied with what the series has to offer. The show also reintroduces some Looney Tune characters that I almost forgot about, such as Mac and Tosh Gopher. From what I've seen, I also like what they did with Lola Bunny. She seems to tone down the sex symbol personality and has actually became more "Looney". It reminds me of an older Babs Bunny, ironically. My only concern about this series is how certain characters may be limited on how they interact with one another due to a "suburban sitcom" setting. For example, if Bugs and Elmer are neighbors, how would the hunting season gag be relevant. I can pretty much see Sylvester and Tweety still doing the same thing since they lived together regardless. Maybe its the nostalgic feel that interferes with this show's new approach, but as long as they keep each character's personality in tact, then I can't really complain much.I also wish the show had a laugh track to fit the atmosphere, but that's just me nit picking. If you're an old fan of the classic franchise and waited for something new and fresh, then I would highly recommend this series (along with introducing it to your kids or younger siblings). Totally looking forward to future episodes.



Summer vacation is indeed around the corner, and I'm already submitting at least one drawing a week. I hope you guys enjoyed the two new characters I introduced since the last update (Venessa and Brett). I also got some new fan art in the works as promised, starting with the recently submitted Deadmau5 drawing. They include Deadpool and Scott Pilgrim related work. In terms of original content, I got a few more new characters to introduce along with some new D91-niverse character panels (like the ones used for the journal sections you see now.) "READY UP!!!" should have a premiere comic panel and character profile sometime in June with more to come throughout the summer (I have a lot of scenarios written out and they are pretty funny). "BX Bouncer" will also get some new drawings this summer as well. It will also give me great oppurtunities to expand upon my pixel style of drawing. To hopefully wrap up the summer season (other than a collection of crossover drawings of the "Infamy X Siege" saga throughout the summer), I might have another spin-off series of "O's Life" in the works.

So Stay Tuned for more guys and keep up the great feedback.

PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

Whats Up Everybody

I'm back from my Spring Break and ready to finish up my spring semester of college. I even finished up signing up for classes for my senior year and might sign up for an internship at Marvel Comics. It's so crazy knowing that I will be graduating college in only a year. But who wants to talk academics...LETS TALK VIDEO GAMES!!!

So today I got some long awaited news about Street Fighter X Tekken from Capcom's Captivate event. It's been so long since I got all hyped from it's initial Comic-Con 2010 reveal. I've pretty much been waiting for this game to be made for like 8 years, which is around the time Namco X Capcom was announced. The announcements today just made me ecstatic about the game's release. (P.S. Images belong to respective owners, as always)



©Capcom/Namco


So the game is obviously gonna be a 2 vs 2 tag game, and the producer Yoshinori Ono even said in an interview that Tekken Tag was a source of inspiration for this choice of gameplay. The gameplay in general looks solid. The graphics engine seems to borrow from the engine in Street Fighter IV with a few elements from Tekken's trademark gameplay (hit stun effects, rolling recovery, and bounce physics.) The game also seems to be very juggle friendly but its too early to say its "overpowered". Seeing the consideration the developers take in terms of listening to players on balance issues, I'm sure its not going to be a broken mechanic and will be a good addition towards the versatile strategies players may have (and judging from the game play clips, play styles will be very diverse.)

The mechanics to the game seem to favor the Street Fighter series, such as the button layout and the use of a Super Meter (which resembles the one used in Capcom Vs SNK 2 "C groove" mode). Apparently the meter is used for "charge attacks" (like charging a hadoken) , tag cancels, EX moves, and super attacks (obviously). The rules of the game is based on the rules of Tekken Tag, in which it is a best of 3 game in which the losing team is the first one to have a character get knocked out (meaning that you have to knock out just one character and not the whole team to be the winner). I love that the game is using these rules which means that players will require more strategy to come out as the better fighter and must take consideration of the combos used and when to perform tag cancels. Not to down the MVC series, but its very annoying when players depend on a single member of their team to "cheese" their way out of matches (I'm looking at you Sentinel Players...) It pretty much makes the team aspect of the game insignificant, and SXT seems to address this issue by borrowing the gameplay approaches from Street Fighter and the fundamentals of Tekken games. It forces players to learn their characters and come up with a solid team combination.



©Capcom/Namco


I remember when this game was first announced, people were worried about how Tekken characters can face off against Street Fighter characters with their projectile elements in certain fighting styles. Luckily, it looks like all of the Tekken characters have a command dash that can help them get pass projectiles. It also looks like they can follow up with some kind of counter that can put an opponent in a crumble state of some kind, which leads to punishment options which means playing a keep away game by spamming Hadokens is not gonna get you far. The Tekken characters seem to play very well seeing that this is a six button game as oppesed to Tekkens four button control scheme. Obvious tweaks needed to be made in order to cater to both franchises, but this game seems to maintain an identity of its own, seperating itself from past "VS" games which is what the producers were going for. I just hope they bring back the parry mechanic from Street Fighter 3 and take away focus attacks from Street Fighter 4. since this game seems to focus on a more offensive, up-close-and-personal approach with the fighting.

Now In terms of the current roster, I'm satisfied so far. On the Street Fighter side, we got Ryu, Chun-Li, Ken, Guile, and Abel and on the Tekken side we got Kazuya Mishima, Nina Williams, King,Bob, and Craig Marduk. Obvious additions to the rosetr pretty much calls for Akuma, Heihachi, Bison, and Rufus (since Bob is in it.) Jin Kazama is also pretty much confirmed since Kazuya is calling him out in the first Episode trailer for the game. I predict that at least the original 16 "World Warriors" from Super Street Fighter 2 will be definite additions to the roster. I would like to see Cody make a return since he is my favorite character along with Guy. Hopefully Poison will make an appearence as well. Since the final build of Super Street Fighter IV has exactly 40 characters, we can expect an even 20/20 from both sides. Since Tekken has a bigger roster than Street Fighter in its core series, it might be tough for the producers to add characters from the franchise, but I'm sure they got it covered. The possible rival match ups will be very interesting within the games story line, such as Dudley vs Steve Fox or Devil vs Evil Ryu. I'm sure the story has something to do with either Shadaloo or the Mishima Zaibatsu holding a tournament and the Devil Gene or the Satsui no Hado has a major role in the story (might explain why Jin is looking for Ryu). People speculate that the game takes place between Tekken 5 and 6 and after Street Fighter 4. All we can do right now is enjoy the marketing for the game (which will be pure hype) and hope for possibly the greatest crossover fighting game sometime in 2012 (I predict a spring if not late winter release).

In related news, I got a reason to pick up Super Street Fighter IV again this summer. The Arcade Edition is getting a DLC release June 7th, which includes the four new characters (Yun, Yang, Oni, and Evil Ryu), an improved online mode, and rebalanced gameplay. At $15, I say its a fair buy especially since I only payed $40 for the initial disc.



So I will have you guys know that I have been very productive when it came to my career as a cartoonist. I created a promotional video for my latest original series READY UP!!! which introduces you to the series' subject matter. It was initially a class project, but it got positive universal feedback amongst my peers and fans. You can check it out on my YouTube channel along with an experimetal film project I did called "Grown". It's a 2 part movie with a surreal take on my drawing skills, but its a very unique project that broaden my film-making skills.


©Dante91 (Omar E.)

In terms of what to expect on this page, I'm currently drawing 2 new original characters for the Bloodline series. It will be followed by 2 fan art drawings for Scott Pilgrim and Deadpool respectively. This summer, I want to focus on drawing crossover pictures featuring my original characters along with working on READY UP comics/covers. I might even teach myself some flash so I can finally start animating. BX Bouncers will also see some new drawings along with a reval of another spin off series I have been working on. So stay tuned guys, I hope to deliver some great material within the next few months.

Until Next Time Folks,

PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs

What’s Happin’in Folks?

So isn’t great that spring is finally here? I’m so glad that I get a good week off from school and take the time like back, recollect myself, enjoy life a bit more, and enjoy he fact I only have like 5 more weeks of school. I’m also taking this time to look for a descent summer job, if not an internship. I was going to study abroad in Madrid, Spain, unfortunately not enough people signed up for the program. I’m sure it was going to be a great cultural experience, but I’m so good at making lemonade out of lemons. What that means is that since I’m getting my drivers license soon, I will use the $6,000 needed for the trip to buy a car (which is a downgrade from my Nissan Altima, but I just want something that gets me from A to B). Either way, I’m trying to avoid a “dead beat” summer in terms of making money outside of freelance illustrations. Plus, I want to party like crazy since I just turned 21, time to hit more clubs.

So since I promised you all more reviews, I’m gonna take this time to quickly review another movie I stumbled upon (mind you, I don’t really go to theaters that much when a simple date movie is just one click away on Netflix lmao). I’m not gonna go all out in this review since this was not really a movie I was truly looking forward to, but it was a good choice for something a little different. The movie I will be reviewing today is Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch.

DISCLAIMER - the opinions expressed in this review are my own. Any image[s] used for the purpose of this review belong to its respective owners and I do not claim ownership of any of the theatrical posters or screenshots. There are some semi-spoilers in this review, so read at your own risk.







I think I first heard about Sucker Punch through its Comic-Con 2010 panel, ironically because it might have followed the Scott Pilgrim panel. I barely knew anything about the cast and crew other than the fact that Zack Snyder of “300”, “Dawn of the Dead”, and “Watchmen” fame was directing it. Early descriptions of the films subject matter did catch my attention when it was basically described as “Alice in Wonder Land with guns”. Honestly, from the beginning I said that the story to this film was gonna be lackluster (despite the interesting subject matter), but knew that Snyder will definitely pull off stylized, over the top, kick-ass film which is what he is known for. Now that I sat down and saw the entire film, I can say that I was half right.

Plot
Now, I have witnessed many confusing stories (if not plot holes) in films. To be honest, I just realized what Inception was all about lolz. However, Sucker Punch seems to take soo many risks in terms of story telling and character development. I’ll try my best to explain what goes on in the movie.

So the story starts off with a young woman (who is later nicknamed “Baby Doll”) who is sent off to an insane asylum (or orphanage) by her step father because she and her younger sister are in their mother’s will claiming they will receive her money and the house. I’m guessing the step father had something to do with her mother’s death, hell he even kills the younger sister. Once in the asylum, Baby Doll is scheduled o be lobotomized but the movie suddenly takes a huge shift in the overall setting. We basically go from an asylum to a brothel (did I mention this film’s main cast consist of woman in their early 20s) where Baby Doll meets several other girls and discovers that she has a unique gift when she dances. Apparently, she can escape the real world and “empower” herself in this imaginary realm through her dancing (Think of it like The Matrix). She then learns from a “Wise Man” that she has to fight for her freedom by collecting a map, fire, a knife, a key, and a mysterious object. After she recruits her new friends for her plan to escape the brothel (or asylum), the movie constantly shifts from the real world to Baby Doll’s alternate reality filled with guns, swords, robots, samurais, orcs,  dragons, and Nazi Zombies (I’m not joking).

So this is the best I can describe this movie after watching it once. In all honesty, the plot does loose its audience after the first act. The film basically has 3 main settings, which is the insane asylum, the brothel, and Baby Doll’s world. The movie will definitely shift between the brothel and the imaginary world for a good 15 minutes to give the audience a taste of character development and over the top action. There is very little background and character development to be found among the main cast. We do get some background on at least two of the female leads (who happen to be siblings), but you can’t help but leave the movie wanting more. The narrative seems a bit rushed, even though it’s your basic “Running Man/Great Escape Story”. We do see Baby Doll and some of the girls evolve a bit more as the movie progresses. You get a sense of empowerment within these characters as they go through these missions within the imaginary realm and get closer to being free. They don’t really have an “all for one, one for all perspective”, but there is definitely a bond within these groups of girls as they decide to combine their unique skills/traits to achieve a common goal. Sure, its cliché (along with the majority of the movie’s themes) but it actually gets such development right in what the movie has to offer as a whole, which is basically a lot of action and eye candy. The climax and overall message of the movie seems to gives the audience freedom of interpretation which is very risky, but gives us somewhat of a closure (I use the term lightly without spoiling anything) towards the girls’ initial escape plan.


Production Value
Despite the somewhat lackluster story at times, I will give Sucker Punch this…it looks amazing! The special effects, the visuals, the action sequences, the music, the costumes (don’t judge me) are simply great. I love the movies overall setting within the 1950s and how diverse the imaginary realms can be. At first we are within a Kill Bill like setting that shifts to a Saving Private Ryan battlefield. Zack Snyder definitely knows how to create a stylized movie with unique cinematography and this movie is no exception. Even though its obvious “blue screen porn”, the settings do indeed come off as epic and completely complement the action going on screen. The stylized cinematography is even executed well when the movie does not take place in Baby Doll’s imaginary world. I really wish I had the chance to view this movie in IMAX, but I was happy to see it was not riding on the whole 3D band wagon as well.

This movie does take you by surprise with the fight scenes similar to how Scott Pilgrim showed Michael Cera can kick ass. It gives us a chance to see two different sides of each female lead as they go from showgirl to soldier through a creative fade away towards the imaginary world. The women do some impressive hand to hand combat scenes when they are not fighting CG characters.  The soundtrack to the film is also pretty awesome as it is a crucial aspect to any film that tries to set the mood that compliments key scenes. However, at times, I feel like I’m watching an over the top music video instead of a major plot point of the movie. The movie also has this “identity crisis” in which its trying to be something its not. What I mean by that is that the film tries to strongly resemble something we see in an anime or every other action film. Then again, its hard for a movie to be soo original nowadays. Luckily, the overall subject matter and plot definitely makes this movie unique and is not really insulting the intelligence of the audience in which we fell like we wasted money to see something we are used to when it comes to movies.

Final Thoughts
Sucker Punch is your typical spring time blockbuster. It has the beautiful female cast, over the top action, and stunning visuals. An average person can look at it and call it a “wannabe Cash Cow” or a sexploitation film. I like to see this movie as a chance for Snyder to experiment with storytelling while practicing (if not bettering) his trademark filmmaking and it obviously shows. I respect filmmakers who try to experiment with their movies within the mainstream, even though most of the concepts of Sucker Punch is definitely hit or miss. It does indeed stand out as a film, similar to how Grindhouse stood out amongst traditional films with its unique subject matter and certain clichés. If you are looking for a deep story to remember for years and hope it will leave its mark on the history of films, then Sucker Punch is NOT for you. However, the film will definitely entertain you with a new approach to a similar “escape story” and the dynamic settings.  The theme of empowerment and imagination is definitely inspirational as well as being a creative aspect for the films narrative. If you’re looking for something to entertain you for a good 100 minutes, then give Sucker Punch a chance.

I give it 75 out of 100.



Another D91 review for ya. I’m gonna go enjoy the rest of my Spring break now. I’m also working on new artwork of course. Got some original work lined up, such as “READY UP!!!” related artwork, and might draw some fan art such as Deadpool or Scott Pilgrim as promised. So Stay tuned and keep up the great support guys.


PEACE OUT



Good Friends and Critics------->

Fanart/Art Trade credits-------->


Clubs