There are two basic rules to keep in mind when working heavily with characters either in a roleplaying game, in a comic, or in another creative format:

1) Your characters derive their likes and dislikes from your own.
2) It works both ways.

So now, thanks to a few friends (you know who you are!) I am now an Ayumi Hamasaki fan. I'm trying to stave off the -boy suffix as hard as I can, but it's hard.

It's also hard for me to push away any artist who not only makes music I like, but who writes it as well. The fact that Ayu writes her own songs and derives the passion she sings with from experience and not empathy adds a lot to the experience. If you'd like to hear what she's about, I suggest either appears, evolution or A Song for XX, three songs of hers which I groove to frequently.

Onto other news, I've decided to reinstall Oni and Max Payne to get my bashing desires exacerbated. It's a sad thing when the final session of my bachelor's degree in graphical communication has to be marred by one of the worst class experiences I've had so far. Being given 9 credits' worth of work for a 6 credit class, being kept to the last minute with 10 minutes to get to my 30 minutes away class and being given mandatory out-of-class activities to attend (all the while providing zero help as to what to do when I cannot make said activities) are not contributing to me liking this teacher. That, and the fact that those 6 hours are the only time said teacher can be contacted do not make Havoc a happy boy.

Next up, on the PS2 menu: GTA3 mayhem. As my next purchase, I'm seriously pondering either Dynasty Warriors 2 to slaughter thousands, or The Bouncer to crack serious skull factor.

Video games may be violent, but it's a catharsis we all need every once in a while. Now if you'll excuse me, there's a bullet time with my name on it waiting for me. ^_^

Wahoo! Eleven strips! Sorry about the delay, things kind of got crappy for me and Havoc last week. Me, I had my strip well started....then I looked at it and discovered that I hated it, mostly from a perspective point. I ripped it into many small peices to prevent the world from ever seeing it an associating it with me. I really hope that plan worked.

Tonight I finally got fed up about having only one light source in the room while I drew, so I went downstairs and snagged a lamp noone was using. He may be pissed later, but at least I didn't have to draw with my light *behind* me. Ugh.

Today was also graced with the arrival of the second issue of DK2. For those of you scratching yout heads, DK2 is a comic book, the sequel to The Dark Knight Returns, which is basically Batman coming out of retirement in a dystopian future. All your favorite DC heroes, done grim and gritty and pushing 60!

Which brings me to something I wonder about every now and then...I frequent a few webcomics, but what I never see from them is anything about printed comics. Maybe this is something I notice because I work in a store that sells comic books, but among webcomics, there doesn't seem to be much reference to other recent sequential storytelling. Of course, I understand the difference in format (a webcomic has alot more in common with a newspaper strip than your average comic book), just not the difference in creator taste. ...I guess I'm just trying to say 'Who out there produces a webcomic and also supports a regular book-purchasing habit?'.

It's odd to me. So I guess I'll have to reserve more time here to blather on about the big-name comics, independent comics and manga that I read pretty much all the time. Be afraid.