I think I'm starting to catch that animation bug that's been going around. I hate feeling like this because I know how difficult it's going to be, but I want to continue my studies. Not by enrolling in school (been there, done that), but on a personal level. Lately, traditional hand-drawn animation has been a recurring subject inside my head. I think with the right amount of tutorials and books, I could pull off something neat---even if it's only a minute or two.

For all I know, this urge just might fade away in a few days. It seriously needs to. I have some things I really need to focus on. Samples for the upcoming Wizard World Convention is top priority. Overall, comics and screenwriting seem to be saving my life right now.

If anything, I would like to schedule some time later in the year to re-familiarize myself with animation. I'm rusty. Hell, according to one particular instructor at the Art Institute of Philly, I suck at animation. Well, in so many words.

In fact, she failed me in a course that didn't even require any instruction whatsoever. Minimal observation with the occasional roll call---simple shit. It was a glorified free period to work on your portfolio/demo reel. All the students walked out of the course with works in progress---literal WIPS! I suppose she didn't like the direction I was going in... Maybe it was rough around the edges, but it was a freakin' work in progress! Does that constitute failing a student? Hell no, but I dropped out of the course to save my GPA. Unfortunately, the damage was done.

I think a huge portion of this urge is fueled by her opinion of me. Even if it's true, I want to produce something that will symbolize a giant "Fuck You" to her. Teacher/instructors should never rip out the hearts of their students... and piss on it.

Never.

She damaged me on so many levels. Mentally, physically, even financially... I couldn't even think about animating without wanting a drink or two. Suddenly, I want to animate and that scares me.

Maybe this is the road to recovery?

~ KG

I've been effecting a LinkedIn profile these days. It improved vastly since my last update. Seems a bit livelier, too. I'm discovering that LinkedIn is quite useful, especially when the amount of connections increase. I remember just a short while ago, filling out a profile with previous employment history was a chore. I'd even say it was the most boring site on the planet, but I suppose Myspace has that title now. 

One of the things that made it a chore was having scarce employment history. Now that I have something to show, I'm finding it easier (and enjoyable) to tweak and update my account . As it turns out, all those little odd jobs actually came in handy. I even put down the few that burned me. Parenthesis. Angry face. Close Parenthesis. 

Ahem.

Right now, I have it set up particularly for art and screenwriting, but mostly for art. I joined groups geared towards my area of expertise and followed companies that I would give my left nut to work for. Picture a spider web growing larger as the days go on. In a matter of weeks, that web will be large enough to ensnare something juicy.

Well, that's the plan anyway.  

One of the best highlights of LinkedIn would be the groups because some have recruiters in your field. I was just in an animation group and a recruiter from Lucasfilms posted about jobs in Vancouver. Of course, it's a bunch of positions I don't even qualify for, but the point is that this group possesses job leads directly from the horse's mouth.

It never really occurred to me that I could work for George Lucas. Sure, I'd shit my pants if it ever came to be, but we all know I would have to step up my game by quantum leaps. Most of the positions that "have my name on it" are located overseas in Singapore, which is a cryin' shame. Of course, when looking at the requirements, I kinda realized that I seriously need to expand my portfolio. 

The requirements wasn't the only thing I glanced over. Lucasfilms has an awesome benefits package, even more so if you work on site. There's medical, dental, a 401K, an on-site daycare in case I have any little bastards, and even a fitness facility because Jedi's don't have beer guts, right?   

It's going to be a massive bitch trying to do this, but I really want to work there. If I work really hard and relentless, I'm sure it can be a reality. Oh, and what a day it will be. The realization of working for George Freakin' Lucas would be awesome enough, but maybe my family could truly look me in the eyes again.

That would be nice. 

~KG

Currently Watching:  Immortals Starring - Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke see related

A few years ago, a good friend of mine introduced me to Dr. Sketchy's and I'm forever grateful. After a shameful (financial) discharge from the Art Institute, I thought I would be short of life models forever. Thankfully, I was mistaken. As it turns out, Dr. Sketchy's is a million times better than what the scraps you'd get in art school. It's like comparing toilet paper to silk. Hell, it's cheaper too, but we'll talk about that later. So, I saw a flyer on Facebook that featured a session with the lovely Stoya, posing as Death from Neil Gaiman's Sandman. After a quick google image search, I dragged my fat, raggedy ass out of the house for a rare public appearance.

I even got a haircut.

There was a few misconceptions I had prior to seeing her in person. For one, she's taller than I imagined. You have to understand, I'm a fuckin' Mastodon. Most people are ants to me, so women who are above average height get etched into my memory banks. Two, she's a good writer. For a while, I denied the shit out of it because I thought her talent was just my "unmentionables" scrambling signals to my brain (a problem most of the male population can attest to). Yes, her blogs are good reads. She's one of the main reasons why I joined Tumblr. An added bonus, she speaks geek fluently. It's almost is if she weren't a porn star, but she is... and that bothers me.

Despite all the adoration I have for this woman, my Christian upbringing is in the back of my head, reminding me that she's...uhhhh...breaking the rules. Stoya, of all people, initiated a battle inside my consciousness. I suppose I would have to lean towards how I feel about the industry she's in. 

I'm pretty sure her mind is being wasted there. Intelligence, sharpness or what have you, isn't really commonplace while getting pounded on camera. I honestly think she's better off outside the industry rather than in it. If it were up to me, I'd kick down the doors to whichever studio that has her under contract just to let 'em know that she's retiring early. Hell, I'd even cut off a few dicks while I'm at it. I'd uppercut those bastards and clothesline those sons of--- whoa. Maybe that's it.

Maybe I just want to rescue her.     

Maybe it's not the Sunday School shtick that's giving me issues. Maybe I just see a woman that's enjoying herself in the snake pit and my arm is too short to pull her out. I had a rare opportunity to see Stoya outside her normal stomping grounds and she was... Dammit, she was brilliant. As selfish as this may sound, I just want to keep her away from roaming dicks. I think she deserves to be in a place where she's not a piece of meat, but rather a work of art.  

Rescue fantasy or not, the porn industry doesn't deserve her.    

Currently watching: Breakout Kings: The Complete First Season By Jimmi Simpson, Laz Alonso, Domenick Lombardozzi, Malcolm Goodwin see related

2012 just might be the year of "No, thank you." Not just simple rejections and declines, but rather wisely knowing when to turn a project down. Life is kind of like a game of Mario Land. Sometimes you have to skip a few coins in order to grab that elusive glowing star of success. Sure, you might get hit by a turtle or two and shrink down in size, but when you catch up to that star, there's no stopping you.

I mentioned a few entires back that I'm working towards converting myself into a kick-ass professional, so imagine how good I felt after discovering this lovely site: Graphic Artist Guild

I have some reservations about signing up because there's fees and dues (too rich for my blood), but their resources are just what the doctor ordered. The section on contracts happens to be a God-send because the Art Institute of Philadelphia didn't teach me this shit. For now on, I think I'll use contracts when doing business---at least reserve it for large, company based clients or whenever my Spider-sense tingles. 

It's tough times for everybody, but artists tend to get kicked in the nuts the hardest. If you're not careful, there's massive potential to get screwed over, so you definitely want to protect yourself. Use the law and bullshit-proof an agreement. I'm considering contracts to be the artist equivalent of a condom. If the potential client frowns at the very mention of a contract, you shouldn't do any business with them.

The Guild published a book about pricing and ethical guidelines for the freelancer. It goes into deeper details about contracts. Surely it's an item with sage advice and collected wisdom, but I can't afford to purchase it right now. However, it's on my Amazon Wish-list, for those who feel like blessing a bloke.

In fact, a wonderful idea just popped in head:

Yours truly will provide an original sketch to any lad or lass that gets me this book. You have your choice of character pin-up on a 11 X 17 art board. I'm willing to throw in an extra character, depending on subject. We'll negotiate the details. Just for kicks, this offer is also open to any item on the list that is over $20. Of course, I'd have to throw in more things if someone hooked me up with a Kindle Touch. In the interest of not making me your indentured art slave, we'll keep this between the $20 to $45 item range. 

If you want to do me a solid by recommending it, you have my thanks, Xangans. 

Cheers. 

Currently Listening to: Come Rain Or Come Shine By Bobby Caldwell Track: Beyond The Sea see related

Lately, Marvel's been kicking out some good animated films. Of course, they can't hold a candle to the DC Universe when it comes to cartoons, but the house of ideas will occasionally surprise you. It certainly helps to hire the same character designer from the DC animations. I'm a huge fan of Phil Bourassa (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths and Young Justice).

Anyhoo, Tales of Asgard takes place during Thor's formative years. He's a teen who is not yet worthy of wielding Mjolnir. Hell, he's not even allowed to leave the walls of the kingdom, thanks to over-protective Odin. Basically, the Prince of Asgard needs to stay put.... or else. Of course, we all know what happens when you forbid a teenager from doing something they really want to do. The only difference is that the consequences are far more fatal than getting grounded.

Surprisingly, it's a good coming of age story. The characters are what you'd expect from the Thor mythos---and who doesn't love the Warrior's Three? Those guys are f'n amazing.

The animation isn't the greatest, but it get's the Kenny Seal of Approval. Admittedly, the idea of seeing Thor without the hammer was frowned upon, but this proved to be an entertaining animation. Hell, I'd even say that its a good companion to the live action movie.

7 out of 10 for me.

Currently Listening to: Supermodified Track: Marine Machines see related

Freelance art is a very tough line of work. All the things my Art Institute instructors warned us about came true and it's a little worse than what those bastards predicted. To be quite frank, they didn't do a good job of preparing their students for this shit, but that's another story for another time. Other than the fact that I'm my own boss, there's no real benefits to brag about. You live from one project to the next. You're working on something, but there's the feverish hustling for another project and that's supposed to be the norm. Of course, nothing is guaranteed. You might have a client back for whatever reason. Sometimes you don't have anything except your personal projects or a side gig that has nothing to do with your craft. Thank God for those personal projects because it's probably the only thing that's keeping me sane right now. Well, that and Netflix. I'm grateful for my creativity, but sometimes I wish that a paying client would show up. I'm no longer caught up in the hype of New Years Resolutions, but I'm working towards a more professional Kenny for 2012. A professional Kenny means he'll actually have some money.

The bottom line is: No more pro bono art. That's it. No more, absolutely under no circumstances.

Unless...

a. it fits into my plans. I'll more than willing to collaborate on a comic or anything that'll raise my stock.
b. I f'n love you. There's only a handful of people this applies to. It's basically a personal gift from me to a dear friend.
c. it's for charity or a good cause. Example: There's Women of Wonder Day, a charity that auctions off original art of their name sake in an effort to fight against domestic violence (they take submissions from dudes, á la Adam Hughes). Another example would be Comic Creators for Freedom, an organization spreading awareness of Human Trafficking.

Last year, or maybe it was late in 2010, I worked as a concept artist for an independent film. I went in knowing that I wasn't going to get any money unless the film acquired the proper funding. "Category A" was in effect, meaning that I was getting some much needed exposure. Sometimes exposure can lead to paying gigs, so I was game. The downside to that arrangement: I was supposed to receive a bloody contract containing the deal. A non-disclosure agreement was another document that was never mailed to me, so that made me uncomfortable. Verbal agreements don't go as far as print. The initial arrangement would have worked like a charm if my employers would have provided all the essentials.

Categories B and C are pretty simple. No need to explain those.

I fixate on Category A because I'm planning to be knee-deep in the movie and television business, so things like contracts and other documents are extremely important. It's a rotten business sometimes and, unfortunately, the thought of getting screwed over lingers in my head. Having someone's word isn't going to help me sleep at night. From now on, I need all of that sweet, flowery goodness on paper.

I'm no longer in the business of taking request because it doesn't go past a "thank you." I know that sounds a bit harsh, but at the same time, I'm the one investing time, skill, and (believe it or not) energy into the art. The main thing is time. I happen to draw realistically, which means the process takes longer than the average doodle. The other day, my hand was hurting like a punched a wall. Turns out, I was working a comic for a crazy amount of hours and this went on for days. I ended up getting a slight case of carpal and had to be sidelined from my desk. The overall gist is that art is work---hard work that takes time out of my life. Much like anyone that works hard, I want to get paid for it.

Here's to 2012.

The year of the professional.

Currently Tron: Legacy By Daft Punk see related

The itinerary for the next couple of months is set. Generally, it's write-edit-write-edit and write some more. That's pretty much a writer's national anthem. Almost like an endless loop of production and OCD-level editing until a decent body of work emerges. I think the biggest challenge of 2012 for the "House of Ken" will be acquiring an agent or manager, but that long dreary road will only appear when I have all the essentials.

The nameless spec script (because I like keeping secrets) is still marinating in head. I plan to have at all down on paper some time next week. From there, it'll be a test of will, trying to silence that little voice in my head that keeps telling me that I'm not good enough. I hate that voice. It's not as loud as the other voices, but it's the busiest one of them all.
Development of my own show is not going as fast as I had hoped, but that's a good thing. Rushing could easily kill the dream just as quickly as not writing at all. I'm enjoying the pace right now because I'm starting to see things I normally wouldn't see. I suppose it's all a matter of perspective. Besides that, I think the pace slowed down due to the completion of the pilot, which is funny because I think I completed that damn pilot about 7 times already. Drafts, for the most part. Now, I'm at the nut-cutting portion of the show's development and I don't want to fuck up. Slow and steady for now.

Since I happen to be an artist with aspirations of getting work in the entertainment industry, I've been working on the show's look and feel as well. There's a few character concepts, but I'll be moving on to set design sometime in January.

Back to work,

KG

Alright. I think I managed to go a month without writing a damn thing for the various screenplays. Right now, I have to pause everything to put the final nail in this concept art coffin. Believe it or not, I'm stalling right now on this site when I should be drawing. Might as well do an update since it's been... months, years. The pilot is finished... at least up to the point where I don't mind showing it off. I'm going to get it registered with the Writers Guild East, but I need some funding for that (unemployed).

Last I checked, I fixed all of the things that were bothering me about the first couple of drafts. I added substance to the supporting characters, cut tons of dialogue and even tied some loose ends. The last thing I was working on before I got pinned down was the pitch package. There was the synopsis, brief notes on the characters, episode guides, etc. The roadblock was trying to get the pilot down to one simple page. I believe that's the final step before I send it out. Oh, lord... Trying to find an agent is one of the most frustrating things. I'll even go on a limb and say it's harder than writing a script, but I think I already established that in the past.

Hopefully, I'll have a better shot this time. We'll see.

Cheers,

P.S.

This is a wish list I have on Blick. If you're feeling generous, donate and support a broke artist.
Wish List

- Kenny

With Facebook, Twitter and other sites booming, I really don't have much to talk about on here. A few years ago, I couldn't shut up. I'm basically mute right now. In the mean time, if you really want a piece of me, here's a little list of my hot spots on the web.

Facebook - I'm on there a lot these days, uploading art and boring you to tears with status updates.
Kenny Gordon | Create Your Badge

Twitter - Much like Facebook except more frequent and less wordy. Twitter

Blogspot - I use this as an art blog. The majority of my work will be uploaded here and it's the best way to see the various projects I'm working on. Blogspot

Tumblr - Not as good as Blogspot, but I don't mind the exposure. It's almost useless. Just occasionally posting work and re-blogging other shit. I'm not even sure why I'm there, to be honest. Tumblr

Of course, the best way to contact me is by eMail: kenesu84@yahoo.com I check it at least twice a day.

Compiling sketches. I've been putting it off for months.... on Twitpic