Death From Above !

Dunesteef Cover #2 - With Mars in his Hand - Robobee colour / shadow

2012-01-30T21:32:00.002+13:00

Things have been busy with the boys lately - and I've just started work again today. However - I'm going to really try and keep doing art stuff, because it makes me happy to create this sort of stuff, and I forget that when I'm not doing it.

Here's the progress :

I'm not super happy with the body colouring just yet - but it's getting better. I do like the wings, particularly the faceted reflections, I think they're looking pretty good. I just finished the robobee's shadow on the apple - which was more tricky than you might imagine.
Next step might be to add some detail to the branch, as well as refine the body more and add reflections to the secondary wings.

Dunesteef Cover #2 - With Mars in his Hand - Mountain and ground detail

2012-01-18T22:07:00.002+13:00

Progress for tonight - some detail / shading for the ground and mountains. The colour is provisional, and I'll probably vector in outlines and then fill with a darker shade of red.
I'm getting sick of that big white robo-bee in the middle now, so colouring that will probably be the next step.
My drawing soundtrack for tonight was mostly Amiee Mann and the Portal 2 soundtrack, will some of Norm Sherman's new album thrown in for good measure. I can't stop listening to 'Heartache Over Innsmouth'.

Dunesteef Cover #2 - With Mars in his Hand - Ground and sky

2012-01-17T22:29:00.003+13:00

Spent a little time on this tonight after I made a banana loaf for morning tea with the relatives tomorrow :
Added the mountain range vectors, the sky gradient and the ground colour.

Dunesteef Cover #2 - With Mars in his Hand - Vectors, apple, branch, crop

2012-01-16T16:21:00.003+13:00

Today I've had some free time, so I've been working on the cover some more.
As you can see I've added some colour / texture / shading to the apple, a base colour to the branch, masked out the colour from the robo-bee areas and cropped the whole image to a square shape. You'll also have noticed that I've outlined the image with vectors and changed the shape of the wings ( the ones in the sketch weren't very good ).

It's good to see some progress here !

Dunesteef Cover #2 - With Mars in his Hand - Initial Sketch

2012-01-02T20:19:00.003+13:00

Okay - straight in with the second cover project. This is for the 'With Mars in his Hand' story. Most of the action happens on Mars in this one - with the main character trying to bring his dead / comatose / whatever wife back to life. There's a sort of Adam and Eve thing going on in this one - and an image that really struck me was of these mechanical bees pollenating a special Martian tree. So that's what I'm going for in my image. Here's the initial sketch :

First step will be to outline this properly with vectors. I don't know how much of that I'll get done tonight though - Lorenzo is supposed to be asleep, but he's wailing pitifully instead. I'll give him another five minutes and then get him up.

Sigh. No rest for the wicked.

Dunesteef cover #1 - Final Version

2012-01-01T13:09:00.003+13:00

There. Done - at least the provisional version is anyway.
Time to get a version to the guys at the podcast and see what they think.
I'm pretty happy with it.

Uberman - Some progress !

2011-12-31T21:19:00.002+13:00

I'm back ! Did you miss me ?

With Christmas over - and the main story in Arkham City finished - I've been able to get back into some art. I would have liked to have this one done before the close of 2011, but that's not happening !

Here's some more detail on the dials, and the face of Uberman present. He's supposed to be wearing a monocle - but that could be on the side in shadow. I couldn't make it work visibility.

I figure this is almost done now. I have to resize, and get a background in.

Indoor Kids contest - Aftermath

2011-12-16T23:02:00.002+13:00

On Tuesday a picture of my entry was posted on the Indoor Kids Face-book stream.

I was a winner.

Not THE winner mind you. I didn't get the Xbox - but, to be fair, I didn't think I would. Nor did I win a copy of 'Gears of War 3' - which isn't so bad, seeing as I don't have a Xbox on which to play it.

But I did win a book on the art and design of Gears of War 3 - which is what I had hoped I would win.

I was pretty damn happy.

Almost better than the prize was the short e-mail I got from the Indoor Kids hosts - saying that they loved that I had made them into a retro-gamebox, and the facebook person who said in a comment that my pic was his favourite.

So, that was a success !

I've been pretty busy with family stuff ( Lorenzo, for example, has been up for the last hour, and my attempts to get him back to bed haven't worked terribly well ), and Christmas is fast approaching - but I do plan on getting right back into the art, and finish of f the first of those cover pieces for The Dunesteef.

Oh great - Lorenzo is laughing maniacally now. That can't be a good sign...

Back soon.

Indoor kids contest - finished

2011-12-10T01:26:00.004+13:00

It's done. I'm pretty pleased with it. There are things here and there I would like to have done better, but on the whole it's pretty good. As usual, I learnt some things about photoshop along the way, so that's always good !

Now I can get back to the podcast covers I'm supposed to be doing !

Indoor kids contest - 1 day to go

2011-12-08T22:52:00.002+13:00

Almost done now. I'm REALLY liking the elf's magic sword. The glow is really easy to do in photoshop.

Still have to :
- Add shade to the rogue's arms.
- Shade / highlight the chest.
- Get a background for the demon room.
- Add glowing magic power fireball thingies to the demon's hands.
- Add a spider to the wall.
- Maybe tweek the masonry colour.
- Add the 'cartridge' backing ( I want the whole think to look like an old atari cartridge box ).

It's going to be close !

Indoor kids contest - 2 days to go

2011-12-07T21:55:00.004+13:00

It's really picking up pace now ! I'm getting to the fun stage where I can add lots of colour, shadow and highlights.

I've also learnt how incredibly useful it is to have layers organized in folders and sub-folders so I can freaking FIND what I'm after. For example in the folder 'Elf Warrior', there's a folder for each bit of the body that's coloured - 'breast-plate', 'Sword', 'skin', 'hair', 'leggings' etc. These contain the base colour, highlight and shadow(s) layers. When the folders are collapsed, it's WAY easier to navigate the layers to quickly get to the bits I need to work with.

Having photoshop CRASH and make me re-do the colouring for the shoulder armor and the armored kilt / skirt wasn't fun though. Gotta save more regularly.

Indoor kids entry - more colour

2011-12-06T20:56:00.002+13:00

Here's the latest version - it's starting to take shape now.
I'm not entirely sold on the purple stone - but it's better than the yellow !

Indoor kids entry - stone, chest, demon and colour

2011-12-05T23:03:00.003+13:00

Here's the progress with 4 days to go :

I'm not thrilled with the colour at this point - I'll mess around with it via the 'hue / saturation' tool. Perhaps a cooler shade ? Blue maybe ?

The stone and wood textures were done by me as well - not ripped off real photos. There are all sorts of arcane secrets in Photoshop. Things involving channels and such. I don't even know what a channel IS precisely - seems to be something to do with colour, but apart form that I have no idea.

I really should find out some time.

Indoor kids contest - 5 days to go

2011-12-03T20:07:00.004+13:00

With Viva and the boys away for the day - I was able to get a good amount of drawing done today. Here's the stage of play so far :

The basic outline of the elf-warrior is done, the rogue is almost done - I think I just have to do a more refined face. The masonry needs distressing, and the chest and demon need to be added. I'm not sure if I'm going to have the open door anymore - I was always a bit iffy on it.

Then I can get to the fun colouring stage !

Indoor kids - my replacement

2011-12-01T21:25:00.004+13:00

I'm not great at drawing female figures either. This is a decent start though for my replacement body, based on my pose / proportions :

It's already imported into the main image - and I've started re-sketching / vectoring it. The sword is done, breast-plate, and I'm working on the face.

The Indoor Kids contest - getting bodies better

2011-11-29T19:57:00.003+13:00

I find it hard to draw bodies in the correct proportions from my mind. It's probably why I tend to draw a lot of monsters and robots and things which don't have traditional proportions. I wanted the body shapes in this drawing to be a bit better than they currently are. What to do - what to do.

I decided to use some break time at work to take some photos of myself in the approximate poses in the sketch. I was able to use some of the props and costume pieces from the department, a tripod and a digital camera to capture these :

From there I erased out a bunch of the backgrounds, and imported the images into the current re-work of the original sketch.
I also changed the orientation of the sword arm on the left 'me'.

From here, I dropped the opacity of the photo images so I could sketch out the vague outlines necessary, with better proportions, with a tablet.

Better already !

It's going to be a little weird turning that left side 'me' into a armored sword-woman though.

Indoor Kids Contest - Sketch 1

2011-11-28T22:13:00.003+13:00

A cool / funny video game podcast I listen to is having a 'do something cool for us' contest with Gears of War 3 things up for grabs. I thought I'd give it a go ( even though I have a bunch of other creative things I need to be doing ! ).

I did this initial sketch today while in a staff meeting. I've done another couple, but I think this idea is the best. It's only part of the overall idea ( though a fairly central part ! ), but it's a start at least.

The figures on the left and right of the door are going to be the hosts of the show, or as close as I'm able to draw them anyway ! The next step here will be digitally drawing in the line work. I'll keep you posted on how it's going. The entry has to be in by the 9th of December - so I need to get cracking !

Dunesteef cover #1 - Uberman - more things / small changes

2011-11-24T20:07:00.002+13:00

This thing is progressing like a glacier - small, but inexorable advances :

Some colour shifting on the main chassis, so that the 'hood' can stand out more.
Moved all the 'dial' and detail stuff up more.
Mask-layers out some of the upper pipes so they slot into the 'hood' thingy.
More details.

Still excited about how this is going !

Dunesteef cover #1 - Uberman - more things

2011-11-23T07:20:00.003+13:00

A few more details added in.

Dunesteef cover #1 - Uberman - stage 1

2011-11-21T22:02:00.003+13:00

Haven't updates for ages. For that I apologize to my legion of rabid fans.

So, I recently got in touch with the Powers That Be from the Dunesteef podcast ( which is really cool - and you should totally listen to it ! ) and offered to do them some cover art work, and they said yes !

I'm starting off doing some for past artless-episode, the first one for the 'Uberman' episode. It was a really cool story which had the Nuremberg interview of a Nazi super-soldier, who was being held in some sort of containment device - which was described as looking like a cross between a deep-sea diving suit and an iron maiden. That image really hit me - so I volunteered to do that episode almost right away.

I'm trying a very different style for this piece - more pieces of block colour, which I'll shade slightly later on. This is a very early stage composition :

As I said - it's at an early stage so far - but I'm excited at where it's going so far !

Me and my boys

2011-09-04T20:33:00.002+12:00

Me and my son Angelo ( 3 and a 1/2 years old ) and my son Lorenzo ( 5 mths ).

New sketches

2011-08-04T21:40:00.004+12:00

These are mostly what I was doing at the Swimming Sports today. Good to use the time constructively !! :

Kinda a Jedi

Scary Ghost

Deathbot

Killer Robot Ape

That must catch me up a little with my 'Thing a Fortnight' backlog !

Coverwork - Drabblecast Art Reclamation Project

2011-07-26T21:19:00.003+12:00

Hey there - thanks for stopping by ( possibly again ! ).

Here's what I've been working on lately. It's something for the Drabblecast Art Reclamation Project. They're trying to get a bunch of art for old episodes that didn't have any, so I signed up for an episode. This is for episode #52 I think - 'Eggs'. It came out on the day Angelo was born, so I thought that would be fitting in some way.

It's SUPPOSED to be like an electron microscope picture. It's about as good as it's going to get in that way. Not perfect, which is annoying, but there you go. I had a heck of a time with this one. I had to ask a very talented friend for advice on the texturing process ( which I then promptly ignored when I discovered the 'texturalize' filter option in Photoshop ! ). It's vaguely successful I guess - and it looks alright. I'll try and tart it up a little more - but I don't think I can make it that much better.

More rehearsal sketches - Thing a Fortnight

2011-06-20T22:11:00.003+12:00

Some more drawings from production down time :

Power Armour #2

Alien Armour Suit

Knife Grrl

Encounter Suit - Hightlighting and background

2011-06-06T17:28:00.003+12:00

Highlighting done ( pretty much ) and a new background added. I like the circuit board pattern ( though I might need to have a different eye colour now ! ).

Encounter Suit - first round of shading / eye highlights

2011-06-06T11:55:00.002+12:00

Really liking the new techniques I've learned. I mean, they're nothing amazing - but clipping layers are very useful !

Encounter Suit - first colour application

2011-06-01T20:53:00.002+12:00

I've been working on this little drawing for a wee bit now.

I've been learning how to use solid colour layers combined with mask layers to quickly colour a picture. It's a really good technique for a couple of reasons. First - you can tweak the colours REALLY REALLY easily afterwards. Second - it's VERY easy to colour in areas efficiently via the fill tool in the mask layer.

I know it doesn't look like much now - but it'll pick up once shadows and highlights are in.

More as it happens.

Sketches

2011-05-16T20:36:00.003+12:00

With this and that ( read - new child and school production ) I've had precious little time to do any drawing. I have been doing some stuff on my 'encounter suit' pic - but that's not ready for publication just yet.

As a bit of a catch up - here are some sketches I did during rehearsals over the last weekend or two when I had a second :

Late for a good reason this time.

2011-03-29T11:37:00.003+13:00

You might have noticed there is no new 'Thing a Fortnight'.

This is largely because of the birth of my second son, Lorenzo Alexander Moretto.

He was born on the 24th of March, at 7.51pm.

He is healthy, and a good deal more relaxed than Angelo was at his age ! Which is good.

More soon - but I have started a new blog for Lorenzo ( largely to facilitate picture viewings by grandparents who - for very good reasons - don't want to deal with that 'Facebook nonsense' ). You can check out the little guy here :

Lorenzo : OMG - ALMB !

Thanks for your patience !

SSS Cover - More colour, more reflections, a reg.number

2011-03-02T22:14:00.003+13:00

The latest version - quite a few changes. Some feedback for the last version was that there was too much gray, so I colour shifted the robo-cat to a more orange / coppery tone. Also added some darker patches via a new layer and reduced opacity. Mice are now a range of tones too ( that was a bit of a pain to do - had to re-colour a number of layers. Kinda finicky ). There are some more reflections, and the cast shadow of the cat is darker to help ground it ( looked like it was floating a bit before ). There were a couple of other things I did too - but I can't be bothered talking about them here !
This may well be the last one - we'll see what the art-director for SSS says. :-)

Thing a Fortnight #4 - Flying Robot

2011-02-28T21:31:00.004+13:00

Just a quick one this time to keep up with the quota ! Quickly did this tonight while watching an episode of Fringe. I think I'll have to do more giant robots.

Thing a Fortnight #3 - Frost Wyrm

2011-02-23T21:48:00.002+13:00

Fairly late ( I think that'll be a theme with this ) but here it is - a sort of dragony thing. The name 'frost wyrm' jumped to mind when I was drawing it.

Thing a fortnight - teaser post !

2011-02-16T11:03:00.006+13:00

I have yet to scan the official thing-a-fortnight ( it's coming ! ) - so here are some things to keep you going !

I loved loved LOVED my magna doodle thing when I was a kid ( until some idiot acquaintance of my folks split beer on it at a Christmas party - which ruined it ).

I was having a play with one on the weekend - here are a few ones I did :

Robot with guns !

Spider with bugging out eyes !

Stripy thing !

Damn I love magna doodle !

Some actual writing !

2011-02-10T21:33:00.002+13:00

So - I tried to to write a drabble today. The first draft came in at around 500 words instead of the required 100. Still - for the first thing I've written for ages, not too bad an effort. It needs redrafting - but here it is, just to prove I did it !

Scrape

I know what you’re thinking.

I’m not insane.

She’d asked me to scrape off the old wall-paper to help the renovations. It was a old house, and it needed some attention. Insulation. Double-glazing. Keep out the cold – keep the little guy from getting sick.

Sure, I’d said. I like the simple hands-on monotony – kinda zen-like.

It was slow work – taking me well into the late night. It was downstairs though – I didn’t disturb her, or the toddler, with the gentle splash of sponge into bucket or the grind of the scraper in my rubber-gloved hand.

The first thing I noticed were the numbers. Penciled into the drywall, hidden under the layers of garish wall paper. But there’s nothing usual about that. Measurements. Tallies of construction material perhaps. How long to cut the wallpaper. How wide the next piece of dry-wall needs to be. Practical.

Normal.

But then the other things crept in, revealed piecemeal as the sodden paper sloughed away.

The symbols.

Circles. Triangles. Spidery stars – slanted hexagons – spirals.

Interlocking and eldritch.

But they were only shapes, right ? In pencil. I mean – that’s normal. Right ?

Perhaps a child. All those years ago – when the house was new. A son or daughter. Whiling away the long stretches of tedium, while dad is busy papering. And dad doesn’t mind – it’s all going to be hidden soon anyway. Hidden away. Under the paper.

That’s normal.

So I didn’t pay it any particular mind.

I carried on. Heaven help me, I carried on. Spash and scape.

Splash.

Scrape.

By the time I noticed that the symbols had given way to language, to words, spiked with harsh consonants and coughing vowels, I guess it was too late.

I had read them. And then I couldn’t stop reading them.

And then I was saying them. Echoing the words with lips and tongue, the words rolling in my mind like a broken body down a cliff face – all snap and hiss and whispered, mangled scream.

And though I tried, heaven help me – I tried, I couldn’t stop saying them.
And when I finally did stop, stopped those terrible words – that abominable alien litany, and opened my stinging eyes – I could see them.

The things behind the walls.

Not the walls of the house, you understand. The walls of this world. This universe. This dimension. This reality.

All hooks, claws. Faceted eyes. Snapping maws. Sniewy quivering limbs and tongues.

Writhing.

Scraping against the walls. Trying to get in.

And in those last patches of uncleared wall, hidden only beneath a few breaths of glue and paper – traced in unearthly curving lines of pencil – I knew there was a door.

Did I start the fire ? You already know.

It had to be done.

I wasn’t thinking straight. I was so desperate, so out of my mind with terror. It wasn’t till the house was well ablaze that I remembered.

I tried to go in.

Look at me. Can’t you see the skin crafts I’ve suffered through ? I tried.

I’m sorry. I wish I’d gotten them out first. I wasn’t thinking straight.

I’m so sorry.

I know I deserve to be in here for that. I have to pay. There’s no need for the padding on the walls though.

I’m not insane.

And it doesn’t hide them. Heaven help me – I wish it did. I can still see them. Pressed against the walls.

Writhing. Undulating. Scraping against the barrier between us and them.

Trying to get in.

Bonus sketch : Ape vs Robot

2011-02-01T18:07:00.004+13:00

A wee bonus sketch for you ! I found this in a clip board - I think I started it during a sports / cultural exchange with the sister school of the one I work at. Those things can be pretty tedious. I also fleshed it out more at the dance auditions for the school production last year.

Inspiration ? I saw someone else doing a 'monkey vs robot' drawing and thought I could do one too.

Thing a Fortnight #2 - Weresquid

2011-01-29T16:53:00.004+13:00

Second 'Thing a Fortnight' and I'm on time this time !

I posted a plea for help on the FB, because I couldn't thing of anything to draw - and one of my pals said something like 'Weresquid - circa 1910'. I don't think I got the '1910' bit - but the rest isn't too bad.

I tried to post this yesterday - but whenever I tried to add the pic, I kept getting an 'internal error' message. Finally I looked at the image - it was immensly huge ! The canvas size was something like 8000 cm !! WTH ??

SSS Cover - Generally darker / mice shadow

2011-01-21T23:00:00.002+13:00

Had to knock out another draft. The other one was just too annoying. Like a torn-nail for my brain.

This one is better I think. Now that it's darker the lens flare looks better.

The mice are still bothering me. I think when I fix them this mess will be done. Yay !

SSS Cover - Thicker lines / lens flare / darker walls

2011-01-21T20:35:00.003+13:00

Getting near the end now. I'm a little annoyed with it at the moment.

It took ages to go over the mice again - but the other ones weren't well scaled. I like the lens flare effect of the eyes. I'm not thrilled with how it looks with titles though...

Seems a bit too 'busy' now. Hmmm.

Might have to try and fix that...

Thing a Fortnight #1 - Only three days late !

2011-01-18T16:25:00.002+13:00

A new year's resolution of sorts for me this year is to publish a sketch or drawing here every couple of weeks. Y'know - just to keep me motivated to actually draw something !

Here is number one - some kind of robot thing.

SSS Cover - Some highlights. Lighter walls.

2011-01-04T22:02:00.003+13:00

Some highlighting on the cat ( which I'm not totally thrilled with - I might have to do it again ), and a different lighter colour in the background.

It's a bit better.

SSS Cover - More shading and sci-fi eyes

2011-01-02T20:17:00.001+13:00

Another few steps. Shading on the robo-cat and mice and wires.
Glowing eyes for robo-cat.
Slowly shaping up !

Cool thing from last year - SSS Cover #1 !

2011-01-01T12:41:00.003+13:00

Happy new year to you, faceless internet wanderer ! I hope this planetary revolution brings to you many victories against the vicious squid-men of the Atlantic trench.

I bear you this gift in accordance with ancient custom - the cover art I made for the Hugo award winning pod-cast Star-Ship Sofa !

And here's a quick mock-up I did to see how it would look with titles. The titles on the actual publication were a bit different.

I was pretty happy with how it turned out - and it was neat to see it used and published. A highlight of 2010 !

SSS Cover - More colour, reflection and some shading

2010-12-31T18:28:00.002+13:00

More progress.

I like the reflection - though the robo-cat's shadow on the floor isn't as good as I'd like.

I'm going to have to do something with the background though. Darken it up so the cat pops a bit more. It's merging into the background a bit too much right now.

Hmmm.

SSS Cover - first base colour application

2010-12-29T22:00:00.003+13:00

Only a DAY later ! Can you even believe it ??

Cover update. First colour application !

It's looking better already !

New post - new project

2010-12-28T21:06:00.000+13:00

Well. Over a year since the last post.

All I can say is - oops.

I'm going to try to do better in 2011 ! I'm going to be using this place to post pictures of my drawings for the next year. It's all going towards a new resolution I've got coming.

Here's the first. This is the current outline drawing of my new cover project for Star Ship Sofa. I did one last year - I'll post a pic of the last one soon !

It doesn't look like much at the moment - though they usually get better when colour is added !

New post soon. In under a year this time. I promise.

Bad Family cover - final draft 1 !

2009-12-18T13:03:00.004+13:00

So here's the big drawing thing I've been working on for AGES ! The cover art for my pal Steve's RPG game 'Bad Family'.

This is the first 'final' draft. Steve's a bit unsure about the fridge magnet title ( I think it looks pretty groovy - but there you go ). I still need to add a tag-line for the game at the bottom. I've got an idea - but I'll run it by Steve first.

Here are all the other bits and pieces that made up the cover. The fridge drawing thing I didn't do - I stole it from somewhere on line and adapted slightly. The business cards are modified web-images ( though the phone is pretty heavily modified - and I'm pretty pleased with how that turned out ). The receipt is all my own work though ( with a tiny bit of help via a LED font dowloaded from 'DaFont' ).

What would Aristotle say ?

2009-09-30T21:12:00.002+13:00

So, I'm down at the toy library with Viva, helping her get the toys back into the storage area, and I pick up this girls bike.

It's VERY much a girl bike. It was a vivid, almost violent, pink colour. There were spangly bits. There were star designs on it. There was a rainbow or two. I even think there was a unicorn.

Then I notice the name of the bike.

"Apollo".

What ?

The ultimate girly bike is named after one of the most quintessentially MALE gods ever ? God of the sun and medicine ?? Does that make any sense ? Shouldn't it have been called the Artemis, or the Diana ?

Or am I being too cerebral here ?

Things I Made #4 - Year 12 Play set

2009-09-18T11:14:00.004+12:00

Yeah yeah - I know. I've been busy. It's the standard answer I know - but here's evidence of something that's been taking up my time.

It's the set for the Y12 play I've been directing - "A Place in the Present". It takes place in a train station waiting room.

The tricky things were getting the stencil style writing done ( found a font on 'DaFont' - penciled it on, painted over ). It didn't totally look like I wanted it to - but it was okay enough I guess. Getting the door on was a pain. We tried to fit it into a flat, but that was a disaster, so I just bolted it into the sides of two flats in the end. It worked fine.

The graffiti tagging was mostly done by me. I took some shots of some real tags at the local train station and then copied them. That's probably breaking some code of 'the street' - but screw 'em ! You show me a copyright for your optically offensive vandalism and I'll give a monkeys.

So, all in all I was pretty happy with the set. The production wasn't half bad either !

The humming-ning

2009-08-17T21:00:00.002+12:00

Poor Viva. She's not feeling well. She's got at a attack of the hay-fever, a cold and an ear ache.

And the humming has returned.

Oh no.

Viva can hear this humming. It comes and goes - but every now and then she'll accost me and start demanding to know if I can hear it.

"Can you hear that ? That humming ! DON'T look at me like that ! I can HEAR it ! Are you seriously telling me you can't hear that ? Listen ! Can you hear it ?"

And so on.

I've told her that I can't hear it and she's never quite believed me. She also has trouble accepting that I DON'T want to even TRY to hear it - in case I DO and then I can't NOT hear it again.

I suggested tonight that maybe it was like those people who can pick up radio signals with their teeth fillings. That seemed to spark her to look for symptoms on-line. Low and behold - there are quite a few people who suffer from this. Apparently it sounds a bit like hearing a light-saber from about 50-100 meters away. A bunch of people in Auckland were driven to almost madness by it.

Hmmm.

Time to hide the sharp objects, program the emergency services number into the phone and sleep on the couch maybe.

Things I found posted out the cat-door by Angelo this morning

2009-08-04T10:16:00.003+12:00

1. My blue and red beanie.
2. His striped blue and green hat.
3. The pig piece from his farmyard jigsaw puzzle.
4. A pair of his socks.
5. A large multicolured duster.
6. A 'glad' plastic box container.
7. His 'That's Not My Dragon!" book.
8. A plastic part of something I couldn't readily identify. But it was quite big.
9. The 'Panic Button' novelty toy that Angelo has claimed from me.

But not the jar full of fish-oil tablets that he's taken from the pantry and hidden somewhere ...

*UPDATE*
The fish-oil tablets turned up the next day in the lounge floor. I still have no idea where he had hidden them. I sense trouble developing here...

Thing I made #2 - Production 'animation' video

2009-07-28T10:54:00.003+12:00

Woah - mega long since an update.
Anyway - I've been meaning to add this for a while, I just haven't been able to find the copy with the cool music in the background ( which I would love to say I created as well - but which would be a total lie. Magnificent music HOD composed that ).

This was a wee expositional poem right at the start of the play, and I had the brillo idea of making a set of pictures to go along with it that we could turn into a wee film to play ( y'know - get that whole multi-media feel coming in nice and strong ).

Man - it took WAY longer than I thought it would ! It was the photoshopping of the drawings which took the time - the actual conversion into the film wasn't so bad, particularly when I found that you could save the files in photoshop to a format which uses transparency - but that's getting needlessly complicated.

Anyway - hope you like it.

Can I share this with you ?

2009-06-04T20:43:00.004+12:00

In lieu of anything interesting to say ( too tired to talk about the ordeal that was the production. Just thinking about it makes me sweat blood ... ) here is a song that I love. It's Death Cab for Cutie again - an amazing song and equally cool video.

Your assessment task is to discuss the deeper meanings present in the text. How are 'grapevine fires' a metaphor ? For what ? What is the significance of the graveyard and the picnic? Remember to use specific detail from the text to support your ideas. ( 2 credits )

The family is back ! Horay !

2009-06-03T12:49:00.003+12:00

After three long weeks Viv and Angelo have returned from merry olde England - jubilation ! It's so nice to have them back ! In some ways it was good that they were away during that time - I was getting killed with the school production, and was at school a LOT - so they wouldn't have seen much of me anyway. Thankfully that's over too - but maybe a little more on the production later.

Skype was a godsend for that time - I was able to see Viva and my little boy a fair bit while they were away, as well as seeing my nephews and niece as well ! They had a good time and did some fun things, so that's alright !

It's amazing to see how much Angelo grew in just that small amount of time. He's made some good developments over those 21 days :

1. He's beginning to climb on things now. He can quite easily scale the couches - which gave the cat a hell of a fright ! Poor Shadow was curled up in her usual position on a cushion stack on the larger of the two couches - a position that was before quite safe from baby raids. Angelo bowls in, is up on the couch in a couple of seconds flat - and has tackled the cat in the next one !

He really needs to be more gentle with Shadow. Viva told me that he got hold of her and was yanking on her tail - and she screamed / hissed at him. That gave Angelo a bit of a fright - but not as much as a decent swipe with the ole claws would give him ( I think that might be very soon if he doesn't start behaving ).

2. He's babbling even more now. It looks like he's trying to communicate more deliberately. During dinner the last couple of nights he's pointed at the living room light and said "Gah ! " quite a few times. He's also seen the cat walk/run by and said "kiki", and I'm pretty sure he something which sounded very much like "hello dada" - though I might be imagining things.

3. He waves now ! He waved goodbye to me this morning as I was going to work ( after a bit of coaxing ) and he waved goodbye to his grandparents on Sunday ( far more readily ).

4. Four of his bottom molars have come through. He's able to eat things a little more readily - but the teething process is causing him a little distress ( I was up applying Bongela from 3 to 5 this morning ... ).

In all it's great to have them back. No more coming home to an empty house ! Things are good.

Thing I made #1 - Skull and Crossbones

2009-05-15T16:42:00.003+12:00

Yet another thing keeping me from blogging - the school production. It's not going so well at the moment unfortunately. Anyway - I was asked by the producer if I could make a 3D skull to go in front of the ships wheel. I agreed.

It took me about a week and a half off and on to do. Trickiest bit was the chicken-wire 'skeleton' of the model. The rest was easy - just time consuming. Fun though.
I gotta say - I'm pretty happy with the finished result and it looks pretty cool on set.

And shouldn't it be 'skull and crossED bones' ??? Hmmmm.

Jetpack trooper

2009-04-19T10:50:00.003+12:00

Just finished this - I put it up in lieu of any interesting stories. I have been pretty boring of late, just looking after bubba really. And while this is usually FAR from boring for me - I know from my time before being a parent that kiddie stories arn't all that interetsing for those removed from that world. It's kinda like cat stories I guess.

Anyway - this drawing turned out not too bad in the end. I'm not too sure about the light bloom effect, but I couldn't think of anything to have in the background.

I was sorta expecting this

2009-03-25T21:39:00.002+13:00

Angelo has quite a large supply of toys. He has generous grandparents and older cousins and friends who have outgrown things. Many stuffed and soft animals, trucks and such.

Do you know what his favorite toy is ?

An empty plastic jar that once housed fish oil capsules.

He loves that freaking thing.

Oh - and he's very fond of cardboard boxes as well. But he's very enamored with jars. He got into the pantry last night while Viva was cooking and swiped a jar of marmite. He was BESIDE himself with joy - almost running away and laughing to himself, partly because he had stolen a treasure from 'the cave of wonders' ( aka pantry ), but mostly because he had another jar.

Stars ?

2009-03-24T21:04:00.002+13:00

I maintain that New Zealand should not be allowed a tv show called "Danicing with the Stars".
By law it should be named "Dancing with the sad minor celebs".
Less catchy, I know, but far more honest.

I also assert that no country should be allowed a new "Whatever-Nation Idol" until the old one is DEAD.

I have spoken !

Why I love my job

2009-03-23T16:15:00.005+13:00

In so far as you can ever love a job - I love the job I have. Mainly it's the place. I may have said this before, but the school I work at is a freaking AMAZING school. It really is. Seriously - I could not go back to the schools I started at. I am a hot-house flower now n... I would wither and die in those environments. Or mutate and destroy all around me.

But it's the weird things that happen over in the Performing Arts department which are really something. Take for example this phone conversation I heard my HOD have with the HOD of P.E. :

"Hi, is that the gym ?
...
Hey - good morning guys ! I wonder if you could do me a favour ?
...
Yeah - do you have any hula hoops ?
...
You do ? Great - can we borrow some ?
...
Oh - about 20 ? 25 ?
...
How long ? It's hard to say - we're using them to make some giant squid tentacles, so it might be awhile ..."

The one later when we'd had a run through with said tentacles where he was calling auto places looking for around 40 inner tubes we could use for the suckers was equally surreal.

You gotta love that !

I feel I haven't said anything for a while...

2009-03-22T21:19:00.003+13:00

I blame Fallout 3.

It's delightfully addictive.

There's something blissfully hypnotic of seeing a Super-Mutant's head explode off their shoulders in a mess of bone and ripped flesh, seeing their bodies rag-doll an a cartwheeling arc.

How I laugh.

I've racked up a bunch of trophies now so I should be able to write more now.

I've still got the school production, teaching and fatherhood to syphion off my time.

I'll do my best.

In Angelo news - the little guy is pretty much walking now. He's gone from two steps three weeks ago, to over twenty today ! Yay !

First word ?

2009-02-03T05:58:00.003+13:00

I was minding Angelo while he was having a bath - and he had managed to haul himself up and was clinging to the side of the tub. Viv came in from the backdoor with some dry washing and Angelo saw her come in. Then he said 'hello' !

It SOUNDED very much like 'hello' anyway. It was more a 'heh-wooah' if you wanted to be technical - but it was pretty amazing none the less ! He said it again the next morning too !

Unofficial first word perhaps ? :-)

Top 5 Angelo induced injuries

2009-01-30T20:32:00.002+13:00

I've been rather boring of late. I've been spending most of my time either hanging out with / looking after / trying to entertain Angelo, or battling nature in the terraced yard behind the house ( believe me - a HUGE undertaking ... ).

So - in an effort to be interesting, here is at least a vaguely amusing kiddy related thing. The awful ways in which Angelo has sought to harm his dada.

5. Full-on, Hollywood styled, sfx : rump steak slapped on marble table top, slap in the face.

4. Punch to the throat.

3. Back-hand upper punch to the right eye.

2. Alphabet block smashed into head.

and at number one, a tie !

1. Double foot stomp to the groin / 'brain-buster' falling head-butt to the groin.

I really can't work out which was worse. They both hurt pretty damn bad.

Still - at least he didn't give me carpal tunnel syndrome ...

What goes on in his head ?

2009-01-13T20:19:00.002+13:00

Viva went to the supermarket to get something and took Angelo along for the ride. She told me that when they were in the checkout there was a little girl ahead of them in line who had the hiccups.

Apparently this struck Angelo as being hilariously funny, and he was laughing his head off every time she hiccuped !

I wish I'd seen it !

Which were worse ?

2009-01-10T20:07:00.001+13:00

Ewoks or gungans ?

By a hair - I'd say gungans. But it's a close run thing. MIGHTY close ...

Singular or plural ?

2009-01-06T22:15:00.001+13:00

Advert for a bar I heard on the radio today :

" ... and make sure you come on down on weeknights for our daily Happy Hour - 4pm till 6pm !"

Tee hee !

Star Wars Alphabet Set !!!

2009-01-06T22:09:00.003+13:00

V is for Ventress !!!

H is for Hutt !!!

Sweet jumping chilli bean !! This alphabet set is freaking amazing !! How can I get a set for Angelo's room ? Hell - how can I get one for MY room !!!

The Nature of Grudges

2009-01-05T21:30:00.002+13:00

I was doing a lot of yard-work today. Much of it was pruning back errant branches of rogue trees. I'm not normally one for work in the great-out-doors, but you know what really makes a difference ? A MP3 player ! I've been listening to audio books and all sorts while I've been waring war on our little section of mother nature. It's been great !

So I was loading new music and sound files onto it this morning before the great attack, and while sifting through my music library, I chanced on 'Under the Pink' by Tori Amos, which I had not listened to for AGES. I started up 'Cornflake Girl' and 'The Wrong Band' and 'Icicle' and 'Yes Anastasia'. Great songs - but it took me back to, oddly enough to a much darker time.

I listened to 'Under the Pink' and 'Little Earthquakes' almost continually after a particularly bad break-up I went though. The songs are now faintly water-marked with that time, even after all these years. Jeesh - how long now ? Dum-de-dum ... over 15 years I think.

One of the worst things about the whole deal was that I had a MAJOR falling out with a friend / flatmate back then. He started going out with said ex-girlfriend within the space of a couple of days. There were great feelings of betrayal folded into the whole stew of the collapsing relationship. It was very bad. I was not a happy guy at that time.

Still, time goes by and tends to heal wounds of these sorts. But while I eventually did the 'forgive - forget' combo with the girl in question, I NEVER did that with the former friend/flatmate.

I have friends who are friends with him, and they have said things to me like 'Hey - that guy, he's a decent bloke !' and 'He's sorry, y'know' and 'It was YEARS ago Seraph ! Let it go !'.

And to be fair - they have various correct points to their arguments.

But they forget some pretty important things about me I think.

First and foremost - I am, no matter how I appear, Italian. And Italians know a thing or two about holding a grudge. Particularly my particular clan. In contrast to some members of my family - I am viewed as being rather too forgiving,
It's a genetic thing. It's not that I particularly WANT to feel the way I feel about the guy But I cannot help it - I feel physically ILL when I am anywhere near the guy. Thankfully, even though I believe he's still kicking around Wellington somewhere, our paths haven't crossed for a few years now - and now the season of 'Stag Nights' have ground to an end, I doubt I'll see him again. I don't think our mutual friends are dumb enough to invite us both to the same events anymore.

And second - some things you just can't forgive. No matter how much you would like to. And yes - it's just as damaging to you as it is to the other person - and you KNOW that, and you still can't.

Sigh. All this from listening to Tori Amos.

I'm not particularly sure when I'm going with any of this - it's just been playing on my mind all day and I felt like saying it.

If I had 10 million dollars ...

2009-01-04T21:04:00.002+13:00

a) I would build a house with secret passages and secret rooms. I don't care WHAT Viv says about it - it would be seriously cool !

b) I'd buy a decommissioned missile silo and turn it into an 'evil genius' lair. There would be go-go dancers. Somehow.

c) I'd fill the Karori public swimming pool with jelly. Lime flavor - naturally.

What would you do ?

Downers of 2008

2009-01-02T20:37:00.001+13:00

5. PC woes

My PC died early in the year. The hard-drive suffered some kind of aneurism and died, and the road to getting it back was paved with despair. There were so many problems and crap – from the technicion putting the wrong RAM in it to no sound output. Definitely a pain.

4. Missing out on some things.

The arrival of Angelo, wonderful though it is, does mean that a few things have been sacrificed on the alter of parenthood. I missed not being in the 48 hour film comp this year, and more-so my Tuesday night RPG group. Ah well.

3. Making mistakes in the order of units in my senior drama class and the subsequent heart-stopping panic for 8 weeks.

Yeah – the less said the better. It all worked out in the end. Whew

2. Actually producing the school production films.

It was fun and I learned a lot – but it was a pretty merciless grind.

1. Still having problems with my leg.

It’s over a year now and my right leg / knee isn’t yet 100%. The weight-gain from reduced exercise hasn’t been nice either.

The Top 10 of 2008

2009-01-01T20:33:00.001+13:00

10. Discovering ‘Death Cab for Cutie’
I just don’t tend to find new music that I actually like – so discovering a whole new BAND that makes some really great music is quite a thing !

9. Discovering ‘Old Man’s War’ by John Scalzi
I tend to discover great books a little more often – and this was a seriously good find ! I had never heard of John Scalzi before, but people were talking about him on the ‘Boing Boing’ site and raving about his first book ‘Old Man’s War’. So I figure, what the heck ?
OutSTANDING story !
A cross between ‘Starship Troopers’ and ‘Cocoon’ – hilarious, sad, action packed and thought provoking. Read it at ONCE ! That’s a order !!!

8. Ran my ‘Resident Evil’ version of “The Mountain Witch” RPG at Kapcon.
Didn’t win any prizes – but the game seemed to go down well !

7. Seeing Bill Bailey live in concert.
My face hurt for hours afterwards !

6. Did a good painting !
‘Alchemy II’ for Dave. I really liked how it turned out.

5. Artwork I did for Hix’s game.
Now he only has to actually produce the product …

4. Acted in a version of “The Four Yorkshiremen” sketch.
At the school variety concert. I was the character that had the last monologue ( was killed by parents who than danced on the grave singing hallelujah ) . Good fun !

3. Renovating the spare room.
Took awhile – but done BEFORE bubba arrived – and it wasn’t half bad into the bargain.

2. Finishing the film productions for school.
Never have I been happier to finish something.

And, at number one, it should come as no surprise …

1.The birth of Angelo.
Which carries with it many wonderful moments of joy !

A late gift

2008-12-26T19:42:00.003+13:00

Well - I don't know about you, but I find this whole parenthood thing does muscle in on my blogging time rather significantly.

Here's a late Christmas gift for you.

What? I shouldn't have ? Oh come now ! Nothing is too good for you !

If you're like me - then you like stories read aloud. So then audio books are pretty groovy things ! I discovered in my meanderings though the interwebs a trio of podcast sites which cater to specific forms of short fiction, all three of the genres being particular favorites.

First - science fiction. Escape pod is the one for you. I recommend the Union Dues stories. They are very cool ( if pretty dark ) superhero tales.

Second - horror. Pseudopod is the place to go. This was the first of the sites I found - with Boing Boing recommending "The Sloan Men" - which was pretty cool. I tend to find that the stories on Pseudopod are a little more hit and miss - but there are some really great ones there. I particularly recommend "The Skull-Faced Boy" - which is a great little zombie tale. Go listen to it now.

Third - fantasy. PodCastle awaits ! I've tended to enjoy the stories here slightly more than the others. You definitely should tune into "Cup and Table", which was the first Pod Castle story I heard - and I thought it was one of the best Hold Grail stories I've heard.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have been !

Fictional slang

2008-11-27T21:58:00.003+13:00

Okay - serious question.

What would be the slang term that super-powered teens would call those that had the power of flight ? In a , say, post-apocalyptic world ?

Or super-strength ? Speed ? Energy manipulation ?

Best I've come up with is 'zip' for a speedster - but I'm not sure it's something a teen would say.

Typical. I'm surrounded by them everyday, but the way teens think is still freaking alien to me.

Sage Advice

2008-11-05T21:33:00.002+13:00

So I'm finished. Finished those bloody films.

Thank the gods ! Thank Krishna ! Thank Allah ! Thank Mohammed ! Thank Buddha ! Thank Hastur ! Thank Ishtar ! Thank every freaking god in the book ! My long and arduous journey is at an end... *sob*

Here is a short list of advice of what to do if you ever plan making a film with teenagers.

1. Don't.
2. See 1. Seriously.
3. Okay - if you're going to do it - DON'T let them write it unless you know damn well they can write okay. And even then - be VERY careful about what you get them to write, lest they hand you three scripts in succession that the special character of your school ( and society in general ) will never let you put on screen. Have a CLEAR word / page limit - and enforce it with ruthless and cruel means ( set fire to their work if it's a single character over the limit would be my advice ).
4. Don't be a control freak about it. Force people to help you. At gunpoint if necessary.
5. Capture your footage as soon as you can. DO NOT lose tapes with valuable footage that took hours to do.
6. While editing - hit that control + S OFTEN. You don't want a sudden system crash to scrub away that sequence you've painstakingly edited over the last two hours.
7. Do NOT work with year 7 students. Not unless you want to have to do even the simplest shot about 13 to 17 times. Do not be fooled by their enthusiasm - they have NO idea what they're doing !
8. Do NOT write down the plans of how you will MURDER that little red-haired bastard who hassled you day in and out about WHEN you were going to start, and how MUCH he wanted to do things - and then a week after shooting when you needed the little punk to actually do something important he quits to play hockey. The legal system will take note of these things quite seriously if found,
9. Steal all the equipment and sell it on trade me before you begin. Use the money to buy to buy limited edition comics or something. Blame the red-haired kid and see if you can get him lynched.
10. Just don't do it ! Okay ? Trust me on this !

Right. Now I'm going to go and hit my head against a wall until I forget all about it...

Dude ! What gives ?

2008-10-25T21:24:00.002+13:00

So - no post in over a month. I know what you're thinking :

"Ah Seraph - you slack gitt ! Stop lounging around on your mink chez-lounge, sipping mulled wine and nibbling on raspberry slice and write something to make me giggle !".

How I wish that were true.

In short - I have been receiving a right royal pummeling from both of my jobs ( daddy and teacher ). The production-film for school has been doing a REAL number on me. More later ( when I'm a few steps further away from insanity ).

Thanks to all those who sent / phoned / posted birthday wishes a month ago - it was really nice. Special mention to my ole pal Mark ! Sorry I wasn't home man ! I lost your number somewhere in my labyrinthine domain - gimmie another call some time !

Right - back to the madness. You're regularly scheduled show will return shortly ...

4th Anniversary

2008-09-22T15:03:00.003+12:00

So Viva and I have now been married for 4 years ! Wow ! Where did that time go ??

I was in a bit of a dilemma coming into this one though - namely because of the gift. I am trying to go the traditional route with anniversary gifts - and so is Viva. Our first anniversary ( paper ) I got her tickets to something ( a show of some sort - damned if I can remember right now what it was... ), and she got me a book of the 'Indian Ink' play scripts. We both flagged the second anniversary gifts as cotton was too hard. The third anniversary gift ( leather ) was a nice pair of gloves from me ( I know what you're thinking - and the reason I didn't go for THAT idea was that I didn't get her measurements in time. You can't just get that stuff off the shelf y'know ! ). I received a pretty sharp belt ( not round the head either ! Tee hee ... ).

But the 4th anniversary ? Flowers and fruit. Hmmm.

Hard to get something really cool there. I mean - there's the obvious idea I guess, but who wants to be obvious ?

I was quite stumped. And then I had a odd ( and mildly disturbing ) dream. I was a student in this bizarre Tim Buton-esque school. I was in a science class of some sort - and a Goth girl student was having an argument with the crusty old professor about the chemical symbol for silver ( while a hulking, shaggy haired behemoth of a student was lurching around behind us - he had rope nooses instead of hands - which was the mildly disturbing part ).

'Silver!' one would shout - pointing at a symbol on the board.

'SILVER !' the other shouted back - pointing at a different symbol.

On and on it went until I woke up - crying out a strangled 'Silver!' myself !

And then it hit me - a silver charm bracelet ! I had seen these really cool 'Pandora' ones in the window of Pacific Jewelers in Johnsonville. I did some research on line to see if there were any fruit or flower charms, found that there were, and zapped in to get one !

Freaking genius !

Viva really liked it - and it has the bonus for me that I can now get OTHER charms as other gifts !! Everyone is happy !

Thanks strange and mildly disturbing dream !

( Viva got me a selection of fruit based sweets, and a bottle of apple wine - and freaking yummy they are too ! :-) )

Fathers day and Bill Bailey

2008-09-08T20:23:00.002+12:00

This entry is mostly to answer Debbie's comment from the last post, seeing as she has been nice enough to be leaving them !

My first father's day was very nice indeed. I spent the lion's share of the day with Angelo - who had got me a lovely framed photograph of himself for a present ( got through his PA I think ). We had visits from friends for lunch - and Grandma and Grand-dad visited later on ( which, yet again, made doing any marking difficult - but screw it ! ).

The Bill Bailey concert / show / gig / whatever was very VERY funny - my face was hurting for a good hour afterwards and I think I damaged my friend's hearing. We had KILLER seats too ! We were three rows from the front, pretty close to the middle.
As is always the case with comedy - I remember very little about the show ! Why the hell is that ? Anyway - some of the funny things I remember him talking about were :

- England's potential opening ceremonies for their olympics, with a giant inflatable Winston Churchill dancing to a drum and bass 'God Save the Queen', and a robotic Queen shooting corgies from her neck
- His deep suspicion of joggers - who always find the bodies...
- A hilarious emo self-hurt song
- The Bucharest flag being two bears fighting over a pineapple ( which, I was sorry to discover, it isn't )
- An argument with various parts of his subconscious ( 'I control you!' 'No ! WE control YOU!!' )
- Satan singing Lionel Richie songs.
- How England's national anthem should be changed to "The Pink Panther"
- NZ's border patrol being obsessed with finding illicit potpourri

Laugh ? I almost died.

It was a nice break for Viva and me too - I think it might have been a little more scary for her to have been away from Angelo - but his aunt looked after him really well !

A great night out, and worth every cent of the ludicrously expensive tickets.

Sister and Babysitting

2008-09-01T21:53:00.005+12:00

Here follows a transcript of a conversation between my sister and my father concerning the baby-sitting that she's going to do for us on Friday night so we can go and see Bill Bailey ( yay ! ) :

Dad - So ... I hear that you're going to baby-sit Angelo on Friday night.

Sis - Yup. It'll be fun.

Dad - ... Do you need any help ? I can come down you know - I should probably come down.

Sis - I've got it under control dad.

Dad - But, it's a baby - you haven't baby-sat before, have you ? I think I should come down.

Sis - I've baby-sat LOTS of times. I'll be fine.

Dad - But you might not be ! What if he needs changing ? Can you change him ? Have you even changed a baby before ?

Sis - Yeah. Loads. I'll be fine.

Dad - But ... um ... what if he starts crying ?

Sis - Oh, I'll just shake him until he stops.

Apparently a lot of conversations between my dad and sister end with my dad telling my sister to "Shut up!".

I wonder why.

Seraph's Questionable Take on World Events

2008-08-29T19:43:00.005+12:00

Okay okay - so this hardly current in terms of events, but I've been mulling this over in my mind for a week or so and I wanted to get your take on this. Now, I'm hardly the most clued up on on the political scene of Europe or anything - but certain events there made me think of the computer game 'Civilization'.

Stay with me here.

Right - so when you're playing Civilization on easy ( and I hardly ever play on any other difficulty setting. I like to win ) and you're in the mid to end game zone, a peculiar thing often happens. You'll be advancing nicely, science and research are reaping healthy rewards. You've made many impressive monuments. The Church of Seraph-is-a-Groovy-Cat has throngs of worshippers and generally things are, y'know, quite peaceful.

And then you get an ambassador from some back-water nation demanding an audience. You graciously usher him into your palace to hear what he has to say.

"Hey!" he says "You have stuff we want ! Oil and gemstones and lumber and such ! Here is a stupidly unfair trading deal ! Give us heaps of your great stuff for our world-map !".

"But, o-honorable delegate from Retardostan" you patiently explain "We have already mapped the entire world. Whereas you have gone only twenty meters from your coast-line. I think I shall have to decline your offer, with the utmost respect to you and your proud ( if somewhat pig-headed ) people."

"Mwargh !" the ambassador shrieks "You suck ! Your country sucks ! We hate you now ! Give us twenty million euros or there'll be TROUBLE !!!!".

"I have no desire for war ! But I will NOT be giving you ANY Euros. Please leave now - and AS you return to Retardostan, you may wish to note the way the fusion-missile silo's the boys at the lab have knocked together in the last 10 years blend in cunningly with the natural beauty of Seraphi..."

The ambassador leaves, pausing only to hurl abuse at your bodyguards, shout something about 'diplomatic immunity' and 'oppressive yolk' and 'you'll be sorry'.

Later that month the glorious Crimson Legion of the proud nation of Retardostan - resplendent in their shining bronze armour, shaking their flintlock muskets above their visored heads, cross the mountain range separating your country from theirs on their trusty yak mounts. They throw themselves at the city walls of one of your weaker border cities singing their war-song "Death to the enemies of Retardostan - There will never be consequences for our actions !" in the full-throated manner so steeped in their rich military tradition.

The ECM Death-Commandos ( skull and crossed bones division ) on garrison duty there, armed with state of the art pulse-rifles, and aided by a few trusty marauder-class attack helicopters, easily hold off the attack - reducing the entire Glorious Crimson Legion to a finely textured squishy pulp.

Within a day your superior rail system has delivered ten units of stealth-tanks ( plus a few of the atomic powered mechs those boffins down in the labs suddenly got a whole lot of money to finish ) to the front lines.

Within three days you have crushed their pitiful armed forces and their border towns lie in ruin. The barded yak-steeds of the Retardostan army are simply no match for your gigantic robot and tank blitzkrieg.

Town by town, city by city - Retardostan begins to fall.

An emissary is sent to have talks with you.

"Hey you blood-thirsty monster ! You suck ! We hate you ! Even more ! But we're sick of having our arse handed to us by giant atomic robots !"

"Hey ! You freaking started this ! You attacked us ! We had a treaty and non-aggression pact ! What the hell ?" you state.

"But that was when we thought we'd win ! It's not fair that we're losing ! You suck so much for winning ! Bllleeerrrghhh !".

"Very well - I'll give you peace, but you'll hand over these three cities as a sign of good faith."

"WAAAAARRRGHHHHHH ! You unbelievable prick !! That's SO UNFAIR !!!! Gosh - how we HATE you !!"

"Look - it's up to you. Either you give me those cities, or I take over your entire country, you flipping dick-head !" you respond.

"Grumble grumble ... mutter mutter hate you mutter ... grumble alright ..."

"What was that? Did you just agree to have peace ? Did you ?"

"Grumle grumble ... YES .... ( gods we so totally hate you we hate you so much ! We hate you a whole DUMP-TRUCK full of hate ... hate you Seraphi ... think you're so cool with your running water and trousers ... )"

And so you have peace ( until Retardostan inexplicably attacks you again out of the blue and their memory is purged from the history books forever ).

That seems to happen all the time in Civ.

Now - is it JUST me, or did something not too dissimilar to that happen in real life recently ?

Like I said - NO understanding of Eastern Europe political situations. Just putting it out there.

* And big thanks to Jenni for telling me how a bunch of people of the State of Georgia in the US of A were wondering where all the Russian tanks were. I laughed and laughed.

A new low

2008-08-18T22:04:00.002+12:00

So, I was running a warm-up exercise with my Y12 drama class this morning - and managed, in an exuberant show of energy, to punch myself right in the eye.

My students thought that was suitably hilarious.

It freaking hurt.

I blame Monday morning.

Things I have learnt about parenting #2

2008-08-12T20:35:00.003+12:00

I never could have imagined how joyful a thing it is.

If you've known me for any length of time before becoming a parent, you'd know that I'd never been fond of babies. To be fair - I actively disliked / feared them. They were bewildering things which would decalcify your spine with their screams and expel vile matter on you from any number of orifices ( often simultaneously ! ).

During Viv's pregnancy I had pretty much steeled myself for a long, hard, grueling haul of care afterwards - and when the child was a couple of years old, THEN it would be a happy time.

I really didn't expect to be so attached to Angelo as quickly as I was ( instead of years - it was hours ). I had once ( internally ) scoffed at the talk of 'how amazing' a smile was from a baby. Now I know better.

It is hard at times ( it's awful when he cries and cries and CRIES and you don't know what's wrong or how to make him STOP... ), and certainly it's poor Viva who has to deal with more hard times than I.

But I miss him heaps when I'm at work.

And while, on some level, I am biologically hard-wired to feel this way at an evolutionary level - I really don't care.

I just feel very fortunate to have such a happy, healthy little guy.

*** Normal curmudgeonly transmissions will be restored for next post

Drawless Animation ?

2008-07-30T15:43:00.002+12:00

Here's a 4-minute film school vid by Rob Schrab where he talks about drawless animation. It's pretty interesting stuff - mostly using green-screen techniques.

Crooked Teeth !

2008-07-29T21:11:00.004+12:00

Don't you just LOVE discovering a cool new song? I was watching this thing about 'Drawless Animation" by Rob Schrab - and he talked about a video he did for a song by the Group 'Death Cab For Cutie' - which is also one of the best names for a band I've heard for awhile too.

I found it on YouTube - and proceeded to watch it about twenty times !

Fantastic stuff - and I SOOO want to make a wee film like this some time !!

It seemed like a good idea at the time...

2008-07-28T21:04:00.002+12:00

If I EVER suggest / say / hint / communicate in anyway that doing a film project in a co-curricular way with kids at school is a good idea in future, you have my permission to dunk my head a barrel of piranha fish. HUNGRY piranha fish. Having fist glued a tomato flavored stetson onto me.

Classifying Angelo’s crying

2008-07-20T19:29:00.002+12:00

In the last three months I have been learning to interpret the different kinds of crying that Angelo does. Hey – it passes the time when the poor little guy is crying ( far from a pleasant thing – but not as bad as I thought it would be ). Here are some of my findings, in order of severity :

The Houdini Grumble
Largely a thing of the past now. This was a regular when we were swaddling him before we put him to sleep. He didn’t seem to like his hands being restricted, and had an uncanny ability to wriggle out of the tightest of my swaddling ( until I was almost at the point of duct-taping him into a blanket ! ). The Houdini Grumble was the grunting exertion noises he made as he worked his way to freedom.

The Lah
Another one which seems to have largely passed now – though I’m not entirely sure why ! A cry indicating a moderate level of being upset, this was a series of short wails which would sound like he was saying ‘Lah!’. Would be almost cute, if he wasn’t feeling bad !

The Squeaky Lah
A more severe version of the Lah. The extra-loud expelling of the ‘Lah!’ would result in a sharp intake of breath, making a squeaky noise, so the overall effect sounded like ‘Lah ! Squeak ! Lah ! Squeak ! Lah ! Squeak!”. Like the Lah, seems to have gone ( for now – at least ).

The Black Lagoon Special
Angelo is getting pretty beside himself at the point of the BLS. He thrashes around making a lot of snorting / grunting sounds. He does sound a bit like a wee creature from the Black Lagoon ( hence the name – though in all honesty I can’t remember what noises the creature from the Black Lagoon made, if indeed it make sounds at ALL. Maybe

The Banshee
Baby def-con 2. Really just screaming. Not nice at all.

The Machine-gun
You can tell when Angelo is REALLY REALLY upset when you get to the machine-gun stage. This is a weird little stuttering that he does with the cry ( the side-benefit seems to be that it required more breathing power - so the actual noise level diminishes a little ... ), which sounds a bit like an uzi. Just as long as he doensn’t get HOLD of an uzi at these moments – I think we’ll be okay !

Bad Family Art Assignment

2008-07-16T19:05:00.007+12:00

My good pal Hix is publishing his RPG 'Bad Family' ( formerly known as 'The Lucky Jones' ) and he asked me if I would help by contributing some art for it. Hey - I'm up for helping out a pal in a artistic way - and seeing as it was the holidays and I would have the necessary time, I was up for the challenge.

Seeing as Matt has put his contributions up ( and a fine collection of images they are too ), I thought I'd do the same.

Hix gave me a number of starter ideas to work from - and this is what I came up with :

1. A little girl being taunted by the tree she's scared of climbing.

I had initially worried that the tree looked a little too evil - but Hix had way more problems with the tree's non-pointing hand ( at first it was wrapped around it's tree-like belly ). Got it sorted in the end though !

2. A grandfather being pursued down the highway by cops, cars and helicopters

I had to change this to a grandmother as Matt had done a grandfather in a hi-tech wheelchair. I like the grandmother better !

3. A drunk mother trying to deliver a lecture to her kids

I went for only the one kid. I thought the sermon on the horrors of soda-pop while wasted out of your head was a nice ironic touch.

I fair degree of work here, but time well spent I think ! Hix liked 'em I think, and I'm looking forward to seeing them in print !

So the Prophecy was true...

2008-06-30T22:41:00.002+12:00

You heartless bastards ! You can't do this to me ! I have a child now ! A CHILD !!!

( Now it this post should make a lot more sense ! Thanks to Jenni and my Mum for pointing out that the picture had vanished ! Jeesh ... )

Groan...

2008-06-11T18:59:00.002+12:00

I have never been so consistently tired in my life.

I am so behind in everything.

It's report season at school.

I am almost single-handedly running the school film production ( THAT was a great idea ... ).

And yet - when I sit down with my wee boy, bounce him on knee and he smiles / gurgles / laughs - it is all worth it.

Think about the logistics !

2008-05-16T16:09:00.002+12:00

It was probably not the best thing for my sleep-deprived mind to see, but you really owe it to yourself to watch this brain-mangling piece of animation I just saw on BoingBoing. It is just amazing. I hate to think of how long it would have taken to do ...

In other news - Angelo is smiling a lot more now, which is quite an amazing thing to see as a father. He had his first jabs this week - which he didn't like AT ALL. Poor wee guy.

To all those in the 48 Hour film comp - I salute you ! I am sad that family matters keep me from the competition this year ... and also happy about the same family matters as well. Rest assured - you haven't seen the last of Rebel Faction !

Give 'em hell for me !

There's a market for this ?

2008-05-09T20:00:00.004+12:00

Saw this on Boing-Boing - toy road-kill. Complete with plush intestines and innards popped from it's tire-marked corpse.

I like it - though I'm not sure that I'd get one for Angelo...

Shadow adjusting

2008-04-28T12:03:00.003+12:00

I was really worried that Shadow wasn't going to adjust well to Angelo. In the past she has been REALLY freaked out by babies. Wall-hugging-low-to-ground-run-a-mile-the-moment-they-make-a-sound FREAKED OUT. I was worried that she wouldn't take well to something else other than her getting a lot of our attention ( as pretty much SHE'S been the baby for the last four years ).

I've been really surprised at how well she's been coping with the change so far. She's actually been pretty patient with waiting for attention, and with Angelo crying ( far from running away - she'll usually get in her wee 'cat-tent' and watch with an interested feline bemusement ). She'll even give him an experimental sniff now and then , before beating a leisurely retreat to somewhere else near-by.

The only time approaching a 'serious' incident was the first day Angelo was home. We but him in the bassinet, and Shadow jumped in too - not knowing he was there. Shadow did a double-take of Warner Bros intensity and promptly ran for it !

I think she's still trying to figure out exactly WHAT Angelo is. I'm just glad she hasn't been traumatized or has run away or something equally distressing for me !

And - as this photo shows, she's not adverse to taking advantage of ole Seraph when he's been beaten with the fatigue club !

Disturbing implication

2008-04-24T08:31:00.004+12:00

Viva and I went to the Baby Factory to buy a pram the other day. We suffered from the WORST add-on sale I have ever encountered - we got some kind of pram 'sleeping-bag' thing, but then no-one could seem to work out the routine for actually clipping it into the freaking pram. Calls were eventually made to reps. It was a long drawn out affair - one which I would have terminated after around 5 minutes, but which Viva clung on tightly till the bitter end.

During the intervening time I wandered hither and tither around the store, clutching the baby capsule with the soundly sleeping Angelo - looking at the various baby wares housed within. Eventually I came to the mobile section,

I noticed an offering in this arena from the Sesame Street providers. It was a pastoral scene ( in as much as you can get a SCENE in a mobile anyway ) consisting of two sheep / lambs at diametrically opposing sides of the rotational circle, and in-between them - a baby version of the muppets Elmo and Cookie Monster ( they were wearing nappies ).

Fair enough I thought.

Then I noticed that each monster clutched something in their furry little hands. I looked closer.

Elmo had a rather large carrot. "The nutritional angle" thought I, "Well played Sesame Street Corp."

My eyes searched out what Baby-Cookie-Monster might be holding. "Surely it won't be a cookie - now that they have been a 'sometimes food' by the man. Perchance a cabbage ... or grapefruit ?"

A turn of the mobile 'axle' revealed all. Baby-Cookie-Monster held a bright yellow baby chicken to his fuzzy blue chest.

It took a moment or two to process the information.

What was being said here ? Cookie Monster ( surely the muppet character MOST associated with the act of ravenous, bestial eating ) is holding a LIVE BABY CHICKEN.

... is he going to EAT the live baby chicken ? Mashing it up in his pac-man like jaws until the giblets spray out in a bloody parody of cookie crumbs ?? Will Baby-Cookie-Monster be deaf to the plaintive 'peep-peep-peep' of the chicklet - begging for mercy ?

Shouldn't Baby-Elmo have the baby chicken and Baby-Cookie-Monster have the carrot ? Just to be safe ?

I could well be reading too much into this ( and sleep deprivation isn't helping matters one iota ) - but it's a disturbing implication none the less.

Just look at the crazy little bastard ! Look at that twisted Hannibal Lector grin ! You just KNOW he's going to start chewing on that chick's head and it's brains are going to fountain out it's beak ! Get it offa him for the love of all that's holy !

Things I have learnt about parenting - No#1

2008-04-12T18:37:00.001+12:00

When changing a baby - make sure that they stay in the MIDDLE of the change table. That way they can't kick you in the stomach / testicles with their surprisingly strong little legs.

Funny thing said of my sister

2008-04-08T16:41:00.002+12:00

My sister recently got hold of the PS3 game 'Rock Band'. She heads a band in her flat called 'The Perverts' ( which is a great name for a all-girl punk group ! ).

One of the other band members on their cash-flow

"Yeah - we were doing pretty well ... but then G spent every cent she had on a small hat."

Ain't that true of life ?

I thought so.

Commodore Ryan

2008-04-08T16:36:00.002+12:00

Just finished this ( while Angelo was having a sleep ). The proportions aren't great - but I'm still fairly pleased with it.

Ryan and Slake have some kind of history. While being on opposite sides of the recent conflict between Albion and Atlantis they have a respect for each other as able warriors and leaders.

I repeat - there's a story in here somewhere !

Freak Angels ( nothing to do with Angelo ! )

2008-04-07T09:16:00.002+12:00

I've been meaning to recommend this for a bit now - just didn't get round to it.

Warren Ellis ( 'Transmetropolitan' ) is writing a free web-comic called "Freak Angels". It's up to issue 8 ( each issue being 6 pages or so ) and I'm really enjoying it so far.

It had me hooked on the very first few lines :

"23 years ago, twelve strange children were born in England at exactly the same moment.

6 years ago, the world ended.

This is the story of what happened next."

You should check it out.

10 Things about the kid

2008-04-06T07:03:00.005+12:00

1. His name is Angelo Mario. 'Angelo' is what my sister would have been called if she had ended up my brother. 'Mario' is my dad's name ( so Angelo is not named for the internationally famous, Gorilla-bashing plumber - it's just an added bonus ).

2. Other names that were considered were ; Orlando, Marco, Vito, Tarquin-Durwood-Alan, and Squiglet.

3. His mum nicknamed him 'Snuffles'.

4. He has received 4 toys since he was born ; a blue elephant, a small lion, a dangly spider and a multi-coloured / multi-textured inch-worm. His dad has played with them all much more than he has ( which is 'not at all' ).

5. No matter how tightly his dad swaddles him, he always seems to get at least one arm free through his incessant wriggling.

6. His eyes have a blood-shot ring around them at present - giving him quite a 'Damien' look.

7. He can say 'Lah' - but only when he's really distressed.

8. He managed to kick himself in the bollocks once when he was being changed. He didn't seem too bothered about it. That could work out to be quite a party-piece.

9. His first lullaby was "Still Alive" from the 'Portal' video game ( sung by dad ). He seemed to puzzle him somewhat.

10. Apparently there has been some debate in the Wellington gaming community as to whether he's going to be a :
a) Pirate
b) Robot
c) Ninja
d) Cyborg
- kid. My money's on 'Robot'.

El nino

2008-04-04T10:12:00.003+13:00

So I'm a father now. It is a strange and wonderful thing. I have a little boy ! He came into the world VERY quickly - at 8.32, on Wednesday the 2nd of April.

Viva and I were both born on a Wednesday as well. And don't you love the exponential curve of his birthday ?

2 / 4 / 08 ??

Cool or what ?

'Death From Above' is not the venue for much of what I want to say / show about my son ( man - it is weird saying that ... 'my son' ! Sheesh ) - so if you want to see the little guy ( name in process of being decided - we have a short list ! ) - then I urge you to make the long and peril-filled journey to his blog page, where there are some pics waiting for you !

Right - back to the hospital !

Captain Slake

2008-03-25T20:57:00.002+13:00

Here's a wee sketch that I managed to salvage over Easter. It was pretty crappy before - but I dialed back the far-slung sci-fi and turned it into more of a steam-punk thing. After the sketch was saved I put it through photo-shop, where I experimented with different levels for highlights and shadows. It could do with a background - but hey, don't look a gift post in the mouth !

So ... Captain Slake. Yup - he is a fish. A fish in a mind-linked battle chassis. He's the head of the security detail protecting the ambassador from the technocracy of Atlantis. I imagine that Captain Slake is the hero of many adventures above and below the waves ... and the suit chassis is legendary piece of ancient technology from before Atlantis sunk beneath the waves.

There's a story that deserves closer investigation here somewhere ...

The New Banner ? Perhaps...

2008-03-24T09:01:00.000+13:00

Critical Mass 4 - Litter

2008-03-21T08:36:00.002+13:00

Finally ! This took a long time to finish, I'm not sure why - not as many text boxes in this one for a start...

Did you bring enough for everyone ?

2008-03-20T20:00:00.003+13:00

You may ( or may not ) know that I work at a special character school. While I hold no especially strong religious views - it's no bad thing to work at a religious school. In a lot of ways it's pretty nice. There are times when it sticks a little in my craw - Christmas is a good example. There are days when I want to run through the school screaming "Christmas was stolen from the pagans ! Nowhere in the bible does it say when Jesus was born ! Don't even get me started on the Council of Nicea !".

Easter is another time.

Our school holds an important Easter assembly / chapel service kind of a deal. The students have to wear there formal uniforms all day - which, considering the bizarre mirco-climate of the school ramping temperatures into the 'please-someone-scoop-out-my-brains-through-my-nose-with-a-soup-spoon-so-I-don't-have-to-endure-this-miserable-HEAT!' range, is far from a pleasant thing.

Also, not only is it a day on 'assembly' times ( where the normal timetable is hacked into a tattered mess, which sucks - because students never remember the NORMAL times ), but the times are extra-mangled because the assembly had to be at the end of the day ( kids have NO freaking idea of what's going on ). So - yay for that.

Anyways - the assembly. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.

As I was saying - the Easter chapel service is supposed to be a fairly serious thing. This one was off to a fairly deep start - with reflections on the nature of sacrifice, scenes from "The Passion" ( man - I am NEVER watching that movie ) and various other spiritually uplifting things.

And then one of the student leaders was talking, and pulled out a medium sized easter egg. It's the size of, oh, half a rugby ball. Y'know - not huge.

This student says he going to break up the egg and hand it out to SOME students - because there isn't NEARLY enough for everyone ( which really - should have set off warning bells in this student's mind RIGHT THEN ). Maybe he thought this was a brillo way of demonstrating the nature of sacrifice. If so - this theory was severely flawed.

So - as there school captain comes forward, two seniors start to hand out these bits of chocolate.

What happens next ? Oh - I saw it coming. I think you do too !

Pande-FREAKING-monium !

Students are crying out, some literally screaming, for a miniscule amount of diary milk ! ALL over the auditorium ! And it wouldn't stop ! The Chaplain growled at the school over the microphone, with the principal scowling his disapproval at his side. "This is an important part of the school calendar ! Show respect for your fellow students" and other such platitudes were fired into the assemblage , but with NO change to the chocolate-infused frenzy !

"Give me some chocolate!"
"Hey! Over HERE!"
"Gimmie !"
" I WANT SOME !"
"MEEEEEEE !!! Some for MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

So much for Christian sacrifice !

Seriously - I've never seen anything like it happen in an assembly in my ten years of teaching.

In the end the remaining chocolate had to be removed FROM THE AUDITORIUM for them to settle down again. It was insanity !

I tell you - BEST. Assembly. EVER !