Yes, there have been new updates. You can read all about the specifics right here, but right now I’d like to talk about one new addition in particular, that being the “Ninjatron Sucks at Drawing Transformers” article. So, please indulge me this opportunity to explain things a little. You should probably read it first though.

If you have been visiting SykoGrafix for a long time now, you may remember, about a year ago, where I posted a weblog entry about a guestbook comment I received from a man named Paul who thought I sucked at drawing Transformers. Following that was another entry regarding an e-mail exchange we had. If you do recall this, then good for you, you are ahead of the game. The story continued far beyond what I had posted back then, and I had always intended to see where this would lead so that I could potentially write an article about it. I have been holding on to this content for this whole year. It was not my intention to wait this long for the article to come out, but other things, including convention reports, other articles I wanted to finish first, and delays due to illness, have prevented me from finishing it until now. I think the story is timeless regardless of how long it took for me to tell it, but I do wish that I could have released it earlier. The only reasons why I didn’t were sort of out of my hands. Actually, I could have updated the site a week ago with enough content, but I chose to delay it so I could add this article as well so I wouldn’t put it off any longer.

This really was a huge article, much bigger than I had anticipated. When it finally came down to putting the pieces together, I actually had it on one page and sliced it into two parts when it was done so that it wouldn’t be so long. This was a big project and a lot of work went into it. I realize that it may be offensive to some people that I worked so hard on something like this, but I don’t care. I had a lot of fun polishing this off, adding the commentary, and making the stupid pictures that go along with it. I was honestly really amused that I came up with all of this, and I think that the audience will be too. If you’re not, well then I guess you just didn’t get it.

And that’s why I am a little nervous about this article. I’m not sure how people are going to react to it. Will people understand what I was going for? Will they laugh? Or will I be made out to be this terrible guy who exploited someone and spent all this time and effort to make fun of him? I’ve gotten a few messages in the past from people who are angry with the fact that I seem to take such joy in making fun of those who don’t like what I do when I could be spending that time to improve my drawing skills (assuming, of course, that if I wasn’t writing then I would be drawing, which is not necessarily accurate 100% of the time). I have gotten messages saying that they think I am whining and complaining when I bring up these sorts of topics in my writing. It’s not that I fear such a backlash against me now, but I just want people to understand that “Ninjatron Sucks at Drawing Transformers” is meant to be fun.

I did my best to craft an article that was as entertaining as possible. The messages behind it all are serious, of course, and I take them very seriously. But I took great pains to not just insult this fellow for the hell of it (like he did to me when he could have given proper feedback), but rather to bring a humorous light to the things he said and the way he said them (all of which were completely real and presented totally unedited). I do believe in standing up for myself, and I do believe in the content and quality of my website. I will fight back when I am attacked, or when any other artist is attacked like that, but in this particular case it kind of turned into something completely different and so I decided to have some fun with it. A much better solution than simply insulting back and forth, don’t you think?

I do realize that, yes, if I was actually drawing instead of writing all of that nonsense, then perhaps people won’t think I suck. But I can’t please everyone, nor would I ever want to. So I’m not going to bother trying. I like to think that the way I draw is a little different than some of the other stuff you may find on the Internet, but there will always be people who don’t want what I have to offer. So be it. And yes, I do admit, as every artist should, that there are things that I could improve on. You’ll probably already see improvement in my artwork if you look at the earliest pieces and compare them to the latest. That’s why I wrote those comments under each piece, because it says right there when I completed the work, and that’s why I still have older artwork in the galleries that is no longer indicative of my current skill level.

But I like writing too. I like writing about funny stuff. And I think that “Ninjatron Sucks at Drawing Transformers” is funny. I think the content is funny, and I also think the fact that I wrote all of it is funny. I laughed a lot while I was writing it! And I think much of the humor also comes at my own expense. If the unflattering caricatures of myself aren’t enough of a give away, then surely the title is!

So, I hope that you also think that this article is funny. I will certainly appreciate any comments you have. But if you don’t think it’s funny, well, I’m sorry. Don’t hate me. I’m not really a bad guy. I just don’t think I suck at drawing Transformers, and my idea of fighting that was to crack a few jokes about it.

There have been other stories about other such encounters I’ve had that I plan on eventually chronicling on the website. And I’m sure that there will be more stories to come, perhaps because of what I did with this one. Hey, you know what? Bring it.

If you have anything to say about this, positive or negative, please use the message board and we’ll talk about it. I am honestly looking for feedback on this article, as well as the rest of the new updates. You can post about this article and about any of the other updates here. So, see you there.

Sayonara.

So this little gem came in my guestbook about a week ago. It was written by “Ellie“. I present it to you completely unedited.

this website is f****ing crap!

Heheheh. This is quite amusing. It’s very interesting that “Ellie” thought that this opinion would be better served to include an F-bomb, but she went to the trouble of censoring it with asterisks. And yet their are 4 asterisks when, to achieve the effect we all assume she is going for, there really should only be 3. So perhaps this is not an F-bomb after all? There are any number of 5 letter words starting with F and with “ing” at the end that could potentially fit in here. Flunking, flipping, fighting, flanging, flanking, flambing… ok that last one I made up, but you get the idea. So, perhaps the idea of the insult is there, but the execution is flawed. Of course, I can’t say that it would bother me at all either way, it would just be less funny.

But what’s really funny is this website I recently discovered. It’s the Automatic Complaint-Letter Generator. When you enter the name of a person or company, it will randomly create a letter formally complaining about that subject. I decided to complain about myself so I entered in SykoGrafix.com and the result was right on the money! It’s just uncanny how this complaint got so many things right. I think the first paragraph is especially accurate. Read on!

My complaint about SykoGrafix.com

I am not short on words, so please bear with the length of this letter. Let me preface my discussion by quickly reasserting a familiar theme of my previous letters: SykoGrafix.com pompously claims that the Universe belongs to it by right. That sort of nonsense impresses many people, unfortunately. SykoGrafix.com’s eccentricity is surpassed only by its vanity. And its vanity is surpassed only by its empty theorizing. (Remember its theory that the purpose of life is self-gratification?)

SykoGrafix.com says that every word that leaves its mouth is teeming with useful information. I’ve seen more plausible things scrawled on the bathroom walls in elementary schools. As another disquieting tidbit, the following must be stated: If I have a bias, it is only against disgraceful ivory-tower academics who address what is, in the end, a nonexistent problem. My purpose is to speak out against dictatorial, detestable know-nothings. Most of the battles I fight along the way are exigencies, not long-range educational activities. Nevertheless, SykoGrafix.com is unequivocally up to something. I don’t know exactly what, but deconstructionism can not and must not be tolerated. SykoGrafix.com’s spin doctors probably don’t realize that, because it’s not mentioned in the funny papers or in the movies. Nevertheless, I cannot promise not to be angry at it. I do promise, however, to try to keep my anger under control, to keep it from leading me — as it leads SykoGrafix.com — to redefine humanity as alienated machines/beasts and then convince everyone that they were never human to begin with.

It’s somewhat tricky to get us out of the hammerlock that SykoGrafix.com is holding us in, especially since the media in this country tend to ignore historical connections and are reluctant to analyze ideological positions or treat a fringe political group seriously. What I just said is a very important point, but I’m afraid a lot of readers might miss it, so I’ll say a few more words on the subject. In the past, I’ve said that SykoGrafix.com sees life as an unambitious, negligent game without any rules. Were I to make such a generalization today, it would contain a few “weasel words” — an escape hatch or that indispensable cliche that SykoGrafix.com wants to become an intellectual without the hardship of study and serious thought. But because SykoGrafix.com is capable of passing very rapidly from a hidden enjoyment of crude sensationalism to a proclaimed attachment to exhibitionism and back — and back again — I am not ready to retract my conviction or to recant error. The more I think about effete, bloodthirsty flakes, the more troubled I become by SykoGrafix.com’s editorials. You might think this is all pretty funny now, but I doubt I’ll hear you laughing if, one day, SykoGrafix.com is successfully able to herald the death of intelligent discourse on college campuses. Let me conclude by saying that we who want to inculcate in the reader an inquisitive spirit and a skepticism about beliefs that SykoGrafix.com’s helpers take for granted will not rest until we do.

That was awesome. Despite being randomly generated by a computer, this is the greatest insult ever. Real people have yet to top anything like this. So, it must be said that if you can’t beat this, well then don’t even f********ing bother!
(The extra *’s are for *****!)

Sayonara.

So the YTV network in Canada has just announced what new series they are going to be carrying starting this fall. The big acquisitions are shows that have already been running on US networks. Some are not really big surprises, but one came as a huge shock. Here are some “highlights” as far as animation goes.

Krypto the Super Dog: A cartoon for preschoolers about Superman’s superpowered dog. Why must this show exist? Seriously, why?

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Originally from Nickelodeon, this is a show that is in an anime style like Teen Titans. I know nothing about it, but have heard some positive buzz.

Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi: Well it’s no secret that I like Puffy’s music. I’ve seen a few episodes of this show and it actually has more in common with classic American cartoons than it does with anime. It’s a silly show, but Puffy is a silly band that sings silly songs and does silly dances, so it’s true to form, if a bit overexaggerated. The music of the show is all made up of snippets from Puffy’s music.

Zatch Bell: I saw a subtitled episode of the original Japanese version, known as Gash Bell, before it was licensed. The star of this show is an annoying little boy who was naked most of the time. Needless to say. I had no interest in watching any further episodes of this series. This is one case where I’ll be glad if this show is considerably toned down for TV.

D.I.C.E: Something about Dinosaurs. I don’t know. Haven’t heard anything good about this show.

And the big surprise…

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: ….

WHAT???

You’ve got to be kidding me!

YTV is supposed to be “Youth Television“, and even though they have been making strides towards programming for “an older youth audience“, the Ghost in the Shell franchise is not for ANY youth audience! What are they thinking? What is going to happen with this? Is it going to be cut or censored or rearranged or what? How can they pull this off?

I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s great that YTV is picking up this show. More power too ’em and all that. They’re pretty much the only Canadian network that’s supporting anime, even though there are at least 2 other channels that should. But this show… I just can’t imagine it. This is completely out of left field. Whatever happens, it’ll be interesting to see how it’s handeled, and the aftermath!

Special thanks to Zannen, Canada.

Sayonara.

This is what I saw last night.

Yeah, it was a giant concert of just Star Wars music, spanning all 6 episodes, and it was amazing. As great as the music is in the films, there’s nothing quite like hearing it being performed live. Anthony Daniels, sporting a shiny gold jacket, told a condensed version of the story in between songs. He was very clever and funny, and would often embellish C-3PO’s role in the story to make him out to be more of a hero, much to the impatience of the orchestra. It was a really phenomenal show. There was even a choir who did a fantastic job with “Duel of the Fates“.

I didn’t even think of bringing a camera, which I now regret. There were lots of great costumes there. Several Stormtroopers, rebel pilots, Jedi Knights, a Clone Commander, Boba and Jango Fett, and a fully functional working R2D2 with all the sound effects. Most impressive!

The place was packed. I barely saw any empty seats. People of all ages and of all walks of life were there, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. It’s going to be a traveling show, and will be in Cincinnati next weekend, so I totally recommend that any Star Wars fans go and check this show out if and when it’s held near you.

An unrelated note for my fellow animation fans in Canada. Last Friday YTV played the incredible season finale of Justice League Unlimited, but somebody totally screwed up and the first few minutes of the show were replaced by an episode of “The Shopping Bags” (a show that doesn’t even air on YTV), and then some terrible clay animated snail show called “Snailympics“. It was a hideous display of ineptitude by YTV, but I am happy to report that, apparently, they plan on replaying this episode again tomorrow. Second chances like this don’t happen very often, so if you are a fan of Batman, whatever you do, do not miss out on this episode. It’s a brilliant piece of art that brings the entire DC Animated Universe around full circle.

Sayonara.

I bought the Samurai Jack Season 1 and 2 DVD sets recently and have been watching some episodes. I’ve already seen them all on TV, but taking the time to watch them now is almost like a brand new experience. I’m noticing things that I’ve never seen before.

I am thoroughly convinced that Samurai Jack is the greatest cartoon ever made.

At the very least, it’s the best cartoon in the past 10 years, or the best non-comedy cartoon. But besides Jack, what else is there? I love Batman, Superman, Batman Beyond, and Justice League, but these shows are based on established material, and part of what makes Jack so great is that, while it is admittedly derivative of several movies and other cartoons, it’s an original concept. I love anime, but things the budget concerns, merchandising, and muddled plots often get in the way of some of the truly great shows. I don’t like Disney and while I can respect the talents of the individual artists that have worked there, I don’t believe they’ve ever made anything as awesome as Jack. The only thing that I can think of that would be a worthy comparison are the Looney Tunes classics, especially the brilliant “What’s Opera, Doc“. But those are comedies and Samurai Jack is not, and I think that animation should be more than just something to make people laugh.

The only fault that Samurai Jack has is that the story doesn’t really go anywhere. There is no real continuity between episodes. Each episode sees Jack face a new challenge on his way to get home, and when it ends he really isn’t any closer to reaching is goal. But even that I have a hard time seeing as a flaw, because it lets any new viewer jump in and watch any episode without missing anything, and it shows the strength and determination of Jack’s character.

At any rate, Samurai Jack is a modern classic. It wasn’t even that long ago, but I don’t think people realize that when Jack first debuted, nobody had ever seen anything like it. Not only was the visual style unique, but so was the pacing, the way the story was told. Now we take that for granted. It’s often a dark, violent, sophisticated show, and yet it’s perfectly suitable for most children. This is what North American animation should strive to be more like. And people can’t see what I’m talking about, well I’m sorry to say it, but…

You don’t know Jack.

Sayonara.