It’s not a happy day.

Dreamwave Productions, the publishers of the Transformers comic books, has closed. The writing may have been on the wall for a while, and rumors were swirling for weeks, but that doesn’t make the news any easier to swallow. It did come as a bit of a surprise though, since several new projects were announced and were supposed to come out soon, not the least of which was a Beast Wars comic book series that I would have absolutely devoured as soon as it hit the stands.

I really enjoyed their work on Transformers, so I find this news to be pretty depressing. Not just because I’m a Transformers fan and there won’t be any more comics coming out from them, but also because they were a local group of artists who became quite the success story here in Toronto. Living so close to their offices, I had hoped to someday work my way into their ranks as a colourist, not simply because I want to work on Transformers in an official capacity, but more so because they seemed like a great bunch of people and I really wanted to contribute. I know some people think that Pat Lee has a big ego, but having met the man at a few conventions I can honestly say that he’s one of the nicest folks I’ve ever encountered. I’ve also met some other artists and I know that there are quality people who have worked there. I sincerely hope that they all land on their feet. Best of luck to them.

Transformers is still really huge right now, with a new toy line and a new show coming later this year, and the upcoming live action movie produced by Steven Spielberg, so I have no doubt that it won’t be long before another company picks up the comic book license. The question is if this other company, whoever it ends up being, will treat the Transformers franchise and its fans with the same high degree of respect that Dreamwave did. In my eyes, they will have a lot to live up to.

The story isn’t over yet, so it remains to be seen what will end up happening with what’s left of Dreamwave, their unfinished projects, and the Transformers comic book license in general. Still, kicking off the new year with this sort of news doesn’t exactly fill my heart with confidence. Sigh.

Sayonara.

I’ve been waiting 17 years to say that line from the beginning of Transformers The Movie and actually mean it. Happy New Year, everyone!

I rung in the new year at a party with some great friends. We watched some crazy movies. Of course, Transformers had to be one of them seeing as this is the year 2005. We also watched Shaun of the Dead (which was awesome), the original 60’s Batman movie (which was not very awesome, but quite hilarious), The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Ghost in the Shell 2, and The Princess Bride. Good times all around.

2004 was not personally a great year for me, but I’ll always remember it as a great year to be a fan of the things that I enjoy. Transformers celebrated its 20th anniversary with great new releases that both moved the franchise forward and harkened back to the beginning. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also celebrated its 20th anniversary, and continued its streak of great animated episodes on one of my most favorite TV shows. Godzilla had his 50th anniversary with several DVDs released to North America with subtitles and a new film that I hope to see in the new year. Star Wars finally came out on DVD, with a picture quality that looked like the movies had just been filmed yesterday. Anime and manga are, for better or worse, becoming more mainstream, but the result is more releases that are easier to find, and wider variety of series to choose from. Spider-man 2 proved that comic book movies kick ass and are here to stay. So with all this in mind I have to say that this was a pretty good year.

Now is the time when people look to the future and make resolutions for the upcoming year. Well, it’s no secret that several people have gone out of their way to tell me how much they don’t like me, that they hate my artwork, and that I should take down my webpage. It’s also no secret that the overwhelming majority of these people are complete idiots who can hardly even spell and have no manners. And it’s certainly no secret that I relish every opportunity to tell these people, in no uncertain terms, how stupid they really are. Maybe I’m right, maybe I’m wrong, but I’m a fighter and I don’t take insults lying down. While this year I have no doubt that this “trend” will continue, I resolve that in 2005 I will work my hardest to prove my detractors wrong. Actions speak louder than words, and while my words will still speak volumes as they always have, I promise that my actions in the coming year will completely shatter any of the insulting nonsense that is thrown at me. So expect great things from me and this site.

Take that to the bank.

Sayonara.

Well, Christmas is over for another year. I got some great presents but the whole affair was rather subdued. Perhaps my outright refusal to outgrow what should be the more fun aspects of the holidays is catching up with me. But now we’re in that awkward stage between Christmas and New Years where nothing really happens. So, or the most part I’ve just been relaxing and playing Pikmin 2.

Of course, not everyone takes it easy around now. Some people still feel the need to attack! Check out this message of festive cheer that I got on Christmas day.

i think the work is a little sloppy there ninjafool

Ahh, “ninjafool“. How quaint. It’s just so nice when people can’t express their opinion without adding an insult and trying to be clever about it. Merry Christmas to you too.

Anyhow, I just switched to a new ISP, so I don’t have outgoing e-mail right now, just incoming. So I might be a little late in responding to the forces that conspire against me. But have no fear, I’ll get to you eventually.

Sayonara.

What the Hell is the deal with Egg Nog?

Seriously, what is it? Why do we have it? How does it even exist within the defined realms of this reality? Why are people so convinced that it must embody the Holiday spirit? Who decided that it should come to pass?

I think it would be much better if, instead of the Nog of Egg, the traditional Holiday drink was chocolate milk.

Or better yet, chocolate milkshakes.

Yes. That is what I want for Christmas. A chocolate milkshake.

If anyone has any theories on the questions I have posed, let me know. Perhaps we can finally solve this mystery of time and space.

Sayonara.

I had a very long, busy, but ultimately fulfilling day yesterday. I went to a school to talk to students about drawing and anime. I spoke to 4 different classes, grades 4, 5, 6, and 7, more or less giving the same presentation 4 times. It was tedious and tiring, but I do what I can because the art programs at the elementary level are just pathetic, and maybe it can help drum up some business for Comic Book Masters next term.

I was pretty exhausted after that, but I was told that there was going to be a bit of a gathering at my old stomping grounds, the Ontario College of Art and Design. Even though I left the school a year ago under unsavory circumstances, I still have friends there who I don’t get to see very often, and I was invited, so I made the trip. It was pretty funny to walk into a room where most of the people there hadn’t seen me in ages and didn’t know that I’d be there. People looked like they had just seen a ghost! We had a co-op life drawing session, where each of us took turns posing with some costume elements while the others drew what they saw. I was the last to pose for the night. When it was over one of the artists gave me one of the drawings, so here’s a depiction of me as rendered by Sam G.

Striking, is it not? People came up with the most interesting comments while drawing me. I got complements on my arms, my fingers, and my nose. At least, in terms of how much fun it is to draw those parts of my anatomy. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing, but I’ll take what I can get.

It was a lot of fun to do that and I’m glad that I went, despite how tired I was beforehand. Now that I’m finished with teaching as of last Saturday, I’m just going to relax for awhile and work towards getting this place into shape with some new updates before the year closes.

Sayonara.