This is from the window of Staples on Broadway...
Aren't they supposed to be selling office supplies? And isn't Halloween six weeks away?!
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
September 20th
This is from the window of Staples on Broadway...
Aren't they supposed to be selling office supplies? And isn't Halloween six weeks away?!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
September 19th
It was cloudy and overcast today and I went out after a small rain shower passed through the area. I wandered over to the park behind the Museum of Natural History as I really dig the museum and its surrounding area. A lot of nannies take their kids there to play and there are also usually plenty of people walking their dogs, but it was pretty quiet today given the weather. However I was able to find this drawn on the sidewalk in chalk amidst games of hopscotch and tic-tac-toe...
Starbucks Follow-Up
At least I can take solace in the fact that I never use the words Venti, Frappe or anything ending in -cino...
Sorkin Does It Again
I was rooting for Tina Fey.
When I first saw NBC was launching two new shows about the behind-the-scenes antics at sketch comedy shows modeled after Saturday Night Live, I was convinced only one could survive. Since 30 Rock stars Tina Fey, who I love, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip features Matthew Perry, who I am not a fan, I made up my mind that I'd be pulling for 30 Rock. However, one thing, or more specifically one person, had me second guesssing myself, and that was Aaron Sorkin, who was writing and running Studio 60. And I adore Aaron Sorkin. I've not been a fan of everything he's done, the West Wing was never for me, but Sports Night is still one of my favorite shows. When Sorkin is on, greatness ensues. I deceided I'd give him one episode to convince me I should be watching Studio 60.
I watched Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip last night. And Sorkin was on. Big time!!
That was one of the best shows I have seen on television in a long time! It really just blew me away. The writing was incredible. The dialogue was spot on. It made me want to cry. Aaron Sorkin is still a genius. It's much more serious than I expected though. The ads seemed to make it out to be a comedy, which it's not. It's a great character driven show, with emotion, heart and drama that I did not expect.
Maybe there is room for both these shows. Aaron just set the bar pretty high, Tina Fey. Now show us what you got!
When I first saw NBC was launching two new shows about the behind-the-scenes antics at sketch comedy shows modeled after Saturday Night Live, I was convinced only one could survive. Since 30 Rock stars Tina Fey, who I love, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip features Matthew Perry, who I am not a fan, I made up my mind that I'd be pulling for 30 Rock. However, one thing, or more specifically one person, had me second guesssing myself, and that was Aaron Sorkin, who was writing and running Studio 60. And I adore Aaron Sorkin. I've not been a fan of everything he's done, the West Wing was never for me, but Sports Night is still one of my favorite shows. When Sorkin is on, greatness ensues. I deceided I'd give him one episode to convince me I should be watching Studio 60.
I watched Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip last night. And Sorkin was on. Big time!!
That was one of the best shows I have seen on television in a long time! It really just blew me away. The writing was incredible. The dialogue was spot on. It made me want to cry. Aaron Sorkin is still a genius. It's much more serious than I expected though. The ads seemed to make it out to be a comedy, which it's not. It's a great character driven show, with emotion, heart and drama that I did not expect.
Maybe there is room for both these shows. Aaron just set the bar pretty high, Tina Fey. Now show us what you got!
Monday, September 18, 2006
365 Days of Photos?
I'll just come out and say it... living in New York City makes you lazy! I'll be the first to admit it. You never have to leave your apartment. You can make a phone call and have anything and everything delivered to your door. Food, pizzas, groceries, books, DVDs, whatever... It's so bad that I can calll my buddy Mike at the local bodega at 3AM and have him deliver me a Snickers bar if I feel like it. Not that I ever have, but I could. I'm just sayin'...
And my current freelancer lifestyle, where I don't have to go to an office or even step foot outside my living room to go to work, doesn't help matters much. There've been times where I haven't gone outside at all. I think my longest stretch was five days. There was no need to leave, especially when Mutsumi will do the laundry and throw out the garbage. It's great when it's rainy or snowing or you're sick, but I've gotten too used to it. And I'll be the first to admit that's not a healthy lifestyle to lead, both physically and/or mentally, so I'm making a move to change that.
Mutsumi just bought a beautiful new camera. Her new pride and joy! If I knew anything about cameras, I could tell you all about it, but all I know is that it's the kind of camera that I see professionals use on TV photographing models and wild animals and weddings. But that means I inherited her old point-and-click Sony Cybershot. And all I know now is that I want to take pictures!
So what I've decided to do, in order to get my ass in gear and out of the house, is to go out into the city to take pictures. Every day, I'm going to explore a bit and take pictures of New York. And in order to stay motivated and keep me on the straight and narrow with this, I'll be posting one of these pictures here daily. A buddy of mine who recently started a blog wrote to tell me how much he likes it because giving something a public forum, where people expect updates, keeps you working at it. It's totally true and that's what I hope to do here.
A quick warning though... I usually suck at taking pictures and have no experience at it whatsoever. I have no idea what I'll find on the streets everyday to take shots of, but I'm gonna try it out and see how it goes. I'm sure somedays will be more interesting than others, but I'm just looking forward to the experiment. So here we go...
This struck as me as a good first post as it seems very New York to me for several reasons. I walked out of my building and it was sunny and 80 with not a cloud in the sky. I turned the corner only to find the sidewalk covered in scaffolding and it sounded like it had started pouring rain all of a sudden. Turns out they were power-washing the building above and all the dirty water was running down off the building, over the scaffolding and onto the street, as you can see here. The fact that it was falling over a BODIES exhibit poster which was on display next to a dumpster struck me as funny. The other New York elements in the shot, like the phone booth, the fire hydrant, the mailbox, the ladder and the one-way street sign all really add to the big city feel, if you ask me. And yes, we even have yellow school buses here as you can see!
And my current freelancer lifestyle, where I don't have to go to an office or even step foot outside my living room to go to work, doesn't help matters much. There've been times where I haven't gone outside at all. I think my longest stretch was five days. There was no need to leave, especially when Mutsumi will do the laundry and throw out the garbage. It's great when it's rainy or snowing or you're sick, but I've gotten too used to it. And I'll be the first to admit that's not a healthy lifestyle to lead, both physically and/or mentally, so I'm making a move to change that.
Mutsumi just bought a beautiful new camera. Her new pride and joy! If I knew anything about cameras, I could tell you all about it, but all I know is that it's the kind of camera that I see professionals use on TV photographing models and wild animals and weddings. But that means I inherited her old point-and-click Sony Cybershot. And all I know now is that I want to take pictures!
So what I've decided to do, in order to get my ass in gear and out of the house, is to go out into the city to take pictures. Every day, I'm going to explore a bit and take pictures of New York. And in order to stay motivated and keep me on the straight and narrow with this, I'll be posting one of these pictures here daily. A buddy of mine who recently started a blog wrote to tell me how much he likes it because giving something a public forum, where people expect updates, keeps you working at it. It's totally true and that's what I hope to do here.
A quick warning though... I usually suck at taking pictures and have no experience at it whatsoever. I have no idea what I'll find on the streets everyday to take shots of, but I'm gonna try it out and see how it goes. I'm sure somedays will be more interesting than others, but I'm just looking forward to the experiment. So here we go...
This struck as me as a good first post as it seems very New York to me for several reasons. I walked out of my building and it was sunny and 80 with not a cloud in the sky. I turned the corner only to find the sidewalk covered in scaffolding and it sounded like it had started pouring rain all of a sudden. Turns out they were power-washing the building above and all the dirty water was running down off the building, over the scaffolding and onto the street, as you can see here. The fact that it was falling over a BODIES exhibit poster which was on display next to a dumpster struck me as funny. The other New York elements in the shot, like the phone booth, the fire hydrant, the mailbox, the ladder and the one-way street sign all really add to the big city feel, if you ask me. And yes, we even have yellow school buses here as you can see!
Sometimes...
...these blogs have to be used to make random, pointless observations. So with that in mind, today I wanted to comment on how tacky I think it is to have professional football teams playing a big televised game in a multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art arean on a football field that doubles as a baseball field! What the..?! It just looks so damn cheap when you can see the baseball diamond cutting through the 50 yard line! I expected it in high school, sure, but when I was watching the Dolphins game and the line of scrmimmage was on clearly on second base, I lost all respect for the NFL. That's no place to hike a ball from! Culpepper's the quarterback, not an infielder! What about what the dirt could do to his grip on teh ball? And what about being tackled or hit on that dirt instead of astro-turf? The players don't complain about this? For all the money these teams have, they can't shell out to get that covered up every other Sunday and at least make football look like the professional sport it bills itself as?
Yuppified?
I'm starting to get pissed at myself. After all the rants and raves I've had about Starbucks and their taking over of every street corner here in NYC, I find myself going into their shops more and more. And it's all for that damn iced green tea lemonade. "Yes, sweetened, please." I'm addicted to the drink, which I can accept, but I used to go in to order it and give drty looks to the people ordering their $5 coffees and sneer at the people working on their laptops. It's an over-priced coffee house, not an office fer chrissakes! But now I find myself becoming more accepting of it all. I'm even looking at their cookies and cakes; browsing the tracks on their CDs while I wait! What's wrong with me?! Am I becoming yuppified? Am I bowing to corporate culture? All my friends like Starbucks... am I giving into peer pressure? Part of the reason might lie in the fact I watched that 60 Minutes report where the CEO talked about his belief in giving great health benefits given to even part-time employees, which I thought was pretty cool. But that would just make me yet another converted pawn in their global multi-media plan to brainwash the masses with positive spin through mind-bending marketing and promotional campaigns!! Arrrggghhhh!!!!
Friday, September 15, 2006
Dissecting Last Night's Dream
So here's what I can determine about the dream I had last night...
I was with Tyra Banks (who I saw on TV before I went to bed)
who was fully clothed (Damn!)
riding in a black Navigator (Blink 182 guys showed up in one at Hanley's)
shopping for my friend MacKenzie. (who I spoke with yesterday about her upcoming wedding)
I believe Patton Oswalt was also in the car (read his interview with Bendis recently)
and we stopped at this trendy pancake place. (no idea as I don't really like pancakes)
We ordered a blueberry pancake a cherry pancake and a nut muffin (muffin was probably for me)
and the bill came to $15.52. (No idea what that number means)
I commented that was a little pricey for breakfast food (I thought the same thing about dinner I had last night)
but paid with a crisp twenty dollar bill. (I got a bunch of those from the ATM yesterday)
I always find it interesting trying to make these connections between the waking and dreaming worlds.
I was with Tyra Banks (who I saw on TV before I went to bed)
who was fully clothed (Damn!)
riding in a black Navigator (Blink 182 guys showed up in one at Hanley's)
shopping for my friend MacKenzie. (who I spoke with yesterday about her upcoming wedding)
I believe Patton Oswalt was also in the car (read his interview with Bendis recently)
and we stopped at this trendy pancake place. (no idea as I don't really like pancakes)
We ordered a blueberry pancake a cherry pancake and a nut muffin (muffin was probably for me)
and the bill came to $15.52. (No idea what that number means)
I commented that was a little pricey for breakfast food (I thought the same thing about dinner I had last night)
but paid with a crisp twenty dollar bill. (I got a bunch of those from the ATM yesterday)
I always find it interesting trying to make these connections between the waking and dreaming worlds.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Silent City
Sometimes you read a line of dialogue that just hits home. Every sentence can mean something different to different people. In the new DMZ, Brian Wood wrote, "There's something completely terrifying about a silent city. It's hard to explain." But I completely understood what he meant.
Without getting into too much detail, I was in living in Kobe, Japan in 1995 when the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck. It's the first and only time I can ever remember hearing myself scream in terror as I was thrown from my bed and the contents of my room came crashing down on top of me. I thought the whole building was collapsing with me still inside. When the rumbling stopped, still panic stricken, I knew only one thing; I had to get out. I had to make my way to ground level. I scrambled around in the mess that was once my apartment and made it to the door. I opened it up, stepped out and was greeted with nothing but silence. I clearly remember that there was no noise whatsoever as I emerged. All the familar sounds of the city were gone. No horns honking. No trains rumbling. No dogs barking. No babies crying. No sirens. No screams. Nothing. It was as if the city had been shaken silent. Dead silent. For a split second, as I stood there in this soundless scene, I thought I might be the only person left alive. It was one of the most terrifying feelings I've ever had in my life.
As I read that line in DMZ last night, it sent a chill up my spine as I knew exactly what he was talking about.
Without getting into too much detail, I was in living in Kobe, Japan in 1995 when the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck. It's the first and only time I can ever remember hearing myself scream in terror as I was thrown from my bed and the contents of my room came crashing down on top of me. I thought the whole building was collapsing with me still inside. When the rumbling stopped, still panic stricken, I knew only one thing; I had to get out. I had to make my way to ground level. I scrambled around in the mess that was once my apartment and made it to the door. I opened it up, stepped out and was greeted with nothing but silence. I clearly remember that there was no noise whatsoever as I emerged. All the familar sounds of the city were gone. No horns honking. No trains rumbling. No dogs barking. No babies crying. No sirens. No screams. Nothing. It was as if the city had been shaken silent. Dead silent. For a split second, as I stood there in this soundless scene, I thought I might be the only person left alive. It was one of the most terrifying feelings I've ever had in my life.
As I read that line in DMZ last night, it sent a chill up my spine as I knew exactly what he was talking about.
Just because...
...I'm back to personal postings, it doesn't mean I can't mix in a little business. :)
I recently did an interview with Adam Volk at Silver Bullet Comic Books that's now up online:
http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/features/115815780996572.htm
And there's another DRAIN article with new art up at Newsarama:
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=83864
I recently did an interview with Adam Volk at Silver Bullet Comic Books that's now up online:
http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/features/115815780996572.htm
And there's another DRAIN article with new art up at Newsarama:
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=83864
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
When I was 11...
It's been a while since I posted anything personal on this blog. A lot of you have been giving me shit about it, which I rightfully deserve, but my summer was filled with travel and cons and work and all kinds of other time-consuming activities, a.k.a. excuses. I've devoted most of the space here over these past few months to posting pics and links that relate mostly to my job. But it's time to get back to the heart of the matter. I'm going to try and return to the more story-like nature of my pre-summer posts and let you back into my world... if you really care, that is.
I've made no secret of the fact that I'm a very active dreamer. Rarely a night goes by that I don't dream something that I remember. I sleep with a pad and pen by my bed in order to write down all the crazy stuff my mind manufactures as I sleep. Some nights are more vivid than other, and last night was a doozy. I dreamt of the first girl I thought I'd fallen in love with.... when I was 11.
I don't think I've thought of this girl, BY, once over the past 18 years. Some first love, eh? But last night, there she was, looking like she did the last time I saw her in high school, and it was so fucking real! The dream started out as some surreal reenactment of my brother's bachelor party from a few months ago. We were all on a school bus partying it up, but we got lost and ended up at this enormous mansion by some seaside. We went inside and there was BY, welcoming me in with open arms. Everyone else had disappeared, like they often do in dreams. She and I sat down and caught up, telling each other about all we'd gone through in life since we'd last seen each other. (Even though I now can't remember when was the last time we met.) We kissed, stated our regrets for not being together, professed our eternal love for each other, kissed again... and I woke up. But I didn't need my pad and pen for this one. This dream stayed with me.
I spent today thinking about what sparked this memory of BY, and why it was so clear and so real. It could be the fact that I'm working on Wonderlost, but she's not in any of the stories and I haven't really thought about her since we weren't close in high school. It could be that I've been looking through a lot of old yearbooks for photo reference for artists and maybe unconsciously glanced over old pictures of her. It could be that I recently got an updated Class of 89 high school contact list and looked it over with an eye for which girls were married and which weren't. I just rechecked and she's on it and now married. Whatever the case may be, it was kinda nice to see BY again. It got me thinking about the past...
In fifth grade, I was the fastest kid in the entire class. (And stayed the fastest all through high school actually.) BY just happened to be the fastest girl in the grade and I remember that that was the first time I noticed her. We could run fast together, my young mind thought. Over the course of time, I developed a crush on her that I kept to myself. I thought the fact that you could write CB + BY and it would read the same vertically and horizontally was pretty cool. But we were in different classes, ran in different cliques even back then, and our paths never really crossed, although we did ride the same bus. Early kisses and fumblings came and went with other girls I had easier access to. But BY was always there to catch my eye.
We left elementary school and moved onto junior high. We were growing up and all that... but it wasn't until 7th grade that I got my nerve up. One day our eyes met in the hallway (and I still remember the exact place) and BY smiled at me! I was thrilled! Oh, my god, she noticed me! Was I supposed to say something? I thought I should, so I turned around and there she was... but she was not looking back. She was walking away giggling with her friend DT. But that was enough for me. Her smile was a call to action. I knew what I had to do. I was going to ask her out! It's what all the cool kids were doing after all.
So I waited a few days, deciding on a plan, figuring out what to say, making sure I looked OK, picking out the right clothes... and then I did it. One day after lunch I simply walked up to BY and asked her out. She looked at me (I guess for what seemed like an eternity, as the cliche goes), smiled and said yes! Just like that, I had a girlfriend. My first steady girlfriend! BY and I were dating! But I quickly realized I had no clue what to do next, so I just said something like "Cool. Thanks. I'll see you later then." and walked away. She smiled and nodded and waved.
That was the first and last time I saw BY as my girlfriend though. At the end of the day, as I waited for her to ride the bus home together, her friend DT came up to me and told me BY felt she rushed into things and was breaking up with me. And right there and then, I learned a lot about life and love and what my future held in dealing with women.
I walked home and cried and suffered through my first heart break. My memories of the days following this first fumbled attempt at dating are fuzzy now, but I'm sure I sulked, hid and avoided BY as best I could. Another precursor to my future of dealing with women.
We finished junior high and spent four years in high school together, but BY and I never really talked or hung out as we got older. We were never the best of friends. Never really friends even. Sure, we had mutual acquaintances and saw each other in different classes and at parties and things, but I don't think we ever really spoke much. I think she may have yelled at me once or twice because I was drunk or a dick to her friend or both, but that's about it. Which is why the dream last night is all the more baffling. Where the hell did that clarity of nocturnal vision come from?!
This morning I pulled out our high school yearbook and looked her up. There was BY smiling out at me.
My 11 year old self smiled back.
I've made no secret of the fact that I'm a very active dreamer. Rarely a night goes by that I don't dream something that I remember. I sleep with a pad and pen by my bed in order to write down all the crazy stuff my mind manufactures as I sleep. Some nights are more vivid than other, and last night was a doozy. I dreamt of the first girl I thought I'd fallen in love with.... when I was 11.
I don't think I've thought of this girl, BY, once over the past 18 years. Some first love, eh? But last night, there she was, looking like she did the last time I saw her in high school, and it was so fucking real! The dream started out as some surreal reenactment of my brother's bachelor party from a few months ago. We were all on a school bus partying it up, but we got lost and ended up at this enormous mansion by some seaside. We went inside and there was BY, welcoming me in with open arms. Everyone else had disappeared, like they often do in dreams. She and I sat down and caught up, telling each other about all we'd gone through in life since we'd last seen each other. (Even though I now can't remember when was the last time we met.) We kissed, stated our regrets for not being together, professed our eternal love for each other, kissed again... and I woke up. But I didn't need my pad and pen for this one. This dream stayed with me.
I spent today thinking about what sparked this memory of BY, and why it was so clear and so real. It could be the fact that I'm working on Wonderlost, but she's not in any of the stories and I haven't really thought about her since we weren't close in high school. It could be that I've been looking through a lot of old yearbooks for photo reference for artists and maybe unconsciously glanced over old pictures of her. It could be that I recently got an updated Class of 89 high school contact list and looked it over with an eye for which girls were married and which weren't. I just rechecked and she's on it and now married. Whatever the case may be, it was kinda nice to see BY again. It got me thinking about the past...
In fifth grade, I was the fastest kid in the entire class. (And stayed the fastest all through high school actually.) BY just happened to be the fastest girl in the grade and I remember that that was the first time I noticed her. We could run fast together, my young mind thought. Over the course of time, I developed a crush on her that I kept to myself. I thought the fact that you could write CB + BY and it would read the same vertically and horizontally was pretty cool. But we were in different classes, ran in different cliques even back then, and our paths never really crossed, although we did ride the same bus. Early kisses and fumblings came and went with other girls I had easier access to. But BY was always there to catch my eye.
We left elementary school and moved onto junior high. We were growing up and all that... but it wasn't until 7th grade that I got my nerve up. One day our eyes met in the hallway (and I still remember the exact place) and BY smiled at me! I was thrilled! Oh, my god, she noticed me! Was I supposed to say something? I thought I should, so I turned around and there she was... but she was not looking back. She was walking away giggling with her friend DT. But that was enough for me. Her smile was a call to action. I knew what I had to do. I was going to ask her out! It's what all the cool kids were doing after all.
So I waited a few days, deciding on a plan, figuring out what to say, making sure I looked OK, picking out the right clothes... and then I did it. One day after lunch I simply walked up to BY and asked her out. She looked at me (I guess for what seemed like an eternity, as the cliche goes), smiled and said yes! Just like that, I had a girlfriend. My first steady girlfriend! BY and I were dating! But I quickly realized I had no clue what to do next, so I just said something like "Cool. Thanks. I'll see you later then." and walked away. She smiled and nodded and waved.
That was the first and last time I saw BY as my girlfriend though. At the end of the day, as I waited for her to ride the bus home together, her friend DT came up to me and told me BY felt she rushed into things and was breaking up with me. And right there and then, I learned a lot about life and love and what my future held in dealing with women.
I walked home and cried and suffered through my first heart break. My memories of the days following this first fumbled attempt at dating are fuzzy now, but I'm sure I sulked, hid and avoided BY as best I could. Another precursor to my future of dealing with women.
We finished junior high and spent four years in high school together, but BY and I never really talked or hung out as we got older. We were never the best of friends. Never really friends even. Sure, we had mutual acquaintances and saw each other in different classes and at parties and things, but I don't think we ever really spoke much. I think she may have yelled at me once or twice because I was drunk or a dick to her friend or both, but that's about it. Which is why the dream last night is all the more baffling. Where the hell did that clarity of nocturnal vision come from?!
This morning I pulled out our high school yearbook and looked her up. There was BY smiling out at me.
My 11 year old self smiled back.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
More Shameless Self-Promotion
An interview I did about the upcoming Marvel: Ultimate Alliance video game just hit the net...
http://www.marvel.com/news/vgstories.619
Take care,
C.B.
http://www.marvel.com/news/vgstories.619
Take care,
C.B.
Monday, September 11, 2006
CBC to Write Loners for Marvel
So I guess I've just become the industry's newest three initialed writer...
As announced in Baltimore at the Diamond Retailer Summit this evening, I will indeed be writing the new series Loners for Marvel, which was originally the Excelsior team concept you saw featured in Runaways.
I did comics press tour in support of the announcement, so you can read all about it...
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=8337
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=83668
And with art...
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/001594288.cfm
I'm really loving writing the book and I hope you'll all dig reading it!
As announced in Baltimore at the Diamond Retailer Summit this evening, I will indeed be writing the new series Loners for Marvel, which was originally the Excelsior team concept you saw featured in Runaways.
I did comics press tour in support of the announcement, so you can read all about it...
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=8337
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=83668
And with art...
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/001594288.cfm
I'm really loving writing the book and I hope you'll all dig reading it!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
New Mangaverse Digest on Sale 9/7!!!
The New Mangaverse digest, collecting all five issues of the Marvel mini-series written by me with art by the incomparable Tommy Ohtsuka, goes on sale this Thursday, Septmber 7th, in comic shops and book stores nationwide! Please be sure to check it out and let me know what you think! We appreciate your support!!
Visit http://csls.diamondcomics.com/ to find the shop nearest you.
Visit http://csls.diamondcomics.com/ to find the shop nearest you.
Spider-Clan Page One
The amazing Skottie Young has a new blog up and has posted the first page from our upcoming Spider-Clan collaboration. The 38 page story will be appearing in the new issue of Spider-Family this Novemberm so pre-order it today! Here's a sneak peek at the page...
And be sure to check out Skottie's blog for more info and kick ass artwork at http://skottieyoung.blogspot.com.
And be sure to check out Skottie's blog for more info and kick ass artwork at http://skottieyoung.blogspot.com.
Signing at Jim Hanley's Universe NYC
Just wanted to give a head's up to all Tri-State area folk... Tom DeFalco, Mike Oeming, Bryan Glass and I will be doing a signing for the ACTOR Presents Anthology next Wednesday, September 13th at Jim Hanley's Universe in New York City from 4-6PM. We'll have copies of the anthology on hand, as well as all our other books, and look forward to seeing you there. Come on down and support a wonderful cause and a great comic shop!
You can check out their site at http://www.jhuniverse.com for more details and directions. I hope to see you there!
You can check out their site at http://www.jhuniverse.com for more details and directions. I hope to see you there!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Preview of S.A.S.E. with Rob Guillory
For those who haven't seen it, Newarama has posted a six-page preview of my story S.A.S.E. with Rob Guillory from the upcoming ACTOR Presents anthology. You can check it out at:
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=82611
The anthology debuts this coming weekend at the Baltimore Comic Con and goes on sale nationally the following Wednesday, September 13th.
Take care,
C.B.
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=82611
The anthology debuts this coming weekend at the Baltimore Comic Con and goes on sale nationally the following Wednesday, September 13th.
Take care,
C.B.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
X-Men Fairy Tales 4 - On Sale August 30th
X-Men Fairy Tales #4, the last issue of my mini-series, goes on sale tomorrow, August 30th. Starring Gambit and Rogue in a Southern ghost story, it's beautifully illustrated by the amazing Kei Kobayashi, lushly colored by Guru eFX, and features a breathtaking Claire Wendling cover! I hope those of you that pick it up really do enjoy it and I look forward to discussing it with you here.
Thanks for your suport!
Take care,
C.B.
Thanks for your suport!
Take care,
C.B.
Monday, August 21, 2006
White Men Can't Dance
Even at the risk of much personal embarrassment, I promised a friend I would post the following picture taken at my brother's wedding this past weekend. So here's photographic proof that I should never ever be allowed on a dance floor. This was snapped as I was doing my impression of Beyonce from her "Crazy" video. Uh-Oh, Uh-Oh, Uh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh! Luckily for you all, shots of my ass-shaking, manboob-grabbing rendition of Britney Spears' "Toxic" have yet to surface...
Monday, August 14, 2006
CBC Sneak Peeks
For those of you who haven't been checking out my new message boards, you may want to cruise over there as I've been posting a few sneaks peeks to some other projects I'm in the early stages of developing these days.
http://www.imagecomics.com/messageboard/viewforum.php?f=32
Enjoy!
http://www.imagecomics.com/messageboard/viewforum.php?f=32
Enjoy!
Monday, August 07, 2006
News Out of Wizard World Chicago
As announced at Wizard World Chicago last week, I'll have the honor of teaming up with Skottie Young on a new Spider-Man: Legend of the Spider-Clan special, Elemental Evil. Spider-Clan will be the lead story in the new Spider-Man Family Special this November.
More details to come, but here's a taste of the cover...
More details to come, but here's a taste of the cover...
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Talk About a Writers Workshop!
Tonight I had the pleasure of being part of something special as I got to see three of the most popular authors in the world gather together under one roof to talk about their work. Stephen King, J.K Rowling and John Iriving joined forces and spoke at Radio City Music Hall in a charity event called And Evening With Harry, Carrie and Garp. And boy, was it amazing! To be in the presence of such greatness...
Whoopi Goldberg was the guest MC and welcomed everyone while lightening the mood with some ad-libbed jokes and quick wit. Each of the three authors were then introduced by a celebrity fan and read a passage from one of their books.
Kathy Bates spoke for a while and welcomed Stephen King to the stage, and he proceeded to read the story of Lardass Hogan and the Pie-Eating Contest from Stand By Me. "The hardcore version.", as he put it.
Andre Brauer reflected on the life of John Irving who then came out to read the Christmas pageant segment of A Prayer for Owen Meaney, doing Owen's falsetto voice as if in character.
Finally, an incredibly hilarious Jon Stewart emerged and got the audience rolling in laughter before he introduced J.K Rowling. And when she emerged, the place simply erupted as the screams of thousands of teen girls echoed through the joint. It was a bit surreal when you thought about it; they weren't screaming and chanting for a rock star or actor... but for an author!! Long live reading! Rowling read a passage from Half-Blood Prince, the part where Dumbledore goes and finds Tom Riddel in the orphanage. And you gotta love her accent!
Stewart had the line of the night in my opinion though. After he pronounced her name "Raw-ling", the fans started screaming "It's Roll-ing!" to correct him. He quipped back that J.K had told him to do that so that they'd all start screaming "Rolling". Then as the crowd quieted down, he added, "And she also told me to tell you you're all wrong!!", and the place cracked up again. But then, just when you thought it was over and a hush fell over the crowd as if she was about to appear, Stewart adds "And I bet you didn't know the J was silent, did you?", which went over most of people's heads for a second, but then got everyone "rolling" in laughter all over again.
This was all followed by a Q&A, most questions being Potter related and directed to Rowling, but with a few good ones tossed in by some adults that opened up interesting observations, insights and comments on inspiration, the method of writing and revisions.
I had a blast and would love to go back tomorrow night for more. But alas, it's sold out. Even Stephen King commented on that in closing, noting incredulously that three authors, who sit alone in their rooms and type to their inner voices, are now selling out Radio City Music Hall!
Whoopi Goldberg was the guest MC and welcomed everyone while lightening the mood with some ad-libbed jokes and quick wit. Each of the three authors were then introduced by a celebrity fan and read a passage from one of their books.
Kathy Bates spoke for a while and welcomed Stephen King to the stage, and he proceeded to read the story of Lardass Hogan and the Pie-Eating Contest from Stand By Me. "The hardcore version.", as he put it.
Andre Brauer reflected on the life of John Irving who then came out to read the Christmas pageant segment of A Prayer for Owen Meaney, doing Owen's falsetto voice as if in character.
Finally, an incredibly hilarious Jon Stewart emerged and got the audience rolling in laughter before he introduced J.K Rowling. And when she emerged, the place simply erupted as the screams of thousands of teen girls echoed through the joint. It was a bit surreal when you thought about it; they weren't screaming and chanting for a rock star or actor... but for an author!! Long live reading! Rowling read a passage from Half-Blood Prince, the part where Dumbledore goes and finds Tom Riddel in the orphanage. And you gotta love her accent!
Stewart had the line of the night in my opinion though. After he pronounced her name "Raw-ling", the fans started screaming "It's Roll-ing!" to correct him. He quipped back that J.K had told him to do that so that they'd all start screaming "Rolling". Then as the crowd quieted down, he added, "And she also told me to tell you you're all wrong!!", and the place cracked up again. But then, just when you thought it was over and a hush fell over the crowd as if she was about to appear, Stewart adds "And I bet you didn't know the J was silent, did you?", which went over most of people's heads for a second, but then got everyone "rolling" in laughter all over again.
This was all followed by a Q&A, most questions being Potter related and directed to Rowling, but with a few good ones tossed in by some adults that opened up interesting observations, insights and comments on inspiration, the method of writing and revisions.
I had a blast and would love to go back tomorrow night for more. But alas, it's sold out. Even Stephen King commented on that in closing, noting incredulously that three authors, who sit alone in their rooms and type to their inner voices, are now selling out Radio City Music Hall!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Two New "Must See" Movies
Two of my favorite directors have new movies coming out this fall and the trailers for both look fantastic!!
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu guides Brad Pitt and Koji Yakusho in BABEL:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/babel/
And Alfonso Cuaron's CHILDREN OF MEN stars Clive Owen and Julianne Moore:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/childrenofmen/
Plus, Ryan Murphy directing Augusten Burrough's RUNNING WITH SCISSORS looks pretty awesome as well:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/childrenofmen/
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu guides Brad Pitt and Koji Yakusho in BABEL:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/babel/
And Alfonso Cuaron's CHILDREN OF MEN stars Clive Owen and Julianne Moore:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/childrenofmen/
Plus, Ryan Murphy directing Augusten Burrough's RUNNING WITH SCISSORS looks pretty awesome as well:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/childrenofmen/
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
Hard At Work At SDCC
Panels and signings can be draining...
I thought I closed my eyes for all of five seconds, but I guess I was out for over half an hour. Thanks to Mike Pascuillo for snapping this pic.
Image Officially Announces My Projects
Coverage and interviews from SDCC...
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=7937
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=78072
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0607/22/cbcebulski.htm
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=7937
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=78072
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0607/22/cbcebulski.htm
New Message Boards
Image Comics has kindly allowed me to become a part of their online community and I now have my very own C.B. Cebulski message boards at their site. Come on over and check out the new digs...
http://www.imagecomics.com/messageboard/viewforum.php?f=32
http://www.imagecomics.com/messageboard/viewforum.php?f=32
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Hot Cheese
This is going to be one the most pointless posts ever...
I'm not a big snack guy. I like beef jerky and dry roasted peanuts. That's about it.
About five years ago, someone turned me onto this cheese popcorn made by Tabasco. It was an amazing, spicy cheese blend or something... and it was awesome! I loved it! But then, as soon as I discovered it, it was gone. Never to be seen again here on the East Coast or anywhere else I travelled. I would ask but no one knew (or had heard of) what happened to this tasty delicacy.
Enter Brian Bendis... who was a like-minded cheese popcorn fan in a similar deprived situation, and he told me you could still get our hook-up from the Tabasco website. So I ordered it there for a while, at a hefty price no less... but eventually the time came where I just kinda quit. Or they quit. It was too much of a hassle for a simple snack food.
Until tonight.
I was out with Mike Oeming and Jen Grunwald and we stumbled into the West 82nd St. Deli (still run by two of my favorite people in NYC, Mike and Bob) and I discovered Wise has introduced Hot Cheese Popcorn... and basically stolen Tabasco's old recipe!?! They're putting out the same amazing spicy popcorn!! Same great taste, five years later!!
It's delicious. It's 99 cents a bag. And it rocks!!!
Go forth and eat!
I'm not a big snack guy. I like beef jerky and dry roasted peanuts. That's about it.
About five years ago, someone turned me onto this cheese popcorn made by Tabasco. It was an amazing, spicy cheese blend or something... and it was awesome! I loved it! But then, as soon as I discovered it, it was gone. Never to be seen again here on the East Coast or anywhere else I travelled. I would ask but no one knew (or had heard of) what happened to this tasty delicacy.
Enter Brian Bendis... who was a like-minded cheese popcorn fan in a similar deprived situation, and he told me you could still get our hook-up from the Tabasco website. So I ordered it there for a while, at a hefty price no less... but eventually the time came where I just kinda quit. Or they quit. It was too much of a hassle for a simple snack food.
Until tonight.
I was out with Mike Oeming and Jen Grunwald and we stumbled into the West 82nd St. Deli (still run by two of my favorite people in NYC, Mike and Bob) and I discovered Wise has introduced Hot Cheese Popcorn... and basically stolen Tabasco's old recipe!?! They're putting out the same amazing spicy popcorn!! Same great taste, five years later!!
It's delicious. It's 99 cents a bag. And it rocks!!!
Go forth and eat!
Saturday, July 22, 2006
While the cat's away...
...the cats will sleep.
Mutsumi has been updating me with daily Lotto and Clyde pics while I'm out here in California.
Mutsumi has been updating me with daily Lotto and Clyde pics while I'm out here in California.
San Diego Pics
I bring my camera to every show I go to but never really use it, so I made a point of trying to take some pics out in San Diego this year...
The Activision/Marvrel booth where they're promoting the Marvel: Ultimate Allinace game I worked on. I cannot tell you how amazing this game looks!! It blows me away every time I see what Raven, Blur and Activision have developed!
Our Thursday signing... me with Power Pack writer Marck Sumerak and PP artists Chifiyu Sasaki and Naoko Kawano of Gurihiru.
"Can you please sign 100 postcards for us, Mr. Cebulski?!" Which I happily did...
We had a wonderfull Runaways Reunion yesterday, where we got as many people who worked on the book together for drinks. From the left, that's inker Craig Yeung, ex-editor MacKenzie Cadenhead, colorist Christina Strain, penciler Takeshi Miyazawa, me and writer Brian K. Vaughan. Adrian Alphona and Jo Chen were sorely missed!
Snales On A Plane... and on the con floor!
And who's that lurking on the left, watching Marvel kick DC's ass 23-10 in softball?!
The Activision/Marvrel booth where they're promoting the Marvel: Ultimate Allinace game I worked on. I cannot tell you how amazing this game looks!! It blows me away every time I see what Raven, Blur and Activision have developed!
Our Thursday signing... me with Power Pack writer Marck Sumerak and PP artists Chifiyu Sasaki and Naoko Kawano of Gurihiru.
"Can you please sign 100 postcards for us, Mr. Cebulski?!" Which I happily did...
We had a wonderfull Runaways Reunion yesterday, where we got as many people who worked on the book together for drinks. From the left, that's inker Craig Yeung, ex-editor MacKenzie Cadenhead, colorist Christina Strain, penciler Takeshi Miyazawa, me and writer Brian K. Vaughan. Adrian Alphona and Jo Chen were sorely missed!
Snales On A Plane... and on the con floor!
And who's that lurking on the left, watching Marvel kick DC's ass 23-10 in softball?!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Me in SDCC
San Diego Comic Con is on and I am here!!
Day-to-day reports and updates to follow...
Thanks to Jonah at CBR for the pic!
Day-to-day reports and updates to follow...
Thanks to Jonah at CBR for the pic!
Monday, July 10, 2006
Help Support ACTOR
This September, I'll be one of several creators participating in the charity anthology, ACTOR Comics Presents... (I even get my name on the cover!) The proceeds from this 152 page benefit book, featuring original stories by Stan Lee, Paul Dini, Mark Waid, Mike Oeming, Joe Linsner, and tons of other creators, will go directly to ACTOR to help out stuggling comic artists in need. My two contributions will be:
S.A.S.E. (Send Another Submissions Editor), with art by Rob Guillory, a humorous little romp detailing my personal horror stories from portfoilio reviews at conventions over the years.
DANCE, with art by Joao Lemos (artist behind my upcoming Image book SHIKI), which is a globe-spanning silent story that shows how the art of dance can bridge cultures and unite people.
I'll be posting interior art soon. But in the meantime, I kindly ask that you pre-order this book through your local retailer. The order code is JUL062782 and it goes on sale September 13th. And please help spread the word if you can!
Thanks for your support!
S.A.S.E. (Send Another Submissions Editor), with art by Rob Guillory, a humorous little romp detailing my personal horror stories from portfoilio reviews at conventions over the years.
DANCE, with art by Joao Lemos (artist behind my upcoming Image book SHIKI), which is a globe-spanning silent story that shows how the art of dance can bridge cultures and unite people.
I'll be posting interior art soon. But in the meantime, I kindly ask that you pre-order this book through your local retailer. The order code is JUL062782 and it goes on sale September 13th. And please help spread the word if you can!
Thanks for your support!
Why Do I Open Myself Up Like This? :)
The first issue of my autobiographical comic, WONDERLOST, is fully written and the scripts are in the hands of the artists with pages now slowly rolling in. I've been working on putting together the stories for the second issue, which will be a little more humorous and "adult" than the first issue. Got two great April Fool's stories I remembered thanks to a conversation with an old friend! Anyway... I was just grooving with a little Jesus and Mary Chain when one of the artists e-mailed over to request a better pic of 18 year old me. So as I had my high school yearbook handy, I scanned my senior photo in for him. After sending it over, I figured 'what the heck?' and posted it here as well. So yes, that's me... 17 years and 100 pounds ago!
Monday, June 26, 2006
Short
Just got back from the barber shop. Went in for a quick early summer cut, and I have to say, it may be the only buzz I have to get all summer. I asked the guy to go short, but he went way shorter than I expected. Damn! Usually he goes in and takes one pass and I have to tell him to go a little shorter, but this time he went right for the scalp on the first go-around. It's tough for me to judge in the mirror too as I have to keep my glasses off when he cuts or I would have stopped him. Oh, well... at least I got my 18 bucks worth!
I used to get my hair cut four times a year, my "quarterly cut" as my buddy Chris G. used to say. I've been going bi-monthly these days, trying to keep up the clean cut appearence at conventions and family gatherings. But the way this guy chopped me this time, I may be good all the way through Toronto Con come Memorial Day!
I used to get my hair cut four times a year, my "quarterly cut" as my buddy Chris G. used to say. I've been going bi-monthly these days, trying to keep up the clean cut appearence at conventions and family gatherings. But the way this guy chopped me this time, I may be good all the way through Toronto Con come Memorial Day!
The Magic of Guru eFX
The final version of the Sienkiewicz X-Men Fairy Tales page I posted earlier this month, courtesy of the color cowboy himself, Lee Duhig!
Good Grub in Charlotte, NC?
Alright, time to put the power of the internet to the test!
I'm heading down to Charlotte, North Carolina for Heroes Con this weekend. I hear it's an amazing convention and it should be a lot of fun!! I'm looking forward to seeing anyone else on this list who's heading down there.
Now for me, trips to conventions are about two things... comics and FOOD!! As you can tell by looking at the size of me, I love to eat and there's nothing I like more than chowing down at local eateries wherever I travel. I've gotten pretty good over the years, knowing where to get the best cheesesteaks in Philly, fish tacos in San Diego and hot dogs in Chicago. However, this is my first trip to Heroes Con and I need your help!
Where do I go to get good grub in Charlotte?!
Bear in mind, I'm not a classy guy. I don't need recommendations for five star restaurants. I want to know where the down home, off the beaten path, greasy spoon joints are. I wanna eat where the locals eat. And I eat anything, so don't hold back. Grease, spice and calories do not scare me!
I assume BBQ is gonna be on the menu. I've heard all about these amazing NC mustard based sauces. Which place does it best? What else do you think I would enjoy? What do I have to try before I head back to NYC?
Hook me up, folks!!
I'm heading down to Charlotte, North Carolina for Heroes Con this weekend. I hear it's an amazing convention and it should be a lot of fun!! I'm looking forward to seeing anyone else on this list who's heading down there.
Now for me, trips to conventions are about two things... comics and FOOD!! As you can tell by looking at the size of me, I love to eat and there's nothing I like more than chowing down at local eateries wherever I travel. I've gotten pretty good over the years, knowing where to get the best cheesesteaks in Philly, fish tacos in San Diego and hot dogs in Chicago. However, this is my first trip to Heroes Con and I need your help!
Where do I go to get good grub in Charlotte?!
Bear in mind, I'm not a classy guy. I don't need recommendations for five star restaurants. I want to know where the down home, off the beaten path, greasy spoon joints are. I wanna eat where the locals eat. And I eat anything, so don't hold back. Grease, spice and calories do not scare me!
I assume BBQ is gonna be on the menu. I've heard all about these amazing NC mustard based sauces. Which place does it best? What else do you think I would enjoy? What do I have to try before I head back to NYC?
Hook me up, folks!!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
It Ain't Tone
I was up at Marvel today and finally got to see Kei Kobayashi's pages for X-Men Fairy Tales 4 that just came in. OH MY GOD! My jaw dropped! They are absolutely amazing!! I can honestly say that there is no artist working in comics today that does what he does, stylistically and/or technically. I have no idea how he gets ink to do what it does on his pages. The line weights and layering are one thing, but he creates these fine textures and gradients that even some of the artists in the office couldn't figure out. If there's one book that ever deserved a black and white version, it's this one.
I'll share pages as soon as we have scans.
I'll share pages as soon as we have scans.
Lost in Love
I've been on an Air Supply kick recently. I have no idea why.
Yes, it's acceptable to make fun of me for this.
Yes, it's acceptable to make fun of me for this.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
This Week's Comics
A bunch of people have e-mailed over asking if I still read as many comics as I used to given that I haven't posted about comics here in a bit. The answer is "Yes", I read just as much now as I always have. So before you start asking what I've been digging recently, here's what I picked up today, in no particular order...
Ultimates 2 11
Astonishing X-Men 15
New Avengers 20
Eternals 1
Ex Machina 21
Tag 1
Conan 29
The Portent 3
Star Wars Legacy 1
Star Wars Rebellion 3
Noble Causes 21
Iron Man 9
Nova 3
All Star Superman 4
Shadowpact 2
Flash 1
Superman/Batman 27
Robin 151
Casanova 1
Captain America 19
Uncanny X-Men 474
Uncanny X-Men Annual
Wolverine Origins 3
Justice 6
Haunt of Horror 2
Girls 14
Fear Agent TPB
52 Week 7
BLAME! Vol. 4
Naruto Vol. 10
Monster Vol. 3
Ultimates 2 11
Astonishing X-Men 15
New Avengers 20
Eternals 1
Ex Machina 21
Tag 1
Conan 29
The Portent 3
Star Wars Legacy 1
Star Wars Rebellion 3
Noble Causes 21
Iron Man 9
Nova 3
All Star Superman 4
Shadowpact 2
Flash 1
Superman/Batman 27
Robin 151
Casanova 1
Captain America 19
Uncanny X-Men 474
Uncanny X-Men Annual
Wolverine Origins 3
Justice 6
Haunt of Horror 2
Girls 14
Fear Agent TPB
52 Week 7
BLAME! Vol. 4
Naruto Vol. 10
Monster Vol. 3
Me at MOCCA
The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art is proud to announce it's slate of Summer 2006 Courses. This will include a seires of Friday night seminars, the first one being:
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WORKING IN COMICS
(BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK, UNTIL NOW)
Instructor: C.B. Cebulski
Class Limit: 40
Pre-Requisites: None
Fee: $10
Friday Night, 7:00 9:30
July 28th
One Night Seminar
Join C.B. Cebulski for this no holds barred question and answer session about making it in the field as an artist or writer. Cebulski's work has been featured in New Mangaverse, X-Men Unlimited, Spider-Man Unlimited and the X-Men Fairy Tales series from Marvel. Having worked as a translator, editor, coordinator, consultant, agent, recruiter, licensor and publisher in the Japanese, European and American comic book markets for the past decade, he's finally discovering what life on the other side of the desk is like as he takes on the role of freelance writer. He'll also be launching a few creator-owned comic series through Image this fall. Refreshments will be served prior to and after the session.
All courses take place in the MocCA Gallery, 594 Broadway, Suite 401, New York, NY 10012.
For more info, or to register, either stop by the MoCCA Gallery or, e-mail Matt. Murray at info@moccany.org, with Summer Education in the subject field.
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WORKING IN COMICS
(BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK, UNTIL NOW)
Instructor: C.B. Cebulski
Class Limit: 40
Pre-Requisites: None
Fee: $10
Friday Night, 7:00 9:30
July 28th
One Night Seminar
Join C.B. Cebulski for this no holds barred question and answer session about making it in the field as an artist or writer. Cebulski's work has been featured in New Mangaverse, X-Men Unlimited, Spider-Man Unlimited and the X-Men Fairy Tales series from Marvel. Having worked as a translator, editor, coordinator, consultant, agent, recruiter, licensor and publisher in the Japanese, European and American comic book markets for the past decade, he's finally discovering what life on the other side of the desk is like as he takes on the role of freelance writer. He'll also be launching a few creator-owned comic series through Image this fall. Refreshments will be served prior to and after the session.
All courses take place in the MocCA Gallery, 594 Broadway, Suite 401, New York, NY 10012.
For more info, or to register, either stop by the MoCCA Gallery or, e-mail Matt. Murray at info@moccany.org, with Summer Education in the subject field.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Dragon Watching
Unable to prowl the outdoors like country cats, the extent of Clyde and Lotto's hunting is usually limited to 99 cent toy mice that Mutsumi and I toss around the apartment for them to chase. However, they also spend countless hours perched in the windows, staring outside at all the birds that fly by and taunt them. Chirps, hoots and the flutter of wings often alert them to the birds' presence and they bound into the windows, tails wagging with their full meow on. But today, they both started going crazy staring out the living room window, but as far as we could see there was nothing out there... until closer inspection. As it first caught our eyes, it was like a big black streak that just zoomed by, but then the shape came back and hovered there in place. Both Mutsumi and I had to get up to see what it was as it was clearly not a bird. And just as we did, it landed on our air conditioner... the biggest dragonfly I had ever seen! It was about the size of a pigeon! I shit you not. The thing was enormous! The cats both lunged forward scaring it back into flight, but it continued to hover around the window driving them nuts. I wish I'd gotten a picture of this thing as it was out of control! I didn't know they could get that big! Now I'll keep watching the news for reports of mutant dragonflies terrorizing kids in Central Park.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Finally Feels Like Summer
We have not had to use our air conditioner yet this year. The temperature really hasn't creeped up that high so far. Nights have been comfortable with just the windows open. Until this weekend. Temps and humidity climbed come Friday and it was time to crank up the AC. However, as both Mutsumi and I are sick, her with her throat and me with my chest, sleeping in the cold was not the best idea. So we sweated it out uncomfortably last night. Uggghhh!! :(
In with the New and Old
Since you can't go anywhere these days without hearing "Crazy", Mutsumi had me download the Gnarls Barkley album. After a few listenings, I can't say I'm all that into it, but I'll give it a few more spins. Truth be told, new music and me don't really mix all that well these days. However, I love the fact they do all their promo photos as famous onscreen duos and their MTV Movie Awards appearence decked out as Star Wars characters was awesome!
I did also download a handful of older Bon Jovi tracks I was missing and they still ROCK!!!
I did also download a handful of older Bon Jovi tracks I was missing and they still ROCK!!!
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Cost Perception
I have no idea why I'm going to share this...
I'm a creature of habit. When I find something I like, I stick with it. This is especially true when it comes to personal hygiene. I use the same brands of deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, shaving cream, razors, whatever... for as long as I can remember. The only time I change is when the product I like is discontinued, and then I just find something similar and use that for as long as can be. Speed Stick and Noxema have been making money off me for decades. But this actually has nothing really to do with my story...
The other day I'm in my local Price Wise and I remember I need shampoo. These days I'm using Herbal Essences. (It used to be Salon Selectives until they stopped making that, then Fructis until they discontinued the kind I liked.) So I walk in, see my shampoo and grab it; $3.49 for their Fruit Fusions blend of mandarin, starfruit and papaya. But as I turn to the register, a bottle of Bed Head's TIGI shampoo catches my eye. You see, Mutsumi bought a bottle of this stuff on sale a while back and I really dug it once she convinced me to try it. The problem is the stuff is like $10.00 for a small bottle and I refuse to pay much that for shampoo.
As we're leaving I turn to Mutsumi and tell her "One day, if we ever get rich, I'm gonna start using TIGI." She turns to me with a confused look on her face and simply asks "You'll pay $20 for a round of beers for you and your buddies that lasts you all of 15 minutes but won't pay $10 for a bottle of shampoo that will last you a month?!" And that got me thinking...
So for the last few days, whenever I've spent money, I've put it in terms of bottles of TIGI. I was late meeting a friend for dinner and took a cab instead of the subway and that cost me about 2 bottles of TIGI. That dinner cost me 5 bottles of TIGI. I went out with the boys on Thursday night and dropped about 6 bottles of TIGI on pints and whiskey. Spent 4 bottles of TIGI at Whole Foods on steaks and swordfish. We went to Cold Stone Creamery and spent a little over one bottle of TIGI on two ice cream cones, fer chrissakes! So as dumb as it sounds, it's made me put a lot of my spending into perspective. One simple question about one bottle of overpriced shampoo has made me look at the way I drop my hard-earned cash. Weird, huh? But what's weirder is that while mentally I can still justify spending the money on fine dining and boozing, I still can't see myself spending it on hair care.
The true test will be next month when my Herbal Essence runs out and I have to go back to Price Wise for shampoo. Will I be able to shell out the cash for the damn TIGI?! Stay tuned, I guess...
I'm a creature of habit. When I find something I like, I stick with it. This is especially true when it comes to personal hygiene. I use the same brands of deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, shaving cream, razors, whatever... for as long as I can remember. The only time I change is when the product I like is discontinued, and then I just find something similar and use that for as long as can be. Speed Stick and Noxema have been making money off me for decades. But this actually has nothing really to do with my story...
The other day I'm in my local Price Wise and I remember I need shampoo. These days I'm using Herbal Essences. (It used to be Salon Selectives until they stopped making that, then Fructis until they discontinued the kind I liked.) So I walk in, see my shampoo and grab it; $3.49 for their Fruit Fusions blend of mandarin, starfruit and papaya. But as I turn to the register, a bottle of Bed Head's TIGI shampoo catches my eye. You see, Mutsumi bought a bottle of this stuff on sale a while back and I really dug it once she convinced me to try it. The problem is the stuff is like $10.00 for a small bottle and I refuse to pay much that for shampoo.
As we're leaving I turn to Mutsumi and tell her "One day, if we ever get rich, I'm gonna start using TIGI." She turns to me with a confused look on her face and simply asks "You'll pay $20 for a round of beers for you and your buddies that lasts you all of 15 minutes but won't pay $10 for a bottle of shampoo that will last you a month?!" And that got me thinking...
So for the last few days, whenever I've spent money, I've put it in terms of bottles of TIGI. I was late meeting a friend for dinner and took a cab instead of the subway and that cost me about 2 bottles of TIGI. That dinner cost me 5 bottles of TIGI. I went out with the boys on Thursday night and dropped about 6 bottles of TIGI on pints and whiskey. Spent 4 bottles of TIGI at Whole Foods on steaks and swordfish. We went to Cold Stone Creamery and spent a little over one bottle of TIGI on two ice cream cones, fer chrissakes! So as dumb as it sounds, it's made me put a lot of my spending into perspective. One simple question about one bottle of overpriced shampoo has made me look at the way I drop my hard-earned cash. Weird, huh? But what's weirder is that while mentally I can still justify spending the money on fine dining and boozing, I still can't see myself spending it on hair care.
The true test will be next month when my Herbal Essence runs out and I have to go back to Price Wise for shampoo. Will I be able to shell out the cash for the damn TIGI?! Stay tuned, I guess...
Call of the Wild
I feel almost guilty posting these...
We had the camera out and were taking pictures inside the apartment the other day when Lotto and Clyde started "playing". At first it was a little harmless rolling and tumbling, but then Clyde got a little rough. We were able to turn and snap a few quick clicks before I had to jump in and break them up. It was Animal Kingdom right here on the Upper West Side...
We had the camera out and were taking pictures inside the apartment the other day when Lotto and Clyde started "playing". At first it was a little harmless rolling and tumbling, but then Clyde got a little rough. We were able to turn and snap a few quick clicks before I had to jump in and break them up. It was Animal Kingdom right here on the Upper West Side...
Lazy Saturday
I'm home sick today. It sucks as I was supposed to head up to my buddy Mike Marts' house for a little summer BBQ action, but my chest is killing me and I'm coughing up a storm. Mutsumi's sick too with a terrible sore throat and headache, so we're both down for the count. She's been resting in bed while I've parked myself on the couch to watch the World Cup.
First off, I just noticed each World Cup game has its own custom balls. If you look closely, each ball has the names of the two teams playing that specific match. Pretty awesome!
In the first match today, Ghana upset the Czech Republic 2 to 1. It was a great game that Ghana clearly deserved to win as they outplayed the Czechs right from the kick off. This game actually took me back to my old CPM days as I had two friends there, Karel from the Czech Republic and Freddy from Ghana, who were both big soccer fans. Karl's up in Boston these days and Freddy's back in Ghana, but I'm 100% sure they were watching the game. Would have been a blast two watch it with them together. But I'm sure Freddy's partying it up at the moment, celebrating the victory, while Karel's crying in his beer. Sorry, big guy!
Old CPM memories also surfaced in the second match, the USA vs. Italy, as I kept thinking about my old pal Valerio, who's now back in Italy. Depsite all the time he spent in the States, I'm positive Val was rooting for his home team, but shitty officiating kind of ruined that match, which ended in a tie. Oh, well...
Time to go read some comics now...
First off, I just noticed each World Cup game has its own custom balls. If you look closely, each ball has the names of the two teams playing that specific match. Pretty awesome!
In the first match today, Ghana upset the Czech Republic 2 to 1. It was a great game that Ghana clearly deserved to win as they outplayed the Czechs right from the kick off. This game actually took me back to my old CPM days as I had two friends there, Karel from the Czech Republic and Freddy from Ghana, who were both big soccer fans. Karl's up in Boston these days and Freddy's back in Ghana, but I'm 100% sure they were watching the game. Would have been a blast two watch it with them together. But I'm sure Freddy's partying it up at the moment, celebrating the victory, while Karel's crying in his beer. Sorry, big guy!
Old CPM memories also surfaced in the second match, the USA vs. Italy, as I kept thinking about my old pal Valerio, who's now back in Italy. Depsite all the time he spent in the States, I'm positive Val was rooting for his home team, but shitty officiating kind of ruined that match, which ended in a tie. Oh, well...
Time to go read some comics now...
Friday, June 16, 2006
Phoenix Anime Fest
BLAME! creator Tsutomu Nihei and I will be guests at the Phoenix Anime Fest on December 1-3 later this year.
http://www.phoenixanimefest.com/
http://www.phoenixanimefest.com/
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Sweden Wins!!
They just beat Paraguay 1-0!!
Soccer was always my sport and I am loving the World Cup!!
Soccer was always my sport and I am loving the World Cup!!
The Test of Time
As some of you may know, I'm currently writing an autobiographical anthology about the misspent adventures of my youth. The first issue of Wonderlost, a 64 page tell-all of teenage romance, hits stores in October/November. I'll be talking more about the project and posting art and more details as we get closer to the release date.
To put me in the mood for writing these stories, I've downloaded a lot of old albums I was listening too back in the day, from 1985 to1989, most of which I still own but are on cassette tape down in the basement of my parents home. It's amazing how some albums stand the test of time and others don't.
U2's War and Live At Red Rocks are still musical masterpieces.
Depeche Mode's early singles from 81-85 don't hold up so well. What the hell I was thinking listening to some of these tracks?! Black Celebration still kicks ass though.
Jury's still out on Yaz's Upstairs at Eric's. Some of the songs still make me emtional and bring up lost memories. Others make me cringe!
To put me in the mood for writing these stories, I've downloaded a lot of old albums I was listening too back in the day, from 1985 to1989, most of which I still own but are on cassette tape down in the basement of my parents home. It's amazing how some albums stand the test of time and others don't.
U2's War and Live At Red Rocks are still musical masterpieces.
Depeche Mode's early singles from 81-85 don't hold up so well. What the hell I was thinking listening to some of these tracks?! Black Celebration still kicks ass though.
Jury's still out on Yaz's Upstairs at Eric's. Some of the songs still make me emtional and bring up lost memories. Others make me cringe!
Newly Inspired!
Well, I'm thinking about getting back into the blogging game again! I had a little crisis of faith (more on that some other day) in mid-April and that's why my blogging kind of slowed to a near halt over the past few months, with only a few random self-promotional posts appearing here and there. However, I feel like I have to get back on the wagon again. And credit where credit is due, I have Tom Brevoort to thank for my newfound inspriation. He just started his Blah Blah Blog over on marvel.com and has been posting like a madman. All his posts have been enjoyable and enlightening and he's encouarged me to start talking again. (But only after I finish my scripts for him!) Thanks, Tom!
So my babbling starts again! Updates on work and life, reviews, quotes, recipes, drunken rants, whatever... it will all be back!
Spread the word!
So my babbling starts again! Updates on work and life, reviews, quotes, recipes, drunken rants, whatever... it will all be back!
Spread the word!
XFT 2 On The Way!
X-Men Fairy Tales 2, featuring the incredible art of Kyle Baker, goes on sale Wednesday, June 21st. This issue looks at the relationship of Professor X and Magneto as told through the African folktale of "The Friendship of the Tortoise and the Eagle". Issue one sold out, so be sure to reserve your copy today!
Visit http://csls.diamondcomics.com/ to find the shop nearest you.
Visit http://csls.diamondcomics.com/ to find the shop nearest you.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
I just got in Sienkiewicz pages...
...and had to share! This is a scene from X-Men Fairy Tales #4, where our blind "prince" discovers a raven-haired "sleeping beauty"!
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
MySpace Success Story
MySpace gets a bad rap for supposedly being nothing but perverts trolling for underrage girls. This pisses me off as it's just like saying all Japanese manga and anime is porn, when nothing could be farther from the truth. Manga is now breaking that stigma, and hopefully MySpace will too.
I've only been on MySpace for about a month and I've already found it a very useful tool. Originally, I set out use it as a way to network and promote my upcoming projects. Little did I know that it's also and amazing way to meet and get in touch with an incredible online artsitic community. There are thousands of artists posting here and if you take the time to look a little you can find so many talented people looking for work.
Case in point, I'm doing a short six-page story in an upcoming charity anthology. I wrote S.A.S.E. (Send Another Submissions Editor) which is about true stories of portfolio reviews I've done at cons over the years. I needed to hire an artist who was familiar with cons, could capture the real world aspects of the story, understood the humor of the script, and could bring a slightly skewed style to the project. And along comes MySpace.
I was just clicking around one day looking at different folks friends when I spotted a cool profile pic, hand-drawn in a sweet style. So I clicked it and came across the artworkof Rob Guillory. You can check his stuff out too at http://www.myspace.com/rob_guillory. So I e-mailed Rob and we got to chatting, I checked out his site and loved his artwork. He was just what I was looking for. I sent him the script for S.A.S.E, he dug it, and the rest is history! So there, the power of MySpace used for good!
As I'm the main character in the story, I sent Rob over a few pics of me, and he designed me as you see me above. He nailed me on the first try. And wait until you see what else he's done!! It's been a blast working with him!
Rob and I wil be posting more designs, art and info on the project in the coming months! Stay tuned...
Monday, May 22, 2006
X-Men Fairy Tales 2 Preview
The Broken Frontier has been kind enough to post a preview of the upcoming issue of X-Men Fairy Tales 2, written by yours truly, fully penciled, inked and colored by the truly amazing Kyle Baker!!
Please head over and check it out here: http://www.brokenfrontier.com/headlines/details.php?id=1500
Here's a quick peek...
Please head over and check it out here: http://www.brokenfrontier.com/headlines/details.php?id=1500
Here's a quick peek...
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
A CBC Two-Fer Tomorrow
I have two comics hitting shelves tomorrow, May 17th. X-Men Fairy Tales #1 debuts, featuring the beautiful painted art of Sana Takeda. And as one series launches, another ends as New Mangaverse wraps with our fifth issue. The action-packed climax is brilliantly illustrated by Tommy Ohtsuka with colors by the madmen at Guru eFX.
An ending and a beginning, both on the same day...
Thanks in advance for checking them out!
An ending and a beginning, both on the same day...
Thanks in advance for checking them out!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Nobel Prize Lecture
Sometimes you come across a quote you want to share...
"When we look into a mirror we think the image that confronts us is accurate. But move a millimeter and the image changes. We are actually looking at a never-ending range of reflections. But sometimes a writer has to smash the mirror-- for it is on teh other side of that mirror that the truth stares at us." - Harold Pinter
"When we look into a mirror we think the image that confronts us is accurate. But move a millimeter and the image changes. We are actually looking at a never-ending range of reflections. But sometimes a writer has to smash the mirror-- for it is on teh other side of that mirror that the truth stares at us." - Harold Pinter
Monday, May 08, 2006
A New Day, A New Notebook
Usually, wherever I go I keep a notebook and pen handy. I write down anything that comes to mind or that I experience; things I think are worth jotting down and keeping. Ideas, imagery, funny stories, memories, things I saw, conversations I overheard, feelings, drunken ramblings, personal confessions, quotes, dreams... whatever. I've been keeping books like this for years. And whenever I'm stuck or need an idea or feel nostalgic, I open up one of the old ones and start reading. A trip down memory lane in some way, shape or form every time...
My last notebook was started in September 2004 and just last week I filled the last page. Black ink to the last line. No more room.
So it was time for a new notebook. Time to start fresh. Blank pages!
Hence, the new profile pic. Me with pen in hand ready to keep the creative process flowing. I never know when inspiration's gonna hit or what's gonna come out of my mind through that pen.
It's this constant uncertainity, this mystery, that makes writing so much fun.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
If I was a Nintendo character...
...this is what I would look like!
Created by my friends down under at Torus Games. Thanks, guys!!
Created by my friends down under at Torus Games. Thanks, guys!!
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Newsarama XFT Interview
Matt, Ben and the fine folks over at Newsarama have posted an interview I did with them about my upcoming X-Men Fairy Tales series for Marvel. They also have some beautiful preview pages showcasing Sana's amazing work from issue one. Please head over and check it out!
http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1913163
http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1913163
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
In the new issue of Game Informer magazine, issue 157 with Red Steel on the cover, there's a six page article debuting the new video game I've been hard at work on with Raven and Activision, MARVEL: Ultimate Alliance. I've been serving as a story consultant and it's been a blast! While it uses the same engine that the X-Men Legends games were based on, Ultimate Alliance stars the entire Marvel Universe cast of characters and takes action/RPG gaming to a level you will not believe! The story's pretty awesome and the graphics are simply incredible. The article features all kinds of concept art, screenshots and designs, so please be sure to check it out. And it even name checks yours truly, although miscredited as an editor still. :)
1up.com has also picked up on the news:
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3149663
1up.com has also picked up on the news:
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3149663
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Box From Japan
Just got a new box of goodies from Japan thanks to Aki. Lots of AWESOME stuff this month!
The new S Magazine, one of the best issues in a while in my opinion, with a Masamune Shirow interview and an amazing Kei Kobayashi piece. One of his best yet!
Three new comics by Ryusuke Hanamoto, one of my new favorites
The new issue of Champion RED with the first part of the new Witchblade manga
Sho-u Tajima's new artbook, Girls on Light Velocity. Everyone needs a copy of this!
The fifth issue of Robot
The new Ultimate Spider-Man gashapon from Kaiyodo, which are amazing! Mark Bagley's artwork brought to sculpted life!
And the incredible new Range Murata artbook, formcode
A perfect way to spend a rainy day!
The new S Magazine, one of the best issues in a while in my opinion, with a Masamune Shirow interview and an amazing Kei Kobayashi piece. One of his best yet!
Three new comics by Ryusuke Hanamoto, one of my new favorites
The new issue of Champion RED with the first part of the new Witchblade manga
Sho-u Tajima's new artbook, Girls on Light Velocity. Everyone needs a copy of this!
The fifth issue of Robot
The new Ultimate Spider-Man gashapon from Kaiyodo, which are amazing! Mark Bagley's artwork brought to sculpted life!
And the incredible new Range Murata artbook, formcode
A perfect way to spend a rainy day!
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Hate My Writing Sometimes
Sometimes your writing comes back and smacks you in the face and I hate when that happens.
I usually hold on to my scripts until the last minute and reread and tweak them endlessly. I want them to be perfect when I turn them in. And once I've handed them in and they're sent to an artist, I like to forget about them for while. But only for a little while. There's a satisfaciton that comes along once you've finished a script; a weight is lifted off your shoulders after hitting send on the e-mail to your editor. It's always such a great feeling.
Then there're days like today where I feel they've come back to haunt me.
I read two of my new books today and I hate some of what I wrote. Specifically, I'm talking about New Mangaverse 4 and X-Men Fairy Tales 1. It all sounds so good in your head when you're envisioning it and typing it. The dialogue flows, the characters move, you hit all the right beats. But it's never the same when it's illustrated and printed. Now don't get me wrong, I could not be happier with the art Tommy and Sana did on these books. They LOOK great! I'm worried I failed in the scripting department though. I think some of the dialogue in Mangaverse falls a bit flat. The jokes don't play as well as they should. And in XFT, I think I wrote it a bit too formally. I tried to make it more of a serious fairy tale, a cautionary tale, but I think I made thr narrative voice too stiff. I went it and did some rewrites today as we had time, but I still don't know if it comes off as naturally as I hoped it would.
Some writers I know could care less about the final product. They turn in the script, cash their check and never worry about it again. I can't do that. I'm more hands on. I want to be a part of every step of the creative process. Everything needs to be perfect. Yes, I'm probably my harshest critic, but I can't help beat myself up month after month when I know I could have done a better job... at least in my mind.
I know, I know... Suck it up, Cebulski!
I usually hold on to my scripts until the last minute and reread and tweak them endlessly. I want them to be perfect when I turn them in. And once I've handed them in and they're sent to an artist, I like to forget about them for while. But only for a little while. There's a satisfaciton that comes along once you've finished a script; a weight is lifted off your shoulders after hitting send on the e-mail to your editor. It's always such a great feeling.
Then there're days like today where I feel they've come back to haunt me.
I read two of my new books today and I hate some of what I wrote. Specifically, I'm talking about New Mangaverse 4 and X-Men Fairy Tales 1. It all sounds so good in your head when you're envisioning it and typing it. The dialogue flows, the characters move, you hit all the right beats. But it's never the same when it's illustrated and printed. Now don't get me wrong, I could not be happier with the art Tommy and Sana did on these books. They LOOK great! I'm worried I failed in the scripting department though. I think some of the dialogue in Mangaverse falls a bit flat. The jokes don't play as well as they should. And in XFT, I think I wrote it a bit too formally. I tried to make it more of a serious fairy tale, a cautionary tale, but I think I made thr narrative voice too stiff. I went it and did some rewrites today as we had time, but I still don't know if it comes off as naturally as I hoped it would.
Some writers I know could care less about the final product. They turn in the script, cash their check and never worry about it again. I can't do that. I'm more hands on. I want to be a part of every step of the creative process. Everything needs to be perfect. Yes, I'm probably my harshest critic, but I can't help beat myself up month after month when I know I could have done a better job... at least in my mind.
I know, I know... Suck it up, Cebulski!
Monday, April 17, 2006
On Sale 4/19
New Mangaverse 4, the penultimate issue of my five part Marvel mini-series goes on sale this Wednesday. I'm actually pretty happy with this issue, and Tommy's art kicked ass this month! Please check it out.
Now on My Space
Chesterfest is also now on My Space.
http://www.myspace.com/chesterfest
Not sure exactly what I even doing there yet, but I hear it helps for promotion and networking.
I have six friends already. Yay!
http://www.myspace.com/chesterfest
Not sure exactly what I even doing there yet, but I hear it helps for promotion and networking.
I have six friends already. Yay!
Weekend TV
No real reviews to post, but I always enjoy seeing the lovely Lindsay Lohan and thought this week's episode of Saturday Night Live was better than usual. Journey to the Disney Vault cracked me up. I thought Laser Cats could have been fuinnier though.
And the J.J. Abrams produced/Dana Stevens created What About Brian started yesterday as well. And as I'm a sucker for romance stories of any kind, this show was right up my alley! I actually really enjoyed it.
And the J.J. Abrams produced/Dana Stevens created What About Brian started yesterday as well. And as I'm a sucker for romance stories of any kind, this show was right up my alley! I actually really enjoyed it.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
New Otomo Project
And I just mentioned Katsuhiro Otomo yesterday...
Well, it seems he's got a new project coming up, one called Freedom Project actually. It's part of a Nissin CUP NOODLE advertising campaign and the preview is online here: http://freedom-project.jp/
You can get a little info on it, download some wallpaper, check out a 15 second animated commercial, and follow the countdown clock to the launch. The countdown is in seconds, but if my math is right, it looks like Freedom Project will start in about in a little over a week.
Thanks for pinting this out, Aki!
Enjoy, folks!
Well, it seems he's got a new project coming up, one called Freedom Project actually. It's part of a Nissin CUP NOODLE advertising campaign and the preview is online here: http://freedom-project.jp/
You can get a little info on it, download some wallpaper, check out a 15 second animated commercial, and follow the countdown clock to the launch. The countdown is in seconds, but if my math is right, it looks like Freedom Project will start in about in a little over a week.
Thanks for pinting this out, Aki!
Enjoy, folks!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
World Premiere
Marvel has given me the OK to debut some art from X-Men Fairy Tales #3 here online. Thanks, Jimmy Mac!
First off, the cover...
Like most writers, I keep a list of "dream artists" who I would love to work with one day. Renowned French illustrator Claire Wendling's name sits firmly in the my top three. So I could not be happier to announce that Claire will be bringing her artistic grace to our cover this issue:
I believe this might even be her American comics debut...
A heartfelt thanks to my friend Olivier Jalabert for helping make this happen! I owe you, brother!
Katsuhiro Otomo... I'm coming for you next!
And speaking of manga artists, the issue's intertiors will be illustrated by one of the most talented and accliamed artists currently working in Japan, Kei Kobayashi! Kei was my partner-in-crime on the masterful Medusa story in the I (Heart) Marvel special that received rave reviews, and he's going to top himself on this story. See for yourself:
X-Men Fairy Tales #3 is on sale in July and available for pre-order in the upcoming Diamond Previews catalog!
First off, the cover...
Like most writers, I keep a list of "dream artists" who I would love to work with one day. Renowned French illustrator Claire Wendling's name sits firmly in the my top three. So I could not be happier to announce that Claire will be bringing her artistic grace to our cover this issue:
I believe this might even be her American comics debut...
A heartfelt thanks to my friend Olivier Jalabert for helping make this happen! I owe you, brother!
Katsuhiro Otomo... I'm coming for you next!
And speaking of manga artists, the issue's intertiors will be illustrated by one of the most talented and accliamed artists currently working in Japan, Kei Kobayashi! Kei was my partner-in-crime on the masterful Medusa story in the I (Heart) Marvel special that received rave reviews, and he's going to top himself on this story. See for yourself:
X-Men Fairy Tales #3 is on sale in July and available for pre-order in the upcoming Diamond Previews catalog!
Monday, April 10, 2006
A New Career?
I took apart my Mac this weekend to replace the keyboard. Not much work really, but I'm amazed that their laptop keyboards are one simple removable piece. If this comic writing career ever dries up I guess I can always go work for Apple tech support now. :)
I had to replace it as I wore away over half the letters on the keys, as you can see. I could still type as I've come to instinctively learn where the letters are, which I guess is how most normal people type. No, I never took typing in high school so this is all new to me. Still, there were too many mistakes happening as I couldn't tell 'E' from 'R' as I looked down and it was becoming time-consuming going back and fixing every line of script. So Apple hooked me up with a new one for free and now I'm good to go!
Gotta love Mac!!
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Homebody
I was just on the phone with a tech guy from Apple trying to get a new keyboard and while he was waiting for confirmation on something, he asked me, "So what's the weather been like in New York?" I paused for a second and realized I honestly couldn't tell him... I had not been out of the house since Saturday!! I had to ask Mutsumi what it was like outside!
I need to get out NOW!!!
I need to get out NOW!!!
Fugu Photo
Remember a few months back whern I posted the story about eating fugu and then calling my mom to say goodbye in case I died? We'll I was recently going through stacks of old pictures and found one taken that very night!
Coming soon...
Updates are coming soon. I've just been crazy busy and focusing on scripts rather than posting here. Plenty of news and pics coming soon, including some gems from L.A.
You know what I just realized? I could literally spend my whole day responding to e-mail and never get any work done. I counted. I sent 211 e-mails yesterday and didn't even respond to every one I received. Ugghh!!
You know what I just realized? I could literally spend my whole day responding to e-mail and never get any work done. I counted. I sent 211 e-mails yesterday and didn't even respond to every one I received. Ugghh!!
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
As Announced Today...
Kyle Baker is illustrating X-Men Fairy Tales #2 this June!!!
X-MEN FAIRY TALES #2 (OF 4)
Written by C. B. CEBULSKI
Pencils & Cover by KYLE BAKER
A re-imagining of the tragic origin of Professor Xavier and Magneto! In the ancient African tale, "The Friendship of the Tortoise and the Eagle," dangerous circumstances cause two pals to take violently different life paths. This tale of friendship and fate is masterfully illustrated by Eisner Award-winning comics legend Kyle Baker (Why I Hate Saturn, Captain America: The Truth, Plastic Man)!
32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99
X-MEN FAIRY TALES #2 (OF 4)
Written by C. B. CEBULSKI
Pencils & Cover by KYLE BAKER
A re-imagining of the tragic origin of Professor Xavier and Magneto! In the ancient African tale, "The Friendship of the Tortoise and the Eagle," dangerous circumstances cause two pals to take violently different life paths. This tale of friendship and fate is masterfully illustrated by Eisner Award-winning comics legend Kyle Baker (Why I Hate Saturn, Captain America: The Truth, Plastic Man)!
32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99
On sale 3/15
New Mangaverse #3, where the story changes direction... in a way you probably did not expect!
Friday, March 10, 2006
I Hate People!
Sometimes I really really hate people!! It's so easy to be nice and polite and cool about things, but some people just have to naturally always be assholes! I can't stand it!! You ask a simple question and expect a civil answer and some folk always feel the need to be a dick when they reply. Arrgghh! Sometimes I wish I could just live in a world where I didn't have to deal with pin-headed pricks! Bendis' Club Cinderella rant in the new issue of Powers makes so much more sense to me right now!
Happy fucking Friday!!
Happy fucking Friday!!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Links of the Day
For some afternoon fun when you're bored at work...
The Muppets meet The Matrix
http://www.break.com/index/muppetmatrix.html
And the Simpsons opening done in live action!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YNTMfb_AGw&search=simpsons
Both brilliant!!
The Muppets meet The Matrix
http://www.break.com/index/muppetmatrix.html
And the Simpsons opening done in live action!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YNTMfb_AGw&search=simpsons
Both brilliant!!
Sunday, March 05, 2006
I Sound Like An Idiot
I finally just mustered up the courage to listen to my podcast over at Comic Geek Speak. I thought the interview itself turned out really well and I feel said some things I think needed saying. It wasn't perfect and I'd go back and change a few things if I could, but I think for my first ever podcast, it turned out really well. Except for one thing...
I realized I sound like an idiot when I speak!
It's not often that I (or anyone, for that matter) get to listen to myself speak for an extended period of time. And I really don't like it. I was able to pick up on all kinds of ticks and weird little speech patterns I seem to use when I open my mouth and words come out. At first it crossed my mind that maybe I these little verbal foibles are quirks I use when I'm nervous. But truth be told, I wasn't nervous at all during the interview. I know most people stumble with the "Uhhhs..." and "Ummms.." when speaking, but here's what I noticed about myself as I rambled and babbled...
I overly use "You know?". I counted I used it four times in one sentence! Arrgghh!
I think I use "like" in every sentence. What am I, a teenage girl?!
I seem to end every sentence with "so..." as a lead in to the next.
I tend to constantly repeat words and phrases. "Yeah. Yeah" "You got it. You got it." "Without a doubt. Without a doubt." 'Right on. Right on." "Exactly. Exactly."
And "kind of..." is the other phrase I seem to use in every other sentence. I "kind of" this and "kind of" that. Uggh!
So I've decided I'm going to relearn the English language so I sound like a normal educated adult when I speak from now on.
Otherwise, I might, like, you know, not come off kind of too smart, too smart, when, I'm like, you know, trying to, like pitch a project, to people I kind of know, you know, so...
I realized I sound like an idiot when I speak!
It's not often that I (or anyone, for that matter) get to listen to myself speak for an extended period of time. And I really don't like it. I was able to pick up on all kinds of ticks and weird little speech patterns I seem to use when I open my mouth and words come out. At first it crossed my mind that maybe I these little verbal foibles are quirks I use when I'm nervous. But truth be told, I wasn't nervous at all during the interview. I know most people stumble with the "Uhhhs..." and "Ummms.." when speaking, but here's what I noticed about myself as I rambled and babbled...
I overly use "You know?". I counted I used it four times in one sentence! Arrgghh!
I think I use "like" in every sentence. What am I, a teenage girl?!
I seem to end every sentence with "so..." as a lead in to the next.
I tend to constantly repeat words and phrases. "Yeah. Yeah" "You got it. You got it." "Without a doubt. Without a doubt." 'Right on. Right on." "Exactly. Exactly."
And "kind of..." is the other phrase I seem to use in every other sentence. I "kind of" this and "kind of" that. Uggh!
So I've decided I'm going to relearn the English language so I sound like a normal educated adult when I speak from now on.
Otherwise, I might, like, you know, not come off kind of too smart, too smart, when, I'm like, you know, trying to, like pitch a project, to people I kind of know, you know, so...
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The Biggest Burger in the West
Now I've eaten a lot of burgers in my day. I actually keep a mental list of some of the best and most memorable burger joints I've been to. To name a few...
The aforementioned Mos C in Japan
The Moose Jaw in Breckenridge, Colorado
Bubba's Burgers in Hanalei
Teddy's Bigger Burgers on Waikiki
Nice Matin here in NYC
Any In-N-Out Burger in Cali (The 4x4 "animal style"!)
The Helsinki Airport, of all places
But this takes the cake! My buddy Frankie D'Armata just sent over these pics of the burgers they serve at Mel's Country Kitchen in Tomball, Texas.
That's an actual burger, no Photoshop! Three and half pounds of beef, bacon, cheese, lettuce and onions!! A masterpiece, if you ask me!
I guess I'll be heading to Wizard World Texas after all!!
The aforementioned Mos C in Japan
The Moose Jaw in Breckenridge, Colorado
Bubba's Burgers in Hanalei
Teddy's Bigger Burgers on Waikiki
Nice Matin here in NYC
Any In-N-Out Burger in Cali (The 4x4 "animal style"!)
The Helsinki Airport, of all places
But this takes the cake! My buddy Frankie D'Armata just sent over these pics of the burgers they serve at Mel's Country Kitchen in Tomball, Texas.
That's an actual burger, no Photoshop! Three and half pounds of beef, bacon, cheese, lettuce and onions!! A masterpiece, if you ask me!
I guess I'll be heading to Wizard World Texas after all!!
The Best Part of NYCC
The madhouse that was the New York Comic Con is now over. You can read all about it on hundreds of other blogs, so I won't get into it too much here. I thought it was a great con and had a fantastic time. I really didn't get home before 2AM any night last week as all kinds of friends and guests were in town. But that's the price you pay, right?
The biggest con surprise for me was that Marvel created this huge New Mangaverse banner they hung from the ceiling over their booth! I was blown away!! I asked Marketing Director John Dokes about it, expressing my surprise, and he explained once he looked at the layout of the con floor, he noticed the Marvel booth was across from Viz and Tokyo Pop and thought that image would turn possibly manga fans heads. Smart move!
The biggest con surprise for me was that Marvel created this huge New Mangaverse banner they hung from the ceiling over their booth! I was blown away!! I asked Marketing Director John Dokes about it, expressing my surprise, and he explained once he looked at the layout of the con floor, he noticed the Marvel booth was across from Viz and Tokyo Pop and thought that image would turn possibly manga fans heads. Smart move!
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