Me: "You know, I'm not the biggest fan of the Masterpiece Transformers line. They tend to be over-complicated and fiddly in the name of looking as close as possible to a cartoon visual model, and the prices keep going up. I've already skipped a number of them - just not worth it. Perhaps I should just swear off the line entire--"

https://news.tfw2005.com/2019/02/09.....l-japan-382419

(Cue extreme overuse of the Fry "Shut up and take my money!" meme.)

At the risk of appearing crass, I'll go ahead and say it:

2018 can fuck right off to hell.

Even discounting all the crap going on in the world and the country and the whatever else, it's been a 'challenging' year for me personally, from spending a car's worth on decades-overdue roof replacement, to the loss of Toys R Us, to freezing rain knocking out power and heat for five days, to having my credit card compromised, to Tumblr's growing hostility toward NSFW stuff, to having not one, not two, but THREE different pets pass away in the same year (after a long life for all at least). After all that, I think I've earned the right to be a bit grumpy about it. It ain't ALL bad though. I got a nice book of "Sabrina Online: Baby Steps" published, and someone figured out how to make a live action Transformers movie that isn't an incomprehensible loud mess. :)

Lets hope 2019 is much better than 2018, though I would be willing to settle for 'easier'.

- Which is done for now.

As I am basically out-of-stock of immediate family (including pets) nowadays, My Christmas celebration this year has been pretty low-key even for me. Still, I gathered up with  shoulung and  centius for Xmas day with dinner and gifts, along with a few media selections;

The Star Wars Holiday special (with Rifftrax accompaniment )
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Christmas episode (#10 if anyone's wondering)
Aggretsuko We Wish You a Metal Christmas

Pretty good time.

It's getting so it's not really Christmas for me without one or more voice actors from Beast Wars making a thematic presentation.

In this case, Garry Chalk and Richard Newman (AKA Optimus Primal and Rhinox)

https://youtu.be/KFDVzRn5FP0

With Tumblr becoming an unfriendly place for NSFW content, I have migrated to Twitter. (at least until they decide to do the same).

https://twitter.com/ProductionsEric

It's primarily for news and updates regarding Fur After Dark dot com and other projects for now, though it may grow into something more as I get my Twitter legs.

It's been a rough few days. Freezing rain and wind in my area beat the living crap out of all the trees, and falling limbs took out my electricity and internet, without a clear timetable on when either will be back up. I'm just sending this notice to let everyone who watches or subscribes to me in one capacity or another that there will be unavoidable delays in regular postings, whether at my Patreon sites or at Fur After Dark dot com. I'll do my best to get things posted on schedule where I can, and play catch-up quickly wherever I can't. Sorry for any inconveniences.

Eric Schwartz

the "Transformers" cartoon first episode/miniseries (AKA "More than Meets the Eye" ) debuted on this day - thirty four years ago. (cough).


I was there. It was a pretty great week of afternoons, The show ran back-to-back (for three of five days at least) with the G.I. Joe. "Revenge of Cobra" cartoon miniseries (the one with the 'weather dominator' )

-but I might just have to check this one out, for insane curiosity if for no other reason.

https://io9.gizmodo.com/a-new-idw-c.....mer-1826960426

It's not every day I see not one, not two, but THREE trailers for movies that interest me popping up on the same day.

Wreck-it Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet
https://youtu.be/lX71_Jcm4po
Hard to tell a lot from this one. Hope it avoids the trap of just being a mass of net company name-drops and internet/app/pop culture jokes like this trailer makes it look (and Disney going "Look at all the shit we own now!!") a lot of the previously-2D Disney princesses look weird here, especially those pre-1989 ones (Can't hate on Cinderella and her glass slipper prison shank tho'). Interesting trailer, though I thought "Bunny gets the pancake" was funnier. I've been thinking about how "wrecks" beats "breaks" too, so cool to see that addressed here. Also, "A website that's intense and totally nuts!" = 1 result? Man, that parental filter must be cranked to its highest setting!

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
https://youtu.be/XvHSlHhh1gk
Looks to have the same fun, subversive vibe as the first film. From what I see here, such as the appearance of the Lego 'Friends' figure (heh, it can't walk) , I'm guessing the little sister 'Duplo cliffhanger' of the first film that apparently kicks off this one is the focus here.

Bumblebee (AKA Transformers the prequel/rebootquel?)
https://youtu.be/soJLSgDsx_s
The Transformers movie franchise doesn't have a good track record in anything but money-making (at least until the last one), but this one has my cautiously optimistic attention, in part for the somewhat more solid and 'classic' take on the 'bots seen so far (and I have a soft spot for the use of an F-4 Phantom for the Starscream lookalike) and the fact that Travis Knight, of Laika animation studio, is directing instead of Michael Bay. None of this means it will be a good or successful film - it even looks like it could be little more than a lighter prequelized rehash of story beats of the first film from 2007 - but I'd be willing to give it a shot.

(Let's break the cycle of famous obituary reporting)

For those affected by this, I shall be going to AnthrOhio near the end of the month, though exactly how available I'll be for drawings and such is somewhat up in the air, as I have to divide attentions between convention and home. Regardless, I intend to be around, in and out of the Artists Alley, for the majority of the weekend, selling Sabrina Online books along with prints and original pieces, and hopefully doing the occasional sketch. For those who are attending, I'll see you there.

And now a few things built up I've wanted to cover for some time:

Warner Archive produced an official DVD of my favorite Saturday morning cartoon of 1984 - Mighty Orbots. For those unfamiliar with this (relatively) obscure show, it's best described as a Japanese combining robot anime (from TMS studio, AKA the guys who did awesome animation for 80s Disney TV cartoons and 90's Warner cartoons) written by western Saturday morning writers. (and lots of Don Messick voices). It's not a show that's particularly smart or edgy in the slightest, but it's very pretty and entertaining as hell IMO, with some of the most luscious animation seen at the time (beating the hell out the old Hanna-Barbera-style fare, and a good amount of the Japanese animated work from the same era.
https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Orbots-Complete-Sherry-Alberoni/dp/B07BN4VVX7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526190417&sr=8-1&keywords=mighty+orbots+dvd

Whether it's the flavor of the month or not, Sanrio's Aggrestuko is a pretty darn good show, with a level of subtlety that invites individual interpretation. It's about dealing with 'real life', an individual's real self versus the face they show dealing with others (and maybe be completely unaware that nearly everyone else is doing the same), and that life is often more about building the maturity to deal with problems rather than avoiding or beating them.

Finally... "Muffin Time"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LACbVhgtx9I
I think it might be literally impossible to be on the internet and not have a passing familiarity with TomSka's "asdfmovie" series of animations (or the side songs, or the fan side versions, or the fan versions of the side versions of the fan song of the side versions). Anyway this music video is a stupidly catchy callback to the asdfmovies, and Tomska's complex relationship with the series over time. As someone who's worked the world of Sabrina Online for over twenty years now, I can understand the sensibilities behind it.

Eric S.

Sadly, another from one of my fave shows of the past (that I've been watching a lot of over the last several months.) - Night Court

R.I.P. Harry Anderson.

http://deadline.com/2018/04/harry-a.....ld-1202365758/

Harry Anderson ... if that is his... real name, may have passed away. ... but he's feeling much better now.

https://youtu.be/dd_3Qjt6nH8

And one more of my favorite clips, guest starring Brent Spiner in his other greatest role of all time:
https://youtu.be/qE6brM24yIA

Fun Fact: Night Court held the record for a while (dunno if it still does) for tallest TV cast, as Anderson, John Larroquette, and (of course) Richard Moll were all well over six feet tall.

I don't usually outright gasp when I learn of the passing of a celebrity, (I think the last time was for Robin Williams), but I did this time.

RIP David Ogden Stiers.

His most high-profile role probably being Maj. Winchester in M.A.S.H., he's done tons of stuff across multiple media, and generally one of those 'good at nearly everything' actors. He's done MASH, several Disney animated films, and an episode of Star Trek TNG. What more could you want?

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001773/

https://youtu.be/5a7CbDcipuc
(guest starring George Wendt on this one :) )

http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/01/05/.....67#more-356067

Between this and the start of the Bay movie franchise, leave it to learning 'recent' things are actually a decade or more old to help you feel ... old.

When I was much younger, I had lots of family that lived in or near Indiana, so it was standard for us all to get together there every year for a large holiday gathering. Since then, my various relatives have either scattered across the country with family units of their own, or passed away. (as much as your relatives might infuriate you during the holidays, do your best to appreciate the time you do have with them, as it won't last forever.) As your own personal 'family group' changes over time, so do the traditions you observe, as you find new things you enjoy at Christmas, and the old family stuff you never really connected with fall to the wayside. So what are the traditions you or your family observe this time of year - the things that aren't commonly done (as far as you know anyway)? Here are a few of mine:

* One I haven't done in a long time, but would like to revisit sometime - during our past big family gatherings, my Aunt would bake cookies, including anise-flavored cookies. Much to everyone's disgust, I really liked anise cookies with grapefruit soda, such as Squirt or Fresca. It made for a nifty non-narcotic buzz.

* "Jewish Christmas Dinner", or perhaps "A Christmas Story" dinner. This kinda started after my Mom was gone, and neither Dad nor I had the skill nor motivation to make a big holiday dinner. I like Chinese food at Christmas. Truth told, I like Chinese food all the time, but that's not tradition. I won't be having it on Christmas day this year, but I did make a point to stop for some this weekend. :)

* I have a small artificial tree that goes up every year, which I decorate with a few carefully selected Transformers toys, such as Thunderblast, a boat-former whose large boat-shell wings make her an excellent tree-top angel, and Victorion, a large combiner almost entirely colored red and green.

* Like most people, I like the TV Christmas specials that return every year. Life isn't complete without Charlie Brown or the Grinch (animated ... screw that movie). I have a huge soft spot for the Saturday Night Live Christmas special, for all those classic sketches, but also that their lineup is tweaked a bit year to year. Can't help but love the 1975 cast with Garrett Morris belting out "Winter Wonderland" MoTown-style.

* Christmas Day I will be giving my dogs their gift of a huge tub of sweet potato dog biscuits (don't tell them), then gathering with my friends for dinner, gifts, and doing what might become a new Christmas tradition (going on year two now) - holiday Mystery Science Theater. Possible entries on offer include MST3K " Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" and Rifftrax 'Star Wars Holiday Special'. Maybe a Gamera movie if there's time. :)

Enjoy your traditions this Christmas or whatever holiday(s) you celebrate. I will leave with with another Tradition of sorts - Holiday messages (and songs) from Garry Chalk (voice of Optimus Prime/Primal in five different TV series) and David Kaye (Same answer but with Megatron, among several other roles)

Seeya,
Eric Schwartz

https://youtu.be/sjGsJerEIvs

https://youtu.be/B-GPGOUsQrA

In the words of McCoy, "What's so damn troublesome about not having died?"

(Though at times it's more trouble than I'd like.)



P.S. It's fun reading comments. Whenever you reveal your age on the internet, you get a nice mix of "Big deal. You're not older than me, so I win - just sayin' " and "You probably remember the 1990's, when everything was made out of sticks and rocks!"

The new comic story has begun with its first page, and can be found here:

https://www.patreon.com/SabrinaOnline

It is available for free viewing, though your patronage is always appreciated. Pages will also be posted monthly to the good ol' Sabrina Online dot com site.

In case anyone is wondering, I should be there for pretty much the entire convention. I'll be found in and out of the artists' alley, selling the new Sabrina Online hardcover collection and older printed stuff, some original drawings, and maybe a sketch or two.

(Seeya)

Happy Mothers Day to all moms out there, and all of you who still have one. (sniff)


On a more positive note, there is a mother robin nesting on the side of my house (jammed between the electric meter and the cable box). I originally thought she had just one egg, 'cause that's what I saw when I first checked, but when I last looked there were three fat baby birds, all with an excellent "no fucks given" look on their faces when I check on them.

(the chicks shall all be named 'Batman')

Brought to you by bad Flash animation, yet kinda fun regardless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pmYZR_iQW8

https://youtu.be/4pmYZR_iQW8

Here's something people around here might find worth a watch, especially the animation fans.

https://vimeo.com/213905919

(mostly to knock older journals off the front page)

So, I've been enjoying the new 'Samurai Jack' episodes immensely so far. The whole crew has done an amazing job with the look & feel of the show, (Mako is missed) as if the original had continued without missing a step (with a healthy added dose of "shit just got real")

Also, with the recent ep, is the takeaway that Ashi and the other 'daughters of Aku' have been running around nekkid all this time, save for a heavy-duty coating of soot?

Passing along this sad info

https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8120166/

https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8120166/

I had little contact with Albert overall over our times in the fandom, but I have a strong respect for him, as a creative, kind and supportive presence to fans and creators alike, and not prone to drama, which can be unusual in our circles.

He will be missed.

https://youtu.be/mRnYPpymzrE

There's tons of "lookit at these durn kids what don't know important stuff from the past!" kind of videos since well before YouTube. This one strikes me a little harder than most though, as the WB/Looney Tunes bunch are as iconic to me as anything could be, and an extremely long-lived media presence. It's strange to realize now, but the Looney Tunes today aren't the "always on television somewhere" constant they were in the sixties... and seventies ... and eighties... and nineties (and in movie theaters the preceding couple decades)

P.S. I actually liked "The Looney Tunes Show", and thought "Wabbit" was just okay.

I try not to go all fanboy over Transformers stuff on this site (too much), but the New York Toy Fair is opening this weekend, and aside from the kids' cartoon stuff, aside from the upcoming movie stuff, aside from the other other stuff, we're getting a muddafuggin' giant transforming dinosaur.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/02.....-action-figure

http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/02/17/.....-reveal-333577

(maybe more Kaiju-like than Dinosaur, perhaps)

Fun fact: in the Transformers cartoon in 1986, Trypticon was one of the early voice-over gigs by Brad Garrett (AKA Raymond's brother on 'Everybody Loves Raymond', AKA lots of the really deep voices in Disney and Pixar films). It's not as obvious here though, because it's one of those "screaming while gargling hot asphault" kind of voice roles.

https://youtu.be/kIP_l6a8n6A

R.I.P. Gabe. Bork on, my little dogaroo.


(and one more for awesome:)
https://youtu.be/c--etqIJcow