So this is the last post I'll be making before Christmas. Tomorrow I pack the family in the van and take the big 3.5 hour trip back home. Which means I'll have to drive through Toronto so add an additional 2 hours to that. Suck... Also have to pack the van with anything and everything we'll need for the trip. Frig, you'd think I was moving again.

I seriously hope that my kids don't get any presents from relatives. Well... just one is okay. Last year my wife and I (mostly me actually) where completely blown over with the amount that they got. Completely ridiculous. They even got presents from Aunts and Uncles that they never even see. From us (and Santa) they get two toys and the rest is books and cloths. But from everyone else... all toys. We actually took back a bunch because there where some that we knew the kids wouldn't play with. We set ground rule this year. Grandparents are allowed ONE gift each to the grandkids. That's it. My Dad is actually very cool with this and have agreed to not get them toys at all. Wonderful, that makes me very happy. We'll see if people stick to their word though. I'm tired of driving home with extra crap.

So is anyone else doing extensive traveling this season? Last year it was nice as my Dad and Step Mom came and visited us. Not so lucky this year I tells ya. Oh well... it'll be nice to see everyone all the same.

I actually already know what I'm getting. Slippers and some new razors and that makes me very happy indeed.

Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday and a belated Chanukah! I'll be back on the Monday.

Joe

Tonight I made the pieces for a gingerbread house that my kids are going to put together on Christmas. My wife was making fun of me because I draw out my house plans at a reduced scale, cut my dough with a pizza cutter to get perfect lines and measure out everything so all the pieces fit together.

She would have had it all cut and baked before I even had my first pieces planned out. That's the fun part about us. I'm all super planned out guy and she's fly by the seat of her pants girl. We balance each other pretty well in that regard.

Although I generally forget a step or screw up one thing during my whole process. This time I over cooked some of the parts, didn't roll out the dough thin enough so the cookie is a bit puffy and cracked the roof when I picked it up... sigh...

It seriously makes me want to make those pieces over again but I just don't have the time to do it. I'll have to learn from these mistakes and try and remember them next year.

Did you ever make a gingerbread house when you where a kid?

Today was baking day. I made some of my annual mint chocolate pinwheel cookies and some orange chocolate cookies. Mmmm tasty.

I think I'll share with you one of those recipes.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE COOKIES

- 1 oz square of unsweetened chocolate or about a 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
- 3/4 C. butter
- 3/4 C. sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 C. all purpose flower
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 medium orange

Preheat oven to 350F (175 C)

In medium bowl cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and the vanilla. In separate bowl combine the flower and the baking powder then add it to the creamed mixture.

Once the dough is well combined, pick it up and divide it in to two parts and put each part in separate bowls (use the bowl you used to mix the powder ingredients and your current one). Zest the orange on to one of the half's of dough and mix it in . If you don't have an orange zester you can use the small holes of a cheese grater. Melt your chocolate (be careful not to scorch it) and add it to the other half mixing it in thoroughly.

Get your baking sheet ready (I generally bake with a sheet of parchment paper down to get a nice brown on the bottom of the cookies but that's just me) and take a small amount from each mixture and roll it in to a 1 inch ball. This will make neat white and chocolate patterns in your cookies.

Bake your cookies for about 8 min, checking at the 6 min mark to make sure they don't burn.

Let cool and enjoy. ^_^

Here's a pic I took of mine so you can get an idea of how they'll look when they're done.

Today I got the rest of the Christmas shopping done. My daughter and I went out and bought gifts for Mommy at the mall. It was a little crowded but everyone was nice and no one was pushy. Actually, my wife and I are totally in the mind of "we don't need anything so you don't have to get me anything" but we also don't our daughter to ask why we didn't get anything for Christmas, so we get just each other a few small things and the kids help.

Now I just have to wrap it all.

If your one of the fools that buys gifts for people during the holidays, are you done yet? Or are you a "I'll get it done on the 24th" type of person?

I pass by a "gentleman's club" on the way home every day and I just happened to notice this on their sign.

One has to wonder what happens at a strip club on customer appreciation night... one has to wonder indeed...

I'm sorry I missed it.

Hey everyone. I just want to take time now to say thanks for all the comments you guys and gals leave for me on my posts and pics. It means a lot to have so many people take interest in my fun little hobby. I guess it means I'm doing something right. ^_^ Sorry that I don't give replies to everyone that leaves a comment. Especially now during the holiday season I find it really hard to even make the posts. Recently there have been so many great comments on past posts, and I would have loved to go in to deeper conversations with the poster on what they had written... but alas... time is something that I lack in great amounts.

I also want to say that commissions are a bit slow right now but they are still being worked on. I'm also doing portfolio pieces (folio as in my real job type folio) with the hopes of getting in to another studio in the new year. But no worries, I still put time in on them when I can get it.

Oh and if you've sent me a note or an email lately and I haven't gotten back to you on it, I apologize... I have read it and I will comment back. I promise.

Well I think that's it. Just wanted to get all that out there. So thanks again everyone. It all just makes me want to draw more and more. ^_^

Later

Joe

The other day I posted about a dream I had. Usually I'm left wondering... how cool would it be to view my dream in the waking world rather then just trying to remember it. Well, the ability to do that is closer then you think.

Scientists from Japan have developed new brain analysis technology that allows images from the brain to be shown on a computer monitor. How freak'n crazy is that? Apparently it has something to do with monitoring the cerebral blood flow using a fancy MRI machine. Subjects where shown 400 different 10x10 black and white pixel images all the while the MRI tracked the blood flow. Later in anoher test the subjects where shown the letters N-E-U-R-O-N and well... see for yourself.


Right now the technology can only read black and white images but you know that they're working towards colour images. Infact, they're suggesting that in about 10 years we might be able to see another persons thoughts. This sort of technology is going to greatly benifit those in the Doctor fields when treating people with brain damage or psyological issues. Artists will also benifit seeing as how what ever they thing in thier haed can just be displayed right in front of them. Man, I've wished for that kind of gagetry on more then one occasion.

So once again we see science fiction become science fact. One wonders what else we'll see in our life time.

What's the weather like where you are right now?

It's currently snowing outside where I am and is -7C (19F).

Brrrr... but I love it ^_^

Last night I had a dream...

I dreamed I was on a ocean cruse but shortly after the voyage started something terrible happened. There was an explosion on the upper decks. Screams of panic filled the night air as people fled to the lower parts of the boat. All the rescue rafts where blown to splinters or sank to the bottom of the dark void below us. I must have passed out because when I came to I was in the cargo hold of the ship laying in a huge box of supplies... or what was left of them. In front of me I could see sky and the horizon. A huge hold was now in the side of the ship. Not low enough for the water to come in though. I got out of my box and wandered the cargo hold and saw many where injured or dead. Those that where still alive where helping those that needed it or at least comforted those that didn't. Some how the ship was still floating though what ever had happened to it. I never did find out. The way I dreamed this was in sections, almost like I was reading a diary where I only saw snippets of ever few days or so. As the dream moved on the ship actually broke in to two parts and sailed away from each other. I'm still not sure exactly how these two sections continued to float after the break up but hey, it's a dream.

The dream went on for quite some time. We on the ship had no way of making contact with land but we had the back end of the ship and the engine still worked to some degree and so we could make better time then the other ship half. As I mentioned, I only saw the goings on about the ship every few days or so like a diary, and the only things I remember most was spending time in my supply box. I do remember witnessing a murder on the ship, which had turned in to sort of Martial Law. I also remember myself and the rest of the survivors watching a whale get caught up in the ships propellers. It was a horrific sight. I don't remember much after that. Then I woke up and went to work.

My wife thinks I tap in to past lives when I dream because I don't have dreams where "it was raining chocolate sprinkles and then He-Man showed up and we did a puppet show". My dreams are quite epic... when I remember them that is.

Do you remember you dream last night?

How did you treat your toys when you where younger?

We got to talking about this topic today as friends where over visiting. I kept all my toys in the best condition I could. I never destroyed or damaged them in any way and I kept all the extra bits they came with. I still have all my transformers and the the guns they came with in my basement. I had friends that would just trash their toys and I never understood why. I still don't actually.

So how about it? Did you trash or cherish your toys?

Quick poll...

Do you have an innie or an outtie belly button?

Me? I have an innie.

I'm sure that most have heard now that Bettie Page has passed away at the age of 85.

I think it's quite amazing the influence she's had on pop culture and sexuality. I mean, jet black hair and bangs is so iconic now and will be forever thanks to Bettie. It's too bad the later part of her life was scared with depression and bad marriages.

Here's to you Bettie. I bet you never thought you'd inspire hundreds of thousands of people, and thanks to your photos you've gained immortality in our culture.

May you rest well.

Just received termination papers stating that I have one month left with my studio... then it all goes tits up shortly after that... unless a miracle happens.

Gonna have to sell a lot of commissions to make up the money.

Maybe I'll make a pay site.

suck

So I actually get this question quite often. What do I tell my kids when they find out about what I draw? Well, my answer is easy. I don't tell them and I keep it so they don't find out. It's not something they need to know in my personal opinion, but like your Dad's old Playboy magazines, there is a chance that they'll come across it at one point or another.

Right now they're young so I don't draw, talk about or look at (surf to) any furry or toon sites naughty or other wise (obviously). As they get older the same will rules apply even past the 18+ mark. It's not that I'm ashamed of it, but it's just something that they don't need to know about dear old Dad. I do all my "Joe" drawings when they're in bed or sometimes on my lunch break. That's all there is to it.

But what happens if they find it one day. That's could be trickier to talk about. In our house though we keep things very open for discussion and we don't use stupid names for genitalia (special spot, bird, down there, etc...). Right off the top the kids need to know what the proper names are. My daughter is 5 and she knows already. Having a baby brother (or sister) to compare to brings that stuff up quickly. Jumping back, so what will I say if they find out? I'm not sure but I know I'll be honest with them and I won't get angry at them for discovering my secret drawing stash. That's the most important thing in my opinion. I might say something like "Daddy likes to draw naked cartoons sort of like how you like to draw princess or ponies", but who knows until the time actually comes.

I have all my dirty art stashed in a box in the basement (all for sale too if anyone wants some) but lately I've been doing all my art (except commission work) digitally, so there is no drawings to find unless they're snooping around on my laptop. Which no one but me does, not even my wife (who knows about my drawing habits).

So yeah, my basic answer is, my kids won't find out what I draw. I take great care so they don't have to know although the older they are if and when they make the discovery will make explaining it easier... I hope ^_^

Thanks again for all the suggestions on what character I should use for my annual candy cane pic. One of the first ones I saw was Sawyer from Can't Don't Dance and I thought... SOLD!

She's a good over design and has a wonderful silhouette. I've only drawn her once in the past and that was a long, long time ago. Thank fully it was super easy to find her official model sheets and she's easy to draw too. Oh, and same as last year I was able to turn this one into two versions. One for FA (more naughty like with candy canes) and one for DA (toned down and more sexy cheesecakey). Both will of course make it to my blog so if you wish to see the other just look there.

Well looks like I made good for another xmas pic. I'm glad I remembered when I did too.

Thanks again for all the suggestions. ^_^

Thank you for all the suggestions. A character has been picked and is currently in rough sketch form. ^_^

Did you like Santa as a kid? I mean, if you celebrate Christmas that is. If not them fell free to continue to read and laugh at the absurdity of making you kid sit on some strangers lap. I don't really remember how I felt. I think I was okay. I don't have any traumatic events involving Santa to my knowledge.

My kids though... forget it. They want nothing to do with him in person. They hide from him if they see him and even burst in to tears. My daughter never wanted to see him at the mall. She would only stand at the edge of "Santa's Village" and watch other kids have their turn with the red man. Now that my daughter is 5 she'll go up and shake his hand because "that's what you do when your five" she says.

They like the idea of Santa and like to read stories about him. My daughter loves drawing pictures for Santa about what she wants for Christmas. It's so cute. But the real thing... nope... no way.

So how about you? Where you scared of the fat man when you where little?

Holy crap on a stick!

With all the commissions I forgot to get on my annual candy cane pic!

I'm usually on the ball with it but this year... Actually, I've found that each year it gets harder to pick a character to use. Do I cjoose a new one or use and old favorite (Gadget, Roxanne, Fifi, Babs, etc...)

Quick, I need a roster of characters to pick from!

lunch bag art

This guy has decided to draw a wicked picture on his kids lunch bag every day! Two words... awesome sauce!

This is cool on two levels for me. One... because it just plain rocks and I plan on doing the same thing with my kids one day (assuming they take a brown bag for lunches) and two, because my Mom used to do this on my lunch bags. ^_^ I'm not sure what I'll do if they take a lunch box. Also, I'd want them to bringg the bag home if I really liked the picture ^_^

I noticed that this guy draws pictures of anime and cartoon characters from probably before his kids where born. This would be a neat way if exposing them to thing he enjoyed as a kid.

Did your parents put fun things in to your lunches, or maybe make them in to cool shapes when you where a kid?

Today I finished Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.

Woo!

I've been playing it off and on again for over a year now but it all came together this morning before my morning meeting (and during a little. I love having meetings at my desk ^_^). For the past week and a bit now I've been stocking up on items for the final battle. Getting money is a bit of a pain in the game so I traveled to the casino and traded in my winnings for items and then took them to the local chef so they could be made in to even better items. Wow... what a shore that was... o_O I usually try and find all the items and such when I play though, but because my game time is so limited I'm just going to move on. Over all though, a very nice game. Fun to play and actually quite challenging. I give it 4 out of 5.

So after the credits rolled I got thinking... I don't remember the last console game that I finished was. I play DS all the time and beat lots of games on it. I beat Half Life 2 and Portal on PC earlier this year, but I couldn't tell you the last time I finished a console title. I've started a bunch, but due to lack of time I've wandered away from them. That makes me kind of sad.

Next on my list to play is Killer 7 (talk about opposite end of the game spectrum eh ^_^). I've been looking forward to it for a long time now.

So what's the last game you've completed recently? Or, how long has it been since you've beat a game.

...Gameloft.

There, I said it. People like to ask where I work and while I won't let that out I figured it won't hurt to let it known where I used to work. So Gameloft was the place (Montreal studio) and I was a pretty heavy hitter there from what producers tell me. I actually had the studio director tell me one day that when new projects start up the local producers would always ask if I would be on their team. He said he'd never seen anything like it. I worked there for about 5 years before I packed it all up for greener pastures.

I was generally the guy that designed the menus and interfaces. It wasn't uncommon for me to be on my primary project and helping two other ones with their interface. Ah yes... good times.

Why did I leave? Well, I was only allowed to go so high in the ranks. I wanted to be the lead 2D artist at my studio and they wouldn't let me (a position I held previously and was screwed over for). Senior artist was all that I could get and I only got that title because I was the art that was there the longest. I wanted to be more involved in the creative process and design but what always held back. So away I went. But it was also during my time there that I was asked to be a speaker at the Montreal International Game Summit (talked to over 100 people about my area of expertise) and was asked to be in a book called "Character Design for Mobile Devices" so even though the job might have ended on a bit of a sour note I learned a ton about the industry and grew so much in my field.

So now you know. So next time you play a Gameloft game, you might just be playing a game I was involved in. ^_^

Bad mood tonight...

Fought with the wife...

I'll do a better post tomorrow...

Do you like to play video games?

Do you like to watch people play video games?

Well, if you answered "yes" to both then this show is for you. It's called Game Center CX (or Retro Game Master) and it's about a guy that plays video games... and you watch him. Actually, it's a bit more in depth. It stars Shinya Arino, one part of a comedy duo in Japan, and he plays some of the best classics from the golden years of gaming. His challenge for each episode is to beat the game he's playing in one day (sometimes it goes over for two days). He has Assisstant Directors there to help him if things get really challenging during the game play in the way of moral support or level help. He even has titles for his position at the game center. The better he does (more games he beats) the higher his rank and the better the office he gets to play in. If he does poorly and doens't complete his challenges, he might drop down a rank have to go back to a lower standing office. This actully happend once when he failed to complete 4 games in a row (UltraMan, Final Fight, Adventure Island and ActRaiser).

One of the neatest angles of the show is that Shinya Arino has never played these games before. So you get to see, and sort of relive the experience of these games though his as a first time gamer. How cool is that? He plays game that we know and love like Contra NES, Super Mario Bros 3, Mega Man 2, Ninja Gaiden and Prince of Persia and less known or Japanese only ones like Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom, JJ & Jeff and Doraemon. There are also segments where he visits old arcades, plays old systems in his home and even interviews some game desingers.

The show has gone on for 10 seasons now and even has DVD released boxsets in Japan (and maybe in North America too). You can watch a lot of the episodes here as I've been doing but be warned, they are all in Japanese. But that doesn't mean you can't watch and understand the frustration or joy on Shinya Arino's face and he attemps these game challenges.

Oh, here is a site with full info on the show. Check it out. I higly recomend it. ^_^

This past weekend I helped my Mom move. That part was easy. The driving part sucked balls. I put just under 2000 km on my van in 3 days. One way trip was about 6 hours. With the van and the trailer packed to the tits, it was about a 10 hour drive from there to the new place. Then I had to drive home. Well... me and my brother in law really. He came to help me, and boy am I glad. Just having someone to divide the driving time was a great asset.

I drove to his place on Friday (2hs) and slept over. We left at 7:30 am and drove for about 7 hours. Pack up the van. Slept. Got up and packed the trailer. Headed out at 12:30 pm and got to our destination at 10:30 pm (10 hrs). Slept over. Drove back home which took another 3.5 hours.

Ugh... I don't think I want to drive for a good long while now.

So what's the most you've ever driven in one day or a short span of days.

Happy Thanksgiving America... you do know that this actually happened a month ago right? ^_^

Ummm... let's see... what can I write about today?

Oh, I know. Have you heard about this guy?

He's a 78 year old man in Japan and he LOVES his American made first person shooters. Yup, you read that right.... love's em.

Akira Kitajima first started on DOOM II when he was 65 and never looked back. Now he even has a web site up with a list of games he's played and the walkthroughs he's made up for them. That's hardcore in my books. I've been playing games since I knew what they where and I've NEVER written a walkthrough (and I don't plan on it ether). He has some 25 titles under his belt and is waiting, and wondering, if Far Cry 2 will ever make it to Japan.

Good on ya old man. I hope I'm as hardcore as you are when I reach that age.

Funny how as we get older we'll pick up new hobbies we might not have been interested in our younger days. I have a friend who's Dad took up wine tasting after he retired. Took classes on it and now makes his own. Crazy... I wonder what things I'll want to try when I get on in years...

Oh, and congrats America on the largest simultaneous rick roll during your Thanksgiving day parade. ^_^

P.S. - no posts this weekend. I'm helping my Mom move.

Today, I was feeling bummed and a bit depressed over the whole "studio might be going down the tubes" thing so I doodled somethings for my daughter over MSN Messenger.

I liked them so much I thought I would share them. It started with me drawing a dinosaur in reference to an old computer. My daughter saw it and asked for a princess. After that a few of those I thought the two might want to get together. My favorite is the one where the dino is wearing the crown. ^_^

When the sketch option in MSN came about I thought it was great. I used it to draw funny pictures for people. But the thing is... if the other person doesn't draw (or have a tablet), then you don't really get any in return. Oh well, I still have fun drawing things for people.

My sister in law actually prints them out and puts them on her cork board. That's me... making people happy one doodle at a time. ^_^