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Twenty Years Ago on a Bright Tuesday Morning
Posted 4 years agoA little background: At the time I was a 3D artist/ Animator for the 3DO Company, in Redwood City, California, working on Games for the newly released Playstation 2. I would be unemployed by the following Noivember.
First Written the year after the events.:
Tuesday Morning, I am barely awake, and drifting in and out of
consciousness. I woke at 6 to let the cat in and in am not very
successfully trying to get back to sleep, before the 8:00Am alarm. At about 7:15-20 My Phone rings, and if it's ringing, it’s
solicitors, bill collectors, or my dad wanting me to move my car. It's none of the above; it's my friend Francis, harbinger of bad news.
Usually he calls me at work, and tells me of some gun control
legislation that the state house has cooked up, or some smug
pronouncement by some ivory tower groups. This results in me having a stomachache and some anger for the rest of the day. In person he's a cheerful, and jovial sort, but he I guess likes to spread bad news. He nearly yells, "Have you heard? The World Trade Center is gone! Two planes crashed into it, and one crashed into the pentagon!"
My Response was almost "bullshit", as occasionally Francis will drop a bad joke on me like that.
"I'm not shitting you. Turn on the TV.” he breathlessly commands.
I am a news junkie. Fox and CNN are the let and right buttons on my remote (It's usually between Cartoon network, CNN and FOX, but Cartoon network shows the execrable "Scooby Movies" late at night, so I turn on the news, usually Hannady & Colmes on Fox). One of them comes up, and I don't know what I am seeing. It looks like a city, maybe Manhattan, covered with a huge cloud of dust. Nothing except structures near the waterfront is discernable I watch, and the sound is the reporter, I
think from Fox, speaking in the same sort of quavering, broken voice, you hear from someone who’s either been shot at, or beaten. The views change, and its one long look down the street, over the pudgy reporter's left shoulder as he's facing the camera. And the horizon is dominated by a huge beige cloud. They then play tape of the twin towers smoking, much like they did in 1993, except it's both of them, and the amount of smoke, reminds me of the MGM Grand Fire of 10 -15 years ago.
Then one of them "fluffs" at about the 80th floor and the floors
above flatten in a huge mass of smoke and dust, then to my surprise the rest of the building goes with it. I thought they built these things stronger, but the plume expands sideways, like a tree, then floats downward.
"Holy Shit", is about all I manage.
Francis asks what Channel I'm on. I tell him Fox, and we both play dueling remotes. Flipping over to CNN,
I see the impact on the second tower, but not what caused it. Turning back to Fox, I see a much better shot, from a traffic copter, of an airliner, trimmed for level flight (flaps in, gear in, lean and fast, probably near it's 600MPH cruising speed) slide in from the right of the picture, and rather than seeing it pass behind the building as one usually expects, Liquid fire, squeezes out of the building, like mayonnaise on a hastily grabbed sandwich, and then it turns to smoke, and roils thickly op the sides of the tower in ponderous slowness, while a spatter of glittering debris, fans out and away from the impact to drift
down to the streets below. On a perfectly clear day, the sun just glitters.
I talk with Francis, as they show footage of people on the ground
running away, and of the collapse from the street level.
The second tower collapse is more dramatic, as it looks more like an inverted mushroom cloud, spreading from the bottom as the building slides ponderously into it. The cloud engulfs everything, so at this time, I am "caught up". Rumors are reported on the news of another plane. Shots of the Pentagon, on fire, and speculation of other planes in the air, also being used as large, jet powered Kamikazes. I tell Francis, there was a book like what's happening called "Storming Heaven", by Dale Brown, but it was just one jet, and there seemed to be three.
I finish up with Francis, and my Dad is up. He was 7 when Pearl Harbor happened, and his TV is on, but I knock on the door, and ask if he has seen the news. Duh.. It's on. He seems interested, but not particularly disturbed, or anything. I go to get dressed for work. We had a morale crushing speech last week, and new hour tracking methods and daily report requirements that have turned a 3d Games gig, into a McJob, because of
some incompetence in higher management. I am not looking forward to working long hours. I shower and get dressed. In the shower, I start to get angry.
""The U.S.", My Country, has been attacked. It's not a loud
anger, but like a reaction to an insult, tinged with a little worry as
the events seem to still be happening. I watch more news on TV as I dress, then I get in the car, and discover I am becoming a little emotionally fragile. It makes me angrier. I start posting a few messages on Yerf.Yap, and Polycount. The polycounters are pretty gung ho, especially since one of the Moderators, an NYPD Detective Sergeant has not checked in.
I hit McDonalds for breakfast, and the cheerful Mexican lady I see every morning is her cheerful self, and I order my lunch, but she notices that she didn't get a smile from me in the morning, and asks if it's about the news. I tell her that I am angry about the news. She nods, and tells me to go to the next window, her usual smile faded slightly. I get an idea, and drive back home, and in the front closet I keep two flag. One an old 48 Star flag that I use for public displays with the Historical club, and another I purchased when I was in ROTC. I take the 50 star flag,
and hand the 48 star flag to my Dad. And mention he ought to put it up.
I resume my trip to work, listening to the radio. Limbaugh is not on, instead it's continuous ABC news feeds, 50% ABC Radio, and 50% ABC TV, with Peter Jennings. He talks and speculates while I drive through fairly normal traffic. I pull into work, and see one of the other artists on my team leaving the parking lot on his Italian Racing Bike. I ask, "Not staying?"
He says, "Nope, not in the mood", darkly and I nod, and he rides off. I then promptly lose it, and pull into the garage sobbing quietly. The employee, Jem was recently in the Rangers at a Middle Easter Language Specialist. He’s a decent artist, a bit of a jock, a deadly Q3A player, and a natural when it comes to languages, speaking several Middle Eastern languages fluently. Think of a slightly more Mediterranean Chris Issak
and you won't be too far off. I didn't think I'd ever see him again. I recover, clean up, and walk into the bullpen with a flag under my arm, and Dad’s hammer. The two Russian ladies, Olga and Inna, who also work on our project are looking exceedingly worried and are talking amongst themselves. I must have looked like an ax murderer coming in, as people just got out of my way. I climbed up the cube, and punched the pushpins into the wallboard, and hung the flag very carefully. Only then did I
check in and begin to work.
No one was in the mood. When working on the Playstation 2, you need to have a version of one, called a "Debug Station" which is a PS2 with an Ethernet connection. The other end of the PS plugs into a television so that you can "check your work" to see what it looks like through the hardware. Well the Televisions were Aiwa models 21-inch screens that
take up an inconvenient amount of space, but have a great picture, so people will bring in unauthorized VCR’s and hook them up and play the tapes they like to watch. However,
they also came with a pair of rabbit ears. I plugged mine in eventually when the radio wasn't giving me any info. ABC was the only channel I could get and there was Peter Jennings in his shirtsleeves, extemporizing, while listening to reporters calling in from all over Manhattan. They showed the footage, and people at work would pause or halt, when the plane smacked into the tower, or either of the towers collapsed. One by one people snuck out of work. I didn't get much down, working on a tank model for our game (Type 95 Light tank). And as the news wore on, I became more angry, and touchy. Francis called, and
suggested we go out and donate blood. Some of the employees I confide in were unavailable, though I managed to track down a fellow employee and mutual friend or Francis' and suggested he join us to give blood. He liked the Idea and as soon as the boss said it was okay we left.
I asked on the newsgroup of one was supposed to eat, or not eat, before giving blood. I was told it would be a good idea to eat a high protein meal and a lot of fluids, so I would not be woozy for very long. So on the way to Francis I got in line at In & Out Burger. When the cheery young voice in the speaker asked how I was, I mumbled "shitty", and lost it again, though I did manage to get my order out. I haven't been this fragile since my best friend died in 1994, and I didn't like it any better then either. I collected my order and drove over to Francis' place, and met up with Francis and Randall.
Francis was amped, and angry, and had the TV going on CNN. Randall was subdued and thoughtful. Francis was calling around, but at it was near 3:30 and all the blood banks we called said that they had received enough blood, and unless we were type "O", we should come back next week. Getting enough of the news, we went out to his car and drove around, first to get gas, then food for Francis. Randall left, and Francis and I sat and vented a bit, then I went home.
As I drove up, I saw Dad getting into the car of one of the roomers at the house, Jamal. Jamal is a Palestinian. A middle aged professorial type, who is hard of hearing. Dad said He and Jamal were going to get a burger, and I suppose having an authoritative looking American in the car was a comfort to Jamal as the first reports of sporadic racist incidents had also become known. Jamal and Dad returned safe an hour later, though I think they just got groceries to cook.
By now things had become fairly clear, Three Jets had achieved their targets, a fourth had not. The Government denied they shot it down, and rumors of cell phone called from the plane led to speculation of another cause for its demise. No arrests were made yet, but a few leads sprang up. The death toll was unknown, and speculation ran high. Rudy Giuliani looked like a pro, remaining in front of the cameras, and losing a little of his polish, but never gracelessly. The president came across like many of my midwestern relatives. Stern, thoughtful, motivated, but lacking at all in any introspection. Not a bad thing in my book, and he spoke carefully, though perhaps a little too briefly. I was imagining that Ronald Reagan would have been a bit more comforting, a bit more fatherly, and a lot more righteously angry. I miss Reagan.
Dad checked up on me to see if I was okay. I was, and got a thought. After seeing Cara Mitten's series of pictures up on Yerf, I decided to draw, and an idea sprang forth fully formed. Lacking enough Bird reference, I just sketched out the composition, and then went scavenging through Mom's books to find any bird reference. Other than a few head shots, I found little, though a Xerox I did find of Sara Palmer's wing tutorial helped me greatly. Around 5 or so I paused, as I heard Fighters taking off from nearby Muffed Field. The only Jet noise I have heard since Monday.
Around 7:00PM dad knocked on the door and said Mom was on the Phone. Mom was in Santa Rosa. She was there to care for her mother, who was recovering from Cancer Surgery. It was a bit emotional for me, because mom has not been around in more than a week, and I needed someone to confide in. We talked. She updated me on Grandmother's conditions (steady but progress was slow), and some other topics. She was rather
understated about the news, and I told her how angry I was, and that I hoped she would be back soon. We said our goodbyes, and I resumed drawing.
I finished the inks around 11:00PM, but lacking a scanner at home, I could not post it right away. But I felt a lot better after completing it. Odd how these things work. Despite my unsurity with avian anatomy, that was one of the fastest and easiest pieces I have done in a long time. Upon finishing it, I got ready for bed. The cat joined me briefly and I gave him a lot of scratches and attention. Soon he wanted out, and
I turned in, feeling still angry, but getting the picture out steadied
me, and I was no where near as fragile as I had been earlier in the day. I flipped the channels away from the news, but some things never change, Cartoon Network was showing Scooby Movies.
...and that was my first day of the War.
First Written the year after the events.:
Tuesday Morning, I am barely awake, and drifting in and out of
consciousness. I woke at 6 to let the cat in and in am not very
successfully trying to get back to sleep, before the 8:00Am alarm. At about 7:15-20 My Phone rings, and if it's ringing, it’s
solicitors, bill collectors, or my dad wanting me to move my car. It's none of the above; it's my friend Francis, harbinger of bad news.
Usually he calls me at work, and tells me of some gun control
legislation that the state house has cooked up, or some smug
pronouncement by some ivory tower groups. This results in me having a stomachache and some anger for the rest of the day. In person he's a cheerful, and jovial sort, but he I guess likes to spread bad news. He nearly yells, "Have you heard? The World Trade Center is gone! Two planes crashed into it, and one crashed into the pentagon!"
My Response was almost "bullshit", as occasionally Francis will drop a bad joke on me like that.
"I'm not shitting you. Turn on the TV.” he breathlessly commands.
I am a news junkie. Fox and CNN are the let and right buttons on my remote (It's usually between Cartoon network, CNN and FOX, but Cartoon network shows the execrable "Scooby Movies" late at night, so I turn on the news, usually Hannady & Colmes on Fox). One of them comes up, and I don't know what I am seeing. It looks like a city, maybe Manhattan, covered with a huge cloud of dust. Nothing except structures near the waterfront is discernable I watch, and the sound is the reporter, I
think from Fox, speaking in the same sort of quavering, broken voice, you hear from someone who’s either been shot at, or beaten. The views change, and its one long look down the street, over the pudgy reporter's left shoulder as he's facing the camera. And the horizon is dominated by a huge beige cloud. They then play tape of the twin towers smoking, much like they did in 1993, except it's both of them, and the amount of smoke, reminds me of the MGM Grand Fire of 10 -15 years ago.
Then one of them "fluffs" at about the 80th floor and the floors
above flatten in a huge mass of smoke and dust, then to my surprise the rest of the building goes with it. I thought they built these things stronger, but the plume expands sideways, like a tree, then floats downward.
"Holy Shit", is about all I manage.
Francis asks what Channel I'm on. I tell him Fox, and we both play dueling remotes. Flipping over to CNN,
I see the impact on the second tower, but not what caused it. Turning back to Fox, I see a much better shot, from a traffic copter, of an airliner, trimmed for level flight (flaps in, gear in, lean and fast, probably near it's 600MPH cruising speed) slide in from the right of the picture, and rather than seeing it pass behind the building as one usually expects, Liquid fire, squeezes out of the building, like mayonnaise on a hastily grabbed sandwich, and then it turns to smoke, and roils thickly op the sides of the tower in ponderous slowness, while a spatter of glittering debris, fans out and away from the impact to drift
down to the streets below. On a perfectly clear day, the sun just glitters.
I talk with Francis, as they show footage of people on the ground
running away, and of the collapse from the street level.
The second tower collapse is more dramatic, as it looks more like an inverted mushroom cloud, spreading from the bottom as the building slides ponderously into it. The cloud engulfs everything, so at this time, I am "caught up". Rumors are reported on the news of another plane. Shots of the Pentagon, on fire, and speculation of other planes in the air, also being used as large, jet powered Kamikazes. I tell Francis, there was a book like what's happening called "Storming Heaven", by Dale Brown, but it was just one jet, and there seemed to be three.
I finish up with Francis, and my Dad is up. He was 7 when Pearl Harbor happened, and his TV is on, but I knock on the door, and ask if he has seen the news. Duh.. It's on. He seems interested, but not particularly disturbed, or anything. I go to get dressed for work. We had a morale crushing speech last week, and new hour tracking methods and daily report requirements that have turned a 3d Games gig, into a McJob, because of
some incompetence in higher management. I am not looking forward to working long hours. I shower and get dressed. In the shower, I start to get angry.
""The U.S.", My Country, has been attacked. It's not a loud
anger, but like a reaction to an insult, tinged with a little worry as
the events seem to still be happening. I watch more news on TV as I dress, then I get in the car, and discover I am becoming a little emotionally fragile. It makes me angrier. I start posting a few messages on Yerf.Yap, and Polycount. The polycounters are pretty gung ho, especially since one of the Moderators, an NYPD Detective Sergeant has not checked in.
I hit McDonalds for breakfast, and the cheerful Mexican lady I see every morning is her cheerful self, and I order my lunch, but she notices that she didn't get a smile from me in the morning, and asks if it's about the news. I tell her that I am angry about the news. She nods, and tells me to go to the next window, her usual smile faded slightly. I get an idea, and drive back home, and in the front closet I keep two flag. One an old 48 Star flag that I use for public displays with the Historical club, and another I purchased when I was in ROTC. I take the 50 star flag,
and hand the 48 star flag to my Dad. And mention he ought to put it up.
I resume my trip to work, listening to the radio. Limbaugh is not on, instead it's continuous ABC news feeds, 50% ABC Radio, and 50% ABC TV, with Peter Jennings. He talks and speculates while I drive through fairly normal traffic. I pull into work, and see one of the other artists on my team leaving the parking lot on his Italian Racing Bike. I ask, "Not staying?"
He says, "Nope, not in the mood", darkly and I nod, and he rides off. I then promptly lose it, and pull into the garage sobbing quietly. The employee, Jem was recently in the Rangers at a Middle Easter Language Specialist. He’s a decent artist, a bit of a jock, a deadly Q3A player, and a natural when it comes to languages, speaking several Middle Eastern languages fluently. Think of a slightly more Mediterranean Chris Issak
and you won't be too far off. I didn't think I'd ever see him again. I recover, clean up, and walk into the bullpen with a flag under my arm, and Dad’s hammer. The two Russian ladies, Olga and Inna, who also work on our project are looking exceedingly worried and are talking amongst themselves. I must have looked like an ax murderer coming in, as people just got out of my way. I climbed up the cube, and punched the pushpins into the wallboard, and hung the flag very carefully. Only then did I
check in and begin to work.
No one was in the mood. When working on the Playstation 2, you need to have a version of one, called a "Debug Station" which is a PS2 with an Ethernet connection. The other end of the PS plugs into a television so that you can "check your work" to see what it looks like through the hardware. Well the Televisions were Aiwa models 21-inch screens that
take up an inconvenient amount of space, but have a great picture, so people will bring in unauthorized VCR’s and hook them up and play the tapes they like to watch. However,
they also came with a pair of rabbit ears. I plugged mine in eventually when the radio wasn't giving me any info. ABC was the only channel I could get and there was Peter Jennings in his shirtsleeves, extemporizing, while listening to reporters calling in from all over Manhattan. They showed the footage, and people at work would pause or halt, when the plane smacked into the tower, or either of the towers collapsed. One by one people snuck out of work. I didn't get much down, working on a tank model for our game (Type 95 Light tank). And as the news wore on, I became more angry, and touchy. Francis called, and
suggested we go out and donate blood. Some of the employees I confide in were unavailable, though I managed to track down a fellow employee and mutual friend or Francis' and suggested he join us to give blood. He liked the Idea and as soon as the boss said it was okay we left.
I asked on the newsgroup of one was supposed to eat, or not eat, before giving blood. I was told it would be a good idea to eat a high protein meal and a lot of fluids, so I would not be woozy for very long. So on the way to Francis I got in line at In & Out Burger. When the cheery young voice in the speaker asked how I was, I mumbled "shitty", and lost it again, though I did manage to get my order out. I haven't been this fragile since my best friend died in 1994, and I didn't like it any better then either. I collected my order and drove over to Francis' place, and met up with Francis and Randall.
Francis was amped, and angry, and had the TV going on CNN. Randall was subdued and thoughtful. Francis was calling around, but at it was near 3:30 and all the blood banks we called said that they had received enough blood, and unless we were type "O", we should come back next week. Getting enough of the news, we went out to his car and drove around, first to get gas, then food for Francis. Randall left, and Francis and I sat and vented a bit, then I went home.
As I drove up, I saw Dad getting into the car of one of the roomers at the house, Jamal. Jamal is a Palestinian. A middle aged professorial type, who is hard of hearing. Dad said He and Jamal were going to get a burger, and I suppose having an authoritative looking American in the car was a comfort to Jamal as the first reports of sporadic racist incidents had also become known. Jamal and Dad returned safe an hour later, though I think they just got groceries to cook.
By now things had become fairly clear, Three Jets had achieved their targets, a fourth had not. The Government denied they shot it down, and rumors of cell phone called from the plane led to speculation of another cause for its demise. No arrests were made yet, but a few leads sprang up. The death toll was unknown, and speculation ran high. Rudy Giuliani looked like a pro, remaining in front of the cameras, and losing a little of his polish, but never gracelessly. The president came across like many of my midwestern relatives. Stern, thoughtful, motivated, but lacking at all in any introspection. Not a bad thing in my book, and he spoke carefully, though perhaps a little too briefly. I was imagining that Ronald Reagan would have been a bit more comforting, a bit more fatherly, and a lot more righteously angry. I miss Reagan.
Dad checked up on me to see if I was okay. I was, and got a thought. After seeing Cara Mitten's series of pictures up on Yerf, I decided to draw, and an idea sprang forth fully formed. Lacking enough Bird reference, I just sketched out the composition, and then went scavenging through Mom's books to find any bird reference. Other than a few head shots, I found little, though a Xerox I did find of Sara Palmer's wing tutorial helped me greatly. Around 5 or so I paused, as I heard Fighters taking off from nearby Muffed Field. The only Jet noise I have heard since Monday.
Around 7:00PM dad knocked on the door and said Mom was on the Phone. Mom was in Santa Rosa. She was there to care for her mother, who was recovering from Cancer Surgery. It was a bit emotional for me, because mom has not been around in more than a week, and I needed someone to confide in. We talked. She updated me on Grandmother's conditions (steady but progress was slow), and some other topics. She was rather
understated about the news, and I told her how angry I was, and that I hoped she would be back soon. We said our goodbyes, and I resumed drawing.
I finished the inks around 11:00PM, but lacking a scanner at home, I could not post it right away. But I felt a lot better after completing it. Odd how these things work. Despite my unsurity with avian anatomy, that was one of the fastest and easiest pieces I have done in a long time. Upon finishing it, I got ready for bed. The cat joined me briefly and I gave him a lot of scratches and attention. Soon he wanted out, and
I turned in, feeling still angry, but getting the picture out steadied
me, and I was no where near as fragile as I had been earlier in the day. I flipped the channels away from the news, but some things never change, Cartoon Network was showing Scooby Movies.
...and that was my first day of the War.
40th Anniversary of my favorite Role Playing Game
Posted 4 years agoChampions, The Super Roleplaying game, was publicly available for the first time, at the Pacific origins Wargaming convention on July 3rd, 1981, and I was there. At the time, the slim book cost $10, and we all bought it after playing the demo games. Here's a link to a gallery of artifacts from that day.
https://imgur.com/a/0E72NAX
40 years later, it's on it's sixth edition, and is still going. Rolep[laying games have been a source of inspiration for me (see; Jaggiri), and I still play RPGs, but the Hero System is still my favorite to run, and build for. So thank you to the Hero Games Company for keeping me entertained on the cheap since 1981
https://imgur.com/a/0E72NAX
40 years later, it's on it's sixth edition, and is still going. Rolep[laying games have been a source of inspiration for me (see; Jaggiri), and I still play RPGs, but the Hero System is still my favorite to run, and build for. So thank you to the Hero Games Company for keeping me entertained on the cheap since 1981
Evils of ancient legend, or what happened to the Neandert...
Posted 4 years agoRan across this article rather way too early in the morning, and was subtly creeped out. The parts seem to fit, but a lot of it lines up. The author’s reconstruction of the Neanderthals is frightening, and even more so if they actually were predating on Homo Sapiens. Gives a whole different take on Orcs. Really good gaming fodder. https://treeofwoe.substack.com/p/wh.....orcs-were-real
A very Chill, but productive Birthday today.
Posted 4 years agoI joked to my mother, "I AM NOW 684 MONTHS OLD." It was otherwise a typical Saturday. I took a walk outside to get some morning coffee and a snack, then linked up with my Fellow D&D Players, and then in a fit of productivity, finished off a commission. All in all a very chill, but good day.
The weather outside is spectacular, and I think I may go for another walk. I hope the rest of you had as nice a day as I have had. Take care!
The weather outside is spectacular, and I think I may go for another walk. I hope the rest of you had as nice a day as I have had. Take care!
Tailspin on Warthunder for April Fools
Posted 4 years agoWarthunder, a free to play air and ground combat simulator is presenting a tailspin themed air combat environment for the day on April first. Here's a YouTube of the example. There are a number of different aircraft you can fly. with little cartoon animals in the cockpit. Have fun!
The Next Frontier of Art
Posted 4 years agoApparently They have figured out how to add block chain to JPEG’s. As such one can now have a digital original that cannot be copied. Now of course a JPEG can be copied but not the block chain which in the art world is referred to as a non-fungible token (NFT). Because of this digital art is now breaking in to the art world and collectors are now starting to pick up digital pieces that are non-duplicatable and are able to buy and sell them just as you would physical pieces of art. Here is the best explanation I’ve seen.
Apologies, but no Christmas Doe, this year.
Posted 4 years agoHey folks, just wanted to give you a heads up, that there will NOT be any Christmas Deer pic this year. The main problem is that I have had multiple minor surgeries on my drawing arm this month and it's been sore, but honestly, while I am grateful that my family is healthy and whole, the current California restrictions have prevented me from seeing them (I am in a high risk category), and us from having our "Normal" Christmas, and frankly I just have not really had much of a Holiday spirit this year. I expect her to return next year, but for this year my output has been crap since around May. We'll see how things pick up later in the new year, though.
Clip Studio is on sale for BHlack Friday!
Posted 5 years agosoem of you are stuck with some ratty software (GIMP), or chaned to Adobe's subscription model. For a solution to that, might I suggest Clip Studio. It's now on sale, and unlike Adobe, once you buiy it, you own it. I've been using it for years, and it is probably the best for digital painting and comic style artwork in the business. Here is where you can get it:
https://www.clipstudio.net/en/?gcli.....0aAgAREALw_wcB
Enjoy!
https://www.clipstudio.net/en/?gcli.....0aAgAREALw_wcB
Enjoy!
Tabletop Miniatures and fun.
Posted 5 years agoFor those that know me well, I have been a tabletop gamer since the Christmas break of 1975. With D&D, then wargames, and then various other RPGs, like Traveler, Bushido, The Fantasy Trip, and finally The Hero Games line. I like RP, but I also enjoy the tactical element, so for me, that means mats, maps, and miniatures. I would not have been as good an inker as I was, were it not for having to paint lead miniatures with teensy brushes in my middle school years. I still play, though these days it's on Roll20.net, Fantasy Grounds, or more recently, Tabletop Simulator ($19.99 on Steam, bout often half price). Tokens maps and miniatures are where I live.
Recently, Hero Forge, a site that would allow one to customize Miniatures has completely revamped their user interface to allow one a lot more flexibility, in using premade parts, and pieces to combine them with a fair amount of flexibility to make pretty well individualized characters from it. The interface is mostly simple, but rather deep, especially in the posing options. Now, granted, due the the current fashion of miniatures being a bit larger scale than what i used growing up (25mm to the eye line back then, 30mm to the eye line now), and being a bit "chunky" with oversized heads hands and feet, giving them a slightly toony look, one can often get pretty close to ones concept, even furry ones with some choice selection of options. I will warn you that their new tool is pretty addicting, as it's free to use, but their prices for custom printed miniatures is just about reasonable, and downloading an STL file to print it yourself costs only $7 US. The figures are usually around 30cm, or an inch and 1/8th tall, but there is an option for them to print them out in white nylon 60cm tall if you want a statuette. Printing your own on a Resin Printer, will allow you to print them as tall as you would like. They also offer a colored option, though they warn that there would be differences between what the screen shows and what the miniature will appear as when it get to you. Remember it's only a 30mm tall figure. Here are some examples of what I was playing around with, using this tool. If you click the links you will be put on the site, and be shown the figure in full 3d you can tumble around to examine from various angles, so you can check the posing.
Some random Lupines:
Asheru's Brother, Brykimo
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11945462/
A friendly, Civilized Lupine named Callista, or "cal" for short.
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11925354/
A Birch Clan Barbarian named Volas
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11945523/
The_Jaded_Kitsune 's character Joharra, the tiny archer
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11933502/
Some other random characters:
Wielder 's character, Iona
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11981285/
Wielder herself:
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11929252/
Felix 9
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11836442/
Violetta
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11835311/
Murtani Horse archer
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11980275/
Murtani on foot
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11980129/
My current D&D Character, Arjahn.
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11902359/
Starfire from The new Teen Titans Comic from the 1980's
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11999056/
And that gives you an idea of how flexible the system can be. I've made many others, but this is just a taste. I would be very interested to see what you all conme op with, and feel free to post them in the replies.
Scott
Recently, Hero Forge, a site that would allow one to customize Miniatures has completely revamped their user interface to allow one a lot more flexibility, in using premade parts, and pieces to combine them with a fair amount of flexibility to make pretty well individualized characters from it. The interface is mostly simple, but rather deep, especially in the posing options. Now, granted, due the the current fashion of miniatures being a bit larger scale than what i used growing up (25mm to the eye line back then, 30mm to the eye line now), and being a bit "chunky" with oversized heads hands and feet, giving them a slightly toony look, one can often get pretty close to ones concept, even furry ones with some choice selection of options. I will warn you that their new tool is pretty addicting, as it's free to use, but their prices for custom printed miniatures is just about reasonable, and downloading an STL file to print it yourself costs only $7 US. The figures are usually around 30cm, or an inch and 1/8th tall, but there is an option for them to print them out in white nylon 60cm tall if you want a statuette. Printing your own on a Resin Printer, will allow you to print them as tall as you would like. They also offer a colored option, though they warn that there would be differences between what the screen shows and what the miniature will appear as when it get to you. Remember it's only a 30mm tall figure. Here are some examples of what I was playing around with, using this tool. If you click the links you will be put on the site, and be shown the figure in full 3d you can tumble around to examine from various angles, so you can check the posing.
Some random Lupines:
Asheru's Brother, Brykimo
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11945462/
A friendly, Civilized Lupine named Callista, or "cal" for short.
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11925354/
A Birch Clan Barbarian named Volas
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11945523/
The_Jaded_Kitsune 's character Joharra, the tiny archerhttps://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11933502/
Some other random characters:
Wielder 's character, Ionahttps://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11981285/
Wielder herself:https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11929252/
Felix 9
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11836442/
Violetta
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11835311/
Murtani Horse archer
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11980275/
Murtani on foot
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11980129/
My current D&D Character, Arjahn.
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11902359/
Starfire from The new Teen Titans Comic from the 1980's
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D11999056/
And that gives you an idea of how flexible the system can be. I've made many others, but this is just a taste. I would be very interested to see what you all conme op with, and feel free to post them in the replies.
Scott
19 Years ago, on a Clear Tuesday Morning...
Posted 5 years agoFirst Written the year after the events.:
Tuesday Morning, I am barely awake, and drifting in and out of
consciousness. I woke at 6 to let the cat in and in am not very
successfully trying to get back to sleep, before the 8:00Am alarm. At about 7:15-20 My Phone rings, and if it's ringing, it’s
solicitors, bill collectors, or my dad wanting me to move my car. It's none of the above; it's my friend Francis, harbinger of bad news.
Usually he calls me at work, and tells me of some gun control
legislation that the state house has cooked up, or some smug
pronouncement by some ivory tower groups. This results in me having a stomachache and some anger for the rest of the day. In person he's a cheerful, and jovial sort, but he I guess likes to spread bad news. He nearly yells, "Have you heard? The World Trade Center is gone! Two planes crashed into it, and one crashed into the pentagon!"
My Response was almost "bullshit", as occasionally Francis will drop a bad joke on me like that.
"I'm not shitting you. Turn on the TV.” he breathlessly commands.
I am a news junkie. Fox and CNN are the let and right buttons on my remote (It's usually between Cartoon network, CNN and FOX, but Cartoon network shows the execrable "Scooby Movies" late at night, so I turn on the news, usually Hannady & Colmes on Fox). One of them comes up, and I don't know what I am seeing. It looks like a city, maybe Manhattan, covered with a huge cloud of dust. Nothing except structures near the waterfront is discernable I watch, and the sound is the reporter, I
think from Fox, speaking in the same sort of quavering, broken voice, you hear from someone who’s either been shot at, or beaten. The views change, and its one long look down the street, over the pudgy reporter's left shoulder as he's facing the camera. And the horizon is dominated by a huge beige cloud. They then play tape of the twin towers smoking, much like they did in 1993, except it's both of them, and the amount of smoke, reminds me of the MGM Grand Fire of 10 -15 years ago.
Then one of them "fluffs" at about the 80th floor and the floors
above flatten in a huge mass of smoke and dust, then to my surprise the rest of the building goes with it. I thought they built these things stronger, but the plume expands sideways, like a tree, then floats downward.
"Holy Shit", is about all I manage.
Francis asks what Channel I'm on. I tell him Fox, and we both play dueling remotes. Flipping over to CNN,
I see the impact on the second tower, but not what caused it. Turning back to Fox, I see a much better shot, from a traffic copter, of an airliner, trimmed for level flight (flaps in, gear in, lean and fast, probably near it's 600MPH cruising speed) slide in from the right of the picture, and rather than seeing it pass behind the building as one usually expects, Liquid fire, squeezes out of the building, like mayonnaise on a hastily grabbed sandwich, and then it turns to smoke, and roils thickly op the sides of the tower in ponderous slowness, while a spatter of glittering debris, fans out and away from the impact to drift
down to the streets below. On a perfectly clear day, the sun just glitters.
I talk with Francis, as they show footage of people on the ground
running away, and of the collapse from the street level.
The second tower collapse is more dramatic, as it looks more like an inverted mushroom cloud, spreading from the bottom as the building slides ponderously into it. The cloud engulfs everything, so at this time, I am "caught up". Rumors are reported on the news of another plane. Shots of the Pentagon, on fire, and speculation of other planes in the air, also being used as large, jet powered Kamikazes. I tell Francis, there was a book like what's happening called "Storming Heaven", by Dale Brown, but it was just one jet, and there seemed to be three.
I finish up with Francis, and my Dad is up. He was 7 when Pearl Harbor happened, and his TV is on, but I knock on the door, and ask if he has seen the news. Duh.. It's on. He seems interested, but not particularly disturbed, or anything. I go to get dressed for work. We had a morale crushing speech last week, and new hour tracking methods and daily report requirements that have turned a 3d Games gig, into a McJob, because of
some incompetence in higher management. I am not looking forward to working long hours. I shower and get dressed. In the shower, I start to get angry.
""The U.S.", My Country, has been attacked. It's not a loud
anger, but like a reaction to an insult, tinged with a little worry as
the events seem to still be happening. I watch more news on TV as I dress, then I get in the car, and discover I am becoming a little emotionally fragile. It makes me angrier. I start posting a few messages on Yerf.Yap, and Polycount. The polycounters are pretty gung ho, especially since one of the Moderators, an NYPD Detective Sergeant has not checked in.
I hit McDonalds for breakfast, and the cheerful Mexican lady I see every morning is her cheerful self, and I order my lunch, but she notices that she didn't get a smile from me in the morning, and asks if it's about the news. I tell her that I am angry about the news. She nods, and tells me to go to the next window, her usual smile faded slightly. I get an idea, and drive back home, and in the front closet I keep two flag. One an old 48 Star flag that I use for public displays with the Historical club, and another I purchased when I was in ROTC. I take the 50 star flag,
and hand the 48 star flag to my Dad. And mention he ought to put it up.
I resume my trip to work, listening to the radio. Limbaugh is not on, instead it's continuous ABC news feeds, 50% ABC Radio, and 50% ABC TV, with Peter Jennings. He talks and speculates while I drive through fairly normal traffic. I pull into work, and see one of the other artists on my team leaving the parking lot on his Italian Racing Bike. I ask, "Not staying?"
He says, "Nope, not in the mood", darkly and I nod, and he rides off. I then promptly lose it, and pull into the garage sobbing quietly. The employee, Jem was recently in the Rangers at a Middle Easter Language Specialist. He’s a decent artist, a bit of a jock, a deadly Q3A player, and a natural when it comes to languages, speaking several Middle Eastern languages fluently. Think of a slightly more Mediterranean Chris Issak
and you won't be too far off. I didn't think I'd ever see him again. I recover, clean up, and walk into the bullpen with a flag under my arm, and Dad’s hammer. The two Russian ladies, Olga and Inna, who also work on our project are looking exceedingly worried and are talking amongst themselves. I must have looked like an ax murderer coming in, as people just got out of my way. I climbed up the cube, and punched the pushpins into the wallboard, and hung the flag very carefully. Only then did I
check in and begin to work.
No one was in the mood. When working on the Playstation 2, you need to have a version of one, called a "Debug Station" which is a PS2 with an Ethernet connection. The other end of the PS plugs into a television so that you can "check your work" to see what it looks like through the hardware. Well the Televisions were Aiwa models 21-inch screens that
take up an inconvenient amount of space, but have a great picture, so people will bring in unauthorized VCR’s and hook them up and play the tapes they like to watch. However,
they also came with a pair of rabbit ears. I plugged mine in eventually when the radio wasn't giving me any info. ABC was the only channel I could get and there was Peter Jennings in his shirtsleeves, extemporizing, while listening to reporters calling in from all over Manhattan. They showed the footage, and people at work would pause or halt, when the plane smacked into the tower, or either of the towers collapsed. One by one people snuck out of work. I didn't get much down, working on a tank model for our game (Type 95 Light tank). And as the news wore on, I became more angry, and touchy. Francis called, and
suggested we go out and donate blood. Some of the employees I confide in were unavailable, though I managed to track down a fellow employee and mutual friend or Francis' and suggested he join us to give blood. He liked the Idea and as soon as the boss said it was okay we left.
I asked on the newsgroup of one was supposed to eat, or not eat, before giving blood. I was told it would be a good idea to eat a high protein meal and a lot of fluids, so I would not be woozy for very long. So on the way to Francis I got in line at In & Out Burger. When the cheery young voice in the speaker asked how I was, I mumbled "shitty", and lost it again, though I did manage to get my order out. I haven't been this fragile since my best friend died in 1994, and I didn't like it any better then either. I collected my order and drove over to Francis' place, and met up with Francis and Randall.
Francis was amped, and angry, and had the TV going on CNN. Randall was subdued and thoughtful. Francis was calling around, but at it was near 3:30 and all the blood banks we called said that they had received enough blood, and unless we were type "O", we should come back next week. Getting enough of the news, we went out to his car and drove around, first to get gas, then food for Francis. Randall left, and Francis and I sat and vented a bit, then I went home.
As I drove up, I saw Dad getting into the car of one of the roomers at the house, Jamal. Jamal is a Palestinian. A middle aged professorial type, who is hard of hearing. Dad said He and Jamal were going to get a burger, and I suppose having an authoritative looking American in the car was a comfort to Jamal as the first reports of sporadic racist incidents had also become known. Jamal and Dad returned safe an hour later, though I think they just got groceries to cook.
By now things had become fairly clear, Three Jets had achieved their targets, a fourth had not. The Government denied they shot it down, and rumors of cell phone called from the plane led to speculation of another cause for its demise. No arrests were made yet, but a few leads sprang up. The death toll was unknown, and speculation ran high. Rudy Giuliani looked like a pro, remaining in front of the cameras, and losing a little of his polish, but never gracelessly. The president came across like many of my midwestern relatives. Stern, thoughtful, motivated, but lacking at all in any introspection. Not a bad thing in my book, and he spoke carefully, though perhaps a little too briefly. I was imagining that Ronald Reagan would have been a bit more comforting, a bit more fatherly, and a lot more righteously angry. I miss Reagan.
Dad checked up on me to see if I was okay. I was, and got a thought. After seeing Cara Mitten's series of pictures up on Yerf, I decided to draw, and an idea sprang forth fully formed. Lacking enough Bird reference, I just sketched out the composition, and then went scavenging through Mom's books to find any bird reference. Other than a few head shots, I found little, though a Xerox I did find of Sara Palmer's wing tutorial helped me greatly. Around 5 or so I paused, as I heard Fighters taking off from nearby Muffed Field. The only Jet noise I have heard since Monday.
Around 7:00PM dad knocked on the door and said Mom was on the Phone. Mom was in Santa Rosa. She was there to care for her mother, who was recovering from Cancer Surgery. It was a bit emotional for me, because mom has not been around in more than a week, and I needed someone to confide in. We talked. She updated me on Grandmother's conditions (steady but progress was slow), and some other topics. She was rather
understated about the news, and I told her how angry I was, and that I hoped she would be back soon. We said our goodbyes, and I resumed drawing.
I finished the inks around 11:00PM, but lacking a scanner at home, I could not post it right away. But I felt a lot better after completing it. Odd how these things work. Despite my unsurity with avian anatomy, that was one of the fastest and easiest pieces I have done in a long time. Upon finishing it, I got ready for bed. The cat joined me briefly and I gave him a lot of scratches and attention. Soon he wanted out, and
I turned in, feeling still angry, but getting the picture out steadied
me, and I was no where near as fragile as I had been earlier in the day. I flipped the channels away from the news, but some things never change, Cartoon Network was showing Scooby Movies.
...and that was my first day of the War.
Tuesday Morning, I am barely awake, and drifting in and out of
consciousness. I woke at 6 to let the cat in and in am not very
successfully trying to get back to sleep, before the 8:00Am alarm. At about 7:15-20 My Phone rings, and if it's ringing, it’s
solicitors, bill collectors, or my dad wanting me to move my car. It's none of the above; it's my friend Francis, harbinger of bad news.
Usually he calls me at work, and tells me of some gun control
legislation that the state house has cooked up, or some smug
pronouncement by some ivory tower groups. This results in me having a stomachache and some anger for the rest of the day. In person he's a cheerful, and jovial sort, but he I guess likes to spread bad news. He nearly yells, "Have you heard? The World Trade Center is gone! Two planes crashed into it, and one crashed into the pentagon!"
My Response was almost "bullshit", as occasionally Francis will drop a bad joke on me like that.
"I'm not shitting you. Turn on the TV.” he breathlessly commands.
I am a news junkie. Fox and CNN are the let and right buttons on my remote (It's usually between Cartoon network, CNN and FOX, but Cartoon network shows the execrable "Scooby Movies" late at night, so I turn on the news, usually Hannady & Colmes on Fox). One of them comes up, and I don't know what I am seeing. It looks like a city, maybe Manhattan, covered with a huge cloud of dust. Nothing except structures near the waterfront is discernable I watch, and the sound is the reporter, I
think from Fox, speaking in the same sort of quavering, broken voice, you hear from someone who’s either been shot at, or beaten. The views change, and its one long look down the street, over the pudgy reporter's left shoulder as he's facing the camera. And the horizon is dominated by a huge beige cloud. They then play tape of the twin towers smoking, much like they did in 1993, except it's both of them, and the amount of smoke, reminds me of the MGM Grand Fire of 10 -15 years ago.
Then one of them "fluffs" at about the 80th floor and the floors
above flatten in a huge mass of smoke and dust, then to my surprise the rest of the building goes with it. I thought they built these things stronger, but the plume expands sideways, like a tree, then floats downward.
"Holy Shit", is about all I manage.
Francis asks what Channel I'm on. I tell him Fox, and we both play dueling remotes. Flipping over to CNN,
I see the impact on the second tower, but not what caused it. Turning back to Fox, I see a much better shot, from a traffic copter, of an airliner, trimmed for level flight (flaps in, gear in, lean and fast, probably near it's 600MPH cruising speed) slide in from the right of the picture, and rather than seeing it pass behind the building as one usually expects, Liquid fire, squeezes out of the building, like mayonnaise on a hastily grabbed sandwich, and then it turns to smoke, and roils thickly op the sides of the tower in ponderous slowness, while a spatter of glittering debris, fans out and away from the impact to drift
down to the streets below. On a perfectly clear day, the sun just glitters.
I talk with Francis, as they show footage of people on the ground
running away, and of the collapse from the street level.
The second tower collapse is more dramatic, as it looks more like an inverted mushroom cloud, spreading from the bottom as the building slides ponderously into it. The cloud engulfs everything, so at this time, I am "caught up". Rumors are reported on the news of another plane. Shots of the Pentagon, on fire, and speculation of other planes in the air, also being used as large, jet powered Kamikazes. I tell Francis, there was a book like what's happening called "Storming Heaven", by Dale Brown, but it was just one jet, and there seemed to be three.
I finish up with Francis, and my Dad is up. He was 7 when Pearl Harbor happened, and his TV is on, but I knock on the door, and ask if he has seen the news. Duh.. It's on. He seems interested, but not particularly disturbed, or anything. I go to get dressed for work. We had a morale crushing speech last week, and new hour tracking methods and daily report requirements that have turned a 3d Games gig, into a McJob, because of
some incompetence in higher management. I am not looking forward to working long hours. I shower and get dressed. In the shower, I start to get angry.
""The U.S.", My Country, has been attacked. It's not a loud
anger, but like a reaction to an insult, tinged with a little worry as
the events seem to still be happening. I watch more news on TV as I dress, then I get in the car, and discover I am becoming a little emotionally fragile. It makes me angrier. I start posting a few messages on Yerf.Yap, and Polycount. The polycounters are pretty gung ho, especially since one of the Moderators, an NYPD Detective Sergeant has not checked in.
I hit McDonalds for breakfast, and the cheerful Mexican lady I see every morning is her cheerful self, and I order my lunch, but she notices that she didn't get a smile from me in the morning, and asks if it's about the news. I tell her that I am angry about the news. She nods, and tells me to go to the next window, her usual smile faded slightly. I get an idea, and drive back home, and in the front closet I keep two flag. One an old 48 Star flag that I use for public displays with the Historical club, and another I purchased when I was in ROTC. I take the 50 star flag,
and hand the 48 star flag to my Dad. And mention he ought to put it up.
I resume my trip to work, listening to the radio. Limbaugh is not on, instead it's continuous ABC news feeds, 50% ABC Radio, and 50% ABC TV, with Peter Jennings. He talks and speculates while I drive through fairly normal traffic. I pull into work, and see one of the other artists on my team leaving the parking lot on his Italian Racing Bike. I ask, "Not staying?"
He says, "Nope, not in the mood", darkly and I nod, and he rides off. I then promptly lose it, and pull into the garage sobbing quietly. The employee, Jem was recently in the Rangers at a Middle Easter Language Specialist. He’s a decent artist, a bit of a jock, a deadly Q3A player, and a natural when it comes to languages, speaking several Middle Eastern languages fluently. Think of a slightly more Mediterranean Chris Issak
and you won't be too far off. I didn't think I'd ever see him again. I recover, clean up, and walk into the bullpen with a flag under my arm, and Dad’s hammer. The two Russian ladies, Olga and Inna, who also work on our project are looking exceedingly worried and are talking amongst themselves. I must have looked like an ax murderer coming in, as people just got out of my way. I climbed up the cube, and punched the pushpins into the wallboard, and hung the flag very carefully. Only then did I
check in and begin to work.
No one was in the mood. When working on the Playstation 2, you need to have a version of one, called a "Debug Station" which is a PS2 with an Ethernet connection. The other end of the PS plugs into a television so that you can "check your work" to see what it looks like through the hardware. Well the Televisions were Aiwa models 21-inch screens that
take up an inconvenient amount of space, but have a great picture, so people will bring in unauthorized VCR’s and hook them up and play the tapes they like to watch. However,
they also came with a pair of rabbit ears. I plugged mine in eventually when the radio wasn't giving me any info. ABC was the only channel I could get and there was Peter Jennings in his shirtsleeves, extemporizing, while listening to reporters calling in from all over Manhattan. They showed the footage, and people at work would pause or halt, when the plane smacked into the tower, or either of the towers collapsed. One by one people snuck out of work. I didn't get much down, working on a tank model for our game (Type 95 Light tank). And as the news wore on, I became more angry, and touchy. Francis called, and
suggested we go out and donate blood. Some of the employees I confide in were unavailable, though I managed to track down a fellow employee and mutual friend or Francis' and suggested he join us to give blood. He liked the Idea and as soon as the boss said it was okay we left.
I asked on the newsgroup of one was supposed to eat, or not eat, before giving blood. I was told it would be a good idea to eat a high protein meal and a lot of fluids, so I would not be woozy for very long. So on the way to Francis I got in line at In & Out Burger. When the cheery young voice in the speaker asked how I was, I mumbled "shitty", and lost it again, though I did manage to get my order out. I haven't been this fragile since my best friend died in 1994, and I didn't like it any better then either. I collected my order and drove over to Francis' place, and met up with Francis and Randall.
Francis was amped, and angry, and had the TV going on CNN. Randall was subdued and thoughtful. Francis was calling around, but at it was near 3:30 and all the blood banks we called said that they had received enough blood, and unless we were type "O", we should come back next week. Getting enough of the news, we went out to his car and drove around, first to get gas, then food for Francis. Randall left, and Francis and I sat and vented a bit, then I went home.
As I drove up, I saw Dad getting into the car of one of the roomers at the house, Jamal. Jamal is a Palestinian. A middle aged professorial type, who is hard of hearing. Dad said He and Jamal were going to get a burger, and I suppose having an authoritative looking American in the car was a comfort to Jamal as the first reports of sporadic racist incidents had also become known. Jamal and Dad returned safe an hour later, though I think they just got groceries to cook.
By now things had become fairly clear, Three Jets had achieved their targets, a fourth had not. The Government denied they shot it down, and rumors of cell phone called from the plane led to speculation of another cause for its demise. No arrests were made yet, but a few leads sprang up. The death toll was unknown, and speculation ran high. Rudy Giuliani looked like a pro, remaining in front of the cameras, and losing a little of his polish, but never gracelessly. The president came across like many of my midwestern relatives. Stern, thoughtful, motivated, but lacking at all in any introspection. Not a bad thing in my book, and he spoke carefully, though perhaps a little too briefly. I was imagining that Ronald Reagan would have been a bit more comforting, a bit more fatherly, and a lot more righteously angry. I miss Reagan.
Dad checked up on me to see if I was okay. I was, and got a thought. After seeing Cara Mitten's series of pictures up on Yerf, I decided to draw, and an idea sprang forth fully formed. Lacking enough Bird reference, I just sketched out the composition, and then went scavenging through Mom's books to find any bird reference. Other than a few head shots, I found little, though a Xerox I did find of Sara Palmer's wing tutorial helped me greatly. Around 5 or so I paused, as I heard Fighters taking off from nearby Muffed Field. The only Jet noise I have heard since Monday.
Around 7:00PM dad knocked on the door and said Mom was on the Phone. Mom was in Santa Rosa. She was there to care for her mother, who was recovering from Cancer Surgery. It was a bit emotional for me, because mom has not been around in more than a week, and I needed someone to confide in. We talked. She updated me on Grandmother's conditions (steady but progress was slow), and some other topics. She was rather
understated about the news, and I told her how angry I was, and that I hoped she would be back soon. We said our goodbyes, and I resumed drawing.
I finished the inks around 11:00PM, but lacking a scanner at home, I could not post it right away. But I felt a lot better after completing it. Odd how these things work. Despite my unsurity with avian anatomy, that was one of the fastest and easiest pieces I have done in a long time. Upon finishing it, I got ready for bed. The cat joined me briefly and I gave him a lot of scratches and attention. Soon he wanted out, and
I turned in, feeling still angry, but getting the picture out steadied
me, and I was no where near as fragile as I had been earlier in the day. I flipped the channels away from the news, but some things never change, Cartoon Network was showing Scooby Movies.
...and that was my first day of the War.
Stan Sakai bringing an Animated Rabbit Samurai to Netflix
Posted 5 years agoSome other Netflix news.
https://io9.gizmodo.com/netflix-is-.....clid=IwAR0OYzuzc5zMS35383loPI9BMv8UmMRj8BNSQaUbiofJvu0WOGgSuTL95CM
https://io9.gizmodo.com/netflix-is-.....clid=IwAR0OYzu
Brand New Animal (BNA) has appeared on NETFLIX
Posted 5 years agoBrand New Animal (BNA) has hit Netflix today. It’s furry. Feeds into the furry persecution trope, with beast men vs. (some) but very stylish (Studio Trigger) Good animation. Female lead is a Tanuki or Racoon girl. Male lead is a wolf. One episode so far. A bit simplistic but doesn’t suck. It’s like Furry stories from the mid to late 80s in the US.
Dimi_Kendal_101 is having a free Art Raffle
Posted 5 years ago
Dimi_Kendal_101 is having a free Art Raffle as a thank you for hitting Their art is pretty impressive, but the raffle is NSFW. If that's your thing, head on over and evaluate for yourself. Enjoy!https://www.furaffinity.net/view/35929170/
I am sure most of you have seen this.
Posted 5 years agoNice Cyberpunk/ Furry music video. Very stylish. Enjoy!
Hey Folks, Look at this!
Posted 5 years ago Hey! 
Ashryn is back on FA, and look how she inked my pencils! Take a look at her other stuff, too.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/34668546/
Enjoy!
Ashryn is back on FA, and look how she inked my pencils! Take a look at her other stuff, too.http://www.furaffinity.net/view/34668546/
Enjoy!
New Year, New Interface?
Posted 5 years agoSo I popped in to check my Emails before going back to my Brother's house to babysit his animals, and I find the interface has been updated. Doesn't look terrible, but we'll see. It's cleaner, and isn't abbreviated like the other attempt.
2019 had been another roller coaster, but not nearly as bad as 2018. I moved away from Los Angeles, to the Northern California Wine country to be with my family, and the move has been a bit disruptive, but on the whole I much prefer the small town feeling. I do miss the food in Los Angeles, though.
I am shifting priorities in art somewhat, putting a different focus on 3D, but concentrating more on Digital if I can. we'll see how things go.
I hope you all have a happy and prosperous New Year! Take care.
Scott
2019 had been another roller coaster, but not nearly as bad as 2018. I moved away from Los Angeles, to the Northern California Wine country to be with my family, and the move has been a bit disruptive, but on the whole I much prefer the small town feeling. I do miss the food in Los Angeles, though.
I am shifting priorities in art somewhat, putting a different focus on 3D, but concentrating more on Digital if I can. we'll see how things go.
I hope you all have a happy and prosperous New Year! Take care.
Scott
Realm of the Claw Figures for sale on ebay
Posted 5 years agoHey folks,
I am raising money for a new computer by selling off some items on eBay. I am selling two of the female figures from the "Realm of The Claw series. They are both still in their packaging, though the packaging is damaged from 15 years in storage. The eBay listing have more description, and photos. I bought these back when I worked at The 3Do company. But Well I am in the process of de-cluttering. So for those that like more realistic anthro characters, one might like these.
Kaela, the Cheetah
https://www.ebay.com/itm/392592328401
Zynda, the Lynx
https://www.ebay.com/itm/392592330583
I am raising money for a new computer by selling off some items on eBay. I am selling two of the female figures from the "Realm of The Claw series. They are both still in their packaging, though the packaging is damaged from 15 years in storage. The eBay listing have more description, and photos. I bought these back when I worked at The 3Do company. But Well I am in the process of de-cluttering. So for those that like more realistic anthro characters, one might like these.
Kaela, the Cheetah
https://www.ebay.com/itm/392592328401
Zynda, the Lynx
https://www.ebay.com/itm/392592330583
For those with Twitter Art accounts, be careful.
Posted 6 years agoI see a lot of folks have migrated to Twitter, from Tumblr, or here. There is a problem now that Bot accounts look for text strings that consist of Variations of "I would like that on a shirt", and suck down the art, and sell it. So if you are a fan of an artist, don't put the word "shirt" in the posts, and see if the artist already has something up on Spring Tees or similar service, themselves.
However it seems that folks have twigged to this and have started bombing the Automatic Art Thieves: https://imgur.com/gallery/wWEYJ3w
We will see how this pans out, but for now, just send compliments.
However it seems that folks have twigged to this and have started bombing the Automatic Art Thieves: https://imgur.com/gallery/wWEYJ3w
We will see how this pans out, but for now, just send compliments.
Third season of The Dragon Prince just dropped on Netflix
Posted 6 years ago So I binged the Third season of The Dragon Prince yesterday. animation quality and acting have improved dramatically since the last season. Also the stakes are higher, and when they show big magic, it's big. If it never gets another seasons (The three season curse for animation of Netflix), then it ends on a satisfying note. Worth a watch.
Sixth of June, 75 years ago today, by the numbers.
Posted 6 years agoStephen Green, of Vodka Pundit breaks down the numbers:
The Logistical concerns of the operation are staggering, and even today the wrecked pontoons of the Mulberry ports are still scattered across the coasts of France. But this was how our grandfathers and great grandfathers liberated Europe from tyranny. As Colin Powell once said to the former archbishop of Canterbury,
That is our legacy.
"I want you to imagine picking up every resident of a medium-sized city, everything they'll need to eat and drink and rest for a few days, any vehicles they might need, gasoline of course, plus lots of guns and ammo -- did I mention this was a hunting trip? -- and then moving them all in a few short hours a distance of anywhere from 30 to 125 miles or so.
Now imagine you have to move all those people and all that stuff partly by air, but mostly across heavy seas in foul weather.
Under enemy fire."The Logistical concerns of the operation are staggering, and even today the wrecked pontoons of the Mulberry ports are still scattered across the coasts of France. But this was how our grandfathers and great grandfathers liberated Europe from tyranny. As Colin Powell once said to the former archbishop of Canterbury,
“We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we’ve done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in, and otherwise we have returned home to seek our own, you know, to seek our own lives in peace, to live our own lives in peace."
That is our legacy.
I am back finally
Posted 6 years agoI have completed my move from SoCal to NorCal. Yesterday I got my internet back after more than a month without it. In the mean time I have been unpacking and have nearly completed it (still need bookshelves). In unpacking I have come across sketchbooks dating back to the early 1980's through the early 2000's. THey have not seen the light of day since 2005, so looking back there is the mid to the end of my table top illustration career, the rise and fall of the Jaggiri, and the origins of Asheru. I will be posting some of this here, and maybe clear scans of the small illustrations shown in "Asheru's Journey". Things that aren't furry ( and/or pre- furry will be published in scraps unless they are really good. I will be posting new art, still so don't worry. it' just interesting to see the slow changes since my college days. I am happy to be back. I have soooo missed the internet.
Hey look 📣 Shinies are a thing!📣.
Posted 6 years agoAs the notifications state; FA enabled a tip system, called Shinies. For me this is useful in both directions, as I could use the money, but also it’s a one time tip to people I appreciate. I do not have the income to support Patreon accounts monthly, and I rarely order commissions, but this serves as a way to send a $5 token of appreciation, as well as a way to accept such as well. I do think it’s a good thing, and I will probably use it on occasion. So, this is a heads up that I have it enabled and I I’ll look around to see if others have it enabled as well.
Too Good not to Share.
Posted 6 years agoGoodbye Los Angeles
Posted 6 years agoIn about 48 hours I will be gone from Los Angeles and in my new home in Northern California, close to my family. After last summer's health issues, which have effectively medically retired me, the family decided to gather me back into the fold. I will miss a lot of things about Los Angeles, like the wide variety of good food, and that there was always something to do. However, Los Angeles is like a high maintenance girlfriend. As long as there is money, it's great, but without it, it's at best, indifferent, or complicated. Near perfect weather, architectural treasures hidden in unexpected places, and after 6 years as a messenger driver, I found it surprisingly easy to navigate for such a vast city. Long after my car was impounded for parking tickets and sold off by the city, I would still dream of driving the streets and canyons on L.A in my 95 Toyota Camry. Even without a car, the city was fairly navigable with the Metro, and the buses getting you most places, fairly easily, if you A.) Planned the tip before hand on the internet, and B.) Had plenty of time to get there. A place you could get to in a half hour by car, would take 2 or 3 or more by bus. Still I will miss that perfect weather, the energy, the insanity of the film industry, but most of all, my friends down here, Lu, Julian, Roz, Dwight, Eric, and tom. I will try and get down to visit in the future, \and with the internet it's far easier to keep in touch. But still I still like the place. It's interesting that the year is 2019, and I sit in Los Angeles and think about the fact that I remember off the top of my head two movies that had "Los Angeles 2019" in their title cards, Blade Runner, and the first Terminator movie. The city, in today's reality is markedly different, not looking much different than it did in the 70's, and 80's, except for a few tightly grouped explosions of modernity, centered around the office areas of Hollywood, downtown and Venice beach. Tesla's headquarters in Hawthorn is in an old aircraft hangar. Goodbye, Los Angeles 2019.
The April Cycle.
Posted 6 years agoIn 1988, I gained entry into a fannish publication, entitled "The Centaurs Gatherum Newsletter", edited by Ed Pegg Jr. It was an artistic amateur press, digest sized, focused on Centaurs. being an old D&D player, as well as an artist, Centaurs were not a new subject for me. What was new to me, was the good matured ribbing between the artist, and soon blossomed into what then mutated into"The Barr Wars" (Named after artist, Donna Barr, who was a fairly prolific instigator, as well as being known for her Centaur Stories). This went on for a few years, but April was a special month in that for some odd reason, many of the artists in that magazine had birthdays in April, Myself included. So in those years I would draw "Happy the Birthday Dog", a very cartoonish character, known for delivering increasingly inappropriate, and often insulting birthday gifts, and doing with a saccharine smile and smarmy delivery. I got as good as I gave, and a good time was mostly had by all. Now fanzines evaporated with the rise of the internet. (Why pay for B./W art, when you can get color for free in the intarwebz?) But i still think about it, and remember a few Birthdays, like Terrie Smith, who's birthday is the 20th, and our own 
rabbi-tom on the 23rd.
Well for me, today is mine, and I almost didn't make it. Last summer I had a stroke, then a heart attack a week later, which put me in a coma. My poor mother was looking for coffins and undertakers at my bed side as the doctors didn't have a lot of hope, until Dr. Faye Lee, found Dr. Bernstein, to perform a stent operation to clear a restricted artery. I came out of the coma 22 days later with my speech still impaired a bit, and no ability to draw. However I was alive. I never fell into depression (in fact, I was suffering classic clinical depression before the stroke, and didn't know it until after), because I convinced myself I would get better. Drawing defined who I was, and I would do it again. It took several months, but I feel I have regained most of my ability, and actually have felt a need to improve, and take up digital painting. (See: Blaine. See: Magnus). But this birthday also marks changes that, because of the scare, and some current health issues, I will be moving back to my family, so they can keep a closer eye on me. I will be leaving Los Angeles shortly, and returning north to the SF Bay Area. Changes, changes all around. So on this successful circumnavigation of the Earth around the Sun. I am grateful for the second chance, and feel renewed to create. I hope you all have a good day.
rabbi-tom on the 23rd.Well for me, today is mine, and I almost didn't make it. Last summer I had a stroke, then a heart attack a week later, which put me in a coma. My poor mother was looking for coffins and undertakers at my bed side as the doctors didn't have a lot of hope, until Dr. Faye Lee, found Dr. Bernstein, to perform a stent operation to clear a restricted artery. I came out of the coma 22 days later with my speech still impaired a bit, and no ability to draw. However I was alive. I never fell into depression (in fact, I was suffering classic clinical depression before the stroke, and didn't know it until after), because I convinced myself I would get better. Drawing defined who I was, and I would do it again. It took several months, but I feel I have regained most of my ability, and actually have felt a need to improve, and take up digital painting. (See: Blaine. See: Magnus). But this birthday also marks changes that, because of the scare, and some current health issues, I will be moving back to my family, so they can keep a closer eye on me. I will be leaving Los Angeles shortly, and returning north to the SF Bay Area. Changes, changes all around. So on this successful circumnavigation of the Earth around the Sun. I am grateful for the second chance, and feel renewed to create. I hope you all have a good day.
