Now Loading...

This is Apeture

2012-01-31T12:54:00.001-08:00

I totally should have seen this forever ago.

It Came from SPAM!

2012-01-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

Today I got the stranges SPAM in my inbox.

"Hello,
My name is Joy, i got you sarch. and i want to have a
good relationship with you, please i need your cooperation,contact me with my email adress,
(xxx@yahoo.com )
am yours Joy.
thanks,

Joy

So now the pressing (although rediculous) question now is...
What is a "sarch" and why is it a suficient bribe for me to cooperate with a stranger who wants to have a relationship with me.

All seriousnes... this one is pretty weird. I have not responded to it, nor have I emailed this person back... or will I.

The Wonderful World of SPAM

2012-01-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

This is a new series of columns I plan on posting where I share with all of you the diffrent spam messages I get from the 01Publishing, Utopiates, and other websites. Some are strange, some make no sense, but all are funny.

I think I'm Pregnant.
Zorak?

I can get a meatless sandwich, but I ve been told not to order it every single time, less they identify me as The Shopper, and then I won t be able to work for them anymore.
This came from the Utopiates site... it blue-screens my mind every time I read it.

It is just like you read my thoughts! You appear to know a huge amount of in regards to this, such as you wrote the hem ebook with them or something. I believe that anyone can use a couple pics to drive the material home rather, but rather than that, this really fantastic blog. An outstanding read. I am going to easily be back.

This from PackersFanShop.com

do you have funny spam to share with the world. Let me know and I'll post it.

I'm Back!

2012-01-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's been a year, or so, since I've felt the need and the urge to write in this blog. A very bad thing, I know. A hiatus I plan on never going on again, and I appologise

So I guess I should talk a little about what I've been up to these last 11 months. The big news is Josh and I have started our own publishing company, 01 Publishing, and plan to have our first graphic novel out by the end of March. If you remember our first project, Utopiates, then you'll be happy to know it will be out before tax day and you can preorder your copy right now on Amazon.com. If you can't wait that long, we are posting it online, IN COLOR, at http://www.utopiatescomic.com/ or you can read the first issue for free on Graphicly.com

We will also be publishing the long-overdue cyberpunk book "Crazy Mary" by Mike Colbert in time for Anime Expo in June, and the historical satire epic "World War Kaiju" featuring artwork by Patric McEvoy.
You can see all of these books at http://www.01publishing.com/

And for Titanium Rain fans, don't worry, you are not forgotten. As both Josh and I have said in the past, book 2 IS DONE and has been for some time now. There are just a few things we need to get worked out and it will hit the presses. I'm very sorry for this long delay. I would love to see this book on the shelves. It will happen. Please be patient and thank you for sticking with us.

But, in the mean time, did you know that Titanium Rain is being adapted into an audio drama? It's true! We went to Maine to record it back in November of '11 with the amazingly talented Audio Comics Company is doing a fantastic job of adapting the book. http://www.audiocomicscompany.com/

So, in a nut shell, that was 2011.

We're going to Wondercon!!

2011-02-08T15:03:00.001-08:00

This year, Josh and I will be having our own table at WonderCon. Details are still coming in, but you will definitely be able to find us in the Small Press section. Just look for the display with the two planes flying OR you can look us up in the program guide under The Art of Josh Finney and Kat Rocha. We're going to have a lot of new stuff to show this year so please remember to stop by and say hello to us.

More updates will be coming.

San Diego Comic Con 2010 Signing Schedual for Titanium Rain

2010-07-18T18:44:00.001-07:00

The following is the schedule of times Josh Finney and Kat Rocha will be at the Archaia Entertainment Booth #2635 at the San Diego Comic Con this year.

Wednesday 5:30pm - 7:30pm at the Featured Table
Thursday 9:00am - 11:00am at Table 4
Friday 10:30am - Noon at Table 4
Saturday 4:30pm - 6:00pm at Table 4
Sunday 3:30pm - 5:00pm at Table 1

And don't forget to catch us at the Archaia All Access Panel on Friday in Room 9 from 6:30 - 7:30pm.

-Kat

I know as creators you want to keep moving forward, but I have to ask: will you ever return to the Utopiates? Or if you're not planning to do so, have you ever considered opening the idea to other creators, like David Petersen is doing with Mouseguard?

2010-05-16T02:23:00.001-07:00

I've always intended to return to Utopiates when the time is right. A lot of it depend on the publisher, though, Bloodfire Studios. As for inviting other creators to contribute to the Utopiates setting, ABSOLUTELY. From day one I wanted Utopiates to be an "open" univerve in which other could play in. I even proposed to Bloodfire the idea of a "Utopiates: Urban Legends" book which would allow for exactly this.

Ask me anything

Question: when will the next book be out?

2010-05-15T23:47:00.001-07:00

Damn...with all the delays on the first book (thank's to our censor happy pals in China) I'm sort of paranoid at this point about making any promises.

Ask me anything

In the TR world, how well accepted are American born Asians in the U.S.? Are they at all, or are there internment camps like they did with Japanese in America during WWII?

2010-05-15T23:44:00.001-07:00

Nope. No internment camps. For all our troules, the America of 2030 has moved past this sort of thing. Are there hate crimes? Sure. They will always be stupid people who do this sort of thing, but widespread state instituded racism against Asians? No.

Ask me anything

Assuming it was up to you, which would you rather see, a Titanium Rain movie or TV (mini?) series? Also is it true that the book is "banned" in China? (I think I heard that rumor but can't find a weblink.

2010-05-15T23:41:00.001-07:00

As far as seeing Titanium Rain translated into a film or TV mini-series, I'm open to either. That said, I'm not writing this story in the hopes that some day it'll be told in another medium. As an author and artist, sequential story telling is the medium I've chosen to work in. A graphic novel is EXACTLY how I want readers to experience Titanium Rain. The story is written to take full advantage of the medium's strengths, and really couldn't be told any other way without losing some of the magic

That said, if anyone was to make Titanium Rain in to a film, my dream would be for it to be animated by Production IG and directed by Mamoru Oshii.

-Josh

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-05-13T10:39:00.003-07:00

Ask me anything, especially about Titanium Rain http://formspring.me/TitaniumRain

How has the feedback been on the TitaniumN Rain Hard Cover?

2010-05-13T10:39:00.001-07:00

The feedback has been amazing. Extreamly positive. We've had people from all over the world contact us to say how much they are enjoying the book.

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-05-12T12:53:00.001-07:00

Ask me anything about Titanium Rain. All questions will be answered. http://formspring.me/TitaniumRain

We have placed a TR order @ local Borders; next plan to do same at local Barnes & Noble. Any other suggestions?

2010-05-11T16:26:00.001-07:00

Amazon.com, InstockTrades.com, and your local comic book stores. All these places are great for ordering. And Instock Trades and Amazon both have it at a discount.

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-05-11T09:17:00.001-07:00

Ask me anything, especially regarding Titanium Rain http://formspring.me/TitaniumRain

Under Construction

2010-05-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

Well, you'll be seeing some changes here at ... Now Loading. Mainly I think it's time for a redesign... and possibly a name change. I've got another blog elsewhere with a much cooler name and I'm thinking of using that from now on.

So, please bare with me while things get shuffled.

-Kat

Titanium Rain HC Vol.1 in stores TODAY!!

2010-04-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

Hurrah!! It's here!! The book we've all been waiting for. The book banned by China, Is now available at your local comic book store TODAY!! As well, Titanium Rain Vol. 1 will be available at major book sellers such as Barnes & Noble, Boarders, and Amazon.com in just another week or so.

So please, go to your local retailer, pick up your own copy today, and tell us what you think. :)

Updated Signing and Convention schedule to come soon.

convention schedual as of 4/21/10
San Diego Comic Con
New York Comic Con
Long Beach Comic Con
_______________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CHINESE GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS
TO CENSOR ‘TITANIUM RAIN’ VOL. 1

When real-world politics clash with four-color fiction.
PR: China tries to censor Archaia's TITANIUM RAIN.

Los Angeles, CA (April 21, 2010) – In an instance of real-world
politics affecting the comic industry, ARCHAIA ENTERTAINMENT's latest
graphic novel series, TITANIUM RAIN, had been severely delay when
Chinese printing companies refused to print the book. TITANIUM RAIN,
which portrays a civil war in near-future China, was repeatedly
rejected by Chinese printers, citing "politically sensitive content"
deemed offensive by the PRC.

“What I find very telling about the whole situation is at no point
does our book criticize the current Chinese government or any of its
policies," say author/co-artist Josh Finney. "The scenario I wrote is
patterned after the Boxer Rebellion, and is meant to be a statement
against ultra-nationalism and ethnic cleansing. In fact, it is
ultra-nationalists in the Chinese military who attempt to overthrow
the government in TITANIUM RAIN.”

Until now, Archaia Entertainment printed most of its books through
China, an arrangement the publisher has had to reconsider. Clearly
China's cheap manufacturing costs do come at a hidden price.
Censorship.

Controversy over TITANIUM RAIN's publication may have stemmed from a
sequence of pages in the book which show events leading up to a
Chinese civil war. A sneak preview of those pages is available here:
www.glitchwerk.com/press/.

Written and illustrated by the husband-and-wife team of Josh Finney
(Batman, Star Trek: Enterprise) and Kat Rocha (Batman), Titanium Rain
Vol. 1 (full color, 152 pages, 6.625” x 10.25” hardcover with dust
jacket, $19.95, ISBN 1-932386-72-6) collects the first four chapters
of the series. The story is set in the year 2031 and told from the
point of view of US Air Force pilot Alec Killian, who is forced to
shed some of his humanity in exchange for biotech and machine when a
civil war in China spirals into a global conflict.

Despite the numerous production delays TITANIUM RAIN VOL. 1 shipped to
comic stores nationwide this Wednesday, and will be in bookstores the
following week.

More information about author Josh Finney and his reasons for pening
TITANIUM RAIN can be found here:
http://comicrelated.com/news/3086/worlds-within-worlds

About Archaia
Founded in 2002, Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for
producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds. With a
slate including the popular Eisner Award-winning title Mouse Guard, as
well as Awakening, Gunnerkrigg Court, The Killer, Robotika, Killing
Pickman, Artesia and the Publisher’s latest additions of Titanium
Rain, God Machine, Roddenberry Productions’ Days Missing, The Jim
Henson Company library and Mr. Murder Is Dead and Lucid with Zachary
Quinto’s production company, Before the Door Pictures, Archaia has
become synonymous with quality content. For more information on
Archaia or any Archaia titles please visit www.Archaia.com. Archaia
can also be found on Facebook (www.facebook.com/archaiacomics),
MySpace (www.myspace.com/archaiacomics) and Twitter
(www.twitter.com/archaiacomics).

# # #

An important message about your rights and Viacom

2010-04-12T11:59:00.001-07:00

This is a very important video to watch. It starts out slow but TRUST ME, it's important that you watch it. Especially if you are a fan of You Tube.

-Kat

WonderCon 2010

2010-04-09T10:31:00.001-07:00

Josh and I got back from WonderCon this week, and what a surprise we found at the Archaia Booth. It was a copy of Titanium Rain HC Vol. 1! Yes, it's here and should be hitting shelves in the next few weeks. I do have to say, the book is absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to hear what other people think of it.

It was a good con this year. We sold out of Titanium Rain issue 1 and talked to a lot of interesting people. As well, we were interviewed by Cammy from Cammy's Comic Corner.

Hung out a lot with Chandra Free of the God Machine and Patrick McEvoy of Starkweather Immortal. Ate Sushi and Dim Sum and late night pizza. :) I think we'll definitely be back for next year.

-Kat

Titanium Rain hard cover news & Super Show 2010

2010-03-31T00:29:00.000-07:00

Ah, it's been a while but here is the next blog update.
First, Titanium Rain news:
For those of you who have preordered Titanium Rain, or those of you who are waiting for the hardcover to come out I am happy to dispel your fears and say that Titanium Rain vol. 1 is NOT CANCELED. It's just been delayed. Not due to publishers or distribution or any of the normal reasons you hear about, but due to a foreign government. Yes, seriously. Often in comics, companies will send their graphic novels to China to be printed because it's cheaper there. And so, our publisher did as well because that is where they send all of their books. Unfortunately the Chinese don't like our book and attempted to sensor it. Printer by printer they were denied, told that the book was offencive and, in one instance, "pornographic". Basically, the book has been banned in China. BUT, with that said, S. Korea has agreed to print it and the other two as well. With any luck, it will be at your LCS in the next month or so.

In Other News:
Super Show 2010 in Reading, PA was AWESOME. We just got back last nigh and have to say that the guys from Comic Geek Speak put on an amazing convention and we can't wait to go back next year for more. I wore the pink dress as promised all day on Sat. and at the after party as well. At the show there were artists like J.K Woodward, Mike Norton, Danielle Corsetto, and many more. The 501st Storm Trooper Legion was there too, posing with the kids and "keeping the peace".
You can find out more about the show at http://www.comicgeekspeak.com/.

In two days, Josh and I will leave for Wondercon in San Francisco. If you are going to be there, come see us at the Archaia Booth #813.

Titanium Rain HC News and Supershow

2010-02-07T00:51:00.000-08:00

Okay everyone. Time for a news update of what all has been going on.

Our Top Story Today
Titanium Rain Delayed due to Chinese Objection to Content:
For those of you who may not know, Titanium Rain follows a squadron of American fighter pilots and their roll during a civil war in China. The Americans (and other countries) have sided with the Sino Union against an ultra nationalist faction known as the Jades. Set in an alternate 2032, Titanium Rain has been compared to Ghost in the Shell: SAC, the new Battle Star Galactica, and Generation Kill. You can find out more on the official website at TitaniumRain.net

Well, I have some bitter-sweet news for fans of Titanium Rain. The release of Vol. 1 Hard Cover has sadly been pushed back. The cause – well, in short, China doesn’t like our book. Seriously. It was sent to three different printers in mainland China and all of them refused to print it due to content. We’re pretty sure it has something to do with the news flashes in Ch.4 and the views on ultra-nationalism. But, our publisher found a printer in Hong Kong and I will have a release schedule for you very soon.

Keep a look out for the official press release coming soon.
And don't forget to preorder the book through Amazon.com at just a little over $13.

In Other News:
The Pretty in Pink Fundraiser was a success! Myself and the Comic Geek Speak Super Show Convention crew hosted a fundraiser for Hero’s Initiative. A charity that I feel very strongly about. The deal was, if we raised $500 by convention time in March, I would go to the convention in a pretty pink dress. For those of you who know me, you know that I DON’T do pink. But, it’s for a good cause, so I can suck it up. Well, the fundraiser was a success and we raised more money than the projected goal. So into the pink dress I go (it is a lovely dress) and thanks to everybody who helped donate.

That's all the news for now.

Signing at Rising Sun Creations December 5th, 2009

2009-12-22T10:19:00.000-08:00

This December has been a busy one for Josh and I so I apologize for how long it has taken me to update this blog.

On December 5th, Josh and I along with our very good friend Jules Rivera (of Marsh Rocket fame who also created the promotions poster) had a signing at Rising Sun Creations located in Mission Valley. The turn out was great!! We were busy all day talking to customers and we drew sketches for people. We had a video interview with Cammy's Comic Corner Podcast, and a hip hop band on tour gave us free copies of their cd's. It was a total blast. I haven't had that much fun in... ever sitting behind the table.

Afterwards we went to dinner with Jules and her husband Alex as well as Josh's cousin Chante and her two friends, Kevin and Ihimu who came into town from Orange County.

As soon as I get the link from Cammy, I'll post the interview. Until then, please enjoy this picture slide show. And thanks to Kevin for taking these wonderful pictures.

Illustration of Jetta by Josh Finney of Titanium Rain

2009-10-23T08:17:00.001-07:00

Josh has an art piece appearing in the upcoming Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa Graphic Novel. You can check it out HERE.

Lots of Titanium Rain News!!

2009-10-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

Well, first and foremost, IT'S OUT TODAY!!!! Yes, the long wait is finally over. Titanium Rain Double Size Issue 1-2 is out in stores TODAY!!

So if you haven't picked it up yet, do so ASAP!! As well, stay tuned for news on our upcoming signing at Rising Sun Productions in San Diego. Josh and I are making plans to do a signing with this wonderful store as soon as 3-4 comes out, which should be in another few weeks.

Second, CBR has just run an interview with Josh on Titanium Rain. It's called "Archaia Forecasts Titanium Rain". In it, Josh talks about what inspired the story and what his goals were in how he told it. It's an awesome interview and I highly recommend that you check it out.

Last, but not least. We've put in our application for a table at the Comic Geek Speak Super Show Convention in March of '10. I know it's a ways away but we're going to start beating the drum now so that people can make plans to head out to PA and come see us. We'll do sketches, have books, patches, and exclusive swag that you can only get from Josh and I. It's going to be awesome!!

-Kat

Press Release: Who Does What

2009-10-20T03:02:00.001-07:00

Due to numerous articles in the comics press containing false or misleading information about Titanium Rain, the creators of the book have decided to step forward and clear up a few things.
First and for most, Josh Finney is both the WRITER and LEAD ARTIST on the book. Along with writing the story, he is also responsible for the panel layouts, digital painting, 3D graphics, graphic design, lettering, and concept art. Kat Rocha's role in the process is as a penciler and flatter. Early in Titanium Rain's creation Josh and Kat had opted to simply list the art credits as being done by both of them. Specifically stating who does which tasks seemed unnecessary. That is until the press repeatedly ran articles crediting Kat for all the art tasks, and on occasion, even credited her for Josh's past body of work as a professional artist.

The truth is, for the last couple of years Josh has been essentially mentoring Kat, teaching her the skills to eventually become an artist in her own right. This is not something Josh or Kat would have wanted to have made public, but apparently the press cannot get it right. Look, we all understand these feel-good "Girls can draw too!" human-interest stories are en vogue right now, but it does not excuse piss-poor journalism.

For the record:
Josh Finney is the lead artist on Titanium Rain. Kat Rocha is the penciler and flatter.

Josh has done past work for Star Trek Enterprise, NOT Kat.

All the Titanium Rain covers are painted by Josh.

The "Digital Realism" style that Titanium Rain is known for was created by Josh Finney, and can be seen in much of his work for game companies such as Spartan Publishing and Rebel Games.

Please of the love of dog, comics press, do your damn homework next time.

LOOK!!!

2009-10-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

Titanium Rain AND God Machine are back from the printer!!! YEAH!!!!!!

Titanium Rain on Amazon

2009-10-12T09:32:00.001-07:00

Well, if the "order here" box on the right wasn't enough of an indication, I think this will be proof enough. That's right, Titanium Rain Volume 1
is now available for preorder on Amazon.com!! Whoo Hoo!

And look at that price. If you missed the $10 preorder price on DCBS last month, you still have a wonderful opportunity to score an amazing deal on Amazon.com for $13!! That's still an amazing 32% savings!!

Also, if you are in the San Diego area, Josh and I will be doing at signing very soon at Rising Sun Productions located in Mission Valley next door to the trolley station. Stay tuned for more info on that and hope onto Amazon.com for amazing savings on your Titanium Rain Volume 1 !!!

News Blast: Titanium Rain at the Long Beach Comic Con!!

2009-09-30T09:35:00.001-07:00

NEWS:Josh Finney and Kat Rocha of Titanium Rain are Special Guests at the Long Beach Comic Con!

Come see them at the Archaia Booth #265. by the front entrance, next to Nintendo.

They'll do sketches, sell art prints, and have Titanium Rain Squadron Patches available.

And while you're there, check them out at the "Archaia: The Mouse that Roared" Pannel on Saturday, Room C at 12 Noon.

See you all there!!

-kat

Titanium Rain Now Available Through Amazon.com

2009-09-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody!! Look what's now available through Amazon!! It's Titanium Rain Volume 1. So now, there are even more great ways of getting your copy.

1. Order from your local comic book store using the Previews Code SEP09 0597
2. Preorder through DCBS and pay only $10.97!! That's a 45% savings.
3. Preorder through Amazon.com.

And don't forget. There will be an additional 50 pages of exclusive content.
Two New Guest Stories
Vehicle Stats
News Articles
Propaganda Notes
And an interview with Bramford, the mind behind Prometheus.

Believe me, you do NOT want to miss this book!!

And don't forget to visit the official Titanium Rain Store for cool swag and art prints done by Josh and Kat.

-Kat

R E S P E C T !!!

2009-09-22T12:25:00.001-07:00

The new "F" Word went up today. In this month's issue I tackle respect, specifically respecting your loved ones who are comic fans. It always makes me sad (and a tad annoyed) whenever I hear or read about a comic fan who has to hide their hobby away in a "nerd room" of the house, or when I hear about how their SO "let" them go to a convention. Errrrr.

It's live now at Comic Relate.com.

-kat

Look at what Martheus did for me!!!!

2009-09-19T21:18:00.001-07:00

EEEEEEEEEE!!! I'm so happy to have this piece. It's me, hulking out. Martheus Wade (of Jetta fame) did this for me. Josh comissioned it for my birthday. This is going to be my new picture for The "F" Word... and probably my new avatar for the CGS forums. Yah!!!

I'll have a more complete update up soon. I've just been so busy. It'll come, trust me.

-kat

My Husband was Assaulted...

2009-09-10T19:21:00.001-07:00

... ok, maybe a bit sensationalistic for a title... not to mention that it's about 16 years too late, but none the less true. Josh Finney (my partner in crime) has written an article for ComicRelated.com on how he was shot and nearly died at age 19 and how it relates to our book Titanium Rain.

It's real, it's honest, and I highly recomend that you all check it out.

-Kat

General Update for 9/8/09

2009-09-08T16:07:00.001-07:00

Well, haven't done one of these in a while. Had a pretty good three day weekend. Spent most of it running around doing errands (lots of striking out in getting what I needed but still) with Josh. As well, Josh just put the finishing touches on the Graphic Novel. Over 150pages total!!! We are so excited. Neither one of us can wait to see it in print. Archaia does such high quality printing and this is how we both feel the story should have always been told.

My close friend Chan went to Dragon Con this weekend. Lucky. :( Really wish I could have gone. Oh well, there is always next year.

Working on another F Word entry... that would be up in a few days-a week.

Read some killer reviews of webcomics... seriously, if you haven't read these you are missing out.

And doing a lot of sketching... and completely obsessed with the Ghostbusters game. I haven't played it in 4 days and it's driving me nuts!!! gotta play!!!!!!!

And that's my life. Whooo.
Hopefully I'll have more to report later.

But until then, order Titanium Rain HC Vol. 1 This month in Previews. You won't be disappointed!!!

-Kat

It's Official...

2009-09-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. I know, I can hardly believe it myself but it's real. It's in Previews. Yes... Titanium Rain is coming out in Hard Cover!!!

Over 30 pages of bonus material!
Vehicle Stats
Tech Stats
Informational articles
AND
Two Bonus Short Stories

So head on down to your local comic shop and tell them
"I Want My Titanium Rain!"

-Kat

NEW ART!!!!

2009-08-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

That's right! New art to show!! Whoo Hoo. I know it's been a while but I've been working hard with Josh on Titanium Rain... of which the Double-Sized issue one will be out next week. :)

So, here is my latest piece. It is a "fan art" piece of Good God from Chandra Free's The God Machine currently in the August Previews (a book you must checkout). I'm very happy with this piece because this is my first full attempt at digital painting.

Before working on Titanium Rain I was always afraid to tackle color and stuck to b/w. While working on TR, Josh has been teaching me digital painting techniques and all about lighting. How to use colors to convey mood and how best to create a strong composition (as I usually do pin-ups of girls floating in space. ;)) So, this is my first piece testing out these skills and I'm very happy with the results. :)

I picked this piece to do first as Chan's artwork has helped to inspire me on how I want my paintings to look. Her use of hard shadows and harsh lighting is absolutely beautiful and helped me to be inspired on how I would give that effect on my own pieces.

-Kat

"It's a Hard World" and updates

2009-08-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, the latest instalment of The "F" Word is now live at ComicRelated.com. This time I tackle one of my theories as to why there aren't more "big name" females in the industry. Expect much controversy. :)
http://comicrelated.com/news/2805/the-f-word-returns

In Titanium Rain News:
The triumphant return of Titanium Rain to the shelves is next week on the 26th. Be sure to rush down to your Local Comic Shop (LCS) and get your copy of this Double-Sized issue.

Also, the Titanium Rain Store is now open for business!! As you can see to the right we have squadron patches as well as art prints for sale. More coming soon so stay tuned!!
Titanium Rain Store - http://titaniumrainstore.blogspot.com

And now to plug fellow Archaia creators:
Books to Preorder this month
The God Machine
Starkweather Immortal HC
Books to Pick Up
The Killer Vol. 2
Primordia

In Art News:
Working on this kick ass piece last night. This is my first time trying this technique for digital painting and I'm really enjoying the results. Hopefully I'll have it finished tonight so that I can share with everybody. All I'll say is that it's fan art for a very dear friend of mine. :)

I think that's all for now.

-Kat

Beating the Drum!!

2009-07-31T15:17:00.000-07:00

BUY THIS BOOK!!!!! IT IS AMAZING!!!

"Stupid Reviewer, Kat Smash!!!" on The "F" Word

2009-07-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

My second entry for The "F" Word is up!!! Here I got a bit more in depth with my last rant as well as discuss the perception of "female artists" and their preferred subject matters.... well, ok, just mine. :)

Check it out: http://comicrelated.com/news/2168/the-f-word-returns

-kat

Why Don't Journalists Look at the Bi-Line?!

2009-06-30T14:28:00.001-07:00

I am the CO-ARTIST on Titanium Rain. That's Co-Artist. As in Josh and I do the art together. I am not the only artist on the book. I'm the penciler. The rest is all Josh. I'm getting really sick and tired of journalists NOT reading up on these things. Just seeing two names and assume that one person does one thing while the other person does the other.

ARGGG!! I am not going to take credit for something I didn't do and it's making me really sick that people don't f*cking reasearch this. It's embarassing for them and it's embarassing for ME when I have to send them an email that says "No, I didn't do any of that." or "That was Josh's cover art, not mine." or "Josh did the vehical specs because he does ALL THE 3D IN THE BOOK!!"

Today was the worst. This one person started attributing other projects that Josh has done on his own, outside of comics (namely Star Trek), to me. ARGG!!

Look people. I just pencil, ok. That's all. That is all I do. I am a penciler. You'd think in comics people would be used to the idea of multiple people doing multiple jobs but no. They just have to assume something that wasn't true. Crediting me for things that I didn't do does NOT make me feel good. It makes everyone feel like an idiot when one of us has to ineviatbly tell the person that they got it completely wrong.

Since I am female and I work in comics, I have noticed a lot of men falling over themselves to give me credit for "what a good artist I am". Those complements don't make me feel all that great when it's someone else's work.

Yet Another Internet Rant About Iran.

2009-06-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

Gotta come out and talk about the protests in Iran. I wasn’t going to because, does the internet really need yet another rant about how bad things are there. But, hey, that’s what blogs are for. Right?
As I type this I’ve got CNN running in the background so I can hear any updates on what is going on.
Living in the United States I am very aware of the fact that I have a lot of freedoms. Not just as a female, but as a human being. I don’t have to worry about getting fined and jailed for holding my husband’s hand in public. I don’t have to worry about being arrested for not covering my head. And I know I can speak my mind and criticize anything I don’t like, even the government. Americans have a lot of freedoms.
I have grown up with a lot of baby boomers trying to tell me how hard they had it and how hard they fought for the freedoms that I enjoy today. My mother told me once that the 1950’s were one of the most oppressive decade towards women in history. A girl I know full on thought that the only woman’s suffrage movement that ever existed was in the 1960’s. I know that we had some ugly times in the past 50 years. I’m not going to deny it… but there is a big difference between having rock concerts and getting high on drugs to protest the government and what is going on right now in Iran… and it really brings things into perspective to me.
Last night CNN was reading blog entries on Facebook from Iranians. One wrote about how yesterday might very well be his last day on Earth. It’s shocking and depressing. I’ve heard reports of “expected violence” in U.S. protests in the past (a day without an illegal comes to mind) that turned out to be absolutely nothing. Just aging hippies remembering the glory days of getting arrested in protests and wanting to see that again because, to them, it validates them.
I know that Iran is a totally different culture and there is REAL oppression there… but part of my brain really wanted to believe that things wouldn’t be so bad today. I really wanted to believe that today would be a relatively peaceful day with maybe a few little break outs of unrest.
But no. These people are really fighting and really dying for their belief in a better world. That person who wrote they might not come home tonight wasn’t stretching the truth and… though it is incredibly inspiring that people are willing to sacrifice themselves for a better world, it’s also really depressing and sad that they have to at all.
Ok, disclaimer before I get angry hate mail about how I don’t know what I’m talking about. I am NOT talking about the Civil Rights movement. I am talking strictly about those spoiled rich kids who went on road trips and had tons of sex and drugs and went to drum circles and hung out in San Francisco to protest “government oppression and sexism” in this country. You know. The aging boomers and shallow post boomers who say all the right things and really want to believe that they have suffered when really they’ve benefitted the most from this wonderful country we are in.
Black America, the men and women who fought that fight in the 60’s, you people are heros. And it makes me sick every time I hear a rich, white, 50something take credit for what you achieved.
One final note to everybody. The next time you start criticizing this wonderful country we are in, take a real look around. Women have the ability to complain about trivial things like whether or not the latest Star Trek Movie was sexist. We have a black president in the Whitehouse. And every American has the right to tell every other American that they don’t agree with them on issues of religion, politics, and morality.
Ok. I’m done.

-kat

P.S. Josh wrote a wonderful short essay about Iran on The Hanger. Please read it and let us know what you think.

The "F" Word is LIVE!!!

2009-06-12T17:46:00.001-07:00

That's right! My new column on ComicRelated.com is now up and LIVE. Whoo Hoo!! I would like to say thank you to Chuck who was kind enough to welcome me to the CR family. As well, thank you to my wonderful husband Josh, who helped to make my rants make sense and articulate beyond "Kat SMASH! RARG!!"

So head on over to ComicRelated.com and check it out, then let me know what you think. :)

-kat

More Podcasts

2009-06-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

The Geeks at Comic Geek Speak invited us to join them while they went through this month's Previews. So join us for jokes and Archie "Spoilers" and good good comics. You can go to the website or you can listen to it Right Here. :)

Also, I'd like to thank Bill Doughty (aka. Library Boy on TheComicForums.com) for the wonderful quote: "Josh and Kat are the Nick & Nora Charles of hard science fiction and dark, inappropriate humor."

Disclaimer: No actual spoilers were made for Archie #600. It is all a joke. Neither Josh nor myself have any prior knowledge to what is happening. If Archie does wind up a homeless man, it is purely coincidental. :)

Podcasts and Friendly Pimpage.

2009-06-06T15:50:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody. Josh and I have been really busy lately beating the drum for Titanium Rain. Here are two of the podcasts we've been on recently.

The first one is at ComicRelated.com where we had a very nice chat with Chuck.

The second one, admittedly, has nothing to do with Titanium Rain, but I get to pimp the book anyway. The Comic Geek Speak guys asked me on to talk about Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service for their Book of the Month Episode (since I really enjoy that series).
You can actually listen to it Right Here.

Ok, now I'd like to take this oportunity to do a shout out to my friend Lord Shaper, who wrote an awesome article on whether Deadpool is the new Wolverine in terms of how many titles he's in. You can check it out at The Furnace.

And Finally, we have a KILLER deal on Titanium Rain #1/2. You can order your copy through DCBService.com for ONLY $2.74. As well, if you are one of the first 100 people to order the book you will receive...

I dare you to find a better deal than that!

-Kat

News!!

2009-06-01T14:38:00.001-07:00

Yes, news. I have news. Lots of news. And it's all good!!

First! My friend Jules of Marsh Rocket did this kick-ass comic in response to my Power Girl article. You should definitely go there and check it out, and while you're there, give her comic a try. It's awesome, and I'm not just saying that because she's a friend.

Next, speaking of my Power Girl article, inspired by the wonderful feedback that I received (and much pushing and encouragement from my husband) I am not going to be doing a monthly column on ComicRelated.com entitled "The 'F' Word" The "F" word being "feminism" because it means so many things to so many people. If you read the Power Girl article, you can get an idea of the vibe that I'll be writing in. ;) More information as we get closer to the day the column goes live. ;)
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chuck of Comic Related for welcoming my into the CR family. I am very honored that he has allowed me this opportunity to do a column on a subject that I feel very passionate about.

Ok, Now the BIG NEWS!!
TITANIUM RAIN IS OFFICIALLY BACK!!
Yes, the Double-Sized Relaunch Issue #1&2 is solicited under Archaia in the June Previews. Code: JUN09 0698. As well, we have ONE KILLER deal with DCBService.com. More details can be found HERE.

That's all for now.

-Kat

Of Fish and Tarts

2009-05-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may not know, SequentialTart.com is an online news service and editorial column that promotes itself as "working towards raising the awareness of women's influence in the comics industry and other realms".

I hardly read them… if ever. Usually because the substance of their articles consists of things like how the Wonder Woman of the late 60's was depowered longer than the Superman of the late 90's. [*]

Occasionally though, I will hold out hope that maybe they have gotten better and my next visit won't be as bad as I last remembered it. Sadly, my trip there yesterday was not that day.

What was it that I found? Well, I’m going to warn you. It’s really stupid. And strangely enough, had nothing to do with feminism or comics. I guess it fell in that “other realms” category.

The reviewer apparently took a trip to a Red Lobster and was disappointed that it wasn't a five star meal.

Think about that for a moment.

This person actually wrote a “snotty, food-critic” review, on a comics site, to share the brilliant discovery that Red Lobster is a run-of-the-mill fish house.

Unless you've been living in the jungle for the last twenty years (or have never heard their jingle) you know that Red Lobster is NOT a high class restaurant.
Will you get a better meal than at Long John Silvers... Yes.
Will you get a better meal than Apple Bee's... that's debatable.
NOBODY goes to Red Lobster and expects to be eating at a classy establishment. That's just silly.

So what was her “high and mighty” review of her visit? Well, besides the required gripes about the food quality, she objected to the restaurant patroned by many families with children under the age of seven, people liked lots of butter on their lobsters, and she got her entree before she had finished eating her salad.
And no “feminist “ commentary would be complete without at least one reference to porn, which was her description of their commercials and her excuse as to why she went there in the first place.

Wow.

I spent the better part of last night randomly bursting out into fits of giggles thinking of this article. Not because of the content so much, but that this review was posted on Sequential Tart of all places. What does this have to do with comics, or feminism? It’s like the reviewer ran out of ideas and just decided to gripe about her dinner because she had a deadline coming up.
If you want to read this article, you can go HERE. Because I believe that people who are willing to make a fool of themselves publicly should be shared with friends. That way, we can all laugh together.
-Kat

Power Girl, WTF?!

2009-05-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

It's up! It's up! It's up! Whoo Hoo!!!

My editorial on Power Girl is up on ComicRelated.com

POWER GIRL, WTF?!
Female creator, Kat Rocha talks boobs, feminism, and DC's new Power Girl series.
By Kat Rocha (with a little help from Josh Finney).

Growing up, as I did, an awkward tomboy teen with big breasts and absolutely no interest in being "girlie," finding females role models I could relate to was nearly impossible when it came to film and TV. Throughout the 80's and 90's, if a woman was tough, she was always shown as a bra-burning dyke, or made "approachable" by way of a strong maternal instinct. Terminator 2, Red Sonja, Aliens --these films are remembered for their strong female leads, but think about it. Were any of these women kick ass simply for the sake of being kick ass? No, Ripley was an motherly protector, Sonja an avenging man-hater, and Sarah Connor a little of both. And as much as I enjoyed these films, I can't say I identified much with any of these so-called feminist role-models. Someday, maybe, the rest of Hollywood will figure out what Joss Whedon did a long time ago, and that is feminine strength has nothing to do with being a frigid harpy...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

So yeah. For me, the media's portrayal of strong women remains lackluster at best.
And when it came to the portrayal of women who shared my particular bra size, it absolutely sucked. Television, movies, even novels --if a woman has a D-cup or more, she is automatically a slut, a buffoon, or worse, the resident bubble-headed foil for the “Plain Jane” to make look stupid. It's no wonder beautifully endowed actresses now routinely hack off their breasts to improve their marketability in Hollywood.

So growing up, as I did, an awkward tomboy with big breasts, who enjoyed action movies and sci-fi, who wanted to be the hero-adventurer in my own right. Where did I find my role-models? Where in the world would a budding young geek girl find sexy, no-nonsense heroines who were gutsy and powerful and not weighted down with the tired mommy/man-hating baggage that Hollywood likes to pin on its tough chicks? Where indeed.

As you can tell, I don't buy into the whole "comics are sexist" bull that pervades so many editorials on a certain other website. For me, comics have been a sanctuary. It is the only medium where I can routinely find strong, beautiful women to cheer for and inspire me.

And this is why I am so upset about DC's new Power Girl series. They've taken my favorite caped goddess and reduced her to a third-rate Emma Frost. She's snotty, prudish, and her inner-monologs read like the spoiled rich girl who found her way into a women's studies major. This is not Power Girl. This is not the Kryptonian tough girl Geoff Johns wrote so well in JSA. In the hands of Gray and Palmiotti, DC's number-one sexy tomboy not only falls flat, she hits an all time low. Now, I am aware there's been an event recently with the word "Crisis" in the title, and naturally, the DCU has become even more convoluted, but I'll say it again, THIS IS NOT MY POWER GIRL!

How so? Why not start with the most obvious --Power Girl's bountiful chest. Or more specifically, how it is handled under Gray and Palmiotti. Right out of the gate in issue #1 they've got Karen bad mouthing a young man, a nice guy, no less, just because his eyes wandered southward for a moment and noticed those huge cans of hers (which just happened to be packed into a cleavage revealing top that's cut just above the nipples). Being a woman with a sizable rack myself, I can tell you this is the biggest load of crap I've seen in a while. It's a cheap shot, it's completely out of character for Karen, and smacks of the kind of thing "sensitive men" equate with being a strong female. For the record, gentlemen, strong women aren't afraid of their sexuality. They don't need to put down men who find them attractive. Only the most insecure of females would flaunt their goods in a low-cut top and then complain at the first hint of notice.

This, of course, brings me right back to Geoff Johns and his take on Karen. There is a subtle, but huge difference between the way the writers handle the same subject. Here's an excerpt from Johns' JSA Classified when Power Girl notices Jimmy Olson eyeing her chest at an inappropriate moment. Karen's internal monologue reads, "But he's still a guy...They all take a quick glace down, some of the women too." Now let's take a look at a very similar scene in the Palmiotti/Gray Power Girl #1, "I can overlook his staring at my chest. It's something I had to get used to a long time ago." The difference is subtle, but it's an important one.

Johns' Power Girl is stating a fact. She aware of her attributes. She's aware that men (and women) find her voluptuous figure attractive, if not down right distracting. She doesn't hold it against Jimmy for noticing. Is she a little annoyed for him taking a peek at an inappropriate moment? Sure. But clearly she doesn't think less of him. Why? Because Johns' Power Girl is a woman who is comfortable with her body and has nothing to prove (on that front, at least). On the other hand, Palmiotti/Gray takes a similar situation and turns Power Girl into a dismissive, stuck-up, jerk. Really, if she's so concerned about people noticing the twins, she should cover the damn things up! There, done! Fixed! Now shut up!

Really, I think Johns nailed the boob issue best in JSA Classified when Power Girl saved the window washer from falling...you know, the popular "eyes up here" scene that has proliferated onto nearly every Power Girl fan site on the net. A warm smile and a little good nature ribbing was all Karen needed to make her point. And by her expression, you even get the sense she found the whole situation, dare I say, a little cute.

But it isn't just about the boobs. If it were, maybe I'd be willing to give Gray and Palmiotti a pass. But no, it gets worse. Much much worse. Not only do they turn Power Girl into a snotty prude, Gray and Palmiotti then fall back on the most predictable of plot devices for a female hero...a megalomaniac nemesis who also happens be a raging sexist. In fact, Gray and Palmiotti are so sure this plot device is still fresh they give us not one, but two, yes TWO sexist Neanderthals for the audience to hate. And just for good measure to ensure no one misses that they're making a "feminist" statement, one of these sexist men actually happens to be an ape-man. Gosh, guys, laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?

Every good writer knows that villains are the standard by which a hero's worth is measured. Superman has Luthor, Green Lantern has Sinestro, Batman has...well, the Bat has more cool villains than anyone. Who does Power Girl get? Ultra-Humanite. The dollar-store version of Gorilla Grod. You want to talk about sexism? THIS is sexism! This is freakin' Power Girl! A member of the JSA! A full-powered Kryptonian! This woman can hold her own in a knock-down drag-out with Black Adam! And Gray and Palmiotti choose to stick her with Ultra-Humanite!?!?! The guy is the Fisher-Price "My First Nemesis" of villains! His big master plan in the story is to steal Power Girl's body and conquer the world by gender-bending. What the hell?! Batman never has to put with this kind of crap...okay, well maybe sometimes he does, but you get my point.

Which brings me to the second cookie-cutter misogynist to appear in Power Girl #1, Bevlin. Please, can somebody tell me why is this guy in the book at all?! He is such a cliché he doesn't even qualify as an actual character. Far as I can tell, Bevlin's only function is to be the stereo-typical sexist white guy in a scene that could have been ripped straight from the Lifetime network. I mean, Karen actually says to him, "Get out and take your sexist nonsense with you?!" Seriously, what the hell is this?! Gray... Palmiotti... Stop for a minute. Think about who you're writing for. This is POWER GIRL. This is the woman who offered to introduce Isis to her fist. And the best you could come up with is, "...take your sexist nonsense with you?!" Guys, did your brains slip out?! Did you suddenly think you were penning an Ally McBeal episode?

I guess what it all comes down to is I expected more from a stand alone Power Girl series. I mean, she's part of the big leagues now. She's got her name as the masthead. And THIS is how she gets to make her debut? Matching wits with a gender-bending gorilla and a corporate douche? Imagine if this had been The Flash? Or Martian Manhunter? How about Doctor Fate? Would Doctor Fate ever be pitted against a villain who hates him because he's a man, yet wants his body? I didn't think so.

Yes, Power Girl is female. Yes, she's going to run up against some gender issues from time to time. But this? This is just, I don't know...embarrassing. If you are going to tackle the gender issue, put a new spin on it. Give readers something we haven't seen before. And most importantly, keep the character true to herself --strong, sexy, and kick ass. Like I said before, growing up as an awkward tomboy with absolutely no interest in being "girlie," Power Girl spoke to me on a personal level. She has all the qualities that make many male heroes awesome, and a few others that are awesome in a uniquely female sort of way. All I'm asking is that she be treated with a little respect in her own damn book.

Eh....who knows, maybe in a few issues Gray and Palmiotti will reveal that Karen is actually a robot, or from Bizzarro world, or heck, even a Skrull. We can only hope.

-Kat

3 Sentence Reviews for May 20th, 2009.

2009-05-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

I’ve never felt the need to do this before but I figure, what the hey. I’ve got a blog, it’s that what people are supposed to do with blogs, right? Most of these are new releases but some are a bit older, so, bare with me.
Ok, here we go.

Mavel:
Dark Reign, the Cabal:
Doom is awesome. Namor is a dick, but he’s awesome. Why are the other people in this?

Uncanny X-Men #510:
I have no idea what the plot is or what is going on, and I really don’t care.Hot chick fights on every page=total fan service AND my two favorite characters, Spiral and Deathstrike are among them. Come on, look at that cover, leather-clad lovelies duking it out doesn’t need a plot. And the whole issue is like this!

Astonishing Tales #3
I want an entire mini-series set in Mojoworld. The Spider-woman story should have been a stand-alone one shot. I’m all for genetic engineering and all the cool Cyberpunk 2020 stuff, but test-tube babies driving mecha is an incredibly wrong premise… that makes no sense to begin with other than giving the audience and “ick” factor. (oh, and the art for the Wolverine/Punisher story is kick ass)

DC:
Run#1:
Hilarious and sick. I love that he did the “I’m a changed man, honey.” routine and the dumb bitch fell for it. Also the shoot-out at the fast food place was awesome.

Justice Society of America #26:
Great way to have a nice, humorous break after the battle with Black Adam. The heros in the convenience store buying ice cream was one of my favorite scenes. Also, loved Starman’s innuendo about his future “adventure” with Thunderbolt… or is it in the past? 

Power Girl #1:
*sigh* uh.. until I get my full review up, I’ll let Power Girl herself say it. “Hurts… so…. much… this is BAD…”

Independent:
Atomic Robo Vol.3, #1:
Never read the series before but after the CGS show about the first book, I decided to check it out. Josh actually said it best when he said it felt like it was a follow up to the 2000AD series Necronauts. The twist with Lovecraft was perfect and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series as well as the previous books.
Unwritten #1:
Ok, now, the plot synopsis seemed harmless enough, a satire on Harry Potter sounded great. Do you really have to put in all the biblical apocalyptic crap… and lay it on so thick too while you’re at it. If I had known these guys were aiming for Harry Potter meets the Da Vinci Code, I wouldn’t have bothered.

-Kat

Oh, and last but not least. Happy Aniversary to my wonderful Husband. It's been 4 years and not a day goes by that I don't think I'm the luckiest woman alive to have you.

Titanium Rain Preview 2

2009-05-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

Archaia Interview @ The Pulse

2009-05-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Jennifer M. Contino of The Pulse sat down with the creators of Awakening, Lone & Level Sands, Robotika and Titanium Rain and talked about the new Archaia and what they have in store for this year.

As a sample of what you'll read, here is our very own Josh Finney and his answer to what was it about Archaia that made it worth the wait...

"What was it about Archaia that made it worth the wait? Well, I suppose Mark Smylie had a lot to do with it. Those boyish good looks, that winning smile of his, his odd Obama-esque manner of speaking. What other reason does a comic creator need, really? Ask yourself, could Marvel ever promise such a fine, fashionable editor and chief? I can guarantee you Joe Quesada does NOT perform bare-chested tai-chi every morning before a convention. Mark? Well, maybe I've never seen him do this, but I'm pretty sure Mark does. Beat that, Marvel!"

-Kat

More Takshaka, Art, and Booting People in the Head

2009-05-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

First, TAKSHAKA!!
If you do nothing else, listen to how awesome these songs are...

Then:
a) follow the link to Amazon and get yourself some OR
b) go to iTunes and get yourself some

At the very least, please leave a review on either site.

Thank you.

-----*****-----

And now, a new art piece. I did this one for my uncle-in-law for his birthday. In the full sized version, there is a ghost of an image of red snap-dragons in the background.

If I am correct, the kanji reads something like "Creative Dragon"... but I would like to know from anybody who understands kanji if I got it right or totally wrong. :)

-----*****-----
If you are like me, your day job can get to be really boring. Wouldn't you love to just hop over your desk and boot that anoying guy two desks over in the head? Well, unfortunately you can't without getting arrested, but that doesn't mean you can't have a chibi version of yourself do some headbooting for you.
I introduce you to MyBrute.com. A simple idea that is amazingly fun and entertaining. You can CLICK HERE to see my "brute" and "chalenge me" in the arena.

-Kat

Good News & More Good News

2009-04-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

Good News: My car does not need a new starter. It need new wires that connect the battery to the starter. $12+ elbow grease vs. $486 = much better. Now I can get a decent price for the stupid thing when I sell it. Yes, I still plan on selling it.

More Good News: Do you remember that thing for Titanium Rain that I said we were getting? That thing that you could wear but it's not a t-shirt? Well, they came in... and look-it how cool it is!!! Whoo Hooo!!
You want one, don't you. I know you do. Well, stay tuned and closer to June I will tell you how you can get one of your very own. :evil grin: Yes, I'm going to make you wait because I'm evil that way.... and we have to finalize some deals first. ;)

-Kat

I hate my car.

2009-04-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

:sigh:
New battery for Saturn = $86
Estimate on a new starter for Saturn + labor = $486
Getting Honda registered and smog checked w/ DMV = $280

Knowing I’m not driving a crappy American car anymore… priceless.

Yep, my car died last weekend in front of my in-laws’ house. A month ago in AZ I had the same problem. Lights turned on but no sound. Thought it was the battery so I replaced it. Obviously that wasn’t the only problem.

Now, normally I’d try to cash in the warranty on the new battery and replace it again… but this time the stupid thing won’t even start when I jump it. It’s dead dead. Which tells me that it’s most likely the starter that has gone. And that, I simply can’t afford to replace.

So, we got Josh’s Honda all re-registered (don’t ask why it wasn’t before) and it’s all good now.

As for my car, I’m planning on either selling it for parts or donating it to charity. I haven’t decided yet. Probably sell it for parts… depends on how much they offer.

On to happier news!
Got the postcards back from the printer for Titanium Rain! Whoo Hooo!! They look awesome. Josh did a fantastic job. I’ll post a picture of what they look like soon. We’re planning a trip up and down the Southern CA coast, going to every comic book shop we can think of at the end of May. We will also be mailing them out to different stores around the country so if you have a store to recommend, please do so.

Comic Geek Speak just updated their website (yah!) and both Josh and I have contributed an art piece each that will rotate with others on the homepage. Please visit their site at ComicGeekSpeak.com to check it out.

And last, in my quest/obsession to completely master Portal, I have purchased the Orange Box. Why? Because the version of Portal there has different achievements than the Still Alive version downloadable through Xbox Live. So, I was whittling away at that this weekend. Whoo Hoo. I will master it all! Bwaaa haa haaa!

-Kat

Titanium Rain Preview 1

2009-04-13T01:04:00.000-07:00

Behold!!!

2009-04-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

HELLO KITTY CYBERMAN!!! Bow before it's cuteness and dispare for you too will be cyberized into it's adorable army!

Hahaha! Well, as you can see, the sketch card bug has hit both Josh and I and we've decided to start making our own. Most of these will be part of a TR promotional, of which I will talk about later.

I penciled this little guy and Josh inked him and worked his marker magic because he's so much better at simulating that metal sheen than I am. Since this is a "new" cyberman I plan on also doing an "Earthshock" era one as well as a "Tombs of...". I have a Maria from Metropolis drawn and inked and Josh has offered to color/tone her as well.

I've also working on a few serious robot sketches. This one will be inked but I just wanted to post the rough pencil now. I've done another one that is inked and colored but she's hasn't been scanned yet. I'll try to include her in an upcoming post as well as hopefully some examples of what Josh has been working on.
<-----Here is a sample of his previous sketch card work. I love how completely diffrent his are from mine.

Takshaka News: You can now listen to Takshaka on the official website. Just click on the Takshaka banner to the right or click on the words Takshaka in this post. :)

Random Rant: Ok, gotta crow here because I'm just so happy and I don't care how stupid it may sound. I finally got the chance last night to sit down and find all 5 of the rat-men dens in Portal:Still Alive! Whoo Hoo! New achievement for me! Silly I know but I didn't find them all the first time through, then the last time I played I found the one I was missing, but since I started towards the end of the game I didn't nab them all. So, last night I finally did it!!! Now, I must finish all advanced test chambers, go through the whole game w/out taking a bullet, and figure out how to get myself so screwed that GLaDOS has to come save me. I think that one will be the hardest because for the life of me I have no idea how the hell you do that. I'm just going to have to start from test-chamber one and work my way through, trying to get myself stuck. :)

Ok, that's all for now.

-Kat

March 30th Update.

2009-03-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Last week was a pretty busy week actually. Got our taxes done this weekend. whoo hoo! Mailing those off after I'm done with work and all will be well. :)

Red Lights of Death: UPDATE. The Xbox is back!!! Whooo hooo! Oh how I've missed it. I plugged it in and instantly tapped my "Portal" vein. ooooh it was sweet to play it again. :)

In TR News: Josh and I ordered some very cool merch. in preperation for SDCC and the relaunch of the book this August. :evil grin: I can't wait till we get these things in. I'm going to leave it a secret for now... but I will say that you can wear them but they are not t-shirts. :)

Takshaka News: if you haven't yet, be sure to check out the Takshaka MySpace page to hear four (that's 4) full tracks. As well, in a few days, check out the Official Takshaka Website to hear the full album. :)

And last, but not least, on Saturday Josh and I hung out with Jules Rivera of Marsh Rocket and her husband, Alex. Strangely enough we met eachother in San Fransisco and discovered that we lived only a few miles away. Weird. We went to dinner at a local irish pub and wound up talking for 4 hrs. Good times had by all. It's so nice to get out and hang with fun people once in a while. :)

And that's it for now. Just wanted to post a general update.

-Kat

Awakening Volume One Now Available for Pre-Order!

2009-03-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

In an effort to spread the word that Archaia is back and all the quality you had come to expect from them is still there, many of the Archaia talent have banded together to help pimp eachother's books and get the word out. So, I encourage anyone who reads this blog to take a moment to view their copy of the April Previews and check out The Awakening.

Below is a press release from Nick (the writer) discribing the book. And, I must say that as a rule, if I don't like something I won't pimp it. I loved this book. It's more of a dark, psychological mystery than a "zombie" book. Kinda reminds me of the X-Files when it was good.

Anyway, I will now leave you to Nick.
-Kat

------BEGIN TRANSMISSION---------

Nick.Tapalansky@gmail.com
http://www.archaiasp.com/awakening.php
For Immediate Release:

Awakening Volume One Now Available for Pre-Order!

March 26th, 2009 – New Paltz, NY. Creators Nick Tapalansky and Alex Eckman-Lawn are thrilled to announce that Awakening Volume One, the first of two volumes of the critically acclaimed Archaia series, is now available for pre-order.

"It’s been a long, strange trip getting here," Tapalansky says, referring to the restructuring Archaia (Mouse Guard, Artesia, The Killer, etc.) underwent throughout the entirety of 2008. "Archaia is a fantastic company and all we can say is the wait was well worth it. These guys came out on the other side as a stronger company with some great initiatives for fans and creators alike. We’re proud to be a part of their line-up and can’t wait for people to see what they’ve got coming, especially Awakening. Not that we’re partial or anything.”

The solicitation for Awakening Volume One reads as follows:

“The once peaceful city of Park Falls has been tainted by a series of gruesome murders and missing persons. Cynthia Ford, well known as the town crazy, comes forward to speak with retired police detective Derrick Peters one January afternoon. She claims to have information about the murders, but does she hold the key to unlocking the mystery or has she truly gone insane?

To Derrick’s disbelief she utters one word:

Zombies.

Unable to ignore Cynthia’s information, though not sharing her beliefs, Derrick and others in the city explore the mystery as weeks turn to months and the death toll rises. Could Cynthia have been right? Follow the first half of Park Falls’s year-long struggle for answers here…”

“We’re really taking a grass roots approach to getting the word out,” Tapalansky explains. “We want to reach out to as many fans and retailers as possible. We’re hitting
MySpace, deviantArt, message boards, you name it. We’re hoping that fans of the floppy issues will jump on board and help spread the word. That’s also why we’ve released our fancy pre-order coupon, which is a huge component of that initiative.”

The coupon Tapalansky refers to can be found ----->. It contains all the information a retailer will need to order a copy of the book from Diamond’s Previews catalog.

“All anybody needs to do is print this sucker out and bring it to their local comic shop. That’s it! Come June they’ll have a tome of existential horror and noir mystery to enjoy. We’re hoping that fans and folks interested in the book will feature the coupon and some links on their blogs, message boards, bathroom stalls - whatever it takes to get the word out.”

“We couldn’t have gotten this far without our rabid fan base,” Tapalansky continues, “We’re hoping they’ll turn their unnatural lust for horror and good comics towards spreading the word.”

Those without local shops needn’t worry – as soon as the book is available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other book retailers, links will be posted to Nick and Alex’s websites, various message boards, and blogs across the internet.

So spread the word and get ready: Awakening is coming.

You’ve been warned.

About Awakening: Chapters 1 – 3 of Awakening were originally serialized and released in 2007 to rave reviews. Fans and critics alike enjoyed the unique take on the zombie genre, focusing on the noir mystery of a city slowly rotting from within rather than the typical mass uprising/fight for survival. Referred to as existential horror by the publisher, critics have said that it’s “The coolest and most original zombie piece since The Walking Dead,” (Broken Frontier), “The next 30 Days of Night,” (The Pullbox), and that main character Derrick Peters is “where Phillip Marlowe meets George Romero,” (Horrorview). Readers can find out more by visiting the MySpace page for Awakening, Nick’s Blog, Truth in Four Colors, or the official Archaia page for Awakening.

Awakening Volume 1 is due in stores this June.

----- END TRANSMISSION -----

It's Pimp'n Time!

2009-03-26T22:25:00.000-07:00

Made this iMix of my favorite songs that feature prominately synthesized voices... specifically robot voices because, let's face it, robot voices kick ass. And yes, there is some pimpage for Takshaka in there. :)

So listen and enjoy.

It's Official...

2009-03-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

As of this day, I am now legally, Kat Finney. :applause: I went down to the SSA today and got it all taken care of. Took about an hour wait for a 10min. procedure. :) But now I am officially Mrs. Finney and it feels really good to say it. :) Now begins the process of changing my DL and all the financial stuff. Much fun... but well worth it. I really got a kick out of seeing "Finney" on the letter that they gave me when I left.

Ok, It's now time for "fun things overheard while at government buildings". I literally heard a woman say that not only was her son "addicted" to Craig's List and used it for everything. She then elaborated by stating that he "adopted my grandchild through Craig's List".... Does your brain blue-screen on this too? Not only is that illegal... it's just stupid. I mean, there are so many things WRONG with that statement.... and then you start thinking "they probably aren't the only ones doing this." the idea that there are actually multiple people "adopting" children through Craig's list. The stupidity... the outright wrongness... I'm so glad I'm not in retail anymore cause now I don't have to deal personally with these people.

On to other news, Josh and I just got back from AZ where we saw the air show at Luke Air Base. Well... I should say that we saw the airplanes on the tarmac... not the air show itself. The line to get into the base on Saturday was a full three blocks long and that is not an exaggeration. They had it serpentine three times down the street from one traffic light to the next. So we said "screw it" and arrived super early on Sunday morning to get in. We left before they flew any planes (got there at 8 and they weren't going to fly anything till noon) but seeing all the F16s on the field was very awesome.

We even talked to a few of the training squadrons that were selling stuff. Bought a g-string from the Fighting Bulldogs (had to. It was just too hilarious) and a charm for my charm bracelet from the Mad Mallards. They were cool. Their squadron patch has Donald Duck on it, so their attitude patch says QQMF (means Quack Quack Mother Fucker). :evil grin: Josh bought a "zap" sticker from them as well as a Raptor patch for his jacket.

Though they weren't flying any Raptors at the time we did get to see two of them on the runway. We couldn't get any closer than 100 feet or so but I got some good shots.

Well, I think that's it for now.

-Kat

Takshaka

2009-03-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

Finally. After 8+ years of waiting, Takshaka: Black Feather is now available through iTunes.

Takshaka is the IDM musical project of Johnathan Sharp (Bio-Tek, New Mind, Barking at Butterflies) and Josh Finney. They began producton on this over eight years ago and finally it is available to the public. From the futuristic sounds and mood of "Macarther Bart (Forma Tadre version)" to the ambiance of "Curious Yellow", to the Ghost in the Shell inspired "Motoko 2501", Takshaka: Black Feather is an audio journey through the future.

Please take a moment to listen to some samples at the following websites:
Official Site - www.glitchwerk.com/takshaka
Myspace - www.myspace.com/takshaka1
Last.fm - www.last.fm/music/Takshaka

If you like what you hear you can go to iTunes and download the album.

TR News and Random Thoughts.

2009-03-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

TR News:
First, the important stuff. Titanium Rain has it's own twitter account now. Huzzah!! So if you are on twitter, please follow us at http://www.twitter.com/TitaniumRain. As well, though I can't talk about it much, I can tell you that great things are in the works for Titanium Rain (besides more issues) such as new content for the website. Look for updates in the next month or so. :)

Zeta: Something happened this morning that just absolutely made my day. Last week I entered a contest on the Superheros-R-Us website to win a copy (out of three available) of the new Zeta DVD box set that came out... today actually. Well, this morning my inbox had a lovely email from these fine folks telling me that I had won the contest. I am so happy. I loved this show when it was on TV but rarely ever was able to catch it. I wish they had done more with not only this show but the Batman Beyond universe... but oh well. I can't wait to get this and watch it. :big grin:

And Finally:
I am very touched and honored that my friend Deseri liked the Death's Head piece that I did for her so much that she is indeed going to have it done as a tattoo. She had asked me to design something for her but didn't say what. Just said to draw something meaningful. To me she is very beautiful and kind, but also very strong and has a low tolerance for bull. Though she is very feminine, she is too strong for an image of a butterfly, so I opted for a creature that has the same semblance, but is not as fragile (at least to me).
I gave her a print for her birthday and didn't tell her what it was, figuring that this way there was no obligation to get the ink if she didn't like it. She said that she knew at once when she opened it that it was going to be her next tattoo. I almost cried (sappy I know but, hey, it meant a lot). I'm going to go with her when she gets it done in a few months. :)

-Kat

General Update 3/13/09

2009-03-13T09:10:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday the 13th Everybody!!. Well, my goal is to make this the luckiest day ever since all my bad luck seems to have been spread out over this last week. From the Xbox dying to me yelling at my boss at the day job to major misunderstandings and downright stupidity on my part with everybody else, I’m not having a very good week. So, the purpose of this entry is to talk about nothing but the good things that have happened this week.

Red Lights of Death: UPDATE. Well, the Xbox is winging it’s way back to Planet Microsoft and I hope to have either it fixed or a new one sent to me in two to three weeks. Really looking forward to having it back. I never realized how much I relied on it until it was gone. Everything from DVDs to streaming movies to.. well, games. Since Josh and I don’t watch TV other than CNN and Stupid Criminals, the Xbox was our only viewing medium. :sigh: well, it will be fixed soon and all will be well.

Package from Chan. My friend Chandra sent me a lovely surprise yesterday. I had asked her to pick up a copy of her cousin’s book (Peach Fuzz) for me at MegaCon and she sent it along with a print of one of my favorite pieces of hers. :sniff: It made me so happy and brightened my day when I opened the package and saw that print. Isn’t it beautiful? :hug: Thanks Chan!!

Time for sketching! I got time to do some sketching yesterday at the day job! Yeah Me!! I hadn’t been getting the time I wanted to sketch random doodles and things lately. Usually I would get interrupted by phone calls. You know, what I’m “supposed” to be doing.  Well yesterday was kind of a slow day and there weren’t many people in the office so I was able to get this picture out. Since I haven’t scanned it yet, I’ll describe it to you. It’s a full body shot of a female robot kneeling on the ground. She’s not completely put together with various parts of her anatomy missing (mainly the arms) and she’s hooked up to wires hanging from the ceiling. She’s slouched over with her eyes closed.. most likely because she’s not activated yet. I’m very proud of it because I used absolutely no photo reference for it. Usually I like to view a picture or a model while I’m sketching, but this one I really wanted to push myself and it turned out beautiful.  Currently working on another piece, I think it will be the same figure, just from a different angle, and with arms.

Ok, that’s all for now.
-Kat

New Sketch

2009-03-07T03:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know it's been a while since I posted a new art piece but I've been busy (mostly with TR). I guess the bright side to the Xbox dying was it gave me a chance to eek out a few hours and do this piece.
It's a death's head moth (but I'm sure you could tell that already. :)). I was inspired to do this as a possible tattoo design for a friend of mine. I drew it first on paper using pencil, then I scanned it into photoshop and "inked" it, adding some more spikes and overall improving the piece. Then I added the water colors and dodge/burned it to add depth.
I'm finding that I really enjoy doing these "tribal insect" pieces. I have also done a dragonfly and have the beginings of a butterfly. Currently working on a locust but I can't seem to get it right... I'll post it as soon as I get it to work. :)

-Kat

Three red lights of death

2009-03-06T23:28:00.000-08:00

Holy fuck, we're a statistic now. I turned on the Xbox to play Portal and the fucking 3 red lights of death popped up. My Xbox is a paperweight now!. God this sucks. Now I gotta get a new one. :(

Argh!!!!

UPDATE: I take it back. Microsoft is an awesome company. I went to their website to see how much they would charge for repairs... and the answer is NOTHING! This is awesome! Apperantly if your 360 is less than 3yrs old (which all of them are) and you get the 3 red lights of death, they will repair it for free for you. I think they are even going to pay for the shipping. This is too cool!
I knew they had good customer service before (from experience) but the fact that they are willing to do this past the normal warentee makes me extreamly happy. You definately wouldn't get this kind of service from PlayStation. Thank you Xbox for being so awesome!

-Kat

WonderCon 2009 Update: Part 1

2009-03-03T21:23:00.000-08:00

I'll write my 2cents tomorrow on the con. All I'll say right now is that Josh and I had a blast and it was great seeing all the ASP guys again. :) Again, more from me later.
Right now, I suggest you head on down to "the Hanger" for the first instalment of Josh's review of the con.

-Kat

Official Press Release: So What's up with Titanium Rain?

2009-02-23T23:54:00.000-08:00

Since the book's strong debut back in July 2008, this is the question we've heard almost daily from fans, friends, industry and press.

The short answer is, Titanium Rain is back.

After a prolonged delay due to our publisher coming under new management, Titanium Rain will return to store shelve come June with a complete re-launch of the series. As well, with the series moving to a monthly schedule, issue #2 will be out just in time for Comic Con. With Archaia Studio Press (now simply called, Archaia) shifting to a more streamlined and networked operation, expect to see Titanium Rain and other titles receive better support, industry representation, and most importantly, better availability in stores.

So yeah, it's been a long winter, but the winter has passed.

Kat and I both thank everyone for sticking by us as Archaia needed the time to get its house in order. Believe me when I say, the wait was worth it.

-Josh

P.S. If you're going to be at WonderCon in San Francisco this weekend, stop by the Archaia booth, #427. We'll be there all weekend.

WonderCon News

2009-02-23T12:14:00.000-08:00

Josh and I WILL be at the Archaia booth #427 all weekend long so if you are going to be at WonderCon this weekend, definately come check us out!! Whoo Hoo. I'm really excited. This will be my first time in SF and I'm looking forward to checking out the con as well as the city. I'm expecting this to be a really fun trip.

-Kat

TR News!

2009-02-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

Yes, we have news!!

Titanium Rain will be coming out again this year!! Whoo Hoo!!

Due to the long delay between issues 1 and 2 the plan is to completely relaunch the series in time for the summer. Soooooo, if you didn't get a chance to pick up issue 1 last year, you lucky people have another chance. More details as they come.

For those who may not have known, you can click on the nice animated icon to the right to see a 12 pg. preview of Issue 1 OR you can go to TitaniumRain.net

In other news, Josh and I will be at Wonder Con in San Fransisco at the end of this month. Whoo Hoo. This will be the first time either of us has gone to Wonder Con and we are both very excited. :)

Now, time for pimpage: I suggest that anybody reading this who will be going to Wonder Con go check out the Patric McEvoy Digital Painting Panel on Friday. Patric's work has been featured in many RPGs and CCGs, Marvel products, and he is one of the hosts of the Ninja Mountain Podcast (see link --------->)

Ok, so, that's all for now. The book is back!! Whoo Hoo.
Celebrate Good Times! Come On!

-Kat

Need a suggestion.

2009-02-08T23:19:00.000-08:00

I've been getting the urge to do a "fan art" piece(something I haven't done since high school) and I need the help of anybody reading this to decide what to draw.

I want to do a cheesecake/beefcake shot of 1)a Marvel or DC Character, 2)a (not the) test subject from Portal, 3) a character from Legacy of Kain.

Yeah, those are some strange ones but these are all things I want to do and just can't decide where to start. :)

Thanks guys. :)

Coming up on tomorrow's post...
What conventions will Josh and Kat be attending in '09 and what's up with that book of theirs, Titanium Rain. :evil grin:

-Kat

The Keene Act

2009-02-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

Not quite sure if the Watchmen is going to be cool or really suck, but saw this video on CBR and had to repost it. Mainly because the "vintage" footage is really cool. :)

-Kat

Update and Rants 2/2/09

2009-02-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

Spent this weekend getting new furniture!! Hurrah!! I don’t care what people say, Ikea rocks and their instructions are NOT hard to follow.

We got a new entertainment center (because the old one took up too much room w/ not enough storage space) and a new computer desk for me (a wood plank on top of a set of drawers does not a desk make.) As well, we rearranged the room now so the Josh and I have a much better, more sensible work space. Now the next project is to get either a new dresser or get a bed with storage under it. Would prefer the later, but we’ll see.

Ok, time to rant about things on my mind:

Quentin Tarentino: WTF Happened?! Josh and I watched Grindhouse this weekend. “Planet Terror” = amazingly awesome … “Death Proof” = god awful!!! Don’t think I’m giving anything away by saying that it really freaking sucked. Didn’t even get through it all. Just fast forwarded to the end. It was like watching a Kevin Smith movie. Lots of witty, wonderfully written dialog that went NOWHERE and NOTHING HAPPENED!

BORING!!

What happened to him? Has he just given up on making “movies”? A bunch of talking scenes strung out together does not make a movie. A movie has a plot and a story structure and actually goes somewhere. This did not. Act One in a two hour movie should be done within 20 minutes max. I should know the characters, the setting and possibly have the set up for the conflict established in that time.

Hell, LOTR did that, and they had a full 9hrs.+ of story to tell. Our main character and the 4 supporting characters that the story followed were all established as well as an introduction to “The Ring” by the end of Bilbo’s party.

This is what watching tons of MST does. Makes you very critical. I think every film student should routinely watch MST because they point out all the things NOT to do when making a film. And lots of scenes of nothing is definitely on the list.

Political reporting: Don’t want to get too much into politics here but this I gotta say. Obama hasn’t even been in office for two full weeks yet…. Why are you already keeping a running tally of what promises he “has and has not” kept? Why people? Give the man a fucking chance! I mean, I’d expect something like that from the Limbaugh crowd but from CNN?!

And why did you give it such a stupid name? The Obameter?! *pulls hair* You think we’re all morons don’t you? Or at least, you think the weekend crowd is a bunch of morons, right? *shakes head* first the “science expert” and now the Obameter. I’m really growing to hate their weekend programming.

-Kat

Revamp

2009-01-27T08:29:00.000-08:00

Well, in case you hadn't noticed, I've revamped the look of the blog here. The red/orange was starting to look dull and I wanted a change. I may be changing the background again if I can get the original wallpaper to work (can't get it to not tile... and tile tiny) but for now, I like how this looks.

Ok, just wanted to do a quick update. I'm not too awake at the moment honestly. I'll do a real update soon.

-Kat

Random thought...

2009-01-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

What is our facination with pictures of very cute, small, or weird looking animals and adding captions on how they want to kill us. Why do we all find these funny? I don't know... but it works. No matter how "tired" of these things you may be you'll eventually find one of these pictures that will bring a smile to your face.

Why do I bring this up? Because usually these things don't get me, but this one got me laughing. I just can't get over the wall-eyed cat w/ no ears. Kinda reminds me of the Bizarro version of Krypto from the Superman Animated Series. Like it wants to claw your eyes out... it just doesn't know where you are.

-Kat

"Save the Sea Kittins!" It's too stupid to keep to myself.

2009-01-19T10:59:00.001-08:00

Oh PETA. :shakes head: words fail me on how stupid this is.
It
Just
Baffles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Would you eat a sea kitten?
January 16, 2009
Posted: 12:46 PM ET

You don’t have to look at the page views of Web sites like cutelittlekittens.com to know that a lot of people adore
kittens. Conversely, not as many people adore fish — in fact, cutelittlefish.com gives a “page load error,” and
cutefish.com has only the number 0.

The animal rights campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA, has decided to play off of
our awe of kittens by re-branding fish as “sea kittens” in order to discourage people from killing and eating them.

“Would people think twice about ordering fish sticks if they were called Sea Kitten sticks? Help us save fish by
changing their names!” PETA writes on its Web site.

The new sea kitten Web portal is complete with a petition, cute little stories about sea kittens — some attend
Clamster University! — and a tool to design your own sea kitten. The petition has more than 4,544 signatures as of
this writing.

“Given the drastic situation for this country’s sea kittens — who are often the victims of many major threats to their
welfare and ways of life — it’s high time that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) stop allowing our little sea
kitten friends to be tortured and killed. Who’d want to hurt a sea kitten anyway?!” the Web site says.

How far will this “sea kitten” label extend? Will people find themselves ordering the “Chilean striped sea kitten with
mashed potatoes”?

Certainly there are already vegetarians out there who do not consume fish for ethical reasons. Princeton professor
Peter Singer, famous for his arguments about why not to consume meat, similarly advocates avoiding eating fish in
Animal Liberation, although notes that things do get fuzzier when considering simpler forms of marine life, such as
mollusks and oysters.

Of course, besides being a favorite delicacy at restaurants and family dinners, fish also form part of specific eating
rituals in certain cultures. For example, in China, the fish is served whole — with the head and tail intact — to
represent prosperity, especially on Chinese New Year’s Eve. In Slovakia, it is traditional to let a carp swim in the
family bathtub in the days before the feisty critter becomes part of the Christmas meal. And, it is a Jewish custom eat
fish on the Sabbath, one reason being that the numerical value of the Hebrew word for fish, “dag,” adds up to 7, and
the Sabbath is the 7th day.

So what do you think: Is it ethically acceptable to eat fish? Will the sea kitten campaign be effective? Would your
goldfish mind being called a sea kitten?

http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/16/would-you-eat-a-sea-kitten/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
All I can ask is... "why?"

-Kat

The most hillarious review I have ever read of a horrid comic.

2009-01-13T14:24:00.001-08:00

No, you are not hallucinating... nor is it the work of a photoshop prankster. Nope, this is a panel from Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose #53. Chris's Invincible-Super-Blog gives this "gem" of a comic one hell of a hilarious review. If you haven't read it yet, go there now and do so. You won't be disappointed.

In fact, because of this review, I plan on picking up this issue the next time I'm at my LCS. I have never in my life wanted to pick up an issue of Tarot, but this is a bad that I must have. To share and laugh at for years to come.

-Kat

Another Oldie

2009-01-13T09:03:00.001-08:00

This is another piece that I did a few years ago that, since I don't have anything new to share, I'm posting up. Tentatively I've entitled it "Frost" but lately I've been thinking about naming it "Depression" instead. Kinda lets you know where my head was when I did it, huh. :)

At the time I was experimenting with stark black pictures w/ the image behind giving it depth and mood. I only did two pieces this way. This is something that I've thought about going back to, but I'm honestly having too much fun doing the pencil pin-ups right now. Maybe some day... but I think the subject matter will be a bit happier. :wink:

As you can see by this piece and the previous tattoo (and my sketches) I love putting chops as my signature. This one was an early experiment with designing my own chop. I still like using it but lately I've been using one based on my initials.

The model is a woman from England who goes by Lady D Chaos. Very beautiful and very fun to draw. Check her out if you've got a free moment.

-Kat

Squid Tattoo

2009-01-08T22:25:00.000-08:00

It's been a little while since I posted a drawing. Unfortunately I don't have anything recent that I think is worth showing so I'll share with you a tattoo that I designed a few years ago. I plan on getting this on the inside of my right ankle.

Why a squid? It's a joke left over from my mom's D&D group when I was a kid. That and cephalopods are cool. :)

-Kat

Holocaust Survivor Tries to get Paintings Back.

2009-01-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm not one for jumping in on "causes" because most of them are crap and boarder on being a scam. This one, however, touched me and I just want to share it.

Read The Full Article at The Pulse:

I will warn you that I think the author of this article went a bit over the top in some parts with his description of the issue. Making statements like "The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum should not be allowed to continue to perpetrate the tragedy that was the Holocaust." Just a bit too sensationalistic if you ask me... but I think the overall message and story are worth sharing.

Long story short, Dina Gottliebova Babbitt survived the Holocaust and saved her mother's life by painting portraits of Mengele's "subjects" because he didn't like photography. 30yrs. ago some of her paintings resurfaced and are now at the Auschwitz Holocaust Museum. Dina has asked the museum to return the paintings to her, stating that they can still display good quality replicas of the paintings (something they are already doing according to the article) but she would like the originals back. They have refused, claiming that they belonged to Mengele himself and were "work for hire".

Now, I can understand that, this is a museum and they want the prestige of having the originals in their possession. But if they are displaying replicas anyway, what's the harm in giving back the originals? And I'm sorry but "paint or be gassed" does not equal "work for hire" in my book.

So, at the very least, take the time to read the sections "Dina Babbitt's Story" and "Immovable Object: The Auschwitz Museum" in this article. Then, if you are so inclined, send the Museum an email. Their address is at the bottom of the article.

Thank you.

-Kat

Xmas Crafts

2009-01-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

Sadly this is not all of the things we made. Some of the pictures didn't come out (probably because I wasn't shooting in good lighting) so I don't have all of them here. :( I'll post them as soon as I take the pictures (luckily the missing pieces are at the in-laws.)
Here is the infamous "Nutcracker Pimp." Josh and I were very happy with how this came out. Especially the hat and the pimp cane. :) Since we had been playing Saints Row I found it very funny to put the flure de le bling on his chain. I don't know if you can see it too well but I painted pink zebra stripes on his pants over the red. Also, after this picture was taken I added another large ruby ring to his right hand. That pimp'n arm has got to be strong, yo. :)

I love how this Tiki came out. It started out as a Gundam Goon kit we got for nearly nothing at our LCS and I couldn't have asked for a better model to work off of. It had so much canvas space on it that we could just go nuts and do whatever we wanted. It was Josh's idea to make this one a Tiki and he spray painted it brown. Then I painted in the details and made the grass skirt out of twine.

50's Bug Robot. Same model kit as the Tiki but with a few odds and ends added to it. Josh did a great job on this one. I personally love the props on his hands. :) There are model parts from a Tatchikoma model kit as well as a Black Widow (sorry, don't remember the official designation at the moment.)

And What Xmas is complete without a Santeria Alter. Voodoo Doll complete w/ pins in all the right places, doves placed just so, waiting to be sacrificed, and symbols of power written in blood. gotta love it. :) Again, Josh did a great job!
Gotta love the Gundam Hot Rod. Same model kit, this time Josh spray painted it silver, then I painted the flames on it. The back has flames too as well as more racing stripes down the legs. This one took For Ever to do. Seriously. I thought it would never get done. The problem was I had to do one layer of paint, wait for it to dry, then either do another color or touch up that one layer (the yellow has 2-3 coats on it.) Took me 3 evenings to do it. Oh well, at least while it dried I could work on the other ones. You can't see it very well in this picture but I was really proud of how the flames on the arms came out. I think next time I might just do the whole thing in silver w/ red flames.

And last, for now, is the Gundam Clown. Again, same kit (you can see why I love this model?!) I saw the "nose" part of the model and just had to do a clown. Started out as kind of a "joker" bot but he needed more color so now he's just a clown. :) Had fun gluing the red hair to the head. That was... um.. interesting. I'd never worked with doll hair before and it kept falling out. But, in the end I got it all to stick. Josh put the monocle on it last once it was all done. I think it adds a unique look to it.

I will post more once I get better pictures. What is missing is the "Polar Bear Xmas" that Josh did as well as the Vlad Tepesh Nutcracker (complete with Dracula Trophy.)

I will write about how New Years was next time too. :)

Hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year!

-Kat

Name Changing... Whoo Hoo!!!

2008-12-29T11:47:00.000-08:00

I’ll write about X-mas in my next post (I know, this will be the second time I’ve said that but I want to put up pictures and just haven’t downloaded them to my computer yet.)

For now, I’m going to rant about something that’s been on my mind for a while now. For anybody that may not have read my mini-rant on twitter earlier, I’m finally changing my legal name to my married one. I will still go by Kat Rocha professionally, but legally I am now Kat Finney. Just in time for new years, huh.  Feels good to be doing this actually… ok, getting sappy here but I’m starting to cry just thinking about it.

Why didn’t I do this before… well, honestly, there were two main reasons why.

The first is most of my life I was told that changing your name was “oppressive” and “loosing your independence” etc. “If you take on your husband’s name, you are no longer an individual.” Ack. Bull shit I know (now at least) but that’s what I was taught. There was a lot of bull shit being taught to kids in the 90’s and I was dumb enough to believe a lot of it. Feminism was a great thing but modern day feminists got a LOT of things wrong and I’m going down that hard road of realizing just how much of it is bull.

“But Kat,” some would say, “you don’t have to change your name fully, just use a hyphen. Lots of women do that.” Well, I’d seen women hyphenate their names before (some I’m even related to) and that always seemed very wishy-washy. Hyphenating means that you can’t make up your mind to change or not. Look, either you change your name or you don’t. Doing both just looks stupid and makes you seem indecisive.

The second (which, in all honesty should be the first reason but for editorial reasons I’m listing it second) is too fucked up to voice online. I started to write about it, realized how horrible and monstrous it really was and decided it was best left between me and my therapist.  I will say that divorced parents left me with some really strange views on marriage… views I’m not proud of. And name changing is one of them.

Me, I only ever wanted to get married once. I was going to find the perfect man and get married and live happily ever after. And you know what, Josh is most definitely that perfect man  And Damn It! I’m Josh Finny’s wife! I’m proud of it, so why shouldn’t I take his name?! There is absolutely nothing wrong with it… and it honestly does feel good to call myself Mrs. Finny.

And, on a side note, I have felt more welcome with his family than I have ever with mine. I love my family… but they are “relatives.” where I actually feel like part of a… um… closest word I can find is “clan” with the Finnys, so it just feels right to legally take on the name.

Ok. I think I’m done with that rant now.

Next Time on Now Loading…
See the Pimp Nutcracker in all is bling and glory!
See the Tiki Gundam! :oooga chaka oooga chaka:
Gaze into the majesty that is Kat’s New Computer! “oooooooh, aaaaaaaah”And all the fun that was had on Christmas Eve at the in-laws house.

Will have that up by New Years. 

-Kat

Pimpage of friends

2008-12-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

So it's been a while since I updated my blog. Sorry about that. I've been a busy elf making toys and things for people for xmas. No joke. I'll post pictures here in a day or two.

But for now I'd like to take the opportunity to pimp the projects of some of our friends who I seriously think deserve the attention.

1) Johnathan Sharp. Now for those of you who may not be familiar with the name Johnathan Sharp, he is a big deal in the Industrial Music scene. With projects like New Mind and Bio-Tek, JS has been at the forefront on this music movement. He is currently working for the BBC doing soundtrack work and has had his music appear in motion pictures (such as Bad Santa). He has also been kind enough offer his talents for an upcoming (hopefully) soundtrack for Titanium Rain.
I ask you, dear readers to take a moment of your time and check out one of Mr. Sharps latest music projects entitle Barking at Butterflies. You can find this project on iTunes as well as Last.fm.

2)Being so moved by the victory of President Elect: Barak Obama, Charlito of Indie Spinner Rack has gotten together with his brother and a friend of theirs to create Obama: The Card Game. If you like Obama (or even if you don't) I ask that you go check it out and give it a try. As you can see by the artwork below, they put a LOT of time and effort into it. ObamaCardGame.com

Happy Holidays!

-Kat

I’m fucking hot!

2008-12-08T14:01:00.001-08:00

Yep, I finally have some grown-up, womanly clothing. :) Josh took me cloths shopping for x-mas and I have a whole new wardrobe of goodies to show off “what my mother gave me.” For those who may not have met me in person, most of my clothing before consisted of t-shirts and normal, everyday pants. Now, I’ve got some nice shirts w/ “soda” neck lines (holy crap I have cleavage!) and some nice, tight jean that ride my hips instead of hug my waist.

For any females reading this, you may be saying to yourselves “this is new and exciting? I’ve been dressing that way since high school.” Well, for me it’s way new. I never thought I’d be thin enough to wear hip-hugging pants or attractive enough to warrant a nice top. But Josh put his foot down and said “my woman is going to dress like a woman, not a 10yr old boy god damn it!” And I LOVE IT!!! I should have done this a long time ago… just was too scared to. Like I wasn’t allowed to wear clothing like this… which is stupid.

Silly, I know. There are a lot of things that I’m starting to do that I was just too scared to do before. Creepy, enough, I’ve been spending time trying to find a hand bag for everyday use. It’s not a purse. I don’t like purses. It’s a hand bag. :P and I think I found the perfect one.

My friend, Deseri is going to take me shoe shopping soon too. I have absolutely no nice shoes. Just tennis shoes and combat boots. Absolutely nothing else.

Ok, so, that’s the end of my “girly” rant there. I just had to get that out. Promise I won’t do that too much… I was just really excited by how good I look in these clothes.

Looking forward to getting home today. Josh and I are hard at work making presents for his side of the family. I can’t say what they are here because I’ll give it away but I will be posting pictures soon. I’m also looking forward to getting back to work on other art projects. Feels good to finally be doing a good job and know it. I’ve been slacking off for so long I forgot what a good job feels like. That’s another bad habit I gotta break, slacking off. If I don’t I’ll never be a professional artist and be able to quit the day job.

Hopefully new artwork will be posted soon. Had to put things on hold.

-Kat

Something funny...

2008-11-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

...that was posted on the Comic Geek Speak board.
Happy Turkey Day!!

-Kat

Spend your hard earned cash and receive absolutely nothing!!!

2008-11-24T11:45:00.000-08:00

Ok, I just read a comment on a friend's LiveJournal and I see a button that says "click here to send a virtual gift." and I think "this isn't real.... is it?" and I click. Do you know what I found? You can send little pictures of things to people for real money. Yes, you pay real cash to send a picture of something to somebody. You can spend $.99 to send a picture of a flaming turd to somebody... why? Why? It's a picture. A picture! I can take a screen shot of it and email it for free. And hell, for a buck I could mail a real turd to somebody I didn't like. There is even a picture of pieces of candy corn that have bites in them... for $.99. WTF?! :shakes head: I just don't get it. I mean, being a gamer I could kinda understand why people were buying and selling items on eBay for MMORPS (though I thought that was kinda retarded too.) but this... this really take the cake in stupid.

And the sad thing is, it wouldn't be there if people didn't do it.

I'm in the wrong business, I swear.

-Kat

This week's update.

2008-11-24T10:38:00.001-08:00

I’m on Skype now!! Whoo hoo!!! I’m so happy about this. Broke down and got a upb microphone last week and had wayyyy to much fun talking with Chandra and Damian over the weekend. I love it!! I can talk to one person in FL, and another person in AU in real time with no perceivable delay!! This is soooo cooool!!! Wish I had done this sooner actually. But procrastination is one of those things I’m trying to fix…. But I always wind up putting it off. (boy, you didn’t see that coming a mile away, did ya?)

In news along the lines of my last post about my “wonderful” computer, I found that a decent web-cam for a decent price cannot be had because I’m on a Mac, not a PC. Sigh. I really wanted to get one because it was just too cool being able to talk to Chan and see her and I felt a little weird with her not being able to see me as well. Guess the web cam will have to wait till I get the new computer. (can you believe you can get a lap top with a 1TB hard drive?!! AMAZING!!)

And in other news, Josh and I got Saints Row 2 over the weekend and wasted wayyyyyyy too much time playing it. :evil grin: Ok, going to speak video game blasphemy here but I honestly don’t like playing the GTA games. I get bored really easily. There isn’t enough stuff to do given the amount of space you have. Sure, it’s cool to run around a virtual version of a real city… but when an entire barrio of NY only has three things you can actually do in it… is it really that cool? That and GTA4 really should have been a linear game, not an open world setting. It was too serious and too controlled of a plot… and it had no empire building which is the only reason for me to play those sorts of games.

SR2 is AMAZINGLY FUN!! There is something to do on almost every corner and more stuff opens up every time you complete a mission. I played for a good 4 hrs. and there was so much to do outside of the main story missions that I barely touched the main story. I highly recommend this game if you like raising hell. J

-Kat

:Sigh:

2008-11-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, I realise that most of the time I'm moved to write here because something is pissing me off. I'm really not that negative of a person. It's just that I have a bad tendency to hold things in and I've found that writing these rants helps a lot.

I will try to write more positive things in the future.

-Kat

What's pissing Kat off today?

2008-11-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting at my computer, listening to the Portal soundtrack (because it's soothing and calm) and cursing the day I decided to buy a Mac. I now, officially HATE Mac computers.

That's right I said it. I don't care if it's blasphemy I HATE MAC COMPUTERS!!!

It's bad enough that Mac OS X is so sickeningly cute I know Apple thinks I'm a total moron.
It's bad enough I can't defrag my hard drive properly until I have Apple update items on my computer.
It's bad enough that they have decided to stop upgrading the OS for free so soon I won't be able to run many of the programs that I rely on (like the web browser) efficiently unless I drop the $$ to get the latest version.
And finally it was bad enough when I upgraded the video card to something more modern and found that I had to COMPLETELY REPLACE my monitor because the plug for my Mac flat screen want compatible with the new jacks that Mac had switched to and a converter was the same price as a new monitor.

No, do you want to know what has made me decide to curse Mac Computers and never purchase one again. Do you want to know what it is?

Well, I bought this particular computer because it was 1) supposed to be the best thing on the market at the time for graphics and 2) it was supposed to be built specifically for media production (3D, movie editing, etc.) You would think a multimedia computer like that WOULD HAVE A FUCKING MICROPHONE JACK BUILT INTO IT!!! WTF? No microphone jack, no internal microphone, no sound input whatsoever. They want to you to buy a fucking USB mic.

I hate this thing. All I wanted to do was go onto Skype and now I have to buy a special set up or something in order to do so.

I am so looking forward to the day when I can replace this thing and launch it on a trebuche or something because I hate this computer with a passion.

:sigh:

-Kat

Don't know how to feel about this...

2008-11-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

I just read on LITG that Birds of Prey is being canceled. Now, after Gail Simone left I stopped reading it because the guy they got to replace her was just writing soap operas for girls and I hate that crap... but I thought the title was still worth keeping around. I guess DC didn't agree. :shrug: Oh well. Yes, I'm kinda sad... but not as much as I would be if Gail was still on the title.

:shrug: Oh well.

On another note, the Art Adams fraud is both messed up and hilarious. Since I work with identity theft victims to keep a steady income, I am very familiar w/ the world of false impersonation and this... this is something else. Incredibly messed up in fact since not only is this person preying upon the good name of a good artist, but they are taking advantage of other artists.

It's hilarious because of how LITG did his investigation... not even covering up who he was or hiding what he was doing... and the dumb ass STILL fell for it. Serves the bastard right.
I hope that somebody finds out specifically who this person is and brings to them proper justice.

-Kat

General Update

2008-11-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

Well, it’s been over a week so I suppose I should post something. Don’t want to get into the political side of things too much… but let’s just say that I told myself I would only drink last Tuesday to numb the pain of a particular VP nominee getting elected… and I remained sober through the evening. Nothing against McCain. I like him actually. But I LOVE Obama and what he has to say… and Palen is evil. Biden Kicks Ass.

Ok, enough of that.

Went to the Gene Autry Museum weekend before last to see my sister-in-law in a play entitled Salvage. If you are in the LA area I highly recommend that you check it out. It’s the tragic story of a family living on an Indian reservation and what happens when they get caught in a “Rez War”. As well, you have a lot of internal conflict. Religion vs. Reality, The Old Ways vs. The New. Honestly, I was expecting some cheesy message about how we need to “go back to nature” and “be one w/ Mother Earth” but that wasn’t in it at all. Josh pointed out that it seemed to be about the author’s own struggle with her personal faith and her own doubts about religion. Again, excellent play.

Art News:
Finished the next piece in my “Joy of Sex 2150” Book and almost immediately launched into the next. I am having so much fun drawing these. I can’t wait to move on to the next and the next… Wishing I could work on it right this very moment.. but I can’t. Hopefully this evening… if I’m not working on “another” project. (wink)

And finally, the geek moment:
I bought my GLaDOS shirt last night from Valve. I am so excited. I can’t wait to get it!!! EEEEE!!! Yes, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit obsessed with robots at the moment. During my lunch break at work I’ve been looking up pictures, reading books about them (got Philip K. Dick on my list of books to read next.) Looking at my Sorayama book at home, making a compilation of songs that I know of / have that predominately feature a synthesized voice and are about robots. I can’t get enough and it’s wonderful!!

-Kat

Tick Tick Tick

2008-11-03T11:01:00.001-08:00

Less than a day.. then it will all be over. Oh god I can't wait.

-Kat

Expert is code for Bullshit Artist

2008-10-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wished that you could take a big clown hammer to every person who’s stupid in the world. A big ridiculously huge one w/ the “bonk” sound effect and everything. Either that or a shotgun to the face… yeah, I think for this case I’m leaning more towards the shotgun to the face.

:sigh: I’ve just had my fill of stupid people. In particular anybody claiming to be an “Expert” in the field of science.

Kat’s Rules for Detecting Bullshit #3: If they are calling themselves a “Science Expert” and not a “Scientist” then they are full of shit. End of story. I don’t care what the subject is. Only those who couldn’t cut it as a real Scientist call themselves an “Expert.” It’s like the difference between a police detective and the rent-a-cop at the mall. Whose authority are you going to listen to?

Experts talk in sensational definites.
Scientists don’t.
Experts will always pick the most graphic and often apocalyptic scenario to talk about or way of explaining something.
Scientists don’t.

I wish more news organizations would talk to actual Scientists rather than Science Experts.
This anger is an old one but the rant is inspired by an incident this week on CNN. They brought on some hack who worked in a planetarium somewhere as an expert on asteroids. No, not a representative from Jet Propulsion Labs. No. He was a doof from the local planetarium calling himself an “expert.”

Not only was his information 6 months out of date on a particular NEO nicknamed Apophis but he put the most overblown, sensational, Hollywood spin on it. And I know, I go to JPL regularly. I actually KNOW that this guy’s information was inaccurate. I’M MORE UP TO DATE THAN HE IS!!! That’s just not right.

Now if you saw the segment I’m talking about you’ll say “But Kat, that was part of a comedic bit.” I say BULL SHIT. I don’t care what the circumstance is. They are a news channel. They have a responsibility to report things accurately and I don’t care that it was part of a comedy routine, the guy they brought on was speaking seriously… as an “expert” on this particular subject. Is it too much to ask that he have his damn facts correct?

He didn’t even get what Apophis meant correct (people getting ancient Egyptian facts wrong is another pet peeve of mine.) :sigh: why must people suck.

There was another “science expert” incident this week involving a theory not related to the above... I don't want to go into it here. To put it mildly, I want to break this guy’s nose very badly w/ my fist. Make him bleed. Make him cry.
The article he wrote was extremely sensationalistic.. and the paper he was citing as where he got his information from debunked his ENTIRE write up. All of it. Even the parts he got correct were so grossly exaggerated and misleading it might as well have been a fabrication. But, then you find that, hey, he has a book to sell. Well gee, no wonder he wrote it that way. You can’t sell books if you’re going to tell people the truth. Truth does not get you noticed. Big, impressive claims and apocalyptic predictions get your books sold. So what if it’s not true. At least you made a few bucks… and you get people who don’t know any better calling you an “Expert.”

:sigh:

Ok, changing the subject now.. to porn.
I started another piece for my “Joy of Sex: 2150” art book. That’s a working title but you get the idea. The “Techno-Love” piece is the first in the series. I plan on doing an entire book of these two cyborgs. At least 15-20 pieces... possibly more. Depends on how inspired I get… and creative. :evil grin: Toying with the idea of making an overarching story… but I think that might get in the way. We’ll see.

Oh, and I almost forgot, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

-Kat

The King is Dead.

2008-10-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

In the realm of video games, my most favorite type of all is not FPSs or RTSs. Nope, it’s Spacial-Puzzle games, and for nearly a decade now Soul Reaver: Legacy of Kain was the king of them all. No mater what other games came out or how advanced the graphics were, Soul Reaver was always the superior and what I used to compare other games to.

I LOVED this game… still do. How you had to flip boxes to make pictures or had to know how to crawl, float, and "bampff" around in order to set off certain things. Things you had to time just right. Things you had to line up and angle just right. How you had to be clever and use your environment to your advantage. And how there were puzzles you didn't need to solve in order to beat the game. They were just there for extra fun (something I always appreciate).

Sure other games have come close. Most notably is Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. But none have ever bumped Soul Reaver from the top spot… That is… until Portal came along… and oh man have I been bit hard by the obsession bug. This game is amazing!!! Especially because it’s all physics so if you have an understanding of physics you can do almost anything. How you have to throw yourself off of extreme heights in order to get the momentum to leap great distances. How the environments take on an almost Escher quality as you fall through a floor in order to pop out of the wall on a ledge somewhere else.

And when I say I’m obsessed w/ this game.. I mean obsessed. It’s only been two days now since I got the game but already I’ve got a paper Weighted Companion Cube sitting on my desk at work, I got the “Still Alive” song from YouTube.

And once I get my paycheck I’m buying the soundtrack. I’m even giving serious consideration to getting the “The Cake is a Lie” shirt from Jinx.com (and I very rarely get shirts that reference things like games.) Honestly, if they started marketing the GLaDOS eyeballs, I’d probably buy one… just to have it. It’d go nicely w/ my HAL 9000 Desktop.

EDIT 10/30: Screw the "The Cake is a Lie" shirt. On Valve's website they have this amazingly awesome GLaDOS shirt!!! AHHH!!! I want it now!! I hate being poor.
They also have their own cake shirt... which I'm considering but GLaDOS takes precedence over pastries.

-Kat

Yeesh!

2008-10-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! I finaly got this piece finished. Whoo Hoo!! This piece is to be used later in Titanium Rain... but I don't want to give it away for what (though it's probably not hard to guess.)
Though it is greatly scewed to make it work artistically, she is sitting on a sparrow missile. Really the front fins are more towards the middle, but that wouldn't have worked for the picture. Either she'd be sitting in front of them (so you wouldn't be able to see them) or on them... and amusing as that might be, that's not what I was going for. Initially I had had her sitting on a bomblet dispenser but as I mentioned before I had problems getting the hand right so I changed it to the sparrow. Like it alot better.

A little sad...

2008-10-16T09:56:00.001-07:00

I did this cool design for a client the other day. I was really proud of how it came out... but they didn't want it. Said it wasn't what they were looking for. :( It really sucks because I think it's probably one of my best designs ever. :sigh: oh well, if they don't want it, then I'll just have to use it for something else and try again. :)

Hand Update: Well, the problem wasn't the hand... but the surface I was trying to have it rest on. Talked to Josh and his words of logical wisdom were (change the bomb) Well, duh... but I sometimes miss the obvious because I'm so focused on my little problem... so hopefully I'll have something to post here in a day or two.

Random Thoughts: Having a hard time not getting lazy. It's not that I don't want to draw... but I'd gotten in the habbit of being lazy so when I want to do something... the lazy habbit kicks in and I fart around too much because, even though I enjoy it, a part of my brain says "this is work." that's retarded... but true. :sigh: I'll get over it, eventually.

-Kat

I've decided...

2008-10-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

...that I hate hands. Not the appendages themselves, but drawing them. I've got one in particular that is driving me up the wall. I spent......oh...... 3+hrs beating my head against the perverbial wall, trying everything I could think of and breaking out all my books to get this one hand to look right. And what did I accomplish? Well, now there is a blank spot where a hand should be while I work on the finishing touches of the rest of the piece until I'm able to approach it again. *sigh*. This sucks. I KNOW I can do this... it's just..... being.... difficult.

Don't you hate it when you KNOW you can do something... but the ability is eluding you all the same. ACK! It's driving me nuts. Well, I'm hoping that keeping away from that part will help me to approach it anew later today. I gotta get this piece done.

More random rants:
So, I finally got off my butt and I'm borrowing audio books from our public library to listen to while I work. Currently I'm listening to Isaac Asimov's I, Robot.

First... though I haven't seen much of the movie they made... it's painfully obvious the book and the movie have nothing to do with each other (as if you didn't already know that.)

Second... what happened with the way people view problems with technology? Now a-days the plot would have been very much like the stupid movie. "We screwed up! We never should have tried to make these things! Why didn't we listen?!" oh...a crappy Johnny 5 rip off message.... and all that other bull shit. I hate all that Luddite rhetoric.... but anyway, that's the mentality today. A robot goes bad... well, we shouldn't have built it in the first place. We created something evil. Or it's a weak ass attempt at a commentary on how we're all really the same and prejudice is bad.

But in Asimov's book, that is not the case at all. Even in a life or death situation there is NEVER a hint of "We shouldn't have meddled". Instead, they viewed it as a problem that needed to be solved... and they solved it. Pure and simple. The robots weren't evil... just different. GOD I MISS THAT MENTALITY. The view that we, as humans, can accomplish any goal and overcome any obstacle. That we are SUPPOSED to push past boundaries and continually strive to better ourselves and continue to grow in every way. We need that back.

This luddite crap we have now is really what is keeping us back. This view that we shouldn't be learning about and testing DNA and how our bodies work, that we shouldn't be researching fusion power plants, that we shouldn't be trying to learn about the universe and how it was created, that we shouldn't be trying to improve every aspect of life, that we should go back to living in caves, being hunter gatherers, being frightened by lightning and dying at the ripe old age of 22. I really want to punch people who say that crap.

ok... had to rant. Just, this book gets me excited for the future... then I turn around and see all the negative crap that is being spouted now. :( get's me depressed.
-Kat

Miramar Air Show

2008-10-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it's October once again and with October comes our annual trip to the Air Show . First, let me start by spazing hardcore over the following image. That is an F-22 Raptor, P-51 Mustang, and an F-16 Viper flying directly over my head! I gotta tell you, the other two planes are cool, but seeing the Raptor fly in person had to have been one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my life. I had heard the Raptor could practically turn on a dime in mid-air... but to actually SEE it... WHOA!!!

And, of course, there was the always awesome Harrier demonstration. This is a picture of it "lifting off" after hovering dead in the air for about a minute or so. Some other planes they demonstrated this year were an F4U Corsair, C130 Hercules (gotta love the rocket-assisted take off), a MiG-17 (which Josh and I unfortunately missed) and the Blue Angels in their F-18s. I hate to say it but... um... as cool as the Blue Angels are (and I have a lot of respect for those guys) the F-18 just can't hold a candle to the F-22 Raptor on the coolness factor.

The tarmac displays seemed kinda skimpy in comparison to previous years, but considering our current military situation, it's understandable. I was hoping to see the mock-up (or a real one) of the Joint Strike Fighter again but it was sadly absent. As well, they usually have an F117 but unless it was in the Consumer Show hanger, it wasn't there this year.

They did have an Osprey though, which was very cool because I had never seen one up close before. As well they had another Harrier, B-17, E3 Sentry, a bunch of Chinook helicopters, A6 Intruder, EA-6B Prowler, AH-64 Apache (always cool), AH-1W and AH-1Z Cobras (awesome seeing the two different versions), F4 Phantom, plently of F-18s, C-17, MH-53 Sea Stallion, A-7 Corsair II, and an MQ - 1 Predator with it's pilot. That was very cool getting to meet the pilot of a Pred. Nice guy. He seemed a little confused why we wanted to talk to him... but he let us take his picture and answered our questions.

I always get a kick out of seeing the Predator. It and it's sister plane, the Reaper will always have a special place in my heart because of my dad. :)

Tonight we tried to go to the Twilight show but unfortunately it started to rain so we left before the famous Wall performance could take place. One of these days I'm going to see that part of the show. Last time we got tickets we left early as well because we'd had a long day and were falling asleep in our chairs.

-Kat

Puppet Rios for Pres.

2008-10-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

As this blog is supposed to be for fun I've tried very hard to keep my political views to myself and not spew them upon those who may happen to be reading this. BUT, a new development has arisen in the run for office that I cannot stay silent on.

This new candidate has really stolen my heart. He stance on the important issues (like George Perez) are the same as my own and I encourage all of you to show your support. Vote for Puppet Rios in '08 and show your support by purchasing a button Here. -Kat

Words of wisdom from father to son.

2008-09-22T11:24:00.001-07:00

Been thinking about the future a lot lately. Where do I want to be in 2yrs, 5yrs, 10 years. What things do I want to acheve in my life. What goals do I want to reach.

Never thought about it seriously before.. but since I recently had a birthday and our career in comics is taking off... I realised that it's time I took my life seriously and, well grow up.

Leave it to the Muppets to help bring some inspiration to my thoughts about the future.

-Kat

Overhaul and Dr. Horrible

2008-09-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

Decided I should do something custom for this blog... so the look will probably be changing alot over the next few days.

Also, just recently saw Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. If you haven't seen this yet, I strongly urge you to take the time to do so.

To help with that, here it is..

Enjoy.

-Kat

Techno-Love

2008-09-12T11:53:00.001-07:00

Finally finished the sketch I'd been working on for a few days now.... shouldn't have taken this long but life gets in the way sometimes...

Anyway, I must say that this piece was extremely influenced and inspired by (in fact the scene and pose is exactly the same as) a piece my husband did in his own style. The piece was so...... well, hot and erotic that I had to do it too using my own style..

So here it is...

If the "Warning, Adult Content" pop up at the beginning of this blog didn't warn you before, it's your own fault.

As I've said in the past... I like'm big! :evil grin:

Also worked on a new way to sign my name for this one. I've always really liked the Japanese "chops" for signing pieces but couldn't figure out how to do one that included my name.... the ones I've made in the past were just these weird technical abstracts that looked cool but gave no indication it was me... this one has my initials in it. :)

-Kat

One of those days when you wake up and ask yourself “Where did I put my gun?”

2008-09-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

Please people… for the love of god or Hostess Cupcakes, PLEASE STOP THE FEARMONGERING!!! OMG I wanna punch somebody I seriously do. If ½ the people who were claiming that we are going to be sucked into a black hole because of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland would just shut up and read the science behind it the world would be happier place.

Fact 1: Nature slams particles into each other IN OUR ATMOSPHERE much faster than this thing can and we are still here. No black holes. This has been Emperically proven. Wanna know how. Look around you. We’re still here. Look at space. It’s still there. Nature has done this time and time again, a million time over millions of years and everything is still here.

Fact 2: The chances of any black hole being created is next to Zero. These people are good scientists. They don’t know what’s going to happen so they can’t say w/ 100% certainty… but they’ve got some pretty good ideas about what won’t happen… see Fact 1.

Fact 3: In the small, minute, tiny, microscopic chance that a black hole is created, it will be a micro black hole. What does that mean.. well, a black hole typically is the size of and has the force of the thing that collapsed to create it. The black holes we are familiar with are caused by collapsing stars. The super colider is smashing together Protons. Things that require a very expensive microscope to see. Much much much smaller than a star. These protons are going to smash into each other with the force of two mosquitoes. So, if a micro black hole is created it will be the size of a proton and have the suction force of a mosquito… which means it won’t have any suction force at all and will dissipate almost as soon as it is created.

Don’t believe me. Read it yourself on the LHC website http://lhc.web.cern.ch/lhc/. It’s all there.

:sigh: people suck sometimes…. Ok. That’s it. I’ve said me piece.

-Kat