Archive for November, 2011
13 items.
Well, it’s the final month of the year (close enough, anyway) and what better way to breach this year with the next than with an epic story arc where I try something new.
This cover filter isn’t the new thing, either (although it was fun). The cover was made trying to create the gritty look and feel of modern horror flicks. Or even making new covers to old horror classics. For some reason, someone in Hollywood’s marketing department things that film grain, scratches, desaturated color, and buckets of blood sell horror flicks.
Sure, it may sell a certain kind of horror (cough cough torture porn cough cough), but not necessarily good horror.
This story, well…this is a comedy. More like a cult classic. Inspired by Evil Dead. So if you enjoyed those flicks, then you’ll like where this is going.
As for me, trying out new techniques in the comic tends to be a little more time consuming. Plus, I have two big projects in the works that I’m going to be fishing out to publishers next year. It’s going to be an exciting time. But as something that’s taking up a bunch of my time, I’m going to get back to it. Happy (almost) December!
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I wouldn’t say that my lifestyle has changed, although I was a very different person back in the day (ie: high school). I was a much less confident individual, and also was a lot more quiet. Some people may be saddened by the fact that I made a conscious effort to change. Mostly because now I can’t shut up.
As for the goth thing, this is true. After college I returned home and found that most of my friends had moved away or were still in school. Connecting with an old friend from middle school, she invited me out to a club that had different themes every night of the week. The club is called Necto, and Monday night was “Factory Night,” or “Goth Night.” And let me tell you, it was an eye-opener.
While I never dressed up in goth attire, I did enjoy the outfits people wore (or didn’t wear) to the club. I also dug the music, and it’s become some of my favorite to this day. Bands like Combichrist, VNV Nation, Celldweller, Flesh Field, The Azotic, and many many more. Go to the website link above to check out some of the music and pictures.
I mostly went to the club wearing a black a-shirt and black pants (what I called my “artsy outfit”), but most people there wore more traditional goth outfits. It was always interesting to see how extreme some of these outfits would get, or how creative some people got with their clothes / hair.
The DJ and I became good friends, and the bartender always poured strong for me. They had amazing drink specials ($2 long island ice teas until 11pm, and $2 vodka drinks all night), and special events like Goth Prom all the time. Always a fun time. I even met several of my current day close friends from there.
Overall it was a positive experience, and has affected my life in a significant way. I’d say I’m better off for it. But would I go to a goth club again today? Well, my friend has been encouraging me to find a club in the city….
Come on, like you didn’t see this coming? I foreshadowed it on the first page of this story arc….
Ultimately I just wanted to be buried in warm clothes that had just come out of the dryer. It’s like the greatest feeling in the world. Especially towels or blankets.
This is the end of the Laundry Day story arc. It was a lot of fun, and we may return to the clothing revolt at some point in the future. In the meantime, however, we have more amazing comics in the queue – so stay tuned!
Like the comic says, I’m a guest of honor this weekend at Kollision Con.
Other guests include fellow comic creator (and my good personal friend) Russell Lissau, as well as Johnny Young Bosch and his band Eyeshine, Samurai Dan, and Doug Walker.
It promises to be a fun weekend, so be sure to swing by and say hi. Russ and I will be hosting several panels throughout the weekend, and will be set up in Artist Alley selling our latest books.
Here’s my panel list for the weekend:
FRIDAY:
Making Webcomics – 10-11pmSATURDAY:
Reading with Pictures – 3-4pm
An Evening with Trevor Mueller – 10-11pm
It’s my last show for the year, and I want to go out with a bang! Thanks so much for your support, and I look forward to seeing you at the show!
See, most people go do other things while waiting for the laundry. I said this last week. Remember?
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This weekend I’ll be a guest of honor at Kollision Con in St Charles, Il along with fellow comic creator Russell Lissau (Shrek, Strawberry Shortcake). There are also a slew of other guests that will be at this show including Johnny Young Bosch (Power Rangers), Samurai Dan, Doug Walker (thatguywiththeglasses.com), and many more!
Be sure to stop by the show and say hi. Russ and I will be doing panels all weekend, plus we’ll have tables set up in Artist Alley with all our latest books.
I’m also going to have a number of panels throughout the weekend, which should be a total blast. Be sure to attend and have a laugh, be entertained, and maybe learn a little something.
FRIDAY:
Making Webcomics – 10-11pm
SATURDAY:
Reading with Pictures – 3-4pm
An Evening with Trevor Mueller – 10-11pm
It’s going to be my last show for the year, so I plan to go out with a bang! See you there!
White noise, as it’s often called, is that background sound you hear from a fan or, in this case, the washing machine. White noise makes me fall asleep. In fact, I have difficulty sleeping without white noise. But when white noise is in the room, I often start to dose off.
The AC kicks in during a meeting, the static from the TV turns on, the sound the train makes while going down the track…all of these things make me sleepy.
Now, the idea that someone would just stand by the washing machine waiting for the spin cycle to end is silly – which was kind of the point. Most people go read a book, watch a TV show, go running – or do anything else they can while the laundry is going.
However, that would distract from the story…and also not provide a joke here. Or at least, would provide a different joke. Plus, this page leads into the next…which ads to the joke.
There’s a lot of joking in sleep, apparently.
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Next week I’ll be a guest of honor at Kollision Con in St Charles, Il. It’s an anime show put on by many of the same people who do ACEN, which is my favorite show of the year.
Joining me will be fellow comic creator Russell Lissau (Shrek, Strawberry Shortcake), and a slew of voice actors and awesome people I can’t wait to see again or meet for the first time!
My panels for the weekend:
FRIDAY:
Making Webcomics – 10-11pmSATURDAY:
Reading with Pictures – 3-4pm
An Evening with Trevor Mueller – 10-11pm
It should be an awesome time, so be sure to swing by and say hi!
Video Game Review: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Platform: PS3
Developer: Naughty Dog
Official Website
Plot: Nathan Drake, treasure hunter, has done it again. After searching for the truth about his long-lost relative, Sir Frances Drake, Nate has finally put together the clues to discover why Drake’s mission to the East Indies came back with nothing. Why he faked his death and hid the clues to his adventures.
The game opens with Drake and Sully (Drake’s best bud) trying to sell the ring Nate used at the very beginning of the first game to a man named Talbot. However, they fake him out and get into a fist fight instead (with the entire bar). At the end of this fight, we’re introduced to Katherine Marlowe, who’s someone from Sully’s past. She wants the ring, and the secrets it hides, at all costs.
The game is a race around the world to put the clues together before Marlowe and company can find the the Pillars of Iram – The Atlantis of the Sands.
Along the way you’ll run into people new and old, and find out there’s some missing history between our characters between this game and the previous one. Additionally, you’ll get to play mostly along side your life-long friend, Victor Sullivan. Which is a nice change of pace from previous titles, since he is supposed to be your best friend, after all.
The gameplay is nothing really new: the majority of your time will be spent doing third-person platforming, with some over-the-shoulder shooting action. However, this game has an emphasis on three areas (for better or worse) that previous games only touched on:
1) Fist fighting. The hand-to-hand combat has been expanded a bit, highly reflective of the combat you see in Batman: Arkham Asylum. The square button does your melee attacks, while triangle performs counters. They also throw in circle for grabs and throws.
Previous installments of Uncharted had combat, but not like this. It’s a crucial component to this game.
2) Running. There are a lot of chase sequences in this game. A LOT. And while they’re exciting at the time you’re playing, during long play throughs they started to feel a bit old. The emotional resonance of the previous games appeared replaced by a series of running sequences while the world crumbles around you.
While the technical innovation that went into the world crumbing was, indeed, impressive, a little more moderation (or more context) would have been appreciated.
3) Falling. In previous games, Nate falls. Quite a bit, in fact. However, in this game, every fall is epic and impossible. There’s no build to a larger event or fall in later levels. From the word “go” this title has him falling an impossible amount, and again – it just didn’t build the way I thought it should. To a bigger or more dangerous fall later on in the game.
So I’ve touched on a few of the disappointments in the title above, but I’ll list some of the things I was a little let down by with this game:
1) The build up. Nothing builds up to an impressive or more dramatic event. Sure, the end of the game (no spoilers) literally has you running through a level that’s ripping itself apart in front of you. But with everything that came before, it just didn’t feel as big or impactful as it should have.
Every place Nate goes gets destroyed. Every fall is epic and impossible. Every chase sequence has the same intensity as the previous. The pacing felt kind of monotonous.
In Uncharted 2, the game built to this very personal experience where you were invested with Nate the entire way. But in Uncharted 3, on several occasions, even Nate’s closest friends are asking what his drive is to keep going forward. And unfortunately, that question is never really answered.
2) Story. Sure the past game’s have had pretty outlandish stories, but this one just felt a little too…fictional? It’s difficult to go into details without giving away plot points, but essentially there’s some pretty far-fetched stuff going on in this game more so than in previous titles. You’ll understand what I mean when you see the first dart go flying into someone’s neck….
My main beef here is really with the villains in the story, Talbot and Marlowe. The villains in past games have been pretty one-dimensional, but Marlowe at least clearly has history with Sully (we see it in flashbacks), but we never really discover her motivations or get to know her or Talbot very well. Sure, the villain in Uncharted 2 was a one-dimensional hack…but he was a hack who was clearly evil and needed to get stopped. In this story, I just didn’t feel that so much.
3) Combat. I loved the previous titles mixture of hand-to-hand combat and shooting focus. However, this game relies very heavily on the physical combat. And unfortunately, a lot of those animations are a little repetitive.
Sure, taking out a dude twice your size with your fists (and doing so flawlessly) is very satisfying. But doing it flawlessly 3 times in the same hour gets a little old.
4) Length. This game felt loads shorter (and easier) than the previous titles. Maybe this was to make room for the multiplayer (which I haven’t tried out yet), maybe this is because the technology used for the environments took up more disc space.
In any case, I beat this game in a little less than a week playing only a handful of hours each night. I would honestly rather have had another 2-3 hours of gameplay than extra multiplayer modes. Make those free downloads later on or something. I just want my co-op, and enough of it to keep me entertained for a few months.
5) Gallery. Mostly my beef here is that you can’t watch the chapter videos anymore. I liked watching the videos. Bring them back, Naughty Dog. 
So I’ve talked a lot about what I didn’t like (and honestly, these are pretty minor things), now let’s talk about what I loved. Not liked…LOVED!
I love the Uncharted game series, and I was super psyched for this game when it was announced. Nathan Drake is a fun protagonist, who is surrounded by interesting and enjoyable supporting characters. Sully, Elena, Chloe – all of these characters are great, and they all make appearances in this game. Plus, there are some other fun characters added to the roster of Nate’s friends.
These relationships continue to be a shining part of the series, as well as their realistic movement and dialogue. The acting / performances are top notch from all characters, and the music is incredible! You feel like you’re playing a big budget action / adventure flick.
And big budget is an under-statement. This game does things technologically that are mind-blowing. When you play some levels out at sea, the level literally moves. And not just the waves moving, but the level itself tilts at 90 degree angles. This isn’t an animation – this is actually a program that simulates waves in real time. While this might not seem incredible, let me assure you it is a technical achievement and it looks great.
The set pieces, while not as impressive as Uncharted 2, are still pretty awesome. Sand storms block your ability to see a great distance in the desert, for example, so you have to rely on cover and searching while dodging fire to find your objective to advance. It’s pretty awesome.
Some of the levels literally rip apart while you’re running through them. And not in pre-determined ways where you can see in advance where the level will rip apart. It does it in real time. It forces you to adapt your tactics in real time as well, and encourages multiple play throughs.
Overall, the game looks great, sounds amazing, and is extremely fun to play. Sure there are a few minor issues I had (probably mostly due to the high expectations I had for the game), but that’s not a reason to not go out and buy this game right now and play through it.
Then come find me online and offer to play co-op, so I can check that out!
This is based on a joke I heard on the radio from a stand up comedian. I can’t remember the comedian’s name, but the idea was pretty funny.
I used to tell my friends about this joke in college. Then a guy friend of mine told me he enjoyed fabric softener (he had sensitive skin or something). Kind of ruined the joke. Killjoy.
In any case, since it was relevant to this story arc, I decided to resurrect it here. I, for one, don’t use fabric softener for this very reason. However, I would still be wearing khaki pants with cargo pockets today if my little brother wouldn’t harp on me for being a “fashion old fart” every time he saw me.
But that’s okay, I can still beat him at arm wrestling. And in the end, that’s what really matters.
Over the weekend, I got a little older…officially. To celebrate this great day, I wanted to do something a little different.
Back in The Mitten, I used to throw parties all the time that could only be described as “epic” and “legendary.” So I wanted to take that tradition and apply it to the start of a legacy party here in Chicago. This required a big idea – something different and fun.
This big idea was a murder mystery party, set in a 1920s speakeasy.
Welcome to the Juice Joint.
Beth and I agreed this would be a fun party, and with Halloween having only been a week previous, another fun opportunity for people to dress up. We found a place online that sold kits, and sent out everyone’s character assignments after they RSVPed, giving them 2 weeks to secure costumes and plan accordingly.
All in all we had 15 people RSVP for the murder mystery (the game can get a lot larger), and another 10-15 people claim they would show up at some point during the eventing. So it was going to be a healthy sized group for celebrating this important day of days.
There was a wide cast of characters, including:
-The Private Eye (me)
-The Juice Joint owner (Beth) and her daughter
-The cigarette girl, the cocktail waitress, the bouncer, and the Diva
-The Chief of Police, the Mayor, the biggest director in Hollywood, and a handful of scarlets
-Nick, the northside mob boss, and Sal, the southside rival
-Nick’s ex wife, current girlfriend, and a slew of other ladies
-Bernie, the “juice” supplier who’s black listed by the bosses
-And many more….
They say “dress to impress” is the way to go, and that applies to your location as well.
Upon arriving, everyone was given an envelope with their pre-murder objectives. I was playing the private investigator, looking into the death of the Juice Joint owner’s husband. I questioned local thugs, staff, old flames, and even some mafia bosses.
Eventually it was time for the Don, Notorious Nick, to make an announcement. Which got cut short. Just like Nick’s life.
They say the Joint has a killer Juice, but in this case it’s literal! Someone done got murdered!
When the murder happened, everyone received a second envelope, revealing new objectives – and for one person, if they were the killer.
What was fun about the game is that everyone had connections to both the original victim, and the victim of the evening. Everyone was a suspect, and everyone had motive. Figuring out who had enough motive to kill became the key piece of the puzzle, and there were a lot of clues to discover throughout the second half of the evening.
Some people had evidence, which they would give – for a price. Others offered up the evidence, wanting the killer found and brought to justice. Other people wanted to hide evidence, or do some back-door peddling of guns. Everyone had something to hide, and no one wanted to be found out.
Everyone has an agenda, and everyone’s a suspect.
The friends who attended the party brought their A game, really getting into character both in dress and in attitude. Some adopted accents, others went full out with costumes and props.
As the evening progressed, people got very comfortable and really wanted to uncover the truth about who done it and more importantly, why Nick was murdered. As evidence continued to filter in, the PI and the Police Chief continued to investigate and interrogate people at the Juice Joint.
The private eye interrogates the club bouncer. “A little hot in here for ya, buddy? Or do you have something to hide?”
Evidence took me around the room to everyone in the place. The ex wife was happy Nick was dead. Turns out Nick had a fling between his wife and girlfriend, which the girlfriend may or may not have known about, and the fling held some resentment. The bouncer was doing more than keeping weapons out of the place. The mayor was running for governor, and had some high hopes for their campaign. The old supplier was trying to get back in with the juice joint owner’s wife.
The list went on, and the motivations were many.
The mayor makes friendly with everyone, including the resident feline of the establishment.
I’m not going to spoil who done it, just in case anyone wants to order this same murder mystery for their own party. In the end, the event took somewhere around 1-2 hours, and everyone had a complete blast. And if you’re worried about it being too easy, know this: only one person guessed the killer correctly!
This party was my birthday present from my girlfriend, and all I really wanted was just for people to show up and have a fun time. And that definitely happened! So much so, people were asking when the next murder mystery would happen. So, out of the gate, the first big Chicago party was a success, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Beth.
It also helps to solidify something that warrants mentioning every now and then, which is that I have the best friends on the planet. Seriously, every single person makes or breaks a party like this, and everyone more than delivered. Everyone dressed up and got into character, everyone had a complete blast, and everyone wanted to come back for more!
The Chief of Police shows off that he’s packing heat. Rumors abound that he’s on the take, but he’ll never admit it.
Some things Beth and I learned from this ordeal:
1) It’s difficult to participate and host at the same time. Especially if you want some great pictures of the event (ie: like for a photo webcomic series). Her and I are thinking next time one of us may host while the other gets to participate, or is the official photographer of the party.
2) Make sure you give character descriptions out early to people, and get them to RSVP and confirm early and often. We had a few last-minute drop outs, which we were easily able to fill from some last-minute interested parties. But we got lucky here. Sure, people’s schedules fluctuate every now and then, but it’s good to have confirmations from your party before you order the kit.
3) Create the scene. Beth went so far to buy brick wall backgrounds for the apartment, and even put in details like signed photos from famous mob bosses, which went behind “the bar.” Mixed with some dim lighting and some period appropriate music, the scene was laid for the perfect location…and the perfect crime!
4) Don’t tell anyone who the killer is. This means you can use the party kit again with another group of friends down the road.
5) Make sure the people you invite have an inner child and an over-active imagination. Thankfully, everyone at the party had these things, and it made the evening perfect. Some people were so in-character they wouldn’t even break when I had to check a text message or answer the phone. “What is this strange device?” they would ask. It was like going to Ren Faire all over again. 
6) Props make the game real. Some people brought great props, and shared props with others, which really made the night.
The Chief goes in for the arrest, but has he caught the right man…?
Seriously, this evening was something truly special. And even though not everyone could participate – some people couldn’t make it, some had to leave during, and some couldn’t make it for the beginning but got to enjoy the ending – overall it was an amazing time. I couldn’t have asked for more.
I can’t say thank you enough to my friends and family for being there for me, supporting me over the years, and for making something as awesome as this party happen. You guys all rock, and yes – there will be another party of some sort in the near future!
The PI gets familiar with the Juice Joint owner.