Night Time Brothers Present

A quick Halloween special: the angry witch and a horrible way to love one's loved ones

2011-10-31T23:50:00.010+10:00

By David

The Side Profile Club

2011-08-02T21:46:00.001+10:00

By David

Women didn’t want us anymore so we started a side profile club. The rule was simple: always display the side profile of you face, and no other angle.

The movement started with simple Facebook profiles pics, but then it evolved into something else. Soon, men would only ever communicate with others with their side profile. It didn’t matter if you had to walk sideways – you were more handsome with your side profile. It didn’t matter if you could only ever speak to one person at once – you were more handsome with you side profile. It didn’t matter if you had to never face people ever again – you were more handsome with your side profile.

We became so good at only displaying our side profiles that we fooled women into believing we were all extremely good looking... until they saw us the next morning. This made women sad. “This isn’t fair,” my ex girlfriend said. “When you’re in public, everyone only sees your side profile, but when you’re with me, you’re so fucking lazy you show me your actual face. Why don’t you put effort into trying to please me anymore? Why don’t you men care?”

And so she beat me up and started a war. There were tanks and guns and men were shot in the street. Men fought back by making women feel guilty about everything, like it was all their fault. We did this by not talking to them for days and making them jealous through Facebook (side profile) photos and status updates. In the end, the women apologised. They sent us the sweetest “I’m so sorry baby” text messages in the world.

This made us happy until they started their own club, called the we get paid more than you club.

Making a Video Game - Part 4 - Writing a Plot Guide

2011-07-14T21:56:00.007+10:00

By David.

A lot of people ask me, "David, what the hell do you do in your spare time besides feel sorry for yourself?"

I work on our plot guide!

Now that Alvin and I have agreed on the main characters for our app game and are both happy with its general plot, it's now my turn to work on a more comprehensive plot guide. My screenshot won't be as interesting as any of Alvin's work, but here's a snippet of what a draft version of a Night Time Brothers plot guide looks like:

You'll notice that it says, "Diverted path 1..." blah blah blah. That's because our game branches off into several paths, depending on what choices the player makes. My job is now to write, in detail, what happens when the player makes every decision.

So how do you make a plot guide?

If you do it how we did, then it's easy (well, it's "easy" if you're doing it small scale like us). Firstly, you have to define what a plot guide is. To us, a plot guide is something you write as an aid for you and the team to understand not only the overall story of your game, but also the personality of its characters and the scenery that holds them; it also provides a more detailed essence of the story in comparison to what you would normally find in a general summary. It also makes the script a lot easier to understand.

The tedious part of plot guide writing comes when you're someone like me. I like to make sure everything is clear, so that if Alvin or our future developers can read it and think, "Yup, I agree with that," or, "Fuck off, this is wrong," and there will be no confusion and we can discuss the issue with peace and love and man love. In the plot guide, I make sure to have:

a table of contents that makes reference to each and every path of the game,
a diagram that shows all plot variations and finally,
a detailed plot guide (like in the screenshot above) that sort of reads like a novel: it includes a more detailed story, it includes the subtle mannerisms of the game's main characters with snippets of their dialogue, it sets the mood of the scene; it also sets the background of each event.

Of course, writing a plot guide in this format is only applicable if you're doing a more story-based game like Alvin and I. If you're creating the next Fruit Ninja, then you better forget everything you've just read.

After the plot guide, I'll then be writing the game script and narrative script. But more on them on later posts. Then Alvin will be illustrating the whole lot! Yey.

Time to get back to it. Bye!

Balloon Girl: A School Holiday Short Story

2011-07-10T22:07:00.001+10:00

By David

My Sonic & Knuckles

2011-06-28T17:59:00.001+10:00

by Alvin

I actually wasn't happy with Sonic (& Mario too for that matter) in the previous post.. it was more of a warm up. so here's one I'm more satisfied in - Knuckles thrown in as a bonus, hehe..

My Sonic & Mario

2011-06-27T23:20:00.001+10:00

by Alvin

last night the idea just came to me - & I had to do my own take on the famous rivals from my high school days..

how I wish there was an actual next gen Sonic the Hedgehog game that wasn't terrible; sucked; underwhelming, *insert dissapointed synonym*.. I reckon they should base any new remake on the awesome cartoon series; not the slapstick kids fodder, but the almost dark & story driven series where doc robotnic was an actual badass..

anyway.. enjoy!

Making a Video Game – Part 3 – a Preview of Sugar and a Call for Donations

2011-06-26T15:00:00.017+10:00

By David

After months of plot and gameplay conceptualisation, we’re finally down to creating our characters.

Here’s a sneak peek of Alvin sketching up one of our characters, Sugar, on his laptop. I’m sure he’ll reveal a bit more (and maybe provide some drawing tips) in a later post.

Like with our other soon-to-come stories, the game is set in the city of Old Majesty. Sugar will be one of the main playable characters.

Just to remind everyone again, Alvin is an illustrator/writer, and I am a writer. This spells one word: poor.

This poses just a BIT if an intensely massive hurdle for us as we need to hire the expertise of an app and web development team to produce something truly game worthy.

If you would like to spare a dollar or two to help make our dream project happen, feel free to make a PayPal donation by clicking on the little piggy in our signature beneath every post.

Bye (and thank you)!

New "Donate" button!

2011-06-20T13:14:00.027+10:00

by Alvin

David may have hinted upon - in an early post - that amongst our endless project opportunities, we're working on a game app for the iphone.

We've kept things a bit vague; a bit secret squirrel on the matter - but because you've passed the ancient ritual test of friendship, I have no reason not to think of you as fellow petrified stones. David & I are working on essentially a digital comic book app - but with a twist!: interactive gameplay elements interwoven within the story & panel navigation.. I know right, exciting stuff!

Okay, I recognise Square Enix brought out a similar app - but I promise you we didn't hear any word of its development prior to it being released, so in our books we're still creating something revolutionary, hehe..

And here's where our friendship comes in - it takes a few chests of cursed spanish gold to get this off the ground, & we're working on the pre-production requirements; accumulating all the hidden treasure maps we have to find the funding we need, along the way.. but we wont look down on any helpful hand.

Any spare doubloons or ancient solidus' you have from your plundering days - that you wish to part with, to help us finish our dream project for you (our fans, friends, family, fellow gamers; geeks, & connoisseurs of all things awesome almighty). David & I will appreciate to the high heavens your contribution & will reward you with an awesome app ready for your hungry iphone.

The Donate button is on the right, below our profile - or underneath this in case you want to see how sexy it could be without our profile pimping it up..

In advance: Thankyou.. if you subscribe to our blog, you'll get word via our chimpanzee delivery service: updates on how our app developing is going - it's hard work creating a game, but it's hella fun!

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Mutant Ninja Turtles

2011-06-17T12:50:00.000+10:00

by Alvin

Even more so than the Transformers, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are my favourite retro property ever!

The early 90's cartoon was entertaining, but too kiddy for my liking - it was the original comic & it's subsequent media versions that I love the most.. I guess I'm too engrossed in my cynical age, but dark, gritty, violent & realistic are my tastes these days, & I remember the first ninja turtles movie being the best thing ever - not as dark as the original comic, but on par with realism and the spirit of the original that I appreciate it even more now.. the reboot of the franchise with the 2003+(?) cartoon series was also excellent - there's actual action!

I've been trying to do my take on the ninja turtles for quite some time now, & it's only recently my hand followed my brain & came up with something decent: my versions aren't teenagers anymore, they're in their early or mid-twenties & have gone through a lot of maturity but are still at their core the characters we know and love.. story wise, I did have a synopsis but I think it needs a lot more thought & work.. I've decided to give these brothers a family name - seeing as how Splinter was a pet of Hamato Yoshi, I figured he'd adopt his surname in memory of him. So the turtles would be sons under Splinter Hamato's family, hence: Leonardo Hamato, Michelangelo Hamato, Raphael Hamato & Donatello Hamato..

It's been real fun, so I'll definitely carry on with more re-designs of turtle characters.. at the moment I'm excited to do my take on The Shredder & Splinter.. so watch this space peeps!

p.s. If you want to know more about the turtles in a half-shell - turtle power! I'd recommend checking out their wiki & just losing yourself in the richness of the characters & story.

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My Super Sentai!

2011-06-15T20:41:00.002+10:00

by Alvin

Did you miss me?

I know its been yonks since my last post (my shiva like arms applaude David covering for me), but my 3rd semester of TAFE has been hell: the largest workload so far on top of a certain a-hole of a teacher = the eleventh circle of hell where I'm not as satisfied with my overall standard of work as I was last year..

it's been challenging to say it in "lame-man's" terms (hehe).. but at least I've come out of it with some bruises on my ego, repairable, damaged limbs & a love for deserving procrastination..

sleep & health are 2 things I've siphoned back into my life now that I'm on my semester break. & during that time; alone in bed as I try to fit in a few moments of imaginative indulgence. I've grown obsessed with trying to come up with a unique concept for a tactical, squad shooter game, ala ghost recon, mass effect & maybe even as far as calling MGS an example..

you won't believe how many concepts have fleeted in and out of my mind, & how many that have been chosen - only to be scrapped the next morning/night of pre-sleep imaginings, for another that was scrapped previously before this was scrapped or chosen before it was scrapped.. gaaah! the world just exploded!

you can see I'm not as good at this as I was when I was younger, but for fear of getting trapped in a cycle of indecisiveness - one idea has always been an underlying theme: a Super Sentai type of concept, whereby the members of the squad aren't hardened marines, or a task force of special agents.. but rather a team of "Power Ranger/Gatchaman" sorts fighting against an invading alien threat.. no camp, cheesiness or light hearted drama either - I'm thinking a bit of appropriate grit & realism that can be afforded for such an outlandish setting/theme, mixed with violence, headshots, aliens consuming humans, blood, gore, character development & adult themes.. think of gatchaman before the US took it's censorship scalpel to its beautiful brain..

I know you can see it as vividly as I can:

imagine a mix of tactical, cover based shooting, with transitional melee based action
on the fly ordering the other members of your sentai group to use their skills to shoot or melee attack..
then add an experience point system where you can purchase "perks" to augment your combat & survival potency
the levels you've racked up with said exp. - unlocking new "weaponry" to use/add to your arsenal
full weapon customisation & equipment outfitting of your sentai force

.. then imagine having robots too in the mix!!! OH MY!

lucky for me, I started conceptualising my own sentai force for a comic I didn't end up putting anymore effort into - which was good, because I constantly reworked the designs; becoming more realistic than being a qute XD type of style..

being out of touch with drawing for a while: this pic of Falcon-O - the leader of my "gatchaman" type force, took all day to do..

his other 2 team-mates are in similar garb, so you can get a feel for their designs as a whole (& I'll release new images of them as time progresses) - but they'll specialise in different "things".. sadly I haven't thought off a proper name for their group or any villains or a story or ANYTHING for that matter - the XD version of them was called "Super Ninja WingMen".. which I want to change into something less tacky; more catchy & serious..

now, hopefully I won't lose interest in this indulgence of mine.. but we'll see how it goes..

It's good to be back at least..

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How to Create a Unique Vampire

2011-04-18T21:26:00.008+10:00

By David

What can be more alluring than a bloodsucker that can jump really high? What can be more alluring than a dude who sleeps in coffins and can turn into a fruit-eating bat? What can be more alluring than a vampire who just, like, really really loves a girl who happens not to be a vampire?

Vampires sparkle. Vampires bite. Vampires whither in the sunlight. They kill. They suffer. They take pleasure in the misery of others. They’re either young or old or somewhere in between. Sometimes they’re white, sometimes they’re black. Whatever form they choose, there’s one thing for sure: they rule our commercial world. We love spending money on vampire merchandise, and vampires love how our cash is helping them live forever.

But there’s a problem. Vampires are everywhere. There are way too many of them for any new interesting stories to come out. It's as if companies looked at Twilight and decided to create a damn factory that mass produces vampire scripts like they do iPhones.

I’ve been reading this Vertigo graphic novel (written by Stephen King and Scott Snyder) titled American Vampire. In his intro blurb, Stephen King starts, Here’s what vampires shouldn’t be: pallid detectives who drink Bloody Marys and only work at night; lovelorn southern gentlemen; anorexic teenage girls; boy-toys with big dewy eyes.

How can you create a vampire that will stand out of the clutter? Here are some ideas for vampires that, to my knowledge, haven’t been overly used before in mainstream media:

Make the vampire really ugly in human form, but extremely good looking in evil/monster form.

Every time we see vampires shriek, they turn all ugly on us. I’m sick of shitting myself every time I see them do that.

Next time, when the vampire gets hungry or angry, it can turn into an extremely good looking person with perfectly normal, non-threatening eyes.

Make the vampire a homosexual.

No, not sexy, porno “lesbian” girls dancing together in a night club. I mean vampires who are genuinely into man-on-man action; I mean female lesbians who legitimately love other women outside of the camera and outside of drunken party dares. Make a vampire that’s genuinely gay.

Make your vampire say no to drugs and alcohol.

And not just because drugs and alcohol are bad for vampires, but because your vampire believes it’s bad for EVERYONE. “No thanks, I’m having an orange juice tonight.”

Give the vampire a positive outlook on life.

It’s as if vampires have never read The Secret before. Make a vampire who laughs and enjoys coffee with friends; a vampire who wakes up every evening, stretches and sings: I love myself, I love my friends, I love my family and I love this night – life is great! I’m getting laid tonight!

Make a vampire that gets beaten by a werewolf.

I feel sorry for Jacob.

Make a vampire that will never win the girl.

Vampires have always won the girl. They’ve enjoyed hundreds of years winning attractive women over, but still, they complain and look sad all the time. It’s time to make a vampire that isn’t seductive for once. Make a vampire lose a girl to a much better looking human – hands down. Make a vampire that texts but never gets a reply. Make a vampire who looks at a mirror and thinks: why do they see right through me?

If the vampire is female, give her a moustache.

There simply haven’t been enough female vampires with moustaches. I see human girls with moustaches all the time – why can’t female vampires grow moustaches? They’re old enough not to be insecure about it.

Make your vampire fight aliens.

Enough said.

Give the vampire a fake tan.

A really obvious fake tan. And boob job. And nose job. And botox job. And lip job. And thigh job.

Make the vampire a talking robot dog from the past.

Yup. I’ve run out of ideas.

How about you? Do YOU have any unique vampire ideas? Feel free to send us some!

(All images in this post were not created by us - they were taken from the graphic novel American Vampire).

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Woman's Love Story

2011-03-25T18:31:00.002+10:00

By David

Happy 137th Birthday, Mr. Houdini

2011-03-24T10:07:00.002+10:00

Image of Houdini from Wikipedia

Making a Video Game - Part 2 - How to Write a Creative Plot and Where Good Ideas Come From

2011-03-23T22:26:00.011+10:00

By David

Believe it or not, we didn’t need cocaine to come up with creative stuff. All we needed was a giant jug of water.

Giant jug of creativity water.

Writing the plot for our new game made me realise why sitcoms need teams of writers, rock bands need a posse of misfits and Snow White needs seven dwarfs: sometimes going solo isn’t the best way to produce something cool.

This video by Steven Johnso n on where good ideas come from may explain what on earth I’m talking about:

So there you have it. Find some creative people. Bounce ideas off each other and add to them. Tap on each other's resources. Enhance each other's talents and tweak each other's dreams. Drink from a jug of water and build something brilliant.

Bye!

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Praying for Japan

2011-03-14T10:28:00.004+10:00

By David

I love Japan. Japan is the country where I experienced my first extreme drunkenness, the country with the tight cities and the great buildings and the flashing lights and the peaceful towns and the friendly customer service and Judo and Naruto, the country with the park with the small statues and the giant tower where I looked out towards the grey and orange horizon of the world. The pain it’s enduring right now is definitely a tragedy.

One thing to expect out of life is that death and suffering will come at you from everywhere. Muggers, dictators, terrorists, murders, accidents, natural disasters, all that other nonsense. We live in a world where we can die from speaking back to someone; we live in a world where we can die from eating food – we can even die from sleeping. There’s a giant invisible ball out there, and although we can’t see it, we can certainly feel its pressure.

SUPPORT JAPAN THROUGH DONATIONS (from Yahoo):

Click here.

Making a Video Game - Part 1

2011-03-03T16:35:00.009+10:00

By David

Yup, that's right. We're making a game for the iPhone/iPad.

As a kid, I loved playing games. I loved eating mushrooms while riding Yoshi in Super Mario World. I loved perving with Leisure Suit Larry. I loved shooting my team members in Counter-Strike. Who the hell would've thought that Alvin and I might end up making a game one day? I wouldn't have.

Right now, we are in heavy discussions on the plot.

SPOILER: It may or may not be about a diamond necklace and it may or may not involve a dead guy.

Here's my Microsoft Paint sketch of a diamond necklace (Alvin's illustration will be much better).

Stay tuned. Bye!

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What if Star Wars was Real?

2011-02-25T13:13:00.003+10:00

By David

Image from ifstarwarswasreal.

I love looking at vintage photos. I was looking through Cool Hunter and found a link to ifstarwarswasreal.com - a site that posts vintage photos blended with some good old Star Wars.

Now where the hell's Jar Jar?

Check out the website here.

Howard Hughes working on a Starfighter. Image from ifstarwarswasreal.

Modern Day Superhero: Grandmother Fights off Six Burglars with her Handbag

2011-02-12T17:12:00.006+10:00

By David

Image of Ann Timson from Jezebel

I first heard about this while watching CNN during my travels. Apparently, a 70-plus-year-old grandmother named Ann Timson fought off six sledgehammer wielding burglars in broad daylight. Only after a while of fighting did others come in and try to intervene.

There’s a The Telegraph article about it here, and also a Jezebel post here. Let us know if you find a video of it and we’ll post it up.

This got me thinking about the situation in Egypt. It takes a number of brave people to stand up for or against something, and, after setting an example, the world will follow.

Our world needs more superheroes. I recently went to Bangkok - it is a truly beautiful city with great people, but seeing child beggars and foreigners with child prostitutes makes me sad. Although I still lack any sort of courage to do something about it, I certainly hope that one day a number of brave people will.

How to Write Great Characters

2011-01-27T18:49:00.010+10:00

By David

There are several techniques you can use to write beautiful characters. For now, here are three.

1. Make them Imperfect.

Image of Ron Weasley from Wikipedia

Think of Ron Weasley. Think of Christian Bale’s character in The Fighter. Think of Kanye West.

They all have issues and imperfections. Flaws link us together; flaws make characters memorable.

2. Create a Contrast.

Image of the Joker from Wikipedia

There’s Batman and the Joker. There’s the dull narrator, and there’s the Great Gatsby. There’s the guy in the wheelchair, and then there’s his Avatar.

Good and evil. Serious character and dorky best friend. Tight arse and wild child. Contrasts make your characters glow that little bit brighter.

3. Give them a Problem to Solve (or a Problem that they can Never Solve).

Image of Juno from Wikipedia

Juno. Obama. Frankenstein. They all have some kind of problem to overcome.

Some characters start with the problem, some gain their problems along the way. A lot of the time, it’s the problem that creates the story, and a lot of the time, it’s solving the problem that finally ends it. Sometimes, if you’re emo enough, you may even decide that the problem will never be solved.

These are just a few rules and techniques that have been proven to work in the past - but don't follow every rule by the book. Once rules are overdone and what was once creative becomes a norm, you may find that breaking these rules may lead you to better places. Our world is filled with annoying grey areas.

I’m done. Bye!

Does Art Depend on our Suffering?

2011-01-22T05:30:00.009+10:00

By David

One night, when I was drunk, I met this artist.

“About a few thousand years ago,” this artist told me, “I met this like, really influential businessman. This businessman, this businessman pointed at the world around us and said, ‘Know what? I can get rid of all the suffering in the world for you. But in doing so, nobody in this world will be allowed to create anything even remotely artistic. You won’t be allowed to have books, you won’t be able to make your pretty little drawings, you won’t be able to sing. But, don’t ask me how, you’re going to be content with the world. Forever.’ The influential businessman, this big intimidating motherfucker of a guy with this funny Hollywood gangster accent, he grabbed my wrist with one hand and pointed at me with the other and said, ‘so you got two choices: art, or eternal happiness. What're you gonna pick?’” The artist, looking at me sarcastically, concluded his story with: “I had a minute to decide, so I chose art. So now, you’re drunk and I’m in debt.”

Gogh. Plath. Hemingway. Elliot Smith! There are (were) a lot of sad, creative people out there. Would the lives and works of artists such as Van Gogh have been a lot more different if they’d lived a little easier? We create enormous buildings for the sole purpose of hosting paintings and statues. People go inside them, staring at the paintings, staring at the statues, and they think. They think and they think and they think. They may be thinking about the work they’re looking at, they may not; but that doesn’t matter: the important and the confusing part about this all is that such buildings even exist. We need for them to exist; they need to be there for us to function. Why must we paint stars in the night? Why must we plaster “Change” on every wall? Why must we dance to more than one song?

A close friend of mine couldn’t move on from her ex-boyfriend. She was so crushed she decided to start writing poetry. Intense, nipple numbing poetry. She wrote so much poetry she decided to dedicate an entire website to her poetry. After some time, she met a new man. He smiled at her, and her poems stopped for good.

Waltz #2, by Elliot Smith:

Charles Bukowski’s Tales of Ordinary Madness: an example of how you can bend the rules and still sound good

2011-01-19T18:28:00.011+10:00

By David

Image from goodreads.com

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I got up, walked over to the bride’s mother, ripped her skirt back to her thighs, kissed her quickly upon her pretty knees and began to kiss my way upwards.

The candlelight helped. Everything.

“Hey!” She awakened suddenly, “whatcha think you’re doing?”

“I’m going to fuck the shit out of you, I am going to fuck you until the shit falls outa your ass! Whatcha thinka that?”

She pushed and I fell backwards upon the rug. Then I was flat upon my back, thrashing, trying to get up.

“Damned Amazon!” I screamed at her.

Tales of Ordinary Madness, by Charles Bukowski, has grown on me. Filled with Bukowski’s notorious drunkenness and reclusiveness and humour and womanising assholishness, each raw piece of this short story collection reminds me that writers are human after all. Sometimes we’re so wrapped in the rules of literature that we forget the beauty in imperfection.

I have a feeling that a lot (if not all) of the stories in Tales of Ordinary Madness were unedited and written by Bukowski while he was drunk or high on something. In stories like No Stockings, some of his sentences simply cut short. You can also forget about capital letters and any evidence of harmony; Bukowski’s characters are damned and chaotic. Nonetheless, his stories work; they rattle you.

Tales of Ordinary Madness is definitely my refreshing read for the week. My favourite story in the book? Rape! Rape!

You can find out more about the book online somewhere or buy it straight via Amazon here:

Bye!

Be Bond, be James Bond

2011-01-11T16:50:00.000+10:00

by Alvin

I'm a big James Bond fan.. though, not fanatic enough to have every single piece of Bond related, capitalist driven junk in my possession; I'm merely a humble, simple servant that is in love with the prestige & indulgences of the character.

Now don't write me any hate-mail; Sean Connery WAS the best Bond yet, but many would agree that Daniel Craig is the king of the hill in reign - & being the metro that I am: have him as my style icon & man crush.. suits i love, from charcoal, navy blue & grey, with notched lapels, double-side vents, a pocket square to keep the top pocket company etc - whoosh, don't get me started. But what's lacking is bits & pieces to truly be in her Majesty's secret service.

After some searching, below could be the tip of Roc's beak of what one can hide on himself at that charity ball or wedding; ready for some tactical espionage action!

Novonic E-Blocker suit

First of all, are the threads. A revolutionary range in gadget tailoring - the E-Blocker line of suits - incorporate a lining made out of a specially coated yarn that creates an electromagnetic barrier capable of fending off mobile phone & blue-tooth rays.

MI6 awesome kind of stuff that can stop pesky Quantum & SPECTRE agents from blue-tooth hacking your smart-phone or sensitive, world saving electronic - doubling also as a better-than-nothing shield against radiation..

contact Novonic's Q for the lend..

Credit card lock-pick set

I guess the obvious thing to do is not get that mixed up with your actual VISA card; embarrassing yourself at the cashier in front of the pretty counter lady: "Oh dear, I'm sure my credit bills were paid?!".

Thin enough to replicate an exact card; sliding it out reveals a compartment with lock picking tools ready at your disposal. Who says paying the bills isn't.. um.. nah, i got nothing witty to add there..

Pick it up here.. & oh, they accept credit ;)

USB Flash drive Cufflinks

It pays to be fasionable & practical - these babies; with their silver like finish blend well with any formal affair without looking tacky, thanks to it's simple & stylish design & make. But of course, when the spy in you kicks in - & you've made your way into the evil genius' study; picking the door's lock with your trust credit card lock pick set.

Where else can you download the plans for his evil death ray dematerializer than onto these 2GB of cunning cuffs. & if you get caught, the goons will be looking all the way to China for that USB flash drive - unaware of your unique fashion senses.

Make your way to the link before someone else gets wise.

iphone controlled Parrot A.R.Drone

Commercial spyware technology at it's best.

Ever wanted to put your iphone to better use than preventing flight path collisions? A mini helicopter has been built that is totally controllable via an iphone or other Apple device, using an app called A.R.Pursuit.. the copter is capable of taking off & landing in both outdoor & indoor environments, is built with four propellers & two video cameras that can stream images & info back to the controlling device..

if that's got you salivating like it's BBQ pork ribs on your plate - the app software ties into a virtual reality shooting game where players fly around, shooting other players with virtual missiles & machine guns.

Expect 15 mins of operating time on 1 hour of charge.. though I don't think it's out yet, it's single-handedly one of the most expected apps/products this year.

Stinger Pen Pistol

Nothing says Bond more than a weapon concealed as an innocent looking writing tool. This is the real deal, an actual writing pen that with a twist & a pull down: converts into a fireable pistol - able to shoot a single bullet, which would force you to use it for self defence or for close quarter assassinations.. I wouldn't rely on it in a mexican stand-off or fire fight with other spooks.

I'm not sure where these can be readily sought at besides auctions & collector.. um.. places. But if you happen to grace your presence with one, maybe fire me off a message.. hehe.

Tie clip camera

Another fashionable piece of advice.. you wanna know what would make your tie that little bit of extra not-boring? A tie clip.. wait for it.. with a hidden microphone & camera!

Able to transmit & record audio & MPEG4 video; viewable from a reciever unit supplied. This would make scoping an event for that elusive secret society member that much easier - Get him to divulge some secrets, then BAM! all recorded & none the wiser.

Though, I wonder how bulky this would actually be - hiding underneath your tie & shirt & in your suit jacket.. M would definitely have it ordered from places like this.. so if you're interested..

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Random Optical Illusion of the Day.. 2!

2011-01-07T01:09:00.004+10:00

by Alvin

... Sorry, no tips.. okay maybe one: if all else fails, stare while slowly moving the opposite of forward & focus on the - sp_ce.

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Arts Grants - Australia

2010-12-29T12:56:00.006+10:00

By David

I'm back in Brisbane for Christmas and it's raining. Apparently it's been raining for the past three months. I'm sure it's just a little bit cooler than normal for people here, but for someone like me who's been sweating in Singapore every day of the year, it's damn freezing.

This is a quick post with a quick tip. Decent income can be hard to come by for many artists so it can be pretty helpful to find a good grant. The Australian Government has come up with a website shit-filled with grants. They have literature grants, theatre grants, community partnership grants - they have a smorgasbord of grants.

You can find the link here:

http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/grants

Cool, thanks. Bye!

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Alvin's Zombie Survival Sheet

2010-12-24T14:40:00.000+10:00

by Alvin

The popular phenomenon that is Zombie Apocalypse's will continue to live long past it's decayed state, even if after a hundred years it has to de-evolve into a "cult" phenomenon to do so.

I'm not a biggarest fan but a loyal fan none the less. So when I cam upon this bit of geekdom roleplay whilst looking for more stimulus to keep me up at night. I was immediately taken over by the Spirit of Christmas & began filling in the boxes with whatever fantasy item I'd need to help bump up my 57% apocalypse survival rate to at least a 58.

Everything of course is fiction. I didn't even consider items I truthfully own - I'd be grossly unprepared if I did - & where's the fun in that?

I say join this flight of fantasy if you haven't already; I have realised I'm late on this bandwagon (seeing as how this "sheet" is version 5.0), but if you're gonna complain - then I'll leave you with a pistol with zero bullets in its magazine when this rapture hits.

You can copy & paste the original template here.

Though if you're feeling rather empty on how to start, a good reading accompaniment to get you past donning your favourite pair of Havaianas in hopes they're enough protection - When you should be thinking steel cap boots with maybe a hidden blade at the toe for those nasty wasteland raiders - Is Max Brooks' bible for the end of days below.

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Wang: The Centaur Who Worries All The Time. Episode 2: Wang Is A Liar.

2010-12-22T17:17:00.001+10:00

By David

Random Optical Illusion of the Day

2010-12-21T13:50:00.004+10:00

by Alvin

I'm a big fan of optical puzzles & illusions and such other great Mind F**kers! Here's one to make you #2 bricks. It's a great piece of art that cleverly blends the herd of horses into a flock of birds, BUT if you look closely that isn't the optical illusion... there's actually one hidden within.

Night Time Brothers V.2!

2010-12-20T19:15:00.004+10:00

by Alvin

Before the new year and even Christmas for that matter descends upon us like a shower of armies of inter-dimensional warriors hell-bent on our destruction; blindly following their evil overlords. We've gone into the process of updating This home of ours here in the Interwebs.

So to celebrate (only applies to Batman fans... sorry): If you love Batman & would love to get doses of him daily, then scoot over to this sexy broad I've bumped into.

sample below...

Say No to Pedos: Tokyo to Cut Down Manga/Anime Porn

2010-12-15T20:27:00.003+10:00

By David

According to an article in The Straits Times, Tokyo is expected to pass a bill that will prevent people below 18 from buying manga comics and anime films that depict rape, incest and “other sex crimes”.

I’ve been to a few manga stores in Japan before. They have whole sections dedicated to porn, even child porn. I remember seeing a large, glossy poster of a prepubescent, naked girl.

Apparently the Bill has faced strong opposition from artists and publishers. I’m guessing one main reason for the strong opposition is that a lot of money can be made from selling incest, rape and other similar publications to minors. Imagine losing your job because your company can’t sell rape porn to kids anymore.

We make our world a very strange world to live in.

Gotham City Map

2010-12-14T01:26:00.004+10:00

by Alvin

I'm a Batman fan, though not enough to fill my life with batman crap for the sake of it being poor imitations of batman... stuff. Yet still, the good batman stuff is like gold running through your veins. One being this image, which is something I've never come across, and puts some perspective to where the Dark Knight operates.

I take it he can only cross over to the city via Robert Kane bridge on the Batmobile, sooooo take that out and I guess he takes a break for the night :p

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How to Make Money as an Unpublished Writer

2010-11-26T00:08:00.035+10:00

By David

For the purpose of this blog post: by “unpublished writer,” I mean a writer of literary fiction who wants to one day have a novel published by a publishing house.

There are plenty of ways to make money. Being an unpublished fiction writer is not one of them.

To provide you with a few tips on how to make a little extra cash, I’ve decided to list a few things I’ve done to earn money while trying to get published.

Become a paid blogger.

Fashion blogger Bryanboy (image from his website)

Becoming a “paid” blogger costs no money but could require a substantial amount of your time. From my observations, some of the more popular blogs tend to be fashion blogs (The Sartorialist, Bryanboy), celebrity blogs (Go Fug Yourself, Perez Hilton), tech-based blogs (TechCrunch, Engadget) and political blogs (no idea). My blog (a fictional blog about a wannabe writer kid) belonged to none of these categories and made shit all.

Some ways to make money from blogging: Google AdWord s, Associate Programs, product selling, sponsored advertising.

Money I made from being a blogger: 13 bucks and a number of awards within the community.

Volunteer work.

Random picture of sad dog

A terrible way to make money, but a great way to “give back to society”. I volunteered for a jazz festival once. I did nothing and was able to watch free jazz performances. They even gave me a free t-shirt, which I wear up to this day.

Some ways to make money from volunteering: networking (meet people who can give you worthwhile opportunities in the future), good karma (if you have the right intentions, of course), stealing.

To find good volunteer opportunities in your city: Google.

Money I made from volunteer work: I lost about thirty bucks from buying CDs by the artists.

Start a business.

Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek (image from his website)

Though starting a business can require an intense amount of work, what you learn (and hopefully what you’ll eventually earn) can be worth it.

The problem with starting a business is that the business will become your life. This could be great for a businessperson, but not so great for someone trying to get a literary novel published. You could be spending several late nights working on your business – nights that could have been spent developing your writing style and sending manuscripts to publishers. This being said, starting a business, sticking with it and actually enjoying what you’re doing with it could be a sign that you were destined to be a boss, and not a literary prodigy (unless you go on and write a book about your successes later on).

Here’s where I’ll become a hypocrite: I started a nifty t-shirt design business with a friend a few years ago. Thanks to running the business, I am now lucky enough to have about a billion stories that have helped me develop my writing style. There are also people like Tim Ferriss who believe that not much work is actually required for running a business. His book, The 4-Hour Workweek, gives step-by-step advice on how to run a profitable business with little time so that you can enjoy what you’ve really always wanted to do. You can check it out and purchase it via Amazon here (I highly recommend it):

There's also another book I'd like to recommend that a lot of my high brow artsy fartsy friends would want to kill me for. My designer colleague cringes and threatens to shoot my face whenever I mention it. It's Rich Dad Poor Dad, a book by Robert Kiyosaki.

Sleazy front cover aside, this book has sold millions worldwide because of the value of its content: it pretty much reminds normal folk that they too can become financially free. Although it lacks the step-by-step preciseness and humour of The 4-Hour Workweek, it's a great "starters" book for anyone looking for much needed inspiration and guidance when it comes to the art of moneymaking.

Money I made from starting a business: a lot (though most of it was invested back in the business).

Join literary contests.

A great way to get your name out there and to add some credibility to your manuscript pitch letters is to win literary contests. Some contests even offer book publishing deals. One warning: you may not win. If you haven’t figured this out already, art (and the judges who dictate what good art is) can seem unjustly subjective and cruel. But don’t let the horrendous pain of rejection fool you: there are plenty of brilliant published authors out there who have never won a literary contest in their lives. If you don’t win, fuck ‘em. You’re an artist, remember? You’re above all of that.

Some great contests in Australia and around the world: Young Writers Award (Queensland), the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, John Marsden Prize for Young Australian Writers (I've come third in this contest).

What I’ve made from various contests: a thousand bucks, a director wanting to make a film out of one of my stories (but eventually failing to gain enough funding), a digital camera, my stories published in various... publications.

Submit pieces to literary journals

Like with literary contests, submitting your pieces to literary journals are a great way of nurturing your craft and building your rep. Strategise well and target your submissions: think about the editors of the journal and what type of work they publish. Once again, a rejection from them doesn’t necessarily mean your work is shit – it could possibly mean that their tastes lie elsewhere (or it could still mean your work is shit). Nonetheless, if they provide constructive feedback, analyse what they say objectively and ask yourself, “do their criticisms make sense or are they just too simple-minded to recognise the genius in my writing?”

A couple of literary journals in Australia and Singapore: Meanjin, Going Down Swinging, Ceriph.

Get a bloody job! (What my ex-girlfriend told me)

Charles Bukowski (image from his Wikipedia)

The more unbearable your job is, the more drive you’ll have to become a paid novelist. Bukowski’s Post Office and Factotum were based on his experiences in dead-end jobs. Working in a butchery (terribly), delivering pizzas (miserably), selling mobile phones as a telemarketer (pathetically) and kissing a lot of arse (perfectly) are just but some of the jobs that have helped me fund my life.

My most truly enjoyable experiences come from working as a copywriter. Being a copywriter has helped me do what I love most (which is to write) and be recognised for it. I’ve also been privileged enough to edit a lot of other people’s copy – a practice that has helped me be more critical and objective of my own work. Don DeLillo, Aldous Huxley, Joseph Heller and Salman Rushdie, amongst others, were once copywriters.

The issue with being a copywriter is just that – you will be a copywriter. In my case, being a copywriter has involved me working late nights and weekends for a company that will not remember my name. When I’d reach home, all I’d want to do is drink my worries away and sleep. So I’d drink my worries away and sleep. I didn’t work on any novels or short stories and I didn’t end up reading more books or researching good publishing houses or literary agents. I was too tired. All that I’d ended up thinking about were pay days, winning advertising awards and being promoted.

How to get a job: Google, classifieds, friends, apply for AWARD School

Money I’ve made from working: thousands of dollars.

Money I’ve lost from drinking to forget about work: thousands of dollars.

Time I’ve lost complaining about work: thousands of hours.

Invest in stuff.

Invest in things that will get you further in life. Invest in writing courses, master classes and in Matthew Reilly’s case, invest in publishing you own novel.

Investments I’ve made in my own life: AdSchool, masterclasses, writers’ festivals, contests, music CDs, stocks, high interest bank accounts, books, time.

How these investments have helped: AdSchool has helped me become a better copywriter. Masterclasses have helped me gain advice and support (as well as recommendations) from established authors and publishers. Writers’ festivals have given me a clearer insight into how the industry works. Contests have made me realise that I have a chance at all of this. Music has helped me enhance my writing ability in more ways than I could fit into this blog post. The study of equity investing has helped me understand the core of capitalism a little more. Books... well, I don’t need to explain how books have helped me.

Time is something I’ve either wasted or spent well, depending on how you look at it. I’ve sacrificed a lot of nights out with friends and partners to stay home to work on projects instead. Because of all this work I’ve done, I’ve received scholarships to China and Japan, my short stories have been published in journals and magazines, I’ve heard commercials I’ve written play on the radio both in English and Chinese, I’ve met business tycoons, I’ve written three novels, I’ve given lectures and I’ve performed some of my written work in front of hundreds of people. Because of all my work I’ve lost friends, I’ve lost loved ones, I’ve lost sleep, I’ve lost meals and most importantly, I’ve lost time. What is time? Is there a set rule to how it should be spent? Calculate how many hours you’ll have to live until you turn ninety – you’ll realise that the number isn’t that impressive.

I still do not have a novel published.

White Ribbon Day

2010-11-23T20:00:00.003+10:00

by Alvin

You'll have to excuse me as I get all potty-mouthed, but it really is worth the embarrassment to show support for a great cause such as White Ribbon Day; men saying NO to violence towards women.

25 November

White Ribbon Day

It really is great to see a cause that's targeted towards men (not saying women can't take part in taking the oath & stamping out violence and abuse - by all means all sexes unite!); a promise that enables men to be empowered, courageous and vigilant in the watch to never: be silent, be okay, to perpetrate or to ignore violence and abuse against the XX chromosomed we share mankind with.

So I urge you all, my fellow human beings & real men, support this worthwhile cause: Buy a White Ribbon, support the events & initiatives in your countries, and if you're in Australia: make an online pledge by swearing the oath @ www.myoath.com.au & visit www.whiteribbonday.org.au to find out what great happenings are occurring to commemorate & rally like-minded advocates for this promise, this duty, & this stand against something a real MAN would never become.

Not violent, not silent...

I swear.

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Cool Rings to rule them all... part 2!

2010-11-15T17:57:00.005+10:00

by Alvin

Okay, so I fought the great, time stealing giant Assignmentus & defeated him atop the peak of "I Owned You 2010" - gaining; in the process, all the spare time stolen from me.

So to celebrate, I've peered into the abyss information highway that is the Internets, & have sourced some pretty nifty examples of finger jewellery that will get you setting trends, put you on V.I.P. lists, and generally kicking ass & asking question later.

So tell me, what do you think of...

Dreamhouse rings

As a wannabe architect & building designer, I would think this would be perfect for such a person practising professionally in said industry. Something egotistically grand and flashy to complement that bespoke tux, worn at that black tie event where your up for nomination for that coveted & prestigious: Pritzker Award.

Inquiries for this hand treasure can be directed to fine jewellery maker: Philippe Tournaire.

Serpent Nail rings

Now here's something different: If you're that Mark Anthony, wondering what to give your dear Cleopatra on her birthday. Look no further! There's a little irony in that - but hell - buy one for each finger & you've got a set that'll make other Egyptian, reincarnated rulers envious any moment in time.

Interested? Hop down to Bijules & get that interest looked at.

Portrait Projection ring

I went to a wedding yesterday & remembered this ring I found out about ages ago. Definitely an awesome engagement or even anniversary ring of sorts. Or if that isn't your thing, you can apply different uses for such a novel invention. I'm thinking off putting an image of the bat symbol in the ring, then whenever crime is afoot - shine a flashlight through it and the monocle; against a rendered wall or thick, very, very low hanging cloud cover, & presto! The Dark Knight Rises!

Ask nicely & you may receive from Luke Jerram.

Antique, Ring Pistol

How awesome is this! Sadly it's an antique (a modern replica of original, french? pistol rings from the 1800s? or earlier?), so it's definitely not in production any more, i.e. hard to find and come by unless your the sort that has the Spear of Destiny, Excalibur & 70% of the true Noah's Ark in your own private museum.

Though this ring is very much a working firearm that served as a spy weapon & personal defence tool (I assume), it was far from perfect: the powder burn of the firing would hurt the shooter & the accuracy would be terrible. But who cares right? All for the glory of looking the Classy, 18th or 19th century Bad-Ass!

So if this has hooked you, and you would sell your soul to get one of these...

Digby & Iona are selling a sterling silver imitation of sorts called the "Black Spot Pistol Ring" that has a real moving trigger & chamber with an included brass bullet to further look the part, but (for obvious reasons) does not actually fire - so you'll just have to leave that duel of honour for another time.

Stun ring

So it looks like I'm gonna end with a trend, pistol ring kicked ass right? But if manslaughter isn't your thing, these babies make beautiful alternatives. Considerately available in a gold and silver plating, these rings are able to disperse a close range spray of pepper spray, spray... spray, spray - Sorry, tongue tied - at a press of a trigger at the side of the ring. James Bond material huh? great self-defence idea for those late night joggers who risk it bit by bit by going further into those dangerous tracks, as well as anyone who has a genuine stalker ready to pounce.

A one use item - refill cartridges & the ring in question can be sought at StunMaster.

Theme Angel Dust ring

Stunning & unique, I don't see too many ring designs that incorporate wings, so this is a sight that is different in design. Women can wear it with flawless victory, though men (there will be a few) will find a way to make this work for them. The actual band is behind the finger, leaving a clean band less look at the front; wings hovering on the finger by magical means it seems!

fly over to Sowat and tell em I sent ya.

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The architect's perfect design accompaniment

2010-11-03T00:14:00.001+10:00

by Alvin

So many of you have asked me (I lie, no one has... *sob*):
"What codex of stimulus do you leech off from to aid in your fantastical building designs?"

Well my good man, I'm glad you asked. I tend to use a mixture of google images and any relevant books about inspiring buildings. But one fateful day; once again chickening out into talking to the pretty clerk at student services. I wistfully happened upon an architectural design book in the library that - in time - became the best, creativity stimulating book I could ever have been graced with.

I'm sure there are others like it - but for a noob like me who is too proud to rely heavily on architectural books, this was my first introduction to something other than just photos of awesome houses on a playdate with heavy, relevant text.

"1000 Ideas by 100 Architects" is the name and literally is what it says it is... is.

Collating the wisdom from 100 architects, this book displays it all: photos of awesome building designs/landscape designs/designs/designs/etc + some helpful tips and concepts (visualised in said photos) behind what one should consider when designing.

Its not heavy on text and is juxtaposed with pictures and photos galore; sort of like reading perfect architectural porn: you want the pictures and minimal text that's to the point.

So this is my recommendation if building design gets you randy & you're looking for a one off book that solves it all.

Halloween: Scare Yourself So Bad You Shit Yourself. Plus Google's Scooby Doo Theme.

2010-10-31T14:54:00.001+10:00

By David

Hoorah! Halloween is here. Here's my What To Do checklist for this Halloween:

1. See a lion.

Accomplished! I saw a lion last night. (No really, I did.)

2. See a ghost.

Half-assed accomplished! I saw a really old, drooling guy who wouldn't stop screaming at young girls.

3. Watch The Social Network.

Accomplished! I joined the masses and watched it last night. Hearing a dramatisation about how Mark Zuckerberg thought up of the idea of people putting their relationship status on Facebook absolutely terrified me.

4. Scare myself so bad I shit myself.

Half-assed accomplished! I nearly did it when I saw the lion.

Anyway, to finish off, here are Google and YouTube's halloween themed logos.

You can actually click on five different paws to switch between various Scooby Doo images. Imagine seeing a talking dog like Scooby Doo on Halloween. That'd be messed up.

Here's YouTube's Halloween logo. Scary little ghost.

And finally, here's a sample of Alvin and I's graphic novel about a serial killer. Watch out for it. It's called Urban Monster.

That's it. Bye!

House Design: Odinson House

2010-10-28T22:15:00.001+10:00

by Alvin

Firstly, apologies for the lack of posts on my part. It's been a busy & bumpy road; purposely busy, out of my control bumpy. But with some breathing time awarded, I can give you a rundown of my latest design.

Similar to the previous house design, my fictional clients were again the arty type, but this time: savvy to natural materials & open spaces for comfort and creativity. It took me weeks of feverish sketching to finally get a design that felt right to me - a week before all my drawings were due; that's the problem with my creativity sometimes: it can be a real bitchface & starts kicking in at the last minute.

Normally I work with elevations first before grounding out the plans, & normally I need to finalise the design of one elevation before all the others fall into place. So after that eureka moment - stroking the iconic shape of my design in place - one evening, my weekend was a non-stop, noon till twilight assignment finisher.

I was inspired by an assortment of different buildings: most conceptual and derived from my favourite inspirational architectural book. But they all steered me to what I wanted: a majestic structure that was more curvy, an unconventional shape, open and harmonious with nature than rectilinear & a monolith out of the earth.

An Australian architect's (his full name always escapes me: "something" Godsend?) slat facade, box building gave me some incentive to make a sculpture like form that reached ark like into the sky on a sea of earth, and wasn't broken up by windows and actual house details; protecting them underneath a similar structural facade concept.

I'm getting tired; only 4 hours of sleep last night can do that to you. + Nikita's on TV atm & if there's one rule to live by: it's that Maggie Q (& Lyndsy Fonseca, hmmmmm) take priority. So if you can read, some of my explanations & choices are in the images below.

Oh yeah. I call it Odinson. Thor & Loki got nothing on it.

Wang: The Centaur Who Worries All The Time

2010-10-14T15:26:00.000+10:00

By David

Supernatural: The Animation, trailer

2010-10-10T11:52:00.000+10:00

by Alvin

I'm a big fan of the Supernatural series - so when the inevitable anime conversion happened to my door near the beginning of the year, I was semi excited; "semi" only because I don't watch anime much anymore. Saving that indulgence for the very best vintage from the best "growers" - avoiding anything with stale direction, excessive fillers & ones that don't even make an effort with their 4 frames a second.

But I am intrigued and still excited to see for myself how the land of the rising sun could interpret an already awesome show; basing this first take on season 1. From the trailer you'll notice the brothers have a lot more agility in their combat abilities & some flashier demon forms have been given freedom to roam out of the live action series' norm.

thumbs up from me so far!

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Gawad Kalinga GKharacter art

2010-10-04T21:59:00.001+10:00

by Alvin

I only started last year, but I've been believing in it for years now, though being actively involved involved is still a young pup of a dedication that I haven't taken up the mantle of, but I know I'll grow into & worthy of it soon enough.

GK or its less abbreviated identity: Gawad Kalinga is a nation building, poverty fighting movement of patriots, humanitarians & shelter and value imbuing revolutionaries that have started to grace the world helping the poor. Originating and spreading through most of all of The Philippines, its moving presence has started to change lives in Papua New Guinea, Cambodia & in a growing number of other developing countries.

So I started last year being an artist they can call; specifically the Youth partition in Sydney Oz - designing a bunch of mascot characters that represented the 7 areas of volunteering, & doing up ongoing poster art for their events & other things.

Everybody needs to believe in something & when the time comes: support something important that will leave a helping mark on the world. I know I'm just a little pixel of a starving artist in the great .jpg of things. But one day, I hope what I can become will find its way doing and giving more for the sake of those who need it.

My views about life are rife with cynicism and caution due to the effects of growing up, but as finite creatures with finite givings. I think we can can do more to benefit more, despite our own doubts; when we focus on where our time, treasure & talent will be most appreciated, most sought, most useful & most rewarding; quantity is not the prize, but how the minority can be greatly affected for many years in the fast forwarded future.

If your interested at all in GK or anything that inspires a great woman or man out of you. It takes a simple "Google" to know more & a few mouse clicks to begin.

Bro out!

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From the Screen to the Printing Press: Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, will now star in a Graphic Novel

2010-09-29T12:44:00.003+10:00

By David

News has been announced that Vancouver-based Bluewater Productions will be publishing a graphic novel titled: Mark Zuckerberg: Creator of Facebook.

"Mark was offered loads of money at a young age and turned all his suitors down because deep down he knew he had higher goals than to work for someone else... Bill Gates offered Mark a million dollars while Mark was still in high school to work for him and Mark turned it down. I mean, how many high school kids will ever be made an offer like that? Very few. And how many would have the confidence to turn it down and pursue their own path? Very few, if any. But that's what Mark did," says writer Jerome Maida when describing his research for the graphic novel.

More info can be found from the Bluewater Productions website here.

Adios!

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Urban Monster concept art

2010-09-17T14:52:00.003+10:00

by Alvin

We're underway getting another pitch sent to *** ****** (secret till we've actually sent it) for our graphic novel: Urban Monster.

In that time I've been motivated to doing up some new concept art to further support our proposal.

Next on the list is to design the cover art, & so far David & I have a few ideas in a rabid Cockeral fight to the death, but none have climbed to fame and immortality just yet.

Will keep you in the loop

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Devil May Cry reboot/remake = SUX

2010-09-17T12:31:00.000+10:00

by Alvin

I don't know about you, but this revamp of the ground-breaking series came as quite a surprise. Especially when they introduced a new character in the last game (*cough* Nero *cough*) that gave me the impression - would replace Dante from now on.

So running into the trailer proposing a remake of the series got me all excited like a junkie about to open a warehouse full of FBI seized heroin with no soul in sight. It didn't matter that the original series was now defunct & left "hanging" in ways; it didn't matter that what very little story was going to be replaced with hopefully something with a lot more substance & a lot less cheesy grindhouse; it didn't matter - you get the drift.

The obvious grittiness the new development team were aiming to achieve hit all the right notes for me, as I saw it as a direction that heralded a mature opportunity for storytelling & horror. And I was blasphemously hoping a different take on the gameplay, ala "less ridiculous-like" & maybe more "substantial", ie different methods of dispatching foes utilising particular items, techniques, etc. But I soon corrected myself; that's what DMC is all about anyway - tweaks are necessary, but a complete overhaul would be insane. I was also hoping for a supernatural & physical world a bit more grounded in our own reality; less fantasy & more based on the myths intertwined in our history's relationship with the paranormal, which would support the new gameplay elements I mentioned above - ie iron against spirits, silver against werebeasts, exorcisms against demons, etc. But the still fictional keeping of the world; evident in the architecture, did not stain my hopes.

Now everything was keeping the "new take" still within the boundaries of what DMC should & is, my biggest gripe however (get ready for it!) is how they revamped Dante himself. A more badass yet serious character (something like the Dante in DMC2 - even though everyone disapproved; I preferred him actually); matured, less childish wisecracks & more desperado like & fearsome in his demeanor, was what I was praying for - a fresh take that would suit the new grit of the visuals.

But instead we get the complete opposite & in my eyes - an inferior version of the original. Now I know its just the first trailer, & it probably doesn't do the character justice yet, but first impressions count & this is sour to my taste buds.

Video Games | Devil May Cry | TGS 10: Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

WHERE IS THE SILVER HAIR!
Why a lanky, skinny, junkie looking kid!
Where's his bravado & sex appeal!
WHERE IS THE SILVER HAIR!
A whip sword?! ... okay that's pretty cool...
Chain smoker!
Punk ass!
etc, etc...

Yeh, yeh... yeh...

...exactly!

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Ah Pook Is Here: Graphic Novel by William Burroughs and Malcolm McNeill Finally to be Published

2010-09-15T16:32:00.003+10:00

By David

A graphic novel created by author William Burroughs and artist Malcolm McNeill way back in the 70s will be published for the first time, according to an article by the Guardian. The title of the graphic novel? Ah Pook Is Here.

Burroughs was a major figure of the Beat Generation and well known for his novel, Naked Lunch, which was quite controversial at the time because of its references to drugs, violence and of course – paedophilia.

Here’s an excerpt about Ah Pook Is Here from the Guardian article:

“The graphic novel sees Burroughs tell the story of billionaire newspaper tycoon John Stanley Hart, the "Ugly American" or "Instrument of Control" who is on a quest to discover the secret of immortality. He uses a formula he finds in ancient Mayan books to create a "Media Control Machine" using images of Fear and Death, but ends up getting on the wrong side of Ah Pook, the Mayan Death God.”

Sounds messed up and highly entertaining!

You can buy a copy of Naked Lunch here:

You can also find the Guardian article here.

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Men's Fashion - Bring back the cape!

2010-09-13T02:18:00.003+10:00

by Alvin

I've had this idea for a while now, but remember when capes where the "IN" thing in men's fashion. From the ancient days when actual knighted "sir's" wore armour under tunics, the Elizabethan era of Shakespeare & skeletons in cages in front of draw bridges, & the Victorian epoch where the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen should've gone after Jack the Ripper just as much as Moriarty.

They were the shiz! Elegant, though; proven by The Incredibles, a hindrance & impractical at times. But still, the cape was grand, dramatic and was devilish & heroic as hell!

That's why I lament that it's visage has disappeared off the face of our modern men's fashion (only women get the benefit of capes coming back in style), with sleeves being a bigger thing nowadays. But I don't think the cape's style is lost on us, merely misplaced among Auntie Mabel's hoarded junk & cats.

Fashion design is still design, & I enjoy designing. So here are my takes on what our modern capes should be, & they are still about drama, elegance & style - a man's man of something different & something lady killing.

When the opportunity presents itself, I'd so love to bring back the cape & design some awesome menswear in its slipstream. Heck! I've even come up with my own Label name... it'll be a secret for now of course.

over red rover

Alvin to Illustrate my next Novel

2010-09-11T15:23:00.006+10:00

By David

Alvin will be creating the illustrations for my next novel. I won't be revealing exactly why I need illustrations in the first place, but nevertheless I'm quite happy with what he's done so far. I asked him to draw something to remind readers of the Western illustrations of the past. I didn't ask for colour illustrations - I wanted the focus to be on the line work. So far, so good.

Here's one illustration:

And here's another:

Dracul series - art dump

2010-09-08T23:04:00.004+10:00

by Alvin

So far, the son, the father & mother; my imagining of the Dracul family line. I'll get through Vlad's brothers: Mircea & Radu, and maybe even their big ole pappy: Vlad Dracul sometime in the future.

.

Daros Films - "Leave Me"

2010-09-06T18:31:00.002+10:00

by Alvin

Leave Me from Daros Films on Vimeo.

The romantic in me is a sucker for bite-sized love stories, not because my oestrogen levels far outflank my testosterone ones, but merely because "Love" is an emotion that everyone can relate too. Regardless of how hard it has petrified your heart or kept it beating with someone worth it.

So in my now, unmotivated moments procrastinating, I look back to a short film that seeing a 3rd or 5th time? hasn't dulled my like for. I viewed another film from Daros right after this one, & I am concreted in my belief that they aren't "one-hit wonders" at all - i'll post up a link to that "other" film sometime in the future.

"Leave Me" is first or second? in a trilogy, but my lack of awesome research skills have kept me from finding any word or upload of the other 2 films of this "Camera Trilogy" online. Maybe it's still yet to be finished or maybe I am really that crap on the Internet.

Oh well... if anyone has any info of where I can view the other two, or the progress to anything in the series, please drop me a line on Night Time Brothers & I'll reward you with your 15 minutes of praise.

.

And What of Totems?

2010-09-04T02:33:00.003+10:00

by Alvin

By now the Inception buzz has started to die down, enough to extinguish not "slept on" notions of pointless sequels, diluted spin-offs, & forcing a perfectly good stand alone into a bleeded franchise, all of which would leave a bad taste in the mouth a few mornings after.

It was interesting to interpret dreams as tangible and constructable, focused enough to hold the consciousness of others without deteriorating from the complex weight, and deep enough to store & steal from, as if its volume held up to the integrity of the mind.

And what of Totems?

Extensions of reality that, through intimate associations, can almost become an incorruptible ideal. That no manner of fantasy, impossibility, temptation or feasibility, can corrupt and cause it to become anything other than what a heart, soul or emotion has willed it to follow. Imagine a reverse, whereby reality would need a Totem of sorts to remind the inhabitant that there is more to life than what can be believed and touched. A component sensitive and unique to one, which helps realise that there is still magic under every explanation, still room for flights of fantastic, heart warming impossibilities, and the weird and the silly, and that imagination is the best source of colour, humanity and bravery.

If I dream, my Totem would be a gleaming, silver ring destined from my hand to the finger of someone cherished. Lovingly shaped and natural like the wind against the stalk of wheat. And even if I remembered, noticed it, felt it, or swore I wore it. That silver eclipse would never be on the bed of my palm, assuring me of its rightful possession. But as the fantasy is realised - that what I breathe, caress and cry from is not what I hoped - what should've been forever absent, is back where it came from; never left and in the present of my grip. Its intended owner, oblivious of its existence.

Though, if this was a reverse. My totem to escape reality would simply be this: a message scrawled on a napkin, telling me I was more, that I was needed, and that I was dear.

...

Something About Today - comic

2010-08-31T19:16:00.005+10:00

by Alvin

This was a submission to a magazine that didn't make the cut. Originally it was coloured & for a magazine competition, but the magazine mysteriously vanished off the face of shelf-earth - so that was that, who woulda thought there was a literary Bermuda Triangle out there.

So I recycled it for another (said) magazine submission, omitting the colours for some nice stark contrasts. It serves its story-telling with just 2 pages, but I could extend it one day & tell the rest... one day.

Discomfort: One Path to Becoming a Better Writer

2010-08-29T18:45:00.006+10:00

By David

One thing I do to become a better writer is to continually put myself in uncomfortable situations.

Look beyond what you’re taught. Do things beyond your routine. Great artists never became great artists for being comfortable all their lives.

I think our mistake comes from the fact that we think our celebrity role models merely make a lot of money and have a lot of fun. Great artists have struggled to get where they are and continually struggle to remain doing what they do. Believe it or not, there’s a lot of pain behind what they show the world.

Here's some stuff I recommend:

Scar Tissue details the life of Anthony Kiedis, the lead singer of Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Fuelled with sex, drugs and highly fucked up situations, you'll gain a stronger insight into the life behind one of my favourite bands.

Ham on Rye, by Charles Bukowski, is a terrific book. It provides a more relatable message than Catcher in the Rye.

Charles Bukowski is the ultimate outcast. I love him for his honesty. The world isn't a poem and people aren't perfect. He doesn't pretend to be anyone else. His writing is simple, honest, funny, raw.

Californication follows the messed up life of writer Hank Moody as he half-heartedly tries to get his life back together by drinking and having a lot of sex. I recommend watching season one. Season two and three aren't as good.

Bye!

.

A Like Story

2010-08-28T18:59:00.007+10:00

By David

5 Awesome Webcomics that aren't Cyanide & Happiness...

2010-08-26T23:08:00.008+10:00

by Alvin

Don't get me wrong, I love, love, lurve Cyanide & Happiness, but some other webcomic icons deserve the limelight this time.

So, in no particular order of greatness...

Uno!
The Abominable Charles Christopher

Karl Kerschl magnificently renders a touching comic of magical & lovable characters, mixing moments of chuckle with heart warming backgrounds of the main casts, as well as slowly unravelling the "un'putdownable" plot serving as the destiny of the titular Charles Christopher... Note: one scene; if you've invested a lot of heart in one particular character, will make a dent.

Dos!
Savage Chickens

Bite-sized laughs drawn on real Post-It notes. If you're after something random in the office, trek through the Amazons, break from that finance lecture leeching the soul out of you. I really recommend this novel series by Doug Savage. Never before has chickens and yellow changed the way I've looked at the insane world.

Tres!

Space Avalanche

I have a thing for ridiculous and random humour expressed in quirky, sequential art. And this one takes the cake in orgasmic quantities. It probably helps that (if I remember correctly) there are maybe 4-5 comic strips with Batman in them; often to heckle, but nonetheless. There's a few particular ones here that if I had been drinking milk at the time, would've spurted it out my nose - though I can't remember which...

Quatro!

The Perry Bible Fellowship

When you spend almost an hour trying to find a comic strip from its archives that would best represent the awesome'ness of this webcomic - you know that one couldn't do it justice. This ain't no goody-two-shoes Christian pious strip, oh no oh no don't let the title lead you down that path. The numerous art styles make this an extravaganza for the eyes, & the naughty, ungodly, f**k'n hilarious hilarity will never let your face muscles rest - I swear it!

Cinco!

See Mike Draw

Looks innocent & childish don't it, minus the occasional "inappropriateness". First eye'ing this comic, I fell in love with the children's book & nostalgic comic strip art. But what made it more was the sometimes "sick" & modern twist with laughs; often subtle and often direct (I'm making things up now, hehe). You wont find another reason to log online and not "fap" away (I know, a bit out of character for you) than this. God bless funny bones.

Brian Wood & Becky Cloonan's "DEMO"

2010-08-25T00:03:00.003+10:00

by Alvin

Starting off with a concept that was more akin to the TV series "Heroes", but with more gritty teen angst and young adult themes. Brian Wood & Becky Cloonan's, and more importantly "My favourite" comic series grew to encompass more themes surrounding relationships - than how super powers affect the lives of ordinary Americans - the further the series met the end of its first run.

And boy oh boy was I hooked, after I read my first issue of demo (the 6th? issue in) about a young, half asian outcast who has enough of his neighbourhood's discrimination against him and his family - unleashing a deathly power in response to his pain. As a whole "Demo" immersed me in stories deeper in humanity's psyche than the Fantastic Voyage taking a detour up grey matter.

Now in truth, not all the issues captured me, but I did have a favourite:

MIXTAPE's love story was in my eyes an original, subtle feast of captivation and heart - tragic, but cleverly told in an original concept. I really recommend you read the Demo compilation if only for this one story, or through the lucky fates, find the one issue in your local comic stockists, friend's stash, online seller, or God forbid: planted in the nest of a Roc up in the Himilayas.

A series already a few years old; what relevance does it have now? Well "Volume two" is already up and running - single issues already on shelves, with the paperback due sometime next year.

So if anyone loves trends, this is one to follow and one to line my Christmas stocking with if you're fresh out of ideas for what to get me.

.

Forbes: James Patterson as the Highest Paid Author

2010-08-24T16:43:00.005+10:00

By David

According to Forbes, James Patterson was the highest paid author last year, scoring a sweet US$70 million.

His current $100 million book deal requires him to write 17 books by the end of 2012. According to an article in my paper, he has admitted that he doesn't even write his books - instead, he has a team of five to help him with his storytelling. Wow. Great.

The top 10 highest paid book authors (according to Forbes) are as follows:

1. James Patterson, $70 million

2. Stephanie Meyer, $40 million

3. Stephen King, $34 million

4. Danielle Steel, $32 million

5. Ken Follett, $20 million

6. Dean Koontz, $18 million

7. Janet Evanovich, $16 million

8. John Grisham, $15 million

9. Nicholas Sparks, $14 million

10. J.K. Rowling, $10 million

Below is a copy of James Patterson's Along Came a Spider, featuring the popular hero Alex Cross. My father loved this book; this was published back in the good days, when Patterson still (at least I hope) wrote his books and didn't shit out a mass number of them within a short period of time.

We are now on Twitter!

2010-08-23T18:35:00.002+10:00

By David

Hi all. Alvin and I have decided to spread more of the good seed by starting a Twitter account. Follow us for fresh updates and occasional drunken, misguided or overly emotional ramblings.

Follow us here: http://twitter.com/nighttimebros

A page of our graphic novel, Urban Monster

For Keepsake

2010-08-22T01:05:00.012+10:00

by Alvin

   About less than two years ago, I took a film elective @ university; feeding my/one/too many of my dreams of being a film director.
   Now, I didn't actually get a chance to direct anything, an opportunity I didn't have the experience or competency to flawlessly execute, which I soon realised during the production process. But I did grow to enjoy and love screenplay writing - I LOVE STORIES, and telling them has always been a passion of mine, regardless of the medium.
   So I wrote a ten page, short film script about:

a widow visited by the ghost of her late husband, who had begun to make his ethereal presence known on their anniversary; determined to finish one piece of "business" before finally moving on.

   The story wasn't a horror in nature, but was more of a supernatural, romantic movie with - as one fan put it - the narrative feeling of an anime.
   I was stoked that the group I was shotgunned with loved it enough to choose it as our project, and lo and behold: within 4 or so months, we had projected from paper - my story - onto the amateur silver screen.
   As I didn't direct, I still was fortunate enough to have some say/suggestions on some shots and elements of the look, etc. And was very happy with the result.
   I've written another romance script since then, inspired after seeing my story capture enough worth to make a hassle of producing. So maybe one day, I'll send it in to be funded... but for now, enjoy this blast from the past:

For Keepsake

"The Last Exorcism" chatroulette viral campaign

2010-08-19T22:29:00.005+10:00

by Alvin

I love great advertising & marketing.

The campaign that went behind The Dark Knight was my fave thus far: online and "offline" cryptic clues to decipher and a treasure hunt that used them with various rewarded tools linked to the Dark Knight universe (e.g. a mobile phone where The Joker would send messages and clues to the player).

As usual I don't do the explanation justice, but here's a unique campaign that uses pop culture to effectively tease and market a horror film with great effect.

*warning* the video does contain some strong language and very disturbing haunting imagery.

So if you're squeamish, you have been warned...

Kitchen design for disabled clients

2010-08-19T19:06:00.007+10:00

by Alvin

Posed like a lying adonis on the sofa that is my pedestal, garbed in the 'nakedness alternative' of my tracky daks and 90's tee (actual accuracy is debatable). I figured - as my mind raced between hawt girlies and even hotter winter coats features in catalogues in my mind - I'd share the lastest designs I've been working on for class since my friend filled, vacation in Queenstown NZ.

and don't worry: I'm not masking a post about my holiday under the guise of a design showcase. But truly, if you live in this hemisphere of the world, then you must ski, eat, drink, stay, board, marvel, view, skydive, tour, raft, boat, cruise, marvel, find peace, do what you want, in Queenstown sometime in your life - it's my new fave place.

but I digress...

the assignment decree was asking us renaissance peons to come up with a befitting kitchen design for a fictional, disabled client (ie wheelchair considered).

I didn't have any specific influences, but was fortunate enough to knock off the design in less than a day; a week behind from the rest of the class - and pretty much finish it in a "last minute" sort of perspective.

All in all, I'm very happy with how it turned out. Of course, "room" designs don't usually bring much excitement or creative daring'ness in me than character or architectural designing. But I haven't broken out in a torturous pang of anxiety in my gut and the gut in my mind yet, so what I've regurgitated on paper must've been good enough for the eyes to eat.

Bret Easton Ellis - Imperial Bedrooms

2010-08-12T13:39:00.006+10:00

Cover of the book.

By David.

All my friends know I'm a big fan of Bret Easton Ellis. I loved Less Than Zero. I loved Glamorama and Rules of Attraction and American Psycho. But I’m not so sure about Imperial Bedrooms.

Written as a "sequel" to the author’s debut novel, Less Than Zero, the story follows Clay as he returns to L.A. and bla bla this bla bla that.

I’m sleepy. The bottom line is this: Clay sounds different and the plot seems lazy, just like this post. Now a little whiney and self indulgent, Clay’s once bleak and minimalist voice sounds like a mix of Victor Ward from Glamorama and Bret Easton Ellis (who wrote as himself) from Lunar Park. The mystery is gone. He no longer tries to hide the violence and the evil lurking within L.A. and its people; he points it out directly, which, to me, ruins the poetic subtlety present in Less Than Zero. He doesn’t sound like Clay. He sounds like Bret Easton Ellis.

I like the title though.

Anyway I’ll still keep reading his books because I can’t help but still be a fan and he's still a great writer bla bla bla good night.

.

You can buy Imperial Bedrooms and/or Less Than Zero (or read their reviews) from Amazon here:

Sucker Punch Trailer!

2010-08-01T20:12:00.004+10:00

by Alvin

Me: ahem, excuse me?

Not Me: ...?

Me: were you going to punch me in the diaphragm?

Not Me: um... if you mean the new fillum by Zach Snyder where all manner of awesome stuff from the desires of every nerd monster, amalgamate with crazy wonder and-

Me: wait, wait. stop right there. what are you talking about?!

Not Me: ... crazy wonder and anachronistic insanity!... then yes!!!

Me: ...

Not Me: do you like giant samurai robots with mini-guns and samurai swords, a dystopian 1930's like setting with explosions, dragons and anime like fight scenes, as well as hot, burlesque like girls in skimpy black, fighting with machine guns and katana blades!!!

Me: ... serious?

Not Me: does a bear poop in the woods!

Me: insane!

Not Me: word.

Where to Find Happiness

2010-07-18T01:27:00.012+10:00

By David.

What I miss the most about not working full time are the late nights and the late mornings. In my uni days I'd wake up at twelve in the afternoon and realise that I'd missed a lesson or so, and that'd be okay.

In my days of waking up early to work and going home late because of work, I frequently fear two things:

1. Getting fired

2. Being poor when I'm old

Work creates an addiction in us. And that addiction is money. When I was a student I had no money. I had freedom and time, but freedom and time were no good because there was no money. Now I no longer have freedom and I have little time. But I have money. Every payday I'd receive a few thousand dollars in my bank account and I'd be happy. Then I'd spend it all the next day, so afterwards I'd be unhappy. That unhappiness would then continue on every day for the rest of the month until the next payday.

I wonder what I'd do if I was given a million dollars right now. I know what I'd do. Id swear for a while and then I'd spend it. I'd buy a big house. I'd buy things for my family. I'd give a bunch of it to charity. I'd travel all over. I'd be happy and drunk most of the time.

And then the money would run out. And then I'd start complaining about life. And then I'd start complaining about work. And then I'd have to sell my big house because I can't afford to maintain it. And that I'd try and make it all back through gambling and e-mail marketing schemes.

I've been reading a bit about rich people. People who become rich and retire young. They become bored of the freedom and decide to start working again, even if they don't have to. We see the rich and we ask, "Why? Why do they get it so easy?" They don't. They work their asses off. No matter how many times we complain about work, it seems as though we can't live without it. We were trained to work. We were educated to work. We live in a world where although money can't necessarily guarantee us happiness, it can certainly make it easier to achieve it. And that can only be achieved by working, and working, and working...

Anyway, this is my wish list for the week:

1. Time. I want time to continue learning a language.

2. Time. I want time to brush up my Photoshop skills.

3. Time. I want more time to work on my novels.

4. Time. I want more time to sleep.

5. Time. I want a month to deplete my internal brainwashing and watch DVDs and go out and do nothing productive and inspire nothing productive.

6. To stop grinding my teeth in my sleep.

7. A private jet and a license to fly that private jet.

8. Free schooling everywhere.

9. A two storey house next to Times Square.

10. For payday to come early.

My new Architect career path

2010-07-08T03:34:00.011+10:00

by Alvin

The 2nd major thing:

I've decided to go back to study again... On my last year of high school, I was at a crossroads on which career path I wanted to take, get lost in, and throw breadcrumbs on to find my way home.

I was originally set on taking up architecture, because I enjoyed Graphics and my Dad was versed in it (one of his many building design talents); it seemed like a very likely and enjoyable few years of tertiary education. But one day, my art teacher surprisingly presented me with an option in class, "Have you thought about doing a Bachelor in Animation?" (I paraphrase).

Of course, the little kid in me jumped at the notion. It had never entered my mind, and I had never thought a course like that existed. But sure enough, right then and there she presented me with a booklet about the course, and I made my decision without any research; c'mon, I was only 16.

TIME SKIP

Now, after some unfortunate luck with job hunting last year. I made the choice to enrol myself in a Diploma of Building Design at Tafe, having lightly discussed it and been encouraged by my friends.

The best decision ever; I love it! Drawing and designing is in my blood, and I've found the course to be 2 parts enough creativity & artistic freedoms, with adequate amounts of practical learning & theory. So I'm never bored or seemingly way out in left field to what I'm accustomed to and gifted in.

To date, I've finished a semester of work already. Examples of which (below) I'm most proud of: elevations of a holiday cabin I designed, ace'ing my Small Residential Design & Presentation units.

I call it La Vista, as its main design element was to take advantage of the sloping, park view at the site. As well as incorporate the Mexican heritage and adopted culture of the couple the cabin was designed for.

Comes the Knight

2010-07-08T00:00:00.018+10:00

by Alvin

It's cool, we didn't drop off the face of the globe; never to grace the internets again. A lot of things have happened since Bobis and I's last post(s), and our current fate in the wheel of time has forced us to adopt very, very irregular moments to "present" The Night Time Brothers.

Don't worry we haven't broken up, we are still very much in love and happily married (hoo hah hah!)

I'm not sure if we introduced a project of ours that's currently in "will it be taken up/will we still pursue it" limbo. But one of us will give an update on how our graphic novel pitch is shaping up.

There's not a lot of feedback so far, and we haven't touched it in a long while (only during our guest lecturing gigs about graphic novels, do we get the chance to see our "baby"), but it's worth mentioning how we as creative minds; eager to kick ass all up in your face yo! have progressed.

Though I must say, since wrapping up that proposal. I've had a sudden direction to swap roles and attempt something not in my "type-cast", and that has gone hand in hand with the events that have whirlwind'ed from then till now.

2 major things:

one i'll discuss now
the other i'll leave for next, bat time.

Around August sometime, I decided to do a Bobis and try my "novelist" hat rather than my illustrative hat. It's like the various Mario caps, but instead of wings or tannuki ears, it's made out of paper and sucks at keeping you dry.

So for the last 11 months, I've been writing my very first novel. Now I'm no literary genius, but I'd like to think my writing ability is just as good as my drawing ability, and to my golden shade of "animal blood" diet eyes: so far so good, and I love it!

There's just something therapeutic about writing that has made me love the art form, even if it's fiction. I've found it's allowed me to be creative and at the same time: stress less about coming up with something competent, that drawing, design or the graphic arts never provided.

I'm not saying, I'm abandoning drawing and that it sucks; no, no way! It's hard to explain, but writing has been more versatile and easier on my imagination and hands.

I've planned for 20 chapters + a prologue and epilogue, and so far I've started my 20th chapter with only the epilogue left to accomplish after that. Then finally; after a very quick and dedicated run, my story will be complete!

I won't leak out too much in the blurb, but I'm writing a young adult love story per se that is also part vigilante, crime noir, set in the context of an upper class Filipino society in Australia - titled: Comes the Knight

Think Batman crossed with Gossip Girl (that's a very poor and maybe inaccurate comparison, but that's what I've been telling people - so I'm running with it)

The story is set to be a definite series of books, & is told between two young adult characters: "Mel" - the son of a respected Filipino family - who charges himself with bringing his older brother's killer to justice after returning from a 2 year hiatus overseas. Whilst in the midst, reigniting an old relationship with "Ella" - a girl he's been in love with for years, and one of the reasons why he left...

... and that's it, hehe. A terrible blurb I know, but I don't like unveiling too much + for some reason, I've been having a hard time trying to come up with a good enough synopsis of my novel. Which sometimes worries me, as I've heard if you can't write a reasonable "gist" of a story - then you have no idea what your actual story is... maybe I'm an exception?

So far; through the downright luck, and the help of a classmate. I've found a potential publisher in Ouroburos Books, the editor/owner of which: likes my manuscript and is willing to help me out with it - an incentive I've used to drive me to finish ASAP.

Fingers crossed, I'll keep you in the loop.

Escher'y Painting

2010-03-03T00:31:00.002+10:00

by Alvin

www.flickr.com/photos/38864566%2540N00/2479491895/

amazing, nuff said.

Animation Festival Asia 2009

2009-11-25T11:07:00.004+10:00

By David

Dubbed by some guy as the largest English speaking Anime festival in the world, the Animation Festival Asia held in Singapore this year was quite entertaining. They gave away Gundam figurines, they had a maid café, they had perverted artworks of young girls in skimpy school outfits, they had everything. But that was nothing compared to this:

Shit, my photos are blurry. But you get the point.

Anyway, it’s funny how anime festivals have such a huge fan base, when there’s so much that isn’t being legally sold. And if you do actually find the series, movie or manga you’ve been searching for, you’ll realise that it’s too expensive. Why spend half your salary on a series when you can download it for free?

But then, if everyone is downloading the stuff for free, how are the creators making any money?

Crunchyroll has tackled this problem by working with various companies to stream anime legally, and quickly. Since it started to legally stream Naruto episodes on demand, illegal downloads were cut by around 70%.

To sum up today’s entry, I will leave you with this.

.

Eating Stingray in Singapore

2009-11-16T11:21:00.002+10:00

By David

Yes, the news is right. I now live in Singapore. So far it’s been pretty wild, settling into a new home and workplace and drinking routine and all.

Losers Weepers, Finders Keepers design and art markets

2009-11-02T21:50:00.004+10:00

by Alvin

Something new for the pinch and the punch, first day of the month.

Yesterday afternoon I made sure I had my Sunday free so I could check out the Finders Keepers design and art markets at The Old Museum in Herston. I didn't know what to expect really, initially thinking it was like The Young Designers Market but instead was something I really enjoyed and appreciated; being my first time.

Of course it would've made my day if I actually had any money to blow at this great event, (it won't cost you an arm and a leg - but that's how broke I am ladies and gents) but I digress: If hand-made, eco-friendly, one-of-a-kind, kitschy, earthy, from the heart - etc, knick knacks and trends are your thing; from buttons, badges, magazines, diaries, books, dresses and shirts, hats, jewellery, art, stationery and all things that can fit in a paper bag - then you'll find something of value here and another interesting day out with friends.

I know I'm not doing it justice in my explanation, but my brain's a bit pre-occupado with grown up thinkies and concerns at the moment... I digress; again!

The non-commercial feeling I got from walking into that old hunk of brick housing this artsy grand, garage sale of sorts really sold me too, everything felt natural, earthy, cosy and an alternative side to what markets are to me. A chance for artists of all sorts to display their hard worked, earned or fashioned wares for a lucky individual to purchase.

And with some simple grub and liquid to chase it down on offer, coupled with the blasting tunes of live music I've never heard before to soothe you out on the lawn; a rest break away from the endless walking to and fro past the same stalls over and over again, hoping to not have missed one inch of detail or to take a final swoop to make sure that glass pendant is worth not having (trust me - that's what it'll make you do - there's just so much to see and delight at in one stall let me tell you)...

I really wished I had brought more than $10 and a debt with me.

A solution to failure

2009-10-27T10:23:00.009+10:00

by Alvin

One thing I've realized in the past that's become more and more of a compulsive thought for me these days, is that failure or actually the fear of it is pretty much relative to "time" or a set time's final approach.

That when our perceived deadline looms ever near, we instinctively quicken our biological and physical pace. Psychologically averting to emotions rather than maintain a stoic control, as we critically examine the proper trajectory of our past decisions and corporeal proofs of development. Opening to doubt and losing faith in the foundations of our decisions.

Measuring where we are now to where we should be; an ideal against reality.

If time is what we worry about, be it a period of physical prime to effectively take advantage of, or planning around a once in a lifetime opportunity. Then wouldn't a sure fire way of relief be to make it so "time makes no difference"?

To biologically freeze an epoch of oneself; to be immortal.

If immortality were achievable through science, mysticism or a sanguinary curse, wouldn't the longevity it entails psychologically remove the pressure we as mortals have to accomplish something of value and prestige in a single moment in time. To not die would enable us to take our time, move at a pace not alien to our makeup. To not age would open possibilities for us to live out, learn, witness and accomplish all manner of things without societal barriers of transition and inevitable physical hindrances.

Immortality would remove from an individual the anxiety of making everything count, abolishing moments in life as periods that can never be repeated, and instead remake them as one chance out of a moebius strip of chances.

But then I wonder as we pass through life not having limitations, would this Utopian concept fall under the weight of humanity's track record for decadence. That in having no need to push ourselves in tandem with an acceptable period of accomplishment, would we grow complacent, overtly selfish and self-indulgent - eventually not fulfilling what we desire and thus not contributing to the advancement of the age.

Could our immortal lives bring us an irreversible distance with civilization, remove our anxiety for failure but increase the emotional stress of not being able to relate with anyone or the world at large.

... I think I'd risk it.

Who Needs Parents When You Have YouTube?

2009-10-19T16:12:00.006+10:00

By David

The Internet teaches us a whole lot about life without the need for us to actually live it. Thanks to today's online technology, boys no longer need to worry about seeking the loving advice of a male role model. Instead, they have the brilliant and less strenuous convenience of YouTube.

If you ever need to learn how to shave, go to YouTube.

If you need to learn how to shave your balls, you can also ask YouTube.

Don't know how to pick up a bartender? Don't worry, YouTube has the perfect video for teaching you how to win over girls that were once... unwinoverable...

Want to look charming by knowing how to play Pearl Jam on Guitar? No worries, YouTube will come over and give you some friendly tips.

If your woman has braces, no problems. YouTube has great advice on how to kiss someone with braces.

Ever wonder if you were gay? A YouTube vlogger has some friendly advice for you.

And most importantly, if you ever want to hit on a Japanese girl, you should at least know how to speak a bit of Japanese. So why not ask YouTube for advice?

Why the world needs more Charles Bukowski

2009-10-12T23:10:00.007+10:00

By David

There’s no doubt that Charles Bukowski is one of my favourite writers.

It’s hard for me to pick up a book and instantly be immersed in it. Every book I’ve been browsing through lately has felt like high brow, melodramatic nonsense. What gets me off are stories that are raw.

Bukowski wrote for the underdogs, the losers, the unwanted. He brings out what everyone else is fond of hiding. Sometimes he appalls me. Sometimes he disturbs me. Sometimes he’d make me laugh once again. Sometimes he’d simply be there, and I’d be feeling whatever it is I’m feeling and then life would continue.

If you were ever in the mood to sample any of his works, I recommend starting with Ham on Rye.

I’ll finish off by posting a video of Bukowski kicking his soon to be fiancé.

Good night.

.

How to Write a Fourth Novel

2009-10-08T08:46:00.003+10:00

By David

My first large piece was a thirty something thousand word novella about a boy and another boy and a cult. It was pretty horrible, but I entered it into a competition anyway. I didn’t win the competition.

My second manuscript was an improved version of the story about the boy and the other boy and the cult. I wrote half of it while in a relationship, and the other half while out of one.

My third manuscript was more autobiographical. I am quite proud of it. One day it will be published.

My current story deals with a messed up situation involving school kids.

Sometimes you have to wonder about the necessity of art, of fiction, of a film, of a portrait, of a song. I once heard a guy describe art as wishy washy nonsense. Upon first hearing him, I thought he had a point. But then I realised what an asshole he was. Think of all the time and all the money we’ve spent on films, think of the songs that have moved us to tears, think of the books that have inspired us to move, think of statues and bridges and history, think of the times we’ve happily escaped, think of your friend and his camera, think of the pretty girl in the train with the book. Without our creativity we wouldn’t have survived this far.

Cool rings to rule them all

2009-10-06T21:28:00.016+10:00

by Alvin

I love rings.

If there's one piece of unisex jewellery that subtly makes an impression, conveniently unites, labels, represents & gently expresses a person's character it's the ring.

After playing Final Fantasy VIII back in my high school days, Squall Leonhart became my favorite character ever - & as such I adopted his Griever ring as one of my own personal symbols; wearing a rough, stylised version I had made to this present day (one day when the financials permit, I'll get a perfect, worthy representation created).

So in my travels through the World Wide Web, here are some very cool, interesting, geeky, unusual, uniquely character imbuing "finger decorations" that I think are worth a showcase.

wear them wisely & at your own peril.

Black Lantern Corp sterling Power Ring

For those who came in late, Green Lantern isn't the only colour coordinated, ring bearing, cosmic superhero out there - there are 8 coloured lantern corps, one being the Black Lanterns who are all about death & whose rings are basically worn by revenants.

Why this ring? I hear you say... well the dark side in me likes a sexy black that can bring this ominous feeling of respect. If you're interested in wielding this puppy, All Need Fulthings Store has 'em on offer for the right US dollar.

Small Turntable sterling ring

You might have heard of Dark Cloud and then again you might've not. Out of all the pieces I've seen this almost came a close second, but won out because there was something "all-together" about it. Suited for the muso, the disk jockey, the gangsta & vinyl scratcher; just about anyone with an appreciation & practice for the music, would find this ring says it all.

Master Chief sterling ring

For the hardcore Halo fan & general Gamer enthusiast, imagine an elite class of club exclusively open to a prestigious few. Each member a renowned fragger sealing their membership by wearing a unique Master Chief Mark VI Spartan helmet of a ring, maybe leaving a gold version to the #1 and founder of the society.

How does that sound? It speaks for itself... If you want to make this a reality, Weta can help.

iRing

These are probably still conceptual, I'm not totally sure but I'd imagine these will kick-ass as one of the most sought after accessories ever.

Stylish, sleek, sexy! whist functional as a wearable remote for your iPod & iPhone; controlling your playlists via wireless Bluetooth all by sliding and tapping the face of the ring. Full explanation and instructions for its operatibility is available online, but once again I now wish I had an iPod (yes I know... shame on me, I'm one of the few that don't own one. I have my reasons, but rest assured when these come out - I'll follow suit with a sexy iTouch).

Steampunk bold, grunged, beaten parts ring

There's something nostalgic, something rustic, something vintage & "something" about a piece of metal that looks like garbage or out of this century.

It's not for everyone, but that's where its charm will be. Art that can be worn, for those with a steampunk reverence or those whose trades harken to the symbolisation a ring like this has.

Etsy has a lot of different types if you just generally search "steampunk rings".

The silhouettes of Tim Noble & Sue Webster's rubbish

2009-10-05T19:23:00.010+10:00

by Alvin

Their great sculptures showcased earlier this year, but either way: old news is still good news. The difficulty involved in its making is obvious; I wouldn't know where to begin if I attempted something like this...

... which is why, after attending a teen Filipino charity pageant of sorts, I was pondering that if i ever were delirious enough or enchanted by one hot female participant to participate. I would attempt to recreate a giant silhouette based on the rubbish style and idea of Noble & Webster's amazing pieces as my "talent". Booming a catchy pop rock anthem as I parade on stage, fooling the audience into thinking my sanity was in question, as I enthusiastically throw & position large pieces of refuse and furniture in the middle of the flooring. Then when reaching the finale, I unveil to the audience's awe the method to my madness; turning off the stage lights & switching on a strategically placed spot light, showing a silhouette of Batman behind the foreground of the rubbish.

I would be awesome.

I can't sing (very well to avoid dissapointment) nor dance or play an instrument to emotionally coerce a standing ovation, so what better way to express my talent amazingly than via this.

What to do When Nothing is Going Right

2009-10-04T16:15:00.004+10:00

By David

These past few weeks seem to have been a terrible past few weeks for a lot of people. There’s been a lot of yelling, there’s been a lot of crying, there’s been a lot of people bashing things with objects.

Maybe it’s the moon. Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s the hormones. Who knows, maybe it’s me.

But when times are tough, what I do is, I find a beer, I find a cigarette, I find some trashy music and I find a necktie and a torn up jacket, and I stand on something not-too-tall and I sway and I blame everyone for everything and then, when things cool down and I lose my high, I do not fall asleep.

Free West End Street Poetry

2009-10-02T12:15:00.006+10:00

By David

Blackstar has decided to close down Thomas Street, West End, for a night of street poetry.

The details?

5.30-7pm @ Blackstar
Euan Gray
Benjamin Hooper
Arun Sol

7-9pm on the street
Joel Saunders
Peter B & The Homeless Souls
WORDS OR WHATEVER Collective:
Lesson
Dissent of Didymus
Mantist
Triks
Darkwing Dubs
Benna Zennabomb

9pm @ Blackstar
Alan Boyle
SIMONE Pitot & Matthew Colin

Click here for the Facebook invite and for more information.

Don't know who these guys are? Who cares. Who needs mainstream celebrity when you have the beauty of something raw.

I've personally met Benna Zennabomb, the Queensland state finalist for last year's Australian Poetry Slam. It's definitely worth it to see him perform.

See you there.

The Phantom TV series! - the suit sucks btw

2009-10-01T13:11:00.005+10:00

by Alvin

If anyone's ever grown up reading and loving comics in Australia, you'd at least have had to have read an issue of Lee Falks "The Phantom" or hardcore followed the cult hero.

The Phantom to me is up there as one of comic's great archetypes, sharing its role model status with The Batman & The Superman. Some would say He is the first costumed hero; a figure who's background is rooted in historical reference, pirates, native occult, superstition, serial adventure & the passing of the mantle to each new generation.

A great character that will now make it to the home cinema, albeit of a different and modern incarnation.

The concept behind this Phantom TV series reminds me a lot about the movie Wanted; a young man is "coerced" & discovers his true lineage reluctantly by a mysterious organization, tragically or for selfish reasons takes up the organization's offer & thrusts himself into its world, becoming the man he was destined to become in order to combat the evils that took his original life away.

This contemporary setting re-imagines the original character of Christopher "Kit" Walker in a modern world for a younger, more "cooler" audience, reflected in the costume design above - which I am not a fan off at all, and not so much hate but disappointed that this was the best they could come up with. It looks like they were going for a The Dark Knight armored feel, complete with nano tech enhancement explanations. You can read up on who will play the "Ghost Who Walks", the cast & details regarding the suit, etc here.

You can view the trailer below too - it looks interesting and if I ever see it on prime-time or on GO, I will definitely give it the light of day.

Getting Published: Short Story Competitions and Magazines

2009-10-01T10:33:00.008+10:00

By David

One way to get recognised in a depressingly competitive industry is to get your work published in magazines and short story competitions.

Tom Cho, a recently published novelist I met in the Brisbane Writer's Festival, told me that his publisher initially took notice of his writing through a literary magazine (I think he told me it was Voiceworks, but don't quote me on that). As Tom's work progressed throughout the years, the publisher realised that he was the real deal and offered him a publishing contract.

There are several short story competitions and literary magazines out there. Join and enter as many as you can. My first successfully published short story was published by The Melbourne Age, and that did wonders for my already bloated ego.

I must warn you, however, winning a short story competition or getting your work published in a magazine is a lot harder than you might think. Art is subjective and beauty lies within the wallet of the publisher, so don't be too put down when you have to rely on luck, coincidence and a shitload of rejection. I believe it's just a way of testing your commitment to your dream.

If you are under 25 and live in Australia, I recommend trying to get your work published in Voiceworks, because they respond to every submission with honest, constructive feedback. If you subscribe to them, you'll also receive regular newsletters that detail several of Australia's leading writing competitions.

Saturday Morning Watchmen

2009-10-01T01:57:00.006+10:00

by Alvin

You'll definitely appreciate this one Dave ;)

Oh yeh! A pinch and a punch, first day of the month. White Rabbit!

Where the wild things should go

2009-09-30T00:38:00.007+10:00

by Alvin

Sometimes I wish... I had an alter ego; an altruistic, messiah complexed, vigilant, dark knight of a double life, whom I can feed all my frustrations & aches too. Fueling a "beast" bent not on malice or sociopathic tendencies, but controlled by my own ideals & morals to right wrongs & uphold what is just.

It's not for an egoistic sense of heroism or an opportunity for an adrenaline high, merely an escape, an escape to let loose all this raw emotion accumulated through failure, insecurity, heartache, disappointment and a distaste for those who harm, abuse, bully, kill, take & prey. A time to release rage & intimidation confidently from behind a mask and visage, frightening the crooked, disabling the perverted & breaking the unlawful.

Using all the things that hit an emotional person hard to good use. Because the normal thing to do would be to volunteer at a soup kitchen, confess to a priest, sponsor a child or even learn to forgive... but "helping"; whilst a damn, great solution, can lend itself to the usefulness of punishment.

What's wrong in instilling fear and discomfort to those who prey on the lambs of our society.

Psycho much?!

Not at all, I'm just lawfully evil and chatoically neutral. Filled and fed up with "issues"; needing a way to vent where it will do its best for those who deserve, as well as its worse to those who do deserve it.

A secret identity that may one day be revealed to those I care about, not to receive shame or worry... but hopefully acceptance & a small, convoluted sense of admiration.

Writing From Heartbreak

2009-09-29T05:20:00.004+10:00

By David

Heartbreak has always been a major catalyst for my creative writing.

You look at a year and you find a galaxy of heartbreak. The heartbreak can come from a movie or a book or a tune, it can come from one of my crying or swearing friends, it can come from me. Wherever the hell the heartbreak comes from, it always finds its way into the things I write.

The Journey on Fours

2009-09-27T11:33:00.001+10:00

by Alvin

The dust storms that David posted about gave that day an "orange" hue that reminded me of sepia, which in turn made me nostalgic - so the whole day felt like I was living a past memory.

So today it's a treat back to memory lane with some old animatic like video I made a couple of years ago; or "cinematic comics" as I've called this particular style of video making.

This particular vid is called "The Journey on Fours"; an assignment that centered on creating a socially response-able artwork that would be showcased at a gallery night with the trimmed red carpet treatment. So I chose the theme of "refugees" & all the sub-themes that came with it & made a story about a caravan of animals journeying to a better place; drawing for pretty much 6 or so days straight & editing it all in 1 day - it was quite the challenge that paid off.

I won a small class award for this piece & got a pleasing number of acclaim for it, so as an artist I was very proud of this little engine that could.

The vid is about 20 minutes long & for the sake of youtube, I had to divide the video in half for viewing.

part one

part two

If you'd like to see it on youtube just head over here for the first half, remembering to leave room for dessert as you follow through with the last & second remainder.