Saw this awesome graffiti mural today in Portland, Maine. Gotta look close to see all the references to Stephen King's work, and even his mostly obscured face. So awesome.
Such a ridiculous looking trailer by today's standards, and probably a ridiculous movie, but this movie changed my life! HA! I was like 7! (I really thought that was Bruce Lee in there). It started me down the road to Karate Kid, Kickboxer, Rocky, etc. These movies helped me build the determination and drive I have today. That's so silly, but it's true!. NEVER SURRENDER!!!
"Will explained that in any professional environment, and especially in Hollywood, it’s all about survival. He said—and I’m paraphrasing here—“Tyrese, let me explain something: Everyone that works on a movie set is on one mission and one mission only: to feed their families. That’s what they want to do. They may love what they do but they show up every single day and work their asses off to feed their families. Nobody’s going through all of that for no reason. So technically speaking, when you’re showing up lazy, out of shape, and unfocused, you have decided that you don’t care if people feed their families. And when you get in the way of someone feeding their families, they’re going to get in the way of you feeding your family.”
Will understood that I had grown up in the music industry. He had to spell it out that when you’re in movies, everything you do, your behavior, and your flaws, affects everybody involved with a film. When you get on a movie set, especially in Hollywood, the main focus tends to be the producers, the director, the stars—the “important” folks, so to speak—but after speaking to Will, I realized the value in everyone else who’s on the set. I was not going to be the reason on any level that anyone on a movie set couldn’t feed their family. I wasn’t going to do that. And that’s where it all changed."
I greatly appreciate them both making these decisions in their life based on all the hard working people out there to feed their families. Very caring of them! I've never met Will Smith, but I've worked and talked a little with Tyrese and he's a stand-up guy out to make a difference!
YES!!! Man, it's like we share the same heart! It's 3:30am! I'm up! I've been up! I'll BE up! Everyday! I want success like I want to breathe! Thank you to Ben Foster for linking to this on his twitter!
Okay, I didn't do this to make fun of Rob Liefeld or claim to be better than him like a lot of people. I love his art and this piece in particular looks awesome to me. Powerful and massive. Plus, look what's he's accomplished. Don't be dorks. He's a comics icon. And a really nice guy. Any one that hates the guy or wishes him ill is a dorkface. :P
With that said, I see what went wrong here. He made the chest look like it was facing towards us, but his right shoulder & side is facing away from us. BUT I really don't care. It's just a little off, but I get what he was after. I've always wanted to draw over it to see what it would look like if I fixed the things I saw as wrong and I was really surprised by not really liking the result! I've done a couple of quick revised versions to illustrate the point that when you "fix" this drawing, it doesn't have that Liefeld power-magic-awesomeness to it. Looks more stiff and less .... awesome. Not millionaire superstar art. Liefeld is awesome! There's just something about it! Right or wrong. You can't contain the Liefeld Power! You gotta let it run free!
You can see with these quick revisions that they look more accurate one way or the other, but not as COOL!
< REVISED |ORIGINAL >
< REVISED |ORIGINAL >
And clearly he was inspired by this picture of Arnold Schwartzenegger, but removed the arm and didn't quite adjust the chest to match the arm being behind him. BIG DEAL!
PLUS, this was a long time ago now. And the website with his really, really old stuff. C'mon... He was like 20 years old! Of course he's growing as an artist over the years and will continue to do so.
Love Colan's art. Love Blade. Gene colan was amazing. 70 years in the comics business. Won an Eisner last year at age 83! Huge inspiration to me. He will be missed.
Yes, we've all seen the Cap. We've all seen the entire website devoted to how bad people think he is. But the way I see it, He was really young, it was a whole generation ago when no one was as good as the average artist is now, and he was pumping out books that people loved! Maybe an editor could have spotted some stuff, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't KNOW anatomy & perspective as a lot of people claim. Just that he exaggerated it, sometimes in a weird way. And he takes shortcuts with his background sometimes, but really comics are about characters, not backgrounds. PLUS, he's s totally different artist now:
Let's look to the future instead of complaining about the past.
~Ray
P.S. Rob Liefeld has never smacked your grandmother so stop treating him like he has. He's a nice guy from every experience I've had. Others say the same. I'm sure he's made mistakes ... like 20 years ago... come on.
Awesome question, Me! To do this, I actually went back to my blog from summer of 2006!(Click to read!)It was titled "On Another Journey" which is hilarious considering where I am 5 years later!! Anyway, here's me talking to my former self:
Hey, me!
We're awesome. Here's why: Not only are you going to finally get off of Broadway Boulevard in Salina, Kansas, but you're going to be living in Maine. Yep. The place you always imagined living in the back of your mind. You live there now. Giant trees all around you. A couple of blocks from the ocean (that's right, dummy, Maine has an ocean, too). And you've even been to Stephen King's house.
If THAT doesn't blow your mind, check THIS out:
That beautiful girl who just moved in with you, yeah, she's your WIFE now! Yes, you lucky jerk! You pulled that off! AND you have not one but TWO SONS! Tycen who came with Renae, of course, and you also have a 1 year old baby boy named Drake Asher Dillon (D.A.D. just like your dad's initials! Cool, huh?) who was born in Maine (not Kansas!). You and Renae are working together for IDW Publishing on an Anne Rice book! (What??) and have another book The Last Unicorn (you'll learn what that is, boy-o!) on the New York Times Best-Seller list! (DOUBLE WHAT???) and I can't tell you publicly, but the projects lined up next are RIDICULOUS!!! You've also worked for Marvel, DC, Archie, and just about everyone else.
Yes, I know your brain is complete mush right now, but that is your life. Congratulations!! It's a really super bumpy road getting here, so don't mess it up... like by causing a rift in time now that I've told you all this. You make a lot of mistakes along the way, too, so keep that stress under control! Things are going to be awesome even when you lose the house on Cloud Street (long story). Just focus on keeping the wife and kid(s) happy, safe, and loved! And I'll try to keep things going awesome on this end of time.
Oh, and I know you're a super fit nutrition nut right now, probably have like 10% bodyfat, so hear this well: DON'T EAT SO MUCH!!! You've already started off your nutritional plan. For some reason, after Renae got you to eat junk food again again (thanks honey!) you started eating like a crazed happy pig! Well guess what buddy, extreme good stress + extreme bad stress + not exercising or sleeping + eating way too much = you're fat again!!! Good going, dummy. So, fix that for me so I don't have to try so hard to get rid of it again. Fix the fat, keep your stress levels down, and love your family, the rest takes care of itself!
Oh, and try harder to make like a Million Dollars! Edit and publish one of the novels you just finished or illustrate them as a graphic novels or something! You feel like you have no time where you are, but you have NO idea how little time you'll have in the future. So get on it right now, mister!!
See you in 5 years!
~Future Ray
You/Me 2006-ish
You/Me 2011-ish
Then you bleached your hair blonde! WHAT??
But here's the stuff that's most important of all:
Forgot to mention you were married at Comic-Con!
THIS is your WIFE, dude!!
Look how big the Gremlin got:
Don't want to give away too much yet.
See his beautiful face when the time comes. :D
And THIS is where you live now. WHAT? Yeah, a little nicer than your house right now, isn't it 5-years ago Ray!
Robin Williams is actually supposed to be cast in the movie I see. Neat trailer! Wish I realized it was fake the first time I saw it ... and posted it to my blog... *slides out of room*