Unky's Web Thotz

Getting technological

2009-07-16T18:00:00Z

It's been awhile, I know. Please forgive me. But as I dig deeper into the realm of my online presence, I've found people — believe it or not — want to read my posts.
To that end, I'm expanding my potential readership by exploring the various tools available. One such helpful site is Technorati. But in order to use the services, I've learned that I have to claim my blogs.
Apparently I can't just throw a tantrum, stamp my feet and scream "It's mine! It's mine! It's mine!"
The claiming process requires that I place a small sliver of code (in this case: wqej65gkd9 ) in a posting. I pondered how to do that, and I've yet to come up with the solution.

More to come ...

oh man

2009-05-31T04:38:00Z

Have I been slackin' or what? Here's the low-down on what's been happening in the world of Unky:
Not long ago, missus was given a "promotion" which meant transferring to a branch about two hours away from our Lodi homestead. We hemmed and hawed over living halfway between and commuting both ways.
We realized that we enjoy spending our time together, so commuting wasn't going to work. I began looking for a job in the land of her new employ.
I set out on a search of Careerbuilder, Craigslist and a bevy of local newspaper sites. I found an ad for a reporter. Doing just about the same thing I was already doing. I applied. I got it.
We moved in a whirlwind of weeks, finally settling in.
It didn't seem possible that we'd both be as happy as we are, but sure enough, it's turned out that way.

New comics

2009-03-18T13:16:00Z

Believe it or not, I've had five new comics to upload for almost two weeks. I was about to upload them yesterday (Tuesday), and my Comcast modem stopped. Just stopped. Crapped out. Forget it, it said, I'm not doing it today. The field techs are supposed to bring one by tonight, to replace this one -- which is miraculously working right now.
I'll upload two of the comics before it goes out again.

Stack of ideas

2009-03-16T13:17:00Z

It's Monday Morning. Time for some quick ideas:
People should be licensed before having kids.
If politicians can't stay within a budget, they're fired.
Taxation needs to be justified (lately I don't think our money goes to anything useful).
If people really want reality TV, they should shut off the boob tube and look in the mirror.
Legalize pot and gay marriage, then tax the hell out of both just like the rest of us poor schlubs.
Criminalize certain fashions: I'm tired of young dudes showing off their dirty undies.

Big Red and the art scene

2009-03-05T14:30:00Z

There are so many different mediums for artistic expression, it's hard not to dabble in each one to see what works best for me. Hands down, pen and ink will always be the champ. But I've also ventured into colored pencil, acrylic paints, cake decorating (long history of that with mom), sculpting and, as most know, a little tattooing.
Recently I interviewed "Red" Hughes, a local tat artist. Red is as talented and amiable as he is big and, well, red (beard and muttonchops for days, y'all). Like me, once Red starts talking about his art, his craft, he gets on a roll.
I think that's a common trait among artists. Even the quiet ones. Probably true of anyone with a passion for something.
I find myself easily becoming a friend of Red, his shop and its denizens.
But it's surreal for me at the same time. I've always felt pretty alone in my art. I dive in and get lost in an ocean of ink and thoughts. To be around other artists is both a perfect fit and new, unsure ground.
For now I'll just enjoy the fellowship and laughter.

Confession time

2009-03-01T15:25:00Z

Sorry, this isn't about a trip to St. Mary's gone wrong. Where the padre asks for a list of my crimes and I blurt out the indiscretions with a goat in a dress in the back of an eclair delivery truck driven by a burly unshaven gorilla of a man that hasn't slept in over four days. But I digress.
My last post said I'd given up beer. For the most part this is true. And it is paying off. However, last night, we -- the Missus, not the goat -- went to a local pub called O'Reilly's.
Great little place filled with lots of fantastic characters, like Mikey, a stocky, good-natured guy in a red ball cap, avidly playing video golf with his buddies and the bartender (who won, by the way).
We visited with the aim to relax, and that's just what we did. The Missus had a draft Newcastle Brown Ale, and I went for the Guinness. She calls it a "beer shake," since it's a stout and pretty thick. Oh, but it was good.
We spent one round at O'Reilly's and then went home.
When I stepped on the scale this morning, surprisingly I had lost 1.1 pounds. This doesn't give me license to start chugging down beer again, but I may have one or two every now and again.

Giving unto others

2009-02-28T17:03:00Z

I'm a giver. What can I say? I like it when others can receive.
Since I started this running thing — OK, it's more like a jog-jog-gasp-gasp-walk-jog-jog thing — my gut has began to disappear. I can only conclude that I'm giving it away piece by piece. I hear others complain about gaining a few pounds here and there. It's gotta be coming from me. It's gotta.
It doesn't hurt that I've completely stopped drinking beer. That's no easy feat for a man who digs the hops and barleywine. But the results, though slow — and I must remind myself continually that it takes time to get in shape — and tedious, are beginning to show up.
Yet, being out of shape is so much more delicious and easier.

Changes

2009-02-27T14:28:00Z

Twitter. Wow. What a technological marvel.

I'm obviously being sarcastic. We started using the app at work for news updates, and I decided to start my own personal account. From my desktop or by phone, I can tell people what I'm seeing or where I am or what I'm doing, then post it. I can take a pic and share it with the "followers," throw down a map of the exact location, stick a link in the post so people can visit other sites or even do all three in the same "tweet."

Don't get me wrong. It's a great little tool ... for stalkers. If you value your privacy or you're antisocial, this is definitely not for you. I usually find myself at a loss as to what should be posted, so I end up taking shots of things like billiard balls, my coworkers and movie posters.

One fellow I follow works at Marvel Comics in NYC. He posts about once every five minutes or less. If I was Marvel, I'd fire his ass, because he apparently Twitters all day long with no regard to work. But I enjoy finding out about the world of comics, so I can't complain.

In a nutshell, I just wasted your time by writing about a time waster.

Proclivity toward prolificness

2009-02-26T14:34:00Z

Though the ideas are spewing from me these days, they are coming on a regular basis. The recent reemergence of Can Hed and crew has inspired other endeavors. I only wish I had enough time in each day to pursue those projects. One of these days when people ask what I do for a living, I can say, "Whatever I want."

A return to Thotz

2009-02-21T15:41:00Z

Are you a voyeur? Do you like to watch?
If you answered 'yes,' then good on you for admitting it. If you said, 'no,' then you're a liar. Why? Because you're reading this blog right now. See, in my worthless opinion, blogs are like diaries that the entire world can read. Traditional diaries had a mystique, because they were kept locked, secret from the rest of the world. But now everyone with an emotion can vomit it to the world. And apparently the world wants to see it.

Now that we've got that out of the way, I can vomit.

Recently I stopped sitting around on the couch (I still sit around, just not as much) and began running/jogging/walking fast/breathing really hard. It's all an attempt to get my body a little healthier. It's not as easy as I'd like and the results aren't as immediate as I'd like, but I know with time and persistence, I'll be able to go further and fit in my old jeans.

This is also a part of my attempt at staying connected with my extended community of friends, readers and all those I brush up against. I'll be blogging more, facebooking more, twittering more (yes, I'm a twit).

Pain ... Blah Blah blah

2008-12-08T14:57:00Z

Fresh comics are going up this week for those of you that love some X Marks the Planet action.

Tattoos are coming along. I'll have more pics to post of that in the coming days.

I gave my very first eulogy this past Thursday for my grandma's funeral. That was a mind-altering experience, that's for sure.

Enough of the news updates. Now on to the reason I'm really posting this: Hellraiser.
I watched my first "Hellraiser" movie yesterday. I usually don't like movies such as that. This one was apparently the fourth in the franchise, and it was no exception to my rule. What a crapfest.
Here's my synopsis:
The main character, Pinhead (named such due to the pins all over his head) shows up. "PAIN!! BLAH BLAH BLAH!! PAIN!! YOU DON'T KNOW PAIN!! BLAH BLAH!!" People scream and run, some gore occurs. Repeat as necessary.
That's about it. It's movies like that which make me appreciate the finer things in life. Like web comics.

A necessary evil

2008-10-27T22:59:00Z

What kind of man would I be if I let my wife run around with faded tattoos? No kind, I tells ya! No kind! She had this rather blah little dragon on her left outer thigh. He was looking a bit tired and worn out. So I took the magic pen and ink and gave the little fire breather a new lease on life. Huzzah for fresh color!

More toons at last

2008-10-27T13:26:00Z

For the folks that come to this site for just the comic strips, there's good news. I've finally completed another week of X Marks the Planet, and I'll be posting them each in the coming days. Enjoy!

PAIN!!!

2008-10-27T00:44:00Z

It's crazy, I know. But unless you take this plunge ... unless you understand what you're doing ... you can't effectively tattoo anyone. That's my belief anyway. This past Saturday, Oct. 25, I tattooed myself. I'd almost forgotten the feeling of needles, multiple needles, piercing my flesh. It's one thing to tattoo someone else. You can focus, despite their wincing, their cries, their cursing your very existence. But when you're doing it to yourself, well, that's a different story.
When one tattoos oneself, one must not only focus on the subject matter, but transcend the pain that comes with the blazing needles and ink. I did. Somehow. The only thing I can credit is the presence of my lady love as she looked over me, making sure I didn't pass the hell out. Here are the results (by the way, my trademark work is going to be a flaming skull):

updates slow in the making

2008-10-21T15:54:00Z

It's taken awhile to get this update written, but due to the posting of my blog's link on Lauren's blog, I have to get my act in gear.

The cool thing is, I've been spending my weekends learning to tattoo, with my willing wife as my practice canvas (she's very brave and trusting, I know, I know). I started by filling in old work she'd had done years ago. There are roses, stems, and this moon and sun. I filled both in and added to each. The problem with the sun is the old ink is a lot darker than the yellow and orange I went over it with.

My first original piece that I did on her was of Leonard, my angel of death character from Can Hed Comix. He turned out really well, and inspired me to do further things.

After these I worked on a Mitch O'Connell design for the missus's upper left arm, and I also did an original pumpkin for my long-time friend Melissa.

I've also added my favorite singer, Morrissey, to my wife's other calf (opposite Leonard), and we designed an "M" for her neck.

And finally, here's the inside of a '57 Chevy Bel-Air. I took the picture and I just really like it.

Tattooing, Sons of Anarchy and the NFL

2008-09-16T05:25:00Z

There are some things that I can get hooked on rather quickly. A clever comedy, a bitter tragedy, a bunch of scantily clad women doused in beer. I'm a man with a pulse, get over it. But there are other things I've found to be addicting, demanding of my attention.

Tattooing
I've found a new outlet for my creative endeavors. Imprinting my art on the human canvas — tattooing, as it were — gives me some unique form of imagination. It's absolutely fascinating. What fascinates me even more is the amount of people that come forward to say, "HEY! Do me next!" I've been blessed and fortunate enough that my sweet love lets me practice on her. I'll post pictures as soon as I can.

Sons of Anarchy
I've been hearing about this new show on FX. My boss tells me today (since I'm sort of the unofficial bad-boy-motorcycle reporter that I should look into this show. Apparently, the fictional town it takes place in is supposed to be inside our beloved little California county here. The cops are crooked, the bikers own the town and they ship drugs to our beloved little town (as referenced briefly in the pilot).
It's fiction. None of it portrays the slightest bit of realism here, not even the bikers ... and I've known my share — good people, good times. So, I'm not sure there's really a story, but it's a pretty fine show in it's own right. Anything with Katey Sagal has my vote.

NFL
I've never been a big football fan, nor a big sports fan for that matter. However, I'm getting more and more into the sport. And not specific teams. I've found that, like a fine brew, like a fine piece of art, like a guitar riff that can only be done once in a lifetime, there are physical artists playing this game. Watching some of the plays, the movements of these athletes is just amazing. When a game is high on points for both sides, and the guys on the field and doing their damnedest to win, it's more than a game. It's a form of art on a different level.

Chasing my tail or chasing my dreams?

2008-09-11T12:50:00Z

Hey, raise your hand if you know about my goals to be a full-time cartoonist. OK, great. Now raise your hand if you know how hard it is to become syndicated. Ah, not as many this time. This time, raise it up if you know about my goals to become a tattoo artist. The ones that already knew this can put their hands down. That's just not fair to the others.

It's true. This is something I've wanted to do for awhile, but the resources to practices are limited (it's called cash and willing teachers). Getting the tools — ink, machine, needles, etc ... — isn't difficult, that part just takes time. What's difficult is teaching oneself when there aren't other artists available to say, "this is how it's done. Now you try."

I'm no stranger when it comes to being self-taught, however having someone impart their years of experience does make it a bit easier. But I will not be deterred. I will learn. I will ink. I will freak a little the first time I draw blood.

LEROY SHIRT!!

2008-08-27T13:08:00Z

One of my favorite characters in X Marks the Planet (affectionately known as XMP around the Unky household) is Leroy. When I drew the picture of him in the map hat, drunk as a blind bat, I knew I had to put it on a t-shirt. I'm going to create more items for the XMP shop (there's a coffee cup up there too), but the initial work is done.

By the way, the word of the day is "initial." You must work it into at least five conversations today and report back with the where and the how. The most creative use wins my respect.

The Pursuit of Crappyness

2008-08-19T15:22:00Z

I never started out to be a serious artist. I never started out to be a serious anything. Cartooning and making people laugh. That was always my purpose. What good is life if you're not happy and laughing?

So, I worked on my cartooning. It hasn't always been the best, but everyone has to start someplace, right? I've learned, I've practiced, I've sketched. I'm still not as good as I'd like to be, but I'm pretty good at what I do.

If I can elicit one chuckle from a reader, then I'm doing what I'm supposed to.

By the way, just so you know, dearest reader and person with nothing better to do than read my ramblings, I've gotten all my old archives out and I'm slowly beginning the process of scanning ancient comics. Wish me luck!

Saying goodbye

2008-08-15T13:03:00Z

Sometimes, when there's nothing left to say, it's simply time to say goodbye.

This is the case with Ducks In Lodi. I've drawn them for four years, and now I'm letting them "waddle off into the sunset," as someone said yesterday.

There's been a little discussion as to how I should sign off my little strip (flying away, jail, dropping rock on them, abduction and all manner of weird things), but I think it's easy enough to close with a graceful illustration and a note of thanks.

I may continue to draw them now and again for this site. Who knows? Maybe they'll make guest appearances in the other strips. Hell, Pig has shown up in their strip a couple times.

I'm not sure how they'll fill the space Edwin and Maurice will vacate, but my editor told me quite clearly that he's open to having me develop another concept and running with it. We shall see.