September 14, 2013

Johnny Lawrence , the real Karate Kid

WARNING, THE FOLLOWING RANT CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM A MOVIE FROM 1984... (which you shouldve seen at least once by now):

I mean, homie comes to your school, plays a prank on you on halloween, F'n up your skeleton costume... gets THE SUPERINTENDENT FROM HIS  BUILDING ( who just happens to know a few moves) to kick your ass.... THEN, he tries (and eventually does) steal your chick. ... And after all that he trains for like A WEEK and beats you in ( the one thing your good at, the one thing you have left) a karate tournament ... The more I watch the original Karate Kid the more I dislike Daniel-San ... At the end, taking the high road, our REAL protagonist JOHNNY LAWRENCE  has tears in his eyes as he hands Daniel the trophy...Which Daniel grabs and celebrates with ( also leaves with Johnny's girl) and I ask you, my peeps, WHO was the bully here? In that situation , wouldn't you have swept the leg too...?

BatFleck

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

June 25, 2009 I was at my moms house when I heard Michael Jackson died.

 I remember Mel calling me from her work when she heard the news. we were shocked. It's still kinda weird ... We had never met michael jackson... And yet, there was a sense of loss that we felt, as if someone we had known our whole lives had just passed. And I guess, in a sense, personally speaking, that's kind of  true. 

I ( and prob you reading this) have listened to his music our entire lives. It had always been around. 

For a child of the 80s like myself, one of my earliest musical memories was dancing to "Thriller". My parents had the video for "the making of Thriller"  on VHS... and beta max ( whats beta max? look it up kids) 

The drive home on that day in 2009 was bittersweet. We had all lost a legend. Yet, the radio (KMEL) made a fantastic MJ mega mix that I couldn't help but enjoy the hell out of as I listened to hit after hit (and a few Jackson 5 covers I never knew existed till then).

I have no reservations saying that I miss Michael Jackson. I could care less about what happened in his personal life ... I choose to remember the genius who helped provide so many musical memories that define the soundtrack of my life. 

It's been years since the sun set on his life and yet his music is still on the radio. And still played regularly at our house.... I suspect it always will. 

An update on the comic...

A few people have asked me recently, " How's the comic going?" And my usual answer is, " okay. Going slow though." Which, I guess, is true. 

For those not in the know ( and if ya Don't know now you know) in short I'm writing/drawing / eventually self-publishing my own comic. Eventually I might turn it into a whole graphic novel but I want to see how this first comic does. And the process on how to do it. 

 This project started last year in fall semester at DVC. I learned about a comic book contest given by the school through my English class. My comic was about My Uncle. There were around 100 entries. I was one of 12 winners. I won some art supplies and went to an award ceremony. It was hella cool to say the least. And while my artistic ability is lacking ( i hope to improve on this) they liked the story and the way it was written. 

The subject matter is serious and, at times, heartbreaking (it's not easy to write) but his story is one that people to relate to. Everyone, at some point, has seen someone they love in pain.

Because of the award and the encouragement ( both from the teachers who've read it and my famiy at home) I kept writing . Kept drawing. 

Progress , with work & school, has been slow but now in summer I start what I feel is the last section (chapter?) before I attempt to self publish.

Formatting and self publishing is something I don't really know ANYTHING about so it might take some time. 

I'm using a medium which I've loved my whole life, yet never thought I'd be creating something in. But more than that it simply feels good to be writing again.

When I do publish. I will let you know. Bring money. Haha. 

Thank you for reading. Thank you for your support.

Tommy

Tommy's 1st year of college

Last year,  I went back to school and took my first college class in more than a decade. God, that makes me sound old. 

Unsure and scared i was setting myself up for dissapointment ( I had never been more than a lifelong C student)  I went into the unknown at DVC on that  first day of class. However, I ended up getting an A in that summer 2012 class. Never did I think I would get an A in every class I Subsequently took this  year. 

 

I won an award for a  comic I wrote & drew ( and will continue to work on this summer) . Because of this award and another comic i was in school paper twice this year . But the biggest deal... 

For the first time EVER, in my academic life, I have a 4.0 GPA. 

I'm VERY  proud of myself and thank you to all the people who supported me this year. 

#tommysbackincollege 

#tommysFIRSTYEARofcollege

Trading Cards... Tommy was all about that life !!

Trading cards were big when I was a kid, much bigger than they are today. I remember buying packs of Garbage Pale Kids , DC, basketball ( Shaq rookie cards) & baseball cards, cards about TV shows.  GI Joe cards were big for me

and , my favorite, Marvel Cards ( I had the holograms for the first 2 series... BE JEALOUS !!)

 Back then they were only, at most, $1 

( I think KB toys had marvel cards for .75 cents)

... The other day I saw Pokemon cards at target for $6 ... For ONE PACK ?!?

Anywho, my point was I liked trading cards. 

Today I came across an ad for a comic mini series based on an 80s trading card series called DINOSAURS Attack !!

i don't remember this series at all but.. A  quick search on google images and SHIT !! I'd have been all over this a a little Tommy and am kinda looking forward to reading at least issue # 1 in July. 

I wonder where all my trading cards went too . One day I might go searching for them... 

Wonder how much they are worth.

Also, can't understate this enough, the razor blade sharp gum they packaged with each of these was ALWAYS gross. If they still have them I assume the recipe hasn't changed...