Battle On

Traffic Lights

2008-07-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

There's an intersection near my house with traffic cameras that capture images of vehicles running past the yellow light. As I approached the intersection this morning, the crossing signal turned into a solid red hand. I decided to play it safe by not trying to beat the yellow light. Once I stopped behind the crosswalk line, the black SUV on the opposite side of the street began to make a left turn. My gaze continued to follow its turning radius when I noticed a turquoise SUV from the lane to my right attempt to cross the intersection to beat the yellow. It didn't even occur to me that the two vehicles would collide. There was no sound of screeching brakes or of a revving engine. The light turned red and the turquoise SUV simply slammed into the passenger side of the turning vehicle. The impact caused the black SUV to roll over onto the driver side. The turquoise SUV had smoke heavily pouring out of its windows. I looked at the other vehicles around the intersection and none of them were moving. One of them happened to be a police cruiser a mere ten feet from the crash. The two officers got out of their vehicle and walked towards the crash. Finally a vehicle began moving. It was the turquoise SUV slowly pulling over to the nearest curb. I noticed another moving vehicle. It was an ambulance that also happened to be near the scene. It parked at the same curb as the turquoise SUV. After what seemed like an eternity, the traffic light I was facing changed back to green. I blinked and hoped to myself that everyone involved would be fine before I continued driving to work.

Speed Racer Alongside the Subway

2008-05-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

So I found one of the coolest marketing ploys I've seen in a while during one of my Metro Red Line trips back from work. I usually kill time aboard the Los Angeles subway train by looking aimlessly out the window. I was doing just that the other day when all of a sudden the image of the Emile Hirsch as the Wachowski's Speed Racer popped up on the glass. I jerked back in surprise but I didn't dare look away. I knew WHAT I was looking at but not HOW it was occurring. Then I realized the image was actually moving. Like a motion picture. Then I realized the image wasn't being holographically projected onto the window but was instead a series of images, most likely LCD screens, attached to the concrete tunnel wall. I looked at the other windows on my side and noticed the same thing. What was happening was the illusion of movement much like the way a zoetrope works. A rapid succession of images moves in a horizontal direction while the viewer looks through a viewing hole, in this case the window, and only sees one image at a time.

Now here's a math problem for you: The Speed Racer advertisement is located between the Universal City and Hollywood/Highland stops and lasts for about 10 seconds. That distance takes about three to four minutes to cover by the train while it's traveling at about 60 to 70 miles per hour. Each screen is about two feet wide and attached next to another screen. The illusion of movement occurs with viewing 24 frames per second. How many screens are attached to the wall and how long do they collectively span in the tunnel? Most importanly, how much would this marketing trick cost?

Here's another modern example of a zoetrope:

Lead is a Battlefield

2008-04-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

So my website, Lead Battle, has gone up today. Check it out. It isn't much at the moment but it should start to shape into something cool over the next month as I continue working on it. Due to the relatively slower rate that I will be updating Lead Battle, this blog will continue to be where I post my latest illustrations and comics.

April Already?

2008-04-04T23:19:00.000-07:00

So first thing's first. I've been defeated in the webcomic contest between myself and Megan. I called her up last Saturday and conceded because I knew I wouldn't be able to finish on time. I probably could have put another placeholder comic up, but it felt sort of cheap last week when I did it to prolong the competition. As for the final installment of the Hullabaloo story arc, it should be posted in the coming week once I get some more free time.

Now one of the reasons why I've been so busy lately is because I've been working on my personal website that I plan on launching on Sunday. Once that's over and done with, I'll be able to focus on drawing again. I only ask that you overlook the incredibly primitive nature of the site. I'm more concerned with having it up and running than aesthetics. Plus, I'm still learning CSS so hopefully it'll be upgraded to more efficient coding over the next month. I'll give the link on Sunday when it's ready.

Mark Draws Line Between Drew Doodles

2008-03-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

In a recent post, Drew uploaded some of his doodles. He remarked that his rendition of a cat was a subconscious remembering of Alexandre from Home Movies. Coincidentally, I'm currently poring over archives of my past work for the Daily Nexus in order to find material worthy of uploading on my website that's currently under construction. That's how I noticed a little comic called "Mr. Pants" that Drew did draw many years ago and its resemblance to the recent doodle he done did days ago. Notice the similarities with the curled tail, the circular patch of belly fur, the triangular nose and the mustache-like snout. I think he was subconsciously remembering Mr. Pants rather than Alexandre.

Survival of the Fittest

2008-03-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

I probably could have gotten this week's Hullabaloo comic finished, but I'd rather not rush it. I've had ideas for various miscellaneous comics that had to remain on the back burner. Fortunately, I needed something I could bust out for filler while I finish off the current Hullabaloo story arc.

In other news, this is my hundredth blog post. It's almost a fitting milestone, considering how I've recently been busy prepping for some big changes in all aspects of my life. I finally got some relative stability over the past couple of months, but I feel it's time to once again start exploring other possibilities. I'm content at the moment, but not exactly where I want to be for the rest of my life. It's almost a shame realizing how long I've been adjusting to life after college. At least now I've found my direction and drive.

Hullabaloo: Grey's Filmography

2008-03-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

So researching for this current story arc has caused me to watch more episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" than I'd be satisfied with for an entire lifetime. At first, I thought I disliked the show because of its overly soapy nature or its swiping of "Scrubs." Now I'm beginning to realize it has to do with the writing, and specifically with the dialogue. At times it seems to be trying too hard to be witty by coining new phrases and in-jokes. Add to that the nonchalant delivery of the dialogue by the cast, and it starts to get really annoying. It's not something unique to "Grey's" either. I've felt the same way about portions of "Clerks 2," "Juno" and the later seasons of "Buffy" and "Angel." I feel if "Grey's" scaled it back a bit, I might actually start enjoying the show.

Updating on Saturdays feels too close to the wire in regards to the contest I'm having with Megan. Plus, someone recommended I handwrite the text and draw the bubbles around them so that it would mesh better with the art. If I can get the strip done earlier, then I should be able to try those changes. We'll see if I can get things together for this upcoming week.

Also, I just started work on a personal website. Hopefully it will be ready for launch in April.

Hullabaloo: [Screens]

2008-03-08T16:31:00.001-08:00

So here's the second part of the current Hullabaloo story arc. If you're too lazy to scroll down to the post immediately before this one, the girls are currently fighting over what to watch on television. Tress and Austin are debating between which show is better: "Screens" or "Grey's Filmography." Those shows are simply what "Scrubs" and "Grey's Anatomy" would be like if set within a movie theater rather than a hospital. Hopefully, I captured the spirit of the two shows and the looks of their characters/actors. I didn't want to do a giant "click" onomatopoeia to show the change in channels since it would waste too much space. I think the jagged panel borders have the right amount of subtlety to them. If this strip showed what "Screens" is like, then I'm sure you can predict what next week's comic will be about.

Hullabaloo: Strike is Over

2008-03-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

So it's been more than six months since I've drawn a Hullabaloo comic strip. Once again drawing these characters feels like meeting up with some old friends. I've done some subtle design changes to Honey, Austin and Tress a.k.a. the HAuT trio. Honey's hair is highlighted since it gives it more dimension as opposed to being completely filled with black in the past strips. I think I've come up with a nice balance for Austin's hair. It had gotten overly simplified over the years and I've been meaning to bring it back to the wildly curly nature of her earlier appearances. She has to live up to her "noodle noggin" nickname after all. I was tempted to highlight Tress's hair but the dominance of black matches her personality and implies that it isn't her natural hair color. As Ryan pointed out to me earlier, the remote control seems to function as a fetish for the lack of a phallus. There probably is some truth to that in my subconscious. Then again, there are plenty of objects that are simply shaped like dicks. The best kinds if you're to believe Seth from "Superbad."

In case you weren't aware, I'm currently participating in a little competition with Ms. Megan Horejsi. She's a friend and a former co-worker of mine. A subordinate if you'd like to be more specific. The two of us have agreed to post a minimum of one comic on our respective sites on a weekly basis, although that may change to a more rigorous schedule in the future. The winner is the individual that can keep up with the posting the longest. More info and updates can be found on There Will Be Ink.

In other Hullabaloo news, I'll be reposting all the old strips at some point since my UCSB U-Web account finally expired. Still not sure if I'll do it on this blog or just shell out some money for a new website. Hopefully it will be the latter since there's four years' worth of material to go through. I might even "remaster" the content for clarity and color.

Back To Basics

2008-01-13T21:26:00.001-08:00

It's been months since I've done any sequential storytelling so I kept things simple, at least in regards to composition and panel layout. Everything else was a bit more complicated. I had to always be aware of perspective, reflection, body language, texture and numerous details on clothing. I started to get lazy towards the end with the water effects. I wanted to get this done today because I could've had it done earlier in the week if not for many, many unexpected delays.

Brand New Year

2008-01-01T22:39:00.000-08:00

So one of my New Year's resolutions is to draw more. One of my excuses from drawing used to be that I had no idea what to draw. Well, that's a pretty weak excuse considering all the interesting experiences I encounter in my life. I'll at least try for a modest goal of one drawing per week.

I chose to illustrate this moment from last night at the Hollywood Knitting Factory because it allows me a chance to draw feet. If I had to make a ranking of the hardest things to draw, feet would be high on the list along with bikes, reflecting surfaces and freehand circles. The only way to get better is to force myself to draw challenging objects. I don't want to be a hack and find ways around these difficulties.

Fantasy Star Begins

2007-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

For the Twelve Days of Christmas, I give to you my 12-part analysis of Final Fantasy XII’s similarity to the Star Wars franchise. There will be a post everyday on The Bloggles Do Nothing from December 25-January 5. It took me a while to compile, so I hope you enjoy it.

New Stuff Coming Soon...

2007-12-09T00:52:00.000-08:00

Assessing Creed

2007-11-24T15:39:00.000-08:00

The Bloggles Do Nothing is still alive. Check out my thoughts on the whole Jade Raymond comic fiasco.

A Weekend of Covers, Tributes and Family Values

2007-09-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, my brother convinced me to go outside of the oven that is our house. He wanted to go watch a Guns N' Roses tribute band at a nearby club called Paladino's. He was the one that got me hooked on the band at the young age of eight so of course I went with him.

On the way there, he asks if I'm doing anything Sunday night. It was a long weekend, which meant I'd be trying to catch up on sleep. Half knowing the answer, he hands me a pair of tickets for the 2007 Family Values Tour. It was for the last stop at the Verizon Amphitheater in Irvine. Life IS peachy. I haven't followed Korn since I was teenager but I sure as hell wasn't going to turn down a chance to see them live.

When we arrived at Paladino's, I found out the place specialized at hosting tribute bands. They also showcase local talent and at times get surprise visits from bands like the Foo Fighters. The first group we saw onstage had a forgettable performance set except for their gimmick of two girls doing a pole dance routine. One of the girls in particular grabbed my attention. It had less to do with her stripping and shaking than the fact that she looked exactly like one of old co-workers from the Daily Nexus. I probably enjoyed it more than I should have.

Next up was Chinese Democracy, the GnR tribute band. I haven't seen many tribute bands live and a glimpse at the burly lead singer made me question how good their performance would be. My doubts went away the moment I heard the opening of "Welcome to the Jungle." What tribute bands lack in originality, they more than make up for with passion and commitment to the source material. Each band member easily matched the songs note for note. I loved how most of the set was from "Appetite for Destruction." It brought a lot of memories back. We didn't stay to watch the Kiss tribute band, but from their costumes I imagine they were pretty faithful to the songs as well.

So flash forward to Sunday night. We arrived at the Verizon Amphitheater at around sunset. We didn't get a chance to see Atreyu or Flyleaf but we were just in time for Evanescence. Aside from their singles, I'm not too into Evanescence. But watching Amy Lee head bang onstage made me realize that she's one of the few high profile female personalities left in the rock world. I can't even remember the last time bands like No Doubt, Garbage, Hole or the Distillers were still on the scene. Anyways, Amy did a rendition of "People are Strange" with piano, continuing the streak of cover performances I experienced that weekend.

Next up, was Korn. We were up in the lawn section of the amphitheater but that didn't diminish the enthusiasm of crowd. Bonfires erupted at four different locations on the lawn. Security initially kept trying to put them out but they would go up again the moment they left. The staff either ran out of fire retardant foam or realized no one was in any real danger and gave up on the fires. One fire got particularly large that Jonathan Davis noticed and asked, "who's roasting marshmallows over there?"

The band looked great. Jonathan seemed a bit slimmer in his kilt, Fieldy had his braids going and Munky looked like Jack Sparrow with his dreadlocks and eye makeup. David was still on hiatus and Head obviously wasn't there. Jonathan told the crowd that the night's set would be dedicated to all the OG Korn fans. Most of the songs were from their first three albums. Like all the other bands I saw that weekend, Korn did a cover as well. Their's was "Another Brick in the Wall." They closed with "Blind" and it worked out nicely since the song ended as the Moon was rising over the mountain range behind the stage. Great finish to a consistently high energy set. The only complaint I had, along with many in the crowd, was that they didn't perform "Got the Life." It wasn't a big deal since it's one of their overplayed songs. I could always watch it on Youtube. Just being out to see live bands made it an awesome long weekend. Now if I can only get tickets to KROQ's L.A. Invasion.

Solid Snape

2007-07-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

In honor of the Harry Potter series wrapping up, here are a couple of my Snape shirt designs.

New Comics Starting This Week

2007-07-02T19:18:00.001-07:00

Just had a dose of inspiration. Check back after the fourth.

Simpsons Style Self Portrait

2007-06-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

Fiddling around a bit with the Simpsons character creator. Give it a shot and see what other characters you can make.

Side Project

2007-06-28T23:44:00.000-07:00

Although I'm no longer getting paid to write an opinion column, I feel it's still necessary that I don't give up the practice. I point you towards The Bloggles Do Nothing! This blog will remain as a type of online portfolio while the Bloggles will be geared towards reporting and opining on geek-related news. I also plan on expanding Bloggles to other contributors willing to add their own commentary on such subject matter.

Titan Sting Fast Trailer

2007-06-27T20:59:00.001-07:00

Here's a trailer for "The Titan Sting." To date it's still one of the best projects I've had the opportunity of working on. Hopefully, the DVDs will be finished soon. It's a film that begs for repeated viewing.

Between Meme and You

2007-06-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

I figure this little meme should suffice while I'm in a drought of new material to post. Plus, it's a chance to share a bit about myself.

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here are my random eight:

1. I always pop down all the buttons on the surface of fountain drink covers.
2. When I was a kid, one of my cousins pushed me off a coffee table and I dislocated my right arm. It didn't get set properly so the range of motion is ever so slightly different than my left arm.
3. Seeing all the earthworms on the ground after it rains creeps me out.
4. My seventh grade photo day was the same day my dog gave birth to six puppies.
5. I still don't own a portable digital music player.
6. I understand tagalog but don't really speak it anymore, so I imagine that a person observing me talk to one my relatives is reminded of the way Han and Chewbacca communicate with each other.
7. I sleep in the same clothes I wear throughout the day.
8. I can make burping noises just by moving my tongue.

I guess I'll bring Simon, J, Molly, and Adriana into this.

Daily Nexus Staff Portraits

2007-06-07T23:18:00.001-07:00

It's been a tradition at the Daily Nexus for one of the artists to draw the staff. With so many people working at the Nexus at any given time, the list is usually whittled down to the two dozen or so editors found in the staff box. Even with the relatively smaller amount of people to draw, it's still pretty tough to compose a drawing like that. Then it's time to pick a theme. This year's is Kingdom Hearts while last year's was X-Men. Then a little research has to be done in order to come up with cartoon versions of the staff. Add in the time and effort it takes to draw, ink, scan, and touch up the piece, and you've got yourself a good week's worth of work at minimum. As draining as the entire process can be, the reactions are always worth it. Especially after seeing the drawing end up on shirt that the staff and I can wear.

Final Daily Nexus Art

2007-06-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

After four years, it's finally time that I take leave of the Daily Nexus. As much as I want to move on to other prospects, I can't ignore the amount of time I've put into that job. It'll probably take a couple weeks before I get used to drawing under different conditions. I'm just glad that I'll be leaving the art desk in good hands.

The Mark Side of UCSB: Campus World Filled with Prospects

2007-06-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

I signed up to be a columnist this year on a whim. My primary job has always been to illustrate the opinion articles, but I figured I would give writing them shot. With columnist topics about politics, pop culture, fashion, technology, California, marijuana, sex, parties and whatever it is Zach Phillips writes each week, I figured there wasn’t much left for me to cover.

That’s why I was all the more surprised at finding a niche by writing about my perspective on the campus. Looking back at the year I can honestly say I’m pleased with how things have gone with my column. I’ve written about phony activists, over-reactionary “town hall” meetings, exploits in the academic grading system and the inept student government. But I’ve also written on serious issues like crashing campus events, the annual power outages and gaming tournaments that finally get those shut in gamers out of their rooms.

So what exactly have I taken from my experiences? First of all, it’s easy to become jaded about our surroundings. Let me go back to student activists. It isn’t so much the causes they represent or their effectiveness in “raising awareness,” it’s that there are just so many things that we as students need to -or more appropriately should - care about. If it isn’t a hunger strike, it’s a rally from Cheadle Hall to Storke Plaza, or a sit-in at the Pardall tunnel, or a festival in Isla Vista or some dumbass recruiter that steps in the path of a moving skateboard in order to hand out a flyer. I’ve met my fair share of confrontational protesters and spineless schemers. Both are equally irritating in their attempts to convince you that their views are correct and disagreeing makes you a horrible person. This saturation of causes and annoying activists contributes to student apathy. I’ve personally stopped caring because I’ve come across enough activists that complain how the Nexus doesn’t properly acknowledge their “accomplishments.” It’s gotten to a point where I can no longer get any more jaded and instead laugh at these futile attempts to change the world. You know how I can tell your hunger strike isn’t working? The Weatherhuman makes fun of your weight and I can see the validity of that insult.

When it all comes down to it, everybody wants to make a change and be remembered for something. We need to have our existence validated by somehow making a difference. But there lies another problem. What many of us do during our time here won’t have that much of an effect on anyone else. Even if it does, in five years, neither you nor your actions will be remembered. It doesn’t matter if you’re a misguided freshman or a 28-year-old transfer student.

The next thing I learned is that there are just so many things happening in the Santa Barbara area at any given moment. If one were to take into account all the Nexus news reports, opinion articles, sports stories and Artsweek reviews, they still only manage to cover a portion of events that occur every day. Just take a look at the campus calendar at the university’s website and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

It’s this particular lesson that I hope all of you took away from my column. As much as I ragged on about particular topics over the year, UCSB has time and again proven to be one of the most exciting places I have ever lived. Pirate, Professor Brannigan, Kip Fulbeck Smitty and Hookah Mike are just a small sampling of the interesting personalities you’ll find around here. I’ve attended and participated in events like Anacruzapalooza, Reel Loud, the GŸnther concert, Fifty Club and Nexus/A.S. Beerlympics. The best part is that some of the most interesting people and events I’ve come across have happened seemingly at random. The point being that you’d be hard pressed to ever find yourself bored on the couch.

How much time do you dedicate to class, work, activism, sports and leisure? It’s ultimately up to you to make that choice. Just make sure you don’t have any regrets when it’s time to finally leave for the real world. It comes at you faster than you think - and I’ve been here for five years.

Daily Nexus columnist Mark Batalla highly recommends the five-year plan for everyone.

And here's the art from my successor, Simon Estrada:

Easy Rider: Students Vie with Viral Videos

2007-06-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

Given the chance and $1,200, would you be able to come up with a two to five minute long viral video that promotes the Harley-Davidson brand and lifestyle to our generation? That’s the challenge that awaited students this quarter when the Film & Media Studies Dept. partnered with Harley-Davidson for the FLMST 118 workshop in viral video-making.

Ten videos were made and each short offers something different for the viewer. “The New Breed” goes for a hip, contemporary espionage feel a la “Alias.” “Kid’s Play” presents endearing puppy love at the playground. “Expedition Harley: Tracking the Beast” deals with a safari hunt for the elusive Harley beast. “Harleys in tha Hood” is mini-documentary on urban hog riders from Los Angeles. However, the most viral among the group are “Invisible Harleys: A Mario Kart Parody,” “Biker Babes” and “Ode to the Money Shot.” These three videos stick out and beg for repeated viewing. Michael Figge and Jess Riegel’s “Invisible Harleys” uses some creative animation techniques in order to replicate the absurd nature of the classic Super Nintendo game. Laura Jean Bransky’s “Biker Babes” defies any means of conventional explanation with its bikini-clad babes, dancing robots and leapfrogging snorkelers. Jordan Harris and Matt Freund’s “Ode” pulls off a one-man show suggestive of recent Eddie Murphy films.

Go to the film & media studies website and vote for your favorite. With your help, one of these films will have a chance of winning $5,000 from Harley-Davidson and possible development as online content for the company.