Nick Davis's Blog, page 28

Looks Like Hurricane Joaquin Might Be Joining Us This Weekend – Safety Tips

Given current predicts it looks likes Hurricane Joaquin may be joining us over the weekend, although I suspect by the time it gets to us it will be a tropical storm, or just a soggy depression. However, there remains a possibility we will get blasted by a lot of rain and see some wild woolly storms aiming to rip through Baltimore in the next few days. I am re-posting my public awareness blog, packed full of recommend safety tips to take you through the upcoming extreme natural event.

Monitor your local weather channel this weekend, get a battery radio to do this you will lose cellphone reception before you lose on old-fashioned battery radio signal. Cellphone towers do have their own generators, but run times will be limited.
If you are being evacuated it is for a very good reason… So go!
Pack up valuables and move them to higher ground (ie upstairs).
Secure any loose items outside like BBQ, flower pots, garbage cans etc…
Fill up containers with water in case you lose this utility. One gallon per person per a day, store them in the bathtub. If you can get some ice place in the same area.
Pick up non-perishable food ie canned goods or hydrated food (rama noodles) enough to last 2-3 days.
Keep at least a half tank of gas in your vehicle.
Pack an evacuation bag (one for each person in your house) make sure everyone in your household knows what to do.
Buy a lot of old leather so you can fashion cool post-flood apocalypse clothing to reenact your own much better version of Waterworld.
Unclog drains and gutters, it will help the water drain faster and make your home less prone to flooding.
Click this link for full list of what you should do to prepare for this Hurricane .
If you are in Maryland here is the link to Maryland Emergency Management Agency website .
A good interactive map showing you up to date predictions of where Hurricane Joaquin is going to hit can be found here .
The Weather Channel Severe Weather Alerts broke down by county/city can be found here – Bookmark as it is constantly updated

Why so serious? Well… The last time I posted a disaster prep list for a Hurricane it was during the Isabel event, and I saw a huge spike in web traffic before the event (And I wrote that list more in jest than to be informative). While I think Joaquin will blow itself into a Tropical storm, and most likely end up being a very soggy depression it pays to be prepared. Keep a weather eye out.

 

Fabula Zero, Teddy Bear Tales And The Daughter Of Frost Remastered For The Kindle

 

 

 

 

Here is some pretty cool news for anyone who is a fan of my illustrated and comic book tales. I recently discovered the KDP formatting tools and I’ve been able to remaster a selection of my stories for the Kindle. From my superhero story Fabula Zero to the cuddly heroics of the Teddy Bear Tales and the magic of Once Upon A Time; they all have a glorious new look. Check out these shiny new titles after the jump.

Fabula Zero: Exposition 

When is a superhero story not about superheroes? Fabula Zero: Exposition is the most unusual comic you are ever going to read. As Jack, an overstressed comic book writer struggles to find an end to his latest superhero story, while all his characters trying to find it for him. Is it real? Or are those Ninjas and Doctor Dark just a product of his over-caffeinated imagination? And will Captain Avenger save him? Or tip him over the edge?

Take a look at the preview, buy for $3.99 or FREE with Kindle Prime Here.

Teddy Bear Tale – Unconditional

An old Teddy Bear, his final night watching over his child and the Bogeyman sends out his Monsters under the Bed to steal the child’s innocence. This is the illustrated story where Tristan the Teddy Bear story begins.With his child’s innocence at stake Tristan must find a way to defeat the Monsters and stop the Bogeyman from claiming his child.

Take a look at the preview, buy for $4.99 or FREE with Kindle Prime Here.

Teddy Bear Tale II – Faithful

Tristan the Teddy Bear is woken from his long sleep to find his help is needed to protect the Toy Train from the Green Headed Monsters. Transported to the magical Realm of Wonder he is joined by Wilma Bunny in an illustrated adventure story featuring planes, trains, clockwork horses, new monsters and dashing deeds.

Take a look at the preview, buy for $4.99 or FREE with Kindle Prime Here.

Tristan & The Cuddly Defenders – Friends

Lost in the Realm of Wonder, Tristan the Teddy Bear and friends the Cuddly Defenders explore this world of imagination and battle the Monsters under the Bed. Very soon on their adventures they’re joined by new friends Archer Bear and the mild-mannered technical-genius Fernando the Mouse Lion. This comic/story book in its telling is a collection of their new adventures and is a mix of comic book action and the traditional illustrated storytelling.

Take a look at the preview, buy for $4.99 or FREE with Kindle Prime Here.

Tristan & The Cuddly Defenders – Out Of The Attic Issue One

Adventure Ahead! New stories, new adventures, new characters and so much more… The Out Of The Attic Comic Book is a collection of five new Cuddly Defender stories as Tristan and his friends foil the evil schemes of the Monsters under the Bed. This Cuddly Comic Anthology has five stories based on the Teddy Bear Tales, that explore this world of wonder in greater detail than ever before.

Take a look at the preview, buy for $2.99 on the Kindle Here.

The Daughter of Frost – An Illustrated Fairy Tale

Music, love and magic in a classic illustrated Once Upon A Time that I wrote for my Daughter. In a land far far away the Fairy of Spring and Jack Frost had a daughter they named Aneira. Who gave to a childless Woodcutter and his wife so their daughter could experience the love and affection of mortal parents. This is her story, a classic fairy tale of winter, of love, of good, of evil and the power of innocence…

Take a look at the preview, buy for $2.99 or FREE with Kindle Prime Here.

In Celebration Of Pope Francis Visit To The USA Here Is Buddy Pope

This is a historic moment, the Pontifex; Pope Francis is visiting the USA. Starting in DC the ‘Peoples’ Pope will be visiting Philadelphia and New York in a whirlwind tour. I quite like this Pope, he seems to be a genuine good person who is practicing christian values and to celebrate his visit here is my Buddy Pope… Peace

The DC Movie Universe Is Getting It All Wrong Don’t Go Gritty… Go Silver Age!

Yes, you have read this articles title right, the DC Movie Universe (DCMU) is getting it all wrong with its gritty contemporary take on their superheroes, it should instead be aiming squarely at its Silver Age. Let Marvel be contemporary, let’s get retro DCMU!

Why So Serious?

To distinguish itself from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the DCMU has decided to go for a washed out color palette and double the dose of seriousness and go gritty. You know because dark and gritty somehow means realistic in a universe where people put on capes to fight crime. This I feel is doing a huge disservice to the entire DC Pantheon.

The DC universe has always been a more serious place than Marvel, the stories always having a darker undertone and it made a nice counterpoint to the lighter buzz of Marvel. Even the Superman books had a darker edge to them as writers sought to make the man more relevant than the super.

However the DCMU jump down the dark and gritty hole with their characters is wrong, because it doesn’t suit the style of the books. You see there is something inherently 60’s about DC’s heroes and that is where we should go.

All About Style

I would decamp the entire DCMU into the Silver Age and capture the optimism and dangers of that time period. I would still keep the serious edge of the books, but dress it up in 60’s style. Make it buzz with life and then put the superheroes right into the middle of it. There is something about the DC pantheon that fits this period perfectly.

I’m not talking about the camp of Batman ’66, but the DCMU does need to do something to distinguish it from MCU, placing it back into the 60’s it the perfect place for it, retro styles, hyper-technology and a world were Superman actually doesn’t look out-of-place (but can still feel a little old-fashioned). Everything about DC would fit so easily into this time period as everything back then seemed possible.

Contemporary isn’t for the DCMU, but a little retro 60’s style would kick their heels at the MCU giving them the edge they need. What do you think?

Drawing Outside Your Comfort Zone – Three Year Progress

I talk a lot in Drawing Outside Your Comfort Zone about never giving in, about keep practicing and drawing is like a muscle – the more you exercise it the stronger you get. I am by no means an accomplished artist, although my confidence in my skills have grown that I can draw the Hero Ted scene above, and feel fairly happy about it. Now after the jump I am going to reveal to you the astonishing truth to my artistic progress.

In The Beginning – 2012

My first rendition of Tristan the Teddy Bear, drawn in 2012 after picking up the pencil after nearly 20 years after putting it down. I used dollar store sketch paper and colored our heroic Teddy Bear using Magic Art color pencils. At this point all I had were clumsy remembered skills I learned at Design College 20 years previous.

2013

Getting a little better, my lines are tidy now I started using Faber-castel pitt pens and changed to Caslon Watercolor paper. This rendition of Tristan is colored with Faber-castel blended watercolor pencils.

2014

Another classic Tristan illustration, you can see how much my style is evolving here. I am using a heavier outline (Faber-castel F) with a contrasting thinner line (Faber-castel XS) for internal details. This was my first use of Derwent Inktense pencils and in this case I did some finishing with charcoal pencils using brown and white to give texture.

Three Years Later – 2015

My latest rendition of Tristan the Teddy Bear (drawn 09/13/2015). On Strathmore Mixed Media paper, inked in a scratchy style using Faber-castel Pitt Pens (XS & S) colored with layered (for texture) and then blended Derwent Inktense pencils. Getting better, but I still have a long way to go!

Keep Going

You can see the huge improvements after only three years of practice, trying new techniques and not giving in. I hope it anything showing you these two drawings demonstrates that you will get better! KEEP GOING!

AWESOME!!! The Totally Ninjas! T-Shirts Now Available On Teepublic

AWESOME NEWS!!! The Totally Ninja T-Shirts are now available in the Altworld Teepublic Store!

By using Teepublic as my apparel printing source I can offer you all a larger choice of fabric colors and clothing styles, backed up with low pricing and super-fast delivery. It is a total WIN for you! PLUS I recommend you keep checking the Altworld Teepublic Store as I will adding more designs from Groot to Teddy Bears

About The Totally Ninjas

These shirts feature the Jo, Sam & Kris; the Totally Ninja characters I invented a number of years ago, and then lost in an unfortunate catastrophic hard-drive accident involving a plate of spaghetti and a Battlestar Galactica rerun. Thankfully (with a huge thank you to a Rep at Vistaprint) I was able to locate an older color version of these characters buried deep in my Vistaprint image library.

Now the Totally Ninjas can be reproduced as shirts, and maybe even a comic – if I can squeeze it in between all my other comic book work. I think the Totally Ninjas are an exciting set of characters to share with you, I hope you like them. Now get your Ninja on in the Altworld Teepublic Store Today!

Preview A Long Tall Tail Page From The Teddy Bear Cuddly Defenders Comic: Out Of The Attic 2

A Long Tall Tail in the Cuddly Defenders Comic: Out Of The Attic #2 is just a regularly everyday story of a Cuddly Bunny and her Mouse Lion.

This brand new comic strip will make its debut in Out Of The Attic #2 and features an all woman creative team, written by Jeana Byrd, and art by Veronica Smith. This is a heart-warming story of just how did Fernando the Mouse Lion meet the love of his life Wilma Bunny.

Learn more about Out Of The Attic #2 here

Writing Without Fear – Ideas Are Like Buses… Wait Forever And Three Come At Once

As a creative writer you sit there coming up with ideas for storylines, characters and interesting plot hooks. It involves long hours, and sometime waking up in the middle of the night and frantically scribbling the idea down on your phone, or notepad. Then you go to sleep, thinking you’ve come up with he most original story idea ever! Well… I have news for you… Chances are someone has had the same idea as you, this is why ideas are like buses… They all come at once.

The Many Adventures Of A Teddy Bear 

When I was writing the Teddy Bear Tales I was convinced no one else was writing a story about a Teddy Bear who defends children from the Monsters under the bed. That I had the most original idea ever. Then as I was getting the book printed I found this amazing illustration by Alx (DeviantArt:Begemott)

And learned about the Stuff Of Legends by Th3rdworld Studios – another story about Toys who venture into the lands of the Bogeyman to rescue their child. Yeah… And Stuff Of Legends had the legs on me by about a year. You can read the creative journey of the Teddy Bear Tales here.

I’ve talked to writers who at this point just walk away from their idea, citing it wasn’t an original idea, or have been mocked by Trolls who rub the other work in their faces. I say this… Don’t… And don’t fool yourself… There is no such thing as an original idea, just different ways of telling the same story.

For example Stuff Of Legends is a very different story than the Teddy Bear Tales, different premises – the toys turn into Avatars of themselves. While Tristan is well… Tristan throughout his story.

I’ve even talked to the Artist and one of the Stuff Of Legends writers about our shared work. The only sad thing is I cannot read their work (because it looks really good!) just incase I subconsciously absorb their story lines.

It Is Still Annoying Though

Even though I’ve told you not to expect your idea to be original it is still annoying when you write your notes and come up with a quick concept sketch that you run into another idea that is close to yours.

Yep… A few months ago I drew a Teddy Force X concept, or a Boy, his Teddy Bear and their Bear shaped Mech. The basic story concept is they are arena fighters and things take a darker twist the more successful they become (you know standard anime fair). Last week, while I was in Barnes & Noble I stumble upon the Bearguy kits.

It is obvious that Bandai were way ahead of me on this, I know from experience it takes up to a year to develop a plastic kit, and this idea was developed Japan in a very separate way to mine. So there I was thinking I had a totally original idea with Ted Force X, and it turns out it wasn’t as original as I thought… I should expect it, but it is still bloody annoying.

Keep Writing

So… the moral of this Writing Without Fear is to keep going, there are no original ideas anymore, just original stories. Good luck… Keep writing!

Full Pencil Preview Of A Long Tall Tail From The Cuddly Defenders Comic: Out Of The Attic 2

Hey Teddy Bear Fans, I have a treat for you today with a preview of the pencils for the new Cuddly Defender story for Out Of The Attic 2 –  A Long Tall Tail featuring Wilma Bunny and Fernando the Mouse Lion. 

The script for this story was written by Jeana Byrd, and the art is by Veronica Smith who has recently finished a project with William Shatnar (of Star Trek Captain Kirk fame) called Man-O-War. You can preview all six pencil pages below.

You can Pre-Order Tristan & The Cuddly Defenders Comic: Out Of The Attic 2 here.

Writing Without Fear – How I Would Bring Miles Morales In As The Marvel MCU Spider-Man

This has been bugging me a little bit, we’ve had five Spider-man movies now featuring Peter Parker and we have well established the origins of the Web head. Now we have the potential to sit through yet another origin story as Spider-Man finally gets absorbed into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The question though is. Do we need Peter Parker as Spider-man now? Should the torch be passed on to his legacy character Miles Morales? I think Miles time has come, and this is how I would do it.

Spider-man has long been established as one of Marvel’s flagship titles, and Peter has had a long career as Spidey, but has he become to long in the tooth for the MCU? To change-up into Miles Morales you have to change the Spider-Man movie into a passing of the torch movie, not be another bloody origins movie.

How I Would Have Wrote It

You set up Peter as the older superhero formally known as Spider-man, give him a 60’s opening title sequence, swing through to establish all the touch points of origin, and his many trails, and fights with the Green Goblin who is revealed to be Norman Osborn. In his last battle with the Green Goblin he finally defeats the Monster before mysteriously disappearing as the Web Slinger and actually having a happily ever after with MJ. We fast forward to now and Peter is living a fairly normal life, largely ignored by the world. The reason he turned his back on being Spider-man was his powers just stopped working – Peter eventually explains this using the same allegory as a viral infection, he simply burned the virus out of his body.

We then have an incident that gets him involved with Miles Morales who is a fairly ordinary kid, worried about his family and where he is going to school. I am going to run with they get involved in a mutual highway car accident; Peter has the same rare blood type as Miles and is on hand to give his blood to save the kid. While Peter has avoided this all his life, he does because he still believes in great power equals great responsibility. (yes I am keenly aware this is not Miles actually origin but stay with me.)

After the transfusion Miles recovers at an amazing rate, and once released from Hospital discovers he has super-human abilities like camouflage, increased agility, some sort of stun blast, and can climb any surface like a Spider. He then discovers via the internet the 60’s Spider-man, and puts the answer together in his head that Peter Parker was Spider-man! After a little detective work he tracks down Peter, who refuses to acknowledge that he was once Spider-man, but advises the kid that he should hide his powers because there are people who would try to use his gifts to hurt people.

Miles doesn’t listen and inspired by the Avengers goes out one night to test his new powers. He saves someone from a mugging, but his heroics are filmed by bystanders and the videos and pictures go viral. Miles wakes up the next day to find he has been dubbed the New Spider-man – with the Daily Bugle of course calling him the new webbed menace.

Norman Osborn is also still alive sitting in prison and learns of the reappearance of Spider-man. The news triggers a transformation turning Osborn into the Green Goblin, that allows him to breakout of the prison. Finally he will have his revenge on Parker!

Learning what Miles has done, Peter calls Miles and invites the kid to visit him. Peter reluctantly reveals to Miles he was once Spider-man, and once again tells him to hide his powers. This is the moment the Green Goblin attacks Peter’s home, Miles is forced to use his powers to save Peter and his wife from the rampaging monster. It all goes horribly wrong and MJ finds herself once again kidnapped by Osborn as the Green Goblin.

Knowing he needs Miles help to save his wife he gives the kid his old costume and web slingers, and says he had a plan. He has one vial of anti-goblin serum left from his old adventuring days, if they can inject Osborn with it he would return to normal. If Miles appears as Spider-man it might give Peter the chance to use the serum.

We then go to the classic Spider-man stand-off on Brooklyn bridge, Peter turns up to confront Osborn who wants to know where Spider-man is. To which Peter replies it isn’t him anymore… In swings Miles knocking Osborn off-balance, Peter saves MJ, we get a superhero/supervillain fight that seesaws over who has the vial, and Peter having to swing out on a line to get it. Eventually the Green Goblin is subdued, and changes into Norman who Peter knocks out (used to hurt less when I punched people and he still doesn’t like doing it). The authorities start to appear and Peter tells Miles to disappear. We end with helicopter search lights illuminating Peter and MJ standing over an unconscious Osborn.

Then cut to a hero shot of Miles Morales dressed in a darker version of the Spider-man costume, and we have established Peter’s legacy and passed it on to a new hero for a new age.

There you go, this is how I would have written it. Whadda ya think?