The End of an Era (Good-bye City of Heroes)

Tonight I fought my way through an alien invader's mighty defenses and struck at the heart of their stronghold on Earth. I traveled back to ancient Rome to defeat time-traveling Nazis from launching an all-out assault on history itself. I stopped a mugging. I flew through a donut. And I shared it all with a group of strangers who, collectively, make up the greatest online gaming community I have ever known. I'll never do any of these things again, and it makes me sad... but also glad. Tonight was an amazing end to a fantastic gaming experience. Thank you to everyone who worked with me tonight or in the past; thank you especially to dear friends, whom I miss all the more tonight.

"We built this city... we built this city..."

Back to Base X

I want to share another City of Heroes story: One of my most cherished memories of CoH was working with my (small but tight-knit) super group to create a (small but functional) super group base that we could all be proud of, and enjoy hanging out in. As a lapsed player stuck at free status for these final months, I've been incredibly disappointed that I would never be able to see the base again... my friends are long gone from the game, and I had no way to pay the rent.

I should have known better, though! Tonight I logged in and asked in Help Chat if anyone could help, and I was almost immediately flooded with replies from friendly VIPs. I had access to my base again in minutes, with a new friend running over from across the city to join my Super Group and pay the rent for me. It might have seemed like a small thing to that person, or to any of the MANY other people who quickly offered to help, but it means so much to me. THIS is what I will miss most about CoH, this community of fun-loving, helpful, heroic people. Sure, it was a small thing, but it was indicative of the experience I've only been able to find in the City of Heroes.

Expectations Be DARNED

 Today's XKCD comic hit my brain like a TRUCK. Every once in awhile the creator, Randall Munroe, experiments with different storytelling styles or far-out ideas, but today's "Click and Drag" really surprised me. Reminiscent of the Infinite Canvas described by Scott McCloud, today's comic went on... well, nigh-infinitely, it seemed to me. I spent quite a long time exploring and letting my mind wander as I marveled at the sheer scale of what he'd done. I thought to myself:

• How long did this take? He must've been working on this (in addition to the regular strips) for MONTHS
• Does it end? Does it loop? How many directions does it travel off into?
•  Is there a perfect way to "read" this, to see everything in one sweep?
• Is this a commentary on life, and how there is no single, ideal linear progression? Just opportunities to explore and discover?
• Are those Warp Pipes?

If that all sounds ridiculous and heavy, well... XKCD frequently is. Today's was extra special, though (as even Comics Alliance noted) so I had to share. Be sure you click and drag it.

Is This The End of Paragon City?

On this, the One Year Anniversary of the last time I properly updated this blog, I thought I'd write about something that's been hitting me a lot harder than maybe it ought to: the end of City of Heroes. For those who are unfamiliar, CoH is a super hero themed MMORPG, and the first online game of its type that I ever explored. The characters I created, the friends I made, and the adventures I had still mean so much to me... more than some of the other nonsense I've played since. Back when I was actually properly updating this blog, I did a sketch or two of my favorite characters (and my friends'). Wozar still appears in the banner for this blog.

Federation Follies

A few months ago, a good friend of mine launched TrekNews.net, a great site for Star Trek news, trivia, and fun. I've had the pleasure of writing a few humor pieces for the "Federation Follies" feature each Friday (*phew*) and my latest went up today. Check out one insane writer's pitch for a new Star Trek series here... if you dare.

Rollin' Down a Rooftop

This is a character design I did as a commission, but the client didn't end up using it so I'm going to post it here. I'll be doing other work for them (which, with their permission, I may also eventually post) but for now I'll stick with what didn't quite suit their needs (click for a larger view):





The color scheme I picked was a little muted, but otherwise I like this design. I'm trying to experiment with different looks and styles, to try to find some that still look like my work while being unique and unusual. As always, it's an ongoing process.

A Slimy One-Hundredth Post

This is a (slightly more detailed version) of a character I used to draw in elementary school. He was a shape-changing villain for a masked vigilante character I'd created. Looking at this walking tar pit now, it looks kind of like Clayface if he was running around with the Venom symbiote.

It may not have been my most creative or original work, but Tarr was sure fun to draw; I was glad to find that he still is. Click for a larger view:




... also, it seems like I should have reached 100 Posts quite some time ago. Fingers are crossed that 200 will come a lot quicker.