The Knight Art Print

Been a while since I've updated the site, so here it is.  I'm currently having prints made of the Knight character.  If they're to my satisfaction, then I'll release that print for sale.  The first set will be 10 in number.  I should be receiving the prints sometime between the 10th to the 15th.

Ronin Revolver still has a heartbeat

That's right, Ronin Revolver is still alive.  Just might take a little more time getting the series out there.  Right now I'm in the process of securing an artist for a mini-series, and once enough pages are completed, I will be shopping it around to some publishers in hopes of getting the series picked up.

The Student     

Things still need to be tied up, though.  Like getting the artwork for those first few pages completed and paid for.  Towards that end, I'll be offering up prints of the finished artwork of Ronin Revolver's main characters.  

The Knight

Each character was designed by Aaron McConnell, a fantastic artist worth far more than I'm paying him.  Please check out his site, his artwork at the following link.

The Scarecrow & Archie

There won't be anything fancy about getting one of these prints.  Since these will be print-on-demand, I'll be waiting until I get enough orders (around 20 or so should do). 

The Mentor

So if if you're interested in the concept, the characters, the story ... then please donate and spread the word.  Also, any suggestions or comments, please drop me a line.  Once I have some completed pages ready, I'll post them for all to see as a preview for the mini-series.  If you want to know more about the mini-series, take a look at the following page on this blog for a rough draft of the script.

Naruto #562 Review: Anticipation

Naruto #562 is an inspirational story, one that helps rises those who've lost hope to a point where they can fight again.  Oonki's character becomes more defined; we see that he wasn't always as cold-blooded as he seems.  On his front of the war, thought, with the resurrection of both Mu and Madara, things have gone from bad to worse.

This is when the general of the shinobi alliance and his righthand decide it's time to report to duty.  Overall, I believe this to be a very good character development story.  A good addition.  My problem is: anticipation.  I can't wait for the chapters to come out because there are certain events I'm waiting for.  For instance, Sasuke's entrance into the war.  Naruto's confrontation of Tobi, especially if Naruto's clone conveys the knowledge that Tobi isn't who he says he is.

Next up, though, it seems as though we're having a Kage free-for-all.  It'll be interesting to see how well the Kage's work with one another, as well as any jutsu that they may have been holding back.

The Discarded: Ronin Revolver #1

  It's been a little while since I commented on my campaign to make the Ronin Revolver Anthology.  Of late, I've received much interest in the project, in the form of illustrators interested in working on the project with me.  I believe this is in large part to the great concept artwork Aaron McConnell has collaborated on with me.
  So far, other than descriptions of a couple of stories, not much has been put forth on my part to reveal a writing style, or that I'm even capable of writing the stories I'm lobbying to get published.  It's difficult to convey what a project is and whether a person is capable of the writing level needed for the wide range of stories I've planned without revealing the stories themselves.
  In response to this notion of proving myself, I present the rough draft of the first issue I ever produced of Ronin Revolver.  It's part of a mini-series called "The Nanban County Purchase."  I originally wanted to publish this mini-series, and hopefully someday I will, but those goals have since shifted.
  The current goal's to create several short, illustrated stories, available free on the web to both introduce the mythology of the series and the some of the characters involved with the original mini-series.  Two short stories have already been completed, with a third being worked on, hopefully to completion by the end of this week.  I have artists lined up for those stories, but since money is tight, it'll take time for them to be produced.
  If you like the script you see, please think about donating to the Kickstarter.com site.

Naruto #560-561 Review

I decided to wait to review Naruto #560 until #561 came out to gain perspective on the significance of the events occurring.  Madara Uchiha is back, and knows who's behind all this fuss with the Shinobi World War.  It seems all the bad guys know who's who, but the good guys can't catch much of a break.

What I found interesting was that the Madara could use the Rinnegan.  This comes as not much of surprise, seeing as how it is rumored the Sharingan evolved from the Byakugan.  So all the eye techniques have share an origin.  Not only can Madara use the Rinnegan, but use it effectively.

Naruto #560, Page 13

Naruto #560, Page 16-17

The opponents just keep getting more powerful, forcing the good guys to grow more powerful exponentially.  A good thing if you want them to survive, but the increasing amount of their power makes one wonder what'll happen when the war is over.  Will the series end since no more opponents can match the strength of the heroes?

Naruto #561, Page 10

  A few curious revelations occurred over the span of these two issues.  One, that Madara can use the Summoning Jutsu to summon the Nine-Tails; it's strange that it seems that the fox speaks with the clone Naruto.  Since clone have their chakra distributed evenly among one another, I guess it does make sense that the fox would be "in" the clone, too, but I think it reveals something people might not have guessed: even though clones can pass on information back to the original after dispersing that this is a two-way street, a network connection on some level which may provide a strength or vulnerability later on.

  Two, that while locked up in Naruto, Madara is unable to summon the Nine-Tails.  Whether this is due to the strength of the seal used, or because the beast is simply "locked away" is unknown.  The summoning itself is curious, as I previous was under the impression that to summon a creature, a contract must be made between the summoner and summonee.  Did, at some point, Madara and the fox strike a deal?  Or is it possible to summon a creature without the contract?

  Three, exactly how much chakra power does Madara have?  A ninja is limited to the amount of jutsu they can use by the amount of chakra they possess, even a resurrected ninja, as was the case when the former Tsuchikage when he tried to summon Madara; he had to wait for his chakra to be replenished before being able to summon Madara.  In previous issues, readers have seen Itachi die after using just a few Mangekyō Sharingan in the span of one battle.  Yet Madara not only uses his Sharingan, but Rinnegan techniques in quick succession without any ill effects.  Even absorbing Naruto's Rasenshuriken technique, how can Madara keep using such techniques and even the Wood Style technique without skipping a beat?  It'll be interesting to see how events will transpire.  Overall, I say both are stellar issues, leaving me wanting more in the now rather than having to wait a week.

8-Foot Lego Man Found on Beach???!!!!

Apparently an 8-foot tall Lego Man washed ashore on the beach in Siesta Key Village, Florida.

Siesta Key, Florida

Zandvoort, Holland

To make matters even more curiouser, this isn't the first time something like this has happened.  About three years ago, Lego Men invaded the shores of Zandvoort, Holland, and Brighton, England.

Brighton, England

What's more curious is that on its chest was written "No real than you."
Tourist footage from the Holland landing shows the same message on its Lego Man's chest.
What could have possibly gone into the planning and thinking of these incidents?  Are all three incidents related?  What does the message mean?

This has all the earmarks of a good story to me.  Also, I'm awaiting any conspiracy theories regarding this Lego invasion with open ear.

Check out the following link, which may be directly or indirectly related: Ego Leonard.

Finished artwork

Here's the finished artwork for "the Knight" character.  Definitely not how I originally intended him to look, but Aaron's prelim. work bowled me over.  This character is now one of my favorites.

Naruto #559 "Reinforcements Arrive"

  So we end up with another issue of tie-ups, but there are some major developments that go along with it.  One is that we see more of Naruto's growth, as he states to Kimimaro that quality over quantity will determine the battle.  The most prominent development, though, is that we learn what Kabuto's trump card is: Madara Uchiha.  While I should be surprised, I kinda expected that "Tobi" wasn't who the series inferred him to be.  One clue was that Tobi kept the mask on long after it was "revealed" he was Madara.  But if not Madara, then who is "Tobi"?

#397, page 3

  The obvious answer would be Madara's younger brother, Izuna.  I believe that is too easy an answer, though.  For a while I contemplated who, other than Madara, Tobi could be.  The only answer I could come up with was Fugaku Uchiha, Itachi and Sasuke's father.  Way back in Chapter 397, "Tobi" nearly revealed his face to Sasuke, but Itachi had caused Amaterasu react to the masked man's face, so it's conceivable that he never saw Tobi's true face.  The images we've seen of Izuna show no crease marks under the eyes.  Fugaku's does.
  While preparing for a coup on the Leaf Village, Fugaku could've discovered that Itachi was a double-agent (or realized from Itachi that the village had planned to eliminate the clan), and realizing that a coup was no longer an option, instead welcomed Itachi eliminating the Uchiha's and disguise himself in the cloak of "death."  Otherwise, why keep the mask on when speaking of Kohona's history.
  One more clue in support of my theory of Fugaku being "Tobi," to date Tobi has only shown Kisame his face, possibly Zetsu, too.  the Amaterasu trigger in #397 only activated upon seeing Tobi's face, not the man himself.  This suggests that Itachi knows who Tobi really is, otherwise, how could the trigger activate?  It's conceivable that a Madara's image from the Valley of the End could've allowed Itachi to know Madara's face, but in light of this new information of Madara being dead, who else does Itachi know who could be Tobi?

    Of course, there is the question of Madara's eyes.  I believe that Fugaku may have been able to locate and retrieve Madara's eyes, causing the tome seen for Madara's eyes to be his also.  Of course, this is all speculation.  But maybe we'll see soon.

Naruto #558 "Kabuto's Trump Card"

  The majority of this issue seemed to lean towards tying up the some of the lingering story lines, such as the White Zetsu impostors and the battles with the various deceased Kages.  The beginning of the issue, though reveals that Kabuto has some sort of "trump card" concerning the Kage Mu.  What is this trump card?  A summoning jutsu.  But what summoning?

  More character developments appear, though they can easily be missed.  Development #1: Naruto's clones are more powerful than anyone thought; this revelation comes when it's mentioned by Gaara that the Naruto on the battlefield is a clone.  Cool.  Development #2: sort of goes along with the 1st, Naruto's capable of transferring his "Nine-Tails" Chakra State.  Combined with his "Sage" State, Naruto has access to nearly limitless chakra.

  Overall, I give it a two out of five stars.  This issue primarily is used to tie up some of the mess being thrown around by events in Naruto's world.

  Now, a simple question has been bugging me for some time.  I've thought about it, but cannot figure out an answer.  If only the Nine-Tails Fox's Yang chakra is sealed within Naruto, how does Madara intend to resurrect the "Ten-Tailed" beast mentioned a while back?  The Yin chakra is sealed away within Minato's "Dead Demon Consuming Seal."  Another question, which springs from the simple one, why was the Yang chakra sealed in Naruto, and not the Yin chakra?  Is there some significance to it?  Did I forget something mentioned in a previous chapter  (not all too surprising considering the amount of issues)?
  Probably could come up with more questions, but I think I'll stop my brain for the meantime, especially since I'm sure the answers will be forthcoming in future issues.
  Oh yeah, one more: with clones taking the battlefield, where is Naruto and Bee going?  Did I miss something?

Naruto Review #1: Issue #557 "Jokey Boy" Review

The first of many reviews I hope.

The battle between Gaara of the Sand village and the deceased, former Mizukage rages on.  I love the explanations about how the various ninjutsu attacks work, in the case of this issue, the Mizukage's clone of oil and water.  It provides a good basis for explanations on how these attacks are eventually defended against or defeated.  Mashashi Kishimoto always had a long history of prepping his stories with plausible attacks and how they could be defended against/defeated.

As far as stories go, this one is about average.  It shows good character consistency, the fact that Gaara is a long range strategist and uses the environment around him.  This story, however, is one in a number of "battles" in the fourth Ninja War that is taking way too long to finish.  While the battles are extremely entertaining, they only enhance an already complex mythology that probably won't be expanded upon.  While deepening the mythology provides a "fan fantasy" factor, it does little to move the actual story along.  If a story remains stagnant for too long, or too much time has elapsed between critical issues, then fans may shy away from the popular series.  I don't see this happening, but still, like many other fans I'm sure, I wish the story would progress a bit quicker.
Overall, I'd give it a three out of five stars.

"Singular Pursuit" & "Self-Reflection" details

The first 2 stories are set.  Here are the details.

"Singular Pursuit" (2-part story, 8 pages each)
The Kuroi Hiryū gang brutally attack a stagecoach along the Southwest Passage.  They encounter resistance from a man only known as the Mentor.  But what can one frail, old man with a sword do against six vicious riders armed with swords and shotguns?

The Kuroi Hiryū gang is based off the modern day Bōsōzoku,  which translates into "running violent tribe."  They're a subculture in Japanese motorcycle gangs.

"Self-Reflection" (12 page short story)
The ronin known as the Avenger stops at a Goze musician's camp for the night while on his way to kill a prominent governor.  Speaking with her, he examines his motives for the actions he's committed and about to commit.  She turns out to be an assassin sent to stop him, an assassin who can perfectly mirror his passionate actions with icy calm.

I'm still tightening them up, but they're coming off great.  If these two stories sound good, please don't forget to donate.  Only through donations can they be completed.  Just go to the Kickstarter.com link on this blog's home page.

Oh, and there are two spots open in "Singular Pursuit" for the incentives involving your image drawn into the story.  These incentives are still available.

Contest Time

Answer these questions correctly and be eligible in a raffle for "The Mentor" character art print, drawn by Aaron McConnell:

What's the name the popular samurai manga created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima?
Who is leader of Team 7 in the mange "Naruto"?
Who is the legendary director of the "Samurai Seven"?

The Mentor:

Contest concludes on September 30th.  Winner will be announced on October 3rd.

Now on Facebook

"Ronin Revolver" has a page on Facebook.  Social media, isn't it great?
Ronin Revolver's Facebook page

Yee-Haw!

Well, it's finalized: Ronin Revolver is now a project on Kickstarter.com.  You can find the funding page on this link.  More updates will come as the project progresses.  Be sure to spread the word!  The project is as follows: a comic anthology series featuring samurai and cowboys.  Yee-Haw!

Dark Horse Proposal

The "Ronin Revolver" 6-issue mini-series proposal is all set, just needs to be sent out.  I'm hoping that Dark Horse Comics will pick it up, as I like the broad interests and quality of their work very much.  I've also completed sent them a short story last week featuring "the Knight" character called "Under the Crow's Moon" that I hope they'll print in DARK HORSE PRESENTS.

In the meantime, I've completed another few of short stories featuring various Ronin Revolver characters and am gearing up to post them for free on this blog site.  Probably starting in January I'll be posting a new, illustrated short story every two to three weeks.  Some of these shorts will be single issue stories, others will be multiple part stories.  The art is fantastic so far; here's a peek at the rough colors for some of the characters:

Check out Aaron's own blog site.  He does wonderful work.

Color Previews

The Scarecrow & Archie:

Again, another great design.

Rough Cut Video

Here's a little video I whipped up using Photoshop and Final Cut Express.  It came out better than I thought it would.

Preliminary Sketches

The prelims came in, and they came out great so far.  Here's a couple of them.

I see much potential in both these characters.  Probably could make a series devoted to each one of them.  But for now, these are just two of the seven main characters in the mini-series.  Hoping to have more to share later in the week.  A shout out to Aaron McConnell over at Periscope Studios for the fine work he's doing on these characters.

The Good, the Bad, and the Unfunded

As first posts go, I don't know what to write.  Maybe the beginning would be a good start, but I think the middle is a little more interesting.  "Ronin Revolver" is a concept series that takes place in a U.S. that blends the wild west with Asian influences.  At this point in this world's history, progress is leaving the samurai behind.  Bullets in favor of swords, and honor takes a hit to the head by greed and power.
This project is unfunded, in need of an illustrator and a publisher.  That's why very soon I will be raising funds to pay a professional illustrator to complete at least the first issue.  I'm hoping that enough money will be raised to illustrate the whole series (6 issues total), then I'd be able to self-publish it, but I figure a completed first issue might make for a more enticing risk for a publisher.
Should anyone reading this like the concept of samurai in the Old West, like the updates on character designs, the general status of goodwill, I hope people will help out.  A little can add up to alot with enough people.

So on I go, roaming the dry desert in search of water to give my project life, tumbleweeds passing me by.  More updates to come, including when the launch date of the Kickstarter fundraising will begin.