My faith is the horizon, my compass my best guess.

Hey

evin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:13:39 GMT

So, I know I never post here or anything, but I thought I'd let anyone still clinging to this place know, I have a new webcomic.

http://knifestone.net/

Go read it. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

<3

I deftly avoided drawing Lucario Skywalker.

evin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 03:40:13 GMT

Hey, check this hot shit out:

Pokémon Star Wars

Projects!

evin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 07:32:29 GMT

Since I talked to you folks last, I have finished two projects. The first being a short little 4-page Dr. Octopus-for-a-Hand story, and the other is a short story I've been thinking about for at least a year or so now called BANG. Go read 'em.

And, honestly, if you people aren't following me on Twitter then you are really missing out. Well, inasmuch as you could "miss out" on any of the dumb shit I say, which I pretty much post nowhere else but there these days.

That is all.

(Not racist)

evin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:15:49 GMT

These aren't even close to the final character designs, and it's possible (probable?) that I won't even be drawing it myself, but, gentle readers, behold the first internet appearance of Dan & I's project, DIRK LASERBEAM: SPACE ADVENTURER!

For the record, it probably took longer to clean up in Photoshop than it did to actually write and draw the little thing. It's not really an accurate portrayal of what anything will be like, we're just brainstorming character designs, and I felt like doing this little strip instead of doing yet another page of a bunch of dudes standing around looking vaguely the same.

A little late, but whatever

evin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:47:23 GMT

So, here goes. My Best of the Year/Decade list. It is far too late at night to talk at length, but I'll say a little about each.

----

First up we have music. A lot came out this year, and even in my current state of "not really giving a shit about new music" I still managed to pick up around a dozen albums this year. But, there can only be one best, and it is...

I couldn't name even 80% of the songs on this album just by hearing them, I couldn't give you a proper idea of the story it tells, and, hell, I've barely listened to the second half of it (compared to the first) but there wasn't a prettier album out there, and nothing I'd rather throw on and just zone out to.

Runners up: Eels - "Hombre Lobo" (New Eels album? With some badass songs on it? Yes, thank you.), The Protomen - "Act II: The Father of Death" (As a rock opera, you can't find better than this album. Which I suppose is an odd thing to say considering that my Best is also a rock opera, but it won as an album first and foremost. In terms of an interesting, engaging narrative told through music, The Protomen - combined with their debut self-titled album which is the Act I to "Father..."'s Act II - is the best I've ever heard.), They Might Be Giants - "Here Comes Science" (Yes, I am a giant nerd. A children's album about science? With awesome britpoppy songs about the visual spectrum? I'm so there.)

----

Next we have movies. As far as I can remember, there hasn't been a year that I have seen as few new movies as I did this year. But, that doesn't mean that there weren't some awesome ones.

I don't think I've ever cried as much as I have seeing Up. Alanna and I also saw it on our first real date-date, so it will forevermore have a place in my heart, which just makes it all the more special. Which is appropriate, given the subject matter. I am freakishly relieved that I will probably die before she does, because holy shit. *sniffle*

Runners up: Star Trek (Another date movie. This one deserves to be on this list if only for the fact that it's Star Trek and I liked it. That alone is a goddamned triumph. Kirk is pretty pimp, I have to say.), Ponyo (Yet again, a date movie. Yet again, it's about innocence and cuteness and love. Yet again, I cried.), Where the Wild Things Are (Okay, so, looks like all my movies I saw with Alanna. Funny how that works. Anyways, this too was adorable. I didn't love it, but it was beautiful and incredibly interesting, and I can't wait to have kids so that they can watch it and explain it to me.)

----

I read a lot of books this year, but, really, there weren't TOO many that actually came out in it. Still, there were some standouts.

Continuing the tradition of "this made me cry" we have I Kill Giants. I am convinced that if you read this and don't at least get a little choked up at the end, you have no soul. Powerful stuff.

Runners up: Chuck Klosterman - Eating the Dinosaur (Klosterman returns to form with a nice big collection of essays. It's laid out kinda weird, compared to his others, but you learn how it works after the first one and then you're in. Well, if you like him. Otherwise, you'll probably just hate him more for it.), Bryan Lee O'Malley - Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe (New Scott Pilgrim comes out, it goes on my list. More on this later.), Kiyohiko Azuma - Yotsuba&! (Technically only volumes 6 & 7 were brand new to North America in '09, but 1-5 were reprinted as well, and it was also the year I discovered it. If you know me and know this book, you'll understand why I love it so.)

----

If I didn't watch many new movies in 2009, I played even fewer new games. But, there was one that, once I heard about it, I looked forward to more than any.

Scribblenauts, while ultimately a little disappointing and kindof frustrating, was still the most interesting, new, and innovative thing I've played in a while. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it, and had tons of fun playing it when I did.

Runners up: Dragon Age: Origins (A real, proper RPG from some of the people who do them best. I actually beat it, and went straight back into playing it a second time once I did. That does not happen often.) [I honestly have barely played anything new this year. But, I got Assassin's Creed II and A Boy and His Blob for Christmas, and both are gorgeous and neat and I can't wait to get more of them under my belt, I just can't in good conscience give them a proper mention here.]

----

This past year also happened to be the end of the decade (I swear, it is. Those "It starts at 1 not 0" people can kiss my ass) so I'm gonna go ahead and do a Best of the Decade as well.

----

If you browse through my iTunes library as I did researching this, you'll find that at least half of my entire collection came out in the past 10 years. That made this pretty tough, but I did it.

I am fairly confident calling "OK Computer" the best album of the '90s, and it was pretty much the definition of how Radiohead, the best band of the past 20 years, sounded in that decade. In Rainbows is similar, in that it was the culmination of all their experimentation of the '00s. "Karma Police" off of "OK Computer" was, for a long time, one of the few songs I considered to be perfect. It was my favourite Radiohead song, and probably my favourite song period. "In Rainbows" managed to do the impossible and beat it. There isn't a song in existence that hits me in the way that "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" does, and I don't know why. It's indescribable. I can't put my finger on why it is so perfect and speaks to me so deeply, but it does. It's like falling in love. And for that song alone, "In Rainbows" is my album of the decade.

Runners up: Holy shit did a lot of big, awesome, important stuff in my life come out in the past 10 years. This was nigh impossible to compile. Modest Mouse - "The Moon & Antarctica" (The second I realized that this album came out in 2000, I knew that I was really making a list of 2 runners up, not 3. This album made me fall in love with this band, and if it wasn't for that one Radiohead song, would almost certainly be my #1), Gorillaz - "Gorillaz" (This album is still fantastic. As a whole and as a pure piece of art, there are few things that I am amazed with more than Gorillaz. This album started it all, and thus is one of my bests.), Eels - "Blinking Lights & Other Revelations" (This was the decade where I truly fell in love with Eels. And while my favourite albums of theirs came out in the '90s, "Blinking Lights..." is E's magnum opus, and is astonishing.)

----

Really, there is no question when it comes to movies. There can't be.

Seriously. I mean, yes, I understand it is 3 movies, but fuck you it's The Lord of the Rings. Anyone who DOESN'T call these 3 movies collectively the best bit and most important bit of cinema in the past 10 years is wrong. Hands down. Avatar hasn't got shit on Frodo.

Runners up: This Is England (This is PROBABLY the best single movie I have ever seen. It is not as monumentally amazing and important to me as the Rings trilogy is, and isn't as big an accomplishment in the realm of film, but in terms of power and gravitas, this thing has it in spades. If you haven't seen it yet, come over.), Lost in Translation (Weird older guy feels alone and out of his element and falls for a beautiful, amazing, adorable younger girl who has no reason whatsoever to even give him the time of day? Even before I found my girl this movie spoke to me on too many levels to count.), WALL-E (A masterpiece. Easily. And way, way too cute for me to not instantly be dazzled with love. I will watch this movie for the rest of my life.)

----

Since TV continues each year, and because TV is also pretty much entirely shitty, it was thusly impossible to give a Best of '09 because there's nothing I watched in '09 that started in '09. That said, the decade list was almost the hardest to compile. But, like with movies, there is nothing else I could possibly give this to.

Avatar may be the single best story I have ever seen. I don't think I've ever loved characters as much as I loved these ones, and I have never been more impressed with television as a medium. That they set out to do 3 seasons and only 3 seasons takes huge, huge balls. With a series as fantastic and popular with the demographic as this was, they could have milked it for years and years and years, but instead they went with their artistic dignity, told the story they always wanted to tell, and that was it. Now, with the live-action movie coming out this year, we'll see what happens (talk of a distant prequel or sequel series was bandied about after season 3 ended in '08, but nothing has materialized yet). And as much as I applaud them for not milking this franchise to death, the fanboy in me kinda doesn't care and really really wants them to.

Runners up: The Office (I'm sorry, but the Pam & Jim stuff just hits me right in the heart way, way too much for me to not include this show. I am a total, total sucker for that shit.), The Venture Bros. (Excluding Avatar, there hasn't ever been a show that has inspired me personally and artistically more than The Venture Bros. I wish I was friends with Doc & Jackson.), Gilmore Girls (There are no words.).

----

Now, being that I am a sucker for long, long narratives when it comes to fiction, and really more a fan of authors when it comes to nonfiction, my Books of the Decade list isn't like the others, but you'll have to live with it.

Technically Scott Pilgrim won't wrap up until later this year, but you know what? I don't care. I don't care because there hasn't been a single work of any fiction or nonfiction, book, film, TV, or anything, that I have ever, ever, EVER identified with more than I do with Scott Pilgrim. This is in the running to be Book of My Life, not just Book of the Decade. I will cry when it is over, and bow before BLO'M if and when I ever see him, every time.

Runners up: Everything by Chuck Klosterman (It all came out in the past 10 years, and there are few people on the planet that I'd rather be than him, so he is on this list. Love him or hate him, I can't get enough.) everything by Sarah Vowell (I love my girlfriend to death and have no desire to ever leave her, but if I am ever in the same room with Sarah Vowell, Alanna will just have to live with being only the second-most fawned over and hugged girl in the room. I'm sorry, babe.), Y: The Last Man (When India picked their greatest citizen they, in so many words, said "Look, we know it would be Gandhi, so we're not even going to bother doing this unless we exclude him" and then picked Mother Theresa. When it comes to comic books, Scott Pilgrim is my Gandhi, and Y: The Last Man is probably my Mother Theresa.)

---

Like movies and TV, there just is no contest for video games.

And like movies, anyone who doesn't say that World of Warcraft isn't the most important game of the past 10 years is completely wrong. It is the biggest behemoth the gaming world has ever seen, and will be for as long as they damned well want it to. I think they proved that persistent worlds kindof have to be the future of this hobby, and the only reason they haven't taken off and consumed the entire planet is because nothing can even touch WoW when it comes to that market space. There is without a doubt nothing I have ever played as much as I have played this. Hell, there's probably no other bit of media at all that I have ever spent as much time with as World of Warcraft. And I'm not even that hardcore about it! It's just THAT AWESOME. The fact that I've quit and come back something like 5 times is a sign that you just can't beat the gameplay. Nothing does it better.

Runners up: Compiling a list of best videogames in the decade where they were probably better than they have ever been is impossible, so I'm going to stick to the games that have amazed me the most. Grand Theft Auto IV (The whole series since 3 has, obviously, been a driving force in the world of videogames, but IV even more than the others blew me away. Even with stuff like Assassin's Creed around, I still don't think anything in a game looks as amazing as Liberty City does in GTA IV.), Katamari Damacy (It's really the whole series, and if we're being technical I don't think I've ever actually played the first one - I only ever owned We <3 Katamari - but I can't think of anything else that has completely created a genre like Katamari did. Keita Takahashi is easily one of my favourite living humans.), Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance / Final Fantasy Tactics: A2 (One of the things I prize in gaming more than anything is replay value. My dozen-plus Warcraft characters are a testament to that. And I don't think I've ever gone back and replayed a game as many times as I started up and played through FF:TA. It's not the best or most groundbreaking thing out there, but I loved it more than a lot of things. Still need to replay A2 properly. Hmm...)

---

Anyways, that went on far longer than I assumed it would. My apologies. Anyways, it is now quarter to 3 and I am fucking exhausted, so I'm going to sleep. Happy New Year, people.

OMFG.

evin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:21:46 GMT

Because I am anal retentive and, as a rule, only download whole albums, downloading random awesome Christmas music (mostly from singles or compilation albums that I have no desire whatsoever to own the entirety of) puts me in a predicament. My iTunes library is a little uglier than I'd like it to be, based on how it handles artist/album artist crap, but whatever, it'll only be there for a month. Anyways, my reason for posting is that I felt like showing off the totally awesome filler album art I made so that I could group my random tracks together into an "album", just to impose some level of tidiness upon things. Anyways...

And for those interested, the tracklist is:

1. MC Chris - Evergreen
2. The Flaming Lips - Christmas at the Zoo
3. Lisa Loeb - Jingle Bells
4. The Dandy Warhols - Little Drummer Boy
5. Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
6. The Smashing Pumpkins - Merry Christmas
7. Neko Case - Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
8. Harvey Danger - Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas
9. Weezer - Christmas Song
10. No Doubt - Oi to the World
11. The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)

Those being the tracks that I went out and downloaded that weren't on any particular album. There are actually 11 more songs in my playlist that are either on albums I already had (Jonathan Coulton - Podsage Christmas Song, Jonathan Coulton - Chiron Beta Prime, Eels - Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas, Eels - Christmas is Going to the Dogs, They Might Be Giants - Santa's Beard), or were on a full Christmas album that I actually felt like getting (Christmas With Weezer).

Anyways. Yes. Christmas!

Epilogue.

evin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:40:00 GMT

Well, that's the end of the Solipsistic Ditties. Sorry it took so long to get something done. Now, this in no way means I am stopping comics - far from it. I just let this particular project slip far enough off my schedule and out of my priorities that, to start it up again kindof defeats the purpose of the thing in the first place. But, that said, I think I actually got it to a pretty decent place, and there's enough here for a second book, which I'll be putting together soon. Anyways, I got the idea for this, and I had to do it. I mean, cripes, I couldn't let my last one be about stupid goddamned Michael Jackson. I think this makes for a nice ending.

Now, one of the reasons it took me so long to get this little epilogue done was (other than my plain old laziness) I didn't want to finish this, or really even to start drawing again, until I had a few good, doable ideas banked up. There are two little short stories I plan to do, as well as some stuff I want to have done as prints in time for Stumptown next April, so those are coming. I've had some ideas for another ongoing, but nothing has really come fully formed in that medium yet, though I definitely intend to have another ongoing strip in the future. For the time, especially considering my treacherously long hiatus from drawing in general, I feel okay taking my time between shorter projects now. At the very least, it won't seem much different than the last few months, with the added bonus that I'll have something awesome when I finally do pop up again.

Thanks for sticking around, and I'll see you soon with something cool.

-Evin.

Broadcasting from Seti Alpha Seven

evin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:22:29 GMT

Hello, television audience. How have you been? I have been fine.

After many long weeks I finally have a drawing table again. All the time away has kindof killed my Daily momentum, but I definitely still need to produce things, I just need to reevaluate what that is. I have a short project that has been cooking in my brains for a little while, and I think it will make a fine avenue for my triumphant return. I expect to at least get that started on Monday.

Other than that, things are as they ever were. My girlfriend is awesome and hot and great and I heart her face off every second of every day. I am one super-lucky nerdboy.

I haven't got much to say, really. Which I think is no surprise to anyone who actually read my dailies, because nothing interesting ever happened in them. That trend continues. I guess today was pretty annoying. I woke up to a broken iPod (which I fixed and restored, at least mostly - I still have to put videos back on there and some music that was there I no longer have on my computer) so I was late for work because I wasn't going to let that sit on my mind all day and make me grumpy. Not that that helped much, because I was pretty lethargic and crappy all day anyways. I totally need a few days off to just do absoloutely nothing. There is just too much awesome shit in my life apart from work that it seems silly by comparison. I need to spend a few days at home and just get bored of having fun so that I can go back to work and not feel like a big dumb pile of bored mush. That, or they need to teach me to do something new.

Anyways, that's all for now. Just thought I'd surprise you all with an update. AREN'T YOU GLAD?

It's true. I was.

evin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:20:53 GMT

I Am Very Very Tired
A po- em by me.

My legs no longer ambulate.
I think I might just amputate
them both and then domesticate
myself into a bed.

I tire of this awakening.
It births in me a sickeningly
slow and crawling, lumpy thing,
a cloud inside my head.

It gnaws at me, this fickle pest.
The only cure's to build a nest
and crawl right in and do my best
impression of the dead.

I really can't communicate
just quite how much I truly hate
this torpor; Can't ameliorate
it with some Sudafed.

The only thing that I can do
is find a place, lie down, try to
count sheep, count ducks, count a whole zoo,
for sleep lies right ahead.

Clue that I was really tired when I wrote this: Repeating the rhyme in stanza 1 again in stanza 4 and not noticing until something like two goddamned hours after I had finished it. I considered dropping 4, but I was too proud of working in "ameliorate." I am also not entirely pleased with the last line, but whatever.

State of the Evunion

evin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:39:32 GMT

A little Evin update for all you poor, information-starved people:

I moved in with Dan and Eric on Monday. The place is finally starting to take shape. Well, at least MY room is. The living room and kitchen both still need a hardcore clean, but I'll wait until Dan gets back from Banff to do that. All that's really left to do is get my dresser over here, and once that is sussed out I can figure out if I can, and where I would put if it is possible, bring over my drawing table.

I'm certainly starting to have the time now that things are settling down to get back to the dailies (I have been keeping a text file going with prompts and ideas and stuff for all the ones I need to catch up on), but for the time being I don't have my art stuff, nor do I have a surface to do them on. But, Alanna's days off get all wonky so she won't be able to monopolize me on the weekend for a little while, so hopefully Tuesday (I work Monday to help offset my trip to Calgary for Evelyn's wedding) I'll be able to figure some of this junk out. Provided Dan is home by then. I think he will be, I can't remember.

Anyways, that's about it.

I'm not fuckin' around

evin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:12:33 GMT

Moved! Well, pretty much. There are still things to set up, as well as a bunch of odds and ends to bring over (like my art stuff. I'm far enough behind now that it doesn't really bug me to get farther - I will catch up, though), but yeah. Hooray, I guess? I guess because it's still all my stuff, y'know, it doesn't feel too weird. Anyways. I am sleepy and should go to bed now. Bye bye.

Movin' right along, footloose and fancy free.

evin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:23:28 GMT

Updated: Friday morning

Things packed:
- TV
- Xbox
- 5.1
- Wii
- Books
- DVDs
- Games
- Art
- Drawing stuff
- Rock Band
- Miscellany

Things to pack:
- Computer (incl. printer, scanner)
- Clothes
- Guitar & amp
- I'm sure there's a bunch of junk my mom will insist can't stay here
- I guess I am probably taking the air purifier

Furniture to move:
- Bed
- Desk chair
- Tall bookshelf
- Medium bookshelf
- Desk
- Table
- TV stand
- Couch?
- Recliner?
- Some sort of dresser, probably the one I will steal from Blakely
- I guess the lamps and the big fan kindof count

...and then one hell of a tidy

evin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:59:46 GMT

I rpomise you people, I will draw again. I haven't forgotten, I'm not giving up. Things have just been a little intense, both good and occasionally.... not bad per se (well, maybe a little) but definitely worrisome. But, in the words of Richard Hammond, "I shall solve that with some bravery."

Things are good. They will continue to be good. No, damnit, they are great. I just need to shut my big dumb goofball mouth sometimes and have fun.

Don't don't don't let's start

evin — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:04:03 GMT

So, I would love to draw tonight, kids, but I am totally exhausted. Thankfully I know exactly what I am drawing for yesterday as well as today, so once I actually sit down to do them it should at least be easier than having to think things up on the spot. I'll get caught up again. Perhaps not until Tuesday night, though. Actually maybe tomorrow night. I dunno. We'll see. Having a girlfriend means that you actually have plans for shit on the weekend, which definitely cuts down on my "mindlessly poking at paper with a penh for a few hours" time, but I am sure as fuck not complaining.

Anyways, til then, adieu.

The kid is not my son

evin — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:18:38 GMT

Granted, he died on the 25th, but the 26th was basically World Michael Jackson Died So Let's Talk About Him Day.

Wherein our hero acts like a moron

evin — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:28:02 GMT

After that effort to get caught up, I think I am going to get a day behind again because I am really not in the mood to do anything but maybe watch Peep and then fall asleep and try to feel like less of a giant asshole.

Harumph. I know things are and will be fine, but I can't help but hate rocking the boat even a little. Boldness is not my style. As impressive as it sometimes might be, it still makes me feel like a total shithead when I screw it up.

Anyways. That means nothing to pretty much all of you and has already been said to the one to whom it does mean something so I don't even know why I'm bothering to write it, but whatever. I do stupid things like that.

The Girl is Mine

evin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:50:36 GMT

Hey look at that. On time. Technically. Sortof. Totally boring to everyone but me and Alanna, but whatrever. Deal with it. Rock n' roll.

You came from above

evin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:24:55 GMT

This is a big one, so it's

Yeah that is a total cop out, but it probably wasn't going to get done anyways, and now I am on time. I'd rather do one big one than one small one and skip 4 small ones.

Anyways, I think this one is totally cute and I <3 it so fuck you if you don't. Nyah. :P

Everything is beautiful when you're young and pretty

evin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:36:35 GMT

So pretty amazing past few days. I am really behind on comics right now and I am sorry. I will make it up to you people tomorrow in a vaguely cop-out-ish manner, but it will get me back in schedule and things will be fine. I'd start tonight, but I need some reference, and would much prefer to just savour things for the moment.

Talk to you all then.

evin — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:43:52 GMT

We met in the springtime at a rock-and-roll show
It was on the Bowery when it was time to go
We kissed on the subway in the middle of the night
I held your hand, you held mine, it was the best night of my life

'Cause everyone's your friend in New York City
And everything looks beautiful when you're young and pretty
The streets are paved with diamonds and there's just so much to see
But the best thing about New York City is you and me

It seems destiny ends with me saving you

evin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:19:23 GMT

Very sleepy. Need to sleep. Watching Top Gear instead because I am a dork and a boy. First stage of moving tomorrow.

Lined up like lemmings you led to the water

evin — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 06:52:02 GMT

MY DARING ESCAPE SHALL BE A STORY FOR THE AGES. NEWS AT 11.

Lilac Breeze

evin — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 08:27:24 GMT

It was also brought to my attention yesterday that you can buy the Dr. Horrible DVD in real stores now as opposed to just Amazon, so I totally picked that up on my break and am so jazzed.

Just call me Jack

evin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:28:18 GMT

I am so bad at drawing people who are not me. Sorry, sweetness. I hope you can forgive me.

<3

Crimson and clover, over and over.

evin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:48:25 GMT

Thanks to the miraculous invention of the telephone, I am not getting to start work on the next comic until pretty much now (though I did get my layout done earlier), but I do know what I am doing for it, and I have certainly been two days behind before, and as much as I do not like dipping into that territory again, the fact that I kindof feel a headache coming on means it is time to go to bed.