Anthony Rodriguez's Posts

I'm Back

Posted by Anthony Rodriguez on October 8, 2008 at 12:09pm

It's been awhile since i've been on my CCAS page. I promised myself i wouldn't let it slip but between College and trying to write and draw and occasionally playing video games on the week ends and dealing with kids and house work, its crazy. Most of my time is taken up by my school work. I've even stopped cleaning house, which hasn't worked out as well as i had hoped. Ew. I'm just posting to see whats up and to assure all my peeps that i'm not dead yet. LOL Right now i'm trying to write a comic book sequel to the Lovecraft-based survival horror game Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. I'll check back in occasionally. Much Love.

I AM LEGEND

Posted by Anthony Rodriguez on March 26, 2008 at 10:37am

During Sping Break i had an opportunity to watch the DVD I AM LEGEND with Will Smith. I reall didn't have any expectations for it, good or bad. I'd always intended to read the book or at least watch the Vincent price movie THE LAST MAN ON EARTH which is based on the same novel, but i've never had the opportunity. So my ignorance kept me from developing any sort of opinion, for the most part. I don't Will Smith has made a movie i don't like. I still watch Fresh Prince occasionally. Before i watched the movie i had to check out the animated comics in the special features. These Comics are incredible. I made a regular habit of watching them before each viewing of the movie, just to set the mood. I love the kinetic style of the art and the stories really set you up for the movie without giving too much away. One of them has voice acting that was really well done. This isn't the first time i've seen comics animated. Animated comics are a happy medium between regular comics which, to date lack the ability to dazzle the eye with actual movement, and cartoons/movies which lack the ability to internalize the character. I'm seeing more and more of these animated comics and this is the second DVD i've seen with such comics on it, so hopefully this new thing will catch on.As for the movie itself, Will Smith does an excellent job of portraying a man slowly succumbing to the effects of extreme isolation while bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. This story manages to engagel and entertain through multiple viewings despite almost no supporting cast and scant action sequences. This one is heavy on the drama and suspense. It reminds a little of the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, or perhaps WAR OF THE WORLDS in the sense that the whole point is survial and the action is downplayed. Neville Sinclair isn't going to save the day with bombs and machine guns. Its literally him versus the world.Something worth noting is the Biblical imagery towards the end of the movie. His pleading to the Darkseekers that he can fix this, to let him Help them, Let him save them, is very Christ-like and creates a very vivid picture of how Jesus probrably thinks and feels as he looks upon an uncaring and unloving mankind. The cure for the Darkseekers conditions lies within the blood extracted from the test subject, who in turn was cured from Nevilles' own genetic immunity. The cure was in the blood. This further parallells Neville with Jesus Christ, depicting spiritual truths using a scenerio we can understand. Then theres his little spill about God's plan:"All right, let me tell you about your "God's plan". Six billion people on Earth when the infection hit. KV had a ninety-percent kill rate, that's five point four billion people dead. Crashed and bled out. Dead. Less than one-percent immunity. That left twelve million healthy people, like you, me, and Ethan. The other five hundred and eighty-eight million turned into your dark seekers, and then they got hungry and they killed and fed on everybody. Everybody! Every *single* person that you or I has ever known is dead! Dead!"People i've discussed this with believe this is a pretty accurate description of the Saved, The Lost, and the backslidden. Those lukewarm the the lord will spew out of his mouth. I realize that these allusions are, more than likely, purely coincidental, and not at all intentional, but thats what i see when i see this movie. And there are those who would argue that that is the whole point.

How to Blog

Posted by Anthony Rodriguez on February 25, 2008 at 10:24am

How to Blog.What makes a Great Blog exactly? Are the most intersting Blogs made by the loud and opinionated? Are they made by the very wise, the ones who make you stop and think and ponder the truth of their words? Are they the ones in which the blogger is asking questions, seeking out some kind of forum to discuss his uncertainties and ideas? Who knows? Maybe its a balance of all three?I'm still not used to the idea of Blogging. I had several up on MySpace, but later deleted them because of how they looked in retrospect. It wasn't that long ago that men and women wrote down their hopes and dreams, fears and insecurities in journals and diary's and hid them away from prying eyes. Now they post them for all the world to see. Such sudden contrast is rare indeed. Maybe its the unfamiliarity of these multitudes that eases any discomfort? Add in the fact that Blogging on the internet would allow for communication with the fellowship for any number of people who no doubt agree with everything you say, and is it any wonder? Maybe thats what its all about? People connecting with people just like themselves. Maybe blogging is the cure for lonliness? But then again, I always did have a tendancy to over-analyze everything. :)

The One Year Comic

Posted by Anthony Rodriguez on January 14, 2008 at 12:48pm

Okay, I decided around mid-December to do something wierd, something that, as far as i know, has never been done before. Every day, for a whole year, i'm going to write one page for an original comic book. I would call it The One Year Comic Book and it would essentially be my thoughts on paper. There was really no plan in the traditional sense, just to write something everyday. And on the days that i miss i can create a separate *filler* comic to put in to those days or pages or whatever. It will be about a man much like myself who is the target of a cyborg known as "The Procrastinator" who comes from a future ruled by highly advanced computerized Arm chairs that recline, vibrate, and even have those little refridgerators built into the side. Their only purpose is to be sat in.If nobodies sitting in them they have no purpose. So they sent an agent back in time to assassinate a schlub who somehow, someway, writes a story that inspires people to get off their duff and make the most of life. The main comic though, i actually have no idea what its about. So far it seems to be a story about several individuals forced to play the hero in a quest to recover a myserious puzzle piece that may or may-not be an actual, tangible piece of God's plan. I don't really know whats gonna happen next, and i've already missed several days. I just hope the filler comic doesn't end up being longer than The One Year Comic Book.

Moving and Materialism

Posted by Anthony Rodriguez on November 2, 2007 at 5:49am

I hate moving. I used to love it. As a kid we would move every 5-7 years and it was a very exciting time. The new house would mysterious and, well, NEW. I can only remember 3 houses we lived in the entire time i was growing up. Unfortunately that is not the case of my adult life. Due to financial instability we end up moving once or twice a year. I just finished moving (sort of) after living in a house for less than two months.:0 Something that used to be fresh and exciting is now mundane and tedious and inconvenient, to say the least. The other day i was sitting in Math class and realized that i wish i didn't have all the crap that we do. It was in that very moment that i had an epiphany. Y'see, I tend to be a little materialistic sometimes. I love collecting things. Toys, games, Comics, movies, etc, etc, etc. In a more stable time i had my own room to set up my drafting table and all my collectibles and old toys and stuff, it was really cool. Now all i do is lug all these boxes from one storage place to the next. But i remember feeling really mad and/or sad whenever some new whirly-bob came out and i got to thinking about "want" and what it says about it in the Bible. I remember wondering "how in the world can someone stop wanting stuff? Is it even possible?" Maybe thats what God has been doing this whole time. I picture myself as Christian from "The Pilgrims Progress" lugging that huge backpack around everywhere i go. Maybe this is Gods cure for materialism. "How bad do you want this? Are you willing to lug it around wherever you go?"

PALADIN:The Guide to Christian Comics and Games

Posted by Anthony Rodriguez on October 17, 2007 at 5:03pm

So i was on youtube watching anime music videos (y'know i love them dang-o anime music videos) when off to the side i saw a link to a video explaining how to make a zine, which for those not in the know, is a little one-sheet book with eight pages. Wow, i've heard of these but i never expected them to be so easy to make. Perfect for anybody that want to put out any kind of literature or anything about their favorite hobbies and what-not. And i've always wanted to see the christian equivalent of WIZARD magazine. Now i can just make my own. How cool is that? Sure its smaller than a CHICK tract and only 8 pages, but hey, everyone has to start somewhere, right. I'm really liking this new age of people making their own comics and movies and whatever. To actually, in some small way, be a part of whatever industry your interested in. So i'm gonna give this Zine thing a try.

Me and my Blog.

Posted by Anthony Rodriguez on October 11, 2007 at 9:50am

"I dreamed instead of did. I hoped and i wished instead of tried."

Max phillips, also know as "Pops" said that in an episode of The Twilight Zone entitled "Vietnam", i believe. Which reminds me, i should probrably put Rod Serling on my list of favorites. That man was a genius and if he wasn't saved i will be very surprised. Anyway, This episode and this particular line has great sentimental value to me. I'm a procrastinator. I've been a procrastinator all my life. Always wanting more, never doing what it took to get it. It wasn't until late one night, during the last hours of an all day Twilight zone marathon, with my wife asleep on the sofa and the kids asleep on the floor around me, that i heard the single line that would stay with me for the rest of my life. I nearly dropped my can of grape soda right on my sons head.lol Max Phillips has just found out about his sons death and looks into the sky filled with regret and weeps over his wasted life. That was all it took to scare me straight. The prospect of me looking back and weeping over my wasted life did not appeal to me. I guess i just needed to see it from the outside. I guess the best thing i can do is something, anything.

I would no longer wait for the circumstances to be right. I would no longer wait for a convention to come by so i could get my portfolio critiqued. I would no longer wait until i could afford the "right" equipment and tools. I would not wait for someone else to hire me. I wanted to make a comic book, and i will make it. Jack Chick wrote and drew his first CHICK Tract on his kitchen table. Joe Casey wrote Marvel Comics in his living room on a tv dinner stand. I have all i need; A pencil, Some paper, and God.

Me and my Blog.

Posted by Anthony Rodriguez on October 5, 2007 at 7:40am

Hmph. Thats not a bad title. I should use that for like a video blog show or something. "Me and My Blog", catchy like "Attack of the Show". Anyway, i finally got another one of these social networking sites up and running. I like doing these. It like 15 minutes of fame for people like me. I just don't what pics i'm gonna put where. I don't want them all to be the same, that makes them all redundant. Hmmmm.......well, thats something to think about. :)