They ARE Zombies, After a Fashion
After reading Gary's Facebook status last week, I was inspired to draw this three page preview of a fake comic book.
Allie's 25 Month Birthday
And since I was so late with the last two 2-year birthday blogs, here we are, on August 29th. Allie is now 25 months and 1 week old! July and August have just flown by! Ramadhan Mubarak to everyone! Courtney had been in town for a conference and so spent the weekend with us (yayyyyyy!!!).
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The one with more birthday cakes
Finally, on August 1, we had what is becoming our annual backyard cookout and Allie birthday bash right here at home. We timed it so like last year, Vin's baseball team played at the local high school so they were able to come and eat and hang out for a while. Our wonderful neighbors and some friends also came to liven up the party. Unfortunately, Yaya's Auntie Jo had to go back home to Leeds. But we had a wonderful time with Auntie Jo and miss her terribly!
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The one with the two-day party (and more cake)
I know - it's been over a month and I still haven't finished Allie's 2-year birthday blogs. She's already 25 months old and I'm late posting that blog entry too! At any rate, here is the next installation of the birthday celebrations. This one takes us to Indiana where Vin's cousin Becky had what was basically a two-day party for both Allie and Vin, and to celebrate Jo being here, as well. We drove to Indiana the day after Allie's birthday (Friday July 23rd). This is pretty much what Allie did with her cousins for the next two days:
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Gamera Tears Up The Living Room
... or at the very least, it wishes it could.
As previously mentioned Irfan seems to have taken a shine to Gamera, the giant monster turtle with awesome powers!
I was looking at papercraft material online when I came across a Gamera papercraft, which was only a two-page downloadable pdf. Irfan and I spent the part of the afternoon cutting, folding and gluing the pieces together. Finally this was what we ended up with:
Cody vs. Cody
In the early 1950s, Republic Pictures produced a black and white film serial featuring the character named Commando Cody. Cody was featured in two serials, namely Radar Men from the Moon and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe. His costume included a helmet and a rocket pack, which allows him to fly.
During this time, a young man watched these serials at the cinema. More than fifty years later, as part of a movie serial he himself created, that man developed a supporting character named Commander Cody who wears a helmet and sometimes a rocket pack, obviously inspired by and a homage to the former character.
Here's what happens when the heavens open up and they meet.
Dare Sensei - The Fourth Sensei
Dare Sensei is a webcomic illustrated in manga form, which is an unofficial adaptation of BBC's Doctor Who, where all the doctors are female.
I've been commissioned by the writer of Dare Sensei to create any incarnation of the Senseis, and I've opted to illustrate the fourth, which is easily identified in the following image by her long coat, scarf and a sonic screwdriver.
However, Irfan insists that this is River Song.
Breaking of Fast With Atok and Opah
Most of our breaking of fast at sundown during Ramadhan - known as iftar - were done at home at the dinner table. But once in a while we do go out to dinner, but only after Maghrib. Last weekend, Irfan's grandparents were also in town a-visiting, so Sunday night we decided to eat out.
We tried out Pak Ya's place at Taman Cempaka, which is to the north of and right next to Pandan Indah. When the food arrived, we came to two conclusions. One, we have to take photos of our orders. Two, we will have to take Ayah Cik, Cik Dik and Yaya to dinner here when they next visit.
Breaking of Fast, Ramadhan 1431
Ramadhan mubarak to everyone!
Another year, another fasting month. Ain spent an hour preparing this meal for our first breaking of fast this year.
We broke fast with dates, before digging in, dining on rice, with some chicken and fish, and spinach. No fruits, no kuih-muih.
We are grateful for the delicious stuff bestowed onto our dinner table!
Allie's 24 Month (aka Second) Birthday
It happened! Allie's big day arrived - she turned 2 (years!!) on July 22nd! We were home from Maryland by then. Here she is, the birthday girl!
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The one with the surprise birthday cake
We had a crazy busy month of July! I know it is way into August now, and I haven't even done any entries on Allie's big day. That's because we have been running around like crazy people! First we had an active 4th of July weekend in La Porte (Vin's hometown) and then to Becky's at Elkhart. And then off to New Jersey for work for a week. Then back home, and Vin's sister Jo came to visit!
Yaya got to meet her Auntie Jo for the first time! It was the funnest time! So we hung out at home for a few days before driving everyone out to the Baltimore area for a family gathering. Unbeknownst to us, Vin's Aunt Joan and his cousins had organized a surprise early birthday party for Allie. So on Sunday July 18th, we went to cousin Kathy's place for a cookout and had an awesome time hanging out. Plus, there was cake and presents for Allie!
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Julia
In the previous entry, we had Spider-Woman. In this entry, we have...another Spider-Woman.
Julia Carpenter was the second individual to take the Spider-Woman name. However she is currently known as Arachne of Canada's superpowered team Omega Flight.
Click here for a larger view of the image.
Jessica
Here is Jessica Drew, Spider Woman, a New Avenger, an agent of SHIELD, a former agent of HYDRA, a former private investigator.
And no, he's not related to Peter Parker at all.
Click here for a larger image.
Jennifer
Oh, look. It's Bruce's cousin Jennifer Walters. The gamma-irradiated Avenger, Agent of SHIELD and a practicing attorney-at-law.
She'll punch you as dead as a wayward Skrull at the end of Secret Invasion.
Saviours of the Light
Back in 2002, I was commissioned by Ian Houlihan to come up with five character illustrations for a Star Wars roleplaying game d20 one-shot scenario called Savours of the Light: The Soul Child. The scenario, set during the Dark Times, was to be run at The BIG Weekend. BIG was an acronym for Brisbane Indoor Games, which was obviously held indoors in the city of Brisbane, Australia.
The characters were members of a music band who had to protect a Jedi padawan. The padawan had an infant in her care, who was strong in the Force. Not an easy task, for Imperial Inquisitors naturally are also hunting for the baby.
I've found the five player characters I drew in a directory somewhere, but it appears the original files are lost forever. Here are the artwork I drew:
Shari-Dae Elore, the Jedi Padawan, with the infant Tristan Forseti given to her care by her deceased master Vesik Len.
Unor Lak, the Rodian keyboard player of The Troubled Souls.
Female Nagai
It's been a while since I did a Star Wars Artists' Guild request. Here's an unnamed Nagai female as requested by Matt on the boards for one of his two campaigns.
Maybe she's Xepheer Xeneeth's girlfriend or something.
A bigger version can be found on DeviantArt.
Kara and Stephanie
A pair of watercolour splatters:
This one is originally from Kandor, now living in Metropolis.
This one used to be Robin, then Spoiler; currently living in Gotham City.