From under my rock I can see quite a bit is going on.

Between comics-to-film news and revamps of iconic characters to sexy political intrigue perfect for a good story exercise; if you wanted “interesting” you’ve got it in spades.

The Russian spy scandal

First of all, yeah, she is not bad on the eyes even if she’s an alleged dirty, filthy, spy. Admittedly, I’ve been avoiding TV especially mainstream media for the last month or so, so I’m not well versed on the up-to-the-minute details of this story. On the surface however it has that classic sleeper agent spy story begging for a new post-cold war twist. It’s almost perfect timing  as Angelina Jolie’s flick Salt gears up with a somewhat similar plot-line. I’d be rather impressed if it was somehow a large guerrilla / viral-marketing  scheme (yeah, I know it’s not).

The BP oil spill debacle / environmental FUBAR

I don’t care who’s at fault, the damage is monumental and is on-going. This oil spill is disheartening! It’s killing already strained local economies as well as absolutely wrecking the ecosystem of the gulf. It’s so bad my kids (when I have them – go go gadget 2012 baby announcement / end of the world) will probably be in their 20′s before it can be said that the the impact on the environment has let up from this spill. Heads need to roll and the way we look at our energy sources needs a drastic overhaul. It’s wishful thinking at this point but from time to time I sing the praises of companies like Tesla Motors for trying to push alternative powered automobiles that don’t look weak as all get out. There needs to be more of these innovative companies pushing the status quo to the side in the name of true progress.  Maybe my kids will see that day.

Jim Lee, come on dude…

This one deserves a full article. Jim Lee was who I had patterned my drawing style from, I collected issues of X-Men & WildC.A.T.s and anything I could get my hands on studying the style. Now, after the Captain America thing (you let that HACK Rob Liefeld touch Caps?!) and this story, maybe the time away was for the best. While I’m quite comfortable with the idea of rebooting an iconic character like Wonder Woman (I was attached to the TV show not the actual comic), I can see the fuss that it’s making, and maybe they should have thought the revamped look through a little more. I’ll speak to that in that blog post for sure. Maybe even make one about imagery when it comes to established characters. Oh, the ideas these sorts of things spark…

DC Comic’s move into web / mobile distribution

I spoke of this a couple of years ago, the little guys are pioneering it and the big guys are going to catch on soon enough. With the emergence of apps centric mobile devices, and CDNs (Content Distribution Network) media is moving to a point of merging into a singular entity where your entertainment, communication and information channels are driven by the cloud and your stored preferences follow you everywhere. Devices like the iPAD while ridiculously named are just the transitional bits of technology necessary to get us to that future.

Yeah, yeah. I know.

It’s been a while again and here I am with another cluster of posts. I’ll do a little song and dance and then *poof* gone again until the next big thing draws me out of hiding. Maybe. Maybe not.

What’s new?

I’ve made an assessment of what this blog contains and what I’d like to see it contain. In an effort to balance out the content from my associated social networking profiles I will bring a bit of everything to the table. Because of this, the site will receive a makeover and the categories will get some much needed tweaking to make it easier to locate the content I’ll be posting.

What will I post?

I’m gathering resources that cover my interests, movies, comics, music, art, fashion etc. and I’ll be posting the content I find interesting from those resources. In addition to this you will get original content from myself and perhaps a guest writer or two. I can’t promise regular updates just yet but there will be more now that I have more tools in my arsenal to play with. (WordPress for BlackBerry FTW!)

There will be more:

• Movie reviews
• Links & articles about tools & resources
• Tutorials & Walk-Throughs

Plus+

• A new section containing articles and links to art, design & fashion related content.

A lot of it you can find in my tweets on a daily basis.

I’m also introducing the facebook page for inkwest which will play part in the community element of the site.  I live on facebook so that page won’t be as neglected as you’re probably imagining.

Article submissions

Right now I know it’s difficult for you to pin down just what kind of content is going up here, a good bet though is that if it has to do with comics it’ll be heavily considered. This is especially true for those of you looking to spread the word about your independent publications. If you have a comic you’d like me to review, send it if you can or point to where I can get a hold of it. I’ll do my best to get something out there for you.

More stuff is on the way, until it gets here keep yours eyes open & your head on a swivel.

Yeah, I know.

I should be ashamed of myself for not posting anything in months. As you may know I had originally set out to chronicle my effort to get into comics whether it was with the big boys or self-publishing. That’s still the plan but I’ve also had other aspirations that are vying for my attention such as a clothing line, Wear Wolf Apparel and a day gig as a designer. The economy being the way it is, makes it more difficult to focus on personal projects but I have done what I could where I could sacrificing things along the way.

So what have I learned?

The subject manner of this blog could use an adjustment to increase the likelihood of me making a post at least once a month. I believe moving it into a wider variety of pop culture & creativity could do the trick. I’m almost positive my take on movies and television will get a response or two. I may even chime in on music even though my taste in music sucks. I’ll also make an effort to keep you informed of all of my ventures and not just in the realm of comic books. What I’ll do to set myself apart is this, whenever possible, I will share my ideas & feelings as well as related articles about how we can be doing the things we love for ourselves rather than allowing the big studios to have all the fun and make all the profit. If it sounds cool, stay on board, I thank you in advance.

Speaking of comics…

A while ago I posted a form on this site, asking for people to join me on my comic project. Like the rest f the blog it had been set aside and nearly forgotten. A couple of weeks ago I was contacted via the contact form and was introduced to an artist, Gilbert Murillo and a writer Nicholas Titus, whom both are being patient with me as I try my best to alter my output to get them the materials they need. They deserve a shout out and more.

Did I mention you should be buying my stuff?

Well, you should. It’s not very often you’ll have the opportunity to meet a up and coming clothing designer. It’s also not very often that you can be the first to have a new brand before everyone else. So if you’re that type that needs it before everyone else, I have an item for sale, come make an order. If you are on Facebook, look me up and also join the Wear Wolf Apparel fanpage!

This blog is still ugly.

I think I have a solution, so if you happen to visit and notice the site is acting weird, that’s probably me trying to install a new look. We’ll get it right, you’ll see.

The silent treatment.

Yes, the blog posts have come few & far between. Life is what happens in the time it takes to register what’s gone before your eyes and blink before asking “what just happened here?” The day job demanded my full attention and I obeyed out of fear that I’d be hungry, naked & in the dark. I’m going to have to remedy the dry spells though, as I feel there is so much more that could be happening with this blog.

Guest Bloggers?

The man idea I’ve been tossing around is searching for other artists and writers & multi-faceted creators to share opinions, observations & tips with us to help with the creative journey. I’m going to work twitter like a Tijuana hooker old rented mule well oiled machine to see if I can find a few brave suckers volunteers to help with the cause.

Speaking of life…

I wear a lot of hats. [Yes, I know I have a big head.] Not only am I doing graphic design by day but in my spare time I’m either practicing my writing or designing for my tee shirt line. Admittedly I’m also feeding my twitter addiction in hopes of attracting more folks to join in on the madness.  What I’d like to do is develop an active list of people who view this blog & use twitter so that we can develop a network associated with the subject matter of the blog as well as our other interests.

Which, in my case I’m looking for an artist or two wanting in on the t-shirt biz. I want to incorporate my designs with comic related art for something different.

This blog still sucks.

Information wise I guess it’s ok, but looks wise I’m still not happy. One of these days I’ll build it myself or at least have somebody I trust have a go. Untile then, yes, I know it sucks.

I need pictures.

What will also help it not suck is a bit of eye candy, I rarely have time to do any art work, so I’m asking my fellow creators out there to lend a hand. If you have some original work that can spruce up the looks of things around here and youw ant a little exposure, let’s make a deal, bktribals [at] inkwest.net.

First of all major apologies for the lack of updating in the past couple of weeks.

2009

With the beginning of the New Year, we have been busy trying to organize ourselves to focus upon bringing the best content available to fit your possible needs as a comic creator / enthusiast.  After some analysis [read: somebody brought it up and I looked and said, "oh you're right"], it’s been determined the site is rather bare when it comes to visuals.

In an effort to remedy that, the call is being put out for artists to share some of their work.

We would like to enhance the blog’s layout and make it as much of a home to artists as it is writers. To do that, we’ll need your help. This will also include volunteer opportunities with our in-house projects, perfect for those willing to put in time / elbow grease for rewards & recognition down the road.

So, What is INKWEST?

INKWEST is an acronym for Inspiration, Necessity, Knowledge, Wisdom, Effort, Strength, Talent – the ingredients necessary to get anything you’d like accomplished. It’s the name that was developed to represent the small  publishing imprint I had in mind a few years ago. That’s still the plan as I have begun the process of putting together my first graphic novel and I have decided to not only chronicle my journey but provide a resource to any and all interested in doing similar.

More readers & content by you.

We want to have the right content, we also want you to feel like this is your true resource to get a comic done. If you have some gems to share don’t sit on them! Write us up an article,  tell us what information you’ve learned or things to consider; if we like it, it’ll get posted, if you do enough of them and help us build a steady readership, you can become a regular.

While I’m on the subject, it’s quiet around here and I’d like to change that, if you’re lurking, don’t be afraid to speak up and of course, invite a few like minded friends along as well. Ask questions, that will help with bringing you the answers you want & need!

Feed back

Like what you see? Don’t like it? Tell us and if you have suggestions on how we can improve INKWEST, share!

If you [or anyone you know] are interested, drop us a line,  info [at] inkwest.net or leave a comment.