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Warren Shea

Archive for January, 2011

Feather – Review

Sunday, January 30th, 2011 at 1:01 am

I was looking at steveuy.com, the writer and artist for one of my favorite short story comics/graphic novels. There’s a side-story sequel of Feather, called Feather Rex, that I have never read. Unfortunately, this guy’s store doesn’t deliver to Canada :'( I may have to get these via other means (eBay? Amazon?).

Anyways, as I was browsing around his site, I noticed that his entire Feather series is on the internet, in .jpg form. I don’t believe I ever noticed that before, weird. It’s under http://www.steveuy.com/feather/previewissues.html. Anyways, I thought that was pretty awesome, that these “preview pages” had pretty much the whole story, in image form. Unfortunately, you’d have to click on each image individually…it seemed like the readability/user-interface could have been improved. So what I did was broke out Emacs Dreamweaver and wrote, in PHP, a script to output all the images from the website via some loops and echos into a single page. I perfected the script, ran it once in Internet Explorer, went to the IE cache and voilà. All the image on my computer. Broke out RENAME.exe, a rename program I found over the internet that I’ve been consistently using for years, renamed all the files quickly and then built: http://warrenshea.com/images/feather/.

. . . . . . . : : : : : : : : Now, you can read the whole story here : : : : : : : : . . . . . . .
Issue 1 | Issue 2 | Issue 3 | Issue 4 | Issue 5

Awesome, no? And best of all, all these images were already on the internet, no scanning or hacking at all. Just some creativity :)

Review

Storyline – 10/10
I’ve read this series of comics more than any other short story of comics I’ve ever had. During my first read, I was blown with how…light-hearted turned dramatic this story is. While I don’t re-read the story often, each time I pick it up, I notice more to the story, themes, foreshadowing, flashbacks, symbolism…but what I find is that ever time I read it, I get more emotional. I never get emotional during a first viewing (of almost anything). I think my brain works hard just to make sure I understand everything (I’m not very bright…). Repetition and solid understanding begin to open up my emotional ranges as I start to focus more on character than plot. But imo, Feather has got it all. A great premise, hints of a long history and backstory, it’s simple yet…unexpected. Reasonable yet unpredictable. I mean, you could read it once and get it. But if you read it over and over, I think you start to feel it more. At least, that’s how I feel when I re-read it.

I also love that it’s a complete story. There’s a beginning, middle and end. But there aren’t really questions…it’s all wrapped up into a nice little package. That does make me wonder how Feather Rex is…

Art – 10/10
What caused me to get this book was the art. But not the art of the cover of Feather. It was this guy’s Iceman covers that first caused me to purchase Eden’s Trail, which I also thought was spectacular. It’s definitely not your typical comic. While the detail in the line art is less than a comic, less than even a manga, more like an anime, the coloring is spectacular. Spectacular that even in 2004, 7 years ago, it’s some of the best coloring I’ve ever seen. That each page has different hues, and that they can change from dark blue to bright yellow/red in moments. It’s really something. This thing is less a comic book than a movie (wow, now there would be an awesome idea…). My only complaint, which I’ve come to accept, is that the characters have no nose. That bothered the heck out of me at the start but after so many reads, it’s no longer noticeable.

Character – 10/10
If I could give a rating higher than 10, I would. While the plot is great, this really is a character driven story. It’s all about the characters, the choices they make and the paths they choose. Realistic and understandable…it’s incredible at how a relationship between two friends can be so…..dramatic.

warrenshea.com rates – Feather – 10/10!

So what’re you waiting for?

Issue 1 | Issue 2 | Issue 3 | Issue 4 | Issue 5

….I know why I haven’t been blogging…

Thursday, January 27th, 2011 at 5:55 pm

And also why I’ve been dragging my feet lately when I walk.
And also why I’m tired and miserable every morning.
And also why I’m so tired when I get home.

I thought it was Seasonal Depression.
I thought it was that my work hours changed from 9am to 5pm VS 10-10:30am to 6-6:30pm.
I thought it was the thing nagging in the back of my head the last few weeks (it actually may have been that…but I don’t think so).

The reason is that ever since New Years, I haven’t been walking to and from work

How does that affect one thing affect all those other things?

To answer why I haven’t been blogging:
My walk to and from work is the best way for me to be alone with my thoughts, away from a computer and it’s distractions. It’s the best way to think. Today was slightly warmer than usual so I decided to walk to work. Well, it was also to clear my head a bit. This is also the reason I decided to walk back, why I discovered why these 4 things have been affecting me, and why I’m writing this blog post, immediately as I got home.

It’s all about getting away from in all and just thinking. If I don’t walk to/from work, I’m never alone long enough to think

To answer why I’ve been dragging my feet lately when I walk:
I don’t drag my feet when I walk on pavement, I ruin my shoes and it’s more difficult than not dragging my feet. My lazy habits from taking the subway have begun to affect me elsewhere. Everything has been lazy lately.

To answer why I’m tired and miserable every morning:
My walk is my wake up. When I start my brain, when I enjoy nature, the weather, the sites, the people. It’s also my wake up going home.
When I take the subway, it’s a shorter ride, my mind is on mute…

To answer why I’m so tired when I get home:
Same thing as above.

At least I’ve figured it out. Walk is the key.
Walk is key to functioning properly at work. Walk is key to a sharper mind.

I accomplished so much just by walking home :) I need to stop being lazy and afraid of the cold and stuff…and get back to the routine I had the rest of the last year. My productive year.

/off to do something productive :)

DC Universe Online – Review…sorta. More like random ramblings.

Thursday, January 27th, 2011 at 1:07 am

These are the characters that I have created via the new DCUOnline MMO. I got the game last Thursday and played it heavily in the 5 days after I received it. I played it a bit yesterday (not as much as the other days) but not at all today.

I was busy today doing work and writing and thinking…I still have to figure out this YouTube API by end of week for something work related. I’m doing it in my own time, at night, cuz there simply aren’t enough hours in the day lately. Also, I may possibly be suffering from SAD: Seasonal affective disorder (also known as winter depression or winter blues). I just love that winter depression is called SAD. That’s like a librarian named Bookman or an Ice Cream Vendor named Cone (both of those were Seinfeld references).

Oops. Got distracted.

These are the characters I created.

Click the image for a larger view

Click the image for a larger view

I must say that I am terribly uninspired, all my characters are copies/based off pre-existing characters.

ProtoManX, after Proto Man, the Mega Man character
White Queen, after the Marvel character (Emma Frost)
Invisible Woman, after the Marvel character (Sue Storm)
Miss Lane (Lois Lane)
Marvel Girl, after the Marvel character (Jean Grey). I originally wanted her to be Phoenix, which is why she has fire abilities but I couldn’t get an accurate enough costume.

I’ve got some other character who may be too…inappropriate to show :P Even more inappropriate than White Queen :P

ProtoManX is my current main, level 26. I don’t think/plan on leveling another character….I think I’ve experienced enough of the game.

More Screenshots


Click them for a bigger view.

Two-Face and ProtoManX. I once randomly saw Superman in Metropolis. He greeted me and before I could get a screenshot, took off into the sky. That @JerkSuperman


Riddler and his henchwomen.


Bizarro, walking around…sorry, this was the best shot I could get. If I got any closer, he would totally destroy me in 2 hits.


Crime Alley. Very awesome to stumble across this.


Fighting with Dr. Fate, Zatanna, and Raven


This is like the first Bleach intro. 4 characters, rotating around each other.


^


I think they OD’d on the model repetition in some levels…but I forgive them. Because I do so enjoy being surrounded by 4 women. and 2 black guys. Moving right along…


Finally. The awesome stuff. Joker as a boss.


Very happy I screen-shotted this scene. It’s awesome cinematographicery!


I wish I got a better screencap of the fight. It looks like Batman’s showing his ass to Joker. NOT the shot I wanted at all.
Sorry Bats.


Me: “I’m sorry I cheated on all of you! You were never supposed to find out!”


…and then they beat the snot out of me.

Review

Seriously: I love this game. I love DC more than Marvel (and I originally got into comics as a Marvel fan, collecting from Age of Apocalypse to the Onslaught stuff to Operation: Zero Tolerance….when I realized how anti-climatic that was and stopped). Marvel’s got all these powers, guys with claws…it’s darker than DC…sometimes. BUT it’s

1. Complicated. Scott Summer. Jean Grey. Madelyne Pryor. Nathan Christopher Charles Askani’son Summers. Nate Grey. Rachel Summers. Emma Frost. Havok. Vulcan. omg the family trees are SO complicated. Like, not just complicated. Unreasonably complicated.

2. Death and Rebirth – too often. At least Barry (Allen) and Hal (Jordan) stayed dead for a good long while, probably only coming back because of Geoff Johns. But at least they were sorta brought back around Blackest Night, which explained the revolving door of death (sorta).

Oops. Side tracked again.

I LOVE playing with other DC heroes. Most people won’t know Cyborg, who Batwoman is, that Batgirl is Cassandra Cain costume, not Stephanie Brown. That the Calculator is the bad Oracle. Who Power Girl is. Who Raven, Doctor Fate, and Zatanna are. Most people don’t know them like I do.

But when I see them, play with them…it’s a dream come true. Seeing Starfire’s starbolts or Wonder Girl, people who don’t make it into the animated movies and cartoons. It’s epic. I love it.

Exploring Gotham and Metropolis. The cities are huge….I can’t wait until they add more.
Keystone City, Central City, Coast City (? – probably not)….uhhh…Themyscira.

While I don’t think I’m going to be raiding or experiences too much more content, it was definitely fun playing the game. I’d like to go through it again, doing different quests…maybe on the villain side…but I need a hero/villain and powers worthy of doing it again. Not sure if it’s worth the grind. I can’t forget that this is my dev year and it’s almost been a month and I haven’t done much. I need to re-focus.

Anyways… :)

No, this blog has not died!

Monday, January 24th, 2011 at 9:25 am

I dunno, has my life just..not been interesting lately? I dunno…

I’ve been playing a lot of DCUOnline for the last 4 days….I’m at level 23, with a level 30 cap. 7 more levels…and then I plan to put it down…..

But the better/smart thing would be to put it down…and level the 7 levels over the course of a few days, rather than 2.

My development online textbooks have been collecting dust, despite Z working/studying hard lately. You’d think this would be the ideal time to study (as in, we both study) but…for some reason, I just haven’t been inclined to. Maybe reading about OO isn’t as interesting to me as CSS3…I dunno.

Anyways, I should probably go get something done right now…like…y’know…work.

It’s like all I write about now is regarding web development…

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011 at 1:47 am

I’ve definitely spent considerable time and effort lately studying. It’s weird.

This month is turning out to be a record low in terms of number of posts. AND they’ve virtually all been developer posts. Pretty lame if I do say so myself.

Not much going on in my life, I was in a cab today and as I was drinking coffee, the cab just took off an i spilled coffee all over the front of my shirt. Just before a big meeting. How unfortunate.

I’m getting pretty worried regarding a topic but I’m going to hold off writing about it…for now. I pray to the God that I believe in when I’m really desperate for stuff that everything is okay…I literally did and hope everything is okay. We’ll see…….

I’ve been working on my Facebook/The Social Network post, I’m gathering thoughts, ideologies, strategies I’ve learned. I’ve seen The Social Network 3 times within the last 3 weeks, the first time for fun/awe, the second time to write about…but I eventually just re-watched it, and a third time 2 days later, actually taking notes. I want to read the Time: Mark Zuckerberg man of the year article again, as well as go through The Social Network Blu-Ray extras…before I do my post. So that may be a whiles off…

I was going thru an OOP book for a refresher and it’s surprising how much I remember, and how much I don’t. I wasn’t raised to do OO and my post-uni environment didn’t give me many chances, if any, to do OO, everything is all linear….my skills in OO really rusted in the last 5-6 years. Like, really bad. I don’t know how much I understood it in the first place but it’s almost like I’m starting from scratch…except I’m not, the terms are all familiar, I just don’t remember some definitions or when to use stuff…like trying to relearn how to put together a puzzle. You’ve done it before, you have an idea of the shape you want it to take, but it’s still almost equally as fast as the first time to get to where you were…..hmm, that’s a terrible analogy!

Anyways…I should probably sleep. Even tho I took a 2-3 hour nap after work, I’m still kinda sleepy. Reading an OO book on your free time can do that to you…