A Few Words About Honor

You've heard me talk about it before in this sense (See "One Thing That Destroys All Else" from Aug. 22, 2005). I'm tired about the madness of advertising in places where it wasn't asked for.

I was watching the end of The Chronicles of Riddick on TV earlier. During the last two shots of the movie, one of those annoying animated ads for another show popped up in the corner. This is the climax of the movie and you stick in a dammned ad??? Can't you wait 20 f$&#**^g seconds?

I've got another partial example that's even more fun. And by fun, well, I'm sure you can guess what I really mean... Actually, I can't make myself say it. I can't honestly come clean with the personal idiocy I may have allowed myself to jump into. But I should try, so I'll have fun with metaphors while I do.

"Don't judge a book by its cover," has been a frequent catchphrase for a long time. With my twisted sense of honor, I feel like I should add a little more to that and make it complete: Don't judge a book by it's cover, or by the first hundred pages. Many of you have seen me rant about Infinite Crisis. Some of you have heard me rant just as much, if not more about 52. There are also countless other examples, most of them being books I've started and not finished.

Why is this (I ask, swallowing my pride like the hard lump it is)? Because most everything you will see is just an excuse to sucker you into doing something else. The first issue of Infinite Crisis is an excuse to sucker you into reading at least three issues of mediocrity and shit. That Otherland book is just an excuse to philosophize about the intrinisic nature of online game players while avoiding the plot almost entirely. That really detailed online profile that initially seems unreal, but after researching seems completely genuine, down to the smallest detail... well, it could just be some advertisement when it's all said and done, even though you don't want it to be.

I've said this before and I'll say it again--Don't just say it'll get better, make these creators work for your money and continued attention.

Suffused with Sound 4

In My Soundscope, if someone sees this--



--they should probably run. Why? As I'm sure you might have already guessed, this is the emblem on the front of Mindfist's T-shirt, the single biggest advertisment of his identity outside of attacking people. Speaking of which...

This is just a rough sketch of a scene I thought of during the drive to Neelyville this past Thursday morning. This is the end of a big fight he's had with a combat android, where he's driven her into the ground so hard, a crater forms twice in the same spot. I had another sketch I was going to share, but it's really, really bad. The only thing to note about that sketch is that it, and the one posted here, show Mindfist's aura in the rough shape of an arm throwing a punch.

Suffused with Sound 3

Before I say anything else, I'd like to thank Jack for his comments. When I hear everybody's thoughts of things, I know more if I'm going in the right direction or not.

Sorry, no pic this time, but I promise I'll make it up to you. Instead, I'm going to talk about a couple characters that will interact a lot with Sonja eventually. One of these, an ally, is currently unnamed. His history is that he is destined to carry a great burden and at one point was trapped in a sound amplification chamber. That led to him practically shunning the emphasis on sound that most of the world has and developing his skills with computers, rather than instruments.

For reasons unknown, the Boy (that's the only title I have for him currently) is being pursued by the ultraviolent Mindfist. Mindfist--who one or two of you may distantly remember--is a man who is incredibly well-built, belieing his most savage weapon, his mind (hence the name). He's the one an only pure psychic in My Soundscope, possessing a telekinetic rage not seen since Carrie White.

Aside from these characters is the real threat. This is an army with a fleet of flying machines. In a world suffused with sound, they are truly pariahs (a possible name?) in that they thrive in silence. Absolute silence. If this fleet were to appear in a movie, instead of having an operatic theme like the Imperial March, they would have utter dead quiet. Don't be fooled, they'll talk, and make noise, and participate in duels (which I'll discuss another time). However, most, if not all of these pariahs have suffered from some degenerative handicap that was artificially compensated for. For example, a technician who is part of this group might have artifical ears or hands.

Or maybe some sort of optical implants. See where I'm going yet?

Suffused with Sound 2

As part of the horrors of turning a person into a machine, there come many changes. Most of these changes are brutal attachments, classified by the friendlier term of "upgrades." But there is nothing friendly about the things that will be done to a robotics engineer by the name of Sonja.

NOTE: This is one of the most disturbing images I've ever drawn. You may want to pass on this one if you're the sensitive type.

In a move akin to A Clockwork Orange, optical devices are implanted to the external surface of Sonja's eyes. These implants provide alternating visual spectra, zooming in and out, and targeting protocols. Instead of irises, the implants give the impression of a camera lens/shutter altering position when they change focus.

This entire process is forced upon Sonja. It is done by the people she works for. It is authorized by her lover. And all along, she is trapped inside her own mind, screaming to be herself once more. This is only part of her "upgrade."

The Will To Power

I've been busy with several things as of late. One of the main things I've been doing in the past few weeks is playing a really impressive RPG, Xenosaga--Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht. It's one of those odd kinds of things that, once I jump into it, leaves a clear creative influence.

Whenever I get around to getting some art up here again, don't be too surprised if it looks a little like the KOS-MOS here to the right. But that is just a visual and with a lot of things--created by me or by someone else--the cover isn't usually the best judge of content. For instance, KOS-MOS isn't the main character of Xenosaga, not by a longshot.

Since I've just finished this wonderful game, I thought I'd stop and give a shameless plug for it. It's really a lot of fun. And the religious meataphor that I've heard so much about, is incredibly subdued. I'm sure Xenosaga--Episode II will more than make up for it.

Suffused with Sound 1

I'm going to be starting a string of posts dealing with developing My Soundscope. As I draw out the various visuals of this widespread epic, I'll be sharing them here. First, I'm going to share a vehicle that I thought of.


This looks a lot like a helocopter, and works much in the same way. The difference is that there are no rotors. Instead, there is a projected energy ring that creates a propulsion field. This ring, or halo, is what gives this vehicle its name: halocopter.

The halocopter will primarily show up in those areas that are somewhat futuristic. This is just a way to understand that this is a different world from our own, full of different rules, different ideas, all the while having the same hopes, dreams, and machinations.