The Loxleys and the War of 1812

The Loxleys and the War of 1812 (preview)
Story - Alan Grant
Art - Cladue St. Aubin
Color - Lovern Kindzerski
Letters - Todd Klein

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. I'm no historian, but I do love to read about this great country of ours.  It's been a good 10 years since I've done any reading on Canada's war with the United States, so I was pretty excited to dive into a preview of the upcoming Renegade Press book, The Loxleys and the War of 1812.

Historical fiction always walks a tight rope between fact recitation and storytelling, and writer Alan Grant has done an amazing job setting up the story. This preview does an admirable job of setting up the reasons why the War of 1812 started in the first place (the British hindering the American efforts to expand west by supporting the Tecumseh's Indian tribes, impressment of U.S. naval vessels, and an appearance of British weakness due to a war against France). Somehow, Grant manages to get these points across, and still leave room to give the characters some personality and room to develop.

Claude St. Aubin does a spectacular job on the artwork.  It's lighter tone will make this book accessible to a wide audience, yet it never sacrifices it's ability to communicate pain and anxiety during moments of tension.  In particular, Eliza Loxley reading her husbands first letter home is well done.  The art isn't melodromatic or over the top, it serves the story perfectly.

Nearly every panel has a well drawn and thought out background, helping to set the scene.  The Loxley cabin is spacious and real, and the Siege of Detroit is rendered with such detail that you can imagine the weight of library books piled on St. Aubin's art table.  He's convinced me as a reader that he has done his homework, yet no panel looks like it's a verbatim drawing from a photograph in a textbook.  A sign of a true artist.

Lovern Kindzierski has applied his colouring genius to this story.  I cut my teeth colouring at Lovern's Digital Chameleon studio over a decade ago, and every time I see his work, it is a reminder of how far I am from being a real colourist.  His colour pallete separates planes nicely, and his modelling follows what St. Aubin has set up with the lineart.  Most importantly, the pages are actually COLOURFUL!  So many books published these days seem either be coloured in greyed out colours, or have hues so dark that some of the lineart is actually obscured.  Lovern is a master, and proves it every time his name is attached to a book.

Here's a great panel example of how well Kindzierski separates fore, middle and background with his colour choices.  This photo, taken with an iPhone, doesn't do it justice.

My only criticism is a single bit of dialogue uttered at the beginning of the preview - a gentleman walks into a community dance...

Laura: ...my good man here spends his time worrying about war with America!
James: Well, they have so many reasons, you see.  For example, the way the British stop and search American vessels--

Wow, this guy must be the life of the party!

It's one of my main beefs about historical fiction.  Characters that dispense historical facts that don't feel natural at all.    It's a necessary evil in the genre, and it works to communicate the details of history, but it seems so out of place.  Alan Grant only relies on this storytelling tactic once in the entire 22 page preview, so it doesn't spoil the great story.  And for all I know, James' character may be a guy who is so hip to worldly affairs that he's always rambling on about them, whether his audience is looking for a lecture or a dance on a Saturday night.

For a slightly more extreme example of how silly this storytelling technique can get, check out this Heritage Minute commercial describing Vince Coleman warning a train approaching Halifax that the biggest man-made explosion the earth had seen up to that point was about to wipe out the entire city.

I seriously doubt that anyone focused on saving the lives of innocent people is going to waste time telling the person next to him some historically accurate yet context irrelevant facts, such as "the train is coming in towards Pier 6", and that "there are 700 people aboard it!".

Anyhow, I digress.  Grant, St. Aubin and Kindzierski's talents shine telling this story, and I can safely say that this preview alone has me very excited for the full release this April.

The hardcover release of The Loxleys and the War of 1812 will also feature a 30 page essay on the war by Canadian war historian Mark Zuehlke.  Zuehlke's previous writings on the Canadian experiences at Juno Beach, Ortona and the liberation of the Netherlands during the Second World War are fantastic, well researched books, and having his comments in this volume will be a real bonus.

I invite you to like The Loxleys and the War of 1812 on Facebook!

Also, check out The Loxleys and the War of 1812 on Renegade Arts Entertainment's official site.


Currently playing: Blue Rodeo - Outskirts
Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

I'm no Bronie.

The Care Bear painting I did for our friend's daughter's birthday last month was such a hit that we've decided to paint more cutouts for our daughter. I'm not sure where the time has gone, but she turns four this weekend.

The last week has been spent slaving over not one, not two, but FOUR paintings of her characters from her current favourite toy line, My Little Pony.

Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie and Applejack

Rainbow Dash

She's going to flip when she sees them!

I loved making these! My daughter is mostly interested in the toys, so I've never seen an entire episode of the show.

I wouldn't want anyone to mistake me for a Bronie (a male My Little Pony fanatic).

That's just, well, weird.

Currently playing: Ginuwine - Pony
Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

Winnipeg Jets vs. Ottawa Senators

Just got back from my third Winnipeg Jets game this year, and watched my team take on the Ottawa Senators.

I was a Sens fan for the fifteen years that passed between Jets' franchises, so I guess you could say I saw my new, old favorite team take on my old favourite team.

Or is it my old favourite team take on my second favourite -- ah, I give up. You get the idea.

I sat in the stands with my Uncle Ernie. He was a Jets season ticket holder back in the WHA days, and it's his love for the team that helped make me a Jets fan as a kid.

When the Winnipeg Jets left in 1996, we thought that was it for the NHL in Winnipeg. Who would have thought we'd be together at a game again, fifteen years later. It was awesome to see the game with him. He's still rocking his 1990's era Numminen Jets jersey.

I have to say that I was shocked by the number of Senators jerseys in the crowd. For a decade and a half, I felt like I was the only fan in the province. Where did all these people come from?!?

The game was a blast! The refs cost us the game with two bad calls in the second period, but the Jets had a great effort, and Evander Kane came this close to scoring the first hat trick in franchise history!

Currently playing: Ian Thomas - Painted Ladies
Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

Spacepig Hamadeus

Back in December of 2009, I made hint in a blog post of a super secret project that I had in the works. 

Two years later, and things are finally starting to move!

Tonight, I'll be sitting in the Artist's Alley at the 2011 Central Canada Comic Con to promote my self-published creation, Spacepig Hamadeus.   Here's a preview of the first page!

This book, Spacepig Hamadeus and the Ambush at the Hourglass Sea serves as a prequel to next year’s full-length issue, Spacepig Hamadeus and the Captive Planet. Both of these issues are based on stories I covertly wrote in Mrs. Didyk's Grade 5 class, when I really should have been studying multiplication tables.  Back then, Hammy was known simply as "George the Pig", and went on several outer space adventures before ending his 12 issue run with a (highly unauthorized) Secret Wars II crossover in 1986.

A quarter of a century later, and I’ve revived the character for publication. Hopefully the art and writing have improved over the books I made in the 80's!

If you're attending the 2011 Central Canada Comic Con, please stop by my table and get yourself a copy!

If you're not attending, I'll post info here in the coming days as to how you can buy a copy for yourself!

Please visit the book's website, like it on Facebook, and follow it on Twitter!
Website: http://spacepighamadeus.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spacepig-Hamadeus/118345684865848
Twitter: twitter.com/spacepighammy

Currently playing: Queen - The Hero (October 1980... Revisited)
Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

I've done all of these things...

I've built websites.

I've made a living colouring comic books.

I've sang and played guitar into a microphone.

I've created video games.

I've designed two logos for major radio stations.

I've walked out of the house listening to music without burning it to CD first.

I've watched movies on a transit bus.

I've used apps that keep grocery lists, identify constellations, and track gas mileage.

I've reconnected with people from my past.

I've done all these things in my life, and I've done them all on products that came from the mind of Steve Jobs.

Rest in Peace.

Currently playing: Electric Light Orchestra - Hold On Tight
 Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

When did Fun Mountain stop being a family friendly establishment?

Summer is almost at an end, and I'm really hoping to get a trip to Fun Mountain in before it starts getting cold.

I went to their website to check out their hours and am glad I did. I don't want to be taking my 3 year old daughter to XXX DAY at the waterslides!!!

What the heck is going ON at this park, anyway?!?!
Here's a link to the website where I found this graphic:
http://www.funmountain.ca/park-hours/

Currently playing: The Jamies - Summertime
Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

Last year you didn't have an NHL team, so don't complain about the logo, you tiny ungrateful baby.

So it turns out all I had to do to get the most hits this blog has ever seen was post a leak of the new Winnipeg Jets logo! Even after the official brand was released, this site got tremendous amounts of traffic through the weekend.

I love the logo more with each passing minute, and now that I've actually got some Jets merchandise it really starts hitting home for me. As was to be expected, a small segment of people didn't care too much for the logo.

Winnipeg has an NHL team.

Again.

They're called the Winnipeg Jets.

The team's primary colour is blue.

Remind me again what I'm supposed to be disappointed about, exactly?

I think the following image should help put things into perspective.
Even if you're just on the fence with the new logo, you've got to admit that it could have been worse...

A LOT worse!
Now all we need is a Winnipeg Jets jersey leak! Rumour has it those won't be ready for sale until the beginning of October. I've waited 15 years for the NHL to return to Winnipeg.

A few months wait for a jersey is going to be a cakewalk...

Currently playing: Hall & Oates - Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid
Currently colouring: Silver Bullet #8 by Lonely Robot Comics!
Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

PS - The "Complaining" image seen above was sent to me by my good friend, Big Marv. If you're not following him on Twitter, you should (http://twitter.com/#!/BigMarvShow), and if you're not listening to him on HOT 103, well, you ALSO should!

Possible leaked Winnipeg Jets logo

Rumour has it this is a leak of the new logo for the Winnipeg Jets!

What do you think? Classy and timeless? Or a bit too reserved?

Too much like a shoulder patch?
I think once it's on a jersey, it's going to look real sharp whether it's on the shoulder or the front!

The photo isn't of the greatest quality, but to help visualize see the rumoured colour pallette that was leaked last week on jetsowner.com below. The jerseys and logo will primarily be blue and silver, with red trim in the colours and shades below.


And if this isn't legit, it's a pretty good forgery! The silver ring around the logo even has sparkles in it, so you know if it's a fan made mock up they've gone all out.

For full disclosure, I'm not the person who took the photo. I've compiled the above information from various message boards, including Jets Owner and Hockeys Future.

Currently playing: Kenny Loggins - Highway to the Danger Zone
Currently colouring: Silver Bullet #8 by Lonely Robot Comics!
Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

So long, mullet-mobile!

I said goodbye to an old friend today.

My 1995 Pontiac Firebird is gone. Sold.

The car was very special to me. My dad helped me out by getting it for me in 2001. Ten years later I sold it under similar circumstances - to a man who bought the car for HIS son. The circle is complete!

It was getting to the point where it was too expensive to repair things that didn't affect how it ran. New switch for the windows, air conditioning, stereo, etc. If you knew what you were doing under the hoods of cars (and I sure don't), it's relatively easy fixes. Most of the parts needed are cheap enough, but labour costs would have killed me. It's a perfect car for someone who is handy and knows what they're doing.

And that's exactly the type of guy who bought my old baby.

The car still ran great, but I have to admit, it was NOT fun putting my daughter into the car seat in the back of this beast.

Thank you for a great decade, Mullet-Mobile!


Currently playing: Ian Thomas - Levity
Currently colouring: Silver Bullet #8 by Lonely Robot Comics!
Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

Thanks for a great 15 years, Ottawa Senators!

Well, this looks to be it.

Stephen Brunt, one of Canada's most respected sports journalists put out an article tonight announcing the return of the NHL to Winnipeg.

If it was the Dauphin Herald announcing it, I'd show a bit more caution. But the Globe and Mail is actually owned by David Thomson, one of the partners in True North Sports and Entertainment who are buying the team, so I think it's a pretty credible source.

I promptly got to work getting rid of all my Ottawa Senators gear. (Throwing them into a Senators garbage can of all things!)
When I had to pick a new team to cheer for after the Jets left, I had 2 criteria.

1. They had to be Canadian
2. I couldn't hate them.
   

Let's see, going through the list...

• Vancouver - still bitter that the Canucks came back from a 3-1 series deficit in 1992 to win in 7 games
• Calgary - better dead than red.
• Edmonton - after the Oiler's dominance over the Jets in the 80's? Fat chance.
• Toronto - are you kidding me? Never.
• Montreal - still bitter that every time they visited Winnipeg, the arena was louder when the Habs scored.
  

That left the Ottawa Senators.

In the few years they co-existed, the Sens had only beaten the Jets once, so I didn't hate them.

Their sole victory occurred on the infamous "Free Peanut Butter Night" of November 5, 1993. I don't remember who sponsored the promotion, but everyone in attendance that night got a free jar of peanut butter. The Jets score 6 unanswered goals to lead the game 6-3, only to allow the Senators to tie it in the last 10 minutes of the game. Bob Kudelski completed a hat trick in overtime to win the game for the Sens.

After witnessing such a stunning collapse, you can guess what happened to the free peanut butter. Apparently many jars were thrown onto the ice in disgust.



I wasn't there, but I talked to some who were over the years, and it was apparently a night to remember.

Anyhow, while I won't really be putting my Senators gear in the trash, it will get packed up and put away.

And so it goes. A long 15 year fling is over, and I'm sorry to say I'm dumping you for an older love who also happens to be my first - a Winnipeg NHL team.

No matter what they end up being called.

Thanks for the great memories over the last 15 years, Senators!

Currently playing: Kenny Loggins - Highway to the Danger Zone
Currently colouring: Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 13!
Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

Kevin Lamo

Kevin Lamoureux is the Liberal Party candidate in my riding of Winnipeg North. One of my neighbors is a supporter, and his sign got bent in the wind yesterday, shortening the candidates' name to "Kevin Lamo".

And no disrespect meant to Mr. Lamoureux. I just had a good chuckle at "Kevin Lam-o".

Currently playing: Max Webster - Let Go The Line Currently colouring: Silver Bullet #8 by Lonely Robot Comics! Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

The Donovan Yaciuk Story, starring Ralph Macchio

"We think of you every night when we watch the karate kid on dancing with the stars…"

I've gotten a few comments in emails from friends ever since the most recent season of Dancing With The Stars series hit the airwaves.

Ralph Macchio, probably best known for his roles in films like the Karate Kid, the Outsiders, and My Cousin Vinny, is currently a contestant on the show. And I guess if I were to pick someone to play me in "Handsome Devil, the Donovan Yaciuk story", Ralph Macchio would be a pretty good choice!

We're not twins, but I have to admit there is a resemblance there!


Anyway, it's flattering to be compared to a guy who once appeared on the cover of Teen Beat magazine! It's better than being told you look like Rick Moranis!

Anyway, forget the Dancing With The Stars stuff. Here`s the best thing Macchio has done this year!

Wax On, F*ck Off with Ralph Macchio from Ralph Macchio

Currently playing: NHL Playoffs - Detroit Red Wings at Phoenix Coyotes
Currently colouring: Silver Bullet #8 by Lonely Robot Comics!
Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

Beating my addiction.

Five years ago today, I had my last drink of cola.

You may laugh when you I call it an addiction. I don't mean to belittle real addictions that ruin people's lives, so perhaps "habit" is a better word for it. But at my peak I was drinking around 3 litres of pop per day, starting with breakfast.

Disgusting, I know.

I'd tried many times in the past to cut it out of my life, and I was only met with migraines, nausea, and moodiness.

I'll tell you what helped me beat it, and hopefully if there is something in your own life that you want to change, it can help you too!

My tradition was to have a 7-11 Double Gulp. Every day. Two litres of Coke. I'd get it first thing in the morning, and it would last me until lunch.

In April of 2006, my wife and I took a trip to Vancouver for almost a week to stay with relatives. There were no 7-11's within walking distance, and I wasn't going to make our gracious hosts drive me to one every morning. So, not wanting to be a glutton, I only snuck maybe a can a day out of their fridge. I was FORCED to limit my consumption.

I was in town to see my favourite band, Queen, performing with Paul Rodgers. So in addition to having reduced access to my drug of choice, I also had something big that I was really looking forward to that helped keep my mind from begging for it's fix.

In short, eliminate the supply of your habit, occupy your mind with something else you're really excited about, and hold yourself accountable to friends and family!

For me, accountability was posting the number of cola free days I'd experienced at the end of every blog post. I still keep that tradition as I enter my sixth cola free year, just scroll down to the bottom of this post! During the first year, if I was craving cola, I just remembered I'd have to reset the count on my blog and start from zero.

These tactics also worked for my wife when she quit smoking. Thanks to a terrible flu that ravaged her for over week, she had not smoked in 4 or 5 days. She couldn't get out of bed for a cigarette, let alone go buy any. Realizing this was one of her longest smoke-free streaks, she capitalized on this and rode it out. She's been riding that wave for almost 15 months now.

I'm incredibly proud of her, and her path was similar to mine. Forced elimination of supply, mind occupied with something else (in her case, getting rid of her flu!), and the support of friends and co-workers.

My advice? Quit trying to give up cold turkey just because it's Thursday. Find an event, a vacation, illness, or distracting life event that's happening soon, and piggy back your efforts to quit around this!

Currently playing: Queen - We Are The Champions
Currently colouring: Silver Bullet #8 by Lonely Robot Comics!
Proudly in my sixth Cola free year!

Coyotes Done In Phoenix?

The Phoenix Coyotes are set to take on the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and are trying to carry on the franchise tradition of the White-Out, which originated when they were the Jets here in Winnipeg. With the lack of fans coming to the games in Arizona, there's going to be a glut of Red Wings fans making the trip to snatch up the thousands of seats typically open at Jobing.com arena.

So much for a home team White-Out.

To make matters worse, AZCentral columnist Dan Bickley has completely embarrassed the team with today's opinion piece titled, "Detroit fans: If you can't stay away, please wear white".

In short, the piece is nothing but BEGGING Red Wings fans to wear white.

"If you must go to the games in Arizona, please wear white. We don't want outsiders thinking we can't sell out playoff games. After all we've been through - from bankruptcy hearings to relocation threats - the last thing we need is more national embarrassment."

"A sea of red at Jobing.com Arena would do just that."

That a piece like this needs to be written in the first place is pathetic.

Here in Winnipeg, we had no troubles with our White-Outs. And this is a city that felt like a Montreal home game when the Habs were in town! But we never needed to be begged to support this team and atmosphere in the playoffs.The rumours of a Coyotes relocation to Winnipeg for the 2010/2011 season are picking up steam. Nick Kypreos and Doug MacLean of the Fan 590 are quoting sources saying the deal to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in the desert is essentially done. I know what it's like to lose a team, and I wouldn't wish that one anyone. Not even the fans in Phoenix who truly love the Coyotes.

That being said, there really isn't a lot of those fans to have to feel bad for, if they can't fill an arena with their own fans during a playoff run.

Bring them home.

Currently playing: David Lee Roth - Just Like Paradise
Currently colouring: Silver Bullet #8 by Lonely Robot Comics!
Proudly in my fifth Cola free year!