Argus, Archangel, and Origins

Good evening. Tonight is a special blog because I get to introduce a new character into Eichi and I will go into the true origins of this project. While this blog will be brief, it will be informative.

Tonight, a "new" character has been added to my Eichi manga. I say "new" because from conception to this point it has been over 6 years since he has been put onto paper. As we all have seen with a few of the pics I have posted onto my facebook page there are demons to this story and you can't have demons without angels.

Thats right, the first rank of the angels has been put to paper and his name is Argus. Argus is the poster child of angels because he has blonde hair, blue eyes, and a physique built for kicking demon ass. He is leader
of the crusade to end the unbalance created by Eichi.

As I was drawing Argus I was reminded of the origin of the Eichi concept and I wanted to share it with you guys.

I started with the concept of Eichi when I was in a dark place in my life. There was one day I was just sitting at work and started doodling and the concept of the piece was someone staring down into a pond at his reflection. In this drawing we see two things, one, is by lack of a better description astral projections. As we see him at the pond we see energy creating the outline of angel wings and then a demon down in the water as his reflection. They represent the inherent good in all of us and how in our reflection we can see a very different perspective. The other thing we see in the drawing is the man reaching out to the pond as a hand reaches back, sort or representing a "come with me" feeling. Its kind of one of these drawings that can be thought provoking and started it all.

This picture is one of the "holy grails" to my art collection. When I retrieve this picture from being locked away in a storage facility, and as long has weather and time has been good to it, I will share it with you all.

So what inspired this picture? It was inspired by a page in Uncanny X-Men, I believe it was issue 358. My favorite Xman of all time Archangle is reborn as the Angel, shedding his metal wings given to him by Apocalypse.

Kind of an epic picture huh?

One more thing. I've decided to use my twitter more often and use it as a tool to "campain" different aspects of production. Look for that to be coming soon as I sort it out and hopefully a dedicated website will be coming too.

Take care my friends. I hope you enjoyed this little lesson in how all came to be and leave me a comment. Let me know what you think about Argus's story. I know I didn't leave alot to his character but I don't want to reveal too much. More will be unvieled of Argus in due time (soon).

-Pat!

Eichi Pilot, Video Game, and SDCC

Well hello again everyone.
My last blog posed to be a bit to swallow so this time hopefully it won't be so much.

I'm excited because coming up is SDCC. Granted its in July, but its still coming up and there is alot to be done.

I've been mulling around a few things, especially about my Eichi project, and I thought I would fill you guys in on a few.

I'm not gonna lie when I tell you that the number one reason I'm excited about SDCC is portfolio review. This will be the time when I can see if I have what its really gonna take or if everything is a dud to make it into the big leagues. My general idea is that I don't, however I have potential, and thats really what I'm trying to find out. I have alot of drawing to do and alot of reading to do before July before I will ever feel I'm up to the challenge. Its gonna be rough, its gonna be brutal, but thankfully its gonna be unbiased and an honest look into my work.

Anot her look into my work will be the art auction. How much will I be able to see my art for? We're gonna find out. I'm not sure what I will have for the auction yet. I'm still in the brain storming phase.

I feel like this blog is pretty dull in comparison to some of my others so I'm glad your still here if you are.

Lastly I wanna talk about Eichi for a moment and where thats all going.

I've decided to self publish a first draft book, a pilot, if you will by the time SDCC comes around. SDCC will be the debut and I will also have extra coppies for who ever is insterested. I'm not sure how far long the story will be but I do know that it will be long enough to give the general premise of the book. As the time comes closer I will have create a website and let you all know that preorders will be taken. Because this will be a pilot book and you are all my friends t he preorder will cost you nothing. The only thing I will ask is that you provide me with good honest feedback through the website and its forums (also in the works.) Here's another little goodie that next to no one knows about, the SDCC version and the pilot book will be different. Fear not for the story will be the same but there may be more of a bonus for the SDCC books, but thats still up in the air.

The Eichi "franchise" was designed and molded to really push my creative output to the max. I say that because its going to involve writing, drawing, inking (tracing, for all my Chasing Amy friends out there), publishing, and marketing; however in the grand scheme of things there was so much more. Action figures and statues were also part of the process but there is one that I never really spoke of and is really raising an interst to me, video games.

While in production for the pilot I will be working on stock art to adapt into a 2D fighting game via the Mugen engine on pc. While this means that it won't be readily playable on traditional home consoles the engine is open source and will allow me to legally distribute it. Again, this is a bit of a pilot program, depending on how far I can actually push this. I'm hoping to have many playable characters each with thier own story outside of the main one told in the pilot.

Well thats all I have for now everyone. I hope to come back with some more info and update real soon.


-Pat!

Thats What Stars Are For

So I've got alot to tell you my friends. Some very personal and some artistic so lets just jump right in.

Theres something very... (libertaing?) about bring truely honest with yourself and others.

I've been single for about 3 years, had a few sways in the heart here and there, but never was the right chord hit. Atleast never that hit more than an interest. Not to be taken lightly, I have not, in the last 3 years, used the words "I love you" and never with such gravity.

Now, I know to who isn't a suprise to most, but I don't think many knew whats been brewing in my head. To fill the rest of you in, its been heartache and pain.

To the lovely lady, I hope you take everything I said to hear with the gravity that everything I said should entail. I don't expect anything, especially after all thats been said and done, but I opened my heart to you. I hope your willing to listen to what it has to say.

Eichi has taken a HUGE step forward in progress. What once has been thoughts and ideas and sometimes words on paper is now becoming product.

When Eichi was very first concieved it was several years ago. The character was written to embody my anger, as a bit of an artistic outlet. Characters began to become added to represent different highs and lows in my life so there was quite a variety. The project itself has been up in the air between an anime or a manga. How much has actually been written?

So where is everything and what is the ultimate fate of all these options? The answer to the question of anime or manga is both. Both will also be slightly different than the other. Aside from a few details here and there the story has been written from start to finsh and while the manga will end one way, only in the anime will you see not one, not two, but all 4 alternate endings and both complete alternate beginings.

I never knew how eary it would be getting all of this down into some kind of a finished project until I actually started the work. I was always hesitant about doing it because hey, what do I know about writing and making a final product. Well, apparently more than I thought. If you haven't checked it out yet on my facebook I've dropped a few teaser images.

I will like my FB at the end.

Something else has been dropped in my lap yesterday, Comic-Con. Yes the San Diego International Comic Convention. The one bane of my existance that I love to hate, but most of all love. SDCC will be where I will drop a few coppies of the inaugeral edition of Eichi to get feedback and then, heaven permitting, will be available for the rest of you. SDCC also means another souvinier book, and most of all this year, portfolio review.

Yes, you read that right, the day that I will arrive to the Con in full shirt and tie with a portfolio, complete with hand drawn "business cards." But who is gonna get to see my portfolio? Marvel? DC? Top Cow, Image, Archie? As many as I can get to see me in that 4 day span.

Ofcourse all this will not be possible, and earning an honorable mention in my blog, if not for my dear friend Kay. In all of my feelings of despair, hopelessness, failure, and worthlessness, Kay has always been a shining beacon of light, support, and faith when I had none. (Even if she knows it not.) Also, thank you for the Civil War script book to help build that sequential art from. (Rest assred for that you just earned yourself a framed page print for your support and faith.) Thank you for this opportunity.

So thats it in a nut shell. 6 months of long hours and grueling work. Its gonna be hell. But after all, what good are the stars if they aren't there to shoot for?

EXCELSIOR!!!

-Pat!
www.facebook.com/pcpenner

2012

Welcome 2012!!!

So what does 2012 have in store? What are my resolutions? How am I gonne make this better than 2011?

Lets face it friends, 2011 for me ended on a sour note. But it can only go up from here right? I wish.

Here's what I resolve in 2012, and I'll elaborate later.
1. Stop putting up with everyones shit.
2. Be more money smart.
3. Read more.
4. Draw more.
5. Lose weight (but who doesn't resolve to do this?)
6. Let go

So I first told myself that I wasn't going to put up with anyones shit this year. I've actually already started this one and didn't tell anyone.

The first example is my good friend Kay. (Sorry to throw you out there and use you as an example here.) Kay has been close to me for a few years. Hell, I even considered dating Kay several times. Most rencently, the end of 2011. (Sorry you had to find out this way. :D) After many talks about making some changes, nothing seemed to change so I told her I didn't care anymore. Now, in regards to Kay, I love that girl to death, drop almost anything for her, lol, but I had to tell her enough was enough. I just couldn't care anymore since I worried myself sick over her last year. Now, if I said that to Kay whats that say for the rest of you? Lets let this sink in and then we can move on.

.............

Moving on, be more money smart, read more, draw more, all self explanitory, but I'll elaborate a bit. Being more money smart means I'm not going out, doing this for that person, and loaning another person money. Simply put, in 2012, I'm no longer a fucking ATM. Even my MOTUC doesn't mean enough to me to care right now. I can do with out so thats more money in my pocket. Read more, well I got tons here to read, maybe I'll learn a bit. Draw more? Well you all want to see more after all right? I thought so.

Loose wight. We all resolve to do it so why shouldn't I? Getting real personal here, I saw a picture of me from about 2 or 3 years ago. I need to lose some, and when I say some, I mean alot. My weight is always something I've fought with and frankly what I'm the most emberassed about. I find myself only wearing my largest clothes and when I grow into those I get bigger ones. I wear my coat more often than not because of this fact. I'm fat and I know this. Hell, I'm too self concious to date at this point anyways. The only real attribute here is that I'm always warm. :)

I watched this documentary called Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. You can find it on Netflix. For one, this made me want to cry. It made me look deep inside myself to the point that I can't believe how I got to this point, but also cry out of inspiration. For anyone who has this resolution I highly recomend this documentary. It changed my life and how I will live out 2012.

This year I also want to let go. I want to let go of all my pain, desperation, addictions, and inhibitions. For the most part you all (especially if you read my 2011 blog) know my pain and desperations. I have a few addictions I want to kick. No, no drugs or anything like that. I drink, I want to kick that this year or atleast get it to the point that is for social outing only, not getting drunk, maybe some wine every now and then. Sue me, I'm 32 years old. I'm gonna drink like I am and not 21. Lets have a little maturity. I can't say this is truely an addiction, but you get the point. Let go of inhibitions? Well lets see what all I do this year. lol

God this is turning out long.

So what do I want this year to hold for me?

Artistically I want to be further along in production of Eichi. I'm going two ways with it. One, anime. Two, manga. Obviously manga would be completed first and once I get a website, your gonna see more of it. So stay tuned for that one. I want to turn to more professinal type work so keep an eye out for that too.

Lastly (and as hokey it as this may sound), I want to fall in love this year. I feel like I gave up over the past couple years and for as much as I wanted something to work out for me last year, maybe I just didn't try hard enough. ....maybe I was just looking for love in Alderan places. (lol Sorry, a little Star Wars humor there.)

So I'm gonna leave you with that smile on your face. All I can say is this year, you might wanna watch out for me, cause I'm gonna go after everything I want this year. Just wait and see. ;)

Love you guys,

-Pat!

Reflecting on 2011

So 2011 was a hell of a year and I'm sure those close to me have been wondering "Why hasn't he chimed in on it yet? Whats his New Resolutions?" Simple, its only been four days and I'm getting to it. ......NOW.

2011 seems to be one for the books for me, but then again has the past 5 years or so. I think this year I spent more time on umemployment and broke more than not, lost out on love, heartbroken, figured it all out, and broken again. School, work, roommates, my home, I felt like everything I had, or thought I had was turned upside down.

I realize that I only blogged 5 or 6 times last year, but I don't want to go into a life story, but just wanna hit a few notes.

January 14th I was laid off from work and struggled between finding new jobs and unemplyment. I tried for months and when I finally found emplyment with Alorica (eww!) I was called back to Toledo. Unfortunately not knowing where I would be going I resigned with Alorica only to not go south by the Mexican border.

So the hunt was back on for jobs and tried my hand back in school. I got a rude awakening when nothing I did seemed to be good enough for my instructor and ended up dropping out again. Evidently art school isn't for me and I don't plan to return to it. Maybe it was the online structure that gave me too much freedom to screw it off or the fact that school had to be my "dirty secret" from my parents. (Which my dad and aunt may be reading this now, but oh well.)

After all that was said and done I just wanted to settle and focus on a home life. One where I didn't have to travel, could focus on, and become successful. Now anyone who knows me knows that I was head over heels for a girl. I mean, I was stupid for this girl, and maybe too stupid. Too stupid to take a chance and I played it safe. I figured if she didn't make a move then hey, I would give it more time. As I look back, maybe there were hints and missed opportunities. After getting what felt like a blow off for a while I got hint that maybe she had a boyfriend and I asked and ofcourse I was right. My heart suck to the floor and I was highly upset.

Around this time my lease was coming up for renewal and my mom was having eye surgery so I moved back in with her to help her out and lick my wounds and find me again, reevaluate my situation and get my head straight in what I really wanted in life.

A couple years ago I stopped using the word faith. I used to always tell everyone to have faith. A few years ago I had lost mine. I lost faith in people, the world, and God. I had always had some faith in God, but during this time I opened my heart more to Him and what He had to teach me. Through Him I would find me.

Through Him and the the honesty He helped me find in myself I found that I was not whole. He opened me up and showed me that which I was missing I left years ago. He helped me see that the one I was missing was the one who gave me my faith to begin with, Cody. The only way I can explain it is like a flood gate, and everything I held for Cody once before came rushing back to me.

I wish that was the end of this story but it isn't. In order to save on the long story, Cody and I are two different people now. She is still an amazing person and in no way want to take away from that. I respect her and deep in my heart, hidden away, I will always love Cody. Its as simple and heart chrushing as that.

All of a sudden my story brings me to the end of 2011. I hope I haven't lost any of you yet.

December found me lost, faith shaken, heart broken, reclusive, angry, and bitter, everything that lays down my foundation for 2012, but more on that later, in another blog.

So what was I going to do? I was left with not much feeling towards anything. So what was I to do?

The plan was to liquidate all my assetts. I mean a straight fire sale on damn near my every posession, go back to work down south and work for 6 months, hiding out somewhere in Louisiana or Texas just making money, and never return to where anyone knew my face. I would start anew.

I emailed the Operations Manager of Toldedo Mudlogging right before Christmas.

I'm still waiting.