Bulgoki Journal

Website Update Coming

2011-12-31T14:29:00.001-08:00

The image above was created in Deviant Art's Muro, which is a browser-based graphics program. It doesn't have a lot of Photoshop's tools, but I think I was able to push the image pretty far. I went ahead and made some enhancements in Photoshop, as the original image displayed some image corruption, which tends to happen in Muro. The untouched image can be seen at my Deviant Art page (link is on the right menu bar).

This is one of a number of images I will be adding to my portfolio at 7christian.com as an update.

I also have a business card that I created for myself, but I have not had the guts to get it printed yet. I will eventually print it, but even that small amount of money is a problem now.

Offended, until I realized it was a scam

2011-09-09T09:14:00.001-07:00

Saw a job ad on craigslist that practically begged for artists (even those who are "aspiring") to respond. I responded but did not get an answer for weeks. Another identical ad popped up a week later. I sent another e-mail asking if they made a mistake in their previous ad (after all, they were so desperate for artists).

I decided to test them by sending an e-mail from a different account, asking if they were a local business. Within days, all three of my e-mails received identical responses almost simultaneously.

Hello, I have personally approved your email and would like to begin the application process.

First we will need to get you familiar with our software & to make sure your computer system is compatible, TattooLaApp.Info, Once installed software should load up and you will be directed to a Log in screen use the following.. Username: Admin Password: Password (Case Sensitive). You will then follow through our application process to further your employment thank you! Any questions feel free to get back to me as soon as possible.

Right, so each of the two e-mails that I sent from the same e-mail account received its own job offer. And, the e-mail that I sent that merely asked a simple question from a different e-mail account also received a job offer. Life is too easy!

Nah, the link they provided led to a page of spam.

Well, at least I wasn't getting passed over.

Business Card Design Accepted by Vistaprint!

2010-11-26T11:38:00.001-08:00

One of my business card design submissions was approved and accepted by Vistaprint! Click on the image to see a larger version.

Here is a link to the design at visaprint.

The theme is wellness.

I rendered the metal borders and lighting effects in Photoshop. the leaves and wood texture were scanned, manipulated, and enhanced quite a bit.

An Old Toy

2010-11-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I find a picture of some cool toy on the internet that I once owned as a child (See my Big Wheel post from a couple of years back). This one is a LEGO set that my Grandparents sent me when I was little.

I know this doesn't seem that interesting, but I thought it was nice to find something on the internet that linked back to my childhood.

Upcoming Work

2010-11-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

I've submitted some designs to Vistaprint.

I've got a 5 page comic book sample to be completed and posted soon.

I've just finished a custom CD label design, that includes some illustration, to be used for a gift for my Niece and Nephew.

All will be posted soon.

Fifteen Inspiring Artists

2010-09-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

When I think of artists who inspire me, these are the names that pop into my head right now. Of course, I might come up with an entirely different list on any other day. There are so many artists that I am influenced by.

Norman Rockwell
Frank Frazetta
Diego Velasquez
Jose Luis Garcia Lopez
Drew Struzan
David Mazzucchelli
Mike Mignola
James Jean
Walt Simonson
Josh Middleton
Neal Adams
John Buscema
Bill Watterson
Caravaggio
Vermeer

Generaton Gap

2010-07-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

Last month I tried to take some snapshots of my Niece and Nephew. After finally getting them to stay still and smile for one second, I snapped a picture. They both looked eagerly at the back of my camera, expecting to see themselves displayed on some type of screen.

"Can I see it?", asked Anna.

"Sure, go ahead", I responded.

They spent all of ten seconds looking at the back of my Nikon FG, looking for a picture, before giving up and going back to playing. My mind was blown, realizing that they have never encountered a camera that isn't digital, and will probably never know the inconvenience of waiting for film to be developed.

Yan Yan

2010-07-07T22:48:00.001-07:00

Deliciosity.

When I was in grade school, I couldn't keep people from stealing my precious Yan Yans at lunch time. Keep your hands off 'em, children!

Do not touch!

The Last Airbender Racefail Bingo Card!

2010-07-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Race discrimination is wrong. People who make excuses for it are silly. It's a funny image, because every major argument against the racebending movement can be found on this card. It's genius, really.

I'm told the source of this image is from Oh No They Didn't(ONTD) blog.

21 Reasons Why This Movie Sucks [Part 2 of 2]

2010-06-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

COOOKIE!

2010-06-20T06:26:00.000-07:00

Source: Wildammo.com

Re: The Racist Casting of The Last Airbender

2010-06-17T23:36:00.000-07:00

The recent controversy over the casting of M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender has sparked furious debate in many on-line communities. Many are upset over the obvious whitewashing of characters that were originally Asian or Inuit in the cartoon. Unfortunately, some of the opposing arguments that deny any discrimination on the part of the movie studio serve only to reveal how oblivious people are to the problem.

One such argument is that, supposedly, there is no physical indication of the lead character's race in the original cartoon, despite the fact that his name is Aang, he wears Oriental clothing, and his actions exhibit Buddhist and Taoist characteristics. This argument is based on the faulty premise that Caucasian is the default race whenever racial identity is in question.

In her excellent essay, "The Problem With Colorblindness", posted at racebending.com, Faith Bell refers to this as the "baseline" argument. The white race is accepted as the baseline, and this is what allows people to blindly dismiss the obvious Asian influence of the show--to convince themselves that the characters are white. If a character's race is in doubt, he is most certainly white because that is the baseline race; while other races are merely varying coats of paint. However, this point of view also manages to work against persons of color in situations where the character is white, but the actor playing the character is bi-racial.

Some objections are being made over the casting of Jason Momoa as Conan that are based entirely on his mixed race. One 'gentleman' on IMDb proposes that Momoa could only play a Hawaiian character, as he is half Hawaiian/half Caucasian. Others have pointed out how discriminatory this is, that he should be forced to play characters that exclusively correspond to his 'Hawaiian half'. Never mind that Momoa is also white, this person reveals a disturbing belief that Momoa's Caucasian blood is somehow 'tarnished' by his Hawaiian blood. In other words, Caucasian is the default race but only if it has not been diluted.

People who argue against the accusations of discrimination in the casting of The Last Airbender, arrogantly suggest people shouldn't get all hung up on race--that Political Correctness is running rampant. People who object over the casting of Jason Momoa use the same argument--Political Correctness has led to Momoa's casting. Oddly enough, I see 'Political Correctness' being used more as a discriminatory weapon against people of color than what it is supposedly intended for. You will note that any time the term pops up in conversation, it is to discourage any challenge to racially discriminatory thought. It is a disparaging term used to shame and to shut down any discussion of race.

Let's get rid of this term entirely and replace it with words like tactful, and polite. Let's see the racists use THOSE words disparagingly. Seriously, as if showing respect for different races and cultures is a bad thing. Well, I guess that WOULD be a bad thing to racists.

Finally, the most ridiculous argument I see in response to the racebending movement: "OMG, does EVERYTHING have to be about race?!"

My answer to that is: When the studios make everything about race, by whitewashing characters of color--YES. When citizens of color are being treated like perpetual foreigners in their own country--YES. When the majority continue to withhold opportunities based on race--YES. Let me know when these things change.

Faith Bell's essay here!

Another great argument made by ten-year-old Li Huan Shandross! Click here.

(Updated 8/5/10)

List of Latest Completed Projects

2009-12-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a rundown of things I've worked on recently:

Finished a 32 page comic book plus cover. I don't know what the status is on publication, but it was a nice project to work on.

Did some volunteer work for the Public Library in late summer/early autumn. It was nice to get out and do something a little different.

I just finished a storyboarding assignment for a proposed TV commercial. Fun project. I wouldn't mind doing it again sometime.

I will be posting some images from the comic book that I've done at Deviant Art in the near future.

I will also be posting some older life drawings that I have done on Deviant Art. Deviant Art seems to be a better place for this type of work than my website. Some of the drawings are nudes, and, with Deviant Art's viewership settings, I won't have to worry about displaying them to the wrong audience.

I am considering a move to Square Space for web hosting, but that is probably a long way off.

Bye.

My Old Ride

2009-01-03T12:20:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of the Big Wheel I owned when I was 6 years old. (Image found at www.originalbigwheel.com)

As you can see, this one is called the "Super Big Wheel". It has the nicely contoured seat instead of the little removable one that could be adjusted to fit the rider in little holes at the base. This was my one and only Big Wheel that was bought brand new at Wal-Mart.

I owned a couple of used ones that I played with in previous years, including one with a handbrake. Although, the old banged up Big Wheel with the handbrake was more fun to ride, as it was more capable of sliding around corners, I was extremely proud of my Super Big Wheel. Look at how those colors pop!

New Work

2008-06-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have actually been busy, despite the lack of updates on this blog. Here is a piece that I did recently.

This character is © Lin Fahrenheit.

Deviant Art Link

2008-04-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

I have now included the link to my deviant art page to the right. I am not able to update 7christian.com as often as I'd like sometimes. To see additional art that I've done, check out my deviant art page.

Christian

Adam Zero #1 Now Available!

2008-01-19T17:41:00.000-08:00

Click on this link: Adam Zero #1

Adam Zero Cover!

2007-11-03T00:23:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is! This is, of course, without the title and other graphics. Those are being added by Marc Fletcher. Adam Zero #1 is scheduled for a Winter/Early 2008 Release under Ronin Studios. I will post a link to the online store when it is available.

Bulgoki or Bulgogi

2007-08-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

From Wikipedia: "Bulgogi is a popular Korean beef dish. It is made from thinly sliced marinated steak that is cut into thin strips before cooking. Bulgogi is a specialty dish served when guests visit or eat in restaurants. The dish is also often served to non-Koreans as a first taste of Korean cuisine."

In the blog's title, I intentionally misspelled bulgogi. I first saw this spelling in an issue of Jim Lee's Divine Right, in which one character calls another a "bulgoki head". I thought the spelling was unique, and I adopted it as one of my many usernames on the web. I just like the way it looks.

My favorite place for bulgogi in Springfield Mo is Soo's. For about $13 you get a huge helping of bulgogi with a side of rice, and a small side of mild kim chi. Funny thing is that I've never been there, but sometimes people have brought it to me. It's really good.

But for Galbi (Korean short ribs), the best place to go is Korea Inn. They also have the best "Korean pancakes" (buchimgae). Yum.

Adam Zero Progress

2007-07-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

I hope to have page 18 of Adam Zero finished at the end of the week.

Adam Zero will be a 24-page, full-color comic book published under the Ronin Studios banner. Marc Fletcher is writing, Christian Andrews(myself) is drawing. Visit AdamZero.com for a ton of info. Click on the Ronin Studios link to go to the Adam Zero message board. Don't forget to watch the trailer on the first page!

Visit my online portfolio to see some of the work that I have produced over the last few years.

That's www.7christian.com

In the near future I will have a lot more to talk about, but not everything will be about my projects!

Christian