Being as all ten of you are probably already thinkin’ it, I’m just gonna come right out and say it… I BLOW at even trying to come off as though I’m anywhere even closed to being organized. To those who may’ve bought into my little dog and pony show, I’m sorry.
See, I had this dream of coming in every day after Megacon and loading my blog down with daily tales of coolness and wow and really milking it out and it making it all emotional, with highs and lows and… exciting middles? And then to top the whole big blog extravaganza off, I was gonna finish up with posting art from my most favorite, all time favorite, favorite, favoritest, favorite artist EVER (who I know).
Well it didn’t happen. Why? I’m not sure… Time slipped away, I became distracted or I don’t know blah, blah, effing blah, words, words, more words, excuses, blah. Either way, it never panned out, I have a bunch of stuff to show and I’m just gonna do whatever I want when the mood strike… and in no particular order. That said…
Ladies and Gentlemen, TINA KIM! (my favorite)
SOME HISTORY: I met Tina Kim at Megacon 2011. She came to my table and complimented my robots. I’m flattered, we chat , exchange books, chat some more, finishing chatting and she walks away. Upon her departure, I immediately begin thumbing through her book. Suddenly I notice that my knees are vibrating and’ve gone numb. not only that, but my ears are on fire… they felt as though they were swelling and huge and about to pop… It’s almost the feeling you get when you’ve been caught doing something wrong or whatever… Either way, it a reaction, A REACTION, I’M HAVING A FRIGGIN’ REACTION TO THE ART WORK THAT’S BEEN MODESTLY FOLDED INTO THE PAGES OF TINA’S BOOK. WHY!?!? here’s why, because not only has a friggin’ genius just given my old old old stupid stupid (drunk on my own Kool-aid drinking) stupid ass the time of day, but she’s also complimented me (i really hope she complimented me, because I can lie to myself like a som-be-itch) and she’s good. I’d just been sneak attack style body slammed in the best way possibly… or worst, i don’t know… it’s all blurry now.
Back to the story… At this point, my inner Jan Brady races down the emotional hallway to her bedroom (where she hides things like pride, self worth, unrealistic fantasies and stuff like that). Once safe within the confines of her room, she tossed her tortured ego onto the bed, buries her stupid face into her stupid pillow and cries her stupid self into an even deeper dream sequence where she transforms into random robotic animal warriors who carry power swords that shoots golden light and… forget it, I’m losing my point. So yeah, TINA KIM IS AN ARTISTIC BADASS and… Yep… I really did lose my point. So anyway, that’s kinda how we met. Since then, we’ve traded a few emails at which point she’s even issued an extremely well written and easy to process list of areas of opportunity regarding my own work.
WHAT THE HELL AM I TRYING TO SAY WITH ALL OF THIS!?!? HOLY CRAP, I’M EVEN GETTING ON MY OWN NERVES. It comes down to this… I consider Tina Kim to be a friend of mine… A friend I hold in outrageously high regard. Not only because she’s remarkably connected and in control of her gift, but she’s really friggin’, cool, and completely unassuming. That said, please enjoy some examples of her work . Down below you’ll see that I’ve placed some items from her latest sketchbook. Please do yourself the favor of checking them out, being impressed and following her online. I’m not just blowing sunshine here, I’m serious.
OH! and if the mood strikes, don’t be afraid to reach out to her as she’s friggin’ cool as hell… I mean she’s pretty busy with school and getting her whole future thang set up but… that’s all I’ve gotta say.
This is piece of work that Tina did for me and you might notice that she refers to me as her “Megamigo”… swoon
Above is the cover of the 2012 sketchbook… No lie, there’s badass little comics in there and they’re good.
One of my favorite parts of the 2012 book… eeeeeeppppppiiiiiccccc. I want to live in THAT WORLD… as a robot.
UGH!!! awesome… I love this spread.
Okay… Tina has this exercise that she does… She has friends draw shapes for her and she then fills the shapes in with genius… This is just one of many that you’ll find in her book. They’re all really compelling and I dont know why i picked this one to put up. I love ‘em all.
And here’s a crazy for you… My big Sister and I used to do this very same exercise when i was a kid. She would draw odd shapes (sometimes she would even draw them to look like something familiar) and challenge me to fill them in but I could just go with the obvious.
I thought we were the only ones but no… How cool is that?
Below you’ll find end of Tina’s book (there’s tons more, but i didn’t wanna just put ALL of her stuff out there). I think she really wraps her self up quite well. Reading it actually makes me second guess hitting send on the poorly pieced together mess that has become of this post… It’s no secret, I CANNOT write. But then how else would i be able to share, so… here we are and this it.
I hope that you guys got something out of my little rant. If you want MORE TINA, just hit the resources noted below.
leadloaded.deviantart.com
twitter.com/tinakimart
Now go and enjoy.
Up and out,
Mike
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Just a quick one before i start getting ready for the days ahead…
I had this big plan to post at least once a day, every day for the entire week following Megacon, but stupid old work kept getting in the way… FAIL! No biggie, this just extends the whole process and I now have an excuse to mope around all pissy and bummed out that my favorite weekend of the year has once again come and gone (dammit, it leaves such a hole in my chest).
Anyways, I’ll hit you with the some NEWS, some updates and some art.
NEWS: In an act of aggressive kindness grace and trust, my new friend Aaron Pierce has invited me to table with him at this weekends TAMPA BAY COMIC CON!!! I’m amped nervous and it should be a blast… I’ll hit you with updates as they come about. for now, just check this out http://www.tampabaycomiccon.com/
UPDATES: DEEP SPACE TRAGEDY STARTS THIS COMING MONDAY MORNING!!! Check it and touch base with me… Also, there’s still some Deep Space Demos up there on the right hand corner of the screen and i wanna know what you think. Give ‘em a spin (or a thousand) and lets hear your thoughts. 
ART: I got a chance to pick up a couple things while at Megacon and I’m holding off on dispatching this huge list of stuff. This way it gives me a chance to shed a little love-light on some of the folks that grabbed my attention at the show.
Today, I’m posting a crappy ass cell phone picture of an unbelievably slick and classy print that I purchased from a chap names Ant Lucia. Check him out at http://antlucia.com/index.html . We never got to talk too long as I tend to be a spaz. I had to fight of the urge to continually pass by, wave and remind him of how cool he is for letting me buy this piece… Either way, GO LOOK AT HIS WORK. Another cool point of interest is that this print is one of very few pieces I’ve gotten into the house with my wife’s approval. She can be so uppity with her “no zombie art in the living room” BS. Okay, enough of me… Check this guy out!
I also have some updated contact information for my good mate DAVID ALLEN ROBY! He’s the mad metal headed glass eating baby frightening angel of darkness who did like 98% of the work on the Deep Space Demos. He’s cool, we’re tight (despite the fact that it breaks his black black soul to know that Ive posted unfinished versions of his work) and he’s an unreasonably gifted person who composes music that’ll break your heart as easily as moving you to wanna jump into a pit and break your brothers arm (all in the name of sweet sweet metal love). Look him up at http://perf.tamu.edu/blog/people/david-roby/ as well as http://invademyprivacy.com/ . In regards to the link to invade my privacy, there’s a couple other folks who live there and I’m gonna be spraying some sunshine all over then in the days to come, but everyone gets a turn and the time isn’t right… NOT JUST YET. My suggestion for you is to truck on over, look Dave up and once finished with him, check out all of the other talented bastards who post there (at www.invademyprivacy.com … there’s also music as well as comic art. 
OH YEAH… I do a little podcast with my friend Ed http://9mmstudio.com/. We’re called VOR and this is where you should go to listen US ROCK! Actually, on the most current show, i’m an obviously freaked out over stimulated over medicated mess… Listen in and enjoy me at my worst. Cheers.
Okay, I wanna hit publish and run…
Up and Out, Mike
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Okay, so I had this awesome plan to do a big cool review of Megacon with all kinds of photos that I took with my phone and the idea was that it would kind of move through each day hi lighting events as they took place. BUT (and it’s probably MY FAULT because the good folks over at word press couldn’t be the ones to blame for such a confusing set up) I cant seem to make it come together in order. SO! I’m gonna chat for a sec and slam up 4 pics and call it done because i dont wanna keep you any longer than I already have.
So Megacon was great but getting ready for it was nothing shy of hell (as I know it is for everyone who takes part). However once you get there, it’s easy to forget about all of the work, tears and sacrifice involved with having everything set up… I mean it’s all REALLY worth it.
The night before the show, I met up with the Nerd Nation gang as well as the guys from Cosmic Times (Both from South Florida). Nerd Nation is a podcast and community of people who love comics, indie artists and all things that could go along with that vibe (as well as drinking, staying out too late and having their “stuff” together). Cosmic Times is in the business of producing great comics for the world to enjoy (and like Nerd Nation, they also have it together). I (for reasons I’ve forgotten) was invited to join Nerd Nation on their first ever Indie Artist Panel that showcased artist from Cosmic Times. As stated, this was Nerd Nations first ever panel and you’d NEVER have known this from the outside, looking in… It was a total success. Not only was the room completely full for the duration of the 2 hour panel but a punk named Mike Wagganer got to meet and hang with a bunch of really wonder people who are now members of the DEEP SPACE TRAGEDY community. The Nerd Nation Indie Artist Panel was a wonderful opportunity and I cant thank the team enough for allowing me to be a part of it.
Now all of that was just the panel, which took place on the second day of the con. By that time, I’d already met a load of great comic art lovers and all around cool people who’d pretty much made me feel like a friggin’ movie star or something.
Not only THAT, but some of the artists on show at Megacon this year were showing off pieces that floored me… So much talent in one place at one time… No wonder there were like thousands of attendees.
I could honestly go on and on about this for weeks… Heck, I still think about last years Megacon all of the time. But what I wanna do (in order to keep myself from reflecting on the present), is pick out a couple more shots from moments that made this event so very very special and call this thing done… sound cool? Here we go!
My first commission on the very first day… I was asked to draw him as a Nightmare before Christmas character. the response was way more than i’d expected and it really set the tone for the whole event
This next pic here actually had me on the phone to my Mom… I grew up with this stuff, how could I leave that show without making this MINE
YES! That’s a custom piece… A one of a kind from Dan Parent HIMSELF. I now own a piece of history.
Okay, so as it stands, I’ve shared a couple pics and I’d assume that it’s no mystery to you that I had a lot of fun, but I CAN NOT let you go until i share jjjuust a couple more.
This next shot is of new friends to the Tragedy, Cory and Tia… We met at the panel and they came back the next day to chat with me at my table. They’re an awesome couple and I had a good time getting to know them. However, upon telling them about my new Josie sketch (by legendary Dan Parent) I noticed that Tia looks oddly familiar…
C’MON!!! That kid could be Josie! and I strongly urge her to start a band… However I think Cory should start carrying a bat around with him. ha ha Seriously, very cool folks and it was my honor to hang out. Thank you guys for making the con so great.
Now Cory and Tia arent the only cool folks I got to meet, there were tons of ‘em (literally).
The next and last photo (for now) represents a moment that I will never forget… NEVER. It’s important, so it’s getting a place of honor on mikewagganer.com because … I don’t know, the encounter just body slammed my heart and made me wanna cry one of those ugly cries where you gag and sweat and snot bubbles come flying out. Seriously.
This is me and Lucy. Lucy is an artist and she came to my table in order to pick up a replacement copy of my sketchbook as her other one is worn out. She digs my work and told me so (right to my face). How awesome. Awesome awesome awesome.
So cool!
I’m gonna leave it there for now and post more tomorrow.
You guys have a good night and look forward to cool cool stuff coming out this joint.
Up and Out, Mike
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Mornin’!
Just a quick one to let you guys know that the bots and I made it back from Planet Megacon in one piece… Sort of. They seem fine and I’m SPENT!
Regardless of all that garbage, I’m chomping at the bit to tell you about this past weekend. All in all there’s really only 3 words to describe the whole event, AWESOME AWESOME and AWESOME! Megacon 2012 was bigger and better than ever and I CANNOT wait to give you every detail.
Okay, so here’s the deal… I have some work to catch up on, but while doing so, I’m putting together a nice update for you with pictures of some of the unreasonably cool people I met, things i saw, things i did and things I picked up. ALSO, I’m gonna post some details regarding the GO LIVE OF DEEP SPACE TRAGEDY and the BLACKLIGHT FREEFALL as well, my buddy (Brett) is preparing (as I type this) 2 DEMO tracks of music from everyone’s favorite robot rock band DEEP SPACE TRAGEDY… That’s right, The songs are gonna be available here at mikewagganer.com! C’mon, this is friggin’ EEEEPPPPPIIIIICCCCC!
So we’re thinking that Monday, February 27th would be as good a date as any to get this thing in gear, so… Hold tight and stay close, I dont want you to miss a thing.
Am I forgetting anything? Megacon 2012 update, the GO LIVE FOR THE NEW BOOK, NEW MUSIC and OH! I’m also gonna be posting some cool links for a few items that I think you guys and gals oughta enjoy.
This is an exciting time for us and DEEP SPACE TRAGEDY IS YOUR STORY so please hold on tight, it’s about to begin.
Okay, so I’m off to get some stuff bolted down… All you need to do is keep your optics focused on this spot.
Please excuse the manic nature of this post as I’m still foggy from con and flyin’ a million miles an hour.
Be right back… Up and Out, Mike
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Yo!
Everything’s falling into place thus far… I JUST got the call to come pick these up… They’re Deep Space Tragedy T-shirts!!! Brett and I are gonna be wearing them at the table, so look for these shirts if you’re in the market for DEEP SPACE TRAGEDY and trouble.
Also, I’m working on getting the kinks out of the designs and a way to make these available to the Bro-bots of the world. Hit me up with ideas and stuff and lets see if we can’t fashion the world in Tragedy
Up and Out!
Bathroom/ cellphone pics are so trashy and awesome, i couldn’t resist the idea of posting these. And notice the sexy duck face in the bad guy shirt pic… yeah, im one of those type of girls… Good for nuthin’ but fun!
Cheers!
