On The Border

I got Nakita to play Borderlands this weekend. Here's how that went: 

Also, it was my birthday last week, I am now 23 years old. Yes, I'm getting older. However, I am extremely lucky to have wonderful friends who got me very very drunk on my birthday and an amazing and beautiful girlfriend who carried me home and cooked an amazing dinner for everyone that night. Also, she made this kickass Pokeball cake. I mean, look at this thing: 

And it was deliciously super effective.

I think this is going to be a great year.

Topping Last Year

I made a mistake last year. I made what I consider to be the best Birthday card ever. I spent ages debilitating over what to draw for my friends card, and I knew I had to make it awesome. I was pretty proud of myself, and you can see the card here. Last year I collaborated with Mr Kaoskongo and the gang and it turned out pretty damn cool.

But that was my mistake. I had made the card TOO awesome. How on earth was I going to top that? I mean it had a sword! And an achievement bar! And a naked lady riding my friend drawn as a Centaur! 

Then Nakita Internington had the best idea. And it hit me, I knew what I had to draw. Here are the pictures. 

Cover of the card. The M is so that he figures out which way it opens. 

Detail shot of cover.

And then BAM! It pops up! 

Bula pattern cloaks. What all wizards are wearing this season. 

Oh noes evil centipede of doom! (Or Caterpillar if you're Sharky) 

That's right, you can move the lightning bolt around.

PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW

So materials were pretty much two A3 sheets of 250gsm glossy card, one sasa stick, a whole lotta glue and cellotape. I did all the art digitally this year, as I have been doing my hardest to master the wacom tablet.

We got that printed at the print shop, after working out a prototype to see how big we should make the individual pieces, then Nakita cut out all the little fiddly bits (she is very pro at that, way more patient than I am with the corners and in general)

Now...what the heck am I going to do about next year...

Don't Panic!

Birfday card for Mr. Mortis.

Was a bit rushed though, I really need to draw up like a timetable of everyones birthdays and get them done in advance.

Ka-Ding!

Mike gained another level yesterday (in terms of yeaaars) so the gang put their collective thinking caps on and we made him a card. And had dinner and beers and such, we're not that cheap :P

Mr. Kaoskongo is the man who made that awesome achievement bar, I drew the centaur. I could feel my inner furry trying to get out, but I punched him in the head so hopefully this doesn't awaken something in me.

Totes Forgot to Title this Post

Quick card I made last night for a birthday. Not completely happy with how it turned out, but methinks it did the job.

Anyway, I have had like, 7 hours of sleep in the last 2 days. Work + games + thoughts = lack of sleep.

Achievement Unlocked: Chaperon Young People!

So, it was the sisters 18th birthday this weekend. She was fortunate in that she had her actual birthday on a saturday, unlike some people who will have theirs on a tuesday. Seriously, that's a lame day for a birthday. I guess if you were an optimist you would say that it would brighten up an otherwise dull day. Silly optimists.

The lazers were useful for keeping the kids in line.

She had a pretty cool party, with balloons, much sangria and merry making with friends. I had to don the role of chaperon for the evening, you know, make sure that the kids didn't do anything crazy like try to dance on the tables or do vodka shots with their eyeballs.

Highlights of the evening included one of her silly friends skidding a lit candle across the table onto my lap, yelling at a very silly individual who decided to make a mess all over the table and generally watching all these kids get progressively tipsy.

And now, for something completely different.

This picture was on my hard drive for some reason.

Remember when I had that weird trip about getting a job in the service industry? It appears I have relapsed due to repetitive insistence by family and friends for me to find a "real" job.

Actual quote: "You need to just go and get yourself a shitty job, preferably with bad pay and working conditions. Something traumatising, you know?"

I'm looking into it, who knows, this could lead to my writing improving from real world experience. You know, dealing with actual human beings instead of the imaginary ones in my head.

More on this as it develops. Full story at ten.

Yes, actually, I am trying to save the world

i have had one of the most inebriated weekends ever, and if you've read this blog enough, you might notice that that is quite a statement for me :P

friday was the last day of my surveying job, and it was a doozy. i spent the day wandering around valelevu asking people questions. twas quite the experience. the three moments that really stand out were pretty good ones.

there was the saleslady who asked me, after i told i her i didn't want a plastic bag, if i was trying to save the world. this surprised me. i mean, how did she know?

then there was the carrier driver, who proceeded to tell me his whole life story, including the part about his father losing a leg, and him having to start driving carriers at the age of 15. a carrier is basically a truck by the way, for those who came in late.

and finally, there was the little old lady in her small tailoring shop, which i had ducked into to get out of the rain. she sat at her sewing table while i asked her questions about mobile phones, and was just the sweetest old lady you'll ever meet. in the end of the interview, she asked me if i was related to my uncle. that is, she knew my uncle, and wanted to know if i was related to him.

then there was the barrel night...which i drank a silly amount of beer and then went to watch Hellboy 2. it was an amazing film, but this may have had to do with the beer.

and then came saturday. i went to see an old friend of mine, who's birthday is on the same day as me, to wish him...happy birthday. then i went to the surprise party at my house...which i knew nothing about. nuh uh. not me.

the party was awesome. i drank a silly amount of alcohol, and probably said some things that were silly. but i had an excuse at the time because it was fer my birthday, and Arjays birthday :P

what? examples of silly things?

albert: what, you guys are leaving? you're going to make me sleep alone on MY birthday!

everyone: laughs

albert: hey, i TRY ok, at least i TRY

ronna: giggle giggle

albert: oooh, she's laughing...that's a good sign!

EDIT: yesh, the conversation has been updated, i was drunk! i can't remember most of what i said! fanks sharky =_=

Also, the girlfriend wrote me a poem for my birthday. twas the sweetest thing anyones ever written for me. it also involved strippers :P

so what did i do on sunday? i mean, after the copious drinking on friday and saturday? why, go to John Michaels house to drink of course.

so all in all, it was a pretty good birthday weekend. lotsa booze, lotsa laughs, and lotsa fun.

also, because i am still taking a short break from drawing comicses, here is a pinup i prepared earlier.

hangovers and smiles

it's possible to have huge ones at the same time.

i have the best friends in the world, and the greatest girlfriend ever :)

there will be elaborations when my head stops throbbing :P

also, ding! 19!

Moi Mouf 'urts

from all the talking i've been doing...silly!

yesh...the questionnaires that i have been given to complete are about 20 minutes long when you've finished asking all the questions and whatnot. and i have to complete about 20 a day. so...yesh, all in all it's 400 minutes of asking the same questions 20 times to 20 different people. i'm young though, so its okay ^_^

i read somewhere that you should try as many things as possible while you're young, stupid, and can still recover from it. if so, i'm pretty much on my way there. i mean, in the past year alone i've drawn and colored for comic magazines, been at an advertising firm, designed ads, blankets, website banners, sung in a band ( ^_^b ) and been a part of a marketing survey. 'tis been an adventure, and its just July.

i had...fun today. most of the gang i asked went through the whole questionnaire, and were really nice about it. one guy even gave me a couple bowls of grog while i was interviewing him. i also managed to stumble upon the local secretary of the Fiji Taxi Union, Mr. Rishi Ram. twas interesting, because when i asked for his name, he was all, "what? you don't know who i am? i'm on the front of todays Fiji Times darn it!"

then he took out the Fiji Times, and sure enough, the man's name was written there. in the bottom left hand corner. on the front page. really.

and yesh, i got a couple of people who recognised me because of my mum. but it's a small country, and to be expected :P

anyways, i am glad i have this short term job, and i'm not really feeling morbid about my birthday coming up at all.

We would be warm, below the storm

so, it was the girlfriends birthday today (unless i have taken too long to type this out, then it was yesterday). she is officially two years older than me for the next month and a half. i doan think she had the best birthday ever, but at least there was cake. and whiskey. admittedly she did not get to drink said whiskey, but it was there.

we (the girlfriend and i) had a nice talk about what to do in case of wolf attacks though. apparently, the plan is for me to toss her hiiiigh into the air (using my manly strength of course) and then proceed to punch the wolves. there have been nay-sayers who say, what if there are too many wolves, albert? what if they bite you with their sharp teeth and fangs? to this i say, there are never enough wolves.

the girlriend, though, says that she is prone to getting attacked by giant birds while airborne. therefore, an auxiliary course of action, where i throw a wolf at said bird, was agreed upon.

it's these conversations that remind me why i love that girl.

i need more Beatles music. i got my hands on the Octopuses Garden track in order to prove a point to someone, and realized that my collection of music is sorely lacking in the Beatles department. my dad used to sing the song to my sister and i as a lullaby when i was a wee babe, so it brought back some warm fuzzies listening to it again. this track also inspired the piece of art you see at the top of the post. i doan think that the octopus in the song had psychic powers though.

i have also rolled the most depressing looking undead warrior i could make, and named him Hiraedd. yes, i doan know if it will pass over me anytime soon.

and finally, i wish my skills were as awesome as this lady here: [link]