If you’ve missed me the last few months…
…here is where I’ve been.
The Adventures Of Cabin “Ehh” is coming in the Spring of 2012.
Posted on 11 December '11 by zlorya, under New Work. No Comments.
Evaluate, Dissect, Analyze, And Understand
Your final exam is quite simple. Read the section of text below and then answer the essay questions that follow. Make sure to use complete sentences and properly clarify all of your points.
“My grandfather, then. Or it may have been my great
grandfather. That’s beside the point. They installed the first
television sets in cocktail bars-amusement places-and
used them to watch wrestling matches.”
“What’s a ‘wresting match’?” demanded Phyllis.
“An obsolete form of folk dancing,” explained her father.
-Red Planet (Robert Heinlein, 1949)
Questions:
1) Considering the time period in which this novel was written, How do you feel Heinlein perceived television and the influence it had on society?
2) Explain the choice of language Heinlein uses for each character. Judging from the words above, what are your perceptions of each character and their basic cognitive functioning? Use specific examples within the text to back up your point.
3) How awesome is the execution of that wrestling joke?
Posted on 26 October '11 by zlorya, under New Work. No Comments.
So, Elmira Has something special.
Elmira, that little town sandwiched in the middle of route-17, may be known for Mark Twain’s corpse and civil war POW camps but now those two pieces of history have some competition with Hero Bot Con.
This show was my first as an invited guest and I could not have felt more honored. Envision one moderately sided Elks Lodge packed with over five hundred art enthusiasts discussing everything from elaborate mixed media work to photo realistic paintings. I was in heaven.
When you go to bigger conventions the main focus is on collectibles and consumerism. Everyone walks in with a list of signatures and items they want to collect, they shell out ungodly amounts of money, and then go on their merry way until the next show occurs and more money is spent.
This show was considerably different. Rather than a room full of back issues and sketchy salesman the space was packed with enthusiastic comic book writers, artists, inkers, gamers, and fans. With only three merchandise vendors out of a potential fifty or so spaces (the remaining spots were all independent artists) this was something magnificent. To top it all off, rather than charging for entry the event was free with a food donation to the Elmira Food Bank. With about 580 visitors to the event they managed to raise over 1000 food items for the bank. The recent flooding and the up and coming winter it is guaranteed that these items will go to good use.
One of the artists I was lucky enough to meet was this fine gentleman, Mason (pictures above). He is a SUNY ESF grad who makes miraculous mixed media pieces with exacto knives and old newspapers. This work was fantastic. He cuts out specific colors from each paper then meticulously glues them together to make different images. I have never seen anything like it and one of his prints now sits on a wall in my office.
But, like anything, the rock stars have to come in and taint the place. Pictured above are Aaron Kuder (Artist on Key Of Z and Armory Wars), Charlie Paul Wilson III (Artist of The Stuff Of Legend and Superman), and Ken Wheaton (Typically a creepy old man but sometimes an inker for The Simpsons comics). I love picking on these guys for being the comic book big guns but they are some of the nicest people in the industry. Throughout the day they did sketches, talked about their experiences working professionally, and nerded out with fans. I’m constantly amazed at the work these three are able to accomplish.
Aaron is fairly new to the field yet creates some work that I’ve seen comic book veterans fail to do. The wonder woman piece he was working on was created without any photo references. Watch out for all three of these guys. I’m willing to bet within the next few years they will all be making work that will leave you breathless.
Overall, the whole experience was amazing. With any luck this will turn into an annual event and I will be invited back. If you ever have the chance to attend, I highly suggest it. Perhaps you will even see me there and receive a long overdue high five for checking out my website.
For more information about the show you can read The Star Gazette’s piece about it here (there might even be a segment about an unconscious animator you might be familiar with).
Stay Enthusiastic,
Ryan Zlomek
Posted on 16 October '11 by zlorya, under New Work. No Comments.
Still Cookin’ And Good Lookin’
In about 9 and a half hours I will be arriving at the Elks Lodge in Elmira for Hero Bot Con.
I apologize for focusing on this event so much in the past few weeks but I’m truly honored to have been invited to take part. As an artist often times you worry that your work goes unnoticed and that you remain the only individual able to connect to your creations. With that said, it has brought me great joy to know that others have familiarized themselves with my work and are as excited about it as I am. I also feel like this has forced me to step up my game and really explore some new artistic territory and I am pleased to say the results have been delightful.
Tonight the long awaited pumpkin brownies were baked and decorated. Each square has a mini-sketch on top drawn with tasty melted chocolate. No hydrogenated oils in these babies.
I love the way they came out and with any luck some of the lovely fans will too.
With that, all of my items are packed and ready to go. I’ve got my prints, patches, brownies, animations, sketchbooks, and pencil/pen case all excited to see the lights of the Elks Lodge.
Until then I should probably get some sleep and reserve some energy. Tomorrow is gonna get wacky. If you stop by the show please don’t hesitate to say “Hi,” “Hello,” or “Aloha” and request a high five or a sketch.
Stay Excitable,
Ryan Zlomek
Posted on 8 October '11 by zlorya, under New Work. No Comments.
I’ve Got 99 Problems But My Prints Ain’t 1
Elmira’s Hero Bot Con is about 37 hours away and I am ready to wow all (or at least few) attendees.
I’ve spent the last week putting all of these items together and sadly my 1AM photographic skills are not doing them justice. But please, consider the following:
Door Number 1 – The Faces Print
Black and white print on heavy cardstock paper. This print can be showcased from any side you choose. When rotated, the print reveals new faces you may not have noticed from other viewing angles. This optical illustrated illusion will keep you entertained far more than MacGyver re-runs.
Door Number 2 – The Robot Battle Print
Black and white print on heavy cardstock. Pick your side to cheer for. Will you root for the aggressive champion or the heartfelt challenger? The power is yours.
Door Number 3 – The Stencil Robot Prints
Multi-layered spray painted print. Created using multiple homemade stencils these prints are one of kind. Each print comes in a different color scheme. Made with my own blood, sweat, and back pain.
Each set of prints is limited to 33 copies. Get ‘em while they last.
Still to come: Homemade vegan pumpkin brownies with frosting sketches on top and hand painted cloth patches.
Get Stoked (That Means You Elmira!),
Ryan Zlomek
Posted on 7 October '11 by zlorya, under General Update, New Work. No Comments.
Ryan Zlomek (That's Me!) is an independent filmmaker, unconscious animator, amateur illustrator, creative writer and professional educator from Chittenango, NY.
