Oh! I forgot how much fun I have drawing this guy.

I also forgot to upload earlier.

Blogload 2: Haiku 1, G'pa, The Greatest Robot Needs Ron Podesta

Haiku 1: Turbulence in the Lavatory

You can't brace yourself

The plane messes with your aim

Diarrhea bomb

G'pa

I have a pretty good feeling one of the days this week was the birthday of my grandfather, Francisco Canilao. Since he passed away two years ago, members of his descendants have trouble remembering. Usually people would gather on those kinds of days, where they remember someone's life. It's strange that my family wouldn't do that, considering the fact that they're pretty darn religious.

My grandfather and I were never close. I like to think that none of his grandchildren were really close to him because of a language and culture barrier. I think Ernie Manansala, my cousin, thought he was close with him, but I think he was only thinking that our grandfather took care of us when we were little. To tell you the truth, he was a good man. A great man, even. He essentially started a great family, which I've only met half of when I think of it.

Francisco was a tough guy. I wish I knew him better.

If you're wondering if he influenced my choice in eye wear, yes, he did.

The Greatest Robot Needs Ron Podesta

(Illustration by Stephanie Herrera)

Look up comedy in a dictionary. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Alright, now that you’ve sat there for five seconds without doing a thing, comedy has four or more different definitions depending on which source you perused. Most or all of them contain some of these words: humor, amusement and entertainment. The Greatest Robot (in the World) embodies these three terms very well. Recent developments, however, have created a shift in the way The Greatest Robot is composed. (Keep in mind, though, that these changes are not very noticeable with the robot-relaunch that just happened earlier this week.)

Each member of The Greatest Robot has his own veritable comedic strengths. Elias Jimenez seems to be able to stretch into almost any role ranging from antagonists (“Pop-Tart Chase,” “Warm Chocolate”), oddball characters (Fandingo, The Exterminator, Turban-man on toilet, thug in “FBI’s Most Wanted: Waldo”), and victim/prey (“Military: The Dare,” “Sitcom Audience of Doom”). Marc Wondolowski shares Elias’ ability, but plays deadpan and legitimate kinds of humor noticeably well (“Deep in Thought with Marc,” “Pubes for Love,” “Biff: Time-Traveling Ron,” “CIA Techniques,” etc.). Ryan Fleites’ sketches seem to almost always contain some type of vulgar and offensive comments (“Tom Jenkin‘s Stand-Up”), dialogue (“Project Elias Cock”) or actions (“Mixed Signals,” “Spooge-O-Matic 5000”) and to be honest, he excels at them. Finally, Ron Podesta projects one of the more dynamic trends in comedy in recent years: over-acted comedy. However, to some complaint, Podesta doesn’t have try to hard to get some of his best moments across: “Ron-Cutters,” “Monopoly: It’s Not Just a Game,” “Ron-Roids,” “Zombie Ron,” “Ron Chokes,” “Marc and Ron’s Intimate Moment,” “Right Way/ Ron Way,” “Racoon Wrangler” and “Finger Guns.” While all of the sketches listed featured a somewhat limited amount of Podesta’s participation, he is a necessary element in almost all of them for different reasons.

It is difficult to fully describe what Podesta brings to The Greatest Robot, because he really just brings himself. For example, during “Right Way/Wrong Way” and “Racoon Wrangler” he doesn’t transform into another personality or character. Similarly, "Ron-Roids" and "Ron Chokes" feature little to no dialogue from Podesta. The actions, specifically, the believabilty of the actions, may seem to come across as poor, or even corny to a comedic critic, but it really is just Podesta's usual behavior that shines through these performances. The nature and diction of the dialogue captured in those sketches can be easily inserted into a casual conversation with Ron Podesta. Which may be the problem that caused Podesta's exclusion from the Robot-reinstitution.

It is not that Podesta’s ability to deliver is not criticized; he delivers satisfactory results with his recorded comedy. Rather, it is only his “Robot Work-Ethic” that is sometimes frowned upon. From personal testimonies with certain members of The Greatest Robot, Podesta has been described as "a burden to work with," "always late," "have to rationalize him to take on a questionable," "a lazy primadonna" and "knows his way around a [expletive]." These phrases may just be opinions, strong opinions, but they don't contradict or lessen Podesta's performances. Sketches that are infamously known within The Greatest Robot for Podesta's unwillingness to perform such as, "Ron-Roids" and "Vlad Counts to Ten" have become some of the more memorable comedic shorts in The Greatest Robot pantheon for the delivery of his lines or gestures in his actions.

With the second coming of The Greatest Robot, one would think that a major, and perhaps, integral part to the Robot would be eagerly anticipating to humorously make things awkward, and he is. In a personal conversation with Ron Podesta, he has expressed that he is "excited" to work with camera and comedy after the Robot-fallout nearly two years ago. However, if his renewed vigor to act would change his acting “style” remains to be seen in the coming months.

It may unlikely that Ron Podesta is a significant part to the comedy that is The Greatest Robot, and more likely that the four members together form an “unstoppable” force of humor. The case may be that Elias, Marc, Ryan and Ron really need each other to compose an entertaining ten minutes or less. With the Robot Revival at hand, the answer to these questions may soon be answered.

Plugs:

The Greatest Robot @YouTube

The Greatest Robot @Facebook

The Greatest Robot @blip.tv

The Greatest Robot @The Greatest Robot

It's not a miracle we needed

Don't rush.

Well, you have to, but don't do it.

Really.

Swab

I'm cooking some things up at the moment.

Try to enjoy this doodle from November 2009.

It may be a rare delight but, I'm sure I'll accidentally spit something good along the way while I work on art for Nouns, Diversity Stride, and Friends of Illustration events @NJCU.

There's also another surprise, but I think that will have to wait until next week.

The Instigator Vol 01, Issue 2.

(It isn't very professional or aspiring for me not to update my blog, so I apologize to you, the seven people who follow and the few who get linked on Facebook.)

The Instigator's second issue is being printed this week and features work by some people you may know! Many are associated with New Jersey City University, so it may be clever and somewhat becoming to call it the "Unofficial" Literature and Art Magazine of NJCU. In case you don't live around the Hudson county area, you can visit http://theinstigator.hostei.com/ for subscriptions and digital PDFs of the magazine. On the website you can visit the forum, see who runs the darn thing, and check out upcoming events. Yes, we have events.

Recent events have pushed me to create yet another blog @Tumblr. My Tumblr account motivated me to finalize my potential website name, too. Visit!: nar-esp.tumblr.com

The following image was done as participation in an NJCU Art and Design Association Secret Santa three months ago. Jared Reyes loves pandas so much he wants more of them roaming. Here's one way to make more:

Yes, it's titled "Bamboo Banger".

Yes, I'm aware it's a M.I.A. track.

Yes, the blog is completed.

Delayed...

Don't fretter. Blogload 2 will be around shortly.

I recently distributed some pet drawings/paintings. I wish I had properly cataloged them. Maybe the people I gave them to would do me a favor and properly scan them for me! (Pleasedosoat300dpi24-bitcolorandsendtobandit.revolver@gmail.com)

Ten minutes is all you need.

For "Decorating the Deans' Offices".

When anyone says "ten minutes," they usually mean ten or fifteen. I know, when I pick a specific person to go out or go to school or to open the door. I had to wait fifteen to twenty minutes.

That doesn't happen anymore, but it was cold when I didn't have a car, waiting by the door.

I really should try to finish writing other things, but I'm blurbing here because I can, and I'm trying to keep up my promise to publish something at least once a week here (on my blog which ports to Facebook) and Area221. I'll put links up at the end.



While I'm plugging, The Instigator magazine's first issue will be printed, I believe, next week. It's a really interesting start-up mag in a time when editorials are dropping like flies. So look out for this where ever you think you may find magazines. Or Keith Chiappone.

The Instigator - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237413493212&ref=ts

Area 221 - area221.blogspot.com

Nar-core - nar-core.blogspot.com

I'll be back next week with Blogload 2! (I hope).

They say you always remember your first time...

I apologize for the blank I posted last month. False alarm.

I am trying to get back into routine here, there and upside down. I bought a planner some weeks ago to try and keep my lives and heart-pieces organized. Believing and using some sort of life-scheduler was never something I did: partly because you had to manage the planner to manage your life. Essentially, to me, this meant even more work. Consulting your little green (or black) book to make sure things get done on time.

Target ran out of black books. So, I'm using a lime-green planner.

Fall 2009 was pretty rough for me, as most of the year was for a lot of people, but I'm pretty sure the state of the economy matches my experience with Color Theory. I'm not going to complain about it, since everyone who has ever endured the NJCU Art Course has probably heard many rants about the class' difficulty, pace, etc. Some people get color; some people don't.

I just need more time with it, apparently.

On to the show!

My first time I participated in Sketch Night @The Society of Illustrators in NY. It was a great experience: live music, bar, people and models to draw. You can't really ask for much more.

Speaking of more, it seems I spent more time drawing the model focused on these two pages from my landscape sketch book.

Perhaps, I gravitated towards the blonde model, as opposed to the brunette one, because her *ahem* breasts were offered more in terms of tonal value (or were they both blonde? I can't remember).

*ahem*

I'll be back next week.

I'm sad.

I'm sad that I haven't been able to post here since whenever it was.

I'm almost literally depressed that I haven't really been able to draw, because that's what I do.

I guess.

Here's what I have been doing (other than that Color class no one knows about):

Lettering & Type Design (with Campbell)

Ugh.

Elios: The Hairiest Man in Greece (with Elias and Mad)

I'm inking page three!

Caution (Comic Book project for BFA Exhibit)

Here's an excerpt from the script:

PAGE ONE

Four horizontal, silhouetted panels featuring one figure defending himself/fighting one hulking figure. Some of the background can be seen as simple diagrammatic lines. Maybe.

PANEL ONE

One figure dodges a heavy punch by crouching. The attacking figure is massive, hulkish, and wearing a suit.

MANNY (caption): A lot of people wonder about heroes. The fictional ones.

(caption2): Like Hercules, Sherlock Holmes, or even Spider-Man.

PANEL TWO

We see the hulkish-suit swing in a backhand motion as he recovers from the heavy punch he just missed. The smaller figure quickly lunges his torso backwards in an effort to dodge the backhand. His hand is almost reaching out to push against something.

MANNY (caption): They wish they had a life that was more exciting. "My life would be more exciting if I was slaying a dragon," they ponder.

(caption2): I say, "You don't know that."

PANEL THREE

Side view, whole body. The smaller figure tucks and rolls betwen the hulk's legs as the hulkish smashes through a crate with two fists.

MANNY (caption): People say FML like it will save the ecosystem or cure cancer. Like a prayer.

(caption2): People hate the lives they lead. They want to escape their lives. They want to be someone else.

PANEL FOUR

We are close to the front of the hulkish figure. The smaller one springs in the air, about to land a kick in his back.

MANNY (caption): I just want to be normal.

Hopefully things return to a normal state after December.

Remember.