Animator's Dream: Meet the sidekick Tigercat

"This is Tigercat. Where's my prey?" -Tigercat

Continuing the blog posts of discussing my characters, we now move on to the sidekick of the hero. A staple in any literary or work of fiction, every hero needs a companion to guide them along their journey; to keep safe and simply keep company. While the hero earns the friendship of others along the way, it's the sidekick that stays with a character from beginning to end.

Tigercat, Kirk's sidekick

Thus we are introduced to Tigercat. The creation of animator Kirk, Tigercat is basically a female variant of Fire Leo the Fox but with feminine features and only having one tail. Compared to the rest of the characters in 'Animator's Dream', she is the most normal of the cast. That said, she has some unique characteristics of her own; she's an animal based animation, which means she has enhanced senses and immununity to most mind control methods. She also inherits the memories and skills of Kirk, making her proficient in combat. Even when she's lacking super powers or the ability to craft things in real time, Tigercat is a force to be reckoned with.

Something else is that she knows of the mission to protect the Animated World and defeat an evil organization. Tigercat is also aware of a secret organization tasked with defeating this evil group, and who created the magic pencil. How does she know of this? Read my 'Animator's Dream' novel when it's released on the market.

Now then, if there were an adaptation of my novel that required voicework, Wendee Lee would be my pick for this and plenty other characters. To begin with, Wendee Lee is very versatile with her talents. Her Haruhi Suzumiya voice would be perfect for Tigercat, as the character in this novel is young but also a go-getter, too.

Trivia:
-Tigercat is designed after Fiona Fox, an original character from Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comics.
-The main inspiration for this character comes from a friend of mine

Animator's Dream: Meet the hero Kirk

Kirk, the hero, in his human form

"It's perfect, my first picture drawn with a magical pencil."

Well then, since I have the audience and premise out of the way it's time for me to introduce the characters. After all, what story would be complete without characters making it possible?

First, the hero of Animator's Dream. His name is Kirk, just Kirk. He's a graphic designer and art director as a means of earning a living. For fun, however, he's a writer and artist, and is into animated works; games; and other works of fiction. His age is around his mid-to-late twenties, so he's a young character. He's also somewhat of a nice guy, though beware his wrath should you want to hurt his friends and loved ones.

He's the staple young hero, though he's a bit of an unwitting one at first. His journey begins at the convention Otakon, where he wins a large sum of money and a fabled pencil. It is through the pencil that his story begins.

In the animated world, he uses the character drawing that won him the contest to blend in with its denizens. Named Fire Leo the Fox, the character serves as the animation form of Kirk. In this form, Kirk has greater strength; enhanced sight and hearing. He can also detected stealthed foes with limited ability. These attributes alone give Kirk's animation form a greater edge against other people in the animated world. He's also quite the brawler when he needs to fight in melee. Despite his animation form's karate outfit, he uses boxing and Krav Maga (Israeli fighting style that uses dirty tactics and simple strikes to down foes). Usage of martial arts is limited due to impracticality.

Fire Leo the Fox, Kirk's animation form

Speaking of edges, he doesn't have any fancy powers or magic to help him fight whatever adversaries stand in his way. Because of his pop culture knowledge, he can craft any weapons and tech he can think of with the magic pencil. From high powered pistols that can down even light vehicles and helicopters, to man portable railgun cannons that shoot bowling balls, and armored suits and mecha with unmatched firepower. Whatever dreams Kirk has, he can now make into reality.

He also gains a mysterious katana along his journey, also with great powers. Who crafted the blade and the pencil? For what purpose? The only way to find out is to read Animator's Dream.

Now then, if there were to be an adaptation of my work whether a game or animated work, I'd pick Johnny Yong Bosch to voice Kirk. Johnny's known for playing heroic and, to a degree, dark themed characters. He'd also be an allusion to Kirk's animation form, given that his Adam Park character was the Black Ranger in the early Power Rangers series.

Trivia:
-Kirk is based off of me, mostly due to my age and mannerisms
-Fire Leo the Fox was originally going to be called Kung Fu Black Armor Tails, but the name was changed due to risks of copyright infringement. The two-tailed fox and martial arts outfit design still remains, however, and I think a name like Fire Leo would be more memorable.
-The name Fire Leo is a reference to two works; TechnoSoft's Thunder Force series with the main Fire Leo star fighters, and Viewtiful Joe's Inferno Lord Fire Leo. I primarily got the name from the former, though.

Animator's Dream: What's the Premise?

I discussed in my previous blog post regarding my novel "Animator's Dream" who my intended audience and what the genre of the novel was. The Reader's Digest is that it's a fantasy novel with a mix of other genres, and the audience is young adults and anime and manga fans.

Yet, what about the premise of the book? A genre and audience is meaningless if a story is nothing more than an excuse plot. In that case, the premise of the story goes as follows:

Young Kirk is attending Otakon during his vacation from his graphic designer job. At the convention, there's a contest awarding the winners $500,000 plus an artifact resembling a pencil. Kirk wins the contest thanks to his character drawing, but while the money is nothing out of the ordinary the pencil he wins is. He uses the pencil he won to craft another character, which comes to life thanks to the pencil's powers. His second character, named Tigercat, explains the contest was meant for Kirk to win and the pencil contains great powers. She also explains that the pencil was sent by great beings in the midst of a war against an evil force. With that, Kirk is sucked in by Tigercat to the world of animations, and along with new friends to be made he carries on his shoulders new responsibilities and the fate of the animated world.

So, that's the premise of the novel. It's a simple introduction and admittidely a bit cliche, but then again most works in this day and age aren't one hundred percent original anymore. That said, considering the theme and elements used in this book there's still a hint of freshness present. In the end, it's how the content is handled and not what kind of content is present.

Oh, and I also plan on adding in characters and character biographies as I go along in the novel. Knowing who and what the characters are is an integral element of any story.

What is the genre and audience of Animator's Dream?

I've been writing my novel, Animator's Dream, since 2010. It hasn't been published yet, but I'm hoping to do that at least next year, if not before the end of this year. It's been a long haul, but I'm hoping that these years of planning and writing will pay off somehow. Now then, I'd also like to discuss what the genre of my book, the kinds of characters involved, and who the intended
audience is.

I admit my novel is mixed in terms of genre. Primarily the novel belongs to the fantasy genre because of certain magical elements, but there's other genres mixed in as well. Some elements give off a science fiction vibe, others that of action, and in a few instances there's horror and drama in the mix. There's even a small element of romance because of interaction between two characters later on.

Again, the novel is a fantasy novel due to the presence of angels and devils. While overused, this novel provides my take on these beings as being a part of organizations residing in the novel's world. While I won't give away details, these angels and devils in the novel were influenced by pop culture in our world. Based on analyzing and adapting our pop culture, the beings develop their own personalities and tastes from what they observe. While still being a product of my doing, it explains how and why these characters act and even dress the way they do.

The story is aimed at a young adult audience as well as those versed in pop culture, especially anime and manga. The young adult part comes from the fantastical elements, and how the story is about a normal person like you or me taking responsibility and learning to survive in a different world. He's got friends he makes along the way to make his journey easy, but he also must watch himself at every turn, for there are those who want him dead. Also, he's tasked with playing the hero like rescuing hostages or fighting on behalf of a resistance; a futuristic special forces group; and even great beings. He even develops a relationship with a character, and their relationship and how the two bond become a part of the narrative. The pop culture fan base also gets to enjoy the references made in the book, ranging from characters resembling other popular characters, to tools; tech and weapons based off of works of fiction or even real life. I wanted to make sure there was something for everyone to enjoy, since while there's the jokey one liners and action scenes, there's also the serious elements like taking responsibility; learning to help others in need; standing up against those who do harm; and learning to meet and befriend others that are new to people.

One more thing I wanted to point out is that the book has violent moments, and there's bits of profanity and pretty ladies wearing certain dresses. That kind of content, however, is mild compared to other works aimed at young adults or even children. While characters are killed through weapons, it's not an all-out gore fest. The outfits worn by certain characters don't push the limits
of what's acceptable too much, either.

Overall, this is the audience and content I hope to aim for with my first written novel. Young adult and fantasy novels are very popular, but so is pop culture. Those elements right there are how I will aim high with this novel as well as my future work. After all, finding the right market and the right publisher and agent helps greatly in getting my work to take off.

Wunderlist: A wunderful way to keep track of tasks

Daily life has always been filled with tasks both big and small. Not once does a day go by without having a chore to do or an important task that's not in the workplace. Traditionally, notepads written down with lists were used. This was before the age of the smartphone, however, and that method is on life support at best. Yet, people need to keep track of tasks and chores so they don't repeat themselves doing the same thing.

Wunderlist, one such app, is responsible for fulfilling the job of keeping track of tasks. Developed by German company 6Wunderkinder, now owned by Microsoft, Wunderlist is a task management program for both the PC and mobile devices. The app features scheduling tasks, repeating tasks, creating folders and lists, sharing lists, and other abilities. You can also print out your list of tasks and
even insert files in those lists, but considering there's online cloud drives and external flash drives as well as the app being available on mobile devices, those features are pointless.

I use this app every day to keep track of tasks that I've done and needed to do. If there's a homework assignment to complete, I put it in a school list and put a due date on it. If I need to complete a chapter in my novel by a certain date, I set it in a dedicated novel list and set a date. Even if it's something mundane like taking pictures of myself or writing a number of Twitter postings, those tasks go in to the Wundelist app. This app has done me more than one favor, and has kept me on track of completing tasks when need be.

The best part about this app is that, again, it's not exclusive to a PC despite being owned by Microsoft. Android and iOS users have the luxury of being able to use this app, and even Amazon Kindle and Smartwatch users get to have access to this app. This means a lot, since managing completed tasks on the go helps with those that are trying to multitask.

The app in question is a freemium program, that is, it's free to download and use but certain features are exclusive to paid owners. Said features include unlimited file sharing; unlimited assigning; unlimited sub-tasks; and backgrounds for pro-only users. Most of these features are irrelevant, though, and users are better off just sticking to the free version.

Overall, this is a great app to have when you feel overwhelmed with everyday or rare tasks. Not only will users be able to complete tasks in a timely fashion, but you'll feel great about it when you start crossing off items from your lists. I started using this app again to finish tasks in weekly periods, and I've gotten things done because of it. It makes the old notepad writing tasks obsolete, and it motivates me greatly to actually get work done.

Download the app for android here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wunderkinder.wunderlistandroid&hl=en
Download the app for chrome here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/wunderlist-for-chrome/ojcflmmmcfpacggndoaaflkmcoblhnbh?hl=en
Download the app for iOS here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wunderlist-to-do-list-tasks/id406644151?mt=8

Drawing Manga: A Tutorial Book Well Written and Drawn

Art has been around since the dawn of man, as a means of recreation or telling a message. It has been done many ways, but the most common one being on paper or canvas. Manga is, in a way, an extension of that art combined with the printed book. It's become a popular medium starting with the turn of the millennium, but fans want to learn to draw in that style because of it. In a way, it's become a passion to those fans.

In response, publishing companies have been hiring writers and artists to craft how-to books for those interested. One of those companies, Penguin Group, stepped up to the plate with their Idiot's Guides line-up of books (and no, I'm not making that name up). Published in 2008, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing Manga teaches newbies and aspiring artists the ropes of the Manga style of art. The book was written by John Layman, while David Hutchinson provided the illustrations.

The book in question is pretty straightforward. It starts out with the basic shape making techniques, then evolves to piecing them together to make a figure, and goes on to making the faces of each character. Speaking of characters, the book explains how to make characters young and old; male and female; and even human or animal. Eventually, the book even teaches how to make Manga of their own via panels; props and speech bubbles.

The book is well illustrated and thought out, and is listed in a step-by-step fashion making it easy for those that want to follow along. It also details everything readers need to know about the Manga style without over complicating the process. This book even helped me with the creation of character art for my upcoming novel, Animator's Dream.

Overall, if you want to be a Manga artist yourself and are seeking a quality book then this is the one for you. With quality illustrations and simple instructions, this book will help those seeking to do art in the Manga style and craft works of their own.

Buy the book on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Drawing-Illustrated-Edition/dp/1592578233/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

There's also an updated variant of the book on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Idiots-Guides-Drawing-Manga-DK/dp/1615644156/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1HR0BZ8RYJGMTZDHCTMT

I know I'm learning Japanese: A review of Berlitz's Japanese Dictionary

Learning a foreign language, though difficult, has many perks. Not only is it easier to visit and live
in foreign countries, it's also handy to show off your friends and family. For an added bonus, if you
know of any family; friends or celebrities that know a foreign language they can have a bilingual
conversation with you. Again, foreign languages are no cakewalk but it's well worth the effort.

Companies specializing in translation have stepped up to the plate to make this possible for those that
are in need. Berlitz, the publisher of many a guide, is one of them. The one that I got in particular
was the Japanese compact dictionary. This guide provides people wanting to learn or write Japanese in a small book loaded with words from A to Z. It also discusses how to pronounce syllables and use the dictionary overall.

The dictionary I have, despite being from 2006, is still pretty accurate and helped me in writing
sentences. This is a big deal because I write a small portion of Japanese for some of the characters in
my novel. The words provided also detail exactly how to write them if need be. Another plus is how the book is small in comparison to other dictionaries, which could easily be used as doorstops if not fortheir importance.

In conclusion, this is a good dictionary to have when you want to learn Japanese in your free time.
That said, unless you want to translate anime or manga this book is just there for fun. There are other
languages that are more relevant in the international workplace, like French or Spanish, but as a means of passing the time and learning for fun it's a good little dictionary.

The newest edition of the book can be purchased here: http://www.amazon.com/Berlitz-Japanese-Phrase-Book-Dictionary/dp/1780042671/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444334421&sr=1-1&keywords=berlitz+japanese

mPoints: Another way to earn gift card money

Gift cards are a wonderful way of telling someone you care. If you can't figure out what to buy your friends or family, these are the easy way out. Sometimes you want gift cards of your own, so as to save money on more important things like living expenses.

mPoints is a service dedicated to earning gift card money. The rewards program offers multiple gift cards for varying amounts of points, and also features donations and sweepstakes for investing points in. The primary use of this program, however, is to farm for gift card money using apps.

Signing up is simple. Just put in your name and email address to connect yourself to the mPoints service. From that point on, you can use a multitude of apps to complete tasks to earn points. The apps using this service are very reputable, such as Dictionary.com; The Weather Channel; Intellicast; and Moviefone.

Though this service offers users to cash in points for sweepstakes and donations, the main draw is the ease of earning gift card money. Primarily, amazon.com is the candidate because of how widely used the service is and how the gift cards there never expire. I farm for amazon.com gift cards regularly and I've cashed in massive amounts of money in little time.

The only gripe is that a lot of apps have to be installed in order to take full advantage of the service. For phones with small amounts of space and lacking an SD card option, this presents a problem. God help you if you have a phone that can't take advantage of SD card by default without using special software or rooting.

In conclusion, this is a great service to earn gift card money on a weekly basis. Imagine being able to rack up cash and buy gifts for friends and family without breaking your bank. I've used this service to great success and have purchased things for myself and those around me. I would recommend this service to anyone.

The Martian: A bold movie going back to where man has gone before

Warning: Spoilers ahead, though you're going to ignore this warning because curiosity

Fall movies are not as monumental or spectacular as summer movies, but they compensate for emphasis on storytelling and character. Most of these fall movies are deeper compared to other seasonal films, and they often have the goal of attracting academy awards. Some are worthy of these awards, others are genuine stinkers.

The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott, is in line with the former. Based off of the Andy Weir novel of the same name, The Martian is the tale of an astronaut trying to survive on Mars after failing to evacuate during a storm. It features Matt Damon, having seen experience in a space oriented film in Interstellar, as well as Jeff Daniels; Sean Bean; Kristen Wiig; and Jessica Chastain.

The movie is about astronaut Mark Watney as he is stranded on Mars after a failed attempt at escaping during a storm. Using his knowledge of botany, he finds a way to grow food and survive longer until help arrives. The help in question comes from NASA, but back at NASA there's internal strife between members over how to maintain NASA's image. China eventually enters the fray, but they also debate on whether to help NASA with saving Watney. All the while Watney endures the perils of surviving on another planet and scavenges for supplies and equipment to hold out. Eventually, both NASA and China's Space Program work together to help bring Watney home alive and in one piece.

The movie stands out at how accurate it is with presenting what colonizing Mars would be like if a single person had to survive on the planet. It also portrays the politics of space program missions with deep intensity, as Jeff Daniels' character makes decisions based on maintaining NASA's image. It's also unique in that the film has a high degree of realism; there are no hostile aliens, rogue robots or androids, backstabbing or crazed humans, or anything of the sort. It's just an astronaut trying to get home.

The only issue is that some of the characters are not fully used in the film. While the story is about an astronaut trying to get home, the politics of the space programs also constitute importance. It's also the result of characters coming together to solve a problem that result in the conflict's resolution. The music score, while fitting, could have also used extra kick.

At the end of the day, it's the first good Ridley Scott film for the first time in years. It also marks a return to his science fiction roots, though calling this work science fiction is a bit of a stretch. This genre is better labeled as speculative fiction, about what could happen if a mission goes wrong and someone is forced to survived on another planet. That said, it's a sign of a director getting his groove back and showing that he can make good films once again. The Martian is also one of the finer films
to be released in a glut of sequel stagnation and mediocre adaptations. That is something that cannot be said for other films.