KenWongArt

Here is my first entry in a long time!  Started to scan and upload my drawings from my sketchbook.  Why not?  I've got a butt ton of photography too, but, I will start uploading photography and art sparingly.  By that I mean, I'm going to start being super choosy of what to upload.  

But, in the meantime, to make up for not having material up, I've already posted a batch of stuff up that I did for the past 6 or so months.  Lots of drawings I've been doing to pass the time or get my mind going.  I usually do that.  When I'm stuck in a rut, I either read or draw something to get my mind out of a bind.  Sometimes it works, sometimes not.  

If neither works out, I try to work out at the gym.  

I had fun at New York Comic Con!  It's been a long time since I've attended a comic convention!  My have things changed since!  I don't ever remember when comic conventions had this much of a turn out!  And the amount of people coming in dressed in cosplay!  Back then, there was no such things as cosplay!!  I remember only a handful of hardcore fans who came in as their favorite character in a real home made costume!  Now?  It's insane how much time and effort these fans put into their costumes!  

Yes, the con was fun but at the same time, it can be exhausting!  Braving through the mass wave of people, the sensory overload of all the big studios and company presence in putting product in front of your face!  And toys, toys and more toys?  By the end of the day my brain ended up being fried!  

Anyway!  I was most happiest of all with meeting a couple of great artists!  I've been wanting to meet one of my favorite artist Sean 'Cheeks' Galloway for the longest time!  I love his fluid, animated style!  It's got a bit of the anime feel to it, but with his own personal touch to it.  I tend not to like 'american anime/manga' artists as they seem to have only copied the big eyes and school girl look and the mech robots.  I don't mind the influence mind you, but I think it never evolves into nothing more than carbon copy.  Not so with Sean.  He has a very distinct style all his own and that's what caught my attention when I was first introduced to his work years ago by a friend.  So it was such a humbling moment to finally meet this person and to have him sign and draw for me in the two books I picked up from him!

A big surprise for me was an artist I've known of since the big Image days!  Ryan Benjamin!  Now, Ryan was a big surprise for me because when I saw his art book for Pancratia, I was floored!!  I was extremely happy to see this guy come from the stock of Image artist back in the day to his own personal style!  And his style is mind blowing!!!  It's great to see such a talented artist evolve with his own voice and move on to his own ideas!  Not that it's a bad thing to work for a big company but, from experience, it is such a liberating feeling to do your own thing and be free of big machine that just makes you sit there and draw what they want you to draw in the style they want you to stick to!

I think that is my biggest reason for having fallen off of the whole comic scene since the Image days.  The fact that everything was gimmicky, lack of story, lack of originality.  The artists were being bred to draw exactly like the Image guys.  So we come to now, and a lot of people are realizing their own potential.  Give the little guy a shot and he can do great things!  I'm in full support of what Sean and Ryan are cooking up!  I can't wait!  And, if anyone reading this cares (um, I don't even know if anyone even reads my blog because, well, who am I????), you should look up Sean Cheeks Galloway and Ryan Benjamin!!  Pick up their art books!  Bastion 7!  Pancratia!!  Gorgeous work!!!

Now, the down side, I didn't get to see Sean Murphy or Mike Mignola unfortunately!  Sean Murphy has been writing and drawing his own comic for DC's Vertigo imprint called Punk Rock Jesus.  I discovered his work from Joe the Barbarian!  Another incredibly, insane artist that makes me want to just toss my art supplies in the trash and give up altogether!

Mignola?  What can I say about Mignola?  I've followed Mignola from back in his Marvel/DC days!  Cosmic Odyssey, Gotham by Gaslight, Farfd and the Grey Mouser, Rocket Racoon, and his many covers!  I was one of the many who jumped right at it when he announced he was going to Dark Horse Legends to do Hellboy!  And I have never dropped off with his work!  The man is a genius!  Hellboy and BPRD are my favorite comics out today!!

So, that's it for my fanboy gushing!  I'm really inspired by my favorite artists!  I know I've been doing a LOT of photography but, from time to time I still pick up a pencil and doodle.  Looks like the masters have planted a newfound passion inside me to go out and put my long, dormant idea for a graphic novel back in the open again!  I hope this time I will keep at it!  And, it may mean I will start posting my drawings up again soon too!  

Again, who the hell is following me?  I'm a nobody!  But, I'd definitely be surprised if I do start getting feedback when I post up some new work soon!  We'll see!  I'm not looking for any recognition or huge success!  It would be nice though to have a few people like what they see right?

It's hard to put a new journal out for me.  I get easily bored with going on line to post something that's on my mind.  Specially at this point right now where I feel there are points I hit a wall and can't break that barrier down.  That's what is happening to me with the photography end of things anyway.  I've made more photographs but, I've also grown impatient when it comes to posting anything new.  I try but, I suppose I'm getting lazy.

Also, on another note, I've gotten back to drawing again.  A good friend of mine who works at the comic store has refueled my interest in comics again as well as introduce me to new artists that I am following.  And it's nice to see some great artists out there who bring something new to the table.  I'm really tired of the stuff that's being put out there.  Not knocking anyone's tastes, but personally, I don't want to see Joe Blo and his army of imitators draw every book out there (and the stories are feeling so gimmicky).  That's the biggest reason why I stopped reading comics in the first place.  

Thanks to my buddy, he's opened up a few eyes and now I'm slowly getting back into things.  In fact, it's gotten me back to drawing again.  I'll still be using photography though!  I'm not giving it up.  But, with my new skills, knowledge and experience, I have something extra to add to my creative tools.  Right now, amongst the crop of current artists, I'm following the likes of Sean Murphy (in complete awe of his storytelling.  You can make movies based off his panels!), Greg Capullo (despite his style coming from that Image brand, I am strangely attracted to his Batman run), & Joe Maduiera (sp?) (he's got a strange anime thing going but also, with a bit of his own 'american animation' flavor to it).

And I'm still following the greats: Adam Hughes, Jason Pearson, Brian Stelfreeze, Moebius, Alex Toth, Wendling, & Bolland to name a few.  I must add, I'm really disappointed that the All Star Wonder Woman from Mr. Hughes is not going to see the light of day.  Part of me really, REALLY HOPES that Mr. Hughes will one day return to complete it and just have DC release it as a big graphic novel!  

Yeah, that's all I have to say for now.

Been MIA from DA for quite some time I know.  I still photograph, although not as often.  Not because I'm bored of it.  Being here so long and taking so many photos, I feel there isn't much I can add in regards to interpreting NYC through photography.  While I still continue to push and challenge myself to find my voice in photography, I feel the need to do so outside NYC as there has been too many photos of it floating around already.  I'm quite sure there are still so many possibilities in particular areas of NYC.  And I hope I get to find myself in those opportunities throughout my constant explorations and aimless wandering about it.

Though I think the only thing I feel might change in the coming future is I will be adding more artwork hopefully.  It's been way too long since I last had any artwork up.  Things have been slow and I've been going back and forth between photography, art and filming.  I've got a plate full.  So hopefully I can keep focused and produce something creative for myself.

So I got my hands on a camera.  Not the camera I'd love to have but a camera nonetheless.  It's a start!  It's eventually going to lead up to my dream camera!  But, I'm loving the fact I got a camera in my sweaty, anxious hands again!  Time to play!