Victory!

Germany vs. Allied P.O.W.'s in a soccer match, to take place in occupied Paris, their loss is to demonstrate Aryan superiority, only one will achieve Victory!
Man I love this movie! Having recently purchase and watched "Victory" on DVD. It reminds me of how strong the influence of cinema can be on ones life (or at least my own). And how a good comic book ,can do the same thing. But perhaps on a more personal, more intimate level.

A few new works of mine, are to be published ,in the near future. And I find myself wanting to convey much like Hollywood does a message in my work.
Unlike Hollywood though, not a message filled with false righteous indignation( like many of the new crap); but one that lets people understand me on a more personal level and affects people.
The way a good movie or true to life story (with no hidden agendas) can express what sometimes can be difficult to express.

The first of these works will be short stand alone stories.
Two are for comic book anthologies. One from an established big publisher and the other from an up and coming group of individuals ,that make me excited about comics again! And the last has been along time coming!
Man I'm pumped!

new updates!!

Hey, the first part of this short comic, probably looks familiar to you all!
To make up for not publishing the rest of this earlier; I decided to add color, enjoy! Next up ,some comicbook reviews, from my reading room, see you real
soon!

Mikey's T-Shirt Shop !!

Just recently , I opened up a T-shirt shop at Redbubble.com and hope to gave some more up soon! Visit the link to your right Mikey's T-shirt Shop and pick one up.

ROCK ON!!!

Coming at ya' with a pin-up I did for my friend (from Germany) Tristan's comic. (A joint comic project he did with friend and another creative giant, Ralph from Donald Hello Studios.) Zany characters galore in this comic.

A fun piece to do, that really let me stretch my artistic legs.

-MATT

New Pages!

This past July 24th-26th, Mikey, my friend Andy and I attended the San Diego Comic Con. WHAT A SHOW!!!
Saw Keanu Reaves being interviewed for his newest movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Unfortunately I was only able to attend for 3 days this year. But I plan on attending all 5 for the next. Theres so much to see and do, so many people to meet and greet.
So many talented artist I wanted to talk to. I was able to talk to a few. One of whom was Anson Jew, a professional storyboard artist for film/games/tv and comic artist.

Missed out talking to other talented friends and associates, sorry Al, Mark, Marshall, Francis and Miles! The show is just to big to try those chance meetings. We need to plan meeting places AND times. AND Attending all 5 days is a must, I think.

In those 3 days I was able to show some of my newest pages around. Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish inking all of them.... or even pencil the last page (pg 6) in time. I was actually inking the pages late at night while at the various hotels we stayed at.

These 5 pages are the end result of watching old 70's car chase flicks as well as the Mad Max film, over and over again.
They really knew how to film kinetic car chases then. Don't really see it done much today.

Anyways, let me know what you think... and I'll get to work on that last page!

-MATT

Cossin Bros.

It has been a while(yeesh)! So here is what's up this week , Matt and I are making our annual trek to mekka or San Diego comic con. , if you prefer.
If you haven't been out to the bigest show in comics; Comic con takes place July 23-27 and is definitely a Hollywood spectacle now.
As you can see Matt and I have been following a strict diet in preparation for all that walking ^_^
Pictures from the show upon our return.

Settling in ^_^

Design this little illo for the closing of the old "art of catfu"website.
Since the opening of this blog and now my deviant art page ; catfu was not getting the attention necessary to make it... well necessary!
HHHMMMM I think this might make a nice T-shirt? What do you think?

keeping fit...

A series of shorts I am working on representing urban exercise plans(heh-heh).
#1). Whistle at the nastiest looking guys girl and egg him on with a smart remark( be sure to have ample distance between you and him, before doing so).
This is a sure way to get that heart rate racing; along with your flight for life!
( visit my deviantart account in the links , to see a larger view of this comic strip.)

osamu tezuka's -Dororo: review

I think the name ,Astro Boy, is a name that everyone has some familiarity with.
Whether you've actually seen the cartoon show or read the comic book; most people are aware that it relates to the fictional boy robot, that was popular in japan in the 50's to 60's.

Up until 2004, when I became aware of Osamu Tezuka's "Phoenix" series; Astro Boy was about all I knew of him as an artist.
Phoeniz, impressed me in its creative storytelling and world building.
And that is exactly what Tezuka's "Dororo" did!

Vertical Inc. Publishing, is doing everything right in terms of production value for this 3 volume series. The Front cover right away jumps out at you with its medical chart backdrop and floating neon characters decals as well as the hot pink back cover.
I think this story is going to appeal a wider range of fans then the previously mention works.
The story begins with a noble man in feudal Japan offer the body of his soon to be born son to 48 demons ( each taking an eye, limb , ear,etc.) in exchange for being made ruler of the country.

When the child is born it is little more than a slug and left to die in the river.
Fortunately a doctor takes him in and provides the child with artificial eyes, and ears, and prosthetic limbs.
Combined with the supernatural 3rd eye and telepathy, the child grows ; until finally he must leave the nest and hunt down the 48 demons to restore his body.
His, adopted father gives him the parting gift of 2 blades hidden in his prosthetic arms. On his journeys, he is haunted by the spirits of the dead and the god of death; but still he goes on helping people along the way, no matter how ungrateful they may be.
Highly recommended!

Been a long time gettting from here to there...

I recently moved the last of my belongings from Motown(Detroit) to a storage bin across the country in showtown(L.A.). I currently live and breath in Las Vegas( moved here 2yrs. ago).
Before the move I left most of my stuff boxed up in my Dad's basement. When I flew into Detroit ,the other week to load the moving truck.
I decided to go through some of my boxes and see if I could downsize anymore.
Turns out I could and so I did!
And what remained of my years of living after being even further condensed; fitted neatly into 8 boxes!
8 fairly , heavy boxes of records ,and art ,and photographs ,and books.
And I as I helped my Dad and brother, Matt load the truck; their stuff filling it well over capacity. I realized that those 8 boxes were in possession of the most memorable moments in my life. Memories of friends I will most likely never see again and loved ones who have passed away. Old pets, and current ones.
Trinkets and to remember moments in my life; all of these memories that helped shape who I am today.
Having a close grasp of your past is probably, the best way to guard yourself from becoming someone who is unrecognizable to your former self in the future.

I think I learned this best from my ,Great Grandma Bacha. She never let the hardships of her life change the nature of her core beliefs.
That of ,family and friends being the most important part of living and how we treat the ones we love.
She also had an amazing recollection; and would often share with me, with a chuckle tales of her life. She didn't keep a box of many trinkets; she was a very clean and orderly woman, but did adorn her walls with photos of family and friends.

Perhaps if she was faced with a cross country move as the one I undertook, she would need only one box.
One big enough to hold the photos of a city of family and friends that adored her.

Here is to hoping to fill a box in such a way- Mikey

Space Oddity

Hey out there in cyberspace!! Coming at ya' with a new scribbling. This is one of those pieces where interpretation is dependent alot on the viewer's film savy. The inspiration for this "Odd" piece was for one of two covers of a news letter to family about Mikey and I's latest adventures in life. Life IS an adventure!! I hope you look foward to seeing some of our (Mikey and I) newest adventures!

Later!,
-MATT

Girl Trouble

New pages!! Yes!!! 4 luscious, juicy black and whites here. I had alot of fun doing these.
I based the girl's likeness after the sultry songstress Eryka Badu and those fabulous wigs.
The cat was an extra.


-MATT

"Diary of the Dead" and stuff

Yesterday, Matt, Joel, and I went to see a sneak-peak of George Romero's "Diary of the Dead". I love George Romero's work and happen to own all of his flicks, but I really doubt this was a straight Romero piece.
The story didn't add to the world that it's creator has spent a good portion of his life making. And listening to the response from the croud around me, seemed only to exist for those who love to see blood and killing. Now some who don't know me, might think I'm a little too sensitive to such stuff. True fact of the matter is though, I am not. I just watched the new Rambo and despite its extreme nature, the film never glorified the acts of violence diplayed but portrayed them as the reality of that world the story took place in. Big difference, to killing as of yet to be zombies , brutally for fun. I get real irritated about this ; mostly because I think this kind of entertainment creates the warped and cruel generation , we see coming up , today!

Keep drawing and having fun doing it!

Remember when every drawing you did was a struggle? Anybody remember that feeling?
Great, Huh?! Youv'e gotten to love these moments. Because youv'e learned that just when you were about to break through to another level in your art they'd come. And the realization of that just made everything at that moment more exciting! A hundred bad drawings to get that break through one hundred and one great one!
Yeah...I'm feeling it! (HEH-HEH)
So here it is, a heads up to my next breakthrogh in the making, drawing 88...89..!! (Ha-Ha)
I can see that wall starting to chip! I'm breaking through!
See ya on the other side, my buds!- Mikey

getting back the drive!

Facing the slumbering steps that comes with time, I shake myself awake. Remembering the endless world breaking energy of my youth , I goad myself on being my own peer pressure. All challenges excepted, come get some!

Vegas is weird!

Tonight, Matt, and I made a quick run to the dollar store for our favorite treat, Arizona Green Tea.

Matt, being a little short on cash , the deal was I would treat ;if he ran in( I wanting to remain behind in the car reading my latest Fantagraphics catalog).

Barely looking up I gave , Matt a $10 and a quick verbal grocery list.

A few pages into the catalog and Matt was back already, "No ice tea." he said.
He showed me the goods he purchased 2 cokes and a chunky bar, leaving them in the bag he dug in his pockets for the change.

Matt counted out the change from my ten dollars , making sure to hold it below eye level of any passerby.

If you live in Las Vegas , for any considerable amount of time you will be approached for money handouts, usually just the motion of a hand toward ones own pocket is enough to catch the attention of the "open hand's".
You see so many open hands , that it becomes second nature just to wave off any approaching stranger with a negative "No."

(real example-"Hey, man can you give me some gas money , man. For my 2008 SUV , it be a gas guzzler,heh-heh." )

That is why when Matt, in the middle of handing over the remainder of the $10; suddenly paused looking past me my initial response was to turn toward the figure at my window shaking my head and repeating my mantra to all "open handers"- "No."

"No." I repeated out loud turning to the figure close at the window.
a cute girl , hair tucked under a white hood, tucked under a white crotchet hat, except for a thick brown braid along her cheek. She carried a white lunch box wrapped in plastic and smiled leaning closer inviting us to roll down the wind she waved.
"No." I repeated smiling as ,Matt waved back ,all while putting the car into reverse.
We backed away and looking back we viewed her in the review mirrors as she headed inside the blinding light of the dollar store.

As we drove home Matt, and I recalled how peculiar that unlike most "open handers" she was dressed in complete angelic white.

skate or die! - page 2

Here is the second page of "Skate or die!" web-mini-comic, as promised.
I'm starting to realize this strip could seriously use some dialog to flesh it out, I think when it's finished I'll go back and add some.
Hope everyone had a great New year! - Mikey

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

２００７去年が難しいでしたけど、２００８今年は新しいはじめことんです！
自由万！！ 「ばんざい！！」

2007 was a rough year, but this 2008 is a year of new beginnings!
Some years feel like a rip'em up bar room brawl (the kind you see in the old cowboy movies).
But this year I'm expecting. Expecting new and good things!
This (my first piece of art for 2008) sums up how I feel coming out of 2007. Beat up, but stronger for it... and ready for what may lay ahead. BRING IT!! (as they say)