new site!

I didn't update the comic today because I am moving everything over to a new site. www.strangegods.net will take you there now, but www.joshshaffer.net will eventually redirect to the new site.


josh

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Holy crap, this must be comic book movie day, because they released the first trailer for the Watchmen movie.



While it does look amazing, and surprisingly source accurate, I do worry about them managing to translate some of the more poignant subtlety's of the story.

Especially the ending. Anyone who has read the book knows exactly what I'm talking about. If they can nail the ending, then it should end up being a pretty impressive movie, because they certainly have the look and tone down.


josh

The Dork Knight

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There is a difference

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feeling a bit exposed

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So, I guess everyone in the world is standing a a line right now waiting to get the new iPhone. I think they look really nice, but I have no desire for one right now. Someone let me know when those things finally have a decent hard drive. I'm too much of a music whore, and there's no way one of those things could hold even a fraction of the amount of music that I would want to dump into it.

changes

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Phases

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it's important to let everyone know how important you are

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The street where you live

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New Faces

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So, I decided to add something that this comic strip had been lacking: continuity. When I first started working on this comic, it was more of a visual blog. I'm a lousy typist and I figured it'd be an interesting way to approach the whole thing. Draw comics about whatever happened to be on my mind. I'm an artist, so why not speak my peace in a visual medium?

The more comics I did, the more I enjoyed them, and the more I saw the possibilities of what I could do with it. But I also felt trapped by my own original set up.

These new character are not replacing the established ones; the nameless facets of my personality, based in small and large part on people that I know. They are simply new additions. New ways for me to tell stories and make obnoxious and arrogant jokes.

So my little universe is expanding. Taking it's next step in evolution. Let's see where it goes from here...

josh

Insightfull banter

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I put up the strip, but forgot to put up a news post with it.

Me am smart.

josh

Medicinal Purposes

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No, it turns out, I am not dead. Just been busy and took a bit of a step back from the strip to figure out where I wanted to go with it.


josh

Now if only there were more power outlets

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What makes the outdoors so enjoyable, is the ability now to bring the indoors with you. Now you don't even have to acknowledge the world around you; safe within the warm embrace of isolating technology.

josh

Ollie Johnston 1912-2008

A legend died today.


josh

Foreign Relations

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I've recently realized that is almost impossible to keep up with the vernacular of the times.

I don't mind going out to the bars (in fact one of my favorite spots is a bar), but it's always interesting to see the various types of people that populate some of these places. I was recently talking to a friend, standing in the middle of some random bar, when a, what I would almost describe as an overly privileged debutante, stepped in between us, and began rapping to me. It was surreal, to say the least.

On a side note, my friend Rachel has a a small piece in a short story contest. I would encourage anyone who happens to read my random scatterings and doodles to click here and submit a review.



josh

$100 a pop

Uhmm...what?

And on a completely unrelated note, Google adsense seems to have an interesting idea concerning the nature of this blog:



Maybe I need to make more posts about cat poop coffee. Do you hear me, Google? Cat poop coffee!

Try to analyze that!


josh

For all you designers out there

I figured that anyone who has every done any real design work would appreciate this. As for everyone else, well there's nothing really to see here.



josh

Oh, the shame

Here may I offer you, the reader, a slight peace offering for my lack of updates this past week.

First off, a Damien Rice video for the song 9 Crimes:


And secondly, I present you with bedjump.com. If this does not make you smile with childlike glee, then you are hopelessly lost beyond help and need to immediately turn off your computer, and go sit in a dark corner waiting for death to take you.

More strips coming soon, I promise.


josh

They're bright orange for a reason

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Once again, this strip is inspired by true events. You'd think it might actually be difficult to drive around town with a bright orange traffic cone very obviously stuck up under your car. You would think.

You would apparently be wrong.

(No, it wasn't me. I will fully admit that I have my moments of stupid ass shit. Hell, I could write a series of novels. But no, not this time, thank god.)

josh

Seasonal challenges

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It could almost be considered amusing that when I decided to draw an extra strip every week, I was able to do so, but at the apparent cost of blog updates.



josh

Lost in the crowd

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josh

Ominous Tones

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josh

Feed for thought

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josh

For full public disclosure

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I turned the corner in a department store recently, only to pass by a gentleman having a conversation on a cell phone regarding, what I would consider to be, a rather personal medical issue. But, surprisingly, he showed zero amount of self consciousness about it. Maybe he was too engrossed with his problem, or at least expressing to the other party it's seriousness.

Regardless, I continued shopping, but hopefully that gentleman eventually found medical relief. Or at least a sympathetic ear.

josh

Sign up today

We're not the problem

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I point out Fox specifically due to the volume and aggressiveness of their pretentious posturing, but I don't think that there is a network out there right now that isn't sitting in a little glass house throwing stones at videogames, gays and movies while waxing on the decline of the moral fiber of America.



josh

Keeper of the peace

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What? A new strip on a Tuesday? Hmmm, well let's see how long he can keep this schedule up.

josh

Tom Wilkinson got robbed

So I finally got around to watching Michael Clayton and all I can say is that Tom Wilkinson is fucking brilliant in this movie. Yeah, George Clooney is really good, and Tilda Swinton is incredibly impressive, if not massively underused. I'm not going to say that she didn't deserve that Oscar; her performance is impressive and subtle. But I don't honestly think that she has more that 15 minutes of total screen time.

From the opening monologue, (if you've seen the movie then you know what I'm talking about,) to the end credits in the taxi, the movie is beautiful and brilliant in it's simplicity. It's certainly a story that I've seen a hundred times, but somehow, with it's almost purposeful vagueness, it is so much more powerful.




josh

An offer you can't refuse

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Take-Two interactive, the publisher behind the Grand Theft Auto games, despite the immense amount of sales of the series, has been having some real problems in the past few years. Problems that certainly suggest questionable management. Video game giant Electronic Arts has recently launched a bid to acquire Take-Two. A bid that Take-Two has been handling in an ethically questionable manner.

It will definitely be interesting to see how this ends up shaking out.

josh

Food with a view

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It should be noted, as a word to the wise, that if you are eating somewhere, in a less than stellar part of town, it would be a good idea not to sit beside the large window that looks out onto the street.

It may prove to be a distraction during the course of your diner.


I simply thought I would present this as a public service announcement.

josh

One format to rule them all

So I guess it's official, Blu-Ray has emerged from the format war the triumphant victor.

On a second, completely unrelated note, after having avoided it for over three years, I have finally fallen victim to Lost. I made the mistake of watching the Season 4 premier and am currently making my way the catalog of back episodes.

Is it the best show on television? No, probably not. But is does do a lot of things different that I do appreciate. The more the show goes on, the more the creators hide or embed subtle clues and red herrings for it's fervent fan base. So there tends to be a lot going on in any particular episode. Stuff that isn't even intended for it's casual audience.

But that isn't what has attracted me to the series. What I find interesting and slightly refreshing is their take on good vs evil. No one is completely "good" and no one is completely "evil". The heroes are flawed. Some of them deeply. And the villains, despite some of their more egregious actions, are still human and even elicit sympathy from the viewer on a number of occasions. One of the most repeated claims from so-called villain of the series, is that he is the "good guy". What works about this show, is that sometimes, you almost believe him.



josh

Geek toys

It's been a little lite on comics lately due to a severe lack of free time. I'm hoping to remedy that soon. In the mean while, I got a new toy:



Now I can play video games and watch disgustingly liberal tv shows in HD.


josh

Oh, hells yeah

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/indianajones.html?showVideo=1

I swear to God, that if George Lucus screws this up, I will personally drive all the way to Northern California and kick his plaid shirt wearing ass.


josh

Corporate Strategies

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josh

They really are bad

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josh

Cloverfield

Go see this movie.

And hopefully, the success will show Hollywood what happens when someone makes the effort to do something wholly original and different. Yes, it's basically a monster movie, but what sets it apart is how it handles it. It doesn't hold your hand. It doesn't offer tidy explanations. It puts you through the experience, and makes you jump, cringe and laugh because of it's level of intimacy.

While it would certainly be nice to watch Cloverfield on DVD, (I couldn't count the amount of times I wished I could have paused or rewound a scene.) the theater is certainly the ideal experience for a movie like this. The bass literally shook the walls.


josh

Saturday drawing

So I decided against finishing up my previous Dante drawing, and instead redrew it in a different style. Drawing this way is somehow just more fun.


josh

A melding of two geek worlds

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This weeks strip is pretty damn geeky, so it's probably for the best if most of you just move right along.


josh

Questionable Signs

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josh

Dante sketch

It almost feels a little weird to be drawing is a less "cartoony" style. I'm planning on finishing it up in photoshop, so we'll see.

josh

Doodles and Portals; the return of the geek

So I finally got around to playing Portal and all I can say is wow. This is absolutely the most engaging, challenging and clever puzzle game that I have ever seen. You people can keep your sudoku books and various puzzle games, I want more Portal, please.

By the way, the above is just a quick Photoshop doodle that I felt like throwing up on the blog. I guess I was in a video game mindset and felt like churning out a quick Old Snake from MGS4. And yes, I realize that his eyepatch is on the wrong eye. It's what I get for doodling without reference. Or maybe someone just needs to revoke my geek card.

josh

Stupid Writers Strike

Okay, now I really don't watch a lot of tv. I'm not saying that in a way to sound snotty or pretentious. I mean I honestly don't watch a lot of tv. I don't think my television has been on, for the purpose of actually watching tv shows, in over a month.

I suppose this is less because of some artistic derision of the standards of current television network programing, of which quite a lot can be said, but rather simply an issue of schedule. But thank god for the internet. I have recently downloaded the entire first three seasons of House and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had only seen a few episodes of this show, and I know that many people will see this as me just being late to a couple year old party, but my point is less the fact that I enjoyed this show, and more about how I enjoyed this show. I was able to enjoy it at my leisure. Watching an entire season when I had the time, without shelling out the 40 or so bucks for the DVD set. Piracy? Yeah maybe. But I pay my ridiculously too high cable bill every month in order to watch these shows, so why shouldn't I be able to watch them when I want? So I suppose it's splitting heirs over the legality of downloadable content. Why is it free and legal when watched over my television and not when watched through my computer?

It's always interesting to see the way that technology changes the way commerce and communication works. Newspapers and print are dying. And not in a graceful and slow march towards their doom. But in a "I'm sorry Mr. Jacobson, but you have inoperable and terminal pancreatic cancer and only two months to live" kind of death. Which is really unfortunate because I love to read the newspaper. I absolutely love siting down with a cup of coffee or a sandwich and slowly making my way through the pages, as the paper itself gets more and more crumpled as I try to arrange it in various ways to read whatever two inch column happens to attract my interest or curiosity. I love reading the newspaper.

Do I read it anymore?

No.

I don't have the time. The internet is a million times faster and more convenient. So I guess it's the same with television shows. The only real drawback was being chained to my desk in order to watch them. But thankfully, a recent update to my PS3's firmware enabled Divx support. Essentially allowing me to watch whatever I want through my full home theater system.

But I'll tell you something. I just finished downloading the, as of now, full second season of 30 Rock and I plan on purchasing the DVD set as soon as I get a chance. A show this brilliant and creative deserves to be rewarded with the one true power that I as a consumer have: my money.



Now I just have to wait for the writers strike to end.

josh

Optimism

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josh