Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 was pretty good, the past decade.. ehh...

This past 2009 was pretty good for me. Got an upgrade at work, The Fighting Stranger and Lucky Dawg have been moving smoothly and I actually got through the year without having to make an emergency credit killing huge payment to anyone. Did get hit by that bus though, but that just pissed me off more than it did hurt.

While ’09 was decent enough, the Double-Oh Decade as a whole was kinda “meh”. Worst decade I’ve experience so far. Too young to remember the latter half of the 70s, have some fond childhood memories of the 80s and the 90s were a blast.

Three factors really lead the 00s to be miserable. Bush, 9/11 and Janet Jackson. Bush and the WTC disaster went hand in hand as America has been terrified since 2001. Obviously for a good reason since we still have losers trying to blow their balls off to take down airplanes. Bush used that fear to buy him a second term, which he used to destroy the economy.

Janet Jackson and her stupid nipple sent a wave of censorship throughout entertainment. That edge that was developed during the 90s had to be dulled so it was safe for the kids. Regular radio died because of this. It’s still there, but unless you are under 25 and enjoy listening to the same pop song 25 times a day, it’s really gone downhill. Even my beloved pro wrestling has been made so child friendly that they stop the match if a wrestler accidentally cuts himself.

The past decade was all bad though. The best thing that happened during the past ten years has been technology soaring. Ten years ago, I didn’t think I’d need a cell phone, now I have an iPhone. Big giant bulky TVs and monitors are a thing of the past. Ways to connect with people are evolving and changing every year. And on a creative level, the past decade couldn’t be better.

Webcomics have saved my comic book dream. As a nobody writer with awful artistic skills, I would have no chance in comics ten years ago. I could write a million pitches and the only thing I would accomplish is killing the trees for the paper wasted on those pitches. Ultimately, no matter how good or bad they were, no one would have read them. With the webcomic boom, it is now aware that you can put up pages weekly (heh, hopefully) and people will read them. That is all a true creator can ask for. To be read and/or seen and most importantly, enjoyed. Personally, it’s not about money right now. That can come in time, if ever.

The rise of MMA really helped that violent void that wrestling is currently doing away with. Plus, it’s a legit sport.

Anyway, I’m really looking forward to 2010 and beyond. Lucky & Stranger are quickly nearing the point where I feel it’s time to go to print. I’m going to finally get a website going for them. Not that I’d leave Drunk Duck, but it’s good to have my own brand as well. I also want to do some personal changes to/for myself, but who doesn’t promise themselves that.

So Happy New Year. Hope 2010 is good for you, and if it isn’t, there’s always next year.

Friday, July 31, 2009

A panel preview of the new Zuda project



Yeah, just a panel. I'm cheap that way.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Preview of the main character of my new Zuda pitch

Without giving too much detail right now, I'll just say he's the greatest fighter of his time.

And unlike my last Zuda entry, this one will indeed have plenty of action.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Newer Nightmare



Both like to wear hats.

Both wear one glove.

Both have skin conditions.

Both love children, in their own special ways.

Just saying that if your kids dream of Michael Jackson, maybe you should introduce them to coffee.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Where's the Earth Shattering Ka-Boom?

Ah, July 4th.

Time for BBQs, beer drinking and playing with explosives.

Ugh, July 5th.

Back to work. Even worse, we have to clean up after everyone else's good time. And it never fails. They ask you if you want to work the 4th and you say 'hell yeah', because it's holiday overtime pay. And there really isn't too much to do, since during working hours, the public is still preparing to party. But if you take that 4th, expect to work the 5th. On the 5th is when all that party prep has turned into an aftermath. At every park you will find all the blown off fireworks.

Oh yeah, I work for Parks & Recreation. Like the NBC show, except more of a blue collar version. And yes, the show is surprisingly accurate most of the time. I am proud to say that we do not have a rather racist mural toward Native Americans though.

Anyway, I come to work this morning and find the most surprising thing. No firework garbage. Nothing. And for the three years I've been working at this pool (oh yeah, I'm a pool operator, I got the fancy job in P&R) there has always been garbage cans overflowing with burnt mortar tubes and other things on the ground. Then remembered that there wasn't much noise last night. Pop here and there, but that's all. And last night was really nice out, considering all the rain we've been having.

So what's the deal? Not that I should really be complaining, since it makes my job easier. Did they actually crack down on the fireworks this year on Long Island? They are illegal, but people have gotten away with stuff in the past.

Even though I got out of extra litter pick-up, I can't help but be a little disappointed. It just seemed that we (around here, at least) didn't go all out this year. I think next year I'll make more of an effort to blow off my fingers.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Taking Advantage of Perverts

I enjoyed watching the To Catch a Predator program. It's fun watching perverts trying to explain themselves to Chris Hansen, then getting taken down by the cops outside. If you can't laugh at pedophile failure, then I don't want to laugh at anything else.

So weird thing happened today. I got home today and my brother wanted to get the new Prototype game. We checked out Gamestop, but they only have copies for people who reserved the game ahead of time. Didn't order enough, check back tomorrow, blah-blah-blah. Now my little sister decided to tag along for the ride, because I guess there's only so may hours one can stare at Facebook. I came up with an idea. I told her to go ask to see if they had the game. Suddenly, they had a couple extra copies.

Son of a bitch.

I don't think the clerk was quite expecting me and my brother to come over and pay for it. He nervously tried to explain the importance of reserving. He quickly just rung the game up after noticing we weren't interested or happy. Now the perfect line there would have been that I reserve the right to put a boot to his ass, but I was actually fighting back laughter, trying to look serious. Like I said, I enjoy when people mess with pervs. And it's not too often that I get to mess with them personally.

In all actuality, it was a screwed up situation. I mean, this creep was ready to sell a 14-year-old girl a mature rated game. They weren't going to sell one of these "extra" copies to the general public. I'm not worried though. We put a bit of a scare in this guy and my sister doesn't play video games. She's also a black belt, with two athletic older brothers and I'm bit crazy where it comes creating ideas of hurting people. Hell, I'm writer, it's what I do. And judging by the clerk's appearance, he doesn't look like he spends much time outside work and home.

As for the Prototype game, I guess it's good. My brother was playing it four hours straight.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

They might have looked familiar...

From Page 37 of The Fighting Stranger...

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Superman II: The Rush Limbaugh Cut



Just goofing around on photoshop. Here's the main pic in color.



Yeah, looks better in B&W.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Update on the bus thing...

After over a month of pointless and multiple calls, not to mention a couple avoidments from a face to face meeting with Saftey Sal on his part, I finally got my check for my bike.

I'll say this about the Acme Bus Corp. of Long Island, they apparently can't make a left turn to save their lives or the lives of the poor people they hit.

I just hope they don't take as long with paying the hospital.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Alan Faria Sketches

Alan Faria is taking over the artwork for Lucky Dawg.


Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Why Can't This Be Simple?

I will never say a bad thing about lawyers and their frivolous lawsuits ever again. The woman that burned herself with the coffee at McDonalds, I now wish her all the best.

Long story short, I was hit by a short yellow bus, I was on my bicycle, totally not my fault, the bus driver was looking right while making a left, hoping to beat an oncoming car, made his turn while I was already halfway across the street and hit me. I saw the bus coming, too late to stop or speed up to avoid it. Luckily for me and my years of watching action movies, I quickly grabbed hold of the rear view mirrors on the front of the bus' hood and dangled as my bike was pulled under the right tire. Banged my knee, bruised my arm, but otherwise I was fine. The bus driver asked me where I came from...

...Which will forever be the dumbest question I've ever been or ever will be asked.

Where did I come from?! Seriously? Where did he think I came from? I'm on a perfectly straight road with no stop signs for me.

Stupid questions aside, the bus driver was a nice enough guy. I did give him plenty of crap about watching where he was going, maybe sitting on a phone book if he can't see over the steering wheel and the fact that he's a licensed professional driver that struck a pedestrian. Cops were called, their "safety" person came down to get my side and took pictures of my bike. It happened on a Friday, so I was told to call them on Monday. Now around here, Monday was a mess with snow. Worst stuff we've gotten all year. I figured with schools closing, it'd be a bad time to call a school bus company. So I called the next day. They didn't have any report of an accident. Sounded suspicious, but I left a voice mail for the head of the "safety" department. Rest of the week, no call. I call them again on Friday, a week from the accident. They still don't have a report and the guy I am supposed to talk to still isn't around. The told me they would look into it and call me on Monday or Tuesday.

Now I've been a nice guy, a real nice guy. Especially considering I cheated possible death or major injury from the irresponsibility of others. From the damage of my bike, where the metal petal crank snapped off, my legs would have been crushed. I'm talking about an inch thick of strong metal, twisted and broke off. What chance would my tibia and fibula bones have?

Monday, no call. Tuesday, no call. I'm ready to stop being the "nice guy" for my call today (Wednesday). But lo and behold, I get a call from an unfamiliar Suffolk County number around noon. I answer my cell only to get an immediate joke from Sal, the "safety" head for the bus company (I guess, it's at least what they told me). I know it was a joke, because after a moment of silence and a "What?" from me, he told me it was a joke. I was a human hood ornament and this guy has jokes.

This is probably my fault. I've been that nice guy to Sal's secretary, so I figured she told him I'm friendly. Thing is, why would I be mean to the secretary? She didn't hit me, she didn't take a week and a half to get back to me and she sounds cute. I assume she takes the brunt of anger from all the other frustrated people this companies buses run down. I feel no need to make her job any harder.

Back to the phone call. I explain what happened to me. He wants to look at my bike. Fine. I told him I get home from work at 3:30. He says he'll call when he's nearby. Fair enough. I decide to leave work an hour early, because I don't want to come home with this guy in my driveway. A little after 3, I get a call from the same number. I figured it was a good thing I got home early, because he's calling early. But it's not him. It's his secretary. Sal has to cancel. What a pain in the ass. Fine. When can we reschedule so I can plan to take a day off from work. They aren't sure, because Sal has some kind of busy schedule, with meetings and all, and they'll get back to me.

The head of the "safety" department is too busy to deal with SOMEONE WHO GOT STUCK BY ONE OF THEIR BUSES!!! Are you freakin' kidding me?! All I want is money to replace my bike, maybe a little extra for having to deal with a sore arm and knee, which probably cost me an opportunity to get some overtime in snow removal for the two days I took off and mail in their insurance info to the hospital that took x-rays of my knee. I'm not talking millions of dollars, I'm talking about less than a grand. Why do I have to go through this stupid game?

Every day since the accident, everyone from my family to my co-workers have been telling me that I should play up my injuries more and contact lawyers. Every time I tell them no, I'm fine, I can deal with this. What a dope I am. Obviously these people don't feel the average person is important enough to deal with. Maybe they only know how to deal with lawyers. Which, going back to beginning of this post, is why I have a new found respect toward ambulance chasing lawyers.

Before, I wouldn't want my legs crushed even if I got a hundred million dollars for it. After today, a platinum plated wheelchair doesn't sound too bad.

What now? I'm probably going to have to wait a week to see if Sal has some time in his oh so busy schedule. In the meantime, I'm writing letters. My main topic of these letters is if they don't even care about someone they hit with a bus, how much concern is being shown to the children on the bus?

It was all supposed to be simple. I tried to be nice. They had to make it complicated for no reason at all.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

MyNetwork TV = Quitters

First off, I'm waiting for one more thing and Lucky Dawg will be back on track.

On to the main issue, when the UPN and WB networks combined forces to become one channel, it left a small void. This void soon became MyNetwork Television. I had some hopes for the channel. I remembered when Fox and the WB began, they had some cool things on. Then MyNetwork debutted with some kind of soap operas.

Ugh, it's like watching a new business open very close to your house, hoping it'll be something you want (in my case, a comic book store), and it winds up being another cell phone store. What hell are they thinking about opening a cell phone store? They are like a hydra. Close one store, two more open, but they never last longer than a year.

Back on topic, after the soap opera idea tanked, they moved onto other stuff. Like life in prison and revealing magic trick shows. And there was a Flavor Flav sitcom, which can be described as The Fresh Prince of Bel Aire minus the Fresh Prince and the funny plus Flavor Flav. I watched one episode and that was it. That half hour was pretty much the only time I watched MyNetwork, since I didn't need to know what's happening in jail and I don't want magic to be spoiled.

There was also changes going on the CW. They decided they were going to focus on a primarily teen girl programming. This meant the testostrone filled WWE Smackdown was getting the boot, despite being their consistant ratings grabber. So Smackdown and their ratings moved over to MyNetwork.

I have my reason to watch MyNetwork TV. As for the CW, I DVR Smallville, that's it. I'll also watch Reaper when/if/where it comes back.

Now, you'd think with their ratings going upMyNetwork would begin building their programming around the WWE, much like the cable channel Spike did when they had Monday Night Raw. But it was announced this week that MyNetwork is giving up being considered a network.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/173849-MyNetworkTV_Shifts_From_Network_To_Programming_Service_.php

So instead of using their new found ratings to build their network, they are just going to play it safe and play movies and Law & Order reruns. As if there isn't enough Law & Order on TV right now. Go ahead and flip through your channels. I'm sure Law & Order is on some channel right now, along with a Nicolas Cage movie.

If you're going to throw in the towel like that, why not throw on something different than L&O, and I don't mean CSI either. Take some cable series that the rabbit ears only audience have never heard of or watched. Shows like Psych, Battlestar Galactica, Burn Notice, Nip/Tuck, It's Always Sunny in Philadephia, Rescue Me and perhaps editted versions of Entourage. At least attempt to be daring. If you are going down, go down in a blaze of glory.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Are you Sirius?!

As I prepare for the NY Comic Con, an email pops up from XM radio. It says:
"Immediate Action Required Regarding Your XM Service"

Now I just paid my yearly subscription last month, so I don't know what this is about. I open it to find out that XM is now going to charge to listen online. Now I can either pay $3 extra a month or order another year on my subscription. I have till March 11th to decide. Hmm, pay $30 for the online or another $140 for an extra year of XM?

I tell you, this whole XM/Sirius merger... wait a minute, this was no merger. When Sirius took over XM, I knew it was going to be a bad thing. How does a company with a worse stock, less subscribers, 2nd in hardware and moronic deals (half a billion for Howard Stern? really?) take over the better company? I can only think the XM big wigs saw the writing on the wall and let them.

This Sirius tumor hanging off my XM sucks. A majority of my favorite channels were changed to Sirius channels and they repeat songs constantly with chatty DJs. Why do I need a DJ to tell me what a song is when it's right there on the screen?

So now Sirius stock is crashing to the point where I could take my Snapple bottle full of change to a broker and buy a hundred shares. And their stock was nothing great to begin with. So now us subscribers have to bail them out, I guess.

I have XM for one reason. Opie & Anthony, love the show. Now the boys have a history of just getting fired for any stunt, so if that day ever comes, out goes the XM. Now I could just say screw the online, my Inno player is right by my computer anyway. But I need the online to play XM through my Iphone. Apparently, they are suppose to come with an App for the Iphone, but Sirius' R&D stands for Retards & Dummies, so who knows when it'll come out.

*sigh* I'll probably just get another year and pull Mel Karmazin's ass out of the fire. This one time.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Preview of The Fighting Stranger page 24

Next week, learn the date and what happened to this world. Plus, C4D feels the need to stretch his legs.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Preview of The FIghting Stranger page 23 and Lucky Dawg issue 3 cover (sort of)

Next week on The Fighting Stranger, the Stranger explains what kind of stuff he remembers.



And next week brings the return of Lucky Dawg. For the preview of the cover, just look up. It's the image I use for the logo.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Oscar Noms are in...

...and I haven't seen any of the Best Picture nominations. Actually, aside from maybe Benjamin Button, I have no desire to see any of them.

I'll catch Button on cable. I usually dig Brad Pitt movies. Problem with Benjamin Button is that I've seen this plot before. It was the plotline for the final season of Mork & Mindy. Now for the kids out there, Mork & Mindy was the show that launched Robin Williams career. Basically, it was about a woman named Mindy who runs into an alien named Mork, and makes him her new roommate. In the final season, Mork & Mindy had a kid, except it didn't start out as a kid. Old Jonathan Winters (he was in some Scooby-Doo cartoons, the heavy guy that did voices) popped out of Mork's giant egg, because Mork's species age backwards (or something like that, it's been awhile).

Like I said, it was the final season, and not in an ER way. More like in a Jump the Shark ratings dive way. So that's why I'm not in any hurry to relive that moment in my young life.

The Wrestler got robbed for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay and Song. At least I saw that one (then again I am a wrestling fan).

Sunday, January 18, 2009

RIP Circuit City

Sad day for electronic buyers as Circuit City has officially gone out of business.

http://www.circuitcity.com/closed.html

Shame, because I did most of my business at Circuit City. Well, up until they moved the new DVDs right up at the cash register. What a stupid place to put new DVDs. Everytime I went to go look at the new stuff, people would line up behind me. Annoying.

And Firedog is a much cooler name than Geek Squad. When my old computer melted down, and I needed to get my data out of it, I went to Firedog. How demeaning is the name "Geek Squad"? We see them drive around in their little cars and think, "Man, that's gotta suck." Probably the smartest guys in Best Buy, stuck with a lame name. If I had my own electronics chain, I'd name my guys the "Tech Titans".

I was going to buy my first big screen from Circuit City. I guess, I'll have to go to Best Buy, 6th Ave or PC Richards & Son instead. I wonder if they still offer finiancing at CC?

Saturday, January 17, 2009

1st

Welcome to my first blog. Excuse the awful name of "Lucky Blawg", but it rhymes with "Lucky Dawg". It's corny, I know.

I'm Adam J. Monetta, a comic book writer and creator. I like to think of myself as semi-pro. So far my one paying job was getting into the Zuda competition with The Fighting Stranger, which didn't win. But hey, it's getting me a free ticket into the NY Comic Con, so it's all good.

So for now, I'm doing it for the love of the craft. Currently, I'm hoping to finish up my Lucky Dawg 4 issue mini-series so I can self-publish it. I'm also continuing The Fighting Stranger as well. Links are on the side.

I'd also like to get published outside of myself. Do a comic that pays for itself, rather than out of my pocket. I'm currently putting the finishing touches on an Image submissions (either a 5 issue mini or an OGN). Wish me luck on that.

I'll be posting comic book stuff and any other random crap that catches my interest. Enjoy.