xXWhy So Serious x White Girls x Family ReunionXx

The Dark Knight still amazes me...

On July 18th at 12:01 AM, a movie started. The first scene, a brilliant bank heist done to the tune of a unknown criminal. So much betrayal in the first couple of minutes until the that unknown factor finally reveal himself. THIS...this is how you start a movie. And that movie still floats in my brain just from its greatness alone. Everything about it was perfect: the role of the Joker, Harvey Dent, the twists and turns, EVERYTHING. And yes, almost three hours long but worth it. Maybe some other films should take lessons from that (coughcoughspidermanthreecoughcough). In short words, I love that damn movie.

And with great storytelling comes the inspiration...and the return of "The Smack Chronicles!" The first one was BEFORE I actually saw the movie and the second was inspired by my boy Patrick Daly...




Also, hey look! More "Revolutionary Times" comics. Props to Murs for the inspiration of the title of the strip....

And hey! Some art for a couple of friends! Yay!


Now I leave to get packed up for this family reunion down in Mississippi. I love my fam and everything....but I hate being hot, bees that are the size of quarters, did I mention being incredibly hot? Ah well, at least they have a great abundance of Sonics there. Michigan needs to step their Sonics game up immediately. Yeah. Let's do that.

Also, new Identical Variant shirts are here. This time for the ladies. And this one is one that I designed! So yeah, ladies, do yourself a favor - head over to the online store and cop yourself one. Once again, they're limited so hurry!

And with that. I'm Ghost...face.

xXMax Payne x Grade A ClassicsXx

Okay, nothing very artistic about this post I'm afraid to say. Well, I was working on something when I took a break and came across THIS....

A movie? A Max Payne MOVIE? This is an omen. A very geekish omen but still an omen. Earlier today I stole borrowed a copy of the original Max Payne game from my boy's crib, and I start my morning off with this? This could be very well be the FIRST video game based movie that won't suck. But I'm only going based off the fantastic visuals, just like I did with Hitman and that didn't turn out so great. Some things that make me question the possiblity of this movie's potential though...

• First and foremost, it's rumored to be PG-13. The games are rated M. Not a good look.
• The angels? Not it the game unless there was a hidden level I never played. The only references to angels were when the drug addicts kept saying "The flesh of fallen angels." Also this could be the director's vision of the drugged out levels in the game. The ones with the crying baby/screaming wife sounds that freaked me the hell out when I first played it.
  
• In the game, the character of Jim Bravura is an old ass disgruntled white man. In the movie version...he's played by Ludacris. Actually that doesn't worry me at all. Luda's been proving himself as an actor lately (Crash, RocknRolla, etc)

Other than that, maybe I might have something to look forward to in October. But unlike The Dark Knight, you aren't saved from possibly being watched on my computer for free Max Payne. The ONLY movie that will be getting my cash for a while has Patrick Bateman in a bat suit and Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein in clown makeup. Okay, that and Wall-E.

Wow...a commerical just came on with the Kool-Aid Man playing street basketball. I heard about it from before but thought it was a joke. It's not. It's not at a joke at all. It's all too real. Maybe the "Godzilla Kool Aid Man" strip was prothetic...

But anyways, I'm being sidetracked. Continuing with "Grindin' Week" here's the updated version of the Grade A logo I was working on for Joshua Thompson III.

And that concludes the "Grindin' Week" report. Told you there wasn't much art for today's post. Hopefully later today I'll come through with an update with more art. With that, I'm Ghost...face.

xXA Mixtape About NothingXx

A mixtape for a damn blog? I'm starting to think most of my outlandish ideas come to me at 5:30 in the damn morning. This is one of them.

So as I started this week of pure grindin' like those two brothers from VA, I was hit with an idea Monday morning I believe. Since I spent most of the night finishing the two pieces later in this post I thought to myself, "Self, you should make a banner for the blog." Quite inspired from a girl that spits fire's page I got to work on it immediately. That was at 3 am. It was a 5:30 that I looked at the design and once again said, "Self, damn you could make an album cover out that. Haha..."

"...wait...why the hell not?"

So with the next hour or so I started compiling up songs and movie quotes, the same songs and movies that have helped me get through every sketch to the final product lately. Well the movies more so help me visuals but still. And that is why I have a mixtape for a damn blog.

01. Bullshit & Experience (Intro - 48 Hrs)
02. Anti Matter - N.E.R.D.
03. Believe it (f. Red 5ive) - Saigon
04. A Lion (Skit) (Interlude - Grandma's Boy)
05. Dope Boyz (f. Travis Barker) - The Game
06. The Ghost (f. Pharrell) - Styles P
07. Can You Hear Me - Killer Mike
08. More Super Monkeys (Interlude - Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back)
09. Mr. Carter (f. Jay-Z) - Lil Wayne
10. The Crazy - Wale
11. Paper Trail (f. Phonte) - Kidz in the Hall
12. Throw It Up (f. Lil' Wayne & Ludacris) - Busta Rhymes
13. Did We Have Sex? (Interlude - Knocked Up)
14. One More Chance (Remix) - The Notorious B.I.G.
15. Love Bomb - N.E.R.D.
16. Women Problems - Pacific Division
17. Good Morning! (Coming to America)
18. Rockin' N Rollin' (f. The Cool Kids) - Mickey Factz
19. Rising Up (f. Wale & Chrisette Michele) - The Roots
20. We Are Not... (Interlude - Fight Club)
21. Won't Do - J. Dilla
22. Overdose On Life (f. Travis McCoy & Mickey Factz) - Drake

Available for download if it interests you. If it doesn't work then bare with me. I'm new to this lol.
http://rapidshare.com/files/128291511/SilentSmack_-_Pepsi_Madness__A_Mixtape_for_a_Blog_.rar.html

And with that, "Grindin'" week continues. Calling up several people to see possible places where me and Brandon can distrubute "Revolutionary Times," and emailing some of the webcomic gods (Penny-Arcade, PvP, etc) who happen to have distrubtion deals themselves to see how they're process was in doing so. Also apparently I might be heading out to the D this weekend (and making a stop to Flint to pick up my damn I.V. shirt finally) for the Royce Da 5'9'xD12 concert (probably a very Eminem-less D12 at that...). That's only if a certain cat with connections can work some magic that won't have me paying too much for it. (Hey, you point me out on your blog so I do the same lol).

Also finishing up some commissions. These were two pieces done for a friend of a friend (Props to Delo for putting in a good word for me).

You TOO can be a character. I'm starting these character commissions for $50/$25 each for multiple ones. If you're interested in one just hit me up by email (silentsmack@yahoo.com).

Now with all that said, I'm bout to get a lil' workout in before heading out to the art museum for that good ol' nonpaying volunteer work. Fun times. So fun times...

Ghost...face.

xXOut Here Grindin'Xx

*Pulls up iTunes, selects "Out Here Grindin'" by DJ Khaled, puts on repeat*(1)

I don't care what nobody say, I'ma be me (be me)
Stay hood, stay raised on the streets (cause I'm out here grindin')
Niggas talk about greatness whenever they speak about me
(Cause I'm out here grindin')

Well except for being "in the streets" that's how I've been (kinda) feeling. Ha! And you thought I was just lounging around in boxers watching reruns of Law & Order SVU and Monk all day(2). NOPE! NOPE! Double HA!

Here's the latest of my universal goal of reaching greatness to the point when I can finally start pissing excellence. Joshua Thompson III commissioned me to polish up the logo for the clothing line he's started called Grade A. At first I had done this completely by hand but afterwards I wanted to challenge myself and completely redo my drawing in Illustrator (thanks to inspiration from my father. Dude's a genius I tell you). Here's the result...

Also for the line, he wanted to design two mascots that showcase the line's idea of pride and being ahead of its class...


And I'm definitely feeling how everything turned out. This week is gonna be a busy for one me. Just got commissioned to do two character pieces for a friend of a friend, doing something for Joanna Dam and her TrendSettaz line, AND I still got some more "Revolutionary Times" joints to finish.

I just know damn well between this week and the next there finally better be some gas in my car from all this lol.

|PLUGS|
- If you haven't, you'd better go get you an Identical Variant. logo shirt while they still last. The sizes left range from SM to 3XL (the 2XL and 3XLs are in VERY limited supply). Head over the Facebook group to learn how to get one. The next shirts are coming soon! (and they have my design on it!)

And that's about it. As always I'm Ghost...face.

(1) - And that will be the ONLY time I do that willingly. And this is the version with Wayne. No Jeezy.
(2) - Don't get it twisted. Those are some good ass shows...

xXNever ScaredXx

To (unfortunately) quote a PMSing Bow Wow...
"Do you NOT respect us?"

I kid, I kid. But yeah, "Revolutionary Times," we trying for that major status...

xXMichael Turner x Kwame x Bush x Jason x IVXx

First and foremost, I want to say a special "R.I.P." to comic book artist Michael Turner. Turner was one of the many pencillers that I looked up to when I started taking drawing seriously. Between him and J. Scott Campbell, I didn't know which could draw the better women. Creator of both "Witchblade" and "Fathom" I followed his career up until I entered college. And I wish I hadn't because I missed out on many great works that he did in the mean time. The covers he did recently for the "Civil War" storyarc for Marvel were just incredible. So I thank you, Michael Turner. Thank you for the great art and thank you for the inspiration!

Now, on to the show...

xXRevolutiony TimesXx - New strip inspired by the antics of Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and a promo pic showing our love and respect for that one guy who's presidental term is (finally) ending. If you haven't been keeping track or are new to this revolution we're trying to create than step your game up! My DeviantArt already has been taken over and we're on the way to doing the same for Myspace. Let's go!


xXThe ThirteenXx - My tribute for Jason Vorhees for when June 13th rolled around...

xXIdentical VariantXx - Two new design concocted for the up and coming Identical Variant clothing co. They've now expanded to Facebook, Myspace, and even the tiny world of blogging. If you're cool and hip, you'll check them out. That's an order!



And with that, I'm gone.

Ghost....face

xXViva La RevolutionXx

So the "Smack Chronicles" might be put on hold for "Rev. Times" but trust me, I have forgotten about my baby. Too many inspirations in life NOT to keep thinking about stories. Stay tuned.

Ghost