Happy New Comic

Check out the Weekly.

Other Stuff...

As promised, there will be a new comic before the new year. I've been too busy killing off the Cuban Cartel (as mentioned below) to concentrate on the adventures of Ben and Kusai.
No plans for new years eve yet nor do I care the least bit.
In other news, I'm not sure whether I've been pissed off or just restless these past few days. I wouldn't be suprised if it's a little of both. For a number of reasons too. Yay. Look out. Great mood to procrastinate in.
My sister Erin just left the Crist nest again for Hartford, CT. Her exploits will eventually land her back in Rome at her apartment with her boyfriend. Oh yeah, have I mentioned that her boyfriend's father is the goalie coach for Porto? Yep, so they get showered in Portugese futbol swag and tickets and all that fancy crap. Lucky.
Someday I'll make it to glory glory Manchester and live it up for a match. Eric, you still in?? Anybody else wanna join??? Hello??
But first, I gotta go grab another beer...

You can drive really fast and blow shit up...

I am not ashamed to admit this-- I am totally obsessed with the Grand Theft Auto series of games for Playstation 2. I recently went back to "3" and it has been consuming most of my xmas vacation. Almost have it completed. I would like to take this time to give thanks to the makers of this game, for it is good and full of sweet sweet cars to steal and drive as though there is no tomorrow... Hallelujah!

Oh yeah, and you have free use of a sniper rifle! Just pick a high spot where the cops would have trouble reaching you and let 'er rip!

Tsunamii are bad.

I guess that would be correct for the plural of tsunami... But I won't talk about current events as it's the media's job to barrage you with that crap.
You should all watch the re-runs of this past season's South Park. Yes, trivial compared to the massive loss of life on the other side of the world but relevant for us "Westies" (not the barbaric group of Irishmen mentioned in the movie 'Made', silly). The last episode of this season is a stroke of comic genius. Please catch it or Tivo it if you can. It's called "Woodland Critter Christmas" and it came really close to making me piss myself.

Time to make some noise.

The Christmas holiday-- though lacking any blood relatives nearby-- was awesome. Carlos got me a much needed and doubly appreciated drum kit. Sweet! It's a little jazz kit that fits perfectly in my small home office. It's got an 18"x16" kick and a weeee bittie 12" snare to give you an idea of it's overall size. The great thing is that it doesn't sound remotely as small as it looks. Boom! Anyone want to play some music?
Carlos loves the iPod Photo that I got him too. Speaking of which, those things are getting more and more rediculous and cool. Damn you Apple for making me want to sink every penny I have and will earn into your magnificent products!!!

Yay!

Turns out the problem with the phone line was not in our house but with the phone company's main line on our street! Yay! Internet for xmas! New comic coming soon!

Argh!

There is currently no phone connection at my house which means no new comic this week. Ugh. I went into our basement last night armed with a flashlight to see if I could spot the problem and found that there is an elaborate "jerry rig" of the ancient phone lines spliced with modern ones. That can't be good. Grrrrrrrrrr. So the phone company is going to have to put in all new phone lines in the next few days. Woo.
I never really realized how subconsciously dependent on the internet that I am. I kept sitting down at my computer every five minutes to open safari kind of like when you're bored and you repeatedly check the fridge for food despite the fact that there's nothing you want to eat. Yeah, it's that kind of fun.

Thick As Thieves

Ah, a 4 day week awaits. I still have a little time to complete my patented xmas gifts for family- the yearly mini paintings. I'm so sorry guys, I still don't make enough to buy you anything. They'll be adorable this year, that I promise.
I am stoked though. My good friend Eric from Philadelphia is moving out here in early 2005. Who better to watch United kick everyone's ass with? Yay! Now I just have to get Fox Sports World on the ol' satellite contraption...

New Comic!

Please check out the Weekly section for more family fun with Kusai and Ben. Well, maybe not so much "family" as both of their fictional parents were brutally murdered and disected for research by an inferior species of creatures during the invasion of their planet. Anywhoooo...

Many thanks to Bill & Bob on 'Brandy & Mr. Whiskers' for the thoughful little gift of children's percussion instruments. Not only will they be used practically but they'll fit ever so nicely in with all of the other random instruments I collect. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

1000 Pardons

The not-so-weekly Weekly section of the site will be updated later tonight.
For some strange reason, it's been difficult to execute my usual mean spirited but adorable comics with these new characters. Please bear with me through this new character adjustment period. It'll work out, I promise. They'll be slicing each other's throats in no time.

My sweet darling Carlos Ramos and his show 'the X's' were featured a nice write up about Nickelodeon in USA Today (aka everyone's totally trusted news source- haha). Here's a peek at his baby:


The Acting Famous website is partially up (www.actingfamous.com). Dates, times and general info to be posted soon.

Also, if anyone knows of some Japanese names that would be suitable for animated characters (both cute and tough) please drop me a line. Naming n'est pas facile.

Acting Famous

To those interested in the world of stage entertainment (and not the kind with strippers- at least not this time)... A friend of mine organized a troupe called Acting Famous and will be putting on a show of 5 one act plays called "An Evening with a Stockbroker, a Bartender, a Teacher, a Whore and a Latina". I'm working on the poster and webpage for it right now so please spread the word! The dates are not set yet but it should be around the end of January 2005 at the Tamarind on Franklin Ave in Hollywood.

Cristmas

It's a little early to be talking too much about it and yes, I realize that I carelessly left out the "H" above...
Just like Thanksgiving, this particular holiday will be spent here in LA. It'll be a much needed week of nothingness. After last week's juice fast I am totally looking foward to comsuming copious amounts of holiday goodies and actually being able to function as a normal human being.
On the other hand, I found out my sister is briefly coming back to the states for the holidays. That will make me the only Crist missing 'round the ol' fake tree in bumble-cold-as-fuck Pennsylvania. I'm definately going to miss being home now. Or maybe I'm merely fooling myself and I'm just missing the past Christmas holidays. Either way, there's still going to be a longing to go back east.
Here's a photo my dad took last Christmas:

A Great Review...

Check out the ManMan album review on pitchforkmedia.com.
It kinda reads like, dare I say it, poetry.

New Comic.

Check the Weekly section of the site out.

When the hell is my next netflix dvd coming?

It doesn't feel like Friday. That might be a good thing though. I think I may go draw a happy and upbeat comic now. Friday night. Woo.


Sweet Totoro...

Need New Music

I am so tired of 90% of what's on my ipod and what's out there in general. What's going on, Music Industry? Unfortunately, I don't see a glimmer of hope on the horizon either. Unless Ryan, yes you Ryan, sends me a copy of the ManMan album. Even if the label never gave you any more copies, burn me one, I don't care. I just need something besides what I got. Yeah, there was a brief moment in there where the Arcade Fire and Fiery Furnaces surfaced but they were swept away by too many repeat listens. And I do stress too many. I think I may have killed them. Maybe now's a good time to start making music again. It's been a LONG TIME.

Oh yeah, you should go out and get ManMan's new album 'The Man In The Blue Turban with a Face' (AceFu Records). You can even download it on iTunes now (if you are too lazy to get to your local record store). How's that for technology?? Maybe I should follow my own advice and just buy it now. Here's a photo of that wiley bunch: