Psychic Soldier Kai

Cover for Issue 3

2010-05-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

This is the cover for the 3rd issue of PSK. Wanted something a bit warmer than the previous two covers. I'm looking forward to adding this to my print list, and also adding the title elements. :)

Issue 3 complete!

2010-05-25T11:58:00.001-07:00

Wow, can't believe it took over a year to get the third issue done. Gotta say, I'm a bit embarrassed by my laziness. I really hope I can get the fourth issue done a lot faster. I should have the new cover done soon, then its off to the printers! Wheeee!

Iron Man 2

2010-05-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

It really is amazing how powerful the comic movie has become. Iron Man 2 is now a box-office beast like Batman and Spiderman before it. Let's face it, these movies are making stars out of previously B-level actors. Not to knock Mr. Downey Jr., but before Iron Man, he wasn't exactly a household name (though he's always been an incredible actor). To the point; Iron Man 2 was a great movie, and I can't wait to add it to my DVD collection later this year. I also heard that it beat Riddley Scott/Russel Crowe's Robin Hood film. That's crazy, and a testament to the force of nature comic book films have become.

New Cover for PSK #1!

2010-05-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

So I finally got around to doing a new cover for the first issue of PSK. Very happy with how this came out. I want all my books to have a color cover. I think it adds a lot, even though the interiors will remain b/w for the time being.

Self Publishing; Print vs web

2010-03-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

It still amazes me that after all this time, people still don't know the power of the web when it comes to personal business and commerce. Recently, I got into a small debate with someone about the benefits of publishing your work on the web vs. going the traditional route of the direct market. For me, the web is an obvious choice simply because of cost. I pay roughly $10 a month for a host service, and about $30 a month on advertising. When I go into full advertising mode, I can usually generate about 4k a day. Meanwhile, trying to pierce the direct market can cost you thousands of dollars.

I just don't understand why people are so against putting their work on the web. Are people afraid of giving away their work for free? Putting my comic on the web hasn't diminished my sales in any way.

My constant hiatuses on the other hand....

A new focus

2010-02-24T06:02:00.000-08:00

Well, its time for me to buckle down and get the first PSK story arc finished. I've been working on this comic for over 2 years, and I've only done 70 pages. Obviously this isn't my full-time job, and I'm not making a living off of it, but still, I should be way ahead of where I'm at now. So my new focus will be to get issue 3 done by the spring, and try to get the last 2 issues done by the mid-Ohio con in October.

Wish me luck, I got a long way to go!

Redesign kai!

2009-11-09T05:28:00.001-08:00

These guys really did a great take on our hero Kai. Here's there websites if you want to check out more of their work;

Doomsmith (Artist on the left);
http://www.doomsmith.deviantart.com/

Carlos J.R. Garcia (Artist on the right);
http://www.loswrx.com/

Truth and consequences

2009-09-14T06:08:00.001-07:00

Well its been almost six months and the new site still isn't complete yet, so I'll be sticking with WCN for the time being. With school and everything else coming at me all at once, WCN is simply the easier solution. I definitely want to move to my own site, but I just can't do it right now.

In the meantime, its good to be back on track with PSK. I want to get done with Act 5. Its been sitting around all summer, and I know readers are getting tired of looking at the same old pages. Hope you guys liked page 62, and I'm sure you're going to dig page 63 as well.

See you soon.

Moving on up!

2009-04-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Well, after being with WCN for over a year, its time to move to a better site. So I scrounged up some dough and purchased my own space! The new site will be "Psychicsoldierkai.com" (long I know!), and will include forums, an integrated blog, and be run by Comicpress and Wordpress. I'm very excited, and I think its timed perfectly with the beginning of act 5.

To everyone that's been reading thus far, thanks for the support. Its only going to get better from here!

Channeling my inner Joe Mad

2009-03-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

As we glide towards the end of the 4th act of Psychic Soldier Kai, I've decided to add some "action pages" to the story. Not that I hadn't planned to have a little action in the end of this act, but the idea went from a couple of panels to a couple of pages.

Where does Joe Madueria come into this discussion? Well I've been reading a lot of his stuff lately to give me ideas about how I want do these last few pages. Let's face it, no comic artist can produce energy the way Joe Mad does, so I'm really using him as inspiration.

Finally, I want to say thanks to everyone who reads my comic and commenting in my little box on the bottom. Its so nice to see that something you created means something to someone else. Thanks again, and keep reading Psychic Soldier Kai!

P.S. Enjoy Spring! Its the best season period.

Watchman

2009-03-07T07:48:00.000-08:00

So I finally saw this movie last night. Never read the comic, but given its legendary status among comic heads, I was really excited to see the film adaptation.

I loved it.

Definitely not your typical super hero movie, and that's a wonderful thing. However, I can already hear the groans from people who think that super hero movies have to be this or that. I thought that the Dark Knight did a lot to shatter that bias, but a lot of work still needs to be done. Hopefully Watchmen will do even more to show that "super hero" stories aren't one-dimensional parodies of the human experience, but are more often than not a mirror on our society and ourselves. They're the ultimate thesis on what flawed individuals do when given the powers of a god.

Anyway, enough of my babble. Go see the movie!!

First review for Psychic Soldier Kai!

2009-02-27T18:53:00.000-08:00

The good folks over at The Heraldry of Webcomics gave us a pretty good review. I was pretty pleased with the whole thing, and I'm glad that someone besides myself understands my writing style!

I'm hoping for more web reviews in the future as PSK continues to grow and more characters and revelations are revealed about our hero and his unique and strange heritage.

Back into the swing of things...

2009-02-26T04:45:00.000-08:00

Well after almost a month of not posting anything on my comic, I'm finally able to post a new page.

Its been a crazy month of incredible highs and abysmal lows. However it feels great to be able to do my comic again. I'm going to shoot for 3 times a week, but I got a feeling that I'll probably be back to one time a week before I know it...

Anyway, I want to thank all my reader who continually check my work even when I'm on a hiatus. You guys are awesome, and always keep me inspired.

Monday, Monday, Monday!!!

2008-12-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I regret to inform everyone that due to my recent acceptance of a second job, my webcomic can only update once a week. It really sucks, but I have to do what's best for both me, my family, and the quality of the strip itself.

I never wanted to go down to an update a week, but for the time being, it makes the most sense. I'm currently working 9-10 hour days, and I simply can't keep up that oppressive work schedule, and maintain the quality of the strip.

I'm really hoping my primary job picks back up, but it doesn't seem likely.

Thanks for reading everyone. Hope you continue to enjoy the strip.

Gotta love your day job!

2008-08-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

Well when I first started PSK, it was three times a week. When I relaunched in early June, it was twice a week. Recently you guys may have noticed that its gone down to once a week. So here comes my excuse, and I apologize in advance for sounding like a whining idiot...

Recently my job lost some people, so they increased hours for all the full time employees. Thus, I went from an 40 hour work week, to a 50 hour work week.

Did I mention that I get no overtime?

I'd definitely consider getting a new job, but honestly the company I work for is awesome, and I get paid enough to live comfortably. Unfortunately the more hours I work means less hours I get to devote to PSK.

In any case, I'm not going to give up! My goal is to get back to 3 updates a week. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but you don't get anything if you don't try.

Oh man, this sucks!

2008-07-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

Well, WCN, the main hosting site for PSK has been down since Saturday! This is extremely disappointing, and considering how long its taken Manley to update things in the past, this could take awhile to fix. Thus, I'm going to have to find a new hosting site for PSK. Stay tuned.

Finally an update!

2008-07-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

After a crazy week, the next installment of Psychic Soldier Kai will hit tomorrow. Hopefully I won't miss a Monday update again.

I will say that if it does occur, you can count on me to update the site at LEAST once a week.

Take care, and enjoy PSK!

The Dark Knight

2008-07-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

OMG, amazing flick.

Heath Ledger IS the Joker. Simply the best villain in a movie EVER.

Excellent from start to finish. Some of the stuff the Joker did will make you wince, because its all so utterly twisted.

When I saw the original Batman movie as a kid back in '89, I was never scared of the Joker. I never thought that the Batman needed to stop him. In fact, I was upset when the Joker got killed.

This movie is different though. The Joker is so utterly flocked up that you want Batman to stop him. Hell, in the end, I WANTED Batman to kill him. He's like a disease, that infects everyone and everything, and you know he just won't stop until something or someone stops him. He's not a random psycho who you dismiss, he's a true mastermind who has his hands in everything, and its utterly shocking how he just screws with everyone, including the audience watching the film. Ras and Scarecrow from the original film don't even come close to him. Jack Nicholson's Joker is a pale imitation in comparison.

This movie blows Batman Begins away. It blows every Batman movie ever made away. Its one of the best movies I've ever seen. I think anyone who enjoys superhero, crime movies, or psychological thrillers need to see this film.

I'll be there on day one for the DVD.

Heath, bravo man, and R.I.P.

If you haven't guessed it yet, GO SEE THIS MOVIE!

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

2008-07-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

Just saw this flick and really enjoyed it. The costumes, the art direction, and the humor really made for great entertainment. Didn't like it more than Iron Man, but it came damn close. Can't wait to plug it into my BR and watch it in HD this fall.

Check out the full review in my forums.

http://psychicsoldier.invisionplus.net/index.php?mforum=psychicsoldier&s=331aa2053140806abd50ba3ff21924dc&&skinid=5&ch=1

Diablo 3 announced

2008-06-30T01:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Blizzard announced a new installment in one of my favorite game series. I'm extremely excited and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/

Kudos to Blizzard for FINALLY giving us fans what we've been craving for for several years now.

Of course knowing Blizzard, we probably won't see this game for at least another 2 years. :P

How to make Webcomics

2008-06-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

I recently picked this up and have been reading it thoroughly. Its a very good book overall, and it gives great tips for aspiring cartoonists like myself. I will say that the book does tend to focus on "short-form" webcomics quite a bit. That's understandable considering the guys who wrote the book, and because short-form is the most popular type of webcomic.

Despite that, the book is helpful for anyone looking to start out in this field. I got it for $13, and I think for the information is provides, its a steal.

Check it out at your local bookstore. I'll see you all again on Friday.

The latest pages

2008-06-23T05:39:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile since my last post. After a failed Zuda pitch, and several personal things flying around, I've finally been able to return to regularly updating my strip. In a way, the break has been beneficial, since it has allowed me to refine the story, and push it in (what I feel) is a more compelling direction.

In any case, I hope you enjoy the new pages, and as always, thanks for reading.

Zuda...

2007-12-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

Well I decided to submit my webcomic to Zuda for review. I'm a little nervous about the whole thing, since PSK was only on WCN for a month and I was establishing a pretty solid fanbase. However, Zuda is a great oppurtunity to work for a great company so I simply couldn't pass it up. If I win, I get to work for an industry icon. If I lose, I go back to doing PSK like I was doing before. Sounds like a win-win either way.

Check out Zuda.com and view this month's competitors. I like how Zuda has diversified their entries to include traditional-looking webcomics. Some people don't like them, and are spewing hate, but I think diversity is a strength. The beauty of this medium is that creators can do anything with their work.

Giving thanks...

2007-11-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

Well, its that time of the year again. Time to stuff your face with lots of heart-clogging goodness, and visit relatives you only see twice a year in the hopes of getting some free food!

In all seriousness, I LOVE this time of the year. The leaves turn, the weather gets cooler, and everyone just seems to be in a better mood all around.

The comic is moving along fairly smoothly. I'm nearing the end of the first story arc, so you folks will get to see Kai very soon. I called the first chapter "Curse of Genesis" for a reason. For anything to be created, something, or someone must be destroyed.

X marks the spot

2007-11-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

I did this picture for a forum contest earlier this year. I don't do much color anymore, but I do enjoy working with it. It can add a great deal of life to any image.

The first post

2007-11-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

Well this is my first post ever on a blog. Don't know how long I'll be doing this. Hopefully for a long time, but you all know how life goes...

I'll be adding new art here from time to time, just to keep things interesting. We'll see how that works out, but for now, I hope everyone likes it. I'll also use this space to update any news that emerges regarding my website.

So yeah, I've been doing this webcomic thing for a few weeks now. I'm really enjoying it, and I can't complain. I'm obviously a bit nervous about keep the pace up, but I don't see any reason why I can't do it.

You can learn a little more about me in the profile portion of this blog. I'm not a terribly interesting individual, so don't get too excited.

Anyways, enough of my ranting. Enjoy your stay, and leave a message so that I can feel important.