Zombie Slumber Party!

I just posted the Zombie Slumber Party boardgame to www.littleenandbigen.com. It can be downloaded as a pdf file from the ZSP page.
ZSP is a game that answers the question of what would happen when a teen sex comedy crashes headfirst into a zombie horror movie. Be warned is does come with an R rating for sexuality, violence, and language.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Jason's Studio Space

Calamity John's Art Supplies meme has inspired me to post pictures of my section of the Little'en and Big'en studios.

Picture 1: Jason's Drawing table. It is a solid wood table given to Suzanne and I by my friends when we got married. I love how solid and heavy it is. On the drawing table, left to right, are: 30" T-square, 2 cork-24" SAE/metric metal rulers, pencil sharpener, 6 Micron pens ranging from 8 to 005, 6H pencil, 2H pencil, gum eraser, a 12" cork-backed SAE/metric metal ruler, a bottle of black ink, glass full of Sharpie markers and pencils, an antique quilpen holder now holding an exacto-knife, painter's masking tape, a 22" x 26" artist's board, sheets of 8.5" x 11" copy paper to scribble on and use as smudge preventers, a 15" x 20" 24-ply hotpress illustration board which will become page 5 of the 1st chapter of the Rabbit, wax paper, a cook's timer, a brush holder and brushes, a water jar for when I watercolor, the towel used when I watercolor, my watercolor pallette, and a pencil holder bag.
Picture 2: Jason's computer desk. The desk I purchased from an office supply store. It is on wheels, which allows me to roll it out of the way to get at the piles of books that could not fit onto our bookshelves. The desk contains on the top shelf, from left to right: A Serta Sheep stuffed animal my Grandmother gave me, a skull of a Nobody I made out of pipe-cleaners, a Cannon CanoScan Lide 70 scanner. On the main shelf, from left to right: A jar of pens and pencils, the glass pitcher I drink water from, my headphones, a 19" CRT monitor, my mouse, paperwork with dimensions and x,y coordinates for Mandala-pattern 14, loose change, my fitness profile from the JJC college, my journal/sketchpad, a HP Color Laserjet 2600n with teddy bear and notes, the Color Index by Jim Krause. My computer is a MAC G4 running OS X.
Picture 3: What my work area looks like. You can see The Rabbit Mask hanging over my drawing desk. There are additional paintings allong the walls. Also a model I made of the Flying Broom hangs on the wall.
Picture 4: A green steamer trunk I use to hold my artwork. At least the artwork that will fit in it. On top are inked pages from the Rabbit and pages yet to be inked.
Picture 5: A full view of the steamer trunk and the wall it rests against. It is placed under our bookshelves. Next to the steamer trunk is my altar. Under the plant is my Peanut's metal lunchbox I found when my parent's moved. In the left corner you can see an easel containing the last of Suzanne's Seasons series. It is turning out beautiful.
Picture 6: Lastly, here is a close-up of the model's I built for Biff and Rockey. There is also a T-rex I made from Legos.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

The Last Mimzy (version B)

The Last Mimzy. Viewed on 3-26-09 at Karesotes Showplace 14 in New Lenox, IL
I have been lost within myself as of late. I disliked the superhero stories I encountered yet was still drawn to the genre. Heroes, Ben 10, and Invincible I love. The output of Marvel comics and DC comics leaves me sick. I look at the stories and feel nothing. That magical spark is missing. So why do I continue to look. Am I secretly hoping I will find a superhero story that entertains. Maybe I desire to find my childhood innocence again.
The problem with that idea I realized is that I did not read superhero comics as a child. In fact I did not read any comics until I was thirteen. I read books. Myth and children's literature. Just So Stories. Captain Courageous, Bloodclot Boy, Coyote, King Arthur, Narnia, the Phantom Tollbooth, and the Dark is Rising series. Those last two are the only books I have read more than once in my life. The Dark is Rising is one of my all time favorite series. Every book in the series I devoured. I could see every detail with clarity. For me, in sixth grade, those stories were real. Or so I wished they were. I wished some one would come along and tell me I am special, just like Will. To go from a plain ten year old to having special magical powers was very seductive to me. Why? The idea appealed to me because of my own feelings of powerless at that time. I did not get along with my peers. I was arguing with my parents. I was depressed and did not know how to get out. Yet if I was Will, I could use my magical powers to change things. Or maybe my junior high troubles would not seem so bad in comparison to facing down agents of evil and chaos. I must admit, not only to you but myself, that the idea of being the hero appealed to me. As one aspect of my depression I viewed myself as an evil person. My father telling me how selfish I was for getting christmas presents when there were starving children in the world contributed to this delusion I am sure. If I was Will, then I wouldn't be evil because I would be the hero. The hero only does good.
I've come to realize, after watching the Last Mimzy, is I never really loved superhero comics. I only liked them because they shared similar themes as the books I loved as a child. A person is able to take on another identity. A person learns special abilities or discovers special devices allowing them to do what they could not do before. A person discovers a secret world he or she did not know existed. Lastly, and most importantly, a person discovers peace of mind by book's end.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

The Last Mimzy (version A)

The Last Mimzy. Viewed on 3-26-09 at Karesotes Showplace 14 in New Lenox, IL

There is something about a movie that taps into the rich mythological heritage of humanity that I really respond to. The movie need not be about actual myths, like Clash of the Titans, but needs to use the symbolism in it's own fashion.

"There's a fundamental image in the old babylonian mythology of the god Marduk, the great sun god, the shaper and creator of the world. What does he create the world out of? His grandmother, Tiamat, who comes as a monster and he carves her up." Quoted from A Joseph Campbell Companion, page 34.

The future is saved from the tears of a little girl. A little girl feeling all cut up and torn by grief because her friend Mimzy is dying.

"That's the way the animus is: It is a projection of something the female could do but allows the male to do for her. Though not half so vital a presence, he is a machine with a body that's specialized, so he can do these things..." Quoted from A Joseph Campbell Companion, page 35.

The little girl needs her brother to help send Mimzy home and save the future. He is "the Engineer", creator of the generator for the time machine. He is able to see the lines of force moving through out the world. He, at her request, speaks to the insects to have them help hide their escape from the research lab.

Oh and how it continues. Oh and how I loved it.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Superman: Infinite City by Mike Kennedy, Carlos Meglia, and Rob Leigh

Superman: Infinite City by Mike Kennedy, Carlos Meglia, and Rob Leigh. Published by DC Comics
Is not every story a story of an alternate reality. Each person imagines a story differently than someone else reading it. The Harry Potter I image when I read any of his books is different than the Harry Potter you imagine. Are not each of us creating alternate realities when we read stories.
Imagine for a minute the beauty of this. Every person has an entire universe of realities, created from the stories they have read and seen, flowing out of them. Would I not bear witness to a river of stars pouring out of everyone could only I see.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Three signs of a bad movie

Signs a movie will be bad.
1. It is released in January.
2. The trailer is always the same.
3. It is a special effects movie not released in the summer.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Spider-man 3 trailer

Spider-man 3 trailer, viewed before 300 at the Kerasoted Showplace 14, in New Lenox, IL.

I was really looking forward to the new Spider-man movie. Then I saw this trailer. Damn. In the trailer we see Spider-man fight Sandman, the Green Goblin's son, and Venom. How long is this movie!
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

300

300, viewed 3-22-07 at the Kerasotes Showplace 14 in New Lenox, IL.

I could not tell you if I liked 300. While Suzanne and I watched the end credits roll across the screen I tried to discern my opinion. The movie managed to thrust the two-dimensional world of a comic into the three dimensions of cinema. The film captures all of Frank Miller's images. All color, shots, and time flow altered by computer to create a constant feel. Special effects to create the subtle and the grandiose. So here is my problem. If everything is altered and tweaked, how do I withstand the deluge of images.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Mandala-pattern 13 by Jason Arcand

I just finished Mandala-pattern 13. I am not sure what it reminds me of for I keep getting lost in the pattern

You can find it, and the others in the series, in the Mandala-pattern section of www.littleenandbigen.com.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Tales From Turnpike House by Saint Etienne

Tales From Turnpike House by Saint Etienne

"Everyone should have a reason to believe, so I believe that lightning could strike twice for me."
from the song Lightning Strikes Twice

I grew up with a bipolar father. I also spent three years working in a Treatment Center for juvenile sex offenders. I learned much from watching their struggles. No where have I heard what I learned been put so poetically. What I think is my choice. Bad thoughts only last till I think of some thing else. My life is the result of what I think most.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Ultimate Civil War: Spider-ham One shot by J. Michael Straczynski, Mike Wieringo, Maike Manley...

Ultimate Civil War: Spider-ham One shot by J. Michael Straczynski, Mike Wieringo, Maike Manley, Nick Dragotta, John Severin, Skottie Young, Jim Mahfood, Ariel Olivetti, Clayton Crain, Laurence Campbell, Chris Giarusso, Todd Nauck, Robert Campanella, Sean Phillips, June Chung, and Randy Gentile. Published by Marvel Comics

In the 80's, Marvel published a comic called Peter Porker: the Spectacular Spider-ham. A parody of Spider-man recasting the characters as anthropomorphic animals. I loved that comic. Not because it was clever. Not because it had great story telling. No, I loved it because the characters were drawn with such strong shape. It resonated with something deep and hidden. I see now my artistic aesthetics are not just a result of my experiences. They are the result of my experiences interacting with what is already in me.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #1 by Joss Whedon, George Jeanty...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #1 by Joss Whedon, Georges Jeanty, Andy Owens, Dave Stewart, and Richard Starkings. Published by Dark Horse Comics.

I stared at the comic on the shelf lost in thought. Do I buy the individual issues or wait for the collected trade paperback. Do I even want to support artists and corporations that will not write a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Is it even worth buying individual issues anymore?
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Invincible #39 by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley

Invincible #39 by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Bill Crabtree, and Russ Wooton and published by Image comics.

No matter what I may tell myself, I know secretly I read Invincible because it takes me back to when I used to play the Marvel Superheroes game from TSR. I was new to collecting comics and it was all a joy. It was exciting to grab the Marvel Handbooks and read about all these heroes and villains. A whole universe spread out before me.
The series also reminds me of how I read reading DC's Secret Origin "number whatever" that showed the secret origins of Dr. Light and the Substitute Legion of Heroes. The Legion of Substitute Heroes! A group of heroes who banded together because they were too lame to join the actual superhero group the Legion of Super-heroes. Chlorophyl Kid could make plants grow slower or faster after falling asleep in a vat of plant fertilizer he thought was a hot tub. Stone Boy could turn into an immovable stone statue. Night Lass has super-strength, but only at night. Fire Lad can breathe fire but has allergies that cause him to sneeze flames. And lastly, their leader Polar Lad, who can withstand cold temperatures without a coat. Being labeled a "nerd" and a "weirdo" by my classmates, I could identify with these losers.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Disc Replay

I will not shop at Disc Replay. Not because it is a dice roll of what music store snob stereotype I will encounter behind the register, but because of bad memories. For those of you that do not know, Disc Replay is a chain of used CD, movie, and video game store located around the suburbs of Chicago. They pay cash for everything they buy. This is where I come in. A couple years back I needed some rent money. So I sold off my CD collection. Over a hundred CDs. It was very difficult for me. It used to be the most difficult thing I ever had to do, then I got married and found out what difficult was. Now I get a bad taste in my mouth when I go there. An emotional aftertaste.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Mandalla-pattern 12 by Jason Arcand

I just finished Mandala-pattern 12. It reminds me of a star being born. What do you see?

You can find it, and the others in the series, in the Mandala-pattern section of www.littleenandbigen.com.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Tepid Pepermint Wonderland by the Brian Jonestown Massacre

Tepid Pepermint Wonderland by the Brian Jonestown Massacre
I was never into the Brian Jonestown MAssacre. The Dandy Warhols always nailed psychodelia more to my liking. I recently heard this CD again, and it was like I heard it for the first time. I immediately added it to my music library. This not the first time I have experienced hearing an album again for the first time. I believe an album speaks differently to us at different times in our live.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Neon Bible by Arcade Fire

Neon Bible by Arcade Fire
I was disapointed. Not because the album was bad, but because it was not great. Black Mirror is a great song, but none of the following songs match its lead. The album felt slower and more morose as it progressed. Still, I am glad I purchased it.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

The Last Unicorn on DVD

The Last Unicorn on DVD
There is a scene in this movie where a giant bull, covered in flames, chases a unicorn. I had a sudden flash as I recalled a half-remembered image. This movie was were the fiery bull came from in my mind. The image I associate with the old D&D gorgon. I wonder how many other images from my childhood are silently influencing me? Where does the spring flow.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Swamp Thing: Spontaneous Generation by Rick Veitch and Alfredo Alcala

Swamp Thing: Spontaneous Generation by Rick Veitch and Alfredo Alcala, published by Vertigo.
The writer is like a sculptor. He or she is given a large marble block at birth. The soul knows what shape resides inside and has us slowly chisel away at the marble with each story written.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Paul Has A Summer Job by Michel Rabagliati

Paul Has A Summer Job by Michel Rabagliati, and published by Drawn and Quarterly.
The greatest aspect of working in a therapeutic enviroment is not in healing others but in healing others and healing yourself. As you ask your charges to face their shortcomings, you must do the same.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Batman and the Monstermen: Dark Moon Rising by Matt Wagner, Dave Stewart, and Rob Leigh

Batman and the Monstermen: Dark Moon Rising by Matt Wagner, Dave Stewart, and Rob Leigh, published by DC Comics.
I would rather read any of Matt Wagner's Mage series.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan, Nike Henrichon, and Tod Klein

Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan, Nike Henrichon, and Tod Klein, Published by Vertigo.
When I read a book, I feel afloat in another world. Yet how much this "journey" effects me is not determined by the number of pages in a book. My Calculus textbook was over a thousand pages, yet I did not feel like I had come back from a grand adventure when I finished it. Nor is resonance determined by the events in a story. If plot and character were enough then only one book would of ever been written. What takes me to another place is the resonance of an artistic work. What is the complexity of a story's symbols. Do these symbols react with the symbols embedded in my personal mythology. Have the memes reached such a density they form landscapes and more complex memes.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Mandala-pattern 11 by Jason Arcand

I finished a new Mandala-pattern. Number 11 in the series. It, and the others in the series, can be found on the Mandala-patterns section of www.littleenandbigen.com.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

The Astronaut Farmer

The Astronaut Farmer, seen 3-5-07 at the Cinemark 6 in Stephenville, TX
My school would have us gather in the common rooms or cafeterias and watch the shuttle launches. Then the Challenger exploded. Our shuttle watching days were over. My teachers, my schoolmates, my nation cast their eyes from the stars above to the mud below. It was wrong.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

The Scar by China Mieville

The Scar by China Mieville, Published by Del Rey Books
Silas Fennis, the publisher of dissenting pamphlets, hides on a ship called the Wordhoard. One of the many clever details in a book on language disguised as a steam-punk fantasy novel.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Amazing Caves

Amazing Caves, seen 3-2-07 at the Omnimax Theatre of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.
Standing in line I hear a little brother yell at his older brother, "You punched me in my private." And yes he did say private, not privates. I turn to look and am reduced to a trance from the strobes on the little brother's shoes. He is kicking his brother so quickly the shoe's pulses appear like a strobe light. It was beautiful. Just like when the windshield exploded into my face with each shard of glass catching the light differently. A million stars before me.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Dinosaurs and Dino-bots

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, visited on 3-3-07
Standing in front of a mural depicting the earth's timeline I turn to Suzanne and say, "I now know when the dinosaurs evolved, so when did the dino-bots evolve?"
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Reno 911: Miami

Reno 911: Miami, seen 3-2-07 at the Cinemark 6 in Stephenville, TX
My criteria for a good comedy has changed since I was a child. As a child, a movie is a good comedy if I laughed. As an adult it is a good comedy if I still laughed after seeing the funniest bits in the trailers.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Santa Fe Taco Company and Taco Casa

Santa Fe Taco Company and Taco Casa in Stephenville, TX.
" The cashier was neither malevolent nor retarded, but merely indifferent and incompetent," said I to Suzanne. She was angry over the Taco Casa worker filling our cups full of ice.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com

Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider, seen 2-24-07 at the Paramount Theatre in Kankakaee, IL
Exiting the movie, with nothing to discuss, I spy my must see movie of 2007. Firehouse Dog. Dave, Suzanne, and I spent the rest of the night discussing how the image in the dog's sunglasses does not match the room he, or she, is in.
-Jason
www.littleenandbigen.com