1:49 AM

Ten minutes to 2:00 AM...

February 14th, Valentine's Day, go figure.

Listening to Tyler, The Creator's 2015 album Cherry Bomb. F*****G YOUNG.

So here I am trying to set up my new website over on Wix, and just coming to terms with how little I actually know, but that's why we learn. I have to figure this stuff out fast though, I need to start creating some products and artwork to actually sell and such. But also get the site going and looking as nice as I can, it will be my online portfolio after all, especially if I am trying to look for work and such.

PERFECT feat. Kali Uchis.

I have a lot of work ahead of me, and the worst thought is I am not going to see a dime from it until I finish and put it all out there. Don't know how long I am going to be able to the part timer work, the boredom is sin and it bugs me being away from the things I want to like practice my artwork, improve or learn a new skill and applying it to my own work. F**k this system.

SMUCKERS feat Kanye West & Lil Wayne.

This will all make sense in the end.

Youth Impact Summit

So big news to share with everyone, tomorrow and Thursday I will taking part of the Youth Impact Summit. What is that you may ask, well let me tell you; a collection of young minds from across the province coming together to brainstorm, hear, talk about ideas to change communities. And yours truly applied a few times in the past and now I have the opportunity to take part of this big game changing opportunity. For a few years I've wanted to see what I could do to help out those who need help, be that volunteering at charity events or donate clothing or food. And now I can learn how to take that energy to the next level, and I am super excited for this experience.

For those reading for the first time, welcome! My name is Alvaro Cruz, or as I go by on most forms of social media, ChileanStorm. I was born in Toronto, but my family history hails from Chile, so I like to represent for Chile and all of Latin America, very proud of my roots and culture. I am an artist who is currently back in school and working part time as a barista. At the end of the day, I still need to pay my bills. I am currently working on a few personal projects like the Glass Prison and currently working on my first comic book, Brewgatory. My goal is to have a comic ready for summer 2017.

In this page here you will find a lot of entries on comic books that I've read and few opinion pieces as well. In the future entries I will probably talk more about things on my mind, the most important Nicolas Cage films and Nintendo 64 games. So if you like any of these things or just want a fun read, by all means give me a read and a follow and be sure to drop a comment if you'd like as well. 

You have to be able to laugh at yourself as well. 

Keep chasing the storm. 

What Happened?

Disclaimer, today I am writing about what I am going through, it's a bit of a downer but I pick it up. I just want to say that I am fine now, while I have depression, I am still going to do my best to keep it all together. And a big thanks to my best friend, Toby, for being there when I needed someone to talk to. I couldn't do it without you. 

So last Monday, I had a mental breakdown. I was going to kill myself. 

I am not writing this for pity or comfort, I am writing this to make sense of it and to try and understand myself a little bit more. I have a mental illness, call it depression or anxiety, I have it. And yes, this is an obstacle in my life right now, but I know I am not alone, so many of us today are suffering and maybe we are suffering in silence. I don't think I can be silent about this, I am an artist/blogger who is posting his work to the world, and I can't pretend that I am not going through a lot when I am, I can't pretend that I am perfectly fine ignoring the crisis in my head and the problems out in the world. I can't be in blissful ignorance. This world is built on the back of others, it is a take more and give less kind of mentality. My biggest problem right now, is money and the lack of funds in my bank account. And yes I am looking for a full time job, another part time job and anything else I can do to make money. But here is a great and I mean a great misconception, that you can apply to a job and you just get it, that it takes mere minutes. For the greatest necessity on this planet, it sure is one hell of a struggle just to get a job. So if you are one of those sitting on your laurels, comfortable at your job and looking down on those who don't have a job or aren't paid to blow smoke up someone's ass, well f*ck you. I don't think there are any other words for that kind of person. The system is broken and we have created a world were you will be judged on how much money you do or don't make. 

Oh but money isn't everything, right? Sure, that's cute. 

As much as we want to believe in that, it isn't the case. We don't take care of one and other, we take care of ourselves and our families, an extension of us and even then some people skip that. Everything we need and everything we want, it all comes back to money. Even the essentials like shelter, water, heat and food; this is all tied to how much you have. We have created our own prison, and no one is fighting it. We are convinced that we can beat the system. And here is the thing, you don't beat the system, you just get into the pearly gates. Say you make it, as an artist or a banker, you aren't going to look back when you finally reach the top of the mountain. And don't get me wrong, there are people out there who break the mold and help out by giving everything they can and more, and you know these are people who should be applauded and celebrated. But the majority of us in this ever growing population, we can't say the same. After working, paying your taxes and taking care of all the costs, you just want to focus on you and take care of you. But can anyone be blamed for that? I don't think it's fair to say.

Because for me, I want money to have more freedom. I want to have my own place, my own fridge, my own workplace. This is all for me. So while I go off about having to help one and other, as soon as I am making 40 hours of work, I am going to be taking care of me. Yeah, in a way you could say I am full of shit. But here is the thing, I want to make a difference. I want to help out in any way I can, and one of the ways is by looking at depression in the eye and telling it go away. By telling and drawing a story, not about flawless heroes, but about the realities and struggles that a lot of us go through, by letting that lonely kid know he is not alone. I want to tell stories, I want to open eyes and open minds, I am going to do that through my craft. This doesn't make me any better or worse, but in the words of the great punk icon, Ian Mackaye...

You tell me that I make no difference

At least I'm fuckin' trying

What the fuck have you done?

No matter what happens, I have to try. And I am probably going to feel trapped again, I am probably going to feel like I am drowning next month, but I have to fight, more importantly I have to live. I will be going to a doctor as well, I need to clean out any demons that might still be inside my head. I want to live and I want to make a difference. And I want others with depression or anxiety to be able to know, that we can make it, no matter what, we can make it. 

I hope someone gets to read this, if you do read this, let me know. Tell me what you fear, your doubts and more importantly what you want to do to make the world a greater place. How do you deal with your demons? I don't want to be a downer, I think there is a lot of beauty and joy in the world, and we should never forget that. Life is here to be enjoyed, regardless of the challenges we face. Onwards, keep chasing the storm.

Editorial: An Old Fool...

Well, it finally happened. That moment where I stopped and said, "shit, I am old". So I was enjoy a quite Friday afternoon, drinking a coffee at my local Starbucks and drawing in my sketchbook. When around a certain time after 3 PM, I noticed a lot of high school kids coming into the cafe. Loud and noisy bunch, even with my headphones on, I began to notice more and more things that were bugging me. I noticed, hey, they haven't bought a coffee or even a bagel, 20 damn kids and not one of them bought something. Keep in mind, where I live by Royal York and Bloor is a pretty classy neighbourhood and none of these kids looked underprivileged. Then I noticed all of them going to the bathroom, together, and drinking booze in the bathroom. I just thought, shouldn't you kids be doing something useful with your life? Homework? Studying? It was embarrassing to see 16 year old kids stumble drunkly out of the bathroom. I thought, shit, we are a world at war here and all you kids can think of is drinking in a bathroom and trying to get your dicks wet?! And then I really thought hard, what about you? Don't you remember when you were that age? I wasn't on the honour roll. I wasn't a good kid, but that's not to say I was a bad kid by any stretch. I was troubled, I think. I am not sure. To my readers, I must confess, I don't have a good memory. I remember big moments, events and times, but details and little things, I tend to forget. I want to remember more, I want to know what kind of blocks I was laying down, the blocks that became me. I think sometimes, maybe I hurt people, maybe I wasn't as good as I thought I was, and maybe I have a life ahead of me to make up for all my mistakes. But that's what got me thinking about those kids, and what could I do to help.

I think it's easy for all of us to judge. We do it all the time, all of us, in some way or form we are constantly judging the world around us. And let's be honest, because f*ck me if I feel that we can all be way more honest with one and other, even if it hurts. I think of how little time we all have and man, I get scared, I worry on how dishonest we can be.  And hell, I get shit from my family from this a lot, and you know I can admit sometimes I may come off as an asshole, but I don't want to sugar coat things. Am I worried about my finances? Absolutely, I fear Visa is going to send a hitman and murder me. Do I need to find another job or more work? Yes, yes I do and that may involve working overnight to pay off my debts and to be able to look into getting my own place. Do I feel alone sometimes? More like most of the time, I just can't see a future with someone in my life. I hate my body, I want to work out. I want to be a better artist, I want to see more of the world and I seriously want the Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup before I kick the bucket. This is me just being as open as I can be without me showing my browsing history. I am saying all this because I know that I can do more for the present and for the future, regardless of my past. 

I feel a bit like both of these characters.

I know people and programs in this city that are doing and trying to do a lot of good, especially with the youth of today. And knowing that, I know what I need to do next. I want to do something for the youth, I want to help out, make a difference. And why not? What I wouldn't do to go back in time and tell my younger self to focus, to pay attention to the big picture, to realize how much more your worth. I am no saint and I don't think I am trying to be, have you seen how many times I used "I" in this blog alone, it's extremely self help in a way. At the end of the day, we all have the ability to make a difference and to be a difference, we can be pretentious or self righteous, we can tell our selves that we are always doing good and can do no wrong. Or we can just open the door, and go outside. The world is out there, we have to give a chance.

So I guess to close this off, I wanted to apologize about being a grumpy old man. It's so easy to complain and point out the flaws in others, but I think taking the step back and looking at your own imperfections, looking at what you can do to make the world a better place, that's the first step. I am not sure what I am going to leave behind in this world, but I am going to try and leave something worth talking about, something that can inspire courage and compassion to love without question. Okay, the sap is dry from this maple tree, I will see you guys later, thank you for reading and remember to keep chasing the storm. 

Diary of Glass: Entry 5

It's been a long time since I've been able to talk about anything related to my pet project, Glass Prison. I was working away on both issue zero and issue one, then life happened and it took a back seat to practically everything else, which was my fuck up. I want to blame this on having a lot of different birthday celebrations  and picking up more hours at work, lord knows Visa is still looking to murder me (I think), but the cold truth of it all, it's on me. I haven't found the time to sit down and finish it up, but issue zero is practically finished, I just have to but some finishing touches to it and send over to the scanners. At which point I still need to clean it up on Photoshop, letter it and put it all together. But God damn it, this is a lot of work! And look I am going to slay this fucker one way or another, this book will happen, but the reality is I am an out of shape guy who gets home drained from his job after 8 hours of service and cleaning. And I still got tons and tons of things I need to learn as an artist and as a comic creator, I still look at my work and think and know I could have done things differently, better. And I still got to draw out issue one, which I need to get more paper and actually I might have to remove a page, I may have written 25 pages for this 24 page comic. So plenty to do, and I think I know what I want to do to improve these current problems...

One, me and my brother are going to sign up for a gym. We figure it's a good time to meet up and work together, he is already in shape though, me, I've got a gut to slay and roll out some rolls. That's the reality of things, and not to mention you can get pretty inactive sometimes in the winter, so best work it off. But it's also something I want to add to my daily routine, after or before work, something to keep me going with stronger energy. And then by the summer time, all the selfies! Maybe. Most likely. I apologize now in advance. 

Two, I need that drafting table and a good chair for work. My current set up right now has my computer and whole bunch of other things, mainly different collectible blind bag figures. Coolest one being...hmmm...I've got to give that to the Mega Man helmet (Red variant)that I got from Loot Crate. But yeah, while this spot is great for digital work and for blogging, I need to make space for a work table, a place I can go to and attack any project I got. That and I want a board to see what I have to finish and all that jazz, organize myself to a greater scale. I want to be an artist, I got to start taking this shit more seriously. With this work space, I can also study more techniques and practice more and more.

But there you have it, that is what is going on with me so far and the Glass Prison. I have not forgotten this project and I will not stop until this done and finished, this is something I have to do, come hell or high water, I need to do this. And thing is, here in Toronto, we got guys doing some absolutely incredible work, a lot of guys who I want to be to hang with, to be able to say that I am part of that collective. Because now, I can't say much to my name, I am invisible as far as the world of comics is concerned. I want to change, I want to be known and I want to tell my stories. So if you've been following me and my work so far, a big big thank you to you and continue to do so you incredible wonderful person, thank you! Until then, will see what I get done when the next update rolls around, which I am going to try and make sure is once per week. So until then, keep chasing the storm! 

Right White Night...

So I think I am a bit surprised when things that should happen, actually happen. Like when the TTC (our not so reliable transit service here in Toronto) is on time with the buses and trains, the extra time on my hands is always welcomed. So I was a bit surprised to find out that this years Nuit Blanche is moving to some bigger streets in the city, instead of going down Yonge and Bay. I am pretty sure I've complained here on the self destruction of Nuit Blanche, and the big reason was how bat shit crazy crowded it got. But with the change to Spadina all the way down to Fort York, this may have a chance at redemption. Or not. I've been wrong before, I am a Maple Leafs fan. But I bring this up, because I have so very cool announcements to make that are going to be taking place on Nuit Blanche, so Toronto storm clouds listen up and be sure to share this post around...

So what to do on an all nighter that is dedicated to the arts? More art that's what! And by that I mean random sketches, all night long and to anyone and everyone. This is something I am going to be doing with my fellow brothers from other mothers, to take in the night and share something with the city. We will be tweeting our different locations all night long and we will be posting up all images on Instagram as the night goes on and on and on. So come find the ChileanStorm, Tea Em, Maddsketch, Pepper Pots and other friends through out the night! Get some cool sketches and other possible cool stuff as well. The night is young and it will be ours! 

So let's art people! Art! Art for freedom! 

The other event will be taking place at Guerilla Printing, over at 413 Spadina Ave, right by College street. So in celebration of the all night event, GP is going to have not only on display a ton of incredible art on the walls from Vince Sunico (man of action) and Lamin Martin, but there will also be live music as well from the Toronto women kulintang ensemble, Pantayo. And as well, Vince will be doing a live art piece based on Grendizer! So classic anime fans, don't miss this spot on Nuit Blanche! The event will get going at around 9 PM on Saturday, so be sure to check it out! 

So now you know guys, Nuit Blanche just got 50% cooler! Be sure to get some coffee or energy drinks in you, because it is going to be a long night of fun, art and surprises! Remember to dress for the weather and be ready for anything. I may see some you guys out there this weekend, so until then keep chasing the storm! 

Hail the Snail!

Storm back from a busy busy week (that's two times busy) and writing out a blog here on this gorgeous Saturday night here in Toronto. What else was I going to do? Okay, so first thing is first, a big and massive thank you to the Silver Snail comics store in the heart of the downtown core for hosting me on Wednesday and Saturday! I can't thank you guys enough for making the time and space for me and my fellow artist on these days and for the rest of the team this July. If you live in the GTA and you haven't been to the Silver Snail, it is a landmark for all comic book fans, check it out as soon as you possibly can. Another big thank goes out to everyone who came by the table and looked at some art, chatted for a bit and hey maybe even got to take home some awesome ChileanStorm one of a kind artwork. Thank you guys so much, I hope you guys enjoy all the silly cool covers and prints, and also be sure to represent with those stickers as well. Let the world know that you going to settle for less, you are a storm now and nothing is impossible. If you want some stickers as well, be sure to get some cool art from me next time you get a chance. 

So I think you guys like Adventure Time. Just a hunch but you guys snagged my latest two covers really quickly, so a heads up next time you see one of my covers that you like, get it fast, cause they sell really quickly. It's great though, cause I love working on these, creating new teams with the Adventure Time casts is always great and getting them in action, such a blast! I am working on new Adventure Time mash up prints as well, so be sure to get those as soon as you can as well, at Fan Expo they could go very quickly. But a big thank you as well to all the storm clouds who got some original on the spot art from me as well, I had a blast drawing everything from Doctor Doom to even a superhero Lego battle.

So as you may or may not know, I love getting swag or picking up new comics and what not, and being at the Snail, there was plenty that I wanted to take home. But I ended up settling with a few copies of Rocket Raccoon (support Skottie, review blog coming soon), two Adventure Time DVD's, a Jake the Dog hat and a Doctor Who vinyl figure, of the 11th Doctor, my personal favourite Doctor so far. There was a lot of blind boxes from Kid Robot that I wanted to grab as well, but I figured me and Toby need to actually open a few of the ones we already have before I get some more.  The life of a geek, beautiful thing ain't it.

Well that was one part of my busy week, I got some commission work to get cracking on and going into the shop as well, and plenty of comic book blogs coming up guys, don't you worry. By all means comment below, send or share with friends and keep it tuned here for more ChileanStorm related news. Until then, keep chasing the storm! 

A New York Storm of Mind... (Part 2)

Back and back again! So where was I last time...? 

Right, the Special Edition Comic Con in New York City! Man, it was a really awesome crowd, you guys that came out this weekend really love your comics and love your artwork, and we really appreciate all the love we got for our works. A lot of creative commissions were created as well, including the awesome sketch shoe idea, there was also original characters drawn and even a few anime characters drawn up as well. And the amount of great travel at the show as well was an incredible experience to see as well, newcomers and professionals alike shared the floor room and it was just an incredible experience to take a part in. But as the show was coming to an end on Saturday, I was looking forward to going out and seeing more of the city, and trying out some New York unique food. 

We decided to hit up Shake Shack, according to the masses this is the best burger joint in the town. According to some our New York guides, it wasn't that good but since we were here anyways, might as well try it out. We didn't wait too long though, about ten minutes to get through the crowd and order up our burgers. I decided to go all out and get the Smoke Shack burger, which was a spicy based kind of burger. I am not the best with spices, most of  the time I will avoid it if I can. But that being said, this was a damn good burger. The best burger I have ever had? Not really. But I will say it is worth a try at least once if you are in town and looking to try out some unique burgers. We decided to hit up some pubs afterwards and watch some World Cup futbol and have a few drinks. I am aware of a lot of the controversy surrounding this current World Cup, but I got to say, man this is really the best time to watch some good futbol games. With plenty of food and drinks in our bellies, we set off back to the boat to get ready for our last day in the big city. 

I am going to blame this on the drinks, but I had a feeling that the boat was a bit more rockier then usually on Sunday morning. Never the less, we packed up and made our way to the show. This day was more quite though, and I guess it makes sense if you take into account that it was Father's Day and all. But still, we got a lot of people coming in and getting some artwork and I decided to take the time and see some of the sights and maybe get a few more things to bring back home. I found a lot of cheap comics, $2 for variant copies and blank covers, which include the Skottie Young variant for Angela's first appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy. I also went to Midtown Comics and got the J.Scott Campbell exclusive variant for Amazing Spider-Man: Learning to Crawl as well, it's really cool to get my hands on these especially. I went to look for some blind boxes as well, gathering a lot of these for mine and Toby's YouTube show, What Chu Got There. I found some How to Train Your Dragon 2 vinyl figures, and I even grabbed a horror icon blind box for my sister as well. I went around and got rid of all my $1 American bills, I don't know how you guys to it down there, but I managed to find some more copies of Batman: The Dark Knight, the issues with the Scarecrow. I went over my general disappointment with that run, particularly in the end, but hey, it looks amazing for sure. So after an awesome time at the show, we decided to hit the town, one last time and get some last minute purchases, which includes for me some Vinylmation figures and a Flounder plushie. I am one step closer to being Ariel people. One day.

But as you know, we had to get back on the road and back home to Canada. Needless to say, this trip was an incredible experience. To all my friends in the States, you guys have a lovely place and an incredible city, a lot to be proud of for sure. And I know me and all my art brothers are ready to come back and see more of  the States. I really hope I can come back for the October show, I hear it's pretty legendary! But there you have it guys, my first time to New York City, a trip I will never forget. But it's back to work for me here in Toronto, a lot of work and projects to do, so I can't stop! Nor should you, keep at it and never stop working for what you want! Keep chasing the storm!

A New York Storm of Mind... (Part 1)

Back and back again!

Holy cow guys, what an awesome weekend I just had. Granted my sleep and eating habits are something that needs more fixing especially after being on the road that long, and sleeping on a boat as well. But it was worth it, and I honestly can't wait to do it again! As always though, I got to give a big thank you to the great crowds that came out this weekend to Special Edition Comic Con, it would be nothing with out you guys. To my travel mates and brothers, Kevin, Vince and Joe. Or as we want to be known as, "The Beauty School Drop-outs". And to our fellow artist next to us in the Artist Alley, wicked getting to know even more and more talent in this big world. But on to the weekend and the many moments it had in store...

Me & Cap'n Sunico.

So it was two nights and three days, but it felt like a week there if not longer. Granted leaving on the Thursday evening and getting to New Jersey in the morning, my senses were all whacked. We did have some wicked breakfast omelette though, really good stuff and we did a walk of the marina as well to kill off sometime before we could move into our boat. When noon came we were able to get settled into our little boat house for the weekend, pretty sweet boat with internet, TV, fridge, two rooms as well. The bathroom was really small though, so we had to use the marina bathroom during our stay, but other than that it was an awesome time on our beauty boat. I got to relax and watch some Machete Kills, the drivers needed to get a few hours of sleep before we could go out and see the city. After a quick nap, we went off to the big apple to see some of the many sights in town, and also to see a certain World Cup game...cough Chile cough. And I guess with some luck we got washed by a massive rain storm (oh hey), so we had to seek shelter and it was almost game time anyway. I will probably write up a little something on La Roja a bit later, I don't want to take up time on that here, but if you must know...we won! So plenty to celebrate after the rain cleared, I even got to do a victory celebration with other Chileans in Time Square. But we got to see all the crazy big stores and enjoyed plenty of food that night, it was hard but we had the show the next morning, so we had to get back to the boat.

Oh hey. Me & Kevin.

Up bright and early and rocking quite a bit, but hey that's a boat for you. We made our way across back to NYC and to the convention centre. After setting up shop and getting breakfast, I was ready to make some sales for my mentors and my brothers. It was an awesome and early crowd at the show on Saturday, some really cool cosplayers as well. I wanted to do some convention exploring but it got really busy with a lot of commission request early coming in and me doing all the print sales. I really hope a lot of you got to enjoy all the original artworks you got, I saw some really killer ones being done, from original characters to Daredevil and Deadpools. We even got the chance to help out in drawing on some blank shoes, a wicked idea for any kind of comicbook show. And hey, even I sold a few copies of the Adventure Time and Pokemon prints, so a big thank you New York, I hope to bring more Storm art next time!

And with that said I am going to make this a two part blog, helps cut the reading and what not, see you guys in part two! Keep chasing the storm!

Drop the Hammer

This past Saturday the Spent Pencils crew made an appearance at the first time show in Hamilton, Hammer Con. A super early morning drive for all of us was pretty rough, but what do you expect when you stay up late finishing up sketch covers. Me and Tea stayed up pretty late watching musicals and Torchwood while we worked away on sketch covers, it was an awesome night for sure and totally worth staying up. And seriously, I need more Torchwood in my life, it's amazing in so many ways. So little sleep and all, we came and set up, not really knowing what to expect from this one day show, but regardless of the circumstances we are always reading to work and show the world what we got.

The Spent Pencils crew was ready for a day of sketching with a great crew of artist; Daniel Wong, Gerard de la Costa, Paul Limgenco, Oliver Castañeda, Joe Bonsu, Nicholas R.Lukic, Rico Valdes, Marvin Mariano, Hugh Rockwood, Vince Sunico, Tea Medeiros and myself, ChileanStorm. The crowds came in early to see the show, meet the celebrity guest and check out the collection of different talent in the artist alley. The Hamilton crowd was really happy to get prints and sketches from all of us at the show, I even ended up selling out on a few of my more popular prints like Pokemon and Adventure Time prints. I did a commission piece as well which was a lot of fun, got to flex my cartoon muscle a little, it was a blast to do both of these.

But a big thank you to all the staff at the show, to everyone who came by our table, I am so grateful to all who came by and got some prints, it's awesome to see the smiles on people through our art. I hope the show did well enough for a weekend expansion next year, looking forward to coming back to Hamilton. The next Spent Pencils shows and events will be New York Comic Con and Pulp Comics anniversary show out in Niagara. Be sure to like us on Facebook to keep track of all our shows and get a chance to see the amazing art from all the artist in Spent Pencils. I will be updating plenty here on my blog and on YouTube, so be to follow all the different sources. That's all the time I got for now, keep chasing the storm.

Spent Does AVRO

This past Saturday, the city of Mississauga held the Doors Open event, in which many of the well known locations and landmarks in the Mississauga area had there doors open to the public. One of these spots was the International Centre out on Airport Road and was also the homecoming for one the greatest inventions in Canadian history, the AVRO Arrow. This fighter jet was way ahead of its time in its creation and was unfortunately shut down before they could ever take flight, yet remains a symbol of Canadian ingenuity and craftsmanship. To celebrate the return of the AVRO Arrow and to help educate the youth of today of this amazing piece of history, the Spent Pencils crew came together to create an amazing and fantastic comic book, The Legend of the AVRO Arrow.

With an amazing collection of artist in Spent Pencils, the best three came together to make this project a reality. With the art handled by Daniel Wong, the writing and the colour handled by Maddsketch and an incredible cover by the great Vince Sunico, SP brought out the best of the best. The book is handled with great care, with an amazing eye on the details from various location in Mississauga, the fighter jet and even the mayor is recreated perfectly in this book. The story follows two kids who are working on a school project and find out everything on the AVRO Arrow and find out the history and the mystery on the jet. You even get to see a small project on the last page as well, which is a great way to sum up all the information for the younger readers.

The event kicked off bright and early on Saturday, with many in attendance to welcome home the AVRO Arrow. After the opening ceremony and words from the mayor and other officials who helped bring the Doors Open event together. The Spent crew was on hand all day and went through 500 copies of the book, for everyone who came by to get a copy of the book, to the very young to the elderly as well, many who had work history on the jet as well. It was great seeing all the different reactions to the book, a lot of great feedback. We may have needed more books though, but that's why it's always good to come early to these kind of events. Truly proud to see this project come to life and seeing these artist get the attention from the city that all artist deserve. It's awesome to see the Spent Pencils family grow and expand into different communities and different mediums. 

If you missed the event but would like a copy of the book, check out Image Collection Comics, as well as Gotham Central Comics may have a few copies as well, not to sure. And also keep tuned for October, because we got a very busy schedule ahead of us this month, from Hamilton to New York city and back, we are going to be spent, but honestly, I wouldn't want it any other way. Keep chasing the storm.  

Tripping Montreal

What a weekend, I don't know where exactly to start this blog off. I guess I personally would like to thank everyone who came to the Spent Pencils table at the Artist Alley at the Montreal Comic Con 2013, to everyone who came to get a print, a drawing or a commission, thank you very much for all the support you give us, we really appreciate it. Another personal thank you to everyone who came to my side of the table, you guys really loved the Avengers Time and Loki Lemongrab prints. I got a lot more of these kind of ideas coming in the near future, so stay tuned and see what will be coming next. And also by all means, feel free to drop a suggestion here or on Twitter, I want to hear more from all of you. I got a chance to meet a lot of new people this weekend, I want to give a special thanks to Vanessa, I was honored to draw your Drogo commission and I am totally stoked you got it signed by Jason Momoa. Truly honored, thank you so much. And I would also like to thank and give mad props to a lot of the amazing cosplayers out this weekend in Montreal, tons and tons of amazing looking costumes to be seen this weekend. But I have to give major props and high fives to these Cosplay pairs; the first one being the Science Bros, I have a huge crush for this pairing, and you guys really represented for Tony and Bruce. And also mad props to the Ariel and Prince Eric cosplayers, you brought The Little Mermaid to life and that means a lot to me, as that is my absolute favourite Disney movie of all time. And a big thanks to everyone who took part in the Alvaro and Paul Con Pictures, be sure to check back on the SP Facebook page for the updated pictures from Montreal.

We also got a chance to go out on Friday and Saturday night to take in the city, culture and food from Montreal. And I must say, it's quite a beautiful city, plenty of unique looking buildings with an night life atmosphere that fuels the city. On Friday night we also got to do a little dinner birthday celebration for Tea, plenty of food and an awesome cake dessert. Glad we could all celebrate with you lil bro. It was also great to finally try the world famous Schwartz sandwiches, and my God, you really do need to try these sandwiches! An understatement if I said this was the best sandwich I've ever had, this is the best sandwich in the world. Prove me wrong, but as it stands Schwartz is number one. A must go to stop for anyone visiting Montreal. And on Saturday night, me and Tea went to explore the night life and get lost in the city. It's a bit confusing at first, but it is definitely a site to see, from the lakeside to the old town, Montreal looks fantastic. But be very careful when crossing the streets, the drivers are pretty harsh to say the least. But all things considered, I was very impressed by Montreal.

  I also want to take this time a give a few shout outs to all my friends in the Artist Alley community, everyone keeps pumping out incredible work every time a new show rolls around and you definitely inspire me to keep working and working the days away. So a shout out to the talented Mike Rooth, Lamin Martin, Christopher Yao, Next Genesis Comics and everyone in the Artist Alley.  A big thanks to Nicole Chartrand for coming by the SP table and saying hi to Tea, it was really awesome of you to stop by and I was glad to share with you a Lemongrab Loki print. Thanks a lot and be sure to check out her web comic here, Fey Winds. Also a big thanks to the Two Best Friends Play guys, I love the shows on YouTube and it was super cool to get a chance to talk with you guys at the show, love the shows and if you haven't seen them, be sure to subscribe to the funniest video game channel on YouTube. And last but not least, a big thank you to the greatest family in the world, Spent Pencils! To Hugh, Marvin, Paul, Gerard, Arnold, Daniel, Oliver, Kevin, Maddsketch, Tea and Vince. There's no one I would rather spend my time with, and it's always on honored to work with the family. Thank you all.

I had an amazing time this weekend, and honestly I can't wait to come back. I am looking forward to the return, thanks again Montreal! 

 Keep chasing the storm.

Capital Punishment, Spent Style

This weekend I got the chance to go on a road trip to Ottawa with my art family Spent Pencils, this marking my first big road trip with the crew and my first big convention out of the general GTA area. Now granted this is going to cost me more then I may make, but honestly if I was in this business just for the money, I wouldn't be an artist. I know I am starting and I know my place in the large vast art world, I need to have patience and use this time to learn everything I can from my crew mates and other fellow artist friends, and learned I have. But I am loving this experience to grow and develop, and it's something every artist should enjoy. Take critic and suggestion with an extremely open mind and know your place, you may not be as high up as you think you may be. Honestly if I can give any real advice to young artist, it is to listen. 

But so far, I want to say thank you to everyone who came by our table and said hi, grabbed a business card and/or picked up some art from any of us here at the Ottawa Comic Con. Again thank you guys and gals for coming by, we honestly appreciate everyones love for the Spent way of art. Keep coming back at the next shows, we are only getting better and better. 

I must say though, Ottawa does feel like an upside down Toronto, everything feels out of place and a little further away then it should be. But I will say this, the downtown and the canal is absolutely gorgeous! And good on all the Sens fans for Sens Mile, we need to get our shit together in Toronto and make a Leafs Nation street. I hope the Maple Leafs can do the impossible and defeat Boston and have another round in the playoffs, easier said then done of course. 

Anyways, one last trip to the convention today and in a way it's going to be sad to leave, but it's the life that we live, after one show we got another to get ready for and on and on and on. Thanks for the memories Ottawa.