So I had a kind of all-together shitty day, but I'll get over it. Mostly because I have the cutest goddamn little chinchilla ever, and I've been wanting a chinchilla since I was twelve.




she needs a name <33



also I really apologize to my friends for being such a dick today

The first 20 people answering this journal will get a free feature ^_^
I'll show their avatar + 3-6 deviations I like best from their gallery here !
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IT WOULD BE COOL if you could do a feature in your journal too
The idea of this is to spread art around for everyone to enjoy !


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(01) =yura-tsuki


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(02) ~roney2011

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(03) ~Sir-Catherine
No-Man's LandDead and gone,
Life has fled.
What is left is better off dead.

Dark over and red below,
This is no-man's land
Where soldiers dread to go.

A pipsqueak tweet is the bugle's call.
The charge is yelled "Over the wall!"
To death's waiting arms they climb.

They seep onto the deadly land,
No longer able to care
That the world dies up there.

A nightmare is the scene.
Lost pawns of humanity
To satisfy war's dark vanity.

Dark over and red below,
This is no-man's land
Where soldiers dread to go.

Dark is evil and light is good.
Sparks and flashes reign around.
Showering death with their goodness.

Noise and confusion in deathly silenc  
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(04) ~inmyleftmind

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(05) *magur

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(06) ~iyyarocks
  
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(07) =WishmasterAlchemist

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(08) *LadyfataPhotography

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For my DA-friends who are regulary commenting, faving, featuring my art
You've all brightened up my days ! I appreciate your support very much


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(09) *Lirulin-yirth

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(10) ~SillyCookieSonic123

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(11)    *ARTBYTERESA

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(12)    =Silvolf

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(13)    *CEACHESE

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(14)    *Chibionpu

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(15)    *erisama
  
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(16)    *PridesCrossing

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(17)    *JocelyneR

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(18)    *hiaamir



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(19)     ~mylith
Tears of InkCrying out loud
Doesn't feel right.
Neither does shouting
Or putting up a fight.

    Tears aren't endless-
    My throat ran dry.
    People stopped caring.
    The world was a lie

I found some paper,
An old, used pen;
Turned my inside out;
Let my emotions rule again.

    Paper after paper
    Filled with words in ink...
    No need to worry.
    No need to think.

Let it all go
The scars run deep.
It's bleeding out.
This is what i keep:

    A boo ShadowI live in a shadow
On a brighter day
I walk in the darkness
On my own "Twisted" way

   People look
   But they don't care
   They think I'm weird
   cause of the clothe i wear

They don't understand me
Then don't want to know
My part of the Story
The one i don't show

   They just look away
   They think I'm a freak
   They hope I'll change
   But I'm not that weak

I have my soul
I still have my mind
I know what they're trying
I'm not blind

   I wont follow them
   Even when I'm alone
   I have my own path
   I'm not a clone

So i keep walking
And let them stare
Thinking to myself
"I'm just rare"

   I wil Is it real?Look at me
Look at my eyes
Look at the ocean
Look at the skies

     What do you see
     What do you feel
     Does it look right
     Does it look real

You look and you touch
But you don't see or feel
     This reality...
     I wonder if it's real
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(20)    =karlajkitty

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(21)    *HippieVan57

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(22)     ~angelskissme



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For those my best DA-friends + Watchers who've not been featured yet...
I'm planning to do so in near future.  So stay tuned

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Commissions are OPEN! [link]


Fairly recently I came upon a realization of the sad state of 2D animation as an art form in America right now. I hear about great projects and ideas coming out of Europe, especially France, and it's not even fair to say how 2D animation is doing in Japan. Anime will never die, man. But here in the USA, animation has stagnated and is strangled under corporate executives eager for quick bucks and cheap costs. They don't care about 2D as an art form, or an outlet for creative storytelling. It's more time consuming than 3D animation and has more "limits" than 3D, Flash is cheaper and generally lazier, so therefore 2D is not worth it. No studio is brave enough to take a chance and experiment with creative new ideas, especially in the genre of action shows. All they want is reboots and stale comedies, all animated in Flash or 3D. A good portion of my favorite cartoon shows of the last decade all had their legs cut out from under them because of poor executive decision-making. And fittingly crowning this whole mess is this bit of news: Disney laid off the last of its entire 2D animation department just last week, the department the entire studio as we know it was built upon.

I've been hearing a lot that 2D animation is dead. That there's no place for it in America anymore.

I say SCREW THAT.

Some animation professionals who are more learned and wiser than I have said that this state will not last forever simply because it can't. There have been many times in the past that it seemed like 2D animation would never be feasible again, but determined studios like Disney and Warner Bros. and Hannah-Barbera came up with inventive techniques and different methods to keep the art form alive until it bloomed again. And this is what needs to begin now. A new renaissance of traditional animation to not only rival but equal the quality we see in both anime and the nostalgic cartoon classics of years gone by. And if I can, I would like to be a part of this.

I have an idea. A very, very ambitious idea. I'm incredibly intimidated by it, but excited at the same time, because I know it can be done. I've seen it done.

I am going to make a short animated film, planned to be about 30-45 minutes long. And I mean that in every sense of the word "make". I am going to write, direct, storyboard, animate, and edit this project myself. The only aspects I won't be doing alone are voice acting and music, because A) I have no musical talent to save my life and B) A female voice from me sounds terrible.

I pondered for weeks on what story I would want to tell, juggling potential ideas around and weighing all the pros, cons, and technical difficulties each option would bring. I wanted the story to have interesting and compelling characters, a straightforward plot that would allow for poignant character themes and moments, and a setting and style suited for crazy action. I narrowed it down to three, and then believed I had finally picked one...only for a brand new concept to swoop in literally out of nowhere while talking to my lady love on Skype and captivate all my imagination for days. I have at last found my story.

I want to keep most of the specifics a secret, but I'll tell you the very simplified basics. The story is set in 1942 during the Second World War. It focuses on a pair of Russian women: snipers who patrol and protect a strategically valuable mountain pass from invading German forces. When they learn that an elite team of Nazi special ops assassins will be moving through the region, it is up to them to halt the enemy's plot. It involves quests for justice, questionable science, bizarre weaponry, and beautiful women with guns. Also explosions.

I am nowhere near ready to begin writing the script yet, but I will strive to keep this project at the top priority aside from a job and commissions. This means that it could very likely take over a full year at least before the final film is complete. incidental work from me, such as Predator's Moon and random drawings, will be fewer and farther between, but I will try to keep Predator's Moon coming on a somewhat even schedule (which is hard when I'm constantly hit with writer's block, oy vey).

As I mentioned above, I will need assistance with music and voice acting. I have a few freelance musicians in mind for the score. I know I will voice one of the male characters, maybe two (possibly three, depending on how much of a range I can deliver,) but I will need two very talented actresses for the lead roles. I will post updates and notes as well as an open casting call as more details are set in stone during the pre-production phase.

I cannot promise any money at this time to interested voice actors. However, once more of the project is underway, I'm considering opening a Kickstarter to help fund this film. That money would go towards purchasing better sound effects, helping pay for music, purchasing computer programs to aid in production, paying my voice actors, paying for DVD copies, etc. I don't know how successful a Kickstarter campaign would be, given that I'm a small artist on DeviantArt with nothing big to my name. But that's a long ways off from now.

When the film is eventually completed, my hope is to take it to conventions and film festivals, sell DVDs, and maybe inspire others to help keep the art of traditional animation going strong.

So, this is my plan. I'd love to know what you all think!

DC's newest animated feature, Batman: Year One is adapted from a comic miniseries of the same title detailing Bruce Wayne's first year behind the mask. But that's really just a framing device. At its heart, this story is about Jim Gordon, a good cop trying to survive in a city that destroys any good it can find. It's a well-written, well-acted, superbly-directed, gripping story that any Batman fan, especially fans of Commissioner Gordon, will certainly love.

The Good
The atmosphere. Gotham City is brought to life in vivid, grisly detail as a place of darkness and hopelessness. Nothing is sacred, no one is safe. The police range from frighteningly apathetic to disgustingly evil and corrupt. Those in power can and do get away with whatever they want, and aren't afraid of any civilian collateral damage. You really get the sense that Gotham City is almost beyond hope, and that there's almost no way Batman and Gordon can possibly defeat the perverted system.
The direction. The film is rife with cool lighting and shadows, camera angles, and profound imagery. The most visually-striking scene is when Bruce Wayne first becomes inspired to create the Batman persona. It's the best depiction of this pivotal moment I've seen out of any Batman adaptation. The pacing is also very good. With a running time of only one hour, a year's worth of story is streamlined without sacrificing suspense or emotional connection. There are a few moments where it feels like the plot is moving too fast, and the ending is a tad abrupt, but it ends on a high note, so I can forgive it.
Jim Gordon's character. He's a good man trying to take care of his family in a town full of darkness and corruption. He knows all of his "team" is crooked, but is powerless to do anything about it until Batman starts stirring things up. Then Gordon realizes that he can take apart the corrupt police. Naturally, said corrupt police try to take him apart first. But this is where his character truly shines. He makes all the smart choices when tackling his obstacles, and doesn't take anyone's shit. However, he is not perfect, and makes a very big mistake. And of course, his enemies try to take advantage of it. In any other cliched movie, the hero would just bottle up his guilt and not tell anyone what's wrong until it's too late and it blows up in his face. But not Jim Gordon. He knows that's exactly what would happen and does the smart thing and confesses. This moment seriously made me throw my hands up and say "Thank you!"
Batman's development. Despite the short run time, the film shows Batman's growth realistically over the course of the year. He's not sure of himself yet, makes mistakes, and nearly gets killed more than once. And as time passes, he becomes more confident, more prepared, and more of the bad-ass we all know he'll become.
The animation. The quality is superb, but I expect nothing less from Warner Bros. Fluid movements, kick-ass fight scenes, and intense action abound.
The voice acting. With one exception, which I'll elaborate on below, all of the voice actors deliver top-notch performances. As the hero of the story, Gordon stands out. Bryan Cranston really nails the voice and feel of a war-weary, middle-aged cop.

The Bad
Catwoman. Just...why? Why was she even in this movie? She has maybe five minutes screentime total, both in and out of costume, contributes absolutely nothing to the plot, and is just forgotten by the end. The only purpose she seems to have is A: fanservice (she spends roughly half her screentime in her underwear) and B: Padding. As mentioned, she contributes nothing to the story and only interferes with Batman's investigation. Her motivation for becoming Catwoman at all isn't even explained. She just sees Batman in action and then makes a costume and starts stealing stuff. Batman and Catwoman never even meet face to face. There's a brief fight between Bruce and Selina, both out of costume, and while it is the best fight of the movie, it still doesn't add anything at all. It just seems like the writers thought "hey let's throw Catwoman in, just because!"

The Meh
Bruce Wayne's voice. Don't get me wrong, Benjamin McKenzie is great as Batman, delivering a chilling, threatening monotone. And he's also fun as a hammy, half-drunk "fake" Bruce. But when he tries to portray the real, still-grieving Bruce, his voice just comes off as stilted and wooden. I honestly don't know if that's intentional or not, and if it is, kudos for a convincing performance.


So that's my opinion. All-around, a spectacular film for longtime fans of the Dark Knight and newcomers alike.

FINAL SCORE: 4.5/5

I have touched upon the extreme loathing I have for the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon in some previous journals, but for those who may not have read it, the cartoon is a shallow, annoying train wreck that is helmed by a team of incredibly talented writers with a lot of credit to their names, but overlorded by Jeph Loeb, head of Marvel Animation. It bears no resemblance to the excellent comic it gets its title from, the characters are all annoying, the "humor" is just mind-numbingly awful, the stories are dull and uncreative, and there is no character development, no story development, and only the barest sense of continuity.

The show is reviled by the majority of Spidey fans, and not only do fans hate it, but according to an anonymous source working on the show, the majority of the show's production staff hate it too. Even Paul Dini is not happy with it, and wanted it to have some maturity, which Jeph Loeb denied. Despite Loeb's insistence that the cartoon is doing great, its ratings have dropped steadily and most believe that the only reason people are watching it is because it airs right before the popular Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Speaking of Avengers: EMH, that show is getting canceled. Why, you may ask? Because Jeph Loeb apparently thinks that younger kids have no grasp of continuity or mature characters and storytelling. According to Loeb, he wants Marvel Animation to prepare younger kids to be Marvel fans. What does this mean? It means that the last bunch of episodes of EMH's season are going to do away with all traces of an overarching story and follow a style...more like Ultimate Spider-Man. Then Marvel Animation plans to start a whole new Avengers cartoon that will most likely take place in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon's universe.

On top of this, I have only just learned of Marvel's next upcoming animated series: Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. The preview image shows Hulk, Red Hulk, Skaar the Son of Hulk, She-Hulk, and A-Bomb. According to the anonymous source, "the episode stories of the show are very simple, under-explained and many times don't make sense at all. Much like Ultimate Spider-man, HULK Agents of SMASH's characters backgrounds is never explored, but only touched upon (just like Ultimate spider-man's teammates). Hulk Agents of SMASH can be described as a mindless action show, with no character development and no intelligent stories." Let me just ask you this, you readers who are not die-hard comics fans: How many names that I listed above do you recognize? How in the world are we supposed to know or care about the Red Hulk or A-Bomb or Skaar when there are years of story and character development behind them all that new viewers will know nothing about? And guess what? This is what Jeph Loeb wants for all Marvel Cartoons. He wants them all to be as ridiculous and inane as Ultimate Spider-Man because he thinks kids are stupid. And he somehow thinks that these awful cartoons will encourage kids to want to read comics?


Let me explain something to you, Mr. Loeb, on the crazy off-chance you ever see this. Do you want to know why DC and Warner Bros have always had more success with their comic-based cartoons than Marvel? Because they do the opposite of what you are doing. I grew up on Batman: The Animated Series, acclaimed as possibly the greatest cartoon show of all time. I watched it when I was about five years old. Yes, the more intelligent and mature writing went over my head, but you know what? It encouraged me to learn more. I wanted to know what those words and concepts I didn't understand meant. And it inspired me to want to see and know more about Batman and his fascinating enemies. As I grew up, so did the maturity and depth of the DC Animated universe, with such shows as Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. All those series take place in the same massive continuity and created a rich world of imagination. And even though later DC shows like Legion of Superheroes and Young Justice don't take place in the DCAU, they adhered to that standard of developed characters and mature storytelling. They treat their viewers as intelligent people, Mr. Loeb.

And it is not just the DC cartoons, either. The 90s X-Men cartoon was just as immersing and enriching to me as a child as Batman. The 90s Spider-Man show, while not as good, still had an intricate continuity throughout its entire run, while each episode still told its own story. X-Men Evolution is praised for its focus on the characters and their continual growth and relationships. Wolverine and the X-Men, much like Spider-Man, told episodic stories that still advanced an overarching plot.

And finally, The Spectacular Spider-Man. This show was the best adaptation of the web-slinger we will most likely ever see. And do you know why? Because it did everything you are not doing in Ultimate Spider-Man. It started slow, easing us into the world and the characters, giving itself time to build instead of spending the entire first episode force-feeding exposition down our throats. It introduced several characters early, before they became important, so that their main introduction as heroes or villains had that much more meaning to the audience. It used Spider-Man's rich comic book history to draw inspiration instead of cramming in crossover heroes and villains in every single episode, like Ultimate Spider-Man does. Like other examples I listed above, it used story arcs to their fullest potential, instead of choosing to ignore continuity completely like you want to. The characters grew and changed with time, and we learned more about them as they grew and thus we cared about them more. It took its time to build drama and tension because it understood the concepts of buildup and payoff. The creators didn't try to throw in something huge like Venom into the fourth episode because they knew what a terrible idea that would be from a dramatic viewpoint. The Spectacular Spider-Man did everything right that a comic adaptation can do, and I will never be able to praise it enough. What you want to do with Marvel Animation is everything you can do wrong. The fact that your Facebook page had to be deleted because of fan hatedom for Ultimate Spider-Man should tell you something about that.


For more information regarding Marvel Animation's slippery slope of fail, read here: [link]