UPDATE- Still Alive!

Hello everyone! I may have been gone, but I've certainly not forgotten this blog. While I can honestly say that 2016 has had a hectic start (in more ways than one) February has been an especially jam packed month, but in a very good way. Despite my absence from the internet, I've actually managed to be quite productive in just a few short weeks. Unplugging from a lot of my everyday stresses did me some benefit, and allowed me to really jump-start some of my lingering projects into far better shape. Due to how well I think I've done this month, I'm confident that I can maintain this momentum into not only March, but perhaps even the rest of the year!

Commissions

First order of business is the commission work. I've managed to make some significant progress on a number of the pieces, and while I'm still not hitting my personal deadlines, I'm very happy with how a lot of them are looking now. For the last year (and I'm sorry it's been that long everyone) I've been racking my brain over these pieces and I feel like I'm finally cresting the hill on them to where I can move a decent portion of the list into their final stages for completion. It pains me that I've taken so long to get these done, but I personally feel that all of you who gave me money in my time of need, deserve only the very best I can do.

Of course the commercial work I've had on my plate for the tabletop RPG Roan has been my major time consumer as of late, mostly due to the fact that there is a hard deadline on the project. While I'm not doing a huge number of images for the book, I am doing some rather involved pieces. Ones that I can only hope manage to impress not just the creator of Roan, but also anyone who picks up the book.

Conventions

Even though the year is pretty much just getting started, I've already found myself at two conventions in the past month. I was at Katsucon and Magfest (both located at the National Harbor in D.C. and on back to back weekends no less) and I've gotta say I had a blast at both of them. There will be a full write-up of my experiences with the cons in the near future, but for those who want the short of it, I managed to make a few good connections at Katsucon, and I got do something really cool at Magfest that I'll get into in the next seciton.

Podcast

I know I've been talking about this for a while now, but it's finally happening folks. I've got my first recordings done for my podcast! While I was at Magfest, I met up with the ever fantastic Ellen McLain and John Patrick Lowrie (who now pretty much consider me a close friend) and they did yet another amazing sit-down conversation with my good friend Clear Skies and myself. Last time when I did my interview with John and Ellen, the recording didn't come out too great, but this time I got some excellent audio recorded, and I'm making it one of the first posts for the forthcoming podcast.

The show even has a name now, and I'm super excited about sharing it with you all. It brings me great joy to finally and officially announce that development of Blood-Code-Radio is underway! If you couldn't tell I'm a huge Mortal Kombat fan (as I have a long and personal history with the franchise) along with most of the people who'll be on the show. It won't be about MK though, as we're going to be talking all things geeky (much like this blog) and we all have quite a bit to say about videogames, movies, comics, wrestling etc.

The first recordings are being done, and there are even logos that I've designed for it, in just the last week. All the usual things such as sound balancing are being worked on, and there is even the possibility of some original music being made too. A youtube channel and a soundcloud page will be created of course, so be on the look out for the official launch to come soon.

Personal Matters

Full disclosure, I was wrestling with some minor depression at the top of the year. The death of some of my childhood icons (Lemmy Kilmister, David Bowie, and Alan Rickman) coupled with my mom developing cataracts and glaucoma (making her experience periods of blindness) put me in a malaise. I found myself coming home from long nights at work, staring at my computer screen and just not feeling motivated to do anything. It was only when I had a long talk with some close friends that I pulled myself out the funk I was in and got things back on track.

Unfortunately I also had to sell my car, as it was becoming too much of a financial burden, and currently I am having to walk to work, while my roommate rides his bike. Thankfully the Maryland winter has been fairly nice this year, so it hasn't been too bad. It sucks to not have a car, but once our funds balance out, sure enough we'll have another set of wheels. 

2016 hasn't just been rough for me, as several of my friends have been experiencing difficulties too. While we're all physically okay, emotionally I think everyone is just drained and exhausted. Thankfully though things do seem to be turning around, and we're picking ourselves back up from the ground with a full heart.

I want to take the last sentences of this post to simply thank everyone who still comes to this blog and follows me. You rock, and hopefully I can finally make good by you guys as you so rightfully deserve. Wish me luck!