Actually, Make That An UBER-Nerd!

How cool is this? Wait don't answer that. Just read;

" Thanks Richard for passing this along. Mr. Akins, that is still the
big $64,000 question. We are very much convinced via communications
intelligence (COMINT) from the midget sub itself, that they had
survived the attack. There were two radio transmissions received by
the mother submarine - one after nightfall on the 7th and the second
just after midnight on the 8th. Now, what has happened. I think one
way of determining is to conduct a Line of Sight (LOS) analysis using
some sophisticated geospatial information system (GIS) software. The
process would involve positioning the mother sub in her approximate
position near the rendezvous coordinates and then move the midget
submarine through the interior locks of the harbour to see were an HF
transmission would be free from the surrounding terrain and vegetation
of the Oahu."

"Unfortunately, the Navy has banned any attempts to conduct sonar
soundings through the side locks, and I doubt if they would entertain
such an attempt. Also, it would cost a great deal of money."

"Not sure if this helps you. I and my other "Gang of Four" would be
more than happy to entertain your questions and critique.

Respectfully,

John Rodgaard
Senior Imagery Analyst
The Boeing Company S&IS Mission Systems

Captain USN Reserve"

Mr. Rodgaard was kind enough to email me AGAIN after attending a ceremony this evening that had two PH survivors in attendance. He also cautioned me about a point of speculation, not contained in this entry, until other possibilities can be eliminated.
I'm going to be UP all night thinking about this! :~D

I'm Such A Nerd

"Hello Mr. Akins,
I apologize for this tardy reply. I believe that possibility has been considered. I'm forwarding you email to John Rodgaard (of Boeing), an expert on the subject who can perhaps answer your question.

Regards,
Richard G. Latture
Editor-in-Chief, Naval History Magazine
U.S. Naval Institute"

"-----Original Message-----
From: Tony AkinsSent: Friday, October 27, 2006 10:59 PM
To: Latture, Richard
Subject: Midget Sub Attack on West Virginia

Dear Sir,
I was intrigued at the reports and examination of a midget sub making it's attack on Battleship
Row on Dec.7th. I, for one, believe this (to be) fact based on evidence presented.
So where's the sub?
Has anyone considered that the sub is still in the harbor, beneath the hulk of the USS Arizona?"

How cool that I actually get a response on December 7th?! Examine the photo above. Towards the middle-left of the picture you'll see three distinct cones of water where the torpedo wakes seem to generate. THOSE, as it turns out, are the tell-tale "roostering" splashes of a minisub adjusting it's ballask after loosing a torpedo;
A MIDGET SUB made it's attack from WITHIN Pearl Harbor! Freakin' wild. For the longest time the splashes were thought to be splashes from aerial torpedo delivery. Amazing. So what happened to the sub, was my question...I think it's still in the harbor; entombed under the Arizona, which was destroyed just moments later.

Besos it GOODBYE!

No, Piper and Lele did NOT get away with the sign. They tried and looked damned good trying.
The film, "Volver" was great. Almodovar doing what he does best. Penelope Cruz is so effing gorgeous. She should never do another "American" film again. She's wasted over here.

I Said, "FRANK TINSLEY"!...

...was the artist of that original piece that I purchased at Comic Convention, long ago. It could have been the same Con where Dave Stevens walked in wearing a "puffy" shirt. It remains the sole piece of art that I've EVER purchased at a Con. As soon as I saw it in the dealers' bin I snagged it. I don't have a image of it to load, but I'll describe it. To say the least, it "spoke" to me...here's why; 24x30 gauche and tempera/pink-grayscale (for production reasons?) but with hot yellow-orange for flames; it depicts a hillside in Asia, during the Korean Conflict; GI's are flushing a trenchline of Red Chinese with the support of strange, tripod-tracked, flamethrowing, machinegunnin', cigar-shaped tanks. On the back is, in the artists'/authors' penciled writing (Tinsley was known for writing many of his own articles), "Why Shouldn't We Build Baby Assault Tanks?", Mechanics Illustrated, 1952. It's sweet. I'll post something of it soon. In the mean, check some of his standard sci-fi pieces.

That's Funny...

I thought that Religious Freedom was one of the great things about the United States. Put down the torches you Puritanical jackals and let Keith Ellison, an ELECTED member of Congress, be sworn in using the Koran. Stop the hypocrisy!

Jack of Fables Issue #5 Pencils

Howdy!
Seems like just a few weeks ago that I posted Jack of Fables Pencils for Issue #1...Now, here we are at the end of Jack's first arc, Issue #5. What...that's like a hundred fricken pages of having to put up with the greatest jerk that's ever walked the planet. It's been an honor!
Both artist and reader alike have witnessed the development of Jack Horner. The development continues within the pages that are on my drawing board even as I type this. Hopefully doubters have seen that the skilled crafters of this story have ensured that endless ENDLESS tales will be spun with Jack Horner at their core. Of course, this also means that we will have our hands full separating the tall tales from what actually happened at times. But that's Jack for you.
Ever realize that way back when Fables #1 hit the stands, that it was Jack that we saw first? Of course he was in trouble up to his sweaty brow, but that, as it turns out, is his natural state.
Enjoy the pencils! Thanks for reading the series and your comments. It's a blast working on something that's intelligent and enjoyed by intelligent readers. Discerning readers. I applaud you. I rise to the task for you because I know you would not let me get by with doing anything less than my best.
I'll be off the shelves for two months as Steve fills in on issues 6-7. I'll be doing the first work on issue 10 this week. Yes, things get nutty. Just you wait.


The original title of this issue was "Jack Rabbit", hence the top hat (get it?)...but somewhere the title changed, marooning the unfortunate article of haberdashery (?) to incongruence.





And here is where the fun starts. We all know how much we like to see Jack get in over his big head. What I wasn't expecting was the nature of the Bagman in reacting to being the one attacked. I had treated the Bagmen in a "boneless" manner, but to have Jack mount one gave me such joy; seeing the bagman's ability to squish around and turn it's head 180degrees to see who the phuck had the sac to do whatever was being done still gives me the giggles.


I enjoy the pluralism in comics today; stylistically speaking. So I had no problem with rendering the classic roiling ball of dust to communicate the hellish struggle between Jack and the Bman. Jack's hanging on for dear life, the incredible momentum from the bagmans attempt to catch his assailant hoisting him to the horizontal, also makes me laugh...the alarm on both their faces...then the bmans solution; classic intramural wrestling, if you asked me.


OK, so that thing, whatever it is...I have a BIGGER one!
Really. Once I actually did the concept drawing for the badboy, I realized that I'd be libel for stopping hearts if it saw press. So I made a "baby" bag-thingie. Doesn't the thing have a Dr.Seusian sense to it? Thought that odd, me did.








In panel 2 of this page, the way I lit Goldilocks was heavily influenced by the thumbnail of the same page (see breakdowns). I was going to be less dense about the placement of black on her but the little thumbnail just had something foreboding about it, so I carried it over.



Notice that Shelly had me add, per Bill's request, a shrub to conceal the Goldilocks' Mosberg.



Again, license with the crack to Goldi's skull; the stars she/we see float to the ground before fading completely.




The last panel changed from the original breakdown; having the reader see Revise from within the well a better angle than the initial one..PLUS, it involved so much less drawing.


Everyone who notices the snail (Matt was first) loves it.


'Nuff Said. I'm OUT!!
besos!

Thanksgiving in Andersonville