Thursday, May 16, 2013

Wars vs Trek = Silliness...

Trek and Wars thoughts from my brain.

Just wanted to say that I do think it's perfectly normal and logical to like both Star Wars and Star Trek.  The way I see it is good sf is good sf.  Both series are enjoyable in their own right.  I like the way Star Trek does show a bright future for mankind.  I love the concept of exploring strange new worlds.  I love the prime directive.  I love the fact that the franchise has been able to spawn: the original, the Next Generation, Voyager, Enterprise and the greatly under appreciated Deep Space Nine.  Plus a bunch of movies and even a reboot of the movies.  And web series... Yeah, all the movies weren't winners.  In fact some of them were cringe worthy but still all in all an enjoyable series.  Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Bones, Scotty and team are all now iconic characters no matter who is playing them.  

As for Star Wars.  Love the force.  You gotta love the force.  Sure it puts Star Wars into the fantasy category a bit but nothing wrong with that.  Light sabers are also way great.  The first three movies (which are actually the middle three movies -- I think) are ingrained in my brain.  I think I remember each time I saw each one of them.  They left me with a sense of wonder.  They made me say, hey I  want to write stuff like this.  I want to make movies like this.  While Star Wars hasn't spawned the number of TV series that Trek has it what has appeared has been quite good.  Clone Wars is quality animation.  I anxiously awake the live action series.  As for the characters: Luke, Ben, Hans, Darth and Yoda stand up there with the best of them.  

My point (such as it is) is they are both fun and entertaining.  No reason not to enjoy them both.

One small note I just noticed listing the characters, women characters didn't really plat a major role in either of these series.  (At least at first.)  What's up with that?

Finally I gotta say if push came to shove Enterprise takes Death Star easy.  But Yoda, Darth or Luke take out any star trek character one on one.  Ah the fun of speculation.

Jz



Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Kicking around a Working Daze idea...

Hey all:

We're kicking around the idea of having Dana's brother make an appearance in Working Daze.  Thoughts?  Here's a hint, if he does show up he may very well have a thing for slightly older women...

Jz

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Yes a baby

Hey all:

Yes we going to slowly (after 9 months) add a baby to Maria's day.  I think it will be fun to shake up Maria's world a little.  Maybe even give Maria a taste of her own medicine if the baby is a mini-Maria.  But if that turns out to be the case I pity her poor mom and dad.   It's still very early in the pregnancy so we aren't sure yet if it's a girl, boy or twins.

Which means we need to kick around some boys and girls names.  I'm sure Maria will have her own naming suggestions but none Mom and Dad use.  Or will they?

Stay tuned.....

Jz

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The real Aisha

Hey all:

Lots of feedback these last couple of days on our series where Rita gets Aisha to do another belly dancing app because the first one was their best selling app ever -- mostly because all the male staff bought many many copies.

Just thought I'd give our readers a look at the photo Scott used to draw Aisha.  Obviously the real live woman is much better looking than the cartoon because well she's not a cartoon.


Monday, May 6, 2013

Thoughts on a sexist cartoon the lives of comic characters and another note

Hey all:

Today's strips and the ones for the next few days will be focused on my belly dancing e-friend: Aisha.   Rita in her infinite "wisdom" has decided to do another belly dancing app with Aisha since the first one was their best selling app ever.  Of course lots of the sales were generated by Rita's staff who bought the product over and over to bring Aisha back into the office.  It is good business sense.

One of our loyal readers called it sexist.  And well yeah he is right.  It basically shows how men will do all sorts of silly ridiculous things when women (especially well built scantly clad women) are involved.  I'm pretty sure it has something to do with genetics, survival of the fittest and the lower part of bodies being able to override our high functions.

The bottom line of these comics is: men can be silly women can wield a lot of power.  Feel free to agree or disagree I always enjoy open conversation.

I also have to admit I wanted to give Scott Roberts (our faithful artist) an easier week to draw.  Sometimes I tend to load up with words and panels -- which puts a lot of strain on Scott.  I figured he had already drawn Aisha and I could do most of the week in one or two panel gags which greatly cuts down on Scott's work load.  Also the last time we ran Aisha in a series it proved to be quite popular.  So yeah I may have taken the path of least resistance with this weeks toons but I still hope you find them entertaining.

On another note, another fan wants Sheldon from Big Bang to appear in Working Daze.  I had initially said, well Sheldon isn't a real person.  I use really people like Wil Wheaton and Colin Ferguson in Working Daze because they are real people who the Working Daze characters (who I treat as well in the strip) get to interact with.  I will admit, Sheldon does treat Wil Wheaton the same way Roy does.  But the thing is the people in the show do watch Big Bang Theory so it would be weird an awkward is Sheldon appeared in Working Daze.  Still we might have Jim Parsons pop in....  Now that is something Roy would really like.

On a totally unrelated note this is really cool.  Injectable Nanoparticles...


Jz

Saturday, May 4, 2013

May the 4th -- Be With You

Wow:

I am really out of it when it comes to special date days.  I totally didn't know the significance of April 20th...  Or 4:20...  It certainly wasn't celebrated back when I was in college and might have heard about such types of days.  Of course I really don't mind all that much not noting that day.  It's not really a working daze type of day -- except of course for the daze part.

The thing I am sad about is not figuring out May 4th being Star Wars day!  May the Fourth be with you!  It's cute.  It's geeky.  It's Working Daze.  How long has May the 4th been Star Wars day?

Part of the problem of doing things a week or two a head is it's hard to think "what's special about that date."  I missed the Iron Man movie opening also.   Silly me.  I will try to be better in the future.

Jz

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Something a bit different

Hey:

For something a little different I trying a free online sci fi and fantasy story on watpad.  It's Laser's Dragons and Lies.  It's about a Bartz the blue knight in a world where technology and magic coexist.  The knights have been pretty regulated to entertainers much like professional wrestlers.  Bartz wants more he wants to prove himself.  Bartz gets that chance when a blue dragon kidnaps the love of his life Princess Opal.  You can check it out here if you wish.

Jz

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

April 24th Working Daze

Hey all:

I was really surprised (though I guess I shouldn't be) that today's Working Daze drew such political comments.  It was just a spin off cartoon from the day before when Rita thought it would be cool to make her employees change bed pans.  Yes, I did talk about insurance but that was just part of Rita's slight deranged logic.  Rita thinks she can do anything (that is the secret to her success) even if it is something she has no training in.

Interesting enough there have been studies that show many successful people are successful because they don't see their limitations therefore they don't let these limitations slow them down.  I'm too lazy to look for the references though.  But I know many successful people like this.  :)

Jz

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Back to Blogging

Just thought I would update the Working Daze blog.  I will try to be more active from now on.  Scott and I are pretty active on the Working Daze comment section but this is a form where I can communicate with readers on longer lengthier matters.

First off, would readers like to see more or less Roy? I actually like Roy a lot since WD is a geekcentric strip / panel I think it's important to have a geek like Roy front and center a lot.  Still we do get the occasional complaint.  I really like Roy and Kathy and am excited about their upcoming marriage.  I hope readers are too.

Second off, would readers like to see Jay hook up with anybody?  I like the idea of Jay still looking for love.  But I'm flexible.  It might be fun to explore some interoffice romance....  Don't laugh I was even kicking around the idea of Jay and Rita at an office party.  Just kidding.....  Mostly.

Finally I was amazed today be technology running amok albeit for just a few brief minutes.  First the AP's twitter feed got "hacked".  The hacker posted a bogus tweet about the president being hurt in a bombing.  Seconds after, algorithms that buying and selling stocks started selling off causing the market to drop.  Of course people figured out the president was okay quite quickly and the stocks bounced back up, but it's a bit scary how 1) easy twitter accounts are to hijack 2) how algorithms can't say "wait this doesn't make senses" 3) how many people want their news tweeted 4) how little verification there is in news these days everybody wants to be "first".

Oh, I was watching the twitter story break on CNBC (because friend of Working Daze Natalie Morris was on covering Apple) and my god man, watching all the different windows and scrolling text on the CNBC screen gave me information overload.  A scroller on top, two on the bottom, a "main story" window, an ad window, plus a couple of other windows.  Too many moving parts for my brain.  I don't need to know everything all the time.

Jz

The Working Daze book.  It's a fun read.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Another feature from Scott Roberts and I that I am trying to find a home for. It is about three young teen girls who sing, rock and fight crime. Think Josie and the Pussy Cats meets power puff girls.