JaMiE BaKeR: fallout

After a long, long hiatus I’ve recently been fiddling around with some HTML again, and trying to learn about Web-design developments (such as JQuery) since the last time I gave a hoot about such things…. My main goal is to help Julia modify her site (more on that later) but it reminds me that it’s been a long time since I’ve updated my own (apart from posting in this here blog). I’d really like to do a total overhaul but I’ve found that re-designing a website is just another time-suck keeping me away from doing my own artwork.

So, as a compromise, I have updated my ARTWORK section with a few year’s worth of artwork that has been posted here in my blog.

Last weekend was jam-packed with fun-ness, including a trip to the fabulous MAKER FAIRE.

I may have found my new favourite arts festival. It is a tasty blend of Comic Con, Burning Man, a crafts fair and ROBOT WARS all rolled into one. If (like me) you are intrigued by the creativity at Burning Man but would gladly forgo all the nudity, sunburn (and burnouts) then this show might be for you. There are Fabulous bands, home-made robots, indie comics, steam punk machinery buffs and just about every thing creative that you can imagine, all with a focus on the DIY. This fantastic show is only 5 years old and it started here in the Bay Area (at the San Mateo showgrounds) and now there are Maker Faires springing up all over the place; Austin, Detroit, New York and Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Rather than only taking place in one big, air-less barn of a building (like any comics show I have been to) the Maker Faire happens both inside pavilion buildings and outside in the sunshine. There are plenty of crowds but there is also the means to get away from them and sit down outside, have a snack and STILL be immersed in the experience, while all manner of weird and wonderful things pass you by. A girl driving a cup-cake car. A man operating a walking spider vehicle. A giant cardboard robot. A JULES VERNE Penny-Farthing bicycle. A steam-powered jalopy or a parade of punky kids on their souped-up bicycles.

We only went for one of the two days, but could easily have done another day without repeating ourselves. Part of me wants to exhibit at this show next time, but a larger part wants to just go and attend, to take in all the sights rather than be stuck behind a booth. But whatever happens, I will definitely be there NEXT year and so should you!

Over the past few months, I have formulated a bunch of ideas for mini-comics and longer stories, all in various stages of completion. Just last week it occurred to me that I needed to get something in production for APE. Here is the KAT & TELLY mini comic I made for this Year’s Alternative Press Expo, which happened this past weekend.

After a few days of wondering which idea to actually do (a common problem for me) I started drawing KAT & TELLY in earnest on Tuesday morning (based on some drawings and ideas that had been frying in the brain-pan for sometime) and finally finished the last drawing in the wee small hours of Saturday morning. I had intended to print the books myself at home but, as the sun rose on Saturday morning, that plan was aborted due to yet another bout of printer trouble (the combination of a prima donna printer and a procrastinating cartoonist has been fatal for many CON projects in the past).

Thankfully, I was able to run down to the copy place a few blocks away, and get this mini printed out in a matter of minutes (on my own paper) and then hop a cab to the con, where folding and stapling completed the package in time for the minis to go on sale at 11 am.

This year, Rhode was unable to be a part of the show as he is out of town. However, he had already left a stash of his product at my place here in SF and I was able to load a stripped down inventory of both his and my stuff onto ONE luggage dolly and get it all to the show myself. Rhode’s pal Paul was able to help out with manning the booth.

UPDATE:
the book itself is online HERE:

Last weekend, I was back in the Bay Area for a preview screening of UP, the 10th feature film from Pixar. The studio always puts on a good show at their WRAP PARTIES and it is a delight to see co-workers aglow in the joy of watching what they have worked so hard to make, while partying in fancy finery; evening gowns and tuxedos, even top hats and tails.

The film is fantastic, and watching it was extra fun for me because a good amount of my work actually made it into the final film; not always the case when you work only at the very beginning of the process, which was the case for me here. I am philosophical about having most (if not all) of my work cut out of projects because, after all, that exploration and opportunity to revise is what storyboarding is all about. So it was a special treat to see a lot of my work in the film. I very much enjoyed the working on this project with a crew that was full of gracious people, all the way UP to the directors themselves. However, all those good vibes didn’t make it a cake walk; I worked harder on this film than any other!

The most gratifying part of it all is to see the finished film. It came out wonderfully. This film has a blend of madcap silliness and yet emotional realism that is difficult to strike, but one of the things I most enjoyed about it. I have never seen a story like this before and I think it is one of the best that Pixar has ever done (though I clearly have my own bias on that score) but I can state with absolute conviction that it is certainly my favourite film that I have worked on thus far. I hope that you all like it too. It opens everywhere on May 29th.

Last year, during a conversation about the delights of Mexican food (between Rhode, Ted and I), someone hit upon the idea for a TACO TRUCK CRAWL; an epic journey from taco stand to taco stand, in quest of the best Tacos. Many months later, the idea came to fruition, as a group of EIGHT of us, Rhode, Ted, Myself and 4 others (Julia, Sherrie, Elaine, Jeff and Anita) wandered down International Boulevard in Oakland, stuffing our faces every few feet. The entire route was walk-able and cooked up ahead of time by the well-organised mind of the formidable Ted. The milestones along the way, where we all dutifully put food into our necks, were as follows:

1. TACOS ZAMORANO (Taco Truck) The Carnitas at this truck were afterwards voted the best of the entire crawl… however, I can not comment on that assessment, as at this first stop of the day I had me a CARNE ASADA taco, which was a great start to the proceedings.

2. EL GORDO (Taco Truck) Here, I shared a tasty CARNITAS taco with Rhode. We went halves thereafter, in the interests of pacing ourselves. There was a lot of eating yet to be done!

3. EL GRULLO (Taco Truck). This is where I had my favourite taco of the day; a CHORIZO taco, that was a little greasy but very tasty nonetheless. Oh yummy yum.

4. LOS MICHOACANOS (Taco Truck). This place offered hand made tortillas (on weekends, anyway) and also offered BIRRIA (goat) which I tried and enjoyed… The Goat was quickly chased down my throat by a pig… in the shape of an AL PASTOR taco.

4A. CHURROS RELLENOS (Churro Cart). Next, Rhode led us all to his favourite Churro cart. His belief is that a churro needs to be eaten fresh (I have the same opinion when it comes to donuts; cousins to the churro) and this is the place to get a Churro made to order; battered in front of your eyes and then stuffed with the flavouring of your choice. I had never heard of stuffed churros before and was dying to try one but I wanted to hold off on the sweets until I had eaten my fill of tacos first. Ted was of the same mind, and so we high-tailed it away from that Churro cart, lest we would be tempted to break our steely resolve.

5. MI GRULENSE (Taco Truck). At the next truck, Elaine, the last member of the crawl-crew, finally showed up just as I was ordering a BUCHE taco, which was my least favourite edible consumed that day. I found out later that Buche is Pig Esophagus… And it actually tasted just as unappetising as that sounds…

6. EL OJO DE AGUA (Torta Truck). This place had a huge selection of TORTAS and also some tasty AGUA FRESCAS. A chicken, bacon, avocado and ham Torta (shared with my fellow crawlers) and a mango Agua Fresca both did their part to reboot my palette after it was crashed by some malware installed by the deadly Buche.

At this point, the crawl-crew split up. Elaine was interested in the Goat taco experience which we had partaken of before she showed up. Ted and I were now ready to have some CHURROS…. Oh yes, indeed we were. So a group of churro eaters set off for the Churro cart as Rhode took Elaine back to Los Michoacanos, in quest of the Goat Taco.

7. CHURROS RELLENOS (Churro Cart). Fortified by my share of the huge Torta, I was now ready for some sweets. I bought one of each of the stuffed Churros on offer at the magic wagon I had seen earlier; VANILLA, CHOCOLATE, CARAMEL, STRAWBERRY and one good old PLAIN (unstuffed) Churro…. They were all good but, in my opinion, the Vanilla was the best of the flavours. Tears of joy flowed freely as I chewed on that healing Vanilla Churro. Sniff… I shared my bounty with the rest of the CHURRO AWAY TEAM as we headed back to rendezvous with the GOAT TACO AWAY TEAM.

7A. LOS MICHOACANOS (Taco Truck). Elaine was enjoying her goat taco (as I knew she would) when the rest of us showed up with the sweets. This would not be the first time (or even the last time) on our mission, that people who were already complaining of being “full” reached over for something else to stuff in their neck-holes, double-handed. After some reflection, we realised that we needed a place to sit, unwind and drink….

8. LA PIñATA (Restaurant). This fine restaurant in nearby Alameda was crowded when we showed up at day’s end. Thankfully, we found a table out in back of the huge, maze-like place. We ordered some drinks and some bacon/shrimp guacamole and proceeded to amaze ourselves by guzzling it all, even though we all were quite full when we sat down. Thereafter, conversations flowed about such diverse subjects as naked clowns, super heroes, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and other such nonsense…

At the beginning of the day, some of us knew each-other well, some of us knew each-other only via the internet and some didn’t even know each-other at all but by the end of a punishing day’s worth of eating and laughing, we had all bonded, as anyone on a grueling, yet rewarding, mission is likely to do. Crawl-Crew Unite!

Thanks to my fellow crawlers for their photos (my camera battery died after the first truck).

Another year has come and gone and, once again, while the rest of the world was out partying, I decided to celebrate in my own way; by staying at home and reflecting on the year ending and formulating plans for the year to come… After many years in a row where I have fallen way short of my plans, this year I decided to make resolutions that I know that are within my power to keep. (A man has got to know his limitations). So it that spirit:

My apologies for not posting in this blog over the past few months. The fact is that living a real life has gotten in the way of my blogging about it. Many things have caught up with me; a lot of travelling hither and thither (both for work and for pleasure) the busy-ness of the Christmas and New Year period, catching-up after my earlier tech-troubles, and ongoing work commitments have all meant that I just haven’t had time to say much and, frankly, not much anyway to say… (normally, wanting to say something without having anything really to say has been a way of life for me, but more about that at a later date)

Apart from real life getting in the way of blogging, I must admit that alternate internet activities (ie; unreal life) have also been cutting into my blogging time. Yes, I have been sucked into the time-vortex that is FACEBOOK. I was talked into joining several months ago by my sister and was very sceptical about it at first… after all, I have a website of my own, so it stands to reason that anyone who WANTS to find me and get in touch, can easily do so just by googling my name and contacting me through this here website. However, I have found the experience to be a lot of fun; and it allows me to stay connected to my friends around the globe via a sort of CNN style news ticker tape… not to mention the fact that I have actually HAVE reconnected with a few old friends that I had lost touch with.

My first experience of communicating via the internet was E-MAIL. Next, I began participating in FORUMS (mostly illustration forums such as THE DRAWING BOARD) and then it was BLOGS that caught my interest, and most recently it has been Social NETWORKING via the likes of Facebook… I wonder what time-suck hole I will fall into next?…..

Rather than post my own Christmas card, here’s a link to a Christmas post by Rhode Montijo. Both he and his writer pal Jason Jaworski recently set up on Broadway in New York city to make hand-drawn crayon portraits and type-written short stories for the passer-by Christmas shoppers. In return, the recipients were encouraged to donate to a Salvation Army bell-ringer standing nearby. I am no longer surprised when Rhode surprises me; he has so often inspired me in the past. But this new idea of his is something EXTRA special.

Here are some doodles of a cat… a character that will get its own mini comic some day.

I am slowly hacking my way out of the dark forest of Multilateral Hardware Malfunctions, which is where I have been wandering, frightened and alone, for the past few weeks.

My lap top is back in working order and, though not as fast as it once was, it at least runs again, and it appears that all the data has been retrieved. I still haven’t given up hope that all the EXTRA data, that only exists on my Back-up Hard-drive, can also somehow be dug out of the murk of ones and zeroes… It is on the operating table this week, so fingers crossed.