Time...

Well here it is Tuesday night. At this time I'd usually be posting a new page of Snarky: A Cutting Edge.

Unfortunately that won't be happening this evening. Though I do have some news that I'd like to share.

At the recent Cherry Capital Con Leslie Gauthier, Sara Sowles, Tyler Sowles and Myself though we'd revive a old sketch challenge blog Leslie has been part of for some time. So we've kicked it off, the first challenge is to design a new banner for READY SET DRAW. So today at the good old day job, we had a very large meeting to establish the direction for our department/branch of the MDCH (Michigan Department of Community Health.) This gave me a perfect opportunity to brainstorm ideas for my creation. After a short period of time I have my rough Idea and will post the pencils on the new sketch blog. Oh almost forgot you can find the weekly challenges i submit here - http://readysetdraw.blogspot.com/

Now that that little announcement is out of the way a little more information on Snarky.

Just before Cherry Capital con i was approached by an old schoolmate with a comics project. The best part... it's a paying gig. All my time lately has been dedicated to kicking out this project by the deadline, which is July 19th... one week from today. Once that's kicked out, I'll be finishing up the last 2 pages of Snarky then onto another comics project to get it completed by Detroit Fanfare in September.

So be patient, more work is coming, I'll try to get permission to release some of the paying gigs art give a little sneak peak.

Alright folks well I'll see everyone back here next Tuesday night, with a little blast from the past I'm looking to share.

-Jacot

Cherry Capital Con 2011 Wrap-up

First thing right off the bat, if you are expecting the next page of The Tao of Snarky: The Cutting Edge it will be arriving late.

Hopefully I will have page 23 finished this weekend and the last page posted next week. This past weekend and having a table at C3 put a damper on the production schedule. This isn't a bad thing I had a great weekend.

Everyone involved with the Cherry Capital Con has done a great job putting together the show. Every year it keeps getting better. It was great seeing so many old friends and meeting quite a few new ones. I'm already looking forward to 2012. Also some plans were set in motion, only plans, but soon hopefully reality... more info coming when I get it.

So what do I have for you this week? Well it's the new print I debuted at C3! (hint: click on the image and it'll open in a new window/tab, it'll be easier to read.)

Once again a big thank you to Michael Akerley, Rob Humphrey, and the entire staff at C3. Keep up the great work, I'll be there every year that C3 happens.

I'm getting back to work... missing these self imposed deadlines is getting to me.

Oh wait... almost forgot.

One person who wasn't hindered by production over the weekend is Ryan Claytor. Ryan has posted his new page for "And then One Day #9" at his website www.elephanteater.com he has a fantastic dream sequence image on this page... well what are you waiting for go check it out!

See everyone back here next Tuesday night,

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. XXII

Here we are again... finally. Here's to hoping I get back on schedule.

Over this past weekend I had a table at the 1 day Summit City Comic Con. I've gotta say it was a really nice show. Zack Cruse organized an amazing show. I got a chance to touch base with some great creators to the likes of Jay Fosgitt, Denver Brubaker, Tony Miello, Brett Pinson, and my neighbor Nate Higley. Almost forgot the impressive road trip crew in that list Jon Gordon, Dean Stahl, Ryan Claytor, an Jason Howard... we packed like sardines into Ryan's vehicle KITT and had at it. Good times... good times. I definitely think this will be one of the highlights of next years con season.

Now for page 22

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9
The Cutting Edge pg 10
The Cutting Edge pg 11
The Cutting Edge pg 12
The Cutting Edge pg 13
The Cutting Edge pg 14
The Cutting Edge pg 15
The Cutting Edge pg 16
The Cutting Edge pg 17
The Cutting Edge pg 18
The Cutting Edge pg 19
The Cutting Edge pg 20
The Cutting Edge pg 21

I'm still fighting some editing for page 21, I let it rest for a little bit, went back and gave it another read. I'll leave it as is for right now, but will post the changes soon.

Just a reminder I'll be at the following Convention.

Cherry Capital Con

June 25-26

Grand Traverse Resort

Traverse City, MI

Hopefully I'll get to see some of you readers out there at these great shows, feel free to stop by for witty banter...

Special edition to this weeks post, I've started to do custom sketch cards, for an example here's one I did for fun a Summit City Comic Con this past weekend.

Hopefully I'll have my page done for next Tuesday. If not it may be a little late due to the con weekend. I'll try to snag photos of any sketches I do to share with you for next Tuesday's post

Until then...

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials - Delay

Sorry about this folks, page 22 will delayed a few days. Fell under the weather and spent plenty 'o time sleeping it off in the sweltering heat.

I'll have the page up sometime this week, I'm also going to have some "changes" to page 21 to post as well. AS it was the page just felt off and full of hiccups that pulls you out of the story. So look for that prior to page 22. Then it'll only be 2 more pages until the final bit.

Check back soon and if not soon then over the weekend for all the updates. I'm trying to get a new print or two done for Summit City and C3 so stay tuned.

Until sometime before next Tuesday...

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. XXI

Welcome back everyone, or for those enjoying this for the first time... welcome (that was anti climactic.) If you'd like scroll down and start reading from the beginning (links to previous pages are below the image, clicking on any links will open them in a new window.) We're getting really close to wrapping up the first issue of "The Cutting Edge" story arc. After taking a read feel free to leave some feedback, I love hearing from all of you.

And now without further ado, here's page 21

But first, I apologize this page would have been up last night however Illustrator crashed as I was completing the very last word balloon... and... I didn't save anything I had done. So Frustrated I put it down for the evening, crashed, then completed the page after the day job and a softball game. Sorry for the delay... Need to upgrade from CS3.

Now, truly without further ado...

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9
The Cutting Edge pg 10
The Cutting Edge pg 11
The Cutting Edge pg 12
The Cutting Edge pg 13
The Cutting Edge pg 14
The Cutting Edge pg 15
The Cutting Edge pg 16
The Cutting Edge pg 17
The Cutting Edge pg 18
The Cutting Edge pg 19
The Cutting Edge pg 20

Just a reminder I'll be at the following Conventions.

Summit City Comic Con

June 18, 2011 10AM-6PM

The Grand Wayne Center

Ft. Wayne, IN

Cherry Capital Con

June 25-26

Grand Traverse Resort

Traverse City, MI

Hopefully I'll get to see some of you readers out there at these great shows, feel free to stop by for witty banter...

Now to work on page 22, only three pages left...

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. XX

Here we are for special installment, trying to get caught back up to finish this thing by the actually 24th week of 2011, so here we go... page 20.

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9
The Cutting Edge pg 10
The Cutting Edge pg 11
The Cutting Edge pg 12
The Cutting Edge pg 13
The Cutting Edge pg 14
The Cutting Edge pg 15
The Cutting Edge pg 16
The Cutting Edge pg 17
The Cutting Edge pg 18
The Cutting Edge pg 19

I now have some convention news in store for everyone. I will be at 2 conventions in the month of June.

First I'll be in Fort Wayne, IN for...

And then the following weekend I'll be in Traverse City, MI at...

June 25-26

Grand Traverse Resort

Traverse City, MI

Hopefully I'll get a chance to see you at these events, I'm hoping to have a new print or two available for these shows. I've got some cookin', it should be worth it...

Back off to work on Tuesdays page...

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. XIX

Well now... it looks like I'm a little behind schedule on the "first 24 weeks" thing. Well here's the next page to enjoy.

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9
The Cutting Edge pg 10
The Cutting Edge pg 11
The Cutting Edge pg 12
The Cutting Edge pg 13
The Cutting Edge pg 14
The Cutting Edge pg 15
The Cutting Edge pg 16
The Cutting Edge pg 17
The Cutting Edge pg 18

Be sure to take a minute and check out Ryan Claytor's new page of "And Then One Day" #9 over at his website www.elephanteater.com.

With this page done there's only 5 pages left, time to close up the issue and get back on track. The next page will be posted this Saturday night and will be followed up by another page on the normal Tuesday schedule.

Off to sleep, work, then come home and work some more.

Have fun everyone, I hope that you've been enjoying this journey with me.

-Jacot

Tuesday update

Gonna make a quick little post for everyone. First off, no new page for this week... yet. I'll have it posted before the weekend though.

I recently had the second script for Snarky dropped in my lap and have been going over it. This lead me to address the last 6 pages of issue 1. Following the path it has caused me to rethink the last few pages and streamline the story leading into issue 2.

Unfortunately this cut into the production time available this past week/weekend.

I apologize for the delay and I'll see everyone back here shortly.

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. XVIII

Short and sweet this week... Here's page 18.

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9
The Cutting Edge pg 10
The Cutting Edge pg 11
The Cutting Edge pg 12
The Cutting Edge pg 13
The Cutting Edge pg 14
The Cutting Edge pg 15
The Cutting Edge pg 16
The Cutting Edge pg 17

I had a great time this past weekend at Clem's Comics and Games in Lansing, MI. Thanks everyone for stopping by and chatting with me. I had a great time doing sketch's and having general witty banter and talking about comic book nonsense.

Now it's time I got back to work, there's a lot to do before the next con.

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. XVII

Her we are on the trip to the end of issue 1. For the last 8 Pages I'm going to leave the pages with just the line art. I'm doing this for a few reasons, first to give you a reason to by issue 1 when it comes out but mainly to free up some of my creative time to work o other projects leading into the convention season.

Speaking of conventions this will be the first year in the past 5 years I will not be tabling at the Motor City Comic Con. I don't have anything new finished and ready to be released at this time, and it'll be a nice break. So the next show I will be doing is Summit City Con in Fort Wayne, IN.

Well that's enough rambling for now, here's page 17, enjoy.

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9
The Cutting Edge pg 10
The Cutting Edge pg 11
The Cutting Edge pg 12
The Cutting Edge pg 13
The Cutting Edge pg 14
The Cutting Edge pg 15

The Cutting Edge pg 16

As with every Tuesday be sure to stop over at Ryan Claytor's website where he's posted his next page of And Then One Day#9. He managed to sneak in another homage to Family Circus. www.elephanteater.com

I'll be a Clem's Collectibles this Saturday from 10am -2pm for Free Comic Book Day. Sketches free for children under 12, come on down and check out a great yearly event. The title says it all, FREE COMIC BOOKS!!! Though you might wanna buy some comics as well.

See every one back here next week.

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. XVI

It's official, 2/3 of the way done with issue #1. Short and sweet again this week, I'm proud to unveil page 16. I'm looking forward to leaving the beat palace next week.

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9
The Cutting Edge pg 10
The Cutting Edge pg 11
The Cutting Edge pg 12
The Cutting Edge pg 13
The Cutting Edge pg 14
The Cutting Edge pg 15

Well off to go work on page 17.

I need to start getting ahead on this production schedule.

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. XV

Well here we go, page 15 completed and posted during the 16th week of 2011.

Next week issue I will be 2/3 of the way done. Feels good. Enough reminiscing on with the show.

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9
The Cutting Edge pg 10
The Cutting Edge pg 11
The Cutting Edge pg 12
The Cutting Edge pg 13
The Cutting Edge pg 14

That list is starting to get pretty long, I think I'll find a better way to organize the history.

Well off to go work on page 16.

-Jacot

The Promised Process Post

Sorry ladies and gentlemen, The Tao of Snarky pg 15 will be delayed a week. Unfortunately last weeks page threw off my production schedule and instead of cranking out a mediocre page I wanted to give page 15 the time it deserves.

However, I have a consolation prize... As you can see by the title I'm going to go over the process I follow to create a page of The Tao of Snarky: The Cutting Edge.

I'm going to start the process from the point where the script is already finished, in this case penned by Brad DaMaagd. After going over the script I create a thumbnail drawing of the page, getting down the main shapes and panels for the page. This thumbnail was done at a 2"x3".

Sometimes my "thumbnail" is done on a folded piece of 8.5"x11" paper, it all depends on what I have on hand at the time. Once the thumbnail is completed I scan it in and print it off on a standard sheet of letter size paper. When doing this I use a blue "screen" to turn the black lines to a light blue.

Now I tighten up the image using Red and Blue pencils. Red I use to create rough objects and shapes. Then I use blue pencil to define details. Once I'm comfortable with the details I use a technical pen to identify what's commonly called the"pencils". I then scan the image and remove the colored lines so only the pencil lineart remains.

This lineart is printed onto an 11"x17" comic art board using a light blue screen to make the lines print light blue as shown here.

Onto the next step... to put this simply I ink the page using the light blue lines a guide. For those wondering why I go through all these steps I like to work with a clean board when I ink. That means no pencil lines to erase once the inks are completed. I find it provides a crisp line that doesn't need much if any cleanup.

After the inking is done I'll scan in the page and start the coloring process. this starts with color "flats".

With the page having a very flat gray-toned look to I then go though and add shadows to the panels. To give the page a little more flair I added a texture to the gray outside of the panels.

With the page art finished I place the image into illustrator where I add the text, the balloons, and sound effects.

There you have it , that's the basic process I use to create every page of Snarky that you see posted here weekly... well maybe not weekly but as close to it I can come.

See everyone back here next week for page 15.

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. XIV

Well here we go, it's a little late but better late then never...

Presenting page 14, I had way too much fun with the dance crowd.

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9
The Cutting Edge pg 10
The Cutting Edge pg 11
The Cutting Edge pg 12
The Cutting Edge pg 13

Now it's time to play catch up on next weeks deadline.

Off to the races!

-Jacot

Page 14 Sneak Peek

Sorry folks, this is my first missed deadline.

However, I have a consolation prize... A Sneak peek of the linework for page 14.

The final page should be up tomorrow, it's late and I think sleep is inevitable. So hears a sneak peek of page 14.

So keep an eye out for the finished page coming tomorrow, Wednesday evening!

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. XIII

Unlucky week thirteen...

Nah, scratch that. Lucky week thirteen.

I'm going to keep this post short, just like my hair. After this past weekend the entire household is bald. We'll be saving on the water bill and shampoo for a while. Though I must say the chilled air feels a lot colder now.

Enough about the recent baldness, ON WITH THE SHOW!

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9
The Cutting Edge pg 10
The Cutting Edge pg 11
The Cutting Edge pg 12

As with every Tuesday be sure to stop over at Ryan Claytor's website where he's posted his next page of And Then One Day#9. This weeks page is absolutely amazing. It also has a great homage to Family Circus. So pop on over and see if you can spot the homage. www.elephanteater.com

I'm going to put in a little extra to next weeks post. It may be art, it may be a review or recommended reading. Only time will tell, so stay tuned!

-Jacot

S.P.A.C.E., Week 12 of Snarky, and Head Shaving

Space... the final frontier.

S.P.A.C.E. as in the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo. Though not the final frontier it's always a great event. This year was no exception.

It's great to be at an event where the crowd focuses on the comics themselves. This is a rare occurence in the days where most Comic Conventions are geared towards an entertainment event. It was great getting to see a lot of new faces and getting a chance to catch up with some old friends/compatriots. This year Ryan Claytor, Jon Gordon, and I went out with Max Ink & Co. to get a chance to really experience Columbus. We had a great meal at The Red Door Tavern and were introduced to the amzing Columbus institution of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. Of the latter I can only drool when I think about that wonderful experience. If you are ever in Columbus be sure to stop and check them out, you will not be displeased.

Aside from getting a good piece of Columbus culture I had the opportunity to pick up some new books. I plan on doing some reviews over the next few weeks of many titles that I picked up so keep your eyes open.

Well on to the next item, week 12 of "24 Weeks of Sequentials". This marks the halfway point for the first issue of The Tao of Snarky: The Cutting Edge. I really enjoy playing around on the planet Rex 9 and emmersing myself into the world. The creatures and characters have started to take on a life of there own. So we return to the Den where Sgt Sahara is having some issues.

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9
The Cutting Edge pg 10
The Cutting Edge pg 11

Last but not least for this post...

Lissa, her son Maksen, his father Jon and I are shaving our heads for the St Baldrick's Foundation. We're doing this and taking donations for pediatric cancer research. This is for a great cause and if you could take a moment to donate what you are able to it would be greatly appreciated. You can donate by clicking the image below or clicking here.

Having all four of us shaving our heads I wanted to do a Beatle's tribute group photo to help represent the team which we named Let It Be Shaved. So enjoy and remember you can click on the image if you'd like to find out more about what we're doing or to donate to a great cause.

Yes, Lissa is actually shaving her head for this event. This is a great show of solidarity for children who are battling cancer. If that's not reason enough to donate whatever you can then I don't know what other reason you would need.

That's all for this week I look forward to seeing everyone again next week.

-Jacot

The Ides of March

Beware the ides of March...

Too true, for this post is late, though you may be overloaded by content.

I want apologize right off the bat, I had other projects that pushed back starting this weeks Snarky page, I started coloring the page at 9:00pm when this post was supposed to publish. However the wait is worth it...

Not only do you get a new page of The Tao of Snarky: The Cutting Edge, you get the honest and wordy reviews for my new Network Attached Storage device and the magical new All-in-one Large format printer scanner.

First things first, new Snarky page.

I can't get enough of the last three panels on this page. I'm really proud of them and they make me laugh every time I see them. Especially the feeling in the second to last panel where Sgt. Sahara pulls the phone away to scream directly into the receiver, classic.

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9
The Cutting Edge pg 10

Well now it's onto the promised reviews.

Buffalo Linkstation Pro LS-XH1.5TL NAS Drive.

I want to start his off with a little disclaimer.

This is the first and only Network Attached Storage (NAS) device I have ever owned or used. The review is done from the viewpoint of a user and done without comparison to other models.
When I started considering a NAS drive I had 3 basic criteria for a NAS to suit my needs

1. A minimum 1 Terabyte of storage

2. DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certified for media sharing

3. Web access to the information stored on the drive.

While researching the various NAS drives on the market (via reviews, user comments, and spec sheets) I usually found one problem or another with various models. The Most common problem though was transfer speed. When I looked further into this complaint I notices it happened when the NAS units had low speed processors. Add higher processor speed to the criteria.

4. Higher Processor speed.

Oh almost forgot one other thing for the criteria, cost had to be under $200.

5. Total cost below $200

After taking all of this into consideration I actually managed to find a model that would fit these needs.

Enter the Buffalo Linkstation Pro LS-XH1.5.

This had everything that I was looking for and had received decent reviews. Out of the box this item did what it was supposed to. The installation was easy though problems occurred, not directly with the unit but with the supplied backup software Memeo. When the backup software was trying to write info to the drive it kept giving a "delayed write failure" error. If you've never had this error you're lucky, it usually means the drive you are trying to write to has errors and will not be working for much longer. After updating firmware to the drive and updating the backup software everything worked smoothly. I'm going to break up my review of the item based upon the two main functions I was looking for.

Network Storage & Backup

This drive has worked fantastic for read/write speeds. Once the updates of the software and firmware were complete this device functioned well. The licensed Memeo software provided was a nice bonus, it functions as a folder mirroring backup. What this means is that you choose certain folders for the program to monitor and when the contents of that folder or sub-folder change it compares and updates the backup folder in real time (it starts backing up the file right away based upon available computer resources.) This is different than what's known as a disk backup which basically creates an "image" for the entire contents of your drive. I personally only need certain information backed up especially after the hard drive "melt down" from last year. This device is also equipped with web access. What that means is that with an Internet connection and the NAS drive on you can access the stored information ANYWHERE.

Media Server

This is one of the most delightful things to have in the house. I moved all of my music and videos to this drive so that it can stream/share music and video to devices connected to my home network (other computers/laptops, mobile devices, Video streaming devices/TV) this has removed the hassle of having to leave my main computer to gain access to the shared files. My computer uses over 300 watts of electricity, which puts a nice sized strain on the electricity bill each month if it's being used as a media server. The Linkstation Pro only uses about 17 watts of electricity. Huge power consumption difference which makes me much happier.

I've been very pleased with this product. The Linkstation Pro has been a blessing. The transfer rates are pretty high (much faster that transferring information to a USB drive) even while streaming video to the living room TV. I'll chalk this one up to the processor in this unit, speeding up the read/write rate quite a bit. Though sadly the streaming of video has limited functionality (Play & Stop) the smaller amount of power consumption makes up for it. Hopefully this will be addressed in a future firmware update.

All in all this product is worth more than it's weight in gold. Which is great because I got a great deal on this from newegg.com, $159.99 with free shipping. Cost wise it came out to be about 9.6 cents per Megabyte of storage, which is fantastic price for what you get. I mean it provides multiple back up solutions to every computer in your home including real time folder backups, it shares and streams music/video to devices connected to the network, and you can access the information on the drive from Computer/IOS/Android device that has a connection to the Internet. Honestly though it does a lot more that though I don't have a use for any other functionality at this time, which is why I'm not going to write about it.

Down to the nitty gritty, if you have a home network and have important information that you need to back up regularly (and you forget to do on a regular basis, like me.) Then a Network Attached Storage device is a solution for what ails you and I'd highly recommend the Buffalo Linkstation Pro LS-XH series NAS drive. IT does everything I need it to do and much more. Though if you are planning to get a NAS device do your research and purchase wisely.

*End review*

Now Last week I promised a second review about a new all-in-one printer/scanner however I will not be doing the review this week as I have only owned the item for 1 day.

You see there was a snafu from the company I ordered from about availability/back order/and discontinuation of the product. It was a frustrating situation considering I'm the one who found the problem, but I digress. I found a newer model which looked to be a better machine all around. So next week I will have a full review on the New Brother MFC-J6510DW. So far though this machine is incredible and it's indispensable for me as a Comic Artist (or anyone who needs something to print or scan items up to A3 in size,) for an incredible price ($179.99 w/ $1.99 shipping through newegg.com.) I've touted theMustek A3 Scanner to everyone I know which is price around $150. Now unlike the Mustek A3 scanner the Brother MFC-J6510DW has full Windows (XP/Vista/7) and Mac OS (10.4+) support. Mac Mustek owners take note.

Jeez, for not reviewing it I've said a lot already...

Screw it, I'm just going to give a review right now on this machine. I'm that excited about it.

Brother MFC-J6510DW All-in-one Printer/Scanner

The Brother does it all, I mean it when I say that: Faxing, Copying, Printing and Scanning images/pages up to a3 size (which is slightly larger than 11x17.) I'm going to break the review into each of those four parts.

Faxing: Sorry, never going to use this function. Probably works great, I however will probably never find out.

Copying: I'm not sure how much I'm going to use this functionality but I tested it out and I have to say I'm impressed, I copied both a text page and the cover of a comic. Both copies came out clean, the text had slight bleeding (due to inkjet printing on standard bond paper, most people won't notice it but I'm finicky) and the color print came out incredible, great color matching overall. Copying a single sheet for color took less than 10 seconds from hitting the start button.

Printing: With this machine there's one paper tray that stores paper up to A3 sized paper and a single page bypass on the back of the machine. The tray handles the multiple page sizes quite well while the single page tray bypass has a harder time with thicker stock paper. I was able to print on Blue Line Pro's Strathmore based 3-ply comic art boards and Canson's Fanboy comic art boards. Though using the single page tray bypass feeder has a hitch. It seems the Brother corporation included a flap to make sure people realize its only a single page feeder. This puts resistance on every page that feeds through it. On thicker pages naturally there's more resistance, this caused the guides to slide out of place and the comic art board feed unevenly. This was solved using a clip as a stopper to hold the guides in place. Asides from that the quality of the print is everything you expect from an inkjet printer, it can provide photo quality though the images aren't as rich due to the CMYK ink system instead of the photo ink system. The color matching is quite nice and it appears almost as it is on the screen. Text and images are reproduced quite well. Over all a great printer. The tray bypass feeder is my only issue and it's easy enough to work with. Print speed is great with speeds up to 35ppm (pages per minute.)

Scanning: This was the one part that worried me most about this purchase. I really don't know why I was worried having used it. The Brother Corporation has included a great scanner unit in this machine. It's only weakness is the software which is Paperport SE, the Twain Acquire inPhotoshop is incredibly simple and I would have like to see more options to adjust the image pre-scan. This might be a good thing for many people who aren't as nit-picky about there software, as it gives them a basic interface to provide an excellent scanned image. Truthfully though most image manipulation and color balancing takes place after the image is scanned so the limited user interface is a non-issue. The images that come the scanner are nothing less than stunning, it picks up every little imperfection in such a beautiful way. That said, this scanner comes with a warning, in any setting other than "black & white" scanning you will find out quickly what inks you've used are black and not-so-black-but-really-gray.

Now that that's out of the way there's something very important about all of this testing and this product.

Everything that's been done has been done wirelessly.

Seriously...

That means one printer for the whole household, that makes me happy. It doesn't stop there though, the physical user interface on the unit is really nice. Asides from providing the option for photo printing/editing from a memory card or USB device, copy, and fax services, it also provides scanning services where you can scan directly to a source. That source can be a chosen computer on the network, an e-mail, a USB device, or memory card. I haven't used this functionality and really don't know when I will need to, but it's nice knowing I can if I felt like it.

Asides from the interface I really want to point out this little fact. Wirelessly, this unit scanned an 11"x17" full color image and loaded it into Photoshop at 600 dpi in under 20 seconds from the time you hit the scan button. 20 SECONDS!!! My Mustek A3 took well more than that and It had to stop and dump information to Photoshop at least 3 times for every image. This is just incredible for me.

If you're still reading this and you are an artist (Comic creating friends take note,) and you are looking for a large format printer/scanner than I would recommend the Brother MFC-J6510W. It's larger than your normal printer and will take up some space, but being wireless you can put it anywhere within range of your wireless router.

In short this machine is amazing, hands down incredible. If you're in the market for an A3 scanner forget the Mustek A3, you should purchase this model. It's not that much more expensive and will provide much more bang for the buck.

Well that was long winded but necessary. For me, anyways.

If you are still reading, I'm impressed and if not you wouldn't know the difference. That wraps this up for this week. Sorry for the late post I had a lot to say in the reviews.

Look forward to seeing everyone here next week.

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. X

Here we are at week ten, and it's Fat Tuesday... where's my Paczki? I've been to busy working on this page to get them, that's where they are. Ah well, maybe next year.

It's funny with these weekly pages. I find that by setting this goal/deadline my subconscious plays with my production. What I mean by this is that I find I've been creating more work for myself than is necessary. Spending to much time on one step or another thinking I have plenty of time. Then I find myself rushing at the last minute to get it completed. Well it's time to work on that, stay focused, and eliminate unnecessary work.

As frustrating as it can be sometimes, i wouldn't want to be doing anything else. Well let's get back to it... here's page 10.

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1
The Cutting Edge pg 2
The Cutting Edge pg 3
The Cutting Edge pg 4
The Cutting Edge pg 5
The Cutting Edge pg 6
The Cutting Edge pg 7
The Cutting Edge pg 8
The Cutting Edge pg 9

As with every Tuesday be sure to stop over at Ryan Claytor's website where he's posted his next page of And Then One Day#9. www.elephanteater.com.

That's all for this week. Next week I'll be posting some information/reviews on two new pieces of equipment I've received for my computer setup, they are as follows.

1. An all in one Printer/Scanner that prints and scans up to 11"x17" pages wirelessly (I'll be getting this delivered later this week, the review is pending on how much I get to use it before Tuesday.

2. A NAS which is a network storage device that's set up to mirror certain folders on my computer and back up the information from the folders in real time.

I love getting a chance to play with new equipment that can provide a relatively cheap solution to a streamlined work setup.

Catch everyone next week,

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. IX

Well here we are at week nine, seriously where does the time go? Hell, imagine how It'll feel at week 24. It'll probably feel like I just blinked and there was suddenly 24 pages in front of me.

Only time will tell, eh?

I'll keep the chatter to a minimum... and now... page 9.

I hope everyone is enjoying these new pages, I'm enjoying creating them. Can't wait to see the finished product in print.

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1

The Cutting Edge pg 2

The Cutting Edge pg 3

The Cutting Edge pg 4

The Cutting Edge pg 5

The Cutting Edge pg 6

The Cutting Edge pg 7

The Cutting Edge pg 8

That's all for this week. I'm back off to work, maybe I can get ahead on this stuff and get a chance to post more art on here.

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. IIX

Happy Tuesday everybody!

Here we are 1/3 of the way done with our journey. Well let's get down to it, here's page 8.

My production style/process is becoming more defined every week. It's nice to see this growth taking place. I've been slowly honing my art to be more on point and not do as much "needless" work that just consumes my time. It's nice to get right to the point. I'll be doing a process post soon for one of these weeks, so keep your eyes peeled.

The Grandpa is out of the Hospital and back in his cave at home. We're still waiting on some test results but for the most part the old codger is as stubborn as ever.

In case you've missed the previous pages you can find them through the following links, or visit older posts.

The Cutting Edge pg 1

The Cutting Edge pg 2

The Cutting Edge pg 3

The Cutting Edge pg 4

The Cutting Edge pg 5

The Cutting Edge pg 6

The Cutting Edge pg 7

As with every Tuesday be sure to stop over at Ryan Claytor's website where he's posted his next page of And Then One Day#9. www.elephanteater.com.

That's all for this week. Now it's time to get back to work...

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. VII

Here we are once again for another exciting page.

Well not quite yet anyways, I'm not finished with the page yet. I'm posting the inks at this time and will update the post this evening once the page is completed. It will be done tonight, just a little later then expected. UPDATE 11:59 pm: Just finished the page, at the last minute to meet my Tuesday night guideline for the 24 weeks of sequentials, this page has by far the most demanding environment page I've done, and I loved creating it, enjoy. (I've left the inks up as well, call it little bonus for my tardiness.)

I want to apologize for not meeting my self imposed production schedule but some things came up and bit into the schedule. So here are my Excuses (you might as well call a pig a pig right?)

1. Taxes... I finally received my last W2 Friday, then proceeded to start processing the business paperwork. Only one problem, I moved my studio recently and misplaced half the paperwork. Well, it took two days to locate the missing paperwork but taxes have been completed.

2. I don't really like posting information regarding my personal life on ye' old blog, but this affected today's production, and hit me in the chestal region so I thought I should share. With 2.5 hours of sleep I awoke at 5am to start today's production and complete page 7. Around 7am I received a call from my mom... I don't usually get a random call from my mom in the morning unless somethings happened. I answered the phone and found my mother unable to make a coherent statement, then only thing she could say is "it finally happened" to which I replied "What happened?" Now I have to state for the record that my mom is the picture of composure and almost always has a smile. This was different though, she couldn't say anything, she stumbled over her words and almost brought tears to my eyes as the pain in her voice smacked into my eardrum. After a minute or so she regained her composure and informed me that my Grandfather, her dad, is in the hospital with 5 broken ribs, congestive heart failure, and a mass on his lung. After speaking with my mother for a little bit she had to get back to work and told me she'd let me know more information later in the day. (Note: He's doing a lot better at this point, he's a cantankerous old goat and as stubborn as they come.) It took me a while this morning to get refocused and back on track.

This is what happens when I take a day off work to get caught up...

In case you've missed the previous pages through the following links.

The Cutting Edge pg 1

The Cutting Edge pg 2

The Cutting Edge pg 3

The Cutting Edge pg 4

The Cutting Edge pg 5

The Cutting Edge pg 6

As with every Tuesday be sure to stop over at Ryan Claytor's website where he's posted his next page of And Then One Day#9. www.elephanteater.com.

This week he has a link to a comment he left on last weeks page post. It goes over his current process with environments, though sadly this leaves out the necessary descriptor about his new found gushing love for perspective grids. I really don't get a chance to use the term "gushing love" that often, this need to be rectified!

Now time to get that thing we so often sacrifice to try and accomplish what we set out to do... sleep.

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. VI

Here we are week six. Time flies and I find Tuesday coming on sooner and sooner. I'd be lying if I said Tuesdays don't excite me though... here's the reason why.

I swear we're going to get out of this alley soon, I've had enough of drawing brick walls in the background. After all you can only do so much to keep it interesting.

In case you've missed the previous pages through the following links.

The Cutting Edge pg 1

The Cutting Edge pg 2

The Cutting Edge pg 3

The Cutting Edge pg 4

The Cutting Edge pg 5

As with every Tuesday be sure to stop over at Ryan Claytor's website where he's posted his next page of And Then One Day#9. www.elephanteater.com.

Throughout his auto-biographical account of his conversation with Dr Polkinhorn, Ryan has utilized his illustrating prowess to extrapolate the concepts that are being discussed. He's really taking his work to a new level with every page. Ryan is quickly becoming this generation's Scott McCloud.

Until next week,

-Jacot

Death of a Teddy Bear

Or was it "24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. V"?

A little trouble deciding a title for this weeks post. With a prolific third panel this week it was hard to decide. Well... let's get right to it then... here's page 5 of "The Cutting Edge"

Going to keep it nice and short this week. In case you've missed them, here's links to the previous pages of The Cutting Edge.

The Cutting Edge Pg 1

The Cutting Edge Pg 2

The Cutting Edge Pg 3

The Cutting Edge pg 4

As with every Tuesday be sure to stop over at Ryan Claytor's website where he's posted his next page of And Then One Day#9. www.elephanteater.com. Ryan's really knocked this weeks page out of the park with his illustration.

Until next week,

Jacot

MSU Comics Forum and Sequentials pt.IV

I really want to start this post off by stating, for the record, that this was easily the best MSU Comics Forum we've had to date. I'd like to express an gratuitous "Thank You" to all the Scholars, Creators, and Fans who made the MSU Comics Forum 2011 such a success.

Thanks to Ryan Claytor and all of the organizers who helped us put this event together.

I also need to thank the various websites and media outlets that helped promote the event.

A special thank you to Nate Powell for his great Keynote Address (subsequent power moves included in his great presentation,) his participation in the Creator Panel with Joe Foo and Jeremy Bastian, and just being an all around great guy.

Lastly thank you to all of the sponsers: The Journal of Popular Culture, 21st Century Comics and Games, The Department of Art and Art History, the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, and MATRIX: The Center for the Humane Arts, Letters, and Social Sciences Online.

I'm looking forward to the MSU Comics Forum 2012. I think I'll refrain from calling it the "doomsday" edition though I'm sure if we look on the Mayan calendar it mentions the MSU Comics Forum somewhere. I'll look into and let you know what I find.

Asides from the Comics Forum, here we are on week four of 2011 and you know what that means...

Things are really starting to move along. Now that the MSU Comics Forum is done, I might have a chance to be finished with these weekly pages prior to the eleventh hour. I'm Looking forward to sharing more than just pages each week.

In case you've missed them, here's links to the previous pages of The Cutting Edge.

The Cutting Edge Pg 1

The Cutting Edge Pg 2

The Cutting Edge Pg 3

As with every Tuesday be sure to stop over at Ryan Claytor's website where he's posted his next page of And Then One Day#9. www.elephanteater.com

Until next week,

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt.III

Here we are for week three. Gotta say, working on this page, I solidified quite a bit of my creation process. Things are moving a little smoother and I'm settling into a good pace I like to call, "on time." It's especially impressive for me to be on time with the MSU Comics Forum taking place this weekend. Interviews and a podcast last week cut into my production schedule.

If you're in the Lansing, MI area be sure to pick up this weeks edition of The Noise and The City Pulse, it's going to have info about the MSU comics Forum and, if you haven't made plans to, then you should make plans come to The MSU Comics Forum this weekend, it's a free event that will provide a great venue to meet many comic book creators.

Starting off Friday night, January 21st,2011 from 7pm-8:30pm, will be the keynote address by Nate Powell. Over the past few years the Keynote Address has been a fantastic time to take a peak at the creator behind the art and story. Nate Powell's Keynote should be no different and I am looking forward to taking a peek into the mind behind his amazing comic works.

On Saturday January 22nd, 2011 from 11am-5pm in the LookOut! Gallery will be the Artist Alley. This is a seriously good lineup for an Artist Alley including the aforementioned Nate Powell, Guy Davis, David Petersen, Jason Howard, Ryan Stegman, Jeremy Bastian, Jay Fosgitt, and many more! Creators will have some examples of their work on display albeit in comics, graphic novels, prints, or original art. Many of these items will be available for purchase. Don't be afraid to talk with the creators, we're all happy to converse with our adoring public (too pretentious?) Don't worry though, they won't bite, not last I checked anyways. For information on the guest list for the artist alley head over to the MSU Comics Forum website. www.comicsforum.msu.edu

Almost forgot during the Artist alley many panels will be taking place be sure to check them out.

For this weeks post I was thinking about going into my process of creating a comic page looking at it though I think this post has been long enough. Maybe for a future page I'll do a "process" post. But for now we'll just get on with the show. The Tao of Snarky: The Cutting Edge page 3!

For those that missed the previous pages you can find them through the links below

The Cutting Edge Pg 1

The Cutting Edge Pg 2

As with every Tuesday for the first 24 weeks of 2011 my buddy Ryan Claytor has posted a new page of his conversation with Dr. Polkinhorn from his new book And Then One Day #9. Jump on over to his website and check it out www.elephanteater.com. Ryan, is hyper intelligent when it comes to the Comic field and his knowledge comes together with the subtleties found in each of his pages.

Catch everyone back here next week, and hope to see you at the MSU Comics Forum this weekend.

-Jacot

24 Weeks of Sequentials pt. II

Alright, here I am back for week two of new Snarky pages.

This one was a doozy and a blast. Action, movement, and mood were the essentials on this page. It's funny how things start to develop and solidify while creating these pages. My process is becoming more distinct and there's a lot less "wasted effort" going into each one. I'll keep this first part nice and short... onto the page! click on the image or any link to open in a new window.

Here's a link to the first page, just in case you missed it.

The Cutting Edge: Page 1

We're under two weeks until the MSU Comics Forum 2011 takes place, right now we have 25 creators who will be tabling in the Artist Alley on Saturday, January 22, 2011. Also, be sure to make it to the Keynote Address by Nate Powell Friday, January 21st. This should be a great time had by all, and the best part its admission is free. Check out the MSU Comics Forum website for more info including a complete guest list for the artist alley. www.comicsforum.msu.edu

Speaking of the MSU Comics Forum I just got back from recording a podcast with the talent from Ginger and the Geek podcast. Had a great time talking with Daniel J. Hogan and Kat Cooper, they make a fantastic team. It'll be out this Thursday so be sure to stop over and check it out at gingerandthegeek.com.

Well that's about it for now, sorry there's no other art this week. I'm trying to work out a production schedule for Snarky and everything else. It's coming together and I have a few kinks to work out, but I'll be there soon. I do have to say, I really miss focusing on sequential artwork.

Don't forget to stop over to my LADDie Ryan Claytor's website, www.elephanteater.com, and check out the next page of And Then One Day.

Catch you back here in 168 hours, now time for me to get back to work.

-Jacot

LET IT BEGIN

Happy New Year, and what a year it shall be... and with a title like that how can you go wrong? After all, this is the beginning of new Snarky comic pages.

In case you're not sure what is happening, my good buddy Ryan Claytor is posting a new page of "And Then One Day" on his website every Tuesday for the first 24 weeks of 2011. Ryan challenged me to do the same with my own work. So here we are at the beginning of a 24 week journey. Hopefully at the end I will continue this trend and be able to complete the first full story arc to The Tao of Snarky with weekly posts.

It felt good to dust off Snarky and make him feel alive again. Brad DeMaagd and I have really started to organize and get this story moving, for this first page I pulled an old bit he'd written and pulled parts to start this story. Now that the fire's lit he's turning out some really great stuff for me to work with. It's been a while since I released/published new sequential work and I have got to say, I've missed it. Creating art is a lot of fun and I enjoy it but it's nothing like using art to tell a story and showing the passage of time. You can tell a story in one image, that's a skill in itself, but leading the reader through many images and words on a journey through a story, there's no feeling quite like that.

Alright enough of the fawning over the reason or the feeling, let's get one with it.

Ladies and gentleman I present the first page of The Tao of Snarky: The Cutting Edge. To see a larger copy just click on the image and it will open in a new window.

I'm tossing around the idea of setting up a wordpress page for this comic, any feedback on this would be great. Let me know what you want to see and how you would like to view these new pages as I release them. Don't be afraid to post comments, constructive criticism is gratefully accepted.

So now that you're done here pop on over and check out Ryan's weekly post/page at www.elephanteater.com. It'll be worth the trip.

-Jacot