Archive | PermalinkAllie's 13 Month Birthday

Behold, a mosquito bit the 13-month-old Allie's cheek!

Allie was 13 months old last Saturday August 22nd, also the first day of Ramadhan. She's had another month of a full-time Mama since I am still in-between projects. And today, Allie is 13 months and 6 days old and it is the last day of my "summer break". Both sad and glad about it.

Keywords: alya,birthday,lily

Archive | PermalinkPrawn-flavoured Keropok: A District 9 review

A gigantic spaceship appears in the skies above Johannesburg 28 years ago. A million starving insectoid sapients are found in the ship, and ferried groundside. Now, a guarded slum area called District 9 exists in Johannesburg that tries to keep these alien "prawns" away from humans, while the Multinational United (MNU) administrates District 9 as it attempts to pry secrets of alien technology from the dumb prawns for profit.

The movie District 9 doesn't have a particularly original storyline. In fact its premise is largely based on and a commentary on the apartheid in South Africa. It's not really very hard sci-fi, with a lot of the science relegated to background. We see and marvel at alien technology and its effect but we don't go into details. Its hand-held shakycam effects are not as motion sickness-inducing as say The Blair Witch Project or Cloverfield, but it does have some jitter even when there's no in-universe camera in action.

However, all these different factors (which includes an awesome improv performance between stars Sharlto Copley and Jason Cope) mix together perfectly to create one of the best science-fiction movie in recent years. One might argue that it's this mix of uncertain factors that made Star Wars a hit 32 years ago.

SPOILERS beyond this point, sirs.

Keywords: movie,movie_review

Archive | PermalinkCody and Rex, Best of Friends

This is CC-2224, nicknamed Cody. His rank in the Grand Army of the Republic is Commander.

This is CC-7567, nicknamed Rex. His rank is Captain.

Keywords: funny,star_wars,toys

Archive | PermalinkStrikeforce Enteague: The Pioneer Team

Once upon a time I had a Geocities Page, where upon I uploaded a lot of Star Wars artwork. Soon the plug will be pulled on Geocities, so a link there from here is a futile gesture. However, there are a bunch of drawings of my first ever Strikeforce Enteague campaign character for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game from back in 1989. The game started in 1989, but these drawings are from 2001 - 2002, by the way. I thought I'd upload them on here for posterity's sake. (Note: this is not every player character of that era. Someday, I'll get around to drawing everyone.)

Players, you know who you are.

Shanna Toarinar, human bounty hunter

Keywords: artwork,rpg,star_wars

Archive | PermalinkGauntlet Starfighter

Gauntlet starfighter, manufactured by Shobquix Yards, was created a long time ago by West End Games for their Star Wars Roleplaying Game line as can be seen here at Wookieepedia. It first appeared in Planets of the Galaxy, Vol 1 in the "Isen IV" chapter. And in its debut, it was only a tiny little stats block. No image at all.

So I thought to myself the other day, why don't I try to draw one based on the plans seen in the Wookieepedia entry above which was later released in a later publication.

Click on the thumbnail to view a larger picture.

Keywords: artwork,star_wars,swag

Archive | PermalinkThe one with the birthday cake

Since there has been a demand for cake, here it is!!

* Please mouse over the pictures for captions

Keywords: alya,around_the_house,baseball,birthday,food,friends