Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Saga Gift

My wife sent me a picture of a package that I received in the mail today. Of course I couldn't see what the hell it was due to the crappiness of my phone. She informed me via smoke signal, that it was from Brian K. Vaughn. It held inside it's slightly worn and mishandled manila packaging, my winnings!!!! For those of you who are not aware of how or what I won, here is the quick rundown: Boy likes comic called Saga, Boy carve a figure of Marko, Boy send to creator, Boy shits pants when creator features Boy's carving in comic, Boy gets stuff sent to him from creator.
I carefully opened the package so as not to damage it just in case I want to frame the packge later. I carefully slid out the contents to reveal exactly what he said I would be receiving. It contained a shoestring(white), an expired pass to the Universal Studios Halloween event(expired), a signed kick-ass promo poster for the comic Saga, and a hard cover compy of his Doctor Stange graphic novel(en espanol) that had an incredible inscription on the inside.
I wanted to comment on how creators like Brian are why comics continue to be the best form of art or literature. The creators of these books are more times than not, like you and me. Everyday people that have found a passion to create and are so appreciative of those that support that passion. Thank you Brian for keeping comics not only just about spandex and massive breasts!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Helmets

This post has nothing to do with wood but rather another part of my life that I take seriously, cycling. By cycling, I mean riding around. I am not meaning wearing spandex and going full bore like a crazy person trying to get a good burn. However you look at cycling there is one constant, helmets. I am such a supporter of wearing helmets and this leads me to a consistent pet peeve of mine.
How many times do we see a family riding down the street and only the kids are wearing helmets? At what point do you find yourself too cool to avoid brain damage? I find it hard to believe that you would tell your child that they would have to wear a helmet while you would not even think to do so yourself. Have we become so vain that we would rather not look "nerdy" to our friends? Most bicycle deaths can be related to not wearing a helmet. In 2009, 91 percent of bicycle deaths were of people not wearing a helmet. I am sure that your children would rather have you around than know that you didn't look like a dork when you got into an accident.
Can we put aside trying to look good for people we know, and instead focus on being safe for our own family?

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Plactic Man Done

I finished him up yesterday and am wicked happy with how it turned out. Here is a picture. He will be available for purchase as well!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Plastic Man Based

I had thought that I had posted a picture of this last week, but I guess I didn't. Here is Plastic Man with a base coat of which colors I am going to use. I do this just so I can make sure that everything looks right and I know which direction I am heading.

To be honest,this is one of the more satisfying characters I have done. I will unfortunately be leaving town for a little bit and won't be able to finish painting til next week.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Transmetropolitan #43

Great cover by a fantastic artist. John Cassaday really makes this cover pop. Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Plastic Man Primed

Here is the old chap, primed and ready for paint. I am hoping to put up pictures of him with a base coat by Thursday. Sorry for the short post but we just got the DVD of Hunger Games and I must watch!!!!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Thor #353

I am thinking that it might be fun on Fridays to share a favorite comic book cover from my past. We will start with the first comic series that I started reading, the Mighty Thor. This was done by the imcomparable Walter Simonson. Enjoy!!!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Plastic Man take 4

Been keeping at it and have a few more pictures to show the progress. I have gotten the basic shape completed and have carved out a few features. I will be now be spending more time on his shirt and giving more definition to his facial features. This part can take a wee bit longer than just cutting away on the general shape.


Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Bad Comics

So today is Wednesday. A day typically filled with amazement and wonder. It is the summit of the week, a day closer to my weekly podcast with some buds, and of course, new comics. I will have to say that I only had one comic come out today that I had wanted to pick up. Pretty good for me. This means that I am not over-spending and that I have trimmed the fat off of my monthly read list.
This brings me to my point for today. We all have comics that we absolutely love and look forward to reading each month, but what about those comics that get pushed to the bottom of the "must-read" pile? Why are those comics still being purchased? I have no clear answer due to the fact that I have one of those books that I spend my money on every single month. I would be better of by saving that $3 or by throwing it out the window on the drive to the comic shop. My comic? Green Arrow. Just typing the name fills me with mixed emotions. Longing for the days when I enjoyed reading this title and now wanting to gouge my eyeballs out with a grapefruit spoon as I read the current issues.
So why do we as comic readers continue to put ourselves through this pain? Could it be that we actually like complaining about every single panel and scrutinizing every word? I like to think that we are stuck on how things used to be or that we don't want to miss it when it gets better. It is for all of these reasons that I continue on with the crappiest book on the market. Painful reading? Check. Hate the artwork and writing? Check. Missing the "glory days"? Check. Preparing for the dawning of a great run? To be honest,I do not care if it ever gets better. DC will be guaranteed my 3 bucks every month without fail. That is until they decide to cancel the book and then I can bitch about how the "MAN" got rid of the one character that I truly connected with.
What are the books that you read that you no longer enjoy? Don't be embarrassed, we all have them.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Plastic man Part 3

I had planned on getting more done than what I have, but that's the way it goes. I have a pic of the progress and must admit that this was not turning out the way that I had pictured it in my head. It is slowly starting to turn around and I am now seeing where I am heading. Does that make any sense at all? Here it is.
I hope to have more pictures later this week!!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Plastic Man day 2

I did not get much of a chance to work on this today. That darn job kept getting in the way. Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day and Plastic Man doesn't get carved that quickly either. I also did not realize how much wood I have to remove to get the full effect that I want. Here is how he looks today.

I have to look at it from the angle that this is what I wanted. I no longer wanted to spend all of my time doing pieces that take me a couple of days to complete, but rather something that will take me a couple of weeks. i will continue to chip away and keep posting my updates. I am super excited about how it looks in my head!

Monday, August 6, 2012

A Bit Stretchy

I have bought a new piece of giant wood and would like to show it to you.
Bam! There it is. For some reason lately, I love to show the before picture. It is so purty before I start going after it with a knife. I have been feeling as though I have become tapped as to which characters I have left to do that I actually like. (No, I am pretty sure I am not going to do Captain America.) I had reached out to a bud for some help in picking the next piece. While he came up with some fantastic picks, (Cerebus, Thanos, and the Crow) I had already decided what it will be. Drumroll please.......
That's right!!!! Strech Armstrong!! Wait, nope. That's not right. It is of course Plastic Man! Everyone's favorite guy who can...stretch? I have no idea what made me think of Plastic Man, but I am pretty sure it will be a fun time trying to put him into wood form.
What I am wondering is what is his deal? I know he can stretch, but what else can he do? Where did he get his powers from? I know I can look it up on the internet but wher is the fun in that? Please let me know if you have any information on the enigma known as PLASTIC MAN!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Hawkeye Done

Well, here it is. I have finally finished the huge Hawkeye that I was working on. I would also like to state that I did not wait for the release of these photos to coincide with the release of the new Hawkeye series by Matt Fraction and David Aja. i do have to say that when I was reading the synopsis of the new series, it had refered to Hawkeye as " The breakout star of this summer's blockbuster AVENGERS film". Really???? For me it was the Hulk. Breakout star? Hawkeye? Eh, I guess they have to try and pump up their comic. Anyhoo, here is a picture that I took on my not-so-high-tech phone. My wife was not available to use her fancy camera. Yes, the camera that I am not allowed to touch and also the camera that I do not know how to hook up to the computer to get the pictures off of it.
Here is the front view.
This photo was taken next to the normal size characters that I typically do. I did this to show the absolute hugeness of Hawkeye.
So now that I have this one done, I have to think of the next big one to do. I was thinking Black Panther or maybe Iron Man. My wife said no to Iron Man since I have done him before. Maybe she is right. I guess that I will have to find some new characters to do. And no, I am not going to do Captain America.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

John, I hardly knew ya

I am staring at loads of unfinished projects. Wood to be carved and carved wood to be painted. Why have I been idle? It is all do to being reunited with an old flame. I have fallen again for a man that I previously had a monthly relationship with. Here is a picture of him.

Yep. My main man John Constantine. For some strange reason, I had stopped reading Hellblazer many years ago. Due to unfortunate events, I had decided to watch the movie again. Yes, the one with the guy from Point Break not named Swazye. For as much as I had been upset at the fact that Reeves was cast as a British con-man, I loved the movie! After watching the movie again, I had started to think about the comic. What happened to John? Why did I stop reading it? Why am I am asking so many questions to myself? I got off my arse and got to picking up some back issues. Actually that is not completely true. I stayed firmly planted on my arse as I looked for back issues on the computer.
I have been re-reading old issues and have started to read the newer issue. I feel that my comic reading has taken a turn for the best. I have been wondering what I had been missing from my monthly list. Now I know. John, we are stuck with each other. Deal with it!

Monday, July 23, 2012

Saga #5

Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Folks, it has happened! I am so excited and it has been killing me for days. I have been wanting to write this blog since last week, but according to a woman that I live with, one does not "blog" on the weekend. Apparently, no one reads blogs on Friday and Saturday night. I am assuming that this is due to people being out and about and not at home in front of their computer. I can find it difficult to think this way for the simple fact that on the weekend, that is exactly where I am.

Months ago I had posted a picture and explanation of a carving I did for the comic Saga by Brian K. Vaughn. It had taken months to hear back and it was completely worth it. I have been given the dubious honor of being the winner of some swag from the Almighty Prize Drawer!

The free stuff(which includes a white shoelace and an expired pass to a Halloween event at Universal Studios) is great and I will always cherish it, but it was the kid words that Mr. Vaughn had given me. First off he called me a sculptor. He then went on to call the carving "impossibly cool". It is times like this that keep one's creative juices going. It is always nice to get kind words from someone that you look up to.

While I am wicked pumped that this has happened to me, it would be even better if you checked it out for yourselves. That is Saga issue #5. You should be reading it anyway!

One last thing...I GOT PUBLISHED IN A COMIC BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Selling Wood

My wife and I were having a conversation about art and how one goes about pricing said art. As usual, I have a difference of opinion about this subject. It is probably due to the fact that first, I do not make a living off of art. Second, I do not consider what I do as art.
I don't get what makes someone's art better or even "worth" more than another individual's. Again, I don't consider what I do as art but rather I have found an outlet for me to pay homage to a form of art that I have loved for decades. Aargh! I am having a difficult time trying to get my point out of head. I guess it is this: I am under the impression that we do art(or craft or have a hobby) for ourselves. I am not sure that I have looked at what I do and get overly concerned whether someone else is going to like it.(although, I love it when I get good feedback!!!!) I am kind of thinking that my work is worth the cost of materials and a smidge more for the cost of band-aids and a little for time. Honestly, if someone expresses interest in something that I did, I am hopping all around the house. There is not a better feeling for me than selling something that was made by, ME.
Please help me out with this. How do YOU value art?

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Knives

I have been doing this bloggin' for a little bit now and have realized that I have never given any credit to the great companies that I get all of my knives and wood from.
The wood comes from a company in the Smokies of TN. They are Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers. If you have any needs as far as wood carving is concerned, I would not go anywhere else!
The knives I use are ones that I consider to be both practical and a piece of art all at the same time. They are made by Helvie Knives. Here is a picture of the one that I use the most.
If you want to visit their website it is at Helvie Knives. If you are interested please check out these great companies!!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Hawkeye update

Just got done putting a base coat on the old Marvel Archer. Here it is!
It isnt the best picture and it isn't a complete dude yet. Hopefully, I can work on it throughout the week and have it done by the weekend. I have a couple of suprise ideas that I am thinking of adding. I guess we shall see.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Huge Hawkeye

I have been wanting to start doing "project" pieces. These are carvings that should take me weeks to complete. I have started with doing a Hawkeye. I have no idea why I wanted to do this character. As far as dudes with bows goes, I am definitely an Oliver Queen kind of guy. I am assuming that it is the color scheme that had sucked me in. It seems like a better guy to do on a large scale.
By large scale, I am talking a block of wood that is 3" x 3" x 12". It looks like this:
I have been woking away on it for a week and have gotten to this point here:
I am hoping to have the carving done by the end of the week and get it into the paint lab. I really can't wait to see it with some color! That is all for now. I will send pitures as I progress.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Beard

Just finished! Behold the bearded Hulk!

Don't Forget Your Roots

Ah, H2O, they had some great anthems, but this isn't a time to reminisce about old bands. Old bands that one might have seen at the Lost Horizon in Syracuse. Nope! It isn't one of those times, but rather a time for me to go back to what got me started in this crazy upside-down world of carving superhero heads. It has been around a year and a half since I had first opened my little online shop on ETSY. I had started with a line of stained Batmans. I had loved the primitive look of them. Once I had gotten into painting my heads, I had completely forgotten what I had originally loved about my first pieces. Rustic, simple, different. I just had to look back to H2O and remember to not forget my roots. I am going to be painting one more piece, my mighty bearded Hulk.( I am putting the final touches on it now.) After this I will be working on doing some stained pieces, but not just Batman. I am finishing a small Supermen that I am thinking will look great stained. I am also starting a HUGE piece. More on that later. For now enjoy my new/old Batman.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Work In Progress

I think it is time to post some of a couple of projects that I am in the middle of right now. The first was something I had wanted to do after reading the first couple of issues of this book. I no longer read this book due to the simple reason that it went so far downhill after the artist change at issue #4. It still does not tarnish the image of one of the greatest warriors in the Marvel Universe: The Hulk! Oh, but not just any old ordinary Hulk. No, no. This is one Hulk that is truly a stand-up-and-take-notice Hulk. Behold the Bearded Hulk!!!!
The other piece that I am working on is one that I swore I would never attempt again. It is a huge honkin' Hellboy. It is a difficult one to work on, but the payoff is so gratifying. I had found a piece of cherry wood and thought it would be perfect for the big red guy. I am also planning on not painting this one, but rather staining so that the cherry wood will really stand out.
Well, that isn't all I have in progress, but rather the things that I am super effing stoked about.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Wife

This post is a semi-plug for my overly talented wife. She has been a painter for quite awhile now and just recentley did a painting based on one of my kids' Batman Halloween mask. Enjoy!!!

Monday, May 14, 2012

More movie talk

I can't get that Avengers movie out of my head. It was the best ten bucks I have spent outside of the money that I spend on comics weekly. It was such a fun movie that it got me thinking as to which movies I like more, Marvel or DC?

As of right now, I would have to say that Marvel is by far the best for my buck. While I love the Dark Knight movies, I am not much of a fan of Superman. As for as DC goes, that is pretty much it for their stable of films. To me it seems like Marvel really put some thought into their movies lately and how they would fit into the large picture. I believe that we as comic fans can only be impressed by the continuity posed by these last three films leading up to Avengers.

By the last three films, I mean, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America. This list doesn't include the first Iron Man which, in my opinion, was just about as enjoyable as the Dark Knight. I could only hope that they had made a Hulk movie with the same actor that they had cast in Avengers.

I tend to drift towards DC when it comes to my comics but am on board with Marvel when it comes to the cinema. Lets hope the new Batman movie will blow them all away!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Matinee

I have no updates on carvings today. I am still painting my Zuko and the last guy in the Wrecking Crew. After that, I am going to continue on my Hellboy. I had carved a Hellboy out of this paticular size peice of wood before and swore that I would not attempt it again. Apparently I have a short term memory. It is hard work to carve the shape of his head on such a short and wide peice of wood. For those that have not seen this red guy, here it is.
I am switching gears to movies. We had some lovely friends offer to have our three kids go over to their house while my wife and I went out to a matinee. I did not think that I would have been able to see The Avengers in the theater, but this was our chance. I could go on and on about how much I loved this movie. I did not picture liking the Hulk as much as I did. I was not surprised by how many shots there were of Black Widow's backside. It also nailed home that there would be no way in hell that I would live in New York in the Marvel universe. If you haven't seen the movie, please do!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Wood Bending

Well, in the spirit of my newfound Avatar obsession, I have decided that I will refer to myself as a Wood Bender. I have finished painting my two Aangs.(Man, what a great name for a sitcom!) Whichever way you roll I have got you covered. Happy go lucky Aang or kickin' arse and leveling mountains Aang. Here we go!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Free comic day

I had a nice day with the family today by hitting two different shops for the mighty Free Comic Day. The first stop was Heroes Aren't Hard to Find. Holy crap, it was a madhouse. We geeks love free shit! They had a great event going on. A group of well known comic artists were there to do book signings and to do sketches for the throngs of people. This is where I picked up my free books. I got Avengers, Atomic Robo(!!!!), and Peanuts. While all of those books are fantastic, the pick of the day was the hardcover anthology put out by Archaia Comics. This is the publisher that puts out the one of my favorite books, Mouse Guard. The stories is this book where phenomenal. The two that stuck out to me where Rust and Cow Boy. Oh,did I mention that they put out a small hardcover for FREE? Next stop was Rebel Base. The main reason for going to this shop was to visit a local artist whose work I really like. My kids seemed to think that we stopped there because they had an ice cream truck there. The artist I went to see was w0lly. He has a great style. I love artists that pick certian features on superheroes and over-accentuate them. Sam Keith is one of my favs at doing this. So that is another Free Comic Day in the books. I had a great time and really love the way that the shops are turning this day into an event.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Work in Progress

I think this is the first time that I have posted pieces that have not been completed being painted. It is kind of odd looking, but my way of painting is that after carving, I put down a very rough base coat. This enables me to remember where I am going with the paint. It also gives me an idea of what I like and where I would like to go in a different direction. I find that I can carve fairly well, at least well enough for the style that I like. The painting is still something that I have to stay on myself with. I used to spend alot of time painting Warhammer models and this type of painting is similar. I don't have as much detail as those models, but I still use the same painting techniques. Here are some pictures of my new obsession, Avatar! I have two different Aangs and a Zuko. There is one run-of-the-mill Aang and another in his Avatar state.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Avatar

I ran out the door as I saw the UPS man pull up outside of the house. It was a giddy feeling that I haven't had for a packsge in quite a while. You see, I have been watching this show with my son called Avatar. He loves watching it and I am haboring a secret geek passion for it as well. We have watched the 3 seasons all the way through, twice. I have just learned of the new series that has started up just a couple of weeks ago. Needless to say, this is a great way to introduce my son into the my realm. It is the realm of obsession over things like cartoons and comics. Wait! This is the one avenue that I have not walked down hand-in-hand with my new friend Avatar yet. Comics. As I got on to the ol' computation machine, my heart was racing. Please, please, please! Let it be true that....Yes! There is a comic that is being put out by Dark Horse that takes place right as the 3rd season ends. Oh how my little boy will begin to blossom into a full fledged geek. That is what I ran outside for. The comic came in and the poor UPS guy asked me if it was for me. I opened the package with Charlie Bucket like care. I caught a glimpse of the book inside, pulled it out and started to tear-up a smidge. I replied to the chap in brown " Yes. This is for me, and it is glorious." i gave him some dap and ran as fast as I could back into the house. I flipped through a little of the book, but am going to wait til the time is right to read it with my son. Mmm...the sweet smell of obsession. It got me to thinking that when my new shipment of wood comes in, that I will be starting a couple of pieces from Avatar. I am thinking of Aang normal and in his Avatar state.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Saga

I have finally finished my carving of the character Marko from the new series by Brian K. Vaughn called Saga. I am hoping that everyone is reading this book. It is two issues in and looks to be as great as his other works.

I am planning on "gifting" this to him in a weird sort of fanboy way. I have never written in to a comic, much less sent a present to a creator. Oh well, chalk me up as a nerd. Here it is:



Thursday, April 12, 2012

Back at it.

This is the first night of painting in quite some time. Thank you to all of the coffee growers out in the world for giving me this opportunity to get back into it. We have been a little busy here at the homestead with the arrival of our third child. This normally is a tiring experience, but due to the combination of Foster's oil cans and coffee, it has given me a small window in which to get some of the work done that I would like to.

I really hate refering to it as "work". It is more of a hobby or even a passion. Actually, passion might be a bit much. Shouldn't it be a passion? Aassion should be something that you can't live without. Breathing is a passion. Carving wood is not as important. I do not see myself dying from not carving wood. Hobby sounds like I might be scouring the aisles of Micheal's looking for the exact size of styrofoam ball for my nativity scene. Well shit, I don't know how to classify it. Ah! I will refer to it as Papa's Fun Time!

Anyhow, I am hoping you have read the return to comics by Brian K. Vaughn. His new book is called The Saga. I really like it, but this isn't a review page. If you would like reviews please visit the comicast that I participate in at I Kick Your Face Comicast. (shameless plug) I have been working on carving and painting the main character in order to send it to the writer as a gift. It feels as though it might be the equivalent of a tween writing to Bieber, but I am going to do it! I am hoping for a signed headshot in return.

Ugh, back to work! (hobbying)

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Avengers Assemble!

The Avengers vs. X-men came out today and I just read it with my son. It set up what should be an epic battle between one team containing upwards of 16 people and the other team which has Namor. I don't read X-Men at all, so you can imagine my surprise that Namor was on the mutant side. Why should anyone on the Avengers fear an amphibian?

When reading these "vs." books, I think it is only right to pick which side you are rooting for. According to my boy, Black Panther is the keystone to the whole series. I found this a little odd, but four year old boys are typically odd anyway.

If I had to pick, I would want the Avengers to whip up on that whining Cyclops and turn that Namor into a bucket of chum.

That's my opinion, whose side are you on?

Friday, March 30, 2012

IT Guy

So the IT dude at my company made a remark to me the other day about how he hasn't seen very many new characters lately. After I explained to him how I had lost my whole marketing team,(my wife)and had to rely on myself to take over the Facebook responsibility. Definitely not my strong suit. On a side note, another one of the things on my "not-strong-suit-side"; drinking out of a Foster's oil can. For some reason it infuses my lungs with lager and I spend the whole night coughing. It is better to stick to the tall boys of Modelo.

Anyway, while I blame the world for my technology shortcomings and all of it's computer crap and crazy robot phones, I have come to realize that it really is all my fault. It is all my fault that I haven't been carving as much. I just haven't. the good thing is that I have gotten back into a groove. Here is one of my latest.
Now relax kids! This is 12 inches of web-tastic Spidey! As always, he is looking for a good home to protect!!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Comicast

Some people have book clubs while others sit around and talk about sports. Those who read comics need to talk with others about what they are reading. It is law. I was reading books without having anyone to talk to about what I was loving or hating. While I love reading comics, it felt empty. I am drawn to discussion with friends about fictional characters. For this exact reason, when I got a call from my furry friend in Chicago to start a podcast about comics, I needed to jump on it.

How do you know if this podcast is worth listening to? You need to ask yourself if you like listening to four guys talk about comic reviews and upcoming movies. Do you like soup? Have you ever wondered what is your best course of action when confronted with a gamma-radiated monkey? Is there such a thing as a space-cowboy? (Obviously there is. It's the bad-ass from Fear Agent!) Do you like talking about gardening? The latest developments in the Vampire/Vampyre genre? Norwegian Meat Metal?

If you answered yes to at least one of these, then the I Kick Your Face Comicast is perfect for you!!! Please do yourself, and ourselves, a favor and check it out. I am more than 26% sure that you will not be dissappointed for 11% of the hour long show.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Oldies

I have just finished up some characters for a lady that I know here in town. She was looking for some guys that I would have never thought to do otherwise. She had asked me for the Phantom and The Rocketeer. I was a little intimidated at first. I wasn't sure how these would look carved in wood. I gave it a go and thought that my style actually went along pretty well with these two. Here are the old chaps.
I really need to get my assistant back. She was so much better at taking pictures than I am with my flip phone.

Here is one of The Roceteer from the side.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Strange

I had gotten a request recently to whip out a Dr. Strange. I was a little apprehensive at first but thought of it as a good opportunity to try and expand on my technique. I have found that I can become stagnant if I don't find new characters to do. There were a few items on Strange that caused me issues. The cape was the first one followed by making sure I could make his face as skinny as I wanted to. While this was challenging, it proved to make me understand my processes moving forward on other pieces. Here are some pics.
I am happy with how it turned out and can't wait to see who I get asked to do next.