I suck

So, wow, it's been a while. I have been thinking of re-branding myself and I think it starts here.Yes, here at my blog. The exact thing that I have neglected for years, but let's be honest, I have been neglecting most everything with my brand for years. I have had a great idea and have not "taken advantage" of it for a long time. That is a B.S. way of saying I have not handled my shit well. Like anyone, I am always looking for ways to improve myself. The unfortunate reality is that some traits are inherent. I work better under deadlines, or duress. I feel that that is when my creativity is running at it's optimal level. These are qualities that can be looked at as a positive, but I view them as negative. I wish I had the drive to finish things before I needed to. I wish I didn't have to explain why things weren't done. Which brings me to the "re-branding". I am hoping to change the way I do things and get them back to the original idea that I had (plus a few changes). I a\was always looking to do "limited runs" of characters. For pieces like Batman, I kow that this isn't a reality. However for pieces like the charaters from Sandman I am looking to do a limited run of only 10 pieces. This is simply because there are too many characters to try and wrap my head around. Also, this makes the collectibility a little bit higher. This does not in any way change how I feel about commission work. I am always open for doing whatever!!!! In addition, I am also starting an art video podcast with a friend of mine, where we will be discussing a comic from our past that has influnced us. I will be doing a carving from that particuar series and my friend, Matt Terry will be painting it as we discuss our feelings about the book. This is an exciting time for me and cannot wait to have a local Charlotte artist paint my carvings. I always hoped that I could carve superhero "blanks" and see what local artists could do with them. I have a renewed sense with my pieces and am ready to get started on new horizons. Also I have a great story idea that I am fleshing out so Jason Latour, Watch out!! I hope you will be doing the art on MY Book.

3 years?!?

Wow! Three whole years since the last blog. What does one talk about after a three year absence? Well, wood carved superhero heads, of course! I had taken some time off to recollect myself and "find" my voice again. I had decided in January to get back on the carving horse and got a table at this year's HeroesCon. In true Dan fashion, I had decided to keep telling myself that I had plenty of time to get ready so tomorrow would be a good time to start. And tomorrow came, and tomorrow came and..well, you get the idea. A month before is when I proverbially shit my pants and got to it. Well under a few sleep deprived nights I believe that I made some of my best pieces. I might not have had the sheer numbers of pieces that I would have hoped for, I had some of the best pieces that I had ever done. I rolled into Heroes with some new-found energy and it was a GREAT show. I met so many great people and sold pieces to people that seemed to be really into what I was doing. It definitely invigorated me. So much so, that it has brought me back here after a three year absence. I am going to attempt to continue on with the blog this time...TRY. I sometimes find it difficult to keep up with things like blogging or other avenues of self promotion, but I am really going to try. It might not be daily or weekly, but it should be more than every three years. It is a short entry, but it has been awhile. It is something that I have missed and look forward to doing more often. Pictures of HeroesCon will be up next!!!!

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!

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?

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!