The Move and the Pin-up Girl

So I am moving. Well, I should say my wife and I are moving. What does this have to do with a pin up girl? Well, not much. But as I looked at my rather bare walls and saw the only art up was my recent line art of an alternative pin up girl, I was saddened a little. You see, since I have been in the illustration field, considering myself a professional self published illustrator, I have done all of that work in this room. My first issue was drawn in this office, not that it matters much. I'll move into a better place, in a better town, and everything will be great. Now I know that this pinup girl will not be the last drawn in this office, but she is to be the first symbol, to me, of a new beginning and better dwelling. Here's to three good starting years at this room to be called the first Red Turtle Comics Studio! Hip, hip, horyeah!
Also, if you want to check out the pin-up piece on my deviantart account, go here: Sarah the Pin up Girl

Movember Participation

Ok, I have registered to participate in the Movember fund raising program. Here's a little about it. 

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo’s, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.



On Movember 1st, guys register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face. For the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts.

Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health. 

At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas celebrate their gallantry and valor by either throwing their own Movember party or attending one of the infamous Gala Partés held around the world by Movember, for Movember.  



The Movember Effect: Awareness & Education, Survivorship, Research
The funds raised in the US support prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. The funds raised are directed to programs run directly by Movember and our men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Together, the three channels work together to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world-class programs in line with our strategic goals in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research. 

For more information on the programs we are funding please visit the following:
Prostate Cancer Foundation
LIVESTRONG, The Lance Armstrong Foundation
Awareness & Education
Global Action Plan



Movember - a global movement
Since its humble beginnings in Melbourne Australia, Movember has grown to become a truly global movement inspiring more than 1.1 Million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas to participate with formal campaigns in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Ireland. In addition, Movember is aware of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas supporting the campaign and men’s health cause across the globe, from Russia to Dubai, Hong Kong to Antarctica, Rio de Janeiro to Mumbai, and everywhere in between.

No matter the country or city, Movember will continue to work to change established habits and attitudes men have about their health, to educate men about the health risks they face, and to act on that knowledge, thereby increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment. 

In 2010, over 64,500 US Mo Bros and Mo Sistas got on board, raising $7.5 million USD. 

Ok, Got it? Now go to my page here. 

Fan Days 2011 Wrap up.

Rob and I's table at the Star Wars Fan Days Convention was a success! I want to take time out to thank everyone who helped make our table a success! I couldn't continue to do the comics and pin-ups successfully without you guys, the fans! I did make enough profit to put money down to get a table for the dates of February 11-12th, 2012 at the Sci-fi Expo at the Irving Convention Center in Texas. So if you are in town then, stop by! For now, here's Star Wars pin-ups that I did at the show! Enjoy-

 

 

 

  

Upcoming Masters of the Universe Awesoneness! Also know as my wife is about to hate me...

Hello Everybody! So Currently Mattel is still taking Subscriptions for their mattycollector toylines. One of my favorite toylines of theirs is the Masters of the Universe Classics. So far for the season of the end of 2011 to the beginning of 2012, looks good. So here's what they are putting out.

October-
So for the first run, we are getting another New Adventures of He-man figure in the classics line. I can't express how excited I am to see this. He is definitely on my to get list. If you missed Battle Cat in the previous sales and the all-star super sale back in August, mattycollector.com is giving you another chance. I would like to say that this is the last time he will be available, bu I've passed up the chance to get him like four or five times now. So, I'm not sure if he will come back again, or if this is his last. Unfortunately for me, I don't have the money to get him (unless I drop Flipshot/Icarus). Ok, and then you have Mer-man. As far as I know, nothing on him has changed. He still has the 200X and Vantage head.

November-
So we open up November in a cool way! Snout Spout! This is one of the late of the series figures that not everybody is familiar with. I had him at one point. He's pretty cool. He's also on my to get list. Now, if you are a She-ra fan, the next two releases for November should make you really happy. Swift wind, She-ra's Horse and Bubble Power She-ra. Ok. Well, I would get Swift Wind. If you have She-ra, her horse would be a great addition. I'm not sure of the Bubble Power She-ra. I'm just not sure. No word yet on what the re-issue will be for November.

December-
So, originally I wasn't going to get anything in December. But, since scheduling of some of theses toys releases have changed, so have my buying plans. Originally, the Wind Raider was to be an October release. I was going to miss on Icarus in order to get this. I have always wanted a Wind Raider and now is my chance to get one with wings. So this Vehicle marks the first true Vehicle in the Classics line. I have a feeling that this will sell out really fast. I am keeping my figures crossed to get one. So far with all of the convention pictures being posted, this beauty has out-shined many of the other figures. Hopefully, Mattel will wise up and release the Battle Ram that the Four Horseman Sculpted a year earlier. Next is Demo-man. He looks really, really cool. He does. I don't know anything about him. I do not remember him from the mini comics, and I don't remember him from the cartoon. I'll have to look him up later. So, this next one is for the 200X fans. If you didn't like the Evil Lyn that was previously released, don't fret! So the sculpt for Evil Lyn has not changed from the previous release of her. They have included a new cape and a newly sculpted head that is her without her helmet. "Oh you would like to have that for the Evil Lyn that you have now", you say, buyer be warned, this Evil Lyn has a flesh tone skin versus her sickly yellow skin from the last release.

January-
So, this month could be a good collectors month? It's hard to say so far. The forums are full of mixed reviews for this month. So we open with the Sorceress. She is in the vintage style costume. No world on if a modern 200X version of this character is to be released. If anything, it won't be this year. She will come with the mighty eagle Zoar in her battle armor and perch. If you have the first run Evil Lyn, her pet eagle has the same armor. Just put Zoar in it. I'm a little torn on the Sorceress. She's one of my favorite characters, but I was hoping for a Modern release. I dunno. Next we have the Star Sisters. Again, if you are a She-ra fan, you're gonna love this! They are sold as a three pack. Ther's no way around it. Ok, the last release is the Fearless Photog. Here's the back story of him. In 1986, a contest was held for children to send in designs for new characters. Five finalists were chosen, and people were then allowed to vote for their favorite. In the last page of the Spring 1986 issue of The Masters of the Universe Magazine, they announced 12-year old Nathan Bitner as the winner of the contest with his submission of Fearless Photog. Nathan was awarded a scholarship for 100,000 dollars, plus a five-day trip to Disneyland. This figure starts the 30th anniversary subscription that was separate from the 2012 sub. He looks pretty cool. I am having a tough time with what to get in January.

February-
Ok, hands down, I am getting Fisto! So the big release for this month is Duncan's brother, Fisto. He comes with a 200X version head, and belt. He also comes with this Vintage sword and his fan favorite, but never produced till now, 200X super sword. From the pics I saw of his back, he has a slot to hold his big sword. Looked a little big for the vintage sword though.

March-
So another, right off the bat, hands down, must have for me is Kobra Khan. This Khan has a spitter head, his red blaster and the lizard friend from the 200X series. I can not wait to have him next to my King Hiss! Then we will have the quarterly release, Thunder Punch He-man! If you remember the vintage line of He-man figures, years down the road you got a cap firing He-man; this is the Classics version of him. He won't fire caps, but I do believe that he has a mocked cap ring that will fit on his shield. Now, I'm not entirely sure if he will or won't fire caps. So far, all of the pictures I've seen of him do not show anything on his back, which is where the cap firing mechanism was. Keep your figures crossed. Lastly this month we get Drago-man! This is the first Four Horsemen inspired figure that they have created for the 30th anniversary. Looks pretty cool. If it weren't for Kobra Khan, I would be at arms on who to get.

April-
So I believe that April will be the month that anyone who got a 2012 subscription will receive their Shadow Weaver. She's a really cool figure. I didn't get a sub, so I won't get one. Sad Trombone. But I will get a Stinkor! So we finally get a Stinkor in the classics line. He is supposed to stick. He will also come with a 200X inspired head, and his vintage. He will also, for the first time, come with a stink rifle. Sounds like fun. This is one of those months that I really have to either save up for, or beg really badly. The beast release for this month is the 200X Griffin. So far, it looks amazing!!! I really want to get one. Also included in this month, and I will probably include it in the order, is Snake Mountain stands! Now I have the Castle Grayskull stands. There's not a lot to it, but... these stands make your figures look so freaking cool. I was wanting to order more Castle Grayskull stands, thinking that there would be no other types coming out. Boy was I wrong.

May-
Ok, so another New Adventures of He-man character is to be released this year! My Optikk will no longer be alone. This time, it's another space mutant, Slushhead! I wanted a Slushhead badly when I was younger. When The New Adventures of He-man came out, finding these toys in my town was very hard. So, I never ended up with this figure line. So, Slushhead is on my to get list. So the last character on the list for May is another 30th anniversary release created by the Toy Guru. No not me. Despite what I called myself on We're not Fanboys,  I am not "THE" Toy Guru. The toy guru is Scott Neitlich who designed the Mighty Spector that will release in May. I haven't seen enough of this character to have a strong opinion on him just yet. Scott will also be helping pen some of the mini comics that will release with the 2012 figures this year.

Overall, there are some good choices, and some bad choices here for 2012. I definitely have the ones I want in mind written on a list. As far as the rest of the year, No one's seen any info that far in advance. Who knows, maybe my character design will be picked for the upcoming 30th anniversary sub line. I think that might be dreaming a little too much, but...

Awesome Fan Days Convention and an even Awesomer Art Print.

I should say, that a long, long, time ago... I wrote a toy review and haven't done anything since. True. I reference Star Wars here due to the fact that I (Taylor Lymbery) and Rob Payne will be at the Sci-fi Expo called Fan Days promoting our comic books Unstoppable Force and Xenex the Bug Man. To capture the Star wars appeal, since it's a star wars based con, I have made a Cowboy Clone Trooper pin-up that I will selling in limited quantities there. To be exact, 64 prints. That's it. No more will ever be printed. Now I'm telling you this cause the next year, I'll be doing another print of another Star Wars character in the old west styling. I'll do...let's say...64 prints of that one too. But that's next year.

The print is on Ultra Premium Photo High gloss 8.5" x 11" paper. I have each print tagged and numbered 1-64 of 64. I'll even throw the print in a manilla envelope! All of this for $5.00 us currency at the convention. Now whatever doesn't sell, I'll hold on to for the next convention (whichever that is) before turning it over to internet sales. I'm not sure if that will happen though. So, if you want a print, get to the show and find the table with the Xenex The Bug Man Banner.

Hopefully all of the links work. Fingers crossed.