Before I get started boring you, here's something I found interesting. I had researched my genealogy and names origin in school and decided to redo my research to see if it was accurate. It was correct and thought I'd share it with you.

VASQUEZ-From the root VASCO; son of.

From the medieval Spanish name Velasco, which came from the Spanish surname Velázquez, which possibly meant "CROW" in Basque. A famous bearer was the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the first person to sail from Europe around Africa to India.

Alternate meaning-"SHEPHERD" of-from the Basque region (Southern France to Northern Spain)

RUDY:

Old Germanic in origin. Rudolph; meaning- FAME WOLF

I thought it was cool. So, I guess I'm a famous Wolf that Shepherds Crows/Ravens. I had some acquaintances that believed in tossing some black magic at people, via the Raven. I imagine if I put stock in that nonsense it wouldn't affect me much.

Ok, to understand why I am writing these lessons read my last journal entry. The stuff I write will be both philosophical and practical so take what works for you and disregard what does not.

I will be doing this in a very specific way by using the book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi as translated by Stephen F. Kaufman (Hanshi 10th Dan) as a template. Like before I will liken the martial arts with the art of comics. I want to emphasize that Miyamoto Musashi is Japan’s Sword Saint and possibly the greatest swordsman that ever lived. He lived in a time when killing was a way of life. Just like the old west so his ideals are extreme and uncompromising. For the few of us that choose this “art” of comics as way of life and not just a hobby we must view it in an uncompromising way. If not, the quality of the art suffers, our paychecks suffer and the efficiency of reaching our goals will suffer.

DEATH

Musashi was a warrior. To a samurai, achieving perfection was death. Or in death we finally realize perfection. We recite that perfect poem as we relinquish the graspiness of life that clouds our minds. For us, admitting perfection in our own skill or art is a rare if not completely unattainable thing. In fact if we begin to view our work as without flaw then, we are indeed dead. (Value your Editors) There will be no chance of improving upon perfection and so what will be the point of continuing? That is not to say that we cannot view someone else’s art as perfect. That is the nature of “subjectiveness”.

MASTER

“Warriors understand the only real measure of his ability lies in being able to beat men in fights.”-Musashi

This is true for a warrior because that is what he does. His occupation is rooted in combat. We as artists, more specifically comic book artists may in theory compete with one another in an over crowded market but in truth the only person we need to fight is ourselves. Be aware of those that make exclamations of superiority. Those that bark more than they bite like the Chihuahua. Those that seek rivalries and conflict in an industry like ours are simply insecure. Fame seekers that are done before they begin. Beating others makes you a fighter, but conquering yourself makes you a Master in the only way that makes sense. Every time you are working on something, try to beat yourself. Study and push yourself. Friendly rivalries have there place, the other kind only distracts you from defeating the only thing you need to be concerned with. Your own limitations.

For instance, I learned a new word this week: Mary Sue. Or for a male, Gary Stu. This is a character, or a style of writing that is created for one purpose: Wish Fulfillment (Of the writer/creator) I’m plugging this subject in here because this occurs a lot in this market where it’s so easy to do. With a publisher as big as Marvel and DC with so many editors and fans it’s hard to get anything by, that is selfish to the writer. Rest assured an irate fan that feels a good story is taking a back seat to the selfish wishes of a writer will be heard and acknowledged. They are paying for it after all.

In a smaller market where we can pretty much publish whatever we want with Print on Demand and even old style photo copy comics, we don’t have those checks and balances as much. So unless you have honest friends or editors with balls, we can get caught up in our Mary Sues and create and write characters that only serve us. Now, if we don’t care about what others think or don’t care about pushing ourselves as creators it’s ok. However; if we want to push ourselves, avoid creating all powerful, generic characters or hollow stories that push the limits of the generic. (Hence my NAZI-ZOMBIE-NINJAS in my Fan Girl piece) It was tongue in cheek.

It’s not easy writing something original these days, or creating something completely original but it’s not impossible. Quantity is not quality so as long as you keep trying to say something honest and evaluate your self you have nowhere to go but up.

Thanks for listening,

Humbly yours,

Rudy V.

El Paso's Project 4 Studios [link]

Project 4 Deviant page [link]

My Myspace [link]

My Blog [link]

My Comicspace site [link]

Weekly updated comic at Rogue Wolf Ent. [link]

Whoa! A lot to write here. Just stuff that's been circulating in my head so much I have to get them out.

Before I get started boring you, here's something I found interesting. I had researched my genealogy and names origin in school and decided to redo my research to see if it was accurate. It was correct and thought I'd share it with you.

VASQUEZ-From the root VASCO; son of.

From the medieval Spanish name Velasco, which came from the Spanish surname Velázquez, which possibly meant "CROW" in Basque. A famous bearer was the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the first person to sail from Europe around Africa to India.

Alternate meaning-"SHEPHERD" of-from the Basque region (Southern France to Northern Spain)

RUDY:

Old Germanic in origin. Rudolph; meaning- FAME WOLF

I thought it was cool. So, I guess I'm a famous Wolf that Shepherds Crows/Ravens. I had some acquaintances that believed in tossing some black magic at people, via the Raven. I imagine if I put stock in that nonsense it wouldn't affect me much.

Ok, I decided to write the following for a few reasons. First, because I do ponder these correlations often and second because I get quite a few notes consistently from my fellow Deviants asking the same questions I can easily answer here.

Keep in mind that i do not consider myself a pro in the sense that even though I do get paid to draw comics, I haven't reached that level of exposure that warrants calling myself a pro. In addition, just because you get exposure doesn't mean you're a pro at what you do. When someone says, it looks "professional" they're implying you know what you're doing. I can't honestly say all published artists and writers really know enough to be pro in terms of quality but I have a pretty lofty standard that begins with me.

I haven't aggressively pursued Marvel or DC for this reason. Maybe a part of me feels, if that many people are going to see my art, it better be the best I'm capable of. Embarrassing yourself on that scale can quickly set you back. Whether it's meeting deadlines or turning in pages you are happy with.

I'm a student just like you, and don't ever plan Not to be. So with that in mind, the more I teach the more I learn. So, in a way I'm doing this more for me than you.

As a matter of fact,....I've already written too much here. I will post a new journal and start ranting on the next one. Thanks for reading this much already. Read my next journal for lesson 1.

Humbly yours,

Rudy V.

El Paso's Project 4 Studios [link]

Project 4 Deviant page [link]

My Myspace [link]

My Blog [link]

My Comicspace site [link]

Weekly updated comic at Rogue Wolf Ent. [link]

Just wanted to remind everyone of Update at Rogue-Wolf's site for the Web Comic REDSHIFT [link]

AND New Art Project 4 Studios has posted concerning the below mentioned FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! Check it OUT! [link] and send them some love!





FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2008!

Comic Geeks + Free Comics = FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!
[link]

Tell 'em Fan-Girl sent ya!

Free Comic Book Day, the annual event in which the entire comic book industry joins forces to get Free Comics into the hands of long-term fans as well as expose new readers to this wonderful art form is less than a month away and Project4 Studios will be making its fourth FCBD appearance in El Paso, Texas on SATURDAY, MAY 3RD. So if you happen to be in town or already live here, we’d love for you to swing by and join us for some fun-filled comic book hi-jinks as only we can deliver! We’ll be giving away a very special FCBD edition of Fusion-X, our newest anthology book, which flips into a Fan-Girl Gallery book with a cover by the ever talented Gabe and featuring pin-ups by our own Project4 artists. We will also have real-life Project4 artists in the flesh and on hand to do sketches for all you fan-boys and girls. Hope you stop on by to help make this the best Free Comic Book Day ever!

HEAD ON OVER TO PROJECT4STUDIOS.NET [link] FOR AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT THE FCBD COVER TO FUSION-X! FEATURING THE ROCKING ART OF WILDSTORM STUDIOS OWN, EDDIE NUNEZ!

COME JOIN US AT THESE TWO GREAT EL PASO COMIC BOOK SHOPS:

ALL STAR COMICS
4406 Dyer
El Paso, Tx, 79930
915-562-0443
allstarcomics@sbcglobal.net

With special guests:
Justin Jude Carmona (HIRED GUN)
Sirac (HIRED GUN)
Rudy Vasquez (FAMILY GUY TRADING CARDS, REDSHIFT)
Jaime "Jimmy" Portillo (GABRIEL graphic novel)
Jaime Carillo (HEAVY METAL cover artist)
Jon Castaneda (FUSION-X, ONE-EYED JACK)

WITH A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY
STAR WARS’ VADER’S 501st LEGION!

DAVE'S COMICS AND PAINTBALL
5360 N.Mesa-Site L-12
El Paso, Tx, 79912
915-875-8600

With special guests:
Hugo Cantu (FUSION-X, DRAUM)
Juan Muro (GRIPS)
Rick Noriega (FUSION-X)
Joey Lee Cabral (FUSION-X)
Jessica Aguilar (Fusion-X)

For more info on FREE COMIC DAY visit: [link]
For more info on VADER’S 501ST LEGION visit: [link]


Hey Kids, Look:
It's Sirac-->
ABOUT PROJECT4 STUDIOS:

We are Project4 Studios, a bunch of guys and gals hailing from El Paso, TX who got together because we love to create comics. We're not pretending to be a publisher. What we are is a collective of self publishers who all self publish under the same banner. And we do it with genuine love, passion and respect for the craft.

The difference is, we won't try to tell you what's hot and what's not, but instead work hard enough to create comics that are worth your time and money. Here, we are learning the craft, not just the anatomy of what's on a page, but the process of bringing that together which insists on some form of quality control rooted in structure.

We are preparing our talent, who are really just friends, to go out there and understand that to do this for a living means understanding the rules. No rush jobs here. Instead we are comitted to quality that stems from meeting deadlines, appreciating an editor's insight and accepting criticism because a lot of people are going to see the work speak for itself anyway. So why not put forth your best?

We are teachers, and students alike, all trying to raise ourselves to a level higher than what's normally accepted in small press. With that said, thanks for checking us out. Hopefully, you'll like what you see.

Project4 Studios

Project 4 Members on Deviant:



Project4 contributors on DA:



Just a reminder the ONLINE Comic Red Shift draw by yours truly has been updated, so go take a peek if you have the time! [link]

El Paso's Project 4 Studios [link]

Project 4 Deviant page [link]

My Myspace [link]

My Blog [link]

My Comicspace site [link]

Weekly updated comic at Rogue Wolf Ent. [link]

Thanks to all the entrants of the Project 4 Studios Cover Contest. We completely appreciate all the talent and time you so generously lent to our small studio. It was hard for us editors to come to a unanimous decision about the finalists but agree or disagree we have the 6. We understand if any of you disagree and thus is the nature of art. It's a subjective thing but we tried to be as objective as possible. We wish we could use them all in some way, but you never know....

Anyway, here is the link to the contest finalist results,... [link]

Here's a reminder about the web comic RED SHIFT that I'm drawing. If you like Space Operas, book mark it and check for the updates every Wednesday! [link]

I also finally got around to organizing my gallery with folders so it's easier to find and view what you want to see. Because I have the option of creating folders including a folder with pics, I decided to post another mug shot of yours truly. I hope I don't get used to doing that.

Well, thanks for listening, your support means more than you know.

RV

El Paso's Project 4 Studios [link]

Project 4 Deviant page [link]

My Myspace [link]

My Blog [link]

My Comicspace site [link]

Weekly updated comic at Rogue Wolf Ent. [link]

First off, let me start by saying thank you for all of the faves I received from people new and not so new. I always appreciate every singe comment, fave and watch you send my way. I wouldn't enjoy my work as much if I felt there was no one there to see it.

Now for the purpose of this post. I've got several things on my plate, not the least of which is the work I'm doing for ROGUE WOLF Entertainment. They're a new publisher that does online comics that eventually get collected into printed comics. I've picked up the art chores on their weekly updated Space Opera, titled RED SHIFT. It's updated every Wednesday and my first contribution to the saga posted last week. [link]

A new page posts tomorrow. So please go there, bookmark this site and check back every Wednesday for a new advancement on the space saga. The pages you'll see are free but if you want the full issue down loads and color pages, it cost a subscription. Either way you can start the story from the beginning and get caught up at no cost to you.

While you're there, read The VEIL and NOCTURNAL ESSENCE. I'll be doing a few pages for NOCTURNAL ESSENCE (Vampire/Werewolf organized crime stuff), as well but I'll update you on that.

DON'T FORGET TO BOOK MARK THAT PAGE, IT'S FREE!!! [link]

Thanks again for your support, it makes all this worth it.

El Paso's Project 4 Studios [link]

Project 4 Deviant page [link]

My Myspace [link]

My Blog [link]

My Comicspace site [link]

Weekly updated comic at Rogue Wolf Ent. [link]