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Happy new year, all! I’ve been scanning a lot of my old works, including the very first drawing that I did as a serious artist. It’s all childish, but fun stuff that I may occasionally post here (not in the galleries).

I’ve also been working on a private book, something to add to my personal library. But, I’m thinking about making it for sale to the public. That means I’d have to see about permission from Disney since many pieces do hold their copyrights one way or another. Originally wanting to be a Disney animator, I spent a lot of time drawing Disney characters or incorporating Disney themes into my pieces.

I’ve also moved the Doorless Chambers site to its own domain, and it is now its own fully-functioning website.

Well, it seems that I won’t be guest-Blogging on TOR.com. I’ve sent several emails, including to the site administrators, and I’m getting no response at all. Well, too bad for them. I can’t wait forever, and I have to move on to other paying clients.

I know the site is still in Beta mode, and I know the folks there are very busy, but things were promised, and I haven’t received them. If there was some kind of hold-up or problem, I’d at least like a quick email saying that things will have to be postponed for a while. At least that way, I could have moved on to other things.

Of course, for all I know, there could be an email snafu that’s affecting everyone there. I don’t know. I just know I have to move on for the time being. Hopefully, I’ll hear form them again, as I was REALLY looking forward to working with them.

For updates on my ongoing Halloween props and special effect, read my post at HalloweenForum.com. If you’re a Halloween buff, HalloweenForum.com is an awesome place to get ideas, tips, and how-tos.

On July 20, Tor.com will launch. It will be a hub of fantasy & sci-fi activity, focusing mostly on books, short-stories, artists/artwork, and public events. Main events, like the upcoming San Diego Comic Con (Jul 23-27) and World Science Fiction Convention (August 6-10), will be headlined. Other little niches will be covered, too, like gaming and paper models.

Yes, I said paper models. Mine, to be specific. I’ve been invited to become a guest blogger on Tor.com, posting here and there about any new Disney paper models that I will release or have released. I’m still waiting on the details, but look for me on Tor.com within the coming weeks . . . hopefully.

I’ve taken on a brand-new public project. In fact, it’s world-wide. I’ve never organized anything like this before, so I hope it goes well. First, it has to get off of the ground. So far, there are only four Web sites participating. But, there’s plenty of time between now and October.

Doorless Chambers is a free online trick-or-treating event by the Disney fan community, for the Disney fan community. Guests will travel from site to site, each offering a downloadable treat.

I’m crossing my fingers.

Several months ago, I helped design a badge for the Banning Police Department’s Honor Guard. The design is loosely based on the regular officer’s badge, and was originally to have the rays in the center be free-floating so that the uniform would been seen through the badge. I guess the see-through feature was a bit too much for the manufacturer to handle, so the area has been filled in with a flat, black enamel.

The badges returned from the manufacturer yesterday, and from what I’ve been told, they look awesome. I’ve also been told that as far as anybody knows, this is the first instance in which any police department in California has custom-designed a badge for their honor guard. Most departments either use a pre-designed badge or simply use their officers’ badge.

As an added bonus, there just happens to be an extra badge. With the help of my Dad, I’ve been able to get my mitts on it! Now, a regular Joe is not allowed to have a police badge because it could be used to impersonate an officer—which is well against the law and not taken lightly. So, tomorrow it will be sent off to be encased in a block of solid acrylic. One of the guys at the station is also talking with the Chief to possibly give it to me for free! Woo-hoo! The badge alone costs $100 or more, and I have no idea how much the acrylic casing costs.

I still haven’t seen the finished badge (I’d at least accept a bad cell phone picture), but I’m looking forward to having my own.

Here is a short time-lapse video of the Mara mural that I reproduced from a photo. It’s a simple procedure: just trace, fill, and shade. Re-creating existing artwork can be relieving since I don’t have to worry about composition, color, etcetera, and there’s still some room for some artistic license. It can also be fun to do, and I enjoyed doing this one.