"Uncle" Phil Robertson Is Not Being Persecuted *Updated

Updating this with a link to Hemant Mehta's Friendly Atheist post, because he brings up a lot of good points.

For those who don't know, Phil Robertson is one of the rednecks on A&E's Duck Dynasty. It's a show about rednecks who got rich making duck calls. No, really. It's kind of like the Beverly Hillbillies.
Anyway, Robertson said some things, specifically about homosexuality being like beastiality. Honestly, I couldn't give two squirts of duck shit (see what I did there?) because he's another ignorant redneck in a long line with the same ignorant programming and none of them have ever had an original thought in what passes for a mind, in redneck culture. Trust me, I know these people, I live among them.
So A&E suspended him from the show. Of course, this pissed off all the other Christian bigots. Now they're claiming his free speech has been infringed. Once again, Christian bigots don't understand how free speech works.
I'll try to explain and use small words so you can follow along, oh ye of little brain and much faith.
A&E is a television network. A&E owns and broadcasts airs the show, Duck Dynasty. That makes Robertson, basically, an employee of A&E. Their employee said some things the network doesn't agree with, so they suspended him. Robertson is not being prosecuted (that there legal stuff what can lead to fines and/or jail). If he were being prosecuted, that would be an infringement of his free speech. But he's not. The network (A&E, his employer), doesn't want said network associated with Robertson bigoted, anti-gay views, so they gave him a time out. They are well within their right and if you had an employee telling customers things you didn't agree with, you'd do the same.
If you owned a business, and one of your employees was going around telling everyone within ear shot that "the heterosexual lifestyle choice causes parasites," no matter how funny I may find that, I couldn't disagree with your decision to suspend said employee, from work.
Free speech doesn't mean freedom from consequence of that speech, it means freedom from legal action, within certain boundaries - "fire in a crowded theater," slander/libel, and all that.

Christians, You aren't being persecuted in the US. Don't believe me?

Why There Is No Such Thing As A Good Pastor

Huffington Post put up a "think piece" by Pastor Rick Henderson which is little more than a tired, old, defeated argument claiming that atheists have no morals and how them religious folk are really superior to them there thinkin' heathen folk. He attempts to define atheism as "a thing" in a nebulous attempt at the old "spin it back on you" accusation of atheism as a religion. I could spend time tearing apart his arguments, like how atheists have many different view points, how his poor phrasing points to a failure to understand the question, or how we all develop our moral systems in the same ways, from a combination of upbringing, societal influence, and personal reflection, but the blatherskite has already had it handed to him in the comments.
I'm more concerned with why anyone listens to ministers (I'm using this as a blanket term). We have someone like Mike Huckabee, an uneducated anti-intellectual flapping his gums as if he's an authoritarian expert on anything other than being a gobshite. He's not a philosopher, he knows FA about science, and he's far from a biblical scholar, so what does he bring to the table, exactly? A hodunk, "I'm just a small town preacher" story, and a lot of uninformed opinion (not to mention the piles of bigotry), as far as I can tell.
Don't get me wrong, formal education isn't the end all be all. Obviously not, with places like Liberty University secreting their own brand of indoctrination and calling it education. It's the anti-intellectualism; the attitude that they can clearly understand a subject in five minutes, better than someone who spent 10 years studying it. Compare with the fact that you or I could be "on the same level" as Pastor Rick or any of these ministers, by spending $60 at a .gov webesite for our very own, official ministry in a religion made up on the spot. You might not get the tax breaks, but you could still officiate weddings.
Rick Henderson might not be a totally close-minded example of the breed, but clearly, he's just a guy with a title that doesn't mean anything, outside of his church. And to offer he or anyone else calling themself Pastor or Minister or Reverend or whatever any amount of respect, based solely on that so-called qualification, is as pointless and vapid as Kent Hovind's doctoral dissertation .

Ms Male Character

So, Anita Sarkeesian has put out a new video in her Tropes Vs Women series, this one starting a new topic: The Ms. Male Character.



What's fascinatingly disturbing is the kind of responses this stuff gets. Right off, there was a "featured" video response with a subtitle of "Even when it's equal it's sexist." Which makes me think he didn't watch, or didn't understand, the video, judging by his title. The Tropes video is specifically about taking male characters and gender flopping them (not to be confused with Rule 63) and having their defining characteristic being female version of a male character. A good example, I think, is Silver Age Batman. His first sidekick, male, is Robin. Robin gets a distinct name, costume, and backstory. While his origin shares qualities with Batman's, it's still Robin's own and isn't dependent on any established characters. Robin is original. Batgirl on the other hand, shares her name and costume with Batman and her origin is tied to an established male character, Commissioner Gordon.

Then there's this shit.

Wonder Woman (since I'm using DC), on the other hand, is her own, unique character, with her own back story, costume, and powers. She isn't just a gender flopped version of a male character. And let's face it, there aren't too many of those, still.

And here's the thing, when your published materials are more inclusive, that's going to help your sales. When you're driving away half the population, you're only hurting yourself.

That's not to say there's not a place for niche stuff, but it shouldn't be the dominant force in your medium.

A word of caution, however. Most of us can tell the difference between genuine sensitivity and pandering, and we don't care for the latter. My rule of thumb is, character first, gender second, and race/ethnicity third.

Listening Material

"What do you listen to, while you work?" I have never been asked. I'm going to tell you anyway: podcasts.
Here is a list of podcasts I regularly listen to

Irreligiosophy
Cognitive Dissonance
Exposing Pseudo Astronomy
The Scathing Atheist

All but Exposing Pseudo Astronomy are atheist in nature and very sweary. Exposing is science based. I'm only able to follow parts of it, especially when it gets heavily into maths, but I like the host's voice enough to keep listening when I don't understand.

Oh, and obviously, release date on Anthroxenic has been pushed back. It's taking longer than I had anticipated, and I have to work with other people, which slows down the process a little more. But trust me, it'll be worth it. Working with an editor has been very rewarding and it shows in the material. It's probably going to a New Year's release. Maybe Christmas - maybe.

On Photo Referencing

Stop copying photographs!
Seriously, I keep seeing this. Even in tutorials, I see image after image that is just reproducing a photo. The point of photo references is not to reproduce the photo, but to use it to help with an image. The key word there, is "help."
Think of it like writing a paper, for school. If you just copy the encyclopedia entry, you're cheating and you're not really learning much. The point is to use multiple sources and points of reference to create something your own, hopefully something new.
Copying a photograph or another painting or drawing can be a useful exercise. But that's all it should be: exercise.  If all you know how to do is copy photographs, what are you going to do when you don't have references? Anyone can copy, it takes an artist to create, from nothing.

Some concept stuff and doodles and whatnot, nothing spectacular. I'm working out some details, but should have more to report, soon.

 Landing zone

News

Working on some new stuff, including more stuff for Martin Dunn's Con Artist Entertainment. I'll have more about that as it happens.
I Am Rage is finally available on Comixology, so I've added a link on the little portal panel.
And I've been posting most of my little art updates to Tumblr, so if you just want to see pictures, give it a follow or bookmark it, if you don't want to join Tumblr.
So, for now, I'll leave you with some teaser art and such like, after the jump.

Drawing A Line In the Sand

Feminist Frequency's Anita Sarkeesian, had a successful Kickstarter campaign for something called Tropes Vs Women in Video Games. The point of this was to create teaching aid/educational videos about common tropes that are... less than progressive, regarding women. Gamer culture being what it is, of course there was a huge outcry of MRA-style pants shitting.
Then the video actually came out. I finally got around to watching it. Well, watching them, because there are two videos, now. And other than a few lame attempts at humor, I really couldn't find anything to consider objectionable. The first two videos are exploring the Damsel In Distress trope. The first video is mostly dedicated to golden age games that use the trope. Bob Chipman AKA MovieBob, AKA Game Overthinker, put it rather well: "That was it? That's what all the controversy was about?"
Enter YouTube skeptic (and apparently gamer) ThunderF00t and his Feminists Vs Facts response. Three videos, so far and I couldn't make it beyond the three minute mark of the first video for all the strawman mouth-shitting, pouring out of someone who portrays himself as a critical thinker.
I think it's time we had a conversation that "feminist" does NOT mean "bull-busting bitch who wants to oppress men." It just doesn't. There may be some radical feminists out there that are crazy she-beasts, in need of putting down, along with all the other extremists, like any other fundamentalist, but feminism ain't what they sold you, on TV.
For years, I've avoided calling myself a feminist, for fear of all the baggage that comes with that word, but after this, we who want to see equality, need to own the word. Being a feminist isn't about what's between your legs - about sex. It isn't about gender. It's about equal rights. And that's a fight we should all be engaged in.
Also, fuck these dickless, MRA pansies.

A Shirt Is Fine, Too?

I stuck the Eve bomber girl design on a t-shirt, at Red Bubble.


You can even pick your own shirt color.

Special Edition

So, in the podcast I did here, I announced a project. Go listen to that, then read more after the jump.

Possible Kickstarter

In the near future, I may try a Kickstarter for a print edition of I Am Rage. However, I really need to know if people would be interested and some good ideas for incentives.

New

New commission prices, new size for commissions, new tip jar button, and a slightly new layout for the blog. Mostly, I just changed some colors, but I did rearrange a few things.
What's important is that I added a tip jar, through PayPal. No, really, it's that I got some new Bristol board, and it's 11x17 which is easier to ship. Once again, shipping is included in the (now lower) prices on all commission.
The new prices are,
     One character, no background - $30 Just one character, posed
     One character, full background - $75
     Two characters, no background - $75 Two characters, interacting
     Two characters, full background - $100

And I figure I'll add in some more options as the need arises.

Process Part Two

This time, I brought video. It took ages to upload, but here we go.

Process Part One

I feel like sharing my methodology. This might not be the best technique, but it's my technique. This is what has developed over time, through advice, tutorials, and trial and error. This is my process for digital coloring. Don't worry, there's pictures.

Catwoman Process

This is what you can expect, if you commission me. Process photos, from pencils to finishes on this Catwoman piece.

 

Initial drawing with some basic shading.

Original Commissions

I've set up a PayPal merchant account to take commissions for original artwork. All work is black and white, ink on 11x17, 300 weight bristol board. You choose character and content (nudity is ok, but I'm not offering anything explicit). You tell me what you want, I will email sketches, you pick what you like, and I draw it up, proper and will mail the original to you, backed on cardboard, to avoid bending. Price starts at $30 for one character with no background, $75 for one character with a full background OR up to three characters, etc.
All commercial rights will be reserved, however.
Email me for further questions L.Kalba.X@gmail.com and put "Commission" in the subject line, so I know you're not a spam bot.