Comics Appreciation Questionaire (Best Coolest)

1.Outside of school and your comics, have you written any fiction or non-fiction? Do you like to read prose fiction or non-fiction?
-Yes, I have written both fiction and non-fiction. Reading fiction is my preference.

2.Would you say you have a good awareness of the history of American comics?
-I would say I have a "fair" awareness of their history, but I wouldn't call it "good."

3.Off the top of your head, could you name 5 artists who worked in comics before 1980? Do you have a favorite?
-I could probably name one or two, but I wouldn't be able to identify the name of my favorite artist without researching again.

4.Could you name 5 artists who work or worked in newspaper comics?
-Yes. I regularly read the funnies sections of newspapers, and I always stop to read the cartoons that people or teachers post outside their offices or by their studios. Gary Larson, Jim Davis, Charles Schultz (these are probably the same as Chad's, aren't they?) and a couple mroe I just can't place right now.

5.Could you name any contemporary cartoonists from Europe? Do you have a favorite?
-I cannot name any European artists off the top of my head.

6.Could you name any contemporary manga artists from Japan? Do you have a favorite?
-No.

7.Do you read European comics?
-I read a comic or two of "Asterix and Obelix" (a French comic that's been around forever).

8.Do you read any manga?
-No.

9.Do you regularly draw in a sketchbook or write in a journal?
-Yes. Mostly the former.

10.Would you say you have a good working ability to drawing with brush and ink? If so, how long have you used a brush? What types?
-I would say I have a good grasp of working in ink. I usually prefer to use a dip pen over a brush, but that is currently the kind of work I have been doing most frequently in my artwork.

11.Which magazines or websites do you regularly read in order to get comics news?
-I read IGN a lot for comics and/or media updates.

12.Which magazines or websites do you regularly read in order to get news of current events?
-I don't read printed newspapers or visit their website equivalents very much. Sadly, most of what I know from current events comes from my friends' facebook updates. It's a little sad.

13.Do you go to comic book conventions or festivals? If so--which ones?
-I've been to comic stands and stores before, but never an actual convention.

14.Have you ever sat through a portfolio review with a professional editor? If so, could you briefly sum up their message for you?
-Yes. He was an editor and art director with Deseret Books. He interviewed everyone in my Business for Illustration class last year. He gave me good feedback--very little by way of criticism--and encouraged me to start putting my stuff "out there." He was one of the people that have encouraged me to pursue my current style in art (pen & ink with washes).

15.Have you ever had your work published? If so, where?
-Technically, no. I did however illustrate a family's book about two years ago (20 illustrations) that they had printed. It was small, I didn't get paid a lot, it was very hard and frustrating, and I don't know if I want to do it again, but I did learn from it.

16.How long have you been drawing?
-I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I think Ninja Turtles, Sonic, Garfield, and Looney Toons (the Roadrunner specifically) were my muses at the time...

17.Do you like to go to museums? Do you have any favorite "fine" artists, either living or dead? Film directors?
-I love going to museums and galleries. I don't think I have a favorite artist, as I tend to focus more on the art itself and less on the names attached to them. There are a lot of old masters I'm drawn to though. Carl Bloch is one of my heroes (and this was WAY before they did an exhibit on him in the MOA). And a lot of the "Golden Age" illustrators like J.C. Leyendecker, Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, and Maxfield Parrish are definite inspirations to me. Some contemporary artists at work today that I admire are folks like Jillian Tamaki, Scott McKowen, and Jack Unruh. I really like the directing ability of Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather" movies). Christopher Nolan is on the top of my list too ("Memento" blew my mind). Joe Wright is also great (he directed "Pride & Prejudice" and most recently "Hanna"), as those films he works on are some of the most beautifully shot pictures in recent memory.

18.Would you think it could be useful or beneficial to watch a film or films as a group and discuss it afterward as it may relate to comics? Do you have a recommendation for such a film?
-I'm obsessed with films, so YES! I love looking at the superhero genre of films and their relation to comics. But that's kind of too easy. Shyamalan's second film "Unbreakable" is great in my opinion, and provides a very interesting take on the comic book itself.

19.What ethnographic background do you have and how confident are you in acting as an expert of resource of that background?
-Ethnographic? Well, I'm Italian. I'm aware of a lot of my ancestors' (seedy) history. I think it's fascinating. I'm not an expert yet, but I could become one.

20.What comic or book or movie have you read/seen at least 5 times? And 10 times?
-I've seen way more movies than I have read comics. "The Lord of the Rings" is a must. "Indiana Jones," "Star Wars." I love sagas. I've stopped counting how many times I've seen them. And "Monsters, Inc." is probably my favorite animated film ever. So far.

Art Show Photos

Sheesh, it's been a long time since I put something on here.

Just in case you didn't see the link on my facebook page, here are the photos from my recent Alice in Wonderland inspired art exhibit, "Curiouser and Curiouser."

Ambidextrous

September 1st. Whereas before this date stood for nothing except somebody's birthday somewhere in the world, it will now go on record as the day that I embarked on my quest to achieving proficiency in the use of my left hand.

There are a few reasons for this endeavor.

First, and most immediate I believe, is the possibility of my contracting carpal tunnel syndrome (I phrase that almost as if it's a disease that one can actually catch). Over the last several weeks (maybe months) I've been noticing a numbing pain and ache forming in my wrist and extending bi-directionally towards both arm and fingers. It became particularly noticeable during my Intermediate Life Drawing course, which required not only the upkeep of a daily sketchbook, but 3 hours of drawing continuously for 4 days in a row each week. I took a hiatus for about two weeks thereafter, and while it has helped, I can't take an indefinite artistic sabbatical.

Second, and perhaps more personally, this represents in some ways my coming to final grips with my accident over five years prior which left my left hand unable to function at full 100% capacity. I think I've since adapted to most basic tasks like gripping or holding or twisting things to the point that most of the time I don't even notice the difference--in fact I bet most of you who know me, and don't know much about the accident, also don't notice it. But it's always there, always a reminder of what happened. I think I'm still a little bitter. Not angry, but still bitter. I want to do more than just be able to hold a pen in that hand. I want to do something with it. I want to see some result that proves there is still value in it. Like I said, it's personal.

Third, I am inspired to simply create for myself a goal outside of those placed upon me by school, work, church and others. I don't mean to sound disgruntled in any way by these other goals or their sources. Far from it. Maybe I've just been motivated by Julia Roberts and all that striking imagery from Eat.Pray.Love. Maybe. And just maybe, after all of this is over, I can write my own book and push for its own film adaptation.

That's another goal of mine as well, now that I think about it.

Blog Makeover

I just discovered that Blogger has recently revamped and upgraded their template and design options for blogs. So naturally I spent an unspecified amount of time updating all of my blogs, coating them with a proverbial fresh coat of paint and everything.

So go check 'em out. And then try it yourself (there are several of you out there who are due for a face-lift. Technologically speaking, not literally...)

Guilty Pleasure(s)

So my latest are potato salad (always and forever) and hip-hop music. Honest.

What are yours?

New (Art) Website

This is different than a blog. It's supposed to be more professional. Plus there is a picture or two included in the gallery there that I haven't posted elsewhere...

Here it is: adamphilipborgia.weebly.com

Check it out.

How To Train Your Dragon Review (the Blogger's Digest Version)

I just saw Dreamworks' How To Train Your Dragon today with my brother Kory. I believe I've already stated that I have a general and automatic love for most things that are animated. So that was enough to go and see it.

But I don't think I was prepared for just how much I loved this movie. Part of me didn't want to (I have a standing bias against Dreamworks based upon past films). Part of me hoped it would fill the gap left by their previously totally awesome Kung Fu Panda. And the largest part of me was blown away.

I was smiling the whole time, start to finish. And that might be the highest compliment I can give to any movie. Now go see it.

I Don't Jaywalk...

Do You???

Breakfast

Have you ever had Quaker Oatmeal Squares? I can't say yet whether they are my favorite cereal ever, but I can say that they are definitely my favorite kind to chew! It's practically the highlight of my day--I wake up and roll out of bed (almost literally), sit on the floor, finally get to my daily workout routine, take a shower, etc...

and THEN I come downstairs to pour myself a bowl of delicious geometric oatmeal shapes (this actually makes them sounds kinda gross). Well, first I force myself to take my medicine (a mix of powdered vitamins, water, juice and an energy concoction that tastes like BBQ Noni fruit), but THEN I let my tastebuds enjoy a five-minute parade of flavor and texture! Hooray!

Go buy 'em and try some!

The End (of the semester, not the world or anything... I'm not a fatalist)

Within the last calendar week, I have done the following:

1. Prepared and taught an Elder's Quorum lesson
2. Started and finished TWO art projects (a painting and pen & ink piece)
3. Later made adjustments to both of the above projects before submitting in each of their final portfolio reviews (art assignments are never "done" the first time)
4. Went on a double date--even won my first game of pool
5. Finished my home teaching assignments (we even taught two of the girls twice--long story)
6. Began studying for my Organic Chemistry final... took my Organic Chemistry final
7. Bowled a couple games to finish off the league season
8. Began studying for my Biochemistry final... took my Biochemistry final the same day
9. Worked almost 20 hours
10. Packed, cleaned a bit, and wrote this blog post

And it was ALL done while being sick, and I don't just mean the sniffles.

Notice: New Art Blog!

Although it has been in the works for a while, and has even technically existed in cyberspace for nearly a year now, I have finally added content to my "newest" blog.

Entitled, The Cheese Gallery, its intent is to be first and foremost, an electronic viewing space of my past, present, and future (???) artwork; its second function is to be really whatever else I want it to be. The current subtitle implies some connection to food, as does the title really, but since its conception I have become more aware of my sensitivities to certain groups of food (dairy and I have a love/hate relationship--I love it and it hates me). But it is what it is.

There are three posts already (a personal record!) for your enjoyment and/or apathy. Consider yourselves notified.

Chimichangas and My Love Life

You can draw the strangest comparisons in life. Did you read the title?

I bought a pack of chimichangas from Costco last week with my roommate, thinking we would divide the lot between us. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but we had just eaten several different free samples and so were filled with endorphins, as well as on a tight schedule and I don't always fare the best with quick decisions.

Soon after this I began receiving numbers that one would normally use to enter into an electronic device for talking (such as a phone) so as to contact another person (such as a girl). Whether it was from coworkers or from people back home via my mother, I accepted the information with surprisingly little argument.

I've since eaten two chimichangas. They don't taste like the picture on the box told us they would, and they look even less like their advertised, photoshopped counterparts. And so they sit in our freezer. My roommate has already tried pawning off his half of the stash to the other tenants. I however, am not one to waste a purchase, no matter the question of quality. Rather I have rationed them out so that I know exactly how many I have to eat every week--it's not all that bad really, since giving a few days buffer in between each consumption will probably lengthen my lifespan more than the overzealous consumer.

So what does this have to do with calling girls and, by extension, dating? I thought it was obvious... Aside from the observation that both have a tendency to make my innards unsettled, there's the fact that, like the deep fried meat sacks, those phone numbers also sit in storage. Not in the freezer mind you, but either in a drawer or on my phone memory. And before I can reach in and go for the next one, I can't help but think about many of my past ventures [frowns]. My buffer period for socializing has long passed though to the point of it being almost unhealthy for me now. And unlike the "food" in question, I know this latter issue is ultimately a good thing.

But the apprehension is still there.

5

Several weeks back I remember talking to my sister on the phone (as I am frequent to do at the end of my day, often for no other reason than to escape or delay total boredom), only for her to quickly change whichever subject we were on to that of a new brand of ice cream. It was interesting at the time--I do like ice cream myself after all, as well as occasional bits of conversation regarding the dessert. But soon after the call was ended I did what any white male American will do (and what the white female has come to expect us to do)... I forgot about it.

Fast forward to now only several days ago where the viewer, omniscient stranger or stalker finds me at the local grocery store, where I was, oddly enough, buying groceries. I don't recall what prompted me to walk down the frozen food section. Actually I do, it was pizza. At any rate I saw out of my right eye's corner and through the fogged glass to a pint of the ice cream my sister so enthusiastically endorsed. The name is "Five," or "5" as I have once again forgotten much about it. The name/number refers to the list of ingredients, which are so simple and take up so little space that they put them on the front! Incredulous I know, but true.

This is all going somewhere, trust me. As I thought more about this unique ice cream I began thinking of things very un-ice cream in nature. Things that eventually led back to myself (you see I'm lactose intolerant, which technically makes me very un-ice cream in my nature). So I thought and eventually said to myself, "Self, how might you describe your person in only five words or things?"

And so here we are. If you aren't yet bored, I can promise that the following will be a nearly complete compilation of ingredients that make Adam the Adam you all know and tolerate. Honest. What I can't promise is that said information will suddenly make you unbored.

1. Art - I think I've got more artist in me than anything else, be that a good or bad thing. It's the one hobby or time occupying habit that I remember doing the most. It will probably go away when I die (or in keeping with this "ingredient and food" theme, expire).
2. Science Fiction - I include things like my love of movies in here too, since my favorite ones are usually fantasy based. Mostly though I'm referring to Star Wars. Everything and anything Star Wars. Really folks, it's HUGE. I don't think any other IP out there can touch this thing.
3. Religion - This encompasses a lot (family, church, etc.), and since my posts tend to be sarcastic and largely inconsequential, I don't want to go into this serious of a topic here and now. But it's there.
4. Cartoons - They're closely related to my affinity for movies and art, but basically I'm saying that anything animated (and not of poor quality) I like, and often love.
5. Eating - I may not look like much of an eater on the outside, but believe me when I say my insides love this. My latest 'thing' is applying this practice to ethnic foods. I still have a special place in my heart (and colon) though for old favorites. You know who you are. Mmmmm.

These are only the most recent. It could all change tomorrow (except Star Wars), but that won't mean I'll have a new post to reflect that.

Done.