This weekend I will be at Appleseed Comic Con in Indiana!  Come on down to a truly teriffic show!

This Saturday is Art Walk in Bowling Green, Ohio…I will be at a restaurant called “Grumpy Dave’s” above “Easy St.” Bar & Grill on Main St.  Come on out and grab a copy of “Silver Lining” then be sure to check out all the amazing artists that make up this annual local event!!

Today is a big day for me and the gang at “Retail Sunshine” as we embark on a new and exciting adventure!  I have joined the experimental and newly launched “Artist Collective” with Dynomighty, the maker’s of The Mighty Wallet.  What’s a Mighty Wallet?  Click here to find out!

Here’s the deal, I’ve put together two designs for them and as of today (4/16/13) these designs are available for pre-ordering through their website.  If in the next 30 days, either design receives at least 30 pre-orders, Dynomighty will keep the wallets in their product assortment!  Check out “Pocket full of Sunshine”, here!

Check out the ”Retail is……SCARY!” design, here!

This is HUGE because it means their products are carried all over the U.S. and in a total of 60 countries not to mention it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a few years now.  Y’see, I’ve owned a Mighty Wallet for about 3 or 4 years now and ever since then I have had compliments about it from people.  I often been asked if it was something I created myself, and while I’ve always given credit to Dynomighty, in the back of my mind, I wanted my very own creations on a Mighty Wallet.

That day has finally come!  Now, I haven’t taken it upon myself to do any big crowd-funding projects like Kickstarter (though the thought has crossed my mind, heavily), but this pre-ordering situation is sort of that way.  So, if you think you’d like the “Retail Sunshine” characters to hang out in YOUR pocket, or if you know anyone who would love a one-of-a-kind gift, I feel compelled to ask you to pre-order right away!  Tell Dynomighty that this is the right direction for them to take…even if that means you order one of the other artist’s creations on the website.  As always, any money earned from this directly invested back into Livestock Productions and I look forward to bringing you better and better products to make you laugh and keep you entertained!!

We know there are rules, but somehow the denied access to “fun” early on seems to lead to bitter possessiveness.  We don’t grow up…we just grow old.

I could go on, but I think the strip speaks for itself.

Why did I choose to do this now?  Not sure, really.  I’ve had this idea in my head for a while and have been sorta avoiding it due to its larger-than-usual scale.  I must say, now that it’s all put together, that I am truly happy with the results.  Does this mean all future comics from “RS” will look this way or be this elaborate?  I certainly hope not!  Not if I want to keep producing them at a decent pace, that is.  But I have a feeling its influence will be felt from here on out…

Time will tell…

Keep an eye out for postings regarding sketch cards that will be available to own either at upcoming comic book conventions or through the site.

CARTOONS!  They’re the first thing you hear on a Saturday morning, what you look forward to reading in the newspaper and they pepper our advertising.  Let’s face it, they’re fun!

Join BGSU Alumni Phil Machi (“Retail Sunshine”, “Livestock”) for a fun evening all about this ever-present and viable artform (and how he got involved in it!).

Come for the Q&A discussion at 6 and stay for an interactive workshop at 8.  STUDENTS: BRING YOUR SKETCHBOOK!! (Optional portfolio review afterwards)

Presented by the BGSU Computer Art Club, this is a FREE event at the Fine Arts building on campus.

Can’t go in person?  Watch it on livestream:  https://bit.ly/machilivestream

Official page on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/events/514303908614948/

I was looking into re-visiting part of my childhood (I watched a LOT of animated programming) on youtube. After watching the new “Hobbit” movie in theaters, I wanted to compare it to the 1977 Rankin/Bass animated film. What little I found of it on youtube was either the tiniest of segments or was removed by Warner Bros. due to who knows why. What are you worried about Warner Bros.? Someone might watch a film made in 1977 and not want to pay money to go see your live-action 3D spectacular? Why not release the animated film with “movie money” to go see the new film? Honestly, I’m aware this may not be possible but I ask you, what logical reason could there be?

The VHS and original DVD copy (the second of which had sound effects removed for whatever reason) are no longer in print and can only be found on auction sites. Why then, didn’t Warner Bros. realize the potential in RE-releasing this animated classic in time with the new movie? Why not also re-release the original soundtrack (which is wonderful, I might add)…something that never had a chance to go to CD and is only on vinyl. I could go on and on with other films and likewise video games, but the point is that I’m sure it has to do with money. Sure there are risks involved, but at least attempt a limited print run, or advertise for it on-line as a digital download…something! ANYTHING!

Is that such a foreign concept?

For years I would wonder why certain movies, television shows and soundtracks weren’t more readily available for purchase after they were no longer current. I would later discover that this was usually due to a rights issue. Company ‘A’ created the intellectual property and Company ‘B’ distributed it and therefore the product would get held up in some legal battle often resulting in a stalemate.

Yet what I still don’t understand is, why on earth would a company hold on to the rights for a property that has long since been forgotten and is not profiting anyone? If something goes out of print and is no longer available (other than on auction websites and garage sales) then what is the harm in letting someone else re-print said item?

The only answer I can think of is some sort of hissy-fit being thrown along the lines of “If WE can’t make any money off of this property, THEN NOBODY CAN!!” Even so, I find it hard to imagine that people would rather not make ANY profit than to let someone else have a piece of the money-pie. It can’t be that difficult to agree on percentages, can it?

It seems we’ve gotten so creative and clever with rights management so that no one is taken advantage of, that these companies forget there is money to be made and simply isn’t. In short, just make the stuff available and get what you can from it because the alternatives are piracy and bitter fans. Trust me, those last two options are guaranteed not to make money.

And on that note…HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!! Be sure to eat lots of nutricious CANDY to help you forget about job-loss!

I’m not referring to a small mini-comic book, like the type I make about once a year, but rather a publication that deserves it’s own barcode. A book that demands to be printed with a hard cover for posterity. Allow me to introduce to you, “Silver Lining: A ‘Retail Sunshine’ Collection” and it is here that I will shed some light onto this work that has been 4 1/2-years in the making.

In 2008 I was very much in an artistic limbo. My first comic strip “Livestock” had just been compiled into a book entitled “Animal Apathy”…a book that was comprised of over a decade of material. This may sound like a lot but sadly “Livestock” was almost always a ‘back-burner’ project for me. In fact, the comic took a back seat so many times that I only had 101 episodes to speak of after all those years. This was partially due to the amount of time a “Livestock” comic would take since my style had taken on a more rendered look.

That being said, “Animal Apathy” looks incredibly varied in style from beginning to end. This was something I wanted to avoid with future publications, if possible, and so I decided I would ask the “Livestock” to take a good, long nap while I stretched my creative legs a bit.

If I was going to meet deadlines quicker and not lose interest in my own story-lines I would need to create a comic that could be made in a matter of hours rather than days. Drawing inspiration from my retail experience and choosing to go with a style quite opposite to my previous works, “Retail Sunshine” was born!

Technically, this holiday poem is the 1st published “RS” book

Halloween 2012 is the official release date (keeping in time with the release of “Animal Apathy” 5 years ago) for this first comprehensive compilation. With exactly 2 weeks until the book’s launch, I am counting down in style!

Those who pre-order will receive a signed and numbered print from the original artist proof copy (limited to the first 53). Also, this Friday (10/19/12) I will be a guest on the Toledo, Ohio radio program “Eye on Your Weekend” to promote the book.

There will be more interviews and even a special event or two in the weeks to follow (both before and after the book is released) so stay tuned here and on the Facebook page.

This truly is a milestone event for both me and Livestock Productions and I thank you for joining me through the adventure!

“Retail Sunshine” will be back with ALL NEW EPISODES very soon, but until then I invite you fans to check out the secret project that has had me locked away in a dark basement of intense focus for months now. “Silver Lining: A ‘Retail Sunshine’ Collection” is the very FIRST comprehensive collected works book for this comic and I couldn’t be more proud of the outcome!

It’s available in paperback but if you want something a little more permanent I truly recommend the “Collector’s Edition” Hard Cover Edition! Either way, this is something I’ve been looking forward to putting together and let me tell you, it’s slick! If you pre-order BEFORE Halloween, you’ll receive a SIGNED & NUMBERED PRINT from the original artist proof.

So what’re you still doing reading this description? Go get your copy now!
(and thank you for your continued readership and support)

Before I get started, here’s my disclaimer: Batman is my favorite super hero and has been for as long as I can remember. I know that I am not alone in this and that others have read many more comic books than I. My point in saying this is that this opinion-blog is from an ultra-fan but yet I am well aware my knowledge is not as well-rounded as others.

I grew up reading a few Batman comic books but the majority of my character knowledge has come from what I’ve been told from other comic book fans, the movies, video games and the various animated series inspired by Batman. My favorite incarnation (to this day) still remains “Batman: The Animated Series”, a very well loved and respected series dating back to the early ’90s. I can still remember rushing home from school to catch every episode…even if it was a repeat. That series did such a fantastic job capturing the essence of what I feel makes Batman the beloved character he is while still making him accessible to a younger audience.

To summarize that series for those that never saw an episode; The necessary burden of donning the cape & cowl brought forth by the heavy loss in witnessing his parents’ murder, Bruce Wayne loses himself in the guise of the Batman. His obsession with bringing the corrupt to justice is policed primarily by his refusal to come anywhere near a gun. He is faced with the consequences of a city unable to contain the madmen (and women) it holds and yet the revolving door of Arkham Asylum stands as a reminder of his own anti-gun policy. Wayne owns the night and embraces the mantle he has established. He persists in his pursuit of justice even when the loved ones around him become casualties to the insane individuals blaming Batman for their existence.

Why am I writing this? On the heels of watching “The Dark Knight Rises” I was compelled to explain why I am so impressed and yet disappointed in the Christopher Nolan Bat-verse now that his trilogy has concluded. I have not read any interviews with Nolan but it’s fairly clear by his films that the fantastic elements of Batman have no place in his vision. For the record, I completely respect his films and in truth, they have shown a side of Batman not fully realized on the silver screen. Nolan makes Batman accessible to the skeptic that such a character could ever exist. This is no small feat! How could one man withstand so much physical and emotional pain, not to mention the amount of money it would take to fund such an operation? In short, Nolan’s Batman is a believable one.

But honestly, who wants to see that?

Before you go typing angrily at me with a response of vile hatred, let me explain.

1. I love that Batman can be a more believable character…this is something that is vital to taking his world seriously. That being said, spending an entire film creating villains who are larger than life only to kill them off in the same film has never impressed me. Even Tim Burton’s vision had Joker and Penguin meet their end in his films. True, the next logical step when escalating a conflict is to resolve it by the ultimate loss, but the animated series did not need to do this AND IT WORKED. Having a rogue’s gallery is a huge part of what we love about Batman. Nolan’s Scarecrow was the best example of how a returning villain (even in cameo form) can make for a rewarding experience for the fans. Killing off Ra’s Al Ghoul is entirely another conversation…

2. I understand that the building up of a hero is a big part of what makes the action so much more exciting. We watched the hero struggle and lived through their pain but I went to the theater to watch BATMAN…not a Bruce Wayne movie that has Batman in it. It seems to me that Nolan is so bent on showing us the man that he forgets these are SUPER-HERO movies. I’m not saying I want a low-brow approach (a beat-em-up fest, so to speak), but by the time the 3rd movie started I was ready to watch BATMAN save the day — not Bruce Wayne struggling to take up the mantle again. I’m well-aware of the comic book origins for this “Knightfall” inspired story, but we’re talking a movie trilogy here. “The Dark Knight Rises” would have made a better start to a new trilogy, especially since it takes place 8 years after “The Dark Knight.” This new film could even have led into the introduction of “Azrael”, a man who temporarily takes over for Batman in his absense (and who’s actions require Batman to build himself back up to defeat him).


3. I know Bane’s origin story. I’m aware of creative license in film adaptations. If Bane seems too “over-the-top” of a character for Nolan to use, then he shouldn’t have used him. Batman’s rogue’s gallery is full of mental patients, and Bane isn’t one of them. Did Bane appear strong? Yes, but there is a monstrosity level of the character (a super-soldier type who uses, and is addicted to, a drug called “Venom” to physically bulk up before a fight) the film version didn’t realize. Nolan should have taken on the likes of Riddler or Ventriloquist…if you want a story that is more believable than a man who grows in size to pummel his victims, there are plenty. If his version of Scarecrow is any example, he would have done wonders for those characters.

As much as Batman’s world is about characters struggling with their identity and sanity, it too has elements of the fantastic and even horrific. I won’t list them all here, but I can sum it all up in one word: Clayface.

4. This may be the most important point: Nolan’s Batman DOESN’T WANT TO BE BATMAN. The Batman I came to know and love will never get over the death of his parents. He blames society, he blames the man who shot them and he blames himself. Nolan’s Batman moves on from this and at that point, Batman becomes a necessary evil for Bruce Wayne instead of the other way around. At then end of “The Dark Knight” it is heavily alluded to Batman RETIRING from crime-fighting altogether! Personally, I think if the iconic Batman could have it his way, he would spend all his time in the cape and cowel.

It’s like Nolan simply omitted the parts of characters he didn’t like, regardless of how ingrained they are in that character’s history. For crying out loud, he even teased us with Ra’s Al Ghoul’s unwillingness to die but never showed the reason why that is important: he is essentially IMMORTAL. That character has been known to come back to life (multiple times) by bathing in a place known as The Lazerous Pits. So apparantly having the character appear in visions is Nolan’s way of making that more believable. I thought for sure after “Batman Begins” that Al Ghoul’s death was a tease, as seen in so many episodes of The Animated Series; the bad guys always find a way to come back.

Why are people so afraid to take these fantastic elements and bring them to life? A better question: why doesn’t Warner Bros. simply hire Bruce Timm (the brains behind the Animated Series) to write/direct the live-action Bat-flicks?

In short, removing the fantastic from stories is not what makes them believable, it’s when you make the fantastic seem plausible that you captivate people. The real treat of an unforgettable story is when we are taken along for the ride of our lives and what seems like an impossible ending is made real by a truly fantastic beginning.

IT’S TRUE!

No, really…I’m not making this up here.

FINE! DON’T BELIEVE ME!
SEE IF I CARE!

*stomps off*

…Alright, I forgive you! I can’t stay mad at you for very long, that’s for sure!

Follow @RetailSunshine

Well, the video has finally been posted today and for the first minute and a half or so you’ll have the pleasure of listening to Yours Truly talking about –wait for it– “Retail Sunshine”!

Click here for the footage: INTERVIEW!!

An employee who really takes his job very seriously!

It’s just $5 and you can order your copy TODAY! I will have them sent out as soon as they show up on my doorstep! Click on the “Books” section under “BUY STUFF!” and the rest is easy-peasy!

Like it’s predecessor, it remains a milestone in my life that I look back on fondly. I was blessed enough to work with some truly wonderful and talented people, learned more about film-making and raised the bar for my own skill set.

“PM:BBS” was also the first film I felt confident enough about to enter the festival circuit with. While it did not garner any external achievements I feel it still holds up to this day and was one of my best teachers in the medium.

Some may wonder
(though most people reading this have probably never heard of the character) what became of Peter Meadowdale and his adventures. This is something I’ve toyed with for years and have considered going back to re-visit in both film and print. Will the dim-witted Detective have another film? Will he venture into the world of comics?
Will he simply stay a distant memory?

I honestly do not know.

I can tell you, however, that if I do manage to carve out the time for him, Peter Meadowdale will return in some form or another…eventually!

To purchase DVDs for either Peter Meadowdale films, send your e-mail request for more information to: livestockproductions (at) gmail.com

Sadly, I had to make the tough call and not put a new one together this week due to some extenuating circumstances. I am currently on a small vacation from my day job which would make one think “Wow, you totally have more time for making comics now!” and you’d be right if it wasn’t for the fact that when I DO take time off, lots of other things get the opportunity to get done as well.

I’ve been spending time with friends and family, working on commission projects (that I get PAID for…and while money isn’t everything to me, I DO need to respect my paying customers), and doing relaxing activities that do not involve drawing. I haven’t completely neglected my comic strip however, as I am currently putting the finishing touches on the cover for my first all-puppet mini-book for “Retail Sunshine” which should be nearing print very soon!

With that, I thank you for visiting my site, and for being patient with me as I attempt to make some sense out of my very hectic schedule…even if I AM on a break!

What do I mean?

First, take little peak at this video clip of the 1992 Classic Saturday morning cartoon series “X-Men” and more imporantly, listen to the theme song until you have it good and stuck in yer noggin’…
X-MEN

Now, jump back in time roughly 2 years to this classic Whitney Houston song “I’m Your Baby Tonight” circa 1990. (For true shock and horror, skip 52 seconds in)
WHITNEY

…I KNOW, RIGHT?!

Show your friends and watch the sheer terror form on their retro little faces!

Just finished the new comic with 3 minutes to spare…yes, I’m aware these are arbitrary self-made deadlines but they keep me on task, dangnabbit! (yes, I’m also aware no one talks that way)

This one’s been brewin’ in my noggin’ for quite some time now, so it’s nice to finally see it come to life! Also, it’s the 1st “Puppet Show” of 2012, so, that’s cool too.

IMPORTANT SIDE-NOTE:

Don’t forget to visit your local comics shop tomorrow for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! Aside from the given namesake of the day, lots of shops will have promotional pricing on their other comics so be sure to support them with a few bucks, too!

For artists in print, this is a very cool holiday and it’s also a great way to keep your money local and maybe even get a fun gift for that super-person in your life!

More on that if anything changes, but in the meantime, you can find more information on S.P.A.C.E. HERE

Chucky, Hamilton, Daisy & Morton

So until I figure out a way to work them into a small pocket of free time I’ve yet to exploit, or reduce my hours at my “day job” while still making enough money to live on…it seems as if I’ll have to visit my first comic family in memory only.

Maybe one day…

So there! Just try and stop me!

(Talk about scary...this person really needs to clip their nails!)

It’s getting to the point where I want to start perfecting the art of drawing spiders so much so, that I’ll be able to create my own nifty lil’ creatures on paper…maybe even for a special project of sorts!!

Granted, I wouldn’t want one in bed with me or anything, but so help me if I catch you trying to squish one inside your home instead of placing it outside where it belongs! Besides, they catch plenty of other household ‘pests’ without so much as a ‘thank you’…what pals!

To those of you who have been here since the very first strip, and to those of you who are just now joining me (so, basically, everyone reading!) thanks so much and I hope to see you back here for #100…

I’ve heard older generations complain about the fall of vinyl (though somehow it’s still being selectively produced) and also joke about the 8-Track legacy, so I’m not so naive as to think this change will be any different…except it is. It’s different because this isn’t a move to a more high-quality medium, it’s an issue of convenience.

Depending on who you ask, you could say that vinyl to CD was an upgrade in quality, as was DVD to Blu-ray. The only positive thing I’ve heard from people regarding the digital transition is convenience. Not to mention the bragging rights it seems to have brought out of people. For some reason, people love to tell me how many hundreds of gigabytes they’ve filled with movies/music, which I suppose could be compared to boasting about their number of DVDs or CDs. But there’s a problem inherent with this new form and that’s the ease of theft involved. Downloading a file is far easier that creating a disc.

Most of the people I speak with seem to be stealing as much content as possible. But I won’t make this particular blog post an ethics debate (trust me, you wouldn’t win the argument if it was…I’m that passionate about it), instead my gripe with this situation is that this is simply a “benefit” to society in the form of laziness.

“Hooray! I don’t have to get up and change a disc if I want to watch/listen to something else.”

I understand how that particular convenience is nice, but at the end of the day it’s at the expense of the tactile joys of ownership. What I mean by that is, there is something special about flipping through liner notes, reading a note from the director, or even inspecting the artwork printed on a disc. We are a people of sense memory and attach moments to smells and sounds. I know I enjoy the smell of printed trading cards opened for the first time. As much as I love iTunes as a gift, it isn’t nearly as fun to open a card as compared to the actual movie/CD.

Call me skeptical, but this also feels like just another way corporations can cut costs and reap more profits…so it isn’t really a “service” to consumers at all. Now, I’m not saying digital content shouldn’t exist, I’m simply stating that people should have a choice.

And if you think that owning a file is just as special and not a corporate plot, consider this: for some time now, when purchasing a Blu-ray disc, the package would include a DVD and a digital copy. Well, the included DVDs are (logically) starting to disappear and the digital copies are becoming part of a service called Ultraviolet. What does that mean? It means you’re not even getting a file anymore, you simply have access to the movie when you have internet availability.

Well, I don’t want my movie/music experience to rely on whether or not I can get to the internet. It’s unreliable, unpredictable and comes off as another thing companies can take away while still charging consumers. I haven’t even delved into the fact that you have no control over how long that content is available!

The only answer I can come up with to “fix” this is support. If you don’t like something, make your dollars do the talking. In other words: don’t just pay for it because “that’s the way things are going”. You don’t HAVE to follow the trends. If enough people protest things CAN be changed…if you don’t believe me, look at “Futurama” – a TV show that was brought back from cancellation twice due to fan response.

It is for THIS reason that I will continue to produce physical comic books. As much as I love the digital age, I will always tie my works to the real. To those who think I’m off my rocker, good luck getting your eBooks signed by the author.

At that point, I had recently published my first book of cartoons called “Animal Apathy” which collected 101 comic strips from my “Livestock” series. After 11 years of off-again/on-again drawing “Livestock” (a comic that evolved so much, it was almost completely different by year 11) the thought of doing anything different was exciting yet terrifying.

It was 2008 and I had been working in retail for about 4 years or so. In that time, I had gathered quite a few concepts and ideas of things that I felt would make for great comedy, but that wouldn’t translate with my cartoon farm animal friends.

The humor for this new strip would be more crude and blunt compared to the subtle social commentaries I had become accustomed to writing, therefore the drawing style would have to reflect that. Based on the numerous comments made to me over the years along the lines of “Wow! You drew that? I can’t even draw a STICK FIGURE!” (which no one EVER gets tired of hearing…*rolls eyes*) I felt this was the perfect time to show that a comic COULD be entirely stick figure based and yet still be quality.

Why did I feel the need to prove this?

I don’t know…it just kind of seemed like the appropriate response. That fact, coupled with the length of time it took me to draw a highly rendered “Livestock” comic strip, and the idea of drawing something quickly to move on to the next episode was highly appealing.

So where are we now that 4 years have passed?

The perfectionist in me has turned the crude look of ’08 into something decidedly different. The scribbles are still there in crayon embellishments, but this new look is certainly not what I originally intended.

Is that a failure?

Well, the way I choose to look at it now is it doesn’t feel as if I’m ignoring my years of drawing studies anymore. Stylized sketchiness has turned into minimalistic sleekness.

Long story short: I like it and I look forward to seeing where the journey goes for however long I can keep this thing going (which I hope is a long time!). What has stayed true is the original inspiration for the strip…people. Specifically, the relationship between the customer and the salesperson. There are still a LOT of nuances I haven’t covered, and I’m presented with new material daily (trust me!).

Gets me every time.

Perhaps one day I will go back and discuss each of these games in detail, but for today, in light of their recent re-release to the PC, I am focusing on Trilobyte Games’ entries of The 7th Guest & The 11th Hour.

Stauf's mansion had a real ominous set of stairs...

Both games were point-and-click style puzzle games made for the CD-ROM (which was TOTALLY the place to be for real gamers before the next-gen consoles) and were of the “Horror” genre.

What set them apart from the crowd was their technological achievements in incorporating live-action movie clips into the digital landscape to tell a story. The backdrop for both games is an old mansion atop a menacing hill where you are granted passageway from room to room as you complete a series of brain-teasers that range from word-play to Chess-themes. As you “defeat” a room, you’re given another small snippet of video that helps to fill in the mystery for that game.

Most notable is the main villain (the kind you love to hate, ya’ know?) Henry Stauf played by Robert Hirschboeck. The stories follow his exploits in what can best be described as a dealing-with-the-devil relationship with the heroes of the games. His wonderfully theatrical performance both on screen and audibly guiding the player via voice-over (during a soup can puzzle he gleefully declares “I don’t think you CAN do this.”) adds as much character to the experience as the gothic-haunting sounds of The Fat Man & Team Fat who developed the music.

The puzzles were infuriating, the atmosphere a constant creep-fest and when played in the dark with headphones and a teenage friend who delights in the experience as much as you do, these media classics give the imagination a true workout…something I will never forget.

–As of February 2012, both games have been re-issued via DotEmu’s website for modern-day Windows machines. You can purchase the games HERE

This was quite a fun (and different) venture from my usual work.

I can only assume that my company name of “Livestock Productions” triggered this somewhere in some person’s mind and that this person was so excited about their realization that they spread the wealth, so to speak.

Now, this amusing little annecdote would have remained as such if not for yesterday’s surprise mailing of a Facilites EXPO at the end of March in a nearby convention center. This event is “For the Largest facilities trade show in Northwest Ohio related to all aspects of a facility!”

Apparantly I’ve been invited to attend for FREE! I’m also instructed to share this message “with: facility directors, owners, maintenance managers, property managers and anyone else charged with keeping a facility in good running condition every day!”

Let me just say that I’ve decided it would be rude of me not to show up for such a prestigious event since they took the time out of their busy day to invite me. As the President and C.E.O. of Livestock Productions, I owe it to those attending to bring my expertise in all things facility to this EXPO.

At the bottom of the flyer is an invitation to visit their website for more information OR TO SIGN UP TO BE AN EXHIBITOR. Hmmm…

This may warrant an investigation later today!

This exact point is what inspired this particular episode and is the reason I now have to find new and unique ways to simply greet a person.

I tend to not want to just throw things away when they get old, and my methods for making art are a mixture of hand-made as well as electronic. I haven’t converted my creation methods entirely to a digital drawing tablet and have no intention of doing so. There’s still a part of me that feels more connected to works scribbled out on paper.

Perhaps I’m naive, but no matter how many times I’m faced with the reality of how quickly the world moves, certain things never cease to amaze/disappoint me.
1) How quickly people forget anything that hasn’t happened in the past 5 years.
2) The consumption/digestion of media.

Think about it: “The Adventures of Tintin” is a current film by the great Steven Spielberg and yet, how many people even knew who the character was (or that he wasn’t a NEW character) before a few months ago? I understand that not everyone takes interest in “forgotten” comic characters from Europe but what does it say about a culture who’s only references are of the local and immediate? Just because a work is “old” or foreign doesn’t mean it should be forgotten or need modernizing. A few months after it is released on DVD/Blu-Ray it will most likely be quickly on its way to the $5 movie bin.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled Tintin is getting a new fan base, I just wish it didn’t have to happen via NEW work being produced.

The Muppets were a few years away from obscurity and there was a very good chance that the recent film would have been too little/too late. (Thankfully, it wasn’t!)

Media is so rapidly produced that it’s hard to imagine anyone truly appreciating any of it. No sooner is a film or television series (or comic book, etc.) created and distributed that it’s almost immediately gone from the forefront of anyone’s mind…and it’s on to the next thing.

Have you ever noticed the excitement around things that are hyped? Now, I’m not saying hype SHOULDN’T stir up conversation but darn it if it doesn’t make people around you appear as sheep!

What value can anything truly have in such a finite amount of time? Does everything become unimportant as it ages? At what point can something transcend the inevitability of irrelevance?

I’ve been semi-consistently posting up new comic strips every other Friday for about a year now so perhaps on the Friday’s where there isn’t a new comic I’ll post a new blog entry instead. Or should it be more organic than that, and whenever the mood strikes me I will just sit myself down and type it out.

One thing I’m still unsure of is the whole RSS feed deal. Are many people using this? I could set one up but I’ve never done that either so that’s another thing tossed into my “unknown” pile.

If anyone reading this (is there anyone out there? HELLO?) is familiar with either blogging or reading other people’s blogs your input would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to comment below…

No more SPLASH page! So sad...
(yet confusing to so many)

I’ve been toying with the idea of a more streamlined “standardized” design for quite some time now, but have avoided the undertaking of redesigning due to the fact that as much as I enjoy the satisfaction of a new website, actually making one can be SO annoying.

It’s a constant back and forth checks-and-balancing act that often makes me want to pull my hair out. This time around, I’ve had the “pleasure” of teaching myself some new HTML and CSS manipulation in a process I can only describe as “Hmm…what does THIS do? DOH!” as there doesn’t seem to be much help out there. The assistance that does exist is comparable to someone giving you a step by step set of directions where step 4 jumps directly to step 10. All you can do at that point is stare at the screen and utter a befuddled “Really?!”

That being said, here we are…thank you for joining me on this new chapter in Livestock Productions history. I hope this new direction lasts me a good long time because quite honestly I don’t want to start over again unless I have to.

You’ll find some familiar things from the original website and a few changes as well. For starters, I FINALLY have a blog that I can update with little to no programming knowledge (YES!) and I can have comments built INTO the website without going through a 3rd-party company.

You don’t have to hunt for new comics: it’s the first thing you’ll see when you visit! Navigation from episode to episode is both above the comic (small arrow up top) and below (“Previous” & “First” links). The Archives section is no longer in a drop-down menu. I’ve also added “Tags” where common themes within “Retail Sunshine” can be browsed in groups. For now there is only the “Puppet Shows” tag, but I’ll be experimenting with this more soon. If you have any suggestions of a tag YOU’D like to see please feel free to comment and I’ll take your input into consideration.

The Studio Store has been completely redesigned! Items have been added and items have been removed. I think it looks cleaner now with more clear and consise imagery. I hope you’ll buy stuff ‘cuz well…that’s how I make new stuff, quite honestly. Merchandise has always been something fun for me to do and the money spent on Livestock Productions ALWAYS gets re-invested as well as the fact that I try to pick local businesses to work through.

There’s a sub-section on the right of the page that contains my last 5 posts…either comics or blog entries. I’ve also given a section dedicated to an experiment I’m VERY excited about: The 1st Official Fan Club for “Retail Sunshine”! I hope you’ll join with me as it’s sure to be an adventure for everyone involved!

You may (or may not) have noticed that aside from a few merchandise items and the lovely new banner across the top of the site, the “Livestock” are nowhere to be found. This is something I wrestled with (and quite literally lost sleep over) for weeks. A combination of reasons contributed to this final move, but I think it may be all for the best. Perhaps in the future I’ll find a way to work them back in, particularly if I start making new episodes again (wishful thinking?). For now, you can purchase a copy of “Animal Apathy: A Livestock Collection” and wait patiently as I decide how long to keep them hibernating.

Well, that about wraps it up for this post. If you’re still reading I commend your patience! I don’t intend to write this long for every blog post but I felt there needed to be a bit of explaination for the new digs, so to speak. Hopefully the URLs of philmachi.com and livestockproductions.com will re-direct here by week’s end. Until then, keep using http://www.retailsunshine.com/

Please enjoy the ride and as always, stay ‘tooned!

-Phil

For quite some time now, I’ve wanted to make a statement on how the economy is directly impacted by what people DO with their money on a daily basis. When you look past all the fear-mongering you’ll find that the secret to our money problems is WHERE we put it (this is of course taking into account those who are able to).

I hesitated on being so blatent with this comic, but now that it’s done, I’m glad I was.