In the above image we see Patrick editing the podcast.Welcome to a very special episode of Ninja Mountain, as we introduce long-time Ninja Mountaineer Socar Myles! First up, Andy, Jeremy, Patrick and Jon talk about the things that have influenced their art outside of other art - mostly movies and literature. (We'll admit there's not a lot of hard-hitting educational content in this one, but at least we had fun...) Next, Jeremy and Patrick join Socar in a discussion about illustration, commissions, world travel, pen nibs, and anything else they happened to stumble across in the course of their conversation. A splendid time is guaranteed for all!
http://www.megaflowgraphics.com/NinjaMountain/NinjaMountain013.mp3
And inevitably, iTunes!
NB: Right near the end of this cast there are a couple of skype IM "pings". You're not going mad if you hear them and get totally confused by the fact you're not actually being pinged. One day the whole panel will WEAR SOME DAMN HEADPHONES OMG!
Show Notes:
Socar Myles - gorblimey.com
Melissa Findley
Jan off of rpgnet
Casablanca
Citizen Kane
7th Voyage of Sinbad
Zardoz
Socar in Spectrum - medium: "blow": The Rat Queen's Wedding Party
Skeleton fight!!
33 comments:
Is anyone else having an issue grabbing this episode on iTunes? I'm getting the dreaded podcast "exclamation point" next to this episode when I try and update or get this one.
Must...have...gasp...next episode...
Ah, ok I thought the cast was just late in working its way through to the Uk store, because I couldn't grab it there either. Patrick worked late into the night to get this one together, and it looks like there's some kind of iTunes mess up after he went to his well deserved bed. I'm sure he can work his technowizardry when he awakes once more!
In the mean time the mp3 is definitely up at the link to megaflow graphics in this post. I know because I just listened to it!
Yes! It has been downloaded and now I can get my Ninja fix! Thanks Jon!
Okay...I'm only 23 minutes in and wondering...should I start this? Does a thrashing need to begin? LOL! Oh Patrick, Patrick, Patrick. JRR Tolkien is rolling over in his grave right now, heh heh.
No, we'll let that one slide. But I will make one comment that I can't even wait until the end of the show to make. Classic sci-fi and fantasy fiction is of a lesser caliber than modern? Is that what you're saying Patrick? What about CS Lewis, George MacDonald, Edgar Rice Burroughs...HP LOVECRAFT?!? Uggh, it pains me Patrick.
I think we might have to have an intervention. :)
It gets worse!
They're STILL putting 'Blow' as a medium in Spectrum; I noticed that the other day! Check out page 186 in Spectrum 14; apparently Greg Staples works in 'blow' too. Makes one wonder...
Hi!
I have no idea what's happening with the iTunes update. It has taken a while to work its way into the system in the past, so maybe that's it. I'll investigate further when I'm fully awake...
Hey Daniel!
I don't really dislike all fantasy - just the classical "Tolkeinesque" fantasy worlds. When I said "classical" I was being inarticulate - I meant more that branch of the genre than the age of the work.
Love: Moorcock, Lovecraft, Gaiman, Burroughs.
Can't slog through even for money: Tolkien, Lewis, Jordan
I was forced to read "A Game of Thrones" and other books in that series by George R.R. Martin, because I did scores of cards for the CCG. I have to admit I actually liked that one, but I think it was mostly because of the engaging prose and despite the fantasy world. Besides I met Mr. Martin and he's a very nice guy and thus I could never slag off on his work.:)
PS - yes those posts were by Patrick!!
-Patrick
(Who needs to remember to sign his name when posting with the Ninja Mountain account...)
Well, "inarticulate" may be being a bit harsh on yourself, but you've redeemed yourself at least with the plug for Burroughs and Lovecraft in my book. LOL!
Great show guys, just finished it up and it's a lot of fun to hear you talking about your favorite movies and such. I've passed on my love of Harryhausen to my 12 and 8 year old sons. The Sinbad movies and Jason and the Argonauts are regular movie nights for us!
I know you talked about the more "quality" classic movies such as Citizen Kane, Casablanca, which are truly great films, but do you guys like the B movie stuff as well? Stuff like Invasion of the Saucer Men, 20 Million Miles to Earth, etc.? I've found that even as cheesy as they are they spark a fun part of my imagination and have a different take on things then the flashy stuff of today has.
Christine - that's hilarious. Thanks for the update! :)
Daniel - I've seen a lot of cheesy films in my day!! So many SF and horror B-movies which I adore (Hammer could be my favorite studio ever!!)
I have been seeking out lots and lots of the classic Film Noir movies over the last few years. Most of those were shot on a shoestring and I suppose would count as B-movies. Even such classics as The Third Man, Kiss Me Deadly or In a Lonely Place are pretty low-budge affairs.
-Patrick
Here are some more fantasy authors I actually DO like, just to prove I'm not totally a hater. Maybe you'll find a logical thread here, or perhaps I'm merely capricious:
Orson Scott Card (usually), Piers Anthony (of course), Terry Pratchett, Stephen King.
It's not the "Fantasy" I don't like, it's that the field happens to attract an inordinate number of writers whom I simply don't like. But as you can see by this list and the last, there are a lot that I do!
-Patrick
Gotta say, I'm really disapointed in about 75-80% of the fantasy that is out there. Now I did enjoy LOTR (though Tolkien is a luddite) and the books by Christopher Rowley are excelent, but most fantasy is paper thin and only works because the world is populated by idiots. :)
BUT, the artwork will always get me to give it a look. :wink:
Actually, as illustraitors, what do you guys think about books whose cover art has very little if nothing to do with the content inside? I know that sometimes the artist has no say but I'm just curious what you guys think of that.
I ask because one of my favorite SciFi books is about a black woman living in a cyberpunk, space-faring world. The cover art is of a white woman wearing midevil armor in a fantasy world. It confuses and I would like your professional opinion on this.
One thing I found interesting was the comment that backgrounds are very important even for inside illustrations. I've recently finished two drawings for D5's RPG module and both of them have only figures :D One has two and the other one has five characters without a trace of a background. I guess I'm one of those silly people who don't even try.
Seriously, I think there are cases when background is just redundant. Either it would distract, make busy spots between and behind the characters or simply isn't important for the illustration.
If I am to show the characters and tell something about them, yeah, a background can help to squeeze in some additional information.
But often I don't fee the need. I don't know, I'm lazy I guess. Also, I did a lot of concept art, actually like 90% of my pictures were concept art and character, armour or weapon concepts don't need any backgrounds, maybe I'm too used to this.
Kat - When I was younger I bought MANY books at the used-book store with Frazetta covers and most were hideously awful. BUT I was introduced to a few great authors as well, like Burroughs, Howard, and Carl Edward Wagner. So even though I ended up slogging through some really bad historical novels, banal action yarns and wretched fantasy potboilers, there were some great things that the cool art got me to read.
My PROFESSIONAL opinion on covers that don't match the books? I'm all for it, as long as an artist got paid to make a cool painting! My opinion as a fan... ugh! Ripoff! :)
I made that comment about backgrounds--I wasn't talking about concept art, though. The context was very specifically sequential art/comics. There's nothing wrong with a drawing with no background, in and of itself. A comic with nothing but characters in action poses, however, bores the tits off me.
I thought that's what I said, but it was my first time on the podcast, and there were actually a couple of comments I made, which sounded very different in my head. Ha, ha.
Jan - I agree completely! Sometimes a background just gets in the way of what the illustration is really supposed to say. The design and the amount of information needed to convey the message should be more important than just squeezing in background detail.. However - if backgrounds are used they should be at least as accomplished as the figures.
-Patrick
Another thing that didn't come out quite right, on my end: when I said "I want to trace photos," what I really meant was "I want to draw over photos"--that is, have the actual photo be part of the finished piece. I'm into photography as well as drawing, and think it would be way cool to combine the two.
But then, I got off on a tangent about reference, and badgers....
By the way everyone - "Glassman" is actually Socar! Hi Socar, welcome!
Hey guys
Another amazing episode as usual.
I´d add Doctor Who as a very good reference for science fiction.
And I told everyone here in Brazil about your podcast, they loved and they are listening, so if possible, say Hi! to your brazilian fans.
Thanks Rod - I'm surprised no one mentioned the good Dr., especially with the Brits on the panel. ;)
I see on our Google analytics page that we've been getting a lot of hits from Brazil lately. I'll chalk that entirely up to you then. Thanks for the pimpin'!
Brazil seems to be full of great fantasy artists. I speak to a lot of Brazilians on DeviantArt.
By the way coincidentally Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger was on TV here in the UK yesterday. It was awesome as ever. I find Harryhausen's work to be one of those art forms that is even more impressive when you have some insight into how he did it. Incredible stuff where he has multiple models interacting with the back projected film footage. You really wonder about how many other people who have just not gone that far, or put so much effort into bringing it all together in such a labourious but wonderful way!
One of our listeners has actually worked on Dr Who, and some other awesome stuff too! Hi Peter if you're reading!
Thanks to one and all for commenting about the podcast. Really encouraging to see that we're doing something right and reaching far and wide. Cheers all!
Andy
Great podcast as always! Though, I might have to join the pitch fork and torch wielding mob heading for Patrick. I love Tolkien (though mainly for the scope of his world building). Nothing personal, but one just does not say no to a pitch fork and torch wielding mob. It would be rude.
Honestly, though, I agree that the vast, vast majority of fantasy is at worst absolute tripe and at best a guilty pleasure. Magic just tends to introduce one deus ex machina after another, though if I could hurl fireballs, I'd be tempted to solve all of life's problems with them too.
Excellentio!
Great fun once again!I laughed my way through this episode, almost following through on more than one occasion!
I'm glad Andy was not last again!
He seemed pleased too! :)
Thanks once again friends! :)
MuYoung - you're right, the mob is seductive. But you do see what I mean about (a lot of) fantasy. So I die happily.
Hey Atom! Much appreciated. Maybe we can move Andy up to the beginning this time...?
ZOMG! Promotion! I can dream... Just don't expect me to be able to edit!
I just discovered your podcast this past week. It is such a huge resource right now for me. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I am on ep. 5 currently. I can't download 6 in itunes yet, but i think it will play in google reader. So I have heard you talk about a forum. Where can I find a link to said forum? Thanks in advance for your entertaining and informative podcast for us aspiring illustrators. Maybe one day...
O mighty ninjas, will there be a new episode today? Since it's the Workers' day and all..
@Charlie: if you mean the RPGnet, it's here:
http://forum.rpg.net/forumdisplay.php?f=12
Charlie - great question! We have a private NM forum, and we've tossed around the idea of a public forum in the past. Unfortunately none of us can really commit the time it would take to properly moderate such a forum at this time. For right now, we'll have to make do with this blog system (and we are getting some great discussions going here!)
Jan, as you can see your request was answered! Sorry we were late this week. :)
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