Michael' Exciting Life

Autumn trees, awesome trees

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 13:00:04 GMT

In the courtyard outside my house the trees have gone absolutely autumn crazy. The one tree in the middle has lost all it's leaves, some are still green, some are yellow, some red, some bright pink and some are kinda a nice mix. Top bananas. In honour of those trees I took a load of photos and montaged the fuck out them.

Click for bigger.

7th most exciting thing in the world?

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:13:30 GMT

I haven't checked for a while, but now my comic is kinda officially the 7th most exciting thing in the world.

The other 6 things above me are quite rightfully so. Exciting stories from around the world comes in at number 1, including a story about nuclear weapons, so fair play to that.

Number 2 on the list is an EU Research and Training Network with the aim to develop first-principles tools to describe optical properties of solids. I'm a big fan of both solids and the EU, so I'm all happy that is above me.

Number 3 is a comprehensive list of exciting things.

Number 4 is The EXCITING FP-LAPW Code, which is a full-potential linearised augmented-planewave (FP-LAPW) Fortran 90 code. And I simply can't even think what the world would be like without one of them. So wee.

Number 5 is a shop called Exciting Gardens in Illinois. Why not buy some exciting flowers to go along with your Fortran 90 code?

And finally number 6 is videos on the metacafe website tagged as 'exciting.' I'm not even going to link to that because I don't want to.

Michael
x

RSS adventures faster than the speed of light

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:14:04 GMT

So I finally sorted out my RSS malarky for all those who think websites are for squares.

http://syndicated.livejournal.com/melrss/

Here's the live journal synced version.

http://www.rsspect.com/rss/melcomics.xml

And here's the xml link.

sometimes this happens

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 15:49:30 GMT

Sometimes, before you know it, you are making a paper mache volcano with an awesome band. Do you know that feeling?

The Kiss

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 19:32:44 GMT

Heartbreaking, romantic, tragedies this week.

Ah...

Old and Corporate

Mon, 21 May 2007 23:51:04 GMT

See the Horse in the future! Wonder at how his grandchild doesn't have any horse DNA showing! Imagine maybe he has possibly got a horse's tail maybe! Use your mind to imagine Ltn Tuvok playing the drums on excel! And more!

Lovely things I keep finding

Wed, 16 May 2007 13:13:19 GMT

I can't stop but find brilliant things on the world wide superhighweb. This keeps stopping me from doing vital work for my university MA. hand ins, and could possibly ruin my life forever. But that's a little far fetched, and I'm sure it will be okay in the end.

I thought I'd share a few things with you, in an attempt to (possibly) ruin your lives too.

Firstly File-swap.com lets you give a file to someone, and be given a different file in return. This most definitely is lovely. I sent a rather fetching picture of Birdman:

And recieved a rather intriguing picture of some masonry that looks rather like a computer game:

'tis a rather addictive site. In other news, we all like to see renowned figureheads of pioneering art be laughed and considered circus freaks, so check out John Cage on a 1960's TV game show. In true Cagean fashion, we must treat the poor quality recording and audience nervous laughter as if it is part of the composition. Which, in my ever so humble opinion, is top bananas. Also, Salvador Dali on another gameshow is equally amusing. I wish people still spoke like that. In fact, I think I'll start.

This is lovely too, and pretty mesmerising. Grotrian Pianos. Audio visual interactive electronic music programs, in my opinion, are where the future of music lies. It's where truly original concepts are found. On a similar note, there's a great collection of weird ass musical instruments, and mp3 examples of most of them, at www.oddmusic.com. My favourite, I think, is the double violin, which is somewhere between completely ridiculous and completely delicious.

KAPOW.

The Most Exciting Teeshirt in the World?

Thu, 10 May 2007 23:45:04 GMT

I've finally got my childhood dream on a teeshirt- the 20 most exciting things in the world. Ever.

sharks

motorbikes

guns

dinosaurs

cops

bombs

guitars

lightning

cowboys

volcanos

treasure

space

mushroom clouds

rockets

music

goals

lesbians

exclamation marks

love

the word EXCITING

All over your chest like some kind of ferocious exciting barf! Ooooh yeah! If you're interested in a tee I can make that happen. For just £8! Have a look at:

The Shop!

My hiatus is over...

Tue, 08 May 2007 14:53:08 GMT

It was far too long, but my 6 week comic hiatus has come to a close. And to celebrate, I have managed to sort out a random comic button! Random buttons really are amazing, they have so much mystery and power to them. I must remember to put more random buttons, all over the website. Even when you least expect it!

Press it if you dare:

Local media frenzy night

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:59:51 GMT

Tonight was kind of out of the ordinary as I went on local television and local radio at the same time, doing the same thing! It was quite a 'miracle of technology' adventure event. We recorded a two song set of music for Manchester TV, then went to Fuse FM to play live, and they both ended up being aired at half ten.

This was enjoyable because when asked "what else are you guys up to?" on the radio, we could say, "well we're on TV RIGHT AT THIS VERY MOMENT."

We're trying to set up some kind of bimonthly local media frenzy Wednesday. But I doubt we could achieve it as successfully as this evening all that often.

Click here for listening to an adventurous new song I've just finished making! It is all about ghosts. Enjoy.

This has nothing to do with local media frenzy Wednesday. This is with a different project- called AMANAPLAN, which is me and a friend o' mine called Lorien.

PEACICLES.

Spamtasm

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 17:27:05 GMT

I get lots of spam sent to my comic email, but this one is by far my favourite (I recieved it twelve times today!):

Hello, my gentleman

It's nice to meet you here, in the Internet. I am glad that the
possibility to meet new people is getting easier. Internet helps us to
connect people, their hearts and souls.
In my country life is difficult and men are not good. I had bad
experience in the past. And now I am looking for a man abroad.
I am good lady, you can make certain if you look at me
here http://theloveisonline.com/darling

Bye

Olya

Reason 1) Hello my gentleman is a great way to greet your friends.

Reason 2) "in the Internet" makes me think the web is like Tron.

Reason 3) I am also very glad that the possibility to meet new people is getting easier. With more technology, there is less importance on distance- before cars we could only hang with people in our own town. Then we could travel the whole country. The internet means we don't even have to travel anywhere! Everyone thought computers would end up making us hide in our houses, never speaking to anyone and turning into zombies, but it turns out we can all hang out a million times more, with people all over the world, through our screens! That is great news.

Reason 4) I'm not sure what country this girl's from, and although her views on the male population seem cynical and quite pessamistic (Olya! My dear! Surely there are nice men in your country! There are nice men everywhere! Don't judge all males from your country on the few bad experiences you may have had!), it's still worth noting that she has no xenophobia. She is an open minded girl, and I like the way she is eager to spread her love throughout the world.

Reason 5) She is a good lady. I like people that aren't afraid of giving themselves compliments. Bravo that lady.

PS. I haven't clicked on that link, and I don't advise you do either.

TWO WORDS

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 11:35:00 GMT

PANCAKE MANIA

Pynchon myself

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:28:45 GMT

I've tried reading Gravity's Rainbow 3 times. The first time I lost the book somewhere in Hungary when I was mooching around Europe for a bit. I was silently relieved. Then I tried again, and gave up. Then tried again, and gave up. I think his writing style is a bit too gloopy for my liking, but he sure wears a good fez.

Why, for the most part, I make photocomics rather than comics...

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:13:58 GMT

Even though the sci-fi spinoff was a wonderful adventure, here's a glimpse as to why I'm looking forward to going back to photos. Also, James is sad no-one's seen his face for a while.

“Thing is, drawing comics isn’t that easy. From the first moment you sit down to draw - after finding any excuse you can not to face the increasingly stupid-sounding idea you’d been nursing for the previous day or so - a host of unforeseen decisions and hurdles start to multiply and crop up. Let’s take an example: your “idea” demands a scene which starts at night… someone sitting at a table, tired, drawing. Now unless you’re dealing with a character you’ve already developed, you realise, once you start to think about it, you don’t really know how to draw the person you thought you were imagining more or less clearly all this time. How old is he? What colour is his hair? (What does hair colour mean, anyway?) Also, should you show all of him sitting at that table, or should you just show his face? From the front, or side? If he’s tired, is he resting his head on his hand, or should he be yawning?

Eventually, really having no other reason not to start, you just start sketching, maybe drawing the figure from the side, hoping for the best. Shortly, however, he looks sort of bent over, like maybe he’s in pain, or bloated, or sick. But he was just supposed to look tired, you think. A normal guy just sitting there. Erase. You decide to turn him around, maybe show him from above, since that’s easier to draw, the shoulders and the hips sort of moving away from the viewer at an angle… then you draw what’s on his table, or what’s out the window, too, maybe, like the moon, that’s easy -

But now he looks like an animal, squatting. And why from above anyway? That seems weird, like something from a detective film. Erase. Better to keep it simple - draw it from the side again. Something sort of normal-seeming about that, anyway.Before long, you arrive at your first panel, and it doesn’t look quite as bad as you thought it would, though you wasted a lot of time getting up from your table to check your email and get a couple of snacks - and maybe you added too much detail to the drawing, too, though the detail is good, sort of, since it gives you some feeling of confidence. Possibly false, you wonder. Anyway, in that next panel, he’s got to sort of look like he’s considering what he’s drawing, sort of concerned a bit, for this to work. Maybe like he’s squinting at it, or something.

But. God - do I have to draw that whole stupid room completely all over again?

…And so on”

- Chris Ware

Drawing for a joke suddenly goes serious

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 02:05:02 GMT

Yes I only started drawing as a joke with my first Corporate Horse episode. But now I seem to be spending more time and taking care and making things that, for the first time, I think look quite nice. My new Corporate Horse comic is my favourite yet and I see a style and a vibe forming that will hopefully solidify and improve with time. That will be nice.

Also last night I had a dream that started off with a black screen and the words "based on a true story" flashing up in a white, IMPACT font. It was about a young kid who got sent to a borstal for a crime he didn't commit. A lot of the details are vague and sketchy now, but he did have a tall black and eccentric security guard friend who looked out for him when times were tough. The 'bad kids' in the borstal hated him, but the poor kid had some kind of learning disability, or autism, that meant he didn't understand human relations properly. These kids would bully the hell out of him but he'd constantly smile and think they were being friendly. At the end of the dream one of the bad kids poured lighter fluid on him. That's all I remember really. The interesting point was that it flashed up "based on a true story" at the beginning and featured autism, as if my subconscious was trying to win an Oscar.

Hmmmm... where's Freud when you need him?

Dead you say? Hmmmmmm....

In space, no-one can hear you draw pictures of yourself

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 08:58:13 GMT

Continuing my adventures into drawing myself with laser cannons for hands, I've started an entire Michael's Exciting Sci-fi spin off comic. I think Prendobot looks divine. Also, I can't wait until Parotron has lines. That should be episode three. Or maybe two.

Yes, it's a fun departure from photocomics, but they'll be back in two weeks.

Pow.

Robo me with laser canons!

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:27:35 GMT

I've just discovered the best hobby in the world. It is drawing pictures of myself with laser canons for arms. I cannot get enough of it!

Click on the pic to see my latest comic. Although now you know the punchline. :)

Corporate Horse

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:24:20 GMT

I've been having such a giggle of late drawing Corporate Horse in full colour. His peachy skin tones have always made me laugh, and so I thought I'd make the most of it by having a fully naked shot of the dude in the latest comic. Now that's a fine ass.

CHRISTMAS!!!

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 00:46:49 GMT

Yes, uncontrollably I got all Christmassy, and covered the house in cheap shiny things and lights and stuff and wrote a carol!

You can hear it at the bottom of the comic at the site www.michaelsexcitinglife.co.uk, and, for want of a better place for them, here are the lyrics. Sing along now!

christmas time
for michael and his friends
buying crappy pound land tatt
the glory never ends

santa is coming!
you can hear his sleigh bells ring
over the frozen winter air
oh what joy he brings

so let's all have a very exciting christmas
opening gifts by the fire
so let's all have a very exciting christmas
and just be glad you're not birdman

christmas time for gerald prendergast
is great coz he wants perps to kill
and crime is rising fast

James loves christmas,
Christmas is his friend!
He'll drink so much alcohol
he'll look like he is dead.

so let's all have a very exciting christmas
opening gifts by the fire
so let's all have a very exciting christmas
and just be glad you're not birdman

but christmas time
for birdman isn't fun
he eats beans on toast alone
coz he's friends with no-one.

And 10,000,000 turkeys
are all slaughtered today
and they are his brethrin,
culled for christmas day.

so let's all have a very exciting christmas
opening gifts by the fire
so let's all have a very exciting christmas
and be glad you're not birdman (x2)

WYBRICTIONARY

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 13:15:40 GMT

I have founded the...

WYBRICTIONARY

WHAT IS ALL THIS?

A wybrictionary is a dictionary of wybrids!
A wybrid is when two or more words are merged to create one word, for dramatic, sarcastic, comedic, comercial or awesome purposes.

The term "wybrid" is so delicious and amazing because it is a rare example of a word that is a perfect example of itself! You see, it is made by mixing "word" and "hybrid" together. Wowee.

This dictionary is interactive and can be added to by you! Submit your wybrids to wybrids - at - michaelsexcitinglife.co.uk.

Other good wybrids:

Mechacool
Root words: mechanical, cool
Definition: An adjective used to describe someone or something that is so damn cool that it must indeed be a robot, or of robot origin.

Sexcellent
Root words: sexy, excellent

Definition: Something that is perfectly balanced between sexy and excellent.

So come now and read and write! And help spread the word of wybrids around the world!

Amazing game!

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 01:28:56 GMT

So I invented an amazing new game, FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY! It's called LOBEQUEST, it basically involves the following rules.

1. This is a game for two competitors, lying on their sides, facing each other.

2. The objective of this game is to touch your opponent's ear lobe before they touch yours.

3. You can only move your arms and hands. Your torso and legs are not welcome here.

4. It is 1 point for a succesful LOBE TOUCH, and it is first to 5.

Now, this game is good because of the simplicity it has, like FOOTBALL- but then out of that simplicity come TACTICAL COMPLEXITY. The tricky thing is that you always need both of your arms to defend your own lobes, and as soon as you attack, you are, effectively, leaving your corresponding lobe, IN THE DRY (that is LOBEQUEST terminology). When one of you lobes is IN THE DRY it is open for your opponent to strike, but then again, they will also have to leave one of their lobes IN THE DRY in order to attack, which could leave them vulnerable.

INTERESTING TACTICS

1. THE DUMMY

Flail both your hands erratically into the air. This will dumbfound your opponent. Then pull them back in and strike the LOBE from along the ground! Classic.

2. ALL OUT ATTACK

Leave both your lobes IN THE DRY, power forwards with gusto, into your opponents hands- push and push until their arms buckle, and then you're through! You feel that unmistakable softness of LOBE.

3. THE CORKSCREW

This is when you grab both your opponents hands with your own, and twist! This causes their arms to twist, and with that momentum, drag their hands underneath your own chin, and pin them there. If successful, your opponent will have two LOBES IN THE DRY, and you will have two free hands to pounce. DOUBLE POINTS!

Enjoy the game. I will be back with photos and ammendments.

Michael
xxx

First serial episode for a while...

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 14:22:20 GMT

I've started a new five parter serial story about Prendergast, and the perils of living with a 2D cop stereotype. It's the first serial story I've done for ages, and although it's always tempting to do single eps with payoff gags at the end, it's quite nice once in a while to work on some character development. Yeah!

Was toying with the idea of posting new eps here, but decided they're a bit too big and cumbersome, so here's a nice smallafied version, which links to the site! Clever, eh?

Am playing a lovely folk gig tonight at Big Hands in Manchester, with Edmund Cottam. Should be a wonderful night- I expect great things!

Spot the difference!

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 01:01:53 GMT

Let's play spot the difference!

Yeah, I decided to continue my George Lucasesque remastering programme, and have completed four strips in total, which leaves 6 more oldstyle comics, that will soon be filtered out. I know the difference doesn't actually mean a whole lot, but to me I think it's important. Those last few comics in tahoma font grate the hell out of me. Soon they shall be destroyed! Hurray!

The four newly remastered ones are Ghost Shop, Prendergast, Stereotype? What Stereotype? and Weather on the M6.

Enjoy them!

On a whole other note, I spent last night watching Subtle live at the Music Box in Manchester, which was an amazing live show and a brilliant party, and then after went to Chinese Karaoke and sung Total Eclipse of the Heart with my friend Lorien until our throats were sore and our eyes were wet. Things kinda looked like this, followed swiftly by this. Can you ask for better times? No is the answer.

Comicoramafest

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 17:50:09 GMT

A lovely casual Sunday afternoon! Been trying to work out how to turn my music project AMANAPLAN into a full live band experience. We need to conjure another sexy hot guitarist out of the ether, me thinks. Then we will be ticking!

Just realised my links page on
the website is super out of date. I can't be bothered to sort it out yet, but here's the truthful list of awesomowebcomics that I check out for every update. For real, every single one is gold. FOR REAL. Some are even platinum.

(In no particular order, of course)

Sadam Hussain

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 13:40:42 GMT

I am upset that Saddam is going to be hung. I think it's such a shame, mainly because he looks like Father Christmas these days with his lovely beard, and also because he was one of my favourite South Park characters. The news has come out about the same time as this dude in England Dhiren Barot has been given 40 years in prison for trying to kill thousands. I'd say he's kind of on a par with Saddam, so why doesn't Saddam come to England and seek asylum from persecution? That would be top! He could stay at my house while he waits for the appeal as long as he promises not to gas my ass. Which I'm sure he wouldn't, on account of his lovable Santa-face.

My comic strips are selling now! There is a slow but glamourous trickle from the Exciting Residence, worldwide. If you want a strip, look here!

Michael's Exciting Store!

And, yes, I've started using LJ again. I needed to write about Saddam, you see.