Fizzle & Pop Feedhttp://www.fizzleandpop.com/index.htmlHumor, art, what have you.encollin@fizzleandpop.com©2007 Collin Burton. All rights reserved.2007-12-03T18:31:47-07:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:21:50 -0700News:collin@fizzleandpop.comWebsite2007-12-03T18:31:47-07:00http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/071203_blog_news.php#unique-entry-id-8http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/071203_blog_news.php#unique-entry-id-8
You may have noticed this page is now called the "Art Blog" and there's a new link in the sidebar called "VOX Blog." VOX Blog is where I'll be actively posting from now on, only posting here when I have something art related to share.

The main reason for this change is that I can post to the VOX blog from anywhere, at any time. Like, from work while eating lunch. I can only post on this page from home because it's tied to my website design program, and if I forget to properly synch my web files it can really mess things up. Also, after spending all day at work on the computer I'm not usually keen to spend another hour on it at home. As you've probably noticed by the lack of anything changing in a month.

So, for the blog crap I used to do, head over to my VOX blog occasionally. Since I'm really out of practice writing I'd say you won't have to catch up on much if you don't go more than once a week. Also, and I just found this out, if you want to leave a comment there you have to set up an account. Why? No freakin' idea, but there you go. If you REALLY want to leave a comment and DON'T want to set up a (free) VOX account, for now you can surf back to this site and head over to the "Contact Me" page. Yeah. It's stupid and I'm sorry. I'll post all comments that I receive in my next update

Why, you may ask, don't I go back to using Blogger? Because, due to some friction caused by another employee's blog and certain members of our company's upper management, we have been blocked from accessing Blogger. The stupid thing is we can still (eventually) see a blog page, and therefor all of the posts that torqued management clockwise, but all elements actually hosted at Blogger don't load. Like, comments and occasionally images. And we can't post. I've tried emailing posts, but that doesn't work either. So, in spite of the owner of our company enjoying mine and Derek's blogs, Blogger is unusable.

That's enough for now. I'm almost dizzy from all this writing, and the cramps... oh the cramps! Catch you later on the VOX page. Or much later here.]]>The shirt on person.collin@fizzleandpop.comIllustration2007-10-29T21:47:49-06:00http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/071029_the_shirt_on_person.php#unique-entry-id-7http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/071029_the_shirt_on_person.php#unique-entry-id-7this shirt on this daughter person:

brainzshirt

She wore it to school today. The other kids thought it was weird. If that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is.

Oh, and I managed to get "Donut" inked, but not colored:

Donut

I'm still just too slow and clueless in Adobe Illustrator. Needless to say, it won't be appearing in the derby.]]>Woot printed one of my shirts.collin@fizzleandpop.comIllustration2007-10-27T22:31:07-06:00http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/071026_woot_printed_on_of_my_shirts.php#unique-entry-id-6http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/071026_woot_printed_on_of_my_shirts.php#unique-entry-id-6
brainsbrainsbrains-print-copy

If you would like to get one, you still can from this link: http://shirt.woot.com/Friends.aspx?k=4047

I have no idea how much longer they'll be offering the shirt though. They do a thing called a "Reckoning" every Monday where they delete the seven lowest selling shirts from their back catalog. I'm safe from this Monday since my shirt didn't go on sale until Thursday, but I'm willing to bet I'll be gone by next Monday since mine is pretty much exclusively a Halloween design and Halloween will be over by then. So, if you want it you might want to act fast. I've received my artist compensation shirts and it turned out pretty good. I'll try to get a photo of me wearing for a later post.

Also, if you want to get it before Halloween, you'll need to order by Monday and pay the extra $5 for 2-day shipping.

My final points for my entries last derby were dismal. I totally tanked that one. Here were the designs I had in the running:

BrainzZombieFood-comp

midnight_reaper-comp

things_in_my_head-comp

vampire_pumpkin-comp

None of my designs broke 50 votes. It was my worst derby since #2. This week, I have a sketch of an idea, but I haven't taken the time to actually finalize it, and now it's basically too late to submit with any hope of winning. Sure, some designs shoot up the ranks even submitted late, but mine just don't tend to do that.

Anyhow, the theme is "Nutrition" and this is my sketch, "Donut the Barbarian" :

Donut-the-Barbarian1]]>Weekend Updatecollin@fizzleandpop.comPersonal2007-10-14T22:01:26-06:00http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/071014_Weekend_update.php#unique-entry-id-5http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/071014_Weekend_update.php#unique-entry-id-5
People who know me know that I don't watch TV very often. It has less to do with trying to keep my mind from being turned to mush than it has to do with the fact that I almost never remember when a show I want to watch is on. There are a few exceptions, like Lost, CSI, My Name is Earl and recently Pushing Daisies.

That said, I just bought a TiVo DVR a few days ago. It's an 80GB Series 2 unit. They're doing a special until the end of the month where you get that unit and a refurbished wireless adapter and, if you choose the 2-year service plan, it'll cost you just under $100. It's quite awesome, considering that my local cable company – Comcast – when asked about DVR service told me that I had to upgrade to their Prime package that included two movie channels and it would cost me $56 a month. Um... no thanks Comcast, you bloodsucking bastards.

I'm not sure how this is going to impact my spare time, but I'm willing to bet I'm going to have far less of it. Couch potato, here I come!]]>Wouldn't you know...collin@fizzleandpop.comWebsite2007-10-07T19:22:55-06:00http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/071007_wouldnt_you_know.php#unique-entry-id-4http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/071007_wouldnt_you_know.php#unique-entry-id-4
Now, those of you who haven't been visiting long might expect me to go from that opening statement into something new and exciting. You regulars know better.

All I've got are a few site-wide changes, new sections, some updates, things like that.

I'll try to be more interesting later in the week. And I'll try to remember to tell you about it if I am.]]>A couple bad Flash ads and a side of bad spam.collin@fizzleandpop.comHumor2007-09-19T21:30:45-06:00http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/070919_flash_ads.php#unique-entry-id-3http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/070919_flash_ads.php#unique-entry-id-3

Are hookers getting so expensive that you need to refinance to afford one? And really, who wants to be locked-in with the same hooker for 30 years? Everyone knows that diversity is the name of that game, baby!

bad ad pt1
I'm pretty sure these are the same people that use jiggling spiders, creepy-assed clowns and stretched dogs in their ads as well.
---
Now on to the next ad. This one actually comes from a major automotive manufacturer and I'm seeing it everywhere. Shame it's stupid and done wrong. I'm blurring out the manufacturer because I really have received enough Cease and Desist notices to last me a good while.
bad ad pt2


"Grab Life for a Lifetime!"? What the hell does that even mean? And "roll over" is something you say to your dog or young children as a way to get them to do a trick. "Roll over this ad..." you dorks. But... What happened when I rolled over the ad?

This ---->

That's right. The ad opened up behind my web mail. Just awesome. Really. Luckily for them I'm not in the market to buy a Dod... new car anytime soon.

And lastly, the side of spam you've been waiting for with much anticipation, I'm sure:

Spam 1b

Well, I'm glad to hear that you've attained a high level of security and are FINALLY keeping up with the times, you stodgy old Bank Administration. It really stops trying after the second sentence. "Take note of the message..."? "...follow all the instruction"? "...we have your first born male"? Pathetic really. I have my first born male. I can see him from here, sitting on his teenaged butt across the room from me.

Best regards,
Fizzle & Pop Administration.

]]>More derby art.collin@fizzleandpop.comIllustration2007-09-16T18:29:22-06:00http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/070916more_derby_art.php#unique-entry-id-2http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/070916more_derby_art.php#unique-entry-id-2the website:

"We're tired of pirates. OK, we've had a laugh (or larrrrf) over Talk Like A Pirate Day (this Wednesday, Sept. 19), but how much more can we take before we walk our own plank? We need a new historical archetype to ironically adopt: Vikings, gauchos, centurions, samurai, Foreign Legionnaires, monks, Cossacks, something...your task this week, then, is to design a t-shirt for an archetype to replace the pirate."

Viking-comp

zombie_cowboy-comp

I have another idea as well, I just don't have the time to commit to it. Oh well.]]>More updates to the site.collin@fizzleandpop.comWebsite2007-09-12T18:31:41-06:00http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/070912more_updates_to_the_site.php#unique-entry-id-1http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/070912more_updates_to_the_site.php#unique-entry-id-1
  • I've added in links, some of which may change after I have time to test them to see if any are dead.
  • I've added a gallery of the hot air balloon photos I took two weekends ago.
  • I cleaned up some of the text scattered throughout, and tightened up the theme a bit.
  • Tossed a few eyeballs here and there. One of them changes colors if you know where to put the pointer.
  • I fiddled around with the blog settings and now know how to use a "keep reading" link and summary.
  • Ummm...
  • Oh yeah, I added an image of the first Woot also-ran shirt that I'll be able to offer somewhere after Sept. 30th.
  • I also decided to keep the first post on the blog after all. You have to start somewhere.
    • Retropolitan suggested that there is a way to move my archive over here if I'm using Wordpress. Unfortunately, I'm not. I'm using a basic blog page built into RapidWeaver. Still, I'll look into it at some point and if it's possible I'll get it all over here. That's several years worth of posts that I don't want to just give up on.

    Tomorrow they will close voting at http://shirt.woot/derby and three of the top four designs will go to print Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Hint: mine isn't one of them. But that's okay, they'll announce the next derby theme right after voting closes and, by jebus, I'll make it into the top three next time!

    If any of my friends and fans from my "Illustration Friday" days happen by and read this, you should check out the derby. It's like IF with cash prizes!]]>    My first post on my new blog. Too bad it won't be a keeper.collin@fizzleandpop.comIllustration2007-09-10T17:30:26-06:00http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/070910first_post_on_my_new_blog.php#unique-entry-id-0http://www.fizzleandpop.com/blog/files/070910first_post_on_my_new_blog.php#unique-entry-id-0http://www.fizzleandpop.blogspot.com or http://fizzleandpop.vox.com/.

    Nothing is happening at either right now as I'm far too busy trying to get this beast up and running. At some point comments will be enabled, etc. Until then...

    um...

    Here are my two latest designs for the Shirt.Woot derby:


    192730759-M

    193045658-M



    They aren't doing so well, but I'm getting used to that.

    ]]>