Chris Howard's Writing & Art

Another Corina

Another Corina shot using the same three colors, black, gray, red. Here's the last post, similar style, crazy dance.

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Something new for Corina Lairsey

Corina Lairsey is the sympathetic protagonist in Seaborn.  She makes an appearance in the sequel, Sea Throne. No, she's not a vampire, but she's got a pretty good handle on how death works. I spent a couple hours today thinking about doing a new story with Corina at the POV character.  She doesn't come out of Seaborn in good shape, but she has power. 

One direction that occurred to me was a comic/graphical piece--but something entirely new, a new look, bold, and this is what I sketched for direction.  What do you think?

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"Vampire" discovered in mass grave

"A skeleton exhumed from a grave in Venice is being claimed as the first known example of the "vampires" widely referred to in contemporary documents..."

So that's what you're supposed to do: ram a big stone in the mouth of the vampire to prevent them from chewing others' shrouds and spreading disease.

Full story in New Scientist:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126985.200-vampire-discovered-in-mass-grave.html

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The advanced state of surveillance in our country

Spotted this one at the Target in Morgan Hill, CA.  Many of the Targets have video surveillance--at least the signs tell us they do, and given the low cost of quality surveillance gear, I believe it.  What really stunned me--shocked and stunned--were the integrated biologic units (IBUs) in the system. These guys are super tough.  You're planning to pull some shenanigans in a Target parking lot?  Give it up, man.  Move your op to a Walmart lot instead.

Here's what you're up against: an enhanced version of the Larus species (see gulls or seagulls), a ground nesting carnivore that will take "live food or scavenge opportunistically"--that means you, and can be easily reconfigured for ground surveillance and aerial bombardment, deploying up to eight AAMs (air-to-air missiles) for disabling neighboring surveillance systems, or dual cruise missiles with a payload variety for taking out large structures, metro areas, SUVs, etc.

Thanks to greefus groinks for the CC-licensed surveillance sign closeup on Flickr. All other photos are mine, although you're free to share and link.

Twilight...

Chloe went to see Twilight last night with her friends.  I asked her what she thought when she got home: "Beautiful" and "followed the book well, lots of recognizable dialogue right out of Meyers' story."--which she particularly liked.  Apparently there was also a lot of oohing and aaahing every time Edward walked on the scene.  Crazy vampire lovers.

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