Design_FullMoonLanding

This is a poster I drew for Neat Yale Thing The Sandy Gill Affair to hype their Wednesday show at The Space.

Easter Eggs: 5 pins for 5 band members.

Fun Facts: Narcissistic webcam pics are good for something.

Baa: I played the trumpet from 5th grade through high school. I was pretty okay until I got braces, and had to start over from scratch. A year later, braces removed, I had to start over again from scratch, at which point I said, ehh, I'd rather just draw.

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Fun_Bedgrave

This is a graffiti inspired by the song, "Doctor Doctor," by The Sandy Gill Affair. They took the song down, but it was pretty great, just check out that lyric floating up top.

This is the replayable version, showing the step by step process behind it all:

I hope to do more graffiti soon, hopefully more people get the graffiti app.

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YDN_zlm.Vanilla

[Update: Final Art]

If anyone ever pulls this on you, you're obligated by law to sing along or forever be deemed a sucka.

Zero Like Me #19: Vanilla
<- Previous Comic...Next Comic ->
-First Comic-
Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 3, Calvin and Hobbes' dance moves in panel 4, callback to the series premiere as we wind down for the year. TSGA, GCGG, RM.

Fun Facts: Nyao can speak perfect English if she's quoting something, and she's not really angry unless her top ears pull back. Quite rare, I drew this in just one day (homework + a takehome screwed up my schedule) and had to cut corners to make the deadline, so the final version will appear soon.

And now I know what happens when I draw from rap instead of rock. In a related story, I cannot wait for SPRING FLING! It's going to be incredible, but for some reason they've decided to host it at Stiles...

Also, in an effort to be more social, please enjoy the new segment called "Baa."

Baa: I will again be dumping my stash of Monster at the JE Dining Hall's nagging table this Saturday, so pick one up if you need it.

Final draft soon,

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Fun_SpaceBattle

I had a pretty eventful Spring Break kick-off weekend: a basketball game and a rock show.

Friday Yale nuked Dartmouth, and my old suitemate even did what I believe is called a "breakaway" (twice), one of which ended in a dramatic dunk (The crowd, guy at left, included, went nuts). I usually get incredibly nervous when he gets the ball, partly because he himself looks quite nervous, but he's certainly improved.

Saturday was the season closer for basketball, vs. Harvard, but I had pledged to support The Sandy Gill Affair at The Space's Battle of the Bands. I discovered I was on my very last page, so no better way to close out a sketchpad than with rock-inspired art.

So here's a gallery of the night's competitors.

Up first was Twas Windmills.

I thought I might as well tag on a little score next to each band along with brief comments, so here's what I wrote for these guys in my sketchpad:

"Excellent guitars, weak vocals"

4/5

Dying to Live

This duo was comprised of neophytes giving it a go, so hats off for getting up there, which is always worth congratulations.

1/5

NoG Jam

"Insane guitars and vocals."

These guys really got the crowd going, and the lead singer's often bored persona was in perfect contrast to the electrifying music.

The lead singer even stopped by to check out the sketches, pretty neat, nice guy.

These guys should have won...asterisk.

5/5

The Sandy Gill Affair

"Bluzzy vocals"

I know what they're capable of, but their vocals, which should have been a selling point, killed them for me.

You can have high energy without blasting--I could enjoy Novus Dae's music and vocals, screaming included, because they controlled their sound so well that nothing buried anything else. TSGA just jolts right up to eleven, not just musically: they start jumping around right off the bat. Build up. Establish ethos before going nuts. Once it's understood you're great and don't care, then go crazy.

One of your strongest weapons is your lyrics, but the vocals are always so utterly lost amid the blaring music, to the point where sometimes you wonder if there are even vocals buried underneath it all!

On the slower sections of say "Mothers and Lovers" (?), the vocals shine, but it really helps to lure us in even during the medium to faster parts. The vocals are always robbed: seek the clarity of NoG Jam: fast and heavy at times, but both music and vocals share the stage evenly without one obliterating the other. I'm rooting for you guys, but tape yourself and study your live performances in comparison to other bands.

I went to a My Chemical Romance concert last year and it was incredibly difficult to follow what they were blaring out, but they had the entirety of Madison Square Garden singing right along because their songs are already etched into our brains. When a band is starting out, they don't get that kind of leniency.

4/5

Mike Falzone and the Peppermint Trick

"Beautiful songs but fuzzy vocals, cleaner than TSGA"

I saw this dude in a cool military jacket, and I'm like, I'm going to draw that guy! As soon as I get to his shirt, he discards the jacket...thanks. Anyway, these guys were great, especially Mr. Falzone's infectious laugh, but I did enjoy NoG Jam more.

The group won the audience draw spot, a bye which I don't believe is fair. Theoretically, Dying to Live could just pack their local high school buds and their families into a caravan and earned a spot. It makes sense for the venue, since fannies in the seats means more money, but artistically, I disagree.

4/5

Ambrosia

"Mostly merely presentable, nice guitars though"

These guys had some obnoxious fans, man. Another downside to the audience draw award: if you bring a bunch of people, vying solely for that bye to the next round, will they show equal respect to all the acts?

Ambrosia had the look of a real emo band, but the music couldn't back it up, unfortunately. The guitars were alright, but the vocals were pretty weak, and overall they just weren't too engaging.

3/5

Novus Dae

"Pro quality...last song sounds like Radwimps"

The great asterisk of the competition. My comments were scarce because these guys were so obscenely good, I was speechless, textless, and almost sketchless.

The only weird thing was that their last song sounded a bit (coincidentally, I'm sure) like this song's chorus by the Radwimps.

But in any case, it felt like these guys were way too good to be in this competition, so while no one questions their winning the critics' choice award, I do question their entrance; these guys should easily be touring the country right now.

5/5

So assuming Novus Dae didn't enter, the top two were easily NoG Jam and either Mike Falzone and the Peppermint Trick or The Sandy Gill Affair. All in all a great show. And Harvard beat us, so the rockshow was definitely the better place to be.

And my sketches even got a few visits from people. One guy asked if I was a pro. Haha! I have been paid a few times for my work, actually, but I'm still as new at this as most of these bands are at their craft. But nothing beats drawing to great rock music.

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Herald_mc.TheCure

Last Crash: Smalltown girl Bee Farnam teams up with Peepi the country sprite.

Emo kids, man, I'm telling you.

Monsta Crash #5: TheCure
Next Comic: Here
Previous Comic: Here
First Comic: Here

Easter Eggs: Emo182, ma[kishimamu za horumanu], The Sandy Gill Affair, The Cure, four-star dragonball, guffinium, RADWIMPS. Crash 5 in panel 5.

Fun Facts: Robert's hair and name are from the Cure's Robert Smith, but is otherwise modeled after another rocker Smith. A theme by the Cure helped inspire this series.

This one was fun because of all the Easter Eggs. AND it's even Valentines-y, too.

ALSO: Check out Yoonjoo's recently launched page as well as Yale Herald Comics Online.

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Fun_GreatRichardAffair

I went to a great rock show this past Sunday night, these are my sketches.

The show featured pretty much my top three favorite "Neat Yale Things" (on the left bar). These are, of course:

Great Caesar and the GoGetters
Richard Miron
The Sandy Gill Affair
As well as a band called Suitcase of Keys. They've got a really great song called "Fallen Leaves." The only downside to the lineup was that Great Caesar was short several GoGetters...

So it's always great whenever these guys perform but for once the audience is actually worth mentioning: the audience was one of the RUDEST groups of people ever assembled.

They seriously would not shut up! It's not like these were strangers on stage; these were people most in attendance knew somehow--why would you disrespect them by treating them like elevator music?

Completely unbelievable.

But in any case...I did sketch some of the nicer audience members, and even met someone who likes my artwork, which is always nice.

This girl had an interesting hat and bright red pants.

The first sketch was a girl in this cool flannel get-up with a beanie brooch or something.

The second sketch features a girl with an incredibly fluffy hood. It was huge.

Sidenote: man, The Sandy Gill Affair has some serious toe-tappers.

This is Mr. Miron, who weaved through the crowd before and after his set. I strained to hear him most of all because people just would not shut up. So frustrating.

He's playing a show in February, and I hope to make it over, so I can actually hear him this time, and maybe get a better sketch.

Although he did play THIS, which made my day!

The violinist was great, too, of course.

In conclusion, here's a Work-in-Progress of a drawing I've been working on. This fellow wasn't at the show, but he is the subject of my very first drawing of 2009, started on the 1st, and very near completion now.

Clue: it's terribly awkward whenever he's around, no fault of his, of course.*

*Technically, this means it could be anyone...even me.

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Fun_TheSpaceRock

Here are sketches from The Space's rock show in Hamden, CT last night.

We arrived just as Goodbye Terminal was wrapping up, but they sounded great (top right guitarist).

I went for The Sandy Gill Affair, who did just great, although it sounds like they changed the intro to "Winter In Westchester" from its old "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" sounding version. Anyway, I might be a jinx for them because they always have really weird audio whenever I'm around. Their first song was really wacky, but they recovered fast and well.

Article 19 had some incredible songs (top left, Seth Green guy).

The final singer, minus her saxophonist, was a tedious listen, reminiscent of the anti-climactic finish at last year's Battle of the Bands.

Frankie concluded my drawing session, but not before getting some audience shots. The center guy was even kind enough to talk to me. He asked me a question I'll answer on Monday.

Also, many people enjoy wearing those hiker hook keychain deals.

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Fun_SixInJapanese

Continuing a veritable Rocktober, Sunday's Yale-A-Palooza yielded an incredible array of talented Yalies. The standout was without a doubt one Richard Miron. He sounds incredible live, like a youthful Death Cab for Cutie, packing a 90s nostalgia because of how closely he sounds like this guy. Everything's alright when he hits the mic.

Unfortunately, I missed most of the festival because I went apple-picking again this year, whose rain date landed right on the festival. I can't say those delicious apple donuts were worth it; I missed a bunch of bands I really wanted to see and sketch. The apples were huge though.

The day prior, I went to JE's Great Awakening and eagerly scarfed my kabobs and Klondike bar so I could sketch. This is the lead singer of Great Caesar and the Go Getters. Unfortunately it was only him and the saxophonist, but it was still a fine show.

The Sandy Gill Affair followed, but fell victim to its common curse: bad audio. The lead singer couldn't be heard, his accompanying vocalist blared, and none blasted louder than the piano. I really wish they had checked their sound better. Problems with audio killed them at Battle of the Bands last year, and allowed a mistake like the Laura Z. band to win.

You could be the greatest band on campus, but if no one can hear you, that's it.

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Fun_RockKorea

Special hello to Yale 2012: congratulations!If you're reading this, please know that at Yale, you're set for an incredible freshman year; it will be the best single year of your life. And then other stuff happens after that, which I won't go into right now.

Anyway, Yale has great stuff for you, including Yalie rock shows--that's right, it isn't all a wasteland of "hip" "hop." They even had a benefit concert for Korean aid recently. These are some drawings from waiting for the show to start.

This is a great guitarist from New Jersey band ASBPN or "After School Band Practice" for short. The guitarists redeemed the unimpressive vocals.

A lady in the crowd.

A Loide in the crowd.

Here's the other guitarist from ASBPN.

I'm happy to report that I most enjoyed a band called the Sandy Gill Affair, even more than the typically dominating Mad Mad Prophets. These are both Yale bands and while the latter is a bit more polished, it still feels too similar, and thus inherently inferior to, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. SGA is significantly improving and captures that spirit of escape I love in music.

So you can catch the Sandy Gill Affair tonight at the 10pm Battle of the Bands in the Saybrook Dining Hall.

Take care, 2012, and please come to Yale, especially if you draw comics, in which case, check out the Herald,

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