Xaviar X. Xerexes

A Few Thoughts on World Cup 2014

by Xaviar XerexesJuly 27, 2014

So last year I wrote a thought piece on the current Confederations and their qualification systems for the World Cup. About a month removed from this year’s World Cup in Brazil I am emerging from acute soccer withdrawal and wanted to note some thoughts about Brazil. First off, this was an exciting edition of the World Cup. Great games, lots of goals and drama galore. The German shellacking of Brasil will go down in history as one of the greatest shock defeats in the history of the game. The advance of Costa Rica deep into the tournament was as great …

Bookmark: Tune

by Xaviar XerexesJuly 26, 2014

I was a big fan of the webcomic Tune by Derek Kirk Kim. I just grabbed the print books – Vanishing Point (book 1) and Still Life (book 2) to re-read. The artist on book 2 was Les McClaine who does a faithful job with the template created by Derek. It’s a great premise and I enjoyed re-reading it. I searched around to see if there was any talk about further updates — I recall the webcomic went kaput because Derek was focused on the print versions but really haven’t found anything that would clarify whether book 2 was enough …

Weird Al Has a Number One Album

by Xaviar XerexesJuly 25, 2014

I leave the country for a couple of weeks and… Weird Al has a number one album?! What is the world coming to? Well genius marketing by Weird Al with his eight videos in eight days push to release it sure has a lot to do with it. I crack up at Word Crimes and may someday like Tacky (right now my brain has overheard that Happy song to the point where it’s just too much too soon). [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc?rel=0]

Hey I’ve Been There

by Xaviar XerexesJuly 21, 2014

I don’t think Joel knows what he wants to do with Hijinks Ensue. It feels like 3 different comics stuffed into one box. I like the ones where it’s (semi?) autobiographical. Also I’ve been to the Schlitterbahn. And this ride is steeper than it looks. But none of it is as insane as this giant dome covered water park in Germany (h/t Kottke): [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFMa_kAANGE?rel=0]

One Way

by Xaviar XerexesJuly 21, 2014

A few quick thoughts on Christopher Baldwin’s One Way, his newest webcomic project and another story with a large group of characters in a science fiction setting. His last webcomic Spacetrawler had a similar mix of elements and quickly became one of my favorites (and a whole lot of other people too). For me, the biggest difference at the outset between these two comics is the unlikeability of the characters in One Way. Initially I really hated each and every one of them, which does make it hard to identify with the story. However, by now Baldwin has earned a …

Viva La Blog Posts

by Xaviar XerexesJuly 19, 2014

I’m not feeling all that amazing today but conscious enough to read webcomics and maybe clack on some keys. I noticed that Sinfest actually updated it’s website design. Still simple but certainly cleaner and with the benefit of newer artwork in the logo. Another thing looking at the Sinfest site reminded me of is that creator Tatsuya Ishida has kept his sparsely update “Notes from the Resistance” archives on the site all the way back to the first post in January 31, 2000 (not that far after the first comic was posted): January 31, 2000 Because man does not live …

Dave Kellett on Making

by Xaviar XerexesJuly 19, 2014

Dave Kellett’s Sheldon is still one of my constant favorites on the virtual comics page. This one is more of an inspirational poster, but a nice conclusion to his recent storyline on creating and art. Talking about creating and its value almost always has a personal resonance for me, given the twists and turns in my life regarding sitting down and making stuff (or not). The other really strong entry in this series of Sheldon strips was this one that touched on the perpetual challenge of any artist who takes the art seriously — as you improve your knowledge and …

My Mom’s Motorcycle: A Short Film by Douglas Gautraud

by Xaviar XerexesJune 5, 2014

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0DsvpE9aOk?rel=0] Jason Kottke linked to this — it’s a moving meditation on life, family, connections and meaning.