Meowth: a study in character design.

I wanted to keep as much of the stray
underlines as could with this.  You can
really see how this was extracted from its
original 3D model & design.

"That's right!"  I wanted to kick off this Pokémon-themed week with a little doodling.  And, who would be a better suit for that job than meowth?  He's a classic anime character and a well known species among Pokémon fans, so, I said to myself "Eh, why not?"  

I started off this week hoping that by the end of it (which is when I'm creating this) that I would have drawn my whole ideal Pokémon team, inked, coloured  and featuring me as a Pokémon trainer, the whole works, but as time went on and nothing started happening (yes, I know I was procrastinating), realistically, I knew that I would just have to settle with something like this.  

Meowth, believe it or not, really isn't my favourite Pokémon from the whole series.  It's actually one really obscure one, as far as fandome goes, that holds my vote, and, if you weren't into Pokémon as a child, or have stopped following it since generation two, you probably wouldn't even recognize its name.  Its Lombre.  

Meowth's so awsome! It was even featured on
a special collectors' coin on the island of Niue
in the mid-pacific! Official mint. No jokes! 

Traditionally, since the first North American games (Red and Blue) I liked grass Pokémon, and so today, I still like grass Pokémon.  So, it is unlikely that I will be changing any time soon.  I also grew to love psychic Pokémon as well when they became more obtainable in the later games.  However, the only psychic- and grass-type pokémon that exist in the series are two that are really rare and almost impossible to catch in the wild through normal means: Exeggcute, its evolved form, Exeggutor, and Celebi.

Not to be dissing Exeggcute fans or nothing, but I kind of hated that pokémon back when I was in elementary.  To tell you the truth, I thought it was pretty ugly... a downright disgrace to the first-gen world of Kanto.  But, its Pokémon Blue sprite didn't do it any justice.  (Since when did an Exeggcute have an egg that large? It's a good three to four times bigger than the rest!)  It's kind of funny now that I think of it, but I used to think that an Exeggcute was some kind of naked sumo wrestler with eyes all over its body and not just a group of eggs, that is, until I saw it on the show.  I was relieved to learn this because every time I would battle one I used to get scared that my parents would see it or something and then take my Game Boy away!  Ha ha!  I somehow kind of wish I had one now though, now that I know the difference.

I made this one by using my other images
as my only two references. It might be a bit miss-
proportionate, but I loved working with the base
'skeleton' of this character in producing my own
unique stance from a different level of perspective.

Now that its been made obvious to you why I did not choose Exeggcute as my favourite pokémon, you are probably wondering, why Lombre?  Lombre statistically is not chose by many Pokémon fans as being their favourite.  It is just not the lovable type; not one that most people would tend to gravitate towards, but I love him just the same.  To me, Lombre's rad!  Its colour scheme is great, and its just the right height of a Pokémon for me (3' 11'').  I know I have strange tastes, but come on!  Who wouldn't love a pokémon like that?  (It kind of reminds me of a DJing monkey-kappa with a sombrero hat on...) Okay, wait.  Never mind.  Only a face a mother would love. (sobs)  


Meowth is one we can all agree on though, am I right?  He may not be my absolute favourite, but he is my choice from the 151 pokémon of the first generation of games.  My love affair with Meowth goes beyond its prominent appearance in the anime, too.  (Truthfully, I feel he has more brains and soul than his two accompaniments put together.)  I loved to capture and raise a Meowth or two when playing Pokémon Blue, and I still wouldn't mind getting one on my team today.

Pictures of Meowth were based off the 3D models of the pokémon as it appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
for the Nintendo Wii gaming console. Credit to its original creator, and to the genius behind
many of the Pokémon Franchise's character and art designs, Ken Sugimori. 

His, stats are good (swift and powerful) and his original in-game sprites were awesome (except from behind; his back was just a mess of pixels.)  I could not wait until I had him leveled up to Lv.17 so that he could learn Payday.  It was such a sweet move.  Extra cash, what's not to like?!  I would also give him a wide range of TMs that included Swift, Thunder or Thunderbolt, Water Gun or BubbleBeam, and Toxic, just to keep things interesting.  I found it strange that a normal type could be taught such a large number of moves.  He is, and forever will be, my favourite character from my first video game I ever owned.  
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Sorry if the links are kind of confusing.  I decided to try incorporate more sources for people who want to learn more about what it is I'm talking about in my blog, by providing them a general direction for them to start their search.  Click away!  Let me know what you think?

"Len-Komix is blasting off again~!!" 

Pointless. (a poem by me)

Sometimes...
Life feels pretty empty.

Like everything I've ever done
was pointless.
Like all the things I spent time establishing
meant nothing.

Incomplete, Vacant, Void.
But, why...?

My life isn't pointless.

Sometimes...

Life feels pretty full.

Like everything I've ever done

was progress.

Like all the things I have established

have meant the world to me.

Complete, Satisfied, Replete.

No lies...

Stand up, stand strong!

Rise and Revise!

You know the truth;

seek not the lies.

________________________
I am trying to figure out how to go about posting this to my deviantART.  I will provide a link to the deviantART page containing this poem later so that you can read people's comments there.
[Pictures: Chihiro from "Studio Ghibli's" Spirited Away, drawn by me.]

Riding on the Poisoned Earth

I posted this to my deviantART two days ago, and I thought I'd share it with you all on my blog here today: 

(I was amazed to find that someone had already 'favourited' it, only a minute and thirty-six seconds after it was posted) http://zozzmeister.deviantart.com/

Part of another scene-by-scene, as I call them, that I did for Studio Ghibli's: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind... 


I was really moved by the messages it contained about the balance of nature and the destructiveness of mankind. We all have the power to do good or bad in our lifetime, but no matter what path we choose, the only thing that truly matters once we're dead and gone is the impact we had on human civilization as a whole while living which will last and continue to survive even after death. This isthe common goal for all humans, regardless of race, gender, ethical background, etc., that unites us together as one human race. 


However, this movie is the grim portrayal of what may come into being due of our self-centered actions in life. In our pursuit for success, it is important for us not to forget the mother land, the one that feeds and clothes us with all life's desires and offers us a safe and stable place to live.


Do not let the desires of a single species cripple the planet and rob her of her precious treasurers in only one lifetime. We can do far better than that. 
One generation should never spoil it for the rest. 
____________________
This film gives me a gentle reminder of just who's roof we live under. As my mother always told me, "as long as you live in this house, you gotta live by our rules." And I just wonder, what does that mean for the state of the planet, if who's rules we were to break? 


It's just a thought, but it bothers me deeply. 
I would watch this movie again in a heart beat!


*I really want to read the original manga version of this.  Anyone know where I can find a copy?  
Perhaps I'll try chapters...