Mech9 2013 Year Ender

2013 wasn't a good year for me, though it was a milder version of 2011 but still had its share of ups and downs. I was joking with my wife before that bad luck always seems to come to us in years with numbers ending in prime numbers. Looking back at all those years and I can't help but think that there might be some truth to that hypothesis. Thankfully there is my Faith in God that gets me through the hard times. Sometimes you have to put your trials in perspective against the trials of other people so that you can realize that your problems are trivial.



2013 saw a lack of posts on this blog for me. This blog is my release valve from all the troubles in this world. Posting on this blog is supposed to be a respite where I can clear my mind and recharge. Sadly, for 2013 it didn't work that way. I looked at this blog and lacked the motivation to post.



I looked at all the new stuff that companies were putting out and all I could do was say...Meh! All these new releases offered me no life, no spark, nothing to inspire me to post.



I found solace in reading old comic books and thanks to the generosity of friends, was able to read on some more recent issues that made me catch up to speed with what's been happening in the comic book world. Sean Howe's Marvel Comics: The Untold Story has been an eye opener for me and is truly a good read. I grew up collecting and reading Marvel Comics so it was fun to learn about its history and ups and downs through now adult eyes and biases.


Sketching got way out of hand this year. Its what got me off this blog as I was madly induced to scratch lead on paper. I guess it was due to the influence of reading all those comic books *snicker* I'm happy that my skething improved a lot this year, if you compare it to my old sketches. Of course I'm not saying that I'm good enough to draw a comic book, but that I'm happy that I improved from those childhood dribbles I posted here in 2012. One good thing about sketching is that its a cheap hobby too. I spend about a buck-twenty for a cheap-generic-50-page sketch pad.


From sketching I graduated to inking and this was where I found my lake of tranquility. To the point that in time I was sketching because I wanted to do inking. Inking became my relaxation from the day's folly's. Inking however is more expensive than sketching. Luckily I still have my technical pens from my college days as an engineering student, so it wasn't that much of a financial black eye to get me started. One of my hurdles is that I can't still find a decent supply of cheap ink, costs about a buck for a small bottle that doesn't last very long.


2013 was like living in a haze for me, it reminds me of the time I woke up from a minor surgery and was still groggy from the anesthetic. Your soul wants to do something but your brain doesn't want to budge. I wanted to work on some posts here but my brain would find excuses not to do it. Waking up today to 2014 however felt different. There is the hope of starting a fresh, even though its just because of the changing of the calendar. Quite silly actually, but hey, we all need something to keep us going through the trials in life.


So from me, to you. Happy New Year and I pray you be Blessed and Safe this year.