Piracy P.S.A 2011

Facing the Pirate Scourge Head-on

Cliff Harris, the creator of Positech games, decided to address his concerns about piracy in a most effective way-asking pirates directly "why do it?"
Here is a brief exerpt from the article:
"A few days ago I posted a simple question on my blog. "Why do people pirate my games?". It was an honest attempt to get real answers to an important question. I submitted the bog entry to slashdot and the penny arcade forums, and from there it made it to arstechnica, then digg, then bnet and probably a few other places. The response was massive. This is what I found-"
-Cliff Harris


(Click here)to read the full article.

Interested in creating comics?

Then Manga Studio Debut is may just be for you!

  This software is an all-in-one tool to for being able to present amazing results in regards of creating comics specifically for beginners.  Created by Smith Micro, Manga Studio will help you with the latest tools which can help any artist achieve in creating stunning manga or comics, allowing the user to be able to publish their work for professional-level prints as well as save in multiple web files.

Manga Studio Debut 4 helps the user adjust to the program with options such as a beginner interface which  allows easier access to each tool, which is pretty convenient for those who don't have experience with art programs. The program comes with tools such as speech bubbles, tones, brushes/pens, and a multitude of paper sizes for all sorts of prints such as post cards or a comic page. Another cool thing about this program is that it can even import/export files in photoshop in case you want to do just lineart and color in photoshop. All this for only $50!

Links for info and downloads to trials (not piracy related of course!):
http://manga.smithmicro.com/

Internet Piracy video

Being an internet pirate is a big deal and this shows you how much of a big deal it is. Watch and enjoy.

Marvel Zombies (Because Zombies are heroes too.)

Marvel Zombies

     Oh zombies. Much like the disease they are, they have spread into everything from World War II shooters to, you guessed it, Marvel Comics. Marvel Zombies (did come out before zombies were all that and cliché) is exactly how it sounds, your favorite Marvel heroes only zombified. Thing is, it is a lot more fucked up than you would think. If you chose to read on, prepare yourself. Its gonna be a helluva ride.

     So right away it starts with a major plot point. Magneto, not zombified, shut a dimensional portal, trapping the zombies in this dimension and world. As Magneto says what he has achieved, zombie Dare Devil replies, “yeah, we’re trapped here alright. With you.” This is the starting 2 page panel revealing some of the Marvel zombies. Dare Devil, Thor, Spiderman, Moon Night, Ant man, Captain America, Like Cage, Wolverine, and Angel are zombies and wish to eat Magneto. He puts up a hell of a fight. Hell, he cut the top of Captain Americas head off, causing some of his brains to spill out. Oops. It is actually revealed that he is Colonel America, not captain. That is never really explained. So yeah, they eat Magneto, yummy. Funny thing is, oh, and Wasp, Hulk, and Hawkeye make an appearance. Hawkeye dies though, wasp gets the first bite, and Hulk gets a leg. It wasn’t pretty. Anyway, back to the funny part. Apparently, when they eat, they can rationally and controllably think. In fact, Spider-man starts talking about how he regrets and can’t believe how he ate his wife (Mary Jane, poor thing…oh well) and aunt. Hell, Ant Man tells him to shut up on the grounds that everyone has eaten a loved one. What gets really funny is how they almost want to figure out…what the fuck. They don’t really care for this whole, zombie thing. They just know they’re hungry, and food is low. The hunger is so consuming, they can think of nothing else. Ant man starts questioning how or if they can die. Colonel America proves that losing some of their brain won’t do it. Hulk reverts back to banner because his hunger has been satisfied. Yeah.

     Figure this gets a new paragraph because now they have to go back to Iron Man and report on the Magneto situation. They try and lie, and say that he was vaporized. But that didn’t work because Tony asked “Hey Spider-man how’s the wife and aunt” which caused Spider-man to start crying about it. Bottom line, between pussy man and Banner, Tony figured out that they didn’t share.  Funny enough, Tony and Steve are still friends.

      In the mean time, Ant man (Hank Pym) went off to his lab. Why, because he has a secret stash. Stash of what? Hmmmm, how does the Black Panther sound? Pym has Black Panther heavily sedated so that he can cut off his limbs and eat them. What sucks is, his wife, Wasp, finds out. Yeah, that ends with Pym biting her head off and spitting it somewhere with absolutely no remorse. He then eats Panthers leg. Yummy.

     Oh but all is not lost for the zombies found more food. Who you ask? Oh no one special, just the fucking SILVER SURFER!!!! Yeah, apparently, Galactus has chosen to devour this world so that he may live. He sends for Galactus and tells the zombies their fate. What do they say?  “Get him!!!” fierce battle I must admit. Iron man lost his lower half. Wolverine lost his left arm. Many zombies died again. But the Surfer made one mistake, he fried Hulks face. So, Hulk bit his head off. Tasty. So yeah, Silver Surfer is dead, they eat him. Must have tasted like cosmic powers because that’s what they got from him. Isn’t life great when fucking zombies have the power cosmic? Oh, this shit just keeps getting better.

     Oh yeah, while all this shit is happening, Black Panther escaped with the aid of Wasps head. That bitch is still alive. Yeah, he ends up running into a bunch of Magneto’s people who made sanction on Asteroid M. Panther is so goody goody that he brings her head up there with him. The scientist on board is happy, he can try and find a cure. This whole sub story thing doesn’t really have much care in the story. After all, who gives a shit about the alive bastards?

     Back to the good parts. So after frying every other zombie and finding out that zombies taste like shit no matter how you cook them, they turned toward Galactus himself who has come to devour their world. They figure out fast that they can’t kill him. So Pym, Tony, and Banner use their zombie brains and think of a way to kill this bastard. His meat will last them for years! When they figure it out and come to kill him, they run into some old friends. Yeah, the villains!!! Say hello to zombie Super Skrull, Green Goblin, Venom, Doctor Doom, Jugernaught, Rhino, Saber tooth, Doctor Octopus, and Red Skull. That fight was short lived. Only Colonel America died. Skull ripped the rest of his brains out. So ok, the villains suck and now Galactus is theirs for the killing. They killed him, and ate him, not in that order. They ate him alive. The world eater got eaten. Ha! You know what’s really funny? I’m going to make your ass get this because I am not going to spoil the super end. Oh it’s not over just because Galactus got eaten. No, no, see there is a real ending. It’s fucked up enough that you have to see it to believe it. So go get it.

    Actually wait. First of all, if this review made you sick, then don’t get it. Also, if you are a diehard Marvel fan and can’t stand to see your favorite heroes like this, don’t get it. This is not for the meek. This is heavy shit. You WILL see your favorite Marvel Heroes in the DARKEST light you will ever see them. I mean they are pure, heartless, ruthless, merciless, killing machines who don’t give a fuck about anything but their hunger. The dialog is well written to capture that fucked-upness. Even I was skeptical about reading this, but damn was it worth it. but you have to have a few things in order to read this.

1)      A VERY open mind.

2)      The realization that is an alternate reality and is in no way shape or form part of the cannon Marvel universe.

3)      A tolerance for zombies.

4)      And lastly…a fork, knife, and a loved one nearby.
-Jason

Wanted! (It's watchmen...for supervillains?)

Wanted

     The movie! NO! Fuck that. This is the real shit, the comic that the movie was based on. Wait, did I say based on? HA!! That’s a fucking joke. The movie didn’t have colorful characters like Shit-Head and Fuckwit. Sure it had Angelina Jolie, but Fox is black in the comics. Heroes, what heroes? Bitch, this is the Wanted universe. If you can’t handle it, then get the fuck out!

     Sorry if I made you cry there readers, but for real, the Wanted comic is nothing like the movie. truth be told, I’m not going to do a detailed plot detail thing because I want you to read it. By the way, the movie is rated R, the comic is too. Lots of cursing, some nudity, and a guy named Fuckwit. I will give you an overview. See, Wesley Gibson is still the main character and he does find out he has the ability to become a member of the Fraternity and he does have the given talent to kill. But the Fraternity is much more than it was in the movie. There is no faggy ass loom of fate. See, this world is a world where all the heroes are dead. D-E-D, dead! The Fraternity pretty much runs world, much like the Illuminati, only they are evil. Anyone in their organization has the power to do whatever the fuck they want. They can kill who they want, they can rape who they want. Nothing is out of their grasp.

     The reason the movie couldn’t accurately follow the comic aside from length was because if it did, the film would be rated NC-17, the highest rating a movie can get. Wesley’s trained was more than just shooting dead bodies. He went out into the streets and had to kill random people. Random people. He then moved on to everyone who caused him any amount of grief. Like the girl who rejected his offer to take her to the movies or his old geography teacher. He even raped an A-list celebrity and got away with it. You want better, the Fraternity, you wanna know what they do? They go to different dimensions killing the heroes. It’s brutal. Wesley is a demon with his gun. Yeah, he fucks Fox too. He rapes who he wants and kills who he wants, they all do. It’s a fucked up ass world my friends.

      Basically what I am trying to say is this. This is not for the strong Christian types. Aside from the vulgar language I demonstrated, there is innocent deaths, not so innocent deaths, and then just more deaths. Guns, murder, chaos, rape, death, and yet there is still a president, still police, still people in jail. The Fraternity is a living incarnation of Hell. They can’t be stopped. Everyone in it is evil. Their connections are the deepest that can be, hence the ability to rape celebrities and kill entire precincts without someone knocking at your door asking what the fuck. Set your morals aside if you read this one, they’ll only stop you from continuing. But I must say something cliché, but so true. Wanted makes being bad look so fucking good.
-Jason

Batman: The Killing Joke Review

Reviews

Batman: The Killing Joke

     Batman: Killing Joke is written and drawn by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland. This short graphic novel actually contains one of the most important events in the DC Universe. This is the graphic novel in which Barbara Gordon is turned into the Oracle. For those of you that do not know Barbara Gordon is Commissioner Gordon’s daughter and was Batgirl. Because of the events in The Killing Joke, she can longer be Batgirl and has chosen to become the practically all seeing Oracle.

     This story actually has two plots going on at once, changing every several pages/panels. This actually presents to us a Joker Origin story as remembered by the Joker and shown in a black and white rather than color. This Joker origin story is actually a familiar one to avid DC followers. For the not so avid, this origin has the Joker before he had the white face, green hair, and red eyes. His is never said, but he does have a pregnant wife. The Joker is portrayed as a man who quit his job at a chemical plant to become a standup comic only to fail miserably. Even with his wife’s support, he ends up making a deal with two criminals so he can score some extra cash. The plan was to go through his former place of work so they can rob another company. They make him become the Red Hood. Before the crime, he is informed that his wife died in an accident. He wanted to back out, but was forced to go on. During the crime, Batman came and took care of the other two guys, while the “Red Hood” was left. Batman scared Red Hood into jumping into a canal of chemical waste. When he emerged, his face is bleached, his eyes are red, and his hair is green. He is the Joker.

     The Killing Joke’s primary plot circles around what the Joker does after escaping Arkham Asylum for the umpteenth time. It starts with him taking over an abandoned amusement park and getting his first kill of the night. After that, he visits the Gordon residence. Barbara answers the door to see the Joker dressed in a Hawaiian style shirt. Of course, instead of saying “hi” the Joker shoots her point blank, just below the stomach. He then kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and takes him to the amusement park that he turned into a house of horrors. He strips Gordon naked and forces him into a ride in which he is forced to see pictures of his naked daughter as she bleeds after the Joker shot her. The intent of this was to break Gordon and make him as insane as the Joker is. Luckily, Batman came to the rescue and broke up everything, delivered Gordon to the police for safety and then tracked down the Joker. What happens next is so shocking and so, crazy, that I do not want to spoil it for you. This ends so bizarre that I really think you should go out and read it for yourself. It’s not a very long book, in fact, you can read it in less than a day.

    Overall, I say it is a book worth getting. The art is very good and brings out excellent facial detail so you can admire the Jokers psychotic smile to the fullest. To be completely honest with you, I had no idea of the importance of the story when I was going into it. When Barbara got shot, I was sitting there like, “whoa, that was unexpected.” If you are an avid DC fan, than I cannot see why you did not read this seeing as it is one of the most important events in the DC Universe. If you wish to get into DC Comics, especially Batman, this is a must read. Oracle plays a significant role in the DC Universe, and knowing how she became who she is, is important. If you are an overall comic fan, still read this. It brings a lot to the table that no one should miss. And the ending is something to die for.    

Photoshop inking tutorial part1

This tutorial teaches you how to use the pen tool to ink images in photoshop.  This is part 1 of 2, which is soon to follow.

Pirate v. Internet Piracy

Pirate

First called Sea people in 13 BCE

These sea people cause unrest in the Eastern Mediterranean

They steal valuable things from people out to sea

Attire: Tri-corner hat, eye patch, peg leg

Live On a boat

Most infamous pirates were the Pirates of the Caribbean

They have not died out. Most are petty thieves looking to make a quick dollar.

Internet Piracy

Started with Napster in 1999

They steal valuable copyrighted material

Attire: No set attire

Live in a personal home or apartment

Most infamous Internet Pirates are Pirate Bay , Limewire, and Napster

They have not died out and still steal copyrighted materials.

Mission Statement and Introduction

The Pirate Comix team seeks to inform and inspire those who would take interest in the Comic book industry worldwide. Our blog offers tutorials, tips, and go-to links that will help our readers improve and refine their art styles, keep up with the latest news on the Comic book front, and raise awareness about hot button issues, like piracy, in the comic book industry.
We want to address varied concerns, such as the rise in comic piracy, the concerns about the effects of the digital age on printed comics, the rise in amateur graphic novels, the rising competition from Japanese comic styles, etc.
New visitors to the site may be wondering why we chose to feature the digital media/graphic novel industries and piracy as our topics for this blog. Our style and content, hopefully will bridge the gap, as we find that piracy and plagiarism are one and the same, and in the digital media/graphic novel industries, are a long-spreading virus that poisons the creative mind.
We hope to inform our readers about the dangers of piracy[plagiarism], in both humorous and serious methods, as well as discourage future uses of plagiarism by providing informative links, videos, tutorials, and reviews of current industry media.The Pirate Comics based in New Jersey, but we're interested in GLOBAL comic issues; feel free to send information about comics from countries outside the U.S., we'd love to see them.
Please, feel free to comment on any issues you'd like to hear more about. Our links lead to comics that we've come across that we feel are worth a glance; please feel free to send us links to comics, novels, articles and movies you think we should take a look at.

What About Us? by Andre Douglas

The expression "its all fun until someone gets hurt" is an under statement in the world of Digital Media. Sean Parker the creator of Napster , a free file sharing service that allowed users to download digital material for free , started an epidemic that would surely take a toll on the entertainment industry. Although, Napster was seized due to copyright infringement , that didn't stop others from continuing his legacy.

Over the last ten years Major Blockbuster movies and Platinum selling musicians have lost a great deal of money due to leaks and Piracy. In 2009, the long awaited Xmen-Origins: Wolverine was leaked months before its release date. Not only was the movie still in production but the green screen effects and stunt wires were not added yet. So viewers got a chance to see the movie from a different perspective which had a negative effect on peoples perception of the movie. The film company feared that this will not only lower the ticket sales but hurt the reviews due to unclear footage. From 1989 until 2005 the majority of the music industry was profiting off of album sales. Major artists such as Pink, Usher, and Eminem were at the top of the charts with albums sales over 10 million worldwide. Since the growth of Piracy aswell as the Apple companys "iPod" sales have plummted across the board. The iPod which is a portable media player allows its consumer to add as much as 5,000 songs into the device. The cost of legal downloading ranges from $0.99 cents to $12.00. If you multiply a dollar by 5,000 you get $5,000+tax. In this economic struggle the average man does not have $5,000 to dedicate to listening to their favorite songs.So the better and economically wise choice is to illegally download the favorite songs for free. Thus, when artists such as Nelly, Christina Aguilera or Busta Rhymes, who were once Platinum ( 1 million or plus album sales ) selling artist are now barely reaching gold ( up to or over 500,000 in album sales ). Less album sales means less money for the artist, the label and the overall marketing for that particular artists. Generally , a major loss in profit in any occupation, means people have to get fired, the job opportunity for that particular industry is lowered. In such occassions the main focus is put towards their strongest players. Noone wants to take a risk on a "rookie".


So what does that mean for the aspiring students in college with a career based in the industry. If the entertainment industry is no longer hiring and becoming anal as to who they want to hire, how can these students find jobs. Or better yet , How can they pay back their high college loans? Piracy has affected the way people think, and operate. Some would say the smarter move is to embrace piracy and profit from it. Bootleggers , whom of which have been around for years have come to be an illegal enterprise. no longer sneaking into movies theaters with a video camera, the common bootlegger can now download their material off of the internet and burn them to a CD. So forget about the audience walking across the screen, these downloaded movies are taken from emails and film festivals so the quality is upscale and its the same as if you walked to BEST BUY and purchased it off the racks. But how can students fresh out of college make any money? Over the last 5 years , it has been common for independent filmmakers and musicians to release their material for free. Hoping to catch a buzz and create a following they then release another body of work for an extremely low price. And this tidious process is continued until he or she has reached a level of credibility to where "Major corporations or figures in their field" catch wind of their work and hopefully offer them a job opportunity.