alterNative Media

Interview with C&I

2011-06-10T08:59:00.004-05:00

With the upcoming summer 2011 film, Cowboys & Aliens, Cowboys & Indians Magazine interviewed me about Natives representation in pop culture. Read more info here:

http://nativecomicbooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/sheyahshe-interviewed-for-cowboys.html

Blackstone Campaign - Like it on FB

2010-11-29T14:31:00.003-06:00

A message from my friend to the North, Beth Aileen Lameman, Social Media Coordinator - Zeros 2 Heroes Media...

The Facebook campaign being run by the television series Blackstone lends our support to the Canadian Aboriginal Writing & Arts Challenge, which encourages young Aboriginals to share and explore their heritage through creative arts. In doing so we hope to give these future storytellers a voice in preserving and strengthening the rich cultural tradition of Canada's First Nations communities.

A groundbreaking series on Canadian television, Blackstone is premiering in late January [2011] on APTN and Showcase. Set on a fictional First Nations reserve, it is a raw and authentic drama that follows the newly-elected Chief as she struggles to lead a broken community against the betrayal and corruption of the old regime.

To achieve our goal, every new 'Like' on the Blackstone Facebook fan page, starting November 29th, will see $0.50 contributed to the Canadian Aboriginal Writing & Arts Challenge. For more information and to help support this great cause, visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/BLACKSTONE/187563190880.

Caddo Language App Now Available on Android Market

2010-11-22T15:59:00.017-06:00

alterNative Media (aNm) is pleased to announce that we have deployed the Caddo Language app for Android devices, available for download from the Android Market. The Caddo Language app (v1.0.0) is a feature-rich mobile application that allows users to search for the Caddo translation of a word or phrase by entering an English word.

alterNative Media is committed to bringing the power of innovative technology to the Native community, so integrating this Cultural information with an Adroid app was a logical and exciting choice for us," says Michael Sheyahshe - CIO Developer for aNm - an enrolled member of the Caddo Nation. "By adding the Caddo Language app to the Android Market, we've made it extremely easy for the global community to help retain an immensely important Indigenous cultural resource. We developed an application that celebrates the Caddo language...available right on your Android mobile device."

Caddo is a language, made of several dialects, from the Caddoan linguistic stock of the Southern Plains and primarily spoken by members the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma. The Caddo Language app allows individuals to interactively search for Caddo words from an internal database (no Internet connection needed after installation) and the app suggests possible entries to choose from, as you type.

Android Market is an online software store developed by Google for Android devices. An application program ("app") called "Market" is preinstalled on most Android devices and allows users to browse and download apps published by
third-party developers, hosted on Android Market. The website, rather than the
Market app itself, provides details of some of the available apps, in particular
those that are termed "Featured", "Top Paid" and "Top Free". For a comprehensive, up-to-date list of the tens of thousands of titles available,check out Android Market on your handset.

To learn more about Android Market or the Caddo Language app, visit www.android.com or http://www.alternativemedia.biz/. You can also scan QR code below to take you directly to the Caddo Language app's location in the Android Market.

Coming Soon...

2010-11-11T13:02:00.006-06:00

Look for some exciting news coming soon from aNm...

...stay tuned for more !

Book Lecture at SEOSU

2010-08-26T23:44:00.003-05:00

Check out info on my book's website ("Native Americans in Comic Books") about a lecture I'm giving at Southeastern State University in Durant, OK on September 9, 2010.

http://nativecomicbooks.blogspot.com/2010/08/lecture-at-seosu-in-durant-ok.html

More Panels at CNMCC

2009-12-28T10:53:00.005-06:00

alterNative Media is pleased to announce that we have completed design and installation of 9 new exhibit panels at the Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Check out a slide show of all the panels at CNMCC (embedded at the bottom of this article) or use the following link to go directly to the Flickr site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheyahshe/tags/cnmcc2/show/

Just like before, many thanks to Billy Skaggs for his assistance in delivery and installation; without his help, none of this would've been possible (especially due to an unexpected turn of events involving a table saw).

aNm looks forward to working with the Comanche Museum in the near future on many new and exciting projects. Be sure to visit CNMCC and check out the other exhibits and keep your eyes peeled for more projects from aNm.

aNm's CFO, Mary Skaggs, Published in New Plains

2009-11-20T09:00:00.006-06:00

aNm would like to spotlight our very own Mary Skaggs who has recently been published in New Plains Review, "a collective presentation of a wide range of cultural perspectives and demonstrates the drive toward academic excellence upon which the University of Central Oklahoma is founded."

Her work, Whole-a beautiful and contemplative musing on having an Indigenous son-is featured in the magazine's "Special Section: Oklahoma American Indian Experience." You can read more about Mary and her professional, academic, and writing experience at aNm's "About" page.

Check out Mary and other authors at the New Plains Review website, http://www.libarts.uco.edu/english/newplains/index.htm. There, you can purchase a copy of the magazine and view their current call for entries for the next issue.

Once again: congratulations to Mary Skaggs on being selected for publication. You rock !

Art Video Game Credits on IMDb

2009-09-24T09:40:00.005-05:00

After a very long wait, I am very pleased to announce that you can now view the credits for the video game, Helix for Nintendo Wii.

You can view the credits for my artistic work on Helix here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1508668/fullcredits

This game is special to me, as it represents aNm's collaboration on a game with a local development studio here in the regional area (Ghostfire Games, located in Austin, TX) and further exemplifies our goal of supporting and providing viable artistic services to the the Austin game studios and any others in the regional area.

If you are a educational institution, local studio, or indie game developer, contact us today to see how we can help with your video game or simulation projects.

aNm 3D Art at Arts Festival Oklahoma 2009 !

2009-07-13T10:02:00.004-05:00

Exciting news for aNm: we will be at the Arts Festival Oklahoma 2009 at OCCC in OKC. Check out the acceptance/invitation letter.

Category: Graphics

Michael Sheyahshe:

CONGRATULATIONS!

The Arts Festival Oklahoma 2009 jury has been completed. There were more applications received than available booth spaces. Arts Festival Oklahoma is pleased to inform you that your application has been ACCEPTED and you are INVITED to exhibit in the Arts Festival Oklahoma 2009. The 31st annual Festival will be held on the campus of Oklahoma City Community College at 74th and South May Avenue.

We are very excited, as aNm will showcase art from our "Organic Noise" series (see slide show below, to see some of the art pieces we will have on-hand at the Arts Festival Oklahoma). Come check out our booth, meet / greet us, and see our exciting new 3D art.

New Book Review from World Lit Today

2009-06-23T10:21:00.001-05:00

The May/June 2009 edition of World Literature Today has offered a review of my book, Native Americans in Comic Books.

Please see the blog entry at http://nativecomicbooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-review-world-literature-today.html to read more.

Introducing the NEW Book Website

2009-06-23T10:12:00.004-05:00

As my hosting service at the illustrious (ha-ha) GeoCities has decided to close its virtual doors, I have transferred the contents of my website for my book, "Native Americans in Comic Books" to its new home, here at blogger.com.

While you can still access the book's website by entering the domain name, http://www.nativecomicbooks.com, you will now be forwarded to the website's new location at http://nativecomicbooks.blogspot.com.

Check it out and be sure to leave any feedback to help me improve the site. Thanks and take care.

Art Sold at Red Cloud

2009-06-05T15:50:00.005-05:00

I am pleased to announce that my art, "Bottle Cap Blues" (thumbnail version seen here, at left) has been sold at the Red Cloud Art Show. The Museum & Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School has been gracious enough to allow my artwork in its annual art show. This piece is part of the Organic Noise series, which can be seen here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheyahshe/tags/noise/show/

Beginning May 31, 2009, the exhibit, will feature "Native American and Lakota art from across the United States and Canada," and will run through August 9.

The 42nd Annual Red Cloud Indian Art Show is a great opportunity and I encourage anyone in the area (Pine Ridge, South Dakota) to attend and see all the great work from artists everywhere. You may even see work by friend, America Meredith, at the show, as well. (Thanks, Meredith, for encouraging me to apply to this show !)

Purchased by the Heritage Center, "Bottle Cap Blues" will now become a part of the Museum's permanent collection. Much thanks to everyone involved in the show and all the artists represented.

Update - CNMCC

2009-05-26T15:31:00.007-05:00

aNm is pleased to announce that installation of the first set of panels at the Comanche Nation Museum and Cultural Center went off without a hitch (unless you count the ones we used to hitch the panels up on the wall !). Here are some initial images of the panels, taken just before supporting material was added:

Much thanks to Billy Skaggs for his much-needed assistance in delivering and installation, without whose help, none of this would've been possible. aNm will return to install remaining museum panels later this summer. Be sure to visit CNMCC and check out the panels and other exhibits and keep your eyes peeled for more

New aNm Client - CNMCC

2009-04-24T10:55:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, alterNative Media is focused on providing services to enhance various Tribal communities in the Oklahoma and surrounding areas. With this in mind, aNm is proud to add the Comanche Nation Museum and Cultural Center (CNMCC), located in Lawton, OK, to our list of ever-growing client success stories. aNm will provide artistic and technical design services to CNMCC for various visual components that support the exhibits within the museum.

CNMCC is committed to "Preserving and expanding the knowledge of local communities about Indian Arts and Culture with an emphasis on Comanche History and Culture" and aNm is eager to assist the Museum in this endeavor.

You can check out the Museum's website at http://www.comanchemuseum.com/ for more info and directions to CNMCC.

What can aNm do for you and/or your Tribal community or business? We offer a vast multitude of services, ranging from traditional/digital artistic design to high-end 3D modeling and simulation work. Check out our website at http://www.alternativemedia.biz to find out more about how aNm can help you with numerous projects that can potentially strengthen and enhance your Tribal community and/or business.

Report From OEGE

2009-04-11T21:04:00.006-05:00

The Oklahoma Electronic Game Expo was a most excellent event for aNm. It was great to see all the individuals in the local OKC metro area come out for an event focusing on video games and electronic media. The staff and crew deserve many thanks and kudos for their accommodating attitudes and due to the fact that everything ran smoothly.

There were many vendors and sponsors and all the booths were busy with people interested in one aspect of video games or another. Indeed, aNm's booth received many visitors and friendly faces wanting to know more and talk about video games and electronic media.

At alterNative Media's booth, we displayed images from the digital gallery (which can also be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheyahshe/sets/72157603892304375/show/), were able to pass out many information flyers - about my book, Native Americans in Comic Books, the studio itelf, and our outreach to other '3D people' in the local community - as well as exchange business cards and do some good-natured networking within the 3D community.

Friend, David Downs came in for the "assist" in manning the booth, distributing flyers, and fielding questions from our booth's visitors. Many thanks to him for his efforts and professionalism at the expo.

We appreciate all the good people that came out and talked with us at OEGE and look forward to hearing from all of you that have 3D skills and to those that had potential projects to collaborate with aNm. Feel free to use our contact page for any communications about potential projects or collaborations. Look for alterNative Media at next year's OEGE event.

AbTeC Interview

2009-04-06T12:58:00.003-05:00

Beth Aileen Lameman - an Indigenous friend and creator of The West Was Lost and Fala comics, as winner of the APTN Comic Creation Nation contest from Zeros2Heroes - recently interviewed me for the Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace ("AbTeC") blog, "The blog of the Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace research network."

Here's a little info about AbTeC, from their website:

About

Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace (AbTeC) is a series of projects investigating innovative methods for First Nations to participate in networked culture to tell our stories while populating and shaping cyberspace itself.

Main

The main objective of AbTeC is to discover, define and implement methods by which Aboriginal people can use networked communication technology to strengthen our cultures. AbTeC’s Skins project will bring Aboriginal community organizations together with academic institutions to conduct research into the means by which the power of digital and networked technology can be put to use in producing and preserving our knowledge, culture and language. We will work with elder who have stories to tell, bands who have histories to preserve, and Aboriginal language speakers who want to share their knowledge. The goal is to provide conceptual and practical tools that will allow us to create new, Aboriginally-determined territories within the collection of web-pages, online games, chat rooms, bulletin boards and virtual environments that we call cyberspace.

Beth asks questions about alterNative Media, my opinions on fine art, and the future of video games for Indigenous people. My responses also came with a small peppering of nostalgia for some video-games-of-yester-year some of you might well recall.

Check out the interview here: http://www.abtec.org/blog/?p=118.

Look for aNm's Booth at OEGE 2009

2009-03-31T14:30:00.005-05:00

alterNative Media is proud to both sponsor and participate as an exhibitor for the Oklahoma Electronic Game Expo and Multimedia Conference - April 11, 2009, at OCCC in OKC. aNm will have booth space along with many other local business and services in the metro area. Click the link below to see the list of exhibitors at OEGE:

http://oege.catblog.occc.edu/wordpress/exhibitors-info/

aNm will showcase our many services and make exciting new networking connections within the local gaming industry. One of our main goals is to cultivate, support, and collaborate with Oklahoma's video game community and to foster growth towards creating a viable 3D game studio resources and talents to which regional studios (say, in Austin, TX) can outsource.

In addition, we will also have information about my book, Native Americans in Comic Books, from McFarland, available everywhere online.

Daily Oklahoman featured an article on OEGE. The article highlights the many events that will be at the expo including speaking presentations and the game tournament. You can access the store on the web at: http://newsok.com/occc-to-host-video-game-expo/article/3357567

Come by our booth, see what we can offer your projects, and say hello.

Sheyahshe Serves as Chair on NCU Accreditation Committee

2009-03-30T10:32:00.003-05:00

Northern California University ("NCU"), www.ncalu.us is developing an Accreditation Committee to receive accreditation through the DETC (Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council), a national accreditation body. Michael Sheyahshe - CIO, alterNative Media - has been appointed to this committee and will serve as Chair for Divisions III, IV, and V, providing oversight in the following areas:

Standard III - The institution and program provide educational services that meet the needs of students. The institution ensures that distance educational services are designed to optimize interaction between the student and the institution in order to encourage and facilitate learning.
Standard IV - The institution provides student services that encourage and assist the student to attain institutional and program objectives, intended course learning outcomes, and his/her educational goals.
Standard V - The institution verifies/demonstrates student success and satisfaction using valid and reliable assessment techniques.

The mission of the Northern California University School of Law and Business is to bring a traditional legal education to students with an online setting. NCU offers an alternative to the classroom by allowing our students live online lectures in the comfort of their home rather than a classroom setting.
...
Our instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, and continuing and distance education informed by scholarship and research. Research and other creative endeavors comprise an essential component of Northern California University‘s mission. All faculty members contribute to the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge. These efforts, supported by public and private resources, are conducted in an atmosphere of open inquiry and academic freedom.

The NCU Accreditation Committee facilitates assessment and accreditation activities within Northern California University; to encourage effective and fair assessment practices throughout NCU programs; and to support the accreditation needs of NCU. The primary purpose of the Accreditation Committee is to study program accreditation; development standards for the accreditation of NCU programs; and prepare for accreditation. The NCU Accreditation Committee will steer the university in the direction for DETC accreditation.

See http://www.detc.org/index.html for more information on the DETC

Another Critique of My Book

2009-03-25T15:45:00.004-05:00

A contributor to livejournal had the following to say about my book, Native Americans in Comic Books:

"The book annoyed me a bit with its critique of Native American comic book characters whose stories are set in the past. Sheyahshe commented that these characters reinforce the notion that Native Americans disappeared in the Old West days. It's a completely legitimate complaint--so the complaint itself I have no problem with...What annoyed me was the fact Sheyahshe brought this up each time he discussed one of these characters. It was very redundant. A few paragraphs at the beginning of the book, to comment on the problem and mention its applicability to all "historical" characters, would have made for a better reading experience."
*****
"Thankfully there are plenty of modern-day Native American comic book characters, so I didn't have to suffer through his redundant complaint too much."
****
"One omission that surprised me was the lack of commentary on the names that so many Native American comic characters have. The only name Sheyahshe commented on was Tonto's (Spanish for "stupid")."
*****
"Overall, though, I did enjoy reading the book. It made for a nice, nostalgic trip, and it sparked my interest in a comic book called Tribal Force, the creative work of a Tucsonan."

I can certainly see how someone might see parts of the book as repetitive: as an examination of many stereotypes and many comic books, there's bound to be a certain recurring element. Add to this, my use of a very specific set of criteria to evaluate the level of stereotype in each study and you can well imagine how a reader might feel this way, initially.

To certain extent, I agree that a short foreword / blanket statement about the problem inherent to all historic-only characters might have sufficed in some respects; however, given the sheer amount of continual stories that appear in comics, movies, and any other stories about Indigenous people, the event of portraying characters as historical artifacts only is exponentially more repetitive than I could ever be in simply documenting its existence. Yet, I can see how a reader might tire of reading about this tragic phenomenon - just as I tire of seemingly only seeing Native people with fringe, feathers, and on horseback.

But, as mentioned above, there are some modern-day Indigenous heroes in comics and we should celebrate them when we can.

This reader is correct about naming conventions for Native comic book characters: they certainly do seem formulaic and stereotypical, by nature. While the reader mentions the fine line between homage and misrepresentation, I would lean towards the latter, as I have seen far to few character names that seem realistic for Native people. Good call.

Also, I'm happy this reader was introduced to Proudstar's Tribal Force comic. My hope is that many readers will also have similar experiences of discovery and interest. Thanks for reading and taking time to comment.

Check out the full commentary here: http://footnotefetish.livejournal.com/458721.html

aNm Sponsors Local 3D Event

2009-03-25T11:27:00.006-05:00

alterNative Media is dedicated to encouraging, supporting, and cultivating 3D talent in the local Oklahoma City metro and surrounding areas. With that in mind, aNm is happy to be one of the sponsors for the Oklahoma Electronic Game Expo and Multimedia Conference ("OEGE") - April 11, 2009, at the Oklahoma City Community College campus.

Check out our banner, as well as the other sponsors at the OEGE website:

http://oege.catblog.occc.edu/wordpress/sponsors/

Look for us at this exciting event and be on the look-out for many other opportunities to promote 3D modeling/animation/simulation/video games in Oklahoma !

Late Entry to SF Art Show

2009-03-21T22:06:00.003-05:00

Thanks to artist friend, America Merideth, and show Curator, Wendee Key, some of artwork was again showcased at the 14th Annual Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair, March 14th and 15th, 2009, SF County Fair Building, Golden Gate Park.

Here are some details about myself and the other artists that contributed to the art show:

http://sfbookfair.wordpress.com/art-show/

You can also see a slideshow of the images I submitted to this show here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheyahshe/tags/robots/show/

All this, despite a (horrendously) late entry, on my behalf...

...and America spending time printing out my images...

...as well as her FedEx-ing them to the show for me.

Wow. Ouch.

To America and Wendee: much thanks and please accept my continued apologies and thanks for letting me be a part of this show again.

See http://sfbookfair.wordpress.com/ for more details about the event. Be sure to check out the "A Bit of History" link, as it's immensely interesting.

The New E-Face of aNm

2009-03-13T23:35:00.005-05:00

I'm pleased to announce alterNative Media's website has received a much-needed face lift.

Click the link below to head over to the website and kick the virtual tires. Let me know what you think !

http://www.alternativemedia.biz/

As always, keep aNm in mind for all your technical and artistic needs. As Oklahoma's "indie" film and video game community continue to grow, alterNative Media is happy to offer such specialized services as 2D Animation, Concept Art, and even 3D Modeling / Animation / Simulations to this burgeoning artist community. Contact us today and put our expertise and creativity to work for you !

aNm Listing at OFC Production Guide

2009-03-09T13:43:00.005-05:00

A quick look at some recent activity at the Oklahoma Film Commission, suggests there are many big things on Oklahoma's film-industry horizon.

(See the link here for more info.)

As a gentle reminder - especially to all of you about to undertake a film or production project here in Oklahoma - aNm has many artistic and technical services to offer filmmakers and TV production studios, including (but never limited to):

Traditional illustration / concept art
2D animation
3D models, animation, & simulation

...and many more.

alterNative Media is listed under "Animation - Computer" at the Oklahoma Film Commission's online Production Guide database at http://www.oklahomaproductionguide.com/listDisplay.php?id=10575. Of course, you can always see examples our work at aNm's online Gallery or with the slideshows here at the aNm blog.

Keep alterNative Media in mind as you begin production and put our creativity to work for you (remember: work smarter, not harder). Contact us today for initial consultation, quote, and milestone schedule.

Radio Interview

2009-03-09T09:02:00.002-05:00

Rob Schmidt, creator of the Peace Party comic book, and I were recently interviewed for a radio program out of Florida about Indigenous people in comic books and comic book mythology, in general. The show is called, "Beyond the Grassy Knoll," and while I'm not entirely sure what their website is all about, they certainly have a lot of theories...about everything.

However, the host was very polite and seemed to be genuinely interested in how Native people are portrayed in comics - plus, it was good to have a dialogue between Schmidt and myself.

Click the link below for the radio interview (running time - 59:10):
http://beyondthegrassyknoll.com/audio/sheyahshe-schmidt.mp3

Reaganomics and Watchmen

2009-03-04T20:52:00.003-06:00

A buddy of mine - Jeff Johncox, a journalist at a nearby newspaper - popped a few email questions my way about the upcoming Watchmen flick, which he assumed would be used as background filler for a larger article...one that doesn't look like it will see the printer's ink.

Rather than let this little dialogue go to waste, I thought I would post it here, in case any of you have comments about this topic, as well...

JJ: What did Watchmen mean to you?

MS: I'd 'heard' about the Watchmen for years before I finally got around to reading it. For many years there, it was splashed everywhere; I especially noticed its mention and reference in the advertisement sections of the comic books themselves. I seem to recall many specialty (comic) suppliers referenced the Watchmen visually and textually, at times.

Being isolated on a rural farm, I wasn't afforded the opportunity that many other comic book fans were: the local comic book shop connection. Sure, I made it to the local comic shops as much as I could, but I never just 'hung out' there, like many other (city) kids got to do. Thus, I was never privy to the 'inside-track' of what was cool and new in the comic du jour. Yet, as I mentioned, I was still aware of the Watchmen - and to a lesser extent, the hype surrounding it - but, I wasn't sure what the big deal was, so I didn't bother with it for a long while.

As it turns out, not reading it immediately was most likely for the best (more on why, in a moment).

JJ: When did you first read it?

MS: It was the late 1990s, in my early adulthood, before I actually read the Watchmen.

JJ: Did you immediately "get" it?

MS: As with way too many things in my life, I did not grasp the Watchmen's full meaning at first read. What can I say? I am a man - a dull-witted one, at that - and we men aren't exactly known for catching subtleties. Yet, even on the first reading, even without catching all the finer points, I knew that there was something very special about this story.

Don't get me wrong: I didn't fall in love with the Watchmen, especially not in the first read. Indeed, to this day, I'm not in love with the Watchmen. However, you don't have to absolutely love something to understand, on some level, its gravity and importance to the genre as a whole. One may not love "Moby Dick" or "A Catcher in the Rye," (Buddha knows I don't care for these), but one cannot deny the level of importance of these to works to literature itself.

The same can be said of Watchmen; its contribution to the comic book milieu is incomparable.

JJ: Was it something you realized, over time, was extraordinary?

MS: Indeed; the Watchmen storyline and characters have stayed with me - have played over and over in my mind - for years. Reading the Watchmen is like being introduced to the Greek Pantheon for the first time: you may not remember all the little details, but ideas and the ideals of the players and parts stays with you over time. Unlike many other comics that fill pages with fluff and filler (which is great, sometimes, if you're in the mood for it), the Watchmen is well executed and intensely intricate in the way its characters are handled.

Of course, upon my initial reading, one element that left a sour taste in my mouth was the story's delivery of a specific time period: the 1980s. This distaste came close to overpowering a more substantial element of the Watchmen: the use of propaganda.

JJ: How did the book capture the second "red scare" of the mid 80s

MS: I am not a political creature; in fact, I don't discuss - or even THINK about - politics. Much this is most likely due to my fervent attention to the political scene in the 1980s (Reaganomics, anyone?). The shame of being so astute during this time - a time of Cold War, Red Scare, and blind conservatism - most likely affects my current outlook; and prompts me to shun anything politically charged.

The Watchmen, its story and characters, are children of the 1980s, much like me. It is most likely this affinity that came close to turning me off of the storyline, initially. However, given that I did not read the Watchmen until years after that sad decade, the temporal distance allowed me to see the inherent rhetoric and nuclear propaganda that I would have most likely missed, had I read this work within the 1980s. It is this proclamation - the fact that the book so eagerly allows its story to be rooted in the confines of a specific time - that empowers its metaphors and allusions.

In short, the Watchmen is pivotal for the genre of comic books and sequential art. While the flavor of the 1980s always makes me want to brush my tongue, I still recommend the Watchmen as a good 'read' to anyone wanting to consume something of substance, in comic book form. As mentioned, the ideology and themes stay with me in my mind, which says much of the Watchmen's substance (it sticks to one's mental 'ribs,' as it were).

Article in Journal Record

2009-03-03T13:07:00.004-06:00

Upon discovering my lecture on Native Americans in pop culture at the University of Central Oklahoma, a reporter for the Journal Record, "Oklahoma's leading resource for Oklahoma business news and legal information," contacted me for an interview to find out more about my book, Native Americans in Comic Books and my business, alterNative Media.

Despite warnings of my true physical appearance, they even sent out a photographer (poor thing) to catch me 'in the act' at my studio.

Here is an image of the article that appeared in the Journal Record, Tues. FEB 10, 2009 (avert your eyes, children...!).

Steve Judd to Speak at OU

2009-03-03T12:59:00.004-06:00

Here is a flyer about an upcoming at the University of Oklahoma with Steve Judd, a Native buddy of mine working the in the film industry out in LA. Check him out, if you can...

IPI: Indigenous Peeps in the Industry - 06

2009-02-26T08:40:00.017-06:00

Shoot-outs! Deadlines! Ash-can comics! Priests with hidden torture chambers! Mounties! Bush! McCain! Hitler! Eight-year-olds 'packing'! Bold & Indented Text with Exclamation Points!! Algonquin comic creator, Joy Odjick, shares these elements and other stories with Michael Sheyahshe in this episode of IPI.

Jay and I first met when we were both interviewed for an article at Comic Book Resources, dealing with Indigenous characters in comic books. I feel a certain affinity to Jay as we are close in age and he seems just about as busy as me (WAAAY too many projects on the 'burners'). Jay was also gracious enough to allow me to interview him for my book, Native Americans in Comic Books - to be able to include the viewpoint from a Native creative source in comics (of which, there were too few) really rocked(!). Since then, Jay and I have kept in contact and updated each other on our busy lives.

Jay sits down and hammers out some thoughtful responses to my irritating questions and, somehow, makes them exciting (no help from me!). Of course, just to tease Jay mercilessly, making the interview this spicey took him quite some time. Heh.

Additionally, please see Jay's important notice at the bottom of the interview about some missing kids. Please spread the word and help in any way you can.

MS: Background info: what is your tribal affiliation and where are you from?

JO: I am a status Algonquin from the Kitigan Zibi community (band) in Quebec, Canada. I was born in the States, because my father was working there at the time, but he was born and raised in Kitigan Zibi (KZ).

MS: Did you have a lot of cultural interaction growing up? (Family gatherings, dances, ceremonies, etc.?)

JO: We moved back to KZ when I was a kid, and I lived on the reservation till I was about 16, when I left to go to college.

MS: When did you first get into comics?

JO: I got into comics while we were still living in the states. We lived in an Italian neighborhood in Rochester, New York that had a comic shop down the street from where we lived. We didn’t have a lot of money, but this was one of those shops where they took the books that didn’t sell, and ripped the covers off and sold ‘em for a dime or whatever, so we were way into that.

My mother also had a good friend who had a ton of comics and wanted to get rid of them, so he gave them to me and my brother...and, I mean, that was incredible. We had, like, Marvel comics from the 60s in that collection.

MS: Do you have a favorite comic; title or type?

JO: I don't know that I have a favorite all time comic (The Watchmen and Preacher are close to that though) but I suppose my favorite comics character of all time is the Punisher. I got bit by that particular bug when I was really, really young; in that stack of comics I [mentioned], we had the second appearance of the character, and it was just really cool and different from other comic book characters; the black suit, the skull on the shirt...and, y'know, he killed people.

I wasn't home at the time, but once, my brother was playing in front of the window of our apartment in Rochester, and this guy comes hauling ass down the street. This other dude is chasing him, yelling and whatnot, with a pistol. He opens fire, and literally, just takes this guy out, right in front of where we lived; my brother watching this whole scene. I get home later with my mother to a literal homicide scene; blood splatter dude, chalk outline, yellow tape, all that fun stuff.

So I think that's why that character appealed to us both; we didn't live in a world where a dude in spandex swung in and saved your ass, but people got shot. I think we could identify with a more edgy hero.

MS: Tell us more about the comic you've been working on; how did it all start / come about?

JO: Right now, I’m working on a comic for Bluewater Productions called The Odyssey Presents: Judo Girl / Venus. And I mean, not literally right now, but when I finish typing, I'm going right back to the drawing board; so it's pretty close.

MS: When can we expect it and where can we buy it? (...and will there be an NDN discount?)

JO: The book I'm working on now is slated for early '09. I can't say an exact date for sure, because of the way distribution works, but I think February is the month Bluewater is looking at. This will be the first comic I've had published by Diamond, so it’ll be available at basically ANY comics shop; and I’m going to talk specifics here, to make sure that anyone interested in getting a-hold of one of these (or ten. Buy like, ten, and I'll give Michael a big discount on his copy.).

Comics shops and retailers have to buy the books they stock their shelves with outright, from the distributor, in this case, a company called Diamond. Diamond receives the comics from publishers, then takes orders from retailers from their catalog, called Previews. Why am I boring you with this crap?

It's because odds are, if you walk into a shop when the book comes out, they may not have it; what you would need to do is ask the retailer, or a super helpful comic shop employee to order the book for you, and they will set it aside for ya when it comes in. You may need a Diamond order code, which is basically like a serial number that the retailer can use to order the book; I'll make that available at http://www.jayodjick.deviantart.com/, and my myspace page: www.myspace.com/jayodjick.

I will maybe even put together a nifty little graphic or banner that you can print out and just hand to the retailer with the order code right on it.

If you don't have a comics shop near you, hit me up at myspace, or email me at Jayodjick@yahoo.com, and I'll try to hook you up. Remember, if you buy a bunch of these, I will give Michael an awesome deal on his copy, and then I will, in turn, get a discount on his book he wrote. Ha!

(By the time the interview got done, we're now IN the month of February, and as far as I know, the book is shipping next week. Not Michael’s fault whatsoever, I just got very swamped. Check out Bluewaterprod.com tho!)

MS: Keeping in mind your other talents, what is your specialty?

JO: I don't know that I have a real specialty, art wise, but I think my favorite things to draw are superheroes and horror based stuff. It's funny, because although I've worked on about a half dozen small press books, this will be the first work for hire gig I’ve done for an actual publisher, and it’s a book with two female leads; I would’ve said before that drawing women wasn’t one of my specialties, or that I never thought I’d be doing this kind of book, but it just goes to show; you never know.

JO: I just try to create exciting pages, to do things that will catch a reader’s eye, or capture the imagination, and to be as dynamic as possible. That’s what I appreciate about comics – bold layouts, exciting composition – the energy of art.

So that’s what I try to get across in my own work. Whether or not I am successful, I leave up to everyone else to decide – but I’ve never done any less than my absolute best.

MS: Did you get special training and/or education for the comic book work?

JO: I started reading comics when I was like, four, and my mother says I was writing original stories when I was around five. Now, notice I didn’t say she said I was writing GOOD stories, but I was writing.

Other than that, special training or education...just a lifetime of reading comics, and being kind of obsessed with the idea of telling stories, verbally, visually, thru dirty jokes, all the classy stuff.

But if that answer doesn't work...yes, watching horror movies, wrestling, crappy sci-fi; very serious training, for hours and hours!

MS: Have you worked on any other comics?

JO: I've worked on my own self published series "The Raven"; I self published three issues and was working on the fourth when I met Arcana Studio honcho Sean O'Reilly at a convention; my company and Arcana had booths next to each other, the year Arcana won the Shuster for best Canadian publisher.

We talked about bringing the Raven to Arcana that weekend, and I mean...you've got to try to picture this: This was my FIRST ever con, my first booth at a con, and I had a chance to bring my own series to the company that won the award for best comic book publisher on the country.

I signed on; and from there we kicked around ideas for how to continue that series, and went kind of back and forth as to the nature of the Raven comic there; I changed the title to Kagagi, the Algonquin word for Raven, and decided to revamp the series in a double sized one shot.

So there’s that, which was one of my two babies; the other actually reached a much, much larger audience than the Raven did - and I actually sold over 2000 copies of the first issue of the Raven!

I created, wrote, and penciled a comic for Kevin Smith’s MoviePoopShoot.com website called Power Hour, which was a kind of parody about a team of superpowered people; not so much HEROES, maybe, but people who wanted to be, or wanted to be perceived as such.

I really, really have a soft spot for that comic; we did some really strong numbers on it, because of Kevin, and the fact he has an awesome fanbase. Overall, it was an awesome experience, working on the comic was great, Chris Ryall who runs IDW now was the webmaster, EIC there, so I got to hang my hat at a great site and work with some great people.

After Poop Shoot closed down, I had talked with a few print magazines about picking up the strip, but nothing ever came of it for a variety of reasons.

Other than that, some work for a few other small press books and some contract work my company had taken on.

MS: What are some comics with Native American characters in them that stand out to you?

JO: This is a tough question to answer, not for political reasons, just because I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but there haven’t really been as many as you might hope.

I really enjoyed David Mack’s Echo character in Daredevil, and when I met him, we talked about the character, and his own Native blood – he said he tried to do something non-stereotypical with the character, and the fact that she now plays a bigger role in the Marvel Universe can be a pretty good thing – depending on where they go with it. David is a great and sincere guy, and I really thought that was a solid take on a Native character in a non-token role.

I also enjoyed the portrayal of several of the Natives in Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Grey’s Hex – in any Western, you never know what youre going to get, but Jimmy is a great guy too, and I thought the portrayal of Native people in the Hex comics I’ve read was respectful and well handled.

MS: What is your opinion about Indigenous characters in comics? Do you feel we portrayed properly?

JO: I don't want to single-out comics, but I feel that Native people tend to be portrayed stereotypically in the media more often than not. That's not to say it's always like that, but more often than we should be, definitely.

I don't want to rehash things I've said in the past for fear of lapsing into broken record syndrome – but here’s some food for thought.

In addition to Native people being portrayed inaccurately or unfairly in entertainment, we also, all too infrequently, see inaccurate or untruthful portrayals of our mistreatment at the hands of government.

If you're doing a comic involving the reservation system, for example, take the time to read up on the history of reservations, the residential school system, the failed genocide attempted by governments and churches. I say "failed genocide," because that’s exactly what it is.

Did you know that there were "schools" in Canada that had medieval style torture racks in their basements? That some priests threw babies, newborns into ovens, and that even Adolf Hitler himself admired America's treatment of Native peoples?

Look into George H.W. Bush's sterilization of Native women, John McCain's history as the Chairman of Indian Affairs Committee and the eugenics programs that have been thrust upon us. All too often, writers tend to examine the effect but not the cause, and I think if they're going to try to use reservations as settings for fiction, they need to look at a lot of the reasons things may be the way they are.

I'm going to tell a story about an act of what I consider heroism now, that I think was kind of lost over the years. When the Indian Agent, the Priest and the RCMP came to my grandfather's house to collect my father, who was about 8 at the time, and his siblings, my grandfather boarded up his home, the windows and doors. He told them to get off his land, and there was a bit of what you would call a standoff.

My father, unbeknownst to the government agents, was actually a few metres away, in the bush laying down with a rifle trained on the men who had been sent. He said if they had tried to take his father away, he was going to open up on them.

Can you imagine that, just for a moment - being ready to take a man’s life, at that age? Our people have a history of standing up to oppression, standing up for one another, and even, in large numbers, standing up for the countries who have oppressed and tried to eradicate us in various wars, even in the present day.

It's time those stories came to be told as well.

MS: Do you know of any other Natives in the "biz" (comic industry and/or video game industry)?

JO: Not as many as I'd like to, but I’m hoping that in the years to come we'll start seeing more and more of our people not only in comics, but in all forms of media. Or, if you are a Native person in the comics business and I’ve never heard of you, give me a shout! Let me know that it's my fault I haven't yet.

MS: Any words of wisdom for others (Native or non) looking to do what you do?

JO: Run. Screaming.

Seriously, if you really, really are serious about doing it, and want to do it, you should neither care what I say, or really even listen to it; you should already BE doing it. Screw the hacks and bitter losers who anoint themselves critics and whatnot, if you want to create comics, just create them. Whether that be online, self published, or even Xeroxed ashcan type comics, if it’s a passion, start creating some comics. The industry can be tough, but if you like the act of creating comics, just go for it! I’d love to have more to read.

Speaking directly to Native aspiring comics creators for a moment - don't be put off by the fact that there haven't been many of us in prominent roles in the industry as of yet. Our generation has opportunities that the ones before us did not and we can do anything we put our minds to.

Often, the toughest criticism of our work will come from other Native people, or those calling themselves that. I've had people harshly criticize my artwork, often on a personal level, and some of them have even worked for the Canadian government or organizations funded by the government.

Always take a moment to consider the motivation of those who would seek to belittle or demean you or your work, and concentrate on pleasing the person who should be your toughest critic by far - yourself.

MS: Anything I've missed here? Anything you'd like to 'plug'?

JO: It's way too early to plug, but here is a big part of the reason I haven’t been doing more comics stuff of late - I'm working on a TV show for APTN up here in Canada. It's a show called Pirouette, aimed at children aged, I believe 4-6, and will feature animated segments titled "Anoki."

I'm doing character designs and providing artwork for the Anoki segments, which will help kids learn some words in three separate languages, including Algonquin. I’m excited to be involved in the project, because it is a dynamic, engaging way of reaching kids, and also falls in line with something I believe very strongly in; using media to help our kids learn some words in their Native languages.

I am doing a set of three children's books with the Algonquin Anishinabeg National Tribal Council that we will be distributing to every Algonquin community in Quebec, absolutely free of charge that will also help kids to learn words. Each book has a simple theme, Animals and Places, for example, so on each page, the kids learn two new words.

Pirouette is underway now, unfortunately, I have no launch date for the series; but if you like my art, check out the Anoki segments - for more on the show, or to learn when it will be on television, check out the studio, Nish Media's website at http://www.nishmedia.tv/, or drop by my gallery, which I update with info at http://www.jayodjick.deviantart.com/. Also, look for me at any of the usual social networking sites!

There is one thing I'd like to take a moment to talk about before we wrap this up, and this is more important than me and my opinions. Two Native Youths, girls from my reserve, one of whom is a cousin of mine, Maisy Odjick and Shannon Alexander went missing this past September 5th, 2008.

Please visit the website http://www.findmaisyandshannon.com/and help spread the word across Indian Country, which knows no borders.

Migwetch! Thank you!

Link on UCO Lecture

2009-02-06T10:12:00.002-06:00

http://broncho2.uco.edu/press/prdetail.asp?NewsID=6374&Weight=5

Book Review

2009-01-31T23:05:00.003-06:00

Wow. Somebody read the book and actually liked it? Somebody not related to me?
Joking aside, reading a review like the one Rita Kohn wrote (link below) is very touching and provides ample reward for authoring the book. Her review is not only flattering (which I enjoy, of course) but there is an undertone of deep sincerity in her review.

I had the great fortune to meet Rita during my time at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indiana and we must have talked for an hour or so, sharing, swapping, and comparing stories. Turns out, Kohn has published with McFarland (my publisher), as well.

From one former farm-boy to a former farm-girl: Thanks, Rita; much appreciated.

Read the full article on the Nuvo ("Indy's alternative voice") blog:
http://www.nuvo.net/blog/michael-sheyahshe/rita-kohn-75-years-comics

Who's Buying My Book?

2009-01-12T16:03:00.004-06:00

It's interesting (for ME, at least) to see who has been buying my book, Native Americans in Comic Books. At this point, it seems academic libraries are the main customers - and that's just fine with me. Check out the results of this simple Google search.

NMAI Libraryhttp://www.sil.si.edu/Libraries/nmai/files/2008-09_RecentAcquisitions.pdf
Winona State University, Darrell W. Krueger Libraryhttp://www.winona.edu/library/accessions/2008_september.html
Minnesota State University, Livingston Lord Libraryhttp://www.mnstate.edu/schwartz/newbooks091508.htm
University of New Hampshire Libraryhttp://www.library.unh.edu/news/newbooks/newbooks.php?feed=26&per=2
Nevada State Library & Archiveshttp://nevadaculture.org/nsla/dmdocuments/NSLA_New_Books_08_2008.pdf
Monroe Community College, LeRoy V. Good Library, Rochester, NYwww.monroecc.edu/depts/library/lvglist.htm
Hamburg University libraryhttps://kataloge.uni-hamburg.de/DB=1.24/LNG=EN/LRSET=14/SET=14/SID=527f75ba-0/TTL=1/MAT=/NOMAT=T/REL?PPN=106415689
University of California Riverside Librarieshttp://lib.ucr.edu/newbooks/index.php?type=Books&table=August_11_2008&call=
Ashland University Library (OH)http://aulibrarynews.blogspot.com/2008/09/library-spotlight-new-books.html

IPI: Indigenous Peeps in the Industry - 05

2009-01-02T08:56:00.014-06:00

In this portion of IPI, we are fortunate to hear from Jon Proudstar, creator of Tribal Force, a comic book featuring Native American superheroes and a historic first for a Native-created comic books, as he shoots the bull with Michael Sheyahshe (me!). In addition to his comic book milestone, Jon is a community leader and Indie filmmaker, working with such Indigenous artists as, Sterlin Harjo (a former classmate of mine, during our time at the University of Oklahoma) and others.

I first became acquianted with Jon when he agreed to do an interview about Tribal Force for my book, Native Americans in Comic Books. Since then, Jon and I have continued communicating and sharing ideas about Native American portrayal, both in comic books and in mainstream pop-culture, in general.

Here, Jon shares some wisdom and insight from his life experiences about how we Indigenous people can begin telling our own stories (which, if you've read my book, is one of my personal 'soap boxes,' as well). Enjoy.

MS: Background info: what is your tribal affiliation and where are you from?

JP: I am Yaqui, Jewish, and Mexican

MS: Did you have a lot of cultural interaction growing up? (Family gatherings, dances, ceremonies, etc.?)

JP: It wasn't till I was a teenager that I started to experience Pow Wows and ceremonies. I'm pretty much a City Indian.

MS: When did you first get into comics?

JP: I was about five years old.

MS: Do you have a favorite comic; title or type?

JP: Batman was my first real hero that I was into. Then came Spider-Man! Now, I mainly buy for art! I'm a huge fan of Cave Woman.

MS: Tell us more about the comics you've been working on; how did it all start / come about?

JP: My book is Tribal Force! It's the first all-Indian super hero comic in the history of the United States! I had always wanted to do an Indian comic book since I was a kid. I grew up in a heavily ethnic neighborhood. It wasn't till I was older that I realized all the heroes in comics where white. I began to contemplate what would happen if the heroes where Indian, Latino, or Black.

The actual story for Tribal Force came about when I was in my early thirties. My book first saw print in 96! (Wow, that was a long time ago.)

Since then, I have been trying to find an Artist with no luck. I have decided to draw the book myself. Sooooo, who knows if my new incarnation of Tribal Force will see the light of day. I'm such a slow Artist! I really don't consider myself an Artist. I'm a writer.

MS: When can we expect to see it?

JP: I hope sometime this year you will see the new book.

MS: Keeping in mind any of your other talents, what is your specialty?

JP: I am an Independent Film Director. My first film DUDE VISION won three awards. I am currently editing my first feature length film THE CHAOS EFFECT, a comedy about dating. Also have another project titled BARKING WATER which will open up at the Sundance Film Festival. This project was Directed by Sterlin Harjo and Chad Burris. Both Natives, yay!

MS: Did you get special training and/or education for the comic book work?

JP: No. But, I had collected and read since the age of five. I had also done mountains of research on Violent Youth Offenders and Survivors Of Child Molestation. That was a huge reason I wanted to put the book out. I always knew our people needed heroes which confronted issues that are important to us.

I can definitely say my screen writing helped me out a lot! The story is the strongest part of any book or movie. With out a good story, it's just a visual thing. Those [type of] projects tend to have short lives.

MS: Have you worked on any other comics?

JP: That's a negative, Ghost Rider.

MS: What are some comics with Native American characters in them that stand out to you?

JP: Obviously the X-Men! When I first saw Thunderbird I thought, "It's about damn time!" [Also,] Scout!

MS: What is your opinion about Indigenous characters in comics? Do you feel we portrayed properly?

JP: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I have always felt that Tim Truman's Scout has been one of the best portrayals of a Native [character]. Apache, to be more specific. The thing about portraying Native Americans when your not Native is: it's an Indian thing. Most people in America have never met a Native, much less know one. It's like the Golden Rule of writing: "Write What You Know!" Duuuuhhh!

I feel most people who attempt to write about us are confined to what Hollywood has doled out about us. Hollywood tends to keep us in a historical, romanticized view. There are very few films that portray moderns Natives in a realistic light. And even those portrayals are confined to a region. Most people think that all Indians are the same.

Guess what? We're not. We differ from Rez to Rez and Tribe to Tribe. There are 753 Independent Tribes in America...holy cow! I think most comic book creators are just to lazy to do the proper homework on us.

So what's the answer? From me, my opinion. Don't write about us. Let us handle the job. I am tired of being portrayed incorrectly by non-Natives. I am tired of seeing my peoples' ways and beliefs prostituted for the benefit of dramatic license.

What's the difference between Natives creating Native heroes and non-Natives [doing so]? It belongs to us. We finally have a voice, after 500 hundred-plus-years of being suppressed and almost killed off. So let me be the first to say "BACK OFF! !" We are here and we will tell our own stories!

This doesn't mean we are beyond help. Of course we need help and guidance in navigating publishing, business and money. But the stories and images must remain ours.

MS: Do you know of any other Natives in the "biz" (comic industry and/or video game industry)?

JP: You.

MS: Any words of wisdom for others (Native or non) looking to do what you do?

JP: Wow! Hmmmmmmmm. Have faith in your ability, learn to accept criticism, be open to new ideas. And if your doing this for the money or fame, good luck! Can't pay the bills with either of those. Be a hard worker. Say what you do and do what you say. The biggest thing in the publishing world is reliability. I know tons of talented Artists and Writers who are not working because they are not reliable.

Oh, and don't talk crap about other comic book people. This business is hard enough!

MS: Thanks, Jon. Always a pleasure...let us know when we can buy the new Tribal Force!

Online Caddo Language Database

2008-12-24T08:18:00.003-06:00

In an effort to make Caddo language more acecssible to a global community, I am testing the use of Blist, "an online social database" website.

Here is the CaddoLanguge Blist, which allows searching its contents by using the "Find in this Blist" text field.

CaddoLanguage
CaddoLanguage
Powered by blist

I will continue to test this and other communication modes. For now, enjoy the Blist and keep Hasinai alive by learning and using the language.

Eiteljorg Event in 2009

2008-12-17T11:46:00.004-06:00

See me at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indiana !
http://www.eiteljorg.org/ejm_WhatsHappening/EventsCalendar/default.asp

John Ostrander – Check out this link for a bio, award and writing list http://www.comicbookdb.com/creator.php?ID=108. Blaze of Glory, Apache Skies, Grimjack & The Kents, to name some, as well as his work on MANY other titles including Batman, JLA, Star Wars, Wolverine and X-Men titles. He also moderates a great message board http://www.comicmix.com/contributor/john-ostrander/.

Steve Sanderson (Cree) – artist/writer residing in Vancouver, B.C. – works with The Healthy Aboriginal to create comics about health and social issues for Aboriginal youth. Has worked with the Cartoon Network & Rockstar Games among others. Steve was selected to be an Artist in Residence at the Eiteljorg for a month later in 2009. Google him and you’ll find tons of great reviews/articles/etc.

Dan Piraro – writer/artist for the series Bizarro http://www.bizarro.com/; there’s an interesting overview here: http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/bizarro/about.htm. Dan really covers a wide variety of topics with his internationally known work. He has over a dozen publications and also performs a one man show “The Bizarro Baloney Show”. The day after the WNRC program, Sunday 1/25/09, Dan will be performing a show here loosely title “The Bizarro West”. I started coming across Dan’s Western and Native themed work last year it’s very funny and insightful and Dan has great stories to go along with them. Dan will be our Artist in Residence during the week before the program.

Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo) – Michael hs done some interesting research & writing into Native Portrayals in video games as well as being knee deep in his newly published book "Native Americans in Comic Books," was part of the 2007 program, and offered up loads of great information. Michael is a very busy guy in general http://www.anm-okc.110mb.com/ !

We also have several local folks that have been amazing resources for content, inspiration, research, planning and sending interns!

Dr. Greg Reinhardt – University of Indianapolis http://archlab.uindy.edu/faculty_reinhardtbio.php . In addition to the bio here Greg has the most pristine collection of comic books featuring “Indian” content on the covers ever seen– hopefully he’ll bring some back in ’09!

Dr. Larry Zimmerman – IUPUI/Eiteljorg Museum http://www.larryjzimmerman.com/profile.html . Larry’s work time is shared between the Eiteljorg and IUPUI (Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis) his work in Museum Studies and Native American Representation has helped create a lot of interest in the Eiteljorg program’s topic locally.

Andy Holtzman – Andy is a comic enthusiast and organizes the major comic show in greater Indianapolis . http://www.ashcomicshows.com/ He’ll be helping Eiteljorg to get the word out and arrange for some vendors to be present at the event – passing on his own show to contribute to ours!

Robin McBride Scott – Besides being an amazing artist, educator and presenter Robin has a very large collection of comics with Native themes. Robin was at the Eiteljorg as an Artist in Residence and collects comics. She’s been super busy with traveling around the county for museum work.

UCO Lecture

2008-12-17T10:59:00.003-06:00

Look for me at the UCO English Department's Sherman Chaddlesone Arts & Letters Lecture Series
http://www.libarts.ucok.edu/english/

Date: 02/12/09 (Thursday)
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Pegasus Theater

Topics will include my book (Native Americans in Comics) , Indigenous people in Pop-Culture, and video games with Native Americans.

UNM INLP Lecture Slides

2008-11-15T21:06:00.002-06:00

As promised, here are the slides to my INLP lecture at UNM.

"(Not So) Funny Books"

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: lecture book)

The New Tonto - Johnny Depp

2008-11-03T13:59:00.004-06:00

I don't normally like to get into these sort of discussions, because there are way too many opinions to sift through - as well as way too many blogs that seem preachy, at best - but, this topic is sorta within my realm of expertise.

Latest news: Disney is going to make a Lone Ranger film with Johnny Depp playing Tonto.
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/09/24/breaking-johnny-depp-to-play-the-lone-ranger/

Now, I'm all for a new Lone Ranger and Tonto flick, as these are some of my favorite childhood heroes AND I believe popular culture could use a new injection of how to portray an Indigenous character in popular media. I say this last part with hope that there will be some intelligent script-writing that will allow Tonto to be a real (human) character and not just a simple caricature...of course, we ARE talking about Disney here, so it's anyone's guess as to whether they understand how to do this (Pocahontas, anyone?).

Yet, casting Depp as Tonto gives me an itchy feeling at the back of my sterotype-sensing neck. This is the very sort of thing I mention in my writings (see previous blog entries on Native Americans in video games and my book, Native Americans in Comic Books, should you be interested), namely that not only do Indigenous people need to PORTRAY Indigenous characters (either in front of the camera or in voice acting work, such as in video games), but we must also be PART of the creative process when depicting Native American characters.

Unless there has been some major announcement I am not aware of, this is not the case. Don't get me wrong, I like Depp and his characters are almost always entertaining in one fashion or another. However, I still maintain that Tonto would be best portrayed by a Native American.
Yet, over the years, Depp has alluded that he shares this ancestry and "he is of Cherokee, Irish, and German descent, with some Navajo as well." (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000136/bio) I don't doubt this is true, as one could argue that some of his physical features fall in line with what many people feel are "Native" type features. Even if this is true, even if Depp is Native American, does that mean he is a good choice to play an Indigenous character of such prominence? A character that, after years and decades of misrepresentation, MUST be depicted in a positive light and one that accurately represents Indigenous culture?

To this, I must sadly answer, no, Depp is most likely not the best choice to play Tonto. While do not dispute his ethnicity in any way, I must question whether he is actually a PART of these Native communities. Was he raised near one of the tribal communities he mentions above? Did he have relatives that demonstrated specific Indigenous culture to him? Has he taken part in any of the aforementioned tribal communities, either socially, culturally, or ceremonially? Perhaps he has, but I find no mention of these activities.

As many before me over the years have stated and restated ad nauseum, we must have Native American people portray Native characters. No one would suggest black-face characters any more (unless, it's making fun of that portrayal, as in the recent, Tropic Thunder), so why do we have non-Native actors working as our characters? I'm not suggesting that Tonto ONLY be played by the darkest, longest-haired, fullest-blood, "true-ist" Native person ever (I am pretty sure such a creature does not exist)...but, please, find someone that at least has both the ancestry AND the cultural ties to allow that actor the specific insight needed to accurately imbue the Tonto character as a true representative of Native American humanity.

If we get that taken care of, the only problem left is getting some Native screen writers to get a piece of the action!

UNM INLP Lecture - new poster

2008-11-03T12:57:00.004-06:00

Here is the official poster announcing the UNM INLP Lecture for my book, Native Americans in Comics. Come out to NM and catch the lecture !

-Michael Sheyahshe

Publication for CDC

2008-10-21T21:24:00.006-05:00

During any significant event - catastrophic or otherwise - first responders, community groups, and many other public health individuals will most likely encounter individuals from vulnerable populations; populations that exhibit specific needs based on "age, class, race, poverty, language, and a host of other social, cultural, economic, and psychological factors." Such encounters are especially pertinent here in Oklahoma, considering our Native American community makes up almost 8% of the state's total population (see image below for more detail).

To assist in preparing the public health community, the Center for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) has published the "2006-2007 ASPH/CDC Vulnerable Populations Collaboration Group Preparedness Resource Kit," available online at:

http://preparedness.asph.org/documents/VulnerablePopulations.pdf

After being appointed to one of the CDC's Collaboration Group that focused on Vulnerable Populations, I was fortunate enough co-author this important document along with many other Public Health leaders from academic institutions around the nation. I chaired the committee on Ethnic and Cultural Minority Populations, which produced that section within the publication.

Individuals within the Public Health field and especially those first responders that will most likely encounter such populations are urged to review this Resource Kit to foster learning and enable improved effective response for such groups in future events.

Source: US Census FactFinder for Oklahoma

My Book Listed at Britannica

2008-10-20T21:41:00.003-05:00

My book, Native Americans in Comics is now listed at the Britannica online encyclopedia. Under the entry, "comic strip" and the sub-head of Additional Reading » Special topics, the book is mention as a resource. Check out the link below for more information.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/127589/comic-strip/12081/Additional-Reading

Kudos from Canada

2008-10-20T21:29:00.005-05:00

In an online article, "The top five Native American characters in comics," at the Miramichi Leader Online Edition website, Darcey McLaughlin offers insight to some Indigenous characters as well as praise for my book on Native comic book characters, calling it a "great book" and "well worth the read".
Doesn't get much better than that !
Check out the article link above and read McLaughlin's take on some interesting Native American characters.

Then...buy the book ! :)

UNM INLP Lecture

2008-10-14T10:52:00.003-05:00

The Indigenous Nations Library Program at the University of New Mexico University Library has invited me to give a lecture on Native Americans in Comic Books. As part of the "Native Pathways Lectures" series, I will present, "(Not so) Funny Books: Native Americans in Comic Books" on Wednesday, November 5th, 2008 at the Zimmerman Library.

Brown Bag: 12:00-1:00 pm, Herzstein Room
Lecture: 3:00-5:00 pm, Willard Reading room
Contact Savannah Gene: sgene@unm.edu

The mission of INLP is to provide library outreach and information services to the UNM community and New Mexico Native American/Indigenous communities. INLP was established in July 2004.

Upcoming 2008 Lectures in this series:

Sept. 24, Alvin H. Warren, Cabinet Secretary of the Indian Affairs Department
Oct. 22, Ken Reid, MBA-HCM, Health Systems Consultant
Nov. 12, Steven T. Newcomb, Co-founder/Co-Director, Indigenous Law Institute

It is an honor to be asked to present on this topic and it should be a great trip. I plan to include my slides here in this blog, after my initial presentation. For now, tell all your friends to keep buying my book ! :)

Michael Sheyahshe, author

IPI: Indigenous Peeps in the Industry - 04

2008-08-27T14:44:00.017-05:00

In this deployment of IPI, we spotlight Beth Aileen Dillon, a Ph.D., Student at Simon Fraser University in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology and Research Assistant for the Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace ("AbTeC"), "a series of projects investigating innovative methods for First Nations to participate in networked culture to tell our stories while populating and shaping cyberspace itself." Beth "is an Irish, Anishinaabe, and Metis writer specializing in video game industry" and her creativity has now spilled over into the comic industry.

Beth has recently ventured into the world of comic books with her work with the Zeros2Heroes people, "a thriving network that connects thousands of creators, producers, and fans of comics in a collaborative and creative environment." In addition to these enormous milestones, Beth proves her continued status of 'Mega Cool' with her JTHM reference (Squee !, indeed).

Beth takes time to explain things (slowly!) to Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo) about her recent work in comics and Indigenous representation.

MS: Background info: what is your tribal affiliation and where are you from?

BAD: I'm a half-breed border crosser. My mother is Anishinaabe and Metis from the LaPonsies with family out in Bay Mills and Sault Ste. Marie stateside. My father's Irish through and through. I was born in Anaheim, California, the city of Disneyland, and grew up in Oregon. I've since been in Vancouver, British Columbia and will be making my way out to Edmonton, Alberta soon with my husband Myron Lameman from the Beaver Lake Cree Nation. Anywhere with birch trees feels like home to me!

MS: Did you have a lot of cultural interaction growing up? (Family gatherings, dances, ceremonies, etc.?)

BAD: My mother is a big source of cultural and spiritual inspiration for me. Okay, my brother and I usually snickered at her for all of her weird quirks (like collecting pine cones wherever she goes), but I truly feel her giveaway spirit really gave a good context to all of our community interaction. As an urban Native, the Native Student and Community Center at Portland State University in Oregon was the main source of my friends and the gatherings we shared there. My mother also runs Native Film Festivals for free with big feasts, so I've always helped out with community events. Powwows, storytelling events, donated elder lunches, visiting speakers like Gary Farmer, youth conferences where I've held video game design workshops, you name it.
That place was truly the center of my social life where I took part in helping with many gatherings. I miss it very much but return when I can.

MS: When did you first get into comics?

BAD: Johnny the Homicidal Maniac! Squee! There was this Pegasus Books place in Oregon I'd go to when I was younger. I was into more avant garde edgy comics--not the classic superhero stories.

MS: Do you have a favorite comic; title or type?

BAD: The Watchmen, of course, not to be boring or anything. I also fell in love with V for Vendetta, which I only read after the movie came out and so many people said I just had to read the comic, and of course, much like book adaptations, they were right. But my favorite of all
time has to be Transmetropolitan, for its quirky characters, themes, and journalism quips (I double as a game journalist).

MS: Tell us more about the comics you've been working on; how did it all start / come about?

BAD: Nis, a dear friend of mine, pointed me to the Zeros2Heroes and Aboriginal Peoples Television Network collaborative contest for Aboriginal Canadians to enter the contest. My husband and I went away to working on some concepts and responded to feedback from the community which gave us the opportunity to see these ideas come to life.

Fala, a Native urban fantasy rendition of Alice in Wonderland, is inspired by our friends from a short film script I was writing with them in mind before we heard about the contest. With the help of editor Julian Lawrence and artist Patricio Plaza, we get to see Cowboy Smithx as Trickster, Duane Howard as Badger, Senaqwila Wyss as Fala, and Justin Rain and Shane Zwack as Ace and Spade in comic book form.

Fala's one of those girls who plays video games, but she's still cool, and of course, often too cool to bother to finish her homework or help out her single mom. Sent out to the woods for a homework assignment on edible plants, Fala gets lost (or rather tricked) and finds herself led down a path of life lessons in a dark, strange rez town.

The West Was Lost is a manifestation of Myron and I in Native steampunk--a subgenre I believe we're creating originally here with the help of the editor Andrew Foley and artist Frank Grau, Jr. We hope this one can turn into a series. In the full arc of stories, Nezette is chosen as a leader of a group sent from the Sovereign to help the people of the west rid the land of the Zhaagnaash and the Windigo spirits within them. She takes up arms with her trusted friends and family at the coaxing of the well-meaning trickster Nanaboozhoo and starts on a path without end with love and loss met along the way.

MS: When can we expect to see them and will they be available to buy?

BAD: Probably no later than October 2008, although you never know. You can watch Zeros2Heroes for updates!

MS: Keeping in mind any of your other talents, what is your specialty?

BAD: I'm great at keeping descriptions short because of my experience as a video game writer. (Programmers and artists don't need pages upon pages to wade through.) I'm a writer to the core and this contest has really brought my creativity back. I took a stint away from creative
writing following my Masters in Writing at Portland State University to be a game journalist and take up the challenge of a Doctorate at Simon Fraser University. But in the end, academic and journalistic writing styles aren't my passion. I've really rediscovered the direction I originally wanted to head in life since childhood by having this chance.

MS: Did you get special training and/or education for the comic book work?

BAD: Editors Andrew Foley and Julian Lawrence are walking me through edits. Experiential learning is the best kind, because I'll actually remember it. For example, I've learned that I need to write the script for the artist, not for the community readers! Meaning if there's a secret mysterious surprise, I need to be open about spelling it out on the panel description, otherwise the artist won't know where the story is headed and what to draw. Writing for comic books is great but definitely requires its own style separate from game writing and

MS: Have you worked on any other comics?

BAD: Not yet! Believe me, I have an epic book series I've been detailing out since I was about twelve that I've realized needs to be told in comic book form. When I first started writing it, I kept thinking that words just didn't cut it. Finally that thing can see the light of day if I can find an artist and editor willing to work on a first issue for pursuing a publisher.

MS: What are some comics with Native American characters in them that stand out to you?

BAD: Although controversial, I have to admit that Myron and I enjoy Scalped. Sure, it's not made by indigenous people, but I feel the people involved are making a shot at proper representation. That, and, where else can you find a comic entirely about modern Natives put out by a big publisher?

MS: What is your opinion about Indigenous characters in comics? Do you feel we portrayed properly?

BAD: Rarely. I won't even open The Red Prophet to give it a try because all I see on the cover is a stereotypically aged Native man with a little white boy named Alvin and think--yeah, another outlet where the focus is on the non-Native character. Of course I could be completely wrong about the series, but I do judge books by their covers. Much like video games, we're often shaped into stereotypes. Halfbreed heroes who slay Indians until they too discover their Indian roots and all is forgiven, the busty hot Native chick who means business in tight skinned leather, you name it. As more of us grow up playing games and reading comics, the more we'll get involved in making our own representations, and I'm looking forward to it.

MS: Do you know of any other Natives in the "biz" (comic industry and/or video game industry)?

BAD: Steve Sanderson is a great artist who has merged the Japanese manga style with his own to tell unique indigenous stories through comic books. His work has been put out by the Healthy Aboriginal Network.

And of course Chad Solomon, co-creator of the Rabbit and Bear Paws.

Sadly there are few of us in the video game industry. In fact, as of the 2005 International Game Developers Association diversity survey, there were maybe 44 people total who identified as Native. Efforts like the Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace 'Skins' project from new media artists Skawennati Fragnito and Jason Lewis at Concordia University in Montreal offer game development related education to youth, which I hope will bring more of us into the industry so we can explore video games as a medium for telling our stories.

MS: Any words of wisdom for others (Native or non) looking to do what you do?

BAD: Get started! Find a team, get your friends together, do whatever you can do to get a strong portfolio going for game development. You don't even need money for higher education--you just need the portfolio and skills if you can learn them on your own, so don't doubt yourself if
you can't get into the expensive schools. The more you create, the more examples and experience you'll have, even if things don't go perfectly every time (and they won't). You'll learn from errors if you try! Really, I feel the same can be said of comic books and many other creative industries.

MS: Anything I've missed here? Anything you'd like to 'plug' (upcoming shows, debuts, etc.)?

BAD: Thank you to everyone in the Zeros2Heroes community who voted for Fala and The West Was Lost! And a special shout out to Tenzil, who gave us advice along the way and answered even our tech related questions.

IPI: Indigenous Peeps in the Industry - 03

2008-08-21T21:10:00.013-05:00

In this installment of IPI, we get up close and personal with the "Pin-up Poet," herself, Andrea Grant. Andrea is the creator of MINX comic book series, "which merges Native American mythology" with fantasy, dreams, and reality. Andrea is a Coast Salish Canadian with a long list of creative talents, including: poetry, modeling, photography, 3D paintings, spoken word, live performance, author...and many more. (Don't be lazy - go see her website for more info!)

div>After a long simmer on the back burner, and after a long summer on the back roads, Andrea was finally able to answer a few questions about being a Native person in the 'biz' with Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo).

MS: Background info: what is your tribal affiliation and where are you from?

AG: I live in New York City in the East Village...I fought very hard to be here. I am originally from Vancouver Island, in Canada, and I am descended from the Coast Salish tribe, through my father.

MS: Did you have a lot of cultural interaction growing up? (Family gatherings, dances, ceremonies, etc.?)

AG: Unfortunately my Native grandfather suffered at the hands of residential schools...all kinds of horrors. I always felt my Native origins as a child, and as my brother and I grew older, our father connected more to his roots and we learned more and started going to pow-wows. I have always craved a deeper connection to my tribe, especially now that I live in such a metropolis. It’s interesting to note that several of my best friends in the States are part Native. But really, I feel very much the lone wolf out here.

MS: When did you first get into comics?

AG: I was always a writer working in several mediums and I had to think about longevity. I started out as a poet, and realized that hardly anyone cares about poetry these days. So I chose to twist around the Native tradition of storytelling and enter the field of comics. People thought I was crazy but I always felt I had a strong story to tell. I hoped that I could preserve some tribal mythology therein.

MS: Do you have a favorite comic; title or type?

AG: Neil Gaiman’s Sandman...and if you forced me to read it over and over for a thousand lifetimes, I would never get bored.

MS: Tell us more about the MINX you've been working on; how did it all start / come about?

AG: One day I woke up and decided I wanted to write a comic book because I felt the audience was intelligent and would accept my mixing mediums together.

MS: When can we expect it and where can we buy it?

AG: I am three issues deep into the series. The best bet is to get it directly from my website at www.copiousamounts.com/minx. I also have a spin-off called V-Train that runs quarterly in ‘Bombin’ Magazine...sort of Minx meets the Warriors. And I am revising my acumen right now to create a more mainstream version of the story… so stay tuned.

MS: Keeping in mind any of your other talents, what is your specialty?

AG: Being a couple of years ahead of what's popular...which is discouraging and painful when I first create something, and extremely gratifying when people understand it later on.

MS: Did you get special training and/or education for the comic book work?

AG: My training is in Creative Writing and English Literature. Otherwise, it's all just intuition.

MS: Have you worked on any other comics?

AG: Not yet.

MS: What are some comics with Native American characters in them that stand out to you?

AG: David Mack did a good job with the Daredevil spin-off a few years ago that featured the deaf character 'Echo' who was Native. Otherwise, none have fallen into my hands. I think there should be more. What an amazing way to preserve our beautiful, rich culture.

MS: What is your opinion about Indigenous characters in comics? Do you feel we are portrayed properly?

AG: Probably not. It's tough to convey the tonality of our culture. And let's face it, we're stoic...we don’t tell our secrets!

MS: Do you know of any other Natives in the "biz" (comic industry and/or video game industry)?

AG: I wish I did. I only know Native rappers from Canada. I live far away from my family so I haven’t gone to a pow-wow with my father for a few years...he's really outgoing and meets a lot of people. I’m quiet.

MS: Any words of wisdom for others (Native or non) looking to do what you do?

AG: Never give up, and don't look back. If people tell you that you can’t do something, fight harder and stay away from that kind of negativity – it's only jealousy. And stay disciplined because there are a thousand distractions every day that will take you further from your goals.

MS: Anything I've missed here? Anything you'd like to 'plug' (upcoming shows, debuts, etc.)?

AG: My projects are as follows:

www.copiousamounts.com/minx The Minx comic
http://www.andreagrant.com/ The Pin-Up Poet brand
http://www.copiousmagazine.com/ Which features other artists

New Artist Listing at AICCM

2008-08-19T12:56:00.006-05:00

The American Indian Cultural Center & Museum (AICCM) has listed me among many other Native American Oklahoman Artists on their website.
http://www.aiccm.com/Default.aspx?p=10578
AICCM is charged with "the purpose of generating awareness and understanding of the history of tribes and their relationship to Oklahoma today." To support this, AICCM recently held a workshop, "Art in Public Places Workshop for Native American Artists," to guide artists through the Art in Public Places process.
It is a genuine pleasure and true honor to see my name listed beside my Cheyenne and Arapaho ("C&A") Uncles, Charles Pratt and Harvey Pratt, both of whom are renown artists in their own right. The list also includes some friends I've made along the way, such as America Meredith, a Native Artist who also some Caddo connections.
That being said, check out my Art Gallery - which hightlights my traditional (sketches and sculptures) and digital work - if you have some time. Please keep aNm in mind for all your creative and artistic needs and contact us today.

Radio Interview with Local NPR Station: KGOU

2008-08-06T15:59:00.002-05:00

Recently, I was fortunate enough to be asked to do an interview with Susan Shannon, Office Manager and Producer of "Indian Times" on KGOU 106.3 FM and KROU 105.7 FM, the local (Norman/OKC Metro area) National Public Radio affiliate about my book, Native Americans in Comics: A Critical Study from McFarland.
The Indian Times show gives a local focus to the Native American community in Oklahoma and throughout the area and precedes the national NPR show, Native American Calling.
While the original recording is somewhat longer, you can listen to a portion of the interview HERE.
Be sure to pick up a copy of the book today!
Amazon McFarland Target B&N

Spotlight on aNm client: Pawnee Nation

2008-07-25T12:35:00.008-05:00

Since January 2008, aNm has successfully provided extensive technical training and consultation to the Pawnee Nation's tribal members and staff. These courses are provided to the Pawnee Nation ("PN") on-site and are comprised of instructor-led classrooms and one-to-one (1-2-1) individualized training sessions. These training courses and consultations have been well-received by the participants.

aNm provides the Pawnee Nation with extensive course materials, including manuals, PowerPoint presentations, sample documents, electronic versions of slide shows, and post-training Q&A via email and phone. You can see these training slides at "The Technology of Learning" blog, where they are posted for participants to review later, at their own pace.

We are proud to list the Pawnee Nation as another one of our ever-growing success stories and look forward to helping PN succeed in all their future endeavors and projects. Contact aNm today to see how we can help your Tribal group or business community with all of your technical training and consultation needs!

IPI: Indigenous Peeps in the Industry - 02

2008-06-16T10:15:00.009-05:00

In this piece, we support and showcase Native American professionals working in creative aspects inside the video game industry. Winnie (Oglala Lakota/Eastern Shawnee), a.k.a., "ix", is a former Associate Producer with some big name games, such as the Call of Duty franchise. As a Indigenous person working in the game industry, ix was nice enough to share some insight with Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo).

MS: Background info: what is your tribal affiliation and where are you from?

ix: I'm an Oglala Lakota/Eastern Shawnee; I grew up in Wanblee, SD on the Pine Ridge Rez.

MS: Did you have a lot of cultural interaction growing up? (Family gatherings, dances, ceremonies, etc.?)

ix: Yeah, all of my mom's family were in a fancydance troupe based out of New York, so they were constantly traveling around dancing. My mom's family all speak Lakota, which is kind of not common for younger people these days. They still follow many of the old ways. I also went to an Indian-only boarding high school. If any young Indians have a chance to go to one (think there are only 3 left in the US), do it! I made many friends from other tribes that I still talk to today.

MS: When did you first get into games?

ix: I liked those text games from the 80s (hitchhiker's guide, etc) and the Nintendo dragon-and-swordsy kind of RPG games. Also in high school we had a couple of old computers, so I played a lot of Doom and Quake.

MS: What is your favorite game of all time…something that turns FRI-SUN into a 'lost weekend'?

ix: I was hopelessly addicted to Baldur's Gate 2, Deus Ex, Planescape, and Counterstrike. These days I play a lot of Team Fortress 2. MS: You just finished work on COD4: MW, right? What was your role there?

ix: I was an Associate Producer.

MS: What is your specialty?

ix: Getting things done! Haha. I got stuck on accounting/finances and mostly working PR events last round. It changes from project to project. The one before that mostly what I did was travel, travel, travel, and give press demos/fix scripting. I do 3d modeling as a hobby also.

MS: Did you get special training and/or education for this?

ix: No, most producers started as QA testers. I started at a game developer, and moved up from QA. I think I've only met two producers that have any sort of degree in my time in the industry. That's starting to change, though. A lot more straight business degree people now. You do a ton of random things, so you really need to be awesome at something to stand out at all in Production and also be a jack of all trades at the same time.

MS: What other games have you worked on?

ix: Oh, all of the Call of Duty games except for COD1. I also worked on DS, cell phone and PSP games in the past, and wasn't really that fond of working on mobile platforms so much; mostly for the limitations of the hardware.

MS: Have you played video games with Native American characters in them?

ix: There aren't many; Prey and Gun are the ones that come to mind. Prey was interesting in that you could go upside down in multiplayer which is a neat idea, but they do the magical Indian stereotype heavily. Gun I felt kind of bothered by how they portray the Apaches. Eventually, I think AIM protested it.

MS: Do you have any opinion about Indigenous characters in video games?

ix: I think there needs to be more of them. I also think that I'm getting really sick of the 'magical Cherokee' stereotype that Hollywood and most media likes to hammer onto us. It's really still racism but in a different way. I wish that there was an Indian character in Gears of War, COD, etc. that's a contributing part of the squad/one of the main characters and not some mystical BS schtick!

MS: Do you know of any other Natives in the "biz" (gaming industry)?

ix: I know one female animator, but she doesn't know much about her tribe or is really all that involved with it. It's kind of hard finding other Indians in the industry. Most of us stay back on the home reservations, maybe. I wish we had better computer programs and equipment on reservations. That would open up more tech jobs for us. I can't imagine what advantages I would have had if the schools where I grew up had computers, the internet, or access to some of the software other public schools do.

MS: Any words of wisdom for others (Native or non) looking to do what you do?

ix: I wouldn't recommend going the QA route if you want to be a producer. Some people really do tend to treat testers like scum, until they've moved up enough to be not be in QA anymore. Go to business school, you'll make more money right off the bat and skip all the crappy things QA has to do. Also, be aware that Producers tend to crunch year round and most that I worked with over the years don't date or have any time to do much else than work!

If you want to be a modeler or artist, there are a lot of online resources to help. Online tutorials, Maya Personal Learning Edition has movies, and cg forums. Don't be afraid to ask other artists for opinions in forums, they're a great resource.Anything I've missed here? Modding is also another way for aspiring level designers to get into the industry. Devs do watch modding forums, and many that are talented get job offers from studios.

Don't go to Video Game schools/degree farms. They have no respect in the industry, cost way too much, and do not teach you anything that you will actually use in most cases. I never cared what someone's degree was in or even if they had a degree to be honest. What matters is your portfolio/reel! If it's awesome, you're set. (Except programmers: go to a real university and get a programming degree if you want to be a game coder.) Above all, don't give up if you really want to make games.

IPI: Indigenous Peeps in the Industry - 01

2008-06-16T08:08:00.035-05:00

To celebrate Native American professionals working within the industry, Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo) sits down with comic book artist / illustrator, Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva / Gaelic / Scotish), who is gracious enough to share her story and experiences working in comics. To combat (at worst) stereotypes and (at best) poorly-created Indigenous characters, we Native Americans must tell our stories. Thus we showcase Indigenous people in the creative seat.

MS: Background info: what is your tribal affiliation and where are you from?

WA: My dad is Tongva (the pre-missionized tribe of Gabrielino's from southern California), and my mom is Gaelic and Scotish, so I'm half and half. I was born right here in California too.

MS: Did you have a lot of cultural interaction growing up? (Family gatherings, dances, ceremonies, etc.?)

WA: We used to live on a piece of land where my dad ran a cultural center and gave lectures on the weekends. I remember we had a few large get-togethers when I was a kid, with a lot of Native people. My dad was very active in Native American affairs up until I was about 5 years old. I remember him telling me and my brother a lot of stories and teaching us a lot about the land we lived on, which was pretty much out in the boonies.

It was a little different than the way other native kids grow up, I assume, because we never lived on a reservation and were rarely around other Native kids. I think my parents tried their best to keep my life fairly integrated into the 'normal' school system and whatnot. I went to a public school and growing up; I was usually the only Native American kid in the class. I wouldn't say I had a ton of cultural interaction, because our tribe is really a lot smaller than most peoples tribes, but I was definitely aware of who I was and things pertaining to my culture.

MS: When did you first get into comics?

WA: I think the very first comic I ever got was a two pack of The Little Mermaid and Beauty & The Beast graphic novels that I ordered from one of those book-order things kids get from school. They were adaptations of the films, which I was a huge fan of, but in comic book form, which I had never seen before. Growing up, because we lived out on a large piece of land and because I was somewhat secluded from other kids my own age, I watched A LOT of cartoons. I became a fan of animation early on and really wanted to be an animator. I wanted to make ARIEL come to life....it just amazed me so much to see a moving drawing on a screen. After I got those book orders, I was introduced to a whole new medium.

My mom used to read a lot of children’s books to me. She worked as a librarian for a time when I was a young kid, and I remember going with her to the library and just devouring books and playing with the puppets and things they had in the kids section. So I was used to the standard medium of a children’s book, where you read some sentences, and they'd choose one idea to illustrate per page. I always had this desire to turn to the next page, because there was more art...and then another book, because I just wanted more. The thing that really struck me with the Disney comic book things were that they had multiple shots from the film all on one page and that it still told a story but had a ton more art. It had more movement than a standard illustrated book and that fascinated me. But my one criticism and confusion as a child was that ARIEL didn't always look like she did in the movie...you know, the same syndrome in those coloring books...because I didn't realize they had tons of different people doing the drawings. I was a very critical lil kid, I’m afraid.

MS: What is your favorite comic?

WA: That's really, really hard for me to say indefinitely, because I draw a lot of inspiration from others’ work, and because my style can be pretty varied as well. I read a lot of Hellboy, B.P.R.D., The Goon, Umbrella Academy, Conan....a lot of Darkhorse stuff, and then I also have a lot of books I just picked up because of the art on them: Steampunks, Darkminds (the original series), stuff by Leinil Yu, David Mack, Bill Sienkiewicz, J. Scott Campbell....and then there's a whole list of fine artists I am utterly obsessed with as well. A lot of Victorian illustrators, art noveau and deco.What is the recent comic that you've been working on and where can we buy it?

I recently did 3 issues of a book called Archaic by Fenickx Productions. I know there some on eBay, and I think you can get them from online dealers backstock. Also, I'm pretty sure you can get more info @ http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm15c3BhY2UuY29tL2Zlbmlja3g=. They have previews on there as well as ordering info as well.

I also had a 8 page short in their Volume 2 Graphic Novel, as well. Besides that, I managed to get a full page illustration published in the last issue (issue 6) of Darkhorse comic's Umbrella Academy.

MS: What is your specialty?

WA: Um...that could be answered in many, many ways. Pertaining to comics, I consider myself a penciler and inker and would like to add colorist to my repertoire before I die.

MS: Did you get special training and/or education for this?

WA: I do have a BA in illustration, but I find my own work I did and sort of managed to incorporate despite my instructors’ disapprovals, were more beneficial to my education than drawing boxes and mixing primary colors. I would have liked to have gone to a proper art school, but I just couldn't afford it. I just tried to push myself whenever I could, investigate anyone and everything that inspired me, and just drew all the time. I still do, I keep many sketchbooks. I always try to find new sources of inspiration, and since having work published, I've bee able to meet so many people I revere as comic gods.

WA: I think some of the best things you can do for yourself if you want to be an artist is to have an insatiable desire to always have your hand moving and always have drawing tools by your side.

MS: What other comics have you worked on?

WA: Um, Tenth Muse. I inked a lot of issues and penciled and inked #11, Archaic #10-12, Archaic short story in Volume 2 of their graphic novel, I did a back cover for The Misadventures of Clark and Jefferson, a pin-up in issue 6 of Umbrella Academy...um....I think there's a wiki page or something that has it all listed...

MS: What are some comics with Native American characters in them that stand out to you?

WA: I have to say I really enjoyed David Mack's ECHO character that he created. I think it had a great deal to do with how he created a solid character with emotions and reactions to situation and the fact she was Native was secondary. It wasn't forced down your throat in an insincere way. He did research what he did and I feel he made a very genuine effort to do justice to her character. I borrowed Commanche Moon from a friend recently but haven't had time to read it yet...I'd really be interested if someone did a book based on mythos and creation stories and somehow modernized it to make something new, that's not been introduced to the market yet.

MS: What is your opinion about Indigenous characters in comics? Do you feel we portrayed properly?

WA: I feel like there are not a lot of Native characters or creators I am familiar with, in dealing with Native people in comics. But with anything that is associated with Native people, I think there's still that stereotype in a lot of the work that does come out, and I think it's partially to blame because history books and the American history curriculum treats Native people as either a mythical creature that is extinct...like unicorns or the Tasmanian tiger...or dives right into the auto response people now seem to have in regards to the casino bands of Native people, and the resentment that seems to accompany that.

It's kinda 'you're damned if you do, you're damned if you don’t,' mentality. I find it a very interesting social response. When there's so much more to the lives and history of Native peoples, and they choose to focus on the misrepresentations of hippie aesthetics or reservations or casinos. I mean, one thing that always amazes me is how the massacres of Native peoples is always sort of ignored and tiptoed around when it happened so recently…yet, the Holocaust is always talked about.

MS: Do you know of any other Natives in the "biz" (comic industry)?

WA: I have met one, he's an editor. More often than not, the subject doesn't come up, because I don’t look physically Native American straight off the bat. Usually the thing that starts that conversation is my name, and with almost all Native people I have met, it has started that way. I think if I had a common name, no one would suspect. Although I’ve been mistaken for Russian and Japanese before because of my name as well.

MS: Any words of wisdom for others (Native or non) looking to do what you do?

WA: I always tell people who ask me this to do what they are passionate about. Do it stubbornly, and with open ears. In that, I mean fight like hell to get where you want to be, but still be open to new understanding, experiences and knowledge because that's the quickest way to grow and become better at what you do.

MS: Anything I've missed here?

WA: Nothing I can think of, one hell of a thorough interview. It was great to be able to sit down and spend some time thinking about these questions and putting them out there. So thanks!!

aNm Shows Art at SoonerCon 08

2008-06-09T14:43:00.003-05:00

aNm is proud to showcase some 3D art at SoonerCon 2008, "a fan run multi-genre convention held annually in Oklahoma City."

The event also included a exhibit room where vendors set up various booths and tables. aNm was also proud to support this event by sponsoring the SoonerCon program book.

Native American Tribe Uses Video Games for Learning

2008-06-09T11:30:00.006-05:00

The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana gives other Native American tribal entities something to 'shoot' for: creating an immersive 3D environment to increase education and awareness of Indigenous culture. The tribe worked with Red Knight Learning Systems to create a 3D simulation for their Coushatta Heritage Center.
Red Knight developed 3D simulations and interactive exhibits for the cultural center. Click HERE to see examples from Red Knight. Technology such as this is readily available and much more affordable these day. Thus, tribes should begin looking towards solutions like this one to help foster learning and cultural continuance.
As a shameless 'plug', aNm has the technology and ability to offer tribal nations the means to create their own 3D models, simulations, and video games. If you are a tribal nation, museum, or cultural center, contact us today to see how we can use similar innovations to promote and sustain Indigenous culture.

Does a Wiki post make it Valid?

2008-06-09T10:24:00.002-05:00

There is now a Wiki entry about Native Americans characters in video games.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Native_American_video_game_characters
While this list is far from complete, it is interesting that this topic has garnered an entire entry on its own.
This begs the question, "does a topic become valid once it has a wiki entry?" Perhaps, as it certainly represents at least SOMEONE's interest in posting an entry.
The current / recent trend seems to support this notion as well, as there have been more articles and blog entries about this topic. One could even wonder if this specialized interest is similar to the trend of Native characters becoming "cool" in film (as you know, 'Indian films' cycle through as the new Hollywood 'coolness' every decade or so...).
Whatever the reason, it is nice to see individuals giving more thought to the Indigenous character, no matter the medium.

aNm Sponsors Local 3D Event

2008-06-09T10:06:00.002-05:00

aNm is proud to offer sponsorship support for the most recent Autodesk Animation UserGroup Association ("AAUGA") event at PL Studios, Inc. in Downtown Oklahoma City.
This event - "An Evening of Visual Effects" - held on June 5th, 2008 was an extreme success and the attendance was somewhere in the 150+ range.
The goal of AAUGA is to bring "together local artists, creative professionals, art enthusiasts, educators, and students to learn about the breakthrough tools and techniques being used around the world to further stimulate creative growth locally." Special Guests from Autodesk talked about MotionBuilder and Toxik and gave exclusive demos on how to best use these tools in the industry.
alterNative Media is excited to help support events such as this and we feel that the level of excitement and involvement is growing daily by leaps and bounds. Perhaps it is time for Oklahoma to develop it's own regional conference on 3D art, media, & development. When this happens, aNm will be there to help facilitate this event.
aNm continues to strive towards building a viable 3D studio in Oklahoma with a main purpose of garnering outsourced projects in the film and video game arenas.
Contact us today about how you can be a part of the aNm team!

Info from Publisher on NACB

2008-04-07T12:11:00.003-05:00

I received the following email from my publisher with exciting news about my book Native Americans in Comic Books: A Critical Study:

Thursday, April 3, 2008 1:55:57 PM

Dear Mr. Sheyahshe:

Today we have shipped proofs for your book Native Americans in Comic Books. You can now carry out your final two jobs, proofreading the book and creating an index. A form letter with general instructions accompanies the proofs.

Publication is now very near—most books go to the printer just days after we receive the proofs and index.

Your book is tentatively scheduled to be sent to the printer 4 weeks from today’s date. To avoid delays, please give the proofs and index prompt attention.

If you have questions or find, after getting to work, that you need more time, please contact us. We look forward to bringing your book into print soon.

Sincerely,
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

Look for the book to hit shelves soon!

new Client - Skky Bar UltraLounge (OKC)

2008-04-03T10:28:00.005-05:00

aNm has recently completed work on a special poster/flyer design for Skky Bar UltraLoung in Bricktown, OKC. This poster advertises a private screening of the movie, Prom Night (from Sony Entertainment and Screen Gems) at Skky Bar.
You can see this and other events at Skky Bar's myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/skkybarokc

My Artwork Showcased at SF Art Show

2008-03-20T15:39:00.002-05:00

My artwork will again be showcased at the "Anti Anti Anti Anti" art show - "A group art show expressing anarchy, community, self-reliance, resistance, and freedom" held in SF, CA.

WHERE: The Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair Art Show, Hall of Flowers, Golden Gate Park at 9th Avenue and Lincoln, San Francisco, CA
WHEN: March 22-23, 2008 • Saturday 10am - 6pm • Sunday 11am - 5pm

Click HERE for more info about the art show.

America Meredith, another artist at the art show (who also organizes the event), has been good enough to mount three of my 3D sculptures together in a triptych for this year's show. Much thanks to her...and if you are out that way, be sure to stop by the art show.

New Ads for 'Natives in Comic Books' Book

2008-03-11T13:03:00.003-05:00

The good people at McFarland (my publisher) have sent out various ads for my book and others coming out in their Spring catalog. You can see a copy of the ad for "Native Americans in Comic Books: A Critical Study" clicking the following link:

http://geocities.com/nativecomicbooks/sheyahshe_flyer.pdf

This particular ad was placed in the February edition of ALA's Booklist magazine.

Check it out and be sure to pass the info around! (Especially to those willing to BUY the book...heh.)

-M

Microsoft Gives Us the TOOLS

2008-02-21T09:56:00.000-06:00

(AP) - Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it will make Xbox 360 video games developed by players available for download through the console's online service.
This is great news for those of us looking to get into the game industry.
To distribute a game on the Xbox Live service, game creators must use Microsoft's XNA Game Studio software, which requires a $99 per-year subscription, or be an XNA Creators Club member. Each game will be vetted for quality and appropriateness by the online community itself.
Obviously, it would help to have an Xbox 360, as well. However, if you don't have the extra $99 laying around (who does?)...
Microsoft also said this week it will give students free access to its XNA Game Studio 2.0, its video game development program.
Even better. Now, if there were a 'Native' discount added as well, we'd be in business!
But Microsoft would not say Wednesday whether the downloads would be free, or if the service would generate revenue for game developers.
While this is vastly important to find out for sure, my real point of mentioning all of this info, is this: Indigenous people need to be more involved in the creative process of ALL MEDIA, including video games. This is a great opportunity for us to do just that. If you are a Native American high school, career tech, or even college student intersted in video games, see if you can get the XNA Game Studio for free and get to work! Just let me see it, once you're done...so, I can get my button pushing fingers ready.

Michael Sheyahshe
Chief Information Officer
alterNative Media
See the full article at:Excite News - Microsoft Opens Game Development

My Book Now Listed at Amazon, too

2008-01-02T15:33:00.001-06:00

Native Americans in Comic Books is also now listed at Amazon.com. You can find the listing and pre-order the book HERE.

New Book Listing

2007-12-31T09:57:00.001-06:00

My new book, "Native Americans in Comic Books: A Critical Study," has been officially listed on the McFarland website.

The hardcover, available this coming Spring 2008, will retail for around $49.95 and can be ordered from the McFarland website here.

Tell all your friends - or just anyone interested in either comic books or Native American representation in popular media. Happy reading!

Article in Games for Windows Magazine

2007-12-12T11:21:00.002-06:00

I have a article about the Indigenous characterization in video games in the current issue of Games for Windows the Official Magazine. The article focuses Native characters in two video games, Prey and Age of Empires III (AoEIII).

I was lucky enough to get some insider info from the game creators (Human Head and Ensemble Studios) as well as interviews with the Native American voice talent for the games (Michael Greyeyes and see my interview with Michael Horse here).

In short, the article outlines some historical stereotypes in popular media and goes on to discuss these two newer games in relation to Native American representation. Neither of these games are perfect (by ANY stretch of the imagination), but Prey and AoEII do come closer to getting it right (in some areas) than many games that have come along before them. I close by challenging us Indigenous people to get more involved in the creative process of this and all media that depicts us.

I've gotten some very positive feedback from the article as well as a mention at the Flash of Steel blog; so let's hope that this article generates even more discussion. Look for the magazine on newsstands now and be sure to offer any comments or feedback after you read it.

Digital Natives

2007-12-11T10:37:00.001-06:00

It's been growing and gaining momentum for some time now...

Native American artists and storytellers are beginning to bend new tools and technology to Our cultural needs.

Throughout history we would adopt new / emerging technological advances - such as glass beads and German silver in place of natural quills and abalone shell adornments - and infuse the medium with our particular cultural values, information, meaning. Similarly, Indigenous people are now using digital media (such as 2d and 3d animation) to tell our stories.

A recent article in Native Peoples Magazine by Kade L. Twist (Cherokee), "brave new worlds - Indigenous Animation Movement Rising," outlines this phenomenon. In the article, Twist mentions several Indigenous digital artists including, Joseph Erb (Cherokee), Nathan Young (Pawnee/Delaware/Kiowa), Roy Boney, Jr. (Cherokee), Wathene Young (Cherokee/Delaware), Matt Mason (Cherokee), Anthony Deiter (Plains Cree/Ojibwe), and Joseph Lazare (Mohawk).

(On an unrelated note: this list seems rather Cherokee-heavy, doesn't it?...where are the Caddo digital artists? Oh wait...I'm right here. Heh.)

It is not only refreshing, but vastly and personally rewarding, to see other Natives working in a similar medium (digital art / media).

The Native Peoples article also mentions the Onida Nation's Four Directions Media, which operates Four Directions Productions (4DP) and Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) as bigger, power-house contributors within the digital realm.

This is exactly what we need more of: Indigenous people creating Indigenous content especially in digital media. Just like me, these individuals are working hard to make this a reality and we can use all the support we can get. That's why it's good to see an article that celebrates this work.

New video @ aNm Gallery Posted

2007-11-26T12:22:00.000-06:00

I have posted a short "360" video of my hardsurface modeling for the Academy of Art. It is modeled on a 1956 Corvette wheel rim. You can see the video as well as other images of my work at alterNative Media Gallery. Comments welcome and appreciated.

Shaman's Tears - now online

2007-11-09T14:27:00.000-06:00

ComicMix has recently launched Mike Grell's Shaman's Tears in a completely online format. You can read the comic in their entirety, as well as others, at the ComicMix website.
http://www.comicmix.com/comics
Grell is one of the comic book creators I interviewed for my book, "Native Americans in Comic Books: A Critical Study." While I have extensively reviewed the Shaman's Tears series for the book, I left commentary for the online issues, which you can read HERE.
Be sure to check out Grell's own website, where you can get more info about his latest projects and upcoming events.

Dialogue at Montclair Art Museum

2007-10-29T13:03:00.000-05:00

Rob Schmidt (creator, Peace Party) and I have been invited you to speak as part of the programming in relation to the Montclair Art Museum ("MAM") exhibition Reflecting Culture: The Evolution of the American Super Hero.

The exhibition features a section on Native Americans in comic book both portraying stereotypical depictions, introduction of Native superheroes in main stream comics and the more positive educational models like Blue Corn Comics and others. This event will take place December 6, 2007. See the MAM website for more info.

Here is a PDF announcement of the event.

aNm goes to the Anime SuperCon in Florida

2007-10-29T12:54:00.000-05:00

Look for us at the Anime SuperCon in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, NOV.30 - DEC. 2, 2007!

alterNative Media will have a definite presence at the SuperCon this year: look for our sponsored advertisement in the official Program book as well as flyer inserts for all participants. Here is a blurb from the official Anime SuperCon website:

"FEATURING OVER 25 GUESTS, INCLUDING:

THE STARS OF ADV FILMS - TIFFANY GRANT, CHRIS AYRES & BRITTNEY KARBOWSKI

THE STARS OF MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS - STEVE CARDENAS & KARAN ASHLEY

THE STARS OF AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE - CAREY "FRYLOCK" MEANS, DANA "MASTER SHAKE" SNYDER,

GEORGE "SPACE GHOST" LOWE, C. MARTIN CROKER & JAY WADE EDWARDS

PLUS: APRIL STEWART (STAR OF SOUTH PARK)MUSICAL GUESTS: LISA FURUKAWA, SELECT START, CHICKENBOX, J*SCAPE & MORE!"

Project Completion: Caddo Nation Website

2007-10-10T15:03:00.001-05:00

alterNative Media recenly completed work on the Offical Website of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma. aNm was contracted to design and implement a new website that would best represent the Caddo Nation headquarters.

Specifically, aNm provided the following services:

Initial consultation meeting to evaluate specific needs.

Creation of custom Flash animated movie on introduction webpage.

Design of custom opening, stylistic webpage for introduction.

Authoring of custom Cascading Style Sheet (“CSS”), containing all visual formats for entire website.

Established hierarchy and format for file organization.

Construction of new website menu.

Resized multiple photographs / images for optimized web viewing.

Continued support and training to Caddo Nation staff of CSS / HTML authoring and image manipulation.

Utilized separate website for testing and revision of code and style.

Authored and implemented website to live server (50+ individual web pages).

Established formatting procedure for staff's continued maintenance.

aNm offers this type of design service, as well as many other artistic and technical specialities. Check out the aNm webpage for a more complete list of our successful partnerships and find out how we can help you achieve your goals.

It's a privaledge, not a right...

2007-10-10T13:09:00.000-05:00

I never thought I would have to say this, but...

ATTENTION ALL NATIVE PEOPLE:

Please stop using the "Papyrus" font on your websites, youTube videos, and 'professionally produced' television commercials.

This font is now OVER-used by us and, in addition (because of its calligraphic ornamental visual style), partially suggests that we Indigenous are more tied to the past, rather than the present.

Let's find a new font to use...heck, I'll even help you create one (just contact me)...but, let's PLEASE lay off the Papyrus. Now, if we could just turn the pan-Indian flute music down a notch as well, all will be right in the world...

Getting off my soapbox now.

Interview with Michael Horse

2007-09-20T10:35:00.000-05:00

Recently, I've been fortunate enough to garner an interview with Michael Horse, an Indigenous artist and actor (and sometimes musician!) about his work on the Age of Empires III ("AOEII")video game (thanks to fellow Caddo artist, Delores Purdy Cocoran, for putting me in touch with Mr. Horse!). Michael shares much information and anecdotes about his work in the entertainment industry over the years, from a Native perspective.

MS: Tell me about your work on AOEII.

MH: It was a wonderful experience. I really like doing it. I love doing voiceovers, because we know we come from a long tradition of story telling. I've always been -- from the time I was very small -- fascinated by animation. I've also been a visual artist way before I was in the movie business and had a fascination with animation.

MS: You've been in the business for a few years now...

MH: [Laughs.] Well, I didn't mean to be in it this long, but yeah I've accumulated a lot of years!

MS: …and one of my 1st introductions to you in the entertainment industry was a film you did back in 1981.

MH: The Lone Ranger, yeah.

MS: I'm sure you get that quite a bit.

MH: Oh, it's so funny: I had done stunt in movies and things – and I was a musician for years -- but didn't really want to be in the 'movie business.' I was renting my art studio from an agent and she said, "You want to be Tonto on the Lone ranger remake?" And I went, "?…no." I said, "Lady, I'm an activist." She said, "Well, what’s the matter with it?"

And I knew Jay Silverheels -- loved Jay -- but it wasn't the story I was looking to do. But, finally I went down, met the people, and decided to do it. Terrible movie. Didn't take me long to figure out that film is only going to be good as it’s written.

MS: Exactly.

MH: It can get worse -- but, it's only going to be good as its story.

You know, I've done some bad stuff; I've done some good stuff. I did Twin Peaks, which I thought was ground-breaking television and a great Native role. I did a series in Canada, a prime-time Native series, for three years called, North of 60.

MS: Yeah, I've seen both of those and I think Twin Peaks is avant garde, even by today's standards.

MH: Yeah. I live in the Berkeley area and I have kids following me around. I go, "Can I help you?" and they say, "Are you the Hawk?" And I say, "Yes, I am!"

Lynch and I were friends long before that. I did something for the French bicentennial with him and Harry Dean Stanton. I said, "What are you going to do next?" He said, "I'm going to do a TV series." I said, "Yeah, sure...you call me when that happens!"

There wouldn't be all these things on television today if it weren't for Twin Peaks opening up that door.

MS: Yeah, and all the careers that have been made from the series as well...

MH: Yeah, it's the same story, over and over. I just saw the [Bury My Heart at] Wounded Knee thing and it was terrible. We're dealing with a true, actual story dealing with our history -- and once again Hollywood just decides to put characters where they’re not supposed to be, to condense things. This whole portrayal of Sitting Bull as being this sort of "suck-up" to show business...it's just appalling.

MS: You know, I haven't been able to force myself to watch that yet...

MH: Well, how about Mel Gibson's movie? Sure it’s a little violent, but do I define the whole Christian movement by the Crusades? What about the [Aztec] advancements in mathematics?

I'm looking for stuff that deals with my culture from the 1920, 1930, 1940...you don't see that. They rehash the same stories: it's the Last of the Mohicans and Thunderheart, but there are so many wonderful stories to still tell out there. That's why I’m really excited about digital film, because it puts back in the hands of filmmakers.

MS: I agree. Going back to AOEIII, what is your comment, if any, about Native Americans in video games?

MH: We still have a long ways to go. [Laughs] You know, they're fun to do and sometimes you have to take it not too seriously.

I think it has great potential, especially for teaching Native and non-Native kids about other people's cultures. It's still in the hands of others, though...but, I think there are some really bright Native kids somewhere out there that are going to do some really great stuff [in video games].

MS: Certainly. When writing articles like this one, I continually say, "Ok, it is time for us Indigenous people to get in the creative seat."

MH: There are so many things out there...there are environmental concerns and a lot of contemporary issues that deal with everybody on this planet...that could be seen through Indigenous eyes.

MS: Speaking of eyes, let's get back to your visual art. What do you think of AOEIII from a visual standpoint.

MH: I've never seen it...like I said, I'm not a 'video game guy'. I'd like to see it…is it any good?

MS: Actually, it's pretty good; great attention given to culturally-specific clothing and articles.

MH: Oh good. I hear it's quite popular.

MS: Yeah, it's done pretty well. I think they did a pretty job with us [Native people].

MH: Oh, that's nice. You know I do something and they don't really give me whole story behind it. So, I go, "I hope I haven’t done something I shouldn't have." But really, what was given to me was ok with me.

MS: But, as you say, video games have a long way to go.

MH: Good storytelling -- which is good gaming -- good storytelling and good interaction have no racial boundaries. I think we have a long way to go with all of it; it's still in its infancy. God, the graphics are amazing! Being an old-time guy, someone will show me something on the computer and I’m just awed at the graphics and quick interaction.

MS: Anything else you want to add?

MH: No, I just excited to see people like yourself and I know there's a lot of young Native kids that are really interested in this media -- and it grows so quickly and changes so fast! In the next 4 or 5 years I’m going to see what I’m really looking for -- and it can be done anywhere!

That's the amazing thing. It doesn't have to be done in some major city; someone can do it on a reservation or urban setting.

MS: And laptops make it even more mobile to do these things. I really appreciate your taking time to answer my questions.

MH: Call me anytime. I thank you for letting me be involved. I think video games are a new step for Native entertainers and I’m fascinated by it.

Austin GDC - Day 2

2007-09-12T23:34:00.000-05:00

Like Bacos, the 2nd day in Austin was, "even better." While there was still no sign of the much-needed booth babes, the Expo was open and the workshops and discussions continued throughout the Austin Convention Center. At least some vendors were smart enough to hand out free beer and coctails!

Many good contacts were made during this networking event. Unlike last year - where Expo vendors were hesitant at best to consider 'outsourcing' or contracting out artistic projects - many studios seemed more than willing to entertain the idea of contracting work out to outside artists and studios, like alterNative Media.

Vendors such as, Perpetual Entertainment (who is creating a new Star Trek franchise game), Icarus Studios (who had a massive, 2-story exhibit), Spacetime Studios (who has a new "unnamed project" [in-production] coming down the line very soon), and Wild Hare Enterainment (also, a relatively new studio), all expressed interest in contracting some aspects of work out to a 3D art studio.

At least that's what they told me. :)

Otherwise, the Austin GDC was a good chance to meet other professionals working - and actually making a living - in the game industry. Special mention of Gerard K. Marino, Composer, who just finished work on God of War II (unfortunately, I had to leave before Gerard's scheduled speaker presentation) and Ben Long of Noise Buffet, who also has some recent game work (be sure to check out his album for sale at his website!).

All in all, a great place to be in September. aNm will continue to work on establishing connections within the gaming community and offer its artistic services for those studios needing high-quality and professionally expedited 2D and 3D art.

Austin GDC - day 1

2007-09-10T12:37:00.000-05:00

Things were off to a bang on the first day of the Austin Game Developers Conference...vendors were setting up for the next day's Expo, so there was plenty of time to meet, greet, and attend the various workshops.

While I will highlight some of the various contacts made in later blogs, here I wanted to mention one of the presentations that struck a chord with me.

Evan Skolnick - Editorial Director, Vicarious Visions and long-time writer / editor at Marvel Comics - presented a very interesting topic for the "Writing for Games" track of the GDC, entitled: "Everything I Needed to Know about Game Writing I Learned from Star Trek."

This entire presentation will be available later, from the proceedings, but the gist of his talk was highly enlightening and very interesting. In it, Skolnick discussed the idea of archetype, hero, villian, and everything one needs to know to make better games, film, stories...or anything! Again, I will pull more info later, but his work deserves special mention.

Overall, the Austin GDC was a success and aNm looks forward to continuing conversations and potential partnerships from the networking contacts made there.

Look out for info more soon!

Mayan village in 3D

2007-08-31T14:56:00.000-05:00

Technically "Cool"
A recent issue ("Digging for Details" Volume: 30 Issue: 8 (Aug 2007)) of Computer Graphics World provided insight to an ancient Mayan city, rebuilt in digital 3D form. Clement Valla, an architect who utlizes 2d and 3d graphics, worked with Allan Maca, an archaeologist from Colgate University, to recreate an ancient temple area of Copan (near present-day Honduras).

This project is interesting for a number of points. First, the importance of using technology, such as high-end 3D computer modeling for academic and scientific purposes, should always be at the forefront of our minds, as 3D modelers, animators, and artists.

Second, this project illustrates the importance of technology for cultural continuance. Projects such as this allow individuals virtual access to aspects of material culture that might otherwise not be available to them. For instance, whereas scientifically-trained archaeologists might be allowed to view and handle various artifacts, most of us "regular folk" would not have the same opportunity (and rightly so, as mistreatment or mishandling of the artifact could permanently damage such evidence).

Yet, by reconstructing ancient villages, burial sites, temples, and even individual artifacts, the general public is allowed to break through the "glass case," metaphorically, and experience the culture on a more immediate basis.

3D Simulation for Indigenous Culture

This type of immersive, 3D simulated environment is especially important for Indigenous groups, like the Caddo Nation, whose material artifacts represent a key aspect of more fully understanding and preserving the culture itself. This idea lends itself to another added benefit of using 3D modeling and animations (i.e., simulations) for Indigenous representation: cultural continuance: by immersing the audience within the simulated experience, important lessons and culture-specific perspectives are communicated in a virtual milieu.

In all, projects like this one are important for many reasons, including those mentioned above. However, as always, it is important to utilize Native-perspective when creating representations of culture in any media format. While the article listed many of entities involved in its creations - the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Colgate University (New York), in partnership with PAPAC (funded by National Geographic and Colgate) and sponsored by the Honduran Ministry of Culture - there was no mention of any Indigenous-specific individuals working on this the PAPAC project.

Of course, the article might have overlooked this element (Allan Maca, Colgate archaeologist, does not have his specific ethnicity listed)...but too many times these sort of endeavors are not implemented by Native people ourselves. Thus, while all this (virtual reconstruction and recreation) is very COOL, there is a specific need for Indigenous people to author ANY media containing Indigenous representation, in order to maintain a truer ethnic/cultural perspective (versus a Euro-centric one). (For extra credit: This theme is a major one present in my book, "Native Americans in Comic Books," coming soon from McFarland Publications.)

To sum

I welcome more endeavors like the PAPAC project, both from a technological and cultural perspective. Yet (just like in almost every other media), there needs to be more Native interaction from the creative perspective.

aNm continues to look for major projects that support these ideals (technology and cultural continuance), as well as financial opportunities that can facilitate such projects. If you know of any such activities, please contact us and share your ideas.

Austin GDC !

2007-08-31T12:46:00.000-05:00

alterNative Media will be attending the Austin Game Developers Conference, September 5-7, 2007 in Texas. The Austin GDC is always a great time and there will be a host of really good vendors, people, students, artists, beer, and (of course) booth babes! :)

aNm will be on the lookout for the following at the GDC:

networking opportunities for additional contracts with independent and AAA game studios

art commisssions

innovations in 3D modeling

collaboration projects with other artist

In addition, aNm will have the chance to revist some vendors and studios we made contact with last year at the Expo, many of which have already been "warned" that we are coming.

We will report on the Conference as events surface, so keep an eye out at this (blog) location. Hope to see you there!

Animation Project: "Chubby Ninja vs. Master Key"

2007-08-13T11:33:00.001-05:00

Summer classes are over at the Academy of Art and for my final animation project, I created "Chubby Ninja vs. Master Key". This was great fun and I learned quite a bit. While there are still some refinements that can be made, I am happy overall with this 12 seconds of 3D animation.

The project was

You can also view this project - along with several samples of my other artistic works - at aNm's Gallery page.

Making Games with Freeware

2007-07-23T10:54:00.000-05:00

At a recent Panel Discussion at the Eiteljorg Museum, fellow artist Steve Sanderson (creator of the Darkness Calls comic) and I commented on how Native American youth -- especially those on reservation-type and other rural areas surrounding Indigenous lands -- may not even realise their full potential, based on socio-economic factors.
With that in mind, there are a number of free resources available online which Native American youth (and anyone else) could use to hone their artistic and technical skills. Using these resources as a springboard, one could easily create an workshop to introduce these tools to Native kids. Doing so would allow them to realise they do indeed have creative options for their future...and maybe with that, some additional hope.
Listed here are some various freeware solutions along with some comments. All of these programs have the specific goal of video game creation and design -- however, many of these can be used for other purposes, such as digital art. Keep in mind, these are in no particular order.

Alice
"The focus of the Alice project is now to provide the best possible first exposure to programming for students ranging from middle schoolers to college students."

I think this is a great program, especially for those individuals really interested in the nuts and bolts of how video games work. The video tutorials and interface are somewhat intuitive and easy to use.

Blender 3D/
"Blender is the free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems under the GNU General Public License."

This is one of the best resources for individuals to get hands-on experience creating 3D content. Certainly, there is a particular learning curve to this software (some of which is intuitive and some is not). However, there are tons of online resources, communities, galleries, and tutorials. So, with a little patience and reading, one can actually create usable 3D content.
Another great thing about Blender is its availability for commercial use...meaning, that you are able to do anything you want with the stuff you create (including commercial use). For those that don't have the financial resources to purchase software like Maya (which is a professional industry standard for 3D), Blender is welcome and affordable miracle.

GIMP
"GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It has many capabilities. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image renderer, an image format converter, etc."

The layout is simple and easy to understand. Using GIMP can easily prepare individuals on the basics of what more professional packages, like Photoshop, can offer. This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in image manipulation. With GIMP, you can create textures for 3D models, touch up photos, digital paint your drawings and sketches, and even create professional-looking comic books and other art.

GameDev
"The Scrolling Game Development Kit ("GameDev") is a free / freeware open source tool for 2-D game development. It is designed for the Windows 9x/DirectX platform, and targeted at people spanning a range of skill levels. It can be used by the beginner to become familiar with the structure of computer games and to create complete games that don't require any coding. It also has applications for the experienced developer who perhaps simply wants to use the program to draw the graphics or define maps. And in the middle there's applications for creating a game and controlling it through scripting."

This software comes with some down-to-earth tutorials on how to get started making working 2D games. GameDev is an excellent resource to get individuals involved in the video game making process. Everything is "drag and drop", so there is no need for prior programming knowledge.

Good News - New Contracts!

2007-07-16T23:34:00.000-05:00

It's been quite eventful few months so far, but we're not through yet!
I am pleased to announce that aNm has not only acquired a contract with Chickasaw Nation Industries ("CNI") from late last year (2006), but we have also been awarded contracts with the Caddo Nation (May 2007) and All Points Logistics, Inc. ("APL" June 2007) for various aspects of website design and maintenance.
Look for changes on both the Caddo website as well as APL's "FirstSource" website associated with a US Government Department!
Also, do please keep alterNative Media in mind with any creative project you may need. Remember, we can take a variety of different artistic and creative projects - including (but never limited to) sculpture, illustration, sketchwork, 2D animation, 3D modeling, and yes, even 3D simulations (that's "video games," for us regular folk!). Contact us today to see how we can make your project a reality.

CGSociety - New Membership

2007-07-12T15:42:00.000-05:00

I am now a member of CGSociety, the "Society of Digital Artists"! This globel society offers to connect artists and celebrate the medium digital of digital art.
In addition to other benefits, I have a portfolio page to display my digital art. Check it out and view some of the other great CGSociety artists as well.
CGPortfolio - Michael Sheyahshe

Check out Mike Kennedy's MySpace page!

2007-07-06T10:41:00.000-05:00

The recent SoonerCon '07 experience was really great. There were a lot of vendors, artists, fans, and everything in between. (We could've used more singers at the karaoke bar, but more songs for me!)
Mike Kennedy was one of the featured artists at SoonerCon and we were able to participate in a few panel discussions here and there.
In addition to being a really great guy as well as a vast information source about comic books and their creation, Mike is working on his newest project, Rough Cut, a "indie" comic book series.
Check out Mike's illustrative work at his MySpace page, read his blog, and maybe leave some comments. Good stuff.
www.myspace.com/roughcutpresents

Look for our Booth at SoonerCon '07

2007-06-03T22:45:00.000-05:00

alterNative Media will have a booth at "SoonerCon 2007 - June 8-10 in Oklahoma City! The pop-culture, science fiction, comic, anime and fantasy convention!"
I will also have some art space where you can view and purchase some of my work and some information about my upcoming book. Come by and see us or just to check out the crowd (I'm sure there will be someone in costume there !). aNm will also be participating in various panel discussions throughout the convention, so feel free to drop in and say hello!

alterNative Media represented at San Francisco Art Show

2007-03-12T14:45:00.000-05:00

I will have an illustration, "Mother o' Pearls," at Regeneration, "The Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair Art ShowMarch 18-19, 2007." This show is described as "A group art show expressing anarchy, community, self-reliance, resistance, and freedom..."

This is quite an honor to be showcased alongside such great artists, such as America Meredith, an Indigenous artist with roots here in Oklahoma.

If you are in the SF area during this time, please do check out this show and show your support for these artists and their work.

Dude Vision - Google Video

2007-02-11T00:41:00.000-06:00

Jon Proudstar, a Native individual that I had the pleaure to interview for my book based on his creation of Tribal Force comic book, has a new film out called Dude Vision. The movie is a short (around 27 min or so) and is worth viewing, as it presents ideas from the view of a Native American male.
Also, it is worth noting, the film does not suffer from many stereotypes that can be found in media. A postive example of this is Jon's character, an Indigenous man, does not drink. Here's another stereotype-buster: the film isn't an "art film" and doesn't portray the "plight of the Indian" (to paraphrase Vine Deloria...man, we will miss him!)...it's a straightforward story from a particular point of view.
Good work, Jon. Keep 'em coming!
Check out Dude Vision - Google Video

Slipped my mind...

2007-02-01T20:45:00.000-06:00

Guess I should've already made the announcement about the website for my new book, Native Americans in Comic Books, going "live" some time ago. Heh. Sorry.
Um, check it out, if you have some time.
http://www.nativecomicbooks.com

Native Americans in Comic Book - news travels

2007-02-01T20:41:00.000-06:00

Very cool that this website picked up the news. Seems there is some genuine interest in this topic out there. Of course, this blurb is the best kind: short, sweet, and to the point...
Comic World News Headlines

Article on Comic Book Resources website

2007-01-29T15:36:00.000-06:00

A very interesting article at CBR. Seems many of us share similar ideas on Indigenous comic book characters. Check it out...feedback welcome.
Comic Book Resources - CBR News: Native Americans in Comics

Eiteljorg Museum Special Program: "Native American Portrayals in Comics"

2007-01-19T00:02:00.000-06:00

Based on the attention my article in Native Peoples Magazine on Indigenous video game characters--and them finding out about my book on Native comic book characters from McFarland Publishing--the Eiteljorg has invited me to be a speaker at this all-day event March 10, 2007.
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art»Programs & Festivals
This will be an excellent opportunity to discuss my book, get open dialog from other experts about the subject, and drum up more interest for the book. Be sure to come check out the event if you are in the (Indianapolis, IN) area!

Article in Native Peoples Magazine

2007-01-01T16:14:00.000-06:00

An article I've written, "Searching for Indigenous Heroes," about Native characters in video games, has been picked up by Native Peoples magazine. The issue hits newsstands soon, so pick up yours or order it online today!

Here's the description from the Native Peoples website: 2007 January/February: "Viewpoint: The author outlines the history of Indigenous heroes in the video-game realm, and finds some losers and at least one game worthy of its Native roots: Prey, with voice by Michael Greyeyes (Cree). By Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo)."

Native American 3D Hologram Portraits on YouTube

2006-12-18T13:49:00.000-06:00

While this is not EXACTLY what I had in mind when I talk about Indigenous people in 3D media, it certainly is cool...if only the author was Indigenous himself! (It is difficult to tell if this individual is Native, as neither the You Tube nor his website specify any tribal affinity...most times, this translates into "Non-Native.")

However, this media does showcase real Native people in culturally-specific garb. The holograms also serve to celebrate Indigenous people instead of exploit them...so much kudos for that.
Now all we need is to get a Native person trained to do holograms and we will be "set". Heh.
Check it out.
YouTube - Native American 3D Hologram Portraits
Native American Holo-Portraits by Mark Diamond

"Scalped" creator discusses Native American comic book

2006-10-19T11:32:00.000-05:00

"Scalped" is a new comic book line from Vertigo (part of the DC family). While the series creator, Jason Aaron, has the right idea about how presenting Indigenous characters within popular media (i.e., attempting to break racila stereotypes and present some dramatic action), I still maintain that we Native people should be creating the very comic books that represent us.
However, Aaron's mindset and heart might be in the right place. "Scalped" is due out in JAN '07.
Comic Book Resources - CBR News - The Comic Wire

Native Artist Effects Change in Online Artist Representation

2006-10-19T11:16:00.000-05:00

It is refreshing to see a Native American artists taking progressive steps with today's technology. It is true: do any search on "Native Art" and there are many websites that pop up...only some of which are actual Indigenous artists.
Perhaps it is time that Oklahoma Native Artists come together - digitally speaking, of course - to form an online clearing house for Internet users to view art and be assured that it is truly "Native" (and completely free of the "made in {insert Asian country here}" stickers that are sometimes seen on "Native American" art).
IR // News // Artist seeks to redefine genre

The Norman Transcript - Recent OU grad seeks to shatter stereotypes about Native American art

2006-10-09T09:10:00.000-05:00

It's nice to get a little good press these days. This piece appeared in Pop magazine over the past weekend.
The Norman Transcript - Recent OU grad seeks to shatter stereotypes about Native American art

Excite News - 'Second Life' 3-D Digital World Grows

2006-10-09T09:07:00.000-05:00

While 2nd Life (yes, I know I am spelling it wrong) has been around for quite some time, it has only recently caught the attention of mainstream media. Perhaps this is due to it everygrowing popularity...more likely, it is due to the fact people make actual money inside this virtual world. Anytime there is money to be made, the news media is not far behind.
Not that there is anything wrong with making money.
However, as this article mentions, there are other important aspects to 2nd Life such as academic and simulation training. Given that 2nd Life is free (for basic membership), this can be a very cost effective forst step for individuals seeking advantages in simulation-based training scenarios.
...Or they could just hire me to create the virtual world for them. I'm cheap.
:)
Excite News - 'Second Life' 3-D Digital World Grows

Chickasaw Adventures

2006-09-27T15:51:00.001-05:00

This is a GREAT idea...and the art is well done.
This is a comic book that not only showcases a particular Native American culture (Chickasaw), but also demonstrates our "continuance" into modern times. In addition, members of the Chickasaw Nation were involved in the creation process to ensure authenticity within the images.
Every tribal nation should develop popular media such as this...just make sure the artist is on par with Tom Lyle's (artist for this comic book).
Chickasaw Adventures

Native Americans in Video Games

2006-09-27T11:25:00.000-05:00

There have been too few Indigenous characters in video games. Off the cuff, there are only a few video games with Native American characters that come to mind: Nightwolf from “Mortal Kombat 3”, Chief Thunder from “Killer Instinct”, T. Hawk from “Street Fighter”, War Wolf from NES’s “Werewolf”, and Turok from (of course) "Turok".
Out of all those, Turok was the only one that depicted a Native central protagonist (main character)...and that was way back in the late 1990s.
We can now add one more title to this list.
PREY is the new kid on the video game block and it features an Indigenous central character at the helm. It is a first-person shooter (FPS) game with a lot of very sweet special effects and really big guns (RBGs) to use.
Oh, one more thing... PREY goes one step further and uses actual Native Americans for its Native American parts. It is sad that this is a novel idea, but in video game media, this is a novel idea. Tommy, Prey's central character, is voiced by Michael Greyeyes, a Native actor, teacher, and dancer. In addition, he is joined by Crystle Lightning, who provides the voice of Jen, Tommy's girlfriend.
It's about time a video game with Indigenous people came out...I am getting tired of playing my same old version of Turok this whole time. We Native people need all the heroes we can get...it's good to see one prominently displayed in such a popular media as the video game industry.

WELCOME!

2006-09-25T14:31:00.000-05:00

Greetings, everyone.
I would like to welcome you to alterNative Media's new blog. Here we will share information, opinionts, and news about various subjects associated with our business.
If you have a moment, I would like to suggest you check out our business website where you can view various examples of traditional and digital art. You can also view expamples of what types of projects we can do for you, including:
-sketchwork/portraits
-corporate logo design
-website creation
-3d modeling
-2d animation
-print ads...and more!
Take a look at what we offer for both personal and professional art / media projects. alterNative Media welcomes any comments or questions you have. Feel free to contact us via email at any time.
Email us: info@alternativemedia.biz
Even if you have a project and it's not listed, send us an email describing your need...between our various levels of expertise and our network of contacts we may be able to provide a custom solution for you at a very affordable price.
Thanks and have a great day...

Michael Sheyahshe, digital artist
alterNative Media
http://www.aternativemedia.biz