December Travels and a CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

Greetings, jolly readers.

      Optiluiz here to forcibly shove some yuletide joy into your unprepared minds on this merry... Thursday. Yes, my friends, I'm posting early for the first time in forever! Actually, I'm only doing this because on Friday I'll be heading to the beach with my friends and won't be available for a while. Besides, I think we should all just enjoy the Holidays and not worry about posting for a while. Anyhow, on to the news, and remember to check out our giveaway details after the main post!

     Max and I are working on our next animated video, and I think it'll turn out ok. It'll probably be another remake of an old comic, but we're redrawing it to make things prettier! Animation is hard work, so it might still take a while to complete. In any case, I hope today's comic satisfies the humor-hungry readers out there. I'm also gonna test out my camera and editing skills on the new computer, so we might have some live-action videos as well! Be prepared, people.

     You know, living in Brazil has made it hard to fully appreciate the Christmas spirit, especially after childhood in Canada. The lack of snow, tv specials and general northerness kind of bums me out sometimes. However, I think the Christmas spirit should live on regardless of what continent you are in. As long as you're in the company of people you like and have access to a copy of The Nightmare Before Christmas, everything will be alright. (Yes, I have an annual tradition of re-watching that damned perfect film, and it's the only present anyone will ever need).

     Christmas is one of my favourite moments of the year, only losing to Halloween because there are no spooky things involved. I actually know a lot of people who don't care for it, but I can't imagine living life as a soul-less Grinch who can't enjoy the season of giving and cheer. Hell, my first goal for when I get horribly rich (and yes, it's when, not if), is to be able to buy EVERYONE I know some of the best Christmas gifts ever. But I digress, it's gonna be a while before that happens, and for now I guess the stuff I ordered on eBay will suffice. If it ever gets here.

     Alas, I do believe it's time to go. I'm sure you all have your own holiday matters to attend to, and I have to get ready for travel (and a few more stop-motion Christmas Specials as well). Hopefully I'll make another post before New Year's, as I think this was an amazing year with some events that warrant commenting on the blog. Until then, I hope you all have a great Christmas, with much love, partying and presents. I'll leave you with a Weird Al classic, to get y'all in the mood.

Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: Don't forget to check out my Christmas-y short story on the 29th!

PPS: Anyone else excited for the Doctor Who Christmas Special? God, I love Christmas Specials!

BONUS ROUND: In the spirit of Christmas, I've decided to do the Epic Club Blog's first Christmas Giveaway! Yes, folks, you all have a chance to win a downloadable copy of the survival horror game "Afterfall: Insanity - Extended Edition!" All you have to do to enter is comment below! Just tell us what your favourite ECB comic is, and you'll have a confirmed entry. We'll announce the winner on our next post before New Year's, so be quick about it (CLOSED). 

There And Back Again...

Greetings readers,

     Optiluiz here on this fine Friday eve- Oh, it's Saturday now. In any case, I'm here to present you all with something awesome as an apology for not posting since Halloween. I've been rather busy these past weeks and have had to deal with some personal issues, but now we're back and that's all that matters!

     Anyway, the Epic Club Show is finally a thing, and Max and I are working as hard as we can on producing some quality videos for all you dudes and dudettes. The above teaser is, for now, only a remake of an old comic, but we'll be making original content soon, and there'll be more teasers as well.

     Well, I watched the last Hobbit movie last night, and I loved it. Sure, it kind of glossed over some pretty important scenes as if they were nothing, but I still found it to be a great movie. My opinion is quite biased, however, as I have some fond memories regarding both the book and films. I saw all three of them with my girlfriend as soon as they were released, and I will never regret it. I guess it's time for a picture to break the ice, so here's the wonderful gift Annie got me before the movie!

     Cool, eh? I've always thought that Sting made a better sword than musician, and now I'll carry it around everywhere I go. Although, I am waiting for a smaug pendant to arrive in the mail any day now, which is pretty cool as well. In fact, I'm waiting for a lot of things in the mail, as I spent most of my writer's pay on ebay and some pay-what-you-want game deals. This also reminds me that on the 29th, my Christmas story will be online on Saturday Night Reader!

     On a final note, I now have a good computer to work on! It's what made the video possible today, so we all better love him/her! For the first time I can actually decently game and edit videos on my own computer, and it is just blissfull. Almost as motivating as the great reviews I've been getting on the Writing Forums, which I joined earlier this month in an attempt to advance my creative skills. 

     So... I guess that's all for now, friends and readers. Sorry for this long time with no posts, but I promise you that we are alive and well, and new amazing things are on the horizon! Just wait and see! I guess I'll leave you with something relevant to how I felt last night during the movie, just so I don't have to suffer through it alone. I wish you all a great week (be it a great week whether you like it or not, or a week to be good on).

Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: Guess who's getting Urth of the New Sun for Christmas, bitchez?

PPS: Aaaand here's the Halloween Costume picture I promised back in October:

Black Cats and Goblins on Halloween Night!

Greetings, Boys and Ghouls!

     Optiluiz here on this most frightening Friday night to present our celebration of All Hallow's Eve! Here in Brazil, in spite of the inappropriate weather and lack of general knowledge regarding the holiday, there are still some great people ready to get in the Halloween spirit, and I'm one of them! Because of this, tonight I have a Halloween party to attend to and I'm psyched! I'll be going as Jason, as I've mentioned before, and afterwards there will be general seasonal goodness at my house. Now, onto the news...

     Today also marks the publication of my Halloween tale "An Innocent Rite", which is now hosted on Saturday Night Reader alongside my other stories! I recommend that you click on the link and check them out for a great, spooky time. Also, our last Halloween movie review was posted a few days ago, and I think you should check that out if you feel like discovering more about the origins of my chainsaw obsession. Now, here's my very own Orange Jack' O' Lantern (With a Jason-faced lollipop inside as well!). 

     This past month has been really great for me, and I think this weekend will be a perfect ending to an awesome, creepy October. Actually, now that I think of it, it sounds like the setup to a horror film; my parents are out of town, there'll be a costume party and it's Halloween. Well, I haven't heard about any recent serial killers surrounding the neighborhood, so I think I'll be fine. Oh, I'll be sure to post some pictures here as well after the party, so stay tuned!

     I don't think there's anything else left to say other than that I've finished Night Shift (which still makes me wonder why I waited so long to read Stephen King's short stories), and I still haven't finished Fear Itself, but I'm trying! Also, I've recently played Slender: The Arrival, and I love it due to it being basically Blair Witch Project: the Game. But I guess I'll leave you to your spooky festivities now, as I have my own seasonal matters to attend to. I wish you all a happy Halloween, and I'll leave you with another Trick'r'Treat related video.

Chainsaw Cheers,

Optiluiz out.

(This is Halloween!)

PS: Yes, I know there is an actual Trilogy of Blair Witch games, but they don't resemble the movies as much as Slender.

PPS: The Orange' O' Lantern actually smells great and looks awesome in the dark when lit!

This Ain't Even My Final Form! (And the final countdown for Halloween)

Greetings, boys and ghouls!

     Optiluiz here on this fine random day of the week! I won't bother commenting on our late posts anymore, though I guess it's good that we don't give up on posting, even when life gets in the way! But in any case, Halloween is almost upon is, my friends, so why don't we all prepare for this most frightful holiday? (And by the way, I totally rock as a shoggoth/alien from "The Thing" in the comic).

     This has been a very interesting October for myself, and part of that is due to my published stories. This past week another spooky tale of mine, "Neighborhood Watch", showed up on Saturday Night Reader! I hope you all take a few moments to visit this wonderful site and read the new story and enjoy the rain! And don't forget, on All Hallow's Eve my latest scary story will also be on the site! Now here's a picture of some of my Halloween stuff to get us in the mood...

     So, these past few weeks I've been reading Stephen King's Night Shift to get in the Samhain spirit, and it's totally been worth it. I've never actually read his short stories before, and the quality of these was a real surprise. King's always been an inspiration of mine, and as a fellow short-story author, I respect him even more now. (Especially after the story about sentient toy army-men!). As I've said before, I've also been watching Fear Itself, and I don't regret a minute of it. So far my favourite episode is Eater, by Stuart Gordon (the director of Dagon!), but I'm sure the best is yet to come.

     I think that's all for today, as I still have to deal with some writing issues and prepare the coming week's last Halloween review! I can only promise you it'll be a... revving good time! Also, wish me luck on my Jason costume for Friday's party. I hope you enjoyed this week's post, and that you all have a great week! I'll leave you with the intro to Fear Itself, featuring the song "Lie lie lie" (which is still playing inside my head as I write this).

Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

(5 days 'till Halloween)

PS: If you guys haven't checked out the much-belated Director's Cut of Clive Barker's "Nightbreed", do so right now!

PSS: Sorry for the bad quality picture, I'm using a spare phone since my good one with the decent camera died on me.

PSSS: Yes, that is a Sam bookmark from Trick'r'Treat sticking out of Night Shift.

Found Footage Abuse and Samhain!

Greetings, boys and ghouls!

     Optiluiz here once more, later than ever! I don't think we've ever updated the blog on a Sunday, but I figured, as usual, that it's better late than never. I was about to post yesterday, but technical difficulties (or evil October Gremlins, if you prefer) prevented this. In any case, here's our first shaded comic! I hope you like it! And yeah, I guess you could consider this last week's trick'r'treater's revenge. Now, to the news!

     My new Halloween story has been done for a while now, and I hope it finds a home before the 31st. It's hard to just sit around waiting for answers after submitting these tales, but I guess patience is a virtue for a reason. Also, I've got a Halloween costume party to go to at the end of the month, ain't that neat? I'm thinking of going as Jason again, as I still haven't found a Leatherface mask after all these years. Maybe one day... Well, here's a doodle inspired by my new short story (yay, it's also shaded!)

     Didya like it? Of course you did! The weather is suddenly collaborating with me again and making life easier and less hellish, and that really affects my writing and drawing. If only it would be cold and rainy forever... And that reminds me, I've been watching quite a few Halloween-related films, and for this week's review, we're going to tackle either Satan's Little Helper or this year's Wolfcop! You can comment which one you prefer below, readers!

     I think that's all for now, I've got some videogames to play and events to plan. I've learned how to make Jack'o'Lanterns out of oranges (since large Autumn pumpkins aren't very popular in Brazil) so I might also try to make some later. I'll leave you with an animated short by the director of my favourite horror anthology film, Trick'r'Treat! Have a great week, and be sure to come back for our review in a few days!



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

(12 days 'till Halloween)

Trick or Treating and Child's Play!

Greetings, Epic Clubbers!

     Optiluiz here on yet another (spooky) Friday evenin- Oh wait, It's already Saturday? Oh well. I can't be on time all the time, folks! But anyway, today's comic is another installment in our Halloween series, and I hope you enjoyed it. To be honest, feasting on the flesh of Trick'r'Treaters really saves money during these creepy times.

     Well, this is being a very peculiar October, but I am enjoying it very much. Although the weather isn't Autumn-ish anymore (damn you Brazilian climate!) I've been watching, reading and playing a lot of great stuff and most of it is even Halloween-related! Also, in a couple of weeks my new story will be online, and I'm so hyped I've decided to write one more horror-ish tale of the macabre! This idea has been in the mind-oven for a while now, but I think it's finally done baking! Next week I might even have some art for you guys... But for now, here's a collaborative doodle by Max and I!



     Cool, eh? I really love the urban legends and lore surrounding Halloween and the pagan traditions that preceded it, even this gorier ones. I have it on good authority, however, that it is very rare for Halloween candy to be anything other than awesome, so have no fear. Besides, who would eat an apple when all the cool kids are having chocolate?

     I guess that's all I have for you guys today. I'm gonna go finish Splatterhouse (which is delightfully Lovecraftian, by the way) and maybe watch another episode of the Canadian horror anthology series Fear Itself. I'll leave y'all with a really weird song that I didn't know existed until earlier this week. I hope you have a great weekend!



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

(20 days 'till Halloween...)

PS: This song was originally set to play during the end credits of the first Child's Play, but was cut due to its... er... 'childishness'.

Spooktober and Other Creepy Things...

Greetings, girls and ghouls!

     Spooky-Optiluiz here on this first Friday of October (although by the time you read it, it'll probably be Saturday) with tidings of madness and terror! Actually, more like comedy and fun! This is obviously my favourite month of the year (I swear it's not just because my birthday is on October first!), and I would like to share the love with you guys! Also, regarding the comic, I actually study for free here in Brazil, so I don't actually deal with these things. In other news, I'm now 20 years old and that scares me for some reason. Anyway, on to more important things...

     This is pretty much the month of horror, so the ECB will not disappoint with scary content and all things creepy! Yeah, we're actually pretty creepy most of the time, but that's besides the point. This month, every week will be accompanied by horror reviews and evil comics! The first review will probably be Hellraiser 1 and 2, and maybe we'll even get to games like Splatterhouse. And speaking of games, guess who's finally got the RPG up and running with miniatures? Yeah, me! Now all we need are maps, and everything is set. Here's a picture!



     Cool, eh? I'm appropriately populating the game with dark creatures of the night, to fit in with the October vibe! The weather is collaborating as well, and I love it! RPGs take a while to get ready, and it takes even longer to get the players together, but when it all works out (which has only happened to me once before) it's pretty amazing. There might be more pictures next week if everything works out!

     Oh, and in a side-note, another story of mine will be posted online on Saturday Night Reader! It's also pretty creepy, so I'll be sharing it here soon for you guys! This year has been pretty awesome for my writing, and I hope to write another story this month, an especially Halloween-y one. Well, I guess that's all for today, readers! I'll leave you with a beautiful music video with one of my favourite things in the world. Yes, slasher-movie villains! Have a great weekend, and hope you're here Monday for the review!



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

(28 days 'till Halloween!)

PS: Did you know I share a birthday with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre? And Max's birthday was this week too, but since he didn't help out this time he gets no cake!

PPS: Those are Steve Jackson's Cardboard Heroes Miniatures, by the way. More on that next week...

Fridge Cleaning, Near-Sighted Werewolves and Autumn!

Greetings, Epic Clubbers!

     Optiluiz here on yet another chilly and pleasant Friday with a great post! I'd like to remind you guys that there are no dead people in my fridge, but who knows about Max's, I don't really use his fridge much. We think our comics have been steadily getting better, so I hope you guys agree and share this around with your buddies! Now onto the news...

     Well, I've been thinking about writing some more stories while I get in the mood for Halloween. The atmosphere around my neighborhood is helping a lot with that. And ev-Oh wait, you guys want to know what happened to the Epic Club Show, right? Well, we were super excited to try it out this week, but Max got sick and some other things got in the way, so please don't hate us! To make it up to you, I've drawn something inspired by my humorous (yet creepy) 50-word short story that won SNR's contest last week. Here's Jerry the Werewolf in all his wonky-pencil glory!



     You may have noticed that he wears glasses too. Comes in handy for near-sighted werewolves. The story (which I call Full-Moon Bedfellows) was short, but sweet, in my opinion. This reminds me of the RPG I was writing, which features a lot of werewolves. While it may be getting warmer here in Brazil (although the freakish weather has been nice to me these past few days), my mind is in Autumn (of the Canadian Variety), and that gets me in the mood for things that go bump in the night! Some more horr0r-themed things are sure to come our way!

     While I could go on rambling about all things spooky, pagan and October-y (Like my birthday, for example!), I guess this is enough for today. October (my favourire month!) will be upon us soon and we at the ECB shall provide you with general creepiness and fun, so stay tuned! For now, why don't you enjoy another youtube webseries for fans of RPGs and magical lands while I finish my own RPG? Have a great weekend, readers!



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: Did you guys know that Max and I were born only one day apart?

PSS: I know I don't draw as well as Max, but common, at least I tried!

PSSS: Did I mention how much I friggin' love this weather? Dammit, this was a great day.

Cocaine Cooking and the Epic Club Show!

Greetings, Epic Clubbers!

     Optiluiz here on this happily chilly Friday evening to inform you that yes, I do in fact make cakes. I actually can cook a lot of things, and so can Max, but I'm obviously the better cook. However, a slight disclaimer: we do not condone drugs on the Epic Club Blog. Except the good, doctor-prescribed ones. We like those because they keep our lead artist alive!

     Anyways, I've always spent a lot of time alone in my house, ever since I was a little brat, so one of the first things I had to learn was how to cook for myself. I usually f*** up at least twice before learning a new recipe, but so far I've learned to make a lot of yummy things, and even how to improvise in the kitchen! There is no excuse for not knowing how to feed yourself, since it's something you'll be doing for the rest of your life! And we all love food, of course. Now, on to something different...



     The Epic Club Show! Yes, we've been planning this for a while, but I think it's finally feasible! In fact, we were filming today but we decided to wait one more week and bring you guys something truly great. We're generally funny dudes, so we think you guys will enjoy our new (possibly weekly) show about everything (possibly involving food)! We might even have some animation in store... But for now, I hope the title card was enough.

     I think that's all I have to say today. I'm pretty tired, and my stomach is rumbling, so I better go feed it. I wish you all a great weekend! Now I leave you with one of my favourite directors teaching people how to make delicious food! Hope you enjoy it!



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: If you guys are interested, I was thinking about making a 'Optiluiz's Favourite Recipes' thing on the blog. Comment and tell us what you think!

Paradox Comics and Bioshock Infinite!

Greetings!

     Optiluiz here once more on this lovely (and strangely cold) Friday to present to you the future of ECB! As Max and I were discussing, this is a turning point for the blog, where our comics are suddenly good! But I hope you like today's comic, and remember that you can read it forever, repeating the panels infinitely. Goddamn, I love paradoxes. Now on to the news...

     We've tried to get some estimates on a few websites regarding how much our blog is worth, and the answer was over one thousand bucks! Which is low for some, but we expected a lot less, and it's a good motivation to keep trying to make things better. After all, 1000 is infinitely better than a blog which doesn't exist! And here at the ECB, we always have our eyes set on the future! 

     In other news, I'm almost finished Desperation (although I might be done with it by the time this is online), and it's really a great Stephen King novel. Sure I've read a few that were better, but King is one of my biggest influences and he still can pack a literary punch (although I guess this book is from the 90s). I've also entered a 50-word fiction contest, where I wanted to make something relevant to today's post but I ended up writing about a drunk werewolf. Exciting stuff, people. Now here's a doodle of Optiluiz falling through time!



     I think it's very Doctor-Who-ish, but lacks some colour. Maybe in some alternate universe I had more patience and coloured it in. Speaking of which, I finally finished Bioshock Infinite! This is one of the best games I've ever played and I urge all of you to do so as soon as possible! The original Bioshock was a masterpiece of gaming, but this actually surpasses the predacessor in terms of storytelling. However, I really miss the old-school survivor-horror vibe. Max tells me the DLC fixes this, but fuck DLC!

     Well, I guess this all I have to say for now. I hope you guys enjoyed this week's post, and I'll leave you with... er... I was going to show you guys the Circle Will Be Unbroken cover from Bioshock Infinite, but I guess I have something different in store. Something regarding Hannibal! I've said before how great this series was, so I'll leave you guys with a little gem I found this week. Have a great weekend!

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WP6_m9rRlI[/embed]

Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out...

PS: Max here, with the BLOODY BEST COMIC EVER! Ye! I finally decided to draw with half of my skills instead of just 1/4 to get to our fans something at least half-arsed! Now that I'm making actual good comics, I hope our fans can finally admit that they are our fans, don't be ashamed! There's a lot of neat things to be released soon, a song and even our own show! Also, I apologise for the last week not having anything, but I was in the hospital. Anyways, Heil Snails!

PSS: Speaking of all this time travel, Doctor Who is back and Peter Capaldi is great!

PPPS: I didn't finish my book but won the contest! Check out the short short story here!

Published Horror, Free Pizza and Koreans!

Greetings,

     Optiluiz here once more on this fine Friday evening with some awesome news! But first, let's take a moment to remember that South-Koreans are still prohibited from watching porn, and that's awful. With no carnal distractions, they keep dominating us in online games. Please let this madness stop! Now, onto some lighter news...

     My short horror story is finally online! Yay! I've been waiting for this for a while, and this story is based on adventures regarding myself and Max! Here's a link to Saturday Night Reader, where my story "Buried Intentions" is being hosted. It's a great site, with calming rain sounds and lots of story options to choose from (Choose mine, though!). Now here's a random doodle from pre-blog times. Please don't judge. 

  

     Didya like it? I only uploaded the image after having already written this, so I have no idea what you just saw, but I know it was great because Optiluiz was the one responsible. And speaking of great things, I got free pizza with Max yesterday! That's just something I thought didn't exist in real life. But I was wrong. We live in the best of possible worlds, friends.

     Other than that I guess I can say it's been a slow week. Max and I are discussing a remake/refurbishing of older comics in order to make something new and awesome. Also, our paranormal videos, which are almost certain at this point. Which reminds me, our paypal button is still there so we wouldn't mind some help raising the money to buy our own domain name and make this blog as awesome as it can be! But I think I'm rambling, so I should go now.  

     Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone has a great weekend. Let's celebrate the little things and wave at our far-away problems! I'll leave you guys with a paranormal video from a guy I admire. The Dead Explorer has some great videos, so I hope you like this one.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/k62OCHbKcA4]

Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: Hey, Max here! I'm way too stoned on my meds to really say something, but I guess there was supposed to be something about K-PORN in this comic.

Lazy Meals and Sickness!

Greetings, Epic Clubbers!

     Optiluiz here on this cold friday to say that yes, Max and I are exactly that lazy. Well, I actually wouldn't eat a wild rat. But even so, laziness is a part of life, and the more we embrace it the happier we are! I've never seen a depressed sloth, so I guess that means something. Now, for some blog news...

     Well, next week my short horror story will be online at Saturday Night Reader, so I'll be sure to link it for you guys. After all, I began writing here, and it's something I think all of you should share in. It's actually inspired by a real adventure I had with Max, down in the bowels of the local mall.

    I guess there's no doodle today, but I can explain! I've been sick for the last three days, so things have been slower (well, lazier) than usual lately. But have no fear, Optiluiz will be well again soon, all I need is tea and unicorn tears.  Which reminds me, I've been cooking  a lot lately, and maybe one of these days I'll talk about that. Or not.

     That's all for today, dear readers. However, before I go, I'd like to leave you with one of my favourite youtube videos! This is pretty much the creepiest thing I've ever seen animated, and I think I shouldn't have to suffer through it alone. Enjoy, and I hope you all have a great weekend.



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: Desperation is actually pretty good, so far. Not exactly Book of the New Sun, but then again, nothing ever will be. *Sniff*.

Sex Jokes and Creepy Stuff!

Greetings, Epic Clubbers!

     Optiluiz here again, and I won't even bother justifying the late post. It is what it is. Anyway, I'd just like to remind you all that the chainsaw is and always will be our tool of choice for just about any task, even shaving. And I guess we really haven't made any sex or rape jokes since we started the blog four years ago, which is weird 'cus we were both teenagers back then. Go figure.

     So, Max and I have been discussing our video plans, which haven't come to fruition since 2010. However, this time I believe we've finally decided on a project so insanely easy and fun that we'll have no choice but to go through with it. It's actually about true creepy stories regarding my Grandma's house, where I used to live. We'll discuss it further in another post. Now onto something else entirely...



     My copy of Stephen King's Desperation finally came in the mail today! I really fucking love old books like this (and especially Stephen King, whose books I haven't read in years), and I actually don't have much choice because finding good (not to mention cheap) english books in Brazil is quite the challenge. And as a bonus, they actually refunded my money because of the book's overall oldish appearance. I wouldn't have minded paying full price, but I'm still happy, more money for Magic! I guess now I can start getting over the end of The Book Of The New Sun.

     Also, Max and I finally got to watch another movie, and will be gifting you guys with another review soon! This time, the victim of choice is 2005's horror film Reeker! We had a blast watching and commenting on it, so I hope you guys enjoy it too. But we'll leave that for another time. For now, I'll leave you with a creepy video (I've been watching quite a bit of paranormal related stuff on youtube, actually). I hope you all have a nice weekend, and stay awesome!



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out!

PS: I finally fixed the scanner and our posts shall not be late anymore! Well, at least not for that reason.

PPS: I just found out that I'm getting published again! Once the story is up I'll link it here on the blog for you guys!

Strike, Donations and the Book of the New Sun!

Greetings,

     Optiluiz here again after quite some time. My scanner still hasn't been fixed, so I have to borrow my girlfriend's. (Thanks Annie!) Anyway, the comic was my explanation for writer's block. Sometimes the character's just don't want to do anything, hence the strike. but now, onto blog news...

     My extended vacation is finally over, but I promise that I'll keep posting as regularily as possible. Toast finally made his introduction, and we're hoping to review a lot more around here. Remember, comment with any suggestions! Also, we've finally set up a donation button so you readers can help us make the blog even better! Current goals are our own domain name, and some design updates. So, if you can spare some cash, we'd totally like to use it. And now, to this month's most important detail...



     I've finally finished the Book of the New Sun, by Gene Wolfe. All I can say is "Holy shit." Actually, I can say a lot more. This has turned out to be my new favourite book, and it's simply amazing. Who would have thought that the story of an exiled torturer travelling the peculiar lands of a dying earth with religious undertones could be so engaging? The characters are memorable, the story itself is incredible and the writing is strange yet hypnotizing.

     The actual book is divided into four parts, Shadow of the Torturer, Claw of the Conciliator, Sword of the Lictor and finally, Citadel of the Autarch. My favourite was the third, although Terminus Est bei- Sorry, I won't spoil it. Just don't go in expecting this to be as simple as Star Wars or something more Tolkien-esque. This story works on much higher (or perhaps much deeper) levels, with Severian, the protagonist, being somewhat akin to a modern-day goth Christ-figure, dressed in fuligin (the colour darker than black!).

     But I think I've said enough about this book. You all should read it, this is pretty much the next Bible, only more entertaining and with more pain and sufferi-actually, it's about the same in the last respect. I guess I'll leave you with an inspired song, and I hope that everyone has a great weekend. And my the New Sun come upon us soon.



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: They actually invented real-life fuligin a few weeks back, isn't that awesome???

Dino-Juice and other delicacies...

Greetings!

     Optiluiz here once more to remind you not to try the experiment from the comic above at home. Or do it, I don't know, I'm not a doctor or anything so I can't tell you what to do, you cute little devils. I know that this isn't one-hundred percent scientifically accurate, however, but for the sake of the comic I don't care.

     So... I guess there isn't that much new around the blog this week. Toast is still waiting for his equipment to start reviewing and Max was too busy studying (yes, he apparently does that too) to draw something this week. However, our good friend Maah/Rasg-Girl has provided us with a rough doodle of Optiluiz in all his cartoonish glory:



     Didya like it? Of course you did, everything that has me in it is cool. In other news, I'm still reading the Book of the New Sun, having finished the 'Shadow of the Torturer' and now on to 'Claw of the Conciliator'. I haven't been this entertained by a book in quite a while, so I recommend it. However, it's not all fun and games, having a pretty heavy dose of philosophy and deeper themes. Just read it already!

     I think that's it for now. I gotta go read some more and watch more interesting youtube videos. I don't remember if I've posted Good Mythical Morning on here before, but it's pretty much my favourite webseries, and I think I'll share it with my loyal readers before I go, so we can all start (or end) or day in the best way possible. Have a great weekend, folks.



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

Maah, Moneymen and Publishers...

Greetings,

     Optiluiz here on this fine Friday evening with awesome news. First of all, the above comic is only partially based on true stories, since our 'office' is actually a multidimensional space which includes the entirety of the local mall (but mostly the food court), my house, Max's room, my girlfriend's house and some other weird places. Now on to the important stuff...

     Today one of my short stories was finally picked up for publication in a magazine anthology! How 'bout them apples, eh? I'm really excited, since this is my first official publication, and hopefully it's not the last! I'm actually celebrating with my girlfriend right now, and planning a celebration with some buddies. Also, I've made the drawing Maah/Rasg Girl requested about four years ago. Here it is:



     Like it? I hope you do, and this is pretty much a special thanks to Maah for believing in our blog and always helping out. It's only a few years late, nothing much. Well, Toast still hasn't posted because he's awaiting the opportunity to review something really special! And Max and I are planning a short video as well, which we hope will draw some more viewers.

     I think that's all for now, I'd really rather get back to celebrating and eventually sleeping. So, before I go, I'll leave you guys with a really fun and educational video series produced by John Green. Yeah, that John Green. I hope you all enjoy it, and have an awesome weekend like I'm having!



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: I never read anything by John Green, sorry.

Emos, Magic and Toast!

Greetings!

     Optiluiz here (late again) with some great news! First of all, this post's art has been done by none other than Max, who finally exorcised the lazy spirits that were possessing him! Good job, Max! If he's up to it, we'll be seeing a lot more of his art around here. I'm also back in my own home, ready for more adventures! And in other news...

     We have a new blog member, ladies and gentlepersons! Prepare to meet Toast, our resident reviewer! I've been rather lazy regarding our movie reviews, so we've brought someone in that's sure to spice things up. My girlfriend (see, she's real enough to comment on things) usually refers to him as the Rich Texan Harry Potter for some reason. He'll be making his own introductory post shortly, but for now here's our friend Toast: 

      Coolio, eh? He'll also be taking care of our finances, since I'm pretty busy with Fatal Frame 2 and murderi-I mean, playing Magic the Gathering! So, my deck is pretty awesome now, and I'm feeling pretty good about my skills as a planeswalker. If anyone cares enough to check out my pimped out deck, here's a link. I named it Terminus Est, after the sword in The Book of the New Sun, which I've been reading. I've also been writing short stories and trying to get them published, which is fun, I guess.

     I highly recommend reading said book, which is one of the best fantasy things I've read since the Hobbit earlier this year. I also recommend getting yourself and some friends hooked on Magic. It's fun for all ages but still requires a lot of skill to master. I'm actually patient 0 in my circle of friends, being the one that originally thought about playing (And I beat Max all the time!).

     Anyway, I think that's all for now. I technically did write this on a Friday, though the lack of a scanner made things difficult. I'm still on vacation as well, trying to relax and now trying to ready TWO seperate RPGs. Well, I think I'll leave ya'll with a video about Magic, since it's my current obsession. I hope you all have a great weekend!



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: I want all of you portuguese speakers to visit Better Stay Inside right now! My awesome friend Maah is in charge of that blog, and she is almost as great as I am!

Pandas, full moons and vacations!

Greetings,

     Optiluiz here on this peculiar monday night to assure you that I am alive and well. I'm just on vacation, and having a blast! Traveling is, after all, a passion of mine, even if I've already been here so many times before. Anyways, the comic is dedicated to my GF and Rasg Girl, who suggested I make a post regarding the full moon on Friday the 13th. I guess I'm not thaaat late...

     Well, there's not much to say except I'm having fun and writing another short story. There's also Elementary to watch and some books to read. I'm hoping to return home a much more relaxed blogger and person in general. And if you're curious about said short story, here's an inspired doodle:



 

     Cool, right? Of course it is, I made it. I've been listening to a lot of Celtic music as I write, it helps get the story flowing. Oh dear, it seems I have other stuff to do. So, uh... Did you guys see Edge of Tomorrow? I thought it was pretty rad. Nothing new, but still pretty cool. I guess I don't have much more to say. I'll be on my way then!

     I'll leave you guys with a fitting full-moon video. Have a great weekend, folks!



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

Magic, Nachos and haunted RPGs...

Greetings!

     Optiluiz here on the interwebz once more, on yet another glorious friday. Now, you may have been thinking that I was dead, due to the lack of posting. However, rumors of my demise have been greatly exagerated! My scanner actually broke so I couldn't post these last few weeks... Sorry! But these have been some interesting times...

     I'm on an extended vacation! Finished this semester early, and now I'm chillin' with friends and my unimaginary girlfriend. The above comic actually does describe some of my recent adventures, but there are even cooler things going on! I'm playing Magic the Gathering again!  I'm a Planeswalker once more, and am really proud of my Green-Black deck. It's actually a long story, with me still trying to plan a tabletop rpg and deciding to play something a bit more simple. Also, here's a doodle from the defunct RPG:



 

     Anyways, the RPG will still go on! And I intend to play with friends in a dungeon-like haunted house. Actually, it's my grandmother's house, but everyone that's been there knows it's haunted. And aliens kinda like the place, apparently. But that's a story for another time, readers. Playing Magic has been really great for my inner nerd, and I've already watched the new seasons of Hannibal and Supernatural. I totally recommend them! Well, Supernatural not so much, but I still like watching it.

     I guess that's all for now, and sorry for not posting for so long. I'll leave you guys with another The Gamers movie as I continue my Game of Thrones marathon! Except this time, it's about a trading card game, so it's kind of fitting. I hope you guys enjoy it, and have a great weekend.



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: I finally watched We are what we are, like Rasg Girl recommended. It was awesome! And I watched it on a perfect, cold, rainy day. Really great and atmospheric movie, though not that much horror in it.

PPS: Guess who? Exactly! Me. This post-post-scriptum that I'm writing whilst I set up my WoW things will be terrible, mostly because I got nothing to say, perhaps if I keep writing something will come into my mind... Well, no.  I'm unemployed so I'll have more time to write on this bloody blog, but as I just moved, I won't have time for now, but... Remember kids, dogs don't fuck up!

Dino Love, Godzilla and UFOs!

Greetings!

     Optiluiz here on this awesome friday with lots of news! But first, sorry for not posting these last couple of weeks. Shit happens, life goes on. Anyway, regarding the comic... I'm a dinosaur person myself, and I was itching to find an excuse to draw a large reptilian life-form and post it here.

     I've read even more about dinosaurs, and have uncovered some more interesting facts. Which will have to wait because I SAW GODZILLA TODAY AND IT WAS FREAKIN' AWESOME. It wasn't just a great Godzilla story, it was just a great movie in general. But the King of the Monsters is back in style, and I recommend it for anyone looking for an awesome experience.

     I've also been reading some more Clive Barker, and I was going to make a doodle inspired by him, but I didn't have the time. So here's an oldie...



     Like it? It's from an old tabletop RPG I was writing. It never really came into fruition though. But who knows, I've been trying to teach my girlfriend to play!

     In other news... I saw a friggin' UFO! It happened last night, in a place I already suspect to have some freaky shit going on. I won't ramble on about it, but there were three orange lights in the sky, just hovering. At first I thought it was some weird star formation, but then it eventually disappeared. Maybe I'll dive deeper into the subject on our next post...

     Well, I think that's all for now. I hope I don't get abducted for sharing this with you, and I hope to be making regular posts again. Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have an awesome weekend. I'll leave you with some Godzilla-related goodness.



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: There wasn't any Blue Oyster Cult in the Godzilla soundtrack though :/

Violent games and the Stuff and Things Band...

Greetings!

     Optiluiz here once more on this chilly friday evening. The above comic is pretty much a PSA regarding violent games. Everyone knows that coming into contact with them turns people into violent killers. Just ask my lawyer! Well, all joking aside, I don't think I play many games without some sort of violence in them. In fact, I've recently been playing Dead Space, and even the Telltale Jurassic Park game!

     So, apparently we're a band now, with Hijo del Diablo on drums. I guess that's cool. (Although my singing expertise only extends to singing Take On Me on Guitar Hero this one time). Anyhow, we've been having more adventures, and I've even been writing another short story which I hope to publish soon. Wish me luck, ECB! And here's our band performing...


     We're awesome, right? I know we are. To be honest, I don't think I have much more to write today. I've been playing a lot of videogames and watching a few movies with my girlfriend. And most of the adventures Max and I go on involve nachos and pizza. However, we did have a fun incident regarding the band 'Strokes', and how unacceptable it is to say "dude, stop Stroking." Also, stay tuned for our next hit single, "Dino Love". Oh, I also watched the whole Spectacular Spiderman animated series. It's great, and you should do the same!

     Well, I used to be really into paleontology when I was younger, but as time went on I kind of stopped researching about it. These days I was surfing around the internet and discovered a few things that really blew my mind. Shrink-wrapped dinosaur syndrome and true-colour recreations were pretty cool to discover. But I guess it's kind of sad that Jurassic Park was so innaccurate. 

     Well, I guess that's all for now. I was recently attacked by a girlfriendasaurus rex, and it hurt, so I better get back to my position. Hope you guys have an awesome weekend, and a cool week as well. I'll leave you with this video about weird dinosaurs.



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: My phone ringtone is now the old 90s Spiderman Animated Series theme...

Sleepyheads and Operas...

Greetings!

Optiluiz here again, and I'm so sorry about not posting last week. Actually I'm not. Last week was my one-year anniversary with my totally real and non-canadian girlfriend. But this week I'm here, and that's all that matters, folks! I know y'all missed me, don't deny it.

     So, the above comic is ironic considering that I actually have a history of sleeping problems (DAMN YOU INSOMNIA!). However, I do remember a time when I could sleep and wake up without knowing whether or not it was dusk or dawn. You guys should try it some time. 

     So, Max and I have a few more movie plans, and I hope that REALLY soon we'll have awesome video adventures! We've even been thinking about adapting some of our older comics. Cross your fingers clubbers, soon ECB will be producing it's own lil' movies. And speaking of movies, everyone should stop what they're doing and watch Repo! The Genetic Opera, right now! It's an awesome musical comedy/horror-scifi film. I won't even go into details so I don't spoil it for you.

     I guess that's all for now, folks. No doodles today, sorry. I have to get back to rewatching Charlie and the Chocalate Factory with my girlfriend. It gets us in the mood for easter chocolate! And so I shall leave you with the comic-booky intro from Repo! I hope you guys have a great weekend, and lots of rock opera goodness to everyone.



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: Reeeeeeeeeeeeeepooooo Maaaaaaaaan!

Hot Dogs and the Dudemen...

Greetings,

     Optiluiz here once more on a darn fine Friday evening. I'll be honest, I think I wrote too much on my last post, so today shall be very brief. Anyway, the above comic is based on a true story. It was the exciting part of this week, Friday not included. (Fridays are always awesome).

     Well, Max and I have a sidejob as superheroes, apparently, and we call ourselves the Dudemen. We're awesome and that's all you need to know for now. We'll be posting about it soon.

     This week the best thing I did was watch True Detective. Seriously, that is one fine show, and I sincerily recommend it to fans of Se7en and even X-Files. Well written, well acted and well executed in general, it's one of the best programs on TV. See it now!

    I think that's really all I have to say for now, I'm having a great weekend so far, and I think that if I write too much about life I might forget to live it. So I hope you all have fun and enjoy it as much as I did. I leave you guys with the song that's been in my head all week due to TD. Enjoy.



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

Journey's End... or not.

Greetings,

     Optiluiz here once more, and he is very sorry. Really, I was hoping not to draw anymore dragons or make fantasy-inspired posts, but it was unavoidable. But before we begin today's long-winded epic tale, I'd like to add that Max once again owes us drawings, and one of our blog dragons is still unnamed. But Norbertu's fine. Now, on we go...

     I finally finished Skyrim. I know, I'm about 3 years late to the party, but I have to share something that was such a big part of my life for the last few months. I've come to realize that life really isn't that different from an RPG, we just have less dragons around. However, in the end, everything can basically be broken down into quests and we really do level up with experience, it's just a lot more subtle. In the end, I think we should all live life as if someday someone will sit around a campfire and recite this epic tale to a bunch of excited listeners. Everyone can be a hero in their own way.

     I usually play RPGs like a movie, and when the time comes it must end, so I don't do every quest, and I make sure to try and act like the character would. In my Skyrim adventure, I played as an Imperial traveler who gets caught up in the whole dragonborn business and even had his own little character arch. I was pretty proud of it in the end. Ludin (his nordic name) arrived a helpless prisoner and slowly began amassing power to defeat the evil Alduin. Though at times he struggled with his own morality deciding on whether or not the end of his quest justified his means of attaining power, he eventually turned into a symbol of hope for all in Tamriel, and gave up his own Imperial heritage to defend the rights of the Nords. In the end, having become a hero of the people, he faced Alduin in the heavens and attained a righteous victory. Now here's a non-related gif.



     Wow, I think I got a bit lost in the whole role-playing thing. But I like to live these stories, after all. I'll certainly miss this game, but I think it's time to move on, and have fond memories of the days I spent in the cold regions of Skyrim during a Brazilian summer. Of course, some things I'll still take with me, like the incessant need to do mundane sidequests, not because of the potential loot or experience, but because it'll help someone. Oh, and the in-game apple pies, I learned to make them and they're delicious. But one more important thing is to remember that there is no problem you can't overcome after a bit of patience and some more experience. Or dragons.

     But that's enough about Skyrim. Life moves on (though it is hard to give up my own personal nicotine), and as you can see I tried to remake the suicide gif, but I'm still not satisfied with the results. It's not good enough to replace the old one, yet. Max will finish his heroic drawings soon, I hope. And we'll finish (or start, whichever you prefer) our movie(s) as well. Anyway, I'll leave you all with something epic to remember Skyrim by. I think that's all for now, and I hope you all have an awesome weekend!




Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: I finished at level 42, and married Aela...

PPS: Sorry for the really long post...

Were-Pandas and paranormal stuff and things...

     Greetings!

     Optiluiz here once more on this fine Friday evening. Yeah, I brought back the Were-Panda. I like the Were-Panda. Anyways, Max and I have been having some actual adventures late. Reliving the glory days of old, and being superheroes and whatnot, but that's a story for another time. Right now, let's rejoice because our dragons are alive! Now it's up to you readers to decide their names!

     Well, one viewer suggested that we made a post on werewolves and other paranormal things. Since I love you guys and would do almost anything for views, let's do this! 

     It's no secret that I'm a sucker for all things paranormal, especially cryptozoology (the study of 'secret' or 'hidden' creatures), and few legends can compete with that of the werewolf, predating bigfoot and even nessie. You see, werewolves have been recorded in history since before the ancient Greeks, though the mythology isn't always consistent with what we consider to be 'modern werewolves'. Even vikings belived in shapeshifting warriors which could turn into animals by donning the pelt of a predator. Now here's some wolf-inspired art!


     Like it? If you want to see more of these fine drawings, visit my cousin Ketrin's blog at http://katzdesenhos.blogspot.com.br/ ! She draws a lot better than myself, so I think you'll enjoy it. 

     Now back to werewolves, like witches, many people were persecuted during medieval times under suspicion of lycanthropy (the condition of being a werewolf, which nowadays refers to the psychological affliction). But in fact, many medieval doctors already suspected this to be an illness of the mind, and not actual black magic, though many accused were burned at the stake. Even so, the legend of the werewolf lives on, and I know a lot of people, even inside my own family, that swear that they've seen a wolfman at one point or another. I wish I'll get to see something like that some day...

     I think that's all I can say regarding werewolves, but if you're interested in the subject, I recommend you watch American Werewolf in London, the Ginger Snaps trilogy and Dog Soldiers! These are my favourite werewolf movies, and I'll leave a mini-documentary regarding the infamous Warren paranormal investigators facing a supposed werewolf. So, I hope you guys have a great weekend, and tell us what you think our dragons should be named!



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: Max prefers to be a vampire, but more on that later...

PPS: I'm a werewolf in Skyrim, so yeah...

Julami and otherworldly things...

Greetings!

     Optiluiz here once more, and I'd like to add that there is some truth to the above comic, but we'll get there soon enough. Well, since we last posted I found out that the new Robocop is actually pretty good (I'm not even joking), the RPG didn't pan out yet (but I'm working on it!) and I had an idea for a movie (again, more on that later.)

Though I'm still playing Skyrim like it's a part-time job, this week stuff actually happened. Max and I accidentally summoned a being called Julami after jokingly (and badly) making a Ouija board and trying it out. It was our first time doing this, and it was all pretty fun, though everything was homemade and improvised. We don't know much about Julami other than that he's rather useless and a bit of a pushover. At least he'll keep Max company. In other news...

     Our dragon died. Yeah, not enough visits or clicked. I hope you're happy... But have no fear! I've adopted two new eggs which seem to be doing a lot better. If things keep up they'll hatch soon, so common clubbers, let's make sure the blog has two new reptilian pets. Or flying war-machines, depends on our mood, really. And speaking of dragons...



     That's as close as I could get to an actual motivational poster, guys. And hopefully that's the last dragon I'll be drawing for a while. But you never know, fate could have something else in store for our doodles here.

     Other than all that, I think that this is the closest I've ever come to actually making a movie with Max in real life, so hopefully we'll have more stuff for you guys as time goes on. It actually has to do with Julami, and I think it fits with everything I like to write about here on the blog. And one more thing, sorry, no worthy pictures were taken at the zombie walk. Better luck next time.

     I guess that's all for now, but before I go, here's a video about something really awesome. Someone is actually trying to make a Silent Hill movie that feels like Silent Hill! Sure the acting's sub par and it gets a bit cheesy, but this has potential and is turning into a feature-length fan-film. Anyways, have an awesome Friday!



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: I just barely posted this on time!

Gamers...

Greetings,

     Optiluiz here on this wonderful Friday evening. Did I ever mention how much I love fridays? I think I did. Well, the above comic describes my relationship with Skyrim so far, and I don't regret one moment of it. But relax, I don't have a problem, I can stop whenever I want to. I don't want to.

     So, the more observant readers may have noticed our little clickable egg to the right. We adopted a dragon, guys! Yeah, the Epic Club Blog finally has its own little dragon. Well, it's technically just an egg for now, but it feeds on clicks and page views, so the more of you visit the healthier our little buddy will be. Anything could crawl out of that little egg, so stay tuned. And who knows, I just might let you guys name him/her.



     In other news, my Tolkien obsession is moving back to RPGs and medieval fantasy in general, and I think I have a new one planned. If everything pans out, you'll be reading about our story here. Oh, and this weekend I'll be going with my totally-not-imaginary girlfriend to the Curitiba Zombie Walk! As usual, I'll be going as a survivor, not an actual zombie. It's not because I'm cool or anything, though I am, but because zombie makeup is for the more patient folk.

      I think this time I'll leave you readers with something different. In honor of my love of RPGs, I'll leave you with an entire movie about them! This is one of the best things on youtube, so I hope everyone enjoys it. That's all for now, I guess, and maybe next week we'll have pictures! With zombies! Or maybe just more me obsessing over Skyrim and slowly going mad in my own world of fantasy and adventure. 



Chainsaw cheers,

Optiluiz out.

PS: I really love the first Gamers movie a lot more, but this one is great too, and the quality's a lot better.