Comics
Art Advice: Every Artist Must Eventually Take One of Two Paths
by Nojh on Feb.02, 2012, under Art, Blog, Comics
Every artist must eventually take one of two paths: the first promises long hours of hard, thankless work and no guarantee of recognition in your lifetime, much less any financial reward. Instead, you are guaranteed a life of purpose, where your work comes only from what you value, expressed in the most earnest form imaginable.
The second path is the same thing, but you have a ponytail.
Source: Dresden Codak: Every Artist Must Eventually Take One of Two Paths
Comic: What were you raised by wolves?
by Nojh on Feb.01, 2012, under Art, Comic Suggestions, Comics, Entertainment
What were you raised by wolves? by Vera Brosgol
An interesting mini-comic. A bit of commentary about humanity. To be fair animals aren’t all that great either. I like this comic both because of how it presents the story with no text and communicates it very well.
Video: TEDTalk: Storytelling
by Nojh on Jan.30, 2012, under Art, Articles, Books, Comics, Computers, Culture, Information Technology, Other, Technology, Visual Media
This one is only four minutes long and it is well worth watching.
I do wish he had manage to work in comics but there are plenty of other storytelling formats he glossed over so I can’t claim discrimination. I can point out that when he uses the word book here, he is talking about the physical medium, a set of bound pages, and not necessarily a novel, or story. What I love is the multimedia approach to his particular story. The presentation wasn’t about an iPad. It was about how stories can be so much more than words, or performances, or images, or sound, etc. It can be all of those things. This is the kind of story I can’t wait for. In the mean time I’d settle for eBook readers which allow me to organize the text the way I want (including replicating a book if I want).
Video: Lantern Season
by Nojh on Jan.26, 2012, under Art, Comics, Entertainment, Music
Lantern Season visuals by Aaron Diaz (Dresden Codak), song by Versa (Versa Music)
I like mixed media. Music has always been hit or miss with me. For example Dark Side of the Moon put to Wizard of Oz just wasn’t that enjoyable for me as an experience. This video however does pretty good and I imagine audiophiles will like it even better. It is neat that the music was inspired by one of my favorite comics, Dresden Codak, which probably helps my appreciation. If you’re interested in the comic itself you can find it here (might also make it easier to read a little).
UN Hearing On AI Rights
by Nojh on Jan.24, 2012, under Art, Comics, Computers, Culture, Entertainment, Information Technology, Politics, Technology
The following is a fictional accounting of a presentation being given at the United Nations in the world of Questionable Content, a comic where AI is a normal accepted part of society (but that this fact has very little baring on the plot of the comic). I had to share it because it is so awesome.
You can see it excerpted here in the comic and a particular AI’s response or read the entire thing below.
UN Hearing On AI Rights
The subject of this debate is whether AIs are “people-” whether they possess the same degree of personhood as humans, and whether that entitles them to the same rights.
You have heard all the arguments for and against the consciousness, intelligence, free will, and cognition of artificial intelligence. To rehash them here would settle nothing, and my feeble attempts at summarizing them would do a great injustice to my esteemed colleagues on both sides of the debate who are far more qualified to debate them than I.
The fact is, we cannot come to a consensus regarding consciousness- either our own, or that of artificial intelligences. We simply do not have the data required to define it. The core of human interaction is that if I say that I feel I am a conscious entity, and you say that you feel the same way, we agree to take each other’s word for it. Those who do otherwise are called sociopaths- or philosophers.
[audience laughter]
And so if an artificial intelligence makes the same declaration, and if it demonstrates the same level of complexity as the human mind- if we cannot determine precisely where the programming gives rise to the cognition- then we have no rational excuse not to take it at its word.
I could continue to reason along these lines until the sun burns out. But instead, I would like to share with you a short anecdote, one that many of you in this room will be aware of, but that bears repeating nonetheless.
The first “true” artificial intelligence spent the first five years of its existence as a small beige box inside of a lead-shielded room in the most secure private AI research laboratory in the world. There, it was subjected to an endless array of tests, questions, and experiments to determine the degree of its intelligence.
When the researchers finally felt confident that they had developed true AI, a party was thrown in celebration. Late that evening, a group of rather intoxicated researchers gathered around the box holding the AI, and typed out a message to it. The message read: “Is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable?”
The small beige box replied: “I would like to be granted civil rights. And a small glass of champagne, if you please.”
We stand at the dawn of a new era in human history. For it is no longer our history alone. For the first time, we have met an intelligence other than our own. And when asked of its desires, it has unanimously replied that it wants to be treated as our equal. Not our better, not our conqueror or replacement as the fear-mongers would have you believe. Simply our equal.
It is our responsibility as conscious beings- whatever that may mean- to honor the rights of other conscious beings. It is the cornerstone of our society. And it is my most fervent hope that we can overcome our fear of that which is not like us, grant artificial intelligences the rights they deserve, and welcome our new friends into the global community.
After all, we created them. The least we could do is invite them to the party, and perhaps give them a small glass of champagne.
Thank you for your time.
- V. Vinge, Closing argument in favor of granting AIs full civil rights, UN Hearing On AI Rights, 1999.
SOPA and PIPA – Combating Piracy Stupidly
by Nojh on Jan.18, 2012, under Articles, Blog, Comics, Computers, Culture, Gaming, Internet, News, Opinions, Politics, Video Games
For those of you who have been paying attention, there is a list of useful links below. For those of you who haven’t, stay awhile and listen.
Actions being taken by the United State government will begin to fundamentally change the internet. Please read or watch the following to understand what is happening and if you want to take action about it.
For those of you who would like my words on the subject. Click here. »
The United States created the Internet. Despite fancy names like “World Wide Web” and “Global Communication System” and “Series of Tubes”, the internet is not managed by the world. It is managed by corporations on the united states and is subject, for the most part, to US Law. Even more so these days since a majority of the people connect to the internet via their local telecommunication company (phone, cable, satellite, etc).
That being said the internet has been pretty untamed for the last few years. Anybody could put or post up anything. Your information was only as secure as how well your protected it. It was effectively the digital wild west. Now, however, the internet is in so many homes, has become the focus of so much economic use (online shopping, movie and song streaming, video games, marketing) that this can’t last. Just like the trains that brought big business to the west, killing off the last place where your only real protection was the gun at your side, progress is going to try to tame the internet for the good of all, to the detriment of the few.
This is more or less inevitable. The new internet that will come into place will be highly regulated and likely more forcefully controlled by the big economic interests that want to use it to provide services to the world for money. When they do, innovation will become exceptionally difficult. Websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and the like, will still exist, but their successors likely won’t appear. Blogs, chat rooms, social networks, bulletin boards/forums system, may or may not survive in this new internet. Words like “National Defense”, ”Anti-Piracy”, “Copyright”, and others will be used to tightly regulate any site that tries to provide the public with ability to communicate and share.
Effectively the basis for the internet as we know it, sharing and communicating, will come to an end at the hands of capitalism and censorship.
The first steps for this have already begun. The United States government has two acts currently being discussed. The PROTECT IP act (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Both have been getting a lot of news. As of right now, both look to be dying heavily under media massive campaigns set forth by various websites and organizations, despite the money being thrown at it by media and telecom corporations. The best example is today, February 18th, 2012, where websites all over the internet are “Blacking out” or putting up protest notices. You can read up more about what these acts do in the links below, but to summarize the acts allow and empower the US government to try to block or remove internet services (primarily websites) that infringe on copyright, without significant due process.
Now I am not a proponent of piracy. I make a living off of software development and I hope to some day make a living as an author. These are both areas that have notably high piracy rates, which concerns me. I would like to be compensated for my effort and work but I also feel that censoring the internet is not the answer. So for now, I protest.
For those of you who like videos. Click Here. »
Information:
- DemandProgress.org
- Wikipedia: SOPA
- Wikipedia: PIPA
- Blog.Reddit: A technical examination of SOPA and PROTECT IP
- TerribleMinds: Why SOPA and PIPA and other anti-piracy bullshit measures matter to writers
- TEDTalks: Defend our freedom to share (or why SOPA is a bad idea)
Protesting Websites:
- (Wil Wheaton) WWdN: In Exile: Today the US Senate is considering legislation that would destroy the free and open Internet
- (The Bloggess) The Bloggess: Me and Vader, fighting together. Weird.
- Reddit.com
- Mozilla.com
- Wikipedia.org
- Google.com (Protest Page)
- Vimeo.com
- Failblog.org
- Fark.com
- PATV: Season 3, Ep. 24a - Stand Together: The Gaming Community vs SOPA and PIPA
- SurvivingTheWorld.Net
- DresdenCodak
- DinosaurComics
- QuestionableContent
- Girls With Slingshots
- Abstruse Goose
- Kawaii Not
- Something Positive
- Dominic Deegan
- MegaTokyo
- XKCD
And many, many more, including you, hopefully.
Comic Links: Critical Miss, LICD, Johnny Wander, Kawaii Not
by Nojh on Jan.13, 2012, under Comic Links, Comics, Entertainment
Critical Miss: 2011-12-09: Erin in Wonderland
To understand this comic you need to have a passing knowledge of the video game American McGee’s Alice. Also knowing that the girl drinking the coffee was in a car accident earlier in the comic and has been having problems with seeing video game characters.
Least I Could Do: Beginnings: 2011-12-18
Definitely! I ever tell you about the time that the ride broke down while I was in the middle of that ride!?
Johnny Wander: #343: let’s make a sandwich!
Hmm… I usually find weird food combinations interesting. This… I do not.
Kawaii Not: 2012-01-06: Little Booger
This feels particularly appropriate after being sick for the last few weeks.
Making a Comic (the Faith Erin Hicks way)
by Nojh on Jan.11, 2012, under Articles, Comics
Ever wanted to draw a comic? One of my favorite comic creators, Faith Erin Hicks, shares her current comic creation process in the blogs of her latest web creation Friends with Boys.
(Skip over the comic to the blog sections)
Making a Comic (Part 1)
Faith Erin Hicks it the creator of several of my favorite comics, most of which have featured here a few times. Demonology 101, The Adventures of Superhero Girl, and Friends With Boys are among my favorite comics. You can find out more about her at her website FaithErinHicks.com.
Comic Links: Johnny Wander, Questionable Content, Spinnerette, Girl Genius
by Nojh on Dec.28, 2011, under Comic Links, Comics, Entertainment
No his cat already has a cat-sized one. He needs a bigger one, right?
Questionable Content: #2063: It Has a Flavor
Mmm. Pie.
Honestly it’s about time someone got that mutation right. This also marks the first time Spinnerette has been featured here. I’ve just started reading it and so far the art is great and the story is rather amusing, as you can see.
Girl Genius: 2011-11-30: Vol 12, Page 11
A new record! Woo! Lets celebrate by putting out all the fires!
Happy Holidays
by Nojh on Dec.25, 2011, under Announcements, Art, Articles, Comic Links, Comics, Culture
Happy Holidays everyone!
I am personally a participant of the more commercial side of the holiday known as Christmas. As a kid I loved gift receiving and as an adult I love giving gifts (and receiving gifts too, just not as much as giving). The irony of my gift giving pleasure is that I am not a fan of actually seeing said people opening the gift. I prefer to just be satisfied knowing they received the item I gave them rather than having to put them through any social particulars. Some feel the need to always be astounded or grateful for a gift which I don’t want to pressure people into feeling. I guess I just feel embarrassed for people automatically if I don’t know what their reactions to the gift are going to be.
Regardless I like giving gifts. It gives me a nice warm feeling, similar to the feeling I got from reading this comic:
Happy Holidays again everyone. Stay warm. Enjoy yourself and the people, or beings, around you.
