Click, Watch, Click, Watch. Register. Vote. Vote Some More

http://www.rooftopcomedy.com/college/standup/steal/137642_220426

Here for the video page of my set.

Manifesting good things: Comedy

Hello folks,

Long story short, we did it ya’ll! My fellow comedians (Edwin Li, Owen Morris, Marc Abrigo, and I) are now the official 4 San Francisco State University’s representatives for Rooftopcomedy.com’s National Stand-Up Comedy Competition!

To recap: Think of it like March Madness for stand-up comics.

Like Lil’ Mama says, “This is a competition…” So I’ll definitely need ya’ll help with voting. Click here to find out the how’s.

As for my thoughts on the night… It’ll probably help to watch the set I did first

http://www.rooftopcomedy.com/college/standup/watch/JosefAnolinRegional

Done? Cool.

Just some random thoughts about the night in general, in no particular order…

Packed crowd. Perhaps one of my biggest to date.

It was standing room only at the venue. With 16 comics with 5 minutes each, plus our excellent host, Reggie Steele performing in the beginning, and people paid $8 each to get in? That could have been a disaster if there were more bad comics than good…

My set on my birthday was much better and I wish I had a recording of that one, or of the one recently at Poleng.

You might have noticed some heckling in the background, although my boy Marc got it a bit worse. He handled it extremely well though. Personally, I was getting pissed and I let it throw off my delivery just a bit. Live and learn.

Subtle differences in the way I deliver lines (tone of voice, body language, etc.) can mean the difference between a good joke or great joke.

Audience sensitivity to the content of my material. Have a follow-up ready in advance in the event of sticks-in-the-arse audiences.

When I’m doing my last joke, about 20 seconds after I told the girl who yelled out the website after I mentioned the word “Cameltoe”, you might have noticed a break in the audio. That was because someone in the audience yelling, “FUCK YOU!” I completely ignored it because it was my last joke, and being that it was a competition, I didn’t want to stray outside my given 5 minutes.

Anyways, at the end of the day (or night in this case) I accomplished what I set out to do, and it feels good. One of the other comedians who was apart of the original 8 on our team is pissed that he didn’t make the final team. I feel for him, but to be honest, this competition isn’t the end all/be all of shit. I know all of us did what we thought was our best to prepare for the night, and for me, that included making peace with the possibility of losing, and being willing to lose gracefully. Remind me of this passage if I ever get on that tip.

Final thought semi-related:

I’ll be performing my first “headlining” gig at Poleng Lounge on April 28th in SF! Longer set, more time to have fun, but to quote Lil’ Mama again, “I got;s to BRING. IT.”

Vote for my team on the website ya’ll!

An Almost 1/4 Through 2009 Check in.

There are many things I like to do but don’t do enough of. Blogging including. It comes down to 4 reasons.
#1. Time mismanagement (ongoing process of correction).
#2. The need to complete long neglected projects/tasks (of which many are almost done. “YAY!” Spring cleaning!”
#3. Too many hobbies, not enough trades.
#4. Financial (Get a JOB, Grouch!)

#3 I think is most important. At first I thought it was #1, but then I realized that taking my artistic/spiritual/physical activities more seriously, genuinely struggling for mastery (or just being really, really good), that time management is inherently a major component in accomplishing doing so anyways.

This is the part where you point and say, “Duh. Ass.”

I never claimed this bloggity-blog was gonna be deep. =)

So no excuses. I set a lot of personal manifestation goals on NYE 2009, of which I wrote down and will receive a day or so after NYE 2010. I’d like to have more goals manifested than not. Yes, a lot of those goals were lofty as fuck.

So, how about we start with some really basic everyday goals that are the precursor to lofty success? Next to the everyday goal, a rating of 1 to 5, 1 being the lowest, 5 being the highest of how “hard in the paint” I am going.

1. Skate everyday. – 1
2. Writing. Everyday. – 2.5
3. Working on my Stand-up. – 3.5
4. DJing. – 1.5
5. Kickboxing/MMA – 2
6. Spiritual Awakening/Better Person Being. – 4

I got some work to do.

On a side note. I have been getting my intern/training on. Praying that translates into a fulfilling job within the next month. Although I would still take a side gig to recoup my depleted savings some and pay off some of this debt. =P

Alrighty, that felt productive.

Role Models

I fucking loved this movie. Do yourself a favor and watch it.

‘Nuff said….

Marinating on this one…

Art is the only thing that can go on mattering once it has stopped hurting.
-Elizabeth Bowen, The Heat of the Day, 1949

Will be back later.

What inspires you? Change(.) (Y)ou can(.) (B)elieve in(.) You/r/self.

I guess I should start with the obvious, and everyone and they mama has covered it and said it way more eloquently then I feel that I could, so I’ll just recap so as not to look oblivious/apathetic/unenthusiastic.

Obama/Biden pwned McCain/Palin in ‘08. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prop. 2 and Prop. 8 passed. Wow. As a State, Californians have basically said that we care more for the well being of chickens then the human equality. Shameful.

*sigh* Hopehopehopechangehope and now… the next movement…

I echo many of Mr. Senbei’s sentiments… a bittersweet symphony indeed. I pray (in the literal sense for once) that it is indeed darkest before the dawn.

So yeah, November 4th, 2008 will forever go down in the history books that the United States of America elected its first Hawaiian born President. On a personal note, it also marks the day things have gone from, “It’s complicated” to… something more simplified *wink* If this part gets confusing, and it sounds like I’m being ambiguous or vague, well, thats because I’m doing it on purpose =D

In our time learning from each other, you have inspired and challenged me in a lot of different way. The most significant and sacred to me however, is your support and encouragement to put into motion the achievement of my most far fetched and loftiest goals and dreams. Thank you for helping blaze these new trails in my life, and helping me to fulfill some of these dreams already. I promise your efforts will not be wasted, and to always support and encourage you, regardless of where our paths may take us from here. You are my embodied providence, and I am happy to have hoodwinked

And “Thank you” for this…

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness concerning all acts of initiative and creation. There is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen events, meetings, and material assistance which no one could have dreamed would come their way.

I have learned a deep respect for Goethe’s couplets: “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it Now!” 

-W. H. Murray

Creating comics: 1 week later…

Mini update as I wait for my rehearsal to start @ Brava Theater on 24th and York in SF…

I have a loose outline of my first 8 page script. Unfortunately, that is not the same as having a script.

How to format the script has been bothering me. I am not sure whether or not to write it first as an outline for myself, so that I fully understand what is happening, or if I should format it for the artist. I suppose a good writer will do both, as a exercise in communication and understanding.

If you happen to be at all curious, its a story (very loosely) based on an experience of mine getting punked out at the bus stop after school in junior high. Like Ace Ventura, I suppose I am exercising the demons by telling this story, and the subsequent feelings experienced afterwards by the punkee.

Not sure if I should be posting about this so freely come to think of it. Same reason I’m hesitant to put video of my stand-up routines online, because who knows who will be a biter, right? Meh…

More to come…

Every story has to start somewhere…

Those of you who know me well enough know that I am one of the biggest comic book geeks out there. I’m proud of the (earned) title, uber-geek (thanks Serg!).

We all geek out on certain things.

Whereas the hommies Senbei and KCheddar (and my big bruddah for that matter), are a fountain of impressive (and in a practical sense), useless knowledge on various sports teams trivia/stats, I however have an equally impressive and useless amount of knowledge in the area of sequential art.

-Who was the starting wide receiver for the Raiders during 1988? Who has the greatest batting average in the history of baseball? What the hell is an Expo?

-I don’t know.

But if you were to ask me who was the first Green Lantern of Earth, I’d respond, “Corps or non-Corps affiliated?”

Don’t get me wrong. I like sports, I’m just not as dedicated as some of my compatriots. My first love has, and probably always will be comic books. Not just the superhero stuff, but stories of all genres (crime noir, love stories, horror, sci-fi), told through a combination printed words and graphic art.

From the age where I could pick up crayons and paper until I was about sixteen or so, I always thought I was going to be a successful comic book creator (puberty hit late for me… hahahahaha!) but I got discouraged because, as far as my artistic ability goes, well… I could use some classes, lets put it like that so as not to be negative. Needless to say, I’ve still enjoyed the craft but gave up any aspirations to be an illustrator a long time ago (I miss spending hours doodling tho…)

Well, at 28, the bug has hit me again. I want to create some comics. More specifically, I want to write them. Not for fame or fortune, but to challenge myself to continue telling stories through various mediums, and become a better writer as a result (there was a reason I started blogging again =D ).

Taking a page out of Robert Rodriguez’s, “Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player”, I’ll be using this blog periodically to chronicle my journey. I’m taking another page out of Dirk Manning’s book (or in this case, weblog) about creating comics, by focusing first on writing 8 page stories to hone the craft as well as for other reasons (detailed in his weekly blog located here).

Sorry if this post seems like I’m starving for attention btw, but I’m not just posting this for peer encouragement (which is nice). I want to publicly state my goals and so that there is a higher incentive for follow through on my part. Again, encouragement is nice though too

So here they are. My goals….

1. To have six 8 page stories written by the end of October, roughly 3 stories a month.

2. To thumbnail 3 of the storyboards myself by mid-November.

3. To actively make contacts illustrators, inkers, letterers, and colorist by December

4. To self-publish at least 2 of my stories through the web in 12 months time as a late birthday/early X-mas present to myself.

Lofty goals, yes. Possible? Most Definitely.

And in case you were wondering what kind of stories I was looking to tell, I’m thinking that I’ll be sticking to personal ones for the moment (i.e. Nothing involving spandex clad super-people), since some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten about writing has been, “write about what you know.”

Out of genuine curiosity and the hope that others will join me in attempting to do something they’ve always wanted to do,

“What have you always wanted to do in life?”

And now for some inspirational music videos…

Mr. Escobar

Mr. Mayfield (R.I.P.)

and Mr. T

“And… here… we… GO!”

Stay healthy ya’ll!

So ya’ll know I gave up liquor for the month of September, and now I’m really seriously trying to quit smoking. Next up is getting a job w/health care benefits cause I really need a check-up so as to not get caught unawares of anything like MC Breed.

Only 36?!? Damn.

Hoping everyone is staying fit and healthy. We ain’t invincible and won’t live forever, but lets try not to be our own worst enemy. =D

Instead of “Ain’t No Future In Yo Front,” peep out “Gotta Get Mine” Feat. 2pac. Hope he finds that donor.