lifeofnickripley - Tumblr blog

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog Post #14

Yikes I have NOT posted in a long time, I need to update my profile picture and everything 😬 what has happened? A lot. Family is just my mom and I now buuut that's fairly old news now. I recorded an EP and am actually preparing for it to be released hopefully in the near future (fingers crossed). Covid sucks but I'm sure everyone knows that. Got into digital art, so there's that, and I've been attending college lately and getting good grades so yea. I'll probably be posting mostly music related stuff with my solo project Futilitarian Librarians (FL) so stay tuned for stuff related to that. I'll be hopefully posting more frequently (no promises but we'll see) GIF not related.

#musician #blog

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog post #13

Physical therapy hurt yesterday. I've have a rotator cuff injury since February and yesterday was my second day of the physical therapy annnd damn, still feel it today. Got some writing done yesterday, came up with a new chord progression I'm definitely putting in a song, watched the crap outta Samurai Champloo, annnd I do not wanna go to work this morning lol remaining cat Arya is a lil bundle of love. Don't feel like working too hard tonight, might start on webcomic for this Monday, other than that, chill night planned

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog post #12

Took me a bit to regroup after my cat's death, but I'm back. Dany, my deceased cat, meant a lot to me. I raised her since she was a tiny kitten and she died right in front of me so her death has been especially hard for me. That being said, I've been productive. I decided that a small instrumental in my new project would be dedicated to her, so I wrote that. I've had a nasty sinus infection since her passing, so I haven't been able to sing last few days. I did finally get a half stack and put a Marshall amp on layaway so I'm finally updating my rig to a more respectable one (it's about damn time). I put a DC-100 on layaway so I can't wait to get my hands on it lol I somehow managed to finish the Easter webcomic even tho I didn't want to. Just yesterday I finished another book chapter, plus I've made great strides in the actual Hirokua manga script. Haven't worked on this week's webcomic yet, but I'll get there when I get there. I wanna rehearse buuut again, this sinus infection makes trying to sing pretty useless. Guess while my voice is down, I'll just stick to writing for the time being.

[lifeofnickripley]

Hirokua The Webcomic - Happy Easter

Didn’t think i would be able to post this one in light of recent events, but here it is.

[lifeofnickripley]

One of my cats passed away tonight. Not sure if this week's webcomic will be posted

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog post #11

Really rehearsed the crap outta my songs, dad told me about a dude my age who'd be down to jam, sounds like he plays everything, we'll see how that goes. Slept to an Eddie Vedder album and dreamt I was getting advice from Eddie Vedder on music so that was funny lol

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog post #10

Yo, you get the chance to watch the new adaptation of Dororo do it, it is BADASS!! Bout 5 episodes in and love the crap outta it. Got some of the book done yesterday but other than that I took a break from anything creative cause I've been fairly exhausted lately, sooo nothing much to update there. Today I will try to rehearse, get more book stuff done, try to finish up inking this week's webcomic and probably will send out some query letters for my first book. Hopefully I can accomplish all that today. Yesterday I also realized I'm bout 10 chapters away from having completed my book series. That is trippy! I've spent roughly five years working on the entire thing and I've been on the fourth and final book for bout a year and a quarter. In 10 chapters though my main characters' long and hard journey will be complete and I will be free to work on other stories floating around in my head. I need to push forward on trying to get the first book published, granted, but I can't help but be excited. It almost feels like the end of my own spiritual journey is near with the ending of the final book. It's a wonderful feeling.

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog post #9

Rehearsed last night, experienced a setback or two with this week's webcomic, good news is I finished a chapter last night. Most likely gonna review the chapter before trying to get feedback from my best friend. Softer music kinda mood today. Went to sleep listening to the Beatles' Help album. Because they're obviously an iconic band, I think I'll start sleeping to their albums since I've only really listened to 3 of their actual albums before (always have heard a huge amount of their catalog, just haven't gotten familiar with what songs are on what albums). Cats are needy this morning, but I suppose that's to be expected. Dreamt about Portlandia so that was pretty cool. Only solidifies the fact I wanna move to Portland, Oregon one day. I fantasize about it fairly often. Get involved with the music scene up there, see a lot of cool underground bands, go hiking in the forest, getting voodoo donuts. I've always been told I'm fairly hipster like lol maybe that's why Portland seems so ideal? Idk but I'd much rather prefer greenery to desert any day. Not sure how I'd adjust to the climate, but it's something I'd love to try to.

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog post #8

Got a lot done this weekend. Visited out of town friends, wrote a song or two, got this week's webcomic done just in time, and did a decent amount of writing. Also, spent the night working on a lil something for Easter Sunday which I'm still debating on whether or not it'll count as this week's webcomic. I stayed up like Uber later last night working on it and now I have to get ready for work -_- Scattered sleep on top of it all sooo yea gonna be a fun day at work lolol might try to record today but we'll see.

[lifeofnickripley]

Hirokua the Webcomic - Don’t Be a Ryu

Being from another world and having an inhuman appetite, sometimes Ryu gets confused on what constitutes as "food".

[lifeofnickripley]

Game of Thrones: Fav characters and characters I dislike

(Long post) Kay so, today is the premiere of the final season, guess I'll do my top Ten favorite characters(it is pretty much my favorite show of all time). Show only since I have yet to read the books. If you wonder my opinion on any character not mentioned I either forgot to mention them or I didn't think they really earned a spot on the lists. Yes I do censor things in this a bit buuut I want my web comic to have a wider audience so yea, deal with it. (SPOILER WARNING, at this point, if ur not caught up tho, you have only yourself to blame) Liked Honorable mentions: - Melisandre - before I found out bout the necklace, I had the HUGEST crush on her. She's evil, yes, but she adds a sense of wonder and magic to the show, so I still like her character (other than that necklace scene obviously). Plus Jon wouldn't be back if it weren't for her so haters gonna hate. - Bronn- if he doesn't get his damn castle...lol I doubt I need to say why this wise cracking sword for hire is a favorite, I think most people love him. - Yara Greyjoy - Badass pirate/Viking chick on the high seas? Hell yeah! Plus I love Greyjoy armor, I don't doubt Euron will probably kill her though. - Oberyn Martell - Awesome character, the Red Viper was fierce with a spear and even moreso with his attitude. Unfortunately his pride wound up being his undoing in the end, arguably one of the most effective deaths in the series. - Tormund Giantsbane - How can you not love this absolute bro? I don't even like Brienne and I ship them. Geniune badass. - Jorah Mormont - Lord of the Friend zone, his loyalty makes him one of my favs, not top ten tier though - Petyr Baelish: The events of Game of Thrones wouldn't have happened without this slimy bastard. He was smart and cunning (which made him fun to watch) and though his death was cool, the build up was kind of weak (weird Sansa/Arya storyline) Favorite characters: 10.) Ned Stark - Everyone's original favorite character, his death cemented that GOT wasn't f*ckin around. I mean, damn, still a brutal death scene to watch to this day. Props to Sean Bean for making his so awesome. He was honorable to a fault in a dishonorable world. 9.) Ramsey Bolton - Kay, so I might get some flack for this one, but he was a great bad guy. I mean he was legit terrifying and despicable! Made the Battle of the Bastards have an entirely different level of intensity than most of the battle scenes. Dude was an absolute monster, but unlike another widely disliked villain, this psycho got his own hands dirty instead of beckoning others to. His death scene was poetic but I kinda wanted it to be gorier. (I'm an edgelord though) 8.)Jon Snow - Awesome character, obviously I dig him, so why so low on the list? Honestly, there's characters I like more. But he's still really cool, definitely has the best fight scenes of any of the characters. WE BETTER SEE GHOST THIS SEASON THOUGH!! Lol things are gonna be hella awkward when he finds out Dany is his aunt, yet we still root for them as a couple...that's wincest for you hurr hurr hurr hurr (sorry) I could see him living in the end cus tbh killing him again would be repetitive BS. 7.)Tywin Lannister - Kay...so he died on the sh*tter (imo probably the worst place to die) AND he was an absolute d*ck to Tyrion...but dude, he was awesome. He literally has a song about him in the world of GOT that is used as a warning to others to not f*ck with him!! He took a house that was laughed at and turned it into one of the most feared houses in all of Westeros. That is pretty frickin cool. 6.) Cersei Lannister - Another one I'll get flack for but whatever lol She's cool! So what she shags her brother and is an awful human being? She's a badass! Did you SEE how she blew up all of her enemies in the court and solidified her queen status in one fell swoop? That was dope!! She's vile but very entertaining to watch. RIP the Tyrells. Probably gonna get choked out though by her brother like Maggie the frog predicted. (By my second favorite character no less) 5.) Daenerys Targaryen - Dany! One of my cats is named after her! I love this character. The dragons are amazing, she's cute, she's powerful, maybe a little insane cus of Targaryen madness, and she's overcome some amazing odds. Her storylines could be a little meh in the grand scheme of things but Emilia Clarke's portrayal has made a character that we really root for. I suspect she'll die personally by the Night King buuuuut we'll see. 4.)Tyrion Lannister -Tyrion's writing has gone down a bit in recent seasons but still, most people's favorite Lannister. His quick wit and resilience make him a solidified favorite. Still seems like the person you'd most wanna drink with. I'd be pretty damn surprised if he bit the dust. 3.) Arya Stark - My other cat is named after her and there's a good reason why, SHE'S BASICALLY BECOME A FREAKING FACE STEALING NINJA!!! She was always likeable and I think I've enjoyed almost every storyline she's been a part of (excluding her main one last season) Maisie Williams is a great actress and I hope to see more of her in the future. I doubt Arya will die, but based on that one trailer, things do seem rather bleak for her. Who knows...maybe GRRM wants a divorce... 2.) Jaime Lannister - Yes. This dude is my favorite Lannister. In case you couldn't tell, Lannister is my favorite house. He's really had the best redemption arc in the series. He went from a character I disliked to my second favorite. I predict he will be the one to kill his sister, what happens to him after that, idk. It'll be awkward when he meets Bran again though... 1.) The Hound (Sandor Clegane) - CLEGANEBOWL BETTER HAPPEN!! Kay so... admittedly I screamed like a little freaking girl when this character came back. He... HE'S JUST SO FREAKING COOL!! Admittedly being a 6 footer and a rather grumpy individual, I probably relate to him more than I'd like to admit. Probably will die, but as long as he fights his brother, I'll be a very happy edgelord. Characters I dislike: 10.) Sansa Stark - Kay so I just...I dislike her, I never liked her. I feel sorry for her, sure. She's gotten better over time, sure. I still see her as very entitled and kinda whiny/bratty. She'll probably die. If not I won't be disappointed, still though, not a fan of Sansa. It was cool how she killed Ramsey, tho again, do wish the scene was gorier. 9.) Robb Stark - Ned Stark 2.0 but way less cool. Nuff said. I was okay with his death in the Red Wedding. Shouldn't have made a promise you weren't gonna commit to. Even if Walder Frey is a d*ck. 8.) Catelyn Stark - She was just such a jerk to Jon Snow and Tyrion, seriously. Even moreso in the books from what I have read of them. She got on my nerves. Honestly, I don't feel like Lady Stoneheart would've added much in terms of storyline. 7.) Brienne of Tarth: I find her annoying. Sure, her fight with the hound was FREAKING COOL, but she's kinda too self righteous for her own good. Duty is her thing and all but she is really not good at holding up to her vows. Still ship her and Tormund though. 6.) Theon Greyjoy - hated this dude, then felt sorry for him, now I roll my eyes at him. Honestly, Greyjoys other than Yara are pretty meh characters. Good for him finally regaining figurative cajones. Doubt he'll save his sister though, or survive the White Walkers for that matter. 5.) Euron Greyjoy - this one is a shame cus I hear the book character is amazing. Feels like a pretty generic bad guy of the week type for a show with outstanding villains. Funny like here or there, but kinda a weak character overall. Theon will probably kill him, though I'd love to see a twist where he kills Theon. 4.) Walder Frey - Old dude that got what was coming to him, props to the guy who plays Filch, portrayed two characters who were absolutely despicable. I doubt I really have to list the ways this cowardly character was despicable. Awesome death scene though. Winter came for House Frey. 3.) Shae - Grrrr. The actual actress I feel very sorry for cus I've heard her story, but man this character. Dumb but smart enough to screw over Tyrion. For personal reasons, I really hate this character, reminds me of people I've known. 2.) Tommen and Myrcella Baratheon - Most. Useless. Lannisters. Ever. I'm a Lannister fan so you could see why I roll my eyes so hard with these two. Tommen rolled over so hard you might as well have called him a wheel. And Myrcella was just kinda there, admittedly sad to watch her death scene though (pretty much moreso because it was the only time Jaime was really able to connect with his daughter) 1.) Joffrey Baratheon - Everyone probably saw this coming. Joffrey is that kid on the playground that'd hit you, you'd hit back, they'd start crying and get you in trouble. Everybody knew that kid, I think that's why everyone hates this character so. But man, his death scene was soooo satisfying. Props to the Jack Gleason for making him so horrible. There ya have it. My opinions on GOT characters. Freaking excited for tonight's premiere!! WINTER IS HERE!!

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog Post #7

It's an odd day, Game of Thrones day, Peter Steele's death anniversary. Saw a woman try to get a bus to run her over today. Strange sight, really. Gonna be going to the art fair in Boulder today. After that, gonna go to an friend's birthday, hopefully get home in time to watch GOT and color the webcomic, maybe put some guitar to the lyrics I wrote bout the woman and the bus. We'll see. Tomorrow I shall be posting the second episode of my webcomic, so stay tuned! PS: I also will try to get some writing done today hopefully (left my main character in a pickle) PSS: Leavin on a southern train, only yesterday...you liiiiied

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog post #6

I'm later than usual posting this buuuuut didn't have time today. Got a song written yesterday, got a decent amount of my book done today, inked this week's webcomic annnd I'm bout to play D&D

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog post #5

Didn't get too much done artistically other than a few sentences in my book. This morning seems chill tho. Just awoke to the AWESOME news that all of Samurai Champloo is coming to YouTube for free!!! I'm sooo pumped!!! Had a dream I can vaguely remember, something bout Cats and grand theft auto, idk I forgot it already. I have Stone Temple Pilots "Vasoline" stuck in my head, one of my cats, Daenerys, is looking to be pet. Life is good, life is kind. Today, since my friend won't be able to make too many Futilitarian rehearsals in the upcoming months, I'm gonna be hunting for a Bass at Pawn shops to see if I can get one for myself to work out bass lines on the Grunge project. Wish me luck! It's probably way past time for me to get a bass tbh. PS: flies in the Vasoline we are PSS: Sometimes it blows my mind

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog post #4

Had a cool zombie apocalypse dream, just woke up from that. Insane dream but survived at the end so that's a good thing, right? Kay so yesterday pretty much all the goals I set were accomplished. I penciled the next webcomic, wrote a bit of my book during lunch, rehearsed for my Grunge project, I am pleased with my work yesterday! Ultimately I think progress is steady on all fronts, though I do need to send out more Query letters for my book. Also watched wrestling and Scott Pilgrim when I got home from work so that was dope. Today, other than maybe writing a bit of the book, my creative projects are on hold. After work I'm going to visit some friends from out of town. They're a married couple I've known since before they even got together. We're apparently gonna play smash Bros and sample Mead, so that ought to make for an interesting night! I will say tho, certainly seems like juggling a social life is getting tougher with all the projects I've undertaken, but I'm confident it's a necessary sacrifice to do what I'm doing. (Tho some friends are starting to resent me being so busy it seems) Also, my drummer for the death metal band I'm in says he's been playing around with mixing one of our recordings and it's sounding REALLY good! The song happens to be the first single we were going to release anyway, so we'll see how that goes!! So, to reiterate, today's goals are to get some writing done and maybe to warm up vocally in the car before visiting my friends. Also gonna put in some hard work at the ole money maker today (that's slang for "real job", right?) so hopefully the day goes according to plan. PS: find it crazy that Billy Corgan mentions hipsters in Cherub Rock PSS: after analyzing my dream part by part, seems some new beginnings are on the horizon

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog post #3

Good news and Bad news. Good news is all the bass tracking on my death metal band's demo is officially done! Bad news is two of the songs' guitar lines need to be redone because somehow drums got mixed into my guitar lines, muddying up my sound. Hopefully I can get that done next week, fingers crossed! Unfortunately I was also unable to get a head start on this week's webcomic, but I am optimistic I'll get a lot of the penciling done today. Social life events are gonna make creative ventures hard this week, but I shall remain vigilant. Maybe I'll bring my laptop to work so I can write more of my 4th book at lunch. I did also start working on a new song for my other project I mentioned in my previous post, just kinda popped in my head on my way home last night, so I did get that accomplished, was able to figure out the basic Melody of the song. Plan for today: rehearse the other project, write a bit at lunch, watch Wrestling with my friends while sketching next week's webcomic. Wish me luck! PS: vibing Pixies music today PSS: I can hear the wind outside and it sounds INTENSE

[lifeofnickripley]

Blog post #2

Lately, I've been working on a new music project with one of the bandmates from another band I'm in. I've decided to go back to my 90s alternative roots with this project because it's music that I have always loved and always come back to. Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, pixies and PJ Harvey also some newer bands like Bully and the Ghost Ease. I have to say I don't think I've been this excited about music in a long time. Literally approaching everything with this with a DIY attitude, I'm a shredder when it comes to guitar so I'm really holding back and simplifying my music to create more of a mood rather than try to impress anybody with how fast I can go. It's so DIY and punk rock ish, I've literally stuck a bass into a non bass player's hand, and he's dedicated enough to learn it, which is somewhat rare in my hometown. Granted I'm writing the bass lines and will most likely record it on our first couple releases, but the energy behind this project feels really good so I'm hoping it gets somewhere. Probably won't approach a drummer though until he has the bass down a little more. I cannot emphasize the positive energy around this project, though. The other day, my buddy on bass and I were rehearsing while he had a bunch of friends over, mostly general acquaintances for me because it was my first time meeting a lot of them,and they were dancing! They asked us to play the song again! Our other band is a death metal band, so we're not used to that reaction lol afterwards, my bud and I had a serious discussion and we're gonna put as much heart and soul into this project as our other band. Speaking of the other band, today I'm gonna try to meet up with our drummer in that band and record the bass lines for our demo which has kinda been stuck in development hell. If that doesnt pan out, I'll probably get to work on the next Hirokua webcomic while watching wrestling with my best friend. PS: forgot to mention with the new project I'm learning piano PSS: Allergy season sucks when it comes to singing