tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85682029078467533412024-03-05T17:27:03.022-08:00The Skaploony BinDoodler; by-ear pianist; Your friendly neighborhood sci-fi / video game geek!Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-4070174762115143302015-01-25T12:25:00.001-08:002015-01-30T01:55:34.596-08:00Chomp's Last Breath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WEHRwHZcfU-FYyBWwYcBTiL9q8fhOzDf2y4w9UF3PvGcuc81sJfbv229bvN8zgCzZEJcu8-iMkcQSKZDR1oDWUpZ-LeXflezLbx35XYxBzlzCAF-RRw3H0vsZ7N5vVGZwbCZmQ0nlWJd/s1600/Chomp's+Last+Breath+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WEHRwHZcfU-FYyBWwYcBTiL9q8fhOzDf2y4w9UF3PvGcuc81sJfbv229bvN8zgCzZEJcu8-iMkcQSKZDR1oDWUpZ-LeXflezLbx35XYxBzlzCAF-RRw3H0vsZ7N5vVGZwbCZmQ0nlWJd/s1600/Chomp's%2BLast%2BBreath%2B01.jpg" height="258" width="400" /></a></div>
Here's a little piece to ruin your perfectly happy day. And for the sole
purpose of making this even more depressing than it already is: This is
the Chain Chomp that you rescued from Booster's Tower in Super Mario
RPG. Let that sink in.<br />
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(<a href="http://skaploony.deviantart.com/#/art/Chomp-s-Last-Breath-496292992?hf=1">DeviantArt Link</a>)Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-16136219011045179172014-08-17T22:33:00.001-07:002014-08-17T22:33:27.801-07:00Yearly "Don't Worry, I'm Still Alive" Reassurance<div style="text-align: justify;">
It has again been too long since I've posted here. Well, I can safely say that I'm not dead, I don't want to go on the cart, and I feel happy. Actually, I've sorta betrayed Blogger for <a href="http://www.skaploony.tumblr.com/" target="">Tumblr.</a> So if you want more outta me, or asking me any random question you can think of, check that out. That and my <a href="http://www.skaploony-excess.tumblr.com/">Reblog Tumblr.</a></div>
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Regarding my piano antics, I'm still not <a href="http://skaploony.blogspot.com/2012/12/update-final-apology.html">apologizing</a> over anything, but I feel the need to bring it up, having been piano-less for about a year ...okay, that's not entirely true. I still play - I'd go insane if I didn't - but I'm away from my good ol' 88-keys, and temporarily left with 16 less keys and no sustain pedal. They'll be back. I'll make sure they come back... or else!</div>
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Now let's see, there's <i>has</i> to be something I <i>can</i> show...... AH, indeed there <i>are</i>. Take this little piece here, where Tumblr asked me <a href="http://skaploony.deviantart.com/art/Robosaur-428805693">"Robots or Dinosaurs?"</a> and I responded with this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN40rS1PlBuaICP05PneeDqU-fn-e7ny7M9zmO_1y6YUZyOMG9U6Mf7WTOfglMObJQZA6f_fFj6GzOPq8hXw4IYdmwhnZ80g1zRsSW3HzyCD609eoYyvTKEgedbpdw0WDXayri6yL3nvEX/s1600/Robosaur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN40rS1PlBuaICP05PneeDqU-fn-e7ny7M9zmO_1y6YUZyOMG9U6Mf7WTOfglMObJQZA6f_fFj6GzOPq8hXw4IYdmwhnZ80g1zRsSW3HzyCD609eoYyvTKEgedbpdw0WDXayri6yL3nvEX/s1600/Robosaur.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></div>
Or <a href="http://skaploony.deviantart.com/art/Nnnnope-438541378">this cute one</a>, which was a blast work on!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8VVcy7M3OYvFPlWl90rMMJWNoYEgegkt9qZGG4LIoA9dgwApbCOS_-pbpPECv5UKUUypWyZpxoF6C430pFGFs_ONCU6xKw9_xS8Y4e8JVY_ooKO3OOG5Up7Orh1jHekPpFM1ze62KkDR/s1600/nnnnope.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8VVcy7M3OYvFPlWl90rMMJWNoYEgegkt9qZGG4LIoA9dgwApbCOS_-pbpPECv5UKUUypWyZpxoF6C430pFGFs_ONCU6xKw9_xS8Y4e8JVY_ooKO3OOG5Up7Orh1jHekPpFM1ze62KkDR/s1600/nnnnope.png" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are plenty others I'm either working on, or just aren't ready to be shown quite yet. However, on top of everything else, the first entry of the graphic novel I've been working on has been completed! <b>"A Tiger's Last Song - Episode I: Wolves of Gondwana"</b> is now available on <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=2V4mAgAAQBAJ&rdid=book-2V4mAgAAQBAJ&rdot=1&source=gbs_vpt_read&pcampaignid=books_booksearch_viewport">Google eBooks</a> and printed versions on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Last-Song-Episode-Gondwana/dp/1490718796">Amazon</a>! Thank you so much to those who have supported us. This is an awesome journey to be on, and we still have a long way to go. For more info and updates, please visit our <a href="http://www.atigerslastsong.com/">Main Website</a> and like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/atigerslastsong">Facebook!</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Last-Song-Episode-Gondwana/dp/1490718796"><img border="0" src="http://38.media.tumblr.com/15c2604d10cb1fd9e2d078acc3b6f3f6/tumblr_mzar9zO0D81rl2tfjo1_r1_1280.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-13257694956994580702013-07-01T18:01:00.002-07:002014-04-03T23:36:15.028-07:0030 Day Zelda ChallengeStarting today, I will be doing one o' them dumb little 30 Day Challenge on "The Legend of Zelda." Everything is already written, and will automatically be posted every day at Noon PDT. Since I don't feel like spamming my main blogs with the challenge, it will be on my secondary reblog Tumblr: <a href="http://skaploony-excess.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">The Skaploony Bin - Excess Luggage</a>. (or <a href="http://skaploony-excess.tumblr.com/tagged/30_day_challenge" target="_blank">click here</a> for <i>just</i> the challenge posts.) It starts off a bit slow, but you'll notice when I <i>really</i> start to have fun with it :)Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-35551657650890466102013-06-18T18:05:00.003-07:002014-04-03T23:34:03.445-07:00You had ONE JOB!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/c6b6d3e6996556ac0fe81aa6dc6cfee0/tumblr_mom4s1t21R1rl2tfjo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/c6b6d3e6996556ac0fe81aa6dc6cfee0/tumblr_mom4s1t21R1rl2tfjo1_1280.jpg" height="76" width="400" /></a></div>
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Made this for kicks.<br />
(<a href="http://skaploony.tumblr.com/post/53315500117/made-this-for-kicks-to-be-fair-she-did-send-link" target="_blank">Tumblr link</a>)Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-69204183021797413292013-06-16T20:58:00.001-07:002015-01-30T01:56:46.340-08:00Captain Picard Day 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/167/a/d/captain_picard_day_2013_by_skaploony-d69d51s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/167/a/d/captain_picard_day_2013_by_skaploony-d69d51s.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
Happy Captain Picard Day! ....Happy Father's Day as well, but CAPTAIN PICARD!!! :D<br />
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<a href="http://skaploony.deviantart.com/art/Captain-Picard-Day-2013-378526672" target="_blank">DeviantArt Link</a> | <a href="http://skaploony.tumblr.com/post/53164531145/captain-picard-day-2013-by-skaploony-happy" target="_blank">Tumblr Link</a>Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-81262928717163818992013-06-02T00:28:00.003-07:002016-01-21T18:27:37.001-08:00Piano - Blind Guardian - Sacred Worlds (100th Video)<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PF2HDaLJCjs" width="480"></iframe></div>
It's been a long year and a half since I've done a piano video. What better way to make my 100th video an awesome song from one of my favorite bands.Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-58953777839682906932013-05-12T02:00:00.002-07:002013-05-12T02:00:27.336-07:00"A Tiger's Last Song - Episode I: Wolves of Gondwana" now LIVE on Kickstarter!<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/593359513/a-tigers-last-song-episode-i-wolves-of-gondwana/widget/video.html" width="480"> </iframe>
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Yes folks, we are back on our feet, and stronger than ever, with 19% on Day 1! From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you very much for your support, and the <i>awesome</i> start you've given us. ...But it's not over yet! We still have a ways to go till we reach our goal for Episode I, and beyond that, we would love to be able to fund the entire 4-episode story as originally intended. So as much as I've said this before in many previous blog posts, I can't really be blamed for not stressing this enough:<br />
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Please share ATLS with your friends, check out our <u style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/593359513/a-tigers-last-song-episode-i-wolves-of-gondwana" target="_blank">New Kickstarter Page</a></u>, our <u><b><a href="http://www.atigerslastsong.com/" target="_blank">Official Page</a></b></u>, and Like us on <b><u><a href="http://www.facebook.com/atigerslastsong" target="_blank">Facebook</a></u></b> for regular updates from the ATLS Team. Also be sure to check out our video from our first attempt:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fYMbh1RQ8kU" width="560"></iframe>Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-25849727343854150472013-05-07T17:52:00.001-07:002013-05-12T02:01:43.517-07:00Random Fantasy Three-Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/127/3/1/random_fantasy_three_way_by_skaploony-d64he8w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/127/3/1/random_fantasy_three_way_by_skaploony-d64he8w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(<a href="http://skaploony.deviantart.com/art/Random-Fantasy-Three-Way-370327136" target="_blank">DeviantArt Link</a>) (<a href="http://skaploony.tumblr.com/post/49895309580/random-fantasy-three-way-by-skaploony" target="_blank">Tumblr Link</a>)</div>
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Errrrrrmmm...... yeah.Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-12471425706315346432013-05-04T21:58:00.000-07:002013-05-05T17:45:23.594-07:00"A Tiger's Last Song" Back From Extinction!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17WKrv_pW80RMgNho8bNwSk23jamTPn96O8go6jBU9w-KetMs2oA_DtExWJiBA4BYiBAtUCf4LMftw7nr9KcLKWc2Dto1PfVjT2qXHWwdR5Ni_FKTg2j78GJq1UhwzwnXKryzBwwxNTxT/s1600/ATLS+Ep1+Cover+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17WKrv_pW80RMgNho8bNwSk23jamTPn96O8go6jBU9w-KetMs2oA_DtExWJiBA4BYiBAtUCf4LMftw7nr9KcLKWc2Dto1PfVjT2qXHWwdR5Ni_FKTg2j78GJq1UhwzwnXKryzBwwxNTxT/s320/ATLS+Ep1+Cover+02.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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Yup. <b>On May 11th,</b> our graphic novel "A Tiger's Last Song" returns to Kickstarter! Like I said previously, we are aiming lower. Significantly lower than the $80,000 we were asking for in our first attempt. Now that we have decided to release the book episodically, "ATLS - Episode I: Wolves of Gondwana" will instead be shooting for $10,000. However, should we reach our $80,000 stretch goal, we will release the full 4-episode book as originally intended.<br />
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So stay tuned, check out our <a href="http://www.atigerslastsong.com/" target="_blank">Official Site</a>, and "Like" us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/atigerslastsong" target="_blank">Facebook</a> for regular updates from the team!Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-57790223857953147012013-03-16T19:14:00.004-07:002013-04-13T01:24:49.803-07:00Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary XXV<div style="text-align: justify;">
Welp, that one day of the year that always reminds me that I'm mortal happened. The fact that I just turned a quarter-century old doesn't help much either. Oh well. I had a nice little birthday week. For one, I got myself the new <b>Tomb Raider</b> game on Launch day. The game itself didn't freeze, but Lara did while salvaging her kill. Dead guy seems to bee enjoying it. ...Didn't quite expect her tomb raiding to go as far as necrophilia :P</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T2E-eKRV5zHiZPtW62i9SmCiAokHboEPacLQQr7HHhcrtNsXIg-LQ7z6dtVazXGStCMOPMGtPoi0A5Jb6Wv8VngoFpACVsYFwVM-sUbDU55XMVicHXp8Zu5LMuui3E_3V6mNGM1QTjEJ/s1600/BEokO5rCUAA1D_j.jpg+large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T2E-eKRV5zHiZPtW62i9SmCiAokHboEPacLQQr7HHhcrtNsXIg-LQ7z6dtVazXGStCMOPMGtPoi0A5Jb6Wv8VngoFpACVsYFwVM-sUbDU55XMVicHXp8Zu5LMuui3E_3V6mNGM1QTjEJ/s320/BEokO5rCUAA1D_j.jpg+large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Other than this little snafu, HOLY CRAP, THIS GAME IS AMAZING! It's as if the old TR had a hot steaming threesome with Uncharted and Arkham Asylum, and raised their love child on Skull Island! There are things I like about Uncharted better, such as the script, and secondary characters, but it's all worth playing for Lara herself, especially the island the game takes place in. It is so detailed, and beautifully destroyed. It took me a couple days to beat, and I'm already on my second playthrough, while still looking for all the extra goodies.</div>
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Regarding the<b> "A Tiger's Last Song" Kickstarter, </b>yes, it didn't go through, and we didn't grasp many pledges for several reasons. The main reason probably being the $80,000 goal. It's a big, but not an unreasonable goal for a graphic novel of this scale. It needs a lot of man hours, equipment, licesnsing, printing... plus taxes and Kickstarter's 5% claim that needs to be taken into consideration. But fret not, we won't give up. We believe in this project way too much to simply give it up. We will be <b>re-launching</b> the project. Only this time, we'll be doing "A Tiger's Last Song" episodically, allowing us to significantly reduce our budget. We expect to come back in less than a month. In the meantime, check out the <a href="http://www.atigerslastsong.com/" target="_blank">ATLS Official Page</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/atigerslastsong" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. Thank you so much for your support</div>
Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-3226889779474905312013-02-20T14:41:00.000-08:002013-02-20T14:41:02.785-08:00A Tiger's Last Song - Announcement Video<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/IizoyXnRFHY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Just made this here video, featuring yours truly, further spreading the word on our graphic novel Kickstarter project.<br /><br />Please
share "A Tiger's Last Song" with your friends. Time is ticking, and we
still have a large deep chasm to cross. We want to reach out to the many
strangers in the world who have never even heard about this project,
and one simple little dollar can go a very long way.<br /><br />So <b>SPREAD THE WORD</b>, and Back us on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/593359513/a-tigers-last-song" target="_blank"><b>Kickstarter!</b> </a><br /><br />And like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/atigerslastsong" target="_blank"><b>Facebook!</b></a>Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-7492928561384320762013-02-20T14:16:00.001-08:002013-02-20T14:21:27.140-08:00A Kazooie on a Banjo..... on a horse.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/021/b/7/a_kazooie_on_a_banjo_____on_a_horse__by_elephantspank-d5s8t86.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/021/b/7/a_kazooie_on_a_banjo_____on_a_horse__by_elephantspank-d5s8t86.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is what happens when Banjo's too lazy to walk, and Kazooie's too lazy to fly or talon-trot.<br />
If the latest BK game had this instead of vehicle modding, I'd probably be more compelled to buy it. (<a href="http://elephantspank.deviantart.com/art/A-Kazooie-on-a-Banjo-on-a-horse-349771254" target="_blank">DeviantArt Link</a>)Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-83940980300036763492013-02-13T01:56:00.000-08:002013-02-13T01:58:08.761-08:00A Tiger's Last Song - Kickstarter Launched!Well my friends, it's finally up! After several days of delays, the "A Tiger's Last Song" Kickstarter page has finally launched! <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/593359513/a-tigers-last-song" target="_blank"><b>CLICK HERE</b></a> to check it out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFO4DAoA3RsRDyPINbEqeeFEA-rx1i8l7DrAWHGGsxyxjaFz4eWN9QRHjwWravJ6rODcor1YhpKNqfU19CmH9L_K9HEIVmJtRHMNENLxa19LRj2KJBBVC1ZWr-iU9XqBsoBxvAt4Hmw1eF/s1600/ATLS+Kickstarter+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFO4DAoA3RsRDyPINbEqeeFEA-rx1i8l7DrAWHGGsxyxjaFz4eWN9QRHjwWravJ6rODcor1YhpKNqfU19CmH9L_K9HEIVmJtRHMNENLxa19LRj2KJBBVC1ZWr-iU9XqBsoBxvAt4Hmw1eF/s400/ATLS+Kickstarter+Image.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-28042559945505130612012-12-29T23:40:00.001-08:002012-12-29T23:53:07.533-08:00A Tiger's Last Song - Holiday Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ev3U6YLHoTW1P42Yu3iTP4PwLRCMWa3Rx_qA1FmMe1gtt-lIxUkQSF2lOLhjutR-SgG1pYvdhdoxXxXoc-G1OtcvNPHumURQItGtmoYHrkKJj_6aXdSbwqhyz_97x11grpcTeQPegJ1U/s1600/ATLS+Seasons+Greetings+1080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ev3U6YLHoTW1P42Yu3iTP4PwLRCMWa3Rx_qA1FmMe1gtt-lIxUkQSF2lOLhjutR-SgG1pYvdhdoxXxXoc-G1OtcvNPHumURQItGtmoYHrkKJj_6aXdSbwqhyz_97x11grpcTeQPegJ1U/s320/ATLS+Seasons+Greetings+1080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's this Christmas card thingy I put together for friends, family, and supporters of our graphic novel project "A Tiger's Last Song." It was put up on the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/atigerslastsong" target="_blank">ATLS Facebook Page<span id="goog_1408084499"></span><span id="goog_1408084500"></span></a> a while ago, and I even decorated the page itself for the winter season. I'm a little late putting this image up on my blog... but what can I say? I've been enjoying my Christmas, and have been on crunch mode making new material before we launch our Kickstarter page on February 1st.</div>
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I'm WAY excited to be working on this. It's one thing to get out of college and find a job in your field - just for the work. I'm just very fortunate to have a possible opportunity to be doing something that has my enthusiasm and confidence through the roof. In which case, I can't stress this enough:<b> Pwetty pweeeease</b> check us out and 'like' us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/atigerslastsong" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and spread the word to your friends!! ................with a chewwy on top?</div>
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...And to all, a happy new year!! :)</div>
Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-64312929795019115072012-12-29T23:37:00.000-08:002012-12-29T23:55:14.372-08:00Update - The Final Apology<div style="text-align: justify;">
A lot of you guys probably found me under my YouTube pseudonym "FountainKeeper," and followed me for songs I just happened to magically figure out how to play on the piano. I'm truly thankful for the followings I have received. I would very much love to get back into playing more Blind Guardian, Muppets, and other video game and anime music. But throughout this whole year, I've been apologizing and apologizing for not posting any new videos. This has likely annoyed you, and it sure has been annoying me. Therefore, as of now, <b>the apologies end here. </b></div>
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I've just been busy trying to shape my life - Finishing college, finding work, making this <a href="http://www.facebook.com/atigerslastsong" target="_blank">graphic novel Kickstarter project</a> happen, the works. I still play piano. In fact it's been keeping me sane. So you can rest assured I'm not dead, and that I'll one day return gloriously. It may just be some time before I'm back in the game However, I will still update you on the graphic novel, or if I have a new piece of other art to show :)</div>
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You may have noticed that I changed the name of my blog from ElephantSpank to The Skaploony Bin. While E.S. is the anagram for my name, not a lot of people might catch onto that. I'll be changing my <a href="http://elephantspank.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">DeviantArt</a> name as well, once I get around to making a premium account.</div>
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Lastly, I have a new <a href="http://skaploony.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr page</a>. It was meant as a backup blog, after Blogger had been acting up on me at the time. Guess it doesn't hurt to expand :-P</div>
Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-28220741703227311732012-11-11T12:42:00.001-08:002015-01-30T01:53:54.934-08:00A Video Game Christmas<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/316/5/f/a_video_game_christmas_by_elephantspank-d5ksikb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/316/5/f/a_video_game_christmas_by_elephantspank-d5ksikb.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I took this photo back in 2009, back when I did my three-part Winter Video Game Piano Medley. I hadn't seen the full-res image since then, and I recently found it while digging through my old operating-systemless laptop. I'm so glad I kept it around. Found a bunch of old pictures like this that I almost thought I'd never see again.</div>
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So I went in, adjusted the lighting, and added a frost frame... you know, just for the hell of it. The medley took a while to get done - One, maybe two weeks during my free time. The whole process was fun to do... though when I wasn't playing, I was a tad anxious, hoping that my cat or someone didn't knock anything out of place :D It's still one of my favorite piano vids I've done, along with my favorite Christmas picture that I've taken. (<a href="http://elephantspank.deviantart.com/#/d5ksikb">DeviantArt Link</a>)<br />
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Merry Christmas!!<br />
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<u> <b>PART ONE</b></u><br />
(0:07) Chameleon Twist 2 - Ice Land<br />
(2:08) Jumping Flash! - World 4-1: Slippery Ice Land<br />
(3:10) Jumping Flash! 2 - World 2-1: Checking Out the Castle<br />
(4:23) Diddy Kong Racing - Snowflake Mountain<br />
(5:25) Duck Tales - Himalayas<br />
(6:21) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Ice Cavern<br />
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(7:31) Metroid Prime - Phendrana Drifts</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uYSlBt-rDK0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uYSlBt-rDK0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<b><u>PART TWO</u></b><br />
(0:00) Final Fantasy X - People of the North Pole<br />
(2:28) Mario Kart 64 - Sherbet Land / Frappe Snowland<br />
(3:48) Star Fox Adventures - Snowhorn Wastes<br />
(5:20) Diddy Kong Racing - Frosty Village<br />
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(7:22) Final Fantasy VII - Buried in the Snow</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6MA1YmRIPm0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6MA1YmRIPm0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<b><u>PART THREE</u></b><br />
(0:00) Chrono Trigger - Singing Mountain<br />
(1:07) Paper Mario - Shiver City<br />
(2:22) Final Fantasy IX - Ice Caverns<br />
(3:47) Donkey Kong Country - Ice Cave Chant<br />
(5:45) Diddy Kong Racing - Everfrost Peak<br />
(6:46) Super Mario 64 - Cool, Cool Mountain<br />
(7:58) Banjo-Kazooie - Freezeezy Peak<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AyJwm9zVNCg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AyJwm9zVNCg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe><br />
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Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-75481935404718683122012-10-28T20:27:00.002-07:002012-10-28T22:26:25.424-07:00A Tiger's Last Song - Artwork 01<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnprFwmplMMcnx7aRWDWyAMAqN00aLPc31aSfm0_V4O48KPM9YONaOt7BFcfHgYBHDDnl8wCAKbJYn3iic4TCX5dQgKRZ_-_mRrtN1j9Z0e8Vhszt-XTl19ZLH4AZTXh5vKmTRbtkNMZj/s1600/cage+central+park+final+01+3000x1651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnprFwmplMMcnx7aRWDWyAMAqN00aLPc31aSfm0_V4O48KPM9YONaOt7BFcfHgYBHDDnl8wCAKbJYn3iic4TCX5dQgKRZ_-_mRrtN1j9Z0e8Vhszt-XTl19ZLH4AZTXh5vKmTRbtkNMZj/s400/cage+central+park+final+01+3000x1651.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is my first promotional environment piece for "A Tiger's Last Song," the graphic novel I'm helping with. This was partly an experiment in blending my environment with work done by our character artist Jack Malametz. It also sets our level of detail standard that we want throughout the book. Check out our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/atigerslastsong">Facebook page</a> for more details on this project, and spread the word. Any support we can gather is greatly wanted and appreciated. Thank you! :)</div>
Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-84124376464068639522012-10-20T09:03:00.000-07:002012-10-20T09:25:08.507-07:00A Tiger's Last Song<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cRyR3s_xhDso7UH5c7ouaW3RgVK3UQl2rzTxpnw7mAoMyCoyuAP7WT0UDF7sYlStWv2LTBylqc8ZaMXzB5S2Gp6CAK4Rdlegns2JCZ5e6F7XByF2oORq7ZOBj9hWxwcJ-RLFWCvtX7Mj/s1600/atls+facebook+banner+929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cRyR3s_xhDso7UH5c7ouaW3RgVK3UQl2rzTxpnw7mAoMyCoyuAP7WT0UDF7sYlStWv2LTBylqc8ZaMXzB5S2Gp6CAK4Rdlegns2JCZ5e6F7XByF2oORq7ZOBj9hWxwcJ-RLFWCvtX7Mj/s400/atls+facebook+banner+929.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am excited to finally announce the graphic novel project that I will be working on for my good friend Kevin Smelt called "A Tiger's Last Song." We will be launching our Kickstarter page on February 1st, 2013. For more details, please check out the<b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/atigerslastsong">Facebook page</a></b>, and by golly, <b>SPREAD THE WORD!!!</b> :)</div>
Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-9670135781601825832012-09-05T17:54:00.000-07:002016-02-09T18:32:25.390-08:00Zoras Be Jammin'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2013/056/2/5/zoras_be_jammin__by_elephantspank-d5dtwij.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2013/056/2/5/zoras_be_jammin__by_elephantspank-d5dtwij.png" height="240" width="400" /></a> </div>
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It's no surprise that I love Zelda. My favorite entries is a tie between A Link to the Past and Majora's Mask, and my favorite creatures in the series have to be the zoras. This piece was inspired by one of my favorite Zelda songs, "Zora Band," particularly the <i>Mario and Zelda: Big Band Live</i> version. I began this sucker back in 2009, but because of school, I never had time to continue until recently. It started out with a couple reference photos of me and my guitar. Unfortunately, I don't know where those photos have gone to. I then went and did a trace sketch. It looked embarrassing as hell. :S<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8csLMqccCP4eBkl2pbqY9wSXn32cfvUSqYBiv-28E8rQABPobeaVhk2QkPLexBHgkBHVvpyt9Ou6tYrSdOJWgyQ2S-F_LA4z7zC10OWS9oxVgkaUVVB4oq-b21oJGKXlh32wgyoZ_tyxw/s1600/zorasbejammin4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8csLMqccCP4eBkl2pbqY9wSXn32cfvUSqYBiv-28E8rQABPobeaVhk2QkPLexBHgkBHVvpyt9Ou6tYrSdOJWgyQ2S-F_LA4z7zC10OWS9oxVgkaUVVB4oq-b21oJGKXlh32wgyoZ_tyxw/s200/zorasbejammin4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Yes, folks. This is the schlock I had spewed out in '09. Just be thankful it wasn't a fully fleshed out version with these wonky proportions. I would never have heard the end of it.<br />
You can see a bit of ass coming through Japas' (left) scale-flap. This was just to figure out proportions, as vastly improportionate as it already is. ...No, if you must know, I was wearing pants in the reference photos. Actually, in the design stage, I was thinking of a way to tastefully censor him without interrupting the flow of anything, since the zoras are naturally exposed - more so in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Overall, I just didn't want a the vast majority of the internet comments being about Japas' ass. So I took some liberties, and incorporated parts of the Twilight Princess zoras. You could argue that the zoras didn't evolve these features yet in the timeline, but for this particular instance, I'm letting it slide :)<br />
Moving, on, I jumped a bit far ahead, and worked on a color layer separation, while tweaking a few proportions. Japas' neck and bass are noticeable changes here. After this, the project hat to remain on hold, until school wasn't consuming so much of my time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gaZjzGmrA78jYgsFQtm22angKgabzpYeYFP9Tm87wvj8F0bNNxJtzge0dMeA6SxTeKPg7Qncgl3h5gsAHJE0gROW9l4RZcsyOX1RJ0pekfAH25-i0QI83SZY2v-R8bLM_QWRETUDWuD7/s1600/zorasbejammin_wip_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gaZjzGmrA78jYgsFQtm22angKgabzpYeYFP9Tm87wvj8F0bNNxJtzge0dMeA6SxTeKPg7Qncgl3h5gsAHJE0gROW9l4RZcsyOX1RJ0pekfAH25-i0QI83SZY2v-R8bLM_QWRETUDWuD7/s200/zorasbejammin_wip_01.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Two years later, on a Winter Break, I finally returned to this piece, while I still had a bit of school left to do. I had gotten pretty far in it, but unfortunately, the file corrupted. I was pretty upset at the time, but it was a blessing in disguise. It gave me the chance to start almost from scratch, fix even more proportions, and to make it where the two zoras aren't standing so ridiculously close together. In also comes shading/highlighting and the first incarnation of the background. The second iteration came when I decided the characters shouldn't be so close to the frame.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaREJeO9moF0pnjb6o4AsrfCrHtzN3z-atioR5n0XzyOU0vjckgON2S1nCO1z1os2EtPvGy4bxSf2tSpVigmM4l9PAn9zqdsfHISZN7sn7a-Ojy1sKhiRr2MvLSB2tzXozYC74QIOoU8RI/s1600/zorasbejammin_wip_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaREJeO9moF0pnjb6o4AsrfCrHtzN3z-atioR5n0XzyOU0vjckgON2S1nCO1z1os2EtPvGy4bxSf2tSpVigmM4l9PAn9zqdsfHISZN7sn7a-Ojy1sKhiRr2MvLSB2tzXozYC74QIOoU8RI/s200/zorasbejammin_wip_02.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZwp0mtGl3-PUgT1ka1Sm3uMVaR3_VCE2g7BOpP9j3MazXEJXOvihdCCKnO8eD1rBtB_nXZR5wkdF1CeoQF9gJPeC1yd6m7ajYuPCGkKanPKlfJsV9JkZC99sxTFesfrHYb5x8T7_VmXJ/s1600/zorasbejammin_wip_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZwp0mtGl3-PUgT1ka1Sm3uMVaR3_VCE2g7BOpP9j3MazXEJXOvihdCCKnO8eD1rBtB_nXZR5wkdF1CeoQF9gJPeC1yd6m7ajYuPCGkKanPKlfJsV9JkZC99sxTFesfrHYb5x8T7_VmXJ/s200/zorasbejammin_wip_03.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-pazC3bP2WE5CvvIJ4f4PKQWM4Rq8RDj2Dg_rxxKIjJuudyqhqp1NILHQegZ8p5y3QihAejchMJ_vXiuo48X25Q-D4lkrb0WyMQ2xbJ_Un1PBZMhA0l8kYWqlZQtAJ0x0RJN9zaTkmU2/s1600/zorasbejammin_wip_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-pazC3bP2WE5CvvIJ4f4PKQWM4Rq8RDj2Dg_rxxKIjJuudyqhqp1NILHQegZ8p5y3QihAejchMJ_vXiuo48X25Q-D4lkrb0WyMQ2xbJ_Un1PBZMhA0l8kYWqlZQtAJ0x0RJN9zaTkmU2/s200/zorasbejammin_wip_05.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Around the time I was doing this, I had my oil painting instructor check it out. He gave me some pointers on what I could do to improve on this piece. It had been a long while since I painted anything. Most of what I was doing at the time had to be done in 3D programs. I'm glad I understand 3DS Max and Maya, but I always had more fun, and would have rather improved my 2D painting skills. It took a while for things to click and re-learn what I had lost when I first started college, but that one oil painting class really helped out a lot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVo5vzzxv8lyAvjjJ0TcTCnFfavXB0vvz15s3VKct9Gs5T6QvQi26fN3pL6AWxF4yE0efOx3zhgEUrKtsMFswLu2oUDGSbzhijkevjQaqBdaOc_MFtcXQTHCO4w8GaEUJbG2h3fMCE3fy/s1600/zorasbejammin_framed_1920x1152.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVo5vzzxv8lyAvjjJ0TcTCnFfavXB0vvz15s3VKct9Gs5T6QvQi26fN3pL6AWxF4yE0efOx3zhgEUrKtsMFswLu2oUDGSbzhijkevjQaqBdaOc_MFtcXQTHCO4w8GaEUJbG2h3fMCE3fy/s200/zorasbejammin_framed_1920x1152.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Here we have what was a placeholder final product. Water light and reflections have been added to the characters, everything has texture, small rocks are coming out of the water to counterbalance the picture, Mikau has a new pick, and we have a new third background. I just didn't like the way the old one was turning out. That, and I changed the aspect ratio to 16:9. The fins also have a new sparkle, based on that of how the original artwork of Japas appeared. I was thinking of adding water droplets, but they were became distracting to the picture.<br />
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Now, a few months later, we come to the latest latest product (up top). Version 1.1, if you will. More detail has been added to the lighting and the rock wall, faint spots have been added to Japas' bass, and the rocks in the water have been replaced. The water collision edges have also been toned down. The one thing I couldn't stand about the image was Japas' head fin, so I made it to where it was over his shoulder.<br />
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...Well, thank you for sitting through these long ramblings over a silly piece of fan art - over the little tiny details you probably didn't care about. :P Now this may not be the best way to go about doing art in the slightest...but it was a good little experiment, and I learned a heck of a lot by doing this one picture. And with this, I opened up my <a href="http://elephantspank.deviantart.com/">DeviantArt account.</a></div>
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Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-89093355440957576892012-09-03T00:31:00.000-07:002012-10-21T00:56:16.855-07:00Piano Issues<div style="text-align: justify;">
Greetings, all!</div>
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I would just like to take a minute to ex(com)plain one of the problems I have with playing and recording my piano videos... And that is the piano itself.
See, my electric piano is a Yamaha Clavinova CVP-75, and it's been in my family for nearly 20 years. I had no problem with it before I started uploading to YouTube, because I only played for fun. I still do. But the more songs I put up, the more I want, well... MORE out of my piano.</div>
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For instance, I've wanted to make higher quality audio files, and be able to make sheets / tutorials for the longest time. Unfortunately, the piano has no USB port. Instead, it has the big bulky MIDI ports. It's hard to even get my MIDI to USB cord to function properly. Not to mention my sheet-making software is extremely out of date. It probably doesn't even work on Win7 :/. I am also currently using a cord coming from the piano's headphone port, and into my laptop's mic port to at least get better audio than direct-from-camera hiss. Unfortunately, the quality still is far from the best thing in the world.</div>
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On top of all the technical mumbo-jumbo, the piano itself just doesn't feel right. It's stiff. Sure, it's weighted, and I would indeed like a little weight in my piano, but I would also like to do glissandos without getting blisters on me fingers. This has happened before, when I was practicing my "Tragic Prince" video. I ended up not putting one in, and played the song with blistered fingers. I had one in "Sound of the Wind, but that happened beforehand.... That was painful too. I've played these songs on a couple upright acoustic pianos without a problem, and would like to be able to at home. Could it truly be that I just have weak frail fingers and need to man-up? .....Naahh, I'm pretty sure it's the piano.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>(Boring rants end here. You're welcome.)</b></span></div>
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So I've graduated from college, and am about to head into the job market. Once I've saved up $2000, first order of business is for me to get a new keyboard. That's right, I'm divorcing my piano. She's been a great companion for many years, and we've had some great times together... but let's face it, we're having some domestic problems. The fingering and the pounding has just gotten a little too rough for us.</div>
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....................Why is everyone looking at me like that? :P</div>
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Anyway, here's a checklist for what I'd like out of my new baby. An E-harmony list, if you will.... Get it? ...E? ...Harmo--yeah, that was lame.</div>
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- 88 keys (MUST)</div>
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- Feels real, like an acoustic piano. Not hollow and plastic-y, like most keyboards.</div>
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- Pain-free glissandos</div>
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- 3 Pedals.</div>
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- USB Port for MIDI and sheet-making.</div>
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- Different audio output. My microphone port will not be satisfactory anymore.</div>
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- Great sound and quality (not basic MIDI sounding - again, like most keyboards)</div>
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- Record / Playback function for practicing duet pieces. </div>
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- Will last a good long time.</div>
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I'm thinking of getting a Kawai, for its supposedly more real-feeling keys. I'm too afraid of shopping online though, and would rather test one out before buying. Does Anyone have experiences in buying somewhat higher-end keyboards? Any recommendations? Any good stores you know of in the Seattle vicinity?<br />
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<b>Update:</b> I ran across a piano shop in Redmond, and tested out my first Kawai - an electric grand. I'm in love. It feels and sounds great. All the other pianos I tested there didn't give me any glissando problem (it was the first thing I checked on every one.), but this one felt the best overall. So I know now what brand I want. It's just a matter of getting enough dough to bring one home with me.</div>
Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-91894935066344572712012-08-04T03:43:00.000-07:002012-08-04T03:43:11.082-07:00Oil PaintingsThese are some of the artwork I did for my oil painting class. A lot of these I feel I could have made better with more time, but whether or not they were the best things in the whole damn universe didn't matter to me. The class was fun, and I learned (or re-learned) a lot, especially near the end.<br />
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<br />Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-15450701364843332462012-05-15T03:50:00.002-07:002012-08-04T03:52:27.955-07:00Update 05-15-2012<b>Where the hell are my new piano vids? </b><br />
Remember when I said I'd be able to work on those 100th and 101st videos in May? Well, May's half-over, and I still haven't gotten to them. And honestly, I don't know when I will. At least I didn't exactly<i> promise</i> I'd have those videos by May. Then I'd be in a whole world of trouble :P ...But I do still intend on doing them this Summer. I've just gotten myself into a small bind, is all. I just had my graduation ceremony, and I have only one more semester of College to go over the Summer, then I'm FREE!! WOOOO!! <br />
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<b>Art</b><br />
You're probably going to kill me for this, but instead of taking the time to make those videos, I've been arting. I've been digitally painting something I've wanted to get done for a while, but school wouldn't give me the time to do. There's still a lot I want to do with it, but I'm pretty impressed with what I've done so far. I'll post it when I'm finished, and may even start a DeviantArt acct afterward.<br />
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<b>Live Streaming Sites</b><br />
I have signed up for different live streaming sites, just to try them out, like Livestream and JustinTV. Only which one do I want to try out first? Last year I did it on UStream, and that went well. I was thinking of going over to JustinTV, but now that I have my iPad, I see you have to pay for the app. Not only am I concerned for viewers, but I would like to read the chats right in front of me for a change, instead of turning my head and squinting my eyes, reading what's under the laptop's built-in webcam. And the reviews for the JTV app aren't as good as others. Is $5 worth the risk? Which do you use?<br />
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<b>Kid Icarus: Uprising</b><br />
As far as gaming goes, not much has happened, except for beating Kid Icarus: Uprising. I LOVED it. There has been some bashing on the controls, but honestly, I didn't have too much of a problem with them. Actually, the thing that scared me before playing the game was the voice acting, especially coming from Thanatos, having heard him in the 3D Anime feature. He sounded like something that would come out of 4-Kids. I shiver just mentioning the vile company. But even he was entertaining in the game. In fact, the entirety of the nonstop dialogue was probably the best part <i>about </i>the game, and that's kinda rare.<br />
Since I pre-ordered the game, it came with a free copy of the 3D version of the original NES game I remember playing when I was a toddler. Not only did it add extra visuals to the game, it did away with the blasted password system and gave us a save feature! It would have been cool if they had left the passwords in to jump to a further level for kicks, but I'm not really complaining. After all, I had never beaten the game until just last month.<br />
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<b>Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses</b><br />
I also attended the Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concert in Seattle. It was pretty great, and some of the performances were more powerful than that of the CD that came with the Skyward Sword preorder. My favorite piece had to be the A Link to the Past movement, especially the Ending Credits theme, which nearly brought a tear to me eye. My only real gripe with the event was that we were jipped out of two medleys that were played at Vancouver, on top of all the same songs that <i>were</i> played here. The song everyone was expecting to hear in the Majora's Mask Medley, the Song of Healing wasn't played because it was in the random Ocarina song medley, which wasn't in our setlist. That was a rather lame move on their part, but nonetheless, I'm really glad I went to this masterpiece.<br />
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<b>A Song of Ice and Fire</b><br />
I just finished audio-reading "A Clash of Kings." I'm a little irked
with some of the changes they made in the TV adaptation, compared to how
close the first season followed the book. I just think they could have
taken a bit more time with it, or even extended the show by a couple
episodes if it meant pleasing fans. But at this point, it's becoming
less bothersome. As long as it's still good, and even if George Martin
is okay with it, I'm still watching. Now onto "A Storm of Swords." I
already know of some of the serious shit that happens in that book :D<br />
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Update: Okay, I take back every nay-say I said about Season 2. Those last two episodes were amazing!! <br />
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<b>Tex Murphy Kickstarter</b><br />
Looking for something to dump your wallet into? Well one thing I am super-excited for is the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/251414413/tex-murphy-project-fedora">Kickstarter revival attempt for Tex Murphy</a>, of which I have just now backed. If you haven't played these games, I highly suggest you check them out - at least the latter three. They're all on gog.com (I still have the original CDs, myself). They were some of my favorite PC adventure games back in the 90's..... Wait, what am I saying "were" for? They still ARE! I replayed them fairly recently, and wound up just as entertained as I was back in elementary school, and I was pretty damn entertained. I'll probably replay them again once I'm finally finished with College, and may even do a song from it. <br />
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Lastly, err.... yeah.... Avengers..... F#$%ING SEE IT!! ..............That is all :)Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-88539694683491730832012-03-11T21:24:00.003-07:002012-09-05T17:57:30.696-07:00Update 03-11-2012<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's been a little while since I've updated anything, aside from making a new Christmas piano video, and made a little meme thingy. I'm on my last big semester of college, with one more class to take in the Summer, so I'm hoping my activity will increase sometime around May. Then I will finally be able to get around to doing my 100th and 101st piano videos that I've been planning since forever, and doing more artwork that I'm actually more motivated to do.... Make better things to stick in my portfolio, and whatnot.</div>
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I'll also be announcing more live piano-chat sessions. Only this time on JustinTV, instead of UStream, just to try things out.</div>
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In my last update, I said I'd been listening to audiobooks while I work. I've finished "Howl's Moving Castle" and "A Game of Thrones." Now I'm on "A Clash of Kings." Gotta get through it as much as possible before GoT Season 2 starts - in less than a month. EEEEEEE!!! :D</div>
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I've gotten a little gaming down. I beat "Skyward Sword," "Portal 2," and "Super Mario 3D Land," been playing "Mario Kart 7," and only just recently started "Arkham Asylum." I also have my copy of "Kid Icarus: Uprising" pre-ordered. I sure as hell hope it's good, I've waited just about my entire life for a new installment.</div>
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Lastly, I'll be attending Seattle's "The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses" Concert on March 26th. I expect my 3DS to be bombarded with Street Pass Mii's :P</div>
Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-86732221787774991362012-01-20T03:01:00.000-08:002012-08-04T03:52:55.360-07:00NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS!A little meme thingy I made:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sKVpNxyoEyfIgK1SuOGWlzVRvRF4jFuenYcrfTWJHLjYNDpQ9KwUDhPCKO-Dxlz701h0TtjILekkSSjHO284a9LuOPJbYtY_p2-Ds5_DTIoP5H1d8Jf-j9YpBGePMYgqV0nZ4AGhsah0/s1600/fi_starwars_meme01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sKVpNxyoEyfIgK1SuOGWlzVRvRF4jFuenYcrfTWJHLjYNDpQ9KwUDhPCKO-Dxlz701h0TtjILekkSSjHO284a9LuOPJbYtY_p2-Ds5_DTIoP5H1d8Jf-j9YpBGePMYgqV0nZ4AGhsah0/s400/fi_starwars_meme01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8568202907846753341.post-87592982040975112882012-01-04T23:31:00.000-08:002012-11-11T13:57:09.334-08:00Piano - The Muppet Christmas Carol - A Thankful Heart<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0-aQf58tDUc" width="480"></iframe> <br />
Have yourself a very Michael Caine-y Christmas!Steve Kaplanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17000630283094249739noreply@blogger.com0