Chapter 1

December 2nd, 2004

I gotta get Duel Masters on DVD. Not to mention all the other anime films and series Im
missing out on. Cowboy bebop the film was great on DVD. Made me feel like Im
missing out on a lot.
Im back and on the rack and ovulating!
In one sense, I both intentionally and unintentionally achieved my goal of being a
dominant media force and industry player. And all it took was the loss of the love of my
family, getting stabbed in the back, and a little resultant public humiliation of my
competition. The old Scorpionic Sting. Is that really so bad. Did I break some media
Scorpio taboo? Good! Nothing like crushing the competition. Even if it is my parents. I
mean seriously, how fun is that. Makes it easier to retain a profit and promote yourself.
But then theres that public outcry of Youve changed. What? Youre too good for all of
us back at home? When youre really just trying to excel in your career and fit in.
The truth is, my scorpio sting because of its dramatic impact earlier, must be used less
recklessly and more gently when its necessary to get it to rear its powerful head again.
The net (as far as networking and hiring goes) is kind of all about the democratic
approach. Its similar to Hollywood, except more democratic and less glamorous for the
most part.
-setting anime and Star Wars and Kill Bill, etc, visual entertainment other than the fact
that they shake things up so much that they shake up the laws that govern the very
medium we work in, is that nowadays with our new classics, the improvement they add
to the medium and outrank the old classics is that because they set new archetypes (i.e.
layering and aspect angle),
My prophecy about the American animation and comic book market moving to the
southeast and merging with and modeling itself after the stoic miserly Japanese market
is coming true, apparently. And Im one of the people making it happen! I couldnt be
happier (because of this). Central FLAs really starting to get its props on a national scale,
and its all because of me.
Were currently in a period of serious transition in media democracy.
Generally, if its not anime or anime influenced, Im not going to be interested in it.

6/31/06
With my CVD invention (post script: Later known as TV DVD), it can do one of
two things: Sit on a shelf, or make me millions of dollars (Technical Correction: I
undervalued my invention. It could have made me hundreds of millions, or a billion
dollars) through sales and royalties. I guess well just have to see.
I love codec video disc. I like the fact that if it flies with the company Im negotiating
with, it could make me a multi millionaire, or, god forbid, a multibillionaire. And
actually I heard they lost a lawsuit for a stolen idea that they were forced to pay
around $25 mill. or so.
You know what? I just realized something. It takes neither money nor a college
degree to become an entrepreneur, artist, or businessperson. Unlike an astronaut
or FBI agent, which take tons of education. But thats okay. Im gonna get to do
what I love: Play with anime, DVDs, etc.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Then again, you dont know whether or not what Ive shown you is my best, or if Ive
got more, Now do you. -- IGPX
Its too bad Im living in the U.S., instead of Britain or Japan, cuz in the U.S., people tend
to want to box you into this little space (Damon Albarn Quote) and attempt punishing
you for trying to seem more multidimensional.
My vast plot for world domination (joke) is coming to fruition. My vast web 2.0 empire
has reached a new peak. The number of people who are following my madness is quickly
approaching 100,000! Do I just sit around working on projects with my newfound
fame?
Schedule: What I do everyday.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Work on my comic
Live in my parents house
Overeat
Talk about comics
Watch cartoons all day and night
Drink orange juice and Sunkist

Yeah, I got some skills. But Im a rookie, Im overexposed at times, I can be too big of a
star. And I can lack power (to act), and tenacity sometimes.

And even after four years of lonely individualistic development on both my novel and my
comic, this dilemma still has my sorry wretched ass wondering: WHY is it so fucking
more difficult to flesh out and work on the nitty gritty meat of my major projects, as
opposed to my regular sketchbook and word processor files. The latter is too fucking easy
most of the time. The former is too fucking hard (most of the time). I hate that element. I
mean, its not like I NEVER work on my books. I DO work on them, dammit. So why do
I feel so guilty and lazyfor not working on them, when theyre really all I think and
theorize about, as of late. Partially because I know theyre my ticket to where I want to be
in the future, and partially because theyre all I really think about every waking moment,
every last moment of every last minute of every day, every month, of every year, of every
decade, etc., etc., etc.
As far as animation and innovation go, I suddenly yearn to be more like the early
pioneers and Japanese crews. People like Winsor McKay and companies like Gainax. The
happy land where you literally work round the clock at your desk, sitting under it with
coffee and sleeping under it when you take your breaks. In other words, youre at your
desk for 24 to 48 hours at a time. Or like McKay, where you do 4,000 to 6,000 drawings
in a row, at a time, relatively speaking. I already know what casual, drag ass work is like.
Now I yearn for more. Something more challenging.
Before http:// (or hypertext transfer protocol) existed, there was only
an individual revolutionary thinker (or perhaps just a man) named Ted
Nelson, who invented a concept called hypertext, or documents that
existed on various separate computers, which, in time, would be able
to be linked together, which is where the transfer protocol comes in.
The transfer represents the traveling and exchange of data and
documents between computers in a worldwide digital network. The
protocol is a fancy way of talking about the organization and syntax
of that data (or document) transference. Ted Nelson may have
originated the concept, but Tim Berners-Lee did the major hack job
on it which turned it into the concept of the digitally based World Wide
Web as we know it today.
Now that I think about it. Anything with a screen and control panel, from TV, to comps,
to video games, to TV on comps, has the potential and ability to commit mind control on
its audience. When you really think about it, we as an audience are constantly berated
with the illusion of ease of use, and the seductive power of interactivity and control
over what we see, when in fact it is the contraption, the invention, the device that is
controlling us. Its dictatorship disguised as freedom and democracy. The media and
celebrity are actually the ultimate brainwashing device. Forget religion. And then there is
the weapon of publicity.
On Success:

When youre in your little room

And youre working on something good
But if its really good
Youre gonna need a bigger room
And when youre in your bigger room
You might not know what to do
You might have to think of
How you got started
Sitting in your little room
-

The White Stripes

Damn. Success sort of sucks in some ways. You lose any and all forms of privacy and
anonymity. And all the attention is kind of scary. Everyone wants to look and act like you.
Even when its in terms of your not so admirable traits.
Tuesday, November 7th, 2006,
Whoa. Youtube is actually starting to get some extended and
consistent press. So far, digital innovation seems to be the business
model.
Sunday, November 12th, 2006,
About three things have been on my mind a lot lately. The possibility of my mom having
OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), my birthday coming up in less than a week,
Aspergers Syndrome (autism) which I have, and my birth father. I cant tell whether my
birthfather was a powerful man, or a business tycoon, or a loser. Its all very mysterious
Tuesday, November 14th, 2006,
My birthday is almost here, and Im looking forward to that.
I read something rather shocking in my Japanese Hoshin strategy book, about human
innovation. It said the human mind and body (subconsciously) are automatically repelled
away from anything thats new and innovative, even when its for the best of everything
to be innovative and ingenious. You know, that really sucks for me, cuz thats my whole
career and livelihood: Ingenuity and innovation. Generally, if its not innovative in some
way, I dont want to do it. That would explain why I like IGPX so much, and why it
didnt get as good of ratings as the other Toonami shows: Innovation. Its new and
different, so therefore its automatically bound to scare people off. And as for me, I SAY
Im into and like innovation, but when it comes right down to it on a subconscious level,

Im just as terrified by the concept as any regular personwhich would explain my lack
of follow through and my procrastination on my Mono story right now.
BOOKMARK
Monday, November 20th, 2006,
Im back! From a whole four day long Birthday break, or vacation, from everything I
normally think about obsessively and overwork on every day of my waking life. That
includes this journal, training, exercise, animation planning, and comic book planning. I
basically got to pig out, kick back, and do some nice relaxing, DVD, comp, and TV
watching, eating tons of unhealthy food, cigarette smoking, and drinking alcohol. So in
other words, one big party by myself. It was my birthday celebration, which went well.
And not only did I get to relax and enjoy my presents (anime DVDs). I also got to do
some contemplation and reflection, and was given the chance to realize some important
things about myself, my talents, what I contribute to the world, and what makes me good.
Here it is:
Ive indirectly been called a genius by the media almost too many times to count by now.
But heres the thing about my genius and high intelligence quotient of about 130 by
academic standards. I have my talents, my areas of strength (mostly cerebral and hand
dexterity), and my areas of weakness (social areas and being outside). However, my
theory of genius = hard work has not changed over all these years. Its stayed prevalent
and consistent with my initial view of it. Heres the secret to my genius: It exists right
here: In any area where I truly work the hardest, where I display the most tenacity and
workaholism, and in any area where I work my butt off and work my hands to the bones.
Areas like supervising, strategy, general creativity, visual planning, creative writing,
vocabulary, storytelling, rhythm, music, engineering, inventiveness, pop culture, style,
music, innovation, planning, brand management, and design. Oh how I love design.
Its as simple as this: If I work hard at it, have a passion for it, and am obsessed with it,
and cant seem to curb my habit of working at it, then Im good at it (most of the time),
and I have intelligence in that area.

Im pretty creative, and as far as I know, there are two different main kinds of creative
thinking and development: a-priori and synthetic.

A-priori creativity is the kind of creativity most people think of when they think of
creativity. Basic ideas that come out of nowhere. It needs no assistance from real world
concepts to take form. It doesnt need any aid from the tangible world (other than
consciousness) to make itself tangible. Its the kind of skillful creativity most people
admire, as opposed to looking down upon.
Synthetic creativity is a kind of creativity which builds upon pre-existing concepts,
some basic, some not so basic. It is accumulative. In its most basic definition, it is this:
Take concept A + Concept B and arrive at creating Concept C or Concept D.
From both these concepts, when we look at and compare them both, we need to realize
that one type of the two types of creativity is not better or worse than the other. A-priori is
not better than synthetic, and vice versa. Both are equally good, and both can be equally
difficult. It takes an equal amount of skill to master either or.
JM STREBLER GLOSSARY

1. All that is --- Existence

2. Radical Emptiness --- Enlightenment
3. Aspect angle - Type of camera angle which is a close up on a certain visual
aspect of a scene (i.e. eye or hand)
4. Aspect shot Type of shot that only focuses on atmosphere
5. Manga noira style of manga which combines the timing and atmospheric style
and design of manga with the lighting and style of film and crime noir
6. Crime noir A style of noir where villains are protagonists
7. Oblique angle A diagonally / horizontally tilted camera angle
8. Layering A style of art, visual storytelling, and filmmaking, where as much
details go into the design and production design as possible
9. Synthetic creativity Creativity which is derived through accumulative effort
10. A priori creativity Creativity which is not based on synthetic accumulation
11. Brand An extremely popular and in demand personality, name, celebrity,
product, or business

12. Indie comic book An avante guard version of a comic book; typically in black
and white without color
13. Co-production An animation production, which is a joint venture between two
or more separate countries
14. Anime An influential type and style of animation which originated in Japan, and
which spread throughout the world to become a dominant style of modern
animation.
15. s-angle An angular type of line used in design, often found in manga and anime
16. s-curve a thin, swerving curve that comprises much of old fashioned design, and
some modern design.
17. light on dark (L.O.D.) / Black overlap A type of modern design which mixes
positive and negative space to create a unified image.