The Nashville Post

The wife and I decided we needed to get away for a bit. Between college and her job she was getting a bit stressed out, not too bad but she needed a breather. I myself have been feeling for quite a while now, dragged down and more and more depressed to the fact that I'm still, after four years, working at my day job and seemingly not getting anywhere with my career as a writer/artist/actor and it was really bothering me. So luckily at this time, her sister had said to us that she had to go down to a conference in Nashville, TN, and she said to us to come with her. We pretty much jumped at the opportunity. We hopped in her car and drove off from New York to Kentucky (to visit her dad for a bit) then to Nashville to stay in a lovely hotel.
We got here yesterday and drove to downtown to check out some sights her sister wanted to show us. My wife the photographer, Rachel Burke (check out her stuff sometime, I'll provide a link as soon as her website is up), got some fantastic pictures so far at the Bicentennial Park. The park itself has an amazing layout and lots to check out, all providing wonderful insights into the history of Tennessee. While in downtown Nashville we also went to the Walking Bridge and saw the skyline of the city. Gorgeous. Again, my talented wife got some great pictures. Downtown is great for beautiful sights, fun pubs and many shows to see, all either during daytime or the night. After which we all ate at Fido's for lunch. I had the sweet potato soup and a lovely porter ale called Tiny Bomb (explosive flavor) which was brewed about an hour or two away in Memphis. That night we went back to the hotel (Baymont Inn) which was lovely. Her sister had to go to her conference and so we decided to walk around and see what was around us. Right near us within walking distance was a lot of local eateries and also a grocery store. For dinner we went to Which Wich, a favorite of mine anytime we are down south.
The next day her sister had her conference early so we decided to go out adventuring. We visited the Centennial park this time, we figured why not since we been to the Bicentennial ha ha. The Centennial I have to say is my favorite. With the Parthenon right there, man I tell ya, I love it. Of course we got some great photos of the whole place. Inside were some great replicas of some Greek favorite like Athena, and a bunch of busts of dismantled bodies. If you ever get the chance get down there to see it, you won't be disappointed. We couldn't really find anywhere for lunch that we liked so we forwent it and when we left to go back to the hotel it was dinner time. That night we decided to Chili's which wasn't too bad. After which we stopped at the local liquor store and bought a lovely bottle of wine and whined down in our room. My wife was furiously editing her photos and I sketched a nice big caricature of myself (I'll post soon) and thought up some more illustrations to do.
While on this trip I also started to really razor in on creating a lifestyle plan for our lives. Career wise (of which is going great for the wife, she got promoted to Editor recently! Way to go baby!), setting wise, and all the other important aspects. I'm still working it all out but I'm trying to head toward certain goals. We shall see.
All in all it was a great trip! About 14 hours drive with a few stops, but not bad!

The Works

So for those of you who are familiar with my blog, you will notice I've changed a few things here and added some things as well. I changed the layout and the design as well as the name of my blog as well, to 'The Works'. So as to be more clear as I don't actually have a production company called Fool or anything like that. It just sounds simple and more streamlined to me and plus it goes more with my URL as well.
I've added some pages and changed some around as well. Check them out in your leisure, I will be adding things to them as regularly as possible. Thank you for your patience. I hope to have some cool stuff to share soon.
Some of the new things are the Book Excerpts page which will feature the first chapter of every novel I write as well as the first short story or poem in any anthology I create. Also the Works page which will consist of pictures of all of my books that are available for purchase. I changed from having multiple galleries to just one so as to make everything more manageable as I do multiple different medias and no longer see any need to separate them. I'll post as much new stuff as I can. There is also the video portion of my blog where I post my professional work as well as my own comedy sketches that has been updated. In any case, check it all out. Leave some love and let me know what you think.

A Poem

KILL a STRAND of YOURSELF

Tied up and bound is she

The feed is set

Tragedy here is ready

Speak now your pain!

Let it die!

Kill it fast!

Make it your past!

Let it die! 

Kill it fast!

This pain too shall not last!

The speech is ready 

Spoken to an audience

Virtual and Spiritual

Your mind befuddles the words 

Let it die!

Kill it fast!

Make it your past!

Let it die! 

Kill it fast!

No longer part of your schizophrenic cast!

Words of forlorn

Words if dreams unreached 

Wisdom here in your sorrow

A plea to those alike 

Let it die! 

Kill it fast!

Make it your past!

Let it die!

Kill it fast! 

Let go this nightmare that is vast!

One last joke before it goes

One last look as you raise the glock

One last warning to those like you

The shot is fired as she come to

Let it die!

Kill it fast!

Make it your past!

Let it die!

Kill it fast!

Death to this part at last!

Cries of pain as she tries to save it

Resuscitation is futile

The feed is lost and gone black

Awakened from this daytime nightmare

So let it die!

So kill it fast!

So make it your past!

So let it die!

So kill it fast!

So move on to your future where prosperity is vast! 

Mike D. Burke 

Refresh

This weekend I'm starting what I call my Refresh. I took the terminology from computer sciences. As in when you want to refresh a page of a website you are viewing. The refresh doesn't change the website itself but rather updates its content while still maintaining the same conceptual ideas. This is what I want myself to do.

I want to look at my essentials and living ideological statutes that I originally set in to place when I was just starting to form the concepts I wanted to live by. After a while we all get a bit stale and misplaced in life. Unlike some people my ideals haven't changed but just evolved a bit. Which isn't a cheesy way of saying that they actually have changed. No they've just become more well founded with myself coming to better understandings with what my goals need to be in order to accomplish them.

I believe we all need to be refreshed after a while and meditate on our self reflection. Its a good practice for all the paradoxes in life. So this is just me saying I'm going to be taking a better look at my life instead of droning along like a mall walker aka a life zombie. I refuse to be another person who squanders my God given talents simply because I forget to use them. So, what say you?!

This Is What My Brain Looks Like

It really is.

Batman perhaps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7-x3V1ieW8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Here and There

Coming on the horizon is a short story collection ebook I plan on publishing using amazon's handy new self-publishing tool kindledirect. With kindle direct its easy to publish and get your book viewed by thousands of potential buyers (of course with some promoting on your behalf as well) on amazon and other ebook stores.

My short story collection starts with a story entitled, 'The tale of Mr. James Peddleton' an otherwise pleasant man pushed to his limits for the amusement of Lucifer himself. What's great about short stories is that they help you develop your craft in a unique way. In a short story things need to happen fast. Each scene an event and each characters needs defined immediately in constructive and conclusive ways. More on this later.

For the Holidays

                  Looking so forward to this holiday season, and cannot wait for all the food! Very excited because of all the gifts I get to give everyone and the food, oh yeah, might have already said that! Merry Holiday Season! Santa's told me that it's all going good so far and well, I've been making my way to his location so far. Having one heck of a time too. I hitched a ride from a dwarf earlier this month and got no where. Apparently it's legal to drink and sleigh in his neck of the woods or at least that's what he told me? Soon though I shall arrive and help Santa....for next year. I'm going to arrive there far too late. Alas, me mates. As soon as I get my scanner I will upload my illustrations I've done for this season. Cheers!            

"Look Up." as quoted from "The Quest for Dairy"

Well ladies and gents it appears to me that things are going to start looking up for yours truly and my lovely fiance. Recently I have been getting a lot of opportunities for my line of work, i.e., writing and illustrating. I had a meeting last night with the Utica Players about the play I have written and also about possible art related jobs too. It went quite well I have to say, all the committee members seemed quite responsive and enthused about the play and also about working with me. I should hear from them no later than mid January about everything. Unfortunately they are a volunterry organization so no moola is to be given for compensation but hey I need the exposure anyway, any publicity is good for me right now! Also I have been emailed back by Mr. Mike Bova of M3P Media and other such related news companies to have a meeting with him. A while back I had emailed him my resume, sample illustrations and a sample article and now he has emailed me saying that he would like to meet with me; it must be some sort of good news right?!

Also very recently, like five minutes ago from when I'm typing this I have submitted a sample article and bio and other such info to The Examiner another local newspaper organization to get a job writing articles on comic books, which would def rock to the core, am I right?! So hopefully all goes well and I start making some cash and getting known as what I am, a freelance Illustrator and Writer!! YEAH GO FOR THE GOLD!! Pumped up I have to say, also I am looking for a job for my little fiance in photography, she is a a great photographer and has a keen eye for composition and interesting shots. Her taste in material is impecable, she is currently getting together a new portfolio to show her latest findings. So if anyone needs a photographer let me know via email.

Wish us continued luck!

Mike D. Burke

News and Such

So I've got some good news about stuff and updates and everything as well. The good news as of now is that on Dec. 13th I have a meeting with the Utica Players about my play 'The Quest for Dairy'. I have to go there and let them know what it's all about and hopefully get that on the road; according to Dan Fusillo, since I want to direct it as well I will have to work under a seasoned director first to learn the ropes and then I will be able to direct my play.

I'm having some conflict in my mind though, I'm not sure if I want to direct this play, I think I would rather have just written it and possibly act in it. I've never directed anything before in my life so I'm a little nervous about it, but I guess that's why I have to work under a seasoned director first. I also have to ask how the pay works, because although I really really want to see my play performed, I would like to make some money off of it as I am a commercial artist not a fine artist. You know what I'm saying? I'm not dissing any fine artists out there, I love you guys, I mean I dabble in the fine arts occasionally. Anyway that is pretty much the good news.

The news I have right now is that I have finished a poetry book which I plan on publishing through Lulu.com if I can ever figure that out. It's suppose to be really simple but I'm having some trouble (maybe I'm just an idiot). If anyone has dealt with Lulu before and can give me some tips n such let me know. I would greatly appreciate it.

Also I have just about completed the fifth pencilled page for 'Masters of Fiction!' my graphic novel. I know, it seems like it is taking me forever. But since this is my first graphic novel ever I am taking my time and making it as perfect as possible. I'm going to be so nervous when it comes time to ink all the pages, I have only a little confidence in my inking abilities. Although the illustrations I have inked haven't turned out that bad actually so yeah.

Oh yes and I have been watching over and over the rough edited clip of "Where the Truth Lies" the move Rachel and I were in by director/writer/actor Rich Talarico. It looks really good and has the feel of a good film, we did really well and were very funny according to other people who have seen it and we've actually witnessed people laughing at our parts so I'm happy with it!! I can't wait till you guys can see it for sure. Rich will be entering it into some film festivals and what not, so hopefully it wins some attention and stuff. Well there ya go, until next time.

Mike D. Burke

Commission INFO

So here is a list of prices and what not for commissions, anyone can ask me for a commission and we will work out how you send the pay and what not.....so here we go:

Character Portraits (busts): $10

Sketch Commissions:
Pencil: $15 (for one, additional add $2)
Inked: $25

Full Illustrations: $130 (includes pencils, inks and colors)

Random Paintings: $200

Prints Available: See www.mikedburkeart.imagekind.com

Possibly I might have some Prints available at the con and hopefully my "Sketchbook"!