The Sands in the Hourglass

Hello internet faithful! It sure has been a while hasn't it! SIX WHOLE YEARS IN FACT!

I want to start this post off by issuing a deep and sincere apology.

The long and protracted absence I've had here on this site was unfair to every single one of my readers, and even though this blog was never meant to be a HUGE thing for me, it still very much was a personal project that I unceremoniously left collecting dust for FAR  too long.

When I left this site, I also left you all, and you didn't deserve that. You are owed explanations as to where I've been and what has happened since July 27, 2019.

On 06/20/2019 I lost my mother. Her name was Darlene, and her passing was a major blow to my family and I. Some of you may have even been aware of this as I did discuss it on my X/Twitter and Deviant Art accounts. In the immediate after-math of her death I thought that I could continue with matters as they were, but much to my dismay it all affected me (vastly) more than I initially thought, so while I was in the throes of my depression I decided that what I truly needed was to take some time away from everyone and everything, if nothing else than to "properly" mourn the loss of my mom.

But if there is one thing I've learned in these past six years, it's that there is no one "correct way" to mourn.

We all know essentially what happened next, those initial weeks that I took to come to terms steadily turned into months, and then those months turned into a year. While I did have some "good days" during this time (spending what I could with close friends and family) my depression/sadness would hit me in waves. One instant I'd be (somewhat) fine, and then the next I'd be steeped in melancholia. It wouldn't take much to trigger the switch either. Maybe it would be a song she liked that would play on the radio, the smell of spring flowers, or just a gentle summer wind.

By the end of June/beginning of July 2020 we were about four months deep into the COVID-19 global pandemic, and it was here that I made a modest attempt to get things back on track with my art-streams by streaming with several of my artist friends for a few days. While this did provide a brief respite as I collected my thoughts and social support, I knew deep down that I couldn't find that "new normal" required to give my fans what they truly deserved-- A good show.

The constant barrage of confusion and chaos from my regular night job left me (exceedingly) fatigued, so much so that there were times it felt near impossible to pull myself out of bed. I almost can't articulate how difficult the pandemic years truly were for me. 

(For those who do not know, I work in emergency medicine, so during those tumultuous days of the pandemic, I had to endure a lot of mental stress)

While it was definitely a struggle more often than not (with my personal resolve constantly being tested) I was ultimately glad that I (not only) had gainful employment, but that I could potentially help make a significant/tangible difference during a time of great uncertainty for so many people in my community.

Undertaking this task did come with sacrifices.

My mental health took a turn for the worse at numerous intervals, and I lost a lot of time with friends and family in this period, particularly with my father Frank. Due to some of his health complications, I had to restrict direct contact with him. A choice I knew deep down hurt him in more ways than one, but I couldn't risk him getting sick.

If only I'd known that (regardless of my efforts to protect him) 2020 would be the last year he'd be alive, I might have made different choices...

On December 18, 2020 my dad (Frank) would suddenly die.

This was beyond devastating for my family and I. Just when it seemed like we had all begun healing as a family, we lost one our greatest pillars in it.

I started a Go Fund Me to help mitigate the costs incurred by my father's death, and for a while that was all that mattered to me-- Getting affairs into order. This was a process that took YEARS for us to get straight, but we ultimately did work things out with Frank's estate... As of the beginning of 2025.

Needless to say, my depression would hit me FULL-FORCE during these years, compounded by the stress I was already contending with from my night job.

This culminated in me losing yet another organ, this time it was my gallbladder in August of 2022.

Since then (in several ways) I'm still recovering from my cholecystectomy (both physically & fiscally) with many life-style changes that have had to come about as a result. While it hasn't been easy, at least I'm still alive to do something about it!

But I won't bore you with anymore history! Let's talk about today!

Today marks my 40th Birthday! A date and an age that I honestly (at near countless points) didn't think I'd ever live to see over these past six (long) years.

It's almost surreal to me knowing that I started the N8Dogg Blog all the way back in 2013. I was 28 years old  then, an age that simultaneously feels like an entire life-time ago, or just yesterday depending upon my mood on the subject.

The halcyon days of how simple things were then when compared to today...There were some tough times back then for a certainty, and in many past posts you can clearly see my laments and nostalgia on full display, but I still vividly remember the optimism I had the day I decided to start this blog!

Since those nascent years I've had to watch people I love leave this world. I've had to witness entire franchises & mediums I held dear be culturally vandalized and bore-out of any heart & soul til nothing was left but political propaganda. I've wrestled with an empty Post Window for this very blog so many times I can't even try to put a number to it. I have lost my hope and fallen into despair, only to find that spark of life again in ways that would confuse the mind and break the heart.  

As so many have stated here countless times on the internet: THE STRUGGLE IS REAL!

But hey! I'm still here! And I'm still N8Dogg5k!

If you ever came here to read one of my reviews, check out some of my art, or listen to my occasional Blood Code Radio recordings, this post right here is FOR YOU!

Thank you! From the very bottom of this old heart of mine... THANK YOU!

Know that I never wanted to stop making posts on this blog. Know that I never stopped working on my art, or my stories. Know that I always wanted to give you the best that I could give at that exact moment. I've taken these past six years to refine my work to an even greater point than it was before all this tragedy and loss. There is much yet to be shared, and hopefully with enough time, energy, and a little bit of luck, maybe we can get back to having some of those old good times here on this site once more!

We all know that life is just way too short, and time waits for no man, so if nothing else it's high-time for me to kick it into some kind of gear and try to make some moves before the sands in my hourglass run any lower!

GOD-SPEED EVERYONE!

A Sticker, A Button, and A Magnet- New Products

Bast Katt (sticker)

Creating merchandise/products outside of the occasional one-off convention print is very new territory to me, but it's a venture that I'd say is well worth taking.

I recently had a series of products manufactured (a sticker, a button, and a magnet) to sell at conventions. In time, I'd like to expand out the line to feature more characters from not only the world of Bast Katt, but from other stories/ideas I have.

For right now though, I'm starting out small, and I'm only going to do a limited run to see how folks react.

Admittedly, while I am nervous about how this could all work out, I am at least glad to finally be moving forward with my art/work in a far more tangible way.

It only feels right that I begin this journey with three of my classic characters- Bast Katt, Fida Cantor, and Mary-Gold Tauros. When I first began conceptualizing original characters/stories years ago, they were some of my first efforts to truly congeal and gain a degree of momentum.

While many of the pieces were small, every time I drew Bast, Fida, or Mary-Gold the reaction was almost always the same- positive.

Fida Cantor (button)

Now with time/experience under my belt (and a much better/mature mind for it) I feel like I can finally begin making the world of Bast and co. a firmer reality.

I had a ton of fun running through the different concepts for this product line, and while they're somewhat simple in their final forms, I'm overall happy with the results.

Bast's hair proposed a bit of a challenge initially (seeing as Bast has a ton of crazy anime-hair) but once I decided to put her hair up in a segmented pony-tail, the rest of image fell right into place. The line-work for the piece was done by hand, while the colors were rendered through the art program Krita.

The phrase "Tail Chaser" is actually a small reference to what I originally wanted to call the story that Bast comes from, but sadly it was already taken in another comic. All the same, I figured it would be a fun nod to include the origins of the character in the first product line.

Fida was perhaps the most troublesome of the three designs, not necessarily because she was difficult to depict (in fact, I had the easiest time drawing her) but simply as a matter of me not having a witty slogan to build the button around.

Mary-Gold Tauros (magnet)

When I first decided that I was going to do three different products, I wanted each to have a fun slogan that would (somewhat) inform the overall design. Bast and Mary-Gold came to me almost in an instant, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what to put on the button for Fida.

It wasn't until I was at work one night that the slogan would hit me when I was told to "button up" before going into an area. Once I had the slogan, everything else fell into place, and the final piece proper came out smooth as butter from my pencil.

After doing the line-work on paper, I rendered the colors in Krita, and sent the image off to the manufacturer. While there was certainly a fair bit of some hassle in the beginning, I think that Fida's piece may be my favorite out of all of them.

Guess I'm just a sucker for abs.

There isn't much to say for this one (as I think it speaks for itself) outside of I don't think I've ever drawn Mary-Gold this "big" before. Much like the Bast and Fida pieces, the line-work was done by hand, while the colors were rendered in Krita.

All the same, I'm sure she gives great hugs...

Zakaria (a.k.a. Mushroom)- Dungeons & Dragons Character

Warlock Zakaria

It's definitely been a min. since my last post huh?

This is one of my many D&D characters. Her name is Zakaria- A 5th edition lvl. 3 tiefling warlock.

Once the leader of a mighty eldritch cult, Zakaria was a dominating magical force throughout the land few would ever dare to face in combat. That was until the day when the elder being she worshiped became silent, and her temple fell to an opposing faith.

Left with no other recourse but go into exile (or be killed by paladins, clerics, and zealots of the church) Zakaria has remained hidden in a cave, isolated from the rest of the developing world. Surviving off of mushrooms and cave moss, she's continually prayed to her elder-deity, hoping that it would grant her some kind of answer or divination as to what she should do.

As the years passed, Zakaria found her powers fading, along with the knowledge of how to perform her most imposing magics. For a time she even forgot her own name.

It wasn't until a wanderer named Nana (a goliath barbarian played by DuckDraw) took shelter in her cave from an oncoming storm. that Zakaria could begin to remember a mere vestige of her potential. As they both silently stared at the lighting bolts rolling through the skies, Zakaria saw a symbol for a brief moment- a sign from her god, and a familiar spark of energy began to fill her emaciated frame.

The time had finally come for her to rise from the dregs of the cave she had long made a home. Not only was the world safe enough for Zakaria to emerge, but she could travel the lands without fear of threats from the church who had forced her into that dismal hole in the first place. It was happening, she was regaining her strength, and she would not do it alone.

Zakaria voyaged out with Nana, eventually meeting a cadre of other adventurers (Jack- played by Crybringer, Boris- played by Clear Skies, Avew- played by Justin, and Dramin- played by Joseph Silver) to aid in her quest. With a newfound purpose, and a sliver of hope that she can restore her temple, Zakaria vows to bring the name of her god back into the hearts and minds of all she encounters.

Now if only she could remember that god's name...

Materials used for this piece was nothing more than pencil on 11 x 17 in. Bristol board.

To the Moon- Fan Art

♫Fly me to the Moon, and let me play among the stars...♫

Now that the convention-going season has wrapped up for me, I'm going to break step with tradition a little bit here, and post the art-prints  that were for sale at the shows.

This fun little number is called To the Moon, featuring a humanized ver. of everyone's favorite Pony Princess of the Night- Luna.

Ever since the launch of the Roan RPG, my good friend Clear Skies has been kind enough to provide table space for little ol' me, with one minor request- Create a bomber-girl ver. of a My Little Pony character to help promote the game.

For this year's Bronycon I decided that I'd go with Luna, mostly because the slogan of "To the Moon" felt like a very bomber-girl thing to say, and well Moon... Luna...?

Meh, you get it...

The pose was actually based on an image of the pro-wrestler Naomi (of WWE fame) and I did little to alter it, as I wanted to retain as much of her energy in the photo as possible.

The most fun/interesting bit of trivia I have about this image though is that the star-field in her hair is actually a layer mask of The Horse Head Nebula, because Ponies... Horse Head...?

Meh, you get it...

Overall I'm pleased with how the piece came out, and I hope you all dig the results as well!

Feeling the Crunch

It's definitely getting cramped in here!

Now that the convention-going season has wrapped up for me, I'm going to break step with tradition a little bit here, and post the art-prints that were for sale at the shows.

This piece is titled Feeling the Crunch, in part because three of my characters are all mushed together into one (way too tiny for them) frame, but mostly because I finished this image a mere day before I had to leave for Anthrocon 2018.

Leading into the event, I was feeling somewhat void on inspiration, and as the date of the convention drew closer and I closer, I kept telling myself I had to get some kind of new art-print made to sell at the table.

While I probably stressed far more about the matter than I should have (as there was no real obligation on me to have any new prints available) it was something I told myself I'd do for my very first Anthrocon, and dammit, I was going to do it!

Thus, the idea hit me at the last possible minute to have my original adult-comic trio of Bast Katt, Fida Cantor, and Mary-Gold Tauros all crammed into one place that clearly wasn't big enough for any one of them, let alone three. Having them slightly pop-out of frame is a touch meta for sure, but I'd like to think it adds a bit more fun to the overall vibe.

In the end, I'd say I'm rather satisfied with the final result, and I can only hope you all dig it as well.

Donation Button Art

Mary-Gold Tauros: "Why don't you consider Donating to help N8Dogg5k grow?"

Much like the title suggests, this here is the line-art for the donation button I'm currently working on for my Picarto streaming site.

I kinda liked the idea of putting my character Mary-Gold doing a "Consider the Following" type pose, while in a set of overalls, and hopefully you all find it fun too.

There isn't much else to say here except for you all to keep an eye out for when the finished piece emerges.

The V Slashers- Commission

Magnum Fox & Gunnery Sgt. Jade

This foxy duo was from an over-the-top pro-wrestling tabletop RPG my brother GM'ed for us back in 2017, to which my good friend Clear Skies commissioned this piece when the first season of games finished.

Clear made no bones about it that he was highly inspired by the likes of Heidern (of King of Fighters fame) when it came to creating his character, except he imagined him as a cruiser-weight fox-man named Magnum Fox.

Escorted by the equally lovely and deadly Gunnery Sgt. Jade, Magnum Fox was able to lay claim to the title, after scoring ten grueling victories over several colorful and crazy wrestlers.

There's a lot more wackiness to it, but I won't waste your time with all that.

Overall, I'm fairly pleased with the final results, and I intend to color this digitally, I do want to render the rest of the cast from the game in the near future as well.

Hope you all dig it!