I wanted to make this post on Halloween, but I'm an idiot so whoops!!!

First off, before I get into the meat of this post, for Halloween I released a short film I started making in 2016, The Chicken Choker.  It's only on youtube because it's live action, although I know that is allowed on Newgrounds, and maybe I should've uploaded it here since one of the characters is a puppet and there's even some animation, but I just felt like there were too many issues with it, the camera quality and acting aren't very good, but I still think it's pretty funny and I'm glad it's finally done and out.

I did upload the soundtrack on Newgrounds though, as well as the credits song.

 

And now some quick followups to the last news post.

-I got my GED!!!

Pretty quickly in fact.  Also it turns out I'm not as much of an idiot as I thought, because I scored high enough on some of the tests to get college credit, so that's cool.

-album

I did finally end up putting out my FAWM Album, originally called Fap All Wankin' Month, renamed to Rehash, because it was more thematically fitting.

You can listen to it on Newgrounds, youtube, or bandcamp.  The bandcamp version has commentary on each track, as well as instrumental and demo versions of each track when you download.  The youtube version is also nice because there's no pauses between songs so it flows how I intended, though I guess you could also get the same effect if you download the newgrounds versions and play them in media player or something, though maybe the newgrounds playlist also works like that (nope just checked there's a slight delay between songs, dammit Tom!!!)

 

All right, onto the bulk of this post.

 

My plans for the rest of the year have once again changed because... wait for it... I got a job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, turns out I AM capable of working, who'd have thought.  I applied to a ton of jobs, and I even got an interview at Chipotle, but none of those went anywhere, until one day I decided to check one of the "matched jobs" that Indeed kept sending, and it seemed like something I could do so I applied, and then the next day they said they wanted me to apply in person, so I did, and then like a day later they called me back saying I had a shift available.  What the heck how did that go so smoothly!!!!

So the job title is "event staff" but basically it's just janitorial work before, during, and after events in the Orlando area, so it's pretty interesting, I'm constantly working a new job essentially.  I've worked at 5 (I think?) venues so far, though it's mostly been at 2, but each time is different.

I've been working since October 13th.  It's only 2 to 4 days a week, and the shifts are only 4 to 8 hours, but every shift has been pleasent and it's been (mostly) keeping me distracted from my bad thoughts and I've been making money so it's good.  I actually feel fufilled for once.  I feel like I have a purpose again.  Getting to and from work has been a pain in the ass though, if my roommate can't take me then I have to waste serveral hours on a bus, or waste a lot of money on an Uber to get there faster.

I also got a bank account, because oh yeah now that I have money I kinda need one of those, huh?

The whole process of setting it up was a huge pain in the ass, I really should've set it up BEFORE I got employed, but you know me, if I don't think I need something at that moment in time, then I don't need it.  Except I did because boy it would've made things a lot less stressful.  So it turns out that I actually had FIVE paychecks waiting fo rme when I finally went to pick them up, totaling like $320,  from the 6 shifts I had done up to that point.  I still couldn't cash them though because although I did have the bank account, I didn't know the account number so I couldn't actually use it.  The bank was supposed to send it in the mail.  They never did.  They did send the debit card though, which I couldn't activate because I needed the account number to do that!!!  After way too long, my roommate finally just took me to the bank (10 minute drive vs 1 hour walk) and I got everything sorted out, however I still can't do the online banking because every time I try to set it up something just fails so now I gotta call them.

Anyways, that's enough ranting about the bank.  I've still got plenty of things to do.  Next thing up is getting my driver's license and saving up for a car, because that would save so much time and money getting to work, and then I'll be pretty much fully independent, which will be great.

I was fearing this for a while, that I wouldn't be cut out for the real world, that I wouldn't be able to hold a job, but that fear is slowly going away.  I work hard and try to not fuck things up, and my employer has even said they really appreciate me, which feels weird but it makes me feel good.  At any moment that fear could still be realized though.  I could do something to fuck it all up, or maybe I'll crash and burn, but for now, things are good and they're going well and I feel good.

I am a little worried at the moment though, because I was supposed to work a 9 hour shift yesterday, but I decided it was best not to, since my wrist was hurting really bad after my last two shifts, and if I did work that other shift, I know for a fact the pain would've only gotten worse and then there wouldn't be enough time to recover before the next shift.  And I really didn't want to risk the pain getting worse, because what if it lead to something really bad to where I can no longer use my righ thand?  Then I wouldn't be able to draw and fuck knows that wouldn't be good. 

I guess I shouldn't worry too much about not working that shift, since I told them before hand that I couldn't do it and they seemed cool with it, and since all of the shifts are optional anyways, it probably doesn't matter, but I can't help but feel I've let them down.  They did change my schedule to give me that shift specifically, and I couldn't do it.  I shouldn't think like that though, nothing good will come of it.

Also, the thing I hate most about working is now I have less time to work on creative projects, and I'm too tired to work during the time I can, but now I have the drive to work on creative stuff again, but I can't.  Hopefully this will be a wake up call though, if I ever do get all the time in the world again, I won't take it for granted.  God I miss just being able to make things, and it really fucking sucks because I wasted a lot of time this year just wallowing in depression.  Nothing I can do about that though other than just make sure I'm using my time better in the future and not succumbing to the depression.

 

And now for my new plans for the rest of the year!!!!

Since there was no way I was gonna be able to do the rest of AU Reviews this year, I had decided to just do 2 more for now and save the rest for next year, but now I'm not doing anymore this year, instead I'm doing 2 more cartoons, plus another one that's a bit more special, and is going to take a bit of time so it probably won't actually be out this year.

One of those cartoons is a video game parody (oh no) and the other is kinda like my Retsupurae animation, only not Retsupurae and a lot shorter, but it's the same sorta idea, making a cartoon out of dialog from a youtube video.

And the special cartoon is a music video, I believe I referred to this in my last news post as a "super secret music video" which it still is, though I'll spill the beans a little bit.  It stars some characters from a series I've been developing called "Pollywogs", which started off as a comic here on Newgrounds, but I always wanted to do it as an animated series, and I lost interest in doing it as a comic, so now it will be a series again, but it won't happen for a long time.

The music video isn't necessarily part of the series though, but it does detail some events that happen in it at least, and it stars these guys:

Old-ass designs from 2016

Joey and Lophat have the biggest roles though, and I started refining their designs a while ago, and I was even posting some art on twitter.  I'll just include it here for convenience though.

Joey Design comparison - 2016 vs 2018

Lophat design comparison - 2016 vs 2018

 

And here's some shitty drawings I did while trying to refine their designs:

 

I'll get around to designing the other two at some point.  Not right now though because my wrist still kinda hurts.  I probably shouldn't be typing this much.

 

And finally, I still plan to get an EP out by the end of the year.  All the instrumentals are done and I've got temp vocals, and 2 of the tracks are already 100% done, but idk if I'll have time to record the final vocals for the rest of the songs.  Hopefully though.

Also there might just be something to celebrate the 8th anniversary of FMTS after all.  It's not going to be anything too special, but it will be something at least.

 

And that's something.