Bloggings of Troy D. Zurel

Planet Fitness.....Can you really call this a GYM?

2011-02-09T22:30:00.000-05:00

When I first started hearing stories about this place....I couldn't believe everything I was hearing. I've worked out in plenty of GYM's .... all over the world. From the one's on Air Forces bases...some looking like health clubs...and some were really just an open space with weights and cardio in there. To Gold's Gym, a gutted house in Hawaii that was turned into a Gym....German Gym's while living there...and some amazing Gym's....Ironbound being one of them here in Willismaburg.

So, after hearing about it.....and what really perked my interest was a story about some alarm that goes off if you grunt or clank weights...I can understand the clanking around of weights....but the grunting....that is just a normal thing to do....you breath in...and when you push a weight at times when you breath out.....well...you grunt.

This is like having an alarm in your bedroom that goes off if you make any noise while having sex. What really is the point? Other than to control people?

So...lets start off with their website.

""As the most innovative health club brand in the United States, Planet Fitness is known for a lot of things – our absurdly low prices, our Lunk™ Alarm, and most of all perhaps, for our Judgement Free Zone® philosophy, which means members can relax, get in shape, and have fun without being subjected to the hard-core, look-at-me attitude that exists in too many gyms.""

Really?

A Lunk Alarm? That would be like having a HUGE ASS alarm in Mc Donalds. So when you walk in McDonalds to get something to eat...if you are over an amount of weight, or you order too much food...and if your car weighs too much (With Only you in it) while going thru the drive thru...and huge loud ass alarm goes off....and we'll just call it the Pig Alarm.

AS ON THEIR SITE...LINK IS LABLED "WE ARE NOT KIDDING ABOUT GRUNTING."

The thing is that they are saying no muscle head.....nothing is intimidating about grunting.....if so.....you can't have sex either...and what about tennis? Tons of grunting during a tennis match....guess they wouldn't be accepting either.

I'm really surprised this place hasn't been sued by someone for discrimination. The the name alone and the commercials are enough for someone to sue this place.

Don't get me wrong...I totally understand that this is owned by someone...but....can you imagine if places only catered to the people that "THEY" have deemed they want in there. This would be like saying.....McDonalds decided that they will only serve customers that are not obese.....or Olive Garden .... if you are eating with your mouth open (granted I hate this) that a loud ass alarm will go off and you could be kicked out, that if you are not just the right body type that you can not go to the beach in a bikini because it may offend the other people at the beach.

Really? Is this where we have gone as people? That we are sooooo sensitive that now we have places where you can not just go work out without Slim Betty running over to you telling you to please not exhale to loudly .... and maybe you need to use lower weights and not push yourself that hard. lol!!

The Judgement Free Zone - this really is horrible....so what this place is saying...that they are building a business off of the minimal self worth that you have for yourself..and to please join our Gym.....YET.....they toss around LUNK, have a picture of a bodybuilder with the no symbol on him....even in their commercial that are doing nothing BUT judging people.....SO...they are doing the exact same thing that they are advertising that will not happen if you join or work out in their Gym????? Does this not make sense to anyone else???????

Guess they don't discriminate...guess their Judgement Free Zone only pertains to some sort of corner they have in their facility.

Do you really think everyone is like this? Oh...again....this is their Judgement Free Zone that they promote is a perk of working out their.

Relax, get in shape, have fun...without being subjected to the hard-core, look at me attitude that exists in too many Gyms. This is all fine.....I'm cool with this to the point where they come out and say Hard-Core, Look at me Attitude.....really? I will promise you that if this was the fact......then take down ALL of your mirrors in your Gym....this way that girl isn't looking at her ass while standing in front of the mirror...or that guy isn't checking out his arms while doing curls......this is not the fact at this gym....the members are doing the exact thing here as in any other gym.

To be honest......you are there to workout.....it's not High School or Peggy's sunday afternoon tea party.....At every gym I have ever been in...almost everyone has ear buds in and are just going about their own business.....What this place does is feed and get rather fat off of the low self esteem that their members have....yet it's not helping them in the long run......it's like that guy from SNL.....looks in the mirror (oh wait....you can't do that....it's kind of vain) telling yourself.....I like myself, I'm a good person....I'm attractive and you know what....people like me...and couple of times over and over until you believe it.

PLANET FITNESS MISSION STATEMENT

""We at Planet Fitness are here to provide a unique environment in which anyone – and we mean anyone – can be comfortable. A diverse, Judgement Free Zone® where a lasting, active lifestyle can be built. Our product is a tool, a means to an end; not a brand name or a mold-maker, but a tool that can be used by anyone. In the end, it’s all about you. As we evolve and educate ourselves, we will seek to perfect this safe, energetic environment, where everyone feels accepted and respected. We are not here to kiss your butt, only to kick it if that’s what you need. We need you, because face it, our planet wouldn’t be the same without you. You belong!""

This was taken right off their website. I already addressed the Judgement Free Zone...it really doesn't exist...due to the fact that everything they are about is judging the client they wish to stay in their gym. It's in their signs...pictures...Lunk Alarm.. and commercials....you are fine as long as you are the demographic they are looking for....which is them making money off your insecurities.

And it's not all about you....it's not really. If it is about you....that really means everyone...no matter the person.

Where everyone feels accepted and respected.....it's not. If it was....they would not use demeaning names in their BRANDING, or air commercials demeaning the intelligence of people that pursue bodybuilding....that would be like me saying Blonds are Dumb and will always be....or every Marine is a Jarhead...and treat them that way. Kind of a stupid way of thinking.

The membership is free....it's like buying $1.00 hamburgers....get enough people buying them....they make a profit.

I think it's funny that people are so sucked into this...and would give money to a company that preaches Judgement Free...when all they do is Judge.

My Rant.

Tickets for Art Jam Zion Feb 19, 2011

2011-01-10T15:16:00.002-05:00

Tickets for Art Jam Zion Feb 19, 2011.

2011-01-06T14:16:00.000-05:00

Box cars 3 of 3

2011-01-06T14:15:00.002-05:00

Box cars 2 of 3

BOX CARS WILLIAMSBURG VA

2011-01-06T14:13:00.001-05:00

Box cars

working

2011-01-05T15:37:00.002-05:00

Working and getting ready for the Art Jam...artist rolling in.

Punisher WIP DONT & CRUZ 2011 Print Preview

2010-11-30T17:32:00.000-05:00

Here is the first of many prints that Danny Cruz and I are working on for the 2011 convention season to sell as prints.

Danny is an amazing artist...and funny thing is that now he lives in NYC...and he use to life right down the street from me....never knew it. Funny how things work out.

So, below is the first print I'm working on. After I inked the entire piece I really didn't know what direction I wanted to take in coloring the piece. Everyone is coloring everything in photshop and paint.....I was going to go that direction.....but remembered I had an entire set of copics that I bought while at the NYCC convention.

So, I started using a copic on the face. I did like how it came out....after looking at it for a day, I really wanted to go more in a direction of gritty....dirty and in your face look at this piece....and the copics.....great marker....just wasn't doing it for me. They seemed a little flat and it was just a blending and layering process that I didn't think went well for this....and didn't think it gave Danny any justice on the pencils he put down.

As you can see....the colors came out fine......but I wanted more tones and I also wanted a deeper look on his face that looked like he has been thru hell and back....and just wasn't feeling the copic markers for this piece. So, I put it away...put some turkey in my stomach and watched the Macy's Parade for the first time in ten or more yrs....and thought about what to do.

I love to water color....I like that you can make the colors looked caked on, or make them translucent if need be. Looked up some sites and went back to my favorite artist Sam Kieth and checked out some of his pieces.

I've always loved Sam's work in that it was different ..... yet amazing at the same time..and could go toe to toe with any of the artists working at Image, Marvel or DC....without falling into a standard at form.

So, looked around...found my 36 watercolor set...and started on the face two days after Thanksgiving.

Below is what I got.

I like this very so much more in that there is a ton of character in the face when the watercolor was added that I just couldn't get from the copics. Deep folds in his face....yet the cell phone camera does it no justice.....it looks amazing...and was very happy with it.

That being said....on to the hair and skull on his chest.

I was going to just go with a black for his hair...yet wanted to still keep with some of the comic book form. So, I opted for blues and adding black to take the shine off of the blue. I'll add highlights last...always last.

On the chest...I wanted to make his muscles look like they were just dying to jump off his chest. I used Lee Priest as a reference because I remember that as far as bodybuilders go...this man is an amazing person....speaks like it is....but has a superhero body.....each muscle is round...in place...plus...he's a huge superhero fan.

Below is where I'm at right now. Filled in his suite black....didn't want to go with the blue that most place him in.

Working on this while sitting at the airbrush shop.....figured I'd do a fast base color on the background with an airbrush......easy to use...it was right there...and blends without effort.

So....I'm going to go back in with watercolor and texture the sky and concrete ....paint the guns and add some more detail to his utility belts.....go in with some white paint and add some highlights...scan and move into photoshop to tweek here and there.

For all of those wondering.....just talked to the screen printer and we are running 150 black or white shirts with a black and white print on the front and DONT & CRUZ 2011 on the back. Any size...and shipping is included.

Only $15.00!!!!

So get them while you can...and while they last.....already have orders from shops and fans coming in.

We are saving the colored versions for the prints. :)

Also....going to do a couple of ladies shirts....will keep you posted on those....because we'll be having a contest for these. :

Cheers Bra

Troy Zurel

Danny Cruz and Troy Zurel teaming together for print series during the 2011 Convention Season.

2010-11-18T18:51:00.006-05:00

Danny Cruz

Currently the pencils are finished and Troy is inking (yup....inking) and coloring the first three...... Punisher, Harley Quinn, and Rogue. Each will have a limited run, offered in full color and in two different sizes.

Keep yourself updated and follow this blog... specials, bar jumping and frog fights during conventions...keep posted and up to date by following this blog....

Cheers Mates

Troy Zurel

Claims that the virus was caused by rage-infected monkeys have now been dismissed as bull-

2010-11-18T14:07:00.000-05:00

Loving this......most yrs I never get a flu shot because it just makes me sick after I get it.....so this yr because doing conventions I figured "You know, I should get one.....just in case." thinking to myself while looking down at the sign for $15.00 flu shots.

And the end result, yup....sick. So, now I'm drinking NyQuil and DyQuil for the last two days...and pretty much I'm here....but not really....just a lack of energy. Good news, I'm almost over it.

While looking up Flu and Zombie at the same time, I'm overwhelmed by the hundreds of websites where the most common question asked is "Will the Flu shot turn me into a zombie?"

I had to laugh to myself because normally anyone reaching past the education level of high school would not have to ask this question. I also took into account the amount of questions that were asked just because someone had to ask the question, but they were not serious.

Reading over some of these questions, there are ... for me that is.... a rather alarming amount of people out there that are very serious in their questions ...and, are afraid that the flu shot will turn them into a zombie......which to me makes me have to laugh...almost out-loud...but enough for me to sit here and eat up about 45 minutes of my life while I'm waiting for customers to sketch.

Where does this belief come from in that there is a percentage of our population that thinks that undead walk the earth? Medically speaking it is near impossible....but would be amusing if it happened...and for people that don't run fast....well...I guess it wouldn't be that amusing to them as they turned into a running buffet for the undead.

Just thought I'd share this little nugget with you.

Cheers mate

Troy Zurel

Short Interview with Bag and Board - Ian Mondrick

2010-11-18T04:12:00.001-05:00

Dann and I were lucky enough to meet Troy Zurel at Wizard World Philly this year….the day bagandbored.com went live! We bumped into him at NYCC this year, and even though he’s got so much coming up in the next few months, he was able to take some time and answer some questions for your regular Thursday interview on the (almost) legendary Bag And Bored!

Bag and Bored is obviously the most important website of all time. Since you’ll be incredibly famous after this interview, introduce yourself so the entire world will know what to expect from you.

My name is Troy Zurel….I’m primarily known in the comic book industry as an inker….pencil at times. Just had Issue 4 of Widow Warriors land in stores from Dynamite Entertainment.

Who is your favorite comic book character of all time?

Of all time……lots of characters. Lol. Maybe…The Crow. It was just an interesting character and seemed very character driven. Also…The Maxx. Just love Sam Keiths work.

What is the one character you’d like to resurrect and subsequently work on? (Please make sure your answer includes ‘The Space Knight ROM, since no one seems to remember how awesome he is…)

The Maxx……that’s just me wanting to ink some of Sam’s pencils. And his pages are really insane……sort of like Pink Floyd “The Wall” meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

We had the pleasure of meeting at Wizard World Philly, where you worked on a tremendous ‘Kick-Ass’ sketch for us. How many requests do you get for *ahem* ‘adult-themed’ artwork?

I get it a lot…..like I mentioned I pencil too…just takes me longer…..when you mean adult themed work…..what does that imply? Cheese – cake pinups? Or full on XXX open your eyes and say ah?

How many titles do you generally read a month, and what ones do you look forward to the most? (And would you like to give your local comic book shop a shout out in the hopes of getting a better discount?)

I really don’t read a lot of comics to tell you the truth….I’ll flip thru a lot of them and check out the artwork….but, you’ll almost never see me sitting down reading a comic. This is not that I don’t enjoy them…..My mind tends to race about a hundred miles an hour…..and ……..while I’m reading it….I’ll look at the art and try to break it down in my head….kind of ruins the reading experience for me.

As for my local comic shop….Comic Cubical in Williamsburg Virgina.

Troy, we’ve enjoyed your company tremendously. Before you go, could you give the people some information on where to see more of your stuff, and how they can fork over some hard earned cash to obtain some of your sublime artwork?

I have 4 issues of Widow Warriors on the stores right now…..working on a couple of other projects that I can’t release info about just yet…..but you can find me at most East Coast Conventions in the artist alley. I’ll be at MegaCon and C2E2 starting out 2011 and of course Heroes, Philly and NYCC)

You can check out some of Troy’s work at his awesome blog, and on his deviant art page here! A huge thanks again to Troy for taking the time to talk to us! We can’t wait to see what 2011 hold for you!

-Ian

Well, I swallowed all your ideas. I'm going to digest them and see what comes out the other end.

2010-11-18T03:33:00.001-05:00

Well.....sitting here most of the evening constructing this blog so all I really need to do is load pictures and write some stuff and that's it. When it comes to updating, I'm pretty lazy in that I tend to have so many things going on that it tend to just slip my mind.

I've loaded some images from some of the Issues of Widow Warriors. I'll probably beat this into the ground about buying copies until next year...and then move on....and promote something else.

Been working on some pinups.....talking to artist that I'll be teaming up with this winter for some pieces, and jumping back into coloring and penciling more. Just been focused on inking so much and running my business and making sure that it runs itself pretty much so it can free up some of my time to concentrate on finishing commissions and starting an entire new batch of commissions. No conventions until March 2011...which frees up a lot of my time to get things ready for next years and finish projects.

Been inking a lot of pinups as of late and been giving the superhero pages a rest for a little. But, if something strikes me....I'll place it on a list of many others.

So this is a Batman piece I saw that looked rather simplistic ...but once inked....reminded me a lot of Frank Miller in the lips, eye slant and five-o-clock shadow.

Pencils: Lee Garbett

Inks: Troy D. Zurel (DONT)

Below I have a couple pages from Widow Warriors. This was a real fun book to do. I had a lot of fun at least. I worked on the title for 4 issues from November 2009 thru Fed 2010. I really had no idea how was publishing the title and found out in April or May that it was going to be published under Dynamite Entertainment. The first issue hit the stands in Aug 2010 and the 4th issue Nov 2010.

There were times that I really had no clue when an issue was coming out. All in all, I made some good friends out of it, and had a blast doing it.

I'll be headed to conventions in 2011 with copies...so keep an eye out for them at my table.

As the pages went by I really go into it....started making the pages gritty...and harder than the smooth inking I started with.....adding more lines and sharper edges to hair.. and texturing.

Pencils: Pat Lee

Inks: Troy D. Zurel

With that said....I've noticed a lot of trends while at conventions.....one....bad girls are bad. It's like the 90's are back in that I've noticed a lot of prints...and it's all TnA....which isn't a bad thing....just as long as there is some content to keep them company so it's not just flash.

Copics - the only way to go....I still love the texturing of watercolors.....and always will....but I don't see primsamarkers making a dent in artist switching back unless they rethink their markers and come out with something better or cheaper than Copics.

The best convention I've been to...hands down... New York Comic Con. This show is amazing, it's what San Diego once was in the 90's. I think after talking to artist I've known for years we have all come to the same understanding that conventions will never be like they once were. So, planning is the key....and no more table banners....it's all standing banners with amazing artwork behind the artist...the thing is that they are cheap...and shipping is within a couple days now....no longer are artist waiting weeks for them.

Well......this is the new blog, and a fresh start for the new year.

Cheers mate.

Troy D. Zurel (DONT)

First post.... Pickles and thumbs.....

2010-11-17T15:36:00.002-05:00

Well, it's a fresh new blog, which means fresh new work to upload. Most of the images that you will see uploaded will be at large enough dpi for colorist to grab and color.

Why the fresh start? Well, it's almost a new year.....and I was getting really tired of looking at the blog before ....being that it was dark and ....well....we'll just leave it at that.

Lots of things coming up, and lots of things in the works for 2011...which I may say is just around the corner.

Had a great 2010...and am looking forward to 2011. Doing a lot of conventions starting in March...and planning some great surprises and things to offer everyone attending those conventions.

Below are two pieces that I just finished inking.

LONG BEACH COMIC-CON 2010 SPECIAL

PENCILS: Eric Basaldua

INKS: Troy Zurel

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

PENCILS: Marcio Abreu

INKS: Troy Zurel

So.....I'll upload more information as it comes in the next few weeks...and some small previews as they finish.

On a lighter note - All four issues of Widow Warriors have hit the stores....go to you local comic shop and grab them. Published by Dynamite Entertainment.

Cheers

Troy Zurel

Starting Over

2010-11-17T14:32:00.002-05:00

Noticed that this blog was getting cluttered...and really just wanted to start fresh and new.....clean slate....so....it's clean....will update soon.

Cheers

Troy