- Thorpe Park in the UK is being plagued so badly by a poltergeist that they moved the site of an upcoming ride.

- Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa is getting ready to launch:

- The Haunted Mansion in Florida’s end sequence where the ghosts join you in your Doombuggy have been covered up by 3D projections. Have no fear, this is temporary while they refurbish the animatronics underneath. This is a better way than closing the whole attraction. Still, if this is your only time going to Florida, I recommend that you postpone your vacation until the real ending of this ride is back up and running. The HM is the best ride EVAR and this is so inferior to what you normally see:

- The Epcot Flower and Garden Festival is about to start. If you have a house and a garden, this is awesome. I don’t. I live in New Jersey. They have HGTV celebrities attending and presenting workshops. The merchandise is really cute – last year they had Mickey Garden Gnomes kind of like this! Epcot is also full of fancy topiaries and flowers at this time of year.

Looks like I’ll be in my adopted home state of Florida this May in search of comic and art type things (don’t tell anyone I’m from Pittsburgh and New Jersey really)! I can’t wait to get some photos and video for you guys!

Nature, people! Nature!

People often ask me what they can do to reach their goals as a webcomic artist, blogger, or other indie creator. Everyone’s situation is different, so unfortunately, I can’t tell you what path works for everyone.

However, there are standard things that DO NOT work for everyone. There are some of the the common recurring behaviors that I see which will do nothing but hurt your career.

1. Complain about other creators all the time: There are jerks everywhere. I run into them all the time. You’d never know it, because it’s not worth talking about. For example, someone was a jerk to me last week at a convention. The result? I didn’t care. I actually forgot that it happened until I went to write this post and had to think of a good personal example for you.

Why did I not care that someone said something jerky? Because the guy was a nobody. His behavior is why he’s a nobody. To quote Shit My Dad Says:

“Don’t focus on the one guy who hates you. You don’t go to the park and set your picnic down next to the only pile of dog shit.”

It might seem more frustrating if you are just starting out in your career. I’m here to tell you that no matter how popular you get, there will always be clueless jerks. It has nothing to do with your skill, it has everything to do with the fact that the jerk in question doesn’t have a nice life. Jerks are weak-minded people.

Constant complainers are also weak-minded people.

Only complain about something if you can visualize the complaining bringing forth a positive result or discussion. If you are always complaining and not doing anything positive, you are just the wuss that no one listens to.

Don’t undercut yourself by broadcasting that you are weak.

2. Start drama all the time: I am referring to people who are always involved in flame wars. Successful people don’t have time for this stuff. They have other things to worry about like taxes, or a book release, or their tour. You won’t catch Neil Gaiman or Sarah Michelle Gellar spending hours a day on a forum in the midst of an internets flame war because they don’t have time and they are successful enough that they don’t get upset about what people say as easily. If you want to be perceived as successful, you won’t either.

Again, don’t undercut yourself by broadcasting that you are weak.

3. Use words that talk about how you aren’t serious, suck, or are otherwise unmotivated: This seems like a no-brainer, but a large number of (especially) webcomic bios talk about how they “suck” right there in the bio. It’s not funny or awesome. It’s stupid. I cant see what you look like or talk with you on your website. You choose your rank in your internet life by what you put on your site. Don’t choose the rank of incompetent loser. It is such a stereotype that webcomics are losers that we don’t need anyone adding crap to the fire, thanks. Even if you think that you suck, for freaking crying out loud – shut up.

Don’t undercut yourself by telling people you aren’t capable.

4. Aren’t friendly or are too shy: Reach out and talk to people! So many people expect things to come to them. I have news for you – THEY WON’T. Convention invites, new friends, press – all of these things you have to seek out and ask for while proving that you are worth it.

- Replying to email should be a priority – even if it is just to say that you need more time to think of a reply.
- Always follow people back and accept friend requests on various social networking sites – unless you like possibly sending the message to a stranger that you don’t want their money or support. You never know who that person is.
- Always reply to messages. If people are conditioned to think they can’t reach you, they won’t email you at all – even with big opportunities. I know I’d rather hook up a friend who replies to me often than someone who is unreachable.

Don’t undercut yourself by limiting the size of your team.

Doing what you love is hard – the last thing that you need is to be subconsciously undercutting yourself. Overall the best thing is to stay positive and associate with positive people who will pick you up when you are down. Wear all of those rejections, mistakes, and bouts of insanity like badges of honor. I am not going to lie and tell you this success is as easy as a numbered list – but I am going to tell you that if you KEEP GOING and stay positive you will make it. If you stop and fall prey to anger or negativity, you won’t.

Woo hoo! The most excellent sci fi in disguise time travel show from Canada, Being Erica is getting a season 4! This will be the final season! It will wrap up everything! How rare is this for a show that I like to get closure? WOW! If you haven’t seen it and you like time travel shows, you really should. Do not let the fact that it airs in the USA on SOAPnet turn you off. This show is freaking awesome in a Joss Whedonesque way.

When it will air in Canada is still up in the air. Usually it airs in the fall. The American air date is more shaky. SOAPnet is going away in 2012 to make room for a Disney preschool channel.

I am not sure how Americans will be able to watch this show since the Canadian site actively blocks us from streaming it.

Well…season 3 hasn’t broadcast here yet and I have already seen it. I guess you’ll just have to find another way…but it still sucks that we can’t just watch it on TV!!!!

Concept art for the “Terrain of WarCraft” and “Universe of StarCraft” parks can be viewed on the “Joyland World” website. These two parks are really lands within one giant park, much like the Harry Potter island in Universal Studios Florida.

Terrain of Warcraft area:

Universe of Starcraft area:

There are some problems with this. Besides the fact that most of us live far away from China – this is not officially licensed by Blizzard.

It is currently being constructed. It is anyone’s guess whether this very ambitious project ever will be completed. If it looks nearly as nice as it does from the concept art it will rival Disney in every way.