How it all started
WHEN IT COMES TO THE SCRIPT, THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE THAT BIRTHED IT WAS THIS... It all started in a cheap hotel room in GA after losing everything, even having to spend the last dollars on the hotel room which cost me a job, after folks lied and said I would be able to work from there to keep the job I had. I was waiting communicating with some folks about cheap vehicles to try to get to TX and work more on The Adventures Of The Glitch of Glyphe' and little byrd (group project), but things kept happening to keep me locked down in that really bad hotel. The jobs I put in for while there didn't call back until I had to leave. The unemployment said I didn't get fired, but that I quit. The vehicles I was looking to purchase fell through or were scams. Meanwhile the clock is ticking and the tab is still running. Mail and property stolen, and some other fun things in life. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... but good Chinese food, good cable, and "the horse" (the laptop) was holding together enough to write a script! Picture praying for one thing, and then over the course of 23-25 years, never getting it, then getting 3 times the opposite, and when you work to answer your own prayer, everything moves in unimaginable ways to screw you over. And every so often, you get a flock of people telling you that God sent them and told them to tell you, "God told me to tell you to 'Just ASK for what you want and you can have [the very same thing you've been asking for, working for, and trying to get, and getting one step at a time over the course of time maybe longer and older than the person telling you God sent them to tell them to tell YOU to just ask....]" and then hell comes [or is sent] for whatever drop you clawed to get, and drive you backwards twice the distance. Ah, and the folks that "God sent" don't help you, but will do the opposite. What's that look like? Looks like, asking what you're doing, and why, ignoring that as you're answering, and then them praying for the opposite, so now you have a spiritual army of helpers helping THEM get THEIR WILL for YOUR LIFE and cancel out what you're doing.. meanwhile they ask you for help in their dreams they won't work on, but will contribute to destroying. But the drop you gain, where you clawed b your self, undoing whatever they did, then they won't shut up about how much they've done for you, and how you owe them. And at some point you end up with gas money, no job, and no vehicle in a hotel room writing a script. That's half of it. Sometimes you just keep going because you know you won't die. Like, ever. Even when things are ridiculously magically horrible, you laugh because you know you won't die, or stop working. If you did, all of that stuff would have no one to torment. You're an essential worker.
Anyways, WRITING THE SERIES... While at the hotel, even a little before the lies and havoc that led to ending up at the hotel, Glyphe' was telling me about some people he knew who were developing a Christian Tv Network, but something new and fresh. They were looking for ideas, so I brainstormed on a few things. I was "between jobs" so I had some time to do this and vent. That got me into writing scripts, which I'd done before, but this was even MORE in the mindset of Christian and even just spiritual shows. The other things had some of those elements, but were more based in action, or the drama and scenery of it all, or just the development of the storylines, and this came at time where I was refocusing spiritually, being backed into a corner and all. I say that because a lot of what I was writing was kind of dark, like "Black Mirror" and "Twilight Zone" material, but spiritually based. Christian shows have lines they won't cross, which need to be crossed, or else you end up with all of these issues that never ger resolved, and get passed down from generation to generation. This was about fixing all that and working on genuine honest spirituality, and KNOWING God and self. Not running from it. Not pulling punches. Some were cute. Some were "Touched By An Angel" and even "Quantum Leap"ish, but if I felt like going "Tales From The Crypt" then it went there. If it was leaning towards "Constantine" then it went there. I was writing the shows that were missing.
Later, after ending up in the hotel, the tv was... ok. I mainly watched what came in clearly, regularly, which was CRUNCHY ROLL (anime) and BAR RESCUE. Those were the now and then channels, just to have on background noise. bar culture was, and still is, fun to me. I've had a wonderful bar family, and experiences. Crunchy Roll was to check out anime styles and see what was out there. Other than that, since it seemed I was being "set aside" to have some quiet focus time, I got back into spirituality, prayer, and reading bible. Most of life and living it had become a frustrating blur of crap to do to stay afloat after gaining other people's situations (long story). If you have to deal with someone else's situation, and they're not helping things improve, either you or they need to leave. I took the out when it came.
So, there were those channels, some exercise, some spirituality, job apps with no call backs while in the process of losing the job I had, and writing... and Chinese food. Writing seemed to be the only thing that worked, and kept calling, so, I wrote. Also, while brainstorming on the TV network thing, there were three channels that worked the most, came in the best, that I watched the most: FEAR THE WALKING DEAD, a local Christian Public access channel (Babbies House, Kenton Jones, some preachers, etc.), and TBN. Watching those, it really sunk in, that the shows I was writing really were the shows that were missing. So pushing all of that to the extreme, and letting it really do its thing is where Samurai Ruach came from. I thought, instead of writing one show for this, some shorts for that, why not put every genre in one series? So, Lord Of The Rings, The Matrix, Avengers, The Walking Dead, Z-Nation, Sucker Punch, Fury, The A-Team, Schindler's List, The Godfather, Underworld, Platoon... everything. Everything that's out there, because that's where we are, and that's where God is... and let's do this. Then the writing was almost automatic. It just poured out. And reading it back, it actually shook me, spiritually. I hadn't had that experience in... forever. It was like, "Yeah, people need to experience this series. I have to get this done."
Humble beginnings? In a lot of ways it feels like things are still at the beginning. I've gotten a lot done, but nowhere near as much as I'd like to, mainly due to the [....hmmm...] equipment and time, or the lack thereof, which could easily be remedied with funding, but I'm grateful for all of the support I've gotten so far. ((Cough-cough-Paypal-cough)). Buy a shirt. Still, the whole process has been very educational, but the part where everything clicks and works, and you're happy and all of the work has paid off is... out there... somewhere. Don't worry, a good chunk (if not all) of the lessons learned while on this journey are documented. Check out The Book of The Samurai Ruach. As far as this place here? This is the hotel room where the whole series started. Long story short, my schedule and life were cleared out, no matter what I tried, and there was nothing but time for this project to get started. After starting it, then came more distractions. Through it all, "The Horse" is still kicking, and I'm still at it.
As far as the series itself, the original script was drafted into 8 episodes. Those episodes were converted into a novel, and rewritten again for a graphic novel, and possible animated series. Each version of the series has a different storyline. They're all similar but some get more graphic, others more spiritual-- So basically, the story changes depending on the format and what can be done with it. There are posts on Patreon about all of the programs used, and even one about things needed to futher the project (if you're interested in contributing).
As you can tell from the pictures and videos above, the Samurai Ruach project has grown a lot since then, thanks largely to advancements in technology and AI programs, but finding the right ones, especially for the cost and what I'd need from them, plus the learning curve vs. the amount of time to do everything involved in this project (because it's all just me here) is a challenge, but well worth it. I don't know of many things that would be more worth it actually.
THE HORSE (Laptop)
Last but not least, because it will get mentioned a bit, there's "THE HORSE." Somehow all of this is done on the same laptop computer, "The Horse." Even me typing this very line here.
"THE HORSE" (Specs):
HP Pavilion Laptop 15 cw1xxx
Processor AMD Ryzen 5 3500U with Radeon Vega Mobile Gfx 2.10 GHz
Installed RAM 8.00 GB (5.92 GB usable)
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Pen and touch Pen support
The computer you have is better, so you should be doing more than me... faster. "The Horse" (laptop) is now, at the time of writing this line, at least 5 - 7 years old. The screen housing/top lid is taped together and has 1 hinge. The actual LCD panel is taped on but it's doing the job. When it chooses to, the whole computer runs SLOW. As in, type in four words, and then wait 7 mins, like a full 7 mins, like 420 seconds for those words to appear on the screen. Heaven help you if you scrolled, because if you scrolled and noticed it's not moving AFTER you clicked on something, then there's no telling where in that scroll the click actually registered, and you may have deleted a page or something. Also, it may just randomly shut down. There are a few other quirks but that's what I'm working with. Other computers? We'll get to that....
So, I'm thinking that I purchased The Horse when on the road from a Walmart, while on a driving job. Where exactly? Not sure. I know I got headphones from Elkhart IN, but if I had the computer already by then, I forget. Initially it was to keep my sanity, and make sure I could still make music because the other laptop I had (The Silver One) was on it's last leg. The only reason I was given the Silver One was very cool, and still have in the basement seen in one of the pictures there, was because I'd purchased a Red one, which was perfect, but the screen ended up not working. I had the Red one sent in to be repaired with a bunch of other computers when working at a venue facility, but there was a mix-up at the shop, and the Red one went out as trash with the few other computers that were taken in that were to be destroyed. Because of the mix-up they gave me the Silver one, and I ended up taking over a desktop to keep the place running. So, yeah, I lost all of that that I didn't have backed up from the Red one, which was a lot, but I got to use the desktop and keep the Silver One. The Desktop was better. That desktop, and a lot of information and thing there were lost in a move, due to trusting people and trying to help. So i had The Silver one (laptop). I only bring that up, because it's a trend that when trusting people or helping people I get screwed, which is why I'm not trusting at all, so buy a shirt so I can get it myself. This will come up again.
Anyways, The Silver One started crapping out, as in programs would not open, things would not save, it had room but still it was running slow... I'd do a scan and clean, clear things and it would be great for a day and then slow back down again... AND the plug for The Silver One started to malfunction, and I could only run it plugged in. The battery would not charge, which sucks when the plug is loose and falls out or disconnects. There was a short in it too, so which I would have to hold my breath to use, because if I moved, then the cord would move and it would shut off. No, i could not put it on a table. I tried. The cord had to sit a certain way, and tape gets gooey after a while and slides and you have to keep retaping, but even a slight bump would be... frustrating.
So, for a while, just due to not really being able to use The Silver one (In Detroit then) there there was no computer kind of. THE HORSE was a must. So after being in GA for a while, I got the good ol' Work Horse COMpPUTER, lol. By the time I'd gotten around to starting this project THE HORSE was still my only (properly working) computer. I still had the Silver One, but it was still motion sensitive. The Horse was kind of beat up by then, since it was the only real usable computer, i did everything with it and took it everywhere. Normal wear and tear you can call it. By the time I'd left The Hotel, I'd typed 3 scripts over 80 pages each, and it was a battle. Might not have felt like a blessing, but... blessed. I had a laptop. There are writers out there now, way more brilliant that me, without one. So, blessings, buuuuut still. At the end of each script I had "pPpP" at the bottom of the page to copy and paste for ANYTHING that needs the letter "pP", or it's to the character map, to copy it from there, but like I said, old laptop so loading some programs takes a while... Still, I have a computer, and typed all of the episodes, some of the books, and a lot of the Samurai Ruach stuff AT FIRST was done by typing things like (ctrl-v=pP, delete=p) a few times to spell "puppy". The screen is cracked and I can't see part of it (there's a dead black stripe) so that's tricky, and it's a replacement screen from when someone's dog knocked it off of a table and the screen broke, and their other dog chewed thru the power cord (don't count the "pP"s you'll cry) but I learned how to fix those so.. blessed again. However the hinges are broken now on the screen so it's hanging on one hinge and the screen is held on by tape. But.... blessed. Trust me, it could be way worse.
So, right now (wow, as I was typing this line the screen turned off) The Horse is a 5-7 year old laptop that is working as much magic as it can. Blessed again. There are still a few keys that don't work, and some blank and worn out... the "pP" issue is kind of fixed, because i was allowed to use a USB keyboard. I don't have a dedicated space. I Tried in the basement but basements have noises, so you can use it as much as you can for non audio things. Eventually the plug to supply the power had to relocate for something, and I just recently got a replacement. Also, thee are animals down there. And then the music program stopped working, and the photo programs were glitching and wouldn't read the tablet, which was also a major blessing and I love to use when it works-- but, not working right now. It's the computer, not the tablet.
THE OTHER COMPUTER i mentioned... a friend gave me an old desktop they had and they just needed their stuff off of it. SO, i cleared a flash drive, got all of their stuff off, cleaned the hard drive, reset it, tried to load my stuff but that hard drive was maybe 1/3rd of The Horse (it was an older Desktop but a good one). So i had to work off of an external. So I loaded most of the things on the external and tried to load the programs and drivers, which was not really working that well. SO, i figured that I would just do basic stuff on the desktop, online stuff, so I got everything set up there, passwords, sites, etc.-- all of that took a few days. FINALLY, when everything was set up and good, I went to turn the computer on and i could hear it power up, and beep, and there was just a black screen. Tried a few things, different monitors, cables, but... nothing. So, when people say "Hey, I can help, why not try this..." I say, "sure." but if and when I get screwed in trusting it, I'm not surprised. Angry, yes, but not surprised. But, hey, buy some shirts and let's see if I can get the actual computer I wanted and picked out a year ago that I know will work. Until then? Horse.
Samurai Ruach on Patreon
Patreon became the go-to site for all of the material. It was there and working when all other social media and platforms were failing, or just too much of a hassle to use or keep up with. Even though there are other social pages with content, the main hub for Samurai Ruach, before this site was built, is the patreon page: www.Patreon.com/SamuraiRuachTheSeries. Samurai Ruach gets a lot of love on social media, from the project being blocked or deleted, posts being deleted or scrambled, or just not posting, censoring, and other "violations" (without explanation), it's tricky to say which pages are up and running, and properly, at any given time. I try to keep up with them, but it's more trouble than it's worth sometimes. They're good for outreach, but when it comes to posting the content and sharing the vision as I see it, they're limiting. Patreon was always better-- other than this site. It's frustrating, but, as The Book of Blacklights says, "C'est la guerre et la vie." There are some videos about the ups and downs, and what it took so far to get to this point with the project.
I know everyone has their "go-to" social media site, so all of the other social media pages are there, and should be linked at the bottom, but other than this site here, Patreon is really one of the best places to keep up with the Samurai Ruach project. There are different subscriptions (memberships) tiers/plans, with a lot of free public content also on that page for those who don't want to subscribe. I try to keep things there accessible, but also reasonable for the members and subscribers who are actually interested and want to keep up and be notified. The other social media pages are always changing-- not always by choice. I try to keep as many active as I can, because I know that one platform might be the only way some people can find out about the project. Still, the way pages can (and did) get taken down is out of my control. But, all of that pushback, whether technological or spiritual (or both) lets me know I'm doing something worth doing. I've never had such issues with anything else ever in life, not like I have with this project.
