DKender
Only One Skeleton has the Power to Control both Life and Death, Light and Dark, Words and Blank Space, Our Humble Lives Continue Only by the Grace and Magnanimity of This Skeleton
Nay, let us walk from fire unto firey skeleton ...
Posts: 9,204
Gender: Unknown Skeleton
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Post by DKender on Nov 29, 2012 21:55:47 GMT -8
I really love the sweet ones, but bottlenose dolphins are sometimes ... uh. Not so nice.
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Nov 30, 2012 3:42:09 GMT -8
I don't know why I'm such a sour puss. But y'know. RawwRR.
HEY! HEY! Happy Secularidays, foolz! Peace out.
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Post by Kristi is prescribed skeletons on Nov 30, 2012 8:22:40 GMT -8
I didn't say all species were more socially successful than humans. I said that many other species such cows, sheep, and bonobos are more successful socially. There wasn't really any actual point I was trying to make with that, just was thinking of things in a literal fashion. As for balance and sustainability, since you went and mentioned my pet concern here, the funny thing is I was talking about rats, a species based on recycling. Do some rats eat their young? When the population becomes too crowded they do. They're even better at population control than we are right there. What do carnivores eat? Species that breed prolifically. They also may go three days straight without a kill, which means that species that exclusively eat meat eat less meat than humans downing fast food every meal- that are supposed to be omnivorous. Overall, please correct me if I'm wrong, but far as I've learned non-human animals don't deforest at alarming rates, farm industrially, or use fossil fuels the same way human-animals do. Oh. Hello, Aspie obsessing. Umm. How you all doing? I have a rat cage to clean and then I'm going to play with my hula hoop. Probably shouldn't be on the forums anymore. I make enemies that way. *pokes first post* I didn't know the first thing I was saying was some sort of touchy subject, but I know this one sort of is. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten into it even though it's appropriate to the conversation? Talking on the Internet is so hard. It's even harder for me than talking in real life which is saying something. It might mostly be that I don't make enemies talking to people outside of cyberspace because people find it hard to hate a relentlessly sweet and girly bad case of baby face. www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.104748396319271.3621.100003523327316&type=3TTFN
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DKender
Only One Skeleton has the Power to Control both Life and Death, Light and Dark, Words and Blank Space, Our Humble Lives Continue Only by the Grace and Magnanimity of This Skeleton
Nay, let us walk from fire unto firey skeleton ...
Posts: 9,204
Gender: Unknown Skeleton
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Post by DKender on Nov 30, 2012 10:55:30 GMT -8
@ Kristi - We aren't enemies! I am, however, envious of your hula hoop skills And you're correct; humans are the only animals that use fossil fuels to generate energy, except for velociraptors (okay, okay, that was a joke, but no more joking - I really can't help it sometimes). As a former environmental oceanographer, ocean acidification is not only observable, it's a very concerning topic. Soo do you guys know what I think is cool? We - and by we, I refer to living organisms - belong to a single pool of elements clinging to Earth that has been changing mutation by mutation over billions of years. And somehow we've gained self-awareness in the process. It tickles me that we are literally part of a primordial planet that one day started living (if the Hadean era abiogenesis theories are correct). And while we're talking about science, can somebody explain how magnets work?
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Post by Kristi is prescribed skeletons on Nov 30, 2012 11:18:11 GMT -8
*high fives*
Part of me thinks that the reason why some humans are becoming aware of things like biodiversity and sustainability is a meager evolutionary attempt to keep our planet, and by extension our species, going just a little longer.
As for hooping, I actually, factually have asked for and received a Hula Hoop for Christmas in my lifetime. Alvin, eat your heart out!
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DKender
Only One Skeleton has the Power to Control both Life and Death, Light and Dark, Words and Blank Space, Our Humble Lives Continue Only by the Grace and Magnanimity of This Skeleton
Nay, let us walk from fire unto firey skeleton ...
Posts: 9,204
Gender: Unknown Skeleton
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Post by DKender on Nov 30, 2012 13:17:30 GMT -8
Next, you'll have to learn the hoop dance:
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Post by Kristi is prescribed skeletons on Nov 30, 2012 22:58:57 GMT -8
I loved hoop dancers when I was a young, young kid! I have several dancer friends that can do that and go to something called a "hoop jam". :-D
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Post by heartajack on Dec 8, 2012 15:18:08 GMT -8
Howdy folks, Jack here! Came across The Kingfisher as I was googling for webcomics. I've been working on a comic on and off for the last year and thought maybe publishing online would be the easiest way to get myself out there. Your comic surprised me. It is amazing on so many levels. The ambitious schedule, the incredibly appealing art, and the infectious writing. I'm humbled by your efforts. You managed to make a vampire story that feels fresh. In the last 4 days I've gotten all the way through chapter 7! Great stuff. I must say, the Chris character made me a little sad, like I could relate to him a bit too much.
I'm sure you've been asked this before, but do you have any advice for someone like me that wants to start his own webcomic? I've got the script and a good portion of the art done, at least up to the point that it needs color.
Anyway, great job! You guys have made my week with the comic.
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Post by Kristi is prescribed skeletons on Dec 8, 2012 19:39:42 GMT -8
Love your username, Jack. :-)
Yeah, I was wondering if posting original fiction online would be a good idea, and wondering what's the best way of going about that. I was thinking Blogspot.
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Dec 8, 2012 19:52:13 GMT -8
Aw Jack, that's so sweet! Thanks so much, I'm glad new people are finding their way to the comic. I actually have tons of advice, and would love to help out in any way I can. Hmmm I'll just tell you some stuff off the top of my head, but if you'd ever like to ask specific questions or have me look at anything, I would love to. I think it's a good idea to have your website design easy to change in the future. We just did a site redesign that was a bit painful because we had to overhaul over 200 pages, where if we'd been more neat to start with it wouldn't have taken so long. (Ohh the messy code. ) My advice would be to make a simple template page that's clearly labeled, and use that to make your new pages. Try to leave space to add more content as you go, so the design doesn't get too cramped. (That's assuming you're making your own site, there are lots of services you can go through of course, and that would make the work a lot easier.) For publicity I recommend Project Wonderful ads. Starting out, you can just put up 'free' ads on small sites, and later on find similar sites to yours to put up cheap ads. My best performing ads have been small and long-running on websites on similar themes, not the big expensive ones on popular sites. To get your site out there I'd recommend using a lot of typed text on your website as you can, because it will get cached in Google and increase your ranking. (Transcripts are good for this, and also are helpful for people trying to find a particular comic in your archive.) Sign up for Google Webmaster Tools when you have some content online, and upload a new site map every month or so. (Look up "XML sitemaps", that site auto-generates them for you for free.) This really helps your Google ranking, and is easy once you get the swing of things. Also, add your site to any comic directories you can find, it's a pain, but it does help your ranking. Other useful website stuff is having an RSS feed, (I use RSSPECT, also free), and setting up a Tumblr or whatever other new thing the kids are using these days. This helps people stay on top of your updates, and doesn't take too long to update. Wow, I just realized none of that has to do with the actual *comic!* Well, I'd say... Don't worry too much about your schedule, I have spent way too much time fretting about being late or missing a comic. I think as long as you update at least 2-4 times a month, people will keep reading. Doing a webcomic has really improved my drawing skills, and I'm always trying new ways of rendering the comics. (As you have seen, reading the archive!) Don't be afraid to try out new techniques, sometimes you'll find things you like better, or are easier/faster. Webcomics are great ways to try out new things, whether it be in story or art. Get a good head start on your script/drawings, (you'll appreciate it later!) but don't be afraid to let things evolve. Write in new things to keep yourself interested as you go. It's a good idea to know where you'll go eventually, but not everything has to be set in stone. If it is, you'll get very bored as you are further on into things. Also, in my opinion, art is less important than writing. Funny, easy to understand drawings trump fancy, beautiful, but confusing art any day. Plus, nothing like drawing every day to improve your art anyway. Phew, that was a lot! I'd love to see what you're working on, and again, if you have any other questions I'd really love to help. Good luck, I hope you'll share your comic with us when it's ready. ;D EDIT: I also recommend using Statcounter, which is free as well. It's really fun to see where people are coming from, and how they find your site. It's not 100% accurate, but can give you a good idea.
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Post by heartajack on Dec 9, 2012 14:18:40 GMT -8
Thanks, Kristi, I've had that moniker since the mid-90s and can't shake it!
Kelly, thanks for the advice. Half of that was lost on me as I've no skills in web development. I'll have to followup on all that and educate myself a bit. I get the basic idea, though. I work as a 3d artist designer and somehow managed to dodge the bullet that is web design...just like I'm missing the boat on app development for iPads and Android. Ugh.
My comic started off as a goofy superhero story, but with horribly flawed characters. During the writing process I started throwing in environmental disasters, politics, some Lovecraftian old ones, hard sci-fi, some gay characters, time travel, and pretty much anything that tickles my fancy. I may have bitten off more than I can chew since I haven't drawn a comic since the early 90s. Right off the bat I got obsessed with detail, which I'm starting to see is my signature look. I've also got a bit of a Garth Ennis fixation with pages that are swimming in dense word balloons. Ha! It's a learning process, and I hope both my drawing and writing skills improve over time.
You can check out my Deviant Art page, but it's not all that impressive right now. I've got a couple of pages up there, though. Heartajack.deviantart.com.
If I do end up doing a web series, I'll have have to seriously consider simplifying.
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Suyoi
Yeah, it's a Cool Skeleton
Delicious!%\0\%
Posts: 1,078
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Post by Suyoi on Dec 9, 2012 16:57:51 GMT -8
Kelly is certainly attracting the artists, poets, and dreamers amongst the interwebz! Bravo! Welcome aboard Jack!
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Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Dec 10, 2012 1:33:53 GMT -8
Wow Jack, love your art! Really crisp linework, and I like the old school style shading with the halftones. You work digitally or traditionally? Doesn't look overly detailed to me at all.
I'm really interested to see how your story will shape up, stories with lots of elements can be hard to do but unique and fascinating. Goofy characters are the best! I have such a hard time trying to keep something serious, even when I want to.
Maybe something like a 24 hour comic would be a fun exercise for you? We did one once, but it ended up turning into a lot more than 24 hours, of course, hah... It might be fun to just jump into things and try stuff out though. It's a good way to get free and get something started without as much pressure as when you do something heavily planned.
Oh btw, I actually used to work as a 3d artist too! Modeling trash cans and whatnot for cheap video games. I like comics a lot more. Haha...
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Dec 10, 2012 1:36:05 GMT -8
Did ya see the one with the LHC and the exploding guy? That was a lotta detail, I tell ya what.
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Post by heartajack on Dec 10, 2012 3:05:53 GMT -8
Thanks guys. The project is a real labor of love, I tell you. I do it all digitally. Photoshop and a Cintiq monitor tablet. Illustrator for the word balloons and Modo for the more complicated sets and hardware. I render simple 3d shots and then ink over them like they were pencils. I used to use zip-a-tone in my comics when I was in high school, and I really like the look of it.
I spent a good portion of my day trying to color a page. Seems that really isn't my cup of tea. It all ends up muddy or like a bad Watchmen comic. Oh well.
One of my coworkers keeps talking about the 24 hour comic thing. Shit, one page takes me that long! Might be fun to just let loose, though.
Thanks for the comments! Hopefully I'll have some more to show off.
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