Sunspots 2011

by on November 3, 2011 at 2:23 pm
Posted In: Posts

Since May 2008, our Sun has had an extremely low number of sunspots. This activity has been covered a number of times. There have been other changes in the Sun as well, which you should know about. Here is a summary from Wikipedia:

  • It is in the midst of an unusual sunspot minimum, lasting far longer and with a higher percentage of spotless days than normal; since May 2008.
  • It is measurably dimming; its output has dropped 0.02% at visible wavelengths and 6% at EUV wavelengths in comparison with the levels at the last solar minimum.
  • Over the last two decades, the solar wind’s speed has dropped by 3%, its temperature by 13%, and its density by 20%.
  • Its magnetic field is at less than half strength compared to the minimum of 22 years ago. The entire heliosphere, which fills the Solar System, has shrunk as a result, resulting in an increase in the level of cosmic radiation striking the Earth and its atmosphere.

If you’re too lazy to read all of that, then here’s a nice picture and histogram from NASA which sums up the problem:

Cycle 24 Sunspot Number Prediction

Cycle 24 Sunspot Prediction

Spotless Days

Spotless Days

So, why do you care about all this nonsense? Well, there’s only three ways that this whole thing can play out.

  1. The sunspots slowly return, and hopefully the increase in greenhouse gases from climate change doesn’t cause too many problems as the heat returns. This isn’t so bad an option.
  2. The sunspots return in a burst of solar activity, causing a CME. This will result in mass destruction to our power grids and electronics, similar to what happened in the solar storm of 1859. This would suck, but I wouldn’t mind the lack of Justin Bieber baby news for a few months.
  3. The sunspot activity does not return, and we enter another Maunder Minimum. This would invariable lead to another global cool-down, and probably a small ice-age. If it persisted, it could possibly cause a bigger ice age. This would suck.

It will be an interesting few years.

[Update Nov 3rd, 5:30pm] It seems that one of the biggest sunspots on record has caused an X-class solar flare (the largest kind), along with a CME. Fortunately, it was not directed at earth. You can see the info about it here, and know that I got the information from spaceweather.com.

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2D’s NES Mix

by on October 29, 2011 at 3:20 am
Posted In: Posts

Lately I’ve been listening to YouTube NES playlists at work. I usually put on Contra, or some Mega Man, but I kept listening to the same lists over and over because so many strangers playlists extend beyond the Nintendo Entertainment System.

I asked the Twitterz and got a lot of good answers, but it made me want to make a more complete list that catered to my childhood.

So after four days of Wikipedia searching and YouTube testing Nintendo songs, I finished.

Sopes’s house is where I played Nintendo. Of all our friends he was the only one that had one. Thinking about it now I have trouble remembering playing much Nintendo with Sopes; either I was watching him play or playing with his cousins and siblings. We definitely played Super Mario 2, Super Dodge Ball, and NARC together, but that’s about it. And I remember playing Nintendo with our friend John. John and I would do things like put in the Konami Code and beat all of Contra in one sitting, arguing about power ups, killing each other on purpose, or just being silly. Other times we would play Blades of Steel and Baseball and I would scream and cry if he threw fastballs, then threaten to leave, then follow through on that threat.

Yea I’m that kid.

The reason I don’t remember playing with Sopes is because sometimes as kids you don’t want to keep dying at the same stage and start over – you want to see more content. And if you want to do that then you let the All-Stars play. I’m thinking specifically of Double Dragon II here. I played that game with automaton a few years ago when we were drunk and boy, even with infinite lives we did not get far. Sopes, however, could have beaten it legitimately (and sober).

Here’s a good example of Sopes’s skill: We used to head over to the local No Frills and play The Punisher arcade game. One quarter gave you a few lives. I frequently had two dollars to play alongside Sopes. Sometimes I would give him a quarter and say, “Save me” or “Go. Be a hero.” One day. I brought $20 to the arcade and failed to beat the game by myself. After awhile, Sopes could beat it with one quarter. It isn’t boring watching someone like that play. Their victories are things you cheer.

Most of these songs come from games I played at Sopes’s house. Many from that 64-in-1 game he used to have that was in TWO pieces which meant you had to blow into TWO sections to get it to work. Games like Balloon Fight, City Connection, Kung Fu, Goonies II and Yie Ar Kung Fu are all from there. I can’t even imagine people owning the actual cartridge for those games. You poor bastards.

A lot of the other games I played at other people’s houses. I never had consistent access to Super Mario Land 3, StarTropics, DuckTails, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1 or 2, Dr. Mario, or Ninja Gaiden. But if you were at a birthday party, or a random kid’s house they always had at least one of those games.

Years later I bought a Nintendo. Then sold it soon after for $20 bucks along with the only games I bought: The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II. It’s this sale more than any other that created my childhood promise never to sell games again – it’s not worth it.

So please peruse my list. Reminisce as I have done. Make suggestions about titles I missed. The songs are random by design (minus a few purposeful changes) on purpose, but I might change that.

Midway through the process I decided to make a soundtrack for systems that I truly owned. Which means next you’ll be getting original Game Boy, then Sega Genesis, and then, (GOD yes!) the 3D0. Can’t wait to hear people’s feedback and suggestions on THOSE playlists. Enjoy!

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The Underfold Comic Interview – Brian Russell

by on October 21, 2011 at 6:06 pm
Posted In: Posts

This interview is part of Up Up Down Down’s Associates series. There are a lot of awesome webcomics out there and these are some of the ones we love. You’ve probably seen their banners on our site.There are a lot of awesome webcomics out there and these are some of the ones we love. You’ve probably seen their banners on our site. Check out the full list of comics in our Associates tab. The next webcomic in our series is The Underfold by Brian Russell.

Brian is my webcomic guru. If I have a comic idea I’m unsure of or a marketing endeavor I ask him first. He is “The Dude” of webcomics in my eyes – gotta make sure he abides. Largely his series follows four main characters: Brian (fairly normal, minus the tentacles for arms), JB (a guy with a brown paper lunch bag on his head and also tentacles for arms), Fred (a talking brown paper lunch bag and JB’s son) and Eye (Brian’s Eye). Amidst The Underfold’s storylines are one-off comics about pop or geek culture. Brian has a section for new readers if you’re wondering where to start. Click any of the thumbnails above to see some of my favourites.

Where did you get the idea for The Underfold? How did you develop the ideas and characters?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a cartoonist. It’s one of the first dream jobs I can remember having. But, I’d sort of given up on it, went to school for other things, and was on my way to completely not being a cartoonist.

I honestly created the first Underfold strip on a whim. I had been writing jokes on the underside of folded index cards which were being used as labels for drinks at my church (regular, decaf, hot water, lemonade). I got bored only writing stuff. I figured I could have more fun drawing little comics on the spot. I was right.

For a while, every Sunday morning was a rush to write the first set of four panels I could think of. I think the first nine were about how I was too tired to think of anything because I’d been up all night playing Halo 3. It was a bit of a diary comic, but with a heaping portion of embellishment and hyperbole.

The characters were initially caricatures of people I knew. As time went on, I decided to embrace how weird my brain thought, and out came JB’s bioelectric face-bag; Fred, the sentient bag puppet; and Eye, the well, eyeball.

How do you draw your comics? Tell us a bit about the process and what tools you use to create.

When I started the comic, it was with a ballpoint pen (or if I could find one, sometimes a little golf pencil) and 4 index cards. I wrote one panel at a time, and wrote the story as it unfolded to me. Mistakes were permanent. I moved to penciling and inking after a while which greatly improve the quality. Nowadays, I draw the comic digitally (for the most part) with a drawing tablet which is nice because you can undo things that are utterly wrong instead of making them a part of the strip.

I’ve been experimenting with my process a lot over the past few years. I’ve tried a bunch of different things, but mostly, if I have an idea I try to write it down somewhere. Generally it has to do with the dialogue first. Or a random funny phrasing of something that I try to make into a four-panel strip. Then I sketch and ink. And between you and me … sometimes I skip sketching.

Was Calvin and Hobbes your first comic? What inspired your shift to four panels and why did you do it?

Calvin and Hobbes spoke to me. I was an only child with a favorite stuffed animal (he was a ninja bunny) and a wild imagination. Any time I want to remember my childhood wonder, I flip through my Calvin and Hobbes books (I usually pick through Weirdos from Another Planet first because I find the cover especially attractive).

One day while doing that very process. I couldn’t help but note all the things that Watterson was able to do in four panels. He was able to create a continuing storyline with a punchline (of sorts) every fourth panel so that people could drop in and out of the story as needed. It was funny by itself, and more funny with the story. It amazes me to this day.

What is the secret to jokes in comics that have a continuing story?

One thing that I try to focus on is that there needs to be some sort of punchline every four panels. Something needs to happen. One thing about the internet, is that people aren’t always necessarily following your comic as devotedly as one might a newspaper comic, so you have to keep that in mind. It’s tough to write jokes that build on the history you’ve created in a strip while catering to new readers too, but I enjoy challenges.

How do you foster your community?

I try to be myself. I want to interact with people. If they have stuff to look at, I try to look at it. We’re all busy, but it only takes so long to look at a website. I just want to give other people the chance they deserve. If I like it, I share it. There’s nothing better than finding something new, sharing it and then watching it do well.

Over all, community is about relationships. I’ve met a lot of cool people doing this, and some of them have become pretty good friends.

There’s a large window between your characters’s understanding that they are in a comic and the audience. How do you go about playing with that window and how do you decide what you want an audience to see?

I honestly try not to think about it too much. A few people along the way have told me that I shouldn’t be as open about everything, but… why not? I think it’s funny.

For instance, I caught a clip of some reality show the other day. This little girl was throwing a tantrum. The mom bent down and whispered in anger, “Do not do this to me. We are on TV right now. There are cameras filming us.” It cracked me up to think that the mom didn’t think the producers of the show would sit there and caption that whole whispered conversation. It’s that sort of situation that I love to toy with.

Does your family know about your comic? If so, are they ashamed or proud? :p

My family knows about my comic. My wife and my parents are some of (if not the) loyalest fans I have. As for whether or not they’re ashamed depends on what I’ve written about. My wife is amazing, but often reacts humorously to some of my more questionable material (like when I compared Darth Vader’s genitals to a burnt hot dog, I came home from work and the first thing she said was, “Burnt hot dog!? Really!?” And I just laughed and laughed), whereas my parents share the same comics on Facebook for the world to see. It cracks me up. I love them. I can’t wait for my daughter to start reading one day.

Are you an artist or a writer first?

Writer for the most part. Occasionally, the random idea that I jot down throughout the day is a visual thing. A random sketch of something I thought would look funny, and I will write a strip around that visual gag. But for the most part, my comic is dialogue driven.

What previous work inspired you? Online and offline (print, books, tv), or even a person?

Calvin and Hobbes was a great early inspiration. Later, Scott McCloud’s books Understanding Comics and Reinventing Comics really helped me remember why l love comics as an art form. I’ve also been inspired by nearly every movie and television show I’ve ever watched or game I’ve ever played, and that seems to come out in little bits throughout my comics.

What currently inspires you?

Most recently that has been Zac Gorman and his site Magical Game Time. I love his style and the way he remembers and makes tribute to past video games. It makes me happy.

You’re a gifted marketer. What advice do you have for upcoming webcomic artists for marketing?

Remember that marketing is your responsibility. I read the perfect quote the other day that said, “Marketing is not a department, it’s the sum total of everything you do.” With the internet and social media, you are selling yourself as much as you are your works. If you’re awesome to people, they will respond well. The inverse is also true.

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Romantically Apocalyptic Comic Interview – Vitaly S Alexius

by on October 14, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Posted In: Posts

This interview is part of Up Up Down Down’s Associates series. There are a lot of awesome webcomics out there and these are some of the ones we love. You’ve probably seen their banners on our site. There are a lot of awesome webcomics out there and these are some of the ones we love. You’ve probably seen their banners on our site. Check out the full list of comics in our Associates tab. The next webcomic in our series is Romantically Apocalyptic by Vitaly S Alexius.

Romantically Apocalyptic is bold, extraordinary, and – most importantly – unique. It’s info pages announces its premise succinctly:

I am the captain.
The year is 20__ something something.
I stopped counting a while ago, and therefore not sure what day it is.
Humanity is virtually wiped out in a nuclear holocaust.
Me and my last squad: pilot and sniper, live in the wasteland ruins of tomorrow.
This is my story.
I am captain.

RA is created by Vitaly S Alexius and uses his own art style which he calls “Dreaminism” – a blend of photography and digital painting. If you’ve ever watched Vitaly work at a convention you can see how his talent extends beyond his artistry – he has a powerful presence on the floor. Vitaly was kind enough to share his process on deviantART here. Take a look: http://alexiuss.deviantart.com/gallery/3239976. If you love his work as much as we do you can get a commission from him here svitart.com. Take a look at some of our favourite comics from the link collage above.

Where did you get the idea for Romantically Apocalyptic? How did you develop the ideas and characters?

I have a hobby called “urban exploration,” which basically involves finding abandoned buildings, exploring them, and photographing them. It is a lot of fun to witness fall of human structures and decay that immediately takes over buildings, eroding the walls, chipping paint, cracking floors- nature consuming all we’ve created over just a couple of decades if a building is left without humans.

Often these buildings are filled with deadly chemicals/asbestos/dust, so I wear a 3M safety mask. This mask is where the captain’s face comes from- he wears the exact same mask, except he constantly lives in the future where everything has been poisoned and destroyed. I always wanted to do a comic/have been pestered by my fans to create a “series” based on my post-apocalyptic paintings, but for a long time I had no idea how to do it, until I’ve moved into a house that had a greenscreen studio in the basement.

At around the same time, I bought a police hat at a local garage sale. After taking several photos of my friend in the hat and mask, I decided that this would be an awesome way to create a comic – combining photography and illustration, the way matte painters do it for Hollywood films.

This creates a comic that can easily transfer to TV screen, which is what I’m currently doing- creating a pilot for the Romantically Apocalyptic TV show.

You’re a talented and unique artist who dabbles in a variety of work (CD covers, book covers, photography). What made you interested in webcomics?

I started drawing very simple comics with a pen when I was in 5th grade and I always wanted to create a hyper-detailed comic that I could share with as many people as possible, but wasn’t able to do it until I’ve discovered the technique of combining greenscreen with photoshop painting and posting the result online.

Is there any kind of work or commissions you’d like people to know about?

I do lots of CD and book covers, but it takes me a month for each so only the most interesting/dedicated clients are accepted.

Where does your sense of humour come from?

From my Russian-Canadian heritage, a combination of both cultures.

Tell us about the personality of your kitty.

My kitty is very hyper and jumps around everywhere.

I’ve seen you at trade shows and marveled at your website. Where does your innate marketing ability come from?

I enjoy spreading my work to as many people as possible, so I taught myself statistics and internet marketing.

What is your greatest hope for Dreaminism and Romantically Apocalyptic? Paint me an ideal picture of your work’s future.

A multi-million dollar live action film and tv series that goes on forever.

You’ve said of Siberian Russia that “life there is eternally an intense motion.” How does your life experience there influence your work now?

Living in Siberian Soviet Russia has given me a great art education and provided me with an experience of two lifetimes, since I now live in Canada, which is a very different life compared to Russia. In terms of just education in Siberia; I had high arts school Monday to Friday, where I painted sketched crafted for 4 hours daily, right after regular school for nearly two years and it was completely free. Compared to Canada, Toronto – such education doesn’t exist here and all the art schools are incredibly expensive. Akademgorodok, Siberia (a science city where I lived) had a surprisingly clear notion about green architecture as universities, roads and buildings were encased in deep forests with a web of gravel paths interconnecting buildings. I camped and hiked daily on these paths, right outside my apartment building. Walk far enough and all civilization will disappear, and before you, nothing but a green ocean as far as the eye can see; waves of wind running back and forth between tree foliage, whispering an arcane tune and colliding at the shores of mountains and steppes.

My very first art inspiration came to me in 1995, Novokuznetsk, Siberia. On the gabled cottage roof, covered in wooden planks, mouldings and swirly carvings, where I met a local artist. He was drawing some kind of forest on his canvas, via the view from the rooftop. I admired his glorious skill and pondered what it would be like to become an artist myself. Later on, I was enjoying a nice hike via the good old Trans-Siberian railway of the Soviet Union, while climbing various green mountains, covered with lush vegetation, with a group of good friends of that time.

Upon the climb, we sat on the mountain side, enjoying the mid-day sun bursting though the clouds, in an explosion of light rays that lived on their own accord, playing with the shadows of the mountains, forests, and fields below. The wind rolled about the fields, creating a magical, wavy sea of orange grasses. And from that moment on, I’ve said to myself: “Every artist has their style. Whatever shall mine be?” Whilst staring at those rays of light, I decided “I shall become the master of the landscape and the sky, and draw it in a manner as of a tasty delicacy, that can be consumed in large quantities via the spoon of visual perception – and thus the delectable sky, full of light rays that you see in most of my works now, was born.” It took me about 15 years to master those rays of light.

You’ve said it took you 15 years to master the interaction between rays of light and landscapes. What are you working on mastering now?

Directing actors and manipulating lighting in abandoned locations.

What piece of advice would you give an up and coming webcomic creator or (in a more general sense) artist?

Constantly add new content to your gallery! Don’t be afraid to exhibit your work on the internet. Submit it everywhere and show it everywhere and eventually your work will get noticed.

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Whomp! Comic Interview – Richard Filyaw

by on October 7, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Posted In: Posts

This interview is part of Up Up Down Down’s Associates series. There are a lot of awesome webcomics out there and these are some of the ones we love. You’ve probably seen their banners on our site. There are a lot of awesome webcomics out there and these are some of the ones we love. You’ve probably seen their banners on our site. Check out the full list of comics in our Associates tab. The first comic in our series is WHOMP! by Richard Filyaw.

I told Ronnie (artist and author and creator of WHOMP!) once that he was “the best webcomic creator known to me.” His comic revolves around Ronnie, a quasi representation of himself, Agrias, a fictional female roommate named after a FF Tactics character, Motivation Dude (or M. Dude) a purely evil individual who wears an American flag for shorts and “motivates” Ronnie to draw comics, and recently Mei, Ronnie’s girlfriend (who is bad with homophones).

At times we get one off comics, like his sitcom-esque comics about the sun and the moon as roommates who look after their cute little pet “Earth.” I bought his book and consumed it in one sitting. If you aren’t reading Whomp already take a look. Start by clicking any one of the thumbnails in collage above. Thems are my favourites.

Where did you get the idea for Whomp!? How did you develop the ideas and characters?

I had created a couple of comics before ‘Whomp!’, but they all failed to hold my attention. I was doing the same kinds of jokes as everyone else, and it was boring. Then I discovered KC Green, who had such a unique art style and comedic sense, I was enamored. I had discovered a new side of comedy that I wanted to help develop. I’m certainly not as far in the void as Mr. Green, but there’s only room in there for men as talented as he.

As for the characters, Ronnie of course is based lightly on me. He shares many of my life experiences, but often times he’s an extreme exaggeration of the kind of person I tend to avoid being. The original premise for the Ronnie strips was that he was a professional cartoonist, and he needed an editor. I wanted to use a non-literal representation of an editor and made it the physical embodiment of his motivation, instead. Motivation Dude is the kind of guy who doesn’t care how tired or depressed you are, he will beat a comic out of you three times a week. At first he was just annoyed by Ronnie’s laziness, but later developed his own sadistic nature. The causes are unknown. When M Dude stopped being the regular annoyed-at-Ronnie character (usually annoying him instead), I wanted a voice of reason. This is where Agrias (Li Ming Chiu) comes in. I also wanted some ethnic diversity, which can be fun to write when working with different cultures.

Every character I create is made to be a challenge to myself, to show how people of different backgrounds and opinions affect the world around them.

How do you draw your comics? Tell us a bit about the process and what tools you use to create.

For ‘Whomp!’ I work entirely digitally using a Wacom tablet in Easy Paint Tool SAI. Since SAI has nearly no shape tools (all you can do is straight lines and rectangle selections), nearly everything is done completely free hand. Ronnie looks pretty round, but it’s actually just me trying to draw a perfect circle, for better or worse. SAI doesn’t do text, however, so I bring it into Photoshop Elements to do that part. You might ask ‘Why not do it all in Photoshop?’ There are many answers, but basically I just like how SAI feels. It’s more geared towards the illustrator rather than the graphic designer, and is extremely kind of system resources (and is pretty cheap. About $70, compared to Photoshop CS5 at 10x as much.)

The process is pretty simple. I write the idea down, then I do a very rough sketch in SAI. I then curse at it for not being funny enough, save it, close it, then come up with a completely different idea. After I’ve done this about three times, I give up and start doing the more detailed sketch on a different layer. Then I hand-draw my bubbles, draw a clean ‘inked’ layer, draw in the backgrounds, color, and I’m ready to post it. This all takes about 4-8 hours (usually around 5).

Many of your characters’s actions in each panel are inherently funny beyond dialogue. It makes simple moment visually rich and satisfying. How did you develop this skill?

I would definitely chalk this up to animation in general. I think if anything has been most prominent in my life, it’s been animation (as depressing as that may or may not sound.) Other kids liked cartoons, but I absolutely loved them. I try to make every panel of the comic progress as it would if it were a cartoon. I try to see the comic moving and acting, rather than just have two people talking about something witty. I’ve done a few comics like that, but I try to avoid them. Cartoons have a flow about them that’s very dynamic and attractive, and just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you can’t be bored by stiff, dull characters. To answer your question, I naturally developed the skill of making characters interesting through watching lots of cartoons.

Where does your urge to be creative come from? Where did it begin? Who put it there?

I was born with it. I can’t even begin to come up with another idea of where it might have come from. I’ve always wanted to draw. I’d record shows on VHS and draw off the TV, shocked that my hands could make lines on my paper that were as interesting as the ones I saw on TV, and I wanted the power to truly create characters like that, myself. I also write short stories, and even wrote a terrible book. Without listing them, I have been through every creative outlet there is (music, sculpture, game/level design, LEGO obsession, etc etc) I just did anything and everything I could to get out that creative urge that was always welling up inside me. And even though ‘Whomp!’ has given me a regular outlet for it, I still want to start a second comic, write more books, develop games and so on. I’m constantly writing down all kinds of ideas I want to make real, and there’s only so much time to do it all. The feeling is quite overwhelming.

Are you a writer or artist first? What’s the work flow of your ideas?

I am an animator first (which is an odd way to answer your question). Even though I’ve never animated anything, I see all of my works as cartoons in my head. I’m just putting them into a medium that is easy enough for me to produce regularly. As for my idea workflow, I have a massive file that holds all my sparks. Something will occur to me as a comic idea, then it’ll go in the file. I’ll then flesh it out into panels, and I’ll let my brain burn until the idea comes to a satisfying completion, or I decide it’s not going to work and throw it out. It’s really straining to conclude a strip satisfactorily. No matter how good the comic is up to the last panel, if the last panel isn’t pleasing, it retroactively ruins the entire comic. This works for the ending of just about anything (books, movies, etc.) It is pretty stressful when you can’t get that last panel to work, but that’s where the rubber meets the road.

Who is your favourite character to write? And why?

I like M Dude a lot. He’s just so evil. He can do anything and get away with it, because we’re not even sure if he’s real. He’s a great antagonist to Ronnie, and conflict breeds interesting writing. M Dude is a guy you love to hate, and even when he wins, you were rooting for him, but you don’t know why.

What previous work inspired you? Online and offline (print, books, tv), or even a person?

I’m afraid I may have answered this prematurely, but early influences were certainly 90’s cartoons, and to a lesser extent, old newspaper comics. No single person or work really inspired me to draw in general, but KC Green’s Gunshow and Horribleville certainly inspired me to make a good comic. While my early strips were kind of imitations of his stylings, I was able to diverge quickly enough to find my own voice. It’s really common, and sometimes even recommended to copy your hero until you find yourself. Yeah, there’s the obvious ‘Draw from life’, but ‘Draw what you like’ has advantages, too.

Favourite Sailor Moon moment? And song?

Ah dangit, you pre-empted me on Sailor Moon. Well, my favorite moment is by far the final battle with Queen Beryl in the English dub. I know now the dub was a poor translation, but I still like it. You can find it on YouTube. My favorite song is the one playing during that battle scene, “Carry On”.

The dream: your dream for Whomp!? What do you wish for your comic? Paint me an ideal picture of your comic’s future.

I think it’s the common cliche to want it to become a cartoon, and while I’m hopeful, I don’t think it would ever get the production love it deserves. It would have to be very fluid and lively, with plenty of slapstick. Shows like Adventure Time have a lot of fun and spirit to them that would just make ‘Whomp!’ come alive. Other than that, I just want to continue to improve my art, and I want people to keep enjoying big dumb Ronnie for a long time to come.

What piece of advice would you give an up and coming webcomic creator?

  1. Don’t be boring. Your characters are people, and they’re alive. They were born with muscles and faces, so use them.
  2. Watch cartoons. See how the characters move, how their actions serve the humor.
  3. Try making comics that have no words that force your characters to do things. You don’t have to post them, but just as an exercise.
  4. Avoid small fonts, because they just make you more verbose. When I can’t fit enough words in a panel, I know I’ve screwed up. (There are exceptions, but not many.)
  5. Actively improve your art. I’ve seen people draw the same things for 10 years and not improve one bit.
  6. It’s okay if two people write/draw a comic, but if you can draw, don’t seek out a writer. If you can draw, you have it in you to make good comics. You just need to tap into that power. (I’m not saying everyone who can draw is a good writer. I am saying they’re smart enough to be a good writer, but they’re probably not trying hard enough.)
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