tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16462243019199497032024-02-19T01:22:33.542-08:00The Great Comics CrawlThe Merry Lurkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07011347409778636657noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646224301919949703.post-77515136942919353302014-02-19T16:31:00.004-08:002014-02-20T13:05:53.552-08:00Forever Family<table><tbody>
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<a href="http://forevercomic.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFMsLtFKhFt2d6aMNjFDYQ2hD3LJmZnEndJZQUeJsWRCFPusCS3x_ataH1vzMyrGXlx0ML5PnoK0xl3edgSqUCEOwUamhVjqcH9JrsKTk_NR4xkT8J1RP8ZDBbqyr-22XHMiJCCmHeXCz/s1600/150x150.jpg" /></a></div>
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<td><b><span style="color: #bb0b00;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">So, introduce yourself!</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">Christian Lee here, and I write and draw for ForeverFamilyComic.com</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">I’m CJ, and I draw comics on my page of FFC.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><b><span style="color: #bb0b00;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Where is your comic posted?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">The main comic is located at </span><a href="http://foreverfamilycomic.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;">http://ForeverFamilyComic.com</span></a><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">CJ’s comics are at <a href="http://foreverfamilycomic.com/cjs-comics/" target="_blank">http://ForeverFamilyComic.com/cjs-comics/</a></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #bb0b00;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">When does it update?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">We update the Blog on Monday, Comic on Wednesday, and CJ’s on Friday.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #bb0b00;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">What category is your comic in, and why?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">Our comic would best fall under Comedy, but we try to bounce around between drama and action.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">CJ’s comic is mostly action so far.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><b><span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">What is your story about?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> Our story follows our real-life adopted family. My wife and I adopted CJ and his sister Mia, coming up on 3 years ago. Then, in a baffling moment, found out she was pregnant with Ollie last year…. After 18 years of marriage. We really want to get the word out about adoption, but funny comes first (we hope)</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> I write different stories. Right now I do a lot of super heroes and lessons about kids doing right.<br /><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL, are the strips based on true stories, or would you say it's more like funny situations with real people in them?</strong></span></span></span></div>
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</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> A lot of them ARE based on true stories (I’ll usually note under the comic if it is). I can’t always post stuff word-for-word, because it’s too long, or has a “you had to be there” quality to it. I think that’s where doing standup for years helps. I can tighten up a moment into a solid joke. I’m not sure if it’s funnier because it’s real, but my wife tends to think so.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><b><span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">CL, adoption is obviously a huge part of your life, and it plays a big role in your comic. Would you like to talk a bit about it?</span></span></b></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> Adoption is a HUGE part of our life. We were married 16 years before we adopted… and it wasn’t to fill some hole we had. Actually, once it became apparent my wife was 100% O.K. about a life with no kids, I thought, “Hey, let’s adopt.” We just realized there are kids out there, hurting or going hungry, and it felt wrong NOT to do something about it. The day we met CJ & Mia, we knew it was meant to be. They couldn’t be more like us if they had been born to us.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><b><span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">CJ, What's it like being an adopted child?</span></span></b></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> I like being adopted. I like not going 3 days without food! I have parents that take good care of me. I think it’s funny when people are confused whether me or Ollie are Mom’s kid. I like when we got our picture taken with the judge on National Adoption Day.</span></span></span></dd></dl>
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</span><b><span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">What inspired you to write this comic?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> I was traveling as a stand up comic when we adopted. I realized I needed to be at home the nights I was usually away. The word “attachment” is a really big deal in the adoption world. You want to make sure that bond is built strong from day one. I was looking for other outlets to share my comedy and talk about our new family. Outside inspirations are Peanuts, Calvin & Hobbes, and Penny Arcade.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> Seeing other comics and seeing other artists at comic book shows. I’ve always loved to draw and Papa said you don’t have to be an adult to draw comics.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">What kind of world does your comic take place in?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> The real world and the fantasy/imagination world of my kids.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> Our world, but with super heroes.</span><br />
<dl><dd><b><span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">CJ, how did the superheroes get here?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> I’m just drawing heroes from D.C. & Marvel, so to me, they were already here.</span></span></dd></dl>
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<span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>Who are your main characters?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> There’s me (Papa) & Melody (Mom). Each of the kids has a super hero alter ego that will be presenting itself this year, plus Mia is known to hand out curses for cash as ‘Gypsy’. CJ (Capt. Lunchbox), Mia (Thermos Girl), and Ollie (O.M.G.). </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">We also have reoccurring friends for our kids, Ned & Nancy. These are amalgams of children my kids hang out with.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #005555;"><span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL, we gotta' know.. does real life Mia really do the curses-for-sale thing? Because.. you know.. that's kinda' awesome!</strong></span></span></span></div>
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</span><span style="color: #005555;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> I wish she did. Once she grasps the humor and a better reading level, she might read them and start. CJ & Mia’s birth mother was also adopted & brought to America as a young girl. She was born into a real-life travelling gypsy clan in Chile. It's believe she suffered a severe infection, leaving her deaf; then her parents just left her on the side of the road. I don’t think she ever moved past some of that trauma, which made her ill-equipped to be a mom herself.</span></span></span></dd></dl>
<span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> I’m working on a character of my own, but it’s not ready yet. Right now, I’m drawing action comics or single pictures of my favorite heroes.</span></span> </span>
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<b><span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">CJ: Do you have a favorite super hero?</span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> My favorite (right now) is Superman, because he has ALL the powers.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">CJ: I also notice a character named Howard B. Wigglebottom is sometimes present? Who is he?</span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> I’ll start by saying this is a sore, but important subject in our house. Last year, CJ drew those comics, told us he created the character, and that they were all his idea. Turns out, he was lying. It was a character from a school video and he had ‘lifted’ it as his own. It served as a valuable lesson to CJ. I’ll let him tell you what he learned.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> I learned that it’s O.K. to draw characters that are not your own, but you can’t pretend they are your ideas. That’s stealing. I’m trying to come up with my own character now. I think he will be a kid super hero in elementary school. He learns lessons when things go wrong.</span></span>
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<b><span style="color: #005555;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">What do you think makes your comic unique?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> I definitely have my own perspective on things. I developed my own voice when traveling the country doing stand-up shows. But the comic also has the voice of my wife and kids. Some of the writing comes straight from their mouth. We also tackle headier subjects with humor, such as race and the fact that my daughter only has one kidney – which doesn’t really function all that well.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> I have a different drawing style. My dad says it’s ‘unique’. I’m 7 years old, so that’s different.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><b><span style="color: #005500;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br />How would you describe the style in which your comic is drawn?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> I have a background in web design, and I started when Flash was big. I ‘draw’ all of my comics in Flash. I like the ability to manipulate and change shapes in vector format. I’m admittedly not the best artist in the world, when I set out to design my characters for FFC, I worked with a friend and fellow artist, <a href="http://micahacord.tumblr.com/">Micah Acord</a>, who draws ‘Rednecks In Space’. With a history of Flash animation and game design, I work a lot like they did in the old ‘Flinstones’ cartoons. Between that and stand-up, I’m a sucker for a frozen look and exaggerated facial expressions. I also, occasionally do an homage to Lucy the Psychiatrist, from ‘Peanuts’, with Mia as a Gypsy character.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> Right now, my style is action with muscles.</span><br />
<dl><dd><span style="color: #005500;"><span style="color: #005500;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL, What technique from "Flintstones" are you applying?</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> I use repeating backgrounds or carry backgrounds/images from frame to frame. I guess some of it can be blamed on my lack of artistic ability, but it’s also a callback to when I first started becoming interested in drawing & animation. </span></span></span></dd></dl>
<b><span style="color: #005500;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">How do you make a page?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> Flash and Photoshop, with a basic Wacom Tablet. Images are set at a 1940xVariable. I don’t currently have a custom font for lettering. I’ve recently changed to something I think is more pedestrian, but easier to read. The bonus of drawing digital, is that I can go back and retro-fit my font once I go custom. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> I draw most of my comics in pencil and colored pencil. Papa makes them easier to read on the computer and sometimes he adds color and funny jokes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><b><span style="color: #050055;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><br />Do you have any plans to sell your comic in print or e-book form?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> Yes. Once we have a decent catalog, I hope to bundle them and start selling them. We would probably start at places like <a href="http://www.spxpo.com/">SPX</a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">. I’m also hoping we can get the word out about FFC and get carried in some of the adoption publications/websites that are out there.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> Yes. One day I’m going to go to an art college. When I’m done with that, I’m going to draw comics and start my own business.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #050055;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Are you part of any comics networks or groups?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> We’ve just started dipping our toe in the water in that regard. We were recently added to TopWebComic and InkOutbreak, but haven’t got any traction there yet. As far as going somewhere for questions& advice, I ask my Jared Cullum, of </span><a href="http://www.peagreencoffeecup.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;">http://www.PeaGreenCoffeeCup.com/</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">. He is a genius and prolific artist. He has straight up hustle and the skills to back it up. He’s definitely worthy of your next interview.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #050055;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Have you worked on any other comics?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL & CJ:</strong> No</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #050055;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Do you have any advice for fellow comics writers?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> If you have a PC, you can start your web comic for $0. Between tumblr/Facebook/imgur, you can get it out there for ZERO dollars. The hardest thing I’ve found is getting the word out, but it seems to come with time. And thankfully, there are great site like The Great Comics Crawl to help you out.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CJ:</strong> I say anyone can draw a comic. You just need to practice. Oh, and go to the store and buy pop out talk bubble shapes (it’s a lot easier).</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> Nice.</span><br />
<dl><dd><b><span style="color: #050055;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">CJ, Pop out talk bubbles? What are these wonderful-sounding creations and where can one obtain them?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL:</strong> I’ll hop in and answer this one for him. I got CJ some drawing pads that, as an added bonus, have pop out sheets for drawing talk bubbles and cell frames. He doesn’t use them that often, but it gives him a basis for shapes and proportions that he didn’t have before. You can find them <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pacon-Comic-Sketch-Book-Sheets/dp/B007AH7FPO/">here</a> on Amazon.</span></span></dd></dl>
<b><span style="color: #050055;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Do you have a message for your fans?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>CL & CJ:</strong> Thanks for reading our comics. And share. Seriously, CLICK SHARE!</span>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>The Merry Lurkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07011347409778636657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646224301919949703.post-57510910708326885412013-03-07T18:37:00.001-08:002014-02-19T17:13:19.599-08:00To Prevent World Peace<table><tbody>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcYyBaq5lacjWXXRpRpQJ6J-ew0o-vlg_pGr3cgCwY7PBTMQkL9NIALMX_OZrMD8Uvy73O3tePXMlllCIPiCtEFynX5HH9Mk_aSiOfqS1K3vCUN3c2NVnAG8IUs8I8ywbSYSAE9ERQWEX/s1600/interviewimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcYyBaq5lacjWXXRpRpQJ6J-ew0o-vlg_pGr3cgCwY7PBTMQkL9NIALMX_OZrMD8Uvy73O3tePXMlllCIPiCtEFynX5HH9Mk_aSiOfqS1K3vCUN3c2NVnAG8IUs8I8ywbSYSAE9ERQWEX/s1600/interviewimage.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></td><td><span style="color: #bb0b00;"><b>So, introduce yourself! </b></span><br />
Hello! My name is Emily Martha Sorensen, and I write and draw To Prevent World Peace. I also have a book I've recently published, and another webcomic that is now complete.
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<span style="color: #bb0b00;"><b>Where is your comic posted?</b></span><br />
To Prevent World Peace is available at <a href="http://worldpeace.emilymarthasorensen.com/">http://worldpeace.emilymarthasorensen.com</a>. A Magical Roommate, my first webcomic, can be found at <a href="http://amr.comicgenesis.com/">http://amr.comicgenesis.com</a>. You can find links to my book on my main website, <a href="http://www.emilymarthasorensen.com/">http://www.emilymarthasorensen.com</a>.
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<b style="color: #bb0b00;">When does it update?</b><br />
To Prevent World Peace updates with a new page every Friday.
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<span style="color: #bb0b00;"><b>What category is your comic in, and why?</b></span><br />
I guess you might say it's "action," but it's not really the action scenes that drive the story. (And there's a lot more character interaction than action scenes, anyway.) It might also fit in "comedy," since it's a bit of a genre-parody. Is there a place for "magical girl series"? ^_-
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<span style="color: #005555;"><b>What is your story about?</b></span><br />
Think a magical series from the point of view of the villains.<br />
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<span style="color: #005555;"><b>What inspired you to write this comic?</b></span><br />
Believe it or not, a little bit of inspiration came from the 2002 Birds of Prey TV series. (I loved that thing.) Another smidgen came from the (very horrible) anime series Akahori Gedou Hour Rabuge (specifically, the half called Gedou Otome Tai). Mostly, I had been wanting to do my own magical girl series for a long time, and I have a funny habit of trying to look at stories from unusual points of view to see how that changes things.
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<dl><dd><b style="color: #005555;">For those of us who aren't familiar with them, what are these shows like? </b>Birds of Prey is based on a DC comic book about an all-female superhero team. The main character is Helena Kyle, Batman's daughter. Another main character is Oracle, a.k.a. Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl before her major injuries. The TV show was not particularly faithful to the original, from what I understand, but it WAS really fun -- kind of like Charmed with superheroes. I loved the dynamic between these characters. Gedou Otome Tai was about five sisters who all wanted to be villains, but were always doing nice things (because they were all such nice people) instead. The other half of Akahori Gedou Hour Rabuge was Love Pheromone, and I LOATHED that half of the story -- it was about two girls who claimed they were heroes, but were always doing horrible things. (Also, while both halves of the show could be annoyingly dirty, Love Pheromone was significantly worse.) But the two halves were supposed to show silly opposites -- heroes who thought they were villains, and villains who thought they were heroes.</dd></dl>
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<span style="color: #005555;"><b>What kind of world does your comic take place in?</b></span><br />
I actually spend a lot of time with the worldbuilding. I've tried to create a world where magical girls are everywhere and all the genre cliches are commonplace, yet I want it to feel realistic and believable. To that end, I've made their world an alternate universe, with a specific schism point away from our history. Our world is identical to theirs until the 1910s -- which is when the first magical girl singlehandedly ended the first World War in a stalemate. Since then, our worlds' histories have divided a great deal: you can read more about the worldbuilding at <a href="http://worldpeace.emilymarthasorensen.com/about.html">http://worldpeace.emilymarthasorensen.com/about.html</a>. Or you can read the commentary pages, which frequently contain worldbuilding details.
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<span style="color: #005555;"><b> I've noticed there are also several text-only pages peppered throughout the comic. What do you call these? </b></span>Those are the commentary pages. There's a page of commentary after the end of every chapter, both to give me a place to talk about the story and to make the chapter breaks more distinct.</dd>
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<span style="color: #005555;"><b>Do they say anything special that you can't find in the other worldbuilding pages? </b></span>Well, there is a page with general worldbuilding information (the "about" page), but I can't overload readers with ridiculous quantities of details in one huge chunk; if I did, it would get boring. Plus, there are plenty of details that are only interesting when you're seeing that specific setting in play. I also use the commentary pages to talk about magic system details, character backstories, and sometimes even behind-the-scene things.</dd></dl>
<span style="color: #005555;"><b>Who are your main characters?</b></span><br />
Kendra is the main character. She used to be a magical girl named Cream Angel, but she quit when she found out her most likely future included destroying the world. Now she's a villain, out to take down corrupt magical girls before they can do harm, like she would have.<br />
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Chronos is a sort-of-villain who considers herself "neutral." She was raised in a powerful villain family, but has always been disgusted by their goals. She isn't particularly on the side of magical girls either; she has no real love for them, but she isn't out to get them, either. She's providing Kendra with the information she needs, since she can see the future and has been badgered into helping Kendra do things.<br />
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Tiffany used to be a magical girl, but she was kidnapped by a villain at a very young age, and has been raised by villains (as a prisoner in their dungeons) ever since. She's cute and bouncy and happy-go-lucky, and yet has a somewhat evil side because nobody ever really, er, did much to teach her about morality.<br />
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The main villain is Rhea. She's a fashion designer who specializes in creating villain outfits to tempt magical girls to turn evil (because villains *always* look cooler than magical girls, and a lot of girls in their age range are fashion-conscious). She's very subtle, quiet, and manipulative, and extremely easy to underestimate. Like a snake, she hides silently, almost invisible, until she suddenly decides to strike -- and the victim's dead before they realize she hit it.<br />
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The final two important characters are Florence and Felicity. Both Kendra's former teammates, and one of them Kendra's best friend, they are dealing with her betrayal and trying to figure out what this means for their plans for the future.
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<dl><dd><span style="color: #005555;"><b>Florence, especially, seems to have some big plans for the future of all magic girls. What's she cooking up, and why? </b></span>Florence has become increasingly aware that magical girls are extremely powerful, and starting to become too much so. While the magic system is mostly self-regulating, it's not so good at that that it's a good idea to blindly trust everyone with power. She's hoping to create what amounts to a government for magical girls -- to protect their interests, to provide resources to help them, to educate people about them, and to police those who need to be watched more carefully.</dd></dl>
<span style="color: #005555;"><b>What do you think makes your comic unique?</b></span><br />
Well, the "point of view of the villains," for starters! But I've also never seen a magical girl series set in a world that was a fully-realized alternate history. I've been trying very hard to unify the whole genre into one cohesive worldbuilding. Not as easy as you might think.
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<span style="color: #005500;"><b>How would you describe the style in which your comic is drawn? (Or rendered, or arranged, etc.)</b></span>
Manga-style, naturally.
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<span style="color: #005500;"><b>How do you make a page?</b></span>
I do my scripting on the same pages I will eventually use for drawing. I lay out pages extremely sloppy, with barely-more-than-vague-stick-figures, and I write out dialogue in the extremely rough paneling. Generally I rewrite each page three to five times, and I usually end up erasing and redrawing the rough version at least twice for each page.
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When I'm finished scripting, which actually takes as long as the drawing stage, I begin the drawing phase. I usually spend around two hours drawing each page. When I'm finished with this, I begin the inking stage. <br />
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This usually takes around one hour for each page.
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When I'm finished with drawing and inking, it's time for scanning. I usually scan in pages in clumps of five to fifteen. Because my scanner no longer works with my computer, I need to use my husband's, and then I transfer the files over to mine to do lettering.
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I use Photoshop 7 for lettering. I take the scans, I clean them up, I redraw the panel lines to be perfectly straight, and I fix any mistakes. (There are usually a lot of mistakes.) I sometimes draw the backgrounds separately, which means I insert them in this stage; this is something I've been doing more and more recently.
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Cleaning and lettering can take two to three hours per page. If dialogue-heavy, or special effects are needed, three or four hours per page.
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Overall, I usually spend around ten hours on each page.
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Here are two images of page one of Chapter Nine, so you can see the difference. The first shows how a page looks right after scanning in; the second shows the whole thing finished. As you can see, I do a whole lot of fixing of mistakes in the process of lettering.
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFgwaM9s8oe8Gi0D6OZslzjk0cKMLzISKTuDi_UHW5vjh9ZV_ReMs7W9cC97hbyBnwlXUulVG7ojehM2cj_xSB1vimzfFUllyfN4iNkum0_z14745mudKYDJS4tCM88gXTovsrPKv_CTp/s320/interview01.jpg" height="320" width="232" /> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLg4yYK7gyFlVC-lZkClK8UOQ89_04KP13CVKUNsLAUJyKBhsefo8pDCH2iwEOjYLymtq7KYs4QVB7HLLBNF7UnFOHFImmdRvdAoOJWnrrOeBDv0UxjpLWuJVLHuYas6u7a8NsnpvWK5ev/s320/interview02.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></div>
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<span style="color: #050055;"><b>Do you have any plans to sell your comic in print or e-book form? (Or anything similar)</b> </span><br />
Yes! I have print editions of each chapter. I also plan to make e-book versions available eventually. Each print / e-book edition comes with extra pages, how many depending on the chapter's length. There are always at least two: the one-page bonus comic for each chapter (canon, but unnecessary), and a colored back cover page.
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<b style="color: #050055;">Are you part of any comics networks or groups? (Aside from this one)</b><br />
I have links to my site on TopWebComics, Belfry, Piperka, and probably many others I'm forgetting. I also have a TV Tropes page, which I think is neat.
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<b style="color: #050055;">Have you worked on any other comics?</b><br />
Yes, a lot of them. This is my second that I've worked on seriously; the first was A Magical Roommate, which is now complete. Before them, I had many that I played with, particularly as a kid; I've always loved the comic art form as a fun way to tell stories
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<dl><dd><span style="color: #050055;"><b>Can you give us a short description of what A Magical Roommate was about? </b></span>A Magical Roommate is about a wizard-in-training who gets forced to go to college in our world. It's a G-rated, slice-of-life, four-panel fantasy comic strip. You can find it at <a href="http://amr.comicgenesis.com./">http://amr.comicgenesis.com.</a></dd></dl>
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<span style="color: #050055;"><b>Do you have any advice for fellow comics writers?</b></span><br />
You need to have two of three things to get a strong readership: great writing, great art, and a great update schedule. Pick two of these and do not deviate from them. If you want popularity, you're going to need all three.<br />
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<span style="color: #050055;"><b>Do you have a message for your fans?</b></span><br />
I love you guys! Thank you for reading my story!
The Merry Lurkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07011347409778636657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646224301919949703.post-8876943427872646772013-01-03T05:34:00.000-08:002014-02-08T14:22:31.971-08:00Selkie<table><tbody>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://selkiecomic.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3-U0e37WWRyD4HMmeemP7Wuocl1hVnLOghD8UVpO3Pm2mb-YAjuWCUZ9zfHGJsgqtxpmCmO71TbG2aXjPrp2bP_wVLcDqgrIolfpP9rr5WxoO3nBBB3yItMzOlcS8vPjkrQBd7pgRdK7/s1600/Selkie-150px.png" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://selkiecomic.com/">Go To Comic</a></td></tr>
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</td><td><b style="color: #bb0b00;">So, introduce yourself!</b><br />
I'm Dave, and I am equal parts author, illustrator, and website administrator for Selkie.<br />
<span style="color: #bb0b00;"><b>Where is your comic posted?</b></span><br />
I own my own website for the comic, <a href="http://www.selkiecomic.com/">www.selkiecomic.com</a><br />
<span style="color: #bb0b00;"><b>When does it update?</b></span><br />
Mondays and Thursdays<br />
<b style="color: #bb0b00;">What category is your comic in, and why?</b><br />
Some mixture of Drama and Comedy. Dramady, or maybe Crama.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #005555;"><b>What is your story about?</b></span><br />
My story is focused on the title character Selkie, and the family and friends which form her life experiences.<span style="color: #005555;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #005555;"><b>What inspired you to write this comic?</b></span><br />
I drew the character in my sketchbook between calls while working a tech support job, and something about her grabbed my interest. The more I write and draw the comic, the more ideas and inspiration I get, and continue on because I love doing it.<span style="color: #005555;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #005555;"><b>What kind of world does your comic take place in?</b></span><br />
A world very similar to our own, but with differences. The comic takes place in a fictional large city in Wisconsin located in what I believe is a national forest in the real word. Also, a sentient race of mer-people exists in this world (of which the title character is a member), but are unknown by the general populace. Most people who see Selkie, for example, assume her appearance is due to a medical condition.<span style="color: #005555;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<dl><dd><b style="color: #005555;">What can you tell us about the mer-people?</b><br />
Not much right now, I'm afraid. Selkie's people and origins are a plot point for much later in the storyline. They exist, but are mostly unknown to the general public.<br />
<br /></dd><dd><b style="color: #005555;">What kind of impact does being a member of this species have on Selkie's life?</b><br />
Selkie has to live her life being different in a very obvious and not-easily-hidden way. She deals with ostracizing and bullying, but has also made friends which help her through it. She also has a rather numerous list of special needs, such as periodically flushing out her gills and requiring a strict avoidance of plant matter in her food, which can make life more difficult than I think she really wants.</dd></dl>
<b style="color: #005555;">Who are your main characters?</b><br />
Selkie Smith is the main character, an eight year old girl adopted by Todd Smith, an architect who decided to pursue fatherhood actively. The supporting cast is huge and continuously expanding, including Todd’s parents and siblings, Selkie’s friends and enemies from the orphanage she was raised in (who double as schoolmates), staff at the orphanage, teachers and staff at her elementary school, Todd’s ex-girlfriend, and more every day.<span style="color: #005555;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<dl><dd><b style="color: #005555;">Do you have a favorite supporting character?</b><br />
Jessie Flower. She started off as a quirky shoe clerk character not really intended to last more than two or three pages, then ideas for background and story popped into my head that I ran with, next thing I know I am working her into a recurring support role. She's the kind of earnest and bubbly personality, who also puts her foot in her mouth more often than is wise, that is fun to write.</dd></dl>
<span style="color: #005555;"><b>What do you think makes your comic unique?</b></span><br />
I think what makes my comic unique is really my writing style. The comic is long-form ongoing serials spiced up with slice-of-life and dry comedy. Many of my readers have told me that the characters give them a strong investment in the comic, and I always focus on making my dialogue and interactions as fluid and life-like as I can. I abhor stiff dialogue and wooden facial expressions.<br />
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<span style="color: #005500;"><b>How would you describe the style in which your comic is drawn?</b></span><br />
I would describe it as… uncomplex. My goal is a cel-animation visual style (black outlines and flat colors with flat shading).<span style="color: #005500;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #005500;"><b>How do you make a page?</b></span><br />
I sketch the comic-to-be out in my sketchbook, scan it into Photoshop, outline and color the characters, and generally do backgrounds as unobtrusively as I can.<br />
<dl><dd><span style="color: #005500;"><b>Your art has gone through some evolution throughout the comic's lifespan Do you have any comments to make on that?</b></span><br />
I continually tweak the artwork in both big and small ways, sometimes diverging sharply for particular pages or arcs. Overall, I try to make the art "feel" right to me.</dd></dl>
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<span style="color: #050055;"><b>Do you have any plans to sell your comic in print or e-book form?</b></span><br />
Eventually, yes, I would like to get the book compiled for print/e-book editions.<span style="color: #050055;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<dl><dd><span style="color: #050055;"><b>Is there any other form of Selkie Merch currently on the market?</b></span><br />
I am currently selling lapel pins and prints, and I have an eye on a book compilation of the first chapter/arc pretty close down the line.</dd></dl>
<span style="color: #050055;"><b>Are you part of any comics networks or groups?</b></span><br />
No, I work alone for the time being.<span style="color: #050055;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #050055;"><b>Have you worked on any other comics?</b></span><br />
I tried my hand at making webcomics off and on but never had a concept that stuck until I made Selkie. My previous webcomic attempts are no longer online, but they included a superhero story set five years after an alien invasion, a space adventure with wizards, a strip about talking geographical formations which cussed a lot, and a dark humor/horror humor strip about two undead children (which I ended up referencing in Selkie has the main character’s favorite cartoon, The Adventures of Sue and Kathryn. The dark/horror humor is more whimsical and adventure themed in this version).<span style="color: #050055;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #050055;"><b>Do you have any advice for fellow comics writers?</b></span><br />
“Write What You Know” is good advice, but don’t be afraid to reach beyond your own experiences.<span style="color: #050055;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #050055;"><b>Do you have a message for your fans?</b></span><br />
You guys are great, and I love writing/drawing for you. :D<br />
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The Merry Lurkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07011347409778636657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646224301919949703.post-42329684375291574782012-12-02T19:38:00.001-08:002014-02-08T14:22:51.082-08:00MOROCHEY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://morochey.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7_DfL51cgUASNBMQrAs6-fC5Q640lu0cNDI7VyXV9MtE-ikSYmKEbCuN6LJ-D-w6Ye-oxcxseqf5X23oxelf6SD0DB0h_-h878NalRB4dnhmbV4aNXOVxkQ1dfLaZ4xJyNs59lPzlhk/s1600/Morochey+InkOutbreak+Small+PNG.png" nea="true" width="120" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://morochey.blogspot.com/">Go To Comic</a></td></tr>
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</td><td><span style="color: #bb0b00;"><b>So, introduce yourself!</b></span><br />
Hello, I'm The Merry Lurker, and I'm the Author of MOROCHEY. I'm.. uh... ALSO aware that I'm interviewing MYSELF, but this is just an example for now.<br />
<span style="color: #bb0b00;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #bb0b00;"><b>Where is your comic posted?</b></span><br />
You can find MOROCHEY at <a href="http://morochey.blogspot.com/">http://morochey.blogspot.com</a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #bb0b00;"><b>When does it update?</b></span><br />
Saturdays<br />
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<span bb0b00="bb0b00" color:="color:"><b><span style="color: #bb0b00;">What category is your comic in, and why?</span></b></span><br />
I chose "Through The Eyes Of" because the story mainly focuses on how the main characters react to what The World throws at them.<br />
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<b style="color: #005555;">What is your story about?</b><br />
The sacred magic powers of yesteryear are being used for sport-fighting in modern times. Using these powers, the Morochey Crystal Arts, people can use mystic crystals to shapeshift into elemental form. The comic follows twins Pyro and Eva-Chamilla Caster, ex-Morochey-in-training, as they get sucked back into the world of the Crystal Arts.<span style="color: #005555;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #005555;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #005555;"><b>What inspired you to write this comic?</b></span><br />
Saturday Morning Cartoons. I wateched all the Ninja Turtles, Pokemon, Digimon, Sonic the Hedgehog... anything with superpowers, bad guys, and "Ooooh... Ahhhhh... Mystic Legends". Once upon a time, MOROCHEY was an idea my brother and I had about superheroes with crystals that have them powers to BE the "Pokemon". Then, it went through a bazillion incarnations that never got past the first couple acts. Then, it went to sleep for a little while.<br />
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When I was going through my files after starting The Merry Lurker's Workshop, I found my old MOROCHEY stuff, and saw an entirely different story than the one I'd first intended. A few changes here, rewrites there, and in a sense the comic "grew up", and was ready for release.<br />
<ul><b><span style="color: #005555;">How different is the new story from the originals?</span></b><b style="color: #005555;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"> Way different. The original version took place during The Wars, when Pyro and Eva were kids. The Wars and the Tournaments were actually the same thing.. kinda' like a battle of champions deal. Other incarnations of the story had the twins as adults, filling roles that ranged from ignorant "normals" (people who have never used the Crystal Arts), to criminals, to mysterious ex-heroes. The Wars were cut entirely out of those versions, and Sky Watch was only mentioned in one of them.</span></b></ul>
<ul><span style="color: #005555;"><b>Why did you decide to change it?</b></span><b style="color: #005555;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"> It didn't make sense to me. None of the previous incarnations really felt believable. They had all the pretty magic and superheroes, but they lacked that anchor to the real world that makes it worth it to step into the story's imaginary world. It was only when I asked myself "If this happened in Reality, how would it REALLY go down?" that I finally came up with something I was happy with.</span></b></ul>
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<br /></td><td><span style="color: #005555;"><b>What kind of world does your comic take place in?</b></span><br />
The World is an Earth-like planet that has technology only slightly more advanced than the norm today. The history of this world revolves around these magical Morochey crystals, and there are very old clans that have been practicing the Crystal Arts since civilization began.<br />
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The comic begins during the peacetime after The Wars that ended ten years ago. The Crystal Arts are being used for lucrative sport-fighting tournaments, and Morochey themselves are shunned and feared when outside the brawling ring. The Crystals themselves are in high demand, and their use it tightly monitored and regulated by the government organization Sky Watch.<br />
<ul><b><span style="color: #005555;">What were The Wars like?</span></b> The were like the equivalent of a World War. Clans had made war with each-other before throughout history over things like territory, power, or ideals. The Wars were an effort by certain Morochey clans to form an alliance, and take out all the clans (called Shadows) who would use the Crystal Arts for evil, to end the scattered conflicts.</ul>
<span style="color: #005555;"><b><br />Who are your main characters?</b></span><br />
The main characters are Pyro and Eva-Chamilla Caster. They're twins who were once in training to be Morochey, but their crystals were confiscated when their clan's sanctuary was raided by Sky Watch.<br />
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Eva is serious, cautious, and bitter. She's a traditionalist who hates to see her beloved Crystal Arts being used for sport; and worse, to see the Morochey be stripped of their powers and birthright if they don't comply with Sky Watch.<br />
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Pyro is laid back and smart. He was less into the tradition than his sister, and wishes more Morochey changed with the times before it was too late for them-- including his own clan.<br />
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<b style="color: #005555;">What do you think makes your comic unique?</b><br />
I think the fact that it's a fantasy comic that's grounded in very real-world issues gives it character. It's all about myth, and magic, and special powers. Yet, at the same time, the storyline centers around things like control-and-safety versus freedom-and-risk, and following tradition versus embracing change.<br />
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<span style="color: #005500;"><b>How would you describe the style in which your comic is drawn? </b></span><br />
A cartoonish mashup. Like a westernized manga-style.<br />
<span style="color: #005500;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #005500;"><b>How do you make a page?</b></span><br />
I draw it in GIMP (which is a free program, by the way, for those who are interested) with a graphics tablet. Sometimes I do a pencil sketch on paper beforehand to get an idea of the layout, but usually I just wing it. I do one layer at a time-- black line-work first, then color and shading behind it, then on top of those speech bubbles with two layers (black line-work and white translucent backgrounds), then I stamp it with my sig an such. After all that's done, I usually send it to a friend who double checks my spelling and what not before publish. Finally, the comic gets uploaded to the site, and scheduled to post automatically.<br />
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<tr><td><b><br /></b><span style="color: #050055;"><b>Do you have any plans to sell your comic in print or e-book form? </b></span><br />
Sometime in the future, yeah, but I need to get a good amount of issues together to have enough for a printed graphics novel.<br />
<span style="color: #050055;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #050055;"><b>Are you part of any comics networks or groups?</b></span><br />
I'm on InkOutbreak.com as The Merry Lurker.<br />
<span style="color: #050055;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #050055;"><b>Have you worked on any other comics?</b></span><br />
I also draw <a href="http://goodwitchcomic.blogspot.com/">Good Witch</a> and <a href="http://stoplightcomic.blogspot.com/">Stoplight</a>. I also have plans to continue some other comics that I've intoduced in my workshop, such as Tag-Along and Miss Muffet.<br />
<b style="color: #050055;"><br /></b><b style="color: #050055;">Do you have any advice for fellow comics writers?</b><br />
Learn whatever you can about making comics, but once you get to doing it, DON'T over-think it. Also, I recommend reading Scott McCloud's book <a href="http://scottmccloud.com/2-print/3-mc/index.html">Making Comics</a> because there's really nothing like it.<br />
<span style="color: #050055;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span><b>Do you have a message for your fans?</b></span><br />
Thanks for letting me share my stories with you! Entertaining the audience makes it all worth it. </td><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Merry Lurkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07011347409778636657noreply@blogger.com0