01/30/08 [DMFA #872] - To the death

[Silver Pomeranian Genji]

IT BURRRRNNNNNSSSS! </Ganon>

[Kayriel]

THE HAND! D=

[Dngrsone]

I liked this comic so much, I made an avatar!  (and joined another forum  )

[pyrohamster]

I R serious wiku. This R serious worm. lol  worm bunny


7+7= fish

[Chaos]

Those pictures look shopped.


Anywho, I also Agree on the Drama filled comic thing, though it should be noted that those who first did it, are truely the kings. Trigun being the first anime that came to mind, and Exploitation Now being the comic. Both eventually too departure from the serious beginning, but it seemed, natural and right and eventually kicked all sorts of {explative deleted}.

[Alondro]

I like "Bleach".

Always somewhat serious, but humor now and then squeezed in.  Plus some of the best opening songs!

*still wants his characters done in Bleach form* 

Alondro kinda done up like Zangetsu; Charline, naturally the Hollow form, a heartless devouring monster.

*Charline shakes her head sadly*  Nope, I just make doilies now.  Amber made me nice.  *sobs*   

[Kayriel]

I like "Bleach".

Always somewhat serious, but humor now and then squeezed in.  Plus some of the best opening songs!

*still wants his characters done in Bleach form* 

Alondro kinda done up like Zangetsu; Charline, naturally the Hollow form, a heartless devouring monster.

*Charline shakes her head sadly*  Nope, I just make doilies now.  Amber made me nice.  *sobs*   

-pats Charline-

Personally, I love Kon and Kenpachi. As far as swords... Wabisuke. =D

[Reese Tora]

to the death?

no, to the pain!

so far as drama and comics and alsting forever goes, DMFA clearly still has a story to tell, and I don't think it's going to go 'over the edge for a while because it's got all that story left waiting to be exposed.  So long as Amber doesn't start dragging it out and introdicing monsters of the week and setting the heroes back to square one periodically so as to delay the inevitable conclusion to the story, I don't think that the edge will catch her.

Just so long as the end of the comic doesn't show up riding the plot-twist steam-roller.

new wild arse theory of the day says Dan becomes a time traveler in the future, and returns to the past to deal with something, but ends up marrying destiana while disguised as Edward and having a child, himself, and then interferes later in the story by posing as Pyroduck to mentor his young self.  Thus Dan is his own grandpa (and father), and it's just plain creepy that Pyroduck is dating Alexis.

[Tapewolf]

Those pictures look shopped.

I can understand not believing in fairies, but not believing in cookies sounds a bit steep

[Turnsky]

This particular QfR is a unique one in that I had to paraphrase more than use any direct quotes from actual emails.  It's very rare that people email me these two particular complaints directly.  However, I tend to find these two sentiments in places where I doubt the people typing them are actually expecting me to read them. Other forums, discussion boards, chans, and various other places.

I usually get hese two schools of thought, along with the one where the person says the comic is bad due to its use of either furries/anime style/pg rating. Or the comment about how they couldn't get into the comic because they couldn't last through the first couple of storyarchs.  It's not really distressing to me, and I can definately see their reasonings.  But I also realize I will never make everyone happy and no matter where I go there will be someone who thinks my comic is terrible...or it was once good but now is terrible...or etc.

I never really hold any pretense in that I view DMFA as a comedy-first/story-second strip.  Though I do realize that there are going to be times when the comedy is going to end up stepping on the toes of the story. And that some people are going to be focusing on the story aspect and thus not be able to tell when I'm doing something simply because I find it funny.  I've always held that my reason for this is because I find it sometimes very depressing to go to my favorite comics and be hit with a major wall of depressing seriousness.  I've seen more comics than I'd like take the plunge from a comedy-centered strip into a more dramatic and story-centered focus.  And while they still try to keep the funny...it's off and not quite the same.

It's also a trend in anime, and one of the main reasons I stopped watching anime.  You have a 20 episode season of wacky antics then are suddenly trampled by dramatic plot in the last two.

In the end, I try for the most part to keep a decent balance. And really while I don't always show it, I do try to keep criticisms and the general feel of my audience in mind when I'm doing the comic.  There are some points where it is unfortunately a case where everyone has to hang on for a few strips and ride it out...but if I was getting the implication multiple people were genuinely concerned or displeased with a trend...I try to step back and consider my current course of actions.

And truthfully, I do it because I realize I might not see the storm on the wind since I'm the one doing the comic.  As a reader of other comics, I have seen a couple where I can't help but feel they really. should. have. stopped months to years ago.  And I do worry that if I was to ever fall into a spiral like that, I wouldn't see it coming since I was the one doing it.  So I try to keep alert.

I dont think DMFA is going to last forever. And I dont doubt I will gain and lose readers as their and my own tastes and preferences evolve and differ.  However, I like to think that I'm not beyond reproach and that if I was able to see an overall dissatisfaction amongst readers and people commenting...that I would be able to note that and if it is a problem, fix it.

as long as you have fun making DMFA, Amber, that's all that really counts in the long run.
as for the Zig millennium pen issue in canada, i'm kinda surprised that you couldn't find anywhere they sold 'em.. and yet not.. since i have kind of the same issue, and buy 'em from a local scrapbooking supply store here in the back-end of australia (that's tasmania for the layman).
anywho: http://www.dickblick.com <--- this site might save you the trouble of heading out of canada for art supplies... or not, depends on whether you'd know about it or not.. if you do, i just made a goof outta myself 

anywho, anything with "archival pigment ink" should suit your needs nicely..    mind you, that's totally up to you.

[WhiteFox]

Bah, you kids and your modern anime. I remember when anime actively sought to hurt your brain, with stuff like Neon Genesis Evangelion. That thing shifted genres about 4 times before everyone just sorta went crazy. And the ending made so little sense, they made a movie and killed everyone.

Actually, the series ending made perfect sense to me. Maybe I should worry about that.

This is why I prefer movies to series. Escaflowne the Movie, Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor 2... good stuff.

On a more serious note, I've taken some time to post here cause I really wanted to think about my response.

I usually get hese two schools of thought, along with the one where the person says the comic is bad due to its use of either furries/anime style/pg rating. Or the comment about how they couldn't get into the comic because they couldn't last through the first couple of storyarchs.  It's not really distressing to me, and I can definately see their reasonings.  But I also realize I will never make everyone happy and no matter where I go there will be someone who thinks my comic is terrible...or it was once good but now is terrible...or etc.

These people are critics. Poor ones. In the coming revolution, they should be lined up and... well, you get the idea. Pardon me for speaking so strongly, but these days a good story seems to take a back seat to marketability. Sluggy Freelance. Sucks. Megatokyo. Sucks. PVP. Sucks. Just because however many people read them doesn't make them good: Argumentum ad populum (With wikipedia, anyone can sound smart). I know this is a tired cliche, but really, as long as you are happy with DMFA, it will be good. Your love of it makes it good. Not ours. (As a fan, it almost pains me to say this, but it is true.)

I never really hold any pretense in that I view DMFA as a comedy-first/story-second strip.  Though I do realize that there are going to be times when the comedy is going to end up stepping on the toes of the story. And that some people are going to be focusing on the story aspect and thus not be able to tell when I'm doing something simply because I find it funny.  I've always held that my reason for this is because I find it sometimes very depressing to go to my favorite comics and be hit with a major wall of depressing seriousness.  I've seen more comics than I'd like take the plunge from a comedy-centered strip into a more dramatic and story-centered focus.  And while they still try to keep the funny...it's off and not quite the same.

I always thought of DFMA as not about drama or teh lulz, but about the people, ie, character driven. I. Don't. Care. About so many comic characters like I do about Dan and Mab, because the story is about them. They have a sense of humor, so the comic is funny. They have personal problems, so there is drama. They don't exist to convey their jokes or drama, it comes from them.

...And truthfully, I do it because I realize I might not see the storm on the wind since I'm the one doing the comic.  As a reader of other comics, I have seen a couple where I can't help but feel they really. should. have. stopped months to years ago.  And I do worry that if I was to ever fall into a spiral like that, I wouldn't see it coming since I was the one doing it.  So I try to keep alert.

I dont think DMFA is going to last forever. And I don't doubt I will gain and lose readers as their and my own tastes and preferences evolve and differ.  However, I like to think that I'm not beyond reproach and that if I was able to see an overall dissatisfaction amongst readers and people commenting...that I would be able to note that and if it is a problem, fix it.

Your tastes will change because I don't think a true artist can do the same thing over and over. That's what artists do. Responding to your audience is just one way of judging what direction to go in. Sometimes you have to do things your audience wont like, though. Oceans Unmoving, a storyline in Sluggy Freelance, was incredible. A lot of people hated it, for some reason, but I thought it was one of the best arcs in the series because Pete was really pushing the art and story. Josh Lesnik does different things all the time, I love that guy. People kicked up a fuss when Mac Hall stopped using black outlines for everything. Megatokyo is still giving us all the same crap, and it's stagnated. Fred seems to refuse to pick up a pencil or take any kind of risk.

All stories have a conclusion. It's integral, and unavoidable. It's essential. A story isn't a story without an end. For something to live, it must die. Some comics keep going after the story is actually over, and they get tired. ADVENTURERS! ended. I missed it, but it was a good ending. Better Days will end. Something Positive will end. Elf Life should have ended years ago. Exploitation Now! ended. L.I.G. and Purple Pussy ended. The list goes on. If DMFA never ends, we wont get to see all the things we want to see: Will dan solve his family problems? Will Jy get a boyfriend? And so on. Once they do these things, the story is over, we'll all smoke a cigarette, take a breather, and look back on how good it was. There might be some light conversation afterwards too.

If DMFA ends, you'll start something else. You can't keep a good artist/writer down. And we'll be right behind you, sucking up your bandwidth at 4AM waiting for the next comic.

[Tapewolf]

If DMFA never ends, we wont get to see all the things we want to see: Will dan solve his family problems? Will Jy get a boyfriend? And so on. Once they do these things, the story is over, we'll all smoke a cigarette, take a breather, and look back on how good it was.

One of the things I've thought would be quite interesting would be a post-DMFA comic, set a thousand years or so after the present day.  Obviously this would see a great number of characters long-dead, but it would be interesting to see Dan (assuming he survives that long) as a properly adult incubus.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Your love of it makes it good. Not ours.

This, I think, sums the thread up nicely.

On the other hand, Amber's love thereof forces her to take note of what us fans say, at least some of the time. (although I love the paper crane idea...)

If DMFA ends, you'll start something else. You can't keep a good artist/writer down. And we'll be right behind you, sucking up your bandwidth at 4AM waiting for the next comic.

Heh. Maybe she'll just pick a different time of day to update? ;-]

One of the things I've thought would be quite interesting would be a post-DMFA comic, set a thousand years or so after the present day.  Obviously this would see a great number of characters long-dead, but it would be interesting to see Dan (assuming he survives that long) as a properly adult incubus.

I think the issue with that would be that, well, most 'Cubi never grow up. Fa'Lina still enjoys a good prank, for example. And muffins.

That and, if Dan -were- to grow up, he'd probably have sorted out most of the issues which make the comic worth viewing.


Interesting idea, though....

[Tapewolf]

I think the issue with that would be that, well, most 'Cubi never grow up. Fa'Lina still enjoys a good prank, for example. And muffins.

That and, if Dan -were- to grow up, he'd probably have sorted out most of the issues which make the comic worth viewing.

He'd probably have exchanged them for a different set of issues.  In any case, he wouldn't necessarily have to be the main character.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Granted, on both points. :-]

[Alondro]

I think the issue with that would be that, well, most 'Cubi never grow up. Fa'Lina still enjoys a good prank, for example. And muffins.

That and, if Dan -were- to grow up, he'd probably have sorted out most of the issues which make the comic worth viewing.

He'd probably have exchanged them for a different set of issues.  In any case, he wouldn't necessarily have to be the main character.

*Charles nods*  Exactly.  Charline will be the main character from then on, and it'll focus on how nice she is and makes everyone doilies and cookies.

*Charline erfs*  Can they at least be evil cookies?  Like the scary smiley-face one?

*Charles declares*  NO!  Only good!   

*Charline*   

[Tapewolf]

Those pictures look shopped.

I am probably overstepping the bounds of my sanity here, but for the unbelievers, I present Jacob's Happy Faces.

They are supposed to look like this:

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/scraps/biscuits2a.jpg

In reality they usually end up like this:

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/scraps/biscuits1a.jpg

...ranging from 'leering' through to 'blind in one eye' and 'been in a fight'.  Sadly there were none in this packet which were foaming at the mouth or bleeding everywhere, but it happens more often than not.
I used to use these to explain the concept of semiconductor yields - if you imagine the filling as being the doping agent - since it is usually very difficult for a fabrication plant to get the 'filling' in exactly the right place, especially when the die is shrunk.

...

Um, maybe we should talk about the comic now.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

C is for cookie, that's good enough for me... ;-]

[Dannysaysnoo]

Need to find me some of those, they remind me of BNs.

[Aurawyn]

In the end, your most important audience is yourself.  Make the comic what you want it to be.

AMEN!

I like the comic just the way it is...  Funny at some points, Serious in othera...

But in the end.. its still Ambers story.. The day she starts changing things to please the winers (and it becomes really really obvious) is the day I might stop reading.

[Aurawyn]

If DMFA never ends, we wont get to see all the things we want to see: Will dan solve his family problems? Will Jy get a boyfriend? And so on. Once they do these things, the story is over, we'll all smoke a cigarette, take a breather, and look back on how good it was.

One of the things I've thought would be quite interesting would be a post-DMFA comic, set a thousand years or so after the present day.  Obviously this would see a great number of characters long-dead, but it would be interesting to see Dan (assuming he survives that long) as a properly adult incubus.

That would be really intresting..

[terrycloth]

Jyrass, of course, would still be alive, in a robot body on his secret island lair. There, he'd finally complete his time machine, so that he could send the Last Dragon Egg back in time to be fostered by the leader of the Cubi and hopefully avert the Cubi/Dragon war that devastated the world...

[Kayriel]

Sluggy Freelance. Sucks. Megatokyo. Sucks. PVP. Sucks. --> Double Helping of DMFA!

Fixed it for you.

[pyrohamster]

Sluggy Freelance. Sucks. Megatokyo. Sucks. PVP. Sucks. --> Double Helping of DMFA!

Fixed it for you.

he he he he he. Very funny

[WhiteFox]

Jyrass, of course, would still be alive, in a robot body on his secret island lair. There, he'd finally complete his time machine, so that he could send the Last Dragon Egg back in time to be fostered by the leader of the Cubi and hopefully avert the Cubi/Dragon war that devastated the world...

You forgot the part where Deebs falls into a vat of mysterious chemicals at the bubble gum factory, becomes a twenty story monster and destroys a couple cities.

[Netrogo]

You forgot the part where Deebs falls into a vat of mysterious chemicals at the bubble gum factory, becomes a twenty story monster and destroys a couple cities.

This is what'll happen when Amber goes off the deep end and loses her mind. Then, like so many horrible film directors, she'll start doing things completely out of context and off the wall in everyway possible in the name of her art.

Despite that we'll still all read it religiously

[pyrohamster]

Jyrass, of course, would still be alive, in a robot body on his secret island lair. There, he'd finally complete his time machine, so that he could send the Last Dragon Egg back in time to be fostered by the leader of the Cubi and hopefully avert the Cubi/Dragon war that devastated the world...

from what i have learned from the terminator is that even if you kill the person/thing that starts it all, another person/thing starts it later. you cant prevent something , only delay it. 

[WhiteFox]

Comparing #347 to #872... is it just me or did WikuAmber  get an... enhancement, shall we say?

*Heavenly Thunderbolt'd*

Ow. I deserved that one too.

[Reese Tora]

C is for cookie, that's good enough for me... ;-]

And now I have the sudden urge to compile some cookies...

*contemplates cookies made with java*

@ whitefox: OMG, you are correct, sir! My, wiku amber, what a big zipper you have.

[e_voyager]

there is no need to prove that which is true. IE. Wiku amber is Wiku amber. let it be before we all get thunderbolted.!  "thunderwave*