12/02/08 [TotF #75] - Not a shocker realy

[Pagan]

I'm liking this new update schedule. Three bonus comics a week rock.

But as for this strip itself, was that last panel an attempt at cute?
If so, it passed my test.

By the way, who's writing TotF now?

[Darkmoon]

I am. I've been writing it since the last 10 comics or so of the old ToF run.

And yeah, I can see how this would be like 3 bonus comics a week, if you didn't read DSWC certainly.

[Castle Pokemetroid]

Hey Dmoon, how can you do this every single week day of the week, anyways?

[Darkmoon]

Habit, mostly. I've gotten myself so used to doing it every day, that I feels weird when I don't now.

[Destina Faroda]

You mean to tell me that there isn't some part of your brain that just cramps out at the very prospect of making a comic?  Or it goes halfway through and your mind becomes a swirling vortex of confusion and bewilderment that freezes you within a cyclone of paralysis?

I have to say, other than work (because I need the money), there's very little I can do for five days a week on end.  Not even things I enjoy doing.

[Darkmoon]

There are days where I sit down and don't have an idea, sure, but I'm usually able to beat it out after about 20 minutes or so of thinking.

[Destina Faroda]

Well, I'm not talking about the idea, but the ability to express that idea.  I mean, haven't you ever actually seen down to the detail how you want to proceed and yet be unable to fashion the canvas to  match the image in your mind?

[Darkmoon]

I dunno, not really. I mean, we all know I can't draw, so while I can see in my head what I want to do, I know I won't be able to draw it... but then, I also don't practice drawing 5 to 6 times a week, so my inability to do so is my own fault, really.

When it comes to comicing, if I can see, I do it. I've been doing this for over 5 years now (DSWC and CVRPG). I'm practiced enough that it's just second nature to me. Actually, it's the days that I'm not doing a comic that I feel weird and off-kilter.

[Castle Pokemetroid]

With that said, how long dose it take for you to finish one?

[Damaris]

Usually about 20-30 minutes, including upload time.

[Darkmoon]

it only takes longer if I have to make sprites.

[Destina Faroda]

Okay, so other than the Flash DSWC comic, what is the longest it has ever taken you to make a comic?

[Darkmoon]

(blinks) Well, you're wanted to know the longest time in recent memory, as opposed to in total, since, early on it took me much longer than it takes me now.

If I have to make a lot of sprites, and heavily edit a background... and lack for ideas... I've seen it take upwards of an hour and a half. But those are rare occurances, really.

[Destina Faroda]

Only an hour an a half, maximum?

Well, how long did you used to spend?  Six/eight hours?

[Darkmoon]

Waaaay back in the day, when I used to recreate all the font glows, and before I was smart enough to make templates for the comics, or save half the stuff I save now, It took me 3 or 4 hours... but that was only for the first year (maybe less than even). I got it down to an hour pretty well after the first year or so.

[Destina Faroda]

So it's never taken you like eight hours or more to make one?

[Darkmoon]

Only those two animated ones for DSWC. I always strived to get the comic into a manageable form so that I wasn't spending an excess amount of time on it. Spend too long, and it starts to feel like work.

[Destina Faroda]

You know, now that I think about it, I don't think there's very much I've done creatively (comics, writing prose, sprite editing, video work) that didn't take at least eight hours of effort, usually spread over days or weeks.  Not that it shows.

Edit:  Okay, maybe my current avatar only took four if I don't count the time I spent looking for the sprites.

[Castle Pokemetroid]

Hmm. I acually understand the way you feel about you makin comics Dmoon. When I was making the frames for the thingy in my sig, I felt like I had to do it every day. I even felt that way after finishing it and made two other little vids. But then, shortly after, I learn the existance of photoshop.

I can't even find a way of obtaining it. Once I do, I'll start on another one, but to use paint to make every single little frame in a vid, now that's hard.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Try The Gimp, perhaps, instead?

[Destina Faroda]

Hmm. I acually understand the way you feel about you makin comics Dmoon. When I was making the frames for the thingy in my sig, I felt like I had to do it every day. I even felt that way after finishing it and made two other little vids. But then, shortly after, I learn the existance of photoshop.

See, I can get like that for a few days, but the problem is that in the time that it takes for me to do one simple thing, everyone else is miles ahead and that lack of progress causes me to enjoy the activity a lot less.  For a while I thought Photoshop would solve a lot of my problems. Then I actually worked with Photoshop, and it completely overwhelmed me.  I still would love to use it; it's a great program, but it won't grant me any talent, either.

I can't even find a way of obtaining it. Once I do, I'll start on another one, but to use paint to make every single little frame in a vid, now that's hard.

I use Paint for a good 75% of any visual editing I do.  The only times I use GIMP are for arranging objects or for an effect that would be hard to do in Paint.  GIMP and Photoshop are just too unwieldy, in my opinion.

[Darkmoon]

If I didn't have Photoshop, my comic would take hours, not minutes. Trying to do the things I do with the comic in a less capable program bogs down the whole process.

[Daoswarrior2033]

Cool comic man. Hmmmm a cat fight between Sindra and Damaris would be good, a pervets dream come true.

[Destina Faroda]

If I didn't have Photoshop, my comic would take hours, not minutes. Trying to do the things I do with the comic in a less capable program bogs down the whole process.

Then that's a challenge.  Try to make a special CVRPG without Photoshop.  Heck, just use Paint and Irfanview (for resizing).  Come on, you can DO it!

[Darkmoon]

Nope. If I do that, it won't look the same, nor will I be able to go back later and do revisions to it if need be (I have every comic since #70 saved in case of this eventuality, which, considering that I've had to go and do that for the very early comics, is exactly the reason).

[Damaris]

Additionally, he's spent YEARS learning how to fully use Photoshop.  Using paint (and increasing the difficulty) isn't going to make him grow as an artist, so the point of increasing the difficulty by using sub-par equipment is completely overshadowed by a "reality-tv-esqe" challenge.

[Destina Faroda]

Well, if you say no, then that's the end of it.  It would have had some entertainment value for me, though.  What a shame.

[Darkmoon]

You're the only one that would have found that entertaining.

[Castle Pokemetroid]

Try The Gimp, perhaps, instead?

Dude, box guy, what teh heck is that? Never heard of it, as I don't have that neither.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

*sigh* Why you can't just use google, I don't know...

The Gnu Image Manipulation Package, or Gimp. www.gimp.org.

If you're used to photoshop, you can probably find a package for setting Gimp up to look and behave more like photoshop than it does already. It's called GimpShop.