The Clockwork Mansion

Village Square => The Lost Lake Inn => Topic started by: Clayton_n on December 07, 2006, 06:24:05 PM

Title: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Clayton_n on December 07, 2006, 06:24:05 PM
I understand why Mab's brother's comic can't be bought, rip off of a video game that it is, but why hasn't Mad had her comic published? Other webcomics are, many of them not quite as well drawn. El Goonish Shive, Megatokyo, Girly, Van Von Hunter, Chugworth Academy, Penny Arcade... many of these have now found their way into bookstores. So why hasn't Mab published yet? And who here wouldn't buy it?
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Aisha deCabre on December 07, 2006, 06:30:08 PM
Mab probably has her reasons...plus as a webcomic, seeing as the internet spans all over the world, the comic would get a little more worldwide recognition.

Although I wouldn't really hesitate to buy the book, yeah.    :B
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Stygian on December 07, 2006, 06:44:55 PM
Right now, it certainly wouldn't be "reader friendly" for those who are not net geeks, but simply furries. I know it might be a foreign concept, but... Some people might not know the references.

So, if Amber ever were to make an actual book of all this, she would probably have to set another storyline and origin point. The world and characters of course would be the same, as would their relationships, but we wouldn't see many of the earlier comics and it would probably be quite separate from the rest of the storyline.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Amber Williams on December 07, 2006, 07:02:24 PM
Actually Stygian, a good chunk of emails I get are from people who have told me that while they don't care for furries for the most part, they find DMFA to be a decent comic since it avoids going into major furry-references.  The main critique I get of DMFA is "I didnt think I'd like it cause it was a furry comic, but I was suprised." that and "The archives are kind of painful, but it gets better in both art and storytelling quick."

There are a few reasons why DMFA will never be a book. One is that I don't have the high-rez files of over 90% of the archives...either because for the longest time I didnt bother to save them (DMFA was never started as a professional pursuit), or due to the hard drive crash.

The main reason though, is quite simply I don't desire to see DMFA in print format. While I'm sure some readers would enjoy it...the amount of work I'd have to put into making it doable combined with the costs are just not appealing.  It's not something I want to do, and its not something I want to happen...so odds are it wont simply because of that.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: llearch n'n'daCorna on December 07, 2006, 08:16:43 PM
*wikus*
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Amber Williams on December 07, 2006, 08:23:20 PM
THATS MY JOB BOX!  >:]
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Zedd on December 07, 2006, 08:26:14 PM
I think he likes to be your parrot Amber...Now that would be odd..Llearch with feathers and cusing up like Barrey the parrot...He likes talking in a spanish accent and knew how to say the word fuck..
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: llearch n'n'daCorna on December 07, 2006, 10:17:33 PM
Quote from: Amber Panyko on December 07, 2006, 08:23:20 PM
THATS MY JOB BOX!  >:]

Well, you're welcome to add it, and any other frequently asked questions you had asked of you, to the wiku. Or, should I say, the wikuwiki...
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: RJ on December 07, 2006, 10:58:44 PM
Topic moved to the DMFA section... because I felt like it.  :)
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Alondro on December 08, 2006, 12:14:11 AM
*Charles nods*  Amber doesn't need to do it in book form... because if my animation company ever makes it to the big time, DMFA is on the top of the list of series ideas.  Or maybe a spin-off... SAIA, The Cubi Years... yesssss...  >:3

*Charline muwah ha ha ha... the evil is working it's magic!*  Yippy, skippy... the Evil..  :3
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Darkmoon on December 08, 2006, 07:17:11 AM
And I probably could get away with publishing it, if I wanted, simply due to US parody protection.

However, I don't really think sprites look good printed.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Taross on December 08, 2006, 08:11:44 AM
Publishing Mab as a Book sounds nice, but she makes a better Ruler.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: llearch n'n'daCorna on December 08, 2006, 08:59:02 AM
Quote from: Darkmoon on December 08, 2006, 07:17:11 AM
And I probably could get away with publishing it, if I wanted, simply due to US parody protection.

However, I don't really think sprites look good printed.

Uh. I didn't think she folded that well...


Oh, well. Learn something new every day...
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: LionHeart on December 08, 2006, 11:17:19 AM
Quote from: Taross on December 08, 2006, 08:11:44 AM
Publishing Mab as a Book sounds nice, but she makes a better Ruler.

Like this? (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_232.php) :D
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: ShiningShadow on December 08, 2006, 12:11:17 PM
That's why Amber have it in this format and I love every bit of it. If it comes out in a book form I'm there to buy two copies. But this is Amber's decision and i repsect her for it.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Tiger_T on December 09, 2006, 08:05:19 PM
I wonder if there are people out there, printing the comic out and making their own personal book with it. :3
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Tapewolf on December 09, 2006, 08:13:09 PM
Quote from: Tiger_T on December 09, 2006, 08:05:19 PM
I wonder if there are people out there, printing the comic out and making their own personal book with it. :3

Not yet, but I have the facilities and intention to do so.  Whatever Mab may think, I think that what she's done deserves to be archived in a (hopefully) more permanent format.   >:3

For anyone who's curious, the HP2605 is a good machine for doing this.  It's a colour laser, rather than an inkjet, and pretty cheap to boot.  The tricky part is to improve the quality of the strips.
Vectorizing them might be an idea, but I don't have any decent software which will do that, so I'm simply doubling the size, running them through an anti-JPEG filter and doing a semi-automated recolouring job to purify the colours.  The results are pretty decent, although obviously not the same as having real high-res versions :cry
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Azlan on December 09, 2006, 09:16:33 PM
I talk to a frequent amount of people who know about DMFA, read it and are not furry, or do not like furries... the comedy, characterization and fun is the major attraction.  In actuallity, it might be better for DMFA if no furries were among its readership... wait, did I type that in plain text? 

If it was in a book format, I would buy it... to at least have a semi-permanent record of its existence long after the comic and site have gone away.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Zedd on December 09, 2006, 09:53:29 PM
I would keep it as a momento of a lifetime
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Tapewolf on December 10, 2006, 07:25:08 AM
Quote from: Azlan on December 09, 2006, 09:16:33 PM
If it was in a book format, I would buy it... to at least have a semi-permanent record of its existence long after the comic and site have gone away.
Azlan hits the nail on the head.

That's among the reasons I would like to buy the CALENDAR...
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Faerie Alex on December 10, 2006, 10:37:08 AM
Quote from: Azlan on December 09, 2006, 09:16:33 PM
I talk to a frequent amount of people who know about DMFA, read it and are not furry, or do not like furries... the comedy, characterization and fun is the major attraction.  In actuallity, it might be better for DMFA if no furries were among its readership... wait, did I type that in plain text? 
Reminds me of http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_204.php
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Fresnor on December 11, 2006, 02:47:19 AM
Well I think it would be kinda bloody turning Miss Mab into a book.  Either that or very creepy, especially if it starts talking to you... >.>
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Zedd on December 11, 2006, 02:57:55 AM
Quote from: Fresnor on December 11, 2006, 02:47:19 AM
Well I think it would be kinda bloody turning Miss Mab into a book. Either that or very creepy, especially if it starts talking to you... >.>

DMFA book: BUY ME!!!
Me: GAAHHHH!! GREAT HORNY TOADS!!! *jumps from store window*
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Azlan on December 11, 2006, 07:12:41 PM
Yes, just like the ruler of the world schtick... I was wondering how long it would take someone to go for the cheap comedy...
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Fresnor on December 12, 2006, 03:48:01 AM
Quote from: Azlan on December 11, 2006, 07:12:41 PM
Yes, just like the ruler of the world schtick... I was wondering how long it would take someone to go for the cheap comedy...

Well not everyone can afford expensive comedy :p
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: GabrielsThoughts on December 12, 2006, 09:04:59 PM
Quote from: Darkmoon on December 08, 2006, 07:17:11 AM
And I probably could get away with publishing it, if I wanted, simply due to US parody protection.

However, I don't really think sprites look good printed.

agreed your sprites actually do look like crap printed, something to do with the cmyk ratio. you'd have to pay Amber to draw the whole thing from scratch and have to keep it black and white for the shear time-consumi-ness...


now that I think about it I could publish all non fanbased works that I've drawn now that I recieved my  certificate of registration. however, unlike most people I'm not blessed with finances and Keenspace doth sucketh verily.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Damaris on December 12, 2006, 09:11:41 PM
nah.  He'd just take her website hostage.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Darkmoon on December 12, 2006, 11:20:22 PM
Hell, I did it once before. Why not?
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: llearch n'n'daCorna on December 13, 2006, 05:48:03 AM
Did you want us to come up with some reasons? :-)
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Darkmoon on December 13, 2006, 07:13:41 AM
If you think I need to be able to justify it...
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: llearch n'n'daCorna on December 13, 2006, 07:46:03 AM
Well... not until Amber catches you...
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Damaris on December 13, 2006, 09:46:34 AM
oh, like she'll be mad.  She'll just go... "whee, no update today!"

;)
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: llearch n'n'daCorna on December 13, 2006, 09:55:01 AM
Doesn't she do that every day? Y'know, until she realises it's update day? :-)
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Nikki on December 13, 2006, 10:11:55 AM
Well, i, myself want a book too, and i've found a solution:

I print the comics off XD (i've stopped at comic 145 cuz i ran out of ink ;; )

X3
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: ShiningShadow on December 13, 2006, 12:14:20 PM
Then you could get a bounded leather binder and *viola* you have a book but hey whatever you guys are doing it's your thing not me If and when Amber decides to print that book one day I'll be the first one to get the two copies.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: GabrielsThoughts on December 13, 2006, 12:27:16 PM
Adobe Illustrator can supposedly help you blow up Jpeg artwork to jumbo-jet-sized images from low quality jpegs, but that's just a rumor, you would need to find an expert on the subject and pay him a boat load of money.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: ShiningShadow on December 13, 2006, 12:42:49 PM
You didn't hear these suggestion from us. We are just talking in about that's all.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Tapewolf on December 13, 2006, 12:52:15 PM
Quote from: GabrielsThoughts on December 13, 2006, 12:27:16 PM
Adobe Illustrator can supposedly help you blow up Jpeg artwork to jumbo-jet-sized images from low quality jpegs, but that's just a rumor, you would need to find an expert on the subject and pay him a boat load of money.

Apparently it's a vector package, so if it can import JPEGs in a scalable manner I assume it does so by vectorisation, which is an approach I've considered.
I foresee the following problems with using Illustrator:
..your mileage may vary.

If anyone does have access to it, I'd be very interested to see the results of vectorising and doubling the size of #531 (easy) and #576 (hard)
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Darkmoon on December 13, 2006, 07:12:32 PM
I have that prog, actually... but I'm gonna need to look into vectorizing raster a little bit to actually come up with a good way of doing it.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: ShiningShadow on December 14, 2006, 07:34:39 AM
Really? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm  i'm most intrigued about this.
Title: Re: Publishing Miss Mab as a book
Post by: Sid on December 14, 2006, 11:54:19 AM
Vectorizing might work on Amber's uncompressed hi-res files. On the comics, with the JPG noise and what else not... no. I don't think so. At least not with the more recent comics. Especially not the comics that have semi-transparent effects and such.

I think I got such a program as part of the Corel Suite, I might give it a try later on.