Wow, this came out of left field! I am so excited about this, though uggh, way to put the comic on hold during a super interesting arc!
edit: I really want to say though, I think this is an amazing decision for the comic. It definitely took me a long time after starting to read DMFA to brave the super old archives because some of the early ones were just a mess. I hope the old ones stay up in a separate area though for nostalgia. They have a certain charm to them, and it's amazing to see them and compare how much the art has improved.
(EDIT: Happy April Fool's Day guys :p)
Aw man,she backed-dated the archives... i wanted to compare the old 1st strip and the new 1st strip! D8
~K. *: T
Quote from: The RantOver the next few months I'll be going through and re-doing the first five chapters of the comic. Some will just be getting a fancy set of spackle-polish, while some will have some re-writes so they will fit more canonically with the overall comic theme, and some are just going to get fully redone. (looking at you pokemon arc) Unfortunately it will likely mean the main comic is going to experience a brief haitus
...Amber, having read a lot of webcomics in my time, I'd like to express my concern about this as being a
very dangerous activity. I've seen bad things happen to webcomics that try this. Usually the "infinite hiatus" variety of bad things. A few have succeeded, but even among them many have suffered drastic reductions in their update schedule, which is something you've really been working hard lately to try to pick back up.
I'm not telling you not to do it or anything (it's your comic, after all), I'm just trying to offer a warning as someone who has seen this kind of thing go bad: please be careful.
Also, might I make a request? If you're going to replace the early archives, could you keep the original versions tucked away in some separate archive on the site somewhere? They don't have to be in the main archive, and I know you hate your old art and everything, but to some of us they're kind of like pieces of history. They're a bit nostalgic, and I would be sad to see them vanish completely.
Oh crap, April Fool's. DAMMIT.
I was cheering at first, then I realized it was probably an April Fool's joke, then I saw that the "plan" was to put the main comic on hold for it and became thankful it was probably an April Fool's joke.
Still, this is nice, and if the backdating is permanent, all the nicer. (To be honest, the art in the early comics has never bothered me half as much as the continuity issues...)
April First senses... tingling........
But, on the off chance that you're not pulling our tails, it would be interesting to see what revisions you had in mind. If you do revise the archives, might i humbly suggest one new and one revised comic a week rather than a hiatus on the current arc?
That said and fools day aside, if any one could keep a loyal fan base through a revision, it'd be you. :hug
Still gave me quite a turn when I saw the update though. :mowtongue
I would like to see the originals kept in a seperate archive. One of the things I like is seeing the progression of the work. Also these remastered should have the remastered tag on them. If this is a outright April fools good one
Dang man, this is/would be a much more believable April Fools' joke than mine. DANG.
Do love seeing that first strip redrawn though, it's quite amazing.
Quick! Everybody save the old archives just in case!
.....darn XD
it wasnt until i got on here that i remembered april fools day XD well im hoping its real myself
Interesting to note though that she only considers the first five chapters to have continuity issues. gives a general idea of plot things XD (huh...and the one mention of humans is in that fifth chapter...)
and since were still getting the weekly matilda page, there will still be new material regardless, just not in relation to the main plot for those who dont want to see the remastering
Quote from: Jasae Bushae on April 01, 2013, 02:07:58 AM
.....darn XD
it wasnt until i got on here that i remembered april fools day XD well im hoping its real myself
Interesting to note though that she only considers the first five chapters to have continuity issues. gives a general idea of plot things XD (huh...and the one mention of humans is in that fifth chapter...)
and since were still getting the weekly matilda page, there will still be new material regardless, just not in relation to the main plot for those who dont want to see the remastering
Technically, we'd get some new material for the main comic as well (the whole reworking the Pokemon arc thing)
Being smack-dab in the middle of a chapter on April 1, it'd be a very strange place to do this for real and a very reasonable one to pretend.
Quote from: Lying Foo on April 01, 2013, 02:23:38 AM
Being smack-dab in the middle of a chapter on April 1, it'd be a very strange place to do this for real and a very reasonable one to pretend.
There could be kernels of truth in it. Maybe she plans to reduce to one update a week, with the other update being used to update the old archives
Or maybe she's using this thread to gauge reactions
Or maybe she's finally snapped and gone completely nuts, and some nights, when it is cold and the smell of tacos permeates the air, you may hear a quiet, "wiku" as the last sound you ever hear...
Quote from: Icalasari on April 01, 2013, 01:56:45 AM
Quick! Everybody save the old archives just in case!
Have been for some time. :-P
Quote from: Icalasari on April 01, 2013, 02:42:42 AM
Quote from: Lying Foo on April 01, 2013, 02:23:38 AM
Being smack-dab in the middle of a chapter on April 1, it'd be a very strange place to do this for real and a very reasonable one to pretend.
There could be kernels of truth in it. Maybe she plans to reduce to one update a week, with the other update being used to update the old archives
That would be really cool. She totally got me though at first. It was the explanation at the bottom... it just was really thought-out and made sense, plus she had been throwing the idea of remastered comics out there for years (though I think she said she didn't really plan to do them).
If it didn't just seem so out-of-nowhere I'd still almost be willing to think it was just a weird coincidence and she was serious about it... but it seems like something that would get thrown around a bit first before yanking the comic into a full hiatus out of the blue.
i read a few other comics (like say A girl and her fed (http://agirlandherfed.com/) and Goblins) which are actually doing this. though they generally juggle their schedule so that new content occurs alongside redone content.
that said, i suspect this is just an april fools day joke.. but if it isn't i won't complain much. :)
i read the early comics for the characters and funny storylines, but i started reading fairly recently so not much nostalgia involved over the early art for me.
though if it is true, wouldn't some of the 4th wall gags (like the transition between styles gag here (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_074.php) and a this funny moment (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_492.php)) be lost?
Too Cruel Mab... too cruel...
Quote from: Nino on April 01, 2013, 12:30:26 AM
Oh crap, April Fool's. DAMMIT.
...Damn. I need to pay attention to the calendar. And stop posting after midnight. She got me, if that's what this is.
This would just make the original strips I bought all the more valuable! :mowcookie
I just have to say, if this isn't an April Fool's joke, then I'm really excited. Or if, say, it was a one re-do a week and one current strip a week, I'd have to say that that would be pretty neat.
But if it's not, then great April Fool's! :D
I can't tell if this is an April Fool's joke, or a masterfully-timed honest announcement.
Well-played, Amber. Well played.
I just noticed something: despite the updated style, I think Mab's legs are digitigrade in panel one. Is that really the case, or are my own eyes fooling me, given what day it is today and all?
EDIT: If that really is the case, Amber might be trying to stay true to the comic's Furcadia origin.
Quote from: Wanderer on April 01, 2013, 06:57:21 AM
Quote from: Nino on April 01, 2013, 12:30:26 AM
Oh crap, April Fool's. DAMMIT.
...Damn. I need to pay attention to the calendar. And stop posting after midnight. She got me, if that's what this is.
Haha, I know, she got me really good. That was brilliant. Also I think because it was so unexpected... I think Amber has done very few (if any) 'special day' or 'holiday' artworks or comics since I started reading. But it's so believable and that's what makes it good... I think the fact that it ties into something she's considered doing in the past made it amazing. The fact that I'm still not sure it's entirely a prank or not is a testament to how masterfully pulled off this one was.
you know, thinking about it, given the original strips were even with fixing up were small three panel things which were pretty light on background (excepting the pokemon arc that could be replaced with anything) it would be pretty easy for her to do...I mean really really easy to keep up with.,....So she could probably even continue her current scedule and add on an extra update date...though i somehow doubt that would happen XD
Thank GODS this is april fools. I've seen too many webcomics die from this terrible, terrible genre of mistakes.
Quote from: Merlin on April 01, 2013, 01:15:56 AM
Dang man, this is/would be a much more believable April Fools' joke than mine. DANG.
Do love seeing that first strip redrawn though, it's quite amazing.
but you wouldn't have me basicly clawing at your page every two minutes for an update any other way
MERLIN WHERE ARE THE REST OF THE STRIPS GIVE THEM TO ME
GIVE THEM TO ME NOW I KNOW YOU HAVE THEM
YOU BASTARD
Quote from: icarus on April 01, 2013, 05:13:09 PM
Quote from: Merlin on April 01, 2013, 01:15:56 AM
Dang man, this is/would be a much more believable April Fools' joke than mine. DANG.
Do love seeing that first strip redrawn though, it's quite amazing.
but you wouldn't have me basicly clawing at your page every two minutes for an update any other way
MERLIN WHERE ARE THE REST OF THE STRIPS GIVE THEM TO ME
GIVE THEM TO ME NOW I KNOW YOU HAVE THEM
YOU BASTARD
Perhaps you can get back at her by doing something special with your comic for April Fools Day?
Also, this holiday aside, I can't help but wonder how much of yesterday Amber spent with her bunny, and whether she did anything special with him for that holiday, such as taking festive pictures.
...again. :-)
This had me floored when I first saw it. I was like, "All Right! Amber's gonna re-draw the old strips! Woo-hoo!" But then I realized that today is April Fools Day, and this was just a joke. But it's a good one. The updated archive, the possibility that this might, just might, not be a joke. and well... Ya got me, Amber, ya got me good. :-)
Well played, Miss Mab. Well played.
Now that everyone found out about the joke, it would make more sense, if she actually started re doing the old comics and then say:
"HAHA! I fooled you guys! It was actually true!"
Wait she will do it? Then she could not really do it and the jokes on us.
Quote from: icarus on April 01, 2013, 05:13:09 PM
but you wouldn't have me basicly clawing at your page every two minutes for an update any other way
MERLIN WHERE ARE THE REST OF THE STRIPS GIVE THEM TO ME
GIVE THEM TO ME NOW I KNOW YOU HAVE THEM
YOU BASTARD
Bwahahaha! Success!
The main story ends on Saturday so YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT, MISTER.
Which... bringing this back on topic, is how long we have to wait to see what Amber's doing with DMFA on Friday!
that only works out because I'm in a different time zone, but it works
Oh. Now I see why you're yelling at me.. AAAA WAITING FOR UPDATES
Well, April Fool's is over in Ontario...
Quote from: LoneHowler on April 01, 2013, 01:11:17 AM
I would like to see the originals kept in a seperate archive. One of the things I like is seeing the progression of the work. Also these remastered should have the remastered tag on them. If this is a outright April fools good one
Being able to point to the old strips and go 'Wow! Amber has come a
long way!' is very, very nice.
A Girl and Her Fed has been updating the art, and keeping, mostly, on track with new strips. Rogues of Clwd-Rhan on the other hand... Holy Carp! It's updated! Just went to check the spelling of Clwd-Rhan, and there were new strips! After three years
there are new strips!*Ahem* Sorry about that... if I hadn't needed to look up the spelling of Clwd-Rhan then I still would not know that it was updating.
Anyway... I like having the older DMFA comics to look at - sent my girfriend here not all that long ago.
The Auld Grump
Because the next update is Friday but the day is technically over, I can and will step in and say that yeah...the comic revisions are in fact an April Fool's joke. :U
Quote from: Amber Williams on April 02, 2013, 10:55:38 AM
Because the next update is Friday but the day is technically over, I can and will step in and say that yeah...the comic revisions are in fact an April Fool's joke. :U
Still way better than the Mishapocalypse on Tumblr...
So when will the page for comic #1 go back to the old art? (One of the first things I did was check to see if the old image was in the old archives.)
Probably along with the update on Friday. I didn't want to swap it back currently since it would mean the image on the front page would then revert back to the old version and that would just be confusing. :U
I bow to your incredible April Foolsing skills.
Bravo!
As much as I love the revised version of strip #1, if it had been true and I had to wait about six months to see more of Piflak toying around with Dan... :redrum
Quote from: TheAuldGrump on April 02, 2013, 01:02:21 AM
Quote from: LoneHowler on April 01, 2013, 01:11:17 AM
I would like to see the originals kept in a seperate archive. One of the things I like is seeing the progression of the work. Also these remastered should have the remastered tag on them. If this is a outright April fools good one
Being able to point to the old strips and go 'Wow! Amber has come a long way!' is very, very nice.
Indeed, someone I know actually used DMFA as an example for this purpose in an art class, once. He showed the first comics, "This is where Amber started." then he showed the up-to-date comics at the time, "And this is where she is ten years later." Apparently, even with such evidence, most of the people in the class went with the typical reaction of "Oh mah gawd I will never be that good!"
Quote from: Amber Williams on April 02, 2013, 02:31:42 PM
Probably along with the update on Friday. I didn't want to swap it back currently since it would mean the image on the front page would then revert back to the old version and that would just be confusing. :U
I am curious: Are there any plans to ever update the old ones and put the originals in a separate archive, since there was some positive reception to this?