The Clockwork Mansion

Village Square => Jayhawk HQ => Topic started by: Sofox on April 01, 2009, 06:33:34 AM

Title: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Sofox on April 01, 2009, 06:33:34 AM
Well, you could say he was doing it in the interests of full disclosure.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 01, 2009, 06:41:13 AM
There will actually be a page 58 this week, hence the fractional (irrational?) page number in the rant.  Also, people may find this page is best viewed with a CRT monitor.

EDIT:  Figured I may as well change the thread title.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: techmaster-glitch on April 01, 2009, 09:18:53 AM
Seems to me this comic would have been best saved for later as a filler, but meh.

(Joshua?) looks very appropriately annoyed in this comic :3
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 01, 2009, 09:27:03 AM
Quote from: techmaster-glitch on April 01, 2009, 09:18:53 AM
Seems to me this comic would have been best saved for later as a filler, but meh.

It was a bit touch-and-go with the deadline, not least because I finally got the lineart around 20 minutes to midnight.  If we had flunked it, then yes, I'd have used it for filler.  We did do something for April last year and it would have been a shame to miss out this year.

On another topic, I suppose it's as good a time as any to announce that we'll be running a second strip in parallel, a character backstory along the lines of Abel's Story.  It will probably be monthly and since Ren unfortunately cannot fit it in (we tried but it got pushed back twice), someone else will be doing the line-art.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: techmaster-glitch on April 01, 2009, 09:36:57 AM
Quote from: Tapewolf on April 01, 2009, 09:27:03 AM
On another topic, I suppose it's as good a time as any to announce that we'll be running a second strip in parallel, a character backstory along the lines of Abel's Story.  It will probably be monthly and since Ren unfortunately cannot fit it in (we tried but it got pushed back twice), someone else will be doing the line-art.
Would this be the original Chronicles? :eager
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 01, 2009, 09:40:48 AM
Quote from: techmaster-glitch on April 01, 2009, 09:36:57 AM
Would this be the original Chronicles? :eager
A chapter from it, yes.  If it proves popular I might do more, but I'm looking at doing a particular chapter as a 12-part short to begin with.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Jairus on April 01, 2009, 10:50:39 AM
Is this a subversion of all those tropes about how you rarely see or hear references bathrooms or toilets or even the usage of the same in various media? Well, aside from being funny.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 01, 2009, 10:57:17 AM
Quote from: Jairus on April 01, 2009, 10:50:39 AM
Is this a subversion of all those tropes about how you rarely see or hear references bathrooms or toilets or even the usage of the same in various media? Well, aside from being funny.

I can't quite remember the genesis of this idea, but IIRC it was something that cropped up on an IM session or a PM conversation.  I have a feeling that llearch was involved in it but I could be wrong (I'd have to check).  I was originally going to modify the script for chapter 8 to accommodate the idea but decided it might be better as an April Fool strip.

The idea that Joshua would be even more annoyed because he can't go anymore only occurred to me fairly late in the game.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: AmigaDragon on April 01, 2009, 11:49:15 AM
If he can take in food, even if he can't process it, he would have to go anyway, unless it all goes to an internal incinerator. Even then there'd at least be a little ash. Yeah, take a Mr Fusion from Back To The Future 2 and put that where his stomach would be. :mowcookie
OK, so instead of the bathroom, he could use any convenient trash can.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 01, 2009, 12:00:17 PM
Quote from: AmigaDragon on April 01, 2009, 11:49:15 AM
If he can take in food, even if he can't process it, he would have to go anyway, unless it all goes to an internal incinerator

Actually, since he takes in rods of boron-11 through the chest panel (see Dorcan) the waste would primarily consist of Helium-4.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Mao on April 01, 2009, 12:04:02 PM
laymen terms:  He farts and everyone with lungs and vocal chords talks squeeky.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Pagan on April 01, 2009, 12:24:13 PM
Thank you, Mao.

If I remember correctly, Jak pretty directly told Joshy-boy not to eat anything.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Ren Gaulen on April 01, 2009, 01:02:24 PM
Quote from: Pagan on April 01, 2009, 12:24:13 PM
Thank you, Mao.

If I remember correctly, Jak pretty directly told Joshy-boy not to eat anything.
That was with his older robotic body, I believe. Though I don't think he can eat now that he has an advanced robotic body either.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 01, 2009, 01:49:06 PM
Quote from: Ren Gaulen on April 01, 2009, 01:02:24 PM
That was with his older robotic body, I believe. Though I don't think he can eat now that he has an advanced robotic body either.

Since he is now wholly devoid of organic components, it pretty much goes without saying  >:3
If he did, it would certainly interfere with his ability to speak.  Though since it would feel nothing whatsoever like what putting something in his mouth used to feel like, I doubt he'd get to the swallowing part before he thought "Maybe this isn't a good idea".
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: llearch n'n'daCorna on April 01, 2009, 01:56:28 PM
OTOH, it's often useful to be able to fake things when you want to remain incognito...
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 01, 2009, 02:23:11 PM
Quote from: llearch n'n'daCorna on April 01, 2009, 01:56:28 PM
OTOH, it's often useful to be able to fake things when you want to remain incognito...

True.  No provision for it has been made in the current model (see Dorcan's interior) but it's liable to be added as an upgrade later.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Jack McSlay on April 02, 2009, 10:05:57 PM
he has a quite significant bulge for a cyborg
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: llearch n'n'daCorna on April 02, 2009, 11:06:32 PM
That would be Daryil's influence. And Joshua hasn't noticed yet. Either that or Tapewolf isn't willing to sink that low quite so soon...
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 03:38:11 AM
Quote from: llearch n'n'daCorna on April 02, 2009, 11:06:32 PM
That would be Daryil's influence. And Joshua hasn't noticed yet. Either that or Tapewolf isn't willing to sink that low quite so soon...

You think I told Keaton how long his member was?  :B  Ask her about that... I just said 'Draw Joshua and Jakob'.  I honestly hadn't noticed until it was pointed out.

Though it does remind me of Niall.  Amber was a trifle generous there when she drew him.  When I used her picture as a reference at RBW, the guy obviously spotted it and made it bigger still.  I might use his pic as a reference at AC - a few more iterations and it'll be as long as his muzzle.

Anyway, I'm slightly disappointed that no-one seems to have said "What the heck is _____ all about?"  I guess no-one has looked at the comic with a CRT monitor.  Seriously, most TFTs are 6-bit, which means they can only display 262144 colours and the fine detail gets lost.  Turning the brightness and contrast to minimum might help, though.  Gimp or photoshop is better yet.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: llearch n'n'daCorna on April 03, 2009, 04:08:30 AM
Looking at it with a CRT, I can't see the difference between that and my TFT.

This may just mean that I can't see what you're talking about, of course.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 04:16:24 AM
Quote from: llearch n'n'daCorna on April 03, 2009, 04:08:30 AM
Looking at it with a CRT, I can't see the difference between that and my TFT.

This may just mean that I can't see what you're talking about, of course.

Probably.  It's deliberately made very faint.  I was going to make it just a few levels off white, but having it appear as a smudge was a good enough compromise.


**EDIT**

Unfortunately we're looking at a Saturday or Sunday update again.  However, I should be able to make up for it as we'll probably have two updates.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Gabi on April 03, 2009, 09:27:53 AM
That's not an irrational number. Show me the missing digits. >:]

Anyway, the strip was funny... but I'm afraid I have no idea what you mean and my monitor is CRT. Are you talking about the unreadable phrase below "Project Future"?
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 09:28:39 AM
Quote from: Gabi on April 03, 2009, 09:27:53 AM
That's not an irrational number. Show me the missing digits. >:]

Anyway, the strip was funny... but I'm afraid I have no idea what you mean and my monitor is CRT.

There's a secret message.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Gabi on April 03, 2009, 09:32:55 AM
Ah, right. I'd seen there was something but couldn't read it. Now that I've opened it with The Gimp and reduced the contrast, I've managed to read it, but it still makes no sense to me. Is it a quote? I know it's a pun on the phrase "gone out", but it has nothing to do with the comic.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Sunblink on April 03, 2009, 09:32:55 AM
Quote from: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 03:38:11 AM
Quote from: llearch n'n'daCorna on April 02, 2009, 11:06:32 PM
That would be Daryil's influence. And Joshua hasn't noticed yet. Either that or Tapewolf isn't willing to sink that low quite so soon...

You think I told Keaton how long his member was?  :B  Ask her about that... I just said 'Draw Joshua and Jakob'.  I honestly hadn't noticed until it was pointed out.

GOD DAMMIT! XD

I swear to god that it's the angle!

I CAN'T DRAW PEOPLE IN PROFILE
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 09:34:40 AM
Quote from: Gabi on April 03, 2009, 09:32:55 AM
Ah, right. I'd seen there was something but couldn't read it. Now that I've opened it with The Gimp and reduced the contrast, I've magaged to read it, but it still makes no sense to me. Is it a quote?

Unfortunately it's somewhat UK-centric.  Heck, it was going 2AM when I suddenly got the idea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_(TV_series)

Quote from: Keaton the Black Jackal on April 03, 2009, 09:32:55 AM
GOD DAMMIT! XD
I swear to god that it's the angle!

Good  :P
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Gabi on April 03, 2009, 09:37:21 AM
Ah. Thanks for the info. :)
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Pagan on April 03, 2009, 10:32:14 AM
Quote from: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 03:38:11 AM
Though it does remind me of Niall.  Amber was a trifle generous there when she drew him.  When I used her picture as a reference at RBW, the guy obviously spotted it and made it bigger still.  I might use his pic as a reference at AC - a few more iterations and it'll be as long as his muzzle.

Amber drew a pic of Niall? Can the plebs see this picture?
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 10:46:31 AM
Quote from: Pagan on April 03, 2009, 10:32:14 AM
Amber drew a pic of Niall? Can the plebs see this picture?

I thought there was a link in the commissions thread, but I can't find it.

Anyway, these are the coloured-line versions.  I have black-line versions which I actually prefer, but not on me (I'm at work).  I used them for their wiki entries, though.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/dmfa/Niall.png
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/dmfa/Dorcan_Full25.png

...simply put, I couldn't decide which character to commission, so I asked for Jakob, Dorcan and Niall posing for a photo shoot (yes, I paid extra for that).  It's not yet complete, Jakob himself is the missing piece.

EDIT:

http://dmfa.wikia.com/wiki/Image:05_Niall.png
http://dmfa.wikia.com/wiki/Image:05_Dorcan.png
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Sunblink on April 03, 2009, 10:46:55 AM
Quote from: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 09:34:40 AMGood  :P

Amber pointed out a while back that as time goes on, Jyrras's ears will grow large enough to smother entire cities and her characters' hair will become sharp enough to pierce skin.

In my case, by the time I'm thirty, every man I draw will end up looking like he's smuggling one of Jupiter's moons in his pants. :<
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Jairus on April 03, 2009, 10:59:14 AM
Quote from: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 10:46:31 AM
Quote from: Pagan on April 03, 2009, 10:32:14 AM
Amber drew a pic of Niall? Can the plebs see this picture?

I thought there was a link in the commissions thread, but I can't find it.

Anyway, these are the coloured-line versions.  I have black-line versions which I actually prefer, but not on me (I'm at work).  I used them for their wiki entries, though.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/dmfa/Niall.png
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/dmfa/Dorcan_Full25.png

...simply put, I couldn't decide which character to commission, so I asked for Jakob, Dorcan and Niall posing for a photo shoot (yes, I paid extra for that).  It's not yet complete, Jakob himself is the missing piece.
Wow... the last I saw of those was a Dorcan doodle months ago. They've really come along, haven't they?

Quote from: Keaton the Black Jackal on April 03, 2009, 10:46:55 AM
Quote from: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 09:34:40 AMGood  :P

Amber pointed out a while back that as time goes on, Jyrras's ears will grow large enough to smother entire cities and her characters' hair will become sharp enough to pierce skin.
And at that point, headbutts shall be the most lethal attack in the entire series!

Quote from: Keaton the Black Jackal on April 03, 2009, 10:46:55 AM
In my case, by the time I'm thirty, every man I draw will end up looking like he's smuggling one of Jupiter's moons in his pants. :<
Which one? Io, Europa, Ganymede, or Callisto? Or one of the smaller non-Galilean moons? And how much will your commission prices be at that point?
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 12:26:56 PM
Here we go:

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/dmfa/Dorcan-Blackline25.png
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k216/tapewolf/dmfa/Niall-Blackline25.png

Quote from: Jairus on April 03, 2009, 10:59:14 AM
Wow... the last I saw of those was a Dorcan doodle months ago. They've really come along, haven't they?
Well, strictly they're finished.  IIRC we agreed that she was going to create the figures separately so that I could do the character placement as I saw fit.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 04:14:43 PM
Okay, I lied.  There is an update, just not the one most of you are expecting.  Go see.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: AmigaDragon on April 04, 2009, 12:31:59 AM
Quote from: Tapewolf on April 03, 2009, 09:34:40 AM
Quote from: Gabi on April 03, 2009, 09:32:55 AM
Ah, right. I'd seen there was something but couldn't read it. Now that I've opened it with The Gimp and reduced the contrast, I've magaged to read it, but it still makes no sense to me. Is it a quote?

Unfortunately it's somewhat UK-centric.  Heck, it was going 2AM when I suddenly got the idea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_(TV_series)

What are you talking about? I played with gamma, brightness and contrast and never saw any words show up in my CRT. usually I have more trouble seeing darker stuff because of the reduced dynamic range of my screen, i.e. most of DMFA #989 (http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_989.php) is too dark for me to see without messing with the gamma in PSP 7.

I saw nothing of any informative use in that wiki link. At least nothing that told me anything about the series.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: llearch n'n'daCorna on April 04, 2009, 04:43:12 AM
There's a comment under the "project future" tag, in the image.

It's very faint, and only barely visible if you can get the contrast and brightness balanced just right.


Well, ok. It's two comments.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Sofox on April 04, 2009, 07:04:04 AM
I just copied it into MS paint and did a black fill of the rest of the image.

Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: llearch n'n'daCorna on April 04, 2009, 08:57:10 AM
... actually, that'd probably be simpler.

Dammit, Sofox, when did you get all sensible and stuff? ;-]
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 07, 2009, 06:29:46 AM
Just as a heads-up, I put together a fake version of page 58 from spare parts.  As I was uploading it last night, Ren reappeared and suggested I hold off as the proper version would be sent soon.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 07, 2009, 04:10:33 PM
Ren seems to be offline again so I've decided to go with the composite page.  More effort went into this one than the last time I had to do this and it follows a basic design Jay gave me.  Thanks.

As usual, when I finally get the lineart I'll replace it.  I won't be able to do that for the next update as it changes scene.

EDIT:

That may be sooner than expected, but not tonight.  Apparently Ren's pen burst and it had to be redrawn.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 08, 2009, 08:55:50 AM
Triple-post.  Aren't I wicked?

Anyway.  As a brief announcement, I got the final line-art this morning so there should hopefully be an update of the comic tonight.

However, from the delay it's caused we're not going to have a proper update on schedule Friday, though with luck I'll at least have some kind of ETA by then.  So there might be some kind of filler instead.  When chapter 8 begins we should hopefully be able to build up a short buffer again.
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: llearch n'n'daCorna on April 08, 2009, 09:05:25 AM
yay!
Title: Re: 01/04/09 [PF #57.314159] - Comprehensive tour
Post by: Tapewolf on April 08, 2009, 04:17:57 PM
Here I hold the finished piece... "Don Juan Triumphant"!