NJ's Comments and Complaints on A Small Problem

[EmergencyExit]

Complaints: Besides the PD crossover and the occaisonal full page updates, this is the first time I've actually really been able to work with environment/backgrounds in EE with the next format, I never realized until this past year how restricting my strip format was. I changed the paneling style, though mostly keeping to the same scripting style. And man I do suck at backgrounds. And perspective and all that stuff. I am going to keep working hard at them though and not skimp out, but it is frustrating right now because they are so weak. Not that my character art is excellent, but they are much better than my environment art, so the contrast there bugs me too. But all I can do for now is keep practicing and keep trying to understand that perspective book of mine. But just to vent it out: "Nyaar I suck I hate myself why I make stupid comics! I stab you paper!" Ok I feel better, back to drawing.

Oh, and drawing tiny people is hard too, damn you and your shrink gun Eddie.

Comments: Speaking of that, some people on the tagboard mentioned Eddie being allot like Kyran in this storyline. It's not that surprising since the shrink ray idea when originally thought up was meant to be Kyran's. I didn't intend for him to shrink Delaine with it, but it was to be his invention nonetheless. The 12th's page was based off a script originally proposed by Orion, which was between Kyran and Delaine. In the end I needed to get Eddie and Saya more screen time, and found they are similar enough it's easy to switch. It's a good thing Eddie and Kyran are on opposite sides, I don't know if the world could take too much of them together.

I think someone on the tagboard mentioned me stealing the idea from a chibi rage thingy on Krakow something or other? I do not know what they speak of. If you're curious, I got the shrinking idea from, what else? Anime! Was watching a episode of Magic Users' Club where the main male character was shrunk for a episode, and I thought, that has allot of humorous possibility, I think I'll use that idea.

I hope the rest of the storyline pleases as it's one of my current favourites and is fun to draw despite my background frustrations.

One more thing, this storyline has gotten me over 650 hits so far from a forum that has specialized sections for fetishes. Apparently my storyline counts for the Shrinking Fetish. It's amazing what people get off on. But hey, NJ welcomes hits from all types!

[Roofpig]

Oh, and drawing tiny people is hard too, damn you and your shrink gun Eddie.

You're just lucky one of your characters isn't a fairy. I know the pains of drawing tiny people all too well.

As for backgrounds and perspective, I'm in the same boat with you. I'm thinking of getting a drawing book on perspective and really practicing it. Or I could just have backgrounds that look like they were built by a German expressionist film director.

[Eheheh]

I think someone on the tagboard mentioned me stealing the idea from a chibi rage thingy on Krakow something or other? I do not know what they speak of. If you're curious, I got the shrinking idea from, what else? Anime! Was watching a episode of Magic Users' Club where the main male character was shrunk for a episode, and I thought, that has allot of humorous possibility, I think I'll use that idea.

Pfft! *dismissive hand gesture* everyone shrinks at least one character at some point. Or gender-switches them, or gives them wings, or makes them into a furry at some point (or into a human if they're already furry), I think it must be somewhere in the Rules.

As for the background art issue - at least now you have to draw backgrounds and try to improve your perspective skills, this will in time lead to your art skills in general improving, which can only be a good thing, right?

[EmergencyExit]

Pfft! *dismissive hand gesture* everyone shrinks at least one character at some point. Or gender-switches them, or gives them wings, or makes them into a furry at some point (or into a human if they're already furry), I think it must be somewhere in the Rules.

As for the background art issue - at least now you have to draw backgrounds and try to improve your perspective skills, this will in time lead to your art skills in general improving, which can only be a good thing, right?

Shrink-Check, Furry-Check, Wings-Check, GenderSwap...it is coming, this was already planned. Of course I have entire image gallery devoted to other comic gender swaps I did. Also, I have done one EE swap of Vladic for a friend you can see in the EE gallery. But as far as in comic goes, patience and it will come.

And yeah I hope I improve by having to do them, otherwise I would be more sad. Again just annoying cause I wanna make good stuff for my readers, I just can't pull it off yet.

[834n]

Drawing tiny people should help you make more variety in your shots later, as I notice EE panels rarely zoom out far. Just replace the box Saya is sitting on with a bench, and the machines in the distance with buildings (though buildings are hard to draw themselves) and you've got yourself a big ol' to scale establishing shot.

[EmergencyExit]

Yeah, for the longest time the 250x250 style hasn't allowed much of that. But slowly it's something I'm working my way into, and the shrinking does help because more has to be shown in order to establish the tinyness.

And yeah, buildings, gawd. Not until I did that Vladic and Burgundy shopping storyline did I realize how freaking hard cities are, damn you being so good at them Bean. How many times must I read you Perspective book before I understand!?

Can't wait until I hit some of this stuff in Art classes.

Speaking of buildings another thing that bugs me, the Apartment. Worst apartment design ever. For a long time I have planned on redesigning it, and I finally have a basic idea for one. Now I just gotta stop being sick so I can start practicing it. Vladic was supposed to be my tool for the new design, that was the point of him having the laptop, designing the apartment.

http://www.eecomics.net/d/20041103.html

Course now I realized he never mentioned that was what the laptop was for after saying that, but I bet it's totally what he was doing. And I have decided that is why the laptop broke, apartment putting up a fit. Anyway, I think I might post some sketches on the forums when I start, since like, 5 readers post here. Sometimes.

When is the official makeover to take place? Well EE time-wise, only a matter of days. Storyline-wise, about three storylines ahead of this one. But, REAL time? So not happening this year unfortunately. Since I'm making it a storypoint, I can't just go making drastic changes without reason in the background, and I had to fit in between pre-written storylines where it'd flow best. So for now, everyone has to put up with that god awful blue-yellow colour scheme of death. And yes, everyone's apartments will get makeovers too though mostly just for the sake of the colours. I don't know why the apartment has such a lust for Easter themes. People have mentioned before it being visually distasteful, all the bright colours, and for the longest time I was all "Bah! I love bright colours, Rainbow Bright lead the way!" But you know, things happen and braincells develop. Which is how I tend to work allot with input. Somebody goes "hey, maybe it'd be better if you did it this way", or "wouldn't it be good if this happened?" and I'll be all "NO! You break the boundaries! That is now how it's always been! It couldn't possibly work!" Ten minutes later I realize I haven't stopped thinking about it and go "damn, why they always right?" And then I kick a penguin and get on with it. Ok so maybe I am still recovering from being sick and my brain is going off in strange directions. Man this post is long. Who the hell will read this stuff?

On a completely unrelated note, since I am on such a role here and it doesn't matter if I post here or on a journal very few people read this stuff either way, UF has still been active in my mind to assure fans. I hope to be able to start getting more solid scripts and sketches and designs and stuff out sometime next year, and may post them on the site. Randomly in bed this morning I decided Orrick needed allot more books in his room. In fact now his house will have have allot more books in general. If any of you read or watch the Read or Die series you'll know my influence.

Also, Nightmare Before Christmas back in theaters, whoo hoo! Please don't let me start up a fancomic!

[834n]

Not until I did that Vladic and Burgundy shopping storyline did I realize how freaking hard cities are, damn you being so good at them Bean.

Why thank you.

But your more recent attempts have been getting good. Like the cars in the parking lot when Jason and Jurinjo met, for example. It just takes practice, which is exactly what you've been doing. So keep it up! *Creepy smile ans a thumb up*

[EmergencyExit]

Since the thread has complaint in its title I'll whine here. I've noticed on some computer's depending on the brightness setting, my site looks horrible. The glowy banner design is way too bright, spreads too far and shows where the pixels end by cutting off. It's only been on some computers I've seen that this has happened. The comic colouring is really faint on these computers too but it's tolerable. It's annoying cause on mine and other comps it all looks fine, how is one to design something suitable for all settings? When I get the time I'm at least going to try fixed the cut off problem, but there seems to be no perfect way of doing the glow. I might have to put a note on the info page that viewing site is best in such and such resolution/brightness and stuff.

Anyway, in case anybody sees the site like that, I'm told it's cause of how high your brightness is.

Also sitting is one of the most complicated poses to draw.

[Purple]

For what it's worth, I really like the new glowy banner. I think it's neat.

(Yeah, I'm new to the forums. I introduced myself over at PD, but hi anyway. And I now am the 6th reader who posts here! Kudos for me)

[Eheheh]

Hi new member! *waves* Have you read Undead Friend? If so do you wanna join our game?
*stops hijaking NJ's thread*

[Purple]

Hi Eheheh! *waves back* Why, yes, I did read UF. And a most excellent comic it was too. And thanks for the invite to join your game. I would love to join in, but I lack two qualities essential to role-play: experience and time. However, I shall keep your offer in mind in case I do acquire either one of these traits. Trust me I will.

*Sorry about the continued hijacking of your thread NJ. I’ll stop too. *

[Scientivore]

Don't worry about people who have their settings wrong. If they cared about things looked, they'd fix their settings.

Besides, a far more common problem is people with old CRT monitors. The phosphors degrade over time and everything gets very dark.

So, it's impossible to make a website look good everywhere. David Simon, who does Crimson Dark (another one of my faves), eventually became so frustrated that he got one of those thingies for precisely calibrating your monitor.

Then he basically said anybody who thought that his comic was too dark or too bright was provably wrong, so they might as well save their breath from complaining, because he wasn't going to listen to it any more. I thought that was awesome.

[Cope]

Wee, Windwaker reference!

Um, was the leaf-floating a Windwaker reference?

[EmergencyExit]

I dunno what a Windwaker is, you speak crazy Cope!

Ok so I looked it up and I see what you mean, but no it wasn't alluding to that. It was a improvised thought on getting her down. But I can always "pretend" to be making nerdy game jokes.

Image for those who may be confused:


You know I'd have used that as a drawing reference had I known...