"ASR: Unearthly Delights" is finished!

[Prankster]

And there ya go. One complete 38 strip-story. Try reading it from the beginning, the pacing's a bit weird, but it holds up better that way.

Next story, "Love Letter", starts Sept 09. It's drawn, in case I haven't repeated it often enough, by Teague Tysseling of http://cmooki.kenspace.com.

Now's the time for comments, if you have them. C'mon, nature abhors a vacuum!

[Prankster]

Wow! Thanks Brentos, I couldn't have asked for a more concise and well-thought-out commentary! (Well, I could have, but I wouldn't have got it.)

You certainly seem to jibe with my own vibe in many ways. I'm aware the art can be a little rough sometimes. There was absolutely zilch of a backlog, so the art generally varies depending on whether or not I was "on" that day. I was usually too rushed and/or tired to go back and fix the panels I didn't like. Hopefully that'll change with this new storyline; I've got a guest artist for the next month, which will enable me to get well ahead on the next plotline. I have a lot of very visual ideas, and my designs often look pretty good, but actually drawing out backgrounds gives me a headache. I'd much rather draw the characters.

As for the story, really glad to hear you liked it. As with most creative people on big stories, I lost all sense of perspective a few weeks in, and had no idea if what I was doing was any good or not. (Writing-wise OR art-wise.) I rewrote the script so much on the fly that I feel like it got a bit incoherent.

Anyway, if you liked the story, stay tuned. Some of the upcoming, evolving plotlines I've got planned are going to be WICKED if I do them properly. I've introduced the main elements and characters (as you can probably tell) so for the next little while the plots are going to be shorter, more like "one-offs", little riffs on the characters.

As for yourself, Brentos, what's your comic URL? You do have a comic, right?

[Redmenace5]

Well, like I said back in the other forum, that's a mighty fine opening storyline - nicely introduced our main cast, letting them each have their time in the spotlight and getting them some good character development. And, of course, the note from the mysterious shadowy criminal grandmaster is a nice touch. There's some mystery, too, what with the architect there. So, all in all, I'd say it was a rousing success. Pip pip!

What else?

The art did tend to shift around a bit in the middle (Yeah, like I should talk) - to me, it mainly looks like you're purposely going for that "quick, sketchy" feel so that's fine. It was just when the preceeding comic had a more refined look that it was a bit jarring.

Felched- Feltched? - Sorry, don't have the name in front of me- was fun to watch. I just really liked his character design, big weird gangly moth guy with big bloodshot eyes. Creepy. So I liked that.

I want a hat like Crash Landerson. Crash was a real hoot to read, especially liked the bit where he was flying around and Trish thought he was showing off.

And, even now, I'm still amused by "Please Bring Obflax!"

[Prankster]

The name's Felderd, buddy, and don't you forget it.

BTW, the next storyline is sort of focused on Crash, so watch for it.

[Prankster]

Hmm. OK, well, I guess Sci-Fi sexism is pretty much the driving principle behind the storylines. Though I wouldn't have phrased it quite that way.

It pretty much started as this throwaway idea in "Night Shift", of a cheesy, gratuitous program that Wendell & Roberto enjoyed. (As per that first strip.) But Harry liked it too, so it had to be at least superficially worthwhile and enjoyable (Harry watches it for the T & A too, but he'd never admit it.) So, the more I thought about it, I thought it might be fun to do an actual strip and riff on those ideas, sort of a postmodern kitschy romp. Kinda like Xena: Warrior Princess, or, more to the point, Buffy The Vampire Slayer (which is a major inspiration, for the tone if not for the actual content--I like the alternation of comedy and dark, serious, action.)

Basically I wanted the stories, if they were summarized, to sound totally juvenile and gratuitous, and use ideas from cheesy 70s TV shows and such (hence the nods to Charlie's Angels and Fantasy Island) but the actual execution be fairly serious.

The strip's going to be more of the same--humourous SF adventure--for quite a while yet. But, I do have some ideas for future storylines that get a little more dark and intense. I'm an "upbeat" kinda guy, so it's not going to turn into "Spawn" or anything, but I wouldn't want things to get safe and predictable. I can't promise things won't change, or that characters won't die...

But, that's a ways away. I'll let you get nice and cozy first... 8)

[Brentos]

Yeah! What you said is exactly what I meant to say. Oh yeah!

[Prankster]

Interesting stuff, Brentos. It looks funny, but do you have a regular archive for these Deezle Weezle strips? I'd like to read them.

[Brentos]

Everything I got is on that site. For now that is, I'll have my own site someday, hopefully soon. I'm hoping to meet someone in Tiawan that can build me a site because I honestly don't have a clue. But enough about widdle old me! I can't wait to see what else you got in store with your strip! Oh yeah!