Archive - Aug 2003 - Story
Community Interview Number #6 with Tycho & Gabe of Penny Arcade
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on August 31, 2003 - 23:01
It's time for Community Interview #6. This time Tycho & Gabe of Penny Arcade have agreed to answer your questions. Here's how it works -- post your question to Tycho & Gabe in a comment in response to this post.
ONE QUESTION PER COMMENT, PLEASE.
If you see another question you think is interesting, moderate it up. If you see something not so useful, moderate it down. We'll take questions for two weeks, until Friday, September 12th. We'll send the top ten questions to Tycho & Gabe to answer.
August 30th
Sneak Peek of THE GUARDIANS now available.
Submitted by GraveyardGreg on August 31, 2003 - 01:09
Over at the Gaming Guardians' forums is a sneak peek of the first page of THE GUARDIANS, coming to Graphic Smash on September 15th.
New Project One Year Anniversary
Submitted by genome108 on August 30, 2003 - 21:36
Keenspace comic New Project celebrates its one year anniversary today. (August 30th). New Project has also recently finished its first chapter, "The House At The End Of The Road", and begun the second, "Drifting Through The Void". Although the comic has been on hiatus for the last few weeks, it will return to a daily schedule starting September 1st.
August 29th
Graphic Smash Launches September 15
Submitted by TCampbell on August 29, 2003 - 12:37
The subscription site for action-adventure webcomics is set to launch September 15.
Edited by T Campbell, the site will feature thirty regular strips, including:
Die Bitch Die by Edmund Wong
Digger by Ursula Vernon
Felicity by John Troutman
Flick by Mikael Oskarsson
The Guardians by Graveyard Greg (with T Campbell) and Webtroll
Gun Street Girl by Barb Lien-Cooper and Ryan Howe
Interplanetary Grift by Jim Keplinger
Killroy and Tina by Justin Pierce
The License by Matthew Shepherd and Diego Jourdan
Mnemesis by Sylvan Migdal
Mythos and Magick by Jamie Robertson and Erin Zerbe
NonPersons by Amber "Glych" Greenlee
Ram by Brian Daniel
Rip & Teri by T Campbell and John Waltrip
Skirting Danger by Meredith Gran
She's a Nightmare by Jesse Chen
Soul Chaser Betty by Brian Babendererde (BMAN)
The Twisting by The Marvelous Patric
Vigil by Juan Navarro Navarro
Vigilante, Ho! by John Troutman and Meaghan Quinn
These strips range from urban fantasy to steampunk to Western comedy to traditional superhero to spy romance to horror to crime drama. "But they all have two things in common," says Campbell. "They all contain ass-kicking action, and they all, themselves, kick ass."
Graphic Smash has not finalized its entire lineup, and is extending its original submissions deadline. "We're keeping a few slots open for late arrivals," Campbell said, "so if you can get a couple of samples and a synopsis together and to me by September 8, you've still got a shot."
August 28th
NY Times Covers Homestarr Runner
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on August 28, 2003 - 17:23
The NY TIMES (free reistration required) has an article on Mike and Matt Chapman, the creators of Homestar Runner, which is gaining some notice amongst musicians and music video-types. They apparently have a CD of music from the site coming out soon.
More Details on Webhosting Service from Modern Tales
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on August 28, 2003 - 12:58
Webcomic Nation is a new hosting service from Joey Manley (currently in beta testing). Manley provides lots more information in a thread at Talkaboutcomics.
In a nutshell though key features of the new service include:
(1) a syndication service allowing other sites to display your content through a bit of HTML code (using a javascript file) (Xerexes: I wonder if it will support RSS feeds?).
(2) a newsletter service for distributing content through email.
(3) a greeting card feature to send electronic "cards."
(4) a blog-like journal feature.
(5) a bookmark feature for readers allowing them to save their place in reading through archives.
(6) there will also be a portal for comics using the service that will promote hosted comics. (Manley has posted a work-in-progress screenshot of the portal page.)
(7) support for subscriptions and micropayment options for comics.
Other interesting innovations include ongoing renaming of comic files in system to defeat in-lining thieves.
The Latest Scoop on MT's New Site: Graphic Smash
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on August 28, 2003 - 12:35
T Campbell has set up shop at Talkaboutcomics to answer questions about the forthcoming action-oriented Modern Tale spin-off site, Graphic Smash.
Graphic Smash has been described as a modern spin on the action adventure stories of the former MT site AdventureStrips.
Quality VERSUS Quantity?
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on August 28, 2003 - 10:27
A good debate on quality versus quantity over at this Comicon thread. Obviously a better comic is better than a not as good comic but as creators come from different backgrounds to the wide-open spaces of the web it's worth revisiting every basic assumption about formats, schedules, and conceptualizing new "boxes" for presenting webcomics to the audience.
Newspaper strip artists start off with the idea of mimicking the Monday through Friday (sometimes with the weekend added) grind of a newspaper schedule and comic book creators may instinctively produce a larger monthly or bi-monthly update. Their webcomics may look a lot like their offline analogues as well.
Don't forget to ask yourself why. The webcomic is a double-edged sword for the creator willing to take advantage not just of the publishing platform the Internet provides, but the artistic possibilities of this new medium. You are no longer boxed-in by the artistic and business constraints of the offline medium you've come from. There is considerable freedom in webcomicland and that is full of possibility and challenge.
Newsflash: Newspapers Continue to Strangle Comic Strips on Sunday Pages
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on August 28, 2003 - 10:14
From Journalista! comes a link to an Editor and Publisher story on the state of the Sunday Funnies.
August 27th
New Webcomics from Demian5
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on August 28, 2003 - 00:16
New at http://www.demian5.com:
- THE TRUTH ABOUT ELEPHANTS (new monthly series)
- LIFE CODE o-0 (short story, 12 pages)
- SQUARE FICTION / E-MAIL FOR THE DOG (36 strips)
- CHEMICAL PACK (1 issue so far)
