Here's the skinny:
The Daisies and Shit Blog
The company actually hired someone which should free up some time for blogginating and such once he's been good and trained.
The Daisies and Shit YouTube Channel
I've started playing with the new video camera and software in preparation for my introductory video. I may need to invest in some lighting as I'll likely be filming in my bedroom, which is a den of sweet, sweet darkness. I'm also working on some simplistic into/outro graphics.
The channel is currently populated with my favorite videos made by some of the brilliant people I subscribe to. Check it out here - http://youtube.com/user/weofui
The Daisies and Shit Comic
My eyes still suck, but I'm working on it. I became disgusted with the comics I had started work on and binned them. The new ones, while still in their infancy, are more in line with my intentions. I'm still not giving a promissory start date, but I'll be sure to tweet when the new comics go up. (http://twitter.com/daisiesandshit)
BetaPwned Book
Not going to happen, nor will a "farewell to BetaPwned" comic be posted. I simply can't stand the thought of working on it any more. In the welcomed words of @KO_Myers, "If you're done, move on. Take it behind the shed and bash its head in with a shovel. Don't torture yourself."
Advice accepted.
NinjEel
Rather than delay any longer I approached an artist with a pathetic offering of pennies and percentages and he accepted! Nate Hammond of Jazz and Jess is on the job! WOOT!
The potential awesomeness of the series has skyrocketed now that Nate's on board. I've a great deal of respect for his talent, and he's a stand-up guy to boot.
Dr. Higgins
I've been accepted and fully intend to start classes in the fall... but I'm having a hard time scraping up the cash. Ideally, I'd like to quit the job and go to school full time but I may have to part-time it for a year. My kids would really like to eat, and it's hard to study in a cardboard box.
Showing posts with label Webcomics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Webcomics. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Let's Start With An Apology
I know it's been a ridiculously long time since I posted. I think we've finally gotten a handle on the Scleritis that was happily blinding me and I'm just now starting to dig out from under the pile that has accumulated while I was essentially down for the count. Rather than leaving you all to assume I've abandoned everything, here's a little update:
The Daisies and Shit Blog
At this point, blog posts are primarily written at work between assignments. While this arrangement allows the blog to exist (there's no way I'd get any substantial writing done at home with the distractions of family life), it means the blog is at the mercy of my work schedule. For the last couple of months I've been doing both my job and a job I'm completely unqualified for and dislike immensely. The company assures me that they're looking for a replacement and they're conducting scattered interviews to keep me hopeful, so I'm tentatively optimistic that I'll be able to post more frequently in the near future.
The Daisies and Shit YouTube Channel???
As much as I hate appearing on camera, I'm seriously considering posting on YouTube. Serious enough that I've played with the channel settings and started researching digital cameras, mics, and editing software. Fluttering around me at all times are the ghosts of blog posts that were briefly given life and then mercilessly killed when I was unable to train them up into a form that pleased me. I try to be very conscious of my writing, I try to bend the words to my will, shape them into an exact replica of my thoughts... and when I can't do that, I kill them. I see dead blog posts. They're everywhere, and they're pissed. *shudders*
It's a frustrating truth all writers face at some point - some expressions are better suited to visual media. Waxing poetic? I'll write. Illustrating a point? I'll film.
A YouTube Channel will also allow me to respond to (and highlight) a number of troglodytes who've no doubt been spared the burden of literacy.
The Daisies and Shit Comic
I'm aiming for a three comic buffer before I start posting again. I've one ready for color, one 60% finished, and dozens scripted. Now that my eye works my biggest hindrance is getting back into the habit of creating on a daily basis. I'm doing what I can and I get a little closer to optimal every day. I don't know when the next comic will go up (a little label pontification), but it will be followed shortly by a small "farewell to BetaPwned" page before gliding into the first proper Daisies and Shit comic (Q & A).
Other Stuff
BetaPwned Book - As time allows I will be rewriting and redrawing all the old BetaPwned strips for publication. I made the horrible mistake of saving the vast majority of the BetaPwned strips at 72 dpi - leaving them far too small for publication. The rewrite will be constrained to breaking up the early strips which were far too verbose.
NinjEel - My first foray into superhero comics, NinjEel is the defender of logic, skepticism, and the scientific method! Intended as campy goodness, the series is being written and drawn for print rather than the web (though it's likely I'll make a digital version available for download as well). These are stretching my capabilities quite a bit, so they're going to take some time. The Preview Episode: Origins, Episode One: Antivax Anarchy!, and Episode Two: When Crockoducks Attack!, are being written now while I work on the cover art.
Dr. Higgins - I've decided the thirty-seventh year of my life is an excellent time to begin pursuing a degree in Astrobiology and a doctorate in Evolutionary Biology. Why the hell not, eh? This is going to do weird things with my time - the first couple of years I'll likely have more time for personal projects, followed by a few years of steadily decreasing amounts of personal time, until I'm eventually swallowed up by the dark and terrifying hole known as graduate studies. At that point my entire world shall consist of some wretched bit of scientific minutia which I shall cling to like an abusive lover. *coughs*
So... there you have it. See you again soon. *smiles*
The Daisies and Shit Blog
At this point, blog posts are primarily written at work between assignments. While this arrangement allows the blog to exist (there's no way I'd get any substantial writing done at home with the distractions of family life), it means the blog is at the mercy of my work schedule. For the last couple of months I've been doing both my job and a job I'm completely unqualified for and dislike immensely. The company assures me that they're looking for a replacement and they're conducting scattered interviews to keep me hopeful, so I'm tentatively optimistic that I'll be able to post more frequently in the near future.
The Daisies and Shit YouTube Channel???
As much as I hate appearing on camera, I'm seriously considering posting on YouTube. Serious enough that I've played with the channel settings and started researching digital cameras, mics, and editing software. Fluttering around me at all times are the ghosts of blog posts that were briefly given life and then mercilessly killed when I was unable to train them up into a form that pleased me. I try to be very conscious of my writing, I try to bend the words to my will, shape them into an exact replica of my thoughts... and when I can't do that, I kill them. I see dead blog posts. They're everywhere, and they're pissed. *shudders*
It's a frustrating truth all writers face at some point - some expressions are better suited to visual media. Waxing poetic? I'll write. Illustrating a point? I'll film.
A YouTube Channel will also allow me to respond to (and highlight) a number of troglodytes who've no doubt been spared the burden of literacy.
The Daisies and Shit Comic
I'm aiming for a three comic buffer before I start posting again. I've one ready for color, one 60% finished, and dozens scripted. Now that my eye works my biggest hindrance is getting back into the habit of creating on a daily basis. I'm doing what I can and I get a little closer to optimal every day. I don't know when the next comic will go up (a little label pontification), but it will be followed shortly by a small "farewell to BetaPwned" page before gliding into the first proper Daisies and Shit comic (Q & A).
Other Stuff
BetaPwned Book - As time allows I will be rewriting and redrawing all the old BetaPwned strips for publication. I made the horrible mistake of saving the vast majority of the BetaPwned strips at 72 dpi - leaving them far too small for publication. The rewrite will be constrained to breaking up the early strips which were far too verbose.
NinjEel - My first foray into superhero comics, NinjEel is the defender of logic, skepticism, and the scientific method! Intended as campy goodness, the series is being written and drawn for print rather than the web (though it's likely I'll make a digital version available for download as well). These are stretching my capabilities quite a bit, so they're going to take some time. The Preview Episode: Origins, Episode One: Antivax Anarchy!, and Episode Two: When Crockoducks Attack!, are being written now while I work on the cover art.
Dr. Higgins - I've decided the thirty-seventh year of my life is an excellent time to begin pursuing a degree in Astrobiology and a doctorate in Evolutionary Biology. Why the hell not, eh? This is going to do weird things with my time - the first couple of years I'll likely have more time for personal projects, followed by a few years of steadily decreasing amounts of personal time, until I'm eventually swallowed up by the dark and terrifying hole known as graduate studies. At that point my entire world shall consist of some wretched bit of scientific minutia which I shall cling to like an abusive lover. *coughs*
So... there you have it. See you again soon. *smiles*
Monday, November 30, 2009
BetaPwned/Daisies and Shit
Just a quick note to let everyone know that the BetaPwned archives, minus the Dear Diary comics, are up on DaisiesAndShit.com.
Head over and take a quick look. If you hate the overall site design, now's a good time to tell me. Bitch about it three months from now and you'll get nothing but a long distance raspberry. Before you submit your critique, however, keep in mind the following aspects are still missing:
Comic Title Header
About Page
Cast Page
Extras Page
Store Link
Contact/Social Media Links
Because the contact link isn't up on the site yet you can add your comment to the Daisies and Shit home page, this blog post, or email me at creator@betapwned.com
Head over and take a quick look. If you hate the overall site design, now's a good time to tell me. Bitch about it three months from now and you'll get nothing but a long distance raspberry. Before you submit your critique, however, keep in mind the following aspects are still missing:
Comic Title Header
About Page
Cast Page
Extras Page
Store Link
Contact/Social Media Links
Because the contact link isn't up on the site yet you can add your comment to the Daisies and Shit home page, this blog post, or email me at creator@betapwned.com
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
BetaPwned?
A couple of years ago Mark Poutenis of The Thinking Ape Blues rather boisterously suggested that BetaPwned was a stupid name for my comic and that it would be more appropriately titled Daisies and Shit. While it may seem an insult, I can assure you that Mark has always been rather complimentary in regards to the comic as a whole, just not the name - which he said reminded him of, if I remember correctly, "a bullshit gamer comic".
I did concede that BetaPwned had a pretty concrete "gamer" ring to it and that the original premise for the title, that life is just a test and sometimes it kicks your ass, no longer fit the feel of the comic. When I first began BetaPwned I was going through a very nasty divorce and constantly felt as though I was being knocked around by life itself with very little recourse. By the time I began posting comics, however, much of that turmoil had died down and I had regained the measured optimism I'm known for. Still, I protested that I didn't want to confuse my readers, that I had already spent a good deal of time and effort marketing the comic as BetaPwned, and that I thought the name was clever... all of which were very good reasons for leaving things as they were.
I did, however, love the name Daisies and Shit. It did a remarkable job at humorously exemplifying my personal outlook when it wasn't being poisoned by stressful circumstances. Life is, in my opinion, literally brimming with both daisies and shit - those things we enjoy, and those things we endure. I also feel that how an individual deals with both aspects reveals their inherent nature, and that an individual's inherent nature is the most valid measure by which to judge their potential compatibility. For a time I considered maintaining a second, single panel, comic under the title. Eventually I used it to herald this blog. In one form or another, Daisies and Shit has been on my mind from the moment Mark suggested it.
So, here we are... rapidly approaching the three year anniversary of BetaPwned. This last year hasn't been a great one for the comic for various reasons, the last six months especially. My updates have been sporadic at best. I've canceled all but one convention appearance for 2010, and I'm attending that one more for social than promotional reasons. My readership, while greater than I feel I rightly deserve, has decreased markedly. The comic aspect of my life as of late has been, in a word, shit.
It's enough to make a girl depressed.
The good news is that I can see a change just on the horizon. I've been working on a new site for the comic that's more streamlined and therefore less overwhelming. Having learned that inking with a brush doesn't cause me the pain that inking with a pen did, I've ditched the tablet and have gone back to working on paper; which I ultimately find more enjoyable and relaxing. I've also contracted with a brilliant colourist whom I adore, and who gives my work a personality I've never been able to accomplish on my own. I've had to step away from a number of projects due to my health, which sucks, but my to do list is finally a reasonable length. I'm learning to better manage my time, and am finally getting back to some semblance of life worth writing about.
So, as I said, here we are... If ever there was a time for me to change the name of the comic this is it. I've less readers to confuse, good reason to launch a new add campaign in the near future, and no real emotional attachment to the title "BetaPwned" beyond nostalgia. I started this post with the intention of laying out the pros and cons of a possible change... but I suddenly realize my decision has really already been made.
Coming soon - Daisies and Shit. Thanks, Mark. *snugs*
I did concede that BetaPwned had a pretty concrete "gamer" ring to it and that the original premise for the title, that life is just a test and sometimes it kicks your ass, no longer fit the feel of the comic. When I first began BetaPwned I was going through a very nasty divorce and constantly felt as though I was being knocked around by life itself with very little recourse. By the time I began posting comics, however, much of that turmoil had died down and I had regained the measured optimism I'm known for. Still, I protested that I didn't want to confuse my readers, that I had already spent a good deal of time and effort marketing the comic as BetaPwned, and that I thought the name was clever... all of which were very good reasons for leaving things as they were.
I did, however, love the name Daisies and Shit. It did a remarkable job at humorously exemplifying my personal outlook when it wasn't being poisoned by stressful circumstances. Life is, in my opinion, literally brimming with both daisies and shit - those things we enjoy, and those things we endure. I also feel that how an individual deals with both aspects reveals their inherent nature, and that an individual's inherent nature is the most valid measure by which to judge their potential compatibility. For a time I considered maintaining a second, single panel, comic under the title. Eventually I used it to herald this blog. In one form or another, Daisies and Shit has been on my mind from the moment Mark suggested it.
So, here we are... rapidly approaching the three year anniversary of BetaPwned. This last year hasn't been a great one for the comic for various reasons, the last six months especially. My updates have been sporadic at best. I've canceled all but one convention appearance for 2010, and I'm attending that one more for social than promotional reasons. My readership, while greater than I feel I rightly deserve, has decreased markedly. The comic aspect of my life as of late has been, in a word, shit.
It's enough to make a girl depressed.
The good news is that I can see a change just on the horizon. I've been working on a new site for the comic that's more streamlined and therefore less overwhelming. Having learned that inking with a brush doesn't cause me the pain that inking with a pen did, I've ditched the tablet and have gone back to working on paper; which I ultimately find more enjoyable and relaxing. I've also contracted with a brilliant colourist whom I adore, and who gives my work a personality I've never been able to accomplish on my own. I've had to step away from a number of projects due to my health, which sucks, but my to do list is finally a reasonable length. I'm learning to better manage my time, and am finally getting back to some semblance of life worth writing about.
So, as I said, here we are... If ever there was a time for me to change the name of the comic this is it. I've less readers to confuse, good reason to launch a new add campaign in the near future, and no real emotional attachment to the title "BetaPwned" beyond nostalgia. I started this post with the intention of laying out the pros and cons of a possible change... but I suddenly realize my decision has really already been made.
Coming soon - Daisies and Shit. Thanks, Mark. *snugs*