Official "Discuss the latest page" thread

[altasilvapuer]

Aha! You're right, it is. Huzzah! In the gun's previous appearance, there was a small diamond-shaped thingy in the doors behind the gun (http://www.daniellecorsetto.com/archive ... &comic=424) that looked at a glance like a scope or something, and I remembered it as having one (probably thinking of Hal's augment as one, which is how it functions, I guess)

Now all we need is for someone on the Prospero to have a spoon. My guess is that there will be no spoon, but I can still dream.

-asp

[SciFiGuy]

Is it Monday yet?

I think the next one will be really fantastic!

[fieryone]

another nice page, but the hand gun looks so plain and un-detailed compared to the rest of your work.
Did it miss being textured, or are future handguns plain brushed silver?

[David]

another nice page, but the hand gun looks so plain and un-detailed compared to the rest of your work.
Did it miss being textured, or are future handguns plain brushed silver?

Partly low detail, partly a poor angle. Here's a better view of the pistol:
http://davidcsimon.com/pub/pistol.jpg

[Lokekar Kra]

Looks like a nerf gun I have, which is a good thing :). I have always preferred things that look simpler than ones with lots of parts and detail. The minimalist in me I guess. I do not think the next page will be much action, but I can easily be wrong.

[Austin Shackles]

I'm glad you're not stopping, even temporarily. Credit for continuing with college etc. while you felt so shite, too: a lot wouldn't. I bet once the diverticular (now, how's that meant to be spelled? It's put a red line under it, and I'm sure that's right, and the OED agrees) and the HH are sorted (which shouldn't be that hard these days) you'll be feeling a lot better physically and that always helps with the mental attitude, I find. Being in pain and finding it hard to do everyday stuff is a right mood-dampener.

As for visitors, and ad revenue and so on - I have to admit I was a bit disappointed when CD dropped to 1-per-week, makes the story line go slowly. However, I do have some idea how much work goes into these things, and I know that most of the people who do daily updates work nearer to full-time on it. That's obviously the ones that are good and well-drawn (or rendered, in your case). But that obviously will affect site hits and ad revenue, and I guess some will have wandered off - I kept reading 'cos I thought it was good and I still do. Actual donations are hard to find at the moment, but I'll keep it in mind if there's any spare cash around in future.

[SciFiGuy]

Poor physical health can affect your mental attitude as well.
Hopefully you'll get things sorted out medical-wise and you'll feel better.

I have a few bad teeth that need to come out, but I can't afford it.

I've been a fan of Crimson Dark since the beginning and if I had the spare dosh I'd splash out for you. I feel like a leech reading your work and getting entertainment from it and not compensating you for it. Just know that CD makes my Mondays worth living.

I have seen some comics where the author releases a page only when donations reach US$100!
I suppose he wants to be compensated for his time, which is only fair. But needless to say I'll never contribute to his ransom demands.

At the end of the day David, if CD stops being fun then maybe it's time to have a re-think.
I know it's like a deathnell when a regular comic drops down to irregular status - something inside sort of 'gives'. Maybe if a regular weekly release is too much then consider a monthly or a quarterly release schedule. It's still "regular". Or you could bundle a bunch of new releases up (say 3 months worth or an entire chapter) and sell it for $10 or $20 via PayPal. I know I'd buy that many CDs at one time. That way you'd still have some money coming in from CD and you'd have some downtime between releases to build an entire chapter up. You could release snippets here and there on the website, like pre-production artwork.

You could also focus on life after College and CD. That is, consider the future of taking CD to the next step. Perhaps a 'real' business. Perhaps either retire CD or keep it on the side but try to make some sort of business plan and try to make some money with your skills.

In all honestly, you shouldn't expect CD to even pay for itself - i.e. donations to pay the web hosting and your time. It won't. It's not that it isn't good enough, it's just that it started 'free' and it's hard to go up and charge $$$ - especially enough $$$ to pay for the hours it takes to produce a single page.

I thank you for producing Crimson Dark and I hope you a positive recovery.

[singha]

sorry to hear about your state of affairs. My best wishes to you.

And it's too bad about the atmosphere of your university experience. I know I've grown as an artist thanks to my 3 yrs thus far of college. And that's helped me draw inspiration for future growth from things around me and things on the internet. Maybe there is a community online where u can fill your need for an artistic and stimulating environment, lacking as it may a physical space? Maybe Crimson Dark can be that space. I can contribute my videos if they help... though I think the work that will be finished in the next few months are many times better than the stuff I have available. Time for a new sticky thread? or sub forum?

I definitely admire your ability to continuously produce quality work, week after week. That type of discipline is something I could stand to (re)learn. That said, we all need breaks, and you more than most I think. So plz put CD on hiatus whenever you feel the need.

So, good luck with things mental and physical. We would def mind if you got hit by a bus or anything else...so take care of yourself! (You could look into meditation... I hear that helps...)

Oh and comic is great as always. A question to you: do you have any film experience, ie classes or w/e? and do you use that when you frame the panels?

[jonbaum]

David, the main thing is that you recover your health. I know that I'm sounding like a Jewish father - which I am - and as much as I love Crimson Dark, you need to heal. Of course if part of your healing would be daily updates, no one would be happier than I. Also, don't let college get you down. It's just a phase.

I've never written here before. I really just wanted to say how much I like your work and that I hope to see much, much more of CD for years to come. But first you have to get better. Hang in there.

[altasilvapuer]

This all came to a head yesterday when, in a moment of weakness, I decided to put Crimson Dark on hiatus until I finish college.

A few hours later I changed my mind.

I think my heart skipped a beat there. I have to agree with everyone else, though, in that you should only continue Crimson Dark if you wish, irregardless of what we might wish. Contrary to the wisdom of a certain pointy-eared icon, the needs of the many needn't always outweigh the needs of the few. And the wishes of the many certainly needn't outweigh the needs of the few.

On the lighter note of the new page:
I think this is one of my favourite strips so far in the entire course of the comic - especially the juxtaposition of everyone's grim determination (Whisper scares me in that third panel) against the confusion overwhelming Vaegyr's face in the final panel. These panels have some of the greatest individual depths of expression I can remember having seen in your work to date.

I would tell you to keep up the great work, but you're already doing that anyway, so instead I will tell you this:
Take care of yourself, first, and the standards of your work will take care of themselves; we've seen that much, already.

-asp