Official "Discuss the latest page" thread

[skythorn]

"It tastes like strawberries"

BRILLIANT

yeas - I quite liked the phrase myself, a sultry seductive yet tangy ship's netware having fruity taste. I like Whisper.

[skythorn]

"It has become clear that this chapter is going to take a lot more time and effort on my part than any previous chapter. This realisation makes me nervous."

do it right, don't sacrifice artistic quality (drawing or writing) for the sake of a self-imposed deadline.

now, someone else's deadline is different. don't you screw up my monday mornings, mister !

and here was me going to suggest stick figures scrawled on McDonald napkins being acceptable as long as the story progresses ...

Do you think we come to some compromise?

I have no idea how long it must take to fight with the computer and the rendering cards etc to make a page work. It must be very quick if you are re-using the same figures and same poses over and over again, but rebuilding everything from scratch must really really bite.

[David]

I have no idea how long it must take to fight with the computer and the rendering cards etc to make a page work. It must be very quick if you are re-using the same figures and same poses over and over again, but rebuilding everything from scratch must really really bite.

It's very hard to quantify how long it takes to make a page, but here's a very rough guide:

Very basic page - 3-4 hours
(mostly external views of spaceships, only a couple of characters)

Typical page - 4-6 hours
(several panels with characters and dialogue and maybe one or two externals)

Complex Page - 6-10 hours
(Lots of panels, lots of characters, complex photoshop post-work - special effects etc.)

But keep in mind that this doesn't take into account the time taken to write, design or build anything. Also, while the sets do have fixed lighting (ceiling lights etc.), I also need to add fill lights to make sure the characters are visible. Trying to light a scene with 3 or more characters can be very finnicky and time-consuming, especially if they change positions from one panel to the next.

Oh, and sometimes I just stare at a blank page and can't work out what to write.

[skythorn]

creativity =- surely that occurs in the large quantum spaces between thought?

[connectr]

Considering the outstanding quality of the storyline and the art, I hope you make a very descent income from it. Yes, I know it hasn't happened yet, and you don't do it for that reason; but just the same I hope you are well rewarded.
And Vaegyr is definetly my favorite - good people, well drawn and a "chili head" - what more could you want?

[SciFiGuy]

Hey, just had a thought.
Is the Strawberry comment a nod to Firefly and Kalee?

I always pause now when I see a strawberry in the supermarket thanks to her...

[Samantha]

Hi Nice Noir comic I just want to go on record as saying that i think they will find not an ambush but a massacre. I think the ship really is the Prospero and it was targeted by that pirate family in order to get the Niobe to come to them. Witch will soon cause the 7 syndicate families to become 6.

It might be a good idea to ask whisper what "It taste like strawberries" indicates, also nobody has commented on why Whisper wants a doomsday device i think she plans to wire it up dead-man style for their return trip to Galgotha.

[Lokekar Kra]

Na, nothing so prosaic. She wants the device merely to have it. If you have one just think of all the fun you can have without ever using it! It is like having a vintage car, you do not have to drive it, but suddenly you are cool by having it.

With life support still on it is likely that someone is still alive aboard the ship, after all if you want to kill everyone, why leave fuel aboard or other salvageable things. It would be more fun if it was hit by a slaver ship, thus the people not worth taking as slaves are left behind, remember that they are refugees, well I think they are.

[skythorn]

Yeah - I think it's retribution against the captain, not a trap.

Painful, gut wrenching retribution.

[skythorn]

Nice worried expression there - indicates all manner of fears being contained inside.

Bullets - ones that travel at speed and can penetrate ship hull?