Saturday 6 June 2009

Joe's Heebie Jeebies 17: Reality Check

13 comments:

  1. The move to monochrome is a bold one and just as I was enjoying your colouring and highlighting too! "Shedding a tier" - a classic pun! Can't agree with you about the writing suffering, I've smiled at each and every "Joe" thus far.
    I was sad to hear about David Carradine too. I've always marvelled at how we managed to escape any serious injury whilst indulging in our antics (oh, to be 12 again). If I saw some child from my class doing what we did, I'd drain of colour and rush to stop him/her asap.
    Keep up the good work and don't make too many changes over too short a time,
    anonymous Dale

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  2. Yeah, I'm really sorry about the colour, too. It was just taking too long - three quarters of the time I was spending on the strip, in fact. And I really need to give the writing a better chance and find the time to work towards the holy grail of daily postings. Over the summer I want to increase to three times a week if I can.

    Good advice about changing slowly though. Don't worry. I've been figuring out how to introduce the story changes gradually. Eventually, I'll be fast enough to do the colour again, too.

    And yes, 12 - *sigh* You'd just introduced me to Spider-Man. Look how that turned out.

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  3. What do you use to color your strips?

    I liked the color but I love the line work of your b/w...Always jealous of people with good line work b/c my is ehh.

    Now if you can figure out a way so my horrible eyes can see your yellow type over the green background better, then we'd be

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  4. I would love to see a daily strip on here! I know for a fact that color DOESN'T improve the strip - well - in many ways. Yes, for some it's more entertaining, but I've asked that question to many professional friends, and color is not a big priority. I would focus on writing, drawing and inking. I've really enjoyed your work so far - so keep it up!

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  5. I thought YOU had introduced ME to spider-man!

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  6. I use Photoshop to colour my strips, Bearman. There's a fairly quick way to do it, but it takes me a lot longer because my drawing style leaves so many open shapes.

    I draw the strips on copier paper, one panel at a time and then composite them on the computer in a panel template I made.

    Your the second person to mention problems with the yellow on green. I've adjusted the tiling image and uploaded the update to Photobucket, but it's not showing on my browser at the moment. It usually takes a few hours. Maybe you'll have more luck. If the adjustment doesn't work let me know and I'll try something else. In the meantime, try pressing ctrl (or whatever the Mac equivalent is) and using the scroll button to enlarge the text.

    Great to hear from you again - 'Fake George' :)

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  7. Thank you Nate. You've given the start to my day the boost it needed.

    Dale, it went like this - You were off school with glandular fever when I first arrived. In the meantime, we both got into Planet of the Apes because of the TV show and we both started buying the comic that went with it. When you came back we hooked up because of that. Then I noticed you (and Mark) were reading 'Spider-Man' which I rejected at first. And then you showed me the light by DRAWING SPIDEY YOURSELF. It was so cool (although we didn't use that word at the time) and that's howcum I'm a cartoonist.

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  8. I have no idea what you are talking about "fake George"

    I just highlight the text and then I can see it.

    As far as photoshop, I had to learn to close my loops or at least on my color layer, know what color was going to be there and draw a line that closed it before I color.

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  9. That's howcum you're a cartoonist and that's howcum I'm a guitarist!

    hey nonny nonny mouse dale

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  10. Great fantasy incorporation in this strip, John. You're such a great artist anyway, I can live with the absence of color (even though I love it).

    Can't wait to read your Wed. strip! Keep up the great work, man.

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  11. Yeah. I close the loops on my colour layer, too, but because I leave so many, it takes ages. Each of the two tier strips here has taken at least six hours each to colour.

    I'm going to fix this text thing on here for you right now. Hopefully this is easier to read.

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  12. Well. What a day. Thank you everyone for your kind comments. I'm encouraged enough to continue. Look out Wednesday for a new 'comments' question.

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  13. One thing that irks me on my own stuff is that I have to have all closed shapes, too (except for Hank's hair ends [and those are a pian to color with just a mouse]).I don't think that color is mandatory for a strip. I color mine because I can. Before the AC site, Hank spent 16 years in black and white. I just wanted to change it up for my own entertainment. It would be quicker to just leave it in b&w, but I don't mind coloring. It's therapeutic for me.
    You're doin' a great job, John! Keep it up.

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The person who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. Where did I make mine in this strip?

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