November 2006 Archives

But WCN's still moving servers, so I can't upload it, yet. Sorry to disappoint.

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This might keep you entertained, though.

You can find episodes of Bullshit!, NOVA, and Metalocalypse on Google Video, along with my favorite documentary of the week, Dream Deceivers: The Story of James Vance and Judas Priest. Remember that kid who blew his face off in the 80s with a shotgun, survived, and then sued Judas Priest because he claimed backwards subliminal messages on their albums drove him to the suicide attempt? Yeah, that's what this is about. Those of you that've read the comic Preacher might recognize James as the inspiration for Arseface.

If you're more into radio, I've only recently discovered that archive.org has a huge collection of OTR (old time radio) to download. I recommend Crime Classics, Broadway is my Beat, Dragnet, and the utterly charming and lol-tastic I was a Communist for the FBI. Cuz, you know, commies totally want to kill us all and stuff. Make sure to pray, or else God won't help us beat the Soviet Union!

While I wait for Webcomics Nation to come back online, I'll probably try to get a jump on next week's pages. Because I'd really like to try and go four-times-a-week on tip jar weeks for you guys, but I wanna build up a good buffer before I try.

And there it is.

Not feelin' too chatty, though. Sorry, guys. G'nite.

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Oh, and the Templar RSS feed? it's not updating because the server's being poked at. Nothin' much I can do about it until the move's finished. Sorry again.

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If you're misguided enough to actually miss my usual babbling, you can probably get more than your recommended daily allowance over on Fleen, the terribly exceptional webcomic blog. I did an interview!

I've never tried to humiliate my way into a stranger's apartment, before. Interesting technique. But then, Ben's pretty impressionable.

I'm going shopping tomorrow, because my little naked dog Harvey needs clothes, and all he has right now is a sweatshirt sleeve with holes cut in it for his skinny little legs. I've been downloading episodes of The Dog Whisperer so I can learn how to make teaching him to walk on a leash less traumatic, too. He's a very sensitive little guy. I'll take pictures after his ensemble is complete.

And oh, hey, here's a question for you guys: Is there still any interest in me putting up a Templar wiki? And would you guys be interested in any extras, like wallpapers or LJ icons or whatever? I just don't wanna take time away from comic-making and have it turn out that nobody cares, so I'm asking now.

For a guy trapped on a very skinny ledge pretty high off the ground, he can think and reason remarkably clearly. Whatever else y'might think of Bill, y'gotta give him that.

In other news, my new puppy is named Harvey, and he's remarkably good at standing on his back legs for long periods of time in exchange for turkey cold cuts. Actually getting his poo on in the the right spot, though.... well, we're working on that. Good thing Chicago's got so many free weeklies, we're gonna be going through a lot of newspaper.

By popular demand: A new Templar-themed tee in the Spreadshirt shop, plus more!

Spreadshirt now features the option of sleeve printing on its men's t-shirts, and we used that for the new design: the Reclamation logo. Available in a bunch of colors and styles, from hoodies to XXXL tees to girly tanks! Click the image for a look!

Also new on Spreadshirt: Custom Chuck Taylor-style sneakers! We've thrown together a little experimental pair here; we'll push 'em a little more enthusiastically after we get the pair my husband ordered and the quality checks out (probably will, Spreadshirt's pretty good about that). But hey, they cost less than brand name chucks do, these days. What's to lose?

Sorry for the delay, folks. I had this uploaded, but a couple of not-good-enoughs caught my eye and demanded appeasement. You know how it is.

But hey, notice that neat banner of clickable buttons over the latest page? That's right, Templar's gone all Project Wonderful! For a few cents, you can buy a little ad space for your comic, blog, or site, directly from me! I've been using PW for the past few weeks, and I've got to say, it's probably the best advertising set-up I've ever seen. Ryan North should have all of my babies for thinking this up. Buy an ad, share some love!

By the way: THREE PAGE WEEK. HOORAY. Tip jar may not look it, but blame the server burps. Thanks, guys!

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Wanna see pictures of my new dog?

I can't log into Webcomics Nation's FTP right now because of the server move, so the tip jar graphic's not accurate; it's actually a buck off, and that's the closest denomination graphic I have already on the server.

So, you guys are two bucks away from a three-page week for Templar, not three.

Just sayin'.

Also, All of Sparkneedle is up. All there is of it for now, anyway. And it's even slowly being colored in, so the bit that's black and white shouldn't stay black and white forever. If you can spare the time, page back to the start and read from the beginning. I'd love your opinion on what you think it's about.

Blikada's still updating weekly over at Serializer, running through all the old pages. New pages will follow, and I still hafta get ref stuff to my artist. Oof.

And on the matter of Lucas and Odessa: yeah, it's gone.

A while back, I pretty much told Lisa Jonte (Girlamatic's editor) I wouldn't be able to update L&O for, like, the foreseeable future. Years, basically. Templar was too big a deal. And we both decide L&O had sat un-updated long enough. So, it got nuked. That was too bad and everything, I know it was liked. But it just wasn't where my energy was. I'd like to finish the story one day, but not now. I've just got too much going on.

Sorry...

But enough with the navel gazin'.

You should probably be reading Lords of Death and Life, by Jonathan Dalton. I've mentioned him before, and this is a new project of his, a "Mesoamerican epic in progress." That is to say, it stars pre-Columbian Mayans, and draws heavily from their lifestyle and mythology; I mean, even the word balloons of this thing are Mayan-style. It is WILD, and I can't wait to see where it's going. I love the art, I love the topic, and I love the layout. it's updating weekly, so be sure to bookmark it.

Rock out, everybody!

Poor Ben, not a moment's peace.

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Y'know, I think I'm fully capable of going thrice-weekly on a regular basis. This comic is actually getting easier to do as time goes by, which I guess makes sense. But then my tip jar wouldn't have a gimmick.

I updated when I wasn't supposed to. Don't tell.

Y'know, this is why I don't think I'll ever be too sure about Templar's update days. Some weeks, I just feel like updating three times, whether the tip jar demands it or not. (But... it sure would be nice if you guys threw me a bone, anyway?)

I think I'm just in a good mood because my birthday is on Saturday, and I'm getting a puppy. A mutant puppy.

He hasn't got any fur, see? But that's on purpose.

I also found out the deal with the eurocomic I was babbling about, the one about Australopithecines. It's by Liberatore, who's better known for his Ranx comic in Heavy Metal. It's gonna be called "Lucy" and you can see some art here.

Gotta answer email, now! And blog comments, too. Bye.

When I was in college, I used to schedule my classes around episodes of Jerry Springer.

This was classic Springer, nothing like the current incarnation. This was small-children-throwing-their-shoes-at-the-audience Springer. There were regular roundhouse pimp slaps, torn clothes, stolen wigs and bloody noses. No goofiness to soften the edges of the brutality, either. No dwarves, no skits, no cameras panning away right before the fists made contact. This was a golden age, people.

One of my clearest college memories is of how annoyed I became when live coverage of the Columbine shootings pre-empted the afternoon's Springer show. I was placated when a newschopper caught footage of SWAT cops dragging a blood-drenched student from a second story window, but only barely.

What can I say? I'm that kind of person.

I don't think Ben is, though.

SAINTS PRESERVE US!

And also, change the scene abruptly!

Don't worry, we haven't seen the last of the Cooks. There was a point in putting you through all of that. And it's coming along sooner than you might think. Really and truly, it is.

But for now, we're somewhere else. And special, sparkly stars for anyone guessing the identity of the snob in the final panel. You'll really blow me alway and scare me at the same time. But you guys pretty much already do that whenever you point out something I was sure no one would notice, so I should quit underestimating you, already.

Also, it was pointed out to me that, on the previous page, the riot cop was holding his firearm a little strangely. Sorry about that, to any reading gun geeks; I guess the photo I referenced should have told me as much. But that stock was just too weird to hide under an arm. In any case, hopefully Friday's page is a little more accurate.

Let me know when I mess up, guys! I do appreciate it.

I can see all obstacles in my way.

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.

It’s gonna be a bright, bright, bright, bright sun-shiny day.

<3

Talking as little as possible makes you tougher to identify in a police line-up, later. Words to the wise.

Man, three pages in four days, plus a chunky Wonder Woman pin-up. I wasn't built for this kinda pace. I have to learn to manage my time better.

I also have to clean up my link page. Big time. I'll try to get that done today, too many people I know need to be linked to.

New Hotness: BBWW.

I'll probably send this in uncolored. I'm lazy.

Let's make hand grenades,
From common things around the house!
Let's make hand grenades!
Listen up, we'll show you how!

Lets make hand grenades!
It's hours of fun in a little jar!
Let's make hand grenades!
Try one out on your neighbor's car!

Good song.

Enter The Cook Family. Because there's no such thing as too many squabbling factions.

With homemade explosives.

Barney's bodyguards seem like nice people. Too bad it looks like he's breaking one of their hands. I imagine he's built like a lot of construction guys; chunky, but with a layer of muscle under the fat just sorta waiting to ruin someone's day.

This scene hasn't got much left to it. And y'know, I'm gonna miss Barnabas. He's fun to draw. He's just this dangerously charismatic little fireplug in a black wifebeater and a fashionably obsolete prosthetic, with inch-thick eyeglasses and a squashed-down nose. He's not freakishly ugly, but what ugliness he has is more profound than normal and kind of mesmerizing. Half that crowd is probably just there for the opportunity to stare at him without it seeming rude. I know I would be.

I guess that's why I don't really go in for comics where every single character is attractive. It's not as much fun to look at.

Anyway, in the ongoing saga of my stunning, impossible intelligence: I've got an interview to do on Wednesday of next week, and I've forgotten the poor guy's name completely. Gosh, I've really got myself pretty organized and together. I hope he reads this blog. HEY, INTERVIEW GUY, WHAT'S YOUR NAME AGAIN? EMAIL ME.