June 2007 Archives

That kind of makes the last panel on this page a little creepy, I think. But not too much. I mean, I still like him, don't you?

Anyway, new page, new sketches! A real grab-bag of sketches this time, too. Cuz sometimes, it just all comes out goofy and won't be persuaded otherwise.

I'm sure this is older-than-old news to anyone halfway aware of their surroundings, but I colored this page of Templar while watching episodes of that Showtime series The Tudors. It's supposed to be about Henry VIII.

It's not. It's really not.

I'm definitely no expert on the English crown, but I've been poking this period of history with a stick while I wait for the next installment of "A Song of Ice and Fire." (I've heard these books referred to as "War of the Roses fanfiction." And really, that's pretty fair.) So, in essence, I only know just enough so that this series annoys the hell out of me. I was pretty excited when I found out a cable miniseries about Henry VIII existed, but I just wound up yelling at the screen a lot.

I can get over the really awful and usually-inaccurate casting choices. (But Jesus, these people each had like A MILLION PORTRAITS painted, COME ON.) I can stand the occasional bouts of character assassination and timeline compression (Gee, whiz, poor Henry FitzRoy, that was the quickest EIGHTEEN YEARS I ever SAW.) But when the writers start randomly accusing historical figures of mariticide, compositing princesses and making up popes, I kinda start going insane. It's the same reaction I get when I see Victorian-era lithographs of Nordic New Kingdom Pharaohs, or hear people talk about space aliens building Stonehenge.

So The Tudors is pretty, but I can't enjoy it. It's just no damned good to me, it lies too much and it sucks at it. But if you don't care about history, it's probably worth a look. It's not as sensationalized as I make it sound, and there's definitely a strong soap opera vibe, if that's what you're into. But me, I'm done with it.

...

I miss Rome. :(

And by the way, before I forget to mention it: I put the tip jar back up. But this round, there are no incentives attached. No goals, no offers of extra pages, nothing to go with it. It's just a rattling cup.

I hope that doesn't bug anyone. It's just that with the new MWF schedule and the sketches, I'm literally already doing all I can.

Don't feel obligated to give, donations are 100% voluntary and unnecessary. The option's just there in case you want to.

And a very appropriate one, too.

A couple of people in the blog comments have asked if Moze is a Sincerist. Nope. You'll notice he's not wearing a heart on his sleeve, so you can safely assume he's just a run-of-the-mill, unusually honest guy. He's probably more honest than most Sincerists, as a matter of fact. They're more preoccupied with convincing people that they're telling the truth than they are with actually doing so.

Hope that makes sense.

There are new vote sketches up too, including one where I get all MAKEzine and show off my "inkwell." It works very nicely, too. And for the first time, I slip into the realm of autobio. Shrink away in terror. I certainly did.

More Friday.

By the way, the books? FexEx sez I should get 'em July 2nd. My fingers are crossed...

I respect Moze.

Seriously.

Very few people will ever live completely bullshit-free lives; I think Moze is one of them. He comes off as a sponging, near-inert horndog, but I really don't think he's any bigger a jerk than anyone else. He's just perfectly, immaculately honest about what he wants, unlike the rest of us.

Anyway: New page, obviously. And my first themed set of votin' sketches, "Unlikely Jedi." I watched "The Ewok Adventure: Caravan of Courage" this weekend, stupid jokes about who should and shouldn't be allowed to be a Jedi were made, and things kinda got outta hand. I really like how the Ewok Jedi turned out, though. Dude is all class.

Also... while I appreciate the proposals made in the previous update's comments and I'm honestly flattered by the offers of assistance, I don't think I could ever collaborate with anyone on Templar. Sorry, guys. It would just be too strange. If I ever paint myself into a corner and the story demands some of Ben's prose, I'll be writing it myself, and it'll just have to limp and stagger along the best it can. I have a pair of very honest, very available people who serve as very under-appreciated editors to help me along, though, so it shouldn't be a total mess.

No hard feelings, right? Here, have some nockFORCE.

Just experimenting. Not sure what to think yet, though. We'll see. Think I got a little too goofy with the second panel, maybe.

New page, and new vote sketches up, including something I guess you could count as fan art. I wouldn't send it in to the guy, though. Wonderella deserves something a lot more polished. You should read it, you'll see what I mean. It's literally one of the funniest comics out there, no lie.

And before I forget, like last time: Someone asked if we'll ever get to read any of Ben's writing. Honestly, I don't know yet. It's kind of the same way I've been carefully avoiding mentioning anything about how Gene's band sounds. I'm not a musician, I'm not a songwriter, and my grasp of prose is pretty unsatisfactory. And while Ben isn't a savant like Gene is, I'm pretty darn sure he's better at it than me. If the story calls for it, I'll give it a shot, because I should. But anything I'll credit to him will probably be something I'll have to write and re-write and re-re-write for a week in advance. And will probably still come off sounding a little strange. We'll see.

By the way, if you guys ever have the chance to try fresh lychee or rambutan, go for it. I'm all for buying local produce and being a responsible consumer and all. Hell, I'm on my way to the farmer's market right after this post. But until American farmers can grow little Koosh balls that taste like Froot Loops stateside, I'm gonna hafta stay hypocritical.

Drum roll, please. No gold stars for guessing the next line out of Curio's mouth, though, sorry.

There are new vote incentive sketches, too, and although Webbed Comics seems to have crapped itself, note that I've acknowledged the sketch for it isn't worksafe. I will always let you know if the sketch might be a little much for cubicle-viewing, guys. Promise. The comic, no, but the sketches? DEFINITELY. Ha.

And hello to everyone stumbling in from A Girl and Her Fed and the the xkcd forums. You're just in time for a new Q&A! Y'know, since I'm so awful at answering questions in a timely manner in the blog comments and email.

- Yes, I've read Transmetropolitan, and I liked it a lot. But no, it wasn't really an influence on TAZ. I've been writing and thinking about Templar for years, starting in middle school, so by the time Transmet was being published it was already pretty well-formed. If I had to pinpoint an original seed of pop culture inspiration for TAZ, it would be Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Remember that Toontown sequence? Yeah, I really liked that part. And I was nine years old when that came out, so my brain was softer and I was a lot more impressionable.

- Moze's t-shirt says "Monsters of Democracy." It's a band. The design is an oversized, lighter-colored five-pointed star that takes up most of the chest. He's cut the neck and sleeves out of the t-shirt, which is why it looks so raggedy.

- Yup, Curio's got fake boobs. And you're awesome for noticing.

And before I go, I decided to risk a jinx and labeled Templar's update schedule, officially, as Monday-Wednesday-Friday. It really seems to be working out, and I've got a month of those updates under my belt already, so it might be safe to notice. Hooray!

Okay, back to work.

We're changing subjects. D'you need your hand held?

New votin' sketches, new page, and a pleasant break from Sunny's babbling, sugar-fueled hate-mania and Moze's stunningly brazen pick-up attempt. Enjoy the oasis. Things in general are gonna start winding down for the scene by the end of the week, so you've made it through the worst of the word balloon gridlock. Give yourselves a little cheer.

I apologize if the dialog got a little dense over the last few pages. I literally did not know Sunny and Moze would be this much fun to write for. But on the plus side, I hope you have a good sense of who these guys are, now. They're gonna keep turning up.

And hello and welcome to everyone visiting from my link offa Sensible Erection (NWS). Hope you plan to stick around.

He thinks Ben's the retard, now. For serious.

New page, new votin' sketches. Blah blah.

Hey, y'know what I was thinking about, today? I was thinking maybe weddings should be quiet, restrained ceremonies, and you shouldn't get to throw a real serious mess of a party until you've been together for a bit. I dunno how long. Five years, I guess. That's when you should get the dress and the tux and the gifts and the reception, because after five years everybody knows you mean it, and they might feel like less of a sucker for getting you that blender off of your Neiman Marcus registry.

I dunno. My brother-in-law is getting hitched soon, and we just RSVP'ed, so I've been thinking about it. I don't think he's gonna mess up or anything, but I remember attending an incredibly elaborate and expensive-looking wedding as a kid. I was really impressed.

Marriage lasted two years.

Seems like am embarrassment, in retrospect. I guess the bride will always have the wedding album to leaf through, and pleasant memories of that specific day. But it can't be much fun with the "And then he decked me one too many times" footnote.

When you get naked on TV every week, I imagine you're pretty used to come-ons and catcalls off-air from rubes. But I don't think any woman is really ready for Moze. Not at first, anyway.

Dude just don't care.

I've only met a guy like this once in my life. And despite being a filthy little gutter punk, he had the same kind of weird charm, a combination of borderline-offensive honesty and a half-polite, front-and-center lechery. Which, in a way, is a lot more impressive and attractive than player pick-up lines. To me, at least.

Anyway, new page, new votin' sketches. Hope you guys dig.

New page, new vote sketches.

Why are they even friends? Seriously.

Although now that I think about it, I don't really think they are. They go to the same clubs and shows, shop at the same stores, and like the same things, but they're not really friends. They just go places together a lot and talk to one another regularly. Which isn't the same thing.

Curio and Tuesday are kinda permanently stuck as teenagers when it comes to relationships with people of the same sex as themselves. They'll turn on one another in a second. The most they get out of hanging out together is a target for zingers. Lovely people.

Also, Bo hasn't shown up yet, but that doesn't mean he can't have a little character development, am I right?

While you're reading: Jane Irwin, creator of Vogelein, interviewed me a while back for her "Comics are Open Source" series of articles for Comicon.com. My supposed area of expertise: Webcomics, and effectively whoring your way to higher pageviews. You can find the interview here. And in case you're nosy, I mention how much Templar's put in the bank, and how I earned it. The numbers are a little old now, but you should get the basic idea.

Back to work...

Especially if he can discredit the object of derision's validity as a critic at the same time.

Better scenery chewer: Reagan or Sunny? PHONE LINES ARE OPEN. But I'm pretty sure this kinda comparison always ends in a steel cage match on Pay-Per-View.

New page, new vote sketches. Have a nice weekend, everybody.

That's okay, though. Variety, am I right?

And don't be too upset with Moze. I'm pretty sure his dog is completely used to being treated like a handbag.

Don't forget to check out the sketches, three new ones for your clickin'-and-votin' pleasure.

Hey did I mention I registered "Iron Circus Comics" as a business name maybe three weeks ago? I just got the official U R A BUSINESS certificate in the mail, so now I can make the bank people give me a small business account. This is actually kind of a big deal to me, so I'm pretty happy. It should make getting con tables at certain California cons considerably less painful, anyway. And now I can actually partition off the Comic Money and the Not-Comic Money in an official capacity and just make things generally neater and easier to keep track of on the accounting level.

Yeah, I know. Zzz. Sorry, I take this little bullshit comic pretty seriously.

Templar turns two years old, today. That's pretty cool.

And you guys have been asking questions I've been neglecting to answer in a timely fashion in the blog comments. Sorry about that, and here's my attempt to rectify the situation.

- Yes, Templar's print version will be available in comic shops and bookstores. That's why obtaining an ISBN number held up printing so fiercely; most bookstores and comic shops refuse to sell books without them, and I have every intention of submitting "The Great Outdoors" to distributors. I haven't gotten started on the process of submitting the book for distributor review, but I'll let you guys know what's going on with that as it happens.

- Yeah, "The Mob Goes Wild" will be longer than "The Great Outdoors." Each chapter of Templar is as long as it needs to be, kind of like episodes of HBO dramas. (Ever notice that? They vary from an hour and eight minutes long to as little as forty-five minutes.) How long will it be, exactly? I have no idea. I'm very disorganized that way. I don't really think of the story in terms of pages, just scenes. "This, this, and that need to happen before the chapter can be over."

But I can tell you that "The Mob Goes Wild" has only one scene left after this one. And after that, there will be a black-and-white intermission tentatively called "Elliott and Elliott," and the third chapter of Templar will be entitled "And a Stick to Beat the Devil With."

- Stop mentioning Templar's been updating regularly, you'll jinx it!

- How do I feel about Templar's composition in book form, with the pages side-by-side instead of one-at-a-time, and how do I think it effects the story? Interestingly enough, I like the story a lot better in book form. It looks a lot less... I dunno, internet. And while the book format ruins one or two good reveals (The Jimmy Carter statue is on a right-hand page when the book is printed, for example), the whole friggin' comic is overloaded with TUNE IN NEXT WEEK style reveals, so I don't think things suffer much.

- Yes, I got your email. Please don't be offended if I haven't answered it yet. I tend to be totally silent for a week or so, then send out responses in clumps, 10 or 20 at a time. And I have a clump coming up this weekend, so don't worry, I'm not ignoring you.

Hm. I think that's it.

Back to work.

Might do a certain person some good to remember that. Just saying.

New page, new sketches. Click to see 'em.

I was thinking about weirdness while I colored this page. It seems pretty safe to say that we live in a society that admires individuality to the point that a sizable segment of the population does its best to be unique. But despite that, most people have an inability to achieve any authentic, substantial distinction. I'm not saying that makes them bad or anything. Just saying it's out there. I think the problem is the pursuit of weirdness for weirdness's sake. But whatever.

Anyway, people want to be weird, because weird equals special and special is awesome. It's not the 1950s anymore, and conformity's kinda lost its appeal. But the problem with being unique and standing out is that it's kinda hard. Uniqueness implies that whatever you're up to needs to be something no one's really thought of yet, which basically disqualifies the unimaginative from the legions of the willingly strange right out of the gate. I'm kinda convinced these are the people that buy their individuality, emulating what once might have been unique in an attempt to absorb some of its original qualities. It's the equivalent of dressing up in a deer hide in the hopes that you'll run faster.

And there are people who attempt to be unique by adopting themselves out to subcultures, which is of course just a different kind of conformity, and a lot of them know that, and that's okay, because sometimes it's enough just to be a uncommon conformist, I guess. Again, which is fine.

But every once in a while you find the sort of person that's kind of aimless and agonized and hungry for an identity that they haven't found and they can't find, and they kinda bounce around like a pinball and try everything and never stick to anything. And maybe they don't want to be weird so much as have a purpose apart from what they've seen or been offered.

I dunno where I'm going with this, sorry. This is what happens when I draw Curio.

She was originally conceived as an utter ditz with no redeeming qualities, but I really just don't like that anymore. These days, I kinda actually feel sorry for her. She's a flake, but she knows she's a flake because she's pretty much constantly reminded of it and she doesn't WANT to be a flake. I really have no idea how to write her, sometimes. Really.

More Wednesday.

But Sunny's smiles probably cause every kitten within ten miles to be born with two heads.

Taking serious liberties with lighting and color effects in that second panel. But I wanted his face as maniacal as possible.

Oh, by the way, I finally buckled and submitted Templar to three comic toplists.

At the top of the homepage, over each new installment of the comic, you'll find a bar of sketch thumbnails that'll link you to the vote buttons. Vote, and you get to see a page from my sketchbook. Might be Templar-related, might not. The sketches will be updated whenever Templar is, too, so that's nine new sketches every week, along with three new pages.

Hope you guys dig.