The Dreadful -- Chapter 3

[MSperoni]

Page 62! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/09/28/the-dreadful-062/)

I suppose the art-shift is as good a time as any to start a new "chapter".

This thread will cover pages 62 to approximately page 85.

To be honest, writing the comic as if it were divided into chapters isn't something that's working too well with my writing style. I don't really like planning them this way either :P

Breaking them up is useful for organizational purposes, however, and I think it will keep the threads more manageable for the purposes of the site :)

So here we go! "Chapter Three" begins!

[Amake]

I for one love the new style. It seems more personable or something. Yet sleek and aerodynamic. It's like a modded Lamborghini with tractor wheels.

So, if Kit is lazying around on account of the lightning-in-a-bottle having some anesthetic effect, could we say she's comfortably numb?

[MSperoni]

I like Lamborghinis :D

Comfortably numb? Like... morphine? I figure it was more like a novacaine like numbness, or like when your feet are asleep or something. I've never been shocked but I know in some games that it causes temporary paralysis (I need no science! I have video games!)

[Amake]

Yeah the comic obviously suggests a physical numbness, while the song title I'm referencing certainly doesn't. It's a pun!

[MSperoni]

ohh.. i didn't know it was a song title :P

[Kerensky287]

Did Kit just oh-so-subtly call Liz fat? Or was that just a moment of awkward depth?

[MSperoni]

I'd try to shed some light on it, but I have absolutely NO idea where you're pulling Kit calling Liz "fat" from...

[ChaoticBrain]

Um... well... the new art style is... um...

Well, it'll take some time for me to get used to.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Boozloaf seems to be rather unchanged.

[Geminex]

I'd try to shed some light on it, but I have absolutely NO idea where you're pulling Kit calling Liz "fat" from...

Hah. I just got that. "It isn't over till the fat lady sings". You know that phrase?

Well... ever gunfight is a song all itself. And Liz sang last, so to speak.

[SaltyKracka]

Two things.

First...What? Lips? In your The Dreadful? What is this I don't even

Second...Y U NO PINK FLOYD?

[MSperoni]

Hah. I just got that. "It isn't over till the fat lady sings". You know that phrase?

Well... ever gunfight is a song all itself. And Liz sang last, so to speak.


Ohhh.. hmm.. that's a bit of a stretch, but i guess it works :)


EDIT: I hope eventually people will get over the "lips" thing... :P I know it's kinda different but I mean... sheesh.. It's just gonna be this way from now on.

[SaltyKracka]

Maybe it's just the second panel that gets me.

[A Zarkin' Frood]

I remember when I dubbed them porno lips and Matt didn't take kindly to it. Good times.

They don't stand out as much on an actual page with dialogue as they did on the concept art Matt posted. My only real issue is that the shift is sudden, just bam, there. To be fair, how else would anyone expect it to happen? That's right, not at all, so no difference. And we'll get used to it, I'm sure.

[MSperoni]

Originally I was going to set up the art-shift with a joke. Kit was going to recover slightly from the lightning-potion and Boozloaf was going to say "You look better. Almost like a whole new person." and Kit was going to say "Yeah, I feel different somehow..."

But I felt that was just a waste of a page, and since the shift happened RIGHT after Erin's death, it could be the start of a new chapter. That seemed like enough of a break to me.

[Hatake Kakashi]

Hmm. First negative thing I've ever had to say about the comic. The new art style... not diggin' it.

Granted, it's not my comic, and I'll probably keep watching for a while, but some of the style seems to have lost its charm.

[MSperoni]

And here I had this wild idea that the story/characters were decent enough to overcome LIPS.

It's only been a page...

I still am stunned that this would be so problematic for some people. Regardless, I'm not going to go back to the old way because this new way is better. *puts foot down*

[Hatake Kakashi]

To be honest, it's less about the lips, more about the horns. To me, Kit looks like she has a massive set of bald spots now. Kinda weird.

[MSperoni]

Well, the story is about to pick up so hopefully you'll be able to tolerate the art for just a bit longer. It might pay off.

[Hatake Kakashi]

Hmm. We'll see.

Oh, that reminds me. When's HIKYM comin back? >.> [/troll]

[Alanim]

Well, not to sound like a perv... but what really got me was the second panel, it kind of looked like something from a prono.

Also I agree, the horns look a bit... off...

*edit* it'll likely grow on me, just threw me off a bit at first. I had gotten too used to the manga style of kit.

[mistwolf]

Eh, I'll adjust. As you say, I'm here for the world and the story. It's none of my business if Kit likes Botox. :)

[Bard The 5th LW]

Really the horns bug me more than the lips. I'll deal though.

[Kerensky287]

I'm fine with the lips. They do make her look a lot older and more mature (which is at odds with her overall "kiddish" personality so far) but my main point of contention is the horns, or rather, how they affect her hair.

Old art style, they didn't. It was like she was wearing them overtop of the hair. Admittedly, the new style is more realistic. But if you look at the comparison between old and new, the fact that the hair below the horns is suddenly missing makes it look like she shaved that part directly off. It creates a weird pseudo-punk look that I'm not sure I'm a fan of.

The change in art styles between, say, Page 49 (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/08/15/the-dreadful-049/) and Page 62 (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/09/28/the-dreadful-062/) is particularly striking because less than 5 minutes have passed in-comic (I estimate), but Kit looks like she's aged at least a decade between her lips and bald spots.

So, to summarize/clarify, I am totally fine with the new art style, but I feel that it seems out-of-place at this particular point in the story. She looks like a different character now. To use Firefly characters as an example, I read Page 49 Kit as Kaylee, and I read Page 62 Kit as Zoe. It just feels a little uncomfortable.

EDIT: And yes, that was my reasoning for the "fat" comment. It's not over till the fat lady sings, and if every gunfight is like a song in itself, then Liz just "sang", and now it's over. So the fat lady sang to end it. Subtle.

...That line still feels a little odd for Kit to be saying, though...?

[Scooch1]

I thought it was a guest artist at first until I saw that Boozloaf looks the same. It's not bad, she looks more feminine now, but the horns are now a tad odd to me.

[MSperoni]

...That line still feels a little odd for Kit to be saying, though...?

I was trying to imply that Kit is such a pro w/ gunfights that she can tell what happens and she doesn't even have to see it. Rate of fire + different guns + a combatant she knows (Liz) = Kit's deduction.

There will be more on that, and her "every gunfight is like a song all itself" quote later (that's the plan anyway).

[Deck Knight]

What caused the art shift?

A wizard did it.

It's as good a canonical answer as any.

[Lord-of-Filing]

Maybe it's just me, but when the majority are saying they don't like it and the best thing the minority can say is "I'll adjust I guess," it's probably worth it to re-examine whether or not "it's better".

I'm not trying to dog on you or anything, I'm just telling you which way the wind's blowing. In all things, people are getting tired of 'same'. The new Catwoman and Red Hood comics and the outcry they generated should give you a clue. Google it.

Anyway, like you give a crap about my opinion, but for my money Kit looked a lot better before she got her lip-puff-and-horn-lift treatments. She looked unique before. Now she looks more 'typical'.

[Hatake Kakashi]

Whoa, whoa, whoa... little harsh there, LoF. To be honest, from what I can tell, he DOES care about our opinions to an extent. Matt is very active in the forum in regard to his comic works, and regularly asks for input regarding various things. The fact that he does these things and has various forum lurkers helping him on this or that aspect of his comic gives me the impression that he does value the opinions of his readers.

That said, it seems he does want to move away from the manga-ish art style of his previous posts. A pity, IMHO, but then I'm a huge fan of that particular art style. However, an artist will typically do what pleases them, the opinions of others is an afterthought. Were this not the case, we'd have no Picassos.

[MSperoni]

I care about opinions to an extent, but this is one of those things where I'm going with my gut on. I suppose if this wasn't a free comic I'd be more likely to listen to everyone, but it's still hard to say. After all, is this really the "majority"? I have had a number of other people say they really like it, including some people who I highly respect on an artistic level, they just haven't voiced an opinion on this forum. I wish they would, but what're you gonna do?

I want to do it this way for more than just "what's popular". The manga style was no longer me. I don't like anime anymore, and I don't read manga like I used to. I don't think I should be drawing in a style I'm not that into.

Anyway, this is the last time I'm going to address any criticisms about the art shift. Feel free to argue about it amongst yourselves tho. I'm just tired of trying to sell it to people who aren't buying it, and I don't feel I need to justify it over and over again. It's this way from now on. If you don't like the art and don't wanna read the comic because of it, I'm afraid you'll just have to move on. A pity, but that's how it is.

[Melfice]

Re: Manga style:

... that was inspired by manga? *shrugs*
I mean, I can kinda see it, but it was YOUR style, as far as I'm concerned.

But I like this too! =D

[MSperoni]

Thanks :)

I don't like being so dismissive about what fans think. After all, this comic was originally conceived with the much appreciated help of many current NPFers. It's just this is different. This new art style is MY thing and I'm very passionate about it.

When I originally came up with the idea to shift the style I wasn't sure. I thought I'd see what people thought, but the more I did it the more I really took to it, almost like this was how I was meant to draw it all along.

I was surprised how fast I was able to shift. Someone said earlier that they thought it was a new artist working on it? That's a pretty good compliment really.

I guess I'm going out of my way to try to "sell it" again.. I said I wouldn't do that :P

[Michael Morris]

It's ok. Everybody's a critic.

In that vein, maybe take the horn size down a little? When it was magna style the horns being big worked, here not so much. Even allowing for foreshadowing they look as big as Boozeloaf's in panel 1. And in an attempt to kill a few dozen catgirls I'll point out that in every mammalian species with horns the females have much smaller horns than the males (if they have any at all). So unless the guys of her species are packing the Dodge Ram curls, they are a bit much. I would think her horns being about the same size as her eyes would be more balanced.

Speaking of her eyes - you're either doing a western animation style or you aren't and her eyes are still anime-ishly big and styled. Not as big as they were, but big enough to throw the face balance off. Take them down a hair, open they should be about as big as when she was squinting in the last panel. Add the nictating membrane details on the closeups. You started doing that panel 4 but left it down to a dot.

The lips are fine, but the main reason they are floating is there is no cheekbone definition and nose definition remains as minimal as ever. This isn't a concern on distance poses (panel 3) but close ups are bothersome. Shading would help this problem enormously, but I don't know how to solve it in the 2 tone format.

Panel 4 is the best panel of 62 mainly because it addresses most of these issues. Eyes are smaller because of the squint, nose definition is the strongest in that drawing and the lips as a result feel connected to the face and unforced.

What are those black stripes on her face? I'm still wondering that and after the shift it bothers me more.

Overall I like what you are doing though, and I hope you take this post as intended, encouragement to continue in the direction you want to go and some ideas on how to do that.

[MSperoni]

Well I'm on page 75 right now so it might be a little too late to go about dissecting page 62 to this degree :P I'll take it all into consideration though? Maybe?....*runs*

I'm pretty settled in with the style now, and have been working out whatever kinks there are in it on my own.

The black stripes on her face are ..uhh.. I dunno. Tattoos? Birthmarks? Naruto-esque Whisker Thingies?

[SaltyKracka]

Just a thought, but perhaps most of the reason I find the art shift odd (besides lips) is that it seems to take Kit from perhaps late teens in appearance (and mannerisms) all the way through to at least mid-twenties, and it's kind of hard to deal with at first.

[TDK]

Yeah, I agree with the above. Kit seems much too mature now. I pictured her as being quite little, not with womanly bust and such.

I do like the faces you're doing now, however.

I understand the need for artistic growth, but honestly, I personally liked the old style better. It seemed quite fitting.

Perhaps I'll grow accustomed, though. Dunno.

[Kim]

The new Catwoman and Red Hood comics and the outcry they generated should give you a clue. Google it.

The specific issues present in those is two-fold.

1. They aren't particularly well-written. At least, the Red Hood isn't based on my sources.

2. The turned female characters into porn star props meant as nothing more than wankfodder for an intended fanbase of horny teenagers. This is problematic both because it is sexist, but also because it's fucking stupid and ruins the comic's enjoyability for those of us who don't want that.

The problem with those is not, "This art looks all the same!" After all, Speroni was doing the anime/manga art style. While he certainly made it his own, it was just as much "More of the same" as this is visually. He does a good job of making his own style stand out here, and while I was fond of the original art style, they're both great in their own ways.

[Sam I am]

I just registered today, to say that I liked the old art style better.

Also, the horns don't seem that much bigger to me. They're just in front of the hair now, and the face is a bit thinner.

[Mr.Bookworm]

the liiiiips

Every second of every panel is like being punched in the balls for all of eternity.

...but no, anyway, I'll get used to it. I think it's just a little jarring, like almost every art shift in every comic ever. I had a mental picture of Kit looking like she could reasonably pass as a high schooler (which is kind of a easten/western style thing), and now she looks quite a bit older.

I do think the horns look better in the last panel than in the others, though, where they look a little smaller and broader.

The black stripes on her face are ..uhh.. I dunno. Tattoos? Birthmarks? Naruto-esque Whisker Thingies?

More animes Matt is completely ripping off! =P

Though even before the art shift, they immediately brought Ah My Goddess to my mind.

http://www.usaanime.us/HeroTourney/Pics/Belldandy.jpg

[Nikose Tyris]

...Maybe the 'new look' is just Kat's reaction to alcohol?

It's not an unprecedented thing to happen in comics! (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Gd8NBIma-zo/TEujAcTBL1I/AAAAAAAAOKQ/i8gv_gaBb9o/s1600/Heroic+Age+-+Prince+of+Power+%233+-+haihoomins.jpg)

I'll just, like, cross my fingers on that one I guess.

[Domestibot]

Yeah, it takes getting used to, but not bad. The way Kit stands up there so abruptly in the second to last panel, kind of defiantly, yeah, that seems like a mannerism of the Kit we know and love alright, so to me this is still the same comic despite the style change.

I applaud you, Mr. Speroni. Art is about gut feelings and doing what works for you. It's your work after all, you should enjoy it. :D

[MSperoni]

I applaud you, Mr. Speroni. Art is about gut feelings and doing what works for you. It's your work after all, you should enjoy it. :D

Thanks :)

I hope that the more I enjoy it the better I can make it and the more enjoyable it will be for everyone to read. I have to be careful I'm not 100% self-indulgent though. However, you can't listen to everyone all the time, you have to be you once in awhile. It's tricky to decide what to do sometimes.

[Domestibot]

Thanks :)

I hope that the more I enjoy it the better I can make it and the more enjoyable it will be for everyone to read. I have to be careful I'm not 100% self-indulgent though. However, you can't listen to everyone all the time, you have to be you once in awhile. It's tricky to decide what to do sometimes.

true enough. Take it as a compliment that some people ARE complaining about the style change. That in itself is total praise to your work (The Dreadful overall, not just the art) and a testmanent to how much they enjoy this comic if they feel that strongly about it. :P

[MSperoni]

Page 63! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/09/30/the-dreadful-063/)

Liz has a theory that Kit is not too keen on hearing, but why is she drawing this conclusion?

[MSperoni]

Speaking of style changes, I think I should change The Judge from her normal realistic look to a really anime look. Kind of the reverse of what I did with Kit and Liz. I mean, it makes sense, right?

Something like this:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/411464803.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJF3XCCKACR3QDMOA&Expires=1317410882&Signature=HO2zc8G04tX8ou33%2BtGNpVqGDmU%3D


Link (http://twitpic.com/6sz49v) if image won't display

[Kim]

^^^ The best.

[EVILNess]

You should use that for a red ninja suit joke.

Have her all SD Anime, but then the next day make her normal and have someone reference the art shift and have her say "No I didn't" then when they go back you have replaced the previous comic with her actual look.

[Hatake Kakashi]

Speaking of style changes, I think I should change The Judge from her normal realistic look to a really anime look. Kind of the reverse of what I did with Kit and Liz. I mean, it makes sense, right?

Something like this:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/411464803.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJF3XCCKACR3QDMOA&Expires=1317410882&Signature=HO2zc8G04tX8ou33%2BtGNpVqGDmU%3D


Link (http://twitpic.com/6sz49v) if image won't display

You're fired.

[Kerensky287]

I still miss the good old days where Liz had no mouth, merely a lit cigarette proboscis, but she has a nice redesign.

It kinda still feels weird to see Kit doing her wide-eyed, over-the-top surprise expressions with realism mode on, but the fact that the character's personality remained constant does help the art style transition somewhat.

[Krylo]

You're fired.

I disagree, and suggest a raise for Mr. Speroni, increasing his current pay for this project by 1.5x its previous.

[MSperoni]

Liz is now exactly how she should look for the character. Her new look is superior to the old one in every possible way. I suppose I can see the debate continuing for Kit, but it shouldn't for Liz. She looks pretty much how I pictured her in my head, and I should have drawn her this way (or at least in an anime-equivalent of this way) from the start. Liz isn't a "cute" character and so the old look never quite fit her for me.

Though, a lot of this reasoning is based on stuff that I know that no one else does, so it might not make total sense yet.

I disagree, and suggest a raise for Mr. Speroni, increasing his current pay for this project by 1.5x its previous.

1.5 x 0 = 0!

[Krylo]

1.5 x 0 = 0!

http://i52.tinypic.com/2czq6mf.jpg

[MSperoni]

Except the Joker didn't have to take into account the "Duurr??" that makes up a good portion of the interweb.

There seems to be no joke or story element that is perfectly clear to everyone. No matter how dumbed down it is. You could have a panel with a sign that says "Cow" on it next to a cow and someone would be "HUH?!"

[Mr.Bookworm]

There seems to be no joke or story element that is perfectly clear to everyone. No matter how dumbed down it is. You could have a panel with a sign that says "Cow" on it next to a cow and someone would be "HUH?!"

Fuck that guy.

Can't recognize a cow, what an asshole.

[MSperoni]

You have to hone your "Derdar" as an artist/writer. It's tricky sometimes to tell what is legitimately confusing and what is just confusing because the person commenting is being an idiot, or just bullheaded for no intelligent reason. You want to get it right, but you can't listen to everyone's advice.

That's why you need to have a handful of "go to" people. Preferably people who aren't morons. Friends aren't always the best choice. If you have a friend who sits through Dark Knight and doesn't realize Batman is Bruce Wayne till the very end (if at all), you probably shouldn't go to them for creative help.

[Alanim]

Liz looks good/better, kit does look alot better standing up.

Pet peeve of mine though, the one sided lip raise that kit does really makes me rage.

[Krylo]

Pet peeve of mine though, the one sided lip raise that kit does really makes me rage.

This is now her permanent expression.

[Alanim]

This is now her permanent expression.

Neither do I, but it does.

[Sam I am]

Hey, there's this movie director who likes to keep changing his movies.

[MSperoni]

I doubt you're being serious about that...but if there actually is anyone out there who genuinely compares me with Lucas and The Dreadful to Star Wars they really need to reconsider their perspective on this art shift and move on with their lives.

If The Dreadful ever got to the level Star Wars is I wouldn't mess with it. However, it's a very very small comic on a website I don't own. I do the comic for free and I've only changed it once. My change also didn't force you to pay 40-50$ for a new set of movies (oh wait, Lucas didn't either)...

The Dreadful is still more or less mine to do with what I want. Maybe one of these days it'll get to the level of Star Wars and be everyone's, but it's far from that point.

Though personally I think Lucas has the right to mess with Star Wars as much as he wants. It's his movie. He's not forcing anyone buy it. I own two versions of Star Wars. The original movies on VHS, and the special editions on DVD, and that's good enough for me. If I were him I wouldn't mess with it, because I feel that it's fine as it is, but I'm not him. If he feels these changes make Star Wars more like his vision, then I guess he should change it. However if he's just making these changes to make money....eh...

[Donomni]

I do think I'm gonna like Liz's new look.

She looks very, very tired, which suits her character just fine.

[Cheshie]

I like the new look. <3

[Guntank]

I wonder, though: Is HIKYM also going to be changed to the new art style?

...If it ever gets updated again? <_<

[A Zarkin' Frood]

I'm not sure what HIKYM has to do with that, since it has a different art style anyway. I hope there's no art shift in HIKYM, personally. It already ran long enough and I think is supposed to end some time. I'd prefer consistency in that case. I highly doubt Dreadful's art shift will affect HIKYM (at least not in a major way), same artist or not.

[Allamorph]

I was quite startled by the abrupt (to me) shirt in art style. However, I feel that any and all doubts as to whether or not it's good should have been swept aside by panels 5 and 6 in #63.

Also, is there any possibility of getting a big wallpaper of the final panel of #61? My gosh that was gorgeous.

[Krylo]

It's his movie.

What about the writers (other than Lucas), actors who ad-libbed some of the most famous and loved lines ("I love you!" "I know."), the director (not Lucas!), etc?

It's only his movie by copyright law, not by right of creation.

Not that this has anything to do with the Dreadful, which IS yours through and through.

Even less so because you're not rewriting or altering old comics. Just producing new ones in a new way. This would be closer to someone complaining about Episode 1 using CGI instead of the models and physical props of Episodes 3-4.

[Arhra]

Wow, Liz looks great in the new style.

I have to admit Kit feels a bit off but it's mainly because she suddenly seems a bit older. I'm finding that's only in some panels though, so probably just from settling into a new style?

[MSperoni]

I wonder, though: Is HIKYM also going to be changed to the new art style?

...If it ever gets updated again? <_<

HIKYM already pretty much IS in this style. It's just in color. The reason why I was able to switch styles so smoothly w/ The Dreadful is because of HIKYM.

Essentially I'm just drawing The Dreadful how I draw HIKYM. I mean, look at the last page of HIKYM. Look at Fang Lin. SHE HAS LIPS HOLY SHIT.

So...yes, HIKYM will be drawn in this style (but since it already was, that's kinda silly for me to say). The only reason the two styles may look slightly different is because HIKYM is in color and because I have developed artistically since my last page of it. The Dreadful is drawn in the HIKYM style, I'm just better at it now. The Dreadful being in black and white also changes the aesthetic a lot, so it looks more different than it actually is. Also the fact I'm writing The Dreadful and in total control of the page layouts could make it "feel" different (like all those silhouettes for instance). HIKYM has some more anime-effects, like speed-lines and whatnot, but the way I draw the characters is pretty much the same.


LUCAS STUFF.

Yeah that's true... I was mostly thinking of it being his in terms of his story and copyright stuff.

If he owns it, I think he can change it if he wants. I think if people quit buying it then he'd stop. But that's not the case!



Also, is there any possibility of getting a big wallpaper of the final panel of #61? My gosh that was gorgeous.

I've been thinking of doing a wallpaper of Liz, so I might do something sorta like that :)

[Michael Morris]

For reference folks, here's a more recent color image by Matt that he did on commission for me.

7817

Color makes a real difference, but I imagine it is a real time eater as well.

[MSperoni]

Color makes a real difference, but I imagine it is a real time eater as well.

It depends. Coloring can sometimes make things easier in the drawing because it covers up a lot of stuff and can allow for some short-cuts. Usually when I have to color a page I tend to rush the drawing more because I don't want to spend forever on a single page. I try to go fast enough on both so I can get the page done in a day or a day and a half.

That picture up there was done relatively speedy, but it was in this "new" stye. In fact, many of my colored pictures are. Like the Julia Chang picture or the "Lara Croft" picture, etc. (See my DA page for reference).

I actually prefer The Dreadful in the black and white art. I think the line-work looks better. If I ever decide to color it I'd probably do something more flat, kinda grainy and washed out. That would be a lot of work though, especially since unlike HIKYM I'm writing The Dreadful (writing takes up a lot of time sometimes).

[MSperoni]

Pages 64 and 65 (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/10/04/the-dreadful-064-and-065/)

Another double-sized update! What's all this about "money" anyway?

[A Zarkin' Frood]

Like the new style a little better already. The only thing I'll never be able to put behind me is mouthless Liz.

Mouthless Liz, I love you, I will hold the pages you appear in close to my heart, always.

Maybe I will just photoshop the mouth away on a few pages and see how weird it looks with the new art...

[Donomni]

Man, it's always about a secret money hoard, isn't it?

[MSperoni]

The Dreadful wasn't inspired by Red Dead Redemption, but as I kept thinking more and more about the story I felt I wanted to make it feel kinda like Grand Theft Auto. Where everyone's bad/corrupt and it's generally always about the money. Kind of ironic I guess :D

I guess Boozloaf is the exception. The one pillar of purity...

[Michael Morris]

Well hells yeah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXldafIl5DQ

It's a western ;P

[Melfice]

I guess Boozloaf is the exception. The one pillar of purity...

Except he works for Jeanne.
Until Kit manages to convince him to give up his bad ways, and become an actual Moomon.

#spoilingstories #since1990 #yesiknowimnotontwitter #dontcare

[Bard The 5th LW]

The new style is starting to look a bit better now. I guess I'm getting used to it, but I guess there are other factors to. Kit's hat makes the horns a bit less pronounced as well.

[Menarker]

I did prefer the old style better, but you can't please everyone.

I guess it was how the look blended with the occasional light-hearted mood, and really made the eyes stand out or something.

[MSperoni]

Page 66! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/10/07/the-dreadful-066/)

Cliffhanger page! What is it that they see?.....

[Michael Morris]

Rick Astley. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&ob=av2e)

[A Zarkin' Frood]

Does it qualify as a Rickroll if the link is labeled Rick Astley, you expect to see the video of Never Gonna Give you up but instead get greeted by the classic "not available in your country" notice? Or do we call that a Youtube?

[MSperoni]

A Tuberoll?

[Gitman]

Who wants to bet it's Rado... or what's left of him?

[epcharles]

I'm not a fan of the new art, but it is growing on me. Some of the individual frames have been really good, and almost have me convinced.

At any rate, the comic is great, I'm glad I have free access to an interesting story that someone is putting good time and energy into, and anyone who is seriously going to complain under those circumstances has some issues. Thanks for the entertainment!

[MSperoni]

iO9 did an article about The Dreadful :D Link (http://io9.com/5847729/the-dreadful-a-webcomic-about-the-goofy-gunslinging-demons-of-the-old-west)

The article makes the comic sound so well put together! I read that and I'm like "Wow, my comic actually sounds pretty good!" :)

Normally I just think it's a big mess :P

EDIT: Though... Based on that picture of a dragoon with a pentagram on it, I may wanna alter the dreadful's appearance slightly. I didn't realize there was another western with a gun like that in it. However, a western with a dragoon isn't exactly uncommon (True Grit, Seraphim Falls, etc..), so I dunno if it's necessary...hmm...

[Krylo]

The article makes the comic sound so well put together! I read that and I'm like "Wow, my comic actually sounds pretty good!" :)

Normally I just think it's a big mess :P

Well, no accounting for taste, I guess.

[Michael Morris]

The centaur I expected. The other two, not so much.

[MSperoni]

Page 67 (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/10/11/the-dreadful-067/)

Jeanne is a pleasant person.

[Kim]

Nooooooooooooooookay.

I thought at least one of those characters would last much longer than he did.

[MSperoni]

I should probably quit killing characters. Though I guess this particular incident is more about characterization on Jeanne's part.

[Kim]

I don't think you need to quit killing characters. I don't think doing that is something writers should shy away from if it's how they want to write the story.

[MSperoni]

By the way:

Who wants to bet it's Rado...

Called it! Partially.


I don't think you need to quit killing characters. I don't think doing that is something writers should shy away from if it's how they want to write the story.

That's true. After all, I didn't just kill them spontaneously...though I think some people might feel that I did. I wanted Jeanne to do what she did and I needed her to do it to characters who were lightly established. I didn't feel the incident would have worked with characters totally unfamiliar to the readers. Yet I couldn't have it happen to characters who were TOO familiar...(not yet anyway..)

[rpgdemon]

I should probably quit killing characters. Though I guess this particular incident is more about characterization on Jeanne's part.

Yep! It shows that Jeanne is a nice person who shares Kit's views, as she killed off Muttonchops, a member of Kit's hit list.

And Rado probably broke a leg, so then Jeanne had to shoot him. Just like Kit.

And what better way to get back at Liz, who Kit hates, than to kill her employer? No more money for her!

[Hatake Kakashi]

So yeah. Kit looks much better with her hat back on. 100% better.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Poor centaur guy, we barely knew ye

[Domestibot]

Ya know, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear that Jeanne were some sorta Man-hating jerk!

[Geminex]

Wait, is... is...
is McGrath Mr. T?

Cause, I mean, that totally looks like Mr. T impaled there. Though Jeanne took his Mohawk as a trophy.

[MSperoni]

Page 68! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/10/13/the-dreadful-068/)

Kit needs a horse...

Liz could also use a new hat.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Oh lord was Kit actually riding the horse guy? Thats hilarious.

[BigDemonicBunny]

Oh lord was Liz actually riding the horse guy? Thats hilarious.

...in so many ways. :rolleyes:

[Enjou]

I'm not a fan of the new art, but it is growing on me.

Not a fan of it either - it's really just the lips for me. They stick out too much. Still love the story though, look forward to it.

[Allamorph]

I should probably quit killing characters. Though I guess this particular incident is more about characterization on Jeanne's part.

I think one of the hardest parts about creating any sort of universe has got to be taking the time to invest yourself in the creation of a person you know won't last long enough to be explored. Sometimes you can keep them Nameless/Faceless and make the process easier, but not always. I would look at the ability to 'pull the trigger', so to speak, as a sign of creative maturity, and a devotion to the original intent of the story.

I wish other series had this problem. I grow incredibly weary of being constantly subjected to people who do not die when they are killed.

Edit: I AM A GOOMBA THIS IS HILARIOUS

[MSperoni]

Page 69! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/10/19/the-dreadful-069/)

Liz decides to make good on something she had planned to do with Burke (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/04/23/the-dreadful-016/).

[rpgdemon]

Looking back at the old comic you linked, the change in art, though subtle, looks way better than how the comic looked back then.

[MSperoni]

That's what I've been saying all along! :)

[Bard The 5th LW]

The people do seem to fit in better with the landscape.

[Hatake Kakashi]

Looking back at the old comic you linked, the change in art, though subtle, looks way better than how the comic looked back then.

Damn it! Where the frag's that dislike button?!

[Hatake Kakashi]

Ohhhh? A little identity confusion for the new comic, mm? I suspect a bit of something interesting in the next episode.

[A Zarkin' Frood]

God forbid, a few pages of setup. In a comic that is most likely supposed to be read in chunks. Let's all boycott this comic until we get at least one pair of clearly visible tits and gunfights or whatever qualifies as interesting for you on every page.

On a more serious note: Nothing against tits and gunfights, but there's a time and place for those.

[Sam I am]

This recent page made me realize that the thing that the thing that was most off-putting about the new art was the fact that kit's horns were in front of her hair, but for now, the hat seems to hide that fact.

[MSperoni]

Page 70! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/10/22/the-dreadful-070/)

(though it seems like most everyone knows already).

I was a little busy yesterday so I didn't get around to checking the site till just now :D

[Donomni]

I think I watched the Shrek movies one too many times, because my first thought on seeing the new girl was "She's an ogre", followed by "Sup, Fiona".

[MSperoni]

I'm not sure how I'd draw ogres in The Dreadful. I haven't gotten much into the monsters yet. I've drawn a troll for an upcoming Advertisement, but that's really it so far.

I should probably get into that stuff, because it seems like the kinda thing people wanna see. I guess I've focused more on building a narrative and working with the characters I have instead of dumping monster after monster on everyone.

But with as fast paced and immediate as the internet world seems to be, I sometimes feel like this comic is moving far too slowly. Though I think a lot of it has to do with me struggling to get used to this whole idea of writing (I haven't done it much). Hopefully it hasn't been too boring. :)

[Donomni]

Nah, don't worry about it. For one, you aren't a robot.

Your pace seems good, anyways. No need to rush and shove characters in for the hell of it. Adding lots of characters at once is never a smart idea, anyways.

[Kalbelgarion]

It took the Light Warriors two years to get past the first dungeon. I'm pretty sure this crowd won't have a problem with the pace of The Dreadful.

[TDK]

Its pace of updates, not pace of the plot. 8-bit theatre pretty much always updated several times a week.

[MSperoni]

It's Page 71! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/10/25/the-dreadful-071/)

Liz pulls a fast one....though this guy seems like relatively easy pickings.

[Doctroid]

Liz could also use a new hat.
Or a pair of horns.

[MSperoni]

Advertisement! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/10/27/dreadful-advertising-2/)

Kit needs to keep her lips in good condition!

[Arcon]

Advertisement! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/10/27/dreadful-advertising-2/)

Kit needs to keep her lips in good condition!

I'm suprised companies haven't tapped in the raw potential of webcomic artists more often.
If they did, people would actually pay attention to their products, the comic is stuck in my head and i dont even use lipstick!

[BigDemonicBunny]

I'm suprised companies haven't tapped in the raw potential of webcomic artists more often.
If they did, people would actually pay attention to their products, the comic is stuck in my head and i dont even use lipstick!

Oh they tried. Old comics often had commercials in them. Usually narm-worthy and really really bad.

[MSperoni]

Like commercials for Hostess Cupcakes and such. Those are the inspiration for what I'm doing in The Dreadful :)

Like there would be one where Spider-man would distract the Lizard with a twinkie and capture him. I should have a comic where Kit is up against some sorta... dark lord of the abyss and she beats it with a candy bar.

I go back and forth with The Dreadful. Sometimes I want it really serious with a continuous story and other times I want it to be goofy with a bunch of disjointed mini-comics (like each story is only 4-5 pages long).

I wish I had started with the latter and then built up to a continuous plot, but I can't really do that now. I'd think jumping around too much would be confusing to new readers.

Maybe I could convince Brian to open up another Dreadful section of the site where I could put those. Like have the main comic be Kit, and then the other section be for mini stories like that (either featuring Kit or other characters, like El Sabueso or Liz). I could maybe have guest-writers or artists for those too.

[Lord-of-Filing]

Out of curiosity, did this one come up because of all us fruit-loops complaining about the lips in the new art style?:D

[MSperoni]

Pretty much, yeah :)

[EVILNess]

Pretty much, yeah :)

All I could think of as I read this comic was "Touche, Speroni. Touche."

[MSperoni]

Page 72! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/11/01/the-dreadful-072/)

Liz likes the monies.

[rpgdemon]

Unfortunately, working together ALSO means that it'll be hard to actually keep the money.

[MSperoni]

Yeah. Kit's not exactly fallen in with the most altruistic of partners here. :)

[MSperoni]

Page 73! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/11/04/the-dreadful-073/)

Looks like their partnership is already experiencing some problems...That was fast!

[Alanim]

you should likely draw all the teeth that would be visible when someones mouth is open. It looks alot better and not like she only has 12 teeth.

Also, that mouth expression at the end seems somewhat unrealistic. because your mouth doesn't really make that shape when you yell that phrase.

Besides that good page.

[MSperoni]

Actually you should NEVER draw each individual tooth. If someone told you that: ignore them. It looks hideous from a design standpoint. There are too many lines crammed into a small space, and it creates a focal point you do NOT want. It's also superfluous detail, the same reason why people don't draw individual eyelashes. It's enough to suggest them unless there is some weird reason not to, or you are very up close where the focus is on the teeth. Fangs are a small exception, because their nature is pronounced and they're generally meant to be noticed (you also really can't "suggest" fangs). I sometimes will draw individual teeth, but only on "ugly" characters, and even then I won't draw them all. You can find this advice in many "How to Draw People" books. Also just look through comics, it's very rare you see someone with each individual tooth drawn. And from the standpoint of a colorist (which I also am) it can be a bit of a hassle. In some cases it's best to let the coloring do the work, and if you got a bunch of little lines all in a small space like that it can make things look a bit smudged once the color is laid down. It also clashes with the open area around it (creating that unwanted focal point again).

That's a lot of tooth-talk! But I wanted to spend some time discussing it because it's a cartooning technique, and I figured the advice might be helpful to any artists who might be reading this thread :D . (I actually know a thing or two about drawing, you know? -- and I also like talking art-technique, especially when it comes to relatively "little" things).

As for the mouth position..eh...it seems okay to me. I suppose I could have improved on it though. It's hard to get it perfect because I sometimes will alter dialog AFTER I've drawn the panel. I think it's enough to have Kit "yelling" because that's what she's doing. A lot of times in panels it's about the "expression" and not the literalness of it. Though I guess if you can do both that's good, but it's not always possible (especially if the artist and writer are two different people).

[Alanim]

Actually you should NEVER draw each individual tooth. If someone told you that: ignore them. It looks hideous from a design standpoint. There are too many lines crammed into a small space, and it creates a focal point you do NOT want. It's also superfluous detail, the same reason why people don't draw individual eyelashes. It's enough to suggest them unless there is some weird reason not to, or you are very up close where the focus is on the teeth. Fangs are a small exception, because their nature is pronounced and they're generally meant to be noticed (you also really can't "suggest" fangs). I sometimes will draw individual teeth, but only on "ugly" characters, and even then I won't draw them all. You can find this advice in many "How to Draw People" books. Also just look through comics, it's very rare you see someone with each individual tooth drawn. And from the standpoint of a colorist (which I also am) it can be a bit of a hassle. In some cases it's best to let the coloring do the work, and if you got a bunch of little lines all in a small space like that it can make things look a bit smudged once the color is laid down. It also clashes with the open area around it (creating that unwanted focal point again).

That's a lot of tooth-talk! But I wanted to spend some time discussing it because it's a cartooning technique, and I figured the advice might be helpful to any artists who might be reading this thread :D . (I actually know a thing or two about drawing, you know? -- and I also like talking art-technique, especially when it comes to relatively "little" things).


I understand the not drawing each individual teeth, that wasn't exactly my point though, I was saying with the way her mouth is open her molars would atleast be semi-visible but they don't exist in the drawing, making the bottom left of the mouth have a form of awkwardness where they end. This might be a bit hard to do though(I'm not much of a artist, but I do enjoy the works.)

Long story short:If possible, placement of molars where they would be visible would be a nice artistic touch.
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/742/teethi.png
See?


Also you make a really good point with the expressions, lol.

[MSperoni]

The troll is one instance where I actually drew each tooth :)

but he's ugly, so it works.

I see what you mean though. I guess I just pretended as if her tongue was covering up her molars.

[rpgdemon]

Re: How the mouth's open: I figure, it just needs to show she's yelling, and that does fit the position your mouth would be for "You", anyways, roughly. It's not like animation where you can see that the words don't line up with the mouth.

[MSperoni]

I generally try to have the character's mouth in a position that is close to what they're saying, but sometimes after I'm done drawing a page I'll end up changing the dialog two or three different times. It's tricky to get it perfect unless I want to draw a panel over and over again. However it is just enough to show them "yelling", so I don't dwell on it if it's off.

Though I think Kit's mouth being like it is would be close to the position for "Got".

[Michael Morris]

Nothing wrong with the occasional kung fu dub.

[MSperoni]

Page 74! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/11/08/the-dreadful-074/)

Liz finally pushes it too far with Kit...

[phil_]

Well, this little argument would have looked pretty silly in the old art style.

[MSperoni]

Yeah.

Scenes like this are one of the reasons I changed it. Kit just can't look really pissed when she's cutesy anime.

[Alanim]

Since I'm now the mouth guy, can I just say good job with all the art. All of it works awesomely. Also her back teeth are drawn, sha-wing.

Good chapter. This is why the new art style is better, you can put alot more facial detail.

[MSperoni]

Yay :D

You should change your thingie from "Goomba" to "Mouth Guy" :)

[epcharles]

Agree with other posts. Though the original style had lots of appealing aspects, the recent panels show a much wider range of facial expression. Also the style of Kit with her hat has stabilized in very nice ways. The jaw angle with the stripes, and the relating of the hat/horns to the rest of the face really works well. Also, the variety of ways you are drawing her nose really help the expression.

[MSperoni]

Thanks :D Glad the new style is growing on people (I've had a few more comments about it on other sites).

There's an upcoming scene that I think will further prove why the change was necessary. I'm not gonna spoil anything, but I think you'll know it when you see it.

[EVILNess]

Do you have any non spoilery art of Poe laying around in the new art style? I've been wondering what she looks like in the new style for a while.

If we got to wait til she shows back up, then that's fine too.

[MSperoni]

Nope, I'm afraid I don't have any pics of Poe in the new style yet. I could make one I suppose :)

Though I guess she'd look pretty much like Kit, except with a different hair style, outfit and a different "vibe" to her. Like the Luigi to Kit's Mario.

I still haven't decided on whether or not to make them identical twins or just have them look really alike. That woman confused Kit with Poe, so they can't look too different.

[Doctroid]

Sigh. Once again RSS says there's a new Dreadful up... and when I go to http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/11/11/the-dreadful-075-and-076/ I just get a broken image icon. Again.

[MSperoni]

Yeah it's broken for me too. The site is such a tease!

It'll be up soon. Usually within about 15 mins of when Brian posts the page.

[MSperoni]

Double Sized Update! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/11/11/the-dreadful-075-and-076/)

Was this a good decision, or have they screwed themselves because they couldn't get along?

[A Zarkin' Frood]

They're so gay for each other. They just don't know it yet. KitxLiz: too obvious to be OTP but that doesn't mean it can't be hot.

[MSperoni]

I make everyone as gay for each other as possible just for the fanfic writers.

[epcharles]

No need to be so generous, the fan fic writer have plenty of tricks to make it work even if the characters aren't actually gay for each other.

[Domestibot]

They'd have to be gay for each other, there's not a single good looking dude in this comic.

[Kim]

A terrible oversight! Speroni, I demand sexy dudeservice this instant!

[phil_]

there's not a single good looking dude in this comic.I demand sexy dudeservice this instant!Boozloaf doesn't do anything for you? You even got to see him with no shirt on that one time.

vvEdit: Oh god, what have I done?...

[Melfice]

Yeah, even I felt some moovements down below when I saw that sexy son of a cow.

[Intern Nin]

Yeah, even I felt some moovements down below when I saw that sexy son of a cow.

You could say that the sight of that marvelous beefcake gave you a Moo Mesa in your pants.

[MSperoni]

A terrible oversight! Speroni, I demand sexy dudeservice this instant!

Don't worry! I plan on having some non-ugly dudes in it eventually. I just haven't got to 'em yet. :)

Or maybe I plan on having a bunch of sexy lady characters and then introduce a rather everyman character they're all in love with for some weird reason. Like Tenchi Muyo. The character's name will be... Mark Moroni and he'll be a misunderstood writer/artist...Yeah... Totes not an author stand in.

[Krylo]

Mark Moroni

[. . .]

an author stand in.

I approve of this.

[Donomni]

Boozloaf doesn't do anything for you? You even got to see him with no shirt on that one time.

Silly phil, it doesn't entirely work if there isn't another sexy hunk for him to potentially make out with!

I mean, he's a prime package of meat. Grade A, even. But he would still require some fella to show tenderizing care... and sloppy mak3outs.

[Krylo]

Boozy is a total beefcake.

[phil_]

I'm so sorry.:ohdear:

[Domestibot]

I guess you could say The Dreadful ain't exactly a "meat market" or a "sausage fest." ;)

[MSperoni]

Not a lot of sausages in The Dreadful! We're mostly..uhh...I dunno what kinda joke/pun I can say that indicates there's a large ratio of lady characters. "Chick"ens?

[SaltyKracka]

You're obviously boxed in.

[EVILNess]

If you decide you need some practice, I would love to see Kit and Poe standing next to each other in a natural at ease standing pose.

Like I said, I am very interested to see how Poe looks, and since she and Kit are twin-ish I would love to see how they compare in posture and how they carry themselves and such.

[MSperoni]

Okay, so .. "page 77" is posted, but it's the wrong page. This should not only be page 80, but it's an old version of a page. The dialog on it won't work with what I have for the next page.... I hope I can get it all fixed up >_<

EDIT: The site's a little unpredictable, so I'm still not sure what the status is on the revision. Brian's trying to get it fixed though, and he showed me that he has the right file uploaded. The site's just being a butt.

EDIT2: It looks like what I'll have to do is combine the "real" page 77 with page 78, and we'll just have to leave this current page in the archives as a kind of "Oops" thing. It seems to me the best way to minimize reader confusion.

EDIT3: I think Brian managed to fix it. It should be okay in a few days. :D

[MSperoni]

Page 77! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/11/16/the-dreadful-077-2/)

Hopefully the site is now showing the correct page. It is for me, and that's a good thing. Hurray!

EDIT: Though I've just been told it is still displaying the old version. It may still take awhile to get switched over for everyone.

[rpgdemon]

Page 77! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/11/16/the-dreadful-077-2/)

Hopefully the site is now showing the correct page. It is for me, and that's a good thing. Hurray!

EDIT: Though I've just been told it is still displaying the old version. It may still take awhile to get switched over for everyone.

Tell 'em to hit refresh, to clear out their cache. It'll force the browser to reload the image, and get the new one.

[Gitman]

Hmmm. What is Jeanne? Another demon, or something else? She's got similar ears and fangs to Kit, but not the vertical pupils.

[Melfice]

I thought she was an ogre, Matt said?
Although, we've seen another ogre already, I think?

Hmm... ogre/hellspawn crossbreed?

Whatevs.

[MSperoni]

Jeanne's race is currently a mystery!...and it may stay a mystery.

[Doctroid]

Hitting shift-command-R didn't get the correct artwork up for me (in the browser where I'd previously viewed the wrong artwork); I had to open the image itself in a new tab, then shift-command-R that tab. Now it's right.

(Jeanne and guy-in-shadows is the right one, right?)

[MSperoni]

Correct. That is the correct one :)

[MSperoni]

Page 78! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/11/19/the-dreadful-078/)

The plot thickens even more...

[Hatake Kakashi]

Is it just me, or does Jeanne have a new look as well? A much more angular one? One that seems to have made her lose a bit of that muscle we saw in chapters previous.

[MSperoni]

Page 79! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/11/28/the-dreadful-079/)

Who are the Knights? Who does Jeanne want released from prison? What is this about an outbreak? Who is the new warden? All will be answered eventually!

Feel free to speculate though.

Is it just me, or does Jeanne have a new look as well? A much more angular one? One that seems to have made her lose a bit of that muscle we saw in chapters previous.

Jeanne's body type is about the same, though her face has changed some to go with the new style.

[phil_]

Who are the Knights? Who does Jeanne want released from prison? What is this about an outbreak? Who is the new warden?http://i.imgur.com/TH387.png

[MSperoni]

I don't know who that is!

[A Zarkin' Frood]

It's Aizen also known as Tite Kubo also known as NonCon also kown as Captain Asspull also known as Captain Invincible also known as Captain Something, pick any word put if after Captain and you have a potential alias.

[MSperoni]

Captain Crunch?

[Kim]

Aizen is the main antagonist in Bleach, and is also magically behind everything ever despite the incredible implausibility (and arguable impossibility) of that actually being the case.

[MSperoni]

Ah okay. I've never seen/read Bleach so I didn't know.

I should probably start looking into these things. I'm generally at a loss as to what to do in The Dreadful to make it more enjoyable/popular with readers. I think if I weren't so ignorant about what comic/anime/game fans were into these days it might help.

Then again, for all I know I should just go with it how I've been doing and make changes when I think they're needed. For example, I think I should keep the talking scenes to a minimum and put in more action and "move" the story along faster.

I guess one good thing is that it keeps me interested in working on it. I want to improve and make the best I can. It's a good challenge.

I'm always interested in feedback/suggestions. I can't promise that I will always listen, but I'm up for reading 'em.

[Kerensky287]

It's Aizen also known as Tite Kubo also known as NonCon also kown as Captain Asspull also known as Captain Invincible also known as Captain Something, pick any word put if after Captain and you have a potential alias.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/Mal23.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/Captain-Morgan.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/cptplanet.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb22/Kerensky287/Jean_Luc_Picard_2364.jpg

???

[MSperoni]

http://www.browsebiography.com/images/5/5593-CAPTAIN%20MUNNERLYN_Panthers_biography.jpg

EDIT: Seriously, his first name is "Captain".

[Kim]

Ah okay. I've never seen/read Bleach so I didn't know.

I should probably start looking into these things. I'm generally at a loss as to what to do in The Dreadful to make it more enjoyable/popular with readers. I think if I weren't so ignorant about what comic/anime/game fans were into these days it might help.

Then again, for all I know I should just go with it how I've been doing and make changes when I think they're needed. For example, I think I should keep the talking scenes to a minimum and put in more action and "move" the story along faster.

I guess one good thing is that it keeps me interested in working on it. I want to improve and make the best I can. It's a good challenge.

I'm always interested in feedback/suggestions. I can't promise that I will always listen, but I'm up for reading 'em.

If you want to keep The Dreadful good, Bleach should probably not act as any major source of inspiration. :P I like what you're doing. Keep it up. I think the thing with there not being a lot of talk at the moment is there isn't a whole lot to say. We don't have enough background info to make any meaningful plot guesses, and it's good so we don't really have any complaining to do. For the former, that will change with time as we read more and get more familiar with the world and characters. As such, until then, you're only alternative to make us talk about the comic more is to make it worse so we can get mad about how it was good before you SOLD OUT.

[MSperoni]

Oh, I can make it worse! *adds talking politically incorrect duck for comedic relief* *he's also a doctor so he can make constant Quack jokes about himself*

But seriously, I guess I'll just keep it as I've been doing it and not worry too much about it unless people start complaining. I've gone over the script a few times in my notes and in my head and made some changes, and I think everything's really gonna pick up here soon. Well, soon in regards to where I'm at in the pages. It'll be awhile in terms of it actually being posted on the site. Maybe I can talk to Brian about posting three pages a week every now and then.

[Kerensky287]

Oh, I can make it worse! *adds talking politically incorrect duck for comedic relief* *he's also a doctor so he can make constant Quack jokes about himself*

Oh my god.

I challenge you to do this.

Play it straight. Play it seriously. And make him a sympathetic character.

[MSperoni]

Like he was shot in the leg by a hunter so he limps around all the time? Like House, but a Duck? If it could just be any bird we could call it: Grouse.

[ElCone1979]

Updates to Page 32: I fixed the typo on panel one, and then I changed the "slamdunk.jpg" line to something else. I just finished Emailing the redone page to Brian and he'll upload it when he can :)

I'm not sure when the site will display the new page, it might be a few weeks. It took a very long time for page 007 to update to the new version. I have also sent Brian an updated version of page 29, which fixed panel 2 so the hoof prints actually look like hoof prints.

This page (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/06/17/the-dreadful-032/) has not changed yet :ohdear:, it still has the "slamdunk.jpg" that (that I recall) some people (including my self) considered that it was out of place.:raise:

[MSperoni]

Yeah, I'm not quite sure why the site hasn't fixed that yet. Brian said he replaced it, so it's a mystery to me.

I changed it so Kit says "That was horri-bull!" instead of "slamdunk.jpg" . If The Dreadful ever sees print, I'll make sure all the changes are made.

(though if The Dreadful ever sees print, I will also ask the publisher if it's okay for me to redo the first 70 pages so the style matches).

[Mr.Bookworm]

If you want to keep The Dreadful good, Bleach should probably not act as any major source of inspiration. :P I like what you're doing. Keep it up. I think the thing with there not being a lot of talk at the moment is there isn't a whole lot to say. We don't have enough background info to make any meaningful plot guesses, and it's good so we don't really have any complaining to do. For the former, that will change with time as we read more and get more familiar with the world and characters. As such, until then, you're only alternative to make us talk about the comic more is to make it worse so we can get mad about how it was good before you SOLD OUT.

Pretty much all of this.

I'm still reading, though! I'll start wildly speculating and/or shipping (MacGrath's Head x Stake) when we get past the "introduction" phase.

EDIT: Although I kind of want Kit to yell "Bankai" the next time she whips out the Dreadful, just to piss off Liz.

[MSperoni]

I think the slow/long "introduction" part is because I didn't plan enough in the beginning and have had to do some narrative adjusting. That's not to say everything that's happened will be meaningless, I've worked hard on the script to make sure it all has a purpose. It's just if I could do it over again there would be a lot I would change in order to move things along quicker.

I think I've improved as a writer (I definitely feel that I've improved as an artist), and that should hopefully start becoming evident once I get a few more of these rough edges smoothed over. It isn't gonna be perfect, but so long as it's not horrible I'll be okay with it :)

I plan a lot more now and think scenes through, instead of just doing one page at a time and hoping it works out. The latter is fun, but I think it ends up tying me in a lot of knots.

[A Zarkin' Frood]

(though if The Dreadful ever sees print, I will also ask the publisher if it's okay for me to redo the first 70 pages so the style matches).

YES PLEASE!!!
It's too much of a change to not come as a shock to unsuspecting innocents. Just don't remove the old pages from the web then. I want to have my healthy dose of mouthless Liz every now and then.

[Donomni]

EDIT: Although I kind of want Kit to yell "Bankai" the next time she whips out the Dreadful, just to piss off Liz.

Perhaps! Or Kit could say "Dreadful, HOOOOOO!" before she fires it.

...it'd fit the setting, at least! <_< >_>

[tacticslion]

If you want to keep The Dreadful good, Bleach should probably not act as any major source of inspiration. :P I like what you're doing. Keep it up. I think the thing with there not being a lot of talk at the moment is there isn't a whole lot to say. We don't have enough background info to make any meaningful plot guesses, and it's good so we don't really have any complaining to do. For the former, that will change with time as we read more and get more familiar with the world and characters. As such, until then, you're only alternative to make us talk about the comic more is to make it worse so we can get mad about how it was good before you SOLD OUT.

So, I'm agreeing with Bookworm agreeing with Liz (and somewhere some fundamental tenet of the universe is broken, dooming us all). Really, I'd be here more, but I just don't have too much to guess about yet. It took me a while to get into 8-Bit on these forums too, even when I joined 'em. Also, being that these are made with, you know, actual art, they take longer to produce, thus the start-up is slower. Added as well is the fact that, unlike FF1, there's no past history/canon to reference/deviate from. All this adds up to simply not having as much to say despite thoroughly enjoying what you're writing. :)

Perhaps! Or Kit could say "Dreadful, HOOOOOO!" before she fires it.

...it'd fit the setting, at least! <_< >_>
Do kikoi kikoi kooky!
EDIT: I have NO idea how or WHY "do Kiki kikoi Kiki it" ...
...
Okay, so apparently auto-correct thinks "do it" with lots of "i"'s is ... whatever that is. I'm leaving it because it's hilariously random. I don't know what it means.

[MSperoni]

Page 80! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/12/02/the-dreadful-080/)

This one might look familiar ;)

There has been some art/dialog changes, but it's in the right order now. And that's a good thing. Pages that are in the right order are a good thing.


So, I'm agreeing with Bookworm agreeing with Liz....All this adds up to simply not having as much to say despite thoroughly enjoying what you're writing. :)

Cool, thanks! :D

[tacticslion]

But then again, it wasn't actually Liz that did the abandoning of her friends.

ALSO, we should totally have a Dreadful tag, as we've HIKYM and Warbot In Accounting tags. :)

[MSperoni]

I'd like to see a Dreadful tag, as well as a picture of Kit up there in the image rotation at the top of the forums. I was supposed to have made the latter but I haven't got around to it yet. If anyone wants to make one though, feel free.

I'd really like to see those things mainly because it would make the comic feel like a part of the site, it's kind of... left out, you know? Even though it's the only comic that's consistently updated in like a year, and has more pages than HIKYM and Warbot. (I actually figured by now someone besides me would have gotten around to it, like they did with HIKYM... I'm a little disappointed but I guess that's just how it goes sometimes).

I don't know what to do about making a thread tag though. I talked with Shiney about doing a banner image, so I think I can make one. Still, it kinda feels like writing up my own Wikipedia bio. I'd like for people in the forums to be fans enough of the comic so they want to do it, not me.

EDIT: Actually I've been working on the comic for almost a year. The comic didn't debut on the site till February, so we've still got a ways to go before it's been a year here.

[MSperoni]

Page 81! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/12/05/the-dreadful-081/)


Part of this page was to give Rado a slight farewell of sorts. I got a friend who liked the character so I figured I might as well have Booz point him out and Kit say something (even though it's not that big of a something -- but the guy was only on like five panels, how much is there to say?).

I felt like being nice, unlike the famous "Now Shut Up" 8-bit comic where Black Belt was 'resurrected' only to die horribly.

[Krylo]

We weren't friends, I just liked to ride him. Always a good time. No one could buck like Rado.

[tacticslion]

We weren't friends, I just liked to ride him. Always a good time. No one could buck like Rado.

I think this is pretty much how Liz feels about Boozeloaf.

[Krylo]

Speaking of appropriate tags...

[MSperoni]

Yee haw!:dance:

[Bard The 5th LW]

I like how boozloaf is keeping the severed heads in that bucket, not sure why.

[MSperoni]

Gotta put 'em somewhere!

...Just hopefully someone washes it later...

[tacticslion]

Oh, man, now I'll never be able to use all the non-Dreadful tags in protest of the lack of tags and image rotation! :( .... waaaaaait. :raise:

Edit: (also: yay, tags and image rotation!)

[Krylo]

I like the image rotation especially for the fact that the font is different than the others.

[MSperoni]

Page 82! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/12/09/the-dreadful-082/)

Boozloaf's religious rantings are fun to write. I'm curious what exactly the "parable of the heifer" would be...Might be fun to have mini "Sunday School With Boozloaf" comics or something where it goes into detail about those things :)

[Geminex]

Man, this shit is straight out of the Da Vinci Cowde.

[rpgdemon]

Man, this shit is straight out of the Da Vinci Cowde.

Isn't he the one who built the flying moochine?

[Geminex]

Isn't he the one who built the flying moochine?

He also created the Moona Lisa

[Donomni]

One of the greatest minds of the Ranchissance, for sure.

[EVILNess]

I wonder sometimes if we aren't milking the cow jokes a bit.

[Doctroid]

I wonder sometimes if we aren't milking the cow jokes a bit.

That problem has a solution; see http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/06/17/the-dreadful-032/

[Doctroid]

I sense the upcoming dawn of a new day! :dance:

[MSperoni]

Page 83 (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/12/13/the-dreadful-083/) indeed!

I couldn't come up with a Book of Aurox quote so I just took a passage from the actual Bible and changed it around some. It's pretty easy to find Bible reference online, if you can believe it.

The next page is the Christmas Special and then page 84 will be the end of this chapter! Will a new day dawn? We'll see!

[tacticslion]

It's pretty easy to find Bible reference online, if you can believe it.

Dude. Biblegateway (www.biblegateway.com/). Most any translation or language you could possibly want!

Also, said passage makes sense, when you think of oxen (and most cattle) as beasts of heavy burden and labor. I liked it. :)

The next page is the Christmas Special and then page 84 will be the end of this chapter! Will a new day dawn? We'll see!

Looking forward to it!

[epcharles]

I really like the little shifts in the art the last few pages. First and last frame in 81 are really nice. In particular, Liz's face is shifting to look more like what I would have imagined from the early art. Looking back, I'm not sure the lips were as big a deal as people though, it also really mattered that the faces all became so much more angular and adult looking. You can see bits of the more angular faces still, like in the second frame of 83, but it makes sense there, because she is yelling.

[MSperoni]

Dreadful Christmas Special! (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2011/12/15/the-most-dreadful-christmas-special-2011/)

Five Pages of Christmas Goodness (and crazy Jimmy Stewart) from me to you!

[Kim]

This was pretty much The Best. Absolutely great, Matt.

[MSperoni]

Thanks! :D

Thanks for helping me design the Sexy Elf Guy too, btw :) (I mentioned it on Twitter but I figured I'd mention it here too)

[phil_]

Is there any particular tune to that little song, Peroni? Throwing in the "That's Kit!" was just... yeah, she shows a bit of a different side when she's not worrying about Jeane, huh?

[A Zarkin' Frood]

This is what a christmas special is supposed to be.

[MSperoni]

Here's the song Kit is singing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiDht6CcYgE

EDIT: Kit is a little less stressed when she's not worrying about Jeanne, yeah. Though she does like to sing. She's already sang a song in the actual comic, and she was gonna sing another one after she killed Burke, but I cut it :)

This is what a christmas special is supposed to be.

:dance:

[Kalbelgarion]

Very nice!

Were the similarities between this and Atomic Robo #1 purely coincidental?

[MSperoni]

Nope! I ripped the first page off of Brian/Scott :D

Kind of a homage/tribute/joke sorta thing. I'm surprised they haven't noticed it yet, but maybe they just haven't said. I thought I made it obvious...ah well. *shrugs*

[tacticslion]

That was simply beautiful! And the song, too! I loved it! Thanks! :D

[The SSB Intern]

"Stupid sexy elf!"

[phil_]

I think why I like this so much is that the nonsensical set-up and spastic pacing remind me of back when we all hadn't given up on the Nuklear Power Member Comic Thread and we'd do stuff like this for holidays. Sorry for mucking up your comic by associating it with that mess, but I really do miss it, and what's Christmas without some pining for "the good ol' days," eh?

[MSperoni]

I like spastic funny nonsense as well, it reminds me of the old days of 8-bit :)

I'm glad everyone is liking it so far! (everyone who has commented, at least)

[Loyal]

Spectacular special.

I couldn't help but think "Special Guest Narrator: CroTeam!"

[BigDemonicBunny]

Weaponized christmas cheer...

Also, the Santa face when he's saying "and explode"... *shiver*.
Is he related to Burke? :)

[MSperoni]

Santa actually reminds me a bit more of Po, Fei's chubby side-kick in HIKYM... If Po had a beard that is.

Ah, Burke, we hardly knew ye.

[Domestibot]

I reckon you definitely could have a strong slew of side stories like these sprinkled throughout the series, Kit is downright enjoyable and a strong central character when she's not worried about Jeanne and Poe. (Not to say there's anything wrong with her in the series, just she seems so much more human when the weight of the world isn't on her shoulders.) Hell, makes me wonder what Liz would be like when she's not having to connive or lie to everybody about everything... But who am I kidding, she still probably would just for the hell of it.

[MSperoni]

Looking back on things, I think it would have been better for me to have started The Dreadful with a series of one-shot stories, rather than the way it is now. I think that would have been a good idea, not only because it would have been fun, but also because it would have let me develop a bit as a writer before I jumped into these kinds of long drawn out narratives with characters all over the place.

I've often wondered if it would be possible to get the comic to a point where I could do that. Like just have Kit get too busy with other things and "forget" about Jeanne and Poe for awhile, but I don't know if that would work.

[phil_]

Looking back on things, I think it would have been better for me to have started The Dreadful with a series of one-shot stories, rather than the way it is now. I think that would have been a good idea, not only because it would have been fun, but also because it would have let me develop a bit as a writer before I jumped into these kinds of long drawn out narratives with characters all over the place.

I've often wondered if it would be possible to get the comic to a point where I could do that. Like just have Kit get too busy with other things and "forget" about Jeanne and Poe for awhile, but I don't know if that would work.Well, I'm just some guy who reads lots and lots of comics, but I reckon you could do that IF you have some sort of confrontation between the three first. Just have it come up inconclusive-like and you can work from there. BUT, you gotta have some sort of confrontation between who you've set up as the protagonist and the primary antagonist before you can walk off into other stories.

At least, that's how it works in the serials I read.

[epcharles]

Christmas special = Christmas smiles :- ) I especially like her hat. I would hate to imagine being hunted down and killed by someone wearing that.

[BigDemonicBunny]

Once Poe is actually introduced in the "real storyline" I'd love to see some back-to-back-badasses flashbacks with Kit and Poe.

As for the story. I've been re-reading it and it actually makes sense that Poe shot Kit.
Fake silver so that it looks worse than it is?
I can easily see Poe being pressured into backstabbing Kit for Jeanne, but deliberately choosing shitty bullets because she cares about her sister.
I can't imagine Jeanne being sloppy with her backstabbing bullets.

[MSperoni]

Interesting theories!

[Domestibot]

^ Yeah, was it my imagination or was Liz actually insinuating that Poe and Jeanne had become lovers, or was she just speaking figureatively?

[MSperoni]

That's something where my only response is: Just keep reading. :)

[BigDemonicBunny]

Well, I think we can sum things up as "Jeanne definitely have some weird people working for her".

Resurrected Erin or Zombie Erin?

[phil_]

She was a ghost all along!

[Doctroid]

If she comes back it she wouldn't be the first person in history to come back from a bullet to the brainpan, especially in a fantasy universe.

Ding ding ding ding!

That said, I get the impression Liz is the type that checks for a pulse to make sure.

Maybe not.

[A Zarkin' Frood]

Holy shit, that gal has a face, now she looks like a person.

[Doctroid]

Hm.

Kit has pointy ears, and is a demon.

Elves have pointy ears.

Jeanne has pointy ears, and we don't know what she is.

And now Erin has pointy ears. So what's she?

(Boozloaf has pointy ears, too, but that's to be expected. Oh, and Rado. But pretty sure Erin's not a centaur.)

[BigDemonicBunny]

Hm.

Kit has pointy ears, and is a demon.

Elves have pointy ears.

Jeanne has pointy ears, and we don't know what she is.

And now Erin has pointy ears. So what's she?

(Boozloaf has pointy ears, too, but that's to be expected. Oh, and Rado. But pretty sure Erin's not a centaur.)

Burke had pointy ears too, and he's a dwarf. Dwarves usually don't have pointy ears. I'm thinking that pretty much all "Fey" creatures have pointy ears in The Dreadful.

[A Zarkin' Frood]

To be honest, I don't even notice the pointy ears unless they are pointed out.

[MSperoni]

Heya folks! I wish I had gotten to this earlier, but this is the start of Chapter 4! So please redirect (and copy/paste if you wish) all comments to this thread!

Chapter 4 (http://www.nuklearforums.com/showthread.php?p=1175536#post1175536)