Announcement Concerning HIKYM!

[MSperoni]

I recently (1-12-2010) have had my computer virtually destroyed by either a virus or some kind of hardware malfunction or both. I have no idea what's up, I'm not tech savvy. All I can do on my end is work on Safe Mode or use a much older, much more average, computer in the other room. Either way, I do not currently have a computer which can do what I need to make the art for HIKYM.

What this means is that until I get it fixed or get a new computer (which will be hard seeing as I have very little money) there will be no HIKYM unless Brian gets another artist (which I hope doesn't happen)


I suppose I could do it all by hand, it's possible, but may be a kind of radical shift in design. I might try something here in a day or so because I'll get bored w/o my computer to work on.


I am hoping to get something soon. A week or so. Maybe sooner. We'll see. Till then I'm very sorry for the delay and wish that this hadn't happened.


(This all started because I was looking up pictures for reference for HIKYM, so I guess technically it's HIKYM's fault... )

[Bells]

Just to pitch a Feeble idea... is it not possible for you guys to work with slower updates and hand-draw art until you manage this out? Maybe some sort of filler or temporary spin off?

Also, sadly i don't have contacts that i can reference your work to, but maybe there is something that can be done to help you get commissions for a new pc?

[MSperoni]

I suppose it's possible I could do a kind of 100% hand-drawn thing and then that can serve temporarily till I can get something up and ready for digitals.

One of my most favorite art styles is the style found in those "Blade of the Immortal" manga.. all gritty and scribbly and intense.. That would be something I could try to do purely by hand. Probably not as well as that manga, since I don't have much experience, but imagine that w/ a "me" twist (meaning more Americanized in my style). Think that might work okay?

I mean, would something be better than nothing? I suppose tomorrow I can try to do a page 100% by hand (not a HIKYM page but something else) and scan it and post it here and see what people think.. if the art style seems fine to everyone I might just stick with it for the time being (or who knows, if people like it better and it's faster I might just stick with it for the remainder of the comic! )

[Bells]

Probably something you should work out with Brian to see if a temporary change of design (or forced hiatus) could harm the story flow in anyway, as that would be bad.

But you guys make a very nice team, so any work you guys do together has a fair change of being really good. So a slowed pace due to real technical difficulties wouldn't be a drag, i mean, PC's are pretty expensive to replace out of the blue like that...

[MSperoni]

Well the good thing is that the next page starts up at a new "scene/chapter/arc" so if there's a time for an artistic change now is the time to do it.

I was actually changing up the look of it, and was liking it, it's just I couldn't get anything finished before my computer got crippled.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

I can possibly help fix your computer depending what's wrong with it? Alternatively if you can put your forums in the tech support subforum can get some help- forum is usually pretty good.

[phil_]

Originally Posted by MSperoni

I mean, would something be better than nothing? I suppose tomorrow I can try to do a page 100% by hand (not a HIKYM page but something else) and scan it and post it here and see what people think.. if the art style seems fine to everyone I might just stick with it for the time being.

I'm for this in that we'll at least have something to read while you work out your computer troubles. Plus, I'm interested in what this "not HIKYM" thing might be.

[Mirai Gen]

Damn it if I was nearby I'd totally come over and help. Saw this on your Twitter earlier - bummer man.

[Bells]

Well, just spitballing here... but you know those "Encyclopedia" pages some Mangas do?

They display drawing of characters, places, items, and the such and give trivia info or the Bio on that item/person/place .

[MSperoni]

Originally Posted by phil_

I'm for this in that we'll at least have something to read while you work out your computer troubles. Plus, I'm interested in what this "not HIKYM" thing might be.

Well the "not HIKYM" thing wouldn't be something long term, just something to do as a sample of what a by-hand comic page might look like. I don't wanna do HIKYM pages that way because if the art style doesn't fly then we'd have a couple of pages we can't use :p


However if people look like they might be cool with the art for awhile this way then I might just stick with it. Tho maybe we CAN do a little spinoff for a week or so till I get up and running.

I dunno if Brian would be cool with that though (somehow I think he'd say "Just wait till you get your computer going again so you can do real pages")



Thanks for all the volunteers for technical support! I'm working with a few people now, it doesn't seem like a lost cause but it doesn't seem like we're getting anywhere either. I'm going to contact Best Buy later today to see how much it would cost for their help (I'm pretty sure it's the virus that is preventing me from reformatting the HD and reinstalling Windows --I have XP by the way-- a hardware malfunction just doesn't make sense, if the hardware is failing why is it that I can boot up in Safe Mode? And why is it that I can boot up in normal mode for about 2 mins before it freezes?)


However, I was saving up for a new computer ANYWAY, and I've been loaned some extra money from various sources (namely parents and some friends) so that's been hugely helpful. Gonna do some research to see what options I have PC-wise and if Paint Shop Pro 8 will work on them (that's my art program, it's old so I'd be afraid it wouldn't be compatible w/ Vista or Windows 7).

I don't really have the time to wait on getting this one repaired or building a new computer from scratch. I don't know from experience how long something like that takes, but I want to get up and going again ASAP so I can get back to work.

But do I wanna get this computer repaired? I mean, it'd be my luck I'd get it fixed and it'd get ANOTHER virus. It works on Safe Mode now, it does the basic stuff I need it to do (look for pictures, send Emails, watch wholesome family movies porn on DailyMotion, etc). If/when I get another virus on this computer, if it's already fucked up it's like shitting on a box of shit. Who would shit on a box of shit? It'd be an empty gesture! (that's a Mr.Show reference to the uninitiated).