The Can't Update Blues

Still can't get access to the Site Admin to update. This is becoming frustrating, even if all I was going to post was some filler.

Wonder if I can get an FTP client running again like I used to use...hmm...

How we suffer for our art

So I actually drew some stuff today, but I can't get into Site Admin, so I can't post it to the site.

Hopefully this little problem will correct itself in the next couple of days, as I feel rather creative and might actually be able to get some comics done while I'm on my little mini-vacation.

The hardest button to button

Sorry about the radio silence and general lack of comicage. Teaching summer school is a lot more involved than I remember it being (maybe because I'm teaching writing this year instead of just journalism). That, coupled with my extreme lack of car air conditioning, renders me quite tired when I get home. I generally feel like just taking a cold shower and sitting naked under the AC until the world goes away or my wife gets home.

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out a way to get back into the groove. I've been producing stuff in fits and starts for the past year or so anyway, and that bugs me. I've sorta got the next few comics in the Earl blogging storyline figured out, but I need to sit down and actually draw them.

On the positive side, I'm taking a few days off next week to relax with the missus. Maybe that's the break I need to get my creative juices bubblin' again.

"Go For It"

Much like the Monkey, I'm not receiving messages in my bar of deodorant. I don't know exactly what it wants me to "go for," as it were...putting on deodorant, I guess, or possibly it's some personal hygiene form of the fortune cookie telling me it's time to aim high and just "go for it." I dunno. Either way, it is vaguely disconcerting being given instructions by a stick of something I rub under my arms on a daily basis.

Already got two comics drawn for the upcoming week with more in the wings. I had a creative burst last night and scripted about a dozen or so comics. Thing is, a lot of them I realized wouldn't work in the context of what I've already started for this current storyline, so I've got the groundwork for a future storyline already done now, I guess. I've also got my bearings on the current storyline now, so I should be able to get back up to speed and get some comics cranked out for your viewing pleasure.

Is it just me?

I can't get access to Dim Bulb right now. Don't know if the site itself is down or if the computers at school just suck. Regardless, I did upload a comic for today, so let me know if you can see it (I won't be home for a few hours, so I can't really check myself).

Hmmm....

Site appears to be down. I don't know why this is. I'd assume the Monkey might know, but that would be giving him credit (and I dunno if I want to take that risk).

Should have some real, honest-to-God comics up next week. Honest.

"Let Me Draw You"

These are all things my wife's actually said. Really.

I don't know why the site's not auto-updating. I had everything uploaded on Sunday, but things weren't updating like they're supposed to. I've had to manually update the comic both times this week. Weird.

Dirty Frank

Sorry about the lack of comic on Friday. I've got two comics done and uploaded for Monday and Wednesday, and should be able to complete another comic by Friday.

Been watching a lot of Scrubs, as we apparently purchased all five season sets during the course of the month. It's a damn fine show, I have to say. Though I do wonder how someone as oblivious as JD obviously is could have made it through med school and become a doctor.

Michelle just keeps wondering when it'll be revealed that JD is schizophrenic and the entire show actually took place inside his mind and that the various characters are all just aspects of his fractured psyche. I'm thinking series' finale.

Living in a goldfish bowl

My wife decided we needed an aquarium and some fish and stuff. So we've got fish now. This is exciting.

Comic's already drawn and uploaded for Monday. Shouldn't have too much trouble getting a full three comics this week...depending on my ability to come up with what to do next, granted.

Shooka Shooka

Next comic on Wednesday. Based on a true story, even.

Honest.

Life ain't too shabby. I'm goin' camping Thursday with the school, so that should be...interesting.

Ka-bread

New comic was uploaded this evening. It'll post tomorrow. Still trying to work out a new update schedule. I like the old MWF routine, but will it work for what I'm doing now? Remains to be seen.

Also: tomorrow's comic taken almost verbatim from a phone conversation my wife had with her youngest sister this evening. The Brancos are weird people, folks. Weird people.

Is that Supertramp I hear?

I feel like I'm really getting a handle on the tablet thing. It takes me about the same length of time to get a drawing done this way as with pen and paper, except I can go back and redraw something if it turns out wrong without having to scrap the whole comic.

The one disadvantage so far is I can't figure out how to make a box for the panels. So far I've just hand-drawn (well, with the tablet) the panels, but you can see that hasn't been very effective or nice-looking. What I may try to do is use a straight-edge with the tablet stylus and see if that works.

The other difficulty is judging size issues. I know the past couple of comics have been either too big or too small. I'm still getting a feel for how that works, too. The problem, really, is that my laptop is a widescreen, so it fits on my computer screen perfectly. On computers with a regular screen and lower resolution? Not so much. Guess I'll have to figure out how to compensate for that.

I'm enjoying the tablet so far, though. My hope is to improve enough that I can start adding things like color to it, too.

Tablet tablet tablet tablet

I got a tablet.

It rocks.

I'm still learning to use it.

Comic-thingie tomorrow.

Maybe real comic Wednesday.

Commence Transmission

My unintended (but ultimately beneficial) hiatus is nearing its end. I should be able to get the tablet by the end of next week, and as soon as I've got some grasp of how the thing works, I'll be posting comics again.

The break's really recharged my creative batteries and got me excited to draw again. I spent my time doing random sketches without any goal or purpose, and the results were that my art improved a bit and I slightly redesigned some characters.

The real question before me, though, is whether or not to continue doing Crooked Halo.

Don't get me wrong: I love doing the comic, I love the characters and everything, but I'm not sure what else I can really do with them or where to take them. Additionally, I've got plans in the works for a comic based on the conversations of my wife and a few of our friends that I'm really excited about. The thematic content and style would be totally different from what I'm currently doing, which is probably part of the draw.

I'd love to be able to do both, but will I have the time to devote to such endeavours? I'd want to keep Crooked Halo on the three-days-a-week schedule, but what about the new comic? Once a week? Twice? Three times? I don't know if I could keep up with that.

We'll just have to see what happens. I really don't want to abandon Crooked Halo. I'm very attached to the comic and the characters, and I think I could come up with further stuff for them. I think there's still potential, even if I'm not sure what to do next.

What I know for certain is that there'll definitely be new comics up before the end of April. Otherwise, I might turn into the Monkey or something.

"How cruel and melodramatic fate is!"

Further car troubles (to the tune of a busted radiator at the cost of $520) have postponed the purchase of a tablet until after Michelle's next paycheck. So in a couple of weeks, I'll have it in hand...I hope.

Honestly, I don't like this delay any more than you guys. But hey, when your car demands repairs, you really don't have a choice.

But why would I want to use toilet paper someone else has already used?

Still no comics, for which I apologize. I'm gonna try to go out and buy the tablet next week, wife willing.

Car repairs were effected for less than I originally figured, but it was still $1600. Ouch.

Also, the wife wants us to switch to recycled toilet paper. Personally, I feel that if it's already been used, it's taken all the crap it's gonna take. Really.

But I'm not against recycling or working to help the environment. We don't leave lights on when we're not in a room, we wash our clothes in cold water (and I only do a load of laundry when it's a full load), we recycle our papers and bottles (both plastic and glass), and Michelle got a Terra Pass for her car (you donate a specific amount of money based on your CO2 emissions and they balance out the bad electricity we use here by using cleaner, environmentally-friendly fuels in developing nations. I need to do the same, 'cause it's a groovy idea). So yeah, I like trying to do my part, I just don't feel that my part requires sacrificing decent toilet paper.

Yes, today's newspost was the one where you learned things about me you didn't really care to learn. Suck it up and deal with it.

Could it be?!

There is the possibility of new comics as early as next Monday.

Stranger things have happened, y'know.

Update

So here's the deal: I still don't have a program to update the comic with. I can't find the program I used to use, and the other programs I wanted to try (Corel Draw, Adobe Photoshop) are cost-prohibitive.

But take heart! I'm getting money from my mother and grandparents for my birthday next week, and I plan to take that cash and invest in a tablet attachment for my computer. Apple makes a couple of nice ones in my price range, as it turns out. Soon as I have that in my hot little hands, I can get to work on more comics for all ya'll.

Long story short: we're on hiatus until the beginning of April or so. I'll try to maybe get some of those comics Adam drew for me several months back posted so you've got something new to look at. 'Sides, it's a neat little side story featuring a character that never really got his chance.

Nooooooooo!

So, comic's on hold until I can find the software CD for the program I use to put together the comic.

No, Monkey, this has nothing to do with the fact that I switched to a Mac. I'd have the same issue if I was using a PC.

I've got about a week's worth of comics drawn and a few more sketched out, so there shouldn't be any interruption once I get the software I need. Thanks for bearing with me.

The Great Switcheroo

So we're using Macs at Casa de Cricket now.

Yeah, we made the switch to Macs from PCs this weekend, and I haven't got the the scanner set up with it yet. Hopefully you'll have a comic tomorrow night.

Hurray for Apple!