Web Comic Series: Sketch

[JD_Slasha]

http://bb.xieke.com/files/sketchlogo.PNG[/img]

Hey children, I've been developing this idea for awhile now, so I decided to actually start posting stuff about it. I've always had this little idea of a comic series based off of a plot me and a few friends made during high school. It's essentially about a group of four friends and their perspectives on everything, so yeah. I'll try to update this regularly and post new comics here when I do. Once I get a few going I'll have sections for old comics and a "THIS WEEK" featurette. Enjoy.

-JD


This Week: 3-5-2008 "Next-Gen Smash"
http://bb.xieke.com/files/Sketch21.PNG[/img]

Previous Entries:

Spoiler: 2-26-2008 "Myspace"

http://bb.xieke.com/files/Sketch11.PNG[/img]

 

[$t3v0]

Decent stuff JD! The fact it's all pixel art gets a big bonus, but the outcome could use some work. My only sketch issue is the fact her hand stays in the same place throughout every frame, but that's nit picking i think

 

[JD_Slasha]

Good point, It would look better if they moved more. I did wanna' add stuff to the backlground, but felt lazy. =P Glad u liked it.

 

[Despain]

I like you man so I'm going to be rough.

This sucks. I'm not going to mention any technical details, but this is just like every other webcomic out there. "Four friends and their perspectives on everything" is pretty much the "plot" that is used in every one of those popular webcomics. At one point it was a recipe for success, at this point it's overused and tired to the point where you'd be wasting your time.

 

[ArtBane]

I like you man so I'm going to be rough.

This sucks. I'm not going to mention any technical details, but this is just like every other webcomic out there. "Four friends and their perspectives on everything" is pretty much the "plot" that is used in every one of those popular webcomics. At one point it was a recipe for success, at this point it's overused and tired to the point where you'd be wasting your time.

I gotta agree with Despain. I went through that same webcomic phase too when everyone was doing it and I wanted to jump on board. It was pretty awful in retrospect and I abandoned it quickly. I am not saying you should abandon it too but you may want to try to think of a different direction for the comic.

 

[e]

Random, absurd, dadaistic jokes without any real core characters (although some may recur) are what's best. Or not. SMBC Comics is pretty funny anyhow. So is XKCD, and a lot of comics who don't really follow precise characters.

 

[sixtyandaquarter]

Doing it once in a while can be fun.  But sometimes adding in other aspects of humor can be good too.  Word play or even a small dimensions of slapstick and other like humor can spice things up and give enough of a variation so that it doesn't just seem like an opinion piece every installment.  Etc.  Mainly because you just get one character who tells the jokes, the one who sits there and takes them, and occasionally a third set up guy.

And except for the hand thing not moving it's pretty good :thumb:
I'm still jealous cause of the style, I could never get this done in a thousand years.

 

[e]

Yeah. I envy every web comic crayon-holding (or pixel-drawing) monkey (aka artist). I could never draw anything even remotely as good as their stuff. I'll go baw in a corner and listen to Linkin Park.

Consider doing shorter skits too. Long stuff is good once in a while, but when you're like, reading all of a web comic's stuff in one sitting, you end up skipping longer stuff at the end  :tongue:

 

[JD_Slasha]

Very good advice everyone. Des brings up the most important point, I guess I was a bit vague when I said the four friends thing, and I can definitely change it up a bit. I should mention that there's going to be an emphasis on video games and popular media (which case in point might make me fall even more into the cliche'ness of everyday web comics) so given that I'll keep at it to see whether or not I can improve. If it doesn't work out in the end, atleast it's good practice, but again very good HONEST advice, 'ppreciate it fella's.

-JD

 

[Despain]

I should mention that there's going to be an emphasis on video games and popular media

NPOVFADVC

NO
PLEASE FUCK DONT DO THIS

 

[Despain]

you are so much better than that man

 

[$t3v0]

Double Post! d

Nee naw nee naw knee naw!

 

[JD_Slasha]

Alright, alright :brainstormin:

 

[Skyla Doragono]

Instead of "omg 4 friendz videogamin'!", you could just do random .org antics.  I've come up with the thought of making a .org comic a few times, but never pulled it through.

Lord knows with all the personalities around here, you'd never run out of material.

 

[e]

Until...The Day After Tomorrow! Dun dun dun!

 

[___]

I find the niche comics most interesting and fresh.  Fucking everybody worth meeting is into games and media these days, except the older educated types who are into something more deeply intellectual, who are also worth meeting (everyone else can bugger off).  But besides being "into games and media" every social group has a more specific and quirky interest, if you're gonna write a comic about friends give them a shared idiosyncrasy that a niche group can relate to and that colors their perspective on more general topics, when you must bring them up.  They should obviously also have their own personal interests, especially oppositional ones, but that one unifying topic will make the strip far more interesting than "we are four geeky college students with pseudo-jaded perspectives on tech culture."  Doing this of course obligates you to take an interest in that topic yourself or you're gonna look like an asshole to your intended audience, so it's best to pick something you like, if I were to guess.

Oh yeah!  Don't pick freaking World of Warcraft (great game, not at all unique)!

 

[Danny]

I'm pretty late in on this topic, but I feel like commenting anyway. Like everyone has said the opinion jokes, typical character play offs and a group of friends hanging out in a house thing has sort of played out, and without a doubt when starting a web comic it can be pretty hard to avoid this. If your really interested in creating a comic JD you should first look at some of the popular webcomics out there that both have this type of humour and setting and those who don't. See what works in one, what doesn't in the other, see how they take typical situations and give them that original twist. One's I'd strongly suggest to look at are MacHall, 3PS, PvP, Evil Inc and just follow links from there, you'll find many helpfull write ups and a good handfull of interesting podcasts and other resources that could very well help you get on your way. The best thing to do before anything else though would be to design your characters, or maybe just two or three. Before you even think of the situations your going to put them in develop a Bio of them, history, attitude etc. that'll help you as the writer and artist know what they're reactions and comments will be in specific situations. Now most comics usually have the crazy guy and straight guy, which isn't bad at all, but if you can fall away from this kudos, if you can make these have so decent original qualities also kudos. I myself have found going over alot of these popular comic's and reading up on them help me get some ideas in line for the comic I hope to start up soon. I myself founf it extemely hard to fall away from typical modern day comic line, but eventually I believe I've done it thanks to these comics, I've created a situation with about three humans and two robots who are going to be based in some type of underground world, and to help me with ideas I've sort of incorporated my in life friends to characters and take situations that happened in real life to develop some one off or mini series plots.

Hope I helped I'd love to see someone keep at the comic game, hobby or not.

 

[JD_Slasha]

Very, very good advice from everyone here. While I don't want to abandon this initial idea per se, I think I'm going to change the topic title of this topic to "JD's Web Comics" and continue with this web comic while starting new ones based off of ideas everyone is throwin' out. I've generally got most everything laid out character/bio/plot wise for Sketch, so that isn't a worry, but I do realize what may work for me and my friends who read this won't necessarilly work for everyone else. I do like the idea of having a .org comic based off of Atemu's idea tho'....

Anyways, appreciate the C&C from everyone, it's a good damn thing people are so $%^&ing honest because I wouldn't be able to improve myself if they weren't! I think I'm supposed to have another comic out today, so I better get-a-drawin'.

-JD

 

[JD_Slasha]

So here's this weeks comic, I'm a day late, but suck-a-on-mah-meatballs if you have problem with that. I'm still working on the ".org" storyline so expect that sometime next week.

-J.D

This Week: 3-5-2008 "Next-Gen Smash"
http://bb.xieke.com/files/Sketch21.PNG[/img]

 

[Danny]

The expression at the end made for giggles, slightly a cliche concept in terms of structure, but you executed it well enough. At this point, which is clearly very earlier, your comic resembles VGC, but without the cats.