Money Doe$n't $tink (page 4)
Fitz on Dec. 31, 2007
Another page up later than expected… Sorry about that! But it's here! And as a little treat, everyone who comments will get to see some initial character designs and sketches I drew when I first started working on the comic AND a panel that didn't make it onto the latest page because it was just TOO cool ;) So everyone who comments will get a PQ with those drawings and little backstories to each.
And now, for the usual mile-long rant…
The past two weeks have been busier than usual, with Xmas, cleaning the house, all the end-of-the-year red tape at work, and I caught a cold somewhere along the way. These past few days I've been feeling more and less terrible. Getting better now, though. Strangely enough, sometimes I manage to focus on the comic enough to stop noticing just how sick I am. And sometimes I spent 10+ hours on that. It's scary. Today I started at around 9am and finished just past midnight. LOL! What kinda sore loser works on a webcomic on New Year's Eve? Answer: me! :D I think I would've missed it, were it not for Erica - who's still back in 2007 right now, since it's only 6pm in NYC. Aaanyway, it seems to take longer and longer to do every new page. Hm… I'm drawing a lot people, which takes a LOT of time. And it does bug me when one panel or another has too little detail about it - so I come up with time-consuming ways to make it more detailed. Yes, it's so much fun to be insane ;) This page was originally supposed to be a splash page, and the final page of this chapter, but the way the previous page ended, I had to give you at least a little follow-up story. So there you go: a semi-splash page :) A little less of dialogue than usual - but maybe that's not a bad thing? I just hope it makes some sort of sense and is at least a little funny. Dialogues are usually the last thing I work on, when I'm done drawing. And brain-dead. After 12 hours at the puter sometimes I can't even follow them, not to mention understand my own sense of humor.
I thought of drawing a one-page winter theme filler, but that didn't happen, for reasons mentioned earlier. BUT if you'll look closely you might spot a little allusion to Christmas. Kinda late, but it's there :P Hopefully I'll be able to draw more holiday-related comics in the future. Meanwhile… If all goes well, the next page will be a regular splash page, and an end of the chapter. And theeeen… I'm going to try a bit of a different kind of story. Nothing revolutionary, perhaps, but something a bit outside the established formula. Not saying anything more, though - I'll just let you be surprised.
Till next time :)
D0m at 4:36AM, Jan. 14, 2008
Congrats, Fitz! I'm really sorry I haven't been keeping up as much, but you deserve this feature. This comic is unique and well done.
Abt_Nihil at 3:08AM, Jan. 11, 2008
What I labelled "McCloud's theory" was a part of Understanding Comics, where he juxtaposes a panel of a realistically drawn cup (most of the realism was in the shading) and another with an abstract cup, and suggested the abstract cup seems alive in some way, and explained this effect by a tendency to empathize with abstract things. The case of the cup is not an easy one I think, but what's pretty common is that we tend to identify ourselves with abstract (cartoon) characters easier than with photo-realistic images of people. The Rudolph allusion is great BTW, I missed it the first time around. Oh, and seems like I forgot to wish you a Happy New Year over the page greatness!
Ersatz at 12:22PM, Jan. 9, 2008
I must say, Fitz - your humans are just ace! I love that gawping kid, and the bearded fella is my new hero!
twistedrabbit at 8:57AM, Jan. 8, 2008
Glad to see you survived the holidays! This new page is trippy! Almost abstract in a way...and there seems to be metaphors running rampant in the art. :) Very nice.
Mikewingmh at 8:14PM, Jan. 6, 2008
This comic has some amazing color dude. You're a master at your craft. I also wanted to mention that we've updated Super Star Galactica if you'd like to go and check it out.
Fitz at 2:12PM, Jan. 5, 2008
Jeff: Haha yeah he's floating alright. No symbolism there, though. Just me being dumb :) I touched up the page a little, and gave him two feet to stand on. And my holidays didn't suck, other than me being sick for the past week and a half ;) BLNTmaker: I really like drawing realistic faces, even if it takes time and I'm not very skilled at it. But this is the first time I tried in a loooong while, so I will improve overtime, I hope :) Trevor: I always though I suck as far as doing backgrounds is concerned - and I still do. Wish I had better imagination for perspective. My favorite thing to draw was always characters, and that's what I always focussed on. But I wanted this last panel to have an elaborate background. It's actually based on an existing store in NYC called "Dollar Dream" - which looks pretty much the same, just flipped sidewise. Complete with a red and green logo! Gotta love NYC!
trevoramueller at 6:36AM, Jan. 3, 2008
Blast, missed this update over the break. Love it all, love that you finally showed some faces (and they look AWESOME!), and love the green-tinted coloring job. The level of detail that you put into your pages makes me envious, and curious to see how you layer your pages. The whole page has a very nice asthetic to it as well, with the very fine details in the background of the last panel juxtiposing with the softer looks of the characters, windows, and the signs. It's interesting from an interpretive standpoint as well, as you talk about money (especially the value, both percieved and intrinsic), and then put the prices in the backgrounds as a subtle nod to your narrative. Simply brilliant!
blntmaker at 11:03PM, Jan. 2, 2008
Great page! I'm with everyone else...seeing human faces here is pretty neat! Your layouts and shadows are really good!
Coyotejeff at 7:45PM, Jan. 2, 2008
Happy New Year Buddy. I hope your Holidays didn't suck. Neat look on the Bum, who seems to be Floating?! Some deep symbolism?
Fitz at 8:18AM, Jan. 2, 2008
Bocaj: 1. Thanks :) The zombie cameo is still my favorite, but that's nice, too. 2. Yup, that's an allusion to Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer 3. I still think cars are a bit more difficult than humans, but still, both take a LOT of time. 4. I KNEW I forgot SOMETHING! LOL! The thing is, I finished that panel early and I was supposed to do the shoes later. But it was dark where his feet should've been so I basically stopped noticing. Abt: Yeah that was exactly my point :) I can a couple of other ideas for this panel, but then it struck me. I was like: DUH! - and quickly threw other ideas aside in favor of this one. Yeah you figured out the Santa allusion right :) Check my reply to Bocaj for the other allusion. I like the theory. It's somewhat abstract in itself, at first, but then it dawns on you that it is true in some way. Looks like I'll need to educate myself on Mr McCloud. As for the cartoon feel of the comic, that's actually the way it's supposed to look, so I'm glad I achieved what I intended :) Though I migjt actually soft-shade the mice on the next page. Tantz: My favorite human in this is the boy. I loosely based him on Walt from "Lost" - especially the "his mouth never shuts" part. Erica says he always has open mouth. I never really noticed, but in all reference pictures I've seen, it was open. Amy: Dachshunds are my favore dogs! :D My parents have one and it's the sweetest thing ever. Well, except when she barks... JMT & Nibbi: Hope you had a blast and got drunk like every normal person did ;) Dawn: That's what I call dachshunds, too. That or sausage dog :) Happy New Year *raises a bottle of vodka* Nepath: Hm, I've never actually seen the old Pixar shorts. I'll need to do that. As I mmentioned above, the boy is losely based on Walt from "Lost" Midge: Yeah I see your point. I was aware the Santa/hobo would stand out as too cartoonish against other humans I drew so far, except for the boy maybe, but all the same I felt he wouldn't look as funny if I drew him in a more realistic manner. Plus, the mice are as cartoony as can be, so it felt at least a bit justified ;) And oh well, don't we all have our ups and downs? :)
TheMidge28 at 6:35AM, Jan. 2, 2008
the dialogue works on this page with the imagery. You do very well with that. however the looks of the last santa looking figure in the last panel seems a bit distracting...especially with the top notch work you have had previously. I think its the face. not as detailed and too cartoony IMO. But still a good a page not one of your better ones. And a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well.
Nepath at 4:41PM, Jan. 1, 2008
Happy New Year!! Top quality page as is always the way with this comic. I love the boy in that 4th letterbox panel. It kinda reminds me of some of those early Pixar shorts. Excellent work. And nice incentive...I'll be checking the ol' PQ box!!
dgriff13 at 1:14PM, Jan. 1, 2008
ha ha, yay weiner doggie! another excellent page ;0D To the New Year! *raises glass*
nibbi at 12:57PM, Jan. 1, 2008
Love the 4th panel. Happy New Year.
jmt at 12:32PM, Jan. 1, 2008
happy new years man.
antcomics at 12:09PM, Jan. 1, 2008
Wow, I love the way you draw people. Also, the weiner dog is GREAT (I'm partial to dachshunds)... :o) So glad to see this update on my fave list! Nice work Fitz.
Bocaj at 9:05AM, Jan. 1, 2008
Wait a second... You forgot the old guy's feet.
Tantz_Aerine at 6:08AM, Jan. 1, 2008
I love the humans in this, and of course your panels with the close ups to items. Excellent stuff as always.
Abt_Nihil at 3:46AM, Jan. 1, 2008
My favorite must be "open your eyes before it's too late"... that's alluding to the eye on the pyramid, right? I've learned my Illuminati 101! And the old guy looks a bit like Santa Claus... if his North Pole shop was closed down and he lost his job. Brilliant work on the visuals... I love how the humans are painted like the backgrounds whereas the mice are cell-shaded... because to mice humans must seem like monuments or something. And following Scott McCloud's theory, we empathize with the more abstract objects. My favorite visual is the cell-shading in panel 2! It's like right out of a cartoon.
Bocaj at 10:22PM, Dec. 31, 2007
1.) [url]http://www.drunkduck.com/Guy_in_a_Dinosaur_Costume/index.php?p=334787[/url] I cameo'd you! 2.) I noticed the red reflection of the cigarette on that dog's nose! 3.) I agree, drawing people is hard. 4.) That old guy looks awesome.