Hey youseall! Still making decent progress on the book, I'll have that 2 page preview on the way for people who donated so far to http://insanityofxade.com/gateway.php as well as some extra bonuses for those who might donate. I'm considering a PDF of the posters I did for my drives in the past, as well as some new and never released materiels. I'm trying to hunt down some more stuff to scan in the forum thread, but I can't find the stupid art! I'll have to resume the search later… As always, discussions on story stuff are always welcome here and in the CTV forum, especially the forums if you want to actually have a conversation! It has been my absolute delight to see people delving into the plot and motivations of the characters, it really gives me hope that not everyone is just writing this off as a bunch of shallow fluff. It really reassures me when I see people actually care about the story and are thinking about it, rather than just being casual observers (which I know a LOT of people are still, which isn't bad…) and it is quite delightful when I see people come so close to figuring out some major plot stuff… which I assure you, I won't be changing just because someone figured it out like some major comics I can think of!
*Edit* Also, I made some edits! Sorry this wasn't up to par earlier! :)
*edit again!* I took a look at this with fresh eyes and figured out a few of the problems, I think. I fixed Daray's pose in the last panel to put his far arm in a more natural position for the pose, and while I'll still defend the first panel's running pose itself (I was in cross country and have lots of running references, which I actually used for once!) I think the problem was that his near foot was smaller than the far foot, so I fixed that and hope it improves things!
This page reminds me of just how many CTV pages are of characters talking (which is fine). These action shots are fun but I am gonna nitpick. Panel 2 has some good details (belt, hair necklace) but his legs look stiff to me. What if his left knee was higher up or something? In the last panel his left shoulder looks like it is not taking any weight. Your shoulder moves up and down and if you hop down from a window lanfing on your legs and arm your shoulder should maybe move up.
Just wondering, what were the cast like back in the previous eras? What did Charby do durring the 1920's? Where were they when Hitler ruled germany? have they met any famous people over the centuries?
The trouble with reading this as you update is that the main feel you get from it is what the art provides. My favourite bit is the character's relationships with each other and that tends to reveal itself over a long time which doesn't feel wrong at all when read in chunks, but read like this is hard to keep track of. Maybe that means your style of comic is a bit more like a novel?
Wonderful art again. The motions look so fluid and I love the details in the background. And who called this a bunch of shallow fluff? They'd better take that back!
@Anonymous - Don't worry, Amelius does not usually do conventional. Besides, the only love interest of his I know of is Rosemary and if she was visiting she'd probably be making a lot of noise right about now.
Charby's love interest was killed off and the only love interest Tony ran into at Blaine's was the coffee..
I have been reading Charby the Vampirate for years and it is the only comic online that I hunt down for updates. I love ur characters, I love the storyline, and the gore and the innocent romance and your comic gives me inspiration (and tons of intimidation for an artist like myself). When ur comic hit the charts, I felt proud to have admired ur work previously. Thank you for being the end result of years of artwork and dedication. U give me something to look forward to. U set the bar really high, y'know :) U make ur fans proud.
Ahh I still feel bad now! Don't beat yourself up. I'd kill for your coloring, expressions, character design, texture detail...agh so many things. And of course your writing has always held strong. For references, Posemaniacs (which everyone talks about) and other such sites are the way to go. There's actually a thread on Tv Tropes dedicated to awesome references! And don't focus too hard to rework and 'fix' the page, just take the knowledge and carry it to the next one! Overall the page and details on it (the mindblowingly detalied mandela as pointed out, omigosh the trees in the background of #4, the #5 pose, can't stop staring at the pant folds. (k I'm weird)) are fantastic.
I feel like I've blabbed on too much; I'll stop talking for now.
anonymous
at 1:07PM, May 6, 2012
I h8 myself 4 posting this, but here's a little pattern I see in action scenes like this. He sneaks by several people, somehow avoiding being caught (even though some people see parts of him & just brush it off). He's eventually caught by a <3 interest who doesn't turn him in because they have a crush on him. He sneaks in & grabs the map, only to be caught by his parents. I'm sorry if I did guess right & spoiled
I would also like to add though that even if I feel compelled to defend some artistic decisions, I do realize that if I'd failed to communicate my intentions in the art itself, that's my own fault. I bear no ill will for someone trying to help me be a better artist :)
@Piearty: Don't worry, you didn't embarrass me! I'm just disappointed in myself for posting it is all. A lot of stuff I should have known (like the flow of action in the panels... I wrote that in a tutorial, I should have taken my own advice) I failed to do right and it can't possibly be fixed without losing a lot of time.
I really oughta stop using myself for reference too, 'cuz most of the posing issues on this page are due to my assuming the way I stand when I'm doing things is not totally weird! (his legs are bent out rather than in because I was trying to communicate that he's sidling along the wall) I'll see what I can do to fix it though.
I acknowledge the difficulty of the last panel! I definitely wouldn't be able to draw it. I don't know how you got into the pose yourself; I tried it (jumped off a small ladder repeatedly, yes, I love this comic that much) and while I can hold the pose when still, it's a different matter jumping. Again suggesting the poses I described before; I kept involuntarily defaulting to them cuz they're easier.
Ahhh I didn't realize that cut off! Bleh. --The panels on the right all are pushing toward the left, leading one to read right to left instead of vice versa. Well, at least I did; no, I don't read manga. Composition that flows to the right pushes the action along in the proper direction.-- I'm a dancer, not a runner, so I'll go with what ya said there. The thumb, well, if I'm seeing it right, it's placed below the fingers. While a thumb -can- go in that position, usually it's on or underneath (covered by) the fingers. I got no problem with the bending over in the 3rd panel, just that his knees should bend forward, not... outwardish. (continued!)
...and yes the last panel does look off balance, that one was perhaps the hardest and most unforgiving of poses because I went through several iterations and had to finally settle on that due to the pencil lead leaving trails. I thought I'd gotten a good pose and I suppose it's a little disheartening to hear it didn't work, having tried it myself perhaps some knee-slamming would happen (1 out of 3 of my own attempt at least!)I may try and fix it, but it's going to be really difficult.
Snevilly at 1:35AM, Feb. 3, 2013
I love how you depict character in movement.
bluebert at 9:28PM, May 18, 2012
This page reminds me of just how many CTV pages are of characters talking (which is fine). These action shots are fun but I am gonna nitpick. Panel 2 has some good details (belt, hair necklace) but his legs look stiff to me. What if his left knee was higher up or something? In the last panel his left shoulder looks like it is not taking any weight. Your shoulder moves up and down and if you hop down from a window lanfing on your legs and arm your shoulder should maybe move up.
Clayton_n at 2:09PM, May 10, 2012
Also why is it in vampire and immortal stories they're all so tall when the average height 500 or so years ago was around four feet?
Clayton_n at 2:08PM, May 10, 2012
Just wondering, what were the cast like back in the previous eras? What did Charby do durring the 1920's? Where were they when Hitler ruled germany? have they met any famous people over the centuries?
Jimeth at 6:20PM, May 8, 2012
The trouble with reading this as you update is that the main feel you get from it is what the art provides. My favourite bit is the character's relationships with each other and that tends to reveal itself over a long time which doesn't feel wrong at all when read in chunks, but read like this is hard to keep track of. Maybe that means your style of comic is a bit more like a novel?
PaulEberhardt at 9:05AM, May 8, 2012
Wonderful art again. The motions look so fluid and I love the details in the background. And who called this a bunch of shallow fluff? They'd better take that back!
NightReflection at 8:44AM, May 7, 2012
@Anonymous - Don't worry, Amelius does not usually do conventional. Besides, the only love interest of his I know of is Rosemary and if she was visiting she'd probably be making a lot of noise right about now. Charby's love interest was killed off and the only love interest Tony ran into at Blaine's was the coffee..
mindcat at 4:49AM, May 7, 2012
I have been reading Charby the Vampirate for years and it is the only comic online that I hunt down for updates. I love ur characters, I love the storyline, and the gore and the innocent romance and your comic gives me inspiration (and tons of intimidation for an artist like myself). When ur comic hit the charts, I felt proud to have admired ur work previously. Thank you for being the end result of years of artwork and dedication. U give me something to look forward to. U set the bar really high, y'know :) U make ur fans proud.
man in black at 7:29PM, May 6, 2012
great page
Piearty at 5:22PM, May 6, 2012
Ahh I still feel bad now! Don't beat yourself up. I'd kill for your coloring, expressions, character design, texture detail...agh so many things. And of course your writing has always held strong. For references, Posemaniacs (which everyone talks about) and other such sites are the way to go. There's actually a thread on Tv Tropes dedicated to awesome references! And don't focus too hard to rework and 'fix' the page, just take the knowledge and carry it to the next one! Overall the page and details on it (the mindblowingly detalied mandela as pointed out, omigosh the trees in the background of #4, the #5 pose, can't stop staring at the pant folds. (k I'm weird)) are fantastic. I feel like I've blabbed on too much; I'll stop talking for now.
anonymous at 1:07PM, May 6, 2012
I h8 myself 4 posting this, but here's a little pattern I see in action scenes like this. He sneaks by several people, somehow avoiding being caught (even though some people see parts of him & just brush it off). He's eventually caught by a <3 interest who doesn't turn him in because they have a crush on him. He sneaks in & grabs the map, only to be caught by his parents. I'm sorry if I did guess right & spoiled
Razzy Jazz at 12:39PM, May 6, 2012
I work at Subway; I do the same stuff Daray is doing when I'm avoiding customers :3
Amelius at 11:05AM, May 6, 2012
I would also like to add though that even if I feel compelled to defend some artistic decisions, I do realize that if I'd failed to communicate my intentions in the art itself, that's my own fault. I bear no ill will for someone trying to help me be a better artist :)
Amelius at 11:01AM, May 6, 2012
@Piearty: Don't worry, you didn't embarrass me! I'm just disappointed in myself for posting it is all. A lot of stuff I should have known (like the flow of action in the panels... I wrote that in a tutorial, I should have taken my own advice) I failed to do right and it can't possibly be fixed without losing a lot of time. I really oughta stop using myself for reference too, 'cuz most of the posing issues on this page are due to my assuming the way I stand when I'm doing things is not totally weird! (his legs are bent out rather than in because I was trying to communicate that he's sidling along the wall) I'll see what I can do to fix it though.
Mr Kaos at 8:26AM, May 6, 2012
mission immpossible theme music!
Piearty at 8:11AM, May 6, 2012
Also I didn't mean to embarrass you! D: I wasn't even sure if I should post lest I come off too captious/mean. I'll stop if I'm being too harsh.
Piearty at 8:07AM, May 6, 2012
I acknowledge the difficulty of the last panel! I definitely wouldn't be able to draw it. I don't know how you got into the pose yourself; I tried it (jumped off a small ladder repeatedly, yes, I love this comic that much) and while I can hold the pose when still, it's a different matter jumping. Again suggesting the poses I described before; I kept involuntarily defaulting to them cuz they're easier.
Piearty at 8:06AM, May 6, 2012
Ahhh I didn't realize that cut off! Bleh. --The panels on the right all are pushing toward the left, leading one to read right to left instead of vice versa. Well, at least I did; no, I don't read manga. Composition that flows to the right pushes the action along in the proper direction.-- I'm a dancer, not a runner, so I'll go with what ya said there. The thumb, well, if I'm seeing it right, it's placed below the fingers. While a thumb -can- go in that position, usually it's on or underneath (covered by) the fingers. I got no problem with the bending over in the 3rd panel, just that his knees should bend forward, not... outwardish. (continued!)
b_templar428 at 5:45AM, May 6, 2012
and...caught.
the1truesushiboy at 4:07AM, May 6, 2012
Inevitably, this ninjatic display is to be abruptly spoiled when he is caught in the act.
KaguyaMegami at 2:18AM, May 6, 2012
I really love all the detail you put into this
Ka_rin at 1:48AM, May 6, 2012
that mandala decoration is beautiful.
Canuovea at 10:13PM, May 5, 2012
It's a trap!
crazy_goodfellow at 9:40PM, May 5, 2012
Seems too easy. Must be a trap. It has got to be a trap of some sort.
Amelius at 8:57PM, May 5, 2012
...and yes the last panel does look off balance, that one was perhaps the hardest and most unforgiving of poses because I went through several iterations and had to finally settle on that due to the pencil lead leaving trails. I thought I'd gotten a good pose and I suppose it's a little disheartening to hear it didn't work, having tried it myself perhaps some knee-slamming would happen (1 out of 3 of my own attempt at least!)I may try and fix it, but it's going to be really difficult.