I had a solo game of Neuroshima Hex this Saturday morning where I discovered something peculiar. I was playing army Borgo against army Dancer and I was quite mesmerized by the aesthetic and playing mechanic of army Dancer. Usually an army in Neuroshima Hex consists of over a dozen playing ...
A Dash of Whimsy
Andreas_Helixfinger at 12:00AM, Dec. 4, 2022Covering cover art
Emma_Clare at 12:00AM, Aug. 27, 2022
Last week, over on the ole Twittersphere, we were asking the #quackchatters about creating cover art for their comics. It was an interesting discussion to go back and read as there were responses there that surprised me.
The first question of the QuackChat hour asked if creators draw some pages ...
On Designing Outfits
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, July 9, 2022
Character design needs careful planning on all levels: from the character's psyche and personality to their body type, mannerisms, hair, and of course, outfits.
Like in real life, what a character wears is a reflection of their personality and their general situation.
There's a reason why Jessica Rabbit ...
Fantastic Bestiary 10: The Scandinavian Troll
Andreas_Helixfinger at 12:00AM, June 12, 2022
So! Back to mythology. And we are going back to my place again, good ol’ Scandinavia. In the summertime no less when the color green is everywhere, the fields are high and trolls come sneaking down from their magically hidden caves and mountain kingdoms. To me the Scandinavian depiction of ...
The Reimagining of Myth
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, May 28, 2022
Mythologies are fascinating. And with good reason. Each set represents centuries, if not millennia, of common unconscious and community narratives about all aspects of human existence: from the big questions of who we are to the wonders and terrors of nature to the wonders and terrors of society.
In short ...
Pets in Comics
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, May 14, 2022
Pets are intimate companions that get us through the day. Cats, dogs, rabbits, rats, snakes, fish, you name it- they help us in their own way. And yet not many characters in fiction or comics tend to have them. I for one don't include animals at all in my ...
Language
Andreas_Helixfinger at 12:00AM, May 8, 2022
As a compulsive - and rather obsessive – writer I often find myself tinkering around with language. And I’ve always found the creativity and imagination that can go into the language within a fictional world to be similar to that of an illustrator. When done well it can bring color and ...
Fantastic Bestiary 2: The Nixie
Andreas_Helixfinger at 12:00AM, April 3, 2022
In my first post of the Fantastic Bestiary last week I talked about a mythic specie associated with smokeless fire and wishes. In this second post I’m gonna talk about a mysterious, mythic figure associated with water and music. The Nixie is a shapeshifting water spirit that originated from ...
I want to talk about boobs
Tantz_Aerine at 12:00AM, April 2, 2022
There is generally a debate about how women's chests should be drawn. On and off I'll come across whole essays about how drawing women with large boobs is shorthand for sexualization and objectification. There's a lot of talk about how flat chested ladies or those of the ...