Episode 237 - The Songcast
Sep 21, 2015
For Quackcast 237 we asked people about the songs that inspire them when they do their comics, which songs go with which parts of their comics, what would be the ideal comic movie theme, what songs or music get you in the MOOD to do your comic, and finally; just how great are Gunwallace's fantastic comic theme tunes? And speaking of theme tunes, the masterful Gunwallace has given us a Salsa theme for Taco El Gato!
Topics and Show Notes
Topics and shownotes
Featured comic:
Throviria - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Throviria/
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Contribution thread: - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/forum/topic/177356/
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Contributors:
Genejoke - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Genejoke/
/>usedbooks - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/usedbooks/
/>Luccia - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Luccia/
/>Bravo - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/bravo1102/
/>ozoneocean - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean/
/>KimLuster - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/KimLuster/
/>Whirlwynd - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Whirlwynd/
/>tupapayon - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/tupapayon/
/>El Cid - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Certified_Monster/
/>Gunwallace - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/
/>Ironscarf - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Ironscarf/
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SONGS
Ozoneocean:
Pinky's theme is Buick Mckane by T-Rex - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igOQclFxHAc
/>The first scene of Pinky approaching the battlefleet - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Pinky_TA/4766795/
/>Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynEOo28lsbc
/>Pinky's Tromper rising up on its legs for the first time and then grinding through the tunnels - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Pinky_TA/4778164/
/>Ich Will by Rammstein - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC8wxSBSDI0
/>Bravo:
Music for Thunderbirds, Space:1999 and UFO among other Gerry Anderson series - http://ufoseries.com/barry/
/>Whirlwynd:
“Open the Sky” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6ZIXoaRmcI
/>Bachelorette party montage - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Lady_Unlucky/5471088/
/>The Brian Setzer Orchestra, “Here Comes the Broad” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0D9pJ-5WI0
/>The bridge scene - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Lady_Unlucky/5474801/
/>Absinthe Junk, “White Nights” - http://absinthejunk.bandcamp.com/
/>Tupapayon:
Song in my head - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S_u4kzJoEj4
/>Ironscarf:
If you went there for a pub lunch today you would undoubtedly hear something like this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcitTNiIKwY
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Special thanks to:
Gunwallace - http://www.virtuallycomics.com
/>Banes - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/
/>kawaiidaigakusei - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/kawaiidaigakusei/
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The theme song by Gunwallace this week was for:
Taco El Gato - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Taco_El_Gato_Comics/ by CandiliciousCartoons rated T.
Episode 234 - Climactic Climaxes!
Aug 31, 2015
What's best? One big climax, multiple small ones, early, or delayed? How much should you work UP to a climax? What about anticlmactic events, how important are they? Climaxes are really important in stories. Often you work up to them over the course of a whole series, but each episode or chapter can have them, maybe even every single page. I find writing “up” to climaxes a bit stressful because you have a lot of preasure and expectation there. And when it's over and you've actually achieved it, it can be a bit depressing: where do you go to from there? You can feel a little lost, at least I do. TALKING ABOUT WRITING HERE. My preference is for multiple climaxes. Do you always need climaxes in stories? I don't think you do personally… there are times when things work fine without one, but it does help better with endings. Sometimes climaxes can be TOO big. Way too much of a story can be invested in a climax, it subsumes everything, everything has to tie in with that specific story flow and that can be REALLY had to pull off. If it's not done right it can be massively disappointing. Anticlimactic. Pitface Joins Banes and Ozone to chat about climaxes in stories and read out the contributions from our climactic contributors. Gunwallace gave us a gorgeous theme for Just Another Day!
Episode 230 - Getting the formula RIGHT
Aug 3, 2015
We've talked about formulas before, but mostly in the context of escaping formulas and reinventing them. NOW however we're talking about using existing formulas to create a story, or creating new formulas and sticking to them to come up with your stories. Formulas can be a good tool to write with, along with their close sibling “the trope” they take elements that are proven to work and stick them on a solid framework for you to more easily create your story around. All you need to do is plug in your characters and situation and see how it all fits. Formulas are comfortable for people and make it easier for a writer to structure their story faster AND in a way they know should appeal to people. Enjoy Gunwallace's lovely theme for Rismo!
Episode 228 - Conflicting conflicts conflict
Jul 19, 2015
This time we're talking about conflict in webcomic writing, and any writing in general really. Conflict is one of the main drivers of a story, so you pretty much have to have it in there somewhere! But how do you approach it? Do you set it up really carefully or just put a bunch of volatile characters together and see what happens? I think for a lot of us we don't think too much about the science of our conflicts, rather we approach it artistically and develop things by feel and instinct because conflict is such an intrinsic trait. But understanding how you use it can be very useful when you're writing satisfying resolutions and climaxes. A good understanding of the types of conflict in your story is also pretty essential when you're writing a good comedy (it's a great source of humour!), and also when you're explaining or selling your work to the public: It's all very well to chat about your clever setting and your funky characters, but conflict is the reason they're IN a story to begin with and that's really what will get people wanting to read out it. I hope you enjoy Gunwallace's great porn style music type theme for Tales of Two Tiny Titty bars!
Episode 227 - Biggest webcomicing mistakes
Jul 13, 2015
Webcomicing is a learning process, you build on your knowledge and skills as you go, comics can take years to complete and your audience is usually pretty forgiving… Well learning is all about making mistakes and if you're like the people who contributed to this Quackcast, you make a hell of a lot of them! But hopefully you learn from them, or even better; learn from the mistakes of others. That's what this Quackcast was all about; sharing your biggest webcomicing mistakes. None of us are immune to them. They can be borne of hard to break bad habits, lack of experience or skill, or just plain stubbornness. If you make any that you'd like to tell us about, just share them in the comments bellow. I hope you'll enjoy the lovely Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy/Harry Potter-esque style musical theme for Wizarding Along The Way by Gunwallace!
Episode 223 - Collaborating with the Aliens
Jun 15, 2015
On today's Quackcast I, the marvellous Ozoneocean am speaking to the equally marvellous Trevor Mueller of Albert the Alien! This fine chap is returning to the Quackcast (was on Quackcast 184), to chat with me about the process of collaborating from the point of view of a writer who's working with an artist. Trevor also he another Kickstarter for the second volume of Albert the Alien out now so please consider contributing to that. Trevor is a highly acclaimed writer of a fantastic and funny all ages comic and his artist on Albert the Alien, Gabriel Bautista, is an award winning successful comic creator in his own right. Trevor brings a LOT of experience to the topic of collaboration. Catch the great theme for The Ink by our very own Gunwallace!
Episode 207 - A question of bodyshape part 2
Feb 22, 2015
In Quackcast 207 we talk about bodyshapes in comics again; as a follow up from the chat we had about it in Quackcast 205 we thought we'd let the community weigh in with their thoughts... so Banes and I could get the chance to practice our voices. We wanted to know what others thought about the subject of about bodyshape in comics; Ones that they draw, read, or have just seen and think that it needs commenting upon. These Quackcasts were inspired of course by the images of athletes from the 2002 book "Athlete" by Howard Schatz. The photos show various athletes who're at the top level of their respective sports, it also shows that they have wildly different physical attributes: there IS no one ideal, and there IS no “normal”. This got us to thinking how body shape can define a character as much as facial features, hairstyle, clothing etc. Anyway, people had their say and it was enlightening! Also, Gunwallace's music this week was for FUNK! And funky it was, give it a listen.
Episode 204 - Talisman returns from exile
Feb 2, 2015
Way back in 2012 Ozone interviewed the marvellously talented and professional Barb Myers about her art and her fantastic comics. Well it's 2015 now and Barb has finally been able to put out the whole of her comic "Talisman: Return of the Exile" for sale on Amazon! So of course now was the perfect time to catch up for another chat. I first came across her lovely comic on Drunk Duck years and years ago when it was called "Return to Donelly", it was a beautiful looking piece of work and it rightly brought her to the attention of the pros. It was picked up for Keen spot and then a publisher wanted to sell it in bookshops everywhere. Well things went screwy after that and it never really reached its full potential unfortunately. It disappeared from radar totally. Well now it's BACK! You can buy this great 108 full colour fantasy comic book story for only $10 US dollars. Mine should get to me on about the 10th of February. ^_^