tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post8383325627699290915..comments2024-02-26T00:27:47.712-08:00Comments on Cross-Up: Idea for a Webcomic...Voltechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01038586008627390463noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-14725660358893184642013-06-01T19:04:22.677-07:002013-06-01T19:04:22.677-07:00Will do.Will do.Voltech44noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-84599801269472379812013-05-31T22:33:29.424-07:002013-05-31T22:33:29.424-07:00Check your mail.Check your mail.Kostantinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-81365024583752248752013-05-31T22:03:32.393-07:002013-05-31T22:03:32.393-07:00Oh yeah, Paradise Lost. That's a good one; I ...Oh yeah, Paradise Lost. That's a good one; I wonder if I've got that lying around somewhere.<br /><br /><br />And I just might have to take you up on that offer one of these days. But don't worry about self-promotion; if you've got an idea, let me hear it. This is Cross-Up, where the points don't matter and everyone can show off their wares.Voltech44noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-74726099247597374832013-05-30T23:31:10.406-07:002013-05-30T23:31:10.406-07:00Without wanting to overflow my pretention-cup, her...Without wanting to overflow my pretention-cup, here are some storeis that might help:<br /><br />Stephen King's That Feeling, You can only say what it is in French (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Feeling,_You_Can_Only_Say_What_It_Is_in_French) is a pretty awesome story about Hell and how it works and you can find it online with relative ease.<br /><br />Also, Milton's Paradiase Lost gives you a quick tour and, in the interest of avoiding too much self-promotion, I got something that might fit what you're looking for. Mail me for details.Kostantinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-10427132950642762262013-05-30T19:39:23.017-07:002013-05-30T19:39:23.017-07:00Ah, good, I was hoping you'd spot this post so...Ah, good, I was hoping you'd spot this post somewhere down the line. And I'm thankful you did; points like these are just what I've been looking for.<br /><br />I think that, since making this post and reading the comments that have popped up, I'm starting to lean more toward 4Dudes and Bad Knuckle. The other two have potential, sure, but in this case I think a bit of simplicity would be best. Plus I know my brother, and he's got his comedic chops as well; it'll be an easier sell as well as a chance to have him contribute some good ideas. His art can be pretty stylistic -- and absurd -- at times, so those might be a good fit. One of these days I need to ask him where he posts his art...assuming he still does so.<br /><br />But I digress. I suppose if I ever give it a shot, I'll have to start experimenting -- you know, get a little groundwork, get ideas from my bro, test our communication skills, etc. Honestly, I don't know EXACTLY how wacky I can get, so I'd assume that getting some kind of testing done will go a long way. <br /><br />So yeah, thanks for this. Aaaaaaaaand now I have a sudden desire to start looking into demonology...Voltech44noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-79127715990897392552013-05-30T06:58:13.198-07:002013-05-30T06:58:13.198-07:00Peronally, I find all those ideas agreeable, but I...Peronally, I find all those ideas agreeable, but I don't honeslty think they would all work well in a comic book narrative: Bad Knuckle, 4Dudes and Resolver sound like the best fit for webcomics, perfectly fitting the zaniness that most people look for when they go Google Seraching for comic books.<br /><br />On the other Hand, Seife House is somethoing that's better fitted to work as a series of loosely-connected personal stories. They needn't focus too hard on the MYSTERY aspect, they could in fact all be character-driven tales that slowly culminate into cracking the secret of the Seife house and it might just make for an interesting read.<br /><br />Now, for the 'what could prove problematic' part of my argument: you've presented some perfectly valid reasons why each story would stumble, but you need to keep in mind that none of those story ideas need to turn into decade-spanning sagas. They can each enjoy short, fresh runs that will pack a pretty potent punch, actually. Now, down to the problematic aspect of each idea...<br /><br />RESOLVER requires a ton of setting up ahead and will prove quite daunting to manage as a webcomic. It assumes that you will somehow be able to present, laconically and without too much embellishement, the metric TONNAGE of lore that will support this universe (trans-dimensional mechanics notwithstanding). This means that you will either need to provide lots of informational expositions that will wear out readers and challenge their attention spans, or you will have to into article-long rants to resolve any (and all) narrative conflicts that will come up.<br /><br />Perhaps resolve might work best not as a single, cohesive narrative, but as a sereis of short, stand-alone stories (like Warren Ellis' Global Frequency perhaps). But, once again, it is a very daring attempt and will require more devotion and attention that you might possibly be willing to invest. Not that it isn't worth it.<br /><br />I'd propose you checked out ryan Talbot's Adventures of Luther Arkwright, which will give you a pretty damn good idea how to handle multiversal agents and continua-spanning pots.<br /><br />4DUDES is the one thing I'd love to read the most, but like Resolver, it's not exactly going to turn into a saga either, for the reasons you outlined. Making Hell funny and interesting (and above all, engaging) is a pretty daunting task. I'd personally propose that you looked into some short stories that deal with hell and that you checked the lore on it, specifically through Crowley's Demonology, which outlines Hell, its royalty and denizens pretty damn well.<br /><br />I think that 4 dudes needs to be heavily focused on its characters and setting, rather than its story. As a matter of fact, I think this needs to be more of a bricoleur kind of story: the kind of story that is not really about anything. There's no antagonist, driving force or metaplot. It's just 4 dudes and they're in Hell and that's all there is or needs to be to it.<br /><br />BAD KNUCKLE, while I adore the idea, is also a pretty big risk. How wacky are you willing to go? Making something like GodHand sounds awesome, but how far will yout ake it? Can you risk making a story aboput zany shit going on without any reference to pop culture?<br /><br />I think this story is PERFECT for a webcomic, with a ton of possibilities, but will test your mettle in ways you can't even BEGIN to imagine. If you're looking for a long-term investment, this is the one idea you should run for and be prepared to give up at a moment's notice.<br /><br />All of the ideas above are pretty damned cool though, man. I wish I could see them all realized.Kostantinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-10016063309454718272013-05-29T19:59:26.687-07:002013-05-29T19:59:26.687-07:00I seriously need to get into some more webcomics. ...I seriously need to get into some more webcomics. There's been an 8-Bit Theatre-sized hole in my heart for ages, and it's high time I filled it back up. (Though to be fair, I find Spinnerette more than a little satisfying.)<br /><br />In any case, I guess if my brother and I are going to start anywhere, it should be with some very rough pages to see what'll work and what won't. I can spin a story no matter what we go with, but I'll have to do so while mindful of his art sense, style, and setup. So in that regard, I'm assuming that Bad Knuckle's going to be the easiest sell for him -- and that'll offer a bit of freedom on my end, I'm guessing. It'll all just come down to experimenting, I suppose. Start simple, and build up from there.<br /><br /><br /><br />It'll be interesting to see what happens next, if nothing else.Voltech44noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-56634681218230941282013-05-29T19:50:04.763-07:002013-05-29T19:50:04.763-07:00...Most intriguing. Most intriguing, indeed....Most intriguing. Most intriguing, indeed.Voltech44noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-37609719493999337442013-05-29T15:49:13.260-07:002013-05-29T15:49:13.260-07:00*is tempted to bring up the Shonen Jump competitio...*is tempted to bring up the Shonen Jump competition*burnpsyhttp://burnpsy.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904713839696769313.post-5040464655848172842013-05-29T11:21:46.946-07:002013-05-29T11:21:46.946-07:00I like these ideas. They all seem like nice beginn...I like these ideas. They all seem like nice beginnings for potential stories. But, at least as far as my limited exposure to the medium has shown me, it takes a certain kind of story to make a good web comic.<br /><br /><br />You've already mentioned the fact that internet viewers can always look into other forms of entertainment, and that's certainly a factor to be considered. But I'd like to add that web comics, at least the story-driven variety, shouldn't necessarily have a definable end to their stories. The characters may not have a particular goal or path in mind at first, or maybe their intended goal leaves a good amount of ambiguity as to how to get there or what will happen. It's kinda like how Sluggy Freelance and 8-Bit Theatre starts off with a couple of dudes aimlessly messing around, gradually easing into story arcs and such. Megatokyo does sorta the same thing in the beginning, and when the goal of "getting back home" comes into play, it's often swept under the rug in favor of other, more immediate problems that form the basis of other story arcs.<br /><br /><br />Out of the four, I'd say Revolver and Bad Knuckle would make for the best web comics. The world-hopping premise for Revolver makes for clearly definable episodes and story arcs, while at the same time shrouding a greater antagonistic force behind smaller, more immediate problems that could, with their resolution, unravel the former bit by tantalizing bit. Bad Knuckle could play it like Fist of the North Star, with a deviously evasive main antagonist, or one that is actually controlled by another, bigger, and perhaps hammier antagonist that, of course, wouldn't be even remotely hinted at until the defeat of the current bad guy. Perhaps Tyson could also have a equally manly rival who hinders him at times, with an impressive array of kicks, or grapples, or the ability to block any punch thrown at him, no matter how ridiculous. Your fourth idea in particular, I feel, has a lot of potential to it as far as a web comic goes. You could make a story arc out of essentially anything, given the madcap insanity. Heck, I'd say you could even make a story arc out of the setting intended for "Four Dudes Go to Hell," with Tyson inexplicably traversing through the Inferno, slugging his way through Hell's gates to rescue the Mayor from the Prince of Darkness himself, and then making an equally fist-filled march back to the mortal realm. Why? More like why not? It'd be attention-grabbing, I'm quite sure.Sirrah Yllibnoreply@blogger.com