War's Pact Comic

I've had a crazy new idea, it may work or it may not. It's a comic. The finished version will first be up for grabs in the newsletter and will later be posted up here, sort of a member exclusive thing. I'm looking at a dozen page thing so this may well end up as a montly deal as opposed to a bi-monthly. At first, this will be in black and white. I'm sorry but I don't yet have the software to make a decent colour version. My plan is to do the pencil sketch and run over it with a good black pen, then it will be scanned in.

War's Pact is basically the story of Skursir and Artekus meeting. You can find the full story in the Storytelling forum. This comic will go into it with a lot more depth and will have elements and parts that you haven't seen in the story, such as what Skursir's briefing and the full cantina meeting. I'm not a professional, but I've recieved positive feedback so far from friends and family, so here's the pencil sketch-up of the first page:



As I said, the version with black pen will be up in the newsletter. It will look a lot neater and will have some more adjustments - this is just a rough sketch. Please, if you're goind to critisize, then do so with positive feedback so I can improve my drawings and layout. Cover art may come if this is sucessful, so perhaps a full comic book may be around the corner?

H2Woah

Right well I hate to dissapoint you here mate but there is already talk of a comic being made for the newsletter, but I'm not really allowed to go into detail about it just yet because the author is keeping it a secret for now....I think!

To me this seems like it's just about Skursir and Artekus which is cool but it sounds like this should be going in the gallery section or maybe a wiki. The reason being that if a comic is made then it should be about the guild as a whole.

If I'm allowed to give your more info about this other comic then I will let you know soon as I'm sure you'll understand why I'd prefer this other one to be the main newsletter version.

I'd like to air an opinion about this too. Not a criticism of your work Harl, but about it's inclusion in the newsletter. I'm a little surprised that you seem to be assuming your work has automatic guild approval, much like you did when the trailer promo you made and released publicly as an official piece. Even though the idea for a newsletter was yours and you're master-chief-editor, I don't think you should get to include anything of your own making that you feel like. It seems like an abuse of power or something! (*Red takes a note: power corrupts Haha!)

All in all though I think it's brilliant to see you bulking out your character's background and it's cool you're having a go at a comic. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

I didn't say that I had guild approval, but that was my initial plan (half the reason why I put this up here in the first place was to get thumbs up). I'm still going to do this comic, though perhaps slower that perviously planned. I highly doubt it's an abuse of power and I'm quite offended, as if it was, I'd keep the newsletter completely under my control, put whatever I like in it and distribute it myself. That's not what I'm doing. I like the idea of a comic being in the newsletter so a pat on the back to whoever's doing it.

But in all honesty, I was looking forward to reviews reading "make the start more action-based" or "add more detail to the base" or even "make the transport more canon". Not just a paragraph of dismisal which though I understand, is a bit unfair considering my enthusiasm. And if I was the "editor-in-chief" why have I not heard of the comic before, before starting on this one?

Harlequin2 wrote:

I highly doubt it's an abuse of power and I'm quite offended, as if it was, I'd keep the newsletter completely under my control, put whatever I like in it and distribute it myself. That's not what I'm doing.

I'm sorry if I offended you, Harl. My "abuse of power" comment was meant in a joking context, hence the rasp emicon and laughing comment that followed. But if you've decided to take offense there's not much I can do about that.
As for saying you're not putting in the newsletter whatever you like, I took "It's a comic. The finished version will first be up for grabs in the newsletter..." as an indication that you had had an idea which you'd decided would be in the newsletter, not that this was something for us to discuss. My mistake.

Harlequin2 wrote:

I was looking forward to reviews reading "make the start more action-based" or "add more detail to the base" or even "make the transport more canon". Not just a paragraph of dismisal which though I understand, is a bit unfair considering my enthusiasm.

From the single page you've posted the expectation of such comments is a little premature, don't you think? And in light of this, calling my "All in all though I think it's brilliant to see you bulking out your character's background and it's cool you're having a go at a comic. I can't wait to see how it turns out!" comment a "paragraph of dismissal" deeply confuses me. I'd intended it as a supportive comment and can't see why you would react negatively to it?

Harlequin2 wrote:

And if I was the "editor-in-chief" why have I not heard of the comic before, before starting on this one?

Because the idea is still in it's infancy and was discussed before the idea of the newsletter came about. It’s possible inclusion in the newsletter is still being decided due to many “ifs and buts”. It isn’t common knowledge yet because the person who suggested it came privately to me in my role of Creative Director to see if it was viable and to ask for my help if it went into production. Sureshot is in the know because if it is to be distributed in official guild material, he would obviously have first say as to it’s wider content.

Again, I’m sorry if you became offended over my expressing my concerns. In the future I’ll try to find a way to be more gentle in voicing them.

I'm sorry too Red that I lashed out in such a way and thanks for explaining things. Also, thanks for the support in the "All in all though I think it's brilliant to see you bulking out your character's background and it's cool you're having a go at a comic. I can't wait to see how it turns out!". I guess I blanked it out in my moment of anger And sorry to Sureshot who will probably also be offended by my comments above. Anyway, I will continue along with this - I have a decent storyboard set out for it and my creative juices won't let me put it down!

I think it's great that you're doing a comic H2 (does your creativity actually have any bounderies? Oh yeah, 'course not, you're not a jaded old cinic like me )

Its a little early in the comic to give much critism of it, but would I would say is stuff like this is EXACTLY what the gallery section is for. Its a great place to put anything that does'nt need approval from anyone, yet gives everyone a great look-see at what you've done. (Hence, good placement of the comic, H2..)

You'll notice that all my 3d work (as much as I am proud of it) has gone in the Gallery forum and I've not really done anything 'guild specific' except for one mini-poster which was put there in a "do as you will with it" kinda way and has since been grabbed by the chief for alteration.

Even over at SWTOR.com I never put "This is a picture of X, it is a representation of one of the characters of "Agents Of The E.P.O.C.H." Thats simply because it isn't 'guild-sanctioned'
I put stuff like "This is a picture of X, he/she is a [race], [class] for the new game 'Star Wars: The Old Republic"

I can't stress enough (and this is for everyone, not picking on H2 here!....also including me in this) how important it is for all of this kinda stuff (if you do want to promote the guild using it) to go through the relevant channels and be seen and sanctioned by:

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: A.K.A Redwatch and
GUILD LEADER: A.K.A Sureshot

In exactly the same way as you'd check all RP through myself and Sureshot. (and yes, PJK and BH both did) It's part of their job and they really need to be included.

In summary:

Great idea H2, and I too look forward to seeing more
and
Don't forget to clue in people who's job it is to oversee this stuff!

Right! Thanks Lunar, I'll have to watch out in the future. I'd like to garner enough "reliability" to be able to be a leader of some field of the guild though I haven't gone into that for this very reason. I'll keep what you said in mind anyhow and no, my creativity does have boundaries, but you need to poke me in the right place to get the right stuff out!

Say, what is better for scanning, a liquid gel pen or one of those fine point pens?

Harlequin2 wrote:

But in all honesty, I was looking forward to reviews reading "make the start more action-based" or "add more detail to the base" or even "make the transport more canon". Not just a paragraph of dismisal which though I understand, is a bit unfair considering my enthusiasm. And if I was the "editor-in-chief" why have I not heard of the comic before, before starting on this one?

You do have a very good point there Harly and really I should've spoken to you about it and for that I apologise. The reason I didn't mention anything is because the person in question wanted to keep it quiet for now in case it prooved to difficult to create. As I say it was a "in the works" project so nothing is actually being produced as we speak, although I could be wrong. At the end of the day though if the author doesn't want to speak about it then I shall keep his identity quiet for the meantime until we have something more solid to work with.

Harlequin2 wrote:

nd sorry to Sureshot who will probably also be offended by my comments above.

Hey no need to apologise dude, I should've given you a hint at least to what the plans were, but seeing as they're 50/50 at the minute I felt I realy didn't have enough information to offer. It's all very hush-hush! (Bloody secret agents!)

Harlequin2 wrote:

Right! Thanks Lunar, I'll have to watch out in the future. I'd like to garner enough "reliability" to be able to be a leader of some field of the guild though I haven't gone into that for this very reason.

*COUGH*.......GTC Diplomat *COUGH*

Hey dude you're doing loads for this this guild anyway and I'm keeping a mental note of it when it comes to officer elections!