V4 Kickstarter Preview

 Pre-Launch video for the Kickstarter- everything you need to plan ahead!

Be Clueless, Write Awesome- vlog format

Reader video- Vanth's test flight

Bring Back Alison Tieman

V4 Sneak Peek #12: Winchester Manor Mania

LACKADAISY

Time for another update- and we're kicking this one off with exciting news.

Tray Butler of the Lackadaisy comic series has started a Patreon!
( https://www.patreon.com/lackadaisy )

If you know Lackadaisy, you're probably pausing this video right now and checking it out.  And if you don't know what Lackadaisy is-  pause this video right now, click the link in the lowbar, and check it out!

It's one of my favorite comics of all time, Tracy's art and wit has been a colossal personal inspiration.  Crowdfunding is the new face of comics- readers like you are finally in the drivers seat.  No more distribution monopolies, no more middlemen- just us.  Creators and readers.  So if there's work out there you love, a unique comic that merits success- it's up to you to make it succeed.

I'm planning to launch a Thunderclap for the new Lackadaisy Patreon soon- stay tuned to our social media for updates if you'd like to be a part of it.


READER SPOTLIGHT

Time for the Reader Spotlight- you guys have been doing some awesome stuff, and I wanted to show off at least a little sampling here.  Links to everything in the lowbar.

STJ has a great illustration of her character duking it out with Nabonidus.

http://superflatpsychosis.deviantart.com/art/Your-Worst-Nightmare-502297878

Solo-ion has a sample of what looks to be a Dreamkeepers game in the works- I can hardly wait to see where this is going, looks awesome!

http://solo-ion.deviantart.com/art/Terrarian-Dreamkeepers-First-Trailer-Short-524733376

This fanart of Vi came out freaking gorgeous- it's in Deviantart as well.
http://s-t-r-i-k-e-r.deviantart.com/art/Serenity-524707445

That and more Dreamkeepers art on display in the Fan group there.

http://dreamkeepers-fans.deviantart.com/

I'd never heard of what 'Loop' fanfiction was, but WiseOwl has written some- so if you're interested in a multiverse's worth of fun, and seeing Mace meet Harry Potter, hop over to the forum and check it out.

http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/forum/?t=511

And last but not least- one kind-hearted reader sent Chico some sunflower seeds.
(video)

Another quick bit of news- there's a brand new review of Dreamkeepers up on Sequential Tart!  Link in the lowbar- thank you to Sequential Tart for giving us a review, that's absolutely awesome.

http://www.sequentialtart.com/reports.php?ID=8840

Alright- you've come this far... Now it's time to delve a little deeper into Volume 4.

I'm creating this update because Chapter 12- the final Chapter- is half done.  From the moment I post this video, I'll be working to shade the last half, and then- probably in May- it'll be Kickstarter Time.

I'll leave you with a little glimpse into this panel from Chapter 12.

You may notice some things are a bit- off with this room.  The table with no top, the skewed doorways, the stairway to nowhere...

This setting was partially inspired by the real-life Winchester mansion.  When William Winchester died, his widow Sarah became convinced that ghosts from beyond the grave were coming to get her- the avenging spirits of those killed by the famous Winchester repeating rifle.
To escape them, she turned the family mansion into a labyrinth, a bizarre architectural maze that would confuse any ghosts trying to reach her.  She never stopped adding onto the monstrosity of a building until the day she herself became a spirit.

Of course, this setting isn't the Winchester Mansion-

This is something else.

Well, that's it for now!  The next video update will likely be a pre-Kickstarter video, running stretch goal ideas past you and asking for feedback.

Speaking of feedback, someone mentioned it might be nice for me to post audio versions of some of my story and writing blogs- so, why not?   I won't have time to animate it or anything, but I can at least make a quick audio recording if it would come in handy for some people.  

Thank you everyone for listening- subscribe and stuff- 'till next time!

Lackadaisy Thunderclap

Thunderclap here:  https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/24841-lackadaisy-unleashed?locale=en

Tracy Butler of Lackadaisy has started a Patreon!

( https://www.patreon.com/lackadaisy )

If you're unfamiliar with the Eisner-nominated Lackadaisy, click this and enjoy one of the finest comics ever committed to paper:

( http://www.lackadaisycats.com/index.php )

This is a momentous occasion to me for a couple reasons.

First, of course, Lackadaisy is among my favorite comics of all time. Tracy's art and wit has been a colossal inspiration, a monument to what a spark and a pencil can bring to the world.

And secondly, I see this as a milestone on the way towards a better future for all of comics.

The past few decades mainstream comics have been, by and large, more of the same.  More capes, more spandex, more reboots.

Now I like Professor X as much as anyone.  It's not bad that this stuff continues- what IS bad is that it has continued to the deliberate exclusion of originality in the marketplace.

Diamond's zero-sum monopoly has a chokehold on distribution, with exclusive back-room hookups for Marvel and DC.  They've done a crackerjack job of intentionally snuffing out independent upstarts- for way too much info, see my old articles: ( http://vividstuff.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html )

The short version is that middle-men got in the way and stayed there- carving out more room for themselves by pushing out readers and creators alike.

But then internet.

The answer to industry stagnation has been the explosion of glimmering gems that is webcomics.  No middlemen or gatekeepers here- anyone can create, and everyone can read.  Heretofore unimagined stories, unthinkable concepts, are coming to life.


But the big missing link for this new market has always been funding.  Creators can create- but only if they can eat.  The best work requires huge commitments of time, and if our finest talents have to spend their time at a Joe Job, then that work doesn't happen.  But how can an artist make a living in a market flooded with free content?

Recent years have revealed an answer.

Crowdfunding.  Kickstarter, Patreon- these sites are permanent game-changers.

They are the comic shops of tomorrow- offering opportunity to every creator, and producing exactly what readers value, with near total freedom.

But that's the thing about freedom, isn't it?  It carries that rider, responsibility.

Now it's on us.

Storytellers galore will be presenting their best- but it's up to you, the reader, to choose the gems that must endure.  If they do- if the finest work rises to the top- it will be a beacon of inspiration for generations of creators to come.

So if there's work out there you love, a unique comic that merits success- the creator can only make the work.  It's up to you to make it succeed.

For me, Lackadaisy is one of those comics.  Tracy has made a bold move, walking away from a gaming industry job to pour her heart into her work.  And I want to live in the kind of world where a creator of her caliber is rewarded for that kind of risk.

So as a reader, I'm pulling out all the stops, and trying out this thing called a 'Thunderclap.'  

Basically it's like tweeting on steroids- people can sign up to participate, and then the message goes out amplified by hundreds of voices.

So if you feel the same way about Lackadaisy that I do, please help out with this Thunderclap- and let's move forward to a future of unfettered creation!

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/24841-lackadaisy-unleashed?locale=en

Between the Pages: Can we pretend it’s still December? Please?

Because reindeer are seasonal, and well, this is March.  There’s a lesson to learn.

It begins with wanting something that doesn't exist.  Projects always begin that way.  And in this case, the problem was wanting a large prancing white reindeer for the holidays, which seemed like an easy to find item.  But it isn't.

There are large plush by Hansa, there are lit outdoor light shows, but it is very hard to find a large glittery snow reindeer in mid dance.  Even at Bronners, the largest Christmas store.  The nerve.

This little ornament that I didn't make provided inspiration:

As well as one of our readers, Gloves, back in November suggesting “why don’t you make one?”

Le sigh.  Here we go.

In tradition of the previous carousel horses, here’s a sketch of the reindeer project:

A pattern of one of the sides:

The peppermint pole was inspired by Christmas stools that my Uncle John painted for Aunt Dawn, and was going to light  up.

The foam core skeleton that would be filled with lights, then wrapped in tissue paper to give a rounded form.  The floor lamp stopped working so it became a ‘North Pole’ carousel.  Lights were going to be added later.  The antlers were going to be a clay material.






















This deer looks Terrible.

Clay is too heavy to sculpt something this size with personality, I’m not casting silicone molds right now, and paper mache was out.  Mostly, I don’t want to look at this thing once a year.  Or ever.

The plastic molds of the horses had worked so well, instead of looking for an answer to imagination, couldn’t one be compromised and painted?
Yes, yes they can.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Choosing your Plastic Christmas Reindeer:

Unlike the decoys offered in hunting stores, these are a seasonal product, appearing mostly from November through January.  They are called “ blow molds “ or “blowmolds” the idea being that they are hollow, sit outside with an electric light and eventually become a fire hazard.   There are Santas, bunnies, Halloween themed ones, the nativities are popular.  Nearly all were produced in the 60’s and are considered vintage and antique.  The plastic reindeer come from a two piece mold, meaning that their legs are attached together in a leaping motion and can be bought separate of Santa‘s sleigh.  They need a wire or pole to stand up. Ebay, Etsy, and Craigslist are friends.

The most common reindeer is the cutesy Empire reindeer, still produced today.  He’s 34 inches long, 19 inches high.  Antlers are added separately. (pic used from ebay)

The Poloron reindeer is the most detailed with a fur texture and screw-in ears and antlers.  Their heads are also removable.  I chose this mold (mine is actually Beco, the design was bought later by Poloron) because of the beautiful fur details and the connecting legs don’t look too bad.  The Polorons also connect to a Santa sleigh.  One deer is 36 inches long by 31 inches tall.
(pic used from ebay)

I don’t-I don’t even know what to make of these.  They have creepy faces and amazing legs.  They just popped up on eBay randomly, made in the late 50’s, and vanished.  I would love to try painting these.  Once in a while a blow mold will appear on eBay and nobody knows where it came from.
(pic from ebay)

According to internet lore, blow molds were discontinued during the energy crisis of the 1970’s.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reindeer is a Beco mold.  Acquired in January he was washed, given a silver undercoat, (it was very easy to paint because the head is removable) and drifted away from the original color concept.

Deer at rest.

 And he's had enough.

I learned that it’s possible to add sculpted pieces to the plastic, like the leg cuffs.  Hobby Lobby has a wide variety of stick on gems and pearls that replaced most of the glitter plan.  Dad’s hardware knowledge was essential not only to attach the pole; the deer’s neck needed special repair with a dowel.  All in all, ’Radar’ became less about a snow reindeer and more of an extended production.

I love red and white swirls.

The blue was supposed to be a light accent color, but the glitter matched our little blue Christmas tree (in earlier photo).  The plastic candy canes on the antlers can be replaced by ornaments, etc.

The biggest problem and set back was the timing.
If you choose a reindeer during the right season, you still have to wait.  Without a garage, it’s too cold to spray the needed fixatives until approximately 50 degrees.  And all of the fun bling and sequins can’t be added until that last coat.  The spray will take away all shine from gem stones if added too early.  I thought Radar would be done by December and did most of the bling shopping at Thrift Stores (North Pole sign, unused lights, big ornament ball, snow flake, ribbons, wreath).  I did that part right, at least.  Christmas bling just isn’t available whenever you need it, and is usually one of a kind at the thrifts.  When making a seasonal creature, timed shopping is everything.  That’s the lesson: timing is the key here.  From foam core to little plastic pearls, this came together well, but stretched from November to mid March.  Now I can't even take snow pictures until next year.

It's going to be a challenge putting him away in the summer, I just stopped walking into him in the middle of the night.

**Where's the lighting??  Unfortunately the blow molds don't glow well after being painted.  There are LEDs and rope lights, but it's all about personal preference and I didn't like how they look.  Even spiraling on the pole was a mistake.

I call this "a mess".

I believe that the piece looks better unlit. 

And isn't reliant on a wall outlet.
A late TA DA.  Now I have to wait nearly a year to take snow pictures with the deer.  He will go into storage until November.  I'd love to paint more deer with themes or the colors gold, or red and green holly everywhere, but now it’s time for a moment to visit Cabelas.  Check out their deer, maybe look at some plastic ducks or something.

-Liz