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Haha! He is pretty similar! By coincidence, the original Flemm design did have him wearing a vest. :-)

Wow, Stian! Not only another exceptional model, but entertaining to see it magically model itself. :-)

Happy Birthday!

I did something similar to this a few years ago for a client where I had a butterfly fly onto the page, land and take off again. It was a Flash file that was placed on top of the page. Pausing the video on the page you linked to and right-clicking shows they're using a Flash file, too. I don't recall exactly how to do it, but I think there's a setting in the html that tells it to use a transparent background. [EDIT] Just checked. In the Publish Settings, select the HTML tab and under "Window Mode," select "Transparent Windowless".

Just a minor update. I'm spending some time towards the goal of setting up a production company and making The Wannabe Pirates a more formal undertaking. It's still kind of pie-in-the-sky, but it's not impossible. I really think this is the only path that will remove the barriers that are keeping me from being able to take it to its fullest extent. I just need to be able to create a compelling enough pitch to get money people to want to come onboard. If you're gonna' dream, why not dream big? :-)

I have definitely had some great help (Thanks Mark S. & Ken H.!) but actually "hiring" somebody on at this point, especially for no compensation would be something I'd be uncomfortable to ask of. Maybe this will change in the future, though. :-) I'm actually considering some options as to how to make the transition into the next storyline easier for me: 1) Find a way to run filler materials for a couple of weeks. This could consist of how-to's, behind-the-scenes, character designs, etc. that would give me time to get ahead on the next story. 2) Try to get far enough ahead that I have a two-week or more headstart on the next story. 3) Try to start on the next story *while* I'm working on this. In other words, try to reach a point where I'm doing the next story's strips alongside the current one's. 4) Solicit "guest artists" to contribute strips to run during the transition. 5) Create filler strips not connected directly to the storylines that could run inbetween (and not require building new assets.) I'm also considering the radical (pie in the sky) idea of setting up a production company and go looking for investors to make it possible to expand The Wannabe Pirates and make it commercially viable. The idea would be to set up a production company that would produce direct-to-dvd animated adventures along with the webcomic as a daily dose of the characters. I'm going to throw the idea at my brother-in-law's brother who is in sales. If he could get enough investment money (minus whatever cut he would take), I think it could be done relatively cheaply. Revenue could come from selling the DVDs, working out licensing deals with toy companies, etc. and book sales and advertising on the website. I certainly know a place where I can find some talented individuals who know A:M to work on them. :-)

Simon, have you tried changing the settings and then quitting A:M?

Well, first I need to find a way for me to be paid. :-)

Thanks, Rodney! You are correct about the use of Matcaps, sir! I'll confess to laziness and the crunch of the deadline in the eyes. I hadn't thought I would need the model yet, so when I realized I needed to do this, I had a very short time-table. He may get a bit of a face-lift when he appears again later in the story. This weekend is make-up time. Today's strip wasn't finished until after midnight last night and having no buffer is detrimental to a project that requires new models so frequently. Plus, I'm currently dealing with a part of the story where all of the characters are together in one place, which means more consideration for placement, posing, lighting, etc. than normal. And as I'm figuring out how to get to the ending (which should happen in August), I'm realizing that I have zero down time before I have to get going on the next story. I've got to get back ahead and stay there! :-)

Found myself suddenly having to introduce the Celestial Dragon into the story! I hadn't planned on showing it yet, but realized that just talking about it wouldn't work...

Ha-ha! That's great, Stian! Nicely done!

Somehow I think I'll make mention of it when it happens. :-)

The original story was published in graphic novel form in 1997. We are going to print a new edition of it later this year to sell. Universe On Fire will run first on the website and then be published as a graphic novel sometime next year. The contest in February gave away a signed copy of the 1997 graphic novel.

Yessiree, Chris. The new Greyhawk stories will be in color! We would have done the original in color, but after our first go round of printing color comics, we realized that it was going to have to be printed in black and white for cost concerns. Also, at the time we were beginning it, we didn't have the means to deliver the files to a printer! The first book was printed on my laser printer and those prints were given to the printer.

I think Rodney's posting from the future again. :-) Happy Birthday, David!

Neat stuff, Katt! The "ghost" effect was very successful!

That's extraordinary!

Nice work, Chris! Keep it up!

My characters frequently use swords, so I actually created "sword bones." One under the palm of each hand that is located where I want the hilt of the sword to be when they are holding it. I then have a similar bone in the hilt of my sword model and constrain the bone in the sword to the bone in the hand and I have it exactly where I want it.

Nice looking robots, Jake!

Myron, I came up with the basic storyline last year and know where it's going and how it ends. I am, though, letting myself play around in the getting to that ending. I did do a strip-by-strip outline for strips 55-100, but that was mostly because I wanted to have Greyhawk's first appearance be in #100. I also needed to know in advance when I was going to need the new characters that would have to be modeled and rigged. It was nice having that outline, but it did feel a little restrictive, too. I've got a rough outline of the major plot points for the next 50 strips, but I'm giving myself more freedom with it. The plan is that this will be 200 strips long. I'm afraid the storyline and the increase in the cast is going to make the second hundred much tougher, but I'm excited about it and hopefully they'll be much better than the first hundred. The only real scary part is realizing that I'm not going to have any sort of a break before starting the next story!

It was already a very impressive image, Mark. Very awesome!

Thanks, guys! Paul, it depends. Some days I do two, other days none. (Usually on the "none" days I'm modeling something I need.) Right now I have no buffer and am doing the next day's strip the day before. Hoping to get away from that.

Thanks, Gene!

Strip #100 is up today! If I really do end up doing this as a daily strip for ten years or more, this accomplishment will be dwarfed, but it seems like a big one right this second. :-) Triple-digits! This is also the strip where Greyhawk finally shows up in the big Greyhawk crossover story. :-) I've also put together a nifty cg Greyhawk and the Starbucklers of the Caribbean desktop wallpaper that you can get by voting for the comic in the link below!