The Wannabe Pirates

[largento]

Thanks, Gene!

[HomeSlice]

Congratulations Largento. Here's to the next 100!

[itsjustme]

Congrats on 100, Mark!

[Paul Forwood]

Well done, Mark! That is quite a milestone!

Are you putting together one strip a day?

[largento]

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.

[MJL]

You must at least have a storyline and ideas for gags to draw from? BTW, I hear the second hundred come easier. Congratulations.

[largento]

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!

[Darkwing]

We get colour for this next Greyhalk one?! Cool!!!

[largento]

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.

[Darkwing]

so you guys actually print and sell full graphic novels/books? Do you have Universe on Fire completed cause you said something about a contest about winning the book, or will you be releasing the book after each segment has been released online?

[largento]

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.

[Darkwing]

ah, I gotcha, well, let us know when you have universe on fire as a graphic novel, I may be interested in one once they're ready

[largento]

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

[largento]

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...

 

[Rodney]

Sweet!

 

If I didn't know any better I'd say Matcaps are a source of the celestial.

The eyes would look really nice with a touch of ambiance to highlight them (perhaps with 60% or so fall off)?

 

Not unlike what it appears that you have on the ships sails.

[largento]

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! :-)

[Darkwing]

you sir need to hire yourself an assistant!

[largento]

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

[Darkwing]

meh, hire them with the knowledge they'll be making a bunch of people's mornings more happy and comical. I'm sure someone would be willing to help with Wannabe by now, you've proven that you're loyal and not jus saying you'll make a comic well, because you've been making one for two years! People will work for free. I have people working for free for Earth-Link and I haven't even gotten a fraction as much done as you have

[largento]

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. :-)

[largento]

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? :-)

[MJL]

If you're gonna' dream, why not dream big? :-)

 

Amen!

[largento]

Haven't updated in awhile!

 

I'm really starting to feel the grind of doing the strip five days a week!

 

This will be the real challenge in the end... fighting that urge to just skip a day because I don't feel like doing it.

 

Luckily, I'm still getting a feeling of satisfaction from accomplishing each strip, so at least there's that reward. :-) I also feel like the experience I'm getting doing so many set ups and renders is going to be a big plus down the road when/if I get to do an animated version.

 

It's funny, I do sort of have to be careful how far in advance I look up while I'm working. I need to be able to see far enough ahead to plan for things I'll need but not looks so far ahead that I get terrified about how much endless work awaits me! :-)

 

Anyway, hopefully the readers are enjoying the strip and are blissfully unaware of how stressed out I get when it's crunch time and I haven't figured out a gag for that day's strip. :-)

 

I'm really enjoying the sci-fi elements of the strip, but I'll confess I'm ready to get back to having fewer characters to pose and keep track of. :-)

[MJL]

Mark,

I have become a fan, and Wannabe Pirates is a regular morning stop of mine along with this forum and facebook. Usually before I check the news. I appreciate your work and creativity and am enjoying the strip immensely. It is well, and professionally, done and should eventually bring you the dividends you desire and deserve.

Thanks for doing the strip.

 

P.S. One hour! Not 3 hours? OMG!

[largento]

Thank you, Myron! It really does help my motivation to know there are people enjoying it!

[HomeSlice]

but not look so far ahead that I get terrified about how much endless work awaits me! :-)

That reminds me of a joke.

A man walks into a barber shop and the barber says, "So Charlie, how's work?"

Charlie: "Not so good"

Barber: "What's wrong?"

Charlie: "Every day it's the same old thing. Day in and day out ... endless monotony. I might as well be a robot ... or a monkey!"

Barber: "Gee, that's too bad. How long have you been working there?"

Charlie: "I start tomorrow..."

[Darkwing]

Well I enjoy these too. Always nice to start the day off with a laugh. And they're getting really good too. The slapstick style humour is well done and the banter amongst the characters is great. The whole holo-message bit was really funny. Keep it up!

[largento]

Thanks, Darkwing!

[TheSpleen]

your Wannabe Pirates are great.

love all the character designs and the banter between em.

[robcat2075]

I just saw the Celestial dragon, looks very cool.

[ptiversen]

Largento, I really like the 3D, you can see Flemm coming out of your monitor in 3D! I am trying to teach myself the 3D stuff. Maybe you can tell me how you did that?

[largento]

Thanks, guys!

 

The 3D trick is pretty simple. Turn on Depth of Field on your camera and then adjust the layers.

 

Here's the set up seen from the side:

 

 

The middle one, the "focus distance" is the plane of your monitor. So, what's in front of it sticks out of your monitor and what's behind it is inside your monitor. That's really all there is to it!

[largento]

Had some fun today building this!

 

I needed Greyhawk to be bound somehow and originally, I was thinking some sort of energy chains or something "alien," but then it occurred to me I could do a King Kong gag with him being so much bigger than the aliens.

 

I didn't go into huge detail recreating Kong's 8th Wonder of the World platform, but hopefully a few folks will catch it. :-)

 

[mtpeak2]

LOL, that's looks good Mark. Needs more aliens standing around watching though.

[HomeSlice]

yeah ... King Kong ... sure

I think you just looked around your room for some ideas and well, it looks like you found one! Don't worry, your secret is safe with us.

[Gerry]

Shouldn't there be a crowd of photographers off to one side?

[Gerry]

You got it pretty close! Don't know what that bicycle is about but otherwise here's the original...

[HomeSlice]

You got it pretty close! Don't know what that bicycle is about but otherwise here's the original...

Yep. I think this is how the whole bdsm movement got started.

[largento]

Thanks, guys!

 

Henrietta and Sneeze are disguised as aliens and are trying to free Greyhawk, so I can't have any aliens around, but hopefully the readers will get the gag. It's up on the front page today. I put in a line about a monkey and the last panel is meant to match the camera angle they used for those long shots in the movie.

 

Now I gotta' figure out what today's gag is...

 

[EDIT] Holmes, I do *not* have one of those in my room ...most of my stuff is in storage. :-)

[itsjustme]

Looks great, Mark!

[largento]

Thanks, David!

 

I hurriedly created the naked alien model yesterday. :-)

 

It was a fairly simple model and he was very easy to rig.

 

I'm hoping the design will be surprising to the readers.

 

[MJL]

Saw today's strip, great fun! Nice touch with just the eyeballs in the dark. I know it has been done before but it still caught me by surprise and was fresh and new all over again. You used it well.

I didn't notice the aliens teeth in the strip. maybe it was just the dark closet.

[KenH]

Surprised me. Cool design.

[largento]

Thanks, guys!

 

Myron, that came out of trying to think of a way to ease the viewer into seeing them. I figured if I just started with what they looked like it would be too jarring.

 

I think it was a combo of the size and the lighting that made their teeth invisible. It's kind of a bummer sometimes when you work on a panel and you get it to where you think it looks great and then when you shrink it down to strip size, the detail gets lost.

 

I'm hoping some of that might make it through when it's printed in higher resolution, but the irony there is that it's going to have to be printed even smaller when it goes into book form!

[robcat2075]

When they do a take, i imagine their eye popping up off that stalk and plopping back down on it again.

[TheSpleen]

I gave ya another vote on your link

[largento]

Much appreciated, Gene!

[largento]

Flemm's wedding dress:

 

 

I knew I wanted to do something goofy for the dress and first started just doing image searches for wedding gowns and then it occurred to me that this would be an opportunity to reference something from sci-fi and I immediately thought of the bizarre costumes Queen Amidala wore in the Phantom Menace. :-) I threw together some of the elements, plus a couple of similarly goofy bits.

 

I've been stalling the story, because for some reason I had a mental block about modeling this, but I had fun once I actually started working on it. The chapel's going to be even more work. I'm intending that there be a couple of hundred aliens in attendance. We'll see how that works out. :-)

[robcat2075]

I immediately thought of the bizarre costumes Queen Amidala wore in the Phantom Menace.

 

I think you nailed it because I thought "Queen Ama-whoever-she-was" as soon as I saw it.

[largento]

Thanks, Robert!

 

Still working on the chapel set, but here's what it's looking like. I realized that having the Earth appear large in the windows would kind of suggest stained glass windows.