There is a new strip this week, but it isn't here. I've got a guest strip up at Sam & Fuzzy, and it's in some rocking company. Sam's comic is one of my favorites, and his guest weeks are always a treat. This one is no exception.

I spent all day yesterday working on the revised prototype for the plush panda, and I am trying to get together a bit of an update gallery for the forum. I'm not gonna promise it this week, but I will try. At the very least I will have shots of my frankenstein-looking test piece. Already I can see changes that need to be made, we'll see how many more turn up by the end. It is fun though to be working with needle and thread, I haven't done this in years.

The next two strips are numbers 99 and 100, and so I'm doing something kinda special for them. Kinda special in that "dear god how am I gonna draw this?" sorta way. So if 99 isn't up next monday, cut me the tiniest sliver of slack. It is coming...

Do I even need to point out that Scott Kurtz is an ass, even when he's semi-apologizing?

No I don't. But I will anyway.

I think it's funny that after saying a bunch of crap against the Cintiq, without actually knowing anything about it, his defense is that he doesn't see a differance in peoples work once they have them?!?

I quote...

"See, I can understand someone working in 3D animation, photo touch up, or even a digital artist who's trying to replicate a complex media such as oil painting or airbrushing purchasing and enjoying a cintiq. I can even see a webcartoonist who wants to incorporate complex media looks into his art picking one up. But when you spend $2,400 on a piece of equipment, and your art doesn't change...you only bought that thing for one of two reasons:

1) It's fun to use and you got the disposable cash, or...

2) You want people to think your penis is bigger than the penises of normal tablet users. And you got the disposable cash.

Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the Cintiq is more powerful than I thought and it actually ads +10 to any airbrushing rolls I'll make."

Show of hands. Who doesn't think the Cintiq added +10 to my art rolls? And I haven't scratched the surface of what it can do either. Doesn't mean I won't, far from it. And I'm not alone.

I've gone on record before as saying that Kurtz falls into the category of artists who've dug themselves into a stylistic rut, and I'll do so again. He's the last person I know of who has any place to say anyone else is "not improving". I'm really sick and tired of him constantly knocking other artists, while not doing shit to improve his own skills.

Kiss my ass, Kurtz.

Still figuring out the shading process. I think this turned out better than the last one, but the last panel just kinda blurs together for me. I think I've got the balance of white and grey almost figured out, thanks to the advice of Steve, but I really need to work on getting heavier inks down to bring out the edges.

Practice, practice...

I'll be spending the next week working on a guest strip, which I do hope you'll enjoy. The next two strips when I return are rather dependant on each other, and I've been looking forward to doing them for months now. Should be fun.

So this is the last strip of the year, I suppose. Was really hoping to end it with the 2-parter, but it just didn't happen. On the good side, it looks like I'm going to have a bit more time to spend on the comic coming up, so I might jsut possibly return to a more normal schedule. Yeah right :P

Merry christmas, god help us all.

Just posted a message about possibly starting an RP WoW guild