proYorp wrote: ↑Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:32
Mort wrote: ↑Mon May 30, 2022 16:32
I wanted Keen to genuinely idolize his brother and have this emotional attachment to the helmet.
I like this idea. Please use it. To be perfectly honest I'm really not a fan of the "siblings at each others throats" schtick. I mean, Keen already has to put up with Mortimer's torment and the thousands of aliens that want him dead. It just doesn't seem fair in this scenario.
Yeah, I actually really like the idea too. Maybe I'll see if I can work it back in. But it wouldn't be for a while anyway, since I already have a few other things planned out.
proYorp wrote: ↑Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:32
Just, having no meaningful support from
anyone makes it hard to believe Keen's character here is so happy-go-lucky. It's hard to connect with and relate to that kind of thought process; it would take inhuman amounts of energy to maintain that much self-confidence. Plus me having a very active sense of empathy makes it hard to engage with and be immersed in the story with such harsh personal struggles creating an emotional barrier.
So here's my thoughts on Keen's character--at least my version of his character... There are a few of reasons for his general confident and positive attitude. The first is that he's a genius, and he can see the big picture so he mostly knows that things are going to work out in the end. Second, he's curious about people/lifeforms in general and actually enjoys playfully poking them to get reactions. So even though everyone else may look at him as an enemy and are trying to destroy the universe, he just looks as it as a big game.
The last reason Keen has that positive attitude -- and the one characteristic that attracted me to the game's story in general -- is that he's essentially living two lives. Sure people in his school or even his family may not be the nicest to him (something I hope to explore a little later), but he knows that he has this whole other life where he's important and respected and that he is ultimately the savior of the universe. In fact, that is what I view as the overall joke of my strips -- you have these 8-year olds in Mort and Keen who have god-like intelligence and limitless abilities, but still have the attitude of kids.
And honestly, I really regret that I haven't used Mortimer more effectively, because I really look at him as more like one of those shonen anime "rival" characters than an actual enemy. The two may get on each other's nerves, but somewhere deep down they respect each other because they are the only ones who can challenge each other on any significant level.
And he does have friends out there -- although you are correct in that I probably haven't been doing the best job of showing that. I mean, there's his mom and dad and Spot (EDIT: and don't forget Grandpa BJ!), but he has friends out in the universe too. In fact, you'll get a glimpse of that later since my next story is going to be about Keen hanging out with the Gnosticene Council. You'll actually probably be getting more than you bargained for with that one.
proYorp wrote: ↑Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:32
So that's my honest criticism. Obviously siblings are going to have tiffs now and again, but I hope that in the end, they actually do love and support each other.
Yeah. I appreciate the criticism. It helps me out a lot when it's constructive like this, so thanks.
proYorp wrote: ↑Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:32
Onto a positive note, I love most everything about #84 -- Timing. This kind of action and adventure is, I think, where this comic really shines. This is my favorite comic out of the current "season."
I had a lot of fun with that one. Unfortunately, since this is a comic strip and most of them are just 3 or 4 panels, I don't have a lot of opportunity to do extended action scenes.
proYorp wrote: ↑Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:32
I love how the Little Ampton emotes with text faces. >:D That makes so much sense with the little screens they have (which they even use to say "OW" when you stun them in the game, so that's a cool reference to detail). Surprised the Ampton ended up being a "boss fight" since they are such a low-level and nonthreatening enemy but it's honestly really cool, and actually that makes it kind of funny that it's the gatekeeper to the final challenge.
I love how you worked Keen's idle animation in with the waiting in the countdown.
Thanks. I didn't really explicitly explain this in the comic, but my version of Ampton is kind of like a hive mind -- or maybe like a mainframe -- where they are just extensions of the central processor. That's why the Ampton at the end is different from the one one the screen (different antenna), but they are really the same character. So from that perspective, they are a bigger character than they seem.
proYorp wrote: ↑Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:32
I love those sick action moves and how it shows the countdown in between frames to really give a sense of movement speed as well as urgency. And all the little references and glimpses of the different creatures. Slicestars look like a lot more "slice" than "star" here lol.
I was originally intending to make the slicestar look like the top of a mace. But when I was looking for reference material, I found a funky mace design that I stole for the version in the comic.
proYorp wrote: ↑Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:32
By the way Mort, I PM'd you about the comic downloads, if your offer is still open. I would really appreciate not having to painstakingly download everything on my slow laptop lol.
No problem. Sent you the link to the files in a PM.
proYorp wrote: ↑Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:32
also holycrap is that raff
are rex and raff back omg
That's a bit if a fake-out, but yeah. Sort of.