June is coming to a close and I realize that I won’t be able to update the comic for a few more weeks. The good news is that I am, in fact, working on It’s the Michaels. Currently I am toiling over an elaborate background. My approach to drawing is to create one or two pages with detailed backgrounds, and then alternate those pages with ones that have either no background or a repeated background. This is a great idea in theory; however I have misjudged how long it takes me to draw some of the scenes. In addition, I didn’t account for the fact that the opening of the story is heavy on establishing shots to give the audience a better feel for the world the Michaels live in.
I will begin updating the web site again on a regular basis as soon as I have several completed pages, so that the next time I find myself behind schedule because of a complex background, I can fall back on a supply of completed pages. As always, you can send me a note if you want to be added to the mailing list so that you can be notified when new cartoons are added. Thank you to everybody who has continued to check in regularly, hoping that you will finally be rewarded with a new cartoon. That day is coming soon. I swear!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Haitus Report
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
After these messages (we'll be right back)
The time has come for me to take a brief hiatus from the Michaels so I can focus on my regular web design work - the work that actually pays the bills. This is my first break but will not be my last.
When I am able to turn my attention back to It's the Michaels I will wait until I have a small cushion of new strips built up before I start posting them again. The next installment will probably come in June, but exactly when in June is hard to say. If you would like to be notified when the installments start up again, please email me a request and I will add you to the Michaels Mailing List.
Many thanks to all of you who check this site regularly for updates. I am sorry for this interruption but I believe working this way gives you a better experience than if I focused on the weekly deadlines at the expense of the quality of the comic.
When I am able to turn my attention back to It's the Michaels I will wait until I have a small cushion of new strips built up before I start posting them again. The next installment will probably come in June, but exactly when in June is hard to say. If you would like to be notified when the installments start up again, please email me a request and I will add you to the Michaels Mailing List.
Many thanks to all of you who check this site regularly for updates. I am sorry for this interruption but I believe working this way gives you a better experience than if I focused on the weekly deadlines at the expense of the quality of the comic.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Web publishing
I hope you like this update because the backgrounds took me a long time, which is why today's installment is just a single page again. Sorry - but see how pretty? Soooo pretty! Pretty pretty trees.
I originally envisioned It's the Michaels as a print comic and paced it like a TV show. Publishing it as a web comic has allowed me to change it from something I want to do into something that I am doing: It's present tense, and the upside for me is the small dose of immediate gratification I get posting a comic online a few hours after it's complete.
The web comic format has provided me with an interesting challenge: I need to tell the story so that it breaks down into one- or two- page increments with natural stopping points. I often find the pacing less than optimal. I am anxious to get to certain points in the story, but when the final comic is printed into a book it will hopefully read better because of the changes I made to accommodate the web format. In the meantime, thanks to all of you who have been sticking with me week after week - through the four-page updates and the single-page updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Happy tax day
About today's installment
Ta-da! It's the first group shot of all the Michaels. In real life their heights would be as follows: Lacey is 6'5": bigger than everybody. Crane is 6'2". That's how tall my boyfriend is, so that is, to my mind, the most handsome height to be. Connor, Bryce, Stuart, and Jason are all of average height: about 5'10". Toomey is somewhere between 5'2" and 5'6". He's the star so he gets to be the shortest. That sounds backwards but look at the third panel and you will see how Toomey fits neatly under a speech balloon while Crane's face falls slightly above eye level.
The way these "real life" heights translate into cartoon heights is flexible. When I show people having a conversation the height differences will be minimized so they fit neatly in frame. At other times I will exaggerate the height differences for dramatic or comedic effect. You would call this cheating but I call it cartoonist license because cartoonist license implies that I know what I'm doing and not just making it up as I go along.
Ta-da! It's the first group shot of all the Michaels. In real life their heights would be as follows: Lacey is 6'5": bigger than everybody. Crane is 6'2". That's how tall my boyfriend is, so that is, to my mind, the most handsome height to be. Connor, Bryce, Stuart, and Jason are all of average height: about 5'10". Toomey is somewhere between 5'2" and 5'6". He's the star so he gets to be the shortest. That sounds backwards but look at the third panel and you will see how Toomey fits neatly under a speech balloon while Crane's face falls slightly above eye level.
The way these "real life" heights translate into cartoon heights is flexible. When I show people having a conversation the height differences will be minimized so they fit neatly in frame. At other times I will exaggerate the height differences for dramatic or comedic effect. You would call this cheating but I call it cartoonist license because cartoonist license implies that I know what I'm doing and not just making it up as I go along.
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