Dark Calling

new record

2010-01-18T22:41:00.001-08:00

I think I have set a personal record for not posting here. However, i have been doing art here and there. Just none of it has made it here. I also have a video log on youtube (leifmaelstrom is name if your interested) and working on that is taking up some of my time. Also there's my MMORPG, a role play, and real life work. Wee for busyness.

Life

2009-11-19T20:50:00.000-08:00

Still no new pages, sorry. I'm not very good at doing things steadily. I need a calan-

And grandma just put one in my lap... Okay, time to start really getting into the habit of figuring out when I'll work on the comic, whether I feel like it or not.

I'm getting better at this

2009-10-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Yes. Another page. And this one not too much longer since the last. At least it's in the same month this time. Go me.

I'm looking into getting this comic published on like an actual site and stuff, but for now, here and my devart page are where it is being hosted for the forseeable future. Thanks for everyone who is actually reading this. It's good to know that I'm not just posting into the void of cyberspace.

About the page itself. I tried to be a little more artsy with this one. There are some mixups with perspective which is nice, though I completely copped out on some of the cleanup I was supposed to do and... Well, if you're wondering why they are now hanging out on featureless plane instead of a small dirt road through a forest, it's because I neglected to draw any background.

Go Team Lazy Ass.

In any case, here is a new page, as usual apologies to Nick for butchering his well written script to make it fit onto the page, it's never as funny when I'm done with it and for that I do not deserve to live. But you still are writing for me, so that's nice of you.

Lies and Deceit

2009-10-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

Yes. I told you that I wouldn't be making another page of Jaded for a while just so I would. I give you page 6.

Damn Lies

2009-10-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

Yeah. I'm a bad liar. At this point, we all know that the chances of me actually giving y'all a Pkmn Jd page when I saw I will is pretty much equivalent to the chances of life occurring without an outside intelligence directing things.

I apologize for that. I really have been working to make Dark Calling though now I am working on it as a novel. There were a lot of things that have contributed to me making the decision to switch from graphic novel to regular novel. One of those things was the realization that really, I'm not that great of a visual artist. I do intend to include drawings here and there in the book.

More later.

Working Titles

2009-09-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

Dark Calling has been the working title of my big massive story for a long time, for so long that I sometimes forget that I'm supposed to be thinking of a new title for it. Recently I came across the phrase "Grey is Not Evil," as a signature for various things, and I've been considering using that as a title. "Grey, Not Evil" sounds alright I guess. I'm still not sure.

Anyways, I've been reworking and rewriting my story, adding characters, changing current ones, and even redesigning Jack's swords. I'm not entirely happy with anything just yet, but I can say that what has been changed looks much better. I'm hoping that this rendition of the tale will be a good and powerful one. ^_^

Pkmn Jd is coming along at some point. I intend to do at least one page this week. >.< Possibly more depending on how thursday (my one off day from work) goes.

Practicing/ searching

2009-09-23T23:15:00.000-07:00

I am practicing lately to draw. Again. It's been so long since I've just sat my ass down and done some serious art. It's also been along time since I've sat down and done any art. At all.

Usual apologies, but at least I can say that the reason I don't have a comic right now is because I'm practicing. Might one day get a real strip going. Meh, dunno.

Hmmm

2009-09-18T01:43:00.001-07:00

Just wondering when I'm going to post the Pkmn Jd. I'm not sure either, so try tunning in still, please. I'll try to start doing lite comics soon.

Script 2; Page 1

2009-08-11T00:01:00.001-07:00

Well here it is. The newest page. Enjoy.

ZOMG!!! THE KID UPLOADED A NEW PAGE!!!

2009-07-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

And here it is folks, the page you've all been waiting for: page 4, the last page of Script 1. I'll be moving on to Script 2 over the course of this week. Check in folks!

On an artistic note, this page came out better than it could have. In the next Script I intend to improve the fonts I use and make the text look better. Also, I will hopefully be posting on a less erratic schedule, and who knows, maybe I'll have my own site at some point!

Page 3 Pokemon Jaded

2009-07-06T12:43:00.001-07:00

New page. Weeeeeeeeeee.

This looks god awful. It was fine somewhere between "finished on paper" and "DRAT THESE COMPUTERS!!!"

The computer did it I swear. Next week's upload will look miles better, I promise.

Whew

2009-07-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

I'm almost done with this page of the comic. About another hour tomorrow morning of inking, before I toss it onto the computer to add the text and clean it up. An added step is going to be piecing it together since this time, I did the panels on two seperate sheets of paper. I'm also going to be using Photoshop 7.0 to do the job instead of my usual Gimp. We'll see how that goes.

The story doesn't progress terribly far in this page, but we get to meet a new character, ScarFace, who is terribly cute, so the page is worth it. Till tomorrow (oh wait it is tomorrow... crap)

-the kid

Lacrymosa

2009-07-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

Lacrymosa: From the Latin meaning to weep.

Good song. The last song Mozart (or was Beethoven?) ever wrote. Evanescence did a version that was pretty cool. Lacrymosa is now officially my favorite word and my favorite song.

It's raining outside today, and I'm feeling pretty beat. Still no job, though I have now moved in with my grandparents in Collierville so maybe this side of Memphis Metro will have some people who need people. I don't know. I plan to sit around and work on Pokemon Jaded while my computer makes noise at me. I'll sign in and make a new post once I've finished drawing, inking, erasing, reinking, and putting text onto the page.

Thanks to anyone who still checks this blog out. >.<

-the Kid.

June is here!

2009-06-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

And now it's June, that beautiful month when nothing is on TV and it doesn't matter anyways, because you're so busy working on getting a job so you can pay off college debts, and buy certain technologies you feel you will need if you wish to continue to be a formidable artist, or more realistically, if you want to get anything done on your dead beat comic. Crap. Well, as soon as I buy some more pencils and pens first, I'll work on the Pokemon Jaded comic and get back to my man, Nick about getting the next section of script. If any of you are still tuned in, keep tuning in from time to time. You never know when you might get an update.

And I'm Out

2009-05-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

Well, school's over. Which is interesting. I'm more stressed out now than when I was waiting for finals cause I have no way back to Memphis. Which sucks.

Anyways, I watched Eureka 7 with a friend (my second go through, his first) and I forgot how much I freaking love that show. It's really depressing until the very last episode, because the main character is an incapable twit who fails at relationships forever, but... at least he really loves the female lead, and she loves him back so there's never a threat of unrequited love or anything. I like that. And most of the side characters get good backstory that actually adds to our knowledge of the world and affects the lead in interesting ways. Also, for the most part, death is not cheap.

In any case, this week has yet again managed to be fruitless as far as Pokemon Jaded goes, because I'm a lazy jerk face who can't decide what to do with is life. Oh well.

Waka Laka.

What I've been Doing

2009-05-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

So you might be wondering what I've been doing lately, since I haven't been posting anything for a minute. Mostly I've been watching Hatsune Miku and Kinetic Typography and some crazy guys microwaving crap.

And studying for finals....

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

...

Sorry, that was just my reaction to finals. It happens sometimes. Anyways. Summer is coming up and I don't know if I'll be able to update.... as .... often....

God what a joke.

Okay, let apologize for not updating hardly at all this year. I'm really sorry. Really. I'll try to do better next year. No really. I'll... well I'll try anyways.

This is the Coolness of FarFetch'd

2009-04-28T11:45:00.001-07:00

Farfetched is awesome!!!

Pokemon Jaded: page 2

2009-04-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

Pokemon Jaded page 2. Enjoy.

Pokemon Jaded: Page 1

2009-04-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

Page one of Pokemon Jaded, proper. Enjoy!

Pokemon Jaded. What I've been working on.

2009-04-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

So this is what I've been working on for a while now.

And I might be working on similar things too as I go along. Me and my room mates (yes that's them in the comic and yes I'm the idiot with the hat) have been thinking about doing something like this for a while now.

We are three trainers who, due to changing poke laws, are struggling to keep afloat the economic situations, and so have joined party, as it were, to keep going. Each is a good trainer in his own right, and each has two pretty good pokemon (except Nick. You'll see what I mean later). I don't know where I'm going to publish this, but as soon as I do, I'll let you guys know.

Hi. Update about the comic

2009-04-17T11:57:00.001-07:00

So I was sitting around thinking when I should have been researching for a paper that is now a little late (thank god for kind and understanding teachers who are willing to give a little to help out stupid students like me) and I was looking at the information I have for the story. I realized that I have a full chapter done. One full chapter, 13 pages. Done. Now I can work on chapter two. Except I can't. Cause I'm busy with this paper that I need to do. Note to all of you out there who would like to do a web comic, don't unless you have very little else to concentrate on. Like school. Or friends. Or family. Or anything real life related. Of course if this is the case your webcomic is going to suck. In which case you might as well not write it.

...

Never mind.

Anyways, to talk about something less depressing. I wanted to start a seperate site for the comic once I get around to drawing it out. I want to wait till I have at least 4 or 5 chapters written out, so you'll probably start seeing me advertising the site sometime over the summer. If I can get a job and a place to stay while I'm working on the comic of course.

I have given up a fun MMORPG to work on this comic and to spend more time doing things I must do, like updating this blog and stuff, so you guys had better appreciate it!!

So as for any new drawings, I have none scanned in (sorry) but I do have some information. I have added designs for some interesting weapons that Jack gets to use and their various modes and powers. Lots of fun stuff.

The Kid

(Today the Kid is watching Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and reading Shaman King)

Upd4t3s? L0L Wu7?

2009-04-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

So here I am again, typing away while waiting for a class to go by. I'm only really writing this because I feel terrible about a test I royally botched and the fact that my next class I am supposed to turn in a paper that I'm not even half-way done on. So here I am waiting for my fate to eat me up like so many moray eels in the reef of life.

As far as the story goes, I've been working on writing the script for it as well as studying various things to give me an edge in drawing. Hopefully soon I'll be able to procure some .5 mechanical pencils for light sketching, some .9's for filling in big spaces and some .7 blues for initial stuff as well as a light source I can place under my drawing so I can ink them... and some decent pens for said inking. Lot's of work, but somehow, I'm kinda looking forward to it. This summer is going to be nothing but working at whatever restaurant or burger joint will hire me and drawing. I suppose that at some point I'll need to sleep, but I may not have time for that.

I feel over whelmed as usual whenever I start planning large things, and without a doubt, there's going to be lots of things that get in the way of my initial plan, but that's okay, because I'm at least good enough at life to roll with the punches.

Speaking of the future, I wanted to share my dream with those who read this (Susan and maybe Aunt Julie if she still checks this place for kicks and giggles). I imagine myself in 10 years being that guy you see at cheap coffee shops who chats with people while sucking on a cigarette and tapping away on a laptop, countless sketches and such littering the area, obscuring the stains on the table. Thicker goatee and mustache, longer hair, maybe a little less color in it, but eyes as green, blue, gray as ever, and just a mischievous as when I was 17. As you pass by the table, you might think, "That guy looks like an eccentric nut job who barely scrapes by in life... But I'll be darned if he doesn't look like he's enjoying himself at least." And hopefully you'll be right. I don't want to be rich, or famous necessarily. I want enough to get by, enough to live and continue doing what I really enjoy, putting ink and lead to paper.

Same Kangol slouch cap pushing my bangs over my eyes, of course. Can't ever forget the slouch cap.

Thanks to those who follow this barely updated, rather uninteresting blog. I find writing to be a great catharsis and knowing that at least one other person out there might read it and think something about it is nice.

The Kid.

"Heeeeee's Aliiiiiiiive!!"

2009-04-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yeah. Unfortunately.

I'm still around, but I don't get to get on as much anymore for various reasons. For one thing, I'm a little depressed and I'm working through some college problems (Money being at the top of the list, which it wouldn't be if if I had actually worked to grab scholarships while the year was on, but I let myself get distracted by a stupid MMORPG). So here I am trying desperately to get as many points toward my grades as possible so I can at least pass. Go me.

In other news, I have been thinking about buying a site of my own instead of using blogspot. I would like to continue to work through blogspot as well but the main thing to me is working out the comic and pictures while attempting to pass so I can be one year closer to a bachelor's degree. So, yes this place will remain pretty dead for a while.

No new drawings right now, I've been too busy working on stuff for class, sleeping, and drawing for my "assignments."

The Kid

Guess Who?

2009-02-25T12:37:00.000-08:00

Yeah, it's me. I've been out for a little while. I'm just here to post a few pics of what I'm working on right now. Basically, I've been working on an assignment for the Megatokyo people, while also doing various doodles to stretch out the idea for my story. I know which ones you people are more than likely interested in, so....

"Delays, delays..."

2009-01-26T06:39:00.000-08:00

"Oh drat these computers: so naughty and complex. I could pinch them."
-Marvin the Martian.

So I'm going to be putting off the comic for a longer time. I have decided, partly thanks to the advice of the people at the MegaTokyo Forums, to put some (a lot) of time into learning how to draw better. I'll continue to put up some of my sketches as I work along, but don't expect any new pages for a while. In fact, expect for there to be a new attempt at the first couple of pages in some time in the future, but not any time soon. I need more work. I want to be the very best. Like no one ever was. And all that jazz.

Anyways, in other news, I am now 19!!! I had my birthday yesterday, and my good friends and roommates, Nick and Jacob took me out to a Chinese place for it, which was really nice. Later that night, the entire dorm hall came along and gave me some cake and sang happy birthday. They only did it because they had cake laying around that they needed to get rid of, but it was still nice. So I enjoyed my birthday far more than I thought I would. Squee, I guess.

I guess here's a little thing for you guys too look at. It's pretty lame.... just a doodle of characters from the story on some lined paper that got folded. I would have included the picture I drew on a napkin from a Chinese restaurant, but that got shredded in the dryer. So there you go.

Kyra

2009-01-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

So if any of you have read my other highly neglected blog, deepsouthfriedthoughts.blogspot.com, you know that this is a character who is eventually going to show up in the story. Don't worry, though, it will be a long time yet. ^_^ Anyway, you can see that there is some Bleach influence here, especially in mask that she gets in some of the sketches. There is a special reason that she wears that mask sometimes, but no it's not because she has some kind of monster inside her. Well sort of, but it's more idelogical than that.
Anyway, I need more time to get the page done because I have a lot of work and reading and writing,etc to do.

Later,

The Kid

2009-01-17T20:07:00.000-08:00

So... Yeah.

I know I've been gone for quite a while (not that too many people care) and you guys have been looking desperately for the next page of my awesome comic... (riiiiiight....) And now you see this awesome drawing and your like, "That's not a comic page, Kid."

Well.... Yeah.

See I drew the next page but by the time I got back to school, I decided that the page was so terrible that it needed to burn for all eternity in Hades. Put shortly, I'll be giving you some pictures for the next few days until I finish the page. Yeah, I know. You all will be forced to check out a bunch of sketches and long explanations about what I was thinking while I drew them. Oh well, too bad for you, oh nonexistent audience of nobody. ^_^

Interlude

2008-12-02T13:53:00.001-08:00

I'm really busy at college so I made this instead of a real page. I hope you like it because it took me an entire day to create it. I've been working on it in between classes and other work and the hours I should be sleeping. Really like it and it has given me a new banner so anything bad I could say is currently postponed. I just enjoyed making it too much and I'm too happy with the final product to be upset. Also I'm very tired. I'll have page 5 up soon.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T20:47:00.001-08:00

Well I just got back from Thanksgiving break and boy am I glad! I love my family, but I have so much to do here at college! Papers, speeches, the comic, maybe eventually start a band. I always feel overloaded (I am a self proclaimed sloth to the highest power) but man, oh man, do I feel the crunch now! Anyway, if I have time leftover tomorrow, I'll put up the newest few pages of the comic. Later!

page 4

2008-11-24T17:24:00.001-08:00

And here is page four and again enjoy!

Page 3

2008-11-24T17:19:00.000-08:00

Well here it is finally! Page 3! Sorry that it was so late. I really almost interest in waking up for the last few mornings, screw drawing. But here it is! And as an added bonus, page four is going to be up today too! (in fact it will be up just a few minutes after page 3). Enjoy!

page 2

2008-11-13T09:19:00.001-08:00

Here it is page number duex! ^_^ I'm so proud of myself.

Comments

2008-11-09T08:16:00.001-08:00

Hey everybody! The Kid here. I just wanted to let everybody know that you can make comments on anything I post, whether or not you have any kind of connection to this site. Feel free to comment and let me know what you are thinking. That is how I can know what to do to improve my drawings and story as I go. ^_^ Kay thnx!

The Real First Page!

2008-11-05T18:12:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the moment we've all been waiting for! The real first page of Dark Calling. I had a little more trouble getting the darkness down right by other than that I am really proud of this page! It's a good start for this comic I think. ^_^ I am so happy. You guys have no idea how happy I am. But anyway, enough of me emoting like malfunctioning Tickle Me Elmo. I just want you guys to read this and tell me about what you thought. Feel free to post comments on what what you think. (If you can, I don't really know how that all works.) Enjoy!
The Kid

Page One Of Dark Calling

2008-11-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

Let me just say that this is the draft for the first page. I need to redraw it so it will look more professional. But not to worry. I'll have the real thing by this thursday so I'll still be keeping my promise about releasing it this week. I needed to get a feel for how the process is going to work. Now that I do the next page is going to be much prettier. Keep checking in!

The First Post!

2008-10-30T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my new Webcomic homepage. This is Dark Calling, the story about a world far different from our own, and a boy trying desperately to find a calling in this world. I hope you enjoy it!
Anyway, I'll be posting the first page next week, but most of my sketches and preliminary art work will be put onto my other blog, deepsouthfriedthoughts.blogspot.com. That way I can cut down on taking up too much space. And stuff. ^_^
So I hope this webcomic gets off the ground and becomes famous and all of that but if it doesn't I'll be happy if I get a couple hundred followers of the story.
till later when my id will change,
The Kid.