Thursday, March 29, 2012

Comic

Sigh.

I'm nowhere near finished with the comic.  I've been overloaded with work, and what little time I did have, I spent drawing Red Sonja.  Rather than rushing around and breaking my back - the comic won't come out this time, but instead, at the next scheduled time in two weeks.  Bummer, but I'd prefer it look halfway decent than have it be just chicken-scratching.

I really need to learn how to draw faster - but it seems like I'm actually learning how to draw more slowly.  I don't think that's how it is supposed to work.  And somehow I need to combined my desire to draw a D&D comic with my desperate need to draw cheesecake.  Two birds, one stone.  Hmmm . . .

I'll figure something out - I'm sure.

- Ark

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Map Drawing Music

Normally, my mind hearkens to heavy metal music when I think of the halcyon days of D&D.  But honestly, when I was sitting around drawing maps or designing campaign material, I was far more likely to be listening to stuff like the music below (like I am right now drawing during lunch instead of eating.)









- Ark

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Red Sonja: She-Devil with a Sword


After a week of work, and too many hours to fully pony up to, I've finished my Red Sonja fan art.  I'm incredibly proud of it, and think it's the best thing I've ever done.  Tomorrow, of course, I'll look at it and feel it is the most horrible thing I've seen - and be embarrassed to even think of it.  Alas, that's my curse - I just have to deal with it and move on to the next piece.

Enjoy!

- Ark

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Dungeonspiration: I Don't Do Dungeons


The last couple of years have been an intense fest of role playing for me.  If you add it up, the total gaming time during the last three years probably equals the previous thirty.  I've begun to realize - or re-realize rather - that I don't do dungeons.

Fun map that I don't know where came from.
That's a horrible realization in a column named after dungeons, but let me explain.  I dont' like dungeons.  Okay, that probably didn't come out right.  I don't like dungeons as a way of life.  Yeah, that's more accurate.

In my previous gaming life back in the 80s, I mainly DMed.  Within about two years, I was done with dungeons, focusing on wilderness adventures.  That got boring, and I went on to strictly urban fantasy adventures.  I really didn't get back to dungeons until the advent of 4e - both as a DM and as a player - and while I like dungeons - I think they work better as a spice than as an entrée.

(Yeah, some of you got confused, I know.  I'm using the North American definition of entrée - meaning the main course.)

Simply put, a trip to a dungeon that lasts more than two sessions is going to bore me to tears.  To me, a dungeon should be like a short story - composed of three succinct acts - a beginning, a middle, and an end.  In the depths of a lengthy dungeon stay, I loose focus.  Encounters begin to blur.  I forget why I'm underground, and forget to care.  Okay, yeah, I have the attention span of a gnat - I know that - but it's not getting much better as I age.

I understand that to some people, the dungeon is the game itself.  I understand that.  It's okay.  You megadungeoneers are wonderful people and I love you all, man.

It's just that . . . I really like that coming up for air part.  You pop out of the dungeon and go to town and interact with the locals - get to know them and their culture - and then maybe you wander around in the wilderness for a bit - get attacked by a yeti - capture the yeti - train the yeti to speak and say rude things to your fellow party members - take a trip on a flying boat - have dinner with the king of the elves and try to prevent the dwarves in the party from killing the dinner guest.  You know - stuff.

I don't know - maybe that's the 'new age' way of playing that the groggiest of grognards complain about - but heck, by 1984, that was my preferred way of playing.  I remember running a game set in a pseudo-Lankhmar where the PCs played beat-cops.  They had to pop into the sewers every once in a while for a dungeon adventure, but bulk of the time was comprised of thwarting ne'er-do-wells in a city of alleys.

I guess the big downer in the dungeon is that I'm not engaging with the people and cultures of the imaginary lands in which I dwell.  You know, aside from having a conversation with a talking door or exchanging curses with the kobold king during combat.  I'd like to feel like a part of a large, thriving, vibrant land, rather than just one of the many corpses buried underneath.

But still, I like a good dungeon.  The important features of good dungeons are that they should be short and to the point.  The dungeons bits - the monsters, traps, etc - should be memorable and exciting.  And I should have time - quality time - between dungeons in which I get to set my own priorities and become involved with the people who's ancestors I'm looting and defiling.  Otherwise, this imaginary world I'm traipsing around in (or DMing) is kind of hollow.

So that's my 'dungeon inspiriation' for today - a dearth of dungeons is inspiring.  To me, at least. :)

- Ark

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Red Sonja Preview

I'm working on a drawing of Red Sonja.  I just finished inking her face and am pretty happy with it - so I thought I'd share before I go hit the sack.  Have a good night.

- Ark

Friday, March 16, 2012

75,000 Kiriban!


My all time pageviews hit 75,000.  I was all excited about that until I realized that most of those hits were from people not at all interested in the blog's actual content, which is made clear by the search engine queries that brought them here:

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But at least the 'right' sort of people are reaching the blog, so it all works out in the end . . . I guess.

:)

- Ark

P.S. Oh wow - the members/followers/whatever stat says 200 as of today as well.  Wow.  That's just amazing.  Thanks guys and gals.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Don't Roll A One


Yay!  I took a little unexpected hiatus from the comic, but now I'm back.  It was tough to get  in the swing of things again, even though I've been sketching daily.  I've been looking at really really great art and, alas, comparing my own work.  I think that might be the downfall of any creative endeavor - unrealistic comparisons leading to spiraling self doubt and then creative paralysis and fear.  You know, that old chestnut.

I got better.  I decided I didn't want to go up on the cart.

I'm not sure why my little comic strip seems to be evolving into a comic 'page.'  Guess that's just the way my brain wants to tell the story.  I wish my brain would be a bit more succinct.  All this panel drawing it going to wear out my fingers.

Anyway, I hope you like it.  It's based on a true story.  Well - a true game event.  Make-believe can be true too.

;)

- Ark