My schedule is clearing up a bit, so hopefully I can start getting a buffer established. Let’s hope!
Some interesting conversation popped up in the forums as I started an “Ask the Creator” thread, and I received a series of awesome questions. I figure that’d be neat to see those questions and answers in the post this week. Transcript of the thread below:
Grue wrote:1. Given the large number of webcomics floating around,what do you think that your webcomic does better all the others? And why?
I don’t think I do anything better than anyone else, but I do feel that I do good work with backgrounds as I’ve seen them neglected in many comics. Backgrounds are tough, but seeing them skipped, filtered, or cheesed in other genuinely good comics can irk me at times.
Grue wrote:2. What innovations do you feel you have contributed to the medium?
Cosmic Dash is probably one of the most continuity heavy webcomics out there. I’ve got drafts and notes floating out there of stuff that occurs, far, far later in the continuity of the stories, and I’ve even dropped hints about future plotlines in currently posted stuff. Everything is very much planned to give the series a proper saga-like feel. Ultimately, I am playing towards a long endgame, but there are examples of this sort of thing even within these first five episodes.
The current episode will feature the return of someone from episode 2, for example, and the article written about the events in episode 1 were what led Vark to even finding Dash in episode 3. There are lasting effects as well that will be seen. The Lucky Strike is gone now. Completely. Unable to be salvaged. How do things go from here? Also, we’ve not seen it yet, but Dash has a rather nasty scar on his neck/collarbone from Vark, which will stay with him. Plus, the current storyline introduced a few characters of varying importance, but generally have future parts to play.
If you are looking for something planned out with huge endgame, that is what Cosmic Dash does. There are great comics out there with ongoing storylines, but many of them can feel a little played-by-ear. My goal is give Cosmic Dash those “aha!” moments in a reread.
Grue wrote:3. How much internal consistency do you apply to The Lucky Strike’s interior?
I have “floor” plans and constantly reference existing panels featuring the interior. Unfortunately there won’t be a whole lot of the Lucky Strike to dabble around with after this story, but whatever future ship shows up will likely have as much consistency as the Strike, and hopefully more so. Particularly since a friend of mine is putting together a nice 3D model for me.
Grue wrote:4. Of the four things you mention that if you like this then you’ll like Cosmic Dash (Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly, and Futurama), what do you hate most about them? And will they be/have they been subverted, inverted, parodied in Cosmic Dash?
Great question and one I need to think through a bit. I can’t say I hate anything about them, but there are things that I’d change or tweak if I was responsible for them. I think Disney has done a smart move with the rebooting of the Expanded Universe, for example, which is something I’d have done. As expansive as the Star Wars universe was, there was always a little bit of a disconnect in it. Kind of the same thing with Star Trek, which is why I am enjoying the JJ-verse (movies and comics so much). Some of these big franchises just get so bloated without someone at the helm to guide everything along a central continuity.
I’d give Firefly more to work with, for sure. It was a fun setting and died way to early.
Futurama didn’t pair up characters enough. It blew my mind how we only got one episode that focused on Amy and Zoidberg, for example. It is one of those shows where you can mine loads of comedy from any combination, and even thinking back now there are some combinations that simply weren’t explored as much as they should have been.
Grue wrote:5. What is the cruelest thing you have done to your characters?
You mean besides obliterate their livelihood in the latest episode, and submitted Dash to psychological torture in episode 3? One thing I’ve not really shown yet is Dash’s scar from that incident.