Field Trip Comics

I didn't know really want to expect from our field trip, but I ended up having lots of fun. I was a bit disappointed that the older kids were all convinced they couldn't draw, but at least the younger ones were unquestionably more enthusiastic! Only one of the older kids in my group actually drew a comic, and the other two doodled for a bit but then gave up. The younger girls mostly just drew random pictures, but one did attempt to make a comic there as well. I didn't really want to take them away from them because they seemed to like what they made and I'd feel bad about it, so I just have copies of the ones I did.

Our theme with the older kids was winter, which is my least favorite season so I made mine simply about a melting snowman (they seemed to like it)

 
With the younger kids, I made a random story with a cat (I give credit for the giant ball of yarn to them).

Yup, so that's that. It was fun, though I think I preferred working with the younger ones simply because they were more enthusiastic about it and more willing to draw.

Final Project - The Forsaken

Proposal: http://delusioninabox.com/school_files/Forsaken-Proposal.htm
Script: http://delusioninabox.com/school_files/Forsaken-script.html

Cover:

  
Page 1, Rendered:

Page 15, sketched:

Project Thoughts:

I liked doing this project and got really into it. It of course helps that I got to set it in a country in the same universe as my webcomic, which made it fun since I got to play around with all the things I don't get to do in my webcomic (namely trains, people in suits, guns, and all that fun industrial stuff). It was nice to finally get to do something with one of the countries I bothered to create, and nice to have it be something short and not some long epic tale. Doing it in black and white instead of color like I usually do was challenging for me, but also fun.

Since I got so involved, I want to draw out the whole thing. This is sort of why I did two pages. I wanted to practice how I'd render it, but we were to draw a page that's "important". Not caring to do things out of order (I guess a habit from doing a webcomic), I did the first page so I could render it and just left the other page as a sketch. My story is a bit longer than it was supposed to be, but I didn't like just ending it there, so I extended it another two pages so it would conclude a bit better and make more sense.

I could talk about some of the other things that made it interesting for me, but it would really just be me talking nerdily about my world and stories haha. I'll just leave it that the country that this story takes place in, Matre, is a almost a good counter-culture to the one my webcomic takes place in (Asfaran). Not as good as Kraiss, the country Etrinn idolizes, but still they're quite different. For example, where as Kraiss and Matre are having this Forsaken problem (or not problem in Kraiss' opinion), Asfaran is having the opposite happening. Asfaran, which is half magic users (Demons, Ryoka - a race like the Kaztins -, and Elves) and half non-magic users (Humans), is having humans being born with magic...but shush - they don't know it yet haha. And I'll stop myself there. I've been working on a wiki for my webcomic lately so it's gotten me much more involved this kind of thing as well.

Anyway, it was fun, and I hope I have the time winter break to finish drawing this thing out!

Family Story - "The Swing Incident"

I had a lot of trouble remembering stories, but decided to do this one about when my accident prone sister broke her back. My thumbnails are pretty rough, but I didn't have a lot of time. :/ And unfortunately since I sketch so lightly they're kind of hard to make out >_<;; Oops.

Script can be found here: http://delusioninabox.com/school_files/TheSwingIncident.html

Thumbnail roughs/paneling below:

Dome Comic

I've been playing a bit of Team Fortress 2 lately and wanted to make a TF2 comic, sooo I did. Don't know if that's against the rules for this assignment, but ah well.

Should be titled "How to Trap a Scout". Alternate title - "It's a Trap!"

Animated it to demonstrate how it should be read - spinning around, with Scout running up the stairs as panel 1. I have no idea what it'd look like on a dome...probably weird. Trying to draw in a circle was tricksy enough.

Full-size file here - http://delusioninabox.com/school_files/domecomic-tf2.png

Slice of Life - "Legal Fish Throwing"

Finished my slice of life script! Not having a car and with all those I know who have one living off-campus, it didn't really work out that I could eavesdrop outside of school. But at least I had the opportunity to listen to non-students talking and I'm glad my timing worked out that it did or I wouldn't have this conversation about the legality of throwing fish. I can guess what project they're talking about, but the first line is what really grabbed my attention and amused me...because out of context it seems very much "wtf".

Script can be found uploaded here - http://delusioninabox.com/school_files/LegalFishThrowing.html

Scene from a Dream

Figures the week we have to write a scene inspired by one of our dreams is the week I have trouble remembering them or had my sleep interrupted. ~_~

"C'mon! We're going to be late," Alli said hotly, scolding me. I couldn't see her eyes past the skull she wore, but I was sure they trying to pierce into my soul at this very moment. I looked back down and picked up my skull and carefully put it upon my face. I cringed my face.

"It feels tight." I tried readjusting it, but it continued to lightly squeeze my forehead and nose uncomfortably. "This skulls' owner had a small head."

"Well you're just going to have to deal with it," Alli replied wearily. She turned and walked out the door and I quickly skipped after her.

"I haven't seen The Doctor in a long time," I said as we got into her car. I happily took the front passenger seat. "Has he changed much?"

"Not at all." Alli started the engine and we were soon on the road. There was very little traffic at this hour, when everything was dark and gloomy. Our ride progressed primarily in silence. She focused on driving, or at least pretended to, while I wondered what would happen when we arrived. I fidgeted with my skull again.

"This thing is really uncomfortable."

"Stop playing with it."

"Why do we have to wear them anyway?"

"You know why," she answered. I stared at her and she glanced at me briefly. She sighed in exasperation. "Well, you should anyway."

"I didn't listen when mom explained before. It wasn't important then."

"But it is now."

"I know. So..."

She was silent, as if thinking of what to say or if at all, and then she began. "We're not supposed to have identities. In death, everyone is the same. Everyone becomes just bones eventually. We must wear the skull of a deceased to strip us of our individuality and remind each other we are all on this earth together. We must focus on living together. Our differences do not matter because we all will end up the same."

I slouched in my seat and made a face, not at all satisfied with this answer.

"But no one even does this anymore."

"I know, times are changing. So now its just for holidays and special occasions. But the Doctor is a stickler for the old ways." She suddenly grinned, as if about to tell me a terrible secret. "Some say he's hundreds of years old even!"

"Impossible."

"Is it? Even mom and dad have known him for, like, ever."

I hesitated before asking another question.

"Who will get his skull when he dies?"

"The next doctor."

"But who will that be?"

"I don't know. It's not our job to know."

Silence again. We soon rolled into the parking lot of the large institutional complex. She parked, but then didn't get out of the car. I stopped, my hand on the door, and looked back at her.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Alli's hand moved towards the skull on her face, but stopped before touching it, as if doing so would be dangerous. Her hand fell to join the other in her lap and they laid together limply.

Her voice was quiet and meek, as if she was afraid to be heard. "Whose skulls are we wearing?" I said nothing and tightened my grip on the door handle. I looked out the window towards the building, where I could see the Doctor greeting others before the door. I know everyone's skulls vary - some old and cracked like the Doctor's, while others' looked almost recently dead. But from here everyone's look the same. Just people with skull faces. Death greeting one another with no expression and no judgement. I looked back to Alli.

"It's like you said - we're not supposed to know."

I swung open the door.

It is much more elaborate than the part of my dream I remembered haha. I almost always have very elaborate and bizarre dreams...but its remembering all the details of them that's hard. I wish I could though - some of them would make fun stories.

The Marvelous IPhone Musician

I chose to do my fairytale script based upon Andrew Lang's "The Marvellous Musician" and retell it so its in a more modern setting and with more humorous.

The script can be found here.

I liked writing this one more than the previous script as I got to have more fun with it, though I found it difficult to get started since I didn't know how I wanted to change it and make it my own.  I was almost worried that I wouldn't fit the 12 page limit, but I somehow managed to fit the end on the last page. If I could do as many pages as I wanted, I think I would have paced it differently. I like using panels to change up the pace or slow things down, which I think is an advantage of webcomics - we can pace it however we like because we don't have any page restrictions. Of course each page has to be compelling and paced well on its own, but it also has to be paced well as a unit. I think I find I like writing for that better because there's more freedom and leeway involved...plus you can sort it all out yourself without having to try to explain what you want to another or understand what they want haha