Ding Dong–

Okay. I’ll stop. Anyhoo, I apparently lied when I told you that I was done messing with the site. I wasn’t lying at the time, but a few days ago (Friday? I think Friday) I asked the good folks at the Comic Press Forums what they thought of my site, and the prognosis was what I feared:

Too Complicated. Too much scrolling. And why the hell do you have two separate archives?!

See, about a month ago, my friend (and reader, SmallWonder) mentioned that he didn’t notice I was still updating…he didn’t notice the ‘latest pages’ thing changing…so I knew I had a problem…I just didn’t know how to fix it.

BUT, I took it to heart, and with the help of the illustrious Frumph (At this point I should have a Frumph tag…man’s helped me out a lot) I’ve whipped the site into shape. I was originally against the whole ‘splash entrance page’, but really, what was on the old main page that isn’t here, just more accessible?

My Blog?

I don’t fool myself. You’re all here for the comic, if you reading this right now, thank you. But I’m not so infatuated with my wordsmithing that I feel it’s some high-brow art and that you’re here just for this.

Basically, it’s all here, just easy to get to. There’s little to no scrolling, everything looks nice and clean (seriously, that twitter button I was using bugged the hell out of me).

Now, I know I’m missing that shout-box, but honestly, that thing was a resource hog and the people that ran it seemed shady (I hardly had control over it…). I’m going to try and find a place for it, because I know some people enjoyed it, but right now, it’s hidden away. Sorry, I’m working on it.

I make no promises about it, but I’m working on it.

Finally, a big thanks to the folks (folk?) at MilkAddict for the snazzy new buttons that I’m using to point people to DA, FB, Twitter, and RSS. I was originally scrambling around trying to find buttons that looked kind of similar, but found nothing for Deviant Art, then lo and behold, I found a whole set.

Anyhow, I’m still playing with it a little, but for the most part, we’re done. Again.

Hopefully for good this time…heh.

-Peace

————————-

Three months on the 12th. That’s how long it’s been since I last posted a blog.

And for that I’m sorry.

I’ve been abusing my little ‘emergency message’ dealie at the top of the site, rather than sit down and type a cognizant piece of news. But my life’s been hectic and I haven’t really had much to say that couldn’t be summed up in a few choice sentences. But today…well…today’s a different story.

First, what likely lead you down here in the first place:

The site’s been ‘redesigned’ again. Brought back a few months to what I’ve called the ‘Starry Night’ design, this is, fundamentally, my favorite design. It’s funny, when I set out from comic genesis two years ago it wasn’t because I was unhappy with the site design, it was because I wanted to have a more ‘personal’ hosting of my site. I wanted a host I could control, one I could improve.

But somewhere along the line I became obsessed with the appearance of the site.

I mean, literally, it’s kind of sad how much time I’ve spent in front of this thing. Tweaking this, futzing with that. But this should be it. Really this time. Why? Because this is a child theme, attached to the core ComicPress theme.

Which, in layman’s terms, means that I can update ComicPress when the new version comes out without losing my layout. When I first switched to CP (ComicPress) it was version 2.5…since then it’s become 2.9. That’s, roughly, a major update every six months…with dozens (seriously) of minor updates between. For example, it’s technically version 2.9.2.26. And for a while I was updating almost every change. Sometimes because I had to, other’s because I just started it and got caught up in it.

That was a lot of HTML @#$%ing every year. And I started to focus more on the site, than the content…

Why did I do it? I don’t know. I don’t have an answer for why my mind works this way…I think I’m mildly OCD…I have to check the lock three-four times before I can leave the house. I’ve even driven back home ten minutes and check it because I didn’t feel like I had locked it.

It’s kind of a problem, actually.

In some ways I regret leaving Comic Genesis, because when I was there, there was so little I could mess with that I just didn’t give a shit. There was no personality in your page…not without some serious work. But CP…it opened up a whole new world of PHP and CSS and HTML that I got lost in it.

But it’s over now. The site is perfect. There’s nothing I want to change (save that the navigation needs to be centered…but that’s easy…I just want a ‘right’ way to do it).

I look at it and, for the first time in two years, I’m happy. I’m not going to stress the site. I just don’t have a reason to. Everything is the way I want it.

So, for the first time in two years I can walk away from it and really relax. There’s not going to be little bits of code dancing in my head. There’s not going to be me deciding to play with it as I’m working on comic pages.

I’m happy. It’s done. The site almost looks professional. On every browser (you’re welcome, Internet Explorer users -_-)

And when Book Three rolls around, and it will, I’ll just have to update the child theme with new images. But that’s a while off yet.

What I’m trying to say is, combined with school, work, and life in general, I’ve forgotten why I started this comic. I started it to tell a story that I’ve been writing since I was five years old. And in three months, I’ve hardly finished eight comics. I need to get back into the swing of things.

And for the first time, in over a year (since school started to really kick my ass) I feel like I can do that.

No, there won’t be a set of story comics on Friday. But there will be a short, that I promise you.

But I’m going to be trying new things out. New methods. New ideas. I’m going to try and start getting one page done a week again, and I’m going to try and keep it up.

Because for the first time in a long time, I feel like I can focus on the comic. Not the site.

Thank you, and I’m sorry for all the shit you’ve had to endure.

-Peace

But they’re all fixed. Really. They’re cleaned up and proof-read to Hell and back. I know that they’re still not perfect, but without an editor (I’ve enlisted both my mother and grandmother) they’re as good as they’re going to get. So, if you read them already, you don’t have to go back and read them again, they’re not that different. But if you were one of those people who took one look at them and left, give them another try. I promise that they’re better.

Check them out. If you care to.

* * *

Second. I’ve finally changed hosts, yet again. I wont tell you who (I want to actually give them a few weeks before I say they’re good or not), but they have a good rating and they’re even cheaper than that massive pile that was Dreamhost. Never, EVER use Dreamhost. EVER.

But these new guys promise to be much better. And is it my imagination, or is the site moving faster? I think it’s moving faster. But I also removed some stuff that might have been bogging us down. But I’m happier. Much happier.

I’m saving something like $80 a year.

@#$% Dreamhost.

* * *

This also leads me into my next point: The site is done. I’m not @#$%ing with it anymore. After ComicPress 2.9 comes out (which I’m running a beta one) and I make the switch I’m done. I’m done until Book Three.

I spend entirely too much time messing with shit here and I need to stop.

So I’m done with the site unless something explodes. But that what I’m hoping this new host helps me with. That way I’m not coming and checking on the site ever two hours wondering ‘is it dead?’ and my buddy isn’t texting me every few days saying ‘hey, your site’s down’.

Seriously, @#$% Dreamhost and the @#$%ing horse they rode in on.

* * *

Now for the stuff that doesn’t really pertain to the site, but you might find enlightening (IE: I’m bitching, walk away now).

Oh, thank god this arc is over. I actually really enjoyed it but I think that I jumped into it too quickly after the massive beast that was Book Two, Chapter Four. I needed a longer break and I didn’t give myself one. That and I really need to start taking the week of Christmas off. If it wasn’t one thing it was the other.

That and I had orientation for my new job the day that my Grandmother flew in and I had to drive to the other end of town.

So that sucked.

I won’t bore you with the smelly details of my life, I try not to, despite the fact that this is a blog. But basically I’ve been busy and feeling a little stressed. So I’m taking this week off totally (I’m only doing comic related stuff if I feel like it) then next week I’ll get to work on building a good and proper buffer, then we’ll see where I go from there.

But I’m actually feeling much better already (I send of a slightly frazzled Email to my friend yesterday, and if you’re reading this I’m feeling much better, haha). I’ve rearranged my room, so I have a little more space (though my drawing table is closer to my computer than I’d have liked…) and I also picked up some aroma therapy smelly things (the first one who laughs dies. Eventually. At their convince. Of old age more than likely) and I’m doing some stretches (again, first to laugh dies at their earliest convenience).

I also tried a new way of working on the comic that seemed to work quite smoothly. Basically I start to feel rushed when presented with a totally blank canvas, and I get bored of doing the same thing for too long (inking, coloring, shading, etc…) so I tried to do something I haven’t done in a long while, I did each panel individually, then combined them on the page.

It only took me an two hours and felt quite natural.

So I’m going to try that for a while and see if it sticks.

Anyhow, enjoy your New Years and I hope your holidays kicked ass.

-Peace

Don’t worry, there are only ten updates planed (maybe eleven, I don’t remember at the moment). So if you hate it, it’ll be over quick.

OK Time for some explanations…

I’ve been going through a few crises of artistic faith, basically I thought that I would be able to work better and more productively at a drawing board, so I decided to get totally away from the computer except for coloring. This made sense for a few reason, but the big one is that when I’m sitting at the computer I have a tendency to wander away from my comic and start doing other things (like read other comics or browse forums). That’s not good.

But over the course of the last few weeks that I’ve been experimenting I’ve come to the conclusion that I really just don’t like the way that my inking looks when I do it physically. No matter what I tried it never quite looked right. So I’m back at the computer to do my inking with a few new resolutions:

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff: You guys won’t notice that a line went slightly askew or one line slightly overlaps an adjacent line once I shrink it down from 600 DPI to a more web-friendly number.

2. Control my self inflicted ADD: Twitter goes off. Photo-shop goes into full-screen (no distractions) and I’m not aloud to leave my chair until I’m done (save tinkle breaks, a man’s gotta pee, right?). I have laser focus when I want to, but other times I wander off…

3. No more than two ctrl-Zs per line: Some times I’d go over the same line a dozen times. If I @#$% it up twice I pull out the pen tool and do it right, and I stop my BITCHING (this also goes back to number one a lot of the time though).

4. Next time I take a week off to ‘get a buffer’ that’s all I’m doing: No more of this ‘spend a week messing with the site’ shit. The site needs to be a totally separate project to be done when I have nothing but free time. I need to stop messing with it when I should be working on the comic. Enough is enough.

So far I’ve been able to do well with this system. I’ve still got no buffer, but I’m working on it. I’ll let you all know how it goes.

The next thing that’s been keeping me from my duties is something more personal, which I don’t normally discus on the site, but I feel like I should. I’ve been to the Doctor a lot lately and he basically said “You’re 300 pounds and lazy, get off your fat ass and lose some weight or you’re going to die young.” So I’ve gotten off my ass and I’m down to 250 pounds. Now, I’m Six-feet-three-inches tall, so I was never ‘obese’ but my family has a history of high blood pressure and heart disease. So at twenty two and 300lbs I was basically pumping syrup though my veins.

Not Healthy.

So for the last few months (read: since updates got erratic) I’ve been going to the gym two days a week (three hours a time, give or take) as well as eating better. So I’m now less likely to drop dead. Luckily for me I’m not a naturally fat guy, hell, most people called me ‘scrawny’ when I was little. But between Junior High and High School I became less ‘run around and play’ centered and more ‘let’s watch TV and play video games’ centered.

So I’m trying to be better. And I have been. Fifty pounds is nothing to sneeze at (also, I have biceps now, which is cool…). But it cuts into my already slim personal time. Which is what those rules will hopefully help with (especially 4, I really spend too much time on the back-end and not enough on the comic). So wish me luck.

Next semester looks like it’ll be a TOTAL bitch too. So I’m going to try and get a serious buffer going this winter.

Thanks for listening, and at least I’m trying to be proactive in my troubles rather than just bitch to you lot about how hard my life is.

-Peace

(Goes off to work on scripts…)

I posted the comic a little earlier than normal, so it would go live with the new site. So hey.

This chapter is over, I know a few of you are sighing deep sighs of joy to see that little ‘end of’ text down there. Truth be told I’m right there with you. This arc expanded well beyond what I had originally hoped. I had intended to just have Tom fight Mikel and meet Terrence, but it ended up becoming this whole thing with Chris because I looked at what’s on the docket for the rest of Book Two and realized this was the only place to finish explaining somethings about Chris and his existence.

The next chapter hits the ground running. Really, really fast. You I hope you’ll all forgive me for a tad bit more exposition than you normally have to swallow in a chapter.

And I told you Tom would get in a shot. He deserves it after putting up with Chris.

Also, I want you to all know that there will be filler, every weekday, for the next seven days. Until December the 26th. This filler will be the new pictures I’ve done for the cast pages, truthfully, I just need the time to recoup my buffer. It was DEMOLISHED by the last few weeks. So be here Tuesday-Next Wednesday for awesome @#$%ing filler pictures.

FINALLY, the thing you’re all actually here for, the thing that’s consumed my very soul and left me a dried HUSK for the last two (really, like four) GODS-DAMNED weeks.

THE NEW SITE DESIGN!!

Yes. I know it’s beautiful. But even better, it’s functional.

I never ONCE passed 100KB in a background picture. I only passed 50KB on the footer! It’s PERFECT. Or as near to it as I’m going to come with my menial skills in leet web hakzorsings.

I tested the site on two different monitors, a dozen different resolutions and I was damned sure to make sure it rendered on both Fire Fox and Internet Explorer.

The only size it really doesn’t look great on is 800×600 which I know a few of you use. But even on THAT resolution it looks DAMNED close to fantastic.

It originally started as me separating all the different pieces of the blog with the intention of having a goofy little background image tiled against it, but as soon as I saw those spaces between those white blocks I knew what I had to do.

Holy @#$% was this an undertaking I wasn’t prepared for. But I leaned a lot and it came out rather nicely if I do say so myself.

It’s not perfect though, for some reason on IE the color of the menu buttons is slightly off…so it kind of stands out. I can’t figure out why…but I’m willing to settle with that being the only issue. But if you guys have ANY weird ass problems with the site, TELL ME so I can try to figure it out.

I’ll be running a few more tests the next few days, but near as I can tell it’s great.

UPDATE: It seems like it looks great in everything, but for some reason in IE:6.0 and older the color behind the silhouette behind the characters at the bottom is gray. Can anyone confirm this, or is it just a weird thing with the place I’m using for testage?/Update

Also, as part of the new site I added several familiar faces to the Supporting Cast page. I haven’t decided how to handle The Airosian Clique (Mikel and his gang) so they’re not there. But they will be soon. I’m also working on a cast page of Temtra and Sither, but I want a few more pictures of them before I finish (that’ll make sense when you see the new cast pages).

And, if you’d like, you can see the highres versions of both the footer and the header as well as a header that was much too large, but still fantastic at my DA gallery.

To recap. Be here tomorrow for filler, then every day after that too (‘cept Saturday and Sunday)

-Cheers, Peace, and THANK THE GODS THIS THING IS LIVE!

Michael (that’s his name) is an old…well…I’d say buddy of Jenny’s but he’s really more of an old rival. They fought a few times back in the days before Jenny left the professional fighting circut and had Tom. But they always got along, Michael only beat Jenny once, in an exabiton match and every time the two fought in the WMOs Jenny came out the victor.

Mike’s in a wheelchair now though, he can actually walk a little, but it hurts a hell of a lot more than it’s worth, so usually he’s just rolling around. Doesn’t stop him from poping curbs and going up and down stairs though. He’s stubborn like that.

He’s alot of fun to write for, so expect to see him again in the future. I’m sure I’ll figure out a way to have Jenny, Mike and Laura (Hana’s Mom…remember her?) together for some random humor. It’s kind of nice to have a pool of adults I can dip into when I want something more mature…or to involve booze…either one makes me happy.

Be here on Monday for the last two pages of this story arc, announcements, and…hopefully…a new site layout.

-Peace

I’m working on a fully tuned up site right now. It’s so @#$%ing sweet. I mean, SO @#$%ing SWEET. I’m playing with a lot of stuff, so it may be a few weeks before I’m done…lots of backend @#$%ery to be had. Wow…that sounded dirty…but seriously, I’m insanely happy with it.

But I had to disable the plug-in that sped up the site while I worked on the redesign…so the loads are a little slow (not because of the design, honest). I’ll talk a little bit more about it as I go along and get everything the way I want it.

Anyhow, I can’t think of anything else to say. Time to sleep.

-Peace

(EDIT: Yes, this is a different post than if you came in before 10am Pacific. Sorry, but I thought that today was next Monday’s comic…Nothing spoilerific, just some extras about Tom’s father…but I’ll re-post it on Monday…haha…)

I’m still tweaking his design…I know that’s not a good thing to do post-intro, but let’s be honest…I rarely think in terms of art…even after doing this comic for so long. I still think of everything about their personalities and life…THEN their appearence.

That said, nothing too major will change about him, I’m thinking hair cut. Haha.

Anyhow, on the site side of things I’ve found a few plugins that I’ve implimented. Some stuff you won’t notice some you will. See the last post for more details on minor stuff.

But I did find an interesting little plugin that lets me edit the site without you guys seeing it! So now I can play with all the crap I want without it demolishing the site! GO ME! So now I won’t have to confine my messings to weekends to avoid bothering you guys! Yay.

Heh.

ALSO! I updated the links page with a new comic I stumbled across. I usually don’t plug unless I’m advertising there, but Steal This Comic is some good stuff. Go check him out. It’s a joke comic about a guy and a talking dog. But the dog denies he can talk…which is always fun.

That’s it. I can’t really think of anything else, but for the mostpart everything works great.

Oh. I have an RSS feed through feed burner now, hey, hey.

Check it out. It’s neat-o-keen, dangnabit.

…yes. Dangnabit.

You heard me.

-Peace

I just finished messing with a shit-load of backend site stuff…godbless insomnia…now every page (comic/blog/miscellaneous) will display some kind of unique name…unlike those stupid little numbers that mean nothing to anyone but the computer.

HOWEVER I didn’t change all the link names…I tested everything and it looks like it still recognizes everything correctly (ie: /tom-thompson still responds to /13?) so it doesn’t look like it @#$%ing matters in the grand scheme of things.

I may change them later…but for now everything is how I’d like it…

There’s some other crap to mention, but it can wait.

Also, I put a proper skyscraper ad up for Hunter in the left devision so it now shows up on every page…the end game for this plan is to use it for adspace for OTHER people…but until I garner a few more readers I’m not going to try and sell ad space…so rather than let it go to waste I’m using it for my own means.

Heh.

PLEASE, EMAIL ME if you spot any issues with the site.

Please?

-Peace