Page 868…
Hello from San Francisco!
I’m here for a couple days for some meetings. But I uploaded this page back on Wednesday.
I wanted to remind you that on Sunday…I’ll be doing a live show for Gutter Talk.
Scroll down a bit. You’ll see a link and some info.
You guys can ask questions and what not.
Should be fun.
🙂
I’m still trying to figure out what to do for my backdrops for cons.
I’ve been toying with the idea of a couple of backdrops that have scenes from the comic itself.
I thought it would tell a story as people walked by.
I’m just worried that it might not catch anyone’s eye.
Thoughts?
Other than that. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. And thank you guys so much for helping me on the dialog this week.
You guys are the best.
Scott
Use the Felicity one. Definitely use the Felicity one. Can’t go wrong with Felicity. As a side note, will that poster be available for sale after the con? If so, put my name at the top of the list.
And it’s great to finally hear why Alex can’t fly. Fear and belief are both very powerful things in dreams. It’s time Alex turned one into the other.
Girls always draw the eye ;). IMHO, I think putting in all those scenes from the comic makes it hard to focus on anything, and it doesn’t really catch the eye. How many backdrops are you making, by the way?
Anyway, how about some “pin-ups” of one or two of the characters? Alex in his armor? Or even Nicodimus looking mean (doesn’t he always?).
Anyway, I tend to prefer simple over complicated, so long as it’s shiny (read colorful).
Or even one of the chapter start pages, those always look good, and they might look killer in bigger scale behind your stand.
Well, hope that helps, and good luck!
I like the second poster. The story is so beautiful that people will notice. I also think the first poster is too busy. It’s hard to focus on either the characters or the scenes.
Yeah… the first is too busy, I have to agree. Yet, it feels like there’s something missing from the second. Perhaps a balance, maybe choose one character to highlight instead of two? I don’t know.
Perhaps you could make a serie of 5 posters, with:
Dan – Nicole – Alex* – Nastajia – Felicity
*) Alex’s left side is dressed “normally”, and right side is dressed in his blue armor
Each poster may have a light, simple background, like for Dan their bedroom, for Nicole a library, nothing for Alex, for Nastajia the see/funny construction landscape they overfly as kids and for Felicity for instance the cliffs with Nicodemus flying far away.
On top of the 5 poster, you have a sentence like Dreams and Reality (so that dream is over Dan and Nicole, and reality over Nastajia and Felicity).
– just my 2 cents…
Of the 2 I’d say the first one with Felicity and Nastajia. The second is hard to focus on. But I agree that both are a bit crowded, though I like the idea of telling a story in the background.
An idea could be to have a poster per character with the character take much of the space but with images in the background telling a bit of the character’s story.
And I must agree with Mina G : girls always draw the eye, all the more in conventions.
Not an artist though so it’s only my humble opinion 😉
Hmm…
Seems most go for the one with Felicity and Nastajia, though I prefer the other. However, the one with the girls grabs you more, and makes you look at the panels.
However, both need the logo, I think.
“Ok what now?”
“Now.. flying.”
“Oh. Ok then.”
I think they are both too busy, but the one on the left is more eye catching. Perhaps simplify the story on the left to something like your banner add that speaks to the dynamic between Nastajia and Alex. Fewer panes and simpler.
so are we in never land too? just kidding. I keep saying to my boys ” all you need is faith and trust, and oh yea don’t forget the pixie dust.”
Simplicity is your answer to your poster/backdrop. There’s way to much color screaming out at the viewer. If you like the complexity of the multi-panel background, I’d recommend reducing the alpha even more and select only one major character to stand in the foreground. If you want more of the major characters to stand out, then create three banners– same background, but with one different major character in the foreground. Not two banners– three. And offset the arrangement so they do not appear like an assembly line. Expensive? Yes… but it will serve the purpose for which you want– isn’t it?
Why not have one banner with some of the characters and the other either be panels of the comic? Is that possible?
I like the ones with the characters super-imposed against the comic cells. 😀
S.”White Pony” Kidwell has the right of it, now that I read through and study the posters a bit more.
the one on the left is more eye catching with the characters popping off… the sample of the panels on the right is great, but nothing that pulls you in….
Dude if that backdrop doesn’t catch their eye … their eye ain’t worth catching !
Great week … can’t wait for the return of daily post on Monday
Enjoy your time in “the city” Scott.
Hey guys…
I’m at my cousin’s house here in SF.
Thank you for the comments. Please keep them coming.
See you on Monday.
Scott
The story element in the posters is really nice, and i tend to prefer the first one.
Although as a student studying graphic design my two cents would be that both are way too busy (especially considering that at a con there would be a lot of clutter between stands, people and just colour in general).
You would be better off with a few posters like White POny suggested, rather than one with 5 strips. Or a montage that is seamless (so that what ever you decide to inclue would blend together like they belong there in the first place). Or you could just go something totally different 😛
What about using characters like the picture on the left, but have them in front of one background from the comic? Nicodemous’ castle, for example.
Why am I suddenly reminded of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”? lol! You can do it Alex!
Hmmm… I have to put my vote in with simple is better. The posters are nice, but a bit too busy. For me, I know at cons I tend to get sensory overload and a simple sign would probably catch my attention faster than one that has lots of stuff on it.
My local cartoonist club talked about comic covers one meeting. Someone had researched what draws potential readers to a cover: A monster, A babe, a threat, Extreme Action, Monkey(s). This leads to an interesting challenge – can you get all four into one image? And is this still an effective draw?
BTW I agree with ChristineA – “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy†comment. Alex should throw himself at the ground … “and miss”.
How could those backdrops not be eye-catching? They could only be brighter if you backlit them. I practically need to wear sunglasses to look at them on my monitor.
I agree with the simpler people. That way it’s easier to catch the eye, though your art is awesome. I’d rather buy little cards with those prints on them than see them as posters.
The first one. Drawing the characters out with the panels faded in the back would be far easier on the eye in a convention’s sea of eye porn.
Both backdrops are definitely eyecatching. I suppose the choice would depend on how important the story telling aspect is to you. The first one does indeed draw the viewer into the poster, but produces more of a collage effect, rather than a panel story. The second one doesn’t have the same pull, but has more of a story telling presentation about it.
Hope I’m helping… (It’s difficult ’cause I like them both)
Hmm… Panels 1 and 3 are pretty good but you could drop the rest, especially those last two.
Anyway, yeah, it’s a bit too busy. I’d recommend not focusing so much on telling a story and instead trying to paint a picture. Big castle in the background would be good. You could have Alex in his armor holding up his sword and looking up at it in wonder maybe. Felicity in an action pose would rock. Put Nastajia looking lonely and resigned like in Panel 3. Looming over them all have Nicodemus in a menacing pose. And maybe put Kiwi flying merrily up in one corner. Now that’d be an eye-catching poster.
If it’s a choice between the two you’ve already got I’d say go with the one on the left. As Mina G and others have said, girls always catch the eye. 😉
People keep saying alex needs to start getting “serious”, and I understand what you guys mean. But, in order to fly he’ll need to rediscover that child-like belief that magical things really can happen. So he’ll have to fully embrace dreamland and all that it stands for.
I love the first one with Felicity and Nastajia, I believe the second is too much visual info to be eye catching as a poster. 🙂
Love the page! I really like the character of Orion!
“All you have to do is throw yourself at the ground and miss, and poof, you’re flying. Throwing yourself at the ground is the easy part, of course, it’s the missing that scares people.”
Great comic, I found it several days ago and was hooked quickly.
I definitely like the one on the left! The larger Felicity and Nastajia characters really catch the eye more than just the strips, I think.
Use the one with the girls. Heh, I had a shuffle thought out, but it would probably be easiest to just ease panel 2 to the right while possibly shrinking Felicity (and maybe Nastajia) just a bit. That should give you a clear view of Nick vs. Alex and if you shrink both girls give a better view of Bognok.
Not sure if you could do it,, but it’d be cool to do actual slices of various comics like that, but line them all up in such a way that you get a complete single image of a character. So like a frame with the top of Alexanders head, then one with the bottom, then one with the shoulders….
I didn’t have time to see what’s already been said, but I would say I think a series of action stills is better than just pin-ups, but you don’t want too many either in one place either. Like two to four to a banner?
NOT CATCH ANYONE’S EYE?! You must be joking!
Agree with kamatu, use the one with Nastajia and Felicity C:
I agree with Proforce… It would be awesome to be able to buy a full-size poster-banner (the one with Felicity and Nastajia) to hang on my wall!
Please let us know if you make them available at all. 😀
Thanks Scott… for everything you do! ^.^
~Prince Demitri
I think something big, that takes up the whole thing. You need the initial something that grabs the con-goer’s attention first, then you can keep them there with the smaller posters. I think maybe the backdrop turned side-ways (so it’s wide but not tall), and have Nicodemus flying at you, with his wings spread out and his face front and center.
As a fantasy fan I know that’d grab my attention for sure.
Or do a couple of backdrops, one on either side of the booth, of Alex in his armor and Nastaja, or of Felicity and another character. Cat-girls are always popular.
Hm… I think that it is quite eye-catching, actually; especially the one on the right. The brighter colour should be better for attracting attention. Other people have left suggestions about maybe changing scenes… I’m not sure about that; I just know I prefer the one to the right to the left-most one, and that the length-ways stretch of the scenes and how you’ve grouped them reminds me of film for a movie (like the film in old VHS tapes). It’s a neat effect, and I like it. 🙂
I really agree with lacavin, that plan sounds pretty good. Then you would have some of the basic architecture but focus on the characters. Wouldn’t be too busy like the scenes, or the one with both.
I do agree that simple is better but I do like the left-hand one too! I would dull down the background colour more or maybe put it into black and white!
BTW I’ve been reading for a while and your comic is so cool, you do a very good job!
I like the second one better.
oh and i love the centaur’s pose in panel 2 lol
Both are visually striking, although i think the one on the left grabs you more, the bold colours of the characters over the more opaque panels in the background works well.
Still wondering, What is that on his head? I see paws so it has to be some kind of an animal.
I’ve heard that one or two characters on a banner usually attract the most attention. Also, you may want to work your title into the image, even if your are displaying it elsewhere.
What about in addition to the backdrop, you have a foamboard cutout of one of the characters? People can take pictures with it, or at the very least, having it actually be a separate piece from the backdrop will make it eye-catching.
Oh, and if you’re still in town this weekend, there’s a pretty large gaming convention going in near the SF airport (Kublacon) that might be fun checking out.
I love both the posters, but I like the second one best…. seems less busy. I LOVE the idea of Alex that ichavin (?sp) had, one side of Alex in armor and the other regular, to show the duality of his sleeing and non sleeping natures. That would be incredible in front of a montage as well. Kind of cut to the quick of the point. Like a movie poster will someday… So excited to have dreamland (and you) back five days a week, and happy you’re starting to feel better!
I think you should make one of the scenes one of Alex and Nastajia kissing, or almost kissing. Sex sells, dude.
Loving he story line and the artwork so far, only complaint… it’s taking so long for the picture to load now. In the forst few hundred or so pages they loaded sharp and clear right away now they are loading slowly first super fuzzy then less fuzzy. It’s really straining on the eyes. But yah other than that AWESOME job! Really really loving the adventure!
I’ve given the spiel in the past about how I’m pretty much powered by fear on account of being a Nightmaren… No real need to repeat myself.
On an unrelated note though… I do often wonder why people seem more eager to talk about whatever random stuff is going on in meatspace rather than what is covered in the comic strip.