All right, let's talk about this thing

[sebsmith]

Yeah, since I read this much more for the story instead of the art, I'd much prefer that you make it in a way which will make it an enjoyable experience for you.

 

[Joe_Mello]

This is one of those steps you have as your webcomic starts wearing Big Man Pants. You realize that the comic has stopped being a fun hobby and is more like a job, even if it isn't your livelihood.


Only you can figure out how to solve your problems.

 

[Tikor]

I second (fifth?) that I find the My Little Pony art to be of sufficient quality for my readership and that I'm supportive of whatever changes you need to make in order to deliver more of your excellent lens on Creation and your particular story.

This is one of those steps you have as your webcomic starts wearing Big Man Pants. You realize that the comic has stopped being a fun hobby and is more like a job, even if it isn't your livelihood.
Only you can figure out how to solve your problems.

I will disagree here. You could monetize Keychain if you wanted to.

 

[Kyeudo]

I will disagree here. You could monetize Keychain if you wanted to.

He legally can't. His comic uses too much intellectual property. About the most he could do without getting sued is sell keychains of the keys.

 

[Josh the Aspie]

I will disagree here. You could monetize Keychain if you wanted to.

He legally can't. His comic uses too much intellectual property. About the most he could do without getting sued is sell keychains of the keys.

And even then, Square-Enix and Disney might sue, claiming that they are key-blades. Would it be frivolous? Yes. But that hasn't stopped Disney in the past.

 

[Kyeudo]

When you have as much money as Disney does, you can afford to waste money on frivolous intellectual property suits. If you win, more ammo for the next one.

 

[Josh the Aspie]

When you have as much money as Disney does, you can afford to waste money on frivolous intellectual property suits. If you win, more ammo for the next one.

And since they sue for amounts that would bankrupt most people, they rarely loose or win, simply getting settlements that can also be used as ammo, or as statistics to encourage more draconian enforcement laws.

 

[Joe_Mello]

This is one of those steps you have as your webcomic starts wearing Big Man Pants. You realize that the comic has stopped being a fun hobby and is more like a job, even if it isn't your livelihood.
Only you can figure out how to solve your problems.

I will disagree here. You could monetize Keychain if you wanted to.

I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with. I'm merely stating that Juk is facing the problems that all indie comic artists will run into when their baby gets big. Money has nothing to do with it.

 

[Weimann]

Jukashi could sell shirts with Misho and Marena and the rest on them. Those are his creations. Just look at Rich Burlew and Order of the Stick, for example.


Edit: And I'd totally buy too.


Edit 2: But that's off topic for this particular discussion.

 

[Tikor]

...even if it isn't your livelihood...

I will disagree here. You could monetize Keychain if you wanted to.

I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with. I'm merely stating that Juk is facing the problems that all indie comic artists will run into when their baby gets big. Money has nothing to do with it.

Frustrations are easier to deal with when they're attacked at 8 a.m., done by noon and pay the bills (or at least fund the Exalted collection). Frustration is harder to deal with when undertaken during free time.


I'll provide a more targeted quote in the future.

 

[Persell]

First off, I love the characters and the story you've created, Jukashi, and I speak for around twenty geeks who play in Exalted games in my area and don't generally post online to share the love. None of us want the story to stop, especially not in the middle.


But we're in love with your CHARACTERS, and your STORY. I was in love with this comic by the end of Chapter 1. And let's be honest: it was a stick-figure comic. It was not the greatest art in the world. It's still not. But it has a story and characters I care about. It can make me sad, or make me laugh. That's the important part about Keychain of Creation, and it's not going to change just because you change art styles. I want you to enjoy creating the thing, because I'm a selfish creature and if you enjoy giving me a beautiful story like this you're more likely to continue to do so. By all means, take whatever steps you feel are necessary to make the continuance of this story easier and more pleasant for yourself.


On a tangentially related note: I don't know how copyright laws work or how draconian White Wolf gets...but if you put Exalted jokes and Keychain references on T-shirts or coffee mugs, I'd buy them. Prints of your comics are also a commonly saleable resource, as are commissions. If the comic is starting to feel like work, you might find it easier to do if you were getting paid (even if not necessarily paid very well) to do it.

 

[Persell]

I read your comic for the story and characters, not the art. So I am in full support of the idea of it taking some minor hits to art quality if it will make things easier on you. You should also look into the idea of taking 'shortcuts' as one poster mentioned.

 

[XinonHyena]

As many have stated before I also read the comic for the story. That's more important then a fantastic artstyle.

 

[Caelun_Niveus]

... If you wanted to try and show the new artstyle you had in mind Jukashi, maybe you could do another chapter of Lunar Quest or something?

 

[Jukashi]

I'm also doing Will of the Undermind, which has nothing to do with Exalted.


Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I'm considering my options; there's a point in the story where I might be able to work in an art shift, I'm just thinking further as to whether I should.


Tell me; what do you all think of the current art style? Honestly.

 

[merle]

I'm also doing Will of the Undermind, which has nothing to do with Exalted.
Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I'm considering my options; there's a point in the story where I might be able to work in an art shift, I'm just thinking further as to whether I should.


Tell me; what do you all think of the current art style? Honestly.

Honestly? It's visually simple, but distinctive, and much more capable of a sense of motion and expression than, say, Order of the Stick-style stick figures.

 

[Thanqol]

I'm also doing Will of the Undermind, which has nothing to do with Exalted.
Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I'm considering my options; there's a point in the story where I might be able to work in an art shift, I'm just thinking further as to whether I should.


Tell me; what do you all think of the current art style? Honestly.

Right now, I do like it. It's the type of stylized that ages well, and you've found a good balance between special effects and ordinary stuff. I also do enjoy your various visual quirks, such as dead = eyelessness and the understated nature of the Sidereal animas.


Right now I think it's good at looking like what Exalted is rather than what Exalted looks like.

 

[Inverse]

Right now I think it's good at looking like what Exalted is rather than what Exalted looks like.

From what I can tell from the internets, if Exalted existed in some alternate universe shmuck, us puny Earth-1'ers would go blind just looking at it. Everything glows in Exalted, even darkness! :shock:


Seriously though, no amount of glowing artwork can trump that style you got, Jukashi. Distinctive, evocotive (of emotions n stuff), and epic (when things get epic). Distinctive>generic glowing.

Some of you may (or may not) know that maybe a year ago I did Lunar Quest over on tgchan, a site for people to make and play suggest-an-action CYOA-style games/stories,
I'm also doing Will of the Undermind, which has nothing to do with Exalted.

I never knew about tgchan before ya linked it. And I can't really describe how amazing your stories are. Except the my-little-pony one. I don't understand that one at all, and I'm not sure I want to. :|


/lurker'sfancompliments

 

[Thanqol]

I never knew about tgchan before ya linked it. And I can't really describe how amazing your stories are. Except the my-little-pony one. I don't understand that one at all, and I'm not sure I want to. :|


/lurker'sfancompliments

Ponies are fantastic. What else is there to understand?

 

[Ledaal Kajiri]

Personally, I do really like the current style. Still, if its too much work or the like... well. Do what you need to do. I'll admit I really liked the art upgrade though.

 

[LaFreeze]

Hi all! I'm new to the comic. I'm good with whatever art style you decide to go with. I enjoyed the old one, I'm enjoying the new one, I enjoyed Lunar Quest (Is there a part two to that) and I'm sure I'll enjoy that new questy thing you've got going.

 

[Tikor]

Jukashi, I think your current (graphics) style is emotive, nuanced, evocative and distinctive. I could read thousands more pages and not get tired of it. I've enjoyed how the style has evolved, such as the costume changes and Marena's ears getting more center-stage. I could go on, but I think you get the point that your art pleases me distinct from the subject matter.


I have even more glowy things to say about the story and characters, but perhaps another time.


And thanks for the link!

 

[Synapse]

Personally' date=' I do really like the current style. Still, if its too much work or the like... well. Do what you need to do. I'll admit I really liked the art upgrade though.[/quote']
I like the new style a lot, too. It's somewhat more endearing than the previous. That said, I want to see a page drawn like the ponies page.

 

[Persell]

While I'm delighted that the story continues regardless of art style...


This current style is an improvement on the stick-style it evolved from. If you stay with it for a while, you'll find more and more neat things you can do (the eyes for ghosts, etc), and that's really cool. The style is one you've experience with, and one that's only gonna get better with time.


That being said...if you're experiencing tedium in creating the comic, the simplistic style might be part of the problem. You've been pushing the boundaries of stick figures for a while, and even the addition of limbs and more defined features might not change the fact that there's a limit to how far you can push. I think there's room for new innovation within your current style, but there will be less and less room for such innovation as time goes on. I'd stick with it for another storyline or two, but if you have a decent reason for an art-change in the story I'd take it: a new style gives you new tools to experiment with, and such new toys always keep me entertained when I'm arting.

 

[Arhra]

I have tried a similar style after seeing how well it works in Keychain and so I think I can sympathise with how fiddly it is mucking around with Illustrator.


The nice thing about your current style is it is very distinctive. On the other hand, drawing would allow a lot more freedom in setting up scenes and possibly less work. There won't be a significant quality drop as far as I can see.


I think you should go with whatever you feel will work best. There's no harm in trying something new. You can always go back if it doesn't work out. Like lips in Scary-Go-Round!


Also Lunar Quest is fantastic. I was thoroughly amused by the avoidance of any Exalted terminology (heh, dickery).