Umlaut House Part Two

Allan_ecker · Post by **Allan_ecker** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 8:55 pm

So yes, Umlaut House is back.

But... what is it?

It isn't -quite- the same comic any more, even allowing for the generation jump.

What's different:

The Tech:
UH2 is now done without strip blanks on unlined bristol bought in bulk from Office Depot. (Never buy bristol at an art store, unless you need -really- heavy duty stuff.) The strips are ruled out at a fixed size, two to a page for every day, one to a page for "specials" like the first four comics. The fixed aspect ratio will give me a familiar framework for laying out panels, but the lack of a fixed set of panels will give me the freedom to try mixing up the pacing a little. It's still black and white, shaded with Photoshop Elements.

The Style:
I've revved through some minor redesigns for all the old characters, and used the changes to help define character design for the general comic. Backgrounds are going to be far more common, forcing me to practice drawing machines, buildings, and plants. Expect depth of field and perspective to become more important to the composition. Individual comics will take longer to draw, but I'm hoping it will be worth it.

The Story:
As with Umlaut House, UH2 will be strongly character driven and use sexual orientation and other issues to bring self-exploration and interpersonal relationships into clearer focus. The cast will be slightly younger (pushing the last year or so of High School) in order to allow more things to be undiscovered at the start of the story. Also, UH2 will have some definite adventure elements; instead of dealing with retired or relatively benign mads, we'll be seeing them at the beginnings of their careers. (Try not to think of Star Wars: Episode I when reading the previous sentence. Please.)

The Characters:
I've designed several new characters for the cast, and plan on really focusing in on Pierce and Rhonda's generation for this story. The old cast will definitely be the focus of some jokes, and will play important parts in many of the stories, but this comic isn't really about them. I've also fleshed out Pierce and Rhonda themselves, adding a few quirks and foibles that hopefully will make them more rewarding in the long run. As with the first Umlaut House, straight people will be less common than in the real world, but not by any intentional design. At the moment, there are too few males in the cast, but I'm working to correct that.

So, as loyal forumites, there's your sneak peek at what's to come. I've already laid out a number of surprizes, so I'm trying to keep from yammering -too- much about the comic for fear of revealing too much.

Kesh · Post by **Kesh** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:06 am

Sweet. I like the way UH2 is headed. Thanks for keeping us up to date, Allan!

Hat-Kun · Post by **Hat-Kun** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:10 am

The chapter select thing still says Unit Zero, though. Best get that changed.

Alfador · Post by **Alfador** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:41 am

Is headed? Will be headed?

Or...

Wi-oll havon-be headed?

Time travel messeds* up grammar.

*not a typo

Allan_ecker · Post by **Allan_ecker** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:00 am

"It has 'will have going to have happened', happened, but it hasn't actually 'happened' happened yet, actually."

--David Lister

Allan_ecker · Post by **Allan_ecker** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 1:33 pm

Alfador wrote: *not a typo

Recently learned: whenever you see the word (sic) in parentheses, it indicates that a poorly-worded or misspelled word is shown as it originally appeared:

The aforementioned party then typed "Yeh well your a stupid"(sic).

Maximuscoolman · Post by **Maximuscoolman** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 2:27 pm

It stands for "said in context".
Edit: Actually, having said that, I decidd to research it.
Turns out, I was wrongly informed and here's the real definition.

sic
adv.

Thus; so. Used to indicate that a quoted passage, especially one containing an error or unconventional spelling, has been retained in its original form or written intentionally.

Alfador · Post by **Alfador** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 6:58 am

I'd known that. ...So why didn't I use it? *sigh*

Nyamaza · Post by **Nyamaza** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:57 pm

From all appearances, assuming we're not jsu tin the same multiverse, but the same continuity as the origional UH, it seems that Pierce and Rhonda are probably about to start their part of the "Green" storyline from UH.

If this s so, for continuity I need to ask... where's the floating computer PDA things?

Mind you, the only strong indication we have that "Green" was the FIRST time the two time traveled is Pierce's reactions, and he never directly said it, so this might not be the "Green" Event, dispite circumstantial evidence.

Carbon Eater · Post by **Carbon Eater** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 11:39 am

Isn't UH2 the x86 mneumonic for "undefined instruction"?

Allan_ecker · Post by **Allan_ecker** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:18 pm

Carbon Eater wrote:Isn't UH2 the x86 mneumonic for "undefined instruction"?

If it is, I'm a great deal luckier than clever.

Andrick · Post by **Andrick** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 4:10 pm

Volair's Creator wrote:
Carbon Eater wrote:Isn't UH2 the x86 mneumonic for "undefined instruction"?
If it is, I'm a great deal luckier than clever.

Just like that, your chance to keep your mouth shut and make like the God of All Things Kewl has slipped beyond your reach. Bluffing, Allan, we gotta' work on your bluffing skizazzles.

Alfador · Post by **Alfador** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 7:56 am

Andrick wrote:
Volair's Creator wrote:
Carbon Eater wrote:Isn't UH2 the x86 mneumonic for "undefined instruction"?
If it is, I'm a great deal luckier than clever.
Just like that, your chance to keep your mouth shut and make like the God of All Things Kewl has slipped beyond your reach. Bluffing, Allan, we gotta' work on your bluffing skizazzles.

He's already GOT a job. Me, I need to work on my Bluff skill to get through interviews. *sigh*