Umlaut House Part Two
Posted: 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.
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.
