Gwaa... My brain be shot. I need the healing power of caffeine or something like that.... Oh! The comic above! Someone is translating SGVY into Russian! Alright! This forum has a link to a RAR file with the first chapter translated with Cyrillic characters. It's a pretty big file, about 10MB. I think they're still editing it because the files are PSD and the text layers are still intact.

To download the RAR file, click the link that says "valkyria1.rar" in the first post. You'll be taken to some kind of Rapidshare-like site. Then put the captcha numbers into the text field (don't worry if you don't get it right at first; they are really hard to see). If you get the numbers right, you should be downloading the RAR. Woo! Thanks, Russian translators!



Speaking of translators... So remember when I posted that first page of my Filthy Figments series? Well, I had to fucking do it over again thanks to those motherfuckers over at SmithMicro. Apparently, anything you do in the demo version of Manga Studio cannot be used in the full version. WTF. Are you that incompetent, SmithMicro programmers? Is that your idea of copy-protection, you stupid fucks?

(Actually, calling them "programmers" is giving them too much credit; they only translated the program. Manga Studio was written by a Japanese company, CELSYS.)

So after I calmed down a bit, I wrote SmithMicro asking if there was a way to get back all of my work, and every response I got back was that it was my fucking fault that I didn't read the "documentation" that tells you "LOL, STUPID USER, WE DON'T WANT YOUR BUSINESS". Thanks, you fuckers.

I nearly returned Manga Studio because of all this shit. I had already inked six pages, and then I learned that was a waste of time. Goddamn it; it never pays to buy software. Piracy is the only way not to get fucked.

So, I'm going to work like mad this week and get "Itari Party!" done. Don't worry. It'll be worth it. Work under pressure! Powerthrough!

Can you buy a brain?

Yeah, I posted a while back the pencils were done. They were. Problem is they sucked. The story didn't flow right, and some of the art wasn't up to snuff. I want this one to be perfect, so I kept racking my brain on how to make it work better in the inking stage. Finally, I decided to take Mr. Miyamoto's advice and "upend the tea table", which means to start over. I'm really pleased with how the new pencils turned out, and hey, I was able to reuse one of the old pages.



Part of the reason I finally decided to start over is I just got a full copy of Manga Studio EX 4. I've fallen in love with how easy it is to ink compared to Photoshop. Also, making panels is a dream. It makes them separate layers for you! Oh my god! That's why I've decided to do the next issue of SGVY in Manga Studio. That's why I made the above color guide so I could have the SGVY palette in Manga Studio (I can't find a way to import PS color swatches).

I may have to finish it up in Photoshop, but we'll see. This is the best way to learn! Throw yourself in! Powerthrough!



Oh no! What manner of beast is this? Defend the desk!

Waiting for a good time.

Look what came today! My business cards! Now to spread the Sexy Fun™ to the masses.

I hit the jackpot.

Yay! I finished the cover for the first issue of Redstone Science Fiction. Redstone Science Fiction is a new online science fiction magazine which is starting in June. It's headed by some awesome people, so I had to get involved. The cover with the text will be available on their website. I've already read some of the submissions, and they look good. I'm excited! I've always thought scifi mags had great art, so I'm really happy to be able to work on one. ^_^

I really wanted to go that sweet flat style that was popular during the Space Age. I think I pulled it off. I can still tell that it's my art, but it's so flat and cool. I hope the readers will like it.

Man, lots to do, lots to do. I guess I better start getting to it. Yah! Powerthrough!

The three are the background, minus the blue.