“Interference?”
Aedre’s Firefly Graphic Novel updates every Wednesday
New Readers: click here to start closer to the beginning of the story… You also might like this well-written precis of the story by Todd McElmurry at the WebComic Alliance’s pick-of-the-week: Aedre’s Firefly.
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#LFWC this week
Is The Forgotten Order by Christie Morgan who both writes and renders this mysterious fantasy tale. A good place to start is with her Cast Page. There are several characters, some of whom are at this point in different threads of the story. There are Dream Travellers and Bone Dolls, a race of curly-horned people known as the Fauni, one of whom is a young girl who through childhood illnesses seems to have never developed the ability to use magic like the rest of her people. This makes her a bit of a target for the ill humours of others.
The story is intriguing and the full colour art is pretty gorgeous! She’s only been publishing online for six months (Congratulations, Christie!), but you can tell the story is clear and well developed in the author’s mind if not already scripted.
Andy of LithicBee managed to scoop me on this one last Wedneday, even though the above part of today’s comic blog was written a few weeks ago. *shakes fist at Andy* However, he cheats and uses up three to six #lfwc in his Wednesday posts, leaving only the scrapings for the rest of us. :`D But seriously, he does a lovely job of promoting comics, and the more people promoting our work, the better. So go read Andy’s appraisal, and then read the Forgotten Order. (and then come back here and comment) You won’t be sorry.
Creation Process
Installed the new CS6 Creative Suite (the Adobe Cloud version) and have spent hours trying to get it into working order, intalling all my custom workspaces, presets, and keybindings. That job is still somewhat unfinished so I tried to fire up CS5 this morning to do some inking and of course, Adobe had changed all my menu and desktop UI icons for their products to open the CS6 version, so even more mucking about! I’m not ready to trust my precious Aedre strips to CS6 until I’m sure it’s working the way I need it to. I do get really tired with developers screwing around with my software. It shouldn’t have to be so frustrating to upgrade. For instance, even though there is a new “migrate presets” link in the edit menu dropdown, all it does in migrate *some* of your presets and then only to the CS6 presets folder. It does not load them into the UI. Fortunately, I had found a Youtube Vid that explained how to load your custom stuff into the Ps interface and also that you need to copy over your older custom Workspaces, Actions, Keybindings, etc. yourself, then load them inside Ps CS6. All in all it’s daunting and time consuming, but I guess eventually worth it.(as soon as I get over being cranky about it.) Much easier on the eyes than older versions. Looks like Illustrator got a lot of love this time around, too. That’s next on my list of programs to find the custom stuff for and move it over and load it up. More time consuming bullmalarkey.
I’m so obsessive. I really resent anything that eats into my time creating Aedre’s Firefly. I don’t even play computer games any more (with the exception of Asteroids Gunner + on my iPad), so I kinda get mad when stuff like these updates drag me away and eat up my buffer– especially when I’d just made myself take some time off for fun and relaxation.
Speaking of buffer, We’re good to the end of August and I have one more inked and ready for shading. I’m still debating with myself whether or not to take a break at the end of this Chapter, or to keep going through Chapter VII and therefore the end of Volume 1. Guess I’ll figure it all out someday.
Oh, and I encourage anyone to try out the Creative Suite for at least the free 30 day trial, since you can get all the programs to use even with out a connection once installed, for only $50 a month. ($30/mo if you already have at least one of them registered. Like, if you have Photoshop CS4 or Illustrator, etc, you can get the $30/mo deal for the first year $50/mo for the next year) Go to Adobe here and click on Learn More. Let me know if you like the idea. :`D
Other News
Had a great weekend! Hung out in my favourite coffee shop on Saturday and created art with my Copic pens and brush-pens on another IB Coffee Cup:
Then on Sunday Mal and I went Kayaking and I got some great reference photos. But I was really jealous of Mal cause he was using a real camera and got some fantastic footage of a bullfrog, among other things, and my measely little iPod Touch just can’t do that kind of stuff very well. Still, photos for reference don’t need to do more than suggest form for me, and maybe Mal will let me use some of his photos, too. :`D
Thanks for reading Aedre’s Firefly and for your encouraging comments!
Jande, I just saw the pingback on my post. Thanks for the shout-out. You’ll be interested to know, I’m only covering one webcomic tomorrow! :)
*Coming soon to an Internetz near YOU: WebcomiczWarz! starring @EO_Jande and@LithicBee!* :`D
And yes to your Wednesday Webcomic Pick! I’m in on her kickstarter (she’s my fourth –and I’ll be supporting Travis Hanson’s The Bean kickstarter in July.) Laur’s work on Polterguys is really lovely. I’m sure she’ll do well!
Did Aedre wander out of reality as we know it somewhere along the way, I wonder?
“Dun-dun-DUNNNN!”
Could be… Or maybe IN to reality? ;`)
$50 a month is way too much for me. I’ll stick with my $99 Photoshop Elements to do all of my drawing.
Oh and I was confused today for a second. I thought for a second those strange noises were coming from Aedre in the outhouse..haha
I have a tendency to talk to myself during those “peaceful” times also. Especially if I didn’t bring any good reading materials. :)
Outhouses always have “reading material” provided. It’s essential. ;`)
Do I need to change the strip or add a box that says “meanwhile back at the shack…” for this strip?
I can understand you not wanting to get into the extra expense, Bearman. And as I said above upgrading and having to put back all your custom stuff is a real pain.
I’m glad you realised your mistake quickly. :`) But I’m wondering if I need to change the strip to make it more clear that we’re back at the shack now? What do you think?
No not at all. I thought it was funny my original interpretation but I got it quick.
That’s reassuring. Thanks Bearman! <3
Sometimes that’s all we need, is a little influence in the right direction.
You are so right, Todd! If I hadn’t had those gentle influences throughout my life, I would be in a much poorer state in so many ways than I’m fortunate to find myself now. <3
Let’s hope the influences in question here will be beneficial to Aedre, rather than more manipulation.
I don’t worry about people talkin’ to themselves. I don’t even think it is real strange when they answer back…but when they get in a brutal argument with themselves that kinda makes me wonder about ‘em.
Can’t wait to see what happens next.
Looks like you got your posting troubles sorted out, amirite, Bo?! :`D
I have to agree totally about people who talk to themselves. I also tend to talk to inanimate objects. I cajole my toaster, and often scream at the top of my lungs at software that won’t behave –though I try to do that when Mal’s not around to hear it. :`D
These guys (?) seem to be having a difference of opinion about how to handle Aedre.
Love the little stream and bridge in the last panel. At once both peaceful and mysterious.
Thank you, Lisa! (if that IS Lisa?) Getting water to behave itself on the pages is a bit tricky. I appreciate your encouraging observations. <3
Really beautiful, Jande! Love the streaks of sunlight and of course, the lovely textures!
Thank you, Mark! I always appreciate your professional eye on my work. <3
O.O Now that’s a pivotal reveal! Contrary to Aedre’s opinion of herself, somebody clearly believes she is important. By the looks, er, sound of it, though, they are not of ordinary stripe. Who or what is he conversing with? And what is their interest in Aedre? Gah! Good job building suspense Jande. :P
Another strip with lovely artwork. It occurs to me that you’re getting your “fix” of landscape painting by including at least one in every strip. I know it’s not the same as smushing paint around, but hey, at least there’s lots of trees!
Those grazers in panel 1 sure do have gorgeous deery-ears! ;^)
Nerbert’s Day Off (or, that’s a lotta bull…frog!):
http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/73865636/1/Mal%27s%20Pics?h=736242
Is she important to them, or just handy for their ultimate purpose? Don’t touch that dial! (does anyone know what a dial is these days? lol)
Ok. I confess! You are 100% correct. I am longing to “smush” some paint around (and no– NOT ready to repaint the wraparound deck yet!). I should unsubscribe from Paint Matters, the Winsor Newton newsletter. This week I saw they have GIANT watercolour pans in ceramic holders for sale! I could have painted a 24′x30′ piece with the drool alone. Also I learned that it’s a bad thing to re-wet the tube paints once they’ve dried as they lose the special properties they have during the drying process, but the pan paints are formulated differently… *sigh*
Yes, their Deery-ears are quite lovely. Their ears are pretty nice, too, though always seem to be somewhat overlarge for their heads.
I got it! ;`D <3
Thanks for posting a still pic of your Bullfrog scoop this weekend! Such a handsome fellow! I swiped it and it now resides in my Frogs references folder. :`D
I really hope that all of this outside influencing and manipulation is in Aedre’s best interest. I have my fingers crossed.
Me. too, George! *crosses fingers*
(though I think they have their own interests firmly in mind, too. One of them more firmly than the other.)
Where’s an intergalactic translation device when you need one? Maybe in Mal’s upcoming novel “Alien Artifacts”?
Thank you so much for mentioning Forgotten Order!
Aedre’s Firefly looks like a new addition for my reading list ^___^
It’s a pleasure, Christie! I’m honoured. Also its nice to have another female commenting here. <3