News Archives
Going to the Brighton Comic Expo...
Posted on 17/11/2005 at 23:37:39 by MakTheYak...this Sunday. Should be fun! I'm not exhibiting as I thought the tables were a bit pricey and it seemed like a lot of hassle. Not to fret though, as there will certainly be more expos or conventions in the future which I will definitely be exhibiting at.
If anyone wants to meet me there for a chat / drink / Nintendo DS match then feel free to get in touch! Otherwise I'll be mooching about the stalls and chatting to all the other comic bods which should be a lot of fun :)
Better late than even later...
Posted on 10/11/2005 at 01:29:48 by MakTheYakSorry folks yes this is Sunday's strip being posted in the early hours of Thursday. *Sigh* that took a lot more work than I thought it would. Better start thinking about next Sunday's strip now!!
Sketchpads at the ready!
Posted on 05/11/2005 at 17:21:34 by MakTheYakWell it's been a quick week - they've just been shooting by recently. Not sure if it's the shorter days or the ever approaching Christmas period but whatever it is then maybe it could consider slowing down a bit?
Last weekend I went to visit the London Expo which when I last went to it was a show that was kind of dedicated to film, film memorabilia, celebrity signings and a smattering of 'traditional' comics here and there. This time, maybe a year and a half / two years on the emphasis has changed somewhat. The film part was definitely taking a back seat to make way for a new focus - anime. This is definitely the place to be for anime and manga - the place was buzzing and there was just loads of people wandering about in cosplay. I picked up a couple of manga from the Tokyopop stall and a bunch of Japanese sweets from another and throughly enjoyed wandering around the rest of the show.
Met up with an old online friend Matt (aka Darkforce) and watched him take part in the DDR competition which was cool to see. The manga I bought were "Comic Party!" and "Mahoromatic". The first I really enjoyed and I'd definitely recommend it. It's all about what amounts to monthly comicons that they have in Tokyo called Comic Parties (or comipas for short) and an artist's experience as he writes his first manga and sells it there. Maybe one for the artists among us, but it was very good!
The second was good also - about a battle android with just over a year's operational lifespan left who gives up defending the earth (the battle had been won) to persue life as a domestic maid. The reason for this becomes apparent at the end of the first book and the storyline is quite engaging throughout. I have one gripe though. I don't know how accurate this is but I've noticed a lot of manga artists seem to be obsessed with female nudity. Of course I realise that their view about that sort of thing are a bit more liberal in Japan but sometimes I just think 'this is just nudity for the sake of it'. The truth is it often doesn't give anything to the storyline and it's just completely gratuitous. I don't know why this should bother me but it does a bit. Hehe maybe I'm just a big prude. Still a little thing like that isn't going to stop me reading manga. I do find however that the anime versions are often less brazen which is interesting.
OK I've got some good links for you - first up is a neat flip book thing done in flash. You draw your sequence and can play it back. Previous frames it displays in fainter lines so you can trace it and get it pretty accurate, but the best is yet to come! You can save it and then send the link to people to see your animation and then you can click to download an automatically generated PDF which contains a cut out and keep version of your flip book - you can print it and make a physical flip book! Awesome! If I make one I'll be sure to post it here...
Second up is this interesting news article about the upcoming DS wireless hotspots. They will make them free (a good move) and also because they will be piggybacking on the BT OpenZone and The Cloud these hotsopts will be EVERYWHERE! Apparently of all the hotspots in Europe over half will be in the UK. Now while this sucks for everyone else in Europe, here in the UK we'll have it good! I can't wait to get my game on with people all over the country.
Now I just hope they'll make it so we can play over different continents...
Great animation
Posted on 26/10/2005 at 22:47:02 by MakTheYakIf you haven't seen it already, I urge you to check out this animation by cube, a French animation studio who will go a long way if this is anything to go by. It's a short but sweet film about the ups and downs of romance with a catchy backing track. Great stuff!
Also, may I present the cast of Lost as you've never seen them before:
I like their new look, don't you think it suits them? Clearly it was the missing plotline that would have just made the show...
We've moved servers
Posted on 13/10/2005 at 20:24:27 by MakTheYakThat's right - no more Powweb for the shack - there's only so much you can take. I'm now on Rich's server (a friend of mine) and it seems to be smashing!
Of course these things don't come without their problems... the new server is a bit more fussy and up to date than the last one and so there may be a few problems when it comes to submitting forms in various places. If you come across a problem, please let me know! You can get in touch via the contact link or on the forum!
