News Archives
Finally, you can get your own back on that damn frog!
Posted on 21/07/2005 at 19:13:09 by MakTheYakHas it really been that long? Have I really not updated the news for a month? I certainly have been slacking! But I guess that's cos it's been a very busy month for me. Where to start?
How about with the fact I got a new job? Yep that's right I'm no longer working at the University (of Cambridge for those who didn't know, and frankly why should you?), I'm working at the Black Pig Design Co. in Royston. It's been hard work but very enjoyable and quite a change from what I was used to. I'm learning stuff on a daily basis which is awesome!
Second in the big news is that I got a new car! Yay! I have retired the old metro and bought a shiney new Ford Ka which is lovely and goes like a dream! Mmmm feel the power! Here's a quick pic:
People that know me will know I have an unnatural obsession with lemon flavoured Diet Coke. The Lime and Vanilla flavours are also nice although nothing beats the lemon. However, looking at Coke's plans for the next flavour to be infused into a perfectly good can of Diet Coke, this could possibly surpass even the lemon in sheer yumminess!
In the webcomic and general pop culture world you can't have missed the fact that San Diego Comicon has come and gone this year. I think it's time for Roz and I to go along to this thing and so next year we should just shell out on the air fare and do it. What is there to lose? Oh the air fare, that's right. Should be worth it though! It looked awesome, and so many great artists and celebs there it's just unbelieveable!
Of course on the local comic front the Brighton Comic Expo is happening in November and it's shaping up to be a big one. Over 200 stalls and stands (OK OK that's nothing compared to San Diego, but...) should make for one of the biggest of these events the UK has seen, and they are looking to pull in the big media names and hopefully some overseas talent artist-wise as well. Who knows... will we see Penny Arcade come to our shores?
Personally I'm not sure whether to exhibit. Correct me if I'm wrong, but let's face it there's not exactly that many people queuing to meet me so my presence would be mainly to promote myself. But wouldn't I do better spending the money it would take for the table, brochure ad, hotel and meals out, petrol etc etc on an online advert on some more popular webcomic's site where I'm pretty much reaching my target audience directly? Huh? Huh? Again feel free to disagree I'd love to be proved otherwise (although I'm going either way, whether I'm exhibiting or just attending).
Finally, if you have got this far and wondered why this news post is titled the way it is, this is what you wanted to see!
Finally!
Posted on 23/06/2005 at 21:35:39 by MakTheYakWell finally, the strip's up! This was supposed to go up on Sunday but due to various other things going on I couldn't finish it on time. The evenings somehow vanish each night, so it ended up being Wednesday before it was finished! Don't worry, I'll do my best to resume the normal schedule on Sunday...
I made a post which got lost in "the database disaster of 2005" (as it will be known in the future) which explained why this Sunday-style strip is a week late and there are seven (not six) black and whites in between this and the previous. I created the first strip after the previous Sunday-style strip before I had though of the 6 strip story arc, and so it was already published when I started. It was a bit of a goof but I will switch it around at some convenient point in the future so the archives are correct. It will just seem that the next Sunday-style will come a week early, that's all.
We went to a Ben Folds concert on the 16th which was really really great! Ben Folds is as great live as he is ever is (if not better) and if you ever get the chance, I'd recommend seeing him. You can check out some (rather dark) photos here.
Database Disaster on Planet Yak
Posted on 16/06/2005 at 01:08:08 by MakTheYakWell folks, the unthinkable has happened. I lost two weeks worth of data from the database due to some guys working at the hosting company I'm using not thinking.
I asked them two weeks ago to integrate the rather large databases I took from the previous host into my new databases. Not long after I figured out how to do it myself, and so to save waiting I did. And to stop them coming along later and screwing it up by doing the same thing again, I deleted the files needed to do it. I even left them a little not where the files should have been telling them not to bother.
Two weeks on they decide maybe it's time to action that request they got about the databases. But instead of looking at the site, seeing it was working fine, seeing the databases were up to date and full of data, seeing the lack of files and seeing a note... they must have got the backups out and blindly rushed in restoring the two week old data. But they didn't even do that!
It messed up somehow and so only some of the data went in and the rest was just deleted and left blank.
Joy and happiness.
I wouldn't be so upset if it wasn't for the fact that despite advertising daily backups, they weren't working on my account for some reason. Why didn't they take a backup manually before doing anything though? It baffles me.
Anyway, sorry to everyone who signed up, made a comment or really enjoyed the newsposts in the last fortnight. They're gone now, but you can register again or indeed for the first time if you haven't already! And if anyone can remember what my newsposts were about feel free to remind me, because I sure as hell can't remember (especially at 2am).
I'll calm down soon, honest :)
Comic Expo.... great (but late)!
Posted on 20/05/2005 at 20:46:50 by MakTheYakWow this is late! The Bristol Comic Expo was last weekend (14th and 15th May) and was totally cool! I have photos and everything!
I had my comic boolets, of which I sold a fair few, and the badges which were quite popular as well! Then there were the Nintendo DS skins which were the big surprise! Sadly they didn't do too well only selling one in the whole weekend. I realise now that this is probably because the DS is quite new and not so many people have them yet... I should have stuck to SP skins! Never mind, you live and learn. Maybe more people will have a DS by the time the Brighton Comic Expo comes around in November! but more on that later...
So if you've looked at the pictures you will have seen I had a table next to John Uff and Liam Cruse. While I live about 10 minutes drive from John, it was great to meet Liam for the first time and awesome we managed to get tables next to each other!
Sadly as it so often the case I spent far too much money on comics. I have been brought into the respective worlds of Tozzer, Lions, Tigers & Bears and Malcolm Magic with a resounding thud all of which are totally great comics! Also while I was away from the table Roz talked to James who is the creator of a comic called 'Offworlders' which is very funny! You can find that one in the comic collection Attack of the Killer Sherpas! Go read them now... or as soon as you can get hold of them!
There weren't really many web comics there so we three were pretty much making a stand for web comics everywhere... I really hope that there will be more of a web comic presence at Brighton in November which is probably the next expo I'm likely to go to! If you missed Bristol, this will be the one to go for, or so I'm told. They are going the whole hog with this one and will be having not just comics and web comics but animation studios, games companies and a host of other cool exhibitors! Their website is not really very complete yet but it gives you an idea of the proposed scale... I can hardly wait!
In case anyone didn't make it to the Expo (eg you were in another country at the time, dog got sick, the usual story!) then don't worry because very soon I will be making all the lovely merch that I had available at the show availble for purchase via this website (with the help of Paypal). No excuses now!
Anything else I was going to say has kind of slipped my mind right now and so I will just shut up and let you get on with the rest of your day. Thank you so much for taking the time to read! If you would be so kind as to vote I would be most indebted to you!
Au reviour!
Comic Expo looming...
Posted on 04/05/2005 at 23:06:23 by MakTheYakBlimey! It's been almost a month since I updated the news... sorry bout that folks. Good thing the comic is as regular as clockwork (fully wound) or you wouldn't be comimg back to see this newspost!
Well with only 10 days left till the Comic Expo in Bristol I think I'm just about ready... we have teh merch! Let me regail you with all the details of what your money can buy:
First up you have badges! Yay! Everyone loves badges - FACT. If you don't then well you can always start loving badges and be able to consider yourself normal once more. I have drawn four designs specifically for badges and they have been made professionally by a good friend of mine who has the nesecarry facilities. Expect nothing but top notch quality! The greatest thing about badges is they are dead cheap so if you aren't feeling flush enough to blow £16 on a tshirt then it's a nice alternative! Also I have managed to get the use of a portable badge maker for custom jobs, or just for the thrill of seeing your badge made on the spot! You can choose from another set of designs or you can have a custom design drawn by yours truly! How exciting!
We also (as hinted at earlier) have tshirts! Again, brand new design for the expo. Have a look!
If that's something you think you would like to have adorning your no doubt splendid torso then it can be yours for a mere £16! It's really nice quality and the design is printed in vinyl so it will not crack or peel after washing or anything (unless you really pick at it!). I have also brough along 1 (yes one) black Yak Shack tshirt cos that's all I have left! If I run out, or don't have it in your size, then you can always pre-order it from me and I'll get it made to specification!
What else, hmm? Well I'm glad you asked! On sale first at the comic expo will be a fantastic booklet comprising the first 56 Pirates! strips printed in full colour! Obviously the black and white strips are in black and white still, but you know what I mean... It's all colour colour colour! And there's even a pull-out-and-pin-up poster in the center-fold, and character bio's... what more could a punter want? Seriously - if you know, tell me!
Of course I will be there so if you want to come along and talk to me about anything (so long as it isn't obscene... well... TOO obscene) then that will be your chance! And as would seem to be tradition at these sort of things, I will be drawing lots and giving out free sketches. Quite happily I might add! All you need to do is ask... ask and I'll be your sketch bitch. Don't ask and you will never get! Simple but I'm sure so many people would just walk on by without asking because they are too shy or something. So ASK! And give me something to do ;)
Aside from that there will be a few other highly top secret items on sale but you won't find out about those until the day of the event... they are THAT top secret! Rest assured, however, they are very cool and I am very pleased with how they turned out so I hope everyone else will be!
So look at it this way, even if you are skint, you can turn up and get so many things for nothing! You come along and have a nice chat (FREE!). Then I do a little sketch of one of my characters (FREE!) and you get a very chuffed feeling (FREE!). Then I send you packing with a business card (FREE!), a flyer (FREE!) and a yummy sweetie (type yet to be decided, but if they are celebrations and you like the Time Outs - yes you know who you are, you that one person in the country - then you had better come and polish them off cos I don't want to be left with all Time Outs at the end, m'kay?). So it'll be worth your while whether you bring cash or not!
I've been rambling on far too long. I'd just like to say that I have seen the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy film and I thought it was fab. There were others who I know who didn't like it but no one British person has disliked it! It must be one of those British comedy things that foreigners don't get so much. Go see it! It took £4.2 million in the first week so it can't be too bad, especially since 42 is such a relevant number!
Righto I'll update soon to let everyone know the progress of everything... stress levels are dying down now I have to booklet done and so things are settling down to a reasonable level of chill... nice...
