KDog

Wow, just WOW. You're my hero, Batbrick! I wonder how much this set would cost if sold by Lego?

I just started using PNG format for the comics, which I discovered looks much crisper. But I'm mad at myself because I only saved the previous 55 comics in JPEG format, which becomes a little grainy because of the compression. Comparing the two, I now realize how crappy JPEG is; I was just using it out of habit because it was the standard for years. The problem is that I don't have the first 55 comics saved in an uncompressed format, so they exist only in subpar JPEG. The only way I could fix that would be to take the original images from the camera, all of which I do have saved, and recreate those 55 comics. But that' a huge undertaking. If I ever do somehow do a book collecting the comics, I'd be screwed. Darn it, I hate JPEG. I don't think there's a way to decompress files, but is there a software tool that can take JPEG files and make them look better?

Reflecting Backwards (Part 2): http://www.drunkduck.com/Lego_Space/?p=420108

Yeah, I don't think the later versions of the Twilight Zone captured the magic of the original series. I think Rod Serling was integral to that, as was being in black and white, which was important to the mood. Thans for the comment on the photography. The arched windshield of the AERO-Module does create a nice effect, when I leave it on, anyway. I have to remove it for some shots. The backgrounds are found images that I manipulate. I try to stay away from pop culture of the moment, but do tend to reference pop culture that has been around awhile and would be recognized by most people, such as the Indiana Jones movies. The Lost reference doesn't depend on any knowledge of that series; it's just there and stands alone if you don't recognize it. Next week's comics, though, well, they involve some real people, but once again are people that most anyone would know something about.

While I didn't consciously impart a Twilight Zone vibe, I am a HUGE fan of that series and I guess it shows. :) A lot of the comics do consciously pay tribute (or rip off) various shows, movies and books that I like. I just started watching the show Lost a couple of weeks ago, have already viewed all of the first season and am about to move on to the second season. I already have a reference to that series in an upcoming strip, lol.

Reflecting Backwards (Part 1): http://drunkduck.com/Lego_Space/index.php?p=418307

I'll check that out, CP, thanks!

Yeah, his brain just went there right away by accident because it's a territory he knows so well. :)

Yeah, I still struggle with the straight-line tool being jagged. You can see it in every comic in the arrows coming from the speech boxes. I haven't figured out how to make it look better. Maybe if I had a better paint program, but I'm not spending $$$$ on Photoshop, and to be honest, I'm really comfortable with what I use (Paintshop). I just don't like that it's hard to get smooth diagonal lines. Maybe if a different program allowed it and that's all I did in it, I don't know.

Wow, someone who doesn't know what Blacktron is. They don't know what they're missing, but on the other hand is in for a treat! Good review, Inertia. I know what you mean; The translucent neon green parts really glow under the camera lens. It's eerie and awesome. I love how Blacktron II (and Space Police I, for that matter) incorporate modular elements that can be switched back and forth. The Blacktron II Alpha Centauri Outpost includes an extra pod and docking port. I love the design of the Allied Avenger, but I think one fan made it even better with an MOC of a modern version of it. I saved pix to my other computer but can't find the thread on here are Classic-Space.com!

Told you I'd catch up! Crossing Paths (Part 4): http://drunkduck.com/Lego_Space/index.php?p=417780

Not that I wouldn't include gay characters, but the two astronauts in the ATV are male and female - Bruce and Cheryl. I know, Cheryl doesn't have the typical female minifig face. But then again, do the basic Lego smiley faces really suggest any gender? Thank you for the compliment on the camera angles. I realized as I was putting the comics in this storyline together that the pictures came out pretty well. While using the laptop screen (which is much smaller than the TV screen) limits me, I think it forces me to come up with creative angles and to also get in tighter, which might make for better shots. I also have more control over the lighting when I use the laptop, since I can move it around, as opposed to the TV, which I'm just not lugging around the house. Yes, Schwartz is supposed to meet Valkyrie soon. However, there's a bunch of comics I want to fit in in-between, so time is going to be compressed a bit. I'm not putting it off to torture anyone, but there's a couple stories I need to get in first for reasons that will make sense later. And some of the stories in between I can't shoot at the moment for various reasons, so there's a couple others I'm slotting in there until it all works out. I'm also going on vacation for a week at the end of the month, so I'm trying to shoot a couple week's worth of comics in a short period of time now, hence I'm tailoring them so they're not complex photo shoots, so there won't be a week without comics. Off the top of my head: next week is a Galanos solo story (which is a first); next up is really strange Schwartz story, as could only happen to him; then we spend some time with M:Tron; following that is a story that really digs into the UFO thing; then a story about Schwartz' robot; and then, FINALLY, is the story of the big date. What can I say, it's a busy week within the comic. ;-)

Verwaand and Valkyrie have been rivals since the very first comic. Verwaand was laughing evilly because he just set her up to get arrested. And Officer Freundlich cut a deal in order to catch a bigger criminal; cops do it all the time. And he has an even bigger beef with Valkyrie than Verwaand does. I guess I wrote today's comic forgetting that not everyone may remember all the relationships between the characters.

Was this set released worldwide? Or was it an exclusive of some sort?

Finally! Crossing Paths (Part 3) is up: http://www.drunkduck.com/Lego_Space/?p=417643

Oh, that was you suggested the ATV joke, CP! Thanks! It was awhile back and I couldn't recall who said it, and I was too lazy to check back. :) I think that outside of the Monorail and the Stardefender 200, the Futuron stuff is in pretty low demand. Not sure why. I always loved the theme, although I do have to admit that as cool as the new minifigs and colors were, the ships weren't as appealing as some of the stuff in Classic Space. Inertia, I'm happy to have played a part in reviving your love of space. I enjoyed your Sub-Orbital Guardian review; it's funny, because I totally forgot that set existed. Looks like a space helicopter. I hope Blacktron and Space Police get revived, although I think that kind of happened with Star Justice and Space Skulls. Star Justice, at least, is very much like the newest version of Space Police.

Awesome! So you now have your very own Schwartz, Gemini twins and Lt. Verwaand figures! ;-) Check Bricklink for the AERO-Module. I just looked and there's several of that set for sale. There's even a complete set for under $10 (not including shipping). It can generally be easily had for under $20; not one of the more sought after, rarer models, I guess. Those prices are America dollars; just wanted to give you an idea of the cost. I really look forward to your reviews, and I'm always happy to have my comic mentioned. :) BTW, I apologize that updates are running a little slow this week. I'll likely get them up on Friday and Saturday. In my free time yesterday, I ended up writing the scripts for the next three weeks and plotting out some basics for the next several storylines after that. I'm finally getting to the point where some of the big story events I've had planned for some time for this "season" of comics are coming to fruition. Keep your eye out for some characters you haven't seen for awhile and have asked for, in situations you probably did not expect them in. ;-)

Inertia (and others), let me ask you something. I might need to fix a panel in today's comic, because I'm not sure how confusing it was. I was meaning to show Commander Valkyrie stealing the old mobile lab in flashback, which happened in the DACTA storyline. I thought it was clear through the dialog that it was a flashback, but a poster in another forum told me it was a tad confusing since it looked like that was happening in the present. He suggested making that panel black and white, which I might do. It just means deleting the current page and replacing it with the corrected comic, as there's that glitch I mentioned on the host site where you can't update a new image without redoing the whole page it's on. So, was it confusing? :)

Another classic Space set gets its introduction proper in today's comic. Crossing Paths (Part 2): http://drunkduck.com/Lego_Space/index.php?p=415399

The Agents toys seem so 1990s to me, reminding me of the kind of action figures popular back then. I do love the trans-orange rock walls!

Today's comic introduces a Classic Space set that has always been one of my favorites due to its sheer strangeness: http://drunkduck.com/Lego_Space/index.php?p=413294

EDIT: I decided to rewrite the text in the last panel, since I don't think I made my intent clear in the original version. Drunk Duck has a glitch right now where you can't replace image files without deleting the old page and making a new one, so the 50th comic can now be seen here: http://www.drunkduck.com/Lego_Space/?p=412782

I wasn't thinking of that specifically. I just was presenting this vague images of a bunch of drunk guys riding around in a wheelbarrow with a rocket engine strapped to the back. Batbrick, I had different thoughts about what to do for the 50th comic. The first thing I had planned was to make a couple of comics that finally presented the cast of characters and bios for each, filling in some of the blanks. But I decided to hold off on that, since most readers know who most of the characters are. The second thing I was going to do was make the 50th comic what will now be 51st, but it's not necessarily special, just an idea for a joke I've had for a long time and like. The next storyline will touch on several different characters, so that should be fun. But I decided in the end that while 50 was a nice accomplishment in terms of creating webcomics, it wasn't as great as reaching 100 or 500, so I just went with another comic that took place in the bar, where one of the best received stories to date took place, and have it be celebratory in nature (with the drunken antics). But it was a comic that was planned anyway, even if not #50.

I'll have to check it out. Truth is, there's a lot of great drinking songs!

Today's comic is the 50th one I've done. Yay, milestone! First Field Assignment: http://drunkduck.com/Lego_Space/index.php?p=412319 EDIT: Inertia, you're ahead of the game! Glad you've enjoyed the series thus far.