The Curse

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It was a real, um, experience creating this one.  Illustrator crashed on me about six times, the first time making me lose about half of my work on the first panel.  I really only have myself to blame for that one, for not hitting that Ctrl+S sooner and more frequently, but I could have sworn that I did.  For some reason it got really angry with me when I tried to manipulate Rex's boots after they were completely rendered.  I could move them in any direction, but if I tried to scale them or alter them in any way... immediate crash.  Weird.

Don't worry, I won't go on a tangent about how paper and pencils don't "crash."  But I thought about it.

I don't want to talk too much about this strip, because I don't want to give anything away on accident, but if you've been following the comic, none of what transpires above should come as a surprise... well, except for perhaps Raine's new behavior toward Aiden. I remarked to my wife that it's kind of funny that the last few times I've drawn Raine, she hasn't been angry.  I almost forgot how to draw her not angry.

I'm determined not to make the amnesiac angle too cliche'.  Generally, when someone writes a story or whatever and uses the amnesia angle, it feels really uninspired.  I don't want my stuff to come off like that.  I've got some pretty cool ideas on how I'm going to play with it.

It Comes to a Head

I worked on this on pretty much the entire day.  I thought I was trying to get these done quicker!  Still, I'm really happy with how it turned out.  

You can look at this strip and compare it to pretty much any strip prior, and see how much better it looks.  Why?  Because I Photoshopped it.  Sure, I put considerable effort into shadowing and line-work, and my style has gravitated even further toward my comic roots as I continue to undo the damage caricaturing did to my art-style, but aside from those things, I literally just moved a couple sliders around in Photoshop and got this amazing finished product.  It's really quite sad, but that's how the game is played.  You don't actually have to be very talented to make something look amazing in Photoshop.  Artists these days, or what passes for artists, can perform in a couple clicks what it would take a skilled traditional artist a lot of forethought and technique to accomplish.

So why did I use Photoshop on it?  Because it made the strip look better, and what's more, you can no longer include yourself in the world of professional artists if you don't know how to use Photoshop.  It's really very unfortunate.  But being that I don't enjoy painting (and I'm not particularly good at it), and having to produce artwork so quickly, it's the only logical option.

I'd love to draw this stuff by hand and just go to town with some Prismacolor markers, but that just isn't in the budget.  I mean, we're talking like 4 bucks a marker.  Sucks to that.

Maybe I shouldn't belittle my efforts.  It's probably a bad idea.  I don't want other people to know how easy it is to make things look amazing in Photoshop, because the world needs more artists; the real kind.

When not drawing or house-cleaning (and sometimes during house-cleaning), I've been watching a lot of programs lately involving people travelling to all corners of the Earth, doing astonishing things and seeing amazing places.  And up until recently, I had become once again heavily embroiled in Skyrim.

I realized I was trying to live vicariously through these people (and these characters).

There's still so, so much beauty left in the world, and I want very badly to experience it firsthand, but to do so requires money and freedom from obligations, both of which I have in short supply.

I still haven't given up hope that I'll soon be relocating, where I can live a life that more closely resembles my ideal one.  But I think about Kyoto and British Columbia and the Himalayas and the Alps and New Zealand, and I get very sad, because I know I'll never see them.

God, but I get mopey, don't I?  Sorry.  Occasionally I remember that this is a blog page, and I just start dumping out all the stuff that's been weighing heavily on my brain.

No more of that.  Gotta keep it professional.  Stiff upper lip, and all that.

Please help spread the Super U. love and share stuff with your friends, especially the geeky ones.

Chapter 3 Begins... Now!

Clickify to Enlargicate

It's been a long time... but Chapter 3 is here!  

Thanks to all of you for your patience, especially to those of you who watched and shared the movies and stayed tuned during the hiatus.

After you read the comic, remember to vote for Super U. in the Top Web Comics 100.  That button to the left over there.  It's at number #896 right now, and there's only 12 days left to vote on it!  I don't, like, win anything, but it would be pretty good exposure and nice to have as bragging rights.

While you're at it, you can Like the comic on Facebook, too.  The button right above the last button.

And since we're on the topic of things you should do, you should also browse my wares in the Super U. Store or check out my book.  If there's any merchandise you want to see that I don't offer, tell me what you're interested in seeing and I can probably make it for you.  Also, I believe starting tomorrow, all the prices in the Super U. Store have will drop again.

So, yesterday was my daughter's first day of kindergarten... her first day of school of any kind, really.  I'm already tired of talking about it, but it seemed to go pretty well (on her end, anyway).  It was a strange sensation, yesterday, being home alone with my dog and cat and nobody else.  I've been the one home with her in the daytime for the majority of the last 5 1/2 years, and for the last several months I've been a "stay-at-home dad."  I took the opportunity to finish the comic, so I wouldn't have to be up all night finishing it like I've done in the past.  Today... I don't know.  I suppose I should clean things?  I do have to go grocery shopping.  It will be strange doing so and not misplacing my daughter every five minutes.

I was considering taking this opportunity to get a new job, but I'm not sure.  I would only have something like 5 hours to work, and that's if the job was close (and the only things close are chain restaurants and frickin' WalMart, none of those job being in any way desirable).  But there is a library in town; maybe I'll see if they need some help.

I'll be busy with the comic again, but I'm going to go ahead and say that I'm still open to do any commission work, if you guys are interested.  Contact me, and we can discuss details.  You can even pay via the Donate button here on the site.  Also, if you buy a book, send it to me and I'll sketch on the first page for you and then send it back to you.

Super U. Strip #76: Archrival - Part 4

Here's the last three movies!  They've been a ton of fun to make, and they gave me the time needed to put together ideas for Chapter 3 while still putting out some content.  I had hopes I could drum up a small YouTube audience with these, but no such luck.  For the most part, not even some of my regular readers seem to watch them (but some of you do, of course, and I thank you profusely).  So, while they've been fun, I don't think I'll be doing them anymore.  That, and I've about exhausted my iTunes music library making them.

Next Tuesday, Chapter 3 begins!  The very first strip will be done in Illustrator as usual, but after that point they will all be done (hopefully) in Manga Studio.  That means they will have a different look, one that will more closely-resemble my hand drawn artwork, and with any luck that will be a good thing.  The reason for the art-style switch should become apparent on Thursday, because, as I've done several times before, I'm incorporating the style-shift to accompany the story.  Beyond that, I can say no more... you'll just have to wait and see.

Seriously though, you guys, I need help.  If you don't want to buy merchandise or whatever, I'm totally cool with that.  I'm not keen on soliciting my friends, anyway.  But it's free to share the comic with your friends.  And all of you goomba friends of mine who don't read the comic?  You guys are mean and unsupportive.

I figured out a way to put these directly from YouTube onto the site here at Blogspot again.  Before I would just click "Share to Blogspot," but they removed that option on YouTube (so much for this whole "one-Google thing...).  But I realized if I put the address for the movie directly into the... well, the point is, here they are, more or less how I want them to be.

So, without further ado, I give you the Archrival: Part 4,5 and 6!

Super U. Strip #77: Archrival - Part 5

...And another.

...But wait, there's more!

Super U. Strip #78: Archrival - Part 6

The conclusion of Chapter 2, and likely the last of the Super U. movies!

See you back here on Tuesday as Chapter 3 of the comics strips begin!  Thanks for all of your support! - Matt

Super U. Strip #73: Archrival - Part 1

Super U. Strip #63: Presage

Super U. Strip #61: The Prodigal Son

Super U. Strip #58: The Jump-Off

Super U. Strip #59: Retribution

Super U. Strip #57: Eulogy

Super U. Strip #52: The Caged Birdo

Super U. Strip #53: The Exchange

New Movies, New Guest Art from Mason Wimmer!

Once again Mason has graced the virtual pages of Super U. with this sweet, sweet E.P.I.C. pic.  He's been working like a madman on lots of stuff for me, and I can't wait to show you more!  Click on it to enlarge.  And click on his name in the tag cloud to see more of his amazing stuff!

Also, have you checked out the Super U. Store yet?  My mom bought this for my dad for Father's Day!  Buy some merch and send me a pic of you with it and I'll put it up on the site.

Also, new movies!  Check them out below.  Don't forget to subscribe to the Super U-Tube Channel, and when I don't forget to post them the night before like I did last night, you'll get to see them early!

Are you sick of me promoting this shit yet?  I'm sick of it.  But I must persevere.

Seriously though, buy some stuff.

Last but not least, I've made a lot of progress on the Super U. book.  I decided it's going to be a compilation of Chapters 1 and 2 (everything strip so far).  I'll keep you posted.

Archrival: Part 6

***Read the comic before the blog!  There be spoilers below.***

So, cliffhanger.

But there you have it!  The 78th strip, and the end of Chapter 2!  Super U. has its first villain, the aging criminal mastermind Rex Ruthless, and our protagonist gets his head punched off.

I told you you'd hate me after this strip.  I hope I have left you adequately hanging.  

If you've been following the strip, you may be slightly less confused as to why I would have my protagonist get his head punched off.  But even if you have, you know this is still a cause for concern...

So, starting this Thursday, Chapter 2 is starting over in YouTube form, just like I did at the end of Chapter 1.  Assuming all goes well, I'm going to be putting up four videos a week; 2 on Tuesday and 2 on Thursday.  I'll still keep doing Walters Files every Saturday.  

I'm still looking into ways to create my own music for the movies (so I can monetize them); if any of you have any recommendations for me as far as a good music program to use that's free and doesn't have any license restrictions, I'd love to hear them.

I had promised significantly cooler movies this time around, but I've run into some problems.  But even if stuff doesn't work out the way I'd like, I'll still be posting them.

During the hiatus, I'm going to try and get a hang of this Manga Studio program.  If all goes well, I'll be using that to draw the strips starting with Chapter 3.

What else?  Oh yeah, I'll be exploring merchandise possibilities.  Right now I'm thinking T-shirts, and a good friend of mine suggested stickers / magnets, which I think is a swell idea.  Already have a few ideas for what to put on them...

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your continued support while I get ready for Chapter 3!  And if you're new to Super U., stick around!  It's only getting better.

-Matt

Archrival: Part 5

Next week: The dramatic conclusion of Chapter 2!  This week: More patagia humor! I can't let a good joke go.  Seriously though, how in the name of rational physics does Namor fly with those things?  How do they even help him swim better? 

I'll save most of my wrap-up banter for next week, but I just wanted to say getting through Chapter 2 has been quite the experience, most of it positive.  Things may not be progressing as quickly as I'd like, but they are progressing, and I have you all to thank for that.  Well, you and all the damn money I've been spending on advertising and crap.  Honestly though, there were a few times I thought about hanging it up, but each of those times somebody new expressed their enjoyment of the comic, and that kept me going.  Please continue to give me feedback!  I need to know I'm not doing this just for myself.

I don't plan on the hiatus between Chapters 2 and 3 being very long.  I have a lot to do in between, but I will endeavor to work just as hard as I work on the comics to get those things done, and I will continue to bombard you with content in the meantime.  That's a promise.

Archrival: Part 4

I did warn you about the change of atmosphere.

Only two strips left until the dramatic conclusion of Chapter 2.  And when I say dramatic, what I mean is you will hate me for the ending I have planned.

Also, *gasp!* An establishing shot?  Varying panel sizes? This comic is getting all professional and stuff.

Not much to report other than that, though.  I've been stuck in the house for a while because my car's got a flat and we're broke. It's nuts out here in Touristopolis for the long weekend, anyway. 

We tried to take the kid out to have some fun this last Sunday at one of those bounce-house places, only to discover upon our arrival that the place was closed.  That went over as well as you might imagine.  Looking into it, I saw that there is a possibility the place is closed while one of their employees is being investigated for something to do with child pornography, so it's probably just as well she couldn't go.

It turned out all right in the end, though.  We took her to a place she could ride on a Ferris Wheel for the first time, and she decided she wanted me to take her on the go-carts, which was pretty bad-ass because A.) my five-year-old daughter loves driving fast in a go-carts B.) I got to drive a go-cart.

But that's all I've got for now.  Thanks for coming to the site, and please share the comic with your friends using one of those handy-dandy social media butttons there.

The Walters Files: E.P.I.C.

I had to get this one out before I put out any more strips.  E.P.I.C. is going to be a big part of the next chunk of story.

Archrival - Part 1

This is the first strip of six that ends in the conclusion of Chapter 2.  There's going to be a big change of pace and a difference in atmosphere going on here, and I really hope you all enjoy them just as much.

I'm trying to find ways to shave time off my drawing, so I tried a trick in the second panel that I've seen done in comics like Penny Arcade and PVP.  I don't think it worked out too well actually, but I'm not giving up on it yet; I'll keep toying with ideas to see what works.

So, one of the artists on Strip Search just wrapped up a month-long Kickstarter campaign, in which the result was she made over $86,000 to make a webcomic.  To me this is both awe-inspiring and makes me very sad.  Granted, she had the bonus of having a strong following because of the show, but when you think about the fact that she had just over 1,000 backers, well... I mean, realistically I could get 1,000 followers without the benefit of a reality show, couldn't I?

Kickstarting is something I plan to do in the future, but as of right now I simply don't think anyone would back me.  Ideally I'd first like to have a stronger fan-base to appeal to, but getting to that point has been very difficult.  I need new marketing tricks.

When Chapter 2 comes to a close, I'm going to be just as busy with the comic, if not more so.  I'll be working on improving the Super U-Tube movies and finding ways to monetize them.  I'll be teaching myself a new art program.  I'll be working on compiling Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 into book form, so that when it comes time to start setting up at conventions, I'll actually have some shit to sell.  Oh yeah, and I'll be writing Chapter 3.  

But just like the last "hiatus," I'll be posting new content at least twice a week, and this time I'll continue putting up new Walters Files on Saturdays as well.  I won't leave ya'll hangin.'