Curse

Griphyne · Feb 25, 2006, 04:00 PM // 16:00

Last Comic Posted: 8th July 2007
Current Episode: 43

I figured it's about time to update the first post. It's over a year of me doing these, nearly a year and a half. It's about a small guild of people, our guild, and one completely strange and disordered adventure that seems even now unending. We cause trouble as per usual, and Arenanet chase us down and try to make us pay for our crimes against NPC humanity. That's pretty much the basic plot... if there indeed is one...

Do post your comments, and I mean even if you hate it. I know some people really aren't fans of pixel comics, and I'd be the first to admit mine isn't one of the best out there. But post anyway telling me why it sucks, and if you love it, well tell me that too. The only reason I keep doing them is knowing people keep enjoying them.

=============================

Original post as of 2-25-2006 as follows:

Ok, so where do I begin? Basically some time before christmas the idea got into my head that I needed to do something original and creative for our guild. The result was me making a quick comic together whith the main characters we'd all created in game. As a first comic it wasn't bad, but it wasn't excellent, so I went ahead and made a week's worth before I went home for christmas. Since coming back in January it's been about one new stip per week, with the odd excepton.

So after I got to fourteen of the things some people in the guild suggested displaying it for a larger audience, something I had been considering myself since the fifth or sixth strip. Naturally apprehensive of the response it would have outside our own guild I waited until the fifteenth was done, then pushed myself to post them. So here they are. There may be some 'in guild' jokes you might not catch, but for the most part it's all good fun regardless. What else can I say but: enjoy. I look forward to hearing any feedback (even if it is negative).

Comic 1 - The Saga Begins.jpg
Comic 2 - My Desert Farm
Comic 3 - Procuring Storage
Comic 4 - Farmer's Market
Comic 5 - Missing Christmas
Comic 6 - Eggnogged
Comic 7 - Hanging Around
Comic 8 - Alright In The Light Camp
Comic 9 - The Plot Thickens
Comic 10 - Three Headed Surprise
Comic 11 - Death Of A Hydra
Comic 12 - Best Laid Plans
Comic 13 - Judgement Day
Comic 14 - A Weight Of Warriors
Comic 15 - Raising Rurik
Comic 16 - A Dark Force
Comic 17 - Guild Tension
Comic 18 - I've got a Hench
Comic 19 - What's All This A Boat?
Comic 20 - Let Battle Commence
Comic 21 - The Damage Dealer
Comic 22 - A Princely Plan
Comic 23 - War Torn Diagnosis
Comic 24 - With A Prince In The Sails
Comic 25 - Clinical Board-dom
Comic 26 - All In The Head
Comic 27 - Dealing With Death
Comic 28 - Unsober Sailor
Comic 29 - And To The Victor
Comic 30 - Guildies Collide
Comic 31 - Fall From Power
Comic 32 - Jail Birds
Comic 33 - A Tree Issue, A Tree Issue
Comic 34 - Losing The Fat
Comic 35 - The Cold Shoulder
Comic 36 - Crews Control
Comic 37 - Hidden Consequences
Comic 38 - With Extensive Loopholes
Comic 39 - And A Side Order Of Pain
Comic 40 - Needing New Windows
Comic 41 - Good Vibrations
Comic 42 - Like Father, Like Moron
Comic 43 - The Spread

Seren!ty · Feb 25, 2006, 04:26 PM // 16:26

The site is down...

Shadow Zone · Feb 25, 2006, 04:52 PM // 16:52

Great comics! I want more

Yanman.be · Feb 25, 2006, 04:53 PM // 16:53

nice comics...keep up the work

Numa Pompilius · Feb 25, 2006, 06:44 PM // 18:44

Great stuff!
"I've got divine favor in my pants of superior vigor!"

actionjack · Feb 25, 2006, 06:45 PM // 18:45

Good God, Sweet PIXIALS!!!!!

love the fine square blocks on the girls... so sexy~

Very good style, love it very much. How did you draw the 8-bit style characters? I want to learn how too.

Griphyne · Feb 25, 2006, 10:16 PM // 22:16

In constructing character sprites for this I started with some old "Legend Of Zelda: Link To The Past" character sprites, but just extended their height. From that simple character layout I manipulate hair, facial shape, body structure, etc to make a unique character. The terrains I use are very basic recolours from the same game. It's hard to say how I do it, because I've been fooling about with small pixelwork for so long now. Mostly once you've got a general idea of how you want it and a base character to change, recolour, add to and resize it becomes just a matter of trial and error. Things like the hydra take a little longer, but are essentially the same process with less to start from and more image in your head of what you're about to construct.

Oh, I also take and use reference pictures from in game to work from. Usually a clear idea of what or who I'm making makes the process easier. I keep it open as a new image while I make the character sprite, and adjust the sprite accordingly adding as many details as so few pixels will allow. I also aught to mention I resize after making each individual frame by 300%, the actual sprites I work with are actual pixel sizes.

I'm glad people like them. Not that I'm surprised, I just appreciate such positive feedback.

Keep it coming.

Mercury Angel · Feb 25, 2006, 10:41 PM // 22:41

It reminds me a lot of the humour found in 8-bit theatre, despite being higher resolution sprites. It's cute though, and was a nice read.

Symeon · Feb 26, 2006, 08:59 AM // 08:59

I thought I recognised the kind of graphics in those scenes from somewhere!
Link to the Past was an awesome game.

Anyway, extremely good job there man. I love all those pixel characters, and loads of good jokes in there. Looks like you've put a lot of effort into it, 'cos it rocks!

kais · Feb 26, 2006, 12:50 PM // 12:50

nice! great work

i like the whole old gameboy graphic style. nice jokes too.
hmm btw, just asking... is the person who plays the monk such a perv or its just one of those guild jokes?

(dont take this as a insult or something)

Griphyne · Feb 26, 2006, 01:47 PM // 13:47

Since the monk is me...

It's mainly just me making fun of myself. No, I'm not a perv. The Griphyne in the comic just evolved to become a very, very exaggerated version of my character in game.

Gonzo · Feb 26, 2006, 02:37 PM // 14:37

Still loving it

Haroldinium · Feb 26, 2006, 05:22 PM // 17:22

mabey you should make a game out of it, in a retro pokemon style. lol it could go in the activities section. i would love to see that

actionjack · Feb 26, 2006, 05:37 PM // 17:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griphyne

In constructing character sprites for this I started with some old "Legend Of Zelda: Link To The Past" character sprites, but just extended their height. From that simple character layout I manipulate hair, facial shape, body structure, etc to make a unique character. The terrains I use are very basic recolours from the same game. It's hard to say how I do it, because I've been fooling about with small pixelwork for so long now. Mostly once you've got a general idea of how you want it and a base character to change, recolour, add to and resize it becomes just a matter of trial and error. Things like the hydra take a little longer, but are essentially the same process with less to start from and more image in your head of what you're about to construct.

Oh, I also take and use reference pictures from in game to work from. Usually a clear idea of what or who I'm making makes the process easier. I keep it open as a new image while I make the character sprite, and adjust the sprite accordingly adding as many details as so few pixels will allow. I also aught to mention I resize after making each individual frame by 300%, the actual sprites I work with are actual pixel sizes.

I'm glad people like them. Not that I'm surprised, I just appreciate such positive feedback.

Keep it coming.

oh.. and what program do you use? I tried it in Photoshop before, but it is not really efficient.

Griphyne · Feb 26, 2006, 06:00 PM // 18:00

A game out of it... interesting... very interesting.

I use Picture Publisher for all my artwork. This isn't to say other programs aren't better, I'm sure they are. Having said that, my experience of photoshop is so small that I wouldn't be able to give much assistance at all on how to use it for pixels.

Picture Publisher works well enough for me. I find that it's been capable of everything I've asked of it, and I've had it some time now. Before that I used to use a very old program called Photofinish for all my small pixelwork, but annoyingly that doesn't run on XP. Surprisingly enough, Paint might actually be a damn fine place to start. Zoom in to 8X view and it becomes a decent workplace. To each his own I suppose. As long as the program allows you to close in, copy and paste areas and use a 1 pixel brush without hassle they should be pretty good.

With any luck the next strip should be up by the same time tomorrow or tuesday. It honestly depends how tired I am from Uni, but it's half done already. All I need is to settle for an hour or so and it'll be complete, but easier said than done.

kais · Feb 26, 2006, 11:15 PM // 23:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griphyne

Since the monk is me...

It's mainly just me making fun of myself. No, I'm not a perv. The Griphyne in the comic just evolved to become a very, very exaggerated version of my character in game.

stupid I didnt see that before

anyway thanks for answering, what you said was what I had in mind

even though I asked

Sinborn · Feb 27, 2006, 02:06 AM // 02:06

+Makes love with the comic, dirty, nasty, raunchy love.+

Griphyne · Feb 27, 2006, 06:30 PM // 18:30

^ I'm going to take that as a positive response. Unless it's meant to be literal... in which case it's just creepy.

Episode 16 is complete and up. It's been added to the list in the first post, but I'll post the url here as well for convenience.

Comic 16

Davedefiant · Feb 27, 2006, 10:45 PM // 22:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griphyne

A game out of it... interesting... very interesting.

god, dont give him anymore ideas, or he'll completely forget about the comic, believe me, i kno this guy >.<

oh, and one thing...I'm not fat!!

Goats17 · Feb 27, 2006, 10:54 PM // 22:54

ROFLMFAOTIP, thats a great comic.
"Oh, bugger. Didn't think of that."
LOL