Monthly Archives: April 2008

It has a nice beat and I can dance to it

If "Hypno-Hustler" isn't actually related to either "Disco Stu" from "The Simpsons" or "The Dazzler", he at least goes to the same tailor:

Hypno-Hustler

My favorite part of his costume is the big pink guitar. Because nothing says "Dangerous Villain" like Fender's "My Little Pony" series of musical instruments.

(Image ©2006, Marvel Publishing, Inc., from "Marvel Legacy: The 1970's Handbook".)

Random Panel: I do not think that word means what you think it means

Slay him? You mean kill him?

Caption Contest 9: The Poetic Pooch

Come up withe the best, funniest dialog for this caption, and you'll win your very own custom black and white illustration of whatever you like (within reason) from professional illustrator Jeff Hebert!

caption9.jpg

For instance:

Top Balloon: I used to hear dogs talking to me, but now they're writing?!
Bottom Balloon: I'd say he's the smartest dog I ever saw, only he's too stupid to remember you can't read. Pity.

The rules are: 1) No more than three entries per person; 2) Keep it appropriate for a broadcast TV sitcom (i.e. no swearing); 3) leave your entry in the comments to this post.

Good luck everyone!

Caption Contest 8 Winner!

The winner of Caption Contest 8 is ... Coyote!

I shall now do my Kirk impression. KKKKHHHAAAAAAAAANNN!!!!

I always was a sucker for that scene in "Wrath of Khan." Coyote has won a custom black and white illustration of his or her choice, drawn by yours truly. Thanks to everyone who entered; here are a couple of my favorite other entries:

First: The time is now…
Second: IMA CHARGIN’ MAH JACKHAMMAH!

I thought I was clicking on porn…
…but I got Rick-rolled!

Top Balloon: Just because I have this stinkin’ eyepatch, everyone thinks I’m a pirate: Captain Hook, Long John, Blackbead, Abraham Lincoln…
Bottom Balloon: MY NAME IS GREG!!!

If you want to win your very own professional custom illustration, keep an eye out for Caption Contest 9!

Random Panel: Do I get a third choice?

I’m not one, but stick out your wrist or open your MOUTH!

HeroMachine Mini Layout

If you've ever wished you could influence the design of an actual Internet application, now's your chance! I am designing the next generation of HeroMachine Mini-applets and I want to hear from you about what you do and don't want them to be like. The goal is to create one basic frame that can be used for any of these smaller applets by changing just a few pieces of data (and of course drawing all new items).

Here's the latest version of the wireframe (a basic layout without any design elements applied) I am considering for future "HeroMachine Minis" like a Face Maker, Alien Creature Creator, or what have you:

The gray area would be for a 325x250 ad. Below that are general function buttons that affect the overall applet. The only "new" one is the "preview" button, which will remove everything except the current creation, shown full-screen. I might even include some zooming type of feature on that screen. Below that in light green are the various item category buttons (for instance "Headgear", "Undershirt", and so on).

The right side of the applet is for actually creating your image. The row of six small rectangles is for item previews, like you have in HeroMachine 2.5, so you can see a set of items before having to pick one. The currently selected item would be highlighted in white. You can scroll up or down an entire set of six items by clicking either below or above the green scroll button, or more than one set by dragging the scroll button itself. The green arrows at the top and bottom of the scroll bar allow you to scroll the preview boxes up or down one box at a time. Clicking on a preview box will select that item and put it on the dark yellow canvas area, applying the currently selected colors to it.

Below the preview boxes and the canvas area is a row of buttons that let you affect the current item or the entire image. Items can be moved up or down in layers, like in the current HeroMachine 2.5 application. You can clear the current item, clear all items, or clear just the currently selected item. The blue and yellow arrow buttons let you select the next or previous item in the set, acting like the left and right arrows that were previously integrated into the component selection boxes.

Below that row of buttons is the scaling control. This will let you stretch the currently selected item sidways or up and down. You can move the current item around on the canvas by clicking and dragging it.

Finally, to the right of the scaling control is the color selection area. The number of color boxes here is flexible. You can potentially set two different color areas as well as the line color. Selecting a color area tab will set that as the active region.

That pretty much covers it. I'd be delighted to hear any suggestions or concerns you might have about this proposed interface -- features to include that aren't there, features currently there you think would be useless, overall layout, anything goes.

Monday Mashup 9: A Step in Time

Today I'll post another attempt at taking one (and only one) panel from ten randomly selected comic books and making a coherent story out of them. In a bit of a departure, though, this week I'm going for something rather more serious than silly; we'll have to see if it works. With that, buckle your time machine's seatbelts, kids, as we're headed off to the future!

Continue reading

Random Panel: Bad excuses for why you're late for work

I was preparing to deal with the dwarf

Random Panel: High school nerd date flashback

You could use a BATH, too! You smell AWFUL!

Wolverine claws

The Bat iPod was a joke I came up with, but there are people out there who really can and do make very cool replicas of comic book items. Take this guy, for instance, who put together a kick-butt set of Wolverine claws:

Real Life Wolverine claws

Maybe if I send him my Bat iPod brass knuckles he could whip me up a real-life set? I can dream.

Or maybe I should send them to the guy who made the actual set of claws used in the X-Men movie. This article shows how Canadian special effects artist James Gawley crafted the iconic weapons, and the difficulties of translating comic book physics into everyday life. Well worth a weekend read.