Monthly Archives: August 2011

META: How to post images from various sources

Posted on August 15, 2011 by | Comments Off on META: How to post images from various sources

When you're posting an image of your character to this blog (like for a contest), please post a link directly to your image and not to a jump page. Here's how you do that for the various services.

ImageShack

To the right of your ImageShack image is this box, titled "Links to Share This Image":

You want to use the URL in the "Direct Link" box. You do NOT want to use the URL from your browser's address bar. The former takes you to the image and only the image, while the latter loads up all the ImageShack stuff that goes around it.

Good: http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/6329/leomm.jpg (From the "Direct Link" box in "Links to Share This Image" box.) 
Bad: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/4/leomm.jpg/# (From the browser URL)
Bad: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/4/leomm.jpg/ (From the "Link" box in "Links to Share This Image" box.)

PhotoBucket

To the right of your PhotoBucket image is a box labeled "Share this photo":

You want the link from the box labeled "Direct Link", not the one from the browser's address bar or the one from the box labeled "Email and IM". The former takes you to the image and only the image, while the latter loads up all the PhotoBucket stuff that goes around it.

Good: http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx260/hastur1/Hero_Machine/cavalier.jpg (From the "Direct Link" box.)
Bad: http://media.photobucket.com/image/heromachine/hastur1/Hero_Machine/cavalier.jpg?o=189 (From the browser's address bar.)
Bad: http://media.photobucket.com/image/heromachine/hastur1/Hero_Machine/cavalier.jpg?o=189 (From the box labeled "Email and IM".)

PicasaWeb

PicasaWeb is not one of the preferred image hosts for this site. However, if you want to use it, please right-click on the image and choose "Copy Image URL" from the flyout menu:

Good: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HkpI-oBLspE/ThzQBQMpO3I/AAAAAAAADx8/52YwBH9XzKk/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg (From right-clicking the image and choosing "Copy Image URL" from the flyout.)
Bad: https://picasaweb.google.com/110582698825637617540/Illustrations?authkey=Gv1sRgCLea29PPkPPaxwE#5628602354252725106 (From the browser's address bar.)
Bad: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8-no1oyz2HnpccqCZQzfCg0SVwt_GzEs7LqBcwS4Hj4?feat=directlink (From the "Link to this photo" box over on the right side.)

Facebook

Facebook is the least preferred image host for this site. However, if you have to use it, make sure you set the image's properties to "public" or else I can't see it no matter what you do. To do that, edit the album you're going to use for your HeroMachine images and choose "Edit Album". In the dropdown labeled "Privacy", choose "Everyone" like this:

Since in February Facebook instituted their new JavaScript photo scroller, I can't figure out how to get a direct link. I know AJW still uses the direct method, so if you're willing to chime in via comments on how you do it, I'd appreciate it.

Deviant Art

Deviant Art is the home to a lot of mature illustrators. When looking at your image, in the right hand column is this set of links:

Right-click on the "Download Image" link, and choose "Copy Link Location" or "Copy Target Link", however it shows in the popup menu.

Comments Off on META: How to post images from various sources

Posted in Meta

Never saw a sailor he couldn’t lick.

Posted on August 15, 2011 by | Comments Off on Never saw a sailor he couldn’t lick.

(Via Comically Vintage.)

Comments Off on Never saw a sailor he couldn’t lick.

Posted in Daily Random Panel

I’ll take “Disturbing hip-thrusts” for $1000, Alex

Posted on August 14, 2011 by | Comments Off on I’ll take “Disturbing hip-thrusts” for $1000, Alex

(From "Fantastic Comics" number 16, 1941.)

Comments Off on I’ll take “Disturbing hip-thrusts” for $1000, Alex

Posted in Daily Random Panel

Power User Profile: Vampyrist

Posted on August 13, 2011 by | Comments Off on Power User Profile: Vampyrist

Vampyrist is one of the first HM creators who I thought had a distinctive "style"; before that, I hadn't realized that the same set of drawings could be manipulated in such a way to even have a style. But I can always tell a Vampyrist illustration immediately, which I think is very cool. So without further ado, here's more about the unique eye behind the Vampyrist!
Continue reading →

Comments Off on Power User Profile: Vampyrist

Posted in Power User Profiles

Racist Cthulu’s creepy come-on

Posted on August 13, 2011 by | Comments Off on Racist Cthulu’s creepy come-on

(From "Fantastic Comics" number 16, 1941, a year in which it's not racism if you put it in quotes.)

Comments Off on Racist Cthulu’s creepy come-on

Posted in Daily Random Panel

Open bids on unclaimed contest prizes

Posted on August 12, 2011 by | Comments Off on Open bids on unclaimed contest prizes

A number of people who have won prizes never got back to me on what they wanted as their prize. But their loss might be your gain! In the comments to this post, please suggest replacement prize items that would go into HeroMachine 3. Submissions with links to images showing what you mean are particularly helpful. I'll compile the best submissions into a poll starting next week and everyone will be able to vote on what they'd most like to see.

The currrently unclaimed prizes are:

Caption Contests:

  • 83 Bob Loblaw
  • 84 Larkin
  • 93 Boomcow2
  • 94 Patrick
  • 97 Patrick
  • 99 Gargoyle323

Character Contests:

  • 32 Vigilante
  • 42 Morzan

If you're one of those, let me know ASAP so you can claim your prize.

Whoever I don't hear from by next Friday will have their prize thrown into the general pool.

Comments Off on Open bids on unclaimed contest prizes

Posted in Challenge Prizes, Challenges, HeroMachine 3

HM3: Gun blade

Posted on August 12, 2011 by | Comments Off on HM3: Gun blade

I've finally uploaded Tool's prize for winning Caption Contest 96 -- the following gun blade, available now in ItemRight-Pistols. Hope you like it, Tool, and that everyone gets some use out of it!

Comments Off on HM3: Gun blade

Posted in Caption Challenges, Challenge Prizes, Challenges, HeroMachine 3

Open Critique Day #24

Posted on August 12, 2011 by | Comments Off on Open Critique Day #24

Sorry for the late start -- one of our Border Collie dogs broke her leg and we had to run her to the vet. All's well now (well, except for the huge splint on her leg!), though, so on with Open Critique Day!

If you have a HeroMachine illustration or another piece of artwork you've done that you'd like some help with, post a link to it in comments along with your thoughts on it -- what you think is working, what you're struggling with, etc. I will post my critique of the piece, hopefully giving some tips on how to improve it.

Of course everyone is welcome to post their critiques as well, keeping in mind the following rules:

  • Make sure your criticism is constructive. Just saying "This sucks" is both rude and unhelpful without giving specific reasons why you think it sucks and, ideally, some advice on how to make it better.
  • Each person should only post one illustration for critique to make sure everyone who wants feedback has a chance.
  • I will not critique characters entered in any currently running contest, as that doesn't seem fair to the other entrants. You can still post it if you like for the other visitors to critique, but I will not do so.

That's it! Hopefully we can get some good interaction going here and help everyone (me included!) learn a little bit today.

Comments Off on Open Critique Day #24

Posted in Open Critique Day

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s tower?

Posted on August 11, 2011 by | Comments Off on Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s tower?

In our last adventure, we were confronted with an angry six-man party of the local constabulary, and faced a decision about whether to fight manfully (wolfily?) on, or flee out the back door. Apparently discretion is the heart of valor, because we voted to fly! The question now is, what is the best way to run away. If only we could ask Sir Robin.

Now, this doesn't sound like a very interesting decision on which to vote. And it sounds like that because it's not. So I am going to pull rank and call it for Sparky the Wonder Horse. That's just how I roll as a country boy. That leads us to:

Another fascinating decision to make that both enhances our understanding of our character and promises non-stop fun! It's these seemingly innocuous, totally random choices that make these books so fun. Because there's nothing like a pointless decision that leads to your immediate and unavoidable death. Good times.

Again, this isn't a very interesting decision point so I assigned left to 1-4, right to 5-9, and used our Random Number chart. The gods have sent us "right".

Aha! An actual, non-random action to take! So now we must choose whether to enter the tower, or ignore it and search for a trail. Smoke's coming from the building so we know someone is there. However, since half the people we've met so far have tried to kill us, maybe that's a Bad Thing. On the other hand, our record of navigating wilderness isn't exactly stellar, as evidenced for the fact that somehow, while riding a horse, we managed to lose an entire road that had, for at least part of it, big huge road signs pointing the way to the next major town.

We definitely do not have the Kai Discipline of Tracking.

So what's your call, intrepid explorer, and why?

[polldaddy poll="5396584"]

Comments Off on Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s tower?

Posted in Lone Wolf: Fire on the Water, RPG Corner

Samson can only ID buildings from underneath

Posted on August 11, 2011 by | Comments Off on Samson can only ID buildings from underneath

(From "Fantastic Comics" number 16, 1941.)

Comments Off on Samson can only ID buildings from underneath

Posted in Daily Random Panel