HM3: Coats soothe, relieve

I've just added the complete "TopsMaleCoats" to the HeroMachine 3 Alpha. I've broken each item down into four parts -- the complete item, just the chest portion, just the upper sleeve, and just the lower sleeve, as you can see in the samples below:

tops-coats

You can use the "multiples" setting and the "Flip" button to get matching sleeves on the other side. Some of the HM2.x items aren't here yet, as they were just vests, and I'll have a separate "TopsVests" set at some point.

At the end, I added in four elbow pieces that hopefully are generic enough to serve as "bridges" between sleeve portions for when you want to have a character with bent arms. Similarly, in the middle portion I added a few separated trenchcoat bits (one pulled back at the waist as if tucked behind a gun, one long vest portion just on the right, etc.) sine those seem like popular choices and mix well with the existing trenchcoat sleeves.

Let me know any bugs you find, missing items you hoped for but don't see, or anything else you want to say about the new bunch of stuff. Also, what would you like me to work on next? Popular suggestions in the past have been more hand-held items (probably either guns or Blunts), more Tops (vests, probably), more Legwear sets, etc.

Hope you like the new stuff!

Random Panel: Worst. Ninja. Ever.

blue-beetle-13-1942-japstab

(From "The Blue Beetle" number 13, 1942.)

Random Panel: Only druids are true neutrals, pal

blue-beetle-13-1942-alignment

(From "The Blue Beetle" number 13, 1942.)

Hammerknight’s Screen Captures

(Back with another helpful edition of his Recipes series is Hammerknight, this time with a pictorial essay on how to do screen captures and put your character into MS Paint. Thanks for the help, Hammerknight! Feel free to consider this an open help thread, and post whatever you like in comments.)

Doing a printscreen in Windows to capture your character image:

How to open MS Paint in Windows:

Random Panel: Low points in law enforcement

blue-beetle-13-1942-freshcrack

(From "The Blue Beetle" number 13, 1942.)

The thong is strong on this one

What we have with Polaris Spanner from DC's "Spanner's Galaxy" is a fundamentally decent costume horribly betrayed by one small but crucial element:

spanner

Although I hesitate to say it considering the location of the area in question, this is definitely a case of a small thing making a huge difference. I am talking, of course, about his crotch, which for some reason is bound to the open-flap tunic top like some kind of cosmic onesie. The urge to check underneath that thing for quick-release snaps is almost irresistible, and may in fact be why he was the most-hunted criminal in the galaxy. They took their fashion seriously back then, folks.

The other elements are mostly blah (with the exception of that white-fur collar which ought to be illegal in any century), but that simple decision to continue the tunic down to his hoo-hoo just ruins the entire thing. The headband transforms from a semi-neato sci-fi doodad to a hippie doofus accessory, the boots look like he's smuggling baby hippos, and let's not even get started with the bizarre galactic howler monkey.

Just remember kids, when it comes to fashion, particularly in your nether regions, just say "no" if any seamstress asks you if you want to span anything. Maybe if Polaris Spanner had learned that lesson, he'd be a free man today. Or at least, not in a canceled book.

(Image and character © DC Comics, Inc.)

Random Panel: The only way to go

blue-beetle-13-1942-liquidations

(From "The Blue Beetle" number 13, 1942.)

Caption Contest 59: Home … sweet? … home

Put on your Funny Cap boys and girls, because it's time for another edition of the HeroMachine Caption Contest! Come up with the funniest replacement dialog for this comic book panel and you'll win either any custom item you like or a caricature of your face to be included in the final version of HeroMachine 3!

This week we're going for something a little different. Instead of slavering heavily-muscled spittle-festooned uber-monsters firing all manner of projectile weapons, we have a pleasant little domestic scene:

all-romance-2-kitchen

Or is it? Who knows who's off panel speaking, or what he/she/it is saying? That's up to you! As usual, the rules are simple:

  1. Keep it clean, appropriate for a prime-time broadcast network program;
  2. Only three entries per person;
  3. All entries must be left as a comment to this post.

That's it! You have one week -- next Tuesday I'll announce the winner right here on this here spot on the intertubes.

Good luck everyone!

Character Contest 14 Winner!

Our contest this week ended up being almost more of an "environment" affair than science-fiction, which is fine considering I just released those item sets recently. Having said that, the overall winner definitely embodied the spirit of the contest and also made a totally cool looking illustration, so bonus! Read on to see the Honorable Mentions for the week and the ultimate winner.

Continue reading

Random Panel: “In the desert! In the middle of nowhere! Phew!”

blue-beetle-13-1942-luckybreak

(From "The Blue Beetle" number 13, 1942.)