P.O.W.! Challenge 35--Okaaaay...I'm (We're) Screwed...

[Ilaekae]

http://photos.imageevent.com/aljmary/conceptarts/CA-POWexLOGO.jpg


P.O.W.! Challenge 35
Deadline: Sunday, December 20, 2009, 11:59 pm anywhere in the world.

Topic: Okaaaay...I'm (We're) Screwed...

We're back to our regularly scheduled programming after a rather disappointing experiment in single panels. This time out, the title says it all--and we've all been there. That moment when, after doing/planning something for a longish time, the realization hits that the bottom just fell out and we're all heading for the basement. This "topic" should leave itself open to a lot of different interpretations, ranging from personal experience to your relations with the opposite sex to War with the Ultimate Villain. You can interpret the art any way you wish, and the more creatively, the better. Any media. B&W or Color. We're also going to stick with the (almost) three-week Challenge period for a while because it seems to be giving people a bit more time to play.

You can present your solution as a minimum of TWO to a TENTATIVE maximum of SIX pages which adhere to standard comic specs as below...and, yes, you can have the first or last (or both) as a splash page if you want. You can go to additional pages without asking if you have a decent idea that requires it--just don't get too extreme on page counts . REMEMBER: You don't have to have a complete comic to qualify to polling--if you're idea requires six pages or so, go for it, but if you realize you're running out of time, try to get at least TWO finished by the deadline. That's all you need to qualify.

Standard Comic Book Size:

--Trim size: 6 5/8" x 10 1/4"
--Live art area: 6" x 9"
--Bleed size before trimming: 6 7/8" x 10 1/2" (1/8" in all directions)

This thread will be the place you ask questions on this challenge, trash talk, post WIPs and post your final art. See the READ THIS FIRST thread for all specs.

Good luck.

Again, this one is three weeks rather than the usual two weeks to see if it will allow more participation or just cause a lot more procrastination.

P.O.W.! Challenge 36 will be posted before Sunday Midnight, December 20, 2009.


************************************************** ***

A little note here for all of you who have supported the P.O.W.! Challenges...thankyewthankyewthankyew...

Just a reminder--those of you who didn't get a chance to finish exactly the way you wanted to, or ran into deadline problems, remember there is a sticky section where you can post your stuff when you do get it up to speed.

[Irishdrunk]

Standard Comic Book Size:

--Trim size: 6 5/8" x 10 1/4"
--Live art area: 6" x 9"
--Bleed size before trimming: 6 7/8" x 10 1/2" (1/8" in all directions)



Alright, new to CA's challenges (especially POW). I need some clarification on this.

The whole page will be [6 7/8" x 10 1/2" (1/8" in all directions)]?
With a [6" x 9"] area for us to do our artsy stuff.
Then what is the trim size all about?

[arttorney]

Very informative discussion in the "Read this first" thread, plus freebie templates from Ilaekae:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=115867

[velderia]

I said I wasn't going to do this, but I'm kind of changing my mind. The templates I failed to see in the first place are really good... I just realized how my graphic novel doesn't fit that. /facepalm /triplefacepalm /ultrasupersonicfacepalm

So I might do this, especially now that you allow color, but the thing is I might have to cheat and use previously created characters.

Either way though, I'm going to use those templates, and the graphic novel I'm working on kind of fits with this topic anyway.... Soo... Maybe I'll do it? Previously created characters are okay?

[nauvice]

3 weeks? sweet, I'll brainstorm for 2 until I think of the best idea, and draw in one

[nauvice]

also could you specify the max and min size limit to number of panels too, then just pages?

[velderia]

also could you specify the max and min size limit to number of panels too, then just pages?
I think it's a general rule of thumb to not go over 6 panels. Sometimes less can be more. It might take some practice to figure out how to do this. It's possible to go to 9, but that's only suitable for if you want to portray quick scenes with very little dialogue. It's also a good idea, although it doesn't have to be like this all the time, to have no more than 2 people talking in the same panel.

[nauvice]

6 panels per page? kk, that narrows it down for me then thnks

[SalOnimaruRem]

FORGET THE RULES!! go all out with it!!

old fart didn't scorn me for not following the exact size...:P

*goes off contemplating ideas/images that makes no sense but goes with the topic...heheheee*

[arttorney]

The rules are important for people who ever hope to see their work in print. I admit I have been considering making pages that are animated gifs with characters doing things inside the panels. That's a bit outside of the box but I didn't think it would be a problem as long as the storytelling makes sense.

I don't see the outside dimensions rule or the "put the POW number and page number" rule getting enforced all that much. Just do your best and try to have a normal aspect ratio to your page. Don't make the words too small or people won't be able to read them.

Trim and bleed are important because of page cutting machines.

Here's some WIP type stuff. No time for assembly. I have a deposition today.
844565
844550
844563
844554
844557
844556

[velderia]

This is interesting...

It's a bit long, but totally worth it.

fXYckRgsdjI

[Choob]

When you say we can interpret it as anything we like, is it OK to do TOTALLY screwed, epic end-of-the-world, 2012-ish themes?

[arttorney]

Nudity and violence are cool here as long as it doesn't cross over to porn or prolonged graphic torture type stuff. Other than that, a little action is actually a good thing because you don't want your strip to be boring.

Here are the exact words that Ilaekae had used:

7. There is no restriction on the style or approach, and any content within reason can be used to fulfill the challenge EXCEPT what would generally be accepted by an intelligent person as pornography--images that portray sexual penetration, for example, or offensively detailed cruelty and torture or pedo. Simple NUDITY is not considered pornography. Modified photography MAY be used appropriately for backgrounds or minimal special effects, but should NOT make up the majority of the entry. ALL CHARACTERS MUST BE CREATED AS ART, not photography.


The final of my title page:
853022

[arttorney]

Two weeks and counting. I've finished the environment roughs for all panels on my next two pages (and more, since it a SketchUp set that I can use ad nauseum). I know my story well enough to drag it out to an 8 page portfolio piece. All I need now is two characters and about 8 NPCs.

When time gets away from you, you turn in crap. I hope you are all working.
847668
847670
847672
847676
847679
847680
847682

[Ilaekae]

IrishDrunk: The trim size is the actual size of the finished page.

The bleed size is simply an additional 1/8" in all direction to allow for production slippage when the printer trims the whole mess.

The Live Art size is a rough guide (often varies a good bit) that most of your important art and copy text should be inside so that it isn't cut off accidentally in the final copy.

Yowza: You can depict the entire human race being ground up in a meat grinder for sandwiches if you want...just do it tastefully (:P), whether it's 2012 or 1357 BCE. We have, out of necessity, the loosest parameters of any of the challenges due to the infinite possibilities that any subject can be sequentially approached. A cook demonstrating how the pin from a hand grenade can be used as a pickle fork would probably result in a very short 2-page comic with a lot of impact...no text necessary but fulfilling the requirements... :)

zwarrior: Panels depend on the readability and purpose you intend. There is no rule for minimum/maximum number other than common sense--the more cluttered and tiny stuff get, the more pissed off your reader gets. (I have one unfinished comic that has 30 panels on one page, but it works in context.

Oni Rem: This old fart is going to hurt you someday...reeeeaaaallllllyyyy badly... :)


Add: Nudity can be useful. The average 11-year-old boy will read anything tattooed across a set of 38-double C tits...so if you want to have your kids say "NO" to drugs...hmmmmm....

[SalOnimaruRem]

Cat man wants to hurt me with hair balls....bring it on!!

Damn Arttorney when did you get all 3D and good :)

[arttorney]

I'M good Foo00000!!!!!


People that don't understand that 'bout to get they asses kicked, Yo!
Sh3eeeeeiioii111iit111ttt56tt!
. (Yes, I am drunk, but I am over 21 so FU if U don't like my attiitude. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.)

Honestly. This activity deserves the best effort of whoever checks in. The people who don't post be scare-de-ass-esd punk-ed people; and I mean that in the drunkest possible way. (and shit!111). Do you wanna get yo ass kicked by arttorney, or what11?- (just sayin'..............shee3eeeiiioittt!11!! Yeah, I'm just gonna yell a little bit more. AHHH!!!! Ahhh!!!!)

(er, less drunk now but no less egotistical. I'll beat you if you don't beat me first. (and yes that's a challenge) (scared yet? Still just sayin' and added some damned exclamation points, yo !!! !!).

[velderia]

I'M good Foo00000!!!!!


People that don't understand that 'bout to get they asses kicked, Yo!
Sh3eeeeeiioii111iit111ttt56tt!
. (Yes, I am drunk, but I am over 21 so FU if U don't like my attiitude. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.)

Honestly. This activity deserves the best effort of whoever checks in. The people who don't post be scare-de-ass-esd punk-ed people; and I mean that in the drunkest possible way. (and shit!111). Do you wanna get yo ass kicked by arttorney, or what11?- (just sayin'..............shee3eeeiiioittt!11!! Yeah, I'm just gonna yell a little bit more. AHHH!!!! Ahhh!!!!)

(er, less drunk now but no less egotistical. I'll beat you if you don't beat me first. (and yes that's a challenge) (scared yet? Still just sayin' and added some damned exclamation points, yo !!! !!).

/sigh.

Fuck. I was going to wait on posting, but since you mentioned it, I'll just leave these here, even though I'm still screwing around and they are far from finished.

849350

849352

849353

849354

[Hari Gopinathan]

Hi!!! I am new here!!! This topic is awesome. As a result I have been totally inspired to actually participate!!! I have started work on my story. Its gonna be three pages long!! And its about RETRIBUTION !!!

velderia Really like your stuff so far!!! Especially the colours u are using and the way you have treated the hair of yer lead character!!!

[arttorney]

All right. Now we're talkin'

Sorry about last night. I'm paying for it now.

[Hari Gopinathan]

This is my final entry. I hope this is the place for final entries. If its not, do tell me where ta upload it.

I am gonna be busy the rest of the week so sat and finished these over the last couple of days. The last page was kinda hurried. I inked over the pencil work by hand and then coloured (hand) with colour pencils and markers and some final touches in PS. Also all text and stuff done in PS.

I hope this qualifies!!!
849693849700849701

[velderia]

850144

850145

[j.s. sabastian]

O.K wow great entry's so far. i had origanally sketched out a manga -ish style comic.. i thought it would be basic and simple but it has back fired on me. it turns out i can digi paint faster than i can sketch:(....oh well plus seeing velderia's post make me want to up my game;) what's up arttorney!

So yeah this is my final.....i'm happy that i accomplished something....not so much with results but that's all the time i have folks....thanks....peace!!!

[velderia]

Yay! More people! And I'm not the only one who's manga influenced! Yay! 8D


And... Multitasking! :)

851164

[arttorney]

Good to see you back JS. What's up is that I'm currently keeping my head down a bit after an over exuberant bout of trash talking earlier in the week. I've assembled my environments basically into their respective pages and I have made the initial pencils for characters that will be in the second page out of my three. I'll try to finish up this weekend, I think.

I am glad that my darkest fears have been allayed, and that other people besides just me will enter this. It's good to see you all coming up with some good stuff.

Here's another page by me. Obviously I need a third page to come up with a story relevant to the topic.

My final for my second page of this round:
853868

[AndrewRitchie]

Quick panel knock-out and pencils of the first two panels.

[arttorney]

You folks are rocking this activity. I'm very happy right now. I've got all the pencil roughs and industrial design work done to insert in the below page. I just need to tinker around with GIMP painting for a couple of mornings. I may bust out a fourth page, time permitting.

My final page 3 for this round:
861378

[velderia]

I hate how this page is turning out. ARRRGH.

I might have to start some things over. I don't know. I'm just going to try to continue with this mess.

854007

[velderia]

I just found out my dad lost his job today.

If you guys can give me critiques, that would help. I'm going to try to get these pages out to Dark Horse by the end of December. Even though Tokyopop and YenPress aren't so great with printing color (they seem to allow it and discourage it at the same time), I'll try them anyway.

I feel so stuck right now. I'm going to try to find a job but I don't even think that's possible in this shit economy.

[arttorney]

I'll try to help tomorrow morning. Today I have to meet a deadline for a legal client.

What does your father do, if I may ask? P.M. if you don't want to tell the world. I've got some connections and knowledge in software, legal/financial, contracting, real estate, government, trucking, and biotech/pharma.

[velderia]

I'll try to help tomorrow morning. Today I have to meet a deadline for a legal client.

What does your father do, if I may ask? P.M. if you don't want to tell the world. I've got some connections and knowledge in software, legal/financial, contracting, real estate, government, trucking, and biotech/pharma.

Oh, it's fine... He's a trucker. He got schooled here in Texas about a year ago I think. I think the company's name was Heartland. I'm not sure what he's going to do now. He was out today searching a bit. My mom is trying to get into the publishing department in American Airlines, but is having so-so luck. She doesn't get paid much. We were going to buy a house here, but after he lost his job, it's probably not going to be possible.

[arttorney]

Ah. An ex landlord and legal client of mine has a trucking company that contracts for Fedex ground delivery as between LA and Sacramento, but even if I found he had something for your dad, it's probably geographically inconvenient. I hope he can find something closer to home. I know shipping is tough. My firm lives on Pacific rim commerce, and the times are lean. I got my deadline thing done just now but my brain is fried. I'll look close at your pages tomorrow morning and see if I can find anything productive to say.

[velderia]

Ah. An ex landlord and legal client of mine has a trucking company that contracts for Fedex ground delivery as between LA and Sacramento, but even if I found he had something for your dad, it's probably geographically inconvenient. I hope he can find something closer to home. I know shipping is tough. My firm lives on Pacific rim commerce, and the times are lean. I got my deadline thing done just now but my brain is fried. I'll look close at your pages tomorrow morning and see if I can find anything productive to say.

Thank you so much. :yayca:

[AndrewRitchie]

pencils for panels 3-5 and layout for the first page.

[j.s. sabastian]

If you guys can give me critiques, that would help. I'm going to try to get these pages out to Dark Horse by the end of December.

i'm not much for words, at least in the critique departement. the main things that come to my mind about your work......
A:i love your penciling style it has an amazing personality. it's dark and gritty. it's like goth girl manga.........imp i would focus more on developing it to a more rendered state it would probably sell on a black&white level.
B: however in your later panels yout coloring becomes over powering,imp it loses it darkness. IMP i would either lose it all together or use selective tones or play with your saturation an color layers.....hope this helps

good luck!!!

[velderia]

855489

[SalOnimaruRem]

ay hees a wip for ya lad :P

if u drop out now, dis cuddly bear will give you cookies!!! no milk included!

[xerxyz]

Hey now, this looks like fun. Ummm... Here.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn196/erkimmer/naniandibpow1-1.jpg

Just a WIP mind you. There's going to be a page two and maybe three. but yeah. Critiques are welcome and encouraged. too much camera play?

[arttorney]

Velderia- For me there was a rough jump that I think is just because your fourth page needs to be fleshed out. Between the prospect of going to a cool new place and waking up with robot arms I got a little lost, but I think it is on that fourth page where there was either going to be an accident or else some cues about how the scene with her friend was some kind of flashback dream and she has been in the hospital all along.

I had thought the pacing was going a little slow until I figured out what was going on and then I realized that the robotic arms and legs would have appeared in the art earlier than they were mentioned. This is an area where development of the images is definitely important to the development of the story. The reader will notice the robotic arms and legs, particularly if they are cool, and read on at least for a page or two trying to figure out where they came from. The main character freaking out about her own robotic arms and legs will be a good cue for the reader that this is not natural or expected for the main character (and that will help smooth them over the bump about "WTF did those things come from? She looked fine a second ago." They'll realize that it is about to be explained pretty soon.

Of course, in keeping with the typical manga storyline, the explanation given by the doctors is probably only on the surface, and there is something else evil or creepy going on in the background that is your broader story arc. That's cool. You need that bigger umbrella to tie all the minor conflicts together and led the readers through from one page to the next. I hope you keep working on this.

[AndrewRitchie]

I reworked panel 2 on page 1. It's what I wanted in the first place, but couldn't get it to work. I was able to reuse the original panel on the next page. I add a third page to lighted the story a bit.

[arttorney]

Recycling is a civic duty Andrew. Awesome. Press on. You too Oni Rem. I'm counting on you.

[SalOnimaruRem]

am trying, am trying!!

[velderia]

I think I'm going to start over. There's a huge lack of being consistent in my pages. That's not good. I hate it.

[velderia]

Three cups of coffee later:
858373

858374

858375

858376

Edit: In other news, I just found out that my dad found a new job. Yay! :D

[j.s. sabastian]

velderia: food for thought..... i like the changes you made artisticly. however i think you should tie in the boy and the girl in an earlier page before the hospital wake up...as if they had some sort of big team physical contest in a few day's....hence he returns to see her state of bieng......i'm we're screwed....or something like that
on a side note the docter giving the sedative on the third page seems menacing like he's giving her poision i think it would have more of a reallistic effect if his expression was cold an emotionless like this is just another day at the office....
oni rem i love your line work and style........but were's everything else i would like to see your pages before the last day.
andrewrichie great classical style....i'm not sure how it ties in with the label...unless it's 'screwed' as in sex with a mermaid........wich is awsome;)
xerxysgood start your probably more pages by now but have considerd making that your last page....i can just here the line now "If that's santa we're screwed"

speaking of coffee i just bought some folder's "gourmet" blend there's nothing "gourmet" about it.....damn!!!

[AndrewRitchie]

I was going for totally screwed as the realization of no hope of survival or of certain death.

[Hari Gopinathan]

Great stuff everyone. Seeing all yer entires makes me wanna rework mine. But there is not enough time and I am too lazy. I would appreciate it if you guys could give me some crits on my entry.
Oh and
xerxyz. Awesome page man. Love the action. Also the big santa guy is real menacing. waiting to see the rest of your entry.
velderia How many pages is your comic finally going to have? I like all yer pages so far. I really liked yer colouring on the first two pages you submitted. Though the story telling is better in the new pages.

[SalOnimaruRem]

man u guyz gotta stop encouraging me to go on...man now i gotta draw, damn you :P hahaa

[SalOnimaruRem]

hee is me second page

[nauvice]

Immmm not going to be able to make this one. Im always the last to get news and it happened again, Im going to be out of the country for 3 weeks and I didnt even know my family bought me a ticket.

but after those 3 weeks, Im definitely participating, I think, for the foreseeable future.

Those entries are Specatacular btw! shaping up really well!!

[velderia]

Small update. I'm so tired. I was aiming for 8. Sketched about 7. I might not be able to finish more than 3 for this challenge. I'll still work on this if it's good.

859990

859992

859993

[velderia]

I... rushed a bit. It's definitely no where near good enough for Dark Horse. I'm still not happy with it, but for P.O.W., I think it works.

860448

860449

860451


Oh and... Something to cheer you up after creepy, possibly pedo, syringe Dude injects Violet with a high dose of Ziprasidone:

gG7GYo2SKiw

[Hari Gopinathan]

Ilaekae Is the deadline over or has it been extended?
EVERYBODY (other than j.s. sabastian & velderia) who posted WIPs---Attorney, xerxys, AndrewRitchie, Oni Rem----------- Where are your final entries????????
I am sick and tired of waiting.....I've been checkin this page regularly for the past few days...
Aren't you guys submitting your finals or wat?????????????

[velderia]

Come back to us Ilaekae! :( We have cookies!

[j.s. sabastian]

Don't fret peeep's.... he's probably just last minute Christmas shopping....HARI.....p.o.w is challenge enough as it is...some people are very sensetive of there work and want it be to there own standerds and that, just to get an entry in on that aspect, is a mountain on it's own....also some people (like me) bite off more than they can chew and that's another reason final's don't make it, I failed two challenges on that alone...but i think the main reason people don't finish is time or time managemeant....p.o.w for people who actually have lives (unlike me) making a comic is sparetime thing.....and it being a holiday season i am sure the're busy enough as it is.....hell i'm amazed at how many people entered.... so......relax....I'm sure kitty will put things in order soon enough! -to those who celebrate it Merry Christmas -peace

[Ilaekae]

I'm here. Starting to get the poll together, so if anyone has anything to post, do it now. Nice work, everyone. This last go-'round convinced me to continue this Challenge, so...we're gonna do just that, with a stress on "professional" from now on...

On a more dangerous note, a new challenge will be posted tonight that will both mark a slight change of direction and a new more professional approach pushed here. I've been a bit lenient over the last year to allow as many people as possible to get a taste of comics and the problems associated with them, so I think it's time we got serious and whipped you guys up to the next level. From now on...you're all dead meat...heeheehee...

[arttorney]

My finals are in the form of three pages edited into my posts on page 1. I did that because putting basically the same images over and over again sucks up all the bandwidth. Give Ilaekae a break because he is very busy IRL right now.

You all are great. I usually prefer to give the more specific crits somewhat later so it doesn't look so much like I am trying to affect poll results.

[Ilaekae]

Thank you, arttorney. Things have been a little hectic in RL lately, but 99% of it has been resolved, so I'm going to be racing into the new year full speed with some new and exciting stuff here, and I'll be able to be here on a regular basis finally.

Thanks to all of you who have patiently waited for me to post, and put up with my constant disappearances over the last few months. It's been one of those years you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy...and it's finally over.

[Hari Gopinathan]

Don't fret peeep's.... he's probably just last minute Christmas shopping....HARI.....p.o.w is challenge enough as it is...some people are very sensetive of there work and want it be to there own standerds and that, just to get an entry in on that aspect, is a mountain on it's own....also some people (like me) bite off more than they can chew and that's another reason final's don't make it, I failed two challenges on that alone...but i think the main reason people don't finish is time or time managemeant....p.o.w for people who actually have lives (unlike me) making a comic is sparetime thing.....and it being a holiday season i am sure the're busy enough as it is.....hell i'm amazed at how many people entered.... so......relax....I'm sure kitty will put things in order soon enough! -to those who celebrate it Merry Christmas -peace

Guess you are right j.s
This is the first time I have taken part in POW and I guess the excitement just got to me.
I meant no disrespect.
I really liked some of the stuff I saw and genuinely wanted all of those people to be able to complete their entries before the deadline.(Hope they are able to post em before the poll)

And its awesome to see that Ilaekae is back.

Season's greetings to all!!!

[SalOnimaruRem]

ah sorry for not being able to finish :/
i had the story going in my head and everything planned out...but

there are always things getting in my way from drawing, next time for sure i hope to get a round finish


...after i get wasted for Christmas :P

MERRY FOOKIN CHRISTMAS YA PANZY!!!

[AndrewRitchie]

My finals.

[j.s. sabastian]

ya! Andrew that rocks!!!

[velderia]

Oh my god! XD Not only the inking is beautiful but I love how the guy is like "Okay, I be screwed." XDDDD