P.O.W.! 69 Set a Priest...

[donalfall]

In all P.O.W.! Challenges, you can interpret the art any way you wish, and the more creatively, the better. Any media. B&W or Color, unless we specifically point out otherwise.

Topic 69A: The New High Priest
(Topical?) A change at the top of the Church is happening - in your P.O.W.!, is it from a death, politics or an assassination? Or something even more occult or sinister? Tell a story about the arrival of a new High Priest!

Topic 69B: Set a Thief to catch a Thief
Sometimes the only way to stop a thief is to get someone who knows how they think - write a P.O.W.! about a thief being hired to stop another thief.

Topic 69C: Character Design (The High Priest/The Thief)
Make a one-page character design for the main character from challenge A or challenge B. Include some extra heads with different expressions for the character, different equipment etc - up to 4 extra expressions!

One or All-Deadline: Sunday, April 28th, 2013, 11:59 pm anywhere in the world.

You can present your solution as a minimum of TWO pages to any practical maximum you wish. Previously, we encouraged standard comic book pages, but it's beyond time to broaden the challenge in P.O.W.! Your pages can be any format, but make sure they line up to the same specs for each page.

Standard comic specs are below...and, yes, you can have the first or last (or both) as a splash page if you want--just don't get TOO extreme on page counts.

REMEMBER: You don't have to have a complete comic to qualify for polling--if you realize you're running out of time, try to get at least TWO pages finished by the deadline. That's all you need to qualify for polling..

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)

.................................................. .............................


Good luck.

To all of you who have supported the P.O.W.! Challenges, from the bottom of my heart I thank you. Cheers you guys. P.O.W.! People are the best people.

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.

[j.s. sabastian]

activaly back in action and chompinNNNN at he bits!!!!!!!! yo!

[Wingal]

Im actually catching a challenge early on! Nice! Reading Invisible ink to get better at scripting! =) Think ill do B. Starting on the story and character design this weekend. This time ill have something for you guys by the finals.

[Wingal]

Just checking in!
Finished making comics by Scott McCloud. And i have some really generic sketching going on. Prob upload tmrw because im too tired (cough lazy cough) atm.
How you guys making out?

[Raoul Duke]

huh huh, you said 69

I was wondering about posting scripts. I just finished mine and I was wondering if I could post it for feedback.

[j.s. sabastian]

working on pages but theres a minor delay i kinda figured the computer i got was gutted. so a lot of the the programs i just bought and downlaoded the system can't fully support....long story short today i have too go buy some RAM then ill re work page 1 and post it
i also switched programs i'm trying out manga studio 5 becuase supposevily it's a comic based program but i'm finding it doesn't seem too have a lot of cool comic feeatures the previouse versions had......anywho

I chose the priest topic and DISCLAIMER be prepared for overstylized action!!!!! and a crappy story.

[donalfall]

Wingal - I've been given the whole week off the day job, so I guess I better get started. I'm going to set a Thief to catch a Thief myself.

Raoul Duke - post the script! We'ld love to see it.

j.s. sabastian - painful. At least RAM is cheap and convenient these days. I keep meaning to try a newer version of Manga Studio. I gave it a go when it first came out, but never stuck with it. Keep us updated about how you get on with this version.

[Raoul Duke]

Please excuse the format Celtx doesn't do copy and paste well. I'm keeping it one page per post.

page1- FEEF IS AT THE FRENCH INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM WEARING ONLY FLIP FLOPS, BOARD SHORTS AND A GIANORMOUS BACKPACK.

1- Feef walks out of the water closet Of the grand museum.

FEEF
Not enough titty drawings in this dump.

2- A french security guard taps him on the shoulder.

FRENCHIE
Excusez-moi monsieur

FEEF
I don't speak no franch.

FRENCHIE
Oh you speak english.

3- Feef turns around dramatically letting his giant backpack knock the frenchie to the ground.

FEEF
'fuck you say to me!

4- A crowd of security begins to gather as the primary frenchie gets on his feet.

FRENCHIE
Sir, We need you to put on a shirt and remove your backpack.

FEEF
Pervert!

5- Feef clocks frenchy.

FEEF
'you some kinda faggot!

6- Security beats Feef to a pulp.

FEEF
RAPE! RAPE! I know my rights!

[Raoul Duke]

page1-FEEF IS BLOODY AND BEATEN IN A SMALL BASEMENT CELL.

1- Feef is barfing into the shitter.

FEEF
'This some kinda sex dungeon?

2- The security guards rummage through his backpack.

FRENCHIE
Enough projecting your homosexual fantasies on us.

FEEF
'You stealin my shit for?

3- Frenchie pulls a power drill out of the backpack.

FRENCHIE
Why would you bring a power tools to a museum?

4- Feef opens the cell door.

FEEF
So I can pillage your vault. Dumb ass.

5- Feef puts on a security uniform. We can see the whole detail knocked unconscious and cuffed in the cage.

[Raoul Duke]

send me a pm if you wanna move to the crimson daggers forum.
http://crimsondaggers.com/forum/index.php

[donalfall]

Raoul Duke - Nice script! I like the humour. "Not enough titty drawings in this dump" is a great line. If the personality we see of Feef is who he is before the "turn" - ie. if he really is brash and cocky and kind of obnoxious, then the last line "So I can pillage your vault. Dumb ass." is perfect. If he is actually more serious and it was *all* an act, then I would write the line more like "So I can pillage your vault, obviously" or something like that. I'm not saying it's a better choice or anything, it's just what struck me reading it. I do like that the Security Guard has a snappy rejoinder on page 2 - "Enough projecting your homosexual fantasies on us." - so it's not just one sided. It's a nice touch.

[Angel Intheuk]

I have a script too, but it's a bit long winded to post, I'll see if I can make it shorter. I'm excited about this getting back on track

[AdamStolterman]

Anyone else having problems with posting images? I have tried adding it from imageshack and using the attachments editor and nothing seems to work. It worked on the crimson daggers forum so i'm guessing that it's this site that's having problems. Is anyone else experiencing this or is it just me?

[donalfall]

Anyone else having problems with posting images? I have tried adding it from imageshack and using the attachments editor and nothing seems to work.

You should be able to use the "Insert Image" button in the navbar of the Quick Reply box to upload an image in. Flickr also works, no problem. It's been years since I used imageshack so I'm not sure what the format for getting that to work..

[AdamStolterman]

A 4 page speed comic! I haven't done comic pages in so many years. It was awesome. Yes it's called The Thef, because i forgot an "i" in the title and i thought it was funny. Also, the scroll of the Elken Altar is what i drew for the IDW last week. You can take a look at it in my sketchbook.

[donalfall]

AdamStolterman - very dynamic, I like it. Are you going to polish this version more or are you entering it as a "speed" comic? Either way is good, but I would like to see it worked up some more. The action on page 2 is pretty nice and I like the way page 1's last panel flows down into page 2 - it really works in this format. It'ld be a bit different printed, cos it doesn't point towards a page turn, but when the next page is beneath the panel, it's pretty good.

[Patriarch]

Hey guys, think I have my thief designs locked down, workn on the scenes now, hope to have something up soon!

[Raoul Duke]

Here are the character designs I made before the Rigney situation distracted me.
I'm getting used to my new tablet PC and PaintTool Sai. So I'm working slower than usual because I'm developing a new workflow.

[Raoul Duke]

ADAM-Glad to see you are incorporating your IDW. Great way to streamline your process.
Never cross over panels. You only did it once. It doesn't work well with digital comics. Keep in mind publishers want an excuse to reject you. Also give it another pass and work on their poses. It really makes a huge difference. The narration is not so good. Try to tell the story without it. There seems to be a secondary character that you haven't introduced. Only through a second read through did I realize that.

[donalfall]

Breakdowns -

Page 1
Top Panel, big rich figure (but very Harkonnen - like Dune) is talking on screen. His "pet thief" is in the background, barely visible, arms folded.
"You see, my dear, I am forewarned. One of your contemporaries has been kind enough to enter my employ to make my vault impregnable to the likes of you"

Panel 2
"...from the prosaically physical, like pits"

Panel 3
"...to the highly advanced, like this nano-cloud"

Panel 4
Our thief holds up a hand held gadget. SFX, cloud disappears. (EMP grenade)



Might insert a page 2 here of fightin' robots.

Page 3?
Top Panel, the thief closes in on the vault.
Rich guy - "... there is a Quantum lock on my vault - the internal coding changes too frequently to ever be cracked"

Panel 2
Our thief thinks for the first time "keep talking fat boy, I know how to get around this make of vault" - as she opens a panel on the floor.

Panel 3
POV from the panel under the floor, the thief extends a finger-based cybernetic interface.

Panel 4
Electric sparking manacles close on our thief's arm
"You think my expert doesn't know about the weakness in this vault? Try electric shackles, thief!"



Page 4.
Top panel from above, our thief is lying on the ground, shackled. The other thief approaches.
Our thief "So you're the Judas?"

Second panel
Thief catcher points a gun right at our thief's head.
She says - "No guards? Doing Assassinations as well as crappy security business?"

Third panel
Thief catcher approaches the keypad for the Quantum Vault
"No guards, he can't afford them"

Fourth panel, POV from inside the vault, silhouettes of the two thieves looking inside. The room is completely empty.
"Between my fees and expertise and all the security mechanisms..."

"I took everything he has. You're too late, it's all mine already"

[Raoul Duke]

Okay dude. It's really hard to figure out your story. The snapshots of rough drawings make it too hard to get the picture. I really hope you have something better planned for the finished product.

I'm not script format crazy, but yours is really lacking the basic function of a script. I can't tell what's what and who's who. The dialogue needs to be attached to a character. You'd be better off just telling us what the page is about.

The story it's self carries too much scifi baggage. All of these foreign concepts have some explaining to do. It flew right over my head from panel 1. If you notice hardcore scifi rarely finds it's feet in comics. The ones that do are great. Check out Saga by Brian K Vaugn and notice how he makes the characters relatable before getting into the high concept stuff.
http://www.comixology.com/Saga-1/dig...omic/JAN120485

[donalfall]

Raoul Duke - these are just breakdowns, both the scribbles and the text. I only typed up that stuff super quick. The Sci-Fi content is only babble, not really hardcore... but your mentioning of Saga reminds me of a thread I was thinking of starting in POW! about what good stuff people have to recommend.

[j.s. sabastian]

trying to post something finally ok kinda sorta fixed RAM issue haven't had time to work on anything work changed my whole schedule around so iv been pissed off and outta wack but i sorted it out so this therre will be more @donalfall grreat stuff dude!

[Raoul Duke]

If the script was for personal note taking, then you shouldn't post it for feedback until it's ready to share. Like I said before format doesn't matter, but the basic communication needs to function.

If you don't have photoshop get GIMP it's free and does what photoshop does only clunky and buggy. You need to have the ability to do some basic photo editing if you are working from snapshots. Save your money and get a scanner and or tablet. Or you'll keep hearing this from everybody you show the work to.

I'm digging the character designs here. Very diverse. I did notice a character cropped off in the background. If he's part of the story, you need to show him, if he's not, then get rid of him. If you just need to show the bad man has a posse, then give him a posse. I took a guess to him being the rival theif.

The obstacles are handled poorly. Each obstacle needs thee panels. They are not visually introduced or visually concluded. All we see is the conflict.

The blue line represents the eyeflow. You did a fair job for the most part. P2 had the most trouble. I painted it over and moved things around to make sure everything leads to the next panel.

[Raoul Duke]

I realized the first layout didn't cut it so I made a second attempt.

[Raoul Duke]

I guess I'm gonna have to go with the ballpoint look because my new tablet makes ugly strokes when I draw slow.

[Raoul Duke]

Still not happy with the establishing shot. So I added a new establishing page. I know it kills the plot twist but I think it's a risk worth taking.

Speaking of scripts I just made this page up as I went along. I'll post a script for it later.

[JFierce]

I keep wanting to do one of these but I never have time. Too many projects. So just decided to knock one out very quickly in one sitting while I at least have an hour or so free.

[Raoul Duke]

Damn J you really did this in an hour.

The first two pages work. But page 3 and 4 should reveal the preist and it would be nice to have a clearer look at the kill and then a better reveal of the assassin. It took me a while to put it together. I thought they were buddies at first.

[JFierce]

Couple hours lol. 1 Hour is a bit too fast for me. What saved more time than anything is lack of formatting (that can take ages) and just sticking to black, then a couple of tones lightly sketched.

I know what you mean about the last 2. I was looking at the clock literally saying "oh shit oh shiiiit". I may flesh it out but atm crazy busy with some projects with friends.