Geek Tragedy Blog Archives

	February '08
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29 / FEB / 08 - 0911 CST : A small leap ahead... Hey folks. First off, happy leap year day! Now, on to a more important subject. I've managed to get a little further ahead with some of the stuff I wanted to get done before the weekend than I thought I might. On top of which, I was still able to be farther along with today's strip than I usually am at this point in the day. So instead of having to wait till later on in the evening (and in turn waiting even longer than that for the colours to be finished), the fully finished and coloured strip should be heading you way in the early afternoon. However, that will never happen if I keep on flapping my keyboard to you guys all morning, so back to work I go. Later, -Ed **** 28 / FEB / 08 - 0845 CST : Losing all concept of time and funny... Hey folks. The last time I did a GT² that was all text, it talked about the insecurities I tend to feel when I give myself too much time to obsessively mull over an upcoming strip before it's going to be posted. And that's exactly what's happened to me with today's offering, as I honestly can't tell anymore if it's even remotely funny. Or if it is, is it only funny to Canadians? Or perhaps the only Canadian who is capable of finding this funny is the one sitting right here in front of the computer typing out this neurotic little diatribe. Well, regardless of where we all think this one should rank on the laugh-o-meter, I think there's one thing we can agree on...the text is waaaay too small. Okay, now that I'm done cutting down my own work, there's something I need to mention... On with the con... By this time next week I will be leaving the sub zero temperatures of home behind and touching down in (what I hope will be) warm and sunny Orlando, Florida to attend MegaCon. This is the first con of the year for me, and I wish I could say that I was more prepared than I am. I'd kinda hoped at this point to have all of this week's and part of next week's tasks done by today so that I could concentrate solely on getting things ready for the con, but it seems I've fallen kinda short. Personally, I blame my brain and its ridiculous need for sleep (most sophisticated organ in the human body my ass!). However, even if all I've managed to have produced by then are the Geek Tragedy buttons and magnets (yes, I have magnets too, but they're not up in the store yet), some prints (also not up in the store), and the new shirts, I still feel that's a decent amount to offer the folks out there in Orlando. And if you just so happen to be one of those fine folks kicking around that part of the world come March 7 - 10, please consider heading on over to the con if you can. I'll be at table #5 in the Orange section of the artist alley tables, located right near the food court and a fire extinguisher. So if you're hungry, being consumed by flames, or just want to say hi, feel free to swing on by. Alrighty, that's about it for another day I guess. Now off I go to plow on ahead and see if I can't get two days worth of work crammed into the next 5 hours. Later, -Ed PS: I'll be working on tomorrow's full strip later today, and will hopefully have both the colours for that strip, as well as the ones for the current strip done by tomorrow. ** 26 / FEB / 08 - 0857 CST : Not bad, just ignored... Hey folks. New full strip headed your way later today. Also, in response to a couple e-mails I got regarding yesterday's GT², I'm not saying that all Canadian films are bad. In fact I'm quite fond of a lot of home grown movies (Hard Core Logo, Dance Me Outside, Men With Brooms to name a few). I'm just saying that movies produced here rarely make any kind of an impact outside of the country, so I find it odd that when one does, it gets (unfairly in my opinion) snubbed by our movie awards committee. Oh, and on kind of a related note I'm pretty sure I've managed to finally cure that strip of all it's typos. Alrighty! Work, work, work! Later, -Ed ** 25 / FEB / 08 - 0845 CST : Citizenship revoked... Hey folks. What with the big red carpet affair that happened last night I figured now would be a good time to do a couple strips about the moving picture shows and the awards that are given out each year to celebrate them. However, I'm not actually going to talk about the Oscars. That would be far too topical and easily recognizable to the masses. No, instead I'm going to bitch about a far more obscure award that probably very few of you outside of Canada (and a fair number of you within) really give a damn about. The Genie Awards. Now given the high regard, big box office, and critical acclaim the movie Juno has received in both North America and beyond, matched with it's incredibly strong ties to Canada, you'd think that those governing my homeland's film awards would be more than happy to offer it citizenship...but no. Somehow it managed to fall short of the score it needed after it was run through the Genie's mysterious and highly secretive points system (which I'll be talking more about come Thursday's strip). And while we may never know the real reason for the snub it's received, I have come up with my own hypothesis. Alrighty ladies and gentlemen, it's time for me to stop trying to be the next Theater Hopper and get my ass back to work. Later, -Ed ** 22 / FEB / 08 - 0857 CST : Default Friday news post... Hey folks. I always hate to sound like a broken record on Fridays, but here we go... I've got a bunch of work ahead of me today, so I can't talk for long right now, but I want y'all to know that I'll have a new strip up for you guys to check out later on today. Not sure exactly when, but it typically goes live sometime around 6 or 7pm. Alrighty! Time get to get to it! Later, -Ed ** 21 / FEB / 08 - 0845 CST : A major type of minor... Hey folks. Just wanted to assure you that there will be a new GT² up later on today. Okay, now that that's over and done with, on to some self-absorbed bitching! Well it would seem that my car problems are proving to be a little less "minor" than I first thought, as it's now been three days since I've been able to start my car. Truth be told I don't know a whole hellova lot about cars, so I couldn't tell you for sure what's wrong with it. Maybe I just need a new battery, or perhaps the fuel line has become blocked / frozen, or I've run out of...shit, I don't know...headlight fluid or something! Hell, the whole damn engine could've been stolen during the night and I very much doubt I'd be able to notice the difference were I to look under the hood. However, whatever the problem with my car might be, I feel confident in saying that three days in a row of just sitting there without being started in temps staying near or below below -30C (which is -22F for you folks south of the border) hasn't improved the situation much. So at this very moment I'm waiting for CAA's roadside assistance to swing on by and give me what I hope will only be a boost / new battery to be able to start it, but will most likely end up being a tow to the mechanic. Now I'm sure a couple of you out there are wondering why in the hell I would've waited three days before I decided to call someone for help. Well I was kinda hoping that once the car had stayed plugged in for a couple days straight everything would be fixed up. Sadly that hasn't worked out so well. So then I decided to call in the roadside assistance that I opted for when I first bought the car. A service which, after four years of never actually finding any use for it until now, just so happened to have expired on Jan 18th of this year! Something the dealership never bothered to send me a notice about. Granted it's my own damn fault for not keeping better track of something I signed up for almost half a decade ago, but still. This is the same dealership that sends me letters when my car is due for an oil change, an inspection, maintenance...anything!Hell, they even send my car (not me mind you, but my car) a birthday card each year. So I found it kinda strange that they never even bothered to drop me a note letting me know that come the new year, should my car get stranded in the middle of nowhere, there was a good chance I'd be left there to die (or quite possibly become some lonely wandering hillbilly's sweet man meat), but whatever. At least they remembered its birthday. Anyway, after a few other setbacks, matched with my need to stop worrying about my poor mistreated car just long enough for me to concentrate on my work and getting some sleep, three days had managed to pass and my car is still no better off than it was when it first stopped working. However, all that should be fixed up by the end of today. At least I hope it will be, because I'm really starting to get sick of not having a reliable mode of transportation! After all, I'm the type of guy who even under the best of conditions uses his car to drive to the 7/11 on the corner of my street. So this is really beginning to annoy me! Oh, and for all of you out there who feel it's awful to drive such a short distance, and that all I'm doing is needless adding to the fossil fuel emissions that are helping to cause global warming...you're right. And it is awful. Unfortunately though I live in the coldest major city in the entire fucking country, so to be perfectly honest, I'm kinda eager to see how this whole global warming thing is going to pan out for me. Anyway, time for me to get back to work. Later, -Ed PS: Hopefully I don't have to mention that my crack about being pro-global warming was intended as a joke, but just in case, please know that I'm not actually pulling for a Waterworld type event to take place in the near or distant future. Alrighty! Off to club some baby seals! See ya! ** 19 / FEB / 08 - 1031 CST : Filler up... Hey folks. Due to some minor car problems I'm going to have to do some unexpected running around today. So in lieu of a strip I'll be posting some filler art later on this afternoon. Oh, and while I'm here I'd also like to thank everyone who took the time to drop me or Brad a note letting us know what you think about the how Evil Inc looks in colour. Truth be told, I was pretty worried about how it would be received, so it's nice to know that a lot of you guys out there are enjoying the change. Okay folks, I'll see y'all in few hours when I post some new artwork for you guys to see. Later, -Ed ** 18 / FEB / 08 - 0717 CST : The colour of Evil... Hey folks, There will be a new GT² up later on this afternoon, but at the moment I wanted to let y'all know about a bit of exciting news that I've been sitting on for a while now. A few weeks ago I was colouring one of the strips while listening to the Webcomics Weekly podcast done by the guys over at Halfpixel. During this particular episode, Scott Kurtz, Chris Straub, Dave Kellett, and Brad Guigar were discussing the pros and cons of adding colour to their strips on a regular basis. The main reason cited by pretty much all of them for not doing so was a lack of time. This slowly got my wheels spinning, and so after a few days of giving it a whole lot of thought, I decided to contact Brad (who was the only one of the group who made any reference to hiring a colorist to do his strip) and see if maybe we couldn't work out some sort of deal that would allow us to work together to make his comic, Evil Inc, a bit more colourful. Well after exchanging e-mails and ideas for a couple weeks or so, we managed to come up with a solidly laid out plan to do just that. So starting today, if you head over to Evil Inc, you'll be able to see the fruits of our labour. Now even though I've only been in contact with Brad for a few weeks, I'd like to say that I'm really excited about this whole deal, and have been blow away by how great this guy is to work with. Brad has been nothing but a true professional, and has gone out of his way to make sure that we both feel good about this venture, and will be able to benefit mutually from it. I'd also like to mention that I didn't go into this collaboration lightly. And while it will mean a lot more work for me each week, I feel confident in the fact that it will not interfere with my ability to update Geek Tragedy on a regular basis. Which means, I'm still committed to updating the site every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with new content, and will continue to do so for a very long time, while at the same time fulfill all my obligations to both Brad and the strip he's work so hard to build over the years. Alrighty folks. That's about it for me. I'm off to get some work done, and then head out to meet my mom for breakfast. When I get back, I'll be sure to get the GT² finished up and ready for y'all to see. Later, -Ed ** 15 / FEB / 08 - 1002 CST : Art now, talk later... Hey folks. I've got a fair amount of work ahead of me today, so for now I just wanted to let y'all know that today's strip will be posted later on in the evening. I'm not exactly sure what time, but most likely sometime around 7pm. Okay guys, I'll talk to you then. Later, -Ed ** 13 / FEB / 08 - 0917 CST : Neither sleet, nor snow, nor crazy freakin' cold... Hey folks. I didn't have a chance to drop by yesterday to post anything here, so I figured it would be a good idea to say a few words today. First off, all the store orders that were placed by 2pm yesterday have now been mailed. The ones going to Canadian locations should arrive within a week, while orders to US are estimated to take between 6 to 12 business days. Also, now that I have more exact info as far as shipping costs go, please know that I'll be updating the shipping rates in the store this weekend once the pre-sale is over. What else... Y'know what, I was there was something else I was going to mention, but I'll be damned if I can remember what it was. So I guess that's it for now. Alrighty, if I think of what it was I going to say, I'll be back later. And if not, I'll see y'all tomorrow when I post the next GT². Later, -Ed ** 11 / FEB / 08 - 0915 CST : Just a warning... Hey folks. Despite today's GT² and a previous attempt to draw Grace into my labor camp of love, she remains skeptical of the romantic nature of my offers. And speaking of romance, I want to make a public service announcement. Don't worry though, I'll try to keep it as short and sweet as possible. Okay, here goes... To all the guys out there, remember, Valentine's day is only three days away! So if you're anything like me, for once save yourself the mad dash that comes with trying to come up something last minute, and get your shit together now! Make plans for dinner, or buy some chocolate, or a card...anything! It doesn't have to be some grand freakin' gesture, just something to let her know you care. But try to get on it today*! Even if she tells you she doesn't want, need, or care about getting anything from you come Valentine's Day, do it anyway! Why? Because it's a fucking trap, that's why! And even if it's not, get her some chocolate anyway! I mean when has it ever hurt to give a woman chocolate? Okay, maybe if she's diabetic, but in that case buy her...I don't know. Give her a tuna sandwich or something. All I'm saying is, just do something extra for her that day. Yes, Valentine's Day is essentially a bullshit commercialized holiday that was created to make Hallmark and Hershey's a bit richer and single people a bit bitter, but who cares? It's still a nice thing to let people know you appreciate them. And to all the ladies out there, I know I don't have to remind you that the 14th is coming, as I've never actually met a woman who wasn't acutely aware of that day's approach, but I do have one thing to say. Everything I said up above applies to you too! I mean sure, guys don't generally go in for all the trappings of Valentine's Day (though I'm sure a fair number do), and I personally really don't much care for chocolate, but if that's the case you can always buy your guy a burger or something. Just please* don't be one of those people who expects something from the person you're with, but never even considers that maybe it'd be nice to do something for them in return. This is a day for both of you. And this goes for all couples. Don't think that just because I used the example of a woman buying her "guy" a burger that it can't just as easily apply to two women who are in love as well. And for dudes who are into other dudes...well in your case given the fact that any celebration would require *two men* to actually *remember* to do something on Valentine's day instead of just one, there's potentially a good chance you may be able to get away with doing nothing at all...but why risk it, right? So show a little extra thought that day, would ya! And last but not least, for you single people...well no doubt y'all have long ago told me to go to hell while giving the finger to the screen, and moved on, but in case you're still here reading, let me say this... Who really gives a shit if you're not with anyone come Valentine's Day? Seriously, what's the big deal? Please don't be one of those folks who gets all caught up in thinking about "all the happy couples out there", because you know what? I can pretty much guarantee you that a whole shit load of those couples really aren't all that happy, and you're currently way better off than a lot of them! So yeah, fuck 'em! Instead of letting some unimportant, lame-ass holiday get you down, use that day to do something fun for yourself. And if you can, make it something that you'd most likely never be able to do if you had to spend it with someone else. That'll show those couples out there a thing or two! Alrighty! I think I've done enough talking out of my ass on the subject of couplehood (like I'm some kind of expert or something) for the entire rest of the year! So maybe I should get back to work now, huh? Later, -Ed PS: Hmm...after saying all that, I've kinda opened myself up for a major ass-kicking if I end up forgetting to do something for Grace now, haven't I? PPS: And because I'll most likely forget all about it come the 14th, Happy Valentine's Day! **** 08 / FEB / 08 - 1347 CST : The post-pre-order... Hey folks. Well as you could no doubt tell from the strip above, the full order of T-shirts are currently sitting right here in front of me in my office, and they look freakin' amazing! This is the second time I've gotten work done at A Brick Shirthouse and once again they really came through for me! In fact, as long as I continue producing T-Shirts, I honestly can't see going anywhere else to get them done. But enough about that. Let's talk about what this means for those of you have already put in your pre-orders, those of you who were counting on the fact that there was going to be one more week left to get them in. First off, if you've already placed a pre-order, know that the second I'm done typing this out I'll be setting aside your shirt, as well as the button set you've chosen, and getting them ready to mail out to you. And as for the mailing, please know that all orders will be sent out by this coming Wednesday at the latest. Now for those of you who haven't put your pre-order in yet, since I did say that the sale would continue on till February, I will still be honoring the discount and giving away a free button set to everyone who orders between now an then. After the 15th though, the prices on the shirts will be adjusted, and I will no longer be offering buttons set with each shirt. Oh, and there's one other thing to keep in mind. Since I had to give the screen printers the numbers before I got all the pre-orders in, gauging how many of each size I'd need was all done by best guess. And while I do have all the shirts I need to fill the orders that have already been sent to me, there are a few sizes that are now running a bit low. And unfortunately I won't be able to order just a single size at a time to get it back into stock. So basically, if you'd like to guarantee getting a shirt in your size, the sooner you place your order the better. Okay folks, this should pretty much be the last time I bore you guys with the shirt stuff till just before the sale ends. Until then, have a great weekend, and I'll see y'all on Monday when I post the next GT². Later, -Ed PS: Oh, and I'll be updating the store with new info and pictures of the shirts over the next few days. ** 07 / FEB / 08 - 2232 CST : Forecast for tomorrow... Hey folks. Just dropping by to give you a heads up about tomorrow's update. I got a bit of exciting news earlier today, so in lieu of a strip there's going to be some alternate artwork commenting on that (probably around noon or so). Now, the last time I brought up something that involved "exciting news", I ended up getting a couple e-mails that misinterpreted what I meant. So allow me to clear up any misunderstanding right off that bat... The news doesn't involve pregnancy, marriage, pets, Smurfs, body parts and the wonderful herbal breakthroughs that allow them to grow, or the gaining of super-powers. Alrighty then. Time for me to log off and get my ass in gear. Later, -Ed ** 05 / FEB / 08 - 1631 CST : Taste the rainbow, but not till tomorrow... Hey folks. I got way too caught up in trying to make The Albino's pose in the first panel look just the way I wanted it to (which never actually happened), and burnt up too much time to be able to get the colours done. However I should have them finished up by tomorrow, so hopefully you won't have to wait too long. Okay, time for sleep. Later, -Ed 0934 CST : I'll strip for you in the afternoon... Hey folks. Just swinging by to let you know that I should have the strip all finished up later on this afternoon. Also, I apologize in advance if there isn't much meat on the bones of these news post this week. I've got a bunch of stuff to so this week on top of the strips, so I'm really running on kind of a tight schedule for the next few days. Plus I'm a little behind on my e-mails, so if you're waiting for a response from me, I should have that out to you by this weekend at the latest. Alrighty, time to ink. Later, -Ed ** 04 / FEB / 08 - 0935 CST : Pass the prunes... Hey folks. The first daft of the script for today's GT² originally made mention of the movie Porky's instead American Pie. However in the end it occurred to me that perhaps it would be better to shy away from references that clocked in at over a quarter century old. I'd also like to mention that despite the fact that High School Musical was a hugely popular money making juggernaut that came out over two years ago, I somehow managed to be so out of touch with youth based programming that I never even hear of it before last Christmas. Why am I bringing all this up? Because I wanted to let y'all know just how very old doing this strip has made me feel. And while I'm not exactly sure this is what people mean when they say you must suffer for your art, I do feel that I have inadvertently paid some dues with this one. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go slap on some knee high black socks and sandals, and go yell at some kids to get off my lawn. Later, -Ed ** 01 / FEB / 08 - 1226 CST : Food puts colour in my cheeks (and strips)... Hey folks. I have a rare opportunity to go out for lunch today with someone I don't get to see nearly enough of, so I'm going to jump on that while I can. Don't worry though, I'll only be gone for a couple hours, and once I'm back I'll be starting right in on the colours. So the totally finished strip will be done by this evening. Oh, and as long as I'm not totally zonked out from lack of l sleep by the time I'm finished, I'll also have more to say here. Alrighty! Chow time! Later, -Ed ****