War of Winds

Monday, November 17, 2008 -

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 PST

http://warofwinds.com/comic.php?comic_id=280
In which someone needs a chill pill ; Monday, November 17, 2008

EDIT: Dudes, totally, check this out! New Star Trek movie...and SYLAR from Heroes is playing Spock!!! Originally....

I could only do the colors from last week's page for this week. If you take a gander around the site (and you might want to refresh your cache while you're at it) you'll see why. Those webcomic readers who are also webcomic creators themselves might be interested in a new feature I started up: a resource blog. It'll be updated a couple times a week. If you were ever a fan of Your Webcomic Can Still be Saved, I hope to kind of continue that work, but with a slightly different focus.

Since I'm late with this page, you can vote for the script to next week's page, which will be on time, dammit. Grr. And oh yes, improved eye detail courtesy of a wonderful DA tutorial by Yuumei.

The script speeds up from here on out. I like to have a couple pages of set-up since I don't have to constrict a chapter in a 22-page serial. This chapter is entitled "Lesser Evils," and I encourage you to think about not only the meanings of it, but to whom those meanings might apply.

More Breadcrumbs About WTF is going on:

Ravar was given a mandate to leave the Isles, and return with the Key.

So too was the Triad.

They didn't know about each other.

The Elder (Mai'nar) who gave Ravar the Mandate was murdered.

Mersnai wants to destroy the Key.

Cenron and Ehranah don't, for multiple reasons, including that they never recieved those orders, and there's no way those orders would be possible, since the North Wind gave them the Key to protect.

And of course, in case you've forgotten, waaaay back in chapter 1, Talon stole the Key. It's INSIDE of him now, feeding off his life. Kill Talon, and you kill the Key.

I watched two of my favorite movie releases of this year: Hellboy II and Kung Fu Panda this weekend. Holy clover on a fishstick. Prince Nuada was and still is the coolest, most bad-ass pasty-white elf-due of all time. If he wasn't a sociopath, he would be totally HAWT. He's the kind of guy I imagine playing Sephiroth in a live-action FFVII movie. Speaking live-action movies...anyone hear about Dragonball being made into one? Yes, it's true! I'm too lazy to find you a link though.

Kung Fu Panda was of course, a riot. Anything with Jack Black is, really. I *think* my favorite scene is where Master Oogway is blowing out the candles REALLY slowly, and Shifu gets hella impatient and does a kamehameha! Not a real hamehameha, of course. But I can't for the life of me remember the name of that move. Shuruken? hehehe. Anyways, the ONE thing about the movie I don't get is why they named Shifu as, well, Shifu! Did they not understand that "Master Shifu" translates as "Master Master?" I mean, pick one or the other, really! My second favorite scene is where Shifu says, "Po, we do not wash our pits in the pool of Heavenly Tears." hahaha!

I leave you with, SKIDOOSH!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008 -

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 PST

http://warofwinds.com/comic.php?comic_id=279
I am a sucktard. ; Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Talon...do you really think that old trick of faking sick is going to get you out of this one? ...or is it something else?

So, Barb Jacobs of Xylia posted a link to a pretty cool personality test on her forum. Here's my result, which I must say, is pretty damn accurate. Check it:

Counselors have an exceptionally strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others, and find great personal fulfillment interacting with people, nurturing their personal development, guiding them to realize their human potential. Although they are happy working at jobs (such as writing) that require solitude and close attention, Counselors do quite well with individuals or groups of people, provided that the personal interactions are not superficial, and that they find some quiet, private time every now and then to recharge their batteries. Counselors are both kind and positive in their handling of others; they are great listeners and seem naturally interested in helping people with their personal problems. Not usually visible leaders, Counselors prefer to work intensely with those close to them, especially on a one-to-one basis, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes.
Counselors are scarce, little more than one percent of the population, and can be hard to get to know, since they tend not to share their innermost thoughts or their powerful emotional reactions except with their loved ones. They are highly private people, with an unusually rich, complicated inner life. Friends or colleagues who have known them for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that Counselors are flighty or scattered; they value their integrity a great deal, but they have mysterious, intricately woven personalities which sometimes puzzle even them.
Counselors tend to work effectively in organizations. They value staff harmony and make every effort to help an organization run smoothly and pleasantly. They understand and use human systems creatively, and are good at consulting and cooperating with others. As employees or employers, Counselors are concerned with people's feelings and are able to act as a barometer of the feelings within the organization.
Blessed with vivid imaginations, Counselors are often seen as the most poetical of all the types, and in fact they use a lot of poetic imagery in their everyday language. Their great talent for language-both written and spoken-is usually directed toward communicating with people in a personalized way. Counselors are highly intuitive and can recognize another's emotions or intentions - good or evil - even before that person is aware of them. Counselors themselves can seldom tell how they came to read others' feelings so keenly. This extreme sensitivity to others could very well be the basis of the Counselor's remarkable ability to experience a whole array of psychic phenomena.

Readers that know me, whatcha think? hehehehe.

Did I mention here that I have a fight scheduled for the 29th? Somewhere between NaNoWriMo, webcomics, scripting, webdesign, and 3 styles of martial arts, I need to find the time to train straight-up kick-boxing when I've been doing MMA for months. WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF? What do you mean I can't tackle and submit her? No grabbing? BOXING GLOVES? Ah!

Vote for a Not Alone wallpaper. I am considering putting up the next page's script for TWoW like I did for Not Alone. Interested?

Oh yeah. I also changed the name of my studio logo up there. "Wolf Wind" made me think of a wolf PASSING wind. So. Changed. I should be studied.

EDIT: And the American election is over. I think this was the most definitive vote in 12 years. To win by such a large margin speaks volumes. Here's to hoping we picked the right one. *cheers* His acceptance speech was very well written. He's certainly a much better orator than Bush, but that's not saying much, actually ;)

Wednesday, October 29, 2008 -

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 PDT

http://warofwinds.com/comic.php?comic_id=278
Page 37 Fer Real ; Wednesday, October 29, 2008

BEHOLD! Script edits for clarification!

The special details you might have missed on first glance: Looks like someone was sitting on that couch there in the final panel. Recently. The book is still open, and there's still an impression of a backside. Too bad Vrin will never check the book, OR what the papers on the table say. Vrin, you should be more observant!

And hmm, like, all the furniture was covered. And recently uncovered, for use. But like, no one bothers to cover the furniture in a house that's going to be used soon. They only cover it from dust if it's not going to be used in months...or years...

But didn't Boshaan say that the house was set aside for the Triad? That they were expected?

Yet Cenron had no idea of this mission. Only Mersnai, "the loose cannon" did. And according to Cenron, they didn't even know about the mission until four days prior. Does it sound to you like those details are adding up? A house prepared years in advance for some chance happening, ie, the Key leaving the Sacred Isles and heading to Gan-go?

And then there's Ravar, who was sent to return to the Key, while Mersnai says they're there to destroy it. Ravar didn't even know a Triad was there, because he had the Mandate, given to him by Elder Mai'nar! Oh, but wait. Mersnai just said that Elder there was murdered. WTF is going on, right?

Well, I guess there's one piece of key info you guys don't know yet, that you will...within 3 pages. I think. Need to rescript. I'll be dropping hints like this from now on, since this comic is very soon going to be hitting that 300-page mark.

Stuff that was explained in the novel, but not mentioned here:

Those wood carvings hanging between the windows come from a place called Chin Kom Pa, a small matriarchal kingdom northwest of where we are currently. They are the main export, and very expensive. The wood is fragrant.

In the first panel, when Vrin darts to the right, you can see there was another way to go on the left. A wall runs straight through the center of the main hall, creating two large sitting rooms on either side. Vrin doesn't see Ravar, so I guess we can assume he went the other way. :) Not too important, of course.

Lastly, I saw the movie High School Musical 3 late last night. I am...slightly ashamed to admit it, but I liked it. I expected it to be so incredibly gay, (um, like the second one, which made me want to hurl), but it was better. The "kids" weren't dressed up to look so very young, wore a lot less make-up, and acted very adult. It was just such a CLEAN movie it hurt a bit. No violence. And no awkward moments sitting next to people you know while actors on screen are having sex. The latter was a rather nice change actually.

If you guys (or far more likely, 'gals) see it, my favorite song was "The Boys are Back." That was what my childhood was like, except I was a girl. Not a boy. :P I ran with the "boys' club" though. Couldn't stand playing house or barbies or dolls. All I wanted to do was play "OMG the volcano is exploding, run away while Indians chase us into outerspace!," translated as "my best friend has the water hose, the friend we all picked on is always 'it' and I'm climbing into my apple tree to get away!"

C'mon, you guys must've played games like that too! Anyways, HSM3 was extremely "cute," and there were a bunch of shirtless scenes that the women among us can shamelessly enjoy, 'cause the smexy actors are all over 20.

Don't give me that look!

Monday, October 20, 2008 - The Back Entrance

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 PDT

http://warofwinds.com/comic.php?comic_id=277
Page 36 beta ; Monday, October 20, 2008

Sometimes I think Vrin's left hand doesn't know what the right one is doing... I tried something new with this page, trying add a little more realistic texture to the wood, and some stand-out highlights. I'm not sure if it works yet, but I'm going to keep trying. You know what my favorite part of this page is? The copper pots, beneath the chopping block. I've always wanted a solid-wood chopping block. I don't know why. They're just awesome in a kitchen.

First page where Vrin talks about death.

Vrin tells Ravar to just kill her already.

Ravar notices Vrin seems "eager" to die.

In other news, I finally saw Iron Man. One word: OVERRATED. Movies should not use current events to justify totally ignoring world-building and personal motivations to do what 'dem actors be doing! I give it a 7/10. It was long, convoluted, and only minimally endearing. It was however, amusing. And the graphics were superb. And I really want a suit. At least the "female lead" wasn't a TOTAL pushover, and showed some spunk.

Also saw Forbidden Kingdom! A fun ride, but geeky! Jet Li as the Monkey King was hilarious, and Jackie Chan as the "drunken immortal" was perfect. My sister and I were wondering if eyeshadow were the Jade Warlord's "elixir." *snickers* I also give it a 7/10. The plot wasn't great, but the addition of coolness of BOTH Chan and Li in a single movie make it worth seeing.

Monday, October 13, 2008 - Another Window

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 PDT

http://warofwinds.com/comic.php?comic_id=276
Page 35 ; Monday, October 13, 2008

Huge news today! SpiderForest totally upgraded the home page of the site. You totally have to go and check it out! I also got another birthday present in the form of a fangirl attack on Ravar. See it here in the forum!

The comic that first mentioned Seals.

The comic that first mentioned ashi-ka.

The comic that first dealt with ashi/energy.

Previously:

NJ of Emergency Exit sent me this wonderfully violent fan art of Vrin her new clothes! Thank you, NJ! I had to take it out of the archives, but it is now up in the gallery! Check out NJ's comic here:

Have you guys been keeping up with NBC's Heroes since it started back up again? HOLY PUG-FACED BEAVERS! Everything has turned on its head, and I love it! The good guys are bad, the bad guys are good, and SYLER MADE HIS SON WAFFLES IN THE FUTURE. I can't wait for tonight's episode.

I wish I could say that I liked Life as much now as before the writers' strike. Grr...

Luckily, the last 2 Stargate Atlantis episodes rocked da house!

Sunday, October 5, 2008 - Perception

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:00:00 PDT

http://warofwinds.com/comic.php?comic_id=275
Page 34 ; Sunday, October 5, 2008

There have a couple other pages where the perception of a character changes depending on what ability they are manifesting. For example, when Ravar was a greyken, he saw in a completely different spectrum. When Ravar wanted to see the energy trails left by the Triad, the world warped a bit. This is the same kind of thing. Whether or not it is a true representation of an unseen world, no Ayenroki knows. Perception differs for every user of Rrah'ashi, and most believe the mind creates images in a way that can be comprehended by the Ayenroki. So, what each one sees while manifesting an ability of the mind (not the environment), is relative.

That is your easter egg extra for today!

So, my most awesome sister Dien got me totally hooked on this lovely internet application called Pandora. Some of you may remember an application called "Mercora," (I think that was its name) which streamed radio stations based on music genre. Well, Pandora is a step up from that. You plug in your favorite songs or artists and the dang thing actually CREATES a "station" for you, sending you more music that suit the tastes you've shown in the initial plug in. By thumbing up or down the music it sends you, Pandora further narrows down your PERFECT MUSIC. I'm listening to some wonderful tunes right now, most that I've never heard of. Since I know all 700 songs on my Winamp playlist by heart now (including the ones in foreign languages...), Pandora has saved my creativity time. KEZ MUST HAVE MUSIC WHEN DRAWING.

Sunday, September 28, 2008 - Ashi-Ka

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:00:00 PDT

http://warofwinds.com/comic.php?comic_id=274
Page 33 ; Sunday, September 28, 2008

Good news! I will be continuing Relan's Story: Not Alone for the month of October in the place of Cast Q/A. So every Wed/Thurs, check back for a new page! Speaking of Not Alone, check out the two pages colored by my good friend Darwin! Darwin makes three comics:

In other news, I think this is the most Ravar has ever said. I think he gets talkative when exited, and he gets exited when he thinks about killing people...especially his brother. One can only imagine what their family life was life!

I caught a cool movie that I've heard awesome things about today: Whale Rider. I think it won a bunch of awards. I only got the last hour, but it was enough to raise my ire (in a good way!). The movie was about a Maori girl who wanted to be taught the things young boys are taught who may be chief. She was "supposed" to be born male, but turned out to be female, thereby ending a line of first-born chiefs that stretched back quite a ways (starting with a guy who rode a whale after getting lost at sea. The whale brought him to land). It was a really sad story for me, especially since the one man she really looked up to, her grandfather, didn't want anything to do with her! He was the chief (I think), and he forbade her to have anything to do with the school, but she sneaked in to watch and learn anyways. In the end, she beats all the boys and earns their respect, but in doing so, alienates her grandfather. I started crying. You guys know me! As a woman fighter, I quickly empathize with this type of plight! (the worst part is, this kind of thing still happens a lot!)

ANYWAYS. Whale Rider ended happily, and that's where I stop. Vote for the color reference sheet of Relan!

Monday, September 22, 2008 - Still Alive

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 PDT

http://warofwinds.com/comic.php?comic_id=273
c7p32 ; Monday, September 22, 2008

Oi, damn did this page take a while! I don't think I'm going to be painting background for a while now. They are very time consuming, and it's just faster to use lines. I'm not that good at it anyways. I did want to give it a go though!

After some deliberation on the matter, and some forum input, I've decided to continue Relan's Story: Not Alone next month in place of Cast Q/A. These two features will alternate monthly, since they seem to be equally liked (based on pageviews, at least). I recently upgraded Not Alone's archive, and posted the very first of the guest-colored pages! I'm hoping for more, but the first tip of Kez's hat goes to Darwin! If you are interested in coloring other pages, layered PSDs are available! Details in the forum, along with a color reference.

Now, to the BIG news! OMG! Heroes is back! I DVR'd it so I can fast forward through all of the 9-hell-annoying local car dealership commercials (It's gonna be HUUUUUUUGE, Rochester, HUUUUUUGE! *facepalm*) and Time Warner Cable psuedo-vote commercials. Ugh. Is it just me, or do commercials get worse every year? If it's not Enzyte it's SHAMWOW! DVR is on my top 10 list of mankind's greatest inventions, I tell you!

I'm still reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Burned through 4 books in a week, how's that? I almost wish I couldn't read so fast so I could enjoy it longer. At this rate, in another 2 weeks, I'll be finished. I'm getting such a hoot out of Lan and Nynaeve's flirtations. "If a stone could be said to soften,", or how about, "You grow flowers where I once cultivated dust and rocks." Those probably aren't direct quotes, but they were memorable enough for me to remember them (and laugh while I type this out.)

And what about Rand and Aviendha's "courtship," after she comes back from Rhuidean and knows they're destined to be together? hahah! The Aiel are so awesome, and Aviendha is awesomex10.

The one thing about the books that pisses me off is Perrin. Dude, Wolfbrother! How frickin' cool is that, and you hate it! UGH! I think, should I ever get another dog, I will name him Hopper.