Quackers News and Rantings
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07-10-2008
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The way Jason has been feeling in this strip is pretty much how I've been feeling for the last week or two. Sleep has become a bit of a stranger around here, and caffeine my best friend! Despite the possible sources of comic fodder that might arise from this, the situation doesn't really help the creative process much when your brain is on hiatus and the rest of you is running on automatic. But you never know, I might be able to scrape some relevant gags together once I eventually get myself some sleep!
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01-10-2008
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Ooh, look, filler! The lack of time I've had in the last week means it's just a short comic this time. Along with the art block I had through most of last week my inspiration has been a little low. I might be able have something a little lengthier next week, so be sure to come back Tuesday to see how I do!
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25-09-2008
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So here it is. I did say that I'd manage to get the strip up today (even if there's not much of today left).
I'm sorry to say that due to work commitments next week the next strip shall also see a delay. I'm planning to have it posted on Wednesday, so it's not too long to wait. Hope you can all contain your excitement!
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23-09-2008
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Ok... So as much as I'd like to have had a new strip to post today, it's not happening I'm afraid. I've had a terrible mental block for most of this week, so I've not been able to come up with a new strip. At least not yet. I've had a few ideas start to germinate, even though it's taken a whole day of thinking about. Hopefully that means that while today is a bust, I should be able to get something posted here this week, so don't give up on me yet! Assuming I can finalise an idea today (hey, I still have a few hours of thinking time left!), and taking into account my schedule for the rest of the week, I'm going to attempt to have something finished by Thursday. Fingers crossed! So, drop by in two days time to see what it is I managed to come up with.
In the meantime, for those of you who managed to see the easter egg in last week's post (simply click the word 'horrendous' in the second paragraph), you'll probably have been curious about the creature Jason made in his game of Spore. If so, click here, and here to see what it looked like! (Alright, so I couldn't resist building it after coming up with the drawing... After all, who could?)
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17-09-2008
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The latest Quackers strip didn't turn out to be the breeze of a one-off that I'd hoped for. But then, when does it ever? My old enemy Artistic Block arrived soon after completing the sketch phase of the comic. After that I found that for a couple of days after I was completely unable to draw anything resembling more than a badly rendered scribble. While I'm still not 100% happy with the result, the finished comic still conveys what I wanted, so I hope you all still enjoy it. The art block also explains why it was a day late.
As for not posting news of the update, I'm afraid that was just down to bad timing on my part. I managed to get the strip finished before I had to head off for work, but then found I didn't have time to write up this news post or the RSS update! Life has a sick sense of humour that way.
During my bout of undrawingness I've been busy playing Spore on the PC. It's been a long time since I was this engaged by a game in general, least of all a PC game! There's just something about sticking together random limbs, appendages and sensory organs to build your own creature that's somehow very satisfying... No matter how horrendous it might turn out. I have my workmate Dave to thank for introducing me (and almost anyone else he's been in contact with) to it way back while it was still in development. Having had the creature creator since it was released he's become quite adept at making a variety of animals. I'm not so talented yet, but I have been able to recreate a Spore version of both Jason and Tom! Yes, Quackers gets everywhere.
For those of you who have the game and want to add Jason and Tom to your galaxies, simply run a search in Sporepedia for Sponge2292 (don't ask, there's a long story behind that nickname). That will bring up a list of all the creations I've come up with so far, as well as letting you subscribe to the Quackers Sporecast. For anyone else who's interested, check out the Spore widget below to see what I've built so far!
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09-09-2008
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Here it is then, the last comic in the storyline of Samuel and Bradley. Not a bad run for what was supposed to just be a one-shot idea.
If I'm able to I'm going to try to stick to some unlinked one-shot comics over the next couple of weeks or so. Mostly just to give me time to work on some of the upcoming ideas I've got floating around in my head at the moment. One of them is finally returning to the Role Playing Game we last saw running way back in April. Who knew it'd been that long ago?! I've been wanting to resume it for a while, but it's quite hard work to create, so I've been kind of putting it off. But I do have a little something special planned for the week running up to Halloween this year, so I'm going to have to work around that as well. Sometimes I think I spoil you guys :)
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02-09-2008
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I'm getting close to wrapping up the storyline involving Samuel and Bradley. So close that today's strip is actually the penultimate one before moving onto new ideas! Don't be too sad though, I'm sure that sometime in the future there could possibly be more appearances by the sink dwelling duo!
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19-08-2008
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It's been quiet around here over the last week. That's something of a good thing I guess as I've not really been up to doing much. Between a lack of sleep and a sneaking suspicion that I've caught a cold, I've not been feeling 100%. Good thing I've got some time off coming up soon!
Anyway, despite my current unenthusiastic attitude, here is the latest strip. It's only a short one, but I thought it might help answer a question some people would have had over the last few strips... I know it's something that confused me for a while!
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19-08-2008
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Things continue to get stranger as Jason continues chatting with Samuel. Obviously Jason had forgotten just how long it's been since he last did the washing up.
I'm sure many of you will be suprised to see an update appearing on time for once. I know that I was. My weeks continue to be quite busy, but despite this I think there's a good chance I may be updating on time next week as well. Something to look forward to, assuming I've not just jinxed it by saying that...
Even though I've been busy I did get chance to see the X-Files movie at the weekend. I was a fan of the show during the first half of its run, although lost the thread in the later years as my spare time was eaten up and I missed more and more episodes. Even so, I was interested in seeing this new film to see how things had been moved on from the series. I did think it was a good film. Although as my friend Dave said, it "needed more 'X' and less 'Files'." Aside from the moments of emotional exposition between Mulder and Scully, the rest of the film played like a standard FBI thriller, with a slight supernatural twist. It certainly worked well as a stand alone extended monster-of-the-week episode of the series, but a little more could have been done on the supernatural element. Credit needs to go to Billy Connolly though. It wasn't until after the film had ended that it dawned on me; I'd never once thought of him as anything other than his character throughout the whole thing. Not an easy thing for an actor to achieve as normally we're all usually comparing their performance to other things they've done in the past.
Overall the film, and especially the script, was quite understated. It kept the whole thing naturalistic (at least as much as you can with a story about the supernatural) and I think that was a good thing. If the script and story had been more grandiose I think things would have degenerated into a more over-the-top affair which would have ruined the return of Mulder and Scully. If you enjoy the X-Files, I'd say go and see it. The same applies if you like FBI/crime stories. Just don't expect aliens or googly eyed monters to pop up unexpectedly... at least not this time.
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13-08-2008
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This week sees a return of the sink creature from last week's strip. A bit of a surprise for some people as well as myself to be honest. Despite being just a one-shot character, I somehow seemed to have come up with several strip's worth of material for him. Yes, that means he'll be appearing in the next few strips!
I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get the strip finished this week as I've not been too well. I've been feeling pretty sick over the last couple of days, but I still managed to struggle by with work and Quackers. Thankfully I've been a lot better today which has helped me to get this update done.
Something else that's made me feel better is that after months of waiting, a performance date for the Video Games Live concert has been announced for London today. I've managed to get some tickets booked for the performance, which has made me quite happy. I really enjoyed seeing the show last year and I'm hoping that it's just as good this time around. Although hopefully things will run a little smoother this year. Such as being able to leave the hotel without forgetting the tickets, and Thames Water not cutting off the water supply to the hotel I'll be staying at... No matter what happens though, I'm still looking forward to a good weekend away and a great night out!
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07-08-2008
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It's just one thing after another with some people, and after the horror that was Tom's cooking, Jason now must face the washing up! It's a chore I've always hated myself and Jason shares my dislike of it. But go too long without doing it and not only do you quickly run out of things to eat from, but there might be some other unexpected side effects as well. Something Jason is going to find out in this week's strip...
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06-08-2008
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Despite my best efforts, this last week hasn't offered me up as much time as I would have liked to work on Quackers. Don't worry though, there is still going to be a strip this week, but it will be tomorrow when it appears. I've managed to get a lot of it done in the precious little time I've had available. With tomorrow dedicated to nothing but drawing it shouldn't be long before you see the finished product on here!
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30-07-2008
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I don't really have anything to say today, so I shall keep it short and sweet and simply point you all in the direction of the latest strip... Right here!
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25-07-2008
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This week has been something of a trying week. Not a lot seems to have gone right at all from the moment I woke up on Monday morning. Nevertheless I have (eventually) managed to finish off the next installment, which you can see by clicking here.
I wasn't happy with several parts of the strip as I was working on them, and I've been tweaking them throughout the entire creation process this week. That added to some of the delay in getting it finished. One line in particular gave me great trouble and has taken me right up to the last few minutes to get just right. Here's hoping that next week will be a little easier to get through. If not I think I may just go insane... Ok, more insane.
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22-07-2008
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Alright then, so it was kind of inevitable that this week's strip wasn't going to appear on time. Despite starting it last week on my holiday, it's another biggy that's taking time. My drawing ability seems to have gone a bit squiffy today as well, which isn't helping. I won't be able to work on it tomorrow, but it's getting my full attention for the whole of Thursday, so look for it appearing on here then. In the meantime, here's a preview of it. What has Jason found that's eased his lunch-time panic? Just what on earth has Tom brought in from the kitchen? For the answers to these and other unfathomable questions, tune in Thursday!
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20-07-2008
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My holiday is over now and it's back to work in the morning (boo). It also means that today sees the last of the sketch-a-day thingy I've been doing.
A couple of weeks ago I was randomly flicking through Wikipedia and found something about the national birds of different countries (there's a list here). Browsing through I found out that Austria and Germany both have the Golden Eagle as their national bird. And the rather happy looking Turquois-browned Motmot is the national bird of El Salvador. Checking up on the UK I found that we have... the Robin. Now, while I have nothing against Robins at all, it did get me thinking that we needed an avian mascot a little more suited to how things are in this country. All the rain and damp that we have here led me and my friends to think that a duck would be a better choice (not that I have an obssession with them or anything). It was that which gave me the idea for this final sketch. I'm now thinking of getting a petition together to have Jason put forward to raplace the robin as our National Bird.
I'll be back to updating the comic as usual next week, so that means more Quackersy goodness (after who knows how many unexpected delays and problems!). Look back to us around Tuesday to see how things are going with Jason and Tom!
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19-07-2008
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Another brief entry today. Haven't had a lot of time to work on a lot after hurting my back this morning. Thankfully it wasn't anything serious, but I did manage to pull all the muscles in my lower back, so standing was painful... As was sitting... Aaaaand walking... Mostly just moving in general felt like hurt. I'm not too bad at the moment, although I'm excpecting to be more than a little stiff tomorrow!
Anyway, I was eventually able to get myself around to coming up with and drawing this little sketch. Jason getting all up close and personal with nature. He's never been afraid to make new friends, even if they are tiny in comparison. One more sketch tomorrow and then it's back to the old routine!
Huh, would you look at that... Not such a short entry after all.
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18-07-2008
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Time for another sketch! This one is a little rough around the edges (and in the middle, and the top, and the sides...). It was going to be a little more lavish, but I found myself getting far too carried away with it and so went back to basics with it.
There's still two more days left of this week, so that means two more sketches to go!
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17-07-2008
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Thursday arrives and so does our fourth sketch! This time it's the the rest of Jason and Tom's gang, and they're at the cinema. This sees the return of the fabled Barrel-O-Popcorn, last seen in January of last year. My, how things have changed since then! Jason's certainly looking a lot healthier and less stick-like...
I know that I promised that there'd be some changes appearing along with the sketch today, but I'm afraid it's not so for the moment. After starting out with them last night I got to planning and it seemed there was a lot more to do than I first thought. Not only are there quite a few drawings to come up with (albeit small ones), there's more coding to be done on a lot of pages to make what I want happen. Nothing too major, but there's been a lot of fiddling about today trying to get things to work. So, at the moment, no changes. But they'll be here soon, once I figure out exactly how I want things to look. For now I'll see you again tomorrow for yet another sketch!
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16-07-2008
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It's day Three of my sketch a day thingy! Due to popular request... ok, due to one request - we have a sketch of Scruffy the dinosaur, ready to be spoiled with belly-rubs and attention, as all pets should be. It's been a while since he was around in the strips, so it's nice to see that he's still around and being his usual dinosaury self.
I'm hoping that if I'm able to get myself in gear to do some coding I can get a move on with some of the things for the website today. I should be fine as long as I don't encounter too many distractions... If I do manage to get some of these things done I might even have some of them uploaded tonight! Of course it's more likely I'll do it tomorrow when I post the next sketch, but we shall see!
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15-07-2008
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Another day, another sketch. Just a random one this time of Jason in some kind of mad scientist moment. From what I can tell he has quite a few of those when no one appears to be looking...
I really wasn't able to come up with a suitable solution for linking to these daily sketches, so you'll have to make do with the links in my daily updates. However, after this week I'll move them into the comic graveyard for you all to look at whenever you want to.
One thing I have done today is sit and watch the Media conferences of both Microsoft and Nintendo at E3. Being a keen gamer I'm always interested to see what comes out of these keynote events each year, so I was looking forward to hearing what the big companies would be offering up this time. I managed to slog my way through the video downloads of Microsoft's conference, which on my slow connection is no mean feat! However I was sorely disappointed. There was really nothing new mentioned over what most of us have already heard about in the last few months, not really any new games announced outside of one or two casual games and some XBLA software. All in all a bland event.
Next up was Nintendo's conference, which I watched as a live stream over the internet. It was certainly more interesting that MS' event, but still nothing spectacular. The revelation of a microphone attachment for the Wii (called Wii Speak, which sits neatly on top of the sensor bar) was interesting enough as it means real-time communication in games would be possible. And then there was the announcement of more Wii-branded games in the form of Wii Sports Resort (beach games) and Wii Music, which finally debuted a proper demo. Other than that it was still pretty bland.
I was going to watch the Sony conference, but I'm not sure I can keep up with all the excitement coming out of E3 at the moment, so I think I'm going to make dinner instead. I may just download the keynote tomorrow and watch it then, if I can stay awake through it...
There'll be another sketch tomorrow, so be sure to visit again!
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14-07-2008
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Hello all!
Even though I'm on holiday at the moment, and although I did say that I'm not going to update the comic strip this week, I did mention that the site wouldn't be silent. So, true to my word I bring you the first of a few things! Today sees the start of some holiday sketching. I thought I'd bring you one a day for the duration of my holiday so that there'd be something to see here. To have a peek at the first of my sketch a day sketches - which features our favourite pirate, Captain Witless - click right here. I'll try and come up with a fancy button or something for these tomorrow. The rest might not be as extravegant as today's, I just got a little carried away...
Remember to check back here again tomorrow to see the next sketch!
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10-07-2008
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After getting close to completing this week's strip last night found myself constantly unhappy with the way it was turning out. While the actual line art was fine I just couldn't seem to get the colouring to look satisfactory. I attempted to alter it several times, but just couldn't find the right balance and so decided to sleep on it. Today I've managed to rectify those problems and so you're all now able to see the finished product!
I suppose the problem I was having had just as much to do with my perfectionism than any real problem with the strip, but I really did want to make sure that I could get it as legible as possible with a colour scheme that didn't hide too many details. And while I hate posting a strip as late as I have this week, I'd still rather deliver a strip that was complete, looked good and worked than a half finished scribbly mess.
I'm afraid that next week the comic will be on holiday. That's not to say that the site will be quiet during that time. As I'm off work for the week I'm taking the time to work on a few things for the site. Mostly it's a few things to help brighten the site up a bit, but if I'm able to I might even add a couple of extra features! Although that's all dependant on how long those might take and my ability to program them into the site's code. I'll be adding some news posts here as I go along next week, so for those of you who decide to pay us a visit, I'll see you then!
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09-07-2008
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This week has been pretty awful so far. Builders knocked out our water supply for several hours Monday. I can tell you it's no fun going to work when the only water you have available to clean yourself up with is what little has been left in the kitchen taps! That was follwed by unexpected changes in my schedule which has taken up silly amounts of my time. Anyway what all this amounts to is - surprise, surprise - a late posting for this week's strip.
The strip I've been working on has turned into a longer project than I anticipated despite the lack of time I've been able to spend on it. From conception to inking it's grown as I've thrown more ideas into it. It's ended up with eleven panels after starting out with only seven. Four panels might not sound much, but many comics only get by on three or four panels, so it can become a lot of work! It has also turned out to be one of the more cartoon-like episodes of Quackers. More so than usual at least. Comic and cartoon physics play a large part this time as does Jason's ability to create a variety of strange, yet descriptive facial expressions. Who knew a beak would turn out to be so flexible?
I'm currently in the process of colouring the strip now that I have completed the inking phase. I'm hoping this part won't take too long as this episode doesn't feature much in the way of backgrounds, just characters. With any luck (although I'm not really sure I have a lot of that at the moment) I should have it all finished tonight, work permitting. In the meantime you can see a little preview by clicking right here.
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01-07-2008
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Well the new strip is up. Not as quickly as it could have been, but that was due to an abrupt thunderstorm. After the down time I suffered when a lightening strike knocked out my router last time a storm happened that quick I wasn't taking any chances this time! At least I'm learning, even if it takes a month of no internet to get it to sink in...
Observant readers will notice that Jason is allowed to play video games again. His over zealous uptake of role playing games proved that his self-imposed abstinence of video gaming wasn't really going to calm him down at all. Still, this does mean he's got a lot of games to catch up on, which will keep him quiet for a while... Maybe.
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30-06-2008
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You all know what I'm going to put here before I write it, don't you? That's right, no comic update until tomorrow. At the moment I'm considering making it a permanent thing to have the update on Tuesdays instead of Mondays as this is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. The final decision about this will be taken in the next couple of weeks before (what I hope will be) a week of from work. In that week I'll be trying to incorporate a few new things into the site that I've been wanting to do, but not had the time to work on. The site is overdue for an overhaul and a facelift.
You guys know the drill then. Make your way back here tomorrow when you'll be able to see the next thrilling, action-packed and visually stunning episode of Quackers! Or at the very least you'll get to see Jason pulling a few funny faces, but either way it's a result!
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24-06-2008
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Whoo! And so that's another strip done with. It's tough getting these strips done with the hours I've been putting in at work, but I'm starting to get used to it. Well, again there's not a lot for me to add today except that clicking here will take you to the strip in question. Other than that, I shall see you all in a week with the next comic update :)
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23-06-2008
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Yes, I'm afraid it's another one of those weeks when the Monday update will have to become a Tuesday update. Not a lot to add at this point, but if you turn up here again tomorrow there'll be a brand new strip to read.
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18-06-2008
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It's finally finished, and the end result can be seen here. I'm glad I was able to make this strip at last. It's one I've wanted to draw for a few months. I just wish it hadn't taken so long! I did have a lot of fun creating it though, especially when it came to some of Jason's more eccentric looks. Drawing a moose splayed out on the floor is not the easiest of things to draw though...
More to come next week. I won't promise the next comic will be ready by Monday this time, but I will definitely be keeping you guys posted on things. I will announce when it is due once I'm able to get close to finishing it. Hopefully I'll be able to schedule my time a little better this time!
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17-06-2008
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By the Great Llama, has it only been a week (and one day) since the last update? Feels like I haven't been here in a month, let alone 8 days. Putting in all these extra hours in at work has really stripped me of the time and energy I've needed to produce the next comic strip, which I know I had promised to have uploaded on here today. The strip has extended a few panels beyond what I had originally intended it to be, which has slowed progress down a little. But I have to admit that the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 has also played a part in keeping me from updating. I'm a fan of the series and I've been looking forward to this installment for a long time. Playing it has eaten up even more of my spare time (bad comic artist, naughty!). Nevertheless, I am committed to getting the next strip out by the end of tomorrow, no matter what! So I hope you will join me here again tomorrow to read the long-overdue comic and berate me on my laziness.
On an unrelated matter, it was the birthday of a particular moosey friend of mine at the weekend, and I'd just like to say happy birthday to him once again. So, ummm, Happy Birthday! :)
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09-06-2008
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It's the last one, I swear! No really, this is the last strip with a Star Wars reference in it. OK, so it's the last one for a while. No doubt I'll manage to cram the odd reference in here or there in the future when no one's paying attention... Next week you'll all find out just how far Jason has to go to satiate his need for blueberry muffins!
The next two or three weeks will be busy ones for me as I've picked up some extra hours at work. Good news for me as I get some more cash, not so good news for the comic as it means some delays are likely. While I'll endeavour to maintain the Monday updates, as with the previous couple of weeks you may find some strips appearing on Tuesdays instead. If this is the case I shall, of course, be letting you all know right here on this page and via the RSS feed.
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03-06-2008
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Well here it is, the comic you've been waiting for. I'm afraid there are no special prizes for knowing which scene in which film the inspiration for today's strip comes from, but kudos go to you for being as geeky as me :)
See you all next week for another dose of Quackers craziness on Monday!
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02-06-2008
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Another week goes by and, true to my word last week, the next strip will be arriving tomorrow. There's not a lot left to do on it, so you should be able to see it before the end of the day. Things are calming down a little at work now, so there's a good chance that next week's comic should be posted on time on next Monday, which is worth a bucket full of yay if you ask me! So I hope you will all join me here again tomorrow for the arrival of the next strip, after which let's hope the schedule will be getting back into some kind of normality.
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27-05-2008
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Today's strip (now that it's been posted) is a little celebration of Star Wars. I did the comic partly as the original film has just passed it's 31st anniversary and cos it fits in ok with recent strips. I also did it just because it's fun drawing Darth Vader! (not to mention little dancing stormtroopers!)
Work has been tough and it's going to be another long and busy week. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, it's looking ever likely that the next strip will be posted next Tuesday instead of the usual Monday update. Be sure to check back then and I'll do what I can to have the next strip ready!
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26-05-2008
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As with last week I've been a little short on time and haven't been able to finish off the latest strip for it's regular Monday update. However, again like last week, I should be able to have it finished up and posted by the end of tomorrow. The way things are looking this might be the case for the next couple of weeks, so I would suggest to you all to expect the next couple of strips to appear on those Tuesdays instead of Mondays. Either way I shall still post a news update on here to let you all know what's happening.
Be sure to come back tomorrow to see the new strip.
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21-05-2008
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Just a little update today. If you take a look at the comic graveyard, you'll see a couple of new entries. Both the picture announcing the arrival of Quackers at it's new home, and the one which (briefly) graced the old site before it closed down have been posted there. Click away and have a browse!
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20-05-2008
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Well here we are, ladies and gentlemen, ducks, mooses and assorted creatures, the new strip is up and ready for reading! Took longer than I thought it would, so the update to the scraps section will have to take place tomorrow (sooooo many delays, I'm so sorry!). In the meantime, I'm about ready for collapsing into bed, so if you'll excuse me, I'll do just that...
*fwump*
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19-05-2008
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Just a little heads-up. Recently I've been managing to update regularly on Mondays, but this week work and other things have stolen away more of my Quackers work time than I expected. This means that the latest strip will be delayed. Although it's only a little delay. The strip itself has been drawn out and all that's left to do now is the colouring, which I shall be doing tomorrow. I'll be posting the strip as soon as I finish it, so be sure to pop back here again tomorrow to see it!
Oh, and for those of you wondering what's happened to the 'New Home' picture that adourned this page all last week, it's gone for now, but from tomorrow it'll be posted in the comic graveyard for you all to look at whenever you want.
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14-05-2008
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So, finally after all this time, Quackers has moved into it's new abode here at quackerscomic.com! As the paint dries and the last few bits of furniture are put into place I'd like to say welcome to you all. If you're new here, I hope that you'll have a good look around and will find something here that will bring you back again in the future! If that's the case then don't forget that you can subscribe to the RSS feed at the top of the page to find out exactly when Quackers recieves an update. To those of you who were visitors to our previous site you'll probably not notice anything's changed, but in the next few weeks I'm hoping to have a bit of a spring clean here and alter a few things. Nothing major (I'm certainly not that good at writing HTML), but just a few things to spruce up the site now that it's settling into it's new home.
I'd like to say thanks to several of my friends at this point. First is André for being the one to front up cash to make this site possible, and for hosting the new address. Then there is the Moose, whose critical eye let's me know if Quackers isn't Quackersy enough. And then there's Dave, who gets me to use up the remainder of any free time I have by encouraging me to draw (very) random things, especially if they involve a gecko. Thanks to you all :D
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12-05-2008
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The weather has finally started to warm up here in the UK, meaning that it's actually quite nice to stand outside without the fear of being rained on, snowed on, or blown half way across the country by gale-force winds. Not that the warmer weather suits everyone around here, but at least some of us appreciate it.
Today's strip was - as mentioned last week - going to be just a random one-off. However, after rummaging through a lot of the scripts and sketches for things I have planned in the future, I found that it tied in well with some of them. While they don't form a storyline, they do link together well, so that'll keep me occupied for the next few weeks and means I won't be scrabbling around for what to draw next. In the meantime I have a lot of other things to do as well. Like finishing commissions, adding some new finishing touches to this site, practicing different art techniques, watching the stack of DVDs that have been unwatched, start reading a new book or two, finishing all those games that just seem to sit there and demand playing... Good job I seem to have some free time lately!
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05-05-2008
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It's the May Bank Holiday today here in the UK. As well as a day off for everyone, it's a day when we all get to relax in the knowledge that at the first sign of sunlight we'll all rush outside with a cold drink in hand, barbeque all aglow (or engulfed in flames, as we're not good at outdoor cooking here) to enjoy the start of the warmer weather... Then promptly get soaked as said weather inevitably turns and it starts raining heavier than in a monsoon season. But we're British, so we're used to that, and we'll still stand in the garden, insisting that "It'll clear up soon!" until we all get so wet we start to rust. Not that everyone's off work. My condolences to my colleagues stuck at work serving the needs of those of us who are off and still insist on going shopping. Tough break *snigger* ;)
Anyhoo, now that the role playing game is on hold I decided to start the new set of strips off with a little bit of random silliness. Something that Quackers can do quite well! There'll be a couple of these kind of filler strips before I crank out another storyline, just to help break things up a bit, so I hope you all look forward to the next silly episode!
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21-04-2008
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Ladies and gentlemen, Quackers has been updated and you can now find the next part of the role playing game story by clicking here. In news that will upset some, relieve others and probably not bother the rest of you either way, that will be the last entry in the RPG storyline for a little while. The cast and I are taking a little break from their costumed antics in order to allow some regular strips to take their place. You see, after running through the plan for the story I realised that I had around another 30 strips before they reached the end, meaning the story wouldn't end until sometime around Christmas! I really wouldn't want you all to get bored of them too quickly, and there are also many other strips and stories I would like to take a crack at and produce this year. But don't you worry, the Quackers RPG team will be back, and with even more mind-boggling adventures! Until then I hope you will look forward to the other things I have in store for the near future which include Jason's attempt at botany, how the gang have to deal with a rodent problem, and Jason's ever growing fascination with blueberry muffins... Stay tuned! :D
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21-04-2008
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Not quite a couple of days, but the next installment of our current story is now up. I'm quite enjoying drawing these strips at the moment, even with the extra time it's taken to do all the details which have been added. I can only hope that you are enjoying reading them as well! The team are still engaged in battle at the moment, as they will be for the next strip, which should give you something to look forward to. As I have a lot more free time this week than I've had recently I'm hoping that I can kick out the next part of the story for the end of the weekend. In the meantime if I manage to come up with any other little sketches and things I shall post them here for you all as well. See you soon!
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18-04-2008
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It's been a very busy week around here. Work and commissions and lots of other things seem to have conspired to eat up all my time, but today I finally get to start the next strip for the ongoing Quackers storyline! I'm hoping that I might be able to get that up here on the site by the end of Sunday, but we'll have to see how things go. On the bright side, work on the commissions I'm doing at the moment are going well. With a little luck I should be able to have those finished in the near future and then move onto the next project. And no, Dave, the next project is not me joining World of Warcraft! At least not for a couple of weeks... ;)
But of course it's not just commissions stealing away my time. Season four of Battlestar Galactica just premiered over here this week and is something I've been looking forward to for quite a while. Better still we got the first two episodes back to back, so it was double the geeky sci-fi goodness!
Gaming has taken something of a backseat lately, although I've still found a little sliver of time to play the recently released Mario Kart, on which I've had quite a bit of fun. Still can't get to grips with the motorbikes though... The online features seem to be working well (despite some cheating going on with the Time Trails), but I've yet to try a vs match against a friend.
So finally at the end of this little update I bring you the filler material I promised last week. As the next strip is still some days away I've compiled some of the doodles I produced to warm up before tackling other arty things. You can see those here. Included in those is a picture of Aviator Jason, who may eventually make it into a Quackers strip one day assuming I can think of something for him to do. And no, I have no idea what's on the rag Tom is holding, but whatever it is, it can't be very nice! Also, somewhat influenced by the Alfred Hitchcock film which was on the TV this morning, I produced this little montage of Jason in film noir getup. Don't worry, Tom isn't really dead. It's all part of the ambience! Enjoy, and I shall return in the next couple of days!
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11-04-2008
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I had a hard time getting this new strip completed. Time managed to slip away from me the whole week that I've been working on it, and adding to the problem has been my compulsion to keep adding little touches to it. Another bush in the background here, a new effect there... Not only that but I had a lot of trouble just figuring out how a moose should look when crouched down. Not something most people think of every day of the week (thanks go to my friend Moose for his help with that dilemma).
In the end I'm proud of how the strip turned out, despite the length of time it took - and the cramp in my fingers. However I think I'll try to keep things a little simpler for the next couple of strips.
And speaking of the next strip, due to the content, work commitments and the need to start on a couple of commissions I've been asked to do, it may be also be delayed as today's comic was. In fact it's almost a given. But to make it up to you I shall be posting a few doodles, sketches, and any little one-off strips I can think of in the bit of free time I have to help ease the wait. I'll update the RSS feed when new content arrives and will also post notices to OnlineComics.net, so people checking those two sources will see when things change here next week.
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02-04-2008
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As usual, even when trying to get the next comic out as soon as I could, I still couldn't help but keep adding little touches here and there to make it better. Mostly with the result of delaying things. But that's something that most arty types go through. We seem to have an aversion to letting go of any project and proclaiming it 'finished'. Nevertheless I've posted the strip, so you can all finally see it.
The next strip may also be delayed a little bit as it's going to be the start of a couple of lengthy strips which may take some time to draw. I shall try to get it finished as soon as possible though... Assuming I don't let my free time get eaten up playing some of the new video games which have been released!
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31-03-2008
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After experiencing 'one of those weeks' at work, beginning with the rush of kids on their Easter holiday and culminating in me probably never being allowed a coffee in the store ever again (I'm far too skilled at spilling things), the next strip has been delayed a little. It should be finished in the next two days, so fear not! In the meantime you can enjoy some random doodles I've been... ummm... doodling in some of my precious little free time by clicking here and here. See you in a couple of days!
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23-03-2008
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Here's the latest strip continuing the adventures of our intrepid heroes. Although it seems some are more intrepid than others... More to come next week, assuming the cold I came down with this week allows me to get some work done!
In the meantime I'd like to wish you all a happy Easter!
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13-03-2008
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So here it is, the first new Quackers strip in several months! I should be getting back into regular (or semi-regular) comic updates from now on.
Along with this news is the anouncement that Quackers will, in the near future, be moving home! Quackers has now obtained a new domain name which reflects the comic (more than the creator) and should help more people find us. This new domain should be fully active soon, once I've re-written several hundred links on all the web pages here to connect to the new location. This will take some time, and this domain is still going to remain active for a while after the transition to help redirect people. This move should bring more new people to the site, and assuming I'm able to keep the updates flowing regularly, hopefully keep them as regular readers. But for now, small steps.
In the meantime, enjoy the new strip, and stay tuned for the next one next week! :)
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04-03-2008
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Hey, hey, we're back again and with the first of the site updates. As you can probably tell the website page logos have been spruced up with new artwork (you may need to refresh your browser if you can't see them). Now they reflect the style of the comic as it is currently. Will be interesting to see how long it is before they look out of date again!
As well as that the 'Welcome' page has also been altered after all these years. In there you can now find a brief introduction for the site as well as character bios, offering a small insite into the backgrounds of the Quackers cast.
More changes and news are planned, so stay tuned. There is also going to be news of an unexpected, but pleasant change in the near future to look forward to! See you all soon :D
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14-02-2008
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And so, after many weeks... months even... and a lot of silence, we finally manage to bring those of you who may still be checking things out here an update. Albeit a small one. As it's Valentine's Day I thought I'd share some love and let you all know that I shall be getting back to drawing, and even posting new strips in the near future.
The last few months have been quite stressful. My old computer broke down, as has been mentioned. But it turned out that it took the hard drives with it when it died which means I lost all the work, settings and everything else from the previous few months. This hit me quite hard and set my motivation back quite a way, leading to the long absense. Finishing my last job, looking for, and more surprisingly, finding a new one also added to the delays somewhat by eating up a lot of my time. Things have calmed down now, I've got a lot of confidence and motivation back and I have been working on a few things which will lead me to have Quackers back up and running again soon.
In the meantime I am working on some new graphics for the site, slight changes to a couple of the characters, as well as a new section or two which will be replacing other ones. The role playing storyline will continue, so no one has to worry that those strips will be abandoned. So, stay tuned, keep checking the RSS feeds and I promise (no really, I mean it this time) that new things will arrive soon.
One last item of news, the email address for Quackers has been down for several weeks due to unknown reasons. It's possibly a problem on the host's side, but for now it means that any messages sent now or over the last few weeks will not be recieved. I shall be attempting to establish a new and hopefully more reliable email address as I update the site later.
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This site, including all accompanying images and text, is copyright © 2005-2008 Les Mellor. All right reserved.
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