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News Archive for 2008

 

Happy New Year

Friday January 4th, 2008

I've really got to get used to putting 2008 on everything now...

 

In any case, we still plan to do a two-page update again next week. We'll see how that turns out. In any case, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter thus far. Hopefully Swordmaster Odyssey continues to be an enjoyable adventure through this new year.

 

Who is "He"?

Friday January 11th, 2008

Though late, we're back on track with two pages today. And they turned out fairly good, if I do say so myself. Should everything go as plan, we'll have two more for you next week. Hope that you're enjoying the chapter thus far, we're almost to chapter six!

 

Paper Shortage

Friday January 18th, 2008

This week has been hectic for me, so only one page was completed. To make things worse, the supplier that I had been purchasing comic book paper from no longer carries it, so I've had to find someplace else to get it from. It's going to cost me more now, too. What a week!

 

Paper Still Hasn't Arrived

Friday January 25th, 2008

I've ordered more paper, but... It's not quite here yet. I only had one sheet of good bristol board left, so I could only do one page. How many pages will there be next week? Depends on when the paper gets here, of course!

 

One More Page...

Friday February 1st, 2008

There's still one more page in this chapter, and then it's on to chapter six. Sheesh, this chapter is taking forever!

 

Chapter 5 Complete

Friday February 8th, 2008

Not a whole lot to look at as we finally close out the chapter. Granted, there is an interesting little twist contained within... You'll just have to wait and see how this plays out! Next week, we kick off chapter 6, which will likely be the finally chapter of book 1.

 

Who is That Man?

Friday February 15th, 2008

Sorry for the late update, folks, I had a few other things that had to be taken care of. In any case, we've finally reached chapter 6 and we'll be introduced to a new character soon. Is it that man drinking tea?

 

The Return

Friday February 22nd, 2008

Someone we haven't seen in awhile makes a comeback. But what is he up to? We'll find out next week when we hit 150 pages!

 

Why, Hello There!

Friday February 29th, 2008

February 29th? Oh that's right, this is a leap year.

 

Moving right along, this was actually a pretty fun page to do, even if it got put off to the last minute. Granted, Hayden's just a fun character to draw and write for anyway. Soon we'll finally get to see who that figure in the cloak is and what they want. At this point, you may have already guessed, though! You'll just have to hold on and find out.

 

Also, this marks our 150th page! Wow, that's a lot!

 

He's Not So Tough

Friday March 7th, 2008

Next week we'll finally find out once and for all who that mysterious visitor is!

 

Busy Playing Video Games

Friday March 14th, 2008

Even with the release of a certain video game recently, I still find time to do my job somehow. Although I didn't get as much done this week as I should have... Silly, lazy me.

 

Nothing to Say

Friday March 21st, 2008

No really, there's not much to say about this update...

 

What Does Will Know?

Friday March 28th, 2008

And if he tells us, how long will it take for us to get back to Jessie and Kevin's story? Don't worry, Will and Hayden can only argue for so long.

 

Not a Good Feeling

Friday April 4th, 2008

Sorry about how late this page is. I got up this morning and was pretty sick, so I had to put it off a little while. Fortunantly, it got done much sooner than I'd hoped, and I didn't have to put it off until tomorrow.

 

Pretty Boy?

Friday April 11th, 2008

Hayden explains how he figured out who Will was. We'll be getting back to Jessie and Kevin soon so hang tight.

 

By the way, if you missed it, I recently announced Vision Rider's new animated series on the blog.

 

My Computer Burped

Friday April 18th, 2008

Sorry about how late this page is getting up. Had some computer issues this morning that had to be dealt with first. Can't say I'm 100% satisfied with how the page turned out, but it was a lot of fun to draw. I told you that I'd use Young Hayden somewhere!

 

Backstories

Friday April 25th, 2008

It occurred to me back when I did chapter 4 that Kevin's backstory had been fleshed out more than Jessie's. It's not that Kevin's backstory was all that much deeper than Jessie's, it's just that I ended up explaining his far sooner. Although we'd been following Jessie longer than Kevin, I felt that she was getting the short end of the character development stick. And thus, the little scene at the beginning of chapter 5 was born.

 

This flashback is a little more fleshed out than Jessie's last. It was pretty fun to write, although it took some time for me to make it work. Hopefully it's not too abrupt. I needed a memory with Will and Jessie together in order to cushion the transition from Will and Hayden back to Jessie and Kevin. I hope the dialogue balloons aren't too confusing. I can't say I'm a master at the art of arranging them.

 

It's More Like a Messenger Bag, Really

Friday May 2nd, 2008

I didn't notice until this week when I was inking the page just how much the bag at Will's side resembles a lady's purse. For the record, it's not. He's also wearing it for a reason, which will be shown next week!

 

What is That?

Friday May 9th, 2008

What is Will planning to give to Jessie? You may have already guessed...

 

So THAT Was the Gift!

Friday May 16th, 2008

Oh Will, you are so thoughtful to give that to her! It would also explain why you were the one who had it in the earlier flashback. Needless detail, perhaps, but I love that sort of thing.

 

By the way, have you taken a peek at the still frames from our upcoming animated project Procyon yet? It'll give you an idea of what you have to look forward to! Once Procyon picks up some steam, I'll try and squeeze some more two-page updates in for Swordmaster Odyssey every now and then like we used to have.

 

Back to Jessie and Kevin

Friday May 23rd, 2008

It's nice to know that, after all this time, I'm still drawing Kevin as off-model as I always have. Oh well, one day maybe I'll get him to look right. He's easily the most fun to write dialogue for, though! Oh, Kevin, what will come out of your mouth next!

 

Late Much?

Friday May 30th, 2008

Sorry, I was busy saying mean things to my computer. On a lighter note, I need to go back and tweak last week's page when I get a chance.

 

Told You I'd Get It Up

Friday June 6th, 2008

Hopefully this will stay on record as the latest Swordmaster Odyssey update of all time. For those who don't read the blog, I've been sick since Wednesday and am only now getting over it. This morning, the page hadn't even been inked yet.

 

I couldn't stand to miss an update, though!

 

Yet Another Fight Begins

Friday June 13th, 2008

Jessie hasn't won her last two battles. Can she reverse her losing streak? The answer may come sooner than you think...

 

Nowhere is Safe

Friday June 20th, 2008

It seems that there is no hiding from Keaton's minions. Not even this otherwise peaceful village is safe! Jessie must decide what to do next.

 

Sorry about the lateness of this update, I've been having computer issues again. Looks like it's time to upgrade...

 

Chapter 6 Complete

Friday July 4th, 2008

Sorry about missing last week, had some major computer trouble as described in the blog. In any case, this brings chapter 6 to a close. The next chapter will be the last one in book 1!

 

Betrayal

Friday July 11th, 2008

The name of this chapter alone indicates something big is about to happen! Well, maybe...

 

In any case, you may have noticed that we've introduced a new monthly didital download pack concept. Each download pack includes an exclusive wallpaper along with assorted other extras. Paper, pens, and website hosting cost money, so we'd be grateful if you helped support us by buying one. If you have an idea for an extra you'd like to see in next month's download pack, by all means, let us know!

 

Three of Four

Friday July 18th, 2008

Three of the four pictured on the chapter's title page have appeared thus far now. But who is that fourth person, anyway?

 

Now, while I'm at it, I'd like to remind everyone about our monthly didital download packs. If you'd like to show your support for the comic, this is the way to do it. I'd honestly even consider taking down the annoying Google ads if the download packs do well enough. (Just a thought for you.) Much thanks to those who've already bought theirs! You have our gratitude!

 

Mr. Robert

Friday July 25th, 2008

I honestly don't know where that first line came from, nothing like it was anywhere in the thumbnail draft of this page.

 

Anyway, I know you've likely already heard me talk about it for the past two weeks, but our first monthly didital download pack is still on sale and is a great way to help support the site, as well as pick up some neat extras. We're currently working on next week's download pack, and I think a lot of you will really enjoy the upcoming wallpaper! If you stop by the blog sometime next week, you may even get to see a preview!

 

Orders Arrive

Friday August 1st, 2008

Sorry about the lateness of this update, but it couldn't be helped as I was busy jump-starting a minivan. In any case, can you believe it's August already? This year is flying by so fast that I'm starting to get dizzy!

 

This month's download pack should be ready by this time next week. The wallpaper will feature the heroes and villains of Swordmaster Odyssey and is sure to delight, though the extras have yet to be determained. (Suggestions are still welcome, by the way.)

 

Your Orders Are Boring

Friday August 8th, 2008

This month's digital download pack is now availible! In addition to a really neat Swordmaster Odyssey-related wallpaper, it includes six storyboard panels sketched out on index cards that were used to plan the comic's story and layout. Please consider buying the download pack to help cover our hosting and productions costs.

 

Also of note is our Second Annual Character Poll, which you can find it located to the right. Jessie came out on top last year, but maybe things have changed since then? Show your support for your favorite character by voting today!

 

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head

Friday August 15th, 2008

I really wanted to do two pages this week, but it didn't happen. (And yes, I did actually start humming that song while cleaning and lettering the page.)

 

By the way, why haven't you voted in the character poll yet? Just select your favorite character from the list to the right and let us know who you like the most!

 

150 Pages!

Friday August 22nd, 2008

Can you believe it? We've hit 150 pages!

 

Don't forget to vote in the character poll to the right of this news post.

 

The Boy Likes to Talk

Friday August 29th, 2008

I forgot to take into account on the previous page that Hayden has been out in the rain and thus his hair should be wet like Will's. I'll try and fix that during the week.

 

Also, why have you not voted in the character poll yet? It's easy! Just select your favorite character from the menu to the right and click "Cast Your Vote!"

 

Late Edition

Friday September 5th, 2008

Sorry, I meant to have this up sooner, but I promised my brother I would give him a ride. And then proceeded to conveniently forget all about it! What a horrible person I am...

 

Inclement Weather

Thursday September 11th, 2008

Due to Hurricane Ike, there will be no update this week. Sorry, it's out of my hands now.

 

Hiatus

Friday October 17th, 2008

We plan to resume our regular updates will next week. Thank you for being so patient!

 

I'm BAAA~CK!

Friday October 24th, 2008

The rumors of my demise were slightly exaggerated. In any case, we've more or less recovered from the storm and so we're back to regular updates. I also took the liberty of nuking the banner ads again while I was at it, and they'll likely stay off this time unless I can find a (much) better banner provider. Our Digital Downloads should resume next month as well, so if you'd like to help us out with our hosting costs in the banners' place, that's a great way to do so.

 

Blah, Blah, Blah

Friday October 31st, 2008

So I'm back into the regular groove of things again it seems, and that's always a good thing. Well, maybe not always, but at least most of the time. Well, maybe not most of the time, but...

 

By the way, have you voted in the character poll yet? It's easy! Just select the character you like the most from the choices to the right, and then click "Cast Your Vote!"

 

Stop Proving Me Wrong

Friday November 7th, 2008

That silly Will, getting himself in to all sorts of annoying trouble.

 

In any case, this month's download pack has arrived and includes a desktop wallpaper and some original music. It only costs a dollar to download, so if you could help us cover our hosting and production costs, we'd be much obliged.

 

In the coming weeks, I'm hoping to introduce a new series of Swordmaster Odyssey extras, so please look forward to finding out what they are! In the meantime, why don't you vote for your favorite character before the character poll ends?

 

Upcoming Features

Friday November 14th, 2008

The character poll ends soon, so please vote in it already! The lack of votes this year is very discouraging, you know.

 

By the way, we've got a lot planned for the coming months. We're planning to roll out the site for our new project soon, so keep an eye on the main page. The Swordmaster Odyssey extra features I mentioned last week are also on their way. They give a little bit more information on the world of Swordmaster Odyssey and should prove an enjoyable read for anyone that loves needless backstory concerning fictional locations! The first few should appear by this January.

 

I'd also like to do some sort of contest here soon, and the prize will be a signed character inking from Dale Johnson! If you're interested, or have ideas for what kind of contest you'd like to see, we encourage you to contact us.

 

It's Not About Jessie's Brother

Friday November 21st, 2008

Have you heard!? Have you seen it!? Vision Riders has finally launched the site for its first animated project, "My Brother". It's in the process of being completed, but you can already watch the entire animatic and check in on how it's coming along.

 

The character poll was taken down early because advertising bots got a hold of it and thought it was a shout box or something. Silly bots. You can still vote for the next few weeks, though, by emailing us.

 

There is No Such Thing

Friday November 28th, 2008

I told you people that there'd be an update today! And who didn't believe I could do it? Who doubted me!? Who amongst us does not belong? Someone here does not belong! A stranger amongst the loyal, I will weed you out! You! Yes... That's right, you! You bet against me, didn't you!

 

It breaks my heart...

 

Booya!

Friday December 5th, 2008

If you'd read the blog, you'd have known why today's update was late. But, in any case, it's up now. Also, before I go, this month's download pack should be up sometime tomorrow. This month's extras have yet to be determained, but the wallpaper certainly looks good!

 

The Heroic Lordling

Friday December 12th, 2008

Over on the My Brother website, we've uploaded the first clip of actual animation. It didn't turn out all that bad, either. If you want to see new animation as it's uploaded, consider subscribing to the My Brother RSS feed. A few more clips will go up sometime next week.

 

Also, you may have heard that we had snow down this way. Snow! Mounds of it! In Houston. That's just silly.

 

Last Page of the Year

Friday December 19th, 2008

I really need to put more effort into making sure these people's eyes are the right size. If you look at some of the earlier pages from a couple years ago, they look like some kind of little green men. It's a wonder there's room for a nose on those faces!

 

I wanted today's title to be "Last Pages of the Year" but life happened. In any case, I need a break and Christmas is as good a time as any—nay, better even! Normal updates will resume January 16th. But, should all go as planned (it never does), we will be going back to two-page updates on a regular basis.

 

Note that even though there won't be a page, there will be an update this coming week. Gasp! What could that mean? If you keep an eye on the blog, you might get an early sneak peek.

 

Merry Day-After-Christmas!

Friday December 26th, 2008

You didn't believe me last week when I said I'd update today, now did you? Well, it's not important now. We've introduced a new feature called The Adventurer's Guide. Lots of fun stuff to read there, with more articles on the way next week. I had originally planned to announce this on the blog, but I spent my vacation... well, vactioning. Imagine that.