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AHA! Weren't expecting an extra update, were you? Well, I have a few things to say. Firstly, the game the comic is based on, Wonderboy in Monsterworld, is now available on the Wii's Virtual Console for 800 points (I believe). This is true of the PAL one, I dunno about the American or Japanese...maybe you guys have had it since forever, I don't know. I just. Don't. Know.
But anyway, I won't download it, because I already have it. Unless it comes out on the DS or something, with improved graphics and other added goodies, I doubt very much that I will be buying it again any time soon.
Secondly, my friend set up a forum for the discussion of films. Mainly. There are a few other boards for other topics. I am an admin there and it'd be great if you joined us. And told your friends. Hey, who knows? Maybe one day we could be described as 'bustling'. The address is http://s4.invisionfree.com/PTigerFilm/ .
Thirdly, there is a...well, it's not a new comic, but an old one I tweaked. I'll probably go up to 13 at least (eventually), as those are the 2002 comics with dreadful backgrounds and stuff. I might improve other things if I'm able and if I have any better ideas. We shall see.
And fourthly, I'm going to see Spiderman 3 later today!! Much later, but still! I'll be seeing friends I haven't seen since I finished college (well, maybe once), a friend I haven't seen since somewhere between 1st and 2nd year of college and even one I haven't seen since secondary school! And I'll be seeing Spiderman 3, so the awesomeness is...evident...yeah! I doubt I'll update tomorrow, despite the significance of the date. |
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So...
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May. 4th, 2007 @ 12:20 am
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Ooh, I was so close to getting it done on Thursday! Still not quite on time, but the next best thing, eh? EH??
So, explanations and excuse time. Excellent. Well, firstly, as DD alerted me, my explanation was vague before. He was busy writing his dissertation for his BA course, which is quite important, y'know? What I needed sprited wasn't just some hand gesture or recolour. It was...something slightly bigger. Yes. And there's something else I'll need sprited, which is actually something he's been working on, but it is a big piece. So it's something that he couldn't do before his dissertation was done. It is now and I have had the sprites I needed for this comic since the weekend, but unfortunately, I was at a friend's house then. And lazy. Still am. Lazy, that is.
I missed the Wednesday deadline because since getting back home, I've had a tiring rehearsal, a trip to Bluewater to see Blades of Glory (which, by the way, is awesome. Very funny, I really enjoyed it), and a Meopham Players meeting. Then today (yesterday), when I sat down to do the comic, the internet wasn't working, so I couldn't retrieve the required sprites! I've just completed it, but to be honest, I wasn't that inspired. I knew what I wanted, I knew what I would like to see and I do like it. But I just...I dunno, I wasn't excited and working on it with energy. I just hope you like the outcome, anyway.
I'm sure I'll eventually hook you up with some...well, not filler, but other stuff. And when I'm done re-mastering comics, I might take the originals down. Just, if I have a better version, why bother with the crap? Not getting down on myself needlessly, some comics were confusing to read! And those graphics! Ugh!
Also, I shall be turning 19 on Sunday. I'm going to see Spiderman 3 with some friends on Saturday (tomorrow!) and then on my actual day of birth, I shall be rehearsing. It's the Mikado, so I should be thrilled beyond words, but...well, maybe I am, but not all of my body knows it? No, I love it and I'll have fun with it. And maybe cake afterwards. Delicious cake. I must eat it. |
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Hi! It feels so long, doesn't it?
Well, as you should all be aware, there wasn't an update last week because there wasn't a Wednesday last week. There was, however, a Caturday. I hope you were all in attendance.
So, Incendiary. The extras thing. It was good. It was tiring having to do the same thing over and over again and have to reset once again, in the heat and everything. It was boring being in make-up around 6:30 only to go on past 11, after everyone else, those who were asked to come along a bit later. They even had to touch-up our make-up too! 'We' were injured people. I saw Ewan McGregor though. Looked around and saw him walking to the car park behind me. He was talking to a woman (assistant?) so it would've been rude for me to interrupt. And what would I say? "Hey, you were in a film I saw. Oh, wait, two!!" - Yeah, no.
The £50 was worth it, though I spent it the next day - on a new Wii game! DBZ: Budokai Tenkaichi 2. It's awesome.
Also, WarioWare: Smooth Moves. It's great, really good fun, though you do have to do the single player first before you can access the 2nd player mode. But it's as funny, fun and bizarre as usual. I loves it.
Well, more chit-chat later, I guess. And possibly some filler even! DD's a bit busy right now with all his higher education stuff. He's all dissertation this and BA that. So, yeah. |
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Ugh...
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Apr. 4th, 2007 @ 11:47 pm
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I dunno what's going on this year. Each comic made by me seems to be not so much on the day as in the nick of time in that day. And sometimes not! Oh well.
So, I got my callback, I'm gonna be an extra in the film Incendiary, starring Ewan McGregor and others. Recording's on Monday, in a local area. At 6:30am unfortunately, but I can brave it for the £50. I'll be playing an injured person, so yay. Not sure how injured, maybe they won't even give me make-up, just push me down the stairs or take me round behind the dumpsters and rough me up. Good experience, I wean.
So, I can't be bothered to ramble on for much longer now. It's late and I need to sleep. Not that I will for hours, but that's rather beside the point. I'll tell you about Sonic and the Secret Rings. I got that along with my 4th game, but I played the 4th one a lot more than this one. I'm sure I'll play it some more when I'm around and have time to kill. Basically, Sonic keeps on running and you have to steer him and make him jump and attack and stuff. You can make him stop or run backwards, but that's a pain. I'm not quite so sure that I'm in love with these controls, but I might just need to play it a lot more and get used to it. We'll certainly see. It's Sonic, so it's awesome, right? Right? |
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...But only just! I just finished comic 71. I hope you enjoy reading it. I should've got it done sooner. I mean, I went into town today at an inhumanly early hour this morning, then came home, went off to the cinema (saw Hot Fuzz, it was great) and came home to lounge about for a bit. I went into town to try out for a part as an extra in this film. I dunno the name. I expected there to be some big queue and a lot of waiting, followed by some questions or something. But there weren't that many people there, not when I was there or even later on, it seems. And it was just giving contact and measurement details and having a photo taken. And now, waiting. So...yeah. Also had some pictures taken for the Gravesend Messenger, so I could appear in that. Have to wait and see, I guess!
So, last week I spoke of Wii Sports. I got that with the Wii. Then, for Christmas I got...Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess! *Cue Zelda 'got item' music* I absolutely loved it, I thought it was definitely worthy of being the next great Zelda game. As I played through for the first time, I was reminded of Ocarina of Time, as it had that whole 'new, awesome game' thing going on. Not knowing what to do, taking in all the amazing scenery and images, doing quests, getting stumped yet figuring out solutions...and the controls take advantage of the Wiimote very well, or so I thought.
Some people say the graphics are exactly the same (though reversed) as on the Gamecube, but it still looks amazing. And I don't suppose they could really effectively work on two Zelda games at once...so, I don't think that these graphics in any way indicate a weakness for graphics. And even if the graphics aren't quite as good as other consoles, so what? As long as the game's fun...so many people talk about how Nintendo games being 'childish', but forget to mention how insanely fun a lot of them can be and if mediocre entertainment and maturity go hand in hand, you can count me out of 'maturity' and 'adulthood', I guess.
Well, that was quite a bit of rambling. But then, it is late-ish and I haven't had much sleep recently, what with visiting DD over the weekend and staying up later than usual. Oh well, got plenty of time to make up for it! |
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Well, in a strange turn of events, I have got the comic done, ready and up on the site for you. Just like I said I would. Should I really be so surprised by that...? Oh well.
So, Wii games, eh? Well, let's start at the beginning. Not alphabetical, but chronological. Uh, wait, is that right? Well, whatever. The first game I got is Wii Sports. It came with the Wii in fact! It's excellent, I find. It's just like real sport, but not. You don't have to go outside and get wet or cold. You don't have to wear sports clothes (or any clothes, if that's what you want). You don't have to have other people there. You don't even have to do the proper position or actions! But it helps the fun, I find.
So, the actual sports: Boxing: It's good fun, yes. Easier than boxing in real life, I assume. As long as you get the stance right and all the motion sensing works ok. Manically lashing out still works, though. Baseball: You really pick it up. I could never play it in real life and I couldn't do this to begin with. Until I practised and got used to it! I mean, sure, I could probably do it in real life too with enough practise, but it'd probably take longer and more effort. At least using the Wiimote takes less strength than it does timing to use. Bowling: Yeah, it's great once you get used to it. Doesn't take long, admittedly, just remembering when to hold the button and when not to. Due to natural spin you might accidentally put on it when you throw, you should adjust your character's position. Tennis: Eh. I prefer badminton in real life 'cos of the ball. Mostly better here, except there's some art to it that I don't fully get, I think. It's good, though, especially as you can play as both people on your team or if you really want to, you can play against yourself! You could play against your friends if you want. But that requires a second (maybe even third or fourth, if you have the friends and a big enough room) Wiimote. Golf: Ugh, I'm no good because I don't care. And I never will.
When you play the games, the character actually playing on the screen will be your own little avatar, your Mii. You can make it look as similar or different to yourself as you want. Excellent! Could've done with a bit more choice in some places, I feel...and the order that you put features on (the order of the tabs for each bit) mean you might use one feature and then realise that your choice means there's no point in putting another feature on.
But back to Wii Sports, one big problem I found the first time I played, is that if you don't stretch first, IT WILL HURT. Unless you only just slightly move the controller slightly, just enough for it to count. But where's the fun in that?
More later. |
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Whatever. Y'know, I can't hear you over all the comic making that I'm doing.
Oh, uhh, wait. About that. Yeah, slight hitch. We've been busy. By we, I mean DD. So, the comic isn't so much done as it is gonna be done some time later than now. I'm aiming for before Friday. No problem, right?
Until then, I made you some filler, which is more of me experimenting with a photopaint studio program and throwing in a crappy 'joke'. But later I'll experiment further with it and it'll have no crappy 'joke'. 'Kay?
And when I have the comic, I'll talk about my Wii games. 'Kay? |
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So, hi, sorry. It's Thursday, I know. Sorry.
Only, I went to Wednesday yesterday to see DD in a concert and I forgot to do an update before I left. And then I got home about 1am, so I didn't do it then. Then I didn't do it this morning, so I'm going it now. Better late than never, eh?
So, I was gonna talk about my Wii. The Nintendo console, that is. Any lewd discussions on my genitalia will not be discussed here. Or at all.
So, I took out a pre-order from Comet. They said they'd call when it was ready, but come launch date, they hadn't called. I was getting a bit antsy, so I decided to call Comet just to make sure everything was running smoothly. So I look on the website for my local Comet and find a number. Now, this number is the same as the number for every other store. In other words, a central call line. Turns out it was near Hull.
So I call and it seems that they don't know, but they should be getting stock in later that day, as far as they know. Ok. They advise me to call later in the day. So, I do. My mum had the receipt so she could go to the store when she heard news, but this meant I couldn't quote any order numbers. I could, however, give my name and post code. Which they proceed to inform me was not on their list of pre-orders. Oh. My. God. WHAT? At this point, I do recall the people in-store having a little bit of trial and error in actually putting me down for a Wii, having to refund me and do it properly. But did their incompetence mean I wouldn't be getting a Wii after all? So, I get my mum to call and give the reference and all and they tell her that the Wiis aren't coming in 'til the next Wednesday. This gave me time. Time, yes. Time to go and find out if I would be getting a Wii or not, if maybe they thought I'd be getting one but I wouldn't, if I would have to go on the end of a queue, ultimately meaning I lose out on a Wii I was supposed to be guaranteed.
So, I go into the local store and ask, the girl goes into the back to look at their magic computer...and there I am! I have a pre-order, they've ordered one for me and I, like others will get a Wii, while people who go on the spur of the moment, will not. Marvellous. This was very reassuring as I now knew my £10 deposit waas not in vain, it was in fact, out vain. Or something. Never mind, of course, the fact that the main hotline with a console solely for Wii pre-orders had no idea that one of its shops was selling pre-orders to people.
Eventually I got the call and I got my Wii. So, yay! Of course, that was money I could've spent on other things, but it's helped me to stay sane while I'm sitting at home doing nothing. So I'm grateful. Well done for reading/skimming that. You're a great/crappy listener and I love/hate you. Maybe later I'll tell you about my games. In comic-related news, I have done a new comic, found here and I've done something that has been long overdue. No, not the site intro! I re-mastered Comic 6, now for the first time available in the superior Portable Network Graphic format.
Enjoy! |
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Wow, is it Wednesday already? Already March and I'm finally updating in 2007......
So, yeah. Glandular fever and all. Fun, fun, fun. And not sure if I'll go back to Uni either, what with the thing and the thing and the stuff and...oh, well, gotta sort that out. To tell the truth, I haven't really been bedridden for ages. I mean, yes, I laid down on the sofa a lot at the start and felt ill and several other shades of death, but laziness played a big part. And it was nice to have a break where people were also getting to see the pretty pictures they've become accustomed to.
That said, I'm sorry, but I hope you've enjoyed DD's excellent stuff. Even if he did hijack the website. Aside from that, it was fun, right? Right. It was. So, I have a comic for you and hopefully more to come! Just working on it. Also, playing with the Wii that I got...maybe I'll tell you more later. If I can think of anything to say.
Well, hope the comic's good enough. It better be. |
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Ta-da!
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Jan. 17th, 2007 @ 11:40 pm
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Ta-da!
And, in the nick of time, the author suddenly appeared with this week's comic...
Ok, I admit I keep cutting it close. I kinda intended to make this comic earlier, but then it got to today and I hadn't done it, and then I didn't start it til 6...ish.
So I've made good time really. Ok, so I suck, this is hard you know, have you tried making a comic? I didn't think so. If you want to though, feel free, we'll put it in the guest comic section. Wonderboy related of course, we're not just gonna host random unrelated stuffs. At the moment the Guest Comics are rather outnumbered by mine, which I guess technically aren't guest comics really. But til I can be bothered to do something about it... eh.
Anyways. Your comic is here . It's a new story thread again ^_^ Trust me, all this random divergence from the main storyline will come in handy later... probably in frustrated anecdotes or lawsuits or something.
But yeah, enjoy.
-Dark Designer |
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Yeah, kinda in the middle of an essay here, so I'll make this brief.
My course rocks by the way. This essay may be 3000 words long and hard, but it's about video games, so it kicks the baps off any essay I've ever had to write previously, excepting of course the first essay I had to write for the course, which was a 2000 word case-study of a game of my choice. Naturally I chose Mario 64 DS because it's awesomeness in foldy-uppy touchy-screeny lovely-lovely form. For porn.
But yeah, if you want technobabble about specs and mip-mapping and your high-tech 32-bit thingummies, go to Penny Arcade. Actually don't. Well, ok, but only if you promise to come back. I'll wait.
Done? Good. I'm not forgiving you for that infidelity by the way. I know it won't be the last time you take advantage of my kindness. Assuming I'm kind again. Was I kind in the first place?
This was supposed to be brief.
Comic. Here. This conversation is over. OVER.
-Dark Designer
P.S. Anyone who did not spot the subtle references made in this entry obviously have something wrong with them. That something would be that you haven't seen Avenue Q. If you did spot them and your name is D-Chan, STOP GOING. YOU'VE SEEN IT TOO MUCH. |
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I bet you thought I'd forgotten, didn't you? You thought that you weren't going to get a comic. Well, you're wrong. You were almost right, except for the fact that you were wrong. You should be ashamed of yourself.
In other news, you may have noticed that it's not 2006 any more. If you want proof, just take a trip to your local calendar selling guy at a stall in the middle of a shopping centre, and ask him. He will either a) tell you that it is in fact 2007, and jump on the obvious fact that you must therefore not own a relevant calendar anymore, or b) kill you. But, assuming you do not need proof or were already aware that it is no longer 2006, I shall make you aware of an interesting fact of which you did not know.
If 2007 were letters, it would spell ZOOT. I kid you not. I don't know what ZOOT means, but it's a hell of a lot better than what 2006 spells, which is ZOOG.
I know, when revelations like that are going around in my brain 24/7, how do I get anything done?
The answer is, I don't.
But anyways. This weeks comic is special. It is special because, featured in the comic, is the motif of the passage of time. This means that several frames state that a certain amount of time has passed. Now, you may think that this has been done before, and you would be right, but what you don't know is that all these years when you read the passage of time, you have in fact been doing it WRONG.
So I will tell you how you are meant to do it. Every time you read that a certain amount of time has passed, you must wait for that amount of time before reading the next panel. This is so that you get a feel for the real-time chronology that the characters are a part of. You are also not allowed to do anything else in this time, as it would break the illusion of time passing. The total amount of time passing in this comic is 8 and a half hours, so if it takes you any less time than this to read, you are reading far too quick.
Alternatively, of course, you could keep reading it the way you always have, but you will not experience the comic it's fullness that way, and also, I warn you, all your friends laugh at you behind your back when you don't commit yourself to the full amount of time required.
It's quite late, so I recommend you get a bit of rest before attempting to read this comic. See you in the morning.
-Dark Designer |
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The title says it all really, doesn't it? This is a special, early post, so you should feel very happy and warm inside. Happy Christmas, Seasons Greetings, and all other December-time sentiments. I really mean it.
And, as a special treat. You get this weeks comic early. Not an extra one, early. So nothing on Wednesday. What? I have a life. Ok that's a lie. A lie with an f in it, but as you may notice there's no f in lie, so technically if there's no effin lie, I didn't lie at all, and you have become so enmeshed in my wordplay that you won't notice me slipping away into the fog...
Anyways, the treat is that instead of a Dark Designer special as has been all you've gotten lately, this comic is in fact going to advance the storyline! It is another collaborative comic, script written by D-Chan, as he croaks away on his sickbed, and everything else done by me slaving over a hot computer all day. Which is what happens to computers when you use them all day.
So, once you've finished munching on your mince pies, playing with your shiny new presents, and poking your relatives til they leave, you can surely spare a moment to bask in the glory that is the brand new Christmas Special Monsterworld Comic.
Enjoy mortals.
-Dark Designer |
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Yes this week is another week in which I should have done so much but achieved so little. Technically the week isn't over, but I'm working almost every day from now until I go home for Christmas so I just know that I'll get nothing more done. I have essays up the yin-yang waiting to be done, and as soon as I work out exactly what a yin-yang is and how to get the essays down from it, that's when they'll get done.
On a less metaphysical/metaphorical/weird note, tis the season to be jolly, and therefore I demand you jolly well think of others. This year my bedstricken brother and I are supporting Child's Play, the charity set up by the authors of Penny Arcade, and we think you should too. The charity works to provide toys, books and games for sick children in hospitals around the world, so why not add a donation how ever much you can afford to your Christmas wish list, so that other children can get what they want this festive season.
Wow, I must say, preaching about that just made my week seem a whole lot more fulfilled-esque. And so, with that, I leave you your comic, and bid thee adieu.
-Dark Designer |
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I'm not gonna lie to you. The title is refering to the fact that I'm technically an hour late posting this, because that's how long I missed posting on a Wednesday by. I could say that I've been inundated with work and making a comic was last on my list, but that would be a lie. I had plenty of opportunities to make a comic, but didn't. And then today, the due date (technically, now, yesterday...) I was making it in between various bouts of pubbing and watching my flatmate in a row-a-thon. What tended to happen is I would get stuck on something and, completely out of character, I would leave to think about it instead of wasting hours trying to work out the problem and how best to solve it using the mediocre resources I have.
By now you may have realised that what I'm typing is irrelevant and not even really an apologiy. You might be thinking that I'm taking advantage of the fact, which I generally assume to be true, that noone reads this. Of course, if you are thinking that, it would have to mean that I'm wrong, you are in fact reading and, with baited breath, waiting for an epiphany in which all of my ramblings come to a head in a glorious fountain of realization. Your life will be changed, this new insight having added profoundly to your understanding of the universe and the physical and metaphysical worlds in which we inhabit.
However this insight will never come. Nirvana will not be acheived through reading the words which sprout randomly from my fingers. The one peice of advice that I deem you worthy of receiving on this occasion is not to go to a Tesco Metro looking for something to make for dinner, and leave with a large tub of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food and a smug grin. Use these words wisely.
-Dark Designer |
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Have you noticed how cheese is always advertised as 'mature cheese'. Rarely ever just as 'cheese'. Buy our cheese. Simple, why not leave it at that? Why complicate it by saying it's mature cheese?
I don't know about you, but I can't say I've ever seen immature cheese on sale anywhere. You know, cheese which is depressed all the time and picks it's nose. Cheese which defies it's parents by staying out late with rough cheeses. Cheese which you can look at and say "well, when I was your age we had a lot more respect, and were better off for it too".
I don't have time for useless adjectives which are implied - for example the very fact that the stuff is on sale in the first place. You don't sell unripe stuff. Simple as. Except bananas.
And now that I've sufficiently distracted you with talk of cheese so that you won't realise that this week's comic is in fact late, I believe it's time to link it up and leave you to it.
Apologies that it's not much this week. It's the opening night of a play I'm in today, so I've had no time whatsoever, but I did manage to cobble this together. So count yourselves lucky.
Sayonara.
-Dark Designer |
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Ok, I've reduced down the size of the image now, reducing the file size from over 5mb to around 800kb. No idea how the maths of taking it's measurements to 50% then quarters it's size and reduces the filesize to a mere fraction of what it was, but that's cos I neither understand maths nor file size jargon. In fact I just about know how to use a computer. Unfortunately my computer doesn't know how to function in polite society, meaning it refuses to make friends with my speakers and allow me to listen to anything, so if it doesn't buck up it's ideas I'm gonna get a new PC and it's gonna get a hammer to the face. But that's between me and him (I assume it's a him - only a male could be that stubborn...).
Where was I... Oh yes, so I've reduced down the image, which was not, I hasten to add, as simple as merely reducing the size in Paint. Well, that was a starting point, but because of the reduced picture quality I then had to reduce images and reapply all the effects to them, plus rearranging text boxes. There was probably a much easier way of doing that, which probably also involved having better photo-editing software, but as mentioned above, I'm not too good with overly complicated stuff. Just give me a simple game like Wario Ware or Katamari Damacy and I'll be amused for hours.
So yeah. The link in the post below will take you to the new reduced size image, and the larger file has been banished forever so it may never slow a computer down to dribbling speed again.
I'm off to pester flatmates and whatnot, but keep your adorations coming. Ciao for now.
-Dark Designer |
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Finished - finally! I've been working on this comic for what seems like a short lifetime, perhaps that of a gnat or rather unlucky hamster.
Anyways, it's a super shiny special edition comic, and the 4th in my series of docile takeover comics. I apologise for the large filesize, but I assure you it's worth the wait. Bathe in it's beauty, ahhh...
I will look to do a smaller file size version soon as well, but I am very busy so don't expect anything just yet.
Oh and I'm 21 now. I was very drunk. Which is good. But does anyone have a spare liver?
Anyways, enjoy and that. I'm off to do battle against the forces of good and the forces of green. You know what I mean. Hopefully.
-Dark Designer |
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Well, well, well. This is the last update I will make while I'm 20. Saturday will be my 21st Birthday.
Given my celebrity status I felt it apt that I should spend the entire week before mourning the passing of my zero and celebrating the arrival of a brand-spanking new one. I've missed that number since I was 19, yes I have. So I've been out every night since Monday and will continue to celebrate until I am either unconscious or Sunday comes and I actually have to get back to doing proper Uni work.
But also, seeing as it's my birthday, I'm treating you with a comic. I realise that, birthday or no, being as it's Wednesday and all you would have got a comic anyway. But this one's special. Ish. Well ok so it's just the third in my series of take-over comics. But that makes it's special, don't you see? It's the only third take over comic I'll make in 2006. It's unique, just like everything else.
When I have time I may well overhaul the site and make new sections and stuff. When I have time. Or am sober. Neither of which happens a lot these days.
Anyways, enjoy the comic, and feel obliged to join in the celebrations of Dark Designer week. Cos I'm awesome.
Ciao
-Dark Designer |
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So, week 1 of the rebellion and so far I'm beginning to realise how mean I am about my deadlines. Finding it hard to make them myself. But, I have a pretty free day tomorrow so hopefully my goal (which I always set D-Chan) of having a few back-up comics ready to put up will be achievable.
Today (Tuesday) I went to the International Manga and Anime Festival in London, just thought I'd mention it. It was pretty good, cos it's a week day it wasn't very busy, but I got to see a hilarious Anime called Panda-Z, take part in a drawing competition and spend copious amounts of money on plushie toys and manga, so all in all a good day had by all.
Just thought I'd let you know you missed out on a glorious opportunity to meet me. But never mind.
Here's your comic. Enjoy.
-Dark Designer |
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