Xylia on Thursday! Just like old times! Thank you everyone who made this second update possible this week by getting that donation meter up to $200! Let’s try to do it again, what say?!
Today’s page….Ah yes. We see that there was indeed some acting going on- but the Academy Award® should to go to our Claudius rather than to Alitria! Ha! There was a lot of speculation on that last page- “is it Xylia? No…? Yes?” But those of you who are regular readers spotted that pink telepath balloon right away, though. “No Xylia. Nope. ” And yet, Alitria is a rather fetching pink lass. Quite forward, too, I say!
I wanted to announce that if you haven’t been by to visit my friends over at Skypub
please do! Some of my best webcomic pals, including Kez with her War of Windsand Tom with Marooned, are stationed over there. But there are many, many other yummie webcomics. So head over yonder!
I also want to say how thrilled I was to have Xylia (because of Livy) mentioned at My Corgi.com This is a delightful site with tons of images and videos of the most beautiful and charming Corgis! Check out this vid Sparky doing the Kibble Dance, and there will be no question in your minds why I love Corgis so much. Livy is very flattered to be honored there indeed.
My pal Matt suggested that I start using some in-progress work as vote incentives, so that’s what I decided to do today. Please click on the TWC vote to see the rough squiggly wigglies of this page.
So if you want to donate and help the cause…and maybe get another two update week…
To download naked pics (IF you’re over 18):
Don’t forget the Xenor pic for a $3.00 donation! (Did I mention that Xylia’s mom is in this one too?)
When I posed the question about blogging, those of you who responded said that unanimously you think that cartoonist blogs are just dandy, and that you like to get to know what’s going on ‘behind the scenes’. So, you asked for it. 
Commencing blog blather…
First off, I will say that it was a tough first quarter of 2009 in Barbland, but things are slowly picking up. I have a few corporate clients that have tiptoed back into hiring me for projects- thank goodness. Thank you very much to those of you who generously donated to Xylia and purchased the naughty downloads. Those things keep the boat floating I tell you! I am hoping to get some more goodies up soon- including a partially nakie Claude…maybe. ^_^
Currently, I am not going to the gym. This is not a good thing, and I plan on remedying that tomorrow. Always tomorrow, you know. Seriously though, the last couple months I was doing so well. My goal is to be able to jog three miles without stopping at 6 miles an hour- I was up to 1.5 miles. Now after my two week hiatus I’m gonna have to start over no doubt… -.- Eventually, I want to be able to run 3 miles at 7 miles an hour, but that’s an ultimate goal. Actually, the ULTIMATE goal is 5 miles at 7 miles an hour- but I have to set benchmarks. Anyway- gotta get back to that. Gronk!
Entertainmentwise, My favorite show right now is ‘Lie to Me’. I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I catch Lie to Me online – I watch it up in the corner of my computer screen while I work. I love it. It’s all about body language of lying. I can think of a lot of times in my previous married life that I would have liked to know the things about liars that I’m learning on that show. But the biggest thing is that I love Tim Roth. He’s a really brilliant actor. And he’s English. I mean. You know how I am.
Maybe you don’t.
I love English guys.
….You know…. If any of you loverly readers know any single English guys 35-50 (who aren’t serial killers) looking for an American lady (which I hear they DON’T as a rule) I is here. Love those English guys. ^_^
Okay, now I’m trying to pick people up online. I think that’s enough blogging for today!!
Thank you for reading! Hugs,
~Barb
March 25th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Naughty Alitria! Now there’s a THIRD girl after Claude. He’s going to have to watch out now that he’s gotten all buff.
And I’m pretty sure that there is at least ONE person who would blame him for taking a lover–Xylia.
March 25th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Barbara, m’love, everytime that I think that you can’t possible improve any further, you prove me wrong. You mentioned the English actor, Tim Roth. I remember him as the villianous nobleman in “Rob Roy.” He is one of the few who can play the “bad guy” and not look like a comic strip Character. I just couldn’t wait to see the little #@&* get his!
I noted your specifications for an Englishman. Hmmm! Would you be willing to settle for an Italian-Irish-English-Lakota guy who is getting more than friendly with 70? The lady in my life would thoroughly enjoy telling you that I’m 5’6″, too,
Barb, please, keep up the ever-iimproving work.
March 26th, 2009 at 1:24 am
Oh, Alitria, you wicked girl! Never get in the way of true love; it could end badly for everyone. At least he’s finally getting the message about being married. Love to see what’ll happen the next time he meets Tychia now.
March 26th, 2009 at 5:43 am
I like that fairy girl- she has pizazz… Though, I think her skin is a bit too green to my taste. Xylia is better looking no doubt. I also think that it is true- we don’t know where Xylia is. And also, why exactly IS she gone (to live half statue half alive?) to where ever she is, and not in Diagonia with the others. And how come she wakes in Cloud’s other lives (as we sew early in the story and in Nigel). I feel it has something to do with Claude touching her, or being close by. But I know we will learn all this in time…
Two corgis- I don’t blame Altiria, that Claude… Rrrr…. But I do wonder if she has any other reasons for chasing him… hmm… You never know with Barb…
Also- great blog today Barbie! And as I said- you don’t HAVE to read it. So it’s all cool. I hope things will keep climbing up for you, and that you WILL go tomorrow to the gym. I started doing Tai Chi as part of a class I have and my knees are aching! But I’m doing something so that’s cool. Luckily for me it’s part of my academic duties so I can never just skip it because I’m lazy… Good luck! Hugs!
March 26th, 2009 at 6:16 am
Great page today Barb! Definitely like the “new and improved” Claudius. lol! Alitria is a pretty sweet looking fairy…. very pink. ^_^
Oh, I so feel you’re pain about the gym.. I was going regularly prior to January, but once January and its snow hit I turned into a hermit. Now I’ve started going back and I feel like I’m starting at square one again. Argh! But… we can do it!! ^_^
March 26th, 2009 at 6:59 am
Claud is just a badass now. Alitria is a cutie, but Claud gets mad points for being strong. Course, now he just has to go find Xylia. Pretty colors and pretty people make a pretty page.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:06 am
Love the panel layout here Barb – great stuff! And thanks for the blog mention
March 26th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Brilliant how, with just a little patience, you can pull the whole two-pages together – Livy’s look, Claude’s mock shock, the pink text bubble…
Enchanting as always, Barb. I love the freckles (face and shoulders) of Alitria.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Hey! Thank you for the nice comments everybody-
And to think, he used to be a geeky orphan kid. Sigh.
TwoCorgis- Claude’s got the whole ‘prophecy thing’ going on too. He’s sort of a catch to these fairy girls.
Joseph- ah yes, my Timmy in Rob Roy. A more delightfully weasely villain you will not find. And such a horrifically appropriate demise for such a vermin, well worth the wait. LOL! (Of course, I have to admit my favorite bit of that movie was Liam coming out of the lake without a stich of clothing on…ahem. But the rest of the show was great too. )
Sarah- you are so clever- you catch foreshadowing so well…
Hagar- does she appear green? Sometimes I wonder if my monitor requires calibration…She shouldn’t be green, just fair…. thank you for the nice words!
Christine- yes it’s kind of taking a couple steps back with the workout- I just need to maintain consistancy! Good luck with yours!
Alan, yes Claude is a strong man. For now…?
Tom- thank you very much!! And your most certainly welcome for the mention- I’m anxious to see how Major Tom does- (he’s sick people! SiCK!)
Samianne- thank you very much! I’m glad that the pages worked to gether. I often wish I could just put the whole thing out at once, but that would take – well, years! So one page at a time…
March 26th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Hmm. Are there no other eligible men in Digonia? Seriously, an unattached hottie is always better than a married one.
March 26th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Okay, so I totally just read everything up to this page in one sitting and I love it. The art is wonderful as well as the shading, and backgrounds, and everything.
And I have to say, I love Claudius’ facial structure (the nose and jawline/chin especially; haha) and his long hair.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to reading more!
March 26th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
lol, go Claude! That’s great…..and I can’t look at Alitria without thinking of Nymphadora Tonks in the harry Potter series. Personality and looks…..I’m sure it’s not deliberate, but it’s still great — as is the little grin on Claude’s face over seeing through the trick. That and the blending of the front and back images of Alitria’s wings over two seperate panels….well done.
As for Tim Roth, all I can remember him from is Abomination in the new Hulk movie and that one general in the Tim Burton “Planet of the Apes”. Sorry, Roth-fans.
And is she saying that humans are thoughtless creatures who will take a lover whenever they want? Well…..I got nothing, so fine.
March 26th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Tinker- not really, there aren’t many Azloeans at all on Digonia. This could be part of Alitria’s problem, or it could be that she just likes the mystique of this half breed guy who lived on the fabled nether world of Epsilon for so long.
Frene- welcome to Xylialand, and thank you very much for taking the time to say hi and for all the nice comments! I hope you continue to stop by!
Brent- I never thought of that but she is kinda Tonksy! Yes, she is saying that about humans.
For more indepth comments (not too much but slightly spoilery) click my name and check out a forum thread where I discuss the concept of the eternal bond
March 26th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Ooohh! Shes very pretty! I absolutely love this sort of personality and I happen to love this shade of pink (even though most shades of pink make me want to claw my eyes out XD). Gratz to Claudius for seeing through her disguise. And you know, she does remind me of Tonks! It’s easier for us reading the comic to tell the difference, since real speech doesn’t have pretty-colored speech bubbles.
A fabulous page as always Barb!
March 26th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Most every woman with freckles I’ve ever met has been convinced that they’re a blemish. Silly women.
March 27th, 2009 at 5:42 am
Thank you Raidell, and Lloyd- you know that is so true. I do caricatures at events and when I get someone with freckles, I always have to TALK THEM INTO letting me draw them. Freckles are GORGEOUS! And everyone standing around will agree with me, except the person that has them! I DON’T GET IT!!
March 27th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Barb, have you already paid for the gym? If not then you could try the solution my girlfriend has, she has bought herself a treadmill. It’s expensive in the short-term but, if you use it often (and over a long period), it pays for itself.
Ps.
I like the fact that, not only did he see through the disguise, he knew exactly who it was.
March 27th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
@Barb, people with freckles never want to see them because they grew up their whole childhood getting made fun of for having them. >< I would know, hehehe. But I’ve become quite attached to mine. They be cool.
March 27th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Freckles are AWESOME. This fairy had my heart all aflutter. Twitterrpaited even. Freckles usually do…
March 28th, 2009 at 12:23 am
Alitria’s comment that no-one would fault him if he took a lover (being half human) suggests that these fairies believe that humans can’t commit. However how can she take the moral high ground, she’s asking him…
I take it most societies, human or otherwise, see themselves as the good guys and failings being solely/mainly something of “others”?…
March 28th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Francisco- I belong to the Y. I have no excuses.
treadmills, spinners, weights, and ellipticals all waiting for me! As to your story question- Azloeans are racist. But most of them more with a ‘poor lesser humans’ attitiude. (Claude is a Berobean human which ‘isn’t as bad as Epsilon’ though.) But Alitria is saying that more for Claude’s benefit though. She is a more modern ‘free love’ kind of Azloean, and doesn’t really see anything wrong with it either. Hope that all made sense. 
Kez- I suppose it’s like being six feet tall. I hated being tall (sometimes still do) because I got teased so much.
But I agree with CT, freckles are awesome.
April 5th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
@Barb When you say “Berobean” my first impulse is to pronounce it with an alveolar trill (or alveolar tap since I can’t produce the trill), and my second is to use a uvular trill. _Then_ I think of the usual alveolar approximant. /@
I don’t like freckles even though I don’t have them myself. Your simple liking assignment rule fails on me.
February 13th, 2010 at 1:25 am
I love your art, all the girls remind me of people I’ve known … and the details are fantastic, like Alitria’s pink freckles. I think if she were fully human, she’d be a classic Irish redhead =)