Hi Xyliacs!
Well, in a repeat of my last blog- sorry for the typos on the last update, and also sorry it took a while to get this up. It’s a long story, but things were a bit crazy around here this morning, and my work time was pushed to later in the day. It’s done now. And in full glorious color. I had planned on posting the ‘sketch’ but I reallzed that this page really needed the full color impact to make any sense. And the next will be the same way. ^_^
Many of you speculated that Claudie might show his magic capablities, and apparently he has. Look out Tychia…
As I mentioned, this month will be crazy for me. I am going to do my best to get updates up on time, but it may be tough once in a while. We have a lot of things coming up with wisdom teeth and my dad’s eye surgery, as well as a number of caricature events and freelance coming in and our annual trip to the water park. Something is always going on around here and my already scattered brain has about all the focus of a gnat. I will do my best, but I ask for you all to be patient with me. Thanks so much!
——————————–NEWS———————
The call for entries for the VOX CONTEST has closed! Due to the high level of interest in this contest I have opted to do the vote in two parts, instead of a judge vote! Next Monday, dear readers, you will be voting for your favorite entry for each character. The following week will take those winners and choose the all around winner. So please come next Monday to hear all of the entries and vote!!
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NEW TWC INCENTIVE! My Webcomics Tarot image is nearly done…
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We have donation incentives still available- click on the links below. For $5.00 donation incentives, I will be offering intallments of the ‘Xyliatales Sketchbook- this features behind the scenes notes and sketches about the making of Xyliatales from two years ago to the present. Click the link-it’s pretty cool, I must say- especially if you enjoy work in progress stuff. More pages to follow. This segment features the very first pics of Xylia, Livy and Claude!
Nakie Winter Adora is done (if you are 18+) Remember that all donations go towards the two update incentive!! Make sure to refresh the page to see how that’s going. AND REMEMBER: Please don’t hesitate to contact me right away if you have trouble downloading or receiving images. Xylia, Adora and Livy babies are still available as well as downloads of the first illustrated chapters of Nigel’s Opus unavailable ANYWHERE else. Click banner to see what’s available…
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Follow Barb’s Twittering! I try to announce Xylia things on Twitter as I get them done- hear about it first here!
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-Next Xyliatales On Air Talk Show: Wednesday, July 15 at 9:00PM CDT. I’m taking this week off. The last installment was frankly a bit boring on my part, so I’m going to take a week off to regroup. That said, from time to time, I will still do broadcast live while I work on pages. This happens sporatically- I will announce it with a tweet, and a forum announcement, so if you want to get in the loop, subscribe to my Tweets, or join the forum. Or you can watch right here on the site!
Thank you for reading, and as always thank you for your support and understanding.
Hugs & <3
~B
July 6th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Good one! Heh. Nice to see Tychia getting some of her own back. *grin*
July 6th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Yaaay! Take that Tychia! I wonder whats happening though, except for her flames seeming to be put out. Thats what comes of playing with fire….
Dont stress to much B! Take some free time if you need to. You could just post some story-scribbles or something, were easy to please
Good luck with all the crazyness!
July 6th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Sweet!! You’re right, the sketch would not have been as clear. I love the surprised look on Tychia’s face. Definitely looking forward to next weeks page, although not if that means you’re head pops off from the stress.. oh wait, maybe it already did??? lol!
July 6th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Oh Claudius is taking out the big guns that he didn’t think he had. Go Claudius. Now I’m even more excited over the next page. But i can be a good girl and wait even if it means a long wait. So take it easy Barb and remember that we will wait for the time it takes because we rather see you happy and healthy than down and stressed out over everything.
July 6th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Fire! Wind! Earth! Water! Heart! Go Captain Planet! (I think that’s how it goes. It HAS been a while since I saw that show.
Well done barb! And well done Claudie, you show that crazy mad awesome faerie who’s boss! XD
July 6th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Chill, Tychia. Chill.
C’mon, SOMEONE had say it!
July 6th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Beautiful, as you always make it. I hate to say it, but it was also very predictable, at least to me.
There’s just one problem in this page that nobody but me cares about: typography. In particular, replacing what should be “–†or “â€â€Ã¢â‚¬Â with “–â€Â. The font makes it somewhat jarring to me.
@Sarah: It was “Let our powers combine: Earth!†“Fire!†“Wind!†“Water!†“Heart!†“By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!†“Go~ Planet!†Wait, did I seriously remember that?
July 6th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Melvar, that’s not what you call ‘predictable’ but good story telling. A surprise ending that everyone guessed is predictable. But a turn of events that were all but spelled out.. and then understood is good writing.
July 6th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Peg- yes, this has been a long time coming- over the course of the story…
Henrike- thank you for the kind words. I wish that things would settle down around here and I could put a long period of time towards my work without interruption. – someday.
Christine- that’s what I thought. It was like- uh oh- uh…no. They are not going to get this. ^_^ So full color and a late update it was!
Silvara- I’m actually really excited to get to work on the next page’s special effects. ^_^
Sarah – does this mean that Claude needs a leotard now? LOL!
Kez- you are so right. That woman is OVER THE TOP. (PMS, perhaps?)
Melvar- thanks for the kind words on the art- regarding predictablity…actually this scene isn’t over yet…
With the font stuff- I’m not sure what you are talking about with “-” and “–”?
Canterrain- heh heh- you’re cheating. (he knows what’s coming up in the next pages… LOL!) I hear he takes hi priced bribes for spoilers. He says I will get some of that money, but I’m not sure…
Thanks everyone! And thank you for your patience on the late post!
Hugs,
~B
July 6th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Go Claude!!! I love Tychia’s expression there.
July 6th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Oh, dear. I didn’t count on the normalization built into the comments system. The second “–†(en dash) was typed as two of “-†(hypen-minus), as seen in “WHA â€Ââ€Â?!!†(here written with two hyphens in hopes that they will not be replaced) which appears to have been typed the same way, but your program did not perform the same substitution. Since the font you use in lettering slants the hyphen-minuses slightly, there is an unsightly discontinuity between them, more so than with most other fonts. I know I’m the only one here who cares, but I just can’t keep quiet.
@Canterrain: Then I simply don’t understand. What is spelled out is more often than not misleading. Everything falling into place is suspicious. A prophecy is always fulfilled to the letter, but ever in an unexpected way. I am, sir, quite simply Wrong Genre Savvy.
Now, to test; do three hypen-minuses (“—â€Â) become “â€â€Ã¢â‚¬Â (em dash)?
July 7th, 2009 at 4:23 am
My word for the week- Fwhoosh!
Love the voting pic Barb! Is Tychia’s dress one piece, or it’s separated sleeves? How can she sit with those wings?
July 7th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
@Melvar: traditional comic typography does not use em-dashes. It uses two hyphens instead. Why, I dunno. But it does. Barb’s doing it right.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
I absolutely love the look on her face. Priceless!!
as usual the page is marvelous. Take time to do what you need to in your life, we’ll be here whenever you put the update’s up! Hope everything works out!!
July 9th, 2009 at 2:02 am
HaaHA! Betcha weren’t expecting THAT, Tychia! ^o^
Good luck with life and work. I think it’s safe to sat that all of your readers will understand if pages are a bit late–heck, you’ve been doing an excellent job updating as it is! I mean, overall, you’ve been pretty consistent. (And you’ve been VERY good to us readers.) ^_^
Also; it seems like everyone I know–except for siblings–have to have their (or a family member’s) wisdom teeth removed. O,O It really makes me almost hope I DON’T get mine in case they DO come in crooked and/or painful. (But so far my jaw doesn’t seem inclined to put on that final growth spurt, so I don’t think I’ll have to worry for the moment.)
July 9th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Thanks again to everyone for the understanding, everyone. I’m actually getting a good jump on Mondays’ page and it will post in its entirety on Monday!
Tychia is finally getting a turnabout on the surprises she sprung on him earlier in the story…
Spotch and Chameleon, thank you very much for the kind words. Things are going really well!
Kez- that is right, in comics a ‘- – ‘ is used as a break in dialogue.
~B
July 9th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
@KEZ, @Barb: I find myself horrified at such a development – or rather degeneration. I can only wonder who is responsible for this atrocity.
July 9th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Oh, and the lucky ones of us who have seen Barb working on the next page! Won’t spoil, but I will say,
she’s got a really cool one in the works for us. *beam* Roll on, Monday update!
July 9th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Melvar- a PUNCTUATION MARK is an ‘atrocity’? Whoa. Really? Don’t watch the international news much, I see.
Thank you Peg! I’m kind of excited about the next page myself! ^_^
July 9th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
@Melvar This uh… really isn’t a new or recent thing. Or degeneration. It’s a long and unique tradition that sets Graphic Novels, Comics, and etc. apart from the written word. If you’re a grammar nazi… yeah reading comics may not be a good idea. Alot of Comic grammar tradition breaks grammar rules. But honestly.. it’s not something to call an atrocity… it’s just words.
July 10th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
The punctuation mark is not, the development of the practice is. The international news is far away from the focus, therefore irrelevant to classification. Where can I find a comic–prose typographic dictionary? Or, failing that, details on the typographic and grammatical practice in comics, against which to compare my knowledge?
You shall hopefully not see me again at any soon time, as I feel my vehemence rising inappropriately.
July 10th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Here is the site you are looking for, Melvar: http://www.blambot.com/grammar.shtml
Don’t lash out at Barb because someone decades ago decided this was the way it was going to be. Barb makes publishable comics, so she follows the pre-set rules. Since the em-dash is a special character and must be physically inserted in graphics programs, that’s my guess why it’s not used.
July 11th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Ice versus fire. Score f-0 : i-1
GO CLAUDE! *Waves a little banner*