Hey all. You may be aware of the webcomic version of The Never-ending Story Thread (a.k.a. NeS) that's never really quite gotten off the ground.

http://nes.sorrowind.net

Well, not too long ago, I talked with the current artist of the webcomic, Krig the Viking, and due to real life and whatnot, he won't be able to continue making art for the comic. However, a few of us are still putting up a fight in hopes of getting this webcomic off the ground and updating regularly. This means finding a new artist, and I'm hoping you all can help! NeS: Illustrated needs a new artist!

Why would I want to apply as an artist for this webcomic?

Think of all the adoring fans! You will most definately get credited for the art of the webcomic. If you're an artist, we'll definately help advertise your portfolio. If you're looking for money... well, in the unlikely event the comic ever MAKES money, the artist would obviously be given an equal or larger share of the money than anyone else. As it is, though, don't hold your breath on this webcomic rolling in the dough. :p There's also the two-sided benefit to the material: one, you won't be expected to think up material, as there's enough material to last a lifetime (and still growing), and two, as the artist, you'll be given artistic liscencing to have your own 'side-story' or the like with the character Galvatron (details on the matter will be supplied to anyone interested and/or may be posted at a later date).

OK, let's say I'm interested. How do I apply as an artist for this webcomic?

Easy! Just post here and/or via AIM, MSN messenger or e-mail (the first two are provided in my profile, and you can use gebohq at gmail dot com for e-mail) saying that you're interested, provide contact information and some artwork so we can see how your art looks. Preferably, your art should be material from the NeS story (see signature below) or comic, but it is not necessary.

So what are you looking for in an artist for this webcomic?

The most important quality that a NeS artist needs is dependability. You might be the greatest artist the world has ever seen, but if you can't update frequently and regularly, you're not going to be much good to us. We're hoping to update once a week, probably on Wednesdays. As this is currently a volunteer endeavor, however, and there's little way to see how dependable someone is until brought on the job, we'll have to cross our fingers on this one.

Another major quality we'd be looking for in an artist is adherence to the material. As I mentioned before, the artist would be given a lot of freedom in "doing their own thing" concerning the side-story, allowing them to make one-panel jokes or the equivilant of filler strips. However, as for the bulk of the comic, the material is already there, and we're hoping to more or less stick with the original material. There will be editing involved, so the artist will not be denied artistic liscening, but there'll likely be close working between myself and/or another NeS veteran and the artist.

As for the art itself, the only quality I'm interested in is professionalism. By this, I DON'T mean super-awesome award-winning art; by "professionalism," I mean that the art should be clean (so the reader knows what they're looking at in the comic) and the text should be legible (so the reader can read the dialogue). The art currently seen on the NeS comic is MORE than clean enough, though the text at times could probably be more legible.

Even if you think that your art isn't good enough, please apply! Let us judge it for ourselves! It is NOT necessary that your art match the style currently established in the comic -- I'd be more interested to see your own style done well than the current style done poorly. While color would be nice, it will not be required. Be creative! If you think you can do it with a graphic tablet or traditional materials, awesome, but don't feel limited to that. If you think your forte is 3D, or using cut-out paper, or rotoscoping or whatever, go for it!

So let's say I apply. When will I find out if I'm the new artist? And where do I ask other questions and the like I might have about this?

The easiest way will be to follow up on this thread. If you're not already a member of the forums, registration is free and easy, so that you can post here, if you wish. Otherwise, I'm available through IM or e-mail as mentioned above, and I will make sure to inform you if we're interested in you as the new artist for the NeS comic. Hopefully we'll have decided on a new artist sometime in May.

Thanks for your time! Get the word out, people! We need a new artist!

I'd offer to do it, but I'm not exactly great at drawing humans.

My dA's in my signature should you really wish for a sample.

Hey Tony, you've already got a head start, as you already know NeS stuff

This would be cool thing to do.

Except I can't draw and I don't want to read millions of NeS pages either. Sorry :p

hawhaw

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Hmmm, I'm seriously considering this. The only reason why I don't do multitudes of my own comic is because I don't have the ENTIRE storyline written, and I don't want to do comics ahead of time. NeSi would be a LOT easier, because no writing would be required. The only other question I have is my dependability. I'd like to be able to say with 100% certainty that I could shell out a strip a week, but I really have no idea. This next few months aren't going to be busy at all, but I do know there will be specific weeks that a comic will be impossible. I'm putting up the offer with the hope that you understand my situation.

I'll post some NeS art in an hour or 2.

Kirby should actually work on his own comic. cause i was going to be IN IT.

bah.

You ARE going to be in it Shintok. My comic project isn't at ALL dead, I'm just building up a large cache of comics, as well as waiting for Gammast to finish my site so that caching will be easier. Drawing an entire Always Falling Short comic takes me 20 minutes at the most, and the art has definetly improved over the stuff you've seen. The only thing really holding me back as far as the actual comic is concerned is the entire concept of "continuity." I have major storyline comics all laid out and ready to be drawn, but I have NO clue what fillers I should have in between. I know I want to build characters to be good, bad, or funny between the main-storyline comics, but I don't have enough ideas to make all of those in-between comics funny. Then I don't want to draw each individual main-arc comics because I don't want to suddenly change my art somewhere in between arc comics, and then it go back to the old art style. I really want my comic to be PROGRESSIVE in it's art, not hodgepodge.

NeS would solve all of those problems, making it a very non-stressful project.

If need be, I can do guest strips to cover when Kirby is gone. But I can't take it on fulltime, I already have too many projects to deal with (Massassi webhosting, Ragnarok server GMing, school, work, and playing oblivion).

I think that it should be paramount that whatever artist is selected, that they be able to at least somewhat replicate Krig's style of artwork.

Geb already knows I'm capable of doing this, but I'd like to see Kirby do the same.

Of course, this is Geb's project, so I don't want to put words in his mouth on how he wants this ran, these are just my 2 cents :/

There's no way I can match Krig's awesome style of coloring, but as far as the art goes; I'm really not having difficulties emulating it. I've given Galv a little makeover, but if it's too extreme, I can draw him more similarly to Krig's.


[Click for larger image]

I rushed the background/text/textbubbles and didn't do any shading simply because I didn't have anything planned for the image until I had it finished. If I had the script and setting beforehand, I'd do the background up, draw in the characters, shade them, then slap on the text.

Let me know what you think! Only took me an hour or so of work.

JediKirby

Under orders from Kirby, I guess I'll post my comments and my earlier sketchwork for the comic

Geb's eyes need work, and the old galv was better. Most everything else is pretty good to me.

My rendition of darkside (for the website bios that I never did finish >.> ):

http://etc.sorrowind.net/darkside.jpg

By no means a finished piece, and I am aware of the porportions problems. Also, darkside's eyes should look like this (Geb had me fix it):



edit: linked the big image cause kirby is a whiner.

I Oekaki'd this. Because it's what I had to hand.



It appears to be Gebohq dancing. Originally he was Super Geb. Then it was Indiana Geb. Then it turned out it was just a musical after all.

I've got nothin' on Kirbs.

^HA HA HA! That's hilarious!

+1 vote for Tony.

I like it Tony, but it needs to be more saturated!

I should make it clear that reading NeS (apart from perhaps the page surrounding where the comic currently is) is NOT required. NOT NOT NOT. If I made that a requirement of any sort, NO ONE would be able to apply.

CoolMatty: If you can just concentrate on the webmastering aspects, you know, like updating the bios mebbe... :p That'd be cool.

As for emulating Krig's style, I'll just repeat myself -- it's MORE important that the art done is good and natural from YOU. I'd rather see good art in your own style than poorer art done trying to emulate Krig's style.

Looking good, people! Kepp applying and spread the word!

Oh yeah, and Ford, I know you asked first to be an artist, and I'm still hoping you'll be showing your stuff

You know, Tony could always color my work... I sort of hate coloring.

I lack motivation to draw... (Otherwise, I'd give it a shot.)

Since Kirby ain't on IM anymore, I'll respond here:

Your art is fine, and certainly worth considering as much as anyone else at this point. Right now, I'm more interested in getting as many applicants as I can, so I'm sorry if I'm not personally evaluating at this point. If you got questions, comments, or whatever, I'll certainly address them, but I ain't no mind-reader, so you got to speak up.

Wow, both samples look good. I must say, Kirbs, you did an excellent job of emulating the NeS style. I think with a bit of shading, that would look supurb..

As for Tony's, I do think it's a bit too washed out color-wise.. But other than that, similarily brilliant.

I'd try to garner some interest from people I know here to try and draw, except the ones who know how to draw hate comics that have too much continuity... except for maybe the new guy here. I'll have to approach him when I get a chance. Hopefully he won't run away.

The colours seem to be a by-product of using the Oekaki. If I tried it in PSP or something, it should look a bit bolder.

I just want to see Enchilada Man's spaceship

I'll apply! (of course i didn't bother vectoring this)

Here's something I vecto'ed

Oh dear, NAILFACE is creeping in now...

On a random note, if anyone's got suggestions on how people can show how dependable they can be, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Keep 'em coming, peoples!

I can ink!

The gif transperancy sucks, I know, those are never finished versions for an ol' project

dont mock the quality, they're roughs, drawn in pen...on a coffee stained placemat...



PS - I look stupid next to Jep.

Jep should put his comics in a site with a panel which reads "99% done!" and then they will never be released :p

*cough*

You'll never forgive me about Showdown, will you? :p

If I can be bold and straight forward, I think the old style was not good at all. It was quite amateur-ish, I've seen children do better. Like I said, its mean, but its how I feel about it.

Kirby, if you were to use a style for this comic, I'd seriously suggest using your BSG style. Square eyes and wobbly shapes don't look good. At all.

(imo anyways)

I can start giving you weekly sex. If one week I have a headache, I'm just not dependable.

Fourth post. o.O

if you've seen children draw better than Krig, they must have been those autistic idiot savant-types.

and as far as not likeing it, krig brought these characters to life out of rough descriptions that didnt really tell much about thier appearances. i'd say he did a damn good job. in my mind at least these characters will always look how krig drew them.

He wasn't constant. One minute, his art and shading was awesome, the other they were aweful and proportions went out the window.

that could be written off to going from pen+paper+photoshop to learning how to use a graphics tablet while still producing comics.

I have to say I'm confused here. Are you talking about the art that's been used for the comic up to this point? As Ford implied, Krig the Viking had been the NeS comic artist up to this point. I have a hard time believing you'd find his stuff to be amateur-looking, even with the apparent art skill of your own that you've shown.

Either way, perhaps you'd be able to show some attempts at NeS-based art?