Q&A: August 2022

Hey there, folks! How've you been this month? Good? Great.

As always, thank you so much to all the patrons that took their time to ask a question! I know we said last time we'd try to have it ready a bit earlier in the month, but well, life happens. At least this way everyone has a bit more time to really ponder and come up with something they want to ask, so maybe it's a good move in the end!

And like last time, 12$ patrons can look out for the art submission box to open soon!

1. What was Arcjec's favorite game back when they used to play them?

AUSTIN: Putting this into perspective requires a little bit of text diving and panel gazing. There's one that we know for certain, and a lot of others that are simply implied.

We're not given any exact titles, but we know Arcjec used to be big into SBVRPRPG's back when him and the gang hung out. [S] Turnin: Check social media features repitonian Scott The Woz over an edited cover of DC Universe Online, and that's sort of the base of what we imagined the game him and the others played was like.

But let's go a little deeper.

On page 971, we get a look at Arcjec's living room, and among all the various refuse, there's a bunch of other stuff we can use to draw some pretty interesting conclusions. Not only is that DC Universe Online game in his interests pile, but there are several "repitonian" game consoles there, such as the Playstation 2, Sega Dreamcast, Xbox 360 and Wii U. Besides the PS2, each of these systems have an associated game to go along with it. Sonic Adventure 2, Halo 3 and a heavily corporate-ified variation of Super Smash Bros that I can only imagine looks a lot like those old fan edit rosters with Goku and Spongebob in them.

There are also implied game interests here too, like Ditto from Pokemon, Kirby and of course, Scout Team Fortress 2.

2. Any advice for an artist team just starting to write/board a webcomic?

EDDIE: Oh man, that's a BIG question! It's a little hard to answer, because the workflow we eventually landed on with VE went through so many different permutations as we tried to figure out something that worked for us, and the art team itself changed considerably over the years. I guess in more general terms, what I can say is:

- COMMUNICATION! That really is one of the most important things about collaborative projects. You need to make sure everyone is on the same page about things like creative direction, workload, schedule, etc. So it's good to have it laid out in clear terms before you even start production and to make it a habit to periodically check in with people to see if what you're doing is still working! And this is something that seems deceptively simple - we've been working together for a while now and sometimes we STILL fumble the ball when it comes to getting the right idea across. It happens.

- A SCHEDULE! Something we found out as we worked through the permutations mentioned above is that you really don't get a lot done without at least a vague goalpost to move toward, even if that goalpost can eventually be changed. It just works better to keep things organized and clear. And to me, it is also very important to keep this somewhat flexible, because your team members are going to need to balance this project with their jobs, college, personal lives, etc. There needs to be a level of commitment to every project in order for it to get off the ground, but you also don't want to grind yourselves to dust while doing it, you feel me?

- SPLIT/ROTATING WORKLOADS! The thing they don't tell you about webcomics is that they're a bit of a grind. Unless your project really is short, you're getting ready for a marathon, not a sprint. We found it very helpful to switch duties between artists on a monthly basis, so you don't have someone Only doing storyboards all the time or Only doing panel sketches all the time or Only finalizing the panels all the time. It helps to keep things from feeling dull and avoiding burnout.

As a final note, we really are just winging it as we go. No one has the ultimate true answers for this kind of thing, and every creative team is going to be a little different. But the bottom line is, you're going to get better at it the more you do it, and the only way to figure out the "how" part... is to Do It!

Good luck with your project!

3. Are there any previously scrapped concepts for VE that you still really enjoy? And (if it's not spoiler territory) why was Serpaz in the woods when she met Laivan?

AUSTIN: I stray away from talking about scrapped content most of the time these days. I used to be Mr. Loose Lips when the comic was in its heyday, and it was kind of like shooting myself in the foot several times over. Eventually, you sustain enough blood loss and nerve damage that you don't even notice you're doing it anymore! 

Which is to say, hey, you never know. Yesterday's scrapped concept might become today's revised narrative through-line. I do still like a lot of the old ideas we had about cherub society, though. Maybe we'll see it in action someday?

As for Serpaz: she just happened to be released from the wrong place at the right time.

4. Does Ellsee have any favorite shows?

AUSTIN: Getting into that means we have to consider how repitonian television works. It's all AI generated nonsense made by artificial brains in jars attuned to algorithms, meant to appeal to the lowest common denominator and pre-existing property fans first and foremost. Make a sequel, renew, crossover, milk it for every multiversal construct until it's dry, remake, reboot, repeat. Though Repiton is very similar to Earth on a surface level, getting into the nitty-gritty means reconciling with this grim reality that features troll-made media horrors the likes of which we could never comprehend. When anime is an independent safe haven, you know you've done something wrong.

Anyway, I think she would like Twin Peaks and The X-Files.

5. Is there more to know about "the six pillars of character" shown in the Jentha lore updates? 

EDDIE: Oh man, that was just us trying to remember some of those cheesy and vaguely oppressive school posters about good behavior and whatnot. Ciro suggested that one, I think! Let me pull up the full image:



Here it is, in all its high-res glory.

6. How long did it take to fully develop and get this story running? What was the inspiration for it/motivation?

AUSTIN: Technically, the story is still being developed right this moment because of the simple fact that we are still actively producing it. It's kind of a loaded question to be honest! There's a narrative standpoint and a production standpoint to analyze here.

From a narrative standpoint, I would say it's still ongoing. In a sense, Vast Error has operated in eras, and I imagine this will continue to be the case for the rest of its run. Different ideas, different people, different worldviews from the last iteration. The Vast Error envisioned to be put out in 2013 is far different than the Vast Error we envisioned putting out in 2017, which is FAR different from the Vast Error we're going to be putting out from here forward.

From a production standpoint, I don't think I have a really good answer to give you. A lot of it was just my own stubbornness and absurd luck coming through as I made great business plays. The grand majority of everyone on the team is here just because I spontaneously appeared before them and it kinda... sorta just... worked out? I offered them a seat at the round table of vastness, to become another knight in inscrutable narrative armor. Wielding their pencil tool swords and character bingo shields, ready for any onslaught of work that may come their way.

And as far as inspiration goes, Homestuck. Have you heard about Homestuck? Had people try to tell you about it? You could be entitled to financial compensation. Not from me, though, I'm broke.

7. Any tips for learning how to set up backgrounds/perspective?

EDDIE: Oh God backgrounds are so fucking hard. Make no mistake, that is one of THE most complicated things to learn how to draw! At least it is to me, I really don't consider myself an expert on them. But if you're just starting out (and even if you're an experienced artist) I'm going to pull out the old adage we're all familiar with: REFERENCES!!!!

When we're first learning how to draw, we have a tendency to try to pull things straight from our brains. That is a mistake! Do not fall for this trap!!! You only have very limited access to the full gamut of Ways Things Can Look because our brains are not connected to the internet. As you get more practice and experience in, your innate visual library will naturally expand, and you'll be able to draw some things pretty well from memory. But if you're looking to learn something for the first time, look up references! And here I mean two distinct kinds of references:

1) Photo references, for studies or as a more technical perspective starting point. Go on google maps, go to a random place, find some shit that looks interesting and go to town! Or just like, google the kinds of interiors you want to try to replicate. Hell, go to pinterest for that too! A good exercise is to try to find horizon lines and vanishing points so you can train your eye to notice that kinda stuff, but that's... a whole Thing that we really don't have time to get into in much detail on a Q&A about the webcomic Vasted Error.

2) Style references! Take stock of your favorite artists and try to study the way that they stylize THEIR backgrounds. There is so much you can learn just by analyzing the way your peers do things, it's something that was (and still is) fundamental in how I learned certain shortcuts and honed my own style. Maybe you're not sure how to shade a pillar or something? How you want to make the light hit a window? The ocean? That's when you go looking for style references, baby. And you can do studies of them, too! Trying to replicate the way an artist drew such-and-such is a great way to really hammer these shortcuts home. Just don't like, post it and try to pass it off as a totally original artwork, obviously. Lol

On a final note, check if your preferred program has a tool called "perspective ruler" or something like that. They are VERY helpful when you're trying to get a more complex background down with a lot of super straight lines and stuff. Just don't leave it turned on all the way, because I find that tends to make the finalized drawing look a little stiff! Free-handing some lines adds a little bit of that human charm to the piece.

8. If it's not a spoiler, how is time told in universal scripture/alchemy corpora? Is Gerbat a good cook?

EDDIE: Honestly, that was just meant to be a one-off gag. We really don't have a secret translator for it! The codes are already complicated enough as-is, yeesh.

XAM: I think he doesn't care if his cooking doesn't look pretty and he wouldn't surprise you with any bougie shit, but he does make good stuff!

EDDIE: I imagine it's got like that cosy, homemade "just like your grandma used to make" vibe. Mmmmm.

9. Did Laivan and Arcjec have moirail crushes on each other when they were younger, or was it something that developed when they got older?

AUSTIN: Great question, I've thought of it a lot myself. However, I've recently learned that I don't think gay people exist.

10. How long does it usually take to finish a panel?

EDDIE: That depends a lot! Excluding the animated/interactive pages, obviously, it can be anything from half an hour to like, one hour and thirty minutes or so in my experience. Character closeups tend to be very simple, even more so if they have an abstract background, while complex scenery establishing shots are more of a time investment. The panels are pretty stylized, but they still have a lot of tiny details you have to pay attention to, so any shot with tons of different structures is a bit of a time sink. And there's also the final consistency pass of whoever's doing the art directing on a given section, so that can add a bit more to it too.

Sidenote that I'm only counting the panel finalization here, because we usually alternate sketching and panel work so the same person is not doing both in the same update.

11. Did you speak to any cult survivors, or do research, while trying to find a basis for Taz's story with the Mirthamaniacs? I'd be incredibly surprised if you didn't, because I find Taz to be an extremely relatable and comforting character, as a survivor myself.

AUSTIN: Prepare to be amazed, because we didn't! Talk to any survivors directly, at least. Research? Absolutely, and in some cases, experience similar things, sadly. A lot of what goes into VE and its writing is just us compounding experiences and feelings we have about certain subjects, brought to life through a fictionalized extreme. We're glad our comic resonates with people who have been through something similar.

12. Any fun facts about Turnin and Racren that haven't been been revealed yet? What's Turnin's favorite food? Does Racren ever try the shit that they eat? Is skittles pizza normal?????

AUSTIN: Turnin has eaten 39 monorails in total, Racren has not eaten any. Monorail parts. No, he's moderately more sane. Funnily, yes.

EDDIE: Repiton isn't big huge on like, healthy food. Or just plain edible food in general, sometimes.

13. What are the sigils associated with the Haustoria cast?

Lutzia - ounce 

Gerbat - herb 

Pramen - soot 

Yarina - saffron 

Cera - wax 

Bor - wood 

Alcest - year 

Urodea - forge 

Margol - rosin 

Kimosh - cobalt 

Sahvel - pound 

Neeris - rust

And that should be all for today! Hope you guys are having a good Wednesday, and we'll be seeing you for the next month's Q&A in a few weeks. Until then... 

Keep it unreal, folks!

- Eddie, Austin and Xam