Gunwild: Of note is the cameo of an ice cream flavor we've seen before... Pleiades Paprika! Hey, Vanaa can't eat salt, but that doesn't mean they don't enjoy other spices.
Psu: Those were going to be salty pretzel dogs for a minute, but that would've been tantamount to murder and the picture would be less cute... the salt in the dogs shouldn't...
2017-01-31 10:01:15 +0000 UTC View Post
Psu: We watch a lot of Star Trek.
Gunwild: I really do like this cover. But I don't think either of us really likes Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Psu: Lets just say we were copying Star Trek Beyond.
Gunwild: It was over a year away!
Psu: Shush! Speaking of a year away, you could still tell that these Vanna were closer to proto Vanaa where the eye gloobs are tinier on their faces. But if you ...
2017-01-28 03:40:20 +0000 UTC View Post
I, Gunwild (although nominally the writer of this comic, and the one who writes the scripts) fully admit that this arc was largely made up of ideas that originated with Psu.
However, having that dried-out old flower still be in Beebot's tummy was my idea. That's more of a visual thing than I usually call for, I wanted to mention, but I think it's an experiment I'm glad I did. I also asked for what ends up happening to it in the final version of the last panel, which you'll see go up this weeke...
2017-01-28 02:19:07 +0000 UTC View Post
This is an alternative version of the 1/23/2017 update with all the same dialogue, but the addition of Beebot's "internal monologue" of sorts. It was decided that there wasn't really room to fit it comfortably in the resolution we have on the website, but here it is, for interested parties!
2017-01-23 09:06:18 +0000 UTC View Post
Gunwild: This is kinda relevant to this month's pinup...
Psu: Vanaa are fun even if we kinda mess up their dialect all the time.
Gunwild: Well, I think you know this, but aside from Talps and Prince Gleb, all of the main Vanaa have their own personal pronouns
Gunwild: "My self" or "self" or "Kag"
Gunwild: Or when they overlap, they have their own speech ticks, like Skwidj goes into psu...
2017-01-20 23:28:18 +0000 UTC View Post
Without giving away the story of the next page, here are a couple of unused concepts for a bit character who appears. She's a SpaceXpress delivery gal (that company was previously seen delivering Maddy's birthday present), and the original ideas for her were a human-faced lady and another piloted squid bot. What did we end up going with? Well, you'll have to read the next update to find that out!
2017-01-20 04:33:09 +0000 UTC View Post
Gunwild: Probably people reading this can determine that Cassiopeia is Lum from Urusei Yatsura. Zeke's costume is a bit subtler, what with him not having a face.
Psu: I'm still thinking about how we used to think of holiday strips as a chance to do something easy and quick.
Gunwild: Ehh, it still required cleverness and effort. Also you get to do stuff in them that fits nowhere else, like that unbelievably Yotsuba face in panel 3.
...
2017-01-20 04:28:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Make sure to click through... there's a lot of buzz surrounding this update!
2017-01-15 03:02:06 +0000 UTC View Post
One thing people might not put together is that this "photo" in the top right panel has been around for a while . The punful title of the article there is entirely Psu's doing, by the way. I bow to my partner's greater skill at the pun, the lowest form of humor.
2017-01-12 22:23:37 +0000 UTC View Post
Gunwild: Fireworks (some kinds, anyway) were made legal where I live like a few months after we did this comic. I was very happy to celebrate America's birthday by playing with things that could cause me serious bodily harm, but unfortunately, none of them sounded anything like "shploof."
Psu: I really should have used a ruler when drawing these missles but I was a little lazier back then. I do like how the colors came out though. And yeah, I absolutely knew I...
2017-01-12 21:55:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Gunwild: This is also something never planned to be used in the comic, but it seemed like the time to bring it out.
Psu: Jesus Christ how horrifying.
Psu: This is another one of those I completely forgot about, I don't think I even put it in any old sketchiebooks. I don't even remember where I saved it...
Gunwild: Maybe you didn't. But I did! It's worth noting that of all the conspiracy theories about what'l...
2017-01-07 18:26:51 +0000 UTC View Post
Gunwild: So, the numbers on the missile there are a date - 7/24/1964
Psu: You and your refrences.
Psu: Lemme have my random meaningless numbers!
Gunwild: I think I actually messed that one up - it was supposed to be the date of the Virtuous Mission from Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater. But it's actually the date the Boss learns the Shagohod is almost done.
Gunwild: Oops.
Gunwild 2017-01-07 18:23:58 +0000 UTC View Post
After a little hiccup in production, Cassiopeia Quinn is back with a mission: to MAKE YOU SAD.
You might notice this WiP is slightly different from last time. That's 'cause we decided not to really let any adult's face show up completely - leaving the focus on Beebot and Cassiopeia.
2017-01-05 20:11:19 +0000 UTC View Post
The saga of Beebot continues... unfortunately, things aren't looking good for our hero. Will the New Year bring him a new chance at happiness?!
Also, secret note: the evidence drawer says AP-4 MS because "apiformes" means "bees." I am sorry both for the sad content of the comic and that awful pun.
2016-12-30 08:10:25 +0000 UTC View Post
Psu: I really like how this page came out, it's one of the ones that still holds up to the current style.
Gunwild: I recall specifically that the first alien world we get a wide shot of was an important idea, I felt like. I thought it should be convincing. So I took inspiration from the quote in the alt-text, which is actually from the very first episode of Doctor Who.
Gunwild: So, you did a really good job making it look like a cool tro...
2016-12-30 08:01:43 +0000 UTC View Post
Hopefully nobody missed it, but before the holiday's over, be sure to check out this Christmassy update. It's a little unhappy... but please, keep your hope for Beebot strong!
http://www.cassiopeiaquinn.com/comic/it-must-bee-christmas
2016-12-26 02:27:39 +0000 UTC View Post
Psu: Can I start the commentary just saying I'm feeling under the weather?
Gunwild: Too bad for the audience, 'cause the only thing I remember about this at the moment is that you had me add that "Ahh..." before the "Hooray, piracy!"
Gunwild: Which makes sense 'cause she turned out to be relaxin' in a relaxy pose.
Psu: We really don't have many moments that call for chibi panel inserts anymore, I think this was wri...
2016-12-23 08:07:15 +0000 UTC View Post
Gunwild: All right, I admit, this was never really something we planned to do in the comic. But they're cute concept ideas we couldn't just forget about! Look at that brilliant dialogue I wrote!
Psu: Why the heck would a glob alien need a crutch?
Gunwild: To dress as Tiny Tim. It's just part of the costume!
Psu: Strives for accuracy. It's fun to remember that this will be the third Christmas that the Cassiop...
2016-12-23 08:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
This one may be a bit of a drag for Christmas... it comes a year after our last flashback featuring Beebot and young Cassiopeia. But stay with us, even if this installment makes you sad!
We won't leave you on the hook for another year to find out what happened. It's the season of hope!
2016-12-23 02:16:36 +0000 UTC View Post
You lovely patrons who've been kickin' in, your reward is here! Its a little later than last month, owing to the complexity of including two characters, and the level of, um, polish... but hopefully you'll agree it was worth it.
People's opinions about which character should feature in this pinup came a little late. So, if you've got a...
2016-12-17 09:00:30 +0000 UTC View Post
Psu: Peia is a big jerk.
Gunwild: She does come off as fairly sinister on this page, which sets up her relationship with Maddy just fine... until the last panel, where you see how she'd act most of the time from then on. We sure got a lot of complaints about Cassiopeia being unsympathetic while Maddy is an underdog people are into, but I was surprised how many folks thought that was totally unintentional.
Psu: In a way it sorta was, I th...
2016-12-17 01:09:58 +0000 UTC View Post
Gunwild: This is a proto-Talps... or maybe Slig-Lu? Anyway, felt right due to the Christmas coloring.
Psu: Oh man it's side cut Talps... actually you probably are right that it's Slig-Lu because I think I formed Talps on the page she appeared on. They probably share lots of visual traits because both ultimately were answers to the question "Can you make a blob that's cute and sexy?"
Psu: This might be Talps because of the prototyp...
2016-12-17 00:50:24 +0000 UTC View Post
As we sometimes like to do, we're teasing the next story's introduction of a new character with a cool magazine cover mockup and an extra-polished piece of art. But what's this Regency commander lady doing on a magazine for smugglers? Intimidating and impressing them, one supposes. You'll just have to keep reading to know how she interacts with the cast of our comic.
2016-12-14 09:10:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Gunwild: My favorite thing on this page, besides its many charms, is panel 3. Cassiopeia is nonchalant, while almost affectionate, and Maddy is going nuts silently. Meanwhile the little offhanded gun wiggle is there. That wasn't in the script.
Psu: That's called "ACTING" gun. We take what's on the script and give it the flair only an ACTOR can bring to the table. snooty harrumph
Gunwild: You'd think I might have learned earlier in my car...
2016-12-08 09:06:11 +0000 UTC View Post
This page is actually going to break some rules we normally have for ourselves in terms of how many captions and word balloons can fit in a panel. To make it a little less glaring, you'll notice that Prince Gleb is actually positioned in the first panel so that the line created by his shell splits it into two panels - at least, kind of splits it. This hopefully has much the same effect without making an obstructive panel border necessary.
2016-12-07 06:40:26 +0000 UTC View Post
In case you missed it, the penultimate page of this story is up! Go check it out, please!
http://www.cassiopeiaquinn.com/comic/for-the-flan-who-has-everything-pt-5
2016-12-06 10:04:50 +0000 UTC View Post
Ahh, enough of that serious political stuff... let's get to the cute gloobs!
As you can see, Psu forgot Kag's name while sketching this out. Scandalous! Kag is an exciting, dynamic lump, capable of great feats of flying, as he will make sure you know.
Also: we couldn't spend multiple panels showing the act of Prince Gleb putting his cape back on, so it happens between panels. But what motion he does to do it, exactly, is anyone's guess.
2016-11-30 22:20:32 +0000 UTC View Post
Gunwild: "Cupbearer" is a good name for a class of ship. I was trying to fit it in with the Regency's Greek-inspired naming scheme for stuff. In U.S. history there are lots of examples of the military giving codenames to enemy aircraft ("Zero" is probably the most famous one), which is probably what's happening here.
Psu: It never really struck me as "trying too hard" for a name to work, I think it was how you put it in matter of factly which helped it along. ...
2016-11-29 04:52:03 +0000 UTC View Post
That's what he means to say. Trust us.
Us Cassiopeia Quinn-makin' folks are very grateful for your support, your readership, and just generally you all being so nice to us!
2016-11-25 04:01:44 +0000 UTC View Post
Making this page visually interesting when it's really just two characters talking is not the easiest thing. It's helped by a couple of bits here. One is that King is visually interesting on his own, what with his constantly-shifting inner light pattern things. Another is finding "props" for the scene, always a good trick. In this case it's the lots and lots of readouts and holo-images King has floating around him - they can bring up other images for flavor.
2016-11-23 07:33:33 +0000 UTC View Post