Oh, hey, I guess it wasn't the rats after all! Heh. I love this guy. He's another one like Othar, I think, originally mine but Phil takes it and makes it so much better.
Seriously, Othar was supposed to be all grimdark. I'm glad that didn't work out.
--Kaja
2021-06-02 08:25:30 +0000 UTC View Post
I've had pet rats, and they did NOT smell like wet socks, but these are terrible abomination-of-science rats, so I guess they're different.
I like rats.
Edit:
Phil had a thought, and now Krosp has extra lines at the end. Now I feel better.
In other news…
Rain Games just released some of the music they’ve been tinkering with for the Girl Genius Adventures in Castle Heterodyne video game, and in my opinion, it’s spot on. It’s like the covers to the Gi...
2021-06-01 05:57:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Doctor Monahan started out as a joking reference to our friend Carol Monahan, who draws little cartoon rats of the most charming type. Only a monster would talk like this about such darling creatures. Lady Ariadne here is clearly a villain of the worst type who will surely get what is coming to her.
Although, this is not actually our Carol, and the rats on the island may be of a different sort...
--Kaja
2021-05-30 07:07:35 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's Friday's (Not Monday's) page!
So, things have been hairy around here, as usual, and I've only now finished the BackerKit pledge manager for Sparks and Monsters. I've let the Kickstarter campaign know, but I'm posting everywhere else about it as well. If you're one of our backers, please watch for the BackerKit invite in the email you used for the campaign, and thank you for your patience.
For those who missed the Sparks and Monsters campaign, we will once again thr...
2021-05-27 16:49:56 +0000 UTC View Post
I can't stop thinking about how much those things would hurt my arm. Actually, who am I kidding, I'd drop into the sea instantly. It's a good think I'm not an adventurer in a magical science-flavored fantasy world.
Thanks, everybody!
--Kaja
2021-05-25 05:09:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Here is Monday's page, with a nice big Boom. I'd say "I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!" but it's the middle of the week, so that would be a bit weird. All this time traveling is making me a little confused, last night I briefly thought it was Friday.
Thank you!
--Kaja
2021-05-20 05:15:45 +0000 UTC View Post
Edit: The perils of being ahead: I nearly uploaded the colors for this one to Monday's post instead. Whoops!
Friday's page! I'm not sure how Dr. Monahan wound up some kind of Pyramid Head, but now she's got a big knife for...reasons. I think they're having a cookout while they watch the ship approach, so she's probably just in charge of the grilling.
--Kaja
2021-05-19 04:55:25 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's Wednesday's page, and an incredibly stupid flight wing design I've wanted to do for ages. It's made with completely recycled parts, that's how you know it's Steampunk!
Or something like that.
I got my second shot, and this time I didn't even have to drive an hour out to Puyallup to get it. We went down to Lumen Field, and it was a beautiful warm day and everyone was happy and cheery and the air smelled amazing from all the food vendors. Also, we had a celebrity sighting, we...
2021-05-18 06:47:36 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's Monday's page, and oh, hey, I guess Bang liked that hat as well! It is hers now. She's already stuck a pin on it.
Yesterday we had a meeting (via Discord) with Rain Games, and we got to hear some of the music they're working on for the Girl Genius game. I'm delighted with how spot-on it is, it's exactly the kind of thing I would have asked for if I had the musical knowledge to get anything useful across. Think dark carousel and evil waltzes with a touch of industrial sound thrown...
2021-05-15 18:57:19 +0000 UTC View Post
Aaaaand, here's Friday's page!
Phil and I are getting our second COVID shots this Saturday. This makes me very happy. Phil wants to get a little bit ahead in case we feel low or sleepy afterward, so you'll probably be getting Wednesday's page pretty soon as well. I've heard that most people do pretty well after the second shot, though.
Finished House of Leaves, very cool but not actually scary. That's ok, though, it was good in a lot of other ways, and a lot of fun....
2021-05-12 02:43:48 +0000 UTC View Post
It's a little later than I've been for a while. Anyway, here are the pencils! I like that guy's hat.
--Kaja
2021-05-11 19:47:47 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's Monday's page! (This is fun.)
I'm reading House of Leaves, so that's fun, too. It isn't especially spooky yet, but as an art piece it's pretty good. I learned layout in QuarkXPress, and I'm enjoying all the fun tricks the author plays with in the typesetting. I use Indesign now, though, and I don't really use it to do anything fancy.
The cherry blossoms have given way to lilacs and wisteria, it makes the breeze smell amazing. I love the times of the year when the c...
2021-05-07 02:32:21 +0000 UTC View Post
Folks, I don't know what to do, I'm so pleased. I've got two line art pages up at once!
We don't get properly ahead very often, so when we do I'm ridiculously happy.
I hope this isn't too much of an early spoiler, if it is, quick! Look away!
Thanks!
--Kaja
2021-05-04 06:49:20 +0000 UTC View Post
Well, here's the last page of Volume 21. I'm happy that I got this one lettered early!
I'm an absolute scrap hound and today I found a little wooden cabinet by the side of the road with a "FREE!" sign taped to it. Not an unusual sight around here, which is kind of nice. I dragged it home and am in the process of tidying it up to use as a bedside table. I also like to sing along with Oscar the Grouch. <I Love Trash!>
--Kaja
Sorry, I didn't get this one done to do a proper preview. Phil's birthday was on the 1st, and I was awfully busy and then tired and well, it just didn't happen until right now. I just got the words done with a couple of hours until it goes live! To make up for it, I've included a nice picture of Krosp and the Empress that I'm going to be using to make some cute stuff. Cheyenne did a lovely job on the colors!
In other news, we're almost to the end of this volume. I can't believe it. I ha...
2021-05-03 02:20:09 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's the Empress again, and she's been busy getting an education, apparently. I like her quite a bit.
We don't have a recipe for Tarvek's sandwiches at this time, I suppose we'll have to get on that. It seems a bit odd to me to have a "recipe" for a sandwich, sandwiches seem like something you'd build, with blueprints or something. I do see recipes for sandwiches in a lot of cookbooks and magazines, so what do I know?
Now I'm imagining a little scaffold for building sandwiches.&...
2021-04-29 08:05:35 +0000 UTC View Post
Gil made some sandwiches like that back in the early days of the story, so either this is a new mix of fillings, or Tarvek showed him how to make this back when they were kids. I kind of like the kids angle, so that's what I'm going with.
Our Good Boy Norville here has been offscreen for ages, but they never did let him go after the fight on the Mopey Tortoise. It turns out that all it took to get him marginally on their side was some good food. He still doesn't like Tarvek, though. Tar...
2021-04-27 08:26:52 +0000 UTC View Post
SPOILER!
I hope this is ok, but I got it lettered, so here's Monday's page in black and white.
I'll be back later with colors, of course.
Edit: and here are the colors!
Edit edit: Fixed a typo, I did.
--Kaja
Edit: Colors!
Also, Phil and I are getting our first Covid vaccines tomorrow. I'm happy.
----------------------------------
Eels are funny!
See you when the colors come in--
--Kaja
2021-04-21 08:12:43 +0000 UTC View Post
You know, sometimes I worry that we play the whole "cavalier attitude toward killing" a little too much for laughs. Just for the record, I...don't want people killed? Not even people I don't like, believe it or not. I would think that would go without saying, but who knows?
Anyhow, here is the page in all its colorful glory. I made Phil put in a stargazy pie, because I will never not be simultaneously charmed and horrified in quite the sam...
2021-04-20 07:15:19 +0000 UTC View Post
Edit: and here's the color. Thanks, everyone!
Edit Edit: and here's the color with the typo corrected. I may grumble, but I really appreciate the editing help!
I think the sequence here will be more obvious when the colors show what is flashback and what is current conversation, but I'm sure you all will work it out. I hope you're having a great weekend! As usual, colors will be posted when they're ready.
--Kaja
I was so late getting this one lettered that Cheyenne had the colors in before I was finished. There's been a lot to handle this week. My hands are painfully dry from all the washing I've been doing. I've started doing the thing where you smear thick salve on your hands and sleep in little white gloves.
I've been messing with all the cables behind my computer. The cables have all been treated with a nasty-tasting bitter stuff to keep my ROTTEN CATS from gnawing on them. So to add ...
2021-04-16 00:55:41 +0000 UTC View Post
Edit: Colors!
I want to thank all of you here on Patreon. I'm finding that posting these pencil pages early for all of you here is taking a lot of pressure off of my shoulders. Getting the words done earlier than I usually would has been making my official posting days a lot less stressful. I never thought it would make this much difference, but I'm very happy at the discovery!
(Oh, and panels two and three will be the usual flashback sepia tones.)
Thanks, everyone!
--...
2021-04-13 07:13:29 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's Monday's page in pencil form. As usual, I'll post the colors when they come in.
And here are the colors.
Ah, and also, our dog Midna died yesterday. She just went to sleep and never woke up, so at least it was peaceful. I'll have something more cheerful to say next time, but I thought since I'd mentioned her here recently I should let you all know. Erm, happy Monday?
Thanks--
--Kaja
Edit: I noticed the knitting needles, but didn't notice the hand that was holding them! Fortunately, Cheyenne noticed. Marvel at his skillful edits! He re-drew Dimo's mechanical hand because we were dingy and forgot about it. All hail Cheyenne Wright!
----------------------------
Early yet again! I'll post the colors here when they're ready.
One interesting point about this drawing: as I was lettering it I said to Phil "Those are the wrong needles for knitting socks. A...
2021-04-08 09:34:25 +0000 UTC View Post
Edit: And here's the color, with waves I can hear. Nice! Thank you, Cheyenne!
Here's Wednesday's page, pre-color. It's a page of few words, but don't worry, the shouting should begin again on Friday. It usually does.
I'll attach the color version to this post when it comes in, like I did with Monday's page.
This is going to be a fun one to watch from pencils to color, I'm sure Cheyenne will make it sing, as usual!
--Kaja
2021-04-06 07:01:45 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello!
Today I thought it would be fun to post early and show you all Monday's page before it gets its colors. I'm also including the original panel one, which Phil re-drew for me because I looked at it and said "but that's not what I described at all!" I should really learn to draw again, so I can sketch out what I think the blocking should look like. Trying to get it across via interpretive dance doesn't seem to work well.
This page hasn't even been cleaned, this is ...
2021-04-04 06:45:56 +0000 UTC View Post
Cats. I love them, but they do like to get in the way.
I'm still working on BackerKit. Since all the shipping is being calculated and charged there this time, as opposed to being charged in Kickstarter, it's a new and interesting puzzle.
But I persist.
As always, thank you for reading! I'll work hard this weekend!
--Kaja
2021-04-02 03:27:29 +0000 UTC View Post
Cats!
I've finally finished sending out the prizes from the Social Media thing we did a while back, and now I'm back to finishing up the BackerKit setup for Sparks and Monsters. I'll have more information about that soon, I hope.
Thanks!
--Kaja
2021-03-31 02:45:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's tonight's page, somewhat early again! Now I'm off to drink some tea, finish packing a few things that need to ship out on Monday, and hammer away on BackerKit.
Thanks again, everyone!
--Kaja