@Lemmo Honestly I didn’t really notice it wasn’t shaded until you pointed it out. I think streamlining the whole process by trimming out unnecessary aesthetic things that aren’t really worth the effort in the first place would really help.
I noticed the visual difference, but I’m sure I’ve seen you working with less and been happy with it. Indeed, I like this fine if it’s another week of comic.
@MarshmallowRadiation But I notice, and it matters to me. I know you guys want your weekly update, but you have to understand, this is something I’ll print in a book and show my grandkids someday. I care about how it looks.
I think the tube is deliberately trying to be unreachable. I think it is alive and trying to move itself away from them and the only reason that they haven’t noticed is because they always look down to get another person and it moves during that time. It freezes when seen, but when it isn’t, it’s free to move.(Go weeping angels!)
I thought it was a full out released comic, till I saw the non shaded piep, THEn I started seeing all the extra lines and that. But yeah, for this being a comic that isn’t even 100% done yet, it is really great.
I agree with inusushi. There’s no reason that romance is necessary just because there is a character of the female persuasion present. I hope I’m not spoiling the movie for everyone after all these years, but one of the reason I like “I Robot” so much (despite its artistic freedom) is because the writers didn’t say, “Hey! We have a lead male and lead female! We MUST throw them in a broom closet together, even though they’re in the middle of a nigh apocalyptic situation, trying to figure out how to solve the problem, and have only known each other for a MINUTE!”
Contrived “relationships” bug me, to say the least.
Thank you Lemmo :) always look forward to the new additions. Please feel free to take as much time as you’d like on each one, they’re all beautiful and it is your art.
Holy crap! That’s part of the reason *I* liked “I, Robot”, too! KINDRED SPIRIT! I like how you can interpret their relationship however you like, there’s nothing saying they would get together after the events of the movie, and at the same time there’s nothing saying they won’t. Depends on how much you read into Calvin’s smile in their last scene together, I guess. I thought it was refreshing that there were no romantic scenes. If the movie had been an hour or two longer, or if the film had been less heavy on the action and more heavy on the character development, I think it could have happened. Even if that had been the writers’ goal, there just wouldn’t have been time to make them progress that far without it feeling fake and rushed. I like that they kept them as just friends, and more importantly, made it work. You didn’t finish the movie thinking, “But the movie can’t be over! They didn’t kiss! WTF???”
And don’t worry Renee, “I, Robot” is now subject to “It Was His Sled”, and even if it weren’t, that isn’t much of a spoiler since it’s not very important.
I agree with both you and inusushi that having a male and a female together doesn’t necessarily mean there has to be romance, but most people are going to expect it. Also, I know from trying to write a Portal fanfic involving Doug and Chell that it is REALLY hard to write about two straight people of the opposite sex, with nothing to do other than use teamwork, make small talk, and stare at each other, without things starting to go in that direction, for the same reason that it’s hard for things not to go in that direction if you have that situation in real life – because in most cases the sexual tension is eventually going to manifest, whether anyone (writer, reader, characters) wants it to or not. (I don’t want it to in my fanfic but DAMMIT it’s like they’re MAKING it happen! I swear fiction has a mind of its own, totally independent from the writer… Grrr…) And even if you manage not to write it into a story, people are going to READ IT into the story, because it’s hard to steer them away from it. Although it sounds like you think that always pairing the male and female lead feels unnatural, in a lot of cases trying to *not* pair them would feel unnatural, because the audience would feel the sexual tension even if Word of God decided that the characters didn’t. It’s hard to make it work. The only written example I can think of where an author managed to make that work, is “First Test”, a novel in a series that’s like a sequel to the “Song of the Lioness” series (about Alanna…the first female knight…like “Mulan” meets medieval setting…anybody?), where the main characters are Keladry and her mentor Nealan. If you *really* wanted to you could think there might be something there, but the author does a good job of keeping the atmosphere at “just friends”. For instance, Nealan very obviously has a crush on one of the teachers at the castle. On top of that, Keladry notices this right away but shows no signs of jealousy, and merely finds it amusing, and the point isn’t explored in any more depth than that. Then, as they get to know each other, Nealan shows a very touching concern for Kel’s safety when he realizes that she’s taken to patrolling the hallways for bullies and sometimes gets into fights with them. In fact it’s highly amusing how much he freaks out when she goes looking for fights and gets hurt. In any other novel/movie/tv show, his behaviour would make you think that he “like” likes her. But somehow it doesn’t do that in “First Test”. I don’t know how the author did it. I wish I knew, because that’s a damn useful skill, and one that I am in dire need of at the moment.
Anyway, there are times in fiction when a male lead/female lead pairing feels right, and times where it doesn’t feel right, and in this case (Lemmo/Marina) it feels right, at least to me. And the “even though they’re in the middle of a nigh apocalyptic situation, trying to figure out how to solve the problem” is more like an “ESPECIALLY BECAUSE”, because of the whole hardship bringing people together thing. You would expect people in such a relationship to at least develop an attraction, even if it later turns out to be superficial and doesn’t go anywhere (or goes somewhere but wasn’t meant to because they aren’t compatible after all). If there were more people in this group, even if Marina was still the only female, it would feel a little more natural for everyone to just remain friends. But with only three people in the group, it wouldn’t be that weird for Lemmo and Marina to pair off.
I guess my point is just because the “throwing the female and male lead together” thing is overdone, doesn’t mean it’s contrived. Sometimes it is, like in “How to Train Your Dragon”, but usually it makes sense.
Wow this is a long, rambling comment with way too many digressions. Am I just tired? I think I’m tired. Better say goodnight before I write a goddamn essay. Goodnight!
@NoriMori I think’s already too late with the essay thing. XD I don’t usually mind a bit of romance, but because of what we’ve already seen of Marina’s personality, I don’t think it will happen. Or at the very least, I hope it doesn’t happen. I feel it would cheapen her role as the strong leader of her people.
But whatever happens, I’m excited to see what develops.
@NoriMori
*Dumbfounded* And I thought I could get longwinded… Gott im Himmel. However, you do make a good point.
This is the Blank-It universe. It thrives on the strange and unpredictable, as Lemmo and Aeric stride across the land like a pair of Titans, discovering all manner of new and odd creatures. Romance, unless well done, would (at least to me) seem somewhat out of place. Especially as the main cast have only known each other for a short(ish) time.
However, if it can be done, and done well, than I will have little problem with it.
I just remembered this comic after not having read this since 2009, I must say that this comic and the issues it poses on my mind continue to amuse me.
I first read this comic with a friend, who I have not been able to see for the last year, and remembering this friendship has given me this day. I will definitely be adding this as a bookmark.
Well, I’m glad I was able to get back on here! Btw, @Lemmo, are you really that old to be thinking about grandkids? Mainly because I have absolutely no idea how old you are. But if you would rather not say, then I understand. Thanks for the comics and I don’t know what happened to the app for iTunes- I have it on my iPod but I just got an iPhone and it’s not showing up when I search it. & if you do read this and are going to (hopefully) reply, can you just type my username in CAPS so I notice it? Thanks again!
@dragonboy- I think when Aric starts saying nice things to what’s-his-face bug guy and the giant fly thing starts falling or maybe the penguins… but there’s always the shovel and cookies (THE KING WILL HEAR OF THIS lol) and hand juice and fox getting cut into the socks or sox or whatever and there’s definitely the stripping… come to think of it, idk… :/
@NoriMori- if you do (and hopefully when;)) finish your fanfic, please be sure to let your fellow Blant-Iteers (idk) where we can find it and I haven’t played portal so also let me know if there’re any spoilers. THANKS & GOOD LUCK!!!!!
@OrangeJuiceMan
Yay those where good sences. Wait I know what my favriote sence is.
Aric: Hey that robot has my hat.
Lemmo: what about your pants?
Aric: what about them?
@NoriMori
you can thank the lack of lame-ance to I-Robot being influenced by Asimov who tends to have tons of sexual tension with conflicted resolution (such as F.V. Destination Brain, where the girl is actually in love with another guy, and the other girl ends up not caring for his life.)
I’m in my early 30′s, and just had my first couple kids this decade. I also just lost my own grandpa (the one dedicated in the book), so thinking about the generation shifts really isn’t a stretch.
RE the earlier comments: Some stories just need the romance. Sometimes it’s an indispensable part of the plot. Other stories don’t need it. I don’t know where Aric and Lemmo are taking this, so I don’t know whether romance is needed or unneeded, though I guess the latter. I’m sure the Blankit team is good enough at writing to know what plot elements should and shouldn’t be there in any case.
August 10th, 2011 at 12:50 am
I’ll add shading and stuff later. I figured you guys didn’t want to miss another week of comic.
August 10th, 2011 at 1:10 am
@Lemmo Honestly I didn’t really notice it wasn’t shaded until you pointed it out. I think streamlining the whole process by trimming out unnecessary aesthetic things that aren’t really worth the effort in the first place would really help.
August 10th, 2011 at 2:38 am
I noticed the visual difference, but I’m sure I’ve seen you working with less and been happy with it. Indeed, I like this fine if it’s another week of comic.
August 10th, 2011 at 3:25 am
I am convinced there is almost no way this comic can ever not look good, and ditto Marshmallow.
August 10th, 2011 at 3:51 am
hehe so silly. is it me or is the feeling I have about eventually seeing some romance between Lemmo and Marina mutual with everyone else?
August 10th, 2011 at 6:15 am
Dasaki, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a lot of romantic tension, but I’m not sure about outright romance.
August 10th, 2011 at 6:39 am
I don’t see why since there’s a girl in the group that there should be any romance.
August 10th, 2011 at 6:59 am
FANSERVICE?! O_O
August 10th, 2011 at 7:32 am
@MarshmallowRadiation But I notice, and it matters to me. I know you guys want your weekly update, but you have to understand, this is something I’ll print in a book and show my grandkids someday. I care about how it looks.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:30 am
Handi-Aric is my best friend ever. I need one.
August 10th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Knowing Canvase logic, there should be an obvious explanation.
August 10th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
your grandkids will be so lucky to be able to read this on their granp’s lap.
August 10th, 2011 at 9:02 pm
I think the tube is deliberately trying to be unreachable. I think it is alive and trying to move itself away from them and the only reason that they haven’t noticed is because they always look down to get another person and it moves during that time. It freezes when seen, but when it isn’t, it’s free to move.(Go weeping angels!)
August 10th, 2011 at 11:41 pm
I thought it was a full out released comic, till I saw the non shaded piep, THEn I started seeing all the extra lines and that. But yeah, for this being a comic that isn’t even 100% done yet, it is really great.
August 11th, 2011 at 2:16 am
I agree with inusushi. There’s no reason that romance is necessary just because there is a character of the female persuasion present. I hope I’m not spoiling the movie for everyone after all these years, but one of the reason I like “I Robot” so much (despite its artistic freedom) is because the writers didn’t say, “Hey! We have a lead male and lead female! We MUST throw them in a broom closet together, even though they’re in the middle of a nigh apocalyptic situation, trying to figure out how to solve the problem, and have only known each other for a MINUTE!”
Contrived “relationships” bug me, to say the least.
August 11th, 2011 at 6:50 am
Thank you Lemmo :) always look forward to the new additions. Please feel free to take as much time as you’d like on each one, they’re all beautiful and it is your art.
August 11th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
I think I read it too fast…so I didn’t notice that there wasn’t any shading.
August 11th, 2011 at 9:14 pm
@Renee
Holy crap! That’s part of the reason *I* liked “I, Robot”, too! KINDRED SPIRIT! I like how you can interpret their relationship however you like, there’s nothing saying they would get together after the events of the movie, and at the same time there’s nothing saying they won’t. Depends on how much you read into Calvin’s smile in their last scene together, I guess. I thought it was refreshing that there were no romantic scenes. If the movie had been an hour or two longer, or if the film had been less heavy on the action and more heavy on the character development, I think it could have happened. Even if that had been the writers’ goal, there just wouldn’t have been time to make them progress that far without it feeling fake and rushed. I like that they kept them as just friends, and more importantly, made it work. You didn’t finish the movie thinking, “But the movie can’t be over! They didn’t kiss! WTF???”
And don’t worry Renee, “I, Robot” is now subject to “It Was His Sled”, and even if it weren’t, that isn’t much of a spoiler since it’s not very important.
I agree with both you and inusushi that having a male and a female together doesn’t necessarily mean there has to be romance, but most people are going to expect it. Also, I know from trying to write a Portal fanfic involving Doug and Chell that it is REALLY hard to write about two straight people of the opposite sex, with nothing to do other than use teamwork, make small talk, and stare at each other, without things starting to go in that direction, for the same reason that it’s hard for things not to go in that direction if you have that situation in real life – because in most cases the sexual tension is eventually going to manifest, whether anyone (writer, reader, characters) wants it to or not. (I don’t want it to in my fanfic but DAMMIT it’s like they’re MAKING it happen! I swear fiction has a mind of its own, totally independent from the writer… Grrr…) And even if you manage not to write it into a story, people are going to READ IT into the story, because it’s hard to steer them away from it. Although it sounds like you think that always pairing the male and female lead feels unnatural, in a lot of cases trying to *not* pair them would feel unnatural, because the audience would feel the sexual tension even if Word of God decided that the characters didn’t. It’s hard to make it work. The only written example I can think of where an author managed to make that work, is “First Test”, a novel in a series that’s like a sequel to the “Song of the Lioness” series (about Alanna…the first female knight…like “Mulan” meets medieval setting…anybody?), where the main characters are Keladry and her mentor Nealan. If you *really* wanted to you could think there might be something there, but the author does a good job of keeping the atmosphere at “just friends”. For instance, Nealan very obviously has a crush on one of the teachers at the castle. On top of that, Keladry notices this right away but shows no signs of jealousy, and merely finds it amusing, and the point isn’t explored in any more depth than that. Then, as they get to know each other, Nealan shows a very touching concern for Kel’s safety when he realizes that she’s taken to patrolling the hallways for bullies and sometimes gets into fights with them. In fact it’s highly amusing how much he freaks out when she goes looking for fights and gets hurt. In any other novel/movie/tv show, his behaviour would make you think that he “like” likes her. But somehow it doesn’t do that in “First Test”. I don’t know how the author did it. I wish I knew, because that’s a damn useful skill, and one that I am in dire need of at the moment.
Anyway, there are times in fiction when a male lead/female lead pairing feels right, and times where it doesn’t feel right, and in this case (Lemmo/Marina) it feels right, at least to me. And the “even though they’re in the middle of a nigh apocalyptic situation, trying to figure out how to solve the problem” is more like an “ESPECIALLY BECAUSE”, because of the whole hardship bringing people together thing. You would expect people in such a relationship to at least develop an attraction, even if it later turns out to be superficial and doesn’t go anywhere (or goes somewhere but wasn’t meant to because they aren’t compatible after all). If there were more people in this group, even if Marina was still the only female, it would feel a little more natural for everyone to just remain friends. But with only three people in the group, it wouldn’t be that weird for Lemmo and Marina to pair off.
I guess my point is just because the “throwing the female and male lead together” thing is overdone, doesn’t mean it’s contrived. Sometimes it is, like in “How to Train Your Dragon”, but usually it makes sense.
Wow this is a long, rambling comment with way too many digressions. Am I just tired? I think I’m tired. Better say goodnight before I write a goddamn essay. Goodnight!
August 11th, 2011 at 10:43 pm
@NoriMori I think’s already too late with the essay thing. XD I don’t usually mind a bit of romance, but because of what we’ve already seen of Marina’s personality, I don’t think it will happen. Or at the very least, I hope it doesn’t happen. I feel it would cheapen her role as the strong leader of her people.
But whatever happens, I’m excited to see what develops.
August 12th, 2011 at 6:05 am
@NoriMori
*Dumbfounded* And I thought I could get longwinded… Gott im Himmel. However, you do make a good point.
This is the Blank-It universe. It thrives on the strange and unpredictable, as Lemmo and Aeric stride across the land like a pair of Titans, discovering all manner of new and odd creatures. Romance, unless well done, would (at least to me) seem somewhat out of place. Especially as the main cast have only known each other for a short(ish) time.
However, if it can be done, and done well, than I will have little problem with it.
August 12th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
I just remembered this comic after not having read this since 2009, I must say that this comic and the issues it poses on my mind continue to amuse me.
I first read this comic with a friend, who I have not been able to see for the last year, and remembering this friendship has given me this day. I will definitely be adding this as a bookmark.
August 12th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
@Renee
then you probaly would’t like Bluestar’s Prophcey, it takes about that amount of time of knowing him for the main charrater to get pregant.
August 12th, 2011 at 7:00 pm
@Renee
oh misread your post. opps
August 14th, 2011 at 8:13 pm
hey guys, what do think your favriote moment in blankit was?
I have trouble thinking of one, but the opening secne is difintly high up there.
August 14th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
Well, I’m glad I was able to get back on here! Btw, @Lemmo, are you really that old to be thinking about grandkids? Mainly because I have absolutely no idea how old you are. But if you would rather not say, then I understand. Thanks for the comics and I don’t know what happened to the app for iTunes- I have it on my iPod but I just got an iPhone and it’s not showing up when I search it. & if you do read this and are going to (hopefully) reply, can you just type my username in CAPS so I notice it? Thanks again!
August 14th, 2011 at 9:19 pm
@dragonboy- I think when Aric starts saying nice things to what’s-his-face bug guy and the giant fly thing starts falling or maybe the penguins… but there’s always the shovel and cookies (THE KING WILL HEAR OF THIS lol) and hand juice and fox getting cut into the socks or sox or whatever and there’s definitely the stripping… come to think of it, idk… :/
August 14th, 2011 at 9:23 pm
@NoriMori- if you do (and hopefully when;)) finish your fanfic, please be sure to let your fellow Blant-Iteers (idk) where we can find it and I haven’t played portal so also let me know if there’re any spoilers. THANKS & GOOD LUCK!!!!!
August 15th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
@OrangeJuiceMan
Yay those where good sences. Wait I know what my favriote sence is.
Aric: Hey that robot has my hat.
Lemmo: what about your pants?
Aric: what about them?
August 15th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
@OJMan
Dude your gravatar makes me chuckle.
(I know it’s been awhile since my last post. Been playin BFBC2.)
August 16th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
@NoriMori
you can thank the lack of lame-ance to I-Robot being influenced by Asimov who tends to have tons of sexual tension with conflicted resolution (such as F.V. Destination Brain, where the girl is actually in love with another guy, and the other girl ends up not caring for his life.)
August 16th, 2011 at 11:34 pm
I’m in my early 30′s, and just had my first couple kids this decade. I also just lost my own grandpa (the one dedicated in the book), so thinking about the generation shifts really isn’t a stretch.
August 16th, 2011 at 11:37 pm
Also, Aric and I are both married men. There won’t be any romance in this story until someone describes it to us. (zing!)
August 17th, 2011 at 1:00 am
Romance would be awesome :)
August 17th, 2011 at 2:43 am
This looks way better with shading. Good work.
RE the earlier comments: Some stories just need the romance. Sometimes it’s an indispensable part of the plot. Other stories don’t need it. I don’t know where Aric and Lemmo are taking this, so I don’t know whether romance is needed or unneeded, though I guess the latter. I’m sure the Blankit team is good enough at writing to know what plot elements should and shouldn’t be there in any case.
August 21st, 2011 at 9:27 pm
last comment
October 22nd, 2011 at 11:21 pm
nope, I have the last comment