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Site changes coming... ( December 31st, 2006 )
Please be patient if you see something break.
I've been wanting to pull the trigger on some site changes for a while now. Unfortunately, I've been wrangling with the site redesign and that's stalled progress. Well, I'm ready for the change site redesign or not.
Just so you know, some of the things that are planned are text/news on the front page, comics on the archive pages (like Penny Arcade). This is how most people view the site anyway so I figure it's not that big a leap. Some comics require explanation. And this info will be pulled up directly from the forums, so it will be followed with info about impressions, comments, etc. I'm hoping this will spawn more discussion about the comics. There will be a graphic accompanying the front page writeup (like VG Cats) so if you hit the frontpage to read he writeup first, there should be no confusion about how to get to the comic itself. And if you prefer to skip the writeup and go staight to the comic, just go to gucomics.com/comic (not currently functional, but will be soon). As always, the comic will be linked to the writeup. So, clicking it will continue to take you to the writeup thread, etc. etc. etc. blah blah blah. Another major change that's coming is larger comics. Quite a bit recently I've wished I just had a little more room. The expected new size is 600x450. It'll still be a single panel, just much larger. This isn't set in stone but it's the direction I'm leaning. Example: before | after I'm thinking of putting up a progress meter (like AppleGeeks) as well, so you guys know exactly where I am in the process. No guessing. No news items about it. In the end, none of this is set in stone. I'm still trying to solidify everything in my mind. But, I kinda wanted to include you guys, let you know what I was mulling over. I sill want to find a writer for GU so I can focus more on the business side. And I'd really like to see someone come in that can grow the site for me, so I can forget the business aspect and focus completely on the artwork, get some new shirt designs, etc. [ discuss ] Happy Holidays ( December 24th, 2006 )
Season's greetings from the GU Staff.
I just wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season a touch late but earnest in it's intent.
Not-so Triumphant Return ( November 27th, 2006 )
The computer won't be back tomorrow. But, the comics will.
I still haven't received my replacment parts. But, I just can't keep running guest strips or I'm gonna be completely rusty. So, I've decided to return to doing regular strips tomorrow (11/28) whether I'm ready or not.
I did put up a new question in the FAQ about guest strips (for the future) if you guys are interested though. I appreciate all the support during my downtime. You guys rock. A Call for help! ( November 16th, 2006 )
Humbly requesting guest strips while my computer is temprarily out of commission.
In one long series of hardware failures all extending from the first day I plugged in my Cintiq, I've found myself without a computer again. Well, at least temporarily while I get in new parts.
So, I've got my laptop setup to stay in contact, but I need some help for a few days. If any of you are interested in possibly doing some guest strips while I get everything ready to do new strips, I'd really appreciate it. You can get the GU template here: GU Assets When you're done, email them to me at woody@gucomics.com. Just put "Guest Strip" in the subject line so I know it's priority. And if you'd like to write a blurb about your work, include that in the email, I'll post it tot the forums and link it to your work. I know it's a lot to ask, but I'd really really appreciate it. Color the Monkey ( November 15th, 2006 )
While GU's away the readers should PLAY.
I have an inked version of the monkey rock image for 11/14's comic. And, some of the forum goers have accepted my invitation at tryint their hand at coloring him.
If you'd like to give it a go, you can find the black and white image, without the GUComics Frame, here: htt://www.gucomics.com/temp/monkey_rock.jpg Once you color it, feel free to post a link in the forums. [ discuss ] Oh Mr. Computer ( November 14th, 2006 )
Comic incomplete. Will do what I can when I get back from data doctors.
So, the saga of the mysteriously malfunctioning computer continues. This morning the problems that had only been evident while gaming have moved into the realm of "while checking my email". So, I'm caving to the need to be able to work, and taking my computer back in. If for no other reason than to complain about the money I've spent, just to find that issue had not only NOT been resolved, but had escalated.
The telling of this story of woe is not complete though! I called Data Doctors to speak to Eric, the guy that "fixed" my computer last time. He's not there. Neither is anyone else that worked at the store when I took my computer in. They all either quite or were fired. And the lady that answered the phone trying to assist me... couldn't... because Eric failed to leave any notes about what he did to my computer, what checks he ran, etc. Needless to say, it's shaping up to be an interesting day. Anyway, I'm posting what I'd done on the comic thus far. I'll finish it up as soon as possible. Wish me luck huh? And if there's anyone out there that works for a computer manufacturer (Falcon, Alienware, Apple, etc) that thinks they can convince the PR department to pimp me out with new digs (because I can't afford to buy/assemble a new computer right now)... please give them my email address. [ discuss ] Before you get angry! ( November 6th, 2006 )
(About the 11/06 comic.) Please read the writeup.
Yeah, so before you get angry about me smacking V-Tech around, please read the writeup associated with the comic. It explains my grumpiness over a recent commercial they've been airing that I feel is unfair.
And hey, if you disagree... you're on the forums, just click the submit button. [ discuss ] Guest Strip @ Life's A Bluff ( October 27th, 2006 )
The 10/27 Comic is running late but check out my guest strip at Life's A Bluff while you wait.
The 10/27 comic is running a little late, but I have a guest comic up over at Life's A Bluff if you want to check that out while you wait.
To help those of you not familiar with poker terminology: Being "on Tilt" basically means getting frustrated and acting aggressively after a loss, etc. A "donkey" is basically slang for an inexperienced, unskilled, or foolish poker player. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the comic, there's a thread on the GU Forums. [ discuss ] Important Reader Alert! ( October 16th, 2006 )
Comics will be running late for a few days.
After a recent Camelot Install my computer started acting funny. I did everything I knew how to do (and I know quite a bit) to resolve the issue, but I just couldn't pin down exactly what the problem was.
I took my computer to Data Doctors Saturday (10/14) so they could tell me what's happening and how to correct it. For the time being, I'm working on one of our laptops. (Read: not my main laptop) This will slow me down as I have to do a USB shuffle to use my scanner, my Cintiq, my mouse, etc. So yeah, just bear with me. There will likely be a Iggy strip today, and hopefully a regular comic tomorrow. [ discuss ] No Comics During Move ( September 20th, 2006 )
Comics should return Friday... I hope.
The movers relocated all my larger furniture Wedsnesday (20th), and I'm currently in the process of moving the "small" stuff to my new place. That includes my computer, so until the office and computer is operational again, we're going to have to go sans comic. Sorry!
I was hoping that I'd be able to get something in place, but there was so much to do and far less time than I thought. Anywho, everything should be squared away by tomorrow night, so there should be a comic up for Friday (or Saturday). Until I'm back up and running, please feel free to search through the archives and visit the forums. Thanks for your patience! [ discuss ] '06 Mythic Las Vegas Roundtable ( September 15th, 2006 )
Off I go on another Vegas adventure.
The folks at Mythic have invited me out to their 2006 Las Vegas Roundtable. Unfortunately for anyone not already planning on going, tickets to the event have sold out.
As far as I know I won't be there in any official capacity, just as a reporter covering the event. Perfectly fine by me though, as I'll be bringing back new info on Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and the new DAoC expansion: Labyrinth of the Minotaur (more info). The event will be keynoted by popular fantasy author R.A. Salvatore, who I've had the pleasure of speaking with a few times now. Good guy. The Las Vegas Rountable will be held at the Rio Hotel & Casino, September 29th-30th. I'll do my best to keep you guys updated before, during, and after the event. [ discuss ] V: SoH - Exclusive Screenshots ( August 23rd, 2006 )
 12 Screenshots for your viewing pleasure. I got a late night instant message asking if GU would like to host some exclusive Vanguard screenshots. I, of course, said "sure". So... you'll find 12 teaser images that serve as links to the full size images. All of the screenshots were taken by Brad McQuaid while playing in Vanguard Beta 3. And, they have not been editted in any way other than to blank out the chat boxes (to protect the names of beta testers that were chatting at the time).
Click Here to View the Screenshots! [ discuss ] Consumer Alert Lifted ( August 17th, 2006 )
EI seems to have taken the proper steps to correct Horizons' billing woes.
EI seems to have taken the proper steps to correct the issues with Horizons billing. As such, GU has seen fit to rescind its consumer alert advising users to avoid the game until those issues were addressed.
From EI correspondance I received earilier this morning: "I am pleased to inform you that our billing system is fully functional and players have full control over their accounts and all information therein." "We have established an account with Pay By Touch and will be pursuing PayPal as an additional payment option, in the near future. We've posted links, on the community site, for those who felt they've been inaccurately billed, to expedite the correction of those problems. [We've] also started a thread in the forums, in an effort to foster better communication between EI and Horizons players." "We thank you for the concern shown for the Horizons community. Also, thank you for the flame-retardant suit. It's a bit snug, in the shoulders, but otherwise delightful." The links being referred to can be found here: http://horizons.eiinteractive.com/ I can only hope that previous billing issues will not continue to dissuade people from playing Horizons. EI seems to understand that they dropped the proverbial ball, but are now working as fast as they can to reestablish player trust in their newly acquired product. We here at GU Comics would like to wish EI, and the Horizons Community, the best of luck. [ discuss ] Comic Search Enhancements ( August 14th, 2006 )
New functionality has been added to GU's search feature
Given the many emails I've received about it, most of you probably didn't even know it existed; but, GU has had a limited search engine for a couple of years now. In the past you basically selected the type of comic you were looking for (Everquest, Woody & Ted, WoW, etc.) and then chose the correct panel based on the title of the comic itself.
Well, you can still do that now, but I've also added a boolean search to the lineup. This allows you to search for a word (or words) within the title and/or type of the comic you were looking for. Granted this isn't a huge improvement, but it opens the door for a more complex search feature that's currently in development. By this I mean, I'm currently in the process of adding keywords to each of the 1200+ comics in the GU archives. When I'm done, you will be able to search for a comic based on its description. So, put in ted and bald and it would bring up the comics in which Ted shaved his head. Please be patient as I'm currently less than 1/10 of the way through the archives. These things take time. But, until then... Happy Searching! [ discuss ] Walk for the Cure! ( August 12th, 2006 )
 Please help support James' Walk for the Cure!
James (in the foreground in the image), is 7 years old. Since being diagnosed with Type I Diabetes one week after his third birthday, he has received nearly 5,000 injections and nearly double that in finger pricks to test his blood. Every year, James and his family participate in the Walk to Cure Diabetes. This walk supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). And this year, I'm proud to have designed his team, James' Jaywalkers, shirts. I'm making them available via the GU Store at Offline T-shirts with 100% of the profit from the sales of this design being donated to the JDRF. James also happens to be the nephew of the GU's business manager. You can donate directly to the team here, and find the shirts for sale with the image of James beating the snot out of his uncle at 1080 Avalanche at the Offline T-Shirts store. Again 100% of the profit from the shirt sales will go to JDRF on behalf of James' Jaywalkers. Click Here if you'd like to Donate! (every dollar counts) Click Here if you'd like to purchase a shirt! (only $15) And, if you'd like to do both... Freakin' sweet! Thanks for you help in the fight to cure Juvenile Diabetes. [ discuss ] Puzzle Pirates Ad Contest! ( July 30th, 2006 )
Voting has begun! Go pick your favorite.
The Puzzle Pirates "Create-An-Ad" contest is nearing it's end and voting has begun.
The contest is still open to new submissions. So, the sooner you get your submissions in the longer it will be available to those people casting votes. Speaking of which: Cast Your Vote Here! Warhammer Online Scavenger Hunt! ( June 28th, 2006 )
 (UPDATE) Scavenger Hunt Finished! UPDATE: (July 5th,2006)
Deadline met. Contest closed to new entries. The screenshots will remain available at GU so you can still see them. A list of all participating sites will be listed July 6th on the Warhammer Online Herald. Winners should be announced shortly thereafter. --- Sanya has sent word of a contest. It's a screenshot scavenger hunt. You roam around the various news and community sites looking for exclusive screenshots from Mythic's upcoming Warhammer Online. The first person to find them all, or the person to find the MOST wins a Warhammer Online beta slot for themselves and a friend! You can get more info on how to play and see the 3 GU hosted screenshots: By Clicking Here! The Buddy Blue Jay Project ( June 10th, 2006 )
Pictures Added!
Buddy the baby Blue Jay is doing well. As a matter of fact, Courtney from Greenwood has sent along some pictures of him.
You can see the pictures (and make donations) HERE: Buddy Pictures! Writing for GU - (UPDATE) ( June 7th, 2006 )
How a single comment leads to a challenge for the community.
UPDATE: (6/13)
Some folks seem to think this is an actual competition. There's no definite winner here. Someone would REALLY have to impress me for me to consider asking them to be my full time writer. Just wanted to clear that up. A comment I made in the writeup for the 6/5 comic has lead to a wealth of people emailing and PMing me about writing for GU. Basically all I said was: " I wish I had a good writer so all I had to do is draw" and people responded. So, if you want to give it a shot, be my guest. I've posted further information to the forums. You can read more about the challenge and rules here! Going to ConnectiCon (UPDATE) ( June 2nd, 2006 )
July 7-9 @ th Connecticut Convention Center
UPDATE: (6/8)
The $40 pre-registration deadline is coming up quickly, after June 10th payment will only be accepted at the door, and will be $45 for the three day event. See you guys there! --- It's a little short notice, but if you're around Hartford, CT July 7th-9th come grab a ConnectiCon badge and visit me at the Connecticut Convention Center. For more information on this year's ConnectiCon please visit: ConnectiCon.Org Other web comics in attendance: Scott from VGCats Hawk and Ananth from AppleGeeks Ian and Matt from MacHall Brian from 8-Bit Theatre Greg from RealLife Comics Garth from Comedity Mookie from Dominic Deegan Dave from Chugworth etc. etc. etc. If you have questions or just want to talk about the Con: Please Click Here! Please Help? ( May 24th, 2006 )
The baby bird is real, and the Rehab Sanctuary could use your help...
Comic: "The Baby Bird" - (5/24/06)
Writeup: "All for a Baby Bird!" From now until then end of June ALL donations to GU Comics will be turned over to the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary. Greenwood is a non-profit organization and exists off of charitable donations (money and items) and a "gift" shop they manage. And, I'd like to try to help makeup for their kindness in taking my fallen baby blue jay in. But, I'd like to repay that kindness with the full power and popularity of this website. If you can help... please do: Click Here to Donate Running Tally: $962 Special Thanks to Richard who donated $200 And Kevin, Larry, and Shannan who donated $100 each. Please also note: I've wanted to do this for a long time now, and this Baby Blue Jay has motivated me to stop dragging my feet. So, as soon as is possible, GU comics will be establishing an Animal Aid fund where all moneies, items donations, etc will be given animal related charities, sanctuaries, rescues, etc. Warhammer Answers (Updated 5/15) ( May 11th, 2006 )
I lobbed some semi-hardball questions at Mythic, about WarHammer the before leaving for E3. For answers click here for
I usually conduct interviews with an individual not with a game. But apparently, like the old addage "it takes an entire village to raise a child", it takes an entire studio to justiy an MMO. So, the questions were sent to Steve Perkins, Mythic's Director of Marketing, but were answered by whoever was best suited to answer them.
The questions, in my mind, were semi-hardball. I was hoping to draw some grit out into the open, let the nature of Warhammer works it's way out of the answers themselves. Read on and decide for yourself. Click Here for the Answers! UPDATED 5/15: I followed up a couple of answers with Steve when I got back from E3. Off to E3 '06 ( May 9th, 2006 )
Don't worry, I'll keep you posted.
I'm leaving today (Tuesday May 9th) and I'll be back this Saturday. There will be comics up during my absence, they'll just be sketches again like last year.
I'll be taking my camera for detail shot, my cell phone for MoBlog shots, and a digital video recorder with an internal harddrive so I can catch up to 4 hours of video each day. You can keep track of MoBlog shots here: www.gucomics.com/moblog/ And I'm hoping I'll be able to get daily video feeds posted. If not they'll be posted as soon as I get back home. If you're gonna be there and you'd like to meet me for some unknown reason, I'm trying to keep my schedule open, just post to the E3 thread on my forums: Click Here I'll be checking it each day (EARLY) before I leave for the event. Also keep an eye on the front page news here, I've got some new goodies coming your way soon from Warhammer Online, that I think you'll like! Sketch Day II ( May 5th, 2006 )
05/05/06 from noon until it's done!
The response to last week's sketch day was such that I decided to do it again. So, set your browser to GU at noon PST.
As I complete each step of the comic, it will be uploaded, so you can see how the comic progresses. If interest remains high, I may translate these sketch days into tutorials, video examples of me working, etc. You can discuss the progress and make requests for "details" etc. on the forums: http://www.guforums.com/showthread.php?t=8756#8756 Otherwise, please feel free to check out the "example page from last week. http://www.gucomics.com/examples/ Panel Creation Example ( April 29th, 2006 )
See how a GU strip comes together.
With Friday's (4/28) strip being delayed, I uploaded each step of the process as I was working on the comic.
I saved out the various steps and consolidated them on one page. And, as per the suggestion of someone on the GU Forums, I assembled an animation out of the images. So, if you're interested in seeing how a GU strip comes together. You can check it out here: http://www.gucomics.com/examples/ New items in the GU Store ( April 29th, 2006 )
Zapper shirt, DING! poster, and more!
Here's a list of new stuff we've got in the GU Store:
Ding! Poster Zapper T-shirt Rock Out T-shirt Rock Out Poster The posters are printed on heavy photo paper. And the shirts are printed using dye sublimation on SoftL'Ink t-shirts, meaning they never fade. Only the best for GU scustomers. 2/27 Comic temporarily removed ( February 27th, 2006 )
Concern over misinterpretation.
The 2/27 comic has temporarily beeing removed while I re-examine the article and my take on it.
My concern is that, having originally read the article late at night while I was tired, I may have misinterpretted the article and responded unfairly. In an effort to make sure that GU does not spread misinformation, I have taken the comic down. If I deem my response to have been misplaced or too harsh because of misinterpretation of the article, the comic will not return and I'll have to come up with something to post in its place. Site downtime! ( February 16th, 2006 )
The site and forums will be down for maintenance. Please read on!
The GU server will be down for maintenance Friday morning (2/17) for 2-3 hours starting at 8am Pacific.
This is a "routine" software patch and an update to our Database, for the purposes of better perfermance and security. GU downtime is pretty rare. But, updates like this are a necessity. Thanks for your understanding and patience. PLEASE stop telling me about the Stargate MMO ( February 5th, 2006 )
I knew about it nearly a week ago.
Where I really appreciate folks sending me emails and PMs about game related news, it rarely comes before I've already read about it myself.
And with nearly 200 thousand people visint the site each month, you can imagine how many redundant emails I get about "big" news items. So, again, to all of you that sent me messages about the Stargate MMO, Thanks. To everyone else... I've already heard about it, no need to tell me again. THANKS! Forum References Corrected ( February 4th, 2006 )
Links from the comics to the forums working again.
I know you guys have been waiting patiently since the forums were moved, for the links to work from the comics to their respective write-ups. So, I took most of the day, and corrected them.
See, when the forums were migrated, the forum posts were renumbered in the new database. So, all the old links were no longer linking to the proper thread. So, I had to dig through the archives of the new forums and reassociate the new forum numbers to the appropriate comic. No small task that... there were a LOT of comics between when the phpBB forums opened (12/1/03) and when we moved to the vBulletin forums (2/2/06). AHHHHH... data entry. If you happen to find one that has been mislinked, please let me know. The Forums are BACK! ( February 1st, 2006 )
Click the Forum link to visit.
The new vBulletin Forums are are live. They're currently using the default style, but that will be changed as I have time.
You may also find new functionality, etc. But, as I play around things like that may change. Just for ease of use and moderation. Posts, Avatars, Sigs, Passwords, PMs, etc. have, to the best of our ability, been saved. So, welcome back, and I hope you like the improved stability. http://www.guforums.com Out of Town ( January 24th, 2006 )
I'm off to visit Mythic.
The folks at Mythic have invited me out to tour the facility and discuss upcoming projects. So, I'm leaving Wednesday morning (1/25) and won't be back until Sunday afternoon(1/29). I'll be taking everything I need to produce the comic, and will do my absolute best to make sure there are comics up and on time. But, I can't make any promises as I'm not certain how much of my time the Mythic folks will need.
With any luck the forums will be up soon and I can keep you posted. Otherwise keep checking in here for updates. New Forums (UPDATE) ( January 17th, 2006 )
Moving to a new forum system. Expect downtime.
GU purchased a vBulletin license a couple of months ago, and despite not having the actual design in place, we're moving to the new forums. There will be a couple of hours of downtime, so please be patient.
We expect the move to be absolute. So, there shouldn't be any lost posts, username/passwords, PMs, avatars, signatures, etc. Post IDs WILL change however, as they automatically increment and will skip missing post ids. So, the links from the comics to their associated writeups WILL be broken until I get the new ids in place. Again, your patience there will be appreciated. Since it is a new forum system, please be aware that somethings simply will not be the same. I can't say what all those differences will be, but I will endeavor to eventually make the forums as much alike in functionality as possible. UPDATE: Due to some unforseen issues the forum migration has taken longer than expected. We hope to have them back up as soon as possible. |
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