News and other things....

Hey all!
Sorry for the lack of updates, but things have been busy at work and at home. In addition to work and the strip, I have been trying to get the new site, chippyandloopus.com up and running. I have secured the domain name, I've installed Wordpress and ComicPress, but haven't been able to figure out how to make it work or how to make it look the way I want it to look. This has been remarkably frustrating, but I have sought out the help of the great Tyler Martin, the very man who created ComicPress in the first place, so I am confident that we'll get this thing working soon. Until then, I'll keep posting here.
In other news, I've been working on some pieces on for an art auction we're having here at Pixar. One of the pieces is a Chippy and Loopus page from May 8, 2007. Why that page you ask? Well, it was one of my favorites and it was one of the few things I've done that was not massively tweaked and comped in Photoshop.
This worries me. You see, one day, when the audience of this strip grows and I have a website with a store that sells t-shirts and coffee mugs (it's coming), I may also want to offer original art. However, I can't do that if no real original exists now can I? This has made me re-examine yet again how I work. In the future, I will be putting forth more effort to get it right on the page, so that all I do in PS is lettering.
Anyway, thanks for your patience. I'll be back with a strip this weekend.
Stay tuned!
-John

Comments

[Larry Levine]

Hi John, Thanks for the updates! Looking forward to seeing the new website & strips.

[Lee-Roy]

That's something I've thought about, too, in the early stages of planning my own comic. To me, it's important to have an artifact.

[Steve LeCouilliard]

We're all chompin' at the bit for a new strip, John! Heh.

I know what you mean about selling original artwork. I'm not using Photoshop as much as I used to, but I definitely tweak things digitally, plus I draw on cheap printer paper rather than bristol board, and stack the finished pages on my drawing table rather than archiving them. Oh well, I ain't that famous. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

[Jeff]

Yes draw on paper!!! It's greener!! Uh...wait maybe it's the other way 'round. Anyways, I always like having an artifact. It's the only way to remind you that you're not dreaming.

[Gareth]

Hey John, good luck sorting the new site, can't wait to see it all up and running!

If you start selling the june 18th strip Act Natural one day, let me know! I love that one.

I like the idea of you doing more real inking and less photoshopping too your brush work recently has been great. :)

[John]

Hey guys!!
Lee-Roy! Get that comic going!! I'm curious to see what you have going there!

Steve! DOn't sell yourself short. Your drawings are beautiful no matter what they are drawn on. You will be pleasantly surprised at the response you will get if and when you ever decide to sell them!

JEff! Sometimes, I dream on paper...and then..it's still there when I wake up!! AHHH!

Gareth!! Thanks for the props on my inks. I've been working hard to make the strip look better. I recently bought a better grade of ink/ The stuff I was using would gray when I erased my pencil lines. Hopefully the new stuff will fare better. It's herd to find good ink these days.I'd gladly sell you that one if only I could find it...if I run across it, I'll set it aside for you!

[Steve LeCouilliard]

Hm. I thought I posted a response already...

Oh well. Thanks for the vote of confidence John. I'll probably have to sell my original pages when my wife gets sick of them cluttering up the apartment!

I'm with Gareth on your inking. It looks great! Are you using India ink? I find that stays nice and black.

[Larry Levine]

Hi John, Checking in to see how the new site is coming along?

[John]

Sorry about the delay!! Steve! Thanks for the compliments on my inking! I do use india ink. I have been just using the Koh-i-Noor Ultra draw ink I used in the Kuretake, but that ink tends to gray a bit when I erase my pencils, so I bought some Windsor Newton India ink. This is the only ink I can endorse, It's nice and black. I used to use Higgins Black Magic, but it hasn't been the same since the Sanford (unrelated) take over. Generally speaking, The Berol products all suffered under the Sanford take over.
Larry! The site has been delayed due to a lack of funds. I just haven't had the money available to get it together. I will though, within the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, work has been incredibly busy, so I've just been trying to write as far ahead on the strip as I can.
There are also other big changes in the works, at home and at work. It's all good though.
Thanks for your patience and stay tuned!

[Larry Levine]

A great comic strip is always worth staying 'tooned' for!