Methinks someone (ahem, Bill) just made another serious enemy…
Next Episode: Monday, Feb. 28th! Be here!
* An interesting sidenote… I normally produce Legend of Bill on my Wacom Cintiq 21UX (where I can draw directly on my large monitor), but this strip, for a change of pace, I created traditionally, on bristol board, with pencil and PITT Artist’s pens. An interesting result, some slight artistic differences (and now I have an actual original!)… whatta ya’ think? 
(And don’t forget LoB’s weekend comics, Saturday’s Barwench Tales and Sunday’s The Gnome Syndicate!)
wow. did that orc accomplished his transportation, or was it halted. but wow. i just feel so bad for the orc.
love that new word CHKTT. i can hear CHKTT as orc tears out the disc from his eyeball.
I’m a BIG fan of working traditionally. I’ve actually been drawing out new pages lately, all laid out and everything. Makes me feel more professional, lol. Think the art looks great!
Wow! Looks awesome! … though I still want a cintiq lol
i like the hand-drawn look & feel. i own an original strip of wigu and one of cat & girl – and i know a lot of other readers will fork out cash for that rather than books or shirts. which takes you more time to do?
i think they have been transported and now gypsy is stranded. but i guess we’ll find out!
i love it david!!! well done sir!
Holy schnikey – Gypsy is a baddie!!
I like the traditional – it’s grittier. Other way is cool, too, though.
Fooled Ya!
“You asked for it!”
“Methinks someone (ahem, Bill) just made another serious enemy…”
Are you implying that he ain’t dead yet? I mean, I think even the baddest dude around would have a little trouble coming back from the dreaded arm-detachment/eye-piercing-amulet combo. This ought to be good!
As far as the art, and I don’t know much about it or how it might affect Don and his coloring, but the colors look a little ‘richer’ to me. Could just be me ‘looking’ for something now that you mentioned it, but that’s how I’m seeing it.
Thanks, gang! So, perhaps I’ll continue to do these on board for awhile… I’d happily sell them if there was interest (I’m actually asked often about that). I do the text in Photoshop, however, using a font I created with my own printing.
spas: Traditional takes longer. There is no undo, and the art is smaller than doing it blown up on a large monitor such as the Cintiq, so it takes a more confident line in certain ways, if that makes sense. I did most of my Trek Life strips (for StarTrek.com for 3 years) traditionally, and got my Cintiq about 3/4 way through that comic, so it’s been awhile. lol. However, you all know I sketch liek a mofo on paper! lol.
Russell: ABout the traditional being grittier, I agree… there is less room for intricate smoothness in certain lines (such as General Foztik in panel 3), so I am forced to simplify a bit more. Ironically, this still takes longer than digital, but it is EXTREMELY gratifying.
They did indeed transport out, btw… (notice the loss of snow)… and wait ’til you see what all of this spells for our goofy-and-growing-somewhat-mysterious-with-his-barbaric-secrets barbarian!
Tim: Interesting about the colors being richer… I’d be interested to hear what Don says about coloring the traditional as opposed to the smoother digital… but then, Don’s coloring is excellent no matter what!
@Tim – The colors are the same ones I’ve been using all along, the thing that’s different is that the black lines are thicker, which gives the artwork a bolder look.
@Tim and David – Coloring the digital artwork is a little easier because it’s “cleaner”. The lines are definitely smoother, but also there are some finer lines that I need to be careful when coloring against. The traditional artwork is bolder, and definitely grittier. There were a few places that I needed to erase a couple of smudges/pencil lines. All in all, it’s not really all that much different.
Heh, methinks poor Gypsy is in as much shock as the wounded orc.
I like, you should use it for the battle scenes or serious scenes.
The grittier feel (from the bolder lines) would suit battle scenes and scenes where the bad guys talk or the mood is dead serious. The clean lines from the Cintiq.. are too clean? not as organic, and feel more like an animation cartoon, but also lighter in mood.
Foztik looks a little worse for wear.
Can’t wait for the next episode! Say… isn’t this episode #200? Or is my count off?
wait. you mean the gypsy is a baddie. but … but …. but
that only leaves frank who is a goodie. is there a “LoB-leaks” we can read
we? what’s up with we.
For the record, the gypsy is not a baddie – she’s just in shock… or is she? I mean, that was the dufus who burned down her business!
We is just her sort of making an umbrella statement of “neither of us realized”… or is it? heehee
This is crossing into Savage Sword territory. Makes my eye hurt just looking at that.
Still awesome.
No, Gypsy has obviously been abducted and therefore not a baddie. Bill still owes her a tent, though.
Don’t forget, Bill also broke her crystal ball. >:)
@mk15 – I know what you mean about the strip looking like an animation cartoon, I might add, that’s a look I personally like. It gives LoB quite the professional look and feel. There are several times that after I’ve finished coloring a strip that I look at it and really like what I’m seeing. Based on a lot of the emails I get from David, he does too
My personal favorite strip I’ve colored, which isn’t a strip BTW, would have to be the Princess Gina wallpaper, which is available for free in the downloads section. I wish I could have seen David’s face when he first saw it, in the email he sent, he was quite enthusiastic.
I LOVE the traditional look and feel. The first Gnome strip, the Christmas one, was traditional for me. The one with Miss Keebler crawling across the desk was penciled traditionally, then inked on a Cintiq. I REALLY want to do more traditional work, but it definitely takes longer. David, everything you said above was dead on with my experience too, but, having the originals is a great side effect.
Hah! Called it about the arm, but deg, now the eye as well?! Seems to me that the orc should be angry with Warrix even more than he is now, as opposed to Bill, since he was told that Bill was essentially harmless by Warrix. As for Gypsy, I hope the poor girl will be all right. Why do I think hidden within her shock is a little bit of admiration…?
Bill shouln’t worry- this guy seems fairly ‘armless!
maybe, just maybe, the gypsy is feeling NAUSEATED after smelling the orc’s armpit.
The artwork on this just feels and looks better. Nothing wrong with the other work, but this is…well..better…
I like the pen’n'paper look much better. Knew there was something different about it before reading the blog update and I approved. Hope you continue to do some strips by hand, it is definitely awesome.
YEOWCH! Someone just got the “Un Chien Andalou” treatment!
@Don I totally agree about the professional look. That’s also very important..
@David & Don
Guys.. did you have to sow the seeds of doubt…. but if you think about it… *why* did she put up with Bill? Most people would had packed up and left him…. the plot thickens.
@David – Have you considered using Corel Painter? It has the benefits of being digital, but looks traditional, and with a Cintiq is supposed to feel very natural.
*blink….blinkblink.*
I may be very upset very soon!
Comic is awesome and colors are vivid and just amazing. And a little bit of gore is not a bad thing.
This is awesome, i just bought a 17X24 pad of bristol. So i can play too!
AWESOME!!!
A shame that Gypsy doesn’t gather her senses a bit quicker; she might’ve had a chance to escape or otherwise finish off General Foztik before he gathers his senses enough to complete his mission. One tough dude, but you don’t get to be a general among orcs otherwise.
I’m still curious and biting my nails to learn if this is really a mission orchestrated by Warrix, or if this was part of the ‘other agendas’ hinted at some time ago.
The artwork is incredible guys! Wow! Instead of choosing one style over the other, it might be worth considering ways to combine them for maximum effect while not increasing the time involved by too much.
When next you’re in the mood for a wallpaper, though, it might be nice to use this method, or rely heavily on it. It really “pops” and looks a lot more comic-bookey.
what made this story work for me so well, is that bill had no weapons. Bill had to wrestle his weapons away from the orcs, and then attack the orcs. zowie. bill the man. bill the man.
Bad intel really sucks…
So now Gypsy is somewhere in parts unknown and the Dark Queen is hanging out with Bill.
Not that great a trade, but at least a part of Gina’s with him…
No Pixie!!!
Hey, just listened to your interview on the TGT podcast! Great advice all around, and it’s good to know you don’t need to be, uh, ‘quick-witted’ to be a great cartoonist.
…great, now I’ve just gotten myself banned from here.
Not simple indeed. Or at least when he’s in rage mode that is. Awesome work guys.
Never underestimate an ENFP. NEVER. (Remember Psycho Sarah, who I suspect is either another one of the breed or a “traveling companion” with similar hidden talents, ESFP.)
I feel so much happier now I udenrsntad all this. Thanks!