Tag: Amuletts

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Self Portrait

I have it in my mind to redesign amuletts.com as it’s, like, a decade out of date. I think it should say ‘This is me’ and be a portal to all the things I do and my places on the web. A hub as it were. So the front page should have a picture of me then nice clear links off to Website Design, Fine Art, Epic Fail (of course) and Epic Maille. I may do the links in the form of speech bubbles.

I haven’t really been using the site to sell myself. I got a stalker off there a while back and ever since I’ve been nervous of putting up contact information. Also, if I have other website commissions I will put them first, neglecting my own. So… first things first, I need a picture of me. I’m an Artist, so just sticking up a photo would be lazy.

This is the first ever self-portrait I have done of myself using Photoshop. Turned out surprisingly well I think – looks like the practice I get drawing comics is paying off. I still haven’t got the knack of drawing with a Wacom Tablet, so I still did the pencils by hand and they’re part of the final image – I set the layer to multiply and the opacity to 70%. I think it adds more depth to the shading. Actually I think I might try something similar with Epic Fail; scan the pencils first, scan, ink, scan again and overlay one over the other… or something. I know what you’re thinking: that’s an awful lot of scanning, but I just use whatever method works for me.

As always comments and criticism welcome (and helpful)! If you like my stuff why not folloew me on twitter?

Pg 40: Certainly Uncertain

This week in Epic Fail: Amuletts and Bleef discuss the many uses of the Swiss Army knife – I mean Andy! – then more on to Climate Change – GAH! I mean MIPI!

Creator’s Commentary: I can neither confirm or deny whether Magically Induced Planar Instability exists, it’s just a theory that exists in that universe, as Climate Change in ours. You can make up your own minds as to the truth of both, or neither.

I know a few people have been anticipating the explaination of Amuletts’ sudden… assets. I wonder how many people are scratching their heads in confusion and how many are going ‘Ohhhh! Of course!’ I can’t tell you quite how unexpected the last panel was. Originally that wasn’t supposed to happen.

Oh, and I just got awarded The Soulless Machine’s Flash Fiction Award for Epic Fail. YAY!

And I’ll be heading to the Caption Comics Convention in Oxford (UK) this weekend, so I’ll see you there if you’re coming.

And there’re are vote incentives up every day now. I created sim versions of all the characters in The Sims 3 so they’re mainly amusing snapshots of their adventures in sim-land.

Pg 39: Entirely New

This week in Epic Fail: Amuletts and Bleef discuss Andy Roid’s rarity and uniqueness.

Creator’s Commentary: Drawn on holiday with no references, so it’s probably a good thing I know what my characters look like and didn’t have to do anything drastically new this scene. I though the expressions on the previous page were a little bland, and when you’re doing talking heads bland is baaaad, so I tried to make them a little more animated on this one. Also I remembered Amuletts is wearing make-up.

I’ve got to confess to a certain despondency after the termination of my Comics Collective, it has been there for me since I started, and now it isn’t. More about that in a blog entry later, I already moaned about it on twitter.

Oo I should probably mention there are new vote incentives up every day for the next fortnight:

Pg 37: Social Boob

This week in Epic Fail: Amuletts interrupts Dirk’s rant and accuses him of slander. He is distracted by her suspiciously bulging chest and fails to introduce her to the Gnome, as is gentlemanly.


Creator’s Commentary: I’m enjoying drawing Dirk now, and scenes with Dirk in general. I have to confess I wasn’t always fond of him but that has changed, much to my suprise and relief.

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Birthday Guest Art 4

A belated but warmly received Birthday present from purenightshade of Children of the Tiger, a good friend of mine. In this picture Amuletts is looking at Kinrou’s right glove which is adorned by a Sacred Gem – a large ruby the size of a ducks egg.  Yeah… I doubt she’s going to give that back and if she does she’ll only steal it again later, the earrings too I shouldn’t wonder.

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Birthday Guest Art 2

Yesterday was my Birthday and this is a present I was given by George Ward aka DungeonWarden of Dungon Legacy. His comic, like mine, is based on D&D but has been running for a lot longer. In this picture Karlaia and Arlina are handing Amuletts a gift. I wonder what’s inside? Hmm, that box is too big for a Deck of Many Things, perhaps it’s a Bag of Holding. Amuletts is very fond of her extra-dimensional spaces. Then again it could be full of gems!! Well, whatever it is, lets hope Amuletts does not floccinaucinihilipilificate* it.

TGT Webcomics also wished me a Happy Birthday on their podcast, so you should check that out too.

*This is one of the longest words in the English language and since discovering it I’ve wanted an excuse to use it. It means “The act or habit of describing or regarding something as worthless.”

Pg 36: That Foul Woman

This week in Epic Fail: Dirk is horrified by the Gnome’s assumption that he is married to Amuletts and starts ranting about all her faults.

Creator’s Commentary: It was fun coming up with all those insults. And they’re true too, from a certain point of view.

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Webcomic War Round 1

Battle has finally commenced in the Webcomic Planet War. Thanks to the help of my loyal minions (that’s you by the way) and partly due to my own efforts I have been able to create the most powerful weapon in the arena: The Epic Fail Device! (Dun dun duuuuhhh)!  Only three people stand in my way Ginpu, of Ginpu webcomic, with her army of adorable flying Octopi, Lady Taversia of Wayward Fall, with her side-kick Penny the Cat, and my arch-nemesis Ancire of Union of Heroes and his mini-gun wielding freak!  All other participants have fled, either too weak or too terrified to face Evil Amuletts, let alone two killer Guinea Pigs!

Starting positions are:

Continue reading “Webcomic War Round 1”
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Comix Thing 2010 Report

I went to the UK Web & Mini Comix Thing this Saturday (March 27th). I visited it last year and it was a lot of fun but this is the first time I have exhibited a comic anywhere. It was quieter this year (I suspect because of the constant rain) but traffic picked up around lunch-time and there was a steady flow of people thereafter. Quite a lot of my online friends turned up and said hi, amongst them prestwick creator of Hard Graft and fellow member of the Webcomic Planet Collective. It was great to meeting people in the real world.

There were also a lot of people who read Epic Fail online, which suprised me, because my UK readership is comparatively small. Still I guess a lot of my readers are comics lovers and just the sort of person who would go to a comics convention! So many thanks to all the readers who came and visited my table, it was extremely gratifying. At only one year old Epic Fail is doing extremely well and that’s down to you guys.

Everyone was extremely complimentary about Epic Fail and my artwork in general (I was selling prints and hand-made jewelry as well as the comics). The comic book is very beautifully printed and has a gloss effect which made it the shiniest comic at the Thing! Several people asked me where I got it printed and it was from Pulse Print.

Now I hate travelling in London, but thankfully JJ (aka Martin in real-life) was there to guide me through the Underground and helped me at my table throughout the day. I shared my table with Rob Cureton of Orful Comics who is an awesome guy and had cake which he used to spell out the name of his comic. Later these started to get eaten which lead them turning into ‘U ROLO SCUM!’ I couldn’t get away from my table much to meet the other exhibitors, so I made my flyers into paper aeroplanes and delivered them to everyone within range.

Overall a really fun day and I hope to be back next year.

Waiting for the Coach on my way home a lady asked my why I was wearing the pointed ears and face paint. I said I had been to my first ever Comics Convention and wanted to stand out. She told me I was very brave and she didn’t know how anyone could stand in front of a whole bunch of people and tell jokes like that.

webcomic planet teaser

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Wish Epic Fail a Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Epic Fail!

Epic Fail is one year old today and Amuletts and I are fighting over the cake!  So wish us a Happy Birthday in the comments below and at the end of today I’ll randomly select five people from the commenters to receive a piece of  gift art.  Yes, it’s reverse Birthday – I’m giving the presents!

Thanks to everyone in the webcomics community for a great first year especially those of the Webcomic Planet Collective for being so helpful and supportive.

And if you want to give us a pressent pre-order our first comic book and help raise money to get them printed by our convention in March.  As always, thanks for reading.  I hope this second year will be even better.