Hey, Folks, if you could, Johnny Saturn is competing in the 2008 Webcomics Readers Choice Awards at http://wcrca.frumph.net/ . If you could sign up and throw us some votes, I would really appreciate it. Thanks! Scott
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Posts Tagged ‘Frumph’
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Hi, Folks!
Today is Voting Day. I’m not going to give you a civics lesson on why you should vote. It’s simpler than that. It’s a question of being heard or not being heard. There is much that is rotten with the system, but don’t ever surrender your right to be heard.
Well, running without a buffer of comics, and getting new episodes ready on a week by week basis, has become my standard of late. Usually I keep a four or five week buffer of strips prepared in advance, but lately that’s just not been an option. Running this close to the wire has had one positive effect, though—I’ve come to respect the individual episodes more! I’ve always been about producing the best work I can, but now it really has become a quality over quantity issue. I plan to build a buffer of pre-prepared strips as soon as I may, but I hope to keep the focus on the individual episodes as well.
I’ve been pretty active on podcasts lately. Last night I joined in on the TGT Podcast that is associated with the Frumph Webcomic List, and that was a lot of fun. Today I called in on Art & Story Live, hosted by Mark Rudolph and Jerzy Drozd, and that was a real treat as well. I plan to keep doing this as often as I am able, because I’ve really come to believe in the comics and webcomics community to which I belong. The fans are great, the creators are great, and I’m proud to have found a group of people like this.
Scott.
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This week, on Frumph.net, the site of Phil Hofer aka Frumph, Johnny Saturn is the featured webcomic. Phil has become a great friend, and I refer to him as a true Webcomic Crusader. Here’s the article:
Blog post for 11/7/2008 4:56:45 PM
Spotlight on: Johnny Saturn by Scott and Benita Story
This spotlight is on Johnny Saturn a graphic novel webcomic by Scott & Benita Story. It’s a superhero comic but let’s not get fooled by thinking it’s your run of the mill Saturday morning superhero cartoon or Marvel/DC comic that pretends to be edgy.
Johnny Saturn IS edgy. It has complicated and well thought out plots. Citizens and supers alike have enough thought put into each and every one of them that you imagine this was written as a book and put into graphic novel form.
I can only compare Johnny Saturn with Batman from DC… if Batman actually wasn’t a pansy who never got hurt. Ever notice how Batman never *really* get’s hurt… in ALL those fights he’s had his body isn’t torn up with scar’s and traces of fighting, if there ever was a fight and he got hurt, two panels later he’s fine and dandy. Johnny isn’t and it shows that he’s worked hard to protect the innocent.
My song pick for Johnny Saturn will probably surprise Scott Story himself who suggested alot of older 70′s style songs. This song by Oingo Boingo really struck me with it’s fast individualistic energy and determination. .. “Who Do You Want to Be” by Oingo Boingo.
To read this with all the pretty pictures and music included, please go to this link
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Hi, Folks!
Lots of changes going on here! Phil Hofer has worked tirelessly (He stayed up all night!) to get the site working again after its database corrupted. It ends up that a plugin was at the root of the problem, so now it’s gone.
This also explains why I haven’t been blogging—I couldn’t. The blogging part of the site was the first part that broke, leading to the discovery of the other problems. It’s like getting a sore foot, and finding out that your spine is out of alignment. (OK, terrible analogy, but you get the basic idea). The posting function is fixed now (Thanks, Phil!).
eShop, the source of our problems, is out of the picture, the plugin that powered our store. I’ll have a new store up and running by Monday, one with more options. For now, if you feel you need a copy of “Johnny Saturn: Sins of the Father“, you need to go to Amazon.com for it.
If I can draw your attention to the new navigation buttons under the comic, and the pull-down menus in the top nav bar, these are some of Phil’s additions to the site, and they are damn tasty!
I’d also like to mention the Johnny Saturn will be taking part in the “Frumph.NET’s Great Holiday Hunt,” which you can read more about here.
I’ll probably post more this afternoon!
Scott
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Good Morning, Everyone!
Last night, I sorted out all my Johnny Saturn developmental drawings and costume designs, and I was amused by some of the concepts that never came to be. For example, Tilt was originally envisioned as a basketball-themed hero; Hotfoot was originally going to be a skinny man; Staff of Life was going to be a red head; Utopian was originally going to be a woman; and so forth. I also found wild designs for Persephone’s costume that were way too ornate to draw in a timely fashion. The original look for Johnny Saturn included all sorts of off-the-shelf defensive gear like tasers and police batons.
For a while, I called in and participated in a lot of community podcasts for cartoonists. I’ve pulled back from that. To be honest, being one person in a crowd waiting to pipe up and share my views on the topics at hand just didn’t suit me. I would love to do more podcasts, but I see myself being more useful for the listener as an interviewee. I’ve considered putting together a podcast of my own, because I have the equipment, but I think I’m going to wait until I find a good partner for this type of venture. Your thoughts on this are welcome.
I am seriously considering a sketch-a-day feature for this site. It would be a fun way to showcase all the character designs and quirky sketchbook drawing that you would never get to see. Formatting is an issue, because I’m not sure how best to incorporate this into the site, and what technical modifications I would need to make. Next time I talk with Frumph, I’ll get his opinion on this.
Scott.
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Year in Review: Johnny Saturn
As 2008 winds down, and Benita and I make big plans for Johnny Saturn in 2009, I think it’s worthwhile to review our year. In many regards, this year was huge for us. In other regards, it was a “rebuilding” year.
The biggest event of our year was the publication of our graphic novel, “Johnny Saturn: Synns of the Father.” It was very heady for us as the book’s listing came up on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and numerous other websites. Later on, we also published “Johnny Saturn” no. 6, and the “Johnny Saturn Pinup Gallery.” This latter was particularly satisfying, because artists from all over the planet contributed pinups.
Next up for us was building of the current johnnysaturn.com site. Prior to this, Johnny Saturn was distributed among Graphic Smash, Webcomicsnation, Comic Genesis, and Drunk Duck, while the blog was located on Myspace. We had pretty much maxed out the scattershot approach, and now it was time to consolidate. In June, we discontinued or downgraded all those other sites and established a WordPress-based, Comicpress run site to be our hub. This was a titanic undertaking, one that involved reformatting all the old strips, learning new skills, and eventually even changing web hosts.
The third biggest coup for the year, and arguable more important than the first, was placing twice in the Webcomic Readers Choice Awards, winning first place for Antagonist of the Year (Dr. Synn), and third place for protagonist of the year (Johnny Saturn). Many benefits issued from this honor, including the friendship of Phil Hofer, aka Frumph, of the Frumph Webcomic List.
After that, the comic collective Palace in the Sky asked us to join, and we happily did so. This collective is primarily made up of high quality fantasy comics, but Johnny Saturn, while not a traditional swords & horses fantasy, came to fit in quite well in their lineup. Palace in the Sky continues to be one of our big referrers, and we are proud to be associated with them.
Also of note, 2008 saw Benita and I interviewed on a Podcast for the first time, and our friendship with Chuck Moore of Comic Related. I had one article in Sketch Magazine this year, and have submitted two more. Benita and I joined the Indy Webcomics Group, a local collective of cartoonists who have garnered national attention.
All in all, this was a year to remember!
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Hi, Folks!
I’d like to draw your attention to one of Frumph’s project, the Women of Webcomics. Our own Persephone is featured prominently there, and we couldn’t be prouder! Be sure to click on the picture to see it full-sized!
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Hello, Folks!
Johnny Saturn has entered Phil “Frumph” Hofer’s Webcomic War, were all the webcomics in it compete against each other for best and most promotion. It’s a pretty cool idea, because everyone wins! Sure, there are prizes for the winner, but anyone who promotes their webcomic has gained from the experience. Phil Hofer is an interesting person, because he’s trying to raise the water table for all webcomics, not just one. He gets that, in a certain way, we all sink or swim together.
Our good friend John Wilson has conducted a new interview with Benita and me, called “Not Quite 20 Questions.” John has really come to impress me with his love for the medium of comics (he’s associated with both Comic Related and Sketch Magazine), and his questions are very insightful. Click on the graphic above to read the interview.
Have a Great Day! Scott.
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Hi, All!
Adam Rutten of “Ant Guy” drew this picture for all the contestant’s in Frumph’s Webcomic War, and I think it kicks all kinds of ass. Click on the poster to visit Adam’s site.
I’d also like to call attention to a webcomic I really enjoy, The “Union of Heroes.” It’s still early days on this strip, but plots look very promising. There are even overt mythological ties in the strip connected to the current storyline and characters. To sum it up, its “Real superheroes in the Ruhr Valley in Germany.” What makes this strip unusual, though, is that it is a photocomic, but not the cheesy Fumetti that many of us have come to loathe, but a beautifully photographed comic with talented actors and real sets and costumes. Occassionaly there are short animations included, and while I normally can’t stand animation in comics, I think it’s cool here. Click on the link to visit the Union of Heroes site.
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This Johnny Saturn pinup was originally drawn as a Frumph.net contest prize and was awarded to the winner of a webcomic scavenger hunt. It was won by Deth Invictus of Australia. I like the basic theme of this drawing enough that I think I’m going to adapt it for a Johnny Saturn. Cover. It has an old fashioned pulp feel to it, especially with the skull hanging overhead. Does the skull stand for Johnny Saturn’s nemesis Dr. Wissenschaft, or for Johnny’s own imminent demise? Time will tell.
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