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Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: Jace on 22 Jan 2008, 11:38

Title: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: Jace on 22 Jan 2008, 11:38
There's two parts to this post.

The first:

Why is there a random button when the comic is nearly completely story driven? This makes me laugh because the random button was how I started reading it from the beginning. A lot of "hmm, random. Well, I don't get this, better go back to the beginning of the arc." over and over.

The second:

Go back to like comic 79, look at the art, look closely at the art. Then, go to today's comic. Be full of amazement at how much the art has evolved over time. At least, I'm full of amazement.
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: Joybee on 29 Jan 2008, 00:13
I just found this comic last week, and read it over the course of three days. It was cool to see the evolution of Jeff's drawing, how it gradually got more and more detailed and stylistic. It's hard to catch sometimes, like watching a shadow in the sun or the clouds. Every once in a while I'm like "Ohhh the eyes are changed" but i wouldn't notice for a while. It's really neat to just keep clicking random and looking at how different each comic is drawn.
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: Amadeus on 29 Jan 2008, 22:09
I just found this comic last week, and read it over the course of three days. It was cool to see the evolution of Jeff's drawing, how it gradually got more and more detailed and stylistic. It's hard to catch sometimes, like watching a shadow in the sun or the clouds. Every once in a while I'm like "Ohhh the eyes are changed" but i wouldn't notice for a while. It's really neat to just keep clicking random and looking at how different each comic is drawn.
It was a lot like that with me, too. I don't know if you're an artist, but for me, I really am fascinated by it, and the same goes for Penny Arcade and other comics. It's a lot like when I look back at pictures I've made in the past, though like Jeph has said, that can be REALLY humbling when you think your own stuff looks like crap.
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: Joybee on 08 Feb 2008, 14:37
I just found this comic last week, and read it over the course of three days. It was cool to see the evolution of Jeff's drawing, how it gradually got more and more detailed and stylistic. It's hard to catch sometimes, like watching a shadow in the sun or the clouds. Every once in a while I'm like "Ohhh the eyes are changed" but i wouldn't notice for a while. It's really neat to just keep clicking random and looking at how different each comic is drawn.
It was a lot like that with me, too. I don't know if you're an artist, but for me, I really am fascinated by it, and the same goes for Penny Arcade and other comics. It's a lot like when I look back at pictures I've made in the past, though like Jeph has said, that can be REALLY humbling when you think your own stuff looks like crap.
Yeah I actually am too haha and I've kept all the stuff I had from grade 8 in my sketchbooks. It's really interesting to look at and see how your style has evolved. Sometimes I even look at it and go "wow I drew that hand really well" and I'm actually impressed that i could do that at 12/13 years old, and sometimes not so much haha
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: Doug S. Machina on 08 Feb 2008, 14:43
It is really impressive how the art has developed. Somewhere around strip #100 there's newspost that says "I consider that this comic started at #17, but by #1000, Jeph seems to have come to terms with the past.
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: Valekraft on 23 Feb 2008, 01:39
Ever watch a first season simpsons episode and compare it to the current ones? same situation. The more you draw the same characters on  a daily basis, the better they get.
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: anythingxbutxnormal on 04 Mar 2008, 17:05
It's amazing how much he has improved in his work. The only question is. What did he use to improve? Other web-comics? Anatomy books? Sheer imagination? I've personally found that the newer comics are so well drawn that I study them and am now attempting to recreate that same style. But is that a bad thing? I'm not sure...anyways it's crazy how he went from simple sketches to full-blown works of cartoon genius.
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: Blackcat Moebius on 04 Mar 2008, 17:14
What's cool to me is how the changes were almost always gradual.  When I go through the archives, in order, I hardly even notice most of the changes;  I've certainly never had trouble figuring out which character is supposed to be which. 
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: JoeMoron2000 on 04 Mar 2008, 20:00
The second:

Go back to like comic 79, look at the art, look closely at the art. Then, go to today's comic. Be full of amazement at how much the art has evolved over time. At least, I'm full of amazement.
My first thought was "Oh god, they look like actual people now!"
My second was "They've always looked like people, but now they're just drawn better."
My thrid was "Oh god, they look like actual people now."

This went on for approximately thirty seconds before I decided to come here and report it to you all.
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: Amadeus on 04 Mar 2008, 21:13
It's amazing how much he has improved in his work. The only question is. What did he use to improve? Other web-comics? Anatomy books? Sheer imagination? I've personally found that the newer comics are so well drawn that I study them and am now attempting to recreate that same style. But is that a bad thing? I'm not sure...anyways it's crazy how he went from simple sketches to full-blown works of cartoon genius.
Coming from another artist, probably all that and more. Practice is the big thing, but inspiration can come from all over the place.
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: MC on 04 Mar 2008, 21:22
I like the comedy style of the old strips very much more than I like the style of the new strips..... but the new strips can be funny as hell at times as well. This comic I'm linking below is by far the funnest I've seen in a long time and it's kind of in the middle [late 400s]. Not old style.... but not new either

http://questionablecontent.net//view.php?comic=466
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: iDiannasaur on 05 Mar 2008, 09:06
Sometimes on weekends when I'm anticipating the next comic, I'll hit the random button and read from there to the current comic to pass the time. The way Jeph's art evolves, you don't really even notice it when you read each comic consecutively, but the differences are so large from beginning to end. It's really quite awesome, indeed.
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: Lingus on 06 Mar 2008, 02:42
Btw, let me just say that I completely agree. I think it's amazing how much the graphic style of this comic has evolved from the first comic, even after the 20th or so. You know what I noticed though, if you look at some of the earlier ones, you'll notice that some of the characters don't exactly progress at the same rate. There were a couple of issues there where you would see Faye and Marten at the same time and Faye looked distinctly more convincing than Marten did. I had the feeling that the artist (sorry, I'm new and don't feel like I should be on a first name basis or anything) had a better time drawing the female characters and so was working more at making them look better (but apparently I feel comfortable enough to make assumptions about him.) Although, I could see it more just as him taking the time to develop one character at a time, and it just so happened that he was working on female faces and the like. I just found it interesting though.
Title: Re: Old Strips vs New Strips
Post by: anythingxbutxnormal on 06 Mar 2008, 16:10
It's amazing how much he has improved in his work. The only question is. What did he use to improve? Other web-comics? Anatomy books? Sheer imagination? I've personally found that the newer comics are so well drawn that I study them and am now attempting to recreate that same style. But is that a bad thing? I'm not sure...anyways it's crazy how he went from simple sketches to full-blown works of cartoon genius.
Coming from another artist, probably all that and more. Practice is the big thing, but inspiration can come from all over the place.
Yes I practice a lot, to the point where it's starting to take a toll on my sleeping and study habits. I may never be as good as Jeph, but at least I'll know I put my all into it! Thanks for the reply.