The Stone of Adventure

My Big Life 2

2009-07-02T01:58:00.002-04:00

Slow week. Here's the next page for the anniversary comic. This page introduces Iona, Xom's doctor. The next page sort of gives a simple explanation about what's going on.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

^R My Big Life Page 2 / Comic

My Big Life 1 & Artwork

2009-06-25T08:03:00.004-04:00

On the 29th is the 9th anniversary of the site, I guess this is the last update before then. I'm not sure if I used to update on Sunday, or if the date is on different days every year.

He's the start of a new comic because of the anniversary. I'd odd that I'm doing that as I often comment that it would be a good thing to have fewer comics to work on... This series will have pretty short chapter though, with the first only being 6-7 pages long. This first chapter is sort of a this-is-what-her-life-is-like sort of thing, with an origin later. This will be sort of an intermission for Missing Materia.

I should have planned ahead better with some stuff, but here's a picture from Omac.. and I scrounged around and found some unfinished pictures.

I've been fixing/changing more stuff on the website. Hopefully I'll have everything ironed out in the next few weeks.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

^R My Big Life Page 1 / Comic

^R Six / Artwork

^PG Queen of Thieves / Artwork

^PG Overload / Artwork

^PG Juno vs. Buttons / Artwork

^PG The Al Bhed Hello Inks / Artwork

Missing Materia 93

2009-06-19T07:00:00.004-04:00

Good news. A reader (I shouldn't use his full name I imagine) Thomas graciously created a new comic php script for the site. He, as well as others I've heard from browse the internet with javascript turned off, and then couldn't see the back/next navigation for the comics.

The new php script looks similar to the javascript one, it even creates page of page links divided by chapter by itself. There are also chapter navigation (previous chapter, back to start of chapter, next chapter) buttons when viewing a comic. The script also uses the same web address as the javascript version for the comic pages, so the comments were not wiped again.

I've set it up for many, but not all of the comics yet. I've also made some other long-overdue changes, like fixing some sloppy mistakes, and I've started a process that will allow me to change all of the header and footers on every single page with by editing only one file each. Some more validation, error checking, and link checking needs to be done though.

The gallery javascript was also replaced with a php script I found a couple of weeks ago. This one should seem very similar from a visitors point of view, but it requires far fewer files and it automatically takes one big list and divides it into groups of 10 (I had to do that manually with the old one).

Next week is the anniversary (closest update before I guess). Things might not be ready yet for the Xom Rom Atom comic though (maybe the planning will go faster than I think), so it'll either be that, or more MM. The Xom comic will be done, worst case it just might not start exactly on time.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

^R Missing Materia Page 93 / Comic

Missing Materia 92 & Artwork

2009-06-11T04:14:00.002-04:00

I've made some changes to a number of pages, mostly to move closer to completing the last site overhaul.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

^R Missing Materia Page 92 / Comic

^PG Ready for her Color / Artwork

Missing Materia 91 & Artwork

2009-06-04T03:23:00.002-04:00

Okay, I've got at least a temporary setup for the comics. It's javascript, people can bookmark a specific page, it allows the comment system (although the old comments are gone considering the pages are at a different address on the server), the navigation works in a similar way, it's acceptable even if javascript is off. It does require a few extra steps though. It's also completely flat, so it can be backed up very easily.

The negative for it is that the other method was really one single web page that paged through the comic pages. If you wanted to edit the textual information that appeared along with the comic on all of the pages, you would just edit the one single page. This way each page has it's own html page, so I tried to keep them as simple as possible, putting most of the information back on the main page about the comic. The javascript automatically creates the back/next links between all of the different html pages, instead of making the back/next pages using just the images.

Each of the two methods has it's advantages and disadvantages. This way the back/next navigation is on both the top and bottom, and the web address for the pages is more manually controlled (which causes fewer possible problems with the comment system). Also text and other special information could be added to one specific page without appearing on the others.

I've also set up a new forum (although with the comment system working again it might have not been as important). Like usual, I sort of picked an unusual oddball choice. I had always thought that flat file forums run better on non-big sites. I found a flat file forum that's still being updated, and it's pretty nice. I've been making a skin for it, I haven't fully tested everything.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

^R Missing Materia Page 91 / Comic

^PG Eyes of Destruction / Artwork

New Information

2009-05-28T19:54:00.004-04:00

Nevermind about the last post. Snoopy talked to the new hosting company and they turned on, or fixed whatever was preventing php stuff from working. Luckily I was able to use time machine to grab old versions of certain pages from last week and turn everything back to the way it was. There might be a few glitches though.

I might use those big pages with links to each page on the site somehow though. EIther using it as the index page for each comic's directory (where you see the comic directly now), just as an optional full chapter list page, or just put all of that information below the comic on the comic page.

With that hopefully fixed, I guess a forum decision is next.

Edit: nevermind about that nevermind. The scripts seem to work, but they are only displaying the newest comic image even if you push back or forward. I'll have to look into the issue more. I probably shouldn't have jumped into reversing the website back without fully testing everything.

Comic Layout Options

2009-05-28T01:24:00.002-04:00

No new content this week. I've been trying to analyze the alternatives to the php comic gallery script we previously used. The new hosting company doesn't seem to allow something it and other php options need.

I've set up different examples here on the site of each of the options.

Option 1: "Greybox" Lightbox
Pros: Fast, obvious controls, easy page selection.
Cons: The panel gets in the way, requires you to push back twice (the lightbox effect itself is considered one page), acts a little odd sometimes. No way for a visitor to bookmark a specific address, no way to comment on a specific page. Requires javascript to be turned on, but the visitors can still view the files directly.

Option 2: "Shadowbox" lightbox
Pros: Simple clean interface, doesn't have greybox's odd problems, easy page selection.
Cons: Slower than greybox, no progress bar during loading, you have to look around for the buttons, dragging the oversized image isn't completely obvious right away. No way for a visitor to bookmark a specific address, no way to comment on a specific page. Requires javascript to be turned on, but the visitors can still view the files directly.

Option 3: "Shadowbox" lightbox displaying an html page showing the comic page image, so a scroll bar is visible.
Pros: Same as the other Shadowbox, but there are scroll bars, easy page selection.
Cons: Unless I can fix the oversized window problem it looks a little odd, each page would require it's own html file with specific information. No way for a visitor to bookmark a specific address, no way to comment on a specific page. Requires javascript to be turned on, but the visitors can still view the files directly.

Option 4: The Pagination script used in the gallery to link together html pages displaying the comic page images.
Pros: It works in the most similar way to the previous setup.
Cons: each page would require it's own html file with specific information, newest page has lowest number with oldest page having the highest number. Selecting the page you want might be more confusing than the other options. No way for a visitor to bookmark a specific address, no way to comment on a specific page. Refreshing the browser would return you to the default (newest) page. Requires javascript to be turned on to work at all.

There is no example of the 5th option, but it would be to write all of the back/next pages by hand as html files, the hard way. It would allow people to comment on a specific page, it could be customized to whatever appearance, visitors could bookmark a specific page. The problem is that it would be very prone to human error, and if you wanted to update some aspect of those pages, it would require editing potentially hundreds or files. Also it would be almost impossible without some kind of program or something to help create the files needed automatically for all of the several hundred comic pages already on the site.

It's possible there is another 6th option I haven't found yet. I tested out one that worked in a very similar way to the old php comic gallery, but it was javascript. The problem is that it would load ALL of the images in the series at once. It took me a second to notice while I wondered why it was taking so long to load. It obviously wasn't included as an option.

What I'm really looking for is some input from the others about what they think. If the comment system doesn't come back, a new forum is much more likely. Considering php might not be an option, it'll either require another kind of forum (cgi?) or an off-site forum, although I haven't really looked into either yet, recommendations encouraged.

MM 89, Scarlet Widow 38, 39 & Artwork

2009-05-22T04:49:00.004-04:00

New server, new hosting company. Things might not be completely working.

The forum is down for now. This is a chance to either try another forum, or eliminate the forum, or even use the same forum.

The comic back/next php scripts don't seem to be working. They work when I view the site on my HD, so it's possible they aren't compatible with the new server? Worst case I'll have to switch to another comic display script. For now, the links in the news post here link directly to the image files for those comic pages. The javascript in the galleries seem to work fine.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

^R Scarlet Widow Page 38 / Comic

^R Scarlet Widow Page 39 / Comic

^R Missing Materia Page 90 / Comic

^R C.O.W. second concept / Artwork

^R C.O.W. third concept / Artwork

^R C.O.W. final concept / Artwork

^PG Mega Woman / Artwork

^PG C.O.W. first concept / Artwork

MM 89, DAAP 17 & Artwork

2009-05-14T06:28:00.002-04:00

On this Double-AA-Panic!! page, Silverbolt used a (probably obvious) joke I had planned on using at some point. I guess everyone has a joke about the universal greeting from Transformers (I can think of one or two other webcomics already).

I've been trying to plug things, or mention things visitors might find interesting. Here's a nice, very well drawn webcomic. It's sexy and funny, called Spying with Lana, by Sean Harrington. Kind of a female bond or Danger Girl type comic.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

^R Double-AA-Panic!! Page 17 / Comic

^R Missing Materia Page 89 / Comic

^R Vore Plus Ipecac Equals... / Artwork

^PG Checkerboard Bikini 2009 Colored / Artwork

Scarlet Widow 37 & Artwork

2009-05-07T02:28:00.004-04:00

Something of interest to readers is that Carson Fire of Elf Life has started selling downloadable PDF versions of his comics. They have been re-edited, re-scanned, cleaned, and with improvements to the artwork.

A similar kind of event, BustArtist has completed the fifth and final chapter to grOw#3, the latest in his BE PDF comics you can buy.

The comic page didn't make it in time for the update, so here's an incomplete picture I'm working on- the checkerboard bikini picture for this year. It's a little early, but I wanted to be sure it would be done.

I'm also hoping to start on or before the anniversary that Xom Rom Atom comic (should be about 5-6 pages), which is another reason why I'm doing the checkerboard bikini picture early.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

^R Scarlet Widow Page 37 / Comic

^R Lotta Woman / Artwork

^R Bride of Frankenstein / Artwork

^PG Country Time 2 / Artwork

^PG To Color the Past / Artwork

^PG Checkerboard Bikini 2009 / Artwork

The Adept 87 & Artwork

2009-04-30T06:59:00.002-04:00

Here's the final page to the third chapter of the Adept. Is anyone interested in drawing the title page for the third chapter? I've been meaning to start suggesting that for the comics, just to see if there was any interest. If not, that's something I still have to do, although probably not right away.

You know, I've always noticed Silverbolt has a lot more to say about his pictures than the rest of us. Sometimes I'm lucky to have anything to write.

MM again next week.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

^R The Adept Page 87 / Comic

^R It's Her First Day... Sort of / Artwork

^PG Un-bear-ibly Sleepy / Artwork

Missing Materia 88 & Artwork

2009-04-23T07:20:00.002-04:00

Ah, here is the new website layout. It isn't complete, and some pages might even look the same as they did before. I haven't had time to finish it.

The problem is that as continued to update the old website with new stuff, it was forcing me to have to try to keep the two in sync and ultimately increasing the work left. This isn't the smoothest option, but it's probably the fastest and least confusing.

Omac has a picture this week where you can see it at various stages, like there's a pencil version, an inked version, a flat colored version, and the final picture.

I also mentioned a Pulse page from the 8th chapter I went back to finish. I hope to eventually catch up and add shading to the 10 or so pages from chapter 8 and 9 that were not complete.

Adept next week to finish off the chapter.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

^R Missing Materia Page 88 / Comic

^R Pulse Page 181 Colored / Comic

^R Wood Nymph 2 / Artwork

^PG Guess Who / Artwork

Missing Materia 87 & Artwork

2009-04-16T03:34:00.002-04:00

I started on the next comic a little early, and haven't yet finished the last page of the Adept chapter yet.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

Missing Materia Page 87 / Comic
Queen of Blood / Artwork
Oni / Artwork
Seductress 3 / Artwork
Her Big Life / Artwork
Carmen Lollipop / Artwork
Babe Watch / Artwork
Deep Thought / Artwork

The Adept 85, 86 & Artwork

2009-04-09T04:30:00.003-04:00

1 more page for The Adept chapter 3. I also have the title page for the current chapter to do as well (you've probably noticed it's just a grey empty page).

I know it's not very popular compared to the other comics, but Adept is fun to do. It's just very different from the others.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

Scarlet Widow 36 & Artwork

2009-04-02T04:05:00.002-04:00

I'm now on a scanner death-watch. I had a lot of trouble getting my 8-year-old Epson Perfection 1240u to scan the Annie bra picture.

It would stop half-way through a picture and then stop working. I unplugged the USB cord, unplugged the power cord over and over to get it to finish scanning.

The first picture I ever scanned with it was the pencil sketch of Annie in a bubblebath.

It's not dead yet though, it might keep working for a while.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

Scarlet Widow Page 36 / Comic
Powergirl / Artwork
The Pretty Ones Never Last / Artwork
To Survive, You Have To Be Either Good or Fast / Artwork

The Adept 84 & Artwork

2009-03-26T07:28:00.002-04:00

Items from Omac, Silverbolt and me this week.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

The Adept Page 84 / Comic
Lien's Secret ingredient / Artwork
More Matilda / Artwork
Extra-Strong Buttons / Artwork
The Three Amigos / Artwork
The Big the Bad and the Boobie / Artwork
Nothing Stays Small 2 / Artwork
Lock That Lionheart / Artwork
Scary is Her Middle Name / Artwork

Artwork Filler

2009-03-19T04:57:00.009-04:00

The new computer is almost working normally now.

I've been working on a new site design for a while. The site currently uses a fixed width layout, and the new design will be a liquid layout with a minimum width.

I'm also replacing the "R", "PG", "X" images with styled super-script, and I'm generally trying to reduce waste.

There's a lot of redundant code, or over time things became more complicated than they needed to be. The new css file should be under 7k, unlike the current css which is about 12k.

The page when you look at an image uses a different css file than the rest of the site, that might change. I also need to make up a new index.html file (that goes in each directory as privacy/error page), it might get an appropriate image and it's own css.

The Adept page isn't colored or lettered, but this is my last chance to update today, so I updated without it.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

Red Sonja vs. Frost Giants of Vanaheim / Artwork
Seductress / Artwork
KA-POW! / Artwork
The Pretty Ones Never Last / Artwork

Scarlet Widow 35 & Artwork

2009-03-12T06:30:00.002-04:00

All Omac this week. Both comics and artwork.

I got a new computer yesterday (Mac mini) and right now neither the old or new computer is available to use in finishing anything up myself. I've still got a bunch of stuff to install, setup, and transfer from the G4.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

Scarlet Widow 34, The Adept 83 & Artwork

2009-03-04T19:01:00.003-05:00

A bunch of new stuff from Omac this week, maybe even big enough to be called a pile of stuff. There's even more he's told me to hold back for next week, etc.

I've been working to contribute in the Ftf10 Wiki, listing certain things. There was already a page started there for Pulse, so I also made one for PeEVEed (don't know yet about Adept or MM), and I added all of the information from the cast pages. And this week, on PeEVEed and Pulse, instead of using the old cast pages, I linked to those (not complete) pages at the Ftf10 Wiki (maybe a little too early, but I thought I'd have more done by now.

About 4 pages left in the third Adept chapter. The colors in this page look off, but I don't have time right now to figure out how or why. I just finished it about 30 second ago.

Another week of all PG artwork? That's probably unusual. Also another Annie (4 in a row), with two more Annie pictures I'm working on (along with one for Raven, and one for Eve).

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

Scarlet Widow Page 34 / Comic
The Adept Page 83 / Comic
Matilda Lace / Artwork
Country Time / Artwork
TNT / Artwork
You Have to Start Somewhere... / Artwork

Pulse 225 & Artwork

2009-02-26T05:15:00.002-05:00

Annie week I guess. I had a third picture planned, but it isn't finished enough to post.

I expected one cute one, one fan-service one, and one "R" picture. The "R"-rated picture is the one that didn't make it.

This wasn't the final version of the Pulse comic page. I went to fix something in it, and the photoshop file became seeming corrupted after saving, which has never happened before (almost sounds like it could be a HD issue). I couldn't move the colored file to indesign to combine with the lettering, so here's the "non-fixed" version tonight. I have to go get the old file from a 2-3 day old backup and re-improve it.

I'm still on Adept, then MM, but I felt like drawing this title page, so I drew it out of line.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

The Adept Page 81, 82 & Artwork

2009-02-19T07:02:00.002-05:00

About 5 pages left for the third Adept chapter.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

Artwork Filler

2009-02-12T04:08:00.002-05:00

I turned 30 in November, and I think I've falling apart. I think this is the third time I've been sick since then. It could also be that I've been marinated in sick people.

No comic page this week, but here's some unfinished artwork as filler.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

Tifa's Winter Gear / Artwork
Robot City Concept / Artwork

The Adept Page 80 & Artwork

2009-02-05T05:08:00.002-05:00

I've been planning on replacing my G4 Mac, but I'm waiting for updated Mac desktop models to come out.

It could be at any time, but I've been waiting since October already (long enough for me to look into a Hackintosh and decide against one).

My budget is limited, so I suspect either a Mini or a low-end iMac are likely.

Hopefully whatever I get will play StarCraft II when it comes out in the next few years.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

The Adept Page 80 / Comic
It's Not Easy Being Green / Artwork

The Adept Page 79 and Artwork

2009-01-29T08:38:00.001-05:00

8 pages left for the 3rd Adept chapter.

-Lightfoot

Updates for this week:

The Adept Page 79 / Comic
In Another Mario Kart Comish / Artwork

The Adept Page 77, 78 and Artwork

2009-01-23T06:29:00.002-05:00

9 pages left for the 3rd Adept chapter.

-Lightfoot