I’ve been a little busy lately folks. I’ve been working behind the scenes on something big.

Allow me to introduce it now…

So, what the hell is this? Long story short, it’s a webcomic-collective and a webcomic-news site. Similar to a cross between Lunchbox Funnies and Fleen, or Blanklabel and Comixtalk, or maybe even a Websnark and Boxcar comics-hybrid if you will…

Is this ambitious? Incredibly so. You’d have to have a lot of support and assistance to actually pull that sort of thing off right? Well, turns out there is no shortage of assistance. Let me introduce all the webcomics involved in the collective aspect of the site… the Scienteers if you will…

Cosmic Dash, Lancaster: The Ghost Detective, The Errant Apprentice, All over Migglie, Breakpoint City, Impy and Aevy, Try Everything Once and Fortissima’s Treasure Hunters.

.. and that’s not even including all of our sub-projects and other comics we may do. Although, speaking of other comics, I suppose I should mention we’ll be doing comics for the site itself, taking advantage of all of our talents. So by visiting scienteers.com you’ll not only find a hub for the latest news and information from the group, but you’ll be able to enjoy brand new collaborative comics!

So… what if you’re not quite one of the eight Scienteers? How can you benefit from the group? Simple… we’ll plug and promote anyone who asks. In addition to a fully-active news site, well be constantly scouring the Internet for comics that need a spotlight shown on them. We’ll also be running a discussion forum that allows for like-minded creators to get together and promote, discuss and advise each other on the craft. On top of this, we’ll gladly post guest articles and guest comics.

Speaking of guest comics, how sweet would a situation be where you can do a guest comic for another site that is more or less an advertisement for yourself? Send a guest comic that is entirely a sampler for your own work. Your own characters, universe and style, shown to an entirely new group of readers? We’ll be setting time aside frequently for creators to send in their own promotional stories to post! Want to advertise your newest sci-fi epic? Do a short story and send it our way, we’ll post it right at the top of the page as one of our webcomic updates! Talk about a sweet deal huh?

Unfortuantely, this won’t be launched until February first, sorry folks! Until then, you can join in the forums, talk about the site, plug your comics and ask how you can participate! We could always use writers for articles, news-scouts and people to keep the community active.

Anyway, thanks a ton for reading this guys, all of us behind this crazy new site are looking forward to launching!

See you February first!

First off, we have some DD news!

First of all, an apology for not having a new featured comic up. Something about the new main page design isn’t bringing up the comics we’ve put in, so… I suppose a new comic will be up as soon as it’s fixed, or whenever
we can pester Volte enough so he’ll do it manually. Meanwhile, have you checked out the ones already featured?

Secondly, about the new main page design - there’s a thread in the forums about it, so if you’ve something to say about it, you can do so there!

Thirdly, a bit of an oversight by me in my previous newspost - Crowfeathers is also on Drunk Duck, and is up for two WCCAs! Good luck to all DDers!

There’s not a feed up on the main page right now for The Gigcast, but just so you guys know, our very own SuperFogeys have been interviewed on Feb 7th, and on Feb 1 they interviewed Amelius of Charby the Vampirate and her husband, Evil Emperor Nick of a bunch of stuff! You can catch both of them on the Gigcast’s page!

Also, NightGig is putting out a book!

Seelinkrun11’s comic Mystery World has reached 100 pages! Congratulations!

MOSAIC by SomaX turned 1 year old today!

Chernobog’s comic Schizophrenia Bloom has reached 50 pages!

Mr Mustard Seed wrote:

Nothing like crossing a milestone to help work up a thirst. Twenty-five postings ago the comic strip TWITCH! began taking shape on Twonks & Plonkers. Hoist a pint of your favorite brew as you follow the adventures of Goffer, Albie A. Mann, Munch, and Mr. Tally while they turn and burn their way through new laughs on their way to #50 and
beyond.

Thanks Skoolmunkee! You’re a credit to educated simians everywhere!

Next, David Gallaher is frequently become the BEST FRIEND SCIENCE CAN EVER ASK FOR.

Let’s read his latest e-mail shall we?

Dear Awesome The Scienteers,

I thought I would take a moment to direct  you to this post where webcomic author and mastermind behind IN HIS LIKENESS talks about one of his influences:
http://www.inhislikeness.com/2008/02/04/hatton-influence-part-i-henson/#comments

Also, I thought your Drunk Duck post was pretty awesome, and I agree about the interface. It’s a bit of a mess, which is ashame, because they have some solid content. I would be very interested in you thoughts on Zuda’s new February contestants, especially since webcomic ACT-I-VATEr Kevin Colden (the madman behind FISHTOWN) is doing a strip this month.

I’m really a big fan of the site- and totally keen on what you guys will be doing with it!

All the best,
David Gallaher

Keep the news coming folks, we’re doing pretty well now. We’re getting mentions on Fleen, Journalista and Comixtalk! David’s e-mail does make me wonder about doing webcomic reviews on here. Maybe we’ll do a Zuda feature for each new batch. That is, if the site will load for me. I have quite a few complaints with the Zuda site, maybe I should start a series of articles where I complain then, huh?

First off, if you haven’t heard about the Hot Topic/Jess Fink situation, you need to browse more news sites.

Anyway, Gary over at Fleen offers some advise for joining in on getting Hot Topic to do the right thing. He wants us to get our point across to hot topic without being jerks about it. Seems pretty fair to me. There has been a kind of progress (maybe?) concerning the issue, but we’ll see what happens.

In other news, Xaviar Xerexes talks with T. Campbell. on a number of things such as his many projects as well as Zuda and webcomics.com.

Lastly, there is a handy-page of webcomic resources being compiled. If you have some time, contribute to it.

Lastly, this is a pretty neat comic, guys.

The above panel is from Norm Scott’s hilarious webcomic Violence Man. Speaking of Norm Scott, he has a site he’s involved with called Webcomnik.

From the about page:

Webcomnik provides news and reviews in the world of webcomics, but make no mistake — it is first and foremost a fansite, dedicated to a continually-growing circle of high-quality webcomics. And when we say ‘dedicated,’ we mean it. The comics we track — there’s a handy list of the current line-up in the left-hand sidebar — are watched very closely; we endeavor to provide notice and commentary on EVERY strip updated, and on every news item relating to these fine examples of the medium.

And we’re expanding. As I write these words, the list of comics tracked stands at eleven, and will be perpetually added-to. Over time, Webcomnik will provide complete coverage of every webcomic of quality known to the public — and quite a few that currently are not.

In short, Webcomnik is dedicated to the promotion, success and expansion of every webcomic we track, and by extension the entire webcomic industry. We appreciate and rely on the support and interest of readers like yourself, and hope you’ll stick around and help the cause.

The only problem I see here is that all the webcomics being tracked (with the exception of Spookingtons) are already hugely successful (Spookingtons is excellent, but it’s really the only “unknown” in the listings) and really don’t need much else in the way of promotion and support. Regardless, I’ll keep an eye out, it’s a kindred spirit to The Scienteers, and I am hoping it widens up significantly to find comics that not everyone has bookmarked already.

Alright, here are a couple notes from Comixtalk. First of all, there is a search for creators for an Otakon panel.

Xerexes mentions that Mangacast will be releasing a number of their manga-titles as e-books. Nice to see more embracing of internet distribution.

Recently stumbled upon this thanks to Comixtalk. The most recent review seems to be about VG Cats. The Webcomic Overlook does a pretty good job summarizing some of my own feelings about the comic, and at this point it should be obvious I am not a fan.

So why did I say the reviews seems to be about VGCats?

Well, I got the distinct impression that it’s a shot at many gamers as well. In fact, I felt a little offended by the generalization.

“Gamers like to fight each other over this admittedly trivial division because a) they’re too young to care about politics, or b) they’re old enough to understand politics, but giving a crap severely cuts into gaming time.”

As a gamer, I certainly do not fit this stereo-type as I just play games for fun. I also am quite involved with politics, I just have the good sense to keep my opinions concerning them to myself. While “El Santo” was using generalizations for humor, there should of been an effort to switch off from review mode to stories about gamers. Then again, when my only real point of contention with the review is with observations of a certain subset which in unfortunately belong to, I am willing to give the offer the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure they’re not totally convinced all gamers think the same.

The association with gaming and the lowest rungs of pop-culture seems very prevalent in the review. Mostly by Ransoomair’s comic catering to both these groups.

“For the life of me, I can never understand why kids go to watch Epic Movie or Meet the Spartans. Scott knows. He delivers the same sort of “risque,” pop-culture laden humor. I’m going to have to throw the towel. Hey, I’m a man, and real men admit their failings. I’m an old fogey long out of touch with the youth of America. I can never relate to VG Cats‘ primary audience: excitable pre-teens, easily amused teens, and creepy old men who hang around elementary schools.”

While it’s not really stated aloud that the reviewer thinks gamers enjoy poop-jokes, it’s the distinct impression I get, likely due to the loaded statement of us being, apparently, narrow minded and concerned with the utterly trivial. Maybe I am just in the minority in this regard.

So with a VG Cats review, a comic that isn’t even my own, or one I like, I came out of it a little insulted. Hopefully the author would understand my perspective and would assure me that they don’t believe ALL gamers are utter morons.

That being said, I’ll definitely be checking in on Webcomics overlook, if anything, for decent reviews and rage-inducing generalizations about groups I’m affiliated with.

First, a couple of things from the mailbag!

Go to church with Pray For Death!
Pray for Death updates! When things left off last time, we saw a priest in a pretty sticky situation. Go to http://zudacomics.com/pray_for_death to find out how things worked out for him. Here’s a hint; not well.

Next we have more High Moon news.

Today, marks the pen-ultimate installlment in the werewolf western epic, HIGH MOON.

Here’s what other people are saying about the series:

“High Moon creator/writer David Gallaher must have about twenty brains going full tilt boogie, because there’s not a single false note in this tasty multi-genre combo platter which blends spaghetti westerns, hard-boiled detective fiction, werewolf B-flicks and Weird Menace pulps. You can almost taste the dust and smell the blood. Pass the popcorn, please.” - Kevin Burton Smith, THE THRILLING DETECTIVE WEB SITE

High Moon is what happens when you mix Doctor Strange and Doc Holiday.  With werewolves, gunslingers, and the sumptuous artwork of Steve Ellis, High Moon will change everything you thought you knew about the Old West.
- Molly Crabapple, DR. SKETCHY’S

“Mixing legend, mystery, and a touch of the wicked, Gallaher and Ellis prove how the west was weird.” - Drew Rausch, SULLENGREY

“High Moon looks to be one of the most promising comics to come out of the Zuda lineup to date. It’s highly original and combines a fast paced storyline with moody art that nails the head for this horror western.” - About.Com

Remember, the next HIGH MOON update is July 8th!
Watch for it!

Next, if you are a Livejournal user, you should add the ScienteerRSS feed to your friend-list to get site updates directly off of livejournal!

Lastly, founder of Drunk Duck, Dylan Squires has finally left the site, Comixtalk does a nice little interview with him. I’ve met Dylan a couple of times, and it’s a shame he’s decided to move on.

Anyway, hopefully we’ll get more news updates on the way. I’ve been a little neglectful lately, sorry!