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Just got Darwyn Cooke's Parker today, I'm going to start it later. It's gorgeous.

Very tempted by this. I've loved everything I've read of Cooke's and while I know nowt of Parker as a character from what I've seen it looks great... maybe another one for the Amazon Wish list...

The Heroes speedster who made ROBO-K33F's heart beat faster.  God only knows what effect she had on PYE-01!

Apparently auditioning for the part of Tyranny Rex (defo no Tranny Rex in this case!)

That's art for ya its all so subjective. Its certianly not the photo-realism of Marvels but for me it has a gritty realism of a different kind. Right up my street but defo not in the Alex Ross camp.

Well at least you didn't hate it. After my gushing review (which I still stand by) being the only thing here, even though I fully suspect you saw reviews elsewhere, I kinda hoped you'd love it.

Still call it a score draw huh?

The JLA stuff I've read (and I must admit its not a great deal) not so keen on.

Well what a fool I was. Finally got around to reading Morrison's JLA run. Well still have World War III to go but that'll have to be some sort of spectacular howler to change my opinion. Its frankly brillant combining great traditional superhero fun and superb characterisation with Morrison own vision of the potential realities out there. Just wonderful stuff.

The fill-ins are superb as well. There's a particularly fine one by Millar to boot which reminds you when he's not going over the top or pampering to Hollywood what a fine writer he can be.

Ok its not as good as Animal Man or Zenith but still its great.

Did you get around to reading this? If so did you enjoy it?

I suspect this is in the land of fantasy but I'd go with the shout of Cam Kennedy. I brillant Dredd artist who hasn't been 'honoured' with an epic of his own. One can dream.

Actually just looked at the rules and realised there's a much better way of doing this. Hopefully this URL will take you to a gallery of all 8 pages. Apologise for multiple posts before.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/colin.ynwa/TheThracian#

Good stuff thanks for that.

It also underlines another feature of the medium - it is in landscape not portrait.

One thing I was wondering about - as it is designed for the screen do you think you need slightly less panels per page than you'd use on a printed page?

I see you've got it pretty well plotted out - did you treat it like a movie trailer, as the first chapter of a story or as a standalone attention grabbing short story (that leaves the door open for a longer story)?

Panels I tried (and you'll see in a later example I hope to get around to posting tomorrow sometimes failed)to stick to no more than 6 and as few as possible, pretty much considered it as though someone was looking at an american size comic so that pretty much any none hand held device would get a good reading experience.

For whatever reason in all but one of the 3 story I planned for Zuda the 8 pages told part of the main characters story from the perspective of a different character (or charcaters in one case). I found it allows you to introduce ideas for the main plot smoothly while telling a self contained story of the lesser character and his or her interaction with the lead. In two of the cases the character you're seeing the story through doesn't make it out the other end. I know I'd just read Nemesis book One before doing this and I really liked the way Pat Mills told self contained stories that build up the picture of what was going, certainly for the first what 5 or 6 episodes. Often with Nemesis off to one side or not there at all. Once he's established the world the main plot takes over and Nemesis is pretty much front and centre. It certainly allows you to put a good hook at the end of each part!

Those are some nice sketches Colin - does your idea fall into the Sword & Sorcery genre, or is it more historical? Interestingly enough, a few years ago in the States independant comics publishers were snapping up as much S&S as they could find - and then the glut ruined everything. I had a script all set to be published and the magazine folded  . But the popularity of fantasy and S&S in the U.S. seems to run round and round in circles, coming into and going out of favor every few years.

Its a straight historical pretty much. I always felt it was a 2000ad strip though as one of the things I wanted to emphasize is how 'alien' and other the world was in the past. The different ethical, political and moral perspectives meant you really are dealing with alien cultures and I wanted to tell it from that angle... which of course made it hard to have a touchstone character but I think I settled that one in my mind.

I wish people would stop posting on this thread (he says posting on this thread!) so my stupid part in its hilarious shame can slowly sink back into the mists of time. In a few years if we leave it alone we'll have romantisized it and and look back fondly saying things like.

"Do you remember when we used have lovely sensible conversations about iPods, matchsticks and cheese and everyone got on then and never went too far arh they were the days not like now when everyone is so rude and gets carried away"

But we need time for the wounds to heal!

Actually just looked at the rules and realised there's a much better way of doing this. Hopefully this URL will take you to a gallery of all 8 pages. Apologise for multiple posts before.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/colin.ynwa/TheThracian#

Page 2

I'll post my roughs for the aborted entry I did as discussed. If anybody is interested in what they see I'm very prepared to continue developing this with them (I will be able to explain what the hecks going on as I'm not sure the notes and bits of dialogue I have done will be clear on these scans).

I also have three other entries prepared in this format if people are interested.

Apologise for multiple posts as I can only attach one page at a time.

I have also had a brainstorm on publicity:

• A Forbidden Planet blog interview is well worth pursuing
• Local press, especially the BBC regional news
• You could try Comics Bulletin, Newsarama or Comic Book Resources (as they are some of the biggest comics news sites) as they do occasionally cover them, although it isn't guaranteed (usually for existing pros or if you have some kind of hook to get someone's attention). From my keeping an eye on the early days, it seems Newsarama gives it the most coverage. Newsarama's blog might be better bet and CBR have a forum that gets a lot of traffic but just dropping in, pimping and running is probably not going to get you any friends (although it is worth keeping an eye out for any threads covering the relevant round as dropping in and saying hi seems more friendly)i
• This makes me think a video might be good. It certainly lets people publicise your comics
• I also suspect grabbing a blog from someone like Blogger might be an idea, so you can use it as the hub of your effort, as well as a means to communicate with people outside of the Zuda system, update them on press coverage and offer teases of upcoming material to get people excited (a kind of production blog).

Any other ideas?

I think these sort of strategies are the key and if people do get an entry together come and let people know whats goign on so you can marshal the mass ranks of support available here.

I think this is a great idea to start up a discussion on this topic as there is clearly a lot of talent on the boards and this is a pretty good method of at least getting you're work seen by a lot of people. Its worth noting that if the work is good enough it will get published as Zuda has occasional instant winners. Which I figure is there way of making sure the cream of the crop doesn't have to run the risk of a popualtity contest.

While it's the most obvious candidate, it didn't explicitly say that Tankies 2 was coming, did it? I can easily handle another Night Witches story.

Oh yeah sorry not in the book itself I've read it elsewhere... hold on... can't for the life of me find it but it has been announced that Tankies sequel will be one of the three. If I find the report I'll post.