File type: Text File (.txt) [Download]
-----------------------------------------
Isiah Jacobs: Myenia, thank you so much for joining me tonight! It's a pleasure to have you on the show at last! Rukis, always a pleasure!

Rukis: Yo.

Myenia:  Of course.

Isiah Jacobs: Recently, you two worked on a 24 hour comic challenge with an original story called "Strong" Could you tell me a little about this challenge? Was it something you came up with? Or did you hear it from somewhere else?

Rukis:  The 24/24 challenge is a pre-existing challenge

Isiah Jacobs: How did you come to know about it?

Rukis:  I'd actually heard about it when Blotch took the challenge last year. We chatted about it, and they recommended I try it this year. The website is here, btw: http://www.24hourcomicsday.com/

Myenia:  Rukis asked me if I'd be interested in participating with her. She intended to do it either way, but it's a really tough challenge and a color result is always better. As far as how people appreciate it, at least.

Isiah Jacobs: I see.  For those who don't really feel like doing a lot of reading, could you please briefly explain what this challenge is all about?

Rukis:  It's a challenge first pioneered by Scott McCloud. The challenge is to create a 24 page comic in 24 hours. No breaks, no time off. . . 24 hours straight. It's kind of the ultimate endurance trial for comic artists

Myenia:  People apparently often do it in groups in comic book stores, etc, where those groups are organized, but people can also participate from home.

Rukis: if you do it online, it's preferred that you update somewhere online as you go, so you can show a timestamp on the pages

Isiah Jacobs: As I understand, there's also the challenge of no prep-work. There's no panel layouts or story outline, you just go. Is that correct?

Rukis:  Right. Nothing on paper. I had a general idea for the storyline, but that's it. No script, no layout, no thumbnailing. . . nothin'.

Isiah Jacobs: For the both of you, would you say that this challenge has made you think more about making comics under tight time constraints?

Myenia:  More how? Like, considering it?

Isiah Jacobs: Yes!

Rukis:  Well the time constraints for this challenge are a little crazy!

Myenia:  I would never do it again as the challenge, 24 hours straight. I'm not a late-night person as it is and aside from proving we could do it (which we already have done now!), there's no reason in my opinion to stay up all night again to do something similar. Now, doing one that was broken up just for the fun of putting another together, maybe. People certainly seemed to enjoy it!

Rukis:  There's always something to learn about time management. I'd say the biggest thing we got out of it, actually, was a lot of trust for one another as a team. Myenia was very dependent on me keeping up with the timeframe, or she'd fall behind, and vice versa

Myenia:  Yes. Speaking for myself, I learned a lot about what to and not to lean on as far as conveying the image quickly. What matters and what doesnt. I'd imagine it would be the same on her side though.

Rukis: We were 100% dependent on one another for the challenge. . . neither of us could fall behind, or we'd doom the other!

Myenia: Absolutely! I would have given up if it weren't for her :-p

Rukis:  It was a great team-building experience. We kept reinforcing each other

Myenia:  In the first couple hours, I got really behind...

Rukis:  She really caught up as we went, though. . . I remember I hopped on AIM when we were on hour four or five, and gave her a bit of a pep talk. . . and then by hour ten, she was almost shooting ahead of me. I dunno how much good the pep talk did, but you really pulled out some magic, there. I was crazy impressed. It's really great to know you have such a reliable, hardworking teammate. . . makes me feel really confident about our other projects.

Myenia:  When you see yourself behind in the first 3 hours, it's hard to justify to yourself to spend the next 24 staying up, with little hope of recovering and making the deadline. But when it's not just you...it's not really an option!

Rukis: Myenia and I have what I'd call a friendly competetive streak between us, which works really well, because we're constantly challenging each other. It's extremely motivating.

Myenia:  Absolutely, and it works in just about every area we work together. We both want to see each other succeed, which fuels it even more. She does a great piece for our Menagerie mailing list, and I feel challenged to meet or exceed that. Things like that. Like... "Oh no she didn't!"

Rukis:  lol, exactly like that. And yeah, we critique each other constantly

Isiah Jacobs: Now in terms of the story, why did you decide on the plot "Strong" takes?

Rukis:  As far as the story of Strong goes, I decided at the outset to try something no higher than a PG-rating. One of my favorite genres is the 'dark fairytale' sort of setting, so that's what I went for. The story had to be brief, but tell a complete tale, so I wanted the enemy to be uncomplicated and very clearly evil

The concept for the Maw was something I actually had in a nightmare, a floating disembodied skull with blackness surrounding it. It was also easy to draw!

Myenia: It was so fun to color too! Give me glowing things, it makes me happy.

Rukis:  It made for a very simple but striking visual, and Myenia handled it amazingly. She has the thought to give the glow a pinkish hue, which was actually WAY more creepy than just white. It's basically just a concept. . . evil, and hunger

Isiah Jacobs: Why do think the pinkish hue made it more creepy?

Rukis:  I have no idea! Myenia, got a complex answer for that one?

Myenia:  I don't know. I didn't want to do typical bluish, and glowing red is so...typical. Purple is associated with magic, green too. Yellow looks like sunlight and isn't that striking or pleasing to the eye. That left orange (not scary) and pink.

Rukis:  Whatever the reason, it worked

Isiah Jacobs: There's a pretty big plot twist with one of the characters later in the story. Not going to give that away, but did you know that's what you wanted to do with Ember from the very beginning?

Rukis: Yep

Isiah Jacobs: Why did you do this?

Rukis:  Had that in mind right at the outset. . . there are even a few scenes where you can sort of tell she's got a chest. It's also why she's so covered up. Honestly, I've just always been fond of cross-dressing female characters. Nothing deeper than that

Myenia: I think it's worth mentioning that using a primary female character on a 24 hour comic is not as much of a gamble as otherwise...
Isiah Jacobs: Have either of you binded your own chest before?

Rukis: Yep.  Hardly difficult for me, though : P

Myenia: I haven't...  I'd still have a chest anyway

Rukis:  lol, true

Isiah Jacobs: Was there a specific point during this challenge that you worried the story would be too short or too long?

Rukis:  Yeah, close to the end. The lack of planning meant I wasn't really sure if we'd be over or under 24 pages. I kept thinking ahead, trying to plan it out, but it was tough. In the end, it worked out

Isiah Jacobs: So you'd say you're satisfied with the ending?
Rukis:  I'm happy with how this one ended, but. . . I wouldn't say I never want to do any more with the characters

Isiah Jacobs: Myenia, is there a specific panel from this comic that you're the most proud of? Or a page, even?

Myenia:  Yes! I liked 4 and 19, as well as the panel on 6 of Cinder in the grass.

Rukis:  I was extremely fond of page 20. Also page 11

Isiah Jacobs: Looking back, is there anything you wish you could have changed?

Rukis:  I would've liked more time! But that seems obvious

Myenia: Yes! The first couple night pages I did not bother to imply the redness to Ember's fur. I did it later on (toward the end) and it wasn't that hard. I could have done it without delay.

Rukis:  I had a number of screwups in the linework. . . more than I can count

Myenia:  And I accidentally left out a few weapons and such...

Rukis:  I gave a rabbit pawpads. . . that was dumb. Also, a lot of the speech bubbles were wonky shapes or the text wasn't placed well
Isiah Jacobs: I'd say those are all reasonable mistakes given the constraints!

Rukis:  We did our best

Isiah Jacobs: Any other thoughts about "Strong" or the technical aspects of this challenge?

Rukis:  I'd highly suggest any other artists out there who do comics try the challenge. It teaches you a lot about what you're capable of, more than anything

Myenia:  Yes

Rukis: It's really confidence-boosting

Myenia: I think we were both surprised by what we could do, once we let go of  a few unnecessary things...we had a much easier time of some things than I think we expected to. I came into it thinking I'd be fully coloring it like we do with Red Lantern....do away with the lineart at the end. I quickly realized that wasn't happening, and once i did I could focus on getting the right mood for the scenes. Once I did let go of that idea though, they came out really without much thought or effort. The sketches looked so good, I'd imagine it was the same from the other side?

Rukis:  I was hella impressed with the color, especially the pages with the Maw. The color schemes were really captivating, and I really think they made the comic. And the color more than anything really made the Maw.

Myenia:  I think the huge size of the Maw! I was not expecting that from what you described.
Rukis:  Well it had to be big enough for them to leap into the mouth. So, that's what dictated the size. I'd had the idea of them both jumping inside and breaking the jaw to beat it, from the outset

Isiah Jacobs: Well this has all been so very insightful! Ladies, again, thank you so much for coming on! I really look forward to having you back once Red Lantern Vol. 2 is published!

Rukis:  prepare to wait awhile : P

Isiah Jacobs: Ready and willing!