The Blank Slate Strip
I just can’t get to sleep tonight, so I suppose I’ll throw some initial thoughts into the news post.
This is the end of this storyline. It wasn’t great, it wasn’t terrible… probably closer to terrible than great, though. I hope at least some people enjoy the art in this one. I think I could have done three black and white strips in the time it took me to do today’s strip alone, but the end result was worth the time. In my mind.
Also, I know realistically, tattoos do not look this “finished” a few hours after they go on, but we’ll have to suspend disbelief here for the sake of a colourful finish. Red, irritated skin just isn’t as sexy.
For the one person who may ask, I’ve created a wallpaper based on panel one of today’s strip. It has been a few months since my last freebie desktop spread, and we might as well milk this for what we can. You can grab those by clicking here or on the image below.
Friday’s strip is just going to be something silly and simple, to act as a sort of mini-break, as the next storyline will begin next Monday, and will be going on for a few months.
That’s all I have for now, I may add more later in the day. Or I may not. I am chaos incarnate.
February 4th, 2009 at 12:20 am
LOL “Nice Rack” gotta love pepper always knows what to say.
Thats a great tatt, the artwork on it is pretty nice. Nice job Josh!
Also I gotta say I missed the color ;P
February 4th, 2009 at 12:43 am
LOL, way to wrap up the story arc with a great joke.
February 4th, 2009 at 12:45 am
definitely gorgeous man! Bad Christian Bale movies, lol theres a handful *cough*Equilibrium*cough*, but i liked most of the movies he did before he became really big, and also before i realized how much of douche he is. Lovely colors and the dragon tattoo really came out well with all the amount of detail you put into it. Thumbs up *glares at boob reflection* O_O”
February 4th, 2009 at 1:27 am
Very nice, but for someone who wasn’t interested in tattoos and displayed a stereotype towards people who sport them, she sure got a large one. I could criticize some more, but I prefer not to be overly negative. Great comic otherwise!
February 4th, 2009 at 1:37 am
Jay, the point of the story and her internal debate was that she came to the conclusion she did want one, but one that reflected upon her, and spoke of her. Now what Aikida thinks her huge-assed (and soon to be annoying to draw) tattoo says about her is fodder for debate, but it certainly makes a person think.
In summary, she decided to go for it, and dove right in.
February 4th, 2009 at 5:02 am
I’d buy that for a dollar!
February 4th, 2009 at 7:05 am
Now I want one.
I must say I was very ‘meh’ about the art change, but with colour I prefer the new style over the old. It seems smoother.
February 4th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Ya know, a tattoo like that would probably take months to complete? It’d take multiple long sessions. Even if you did get that done in one gargantuan session you’d probably go into shock before it was finished.
February 4th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Where did that scar in her face come from? Did I miss something?
February 4th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Dwight, it another minor element of manga Fenris is using occasionally.
The colour sells the new style better, just waiting to see some classic Fenris-style expressions on Aikida to really put it over. Still think I prefer the style from the beginning of the reboot a little more, but I can live with this quite happily.
(Actually, I think it could partly be the hair style, that might be throwing me a little. Wonder what the youthful Aikida will look like in a different ‘cut?)
February 4th, 2009 at 10:27 am
I’ve used lines across the bridge of the nose since day one practically. I think you guys are inventing things to complain about now! You deserve everything you get on Friday. *cackles*
February 4th, 2009 at 11:41 am
-complains-
I like the new art style ^O^!!
…wait,that’s not a complaint.
Truth be told,the new art style does look alot better,and improvement of your skills is quite evident.Forget what the naysayers balk,keep refining your technique.
February 4th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
What, nobody whipped out a cellphone camera? Pepper’s slipping.
Uh, oh. I get the feeling Friday’s going to be Beefcake Friday.
February 4th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
silly girl, dragons are just as cliche as the asian lettering.
February 4th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
This was awesome. Page looks totally awesome. I guess we won’t get to see the mirror reflection though.
@DoubleG
Dragons may be cliche, but they still look pretty awesome when that huge.
February 4th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Even though I know DoubleG’s comment was just a shot at the comic, I’m going to turn it around.
Considering how internal and thoughtful she is, why would she get it? Instead of attacking, think. I’d love to see more comments about what’s going on in the comic, and less on the relatively unimportant art.
February 4th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Aikida has ruined herself….
February 4th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
not an attack this time Fenny. Just a honest thought.
February 4th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Nice, Yakuza Aikida hahaha. Nothing cliche about a Dragon tattoo imo..(a Dragon can have alot of meaning) now..if it was the kaji for something like cute or love or a tribal tattoo…….yeah…..just yeah.. New style is down my alley anyway, but it definately looks waaay better when its colored as opposed to black/white..but time /inability to color ect fall into that. Like the darker red on the hair and the skin tone is nice.. Digging the anime blush too in the last panel. Was a good art progression too..how it started off as the older style, blended into too much of a anime style and then came back with a medium realisticness. :p i might be overthinking that
February 4th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
I’ll admit I thought it was going to be something much more small and much less complex. I guess I would feel sorry for you having to try and draw this in the future, but then again I can’t think of too many past Aikida strips where we see her bare back.
February 4th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
drool dragon art on women’s backs…and I agree, the new art style with color looks smoother….some how.
Oh and the other guy might be right, maybe its the hair style that’s throwing all of us. Either way…love the regular updates…more more more.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Seriously though, does nobody else here have tattoos? That kinda work would have taken ages to complete. If you did go to a twenty four tattoo parlour and get it all in one go, and even if you did stop for food every couple hours you’d still pass out numerous times from that work. Plus your whole torso would be in bandages for about two weeks after.
Then there’s the fact that most reputable tattoo parlours won’t even do yakuza tattoos(or any other political, gang, religious etc tattoos) as it makes a statement about themselves through their art that they might not want.
Ya shoulda just went with the old four bars.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Or at least add a headline that says “one year later” to the top of the last comic.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Also you could have named this strip “the street racing car named Aikida strip”.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Its a comic, deal with it. Where large tits are suspended firm and perky in midair and not causing back pains, where tattoo’s that would take a week of work are done in mere hours and i’m pretty sure time skipping would just ruin any part of the storyline. Logically it wouldn’t make sense with the comic saying she’ll show them the tattoo and then fastforwarding a year later off her pulling her shirt up. The only way to progress it in a normal matter would have been him drawing in the tattoo over he course of a few strips and honestly he already said it was a bitch to draw, i’d actually feel bad for him having to draw it and then ink in certain parts as its coming together…it’d be cool but it’d be timely. BUuuuutt that aside, i want to see the animed out version of Tito.. probably come out looking like “Guts” from Berserk or something hahah.
February 5th, 2009 at 10:19 am
In response to your twit, Josh, what you need is DRANK:
http://www.drankbeverage.com/
February 5th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
HAHA! YES!! that was humourous. your artwork has really improved. im impressed. and just for the record, ameno, i have a back piece thats would be about that size that took all of about 4 hours. the guy was phenomenal, i wouldnt expect that normaly but this guy rocked. so its possible. but the boobs comment…haha yeah.
February 5th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
thehehe i would say this calls for a “Priceless!” :D ;)
getting you self a kickass tatoo, showing it to your roommate, not recognizing the mirror and that you are showing the goods -> priceless
February 5th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Okay Joey, Jock, Jod- JOSH! Just a little point
ITS VAG or VAGE! NOT VADGE! VAG! VAAAAGE! VAG VAGE VAG VAGE!
Just a little pointer Joh-Jo-whatever..shut up…I could have you honest.
February 5th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=vadge
Try the nocaine.