The Stick Epick Strip
I am a big fan of this new art, brave style. I really like the open, expressive faces and simple linework. Since a vocal minority of our readers are accomplished art critics, I am eager to hear their thoughts. With so many complaints about how I was drawing noses, I simplified things by just removing them. And eyes. And mouths.
You can also see how the strip started as a black and white work, before I cleverly and subtly blended in colour half way through. You probably didn’t even notice. You may have been enchanted by the flowing script. Really, it was less a labour of language, and more like pouring honey directly on to a page… honey.
To achieve this style, I draw it like would have any past strip… full details, eyes, noses (terrible! tsk), clothes… all of that stuff. Once I have the basic shape and pose established, I draw a simple black circle in the rough shape of the head, then carefully break down the contour of the body into but one simple line. This process takes so many facets into account, and can take about ten minutes per character, to properly portray the soul… the sense of being that each drawn actor must display. The line itself has to say so many things, so one cannot simply swipe a black mark down the page. Egads, no!
With my circle and spirit rending line drawn, the rest of the useless (faces, expressions, fingers, CRAP) shit is erased, and we move to the next step. Technology!
The artwork is scanned and put through a painstaking process. Twenty different layers of vibrant colour are condensed to properly give the strip its soul. While these layers may seem to have merely condensed into shades of black, white and brown, you now know better because I told you. Twenty layers is more than three… twenty is art.
To mark this epic(k) occasion in Aikida history, I have commemorated the moment with special wallpapers for your desktop. You can download those here. Take care as you do… the virile emotions from such simplistic yet raw artwork on your desktop every day can be a rollercoaster. A rollercoaster of emotion as you stare in awe at this captured moment in time, only to have it torn away from you as you re-maximize your window depicting young asian ladies being pleasured on bullet trains.
I am giddy and rigid with excitement over this new direction. I hope you are too! A momentous day, and a day we can all share… sticking our dicks in the fourth wall*. That’s a metaphor!!
Have a gorgeous weekend! Ahhh, art!
February 6th, 2009 at 12:10 am
WIN!
February 6th, 2009 at 12:33 am
Hahahaha, hilarious!
February 6th, 2009 at 12:34 am
I enjoy what you have been doing and if others think they can do better they can start their own comic. This is yours. Do what you want and enjoy it.
February 6th, 2009 at 1:02 am
i can hardly contain myself at the astonishing outpouring of artistic talent demonstrated in today’s strip. i think i’ve caught a case of the stendhal syndrome!
February 6th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Well played.
February 6th, 2009 at 1:10 am
That’s the twenty layers of colour!
February 6th, 2009 at 1:52 am
On a more serious note, the Cast page has been updated, and a New Readers page was added. The new story starts on Monday, and as much as I’d like to use this new art style, 18 hours per strip just will not do, sadly.
February 6th, 2009 at 1:53 am
We’ve been stick rolled! All kidding aside, I want more Skateboard! Anime cats kick ass.
February 6th, 2009 at 3:21 am
Stop responding to the trolls; your artwork is fine and developing nicely.
February 6th, 2009 at 4:59 am
Hahaha, hilarious !
February 6th, 2009 at 5:02 am
oh noes!
Aikida has went SGD! O_o
the horror… the horror
February 6th, 2009 at 6:17 am
(Not considering this joke page today) I actually like the black and white more manga-ish evolution.
There are always going to be some people who are unhappy with anything. They have their own opinion, and it’s up to the author to hear their thoughts and decide what direction to take. Even if you disagree with them, it’s good to know you’re getting people honest opinions.
February 6th, 2009 at 6:40 am
Failure of humour and prime example for applied emoism.
February 6th, 2009 at 7:03 am
Artists styles evolve and change. That’s part of the creative cycle. Most perople, the lemmings or sheeple, like a nice non-changing static enviroment. Likes ants, if you disturbe their static little hill they flip out. So like all beingings larger than the ants, just step back untill they are done, keep doing waht you want to, and they will calm down again. ….. Thats when you kick the hill again.. :)
I like your new style. It shows growth. Being static as an artist gets boring. Have fun and watch the ants freek. But don’t let it bother you.
Deris
February 6th, 2009 at 7:28 am
I am amazed everyday at the artwork. Today is by far the best I have EVER seen. Anyone who complains about the artwork must realize one thing….you don’t have to read this comic…you chose to come here and then bitch when it doesn’t meet your standards. I personally hope you all get penciled in for a sudden visit from the Angel of Death.
Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
I love this comic and the artwork. I am here every M-W-F checking to see if there is an update and genuinely disappointed when there is not. Keep up the AWESOME work!
February 6th, 2009 at 7:29 am
Hmmmm, do I detect just a subtle hinty of sarcasm? Just a smidgeon, a wee bit. Stick humour = good.
Current Aikida artwork is also win. I could go into why I think it’s good, but alas I’m no art critic. All I know is I like it, it looks good to my eyes. Yeah sure it’s gonna make some people freak like little girls at a boy band gig, but meh, let em scream at you, continue to do what you are doing, either they shut up and carry on reading, or they go away. And most of them will just shut up. Keep up the good work I shall still read.
February 6th, 2009 at 8:46 am
I have been following your work since back when Warcry hosted you, and everything you’ve done has been an improvement on the art. I’m just happy to see your posting new strips again. The “dick stuck in the forth wall” caused me to spray soda all over my monitor. And for all the art critics, if you have such talent that you feel you can complain about his work, why am I not reading YOUR comic??? Keep it up Josh! As an afterthought, do you have the old aikida strips posted somewhere? I would love to go back and read them again sometime :)
February 6th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Ah let us all stick our dicks in the glory hole of the 4th wall!
February 6th, 2009 at 9:06 am
The faces ARE an improvement
February 6th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Haha, I agree with Deris. This comic is going to be yours no matter who says what about it. Do what you want and have fun. You should probably go back to the previous art, though. I don’t know if the world is ready for your monolithic advancements in epick stick art. Haha
February 6th, 2009 at 10:32 am
O well whatever makes you happy.. Loving your work no matter what you do :P
February 6th, 2009 at 10:47 am
whoever would complain about a “FREE” comic is an idiot, if you don’t like it then don’t read it. very nice btw.
February 6th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Woo! Sticks!
February 6th, 2009 at 11:08 am
This strip reminds me of this one. Ah, those classics strips… Glad you did this one, Fenris. had to go through large chunk of the archive to find it and found several awesome old strips I had completley forgotten! Mmmmmmm, tasty NWN… Om nom nom…
February 6th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
I’m glad to see some people are enjoying the 20 layers of colour for what they are… me poking some fun the same way people did with me. If you can’t laugh at yourself, etc.
The *real* reason I did this strip (beyond thumbing my nose at critics) was that it gave me a leg up on the buffer. The next series is pretty art intensive, so I wanted to have as much space and time to work with.
Alth0r, old comics (no longer canon) are in the About section, well hidden.
February 6th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
man don’t list the peanut gallery influence you artwork cause the thing is you prob. do better then 7/8 of the people that read you stuff and i thought it was great artwork to
February 6th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I like your art. Not being a well paid professional the only change I can say that I wasn’t happy about was the skin colour change. Other then that I looove dis comic. Love the stickfigure humor.
February 6th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
*shakes his head* perverted XKCD ripoff strip… :p. …On a serious note, I like the new style while not liking it; I liked that new tattoo artist’s style, and Pepper, Sydney, Morgan, and Wade all still look like themselves so there’s another win… but Aikida doesn’t look like herself; over the years, with the various style changes, she’s atleast looked like herself.
February 6th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Who complains about a free webcomic? For serious.
February 6th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
lol Pwned the nose snobs
February 6th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
only one thing to say… LOL, and good for you. You’re a great artist don’t let those whiners dictate how YOU should draw YOUR web comic. That said I hope you get back to the good eye candy soon!!!
February 6th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
I can’t stop giggling.
I think one of my sides has genuinely split.
February 6th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
NICE!!
February 6th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
well played good sir. well played.
February 6th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
What the…? Come on, I’m sick of your ranting about the wannabe critics! You can draw more than halfway decent art, that’s more than that many of us can do, so stop paying attention to pretentious asses who think they can give you shit because a free webcomic is not of their snob liking. ¬¬
NOW DRAW! *whip* (really, stop ranting about this and use the gained time to draw, if anything because it’s better for you and the readers than your rantings about people who criticize without giving useful feedback)
February 6th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
What rant? I drew stickmen to give myself an extra day to work on my strip buffer, then turned it into a jab at critics for fun. Why so serious?
February 7th, 2009 at 1:10 am
best comic in awhile! nice!
February 7th, 2009 at 4:11 am
Match, set, game and point well made sir. Actually quite clever there.
February 7th, 2009 at 7:03 am
Art criticism aside, Josh, you’re fortunate to have dozens of people who give a sh!t enough to comment on your artwork at all. Some webcomics get maybe one comment per every six months, and whether it’s a praise or a pan, it’s much appreciated.
February 7th, 2009 at 7:53 am
I haven’t seen such awesome stickness since xkcd. Well played sir, well played.
February 7th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
It’s funny, you know?
Folks claim people complain about the art? Stow it already. Check out the comments made by “an old guy” or myself since the new “style” and you won’t see “complaints” but “feedback”. I’ll say it again, the new “style” is a step backward or as “an old guy” said correctly: Catering for the borderline pedophile manga crowd and one step away from a distinctive style and just another fish in the swarm of wannabe manga comics (which infect the web like herpers a band of hookers).
But obviously the thought police can’t deal with honest feedback anymore. Well, you don’t like it, then don’t read it.
I sued to check the site for the art AND the story. Right now I come back once in a while to see what happened and how the story progresses, since the art ain’t fun anymore to look at.
Sad but true. :(
February 7th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
This strip is priceless!
For the two panels before, the art was really awesome. The one with the tattoo was probably your best one ever.
And by the way, where do the Aikida face in the cast page come from? Never saw it in any strip… (or at least I don’t remenber…)
February 7th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Love what you’ve done here, the bold strokes are fantastic. It is not nearly often enough that we see someone willing to use such thick line work, but it really works for you…lol, well played. Who would complain about the art style? It reminds me of the original Aikida stuff!
February 7th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I think your art is far better than half the stuff out there. I wish could draw even half as good as you do.
As for people not noticing… chances are they do. It reminds me of my boyfriend’s lack of reaction when I dye my hair. He thinks something has changed with my shade…but he’s worried about feeling silly if he’s wrong..thus he says nothing. XD
Art topic aside… I love your fourth wall joke. Brings me back to Deadpool ^_^
February 7th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Yeah..er..Josh…sorry for being all drunk and what not on your arse and shit the other night…
…I still think its vag though..
February 8th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Lol… cheeky. I thought the new drawing changes suited the comic style/writing well…
February 9th, 2009 at 2:14 am
I never commented on the comic, but I did see people complaining about the new style. I have nothing against the style (it’s a lot better than before), but what I did notice is that Aikida’s huge nose turned in a very very small nose… I mean, when did she get a nose job, and why wasn’t it in the comic?
September 5th, 2010 at 6:02 am
Buy:Mega Hoodia.Lumigan.Zyban.Actos.Arimidex.Retin-A.Prednisolone.Nexium.Prevacid.Synthroid.Accutane.Petcam (Metacam) Oral Suspension.100% Pure Okinawan Coral Calcium.Zovirax.Human Growth Hormone.Valtrex….
September 6th, 2010 at 2:24 am
Buy:Ventolin.Prozac.Acomplia.Zetia.Lipitor.Lipothin.Wellbutrin SR.Amoxicillin.Female Cialis.Zocor.Female Pink Viagra.Aricept.Advair.SleepWell.Lasix.Seroquel.Buspar.Cozaar.Nymphomax.Benicar….
September 6th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Buy:Prevacid.Petcam (Metacam) Oral Suspension.Arimidex.Mega Hoodia.Lumigan.Actos.Retin-A.Human Growth Hormone.100% Pure Okinawan Coral Calcium.Valtrex.Prednisolone.Zovirax.Zyban.Nexium.Synthroid.Accutane….