Happy Birthday to me… Oh, yeah, bolt on the handle bars to the headboard and go for a RIDE!
Been an interesting week, but here’s a good story for once! Wednesday had the makings of being a rotten day. Woke with a raging sore throat (that my youngest rug-rat gave me) and just feeling kinda icky. BUT… even though I had to put up with snotty people early, the day turned perfect by the afternoon. I get this nice Twitter from the folks who make Manga Studio EX, the drawing software I use to create 1977. They had just started following me and they commented they liked the comic (of course!). They asked what version I was using and in passing I told them Version 3 but wanted Version 4 (latest) but didn’t have the cash. A tiny bit later I get this email from a Marketing person from the makers of Manga Studio saying since I was turning 53, was using their software and writing tutorials how about a FREE Version 4?
I wet myself. I don’t win stuff or often even get stuff like this, so it was a real shocker to me. So anyway, in the next email was the download link and serial number. Hot damn! So, today’s comic is the first with the new version. Took me just a bit to adjust to the new ways of doing things, but WOW is the thing packed with goodies. I even inked the comic faster. See if you notice a difference… it’s subtle but the inking style is different. Mainly the lines are looser and vary in thickness better.
So, the moral is ADVERTISE you frakkin’ birthday or you won’t get anything! Also, nice people do win on occasion!
In fine Wilkins tradition, I give you Bud praying to the Porcelain Goddess as I did WAY too many times back in 1977. A fitting birthday comic if there ever was one. Never slept away a weekend, but did miss a FINAL exam on the last day of my sophomore year at ISU. Explain that one to the instructor. 🙂
“I Don’t Like Mondays” Boomtown Rats, 1979 from “The Fine Art of Surfacing”. And I’m sure Bud does NOT like Mondays at the moment…
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Discussion (68) ¬
Well, well, well. Happy birthday there Byron! Great page today and very cool about the Version 4! Hope you enjoy it… 🙂
Oh, and btw, thanks for the well wishes. Wifey is home and doing much better. 🙂
Above all, that’s the best news! I’m glad to hear that.
First post of the day! You win a shiny new dime… send in $4.95 S/H and I’ll mail it to you ASAP.
Oh, and thanks for the birthday greetings! 🙂
Hey, happy birthday, man! Almost forgot we shared a birthday month, but then how could I, what with you reminding us every few days?!
The comic has come a long way and is now better than ever – good luck with v4 and let’s hope v5 turns up in the post (sorry, mail) next year!
I learned a *LONG* time ago, if you don’t advertise, you end sitting alone in a bar on your birthday. My birthdays have been a BIG deal since I was a wee lad. My Mom was into Valentine’s day so my birthday home movies are full of red hearts and junk like that. But, at least it was a party.
My three older sisters quickly leaned my Father turned on the family 8mm film camera for two occasions… Christmas and my Birthday. And you wonder why my sisters hate me? Hmmmm…
😉
PS: I do get the post reference too… 🙂 I think that will improve shortly…
ARGH! Didn’t you get your Editor’s notes?! ~faints at the sight of Inappropriate Haggis~
Well, there’s a good lesson here. One, never alter a comic’s script while stoned on Cold Medicine (I added that word bubble at the last moment, heh, and I *was* foggy!) And two, wait for the editor to get back to you!
Ah, I got tired and went to bed, this cold has my head full of junk and I feel like I’m half drunk or stoned most of the time. Fun if I wasn’t sick…
🙂
Aha. I wondered if you’d had too much birthday celebratoriness, but too much cold medication is an acceptable plea. So long as you weren’t taking the cold meds as a *part* of the celebrations 😛
p.s. the artwork looks great (though it always does these days), and I have to say that Jeff in his skivvies brings out the cougar in me…
Roar….
Miaowrrrrr…
Happy Birthday Byron. And good tune too. Do you remember what “I Don’t Like Mondays” was really about?
Heh, there’s very little about 1979 I truly remember. It was the last year I was in bar bands and the last year I drank heavily, so I’m going to say no I have no idea what the song is about.
Pop in the details and teach an old dog a new trick! 🙂
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Don't_Like_Mondays
It was about a sixteen year old girl who opened a barrage of rifle fire on an elementary school from her bedroom window across the street.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenda_Ann_Spencer
fifty-three, eh? My wife turns fifty-four this month, and she just bought new speakers for her computer so she can rock out to her Black Sabbath CD collection. Rockers never stop, do we? Happy Birthday!
Well, that’s what I get for not listening to the lyrics. I’m notorious for that and certain rockers I know kick me in the ass for it every time. I will Google the lyrics for songs most times, but this time I did not (heh, once again, do not do comics while under the influence of cold meds). That’s actually a big bummer, but I’m not using in that context, so I think folks get what I’m going for.
And no, we rockers never stop. Sabbath cranks on my PC’s speakers every now and then and I love it… rock on… even if on small speakers!
🙂
Not small speakers, the gamer Logitech speakers with the subwoofer on the floor. The music you post sound AWESOME through them!
Happy Birthday!
Don’t mean to get in the way but… How did there get to be haggis in the fridge? If Robyn took him to Irish bars, did one of those manage to actually be a Scotish place that tried to pass itself off as Gaelic?
Corned beef in the fridge, yes I can see, but I’d never been to an Irish bar in either New York or Buffalo that offered Scotish food.
Yes, I’ve had “me arse” chewed out a good one on that *HUGE* mistake, and I’ll state once again, I wrote the “haggis” line while very much stoned on cold medicine (I even have a cold!). It looked really good to me at the time…
I’m surprised the comic turned out at all! My head was spinning most of the night. And I *DO* normally know that haggis is Scottish… eh, I’m old…
🙂
Hey, I appreciate the mea culpa. If you’d have said, “But it’s good for the punch line/level of goofiness,” I’d have accepted that. No harm done; leithsceal an aimsir láithreach…
Wow, Latin and (what I assume is) Irish in the same reply! I’m always amazed at how my education lacked any other languages but English.
I really was doped up when I wrote that line and in “the light of day” I realized what a goof it was. I’m sure no harm done to anyone, but I felt kinda dumb doing it. I also am the type that if I do stumble, I admit it as there’s no shame in going “Heh, my bad!” I’m too honest sometimes.
Never had haggis either… heard it’s a “developed” taste.
Happy Birthday Papa!
Thank you! From my favorite adopted son! 🙂
Today is my Unbirthday….what do I get????
Happy bday.
You get an UNpresent… 🙂
Happy B-DAY yongster!! Hope you have a memorable hangover tomorrow! 😉
Already do… this cold medicine shit really knocks you for a loop. I’m having all types of colors flying by my eyes at the moment. I think the 60s has found me!
😀
Happy Birthday! Sounds like you got the perfect gift. 🙂
Holy crap, yes! It was the perfect present! I was stunned to say the least when the email arrived.
Thanks for the b-day greetings too! 🙂
Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear BBBBYYYYYYRRRROOON! Happy birthday to you!
“you look like a monkey and belong in a zoo…”
That’s how it was sung in my day… 🙂
happy birthday byron! 😀
and congrats on blagging the new software too. i’m sure that with any new version of drawing software that it’ll only get easier as you play with it. comic looks good.
keep on truckin’, brother.
–dee!
I’m finding all types of shit in it! Good shit too… um, good shit, man…
🙂
Happy Birthday Byron! I celebrated by renewing my 1977 subscription! (Actually, it was done automatically – but I’d been thinking about doing it soon anyway, & it’s the thought that counts, right?) Jim Ryan beat me to the punch about the haggis being a Scottish dish – we American’s mix Scottish & Irish customs & culture pretty freely, & I, being of both Scot and Irish descent have been guilty of that as well, but believe me, attributing something Scottish as an Irish item to an Irishman & vice-verse, is MUCH worse than declaring Cubs loyalty to a ‘Sox fan!! Also, I know that it’s yesterday’s news, but I didn’t read Wednesday’s strip with the One-Hit Wonders jab until just now (another huge disadvantage to not having a home computer & having to rely on using it at work), but coincidentally I was going thru a small stack of old 45’s just last weekend and unearthed some notables that got some spins on my turntable in their day – (in fact it seems like most of my 45’s were OHW’s) a small sampling: “Timothy” by The Buoys, “Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)” – Reunion, “Tighter, Tighter” – Alive & Kicking, “In the Summertime” – Mungo Jerry, “Vehicle” – The Ides of March, “DOA” – Bloodrock, “The Rapper – The Jaggerz, “Ride Captain Ride” – The Blues Image, and on & on…
“Ride Captain Ride” is a favorite of mine! Love that song!
I *have* corrected the comic and updated the last panel punch line now that I’m actually awake, not as stoned on cold meds, and actually read the email from my “editor”… so the haggis is gone… yeah!
Man, “Timothy” about a guy who gets eaten by his friends in a mine cave-in if my memory serves me (and it more than likely is not) But I do know the song is one of the few Top 40 hits to feature cannibalism! Rock on man…
I won’t stir the pot with the Scots vs. Irish… so my sincere apologies to anyone out there for my drug induced boo-boo!
And thank you for renewing! You guys are in for a big surprise here soon. 🙂
Hey Congrats on the Birthday!! Great comic as always and really enjoying vicariously your software thrill. Thanks for the good times, here and in memory.
Thanks Karyl! I’m enjoying the day! Glad you’re along for the ride!
Happy Birthday Byron, my man!!!!! Keep things rocking!!!
“Keep on rockin’ in the free world…” As long as I can sit up and draw, I’ll be doing this comic for some time to come! I’m just getting warmed up…
And you guys keep rockin’ too! We can grow famous together… 🙂
Happy birthday ole man! (grin)… careful now getting up to fast! o.O
…. I has a question if you can answer it. Manga studio vs. photoshop, what does it do that photoshop doesn’t? I’m looking for reason as to whether switching and relearning a new program has value?
Well, Mr. Jynksie, there are two schools out there.. those that LOVE Photoshop for drawing their comics, and those that HATE it. I’m rare, I don’t hate it, but I would not draw my comic in Photoshop. Here’s why.
I have much more control over my lines, especially in the pencil mode. Manga Studio really speeds up the process for me (and I need all the speed I can get). The Text/Word Bubble tool ALONE makes it worth the money. For really big projects, MS has a line correction tool built in that is just fantastic, and for an old fart who’s hands are starting to shake a bit (too much Mountain Dew) then that’s a plus too.
Some folks have said MS is hard to pick up, but my being a complete novice at this sort of stuff, I picked up quickly. Maybe it is because I went into it with an open mind and wasn’t trying to compare it to Photoshop (though MANY of the keyboard commands are the exact same in both programs). I just find MS so much better for inking and drawing over Photoshop. But, it’s what you learn.
Now, to be fair, I’ve used Photoshop for EVERYTHING I do except my comic. I’ve made really good money producing graphics for videos and websites with Photoshop and there’s not a day go by that I don’t use it.
But, if you’re making comics, you need software designed for the comic artist. Do yourself a favor and get the EX version as well. Well worth the cash. You will find your process will speed up and your comic will look better for it.
I’m going to write up an article for Webcomic Planet on this very subject using my oldest son as the “Pro Photoshop” person and me as the “Pro MS” person. 🙂
Happy Birthday to You!! and I hope you feel better. And congratulations on scoring the free software. Let’s see did I forget anything? Oh yeah, I absolutely love the strip. As we said back in the ’70s “Keep On Truckin’!”.
“Oh, Donna! I had a girl ‘ n Donna was her name
Since she left me I’ve never been the same…”
Glad you’re here Donna! Makes my day! Too bad Ritchie Valens wasn’t happy with you… 🙂
Thanks for the b-day wishes and I’m even happier you like the comic! That’s what it’s all about… that and the Hokey Pokey…
Or as Deep Purple said “Space Truckin’, yeah, yeah, yeah…”
What WAS in those potatoes?
Heh, only Robyn knows… 🙂
eesh, now THAT’S a sign of serious weekend partyin’. Shall I quote from Bill Cosby’s “Himself”?
Hmmm… perhaps something about shoes coming out your mouth? I am sure I passed a lot more than that at times in toilets of bars. The germs I ran into… ugh…
🙂
Happy birthday, man. But, uh, what’s up with Bud’s eyes? For once there are pupils. That’s just…. surprising. 😀
And he has teeth…. I rarely show teeth unless the character has a “shit eatin’ grin” on, then they’re all teeth.
Changes are creeping in slowly. Jeff has his hair parted in the middle know. Subtle, but I never really drew it distinctly down the middle, now it is. Plus his hair is not back on his shoulders as for a while there it was not.
Wide-eyed men are gonna have pupils now. Only when they’re wide-eyed though. I’m keeping with the simple white eyes for guys for now. The women’s eyes are slowly changing as well.
Gotta keep things moving you know… 🙂
Happy Birthday Byron. Man I remember those days…guess I must’ve had too many Potatoes too. 🙂 I know Bud’s just glad he’s back in one piece.
The line work does look crisper, great job as always.
Thanks. I know it’s subtle, but for me it’s like night and day. Especially the overall feel and speed of the new inking tool. Man, I’m in heaven…
🙂
ah yes. Corned Beef and Cabbage. the greatest (apparently) Irish-American dish over there. Over here, just about none of us know that even exists.
oh yeah, happy birthday, mate. may you have many many more.
Granted cabbage is not first on my list of favorite things to eat, *BUT* I have had it with corned beef and it is actually good that way. I know it’s not Irish, but love Reuben sandwiches too… man, I’m suddenly hungry…
Maybe the Americans couldn’t get decent proper bacon 😀
In 1977, no not really. We don’t start getting the good stuff in Irish specialty stores here until at least 1993…
Ah, that explains it. And by then the curious practice of Americans calling weird mushed-up-mashed-mystery-meat ‘corned beef’ and considering it a traditional Irish dish was already established, eh?
It’s been an endless source of amusement for me for many years that it’s almost impossible to get ~coughs~ traditional Irish home cooking in cafes in Ireland. Possibly because all the people in the catering industry who knew how to make decent boiled bacon and cabbage moved across and set up shop in (mostly north) London 😛
Man, kick my butt again… I’m just realizing you are saying “here” as in Ireland? I forget that the comic is on the WORLD wide web. You live there now or just from there… or are my cold meds really f**king with my brain…
I also understand that even though we here in the USA call pizza Italian, what we call pizza is not in it’s true form as served in Italy. I should start up a Forum for stuff like this…
🙂
~clears throat~ ‘Seven long years’ transportation, right on down to Van Diemen’s land…’
Yep. World wide web an’ a’ tha’ 😉
Yes! Along with the vaguely-talked-about-last-year Pandemonium Shadow Show Rock Forum…
YES! Cultural markers all present and correct! Well done that Byron 🙂
Byron, happy birthday! I believe corned beef, as in most circumstances, is the culprit. There’s just something sinister about corned beef.
Corned beef is great, David! Don’t knock the Irish or they’ll knock you right back!
(oh, and happy birthday)
This is a veeerrrrry belated Happy Birthday, Byron, but I hope it was a great one. 🙂
Gratz on the birfday, man. You’re doin’ a fine job here.
Happy belated birthday Byron, from a fellow 2/5 ‘er. 1965 for me.