For lack of a better name-idea, I've been calling this "Grandfather's Tale," and I suppose by now that the name has stuck.

Here are the introductory episodes:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Formendacil/Epic/01.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Formendacil/Epic/02.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Formendacil/Epic/03.jpg

And thence on to to the "chapters"--and by "chapter," I really mean nothing more than "a block story photographed and composed in a block. For the most part, it breaks down into a self-containable chapter, but I don't think they should be thought of as the exact equivalent of novel or textbook chapters.

Also, by now, I imagine that Chapter VI is moderated.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

Now, if I may break the conventional Internet protocol of double-posting (please let me know if this is a serious transgression here--five years of moderating on CC have made me attuned to what would be acceptable there, but have perhaps dulled my sense of what would be normal elsewhere), here are some things to keep in mind with regards to the composition of this tale, to date:

I. I have no outline plan for where the story is going, beyond a vague idea of "hmmm, that would be interesting" in my brain. Obviously, I have some ideas that may take me a few chapters ahead of what's actually been published, but I am 100% open to monkey-wrenches in the form of plot developments. I guess you could say, then, that I'm sort of taking a comic strip approach to plot composition, while working with a more "epic" form, in a visual/Lego medium.

II. I hope it's as obvious to everyone else as it is to me that my photography and/or my photo-editing skills are improving. It's worth mentioning I am not doing a lot at all in the way of editing (I am not using anything as advanced as PhotoShop or GIMP--just Paint for the captions and ACDSee, a basic photo-editing program, for basic colour control).

III. The interspersed children's comments began as a way to liven up what was original intended to be rather dry exposition for the opening section. I think it was highly effective for making that interesting, but as the story has gone on, I've cut back somewhat, since that was never intended to be the focus, and I'm not consistently interested in it. So... I haven't found a balance there yet, and I would appreciate comments about that aspect of the storytelling, especially.

IV. For now I'm just uploading to Brickshelf, and enjoying the very limited exposure that Brickshelf and Classic-Castle afford. Since I'm doing this for my enjoyment and experience more than anything else, that's quite fine with me... but I'm wondering about the clunkiness of Brickshelf, and also whether my format of picture-by-picture would be workable elsewhere. I'm not sure if that's something anyone here has the interest in commenting--and if so, I imagine I should start that discussion separately in the appropriate forum.

...and that's all the technical stuff. Meanwhile, you may actually have comments about the story, similar to the kids': who gets the girl? Can this comic ever pass the Bechtel test? Are the Black Falcons bad guys? What's that key about?

Obviously, I'm author enough to want and appreciate any attention you have time to give me. ;)

We are usually pretty lax about double-posting, especially in stories, especially if it's the author of that story. Or, at least, I do it a lot. :lol:

Hmm...have you signed up for Flickr? I've been considering that for a while, myself.

Meanwhile, what do you use to put in the speech bubbles? I use Paint in my comics, too, but what buttons do you use in Paint? I'm looking for an easier way, and you look pretty accomplished, so I could use some advice.

I've considered Flickr, but while it has more networking options, I'm not sure it's actually a better website than Brickshelf, if your goal is presentation--you're still limited with Flickr to the format of the site, which is still an image storage site (albeit a far more complex one than Brickshelf), rather than a story-geared site, like ComicPress or something like that.

I'll see if I can explain this...

I use a second file to create the word bubbles, typing out the dialogue on top of the appropriately coloured background, and then using a 3-pixel-wide rounded-square "bubble" around the completed text (if the characters are talking, rather than the narrator). Then I fill the background of the document white (or some other neutral, not-in-use colour) and copy/paste the bubble into the image with the picture, which I have had open so as to make sure my bubbles would be about the right size (I eyeball it, rather than measure accurately--with practice, I've found that sufficient).

I'm not sure if that quite answers it, but hopefully you understand what I'm saying enough to be able to ask any further questions, if you have them.

So, you make the speech bubbles as seperate pictures and copy and paste the bubble into the pic?

What I do, and yours seems easier, is make a box. Then, I fill the box in with white a couple tedious pixels at a time. After that, I put in text. THEN, I draw a triangle to the speaker's mouth...it takes forever. :(

Yes, pretty much.

One thing you should note about Paint, which would at least save you time in whiting out boxes, if you continued to do it your way (and this is also helpful for my way) is that when you use the box-making tools (square corners, rounded corners, and ellipses/circles), they have three different options that come up at the bottom of the tools toolbar: one for just drawing an outline (you can preset the width of outlining bars by choosing your width first when you use the line tool), another for drawing a solid box, and third one that draws sort of a negative box, which I can't really explain better because I don't use it.

We should mention, by the way, that these things are WAY easier to explain in person than in writing...

Thank you! No more whiting out boxes! I tried doing it just now, and it worked. :)

Yeah, it's easier to explain in person, but you did a good job helping me out, so thanks.

I've started to really start reading your comic, and I really am enjoying it. :orcThumb:

I just took a look at the first chapter (I love the use of undertitles by the way, which - albeit quite common - gets me thinking of Dogville for some reason). The classic look of it all really warms my heart, and on top of it all you actually used the first set I remember getting in the first shot. Of course I have to love the story for that ;) I can't really say much about the story yet since I haven't really gotten anywhere but I find the idea of the childrens' comments kind of interesting, however I'm not sure whether I like them or not yet. What does bother me a little bit is the backgrounds though. I realize that's a matter of how much work one can put into it all but since (so far) you've used a generic façade (in the form of a carpet?), perhaps having a generic microscale façade (depicting some far away mountains or such) wouldn't be so much more complicated. As the story progresses I guess one would need a few more backgrounds but maybe one could do with quite a few to alternate between. Then again I'd have to take a better look at the rest before going further about this.

'twas a nice read anyhow.

Ah - I remember reading this comic awhile ago - very good stuff - I enjoy it. The latest chapter is no exception - I enjoyed reading it quite a bit - the tunnel wall (although not LEGO) looks really good and ancient in contrast to the figs - and the reference to the megablocks wars is very nice. I'm not sure why, but I've always been a sucker for creative use of clones or what-not.

The history part - I really like that too - the reference to the BKs as old enemies, the history behind the Crusader factions, all that stuff... it's similar to what I'm doing in my (never will be completed) story in this way. Also in that it uses the original sets - I'm a sucker for that.

The kids - I really like them in the beginning - you need something to hook your readers in the start of a story and I think that this does a good job of that. It made me chuckle quite a few times and I have to admit that they said things I was thinking once or twice as well which only made it more interesting and funny. The old grandpa's responses are classic (and very good)!

The kids work really well in the beginning for me because the characters are not fully developed/interesting to me yet, as you develop the characters and the plot it's good that they finally become interested in the story (or just listen to their gramps) and quite down a bit.

I like the two male heroes so far too - the young naive and optimistic vs. the more experienced (perhaps jaded?). Very interesting little group,

And then there is the banter between the two villains - humorous, and I like how they have no trust in each other at all. :)

Very good stuff - I was happy to see another chapter. Doing it free-form is fine too.

I do agree with Maedhros about the use of backgrounds. If there was one area you wanted to focus on for the pics that would be a good place.

Either way, very good stuff overall - it's made me want to write in LEGO again - which feels very good indeed!

It seems to me that these are probably the two biggest "defects" at the moment--balancing the use of the kids, and working with the background. The kids are by far the easier to address: I think I can easily let them fall a little by the wayside--utilizing them, however, for moments of world-background that the grandfather may not think to mention and the characters could not know.

The visual backgrounds is a bigger difficulty--chiefly because of laziness, and partly because I've been moving about twice a year (into school, out school...) and haven't found a consistent "studio." Ideally, an "all-Lego" background would be nice, but somewhat unrealistic. We'll have to see--the next chapter will be the first one photographed since I've moved to Boston, and I sort of have new options and I sort of have the same old problems...

Quill Master, you mentioned in my introduction thread that you could see glimmers of my Tolkien-mania in this story, and while I certainly don't deny that he is entirely responsible for my aesthetic preferences, I'm curious what spots you see the family resemblance in--assuming, of course, that they are such that you can pick them out.

That is very high praise, sir--you honour me.

I understand what you mean about the backgrounds 100%. That is what takes the longest part for me when I do writing and I have to admit that with Black Scroll of Ragnok, I cut a lot of corners with the graphics (and some with the writing too, which does stand out).

I'd say that if push comes to shove, don't let it stop you from publishing more. After you finish if you want to go back and do the edits, that would probably be easy enough.

Either way, I know what you mean with the point about moving. Just one moves throws the whole LEGO setup out of whack!

For the Tolkien part - that's hard to explain - it's just a bit of a feeling that's there (which is a good sign that you aren't doing it blatantly or directly/on purpose so to say). It's just a bit of the feeling I get when you read the dialogue and banter more than anything else.

Not at all - just stating truth! :spear: Today was the first day I picked things up again in awhile~

Crossposting from Classic-Castle:

Chapter 7 is now online. It's slightly more exciting than the last chapter, in my opinion, and the plot thickens just a little. Most significantly, it's only 3 weeks since my last update! As I doubt that the folder link will be moderated quite yet, here are the individual deeplinks:

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Also--good guess on the Forestmen. :wink:

... narrowing things to a CastleWorld focus: I am quite pleased to have more-or-less managed my deadlines, and I think the toned-down children makes this a better chapter. I'm not sure I like how all the pictures turned out... but the backgrounds should be less of an issue this time. Let me know what you guys think.

Crossposting from Classic-castle:

Chapter 8 is now online. The story goes on, while it's a bit longer between updates this time, I'm still holding to a better pace than before--though this will be it for 2010. As I doubt that the folder link will be moderated quite yet, here are the individual deeplinks:

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

11 12 13 14

It took me long enough to get this chapter up... first I had to wait forever to get lighting (we had a cloudy week or two), then I just fell off the bandwaggon. Hopefully, this latest offering isn't TOO meagre.

Crossposting from Classic-Castle, Chapter 9 is now online. It's been a couple months since the last chapter, mostly because of the Christmas break, but I've also been adjusting to a new computer. Personally, I'm not sure the photography is as good as it was (not that it was stellar before), but the plot is advancing beyond the Dark Forest, and practice makes perfect--right? As the folder is not moderated quite yet, here are the individual deeplinks:

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

11 12 13 14 15

In addition to jumping ten years into the future (my old computer was that old), I also lost my old font with the old computer, and have been adjusting to using the GIMP. Hopefully, the results aren't too shabby.

VERY COOL! I was hoping that you've been continuing this... you have! Downloading... B)


How is it going so far for you?

Well, work on Chapter X hasn't got particularly far yet, between school starting again and getting a cold this week. I'm also not entirely sure where I want to take things now, since I think this is a point in the story where the long-term arc of the plot is going to be affected, and I'm not sure how that's going to go.

Crossposting from Classic-Castle:

Chapter 10 is now online. It took a bit longer than planned to get out--thank you, grad school--but I've already started on Chapter 11, and I think the use of the new computer is smoother. Go easy on image five, though... it's kind of ugly (though that's the photographer's fault more than the computer's). As the folder is not moderated quite yet, here are the individual deeplinks:

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

11 12 13

Sweetness! Downloading.... ;)

Strange, the forum never marked this post as new....!

Crossposting all the following from Classic-Castle:

It took me plenty long enough, but Chapter 11 is now online. I've had the pictures taken for ages--I took both the pictures for Chapters 11 and 12 before I finished the school year and went home for the summer, but it wasn't until last week that I finally got around to finishing it. Chapter 12 should follow in the next month, before I have to go back to the east coast, anyway. As the folder is not moderated quite yet, here are the individual deeplinks:

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

11 12 13 14

Crossposting from Classic-Castle:

I can't believe it's taken me yet *another* half year to get Chapter 12 up, but it did. It's crazy, because I've had the pictures taken for ages--I took both the pictures for Chapters 11 and 12 back in APRIL, but it's been on the back-burner forever. Hopefully, Chapter 13 won't take nearly as long, but I'm terribly afraid of making any promises... As the folder is not moderated quite yet, here are the individual deeplinks:

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

11 12 13 14 15

Crossposting from Classic-Castle for the sake of completeness:

It continues to be slow going between chapters (grad school and wedding plans don't help), but Chapter 13 is up! No promises on upcoming chapters, but as I have the summer "off" (no school, wedding done), it will hopefully not be so long before the next chapter. As the folder is not moderated quite yet, here are the individual deeplinks:

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

11

Nice use of the Guarded Inn! :) I love the idea of a cross-point between worlds!

Also, poor Jayko! :D

Looks like some very good build-up for what is coming next - turning Marcel from a footman to a hero - very interested to see how Trialrun ends up looking!

I'm glad to hear the Guarded Inn works as an inn between worlds. The image came to me while rebuilding the set last summer, before I was ever sure of what was going to happen to get Marcel from Point A Soldier to Point B Hero, and it just seemed right. The trick now is going to be coming up with an excuse to visit it again. ;-)

I'm also looking forward to Trialrun--which is a good thing, because the excitement means I'm more likely to get on with it sooner rather than later.

As for Jayko... well... I didn't name any names, but you picked up on the intended illusion all the same.

Now... to go read the final Black Scrolls chapters...

I have to confess to being curious about trialrun... but that seems as though it might be difficult! Any ideas how you'll be doing this? Very curious! :P

Doh! Off to finish section 6! :D

I have finally gotten around to doing a complete reread of the story so far. So far so good! I like your approach of keeping the story relatively simple and letting the pictures tell it. My own efforts usually get bogged down by too much text and too much attention to minuscule, irrelevant details.

Bring on Trialrun! :horn:

Agreed!!!

I always get lost in backstories and emotions and etc. These comics are really well done, and still easy to read. I have to confess that they have been my inspiration to make comics, and I've actually read the story several times now! :hee:

You know, I'm really glad to hear this--not least because my normal instinct is towards world-building. I adore backstories and histories and politics--and the oddest thing about Grandfather's Tale is that I started it without having any. (Well... maybe not *that* odd... after 15+ years of playing with Castle LEGO by the time I started this tale, I actually had a thoroughly developed history, etc.--but I knew that was *too* idiosyncratic, so I pretty much ditched everything and started Grandfather's Tale from Square One.)

Also--I find it somewhat hilarious that I'm succeeding with the brevity of my text, because I'm a wordy guy, as I'm sure you've noticed in my forum posts here and at Classic-Castle. I've also noticed, in my other comic that I tend towards wordiness. As a rule I have to work to keep things short, rather than make them long.

So... basically, I'm glad to hear that it's working, whatever it is I'm doing!

Heh heh heh... me as well! :orcgrin:

Although I have to say, I find the other comics hilarious. B) Aquazone... oh... poor Aquazone. :orcgrin:

Crossposting from Classic-Castle:

Once again, it's a long gap between chapters and the new chapter is quite short-- but Chapter 14 is up all the same! I think the folder is moderated, but here are the individual deeplinks anyway:

01 02 03 04 05 06 07


[/end crosspost]

If I may use a Tolkien analogy, I am an Ent who is growing very treeish on the Internet--but I'm still around, even if it takes a lot to rouse me into movement.