A slight detour, but in the right direction.

[MegasquidMan]

Look I'll come clean, I haven't done the first page yet, but I have a solid reason as to why: I tried drawing the characters this week (and YES, my drive is DEFINITELY back for this webcomic! Nothing will change that fact, this time!), and I realized how rusty I have become with Blue Eden's specific style.

The detour is this: I AM currently drawing more in-depth character design specs. Something I didn't do in the past, and now I know how stupid and arrogant I was for not doing it.

At the moment, I'm drawing up facial specs for Tabby (how to draw her head, her eyes, nose etc, as well as the measurements, and placement of them all.), and after that will be an expression sheet.

What you all must know is, though Blue Eden is, as I've stated, "Quasi-anime" in style, I have to make some top priorities to myself. The two most important are:

-Characters' faces and overall designs vary from each other, so someone won't obnoxiously point out the ever-so obnoxious "Remove their hair and markings, and they all look alike" shtick. I know I can, but with this first issue, it will matter MUCH more than the Epilogue, and be more noticeable. For example, Tabby's head is longer than Gwen's, has a pointier chin, and a pointier nose, whereas Gwen's face is rounder than Tabby's, and has a more rounded nose. For Capt. Matthers and Shigeru... It seems David's eyes are a tab bit smaller, and not as expressive as Shigeru's will be, and Shigeru also has prominent cheekbones, slightly more detailed lips, and the back of his jaw is more pronounced.
-Expressions of each character, for the most part, will ALSO vary and be different from each other. Of course, facefaults and the like CAN be similar, but there is MORE than one kind of facefault. But facefaults do not a Space Opera Webcomic make. Shigeru's angry is not as restrained (or "kept in check") as Capt. Matther's would be, whereas Gwen's happy, sad, serious, and angry would be slightly more muted than Tabby's or Shigeru's (Gwen, of course, being more mature than the two more energetic of our cast. She expresses, but more like an adult would, rather than a "young adult").

However, apart from an artistic factor, this issue CANNOT be as static as the Prologue was. If I knew the Prologue would've turned out as I now know it did, I would've kept it as a one to two page except, and nothing more. In fact, I might just do that, to prevent any redos I might do in the future. That was my fault, since I didn't plan out the Prologue text past just that: text. The first issue I DID plan out, so you won't have characters standing statically, and just grinning like idiots. They will interact, they will pose and move (well, not literally "move", but... be more dynamic), and the story will be interesting (Ed can vouch for me on that).

I will keep you all informed on how the spec sheets are coming out, as well as when Issue One will start. The Megasquid Man is BACK in what I hope to be... business!

Speaking of, Ed, what happened with Patrick's cover? It's been a month or two since I've heard any updates about it.

[EddieG]

I’ll be sure to bust P-Dog’s chops a little bit this weekend about the Cover page he said he would do. In the mean time why not share some of the design work, character specs, and other development material you’ve done for Blue Eden?

[MegasquidMan]

MINOR UPDATE!!!:

Yeah, still working on it, but I finally did something SMART! Actually, two things!!

One being me whipping out my How to Draw Manga: Bodies and Anatomy book (yeah, it's just a glorified actual anatomy book, but sources are soucres!), and the second... I tried to draw a "chibi" expression on my page, and I realized... "That is SO cheap, Jayson!" I think, to work with mroe energetic expressions with Tabby, and later Shigeru, I SHOULD actually take a look into a French cartoon called Wakfu.

Basically, THESE guys are doing what we would LOVE to do (they made an MMORPG, but they've also made an animated series based from it, and it's POPULAR!), and they're in their mid-twenties, like us. WHY DO THE FRENCH GET TO MAKE NICE THINGS, AND WHY CAN'T AMERICA MAKE NICE THINGS (apart from, "Everything, because of stupid, greedy Network Execs", and "American mainstream animation hasn't been sophisticated since the late 90's, excluding JL:U, which was a bright beacon!", and the ever popular "CGI has been used too much, albeit is IS cheaper... but we've seen some abominations, like Delgo and Battle for Terra!")?!

Well, this IS why I'm trying my best on this. So one day I can get my work out there, so we can be noticed by someone(s).

Well, at least I'm feeling more drivien, even positive now. So now all that needs to be done is practice, and study, and make mistakes, and learning from them.