A Comic for New Players

SlickRiptide · 03-10-2011 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golden Girl

I'm also trying to make the comic into a more user-friendly pdf, but I can't seem to get it under 100 MB, which most file hosting sites seem to have as the max file size.

Are you using Acrobat Professional? If not, then shoot me a link to copy of the PDF and I'll run it through the Acrobat optimizer and see what comes out on the other side.

Daemodand · 03-10-2011 12:34 AM

I agree PDF is better than formats that try to simulate a paper comic. PDFs are easier to read, much easier. And Chrome's native PDF handling makes it even better (LOVE that feature!).

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warden_de_dios · 03-10-2011 12:45 AM

GG you need to make each file smaller. 1800x2400 pixels is super gaintic. I just cut the file dimenions in half and saved it at 8 in photoshop.

this file is only 368k, this same file up on Deviant art is over 5mbs. 33 pages of comic, in either a CBR or a PDF shouldn't be over 12mbs.

Llydia · 03-10-2011 12:53 AM

Bravo! Well done, Golden_Girl!

It reminds me of an in-character view like the Stan and Lou interactions.

Look forward to the CoV / GR versions if you decide to make them!

Golden Girl · 03-10-2011 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warden_de_dios

this file is only 368k, this same file up on Deviant art is over 5mbs. 33 pages of comic, in either a CBR or a PDF shouldn't be over 12mbs.

I'd tried making a PDF with the images only at 1000x1333, but it was still coming out as 100+ MB, so I'm not sure what I was doing wrong.
If you have time, do you think you could resize the pages I put up on DA?
And with the resolution slightly sharper than the example you gave,as the text was slightly fuzzy around the edges - that's still keep the finished file around 25 MB, at a guess - something like around 500kb per page would be nice
I'll finish a cover for it tomorrow too, and then the whole thing will be ready to be made into a PDF.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlickRiptide

Are you using Acrobat Professional? If not, then shoot me a link to copy of the PDF and I'll run it through the Acrobat optimizer and see what comes out on the other side.

I don't actually have a link to it, as it's too large for any of the file hosting sites I've looked at

Plus, it now looks like reducing the actual picture size would probably save more space than optimizing the pdf with the full sized pictures - but thank you for the offer anyway.

@Golden Girl

City of Heroes comics and artwork

warden_de_dios · 03-10-2011 03:57 AM

I resized the first 10 pages at 1280x1707 and got the file size down to 16mb. those 10 pages were 55mbs to start with. Take a look at them and let me know if the resolution is okay and I'll resize the rest.

GG size friendly comic preview

Hmm, I used Photoshop's action command to resize all those really fast buy only the first photo got saved at 8, everything else saved at 12. In the zip file page one is saved at 8, and it has a file size of 500k and everything else has a file size around 1.5mbs. We can cut anther 2/3 out of the file size. I'll ask at work tomorrow how to get the action command save at 8.

That is if page one looks okay to you.

warden_de_dios · 03-10-2011 04:13 AM

So the image on the left is resized to 1280 and saved at 8. The image on the right is your original image.

I just thought a side by side comparison would help you make a decision.

Liz Bathory · 03-10-2011 04:40 AM

I saw an error (technical) on one of the pages!

Page 23, Panel 6 has the text as a copy that GG says in Panel 7. I guess there is a copy error here. Hope it is a seperate layer so you can remove it.

Cant wait to see the cover!

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Nyx · 03-10-2011 05:26 AM

Im glad GG was there to help!

None of my toons are all that friendly. And considdering he was using knockback, I was just waiting for GG to whine about it. ((That should have been added you know ))

SlickRiptide · 03-10-2011 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golden Girl

I don't actually have a link to it, as it's too large for any of the file hosting sites I've looked at

Plus, it now looks like reducing the actual picture size would probably save more space than optimizing the pdf with the full sized pictures - but thank you for the offer anyway.

No worries. That's almost certainly the primary "optimization" that Acrobat would have made on it - reducing the file size of the pictures to screen resolution over print resolutions. Doing it yourself by hand gives you better control of the tradeoffs you typically make in that process.

Oh, and for hosting - check out Dropbox. Two gigabytes of free storage there, and all of your hosted files can be accessed via URL.

ZephyrWind · 03-10-2011 11:20 AM

First: Nice job, GG.

Second: I had no idea your namesake was so busty.

Last: You're a martial artist? Really? In that skirt? You must have Hellions lining up to get Storm Kicked by you Or Crane Kicked. Yowza!

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Casual_Player · 03-10-2011 11:21 AM

Anyone willing to put this much work into a comic to help newbs and introduce the game world gets forgiven just about any amount of Mary Sue-ness.

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Iggylove · 03-10-2011 11:27 AM

Awesome job, I really enjoyed reading it. Not sure why but this was my favorite dialog.

GG: I'm assuming you're not bullet-proof right?
FM: No. Are you?
GG: Mostly - so I'll go in first

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Melancton · 03-10-2011 12:42 PM

Bless your Silver Age heart, Golden Girl, that was a ton of work. Your affection for the source material is obvious and infectious. So many details are included in CoH scenery, so many friendly nods to various aspects of the game. Well done.

I also took this as more of a "bringing to life" of a couple of newbie missions, run with a Mentor superhero, than a "tutorial" or "how to" guide. What would these missions look like if rendered in comic book form? Well, you provided the answer. As others have expressed, the facial expressions, composition of the action shots and the flow of the narrative are simply outstanding. I also have to think that lighting the faces with the neon party lights had to be challenging... it certainly gives a dramatic look to things.

I enjoyed your comic a great deal. You are certainly blessed with great talent, and it must be fun to be able to bring the stories that unfold in the game into a tangible narrative. It is good to see a heroic character acting heroic, with no bones about it. Thank you for sharing this with us.

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NuclearToast · 03-10-2011 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Socorro

Golden Girl is a little more....uhm..top heavy than I would have thought

I saw Golden Girl in-game in the RWZ and thought the exact same thing.

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Sardan · 03-10-2011 02:21 PM

Good job, GG. Very nicely done!

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Nyx · 03-10-2011 03:36 PM

You should change your name to Tutorial Girl.....

Dragonhide · 03-10-2011 03:40 PM

"We don't need vigilantes"... as a Longbow agent walks by. Nice! Bleedin' terrorists should stop invading places.

TrueMetal · 03-10-2011 04:57 PM

Even though I'm not a big fan of this type of art ( 3D renderings like this tend to veer to far into Uncanny Valley territory for me) I quite enjoyed the comic. Despite the Uncanny thing the facial expressions were overall pretty well done. I liked the writing, it read easy and had a natural flow to it. I also enjoyed the subtle humor throughout.

Very good job GG!

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BrandX · 03-10-2011 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragonhide

"We don't need vigilantes"... as a Longbow agent walks by. Nice! Bleedin' terrorists should stop invading places.

Longbow are not vigilantes.

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Forefinger_ · 03-10-2011 06:10 PM

Very nice work. Also, nice eye candy to keep me interested.

@Joshua.

TheBruteSquad · 03-10-2011 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casual_Player

Anyone willing to put this much work into a comic to help newbs and introduce the game world gets forgiven just about any amount of Mary Sue-ness.

It's a level 50 helping a level 1. Even without the levels the idea of a seasoned superhero showing a rookie the ropes doesn't really quite fit the Mary Sue trope. Maybe if it was a pack of newbie heroes fighting the supa skull at the end, getting beaten horribly, only for GG to drop in through the roof and one shot him...

But even that happens fairly often in the comics as the team 'heavy' gets freed up from whatever contrivance of the week was slowing them down from joining the fight until the last critical moment.

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Mr_Grey · 03-10-2011 07:30 PM

Just finished reading.

Nicely done, Golden Girl.

My critique? Do this more often. It's nice to see the character of your character.

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PapaSlade · 03-10-2011 07:56 PM

Not too bad GG. Only did a quick look at the other responses so this might have been asked already but...where the heck does GG keep those fancy proto steel hand cuffs while wearing that outfit??

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Jetpack · 03-10-2011 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandX

Longbow are not vigilantes.

Right, criminals works.