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Degas
location:
Florida
Gender: Male
 |  | The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
< on 11/25/2007 8:49 PM >
|  | | | For the last couple of months i've been working on developing a character called the kid (based off the flurbex logo) into a comic book format. with nomeus' permission i have done some artwork and basic storylines. but i alone can't tackle this project fully. i'm calling all artists, writers, thinkers, photographers, and generally creative people to the table to discuss this project. you don't have to be from florida as long as you know UE and how fun-crazy it is. when we have a decent story arc and plenty of artwork we can submit the proposal to editors and publishers. i hope for this comic to be in print sometime in the near future.
as the subject says the book is called The Kid That Just Went. the story revolves around a group of explorers who meet the kid while exploring a massive site. the kid is mysterious - almost like he's not of this world and his talents are above and beyond anyone. the group of explorers soon get caught up in the story of The Kid. with mystery, sensuality, and action The Kid That Just Went introduces urban exploration to a wide audience in a fun creative way.
sample artwork -
the project requires your support.
you can reach me on aim with the nickname Verdwald or email degas@tampabay.rr.com and we can get the ball rolling.
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Degas
location:
Florida
Gender: Male
| | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 1 on 11/26/2007 12:34 AM >
| | | | come on guys. don't you love ue and art?
this could be the start of something special.
writers are needed the most, but artists and any creative person can contribute.
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kowalski
   
| | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 2 on 11/26/2007 12:45 AM >
| | | | You don't think the concept is, well, a bit navel-gazing, solipsistic maybe? I mean, the artwork is great, but why not use that talent to tell stories about the places rather than this goofy gas-masked "urban explorer"?
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Degas
location:
Florida
Gender: Male
| | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 3 on 11/26/2007 1:35 AM >
| | | | i'm not sure what you mean. but i think you're saying i'm focusing on the character and that's all. which may be true to some extent. comics like spider-man, batman, superman, akira, and on and on focus on one person to lead the story. even in movies. die hard for example. In some ways the kid is like a spider-man or john mclane. but of course the story is going to also include UE. i mean come on that's why i'm doing this. the kid is the vessel to take the readers through the ue world and at the same time i think he should be an interesting one too.
i know a lot about comics and art but i do admit i'm not the greatest writer by any standard.
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Bustedknuckle
  
location:
The Lone Star State
Gender: Male
"I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints"
| |  | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 4 on 11/26/2007 2:06 AM >
| | | | Posted by Degas
i'm not sure what you mean. but i think you're saying i'm focusing on the character and that's all. which may be true to some extent. comics like spider-man, batman, superman, akira, and on and on focus on one person to lead the story. even in movies. die hard for example. In some ways the kid is like a spider-man or john mclane. but of course the story is going to also include UE. i mean come on that's why i'm doing this. the kid is the vessel to take the readers through the ue world and at the same time i think he should be an interesting one too.
i know a lot about comics and art but i do admit i'm not the greatest writer by any standard.
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I freakin like it! Good work for sure!
"It's not a fanny pack, it's an exploring pouch!"
-"Yes it is, it has fanny written all over it" |
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Asher Archive
Pikachu
Gender: Female
| | | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 5 on 11/26/2007 2:23 AM >
|  | | | The look of the character reminds me of the little boy in "The Empty Child" (from the first series of RTD's Doctor Who).
I think that you need to develop the character's personality and background a little more to get a sense of where he is going and, more importantly, why.
"UE" isn't really subject matter in itself that will sustain a mildly complex narrative. I'd suggest that you first decide the importance of UE to the characters development--if indeed this is to be a character driven text. That importance should, of course, go beyond simplistic notions of "exploring your city" or "going beyond the safety nets of society".
There is nothing at all wrong with a character-driven narrative, but be sure that you focus on that. Most people don't read fiction for the tales of a building. There has to be a lot more to it than that.
You also want to ensure that your visuals are consistent. The first few with colour don't sit well with me: the character is to hard and the background is too soft. I like the style of the fourth image down. There seems to be a lot more detail and care to the scene.
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Degas
location:
Florida
Gender: Male
| | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 6 on 11/26/2007 2:54 AM >
| | | | | I freakin like it! Good work for sure! |
thanks man. i'm glad you like it.
asher archive - everything you're saying is bang on. its trickier than most people think to come up with a storyline, and a good one at that, involving ue. like you said it's not enough to just follow a group of people on an explore at some abandonment. and yes there can be deeper themes here than just "no trespassing". thanks for the tips.
and the art is just in sample mode right now. i'm trying to get a feel of what the final art style will look like. the first two are kinda disney-like where the other two are more comic book suited or manga. the other stuff i was playing around with the idea of photographing the pages with flashlight techniques as opposed to scaning the artwork, which blatantly shows the idea of ue and photography.
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kowalski
| | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 7 on 11/26/2007 2:58 AM >
| | | | Posted by Degas
its trickier than most people think to come up with a storyline, and a good one at that, involving ue.
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Well, my point in short was that, instead of developing a story around "ue", why not develop stories about what you're seeing and finding when you "ue"? I think your art is much better than your chosen subject matter here.
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Asher Archive
Pikachu
Gender: Female
| | | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 8 on 11/26/2007 3:16 AM >
| | | | Posted by kowalski
Well, my point in short was that, instead of developing a story around "ue", why not develop stories about what you're seeing and finding when you "ue"? I think your art is much better than your chosen subject matter here.
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I think that all fits into the need for a more developed character. What the particular individual will find during an "exploration" really has to be profound enough to drive the text.
Though I can't really see an 'urban explorer' having the same experience walking through an abandonment that Wordsworth had in nature, the subject matter can be worked with.
Degas:
The point that I really wanted to make about deeper meaning isn't just trite social commentary. It just seems that a lot of self-styled explorers think that it is a profound intellectual statement to say that they're "connecting with the city" or "learning the history of their world" or whatever. They're all really shallow arguments, and rather silly.
Developing why these sites matter is crucial to a good narrative. Or, more importantly, why one particular site matters. Maybe consider a narrative surrounding the relationship between one geographical and mental space and the "explorer".
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Asher Archive
Pikachu
Gender: Female
| | | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 9 on 11/26/2007 3:18 AM >
| | | | Also, the sub-title makes me think that I'm picking up a coming of age tale. It could work with the subject.
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everybodyknows
location:
Ithaca, NY
bacon is meat candy
| |  | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 10 on 11/26/2007 5:12 AM >
| | | | i like the art, my only comment here would be that you may want to check that flurbex is okay with the exposure the comic would give them if it's published (assuming you leave the name "flurbex" in the images it's in now). some UE sites want to remain more hidden so as not to attract the wrong kind of attention.
otherwise, good stuff and i'd like to see more.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." ~James Dean
"People break so easily, and so do dreams and hearts." ~Neil Gaiman |
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Explorer Zero
 
| | | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 11 on 11/26/2007 5:44 AM >
| | | | why is he wearing a gas mask?
outside?
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kowalski
| | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 12 on 11/26/2007 6:02 AM >
| | | | Obviously the artist wants to position his character to eventually capture some of Rob Dobi's t-shirt market share.
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Degas
location:
Florida
Gender: Male
| | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 13 on 11/26/2007 6:24 AM >
| | | | kowalski - i see what you mean. though it has to be more than just what the characters find and see. or atleast what they find should matter a whole lot to the story. hmm you gave me an idea. maybe short 10 page segments of a fully contained story. that way at the end of ten pages we can go on to a totaly different story of ten pages, and so on.
asher archive - dude you rock. great points. i'm making you my editor haha. yeah i think those are silly statements as well. thanks.
everybody knows - flurbex is down with the whole project. we take care of each other over there. this is art and storytelling. i'm not breaking any laws. but i know how people do want to stay hidden. maybe this is a chance to shine some positive light on UE. thanks for looking... more pics are on the way soon.
2xplorations - hahaha i never thought of that. i guess i drew him with his mask cause that's his identity. i'd like for people to recognize the character for wearing a mask.
i'm getting so many ideas here guys, thanks.
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kowalski
| | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 14 on 11/26/2007 6:41 AM >
| | | | Posted by Degas
kowalski - i see what you mean. though it has to be more than just what the characters find and see. or atleast what they find should matter a whole lot to the story. |
You're misunderstanding my point, unfortunately. I'm not suggesting you make your stories about what these fictional characters are finding and seeing. I'm suggesting you build stories (historical or purely fictional) about the things and places that you (or flurbex) have actually found and seen.
I'm suggesting that an urban exploration comic or fiction is an act of (at minimum) navel-gazing or (worse) self-aggrandizement, and that we'd be much better off looking outward, not inward.
The activity of the urban explorer should at most be seen as a catalyst for understanding something greater; ideally, I think that they should fade to the background entirely.
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Degas
location:
Florida
Gender: Male
| | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 15 on 11/26/2007 6:52 AM >
| | | | kowalski - but to come up with a story about what "we" see on a given explore would be pretty boring. sure we've had some hair raising times - i was almost attacked by two wild boars, some friends had to do jail time, and some really sad things that shouldn't have happened occured, but for the most part it's pretty routine so i don't think a historical storyline would work, though i do like your idea of maybe blending the two. take explorers and sites from real life and blend it with fiction. pretty cool. thanks. but shit that's beyond my writing skills.
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Degas
location:
Florida
Gender: Male
| | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 16 on 11/26/2007 6:58 AM >
| | | | kowalski - oh and if you ever get out to keswick or newmarket i know some sites there. i used to live in ontario. pm me if you're interested.
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Panic!
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
location:
Australia
Big drain driving
| | | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 17 on 11/26/2007 7:04 AM >
| | | | Posted by Degas
i'm not sure what you mean. |
That's okay mate, there's not many people who are sure of what Kowalski means. Essentially he just likes to put pretty much every one (especially newbies) down by using big words.
I think this is a great project! It's very cool. I am wondering though how the female character comes into it.
That's also extremely talented work. Did you do both the background images and the cartoon character?
I like the title too. It reminds me of the Harry Potter books and 'the boy who lived'.
Ignore the naysayer, this totally rocks. I'd accept te positive advice and help and ignore the negative crap.
So, when / where can we buy a copy?
Live your life like it really makes a difference.
What have you done today to make you feel proud?
John Lennon was a wise man. All the world living together as one. |
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suicidepactphoto
location:
Western New York
Gender: Male
" Did he who made the lamb make thee? "
| |  | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 18 on 11/26/2007 7:06 AM >
| | | | Constructive Criticism:
Artwork is great. The title does it no justice. Why does the character have to be based on flurbex? It just comes off as promo material instead of a legitimate comic. Good Idea. Poor execution. I would like to see what you come up with though. You have me interested by your art skills alone.
"We kiss on the mouth but still cough down our sleeves"
http://www.flickr....ddictionheirlooms/ |
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kowalski
| | Re: The Kid That Just Went - a flurbex comic book project
<Reply # 19 on 11/26/2007 7:13 AM >
| | | | Posted by Degas
kowalski - but to come up with a story about what "we" see on a given explore would be pretty boring. sure we've had some hair raising times - i was almost attacked by two wild boars, some friends had to do jail time, and some really sad things that shouldn't have happened occured, but for the most part it's pretty routine so i don't think a historical storyline would work, though i do like your idea of maybe blending the two. take explorers and sites from real life and blend it with fiction. pretty cool. thanks. but shit that's beyond my writing skills.
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Are you telling me that the lives of the sites you're exploring have been so insignificant they contain nothing actually worth talking or spinning tales about? What are you exploring, storage sheds and highway signs? (wait a second, I can imagine both intriguing histories and entirely fictional events worth talking about even for these mundane structures)
I think you just haven't bothered to think about this.
Take the famous Florida Door, for instance. Okay, yes, the mystery of it has a certain spectacular cachet, but ultimately it's what -- a rocket engine rusting in a pit, right? But the actual story there shouldn't be the guys who came and cut open the door in order to take a few photos and "oooh" and "ahhh" over the thing for a few hours before returning to their regular lives. It should be about the personnel who used to work there, the way this installation fit into broader events in the worlds of science, culture and politics, and how it came to be disused, left forgotten in the middle of a swamp.
Take an abandoned hotel, of which I seem to recall you Floridians having a surplus. Imagine all the stories that can be told about a hotel, its place in the tourist travels of another era, the scheme of some developer who wants to turn it into new time-shares, the manic-depressive who squatted for a time in 207 after running away from his family.
Take a corrugated metal storage shed. Even this ordinary, empty dustbin touched lives, played a role in the economy of something, and at some point came to be abandoned or disused by real people with real lives. This is an important contrast to the empty and superficial experience of the urban explorer, who consumes difference and derives pleasure from the sublime experience of architectural decay.
The urban explorer is a passive spectator of proceedings that they don't usually bother to understand. Please don't write about them, write about the people for whom a given building actually mattered.
[last edit 11/26/2007 7:14 AM by kowalski - edited 1 times]
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