Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all Zoology readers out there, thanks for making this by far the most succesful year for the comic yet! The site got around 4 times the traffic in 2008 than it did 2007...not bad!

Special thanks to the folks who went out of their way to email or comment on the blog...don't tell the other readers, but I like you best of all.

Where's the Monday 15th comic? It's right here!

Unfortunately the Comicgenesis system seems to be backed up, which is why Friday's comic has been sitting up there forever. Hopefully things are working again soon, but until then, here's Monday's comic...

Could You Tell...

...that I was rushing out the door as I finished the December 12th comic? Forgot a speech balloon tail, the sound effects in the 2nd panel and a word in the 3rd panel. Christ.

Well everything should be fixed now at least.

NATE'S LAZY BIRTHDAY COMIX!

Yup, today's my birthday and I don't feel like spending it slaving over a hot drawing board, so you get...this.

The sad thing is that this probably isn't the laziest strip I've done, and I didn't have an excuse then.

The Shandy storyline continues Monday!

Hey, Why's the 11/17 Comic Look...Different?

You'll note the greys look a bit odd on today's comic. For no particularly good reason I decided to do actual ink-washes instead of doing the greys on the computer as usual. Hooray artistic experimentation! It actually turned out okay...at least it looked good on the page itself. Things didn't turn out quite as well once I scanned it though as my cruddy old scanner can handle black and white fine, but any sort of subtle greyscale it butchers. Sigh. That first picture of Shandy walking in particular got mangled...the original art is really cute.

Hopefully I can figure out some way to scan things properly because it was actually more fun doing the ink-wash stuff than it is doing it in Photoshop, and the results are a lot less sterile.

You Never Write Anymore...

Hey there, it's been a while! Sorry the comics have been a bit late recently...I'm still getting back on schedule after going on vacation a week or two ago.

Oh and I also have a new article up at Cracked. It's a sequel to my first article...prepare to get creeped out.

I'm going to dry and write something more interesting in this space soon...

New Profiles: Ernest and Chomps!

Sorry today's comic was late! Had a few computer issues...to make up for it, it's the return of the profiles. Unbelievably looking back it's been around 10 months since I put up a new profile. Yikes. I'm just not cut out for this blogging stuff...it's just too easy to neglect. But anyways, let's get back on the ol' horse...

----------------------------------------------

Name: Ernest P. Ape

Species: Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Astrological Sign: Virgo

What the "P" Stands For: Pembroke

Host of the “Mating Calls” radio show, Ernest specializes in giving spectacularly bad dating advice to his callers. It’s not entirely clear whether he does this because he enjoys messing with the callers or if he just doesn’t know what he’s talking about…it’s probably a combination of both. We do know old Ernest isn’t quite a smooth as he’d like people to think and may in fact be a bit of a momma’s boy. Another mystery is who exactly listens to his show, although we do know that Shandy, Angsty and one of the zoo’s human zookeepers have called in. Ernest can be rather obnoxious, but ultimately he’s a good guy.

Name: Detective Chomps

Species: Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)

Astrological Sign: Cancer

What he's Looking For in a Woman: Thick hide, nice smile and excellent death rolling ability

With the zoo police, Chomps is the lead detective for the missing animals department (most of which happen to be vanishing down Chomps’ own gullet). Chomps isn’t necessarily evil…he’s just doing what comes naturally to his kind, and he’s also one snappy dresser. The hunter has also been the hunted as Edgar McCoy, Master Hunter has targeted him on more than one occasion.

My hand is tired...

Well here we are...500 strips. I'm not going to say "I never thought I'd make it this far" because the plan has always been to be in this thing for the long haul, but I didn't think I'd hit this milestone so quickly. 3+ years has really flown by.

You'll note that in honor of the milestone I've finally passed into that final frontier of self absorption and inserted myself into my own comic. I really promise I won't make it a habit, but I was thinking about how to make this milestone feel special and what's more special than a big faceful of ME?

Thanks to all the Zoology fans big, small, tall, wide, human and otherwise...I wouldn't have the inspiration to draw hundreds of little pictures of sheep without you.

Now with that out of the way, time to do some pimping! I wrote me another article for Cracked. I think this is my best one yet, be pals and go check it out!

http://www.cracked.com/article_16434_5-creepiest-advertising-techniques-near-future.html

Nate's Cavalcade of Hilarity!

Hey there folks! Sorry I haven't updated this blog in ages, I really need to do it more often (I really want to finish up all the character profiles for instance). Part of the reason I don't write here much is because I'm doing piles of it elsewhere. So let's round it all up...

First off I wrote a new Cracked article which you can read here. I think fans of the comic should like this one...lots of cute humor and cartoons in there. Check it out please! The more hits it gets the more they pay me!

In addition I've been doing a lot of writing for Diehard Gamefan. Here are reviews number one, two and three I've written over there. I've also contributed opinions to the following group features here and here. Also I should mention this article...I actually had nothing to do with it, but all the Gamefan guys are trying to get the word out.

*Phew*! That's a lotta stuff and I have more writing in the works at a bunch of other places as well. Don't fret though, Zoology will always be first in my heart! This blog may remain a bit barren though...

Odds, Ends and Cracked articles...

Got a new article up at Cracked (actually it's been up for a couple days, but I forgot to mention it here)...

http://www.cracked.com/article_16152_10-highly-anticipated-video-games-youll-never-get-play.html

If you liked that I'll be doing more videogame related writing soon over here...

www.diehardgamefan.com

It's a fun little independent games site. If you're tired of reading games sites where the content and opinions are obviously dictated by which companies pay the most to get the biggest ad on the front page, then try this place out. I'll be writing some reviews and doing my usual stupid articles.

Also as of about a week ago (April 15th) Zoology turned 3 years old! Wheeee! It was such an important date that I forgot all about it! Still, a part of me definitely didn't expect it to go this long, and I have no plans of stopping any time soon!

Who's That Girl? Plus a Talk About Time.

So who's that girl in the last panel of Wednesday's comic? Her look has changed a bit, plus the comic's picked up a lot of readers lately so many of you might not know why her showing up is significant. Here's the story where she was introduced...

http://thezoo.comicgenesis.com/d/20051207.html

Here's a later storyline with her.

http://thezoo.comicgenesis.com/d/20070615.html

She's pretty much a harbinger of bad times for Baker...well, at least annoying times. You may have also noticed that she's matured a bit since her first appearance, which begs the question...does time pass in Zoology?

I've been thinking about time as it relates to Zoology for a little while. Most comic strips are stuck in a sort of time paradox whereby seasonal and annual events are recognized each year...when it's winter it's winter in the comic, when Christmas comes around they do Christmas comics and so on...but with the exception of a couple strips (For Better or For Worse, Gasoline Alley) few progress in real time.

A lot of strips take the Simpsons approach whereby seasonal/annual events are recognized, but the characters themselves are forever in a state of suspended animation. Occasionally past adventures will be referenced, but for the most part they don't really change and each adventure is started fresh. Others jump forward in spurts...they'll stay in the same place for 10 years then suddenly, Marvin's a toddler or everyone's 10 years older!

I don't really like either approach. Neither seem like satisfying options for people who actually follow the characters...it's either no growth at all, or growth that just comes out of nowhere which you don't actually get to see develop. At the same time I don't think moving ahead in real time FBoFW style would be feasible either.

The approach I'd prefer to take is to have time always progressing in the comic, but at reduced speed. So in other words even though Zoology has been going for around 3 years, 3 years haven't passed in the Zoology universe.

I would say at this point around 1 year has passed in Zoology time since the strip began.

Of course this has had different effects on different characters. The girl character who returned in this strip would be around 14 now, so obviously she's matured over the past year. The young Guinea pig also has grown up significantly. Guinea pigs don't live too long, so they'll age at a rate faster than the other characters...thus the kid guinea pig has gone from being the equivalent of a 6 or 7 year old to more of a 10 or 11 year old. It's had less effect on other characters...Baker and Shandy would both be in their early 20s if they were human, so a year doesn't make a huge difference at that age. Angsty on the other hand would be in his late teens (18, 19) if he were human, so there has been some noticeable maturation on his part (although not as significant as what you see in the guinea pig).

I don't expect anybody reading to actually follow this, I guess I'm just making it known that this comic isn't quite a random as it might appear and that I actually do think of these things. Or at least I do when I decide to write a blog post about them...

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patties day to all you fine Zoology readers...don't overdose on green food dye kiddies.

I also helped write a new article for Cracked on the subject, check it out and give it a Digg for me will you [flutters eyelashes]?

6 Reasons the Irish Aren't so Lucky!

Also hope you folks are likin' the current Guinea Pig stories...this is the biggest story I've ever done with these characters. I thought it was about time I developed 'em a bit more.

Apologies, my Favourite Comic Strips and Future Plans.

Sorry about Monday's comic being a bit late...the Comicgenesis system seems to be backing up on a fairly frequent basis these days. Afraid there's not much I can do about it aside from stomping my feet and fussing on the Comicgen forums...and all that usually gets me is being told, "Hey, shut up! It's free!" and really, I can't argue with that logic.

Anyways, a few days ago I promised I'd actually update with something semi-interesting soon, and so I shall (a week or two late). Ever wondered what comic strips the creator of Zoology reads himself? No? Come on...play along. Yes? Well great, because I'm about to tell you! Strap yourself in...

The Noob: Written by official "pal of Zoology" Gianna Masetti! In fact a lot of you reading may have found your way to this site through the generous links to Zoology Gianna has provided on her site. Although it deals heavily with the ins-and-outs of the online gaming world, you don't really have to know all that stuff to enjoy this comic. It's got a sort of intangible European comics style charm going...which is appropriate since Gianna happens to be from that continent.

Elf Only Inn: Written by another official "pal of Zoology" and all-round cool guy Josh Sortelli. It also, like the Noob, happens to revolve around online RPGs...apparently there is some kind of overlap between MMORPGs and lovers of fuzzy animals. Anyways, he doesn't update anymore, which is a shame because he's a talented cartoonist.

Achewood: Achewood is...well, Achewood is Achewood. It exists in a completely unique universe created by madman Chris Onstad. It takes a while to get used to, but once you understand the twisted internal logic this strip runs on it should start to click. Give it a chance (like Achewood really needs my help).

The Perry Bible Fellowship: There tends to be a lot of chest beating in the webcomic community...both amongst those that make 'em and those that closely follow/read them. Webcomics are far better in ever way than those stodgy old boring print comics. Problem is, it isn't often that it's actually true. Perry Bible Fellowship on the other hand I can point to as a comic that is both genuinely superior to almost anything else out there on the web or in print, but is probably something that would have never succeeded the way it has without the Internet. So yes, in the case of The Perry Bible Fellowship the webcomic community's hubris is justified.

PVP: In this case though, the snobbishness of the Webcomic community isn't justified. Webcomic fans love to shit on poor ol' PVP mainly I think because it reads very much like something you could get in your paper (except with more dick jokes). That enough is apparently enough to get some people to turn their noses up in disgust, ignoring that it's actually a rock solid, funny comic whose cast is always very consistently characterized. All in all it's a nice well-done nod to the newspaper comics that were the forbearers of today's webcomics.

White Ninja Comics: This comic is basically all the ideas other cartoonists have when they're sitting around but then dismiss because they're just too stupid. White Ninja instead runs with these hilarious/idiotic ideas and somehow it all works amazingly. All the other cartoonists are jealous as hell.

Wapsi Square: A truly unique creation that revolves around demons, ancient Aztec mysticism and lots and lots of cute girls. I'll admit I mostly read it for the art. Paul Taylor does some of the best girl art around...it's very highly stylized and yet somehow his girls seem more alive and true to life than most more realistic art.

Nedroid: A master of doing more with less. His jokes are usually wonderfully simple and understated, yet hilarious. His art is reduced to as few lines as possible, but it's still amazingly expressive. I want this guy's talent.

Liberty Meadows: Hot chicks and funny animals...it's my 2 favourite things to draw and it's Frank Cho's too.

Zits: A funny well-drawn newspaper strip. It really does capture teenage life pretty well...although it is held back somewhat by the content restrictions of syndicated newspaper comics.

Slylock Fox and Comics for Kids: What? Why are you looking at me like that? I've always enjoyed this feature since I was a kid and I still like it. It's filled with funny little bits of subversive humor, as is the case with any good children's entertainment. In our world of Teletubbies and Barney it's nice to see some decent quality children's entertainment is still being produced.

Pooch Cafe: Really sharp and somewhat edgy writing that would be at home on a show like the Simpsons. The spiritual successor to Snoopy.

Blondie: This old standby has been going almost 80 years and it's still one of the best comics in the paper. Yeah that's right, I like Blondie...whatcha got to say about that? The addition of John Marshall as new artist seems to have livened things up as well as it's been particularly good as of late. Oh, and that Blondie is still a fox for a woman who should be over 100 by now.

Overboard: Terrible art, but nonetheless somehow charming strip about Pirates.

Herman: Greatest comic of all time. That's all there needs to be said.

*Phew*...this went longer than I thought it would! Anyways, I'm sure I've missed something, but I hit most of the major bases. So folks, now that you know what I read, what do you read (aside from this fine strip of course)?

Oh and I'll probably be adding a new writing section to the site fairly soon...I'll collect together links to various freelance pieces I've done around the Internet in one place and probably add some original stuff as well. Hopefully the Zoology site can become a central place to find all my various projects in the future.

Hey, wheresa my Monday comic?

Sorry guys, Comicgenesis is experiencing turbulence again so I couldn't post Monday's comic properly. As always when Comicgen is having problems you can access the latest Zoology comics Here.

Also I realize I have kind of fallen off the blogging wagon over the past month. I was too preoccupied over the holidays to write anything here and I guess I just got out of practice. I'll be updating more often starting now though as I'm looking to whip things into shape around here over the coming months.

Oh, and I got a number of shirts delivered from the fabulous Zoology Shop recently and they're really nice. The printing quality is very sharp and the shirts are nice quality. Order a shirt and spread the word of Zoology on your heaving chest and/or bosom. It should be noted though that the sizes for the shirts are quite generous so when in doubt about what size to get, go for the smaller size rather than the larger.

That's all for now...I'll post something more interesting over the next few days.