Latest Rantings, Ravings and Vital Information

Sorry Guys...

2009-04-07T01:39:00.002-05:00

Monday's comic is going to be late. I tried to get something done, but I'm sick as a dog and it just wasn't happening. Look for it Tuesday evening instead!

I've had just about enough of this Comicgenesis jazz...

2009-03-17T16:35:00.003-05:00

Sorry Monday's comic was so late. Comicgenesis was down last night so I couldn't upload it.

Which brings me to the fact that I'm getting pretty tired of this Comicgen bidness and would like to start hosting myself. At this point cost isn't really an issue (I get enough readers to probably cover hosting costs with ads) it's that I have no website programming knowledge. Updating and maintaining an archive is all automated on Comicgen (well, except when it doesn't work right half the time). I wouldn't know how to do that on my own.

If there's anyone out there with any website programming abilities who would like to help, let me know in the comments or in an email. Or maybe there's a site that explains this stuff so I could do it myself that you could point me towards?

Gah!

2009-02-12T17:52:00.002-06:00

So, I stayed up late last night finishing up the comic, I pushed the update button then stumbled off to bed, assuming that it would actually update like it was supposed to. Silly me!

Gah!

Well anyways, the comic's up now.

Ignore that name change! Also, I'm writing somewhere new...

2009-02-10T17:25:00.005-06:00

Some of you may have thought you saw a comic where everyone referred to "Dunston" instead of "Gunston" go up late Monday. Well you didn't...it was an ILLUSION, I swear.

Also I've started doing some writing for Gameist.com lately. It's a new site that just starting up, so go check 'em out if you're interested in video games and related nerdy subjects. The two articles I've written for them can be found Here and Here.

New Year, New Site Design!

2009-01-15T05:47:00.003-06:00

Hey look! The site no longer looks like it was designed by a stupid person! There's more to click on and yet it's looks more organized...go figure! I figured out how to do an image map in html to get this to work (I'm so proud).

Anyways, what do you folks think? Having any problems with anything? Let me know!

...annnd We're Up to Date.

2009-01-07T23:42:00.003-06:00

Sorry 'bout the missing comic Monday. I was on a trip and not being particularly bright I thought I'd be back Monday, when in fact I ended up returning home Tuesday. Anyways, I updated today with both a Monday and Wednesday comic, so don't forget to hit that "Previous" button!

Also, I have a new article up at Cracked (I'm starting to come off as a communist or something with all these economic themed ones).

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T02:36:00.002-06:00

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!

2008-12-16T15:55:00.003-06:00

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...

2008-12-13T05:13:00.002-06:00

...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!

2008-11-21T17:54:00.004-06:00

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?

2008-11-18T06:01:00.002-06:00

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...

2008-10-30T05:12:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-08-16T05:21:00.005-05:00

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...

2008-06-24T05:52:00.004-05:00

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!

2008-05-23T19:35:00.004-05:00

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...

2008-04-23T17:04:00.005-05:00

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.

2008-03-26T22:33:00.005-05:00

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!

2008-03-17T18:20:00.002-05:00

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.

2008-02-12T01:46:00.000-06:00

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?

2008-01-29T05:25:00.000-06:00

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.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T17:11:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas to all you fine Zoology readers! And if you don't celebrate Christmas...Happy Tuesday! Hope it's one of the better Tuesdays you have this year.

Today's comic is a bit of a callback to last year's baby Baker Christmas storyline, and it'll make a bit more sense if you're read it. So if you haven't, go check it out. It starts here...

http://thezoo.comicgenesis.com/d/20061211.html

(What a difference a year has made in the quality of art in the strip).

Whoops, sorry for the lateness...with some Christmassy ramblings!

2007-12-20T05:22:00.000-06:00

Sorry about Wednesday's comic being a bit late...totally my fault. I entered the wrong date for the comic so it wouldn't update (apparently there's no 13th month, who knew?)

Anyways, that Christmas spirit is in the air ain't it? Traditionally I've done a big storyline leading up to Christmas that climaxes somewhere around the day itself...didn't happen this year though. The holiday season just came up on us too fast and I didn't have anything formed in my ahead aside from the Rose storyline (and I thought that one was a bit too sad to use for the the big Christmas storyline). So instead it's short mini-storylines and one-off comics for a while...probably no extended storylines until the New Year.

Oh and hey, the zookeepers are back after not being around for a while. Sometimes it's nice to be able to draw some humans instead of all those darn animals.

Hey look, I changed the site layout slightly! Also, buy my junk!

2007-12-11T05:42:00.000-06:00

Well, the title pretty much says it all, but I'll prattle on for a while anyways. This site has had the same basic layout for 2 1/2 years now with the only major change being me eventually getting rid of the ugly black background and adding an actual logo about a year back. Well gosh-darnit, I finally decided to open up my cutting edge HTML editing program (aka Notepad) and change things up.

The site's even more simple and compact than before...heck, if the resolution on your computer is high enough it probably all fits on a single screen. Ditched some of the useless links down at the bottom (no more 3 year old sketches or links to a non-functioning messageboard anymore) and added a link to the shop.

Speaking of which...got my first sale the other day! Don't know who was responsible, but thanks. If you're reading this, tell me what you think of your shirt when you get it! And the rest of you folks, buy something won't you? I'll totally be your best friend if you do...and remember, for a bit of extra money I'll design you whatever kinda shirt you want. How can you say no to an offer like that?

Finally, who knows how to get rid those ugly blue/purple borders around the Shop and Links buttons? Yeah, I'm really that hopeless with html...the fact that I got this exceedingly simple website working is in itself somewhat of a miracle.

Zoology Merchandise is Here! Nope, I didn't forget!

2007-12-07T22:18:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I managed to put together a little Zoology store. Sorry, nothing fancy like plushies or anything yet...so far it's just shirts, hoodies and the like. I'll try to get other stuff done eventually! Right now there's 5 designs. In the next day or so I'm also going to put up colour versions of the Baker and Shandy w/Logo designs and the Angsty design. I tried to make everything as cheap as possible so a shirt won't put you in the poorhouse.

If there's a certain design/shirt style combination you don't see, just ask me via email or in the comments here and I'll make something up for you. You might even be able to convince me to draw you a custom shirt design if you want (although it will cost you more than a standard shirt).

The Zoology Giftshop!

Click Here to check out what products I can slap Zoology designs on. If you have any requests, just ask!

And hey, if you buy something send me feedback telling me what you though of your purchase once you get it. I'd love to get a picture of your modelling your shirt if you're the brave type.

Get Today's (Dec. 5th) Comic Here!

2007-12-05T19:59:00.000-06:00

Yeah, Comicgenesis is throwing fits again and isn't updating right (guess you get what you pay for huh?). Hopefully today's comic is up by the end of the day, but if it's not you can check it out at the link below...

http://www.comicssherpa.com/site/feature?uc_comic=cssdi&uc_full_date=20071205

You can pretty much always check out the latest comic over at the Comicsherpa site if I'm having trouble updating here at Comicgenesis, so keep that in mind.

New Profiles Galore!

2007-11-30T05:41:00.000-06:00

I've been kind of slacking with the profiles...I had originally wanted to get all the major characters up quickly. So to make up for it, here's 3 at once!

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

Name: Angsty
Species: Reef Octopus (Octopus Briarius)
Astrological Sign: Scorpio
Favorite TV Show: America's Funniest Home Videos

A somewhat self-loathing individual with nerdish leanings that has surprisingly found himself in his first relationship and isn’t quite sure how to deal with either the girl or the fact that he’s suddenly finding himself feeling, you know, happy. For a guy whose greatest joy used to be feeling sorry for himself it’s a bit of a dilemma. Angsty sometimes likes to project an air of snobbish intellectual superiority when he’s dealing with people, but in actuality he’s a rather naïve and sweet guy underneath.

Name: Laura
Species: Pacific Red Octopus (Octopus Reubescens)
Astrological Sign: Aquarius
Secret Shame: She's a reformed goth.

A girl who likes a challenge, Laura is intent on bringing out the good in Angsty and not letting him wallow in self-pity where he’s comfortable. She's had more dating experience than Angsty but it's hard to say how much more because she's not exactly a social butterfly herself. It may seem like she treats Angsty harshly sometimes, but she does it because she cares. Well, that and the fact that she seems to have some anger management issues. She also had the cutest hairdo you’re likely to ever see on an octopus.

Name: Rose
Species: It's another sheep!
Breed: German Pomeranian
Astrological Sign: Aries
Favorite Food: Grapes

Rose met Baker when he accidentally blinded himself temporarily by staring into the sun, although Baker never got to see her face-to-face before she was whisked away to another pen (he did see her on the cover for the 2007 zoo calendar though). Kind, warm and helpful, Rose made the decision on her own that she would nurse the disabled Baker back to health. Surprised by her unexpected attention and interest, Baker was wary of Rose at first, but she quickly grew on him. They have become pen pals since and Rose has made a number of attempts to escape her pen and meet up with Baker again.

I'll be posting more profiles in the future and you'll be able to access them all at This Link!

Happy Birthday to Me (and Sorry for the Lateness).

2007-11-22T04:21:00.000-06:00

Sorry about Wednesday's comic being a bit late, but it was my birthday and it's kind of hard to say "opening presents and eating cake is going to have to wait...cartoon sheep need shading!".

In case you're wondering I'm 26, which means I'm now closer to 30 and 20...in other words I'm an old man. On the upside at least being a senior citizen now means I get a discount at the movies.

In birthday related news that ties in with the comic, I got me a Wacom tablet as a gift. I've been wanting one of these for a while, if only so I can say I have one. You can't be a webcomic artist these days and not have a Wacom tablet. It's nothing too fancy, just a medium-sized Bamboo Fun (I realize that sounds like a toy you'd give a preschooler, but the Bamboo tablets are actually a replacement/continuation/improvement of the Graphire line).

^ I realize the above paragraph will make absolutely no sense to most of you with the exception of a small handful of my readers who also draw comics. To put it simply I got me a new toy that lets me draw on the computer without a mouse.

I've been playing around with the tablet quite a bit (and shaded today's comic with it). Maybe I'll post some sketches I did with it tomorrow or something, but for now I have to go to bed. Us old folks can't be staying up all night.

Check Out Some More Non-Zoology Comedic Stylings Written by Yours Truly

2007-11-20T17:35:00.000-06:00

I put my rapier sharp wit to use and wrote another article for Cracked that went up today. As before, it's more of a PG-13 than the usual G/PG goings-on around here, so beware (heh, I'm lookin' at you Shine!).

http://www.cracked.com/article_15669_10-most-insane-medical-practices-in-history.html

Here's my first article again if you missed it...

http://www.cracked.com/article_15628_5-creepiest-urban-legends-that-happen-be-true.html

If you have a Digg account then give 'em a Digg...I'd appreciate it!

Also I'm still looking for you reader's imput on possibility of Zoology merchanise! Leave a comment on that here...

http://zoologycomic.blogspot.com/2007/11/seeking-you-fine-readers-imput.html

*Phew*, that's a lot of linking. I think I have to go lay down.

Seeking you Fine Reader's Input!

2007-11-14T02:27:00.000-06:00

So, these days the comic has been averaging about 3000 page views a day. While obviously nothing astounding compared to some other sites that definitely adds up when you think about it, plus Zoology has reached that level without me ever paying for advertising or even really aggressively promoting it. The popularity of the strip is based pretty much entirely of the quality of the comic (whatever that may be) and my various writings around the web that link back to it, which I'm kind of proud of. I've also been pleased with how this blog has gone...past attempts to do messageboards and the like have pretty much been a flop, but this is working out pretty well and I'm getting more and more people commenting as they notice it exists.

Anywho, to get to the point...maybe it's finally time to try out making some Zoology merchanise. Of course a lot of people set up stores for their comic before they have 5 strips up, but I've avoided it until now because, well, that's pretty freakin' lame. But maybe now it's finally time to start squeezing some cash out of this operation.

Seriously though, I'm under no false-illusion that I'm going to be able to grow fat off Zoology merchandise profits anytime soon...really I'm just floating the idea for you readers more than anything. Is this something any of you out there would actually be interested in? I don't want to put the effort into putting a store together and have nobody ever buy anything.

So basically a) are you interested in Zoology merchandise and b) if you are what would you want? What characters do ya want and what do ya what 'em slapped on? Thanks for your input!

Random Zoological Musings

2007-11-02T18:22:00.000-05:00

Hmmm, been a while since I updated this thing.

Anyways, today's comic was the 400th Zoology strip! Woooooo! Party on down! Well actually, it's not much of a milestone...I'll make a bigger deal when the strip hits 500 strips.

I realized as I was drawing this strip that every year Zoology has been in existence I've written a strip about the first snowflake of the season falling...it's sort of become an unintentional tradition. What can I say? Living where I do the first snowflake is a big deal. Speaking of which, where do you fine readers imagine the zoo in Zoology is exists? I've never made it clear (although it's obviously somewhere with long snowy winters) so I've wondered where the readers imagine it exits.

Oh, and I like the Shandy drawing in this strip...don't you? Very cute, but where exactly did she plug in that hair dryer? A mystery for you.

Check Out Some Non-Zoology Comedic Stylings Written by Yours Truly

2007-10-20T05:05:00.000-05:00

Just can't get enough comedic goodness from me? Well I recently wrote a Halloweeny article for Cracked.com...you can find it right Here.

I don't think many actual kids read this comic, but just incase...watch out! The article's at more of a PG-13 level as opposed to the G/PG level I keep things around here. I'm sure most of you will survive just fine though.

Do you Digg? Well then Digg my article right Here.

So far the article's getting a lot of good feedback. What do my loyal Zoology fans think? Leave me a comment and tell me!

Ever so sorry...

2007-10-16T02:31:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the lateness of Monday's strip...when you combine my pickiness (I actually scrapped and redrew a panel which I rarely do) and Comicgenesis glitches and you get a comic that's a few hours late.

Hope folks are enjoying the Halloween storyline so far. It's kind of atypical for a Zoology storyline, but hey...maybe I'll become a destination for goths with all the darkness and death.

Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography: A Review

2007-10-13T16:59:00.000-05:00

I actually read this one back in early summer...a family friend who works for Harper-Collins sent me a advance copy. I was planning to get a jump on everyone and review it early, but procrastination prevailed and thus here I am reviewing it 6 days after it's release date. Oh well.

Anyways, the book covers Schulz's entire life from birth to death. It starts on an absolutely heartbreaking note as Schulz's dying mother says her final words to Schulz and he is then immediately shipped off to war. The book grabs you with those first few pages and keeps a steady hold on your attention most of the way until the end (no small feat considering it's a 600-page biography about a guy who spent most of his life in front of a drawing board making funny pictures).

The Schulz we see in this biography is a fascinating figure. On the one hand, as an aspiring cartoonist, I couldn't help but be inspired. This is a guy who became the most successful cartoonist in history through sheer force of will and the dedication to doing something different. He was also a guy who, due to his own insecurities and mental problems, was never able to truly enjoy his success. You actually get to feel as if you know Schulz personally by the end of the book, and all too often the man can be downright frustrating.

Another thing I liked about the book is that it's not just a biography of Schulz, but of his comic strip as well. With every chapter in his personal life that's detailed, a chapter in the development of his strip is detailed as well and it's quite amazing how much the two intersect. Schulz drew from his own life more than he'd ever admit when he was alive and the book helpfully uses real Peanuts strips to illustrate this. It seems rare that there was a major event in Schulz's life that didn't get translated into his comic world.

The book isn't perfect though...it's perhaps a bit too long. Schulz is an interesting guy, but he didn't lead nations or do anything particularly adventurous or world changing. Certain points and stories get repeated, maybe 600 pages wasn't strictly necessary. Also the author sometimes gets a bit too deep into psychoanalyzing Schulz...providing theories for Schulz's behavior that he couldn't have actually had proof of. That said, on the whole this was a very enjoyable read and one I'd highly recommend to anyone trying to get into the wild and wacky world of commicking.

As an aside, it seems unfortunately the angle most mainstream media outlets have taken in regards to his biography is "SCHULZ REVEALED AS DEPRESSED BITTER WOMANIZER! CHILDREN OUTRAGED!". This is sensationalistic and unfair. Yes, Schulz was often depressed...is this really a revelation? This is the guy who created Charlie Brown for cripes sakes. He wasn't always depressed though...particularly in his later years, during his 2nd (and far more successful) marriage. Bitter? Not particularly, no more than any average person I would think. Womanizer? Unless he had a secret stash of women the author of the biography didn't uncover, Schulz had 3 sexual relationships in his entire life. What a playboy. And as for his children being outraged, I don't see how that could be. Much of the information in the book was gathered through first-hand interviews with his children...the book was written over 7 years in close association with the family. If they wanted the book to be nothing but glowing praise they should have bit their tongues.

Anyways...ignore the trumped up "controversy" and buy the book!

http://www.amazon.com/Schulz-Peanuts-Biography-David-Michaelis/dp/0066213932/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1044751-9812017?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192312775&sr=8-1

Family Reunions...

2007-10-09T00:57:00.000-05:00

Should Baker meet his family again?

That's a question I've been mulling over in my mind pretty much since I first drew his mom and siblings back last year. Like I said in the last post, it just seems natural to me that at some point you have to do a baby/kid version of your characters and when you do that you also kind of have to show their family. Can't have baby Baker raised by wolves!

So since then I've had various ideas pop into my head from time to time...one of his family members could show up at the zoo, or maybe Baker to go on a quest to rediscover his roots. I think these could be good stories, but at the same time Baker having to leave his family gives his backstory a nice tragic little twist. It also sort of establishes Shandy and others as sort of a surrogate family instead of mere friends.

Any of you fine readers have an opinion on the subject? Leave me a comment...help chart the course of this here comical strip!

Apologies and Bonus Ramblings!

2007-10-04T00:09:00.001-05:00

Sorry Wednesday's comic was a bit late...there was a bit of an ink related disaster and a couple panels had to be redrawn. My most humble apologies!

So anyways, as you may notice I'm kicking off a month-long Halloween themed storyline. I've resisted doing anything like this before because quite frankly I think Halloween has become overblown in recent years. Yeah sure, I loved hauling 30 pounds of candy home in a sack when I was a kid, but even then I was under no false impression that Halloween was an important holiday...it was the day where I put on a mask and begged strangers for candy, nothing worth making a huge deal of. Apparently the opinion on Halloween has changed amongst a good slice of society because the amount of Halloween junk they try to push on you these days is rivaled only by Christmas it seems. Talk of Halloween starts almost as soon as October begins (or even earlier) and of course the "Lol...tradition is uncool man" crowd the proliferates on the Internet love it precisely because it's so meaningless and are in the process of beating it to death like they have pirates, zombies, pictures of cats or whatever thing we're supposed to be enjoying ironically at the moment.

And uh...now I guess I'm on the Halloween bandwagon too. Seriously though, I think it's going to be a really good story, so I thought I'd stop being curmudgeon about the Halloween thing and just go for it.

Oh, and the story also marks the return of lil' Baker! I grew up in an era where those in charge of making cartoons were so creatively bankrupt that the only idea they had for new shows was to take an established cast of characters and make them kids or babies...and thus Saturday mornings were packed with shows like "A Pup Named Scooby Doo", "Muppet Babies" and "Tiny Toons". So to me it just seems natural...if you create a cartoon character you have to someday do a kid/baby version of them. There's simply no way around it. While we're on the subject, how adorable would baby Shandy be? Very adorable I think...I need to do a baby Shandy storyline.

Anyways, that's enough rambling for one day. I wouldn't want to spoil you.

Dear Hollywood: Stop Making Movies that Make Me Want to Throw Up.

2007-09-29T03:48:00.000-05:00

Time for a completely non-comic related rant.

So anyways, after reading the title I’m sure you think this is going to be some sort of lecture about how Hollywood movies just aren’t nearly intellectual enough for a genius like me or are morally reprehensible filth and that’s why they make me sick. That’s not that case…I happen to like stupid filth. No, more and more movies these days literally make me feel ill…to the point where I have to leave the theatre and feel lousy for an hour or more afterwards.

Apparently it’s recently been concluded that actual skill and thought is somewhat overrated when it comes to directing movies. Instead they’ve decided the thing to do is give people handheld video cameras then have them run around the set at random as the actors deliver their lines, shooting footage that bounces and shakes wildly, and zooms in and out on the actor’s faces with no rhyme or reason. And this is just when they’re talking…if something actually starts to happen, forget about it. I could throw a running video camera down a flight of stairs and get something that’s easier to follow than the action scenes in some of these shaky-cam movies.

I’m not sure what the point of this is. I mean, these films still cost 10s of millions of dollars…why would you want to spend all that and end up with something that looks like a home movie? The other day I watched “Once Upon a Time in the West” by Sergio Leone again. That movie is a towering monument of awesomeness. Each and every shot is a beautifully framed work of art…Leone can make two guys staring at each other intently more thrilling that an entire Jason Bourne movie (which are horrible shaky-cam offenders. If they weren’t the only movies still giving the lovely Julia Stiles work, I wouldn’t watch ‘em).

But the worst thing about these movies is that they actually make me feel sick. I’d never ever had this happen to me before, but in the last year I’ve had to get up and take a breather from no less than 3 movies because I thought I was in imminent danger of dousing the person sitting in front of me in stomach acid. I thought maybe I was just over sensitive (I’ve always had a problem with motion sickness) but reading around online, I’ve found this is a common problem. Particularly in relation to the latest Jason Bourne movie, I’ve read accounts of women and children suddenly explosively vomiting in the middle of the theatre as they try to watch the film. This wouldn’t fly with anything else. Could you imagine if there was a TV show that made 10 or 20% of the audience physically ill? Or a videogame? They’d get pulled right away…I’m not sure how the movie industry is getting away with it.

So yeah Hollywood, if you could stop making me feel like I have to puke when I pay 8 bucks to watch one of your films, that would be great. Oh…and while you’re at it, no more Rob Schneider movies either. Thanks.

Character Profile: Baker!

2007-09-28T01:22:00.000-05:00

Name: Baker
Species: He’s a sheep!
Breed: Poll Merino
Astrological Sign: Scorpio
Beauty Secret: Weekly hoof pedicures.

The fluffy hero of our scintillating story! Baker lives a quiet and rather dull life, but is actually relatively content with his humdrum existence with one of his few big dreams being to finally defeat the Wall and at last meet up with his dear friend Shandy. Baker loves Shandy but has never met her face to face, and in fact doesn’t even know that she’s actually a monkey (he imagines her to be another sheep like him). Baker has an impressive knack for getting into trouble, often through no fault of his own…a fact that has led to some bouts with depression. Baker was separated from his family while young, had to essentially raise himself and as such tends to internalize his thoughts and feelings and is closed off to even his closest friends to a certain extent. Life in the petting Zoo has steadily become more complicated as Rose, a kind (and cute) girl sheep, arrived on the scene a while back…Baker finds himself drawn to her in a way he perhaps hasn’t felt with anyone before, even Shandy. Baker’s rogues gallery of villains also expands as he not only has to contend with his enemy the Wall but the cute-but-sadistic lemur Mortimer, which whom he seems to be establishing a not so friendly rivalry.

I'll be posting more profiles in the future and you'll be able to access them all at This Link!

I'm in the Mood for some High-minded Literary Discussion.

2007-09-24T03:21:00.000-05:00

I read (or had read to me) most of the children’s classics as a kid. Narnia, the Hobbit, Huckleberry Finn, Roald Dahl's books and so on...and yet I can tell you with 100% certainty that they all paled in comparison to a much greater work of literature that would show up at our house each year in late September. The Sears Christmas catalogue.

The part that mattered to me was of course the back 30 or 40 pages devoted to toys and videogames. I would pore over every single item, examine the pictures under a microscope and read the descriptions until I knew them by heart. I'm not afraid to admit I was even familiar with the bright pink pages devoted to Barbie, pooping plastic dolls and other girl toys. Even boring stuff like furniture, towels and home appliances got a look...everything except clothes. If I was caught looking at the clothes page my parents might get ideas and nothing was more disappointing than shaking a present under the tree and hearing that tell-tale muffled "clothes" sound.

Unfortunately I don't get the catalogue anymore. One more reason I'd like to go back to being 10. I used to draw cooler stuff back then too...less cute animals, more Batman punching guys in the face and Batman punching guys in the face pretty much trumps everything.

"I wonder what kind of sheep she is?" "I wonder what kind of monkey he is?"

2007-09-22T01:56:00.000-05:00

I'm about to share with you a deep dark secret never before revealed on this site. Zoology isn't the first comic I created...yes, earlier in life I had a torrid affair with another comic strip. Me and Zoology have an understanding about this.

Here it is.

(Note: Don't bother with the archive dropdown, it no longer works for some reason...just use the next/previous buttons).

"Of Monkeys and Mutton" was the precursor to Zoology...Zoology Beta if you will. Unlike Zoology that has a very loose format, following a number of different characters or groups of characters, Of Monkeys and Mutton followed Baker and Shandy only.

Of Monkeys and Mutton also had a really cheesy title...I still cringe to write it. There's a reason why I went with the ultra-simple "Zoology" for my follow up attempt at a comic strip.

I thought going for a very restrictive gimmick/concept for the strip would really get my creative juices flowing and masterful sequential art would be flowing from my pen like nobody's business as a result. Didn't really work out that way. It was too restrictive, and as you can see within about a dozen strips I was already introducing new characters, thus straying outside the original concept.

Still, out of this failed attempt that didn't even make it 20 strips, blossomed a much better one that's gone nearly 400. Shandy and Baker arguably remain the heart of Zoology and this is where they started (they certainly look different these days though...particularly Shandy. She must be hitting the gym, because she looked pretty stickish back in the day, didn't she?).

Character Profile: Shandy!

2007-09-20T19:05:00.000-05:00

Name: Shandy
Species: Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta)
Astrological Sign: Aries
Favorite Foods: Nachos, cheese, nachos and cheese or cheese and nachos.

Baker’s friend from the other side of the wall. She doesn’t get along with the other monkeys in her cage particularly well, so hangs out and talks to Baker instead. Shandy’s feelings for him don’t seem to be as strong as his for her…but despite her sometimes cold treatment of Baker, she will occasionally let slip something that reveals that she cares more about him than she lets on. Shandy may sometimes seem to have a silly, frivolous personality, but she’s actually quite smart, tough and stubborn when she wants to be. Her self esteem can be kind of low sometimes and in fact she wishes she was one of the human's who pass her cage and thus tries to dress, eat and act like them. She also happens to be a dancin' machine and when nobody's around to hear she likes to sing.

I'll be posting more profiles in the future and you'll be able to access them all at This Link!

This Title is for the Birds...(check out that pun, no wonder I write a comic).

2007-09-19T01:30:00.000-05:00

There's been a lot of random birds in Zoology over the years and yet I've never actually made a reoccurring character out of any of them. It just seems natural to have them appear in my mind...no matter where you are outside there's a bird watching overhead somewhere isn't there? Plotting perhaps.

They usually show up in Zoology in order to provide an outside perspective or sarcastic comment on the wackiness that goes on below in the zoo. Well, that or the time I had one with bird flu show up out of nowhere. Not sure what I was thinking that week (other than I was tired of hearing bird flu stories on the news).

Anyways, the point of all this is I kind of like the mailbird. I think he may have what it takes to be a reoccurring character. Besides, he solves various writing dilemmas as now animals in different parts of the zoo can freely communicate (well, not exactly freely).

Of course I don't exactly need a new character or anything...too many of the darn things running around already.

A Sheep by any Other Name...

2007-09-18T02:50:00.000-05:00

So, as you may have noticed Rose the Sheep has shown up again after not appearing for a while. I like Rose...I think she's one of the cutest character designs I've come up with, but a number of people have told me they don't like her. You shouldn't let her hear you say that, she has a bit of a temper.

I think a lot of this stems from the fact that people see her as "competition" for Shandy. I know everyone (well, everyone out of the 10 people who read the comic) likes Shandy, but there's no need to hate on poor Rose! Her relationship with Baker is different than Shandy's (and I admit it's my fault for maybe not making the differences clear enough). She does make life at the petting zoo more complicated though.

Anywho, something fairly big is going to happen with her sometime down the line. Maybe she'll walk off into the sunset for good...or maybe it'll be the opposite and she'll be around a lot more often! Who knows? Well I do, but I'm not telling.

Look at me! I'm on the Bandwagon!

2007-09-18T02:26:00.000-05:00

So...I've got my ear on the pulse of today's youth, and in between discussions of rap music and baggy pants I keep hearing about this new thing called "Blogging" and since Zoology is always on the cutting edge of Internet trends I thought I'd give it a shot.

To be serious, I'd originally intended the "Rantings, Ravings and Vital Information" section of the site to be Blog-like, but it's such a pain in the arse entering every message using raw HTML in Notepad that I only ended up updating the thing every 2 months or something (yes, that's right...I updated this site with raw HTML in Notepad for 2 years).

Anyways, I know this will be a letdown since I'm a fascinating guy, but I won't be talking about my personal life here. I will be updating with the various thought processes that go into making Zoology though, as well as various completely random musings I'm sure (which may or may not have anything to do with the comic).

And hey, feel free to leave comments! I value any feedback I can get...positive or negative, it doesn't matter, just give me the attention I desperately crave.