Hey everyone, sorry the site went down yesterday. Apparently I need to check ALL of my emails more frequently. Had my parents visiting and did not see that the site was down because I had not renewed my hosting. It’s taken care of and everything is dandy again. I’ve seen a lot more people have discover Way of the Undead Fist and have registered as new users. I wanted to say welcome and sorry about the snafu. I’m currently prepping some more “How I draw videos” to run during my hiatus coming up. Also while I’m kicking ‘A’ on Chapter 2. Your readership means a lot to me, so thanks for coming out. =)
Some of you might think that I have something against using color. Well that’s not the case. I love to digitally paint. You can even see examples on my Deviant art page. The truth is that it’s just too long a process and I don’t have the time. I’d rather post more black & white story than spend time adding in Color. Even though it is hella fun. This was an experiment to see if I could work faster with color and have a better product. For a moment I thought I could… then the following page did not come out well. I got stuck, frustrated and ultimately realized that I needed to go back to B&W. Now that I have the Cintiq up and working for the Digital Inks, limited color might be coming. But only if it does not impact speed. Which is the ultimate issue here.
Incidentally Happy 88th to Actor James Hong. Mr. Hong has played many roles over his career, but for me, none so noted as the Villainous Lo’Pan from Big Trouble in Little China. That movie was a favorite of mine and was part of the inspiration for this Web Comic. The idea of Chinese Sorcery and Black Magic really gave me the idea for the backdrop of WOTUF. I remember when I was playing the White Wolf Mage the Acension Roleplaying game I actually came across LoPan’s fortress in one of the Source books. I always wanted to run a Big Trouble in Little China sequel as a Mage game. I thought it would be awesome. Bring in Egg Shen and Jack Burton… sweet…
Hey everyone! Just posting some more pencils. These are from Page 36. Backgrounds weren’t a big thing here. Using the ole talking heads, punctuated with a dramatic bird’s eye view of magic. It was important to recognize that these Zombies are more driven on Sorcery than Science. I thought Chinese Necromancy sounded awfully cool. But I still wanted some connection with the Science driven zombies of Today. One of the things I implemented was the Head kill shot. If you notice the destruction of the brain or spine is what stops these Zombies. This particular one was able to be reanimated by summoning the spirit of it’s Jiangshi Demon King creator into the intact head and spine. Fun huh? I’m exploring these Jiangshi as thralls to their creator as well, creating a mystical or psychic connection. However keeping the rules loose is good early on in a comic. It allows you to explore the world as you are creating it, and add things to keep it fresh for me as well as you guys. I can’t wait til you get to read what’s coming next. =)
Don’t forget the Hiatus that is starting in late March. I will have some making comic videos to release over that time. And don’t be afraid to check out my Patreon page. I will have some more things to post there as well. =)
Hey guys, Thought I’d spend some time posting pencils pages and the like. I draw all of my pencils in Red. The reason is that it’s extremely easy for me to take that color out in Photoshop. So when I finish my inks, I don’t have to spend hours erasing my pencil lines. I just click a button and they’re gone. =)
We are getting very close to the end of Chapter 1. In fact its next week. It’s been quite a blur. Between being a Stay at Home Dad, a part-time Barista, Freelance Artist and drawing this book I can’t remember when I’ve been more busy and also more fulfilled. However I have not been able to keep up the pace with the release of this book. With Health Insurance at a precarious and unpredictable crossroads, holding onto my Starbucks job is more important to my family than ever. I do not wish to compromise the quality of the Artwork nor the speed at which I release it. So I’m going to take a 2 month Hiatus to build back up my buffer of pages. I want to have the pages done so that I can focus on taking care of my family rather than worrying if I can get enough of the Comic done that week.
If this interruption of your regularly scheduled Kung Fu Madness is as upsetting to you as it is to me, please feel free to donate to my Patreon account. Money goes to Daycare and Nanny services so I can do more work. And I’m doing my part to try to speed up the process here too. I recently purchased a Cintinq and now Digitally inking this book. It’s taking a little time to learn, but I can see a lot of places I can pick up some speed here and there.
I have done a short epilogue that will continue for a couple of weeks. The final day before the Hiatus will be March 21st. I’ll continue posting at least updates at least once a week. Pencils pages like this one, Making of Videos, character sketches and hints and discussions about what’s coming up. My plan is to start posting again in June. Which will make it one year since I began releasing Material.
I want to thank everyone for reading. This really has been one the things I am most proud of. It’s been a true pleasure making this book and sharing it with you all. I hope you all come back and see what future adventures Hu and his companions get into.
Hey Everyone, How I draw episode 1 is up and in the ‘Tutorials’ section of the website. Just a preview of what I’m doing with the comic. So if you’re curious in watching me draw or like listening to comic creators drone on about their craft and gain some insight into what’s going on in Way of the Undead Fist, check it out. =) This is really a test episode. The later updates are at a much higher rez and at a better angle. Also if you do enjoy it and want to not only see more, have more step by step instructions and even pick the type of material being drawn then don’t forget to sign as a Patreon. Members get access to more tutorials as well as get to name the subject matter of the next tutorial. Just click on the Support on Patreon button and sign up. All proceeds go to keeping me drawing this book. =)