Terrestrial
Terrestrial is © BW Swartz
Genre:
Science Fiction, Action/Adventure
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7558
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Follow the path of Pythro, a Meekado Ritualist of the Terrestrial Order. This group of special individuals is trained to promote and maintain a peaceful coexistence between the sapient races and the Inua (powerful beings that inhabit the natural elements of air, water and earth). But peace is easier said than done and traversing the web of conflicts that cover this world will challenge Pythro's faith. From what he believes to the truths he discovers, Pythro will find himself at the heart of a mystery that could change the world.
this is really very excellent. i don't care what you were up against, this shoulda won.
This is a really cool comic. Too bad I missed the competition, I probably would have thrown in my vote. Very solid and ambitious.
Adam
this is so beautiful - hope to see more from you, earthling!!
Man, sorry I'm coming late to the party, but this is an amazing comic!
Bryy Miller: Glad to hear it, thanks!
Gnar Duce: Thank you for the kind words.
bongosnotbombs: Thanks!
frequentcontributer: It was a little tough to fit this story into 8 pages, I am glad you enjoyed it so much. Thank you!
This comic is AMAZING. It has so much going for it beyond the great art and interesting story. To get it out of the way: My only gripe is that sometimes the word balloons are placed in odd formations, making it confusing to figure out where to read next. Although, since you packed so much plot into 8 pages, a little cramming of the dialogue can be overlooked. I guess my favorite part of this strip is that the characters and world all feel so fleshed out in such a small amount of time. The main character has such a great personality and the plot feels a bit like a detective story told through a fantasy setting. I like how you told one complete story in this submission, even though a lack of a cliffhanger might make readers less interested in continuing the story. Perfection!
Very original comic. I like it very much.
Great Art/Look. Lots of Good Story here, also. It is fun to have alot to read, sometimes. Your use of color and transparency on your voice balloons worked great. Strong Characters. Great Comic, Keep it up!
Also, major points for making th main a Meerkat. Along with Azue's quasi-Megalodon, you have won a reader.
griffmmn: So do I, time to bang the war drums!
Christurk: Thanks and I couldn't agree more.
C. Edward Sellner: Thank you. It would be nice to set up shop here.
barkmann:Merci beaucoup! I appreciate the support.
mpd57: Thanks for the review and the vote. I got four black cats, yay! That's good right?
Bryy Miller:Thanks?
johnzakour: Thank you, this is a tough month it seems for all involved.
This and Mathema have the art I've enjoyed the most this month. (And it's a strong art month.)
* obviously not
sorry.
I like how you are obviously a Furry.
I've rated you.
And talking of incredible jerks, my review is now available!
http://www.mpd57.blogspot.com
It's exceptional - the strip of course, not my blog!
Absolument Excellent ! Merveilleux travail,
You've got my Vote !
Dear Zuda Competitors/Creators,
I’m the creator of the Zuda fan blog, and I would love to interview all of this month’s creators. If you would be willing to answer 5-10 questions, to be posted on the Zudafan blog, please contact me at: zudafan@gmail.com.
Feel free to check out the blog: zudafan.blogspot.com
Thanks!
~Liz
Very nice. This is one of the ones that makes this a very tough month from my perspective. This is an absolutely beautiful strip and one I hope finds a home here on Zuda!
Wonderful story and art! Haven't read a comic with an animistic background for a while.
I think the characters NEED to be animals in order for the story to work.
Just finished looking at all of this month's entries. Yours is clearly the best all-around story. Hope the voters pick up the pace in the last half of this month.
Alright, everybody play nice now.
Moving on...
envious? or are you just an incredible jerk??
Lay off the personal attacks. Just because I don't like it as much as you doesn't make me a jerk. I said alot of positive stuff, and tried to leave constructive criticism. This isn't a perfect comic, and neither hostile character attacks or the passive-agressive tone Oswego Gal took will make me change my mind. I appreciate that you both like this comic a great deal, but you need to appreciate that your opinion is no more valid than anyone elses.
Artists need to be able to accept both positive and negative criticism in order to improve. When someone offers their work to be viewed by the public, the public has every right to "bludgeon it vicisously" if it deserves it, and that is something any artist, especially one like earthling (who is clearly talented and has had time to learn from criticism), should expect when they present their work. Earthling, has been very gracious accepting both types of criticism on this board like a mature artist. I realize you, having no hand in creating the comic, have no reason to treat criticism with maturity. Except, I suppose, that your negative reaction does more to hurt Terrestrial than to help it. I'm sure Earthling is fully capable of defending Terrestrial if its nessecary without your help.
Earthling, the reason I think "why not" is because the anthropomorphic style you used here detracts more from your comic as a whole than it adds. The level of fantasy added by making the characters talking animals is not worth some of the problems with center of balance, facial expressions, and disbelief suspension that I mentioned in my first post. Had these characters been human or human-like I would have had absolutely no criticism about your art, which as I said, is otherwise, excellent. And had you used a softer paintbrush style, I think I would've still be able to overlook those aspects, because the fantasy element would've been worth it.
Hey Earthling! Go take a look at your "Terrestrial" thread
over at the Zuda Message Boards.
kingofsnake - envious? or are you just an incredible jerk?? Earthling you have extreme talent!
Earthling and the other artist in this competition have worked long and hard and have gifted us with the product of their creative abilities. They are entitled to their choice of art stlyle, story and characters. We have been given the privilege to view their efforts and to cast a vote for the one we like best. We are also offered the space to comment on their work but it is inappropriate for any of us to assume we have the right to bludgeon them viciously. I like terrestrial. I found his characters engaging, well drawn and he used a fine eye in posturing Pythro after the Meerkats. The story is refreshing, there is action but not mind numbing violence. The art work and coloring are amazing.
NeutronCrush, Rhiad, trainedmonkey88: Thanks for keeping up with this spectacle.
haiballone: I do like it on the computer but would also love to do a printed version, thanks.
RKB: Thank you for the intense review. As I told famished earlier, I made a decision from the beginning to tell a complete story arc. While it would have been nice to have spread this out over a couple more pages and let it breathe a little more, I am still happy with the results. If you could see my thumbnails for the next 40 pages or so you would see that the pacing is a lot more comfortable.
irishgoddess: It's always a treat to have a blessing from a Goddess, thanks.
kingofsnake: You ask why and I ask why not? I am sorry you did not care for the story.
Firstly let me say that I'm not a fan of anthropromophism, so you may want to factor that in when you read my criticism. The background and speacial effect designs here are excellent. They are really detailed and well colored, kudos. The character art I don't think works nearly as good. Why is it important for them to be animals at all? I think you would've been better off being slightly more cartoony (not a lot, just a little bit) It can't be easy to give animals facial expressions. Also their body shapes are realistic enough that it's awkward that they're standing on two legs, their center of balance wouldn't allow it. Also, they barely have hands enough to hold sticks, let alone weave ornate costumes. Really this is a problem I have with anthropomorphism as a whole, but if they were just a little more cartoonish I'd've been able to suspend doubt. If you were going for the "Redwall" sorta feel, then I think you should've used softer paints. They give that sense of fantasy that sharper art like this really can't capture. The text bubbles are hit and miss, some of them are pretty sharp and work well others seem to be too sharp and kinda slapped together. The story doesn't really grab me. There are a couple fantasy tales this month and this one is probably the least gripping, even though it has the most happen. The other ones focus more on character and I think that generates a stronger response. You're clearly a talented artist, I think some of the decisions you made making this comic didn't work as well as you may have hoped. I also think you are much more talented as an artist than a writer and perhaps should consider working in collaboration with someone on future projects.
Nice job, Little Brother (ya turd!) :D
BW i was really impressed with this comic. Most Zuda comics are 8 page previews and I have no problem with that, but I also don't mind done in 1, more or less complete stories either. The way you set up the tale as a stand alone really helped you stand out this month. Good synopsis, and colors. The writing was very crisp and involving, and the art -design on the animal people- was great as well. 5/5 stars, a fav, and you fighting it out against 3 other comics for my vote this month.
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SCREEN 1 I really enjoyed the different fonts you used for the letters. The script for P's journal, and the word balloons for the plant's -it made it sound different in my head.
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You got a lot of words on the first page, but I don't mind I like to read, and the dialogue was well written. Their conversation on the first page really intro'ed everything you needed to know to get into this other word. The design of the character's reminded me -a little- of an old B&W comic called the last generation.
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1 problem, I think you got hit with the 'only 7 screens left to tell my story panic', it happened to more than 1 comic this month. Panels 3,4,5,6, were pretty damn small. This hurt your -I'll say it again- great art. I know the pendulum pointing was a pretty key point of the story, but breaking it down into so many panels, I think hurt things a bit. Maybe two larger panels, and leave some of the action inbetween in the gutters, would have helped the layout. That being said, I know you only have 8 screens.
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SCREEN 2 I enjoyed the panel layout here, and how pappa goat is so defensive, nice little red herring. His trying to blame someone else, came off as a old gossip, which was a nice touch.
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I also enjoyed your work on the backgrounds, again great art.
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SCREEN 3 You did a really amazing job on the dialogue throughout. P's sorry to interrupt, and this couple bickering, making them seem so human made it easier, to identify with the animal folks. The reader really got to know all the character's personality as well -great writing.
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SCREEN 4 panel 1 is a amazing panel, loved the sun shining behind him. Zuda also did a great job on picking your thumb nail comic pic.
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Loved the different word balloons for the water spirits, and the father river on the way. Kicking a classic romero and juilet vibe.
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I really enjoyed the perspective of P in the distance of panels 3 and 4, great life.
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SCREEN 5 Nice action sequence, but the small panels here cut down on the impact of it. P getting smacked in panel 3 looks weird, the way his head snaps back. i enjoyed the panel layout in panel 4, and the way the sound effects at the bottom lead you into the next page. You also did a great job of ending every page with a mini-cliff-hanger to make the reader want to keep clicking for the next screen.
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SCREEN 6 8 panels cut the impact of the action down greatly, and ham-stringed your art. Panel 1 was very good, and dramatic, but bit-sized portions of action scenes don't really work that well.
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I enjoyed P's power mantra, and the way he used that to distract the mad as hell dad. The way he covered the would be romeo's head in the water bubble, very brutal and direct.
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Showing things moment, to moment with the sling-shot cramped up the works though on this page.
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SCREEN 7 You really did a great job (itty-bitty panels aside), of showing the confrontation here. Telling the story of P's dad was a nice touch, and P solving this problem with his brains instead of brawn was a nice touch. He's a thinking man's hero, and knew he didn't stand a chance against the water spirit, in a one on one fight.
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A very well written screen.
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SCREEN 8 panels 1-3 cutting up 1 panel to help read the words, a nice effect. Also, happy to see the journal entry lead in to the next adventure. Well done panel layout here.
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"Nothing dear" -funny line.
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I really enjoyed it fantastic writing, and very good art, just a few too many tiny panels. Very impressive work.
Sweet! Glad to see this one moving in the right direction!
Incredibly effective at immersing the reader in a completely different world, even just in a few pages. Very rich storytelling indeed! Truth be told, I want to see this printed as a large format hardbound comic book. It warrants the space. It's only weakness is the restrictions of the computer. Great job!
Rank 5!! Great!! Going up!
Yeah! Movin' on up!
bobs yuncle: Unconventional but I like it, thanks!
IanDaffern: Thank you for the kind words. Yes, he is based on a meerkat. The journal font was something I struggled with from the beginning. I wanted a handwritten look that was different enough from the dialogue font.
Well it looks amazing, and it looks like you have a fully realized mythology behind your characters and setting too. Found Pythro to be quite an appealing character too, is he based on a meerkat? It is kind of a lot of concepts to be introduced to right away but I think by the end you've shown how they operate. One design note,I'm not sure if the text on top of the art used for Pythro's monologue worked--it just stood out to me. But otherwise I think you've really got something here.
Huuuummmmmmmmmmmmmm Huuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Huuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm YOUWILLWINYOUWILLWINYOUWILLWIN
Huuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
kai45: Thanks buddy!
NeutronCrush: You made the right decision. Thank you!
Doomcat: Thank you for looking, this is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg.
snailruby: Thanks for the support, honey.
ej87graphics: I'm glad you like it so much. I am trying various marketing methods, not quite sure yet what is working.
Rhiad: Thanks!
stevapalooza: Thanks for the support and sympathy. I wish I knew what the key was to the uber-successful promoting. Loved Jangarr by the way.
JamieRoberts: Thank you for the kind words and the support. There is some 3d involved, I use a lot of different techniques. As for the ranking, stranger things have happened.
This is the last of the entries I've read, for no specific reason. I certainly didn't expect to leave the best for last. Really, you've just demonstrated a total awareness of what a webcomic should be. The first page was a little wordy, but I had a feeling I'd get over that quickly. The art is sublime, with fantastic composition. I assume there's a little 3D involved? Use all the tools at your disposal, I say. It all helps to make a better comic. This deserves to be at the top.
This is in 7th place??? Wow. Zuda never ceases to amaze me. Great stuff! What a fascinating world. Hope this makes more progress as the contest continues.
Very good!
Easily my favorite. Easily. I'm surprised this is not ranked higher. Reminds of Hip Flask with it's lush, rich detail.
Wonderful. You get my vote.
What a richly imagined world! You are very creative :)
Hey Earthling, it was a tough call but you just got my vote!
...
Like Dash said, this is totally 2000 AD, and that's some of
my favorite stuff. This also made me think of one of my
all time favs, Feud from Epic Comics.
This is an awesome read. I really like the fact there is an entire story but yet is still open for more. Great artwork, great writing.
Michael:Thanks, Initially I was worried about comparisons to Re-evolution but I think I was being paranoid.
robot027:Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I am debating on whether I will try and continue after the competition.
livi: Thank you so much for the support, every vote counts.
mikeswartz: Thanks, Bro!
cuervoscuro: Thank you for the favorite.
OSWEGO GAL: Nice write up, thank you!
wine guy:Thanks for the support.
Excellent! Great art work. Amazing detail. Impressive all the way around. Best of Luck. You are my top pick. Hope we see more of your work.
Remarkable art work. Professionally illustrated. The ship looks as though it would feel like cool glossy metal and the effect used for the "water" characters is amazing. Congratulations and Good Luck to you, Pythro and his story. You have my vote!
Nice art, one favorite.
this comic is sweet, it's like that short song that rocks and you can't get it out of your head for months. outstanding graphics and really cool story line. good luck and hope you win!
I like this, Definitely different with awesome artwork. You've got my vote.