Blank It

Fallcon was great. Full wrap-up with a picture or two to come. Thanks to everyone who stopped by, and welcome new readers!

I’ve made inklings, and I’ve made threats. Well, maybe not, but I’ve brought it up on more than one occasion. Blank It is at the MCBA’s Fallcon this weekend. Here’s the details, just in case you wanna come by.

MCBA FALLCON COMIC BOOK CELEBRATION
October 4 & 5, 2008 - 10AM to 5PM Both Days!
Minnesota State Fairgrounds - In the Grandstand!
1265 Snelling Avenue - Saint Paul, MN 55108
20th ANNIVERSARY 1989-2008

We’re in aisle H2, table 11. That’s on the east side. Come check us out!

I’m back from my whole getting hitched and honeymooning thing, which was a total blast. I do so recommend it to the masses. I tried to stay off the internet, but my betrothed gifted me with a new iPhone 3G before the trip, so I couldn’t help but sip from the digital stream a few times here and there.

I don’t have to go back to work for what seems like forever, so I should take some of that time to get ahead on comics again. I lost my lead due to my vacation, but it was a nice luxury to have. Plus, I can lord it over all of you that it’s done, you just can’t see it, nah hah, nyah hah hah.

I’ve said it once before, but I’m gonna repeat it. I think Wrath of Marcie by The Go! Team is like, the unofficial Blank It themesong. It always seems to capture my mood when I’m drawing this stuff.

One more week until Fallcon. Crunkin’ A.

Last week, Lem informed me that I should write something here. Now, at the end of this week, I have gotten around to it! Now let’s talk about yesterday.

Yesterday I wrote Lem an email with details on where our story and characters are going next. It’s contains nothing we’ve ever discussed, it was oddly specific, and you would assume I was on drugs if you were reading it. But you know what? I’m way too paranoid to take drugs. Stop assuming.

I’m pretty excited about where everything is going. But you might ask yourself, where do you keep all your drugs? Listen, there are no drugs. Here, I will detail my thinking process and where I come up with my ideas.

Really, there isn’t much detail. Most ideas clear from the mist of my brain while in the shower or driving. In the shower, all washing suddenly stops. My eyes kind of clear out and I stare blankly at the floor until the idea grows some defined edges. While driving, a CD needs to be playing. I can’t have a DJ yacking when something is taking shape. It also helps to be leaving work. My suffocating creativity likes to kick it into high gear after the cubical is left behind.

There is your (un)interesting peak behind the magic. I’ve seen so many hands cut off in the shower, it isn’t funny.

Maybe it’s a little funny.

Phorums? That’s not how you spell “forums” at all, but no matter. We have some forums, and they are sparsely populated. Like we’re expanding west into a land of sod houses and big woods. What we need are some colorful characters, maybe a troll or two, and some lurkers. You know, the forum essentials.

So here is this post, for those of you who hate clicking on the top navigation bar. You can find the forums by clicking on any of the forum links I have put in this post. Phorum. I mean, forum. For who? For U! M.

Listen (I say that to make sure you’re paying attention), all webcomic sites are poorly designed for one specific reason. No, it’s not because of the fold. Listen (remember, when I said that before?).

To travel through the archives of a webcomic, you need a “next” button and a “previous” button. That way, you can travel back one strip if you missed it, or travel forward from a point with ease.

What you do not need is a button to the very first strip ever made prominently displayed on every single page. You don’t need it! How many times in your life have you clicked that “first comic” arrow on purpose? It should only be once! So, why is it wasting space on every single page of your site?

I know we’re fighting convention here. And I know it’s confusing. We’re up against a decade of bad design here. On the Blank It front page, in big friendly letters to the right of the “previous” button, we have a link that says “Lost? Click here to start from the beginning.” And that’s it. It isn’t there on every page of the archives. It’s right there on the landing page, for your convenience.

And if you really really really need to get to the beginning from another page, there’s a small “first comic” link in the left hand gutter on every page.

But you don’t need a “first comic” button right next to your “previous” button on every page. Who decided this? Where are they now? Rolling in their button money, I bet. Just a tool of the button conspiracy.

So let’s change it up. Let’s get rid of these extra buttons that nobody needs. We can do it together! Webcomic artists, this is a movement. Let’s join together and finally eliminate these lumbering dinosaurs of navigation.