Cause it's the Twitter!

In honor of Michael Jackson, RPD now has a Twitter account!

If you're on this hip, new internet band wagon, be sure to follow my infrequent updates about new pages, site updates, and other quirks that aren't worth a full blog. Expect it to be used somewhat more than the blog you're now reading.

I must say, I hate this page. The coloring is just really wrong, especially in the last panel. Mostly the shading, which I think has improved in some of the upcoming pages. Here I'm just dashing brush strokes in random spots, trying to see where it makes sense. Around arms and necks is a good start, but one can see where I've gone wrong when they spy Howard's complexion.

I can promise some much better shading in future pages, though. Maybe not the immediate pages, but eventually.

Well, not yet.

The mystery character isn't here just yet. Maybe next week.

In other news, Howard apprently has teeth. I mean, they don't look bad and hippos have teeth in real life, but I've never decided if he has visible front teeth or not. I think he has them for one or two panels in Episode Two, but this is their first appearance here. Honestly, this is an amateur comic so expect some flubs, but the dental care of my characters is really something I need to figure out. Sometimes they have teeth, other times they have tongues. I'm really just not sure.

At least we get a look into Robo's gastric habits. The man could beat a Japanese dude in an eating contest.

GREGOOOOOOOOOOOOORY

Hopefully you all remember Gregory, the chick-magnet reporter with his own mega-popular blog from Episode Two. Somehow, he's been waiter-ing at Robo's favorite diner for a while now without any other major characters noticing. He's probably working the night shifts.

Gregory, loosely based on a friend, as always been a fun character to write. He'll be around for the whole episode and will have some great opportunities to shine as a supporting character. He gets some of the best lines in the whole episode, I think.

We're just missing one more player before this episode can really kick off. But who might it be, and what might they want? Find out soon on RPD!

Spooooooooky.

There's danger around every turn it seems, though this purple menace looks familiar...

Episode Four is in full swing after the brief hiatus last month. This should be fun episode, full of character development, wacky scenarios, and pancakes. And don't mind that shout-out on the front page, as I'm sure no one will die in this episode... or will they?

On a different topic, the two year anniversary is almost on us! On Monday, August 31st (ten days from now) I will be posting three fantastic things to celebrate two years of amateur heroics.

1. Ten mini strips starring Grotch, the animated, mutant taco from beyond the food court. Much like Howard's mini-episode last year, these strips will chronicle an unrelated story that really fleshes out the character. This will also be my first official attempt at working in the "four-panel strip" medium, something I've been meaning to try for some time now.


2. The fans (and by fans I mean people registers at teh-Nook) will be able to vote on the story for the fifth episode of RPD. I'll be posting three of my own ideas, but the forum members will be voting on which one I use. Should be fun.


3. I'll have a super-secret announcement to make in the forum concerning RPD's cross-over with another major comic! I can't say anymore now, but it's gonna be wicked.

All I need is for everyone to be here ten days from now. Keep in mind that I'm making this content available to just members of teh-Nook, but the forum is free to register with and is a fantastic community all around. Drop in, say hi, and see what happens on August 31st.

Like running a marathon.

Long episode, huh? Took some ten months to reach the end, but I think it was worth it. Plenty of intrigue, some solid jokes, and a deeper look at the city. And even some drama! I hope everyone enjoyed the ride. Tune in next week for one more page.

Also on the topic of next week, I'll be beginning a small hiatus after the final page of Episode Three is posted. For two weeks, there will be no new pages posted as I prepare Episode Four for its debut. I want to make sure everything is prepared before I launch into it. With that said, do not expect new pages on 7/24 or 7/31. Episode Four will begin with its Cover Page on 8/7, kicking off an exciting new adventure for Robo Pope to obliviously conquer.

Century mark.

Despite the file name being "0099," this page is in fact number 100! Remember, I did start the comic on page zero, making this math sensible.

I won't pat myself on the back, as it feels like we should have hit this milestone sooner. That is the trouble with weekly updates, though. Takes longer than you'd like to progress.

To celebrate, there are THREE new wallpapers to be found in the Extras section of the site. These are free to all readers, but will only be available on the site until a new set comes along. Anyone registered at teh-Nook.com will have access to them for the rest of eternity. Pretty sweet deal for a free forum, I say.

I haven't heard anyone say what resolutions I should be making these wallpapers, so all three are 1024 x 768. There is one at 1280 x 1024, though, if that's better for anyone. Mostly I work in full-screen, as that's the type of monitor I own. If anyone wants to see something in widescreen for the next batch of wallpapers, let me know in the forum, comment here, or by email.

In other news, I hope to have something prepared for the two-year anniversary on August 31st. No guarantees, though.

Someone's got an anniversary coming up!

Not only are we nearing the end of Episode Three, but we'll also hit the 100th page before the next episode! July 3rd should be the big day. Following along the RPD calendar, we see that Episode Three should end on July 17th with a captivating finale, and after a small, two week hiatus, Episode Four will kick off with loads of mystery and intrigue! Four will be very character driven, playing out on a small scale compared to Three's corporate conspiracies and mutant mobs.

On the topic of the 100th page, I have no clue what I should do to celebrate, if anything. Maybe some wallpapers or other exclusive art, for starters. Or maybe I could do the unthinkable and invest in some advertising for the comic! Ha!

I'll play around with some ideas for now, but feel free to drop a line via email or comment here.

News on next week's page:

Page Thirty-Two of Episode Three, which would be premiering next Friday, May 1st, will be posted a day early.

I'm set to move on Thursday, the 30th, so I I can't say when I'll have internet access, let alone access to my computer. I'll be updating the site on early Thursday morning, so don't be surprised by an early page. As well, don't expect a new page on Friday next week, either. This isn't a "buy one, get one free" sale.

Quick! Hit refresh!

Man, did I pick a bad time to stop blogging for two months. Literally EVERYTHING has happened since last December's post. Let's review:

• Robo has an impostor who looks nothing like him!


• He was also almost killed!


• A limited edition copy of Kick-Boxing Nuns: Round 2 WAS actually killed. The funeral will be on Sunday.


• We now know what happened to RP's old blue sunglasses.


• We've been introduced to a new enemy. The global company, Complex Inc, is sure to be hatching some evil schemes. I have plans for this new entity, so remember them.


• Future Detroit has a lame, closed-down theme park.


• Robo has the cutest door mat you'll ever see.

And don't forget, the site is updated through all of Episode Three. I've been sitting on this code for too long and just wanted to use it. I may have a few more improvements or additions to implement this year, but I like what I have right now. Let me know what you, as well.

The archives of Episodes One and Two will updated in the near future.

Finally, try using the new RSS feed sometime. I'm interested in knowing how it works out for people.

Something to see.

Along with this week's page, I've got something new to show off for everyone.

This is a sleeker version of the site that I've been working on for a weeks. Aside from the visual tweaks, I've trimmed the code to be well-formed per the W3C's regulations. And let's not forget the new RSS feed that I'm still tweaking.

There's a thread in the forum asking for opinions, so head over there and say some things.

New page troubles.

I'm having trouble contacting my FTP server right now, so there won't be a new page just yet. If the situation doesn't fix itself, I'll contact my host and see what's the problem. Here's this week's page, hosted via Imageshack:



I'll update the site whenever possible.

EDIT: Just realized that I missed last week's update... Weird.

More comics!

Not my comics, of course. There's only one of those a week.

No, I've found two wicked comics that put all others to shame. To be technical, I found one and the other has been affiliated with Robo Pope Digital for some time now. A few days ago, I stumbled across an illusionary-game/webcomic called MS Paint Adventures. Since then I've read/played the entirety of its premier attaction, Problem Slueth, simply amazed at the wild turns in the story and the kinetic animations. Great find that I suggest everyone check out. I'm not one for plugs, but this comic impressed me.

The other comic find is actually the return of my long-time favorite: O31: October 31st. Telling the tale of a rotting California gushing with sleaze and violence, it's the perfect blend of Mad Max-brand leather apocalypse and clean, animation-worthy illustrations. The sisters King combine their illustrative might with a new background artist to make some pages that I find truly stunning. The comic begins in earnest this Monday, the seventeenth, so bookmark it. Now.

Holy crap!

It's really here! Robo Pope's house is totally here, and totally... boring.

Yes, the world-renowned Robo Pope lives in a suburban home painted blue. It's not very exciting, nor is it very glamorous. He seems to dig it though, but I can't say why he's sleeping on the couch in his living room. You would think he would have a bedroom, with, you know, a bed in it. But whatever. I hope everyone enjoys this scene, as I found it turned out pretty funny. Stick with us and see what happens, everyone.

In site-related news, I finally added some more comics to the Extras section. Added to the list of wicked webcomics that I read are Awkward Zombie, Castle Vidcons, Eegra, and Gunshow. These I could think of off the top of my head, though I'm missing some, I'm sure. If anyone reading knows of a comic worth promoting, let me know and I'll check it out.

It's still a habit.

Part of the fun is never knowing what day I'll update the blog!

The last page of this initial scene only lays on more mystery for you poor readers! First the crazed hobo, then some weird security guys, and now this shadowy figure? Even I can't take the ambiguity for much longer!

Luckily, we'll be moving on to a new scene and setting, hopefully bringing about some answers in the process. No guarantees, though. I can guarantee that we'll see a pretty anticipated backdrop, if that helps at all.

Come by this Friday, kids!

Somewhat late.

I must say, the latest page just adds to all of the questions while not answering a single one. Who knows what's going on here and why those men want hoboes? Well, aside from me.

I don't have much to say on this week's page, but I will let everyone know that I envisioned the white SWAT-type guy being John Travolta. So as you read his lines, imagine them being spoken with a wicked Brooklyn accent straight out of the seventies.

Stay frosty, kids.