December 2008

Defining Bob

Monday, December 15, 2008

Lately I've found that Bob is my hardest character to define, even though I consider him the main character of the comic strip. Joe is one extreme of what Bob could be - very silly and not particularly skilled as a commando. And Will is the other extreme - much more serious and analytical, and a tough, kick-butt fighter.

Yes, I used the word, "butt." My wife will be shocked.

I've always viewed Bob as falling somewhere in the middle, being more like the average guy (the average commando, in this case). The problem with "average" is that it can easily equate to "boring." I don't want any of my characters to be average. But I guess if you analyze the current story line, his story is definitely the most boring. Joe and Will just narrowly escaped an explosion. Bob is still lying in his bed eating peanut butter.

~Jeff

Writing Characters

Friday, December 12, 2008

When I first started drawing the commandos I had two goals in mind: 1) draw awesome explosions and; 2) write hilarious dialogue. For a long, long time I never really considered having any differentiation between the commandos except the shape of their eyes. They all said stupid stuff that was supposed to be funny and they were basically all the same.

>When I got into the swing of things with the more formal version of this comic strip (starting with comic #001 in the archive), the situations and dialogue actually DID become funny. But the problem with character differentiation remained the same.

It wasn't until about comic #050 that I realized the importance of creating unique, consistent characters. After reading some other webcomics and seeing how unique those characters were (particularly in Megatokyo), I started to define both the commandos and the villains they faced. Writing the biographies on the character pages proved most helpful in this.

Now instead of every character saying stupid stuff, it's mainly just Joe.

~Jeff

Finally Some Action!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

You'll notice at the top of my e-mails I'm always claiming that the Smiley Face Commandos is an "action-adventure" webcomic. But the truth is that there's generally not that much action. My primary goal is to make you laugh and, for the most part, action isn't that funny. Therein lies the challenge, because I want to deliver on the action and adventure, but I also want to brighten your day each time you read a commandos strip. Action can be neat, but it's really the punch-line that draws you back three times a week.

So whenever there's nothing funny to be drawn in an action scene, you can rest-assured I will do my best to draw the most amazing action seen you've ever come across in a silly little comic strip.

~Jeff

More About the Gear

Monday, December 8, 2008

I'm sorry to write about stuff that's for sale again. I just don't want to allow for confusion...

Due to lack of funds at the moment, and since no one has placed an "official" order (meaning no one has paid real money), I've decided to delay the t-shirt order (probably until January). But you can go ahead and place an order on the Gear page if you like. You just won't get the shirt within the next couple of weeks. If you want magnets, just proceed with ordering them - I can get those to you quickly.

Thanks for putting up with me. On Wednesday I'l try to write an actual blog about something interesting...

~Jeff

Getting Gear Before Christmas?

Friday, December 5, 2008

There's not much time to get your commandos gear before Christmas now. I haven't gotten enough takers on the Koff Eepot t-shirt to place an order yet. So if anyone else out there wants one, let me know this weekend (via e-mail)! If there are a few more people interested, I can justify the order. Otherwise we'll just have to wait until 2009.

If, however, you'd like to order commandos magnets, go ahead and pay online using PayPal and I'll get those to you in a jiffy. Just go to the Gear page and place your order.

~Jeff

Timeliness or Timeless

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

At some point early in his work, a cartoonist must decide if his comic will comment and respond to the moods and fads of the culture or if it will choose to ignore them. Some comics, such as Penny Arcade (before you follow this link, be warned that this comic often uses foul language) thrive on their timely commentary on video games, popular science fiction, and all-around geekdom. Their readers enjoy the relevance of the humor to the moment.

Other comics, like The Far Side by Gary Larson, choose not to acknowledge current trends in favor of an attempt at creating timeless humor - pointing out the idiosyncrasies of man, which will apply now as well as thirty years from now (in theory).

In an effort to follow in Gary Larson's footsteps in this sense, I made the decision to strive for timelessness. Now I just need to try and make it funny.

~Jeff

Commandos Gear Now for Sale!

Monday, December 1, 2008

There's not much to choose from yet, but for the ten of you who are true commandos fans, there is now commandos gear available for purchase. I've created some swell magnets for your fridge or car and I've also designed a fun Koff Eepot t-shirt. Here's the design on the shirt:

In order to make the t-shirt more affordable, I'm going to wait to see if we have enough takers (between 5 and 10) before I place the order. It will cost you $15. If I get five orders by this Friday, December 5, I'll place the order and we can all have them in our hands a few days before Christmas. If you are interested, but only want to get a shirt if it's available BEFORE Christmas, send me an e-mail at jeff@smileyfacecommandos.com.

They make weird gifts, so order today!

Commandos Gear Link.

~Jeff

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