Well, there you have it, folks. Another chapter done! Hope this one lived up to expectations! Whew, boy, this was a lot of work – 48 page chapters are a lot to handle, with life on top of everything else. But I’m happy with this one, and I’m just rolling along, here.
So! Now it’s time to talk some business, I think. First and foremost, these news: Lora Innes and Crystal Yates are running their campaign Comic Creators for Freedom starting today! I’ve participated in this event for several years now, and it’s definitely worthwhile – over 150 comic artists collaborate to create a single work of art as a way of getting donations for a charity that helps the victims of human trafficking. I know how awkward it can feel in the information age to donate to causes of one sort or another, but I urge you to at least consider it. This year’s theme is “Awkward School Photos,” and so I drew up a little image of Sarah trying to make the best of her unpleasant high school days. If you’re interested, have a look at the CCF website:
And now, for some other stuff. I’m going to take a couple weeks off, I’ve decided. It will be at least through the holidays, and probably until the first of February. I really hate to do it, but there are a number of reasons I have to do this. First, I’ve been asked to draw a short comic for an anthology, and also to do some illustrations for a game supplement, and I’ve agreed to do both. It being the end of a chapter, I’m ready to get into this without a major disruption, but I really need to focus on that totally until it’s done. If the anthology goes to print in the near future, I’ll be sure to let you know – these things change fast, as I’m sure you can all imagine, but having committed to it on my end, I can’t just refuse to follow through. And as for the game, well – I’ll let you know about that as soon as the author gives me clearance.
Also, I have to get some groundwork done for my licensing exams. I had a lot of trouble getting authorizations to take the tests, and then they blacked out the system for a long stretch of months, and now that things are back up they’ve just announced that they’re going to be changing the rules for licensing yet again. So I really have to set my teeth and get this thing over with, and given the choice between drawing comics and studying for a ing, bureaucratic and obstructionist exam, I usually would choose drawing comics.
And finally, I have been feeling over the past few months that I’ve been neglecting my family and friends in favor of my art projects, and that’s not really fair, either. And it being the holidays, I don’t want to impose my art projects on them while I’m trying to enjoy some time off at home and around my circle in New York and New England. So I’m going to take a little time to do that, as well.
In the meantime, I will put things up here as I have them on hand, and keep everyone posted as regularly as possible on my progress as I prep Chapter 5. This is not a “permanent hiatus,” I promise – I actually can’t wait to get into the next chapter, but I know that unless I pause and get my business done, I’ll just keep letting things slide in favor of 6-Commando, and ultimately that won’t be good for this comic, or my commitments, or for me.
So there we have it, folks. Keep checking back for fun bits in between, and look for Chapter 5 to begin sometime in February, 2014. Until I see you again, all the best!
Well, enjoy your vacation, while you get at catching up with everything you need, that’s it 😀
Wish you the best of lucks with your part at the creators for freedom proyect, will try to spread the word a little in the forums I usually am at.
Will be around from time to time to see what’s up (as per usual 😛 )
Thanks! It’s not much of a vacation so far – I’ve spent the last few days fighting off a mild case of the flu – just enough to lay me up and be really annoying. But I’ll be over it soon, I’m sure.
And do check in, of course – when I’m NOT sick I’ll post things to let everyone know I’m not gone from the scene.
Shucks, get well. and aye aye sir!
Dun Dun Dun. Sorry Couldn’t Resist but I like the Avatar you chose to give mike in this ‘reality’ Is it possibly a recreation of the one who created and or trained mike this doctor gemil if im not mistaken on the name or is this a look he pulled from memory or created out of the blue with his mental systems.
😀 I like him, too. He’s one of the few people in the story who doesn’t look utterly stressed out and crazy.
Hmm, interesting webcomic. I like the designs and the storyline certainly seems interesting. I’m not enough of an expert to say what exactly is the issue, but the story can be hard to follow. I’m not exactly sure what has happened so far in this chapter. Mike is getting mysterious commands, for some reason the colonel thinks the South Americans are up to no good, and now a bunch of UNA and communists are together for some reason? Well, keep up the good work, overall this is a good comic, just needs some help making the plot clearer and easier to follow.
You pretty much have it, actually. I know the plot has a lot of parallel lines to it, but they’re starting to converge now, so I hope you’ll stay with it!
on the previous page, mike seemed stronger, as a soldier, now seems a civilian in military clothes.
I was just thinking that. Before, when they looked like shades, it made Mike’s avatar look like somekind of hardass. I even thought he looked kinda like Albert Wesker from Resident Evil. Now that they are ordanary glasses… Well, the effect is rather profound, he actually reminds me more of my old Geography teacher
they MAY HAVE BEEN! After all, this /is/ Mike’s Reality, he writes most of the rules here, so it’d be straightforward for him to shift avatar accessories like that, look at the glare on them in the backframe
I have to agree there. Maybe it is just the posture, but he seemed longer, more wide-shouldered and just slightly more muscular on the previous page, though just as thin.
Have a great time off. I will eagerly look forward to the next chapter.
As for your family I have only two words: Family First! 😀
It’s a very subtle thing, body language, I guess.
Subtle indeed. It could just as well be interpreted as MIKE (or would it be Mike in this shape) standing in a more upright and tense posture and raising his voice to get Colonel Haulley’s attention to then take a less aggressive and more personal one to relax him.
Wow what a great way to do a cliffhanger so to speak on the chapter.
Hope your holidays go well, good luck on the licensing exams, and see ya in February!
Thanks, man! I’m already wanting to get back to the story – If I weren’t immobilized by the flu at the moment, I’m sure I’d be tempted to start right away in spite of everything.
His eyes and glasses match his camera lens.
Not to be critical, but are those Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel bars? I thought Mike was built in America.
Built in America, but serving under a Canadian Colonel, in a military that is largely dominated by Canada
You both get a cookie for this observation! You guys – all of you, I can’t get anything past you, can I? 😀
We are the denizens on the Internet, we have a lot of free time on our hands to make these observations.
Smart move on taking some time-off.
Cliffhanger indeed. I wonder where this will go. Maybe chapter 5 will be a flashback to the collective past of everyone involved. I guess the reason/ source of MIKE’s evolution might be found there.
Have to wait and see! But thanks, man, and I appreciate the support!
Having worked 320+ hours a month for the last few months thaught me a tough lesson:
1. females want their men to be around once in a while
2. I’m not 20 anymore
3. the job just ain’t worth the time most of the time
Just take some time off and remember to enjoy life once in a while.
I saw this coming
😀 Then it means you’re paying attention!
So where are the cookies I see people talking about
In your browser history.
me too , but doesn’t that make MIKE is some soft of robotcop?
you know someone get seriously injured in battlefield and the doctor decided that they can’t safe 75 percent of your body , so they make a plan of donation where they basicly cut you up , leave no memory of you and implanted on some form of machine and then they interacted with you like :
ahem MIKE you have been created , welcome you are now serving under the UN……… minus you have been injured in combat …. this and that and we decided to cut you up instead . Oh and don’t forget about your family who mourn over you .
and MIKE ask the general , so how do you feel , this animation compared to half a wrek bodies after being damages by point blank tactical nuclear , and being drag away mile and mile near the russian territory , came back and now presented to you MYSTERIOUS MIKE . = General : what
MIke: don’t be ridiculous , IT MIKE .
the general having a face palm for 25 second before cath up with his breath
That… actually doesn’t seem all to implausible.
Oooooo… I’m so tempted, but I won’t ruin it for you by telling you what happens next. But… OOOOOO… 😀
I theorized this earlier and considered two possibilities:
1. MIKE is a “Dreadnaught”-style machine, harbouring the broken body of a warrior who’s spirit and brain empowers the Rumbler.
2. The organic component of MIKE’s mainframe CPU contains genetic material of a deceased person which somehow came back to life/ consciousness.
But I guess this would be far too easy and I’d rather opt for the fully self aware turned virtual intelligence theory.
no, no body just the thoughts or more exact thought patterns. Course this would do a lot to explain why everything went tits up over a female.
Awesome!!!! Love the background
I’m glad you do! Thanks for reading!
I simply love where this is going and honestly the more I read it I’m struck less by OGRE (which I don’t know that well but I went out and read some of the fiction after you wrote about the connections) and more by the Bolo universe. in that it’s an intelligent tank with a complete emotive state and more power than anyone realizes able to act beyond it’s programming.
Hey take a rest. Do what you need to do to pay the bills, fulfill obligations, and recharge, and we’ll wait mostly patiently for the next installment.
Okay, I’ve GOT to get back into your strip Mathieu. That’s a cliff hanger!
Well, this is getting pretty damn similar to the Bolo story about Shiva and the end of the Final War…