The Network Email!

Well we've started taking a much closer look at all aspects of the book, The Underground. This intensive research does not stop with the story though, indeed, we've even started looking at the business structure surrounding this series. What was discovered? There is no structure!

The Underground is a great series which I am very passionate about, but it is merely a job to create it. An entreprenuer must strive not to create a job, but build a business. Thus I'll be dusting off the Twisted 'T', and introducing the world to Twisted Studio! The Creative Development team and myself will be preparing a business plan with hopes of creating a local business which can not only produce The Underground, but also murals, t-shirts, graphic design, promotional materials, logos, and more! Eventually we will be able to enlist the help of other local artists and writers, it will be a shout back to the Artists Guilds of olde.

The first step we've taken is what's called; The Twisted Studio Network Email. This will be a liason between the team, and business people, artists, writers, readers, fans, publishers, and anyone with a constructive opinion to offer to the mission! As of this morning the first network email has been sent to 44 people! This contact will be repeated every three months to keep everyone posted as to what we're working on. Everyone's opinions, guidance, and advice is welcomed, and encouraged. Through the strengths of many, we will succeed. If you have not received this email, and would like to, then I'd love for you to get it! Send me an email at; paulreaume@hotmail.com

Just give me your email address, and we'll get you up to speed.
For more information, please check out any of our supporting sites...
http://theundergroundcomic.t35.com/
http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/forum/topicview/misc/the_underground_comic.htm
http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group/php?gid=37802346048
And as always, thank you all for your continued support.

Location, Location, Location!!

So we've started to really plan out Issue #2: Bad Seeds. One thing we are doing to build on the culture, and continuity of The Underground is to research themes to be used in every key location. By using this theme to illustrate the area, and flush out it's history, we add a new level of complexity to this world in progress. Walt Disney once said when producing 'Bambi'...

"We're not trying to make the impossible possible. We're trying to make the impossible plausible."

I think this holds true to our efforts with re-envisioning The Underground. By no means can I expect anyone to believe that bugs can walk around upright, speak with one another, fire and build weapons...but I can put enough work, and research into the world that these fantastic things happen. Then maybe....you (the reader), may be able to suspend your disbelief long enough to get lost in my world.

The first two locations we're really diving into in the series are; Coryn (home of the ants), and The Fly Federation. Both are going to be alot of fun to work with, for drastically different reasons. The two locations are so glaringly opposite from one another that it should prove a good test in design to make them feel this way. Enter the themes. Coryn, being a defensive stronghold and powerful icon, will be following a Romanesque theme. We've started researching architecture, and banners/heraldry. Already I can see a more realistic ant colony forming.

The Fly Federation on the other hand is built in a trash heap. It's a dark, dirty, filthy place...perfect for flies, and many other insects. One constant peril of working on The Underground is forgetting the perspective of the characters. Where a trash can is gross and disgusting to us, this can be a sprawling metropolis to bugs! Thus I set out in search of images that could mix both the resource facility, and filth which comprises the Federation. Admittedly most of my images can from just over the creek in Detroit, Michigan. I also found some old factory images from Germany.

Photo references are a great tool when designing anything. I've used them when drawing complicated positions of humans, and animals, but never to develop a them such as this. I look forward to where this new research, and the continued efforts of my Creative Development team is going to lead.

Thanks all, and keep checking out this, and the other supporting sites.

Issue #0: Unearthed!

Well the mailman brought me my personal copies of The Underground #0: Unearthed today! Let me tell you, I am one excited guy! I've seen all the pages obviously before this, I've even read through all of the material (repeatedly), but there's something to be said about holding the finished, printed copy in your hands. Before I get too far into what I thought of it, I want to explain a few things. Issue #0 takes place after Issue #1, weird eh? For the Small Press Idol, all entrants produced a 'zero issue'. What that meant to me was writing this issue so it worked well as a stand alone introduction to The Underground, but also it had to work as a continuation from Issue #1. With that said, I encourage anyone who is receiving there Issue #0 in the mail to read through Issue #1 again if you have it. I feel it really adds to the story, and it serves to better pull you...Underground.

But Paul, what did you think? Well I'm glad you asked! Immediately when I opened my envelope of books I was impressed with the quality of stock used in the cover. The paper holds the colours very well, and it feels great! This doesn't just look like a comic book, it looks and feels like a SPECIAL comic book! oooOOOooooo. After going back and reading Issue #1, I read this new installment and was really, really pleased with how it all came together. Despite the time in between the issues, and the plot revisions, and all the other work involved, the story held together very well, and picked up where it was left off. The art is a definite improvement from Issue #1, and contrary to my previous feelings about grayscale, I really liked the feel it conveyed here. All in all I thought it looked, and read really well. Really professional if I do say so myself.

Then there's all the extra content as well! There's a veritable walk through of the contest in this book, and it was a great reminder of all the hard work put into this. Half my year was spent working on this project! Six months of drawing, editing, rolling with the punches of public comments, and judge's criticisms. While this has all served to better me and The Underground, it was a stressful six months. But I can look back now with this book in my hands...see all the hard work...see the progress...and one thing becomes clear. I wouldn't change it for anything. I am again thankful to Ian Shires, and Dimestore Productions for this remarkable experience. Most importantly, to all the supporters of the Underground. To my amazing wife and son. To all of my family for the unbelievable levels of support throughout this experience. I couldn't have done it without you.

Thanks again to everyone, I hope you enjoy. When you've had the chance to read yours, check out the Facebook group and share your thoughts with other supporters, voters, and promoters.

Building the Bombardier Beetle Cannon

As promised, here's the next step of the designs for this Bombardier Canon....gotta come up with a cool name for it! What I did here was lay a sheet of tracing paper over the original drawing of the Bombardier Beetle, so I could block out his body. When I had a light outline of the beetle itself I started sketching the mandatory components of this artillery piece. I would like the end result to be something which has been decorated by it's users and well used. In doing so it's easy to lose track of how something works. And that needs to be a priority, the construction needs to appear as though it could work. So this canon is operated by a rider who pulls a lever (A), which through the workings of some gears and pulleys pulls a hook (B) which is pierced into the clavicle area of the beetle. The chief 'herder' will position himself at the head of the beast (which is shrouded to ensure the beast's confusion, and response to the hook), and push a long pole with a fork at the end under the head of the beetle. By pushing the beetle's head up, the tug of the hook is more uncomfortable. When the beast feels threatened it will release a volatile fluid from its abdomen (D). The ant rider 'steers' the abdomen in order to aim the burning blast. In hopes of better focusing the spray the ants will often fasten a cone to the bombardier's abdomen.
And that's that. It sounds like it could work...kinda...it's a comic of bugs, work with me here! The cool thing is that Bombardiers really do spray a one hundred degree fluid from their abdomen as a defense mechanism. The typically make a loud 'pop' noise when it happens as well. In any case, the next step is some more tracing paper, and moving on to the extra stuff, the bells and whistles, and then I'll throw some ink into it, and we should have a pretty rocking artillery piece!

Growing with The Underground

So I've been working on designing this 'bug artillery piece'. And it's really interesting how a simple idea can not only progress into a much more complex concept, but also open your eyes to the long road behind you! While doing some plans for 'The Underground #2: Bad Seeds', Chris and I came up with the idea to develop a large cannon type weapon, which utilizes the explosive capabilities of the Bombardier Beetle. I want this design to appear as though it works (I'm not a weapon designer, or an engineer, bear with me I draw bugs!), and also represent the ramshackle nature of construction that I feel the insects would use. In order to make this invention as consistent and believable as possible, I knew I'd have to build it in layers. With that said, I'll be posting each of the steps here in the bugs blog so you can see how the idea comes together.

But before gettting to the first image, I'd like to explain what I found as I was designing this contraption. In the earlier days of the Underground, as much research as I was doing, the world was not 'insect' enough. I was still thinking in very humanoid terms and forms. The biggest tell-tale sign was in the anatomy of the creatures, particularly any beasts of burden. The Bombardier Beetle is one such beast, and the old problem was once again glaring me in the face. I put alot of time into breaking down the design of this insect, before even beginning on the cannon apparatus itself. When the Bombardier Beetle was drawn, I sat back, and could immediately see the difference. I'm not sure if the vast majority of readers will notice, but I do. And moving forward, as we add more and more new creatures into the story, I am more confident than ever that we are definitely getting better at what we do. And THAT should really mean something. Whether you notice how insect-like the creatures look, or how accurate the scaling has become, or not; one thing's for certain, you're sure to be drawn deeper into this world of mine. The question now becomes....can you find your way out again?

No Kings

Well the next stage of the calendar pic is posted over on the Facebook group thanks to my beloved wife. You can also check it out on The Underground Comic forum over on the Dimestore site, thanks to the also lovely Chris Walker! This is pretty close to the finished product, as the only thing left to be completed is the colours, and I'm sure you're all going to be really pleased with the result.
While discussing different t-shirt possibilities over on the Dimestore site, Chris brought up an interesting point regarding Ant kings. For those of you who are all caught up on the Insect-O-Facts, you'll remember that most insect colonies (Ants included) are led by a Queen. So why then is this Ant King? And why would he be included in the Ant's Life Cycle Diagram? This sounds like a job for...
INSECT-O-FACT #11!!!!
"No Kings"
As many of us are aware, ant colonies are established, and nurtured by a queen. Often referred to as a Queen mother, because she literally births the whole colony. In creating The Underground, many true life facts have been interwoven into the fabric of the story. One such fact which we have been faced with is the existence of Kings AND Queens. The predicament is that Kings, at least in our traditional understanding of them, do NOT exist in insect colonies.
Where the Ants are concerned, the old saying 'King for a day' can certainly take precedence. The Queen is born with wings, and takes to the air for what is referred to as a 'mating flight'. Several male ants (also winged) will chase the Queen as she soars through the air. Finally one of the males will make contact with the queen, mate with her, and fall to the ground. While the male disappears after this point, the Queen will discard her wings and tend to her colony-to-be.
For the benefit of the story, and certain themes; Kings have played a role in The Underground. Now with this research in mind, the readers will find that any introduction of a 'King' is often short-lived...it simply is not meant to be.

The Scale of The Underground

As we look into more and more corners of The Underground, research further, and flush more out, I'm looking at many different aspects to be considered in developing the story. My next idea is what I'm calling 'Size Benchmarks'. I stole the core of the idea from The DC Heroes Roleplaying Game, but it's something that just makes sense when designing the book. I'd like to continue mixing in elements of Man's world into the lives of my insect characters, but in order to do so a level of scaling must take place. How big is Cyrus compared to...a Frito? OK. Maybe a Frito doesn't need to be considered, but things like coffee cups, bottle caps, toy cars, and such would definitely be common elements. So we'll be spending some time going over some common backyard items, measuring them in millimetres, and then drawing scale pictures of them.
In the second round of The Small Press Idol competition we were asked to submit our character designs/rotations. At that time I drew each of the characters on graph paper, to keep them in relative scale with one another. Now I'll be able to do the same thing, and hopefull we can start making use of alot of fun items to add more depth to this world. What about a watchtower made of a Tim Hortons cup? You never know...
Also! My beautiful wife has just uploaded the next step of the SPA Calendar piece. While I'm actually finished the picture now, you can go onto our Facebook group and check out the concept sketch (if you haven't already), as well as the rough pencils! I can't express enough how happy I am with the development of this piece. It's my first major work that put to use my new drawing tablet, and it was a great experience. I hope you enjoy, and as always, thanks for your continued support.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=37802346048

Miss May?

While you won't be seeing any bugs in bikinis, you WILL be seeing The Underground in the Self Publisher Association's 2010 Calendar. Oddly enough, we've been asked to submit a piece for the month of May. This is my wife and my mother's birth month, so they're both VERY excited! I am as well, ofcourse. I wanted to do a special piece for the calendar (as opposed to submitting something that I've already completed). So I've put alot of thought and care in to completing this piece.

I chose to do a dynamic mid action shot between Styx and Kronus. I also wanted to keep the month in mind, and it being May what better place to stage a fight than inside a flower. What colour flower? I'm thinking purple, as it will really pop the two combatants forward (Kronus is a nice yellow colour, and Styx a light brown). Purple is also my mom's favourite colour.

The piece is just about complete as I write this, but rather than showing it off right now, we'd thought we could drag out the anticipation. I'd also like to take this opportunity to show, and explain how I complete an artpiece such as this, stage by stage. I hope you enjoy. Featured right now is the concept sketch for the fight scene. For more thoughts and info on this and The Underground in general, the Facebook group has some great discussion topics, and resources there.http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=37802346048

We've also started designing some t-shirts, and The Underground Forum at The Dimestore site alot more ideas and discussion going on with these in mind. Dimestore is home to alot of very talented and creative people so it's very interesting to get input from so many different sources.

http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/forum/topicview/misc/the_underground_comic.htm

Again, I hope you enjoy these new developments with The Underground, because there's alot more coming! As always thanks for your continued support.

Public Input, and Explosively Addictive Insects!

So we just recently held our Creative Development Meeting for October, and ofcourse we're all walking away from it with reinspired fervour. While our direction is remaining much the same, our focus is adjusting. We've laid out a very good structure in the past month, no we're starting to pay attention to the impact that our efforts are having. Are we being noticed? Are we being heard? The common theme of this month is progress, and the main milestones we are watching for is shown through public input. My belief so far is that The Underground does NOT have as much of a following as Paul Reaume does...if that makes any sense. People are supporting me, and it is greatly appreciated, and we can have no success at all without that support. But in order to survive, and indeed make an impact of any sort in the industry, The Underground needs a following. People need to to support and follow our story, our characters. One way of measuring this is the level of input we get from the public. What is the public interested in, if they are indeed interested at all...
So on that note, I'd like to take this opportunity to let you in on what The Underground is to me, and what keeps me so passionate about it. This story is not set in a far away land, it's characters are not larger than life superhumans that you could never hope to see in your own daily grind. The Underground takes place in my backyard, in all of your backyards. It's inhabitants are insects that you've seen in your travels, it is real and surreal at the same time. I mix alot of reality in to the story and use alot of real events to help guide the story, and answer my own questions. Like today for instance; it is pouring rain outside, I wonder how the bugs in The Underground would react to this. I can imagine them running for shelter, trying to escape the devasting tears of the sky! What if it started to rain during a battle? What would happen then? A simple rainstorm is so much more tremendous when considered on their scale, and this fact is true for many things that we take for granted in our world.
So I ask you. What have you noticed? What are you pondering in regards to these bugs? Does your pet chase them? Do your kids? We've all got something that we've seen that can help guide the story and characters. My wife Giovanna tends to the Facebook group and would welcome your input there, Chris Walker has been tending to the forum on the Dimestore site, and would appreciate your insight there. In anycase, there is much opportunity to let your voice be heard, and help us understand that we are indeed being heard and noticed after all.

Insect-0-Fact #10: Flanged Bombardier Beetles
It has beeen asked what Raymus' explosives would be made from. The answer is not too far-fetched. Bombardier Beetles have some pretty volatile fluids in chambers located within their abdomen. When these two fluids are mixed together, they reach boiling heat and explode from the body. This is used as a defense mechanism to ward off any attackers, the explosion does actually get very hot, and makes a popping sound during eruption.
Raymus' explosives utilize these fluids, and to shards of stone to create a spark. The spark ignites the combustible fluids and creates a much more dazzling, and destructive display. The same fluids are also used in Raymus' gun.
What makes Flanged Bombardier Beetles even more interesting is their oddly shaped antennae. The antennae become large, and strange looking, but they also secrete a sweet fluid which is readily consumed by ants and their larvae. No one is sure as to why the ants are so favourable of this fluid, but the bigger question is...where is the insect addictions counselour?

Progress

Things continue to move forward here at The Underground camp, and I have to admit that at times I find myself getting a little dizzy with the commotion! There are so many things going on right now, so many projects, venues, and plans being set in place. I'm also gearing up for October's Creative Development Team Meeting, and with all these projects going on, the theme this month is 'Progress'.
As you all know, I began work on The Underground many years ago befor taking a lengthly hiatus from the series. Progress was a problem back then, just as much as it is an incentive today. What I mean by that is this; When I was younger I approached the series with stars in my eyes, and nothing but a pencil in hand. The progress we were making then was sketchy and scattered, and daunting due to a lack of understanding, and goals on my own side. No matter what you are working on in life it is important to understand your goals and set 'benchmarks' appropriately. Sometimes we get discouraged because we haven't met our goals. This happens, I feel, because we haven't set appropriate benchmarks. It is these milestones that will mark our progress, and allow for us to celebrate our small successes in pursuit of the ultimate goal!
When we held our first CD team meeting, we set out a number of priorities and delegated some specific tasks. There was a point in the month when I really questioned whether or not we were really doing anything here. I can now look at all the work that's been done this month and say 'wow!'. We're really moving towards something here, and making some very important strides. As we fit into a groove (as any team must), we are working better together, and developing a very good routine with one another.
This blog is being updated more than ever, because I'm less stressed with the big picture. The facebook group is being tended to better than I had hoped, thanks to the efforts of my wonderful wife. The Dimestore site has a forum thread dedicated to the Underground, and it is being updated and maintained thanks to the combined efforts of myself and Chris Walker. Addy McVicker has made some great progress in prospecting a number of stores and venues to approach with regards to carrying the book. And Johnny Burns has made some real breakthroughs in the website effort!
The list goes on, as we become more and more effective at maintaining the Underground 'machine'! We're talking with outside parties about the future of the series, and that future is looking brighter everyday! Thank you all for your support. Thanks to the team for all of their hard work, it is appreciated more than I feel I can really relate in words. Onward and upward, we're looking for feedback now. The public voice needs to be heard, this will be a great indicator that the Underground DOES indeed have a following, not just Paul Reaume.
As a sidenote, I wrote an editorial for the Dimestore site which is posted as their 'KickStart' today. Take some time to read it. Check out the other areas of the Online Colony, and let your voice be heard.
http://www.dimestoreproductions.com

MySoti - gotbugs - 'Got Bugs? 1'- Tees

MySoti - gotbugs - 'Got Bugs? 1'- Tees

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T-Shirts and The Online Colony

So I posted a note on Facebook yesterday about this concept that I've had; The Underground Online Colony. The idea is that we organize a group of websites, each with its own purpose and following. Originally, I was thinking of this during the Small Press Idol competition, with hopes that there would be some content online at all times for fans to be involved in. This way, when the Dimestore site was down for polling, there would be somewhere else to go for updates and info. At the time, I was still doing much of the work for The Underground by myself, so the Online Colony was never actualized.
Now is the time of progress though, and we are moving forward. The biggest advantage of constructing the Creative Development team is that by working together we can accomplish more, and meet more of our own marketing requirements. We can achieve goals faster, and more efficiently than before, because we have fresh blood, new inspiration, and innovative ideas. That said, I'm proud to say that The Underground Online Colony is alive and well! For those of you who have yet to become involved here are the links to all cells of our colony.
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=37802346048
Dimestore Forum: http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/forum/topicview/misc/the_underground_comic.htm
The Bugs Blog: http://www.thebugsblogs.blogspot.com
MySoti: http://www.mysoti.com/mysoti/designer/gotbugs/

MySoti?? What is this MySoti, you ask? Well, as I was saying we are able to accomplish tasks that we've thought of, dreamed of, but have been too busy to tackle. T-shirts are one of those tasks. For a long time I've entertained the idea of producing a line of t-shirts based on The Underground, but I've had a hard time finding the best way to do it. Do I hire an outside company? Do I teach myself to silkscreen, and make them myself? Enter MySoti.
This is a great site which allows me the opportunity to offer shirts to my fans, as well as prints of my artwork! If you haven't had the chance to, check it out. When you're done, take the time to check out the other cells of the Online Colony, post on a forum, ask a question, make a suggestion. I WANT to hear from you, as do the other dedicated members of our Creative Development team. Thanks again to all our readers, and on my side a big thank you for the continued efforts of my team!

Are We Looking Over or Under The Horizon?

With hopes of maintaining the consistency of this Underground world, I've been spending added time designing the locations that the book carries us through. This has proven to be another challenge in the production of this bug-oriented series. As readers and artists, we are used to and accustomed to cityscapes, forests, and other 'human-scale' scenery. Obviously, insects live in our world, but still a world all their own.
One key step in making the scenery more realistic, and logical was brining the journey underground. Under the surface of the earth, pushing the limits of our perception we begin to find a world of new possibilities. Now I need to understand this world, and what it is made of.
And that calls for an Insect-O-Fact!
Insect-O-Fact #9: Soil Layers
The ground beneath us is composed of many layers of soil referred to as 'horizons'. Each horizon has its own distinct composition of soil, sand, clay and mineral deposits. By understanding these levels, we are given a clearer image, or reference point with which to design the various habitats of the subterranean insects.
Much of the activity in the underground takes place within the first two horizons.

1. Horizon 'O' (Humus): This is the top organic layer, made up of much leaf litter, and debris. many insects feed on decaying organic matter, they may be seen here scavenging. Veritably feeding on trash.
2. Horizon 'A' (Topsoil): Much root growth is exhibited here, and seeds are germinating. The humus is now mixed with mineral particles. The roots may prvide for ample living areas, and may offer dwellings for the higher members of insect colonies. Furthermore, the increase in mineral deposits would provide adequate sustenance for the various fungal gardens cultivated by the insects.
3. --6. Horizons 'E,B,C,R': As the horizons progress deeper and deeper beneath the surface of the earth. The surrounding land transforms from soil, to sand and silt, to clay, to bedrock eventually. It becomes gradually less and less habitable to the point that nothing can survive...or can it??

Random Ramblins

So work has not let up here for the Underground, and the Creative Development team. Most recently, we've created an Insect Specifications Sheet, to help with the creation and integration of new insects into the Underground. There's alot to consider when adding new elements to the back, as we try very hard to stay as close to actual fact as possible. When researching insects there are a number of basic categories to be considered...

1. Name & Size: Obviously we need to understand the insect's name, though at times we tweak it to make it sound more appealling. Size is always considered in millimetres, and this gives us a standard basis of comparison for all of our creations.
2. Food: What do these insects eat? For me, this gives an indication to the insect's character/personality. Is the insect a 'meat' eater? A hunter? Or a scavenger? These questions always need answers.
3. Habitat: Where do these insects live? This will usually indicate at which point in the story we can integrate the new species. Do they live in tree roots, among vegetables, or by stagnant water?
4. Traits: A pretty large and vague category, traits are meant to detail what points set these insects apart from others. What neat features or abilities do they exhibit? Sometimes this category helps with storylines, sometimes it helps with character design. Did you know that Snow Fleas have two eye 'clusters' with 16 eyes in each?
5. Alliances: Who do they get along with? Who are their natural predators. I think this is an obvious one, and can give a great insight to the inter-character relationships which are bound to exist.

After these points have been considered, I can really get to work on designing the new creature. That's where the real fun starts for me!

Blog N' Facts!

As the promoting craze has died down, I've recently had the opportunity to sit down and do what I do best...draw! More specifically, draw zombie bugs! What's that you say? Zombie bugs? I don't want to give too much away right now, especially as we're waiting for Issue #0 to get shipped out. But we're going to have some 'fun' with 'Cyrus' and some really disturbing flashbacks. Zombie bugs! What's better than bugs!?! Zombie bugs!
But Paul, what on earth is this zombie bug concept? Surely this is unheard of in the insect world.
This is untrue. There are a number of reports of 'zombie' insects in the real world. Which is a perfect segway into today's Insect-O-Fact!
Insect-O-Fact #8
Zombie Bugs: The living dead may not be as far-fetched an idea as would have previously been assumed, at least not in the world of insects. Cockroaches, for instance, can reportedly survive long after their head has been severed. This, ofcourse, is only the tip of the ice berg.
Phorid flies are reputed for laying their eggs in fire ants, after which the maggot hatches and feasts on the insides of its host. the ant is reduced to a wandering 'zombie'. The Jewel wasps attack cockroaches in a similar fashion.
Zombies are among us....

Insect-O-Fact #7b

Insect Queens; Queen Azulon
In the early designs of Queen Azulon, the ruler of the ants was represented as a normal sized member of the species. This is never the case. After an ant queen discards her wings, she resolves herself to being the race-mother, and does little more than spawn her colongy.
The Queen will grow in size until she is a glutonous mass, incapable of much movement at all. It becomes the task of the colony to tend to the queen, keeping her fed and moist.
With hopes of making The Underground more accurate, Queen Azulon was redesigned in this bulbous fashion. Today, Queen Azulon is represented as a morbidly obese ruler, just as she should be.

Insect-O-Fact #7

Insect Queens: Insect colonies are typically led by a queen. Their social organization is oft' referred to as 'eusociality', and is definitive of a few features.

1. Reproductive division of labour
2. Overlapping generations
3. Cooperative care of young

Organization under a queen makes sense when you consider that she is literally giving birth to the whole colony! It has been believed for many years that ants were bred for specific task, scientists have recently discovered that this is not the case. The individual ants are sophisticated enough to carry out a number of roles.

When I originally designed the Hive Embassy, it was to be ruled by an, Emperor Kor En Tul. Since revisiting the series, this character has become Empress Kor En Tul.

Building From Idol

Well it's September, and that means that the Small Press Idol competition has come to an end, so the big question is...how did we do? While we're still waiting for some final numbers/votes to trickle in, it would appear that Faction solidified their number position, leaving the Underground in a respectable second place. I must say that I am proud of how we did, adn how much I myself learned in the last six months. It was an experience unmatched by any other. What makes me even more proud is how we are responding to the results. And when I say 'we', I do mean 'we'.
As mentioned before, I've started up a Creative Development Team to help produce and promote The Underground. We held our first official meeting this September 1st with the SPI still fresh in our minds and our hearts. We spoke for a long while about what the contest has taught us adn where to go from here. While I don't want to give alot away right now, rest assured that The Underground is continuing to progress in a positive way, to due the continued efforts of a few people that you should be familiar with...
Giovanna Reaume: My beautiful wife. She is my partner in life and therefore any thing I strive for therein. My strength and guidance, she has done more than her share before the C.D. Team ever came to be. In the coming weeks you will see her work in the Facebook group, and through posts on the Dimestore site.
Chris Walker: A good friend of mine, Chris has already been helping me with teh story, starting with Issue #0. You'll be seeing Chris' name more often as he begins to help out with the Facebook group, the Dimestore posts, and other online projects yet to be announced.
Adriana McVicker: I've known Addy almost as long as I've known my wife, and neither one of us has gone crazy yet, that's got to count for something! Addy is stepping into the tedious task of promotions and P.R. for lack of a better explanation. She'll be spearheading the effort to find more stores and locations to carry The Underground.
John Burns: A.K.A. J-Bunny! A down-right great guy, Johnny has joined the team in an effort to further develop the story and grab the horns of a couple online projects that we have not announced yet. oooooOOOOooooo. Is the suspense killing you? Sorry.

I'm very excited about this team, and coming out of our first 'real' meeting I know I've made a great choice in the individuals chosen. So like I said, stay with us because there's alot more stuff about to happen and even if you don't have all the details yet...The Underground is about to get much more exciting!

The Round Four Judgement pt.2

With the wrinkles in the Distro site ironed out, The Underground machine is back and chugging away! So I'd like to take a couple of minutes to go over the second judges review of The Underground #0. So without further adieu ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Sam Johnson...
"The story here is a little confusing in places, but the art's strong and the story sets things up ok enough. The cover's not great, particularly as a first issue: We're not familiar with who the characters are that are at threat. A more 'introductory'-feeling cover would have worked better as a hook-in. For future issues, you should make the logo colouring very distinct from the background colours, as well.
As I've stated before the bugs-at-war concept doesn't appeal to me personally...but making the hero flawed and vulnerable in the way you have is a good way to humanize things a little.
It's not for me, but I know the book found a strong following in the previous rounds voting, and I wish you all the best with it."

Whew. Well...not everyone's going to be a fan, and I've always respected your criticism Sam. I hope I can address some of the concerns here, I'd also like to think I can benefit from some of your points here and in future. The story transition suffered a little for one main reason. As I've stated before, I'm an artist and writing sometimes hits the back burner for me. So in this round I focused deeper on the story and enlisted the help of my friend Chris Walker. While I feel this had a positive impact on the story we were left with two points of jitter where the two writing styles didn't mesh seamlessly. I should have reworked the original three pages from round three. I hope this is what you mean with the story, if it isn't I would love to have some more specific feedback for future improvement.
The cover? I've got mixed feelings on the cover to be honest. As a design, I dig the concept. I feel that it begs a few questions....what are these creatures? What happened to the one on the ground? What are they so afraid of? But the colours are wrong, and that's a fact. I had another cover in mind initially with more blue in the background. This I think would have worked well. But then I changed the cover and didn't think of the problem till the very end. Oops. I wonder what sort of ways I could change the colouring of the logo and still maintain the earthy concept? Any thoughts on that from anyone would be awesome.
Again, I can't hope to win everyone, I am glad though that the art is satisfying, and the twists with the main hero work for you. Thanks again for you input, I really do hope to hear from you soon.

The Round Four Judgement pt.1

So I thought I would take this opportunity to discuss what the judges had to say about The Underground #0. It has been a long hard battle for me and my buggy friends, but what the judges have said so far has enabled this book to succeed in the fashion which it has already in this competition. So today we'll start with the first judge to post...Mr. Roger Foucault.
"I am really impressed by these segmented arthropods and the staging approach to the entire entry. Very visually appealling work here, and the scripting kept me reading easily and with intense yearning to read more panel to panel, and page to page.
The brief introduction of the humans on page 14, and their insignificance in the story despite their massive presence, was also a nice touch.
Good use of effects here and there as well, I can see this as a made-for-tv-cartoon series, it has that much marketable appeal.
This subterranean world has my audience and appreciation. Very well done."

And to that I say...wow! Thank you Roger. Those are some pretty big words, and appreciated praises. As far as the scripting is concerned, with the help of my good friend Chris Walker, I've started to look at each page, and each panel on a larger scale. Constantly asking myself what the bigger picture is, I find myself pushing for different ways to convey the story to the audience. This is a very thick and rich world I've created, but I am guilty of not always demonstrating its depth properly. I'm happy to see that the extra time given to storyboarding, and plot development has paid off in some extent.
Also, as I push myself for new ways to tell the story, I am constantly finding new ways to visually represent it. Much of the digital work is self-taught, so admittedly I am learning page by page. Once again, I'm happy that these little experiments have been welcomed as admirable artistic touches.
Lastly, I may be biased, but I would have to agree with you as to the marketable appeal of the book. In fact, when laying out the book, I find myself visually it as though it were a movie. This helps me carry the reader better through my myriad of thoughts, and inspirations. Who knows, maybe it is only a matter of time before kids are watching Cyrus, and the Zealots Elite on Saturday mornings, just as so many of us were glued to the Ninja Turtles. Only time will tell.
As always Roger, your criticism and insight means the world to me, and I hope it can continue through future endeavours.

If you want to find out more about what we're talking about, head over to the Dimestore, and pick up your copy of The Underground #0!
http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/content343.html

Small Press Idol Round 4!!

Voting in Round 4

So here it is the Grand Finale! This is the round where every entrance gets its well deserved chance to shine. It is going to be a tough round with some very tough competition, but you can make a difference. Voting in Round 4 is carried out in the manner of selling our books, it's all about promoting, spreading the word, and getting our masterpiece into the hands of a wider audience. Each project will have a score which is representative of three factors. 1) Number of people buying or ordering books 2) Number of copies of the book sold. 3) Number of PDF's which are downloaded. These numbers will be added together and averaged out for a 'score' and the highest score wins.
Wanna help? Starting now you can download the PDF of the Underground #0. Go to the following link...
http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/content343.html
Click on The Underground cover, and follow the steps to checkout. The PDF (downloadable immediately) costs $2.00 US. The paper copy (shipped in September) costs $3.50 US. The site accepts credit card, and Paypal.
If you can't use one of those options, contact me and I can order them on your behalf. I'll just need your shipping info, I'll be placing all of my orders at the end of August.
Border City Comics will also be taking part taking preorders and such.
Thanks as always to everyone, please contact me if you have any questions. It all comes down to this!!

The Creative Development Team

As we are gearing up for the release of The Underground #0 for the Small Press Idol, I've come to the decision to start a Creative Development Team. The goal of which will be to develop and promote the Underground. This should allow for me to spread my workload out, and welcome fresh ideas to find new ways to reach readers, and keep them interested. Another major focus for this team will be 'The Underground Colony", which is intended to be a group of websites with different material to keep readers involved. The Bugs Blog is one of these sites, as I will be using it to keep you informed as to my thoughts, and what I'm currently working on. I'm really excited about this team, and I've had the time to speak to most of the people I would like to involve in it, everyone so far seems very enthusiastic as well. So keep your eyes peeled because some fun and exciting developments are in store for the Underground.
As far as what I'm working on right now, I've been editing the material for the last round of the Small Press Idol, and doing the final touch ups for the pre-press work. I've got to say once again what an awesome experience this contest has been. I feel that it has allowed me to learn so much, and it is truly something that I will carry with me for always. I also feel that it was the necessary push for me to really start focusing harder on making the Underground a success. It's not going to happen by itself, and it ain't going to be easy, but I'm up for the challenge. I'm also very thankful for those around who through their support and influence all of this is possible.
I've also started working with a good friend, Chris Walker, to start storyboarding future issues of the Underground. As I've mentioned before, I plan to go back over the series of 'The Underground' books that I printed before and elaborate on them, at a sense of depth, and iron out the consistencies. Chris has already been a great help in finding all the underlying themes of the book, and drawing parallels between the characters. This is another development that I am very excited about, and I'm sure it can only mean a better product at the end of the day.
Whew! Well that's a bit of a mouthful. Exciting stuff all around, thanks for hanging in there with me, and as always thanks for your continued support.

Need Help Voting??

I know it's a little cut off! Click on the image to see the whole file.

Under Level One

Under Level 1 is where much of the 'Underground' action takes place, as it is accepted as communal space by many species. Under Level 1 performs two functions in regards to the Underground and it's inhabitants; Egg chambers and Common Travelways.

Egg chambers are constructed surprisingly close to the Surface Level, as many eggs need to be dragged into the sunlight for warmth, and then back into the earth to cool down, this maintenance is carried out by the workers of the colony. Once the larvae hatch, the workers will carry them deeper into the colony to the 'nursery' chambers.

Common Travelways are a necessary component of the Underground, as many insects travel...UNDERGROUND ...logically their paths will cross, and so a sophisticated network of caverns and tunnels is spread out just below the surface level. Often times these paths will lead into a rival colony, if an aggressive insect or group of insects should enter an enemy colony, the colony would release an 'alarm' pheromone to alert the soldiers of the invaders.

More to follow soon enough!

The Underground Cross Section

-The Initial Cross Section-

This is a rough copy of my initial cross section of the Underground. I wanted to show not only how colonies function, but also how the Underground as a whole functions. This cross section is the first step in doing so. I will be discussing each level and its functions individually as I complete their respective sketches.

The key thing to notice here I think is how the construction of the levels change as you get deeper and deeper UNDERGROUND. Caverns and tunnels will become more complex the deeper you go, and the actual look of them will differ greatly. I hope this starts to bring you deeper into the world I've tried so hard to create.

SPI Update

By Ian Shires
5/26 IDOL REPORT POST
Hi folks. WHEW!!! It took some doing to catch up after the weekend out-of town thing (still have some bits and pieces, but we're getting back on track now)A few things to say: If you have a complaint about something - please send it to me, the Idol forum section is not a place to post a thread complaining about something, and I've moved/deleted a couple posts. If there's a bug, there is a bugs forum section. If you just need to vent, go to General Chatter. I'm not going to let the Idol section get cluttered up with that kind of stuff. I am working as hard and as fast as I can to catch up, and I'm sorry I took a few days off.
Anyway, the PROJECTS haven't been taking any time off, and we're seeing bigger and bigger numbers as we get this round into full swing. The top 3 is digging in it's heels - Faction even moved up a spot to #2 - sticking Steel Rising on the edge. Their security is limited, as there are projects below them, getting bigger numbers than they are. So even as hometown Heroes nudged Diary of a Teenage Heroine down a notch, will the final shuffle have it in the Cover Project slots?I was asked if I can send the names of who has voted each day to the projects...as in the previous round, the vote system afforded people the ability to know exactly who voted for them each day. I thought long and hard on that one, cause, it is POSSIBLE...however, what that does, is make it OK and easy for everyone to spam the voters. I think we're going to keep the records of votes, a sealed thing, OK!
One last thing...I've noticed a number of projects that have posted NO additional art, revisions, eye candy of any sort, to keep their forum threads active and interesting. Just pointing it out. Here's those numbers...
1.) 284 Votes (+40) - 95 Voters (NC) Varsity Squad - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
2.) 232 Votes (+40) - 113 Voters (+4) Faction - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
3.) 229 Votes (+27) - 104 Voters (+1) Steel Rising - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
*************** ********The Line for #0/R4 Contention********** *******************
4.) 169 Votes (+19) - 78 Voters (+2) The Associate - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
5.) 155 Votes (+23) - 90 Voters (+4) Hometown Heroes - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
6.) 152 Votes (+17) - 66 Voters (+3) Diary of a Teenage Heroine - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
7.) 145 Votes (+22) - 141 Voters (+1) Maddie Scientist - Judges Vote: 2 No.
8.) 120 Votes (+25) - 70 Voters (+2) The Machine - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
9.) 116 Votes (+16) - 48 Voters (+1) Dogman and Lester - Judges Vote: 2 No.
**************** ********The Line for Cover Projects************ ******************
10.) 101 Votes (+55) - 126 Voters (+2) The Underground - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
11.) 95 Votes (+39) - 146 Voters (+1) The White Rose - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
12.) 52 Votes ( +6) - 56 Voters (NC) Haxxor - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
13.) 18 Votes (+18) - 59 Voters (NC) The Doorknob Society - Judges Vote: 3 No.
14.) 6 Votes ( +6) - 46 Voters (NC) Boulder Colorado - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
15.) 1 Votes ( +1) - 50 Voters (NC) Mr. Man - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
16.) 0 Votes ( 0) - 29 Voters (NC) Project Mercury - Judges Vote: 3 NO.
17.) Earthman - Has taken Ill, will eventually be a back up feature.
17.) Dead Duck - Needs personal time, will eventually be a back up feature.
17.) Monsters of Love - Did not turn in pages, will eventually be a back up feature.
17.) Nevil Von Dunst - Did not turn in pages, will eventually be a back up feature.

And the Judges Say....Yes?

That's right another 3 yes vote from the judges this round! Yay!! I was admittedly concerned at first when I read Sam's initial thoughts on the material and it's target audience. I think this really boils down to perspective though. Sam and I seem to have a pretty similar idea as to the age range that the book should appeal to. I believe that my softer approach to the book has been a result of being a father. Maybe I'm wrong...the theory sounds good to me though!
In any case the judges have passed the project along with three more yes votes, and it once again passes over to the public. And THAT may be the problem this round...we're not yet getting the voters that we did in the last round, while we are only on our third day of public votes time IS limited. We've got two weeks to make it into the top 3, and the number 1 guy had 244 votes at the last poll. Please everyone, take the time to check out the Small Press Idol, and all the awesome projects therein. You CAN make a difference.

Round 3 Entry!

Well, after a whole lotta work, the Underground's Round 3 entry has been submitted in the Small Press Idol! Whew! Lemme tell you this was a little more involved than I had originally thought, but I was determined to make this submission the best it could possibly be. To do so, I did things a little different from how I've usually done them.
The judges have not cast their votes yet, but it is not stopping the public from pushing their votes through! Ian Shires has done a great job of streamlining the voting process, and I'd like to convey a well deserved thank you and congrats to him for all of his hard work in keeping this machine running. While we wait for the judges I'd like to detail some of the changes I've undertaken for this round.
First; Panels: I used an irregularly shaped panel layout for these three pages. I found that this keeps with the 'Underground' theme! I'm also hoping that I can 'bend' the panels somewhat to help carry the flow of each page! It's a comic book, lots of action, straight-edged panels have no place here!
Second; Grayscale: When I published the Underground: Beginnings I did so in full colour, and LOVED it! The original guidelines for this competition instructed us to submit black and white, or grayscaled pages. I chose to take the grayscale route, and let me tell you...at this point I prefer it that way. It's dark, it's gritty, it's love.
Third; Shading: I usually don't set up 'masks' when I'm shading, I just used a gradual blend from dark to light. I found in hindsight that I don't get very strong highlights, or hotspots this way. Unfortunately, this leads to a less dynamic lighting. I've started to block off what sections I intend to highlight, and I am discovering that this develops a much more dramatic feel. Love it, but I am interested to hear from the fans, on this and the grayscale point.
Anyways, and as always thank you to everyone for your continued support!
Let's get voting!!!

Round 2 Final Standings Part 2.

-By Ian Shires -
Dogman And Lester deserves some talk before I make a decision on it. It started out Round 2 soft, with the first 2 No vote from the judges in the round (there eventually was only one other, but it didn't matter because the other did not end up above the line) and slow voting followed. By April 13th, I included on the standings report: "I don't know what to say about Dogman and Lester, they seem to be giving up. I'd love to see some fight from the project.". They remained in last place till other projects posted, and then maintained it's position ok...starting to generate some stronger voting.
Then, on April 20th, for the first time, they moved UP in the standings. It was short lived, as all the rest of the projects came in then, and many took off on their journeys up the standings. Meanwhile, we start seeing some new drawings, and other explanations about the project, which showed me this project indeed wanted to be there. It indeed went toe to toe with 3-yes projects, and held it's position well.Now, I'm gonna go way out on a limb right now, and state up front, this project does not seem like something I personally would ever seek out to read. I don't find the characters artwork turned in on a level that would sustain a series at this time. I do however like most of the additional artwork turned in as the round went on, as pieces of art. I have solid reservation that the sequential art resulting from this project has any chance of winning.That said, I don't know everything. I am fairly confident that the project not just brought in it's own fans, but connected with the SPA community enough that I know there were voters from other projects, and long time members, rooting this project on. However. I am looking at the bigger scheme of things too. Let's look at the rest of the numbers...
13.) 253 Votes (+25) - 55 Voters ( +3) Earthman - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
14.) 247 Votes (+12) - 50 Voters ( +1) Mr. Man - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
15.) 236 Votes (+16) - 46 Voters ( +1) Diary of a Teenage Heroine - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
16.) 227 Votes ( +8) - 29 Voters (5NC) Project Mercury - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
17.) 184 Votes (+16) - 45 Voters ( NC) Monsters of Love - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
18.) 165 Votes (+14) - 36 Voters ( +2) Dead Duck - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
19.) 164 Votes (+21) - 61 Voters ( +2) Nevil Von Dunst - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
20.) 161 Votes (+21) - 47 Voters ( +2) Boulder Colorado - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
*************** *******The Dreaded Line**************** ************
21.) 143 Votes (+23) - 37 Voters ( +5) Dinos - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
22.) 130 Votes (+15) - 30 Voters ( +3) Thread of Valor - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
23.) 108 Votes (+13) - 32 Voters ( +4) Quick Draw - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
24.) 96 Votes ( +5) - 37 Voters ( +2) Chaoskind - Judges Vote: 2 No.
25.) 68 Votes (+11) - 23 Voters ( +2) EAST - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
26.) 26 Votes ( +3) - 12 Voters ( +2) APOC: Hel's Kitchen - Judges Vote: 3 Yes
27.) Parahero Will be a Back Up Feature in Mysterious Visions Anthology.
If I were to cut Dogman, it would effectively bring DINOS back into the top 20. I honestly feel that Dinos belongs above the line, and, it is unfortunate that it is not. Is that enough of a reason to cut a project I don't actually care for? Well, Dinos only has a few less actual voters than Dogman. So, if Dinos had gotten in earlier, they could easily have been above the line. Neither project really set the world on fire with number of voters, but, we also know how hard it is to actually get people in here voting.I think Dinos is going to be a funny comic to read. I also think it failed to really connect with it audience. I read many a person saying that they got the jokes, but didn't laugh. Dogman, stood up to me challenging it to do better. I can respect that. It is for those reasons, that I am going to make my decision in FAVOR of Dogman and Lester moving on to Round 3. I am not going to cut it. It will be in Round 3.

Round 2 Final Standings Part 1.

-By Ian Shires-
Well here we are folks, Round 2 of Small Press Idol has come and gone, and one thing is very clear: Idol is very big this year. Bigger than ever. Record big. We had 27 projects that made it into Round 2, and we can only send 20 of them into Round 3. Things started fairly normal, early favorites made their mark, layed their foundations, while other projects posted as we went, and fought their way into the spotlight while traffic at the site, skyrocketed. By the time all the projects were posted, it was clear we'd struck a chord this year, but it was the week that followed that really changed everything. As late posters pulled out all the stops to catch up to early posters and record after record was topped, the true nature of Idol took over, and projects started voting for each other, and joking back and forth, and the party atmosphere made this all a lot of fun for everyone...but me...
Record vote levels meant longer voting count times than every before. By the time the final week was in gear, it was taking over 5 hours to count all the votes each day in the same system we'd used for the last 2 years. I finally struck on the idea that would at least keep the voting open while I counted...instead of using the posting of results as my marker of where I ended counting the day before, I simply made a post that marked the line, and when I got to it, I stopped counting for the day. Simple idea...can't believe it took so long to think of it. Yes, there will be a change in how I collect and count votes next round, but I'll post more on that later, right now, we want to keep focused on results.
So anyway, we saw some HOT competition at the top, but Faction ran away with the round...both by posting early, and by having the most repeat voters. They managed to be our first ever project to top 1,000 votes in a round...and did it with fewer total voters than the next 3 projects in the list. The Underground connected and skyrocketed up the list...eventually bumping down early fan favorite Maddie Scientist. It was a battle between RPG fans and a High School that was a pleasure to watch. Maddie Scientist is our improbable queen of the contest, as the team has our youngest competitor ever, but has really transformed how their whole school views indy comics through this contest. The white Rose - rose hard and heavy as well... eventually beating out our other early top 3 fan favorite, The Machine...whose very loyal fans dug in and kept them up top in very heavy competition.Below that, the movement and positions held by each project were in a constant state of flux...but we did watch as a number of early projects that had that voting advantage, fell below the line. There were no last minute big changes, though, and that leaves just one big question on everyone's lips: What about Dogman and Lester???
They got a Judges majority NO vote, and are above the line, which means they are the ONLY project subject to my making a final judgement on them. right now, I have tallied the numbers, and have to go pick up my daughter from school...so...I will post up to them...and be back in a bit...
1.) 1101 Votes (+36) - 103 Voters (3NC) Faction - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
2.) 797 Votes (+77) - 121 Voters ( +1) The Underground - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
3.) 767 Votes (+55) - 136 Voters ( +5) Maddie Scientist - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
4.) 718 Votes (+76) - 139 Voters ( +9) The White Rose - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
5.) 548 Votes (+30) - 61 Voters (3NC) The Machine - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
6.) 457 Votes (+17) - 69 Voters (2NC) Hometown Heroes - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
7.) 449 Votes (+16) - 59 Voters (4NC) The Associate - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
8.) 445 Votes (+25) - 91 Voters ( +2) Steel Rising - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
9.) 376 Votes (+15) - 59 Voters (4NC) Haxxor - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
10.) 338 Votes (+20) - 54 Voters ( +1) Varsity Squad - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
11.) 275 Votes (+29) - 61 Voters ( +2) The Doorknob Society - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
12.) 269 Votes (+12) - 40 Voters (2NC) Dogman and Lester - Judges Vote: 2 No.

Paul's Thoughts on the 28th Standings

Well, well, well...It looks like we had a better day yesterday! Some hard work from my beloved promoters (predominantly my wife, and sister Monica!), and perhaps a few promo cards being circulated seem to have brought in a few more voters. This is definitely good to see, as it is important to show in this competition the marketing capabilities of our projects. We NEED to be able to attract new readers, our devoted readers NEED to be sooo excited about this project that they'll tell all of their friends!
What I find even MORE exciting is the fact that we are only ten votes behind the number 2 slot, and we've been closing the gap by almost 30 votes a day! If this continues we should be in second place...TOMORROW!! Let me tell you, I have a tremendous amount of faith in The Underground, but at no point did I think we nail second place! Let's see if we can do it! Even if we can't, I'm happy to see us in the top 3!
Getting to this point is a huge success, as it is an obvious goal in Round 3. In the next round, only the top three projects will pass on to Round 4! OUCH! That's a big cut. So I was really hoping that I'd make it up to the top three, as an indicator of what this project is capable of.
Moving forward, I'm working very hard to make sure our project is entered on the first or second day of submissions, this will give our dedicated voters all the time they need to make a difference!

Idol Standings for April 28th

-From Ian Shires-
**********TUESDAY RESULTS POST***********
You guys are gonna have to forgive me a bit today for being a little slow. I tripped and fell in my gravel driveway last night, and I'm real sore, ugh. Not looking for sympathy, just...an explanation on why I won't get to the Kick Start again today. Tomorrow do or die...
Anyway, in the top today, we saw Doorknob Society overtake Earthman, and Monsters of Love overtake Dead Duck. The Duck, is in serious danger of going below the line in the next 2 days, if current levels remain. We saw Boulder Colorado jump up 2 spots, from below the line, knocking Dinos below it, and poising Thread of Valor as the next to fall, if it can't figure out how to get more votes than the projects below it that are getting +20's. Nevil and Chaoskind, are both chomping at the bit to get above the line and be in Round 3. I think it's safe to say Apoc: Hel's Kitchen has given up.Anyway, we're really coming down to the wire on this round now there's just 2 more full days of voting after what's left of today...and the final count will be done Friday Morning to announce the line up for Round 3. Who's going to get cut? One of YOUR favorites?
The OTHER big Question: Will I use the 50/50 tiebreaker to KEEP, or CUT Dogman and Lester? Have they done enough to outweigh the Judges no? How do they REALLY stack up with the other projects? That's on my mind as I WILL make that call, Friday morning!
1.) 974 Votes (+49) - 103 Voters ( +1) Faction - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
2.) 622 Votes (+41) - 123 Voters ( +3) Maddie Scientist - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
3.) 587 Votes (+76) - 113 Voters ( +4) The Underground - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
4.) 515 Votes (+68) - 115 Voters ( +2) The White Rose - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
5.) 468 Votes (+26) - 61 Voters ( +1) The Machine - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
6.) 411 Votes (+18) - 68 Voters ( NC) Hometown Heroes - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
7.) 400 Votes (+18) - 59 Voters ( NC) The Associate - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
8.) 354 Votes (+26) - 82 Voters ( +1) Steel Rising - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
9.) 331 Votes (+22) - 59 Voters ( NC) Haxxor - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
10.) 278 Votes (+17) - 52 Voters ( +1) Varsity Squad - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
11.) 229 Votes (+17) - 39 Voters ( +2) Dogman and Lester - Judges Vote: 2 No.
12.) 213 Votes (+18) - 49 Voters ( NC) Mr. Man - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
13.) 198 Votes (+14) - 29 Voters (2NC) Project Mercury - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
14.) 193 Votes (+29) - 54 Voters ( +3) The Doorknob Society - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
15.) 184 Votes (+18) - 44 Voters ( +2) Earthman - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
16.) 180 Votes (+20) - 41 Voters ( +1) Diary of a Teenage Heroine - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
17.) 130 Votes (+20) - 38 Voters ( +1) Monsters of Love - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
18.) 124 Votes (+11) - 28 Voters (2NC) Dead Duck - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
19.) 96 Votes (+27) - 34 Voters ( +8) Boulder Colorado - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
20.) 93 Votes ( +8) - 24 Voters (2NC) Thread of Valor - Judges Vote: 2 Yes. *************** *******The Dreaded Line**************** ************
21.) 88 Votes (+16) - 25 Voters ( NC) Dinos - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
22.) 83 Votes (+25) - 35 Voters ( +9) Nevil Von Dunst - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
23.) 70 Votes (+11) - 25 Voters ( +1) Quick Draw - Judges Vote: 2 Yes.
24.) 67 Votes (+23) - 31 Voters ( +9) Chaoskind - Judges Vote: 2 No.
25.) 48 Votes (+10) - 20 Voters ( +4) EAST - Judges Vote: 3 Yes.
26.) 22 Votes ( +2) - 9 Voters ( NC) APOC: Hel's Kitchen - Judges Vote: 3 Yes
27.) Parahero Will be a Back Up Feature in Mysterious Visions Anthology.
Numbers Explained: # Votes Total - # Voters Total (# in parenthesis is new since last count)
If there is a Tie: The numbers are used from left to right. So #votes is first, if that is a tie, then the (+#) is used to break it, if that is a tie, then the next...if a project moves into an absolute tie across the board, whichever project was lower in the previous count will be placed in the upper position in question, as they have more momentum in how they got to the tie.

Insect-O-Fact #6

Insect-O- Fact #6
'Blowflies': Also referred to as the 'bluebottle fly', it contains among others, the 'greenbottle fly'. Admiral Cree, while I commonly refer to him as a 'blowfly', would more accurately be described as a Greenbottle Fly. As explained in his bio, Admiral Cree is a coward, and so I spent much time looking for a particularly dirty, cowardly, and desperate creature to represent him. The blowfly has to be one of the grossest insects I have EVER read about (and THAT's saying something!). Their eggs are laid into the carcasses of dead animals, or the eyelids of live frogs! That way the emerging larvae have plenty to eat...EEEEEEEEWWWWWW W.I guess if you're too weak or cowardly to go hunting for food this is a fair alternative...ya, that sounds Cree enough for me!

Insect-O-Fact #5

Insect-O-Fact #5
"Ladybugs": Ladybugs are a great favourite with Mankind yound and old alike. They can be found in every corner of the world, sporting about 3400 species. At times they are actually bred to feed on aphids and scale insects in order to protect jeopardized plants. Quite the green thumbs aren't they? In light of this they have been branded with a variety of Amiable names including; Sun Calf, God's Lamb, or God's Little Thief. Aren't they just soo loveable? Maybe it's just me!

Insect-O-Fact #4
"Pheromones": Pheromones, for me, are one of the most interesting aspects of this story and its potential. These pheromones, or Ecto-Hormones, are transported outside the body resulting in a direct developmental effect on hormone levels or behavioural change. These effects vary, just as the type of pheromones vary. There are Aggregation pheromones (like an insect booty call!), Alarm pheromones (often used by bees), Trail pheromones (ants use them when scouting for food), and many more!This puts a new meaning to 'spidey senses', and should surely add a new dynamic level of abilities to my creatures. I'm not using super powers in this series, but with innate abilities like this possessed by all insects, who needs super powers!?!

Insect-O-Fact #3

Insect-O- Fact #3
"Baron Tarq the Sand Wasp": Baron Tarq is a mean, evil, ruthless tyrant. I needed to choose an appropriately evil insect for his character. The Sand Wasps are natural predators. While they hunt and feed on a variety of insects the most favourable or consistent prey appears to be flies. This little tidbit could make for a rather interesting relationship between Tarq and Admiral Cree (Admiral of the Fly Federation).The Sand Wasps' nests attract different parasitic flies, and wasps. The Sand Wasp has been known to feed even on the Wasp parasites. This is an extremely rare phenomenon in the Animal Kingdom. Wow. It doesn't get much more ruthless or evil than that!

SPI Update 4-20-2009

Hi all,
Well the votes are definitely picking up, thanks to some very passionate promoting by my wife, sisters, cousins, etc. There seems to have been an explosion of 'Underground' buzz (haha get it?) all over Facebook, and it seems to be doing the trick. Thank you to everyone!
I'm currently in 12th place, but there have been a bunch more entries today so there sudden influx of votes is even MORE needed than before! Let's keep it up guys! And here's the next Insect-O-Fact.
Insect-O-Fact #2
"Beetles": This one's for my family! Did you know that the Ladybug is actually a form of beetle? In fact, beetles make up the largest order of living things with about 290,000 species known worldwide. And NO, that does NOT include all of my 'Beedle' family members here in the Windsor area! Beedle family? Bug comic? Coincidence? Purely!

SPI Update and Insect-o-Fact

Hi All,
Well, the public vote is going pretty slowly....I'm trying not to be too discouraged, but I AM surprised that out of the 124 members of the Underground group only 6 have voted! This is really easy, and doesn't take much time at all. As my wife so adequately stated if you've got time to pee, you've got time to vote!
In anycase, here's the first of our Insect-O-Facts...
Insect-O-Fact #1
Diapause: It is currently harvest time throughout The Underground. Throughout the land insects of all breeds are preparing themselves for the Great Chill. Gathering as much food and supplies as possible, concerning themselves only with the coming change of season.During the Great Chill (winter) many insects go into a state of hibernation called 'diapause'. While in this state, Ladybugs in particular will feed on their stored body fat. The harvest is very important then, because it gives the Ladybugs enough sustenance to survive the long hard winter.Thank you once again to all the supporters.

SPI 2009 Round 2 Update

Well, after squeaking through Round 1 I knew I had alot of work to do in order to make up. And let me tell you I worked my tail off! Before I even posted the submissions I knew I had achieved something. Irregardless of what happens with the competition I know that I have grown as an artist through this experience. Being involved with such a talented group of artists/peers is something truly amazing, and I will carry it with me for always.
As for the judges, I got a yes vote from all three of them! With some critiques and sugggestions, 3 positive votes. Their input centered mostly on the logo for the Underground which I have started to tweak. I love where this project is going, and I'm very thankful for the guidance and observations being offered.
So now the public vote has started, and if you haven't heard already you can go on every day and vote for your favourite buggy heroes!
http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/content287.html
I've decided that everyday, as I cast my own vote, I'll try to give some Insect-facts, maybe an insight into how I generate characters, plots, and domains! This is going to be fun! Who's with me??

Small Press Idol 2009

Well, it's been a while but I'm back! And The Underground is still kickin'! We've made some great leaps, and we're still moving forward. While the Twisted Tees project unfortunately needs to be put onto the back burner for the time being, I assure you it is only because of other exciting developments, and I want to make sure everything I undertake is done right.
So where do we stand? Well, we've crossed the border for starters...The Underground has been sent over to my friends at Tech Topia in Michigan. This is awesome as it should help to reach a brand new audience, more meat for the bugs! Also, I've signed up for The Small Press Idol held by Dimestore Productions. This is a really cool contest, mixing American Idol with the Apprentice. The winner of this contest will be awarded a four issue contract with Dimestore Productions. I'm currently working on my submissions for Round 2 which will involve character designs and action shots. I'm working harder than I've ever worked after making (admittedly) a poor showing in Round 1. The characters have been tweaked, and polished, and I can't wait to show them off. Please check out the contest, and watch for your opportunity to vote in this awesome competition. Just like the tv show, after the judges have their say YOU get to put your two cents in, I look forward to hearing from you as we move ahead in each of these exciting areas.