The Strange One: Odd Thomas

Odd Thomas: Long time no update – I’ve been real overworked. For the record, I’m still working on the single-volume “Odd Thomas” graphic novel (just finished chapters 4 out of 7), which now has a name – “In Odd We Trust”. Dean Koontz came up with that name, and he’s also writing a fourth “Odd Thomas” novel, to come out just before this graphic novel I’m working on. Yes, Dean Koontz’s most successful trilogy of books is no longer a trilogy.

I promised long ago to write a lengthy description of the whole Dean Koontz-deal I’m working on, but I haven’t done it yet. It’s because up until the end of October, Dean was busy working on his novel(s) and didn’t have time to approve the last chapter script. Now that the entire script has been approved, I can finally tell you who did what part of the work. But I’ll save that for the big “Odd Thomas” post, which unfortunately is only coming out after volume 3 of “The Dreaming” in December.

 

The Dreaming: Yes, volume 3 is now coming out in December and not November. There’s a very good reason for the 1 month delay – the folks at TOKYOPOP had something to insert in the back and it needed time to get approved. As for what’s being inserted in the back of “The Dreaming” volume 3 – it’s a SECRET (though lord knows, I’ve blabbed it to enough people already. Whoops). Anyway, I haven’t yet posted up the chapter breaks, so here they are.

 

The Dreaming - Chapter 15

 

——————————-

 

The Dreaming - Chapter 16

 

——————————-

 

The Dreaming - Chapter 17

 

——————————-

 

The Dreaming - Chapter 18

 

——————————-

 

The Dreaming - Chapter 19

 

——————————-

 

The Dreaming - Chapter 20

 

——————————-

 

The Dreaming - Chapter 21

The Dreaming: Long Time No Update

The Dreaming v3: Is finished. It’s 182 pages. It is OVER. The “The Dreaming” series has concluded.

It will be out in November 2007. I actually finished nearly all of book3 a while ago, but couldn’t be bothered to post it up since I was also working on “Odd Thomas”. It’s hell working on 2 books at the same time – now that the bulk of “The Dreaming” v3 is done, I’ve got a bunch of minor stuff I need to finish on it, namely the chapter illustrations and odds and ends (like part 3 of the Haunted Linen Cupboard series). Yeah, I’m dragging my feet on this, though luckily the due date is August the 23rd, so there’s plenty of time. It even took me a whole month to finish the cover, which is down below.

 

The Dreaming 3 - cover

After 2 covers, I finally figured out how to do a glowing window properly.

 

Odd Thomas: After that blabber about the last book in “The Dreaming” series, I get to talk about “Odd Thomas”. I totally forgot to post this up, but Allen Klingelhoets did an interview with me here which has some “Odd Thomas” information in it (Thankyou, Allen). I’ll be posting up a longer description of my work on “Odd Thomas” and how I came onto this project in August.

So far, I can’t show any art that’s not been approved, but there’s no hurry, because the book is scheduled to be launched mid-2008. So far, the first 2 chapters (of 7) is close to being finished, and the script is complete, currently being copy-editted. That’s about it for this chunk of news.

 

The Legend of Zelda: An 8-page doujinshi that is part of Life Meter 2, a video-gaming comics anthology. If you’ve ever wanted to see videogame characters in comic form, this is your anthology. This doujinshi was drawn specifically for this book, so this is the only chance you’ll have to see this “Princess Zelda” story in print. I’ll put it online later on… though only perhaps MUCH later on, when the anthology is sold out.

 
Princess Zelda

Hard At Work…

The Dreaming v3: Up to chapter 5 for the pencils, and almost finished inking chapter 3. Am pumping it out like there’s no tomorrow!! Meanwhile, Volume 2 is out, it’s on Amazon.com. Oh, Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year, by the way. I don’t get a break, so no festivities for me. *sigh*

 

Zelda Fan Manga: Here’s the second part, while the previous 5 pages is here. As per the previous poll, option (b) won out, and you can see it in all it’s glory.

 

Zelda - Page 6

 

——————————-

 

Zelda - Page 7

 

——————————-

 

Zelda - Page 8

 

——————————-

 

Zelda - Page 9

 

Voting for this poll ended on the 25th December. The winner this time was again (b), though (a) got a fair number of votes and for a while, was neck to neck. The options and votes for “Right now, Link is thinking:” are as follows:

 

  • She asked for my arm, so I should give her my arm. (22 Votes – 33.8%)
  • I shall sweep her up in my arms and carry her up the stairs! After all, she IS injured (so I have a GOOD excuse). (28 Votes – 43.1%)
  • If she needs fresh air and sunshine, she probably needs exercise too. I shall escort her up the stairs, but she is to climb them alone. (9 Votes – 13.8%)
  • She should stay here, as Princess Ruto asked. This is Ruto’s domain, after all. (6 Votes – 9.2%)

 

You may not have realised when you voted, but the last poll served a real purpose. It was to determine Link’s base personality. For the curious, I have made a list of the voting options, including what would have happened if that option had won out, and what Link’s personality type would have been.

Option A: Get all teary-eyed and emotional (12 Votes – 14%)
Result: Link gets all teary-eyed and emotional. Zelda gets all teary-eyed and emotional. Ruto couldn’t flee the room fast enough, so she gets emotional too.
“Earnest Warrior” Link: The most idealistic of all the Links, this Link is very open with his emotions, and very serious about his pursuit of truth and justice. While he knows that he should probably exercise more emotional restraint, he knows and appreciates why he feels the way he does, and considers it a positive attribute. He gets on best with the ordinary folks, and always puts their welfare first. Unfortunately, there are people out there who tends to take advantage of his nice, giving side, and Link finds it hard to say “no” to their requests, even if he knows he’s being taken advantage of. He also has a tendency to take other people’s business on as his own, which, curiously enough, also makes him the best physical fighter out of all the Links. The fact that he cares so intensely also means that his endurance and stamina is higher than the other Links. This Link is also the least interested in adventuring, with the most appreciation for the simple life.

 

Option B: Bow his head, gallantly kiss Princess Zelda’s hand, and greet her with a gentle smile (53 Votes – 61.6%)
Result: You’re looking at it.
“Romantic Soldier” Link: This guy has emotions like everyone else, but trusts his head over his heart. He is the most strategic when it comes to fighting, and also the most emotionally-guarded of all the Links. As a result, he is always polite and affable, but there’s no telling what he actually thinks of something or someone. This is a great help when dealing with sectors of society he may not necessarily like – his understanding of protocols and good manners make him the Link that gets along best with nobles, aristocrats and the wealthy. Certainly, he gets along fine with the ordinary folks as well, but he’s holistic enough to see that the common folk tend to be at their happiest when the ruling classes are doing a good job. Not particularly idealistic, this Link has an appreciation of all the greys in the world, and deals with all of its complexities by following the knight’s code of honour as much as he can. At the same time, he’s also most likely to be a smooth talker, and to use his looks to his advantage. He’s a guy who’s constantly sizing people up before he even speaks to them.

 

Option C: Smile in relief, pull up a chair, and slap her on the back (14 Votes – 16.3%)
Result: After Link slaps Princess Zelda on the back, he’ll be immediately slapped by Ruto on the head. Didn’t he hear her say that Princess Zelda has been injured?! Don’t slap injured people on the back until you know what’s wrong with them.
“Laid-Back Adventurer” Link: This Link enjoys saving the world, but the travelling and adventuring parts are also highly enjoyable. This Link has wanderlust, is something of a risk-taker, and gets along well with just about anybody because, well, he’s just an affable guy in general. In terms of personal relationships, he’s probably the most shallow of all the Links, and the least-likely to become emotionally attached to something or someone. That’s not to say he has no beliefs or ideals. He does have the same set of core beliefs as the other Links, though what he really loves and appreciates is the diversity of the world he lives in. He just loves experiencing it. As a fighter, he is the most fearless of all the Links, but not necessarily the most courageous. He’s the guy that assasins can never track down because he speaks a dozen languages and knows all the local customs of whichever place he’s already been to. An experienced bargain hunter, this Link has loads of street-smarts, and deals best with tradespeople, wandering merchants, travellers, thieves, bards, and the like.

 

Option D: Forget Princess Zelda!! Let’s hit on Princess Ruto!! (7 Votes – 8.1%)
Result: Anyone who behaves like that in such a situation is bound to have a weird sense of humour. He’ll be rejected by Princess Ruto, and will annoy both princesses. He’ll then go on the charm offensive to win them back.
“Oddball Swordsman” Link: This Link has an appreciation for the weird little moments in life, and that’s just putting it nicely. Sure, he saves the world too, but don’t expect him to act like a hero or even a swordsman. The number one thing people will remember about him is his strange sense of humour, often on display when you least expect it, and tempered with a mild dose of charm afterwards (so people won’t blacklist him from their parties). People have no idea how to react to him, or whether to take him seriously, because he doesn’t SEEM to be the kind of person who would have such a personality. In fact, he is normally a quiet guy. Why he has such a prankish sense of humour is a mystery, even to himself. Out of all the Links, he has the greatest appreciation for the banalities of life, and hangs around some very strange people, mostly for the shock value. Oddly enough, when he is motivated to care, he can form very strong emotional attachments, the strongest of all the other Links. It’s possible that deep down, he’s the loneliest of all the Links, and feels that loneliness most acutely. As a fighter, however, he is unrelentingly creative and full of surprises. Very apt for a guy who’s life seems to revolve around doing the unexpected. This Link gets along best with circus performers, crazy inventors, fortune-tellers, and various other weirdos and outcasts. It’s his appreciation for the off-beat.

The Dreaming: Preview of Book 2!

To Marcella: I have an email from Marcella, asking me to reply, but unfortunately I can’t because you didn’t give a valid email address. Anyway, I hope you get outta your troubles soon.

“The Dreaming” vol2 is coming out on the 7th November in stores, though for some reason it’s already available at Amazon.com. It also seems to be already out in some bookstores. I thought I’d jump in on the fun, and release the first chapter of book2 for a preview, both on my website at at my new DeviantArt account. Now, there’s no reason why a single person should have a personal website, a livejournal, and a DevArt account – how many things can I manage anyway – but I was convinced otherwise by a Canadian cosplayer at Supanova last weekend. It seems that DevArt is a good place to dump all the doodles I do that I don’t post up on my site or LJ.

 

A Real Interesting Music Clip: My musician friend Yunyu has done something amazing – she’s got a music video of one of her songs out that is filmed in a way that is quite unusual. Basically, it’s “Live Stop-Motion” – something that combines real film (and real people) with stop-motion techniques. The song is “Lenore’s Song”, and the video was basically made using over 16,000 still photographs, all done by getting the actors and Yunyu to move very slightly while shots are taken of them. And the final effect is interesting and unsettling – as you can see on this YouTube Video.

Anyway, this video has been chosen as a finalist in the Sunscreen festival.