OMG! It's Finally Here!!

If you've been around here a while, you might remember when my husband wrote about writing the Anime RPG book. It was written in March of 2011, was the 5th post ever in this blog, and was the first guest post--although does it technically count as a guest post? I mean technically, my husband is part of Gothic Panda Studios, and a lot of what shows up on my art table is a collaborative effort between the two of us. On the other hand, I am the primary contributor to this blog and tend to think of it as my blog (not our blog). XD Anyways... getting off topic there. About a year ago, we sold our last print copy of that book. We talked briefly about doing a second print run, but unless we get huge numbers of people demanding it (as in willing to put down money on a preorder), we're not going to go the print route with this book again. But that's not the point of this post... although the point is related to the Anime RPG book. I'm just taking my sweet time getting to it, cause that's how I do things. =P

Earlier this week we finished assembling a revised version of the Anime RPG book and it can not be purchased via Etsy as a PDF download! =D We're working on re-editing (well mostly reformatting) it for Kindle. Once that's done it'll also be available through the Kindle store. This will probably take a couple more weeks (maybe a couple more months--cause this is also how we do things; it comes from having work and responsibilities beyond Gothic Panda Studios and Team Sidequest game production). So, yeah. That's the point of this post. Anime RPG is now available as a digital download. We're going to spend the fall hopefully wrapping up a Pathfinder version. Then we might just take a break to prepare for a 5th edition D&D version. Maybe. Expect it right around when the announce 6th edition... cause that's how we do things here.

WIP Volume 37

This is going to be a longish post. =P I've been busy since my last WIP post. First up blanket progress. I've finished all the "squares". Now I'm assembling them. The second picture is progress on that.

 

Final Fantasy IV Buttons + 1 bookmark/postcard design.

Flutterplush

Anime RPG art clean up: The original sketch, and lineart progress.

Hobbit movie poster parody

Totebag projects--I made a Fluttershy bag, and now I'm making a few other bags. #1: White Mage inspired bag, #2 Purple and Black quilted bag--I plan on appliqueing a panda on it, #3: Black quilted bag cause I think it'll be pretty.

MLP Mashup set 1

More What Would ___ Do designs.

The New Normal

For my last post, I talked about getting back to normal and how I have come to the conclusion that I don't think there will ever be a normal like the normal I want to get back to. That said, I think there's going to be some good stuff coming from 2013.

I've had to come to terms with the high probability that I won't see everything I'd love to see done finished in 2013 (or even 2014 or 2015). So, you might ask: what exactly do we expect to see from 2013 (realistically). Well, my husband and I started the year off by listing all the projects (or in some cases types of projects) we wanted to spend our year working on. We narrowed the list down to five things--actually it was only supposed to be three, but I made the argument that one project was going to be just my husband's (even though it really isn't) and I added another as an afterthought because I forgot to put it on the original list, so that one sneaked in through the back door so to speak. =P Yeah, I think we can see a little bit of my ADD personality mixed with my inability to commit to getting one thing done at a time.

Here's what's on our list, at least to start with. First up is the Anime RPG book (and other Team Sidequest, the game company, related stuff like that new card game we had at Magfest). There is some art I really really want to redo. Plus we're editing and making some adjustments based on feedback we have received since the book's initial release. I am looking for some print-on-demand options, but aside from that we won't be releasing the book in print again. We are looking at getting the book released digitally in a variety of ebook formats. This is the project that's supposed to be just my husband's. =P

Next up, we are planning on making extensive use of our new buttonmaker (you can find our current design selection in the button section on the gallery page of my website). For me buttons are going to be my outlet for drawing for all of my favorite things in epic quantities (like Full Metal Alchemist). At the top of my drawing list right now is Code Geass and My Little Pony. Those will be followed by lots and lots of Final Fantasy (I, IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII, and XIII to start with XD). There will also be lots of FMA. I am planning a giant marathon session where I will draw pretty much anyone and everyone from that series. XD I'm only a little obsessed with it. There will be others, but that's where I'm starting (that's probably more than enough to start with). Some of these designs will go to bookmark or postcard-size print instead of as a button, but most will be buttons.

After buttons, we have cosplay. We made cosplay it's on section and although I have a blue-zillion plans and ideas, we've settled on Halo as the one project we're actually going to try and finish first. Team Sidequest (our D&D/cosplay/game/whatever else group) is planning on going to Animazement with a lot of helmets from the Halo armor costumes. These will eventually be followed by the full suits of armor and we will be cosplaying from Red vs. Blue, which I should probably sit down and watch at some point. XD The Halo cosplay project will be followed by finishing the Mare Do Well cosplay I wanted to make for Halloween. There will be more...much more...but this is a start.

The fourth project choice (my third *cough*) is still waffling. I want to make some more movie poster parodies along the lines of The Dark Mare Rises print. I have ideas for a Hobbit/Bioshock cross and Full Metal Alchemist/Avengers cross. On the other hand, I also have lots of ideas for drawing ponies...lots and lots of ponies...lots and lots of things that should not be drawn as ponies but I really really want to draw as ponies. XD This might be one of those things I go back and forth on for a little bit.

The final project thing I'll be working on is a list of gifts and personal projects. I have several baby blankets to make for friends (ideally to be finished while their kids are still babies =P). I also have some things I want to make for the house and for Sophie and stuff like that, so yeah.

Anyways, that's what we're going to be working on to start with. There's of course lots of other things I want to work on. I can't do it all though, so some of it will have to wait. =P

Did I Forget Yesterday's Post?

Did I forget yesterday's post? No, of course not... Well, okay, maybe... To be honest, yes, I did. Yesterday, we held our first "official" Team Sidequest work meeting. This consisted of myself, my husband, and our mechanics editor (good friend who knows rules for most games inside and out and has a good eye for whether certain game mechanics will work or not, but that title seemed a bit long so we call him mechanics editor). Way back in the very beginning of this blog, I mentioned that along with Gothic Panda Studios work, I might be posting on the things we're doing with Team Sidequest. Team Sidequest, for those who don't know, is a fledgling table top game company run primarily by my husband and I with occasional assistance from a couple of friends. Not much to it yet, but for now it's run by volunteer staff. Maybe one day it'll become something epically awesome and we'll actually get paid and be able to hire some other people. =D I can hope right?

Anyways, yesterday, we started work on editing the Anime RPG book we published last year (because surely we weren't the only ones who thought it might be fun to play a dwarf magic girl). We're about out of the first print run of books, so it seemed like a good time to do some editing--plus, over the last year of playing around with it and from some feedback from people who purchased copies of the book we have a list of things we feel could be made better. Our first step: review the mechanics. At our meeting, we made a rough list of general things to address. Over the next week we will each sit down with a copy of the book and go through every power, every feat, and every item in the book. We'll each make a list of specific adjustments we think should be made. Technically, I'll probably be leaving this task up to my husband and our mechanics editor, since I've also been tasked with editing some of the art. Once this step is done, we'll meet again and compare our lists of specific changes and determine as a group what we will actually change--these changes will be recorded to be posted on the Team Sidequest website for people who have already purchased a copy of the book. After that we'll make changes, check for grammar and spelling errors, correct formatting and other things like that. Our goal is to have the book ready for a second print run by mid-August.

In theory, by mid-August, we will also have Anime RPG ready for e-book release. One on-going request I have received regarding this book, second only to a version for Pathfinder, is an electronic version. This is the big reason why I am editing art. For the e-book version, all the art can be in color, as opposed to the black and white for the print version (color printing would make the book way too expensive). Once we get the 4th edition book completely edited and ready for release, we'll tackle adjusting the system for Pathfinder. Sometime in the next month we'll also be getting the Team Sidequest website up and functioning as well, so, you know, we have a place to post that list of changes. XD