House of Stairs

Post by **Scott McCloud** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 11:22 am

I just love Jack Master's latest "House of Stairs" installment: "In The Event Of Nuclear War".

House of Stairs is at:
http://CastleZZT.net/Spongy/

(Click on "Previous" to see the one I'm talking about if Jack's posted a new one since.)

Jack Masters · Post by **Jack Masters** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 3:33 pm

Thanks! This was one comic where I felt the general flow was really at it's best.

One of the things I run into is that since the panel connections have totally different meanings to me as they do to the reader, the way I pace them doesn't always communicate the tone I was really looking for. This comic's layout is based more on clustering then train-of-thought, and it seems to be working nicely!

[ This Message was edited by: Jack Masters on 2002-02-01 14:37 ]

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Sat Feb 02, 2002 12:18 am

I really enjoy the House of Stairs comic. It really has the feel of decending deeper and deeper into the unkown. Little bubbles of non-linear elements sometimes pop up, making the decent even more interesting. I kind of like that contrast between the linear and seemingly non-linear elements (I say "seemingly" because I don't want to presume anything about what is really going on with the House of Stairs).

I have to say that my favorite ones were the mad scientist episodes. But I also really did like the one that this string is about.

Here are my favorites:

<A HREF ="http://castlezzt.net/Spongy/index.cfm?S ... zt">#94</A>

<A HREF = "http://castlezzt.net/Spongy/index.cfm?S ... zt">#96</A>

<A HREF = "http://castlezzt.net/Spongy/index.cfm?S ... t">#100</A>

vince

Jack Masters · Post by **Jack Masters** » Sat Feb 02, 2002 3:19 am

It's somewhat disheartening that you like those best, as I feel they are the LEAST representive of the thrust of my work. On the other hand, it's nice to know someone liked them regardless.

Incidently, the first of the "Help, I've Been Kidnapped And Am Being Help In An Abandoned Storm Drain" comics to which you refer appears as part of a larger comic, number <a href=http://castlezzt.net/spongy/index.cfm?S ... =zzt>92</a>.

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Sat Feb 02, 2002 11:25 am

I kind of figured you would feel that way. Sorry...

Anyhow, I want to reiterate that I really do dig all of the comics on your site, and check it out all the time. I really liked the one with the giant flower a while back. That was one I have looked at a couple of times.

vince

Post by **Greg Stephens** » Sat Feb 02, 2002 8:31 pm

With art, I find, it's almost always that way- The stuff that the audience likes best, the artist likes least and wishes they hadn't noticed and would quit pointing out to him!

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Sun Feb 03, 2002 4:54 am

...that is, if anyone takes notice of it at all...

Jack Masters · Post by **Jack Masters** » Sun Feb 03, 2002 7:05 pm

Ok, a little update here. The castlezzt server is back online, I've uploaded a <a href="http://castlezzt.net/spongy/index.cfm?S ... c=zzt">new comic</a> (Which I feel is quite a good one!) and I have a new complicated <a href="http://castlezzt.net/linkto.cfm">link button system thing</a> for people who'd like to link to me. This was suggested by my friend Lyle of <a href="http://mooloo.com">Mooloo</a>.
<center><a href="http://castlezzt.net/spongy/"><img align="center" border="0" src="http://castlezzt.net/spongy/stairsbutto ... a></center>
It's like a normal link button, except the image is sampled from the latest comic, so you can tell when it updates without leaving your own site.

_________________
<a href="Http://CastleZZT.net/Spongy/">House of Stairs</a>

[Edited to gum up the message boards slightly less]

[ This Message was edited by: Jack Masters on 2002-02-03 18:11 ]

Post by **Scott McCloud** » Sun Feb 03, 2002 8:53 pm

YIKES!!

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Mon Feb 04, 2002 12:52 am

I put it up on my <A HREF = "http://www.gazorenzoku.com/links_english.html" target=_blank>links page</A>. Thanks.

vince

_________________
<A HREF = "http://www.gazorenzoku.com">gazorenzoku.com: </A>entertainment for sequential art addicts

[ This Message was edited by: gazorenzoku on 2002-02-03 23:54 ]

Tailsteak · Post by **Tailsteak** » Mon Feb 04, 2002 9:14 am

That link button is a great idea!

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Tue Feb 05, 2002 9:16 pm

I want to make the same sort of button for my own site... I take it that if you upload the image for the button onto your site and include the URL in the "img src", anyone who copies the HTML code onto their site can display your graphic?

vince

Jack Masters · Post by **Jack Masters** » Tue Feb 05, 2002 9:43 pm

Yes, you've got the mechanics right. It's not all that complicated, just an abnormal application of something that's been part of the web for quite a long time.

Part of the reason I'm using it is that my comics have little-to-no unifying theme, but they update reasonably often. The changing image link provides variety, and there's no one thing I can think of that really illustrates the comics as a whole.

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Tue Feb 05, 2002 10:06 pm

thanks!

Post by **Greg Stephens** » Mon Feb 11, 2002 3:37 pm

I think that (the currently current) "Look, a dead guy." is the best House of Stairs ever.

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Mon Feb 11, 2002 9:35 pm

wow!

...but the <A HREF ="http://castlezzt.net/spongy/index.cfm?S ... c=zzt">new currently current one</A> is great too!
_________________
<A HREF = "http://www.gazorenzoku.com"> surreal online comics</A>

[ This Message was edited by: gazorenzoku on 2002-02-11 20:39 ]

Jack Masters · Post by **Jack Masters** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 11:13 pm

Thanks again everybody! The next thing I'm working on that could easily be scrapped is a multi-format hyperlinked maze. Anyone interested in contributing?

gazorenzoku · Post by **gazorenzoku** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 9:35 pm

definitely!

Jack Masters · Post by **Jack Masters** » Fri Feb 15, 2002 1:06 am

Mm, some bad news, personal things have come up and I'll be shelving the maze thing till some time in the future. The "normal" comics will continue as normal hopefully, and I'll tell you if and when I have time for the maze thing. Sorry.

Jack Masters · Post by **Jack Masters** » Sun Feb 24, 2002 1:12 am

<a href="http://castlezzt.net/Spongy/index.cfm?S ... zzt">First use of animation</a>. What do you think? I like it a lot except for the large file sizes.

rcar · Post by **rcar** » Sun Feb 24, 2002 10:18 pm

The animation was really cool. The load time was long, but I don't have the greatest connection speed either. What program did you do the animation in?

Randy
http://www.mermbut.com

Jack Masters · Post by **Jack Masters** » Sun Feb 24, 2002 10:55 pm

I took an already existing animated GIF and edited it quite a bit in <a href="http://www.rtlsoft.com/animagic/download.html">Animagic Gif Animator</a>, mostly to make it loop smoothly, run at a constant speed, etc. I've tried three or four GIF animation programs, and this is the best I've found.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Sun Feb 24, 2002 10:59 pm

I like the animation a lot. I just kept staring at it....

Later,
Randy

Tailsteak · Post by **Tailsteak** » Mon Feb 25, 2002 2:01 pm

.....So....pretty....

But perhaps it takes attention away from.... the comic...... as a whole....

.....pretty...