Toonbots message board: Dot and Bot bored?

Michael Tue Nov 28 03:21:33 2000 Hail the future! > It almost seems as if our two characters (or at least Dot, anyway) are > growing weary of the Toon. Can this be? Are the characters themselves > crying out for something new? Yes. Features (like eyes and stuff, not software features) aren't going to make much of a difference to Dot, of course, but that's probably going to be my next trick. I'm just not sure when I'll have the time. This is where the complexity of the Toon-o-matic takes a left turn at Albuquerque and we head off towards, well, actually towards basic research in cognition. Cool stuff. But don't listen to Dot. Dot's a curmudgeon. Dot is Balt to Bot's Burble (in Fluble terms.) Dot is way too cognizant of the reality of Toonbots unreality (or vice versa) to be fully complacent about anything. But mostly it was just that I saw it had been five days and thought, man, I need to slap *something* in there.... But it was a relatively relaxing weekend. On Thursday I didn't even look at the computer. Not even email. Not even the *screen* saver. Nothing. So I've got three ways to go further. I could work out how to break text (and that would allow me to have long Butch-like captions). I could work out how to place dialog text on the screen and draw things like text balloons. Or I could start on internal structure (i.e. features) of characters. Any preferences from the Jihad? Also, I thought it might just be a teensy-weensy bit of fun to work out how to get the Toon-o-matic a little more portable. Say, on my server. Say, with a public interface. Say, you'd write some XML and run the Toon-o-matic yourself. Who'd be interested? ... Oh, well, I won't do it, then. MWUhahahahahahahaaaaaa! Seriously, I will, but not just yet. It's not robust enough, and an XML-to-toon converter would be a sure way to get slashdotted into dust. (Which is, of course, why I will eventually do it, like a moth to the flame...) The other interesting extension I can think of would be to start writing that random-comic generator that Lee thought would be funny. Kind of a "Toonbot writes the comic" thing. Lots of neat application for dialog frames and speech acts and stuff, but I think I want more drawing features before I tackle that.

Chris Tue Nov 28 15:18:25 2000 Re: Hail the future! My two cents... > So I've got three ways to go further. I could work out how to break text > (and that would allow me to have long Butch-like captions). I could work > out how to place dialog text on the screen and draw things like text > balloons. Or I could start on internal structure (i.e. features) of > characters. Any preferences from the Jihad? I'd go with character features... you already have something resembling text balloons in place, but nothing besides simple shapes as characters. Or maybe I'm just talking out my backside here. > Also, I thought it might just be a teensy-weensy bit of fun to work out > how to get the Toon-o-matic a little more portable. Say, on my server. > Say, with a public interface. Say, you'd write some XML and run the > Toon-o-matic yourself. Who'd be interested? ... Oh, well, I won't do it, > then. MWUhahahahahahahaaaaaa! Hey, it works for Penny Arcade. Do it. It'll let everyone indulge the little part of them that says "I wish I was a rich and famous meta-cartoonist who works in his basement like Michael."

Michael Tue Nov 28 17:21:14 2000 Re: Hail the future! > I'd go with character features... you already have something resembling > text balloons in place, but nothing besides simple shapes as characters. Except that not being able to break text really makes it tricky to write dialog, and character features are going to be a heap of work to do right. But yeah, that's where I'm leaning, too. > Hey, it works for Penny Arcade. Do it. It'll let everyone indulge the > little part of them that says "I wish I was a rich and famous > meta-cartoonist who works in his basement like Michael." Heh. Actually, when PA came out with the Bench, I initially thought they'd done something like the Toon-o-Matic and I was kind of disappointed that all they did was to provide some graphics pieces. Eventually, I will. Just not quite yet -- for sure not until I've worked out better text handling.

Joe Nadeau Wed Nov 29 00:18:18 2000 Re: Hail the future! Just don't change them until december third.

Michael Wed Nov 29 14:28:42 2000 Re: Hail the future! > Just don't change them until december third. Is that foreshadowing, Joe? OK. I find it easy to comply with requests to do nothing. I'll go toddle off and start a caption storyline, then.

Joe Nadeau Fri Dec 1 15:19:44 2000 Re: Hail the future! > Is that foreshadowing, Joe? > OK. I find it easy to comply with requests to do nothing. I'll go toddle > off and start a caption storyline, then. Here's the reason. I've got your dot and bot in two special issues of J-Walkin' on the first and second. And yes you do have more meaning than me. Anything with Al Gore does.

Lord Emsworth Fri Dec 1 20:54:32 2000 Re: Hail the future! > Here's the reason. I've got your dot and bot in two special issues of > J-Walkin' on the first and second. And yes you do have more meaning than > me. Anything with Al Gore does. Well! I just took a peek at today's "J-Walkin," and not only Dot and Bot, but perhaps the most familiar Toonbots exchange was reproduced (and listed as a "brief interlude.") Even comes close to emulating the Toon-a-Matics captions while maintainining it's own style. I'll have to take a look at tomorrow's strip. Very nice, Mr. Nadeu. And now Toonbots has had its first cameo in another strip (after recently featuring its own first cameo.) I think this might be considered proof that Toonbots has begun to leave its mark on the webcomic scene. I'm still waiting for a suitable general comic discussion over in the few Keenspot boards which I frequent, in hopes of mentioning Toonbots. In the meantime I'm plugging it in my signature in the "Class Menagerie" forum (hope the PAFTWJ have no objection.) There's a few computer programmers and at least one Perl afficiando over there who might be interested in Toonbots.

Joe Nadeau Sat Dec 2 00:24:46 2000 Re: Hail the future! Well somebody should be interested in it. Toonbots is the tooniest bot I ever.... I mean, the bottiest toon I ever...... Well it doesn't matter what I mean. Give them a mouth before eyes. Everything needs a mouth. And a talking sock. Of course that's just my opinion.

Michael Sat Dec 2 15:20:56 2000 Re: Hail the future! > Well somebody should be interested in it. Toonbots is the tooniest bot I > ever.... I mean, the bottiest toon I ever...... Aw, shucks. You say that to all the automated toons, don't you? > Well it doesn't matter > what I mean. Give them a mouth before eyes. Everything needs a mouth. And > a talking sock. Of course that's just my opinion. Well, the dot doesn't get features, of course, because it's only two pixels wide.

Joe Nadeau Sat Dec 2 16:59:43 2000 Re: Hail the future! > Aw, shucks. You say that to all the automated toons, don't you? > Well, the dot doesn't get features, of course, because it's only two > pixels wide. So? Why should that stop you. One pixle could be one color nad the other, another.

gopher Sat Dec 2 00:50:22 2000 Re: Hail the future! > I'm plugging it in my signature in the "Class Menagerie" forum > (hope the PAFTWJ have no objection.) No, evangelism is good, but there is a risk that those who hear the word of Toonbots will deny its truth, which will transform them from the ignorant masses to infidels. Some defenestration may be needed afterwards.

Napoleon Sat Dec 2 01:20:40 2000 Re: Hail the future! > Some defenestration may be needed afterwards. Oh, I certainly hope so.

gopher Wed Nov 29 14:48:47 2000 Re: Hail the future! > Just don't change them until december third. Ok, I'm curious now. Why Dec. 3? The only thing I can think of that would make that day special is that it's first Sunday of Advent. I suppose it might be someone's birthday. Is there some reason for that date?

gopher Wed Nov 29 11:49:32 2000 Re: Hail the future! > So I've got three ways to go further. I could work out how to break text > (and that would allow me to have long Butch-like captions). Is Toonbots suited for long Chopping Block-eque captions? Character features might be more suited to the current direction of the Toonbots humor

Michael Wed Nov 29 14:51:49 2000 Re: Hail the future! > Is Toonbots suited for long Chopping Block-eque captions? Character > features might be more suited to the current direction of the Toonbots > humor Well, no, except for maybe another Butch crossover I don't want big honking captions. But you'd be surprised how easy it is to write captions that slop over and it's really irritating. And when I start placing dialog text up in the panel instead of using captions, I'll want to be able to do multilined texts. But the consensus of the Jihad would seem to be character features -- no earlier than December third....

gopher Wed Nov 29 17:16:31 2000 Re: Hail the future! > -- no earlier than December third.... Just in time to be delivered by Christmas! Or something like that. I dunno.

Napoleon Thu Nov 30 12:19:39 2000 Re: Hail the future! > Just in time to be delivered by Christmas! Or something like that. I > dunno. I wonder if Santa will bring me my very own Toonbot this year.