Is this a milestone?
Well well, the finish of Story Four. Yahoo. *dance* Which means we charge cheerfully toward story five, with some big changes coming toward our crazy duo.

From sleeping in a truck to highrise, movin' on up. Ring's established herself as DeepThroat, and Shamira gets to figure out how to deal with a bunch of yuppiemobiles. Rah.

You know, I have to say there is one downside to this whole thing. The only way I know how people have been here is the counter. I don't get fanmail/art, so I'm left guessing. Aw well. Such is life.

Onward Gaian Soldiers! *gets pelted with tomatoes*

Reference Sheets and other annoyances
At the suggestion of my mate Will (the creator/owner of Grenn), I am creating reference sheets for each of my characters. This is due to my lack of continuity lately with characters (blarg).
Also on the schedule, the possibility of moving to a new hosting with a dot.com name. Anything is possible, since paying for angelfire isn't necessarily worth it, depending how you look at it.

Being sick sucks, especially the little annoying colds that stick like glue.

*screams violently*
Due to money issues, I have now stopped subscribing to Angelfire Plus. This means I have lost not only five meg of memory, but a crapload of bandwidth I was using for this comic. And until I get my financial situation worked out, I will not be able to resubscribe.
Now the REALLY sucky part of this is that I was already cresting my paid-for memory limit, so I had to delete the entire gallery file for my webpage to pull this off. The gallery is offline. Grenn and Asia survives but without the bandwidth it seems to need. *sigh*

Also troubling is my lack of time for drawing. I seem to be becoming one of those one-comic-a-week updaters I hate so much (if I ever become like Sabrina Online, I'm just cutting it off, because I'm not good enough for it to be worth it). School, work, writing, and drawing just is too much too juggle, and I'm trying to get back into one of my very length fanfiction series. Lots of straw on the camel's back.

Anyone else have a lot of problems with student financial aid?

Schedules and other names for hell.
Mood:  rushed
So, as you might have noticed, my update schedule has become somewhat lax lately. This is mainly due to the fact that I'm carrying about 18 credit hours this term (five different classes), and I'm at school nine or ten hours a day, not helped by the fact that I work there. That said, let me explain what's going on.

I used to update on Saturdays because I worked 9-5 at the school that day, a lazy shift that I could get a lot of work done on. However, this has changed. I now only work weeknights, so my ability to use the scanner on Saturday has diminished (and after four hours of project management class, I'm sure you wouldn't want to stick around afterward). So now, I will be trying to update every Monday night, two to three comics regularly, more if I feel creative or don't have much to do. Also, the next storyline will be a lot more silly and fun, so don't get too down or confused about all this: I just needed to introduce a key character.

That said, any character sheet I post you're allowed to use for your own gaming as an NPC, as long as I get credit for creation. Ring makes a great DemiGod of Weaver (I call her the Patron of Gaian Technology, myself), or just some mysterious silhouette to feed newbie characters money, information, and missions. Asia is a great distraction (go BOOM! YAY!) too, just make sure to get her right.

Rock on! Yeah! ... zzzzzz....

Names for you!
Everyone knows I read a lot of comics, and I've noticed a trend. Apparently comic authors give their fans nicknames (El Goonish Shive fans are Bunnies, Venus Envy fans are Monkeys, et cetera..).
Not trying to be a copycat, but I like this idea. Anyone got any ideas as to what I should call you guys? My first thought would be "Kinfolk", the human relatives of shape shifters that provide support. But hey, if you guys got better ideas let me know.

As mentioned in my announcement, I won't be able to update for some time, but I should be able to get online every now and then, so any posts will be responded to.

Style, such a headache.
As many of you may have noticed, this comic varies quite a bit in its tone, from mild drama to silly comedy. I write it that way on purpose, if anything so that there's no way to tell what's happening next.
"Werewolves Don't Chase Frisbees" is perhaps the silliest thing I've written thus far, and for that reason it was almost dumped once or twice. Strangely, though, it seems that was the storyline that hooked people in and brings them back.
So what do I go with? Should I try to nudge to storyline to be more light-hearted, or should I let it take its own wanderings back and forth? The introduction of Rebecca Ringshadow isn't going to do anything for light humor, that's for certain, unless it's the jokes being made at her expense (can't help it, it's easy to do to her).
Asia is the lighthearted end of the comic of course, she's a happy person naturally, it's very hard for her to be in a bad mood for any duration of time. It comes from her tribe, from her totem, but mostly from her. But the comic isn't just about her, it's also about Grenn, who is deeper, more introspective, and a lot less upbeat. And of course it's about the other loonies that they both know and love...
I don't know. I don't control these people, they just wander through my head sometimes. But I'll see if I can talk them into good moods.

Nintendo, thou hath failed me...
Ok, let's be bold, blunt, and realistic, here.
The first game system I owned, besides a GameBoy (the original) was the N64. And I hated SF64 at first because it kicked my ass. Then I sat down for a few hours, beat the game, and fell in love. I still love that game, though I haven't played it in ages. I very rarely play the original. That would require me unpacking my SNES, and I suck at the original.
Now, here's the problem. StarFox, when it all comes down to it, is a combat flight sim. Any people disagree? You take your arwing and shoot things, and it's fun. There's no puzzles a la Resident Evil that have you pitching controllers, no infuriating stealth missions like Metal Gear. It's simple, because it doesn't really need to be complex.

To quote Animatrix:
"And for a while, it was good."

The first mark of betrayal and change was StarFox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet. I hate the game. I mean, I've been thinking ground missions would do a game about mercenaries some good, but this just ISN'T StarFox. It's a Zelda ripoff gone wrong, and reduces our much-loved Fox McCloud to an errand boy for gods who I'd sooner put a bullet through for all the irtitation they've caused me. Fox's voice is ok, it suits him, but they screwed up everyone else, and where in all four hells is Falco?! (hugs the bird-boy protectively)
I'm not nearly as obsessed as some people I know, but I love the game and its being ruined. The biggest indicator of this? The one everyone denies is a bad thing, the one that created a sickly obsessed fandom and created a wide variety of StarFox pornography.
The blue bitch known as Krystal. Yes folks, I hate her. You've probably heard about this fact before. I hate her. She's an insult to the series, and for that matter an insult to all furries, when you think about it. Her introduction makes no sense. What, Fox needed a girlfriend? Read the comic from Nintendo, he already had one by the name of Fara Phoenix. Krystal is nothing more then a fan service, no personality to speak of and when she does speak she's a selfish, conniving bitch on almost every level. Go ahead, flame away! I'm not going to change my mind. She's just a nail in the coffin for the series.
And it gets worse.
I don't own Dinosaur Planet, never will, it's an insult. So I've been very patiently waiting for StarFox Armada, which was, supposedly, returning to the more classic StarFox ideas: a combat flight sim. Then a friend of mine sends me some links... and two things hit me.
1) Ground missions. A Splinter Cell ripoff, perhaps?
2) Krystal's back.
And unless she's just a multiplayer skin, this is another game I am not going to buy and probably only going to rent once. I refused to write stories for Dinosaur Planet, and if she's in Armada (or StarFox2), I doubt I'll write stories for that either.
In conclusion? Nintendo has failed its fanbase, has failed ME, and has failed its own game and characters. If you need me, I'll be writing my stories, ignoring Krystal's existance (except maybe renting Dinosaur Planet and starting a new game to set her on fire), cuddling my much-loved characters and waiting for Pikmin2, since its obvious StarFox is dying.

Not surprising, really.
My mind was wandering a bit while I was wandering my apartment, having just combed out the cat, and I happened to see my collection of comic books/graphic novels. From there it jumped to a vaguely interesting question:
'Just what the hell possesses me to draw a comic, anyway?'
Well, I can tell you now, most of my inspirations are nothing short of demented. I read a LOT of different comics, both online and on paper. I love seeing pictures and words match, its just one of those things I enjoy for no explainable reason. However, I tend to be attracted to the flat-out weird end of things. Sure, I read 'For Better or For Worse' and 'Dilbert,' and I used to read 'Calvin and Hobbes' and 'Far Side.' But frankly, most of the comics I read couldn't get into the newspapers.
For example, the comic I own the entire series of is graphically violent and would probably disturb hardcore Christians to no end. It's called "Preacher" and is probably one of the most demented things on the planet. But it's darkly funny and has a story that drags you along with it. The characters are wonderful and believable, the art the finishing touch, the thing that darkens it and makes it smolder with a sadistic grin. If you're not faint of heart, I recommend it.
On the lighter side, I also read a twisted, funny, sarcastic comic called "Transmetropolitan". It's just as dark and adult as "Preacher" but it's not so damn depressed about it. The main character, Spider Jeruselem, has a truely interesting life. He's a journalist in the future, with two 'filthy' assistants and a three-eyed cat who smokes. Spider himself is a chain-smoking, drug-doing, foul-mouthed bastard who you love to hate and hate to love. Hilarious and inspiring, and it always leaves me rabid for the next addition, I mean frothing at the mouth here. If only I could write something so addicting...
Also sucking money out of my bank are two mangas, "Battle Angel Alita" and "Chobits," the latter of which now has an anime. "Alita" is darker and futuristic, but catchy. "Chobits" is insanely cute and wierdly funny, set in an alternate reality where computers look like people. Its more of a romantic comic, but is endearing and tender and makes you care for the characters. Plus, Chi is just so damn kawaai that you can't help but love her to death.
Add in the influence of twenty or more online comics, and I guess I had no choice but to start my own. I mean, with so many characters in my head, so many stories I could write, why not try to show people what my creations go through day-to-day? I wish I had time and the talent to update more often, but I don't. Maybe sometime in the future I will..
So what is the point of this anyway? Read everything folks, open your minds and allow the demented little thoughts in. You'll never guess where that next idea will come from to bite you in the ass.

AAIEEEEE!
Further proving I am at times an idiot...
An ATM reported my bank account to be higher then it really was going to be, so I misjudged, and was overdrawn by over 200 dollars. After muddling through that, and getting almost thirty bucks above water (it took an entire paycheck to pay that backlog), the next day my account became overdrawn again as more debits came in that weren't expected. AAAAAHH! Let me tell you, this sort of thing is more then enough to ruin someone's week...
This is especially bad since I was planning on getting my new computer soon. I'm building the thing, so I can buy it in shifts, but it's still a pain and it means that I can't join Will in Earth and Beyond for a lot longer.
On the up side, my updates should be steady from here on out. I've gotten ahead of schedule this week, of sorts, at least for Grenn and Asia. Whether or not Lily will update this weekend has yet to be seen... (I hope so)..

Ee Jamba! Eyh eyh!
Well, Grenn and Asia lives again, with the Interlude on hold as the forth story kicks in. New character introduction, yay! And its none other then my longest-standing character, Rebecca RingShadow, friendly neighborhood bastet with multiple personalities. Those thugs are gonna be in for the shock of their existance next update...
Anyway, it seems that I've gotten newly obsessed with Fanfiction. I'm now reading Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction, weird thing is the best of it seems to be Sonadow fics (don't ask if you don't know). Why I'm leaning toward this style of writing suddenly, I don't know. The only reason I bring it up here is because I'm not drawing so much due to the fact that I'm writing more (I can only do one or the other, generally speaking, I can't focus on both).
Which sucks, because Lily still hasn't updated and I wanted to start a third comic. Pout! Like I have the time or patience for it. Ah well that's why Lily's a side project...

In case you're wondering about the title, I recently saw Lilo and Stitch again. Wonderous cartoon. Must see. Really it is. And I live with a Stitch relation, the sometimes-incarnation of Yipsnarl the Kobold. Ay yi yi.