BPD BOOK!! I need YOUR input!!

Hey guys! I'm very excited to announce that the first yearly book collection of BPD is in the works right now! It's hard to believe it's been a year already. Crazy, huh? ^_^

Anyway, I'm looking for your guy's input on the book, since in the end it's being made for YOU! Here's a couple of things I'm looking for:

* Ideas for a title. Just putting "Broken Plot Device : Year One" seems really boring, so I'm looking for other ideas. All I could come up with so far are "And So it Begins" and "Infested with Terrible".

* One comic to feature on the back. It can be your favorite strip, or one that you think sums up the last year of BPD best.

I was actually thinking of combining those 2 and having the comic on the back dictate the cover (I.E. if I used the "infested with terrible" title I'd have the first comic on the back), in a similar way that music albums will have a "title track". Maybe? Possibly? Dumb idea?

* Ideas for "extra content". I currently have 8 blank "filler pages" that are prime locations for extra stuff, but I'm curious as to what you all would want to see. Behind the scenes sketches? Full Illustrations? Old Scripts? Bios or other info?


The goal is to have the book printed and in my hands before Anthrocon (beginning of July), but I'll be opening up pre-orders in the next couple weeks. If I can get these few details nailed down though, it could be a lot sooner!

Thanks in advance for all your help, guys!

Hmmm I'm bad at titles...but maybe....Broken Plot Device: A hodgepodge of characters or Broken Plot Device:(Don't) Inquire Within....yeah like I said bad with titles...

As for the filler pages, maybe some character bios, important characters (Lizardbeth, Max, Sid for example) get one page and minor characters (The land lord, Phil the ninja, and I guess Rex) could share pages. Or maybe some scenes of everyday life in the apartments that didn't have any need to be in the actual comic (Liz eating Sushi, Sid working out, Sunny tinkering in her workshop, et cetera.

Hope this is helpful.

Edit: For the back cover maybe you can have one panel from several comics that show the hilarity of it all. Like the first one with the "Infested with terrible" or one with Sid sneaking away with the bamboo plant.

Jeez, a year already? Happy birthday, BPD! And Grats, Liz.

I like the "Title Track" idea, and "Infested With Terrible" and the corresponding comic are actually my favorite pairing. I think "Get Fuzzy" does that kind of thing, too. Other strips that embody the spirit of BPD (imho) are this and this. Titles could be "It IS a real job..." "Just letting it evolve" "My mom reads it..." "Welcome to the madhouse" "Welcome to the family" "A year of snow days" "We love snow days" "Lazy Snow Day Book" (with apologies to Bill Watterson) idk, they're brainstorms.

If you end up using "Infested With Terrible" as the back cover/title, It would be cool to put a similar comic to it into the extras section, like maybe the last page, and have Liz working on a title for The Collection and have text boxes of her inner monologue/the narrator re: having done the comic for a year. Kind of a "full cycle" thing.

I'm guessing that it's been a Learning Experience (oh, gods, not another one!) and you have some metacinematic thoughts about the comic in general.

As for the other extra content, I always like to see line-sketchy things, maybe early character iterations or the old "facial expressions" sketch sheet. It's fun to get a glimpse into the creative process that spawned the comic. Also, you could put in whatever non-canon doodles you've done, or a "Print Only" comic or two as an incentive to buy the hard copy.

Personally, I'd rather look at your art than read bios, since you can basically get the characters' backstories from the BPD website

CalDayton wrote: this and this

This strip would be a good one for the back. All the characters run through, delightfully random, doesn't give away anything about the comic itself. (making people want to read. Not sure I expressed what I mean succinctly there...) I like the Infested with Terrible title a lot. When is this available? ^_^

Personally, I'd rather look at your art than read bios, since you can basically get the characters' backstories from the BPD website

QFT.

I think I might have to do the snow one. Very few of my own comics make ME laugh, but that one brings a giggle out of me every time.

As for title... still not sure. "Infested with Terrible" is kind of the "if I can't think of anything else" title at this point.

The 11/13/08 strip really would be good for all purpose promotion of the comics.

The only idea I'm having for a title that's short enough is: "Sword Beats Broom."

Maybe playing mix & match with the "ingredients" would stir up some ideas?

You have:

1 artist
1 pirate
1 ninja
1 mad scientist
1 guardian sorceress
1 plucky engineer
1 goth chick
1 robot toy
1 cranky landlord
1 male chauvinist {or maybe "narcissist" would be better for Sylver}
1 evil mastermind, assorted minions included

Stir well!

How about the characters having a drink in bob's tavern for some 4th wall destroying extra content.

Teh Chay wrote:How about the characters having a drink in bob's tavern for some 4th wall destroying extra content.

.......Are you mad?

In which sense of the word? I'm definitely not the angry sort, no.

Teh Chay wrote:How about the characters having a drink in bob's tavern for some 4th wall destroying extra content.

As in Our Bob's Tavern? The one frequented by a Lightsabre wielding Tiger Marine (Dannyboy), A Mana Caster Cat and his broom (Grey), Dante the Husky (SD), Asha the chainsaw wielding deadite hunting lioness (Pandora), and a dimension hopping Arcanotech (Magick powered technology) using black furred vixen (Me), that Bob's Tavern?..

Actually sounds pretty sweet. The BPD crew at the bar, us lot at one of the back tables... yeah, sounds sweet.

Teasealot wrote:

Teh Chay wrote:How about the characters having a drink in bob's tavern for some 4th wall destroying extra content.

As in Our Bob's Tavern? The one frequented by a Lightsabre wielding Tiger Marine (Dannyboy), A Mana Caster Cat and his broom (Grey), Dante the Husky (SD), Asha the chainsaw wielding deadite hunting lioness (Pandora), and a dimension hopping Arcanotech (Magick powered technology) using black furred vixen (Me), that Bob's Tavern?..

Actually sounds pretty sweet. The BPD crew at the bar, us lot at one of the back tables... yeah, sounds sweet.

Funny thing is...the husky character's name for my icon is actually Dante....Different personalities, same hair do.

I wholeheartedly support 4th wall breaking shenanigans, despite the likely-hood of it actually happening.

I didnt mean that, it'd be a kinda unfair on liz.

I was thinking of Bob's tavern, post deadite attack being pretty much deserted (save for Bob) and kinda trashed.

Who'd want to go to an empty trashed bar?

Teasealot wrote:Who'd want to go to an empty trashed bar?

Well if the comic takes place in Philly then I can think of a few people.

I was thinking that they'd walk in not knowing and then be all "?"