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diff --git a/docs/random/how_fkfd_is_made.md b/docs/random/how_fkfd_is_made.md index 0615df9..fcb3803 100644 --- a/docs/random/how_fkfd_is_made.md +++ b/docs/random/how_fkfd_is_made.md @@ -2,26 +2,48 @@ 2020-07-21 -I don't consider myself a cartoonist, let alone good cartoonist. I am unqualified at comics in all aspects, you know? I can hardly draw anything that's not a rectangle, circle, or straight line; for every final stroke you see on the canvas, I have undone and redone three times; my update frequency is like `abs(tan(x/k))` where k is around 10 days\^-1 [1]. One day in May I pushed 4 comics. And then I completely skipped June. +2024-02-20: Fixed broken links in footnotes thanks to anonymous reader via +email -Let me keep it short and talk about how an fkfd comic is made. Not technical details (i.e. export as webp, then png, then run `./submit.py`...) but how I come up with ideas and express them in comics. +I don't consider myself a cartoonist, let alone good cartoonist. I am +unqualified at comics in all aspects, you know? I can hardly draw anything +that's not a rectangle, circle, or straight line; for every final stroke +you see on the canvas, I have undone and redone three times; my update +frequency is like `abs(tan(x/k))` where k is around 10 days\^-1 [1]. One +day in May I pushed 4 comics. And then I completely skipped June. + +Let me keep it short and talk about how an fkfd comic is made. Not +technical details (i.e. export as webp, then png, then run +`./submit.py`...) but how I come up with ideas and express them in comics. ## Life -> Idea -However boring your life may be, you always find ideas bumping from inside your brain; they may just be a little dull. I catch my inspirations right away when I come up with one. Here is a list of common ideas. +However boring your life may be, you always find ideas bumping from inside +your brain; they may just be a little dull. I catch my inspirations right +away when I come up with one. Here is a list of common ideas. - I look at things that vaguely resemble others, and make fun of that[2]. -- I ask myself questions "what if we...?" and imagine the possibilities in the wildest way[3]. -- I contemplate about today's society and world, and when I cannot squueze jokes out of them, I make them look thought-provoking[4]. -- I voice concerns about today's technology and its relationship with human life[5]. -- Also comics that are straightforward xkcd parodies[6], or even ones that reuse xkcd graphics[7]. +- I ask myself questions "what if we...?" and imagine the possibilities in + the wildest way[3]. +- I contemplate about today's society and world, and when I cannot squueze + jokes out of them, I make them look thought-provoking[4]. +- I voice concerns about today's technology and its relationship with + human life[5]. +- Also comics that are straightforward xkcd parodies[6], or even ones that + reuse xkcd graphics[7]. - Giant buildup for giant fun, like flowcharts and tables[8]. - Irony pointed at one certain type of person[9]. - Inevitable graph jokes[10]. - Personal rant[11]. - Puns and wordplay[12]. -The ideas can be funny or serious, revolving around an outdated or emerging topic, whatever. Apply the craziest spices until the idea is hot enough to attract a handful of people. Avoid *really* niche hobbies, and definitely don't go to depths (i.e. inside jokes), for the sake of audience coverage. As a side note, I never deliberately check if my idea has been taken. Too much trouble. I do avoid copying ideas I know to exist, though. +The ideas can be funny or serious, revolving around an outdated or +emerging topic, whatever. Apply the craziest spices until the idea is hot +enough to attract a handful of people. Avoid *really* niche hobbies, and +definitely don't go to depths (i.e. inside jokes), for the sake of +audience coverage. As a side note, I never deliberately check if my idea +has been taken. Too much trouble. I do avoid copying ideas I know to +exist, though. ## Others' Idea -> My Idea @@ -34,19 +56,70 @@ My comics are large influenced by xkcd. A few other influencers: ## Idea -> Comic -There are certain periods when I was super innovative and others super productive and/or artistic. The best scenario is when these overlapped, and I was able to commit my ideas on the canvas on the fly. That was definitely efficient, but later when I reflected on comics produced over this period, I would often sense creeping embarrassment for lack of due thoughts before submission, or regret over some imperfections like a forgotten punchline. The second best is those moments when I had a genuinely great idea (at least to me at that time), and had a notebook handy. Once I would jot down a few hint words, like "dead kids sent from heaven to haunt their anti-vaxx parents", but turns out I was terrible at remembering details. Soon I learned to draw a rough sketch, and continuously iterate, fixing grammatical problems and pruning unnecessary words (canvas space is precious). Occasionally, I do it on a whiteboard. Finally, I boot up my lappy, draw what's on the paper/whiteboard through my wacom tablet into krita, sometimes verbatim and sometimes with a few minor adjustments, then re-orchestrate the elements so they fit on a digital canvas. Behold! Digital "art". +There are certain periods when I was super innovative and others super +productive and/or artistic. The best scenario is when these overlapped, +and I was able to commit my ideas on the canvas on the fly. That was +definitely efficient, but later when I reflected on comics produced over +this period, I would often sense creeping embarrassment for lack of due +thoughts before submission, or regret over some imperfections like +a forgotten punchline. The second best is those moments when I had +a genuinely great idea (at least to me at that time), and had a notebook +handy. Once I would jot down a few hint words, like "dead kids sent from +heaven to haunt their anti-vaxx parents", but turns out I was terrible at +remembering details. Soon I learned to draw a rough sketch, and +continuously iterate, fixing grammatical problems and pruning unnecessary +words (canvas space is precious). Occasionally, I do it on a whiteboard. +Finally, I boot up my lappy, draw what's on the paper/whiteboard through +my wacom tablet into krita, sometimes verbatim and sometimes with a few +minor adjustments, then re-orchestrate the elements so they fit on +a digital canvas. Behold! Digital "art". ## Footnotes -[1] Which means my update speed peaks about once per month, while somewhere in the middle it's zero. -[2] Notable examples: [Heroic Ball Pen](https://fkfd.me/13), [Chihuahuatamayo](https://fkfd.me/74), and [Keychane](https://fkfd.me/93). -[3] Notable examples: [Night Plane Spotters](https://fkfd.me/70), [Soul Counter](https://fkfd.me/79), and [Amazon Ring](https://fkfd.me/87). -[4] Notable examples: [Intolerance](https://fkfd.me/65), [Zeta-373](https://fkfd.me/77), and [Stray Cats](https://fkfd.me/90). -[5] Notable examples: [Innovations](https://fkfd.me/73), [Intended Internet](https://fkfd.me/86), and [JavaScript](https://fkfd.me/101). -[6] Notable examples: [Code Quality](https://fkfd.me/10), [Technology, Inc.](https://fkfd.me/11), and [Irrelevant xkcd](https://fkfd.me/67). -[7] Notable examples: [Python](https://fkfd.me/6), [Entropy Harvesting Daemon](https://fkfd.me/81), and [Childhood Misconceptions](https://fkfd.me/92). -[8] Notable examples: [Partitions](https://fkfd.me/16), [X-over-Y](https://fkfd.me/53), and [Python Code With No Documentation](https://fkfd.me/55). -[9] Notable examples: [Flat Earthers](https://fkfd.me/21), [Blogging](https://fkfd.me/26), and [Wish](https://fkfd.me/71). -[10] Notable examples: [Time Consumption](https://fkfd.me/9), [Turning Point](https://fkfd.me/59), and [Graph Nerd Sniped](https://fkfd.me/89). -[11] Notable examples: [Smart Home](https://fkfd.me/46), [Middle Button](https://fkfd.me/52), and [Grades](https://fkfd.me/96). -[12] Notable examples: [Wheeled Armchair and Armed Wheelchair](https://fkfd.me/54), [One-Letter Modifications](https://fkfd.me/69), and [Company Rules](https://fkfd.me/88). +[1] Which means my update speed peaks about once per month, while +somewhere in the middle it's zero. + +[2] Notable examples: [Heroic Ball Pen](https://fkfd.me/comics/13), +[Chihuahuatamayo](https://fkfd.me/comics/74), and +[Keychane](https://fkfd.me/comics/93). + +[3] Notable examples: [Night Plane Spotters](https://fkfd.me/comics/70), +[Soul Counter](https://fkfd.me/comics/79), and +[Amazon Ring](https://fkfd.me/comics/87). + +[4] Notable examples: [Intolerance](https://fkfd.me/comics/65), +[Zeta-373](https://fkfd.me/comics/77), and +[Stray Cats](https://fkfd.me/comics/90). + +[5] Notable examples: [Innovations](https://fkfd.me/comics/73), +[Intended Internet](https://fkfd.me/comics/86), and +[JavaScript](https://fkfd.me/comics/101). + +[6] Notable examples: [Code Quality](https://fkfd.me/comics/10), +[Technology, Inc.](https://fkfd.me/comics/11), and +[Irrelevant xkcd](https://fkfd.me/comics/67). + +[7] Notable examples: [Python](https://fkfd.me/comics/6), +[Entropy Harvesting Daemon](https://fkfd.me/comics/81), and +[Childhood Misconceptions](https://fkfd.me/comics/92). + +[8] Notable examples: [Partitions](https://fkfd.me/comics/16), +[X-over-Y](https://fkfd.me/comics/53), and +[Python Code With No Documentation](https://fkfd.me/comics/55). + +[9] Notable examples: [Flat Earthers](https://fkfd.me/comics/21), +[Blogging](https://fkfd.me/comics/26), and +[Wish](https://fkfd.me/comics/71). + +[10] Notable examples: [Time Consumption](https://fkfd.me/comics/9), +[Turning Point](https://fkfd.me/comics/59), and +[Graph Nerd Sniped](https://fkfd.me/comics/89). + +[11] Notable examples: [Smart Home](https://fkfd.me/comics/46), +[Middle Button](https://fkfd.me/comics/52), and +[Grades](https://fkfd.me/comics/96). + +[12] Notable examples: +[Wheeled Armchair and Armed Wheelchair](https://fkfd.me/comics/54), +[One-Letter Modifications](https://fkfd.me/comics/69), and +[Company Rules](https://fkfd.me/comics/88). |