Kang: Sprite Strip Series (Aug. 31: #00)
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posted09/10/2010 03:24 AM (UTC)by
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Mick-Lucifer
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SERIES 1 PITCH IMAGE

In 2006, (just prior to Armageddon), I took my first stab at a sprite strip having been a critic of the practise for quite some time. It was a learning experience and a bit of fun!
The series ran daily and depicted sequential events of the first Mortal Kombat with a sense of humor. I had fully intended to continue beyond the fifty-second core strip, but it wasn't to be.

Two years later we now stare down the barrel of another new game and I thought it might be fun to revisit the idea, while MK hype is fresh in the air.
This time around I've decided to steer less faithfully to in-game graphics, taking some belated advice from Kang critics from the last series.

I'm still critical of sprite strips, but I think certain new bad habits have permeated into the subculture. Motion blurs and cheesy second-party effects are the major culprit, so I'll be trying to tred a fineline between graphic storytelling, and sprite editing.

Last time there was a lot of clicking involved in reading Kang, but this time it's going straight to Kombat Pavilion, so hopefully hearing from you won't be too difficult. I certainly hope to have some discussions not only about graphic presentation, as is common, but maybe also elements of storytelling and the MK canon. MKII is such a revered experience for many fans, so like Shaolin Monks, there's certainly room for discourse.

For the back issues you can use links provided to find the original Kang series on the boards complete with discussion, debate, and issue summaries; or head over to Kombat Pavilion for a complete archive (under Comics > Mick-Lucifer).

For now, here's the first new strip! grin

KANG #53






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Mick-Lucifer
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05/14/2008 01:54 AM (UTC)
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Well, a whirlwind reception for the series return.
Clearly a lot of people are thrilled to have it back! tongue

KANG #2 [#54]







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05/15/2008 02:12 AM (UTC)
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kingjolly
05/15/2008 08:58 PM (UTC)
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I'm suprised this isnt a comedy....



But It's pretty well told, I like the special effects going on with Raiden. And good use of perspective and vanishing points. I dont think I've seen that in a fake in recent times.
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05/16/2008 04:34 AM (UTC)
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kingjolly Wrote:
I'm suprised this isnt a comedy....

But It's pretty well told, I like the special effects going on with Raiden. And good use of perspective and vanishing points. I dont think I've seen that in a fake in recent times.

Cheers! I thought about doing silly gags again, but I wanted to try to come back and do something to buck against some of the trends in the sprite community that I'm a big critic of. That meant focusing more on the conventions of four panel story telling, and trying to examine the narrative a bit more. Which is very easy because there's so much more material when you jump to MKII.

Last series I butted heads a lot with Nemesis316, who's now banned.
Looking back at his strips they're probably even more awful than I thought at the time (motion blurs instead of style or story), but I figured I'd try to bridge the gap this time by putting more effort into the graphics.

I don't know if this will turn out to be entirely successful, but it's a fun and relatively carefree way for me to better acquaint myself with the technology. It wouldn't be obvious, but the last series was very helpful to some of my "real" comics work.

There'll be a delay until ]{OMBAT makes his next update to the Kombat Pavilion, but hopefully some of the strips coming will start to make a meal of it.

Cheers for the comment!
Definitely keen to get feedback and direction from anyone interested.

KANG #4 [#56]







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05/19/2008 04:16 AM (UTC)
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05/20/2008 12:46 AM (UTC)
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05/20/2008 11:55 PM (UTC)
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Mick-Lucifer
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05/21/2008 08:11 AM (UTC)
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I am the greatest human being alive and I have a pitch for a movie that starts with a lady chasing a dude with a cybernetic eye through a nighclub, and another dude walking off a movie set, and another dude having nightmares about his murdered brother.

Do I have thirty replies yet?...
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05/21/2008 03:43 PM (UTC)
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This is a good series that by all rights should have a lot more replies. You've already gotten comments from me via email but I'll say some other stuff here...
  • I've always liked the MKII comic's perspective, that Shang Tsung's island was destroyed because the island was held together by his existence, rather than MKSM's idea that Shang Tsung destroyed the island himself as a way to destroy all the Earth Warriors. Nevertheless, it seems important to your idea of Kintaro's wanting revenge as well as other parts of your story so I'll keep an eye on this to see where you're going with it.
  • As I stated before I really don't like the whole "Smoke has ice powers now" thing, he wears gray and is called Smoke for a reason, because his powers are smoke-related not ice-related. Maybe that strip would have been better if he put a whole bunch of smoke around her causing her to choke and pass out, rather than getting frozen.
  • You mentioned that we'd see hints of Sektor, the MKII comic did the same thing, a red ninja (rumored to be human Sektor) was the pilot aboard Sub-Zero's aircraft, so if you have him I hope he at least is wearing red :P
  • I also like that the Elder Gods stage can be used as a video screen, it's not just something with the Elder Gods face in it.
  • Another thing I like is how Raiden realizes they're close to a full scale invasion, it kinda reminds me of the MKT intro screen where it says MKII was just a vidersion (which also seems to have been forgotten by MKSM)


Keep going with this series, I'm drawn to the story and want to see what happens next
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05/22/2008 05:42 AM (UTC)
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]{0MBAT Wrote:
This is a good series that by all rights should have a lot more replies.

Damn. I was sure taking credit for the first MK movie would do it!
Actually, after running the gauntlet of the MKO brainstrust in the MKvsDC forum, I'm starting to feel better about no comments... *grumble*


]{0MBAT Wrote:
  • I've always liked the MKII comic's perspective, that Shang Tsung's island was destroyed because the island was held together by his existence, rather than MKSM's idea that Shang Tsung destroyed the island himself as a way to destroy all the Earth Warriors. Nevertheless, it seems important to your idea of Kintaro's wanting revenge as well as other parts of your story so I'll keep an eye on this to see where you're going with it.

  • That's definitely an interesting take on it!
    I personally feel something more malicious and motivated is important not only to the expected tensions between Shang Tsung and the heroes, but also as a transitional point between MK and MKII.

    Something I specifically don't like about the comics is the lengthy gap between the games. I wanted to specifically connect them into a flowing narrative like MKSM, while also restoring the specifics of an Outworld tournament.

    ]{0MBAT Wrote:
  • As I stated before I really don't like the whole "Smoke has ice powers now" thing, he wears gray and is called Smoke for a reason, because his powers are smoke-related not ice-related. Maybe that strip would have been better if he put a whole bunch of smoke around her causing her to choke and pass out, rather than getting frozen.

  • For the benefit of anyone thinking similarly to you; I can definitely appreciate that thought and desire for individuality, but at the same time, I feel we've always seen the Lin Kuei fairly identified by the ice powers.

    It seemed reasonable to me that Sub-Zero would be one of the most proficient users of cryomancy, but that other powerful Lin Kuei fighters should also have some limited ability. It probably isn't a popular reference, but we have seen the ice powers as a mystic art to be learnt in Deception (re: Shujinko's training).

    ]{0MBAT Wrote:
  • You mentioned that we'd see hints of Sektor, the MKII comic did the same thing, a red ninja (rumored to be human Sektor) was the pilot aboard Sub-Zero's aircraft, so if you have him I hope he at least is wearing red :P

  • Sad to say I've already disappointed in this respect.

    It's my feeling that the Lin Kuei masters would be somewhat corrupt when it came to mechanizing their warriors. If we're to accept that Sektor actually wore red (as opposed to being an in-game identifier), he would be on the same level as the masters, and I don't believe that to be the case.
    Like communists, those red wearing bastards would probably enjoy the luxury of having programmable drones, rather than do it to themselves.

    So, as far as Kang goes, we have seen Sektor already, albeit in a small cameo.
    I'm using the different generation Sub-Zero/Smoke sprites to represent rank, rather than individuals. It's a consistent approach taken with most of the characters, in the absence of more individualize images (ala; later games).

    Then there's Ermac, too...

    ]{0MBAT Wrote:
  • I also like that the Elder Gods stage can be used as a video screen, it's not just something with the Elder Gods face in it.

  • I've been approaching the Temple of Elder Gods as something that exists outside of conventional space, I suppose comparable to the Nexus (in Deception).

    I figure it's reasonable that it's both a channel to contact the Elder Gods (without approaching them in Heaven), communicate with other realms without breaking rules, and also, for gods, a place to survey their domain in the absence of omnipotence.

    That's probably a matter of logic as much as it is necessity, because I wanted Shao Kahn to confirm his intentions formally, so as to recognise the MKII event as an official challenge, if not tournament.
    It would've been jumping the gun to have the heroes and villains meet face-to-face so early, so a 'communication portal' was the compromise. I suppose that's vaguely justified by referencing the final episode(s) of Conquest.

    ]{0MBAT Wrote:
  • Another thing I like is how Raiden realizes they're close to a full scale invasion, it kinda reminds me of the MKT intro screen where it says MKII was just a vidersion (which also seems to have been forgotten by MKSM)

  • I imagine my frustrations will get the better of my by the end of this series, but like the first, I'm very mindful of tackling MK3/MKT.

    ]{0MBAT Wrote:
    Keep going with this series, I'm drawn to the story and want to see what happens next

    Appreciate the encouragement!

    I was definitely concerned treading MKII's events without distractions (like the first series silliness) might have made it a bit tedious. Hopefully I'm introducing a sense of story telling, and maybe even design, that's a little bit unique in the sprite stripping community.

    It's definitely nice to work on pre-existing characters without too much stress! Hopefully we'll hear from some other posters sometime now that the story's progressing.
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    05/22/2008 05:48 AM (UTC)
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    05/23/2008 04:46 AM (UTC)
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    05/24/2008 12:43 AM (UTC)
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    05/24/2008 02:11 AM (UTC)
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    Your comic appears to rest on the premise that since Shang Tsung destroyed the island, that technically makes him the victor. In your comic, is Shang supposed to be from Earth or Outworld? (This is where the MK story gets a bit murky but that may work in favor of the bad guys who depend on loopholes, etc.)
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    05/24/2008 07:49 AM (UTC)
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    ]{0MBAT Wrote:
    Your comic appears to rest on the premise that since Shang Tsung destroyed the island, that technically makes him the victor. In your comic, is Shang supposed to be from Earth or Outworld? (This is where the MK story gets a bit murky but that may work in favor of the bad guys who depend on loopholes, etc.)

    It's not crucial to the story, but I definitely wanted to find an opportunity to mention that Shang Tsung is a unique individual (and perfect for the role as the Emperor's tournament master) because he has 'dual citizenship.'

    His mother is from Earthrealm, but his father was a sorceror from Outworld, allowing him the rare grace of electing his representation (as opposed to a Bo' Rai Cho, who is from Outworld, and is forced to represent Outworld).

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    05/25/2008 05:00 AM (UTC)
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    xdcthuludx
    05/25/2008 05:40 AM (UTC)
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    dude... awsome5/5
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    RazorsEdge701
    05/25/2008 11:35 AM (UTC)
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    I kinda liked the comic when it was all about the gags. I mean, the jokes were usually pretty lame, but I occasionally got a chuckle out of it.
    But the moment you decided "Iet's take my story seriously now"...I dunno. I mean, aren't you kinda sitting in the same boat as Shaolin Monks now?
    I guess it's not like you're calling this an actual retelling of the games, since it's still continuing from the previous, joke-filled storyline where Liu didn't even fight Goro and so on...but I'm just not sure what the point is now, because...well, I can't speak for every MK fan, of course, but I guess the Continuity Nazi in me's just not interested in following some alternate take.
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    05/25/2008 02:13 PM (UTC)
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    xdcthuludx Wrote:
    dude... awsome5/5

    Thank you kindly!

    RazorsEdge701 Wrote:
    I kinda liked the comic when it was all about the gags. I mean, the jokes were usually pretty lame, but I occasionally got a chuckle out of it.

    But the moment you decided "Iet's take my story seriously now"...I dunno. I mean, aren't you kinda sitting in the same boat as Shaolin Monks now?

    I guess it's not like you're calling this an actual retelling of the games, since it's still continuing from the previous, joke-filled storyline where Liu didn't even fight Goro and so on...but I'm just not sure what the point is now, because...well, I can't speak for every MK fan, of course, but I guess the Continuity Nazi in me's just not interested in following some alternate take.

    I'm not surprised someone had issues with the change in tone.
    In the interest of trying something a little different, I thought I'd forego the silly gags to do what the first series was doing behind all that, which was retelling the Mortal Kombat adventure in a linear way with more attention to detail than the games. (Full credit to 20/20 hindsight in that respect.)

    Bar the first handful of strips, the first series of Kang laid very similar groundwork to these latest strips, which is why it was easy enough to decide to continue, despite the shift in tone.
    The division between one series and another should be divider enough for the less agressive OCD sufferers, but that's not going to work for everyone, and I accept that.



    I think from the very initial stages the divergence of content should be pretty obvious when comparing Kang to Shaolin Monks. That quality becomes increasingly apparent as the strips roll on, even if there are still points of overlap.
    I'm trying to balance references, including Shaolin Monks, as much as I am putting my own details into this version of the MK saga.

    I would argue a continuity Nazi might be inclined to lean toward some of the stuff I'm doing, given the deep gaps between established details in the MK story. I think what I'm doing certainly connects the dots more specifically than the original games, but with a broader scope than Shaolin Monks.

    I think it's probably more stubborness than consistency that stops MK fans appreciating a more detailed and sequential version of the MK story, especially where the much loved MKII is concerned.

    The idea that you can't go home again usually refers to the impossibility of recreating detail. I think Kang loiters enough in the cracks of MKII's story that it's justified by it's content, but the real acid test will probably be further down the line and onto MK3.

    I think, depending on how you want to read it, Kang can operate on different levels. The strips should be structured well enough that there are lots of mini-chapters for short term reading; a larger story that recounts and builds on elements we know of MKII; and an even larger story still, that, if you can be selective with what you tak from the first series, telegraphs and connects with the saga of MK.

    Most of us should know where Kang is going, but I like to think competence of story telling and a slightly better attention to detail and character than existing sources, means there's still a fog of war infront of each strip.

    Definitely food for thought, though.
    Cheers for the reply! More 'tomorrow'!
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    RazorsEdge701
    05/25/2008 03:38 PM (UTC)
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    Mick-Lucifer Wrote:
    I would argue a continuity Nazi might be inclined to lean toward some of the stuff I'm doing, given the deep gaps between established details in the MK story. I think what I'm doing certainly connects the dots more specifically than the original games, but with a broader scope than Shaolin Monks.


    Dude, you made Smoke a cryomancer and said Shang Tsung won MK1 on a technicality.
    I would absolutely love a "detailed and sequential" version of the MK story...but not this one. Not after those two things.
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    05/25/2008 04:13 PM (UTC)
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    RazorsEdge701 Wrote:
    Dude, you made Smoke a cryomancer and said Shang Tsung won MK1 on a technicality.

    Did I?...

    RazorsEdge701 Wrote:
    I would absolutely love a "detailed and sequential" version of the MK story...but not this one. Not after those two things.

    Depending on your issues with the Smoke argument, I think there's a variety of pretty reasonable retorts for the character using ice attacks. Lord knows it beats lumping the character with Scorpion's leftovers!

    I can certainly appreciate ]{OMBAT's point about inventing a smoke attack, but while I'm sure plenty would be happy to ignore Shujinko's training with the Lin Kuei, it isn't a logic without internal grounding.
    I'm very comfortable with the distinction between cryomancers and someone who uses ice attacks. It certainly didn't bother me in the years prior to the explanation (unlike Smoke's spear).

    MK's Lin Kuei have been inseperably identified with the cold and ice.
    Since we've had limited opportunity to meet Lin Kuei warriors, it doesn't seem unreasonable to me to give that basic attack to Smoke as part of that larger logic. Even if he is thematically dependent upon, yes, smoke.

    Given that it's one panel with negligible repercussions in an entire series, it hardly undermines everything surrounding it. Even if it's a logic stubborn fans aren't inclined to get behind (which is fair enough).
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    RazorsEdge701
    05/25/2008 04:48 PM (UTC)
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    Shujinko didn't just train with the Lin Kuei, he trained with an actual Sub-Zero. Everyone knows that the name runs in the family, it's common sense to assume that Shujinko in his youth when he joined the Lin Kuei copied the deep freeze off the current Subbie's actual father or grandfather.

    Beyond Shujinko's ability to copy the powers of others, Cryomancy cannot be learned, it's a goddamn mutant power Sub-Zero and Frost were BORN with because of the Outworld race they descend from. As canon goes, that particular fact is really, really rock solid, because that's what makes Frost so special as his protege in the first place.

    As far as the rest of the clan, it's obvious the reason they're "associated with ice" is because Sub-Zero is their leader now, and moved their damn headquarters to the Arctic Circle, where it's always cold. They probably all wear the same color because none of them has powers, they're all low level foot soldiers. Why the hell do you think they carry around the Ice Wand from MK4 when they fight Taven? Because they can't freeze on their own!
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    05/25/2008 05:09 PM (UTC)
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    RazorsEdge701 Wrote:
    Shujinko didn't just train with "the Lin Kuei", he trained with an actual Sub-Zero. Everyone knows that the name runs in the family, it's perfectly reasonable that Shujinko copied the deep freeze off the current Subbie's actual father or grandfather.

    ... Splitting hairs between copying a power, and learning it, seems like an absolute cop-out for the same conclusion.

    His training with an older Sub-Zero is also a reference the Lin Kuei's lengthy association with ice. Then again, who am I to tell the mutant academy it wouldn't be fair to make the smoke and net powered students live in an ice temple?

    I don't want to get stuck on the one point, particularly pertaining to one of forty-four panels, so yes. It's certainly different to what little we've dealt with, and it was never going to go over well with everyone.
    I'll certainly give you that!
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    RazorsEdge701
    05/25/2008 05:18 PM (UTC)
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    Well yeah, it's only one panel and I'm nitpicking and being stubborn, but I guess the way I figure is...

    You probably aren't doing it on purpose, but when you talk about "giving the games a solid narrative" and these "improvements" you're making to the story, you sound a little pompous, almost like "I'm an awesome writer and I know what's best, I'm gonna fix all the things Tobias did wrong."

    Don't take it personal, but you haven't really proven you're qualified to be "the guy who writes the definitive version of Mortal Kombat" because...well...I seem to find myself arguing with or correcting you on something like three times a week. I dunno, maybe that makes me an asshole, but that's the way I feel.

    You're certainly entitled to keep telling your story, and to defend your choices as a storyteller...just don't overhype yourself as a writer too much, because it's still just your interpretation.

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