A partially completed (and often malfunctioning) Protocol droid-like robot. Made from spare parts of several different discarded robots, the lower half serves as a secondary propulsion system for the "Steel Duck" on occasion.
Old Ralphie is the only survivor from the original Melonpool universe that we've encountered so far. He's essentially the product of Ralphie being caught in a 30-year time loop. He's currently searching through time and space for his lost wife and son.
Actually, this comic happened the way it did mainly because I wanted to have something I could color fast. The black inking helped –as well as the pretty much monochrome coloring. I know that drawing digitally is pretty much the norm these days, but for the few months that I drew the strip digitally during the atoll run, I ended up spending more time trying to make it look hand-drawn by putting in imperfections than it takes to just draw it by hand. This Sunday took about an hour to ink and about an hour and a half to color and shade. A typical Sunday takes about three hours to ink and about five hours to color.
Knowing Ralph, there’s a “vaporise” trap two steps inside the door.
(And its “vaporise” effect may or may not be “bury in coffee beans”.)
Knowing Ralph, the trap in question is set to his genetic material or something, so Ralphie wouldn’t set it off. 😀
Also, note the painstakingly-referenced old joke about inked lighting effects. 😀
You know, if you’re coloring digitally, it would not be hard to ink the dramatic shadows digitally by coloring them black.
Actually, this comic happened the way it did mainly because I wanted to have something I could color fast. The black inking helped –as well as the pretty much monochrome coloring. I know that drawing digitally is pretty much the norm these days, but for the few months that I drew the strip digitally during the atoll run, I ended up spending more time trying to make it look hand-drawn by putting in imperfections than it takes to just draw it by hand. This Sunday took about an hour to ink and about an hour and a half to color and shade. A typical Sunday takes about three hours to ink and about five hours to color.
Also, I like having as near to a finished piece of art when all is said and done. You know. so I can sell it or put it on the wall. 😉
I have to say thank you for still drawing by hand, old trades are dying out way to much these days.
Wait, this was drawn by hand? I salute you, sir.