Updates

Check out the free preview and purchase link below!

Check out the free preview and purchase link below!

Check out the free preview and purchase link below!

Check out the free preview and purchase link below!

Howdy! We’ve been steadily working and have enough done to project some future releases, as well as have some progress to share!

• Epoch 3 – Projected completion & release: Mid February 2024
• Epoch 4 – Projected completion & release: Mid February 2024
• Epoch 5 – Script typed, 55% of outlines completed
• Epoch 6 – Script typed, no outlines completed
• Epoch 7 – Script typed, may be tweaked, no outlines completed
• Epoch 8 – No script typed or outlines made, concept is in my head
• Epoch 9 – Typing in progress, no outlines completed

At least 2 more installments are conceptualized with ideally a total of 12 in mind [1 for each hour of the clock]. More than 12 may be created before the series is finished.

Dr. Neil Good’s namesake is meant to be a pun of Mötley Crüe’s song Dr. Feelgood. The reason will become more evident later but [Semi-Spoiler, I guess?] the pills Dr. Good takes greatly numb his ability to feel emotions. He takes them not with the intent of feeling good, but to keep himself from feeling overwhelmingly bad. In a roundabout way you could say they make him “feel good”, as it makes him feel better than he previously did. And as a bonus, having less emotions helps keep him focused on his work. The pills are a very unique formula and he produces them himself in his personal lab.

The whole concept of Dr. Neil Good stemmed from Static Shock, a smarty pants with the power to manipulate electricity. He may not be a superhero, but like Static he has the desire to help others. That desire is what led him to utilize his mind to the fullest and study so many fields within science so he can do all he can to aid in the advancement and overall betterment of humanity.

A lot of little design details were put into his character in an attempt to keep him from looking too much like a generic scientist, as well as for fun. Ratchet’s gauntlet gloves and others with functions that double as weopons throughout the Ratchet and Clank series were naturally in mind when brainstorming his design since they share a science fiction theme. The glowing orbs in his boots indicate the charge level for their hovering ability, both the design and function of which are inspired by the hoverboots from Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time. They were such a fun mechanic. This function will be seen later on in the series.

I really liked this beautiful necklace from Star Trek and how alien/futurey it looked. I gave this image to Mr. Scars as a reference for it. The orbs at the end of Dr. Good’s necklace are not just decorative though, they are energy stores that can be used as a last resort for power if he is low and really needs it. Though he should have known to utilize some already in the series he tries so hard to conserve them that the thought of doing so never crossed his mind. Or rather mine, if we are being honest. Maybe later though. If I remember.

Dr. Good’s goggles design are based off of the red eyepiece in Jak’s goggles in Jak and Daxter. I always found them so kool and felt like they should be on both sides. I tweaked them to my liking by requesting the red eyepiece on both sides with swirls instead of the crosshair for laughs. Though necessary for lab safety he also utilizes them just as often for eating onions, his favorite food. He prefers to eat them raw, like apples.

1. Brainstorming
   • Getting the plot layed out in my head.
2. Typing
   • Committing and organizing my thoughts into a Word document. Epoch 1 yielded 14 typed pages.
3. Page layout with text references
   • Behold my 2nd grade level drawing! I am no artist, hence why I hire one. I organize out a section of my typing and doodle it out into a comic page. I put in sound effects and speech bubbles as well. In the order submission details I type out what text goes in each letter of speech/thought bubble as well as who speaks/thinks it. They do not take too long to make, up to an hour if I feel like the page is complex enough that I need to make it more detailed.

4. Final page!

• I submit my shit layout to the artist and it is transformed into gold! It usually takes him about a week. Epoch 1 yielded 84 comic pages.

I knew I wanted to make Phillip Eens’ armor some type of high tech design but was not too sure where to go with it without it looking too cliche. There are a variety of armors in the Ratchet & Clank series, but one of the most memorable ones to me was from the primary one in Ratchet: Deadlocked.

I submitted the 1st image to Mr. Scars as a reference to build upon. To make it more unique I requested that striations based on the muscular system be added to its design and encouraged him to add his own twist onto it. Along with being the best artist I have had the pleasure to work with so far he tends to add his own little details to the pages and its characters, which not only enhances the designs but add more atmosphere and personality. I am glad he decided to keep the ears on the helmet, I find it a nice touch.

In order for Neil to have a close interaction with a kannibal and gain some insight on their physiology in the 1st installment it needed to be based off of something not seen as hostile as well as approachable. What could that be? Well, people tend to like babies and see them as cute and innocent, so Baby Fingers was created. Its appearance was based off of the baby in the short that plays prior to Toy Story. It is absolutely the most hideous baby ever. I found it freaky looking as a kid and even still as an adult. The 1st image above was sent to Mr. Scars as a reference.

Its name, as well as inspiration for the kannibal, came from a video game show on YouTube. The show’s host, Lyle Rath [previously known as Lyle McDouchebag] considered naming it Baby Fingers. It ended up being named Pregame Discharge, but the name of Baby Fingers was so well liked that the kannibal was named after the idea.

Though at the time of this post Baby Fingers is nothing more than just a severed right hand in Dr. Good’s lab coat it will still play a role in future installments, with its next appearance scheduled in Epoch 4, which will likely be completed in about a year. Until then, keep using your adult fingers to swipe through the pages of Criss Cross and its updates!