Particle Sphere
What’s up with Particle Sphere? The webcomic I started in 2001 and stopped working on circa 2004? Basically, I’m working on a script. It’s called Particle Sphere - Alpha and is the origin story for the main character, Particle. Following chapters will be named sequentially using the Greek alphabet: Beta, Gamma, Epsilon, and so on.
Why the delay? Well, for one… I’m slow. I’m a perfectionist and like to take my time on things, especially when I’m the one setting the timetable. The other major factor is my new job as Lead Web Designer/Developer at Perpetual Entertainment. My responsibilities there consume the bulk of my time and the move from Clinton, Mississippi, to San Francisco, California, was far from trivial.
My family and I have made it through the first year with a new job in a new state and hopefully 2007 will be a lot smoother. I take a commuter train to work everyday so I do have some free time that I have been using to chip away at a script for the comic. I am somewhat encouraged by the questions about Particle that come up from time to time when I talk to old friends. In fact, since we’ve been home for Christmas, I ran into a friend from my WorldCom days at the Thai House restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi, and he asked about the comic.
Since PS went on indefinite hiatus in late 2004 I have never really stopped working on it in some way or another. Sometimes I still sketch, still searching for an appropriate art style. However, most of my thought has gone into a script. So in the spirit of the season, here is the first, extremely rough draft of the prologue of Particle Sphere - Alpha…
At the edge of supermassive black hole a young woman in her early 20s with red, double-spiral curls is floating in space enclosed by a transparent, glowing electric blue bubble of light. A smaller red sphere hovers nearby preoccupied by various data displays.
Tech Reference: Super Massive Blackhole
PARTICLE: “I’ve lost everyone… why can’t I lose myself?”
PARTICLE: “Diary…”
A super-cute characterture of a diary appears. The pages open…
PARTICLE: “My father gave me eternal life…”
Words appear on the pages of the diary.
PARTICLE: “…whether I wanted it or not.”
PARTICLE: “Sphere, my ‘voice of reason,’ said I was being irrational… since there is no way in this universe to destroy me. Well…”
Particle shoots an icy stare over her shoulder at the spherical avatar. He is floating on the other side of the bubble of light that encloses them both. Despite his simplistic, emoticon face he appears deep in thought.
Sphere looks at one of the screens with dismay…
SPHERE: “Particle, two of our remotes have gone offline….”
PARTICLE: “…we’ll see about that!”
SPHERE: “What?”
Particle is looking straight “down” into the center of the black hole, in position like an Olympic diver, she leaps into the abyss…
Merry Christmas!
Will (cyb3rllama)
December 30th, 2006 at 6:10 pm
nice… so long as you are doing the art, too!
the d painting you did for me is always displayed, although currently the display location is mississippi
January 2nd, 2007 at 9:08 am
Well, I think it would be kind of cool if you pick it up again!!
January 5th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Good to hear. You know I’m a huge Particle Sphere fan.
January 6th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
I read over a dozen web-comics every day. Particle Sphere was on that must-read list for a long time. I’m ready. I’ve kept a browser tab free for you.
January 7th, 2007 at 9:54 am
Wow Kurt… sounds like you’ve got way too much free time! I’m jealous! ^_^;;
January 8th, 2007 at 6:47 am
Reading web-comics is part of my morning ritual. Using firefox, I go to my comics folder and hit ‘open all in tabs’. Then as I read the comics throughout the day, I just close the tab. By the end of the day, all the tabs are closed and I’m nearly satisfied. You see, I’m not fully satisfied because one of my tabs remains empty.
January 8th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Nice. I’ll have to try that. Got some favorites you care to pass on? I’ve been out of reading webcomics for way too long.
January 10th, 2007 at 6:42 am
http://www.asofterworld.com/soft_sep29_2006.htm
http://xkcd.com/ (very geeky humor)
http://drmcninja.com/ (read from the beginning)
http://sluggy.com/ (I’d say read from the beginning, but it’d take you several weeks to do that, so jump in and hang on)
http://www.ozyandmillie.org/ (cute one)
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript (better if you read from the beginning, this is long the lines of Knights of the Dinner Table)
http://alienlovespredator.com/index.php
http://www.qwantz.com/ (Great concept one. The clip art is static. Same frames every day, just changing the text)
I didn’t bother mentioning things like pvponline, megatokyo, penny-arcade ….. I know you know about those.
January 15th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
I wish this one would pick up again, too…
http://www.nowheregirl.com/
January 19th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
i heart a softer world. even the overqualified stuff is crazy funny.
January 19th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
my favorite abandoned web comic is return to sender: http://rts.lunistice.com/index.html
it was really great, too…
January 19th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
I’ll second the love for nowheregirl. That was a great comic. There are several comics that have been discontinued that I wish were still around. “Return to Sender”, “Suzie View” and “Clan Bob” would be a few. And there is another that I like when it’s actually something other than just random pictures : http://underpower.non-essential.com/ I really like how it’s drawn, but I could do with a little less ‘furry’ and the “Emotional Level” indicator is pretty offensive.
March 1st, 2007 at 6:08 pm
crap. I think I might have just caused another particle.Sphere delay.
March 13th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Yeah, I’ve taken a job with EarthLink in Atlanta, GA. So, PS is still on hiatus. I’m going to post something at some point about my relo and new job.