#toonotalk

[toonocosm]

Art Fight added a new feature, you can describe the connections between characters now. Which I didn't care about at first, but I've had a lot of fun with it actually.

It's been a good way to get into the heads of all my characters and try to imagine what their perspective is of each other, because I did all the descriptions in-character. Each character is describing each other.

So far I'm only done with Api and Lotl.

[toonocosm]

Boredom in school, which I turned into doodling and daydreaming, greatly contributed to my obsession with art and OCs. But due to being creatively burnt out for so long, I've lost that emotional investment. It was out of necessity to let my brain chill, but I've been feeling very frustrated with myself that I can't get back into my art and projects again, even though I really want to!! But like, my heart is not in it.

I've been thinking about what made me daydream so much about my OCs in the past, and a big reason was out of boredom when I went to school. But I'm not in school anymore, and my life situation is a bit different due to my disability. So I have a lot of free time that I can fill with distractions of my own choosing.

So I'm cutting off a bunch of distractions, even if that means I'll just end up sitting in my living room doing nothing. That's kind of the point. I need to leave brainspace for art instead of gaming and Youtube brainrot.

So that's my master mind plan to get back into art and personal projects again! I've even made myself a written schedule. I only game on weekends, and a bit on Mondays.

Anyone got any good OC prompt lists? For like, either drawing them or imagining them in different situations.

[toonocosm]

One kind of interesting idea I've had about Lotl is that they've had top surgery and need to take pills to halt their regeneration abilities that axolotls naturally have. It's interesting taking such an advantageous super power and turn it into a curse.

But eeehh, it's pretty uncomfortable bringing something like that up. And honestly, I never really decided on Lotl's biological sex. They're just creature.

If I ever end up making a story that involves them losing a limb it would maybe be an opportunity to go there and write how they deal with having to stop taking those pills for a while to grow back their limb, but that feels improbable.

[toonocosm]

An idea for a visual gag

Lotl or someone says something along the lines of "I wanna feed the poorly drawn birds, that would fix me" or whatever. And the next panel shows a bunch of these fuckers.

This is how I drew birds as a kid.

[toonocosm]

Posting this whole scene because it's kinda fun!

[They're walking home after having just properly met. Up until this point, Api has been acting very rigid and robotic]

Lotl: "Why are you acting like that?" Api: "What do you mean?" Lotl: "…I scared the shit out of you last night." Api: "I do not experience stress responses to frightening situat-" (Lotl hastily unfolds their wings which takes Api by surprise and he flinches and stumbles backward in fear) (Lotl looks at him with a smug expression) Api: "…Okay. It's just a thing Cress and the others tell me to do to not draw unnecessary attention towards myself. They're afraid the wrong kind of people might want to get their hands on my technology if they knew the level of advancement." Lotl: (Bewilderment) "Huh." Api: "And you tried to attack me last night, of course I'd get startled." Lotl: "I.. what? I was just trying to run past you. Becuase, yeah! I know what kind of effect I tend to have on people." (Lotl turns away from him in anger) "Ugh, this is not going to work out." Api: "Then why did you agree to this arrangement? If you're not even going to give it a chance?" Lotl: "I don't know… Curiosity maybe". (wind blows by) "And I guess I wouldn't have minded if it turned out if you were some psychotic murder robot." Api: (He ponders on what Lotl just said for a moment) "That's just a movie trope, and it's quite a hurtful stereotype."

(Lotl looks at him with bewilderment and laughs, they start walking away) (Api speeds up a little to catch up to Lotl)

Api: "Why wouldn't you have minded that?" (zoomed out establishing shot panel)

[END SCENE]

I wish I could write out every scene of the comic this clearly, it would make it so much easier. But brain no work. Brain goes offline when I try to write. In so many scenes, I know what needs to happen, but I don't know how to execute them. I don't know how to get from point A to point B.

[toonocosm]

I'm always surprised by the amount of likes I get when I post here, even on a simple and hasty sketch??

I TRULY appreciate all of you. Thank you.

[toonocosm]

So ummm... is today a bad day to post a new comic with Api and Lotl for the first time in forever? I assume most people here are Americans, and they seem to be kinda busy today lol.

[toonocosm]

I got a funny idea while in the shower.

I want Cress to tell Api to act like a mindless and stereotypical robot when interacting with strangers, for safety reasons. No one needs to know how advanced he is unless he interacts with them on a daily basis. There are probably lots of bad people who would want to get their hands on his tech if they knew he's conscious.

This could lead to some funny scenarios.