I Want Moe Attention

She Has Quite A Lot Of Spare Time, Being Only One Year Old

2012-02-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

The name of the shrine is, capitalized, the MagiSir (magi-sir).

Just FYI.

It's The Shrine of Iikutaat!

2012-02-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

I had to start using a new pen (the same kind as the ones I bought a couple of months ago) for this strip, as you can see in the logo that the pen is starting to wear out.

Originally the last panel had Moe saying "Oh, sure, NOW you turn on your Thought Translator!" and Lily says "I don't exactly WANT my secret out, if you don't mind!" But there wasn't enough room for that, so I changed it to this.

Flashback Comparison #1

2012-02-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

This year marks the ninth year since the predecessor for I.W.M.A. was conceived. To celebrate this (yes, it's not an early 1900th post celebration), I have looked through some copies of my older strips and picked some of the ones that I think were "turning points" of I.W.M.A. history. I will be posting these on the blog, and drawing all-new, upgraded versions for comparison reasons.

This first Flashback Comparison shows the first Moe strip ever created. Ever. It wasn't exactly funny, but it was the seed for this ginormous webcomic tree (okay, that may not have been the best metaphor). It was created in late 2003 on the back of a notebook. The characters have evolved quite a lot since then (both in looks and in personality), so brace yourself...

Wow.

This was way back when Julia and Moe were not brother and sister. Moe was seven early, and Julia was eighteen. Julia was Moe's friend who just happened to be living in the same building. (Maybe it was an apartment...) Moe was an extreme prankster back then, and Julia had a bit of a temper issue (some things never change...).

When I showed this to my dad yesterday, he joked "Why the long face, Julia?" My brother said Julia's head looked like a hot dog, and compared the shape of Moe's head today to this strip. Also, I have no idea why I dated the strip January 1, 2121.

Now, here's an updated version of this same strip I drew just earlier today, with the same overall plot, dialogue, and setting (or lack thereof); only the style of my strip has changed:

I put in the opening row to flesh out the strip a bit more. Originally it was going to be a message introducing the strip, but after I finished the strip, I realized it should be more funny and drawing-filled.

I'm referring to Moe and Julia as "you rookies" because this was their first strip, and Moe's rubbing his eyes because he's going to need to have his eyes wide open for the entire strip.

Also, between 2003 and 2012, I made two other versions of this same strip; one in 2004 and one in 2005. Here's the first (from 2004). I made a book of some of my earliest Moe strips, and this was the first one. Apart from the date being from the 21st century, and the size and shape of Julia's head, not much has changed:

Back in 2005, I was thinking about making copies of my strips and sending them to some syndicates for preparation in case I was still doing this when I was older and more experienced. I figured I'd do this strip again, but I realized it needed a bit more "oomph," so I updated it a bit. Also I realized that Moe's voice was more like a robot's than an alien's, so I changed it to a robot instead of an alien (I'm not sure why I changed his "home planet," though):

Now, with the newest version of this strip, this makes four different versions of this same strip over eight or nine years.

More Flashback Comparisons to come! Stay tuned!

Which is your favorite Nermia story so far?

2012-02-11T14:02:00.002-07:00

Mentally Capable? Find Out Now!

2012-02-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Lily's talking about this conversation she had with Moe.

And, yup, there's another "Find Out Now!" in the title!

Plus, the fainted Julia was at a slight angle in my original sketch of this strip (the same angle she's facing when she's standing), so we could see her face, kind of like this strip. I changed it to being face-on (or...maybe not "face"-on...) because I thought it was a little funnier for some reason.

Preposterous

2012-02-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Originally Merlin's phrase said "...invisibility spell," but I changed it to "ignoring spell" because I thought it sounded more accurate.

So The Shrine is the Epicenter?

2012-02-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Like yesterday's strip, Lily's comment about the name being of the shrine wasn't in here. But since I added it in yesterday, I figured I'd add it today as well.

Iikutaat

2012-02-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

At first, I wasn't going to have Lily say the thing she said in the middle panel. But I added it in as I was drawing it.

Carbon Dated

2012-02-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Downtown Again

2012-02-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Moe's referencing this strip.

And So Begins The 2012 February-March Story

2012-02-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Normally I try to vary the shades of the characters' clothes (one day Moe will wear an orange shirt, the next a red-orange shirt, the next an orange-red shirt, etc.), but when I do a long story like the Feb-Mar story, I standardize the color scheme (my orange-est orange for Moe's shirt for the entire story).

I've had a lot of fun making this story, and I'm not even finished writing it!

Hypnotized Again

2012-02-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

The title is a repeated title of "(((( )))) (((( )))) (((( )))) (((( )))) (((( )))) Hypnotized".

Also, in case you didn't see yesterday's strip, here it is.

Sorry about the double-post and late strip this week. I promise I'll do my best to stay up-to-date for the rest of this year.

Also, I'll try to get a new poll up next week.

I Guess She Could Be Talking To Herself...In A Way...

2012-02-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest. When I said that today's strip would be a little late, I didn't expect it to be this late.

Today's strip is actually the third in a line of ideas for Julia's Secret Friend. The first was a "Mystical Disembodied Voice," and the second a ghost.

That's One Big Basketball!

2012-02-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not feeling so hot today, so tomorrow's strip will probably be a little late.

On a more positive note, the new February-March story begins soon!

Funding For This Double Post Has Been Provided By Viewers Like You

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was going to have Heidi be the person Moe was talking to, but I changed it to Mike here (I'm not quite sure why). Also, here are the other double-post titles:

Psshhhh! The Double-Post!
Another Double-Post
Yet Another Double-Post
Here's Another Double-Post
Double Post...Again Again
Here At I.W.M.A., We Commonly Create Double-Posts.
I'll Take the Late-Double Post Combo, Please.
Who Ordered the Double Post?
I've Got Another Double Post, Ready For Bids! Any Takers?
There Has Been a Flight Change; This Double Post Will Now Depart from Gate 6A3.
Funding For This Double Post Has Been Provided By Viewers Like You

Display Items Not For Sale

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter fans should recognize the third amulet from the left!

Originally Moe's line was "Wow, for real?" Then I changed it to simply "For real?" But after I wrote his dialogue in the strip, I thought that sounded like he was wondering if they actually worked. So I had to white out his line and replace it with something that sounded a bit more skeptical.

Plus, the "Display Items Not For Sale" sign was a last-minute addition that I just thought would sound kind of funny.

Merlin Sleepwalks?

2012-01-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, Sneaky, Lily, Sneaky!

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

At first I was going to have Lily have installed a cloaking or disguising device on the Thought Translator and so it would turn into a ball. But I couldn't quite get Lily's line in that version to get right, so I changed it to this.

STARE...er.

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is a repeated title of STARE.

Also, today is our 1800th (!) post.

No Need To Resort To Violence, Michelle!

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, Good Grief!

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

The box says "Make Julia President of IWMA Fund."

Yes, There's A Big Difference

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Unfair Indeed

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

When I looked through my previous posts to see if this was a repeated title, I found out that this is the fourth time I have used this type of post title: The previous ones were:

Oh, No, Indeed!

Yikes, Indeed!

Freaky Indeed

Quoted Directly from the IWMA Encyclopedia

2012-01-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

I mostly made this strip to tie up a few loose ends I had hanging. When I made the last two strips, I suddenly realized that it would kind of counter some of the ideas I had already posted about the Twinkie.

Accidental Dimension Entering?

2012-01-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Moe's talking about either this strip or this strip. I guess they could be the same event, now that I think about it...

...You Lost Me?

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

And The Phrase Has Manifested Itself True!

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

I thought of this when I was writing the title for a previous Sure Sign of the Apocalypse.

You're Trying To Make Me Go Faster, Aren't You?!

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Actually, an Orange Bird really has been released by now for Angry Birds.

What, Have I Been Playing Angry Birds That Whole Time?

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Actually, by the time I drew this strip, I really hadn't drawn a strip for almost a week.

Is It Supposed To Start Dancing Or Something?

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Kind Of Like Dropping Him Off At a Friend's House

2012-01-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Bill Watterson was right; the Sunday strips with less restrictive layouts do take longer to make.

Blow Up

2012-01-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Actually, this was the first strip for this week I thought of. I thought it worked better at the end of the week, though, so I put it here.

Oh, Now We're Getting Astronomical?!

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was going to include "dwarf planets" in Thidwick's line in the first panel, but I, for some reason, decided to get rid of it.

Also, I found out that the planets will not align in 2012. I found out online that there will be a kind of alignment in 2040, where Saturn, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars will appear to be aligned in the sky. And on June 13, 2010, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mercury were aligned on one side of the Sun, and Venus, Mars, and Saturn were aligned on the other side, and Earth was perpendicular to the Sun then.

Does that mean that the apocalypse should have happened then?

Unanimously Voted?!

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

When I was trying to think of another person to put on a chair, I suddenly thought of Tom. Instead of showing him, I just figured I'd hint that he's slumped down in his chair covered in red paint.

I love doing stuff with Tom.

When Pigs Fly

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is another one of those semi-rare times I've shown Gwendolyn's back.

Moe Wants Me To Do That?!

2012-01-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

This has a double Apocalyptic event: first, Moe wants me to stop the strip. Second, I agreed to do what Moe asked me to.

GASP!

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, what can I say? It's 2012, so I thought I'd do some "signs of the Apocalypse" strips.

That's Not a Good Wish

2012-01-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

The character in the talk bubble is the Chinese character for "snore." I'm really not sure why I decided to do that, but I did.

Julia Just Butted Into Our Conversation

2012-01-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Looking back over the previous Comics Vs. Me strips, I realized that this is probably the first time I've stood up for myself.

The ending for this strip pretty much happened on its own–I put it in because I thought it would logically follow; basically I let the flow of the story define itself.

I always enjoy doing the Comics Vs. Me strips; it's pretty fun to create several panels of just back-and-forth dialogue between me and Moe.

Are You Sure You Want To Drag Me Into This Conversation Again?

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

I Don't Have-Slash-Need THAT Much Free Time!

2012-01-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, I See Where You're Going With This...

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

In case you're wondering, Moe really did predict I'd miss 114 strips in 2011, because it was double the amount of strips I missed in 2010.

Bup-Bup-Bup!

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

I Have A Point

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddd...IT'S 2012!!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year from I.W.M.A.!

I would make the post text a new font like I've done in the past, but I started using the Google Chrome browser last year, and changing the fonts doesn't work on it, for some reason.

And here's the 2012 logo box! Here are links to the past ones, in case you're interested:

Well, Next Year IS 2012...

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

I did some calculating yesterday, and today is the 1724th strip I've posted on this blog, not counting Blogger Action Day 2007, the "in progress" version of one of my strips, the two "lost strips," or the "three panels" mini-strip from the Twelve Days of Christmas. If you do count those, I've posted 1729 strips.

Maybe a better sentence would be "I've posted 1724 canon strips."

Hey, Isn't That Thidwick's Blanket?!

2011-12-30T10:06:00.003-07:00

A Christmas Montage

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

When I first thought of this year's Christmas strip, I was thinking about having a strip about Moe opening one of his presents, and it started with the first panel in the second row. I had already drawn it when I decided to make it more of a montage of the whole day.

Why Is He Practicing?!

2011-12-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

At first I was going to have the time be 2:17 (and have Julia have already gone to bed). But then I realized something: Moe's Midnight Roaming ends at 1:30, and then he goes to sleep. So if I made the time 10:17, Moe would still be waiting for 12:00.

I Wonder If They're Putting Julia's Presents Under There Last

2011-12-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever drawn body poses like Julia's in the second and third panels.

Also, I was trying to think of a good pose for Charlie in the last panel. I decided to leave it for last and draw the rest of the panel and then figure out what would look best. But I drew the last panel and I realized Charlie probably didn't need to be in that panel. Also, the blue present with an orange ribbon is Moe's present from this strip.

You Took Your Own Sweet Time!

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was halfway finished coloring this strip when I remembered that Moe's house was supposed to be red.

And He's Drooling Again

2011-12-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

The title is a repeated title of He's Drooling Again and, to a lesser extent, He's Drooling.

You Sneaky Kid!

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

The title is a repeated title of You Sneaky Mom!

I thought it'd be neat to add a touch of reality to my strips, so when it came time to color the strip, I took a black colored pencil (I have three, by the way) and drew in some door panels.

That Makes It Seem Sooner, Doesn't It?

2011-12-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

I tried to make the first two panels as similar to this strip, even though I didn't actually look at it while I was drawing today's.

Naughty!

2011-12-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

My brother gave me this idea.

It's Just A Crazy Ornament!!

2011-12-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Charlie is referring to the IWMA ornaments.

Ooh, You Got Cheated!

2011-12-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Notice the CD (not the case)? It's orange, which is more of a Halloween color than a Christmas color.

So, is Julia on Facebook?

That's One Big Tree

2011-12-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Moe's talking about this tree.

A Partridge In A Pear Tree

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

You Sneaky Mom!

2011-12-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Any Suspected Spots, Sherlock?

2011-12-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Flashback Time!

2011-12-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

That's ONE Way to Beat the Cold

2011-12-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

This strip came from a drawing I did for an earlier comic strip. I called it "Frank the Dog;" none of the strips were funny. I later reused the look of Frank for The Dog (you know, from Nermia).

Basically, for some unknown reason, Frank had stuffed himself into his owner's microwave. Then, for some unknown reason, his owner started the microwave. Frank jumped up and yelled "BARK! IT'S REAL HOT IN HERE NOW!" So he jumped out of the microwave.

Like I said, not funny–unless you consider the fact that his owner started up the microwave without knowing that there was something already in it as "funny."

How Could The Blind People Read That, Anyway?!

2011-12-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Actually, the logo residue is really a Braille word. But I'm not telling you what it is (no, not because it's something I don't want to type)–you'll have to figure it out yourself!

I Think You're Treading The Line Between "Silly" and "Annoying"

2011-12-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Dozens?

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Which, ultimately, would be a better act?

2011-12-06T15:53:00.001-07:00

Bad Timing, Julia

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

That Did Not Come Out Right, Did It?

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

I don't think you'd need to do this, you might need to read this strip out loud.

Re-Introducing...

2011-12-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

The title is a repeated title of Introducing...

PUNCH

2011-12-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

GULP

2011-12-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

G-G-G-G-G-G-G-G

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

BURP

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

PTHFPTHFFFTPHTFTHHHH!

2011-11-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

When I first drew this strip, it was just the giant blobs of water. But then I thought it needed a bit more "oomph," so I added the smaller drops flying everywhere. That helped a lot.

VVVVVV

2011-11-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Nemo and Belle Again

2011-11-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yup, I decided to give the broom a name.

It's One O'Clock?!!

2011-11-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

I did 1:00 because that's during Moe's Midnight Roaming.

Lily's Secret Life?

2011-11-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Actually, if you look back at my Lily strips, you'll see that she actually doesn't act smart around anyone but me and Moe.

The Battle Ain't Over Yet!

2011-11-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Apparently, There Are No Teams

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Originally, Heidi's skirt wasn't going to be plaid–it was just going to be solid purple. But then a mistake I made in the drawing of the last panel forced me to make it plaid. I can't white it out, because since coloring over white-out would smear the ink, and I didn't want to have to completely start over, so I had to make it plaid.

The Army Is Enlarging!

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Pretty Tricky

2011-11-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

This Is Gonna Be A Good Week

2011-11-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

I Didn't Faint!

2011-11-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was originally going to consider having me faint in the last panel, like I've done in some past strips, but then I figured, Real World people don't faint as much as Cartoon World people do (hopefully), so I just had myself smack my forehead. The "I should have guessed" was added in later.

Blam.

2011-11-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Three Evaluation Levels

2011-11-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Messy

2011-11-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

In case you're wondering how all that mud got on the walls, Merlin probably went in the house and shook, like this:

You know, the way dogs usually do when they're wet.

This was a strip I made before the blog was up. Recently I thought the punch line was funny enough to reuse in a blog strip. I wasn't exactly sure if I should keep it the same or not, but eventually I decided to change it to just a long panel showing the mud Merlin had coated the walls in. The original playout had Moe standing still. Then a blob of mud hit him. Then Merlin came in (treading mud on the floor in the process) and thought "Now I know what it feels like to be a pig!" And Moe told Merlin to wipe his paws. I changed Merlin's line to this version because I thought it was better.

All The Nermians Are Together!

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

If you're not familiar with some of these Nermians, check out our Nermia page (there's a link to it underneath the banner). It has links to our Nermia stories, and each one of them introduces at least one of these characters.

I was trying to think of a good Nermia Day joke, when it suddenly occurred to me that I could just do a get-together of the main Nermians. But when I "finished" the drawing, I thought the left and right sides looked extremely blank, so I put in Thidwick, Merlin, Moe, Bob, and Heidi on one side, and The Fork, The Platypus, and The Ghost Of Ex-King Mick Mustard on the other side. I also figured it would be a good idea to put in Nerm II, The Evil Tooth Fairy's castle, and the Nermian flag. So I did.

We're Out

2011-11-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

This entire strip came from a simple doodle of Heidi sitting down and holding two bananas, saying "One banana, two bananas." I can't exactly remember why I drew this, but I recently decided I ought to translate that doodle into a strip, and this is what came out.

Multiple Personalities?

2011-11-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

No, Moe does not have dissociative identity disorder (two separate personalities).

I actually did this myself once.

So Close, And Yet So Far!!

2011-11-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

When I showed the last strip of last year's Election Week to my brothers, they were wondering how Strip Supervisor would have more power than the President. I decided I'd better explain that part in this strip.

Sneaky, But Not Sneaky Enough!

2011-11-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

So this is what Julia meant on Tuesday when she said "We'll see about that" when I predicted that she wouldn't have any success in the election.

Obviously Not

2011-11-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Apparently Heidi doesn't know the history of the Presidents of I.W.M.A.; she doesn't even know the current President is Lily.

Good, No Tom

2011-11-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

So What Has She Got Up Her Sleeve?

2011-11-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

That little line jutting out of my head is supposed to be my nose.

No, Please, Don't Do This Again!!

2011-11-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

In case you need a refresher on what Julia's talking about, all you need to read is the last strip of last year's Election Week.

I Do Love A Bit Of Gorgonzola

2011-11-06T00:00:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I need to shorten a strip idea to get it to fit in this Sunday format. But in this case, I actually needed to extend it a little.

I Thought They Lived SIMPLE Lives?

2011-11-05T00:00:00.000-06:00

David Isn't Cool

2011-11-04T00:00:00.000-06:00