NCI Comic Shorts - The Adventures Of Superman (Sims 2 Edition)
 

-------- Issue 1 -------- A Distressed Damsel
 

-------- Issue 2 -------- Fountain Suds
 

Dude, this is so incredibly detailed! The comic format is seriously faithful to the whole feel of the Superman fandom, but the best part of this sim story is that the characters are so fleshed out and quirky in a wonderful way!
Seriously, how many hours did it take to do all these comics? They're awesome!

Uh, well it's easier than writing full on books, and thankfully because this is The Sims 2, all the character animations are already available. No drawing from scratch so to speak, lol. Same for the scenery settings.

Basically, this is the process and thinking behind the development:

1) Make sure the comic and events can be written in two pages.
2) Make sure there are 19 to 21 frames. No more, no less.
3) Even out the panels with no more than 12 frames a page.
4) Have Superman appear no later than the second page.
5) If Superman appears in the first page, end with Clark Kent in the second half of the last page.

Now as for drawing the frames:
- I draw the frames on paper (rough sketch, using pencil)
- Then I create the frames on Microsoft PowerPoint (to draw blank green frames)
- Then I import the frames into Adobe Photoshop (where I can remove the green spaces, leaving them transparent)

As for the story, I write out a couple of words per frame to describe the action or event (e.g. Clark look at windows, Crime occurs, etc.).

Now the main part. Those buildings and parks...they're usually just facades created in a studio environment. They don't have functions to them, just decorations. About the only thing that would have functions would be Clark's office environment (e.g. the boardroom, his office, his secretary's office). This is the studio lot:



I use the studio lamps to light the scene inside the building in the middle (it's all black walls). This was original a 50x20 lot, but it expanded to 50x40, then later on 50x60, using LotAdjuster.

As for the Sims who come over, I use a bush from simlogical to summon the people I want for the scenes. Then, I cheat and make them selectable. Free will goes off, and I set the scenes using pose boxes from a variety of creators. The sims were already people in my neighborhood, so luckily no new Sims needed to be created.

The writing is pretty much an afterthoguht, since the actions are more important to portray. If I had like 40 pages per book, then yeah, writing out the comic would be longer. The only thing about the writing is that it has to be Sims 2 related, in terms of crime/mischief. Nothing too complicated to impliment in the game.

So how long does this take? That depends. It could take 12 hours or longer for the story actions, if scenes are built using complex objects, or if they're just plain decorative stuff. I don't remember how long it took for Issues 1 and 2.

-------- Issue 3 -------- Alarm Picking
 

Nice!

And wow, can I say how the studio lots look awesome? Dang, you make it sound like it's no big deal, but it's one of the awesome examples of game modding effort here. Awesome update as always! Do we get to see a Lex Luthor? Or Clark's old buddy Batman? Can't wait to see the series go on!

Thanks for the compliments about the studio lot.

As for Lex Luthor and Batman, I have no clue what'll occur. Only time will tell. ^_^

-------- Issue 4 -------- Lunch Money
 

-------- Issue 5 -------- Sidewalk Clean-Up
 

-------- Issue 6 -------- Sizzling Hot Dogs
 

I LOVE this....it's so simple yet so profound. Thank you!

You're welcome, labellavienna. I have one more story, Issue 7. Then it's gonna be slow in making the comic. The goal is to reach 25 issues, then start a new comic short. Ambitious, and hopefully there'll be some cameos in the later issues.

Sweet! Love those pages, even the cover!
Man, considering the rate of explosive fire whenever sims cook, it's awesomely fitting to make a scenario over how Superman deals with that.
Also, is it just me, but I'm seeing some Smallville philosophy when Superman decided to teach the guy how to cook (and avoid) fires. Seriously good work though. Now I'm wishing Maxis did a superhero expansion pack. :p

-------- Issue 7 -------- Buzzing Hands
 

The plot thickens! Also that supervillain lair looks COOL.

-------- Issue 8 -------- Grocery Time
 

Cool! This is really great.

-------- Issue 9 -------- Ship & Meditation
 

-------- Issue 10 ------- Laywers & Monsters
 

I like it! It's really good.

-------- Issue 11 ------- Lost Toy
 

-------- Issue 12 ------- Museum Heist
 

-------- Issue 13 ------- Museum Aftermath
 

-------- Issue 14 ------- A Jailed Accomplice