FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What graphics software do you use? And what sort of input hardware?
A: I use Adobe Photoshop. Used to be CS2 but I’ve since upgraded to CS4. I have a Wacom Intuos3 tablet. I forget the dimensions. But it’s about the size of your standard sheet of paper.
Q:Where did you get the idea for this comic?
A: Long story short, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon.
Short story long, with a spoiler warning, I was dissatisfied with the way the story ended. The Player character is given a “choice” whether he wants to return to his old life or continue being a pokemon. But the fact that he had no memory of his old life led him to choose to stay a pokemon. The implications of this choice intrigued me but I thought it was ultimately handled poorly. And I sought to create my own version of the dilemma and see how it would play it if there was an actual struggle between the two possibilities.
Q:Why a Charmander?
A: Because Charmanders are awesome
Q: No really.
A: In the first PMD game (and subsequently the second, but that’s irrelevant) I played a Pikachu and my partner was a charmander. Of course, due to the nature of the game, Charlie (cough) got most of the character development. Some weeks/months/years later when I was tinkering with the premise of the story I remembered how much I liked Charlie’s character. So I sort of used him as a basis for the comic. Of course Charlie’s PMD personality is completely absent from Cole, but that’s just a side effect from all the revisions.
Q: How long does it normally take for you to make a page?
A: On average? about 2 hours. Maybe 3 if it’s particularly complicated. That’s assuming I have the page scripted out already, though. Script writing adds a little bit of time, but I’ve never really payed attention to how much.
Q: Will we see other pokemon from beyond the first gen?
A: Lassoh is primarily a G1 region, so chances are that they aren’t around unless someone brings em in from somewhere else. So none in the comic proper. In the epilogue, potentially.
Q: Roughly how many comics do you script out at a time?
A: I have several key scenes scripted out. On a page per page basis, I tend to make it up as I go until I get there.
Q: Do you plan on CharCole having an “end”, or will it go on indefinitely?
A: No, CharCole has a definite ending in mind. It will have an epilogue, as well. But that’s not to say I won’t ever use the world again.
Q: How far along do you think you’ll get, either in terms of story or in terms of page number?
A: I certainly hope to reach the end XD If I had to make an estimate, I think the entire comic would take 500 to 600 pages. This could be way off, of course. In either direction.
Q: Any plans on color in the future?
A: No plans, but I didn’t plan on shading or breaking the original format. So who knows?
Q: Do you have any other completely different stories in progress/on the back burner?
A: Oh, yes. Ungodly amounts of them. CC’s the first one that’s ever gotten off the ground, though, so I’m mostly concentrating on finishing it before I get sidetracked on something else.
Q: Can I request a character cameo?
A: If the situation calls for extras I might take requests. But I’ll probably get 10 responses for every 1 extra I need, so I’m sorry if I don’t pick yours. But until then, I keep a ‘don’t call me, I’ll call you’ attitude about cameos.
Q: Do you do commissions?
A: Yes and no. I’m not incredibly punctual with them and if I put it off long enough I eventually forget about them. So if you’re willing to wait and perhaps even poke me about it from time to time, then I’ll be glad to take it. But keep in mind that if you poke me too often I’ll get annoyed and not wanna….this is probably why I don’t get alot of commissions.
Q: Aren’t the Pokemon games awesome?!
A: I sometimes hate to admit it, but I’m actually not a huge fan of pokemon. I’ve never read the manga, the games are honestly mind numbingly grindy, and the anime is only half decent. That doesn’t stop the world it’s set in from being interesting enough for me to want to play around in it.
Q: Hey, did you know you got [minor detail about pokemon] wrong?
A: Yes I did. I don’t care. While I am using the world of pokemon as a foundation for this story, I’m still the architect. I get to do whatever the hell I want with it and you can’t stop me so nyaa XP
Q: Is it true that [wild speculation]?
A: It’s possible! Compare notes with everyone else in the forum! If you think I’m going to answer questions about spoiler topics, then don’t bother.