Tag: sergeant block

Posted on August 8, 2020 by softmanpillowboy

And with that, we have a humanoid form for Dirk and a finale for our latest multi-part comic. You can read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, and Part 4 here.

Fun facts: In the second panel, when Softboy says that the Chrisville Theater Society should do “Pirates,” he is, of course, referring to the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance.

Dirk’s lineart was inspired by the way My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic uses colored outlines. Dirk may not like to hear that this was a source of inspiration for me, but it’s true. (This also means that Softboy’s earlier comment on how Dirk is ordinarily hard to draw was largely ignored for this form’s design. This method took me forever to figure out, and Dirk’s human form will be used sparingly as a result.) 

Also, Dirk’s grain made me download an additional brush asset for Clip Studio Paint for the first time. I’ve just been making do with the basic brushes until now.

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Posted on August 1, 2020 by softmanpillowboy

It’s time for things to get pretty silly in Part 4 of our current multi-part comic. You can check out Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here. 

Fun fact: Since the toys’ doodles for Dirk’s “Sad Horse” form are fairly obvious, I don’t think I need to say what real-world cartoon they’re referencing. If you’re wondering how Chris is allowed to watch such a mature show, then it probably won’t surprise you to hear that he technically isn’t. Chris has his own little profile on his dad’s Netflix account, but it’s still a kid’s account. Chris has figured out, though, that as long as he doesn’t try watching Netflix using his dad’s account while his dad is using it on another device, Chris can get away with seeing things his dad has already watched. He doesn’t do this all the time, and he doesn’t do it out of the thrill of watching mature stuff for the sake of being “grown-up.” He came for the animal-people and stayed for the incredible storytelling. And the puns.

Also, this update was actually supposed to be the finale. However, I ran out of time this week, so I decided to split the intended comic into two parts. You’ll have to wait til next week for the conclusion!

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Posted on July 25, 2020 by softmanpillowboy

Here’s Part 3 of our surprisingly long journey towards giving Dirk a humanoid form. You can check out Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 4 here. I hope you all like constantly changing character, background, and prop sizes! (Let’s be honest. You’re here for the story. Not the art.)

Fun fact: In case you didn’t know, Softboy’s miraculous conjuration of a rainbow while saying the word “imagination” is a reference to a famous and oft-memed scene from Spongebob Squarepants. Dirk calls it stealing, but I call it an homage. 

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Posted on July 11, 2020 by softmanpillowboy

It’s time for another multi-part comic! It looks like business between Dirk and the Chrisville Theater Society isn’t quite finished yet. You can find Part 2 here and Part 3 here.

PLEASE NOTE: Softboy Pillowman and the toys of Chrisville want to remind their loyal readers that you shouldn’t be ashamed of the way you’re shaped, no matter what your body is like. As you’ll see in the next parts of the comic, this is more of a playtime-related issue than any actual issue with Dirk’s form. 

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Posted on May 30, 2020 by softmanpillowboy

It’s time for part three of our first multi-comic story, in which I realize that it’s hard to keep coming up with exciting angles for a conversation between two people. You can find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 4 here, and Part 5 here.

Fun facts: Here is the first appearance of another background character: Wagon Wheels the Yeti. She is a very sweet cryptid plushie and another blatant Classic Doctor Who reference. She has been cast as a member of the female chorus for this production of HMS Pinafore.

The Chrisville Theater Society’s production bears many visual resemblances to a version of HMS Pinafore that I was in a year ago. (In fact, Softboy is playing my role as a member of the chorus.) The costumes in the comic are only half-finished, but most are clearly inspired by what we wore then. However, Madame Croc’s Little Buttercup costume and Wagon Wheel’s sister/cousin/aunt costume are of my own design. 

If you don’t want to miss the next part, make sure to follow this blog! And please consider visiting my Ko-Fi page.

Posted on May 16, 2020 by softmanpillowboy

Get ready for our first multi-part comic everybody! This takes place before the residents of Chrisville learn about the lockdown, which can be seen here. You can find the second part here, the third part here, the fourth part here, and the fifth part here.

Fun facts: As you can see, a couple of new (as in, not previously introduced) residents of Chrisville are in the male chorus of the Chrisville Theater Society’s production of HMS Pinafore. Their names are Velvel Fox and Jamie McBear, and they actually play a small part in the original Softboy trilogy I wrote for my thesis. I didn’t write/draw individual introductions for them, though, because I haven’t yet planned for them to have major roles in the comic. 

Also, the book the Theater Society is reading from is based on a real collection of Gilbert and Sullivan music and librettos that I have at home. 

If you don’t want to miss the next part, make sure to follow this blog! And please consider visiting my Ko-Fi page. 

Posted on April 4, 2020 by softmanpillowboy

It looks like everyone has to worry about the current pandemic, even the residents of Chris’s bedroom. Fortunately, enduring quarantine is a little easier when you’re able to spend it with friends. 

Fun fact: The cardboard box that houses the Chrisville Theater Society contains a reference to the G&S society that I joined when I studied abroad in England. Softboy’s sailor outfit is also a reference to the show we did during that time, and is a clue to what Chris did with his toys over the spring break. 

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