Fur The 'More and Furry Weekend Atlanta

I will be on the road for the next two weeks, so let's make this post a twofer: Find me at Fur The 'More this weekend, and Furry Weekend Atlanta (tabling with Becca Hillburn of Nattosoup) next weekend! I have no FTM map, but it's a smaller room. If you can't find me, that's on you! The FWA map is below. I hope lots of you stop by! I will be selling books, art cards, buttons/charms and badge commissions. Becca will be selling watercolor commissions, along with her adorable charms, minicomics and whatever else she wants to bring!

Expect my communication to be somewhat slow while I'm traveling, as I might not have time, much less a computer. I will still probably be Twittering like a madman via phone, though!

A reminder: Due to three cons in six weeks, plus the book 3 preorder likely starting in between, the Precocious store will be closed during that period. Can't mail things while I'm on the road, and my book stock is running out, so I'll have to wait for a preorder-fueled re-order. You can still email me about books and art if you can't wait, but the earliest I can ship anything is the last week of March.

FWA map:

And when you get there, look for the Precocious towel/improvised signage - and bring me suitable bribes!

Hand-in-Cast Week!

If you've been following my Twitter, you already know my hand ended up in a cast thanks to me re-aggravating an old drawing injury. (The legend of these kids' destructive powers lives on!) Since I didn't expect the cast to happen, I didn't have the buffer to cover two weeks of limited drawing ability. I had to bump a rather drawing-intensive story back a week and improvise! Enter the Precocious dolls, created by the mighty Eric of Duae Designs! (By the way, if you all want a second doll set to happen for book 3's preorder, make your voice heard now.) Further down in this post, I'll give you info on how you can take part in this silly week, but first...

THERE ARE ACTUAL COMICS HAPPENING THIS WEEK TOO!

Every day this week, a new page of a Copper Road story - inspired by *ahem* certain events - will go up as a vote incentive on TopWebComics. (Yes, the first comic of the story is the one the dolls are "helping" with.) You have to vote to see the updates, and you can do so by clicking the TWC button, the Copper Road preview image off to the left of this post, finding the link I post in the comments each day... or just clicking this link right here. I'll do my best to update Copper Road at the normal daily update time.

So why are the "real" comics the incentives and the doll stuff the main updates? First, doing it this way means all of these will go into the archive. Second, the comics are decidedly Copper Road and not Precocious. Third, we can ALL play with dolls! Readers, you can take part in making this week a lot of fun!

I know a bunch of Precocious dolls are out there, which means those who possess them can totally join in with the photo and caption fun. Set up a scene, take you photos and post them into the comments sections throughout the week!  Need help? You can email me your photo and idea, and I can put it together for you. In case you haven't figured out those blue letters mean those words are a link, my email is on the Contact Page. You can also enjoy the resources below:

No doll? No problem. If you have image editing skills, but no doll to photograph, feel free to use these provided photos of the dolls, with transparent backgrounds for your convenience!

Right click and "save as" to download all resources:

- Doll Bud
- Doll Autumn
- Doll Jacob
- Doll Tiffany
- The Precocious Font TrueType file

As for posting your image in the comments sections, let me borrow this handy graphic from the FAQ page to help you out:

You still need to have an image host to post anything. If you don't have one, drop me an email and I can upload it for you. If I'm missing anything, ask any questions in the comments and I (or a reader in the know) will reply and help you out.

I'm always nervous when I ask for reader participation, but a little involvement from everyone can turn this cute week into something memorable. DO IT FOR MY POOR MANGLED FINGER!

Precocious is five years old!

Forget this New Year stuff! The most important thing about January 1st is that it's Precocious' birthday! Five years, and around 2000 comics between the archive, deleted scenes and the book bonus stories. Not too shabby! (Thanks to Isabel Marks of Namir Deiter for the gift art!)

(Want to celebrate the occasion too? Now's as good a time as any to check out all the goodies in the Precocious store!)

When I started, five years was my goal. From all my reading of dailies, I saw year five as when artist competence and character development come together to bring a comic into a golden age. Well, every year I've done this has been precocious to me. Year one of Precocious was fresh and new and exciting. Year two built upon a strong foundation and expanded the universe. Year three is when I took a major level up and committed to the goal of making Precocious my JOB and not just a hobby. Year four is when I pulled out all my tricks. Year five... this was the year I took for myself and drew what I wanted to draw. The stories from the past year were so much fun for me to write, and it was so gratifying to see so many people coming along for the ride. I told myself I'd reassess the comic at year five, and I can't imagine stopping now. I'm not done. I have so much left to tell and so much silliness to share.

2013 was a great year for the comic, but not so much for me. A toothache I thought would be a one-week inconvenience turned into a botched surgery and a year of medical hell. As the year comes to a close, I'm still in doctor limbo, dealing with chronic pain and fighting all the side-issues that come up when lengthy medical issues happen. I've been double sick for weeks thanks to a cold caught due to being in so many doctor waiting rooms, and my drawing hand is in a cast because I aggravated and old finger injury due to me playing too many video games while stuck in bed during pain downtime. (Yes, this means I'll have to be clever with next week's updates, as my buffer doesn't cover the full cast stretch.)  I am so glad to see 2013 go. It was brutal. BUT I DIDN'T MISS AN UPDATE! In you face, 2013!

Here's hoping 2014 brings me health, and chances to do all things that I wanted to do in 2013.  Book 3 is coming, and the preorder looks like it'll start in February right now. (It will be in color, and thus VERY expensive to print, so I'll really be needing your support!) The other plans? We shall see. I'm a one man operation, so I can't put in the extra work needed until I'm healthy enough. My convention schedule is likely to be scaled back, again due to health.  I'm confirmed for Fur The More, Furry Weekend Atlanta, Anthrocon and Mechacon. I'll try for SPX. Not sure about any others.

Thank you all for reading Precocious. Keep coming back. Keep contributing. Keep spreading the word.

Hey, Pokemon players! (And Tumblrfolk!)

JANUARY UPDATE: Not that most people scroll this far down, but I'm still taking friend codes.  Drawings got off-track due to an 18-day (and counting) cold. Because of course I get a devastating COLD the one year I get a flu shot. The universe has a cruel sense of humor. Oh, and I can't make up those drawings soon too, since I got my drawing hand put in a cast. Cruel sense of humor. Told ya.

Hello, I am abusing front page news posting!

For those too lazy to check out all the links on the sidebar, I'll point you to my Tumblr page. It's become a place where random sketches end up, when they should be on the sketch blog - mostly because I can mirror the post to Twitter and get more than 10 people to see them. This month I'm doing a Pokemon challenge, with a new Pokemon drawing every day. It's a fun bit of drawing warm-up for me and gives me something to share.

For you Pokemon players, you can see my friend code up there. I've got enough room to add a bunch of you, so if you're playing Pokemon and want access to my fire-type Friend Safari - which does have Autumns/Braixens - let me know your friend code. Easiest way to do it is to add my code, then put yours into my Tumblr ask box. (I also accept actual questions!) I'm looking for a few Pokemon in particular, by the way. Looking for Steel (someone give me easy access to Magnetons!) safaris most of all. Grass, Fairy and Normal safaris also loved.

Book and Charm Survey! (Updated!)

If I did it right, and I have no idea if I did, there should be a survey over here you can fill out! Please do! It'll help guide my decisions over the next few weeks, and into the rest of the year.  I need to know what you guys want to buy from me, so I can provide it! Even if you aren't intending to spend cash on Precocious any time soon, I'd like to hear from you too and get feedback on why. (And please ignore scrambled writing and potential typos.)

If you need more context, read the news posts below for info on proposed Precocious charms, my health issues, and check the buy stuff page for examples of buttons/magnets and the commissions that I hope to start up again in a few months. All prices listed in the survey are estimates and can change.

UPDATE: Thank for you the responses everyone! I'll be collecting surveys for the next few days, so those stays can get in here. More responses the merrier, be the feedback good or bad.

On the charm front, the feedback seems positive enough that a basic order should be worth it.  A friend pointed out that I was estimating prices with 1" charms in mind, but designing for 1.5" charms. The increased production cost is going to boost the final price.  I also found a service that makes better-quality charms - clear acrylic and DOUBLESIDED - but those charms would be based at $6 each. What does it all mean? When charm designs are done, I'll be giving you another survey before placing any order. Mwa ha ha. Surveys forever. (They're really handy!)

So I'm ruining Tumblr now

With the health stuff, I've been trying to find the most efficient work method. To keep myself moving and whip myself into art-shape, I've been doing warm-up sketches. (I can draw in the sketchbook while resting in bed.) Since I feel bad about not being as interactive as I'd like to be, I've been letting folks suggest silly ideas for the warm-up drawings and dumping the results on my Tumblr.

I'm far more lax in what I draw as silly sketchbook stuff than with my official art pieces. While not my norm, fanart can be fun, and maybe it'll make you all happy. Drop your requests in my Ask box - you don't need an account - and then... wait a loooong time for the sketch to appear? While a sketch a day (don't expect them all to be color) is a good goal, I draw these when I lack the momentum to draw anything else. So, hey, if the Tumblr goes quiet it means I'm knocking out some excellent stuff in more important locations!  I pick what I draw from the requests based upon what inspires me that day, factoring in what I can pull off in the allotted prep time.  I may love a request to draw a larger scene, but it could be weeks before I have time to get it done. Simple stuff, like requests that can be stated in 5 words or less, have a higher chance of being used.

It may not be art card streaming requests, but I hope it's enough to let all you great readers know that I still care, and I still want to listen to your wishes.

New Copper Road! 12/1/12

Aaaaannnndd, we're back! Thank you for tolerating me during my holiday/medical time out. It's time to get back to the education of Ursula! Vote here to see the latest comic! Remember, it's the first of the month, so votes are EXTRA important. TopWebComics is a great source of new readers, so your vote does more than get you an extra comic and boost my ego - it helps grow Precocious, which helps justify its continued existence.

I guess I should bring the Ursula story to a close over December, since the random Copper Road ideas have been piling up - and it feels so weird to have two arcs going on simultaneously. (This Copper Road arc takes place in early September, while the Fall Festival story is currently in late October - but it still feels like the characters are in two places at once.)  So, yes, I will toss as many Copper Roads up over December as I can. It's a very busy month, but I can fit about four more in - which is likely all I need!

This week's comic is a bit simple, due to me being barely able to comic thanks to my tooth becoming a suicide bomber. You'll have fun with it, though, and I'll make it up to you with a very special Precocious comic next week!

Cyber Monday ATC sale!

(More cards here)

Claimed card(s): Ivy and Pingoball, Dionne in snow, LARP Quincy, Running Vincent, Agent Autumn, Kaitlyn drawing and Knowledge Huntress Tiff.

Hey, what the heck? Let's have some shopping fun! This isn't so much of a sale - as I can't reasonably reduce prices any lower than they already are - but a reminder that I have some stock sitting around! So, yeah, I'm calling it Cyber Monday purely to get attention, even though this promotion will go on until I do my pricing reset next year.

As of posting this, all cards in the above graphic are unclaimed and up for grabs. They are first come, first serve. I'll update the text down here on card availability when needed.  To claim a card, send your payment via Paypal to chrispco (at) yahoo (dot) com with a note on which card you desire. You can also email me with questions, or call dibs or whatever. (There's a small chance a card can be claimed between you submitting payment, me checking email and this post being updated . If that happens you get a backup choice, or I'll add you to the queue for a custom card later.)

As a reminder, I also make custom cards for you over my streams. It's wise to reserve one in advance, as pre-sales also dictate *when* I stream, as I'll try to fit your schedule.  Right now Tuesday's stream is full, but you can grab a spot for next week.

Thursday streaming! (And MFF!)

Another week, another Thursday stream! This one is starting an hour earlier, 7PM Eastern time, to drive a few of you mad, and make another few of you happy. Steams usually run from three to four hours.

Since you folks keep buying art cards, I have to keep making more! (This is a WONDERFUL problem to have!) I'll mostly focus on them, and I might draw a badge commission or two during the stream as well.

Click here to visit the stream page! I love chatting with everyone, so come with questions and card ideas! You don't need an account to chat, although I recommend one so you can follow me and get streaming reminders in your email!

I'm still trying to figure out the *perfect* time for streaming, but it seems pointless to set up a schedule with me bouncing around the rest of November. I'll be in Chicago, rocking Midwest FurFest, from the 16th to 18th. (Come by! Last chance to get a sketch in you book for many months!) Then it's Thanksgiving time, so I'll be visiting friends and family. As you might guess, there probably won't be much streaming those two weeks.

Cast cards claimed! + Thursday streaming!

Update: All 30 cast cards have been claimed! Guess I have to get working on getting the cast page images colored now.

Swag bags and commission slots are still available, so contribute and continue to get awesome stuff!

And, for those who want to know about my next stream, it will be Thursday at 8pm Eastern time! Watch me draw more artist trading cards, and maybe even the next Copper Road!

You can watch the stream here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-sycophant

Commissions streaming - Thursday and Saturday

As part of the current fundraiser (please help out, guys), I have three watercolors and three artist trading cards to finish. Let's do it while streaming!

Streaming allows the client to see his or her art being completed, and it gives me a way to connect with everyone! The stream has a chat room, and I hope viewers use it to talk to me and each other! (It's boring and creepy if I'm just working with people watching me in silence.) We can do a Q&A, and I might let the chatroom decide what my warm-up piece will be. (Warning you now: There seems to be a short delay with the video, so that's why I might not respond immediately.)

Streaming will be happening here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-sycophant

Thursday: Starting at 9PM EDT.

While everyone in the world has seemingly told me Thursday is a bad day (normally it is for me too), I have two sessions worth of art to do, so I'll chug along with it anyway. I'll aim for one watercolor (the sketch for which you see above) and two art cards. I'll start with some warm-up work, then do the art cards before closing with the watercolor.

Saturday: Starting at 4PM EDT.

Start time is a bit more flexible here, so be sure the check back. Going early, so those darn Europeans can check it out if they want. I'll be doing the remaining watercolors/cards during this session.

If you want to check out a streaming session, but you can't make it to these, I have an easy solution: Help out with the fundraiser! I will stream your piece for you, when you're available, if you desire it. I want to keep streaming, but I need contributions from the Precocites to do it.

I also do random work streaming when I feel like it, which are announced on my Twitter account.

Moving: Take two!

Behold: The original art for my Copper Road contribution to The Webcomics Tarot Project! There will be one for Precocious too, but it's a major arcana and I intend to make it spectacular! Unfortunately, spectacular requires art supplies that are currently in Savannah. (And I do want these to be spectacular, as I'm thinking of putting the originals up for sale.)

...Which leads me to the next topic! Tomorrow I make an attempt to rescue my stuff and bring it up to Virginia! It will be a daring adventure, as we'll arrive in the dead of night, grab the truck in the morning, load it up and attempt to leave around lunchtime. Grueling hours, but if it means I will FINALLY have my stuff, it's all worth it.

What does this mean? Well, obviously, my lack of a studio has ruined all planned August productivity. Once the studio is back and set up, I will have to lock myself in it and hammer out some Precocious strips to give me some breathing room. (And, of course, the preliminary plan had me drawing double strips. I may be rewriting those.) Stuff like portraits are on hold. (Which really sucks, because I fell ONE portrait short. It is nothing personal, portrait dude! Just bad luck!) I won't post the last portrait sheet until all four are completed, but you can find the ones already done on my Twitter account.  The tarot card mentioned above will also be pushed back slightly, although it does have high priority.

The rest of the big projects? Pushed back as well, or at least not getting full focus. Instead of launching some special projects early September, I think I'll wait until after I get back from Intervention in DC (see me there Sept 21-23) before making a splash. (I still might try streaming a bit, though, since the new webcam is already here.)

In a week, I will have a much better sense of what my new schedule will be. I don't want to make any new promises now, because the house I'm in now needs A LOT of work and unpacking/cleaning/sorting is draining. I hope to catch up with everything soon!

Flavors of Autumn

UPDATE: The glitch with the store has been fixed. Order away!

First off, for all those who missed out on the pre-order, the first Precocious collection is back in the store! Order your copy today! Second, don't miss the new Copper Road! Third, I'm still looking for guest strips.

And for those heroes that not only pre-ordered, but reserved an artist edition - your time is coming soon! I will be drawing on your books in two weeks! That means it's time to start figuring out what those sketches will be. The breakdown of the sketches is quite amusing. One Bud, one Jacob, one Tiffany, one Casey, TWENTY ONE AUTUMNS. I know she's the cutest, but wow! (My guess going into the pre-order was 10 Autumn, 10 Tiffany, 5 everyone else.) The challenge now is to find 21 unique Autumn scenarios, so let's do it! EDIT: After talking with RCSI, it seems the count they told me was merely, to paraphrase, "what it seemed like as the orders came in." Since the sketches weren't happening until mid-August, they hadn't even bothered to go back and look yet! Oh well, there's still a ton of Autumn requests, but the other story was funnier.

Actual total:
Autumn - 11
Jacob - 3
Bud - 2
Tiffany - 2
Dionne - 1
Max - 1
Roddy - 1
Yvette - 1
Casey - 1
Suzette -1
Anyone - 1

And now back to the original post...

Unless I get a good idea for a Copper Road, my next few days will be for character sketching. I'm in packing limbo right now, with most non-essential stuff boxed up, and the rest still needed for day to day life. I want to be ready to go, but I guess there is no option but to throw all the important things in boxes at the last minute. (Yesterday I cleared out half my kitchen, only to put it right back in place once I got hungry.) Anyway, if you want to help, give me some ideas for the Autumn sketches! What should she be doing? If you're one who ordered the artist edition, you can give me a specific request - although I can't guarantee you'll get it. Look at the above art for examples of what will appear in the books. (The book sketches will also be shaded with blue colored pencils.)