You waited. You checked the site for updates. You scanned Facebook and Twitter for any news. You reread the archives, wrote your own fan fiction and held candle light vigils. Now your wait is almost over. Urban Underbrush will return with new comics on September 19, 2013.
Stopping a comic is hard. Starting it up again is even harder. It took longer than I thought for Urban Underbrush to find itself, and even longer to fit it back into my schedule again. But your patience will be rewarded. I think you’ll like the new comics even more than the earlier ones.
I can’t talk about all the changes yet. You’ll have to watch most of them unfold on their own. But here are a few of the things you’ll have to look forward to.
1. New clothes.
As you can see from the promo art, Dynamite and Detonator have been given new outfits. I always liked their old clothes, but they never really fit the webcomic. Back in the 90’s, when I first drew Dynamite and Detonator, I wanted to give them the best clothes, the best kinds of hats, jackets, and sneakers to make them look like the ultimate cool yet classic cartoon characters. And it worked for an adventure story. But the clothes don’t quite suit the situational/character driven comic strip that the rabbits now inhabit. Why not? The first thing comic readers need to know about Dynamite and Detonator is that they are rabbits who love building bombs. Having them dress it a way that suggests neither rabbit being nor bomb building is just confusing. Comic strips are better when they can be understood quickly. Any element that does not help tell the story should probably be replaced with one that does. So Dynamite and Detonator now look a little more like technicians so that their roles in the story are easier to read.
And it doesn’t hurt that these new outfits are much faster for me to color.
2. Returning Characters
Breathe a sigh of relief because no one is leaving. Many webcomics start with a large cast of characters, then the authors make adjustments by whittling it down to the few characters whom they like best. I’ve thought about removing one or two people, but I’ve decided that everyone is still necessary. Fear not, your favorite character is safe…for now.
However, I do think a few of them are a little stifled. A few of them even seem redundant. I think this is because I haven’t let you get to know all of them well enough. One of my goals is to let the characters be a little more vibrant. They will still be themselves, just more so.
That’s all you get for now. I expect to see you all for the grand unveiling on September 19.
See you soon.
-Marj
www.lepusstudios.com
