[Xfire] matteox: Hello and welcome to the chat with Ctrl+Alt+Del! Tim will now introduce himself and start answering your questions.
[CAD] Tim: Rawr
[CAD] Tim: I'm Tim.
[CAD] Tim: Hi.
[CAD] Tim: I was on TV
[CAD] Tim: Well, not really, but they mentioned the comic.
[CAD] Tim: They said it was famous, which I find hilarious.
[CAD] Tim: Anyway, questions!
[CAD] Tim: Question: EGLN|Renegade: What urged you to start making online comics and what drives you to keep going today?
Answer: I started because I loved to create, and wanted a project to invest some of my energy into. I put it online because I thought there might be people out there that would enjoy what I was doing. I still do it today for those exact same reasons. Also, for money. :D
[CAD] Tim: Question: -=X-jedijero-X=-: If you did not make the CAD, what would you be doing now?
Answer: Probably working retail in some shithole store, and pissing off customers.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Monoxide: What inspired you to create a web comic in a internet world that was already full of web comics?
Answer: I don't think I quite realized how many were out there when I started. But it just seemed like a logical step for getting your art to the masses without going through a middle-man (ie, editor)
[CAD] Tim: Question: Math: Do you like parodying games as much as playing them?
Answer: Sometimes moreseo ;)
[CAD] Tim: Question: {GR}Leone: Which character do you most closely relate to and which character was the most fun originally creating?
Answer: I think I relate most with Ethan and Lucas, but Zeke was the most fun to create :)
[CAD] Tim: Question: [DGO]Mr.Happyman101: What is it like to have 90 people asking you you questions all at once?
Answer: It's sort of a trip. Lots of pressure... I really want to try and answer everyone's questions. I feel bad if people leave without getting their questions answered.
[CAD] Tim: Question: deviouskat: What made you decide to turn CAD into your job?
Answer: It was something I loved to do, and I felt really fortunate to be able to do it. I figured if I could make it a full-time thing, it was worth a shot.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Nirvash: What programs do u use to create the comics
Answer: I do all of my inking and coloring in Photoshop CS2
[CAD] Tim: Question: Rik.Blood: Is there any likelyness of the comic ending in the near future?
Answer: Nah, CAD will be around for a good long while yet. I'll stop when it stops being fun, and I don't see that happening any time soon.
[CAD] Tim: Question: {GR}Leone: Have you ever been embarassed by something that you put in Ctrl-Alt-Del, whether intentional or otherwise?
Answer: Not really, though sometimes knowing my grandparents read the strip can be awkward =P
[CAD] Tim: Question: StarD: What did you aim the comic to become in the first place?
Answer: All I ever expected it to be was a fun hobby. Everything it's grown into has been a complete and wonderful surprise.
[CAD] Tim: Question: abishar: How did you first meet the people over at LICD.com?
Answer: I think I first met Ryan during one of my trips to ZeStuff in Canada. He came out to say hello. I met Randy at a convention a short time later.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Dark Link: Have you ever thought about expanding your horizons?
Answer: Depends on how you mean that. I've expanded the comic a bit into different arenas (animated series and upcoming comic book). There are definitely other projects and other stories I'd like to tell, but I don't end up with a lot of free time to do it.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Silvestre1986: sometimes i think creativity is going thin when it has something to do with money...what do you say bout that?
Answer: I haven't really felt that my creativity has been effected by the fact that I do this for a living. I mean, the methods I use to create the comic are still very similar to when I started four years ago. Except now I write comics while wearing clothes made purely of cash and precious gems.
[CAD] Tim: Question: AlphaDrake: What happened to the lady that T-boned your jeep a year and a bit ago?
Answer: You know, I really don't know. I didn't follow up on it. I would imagine she got into quite a bit of trouble.
[CAD] Tim: Question: {GR}Leone: What's been your favorite story arc so far?
Answer: Hmmm, that's a tough one. I like the story-arc where Zeke died and destroyed the apartment, and I also like the recent storylines I've done with Lilah at the tournament, and Ethan meeting Lilah's parents.
[CAD] Tim: Question: zephyronalpha: Also, what would you name the new expo if you entered the naming contest?
Answer: The new E3? There's a naming contest? I'd call it "The Colossal Waste of Money That Could Be Better Spent... Expo". Don't get me wrong, I loved E3, but it was such an excersize in excess.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Mattbt: What is your current favourite game?
Answer: That's easy, Gears of War
[CAD] Tim: Question: =RoV= chngbat: Are we going to see a 'Player Four' any time soon =P?
Answer: I don't have that planned out. I haven't needed to bring the fourth player in for any of the Player comic ideas I've had recently.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Renblade: Do you ever plan on going public, for example, television, i know you stated in CAD-Premiums forum that you don't want it in a newspaper, but how would you feel if your comics were on television?
Answer: I think it would be neat, but I've learned some valuable lessons with our current Animated Series, so the situation would have to meet certain parameters.
[CAD] Tim: Question: EGLN|Renegade: When you started drawing, what art tools did you use, and how has that changed as the years have gone by?
Answer: I used to pencil with a non-photo blue pencil (shade of blue not picked up by copiers and scanners) and then ink directly over it, and do the computer work with a Wacom Intuos 2. Now I pencil normally, but ink directly into the computer with my Wacom Cintiq 21UX.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Dark Link: When you started did you expect to be where you are now, and where do you see yourself at 50?
Answer: No, I never expected this. I hope when I'm 50 I'm still "hip" and "with it", and sitll drawing.
[CAD] Tim: Question: zephyronalpha: Will you be attending the new E3, the new gaming expo, both, or you don't know yet? If you don't know, which would you WANT to attend?
Answer: I'm not planning on it. I got to see E3 before it went kaput, and that's good enough for me :)
[CAD] Tim: Question: digitalvirus: Is there any plan to release the animated shorts on a dvd, ie. Red Vs Blue
Answer: Yes, we are planning to do a DVD with extras and commentary and all that good stuff. We'll work on that next year, after the last episode.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Omega.Ad: What do you think is better the Wii system or PS3?
Answer: I can't decide that until I own them.
[CAD] Tim: Question: -=X-jedijero-X=-: Do you think that is PC is being over looked in the next gen games? Like COD3?
Answer: I think PCs have always been a bit ahead and maybe even in a whole league of their own when it comes to games, so I don't see a problem with consoles getting a bit of lovin' :)
[CAD] Tim: Question: Renblade: How did you do the shadows on your comics? did you use photoshop or draw the shadows yourself?
Answer: The simple shading is done by hand on a layer between the flats (solid colors) and the lineart
[CAD] Tim: Question: Tohru-chan: Do you sometimes use CAD to vent your own opinions, or are the opinions which are expressed purely those of the characters?
Answer: I do, but not always. Sometimes the characters' opinions are in fact their own, because it fits their characters, and I may or may not particularly agree with it.
[CAD] Tim: Question: zephyronalpha: Have you ever thought about starting up another comic, other than CAD, that you would have online with a different schedule, say Tue/Thur/Sun?
Answer: Oh man, I wish. I need about 6 more hours in each day.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Nirvash: How did you came up with the Name Ctrl Alt Delete
Answer: It was my second choice after "Overclocked", which another comic was already using at the time
[CAD] Tim: Question: [DGO]Mr.Happyman101: What is it like to be a famous web-comic and to be adored by thousands, possibly millions?
Answer: I don't know, ask me again when I become one.
[CAD] Tim: Question: W]M[D PotatoSpud: Other than videogaming and drawing cartoons of them, what other hobbies do you enjoy? How do they compare with your love with gaming?
Answer: I like working on my cars, I like reading, watching movies... I recently took up painting Warhammer figures. I don't have much time for it, but it's a fun little side-hobby now and again.
[CAD] Tim: Question: [ڪд] Kågå§ån: In the first XFire chat you said the personality of ethan was not based on you, though of late it seems that ethan relates closley to your news posts on the frontpage recent example: You said Dead rising rocked, and all of a sudden ethan jumped off E4 and did nothing but DR, are you just doing that because its funny (which it is dont get me wrong) or are you crossing with Ethan afterall?
Answer: Ethan's personality doesn't mirror my own, but obviously I'm going to want to write and make comics about the things that I'm into, the things that I'm enjoying. And Dead Rising did rock :)
[CAD] Tim: Question: zephyronalpha: Do you invite your relatives to read the comic, or do they just do it anyway?
Answer: Nooooooo no no no no. They do it all on their own.
[CAD] Tim: Question: =RoV= chngbat: Do you plan on ever hosting/attending any UK LAN's/Con's? You're International fans need some love too =)
Answer: I know you do :( And I want to fly overseas and give you some love. It's just not that easy. I do intend, someday, to find an international con to attend, I promise
[CAD] Tim: Question: =LBK= Benki: Will you be making a Winter-een-mass episode for the CAD animated series?
Answer: Unfortunately, no. The January episode has already been scripted. It falls as the last of a 3-part story, so no WEMas cartoon, sorry :(
[CAD] Tim: Question: [ڪд] Kågå§ån: Scott & Ted have not appeared in the comics for quite some time, nor have htey ever appeared in the animation (save for the door slam in the intro) are there any big upcoming plans for the Linux champ & everyones favorite pungiun that you will no doubt be very vauge about
Answer: They will do... stuff. And that stuff will happen.... eventually. And the stuff will be... what it is. Vague enough? ;)
[CAD] Tim: Question: EGLN|Renegade: How much time would you say you devote, in an average day, to CAD, website and all?
Answer: It's tough to guage, because I'm absolutely awful about keeping any semblance of a "normal" schedule. The comic, once I sit down to do it, takes between 4-6 hours. Then all the business stuff, the email stuff, the website stuff, the research stuff gets all packed in around that. There are days I work 4 hours, and there are days I work 14 hours.
[CAD] Tim: Question: replication: My girlfriend isn't really a gamer but she finds your comic funny, but a lot of my friends who are uber-gamer-geeks think it's "too nerdy" to be funny. How is this possible and what do you think about such statements?
Answer: That makes no sense to me, whatsoever. Someone in there has to be an alien, and I'd hope you aren't dating an alien, so therefore your friends are obviously aliens. That sucks dude, I'm sorry. Aliens make crappy friends.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Silvestre1986: how nerd would you rate yourself? do you often stay awake till early morning because of being addicted to a game?
Answer: How Nerd? Like, on the richter scale? I dunno... maybe a... 2.5? No idea. I can get nerdy about things, but I don't really consider myself a nerd.
[CAD] Tim: Question: [SG] Mackdog: Do you ever wish you could have done anything in CAD differently?
Answer: Yeah, I wish I hadn't started by breaking the fourth wall. That's always bugged me.
[CAD] Tim: Question: digitalvirus: Back when Dead Rising came out, an uproar was heard from the non HD gamers as to the lack of playability due to the size of the text in the game. How do you feel Capcom handled this, and if you could of had imput on the process, what would you of done?
Answer: I didn't follow it too much. I think that not testing the game on a non-HD tv was kind of a noob move, especially since it was a problem with King Kong some 6 months earlier. They probably should have patched it, but I'm not coder. Maybe it was way more work than any of us know.
[CAD] Tim: I'm no coder*
[CAD] Tim: Question: W]M[D PotatoSpud: Do you find yourself relating to Ethan in multiple ways that you don't like? Ever find that you put a weird quality in him that you find in yourself?
Answer: Sometimes. I think Ethan's personality is basically some of my personality traits, only amplified times 10. And not always the better traits, either.
[CAD] Tim: Question: W]M[D PotatoSpud: How much time do you spend on storyboard for each comic? Do you ever get writer's block, or does it always come to you?
Answer: I actually don't storyboard my comics. I do all the script and storyboarding in my head. The time it takes varies. Sometimes I hit writers block, sure, but you just have to keep at it until something breaks through.
[CAD] Tim: Question: {GR}Leone: Do you do artwork in your spare time that is or is not related to CAD? Even if you don't, what's your favorite media to work with when creating images?
Answer: I do. When I can, I post artwork on my journal (absath.com). I still tend to lean towards the very traditional pencil, ink and digital color, though I try to dabble in other things just for practice.
[CAD] Tim: Question: zephyronalpha: Now that Macs are Intel-based, do you see yourself getting one ever?
Answer: The last thing I need in this house is another computer. I can't get away from the damned things =P
[CAD] Tim: Question: zaikanata: Do you watch 'Heroes'?
Answer: Hell yeah, every Monday night. My girlfriend and I love that show. It's my favorite show on tv next to BSG.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Zero1328: I, uh, "accidentally" read the find print at the bottom of your site. Can I have my soul back?
Answer: Damn, sorry, I just devoured it. You can have it back but, uhh... you'll have to wait a bit.
[CAD] Tim: Question: [SG] Mackdog: This is a question to follow up on zephyronalpha's. What do your relatives think of your comic?
Answer: My parents love the storylines. They don't follow gaming (though I did buy them an Xbox a little while ago, so they've been playing some games), but often they get a laugh out of the one-shots anyway. The rest of my relatives follow it, and they may not get the jokes all the time, but they read it because.... well I think they have to cause they're family.
[CAD] Tim: Question: zephyronalpha: Did you have a lot of fun putting together Analog and D+Pad, and how many issues do you have planned?
Answer: Oh man, it was so much fun. I LOVE how the issue turned out, and I'm really excited to get it printed and out there. If the feedback is good, we'd like to do 4-5 issues a year.
[CAD] Tim: Question: [DGO]Mr.Happyman101: Has it been hard to become such a success or do you consider the rose to a webcomic as easy if you have the determination?
Answer: It's hard to say. I mean I sort of skyrocketed to where I am very quickly, I didn't have a lot of time to really absorb what was happening. I don't think that creating a successful webcomic is easy, by any means, because a lot of it is out of your hands. It's the readers that decide what become successful, really.
[CAD] Tim: Question: {GR}Leone: Which character is your favorite to draw? Who was the hardest originally? Who was the easiest?
Answer: Zeke is the most fun to draw, Ethan is the easiest, and Lilah is the hardest (initially, though now it's easier). I always have a harder time drawing women, than men.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Kite: Which posters do you pick to put in the backgrounds of Cad and why?
Answer: Eh, I just pick whatever I'm interested in at the moment. Music, Tv, Movies, whatever.
[CAD] Tim: Question: StarD: What is the fourth wall?
Answer: The fourth wall is the invisible wall that separates characters in a fictional setting, from the reader or audience. So when a character talks directly to the audience, thereby recognizing that they are in fact a character in a fiction ("Hi, we're the main characters of this comic strip, blah, blah"), that is "breaking the fourth wall".
[CAD] Tim: Question: Artem: What's the ratio of fanmail:hatemail that you get?
Answer: 500:1 ish.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Soda: how much fan mail do you get per day? do any of them contain suggestions for the comics you make?
Answer: I probably get between 200-300 fan emails a day. Give or take. If an email contains suggestions for a comic plot or gag, I skim over it.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Mattbt: do you plan on releasing a wider range of cad merchandise in the future?
Answer: I'd like to. We have plans for mugs and more posters and calenders and stuff in the future. And actually this winter... oh hell, I suppose this is as good a place as any to make the first announcement... We'll be putting a Zeke plushie doll on sale. Hopefully in time for Christmas. They've been manufactured over the last three months, and they're on their way from the place now. They're really nifty.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Mattbt: how big is the team that creates the animated comic?
Answer: Well, we've got Ryan the director, me the writer, Randy the producer guy... and... I dunno how many animators. I want to say 10-15. And then about half a dozen voice actors, and some people that help Ryan do all the sound I think
[CAD] Tim: Question: Omega: What do you think of the new bond flick?
Answer: I can't wait to see it. I'm a huge Connery Bond fan, and Casino Royale looks closer to that than Brosnan's movies ever did. I hope it's good.
[CAD] Tim: Question: zaikanata: When do you plan to do another Xfire chat like this?
Answer: This is fun! Whenever Xfire invites me again. They are indeed fun ;)
[CAD] Tim: Question: deviouskat: Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your fans? If so, how do you deal with this?
Answer: I think I've kind of grown accustomed to it. I don't think I'll ever REALLY get used to it, but I think I've come to a place where it's easier to handle.
[CAD] Tim: Question: EGLN|Renegade: Do you ever get stressed, or feel pressed to release a comic by a certain date? What do you do with all those souls?
Answer: Occasionally, sure. Well, stressed, all the time. The comic deadlines cause problems. After four years now, it's pretty much just automatic that I know I have to have comics done by certain days, and everything gets planned around it. The souls are eaten, or bartered for ham.
[Xfire] matteox: Ok, that concludes the chat. Thanks again to Tim!
[CAD] Tim: Question: yoman786: Hve you ever been recognized in the street as one of the greatest webcomic makers?
Answer: I've been recognized as a regular webcomic creator :) But yes, sometimes people figure out who I am.
[CAD] Tim: Question: Kite: How did you make your animations back in high school?
Answer: Our claymation videos? We took a camera, set up out set and "actors" then we'd hit the record button twice, really fast, to try and take as little footage as possible. Then we'd move the figures, and do it again. Viola, cheap stop-motion animation ;)
[CAD] Tim: Oh we're done?
[CAD] Tim: Hah
[CAD] Tim: Wasn't paying attention ;)
[CAD] Tim: Ok, thanks for showing up all. You've made it as fun as always, and I hope we can do it again sometime soon! :D
[Xfire] matteox: And now onto the prizes!
[Xfire] matteox: The following 10 lucky participants have won a free copy of the upcoming comic book, Analog and D+Pad Issue #1:
[Xfire] matteox: 10. Silent Lamb
[Xfire] matteox: 9. digitalvirus
[Xfire] matteox: 8. zephyronalpha
[Xfire] matteox: 7. Quinn
[Xfire] matteox: 6. replication
[Xfire] matteox: 5. PotatoSpud
[Xfire] matteox: 4. deviouskat
[Xfire] matteox: 3. Renblade
[Xfire] matteox: 2. Shadow Duelist
[Xfire] matteox: 1. yoman786
[Xfire] matteox: Congratulations to the winners! I will be PMing the winners shortly so do not sign off just yet and thank you everyone for coming out for the chat.
