Dresden Codak: As beautiful as it is slow to update

[Fralex]

Dresden Codak is a surreal sci-fi webcomic about science, time travel, philosophy, robots, and occasionally dinosaurs. It started out as a series of weird one-shot comics but eventually began to develop a main character and some longer stories about her exploits. For new readers, I'd recommend starting with this comic, then reading them in order starting here. It's the way the author, Aaron Diaz, layed it out in the book compilation and it seems to flow best that way. Or you can do what I did and just start right at the beginning of the first large story. That works, too.

The artwork in Dresden Codak is incredibly detailed and pretty, and the stories touch on some pretty interesting concepts like transhumanism and (relatively )realistic time travel. Its biggest flaw is probably the update speed, which has grown slower than monthly. If you don't mind the wait though, it's a fun experience. And even if you do, the single completed story arc is a pretty good read. Also, this comic. It brought a tear to my eye.

I like this webcomic! What do the rest of you think of it?

[Coidzor]

It's certainly pretty, yeah, but his best ideas, to me, are things he treated as dumb throwaways and what he thinks of as his best stuff is less than interesting to me or I actively disagree with him on.

[t209]

I get sick of his excuses for not making new comic.
- I broke my fingers.
- I am sick.
- My computer broke.
- I am moving to New York.
- I am moving back to Seattle.
And I used to be part of his website forum until I got banned for trolling and insulting religion (look, I was young, stupid, and new to internet forum back then.)

[Fralex]

It's certainly pretty, yeah, but his best ideas, to me, are things he treated as dumb throwaways and what he thinks of as his best stuff is less than interesting to me or I actively disagree with him on.

Yes, he made a bunch of really clever short comics, like Lantern Season and Dungeons & Discourse, but his longer stories I feel are hampered by the glacial pace of the updates. It's hard to stay interested in them when it takes over a month to get each new page. But I did think Hob was pretty good. I was lucky enough to discover Dresden Codak after Hob had ended, so I got an idea of what his long stories were like right away. I had to read it several times from start to finish to really get it, though. But I have hope for Dark Science. It's starting to get exciting; Diaz was even able to bring himself to draw a WHALE last time! I'm willing to wait for it. I have other comics to read in the meantime.

[datalaughing]

I love the comic. I've been reading it since like 2006. The art is amazing. I think both the single pages and the longer stories have been a lot of fun. I've bought shirts, prints, used the forums, and even put a couple hundred dollars into the kickstarter. I am a Dresden Codak fan. I am not, however, an Aaron Diaz fan. Someone said that he's always making excuses for not updating more often, and that's part of my problem, but not the main part. It's an amazing comic and we're getting it for free. So I have no problem waiting for new pages. I don't get the sense of entitlement fans have, like somehow they deserve more updates for deigning to read the comic.

My problem is with Mr. Diaz's promises. He seems to survive on making promises that he can't keep. When he started selling shirts and stuff, he was like, "If I make XXX dollars, I can quit my job and do the comic full-time, and I promise you'll get weekly updates." He reached the goal, quit his job, and the update schedule didn't change much at all. Apparently being a webcomic artist full time was a little tougher than he anticipated. I don't necessarily hold that against him, who can predict what will happen when you completely change your life, but it's just one in a long series of times he said something similar. Another time was the kickstarter, "If I make XXX dollars in the kickstarter, I will be able to put out at least one page a month." Second highest funded comic kickstarter of all time, update schedule didn't change.

I don't mind waiting for new pages. I mind having promises repeatedly broken to the fans. If you say you're gonna do something, do it. If you're not sure you'll be able to, then don't say it. Simple.

[AdmiralCheez]

That seems to be my issue as well. The comic is absolutely wonderful, but the author keeps getting distracted and fails to update it. He keeps announcing new side projects, neglects the main comic to work on them, and then never finishes the side project. I seriously wonder how he could be earning enough to work on comics full-time and not produce anything. As nice as the art is on the comic, it should not take three months to make a single page.

[Fralex]

That seems to be my issue as well. The comic is absolutely wonderful, but the author keeps getting distracted and fails to update it. He keeps announcing new side projects, neglects the main comic to work on them, and then never finishes the side project. I seriously wonder how he could be earning enough to work on comics full-time and not produce anything. As nice as the art is on the comic, it should not take three months to make a single page.

According to him, it takes more time to plan out each page than the actual drawing of the page. So... a bit like how Order of the Stick is made. Only OotS still updates leagues faster than DC, despite them both having irregular update schedules. But I guess that can account for part of it?

Then there's the side projects. I personally enjoyed his takes on Batman, the Justice League, and Legend of Zelda. But even if you count those projects he posts to Tumblr as updates, he's still not coming out with new stuff much more frequently.

I wonder if the other part of it might be some form of depression. I follow his Twitter( he sometimes says some funny stuff, but it's mostly political so I won't talk about it here), and he does seem to mention getting really depressed every now and then. As someone currently going through it myself, I can say from personal experience that depression can suck the motivation out of anything, even things you like. I'm currently GMing a game of 1000 Blank White Cards online, and even though I want to update it every day, and even though I know a bunch of other people rely on me to keep the game moving, it's been a week since I last updated it. For no reason whatsoever, I find myself dreading anything routine, even fun things. So I'm not really annoyed with Aaron Diaz, but I feel bad that he can't seem to do the thing he enjoys that is also his job. Depression is pretty terrible.

[AdmiralCheez]

I don't follow his twitter, so I hadn't heard anything about possible depression. If that's the case, then there's the explanation. Depression is a nasty thing.

[Coidzor]

I don't follow his twitter, so I hadn't heard anything about possible depression. If that's the case, then there's the explanation. Depression is a nasty thing.

Yep, pure nastiness. It'd make sense if he had to deal with it from the content of his work.

[t209]

So anyone think that Author is having bad lucks.
- broken fingers, illness, depression, move to New York, move back to Seattle, and more.

[AdmiralCheez]

So, one of those elusive updates has appeared. Is that a flashback to something I'm not remembering? Or an alternate future-type thing?

[Math_Mage]

A flashback to something Kim doesn't remember, perhaps. Recall what Mathias said in DS #18 about her memories.

[AdmiralCheez]

That's why I hate such a long wait between updates - I forget things like that. It was only 14 pages ago, but over two years.

[Math_Mage]

I went back to check because Morningstar looked like the main speaker in that comic. (But that suggests the alternate-future thing.)

[Fralex]

It seems like this is something Kim did in an alternate timeline. She's much more muscular than our Kim. Also, compare Heroic!Kim to the images and statue in this page... significant?

[Fralex]

New page! Once again, Kim mysteriously disintegrates something, this time on purpose!
...and apparently the disintegrated guy came back, and isn't what he seemed.

[wingnutx]

I love this comic. The wait is killing me.

Diaz's 8 zillion side projects are nice to look at, but infuriating.

[Leviting]

If only we could lock Diaz in a room with nothing but materials for Dresden Codak, forcing him to draw... and not be arrested.

[wingnutx]

I quit reading during 'Hob' and came back a couple of years later after it was done.

[Leviting]

I started like a month ago, so now I just wait impatiently for the next Dark Science, because apparently I don't know how to stop and come back later.

[HandofShadows]

Ah HA! New page. And it didn't take three months.

Spoiler

Show

Seems using that amulet had some side effects. Note the white hair that was not white before. Premature ageing?

[t209]

Ah HA! New page. And it didn't take three months.

Spoiler

Show

Seems using that amulet had some side effects. Note the white hair that was not white before. Premature ageing?

or

Spoiler

Show

hair bleach?

[Math_Mage]

The white hair was visible in the last update.

Spoiler: Update

Show

I wonder why this counts as defeating one of the seven shadows. Thomas is no mere host--but I suppose he isn't Leviathan either. (?)

Anyone know what the doors are and where the eighth one might be?

[wingnutx]

A new Dresden Codak and a new Lackadaisy all in one day!

[gomipile]

Thanks for the recommendation. I devoured the whole comic far too quickly, and now have joined the ranks of those disappointed at the slow schedule.

Ok, this is weird: In DS(Dark Science) #22 and before, Kim's dress "raised structural questions." In DS#26, she is at the same party wearing a suit given to her by Alisa Caspar. Then is #31,#32 the suit jacket is ripped away revealing the dress again, only now the bust area is perfectly tailored.

The comic has good internal consistency despite its surrealistic elements, so it stretches my credulity to think that Ms. Caspar provided Kim a tailored dress in exactly the same style as the one Vonnie gave her to go *under* the suit.

So, is this an art error/style choice? Did Kim subconsciously gain insight into and control over Dark Science at some point before her vision, and also subconsciously use that power to tailor her dress?

[t209]

So where's your opinion of disappointment at Kim being fanservice?
He's a bit feminist after meeting Kate Beaton, which he made a commentary on Wonder Woman and Powergirl before New 52 fulfilled his wishes.
edit: Slow schedule and possible bad luck since he always have sickness, broken fingers, move back to Seattle, Move back to New York, etc.

[Math_Mage]

Thanks for the recommendation. I devoured the whole comic far too quickly, and now have joined the ranks of those disappointed at the slow schedule.

Ok, this is weird: In DS(Dark Science) #22 and before, Kim's dress "raised structural questions." In DS#26, she is at the same party wearing a suit given to her by Alisa Caspar. Then is #31,#32 the suit jacket is ripped away revealing the dress again, only now the bust area is perfectly tailored.

The comic has good internal consistency despite its surrealistic elements, so it stretches my credulity to think that Ms. Caspar provided Kim a tailored dress in exactly the same style as the one Vonnie gave her to go *under* the suit.

So, is this an art error/style choice? Did Kim subconsciously gain insight into and control over Dark Science at some point before her vision, and also subconsciously use that power to tailor her dress?

In #26 you can see that Kim took off the structurally problematic dress to put on the suit. What she's wearing now is a different color than the structurally problematic dress. It's a different article of clothing. Possibly underclothing.

[Leviting]

So where's your opinion of disappointment at Kim being fanservice?
He's a bit feminist after meeting Kate Beaton, which he made a commentary on Wonder Woman and Powergirl before New 52 fulfilled his wishes.
edit: Slow schedule and possible bad luck since he always have sickness, broken fingers, move back to Seattle, Move back to New York, etc.

well, aside from the pinups (which are seperate from the comic, as far as I know/care), I don't see "shattered arm+ legs + cuts and cyborg lines + surprisingly strong right arm" as fan-service-y. Plus, her midriff isn't exposed.

[t209]

well, aside from the pinups (which are seperate from the comic, as far as I know/care), I don't see "shattered arm+ legs + cuts and cyborg lines + surprisingly strong right arm" as fan-service-y. Plus, her midriff isn't exposed.

Not current one, I mean the older criticism.

[Leviting]

I am unfamiliar with said criticism, though I still can't think of very many instances of where it could have shown up.