How the strip gets made

Step 0: Some NEW Background

Software: Crimson Editor -- multi-format text editor; Inkscape -- open-source vector art (SVG) editor; the GIMP -- open-source raster art (PNG) editor; Leech FTP -- file transfer protocol (uploads)

This is a BIG change from the old method. That's still here.

Legal note: all software is used under license. Honest.

Step 1: Writing the Scripts

Scripts contain only frame number, person talking (A through E, M for me, etc.), and dialog, plus special font/prop/frame notes.

Scripts are plain text files, written with Crimson Editor.

Step 2: Framing it up / Adding the Cast

I have four vector source files in Inkscape: a blank template and a cast master (both with normal and special versions). All are 640 * 480 pt. The normal cast master has all six characters with titles, plus a full overhead table shot. (An empty table is the same; just delete the people!)

Like in the old method, I place cast first and sometimes connect adjacent characters. But with vector groups and snap-to-guides, there's no more special tricks. Plus, the size is set -- no more shrinking!

Step 3: The Extras (props, body parts, and fourth walls)

Props are easy: just some shapes and getting the layering right, and you're good to go. Vectors are nice, with grouping and re-coloring and when you export they automatically anti-alias...

Step 4: Dialogue Time!

Copy an old box, paste it, change the text, repeat. No more having to delete entire blocks of text to fix a typo!

Step 5: More Extras

If I need the "6 Guys" title, I'd stick it in now. It's been vectorized, too. I changed it on the pages, too.

Step 6: Emotions and Such

I made another cast template with some wide lines and circles for eybrows and mouths, in the most common positions. Again, copy-and-paste. Size and rotation can always be tweaked as needed.

(Also, everything now has colored outlines with white fills instead of colored fills -- see next step.)

Step 7: Coloring

This was only true from when I started using vectors (1/1/2005) to when I took coloring duties back (9/17/2005). Now I've developed gradient fills in the vector program, and they've become part of my master files. But here's what we WERE doing...

First, I export the vector file to PNG (1 pt --> 1 px), then I send that to Christian. His process:

"Upon receiving the line art of the comic strip from Brian, I open the file in Paint Shop Pro. I then create a layer for the character's color. After completing the colors, I then create another layer which is for the characters shadow to create the illusion of depth. Then another layer for the highlights.

"After these, I merge all the layers into one then save it in PNG format and submit it to Brian."

With some of the more color-intense strips, this takes a few tries between my vision and his talent. But we have a final, 24-bit color PNG comic.

Step 8: Prep for the Web

...But 24-bit is too big. So, open it in the GIMP 2.0, reduce to 256 color, done!

Step 9: The Pages

The actual comic archive pages are made automatically by AutoKeen -- a PHP CGI script that runs every comic on the server at least once a day, at a preset time (mine is midnight Central Time (US/Canada)).

AutoKeen also does things with other pages: index page (comic, newsbox and links), Archive page (calendar tables), and every page (advertisement and footer). Each page has "tags" that are substituted with the proper HTML code when the script runs.

There are other scripts that handle site statistics, the KeenSpace Guide, server administration (manual updates and more), and other stuff.

As for the pages I have to make myself (including the Comments files), I use Crimson Editor to write them and Internet Explorer to preview them. All code is fully XHTML 1.0 / CSS 2.0 compliant -- if you have a problem, upgrade your browser!. (It's amazing how simple the code gets when style info is external to the content.)

(The Crimson Editor also works great for Java code, C code, MatLab scripts, and lots of other languages.)

Step 10: Getting it Online

Comic? Check. Pages? Check. But is anyone going to see it?

Yes, once I use LeechFTP and put those comics in the buffer. AutoKeen looks for comic files there every night. If it finds them, it moves them into the public directory. It also copies the HTML files from the buffer to the public area, replacing the tags in the process.

So, when everything is there, there's two things to do: wait, or log in to the site admin page and run an update.

(Usually I'll put the comics up right away, but only put up changes to the pages Friday morning so they don't show up before the comic. And I always check Saturday before noon to make sure things are okay.)

And while that takes care of the actual site, Go Daddy Software maintains the "6GUYS.com" domain. Just making it easier to find, you know?