Straight Outta The Nekobox

Greetings and Salutations! Nekochan here once more to bring you a blog post to obfuscate that NoMoshing is scrambling to get an update done.

I suppose I should first discuss my current work on HC. As NM has mentioned, my current project is working on getting new character designs for some of our lovely villianesses so he can get rid of the RPG Maker stock assets and so our artists have something to work from when drawing hero banging them. I’m focusing my work on Kyrie, Fiona and Queen Bitch (that’s not her name, but like Healbot that asshole I’ll use whatever name I want).

Recently (and probably to the delight of the like 3 people who like my art) I’ve been getting faster. My drawing/inking time hasn’t really improved at all but I have moved to colouring with Copics (the Cadillac of markers). The speed difference is staggering. I finished a test in one evening (a pic of Doll that is hanging out of the forum thread about the fanart contest) and a second piece of a character from one of NM’s tabletop games in about the same time. Hopefully this keeps up (and I stop getting colds, I’ve had three since the new year started) and my art output goes up. I’ve got two backer art pieces to get working on so I should probably work on those to (hahahahaha…*dies of delayed art shame*)

As NM mentioned it was also recently the 4^th anniversary of the release of HC. To be honest, I was surprised it’s been that long. I thought we were still on year 2 or 3. Oh well, time flies. At the time it was first released, NM was working a shitty midnight shift job that he hated, and we were living in a kinda shitty apartment where the seal on the windows was gone so there was all this condensation and black mold everywhere. I was working at the same job I am now, but that has gone through it’s own ups and downs since then.

Since that time, NM is no longer at the shitty job, getting proper sleep and making a go of this as a full-time career. I’m still at my job, but I’ve since been through a promotion and a merger and some other drama. We are also now living in our first house together. So I think overall we’re in a better place. And partially that’s been a result of you, the fans. It was your interest that kept NM working on HC rather than abandoning it to the depths of the internet, your emails with comments, suggestions, praise and bugs, and your support (of those who are able) on Patreon. I know I’ve said it before, but I think it bears repeating. Thank you!

An anniversary always is a trigger for a bit of reflection (see above), and it’s odd to think of the HC that even existed a year ago compared to now. Obviously the big difference is the push towards getting more original art assets in the game, as well as the modifications of the game interface made by Conash. I think this has all helped HC to find its own “voice”, so to speak, rather than having the game’s unique style partially lost in the cavalcade of the stock RPG Maker assets.

By the way, it was NM’s birthday recently! If you’re interested in sending him a bit of a present, he has a Games Workshop gift list: go to https://www.games-workshop.com/en-CA/myaccount/giftlists/giftlistSearch.jsp and use list ID gl413661354 and NM’s email (nomoshing@badkittygames.net). You can send it to the Games Workshop store at 135 Harwood Avenue North, Ajax, Ontario for him to pick up. Please understand that Warhammer models are pretty expensive, but sending it to a store this way saves you shipping and handling!

So aside from art, NM’s birthday and my actual day job what have I been doing? Getting a shit-ton of music. One thing my friends/family know is a safe gift for me are iTunes cards because I’m a music junky. In addition, one of the last CD stores in my area went into receivership so are having “Everything Must Go!” sales. I like to have music in the background of most things that I do. I assume this is a byproduct of playing too many videogames at a formative age and being weirded out when there isn’t music of some kind in the background. Hell, NM is usually able to get a general sense of my mood based on whether I’m singing along/humming when working or otherwise occupying myself. I make soundtracks for tabletop RPGs I’m super-invested in (two so far for NM’s Exalted game, one for a Persona fangame I ran years ago, and a partial one for NM’s VtM game). I even go to the trouble of making CD art for it!

What am I listening to right now? Well my playlist is on random but includes (but is not limited to) albums from:

Xanadu Movie Soundtrack by Electric Light Orchestra (with Olivia Newton-John)
Froot by Marina and the Diamonds
Drones by Muse
Black Widow by In This Moment
The Shadow Self by Tarja
Transnational by VNV Nation
Strange Little Birds by Garbage
Bad Porn Movie Trax by Shaka Ponk
Shadowmaker by Apocalyptica

Before you say anything you shut up about Xanadu. It’s a fucking masterpiece!

Aaaand I’m done. Go away and find something naughty to masturbate to.