Stephen
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Stephen
4th Oct 2015, 11:01 PM in Season One - Part 0: Prologue
Average Rating: 4.82 (33 votes)
Author Notes:
Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Where to begin? Right here, of course!

First of all, let me say how grateful I am to be typing these words, and for you to be reading them. We started work in this several months ago, determined to make the best story possible.

I'm just going to say that it's funny how things change as you work on them sometimes... You'll see what I mean in the coming pages.

Please feel free to comment and rate!

Oh, and if you like what you're seeing here, you can always drop a vote on Top Webcomics. You'll even get a sneak peek at the next page!
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User comments:
Radiant Sophia
Radiant Sophia
It seems like it was a long time ago that we wrote this. It's nice to see it.

Oh yeah... one last thing...
Beware of the Easter eggs. Enjoy.
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
It WAS a long time ago. We've been sitting on this for over 3 months... :P
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Lord Myk
Lord Myk
Excellent! It's good to see you back, Professor.
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Thank you! On behalf of myself and my partner in crime Radiant Sophia, it's good to BE back. :)
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Andy P.
Andy P.
Welcome back. I already like what you've got so far.
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Thank you! It's great to BE back. Hopefully, we can keep the good will flowing! :)
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Centcomm
Centcomm
WOOHOO! Welcome back Prof! I spy with my little eye.. someone with glowing eyes! nicely done !!!
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Thank you, Centy! And what? Where? Did... ooooohhhhh, that sneaky little... XD
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Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit
*SQUEEEEEEE*
At last, it's here!!!:D HYPE

It was SO weird not seeing AB in my subscriptions!
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Yes! It has arrived!

AB will be in your sub box FOREVER!!!!!

Your "squee" makes me chuckle because of... reasons...
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Call Me Tom
Call Me Tom
I don't trust the man in the trench coat...
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Oh what has he ever done? :P
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lirvilas
lirvilas
1) Roosevelt Grove is an overrated part of town.

2) Soooo is "Radiant Sophia" your version of "Tokyo Rose"?
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
1) It's got its charm. It's no, say, Elysium or Mason Hills, but it's nice.

2) The analogy is not inaccurate, in its way. Radiant Sophia has long had a hand in these characters, and is my partner in mindcrime.
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Radiant Sophia
Radiant Sophia
I'm involved in the stuff that doesn't require artistic efforts. Mostly I make some of the characters, stuff them full of history and back-story, wind them up, and see where they go.
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DoryH
DoryH
Yay! It's up!
Well, there's only three frames, which is very little even for the modern American comic-book format. One of the reasons I prefer European comics.
On the bright side, I simply adore the new style. Even the backgrounds are much better. Dig that concrete texture and color, and the background details, the architecture... damn Prof, you really took it up a notch! A far cry from the sometimes bleak or even gradiented backdrops of old AB.
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Three panels, three times a week, guaranteed.*

I'm glad you like the new style. I find it cleaner and more expressive myself. As far as backgrounds go, I'm trying to make sure things are more established with them...

* short of serious badness out of my control.
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JammyTheBirb
JammyTheBirb
looks interesting 0w0
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Hopefully we can maintain that interest, Jammy!
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mjkj
mjkj
Still ominous - *looking forward for more* :D
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
And you shall have it! :)
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sigpig
sigpig
As I said yesterday, looks like somebody's been practicin'!

Being a non-artist myself, I can't tell if it's a change in drawing programs (SAI vs MS5, etc) or the simple fact that you have vastly improved as an artist over the past while, but everything looks "cleaner" to my eye.

CEI? EIC?
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
It's equal parts change in program and a switching up of style.

But thanks!
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sigpig
sigpig
The second part of my message referred to the logo on the skyscraper...
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Radiant Sophia
Radiant Sophia
Chapel Enterprises International.
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Exactly what Soph says. I got caught up in the overall answering... :(
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Dragonrider
Dragonrider
Question, In New York how does one define weird stuff? Wouldn't looking for normal stuff be more unusual?.
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Hmm... there's the thing. Autumn Bay is weird FOR NEW YORK. XD
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Stever
Stever
Be careful what you look for, you might find it ;D

Cool shirt!
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Well, he certainly HOPES that's true... and THANKS!
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ZeroGee
ZeroGee
So who's gonna return?
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Well, we will see the return of [REDACTED] and eventually [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]. (Sorry, I don't want to spoil the surprises...)
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Radiant Sophia
Radiant Sophia
I think it's safe to say that we will see Adam and Callie soon (they're the other two on the pre-launch page).
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MadJak91
MadJak91
First page and we already have a familiar stalker with bright blue eyes :O
Also, the page format... Is that you trying out stuff or do you also aim for Tapastic? It looks like some comics over there considering that format is preferred.
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Yep, old Blue Eyes is back! :P

The format is a combination of factors: attempted mobile-friendliness, volume of fire, cleanliness of page... and yes, I am mirroring on Tapastic.
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the rouge humingbird
the rouge humingbird
cant wait to see the other pages.
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Well, the wait is not going to be long (updating Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)! :)
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Babel116
Babel116
welcome back cap'n! looking forward to where you take it this time!
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Thanks! We have a lot of fun, interesting, weird things coming up!
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Confettirainbowpony
Confettirainbowpony
ITS HEEEEERE!! IT LOOKS AMAZING, PROF!!! And I can already tell things are going to get interesting really quickly! ;D can't wait to see more and it's so awesome to see you back!! <333
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Thank you, Pony! It's awesome to BE back!

Thankfully, the wait to see more is not a long one (there's three of these things every week - MWF).
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Hogan
Hogan
Ah! Good to see it and you back again and on track!
Looking forward to see where and how you'll take us this time around :)
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
I'm glad to see you along for the ride! And "on track" is where we're hoping to stay!

There are many wondrous places we're gonna go!
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Hogan
Hogan
Now THAT was foreboding... :O
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TheD-Wrek
TheD-Wrek
Welcome back, sir! Looking forward to what you have in store. :)
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Thank you! It's great to BE back!

And we have some incredible things in store, just wait.
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argylefox
argylefox
IT HAS BEGUN!
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
YES, IT HAS! :P
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Radiant Sophia
Radiant Sophia
DUN DUN DUN!
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Rd Ashes
Rd Ashes
Well, you're starting off quite different than your first run.
Very exciting!
The glowy-eye guy in the crowd didn't get by me either.
;-)

Good job on this. :-)
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Well, it IS a full reboot... :P

Thankies! Mostly, I figured anyone paying attention would pick up on Blue Eyes and speed readers would be a little punished... :)
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Sleeper
Sleeper
Awesome Prof! Great to have you up and running again.
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Great to BE up and running, my friend! nd thanks!
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Zanreo
Zanreo
Nice to see you back! Looking forwards to reading this new version of it...
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Thanks! I'm glad to see you on board!
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Fig
Fig
Already a much more natural beginning. Makes me excited to see how my own reboot will go xD I should probably announce it officially soon... Ugh. Anyway super hyped bro. Can't think of anyone who deserves the attention more atm. This is a Goddamn reboot. The whole thing just feels so much more tight. I know its only page two but fuck, man. It's good to watch people grow, and this has me damn excited to see what this becomes.
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Thanks, man!

I can't wait to see what YOU'VE got coming up. Rebooting, when it's necessary (and it really was in our case), it lets you clean things up.
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Spellodello
Spellodello
OOOH YEAH! :D It's so good to see the finished version of this page! IT'S HEREEEE. SO HYPE. I spy Nessie in that panel there, up to no good >>

WELCOME BACK PROF
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Thanks, Spell!

Now what do you mean "up to no good"? He's a fine, upstanding citizen, which should be evident by the hat and trenchcoat, as well as his stellar history...
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Delta-v
Aaah! Patience rewarded. :)

The night-dilated irises is a nice touch. Are you shooting for that level of subtlety overall?

And, yeah, welcome back. ^^
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
I'm glad!

All in all, I'm going with "less is more", but also "more is more". It's all about the feels, honestly.

And thank you!
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Waffles597
Waffles597
...so...to Walmart?
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Waffles, my friend, it's good to see you around here. Of course to Walmart... but not really.

Thank you, though.
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Radiant Sophia
Radiant Sophia
LOL
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argylefox
argylefox
That guy is gonna Ness you up.
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
It's gonna get Nessy... :P
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Leafa
Leafa
That's my definition of a nice night too.
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
I used to love doing that sort of thing. :)
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Leafa
Leafa
Although I guess since i didn't have a blog when I was that age, I was probably looking for weird stuff to stick in my diary. That only I would read. Don't know if that's better or worse...
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Taily
Taily
Already stuff's getting weird, just look at that leering black trenchcoat guy in panel 2! Stranger danger! Good lord!
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Professor Etheric
Professor Etheric
Heheheheh... There's a weird in your face / slow burn thing going on here...
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