Frequently Asked Questions
Hi there, mateys!
I seem to be receiving a lot of the same questions. So sometimes I might refer you to the FAQ because the answers are there :D
Q: How would you define your story: Rating, Genre and Style wise?
The Pirate Balthasar is rated T+ (for some mature content), it's listed under romance, comedy (parody) and a bit of slice of life and is not to be considered an adventure story at all. The style would be considered experimental or hybrid. (see specs on Comixpedia, Smack Jeeves, Comic Fury and Drunk Duck)
Recently every special has been drawn with a different style so... it's super experimental.
Q: When did you come up with the Pirate Balthasar?
A: The Pirate Balthasar was written in 1989 and developed until 1998. It was copyrighted the first time around 1993.
Q: Were you inspired by....
A: I was influenced by Disney and Osamu Tezuka. Musicals, Theater, Old Movies and very very Old Books.
I hint at the things I like continuously in the comic... have you spotted them? But none of the things that were produced after 1989 touched the story since it was set down in a definitive way in 1991 and not much pirate stuff was around at that time except for Goonies.
Q: How long will the Pirate Balthasar last?
A: The Pirate Balthasar officially ended in 2012. For a total of 5 volumes - BUT a 6th volume with the epilogue and the specials has brought the comic into its third year of publication so... basically what happens is: as long as people will ask questions, I will write stories to answer them.
The comic is fully storyboarded and the main events are all sets and etched in stone. It is supposed to be over 1000 pages.
The order of the special is chosen by polls and they can have any length from the single page to a full chapter size spawning around 45 pages.
Q: Sometimes I am confused by the events...!
A: Some pages are designed to work as a single pages... others are designed to confuse you, at first, and make you laugh when I reveal what I want to reveal, later.
You just have to be patient and wait for the batch to reach the end. It's worth the wait. Internet is for instant gratification, I am not.
Q: When does the comic update?
A: I update daily (on Smack Jeeves, Drunk Duck, Comic Fury, Tumblr, Dropr and Deviant Art). I post one page per day if I am not delayed by health problems or work issues.
Q: Do you ever skip a release?
A: I might but I try to be at least one release ahead... or a few pages ahead of release. But because I have a full time job - that sometimes goes beyond regular hours (actually not sometimes .. quite often)... - I cannot catch all the mistakes and typos right away so the definitive version is the one you get in the pdf file I create for the full volumes. People help me with the proof directly when I post on Smack Jeeves or DA or other sites :D.
Q: How long does it take you to draw a page?
A: Two hours. I don't have much time. I take 3 minutes per drawing, clean up will take longer but from blue pencil to lettering it takes me 2 hours.
This is a post I created on how I create a comic page. I am not very orthodox.
This post explain, instead, how I create a chapter cover.
Q: I asked you a question on______ (insert the name of a website) but you did not answer.
A: I am sorry. Sometimes the answer would be a spoiler (or it will come in the following page) or it will be posted in the curiosities. I gather all your questions and answer them in one go in the blog every now and then. I refer to the blog quite often in the posts.
Some times you just have to be patient and wait for the next few pages and the thing will be self explanatory. Other times the answer could be googled.
Also I don't answer obvious questions and I don't answer to questions that are pretty clearly explained in the comic itself a few pages before the one you are reading (if you read it carefully you cannot be "confused"). I don't answer to the same question twice - because you were too lazy to read it the first time - either.
Q: Why are the pirates not doing pirates stuff like such and such movie and book?
A: They are. You are getting the real deal. Because movies and books about pirates, particularly Hollywood movies, are based off some common mistakes (urban legends of the times).
Pirates did nothing but enjoy life and stay alive. Also the Mediterranean pirates worked in different ways. We'll see some good and bad stuff.
Q: Where are the palm trees?
A: In the Caribbean... we are in the Mediterranean area, instead. Sure Sicily has some palm trees but they look very chubby and short and big and have dates on them, not coconuts.
Q: Do you do Affiliation?
A: I've never tried but drop me a line, I might be interested :D.
Q: Will you ever print the comic?
A: I don't know yet. I want to finish it first. Printing and then not finishing it would be nasty. No reader deserves to be left hanging.
Q: Where can I find the rules for this or that game?
A: The blog is designed to work this way: my post are in the middle (duh, I know, sorry LOL)... to the left I put links to games, contest, quizzes, a shoutbox, the fanclub and all the links related to you: my crew.
The column to the right I use for things related to the comic: chapter, volumes for download, freebies, interesting yaps and so forth.
So Left column: you. Center: me. Right: the comic.
