tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79136529673245533922012-01-29T20:03:22.251-05:00A blog about Ralph Snart and the other comic book creations of cartoonist Marc Hansen.Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.comBlogger1301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-5207511811618076432012-01-18T08:02:00.009-05:002012-01-20T05:10:45.210-05:00

Update 2: Megaupload going down is huge. Rapidshare should be next. Anonymous is fighting back.Update: interesting… Google does all kinds of great things with it's search results. Like also putting competitors at the bottom of results.So, Google and Wiki are in protest mode today and here's my two cents. Basically, these companies and others like them, whether operating for profit or not, want

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-46880398303481334382012-01-15T09:57:00.014-05:002012-01-16T10:23:11.348-05:00

Weird Melvin:The Comic Book CollectionReprints issues 1-5 of the comic book series plus the unpublished issue #6. All by Marc Hansen. Features all new coloring throughout plus added material. Color, 135 pages, 39MB download, PDF format.Work begins on coloring the next book; Weird Melvin: The Comic Strip Collection, which should take about three months to do. I also start work on a new RSA comic.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-22499527369696330402012-01-11T08:40:00.004-05:002012-01-11T08:46:32.336-05:00

Live chat with Marc Hansen on January 25, 2012 at 8:30PM EST, 5:30PM PST. Go to www.comicchatcast.com.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-12128371039556069392012-01-08T06:47:00.003-05:002012-01-08T07:29:20.542-05:00

Weird Melvin: The Comic Book Series digital book will be done by the end of the month. Only five more pages to color and then the proofing, correcting, checking, encrypting and programming to put the book together.I'll be doing a live chat this month. Never done one, so there's that.Of the KIckStarter projects I used as examples in a couple of posts a few months back, all are behind their

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-20578187019774434692011-12-28T12:45:00.002-05:002011-12-28T12:47:16.760-05:00

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-80940042982111350722011-12-05T10:27:00.003-05:002011-12-05T10:34:08.280-05:00

Latest poop...Half way through with coloring the Weird Melvin comic book series. Should be done by first week of January and will release as a downloadable ebook. It will also be available to view online.Work has also begun on a new Ralph Snart book. No timeline yet so don't hound me about it.Back to tinkering with my beer tower; need to build the new kettle, do some electrical work and build my

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-60724929911389937502011-10-26T07:49:00.006-04:002011-10-30T09:22:13.003-04:00

A person would have to be a crazed psychopath to use Twitter. Users are dangerous and deranged and should be put away in a mental institution as soon as authorities can round up these sick and depraved individuals.Okay, so I got in about two years late, but I'm on Twitter (or at least Snart is) if you haven't noticed. It took me that long to recognize the advantages; it's a great way to create a

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-45202725264973607832011-09-28T07:23:00.007-04:002011-09-28T08:25:44.489-04:00

Okay, I'm over my KickStarter tirade. Time for a progress update. My new workspace is finally coming together. Most of my stuff is still packed away in boxes. I've long forgotten where most of my tools and supplies are and in which box, but I'm getting closer...I haven't been able to draw anything since I finished RSA Vol 8 No 3. Because of that, I've been coloring previously published books. So

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-31164438291729599192011-09-27T06:43:00.003-04:002011-09-27T13:12:28.400-04:00

Here's another KickStarter load of crap. Amateur mini-comics artist Jeff Zwirek has graduated to big time graphic novels and begging for free money in order to be a "professional". About $4,700 was raised; about $2,100 from 65 backers and about $2,600 from one backer. Those 65 backers prepaid an average of $32 and won't be getting much in return (except a stupid look on their face that'll last a

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-22395740742916090292011-09-17T07:54:00.032-04:002011-09-20T08:29:06.369-04:00

Sorry, I don't get it. As a model for publishing, I don't get KickStarter. Here's an example. This is a successful KickStarter fund raising effort. The dude needed to raise $2,000 and he raised 3.5 times that for a 160-page graphic novel about an anime rabbit that fights crime (not my cup of tea but that's beside the point). I just have some questions...- Why is it that if I donate less than $25

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-81777250474784875332011-09-03T06:31:00.003-04:002011-09-03T07:00:35.760-04:00

Ralph has taken over my Twitter account. Not sure what he intends to say, but I'm sure it'll be mindless discharges of stupidity. Senseless rants perpetrated by a diseased mind. Crass and insensitive ravings of a lunatic who really should just shut the hell up. I suppose now the poor Followers will be receiving ridiculous tweets each time one of his orifices expels a solid, liquid or gas.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-73120564421445695282011-08-20T08:51:00.009-04:002011-08-26T10:12:39.365-04:00

New week and a new comic upload to my comics site. And more changes to the web app. It's getting close, folks. The only thing I think I might add is a way to scroll the page by clicking and dragging (desktop version only). Haven't tested it on the iPad - much - and haven't tested at all on an iPhone (I've got a dumb phone still). Also, I will still be adding the rest of the stuff at the bottom

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-85128247461714264382011-08-14T13:08:00.002-04:002011-08-14T13:16:33.937-04:00

I uploaded Volume 6 Number 1 of Ralph Snart Adventures. I also updated/changed/whatever the web app interface to adapt to the horizontal format of Volumes 6 and 7 and to confront some problems with the old web app. Basically, I'm still not happy with it and I've released it out into the wild way to soon, but let's see what happens, shall we? It's not like any lives are riding on this. The web

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-44716481596137417862011-07-13T14:40:00.005-04:002011-07-13T14:47:31.566-04:00

With a ferocious head-on assault, Ralph Snart has single handedly attacked an unsuspecting China today. The perplexed masses knew not what hit them. Not due to any sense of surprise, but because they really didn't care one way or the other. An obviously drunken and disheveled Snart had but few words during his campaign of terror, "Durh."

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-10760785806681080802011-07-08T08:05:00.004-04:002011-07-08T08:13:43.202-04:00

Hey, I almost forgot...Somebody celebrated a birthday recently. Yes, Ralph Snart Adventures Volume 1 Number 1 hit the stands 25 years ago near the end of the Great Black & White Boom back in June, 1986. Y'all tip a beer for Mister Snart!

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-2895855290521985382011-07-07T09:53:00.015-04:002011-07-07T13:23:07.664-04:00

As you might have noticed, the RSA free comics page is ad supported. It originally had three Google ads, but I cut that down to two. Instead of the third, I opted to give that space free to comic book retailers. I also redesigned the page so it was a little less cluttered. So, as far as being ad supported, there's two Google ads, one rotating comics retailer ad, an ad for my online store, and a

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-56270238768302359432011-06-22T10:51:00.005-04:002011-06-24T12:10:31.772-04:00

Update 2: Added some code that detects if ads have been blocked. If blocked, a backup image is used so there isn't a blank space.Update: Fixed some bugs having to do with Ad Block Plus. It was not only blocking the Google ads, which is fine, but was also blocking my internal content, which is not fine.After going through some iterations with some happy testers, I've posted an online comics viewer

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-9804252320386867772011-06-16T15:49:00.003-04:002011-06-16T15:55:08.297-04:00

Right here.This is only a test and there's only one issue up so far. As you'll see, it'll be ad driven. Should work in Safari, FireFox, Opera and Chrome. I was only able to test it in IE 8, but should work fine in IE 7 and 9 - let me know if it doesn't. Also, works on the iPad. Feedback is welcome - let me know if something doesn't work the way you'd like. It uses the same images as the ebooks,

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-669619175084169392011-06-10T10:35:00.005-04:002011-06-10T15:28:34.825-04:00

Missing from this blog or my site is any kind of coherent future look at what the plans are for Ralph Snart Adventures. The following is my primary plan:> Digitally color all of my books: every issue of RSA (comic issues volumes 1 through 8), all of Weird Melvin (comic books and strip), and the Doctor Gorpon mini-series. So far, RSA volumes 4 through 7 are done. Right now, I just started issue 3

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-1671390292975200962011-06-08T16:14:00.003-04:002011-06-08T16:18:59.428-04:00

I'm on Twitter. You may remember the account user who was using that account name before and was pretending to actually be Ralph Snart. That was until I shut him down (it's called a trademark, fool).

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-46591406844207503402011-05-19T10:04:00.004-04:002011-05-28T08:32:48.840-04:00

Way to support the creator, assholes.I especially like the comments on the Demonoid site saying how thankful they are that someone has provided this torrent. Regardless that it's violating copyright laws and stealing the hard work of a comic creator (one they supposedly admire).And mostly when they say how "they've been looking all over and haven't been able to find" a particular issue. Like

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-6099002896386540382011-05-07T06:41:00.004-04:002011-05-07T07:35:55.030-04:00

My three ebooks have been put on Google Books.RSA: CC No. 1 RSA: CC No. 2 RSA: CC No. 3These are just links to see previews of each book with links to my store to purchase. Still determining whether or not to sell them through Google - pricing might be an issue. When Google creates the preview, they remake your supplied pdf. So, their quality is far below that of my ebook pdfs.Work continues on

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-13462566164045156572011-03-18T07:04:00.002-04:002011-03-18T07:17:40.215-04:00

The next ebook, Weird Melvin: The Comic Book Collection, will be a digital edition of the trade paperback published by NOW 3.0 in 2004, which reprinted the comic book series I published in 1995 (plus the unpublished sixth issue). Mindful of fan feedback, the digital edition will not only be colored (for the first time) but will also be relettered. Originally, I had lettered those books using the

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-64037143998981739142011-03-11T11:11:00.006-05:002011-03-11T13:52:36.261-05:00

Digital editions of Ralph Snart Adventures: Comic Collections Nos. 1-3 are now on sale. Those who had orders from Marc Hansen Stuff! since 2008 of over $25 will be getting a free download. Email notifications were sent out today to your email address used to make your last purchase.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-84716637042201105632011-03-07T12:56:00.002-05:002011-03-07T13:11:43.824-05:00

Digital versions of Ralph Snart Adventures: Comic Collections 1-3 are done (BTW, the new coloring looks great). The digital editions also have a few extras beyond the printed editions. As soon as I have time to write the code to handle downloading, I'll offer them in the online store. I'm thinking about offering the books free if the printed edition is purchased. And, yes, past purchasers would

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-10596300762771472902011-02-25T12:32:00.002-05:002011-02-25T12:44:31.976-05:00

Still crankin' on coloring Ralph Snart Adventures: Comic Collection #1 - only about 15 pages left.Looking into also adding the ebooks to the Google Bookstore (they accept PDFs unlike Apple's iBookstore).Cool - still number one for "ralph snart" and "marc hansen" keywords in Google's search results - even with the recent algorithm updates.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-57662620944627911262011-02-01T10:53:00.002-05:002011-02-01T13:06:14.979-05:00

This posting brought back memories of when Ralph Snart battled the Comics Code Authority. Ralph Snart received the Code in 1989 when NOW Comics went to newsstand distribution. Although I was excited about the extra sales, I was also dubious about how RSA was going to meet the guidelines. To test this, I did a 6-page Snart story, which parodied the CMAA itself and, of course, was rejected all

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-22284744310097070402011-01-28T11:15:00.002-05:002011-01-28T11:25:31.243-05:00

From the Straight Dope: "After three hours of sun exposure there was no significant difference among the beers, although both testers rated the control beer the least palatable. Which isn’t so odd — some research suggests exceedingly small amounts of MBT can improve beer flavor." >>moreThis reaffirms a supposition I had. After pouring, I would let my beer sit in the sun for about 5 minutes to

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-55408807631933698982011-01-19T15:22:00.002-05:002011-01-19T15:39:24.031-05:00

Here's a few disadvantages of printed comics that happened to occur to me. I noticed many of these as I color the Snart comic collections. Some of these problems are due just to the nature of the printing process, the nature of the format, and typical low-quality comic book printing. I could've gone on and on and included other parts of the process that make printed comics look like doo. None of

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-43617949834222135852011-01-17T10:06:00.008-05:002011-01-17T10:38:17.950-05:00

With news that the next iPad may feature a higher res display, I may have to decide to up the size of the ebook page (originally, I was going with 994 x 1538 pixels). Here's a 1324 x 2048 pixel sample. The size and quality of the image is pretty in your face (this would be the equivalent of 260 dpi). I'll wait until the iPad 2 comes out before finalizing on a size. It may be even bigger - up to

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-75125463372419346812011-01-01T09:26:00.003-05:002011-01-04T14:10:01.848-05:00

2010 was a busy year with the two moves, house buying and selling and the rework of the MHS online store. On the unfortunate side, no new Snart was created and no beer brewed.Hey, if you weren't aware, Ralph Snart turns 25 this Summer (let that sink in for a moment). I'd like to hear any suggestions on how to celebrate it. Some new Snart will definitely be called for).Updates:- No word from

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-45202927918938117112010-12-22T11:52:00.001-05:002010-12-22T11:54:19.042-05:00

Andy, this was the best I could do.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-85644517306024167482010-12-13T15:42:00.005-05:002010-12-17T10:56:29.579-05:00

My book for Apple's iBookStore was rejected (took them a month). No reason given, and in their documentation, it could be one or more than three dozen reasons why. There's also no support at Apple for this. None. So, I went through all of the documented reasons and tweaked a few things in the metadata and the epub file itself. There were two things that I fixed that were technically wrong, but

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-29257379448176480002010-12-05T07:03:00.003-05:002010-12-05T07:13:29.227-05:00

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-40100085848590966702010-11-27T08:19:00.001-05:002010-11-27T08:23:31.127-05:00

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-91496187306142519072010-11-22T09:11:00.012-05:002010-12-03T11:26:46.086-05:00

I had a number of lofty goals for 2010. Mostly revolving around selling my home in NC and buying a new home in MI. If you've heard a little about the housing market as of late, it's little crazy out there. All in all, the sale and purchase were successes and the transporting of my earthly belongings from point A to point B (and then actually to point C and then to point D) went without a hitch (

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-65554329018687849112010-10-27T10:14:00.005-04:002010-10-27T10:40:39.572-04:00

Been working on ebooks for Ralph Snart and have finally made a decision on what to do. I'm going to redo all of the books starting with Volume 4 #1. I'll release each book as I finish recoloring them (instead of using black & white or using scans of the original comic books). This way they'll look a whole lot better plus as a side benefit, the file sizes will be smaller (about 7 MB per book). I

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-85573435981655679862010-10-11T09:43:00.004-04:002010-10-11T16:32:08.297-04:00

Finally done. The store is back up, but does not have any ebooks yet - still need to finish incorporating downloading into the shopping cart and finally decide on the format of the ebooks (most likely as I had before; dynamically-generated encrypted pdfs). The main page and store should work on the iPad - the fansite is another story. 

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-11018663664396489162010-09-22T16:59:00.004-04:002010-09-22T17:29:45.956-04:00

I've gotten a few emails lately about the ebook thing so let me answer them once here...People have been asking questions along the lines of why don't you publish through this or that service. Well, for me, the whole advantage of publishing digitally is that (1) you don't need to spend tons of time and money printing and shipping product, (2) you don't need a distributor and (3) you don't need a

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-30028425236450684942010-09-16T17:25:00.007-04:002010-09-17T07:22:40.136-04:00

Update: I uploaded the demo and the source. You'll notice there's no image preloader, which it desperately needs (sorry, no time). Using a server side-script to determine image sizes instead of javascript would help a lot also. Next up - I need to finish my shopping cart!Just a video for now. Functionality similar to Comixology's iPad app. The viewer supports page turning by swiping the page or

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-91212292687391808912010-09-11T08:06:00.003-04:002010-09-11T08:44:48.098-04:00

Okay, here's where everything stands...- the move is complete except all of the unpacking, setup and getting settled - that'll take a few months. As an aside, moving in general sucks, and I've done it twice in the last six months. Not that I have a lot of stuff, but what little I do have is heavy as hell.- I've got a new home page completed but not ready to post yet. I've got a new shopping cart

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-39409931666651977802010-07-29T16:50:00.002-04:002010-07-29T16:59:31.498-04:00

Procured the new domicile - Snart Central. As soon as I get set up (September) I'll begin work on the next issue of RSA, update the website and open the online store back up again (among other things). Hah!

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-76816106498398661672010-07-06T06:56:00.001-04:002010-07-06T06:58:27.790-04:00

My current web host has suspended my site due to an accounting error. This is essentially the last straw, so I'm in the process of changing to a different host. Hopefully, that will be completed today.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-64725187643911672902010-07-04T18:10:00.002-04:002010-07-04T18:22:48.196-04:00

I'm still in a state of transition, but the light can be seen at the end of the tunnel. Good thing cuz I'm looking forward to cranking out another issue of Snart and putting up the MHS storefront again. Many apologies for the current state of the marchansenstuff.com website. I also, miss making my own beer! Buying and drinking store bought brew is beyond lame - and not as tasty. My hops plant (

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-14999837315958540282010-06-24T08:06:00.002-04:002010-06-24T08:07:33.957-04:00

quick way to get a full set of vol 3

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-16695264037491094122010-06-01T11:01:00.002-04:002010-06-01T11:09:14.551-04:00

You can start here... sounds like a good thing at first... link (it's worth noting that the digital mag is over half a gig)Good blog about the latest Wired mag... link (note info on the breakdown of the Wired mag's parts)Adobe touts a load of crap... link (Heaven helps us if publishers start using Adobe for their digital mags)It's pretty clear that Adobe is down on HTML5.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-14570459984478250262010-05-16T11:43:00.002-04:002011-11-10T07:54:19.472-05:00

Check this out. Internet Explorer users need not apply. Requires latest versions of other browsers.Update: As of 11/10/2011, Adobe no longer supports Flash on mobile devices. I'm sure desktop machines will eventually be nixed. Told yuh.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-62583886878035733472010-05-06T14:00:00.001-04:002010-05-06T14:04:05.621-04:00

Just letting you know I'm still around, but too busy to blog (except for this quick rant of course). Trying to get my ducks in a row after my move - I'd much rather be drawing Snart and making beer, but what do you do? Still living out of boxes and will probably remain like that for the foreseeable future.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-69003527362887715502010-04-16T08:19:00.001-04:002010-04-16T08:20:11.464-04:00

RSA volume 3 for sale

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-51236576468594796562010-03-18T14:24:00.009-04:002010-03-31T06:56:46.536-04:00

Here's a comic viewer test site.Or go here to try it in different iPad/iPhone simulators.The comic page image is an encrypted PNG. The image is accessed via a PHP script which checks the HTTP referer (to make sure it's www.marchansenstuff.com, if not, that IP is blocked), checks the remote IP against a list of blocked IPs, checks to see if the request is a recent one (if not, that IP is blocked),

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-34761298333335431212010-03-17T07:40:00.003-04:002010-03-17T08:21:27.398-04:00

Okay, what's the best way to present a digital comic?PDF? ePUB? Mobile app? or via a web interface? The first two alternatives are similar in that they're static downloadable files and the last two are (at least the way I would conjure it) viewed from the cloud. Each has their pros and cons. I have yet to come across "the" answer to this question.PDFThe big plus is that the layout is static. It's

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-89900391175458139762010-03-16T15:14:00.002-04:002010-03-16T15:26:16.839-04:00

I just finished creating a 2000+ page epub, which also had about 1100 linked footnotes. EPUB readers are going to have to get a whole lot better if this format is ever going to survive. In Adobe's Digital Editions it was horribly slow and the others I tried couldn't even open it except for Sony's reader, which is amazing since basically all an ePUB reader is is a web browser with a few

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-52682521550605702582010-03-07T08:52:00.002-05:002010-03-07T08:55:42.397-05:00

My move is done, and I'm back in Michigan. The MHS store will be down for at least another 2 months. I'll have more info as I get my bearings.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-2879107121399684162010-02-12T09:53:00.014-05:002010-02-13T07:08:34.761-05:00

I've made an ePUB template just for comics. The biggest problem with ePUBs is their inability to handle large images (that shouldn't necessarily flow), which this template attempts to address. Download here. Right-click to download (opt-click on Mac).The template is for a 24-page comic with cover. Page images are 592 x 900 (pixels). Page count and image size can easily be changed (until the iPad

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-47754853745171370062010-01-31T09:52:00.004-05:002010-01-31T10:34:53.150-05:00

MarcHansenStuff.com is going offline for a while - just the main page with the store - the fan site and blog will still continue. I'm in the process of moving my "operations" to yet another state, and managing the orders would be impossible. I'm also planning a major overhaul of the site and making it optimized with the new iPad format and may also create an iPad app. So, stay tuned, morons.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-1185202090918300482010-01-23T18:38:00.002-05:002010-01-23T18:56:18.617-05:00

I did a double-take when I saw this on the shelf at my local grocer. More here. Not good if you're watching your bad cholesterol.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-6438268128780330452010-01-23T09:06:00.002-05:002010-01-23T09:14:17.025-05:00

Praise out of nowhere... but I'll take whatever I can get."An original, striking and beautiful design that perfectly sets the atmosphere and communicate the style of the designer and his main product – a comic book." - SmashingMagazine.comToo bad... I'm working on doing a major rehaul of the site, but that's a few months away.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-11445981903357200592010-01-08T14:26:00.005-05:002010-01-08T14:37:08.468-05:00

For those that prefer printed comics "just because they like to hold the comic in their hands" should check out the Skiff Reader. The specs are pretty amazing. The pic below just shows the durability of the display - the actual device is not flexible.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-28799551330780398332010-01-08T06:19:00.003-05:002010-01-08T14:06:57.232-05:00

I don't remember ever seeing this, but thanks to Tony for making it available. It's both sad and shameless.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-3654617552886722602010-01-07T11:16:00.003-05:002010-01-08T14:06:11.907-05:00

Jef Mallett's Biff Budget appeared in a few issues of the second volume of RSA many a year ago... Now, he's doing the successful Frazz comic strip. Visit his blog!

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-88149028667617025552009-12-28T06:58:00.001-05:002009-12-28T07:00:11.049-05:00

"At its mildest, a stalker is simply a troll that has attached itself to an individual. At worst, boring, at best, flattering. Find out about trolls. But a stalker can be a serious predator, using the Internet to pursue a real or imagined vendetta, or other perverted agenda."

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-54781960667819497492009-12-24T15:24:00.002-05:002009-12-24T15:45:54.444-05:00

I just got an AppleTV. Why Apple isn't embracing XBMC is beyond me - better yet, they should just come up with something better (ie: give it the ability to play all media types - in other words, iTunes is not the end all). It's already obvious that the current AppleTV hardware specs can handle all of the different codecs out there - although it may be limited by pixel size (ie: 720p and above may

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-25848814069140865512009-12-11T13:20:00.005-05:002009-12-11T13:41:58.858-05:00

Dang! What're you guys stupid or somethin'?

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-17680866259512766882009-12-03T06:56:00.003-05:002009-12-08T10:33:55.899-05:00

Here's two visions of the future for print:- Time- Condé NastUpdate: There's more...

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-42314261307502333602009-11-17T15:22:00.000-05:002009-11-17T15:24:05.140-05:00

Bless their drunken souls.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-92067383030365235792009-11-11T09:26:00.023-05:002009-11-11T09:51:04.571-05:00

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-21821656531372610652009-11-03T15:18:00.001-05:002009-11-03T15:19:53.459-05:00

More proof that Republicans just want to sit on their useless fat asses and bitch.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-39362173982859528932009-11-03T12:39:00.002-05:002009-11-03T13:00:19.410-05:00

Not much has been done on The Snart as of late because I've been trying to grow my new business and move to new stomping grounds, which involves selling my house and moving 800 miles, so it's no small endeavor and robbing me of precious Snart Time. Be patient, you turds.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-20481331875791163722009-11-03T06:35:00.002-05:002009-11-03T06:50:30.817-05:00

As one interested in how the technology of the net is being used but particularly misused, here's one; I've noticed that many twitter users are posting twits regularly saying that they've updated their blog. This is beyond stupid. Okay, you could say that you're just letting people know you've updated your blog (like an idiot). Blogs have follower notification just like twitter (which is

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-34560347664046365222009-10-27T15:03:00.001-04:002009-11-05T16:47:34.081-05:00

if can't see the truth here, go put a bullet in your head..."If you go to a conference and they offer free lunch, it isn’t really a free lunch, it’s there as a way to keep you from leaving the event to find your own food. If you get a two for one coupon offering a free lunch, it’s not a free lunch, it’s a plea to get you to buy at least one lunch at half price in the hope that you’ll like it and

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-5155184731851397292009-10-25T08:48:00.001-04:002009-10-25T08:53:22.386-04:00

(Sorry, but the above violates Eolas' patents - hee.)

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-72459638613213152682009-10-25T08:06:00.002-04:002009-10-25T08:11:21.397-04:00

The White House is violating patents owned by Eolas. Their new site uses Drupal and Flash, which violates two of Eolas' patents. So, will Eolas sue the Prez?

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-72127683546156444742009-10-25T07:39:00.002-04:002009-10-25T07:57:21.505-04:00

More proof on my 'manufactured hate' only with a twist. Also more proof that Rush is fathead.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-63750614985146548202009-10-13T06:55:00.001-04:002009-10-13T06:57:45.745-04:00

Haven't blogged much, made beer or cartooned lately because I'm in the midst of a transition. Can't spill the beans yet, but most certainly will when the time is right. Although, I did write a few pages of Snart over the last week. More poop to come...

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-50986474528256533462009-10-08T10:52:00.002-04:002009-10-08T11:03:01.677-04:00

Check this out. This is almost as bad as someone coming along and saying they invented the concept of using a markup language in text documents on remote servers to display their contents on a client's computer over a network and they want anyone who has ever created a web page in the world to pay them royalities and damages for each and every one of their web pages. If you look at some of Eolas'

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-29023863521259804302009-10-05T11:32:00.003-04:002009-10-05T15:14:28.302-04:00

Check this out. Stupid magazines and newspapers should've been working on this years ago. The trick will be how to present the content. I'm still at odds on what the best way to do it is; downloadable pdfs/ebooks or viewing a webpage(s). The bottom line is that print must die!Update: and now this. Not having to incur printing and distribution costs may have saved these mags.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-45856818855971394812009-10-03T11:31:00.003-04:002009-10-03T12:04:14.561-04:00

At least when "liberals" hated Bush, they did so because he waged an illegal war in Iraq wasting hundreds of billions of dollars killing thousands of Americans and innocent Iraqis, cut taxes for the rich creating an ever increasing gulf between the rich and poor classes, alienated the U.S. from our allies abroad with his "go it alone" slash preemptive strike doctrine, and trashed the Bill of

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-58003715904268499042009-09-29T15:50:00.000-04:002009-09-29T15:51:25.484-04:00

That's about all I have to say.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-29796200012338613262009-09-01T11:17:00.002-04:002009-09-01T11:21:27.502-04:00

Diamond is encouraging you to Go Green by choosing to conveniently receive your comics as a digital comic instead of a printed version.Okay, maybe not, but hopefully it's slippery slope towards their own demise.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-71526780976137234192009-08-23T15:45:00.002-04:002009-08-23T15:56:10.718-04:00

Here's the latest...I haven't started RSA #4 yet, but the synopsis is done. There's a few things I need to get done before I can start. There's a lot that's happened as of late and much still to transpire, but that's not for public consumption (at least not yet). However, things are going awesome! I will divulge more later, cretins.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-41647447645857316582009-08-06T17:21:00.002-04:002009-08-06T17:28:46.360-04:00

Apple knows...Now, if we could get every website owner and every peer-to-peer storage dipsh*ts to be as law-abiding, my life would be a lot easier.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-63898206853369507572009-07-07T18:51:00.003-04:002009-07-08T14:06:13.132-04:00

Everything is back online again. For how long is up to my so-called fans.Here are the actual "juicy details"..."...the Twitter user at the site www.twitter.com/ralphsnart is using the trademark and copyrighted artwork to mislead others into thinking the work was created by Marc Hansen. Artwork and the mark "Ralph Snart" are used without permission. The usage is neither commentary, parody, news

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-32492454537559761522009-06-05T18:26:00.001-04:002009-06-05T18:27:39.577-04:00

Closed

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-10406271267870565732009-05-07T16:28:00.002-04:002009-05-07T16:36:54.552-04:00

Eventually, your comic collection will be on a Mac instead of in all those cardboard comic bins... read this.Newspapers, media outlets and magazines have been stupid; they should've been charging for content all along. Read this.Hulu does it right.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-29395095076821967792009-05-05T16:58:00.002-04:002009-05-05T17:04:13.154-04:00

Copyright violators read this. Get a clue, fan boys.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-5937753533295687182009-05-01T10:27:00.002-04:002009-05-01T10:38:10.794-04:00

Saturday is brew day. Here's the recipe (for 5 gallons):- 7-lb. Pale 2-row- 1.5-lb. flaked corn- 8-oz. Victory- 8-oz. Crystal 20L- 8-oz. rolled oatsAll grains added to the mash. Northern Brewer hops throughout (bittering, flavoring and finishing - about 23 IBU). Pacman Ale yeast (1st generation). SRM about 5.7.This is kind of a goofy recipe. I added the oats to see what would happen (and to clean

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-50335707619416475642009-04-23T08:52:00.000-04:002009-04-26T16:05:17.402-04:00

I've been lax in my blog duties as of late because I've been super busy since the beginning of the month. I'll expose the details next week or so if I'm able to catch my breath and catch up. As I'm typing this post, I just noticed a new tab called Monetize, so that Google AdSense ads can be added to the blog. Soon, I imagine, Google won't make that an option, and will just add ads to your blog

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-40634735686493643542009-03-26T08:20:00.000-04:002009-03-26T08:49:19.804-04:00

Just to make it clear - a digital comic doesn't have to be drawn digitally. A "digital" or "web" comic merely refers to how it's delivered to the end user. It can be a downloadable file (pdf or image file) or as something viewable within a browser page or application. So, to say a digital comic isn't a "true" digital comic unless it's done soup-to-nuts using a computer is utterly idiotic (not

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-61137324504879159822009-03-25T07:18:00.000-04:002009-03-25T07:35:12.516-04:00

I thought this was funny.This was even funnier. Hey, where are all the really rich comic collectors? How're they weathering the economic downturn?Laughed my ass off. Apparently these types of conversations actually take place. Such fodder for Snart!This is just insane.Remember pogs? Only related because some comics had their own versions. Milk cap fetishes were just sad.Is anyone getting the joke

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-55929936408555502022009-03-23T07:02:00.000-04:002009-03-23T07:21:29.561-04:00

Instead of filling up landfills with your comics, there are several services today that are eagerly awaiting your comic book collection; book repulping companies! Just be sure the repulper you choose can handle the bindery glues used in your graphic novels. You can also recycle your comics yourself AND save on the senseless expense of toilet paper (I think you get the idea). I don't have a comic

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-61940693182924605242009-03-14T16:55:00.000-04:002009-03-14T21:51:37.429-04:00

The obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) known as comic book collecting should be treated like any other mental disorder, and that's with the proper medication, therapy by a licensed professional and, if necessary, confinement in a mental health facility. Over ten thousand deaths each year can be attributed to this serious disease, and only now are scientists beginning to understand it's symptoms,

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-79540682796098228552009-03-12T08:18:00.000-04:002009-03-12T08:59:08.435-04:00

Check this out.This is what I'm talking about... an inane catering to the collectors market. Should I slap Obama on the next cover of Ralph Snart? Yeah, I'll have Ralph fist bumping the prez. That sure would make it a "collectors item". Wizard says they're celebrating Obama's presidential win, but that's a load of crap. They want idiot collectors and retailers to order multiple copies. Some would

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-74856747335993576832009-03-10T07:02:00.000-04:002009-03-10T07:20:35.402-04:00

The dude at Amazon covers some of the points I've made in the past (although I'm usually not so nice about it). However, Kindle is way overpriced - you can buy subnotebooks for close to that price.Comic fanboys need to get over their inane fascination with the physical book and redirect that attraction to the narrative and art. The digital book robs the poor collectors of the life-wasting

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-21042299108570542192009-03-04T07:06:00.000-05:002009-03-06T19:57:43.968-05:00

RSA #3 is still on schedule - four pages are complete. Moving to a digital only book may have come at just the right time and looks to be the best thing that could've happened. See this link. Diamond going belly up would be super cool, and if you know some of the direct market history, a distinct possibility, even without all the lawsuits, but based merely on the "economic downturn". Major

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-91360282538103324352009-02-21T06:35:00.000-05:002009-02-21T10:31:47.920-05:00

DETROIT - Fabled Ralph Snart character, Socks the cat has died at the ripe age of 18. Socks, once a pet to President Bill Clinton and his family, had cancer, and was widely known for his brief appearance in volume five of the comic book series Ralph Snart Adventures.The Clinton Foundation office released the following statement regarding the sad news:"Socks was a good cat, but he never was quite

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-58368140429274518962009-02-11T18:52:00.000-05:002009-02-11T18:57:43.003-05:00

Check this out. Memories...Also, RSA #3 is pencilled and lettered. Now, it'll go through proofing and rewrites, then on to the inks.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-29886840694090563542009-02-08T16:13:00.000-05:002009-02-08T16:15:13.992-05:00

I don't know about you, but life is a poop sandwich and everyday is a big ol' bite. I tell ya, my faith in humanity is pretty much nil.

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-65282526177032437392009-02-06T16:50:00.002-05:002009-02-07T08:09:25.026-05:00

21 pages of Ralph Snart Adventures #3 are pencilled and lettered. Conceivably, I could have the book done and ready for download by mid-April. I made beer last weekend and experimented with some more corn meal. I've almost got the hang of this corn meal stuff, which is not the easiest at all to work with. Check out these links for a serious blast to the past (courtesy of Jim McGreal of Vector

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-21695662459281726942009-01-30T13:06:00.000-05:002009-01-30T13:26:32.688-05:00

Huh? Oh, that's right - it's a digital comic and can't sell out. Hrumm. Actually, I just wanted to say thanks to all of the lunkheads who've downloaded RSA #2 so far. More than I expected, which is cool.Maybe 2009 won't suck!

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913652967324553392.post-18441211664963864862009-01-26T13:15:00.000-05:002009-01-26T13:33:01.942-05:00

More poop for you...I updated the website with the new digital comics added. Thanks to FrankieBoy for helping me test it (I also tested it using SandBox).The website also has an iPhone/iPod version (abridged however). Check it out and let me know if it works.As of today, 12 pages are pencilled and the cover is done for Ralph Snart Adventures #3. Goot is going on a rampage... tee-hee!Here's pretty

Marc Hansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05362706330359900365noreply@blogger.com4