(fan comic) The X-Files: Chrome-Magnon [pg 1-10/30]

[astridv]

With LJ's scrapbook as storage space I've finally decided to shut down my COLS (crappy old Lycos site) with its annoying ads, and move everything to LJ.

So, I was in the process of moving 'Chrome Magnon', the X-Files comic I drew ten years ago, when I realized that the scan quality really detracted from the artwork. I'm going to re-post the whole thing in shiny new quality. The resolution is pretty decent now, and each page still only around 150K.

This isn't a WIP, obviously, but I'm posting it 10 pages at a time so the posts won't get too huge. One thing: I'm always cool with concrit, only in this case... well, the thing is ten years old and with each glance I see a dozen things that I want to fix badly. But I won't touch it, because there'd be no stopping. And I like to think the important aspects, like story, storytelling, and layout, still stand the test of time (mostly).






Story: Shannon Fisher
Artwork: astridv

Disclaimer: This fan comic is in no way meant to infringe upon the copyrights held by Fox, TenThirteen or any other copyright holders of the show "X-files". It is presented in this medium purely for your enjoyment.

(Set in season 2)






















next part

Comments

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

Chris Carter completely killed my X-files love, but this is awesome. Especially Scully deciding that Skinner had finally gone around the bend.

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Glad you like, I hope you'll enjoy the rest as well. I'll post the remaining pages early next week, I think.

Chris Carter completely killed my X-files love,

You're not the only one who says that. X-Philes, as a whole, sound rather bitter when they talk about the later seasons. I stopped watching relatively early, mid-season four - when my favourite writer, Darin Morgan, left, the show lost a lot of its quirkyness which was the main reason why I loved it. But from what I hear about later seasons, yikes! I'm glad I stopped watching while it was still good.

This comic is early X-Files... so, we'll get MOTW instead of confuddled conspiracy. Well, maybe there's a tiny conspiracy hidden somewhere in here, too...;)

[jwaneeta.livejournal.com]

Well, I love it! The layouts and likenesses are fantastic. It's always tough to look at old work, but this is great stuff.

[astridv.livejournal.com]

It's always tough to look at old work,

Is it ever! But yeah, I really like the layouts myself. The interesting thing is, I'm always itching to re-do the inking and the coloring completely. But recently I looked at the pencils, and I thought, hey, these still work. I'd fix anatomical details and half a dozen transitions that could be done better... change one minor scene... but overall, the layouts work. That's kinda cool.

Though if I were to re-ink this again (which I'm not gonna, but I mean purely hypothetically) I'd be way more generous with the blacks. This is still very ligne claire, and XF can do with some shades.

[makd.livejournal.com]

I remember the joy I felt reading this the first time... and here, I have "the joy" again.

I love this Astrid; thanks so much for this.

Mind if I rec it?

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Thousand thanks for reccing this. I have no idea if there even are any active xf communities to pimp this in, so I'm very happy about the additional exposure.

And man, I should have thought about re-scanning the thing before. This looks just so much better in the higher resolution.

[mobile-alh.livejournal.com]

Great art...so often when I see graphic novel versions I can't recognize the characters. And I love the openness of tehlayouts. Looking forward to seeing the next set of pages.

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. I'm still really happy with the layouts myself. And it's interesting... I haven't really looked at these pages in ages; they look a lot more European than the stuff I'm doing now.

I'm out of town right now, but I'll post the next set of pages soon as possible, probably tomorrow night. I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story as well.

[grimorie.livejournal.com]

Goh-lly. This is amazing. I've seen your Angel/Buffy comics but these. Golly.

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Heh. You have no idea how happy this makes me. On the one hand, I can't help but look at artwork with a critical eye so all the flaws jump right at me; but on the other hand I'm still really fond of this baby. :)

Chrome-Magnon was my first comic. Well, before that I had started working on one, got a few pages in but it was very, very rocky. *nostalgic*

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Here via makd's recommendation. I'm awed. It's stunning. Just stunning.

[astridv.livejournal.com]

*beams* thanks! I'm really happy that people are interested in reading this after all this time. I'll try to post the remaining 20 pages within the next couple days. I'll just have to scan them first (and I think I still have to locate one or two - the comic pages are scattered in all kinds of folders and portfolios...)

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

*much love*

"Please don't let it rain, please don't let it rain" cracked me up. And Mulder making bunny shadows!

You win.

[astridv.livejournal.com]

"Please don't let it rain, please don't let it rain" cracked me up.

Haven't we all been there... ;)

Alas, I can't take credit for that line; Shannon, the author, came up with that one. That part was one of the things that convinced me this story would be perfect for a comic.

I'm really glad you like it. I'll try to post the remainding pages within the next few days.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I've pimped it to a few other friends who are Xphiles, too. Hope you get lotsa comments; it really deserves it.

[fishsanwitt]

Totally awesome :)

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Thank you kindly :o). I just posted the next part.

[triestine.livejournal.com]

Holy shit. I found this sort of via metafandom and I am so happy right now! Will pimp everywhere.

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Thank you kindly. I'm thrilled that that post got linked on metafandom and more X-Files fans found their way here. And I'm always grateful for pimpeage of any kind. :o)

[ichabunni.livejournal.com]

AMAZING artwork!! :D i lvoe it!!!

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much, I'm glad you like it.

[motorwill.livejournal.com]

Cool, came here from your post in the XF community. Thanks for putting it up - I'm definitely bookmarking this for later. :D

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I hope you'll like :)

[odakota-rose.livejournal.com]

Wow.. The artwork on this is amazing, I saw a like at the XF community and wanted to check it out.
This is the first XF comic I've ever read, and I love it already. =)

[odakota-rose.livejournal.com]

Oops, *link*
Apparently, XF comics interfere with my typing abilities ;)

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Hee.
XF comics interfere with my typing abilities ;)

No, it must be LJ. I do it all the time...

[greenfish.livejournal.com]

Found this via the XF community. I love it! Your artwork is amazing. I was an avid X-Files comic reader back in the day, and some I liked, some I didn't. I definitely think your work falls on the "good" side of things. I don't know if you just do this for fun or for realsies, but you do great work!'

Plus: it's really fun to read "old" X-F stories. I, similarly, got into XF around Season 4, and found some disillusionment as the conspiracy-web got a little too involved for one Mr. Chris Carter's own good. (Darin Morgan had to be one of my favorite writers as well - my favorite eps were the ones that were just a little 'off-kilter,' and I always enjoyed his black sense of humor.)

Anyway, off to read the rest!

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm glad you like it!

I don't know if you just do this for fun or for realsies, but you do great work!'

I work as an illustrator, but the comic stuff is just for fun right now.

I read all the early x-files comic books, too. I rather liked them, even though the likenesses weren't that close. I thought they got the atmosphere right and I just like Charlie Adlard's style. (Now, on the other hand, the less said about the tie-in novels, the better... good thing there's fanfic. :P)

Darin Morgan rocks. Sometimes I tune into X-Files re-runs in the hope of catching one of his, but it all seems to be from the later seasons. I also want to re-watch 'Monday' - time loop stories are sort of my bulletproof kink.

[xcuby.livejournal.com]

muy buen trabajo, good work,
impresionante, de verdad
congratulations

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Muchas gracias. :)

[littlekoneko.livejournal.com]

You're amazing. You've done other fandom comics? I'd love to read them all. Was sent here from the xfiles com. :)

[astridv.livejournal.com]

So happy you like it. Yeah, I've done a few other fan comics, though not in X-Files fandom. I've done one Angel post-ep comic for the episode 'Smile Time' (http://astridv.livejournal.com/28055.html), and an Angel/Fray crossover (http://astridv.livejournal.com/79236.html) (written by yhlee). And I got a whole bunch of fan art posted, amongst it some x-files sketches. Just click on the tag 'fan_art', it should be listed there.

Thanks muchly for commenting :)

[littlekoneko.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the links, they are both awesome! I am an X Files/Buffy/Angel/Bones fan too, so we have lots of fandoms in common.

[mf_luder_xf]

I just have to say, Mulder doing shadow animals on the wall of the tent...that's the funniest thing ever!! Also, Skinner is obviously senile. LOL

[astridv.livejournal.com]

The shadow puppet scene is one of my favorites, too.

Ah, whenever I see these pages, I get nostalgic... :)

[calcitrix.livejournal.com]

Wheee! I only ever bought one X-files comic back in the day and never another because it was so obvious that the artist didn't watch the show and was just drawing from a few reference photos.

But you--! You were obviously a fan because you have their expressions right and their little quirky facial tics and Mulder's lips. Um.

This is great! I can see that your newer stuff is better, but this is still really, really good. So much fun!

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I'm very glad you like it in spite of its roughness.

But you--! You were obviously a fan because you have their expressions right and their little quirky facial tics and Mulder's lips. Um.

You could say I was a fan. Heh. I was sortakinda obsessed with the show. And drawing Fox Mulder was way better than... not drawing Fox Mulder. So I asked my professor if I could do this comic as my diploma work and he loved the idea. That was serendipity, I'm telling ya.

I actually like the first comics that were drawn by Charlie Adler, even the likeness wasn't too spot on... I liked his style, they didn't look like your average tie-in hack job like some of the early Buffy and Angel comics.