Looking for suggestions for a webcomic

[JTalley]

I've been planning out my own webcomic for quite some time.

I did one before, but I didn't do it right and it ended up burning down in a sizzling fire of bad puns, crummy drawings, and no plot.

This time I'm trying to do it right; I've been planning the plot for several weeks, I've been using Google Sketchup to plan out the main character's house, etc. I've also been practicing my drawing a bit.

One thing I have decided on is that my mc has to have an Astro.

That's why I need some advice.

Should he have a 1st gen, 2nd gen, regular or shorty, high top or standard, two benches or captain chairs and a bench, what color exterior, two tone or single color, trim lines or no trim lines, what color interior, belly-mounted spare or door mounted, a few minor dents or no dents, etc.

Basically, I'm trying to plan this out a lot.

And you guys get to help me out! Once we all decide what he drives, I can probably draw it and scan it, then probably upload it and post it here.

Keep in mind that the main character in this comic is a 17 year old who runs a website selling electronics (kinda like me except he's a year older and his website actually makes money, whereas mine does not.)
He wouldn't have tons of spending money on hand, but he's not dirt poor either.

[doyoulikeithere]

bad puns, crummy drawings, and no plot.

Sounds just like Beavis & Butthead.
You oughtta be rich Dude!!

[JTalley]

Sounds just like Beavis & Butthead.
You oughtta be rich Dude!!

I stopped doing that comic. I realized that it was going down the toilet right after (ironically) I posted a bathroom joke. It was then that I realized that I sucked and quit.

But THIS! THIS is good stuff. All I gotta do is work on my art and figure out some minor details and I've got a good comic.

[MountainManJoe]

You might be onto something basing your comic on real life. People like a protagonist that they can identify with, so I think your character should have struggles.

[astroturf]

You and your Vans drama...

[astroturf]

You and your Vans drama...

OR...

All of ASV, and Our Vans drama.

[ihatemybike]

Just use your van, have your character state that it was his first (in more ways than one) and that he's determined to hang on to it despite it's problems or what people think about it.

[doyoulikeithere]

How about a bunch of your folks with a cool van, who seem to always be trying to investigate some weird cooky crime.
Oh, and they gotta have a big talking dog and some doobie snacks too! Lol.

[Cobra]

are you trying to get him sued lol

[MountainManJoe]

How about a bunch of kooky Astrofari fanatics who are lobbying a major car manufacturer to bring back a very versatile vehicle.

[Cobra]

i like that one

[JTalley]

How about a bunch of kooky Astrofari fanatics who are lobbying a major car manufacturer to bring back a very versatile vehicle.

Have no fear, ASV will no doubt be a strong influence in my comic, especially any filler. If there's any time that my MC is on the computer, if you look close enough you'll probably see a screenshot from the forum on there!

I've already got most of the plot down, though. Well, the beginning, anyway. First we have a few introductory comics, then the main character, Steve, and his friends head out to Wal-Mart. As they climb out, some older person in a F*rd van and makes a rude comment about their van. Steve gets upset, and this guy reveals that he is a wizard, and he proceeds to zap Steve.
I don't wanna tell you anything after that... Read to find out!

Seriously, though, whenever I get started, I can put up a link to it.

[astroturf]

Sounds like someone has already been into the DOOBIE Snacks...

LOLz, Jim

[JTalley]

Ok... I've been doing sketches and practice comics and trying to design the van. It's similar to mine, but it lacks a roof rack and it has a middle bench as opposed to the captain's chairs that Ed has.

A few characters I've really thought about are as follows (btw, this is just skimming the surface, my characters are more developed than this)-

Steve- the protagonist. Steve is 17, with short blond hair. He's the one with the 'Stro. He's obsessed with his van and doesn't take kindly to people making jokes about it. When he's on the computer, he spends a lot of his time on ASV. He lives with his mom and dad in an average sized home in the fictitious desert town of Pateo, Nevada.

Ryan- Steve's best friend. He's slightly shorter than Steve and has somewhat long brown hair. He's 16. He prefers to be by himself or with close friends, but through the comic he sort of gets forcibly removed from his shell by Steve. Fairly well off, but not rich by any means, he lives with his dad and stepmother in a gated community at the edge of Pateo.

Hollie- Steve's girlfriend. She's about the same height as Ryan, and she has brown hair down to the middle of her back. She's 17, and rides a junky old moped. She lives with her mom in a trailer park just outside of Pateo.

Zeke- A drifter who lives in his Ford van. Not much is known about him except for the fact that he's rather mean. He's been hanging out in Pateo for several months, making money by playing guitar outside of the local department store (parodying Wal-Mart, but I haven't 100% decided on the name yet). After a verbal argument with Steve, he reveals that he is a wizard. Then he zaps Steve, trying to harm him. Being a bit rusty, his spell was botched, creating a rather odd situation for Steve. Immediately after this, he leaves town. He might end up recurring in the comic, but I dunno yet.

As for the town- Pateo is a small town that doesn't have much to offer. It is a tourist attraction, though, being famous for "Fat Cat," a 20 foot tall statue carved from a large boulder by artist Jonathon H. "Sparky" Richards in 1879, commisioned by Frederico Pateo, the wealthy founder of the town. The cat used as a reference was Freddie, one of Frederico's numerous cats. Freddie was rumored to have exceeded 45 pounds at one point, and he lived to the ripe old age of 13. Pateo built his mansion overlooking the boulder in 1865, and dug a coal mine one mile north of it. The town sprang up around the boulder. The coal mine produced well until 1945, when the coal ran out. The workers were laid off, and eventually some of the tunnels caved in. Pieces of the old buildings can still be seen today, but they are just that- pieces. Pateo's mansion is currently used as city hall. The town has a department store, three gas stations, one single story motel, and a school system.

[VanGoGo]

Sounds like your character needs several astro vans... he could have one for every situation (unlike buying astros, drawings are cheap). I had a friend that liked Pinto's in high school, and I drew every version Pinto we could imagine (4x4, low rider, drag race, beater, etc.). My artwork did turn out to be a career later on (if "starving artist" can be considered a profession)!