Maybe watercolor tones? Not necessarily full color, just black & white maybe. Or sepia tone?

Yes, I would not use color, but monochrome like the old days. I'll first have to look back and see how/if I'll use the half-done art from what would have been issue 3 of the last sequence. Or a mix of monochrome and pencil, like some of the recent work here. And Hi, Nice to see you again.

for a test I do like the new look give it tht charm of the original design ,but with a more modern look :) if you did get albedo rolling again would you also add new things tech wise because of the decades of technology advancement that humanity has done since the 80s or sticking to the tech being the same ?

I'm not sure that there is anything that I'd change in the tech. What might you have in mind? The rather chuncky computer hand-helds are a deliberate choice, for particularly thick and clumsy gloves, as well as the larger screen for compromised viewing. Purely civilian models would be pretty much smart 'phone equivelents. That's one of the few things I can think of at the moment.

I just like to ask cause we been seeing much of what DARPA been working on with drones, exoskeletons, and other equipment plus the updates to aircraft avionics. not to mention other country tech like the PL-01 stealth tank. Just been wondering about it, but in the end it's your baby and you get to choose what to do with it. either way I would love to see more albedo. enjoyed rping in the universe and really enjoy the old comics being posted on your site (since i never had the chance to read the comics and getting a physical copy at the moment is pretty pricey )

Drones, in the sense of small local units wouldn't be used, in favor of very long range sensing platforms, well out of harm's way. basically, a drone would be too easy to see and shoot. The current use is only that the opponents don't have the wherewithal to counter them. Exoskeletons are not new, but are of no interest. Not with agile logistics robots. Don't know what you mean about my avionics? Already have comprehensive smart data and C&C links and all kinds of sensor tech. In the sensor and surveillance environment of the scenario, there is no such thing as stealth, short of true invisibilty, which isn't a thing. You ought to know that about half the Albedo run is still in stock at cover or near cover price if anyone asks.

you do point out some valid arguments. Always good to have a discussion like this :)

For MikeMurdock: While I agree with your ideas, keep in mind adding new technology in the Albedo universe would clash with the already technological base established in the series since the 80s. Also, there's the fact between the first and second arcs there's a two month in-universe time skip, so you cannot simply add new technology because there's new technologies, and even if you consider the last published issue in 2004, the second arc has lasted about few in-universe months, so you cannot simply add 2010s technology overnight.

There also isn't all that much fundamentally new/better/different between then and now as well. Unless you know of something I've totally missed?

That is also true. Like how prometheus is a prequel to the alien franchise yet has technology way more advance than the alien franchise. Knowing steve he will do what they call now retro furturism which is keepig the technology inside a bubble based on tech when the series came out. one example is alien isolation which in that game to keep it feeling like the fim they kept the tech like the first film instead of adding lots of current world tech :)

<3

I have to assume the Lepine guy is Lt. Tankannahai, right?

Yeap. I'll be doing some more studies and sample panels to get warmed up, then on to full and proper new content!

I have a question about him: How much old is he supposed to be?, since it's very obvious he's older than 18 but younger than 30 (Erma's actual age)

By this time, just of the top of my head, early 20s? I'd have to go back and work up a time line for him. He was something like 19 -20 when he was first posted on his ship.

Another question: If I remember right, Tankannahai is supposed to have a darker fur color, at least in the earlier issues and in the few color pics featuring him, his fur was brown, but he looks like his fur is now white this time.

Old man memory. Will have to go back though the issues and build up an up to date reference sheet on everyone.

It would be great if we could have more Albedo!

Outlines seem a little scratchy, I suppose. The pencil tones work, but you are going to have to keep note of your scan and photoshop setings so as to keep the tone levels and contrast consistent. still, any new Albedo will be a treat, for sure.

On the ink, the pen nibs got tightened more than I care for, so will need some re-adjustment, also done in some haste. Some of the more recent art posted will likely be a better representation of production work regarding ink. As for tone, I really like the look in some of the recent monochrome/pencil stuff I've done, but you are right, making sure the levels are consistent will be an issue. Resorting to screens or pure line art would avoid that, and may yet go that way.

You know I have a thing for brush inks, and have done them on computer without too much difficulty (Tablets are the key), but as to the contrasts,, My art teacher in the past gave me a valuable lesson in managing contrasts. Pick three to five values including white and black, and block that in (For instance old Duoshade paper could so four levels, and Roy Crane could do wonders with that http://www.inkystories.com/?p=467 ). Block everything within those values,. and then modify them by grading between the chosen values. That way you keep control, and can mange things as high kkey, or low key images with appropriate contrasts.

Examples from my work within Manga (Clip) studio, were using originally Dot screens at high resolution, and then exporting them as low res JPEGs . I would pick my levels. usually 0 20%, 45%, 70%, and 100%, and allow for a 5% darkening within printing, or 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% if it would never see print, and then use just that pallette of values to work in, and then ad shine or shadow gradients, with the gradient tool, set to the same Dot resolution as the underlying gray tones, and in Clipstudio they blended in fairly seamlessly, giving me that Masamune Shirow shine effect on occasion, or if it was all gradients (on metallics), I got more of a Tommy Yune effect. For instance=

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11005942/ to show metalics.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10852681/ Full range of Values, with limited Gradients.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11250172/ full range of Grays, and flat shading.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11251563/ here you can see a bit of a moire pattern on her arm as evidence of it's origin as a dot pattern shading, but the rest have exported as solid values mostly.

As involved as this looks, it was actually very quick, and I am lazy enough to appreciate the time savings.

Hope this helps.

--Scott

Oooh.

More Albedo is always great.

Guess I just have to ask, why the big-head look? With their cheeks reaching their shoulders helmets are going to be ginormous.

The final effect will be a bit of a compromise, maybe not quite this big, but not human head/body proportion.

I ditto that. Closer-to-normal head proportions make 'em more real-looking (and easier to draw?).

Love the changes to your style over the decades, they're looking great! Question though, how old is Erma by the very last issue? Late 20's/early 30's?

Need to work up a formal time line for the series, as I was only kind of winging it before- maybe 30?

According with her profile in the Command Review compilations and the RPG, she's 30 years old at SD 201, since she was born at SD 171 (Assuming our host didn't retcon this info later on, of course)

Older Wiser Erma

I love it, Steve. I've been waiting for this for literally years...

I do miss the old ink wash shading you used to do. You plan on having a similar effect if you go digital? I thought it was a real integral part of your style.

For now, I'm not sufficently up on the digital effects for anything like that. If I do anything, it will simple screen fills and the like.

I scored a bunch of old Albedocomics off eBay and really have to go through them before reading anything new!

I love Ipcha Tankannenhaii. (spelling?)

Not sure if you ever mentioned the origin of your characters to the point of them having their own society?

Is there a creator religion or a spiritual enlightenment theory for them?

Was it ever discussed why the rabbit characters are so upset with everyone else?

The religion one could be several book series in itself if our history is a template. :)

Actually did. The whole situation, the original colonized world in which the rest eventually sprang was a grand social experiment started long ago. No real start point for a religion per se. A work of fiction suggesting a 'creator', ambigious in nature, became a default creator/god image later. With a well developed understanding of psychology, 'spiritualism' as we would regard it doesn't exist. The rabbits wanted a separate territory of space and developed colony planets, but wanted to do it on the cheap by seizing other's worlds.