Adventures in Ninja Cookery

Yeah... It's a comic, but it's gonna be good honest.
I'll have all sorts of escapist-based in jokes and guest appearances.
You'll see, it'll be fantastic (or fabulous if you'd prefer that word)

I suppose a little bit of reasons for this comic might be in order.
Well you see, I wrote a "review" of Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy a while back, what this review lacked in actual, uh... Reviewing-ness, it made up for with snazzy comics.
I received about six requests that I start my own comic and of course, being the egotistical bastard that I am, I got super excited about it and began on my own comic strip.

And so I decided to put it here, many thanks to Anarchemitis and X434343 for giving me the idea of making a thread for this comic (instead of attempting to make my own site, which I can only assume I would suck at)

Here be the first one (sort of half arsed though it may be)

You're still here!?
Well then, I suppose there's no harm in showing you the second one I made.
I decided to go more for a story type comic than a "set up, set up, set up, punchline" sort of comic, so apologies to anyone with a short attention span. As it's rather long (28 panels)

The premise is that it's based in the mythical land of Themis (because "Escapia" would have been a bit too obvious) and it will (for now at least) follow the Iron Ninja and his band of companions on their journey, running into all sorts of slightly subtle forum related in jokes and a large cast of zany (yeah I went there) special guests.
The above comic was more of an introduction than a showcase of what the other comics will be like, I will try my darndest to have it concern other escapists instead of just me all the time.

Suggestions/Criticisms/Death threats are welcome.

Edit:
Here be links for ye to the later comics, instead of you having to run through the (much appreciated) comments to find them

Comic 1 & comic 2: right here.

Comic 3:Here

Comic 4: Here

Comic 5: here

Comic 6: here

This is really really really fucking cool. I look forward to more. After all, the Escapist likes nothing more than talking about itself and webcomics. These combined is like Escapist heaven.

Fire Daemon:
This is really really really fucking cool. I look forward to more. After all, the Escapist likes nothing more than talking about itself and webcomics and ridiculous RPGs with too many in-jokes. These combined is like Escapist heaven.

An addendum added :)

I like Mr. Iron Ninja. Bookmarked. I admit, you didn't get much lol'ing from me on this occasion, but I did have a smile plastered on my face throughout and that's jolly more than I can say for most webcomics these days. As for criticsms/friendly advice: Work on the text size. I feel you've not yet found a happy medium of good font and good size, so that still needs work.

Fire Daemon:
This is really really really fucking cool. I look forward to more. After all, the Escapist likes nothing more than talking about itself and webcomics. These combined is like Escapist heaven.

Yay!
*Jumps in the air and clicks heels together*

I will probably be making one comic a week, but it depends on how busy/lazy I am.

Good start, your skills with paint are almost as deadly as your ninja cooking skills. IronChef and Hopkins in the row boat is fantastic.

Meh. Not really sure what's up with this whole new ninja fad to begin with. Didn't we already do this back in 1994? Like monkeys, pirates or Master Chief, ninjas are not inherently funny. Are you going to MAKE them funny, or is this going to turn into a "oOo00 l00k a n1nja!!1!" thing?

(Obviously I don't think the "drinks through his mask" thing is funny. Or the crab.)

I mean, not to crush your creative impulse or anything. But...

*crush*

TheBluesader:
Meh. moan moan moan

I think a gambling saying comes here "Put up or shut up". Iron_Ninja's put some hard work into this. If you want to criticise, at least put some constructive criticism. Even Walt Disney's first effort wasn't astounding.

The_root_of_all_evil:

I think a gambling saying comes here "Put up or shut up". Iron_Ninja's put some hard work into this. If you want to criticise, at least put some constructive criticism. Even Walt Disney's first effort wasn't astounding.

Hey. I've had my own bad web comic. I stopped doing it primarily because of all the work it took. I understand how hard it is to put one of these together, even if it isn't funny.

Which this isn't. To me. Which is my opinion. Which I thus opine in the forum which exists for opining. So in other words, I'm awesome.

Ultrajoe:

Listen not, Ninja! Comedic tastes differ! You cannot please everyone!

And given the other responses in this thread, you should be inspired!

*Shakes fist at Bluesader* You be quiet, you...

See above.

The_root_of_all_evil:

TheBluesader:
Meh. moan moan moan

I think a gambling saying comes here "Put up or shut up". Iron_Ninja's put some hard work into this. If you want to criticise, at least put some constructive criticism. Even Walt Disney's first effort wasn't astounding.

Are you perhaps suggesting that 50 years from now children the world over will be watching Walt Ninja classic story tales?

I hope you are cause that comic was really good. Not extremely funny, but it shows promise and it was interesting enough in its adventure-yness to keep me reading.

Unfortunately I have a bad feeling about Larry...

Armitage Shanks:

The_root_of_all_evil:

TheBluesader:
Meh. moan moan moan

I think a gambling saying comes here "Put up or shut up". Iron_Ninja's put some hard work into this. If you want to criticise, at least put some constructive criticism. Even Walt Disney's first effort wasn't astounding.

Are you perhaps suggesting that 50 years from now children the world over will be watching Walt Ninja classic story tales?

And just think, we can tell our grandkids that "I knew him when..."

This may sound amazingly assumptious, is Jim Lad based on me?

on topic, the comic is just about as awesome as i would expect from you. and once again you have made me smile on what has been a crappy day. *raises sonic screwdriver* Hats off to you mighty ninja chef

Amnestic:

Armitage Shanks:

The_root_of_all_evil:

TheBluesader:
Meh. moan moan moan

I think a gambling saying comes here "Put up or shut up". Iron_Ninja's put some hard work into this. If you want to criticise, at least put some constructive criticism. Even Walt Disney's first effort wasn't astounding.

Are you perhaps suggesting that 50 years from now children the world over will be watching Walt Ninja classic story tales?

And just think, we can tell our grandkids that "I knew him when..."

"What did he look like grandpa?"
"Ugh, I think he had a mustache, yep... definitely a handlebar mustache. And his nickname was Gone Gonzo..."
"You never really met him did you grandpa?"

jim_doki:
This may sound amazingly assumptious, is Jim Lad based on me?

I was thinking the same thing. I can't wait to see all the different cameos.

Armitage Shanks:

Amnestic:

Armitage Shanks:

The_root_of_all_evil:

TheBluesader:
Meh. moan moan moan

I think a gambling saying comes here "Put up or shut up". Iron_Ninja's put some hard work into this. If you want to criticise, at least put some constructive criticism. Even Walt Disney's first effort wasn't astounding.

Are you perhaps suggesting that 50 years from now children the world over will be watching Walt Ninja classic story tales?

And just think, we can tell our grandkids that "I knew him when..."

"What did he look like grandpa?"
"Ugh, I think he had a mustache, yep... definitely a handlebar mustache. And his nickname was Gone Gonzo..."
"You never really met him did you grandpa?"

"I called him Jimmy."
"Why'd you call him Jimmy gramps?"
"WHAT?"
"I said: Why'd you call him Jimmy gramps?"
"High flyers told you Timmy's got cramps!? What?"
"No, gramps, why'd you call him Jimmy?"
"You need to go to Minny's to go buy some lamps?"

I fully expect to have lost my hearing by the time I'm 50 >_>

Amnestic:

I fully expect to have lost my hearing by the time I'm 50 >_>

Don't we all?

Oh and forgot to mention it before, but in the Gerald back-story, the pirate Travis Bickle, I think thats gotta get an award for most genius and obscure in-joke.

interesting hehe

Looking forward to more comic-goodness.

Ultrajoe:

Fire Daemon:

jim_doki:
This may sound amazingly assumptious, is Jim Lad based on me?

I was thinking the same thing. I can't wait to see all the different cameos.

Translation: When's my Cameo?

Don't worry Daemon, we're all thinking it.

i personally am looking forward to the massive multininja battles. Fe vs Purps in particular

It's nice to see a lot of the regulars are supporting old Iron Ninja. I remember back in the day, a few months ago, Iron Ninja was one of the first personalities I became dimly aware of on the forum.

It helped of course that he completely derailed my Samurai vs. Knight thread with his bloody, admittedly funny, drawings. I think the thread got locked after you paint murdered root_of_all_evil.

Ah yes, here we go:

Is that Gerald's brother? Accomplice? Wife?

rossatdi:
It's nice to see a lot of the regulars are supporting old Iron Ninja. I remember back in the day, a few months ago, Iron Ninja was one of the first personalities I became dimly aware of on the forum.

It helped of course that he completely derailed my Samurai vs. Knight thread with his bloody, admittedly funny, drawings. I think the thread got locked after you paint murdered root_of_all_evil.

Ah yes, here we go:

Is that Gerald's brother? Accomplice? Wife?

Split personality which manifested into a physical being of its own.

/speculation

Ultrajoe:

Fire Daemon:

jim_doki:
This may sound amazingly assumptious, is Jim Lad based on me?

I was thinking the same thing. I can't wait to see all the different cameos.

Translation: When's my Cameo?

Don't worry Daemon, we're all thinking it.

I actually think the Dragon is my cameo. You know, with the dragon avatar and all. I mean, I've never fought against Iron Ninja (to my knowledge) and even if I did fight against him I would probably just get bored, hand him over some gold and go to sleep. It would hardly be something worth yarning over.

I would like a cameo, I'm not going to lie but I don't want Iron Ninja to force me in. If I don't fit I don't want to be in. I want a cameo if it would work and if Iron wants me in the comic, I don't want for him to try and force my character into a comic where it wouldn't work.

EDIT: I don't think showing The_Root_of_All_Evil being eaten by Gerald an Co. a very nice thing to post. One might even call it harrasment.

Amnestic:

Split personality which manifested into a physical being of its own.
/speculation

Damn I always miss the obvious ones.

Fire Daemon:

I don't think showing The_Root_of_All_Evil being eaten by Gerald an Co. a very nice thing to post. One might even call it harassment.

I'm sure it was all in good humour, which is exactly what people say just before they get a crab to tear someone's head off.

Am I the only who heard several different versions of Rob Moran in my head while reading those panels?

*chirping*

Damn. I knew that was a bad sign.

Well, in spite of the extreme contrast in art type and story between the two, I want to see where this is going.

This is a truly awesome comic, Iron Ninja. I could not think of a better way to start my day.

*pats self on back*

BEST. SUGGESTION. EVER.

Well once again I have managed to sleep through the vast majority of the comments so far, so bear with me as I back track and attempt to answer most of them.

smallharmlesskitten:
I KILL YOU! bookmarked!

I have to admit, I was a bit shocked, then I remembered the thing I said about death threats.

Everyone that said something along the lines of Well done:
(something along the lines of "well done!")

Why thankyou.

Amnestic:

I admit, you didn't get much lol'ing from me on this occasion, but I did have a smile plastered on my face throughout and that's jolly more than I can say for most webcomics these days. As for criticsms/friendly advice: Work on the text size. I feel you've not yet found a happy medium of good font and good size, so that still needs work.

I don't want to force myself to put jokes in every four panels, and it was never my intention to end the comic with a punchline (after all, 27 panels would have been an awfully long set up), the 2nd comic is designed as more of a story than a joke, although I will try and fit some humour in there.
As for the font size, you're correct, it doesn't really fit right, so that's something to work on I guess.

jim_doki:
This may sound amazingly assumptious, is Jim Lad based on me?

It's actually not, I just decided to have a little dude sitting in the back of the cart, and the first name I came up for him was Jim Lad, I don't know why.
It was my plan to have a cast of characters building up that travel with the Iron Ninja, and after a while I could follow them individually (as I can already tell I'm going to get tired of drawing the Iron Ninja over and over).
It was my intention to have Jim Doki as one of those characters.

Fire Daemon:

I actually think the Dragon is my cameo. You know, with the dragon avatar and all. I mean, I've never fought against Iron Ninja (to my knowledge) and even if I did fight against him I would probably just get bored, hand him over some gold and go to sleep. It would hardly be something worth yarning over.

I thought about making you be the dragon, and I still haven't decided, if you are, I will probably do a proper backstory going over the battle in full, since all the other cameos I have planned will be longer than one panel, so it would be unfair of me to just leave you with that one.
And we have fought each other, in the President/Ninja thread, in fact I beleive it was you that killed Gerald. You bastard.

Ultrajoe:

Fire Daemon:

I can't wait to see all the different cameos.

Translation: When's my Cameo?

Don't worry Daemon, we're all thinking it.

Chances are, if you are a reasonably well known escapist (which pretty much everyone in this thread is) you will be having a cameo at some point.

The problem is with people like Fire Daemon that don't have human-like avatars, as I will have to find ways to turn things like floating yellow heads, fractals and weird spiral shapes into human shaped beings, of course for Fire Daemon it will be slightly easier, since dragons wouldn't be that out of place.

If anyone has suggestions for how they would like their character represented, feel free to suggest them here.

TheBluesader:
Meh. Not really sure what's up with this whole new ninja fad to begin with. Didn't we already do this back in 1994? Like monkeys, pirates or Master Chief, ninjas are not inherently funny. Are you going to MAKE them funny, or is this going to turn into a "oOo00 l00k a n1nja!!1!" thing?

(Obviously I don't think the "drinks through his mask" thing is funny. Or the crab.)

I mean, not to crush your creative impulse or anything. But...

*crush*

I defy you and your warped opinion, Pirates and Monkeys are still funny. By this alone I have already written off your opinion as unimportant, as you obviously have no taste in humour.
And uh, If I may point to my avatar for a second, you may notice that it's a Ninja, hence my character in the comic is a Ninja.
Looking back through the comic, it appears that (other than the title and the end title), the word "Ninja" was said once. I'm not sure if you even read it, but it might have helped you to gauge a more accurate idea of what the comic was actually about. A quick check on my creative impulse reveals that it is very much uncrushed.

iamnotincompliance:
Am I the only who heard several different versions of Rob Moran in my head while reading those panels?

*chirping*

Damn. I knew that was a bad sign.

Well, in spite of the extreme contrast in art type and story between the two, I want to see where this is going.

I wondered if that might happen, though so far the only common thing (as far as I can remember from watching Unforgotten Realms) is that it's set in a medieval countryside, and I beleive Iron Ninja said "what's wrong with Gerald?" Which after reading your post, I immediately read in the voice of the mage guy.

There is a huge difference in the art style I agree.
I'm thinking (just thinking at this point) of having a shorter comic like the first one made in between the longer ones, and they will have a setting much like the first one (ie. the "real" world) I think PurpleRain suggested that I do one of Ultrajoe doing something not so Ultra like ironing, so they would be things of that nature, and I would attempt a more "set up, set up, set up, puchline" sort of thing.

rossatdi:
It's nice to see a lot of the regulars are supporting old Iron Ninja. I remember back in the day, a few months ago, Iron Ninja was one of the first personalities I became dimly aware of on the forum.

It helped of course that he completely derailed my Samurai vs. Knight thread with his bloody, admittedly funny, drawings. I think the thread got locked after you paint murdered root_of_all_evil.

Ah yes, here we go:

Is that Gerald's brother? Accomplice? Wife?

Ah, those were the days...

It's neither, just two angry crabs, Gerald wouldn't hurt Root, and I feel like a jackass for making that.

Armitage Shanks:
Unfortunately I have a bad feeling about Larry...

I was sort of hoping more people would recognise him, though I suppose the beard didn't help.
I've decided to be nice to him though, the poor man got trapped in /b/ for crying out loud, I thought he deserved a break, so I gave him a role where he wouldn't get killed so often.

Armitage Shanks:

Oh and forgot to mention it before, but in the Gerald back-story, the pirate Travis Bickle, I think thats gotta get an award for most genius and obscure in-joke.

Once again, it seems that Armitage shanks is the only one to notice the little things.
I haven't done this in a while, and it's high time I started again, so here.
Have a cigar.

so, i'm NOT a child in this? this makes me much happier. the comic is brilliant

jim_doki:
so, i'm NOT a child in this? this makes me much happier. the comic is brilliant

Any suggestions as to what you want to look like?
I'm going to be basing it on the picture of your avatar, but in that you don't have any armour/weapons or anything.
Also I'm not sure what I'll do to stormtrooper girl, but I guess It could easily translate from white, plastic armour to some kind of metallic plate armour and people would still recognise who it was supposed to be.