Poll is closed. The winning option is putting Palmer Mansion back into hibernation.
The feedback on the reboot of The Haunting of Palmer Mansion illustrated has been mixed. Given that, I have decided to let you decide whether to continue this reboot with FoxBlack, or to put the story on ice and wait for a different illustrator.
If “Yes” wins, FoxBlack will illustrate the whole novel. If “No” wins, FoxBlack will go back to Five Twisted Wishes and the illustrated version of Palmer Mansion will hibernate until I find someone else. Poll expires in one week: 2/28/22.
This poll is no longer accepting votes
Rawls You should do another survey to see if people can give it a chance in a second chapter or it’s already over
Each chapter costs a lot of money for me and time for FoxBlack, I don’t want to move forward if it might get canceled later.
I wanted to make it clear that no matter what happens, JDseal’s incomplete version of Palmer Mansion will remain on the site. And the reboot is only about getting the whole story illustrated, I won’t be rewriting it.
Having actually looked this reboot chapter over, i’m still going to abstain from voting… however, now that’s because i don’t think either of the choices work for me. Seeing the chapter, and seeing Fox’s remarks here, i think Fox should be given another shot.. If the art is tweaked, based on feedback, and chapter two still doesn’t hit the mark with the subs, THEN put the project on ice. I think that strikes a fair balance.
I think FoxBlack has done a fine job, but honestly don’t think anyone can match JDseal, who I think was the most talented artist on the site. If he can’t be asked to complete the series then that’s a shame, but I’d just have FoxBlack finish it from where it left off, rather than starting from scratch. Otherwise I think whoever you get to re-do what’s been done by JD will just pale in comparison. May as well just do new content. And I think Fox is fine for that task
I am declining to vote. I won’t really read the reboot because I have attached JDSeal’s artwork to the project in my mind, but considering it doesn’t take away Rawls’ time because it is already written, I don’t see a drawback.
Rawly can you add a edit function so that poster can make changes to a post without needing to post again. I think allowing Foxxblack make at least illustrate 2 to 3 chapters in order to allow the person to feel out the story is a good idea. If the response is still negative than we can make a change. I would still vote for Tendermindd or Satanic to take over if it went that direction.
I’ll look into adding an edit function. There are a few quirks about how comments work that I’d like to upgrade.
If the THOPM is going to be shelved than I vote for TenderMindd or SatanicFruitCake to take over the reboot once they are done with their current stories.
Get an artist who is doing their own style, not trying to replicate the old one. Also why don’t you get Dwight Sanchez to do anymore work?
Hope we can stay the course on this one. You look at JD’s art for ‘Serum’ and ‘Dark Stone’ and it’s a far cry from the latter chapters of ‘Palmer Mansion’. My point being we should just let FoxBlack feel it out and adapt with it. In time it could turn out really special.
I’m enjoying the story very much and think the art is just fine.
Maybe that wasn’t particularly helpful to you, Rawls. What I’m saying is: I would be sad to see the story delayed, because I like the story very much. The art neither thrills me nor upsets me; I’m neutral about it. But I’m fine giving it a chance to develop. I like jdseal’s work just fine, but I’m not a huge fan like some of the others here. I really enjoy Redoxa’s work. I didn’t like Nickeronic’s work at first, but have come to enjoy it. I thought M-slave’s art was odd, but again I’ve come to enjoy it. I’m fine with letting it continue.
I think the problem is that the art is too similar to JDSeal’s, but just is slightly off compared to theirs. I don’t want it done in 3d, as I feel that’s not as good as drawn art. I would definitely prefer if Owusyr, Mitzz, Disarten, or NickEronic were to take on the project.
All those artists are busy with other projects. But they may become free in the future.
I’d really rather energy be put to a new story. We’ve already scene HPM illustrated by JDSeal and it’s awesome. I don’t get why it’s being rehashed/recycled/reused. If you want to write another story similar to it but slightly different that’d be great.
People want to see the illustrated version completed. I’m not rewriting this story. The only thing it costs to illustrate this story is money.
Didn’t even realize it wasn’t finished. Well I for one don’t care about seeing the remaining chapters illustrated.
I also really think that we should see how the next chapter would shape up with FoxBlack to properly decide.
I like the new artist. I like that the art is more petite for Julie and Brittney before they make the pact which did not happen in the original art and I look forward to seeing how that develops. I am also really eager to see art for Daniel and Brittney together as the series stopped just before this happened previously. In my opinion, this is one of the strongest stories on this website and I do not want to wait and wait and wait for the “right” artist, keeping the project in a sort of development hell waiting for the best possible when FoxBlack’s art is already great as is.
If the reboot for the THOPM is shelved, than how about SatanicFruitcake essentially rebooting the reboot for THOPM. I like his barter story and the way it is illustrated.
SatanicFruitcake is busy working on The Wicked Tower and doing a wonderful job. No chance of having them work on this until after that is complete.
I really digged the black and white drawings but something got lost in the colours. Feels quite flat and lacking detail. I loved the backgrounds, they looked great! Julie looked petite which really made you look forward to chapter 5 and 6. When I’m writing this it appears the no’s are winning and I feel I need to mention something. Jdseal’s art really made this story but I think if you compare every new illustrator to him, the story will never be right. When Rawls finds a new illustrator I hope they feel like they can do the story justice without living in Jd’s shadow. For what it’s worth I would like to see Foxblack work on colours then come back in a few months and try again, I really liked what was coming out.
Who did the cover art for The Palmer Legacy? That looks outstanding.
That is SatanicFruitcake.
I looked at SatanicFruitcake’s other work, like The Stone’s Plunge, and think they would be a great fit for THoPM. Any chance of getting them? I don’t mean to be negative towards FoxBlack, I enjoyed their work on Five Twisted Wishes, but as others have said, their style isn’t right for THoPM.
SatanicFruitcake is busy working on The Wicked Tower and doing a wonderful job. No chance of having them work on this until after that is complete.
Thank you for the words of support for my art in other projects.
I’m reading the comments and I’m really surprised as two parts of sketches have been posted
and no one has spoken before with such conviction.
I believe that if we had received the feedback earlier, the author and I could have taken
another direction so that something came out that was within the expectations of the majority.
I’m here to bring this story to life in the best possible way with my art.
All criticisms are welcome, and I learn from them, so I’ll fix some mistakes and adapt between one job and another.
After these comments, I know a little of what was missing in this chapter, and how the faithful audience of the story mentalized and imagined that
the scenes would be illustrated.
I know everyone loves JD’s art, but I can’t just copy his style.
What I can do is expect more feedback from fans of the story on what they expect each scene to convey.
Only then can I improve as an artist and do something to impress the fans.
After all, what would we be artists without you…
What I found to be the biggest problem is depth, angles, lighting, and scaling. Largely your character models and art style are perfectly fine, much better than some of the other artists here. I’m no artist by any means and it’s way easier to be the critic than the artist, but the feedback is below and as honest as I can be to help you reach your goals.
Ex. from Chapter 1:
Pages 3: The water bottle looks drawn separate and copied into each drawing, it doesn’t look natural at all. Roger also appears to have substantially longer arms than Julie. He’s reaching almost all the way across the table but then she’s barely making it across the table and her arms is fairly well extended. The lamp is behind them yet they’re both fully illuminated, no shading, etc. outside of some on George’s jacket.
Page 4: The water, it honestly could have been left off. As for scaling, Roger’s hands are resting at the edge of the table. You probably could have left his arms and the water out of this drawing and it look a lot better than the finished product.
Page 8 looks amazing outside of maybe some lighting, but that would be nitpicky.
Page 9 is an issue with the angles. If she were washing dishes her stance seems a bit off.
Pages 10/11 the doorway is angled and the shower tile is almost level, making the wall warped. They’re also both much taller than the shower head.
Page 12, this one came together really well, though they are to be overlooking the grand stairway, not at the bottom of it.
Page 13, idk why they’re on the stairs, the text reads they’re on the floor. This looked like you reused the stairs and pasted the drawing of the characters on top of it. It’s a bit jarring because it looks like they’re on an invisible plane above the stairs.
Page 17 the table is slanted and the chairs are different heights .
Page 19 Julie is sitting down and they both appear to be on different planes and then while sitting is as tall as Eloise’s breasts.
Page 22 of Chapter 1 is a great example where Julie looks like she is several feet away for how tall she is in relation to Daniel. Then on page 23 they’re approximately the same height.
Page 26, the depth of the room and the angles are all over the place. The bed appears to be twisted and the light coming from the lamps is anything but natural.
I appreciate the constructive feedback. That’s really helpful.
Sorry about that. I know for myself I like to not look at the sketches before hand so I can see the full chapters without any “spoilers”, I guess would be the best way to say it. I hadn’t considered that sketches would be a good time for you to get feedback as well.
I can’t say much that hasn’t already been said. Foxblack is a good artist, I appreciate what they did for this story. Haunting is probably my favorite story of Rawls. I don’t think that Foxblack’s artstyle is the best fit for the story, unfortunately. I don’t want to draw too many comparisons to JDSeals approach. Foxblack’s art feels more… I dunno, whimsical than what I think should be used for this kind of story (not that a smut story about ghosts getting a guy to boink his mom should be taken especially seriously). It lacks depth, things feel a little flat.
I had to vote no. If Foxblack can illustrate Haunting with more eroticism in the art, then I’m on board. Maybe send the feedback you get here their way and put out chapter 2 and then decide if it goes back into hibernation?
My thoughts on FoxBlack and the reboot: To start, I don’t think that FoxBlack’s art is bad, I think they are a good artist, and that their art would fit very well for some projects, but it does not go well with HOPM in my opinion. I was intrigued by the sketches and was looking forward to the outcome but then was left wanting when it came to the final product. To give it a grade I find the sketches and outlines to be at a ‘B- ‘and then the coloring brings it to a strong ‘C’, and this is basing it on illustrating HOPM and bringing what it needs to the story, which is eroticism. To me, the art lacks the attractiveness/hotness/sexiness, the eroticism, that it needs to compliment the story and that is why I think the reboot should not continue. The sketches have some eroticism and I would want the illustrations to just be in black and white going forward if the reboot continues. Whatever happens, I do look forward to FoxBlack’s progression with their art and I will follow what they do in the future.
Unfortunately I had to vote no. FoxBlack is a good artist, but imho compared to JD’s original artwork it is subpar for this story.
I’m happy to wait for a new artist. And Fox is doing great work on five twisted wishes. Just not as good for THOPM.
FoxBlack finishing Five Twisted Wishes before taking on this beautifully written story is the best route to take. One project at a time. I look forward to more work from FoxBlack.
Yeah, see, that’s what threw me… Fox’s art style isn’t bad… Five Twisted Wishes had some really nice illustrations. Seems like Fox is trying a different style or something with this one.
Unfortunately art is not sexy. It looks like a children’s story art
I defiantly love the reboot… However, I would like to vote for new illustrator if possible?
Just to be clear, there are no other illustrators lined up for this project. If no wins, the project will go into hibernation.
I think that the art needs work, but allowing the artist to find their way is an ok strategy. Regarding the story itself, I think that it’s currently too much of a retread of the same story you already did, especially since the Palmer Legacy is also being created. If you have a twist coming, something to make this story unique, then I will definitely keep reading!
This story is already written. And it was partly illustrated by JDseal. You can read the whole thing in the text-only section anytime. The reboot exists for people that want to see the whole story illustrated.
Oh, this is such a sticky one (no pun intended)..
I haven’t had a chance to really closely look at chapter one yet. I gave it a glance, and don’t remember being blown away by the art.. On the one hand, the art isn’t as good as JD…but on the other hand, i wanna give this new fellow a chance. I can’t honestly vote one way or the other, So i shall abstain.
If the fine subscribers here vote to put this on ice, we should have a vote for who SHOULD do the illustrations. i know i have a short list of who i’d like to see. It really is a shame JD flaked out….his art was a perfect fit for the story. But i get it: we all burn out eventually. Your partnership had a good run, and you guys did some fantastic work together.
I’m eager to see how this shakes out.
I’m not sure about holding votes for a new artist. We’ll see. Most artists aren’t able to commit to such a long story, so it will probably be a long time before we try a reboot again if “No” wins.
I completely understand people not being willing to sign on for a long-term project like this… it’s a huge commitment of time, resources, and creative efforts. It would be a shame if an illustrated version of this was never completed. If i had the requisite skillset, i’d take the project in a heartbeat….sadly, i’m no good at drawing, and despite numerous attempts to get the hang of 3d modeling, i could never focus long enough to get GOOD at it. But enough about my failures, lol..
Whether the subs decide to give Fox another chance, or they decide to cast him aside for this one, i do hope we eventually see this project completed one day.
Either way, you’ve got my support.
See I don’t understand that DM1485, I know I’m old and on the wrong side of 50 now, but to me a job is a job and a commitment is a commitment, long term or not. Personally it’s pathetic to me that JD Seal never completed the Palmer project before bailing out, I mean shit, there was only 11 or so chapters to go.
I have ruminated at times as to the situation Rawls is in….. that is a successful and prolific author in need of reliable, consistent and professional illustrators to bring the stories to life.
My thoughts, admittedly coming from the naïve perspective of a bloke with zero experience in the industry, look for hungry illustrators that would be stoked for consistent and well paid work, such that may be found in countries like India for example.
I don’t know, does that sound crazy?
In principle, no, that doesn’t sound crazy.. but that’s the thing… there was no binding agreement, no contract.. the dude’s a freelance artist, who’d been working with Rawls for YEARS.. basically every story that got illustrated, up until fairly recently (like a year ago), he did. I’d say he filled the “consistent and reliable” role pretty well.. JD prefers to do comics, instead of the kind of static images he was doing for these projects. He was getting burnt out on the stuff, after years of illustrating these stories. At the end of the day, this art thing is probably a side gig, and if your side gig is frustrating, and not worth the money, you gotta walk away. Not sure what he was getting paid, and it’s not anyone’s business but him and Rawls.
Would have been nice if he could have held on until the end of this project, but i understand why he couldn’t. Like most things, just because someone’s good at something, doesn’t mean it’s easy. I’ve got nothing but respect for Rawls, JD, and all the rest of the people who’s work is showcased here.
Me too, and thanks 🙂
Hi Rawls,
Thank you for wanting to keep JD’s version of illustrations for Palmer Mansion. After reading a few other posts I see why he gave up on PM. I too respect other artist projects, even if I dont think those projects quite represent the heart of a particular writing project. Maybe as it was suggested, Fox could try another chapter or two, but several people have already agreed with my opinion that Fox’s art doesn’t compare with what JD’s art has done for the story. I’m along time reader of stories online, and I have to say that when a story is well written, nothing compares to using one’s own imagination. When I first joined your site Rawls, I was happy enough to not have illustrations. Now that you are here at this new site, I see the problems associated with having artists bail and offering work that doesn’t add any depth to a good story.