Hello, Xyliacs! Greetings from snowy Iowa!

———————-Sneak peek————————-
Today’s preliminary from Wednesday’s is the an in progress panel of April!
—————————TWC————————–
Thank you EVERYONE for getting us up the rankings on the Webcomic List. We’ve been holding steady in the forties for a while now! Thanks for your votes!! New incentive up today- this is a very old concept drawing (like from two years ago…) of a scene that is coming up in a bit …

———————–XYLIATALES NEWS!!————————
Also want to remind you again that Tall Tale Features has a new design and layout with great new content! Norm Feuti, creator of Retail has a really cool ‘how-to’ entry of how he creates his syndicated comic on the TTF website!
———————-Barblog———————————-

Sorry this post is late, folks- I was at a Superbowl Party last night, and pretty incoherent- NO I WAS NOT DRINKING- just one beer! But I’ve been having these nasty arrhythmia/vertigo things almost daily and had a particularly annoying bout when I got home- it was like the computer screen was spinning last night. This morning was shoveling- but now at last I am at the computer and posting!

Creating a webcomic is kind of a crazy thing. But when you’re a forty something mom- it’s even more peculiar. It often makes me question my sanity. I’ve been doing this webcomic gig for some five years now- trying to figure out how to keep doing this thing I love to do, and other people seem to like, and still survive.

It’s never been an easy thing. Worth it? I hope so. But the greatest joy I get from working on stories is not the actual creation of them- although I truly enjoy that (as long as my stress level allows me to) but in the knowing that other people are enjoying it. To me, art doesn’t really ‘live’ if it exists in a vacuum. Playing in a band in the basement… drawing in sketchbooks that never see light of day….writing stories that no one reads…it isn’t until these things are shared that they really come to life.

This is my rambling way of saying *thank you* to all of you who read Xyliatales, for those of you who take the time to write and share your thoughts, and of course those of you who are able to help out with donations and purchases. I hope that this year is XYlia’s best year yet!

————————Odds and Ends————————-
Xyliatales On Air will be broadcasting on Sundays, along with the occasional last minute broadcast! (Just had a fun one last Thursday night!). I’m going to try for a regular time- like 7PM CST. I know some of you will find that an inconvenient time in other parts of the world- hopefully it will work for some of you! XYLIATALES ON AIR TALK SHOW SITE
Free video chat by Ustream

Remember, you can follow my announcements on Twitter

Or consider friending me on Facebook- just make sure to let me know that you are a Xyliac when you send the request.

——————–XYLIA GOODY BAG——————
Please consider donating for the cause! I plan on adding new things in the coming weeks- first I will be creating a series of hi resolution downloadable character cards, with profile images and bio information! In the meantime, browse our existing wallpapers and other things. As always if you don’t receive your download, please email me directly at bji2001(at)mchsi.com.

Thank you all for visiting! Remember, that I love comments, and your feedback keeps me goin’ on this cold winter nights in Iowa!

Hugs,

~B

-Kez

Hello, Xyliacs!

———————-TODAY’S PAGE————————-
I want to say a couple things about today’s page. It’s all kinds of disturbing. First off, I know not ALL nuns are mean. Some of you may even yell at me for the stereotype. I want to say that I had many very nice sisters that were teachers at the Catholic College I attended. I just want to get that out there.

I realize that this page is upsetting, and it should be. Feel free to discuss.
—————————TWC————————–
Thank you EVERYONE for getting us up the rankings on the Webcomic List. We started out in the 130’s and ended up in the 70’s. To kick off the new month, today’s TWC incentive is a look at the cover of the upcoming Xyliatales graphic novel Volume I! I’m leaving it up for a couple more days, just because I think I can. I plan on changing this up on Friday, so check it out! PLEASE VOTE EVERY DAY!

———————–XYLIATALES NEWS!!————————
Once again, I want to remind you that Tall Tale Features is kicking off our new web design today (February 1!)! Don’t miss it!
Irma Erikkson of Imy is cooking up a fantabulous site design! A few of us do a review of Rival Angels! Come see the hubbub!

———————-Barblog———————————-

Thank you EVERYONE for your kind words about my last blog, but mores for sharing your personal stories of courage with me and all the Xylia readers. Like Josh said, “I don’t think I can say this enough. Xyliacs are by and large the most awesome set of people ever. I am consistently floored by them.” I wholeheartedly agree.

Today’s page is a bit late because there was more going on around here in Barbland that is not something I can discuss, but it’s been a rough couple of days, and I appreciate your patience with me.

In other news, I took my annual “Barb Falls On the Ice” moment on Monday, and I’m feeling every bit of my 44 years because of it. I reeeeally want to get out of Iowa.

Soon, I will be visiting the Austin Texas area! I’m really looking forward to that. Any Austin readers out there?

Also, thank you to all the Irish readers who approached me willing to help with Irish dialect. Thank you!
————————Odds and Ends————————-
Xyliatales On Air will be broadcasting on Sundays, along with the occasional last minute broadcast! (Just had a fun one last Thursday night!). I’m going to try for a regular time- like 7PM CST. I know some of you will find that an inconvenient time in other parts of the world- hopefully it will work for some of you! XYLIATALES ON AIR TALK SHOW SITE

Remember, you can follow my announcements on Twitter

Or consider friending me on Facebook- just make sure to let me know that you are a Xyliac when you send the request.

——————–XYLIA GOODY BAG——————
Please consider donating for the cause! I plan on adding new things in the coming weeks- first I will be creating a series of hi resolution downloadable character cards, with profile images and bio information! In the meantime, browse our existing wallpapers and other things. As always if you don’t receive your download, please email me directly at bji2001(at)mchsi.com.

Most of the other incentives are still available for $2.00 – $10.00 amounts, including the nude faeiries (if you are 18+)! Get em while they’re hot (always)! ^_^

As we head towards three years of Xyliatales, I want to thank all of you for coming along for the ride, and I hope you continue to stay with us in the coming year!

Hugs,

~B

———————-Sneak peek————————-
Today’s preliminary for Wednesday is a sketchy sketch of one of our new characters just walkin’ along. And then a hand. What is that IN her hand? Hmm… we shall have to wait n see.

—————————TWC————————–
Thank you EVERYONE for getting us up the rankings on the Webcomic List. We started out in the 130’s and ended up in the 70’s. To kick off the new month, today’s TWC incentive is a look at the cover of the upcoming Xyliatales graphic novel Volume I!

———————–XYLIATALES NEWS!!————————
Also want to remind you that Tall Tale Features is kicking off our new web design today (February 1!)! Don’t miss it!
Irma Erikkson of Imy is cooking up a fantabulous site design! A few of us do a review of Rival Angels! Come see the hubbub!

———————-Barblog———————————-

Today I’m going to delve into a subject that would fall into that ‘heavy’ category- (if we had a laugh track at Xyliatales, they would probably shut it off.

I was actually going to post this blog a week ago. I wrote it after personally coming out of a rather intense funk also known as a depression episode, but ‘chickened out’ again (very hypocritical of me, you will see when you read this blog… A few days ago, I was told of the suicide of one of my good friends’ old high school classmates: a nice local guy, a dad with two adolescent kids, a guy smiling in his Facebook photos-some as recent as two weeks ago- and realized that here again was another person suffering in silence…another person who gave up. ANOTHER person who was maybe too ashamed to get help. So I’m posting this blog. Now.

———————————–

In the past, I used to blog about my personal challenges of dealing with depression. This is something I feel very strongly about discussing openly for a number of reasons, but I had stopped, because of someone using the stigmas and fears that I was trying to combat: I had my depression thrown at me in an extortionistic way. Essentially: “You better hope they don’t find out how ‘crazy’ you are”. I let a cruel threat stop me from being open and honest and sharing information with others for fear it could be used against me .

Well, I’m done with that. That’s exactly the kind of crap I want to fight against.

I had decided years ago when I was diagnosed with chronic depression that I was going to become a one woman wrecking crew against the stigma of mental illnesses- fighting against the dark ages mentality that promotes the shoving of conversation about depression, OCD, or bipolarity into dark closets or denying its existence for fear of being shunned or mocked or labeled. I can’t tell you how many people through the years I have talked into seeking help and support- people to whom I frankly admitted- “hey, guess what, I deal with this too” to which I am frequently met with shocked looks. “How can she have depression? She doesn’t LOOK like she does…” And that’s when I realized that my openness about the subject could actually help people, who, like I had been, were afraid to step out of the shadows and seek help because of the fear of being socially unaccepted.

Here’s the thing. Depression- OCD – manic depression- it’s not us- the people who deal with it. It’s a separate thing. It doesn’t mean we are weak of character or less of a person. Something impossibly hard to remember when you’re ‘there’. It means that we are dealing with a condition, and like any other condition, if ignored or left to grow, can often expand into something quite debilitating.

One of the best fuels for depression is the darkness of ignorance. Not talking about it. Letting it grow and inflame silently until it bowls you under. The more the subject remains taboo, or maligned, the more it’s fostered.

What I ask of you dear readers is that you help me in creating a world where it’s safe to get well. To not be ashamed if we need help for these illnesses, any more than we would be if we were diabetic, or fighting cancer.

If you suspect you may have symptoms of depression or any anxiety disorder, please talk to your family physician. If you are uninsured, there are many charities that offer sliding scales that will help make payment options affordable. Talk to a friend. Most of all, face it head on, and don’t feel shame in needing help.

If you have a friend or family member you think needs help, it can be exhausting, frightening, and even frustrating, because most psychological illness is at it’s root irrational. Try to encourage them to seek professional help. If you can, quietly listen without being judging, and let them know that you don’t blame them for how they feel. If you are willing to go the distance and really be a support person, know that this is a huge responsibility and you need to take good care of yourself if you take it on. For information on supporting a loved one with mental illness, here is a good start.

For more information on the topic of depression, and other anxiety disorders, here is a website with overview and links:

If you (or you suspect a loved one) are contemplating suicide, seek help immediately.
1-800-273-TALK (8255) A voice in the darkness can save lives.

~Thank you.

————————Odds and Ends————————-
Xyliatales On Air will be broadcasting on Sundays, along with the occasional last minute broadcast! (Just had a fun one last Thursday night!). I’m going to try for a regular time- like 7PM CST. I know some of you will find that an inconvenient time in other parts of the world- hopefully it will work for some of you! XYLIATALES ON AIR TALK SHOW SITE

Remember, you can follow my announcements on Twitter

Or consider friending me on Facebook- just make sure to let me know that you are a Xyliac when you send the request.

——————–XYLIA GOODY BAG——————

Please consider donating for the cause! I plan on adding new things in the coming weeks- first I will be creating a series of hi resolution downloadable character cards, with profile images and bio information! In the meantime, browse our existing wallpapers and other things. As always if you don’t receive your download, please email me directly at bji2001(at)mchsi.com.

Thank you all for visiting! Remember, that I love comments, and your feedback keeps me goin’ on this cold winter nights in Iowa!

Hugs,

~B

-Kez

I recently had the wonderful chance to participate in the open beta of the up and coming game, Star Trek Online. So I’ve decided to write my impressions. Please keep in mind I only had a limited time to play the game (I’m also studying for classes) and naturally it was a beta so there were bugs and limitations imposed. So my review probably won’t be as thorough as it might be if I had played a full game for a longer period.

First thing is first! The story!

The game takes place some decades after the events in Star Trek the Next Generation. So the technology is about the same level and recognizable. There has been improvements to ships, and they’ve introduced some new technology like transwarp. (This is mostly so you don’t spend half your game waiting to get from one place to another, as even at warp travel would take hours)

Some major things have changed though. The federation is once again at war with the klingons. And the borg are changing, although what -exactly- is going on has been left a mystery for now.

You start out playing an ensign, who quickly gets promoted to a lieutenant first grade after your first mission in game (a ‘how to play the game’ sort of thing mostly). You are also in command of your ship. Because of the war, and the quick loss of life, the federation has taken to the old navel tradition. A person who is in command of the ship is captain, even if they do not actually have the rank of captain.

You also are able to take on and use bridge officers. This is much like Next Generation, were you would have a Worf for tactical/security, Laforge for Engineering needs, and say.. Data for science needs. Each officer has their own specialty and abilities. And they come with you away missions, level up as you do, and gain new abilities and so on.

And you have of course, star ships. You start out with a small basic star ship. Average in speed, weapons, and shields. When you’ve gained enough rank, (lieutenant commander, captain, admiral) you are given access to new ships, and three types of ships in the end.

You have escorts:
These ships are small, fast, and packed with weapons. In MMO terms, they are your DPS ship class. In Star Trek terms.. think the Defiant from Deep Space Nine. Do alot of damage quickly, but not alot of options outside that.

You have science vessels:
What it sounds like, these ships specialize in science stuff. They’re the only ones that can detect cloaked ships, and can actually repair other ships. MMO terms, think healer/cleric/assist what have you. Star Trek, you might think of the U.S.S. Pasteur from the last episode of Next Generation.

And Cruiser ships.
These are the largest ships, able to use their warp core for greater shielding, hold the most crew and cargo, and while they don’t carry the most powerful weapons (escorts do) they have the most weapon slots. Think the Enterprise from Next Generation.

So what about the controls? Well when you go on away missions, controls are very similar to most MMOs. You have quick actions (phasers, hand to hand combat etc.) movement, inventory items, switch out armor and weapons. At times it’s somewhat sluggish and a little stunted. Sort of like Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. You also command your away team, but these commands are very simple. Attack him, use your abilities, be a medic. Your bridge officers accompany you, and if you don’t have enough or decide not to bring them, “red shirts” do instead, who can die.

In Ship mode… well the controls are still somewhat clunky. You can either use WASD to control your ship, which makes going up and down very slow, or you can use your mouse by holding both buttons and moving it. Which is very uncomfortable. I’m not a huge fan of either scheme and I hope this improves. Actual dogfights are relatively fun, but consist of alot of… circling each other and trying to keep your shields up while blasting away. Actually here the game succeeds well. As you can push your power towards shields, or weapons, or tractor beams, etc. Very Star Trek like.

The missions themselves are fairly fun. They can consist of away missions on a new world, or missions on your ship such as fetch this, go fight that, escort this person/ship to X. What is nice is, unlike most games, you do not have to return all the way to your starting point when you finish a mission. You simply hail star fleet and report in when it’s done.

Federation isn’t the only faction in the game. Once you’ve reached level five, klingons open up and you can play their side. Things work much the same there, ranks, ships, etc.(all klignon themed of course) but the emphasis is less on exploration and more on battle… y’know like a klignon would be. This would be Player vs. Player.. go and attack federation ships! Win the war! There’s also hinting at more factions opening up eventually as well, such as the romulans.

Now the most important aspect. How is the Star Trek Feel?

I have good news. The game NAILS it. I -really- felt like the captain of a star trek vessel. The look, the feel, the exhiliration of a space battle.. it’s all there. I was well immersed into the game. If I had to describe it… I’d say it was as though Captain Kirk was on Picard’s Enterprise, blasting away like he would. And that’s just made of AWESOME.

I think the controls can be improved. And I don’t think the game brings anything truly ‘new’ to the online game. If you don’t love Star Trek, this would be an iffy game for you. But if you are a Star Trek fan and like to play online games… this is a MUST PLAY game.

Did I miss anything? Feel free to ask me questions in the comment area.

Oh and sadly, the game is not available for mac. Which is just a pity.

Canterrain

Hello, Xyliacs!

———————-Today’s Page————————-
Nice to have some new characters and a new setting! Some of my family was originally from County Cork, and it’s a place I would love to see. One thing I wanted to mention is that if any of you readers are from Ireland either originally, or are still living there, I would love to visit with you via email to get the skinny on Irish lingo. I can research it all I want, but talking to someone who really speaks it would be terrific.

—————————TWC————————–
Today’s TWC incentive is a piece I was working on a while back and plan to complete- the Ambrosia Phanessa stained glass window. The incentive is the leadwork drawing (in progress) for the design.

———————–XYLIATALES NEWS!!————————
Excited to announce that two of my webcomic pals, Alan- creator of Rival Angels, and Sarah Ellerton, creator of Phoenix Requiem, have both been nominated in The Webcomic List awards!

Also want to remind you that Tall Tale Features is kicking off a new site design and content February 1! Don’t miss it! Irma Erikkson of Imy is cooking up a fantabulous site design!

Speaking of web designers, in case you missed her blog post, Kez has launched a new comic, What it Takes, that promises to be an exiting addition to her story listings.

And my other Team Xylia pal, Canterrain, has started a thoughtful blog on faith and scripture. Lifequill

Still working on setting up Xylia for print- currently working on the cover piece. I sometimes work on this while broadcasting. Having said that….

Xyliatales On Air will be broadcasting on Sundays, along with the occasional last minute broadcast! (Just had a fun one last Thursday night!). I’m going to try for a regular time- like 7PM CST. I know some of you will find that an inconvenient time in other parts of the world- hopefully it will work for some of you! XYLIATALES ON AIR TALK SHOW SITE

Remember, you can follow my announcements on Twitter

Or consider friending me on Facebook- just make sure to let me know that you are a Xyliac when you send the request.

Tall Tale Features, is getting set up for a reboot February 1! This collective of amazing artists that I am privileged to belong to will be featuring some yummy content- as always including Tall Tale Radio, hosted by the golden voiced Tom Racine, but also some hard hitting, thoughtful reviews of webcomics.

——————–XYLIA GOODY BAG——————
Please consider donating for the cause! I plan on adding new things in the coming weeks- first I will be creating a series of hi resolution downloadable character cards, with profile images and bio information! In the meantime, browse our existing wallpapers and other things. As always if you don’t receive your download, please email me directly at bji2001(at)mchsi.com.

Thank you all for visiting! Remember, that I love comments, and your feedback keeps me goin’ on this cold winter nights in Iowa!

Hugs,

~B

As for the story, it’s about a woman named Colbey, searching for a man named “Peter Wolfe” in a world gone down the poop shoot, but without zombies (or vampires or werewolves or werevamps or zombvamps or zombweres). Yes, she’s the martial artist! It’s rated R for language and violence, but I wouldn’t rate it NSFW. For more about the background, please check out the about page.

Hi Xyliacs!

We’re starting a new chapter with new characters, new locale and new time of day. Woo hoo!! Should be nice. Eh? Finally we get to meet these two characters who appeared on the introductory poster so long ago. Wonder what the story is on them….we shall have to see.

—————————TWC————————–
Finally have a new vote incentive up! Click to see Claude playing homage to my favorite You Tube video at the moment, Death Metal Rooster.

———————–XYLIATALES NEWS!!————————
The Comic Creator’s Alliance continues to be a huge success! If you haven’t had a chance to donate for this worthwhile charity to get the wallpaper please click on the link!
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Xyliatales coming in print!! Currently in full steam progress setting the Xyliatales Volume 1 book set up for press. Stay tun for more details!

A new Xylia contest is coming in February! Watch for it!

Xyliatales On Air will be broadcasting on Sundays! Most recently, I created a Livy speed paint. You can check out the video on the On Air site! XYLIATALES ON AIR TALK SHOW SITE

Tall Tale Features is gearing up for an overhaul- check it out next week, a few of us will be reviewing Rival Angels! And as always, listen to the great interviews by Tom Racine!

You can follow my announcements on Twitter

Or consider friending me on Facebook- just make sure to let me know that you are a Xyliac when you send the request.

Also hoping to add some fan art on Mondays of some of my favorite webcomic characters….

——————BARB NEWS & NOTES—————–
Hope everyone is doing okay out there. I know more than a few folks have come down with one or another of the flu bugs that are out there. Hope you are all doing okay.

I’ve been dealing with a touch of the frustrating downers that I get from time to time. Always an uphill battle with that. But keeping on keeping on. I do want to apologize again to the Xylia readers for my sporadic updates the past few months, and I hope it isn’t too late to get things back on track.

——————–XYLIA GOODY BAG——————
Please consider donating for the cause! I plan on adding new things in the coming weeks- first I will be creating a series of hi resolution downloadable character cards, with profile images and bio information! In the meantime, browse our existing wallpapers and other things. As always if you don’t receive your download, please email me directly at bji2001(at)mchsi.com.

As we head towards three years of Xyliatales, I want to thank all of you for coming along for the ride, and I hope you continue to stay with us in the coming year!

Hugs,

~B

Today’s teaser shows that we may be introducing some new characters….

———————–XYLIATALES NEWS!!————————
The Comic Creator’s Alliance continues to be a huge success! If you haven’t had a chance to donate for this worthwhile charity to get the wallpaper please click on the link!
——————————
Xyliatales coming in print!!

Currently in full steam progress setting the Xyliatales Volume 1 book set up for press. This week I got through page 70! I have a rough idea for the cover, and I’m readying extra content that will include concept sketches and fan art.

Once I have an idea how long it will take to get the proofs, and the cost of the books, I will be posting the release date for the book and taking reorders. The first fifty preorders will receive an original sketch of one of the five main characters similar to this! :

A new Xylia contest is coming in February! Watch for it!

Xyliatales On Air will be broadcasting on Sundays! Most recently, I created a Livy speed paint. You can check out the video on the On Air site! XYLIATALES ON AIR TALK SHOW SITE

You can follow my announcements on Twitter

Or consider friending me on Facebook- just make sure to let me know that you are a Xyliac when you send the request.

——————BARB NEWS & NOTES—————–
Wow- is January going as fast for all of you as it is for me? I think it’s basketball. Basketball ALL THE TIME. Practices every night of the week (sometimes twice) games two-three nights a week, and then tournaments every weekend. I enjoy it, but it will be nice when it’s over too! ^_^

The weather has improved so much here, I got all of the ice out of our driveway, and it felt like a small victory against Old Man Winter. ^_^ We’ve had a few days above freezing, and that was great!

Getting more caricature bookings for the year and that’s great too. One of the things I need to get done is create my 1000 caricatures site. I hope to do 1000 caricatures in one year! I did 34 this weekend at a company Christmas party! Just 966 to go! ^_^

This week I did very poorly in my fitness/ diet regimen, and tomorrow I will be hitting it HARD. No snacks, and back to 60 minutes of cardio at least four nights a week! No cheating! How are all of you doing with your resolutions?

——————–XYLIA GOODY BAG——————
Please consider donating for the cause! I plan on adding new things in the coming weeks- first I will be creating a series of hi resolution downloadable character cards, with profile images and bio information! In the meantime, browse our existing wallpapers and other things. As always if you don’t receive your download, please email me directly at bji2001(at)mchsi.com.

As we head towards three years of Xyliatales, I want to thank all of you for coming along for the ride, and I hope you continue to stay with us in the coming year!

Hugs,

~B