Feed Editor (Unlicensed) 20 Sep 2008 05:37:48 GMT The very latest and occasionally funny comic updates from BrawlintheFamily.com! http://www.brawlinthefamily.com en Welcome to the world of imagination... Brawl in the Family has a recurring theme of things backfiring or not quite working the way they should (often with unfortunate results for our heroes). So I enjoy making the occasional simple comic like this about characters just having fun. Hopefully Snake was stealthy enough to make sure no one was watching. Next up, scientific progress goes "boink" as Snake uses the box to clone himself! *spoiler removed* 14 Nov 2008 10:18:02 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic104.html I love jokes like this because they make very little sense the second time you read them! I just like to think this Dededoo fellow is an eccentric kind of guy. But he does a nice job with the clock-cleaning, regardless. 13 Nov 2008 20:46:10 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic103.html Mechanical objects like Arwings and Samus's Power Suit are not among my favorites to draw, but I still had a blast with this ridiculous scenario. I sort of had two final panel punchlines in mind--the other was Fox on the ground, fixing the wing by hand the vicious dogfighting continued in the background. Observe the increasing fire and check out where the gas can is headed in the final panel. Also--the site has been updated. You may notice an extra link at the bottom: Donate! Yes, the site does cost money and a lot of work to run, so if you feel like supporting us, I won't complain! Anything at all is greatly appreciated. Secondly, the archive has been updated with a couple of miscellaneous images: a ridiculous bonus comic I scribbled up a couple months ago, and an image I made for a contest a couple years ago absolutely overflowing with Nintendo characters and references. 13 Nov 2008 20:45:01 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic102.html We now return you to your regularly-scheduled programming. Today, Toon Link gets in on the action for the first time! I've been meaning to spotlight the little guy for awhile, since The Wind Waker is one of my all-time favorite games. 7 Nov 2008 20:44:16 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic101.html TODAY IS A MONUMENTAL DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY. ...Because it's the 100th comic of Brawl in the Family, of course! Today's comic is my own little nod to one of my favorite children's books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In early August, while thinking up BitF ideas during a class on teaching (I still doodle, regardless of the class), I ended up sketching ideas that eventually became the Groceries and Phendrana comics (as well as Meta Knight's Black Mage costume in Trick or Treat). During break, I came across the caterpillar book in the school's library and instantly wanted to put a Kirby twist on the story. It's thrilling to reach this new milestone! To celebrate, have a new image: http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/images/100ComicsSmall.jpg Or smother your computer in comics with the WALLPAPER! Or smother your computer with even more comics with the WIDESCREEN WALLPAPER! Thanks to all the readers for their continued support, including the lively members of the forums (including the moderators), and of course, Chris's continued maintenance and unleadedmugen.com's hosting. 5 Nov 2008 07:50:50 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic100.html The one that got away. Hey, almost to 100... 5 Nov 2008 07:49:22 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic099.html Happy Brawloween, everyone! Hopefully you can recognize everybody's rather appropriately in-character costumes, but if not... Adeleine: Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons) Meta Knight: Black Mage (Final Fantasy) King Dedede: Eric Cartman (South Park) And as always, Kirby is what he eats. Good luck with your own inevitable troubles with costumes and candy tonight. 5 Nov 2008 07:48:58 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic098.html Simple, silly li'l gag today. Kinda tricky hiding the racquets in the first panels. This one works best if you automatically think of the Ocarina of Time battle in the first two frames, and NOT think of tennis. So in other words, people completely unfamiliar with Nintendo won't even be aware there's a joke here. Then again, I guess that applies to about 95% of these strips, eh? 5 Nov 2008 07:48:36 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic097.html "Show me your hand!" Poor guy. Some of you may have noticed I haven't uploaded a bonus comic in awhile--sadly, I've just been pretty busy over the past couple of months with everything. 5 Nov 2008 07:48:17 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic096.html Ice Beams are fair game in snowball fights. Check out Dedede's "halo." I'm sort of experimenting with some different coloring techniques. This semi-sloppy shading look is meant to give a simpler feel to the comic (since that's how it started out). Also, while I love the Metroid series, I don't find Samus particularly fun to draw or color. That's the main reason why she's taken so long to show up. She still doesn't look quite right. But you know what? You can just deal with it. 5 Nov 2008 07:47:53 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic095.html The moral? Never clean your house in Animal Crossing during Autumn! The AC villager is quite the pack rat. See if you can spot anything recognizable in the first and third frames. 5 Nov 2008 07:47:35 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic094.html Yet another gaming mystery solved thanks to Brawl in the Family. I got a little carried away with all the little details of this picture--ever since I was a kid, I loved drawing the enemies and levels from the Mario games. But enough reminiscing like an old coot. 5 Nov 2008 07:47:10 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic093.html This one's a bit different than the usual fare. Both because the emphasis isn't as much on the gag itself this time (and on more of a sort of current events statement), and because this strip is even more obscure than usual. Ideally, everyone would know of EarthBound's sequel, Mother 3, and how it never got translated into English despite tens of thousands of dedicated fans clamoring for it. Well, nothing's changed on Nintendo of America's front, but I'd like to draw your attention to a wonderful fan-project that's been going on for nearly two years: the Mother 3 English translation patch. I'm normally opposed to emulation, but this is such a unique scenario that I have to give Tomato and his team some appreciation for their hard work. You can finally play Mother 3 in English in just a couple days, and today's comic is sort of my own little way of celebrating. Believe me, the game is worth playing. I have the Japanese copy and it's nothing short of amazing. And after you finish it, you'll be able to recognize who all those Kirby characters are dressed as! How's that for incentive? Well, not much, I know, but the point is, PLAY MOTHER 3. (Man, that was wordy. I need to work on my brevity.) 17 Oct 2008 23:21:43 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic092.html Definitely among the most frustrating moments in Sonic games for me: losing ALL your rings after hit. You might also have noticed that I prefer the world and style of the older pre-Dreamcast Sonic games. I'm thrilled to be presented with the opportunity to draw argyle socks. Sonic really ought to wear those in future games. And remember kids, if someone tries to touch you in a place or a way that makes you feel uncomfortable...that's no good. 15 Oct 2008 06:18:30 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic091.html Continuity (yes, that is the flower Kirby gave Jigglypuff way back in comic 09)! I like the way the colors came out on this one. It was a somewhat tricky process to eliminate all the outlines, but the soft, storybook look works well for the subject matter this time. I'd like to clear something up though--Kirby is NOT aware that he's carving into Whispy Woods. The gag is that his sweet display of affection is inadvertently causing another pain. If he knew the ramifications of his actions...well, that'd just be mean of him! 15 Oct 2008 00:36:03 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic090.html "I am Hammer Mario...no more." Yes, I do get that excited when I can finally don the Hammer Bros Suit in Mario 3. And why wouldn't I? You're essentially throwing portable Starmen! Of course, even that isn't reason enough for ol' Mario today, despite how much fun I had making him as obnoxious as possible in the first few frames. I do wonder now if there actually IS a female Hammer Bro...or would that be Hammer Sis? Also, as I'm sure many of you know, the site hit a snag recently and was down for almost two days. Turns out that it's attracting more traffic than anticipated, which I suppose is good news. But either way, we're up and running again, so check Wednesday's comic if you missed it. 10 Oct 2008 07:05:20 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic089.html One of my cool things I've discovered about doing a comic about both Brawl and actual Nintendo games is that I can pull a switcheroo like this; it starts off in the guise of a comic about the Pikmin games, then suddenly brings us back into the world of Smash. Also, this is Snake's first appearance in BitF. Welcome, Snake! 8 Oct 2008 06:18:15 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic088.html Woo, party at Kirby's! Gah, I can't draw Waddle Dee to save my life. With today's comic comes a new milestone and image! In case you haven't had enough of Kirby taking Dedede's money, check below! 6 Oct 2008 23:49:09 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic087.html "Dude, how 'bout we go egg old man Bowser's house tonight?" "Yoshi!" 4 Oct 2008 08:17:08 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic086.html After 84 comics, Ness finally appears! This is one of those comics where I start to worry if the punchline is too vague or unclear or whatever to those that aren't as familiar with the game (or possibly through a fault of my own. I did have to make compromises in the last frame--I wanted the guy in the foreground to have a shocked expression, but human anatomy said that wasn't possible). My annoying insecurities aside, EarthBound is an amazing, outstanding game. It's artistic, it's fun, it's touching, it's extremely memorable (I could go on for pages but this is long enough)...and it still isn't on the Virtual Console. So get with the program already, Nintendo! 4 Oct 2008 08:16:51 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic085.html Just give it up, Dedede--you'll never get a real fight from Kirby. I quite like the Kirby/Diddy friendship that's sort of come along. Wait a minute...know what today is? ...It's site designer Chris's birthday! Yes, twenty-three years ago, a baby with a big ol' fat pudgy head entered this world, ready to start a band, watch Firefly, and play Myth 2. Little did that drooling infant know that he'd eventually be contributing a great deal to BitF maintenance and general problem-solving. Thanks for the dedication, Chris! Now enjoy your smelly birthday. 30 Sep 2008 04:45:46 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic084.html This has been a good week for 2-D platformers, and being a 2-D platformer fan, I figured, what better way to celebrate than by dedicating a comic to each of the three big Nintendo games this week? So here's ol' Wario, shaking the heck out of anything and everything he can get his grubby hands on. Hopefully you guys know what an Etch-A-Sketch is, or else I'm gonna feel really old... 27 Sep 2008 06:11:45 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic083.html Kirby Super Star Ultra is the DS remake of THE BEST KIRBY GAME THERE WILL EVER BE, and it hits shelves today. So in celebration of KSS's multiple-games-on-one, here's a fat wad o' comics based on each one (save for Gourmet Race, which already had a strip)! Unlike this series of comics, though, all the games in Kirby Super Star are worth checking out. ;) So yeah, if you've never played Super Star, the DS remake is a must-buy. Now that I've expired roughly three weeks of material in one strip, I'm feeling overworked, so farewell until Friday! 27 Sep 2008 06:11:18 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic082.html IT'S MEGA MAN MONDAY! The long-awaited, retro-stylish Mega Man 9 hits the Wii today, and to celebrate, the Blue Bomber gets his very own guest strip in Brawl in the Family. As an old-school gamer, I can't help but get excited about this title that can be beaten in an hour, is ridiculously difficult, and yes, includes a female Robot Master for the first time in series' history. Hopefully you guys don't find this strip too sexist, but diamonds ARE a girl's best friend. So Mega Man gets a little more than he bargained for, but if Splash Woman actually DOES turn out to be weak to Jewel Man's Jewel Satellite, this comic will instantly become 70% less funny, since Capcom beat me to the punch (line). You may also be wondering about a certain Kirby game releasing this week. Don't worry, our spherical friend will get a mention of his own next time around. 27 Sep 2008 06:10:45 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic081.html Sorry 'bout the lateness! This one took a bit longer than expected, but I really like the way it came out. Almost looks professional. Except for the whole poop thing. I gotta stop going so crazy with every tenth comic. You might have notice the site's URL at the bottom. In the next several weeks (months?), I'm going to be adding that to the past comics, which will surely be a long and laborious process. For those of you that don't have to get stuck with menial tasks, have a nice weekend! 20 Sep 2008 05:42:10 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic080.html A Landmaster gag that doesn't involve its use by Fox/Falco/Wolf? Regardless, Fox should've known better than summon a four-ton, heavily armored tank onto a wooden pirate ship. I considered drawing Peach floating away harmlessly in the last frame, but decided against it, mainly because I thought it distracted from the punchline and...well, where would she be headed from the middle of the ocean? Also, whoa, what's going on with the layout? Well, I ended up foregoing the traditional four-panel look this time because when I shrunk it down to fit, it was hard to tell what was going on in this particular comic. So I went with the square format (which I'm not really a huge fan of, so expect more horizontal business next time around). 20 Sep 2008 05:41:23 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic079.html A Landmaster gag that doesn't involve its use by Fox/Falco/Wolf? Regardless, Fox should've known better than summon a four-ton, heavily armored tank onto a wooden pirate ship. I considered drawing Peach floating away harmlessly in the last frame, but decided against it, mainly because I thought it distracted from the punchline and...well, where would she be headed from the middle of the ocean? Also, whoa, what's going on with the layout? Well, I ended up foregoing the traditional four-panel look this time because when I shrunk it down to fit, it was hard to tell what was going on in this particular comic. So I went with the square format (which I'm not really a huge fan of, so expect more horizontal business next time around). 20 Sep 2008 05:41:23 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic078.html You didn't expect me to bypass a Hurricane Ike joke, did you? The stupid guy woke me up at 3 AM today with his ridiculous winds, sideways rain, and overpowered forward smash. Fun Fact: This is the first comic EVER that I thought up the same day I put it online. Most comics are created weeks before they're uploaded. 20 Sep 2008 05:41:06 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic077.html One of the stranger BitF comics for sure! Every now and then I enjoy reverting to the more oddball, semi-surreal humor of the first dozen strips of this comic. As this strip goes on, I find myself occasionally dipping into more character-based humor with the central cast. Of course, game-related humor is still central to, like, 95% of the strips, but it's nice to expand beyond that every now and then (like in this strip and in Groceries). Also...three six-panelers in a row? Is that a new record? 20 Sep 2008 05:40:38 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic076.html Whew, finally back! Sorry for the week break, but trees were falling and power outages were rampant, making comic updates impossible. The important thing is that we're okay and I'm ready to continue with the updates again, so keep an eye on the site! As for today's comic, it's dedicated to all the art students out there. Poor Mario just wasn't ready for Edvard Munch's nightmarish world. See if you can spot the EarthBound reference in today's strip! 20 Sep 2008 05:40:18 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic075.html Hello, BitF readers. This is actually Monday's comic, not a bonus. The reason it's up so early is because I'm evacuating at midnight tonight to keep far away from big, scary, Hurricane Gustav. Indeed, not only are the southern states low on game industry jobs, but they're vulnerable to large gusts of wind, so it's hard to say when the next update will be. With any luck, the damage will be minimal and the power will still be on by the time Thursday or Friday rolls around. For now, though, Brawl in the Family will probably need to take a break for a few days. I'll try to get a good number of comics up upon returning, but I can't quite guarantee anything yet, so for now... 20 Sep 2008 05:39:53 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic074.html On the topic of obscure strips, I often get worried that the reference will be too far out there to catch. I'm just hoping enough people played Link's Awakening (the BEST Game Boy game ever!). Also, I'd love to have an alarm clock that played Ballad of the Wind Fish, myself... 20 Sep 2008 05:37:48 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic073.html I don't like explaining jokes in the write-up, but I feel this one's a little obscure. Try searching "Kirby American box" for a brief history lesson on Nintendo of America's...strange alterations on Kirby boxart over the years. Naturally, this is the next step. 20 Sep 2008 05:38:57 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic072.html Cruel irony. I gotta say, I can't get enough simple Mario humor. The NES games alone probably have enough available material to feed the comic for months. And yes, I'm aware that the SMB1 1-ups don't actually say "1-up," but work with me here--sometimes I've gotta sacrifice accuracy for clarity. 20 Sep 2008 05:38:23 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic071.html Nothing super-ambitious this time around, but I did spend a fair amount of time on the coloring and some of the blur effects. Poor Dedede can never seem to get a real battle in with Kirby. 20 Sep 2008 05:37:48 GMT http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/comic070.html