sixty|nine
another week of late posting.
this week’s instalment, for my own sanity, as well as for the quality i’d like to maintain on kukuburi, will be split in two. page 69 now and page 70 tomorrow, more than likely, night.simply put i have a few converging deadlines that are priority one. the biggie, part 3 if the wildcat trilogy for jsa: classifieds #37 will be wrapped up by next wednesday. so expect a bit more in delays, but after that things should be back to normal.
who knows, maybe even a nice holiday. for me not kuku, don’t worry 
EDIT: last night was pretty deadly. i crawled into bed at 7:30 am after finishing up my workload. so, ahem, needless to say the kuku promised for later today is going to get bumped to thursday. my apologies.
also, some people have suggested i break the tuesday update down over the course of a couple days to help alleviate the workload. right now i am in a rough patch schedule wise. work is a bit overwhelming, but, as a freelancer i’m used to this as it happens from time to time, usually as the result of some domino effect.
when my schedule is “normal” two pages on tuesdays is a lot of work, but not daunting. after i get through this month, things should be a little easier going, and time permitting, i’ll be able to get ahead on kuku so even if i slip due to my schedule you fine folks won’t notice. so if you can just bear with me till april rolls around all should be good…
March 18th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Those things are hot, I love how much motion is captured in their lope. I want one so I can sic it on people I hate. Pitbulliguanas, anyone?
… Are the mushrooms talking?
March 18th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
thought people might think they were talkin’. moved that word bubble to a less confusing spot
March 18th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Hey, just gotta say, fantastic comic, thus far!
Also, I’ve been meaning to ask you something!
Mr. Bojangles as in Mr. Bojangles from the children’s book?
If so, I love you even more.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
katie,
i will plead ignorance as i am unfamiliar with the mr. bojangles from children’s literature. i was raised on tales of baba yaga and her chicken legged house. but alas that’s from another story…
our mr. bojangles’ name was inspired by the tune by sammy davis jr.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
I’m really hoping the orange stuffie comes and saves the day and isn’t stalking her for nasty reasons… it is hatless after all.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Ack! A cliffhanger!
March 19th, 2008 at 12:17 am
I loved the Babe Yaga story!!! Awesome, Ramon! Also, this comic is a little more ridiculous to me because I just watched “The Lost World Jurassic Park” tonight :p
March 19th, 2008 at 12:21 am
I think Baba Yaga would be right at home in this world.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Hmmm… Mushroom thingys not all that friendly, it looks like. But maybe they will help keep Nadia from falling off the edge when she dodges.
Low hopes for boulder-guy, since she just looked straight back as well as down. Or maybe the (:o)X was because she saw boulder-guy?
March 19th, 2008 at 1:12 am
why didnt the mushroom thingies attack her when she was climbing up?
March 19th, 2008 at 2:06 am
good question.
however, her mood and predicament have change since she climbed up…
March 19th, 2008 at 6:01 am
And now that plant life is getting in on the act! I’d be tempted to take my chances with the dinomutts if it was that or cute little marshmallowy toadstools that sprout thorny tentacles…
I’ll laugh my ass off if the Komodoweilers just want to eat the mushrooms, though
March 19th, 2008 at 8:07 am
hmmm just a thought Ramon, it seems to have been difficult uploading 2 pages on a Tuesday, why not change your update schedule to one page Tuesday, one page Wendesday…if it helps out? We still get the same amount and I dont mind waiting an extra day for the second page if it helps your sanity, im sure most people wouldnt (correct me if im wrong please!)?
March 19th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I would say Helen is not wrong. Frankly Ramon, you’ve got us all so patheticly hooked we’ll take whatever you offer and like it! Also can I just say I LOVE Nad’s shoes!
March 19th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Or even just switch both updates to Wednesday. As long as everyone gets their weekly dose of Kukuburi, we’re happy :-3
Oh, and as my first time posting, just want to say that the comic is wonderful
March 19th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Hmmm, speculation:
I don’t think the lizard-dogs are interested in the mushroom thingys. There were a bunch of them right at their feet in the disclosure panel. I suspect that the mushroom thingys compete with or possibly are scavengers on the lizard-dog’s prey. They might even be able to be used by Nadia to fight off the lizard-dogs if she notices the ones that are trying to snag her. She could each down, grab one and use its sting as a potential weapon.
As for why they didn’t attack until now? Pheremones. They wait until the fear starts because that means that the victim won’t be paying attention to *them*. When the lizard-dogs kill, the mushroom thingys get blood and left-overs.
I have to say that I prefer the two panels at a time updates, but I’ll take what I can get.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
wheres the second panel?
March 19th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
great comic! i just arrived running up from the first one… what a ride!!!
you’ve got a new reader. thanks a lot!
err… just one point of critique:
your graphical archive page… you let us load all the images fullsize and just have them displayed smaller? you know, back in the old days - when emails where still delivered on horsebacks and bytes edged their way slowly through the copper lines - bandwidthkillers like you were rounded up and hanged at the next telegraphpole…
March 19th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
greetings all!
right now i’m just hitting a rough patch. work is a bit overwhelming. as a freelancer this has from time to time, usually as the result of some domino effect.
when my schedule is “normal” two pages on tuesdays is a lot of work, but not draining. after i get through this month, things should be a little easier going, and time permitting, i’ll be able to get ahead on kuku so even if i slip due to my schedule you fine folks won’t notice
thanks again for the kudos, i’m glad to hear you are all enjoying the story thus far. things are ramping up so stay tuned!
March 19th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
oh and heng, i’m working on changing that. gimme time…
March 19th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
The mushroom-anemones have lashed at Nadia because she stepped on them with her big old shoes. Snakes sting when you step on them, venus flytraps close when they feel pressure - pretty typical reaction in nature, even weird fantasy nature. Now if, they’re strong enough, these mushrooms with their small-prey-killing death grip will be Nadia’s salvation. We’ll see, though.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Ah, JT might have a point…. If she tumbles over the cliff, they might keep her from falling (simply because they’re holding on trying to get a meal for themselves, but you know, any port in a storm…).
Ramón, you could generate thumbnails automatically (and cache them) with a little extra PHP, if you don’t want to have to take the time to make them by hand (and time seems like something you don’t have). Do you code yourself, or have someone around who can help with it?
March 19th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
rob w,
i do coding myself, but it’s pretty basic.
however i did go right to the source and asked tyler martin (the creator of comicpress, the software being used here) how to change up the thumbs to prefab tiny jpegs. he told me, i made the changes and it doesn’t seem to want to cooperate. so i have to twiddle and figure it out…
March 19th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Never play chicken with something that looks like it can eat a chicken in one bite…
unless your a magical girl?
Is there going to be another update this week or just the half dosage or crac….I mean comic 8-D
March 19th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
the way things are progressing right now i hope to have something up for tomorrow night.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Ramon, it’s all good. Just don’t burn out on us dude!
8]
March 19th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Excellent as always.
Is it just me or are the attack lizards reminiscent of the Cloverfield monster?
March 19th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
check out the original Mr. Bojangles by Jerry Jeff Walker
March 19th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS COMIC.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Puzuma: I don’t think they look like it at all… possibly the eyes, but nothing else if anything.
March 20th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Ramon:
I just wandered over here from ButterNutSquash (where I’ve been since day one thanks to DJS). I think I’ve read from one to sixty|nine in about 10 minutes! FANTASTIC! I’m going to take the time to go through them all again this weekend, and give the artwork its just due.
OK, so BNS and Kuku… am I missing anything now?
March 20th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
On late postings, and the announcements of such.
Hypothetical Situation:
You wanna get it out by Wednesday. You think you will, but you may not. In fact, it might not be until Friday.
You announce that it will come out on Friday. It comes out on Thursday. People are pleased, since it came out “early”. Flowers bloom. The check comes in the mail. Sex is had.
or
You announce that it will probably come out Wednesday. It comes out on Thursday. Fans get nervous and irritatable. Pets receive the brunt of harsh words. Waiters and waitresses get smaller tips. The sun don’t shine as bright, and the sky ain’t so blue.
What is the difference? Expectation. In both cases, it comes out on Thursday. In one case it is a day early, the other case it is a day late. Early is always better.
Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott always made extremely conservative estimates of the time needed for repairs. Most of the time they came in early. But even when they took a long time, they never ran beyond his estimate.
Moral? Make your predictions very conservatively. At worst it won’t hurt you, the rest of the time it makes people very happy.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
unlike most jobs i have no set 9 to 5 schedule. i can’t punch out and finish what i have to do the next day. i also juggle clients and contracts more like a business rather than an employee.
i do butternut and kuku in whatever extra time i might have because i enjoy telling stories and entertaining people. monday i began work at 10am and worked continuously till 7am the next day, went home and slept for about 4 hours and was back to the studio by 11. tuesdays work went slower as ii was tired, but i put in a 12 hr day.
i don’t know how long a piece of art might take me. will i have a good day drawing or will it be an uphill climb? what take precedence that day?
i try to make predictions on how i hope things will go, sometimes i’m on the ball, other times not so much. but i try,
i’ve forgone contract work today and am focussing on both buttenut and kuku, i hope to have both done before the days out.
that’s the best i can do.
March 20th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Please don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t complaining.
Take whatever time you want. You owe us nothing.
March 20th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
a.m.,
my apologies. it’s that i’ve been “attacked” before for a missed update or whatnot. in my fatigued state i misinterpreted your post.
once again, my sincerest apologies.
March 20th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
I think your RSS feed is broken…SADNESS.
March 20th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
i’m sorry you get attacked for late updates. it makes me sad that people could be that shallow and un-understanding (not very good negative words, but it’s late and they’ll work). both comics are great, and personally, i value your fine artwork much more then a timely update (though they’re never very late, anyway).
keep up the great work and, as has been said before, don’t burn yourself out trying to juggle all this stuff. hope you can catch up on sleep come april.
thanks again for the great work!
March 21st, 2008 at 12:00 am
We love you Ramón.
Don’t burn yourself out, please.
Just take all the time you need, and delete comments from people who are too impatient to wait. They were never worthy! >=)
March 21st, 2008 at 12:28 am
I apologize, kind sir, for my clouded meaning.
All I meant to say was if you give yourself an extended deadline, you will have all the time you need, and we will still be delighted when you post the comic. Mr. Scott always told Captain Kirk it would take longer.
I tried to make it funny, so everyone, and you especially, would understand that i meant that you shouldn’t put so much pressure on yourself, and that we in the audience would be even more appreciative when we got the posting. I clearly failed quite miserably.
Again, I apologize.
March 21st, 2008 at 3:13 am
Speak of the devil, and lo, thou smelleth sulphour!
I’m really sorry about that email I sent you those years ago, I was really just taking anger out on you for various reasons that are moot. At the time I had HUGE entitlement issues (since mostly dealt with), and I’m really saddened that I might have attributed to your feeling pressured to do something that is really a labour of love (as any fool could plainly see, except a previous self that I’d like to throttle). Writing and sending that email are things that I’ve regretted deeply and often, because it was a hateful and venomous act. I really am truly and wholly sorry.
Ramon, don’t ever listen to people like I used to be: we’re douchebags.
March 21st, 2008 at 3:22 am
and I agree with A.M., you should not push yourself so hard; not that the results aren’t amazing, but if you burn yourself out that’s no good. Sun Tzu said “If one waits by the river eventually the bodes of one’s enemies float past.”
and while the mystery of this comic is almost maddening, delayed gratification makes it all the sweeter when the next page arrives. Go to once a week if you need the time. Schedule a mess? why give us a day to expect the comic? plenty of webcomics update haphazardly. Your work is well worth the wait!
March 21st, 2008 at 7:19 am
Ramon, take the time to “recharge” your batteries!! I love the story and the artwork. I’d rather wait then lose the strip. You are worth it! Really really!
March 21st, 2008 at 7:39 am
I’ve been impressed with the transmission-x reader comments, actually… most folks here seem pretty bright, and are lacking that swollen entitlement problem. I’ve run across other comics where half the comments are taken up with people making demands and the other half overreacting, and they just flame each other back and forth….
Ramón, you’ve been very good with communication, which is far more important than many webcomic authors seem to realize. The only tweak Agent Mauve was suggesting was that you should communicate your worst-case prediction instead of your best-case… that way if you’re in a crunch, instead of the date slipping half of the time, you’re early half of the time.
That ignores the psychological force of a public deadline, though… if you’ve got three days to get the second page out instead of one, it’ll might *take* three days or even four, because the pressure’s off. So maybe tell us 3 days, but tell all the people around you the 1 day deadline, and ask them to pester you about it? Wear a t-shirt with “ask me how the webcomic update is coming along” on it? Heh.
I dunno — I do software dev and have the same problem all the friggin’ time. Which deadline should we give the client? Is it better to kill ourselves but still have the deadline slip… or give a big cushion, but then lose the motivation?
Watch out for the sleep schedule, though… that’s one thing I’ve figured out about myself, at least; sleep time has to be sacrosanct, because I seem to lose about 30% more of my brain functionality for every night I don’t sleep normally.
Sorry for the ramble… I’m just trying to make sure you find a balance that keeps you rolling and happy.
Thanks, as usual.
March 21st, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I canna change the laws of physics, Jim! And unfortunately, I can’t change the fact we only get seven days in a week. I could use eight lately. Seriously though Ramon, thanks for the great webcomic and being devoted to your readership and thanks for keeping us updated.
Love,
Another fan happy with whatever Kukuburi you’re willing to give us.
March 21st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
WOW. I almost forgot to check for the update, I leave town for a few days and I forget all about my routine! I can’t wait till the next page comes! YAY!
March 21st, 2008 at 6:43 pm
thank you all for the support. you are all awesome!
and wow, thanks brendan.
i realize all of you have been patiently waiting for page two of this weeks update to no avail. i was hoping to have something, but i just can’t. i came to this decision this morning as i read peoples comments.
i am going to bump page two to tuesday (rob, my co-conspirator on bns has gracioously helped me by flatting it!) making next week a one page update. it’s the best i can do, as i have a contract coming to fruition the following night. (read more in the NEWS section - linked on the sidebar)
this chapter of kuku is coming to a head so i want to make sure it’s done right. so rather than try to create in a fatigued state of mind, i will concede to the truth of my situation, and postpone, thereby lightening my load.
thank you all again for your patience and understanding.
i promise things will return to “normal” shortly
have a great weekend!
March 21st, 2008 at 6:44 pm
oh, just so there’s a little something, not much, but something … lil’ reggie has his own bit of limelight in the cast section today.
March 22nd, 2008 at 1:32 am
Finally wandered over here from BNS…. wow.. love so much love, this is fantastic! But now I’m sad, because I’ve read it all, and now have to wait for weekly updates!
March 22nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
One thing I know for sure! Never rush an Artist!! Trust me on that one. they get mean. ::nod nod:: I would prefer that the mastermind at work take his time. I want this to be good and I want him to be comfortable with what he shows to us. It’s great if we are happy. But iit’s Excellent when you like it too. I’ve done many an oil painting that I hated and despised because I was rushed. And I wanted to Throttle those impatient pricks!! but none the less. I’ll wait as long as it takes. ::nod::
March 22nd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Quality over quantity. Kukuburi is _high_ quality.
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Seems you have a favicon up now! Lovely.
Been reading a while… pure gold, man.
March 22nd, 2008 at 11:20 pm
I say good sir, you have quite the knack for telling a good story. I very seriously impressed and hooked on reading your comic. Your artwork is awesome, characters are expressive and seem to have their own personality, and your storyline is keeping me coming back for more.
Kick ass
March 23rd, 2008 at 8:48 am
Today I have experianced something I never thought I would…Ramon said he’s not going to post his second update untill next week. Yet I am happy. Usually this would make me very sad, but im pleased becuase this means Ramons’ brains do not go *poof*
You see the thing is, I love Kukuburi, and what would be the worst thing EVER would be that Ramon burns himself out and decides he needs to give it up, or cant be bothered with it anymore (this has happened before to some webcomics which I have also really liked - this made me very sad).
Im secretly pleased your trying to keep your Tuesday updates…but as many have said before - your welfare comes first (and with a happy healthy Ramon comes consistantly good updates :P)
So kick those feet back, get your other work done, and worry not.
We’re still getting an update next week, you dont have to worry about kukuburi deadlines, life is good
Much love to you Ramon!
March 23rd, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Hey there, awesome comic! I’ve been hooked for awhile now. And I completely agreed with Helen!
But I did want to let you know that the image for the Reggie cast bio seems to be not working, it only shows a link to me. I am running firefox and I’m not sure if others are having problems. Just a heads up!
Keep up the awesome art when you can; don’t burn yourself out!!
March 23rd, 2008 at 4:31 pm
thanks cassanara! fixed the problem
March 23rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Naw, the mushroom tentacles are to trip Nadia up so that she falls flat and the pitbulliguanas leap over her instead of into her, thus saving her from becoming a tasty morsel.
March 24th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Beautiful art Mr Perez, as always. Like most people I value your good health and happiness for my own selfish reasons
so I am going to risk seeming pushy and or rude and recommend this
useful PDF on time management for creative people written by the poet Marc McGuiness.
Please give it a look. I am NOT nottity not not not getting at you for being late updating. I just hate seeing you obviously very unhappy about not meeting a firm commitment you have made. I am utterly sure that everybody that reads your stuff looks forward eagerly to the next “fix” but the only person I see beating up on you about it is you. I read some webcos that update bi-weekly and monthly and they are the ones that represent a major creative investment by the creator.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Absolutely brilliant! I love the design of those green monsters! Maybe they’re not as nasty as they appear?
j.