ninety|four
took me a while longer to tweak the dialogue than i expected.
where on the cusp of something here people… can you feel it? heh, i hope you can 
@tuss4 sorry you feel a bit at a loss, i try to divulge as much as i think necessary for people to enjoy the story whilst at the same time keeping enough back to not only keep things a little mysterious but allow people to speculate and formulate ideas.
as i’ve mentioned in the past i love to hear readers speculating amongst themselves in the posts, it’s very rewarding. and most of you are pretty much on the ball!
but things are coming to a head, a lot of questions will be answered!
@ericfromabeno damn you’re good 
@ryanb i agree. stories tend to write themselves. and nadia’s package is one that took on a life of it’s own. i have a well thumbed printout copy of kukuburi that i’ve been going through and editing to correct story points, better flesh out elements and improve pacing. it’s essentially the rough draft of the print edition.
till next time!
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:56 pm
This Comic so ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Oh, and you can tell things are about to fall in place a bit!!!!!!!!
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:23 pm
nice. that is all. talks amongst yourselves. here is a topic. banana pudding. thank you.
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:38 pm
He’s a snail with attitude :p Your characters remind me of Labyrinth, but so much better.
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:49 pm
The reflection of the flames on her skin are amazing!
Can’t it be Tuesday again alllllready?!
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:33 pm
I am totally in love with snails, and the fact that you’re using one makes me happy. :]
Good luck with everything. I’ll follow your story, even if it takes another 40 years, so take all the time you need for Nadia and the gang!
July 24th, 2008 at 12:27 am
Man, her finger is gonna be all grody.
July 24th, 2008 at 12:38 am
I am totally hearing the cockney snail like in Labyrinth. Really - how can one go wrong with a snippy snail?
As always, fantastic stuff.
July 24th, 2008 at 3:39 am
Dear Ramon, fellow Canadian (even if you live in Toronto) .. Didn’t you beat “CN Tower” into Danielle’s noggin while you had the chance?! Tsk.
Oh, right comic.. LOVE IT. Can’t believe it took me so long to pull it off the “reading” list and actually READ it.
I’ll be in T.O. come August.. if some strange Vancouver’ite kidnaps Ramon and chains him to an art desk.. I’ll need an alibi.
July 24th, 2008 at 4:58 am
to ryanb and tuss4 ’s earlier comments (on the previous page…not sure why I decided to post this here): ah. -_- I always miss what people are trying to say… I probably cause more miscommunication than any other person I know, and it’s usually from trying TOO hard to communicate some idea… that just happens to be the WRONG information, unasked-for information. -_- I see what you’re saying now. Yeah, I’ve been reading these kinds of comics for a long time, not just Ramon’s but other weekly, even bi-monthly comics, so the pacing no longer bothers me, if it ever did. I EXPECT a page or a strip that only advances the story by about 1/10th of a conversation. So I didn’t realize that’s what you were talking about, tuss4. I’m sorry about that.
to ramon, I’m glad to know I’m not making too many mistakes about the general shape of the story thus far, but I have to say that I totally agree with ryanb’s “pet peeve” or whatever you might call it, about the forgotten package. As the story unfolded there at the gate, it doesn’t seem like that package could have possibly been forgotten and left behind. Had there been some major coinciding event capable of distracting BOTH characters, it might feel like a good “fit”, and in fact, since the audience doesn’t initially realize how important the package is, many of us probably didn’t notice it being left behind, ourselves… but as soon as we are made aware of its importance, it suddenly becomes glaringly obvious that there’s no way Nadia’s lizard friend should have left it there, unless maybe he’s secretly in cahoots with the “bad guy” for some reason we don’t yet understand… (doubtful)
anyway, as a “plot hole” it’s a minor one, and lord knows there have been larger plot holes and/or unconvincing plot devices in other famous, widely circulated stories by well-loved authors *coughHarryPottercough*. (which I love, by the way, so please don’t take this comment as some kind of condemnation of Kukuburi OR HP… loving something means being willingly blind to any minor issues, I think. Whether that speaks well of ME or not, I don’t know.) -_- and again, I’m long-winded
July 24th, 2008 at 6:58 am
My thought process was always that Mr. Bojangles and Meep simply couldn’t carry it. Their giraffe cab was killed by the rays, so perhaps Meep doesn’t have as much strenght as Reggie and had to choose between Mr. Bojangles and Nadia’s chapeau.
July 24th, 2008 at 7:03 am
Print edition? Can I go ahead and sign up now?
July 24th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Does anyone else here read Sin Titulo by Cameron Stewart? It’s much darker and meant for a mature audience, but I kinda see some parallels with Kukuburi. They both deal with connections between dreams, memory and reality, but in very different ways.
I got into reading web comics just before Transmission X started, so I was used to finding one I liked and reading a whole bunch all at once. It’s a completely different experience to hop on board right at the beginning - you have no idea where things are going! Transmission X has taught me the virtues of being patient. The pay off is well worth the wait, and I sense that we will be rewarded with answers in both comics very soon.
I’m less patient about the print edition, though! I can’t wait!!!! Kukuburi is going to look beautiful in print…
July 24th, 2008 at 11:07 am
wow… it looks like she has some pretty wicked nightmares
July 24th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
@reidic, the package wasn’t acutally carried onto the giraffe, it was dropped by nadia when mr. bojangles spoke for the first time.
@eric, it is a loophole i plan on fixing!
July 24th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I’m at no loss… Unless it’s a loss for words.
Wowsers!
July 24th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
[...] Kukuburi [...]
July 24th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
“stories tend to write themselves…”
Oh, sure, blame it on the story.
I had no idea we were reading your rough drafts. That just about doubles the impressiveness of the strip in my eyes, because even in first draft form it’s very good.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
This is a sweet read. I haven’t touch any western style comic, western as suppose to oriental, for a good few years now and i think it is way past time for me to have a look down my local comic store again. I just wish i found out maybe a little later down the line cliff hangers drive me up the wall, any chance of doing maybe 20 pages instead of 2 a week
BTW for me this has a similar feel to a Neil Gaiman story line in the Sandman series … the one about the cuckoo… anyone else feeling it? Looking forward to see where the Ramon touch takes it to.
July 26th, 2008 at 9:37 am
As far as pacing goes, I think getting 2 pages a week[usually] is REALLY good, especially for a weekly comic. There have been quite a few times that I forgot there was a second page, only to come back later in the week and get a treat.
July 26th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
aaaand, thinking back to Mr. B’s earliest inner monologues, back on the other side, and to references by the Hat Brigade concerning the package being Nadia’s “key” I just realized (probably it’d been percolating unconciously) that Nadia can’t leave this world without it, and that she’s probably going to be going back and forth between worlds on a somewhat regular basis at some point. perhaps more than just the two we know about so far. And do we even know for certain that it IS a hat, as we’ve all been speculating? I mean, the other characters need hats to give them self-awareness, or intellect, or life, apparently… but Nadia already has these qualities. Maybe it is a hat, and maybe it’s something else. (If I missed/forgot a definite reference to the item in the package being a hat, someone let me know, so I won’t put any more effort into speculating pointlessly)
July 26th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Rendo calls it a hat (in french) see number 25 (http://www.kukuburi.com/2007/10/15/twentyfive/). Also, the Tillywump tries to eat it, which strongly suggests that it’s a hat.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
heya Ryan B, you’re absolutely right. Rendo calls it a hat TWICE -_- that’s what I get for not going back through the archives before I speak. But he didn’t say that Tillywumps eat hats specifically, just that they have a big appetite. Also, speaking of Tillywumps, I have to revise my statement that “hats give them self-awareness… etc.” …. obviously the tillywump is intelligent enough (WITHOUT a hat) to own and use a ladder, a vehicle, a net, and all manner of things, so it’s not about self-awareness or intellect. -_- Rendo even takes his off to use as a magical boomerang that one time. -_- I’m seriously unobservant, it seems.
July 27th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
“But he didn’t say that Tillywumps eat hats specifically, just that they have a big appetite.”
Yes, that’s true. I will now direct your attention to the cast page, wherein we learn of the Tillywump’s favorite dish.
July 27th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
P.S. After re-reading the Tillywump cast page, I now believe Nadia’s key hat will turn out to be a baseball cap.
July 28th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Wow! THis is a wonderfully imaginative comic! I am really enjoying it! Can’t wait for more:)
July 28th, 2008 at 5:30 am
Ryan B, ah, ok, NOW I see. I never ever thought that the cast section might be a place to find MORE information than the story had provided thus-far, wow. Hmm, but I have to disagree with you about Nadia’s hat…. assuming she needs one with extra special magical abilities, the baseball cap, the only hat that does NOT grow on the trees that produce the rare magical hats, doesn’t seem like a possibility. i still say that nadia’s hat will end up “fitting” her image, in some way. she’s young, into metal accessories, likes riding her scooter, i guess… maybe it’s a metal studded riding cap/helmet or something. package seems flatter than it is tall…. heh! maybe it’s a cute version of a pirate captain’s tri-corner hat! ^_^… but i have a feeling that her goggles will fit whatever style it is. maybe.
July 28th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
^.^
Awesome page! Love the snail almost as much as I love Reggy.
July 28th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Keep it up! Love the colors!
July 29th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Eric — I love those hat ideas! Made me go back and look at the first panels and realize our Nadia doesn’t wear a helmet. Think of all the trouble she could have saved the Chapeau chaps if she had been law-abiding and worn a helmet that morning.
Of course, if she had been law-abiding she wouldn’t have been Nadia
ps: Baseball cap seems unlikely for Nadia. I think baseball caps are entirely inimical, possibly even malefic, to magic and the Inbetween. I expect Tulliwump(s?) wouldn’t even want to eat them!
July 29th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
i just found this and it is AMAZING. i’m completely sold, i love the artwork and the everything about the storyline. i’ll be checking this weekly.
July 29th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
I’m having trouble picturing Nadia in a hat, especially a ball cap. Even if it’s worn backwards and has an embroidered bluebird talisman to watch her back.
I suspect Nadia’s not fussy about her hair(have seen no memorable preening behavior) but will bet that she’s happy with her “do” and would object to a hat that covers it or messes it up.
So what kind of hat goes with yellow lensed goggles and a pink hair clip?
I’m thinking some kind of eternally blooming tiara of some joyfully live flower like violets, daisies or primrose that sheds like crazy and will shake up that black leisure suited bag of dry bones so much it will give our heroine a more even footing the next time she faces Him.
Anyone else have a best guess?
July 29th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I just noticed eric from abeno’s post above about the TriCorn so the guesses have already started
July 29th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
I love how Nadia is sitting on the rock guy!
July 29th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
“I think baseball caps are entirely inimical, possibly even malefic, to magic…”
Yikes!!
Have you never been to the ballpark? Few places on Earth are more inherently magical.
July 30th, 2008 at 1:44 am
Just wanted to let you know that clicking the “current” button got me only to 93. I checked back every day and found pg 94 6 days late, lol.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:58 am
I’m really loving how this story is turning out. It almost turning out to be like my comic P2. I’ll be checking in more and more on this one. Keep up the great work.
July 30th, 2008 at 10:22 am
paidion, I know what you mean, but the reason it does that is because Ramon updates two pages every time… which means that if you were to link to the “current” in your favorites, and it literally lead you to the last available page, you’d be seeing the second half of the update BEFORE you saw the first half. It takes a little getting used to, but eventually, you’ll remember that there are usually two new pages each time, and just kind of automatically look for the “next” arrow button and click it. Good luck. We’re all in the same boat, just try to remember ^_^
July 30th, 2008 at 10:41 am
mandru, the guesses have been sporadicly appearing since the first moment we all understood there was supposed to be a hat in the box. …. again, back where Rendo refers to Nadia’s
“chapeau”. (french word for “hat”, basically pronounced “shapo” with a long o sound, for anyone who didn’t take french in school) Some of my and other people’s guesses so far have been: berret, beanie, a soft flat hat with a visor (like that “workman’s cap” worn by the large white furred character) cowboy hat, straw hat, top hat, crown/tiara, baseball cap, some kind of helmet, and tri-corn pirate hat, (if I left out any guesses, let me know) This issue will be resolved in the next two, maybe three updates, I’m pretty sure, so anyone who wants to try and voice their opinion better post quick ^_^ Of course, every guess we make, Ramon could purposely choose something else, just to keep one of us from “winning” the guessing game, since he has complete freedom to change anything he wants (as we’ve seen, even AFTER he puts up a page).
July 30th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Headband??
July 30th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
This is simply one of the best things the internet has to offer.
Ramon, thank you, you are genius. Keep up the fantastic work.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I’m confused on the new update schedule…we still doing every other week?
July 31st, 2008 at 12:00 am
heh heh - i love all the hat speculation!
as for the update schedule, yep, still every other week. unfortunately, sorry. i was hoping to make a cast update this week but my brains been fried with my workload. i will try to do so before the week is out.
i’ve been so burned out that even a basic update of saying there’s no update frazzles my head. i just stare a the screen blankly… mergh.
July 31st, 2008 at 1:00 am
Wow, I can’t wait to read more!
July 31st, 2008 at 3:42 am
I didn’t mean anything by asking Ramon. You are doing great! I just wanted to make sure when I should be checking for the updates….even though I find myself checking even though I know it’s not time yet. What can I say…I love it! My friends even know I love this story. I had a friend on the phone earlier and we were talking about comics, and she mentioned Kukuburi because she knew it’s my favorite! You are loved!
July 31st, 2008 at 4:31 am
kristina, i check every day, just to be connected and maybe respond to some of the other people’s comments, it’s a nice atmosphere here. ^_^
July 31st, 2008 at 6:54 am
Hey man,
Have avoided commenting through apathy since once, a while ago on BNS. No, I do not expect you to remember this, do not worry.
Just wanted to say that, yeah, your work seems to be improving exponentially, and it was bloody engaging to begin with. The dream logic thing is something I’ve been wanting to see drawn out more and, yes, as the macro nearly says, you’re doing it right.
Best of luck, man, and keep up the good word,
T
July 31st, 2008 at 6:55 am
…I meant work, on the end there…
dammit.
July 31st, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Wow. Just…wow. I was directed from GWS and started reading about 2 hours ago. I read some of the comments but not all, since I was enjoying the layouts so much I didn’t want the ‘interruption’. I agree however with many of the comments I DID read. Your work is a gazpacho of Labyrinth, Henson, Pixar, Gaiman, Herge, and too many others too recall at the moment. The only problem is, I also love to read in ‘batches’, so what the heck do I do now?!
August 1st, 2008 at 11:56 am
What a fantastic comic. Beautiful, slightly surreal art. Thank your friend over at the Webcomic Overlook for the glowing review and the link to your pages. really something spectacular. I enjoyed reading through all the panels today.
August 1st, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I am thinking for Nadia’s hat: a street-urchin style soft hat with a short bill, with a leather strip decorations with studs. Possibly a red hat with black; or a chartreuse hat (her hair and goggles would still contrast great). Hrm, shiny studs (like her belt hardware) or maybe coppery…kinda like the snail shell in this last panel where it catches the firelight.
Great hues on that snail shell, btw!
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Just got here from Danielle’s site and absolutely had to read through it all in one sitting. LOVE IT! <3 I got this great idea for a pic too that I think I may doodle even if it ends up not being so called canon, just because of the way you phrased a few things. PLEASE don’t let this die like far too many other great webcomics.
August 3rd, 2008 at 5:00 pm
your comic is seriously amazing, i just wish u had more time to be able to do it, hope all is going well with your housing situation..i havent really read your latest updates on that but i hope it goes good for u so u can have more time for kuku!
August 4th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Ramon I’ve been reading this one for a while. Have to say that this update is one of my favorites. The use of colors and the reflections are amazing