Not From Concentrate Blog

Not From Concentrate INDEFINITE HIATUS... for now...

2008-08-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

So... you've probably noticed that there hasn't been any comics for a while. My creative lull has lasted much longer than I would have hoped. Ever since the end of the last semester I have been struggling. Every now and then I'd hit an oasis and have an idea I'd really like, but for the most part, I wasn't liking the comics I was posting. I didn't think they were funny, but had to post them because I had a schedule to keep. This also made creating the comics a chore rather than something I wanted to do. For these reasons, Not From Concentrate will be taking an indefinite hiatus, lasting at least through next Spring. I am hopeful that this isn't the end, but that isn't necessarily a guarantee.

I apologize to those who have discovered the comic and are disappointed with my decision. Let me first say that this blew up way bigger than anything I thought it would. I am glad that people have enjoyed my work and hope you will understand.

-Tom Dobrosielski

UNSCHEDULED BREAK aka "I've got nothin'"

2008-07-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry everybody, I've had a real tough time coming up with any decent ideas recently. So much so that I just plain don't have anything for today. Thusly, I've decided to table a week-long sabbatical from NFC. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Comic Late Today

2008-07-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

Due to poor time management, today's comic will be posted later than normal. It should definitely be up by 2pm EST.

A Squirrel Winked at Me Today

2008-07-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

... ... ... ... doom?

A Return to Form

2008-06-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

So, first, thanks for all of the feedback on the new style. It was just something I was trying out for a little while and it was never planned to be a replacement. That said, the message came in loud and clear: Change it back. Not From Concentrate has been slowly evolving its style over the past two years (yup, it's been two year... give or take a firing and re-hiring) and had found a pretty consistent, clean design. One which I, and apparently everyone else, likes. I had started doing some doodles on the program while trying to think up new ideas and they eventually developed into the comics that appeared over the previous two weeks.

But, after a resounding widespread agreement, I can tell you the old style is back and is here to stay. As today's comic shows, the new style has been sent off to obscurity to live with JTT and other icons that have vanished from popularity. On this note: Seriously, WTF, JTT? Where you at? He could have taken over the world in the 1990s. In fact, part of me is convinced that he actually did take over the world. But, seeing that those whom he thought he could trust would betray him, he quickly built a time machine (using his experience from Home Improvement), and convinced himself to abandon his world ambitions and instead live a life out of the public eye.

(I am tired and have absolutely no desire to proofread this posting and therefore apologize for any and all grammar errors).

Illustration Friday: Hoard

2008-06-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

So I saw this week's topic while I was at work, and since I didn't really have anything else to do, I decided to work on a submission. Here's what I came up with:

Finally... A Post!

2008-06-16T10:27:00.000-07:00

So it has officially been a month since I've posted to the blog. This is shameful and downright ungentlemanly and I apologize.

In case you've been wondering, I'll quickly rundown what I've been up to over the past 30 days.

Week of May 18th-May24th:
- Finish final exams including writing roughly 25 pages in papers
- Move out of dorm
- Two 8-hr. work days at office
- Saw Indiana Jones

Week of May 25th-May31st:
- Go to younger brother's high school graduation
- Celebrate older brother's birthday while he's in town from Seattle
- New laptop arrives
- Get fitted for tux for wedding of two close friends
- One 8-hr. work day
- Wedding Rehearsal/Rehearsal dinner

Week of June 1st-June 7th
- Wedding
- Sleep
- Go to Bingo where I win $30 and my little brother wins $200
- One 8-hr work day

Week of June 8th-June 14th
- Three 8-hr work days
- Saw The Strangers with a friend
- Celebrate Friday the 13th with cupcakes
- Trip to IKEA!

As for more comic-related news. I have been experimenting with using a different style for the comics (as you probably have noticed) and will continue to do so for a little while just to mix things up a little.

So that's pretty much it. I'll try to make sure to make posts more frequent from now on.

New Comic Tomorrow

2008-05-16T03:02:00.000-07:00

I know in a previous post I said I would have another comic for Friday, but I haven't had the time to complete it because of studying. I'll finish it Friday night and will definitely have it posted by Saturday. I apologize for not having it when I said I would.

Additionally, I am aware the RSS feed isn't working properly, but again finals are coming first. I'll try to have it back as soon as possible.

OK. Last part... Maybe it's that it's 3am, maybe it's because I've been studying for hours, but this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen/heard. I just stared
at my computer and laughed for about a solid minute.

BACK!

2008-05-14T05:59:00.001-07:00

It took two goddamn days of dealing with the damn webhosting site, but the site is up again.

Digg, thou art a double-edged sword... that was shoved up my ass.

Plans for Next Week and Beyond

2008-05-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

Starting next week the schedule is going to start to change. It is the
end of the semester and The Diamondback will no longer be needing daily comics until the start of the fall semester. Fear not, Not From Concentrate will go on in the meantime, just at a slower pace.

May 12-16 will feature 4 new comics appearing on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. (This corresponds with the three remaining Diamondback publications as well as a bonus for Friday).

May 19-23 will unfortunately have no new comics. I have final exams and
anything I would create during this period would be bad anyways.

May 26- August 29 is the summer. My current plan for this time is to have two new comics every week published on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Additionally I will try to post more things to the blog including doodles, sketches, and things of the like to make up for the decreased amount of actual comics. There's one additional plan for the summer, but I'm not quite ready to announce it yet.

Starting September 2nd the, regular publishing schedule of 5 comics a week will resume.

Comics I Read: Brewster Rockit- Space Guy!

2008-05-08T10:35:00.001-07:00

This is one of the few syndicated strips that I read with any regularity. In fact, it is one of two that are currently producing new strips (I will always read Peanuts; probably til the day I die). I am happy that this sci-fi parody has been able to find mainstream success and hope that it continues to appear in the newspaper for a long time to come. The type of humor you will find throughout this strip is reminiscent of Futurama and is usually very consistent. So be sure to check out Brewster Rockit, cause if we don't support the few good syndiated strips only horrible things can happen. That's right, I'm looking at you Mary Worth!

Comics I Read: Amazing Super Powers dot com

2008-04-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

I discovered this comic a while ago, then it got lost amongst my links, but I recently found it again. The drawing style is solid and distinctive in the manner not necessarily in the way that it's like nothing you've seen before, but in the way that you can immediately tell what comic you are reading. That might not seem that important, but I think that it's really a crucial part of having your own comic. Additionally, the humor is quite similar to mine own. Looking through the comics, I felt surprised that I hadn't come up with some of the same ideas. A particular favorite is this twist on Dr. Strangelove.

Oddly enough, one of my favorite parts of the site is the FAQ section. It is handled very well with just the right amount of sincerity and sarcasm. Maybe it's a weird thing to compliment, but I really like it.

In conclusion, you should check out Amazing Super Powers dot com, updated on Mondays and Thursdays.

My List of the Best Things in Life

2008-04-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

Hall & Oates
Waking up to find your first class is canceled and that you can go back to sleep for another hour-and-a-half
Sour Watermelon Slices
Your kiss
Granny Smith apples
People who get this reference

Big Day

2008-04-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Today is a big day, ladies and gentlemen. A day I have been looking forward to for some time. When one now searches "not from concentrate" on Google, this comic is the top result! It has been my goal to beat Florida's Natural's page describing the difference between juice from concentrate and juice not from concentrate, but I never really thought it would happen. I'm so excited. I just want to say thanks for all of you readers who made this happen. It's awesome and you're awesome.

Additionally, I have added a Frequently Asked Questions section to the "About" page. If there is more you want to know. Send me an email and I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible. If you want to also see the question added to the FAQ, just send your email multiple times, then I'll have to post it.

Comics I Enjoy: Jon Lajoie

2008-04-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

So this week is not your typical comic. This week I'm interpreting "comic" to mean comedian, and boy is this one a doozy. John Lajoie is a Canadian funny man whom I found on YouTube. I guess the best thing about Lajoie's style of humor, other than being incredibly funny, is the honesty in his material. His best work are the numerous songs which are incredibly catchy, but he also produces other funny short videos. Below I have embedded his most recent song: "Sunday Afternoon".

He'll post new videos on a pretty regular basis (about once or twice a month). Here's a link to his YouTube channel where you can see the rest of his videos. Additionally, here's a link to his website where you can download free mp3s of the songs he has written.

Tiny Text

2008-04-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but whenever I see a drawing or movie with papers in it, I always wonder how authentic the text on that paper is. In drawings in particular, it is sometimes hard to decipher whether or not the artist even actually used text or just made scribbles. Well, in today's comic I had what I will now refer to as "tiny text." On a scale of 1 to 10 on legit-ness, I'd say my "tiny text" was about a 7. It was actual text and it even formed flowing sentences, but none of it had to do with any of the headlines seen. In actuality, I had taken the text from my short essay on environmental determinism that I wrote as part of my take-home midterm for my environmental history class.

If you would like to know more about environmental determinism and its effects on the way environmental historians view the past, shoot me an email and we can discuss.

Watch the Creation of a Comic: Contribution to Society

2008-04-11T12:30:00.001-07:00

On a sidenote: Today's comic marks 250 comics!

Comics I Read: Buttersafe

2008-04-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

This week's choice is Buttersafe. I first discovered this comic through an ad that was placed on my site. Wanting to see exactly what I would be advertising, I clicked on the ad and was pleasantly surprised. The comic, published on Tuesdays and Thursdays, has become one I check out on a regular basis. The jokes varies much from comic to comic (even more so than I do), and the style and format are rarely the same. (A fair amount of the variety can be attributed to the fact that the comic is the creation of two different authors: Raynato Castro and Alex Culang) Pretty much the only thing that is consistent is the funny. I particularly enjoyed a recent comic titled Cake Heaven.

I have no idea why it is called Buttersafe. Perhaps it is a reference to a vault made of butter? ... Although I wouldn't feel very confident placing my valuables inside of one. No matter what it's called, I find it to be pretty funny, and give it my hearty recommendations.

Watch the Creation of a Comic: Words Hurt

2008-04-04T07:32:00.001-07:00

Comics I Read: Thinkin' Lincoln

2008-04-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

This week's choice is Thinkin' Lincoln. For those not in the know, I am a history major. Perhaps that is why I enjoy this webcomic. It also may have something to do with it being consistently funny and frequently updated (Mon.-Fri.). The comic centers about Lincoln usually as well as a group of other historical figures like George Washington, Queen Elizabeth II, Rasputin, and Darwin. The humor style is kinda zany and every now and then you get a historical reference. Bully! (A reference to Theodore Roosevelt - part of me didn't want to point out it's a historical reference, but when I use this in IM conversation people don't get it.)

I have to keep this week's entry short because I have to work on a paper, but you should be sure to check out Thinkin' Lincoln.

Strangest Response to My Comic Ever?

2008-03-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sure many of you are familiar with StumbleUpon, but for those not in the know: it's an add-on for your browser that allows you to rate websites (thumbs up or thumbs down) and, based on your ratings, will find websites that are likely to interest you when you hit the "Stumble!" button. This is a college student's worst enemy dressed as a friend. An additional ability of StumbleUpon is that when you rate a site, you can also post a small review for others to see. Well, I was looking at some of the review pages that have appeared for comics on my site when I saw a response to last Wednesday's comic (reprinted below)

I'm still not entirely sure how to react, but here's what the response was:

"Or, from my experience, never trust a psycho girlfriend to hold onto the condoms if she says she wants your baby... 2 weeks into the relationship. Holes will be poked." -vanuhitman

I laughed a little at first and then, once the full implications set in, I just sat looking at my computer screen repeating the words, "Oh god..."

The Obligatory Kool-Aid Joke

2008-03-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

In the past couple of years it appears to have become incredibly popular to make jokes at the expense of the Kool-Aid Man. The cartoon character has a profound effect on the people of my generation that borders on obsession. What has caused this phenomenon? Is it because he's a Jesus metaphor? Well... lets look at what we know:
1) Kool-Aid starts as water and then is transformed into a red drink.
2) The Kool-Aid Man gives of himself, to his own detriment, for the greater benefit of others.
3) He has a devout following that calls on him when in need.

I'll admit that I'm reaching, but I think these are some odd coincidences...
And, while it may be sacreligious, I was alway more persuaded by the Metallic Liquid People from the Capri-Sun commercials. Those guys were badass.

Watch the Creation of a Comic: HSM2

2008-03-28T10:42:00.001-07:00

Originally ran in August 2007...

Tangrams

2008-03-27T14:42:00.001-07:00

Ok. Firstly, I freaking love tangrams. I played with these things all the time as a kid. If you don't know what they are, let me refer you to the Wikipedia article.

Secondly, there was an error (on my part) regarding the print version of this comic in the Diamondback today. The version printed is below.

However, I decided I didn't want to have it stretched out. I created a new and, in my opinion, far superior version seen below.

I liked the idea that it would be possible for people to do more with the comic than just read it. The trouble was when I sent the revised version of the comic to Diamondback production, I accidentally attached the wrong comic. Thusly, the preferred version went unseen until know.
I was going to wait a little while until I posted the solutions, but seeing as how you can't manipulate the comic the way I had imagined, I see no point in holding back.

This all turned out much more confusing that I had anticipated...

Comics I Read: Breakfast of the Gods

2008-03-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

So, I feel like I should update the blog more often, the only problem is that I can't really think of very much substantial stuff to talk about regarding my comic. Therefore, I decided I would start posting (on a semi-regular basis) webcomics that I read which I think others should check out.

This week I have chosen Breakfast of the Gods. The series centers around an epic battle between cereal mascots. It is a little difficult for me to explain more without giving anything away, but trust me, this is good. Actually, I would even say that it is far and away the best webcomic I have ever seen. Admittedly, as a heavy cereal eater, I was already predetermined to love this comic. Brendan Douglas Jones, the author, is consistently faithful to the cereal mascots that he includes and deserves high praise for the quality of work he puts forth here. Be warned; this is not light fare. The comic is pretty dark, and requires your time, but, in my opinion, it is certainly worth it. He recently finished the second book of the series and will be taking a well-deserved break before he begins the third.

One of the better things about this comic is that because of the use of licensed characters, there is no way for Jones to make any money off this. Breakfast of the Gods is purely a labor of love for the characters and it shows.

Watch the Creation of a Comic: Puppy

2008-03-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

Watch the Creation of a Comic: Pudding

2008-03-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

Since I make my comics using Flash, over last summer I decided to document the creation of some of the comics by inserting a new frame every time I'd make a change. I figured I'd start posting some of the animations in the blog so you can see the process behind making a comic.

RSS Feed!

2008-03-13T21:06:00.001-07:00

Hurray! My friend, who pretty much does all of the work on the website and deserves a major amount of thanks (Thanks!), was able to set up a RSS Feed. Enjoy!

RSS Feed?

2008-03-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

So I've gotten three requests today for an RSS feed. I hadn't had any before, but I guess people really felt that Wednesday was the best day to ask. While I don't have an answer for you right now, I just want everyone to know that I'm looking in to it.

I have two midterms tomorrow morning, so I don't have much time for making this a really worthwhile post, but I just wanted to say that the mere interest in something like a RSS feed is very encouraging and I'm glad that people are finding this comic and enjoying it.

Thanks!

Watch the Creation of a Comic: Silly Putty

2008-03-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

Background Info on Making Comics and Check Out the "About" Section

2008-02-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

It may not be that surprising, but all of the comics I make usually go through a couple of versions. I play with the punchline or the arrangement and test them out on a friend to see which one works best. Usually I'll only make two or three. However, today's comic went through eight different versions- each one differing only a little from each other, but creating a different tone of the joke. The one I choose was actually the sixth iteration. I tried attaching some of the different versions in this post, I couldn't get the formatting to work. So you'll just have to trust me, they exist.

Additionally, you should check out the "About" section cause I'll be updating it semi-regularly (about once a week) with extraneous info about myself and the comic.

Suggestion Box

2008-02-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

This post is to help me gauge what you guys feel is lacking in the site. What I should do, what I should stop doing? Just any sort of feedback would be great so that I can make your visits here more enjoyable.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-02-18T21:30:00.000-08:00

Check out the sexy new format for the blog. Makes me wish I updated it more...

You may have also noticed an increase in those little ad boxes. Unfortunately the site costs money, and being as (insert not having money cliché)... the ads are necessary. Plus they're a part of this crazy cycle where: the money gotten from the ads goes towards putting my own ads on other people's sites so that site exposure and the number of viewers go up, thusly increasing the value of ad space, which increases the amount of ads I can have, further increasing exposure and the number of readers, and so on... The whole purpose of this is to get the most amount of people reading Not From Concentrate and me (hopefully) spreading smiles like jam on toast.

(I'm not entirely sure if that simile works... )

Soon...

2008-01-23T09:37:00.001-08:00

I know it's been a good, long while since any updates have been posted to the site or the blog. But soon, the semester will begin and the site will resume its regular updating.

Til then? Courage.

Whoops!

2007-12-02T19:02:00.001-08:00

Yeah... so I just realized that there's a spelling error on the comic that will be printed tomorrow... I fixed it for on the site, but it's too late to change what will be printed. Below you can see the typo.

Boy is my face red.
(Although if you've seen a picture of me, this will come as no surprise, as I often appear rather pink.)

Illustration Friday - Excess

2007-11-30T16:38:00.000-08:00

An EXCESS of male genitalia

I had made this a while ago, but I feel like it fits this weeks topic.

Guest Strip

2007-11-15T05:54:00.000-08:00

Today's strip (that will actually print tomorrow) is a guest strip from Dominick Rabrun. So all credit must go to him.

Living the Dream

2007-11-06T05:54:00.001-08:00

Ever since vending machines have existed, man has wanted one thing more than anything else in the world: to get two items when only paying for one. It's rare, but when it happens, it's purely magical.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to say that tonight it has happened to me.
This past evening I was walking in Stamp and passed a vending machine. I hadn't been intending to purchase anything but out of the corner of my eye I saw something that stopped me abruptly. There was a package of Skittles that was just barely hanging on to the metal coil in front of several packages of M&Ms. My eyes lit up like a child opening a fresh canister of Play-Doh.

I quickly checked my bag and by some act of God, I found a single dollar! It was a sign. I knew there was a chance that I would just get the Skittles, but I simply could not let this opportunity pass. I slid in my dollar. It took a couple of tries and some rubbing against my pants, but it was eventually accepted. I was nervous. I slowly pressed the buttons, checking several times to make sure I entered the correct alpha-numeric code. E. 4. I watched the coil turn. It seemed to take forever. The Skittles fell. More coil turning. More coil turning. It stopped. The package of M&Ms that had been behind the Skittles hung on to the coil for a split second longer. And then like Leo DiCaprio in Titanic, the M&Ms let go and fell into the abyss!!

VICTORY!!

I grabbed the Skittles and M&Ms out from the vending machine and took a moment to bask. I hadn't even really wanted either the Skittles or the M&Ms, but I could not have been happier to have them in my possession. I realize that my victory had come at the cost of someone else who must have been very upset when they attempted to buy Skittles only to have it stick to the coil. That person HAD wanted those Skittles that I would now be enjoying.

So here's to you, my Skittles-less friend. I am sorry that my happiness came at the cost of your lack of candy and hope that you too may someday enjoy the immense pleasure of a 2 for 1 from a vending machine.

The Switch

2007-11-05T05:08:00.001-08:00

So this week Mike O'Brien and I are switch comics. (Comics that appear in the student newspaper, for you non-UMCPers). So I am drawing my version of Nut Butter and he is drawing his version of Not From Concentrate. To familiarize yourself with Mike's work you can visit obriencomics.com.

Today's Comic

2007-11-04T06:11:00.002-08:00

Hello. This week is going to be a special week for the comics. And since I do not want to ruin the surprise, today's comic is one that is not actually going to be published. A "bonus" comic if you will. Monday's comic will be posted Monday morning and you can also expect an explanation of it here on the blog.
Until then, here's "Crossing the Line" the only comic I've made that I have ever given a title. It also, because it does cross so far over the line, could never be published.

Illustration Friday - Hats

2007-11-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

This was the very first thing that came to mind when I saw the new topic for the week. HATS! I would genuinely rather see this than the feline version.

Illustration Friday - Trick or Treat

2007-10-27T19:10:00.001-07:00

This would happen to Charlie Brown, the poor bastard.
Watch this comic be created here.

Illustration Friday - Grow

2007-10-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

So this is my entry for Illustration Friday this week. The word is "grow." Some people might think of plants, others might think about adolescence... but me, the first thing I thought of was the alligators in the sewers. You buy 'em as pets and flush 'em down, but my how they grow. The original idea was pretty sweet with a guy flushing a baby alligator down a toilet and transitioning into full-grown alligators in the sewers... but I am nowhere near talented enough to pull that off.

Updated

2007-10-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hey, the site's Archives, About, and Links pages have been updated. The About and Links pages are pretty bland for now, but hopefully when I think of something better, I'll change them.

Illustration Friday - Extremes

2007-10-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

I had originally created this for another purpose, but that didn't work out. However, a tiny bit of tweaking makes it appropriate for this week's topic.

Not From Concentrate Online!

2007-10-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

It's been done. Not From Concentrate can now be viewed online. All comics have been added. I will update the comics daily and add each new comic the day before it is published in The Diamondback.
The Archives, About, and Links pages will hopefully be up soon.