Episode 2 is in the works!

Hello all! It's been a while since the last update. I've been hard at work, but finally got my spirits up to get back to the drawing board. I'm finally getting to work on some more e-cards and even the second episode I had stashed away for so long.

What are they making? Who is it for? Will all go as planned? Stay tuned, in Bunny and Panda - Let's Get Cookin! 

I'm about 1/3 of the way through, each episode are approximately 3 minutes long. Soundtracks are all Scott Joplin rags and other pieces. Hope you all enjoy!

Old HugClub Images

Hi all, Panda here! While cleaning some old directories, I found some old drawings from years back (around 2006). While not the original 90s illustration (a far cry from it as I was not good at drawing on PC vs Pen/Markers) I'd say the 90s version is more along the lines of balloon basket panda as seen below.. Otherwise, these were early PC illustrations. The funny chonky panda (top middle) was an experimental design that didn't go anywhere, but I kept it just because..

These are some images that I used to post on a social network called Hi5. The social network was unique as you had complete control of the HTML on your profile. So what did I do? I completely erased my profile page's HTML and replaced it with a flash animated profile that instead acted as an interactive webpage. 

At the very bottom are some badges I used to send friends on a Hi5 (with CSS, one could display this badge on their profile).

A small, but fun piece of history of HugClub.

SHIRTS AND POSTERS ARE COMING!!!

Welcome back, Panda here!

The store is finally being stocked with the variety of goods I had imagined. I've also got an experimental item on the table.

First up is Shirts! I've got a nice variety of shirts for all folks, Ladies and Gents, couple shirts, etc.. Materials may be subject to change. I'm working with 3G Opaque and JPSS (same stuff Mall kiosks use), however I'm gunning for a BN-20 which does vinyl prints. This machine can also handle posters and stickers, which I currently do with my Epson at the moment, but so far so good.

Next up is Posters. These are 13x19 matte sheets, vector art, and they look great! Here's a small sample, I'm sure you'll enjoy the selection soon to be updated.

This'ol blog doesn't do it justice, to actually see the brilliant inks must be experienced in person.

Finally, I've got some framed embroidery work. I'm using a Brother SE600. So far I've been doing some side projects (unrelated to HugClub). These are embroidery patterns that came from a Game Boy cart called Mario Family, but I'd like to show off what this machine is capable of. I'll have to see about designing some HugClub related embroideries and framing them the way I have done with this little side project. Observe....

That's all for now. Hope you're all excited for what's to come!

Maintenance 2

A slight service interruption has been fixed.

For those interested: I use Adobe Animate CC 2019, 2020 AND 2021 to publish my site. The reason is because each version has bugs and bug fixes... I publish index.html through 2019 because of an iframes bug that appeared in 2020 and 2021. I publish ecards.html through 2020 because the formatting of 2019 became incompatible with the most recent versions of browsers, and in 2021, the console spams errors.

Today's bug was ecards.html. I tried publishing through CC2021, but it gave me a non-stop garbling list of complaints in the console. I backed up to CC2020 and it stopped complaining.

The ultimate solution will be to build the site from scratch in CC2021, by HAND TYPING EVERY LINE OF CODE!!!! Because... I tested something.... saving the old document in a new version seems to break things. Even worse, copying and pasting code from the old document to a newly created document seems to paste over an unseen corruption that breaks everything. Instead, I hand typed the code and it worked... This is going to be a long and grueling process, but hey, at least things work for now.

We now return to our regularly scheduled program...

Maintenance

 Hi all, Panda here.

The site has been coming along. The web keeps evolving and things break right under my nose. All content on the web no longer "auto plays"... this was an eventuality I guess. I have added play buttons to all e-cards in order to make sound work correctly.

HTTPS update! As you know, search engines are phasing out non-https sites from being indexed. The update was a "necessary, but unnecessary" implementation... The shop items are hosted by paypal, so there was no real risk or issue of my site being non-https. It's there, so if that gives anyone peace of mind, hope that helps.

e-cards are now served over https, which  means any old e-card personal messages will not appear unless you add https to the beginning of the URL, don't click the old link in your e-mails.

Any new e-cards created will be unaffected and ready to play. Please continue to enjoy the service :)

That's all for today!

Coming Soon - Shop

 Hi all, Panda here!

I'm finally opening up shop. All of 2020, I had been experimenting with different types of products. I'll go into a little detail for what's coming!

T-Shirts:

I have decided on two brands: Hanes and Gildan. They are affordable and last a long time. I am using 3G Jet Opaque transfer sheets for Darks (same stuff that malls use for shirt kiosks) as well as Jet Pro Soft Stretch for lights.

I tried ironall and blue/red grid, however they tend to peel off a lot sooner than the brands I am using now. The key is to wash only in cold water on delicate cycles.



Stickers:

I had a hard time with this one, but I eventually fixed most of the issues. I am using Koala matte and LD glossy paper. I was worried when I discovered that the ink kept rubbing or scratching off of the glossy paper. I was going to trash an entire pack of sticker sheets, but I discovered that it actually takes 2-3 weeks for this paper to dry.... So, I think it's safe to say that I will be selling these now. There will be 3 different types:

-Matte Stickers - use these as stationary/decorations

-Laimated Matte = for abrasive conditions like on the back of your phone case or laptop lid

-Photo Glossy = ideal for walls, mirrors (your dresser), doors, or other places where they won't
get scratched/rubbed.



Plush Dolls:

I use a special software that turns 3D objects into cut patterns for plush dolls. I'm selling Ooh Bunny, Tony Panda, Ciel Katt, and Eve Bear.

These dolls are made with fleece and the faces are embroidered. I will most likely be stuffing them with cotton or some kind of 50% mix.



Canvas:

I found out that I can use a heat press to apply T-Shirt transfers onto canvas and it works amazingly well. I will offer two sizes, 6x6 and 8x10. The supplier doesn't always carry the same size, but they always have at least one of these.



Pins:

I'm using a shrink film (plastic) to create these pins. They are sturdy and look great! I've yet to determine a good size, but when I decide on one, I'm sure it'll be just right.



Prints:

I have obtained some nice 13x19 matte paper for mini posters. I have been selling these locally already and they are a hot item. I use Koala matte and it works well. When I ship, they will be protected by two foam boards, not rolled in a tube.

Coming soon - Webisodes!

Hi all, Panda here!!

I've finally buckled down and got my system up and running. I keep about 4 backups of my hard drive, do your worst universe!!!

Well folks, I'm finally starting up the webisodes. They will be about 3 minutes each, starring yours truly and the crew. I begin with a pilot episode: Shopping Shenanigans. It's a silent film/animation in black and white with an old film grain filter.

I employ the use of Adobe Animate, Sony Vegas (to add my filter), and then Handbreak (reduces the size of the MP4 in a way Vegas cannot). The result is a 1GB video downsized to 3MB. Not bad huh?

My methods are a bit unorthodox. I don't storyboard or use the onion skin. Adobe allows you to mold drawings like clay. The way I animate is like sculpting, frame by frame. It's the fastest way to go because you just copy the frame before, and then bend it into position. The result is a really smooth and fast animation. 

The style is familiar, reminiscent of one of my favorite animators (they actually adapted it from a 1950's animator). With a little bit of tweaking, I was able to make it work for my purpose. The result is as shown: 

 

I should hope to be finished with this little production by the end of the week (I just started it...)

Once I upload it, it will appear in the Episodes section of the site. I will also be working on and uploading the last of the e-cards (completing the collection). More details at that time..

That's all for now! Let's hope this goes well!

-Panda