Dear readers of ALINR,
The TLDR is that next Monday I'll remove all assets which I don't own from the series. They're in there because I didn't originally hold the comic up to the standards I would have used for school or a job; I slapped assets together without checking whether it was appropriate. Most changes are minor and things will pretty much look the same.
Now, are you ready for a classic, weirdly formal, long winded EricDotCom writing?
Here's the full details:
I've made some changes to the Not So Golden Age arc. Since I neglected to mention this before uploading, I'll go ahead and make clear what was changed:
- The "be kind" poster in the corner of classroom 103 has been changed. It looked too close to one from a reference image and I didn't have the rights to use its design.
- The screenshots on the DS's have been redrawn. Unedited screenshots apparently don't fall under fair use and Nintendo enjoys using its lawyers. This also gave me a chance to make the text bigger, as it was pretty unreadable on phones.
- A panel in ep. 42 didn't have its sketch layer hidden. This was fixed.
Most of these changes are part of a larger effort to address various usage issues in the comic. When I started this project, I didn't approach it with a professional mindset; I sourced and used assets without thinking about ethics or legality, simply prioritizing making the final image I wanted. As I started taking things more seriously, I was more careful about what I was using and whether it was appropriate. For a while, my plan was to just move forward and redo those older parts "later". I guess later means now.
I've staged revisions to episodes 4-11, 13, 16-20, and 22. This revision replaces all assets I don't own with something either I made or have the rights to. Most if not all the changes are switching textures and background objects like above; the new versions should look almost identical if not better. Still, if you'd like to archive the originals for either comparison or historical reasons, you have until next Monday to do so.
On the topic of traced backgrounds, some images I have permissions for, but in most cases I still would like to consult further whether they're okay to use. I believe that they are transformative enough to fall under fair use, so I won't adjust them for now. If any episodes featuring them ever go to print, this will definitively be addressed.
Copyright law is complex, but after this update, to the extent of my knowledge, everything in ALINR will either be made by me or used in an acceptable manner. It's possible I missed a dirt texture which wasn't from a royalty free website. If that picture of dirt is yours, or you see any other work being unfairly used, send me proof and I can address the issue.
I will now continue moving forward with the comic. If anyone has questions about past or present methods of production on ALINR, feel free to reach out.
