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• The Christmas Bat III_part 1 of 2
And so, this year’s tale of The Christmas Bat ends. (In blood and terror, as usual!) And just like Frosty, he’ll be back again someday (next year, for sure)!
When I was a kid and didn’t appreciate the joys of anticipation and surprise, I would search out presents my parents’ hid (as opposed to the ones Santa delivered) so I’m glad I didn’t encounter The Christmas Bat lurking in any of the gifts I found. One memorable year I discovered the NES my parents bought me about a month before Christmas. Was awesome. I’d run home from school and play Super Mario Bros. for about an hour or so and pack it back up all neat and tidy before my parents got home. I finished that game many times over before I ever received it! Good times.
btw, Hope you’ll forgive the uneven release schedule lately. This year’s Christmas Bat strips have taken longer than any strips I’ve done before due to the increased length, the new characters and time the panels take to color and texture. That mixed with the crazy holiday season has just thrown things out of whack a bit. I’m planning to get Friday’s strip done early so New Year’s doesn’t interfere with getting it out on time though, so wish me luck. I appreciate all the encouragement and understanding in your comments and emails, folks – that stuff really keeps me going during the late nights!
Wahahahaha. Is everyone still drunk?
if so, why weren’t we invited, JF3? 😉
Funny little creation of yours…
i think with strips over the past three Christmases, it can definitely be considered a JEFbot tradition now, Maryz. 🙂
Try looking for “my lil cousin ngajat” on youtube. Its my cousin dancing during my sister’s bebiau. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb7N4ULiMRM
i had to google “bebiau” JF3 – but i take it this is your cousing doing a traditional dance to bless your sister’s wedding? hope i got that right. heheh. regardless, it’s great! thanks for sharing.
To all JB fans, hoped you guys like it. Happy new year and may whatever gods you worship bless you with bountiful harvest and long life.
great sentiment, JF3! happy new year, long life and bountiful harvest to you, too! 😀
Awesome! Words fail me! Loved the whole adventure!
thanks, #1JF!!! more adventures to come next year! 😀
This is fantastic! I love Von Drom, I think he needs to make some appearances in the modern day! 🙂
thanks, man! after doing these strips, i’ve grown a bit attached to Gustav, so we may be seeing more of him in the future. 🙂
As a Musashis co-prisoner on the aliens ship, maybe?
heheh. are you saying TCB is in league with the aliens, Maryz!!!? 😯
Yeah the character design is fantastic (love the hat!). I’d love to see more of him as a side story character!
chances are he won’t make a return appearance until next christmas (if that). but if i can find a way to work him into the main storyline, i will!
Absolutely gorgeous work, jefbot! You must publish this as a Christmas book. The settings are so intricate, and the characters so detailed. You’re a genius!!!
aww, thanks, Annie!!! really nice to hear. maybe when i have enough Christmas Bat strips, i’ll collect them all in a book. or maybe write and draw an exclusive story directly to print? hmm. at any rate, the past three TCB strips will be included in the forthcoming JEFbot collection! 🙂
Brilliant Sir…truly Brilliant. (now where’s my $20)
heheh. only Michael Cornacchia gets paid for his comments, hans. at least for now. 😉
I LOVE it!!! Jefbot, you’re so talented. I wish this was an animated series on TV!!!! It should be… I think the artwork is magical… I love the 4th frame down, the package in the clamp and your joyful grin with awful yellow teeth!!! OUTSTANDING!
i’d love to see that too, Funnyshaffer! know any producers or animation studios that want to put out a twisted little holiday special during Christmastime? 🙂
Jefbot!!!!! I am speechless, dude. This is by far my favorite strip…. not that all your strips aren’t my favorite. But I love Halloween, I love Christmas, I love horrific legends – wrap it all up neat and tidy and you have this magnificent strip. So beautifully drawn and the poem – awesome! Well done, my friend.
thanks man, glad you liked it so much! Christmas and Halloween are just two great tastes that taste great together, imho.
And just in time for New Years! I almost feel bad for the little Drom Jr. …all he wanted was to ruin his surprise for Christmas….guess he got his own surprise. >:P
true that, Imitiation Asian. if you know any kids that have a problem with not being able to wait to open their gifts, tell them the story of The Christmas Bat. 🙂
New ingredient: eye of Drom Jr.
heheh. ya know Stan, i thought about having the last panel be von Drom returning to find an eye at the bottom of the box – just not the eye he wanted, but even i’m not that sick. or at least i don’t want people to know i’m that sick. 😉
That bat scares me. I never want to open presents again…wait, nevermind. I like presents. XD Great ending, Jefbro.
thanks, Ahero! it’s okay to open presents – as long as you don’t open them before Christmas. probably a good idea to avoid poking around the dungeons of evil mystics, too.
Epic (now I want to write a Christmas based horror story) interesting story line for for it.
i encourage all christmas-based horror stories, Z. do it!
You’re gonna have a hard time topping this for Christmas Bat IV. Really beautifully drawn.
yeah, actually not sure if i’ll be able to top it, just saying that right now, E! heheh. as happy as i am with the way they ended up, doing these big strips nearly wiped me out. starting to plot out an extended storyline, though. we’ll see! oh, and thanks for that message you sent! did you get my reply?
Nope, didn’t see it, but that’s Yahoo mail for you.
darn. wanted to know if i could use that pic you sent in a blog post.
Of course you can use, feel free to use anything I send you at any time unless I flag it otherwise.
thanks, man!
Yaaay~! A fitting end to a creepy Christmas story. It was a wonderful labor of awesome comic dedication and I really appreciate it, thank you! I’m looking forward to New Year’s eve/day myself, it’s party party time, mang.
And oh Mr. Bot, I keep you going through the night? I do declare! *fans self*
woo-hoo! party time!!! glad you liked this year’s TCB tale, Foxmouse!!! i’m still kinda spent from working on ’em, so will definitely be partying it up tonight. have a Happy New Year!!!
and: ha! yes! must be your “foxiness”!
I love Von Drom’s little hat.
glad you mentioned that hat, Nat! (here i go rhyming again) i was giggling as i drew that little thing. 😀
aaah. i missed da last post. advanced happy new year everybody…!!!
but seriously, da art in dese last 2 posts is just awesome. wow wow wow….
i appreciate that faehiir! glad it wowed ya!
Very nice work Schuetze, keeping the tradition alive eh?
Happy New Year 2010 dude!
yep! the tradition’s still goin’ speearr! look for the return of The Bat in 2010, too! heheh.
happy new year!
Happy New Year, Jeff, JEFbot, Mombot, Dadbot, Xinda, Lor, Cel, Cornfather, Sean Luke and all my fellow JEFbot readers, commenters and fandom!
big thanks for the “happy new year” wishes for my family, characters and readers, reynard61! very cool of you. hope you’ve had a very happy 2010 yourself! 🙂
Bebiau is actually a ritual whereby the bride n groom are blessed by the elder/s depending on the situation. These blessings are in form of rhyming incantation. It does not have to make any sense as long as it sounds good. I’ ll post the bebiau for u n all jefbotfriends later. Beware of the slightly upside down moment though.
“upside down moment”!? can’t wait!
Experiment to merriment… easily my favourite couplet. It delighted the word nerd in me. Also loved the perspective in the 2nd panel. Great work, sir.
heh. glad you liked the rhyme, eleventeen. always happy to tickle your word nerd. 🙂
Again, well worth the wait, and an interesting tale of blood and death and as always.. The Christmas Bat. Loved how you did the story this year, and have to you give lots of props for all of the work involved to get these 2 strips out! I hope you had an amazing New Year, as well as everyone else!!!!!
PS: Give yourself a few pats on the back for your strips! Love ’em! 😀
*pat* *pat* *pat* 😉
thanks, Spanky! glad you liked this year’s Bat installment and hope you had fun while you were away. and yeah, had a really great time on new year’s eve. i think 2010’s gonna be a great one!!! 😀
@____@
One takes a couple days out of the Internet (mind you, not on my own volition but with the looming presence of my frightening mother over my shoulder and her promise to skin me alive if I didn’t move my sorry butt and driver her to visit the much dreaded – at least to me – relatives) and LOOK WHAT I MISS!!!!!!
Man, poor Junior. Curiosity is the name of the Christmas bat. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, jefbot. It’s still Christmas time here in Puerto Rico, so you’ll know. The 6th of January we got more presents (Three Wise Kings Day) and then we have the infamous OCTAVITAS (the last 8 days to have Christmas related parties) until the 14th of January. It rocks to spend Christmas Time in Puerto Rico!!
Gorgeous, bot! This needs to be in a museum.
that tiny-ass hat on his big head gets me, for some reason.
So I have been reading your comic religiously for two days and I have to say I think the Christmas Bat is my perfect Christmas alternative to Elf on a Shelf lol as always JefBot fantastic storyline