© B Y ..S T E V E ..W E L S H
Oregon MacPioneers User Group (Omug)
(NOTE -- The company name plasq is spelled by its creators with a lowercase "p")
Prelude:
There are many of us grown-up types who read our newspapers or slurp our news down from news sites and then, after getting more than we want of the real world, quickly scramble to find the comics section to cleanse our mental palette by injecting a little humor or fun. I know I do.
Well, welcome to a brilliant piece of software that offers much the same relief and joy to your tech world -- Comic Life. From the moment you create your first photo-comic with it, it is almost a sure bet to be a favorite of every member of your family, of any age.
Comic Life is the masterpiece of plasq and founder Robert Grant and Chris Pearson and others, a nifty, small bunch from down-under, mate (yeah, we're talking Australia). Comic Life may be the best thing to come out of Australia since the band Men at Work, that half-fish, half-man Ian Thorpe (Olympic swimming hero), or the late (God bless him) crocodile hunter and conservationist, Steve Irwin.
"Holy Kangaroo, Batman! ... you mean to tell me a comic book creation program is the coolest software out there right now?"
Yes, that's what I'm telling you, Boy Wonder. You, too, Girl Wonder. It's already won an Apple Design Award (MacWorld Expo 2005), and, I mean, you know how good something has to be to impress the folks that designed the iPod and the iMac, right? And Apple didn't stop there. Comic Life is now among the bundled software that comes free on new Macs.
For those who haven't come by it via a new Mac, it has been racking up more downloads than bug-fixes for Windows OS.
What makes Comic Life so slick?
Anybody can create fun, professional-looking photo comics in minutes. It's easy, it's intuitive, it's... gee, are we talking about our Macs? Well, it brings just that kind of user-friendliness to the table, folks. It even has its own super-powers -- lots of great templates and comic component artwork you just drag and drop on your pages, a rich tool set, the ability to save in many formats, and a seamless integration of OS X core technologies and Apple apps such as iPhoto, QuickTime, hardware such as iSight, and even Apple's .Mac (DotMac) online service.
Ahhhh, now, about this review. I can safely say this is not our typical review. I can also say it one of the SHORTEST reviews I've ever written ... because, well, I didn't do much writing. I did a whole lot more CREATING. It was certainly one of the best times I've ever had doing a review. After all, it seemed only right to create a review of Comic Life done in, that's right, Comic Life.
Ladies, gentlemen and kids of all ages, we give you Omug's review in a 10-page comic:
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The Review, Comic Life style
Choose your flavor:
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Download a QuickTime slideshow* of Omug's comic (zip file, 2.7 mb)
*remember, you can use your keyboard arrow keys to move from page to page at your own pace in the QT window
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Thanks to Comic Life and the clever blokes and gals at plasq, I'll be seeing you in the funny papers, folks.
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Comparison of final Omug 10-page comic:
export formats, files
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Sizes based on our review comic (using default page size and settings); your file sizes will vary depending upon how many pages, photos, and effects you use.
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Single Comic Life file, 8.5 mb
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Export to HTML, total folder size: 1.2 mb
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Export to Images (default setting 72 dpi TIFFs),
each page = 1 image, total 10 images: 3.2 mb
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Export to iPhoto (Comic Life automatically creates a stand-alone folder of individual images output at highest resolution, then automatically inserts them into a single named Library Album in iPhoto and opens iPhoto to that album when done), total album size: 42 mb
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Print to PDF file (save as) within Mac OS 10.4,
output to a single PDF document: 20.3 mb
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Export to QuickTime slideshow file
(default setting of 10 seconds per page): 3.9 mb
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Additional notes, resources:
Much like HyperCard did back in the 80s, Comic Life has generated a flurry of ideas by users on how it can be applied or used in an almost unlimited variety of arenas or environments. Educators, for one, have discovered Comic Life to be a great motivator and tool in school projects. Here are few school and family use ideas:
- History students find some period costumes and re-enact a historically significant event.
- Students use Comic Life to create a storyboard of a video project including some sample dialog and key visual elements.
- Combine digital images and hand-drawn graphics in the same panel to send characters back in time or create giant ladybugs that can crush cars.
- Science students create lab reports combining digital photos of an experiment with hand drawn or computer generated graphics explaining what’s going on. They could include their data analysis right in the “comic.”
- Students (or family members) create a comic book that explains their family history and combines old and new photos, or recap a family reunion or family vacation.
- Student create class bios or profiles, recap field trips, add comic to the Yearbook, or feature it in the school newspaper.
As Bob Levitus wrote in his review: "Comic Life can do more than just comics, too. You could use it to make family albums, picture books for children or adults, greeting cards, scrapbooks, or even for simple desktop publishing."
In addition to reading Bob's review, here is the Comic Life feature written up on Apple's Developer Connection website.
Also, make sure you explore the plasq.com website for other links to user-created comics and examples.
END
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Sorry, even in a subjective world, this baby would be returned to the store (if you could) 9 times out of 10 users. And the 10th didn't only because he/she is using the CD for a coffee coaster.
Promising, but leaves us wishing it did more, or did it better. Enough flaws to dampen any enthusiasm for the product. But might satisfy some.
A good, solid piece of software, meeting its goals and basic expectations for users specific to this software type. Sits on the fence, however, in some regards, that you might only go for it if on sale, clearance or at least modestly priced.
Money well spent! Meets basic expectations, enthusiasm for its purpose and style. Rock solid performance (on tested system). Impressive graphics, effects and interface.
So good you might even tell yourself it is a privilege to be using it. Great all-around performance, feel, interface, graphics, features/effects. Worth every penny. Tell your buddies about it now!
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