Operation: Nazi U
Genre:
Historical Period, Action/Adventure
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Deep in the heart of Nazi Germany, Captain Dane Smith leads a special company of American paratroopers on a mission to probe mysterious Aryan University and kidnap it's "dean". The Americans are discovered early on and all hell breaks loose. Time after time the Americans push forward but are countered by Nazi commandant Dieter Naumann, who is determined to protect his facility, his secrets, and his Nazi vision, with all the advanced resources at his command. And, with each deadly encounter, Captain Smith and his men confront the shocking secrets hidden behind the walls of Aryan University. What began as a simple probe becomes a fight to the death, for Captain Smith and his men soon realize that they are all that lie between a horrifying new Nazi war machine and the entire free world.
What follows is a clash not only of weapons, men and technology, but also ideals -- the ideals of Nazi supremacy versus those of American equality and freedom.
Reminds me of Kirby. The dialogue is a bit forced, but I think I like it that way. Too many comics today try to make their stories way to real. I prefer the fantasy wold of the Kirby days. Nice job! More more more!
I really like the artwork here, but the lack of color certainly makes it feel unfinished. I can't see any real artistic reason for this to be in black and white, no greyscale. The action scene builds well and has good pacing, but you haven't given us any real reason to care about these characters yet. It has the problem of giving us action that we're emotionally detached from, which you actually see a lot of on Zuda. And while the Castle Wolfenstien feel is great, you haven't written it in a way that makes me involved in the story
Your artwork is fantastic! I agree with the previous comments about how it's reminiscent of Kirby's work-- great work!
Your artwork is fantastic! I agree with the previous comments about how it's reminiscent of Kirby's work-- great work!
Hi All
Thanks again to all. Especially RKB. Wow. I truly appreciate your observant, creative, specific -- and prolific, efforts!
Otherwise, I've gotten so many requests for color that I did a quick color of page 7, using a slight retro technique with dots and off-set color plates, etc.
Check it out here if anyone is interested, and let me know what you think: http://www.comicspace.com/zoob/comics.php?action=read&file_id=280840
Also, if any one would like more non-contest info about Operation: Nazi U, just send an email to kdzuban@gmail.com
Thanks again!
[The reason being for my multi-posts is comments limited to 1000 characters. My posts too long? I'm shocked -shocked I say.]
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I like it 4/5 stars and a fav. It is in the spirit of Sgt. Fury and his howling commandos a nice action filled read. I enjoyed the script and art, but color esp. done in an old school style would have improved the read a lot for me. It didn't look like a black and white comic, it looked like a comic that hadn't been colored yet. That's just the feel i had for it.
SCREEN 1 Course it reminds me of Kirby, but that's not a bad thing. I nice little set up panel, and the bit of humor about the red hot guy is classic Stan Lee style. It is what it is, a retro story/style that i found to be very entertaining, you should have a higher place on the ranked list. You did a good job here of setting up the story in one screen. That impressed me quite a bit. Very good pace throughout this comic.
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SCREEN 2 i loved panel 1, nice shot composition. I also liked how their leader was talking and then enter the germans, again great pace and we are getting to the action by screen 3. Opps indeed -nice job on the Sgt. Fury style humor.
SCREEN 3 Classic Kirby style action full screen shot. I really liked this screen nice composition work all around. For 4 panels in 3 screens you really are moving the story along. Nice art, but also nice writing.
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SCREEN 4 I liked the 3-D style perspective of grenades and such leaping out of the panel at the reader. Not very many panels normally this would be a bad thing, but in this case it just gives the reader a action movie edge of your seat feel. The sound effects could have and maybe should have been bigger. Without color the whole comic is muted and doesn't/can't seal the deal with the reader of that old school vibe you have going on here.
SCREEN 5 Captain America was in a few stories like this too back in the '60's and again I really enjoy this type of story. I also love the monocle of the Nazi leader. Very good work and setting up a evil scientist style nazi villain. Liked the Sgt. Rock style insert panel here. Also a nice little cliff hanger to get the reader to click to the next page.
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SCREEN 6 I think only having 2 panels here might have hurt things a little bit. This screen just didn't seem to have the kind of impact that it needed. I think more panels here would have helped.
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SCREEN 7 Great screen, now does wow the reader, good use of a full page shot. The only thing this would have been so much better in color. Like the design work on the S.S. armor -kind of reminded me of the first Iron Man.
SCREEN 8 One of the good guys dies, very well drawn screen. I also liked all of the dialogue here and thought you really ended on a high note for you story.
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You know i enjoyed it art/dialogue/easy to read letters, but being colored would have made it so much better. The S.S. fellow come out of the door screen was also a bit of a downer ho-hum angles or what have you. Still I enjoyed it and best of luck on your next venture.
I like this as it does make me laugh, but didn't Alfie say something like 'make a (zuda reader) laugh and that's the only thing you'll get' - looks like the same applies on Zuda.
btw - you got my vote. It may not help at this point, but I gotta vote with my heart, not my head! :)
Man, I can't believe this is just 10th. This is just another example of where me and the Zuda regulars don't see eye to eye, because in many ways, I think this is easily one of the top 3 entries this month.
Your art style just rocks all sorts of ways, man! It's got a sort of Bruce Timm meets Jack Kirby vibe to it that I really dig. I see several other people have commented on the Kirby similarity. I would take that as the highest praise available.
I suspect that you may not be getting some votes because your comic is in b/w which is a shame, because people should be able to get past that and evaluate your comic on its technical merits (where I think it stands tall.)
GREAT! I love the whole Jack Kirby-Retro-1960's feel. More please!
hey... this is a lot better than 10th! I just now checked it out... probably due to the whole nazi thing... i dunno... but it's pretty cool so far. i like how the art feels like a toned-down (but in a good, simplified way) Jack Kirby with a little taste of a toned-down Joe Kubert every now and then. Neat stuff!
I don't know why this is in last place... This is far more readable than much of the other entries this month, and the art is really pretty amazing. Too bad there is no old-school coloring to go with it. I think that this really could have had a shot at winning if it weren't for the black and white. I like when one of the soldiers says something like "We've got 'em on the run!", but the picture is of a bunch of Nazis being blown into the air by a giant explosion! Hilarious. Nice work.
Dear Zuda Competitors/Creators,
I’m the creator of the Zuda fan blog, and I would love to interview all of this month’s creators. If you would be willing to answer 5-10 questions, to be posted on the Zudafan blog, please contact me at: zudafan@gmail.com.
Feel free to check out the blog: zudafan.blogspot.com
Thanks!
~Liz
hey, zoob, this was great! you're my 2nd best this month. in case you don't win hope you get a second chance somewhere or later this year here at zuda. it'd be even best to see it in colour. and it's a shame you're in 10. promote the hell out of it!
great job on the lettering and panel layouts
http://leftyfilmsblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/zudafebruary-2009.html
Mini-reviews are up.
Love the art, but the writing didn't grab me. With only 8 pages, there's got to be some sort of hook to make me want to read more. Nazis with robots by themselves won't do it anymore, I need to know more about the characters, too.
Still, I'm going to give it a 4, just because visually it's so pleasing.
Greetings all. Just thought I'd try replying to some of the feedback...
CausleyConcepts: Thanks much!
Vinil: I've had lots of comments about color. I may have to think about that.
DShide: You are correct about the exposition. And, also, maybe the nazi guards snuck up from the side?
Vekesh:
- Ditto about the color.
- I plan to keep the panels at 2 or 3 per page.
- No, the American forces do not create a super soldier of their own.
- No, sergeant O'Reilly is not a super soldier.
- Thanks (as to so many others) for the Kirby comparison!
citizentim: If I do color it, I'll use a retro coloring style.
crackwalker: Thanks!
lamison: Thanks!
BobPin: Thanks! And yes, there are a few twists.
suttercain: Thanks MUCH!
mpd57: ?
michalczyk: Sorry.
Nuke: Thanks!
infernalbbg:
- Not sure I understand your "ideals" dilemma. Are you saying we should not have opposed the nazi's?
- Great idea about the color!
- Thanks!
famished: Thanks!
Sidyn: Thanks!
Wyldman: Yes, it's intentional. Thanks!
Gnar Duce: I agree. Thanks!
hairballOne: I'd love to see more too. Thanks!
BlueMaxx: Thanks for the advice.
pddeberry: Thanks!
And this brings me to my previous entry. Thanks all!
Definitely doesn't belong at #10. I really enjoyed this.
i like the "classic style" of the robot, but i think the story can get better with some color, or maybe if you use gray in some points. about the story, it looks fun, but i don't know where it goes.congratulations and good luck!
I thought is was pretty good overall. My only problem is the Captain is looking through binos, with a whole platoon behind him, yet 2 seconds later they are snuck up on, and attacked right in front of the school. A bit silly to me, but hey you were trying to cut down on exposition right? The gaint Nazi version of the original iron-man is a bit uninspired as well. Otherwise nice throwback. 3/5 stars.
OOOAAAGH!! The Kirby style!! it looks cool, zoob. I like the feel of this comic and the pacing seems to match that of the comics of that era. but I agree with BlueMaxx. Color would have been a great adition to your work. Are you planning to draw more panels per screen if you get the contract? I think it would be interesting to see the resolution to your story, providing you dont have the American forces create a supersoldior just to match the nazis ( or are you planning to introducing seargent 'O Reilly as the already developed supersoldior?) I miss King Kirby and I wouldn't mind seeing an artist who is influenced by him. Take care and good luck.
Great work! Lots of fun-- totally agree with the "King" Kirby comments. And wow, a thought balloon! How long has it been since I've seen one of those?!
And, although a number have commented on the lack of color-- I actually think the B/W actually works for this. It's almost like reading a newspaper print version. I think if this was colored, it might end up looking too modern.
Love the retro kirby stylings. I am really tired of nazi's though.
great work! really! great!
Operation: Nazi U is cool! It's like reading a Jack Kirby story. (And for some reason, I'm reminded of Kamandi as I read this story...)
Kudos to ZOOB. I'm sure there are many plot twists ahead and the best is yet to come!
This is a very good looking comic. How this is last place, while "Indie" is in 6th, is beyond me. I know people will say the Nazi thing has been done before (this coming from a site that had two months of Zombie comics come in first) but I think this is more of an ode and a throwback to the good old days in comics. That's a great thing! This would play very well on Zuda and in the current web comic format. While my vote went to the Hammer, I did add this as a fave and gave you a 5 star rating. Best wishes!
Too much probing for my liking and who is Jack Kirby anyway? Is this based on fact by any chance? That last panel is a corker ZAP!
great art (who no colour?)... but nazis, super soldiers... and not only is the concept cliche, but the way you do it feels like i've already read this. i have to say: meh
Very nice work.
Haha! I read the synopsis and it made me laugh. I like the "battle of ideals"-bit, very ironic at this point in history. "My ideal is tougher than yours, it shoots your ideal. My ideal wins!" :D
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As for the comic itself, the art is fun and successfully evokes the genre and period it's aluding to. I agree that it would have benefited from color. Especially a four-tone dot-print, old school-styles!
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As for whether there's enough here to make me want to see it stretch to 60 pages... I really can't tell yet. It's impossible with only 8 pages to communicate how a story will develop, so the best a Zuda entry can do is to impress with a tease showing something either unique and interesting, or so superlatively done that we're compelled to read even if it comes across as predictable. I don't think you've gone for the first option, so it's up to the readers as to whether the work carries itself on pure quality. Best of luck!
More Nazis? What is with the Nazis lately? Nazi movies, nazi comics? Lol. This entry was great. I almost wish there was some grey tone to it or a four-color look. The art is tight and the old school feel works great in context. Man, I have so many favs this month it's getting rough.
this is reaaly funny :D
nice art, and the campy dialogue is very funny
Not bad at all, kind of reminds me of 50's 60's comic book art, dialogue seems a bit campy but I will assume it is intentional, (God knows it fits). Good stuff.
...btw rj ... Who the H#77!?! is Roger Whitmark? and how can he be cliche if I've never even heard of him? Surely, You mean Richard Whidmark.... (& no, I am Not calling you Surely!)
Great fun! Love the bold, b/w ink work. The whole thing is handled very well. Totally nailed the retro comic look and dialogue. Man, just reading it made me want to break out some of my old comics. Great job! I would love to see more.
Like some have said, it has that Golden Age, war genre feel to it. With the uneeded banter of the obvious and stuff. I assume that's what you're going for dialogue wise. I liked the art, but this was one b&w comics that felt like it was missing color, if that makes sense. It came off as a Showcase or Essential version of what it was supposed to be. Also, when it comes to these Zuda entries, you can't hang on to the fact that your synopsis will save you. Some don't care to read them and you can lose favor easy when your 8 pages are either too linear and/or not composed well enough. I gave you 3 stars though. Just writing the "bad" stuff for constructive criticism. It had that neat feel to it I mentioned, but felt it was lacking.
fun stuff well put together.
www.pbrainprojects.com
Thanks all for the great feedback. I'm flattered that many see a Kirby influence. And, I agree that the super soldier theme has been done before. But, so have vampires, werewolves (Ahem, High Moon anyone?), super heroes and secret agents - all of which are still, rightfully so, grist for the storytelling mills. This is just the first 8 pages out of a potential 60. So, maybe the super soldier here is merely a starting point - a springboard, if you will - to go places those other stories never went. Hmmm...
Otherwise, my original intention was to simply have a lot of fun telling a somewhat "retro" tale that might bring some fun to the reader as well. I'm happy many have grasped that and enjoy it for what it is.
Regardless, thanks again for the comments from all, and I look forward to reading more!
Great Stuff. Reminds me of 1 of my all time favorites, which is a high compliment. Good Luck!
I dig it.
--Gabe
This is definitely a big throw back to those old Kirby comics of yesteryear. This comic is a lot of fun I wish you the best of luck in the competition!
Most Kirbyish comic ever to grace Zuda!
I'm sorry, but I have to agree, this is amazingly cliche. It just didn't hold my interest.
Somwhat cliché, don't you think? I suppose, in the 9th panel we will see Roger Whitmark and Alec Guiness in a Jeep. ;-)
In addition: it blinds my eyes to see this so-called German. Even the school sign isn't correct...
Fun Kirby-throwback...but little more. Needs less homage and more innovation. But don't get me wrong...it is fun.