Credit, or blame if you prefer, for this one goes to this entry of Surviving The World by Dante Shepherd. I spent [redacted] hours last week working through the archives after being introduced to the comic via @Rosscott, of The System fame.

So, basically, because I follow other webcomic folks on Twitter, I find more new webcomics to read, and occasionally wacky inspiration strikes. Funny how the world works, isn’t it?

(Yeah, I need to update the links section… for instance, there’s a shameful lack of CmCL.)

I wanted to try something a bit different with the ducklings, partly to start breaking away from their long-established habit of double-speak (as it were) and partly to give them something to do besides simply reacting to one or another of the bigger ducks. Besides, I love the “go / no-go” bit. Maybe I’ve watched too many programs about the NASA space program.

What’s more, we just went through the first week of Year Three without a devastatingly terrible pun. Your relief is palpable, I’m certain…

And we’re back, almost as if we didn’t go anywhere! What will the third year of Quacked Panes bring us? Hey, your guess is as good as mine…

So. The chessboard.

I’ve never been entirely happy with the desk surface as a stage, though it’s done a fine job over the last couple of years. The poor thing bears pits and scars, never mind that chunk of the surface which was torn out and glued back in before the desk even came into my possession. (I tried to block it with ducks and props wherever I could, but it’s right in the most usable part of the desk, so… I had to deal with it.) I’m experimenting with ways to improve the set; one idea was to raise the surface a bit, get a bit more of a “straight on” view with the camera. This, of course, provides the extra benefit of covering that damaged spot.

We’ll see how it goes. It may last another comic or two, it may last for months, I may find something completely different. One must keep trying new things, yes?