Episodios

  • Quackcast 774 - Murder Mystery

    Quackcast 774 - Murder Mystery
    Jan 13 2026


    Murder mysteries are a very popular genre, in fact they're one of the main fiction genres and probably one of the biggest. They generally consist of one or more murders, people who try to find the identity of the mysterious murderer, their motive, method, and weapon, and a few red herrings to hopefully keep you guessing till the denouement (the big reveal), at the end! There are a lot of different ways of structuring them but however it's done they usually have a lot in common with each other.

    Why murders? Murders are a horrible thing and hopefully not something that many of us have much if any direct experience with in our lives. They're a high stakes event though that we can all relate to because none of us want to have that experience so it's something to be feared and also morbidly curious about. In action and horror genres the death of anyone but the main characters tends to be pretty meaningless and often common, but murder mysteries rightfully treat any single death as extremely serious things so that makes them much closer to real life in that way, along with the emotional resonance such things can have.

    We chat about what defines the genre and some of our fave examples, from the Chinese "Coroner's Diary", anything by Agatha Christy, the "knives Out" series, to the excellent "Nero Wolfe Mysteries" adapted by Timothy Hutton in 2001 and more. What are your fave examples of the genre? Have you ever tried writing one?

    This week we have another best off from Gunwallace and this time it's Mindfold, which is newly finished! It completed its 10 year run on December the 26th.
    Mindfold - A tune that fits very well with its title! You can feel your mind folding with this gorgeous, echoing, evocative multicultural influenced sound, featuring all manner of crystalline ringing synths, soaring violins, drums and so much more. This would fit well with a high concept cyberpunk anime.
    Originally from 336 August the 21st 2017


    Topics and shownotes

    Links

    Featured comic:
    Crazy Guy in Monster Suit - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2026/jan/06/featured-comic-crazy-guy-in-monster-suit/

    Featured music:
    Mindfold - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Mindfold/ - by FallopianCrusader, Rated M.

    Special thanks to:
    Gunwallace - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/
    Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/
    Kawaiidaigakusei - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/kawaiidaigakusei
    Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean
    Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/

    VIDEO exclusive!
    Become a subscriber on the $5 level and up to see our weekly Patreon video and get our advertising perks!
    - https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDuck
    Even at $1 you get your name with a link on the front page and a mention in the weekend newsposts!

    Join us on Discord - https://discordapp.com/invite/7NpJ8GS
    Más Menos
    59 m
  • Quackcast 773 - Pick a Side

    Quackcast 773 - Pick a Side
    Jan 6 2026

    We commonly think of conflicts as being good guys versus the bad guys, especially when we look back at history. When we learn more about them we see that things are in shades of grey rather than black and white, and clever war fiction will include quite a bit of that greyness. But the funny thing is that when it comes to real world conflicts, people involved in them often do not have the luxury of seeing things in grey, they often HAVE to pick a side, even if it's not one they personally support because it means their survival, the survival of their family, or their community. I find that aspect very interesting.

    The side we are on is often dictated by our family, our community, or our country, even if we don't support everything they do, sometimes they have our loyalty regardless. How do you handle war and divided loyalties in fiction, or even reality?

    This week Gunwallace is another best-off Gunwallace and I chose: Busty Solar - A heavenly pink cloudy future world of strawberry scented mists, dancing, sparkling lights, and golden rays of pure morning sunshine angling through.
    Originally from Quackcast 235, 7th of September 2015.


    Topics and shownotes

    Featured comic:
    Captain Tempest - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2025/dec/29/featured-comic-captain-tempest/

    Featured music:
    Busty Solar - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Busty_Solar/ by Prototype, rated A.

    Special thanks to:
    Gunwallace - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/
    Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/
    Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean
    Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/

    VIDEO exclusive!
    Become a subscriber on the $5 level and up to see our weekly Patreon video and get our advertising perks!
    - https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDuck
    Even at $1 you get your name with a link on the front page and a mention in the weekend newsposts!

    Join us on Discord - https://discordapp.com/invite/7NpJ8GS
    Más Menos
    59 m
  • Quackcast 772 - Year end cast!

    Quackcast 772 - Year end cast!
    Dec 30 2025

    This is our final Quackcast for 2025. It's been a year all right… but we've done ok here at DD despite our ups and downs and the ups and downs of the rest of the planet. In other news Alexey our programmer is getting closer to sorting out the new version of DD. As part of that process I chatted to Emma Claire who is doing the visual designs for it and ended up meeting her and her hubby for lunch and coffee the other day, so that was very cool. Always a pleasure to meet more DDers!

    This year was a tricky one for me for sure because on Christmas eve last year my cat broke his leg and all five bones in that part of the leg were cleanly snapped through as if they had been cut with a ghostly knife that sliced the bones but didn't touch skin, muscle or tendon… after recovering from an expensive operation to repair them all with stainless steel rods, his stomach was ruptured open because of the painkillers, which necessitated emergency surgery and two weeks stay in a vet hospital which cost as much as a new car. When he finally came home he had to stay for 3 months in a small room so he couldn't jump on anything and damage his healing leg. Which meant I had to stay with him in there night and day as much as I could to keep him calm. Thankfully he's all good now!

    Tantz, Banes and I chat about silly place names around the world and other fun things on the cast and stuff we've done and watched over the year of 2025. Have you done anything cool in 2025, has anything big and important happened for you? Are there silly place names where you are? BTW our Patreon video this week is free for all to watch on Patreon:
    - https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDuck

    This week we have another best off from Gunwallace and this time it's Necroblivion - The raw, buzzing fuzz of distorted electric guitar over calm, almost celebratory rhythm driven music brings to mind the sounds of North African Tuareg band Tinariwen. This is quite a positive vibe and a very African sound.
    - Originally from Quackcast 535, 15th June 2021

    Topics and shownotes

    Links

    Featured comic:
    Dragon Garage - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2025/dec/19/featured-comic-dragon-garage/

    Featured music:
    Necroblivion - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Necroblivion/ - by Paneltastic, rated M.

    Special thanks to:
    Gunwallace - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/
    Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/
    Kawaiidaigakusei - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/kawaiidaigakusei
    Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean
    Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/

    VIDEO exclusive!
    Become a subscriber on the $5 level and up to see our weekly Patreon video and get our advertising perks!
    - https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDuck
    Even at $1 you get your name with a link on the front page and a mention in the weekend newsposts!

    Join us on Discord - https://discordapp.com/invite/7NpJ8GS
    Más Menos
    56 m
  • Quackcast 771 - Christmascast

    Quackcast 771 - Christmascast
    Dec 23 2025

    Happy Christmas! This is our penultimate cast of the year. We use this time to reflect on the year as it's been, chat about our comics, movies and TV shows. Our DD site will hopefully be updated soon to the new look too so that's something to look forward to! And there's the secret santa gift art thread to check out for seasonal art as well.

    Did you watch anything cool this year? Reach important comic milestones? What's you fave Christmas carol or Christmas song? Mine is Good King Wenceslas.

    This week Gunwallace is another best-off Gunwallace and I chose: The Archer and the Squirrel - launching abruptly, like an arrow springing from a bow, this tune follows a beautiful arching path against a bright blue sky of melodic, rhythmic flute that begs you to dance a jig with a great big grin on your face!
    Originally from Quackcast 310, 13th February 2017.


    Topics and shownotes

    Secret Santa gift art thread - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/forum/topic/180178/

    Featured comic:
    What's Going On - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2025/dec/16/featured-comic-whats-going-on/

    Featured music:
    The Archer and the Squirrel - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_Archer_and_the_Squirrel/, by Tieback, rated E.

    Special thanks to:
    Gunwallace - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/
    Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/
    Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean
    Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/

    VIDEO exclusive!
    Become a subscriber on the $5 level and up to see our weekly Patreon video and get our advertising perks!
    - https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDuck
    Even at $1 you get your name with a link on the front page and a mention in the weekend newsposts!

    Join us on Discord - https://discordapp.com/invite/7NpJ8GS

    ———

    We got up to here - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/forum/topic/180165/#3027076
    Más Menos
    1 h y 6 m
  • Quackcast 770 - Plotting or Pantsing2

    Quackcast 770 - Plotting or Pantsing2
    Dec 16 2025
    This is the second and final part of our discussion on blending improvisation with solid story plotting/structure as you carry on drawing a comic. The esteemed and famous John Celestri put the question to us: "Are you a plotter or pantser?" i.e. do you work out what's going on in your comic in advance or do you improvise when you go to create the page? Many DDers responded and we read those out as well as lending our own insights and going a bit off topic. The main thing we gained from this is that most people fall somewhere in the middle because webcomicing is all about retaining the passion and the fun of the work, especially when you're working alone. That means you have to nurture the flame of that passion: plotting things too far in advance can kill it because it takes away all the fun and inspiration and the exercise of creation becomes too much like work. Improvising everything as you go can maximise the fun and joy of creation but it can eat up all your inspiration SUPER quickly and leave you empty and unable to continue with more pages so that your comic dies, hence finding a middle ground is desirable! Try to plan and plot but leave a lot of room open for inspiration. This week we have another best off from Gunwallace and this time it's Mechaniko - The sound of nodes on a neural network firing, connecting, and cascading with shared knowledge: Multilayered, technological robo-future rock. - Originally from 308, 30th January 2017 Topics and shownotes Links Topic based on a thread by John Celestri - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/forum/topic/180165/ Content from: Marcorossi - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/marcorossi/ TheJagged - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/TheJagged/ Bravo1102 - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/bravo1102/ Casscade - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Casscade/ J_Scarbrough - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/J_Scarbrough/ JohnCelestri - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/JohnCelestri/ plymayer - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/plymayer/ Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/ BarakoThePirate - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/BarakoThePirate/ Featured comic: Sandbox - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2025/dec/10/featured-comic-sandbox/ Featured music: Mechaniko - http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Mechaniko/ - by Yves Ker Ambrun, rated E. Special thanks to: Gunwallace - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/ Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/ Kawaiidaigakusei - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/kawaiidaigakusei Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/ VIDEO exclusive! Become a subscriber on the $5 level and up to see our weekly Patreon video and get our advertising perks! - https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDuck Even at $1 you get your name with a link on the front page and a mention in the weekend newsposts! Join us on Discord - https://discordapp.com/invite/7NpJ8GS
    Más Menos
    1 h y 2 m
  • Quackcast 769 - Plotting or Pantsing?

    Quackcast 769 - Plotting or Pantsing?
    Dec 9 2025
    Blending improvisation with solid story plotting/structure as you carry on drawing a comic. In the words of noted professional animator John Celestri: I'll start this conversation by asking the question "Are you a Pantser or a Plotter?" In other words, do you write your comic as you go along or do you have a detailed story structure before you start drawing Page 1? John put this question to the DD forum and many creators responded. It's an interesting question. I don't think many of us are on the extreme ends of the spectrum but they do exist. The more you plot things out in advance the better and more refined your comic will be, the trouble is though that tends to be the least enjoyable way to work and can suck all the fun out of the process, which is why most of us do webcomics to begin with: the fun. While completely pantsing your work ("flying by the seat of your pants"), and coming up with each new page or strip in the moment that you work on it can be invigorating and fresh, it can also cause you to very quickly run out of all ideas and motivation and lead to a block that ends your comic for good. I think most of us fall somewhere along the middle between these two extremes: We plan a bit but leave some room open for improvisation and change when we work on the finished page, whether that's with the textual part of the comic, the art, both things, or even the plotting and story structure. For my comic Pinky TA I have tried planning and plotting in advance and sticking with that, I've also tried creating each new page with no forward planning in mind. The way that works best for me is to broadly outline a story in advance and roughly plot out what happens on each page, which leaves me free to create the art and dialogue in whatever way I want to properly express the story. For Bottomless Waitress and Key of Dreams my role there is just as the artist, which means all the page planning is done in advance for me, that leaves me free to improvise with the art however I choose, if I choose. I can't change the overall story but I can influence it and add in new jokes and things simply using the art. It's the best of both worlds for me. We only got through half the contributions on the thread so we'll be doing a part 2 on this interesting topic next week! Feel free to tell us how you work and why? Also, you can contribute to the thread linked bellow. This week Gunwallace has given us the theme to Hell Monkey by - A growing, throbbing, electronic pulsing theme with rhythms disturbingly out of time which gives you a growing sense of unease and discomfort as the music slowly expands to become a complex wall of interweaving sonic vines, blossoming and releasing their heady yet toxic fragrances in this hothouse of sound. Topics and shownotes Links Topic based on a thread by John Celestri - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/forum/topic/180165/ Content from: JohnCelestri - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/JohnCelestri/ J_Scarbrough - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/J_Scarbrough/ Andreas_Helixfinger - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Andreas_Helixfinger/ Dpat57 - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/dpat57/ Ironscarf - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Ironscarf/ Marcorossi - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/marcorossi/ Bravo1102 - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/bravo1102/ Othosmops - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Othosmops/ Furwerk studio - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Furwerk%20studio/ TheJagged - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/TheJagged/ Spooky Kitsune- https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Spooky%20Kitsune/ Featured comic: Unhallowed - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2025/dec/01/featured-comic-unhallowed/ Featured music: Hell Monkey - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Hell_Monkey/, by Nichemode, rated M. Special thanks to: Gunwallace - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/ Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/ Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/ VIDEO exclusive! Become a subscriber on the $5 level and up to see our weekly Patreon video and get our advertising perks! - https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDuck Even at $1 you get your name with a link on the front page and a mention in the weekend newsposts! Join us on Discord - https://discordapp.com/invite/7NpJ8GS ——— We got up to here - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/forum/topic/180165/#3027076 Next half next week.
    Más Menos
    1 h
  • Quackcast 768 - Avatars

    Quackcast 768 - Avatars
    Dec 2 2025

    Today it's sort of a fun one, we're talking about avatars that people use to represent themselves when they communicate online. It's an important part of communication because it influences how we represent ourselves and how we relate to others. I've been on Drunk Duck over 20 years and in that time I've had many different avatars as I've changed my role on the site and chosen to represent myself in different ways. The same with Tantz Aerine and Banes, as well as our avatars for Google, Twitter/X, Facebook, and all other social media.

    Over time many corporate interests have seen the value of people's need for avatars and they've sort to co-opt it and market in opportunistic and cynical ways. The most typical is to limit your choice of avatars to images they have licenses for so they can advertise, like Netflix and Disney Plus. Another common way to do it is Snapchat's method and something Meta tries when you create a "3D" avatars that are roughly based on yourself, dressed in items of clothing they create, with hairstyles and facial expressions etc. they they offer so that you have a limited illusion of personalisation and representation. Their goal is to hopefully make you buy special features for that avatar to make you stand out more. Personally I hate anything that takes away true freedom of expression.

    It goes much further than that though: the whole reason why Meta (owner of Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and more), is even called "Meta" is because their ultimate goal was to change the internet so we all communicate via a 3D interface with 3D avatars to represent us all, with clothing and designs that were bought via NFPs. Test versions of that were already in place before it ultimately failed, but not before people spent quite a bit of money on their silly character's appearances.

    How did YOU come to use your particular avatar and how long have you been using it? Do you use art you've created, a selfie photo, or something you saved from your online activities?

    This week Gunwallace game us a lovely musical theme to - Destruction Inc - A hidden, mysterious, technical, cyber world with code and sparkling neural pathways… this electronic tune is quite intimidating and alien though the notes of a piano serve to humanise it, as does the driving beat.


    Topics and shownotes

    Links

    Next week: Blending improvisation with solid story plotting/structure as you carry on drawing a comic.
    - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/forum/topic/180165/

    Featured comic:
    Faerie Tales - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2025/nov/25/featured-comic-faerie-tales/

    Featured music:
    Destruction Inc - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Destruction_Inc/ - by ThatDarnFoxCreations, rated M.

    Special thanks to:
    Gunwallace - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/
    Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/
    Kawaiidaigakusei - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/kawaiidaigakusei
    Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean
    Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/

    VIDEO exclusive!
    Become a subscriber on the $5 level and up to see our weekly Patreon video and get our advertising perks!
    - https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDuck
    Even at $1 you get your name with a link on the front page and a mention in the weekend newsposts!

    Join us on Discord - https://discordapp.com/invite/7NpJ8GS
    Más Menos
    1 h y 2 m
  • Quackcast 767 - Character evolution

    Quackcast 767 - Character evolution
    Nov 25 2025

    We chat about how your characters evolve over the years. Webcomics are typically projects that extend over many years or even decades, slowly evolving as they go. Your characters change over that time due to all sorts of factors: you forget how to draw them between pages (I've done that so many times), you want to try out new things or popular styles, you use the wrong references, you change how you feel about certain things, or you change how you write them for various reasons.

    For me I've been drawing my character Pinky since the late 90s, Pinky has been going for 27 years now in various forms and the characters in Bottomless Waitress have been around for over 10 years. In those comics I now take months between drawing new pages so it's easy to forget how I'm suppose to draw them, I have to look up the last 4 pages every time and research how they're supposed to look, I remember most of it but it's easy to get details wrong. Because of that the characters evolve over time when I make little mistakes that become embedded and then reiterated.

    Other changes happen when I just decide I don't like older styles and want to try new things: less cartoony, more cartoony, more realistic, more manga influenced, more painterly etc. Pinky and the rest of the characters in her comic have gone through so many changes over the years and I'm grateful that the webcomic format allows me to have that freedom. Bottomless Waitress is a collaboration with Banes so I don't change the writing of the characters, but I change the look of them just as much and experiment with new styles. I do not understand how ANY of their hairstyles work so those change slightly all the time because of that.

    Character bibles would help but who has time for that crap? haha! How have your characters changed and why?


    This week Gunwallace has given us the theme to Base Reality - A demonic game of Pac-man that gets more and more intense till reality is destroyed, we head on up into the afterlife, then float around in purgatory for a while before becoming reborn into Pac-man! An intense electronic journey into metaphysics!

    Next week we'll be talking about Avatars and selfies self images.
    Week after: Blending improvisation with solid story plotting/structure as you carry on drawing a comic


    Topics and shownotes

    Links

    Featured comic:
    Shimmer Redux - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2025/nov/17/featured-comic-shimmer-redux/

    Featured music:
    Base Reality https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Base_Reality/, by Stever_Blotto, rated T.

    Special thanks to:
    Gunwallace - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/
    Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/
    Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean
    Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/

    VIDEO exclusive!
    Become a subscriber on the $5 level and up to see our weekly Patreon video and get our advertising perks!
    - https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDuck
    Even at $1 you get your name with a link on the front page and a mention in the weekend newsposts!

    Join us on Discord - https://discordapp.com/invite/7NpJ8GS
    Más Menos
    54 m
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_DT_webcro_1694_expandible_banner_T1