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UTC: URGENT TRANSFORMATION CRISIS
Phase One (Chapters 1-4)
August 2007-December 2009; Webcomic; Color
RATING: Ages 14+; Violence, Mild Language

Cass is a brilliant geneticist at an elite private school. Flint is her less educated, but much wittier younger brother. Together they and their friends will discover that when life hands you nucleotides, you make a revolutionary gene therapy.

Chapter 1: Changing Times at Attic High
Cass is forced to bring Flint with her to her school's science competition fundraiser, where things go a little out of hand when rival Keris Attic is transformed into a giant were-poodle.

Chapter 2: Get Your Freak Out
Cass and Flint awake late the next day to discover they've been somehow changed into half-human, half-animal creatures. Things get weirder when Cass sneaks into a petting zoo for some DNA samples and finds out a little too much about her new self.

Chapter 3: Mutation Fluxuation
Cass decides to take her problem back to its source. At first, Morty is hardly surprised that she has come to him, but when he discovers her intentions are to forfeit the competition and beg his mercy, the true impact of his actions finally hits. Shocked by her humility, he decides to restore Cass' form. Unfortunately it turns out to be easier said than done.

Chapter 4: Day of the Dork
Cass faces her fears and shows up at school, else risk expulsion for failing to meet with Jen Attic regarding the fundraiser incident. When the whole truth is finally told, it turns out that Morty is the one getting expelled. In an attempt at mercy, Morty offers to help save Jen's daughter Keris...until she reverts to her beastly state and starts wreaking havoc.

Comments?

Lol, the hallowe'en page is hilarious. Took me a while to figure out whether Morty was a goblin, a gremlin, or something else hallowe'en related. The reference eventually sank in though. Happy late hallowe'en everyone, and sorry for the late response .

Okay, page LXXI (071) will be posted this Friday. More pages will be coming in December. It's possible that it can start as early as Thanksgiving week, but I have other commitments still to get out of the way. I wanted at least one page on-line this month just to let everyone know I haven't given up yet, plus it's an appropriate page for a one-shot update.

I look forward to reading it this Friday. I am guessing it will be another cliffhanger strip for it to be appropriate for a one-shot update. I hope you are happy with the way you are setting up the story from this point on.

I have a feeling Flint will be a strong medium for the comedic part of UTC in the future. Nice strip, lets hope more can be released in December or around Thanksgiving. And yes, I have noticed a lot of comics going on hiatus lately.

So far, UTC is pretty good. I'm itching to find out about Noah though.

I never registered again after the boards changed... >_<

nice change of pace, I was wondering when we would see Flint again... I also completely saw this coming XD

I give him 3 panels in the next strip before he follows the squirrel o_O

I was sort of expecting an update today. Though I know it was never definite to start with, any word on if updates will be starting in and continuing through December?

Tetris50 wrote:I was sort of expecting an update today. Though I know it was never definite to start with, any word on if updates will be starting in and continuing through December?

UTC will update this month. I am preparing an announcement regarding the production of UTC in 2009 but I can't give an exact time to expect the update yet.

A new page will appear Friday, December 19, along with an official announcement about the future of the comic.

Kind of more looking forward to the strip than the announcement

There's been an unexpected change of plans. The update has been delayed until Monday, December 22.

There are many things possibly to blame for this, including myself, my grandmother, and Batman. You would be wise not to accuse my grandmother or Batman.

Jim wrote:There's been an unexpected change of plans. The update has been delayed until Monday, December 22.

There are many things possibly to blame for this, including myself, my grandmother, and Batman. You would be wise not to accuse my grandmother or Batman.

That came out reeeeally wrong. XP

The news was to be expected and is completely understandable. UTC doesn't have the professional signs that Fenix Gear has the potential to hold in the eyes of comic corporations. That said, in no way is UTC a watered-down experience, but it can certainly not land you a job. It is a web comic and a very good on at that .

I look forward to the last page of the year and I will stick with the comic as long as I can. I will also look into Fenix Gear as news on it is brought into light. Good luck!

While I understand your need to focus on the project that will provide the most return for your effort, I disagree with those who don't see marketing potential with UTC. You have created a unique world, interesting and engaging characters, and a plot that combines some unusual elements and hints at some really interesting developments (is our squirrel-boy getting some mind-set changes to go with the physical? What does that indicate for our heroine?). In any case, I very much enjoyed UTC and look forward to the day that you will continue this most excellent illustrated story. Happy Holidays!

Thanks for the Chapter 3 audio commentary. It was entertaining to revisit strips and get a look into what the author was thinking when he made them. Also, thanks for filing us in on your future intentions for UTC. It helps to know what is going on while a comic is on hiatus. I am looking forward to the future of the comic and reading the Fenix Gear issue when it is completely developed. Keep up the great work!

This past Monday was supposed to see the release of the first Chapter 4 audio commentary. Due to a week-long server problem at ComicGenesis, that update will probably not be happening for some time.

Until the main site can be updated, you can access the commentary directly from this link:

http://www.whaleymation.com/audioshares/UTC4a.mp3

To download the file, right click the link and Save As.

I don't know how many of you still check this forum out, but I'm going to pose the same question here as I will on deviantArt.

There are 11 pages left in Chapter 4. I'm still working on the first of those. Suffice it to say, it's going to take a long time before it's all done. I wasn't planning on releasing the pages one by one as each got finished. Instead, I'd try to get as much done as I could and then release all 11 on a weekly schedule so once it starts, there are no breaks until the end.

However, I want to know what you think. Are you tired of waiting? Will one page coming out every so often be more acceptable than waiting for several more months to see all the rest of the new material?

I still check back every so often .

As for releasing the rest of the chapter 4 pages, I think of the two options, you should probably hold on to them until they are all complete. Then perhaps you can release them once or twice a week while you work out how you want the second phase to go.

If you release them as you go, you may run into more problems, which could form into another hiatus. But as Squato said on your deviantart journal, you should probably do a half and half approach and just go with what you feel is right. The readers want you to be just as satisfied with your comic as they are. I've waited up to this point and I can manage quite a bit more.

No, I don't believe Morty is in the position to criticize anything at the moment.

Great to see the comic back. Looking forward to future pages .