WRITTEN_BY David REVOY -
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7 comments
Today, my wife and me adopted a third cat. He is a cute kitten we named Miolek (/mjolɛk/; aka "the one who meow a lot"). It come from "miaule" −meow in French− and \*ek ending is a way to finish/shorten Polish words to make them sound more cute (my wife is Polish).
He meows all the time, as if he needs to comment on everything. And purring too, all the time; a very cuddling temper. It's a very interactive four month old young male. He was left alone in a garden next a place we were invited to get lunch today and came on our knee meowing a lot and cuddling a lot. We saw he was starved and was left alone and we found a owner we could contact on phone. She (previous owner) had already too much cat (4) and Miolek wasn't expected. She was also rarely at home to take care of the kitten and that's why Miolek was visiting the neighborhood alone . She proposed us to adopt if we liked him and we quickly shared a eye contact with my wife and our decision to take him home was done. Her previous owner was also happy that Miolek could get a new home with attention and described us his date of birth, age and everything to identify him later to the vet, sterilize and vaccine.
So we made the trip back home in car and Miolek was sweet enough to just sit on a box with a towel on my knee while Alicja was driving. After one hour of purring and cuddle, we arrived and my two other cats started to meet him. They went close to smell each other. No aggressions but "leave me alone" and "take your distance" sort of single serious meowing. Now they are all back to their usual habits. Miolek sleeps next to me while I type this and already used his improvised litter, eat his food and visited all home. So far, he is a perfect kitten!
I'm so happy and I had to share this with you :-)
[](data/images/blog/2020/2020-10-25_tigrette-meet-miolek.jpg)
_Miolek meeting Tigrette: same type of fur._
[](data/images/blog/2020/2020-10-25_noutti-and-tigrette.jpg)
_The cats I already have: Noutti on left (inspiration for Carrot) and Tigrette on right (she looks like an old grumpy samurai, but she is a sweety)._
[](data/images/blog/2020/2020-10-25_miolek-sleeping.jpg)
_Miolek while I type this..._
WRITTEN_BY David REVOY -
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12 comments
555 Books sold since the release a week ago!
**Thank you** 🎉
My 'Special Launch Offer' sale ends in ten days.
Will it reach 1000? That would be amazing.
Get them while they're cheap 🙂
https://www.davidrevoy.com/shop
WRITTEN_BY David REVOY -
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9 comments
[](data/images/blog/2020/2020-10-21_decentralizing-book-publishing.jpg)
_Translations available of Pepper&Carrot on a map.
Red dot represents 100% translated, blue dots languages under 100%.
Dots were placed into average location of most speakers for illustrative purpose.
I know it's something that make no sens to do but it was easier to visualize 56 languages this way and it makes a good header picture? :D (Latin, Esperanto and 3 conlangs are obviously not on the map.)_
Last week, I received many questions via comments, private messages, emails just after the release of [the four English Books self-published](https://www.davidrevoy.com/static9/shop). One type of recurring question came from the translators of Pepper&Carrot:
#### Q: "Will you start self-publishing Pepper&Carrot into other languages?"
The potential is certainly enormous! To give you an idea; 68 Pepper&Carrot contributors[(1)](https://framagit.org/groups/peppercarrot/-/group_members) with a majority of translators are working on 56 languages available[(2)](https://www.peppercarrot.com/en/static6/sources&page=translation). Within this list, the 200 pages of Pepper&Carrot are fully translated in 17 languages: Catalan, Chinese, German, English, Esperanto, French, Scottish Gaelic, Italian, Japanese, Cornish, Norwegian Nynorsk and Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian and Vietnamese. So, in theory: **I have the possibility to self-publish the three comic books into 16 new languages**...
#### A: No, that's not my plan (anymore).
I can't be the central publisher of Pepper&Carrot for all language, and my main reason to not handle that myself is mainly time and resources: making a good book take a lot of time and paying for many print-proof/ISBN is expensive. I know I expressed this dream in the past to make that, but not anymore after the full prod of the English books: I want to continue to make art and I don't want to become a full-time publisher... Therefore, I'm not interested into going through the adventure of publishing 128 new books (16 languages x 4 books x 2 formats: softcover and hardcover), that would take me full-time work during a year and a budget of 2000€ of print proof.
[](data/images/blog/2020/2018-11-22_contribute_02-translation_by-david-revoy.jpg)
_Carrot, happy to say thank you in so many languages!_
## Decentralizing the book publishing of translations
A big task I cannot manage alone doesn't mean it cannot be done independently by many. I know everyone expected me to publish and handle the printed translations. But that would be centralizing all of them and I don't have the shoulders for that. That's why I want to make the decision to decentralize totally this vision and **empower each translators and contributors** to create their own books of Pepper&Carrot. If they do benefits from the sales, I'm fine with it. That will reward their time and effort on the translation (and if the benefits are insane: they still know how they can help with it).
To put in relation the audience visiting my Shop and their products, I propose to maintain a central directory of links to their products on the new [Community Products part of the Shop](https://www.davidrevoy.com/static9/shop) (at the end of the page). I already listed the books I had at home: Glénat, Ar Gripi and PopCom.
I can **share my recipe to make books with 100% FLOSS tools**. It would be dishonest to tell you it will be easy as three click and boom...PDF! But if you have a GNU/Linux system; know how to run a bash script, how to do search and replace in XML and are not afraid of opening Scribus, Inkscape and Krita; this might be possible to handle for you.
[](data/images/blog/2020/2020-10-21_56languages.jpg)
_The menu to select language on Pepper&Carrot: 56 choices with various level of completion._
### A. The book-publishing Git repo
The sources files are partially split between a Gitlab repo hosted by Framasoft and the peppercarrot.com server for the art and large files:
**https://framagit.org/peppercarrot/book-publishing**
I worked since the start to make a project flexible so I could share it and make it collaborative. So far, I propose in this repo:
1. A bash script that picks all the artworks necessary from www.peppercarrot.com server.
2. The artworks are then converted/cleaned/sharpened on your machine to CMYK colors.
3. When GB of art are ready, the Scribus files at the roots can be edited.
This system has many benefits: a simple edit on the script of the variable [en] and the script will download and render comic book into your target translation. You'll also have to edit the path to pictures written inside the Scribus file (a XML file) using a search/replace function of a text editor. All future update and fixes made on the SVGs translation and available on www.peppercarrot.com will sync to your book by running again the script.
Unfortunately, the repository is still young, hard to install on new setup and not documented. **It's on the way to be more user-friendly and documented in the coming days**, especially if I see interest around it. By the way, I want to thanks here the effort of [Valvin](https://framagit.org/valvin) who started a FR translation of the Artbook,started to fix the repo and sent many precious feedbacks.
[](data/images/blog/2020/2020-10-21_rtfm.jpg)
_Documentation: never too late to work on it._
### B. Building complex CC-By credits:
Writing correct credits and attribution for a target language of Pepper&Carrot was so far a very difficult task. Over the last six years of production, many joined translation temporary, or pushed single typography correction. All this contributors deserve a credit. Digging the git repository to collect names was an option, but fortunately this type of big work is no more necessary: a big refactor have been done to build **a generator for credits**:
https://www.peppercarrot.com/en/license/index.html
That should ease making perfect credit compliant with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
[](data/images/blog/2020/2020-10-21_book1-credits.jpg)
_Credits as they appear on first page of Book 1, Patrons are listed at the end._
### C. Printer
You'll have easier time if you keep drivethrucomics.com(DTC) print-on-demand service: the Scribus files are already adapted and calibrated for it. I also made all the tests[(3)](https://www.davidrevoy.com/article757/the-english-book-printed-project-production-report-3) to produce perfect quality for it. But if you want to start the adventure with another POD service (or Offset printer) the repo should still ease a lot your life than starting from scratch.
If you keep DTC; you'll only have to create your own Publisher account, upload your PDF files and setup your product page. You'll have to buy your print-proof, and setup your public price. Once you received it and it is ready, send me also a proof so I can review it and add it on the Shop (better even if you send me the PDF prior you print it for a review).
Please name your shop/publisher account after your own name (or own company/publisher name) and describe on the product it is a derivation from the official and that you are not the artist. It's important to communicate clearly with the audience. Also please use your own logo on the cover of the books; I do not accept people impersonating me, and this is the easiest way to avoid confusion...
[](data/images/blog/2020/2020-08-12_screenshot_154529_net.jpg)
_Screenshot of Scribus while working on the Artbook_
### D. To recommend or not
Because not all the products will have variable qualities, I made two category on the Community products[(4)](https://www.davidrevoy.com/static9/shop):
- **Not recommended:** half-finished, low quality or products with ethical issue.
- **Recommended:** good quality print, respecting the license and ideally contributing back.
That should help my audience to select good Pepper&Carrot products and be better informed for the one existing in the wild.
[](https://www.davidrevoy.com/static9/shop)
_Screenshot of the [Community products](https://www.davidrevoy.com/static9/shop) section on the Shop_
## End note:
That's all, I hope this article will trigger initiatives and create new Pepper&Carrot book publishing around the world!
You are welcome to speak about your project on Pepper&Carrot chat room: [IRC](http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=%23pepper%26carrot), [Telegram](https://telegram.me/joinchat/BLVsYz_DIz-S-TJZB9XW7A) or [Matrix](https://riot.im/app/#/room/#freenode_#pepper&carrot:matrix.org).
WRITTEN_BY David REVOY -
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21 comments
You are amazing! 235 books sold (and even a bit more while I'm writing this). Thank you very much!
Note: if you missed the launch yesterday; the books are here: [https://www.davidrevoy.com/shop](https://www.davidrevoy.com/shop)
So, over the last 24h I received many questions on social medias (and also many sweet words, thank you!). I tried to answer all of them and I'll continue over this week-end. Thank you very much for them, they are all interesting. I already reported the ones I answered the most [on the FAQ page of the shop](https://www.davidrevoy.com/static10/shop-faq). I also added to the Shop the number of the books sold and I'll daily update it during October so the community get a better feedback of what it is to go self-published with POD in 2020.
[](data/images/blog/2020/2020-10-16_look-mum_i-m-made-a-bestseller.jpg)
_Look mum, I apparently made a "bestseller" :-) _
I also plan to show (with pie graph) where the money goes in case some of you believes I earn all the price that appear in the shop directly in my pocket. That's not true and I get a bit less than 1.5€ per book at the end. (and that's a lot compared to many contract I had in the past, under 0.10€ per book/boardgame). But that's also not the same size of distribution, not the same volume of products, not the same end price and I have no marketing team and budget to spread the news. So, thank you for sharing the news about the books around you, it really helps.
I would be very happy if this launch could cross **the 1000 books sold**: that would give me the financial opportunity to finally change my 10 year old computer with something more recent. If it happens, I'll make a new big tutorial video like the one of 1h40 about "Making a comic page from A to Z", detailed and all. Maybe "Making a book from A to Z with only FLOSS?"
Last words, I'm reticent to write it on the blog, but I can't refrain to share this with you because I feel torn emotionally: during the launch, I lost my grand-father. He was over 90 years old, knew second world war and the camps, had a lot of kids and worked on the metal industry (the factories, not a music band of course). He always kept many passions at home. He was curious about all electric devices and could repair them. I know he made a radio during the war from scratch at home to listen the news. A legend in family tells he invented the coat-hanger made of a single metal wire ^ _ ^ I never could verify this facts... He played organ and clarinet, but his first passion was really oil painting and dry pastel drawing. He painted only for the one he loved, decorating the house of the family, decorating the bedroom of my numbered cousins. He never made a single public exhibition. He was very impressive and his personality obviously influenced a lot of what I am now. **Farewell, my "geeky painter" grand-father!**
[](data/images/blog/2020/jean-magin_peintures.jpg)
_A sample of what I preferred from his art. Pictures are extracted from argentic photo scanned and sent by my cousins. I tried to redeform perspective, fix colors. Not perfect and far to do justice to his works, but that all I had now._
[](data/images/blog/2020/2009_jean-magin_while-fixing-an-old-film-projector-with-david-revoy.jpg)
_[edit] A photo of him and me, while fixing together an old film projector._
WRITTEN_BY David REVOY -
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24 comments
[video]data/medias/2020-10-15_release-video-books-peppercarrot_for_web.mp4[/video]
It's a release!
**Pepper&Carrot self-published comics books in English version are now available!**
### **Get your own copies on: https://www.davidrevoy.com/shop**
(Note: if you have trouble reading the short animation video, you can [download it here](data/medias/2020-10-15_release-video-books-peppercarrot_for_web.mp4). 7.1MB, 1min)
WRITTEN_BY David REVOY -
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3 comments
I'm excited! Tomorrow will be the big release of the English books of Pepper&Carrot (3 comics and Artbook). Stay tuned!
WRITTEN_BY David REVOY -
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4 comments
Since last summer, I'm in contact with the [Free Software Foundation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Software_Foundation). I know the name and actions of the famous foundation since decades, but I really started to met the team when I proposed a livestream for their LibrePlanet2020 conference back in March. You remember? The one where I created the tiny [GNUess character](https://www.davidrevoy.com/article763/gnuess).
So, we kept contact and they shared with me their idea to make something special for their 35 years anniversary: a poster, a tee-shirt, a pin and a livestream event. We shared many references and I collected feedback from the team; we quickly get a folder with pictures of retro futuristic architecture and undersea pictures for the "coral anniversary". My main constrain was lead by the tee-shirt printing technique: four spots colors only could be used; but not dithered as for classic CMYK printing. I could just use flat areas of colors. It wasn't easy; I'm used to paint a lot of shading with brush strokes and this technique felt a bit too restrictive at first. But then I started to love the impact and work on each shapes induced by this unusual way to paint for me. I then decided to use this set of constrains for the poster too even if this one was printed in CMYK and could in theory get all usual range of printed colors. I spiced it with gradients and texture to take advantage of that extra freedom. All in all, I used a lot of software on this project: Krita, Inkscape, Blender, Scribus, Imagemagick to make it; and applied my recent knowledge in 100% FLOSS printing to it.
The tee-shirt, pin, and poster are all available to purchase [in the FSF35 eShop](https://shop.fsf.org/).
I'll speak more about the making of and process in today's livestream online event;
**You are invited to join the livestream:**
**- When?** Friday, October 9th, from 12:30 - 13:15 EDT, New York time ( = 18:30 to 19:15, CEST, Paris time).
**- Where? ** https://www.fsf.org/ and chat on #fsf on IRC (freenode)
Full program of the anniversary livestream event:
https://www.fsf.org/events/fsf35
WRITTEN_BY David REVOY -
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10 comments
Early this morning I read [a post from Colin Levy on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ColinLevy/status/1311555478166495232) informing the open movie Sintel had its 10th anniversary today. Ten years... This project really influenced so many components of my life (especially about the software and licenses I use now). I also met a lot of great people on it and my artworks started to get a lot of visibility at that time. So, I took my stylus, opened Krita 4.4beta2 and started a quick painting to meditate about it. I hope you'll like it!
**Thank you again Sintel team and happy anniversary! **
[Watch here the open movie Sintel](https://video.blender.org/videos/watch/0eb052d0-fd51-43e6-aa33-ecdbf77a5d40) on Peertube.
WRITTEN_BY David REVOY -
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6 comments
**Thank you very much** for all the positive feedback and comments since I posted [the photos of the printed books](https://www.davidrevoy.com/article788/book-project-update-final-printed-proof-and-photos) on last friday.
I feel way more relax since I have the books ready. So, while doing progress on the public release of the books, I continued to work on the concept art necessary for episode 34 where Pepper will wear the same clothes as [Shichimi](https://www.davidrevoy.com/article787/shichimi-2020-model-sheet) at [the temple of Ah](https://www.davidrevoy.com/article786/the-main-temple-of-ah). I will not tell why to not spoil the story, but prepare to see this type of designs and ambiance on the next blog-post of the production report incoming in October. The next step: draw the eleven pages, letter them and then submit it for proofreading. It might take time as I'm also attracted [to join #drawtober](https://twitter.com/drawtober/status/1300659682449727488) (and also take time to study daily anatomy). Days are definitely too short!
About the book, I'm doing progress: a friend in U.S. will receive (hopefully soon) the four books. The goal of this mission is to check the U.S. factory of my printer. The one [I tested](https://www.davidrevoy.com/article788/book-project-update-final-printed-proof-and-photos) so far was the U.K. factory (the shop redirects print-jobs to the nearest factory of the final address). Better to be sure that the quality of the two locations for printing and shipping are similar before a worldwide launch...
I already plugged a better Store/eShop page to my blog (the code runs on my computer, not uploaded yet, it will be done at release). So I started this week with 10 hours a day of HTML, PHP and CSS... A necessary evil to keep and maintain a 100% indie blog and website. I also took advantage of having to do that to refresh the design of the blog and fix bugs I found over the last 6 months. You'll see that at the release of the book.
I'm also in the process of recording videos to showcase each books on their product page. But it's not easy to do and I dislike my first attempts. So I'll have to do DIY to build a better camera rigg and light setup.
That's all :) Or almost, because I'm also working secretly since end August on a project that will have a release in October. October is busy! But still, it has a relaxing atmosphere. I hope you'll like this concept-art illustration.
WRITTEN_BY David REVOY -
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15 comments
**WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! **
I received one hour ago all the printed proof from the printer **and the result is perfect!** I'm really happy with it about everything: the high quality print of the covers, the paper inside (thickness and satin), the brilliance of the colors and the sharpness of the details. I'm really really happy right now. So, between two rainy clouds, I went outside and took quickly photos to show you the books under sunlight. I hope the photos (no color correction, from my phone) that you'll find at the end of this post will get you an overall idea about what I'm talking. You can click on them to enlarge.
**Is it ready to buy?** Unfortunately not now. I now need to setup all the online things to sell the book; a Eshop page, a video to tell all the adventure, a page to share all my workaround, etc...etc... Still a lot of work, but something that is coming soon; mid or end October. I'll probably post a lot when it will be ready, so if you follow; you'll notice. (thank you for your patience).
Oh, and a quick note: by "perfect", understand here this is a word I use after [all the trouble I met since years of tests and frustrations](https://www.davidrevoy.com/tag/print). You can't imagine how many time I received really bad printed proof on this project. The quality is not an absolute perfection or superior to the other comic printed you'll find on stores. It just matches this type of "retail quality" perfectly and this is a big achievement to me. That's why I qualify this printed proof batch as "perfect". I'm proud of them.
## Photo gallery:
[](data/images/blog/2020/printed-proof/2020-09-25_book-publishing_final-printed-proof-photos_01.jpg)
_Overview of the four hardcover books._
[](data/images/blog/2020/printed-proof/2020-09-25_book-publishing_final-printed-proof-photos_02.jpg)
_Detail of the thickness and design of the side (hardcover)._
[](data/images/blog/2020/printed-proof/2020-09-25_book-publishing_final-printed-proof-photos_03.jpg)
_Close-up on the hardcover thickness._
[](data/images/blog/2020/printed-proof/2020-09-25_book-publishing_final-printed-proof-photos_04.jpg)
_Comparison of thickness: softcover VS hardcover._
[](data/images/blog/2020/printed-proof/2020-09-25_book-publishing_final-printed-proof-photos_05.jpg)
_Inside the artbook and book 3 (random pages)._
[](data/images/blog/2020/printed-proof/2020-09-25_book-publishing_final-printed-proof-photos_06.jpg)
_Showing black pages or with a sketchbook texture, with perfect trimming._
[](data/images/blog/2020/printed-proof/2020-09-25_book-publishing_final-printed-proof-photos_07.jpg)
_Inside book 1._
[](data/images/blog/2020/printed-proof/2020-09-25_book-publishing_final-printed-proof-photos_08.jpg)
_Back-covers design of the hardcover._
WRITTEN_BY David REVOY -
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17 comments
While painting on the future episode 34, I felt the design of Shichimi's clothes had −to say it gently− "a lot of room for improvement" ;-) If you don't remember it, she was dressed so far with a sort of a kimono that was looking like a bathrobe with pink roses pattern on it. I'll not blame myself for this design; so many things were happening when Shichimi appeared for the first time on the potion challenge episode (5 years ago): the new website, the translation system and a epic nine pages long episode... I had not a lot of time to study more clothes variations for the new secondary characters.
I still have no time; but while I'm waiting to receive the printed proof of the 4 books in hardcover and softcover (it should happen somewhere during the next days now, the printer shipped them), I'm feeling a big pressure. I feel I'll have deep difficulties to recover if I receive another fail at print... So, being conscious about it and to deal with this omnipresent fear, I keep myself busy. I'm doing way more freelance works than usual (because July/August were invested into the book-publishing project full time) and I prepare the next production of the episode.
So, long story short; Shichimi is a character that really deserved a lot more care since years for her design; and the more I write on my global story arc, the more she is important. I tried to keep what I liked on her design and I iterated over that until I was happy with it. I hope you'll like it. She now has a variation colors and material: dark leather, almost pure poppy-red kimono and a layer of white clothes under it. I also added a tiny bag she wear on her back and she can just rotate around herself to pick herbs, ingredients, mini potion or a wand quickly. That will probably solve the missing pockets on the design if Shichimi needs to keep a key or any object during a quest. It has no purpose for the next story, but this type of detail might be useful in the future.
