Header Image Archive

When discussing site design with our graphic design consultant, Allan Brown, Allan came up with a really interesting idea.  His idea was to have a “group photo” of the main characters in the title area.  This is actually a really good idea, as it gives an idea of the cast to readers, introduces readers to your art style, and generally looks really good.  Penny Arcade, Fanboys, Slackerz, and Disfunctional Pokemon Adventure can’t all be wrong, can they?

When our inker said that he would be interested in modifying Pokemon game sprites to look like our characters, though, we realized how to take that concept one step further and make it our own.

Our header image contains sprites of the various characters, and was updated every time new characters were added. On special issues, we would add special sprites which would make a “special edition” header which was only visible during that week while the update was available.

Note that the header images are narrower than the one we use currently.  The older site template had the header sharing space with a “Current Week’s Comic” teaser image that was the same size as the Menu.  We eventually decided to drop that as our click tracking showed almost nobody using it (and it took time, precious time, away from eating tacos).

First Edition.

Our first header image, containing our original “pixel art” title, containing the only three main characters seen so far:  David, Chris, and the Virtual Boy.  This was the header for the original grand opening containing the first two issues of Missing Number: Adventures in Glitch City, Welcome to Glitch City! and Aftermath.

Enter Ashley, Stage Right

With our next issue, Enter Ashley, Stage Right! came our newest header image, containing an Ashley sprite which appeared only twice. This sprite was based on Professor Oak, and while the costume was right… the sprite just didn’t quite match.

F@NB0Y$

Our next issue, Highest Bidder, was a “reverse guest comic,” where (with permission from their creator), we dragged F@NB0Y$ into our canon!  From left to right, Sylvia, Lemmy, and Paul got special sprites which showed for one update only (until now!).

Missing Link

Link To The Present, the comic where we introduced Windwaker Link, also introduced a Windwaker Link sprite.  Ashley’s sprite was also changed, to try to get rid of a bit of heft lent to him from the Professor Oak sprite, but the sprite design overshot a little bit!  This Ashley sprite stayed the official sprite for the entire original run of Missing Number: Adventures in Glitch City!

Also, surprise!  Chris’ shirt suddenly changes color, for no discernable reason!  It stays red for a long, long time.

Nookler and Crew

The Day of Reckoning series of comics lent new characters to the Missing Number pantheon:  Nookler, his Secretary, and his Security Guard.  As the first characters to join who don’t belong to other artists (sorry F@NB0Y$!), they earned a permanent spot in the header image.

The Other PC Bill

We welcome the “Other PC Bill” into our comic as the proprieter of “The Box of X” in the I’m Just A Bill issue.  Why does he have a green sweater vest?  Who knows.  Shawn, our artist, always imagines Bill Gates wearing a green sweater vest.

KENNNNNNN!

The Other PC Bill’s arch nemesis appears:  Ken!  Head talking guy for Sony at the time this comic was posted, he appears in the new header image with his dastardly waterbaloon.  Also showing up in our header, Master Chief, who sees fit to guard his lord, Bill.

Vulpix!

Not much change here, just the addition of Ashley’s Pokemon, Vulpix.

Team Rocket’s Rockin’!

Team Rocket gets hold of Vulpix in Vulpix Come Home 4, and therefore they appear in the title image with Vulpix, and Ashley is all alone

Jenny ‘N Joy

Officer Jenny (Purseless Version) and Nurse Joy appear in the header, and Team Rocket goes into hiding, trying to decide what to do with the Police Convention in town in Vulpix Come Home 5.

Guest Stars!

Scott McCloud and Naruto guest star in this week’s very special issue, Vulpix Come Home 6.  Also appearing in the header for the first time are Officer Copper and Officer Booker from Animal Crossing.

Right about this time, we started taking stock of our header:  it was getting quite full!  The excellent idea of having all the characters appear in the header was looking to become a tougher challenge in the future!  What to do?  Well, like any good artist with a presently insoluable difficulty…

…we put it on the back burner and works on other things.