PC WEENIES

Author: Krishna

  • Refbox is a Boon for Digital Artists

    Refbox is a Boon for Digital Artists

    Refbox has been a game-changer for my digital art workflow. In my latest video, I go over some of my favorite features. Refbox works on both Mac and Windows, and retails for $29US. A trial is available. One week after using Refbox, I find it to be absolutely indispensable.

     

    Prior to Refbox, I would have to bring references into the digital canvas directly. Doing so would limit my full view of my canvas, and I would have to employ a series of workarounds. The feeling can best be described as trying to move items around while stuck inside a crowded closet.

    Refbox lets me float references above my canvas. But it does so much more: With it, I can flip images horizontally, zoom in on a section of the reference, sample colors from the reference and so much more.

    Refbox supports images, GIFs, videos, 3D models, audio, notes, links and even PDFs. I can’t find any downside to using it.

    -Krishna

     

     

  • Apple: The First 50 Years

    Apple: The First 50 Years

     

    April 1st, 2026 marked Apple’s 50th anniversary, and if you’re anything like me, you were excited about all of the news and stories being published commemorating the occasion. One piece of media in particular got the party started early: “Apple: The First 50 Years” by David Pogue. If the author’s name sounds familiar, chances are you’ve read one of his many articles in print (The New York Times, MacWorld) or you may have read one of his numerous “Missing Manual” books.

    Having enjoyed Mr. Pogue’s writing for the better part of more than 30 years, I had a pretty good idea on what I could expect from his latest book. Would there be clear, human understandable explanations for highly technical concepts? Yes.Absolutely. Would there be a wry sense of humor permeating throughout the book? Without a doubt.

    “Apple: The First 50 Years” takes a look at the famous six color company from before its inception all the way through to present. Even if you think you know all there is to know about Apple, you will come away with many new insights after reading this book.

     

    Read the rest of my post on the OWC Rocket Yard blog.

  • And So Castles Made of Sand…

    And So Castles Made of Sand…

     

     

    Every independent website, no matter how popular, will eventually dissolve into the abyss. It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.

    I started PC WEENIES, a tech-themed webcomic, in October 1998. The strip ran more-or-less continuously for 20 years. First starting as a single panel comic and then moving into a strip style format, I published three times a week, “or the next one’s free”, for most of its run.

    I started with static HTML and GoLive CyberStudio, before moving to adding custom PHP (Thank you Tom Davis), before fully switching over to WordPress in 2008. It was during that time, I also incorporated my love of writing to pen an accompanying tech blog.

    While PC WEENIES didn’t set the Internet world ablaze, it did have many fans. What started as a lark in late 1998 turned into a training regimen. I knew very little about digital drawing, let alone Photoshop, when I posted that first single panel comic. But, with time, practice and persistence, I eventually found my footing.

    So what has become of this once beloved site?

    First, things started to break. My WordPress site was showing its age. It featured a lot of custom code (Thanks Frumph!), integrated with ComicEasel. The whole shebang worked, at least for a while.

    Software upgrades (namely a PHP update) broke the site first. But the site still limped along.  Then came hackers.

    I only realized there was an issue when my host sent me a note complaining about excessive CPU utilization. When I visited my site, in place of my blog was a landing page for a Golf company (!).

    I was able to take care of the CPU utilization but the site was now permanently broken. I had no back-up (save for one from 2016).

    As painful as the decision was, I decided to nuke the whole site and start afresh. That meant 16 years of content were now up in smoke. And nary a PC WEENIES comic on the web. Truth be told, when it happened, I felt a little sick to my stomach.

    After acceptance kicked in, I started to think about what a new PC WEENIES site would look like.

    I have some plans to use this place to post about things that interest me in the area of tech, illustration and comics. There will also be, on occasion, a brand new PC WEENIES comic or two. Instead of the strip style, I’m toying with the idea of making full page comics on occasion. I can’t promise a regular publication schedule, but I do miss Bob, Pam, Milton and the rest of the wacky gang at Footle.

    For those who miss the old comics, fear not.  I have a catalog of PC WEENIES comics on my computer. If and when I can figure out an elegant way to share them here, I’ll do so.

    As always, stay tooned.

    -Krishna