[SpookyZalost]

Do you start by adding all the spaces in or do it letter by letter? I think that's where I failed. :P

actually... I start by taking an image and making it greyscale then I take my text editor and transparent the UI over it (linux FTW!), that way I can ascii match to an image.
that's how I made the makestation one.

so basically my text editor is like 45% opacity over a greyscale image.

I'm still not nearly as skilled as some of the most excellent artists from back in the day.

          ____,'-,
     _,--'   ,/::.;
  ,-'       ,/::,' ---.___        ___,_
  |       ,:';:/        ;'";"--./ ,-^.;--.
  |:     ,:';,'         '         .   ;   -.
   \:.,:::/;/ -:.                    |     -.
    \:::,'//__.;  ,;  ,  ,  :.-.   :. |  ;       :.
     \,',';/O)^. :'  ;  :   '__  :::.       .:' )
     |,'  |\__,: ;      ;  '/O).   :::;       ' ,'
          |--''            \__,' , ::::(       ,'
             ,            --' ,: :::,'\   ,-'
           | ,;         ,    ,::'  ,:::   |,'
           |,:        .(          ,:::|  
           ::'_   _   ::         ,::/:|
          ,',' -' \   .      ,:::/,:|
         | : _  _   |   '     ,::,' :::
         | \ O'O  ,',   ,    :,'   ;::
          \ -'--',:' ,' , ,,'      ::
           :.:.__   ',-','        ::'
               --.__, ,::.         ::'
                  |:  ::::.       ::'
                  |:  ::::::    ,::'

the real key is monospaced fonts, with a lot of the older ASCII art being designed in dos and early windows it doesn't translate well to variable width stuff on modern websites.

also disable smileys when you post them or they show up in your image.