Application Paint() Help

Question

Hi, I am making a game, but sometimes when I activate it, I will get a nullpointerexception (varies greatly). Also, when I try to have the About class paint, it only works the second time through. I would greatly appriciate any help!
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.awt.image.*;
public class RPGMain extends Frame implements ActionListener, KeyListener, WindowListener, WindowStateListener, WindowFocusListener
     Image back;
     Graphics draw;
     MenuItem New, Open, Save, Quit, ttl, Directions, About;
     String gameState;
     Toolkit toolkit = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit();
     newGame newGame;
     loadGame loadGame;
     saveGame saveGame;
     Directions dir;
     About about;
     Chara hero = new Chara();
     public static void main(String args[])
          System.out.println(" ");
          System.out.println("|        Cowboy  Bebop        |");
          System.out.println("|            Naruto           |");
          System.out.println("|            Trigun           |");
          System.out.println("|   Neon Genesis Evangelion   |");
          System.out.println("|           Inuyasha          |");
          System.out.println(" ");
          new RPGMain();
     public RPGMain()
          setTitle("RPG Main");
          setLayout(new FlowLayout());
          setSize(500, 500);
          setResizable(false);//This makes it so that the frame is always 500 x 500 pixels
          MenuBar menu = new MenuBar();
          Menu file = new Menu("File");
          Menu help = new Menu("Help");
          New = new MenuItem("New");
          Open = new MenuItem("Open");
          Save = new MenuItem("Save");
          Quit = new MenuItem("Quit");
          Directions = new MenuItem("Directions");
          About = new MenuItem("About");
          New.addActionListener(this);
          Open.addActionListener(this);
          Save.addActionListener(this);
          Quit.addActionListener(this);
          Directions.addActionListener(this);
          About.addActionListener(this);
          addWindowListener(this);
          addWindowStateListener(this);
          addWindowFocusListener(this);
          file.add(New);
          file.add(Open);
          file.add(Save);
          file.addSeparator();
          file.add(Quit);
          help.add(Directions);
          help.add(About);
          menu.add(file);
          menu.add(help);
          setMenuBar(menu);
          setVisible(true);
          back = createImage(500, 500);
          if (back == null)
               System.out.println("\n|       Back is null...       |\n");
          draw = back.getGraphics();//The frame (or whatever) must be visible for this to work!!!
          newGame = new newGame();//creates an instance of *** and then gives it the varibles it needs
          newGame.set(back, draw, toolkit);
          loadGame = new loadGame();
          loadGame.set(back, draw, toolkit);
          saveGame = new saveGame();
          saveGame.set(back, draw, toolkit);
          about = new About();
          about.set(back, draw, toolkit);
          dir = new Directions();
          dir.set(back, draw, toolkit);
          gameState = "Title Screen";
          repaint();
     public void paint(Graphics g){}//leave empty to negate flashes
     public void update(Graphics g)
          if(gameState == "Title Screen"){draw.drawImage((toolkit.getImage("images/titleScreen.gif")), 0, 0, this);}
          else if(gameState == "New Game"){newGame.draw();}
          else if(gameState == "Load Game"){loadGame.draw();}
          else if(gameState == "Save Game"){saveGame.draw();}
          else if(gameState == "Dir"){dir.draw();}
          else if(gameState == "About"){about.draw();}
          try
               g.drawImage(back,0,0,this);
          catch(NullPointerException e)
               System.out.println("\n|NullPointerException in Paint|\n");
               repaint();
//Begin Window Event Block
     public void windowClosing(WindowEvent e)
          System.out.println("|       Window  Closing       |");
          System.exit(0);
     public void windowActivated(WindowEvent e)
          repaint();
          System.out.println("|      Window  Activated      |");
     public void windowDeactivated(WindowEvent e){System.out.println("|     Window  Deactivated     |");}
     public void windowOpened(WindowEvent e)
          repaint();
          System.out.println("|        Window Opened        |");
     public void windowClosed(WindowEvent e){System.out.println("|        Window Closed        |");}
     public void windowDeiconified(WindowEvent e)
          repaint();
          System.out.println("|     Window  Deiconified     |");
     public void windowIconified(WindowEvent e){System.out.println("|      Window  Iconified      |");}
     public void windowGainedFocus(WindowEvent e)
          repaint();
          System.out.println("|     Window Gained Focus     |");
     public void windowLostFocus(WindowEvent e){System.out.println("|      Window Lost Focus      |");}
     public void windowStateChanged(WindowEvent e)
          repaint();
          System.out.println("|     Window State Change     |");
//End Window Event Block
//Begin Action Performed Block
     public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)
          if(e.getSource() == New)
               gameState = "New Game";
               repaint();
          if(e.getSource() == Open)
               gameState = "Load Game";
               repaint();
          if(e.getSource() == Save)
               gameState = "Save Game";
               repaint();
          if(e.getSource() == Quit)
               System.out.println("|     User closing window     |\n");
               System.exit(0);
          if(e.getSource() == Directions)
               gameState = "Dir";
               repaint();
          if(e.getSource() == About)
               gameState = "About";
               repaint();
//End Action Performed Block
//Begin Key Input Block
     public void keyTyped(KeyEvent e)
     public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e)
     public void keyReleased(KeyEvent e)
//End Key Input Block
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
public class About extends Panel
     Graphics draw;
     Image back;
     Toolkit toolkit;
     public void set(Image a, Graphics b, Toolkit tool)
          back = a;
          draw = b;
          toolkit = tool;
     public void draw()
          System.out.println("|            About            |");
          draw.setColor(Color.black);
          draw.fillRect(0,0,500,500);
          draw.setColor(Color.white);
          draw.drawImage(toolkit.getImage("images/chaos.gif"), 205, 150, this);
          Font foo = new Font("Courier", Font.PLAIN, 24);
          draw.setFont(foo);
          draw.drawString("Choas Programming", 125, 300);
          draw.drawString("-----------------", 125, 320);
          draw.drawString("Head Programmer", 140, 340);
          foo = new Font("Arial", Font.PLAIN, 12);
          draw.setFont(foo);
public class Chara
     String name;//Character's name
     String property;//Character's elemental property
     String race;//Character's type
     String job;//Character's job
     String status;//Character's status
     String equipe[];//Character's equipement
     String items[][];//Character's items {Useables, Equipes, Other}
     int hp[];//Min/Max HP
     int mp[];//Min/Max SP
     int strength[];//Current/Normal/Race Bonus
     int agility[];//Current/Normal/Race Bonus
     int vitality[];//Current/Normal/Race Bonus
     int intelligence[];//Current/Normal/Race Bonus
     int dexterity[];//Current/Normal/Race Bonus
     int luck[];//Current/Normal/Race Bonus
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
public class Directions extends Panel
     Graphics draw;
     Image back;
     Toolkit toolkit;
     public void set(Image a, Graphics b, Toolkit tool)
          back = a;
          draw = b;
          toolkit = tool;
     public void draw()
          System.out.println("|          Direction          |");
          draw.setColor(Color.green);
          draw.fillRect(0,0,500,500);
          draw.setColor(Color.black);
          draw.drawString("|        Directions           |", 100, 150);
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
public class loadGame extends Panel
     Graphics draw;
     Image back;
     Toolkit toolkit;
     public void set(Image a, Graphics b, Toolkit tool)
          back = a;
          draw = b;
          toolkit = tool;
     public void draw()
          System.out.println("|     User loading a game     |");
          draw.setColor(Color.black);
          draw.fillRect(0,0,500,500);
          draw.setColor(Color.green);
          draw.drawString("|     User loading a game     |", 100, 150);
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
public class newGame extends Panel
     Graphics draw;
     Image back;
     Toolkit toolkit;
     public void set(Image a, Graphics b, Toolkit tool)
          back = a;
          draw = b;
          toolkit = tool;
     public void draw()
          System.out.println("|     User starting a game    |");
          draw.setColor(Color.white);
          draw.fillRect(0,0,500,500);
          draw.setColor(Color.black);
          draw.drawString("|   User starting a new game  |", 100, 150);
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
public class saveGame extends Panel
     Graphics draw;
     Image back;
     Toolkit toolkit;
     public void set(Image a, Graphics b, Toolkit tool)
          back = a;
          draw = b;
          toolkit = tool;
     public void draw()
          System.out.println("|      User saving a game     |");
          draw.setColor(Color.red);
          draw.fillRect(0,0,500,500);
          draw.setColor(Color.black);
          draw.drawString("|     User saving a game      |", 100, 150);
}

Answer 1

Just a guess: instead of storing a reference to a Graphics object and using it to paint at whatever location in the code, move painting code into an object's paint() method and use the Graphics object passed into paint().
i'm also currently writing a game, and got NullPointerExceptions galore when i tried storing a Graphics reference. Also, this approach helps separate game-state-manipulation code from display code.