Fellow artist Joost Haakman beat me to this with his comment last week – leave it to him to figure out where I’m going before I got there! And in a sense, his comment drove me towards completion on this page, which I had been dithering about for most of the week. Romance is such a tricky thing in this story, I am trying not to make it seem derivative or tacked on because it really isn’t. So the eternal visual artist’s dilemma: to show or not to show? I went for it. If you’re interested in seeing what the original design of this page was, I’ll post the sketches next week as a voting incentive on TWC. But not before then, alas, as they reveal too much about the next page – they’d just spoil it! Until then, you have one last chance to see the two-page spread from this chapter. Merely click below and vote. And if you have already seen it so many times it nauseates you, well, you won’t have long to wait.
But yes, in the end, I decided after rereading my story notes, including the reworking I did over my Christmas vacation, to let poor Sarah and Milo have this little moment, even if it is most likely just inside Sarah’s damaged brain. And in the end, I think everyone saw this coming – as they say, “you can’t build up like that and not deliver.”
Extensive photographic reference for this page, I’ll admit. God bless my research department – that is, Google Images. Composing this scene was actually quite an adventure. And of course, who doesn’t like heavy symbolism in the form of wrecked tanks? Oh, yeah.
On the other hand, I basically broke all sorts of comic and film/TV conventions with this one, regarding sexual tension and all the rules about human interactions you aren’t supposed to violate when doing long-form comics or story threads of this kind. A friend from Florida whose opinion I value very highly told me unequivocally not to do this, but I did it anyway. Oh, well. Just gotta hope for the best – they can’t un-kiss now! My greatest hope, however, is that this is as poignant and symbolic a moment as I have tried to make it, and that it doesn’t come off sappy or manipulative.
In any case, things are still going full-bore here. Sleep, commute, work, commute, food, comics, sleep. Repeat as necessary. But for all that, I have to say (and I say this almost every week, I know), that this is my best page yet (yeah, I know, I have to fix Milo’s hair in panel 3, but I can do that tomorrow). And this sequence is my best run of pages so far. Gives me reason for hope. And when I reread the first chapter this evening, which I am still in the process of revising, albeit slowly, I had a little glimmer of confidence when I realized that it actually is starting to read like a coherent story – and it only took fifty-three pages!
Ah, well. So we’re still rockin’ and rollin’, here, folks. All the best for another week of this. God bless.
I like it, two comrades fighting together would build up somne sort of emotional bond and considering what Sarah has been through she probally needs all the support she can think of right now.
So generally don’t worry about anything it’s great.
😀
Thanks. It’s weird, you know – ever time I think I’m being too obscure or making the story turn in too odd a way, it seems to work out anyway. I guess I can afford to be a little more forceful with that, as everyone still seems to “get it.”
–M
I don’t think that this breaks the “will they, won’t they” sexual tension rule at all, if anything it amplifies it. This is all in her head, maybe she had feelings for Milo prior to this vision and maybe she didn’t. If she gets out of this mess alive and she did have feelings for him she might feel compelled to act on them more aggressively than she had been. If she didn’t have romantic feelings for Milo and in this vision Milo is a manifestation symbolizing safety and security that she has subconsciously felt but never realized then she will have some confusing emotions if she gets out alive.
Well, good. I was afraid that breaking that rule so soon wouldn’t pay off properly. But the whole chapter has been SO intense so far, and I needed something to do what you say, to generate that kind of moment to counterpoint the rest. I’m glad that, by reports, it seems to have worked out. You’ve been doing scenes lately in your comic that have a similar kind of emotional tension in them, and though atomic war isn’t involved, the same kind of balance is there. I’m sure you’re struggling with similar things as you go.
–M
I didn’t feel the need to call it, but it was pretty obvious where you were going after the last panel on the previous page.
Oh, imagi-Milo. Such a gentleman. Not even going for the grab-ass.
You’re going to kill either Milo or Sara off, aren’t you?
Yeah, fortunately they’re facing pages, so in print, assuming it GOES to print, there won’t be the long pause or the awkward-to-obvious, more of a natural buildup.
–M
I’m with everybody else on this one, this is not too early at all! This just adds more drama to the story, I mean there are so many things that have to be right before they can kiss like above for real. From the top of my head: 1. She first has to wake up from all this, 2. Milo has to love her back, 3. His love needs to go deep cause she’s definitely going to have some serious physical scarring, 4. Because of all the physical scarring Sarah might even not be confident enough to express her feelings about Milo.
Did I leave anything out?
By the way, that is some serious awesome last panel there. I mean wrecked tanks are difficult to draw, but two people kissing like that is a real pain in the ***! Very, very, very good.
Very comprehensively stated, Joost, and pretty accurate on all points. And as to the drawing of this scene, it was a pain in the butt, I’ll admit. I finally had to composite about eight different photos to get the gesture of the scene right – kissing is such a bizarre and awkward way humans have of expressing affection and intimacy. And though it’s one of the key iconic moments of the human experience (I HOPE everyone out there has had the opportunity to experience it!) it’s really kind of strange and twisted when you stand back and try to think about it objectively. To say nothing of really kind of odd to try to quantify in drawing it. Two people mashing their faces together somehow has to reflect the strange concurrence of motions that go along with it. Really weird experience, drawing it.
It’s actually the first time I’ve ever taken the subject on, for that very reason!
–M
First time caller, long time listener as they say.
Gotta say I’m liking the comic, and the direction its headed in. God only knows what sort of bokrne reality is awaiting our hapless Canadian when the meds kick in (or ware off).
Though in all honest, I feel sorry for the Reds. They’ve made Mike angry…
Thanks a lot for responding! Interaction with the audience keeps me going, and I’m glad that you’re liking this – the story is definitely taking a turn for the bizarre.
And yes. Mike is mad. I wouldn’t want five hundred tons of angry robotic tank after ME, I’ll say that much!
–M
He just needs to learn how to love!
“Love, Mike! Don’t hate, LOVE!”
–M
Heh I love Mike. I mean i love roots and tanks and so mixing them together is awesome.
Anyway before I go on and on I just like to say I hope to see more of Mike. I mean I almost felt like crying (almost) when i saw the reds nuke him.
Roots? What the hell was I typing. I meant robots.