Well, I hope everyone in the United States had a pleasant Thanksgiving, and everyone the world over had a lovely week. Alas, I spent the majority of mine recovering from some horrible combination of a sore throat, a chest cold and a sinus infection. Which is not, I can tell you right now, the best way to spend a week’s vacation. Nevertheless, I persevered, and here is this week’s page.
I’m always trying experiments with layout, as you know, and I’m not entirely sure it worked this time. But at the very least I hope it suggests that we’re in for something a bit more interesting than what might have been suggested by all the morose talky bits earlier on. It’s called a scene reversal! I do my best, like.
So lessee here, what else to report, what else…? Hm. Nothing immediately comes to mind. I’m sure there’s SOMETHING… but what?
Ah, the heck with it. I got sick and now my whole brain’s fried. I better just turn in and get back to work tomorrow. All the best, folks!
Enlisting that sad drunk who’ll probably rat you to Haulley right away was a real smart move, Mike.
Yeah but MIKE is alraedy in the phone system, so that call won’t begoing anywhere.
Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window! Nor one that runs Windows.
–M
The only thing that looks odd is how he is grabbing the phone. In the last panel I thought he was reaching around a corner to get it, but it is right behind him on the wall. if he is really that drunk then I’m surprised he dialed the correct number. Of course he might be scared alert — Adrenaline an alcohol do not a good combo make.
Yeah, Rucker is in a weird situation isn’t he? I don’t make it easy on these poor guys.
And I agree about the panel. I have some ideas on how to rework it, but for now I think it’s more or less okay. The intent is clear at least.
–M
This has all gone just a little bit HAL-9000, I guess they should coun’t themselves lucky that this doesn’t seem like the sort of world that includes drop down ceiling gun turrets as part of the base’s internal security network, or they’d be REALLY screwed
Hmm… Note to self: add drop-down ceiling turrets…
😉
–M
I agree with idd: the last two panels are a little confusing. I think that’s because you have some tangents (or borderline tangents) with those last two panels. Maybe if you rearranged–created some space–between the panel where the major is reaching for the phone and the close up of his fingers near the phone, then it might read clearer. I also have a question for you about your layout for this page (s). If this is a double-page spread, then are you concerned that when you print this page that you will lose information. I’m sorry if you said somewhere earlier on your site that your pages are horizontal and not vertical (and single–not double). But I was just wondering…
The pages actually are planned for horizontal format (“landscape”) and I am allowing for “bleeds,” where the artwork goes to the very edge of the page. So some small part will be lost, but I ensure it is never significant.
As to the layout issue, I may revisit it later, but yeah, I think I just got a little too experimental. Ah, well.
–M
Don’t do it Rucker! We love Mike too much for you to report him Haulley!
😀
–M
It would be kinda funny Rucker picks the phone only to find Mike on the other end of the line.
*Insert “whazzup!?” here*
Good grief!
–M
Mike has already taken over the coms. He was talking to Haulley at the end of the last page. What I don’t know is why he didn’t call Major Rucker unless this is a test to see if he can be trusted — leaving the phone as a supposed way to communicate out. Even though it isnt a way out. I don’t think mike is that duplicitous though. From Mike I’m getting a you lied about Santa vibe as from a kid who finds out before they grow out of it. Mike has regressed thus he wants to speak to Dr Gemill who probably not coincidentally authored the autism paradox that the Chief mentioned.
On the layout issue I was thinking about it and realized after reading back a few months of comics that the Major is left handed, despite wearing his gun on the right. That he is reaching for the phone across his body with his right hand makes more sense in that light. People dial with their dominant hand. Reaching the way Rucker is, the back of the free left hand would be to the dial. The simplest solution is to move the phone to Rucker’s right. Grabbing the phone is easier without body gymnastics and you can reach across the body to dial without spinning the character around hunching over the phone. The Major can stay with his back to the wall watching the computer.
Man, that Mike is one damn tough SOB… Bolo tough even.
That sounds like an advertising line for Omni-Vehicular Consortium!
OVC Cybertanks: Built BOLO Tough!
😀
–M
Well, Mike will be considered more of a Mk XXIIIB (NIKE) AI in a Mk III/IV chassis with a mixture of a Mk III/II’s armament.
And yes, Mk II and Mk III Bolos were ‘tac-nuke’ proof much like Mike here. The line goes:
Bolos might fail. They might die and be destroyed. But they did not surrender, and they never — ever — quit.
If Mike gets killed… then it might end up much like the story ‘Traitor’. Simply put: 1x Bolo with it’s mind mostly vaporized, 1x damaged command type Bolo, 1x long trek to life giving mountains, and 1x very sad ending (with much manly tears being shed).