Archive for April 16th, 2009
1 item.
I tried to get a bit heavier on the linework again for the dark panels, but I’ve realized that it’s completely unnecessary for color work. Yeah, I know, I should have known that, but now I can clearly see why. Also, I forgot the lobster again. Crackers.
Originally I wanted to do a story line where the power went out, and I had started to flesh out the idea when I found out my grandmother was in the hospital. For new readers, my grandmother passed away while we were in the area visiting her. As far as those things go, it went as well as possible, but it was still tough. When I came back, I was ready to tackle the story and to use the power outage as an analogue for loss in the main character. The fact that it was a loss so transient softened the blow and, I think, made it funny in a ridiculous way.
Unfortunately, not all loss is temporary. I wanted to do one more strip, where they celebrate the return of electricity and then the main character does something inane, to show he has already forgotten his lessons. I spent days trying to do it justice without success. In the end, I decided to leave it here. The light being on is comforting to the main character, because it shows that power is restored, and he can sleep happily. In my story, the analogy clearly breaks here; It is the lamp itself which is important to me. In this way, I think I’ve been able to weave a part of myself into this story but still maintain an upbeat comic atmosphere. I hope it was entertaining and satisfying.