Yet Another Web Comic (YAWC)

There’s a lot going on in this comic, or at least a lot that went through my mind.  I tightened up the writing by leaving out an exchange which affirmed that the guy here is, indeed, the main character.  I thought it was obvious from context, both written and graphical, and it saved me a good two panels.  The second panel shows the guy working out theory on a white board.  I actually had some equations and data picked out to slap in, but I felt that it would have overcomplicated the panel and, frankly, distracted from the pseudoscience.  Both are significant concerns when telling a story in a box 800 pixels wide by 300 pixels tall.  In that second panel, you’ll also notice the coffee is not steaming.  This is the only time I have intentionally shown a cool coffee cup, and it is there to be a subtle reminder that the guy is engrossed in his work.  The wall behind the board, what little is exposed, is painted the same color as their bedroom.  He has converted the bedroom to a research lab, so he can spend nearly his whole life in one place, working.  A lot happens in those fifty years, and I’ll touch up on the high points in the coming strips.  If I have to cut out material, you know where to find it: In the comments of the strips.

On another note, I have the main characterette (MCL for Main Character-Lady, as the astute will remember) wearing a pink shirt.  When I was originally doing the character designs, I insisted that she would never wear a pink shirt.  I wanted her to be a modern-day independent woman, one who would never wear that girlie pink.  As I thought about it, I decided that was pretty dumb.  Why wouldn’t she wear pink, unless she actually didn’t like the color?  An independent woman can wear whatever she likes,  doggone it!  I decided that pink would be in her wardrobe, but it would not be common.  Stereotypes exist for a reason: They make it easier to convey ideas in comics.  Well, I gave in when coloring the very first strip, and from then forward pink was canon.  There’s a lot I regret about the first dozen or so strips, so much that I set up and now can’t take back (reasonably), but in a way it’s neat to look back and think about some of the decisions I made over three years ago.

If nothing else, it makes for fun pieces of trivia that my devoted fans can cling to tenaciously.