smeallie
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2-4_16 Pencils and Inks and some thoughts
🕑 Added 2025-03-26 14:52:44 +0000 UTCAbove are the layout, pencil, and ink of the final version of the page, but what you see is a result of tinkering while I was in the process of drawing.
The script called for Arecibo to simply be in the car- I think I may have originally envisioned her just subbing in to drive the car. When I was in the process of drawing and arranging the dialogue across page 15 and 16, though I had an idea that made me laugh, and that also helped the dialogue flow better and with more character, which was drawing Arecibo as a little cartoon angel.
"I'm supposed to be an angel and you know that." is an extremely funny line to me, but I ultimately decided the angel thing wasn't going to work. I can't remember what specifically tipped me over the line, but it was probably one of the following factors:
It's complex; probably requires at least one additional panel to make it clear what's even happening
It's silly enough that it might distract from the mood of the scene and the dialogue. "Weird" is good here, "funny" might be counterproductive.
The game console is already established in the scene, is already the focus of the scene, and feels a little more elegant to use as a potent symbol in Kay's mind
I already had a cross hanging on the rear view mirror, and to some degree I think having an angel risks tipping that from "ambiguous, moody textural detail" to "kay is a devout christian so her mind is full of christian signifiers trying to deliver her from turmoil" which, is not what I want to do LOL
The drawings are cute though. It's interesting that moving her from angel to video game also means that in these drawings she's looking down at Kay, where she's looking up in the finished page. That alone makes me confident the change was for the best; I think this dialogue works better when she looks smaller and more vulnerable.
