"This is my batcave" *LOL* superbs subtle humor in that one, and darker undertones in the comparison; "ordinary" (i.e., mostly male) superheroes need to hide their civilian identity from lawbreakers - persecuted women need to hide themselves from men whom the law cannot protect them against!
Lemnis: I am [i]sooo[/i] glad you noticed that. (No, really!) Since Frank Miller's [i]The Dark Knight Returns[/i], it seems that every super hero in the DC and Marvel universes have been made "darker" - more sullen, more grouchy, more argumentative and depressingly angst-ridden. That suits some characters (Batman being the prime example, obviously!) but not all.
The character to suffer most fom this, in my view, has been Wonder Woman. Yes, she could mix it up with the bad guys but she also used to smile ... a lot! She had a refreshing gaiety about her but all she's done for the last twenty years, it seems, is frown. She frowns because her mother doesn't understand her; she scowls because she can't understand man's world; she sulks because it's hard being an ambassador [i]and[/i] a warrior; and she positively bitches at every other member of the JLA!
Boo wasn't designed specifically with WW in mind but, as our leading heroine, I wanted her not only to be able to hold her own in combat, but also to be the sort of person it might be fun to be with. I put a lot of emphasis on her smile!
Stew/Armando: Thanks, guys!
T/SoItBegins: Thanks, guys - I only wish it was mine!
Gavin: Heh - I seriously doubt whether Stan could take Boo, even if he was at full strength! ;-)
one: I blame Tarantino! He famously criticised the films of the 1970s and the then accepted belief that every line should advance the plot. He was only telling a half-truth, though ... If you look at [i]his[/i] dialogue, the only lines that don't advance the plot [i]do[/i] add to the audience's understanding of the characters. Whether it's dialogue or action, I do believe there should be [i]some[/i] reason for it being there!
Space: Phew! Actually, that was a big concern when I wrote the script. As a super hero comic, I was aware that fans of the genre would be expecting costumes and aerial fisticuffs from Page 1. I've probably lost a few readers by not providing that but, in the end, I decided to treat it as I would any other story ... As long as I had action of [i]some[/i] kind in each chapter, I didn't worry that it wasn't all super-powered!
Trevor: Well, I'm lucky, of course. I just dream up the impossible camera shots, hand the script to Harsho and let him figure out whether it can actually be done! (And he usually surpasses my expectations!)
Adam: Thanks - I shall listen out for that line next time I watch that film!
you can't beat exposition! it's funny to me -- good directors try to avoid using exposition in film, but it seems that good comic writers delay it and build it up, so that it becomes the payoff.
a good fight scene is always acceptable payoff too, heh.
great page
It's a good idea to hide certain things from the men in your life...but don't be surprised if you discover some secrets of their own!
DAJB, your backgrounds are inspiring, and make me want to better my own level of background detail. Very nicely done.
That's not an easy shot to pull off! Kudos to your artist.
As for the writing...this page reminds me of a quote from The Last Boy Scout:
"Water is wet, the sky is blue, and women have secrets. What else is new?" :)
Midge: There are more lines like that from Boo (coming very soon!) She does have a pretty mischievous sense of humour!
Harry: Thanks! I'm not spying on you ... honest!
Albone/Midge/Tantz: Thanks, all. I think this is possibly one of Harsho's best top-down perspective shots. When I saw the rough draft for this page, it looked cool but very empty down in the bottom LH corner. I suggested to Harsho that we should add the bridge and - as well as filling in the space - it immediately seemed to give the scene so much extra depth. The best bits for me, though, are the onlookers. They are all Harsho's creations and people are [i]sooo[/i] hard to draw from this angle and perspective!
bloody fantastic job with the perspective and overhead shot. well written dialogue as always.
Stan sure looks like he is bad shape.
Love the snide remark against guys by Boo!
LJS: Thanks!
Molly: Yay for Boo, indeed. Who needs a Fortress of Solitude way up in the Arctic when you can have this bijou little place in the heart of London?!
Tantz: What's that line that Rutger Hauer uses in [i]Batman Returns[/i]? Something about trusts, investment funds etc ... There's always a way to hide ownership if you're smart, and Boo's nobody's fool!
(Oh, and I kind of guessed you'd like that dialogue!)
That's a great perspective shot. Well done!
I also like the dialogue and ingenuity on Boo's part. That's a great way to get your hideout be undetected. Assuming of course, that nobody checks the ownership papers- or that you make sure your name doesn't come up in each one. XD
Abt/Alana: Thanks - it's one of my favourites!
Alana: DC? You mean the reference to the Batcave? No, it's just a reference to the comics/TV/movies. I did hesitate about using that comparison (hey - I even hesitated about using generic terms like "super hero" at first!); but [i]eventually[/i] I decided that, if someone you knew in real life turned out to be (for example) a spy, it would be only natural for them to explain things to you in terms of, say, James Bond movies. ("He's the guy who makes sure I have everything I need ... you know, like Q.") So, no - don't worry. We won't be getting a visit from Bats!
Nepath: Thanks.
JNP: Well ... I'd hesitate to call it a double-page update! I see the chapter dividers as navigation aids really. I'm glad you found the [i]real[/i] page, though!
Nice splash page!
I hope the reference to DC is just a comics reference, not an indication that the DC heroes are running around in this world, too. ;)
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CoyoteLongshot at 10:26PM, March 9, 2008
I always love the opening pages.
SympleSymon at 8:51AM, Jan. 28, 2008
Heh, everyone needs a batcave! Even if hers does remind me of the TV show 'Prisoner Cell Block H'
DAJB at 10:49PM, Jan. 13, 2008
Thip: Heh - there's no point trying to slip any sub-texts past you guys, is there?! ;-)
thip at 7:51AM, Jan. 12, 2008
"This is my batcave" *LOL* superbs subtle humor in that one, and darker undertones in the comparison; "ordinary" (i.e., mostly male) superheroes need to hide their civilian identity from lawbreakers - persecuted women need to hide themselves from men whom the law cannot protect them against!
DAJB at 3:58AM, Jan. 12, 2008
Lemnis: I am [i]sooo[/i] glad you noticed that. (No, really!) Since Frank Miller's [i]The Dark Knight Returns[/i], it seems that every super hero in the DC and Marvel universes have been made "darker" - more sullen, more grouchy, more argumentative and depressingly angst-ridden. That suits some characters (Batman being the prime example, obviously!) but not all. The character to suffer most fom this, in my view, has been Wonder Woman. Yes, she could mix it up with the bad guys but she also used to smile ... a lot! She had a refreshing gaiety about her but all she's done for the last twenty years, it seems, is frown. She frowns because her mother doesn't understand her; she scowls because she can't understand man's world; she sulks because it's hard being an ambassador [i]and[/i] a warrior; and she positively bitches at every other member of the JLA! Boo wasn't designed specifically with WW in mind but, as our leading heroine, I wanted her not only to be able to hold her own in combat, but also to be the sort of person it might be fun to be with. I put a lot of emphasis on her smile! Stew/Armando: Thanks, guys!
Lemniskate at 2:05AM, Jan. 12, 2008
I like Boo. Not for her kick-ass gear, but for her smile.
armandoB at 6:46AM, Jan. 11, 2008
very kickass
DAJB at 2:52PM, Jan. 10, 2008
T/SoItBegins: Thanks, guys - I only wish it was mine! Gavin: Heh - I seriously doubt whether Stan could take Boo, even if he was at full strength! ;-) one: I blame Tarantino! He famously criticised the films of the 1970s and the then accepted belief that every line should advance the plot. He was only telling a half-truth, though ... If you look at [i]his[/i] dialogue, the only lines that don't advance the plot [i]do[/i] add to the audience's understanding of the characters. Whether it's dialogue or action, I do believe there should be [i]some[/i] reason for it being there! Space: Phew! Actually, that was a big concern when I wrote the script. As a super hero comic, I was aware that fans of the genre would be expecting costumes and aerial fisticuffs from Page 1. I've probably lost a few readers by not providing that but, in the end, I decided to treat it as I would any other story ... As long as I had action of [i]some[/i] kind in each chapter, I didn't worry that it wasn't all super-powered! Trevor: Well, I'm lucky, of course. I just dream up the impossible camera shots, hand the script to Harsho and let him figure out whether it can actually be done! (And he usually surpasses my expectations!) Adam: Thanks - I shall listen out for that line next time I watch that film!
SoItBegins at 2:46PM, Jan. 10, 2008
Nice job on the art.
_T_ at 2:25PM, Jan. 10, 2008
awesome work on the prespective
Gavin at 2:08PM, Jan. 10, 2008
love this page. this is the part where stan gets up and smacks her around saying "you don't keep anything from me, woman!" right?
one_am at 1:37PM, Jan. 10, 2008
you can't beat exposition! it's funny to me -- good directors try to avoid using exposition in film, but it seems that good comic writers delay it and build it up, so that it becomes the payoff. a good fight scene is always acceptable payoff too, heh. great page
spacehamster at 1:16PM, Jan. 10, 2008
You know, the slow buildup through everyday environments to this stuff was really worth it.
trevoramueller at 1:00PM, Jan. 10, 2008
It's a good idea to hide certain things from the men in your life...but don't be surprised if you discover some secrets of their own! DAJB, your backgrounds are inspiring, and make me want to better my own level of background detail. Very nicely done.
Adam Black at 12:35PM, Jan. 10, 2008
That's not an easy shot to pull off! Kudos to your artist. As for the writing...this page reminds me of a quote from The Last Boy Scout: "Water is wet, the sky is blue, and women have secrets. What else is new?" :)
DAJB at 10:16AM, Jan. 10, 2008
Midge: There are more lines like that from Boo (coming very soon!) She does have a pretty mischievous sense of humour! Harry: Thanks! I'm not spying on you ... honest! Albone/Midge/Tantz: Thanks, all. I think this is possibly one of Harsho's best top-down perspective shots. When I saw the rough draft for this page, it looked cool but very empty down in the bottom LH corner. I suggested to Harsho that we should add the bridge and - as well as filling in the space - it immediately seemed to give the scene so much extra depth. The best bits for me, though, are the onlookers. They are all Harsho's creations and people are [i]sooo[/i] hard to draw from this angle and perspective!
TheMidge28 at 9:41AM, Jan. 10, 2008
bloody fantastic job with the perspective and overhead shot. well written dialogue as always. Stan sure looks like he is bad shape. Love the snide remark against guys by Boo!
harryq at 9:31AM, Jan. 10, 2008
I wish I drawred that and wrote it to! That's also the closest Stan has ever looked like me. I'm a wreck!
albone at 8:20AM, Jan. 10, 2008
Brilliant page, the perspective looks spot on. Nice moody colors too.
DAJB at 7:57AM, Jan. 10, 2008
LJS: Thanks! Molly: Yay for Boo, indeed. Who needs a Fortress of Solitude way up in the Arctic when you can have this bijou little place in the heart of London?! Tantz: What's that line that Rutger Hauer uses in [i]Batman Returns[/i]? Something about trusts, investment funds etc ... There's always a way to hide ownership if you're smart, and Boo's nobody's fool! (Oh, and I kind of guessed you'd like that dialogue!)
Molly Loves the KLF at 6:45AM, Jan. 10, 2008
FANTASTICO as always. Boo has one of the best hide outs evar. Yay for Boo!
Tantz_Aerine at 6:09AM, Jan. 10, 2008
That's a great perspective shot. Well done! I also like the dialogue and ingenuity on Boo's part. That's a great way to get your hideout be undetected. Assuming of course, that nobody checks the ownership papers- or that you make sure your name doesn't come up in each one. XD
DAJB at 5:22AM, Jan. 10, 2008
Abt/Alana: Thanks - it's one of my favourites! Alana: DC? You mean the reference to the Batcave? No, it's just a reference to the comics/TV/movies. I did hesitate about using that comparison (hey - I even hesitated about using generic terms like "super hero" at first!); but [i]eventually[/i] I decided that, if someone you knew in real life turned out to be (for example) a spy, it would be only natural for them to explain things to you in terms of, say, James Bond movies. ("He's the guy who makes sure I have everything I need ... you know, like Q.") So, no - don't worry. We won't be getting a visit from Bats! Nepath: Thanks. JNP: Well ... I'd hesitate to call it a double-page update! I see the chapter dividers as navigation aids really. I'm glad you found the [i]real[/i] page, though!
Abt_Nihil at 5:06AM, Jan. 10, 2008
Great shot! And in response to alanajoli: Which DC heroes would be active in the UK? I know there's got to be some, but...
alanajoli at 4:58AM, Jan. 10, 2008
Nice splash page! I hope the reference to DC is just a comics reference, not an indication that the DC heroes are running around in this world, too. ;)