021

Morgan's introduction.

I'm very proud of this page, for obvious reasons. I decided that whenever Morgan is in a scene by herself, or something like that, there will be NO DIALOGUE! It will be a stark contrast from Jack, who is all about flaunting himself and using his voice to the fullest, and will also be more of a surprise when they... oops. It's a surprise!

You can find various hints of other story points in this page too.

020

Perout's parents were (or WILL) first seen in the upcoming publication of a fantasy anthology that I participated in! I changed their design here so they don't resemble too much like the certain parents of a certain Victorian herione in a certain stop-motion, Tim Burton film!

So many characters so far have been 60+, white-haired, stiffy, smelly grandpeople! Never fear, for the youthful Morgan will make her official comic debut next page!

019

I was ending the page when I realized, "Oh no! I didn't fit anywhere in the scene to show another side of Perout's character!", so it begins at the end of the page. Yep, he's a momma's boy.

018

Irrational Recreation is a real term that WAS actually used in the English and French Englightenment Period, and it had around the same connotations as Perout is explaining here. Even though this is a FANTASTICAL setting, the rules still apply. To show what a change has come over the city, I plan to draw 17th and 18th century machinery to be added among the cityscape, clashing with the older, classic architecture.

017

No, that is not Norm, although it IS a version of a chipmunk done in the STYLE of that character from my OTHER comic, Norm & Cory. The eyes are different, and the fur sticks out a bit more than usual. Knowing that people in the Enlightenment still used animals for tests, I couldn't resist putting a chipmunk in there and drawing him as though he belonged in the Norm & Cory universe! He COULD be his ancestor!

016

I consider the pages of this whole meeting scene to be the best layouts of the entire series so far! Probably because there's a good balance on both sides of the pages, and the occasional use of breaking out of the panels. I wanted to get a full-body shot of Perout, since this is really the first time we see him in action.

015

Nothing much to say here. Perout is referring to events that took place in a mini-comic I did for the fantasy anthology, which will be published in a few months.

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I am really excited and satisfied with this, even though I will inevitably make better pages in the coming months!

012

The purpose for this moment was to show a lot more about who Zidler is. He's definitely past his prime, but he's still in the business whether he's successful or not, and he's actually in GREAT shape! He and Jack can beat guys up if they wanted to! Especially if they are confronted by a man of lesser constitution.

That notice he uses to illustrate Perout was based as much on the old French 18th Century drawings as possible. I did a lot of research to get that look.

011

Just by looking at this page, it's obvious that I am going to try to do very different things than what is in Norm & Cory! I am going to try to draw REAL crowds, in a real, detailed, lush environment, but render the shading and the lighting effects on the characters AS IF they are really in that space. Not just paste them on some painting, like in Norm & Cory. And also there will be details in the page that may not be obvious but are fun to catch, such as the bum in the corner, to emphasize that this is a really competitive city with a clear hierarchy, and the map of the entire city in the background.

010

When you write a story, it's especially difficult to introduce everything that is at stake when you have SO much history of the world going on. This page doesn't really begin to touch why Zidler is so uptight about not going against this so-called "Magician's Laws", but we get a sense of what they are like. And not only does the world's history have to be introduced, but you get the sense that Zidler himself has a life story all his own. More will be revealed soon!

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Yes, that is Zidler from the sample pages you saw.

007

Hooray! Two updates in one day!



Here is the first page of the REAL story! This comic will include painted backgrounds, but however much of a burden they will come out to be, only time will tell. The backgrounds will also be more stylized than in Norm & Cory- the trees will have more definite shapes. I am trying to channel a bit of Turner's paintings here.

006

This is the prologue. It's a contemporary setting right now, but the actual story takes place in a fantastical Enlightenment Period- consider this a bookend to open up the narration.

This song is an original. It's supposed to be sung to a tune much like those old Las Vegas songs of the 40's. I had to write the whole thing before I even started the first page, but it was a lot of fun!

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001

Yep, I'm starting this out now. This is either the beginning of the first issue, or the prologue- I'll figure it out when I get further along. It's a contemporary setting right now, but the actual story takes place in a fantastical Enlightenment Period- consider this a bookend to open up the narration.

Off-Limits

Just a little something I felt like making. Jack and Morgan. I may color this sometime later.

It is interesting in that the part of the story I look forward to the most... is in the MIDDLE, where most of the characters are introduced, all the conflicts are exposed, and the comedy can finally kick in. I won't give away any spoilers, but for now, you have this.

Morgan. Ah yes, this character has changed a LOT since her first appearance on paper! I altered her backstory quite considerably to the point of being practically un-Andrew-like. Let's just say that the line on her face... is a scar. She wasn't responsible for it, but in order to find out more about it, you'll have to wait for the future pages to be added!

I'm sure that if it weren't for Jack's inscrutible ego, and that the story is named after him, this would be Morgan's story. In fact, Zidler the magician, (who you see in the sketches I posted in the last post) wasn't even IN the story in the earliest version!