AAAaaannnndd we’re BACK, baby!
Thanks for sticking by me during that off-week. Your support and understanding meant more to me than you can imagine. So like Superman flying down to the White House at the end of Superman II, again I offer my apologies, my pledge not to let you down again, and I come bearing a gift. In this case, it’s not a new flag-bedecked cupola for the Oval Office, it’s a new strip!
I was trying to get across Duke’s caginess. He’s still looking for a way out. Last time, The Duke tried bargaining, this time it’s an implied threat. (Also, I neatly set up a future storyline…) However, no matter what he does, our man Pastor’s having none of it. Unfortunately, poor Barbara literally got dragged into this mess thanks to The Duke’s cowardice. WORLD OF HURT will definitely live up to it’s title in the next few strips as Pastor shows The Duke exactly how he deals with cowards.
- JEP
Nice. Well worth the wait. The last panel looks great, but i am confused on Dukes movement. If I am interpreting the panel correctly he would have to make a pretty exaggerated movement to spin around, grab Barbra with his left hand and then use her to knock Pastors gun away…if I am reading this correctly. I don’t want to seem picky ( I am not that internet nerd), but you’ve asked in the past for feedback so I thought I’d give it.
Overall Grade A Stuff.
Parker-
Good notes! I could have been clearer with the last panel. I didn’t intend to imply that Duke knocked the gun away, he was just going for Barbara as a human shield/distraction. Unfortunately with the staging, you don’t see Pastor’s gun, so it is easy to get that impression. However as the artist, I shouldn’t leave any questions in your mind about what’s going on. That’s a good catch, and I’ll probably take steps to clarify that for a collected edition.
Thanks, Parker! I know I won’t get it right all the time, but it’s observations like that that help me get better and produce a better strip.
- JEP
Now, I know why you don’t pack heat. You don’t want to mess up the cut of your suits. I like that little detail about Pastor’s personality. If he’s such a dandy dresser, I would assume he is a ladies’ man, too. When are we going to see that side? Blaxploitation movies never ignored the sexy side of their heroes.
P.S. – You-know-who would be disappointed in this strip’s language. Two F*bombs AND the D-word. But, once again, Blaxploitation never shied away from the cussin’!
I agree with Parker. Pator had the gun in his left hand, but in the last panel we see Pastor’s left hand empty. The strip still looks great though.
I meant his right hand, but wasn’t in his left hand in the previous strip?
Looks like the gun’s consistently in the left hand in both strips to me.
Duke’s exact action might not be as clear as it could be – but the sense of movement and action in that last panel is great (as well as further establishing Duke as a bastard).
Fine-tooth-combing aside, so awesome to have a new one up. Digging the action!
TPM-
No, he did have the gun in his left hand in the previous strip, and it stayed in the left in this one, it was just hidden from view. However, I should have at least shown the gun in the first panel of this strip. I was trying to get across that he was pushing/directing The Duke with his right.
Good questions though on items that should have been more clearly established. Thanks!
- JEP
Jay,
In Panel 2 it is his right hand we see held up to the back of Dukes head, so I assumed the gun was in that hand.
Either way it was one sweeeet panel.
Oh and I loved the part about why Pastor doesn’t pack heat.
As the artist, I shouldn’t leave questions about what is occurring in panel open to debate, so that was my fault. The questions have made me think more about depicting action and motion, so I’m really glad for the questions and the conversation, also because it shows that you care about the strip. Thanks!
Also, my plan is to have the reasons why Pastor doesn’t pack heat become a recurring gag, in an otherwise serious strip. Each time he would cite a different reason.
- JEP
This will be a real nice comic or graphic novel. I’ve read the Luke Cage collections and absoluteley throwbacks. Thanks for making this site. Much love and appreciation.
[...] midst of completing this strip that I realized that Pastor always loses control of the situation whenever he picks up a handgun. I think that’s a carryover from the webcomic’s original title, MY HANDS ARE MY [...]
Im a new fan.
Mr. Williams-
I’m a frequent lurker around your DeviantArt page, and I’ve been a huge fan of your inking and your innovative costume designs for quite some time now, so this is a big honor.
Last week, I had lunch at a Chinese restaurant, and the fortune cookie said, “You will soon be honored by someone you respect.” I guess it was right!
- JEP