Welcome back!
I really liked the way this one turned out. I had actually kinda forgotten how to draw “sexy,” but I still didn’t want to overdo it, either. In the end, I think I did a fairly good job of threading that needle.
Every time I add a character, I’m a bit surprised by what I learn about them, and Mrs. Belmont is no exception. I don’t think she was looking for anyone to rescue her from her circumstances. She been waiting for an ally and an opportunity, and I think Pastor is smart enough to recognize that.
Also, I thought long and hard about how to say “Vietnam” without saying “Vietnam.” I’m fairly happy with my solution. Given the long colonial presence of France in Vietnam, Pastor’s linguistic skills made sense. However, I prefer to leave a little mystery as to what he did over there.
- JEP
Pastor is too damn cool!
C’est trés bon! Votre dessins de Mme. Belmont sont formidable!
You *should* like this one.
Panel 1: Great storytelling dialogue. It drives me crazy when stories (and, sad to say, I’ve seen it in some webcomics, although it’s hardly exclusive) bring in Basil Exposition and write clunky, unrealistic dialogue to move the plot along. Pastor’s line feels right, and says it without saying it. (P.S. I was right on the French!)
Panel 2: “And then I’m gonna kill ‘im” rocks my world. Pastor’s not sayin’ … he’s just sayin’.
Panel 3: Again, the black-eye reveal tells a story without a bunch of unneeded words.
Like where this is going.
It’s gettin’ hot in here!
“Rich, white Uncle named Sam…” Great Line!
Jay, what’s the chance of seeing a World of Hurt coffee mug in the Cafe Press store? I need to be sporting one of those bad boys around the office.
Brian-
Thanks! I was going for Brigette Bardot, but her features came off a little softer than I wanted. Also, I think Bardot had a slight chin cleft, too.
Paul-
Wait until next week.
- JEP
Doug G.-
That made me feel like a million bucks, man. I knew we were on the same wavelength with the French thing, but it was your comment last week that made me go ahead and make it part of the strip, instead of letting the question hang. Thanks!
- JEP
Parker-
Ooh, merchandise request! That’s actually a very good idea. Guess Who and I are working on some merchandise ideas that we should be rolling out soon. I won’t be able to use all the designs I have in mind, so I may put them up to a vote by the readers.
- JEP
I’ve got to hand it to you, you’ve packed a lot of info into three panels here. Me likey.
And you can draw skinny girls, too!
Angry White Man-
It was a struggle. I wanted to go zaftig, Rubenesque, and curvy, but something about her character demanded more normal dimensions.
- JEP
This is quite easily my favourite one so far. Everything is done so perfectly, words fail me. If anyone asked why I read World of Hurt, I’m gonna point them to this exact strip.
Keep it up, Jay!
LOVE this strip. Love that Pastor knows just what to say and how to say it. Love that Mrs. Belmont is not some shrinking violet in need of rescuing but is an intelligent woman looking for a partner in matters. Love that she’s sexy without being slutty. Can’t wait to see where this goes! Keep up the great work!
Coyote Trax-
I’m really overwhelmed that this particular strip has been so well received. Thanks so much!
- JEP
Jenny-
I had some trepidation about Mrs. Belmont being a survivor of spousal abuse, but I talked it over with Guess Who, and she agreed that it was consistent with what we had seen from Ned. My goal was to not paint Caroline Belmont as too much of a victim.
Also, this morning, while I was ironing (I do some of my best thinking while ironing), I was considering the return of Pointe Blanc’s Last Honest Cop to the series, but I have to figure out the best place to do it. His involvement would center around a big, but subtle, clue you’ll see in the next strip. I think I’ve said too much…
- JEP
Jay,
I stumbled onto your site today and just read every strip in one go. I’m enjoying it quite a lot and you’ve captured the vibe of the 70’s blaxploitation without the silliness that crept in at times. Great strip and a lot of fun!
Strangewingz-
First, great handle and avatar. I’m really glad you enjoyed the strip, too. I think you encapsulated exactly what I was going for.
- JEP
Okay, I’ll agree with the other contributors that Mrs. Belmont is a piece of eye-candy, but we shouldn’t forget Pastor! This strip is the first, true reveal of his outfit and — I must say — he’s looking mighty fine.
Kris-
Frequent commenter, Guess Who?, has been calling for more beefcake for a while now, so I was trying to oblige her. To borrow a phrase from Grant Morrison, we’ll be seeing more of Pastor as a “hairy-chested love god” very soon.
- JEP
Nice new design!
[...] his mitts on Ned and I get to deliver the “punchline” from what I set-up way back in Episode 32. Next, we see the final fate for Ned Belmont, and as you can probably guess, it doesn’t [...]
[...] strip also features an Easter Egg for long-time readers. Way back in Episode 11 and Episode 32 of The Thrill-Seekers, characters made comments about the Belmont fortune helping to build the city [...]