Chapter 3: Page 44

by on October 7, 2017 at 6:21 pm
Chapter:

So, this page is a good example of how the collaborative process works between Rachel and myself. I’ve mentioned many a time in the past about how every page in a webcomic should end on a good ‘turn’ moment, enticing readers to keep going. This doesn’t necessarily mean that every page is a cliffhanger, but it does mean ending a page on a cohesive thought or moment. Pacing is paramount when you’re dealing with a long-form webcomic like Western Deep, and after so many years of honing her craft, Rachel’s pretty great at teasing out exactly which beats we want to land on.

The original draft of the script called for an extra beat where Kenosh once again asks “Why didn’t you wait?” This is a nice beat, but sandwiched in with the rest of the page events it didn’t end things where we wanted. Specifically, Ashtor knocking Hardin on his tail and demanding some answers. Rachel asked if I was comfortable streamlining the scene, which I was — it’s certainly tighter, and the audience is still asking themselves the same question Ashtor is asking Hardin without any prompting from Kenosh, so it all fits nicely!

For guest art this week, a fun little collaboration between Saraa and Jerijune! Oh Bevan, that rascal! His goofy charm is (apparently) impossible to resist!

My favorite bit of this is probably Eira’s “Oh no” — not just because it reminds me of every amazing punchline of Webcomic Name, but because I think there’s just something hilarious about the idea of Eira just now realizing that she thinks Bevan is cute, with months of traveling together behind them already.

Of course, we already know what Eira thinks; we have her reactions to Bevan’s knife-throwing shenanigans back in chapter 2 recorded in webcomic form for all time. Sorry, Eira!

Thanks so much Jeri and Saraa!

Also, a quick plug for a new project I helped out on! Never Stop Sneakin’ is an upcoming game for the Nintendo Switch being developed by Dean Dodrill, creator of Dust: An Elysian Tail. Dean and I are both huge fans of Metal Gear Solid (particularly the original 1998 version on the Playstation), and wanted to capture that late 90’s 3D vibe as a departure from the 2D extravaganza that was Dust.

I wrote all the text in the game, and also helped on the design, too! You can thank me for such absurd characters as Vice President Helicopter and the expert sniper, Longshot Dangerous.

We’re looking at a release within the next few months (Holiday, 2017) so stay tuned!