SPQR Blues 2 part L

[spqrblues]

Chapter 2 Number 50, aka overall SPQR Blues Number 99.






Domitian is known to have written several books—on poetry, on law, and on baldness—which appear to have been relatively well received, even considering they were written by the Emperor's son.

P.S. - A winning roll of 3 sixes was called the "Venus" roll. Something to file in your Fun Roman Facts neurons.

Comments

[xanath.livejournal.com]

I remember reading about that. They said he wasn't a bad poet, either, and that he had a nifty turn of phrase. The anecdote that sticks with me is a remark he made about a conceited friend: "Oh, to be as good-looking as Maecius thinks he is!"

I can see why many people liked the guy. He was charming, witty and erudite.

--Kris

[redknot.livejournal.com]

great, as usual.

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

I was impressed that, even when recording old gossip about paranoia, sadism, neuroses, and the usual debauchery, people would take the time to pass down witticisms verbatim. And I think he tried very hard to live up to the family, both when he was young (his father seems to have been rather discouraging--because Domitian was too young and untrained? so as not to overshadow the heir apparent? because of Domitian's own developing character flaws?) and later, when he went all Donald-Trump on Rome.

As a character, he keeps trying to walk off with the story, but I'm making him confine himself (more or less) to the previously determined outline. He's already stretched Chapter 2 about a dozen strips longer than I'd planned :) And what with all the capering around like a two-year-old in his altogether--I mean, displaying a culturally appropriate lack of shame about the human body--he keeps making the chapter borderline not-work-and-kid-safe ;)

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

Thank you! After SPX and reading all the nifty comics I picked up there, my brain has entirely shifted into a place where I feel ready to draw all the time. Literally, all the time, I have a pen in hand or nearby, mapping out future ideas and non-Roman ideas. Until I find the magic secret to making an income from art, though, I need to scale back on the obsession; also, of course, for other reasons, I should take it easy with overusing the arms.

I'm probably lavishing too much time on the pencil sketches, especially on the next comic. I'm never going to be content with the inking when I overwork the shading and soft lines and whatnot. I'm half tempted to break out the softer pencils and do some comics entirely in pencil instead of inking the sketches at all. Maybe I'll do one as a one-time experiment. Now, where did I leave that tin of Staedtlers pencils...?

loaded dice

[(Anonymous)]

I like the scene where Domitian is carefully examining Felix's dice. They were all handmade in those days, and none of themm were clear plastic so you would see any weights inside (though I suppose you could put a little heavy metal inside the pips and then paint them black) Good going, kid. DRW

Re: loaded dice

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

Either 1. Felix is as lucky as his name; 2. some goddess is sweet on him; or 3. Someone is very clever at constructing loaded dice (hmm... a bead of metal under the pips... hmm, that ought to work...). I'll leave it to the reader to decide. Apparently Domitian thinks the dice pass muster, and smell legitimate.

:)

Re: loaded dice

[kyleen66.livejournal.com]

My thoughts are that Felix is lucky enough to have a goddess sweet on him who provided loaded dice.

See? You can make it work all together. :-)

Nice set of small panels across the top depicting the action of the dice. The spacing on how the ALMOST match up with the bottom set of panels was very well placed. I also appreciate the varying of sizes of the panels themselves. It makes the action look more fluid.

Re: loaded dice

[(Anonymous)]

I don't claim to be an expert on loading dice, but I can think of several ways to make them favor one side. The corners could be a bit more bevelled here than they are there, so they roll over more easily, the entire die could be a bit off-square... after all, we are talking about handmade items here, you could load a bit of lead inside one of the pips, then lacquer it over or you could even use a piece of horn or bone that's slightly pithy on one side, hence heavier on the other. Yeah, any of those should have an effect on your rolls over the long term. Keep drawing, you're doing great. DRW.

Re: loaded dice

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

:)

So far I'm pretty much sticking to my "strip" format rather than laying out a whole page, in my attempt to draw a webcomic, not a would-be print comic hanging around on the web. But ideally I'll end up with something that looks good in both formats, just different.

It helps to have that nice paper with the rulers already marked around the edges :)

(re-posted because I accidentally used the dooom-and-glooom icon!)

[hieran.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm so glad that you are finding yourself wanting to draw again. Keep at it! It won't be long now before the world is at your feet.

-Robin

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, I'd better get a pedicure before everyone gets a look at my toes :)