SPQR Blues 3 part XCI (all)

[spqrblues]

Countdown to the end of the chapter: 9.

The archives, latest pencil sketch, and progress on the upcoming comic all live here • The Speculation thread lives here. I won't read the thread until the end of the chapter, so I heartily encourage you to speculate without me.

After b2creative's comment, I made a slight change to this comic to clarify today's.

Comments

[b2creative.livejournal.com]

I had to go back to the archives to double check the name -

'Cuz us old folks have trouble remembering stuff, ya know.

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

Another thing to add in when I spruce up the comic for whenever there is a print version--mentioning the name somewhere earlier in this chapter :P

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

How about this (http://meritahut.livejournal.com/190552.html)? That'd work, yes?

[b2creative.livejournal.com]

See? I can't even remember from a couple strips ago!

Early onset dementia, I tell ya.

[kyleen66.livejournal.com]

Heh. She added that in! It wasn't there a couple of days ago! (I'm almost positive.)

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

It wasn't XD

[amedia.livejournal.com]

Poor Damon! I want to pat him on the head and tell him his life is about to take a turn for the better, but I am afraid he would bite me.

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

I have to say, I think you're right there....

[perilousknits.livejournal.com]

I thought the boy would be a teenager by now . . . so much less time has elapsed than I thought. That's good; seems like there's a better chance of repairing his life if he's younger. A few trips to a good child-psychologist would help, too, but I guess we'll have to make do.

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

He is a teenager by now. Panel 2 didn't look quite so young before I put the Roman undies on him. So I might revise that one a bit. Maybe panel 4 too.

Also, the evidence from forensic arachaeology in Herculaneum indicates that Romans who were overworked slaves during their growing years tended to be undersize and otherwise underdeveloped....

Rosenwho?

[(Anonymous)]

Durn, I walk away from the computer for a few hours and 'bang' another strip appears. Damon sure looks a surly little brat... not without cause of course. Are you sure they're not Rosenstern and Guildencranz? I never did figure out which was which... but neither did Tom Stoppard, so I guess that's ok. DRW

[cyanocorax.livejournal.com]

Don't change panel 4, that glower is magnificent (and quite teenagified). Make sense he'd be small. Anyway, you can't have him looking as old as Mus (who is what age? I can't remember).

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

Mus says, "What age do you think I am?"

;D

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

I fussed with panel 2 a bit. Maybe will redraw more of this at some point. But I'll leave panel 4 alone. For now :)

[kit-the-brave.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow! I really like the glower in panel 4 - lots of personality.

And the hover text - hee! (Although I think these guys are quite a bit brighter than Rosencrantz and Guildenstern... at least, they think better on their feet!)

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

True--they are a much more dynamic duo :)

Thanks, I am actually rather proud of that glower.

[(Anonymous)]

As always, I love the details that tell more story: whiplashes, a few tiny lines to indicate ribs showing, deciding to use "Hup" instead of "Up" ; that somehow indicates more compassion, I don't know why, maybe "hup" is "h"elp you "up"? Then that gets me thinking about Latin and the ruse of this purchase and should he use an imperative order with a nudge from a sandal toe to get the boy up in front of the owner? But no, your storytelling is perfect, the dynamic duo are trying to maintain the ruse, but their humanity keeps slipping out like a poor-fitting toga off a shoulder. The boy is being helped up behind the owner's back even as R or G (?) asserts that a name is not important while reaching for his money pouch (nearly "hidden" behind the "hide your valuables" :)) to hurry up and make the buy and get out of there (and close the scene). And what is Damon doing? Planning his next escape? Hiding a shiv under a floorboard? Playing Roman tiddlywinks? Oh, speculation, sorry.

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to go with "hiding a shiv while pretending to play Roman tiddlywinks."

The dynamic duo have grown on me. And now that they'e gotten some good reviews (on their imperfect ruse), maybe I'll extend their contract.

Thanks :)

Dynamic-duo

[(Anonymous)]

So you think maybe Damon _won't_ knife the dynamic duo as soon as they step out into the street? I'm sure Rosenstern and Guildencranz would appreciate that. DRW.

Re: Dynamic-duo

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

Nah, there are two of them and they're big. Better to wait until they're asleep >:D