I have nothing negative to say about today's strip. The art is great and the writing is spot on. Even though I haven't especially enjoyed the current arc, I'll remove my hat and bow my head for today.
Amazing. One of the few times I've ever been emotionally moved by a comic. Brent's expressions are perfect for displaying the growing impact of Skull's return. Great Stuff.
So, while today's strip is well drawn, and well done, it still feels out of line with the rest of the comic. Brent's behavior to Skull until the wedding showed no emotional attachment. Even if we assume that he didn't know how much he loved Skull until Skull was taken away, he still hasn't shown the level of attachment implied in the last panel. He had one moment of "Skull, is that you?!" on the honeymoon, and then nothing. No casual comments at work, no deeper emotions at home with Jade, and certainly no attempt to find Skull himself. So, while this strip is a good one, when looked at singularly, when taken with the rest of our knowledge, it rings false.
Scott, there's a huge difference between a relative moving away, or passing away, and someone coming down from the sky, and taking your relative away, and you promising to get him back.
It's more akin to someone kidnapping your sister, and ignoring her completely.
Nice strip today, there really isn't much to say about it. The drawing of Brent in the last panel really conveyed the emotion in a nice understated way. Looking forward to some new strips sans Shecky/Scratch.
I feel bad when scott comes in here and reads this stuff, because I know he is proud of his art and wants positive feedback. However, I love to pick things apart and I don't see anything worng with saying what I think could have been better. Look at how the new star wars trilogy was disected. The only peopel who cared enough to voice thier opinions were the biggest fans. Scott seems to be a genuine human being with empathy for others, so it feels wrong to criticize him.
In summary, this site is a great way to nitpick, and Scott should stop reading it.
By the way, he should be proud of today's strip. No matter how you feel about the past two months of strips he ended it on a high note and now we are past those other storylines.
I like Brent quite a bit in this strip. Good emotion. Skull, on the other hand... not so much.
I can't decide if he cares that he's back. He's not smiling, he almost looks sad when he says "forever." He has roughly the same look when I show up to work in the morning: "This is a decent enough place to work."
Whether its scoot or kurtz its funny whoever representing him makes a comment about weight. Its like Paris making fun of someone being a whore or Seal about someone's skin.
@Julia, it was a good strip, sorry, Im sure we'll be back tommarow to allow the snarks be happpy
Earlier today I was thinking, "Holy shit, Scott has actually made REASONABLE statements and remarks while he's been here! He normally resorts to his usual bullshit."
I was actually going to comment on how you gained my respect (you may not care, but I've hated your childish attitude towards people for a long time).
And then, bam. You go off and say something buttfucking retarded like that.
I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again:
Fuck you Scott Kurtz, I hope you hit puberty and grow a pair sometime before you hit 50.
God, I hate you. I just cannot fathom how someone with such a snivelling, childish, immature attitude as yourself can get so far in the industry. I guess it's easy to charm people with your pretty little doodles.
Nice. Fat jokes from a guy whose been the target of mean, nasty fat jokes for years.
I'm less critical than most of the people here about the strip, and I do think you're talented, but I've pretty much come to the conclusion that as a human being you're a total douche.
Yeah, Scott, I'm with these guys on this one. Stop playing the victim and let the people have a real discourse.
Anyway, as far as today's strip goes:
Panel 1 is too wide. The ellipsis was unnecessary. "Is it really you?" was set too tall in the word balloon. The word balloons are too high in the panel. The background perspective was wrong. I can't tell if that's a picture or a window behind Skull. Skull's ears have changed from points to sausages. I can't tell what direction Brent is looking in. I don't like the way Brent's ponytail curves at the end. I don't know if that's a couch or an armchair in the room beyond them. The picture frame beneath Skull's hand should have something in it. There's no shadow in the room whatsoever despite at least one obvious light source. Skull's teeth don't look right; he lost his lower canines. The gutter between panels 1 and 2 is too narrow given the wall lines at the right edge of panel 1. Brent's expression in panel 2 is okay but there are too many wrinkles in his forehead. The object in the background looks like a fishbowl and I don't remember fish being at the offices. I can't tell if this is the office or Brent and Jade's apartment. I can't tell if the horizontal lines next to the fishbowl are books or just shading. It's distracting. The moulding lines in the doorway to the right of Brent in panel 2 end too early. The gutter width between panels 2 and 3 is too wide. Skull's chin line makes his chin look larger than it was in the first panel. Skull shouldn't look wistful with this piece of dialogue. Forever is a purely theoretical construct that neither Brent nor Skull will live to see. The gutter width between panels 3 and 4 is the correct width, but inappropriate for the pacing. Skull's ear is breaking the fourth wall by coming out from the panel border. I can't tell if this means Skull is no longer magical. Brent's tear is coming from the wrong corner of his eye. Tears always come from the inner corner nearest the nose, not from the outside. Brent's hands are shut like fists when they should be open in friendship. Skull's face is not visible so we are robbed of some emotional connection with him. Brent's arm is too small in comparison to his head. The moulding lines in the background still do not meet before they disappear. The fishbowl is no longer in the background, nor are the books/shading lines. Jade should be standing in the doorway surveying the scene. Brent should be making more visible creases in Skull's back by hugging him. Skull's left ear appears to be in behind his right ear even though it is closer to us.
Holy crapping crap. I've never been much of a fan of the way people around here attack Scott, but I've also been EXTREMELY unimpressed by the lack of professionalism displayed by Mr. Kurtz over the last week.
As long as you make art, people will criticize it. They'll pick it to pieces, they'll overanalyze it, they'll read far more into it then you ever in your wildest dreams intended. Get over it. Stop reading this site. We did fine here without you and you did fine without us. I'm sure your traffic didn't drop as a result of your leaving here in the first place that is.
But this was a fairly positive thread, and as soon as someone mentioned (even cryptically) that they may not have been all aboard the love train you escalated to an absurd and uncalled for point. This kind of attack is the worst kind of unprofessionalism, and honestly can't imagine anyone who has read these words to take you seriously as a leader in webcomics or even take your advice seriously as to how to break into the industry.
I hope for your sake and for ours that you come to your senses again and leave this site alone. And Paul and Kris, I hope, should you continue to read, that you refrain from sharing with Scott and enticing him to return.
Further proof that Fake Scout McCloud is full of shit for banning anonymous posting but has no problem letting Scott and his friends turn this place into their own personal rumpus room.
I don't know if it's an old blogger account that I was logged in as or what. But both Scott and Kurtz are me.
I'm still convinced that Julia is an overweight wiccan with lots of cats.
You guys do deconstruct my work all the time to the degree that Kris mocked you about. You may not want to admit it, but that's how ridiculous you guys sound most of the time.
"Panel 1 is too wide. The ellipsis was unnecessary. "Is it really you?" was set too tall in the word balloon. The word balloons are too high in the panel. The background perspective was wrong. I can't tell if that's a picture or a window behind Skull. Skull's ears have changed from points to sausages. I can't tell what direction Brent is looking in. I don't like the way Brent's ponytail curves at the end. I don't know if that's a couch or an armchair in the room beyond them. The picture frame beneath Skull's hand should have something in it. There's no shadow in the room whatsoever despite at least one obvious light source. Skull's teeth don't look right; he lost his lower canines. The gutter between panels 1 and 2 is too narrow given the wall lines at the right edge of panel 1. Brent's expression in panel 2 is okay but there are too many wrinkles in his forehead. The object in the background looks like a fishbowl and I don't remember fish being at the offices. I can't tell if this is the office or Brent and Jade's apartment. I can't tell if the horizontal lines next to the fishbowl are books or just shading. It's distracting. The moulding lines in the doorway to the right of Brent in panel 2 end too early. The gutter width between panels 2 and 3 is too wide. Skull's chin line makes his chin look larger than it was in the first panel. Skull shouldn't look wistful with this piece of dialogue. Forever is a purely theoretical construct that neither Brent nor Skull will live to see. The gutter width between panels 3 and 4 is the correct width, but inappropriate for the pacing. Skull's ear is breaking the fourth wall by coming out from the panel border. I can't tell if this means Skull is no longer magical. Brent's tear is coming from the wrong corner of his eye. Tears always come from the inner corner nearest the nose, not from the outside. Brent's hands are shut like fists when they should be open in friendship. Skull's face is not visible so we are robbed of some emotional connection with him. Brent's arm is too small in comparison to his head. The moulding lines in the background still do not meet before they disappear. The fishbowl is no longer in the background, nor are the books/shading lines. Jade should be standing in the doorway surveying the scene. Brent should be making more visible creases in Skull's back by hugging him. Skull's left ear appears to be in behind his right ear even though it is closer to us." - Kris Straub
I like how wide it is, it really opens the room up and shows that the two have not been able to instantly stand chest-to-chest during their supposedly-brief off-"camera" time. The ellipse is a little unnecessary, I suppose, but it does serve a purpose and shows us Brent's momentary loss for words. "Is it really you?" is vertically centered, what are you talking about? The word balloons are a bit high up, but I couldn't say if I prefer them to be slightly lower or not - they've gotta obscure background details no matter where they go, so the ceiling is the best place for that to happen and the effect also helps make the room look bigger. Please explain what is wrong about the background perspective (Is it because it doesn't seem to make sense with the doorway Brent is leaning on?). I have no idea which it is, either. Points are not as good with eggs. Brent is looking towards Skull, I'd say (Which is to say, North by North-East). I do like the way Brent's ponytail curves, I swear I've mentioned it before. I'd say it is an armchair, it doesn't look like there's room for a couch. The picture frame does have something in it - a couple of "reflection" streaks, although an actual picture would have been a nice touch. I don't see any obvious light source, and why are you bringing up shadows ahead of colors or even grayscale shades (It's better than starting with textures, I suppose)? Skull's mouth is not opened wide enough to show off his lower set of teeth at all, so it looks normal to me. I wouldn't say the problem is the "gutter", the wall lines could be done away with pretty easily and I don't see what the loss would be (Besides, I don't see how they reflect on the gutter between panels 1 and 2 at all - don't you mean 2 and 3?). I don't see a wrinkle, aren't those his eyebrows? Hm, I thought that was a coffeepot at first, but the liquid inside isn't level so I'm not sure it could be a fishbowl, either (And they're not at the office). Unless they go to bed at the office (Previous strip), they must be at home. I've never seen the like before, I have no idea but I'd welcome any indication of shading. I don't see how. This is true (So does the frame in the next panel). What makes them seem "too wide" to you? That's one interpretation, but I'm going with "Skull's mouth is closed more than in the first panel". Why should he not look wistful (Is he even looking wistful? I thought he was trying to keep his emotions in check, despite being happy enough to cry. I have to agree that there is an amusing way to see this - that being that Skull is sad that he has to spend forever with Brent). "Until you die" doesn't have a pleasant ring to it, and we all know that Skull is a simpleton - "Forever" is not out of character, and who knows? Maybe the magic world has some say on the afterlife, and maybe trolls live forever (Skull's certainly been around for a long darn time. Even if he has a starting point of existence, if he never expires then he will satisfy the conditions of "forever's" theoretical construction). Goodness, I've never realized how complex the world of panel gutters is. This part made me laugh, perhaps because I haven't heard of an ear breaking the 4th wall before and it broke through my many careful layers of defense against humor. Skull doesn't look human, so... yeah, he's still a magical troll (State what made you doubt this, please?). Brent's sunglasses are pretty tight against his face, and his head is angled upwards and to the side - three perfect conditions for tears to start coming out of the "wrong" part of the eye (There is no wrong part, though. Once the eyes start brimming, it becomes difficult to say where exactly the overflow will occur). Brent's hands look great (Three fingers on his right hand, though?) clenched; it is emotionally fitting since he's sort of an uptight and repressive guy - although I can't say as I'd have a problem with them being open, because I don't think I would. I would rather be robbed of Skull's face (Though his visage in that panel is doubtlessly glorious) than of that wonderfully-drawn hug. I don't see this - it looks like the correct proportion to me. True, but this time around they've gotten pretty close. The perspective has changed, I wouldn't expect to be able to see those things (Plus, they would draw marginal amounts of attention away from the huge hug). Jade is still busy playing World of WarCraft instead of going to bed (Good thing that's Skull and not a thief!), so it would be very strange to see that she'd given up on it already. "More visible" creases (I don't see any creases there to begin with, although creases might have looked very nice, there)? His ears don't actually overlap, so I don't see this - however, it may be worth pointing out that his ears have swapped "dominant" positions between the last two panels (This is usual for the way he is drawn, and although it doesn't "make sense" is it visually more dynamic and uncluttered to present his ears in such a manner).
"You guys do deconstruct my work all the time to the degree that Kris mocked you about. You may not want to admit it, but that's how ridiculous you guys sound most of the time." - SK
You may not want to admit it, but you would actually not be able to find even one such deconstruction that goes to the degree Kris uses. Not even once, much less "all the time". I can't blame you for not reading any of the longer posts (Nobody likes those tl;dr internet novel-writers!), but even if they sound ridiculous to you I would think you could make a distinction between every one of them and "the first gutter is too skinny. The second gutter is too wide. The third gutter is juuuust right but ruins the pacing".
Achewood
In my opinion, there is no finer web comic than Achewood. You want subtlety of art and a one-of-a-kind worldview? This is it.
Penny Arcade
The classic. Gabe and Tycho are true pioneers in the world of web comics, and few have done more to expand the reach and influence of the medium. Plus they're funny.
Diesel Sweeties
Like PVP, DS has been coasting for some time. But it is worth reading, nonetheless.
PVP
Yes, I do recommend it; its very popularity is what recommends it. It is the ultimate example that web comics can have mainstream appeal, and shouldn't be disregarded by the industry just because they're web comics.
40 comments:
Aww, PVP didn't make me sad today, but it did almost make me cry. Very well drawn. The emotion looks great.
Amazing. One of the few times I've ever been emotionally moved by a comic. Brent's expressions are perfect for displaying the growing impact of Skull's return. Great Stuff.
Good reunion strip :)
*slow clap*
Playing devil's advocate here: I didn't like Brent's arms in panel one. Looks a little too surprised for his dialogue.
Other than that, it's the best strip all summer.
So, while today's strip is well drawn, and well done, it still feels out of line with the rest of the comic. Brent's behavior to Skull until the wedding showed no emotional attachment. Even if we assume that he didn't know how much he loved Skull until Skull was taken away, he still hasn't shown the level of attachment implied in the last panel. He had one moment of "Skull, is that you?!" on the honeymoon, and then nothing. No casual comments at work, no deeper emotions at home with Jade, and certainly no attempt to find Skull himself. So, while this strip is a good one, when looked at singularly, when taken with the rest of our knowledge, it rings false.
You're not clapping.
The way one arm is gripping his other arm's wrist is a REALLY nice touch.
Your right kelelach, Brent should have done something to save skull instead of
1. Going on his honeymoon
2. Going back to work
3. Playing D&D
4. Swimming at a mansion
5. Solving Robbie's friendship problems
And now he's all choked up? What a jackass. Hopefully Jade doesn't go missing next, Brent might marry her sister.
meh i suspended my vitriol for th back story the last three strip have been funny and sweet.
yeah, you're right. A real person would never move on with his life after a loved one moves away.
That would never happen. Brent is a real son of a bitch.
Scott, there's a huge difference between a relative moving away, or passing away, and someone coming down from the sky, and taking your relative away, and you promising to get him back.
It's more akin to someone kidnapping your sister, and ignoring her completely.
Nice strip today, there really isn't much to say about it. The drawing of Brent in the last panel really conveyed the emotion in a nice understated way. Looking forward to some new strips sans Shecky/Scratch.
I feel bad when scott comes in here and reads this stuff, because I know he is proud of his art and wants positive feedback. However, I love to pick things apart and I don't see anything worng with saying what I think could have been better. Look at how the new star wars trilogy was disected. The only peopel who cared enough to voice thier opinions were the biggest fans. Scott seems to be a genuine human being with empathy for others, so it feels wrong to criticize him.
In summary, this site is a great way to nitpick, and Scott should stop reading it.
By the way, he should be proud of today's strip. No matter how you feel about the past two months of strips he ended it on a high note and now we are past those other storylines.
I like Brent quite a bit in this strip. Good emotion. Skull, on the other hand... not so much.
I can't decide if he cares that he's back. He's not smiling, he almost looks sad when he says "forever." He has roughly the same look when I show up to work in the morning: "This is a decent enough place to work."
I don't feel like I should say what I really want to say when it seems like today is a "Let's pat Scott's back!" day.
Julia, when I try to picture what you look like in my head, I always think of an overweight wiccan with too many cats.
How close am I?
Wow, Scott, who can't get over when people comment on his looks, decides to attack me! I'm shocked!
For your information, I'm a dog person, and I am quite petite, height-wise and girth-wise. And I like colors too much to even consider being a Wiccan.
Wow, Scott, coming from someone who constantly bashes Buckley, that's freaking hilarious.
When are you gonna realize that the only thing that makes you different than buckley is the fact that you copy and paste a little less?
(I'll clap with you Paul)
This is a perfect strip.
Whether its scoot or kurtz its funny whoever representing him makes a comment about weight. Its like Paris making fun of someone being a whore or Seal about someone's skin.
@Julia, it was a good strip, sorry, Im sure we'll be back tommarow to allow the snarks be happpy
First, loved that last panel. Second, dear LORD I hope this isn't a "And then Brent woke up from his dream" bit.
Wow, Scott. Just. Fucking. Wow.
Earlier today I was thinking, "Holy shit, Scott has actually made REASONABLE statements and remarks while he's been here! He normally resorts to his usual bullshit."
I was actually going to comment on how you gained my respect (you may not care, but I've hated your childish attitude towards people for a long time).
And then, bam. You go off and say something buttfucking retarded like that.
I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again:
Fuck you Scott Kurtz, I hope you hit puberty and grow a pair sometime before you hit 50.
God, I hate you. I just cannot fathom how someone with such a snivelling, childish, immature attitude as yourself can get so far in the industry. I guess it's easy to charm people with your pretty little doodles.
You are such a prick.
Nice. Fat jokes from a guy whose been the target of mean, nasty fat jokes for years.
I'm less critical than most of the people here about the strip, and I do think you're talented, but I've pretty much come to the conclusion that as a human being you're a total douche.
Yeah, Scott, I'm with these guys on this one. Stop playing the victim and let the people have a real discourse.
Anyway, as far as today's strip goes:
Panel 1 is too wide. The ellipsis was unnecessary. "Is it really you?" was set too tall in the word balloon. The word balloons are too high in the panel. The background perspective was wrong. I can't tell if that's a picture or a window behind Skull. Skull's ears have changed from points to sausages. I can't tell what direction Brent is looking in. I don't like the way Brent's ponytail curves at the end. I don't know if that's a couch or an armchair in the room beyond them. The picture frame beneath Skull's hand should have something in it. There's no shadow in the room whatsoever despite at least one obvious light source. Skull's teeth don't look right; he lost his lower canines. The gutter between panels 1 and 2 is too narrow given the wall lines at the right edge of panel 1. Brent's expression in panel 2 is okay but there are too many wrinkles in his forehead. The object in the background looks like a fishbowl and I don't remember fish being at the offices. I can't tell if this is the office or Brent and Jade's apartment. I can't tell if the horizontal lines next to the fishbowl are books or just shading. It's distracting. The moulding lines in the doorway to the right of Brent in panel 2 end too early. The gutter width between panels 2 and 3 is too wide. Skull's chin line makes his chin look larger than it was in the first panel. Skull shouldn't look wistful with this piece of dialogue. Forever is a purely theoretical construct that neither Brent nor Skull will live to see. The gutter width between panels 3 and 4 is the correct width, but inappropriate for the pacing. Skull's ear is breaking the fourth wall by coming out from the panel border. I can't tell if this means Skull is no longer magical. Brent's tear is coming from the wrong corner of his eye. Tears always come from the inner corner nearest the nose, not from the outside. Brent's hands are shut like fists when they should be open in friendship. Skull's face is not visible so we are robbed of some emotional connection with him. Brent's arm is too small in comparison to his head. The moulding lines in the background still do not meet before they disappear. The fishbowl is no longer in the background, nor are the books/shading lines. Jade should be standing in the doorway surveying the scene. Brent should be making more visible creases in Skull's back by hugging him. Skull's left ear appears to be in behind his right ear even though it is closer to us.
I liked the strip but then Kris ruined it for me :(
Kris, you know damn well we don't go that far.
So we've got an asshole and an idiot running PvP.
Amazing.
Sinfest is better.
So, Kris, you think Scott coming here and attacking people who pay his bills is a good thing? Honestly?
Holy crapping crap. I've never been much of a fan of the way people around here attack Scott, but I've also been EXTREMELY unimpressed by the lack of professionalism displayed by Mr. Kurtz over the last week.
As long as you make art, people will criticize it. They'll pick it to pieces, they'll overanalyze it, they'll read far more into it then you ever in your wildest dreams intended. Get over it. Stop reading this site. We did fine here without you and you did fine without us. I'm sure your traffic didn't drop as a result of your leaving here in the first place that is.
But this was a fairly positive thread, and as soon as someone mentioned (even cryptically) that they may not have been all aboard the love train you escalated to an absurd and uncalled for point. This kind of attack is the worst kind of unprofessionalism, and honestly can't imagine anyone who has read these words to take you seriously as a leader in webcomics or even take your advice seriously as to how to break into the industry.
I hope for your sake and for ours that you come to your senses again and leave this site alone. And Paul and Kris, I hope, should you continue to read, that you refrain from sharing with Scott and enticing him to return.
I applaud you Straub, everybody here enjoyed Scott's strip, but you held him to a higher standard. That's the sign of a good friend.
Thank you, Detective Kris Straub. We now have your say on every stroke of the digital pen in that particular strip.
I can't be the only one who's noticed this:
When "Scott R. Kurtz" is here having real, calm discourse, it is (blogger symbol)Kurtz
When "Scott R. Kurtz" is hear being childish and sharing in the general bullshit by the less civilized here, it is (blogger symbol)scott
Would the real creator of PVP please stand up?
what's going on with todays comic? I have no idea how to read the last panel.
On a mostly unrelated note, I think SK should adopt the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon style of giving the strip two titles.
Today on PvP: quite, please! or Silent but Deadly!
Further proof that Fake Scout McCloud is full of shit for banning anonymous posting but has no problem letting Scott and his friends turn this place into their own personal rumpus room.
I never said I wasn't full of shit.
But -- I deliberately left Kurtz' posts up. I'm not sure it's the real SK, and if it's not I'd love for "Scott" to come disown those posts.
If it is him, well, his personal attacks just lower him to our level, or at least "our level" as he sees it.
Personal attacks rarely come up unless he's around.
He's off at the Baltimore Con this weekend, so I doubt if you'll get that cleared up any time soon...
I don't know if it's an old blogger account that I was logged in as or what. But both Scott and Kurtz are me.
I'm still convinced that Julia is an overweight wiccan with lots of cats.
You guys do deconstruct my work all the time to the degree that Kris mocked you about. You may not want to admit it, but that's how ridiculous you guys sound most of the time.
"Panel 1 is too wide. The ellipsis was unnecessary. "Is it really you?" was set too tall in the word balloon. The word balloons are too high in the panel. The background perspective was wrong. I can't tell if that's a picture or a window behind Skull. Skull's ears have changed from points to sausages. I can't tell what direction Brent is looking in. I don't like the way Brent's ponytail curves at the end. I don't know if that's a couch or an armchair in the room beyond them. The picture frame beneath Skull's hand should have something in it. There's no shadow in the room whatsoever despite at least one obvious light source. Skull's teeth don't look right; he lost his lower canines. The gutter between panels 1 and 2 is too narrow given the wall lines at the right edge of panel 1. Brent's expression in panel 2 is okay but there are too many wrinkles in his forehead. The object in the background looks like a fishbowl and I don't remember fish being at the offices. I can't tell if this is the office or Brent and Jade's apartment. I can't tell if the horizontal lines next to the fishbowl are books or just shading. It's distracting. The moulding lines in the doorway to the right of Brent in panel 2 end too early. The gutter width between panels 2 and 3 is too wide. Skull's chin line makes his chin look larger than it was in the first panel. Skull shouldn't look wistful with this piece of dialogue. Forever is a purely theoretical construct that neither Brent nor Skull will live to see. The gutter width between panels 3 and 4 is the correct width, but inappropriate for the pacing. Skull's ear is breaking the fourth wall by coming out from the panel border. I can't tell if this means Skull is no longer magical. Brent's tear is coming from the wrong corner of his eye. Tears always come from the inner corner nearest the nose, not from the outside. Brent's hands are shut like fists when they should be open in friendship. Skull's face is not visible so we are robbed of some emotional connection with him. Brent's arm is too small in comparison to his head. The moulding lines in the background still do not meet before they disappear. The fishbowl is no longer in the background, nor are the books/shading lines. Jade should be standing in the doorway surveying the scene. Brent should be making more visible creases in Skull's back by hugging him. Skull's left ear appears to be in behind his right ear even though it is closer to us." - Kris Straub
I like how wide it is, it really opens the room up and shows that the two have not been able to instantly stand chest-to-chest during their supposedly-brief off-"camera" time. The ellipse is a little unnecessary, I suppose, but it does serve a purpose and shows us Brent's momentary loss for words. "Is it really you?" is vertically centered, what are you talking about? The word balloons are a bit high up, but I couldn't say if I prefer them to be slightly lower or not - they've gotta obscure background details no matter where they go, so the ceiling is the best place for that to happen and the effect also helps make the room look bigger. Please explain what is wrong about the background perspective (Is it because it doesn't seem to make sense with the doorway Brent is leaning on?). I have no idea which it is, either. Points are not as good with eggs. Brent is looking towards Skull, I'd say (Which is to say, North by North-East). I do like the way Brent's ponytail curves, I swear I've mentioned it before. I'd say it is an armchair, it doesn't look like there's room for a couch. The picture frame does have something in it - a couple of "reflection" streaks, although an actual picture would have been a nice touch. I don't see any obvious light source, and why are you bringing up shadows ahead of colors or even grayscale shades (It's better than starting with textures, I suppose)? Skull's mouth is not opened wide enough to show off his lower set of teeth at all, so it looks normal to me. I wouldn't say the problem is the "gutter", the wall lines could be done away with pretty easily and I don't see what the loss would be (Besides, I don't see how they reflect on the gutter between panels 1 and 2 at all - don't you mean 2 and 3?). I don't see a wrinkle, aren't those his eyebrows? Hm, I thought that was a coffeepot at first, but the liquid inside isn't level so I'm not sure it could be a fishbowl, either (And they're not at the office). Unless they go to bed at the office (Previous strip), they must be at home. I've never seen the like before, I have no idea but I'd welcome any indication of shading. I don't see how. This is true (So does the frame in the next panel). What makes them seem "too wide" to you? That's one interpretation, but I'm going with "Skull's mouth is closed more than in the first panel". Why should he not look wistful (Is he even looking wistful? I thought he was trying to keep his emotions in check, despite being happy enough to cry. I have to agree that there is an amusing way to see this - that being that Skull is sad that he has to spend forever with Brent). "Until you die" doesn't have a pleasant ring to it, and we all know that Skull is a simpleton - "Forever" is not out of character, and who knows? Maybe the magic world has some say on the afterlife, and maybe trolls live forever (Skull's certainly been around for a long darn time. Even if he has a starting point of existence, if he never expires then he will satisfy the conditions of "forever's" theoretical construction). Goodness, I've never realized how complex the world of panel gutters is. This part made me laugh, perhaps because I haven't heard of an ear breaking the 4th wall before and it broke through my many careful layers of defense against humor. Skull doesn't look human, so... yeah, he's still a magical troll (State what made you doubt this, please?). Brent's sunglasses are pretty tight against his face, and his head is angled upwards and to the side - three perfect conditions for tears to start coming out of the "wrong" part of the eye (There is no wrong part, though. Once the eyes start brimming, it becomes difficult to say where exactly the overflow will occur). Brent's hands look great (Three fingers on his right hand, though?) clenched; it is emotionally fitting since he's sort of an uptight and repressive guy - although I can't say as I'd have a problem with them being open, because I don't think I would. I would rather be robbed of Skull's face (Though his visage in that panel is doubtlessly glorious) than of that wonderfully-drawn hug. I don't see this - it looks like the correct proportion to me. True, but this time around they've gotten pretty close. The perspective has changed, I wouldn't expect to be able to see those things (Plus, they would draw marginal amounts of attention away from the huge hug). Jade is still busy playing World of WarCraft instead of going to bed (Good thing that's Skull and not a thief!), so it would be very strange to see that she'd given up on it already. "More visible" creases (I don't see any creases there to begin with, although creases might have looked very nice, there)? His ears don't actually overlap, so I don't see this - however, it may be worth pointing out that his ears have swapped "dominant" positions between the last two panels (This is usual for the way he is drawn, and although it doesn't "make sense" is it visually more dynamic and uncluttered to present his ears in such a manner).
"You guys do deconstruct my work all the time to the degree that Kris mocked you about. You may not want to admit it, but that's how ridiculous you guys sound most of the time." - SK
You may not want to admit it, but you would actually not be able to find even one such deconstruction that goes to the degree Kris uses. Not even once, much less "all the time". I can't blame you for not reading any of the longer posts (Nobody likes those tl;dr internet novel-writers!), but even if they sound ridiculous to you I would think you could make a distinction between every one of them and "the first gutter is too skinny. The second gutter is too wide. The third gutter is juuuust right but ruins the pacing".
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