Comics By Request

In this thread, assorted four-panel or one-big-panel comics featuring PCs and NPCs. I'll post what I feel like, but if you have a theme, punchline, or other gag you want to see depicted, let me know. As always, "nothing is true, everything is permitted" (the slogan of fanfiction).

More of Alycia's nightmares! Maybe.

The "big picture" of history means different things to different people.

PFFT! Now I want to hear those histories. :P

God, I love that. UPDATE: The first one, before I refreshed the page. Though the second one is fun, too.

Courage, Truth, Love, and Classroom Cleanliness.

(Email sent separately, to preserve the gag.)

Sure, Harry can develop powers when he's told that they're possible, but can he come up with new powers in other ways?

Oh man, I'd kind of like to see other members of the Menagerie interviewed similarly.  I could just imagine the humor that could ensue from Alycia or Jason being asked about similar topics. Also, it'd be cool to see Charlotte and the Ponies give their opinions on various coffee shops throughout Halcyon City (I'm sure each has a favorite for various reasons).

Dave, hopefully this is close enough to your intent. I'm skipping accuracy for comedy, as always.

Mike said: Oh man, I'd kind of like to see other members of the Menagerie interviewed similarly.  I could just imagine the humor that could ensue from Alycia or Jason being asked about similar topics. I just finished pushing the Jason Relationship Button, but I'll try to find other angles for this too. :) Let me see what I can brew up for coffee.

Bill G. said: Mike said: Oh man, I'd kind of like to see other members of the Menagerie interviewed similarly.  I could just imagine the humor that could ensue from Alycia or Jason being asked about similar topics. I just finished pushing the Jason Relationship Button, but I'll try to find other angles for this too. :) Let me see what I can brew up for coffee Hadn't seen that yet when I threw up my reply, but that was some quality Jason humor there.  Kudos to you and Dave for fulfilling our "Jason must suffer" quota.

Bravo, sir. For the record, the much-improved-upon original: PANEL 1 - LEO: The Jason of of this future has gone evil, tyrannical, a threat. PANEL 2 - ALYCIA: Dammit, Jason. You've disappointed me so much. PANEL 3 - [Word balloon, with tails going to multiple points around the panel (since having everyone on-panel would be kind of overkill).] Then we are agreed! PANEL 4 - (CAPTION: Meanwhile, back in the Past ...) JASON: Why does my face feel like I'm being punched? Again, sir, bravo!

And because Jason hasn't suffered enough...

Maury gets slow roasted.

Based on Household Laughter Indices, the last two are winners. ("BAD ghost joke," mutters Margie)

They're all bad jokes, that's what we do here. :)

Just how does Charlotte pay for all that coffee she drinks, anyway?

Signing off for now, but I'll catch up on suggestions tomorrow night, if any. :)

Mike said: Now I want to hear those histories. :P You could also tell them. :) Or we might experience them. We've been to Leo's Bad Future, dealt with Jason's father, helped Harry's family, and are working on Charlotte's dimensional rifts. Maybe the Concordance agents on Earth grudgingly need Adam to come to space with them to deal with some intergalactic big deal ("they were able to beat us, and he's got a keynome, we don't like it but High Command said..."), and we drag along the other PCs (plus a couple key NPCs like Armiger and Bob from other superhero teams) for cosmic shenanigans.

Had not considered that first option, though either of those sound good to me.

Man, we are never  going to get to Prom shenanigans at this rate. :-)  (And I say that as someone who's absorbing at least as much time as anyone else in our away-from-school shenanigans.)

*** Dave H. said: Man, we are never  going to get to Prom shenanigans at this rate. :-)  (And I say that as someone who's absorbing at least as much time as anyone else in our away-from-school shenanigans.) I dunno. Having Alycia away from Earth, the pale blue dot on which her father did so much awfulness - letting her see the vastness and majesty of the cosmos itself, realizing how much larger everything is than any human ever dared dream - probably boosts Jason's prom chances by like 7.

Bill G. said: I dunno. Having Alycia away from Earth, the pale blue dot on which her father did so much awfulness - letting her see the vastness and majesty of the cosmos itself, realizing how much larger everything is than any human ever dared dream - probably boosts Jason's prom chances by like 7. If only so that she can neener-neener that she's actually made it into interstellar space before he did, "HA!"

*** Dave H. said: Man, we are never  going to get to Prom shenanigans at this rate. :-)  Oh right, prom shenanigans.  I've had ideas about that particular event...

Mike said: Oh right, prom shenanigans.  I've had ideas about that particular event... The golden cummerbund sells it.

*** Dave H. said: Mike said: Oh right, prom shenanigans.  I've had ideas about that particular event... The golden cummerbund sells it. Yeah, I didn't know if I wanted to make it match the coat or to reuse the belt design.  Belt design won (since the only other place I was planning on using the bands was with the shoes).  Also, this was a fun 20-30 minute illustration to try out some new design elements (like the connected constellations in the star background that help imply shape-- thanks Bill !).

Play to your strengths.

Alycia faces her pun-ishment.

Nice, on both counts. 

Bill G. said: Play to your strengths. The "Dammit Jason" swear jar deserves to be canon.  Next time I draw something at Quill HQ, I'm putting that in the background somewhere.

I'm taking a lot of liberties with Dave's suggestions.

Mike said: The "Dammit Jason" swear jar deserves to be canon.  Next time I draw something at Quill HQ, I'm putting that in the background somewhere. I fully support this conceit.  (My family has started using this phrase whenever I'm be ridiculous. It's remarkably effective. 

Bill G. said: I'm taking a lot of liberties with Dave's suggestions. But in a fascinating way. 😁

What really aggravates Alycia about the Newmans.

Alycia Banzai.

I ran dry on ideas for an "in your face" gesture I could easily animate, but technically it was super easy to do. Duplicate the comic, change the last pose, throw both images at GIMP and export as animation. I might try a one-panel multi-frame experiment soon. It won't look 1% as good as Mike's hand-drawn stuff, but I do what I can with the skills I have.

What really aggravates Alycia about the Newmans. ... Alycia Banzai. Both lovely -- thanks!

Bill, I really wanted to say I've been enjoying these comics and appreciated what you've done with the constrained format in a storytelling perspective (4 panel strips are always favorite of mine, especially over the more common 3 panel strips and I could talk all day about the differences which that choice makes as far as pacing and structure are concerned).  Thanks for all the work you've put into these (and I look forward to future ones too).

If people are enjoying the comics and find them entertaining, that's all I ask :)  I personally feel like I've got a good grasp of humor in the four-panel format, and it's nice to hear feedback on that.

Having actually (struggled to) script several of these, I like the 4-panel opportunity, too.

*** Dave H. said: Having actually (struggled to) script several of these, I like the 4-panel opportunity, too. Your basic three panel strip consists of: Setup Joke Punchline You can also think of this as the three act structure: setup, conflict, resolution. The four panel can follow that structure with the inserting "Beat" or "Stretch the Joke" in between "Joke" and "Punchline."  However, you can also follow an entirely different structure as well: Introduction Misdirection False Punchline Real Punchline See Bill's Charlotte/Summer comic for that particular structure.  It's a little different from the previous structure because it's possible to fit two separate punchlines into it: the first with the "misdirection" panel and the second in the "real punchline" panel. You can also use this beat to change things up significantly using this structure: Setup Follow-up Tangential Aside Back to the Original Setup. For instance: Adam approaches Alycia. Adam: Welcome to the team, Alycia! Alycia: Thank you.  This is a bit unexpected. Second panel. Adam: Of course.  It's important to know we're watching each other's backs. Third panel.  Alycia watching through a rifle's scope from a sniper's nest. Caption: Several weeks ago... Fourth Panel.  Back with the original setup. Alycia: Yes.  Of course. It's not a great example, but it definitely shows some of benefits of the versatility of the four panel structure.  Sure you could do this example with the three panel setup, but it loses something in that you're only in that "original setup" at the beginning and the end.  Without proper setup, the middle panel can sometimes read as non sequitur rather than a progression. And there is like four paragraphs off the top of my head about structure in comics.  I might have a problem.

Mike said: And there is like four paragraphs off the top of my head about structure in comics.  I might have a problem. Knowing useful and interesting stuff doesn't sound like a problem to me :)

Actually, that's a fine and amusing example. :-)

Bill did a number of the comics from stuff I suggested, usually with significant improvements. E.g.,  Panel 1. ALYCIA: (pointing accusingly at JASON) You turned into a tyrant in the future. An evil mad scientist! Panel 2. ALYCIA: I saw it Jason. In the future! I saw it! Panel 3. (ALYCIA glares. JASON looks hangdog.) Panel 4.       ALYCIA: (smiling) Also, I GOT TO GO TO THE FUTURE!       JASON: (still hangdog) Aw, man ... Bill adapted that  pretty closely , with the additional niftyness of Animated Happy Alycia. Though I still kind of like the idea of Jason's remorse over his future tyranny turning into sulking that she got to go into the future and he didn't. This second is, I think,  what inspired the spiffy  Harry+Chip-Prism comic (Bill did say he took a lot of liberties): Panel 1.       HARRY: Hey, Jason!       JASON (sitting) : Hey Harry! Warehouse 3.       HARRY: Thanks! Panel 2.       JASON (sitting) Panel 3.       HARRY (now on Jason's other side, holding a large bag/box): Thanks again, Jason!       JASON: Nice seeing you, Harry. Panel 4.       HARRY: You know, you don't have to buy all the chips in Halcyon just to get me to visit.       JASON: It's good to have money. I also believe  the "Dammit Jason!" curse jar  stems from this gag: Panel 1. Phone ringing. Panel 2. Jason (picks up): Hello? Panel 3. Voice from phone: DAMMIT, JASON! (click) Panel 4. Jason to the viewer (fourth wall): That happens a lot more often than you might think Alycia and Charlotte's encounter , as scripted in mild self-mockery of Alycia's melodramatic cutscenes: Panel 1. Alycia (to Charlotte): The ghosts of my past haunt me. Panel 2. Alycia (to Charlotte): They haunt me! Panel 3. (Silence. Charlotte looks at Alycia, who's covering her face in her hands.) Panel 4.       Charlotte: Actually, they say you're a nice kid, just a little stressed - -       Alycia: HAUNT ME! I do like the "emo-globin" line. Finally, the  Alycia and the Newmans strip , where Bill much improved my punchline. (All ALYCIA to SUMMER) Panel 1. So I talked with you, and you were nice. Panel 2. Then I talked to Leo and he was clueless. Panel 3. Then I talked to Aria, and she was compassionate. Panel 4. You guys make it really tough to maintain a terrified paranoia. So now you see that little bit of the creative process, too. Again, many thanks to Bill for keeping us delightfully "pacified" whilst Doyce was recovering.

Sometimes the revolution forces us to make sacrifices.

HA! And "Chai Guevara" is worth a guffaw in and of itself. The original: Panel 1.       SUMMER: Welcome to Blintzkrieg, Alycia! Glad you are back! What can I get you?       ALYCIA: I'm on a budget. What ... do you have any coupons for? Panel 2.       SUMMER: I have a BOGO on Cinnalattes. How many would you like?       ALYCIA: Death before Cinnalatte. Panel 3.       (silence. Alycia glares. Summer continues to smile.) Panel 4.       SUMMER: I also have one for half off a Chia Chai.       ALYCIA: I'll take two Cinnalattes. This one was partially inspired by James and I standing at the drink cooler at Whole Foods and mistaking Chia drinks (ugh) for Chai drinks (yum).

I don't have the vocabulary to articulate it like Mike did, but here's the way I think about four-panel or other comic comedy: it's basically like those martial arts sparring sessions. There's an attacker, there's a defender, and they're going to trade moves. They position, the attacker goes in, then a few different things can happen (defender blocks & counterattacks; attacker delivers and follows up; etc.). Either way, it's an interaction of forces in a few decisive motions that ends in a way that clearly signals an outcome. I wouldn't call my strips "improvements" over Dave's original pitches; whether one is better or not is subjective. I consider mine "punchier" (in the sense I just gave). Rather than just moments in time or peeks into a conversation, they're meant to be exchanges that tilt a larger implied situation in another direction. So with that: Animated Happy Alycia : It's hard to explain why Jason's looking hangdog without dialogue, since my facial expressions library is limited by the program, but I'd consider him to be upset about her seeing the future. :) Pink Floyd Tribute : I wanted to show Harry's chip thing in a sort of glorifying way, representing it as a larger than life thing, and that album cover qualified to me. Jason's gotten plenty of screen time and I thought he could use a break. :) Dammit Jason : I wanted the essence of the joke but without breaking the fourth wall, so an interview did the trick. The swear jar is just the usual metaphor for that sort of thing. Glad it was well received. :) Alycia Melodrama : I thought deflating Alycia with a pun would be a good Charlotte response, as well as the spooky matter-of-fact "yes you're haunted" that the original had. Alycia & the Newmans : I liked the punchline, but it sounded too self-conscious for where Alycia is at the moment, so I thought she ought to take the situation at (her idea of) face value. Of COURSE it's a conspiracy, it's just a shit one. Chai Guevara : I didn't understand the Chia/Chai reference (never heard of Chia drinks, though I do go to Whole Foods), so I went with something I did know: horrible puns.

Bill G. said: I don't have the vocabulary to articulate it like Mike did, but here's the way I think about four-panel or other comic comedy: it's basically like those martial arts sparring sessions. There's an attacker, there's a defender, and they're going to trade moves. They position, the attacker goes in, then a few different things can happen (defender blocks & counterattacks; attacker delivers and follows up; etc.). Either way, it's an interaction of forces in a few decisive motions that ends in a way that clearly signals an outcome. It's definitely a good method of approaching it (and you've got the proof right here too). And  my vocabulary is  mostly in  part from  studying from those  who've come before .  And a lot of money spent at supermarket comic racks as a child.

Here's an animation test. Linked rather than embedded due to size:&nbsp; <a href="https://i.imgur.com/npDtGDr.gif" rel="nofollow">https://i.imgur.com/npDtGDr.gif</a> I created this from 24 frames in Comipo, hand placed and positioned, then used ImageMagick to animate the frames: convert -delay 20 -loop 0 Summer-Animation_*.png summer.gif My kingdom for some kind of tween frame creation tool. I'm assuming After Effects or something probably has one...