2.11
November 3rd, 2009
Jazz hands! Just to clarify, in Pasori culture, toothy smiling does not connote good humor.
There is a new wallpaper contest this month! You can find the first clue and more info right here. Yes this is a not so clever way of making you vote.
This week’s pimp is a comic that is recognized as one of the finest webcomic ever, ever made. It is called Nedroid (starring Beartato and Reginald)! I had put off reading it until now, which was so stupid. Don’t make the same mistake as I did!
Man,
The expression on his face in the second panel is just scary. I can see the anger building up right there. I would have expected an outburst of rage, but instead it’s an outburst of sarcasm and madness.
This is such a great comic!
I actually find him scarier in the last panel ^^
I think that Luca is in a better humour than most of the commenters are crediting – from the Emperor’s perspective the ambassador is obviously cracking a joke. “Yes, we started a war in which millions died and whose scars are still raw today, but eh, water under the bridge, let bygones go by, right?”. Luca’s probably thinking that anyone who could say something so absurd with a straight face is obviously a comedian.
I don’t think that’s the case at all. He obviously recognizes the statement as absurd, but he’s not amused. Well, maybe he’s amused at the idea of doing grievous harm to the ambassador’s person for acting so condescendingly, but not by the statement itself.
Something else I realized is that smiling Luca looks very monkey-ish. Don’t chimpanzees only smile when they’re threatening each other, bearing their teeth until one of them backs down?
The most Pasori-looking Pasori have those kinds of features: smaller heads, blunter features, etc etc. And they do have mannerisms like teeth baring and direct eye-contact that are sort of animalistic. This is often cited by Carissi when they’re trying to justify treating them like non-persons.
Tustis and the Portuguese used to cite similar arguments when justifying treating the Hutu people like animals. I foresee much bloody battle in the future of this comic…
Yes :\ I did a lot of reading about genocide before doing the comic. I hate to trivialize the result, but the causes can be so very stupid.
Someone’s got the crazy eyes~
I kinda agree with Luca on this one, even though you weren’t leading the country at the time, it still happened, and if you’re gonna walz in asking for land you should kinda realize that :/
I’m in love with the shading. SO MUCH.
other than that his expressions are great. It’s amazing how no matter what expressions he makes he makes it scares me XD
Luca, that face scares me D: You did such a great job of making his words and expressions drip with sarcasm toward the end there. I wish I could fast-forward time to The Meek update days!
“millions”???
Hmmm that was even worst than WWII, anyways think the number is a bit exagerated.
excelent artwork
By exaggerated, I am not sure if you are referring to the comic or WWII, but the Nazis didn’t just kill 6 million Jews, they killed 18 million civilians including 6 million Jews. Sadly, that record has been topped since then.
Since I was curious I just checked on Wikipedia…
50-70 million people were killed in WWII (isn’t it horrible that there’s a tolerance of 20 milion lives?) and more than 15 million got killed in WWI.
Here just both links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties
Good grief I love the art style of this comic so much
This actually frightened me, I enjoy that smile so much j 3j
Luca looks like he’s going to go for her jugular . oAo
…her?
Well, Lethy is a girl… right?
[...] from his face alone. As he speaks condescendingly to the ambassadors, his face contorts into a triumphant sneer. This is the face of a man whose been through a lot, who’s won, and who’s clearly [...]
I’ll admit…Luca scares me a bit on this page….
HO! dear.
That smile…..definitely does not connote good humor. (shudder)
If I were the ambassador I’d be backing away as fast as possible. LOOKIT THOSE TEETH
Interesting. I was assuming that Lethy was a man, but from these angles, it appears I might have been wrong. Can we get clarification? It’s such an ambiguous name..
Luca mentioned earlier that he was annoyed about having to meet with the female ambassadors. Caris men and women from eastern parts tend to style their hair short in comparison to the folks from the larger cities and the coast.
Aha. I read that earlier panel as “ambassador”. That’s what tripped me up.
Haha, I love this page! It shows how frightening Luca can be. His expressions are extremely intimidating here XD.
So when a pasori smiles is like a dog showing it’s teeth? A sign of aggressiveness?
Great work with the comic. I’m loving both art and plot.
Dude I don’t wanna be rude or anything alexds1 but you seriously have to get more practice on the female faces. Don’t get me wrong I can see perfectly from but others do not as they think there…male. If I ask of this then punch me if this is stupid.
I think most of her female faces look female, there are just some women with features that look more masculine than feminine. I thought the tall skinny lady was a man at first too, though
Thanks! But you know, in real life some women look more masculine than others, as Seanan pointed out. And some men have feminine qualities to their face. Its not that I’m unable to draw everyone looking “the same,” or at least, draw them so they are immediately recognizable one way or the other, but I’ve chosen to make them look a certain way to reflect their 1) individual features 2) ethnic look 3) cultural styles etc etc. Or in other words, different people look different. If you can get your head around that kind of thinking, you’ll be prepared for chapter 3
I actually knew Lethy was a woman from the get-go. I totally admire the fact that you don’t make all females stereotypically female looking. It’s realistic and I like that
Woww Luca. touchy?
The emperor’s facial profile looks very ape-like.
-S
Wow, I love the Luca’s expressions going on here. Awesome! And I love the incentive today~
I am a bit surprised by how Lethy has been mistaken for a male character. Not only considering previous dialogue between Luca and Phe but also because my first thought was “oh, interesting female design!” when I saw her. I love it when characters have characteristic noses, cheekbones, foreheads, chins etcetc – both males and females.
It’s a true skill to be able to portrait either gender with interesting facial traits, thinking outside the norm, and still keep it convincing!
PS. I think my chin is very similar to Lethy’s. And I can wiggle it!! xD Does she carry such ability?
omg XD What do you mean wiggle it? Like back and forth or up and down?
Up and down! (It runs in the family…xD Dad’s side……..)
I can crab light, thin things with it as well… like cards… and stuff… (omg, too much information!!!!)
Luca:
Available in Stoic and Batshit Crazy.
(I must admit I stole that from someone of Roflrazzi.)
It is puzzling to me that people thought that Lethy was a man… It just seemed so obvious to me. It worries me that some people cannot recognize a woman if she is not wide-eyed, curvy and pouty-lipped. I just get a decidedly female vibe from her.
Also, I just started reading this comic not to long ago, and I’m in love~. Please, don’t ever stop drawing. That would be a sorry loss to the world. :]
To be fair, Lethy has been mostly quiet and in the background until this page. We assume what we assume until new information shows us otherwise. And new information has. Also, gender is now relevant to the character, whereas before it really didn’t matter because who cares about the person in the back. I consider that efficient storytelling.
And yes! Der-shing: you will draw forever! Your audience commands it!
Forever D:
I am of course imagining a rotting arm, continuing to draw.
Also! Why is it that I get the feeling that the other ambassador is going to bust in with something offensive/foolish/unfounded? Like, that in the next page she’ll interrupt with “But oh, can’t you just get on well enough on your own?” or “Well, you’re just animals anyway”.
Then she wouldn’t be a very good ambassador.
I can see her asking why they can’t all just get along though.
Oh my god this is so good
Few people can draw emotions this well or a mix of emotions on a character at once – this is truly a great page!
I completely agree with Luca here. A change in government can’t be used as an excuse to just ignore all the atrocities the previous government committed. Not when you’re trying to maintain relations with the victim country. I say Luca kills them both and then starts war.
Haha I agree with the fact that changing government doesn’t justify ignoring the previous atrocities. Even if they can’t afford to pay reparations yet like Lethy says, the Queen should at least accept responsibility. When you take up the mantle of ruler, you have to take up all its prior mistakes too.
Love the light and shadows in this one in particular.
Luca smiling gives me shivers, man. I weep for those ambassadors.
Oh, man. The expressions here are so awesome. I love Luca’s “I’m going to kill you” faces.
I wouldn’t be suprised if Luca snapped her neck in the next comic. I would LOVE to see that.
Man you guys are hella bloodthirsty XD
Can I call you out every time you say a hella? Also, great lighting/shading! (as always)
Thank you hella much
I think Luca’s losing it…
dude I love that woman’s face
Man. Just when he was clearly the asshole of the galaxy, he goes and says THE only morally relevant question at hand.
Luca’s face in the last panel. Put it on a shirt with the caption “Luca’s gonna kill you.” I would buy that shirt. If I bought stuff online, but I don’t, so here’s a suggestion for a shirt anyway
Haha, I love this guy! Kickass.
Wuh-oh…Luca’s losing it…
I love the shading on his face in the second panel. Beautifully rendered!
I LOVE YOU
That toothy snarl is the best thing in the world, ever. you win the internet.
Also, can I please take the Emperor home and have him as my pet?
Huh! My darn computer- I thought I had left a comment last week about Luca’s feelings seem perfectly justified, but his manner is provacative – but apparantly not, as I don’t see it. Anyway, on my umpteenth re-reading I must admit I agree with him more and more. Especially as they seem unwilling to give the one thing he wants – why be appeasing? Except, well, “millions dead”. If he doesn’t find some way of defusing things he may end up with millions more…
Maybe if instead of “reparations” they agree to a tax or something? Not gonna happen, I know…
Finally, “With all due respect” is a great line, and you can see what Luca thinks of it is his final response.
Lovely work!
I can just see his eye twitching on this page. Love it!
You manipulated emotions with Luca v. well! I could feel myself becoming angry on his behalf esp. in the 3rd panel. His look in the 4th panel is almost comical, the 5th is frightening. Excellent roller coaster of emotions. You are talented not only as an artist, but a writer as well. Many fantastic artists flag in the writing department, you clearly do not. Bravo.
The easy answer is to SELL them the bit of land they want for the amount he wants in reparations. That way the queen can pass the reparations off as a mere payment for territory to whomever it is she’s afraid of admitting that she is responsible for millions of deaths. He’s already admitted he’s willing to give up the land (a bad move, diplomatically), so it’s no skin off his nose to lose it; he may as well get something for it.
But it wouldn’t be drama if it were easy, would it?
Pardon me, I’m a relatively new reader to the series, but Luca in the last panel?
…EXCELLENT!
Luca, your teeth are showing. That can’t be good. :/
BTW, I’m still loving this comic sooooo much <333
Luca’s missing some of his teeth, right? Is he wearing falsies here?