SINISTER MONSTER DOOM LEGION pt.27
For anyone who complained about past strips with too much dialogue…I offer you: “THOOM! THOOM! THOOM! RRAAAAAARGH!”
Another monster movie homage appears here, in this case it’s the original film version of The Lost World (1925), a movie that was briefly referenced once in a past SCAPULA strip (can you find it?). I used to love this film as a kid (no, I wasn’t alive back in the twenties, I just really liked old monster movies), and even today it still holds a certain charm missing from later versions. I’ve seen more than enough bad remakes of this story.
I do feel the need to thank everyone who’s been following along. I admit it is tough to keep the momentum in a weekly comic serial, and I’m doing everything I can in my life to allow myself to make the sacrifice necessary to bring you SCAPULA strips more than once a week. It just takes planning (and money, so buy a book if you want to help out!).
We’re coming to the BIG FINISH soon, folks!
Did you ever see that old footage of the Tacoma Narrows suspension bridge? It starts swaying from side to side more and more violently until it eventually collapses… that’s kinda’ what this reminds me of. Only I don’t think there was a ginormous mechanized beast involved in that incident. 🙂
I think part of the magic of the old monster movies, is that the film makers couldn’t rely solely on special effects. They trusted the audience to use imagination to bridge the gaps, and this made the viewer more of an active participant in the story-telling process, rather than a purely passive observer.
I believe this is why comics are still popular. We bring a bit of ourselves into the reading, projecting our ideas of how the voices might sound, and how certain scenes might feel. We enter into a cooperative effort with the artist, and enjoy the ride we’re taken on.
I think I spent ten minutes just marveling at your well-drawn bridge. I don’t know if I have enough confidence to even attempt drawing a bridge. That’s why I respect your gangsta so much, Aidan. 🙂
@SpilledInky I might have seen that (it’s REALLY old footage, right?), most likely as a stock footage clip on “Muppet Babies”. I know a lot of San Francisco folks who are paranoid about driving the Bay Bridge out of fear that it’s going to start shakin’-and-quakin’ just like in the clip (but that would never happen…the damned bridge would just FALL!).
@Hoomi Very true sentiments, although there are a number of old films which rely TOO much on “the audience imagines the monster” (usually done for budget reasons). Then again, compared to the CGI orgies we’re subjected to in today’s cinema, this isn’t such a bad approach in the least.
You are absolutely right in that the reader plays a big part in how a comic comes across. One of the most fun aspects of this is “hearing” what a characters sounds like and mentally casting the right voice for the role. Scapula? Probably Michael Richards.
@George Very kinds words, sir. It’s not that complex, and there are a good number of artists who would kick my ass drawing that thing, but the story called for a bridge and I got to do what the story calls for. The burden of a cartoonist!
“but the story called for a bridge and I got to do what the story calls for. The burden of a cartoonist!”
George and I would have just changed the script.
They just don’t build bridges like they used to. I sure hope that Bronty can swim.
Nice drawings again!
@Bearman Yeah, but if I just did whatever comes easiest to me these comics would be nothing but page after page of hot, fleshy women.
Say…maybe I should do that! To hell with storylines!
@Binky Thank you very much, Wombat Master! We’ll see next week whether the Behemoth sinks like the Titanic or floats like a duck.
“@Bearman Yeah, but if I just did whatever comes easiest to me these comics would be nothing but page after page of hot, fleshy women.”
Might not hurt your readership..haha
Yah, Dada… Your bridge work is most incredible and I love how the image “vibrates” with the stomping. Nicely done. The irony is that you have this huge monster that looks like a “water dino”… who is reeking havoc in a city surrounded by water… and presumably is destroyed (?) at this point…? … by water.
Wait ’til next week! Same Dada time, Same Dada channel!
I simply change the script when I realize I’ve put myself in a position to draw something that will come out looking like I was having an epileptic seizure while licking a live socket! o.O … you on the other hand, just plow ahead and do what must be done. Where you are determined and in the end, successful, I’m usually napping!
Bearman just beat me to my next response. I will change the script in a heartbeat if it calls for something too complex for me to draw. I don’t take well to challenges and whatnot. I love my comfort zone. It saves on erasers. 🙂
“Hot, Fleshy Women”, eh? That sounds like the title to my next webcomic series if I ever outgrow AC. 🙂
that fleshy woman comic could become a sensation… but then again, a squirrel playing piano could too. Who can predict these crazy internets?
@Bearman The people have spoken. Meaty maidens it is!…I’ll just have to make a few script changes.
@SquidRowMommy Whether or not sauropod dinosaurs were watergoers has been debated by paleontologists for ages. While it’s generally assumed that they did not live the amphibious lifestyle (an image common in nearly every children’s book on dinosaurs before ‘Jurassic Park’), it’s most likely that, like elephants, rhinoceri, and hippopotami, sauropods could easily handle water.
…as for whether or not they could take the San Francisco Bay…well, that might be stretching things. Not to mention the fact that this thing is NOT an actual ‘brontosaur’, but a big friggin’ robot!
This has been nerdy zoological corner. Tune in next week for worthless facts about gibbons.
@jynksie Confession time: SCAPULA is not scripted. Stories are thumbnailed (tiny little drawings laying out the page, for those of you at home following along), but I make up storylines as I go, and in this case the bridge was an idea that grabbed me. Hey, it was either that or have the big monster climb the Empire State Building, and that’s on the other side of the country!
@George the First It’s your art. Who’s to say what’s right and wrong?…well, besides Bearman.
@George the Second Hey, dude, let’s ALL throw away our lousy webcomics and focus on big beautiful women! WOOHOO!
@JerryBenedict Man…that squirrel thing sounds kinky. Internet is for pervs, baby!
Love the linework on the bridge (and everything else)! Love the changes in perspective too.
I seem to have missed a couple updates. Thanks heavens I can catch up. I really don’t want to miss any of this.
@Jande Don’t worry about it. You can always click the little arrow going left a couple of times and, boom! All caught up.
Again, it’s very easy to lose track of ‘once-a-week’ comics, especially when the storyline is huge, so thank you all for following along. Still trying to manage my schedule to make more strips a week.
At least scapula, will have at the end boobies. The girl is is still here. Or the fat thing, that shouldn’t be screwed.
Loved the soft lighting on the bridge. And I always liked the Brontosaurus–such a large creature, but it was still a herbivore. But now they tell me the brontosaurus is really an Apatosaurus, and that just doesn’t roll off the tongue as smoothly.
@mehdi They’ll go down together, like in ‘Titanic’ or something. It would be really romantic, if they weren’t going to drown…or if Babirus wasn’t there.
@macsnafu “Brontosaurus” was a mislabeled species; as it turns out, it was the body of an apatosaurus (a previously discovered species) with the skull of a camarasaurus mistakenly placed on. When the booboo was discovered ‘brontosaurus’ was forever after labeled as apatosaurus, and anal-retentive paleontologists have been breathing it down our necks since.
But really…I just had to go with a robot brontosaurus instead of a robot apatosaurus. The latter’s name just has a nerdy sound to it. “Brontosaurus” also had a more impressive and imposing looking skull (courtesy of the camarasaurus), as opposed to the stretched out, deer-like skull of apatosaurus and other members of the diplodocus family.
More useless zoology for you kids at home!
I think the only time someone can complain about too much dialogue would be if Chris Claremont was to write a webcomic. I love Claremont, but can somebody actually tell you their life story while jumping through the air at somebody? (pick any X-men comic he wrote and people will know what I’m talking about) But aside from that, as always I’m floored by how awesome your comic looks every week. And I hope one day I can one day be a smidgen closer to the type of story teller that you are. Not once have I lost interest in this story, but… I’m down with Hot, Fleshy Women too. 😀
@Roland Thank you for your kind words. I guess all I can really say is keep on doing it. SCAPULA isn’t Marvel quality just yet, but I do it because I love it, and it seems like other people are enjoying it as well. We’ll see what happens.
As for Claremont, he writes nowhere near as much as the eternally-overrated Brian Michael Bendis. Good Lord, trying to read one of his comics is like reading the phone book.
That’s a heavy dino!
@Goeber That’s the most original pick-up line I’ve heard in a while! Damn, I’m totally using that at the club tonight.
“Hey, baby…that’s a heavy dino you’ve got there!”
Haha! This is looking great! I’ve just finished reading your Shakespeare story, so hopefully I’ll be caught up soon! 🙂
You were almost there, Monster of Doom! Great stuff, man. I’ll keep my eye out for this Meaty maidens you spoke of. 😉
@Spencey Awesome, man! Shakespeare had a lot in common with dinosaurs…they’re both really old and no one can understand them.
@WannabeHero Meaty Maidens and Hefty Honeys seem to be in demand this season…I’m going to have to do a special story to sate these rabid readers!
Didn’t part of the Golden Gate bridge collapse back in the earthquake of ’89? This reminded me of watching that section fall on video.
Maybe it wasn’t an earthquake, maybe McGwire’s roided biceps caused the tremors…..
@Dan All I remember about the Great Earthquake of ’89 is having dinner at my grandparents. The earthquake starts, my grandmother gets startled and the first thing my dad can think of doing is yell at her. Yes, even in the event of a natural disaster he STILL had to yell at someone.
Where was I?…oh, yes, the earthquake…the earthquake was really something.
Meaty maidens (any female characters for that matter) don’ t have the same appeal to me as they do to most of your more vociferous readers. I’m female and I like men. Especially men who like me. So thanks for the warning. lol I will however still be here for the amazing art and the inspiring storytelling. —Oh, and any zoological tidbits you may scatter around. I like ’em. ;`)
Resisting the temptation of commenting on your the…splendid dialogues of your comic story (which, by the way, has gone long enough) I’ll instead say this much:
a) I noticed you have a rather impressive increase in the number of comments you are getting for Scapula. Recognition at last, no?
b) This might seem a bit irrelevant but, frankly, I don’t care; who is that masked woman in the first pic of your “New Reader” section? New addition to the rogues gallery or just something to fill the empty space?
@Jande Hmmm…well, there are still plenty of Meaty Men for you to admire. Throgor is the fattest of them all, Toxsick’s a chubby boy, and even our old pal Scapula has a good amount of flub to keep any BBM-loving lady satisfied! See, folks? This comic caters to ALL of your licentious lovin’-needs!
@montecristo The masked woman (with the spotted hair and domino mask) is my great Aunt Gladys.