03/16/2014
Yeah, incorporating the comic title into the dialogue is pretty cheesy, but what the hey (and don’t ask why there’s a building back there that says “by Aidan Casserly” on the roof…maybe it’s the warehouse where I store my convention merchandise!).
Scapula may have an idea on who is behind this whole rampage; then again, he does have a history of being totally wrong about this sort of thing. Let’s find out if his hunch is right on Tuesday.
Shame we didn’t actually get to see Sam fighting that giant robot, but then again, Dr. Caliban’s machines do seem a little on the flimsy side, so I doubt it would have lasted long.
I really like how, in this comic, you never really root for one specific side. Yeah, to Scap it seems like Sam is just mindlessly attacking him for no reason, but from Sam’s point of view she’s like a courageous vigilante on a quest to rescue the woman she loves. Pulling off multiple sides of a conflict in a way that makes the audience sympathize with more than one of them is not an easy thing to do, so props for that.
Thankya kindly and glad you’re enjoying the story; your point about making both sides of a conflict sympathetic is the main reason I never introduced superheroes to the SCAPULA series. While there have been some good stories out there about heroes messing up and making the wrong choices, for the most part anyone who reads a hero versus villain story is going to have a pretty clear idea of who is “right” and who is “wrong”.
I say this all the time in the comments section (bear with me, because I’m going to say it again!), but whether or not you sympathize with Scapula himself or any other character is completely up to you.
Hmmm….I never really thought about the fact that there aren’t any heroes in umm….San Fran? (is that the name of Scap’s city?). You made a very valid point, although I feel that if Scap has too much of a successful run, “someone” may decide to put an end to his reign.
This does indeed take place in San Francisco (I really should add that bit of info to the NEW READER section), and Scap’s reign of terror may end when he realizes that, even with a multi-million dollar cime spree he still can’t afford to make rent!
“When I get my hands on her, I’ll -!”
Umm, get them broken off and shoved up your ass, just before she punts you across town like a football?
Physical threats from the physically unthreatening never fail to amuse. π
Dr. Caliban is practically the size of a sofa cushion, so Sam could probably just sit on him and that would be the end of it. Hell, if there’s a better way to die, I haven’t thought of it!
Not cheesy, it’s….hmmm…let’s see…It’s a tribute to Will Eisner’s “Spirit.” Yeah, that’s what you did there!
I suppose I could have done an Eisner-type title where the broken parts of the robot on the ground spell out “SCAPULA” (or have the letters made out of the piles of dead bodies).
The greatest tribute to Eisner I can think of is never watching Frank Miller’s movie (sitting in for ten minutes of that crap was enough, thankyew).
It may be cheesy, but it’s a technique that’s stood the test of time for good reason: it’s clever and it works.
Scap really has grown up a bit on this one, eh? The old Scapula would be raging uselessly right now, but for once he’s keeping his calm composure. I get the feeling that even if his operation falls about his ears again, this time he’ll finally have a secret backup plan to get him right onto his feet again.
The ‘old’ Scapula would probably be throwing a fit or running away screaming (or grumbling while he reads a magazine). Will the ‘new and improved, version 2.0’ Scapula make the right choices this time, or is he going to screw up in new and untold ways?
(That’s the joy of growing up: learning from your past mistakes and then making brand new ones!)
I think the doctor should have answered something along the lines of “As if you had ever gotten something shoved up yours AGAINST your will!”
Ooooooooooooooooh, SNAP!
That’s actually a classy comeback, Zealot. Good Job!
No, cheesy is when the title is incorporated into the dialogue in a completely incongruous way or the scene is obviously contrived solely for the purpose of title inclusion. Yours here is seamless and logical – bravo, fine sir, bravo. π A tribute to the classics, rather than a cheesy ripoff – give yourself the due credit.
I am really liking some of the directions you’ve been taking lately. Scapula still isn’t a world class mastermind but he is no longer an inept clown either – he’s reaching a middle ground that I kinda like. A criminal Everyman as it were. And Hypnausea no longer seems like a parodic relief character, he really seems to have depth now and strikes me as a key player rather than a sidekick with delusions of grandeur.
Moving in the right direction, as always. I likes.
Waaaaaitaminnit…your description means that my use of the title is total cheese! I think…I dunno, I was busy eating some extra sharp cheddar that came from my next comic. D’ohhh!
In any case, I’m glad you’re enjoying the character development, and here’s hoping everyone will enjoy where the series is going (or when…did I mention that I’m bringing in time-travel to the series? Cheese ahoy!).
So, let’s see….. Sam’s wrecking Scap’s stuff. Scap is likely assuming Rizz is ratting out his heists. This can can go a couple ways:
Scap talks to Rizz, finds out if she is or isn’t (Sam COULD just be using her own connections), and maybe finds out which of his loser goons is blabbing his plans. He wisely chooses not to blame Rizz if she is handing along gossip, since she has helped him in the past and been as much a friend as anyone to him, and instead offers her a cash incentive to keep a lid on it if she’s actually the problem. If it turns out not to be Rizz, he finds out who it is from her.
OR
Scapula threatens Rizz, finds out who in his organization is the idiot, and shoots them. Rizz turfs him out or kicks his ass depending how big a gun he’s holding, and he loses one of his best connections.
OR
Scapula kills or severely injures Rizz, pisses off everyone who works around her and/or uses her bar as a neutral meeting point, screws himself for the forseeable future, and still has morons in his crew spilling the beans, plus gets the cops on him for a murder. Not to mention pisses off Sam even more.
Here’s hoping it’s option 1. Because as I’ve said before, you never mess with the bartender. That can get you messed up….. bad, and often when you least expect it, and sometimes several times over several years depending how much people liked the bar.
Well, I think you’re overlooking the most likely outcome: all of the characters turn into dachshunds by Darkevilhelldeath-Man’s magical powers. C’mon, I’ve been dropping the clues this entire time!
But honestly, one guess is as good as another, so let’s find out what Scap has on his wicked little mind…
I just hope you aren’t holding on that much convention merchandise (unless it is moving quicker than I thought)
Every year is a surprising new lesson in what sells and what doesn’t. I do have some unsold caricature prints left over from past convention seasons, although they’re more likely to end up in a recycling bin than a warehouse.
Oooh! Anybody else thinking grab-bag?
That could happen. Maybe this year I’ll save the leftovers and sell them at a nice discount.
…or make papier mΓ’chΓ©.
I second the idea of a grab bag. But also couldn’t hurt the actually list all that unsold swag. Your con audience is limited, but we’re all here and looking. π
They were going to steal Casserlynium, the single most powerful source of energy in the Scapula universe, which is extracted from Mr. Casserly’s unsold merchandise and from his sweat or something.
I drink a pot of coffee in the morning and a six pack of beer at night. The only thing I’m producing is NOT something you would want to use for a fuel source, merchandise, or anything that involves contact with your skin.