09/22/2013
The ‘gangster storylines’ may not be as wacky or humorous as the regular SCAPULA adventures, but I do use them as a test of my writing skills and to also stretch those creative muscles. What this type of comic lacks in laughs I try to make up for in mood, character development, and more of a cinematic storytelling. They’re more difficult for sure, but it’s important for comic creators to step out of their comfort zones every once in a while.
…and for those of you who hate it when SCAPULA gets serious, rest assured we’ll be hitting the action real soon!
Okay, when you hire security…… 1. Let them do their jobs, and 2. Don’t aggravate them. There is nothing, and I do mean NOTHING more irritating to security than the person they’re guarding being a jackass while they’re trying to do their job. You wonder why so many hollywood films feature treacherous bodyguards? Dick behaviour is an awful good motivator to seriously consider a few million dollar bribe. I personally don’t work in those upper circles, but I know enough bodyguards that do to have heard some pretty scary stories of jerkass bosses and how close they came to being pushed off a cliff or left unguarded in a hostile area. For my effort, I have decked people I’m guarding for touching me….. I’m a bodyguard, not a prostitute. Remember, if you’ve hired them, these are people you want to be willing to catch a bullet for you if needed. If they don’t like you, they might just err in their judgement.
On a less real-world note……. Tonio’s got that look to him. The ‘getting things done’ look. This is exciting!
Seems like common sense. Do not insult the waiters who bring your food (or the cooks who prepare it), lest you want pubic hair mashed into your pasta. Do not insult the busdriver, since you never know if he’s at the breaking point of his rotten life and wouldn’t mind driving off the first cliff on his route. And finally, do not insult the burly fellow who is being paid to get shot just to save your unpleasant self.
A few lessons in courtesy and common sense!
Pubic hair in your pasta is something you can typically recover from. A knife to the the chest, not so much.
An aggravated secretary delaying your purchase orders, *POOF* goes your business unit. An aggravated developper, *POOOF* goes your business plan. An aggravated admin *POOF* goes your IT infrastructure. An aggravated artist, *POOF* goes your comic.
There are problems more “letal” than a single curly hair in your budget fake-italian meal…
And then once you’ve increased your points in mood, character development, and cinematic storytelling, you can combine that with the wacky laughs!
Also, I was looking at The Jemini Killer again, and in the last page of that Scap says that he has “Plans like you’ve never dreamed of.” I guess Scap hadn’t dreamed of them, either, since he kinda ran out of ideas pretty quickly.
Wacky laughs are coming as soon as Jemini hires that troupe of wacky clowns into her operation. It will be devastatingly hilarious.
Scap’s a big talker, but wasn’t yet a big planner when he delivered that promise to his villainous colleagues. Will he be the same when we see him next?
when you start shipping yourself to other parts of the world because you think they need it you have crossed that unspoken boundary no one should willingly cross
I think I read that in a fortune cookie once (and yes, I added “in bed” to it).
No worries, Aidan. Your dramatic storylines are like a glass of water to cleanse the palette – makes the next course even tastier. And that’s about as classy a comment you’re likely to get, ya know? 😉
In the appetizing world of comics, SCAPULA is leftover Halloween candy and day-old coffee. Not for everyone, for sure, but some of us get by on it just fine!
You just reminded me of my experiments dissolving those rock hard caramel things into my lousy coffee. 100% improvement, actually!
I like the cool, semi-serious tone of this story, Aidan. It’s good to showcase that, regardless, of the silly antics that take place in this series occasionally, what the cast is doing is dangerous and often times serious. The story warrants segments like this.
Glad you enjoy, George–er, “Hank O. Seksiderkmiet”. Hope everyone else can enjoy the lack of silliness for a brief moment!
On an artistic note… Nice chandelier… how long did that take to draw? good detail… and the painting there in the background… It is unfamiliar to me…. hints?
Grey Wolf? where ya been? … was it something I said?
The chandelier is mostly traced from a photo with a few deviations, but yeah, it took a while.
I forget which painting that is (public domain, I assure you), since I tried to blur it out to match the background a little better. I’ve seen some comic artists who just copy and past paintings into their comics and the results are often jarring to the eye.
Agreed.
Screw you stretching your artistry and writing skills….I want fart jokes.