The Art of Last Resort (among other things)

[superluser]

Not using the LiveJournal forum, anymore?

Anyways, I'm wondering about the exposition.  It seems to come fast and furious, and with the subtlety of a hand grenade.  Have you thought about trying do exposition a little more subtly?

[Zedd]

Nice an update and dont he be a classical douchebag

[Jigsaw Forte]

Not using the LiveJournal forum, anymore?

Anyways, I'm wondering about the exposition.  It seems to come fast and furious, and with the subtlety of a hand grenade.  Have you thought about trying do exposition a little more subtly?

I have week-long gaps between each page, and it's the first few issues still. 'Subtle' exposition that takes a few weeks to get through the whole story results in a pacing that may not be sustainable the way it is in a faster strip.

[superluser]

I have week-long gaps between each page, and it's the first few issues still. 'Subtle' exposition that takes a few weeks to get through the whole story results in a pacing that may not be sustainable the way it is in a faster strip.

True.  Actually, most of the exposition was fine.  I just felt that the ``It will be an honor and a pleasure to be your executioner'' line could have been a little more deftly worded.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

The other option is pushing a faster update schedule for the exposition, and then falling back once you get into the swing of things. Of course, that presumes you have a backlog, and are willing to do that, etc etc...

And -able- to do that, as well. The time taken to do a comic is significant, and if your time runs out, there's only so much you can do without burning out, and nobody wants that. :-]

[superluser]

The other option is pushing a faster update schedule for the exposition

No.  I'm trying to think about how I'd do it, but it's important to note that I'm not suggesting anything that would change how fast exposition is happening or how frequently the strip updates, because I think that would be rude.

I'm trying to think of how I would do it.  I guess I'd probably do something like p.23, last panel--

ARCHANIS: You sound like you're from Fenirel, and yet you seem positively ecstatic to see me.  I guess that can mean only one thing...

P.24, first panel

ARCHANIS: ...you're here to kill me.

I guess my only issue is that the way it is, it *sounds* like exposition.  By placing the words in someone else's mouth, you break up the flow a little bit.

I also have a habit of taking things that are good (and this is good) and trying to make them perfect, which often results in making them worse, so please take what I say with a grain of salt.

[Jigsaw Forte]

The other option is pushing a faster update schedule for the exposition

No.  I'm trying to think about how I'd do it, but it's important to note that I'm not suggesting anything that would change how fast exposition is happening or how frequently the strip updates, because I think that would be rude.

I'm trying to think of how I would do it.  I guess I'd probably do something like p.23, last panel--

ARCHANIS: You sound like you're from Fenirel, and yet you seem positively ecstatic to see me.  I guess that can mean only one thing...

P.24, first panel

ARCHANIS: ...you're here to kill me.

I guess my only issue is that the way it is, it *sounds* like exposition.  By placing the words in someone else's mouth, you break up the flow a little bit.

I also have a habit of taking things that are good (and this is good) and trying to make them perfect, which often results in making them worse, so please take what I say with a grain of salt.

I'll keep it in mind for later on - And by 'later on' I mean I'm coloring page 38 at this point and it'll be some time before you see your suggestion taken into account just by the sheer amount of time to pass.

Yeah, it's a little heavy-handed, but as you'll see next page, Jason's getting a little ahead of himself. 

EDIT: and while we're at this . . . answers to questions I ignored earlier:

My artistic pace at college is weekly; Obviously since I have far more free time in the summer, I could in theory increase my schedule, but I'd rather have a backlog built up so when I return to college / head for Canada later this year/ feel like getting drunk with friends at some point, you guys don't have to deal with filler or late updates (at least none that are late thanks to anything on my end). So while things are slow now, at least they're steady.

I do intend at some point to increase the pace eventually (and by 'eventually' I mean I'll need at least enough buffer to cover the current schedule until next summer - we're talking in the 30-40 backlog range), but for the quality of comic I'm turning out, you're already getting some awesome stuff on a weekly basis.

The livejournal forum's been taken out of the link lineup for right now because I felt it reflected worse on the comic to have a forum that nobody bothered to use, than to not have a forum until people started asking for it.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I do intend at some point to increase the pace eventually (and by 'eventually' I mean I'll need at least enough buffer to cover the current schedule until next summer - we're talking in the 30-40 backlog range), but for the quality of comic I'm turning out, you're already getting some awesome stuff on a weekly basis.

Heh. Indeed.

[Jigsaw Forte]

I do intend at some point to increase the pace eventually (and by 'eventually' I mean I'll need at least enough buffer to cover the current schedule until next summer - we're talking in the 30-40 backlog range), but for the quality of comic I'm turning out, you're already getting some awesome stuff on a weekly basis.

Heh. Indeed.

Well, this is me thinking "I can make a page a week, so if I have a buffer that's also up to a page a week, I can get out two a week that way". The 'until next summer' breaking point is a matter of thinking that if I can make it that far,  then I'll be covering myself until the next big production glut.

What's more likely is that I'll hold onto the buffer and release bonus comics as donation incentives every now and then, once I have a reasonably steady idea.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

...which is entirely reasonable enough.

[Jigsaw Forte]

new Update!

And a BLOG, too!

[KarlOmega1]

oh boy....the guy should not be laughing and thinking that around someone that can hear thoughts...

(is referring to the comic update)

[Jigsaw Forte]

New comic, as usual. 

[Jigsaw Forte]

New Page! http://lastresort.xepher.net/archive.php?comic=26

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I noticed. ;-]

[AndersW]

I can't follow who is saying what, when, in the top half of comic #25

[Jigsaw Forte]

I can't follow who is saying what, when, in the top half of comic #25

Accidentally on purpose, because there's two ways to interpret the situation:

• You can either read Damien's thoughts as occurring 'just at' the moment Jigsaw twigs that he's inspecting her -- the text zig-zags that first bit. This tips us off that Damien's looking mostly at 'them' (as in her eyes) to try and determine if she's an Inside or not.
  
  
• OR you can view Damien's "A little more... YES!" moment at his gaining a visual bead on Jigsaw's soul once she gives him eye contact, and text occurs in the order it originates from a specific panel. In this one, the 'them' is in the pair of soulprints she's giving off, which as you can probably guess aren't normal and are a sign of SOMETHING important... but still only so much information, and either way not enough to be conclusive, at least to an inexperienced Touched like Damien.

The correct answer is most likely 'a little of both', and either way Jigsaw has good reason to watch out for him, let alone... well...

[AndersW]

What makes it really hard to figure out is that I have trouble figuring out who said what.  Like is that his line or her line.  Being unsure of that makes it even more confusing in trying to figure out.

[Zedd]

Look out its porn!

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Zedd, the limits on necromancy still count.

I'm presuming this one was a mistake. Don't make me regret that.