2026-05-07 - DMFA 2169 - Well, if you live long enough

[killpurakat]

Hopefully Biggs will get the whole story and choose to do the right thing and give the spear back.

Also... is there something off with today's comic? It looks less polished that Amber's usual work, but maybe they mentioned trying out a new style and I missed that?

[Tapewolf]

Hopefully Biggs will get the whole story and choose to do the right thing and give the spear back.

Assuming it's not already been scrapped.  Then again, he may be able to get a replacement made.  That won't have the sentimental value but it would at least protect the inn.  However, Destania won't like that and it puts Biggs into a big conflict of interest.

Also, Alexsi losing her hammer's powers (or un-powers?) is not going to be good when Tashatani comes to call.

[samidare]

Destania isn't doing a perfect job of discarding Alexsi here, looking at the second panel —- not surprising since she organized a kidnapping just to be able to see her.

But yeah, I doubt she's too willing to fix Alexis's mallet at this point.

[Radagast]

Damn, Biggs really is running the gamut, isn't he?  First he went mad with power, then sad with power...and now he's gone bad with power!

[samidare]

Maybe he'll lock in and become rad with power when he has the chance to turn to heroism?

[Cassi-kun]

And then he'll be glad with power!

[e_voyager]

Well bigs now you know why running a villainous organization can be so difficult. He was to say nothing of heroes governments and other villains also known as governments sneaking in infiltrators to make it harder to accomplish your missions

[Cassi-kun]

Also, can I say that Dee makes some fantastic faces on this page?

[Merlin]

Also... is there something off with today's comic? It looks less polished that Amber's usual work, but maybe they mentioned trying out a new style and I missed that?

I've been thinking about how to reply to this without being rude for a while but i think it looks great check your monitor lol

Amber's been doing lots of experimentation with line weights and I really like it! The amount of shading on the characters and detail in the backgrounds doesnt look any different to me than usual tbh

[Hariman]

Destania's relationship with her step-daughter is severely disappointing to me.

I think it was Abel who warned Dan that his mother wasn't the kind person he thought she was, and Abel is 100% right about that.

Ironically, Pyroduck is probably the only one of Hizell's get who ISN'T Destania's sworn enemy.

Damn, Biggs really is running the gamut, isn't he?  First he went mad with power, then sad with power...and now he's gone bad with power!

What's next, will he go Plaid with power?

Maybe he'll lock in and become rad with power when he has the chance to turn to heroism?

I think that's always been the goal, but it's hard when your minions and allies bring personal grudges into the mix.

[samidare]

I think Destania's relationship with her step-daughter isn't even consistent in her own head, considering how she's acted not just within this single comic, but overall. I basically think she's splitting.

[Anri]

Also, can I say that Dee makes some fantastic faces on this page?

I was coming to say the exact same thing! Absolutely amazing expressions.

[Chairtastic]

I think Biggs has finally realized his star is hitched to a wagon full of nitroglycerin.

He gave her clearance to settle personal vendettas and throw her family aside, now he's seeing she took him up on that.  Maybe it was meant to be sarcasm at the time, we don't know without hearing his voice -- but it appears to have been received as an order.

Regret, thy name is Biggs.

[Merlin]

personally i think biggs has never and will never do anything wrong. go biggs!!!

[samidare]

personally i think biggs has never and will never do anything wrong. go biggs!!!

This is a perspective I can respect.

[Moofy]

Ironically, Pyroduck is probably the only one of Hizell's get who ISN'T Destania's sworn enemy.

From the bits we've seen regarding the two of them, especially considering the feather that used to be attached to Pyroduck's braid was Destania's, I get the feeling that her malice toward him is entirely one-sided. After Pyro was raised by the phoenixes it seems like he must've spent more time around Fa'Lina/SAIA for her to consider him her "baby." He and Destania have almost certainly met before. Fa'Lina would prevent Destania from killing him outright but he's probably never actually done anything to her. Maybe some purposeful annoyance at best, swiping a feather from her? Destania is obviously overreacting in the current comic, but it could be to an even greater degree than it seems at first glance.

[Hariman]

Ironically, Pyroduck is probably the only one of Hizell's get who ISN'T Destania's sworn enemy.

From the bits we've seen regarding the two of them, especially considering the feather that used to be attached to Pyroduck's braid was Destania's, I get the feeling that her malice toward him is entirely one-sided. After Pyro was raised by the phoenixes it seems like he must've spent more time around Fa'Lina/SAIA for her to consider him her "baby." He and Destania have almost certainly met before. Fa'Lina would prevent Destania from killing him outright but he's probably never actually done anything to her. Maybe some purposeful annoyance at best, swiping a feather from her? Destania is obviously overreacting in the current comic, but it could be to an even greater degree than it seems at first glance.

If I remember correctly, Biggs and Destania have talked about either wiping out or driving away ALL the dragons.

Both of them do have personal reasons for that too.

But... yeah.  Of all the dragons, Pyroduck is probably furthest from the type of dragon she hates so much.

[e_voyager]

Let's see I think he started out being glad with power followed by mad with power then sad with power... I think someone already said bad with power but I can't think of a comic link for it

[Amber Williams]

I am indeed trying out new stuff all over the place, so if it looks a bit unpolished that may be why.

Shifting from sketching on paper to sketching fully digital has been a bit of a learning hike, and one of the effects I've noticed is the art isn't as tight in some spots while the poses/expressions are getting more pushed/dynamic.  Probably due to the fact that unlike on paper where I have to try to make every image count, I can now just erase/redraw a pose until it feels better.  I think I've also been kind of re-entering a more cartoony stage of art as well (hence the increase in wild expressions)

That combined with me trying to get better about drawing full body panels again along with trying to figure out a nice method of backgrounds along with the overall adjustments from switching art programs(I lost a few things that I now had to figure out how to recreate in Clip Studio so are less ideal)...so yeah right now I'd say the art is in a bit of a growing pains stage.

In the end I'm not too worried since I've always had the 4 steps forward 2 steps back approach. So I expect things will settle somewhat as I go, though where it settles on is still a mystery to even me.  Right now I've been just trying to follow the path of what feels right.

[killpurakat]

I am indeed trying out new stuff all over the place, so if it looks a bit unpolished that may be why.

Okay, makes sense. It's just a little off to my eye--mostly just the little changes in where and how much shading that made me question it, not the expressions or style, really--but that explains it. But yes, def just go with the good feelings. Hope you get everything figured out in the new programs and find what you like best so that you feel comfy using it and can enjoy doing more art, if you want to (absolutely no pressure, because I prefer my fav artists enjoy doing their art as much as possible). The adjustment period is always rough for changing anything like that, even if it is fun and new and exciting stuff.

Also, because it looks like this shall be a hell of a summer from what we've already got going on where I'm at and I know your neck of the woods sometimes gets hit even harder, I hope you are able to keep your environment at a nice temperature that is smoke-free for as long as possible. Especially while doing art.

(Yes, that last bit is a tiny bit selfish, as all the smoke from Canadian fires seems to migrate down to my area as well when they happen, especially during the summer, but I really do also hope your summer is nice and stress-free and pleasant. You haven't had that for awhile and deserve it.)

[joshofspam]

Whatever villain Biggs is referring to, let's just hope it isn't Starscream.

I just had a thought, and I don't think an exact date was ever given for it. Do you think the baby that Destania wanted to torture in her class could have been Pyroduck?

Certainly, would give an explanation of where he got the feather from. Tried to use him as a lecture subject and ended up losing a few feather when he reached out and grabbed a handful of them.

[Cassi-kun]

Do you think the baby that Destania wanted to torture in her class could have been Pyroduck?

That... seems believable. It would also help explain why Fa'Lina chose the Phoenix oracles to raise him, as they'd be most likely to see Destania coming.

[Radagast]

Let's see I think he started out being glad with power followed by mad with power then sad with power... I think someone already said bad with power but I can't think of a comic link for it

That one was me, joking about this very comic, in fact.

[Anders71]

Do you think the baby that Destania wanted to torture in her class could have been Pyroduck?

That... seems believable. It would also help explain why Fa'Lina chose the Phoenix oracles to raise him, as they'd be most likely to see Destania coming.

Depends on how much that's still being treated as canon. I feel like a lot of the more outre details from the earlier chapters have kinda been dropped as the comic got more serious.

[Viking ZX]

I will also chime in to say that Destania's expressions here are a lot of fun. Any "awkwardness" to them from the discussed medium shift I mentally filed under "unstable cubi shifting."

Because Sands and Storsm Destania is unstable. She needs some therapy. All the therapy, in fact.