week 5

12/3 - Okay, this week we're going to try and take a stab (or two or three) at fantasy. I've loved in strips like "Nemo in Slumberland" and "Calvin and Hobbes" as well as movies like "ma vie in rose (my life in pink)" how they play with the fuzzy realty sometimes between fantasy and reality. It might end up cheezy, and it might not fit in her world, but you never know until you try. Anyhow, there are details I need to eventually decide on. Currently I'm giving her the imaginary name of "Elusia", but possibly it might be too confusing, maybe she should be "Madge" there too. We'll see. We'll see how it goes.

12/4 - I love the punchline, but am still not sure about her fantasy-world. I do plan to do the entire week on the "fantasy" vein, but just to see here it'll feel when drawn. Writing a story often has a much different feel when drawn.

12/5 - Again, I really enjoyed writing this one and enjoy the punchline, but still, the whole fantasy world thing isn't working for me. I'm considering cutting bait (rather than fishing, you know...) and going to other strips for this week, but I'm still in a weird way enjoying doing this week, even though i already have almost decided it's self-defeating. But hm... yeah. Feel free to throw me any ideas, but I've really got my hand in the air right now. Oh, and the whole Madjj thing was an idea from a reader named Sioux, to adjust her name rather than change it. I'm not sold on either, but i thought I'd see how it looks. Anyhow......

12/6 - So I dropped it. The whole fantasy bit wasn't cuttin' it. Unfortunately, between the time i made that decision this morning, that i wasn't going to continue on that vein, and the time when i had to go to work, i didn't have time to write anything new, and so I pulled one of the old Shep&May strips i had planned to re-draw, and so that's todays. I added the original below, just for comparison. Unlike the last "re-draw" I did, this contains the exact same text, but obviously it is drawn differently. I think both have their merits, but I like the newer one a bit better, plus it was much more exciting to draw. Not only the shadows and perspective change, but I also like that Madge has more motion and body-movement involvement.

12/7 - Eh, another re-draw. I think it's also a success. More solid, more expressive. I really think the new angle on panel two brings it to life, really gives madge the older-sister-not-taking-any-crap image. Anyhow, as before, the original from "Shep&May" is posted just below it. Sorry, it's nothing new and exciting. Still re-grouping in my head. Thinking about next week trying to better integrate sheppard and maybe develop Jim a bit more, both of which I think i mentioned as things I had planned to do this week, before i became distracted with the fantasy tangent. A total crow seeing sparkley things.