Coloring Outside The Lines

This week marks the first major sign that I’m deviating from my characters’ origins just a wee bit. Which is just fine seeing as I’ve never given much of a sign as to what those origins were in the first place. The characters in this strip are loosely based on characters from various Middle-Earth Role Playing campaigns which would lead them to inhabit, one would suppose, Middle-Earth. I guess I just didn’t find that particular setting colorful enough. Either that or I just wanted to make $#@% up.

So I guess you could say that the setting of this comic is loosely based on Tolkien’s Middle Earth mushed together with a few of my own fevered embellishments. Then again, what isn’t. Collectively, the Elven Wards are simply Elven settlements/strongholds. The term comes from the Elves’ intense and stereotypical defense of them and all of Nature that lies within. Most elves aren’t really sure why they do this, but many suspect it’s mostly just because everyone expects them to. Not all Wards are forests, but the largest ones are, simply because of how easy it is to defend them. The few largest Wards also represent the core of Elven society and influence on the world. I have yet, of course, to name any of these important locations.

And as for my recent lack of Wednesdayness, I apologize. For some reason, it’s been difficult getting this recent stretch of comics on paper. My working-ahead reservoir has been on empty for quite a while, and I’m having difficulty translating my vision into actual comics. Of course, for this stretch, my “vision” can be summarized as: “I’ll just have this, this, and this happen, a short flash to that, maybe a mention of thing, and then move on!” This, of course, completely ignores the need for actual dialogue and perhaps a picture or two.

Anyway, as I drew the party busting in to Shirley’s room, I figured the next batch of strips would be pretty easy since I knew what would happen in them. Unfortunately, it’s turned out to be pretty slow going, pretty much because I know what will happen in them.

Also, on an unrelated note, I’d forgotten just how bad a game parts of Final Fantasy VII can be.