9: Welcome to Utah
Jeremy: I love how this strip turned out. I’d like to call it a “phase in character evolution” strip. Drawing Balthazar in more detail in his special “signature” strip two weeks ago made me want to try to open up his features a little more, and the script for this one gave me that opportunity. Panel 1 – The old Balthazar. Panel 2 and 3 – the NEW Balthazar! Yes folks, this is the first strip where you can see the whites of his eyes (and a tiny bit more detail in his nose)! It was necessary to open the eyes up just to portray the elevated emotions he is experiencing in Panels 2 and 3.
When I created the initial character drawings for Bal, I wanted to show him as a relaxed, unflappable type. The half moon “anime-inspired” slits for eyes (looking like closed eyes) embodied some of these characteristics for me. After all, seeing eye whites really helps portray a wider range of character emotions, so not showing the whites of the eyes was my interpretation of a character with a more even-keeled personality – one that shows a much more limited range of emotions. But lo and behold, Bal is showing some real emotion! I plan to, at least for now, continue to go with “squinty” (as Jeff calls them), or closed (but a little more detailed), eyes for Bal in future strips, but we will start seeing his eye whites a little more. This will become especially apparent as these guys begin to realize that independently touring is just a bit harder than they might initially have imagined…
Jeff: And immediately after I wrote this strip, two separate families I know took trips out west that brought them to the Beehive State, itself: Utah. No, I did not make up that nickname. And I’m sure that Utahns are very proud of their state’s nickname. No, I did not make up the demonym for people from Utah, either. I mean, seriously, how could I make fun of a state that has a Dutch Oven as it’s official State Cooking Pot? Or Dubhe as the official State Star (FYI: It’s located in the Beehive Cluster)?
Well, to be fair, the State Fish is the Bonneville Cutthroat Trout, and ya gotta admire a state that has an official anything with the word “cutthroat” in it. Admire and not make fun of. Yeah, so…I’m done.
“Utahn”.
Jeremy: Dude, you’re a weird word-usin’ strangehive.
Oh yeah, and I’m starting a band called Bonneville Cutthroat Trout now. We’re using fish and knives as instruments, and we’re only playing shows in the Dubhe system. Who’s with me?!
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