^ 24 Comments...

1. wysiwyg
   May 22nd, 2009 at 11:54 pm

   Hurrah for fiddly bits!

   As always, more fiddly bits are available in the “hot stuff” section.

2. The MacNut
   May 23rd, 2009 at 12:45 am

   Nicely done page JE, well worth the wait! Heh, get grabby with Zona, lose some fingers-talk about an incentive to keep your hands to yourself (without an express invitation like Mentl got…)!

   Speaking of Mentl, looks like he’s about to get jumped (unless he’s seen someone trying to sneak in on the ladies from the flank), and if he doesn’t react quickly, he may not get much a chance to participate in this fight-or maybe anything else ever again.

   As for who he may have seen, well, I’ll get in my early vote for a not-so-dead and rather PO’d Ginsha…

3. Captain Marsupial
   May 23rd, 2009 at 1:32 am

   Whoa! Fast and Furious. Mentl is going to have to train, soon, ’cause this singing from the seat of your pants is going to get him killed. Luckily there’s big Kitties and an even bigger gal to help save his butt.

   I’m curious about the magic language. Is it following any form, or just magic-y sounding words?

   This strip really rocks.

4. Meltman
   May 23rd, 2009 at 2:39 am

   lets see spell caster vs spell caster, brute vs brute, Mentl vs………does the enemy even understand what he is yet. BTW song spell suggestion “Shake it up” by “The Cars” 1981…..just encase an earthquake is needed in the story line. Also love the red highlight you used to split the panels, draws the eyes to key areas and focuses the readers to that spot…..also useful when playing slight of hand or in this case eyes if you don’t want the reader to notice key details too quickly……..:)

5. hans
   May 23rd, 2009 at 3:37 am

   Fuuuu

   Very awesome page, can´t wait for the next one.

6. Tricksterson
   May 23rd, 2009 at 4:52 am

   I’m betting that’s Ginsha behind him. What exactly she wants considering what happened last time could be anything.
   Meltman, I’m pretty sure they established that music is something almost unknown, at least for entertainment purposes so I’m guessing Mentl’s form of magic is extremely rare if not unique.

7. The MacNut
   May 23rd, 2009 at 7:06 am

   Music unknown? Um no, they have music (notice early on the the series Mentl acquires some kind of guitar/lyre from one of the victims of the first set of Urrts he encounters) just not the type of rock ‘n roll music Mentl knows and plays.

8. Lebbrin
   May 23rd, 2009 at 10:09 am

   Oh, man. Waiting for the next strip is like waiting for Christmas/Birthday all rolled in to one.

   JE, My hat is off to you. I have never followed a comic like this.

   And by the way, I think we set a comment record on the last one.

   Keep up the great work. I’m going to master time travel so I can jump a few years ahead and read the whole thing.

9. Ami
   May 23rd, 2009 at 10:10 am

   I’m also very much hoping for Ginsha; I have this strange desire to see her go to the good side, just for the sake of watching Zona try to control herself.

   How is Mentl planning to cope with the time delay on his magic? He had to sing a few bars in the Great Balls of Fire episode to get the effect, so if someone were to take him by surprise he would appear to be pretty screwed.

10. Bill McNutt
    May 23rd, 2009 at 11:28 am

    We hates clifhanger panels. We hates them forever!

11. JEDraft
    May 23rd, 2009 at 6:45 pm

    wysiwyg, Well, it looks pretty fiddly to me, but then I’m very fussy. Have to be. I’ll be putting up something fun in Hot Stuff soon.
    MacNut, Yeah, “Don’t tell me no lies, and keep yo’ hands to yo’self!” as the song goes. Thanks, as far as I’m concerned, it’s just nice that it’s done!
    Captain Marsupial, As I have said before a couple of times, I’m no Professor Tolkien. Nonetheless, once I create or derive a word, based on onomatopoeia or its imagined devolution from “modern” common speech (English) I try very hard to stay consistent with it. You’ll notice, for instaqnce, that three times so far Tula has used the Moonfire spell, (twice successfully) and always it’s fired with the same trigger word, “paio.” That was originally just onomatopoeia on my part, but it’s also easy to project as having the same roots as the modern word “power,” just as “deiaLuna” is “Moon Goddess,” but modern Erogenians also refer to Her proper name as “Luna” and have the word “deity” in their language. Similarly, The Urtt speech and the ancient Erogenian actually have common roots, which will become more apparent later, and one of the reasons it was not difficult for Tula to master it. Yes, I do think of these things and rationalize them extensively! To me, the most important part is not to create a usable toy language, but to have whatever you do use and whatever rules you set in place in your world consistent. Even Burroughs did that.
    Meltman, thanks for the nice words. And to answer your question, it is doubtful that the enemy even knows what Mentl really is, yet. Yet.
    hans, Thanks! And, well, have a nice wait, but Tuesday will be on time, and maybe some stuff in between, depending on how busy I get on Memorial Day.
    Tricksterson, As we’ve shown a couple of times, notably in the Kivalian court, there is a good variety of music in this world. What they don’t have, especially in Erogenia, is the kind of “love song” that evolved into the wide variety of forms, styles and, indeed, its own powerful culture that we have on Earth - especially in Rock and Roll. Erogenian music is not to be sniffed at, though, and their music and dance are very important to them, especially in the oral tradition of their myths and stories, and in the regular ritual and casual dances that are central to their social lives.
    Lebbrin - Well, I ain’t Santy Claus, but on Tuesday you’ll get to open your present. Thanks so much for the kind comments! And yeah, we did set a record. Keep it up, kids.
    Ami, How, indeed, is Mentl gonna cope? Tune in next Tuesday, same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel!

    Bill McNutt - What have I got in my pocket? Find out Tuesday.

12. Meltman
    May 24th, 2009 at 11:11 am

    I found myself admiring the lighting you did on Mentl in the mid-left panel and then started wondering, When did Mentl pick up that bracer and does it have a similar utility function as Zona’s bracers? Correct me if I’m off-base with this but Erogenians don’t seem to were the items of vanity unless its also useful or is a mark of their station either in their culture or in a relationship. Mentl has no Erogenians tittle but is up close with a princess. Still if the bracer was given to Mentl by either of our lovely ladies I bet its either good for hiding a weapon or boosting ones control over their own magic. Maybe I’m just over thinking things.

13. Kern
    May 24th, 2009 at 3:27 pm

    Random thought…

    If Mentl were to sing, say, the opening bars to ‘Downtown’, would that count as a teleportation spell?

14. Kit Kat
    May 24th, 2009 at 6:25 pm

    I LOVE the bottom-left panel, where Zona is slashing off the ogre’s fingers with that mildly bloodthirsty grin on her face. Everything about it– her expression, the way her hair is moving, the way her fighting style is so strong yet still looks a bit feminine, just by the way she’s got her legs tucked and such– is totally awesome.

    Gaaah, will be hard to wait till Tuesday…

15. MaryLynne
    May 24th, 2009 at 7:20 pm

    And again Tula has a wallpaper-worthy scene in that first panel. Very nice!

16. Elfguy
    May 24th, 2009 at 8:53 pm

    @Kern;

    I think that would all depend on his intent, and how well he could focus the energy. From what we’ve seen, the effect he gets depends a lot on both his intent, and his state of mind. I doubt Zona would like being plucked from the middle of a good scrap though.

17. Gemma
    May 24th, 2009 at 11:21 pm

    JE, how long do you think your response-comments will get in say, twenty pages?

    Heehee, KitKat’s right. Awesome panel of Zona’s fight.

18. TB
    May 25th, 2009 at 7:14 am

    SO I have a question that comes up in any story told about characters in a barbarianesque “primative” world. How do the ladies shave their legs on a daily basis? I see Mentl’s beard grow in, but the girls are always runway fresh.. and lemme tell you you CANNOT shave your legs using a straightrazor.

19. Ami
    May 25th, 2009 at 8:37 am

    Just making sure I didn’t miss an exposition on magickal mechanics. Maybe since Mentl can’t get off a spell that fast, we’ll get to see the return of the mighty frying pan…

20. Karyl
    May 25th, 2009 at 11:02 am

    This rocks! I am glad I waited until today to view it as I don’t have so long to wait for the following panels. I really enjoy the characters and their development in this story.

21. Nova
    May 25th, 2009 at 12:47 pm

    What is that inside the circle?

22. JEDraft
    May 25th, 2009 at 5:45 pm

    Meltman, I think you’re overthinking it. A bit. Mentl got the bracelet when he got his clothes, as part of Ginsha’s junk cast-off from the loot that the Urtts stole from their victims. It has little intrinsic value, at least as far as the Urtts could see. It is a nice little bit of bronze, and as such has some monetary value in this culture. The gals each wear their torcs, which is their badge of having passed through the rites of adulthood at 17. They’re both fine pieces of precious metals of gold and silver, which shows their status as princesses. The bracers Zona wears, as has been established, have the function of protective spells as well as being where she keeps her little knives, Jim West-style. The matching armlets that Tula wears are jewelry that can, in a pinch, be used as money. The silver serpentine around her right forearm is specifically designed to be used as money. Bits of it can be broken off as needed.
    Kern, Maybe. As elfguy points out, it really depends on his intent and the circumstances.
    Kit-Kat, yeah, that’s one of my faves, too. I just imagine her really in her element, there. Tuesday is tomorrow.
    MaryLynne, thanks, darlin.’

    Gemma, who knows. It could be that folks will get bored, and Zona is no longer the flavor of the week - or, we could pick up some steam. Who knows? But I am grateful for every one of you, no lie.

    TB, The real reason, in my case, is that there are no appropriately “hairy” textures out there to use, and I cannot devote the time to re-texturing all the girls to reflect the fact that Erogenians do not shave their legs at all. Tula and especially Zona and Tiri are naturally fair and have really fine hair on their legs that would be, from any distance, virtually invisible anyway. When I think of it at all, which I didn’t in the case of the above artwork, I usually try to reflect that with some fine underarm hair when it would normally be visible. Athletic women (and men, for that matter) who run and jump and cavort as my heroines do need that hair in order to keep their underarms from chafing.

    Ami, You shall see.

    Karyl, tomorrow, be here and you will find out.

    Nova, Magick Stuff! Evilness! Or, to quote Egg Shen, “Wind, fire, all that kind of thing! “

23. warnie
    May 25th, 2009 at 9:57 pm

    The light show continues well done there mate!

24. Ghost
    May 25th, 2009 at 10:31 pm

    Coming back once again, I’ve been looking up old songs. Still no idea what he’s going to do. Magic Missile?!?!? Never know. Either way, still really awesome. And I know it’s REALLY late for it, but since I started reading just a week ago or so, I probably missed my chance.

    If you get a chance, http://www.soulgeek.com/comics/zona/2008/09/12/page-214/ Last Panel. Would be an AMAZING wallpaper. I didn’t see it anywhere else, and I don’t know if someone else suggested it already, but. Even Panel two where Mentl is is glowing from all the magicky stuffs. I’d love to slap it on the background of my dual monitors, have wonderful magicky artwork staring back at me all day long. You know, if you get a chance. If you don’t..I’m sure the next spell he casts will look just as epic.

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