^ 42 Comments...

1. TB
   February 17th, 2010 at 3:46 am

   So many double entendres…mind reeling…GIANT WANG….ugh that was purgative.

2. SagaciousNJ
   February 17th, 2010 at 3:59 am

   Am I the only one who thinks “Kate Mulgrew” everytime they see the queen?

3. The Old Hack
   February 17th, 2010 at 4:07 am

   *snicker* I really love the relationship between Zona and her mother. (May I be forgiven, but I keep wanting to turn ‘Ipola’ into ‘Epona.’ Well I am going to use as an excuse that she has most of the QUALIFICATIONS for being a goddess, of horses or whatever else she decided to be a goddess of!)

4. Moox
   February 17th, 2010 at 4:41 am

   aaaand he’s done it again.
   *clap clap clap*
   Haiku time!

   Missing bells now found
   Bursting at the seams with love
   Mother’s little smile

   Damn you JED, you made me love another character. What a well-written scene. Totally believable from beginning to end, and with so much heart it could make you cry. Tons of character depth packed into the “tiny package” of a comic page, to the point where I think anyone could read this page and understand what was going on from all the little clues. Every line seems spot-on to me in this scene, from the way Zona goes into kid-mode when around her mom, to the way even Ipola is confused by Zona’s choice.

   Thank you,
   Moox

5. Moox
   February 17th, 2010 at 4:44 am

   …oh yeah, and please everyone forgive me for asking, but why are Zona’s nipples erect?
   Sorry!
   Moox

6. Jean
   February 17th, 2010 at 4:57 am

   Mother and daughter definitely share the same nose, it’s very apparent in this page.

   (Moox, she’s thinking of Mentle, duh! Actually, I think it’s just that the pattern emphasizes those points on her body, that’s all.)

7. Moox
   February 17th, 2010 at 5:15 am

   No Jean, you can definitely see one very clearly defined against her arm in the first panel. It’s not the pattern, but it may not really have an explanation.

8. Gremalkin
   February 17th, 2010 at 5:23 am

   This page really shows the open and warm relationship Zona has with her mother. I like ! And hearing her description of Mentl is kind of an eye opener. He IS everyting she is describing, even though he does not think so himselfe. All he needs are a bit more practice and self confidence.

9. Doc Alaska
   February 17th, 2010 at 5:30 am

   Aah! I needed that. Thank you. So will you be putting Zona’s mother in hot stuff category?

10. Jean
    February 17th, 2010 at 7:24 am

    Ah, well…I think that’s just JED appreciating the beauty of a well-formed mammary. Moox. As he is the artist, we shall simply sit back and do our best to admire his taste. (Or at least giggle quietly, if anyone is inclined to do so.)

11. Jean
    February 17th, 2010 at 7:27 am

    …BTW did anyone notice that her mother *already* had the silver bells with her? She has her arm coyly tucked behind her back before she presents them. She –knew– Zona would be looking for them, or at least had a pretty strong guess going, one which has paid off.

    Very clever of her, too, using them and Zona’s need to dance First Dance (whatever that means; I look forward to finding out) to interrogate her daughter about her daughter’s affection for this oddball outworlder in their midst. She may admire Mentl’s traits, but she’s still a mum, and is still going to suss out what kind of man her precious eldest little girl has fallen for. Particularly since he doesn’t fit Zona’s “usual” mold.

    ….*must not poke the artist, must not poke the artist, he’s working as fast as he can*…

12. Fred
    February 17th, 2010 at 7:48 am

    Another great page!

    It seems to me JED explained that Zona’s nipples are always erect.

13. Sockpuppet
    February 17th, 2010 at 7:51 am

    hahaha! what a great scene…mom anticipated it totally, and Zona is so preoccupied she didn’t even notice

14. Lora
    February 17th, 2010 at 8:13 am

    Lol. The bells was for the angles. Now I’m curious to see what first dance is like. (And how disappointed all the guys asking Tula to do it will be).

    Great page as always, JED.

15. tricksterson
    February 17th, 2010 at 8:42 am

    Doc Alaska: If Ipona’s first appearance didn’t qualify her as Hot Mom material to you, I don’t know what to say.
    And yeah, she’s pretty damn close to perfect isn’t she?

16. Black Ethel
    February 17th, 2010 at 10:08 am

    While the stars that oversprinkle
    All the heavens, seem to twinkle
    With a crystalline delight;
    Keeping time, time, time,
    In a sort of Runic rhyme,
    To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
    From the bells, bells, bells, bells,
    Bells, bells, bells-
    From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

    I like that thingie…crown?…headband?…that Zona is wearing.

17. AdamZero
    February 17th, 2010 at 10:33 am

    Ethel, I’m pretty sure that falls into the category of ‘circlet’ right now.

    and Ipola is the best queen ever, gotta say I wouldn’t mind strolling around Erogenia right now (in their guest friendly zones of course, I’m no tresspasser)

18. Someguy
    February 17th, 2010 at 10:54 am

    Two things one “MO-ther!” is hilarious. Bet few people have seen the teenage girl side of Zona lately. Secondly ladies I’ve got to ask is discussing “size with your mothers common? Because that is freaking me out a little.

19. Elvis
    February 17th, 2010 at 10:58 am

    this low-lighting really shows off your art. Zona looks so gorgeous and the most realistic of any pages thus far, in my humble opinion.

20. Dragonson
    February 17th, 2010 at 11:14 am

    “Let me tell you about this “Package” mother…”
    JED does it again. ^^

21. JE Draft
    February 17th, 2010 at 11:47 am

    TB - Hope you feel better now!

    SagaciousNJ - No, you are not. I would totally cast her as Ipola.

    The Old Hack - Actually, “Epona” was the original inspiration for her name. Points to you.

    Moox - Wonderful, thank you very much. We all tend to regress a bit when we’re at home. Plus, it’s funny, I think. And a poem, as well! Loverly.

    Oh, her nipples aren’t fully erect, per se. It’s just that I did design that attribute of my fantasy princess based on a wonderful lover of mine back in the day who couldn’t hide them no matter what she did. Thick sweaters, padded bras, bandaids, you name it, they *always* showed. I was one of the lucky few who actually got to spend time with them in their fully revealed state, and it left an indelible impression on my tiny mind.

    Jean - Oh, yes, and virtually the same face with minor differences.

    Gremalkin - Yes, one thing I had to do is make it at least plausible that a gal like Zona could actually fall for a guy like Mentl. As cute as he is and can be, in my experience it requires more than just that to sustain attraction in a woman, especially someone high status like Zona.

    Doc Alaska - Absolutely. Waiting for the right idea to strike, though.

    Jean - Yes, she already had a strong suspicion that Zona would want them. There’s a very interesting story about those bells which will unwind in due course soon.

    Fred - Thanks, but not quite always *erect,* just as generously proportioned as the rest of her.

    Sockpuppet - Yup.

    Lora - thanks, of course. And yes, there will be dancin’. Just wait until the Erogenian men get out their top hats and canes …

    tricksterson - Thanks, but as to “perfection,” it’s a matter of aesthetics - very subjective. I’m gratified that you seem to agree with mine, though for others we hope that they can still enjoy the storyline and the characters.

    Black Ethel - Wow, it’s “Poetry Corner” today, isn’t it? And yes, AdamZero is correct. I think “circlet” is right.

    AdamZero - “Best Queen Ever?” Hmmm… Well, I also have my favorites.

    Eleanor of Aquitaine
    Elizabeth I
    “Queenie” Elizabeth from Black Adder 2
    Queen Latifa
    Butterfly McQueen

    Anybody else?

    Someguy - Freak not, just remember that this *is* Erogenia, and things are a *bit* different here.

    Elvis - Thank you so much! It’s a bitch to manage sometimes from all the different angles, you have no idea. Still, I didn’t have nearly the problems I was anticipating. It was just time-consuming populating the set with all the details

    Dragonson - Thanks so much.

22. Matti
    February 17th, 2010 at 12:38 pm

    Hmm… What did Tula tell to mother? She should have definitely tell how he has risked his life to save Zona with nothing but ‘mighty frying pan’ and GREAT BALLS OF FIRE

23. Steinar
    February 17th, 2010 at 2:23 pm

    Zona is absurdly cute in this entire sequence, but what really drives it home for me is when she is “gushing about her boyfriend” in panel 6 here. It’s really fun to see this side of her, all the while it still feels perfectly in character and right for her.

24. Steinar
    February 17th, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    And btw, a lot of females I know still use the phrase “Who’s queen?!” from Blackadder 2.

25. Jean
    February 17th, 2010 at 5:27 pm

    Someguy, I think the part where Zona is willing to discuss Mentl’s “package” with her mother really shows how open and free Erogenia is as a culture, regarding sex. In America, we still have a bit of a Puritanical influence running through our culture. “Sex is dirty, don’t talk about it!” and all that rubbish. (Mind you, I don’t want to contemplate my parents…you-know-ing…even though I know they did, obviously, but it’s more because they’re my parents and I’d like to keep them as mummy and daddy in my inner child brain for as long as possible, even though I just turned 38, thbbpt.) In the Hindu culture (at least, prior to the English colonizing the subcontinent and enforcing their prudish attitudes on everyone they met), sex is a noble pursuit of the Third Way (there are 5 different Ways), which is one of the ways a good Hindu soul can perform their dharma (duties/actions/expectations as a citizen) well enough to ensure good kharma (fate/luck/consequences). (This is a simplified explanation, but that’s the essence of it.)

    It’s clear Erogenians have a definite set of codes for things like honesty, balancing the cha, and lovemaking. In the case of lovemaking, it HAS to be fully consensual on both sides; we can recall Zona fretting over having snatched Mentl away from all those enraptured females in the Kivalian court (and an interest-piqued Tethik, for that matter). We know from the lady-twins strolling by that they have no “body-issues” as Mentl put it so wonderfully. In fact, I’d say the Erogenians have a sort of Third Way of their own, since it’s clear sex is an accepted part of their culture, that there are clear rules for it, that no one shies away from talking about it (save only for a certain amount of discretion to ensure a person’s right to privacy is respected), and that it’s important for children to feel comfortable discussing it with their parents so that they’ll grow up knowing how to BE a good and proper Erogenian citizen. Just like they need to feel comfortable discussing things like proper behavior at a dance, or a festival, or a funeral, or…

26. Jean
    February 17th, 2010 at 5:31 pm

    …If y’all can’t tell, I am really enjoying the culture-building JED’s clearly done, both Erogenian and Kivalian, and the overall world-building. This pleases me as both a reader and a fellow writer. Alas, not everyone gives these things such careful thought…

27. ICEKAT
    February 17th, 2010 at 6:03 pm

    Careful thought indeed, and there’s even more to it than can be fully discussed here. JE, wonderful, masterful work, thank you for sharing.

28. James
    February 17th, 2010 at 6:37 pm

    “Just wait until the Erogenian men get out their top hats and canes …” Y’know, there’s a large tradition throughout cultures throughout history of men being the ones who do the majority of dancing. I even heard of one where woodsmen would clang axes together.

    Hey, if Ipona is listed as being 39, how old are Zona and Tula anyway? To me, most of the time Zona looks around late-20s to 30 years old. And that is no way a bad thing.

29. Sarge
    February 17th, 2010 at 8:07 pm

    JED, if Empresses count in your “Queens’ List,” one vote goes to Catherine I of Russia, nee’ Martha Skavronskya. Wife of a Lithuanian(?) cavalry officer (Lithuania lost the war), she went from POW and hostage to sex slave, to maid/bedwarmer at a noble’s estate, where she warmed Tsar Peter’s bed well enough to become his mistress and he later married her (twice). Very clever, she became a trusted advisor and accompanied Peter on military campaigns. At one point Peter’s army was surrounded and apparently doomed. Catharine proposed a strategem which worked and saved the Army and probably Russia. Her portraits show a plain short woman with incredibly gay and lively expressions. She just looks FUN to be with.
    There are some notable African and Asian Queens as well - fantastic women, really; but this post is long enough.
    Wonderful page, BTW, great insights into the Royal Family.

30. Sleepinin
    February 17th, 2010 at 9:31 pm

    Erogenian men with top hats and canes?

    “Why don’t you go where fashion sits?” “Puttin’ on the Ritz”

31. JE Draft
    February 17th, 2010 at 9:51 pm

    Matti - She gave a good report of all pertinent details, you may be sure.

    Steinar - I think so. She’s really letting her hair down, despite the new wig, and she’s quite thrilled about it.
    “Percy? Who’s the queen?”

    “Oops! Butterfingers!”

    Jean - It’s all of that and something more besides. I think that you will see that I’ve tried to put a bit of realism and my own life experience into creating this toy culture, and that despite some of the attractive aspects (to our eyes) of Erogenia, some of the down side of their ways will also become evident fairly soon. To me that lifts it out of the realm of a complete Utopia (which literally means “Place That Never Existed” ) into something that I can actually believe people could make and live in. I do not believe that human beings are ever ever ever capable of creating perfect solutions to their problems. Workable ones, yes, but no human society is perfect, and my barbarians, despite the prevalence of impossible anatomies, are decidedly human and quite imperfect.

    ICEKAT - Thank you very much. Yes, some day I have to rewrite “The Vacationer’s Guide To Erogenia” and put it all down so that it isn’t in scattered notes or just in my head.

    James - I should put this in the FAQ. At the time of this present adventure, Zona is 26, Ipola is 46, Tula is 22, Mentl is 25, Yanora is 50 or 51, can’t remember offhand what I decided, Maldik is 22 and Gudik is 24. Tethik is 47, I believe. Yes, all the older guys look great for their age. That is the advantage of good genes and being at the top of the social food chain.

    Sarge - Catherine The Great DEFINITELY counts. Good choice.

    Sleepinin - I thought it was “POO-IN’ ONNA REEESH!!”

32. JE Draft
    February 17th, 2010 at 9:56 pm

    ICEKAT - BTW, you can still get the pdf versions of “The Three Challenges Of Zona” and “Zona And The Children Of The Moon” for a ten buck donation each. Just ask. My caveat is very firm, though: This is crude cartoon PORN and the characters are not exactly as they are now. Ya gotta be an adult, pinky swear, and promise not to take anything at all seriously.

33. Tomecko
    February 17th, 2010 at 10:42 pm

    I love Zona’s face in the third-to-last panel. That is the face of a woman in love, and it is gorgeous.

34. warnie01
    February 18th, 2010 at 1:23 am

    good as usual man!

    What an insightful comment there jean!
    JED , your right as well nothings perfect and this isn’t Shangri-La. despite all the big boobies!

35. Someguy
    February 18th, 2010 at 10:28 am

    Let me yes but you Jean. Yes, but would you ever discuss the “size” of your signifigant other with your mother. It would be like me discussing the particulars of my lady’s vag with my dad. Something that just barely conceptualizing is enough to give me a serious case of the Heebie Jeebies.

36. Sleepinin
    February 18th, 2010 at 10:47 am

    . . .

    And thank you very much for that mental image, Someguy.

    Anyone have a bottle of brain bleach on hand?

37. JE Draft
    February 18th, 2010 at 1:14 pm

    Tomecko - Thanks so much, that is what I was going for.

    warnie01 - Oh, most decidedly. Just wait and see.

    Someguy - Actually, you weren’t in on some of the conversations I had about my mother with late father after Mom died. A bit more than I needed to know, and a bit uncomfortable at the time - nonetheless, it was all said in love and trust and I managed to un-heebie my jeebies enough to recognize that. Also, as I said, this is another culture where sex is treated differently. That has its upside, as Yatta-Ta is finding out, and its downside which, as I said, you’ll all see in awhile.

    Sleepinin - I recommend a solution of Bacardi 151, Mexican Coca-Cola and lime juice taken orally slowly over the course of an hour. For best results, include an episode of MST3K, preferably any of the ones with Hercules or Japanese monster movies.

38. The MacNut
    February 18th, 2010 at 11:35 pm

    Your best page yet, JE. The art, the character development, the convo between Zona & Ipola, it all goes together brilliantly. It’s a convo I could actually see them having, and boy wouldn’t Mentl be embarrassed if he found out the particulars!

    Speaking of possible trouble in paradise-Mentl still hasn’t discussed exactly what happened between him and Ginsha has he? And I get the distinct impression he’d rather use some brain bleach on himself to expunge the whole experience rather than talk about it. I have a feeling that’s going to come back to bite the happy couple, and Mentl especially, in the butt, considering how the Erogenians seem to despise lies and secrets…

39. Professor 61771
    February 19th, 2010 at 12:50 am

    Moox and Jed-yep I am fortunate enough to have a girlfriend with nipples that resemble the large pink pieces of bubble gum that came individually wrapped before they all shrunk so much. She is a beautiful woman with multiple PhD’s whose nipples always show through whatever she is wearing it is hilarious in some ways, annoying in others….and always attractive to me. At a certain size…they are always “there”.
    The mother-daughter scene here is amazingly touching, funny, and instructive to us, the viewers of just how close these two are. Thank you Jed, I cannot wait to see the dance.
    I am wondering about some of the flaws in this society as they might exist. I believe I have a couple of ideas from a barbarian campaign I ran (DnD) some years ago. Either way I cannot wait to see More Zona!!!

40. TheLastGarou
    February 19th, 2010 at 12:58 am

    Well technically, MacNut, he didn’t lie to her about it. He stated very clearly that he didn’t want to talk about it and it was obviously very upsetting. I’m not saying he SHOULDN’T tell her what happened. He should. But as a first conscious use of magic, that one was a doozy, as well as a great recipe for YEARS of nightmares. Someone with Mentls confidence issues -and basic decency- is going to take a LONG time to get over what amounts to rape followed by attempted murder. Whether he actually finished Ginsha off or not, he THINKS he killed her, and that is going to eat at him for a good, long time.

41. The MacNut
    February 19th, 2010 at 4:48 am

    True Mentl didn’t lie-but he didn’t tell what happened either. He’s leaving Zona with the impression that he was tortured or something, and the large bruise on his back adds to that impression. I suppose in a way he IS tortured by what he did, but it’s not quite the same thing if ya know what I mean.

42. Sarge
    March 18th, 2010 at 8:56 pm

    Mentl DID tell Zona all about the Ginsha incident. See pages 263 - 265. He told her the whole story and how he felt about it and it ended up with Zona being supportive and got gooey and then Keltan and Liri started THOOM-THOMing again.
    Zona might not know or understand everything Mentl was and did on Earth, but she knows everything he did since his second (third?) day in Erogenia.

    BTW Mentl looks sort of Hebraic and he uses Yiddish expressions but he swears about ‘Jesus Christ poached on toast’, etc. And his parents were hippies; I was there then and I don’t recall any Observant Jews in the hippie lifestyle. The mere concept is mind-boggling
    Also the name Mentl - maybe he was a sort of Yentl and his friends called him ‘Mike the Yentl’ and it morphed into Mentl?

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