PHOEBRUARY VOTING INCENTIVE! A "NEW" VOTING INCENTIVE EVERY FEW DAYS!
Back in February of 2015, I declared the month 'Phoebruary' and ran a retrospective of a bunch of voting incentive images featuring our beloved Phoebe. Well, years have passed, and I've got many more images to explore, so get ready! Every few days I'll pop another Phoebruary image up - now with post-it note commentary! Try not to miss a one! This week it'll be all Valentine's Day stuff, so we're even in season!
A VOTE FOR PUCK IS A VOTE FOR PHOEBE!
As for this comic...
I realize now that framing a comic with a blind character is a little challenging in terms of visuals. One of the most important points of expression for a comic character is eye direction: it tells the reader about the character's point of focus AND the character's attitude. See Tyler's side eye in panel two, or Daphne's flippant eye roll in panel three. Blind people, though, don't do that. The pupils tend to remain relatively neutral in placement. That's ... difficult to work with in a comic where you have only four tight panels and a lot of the storytelling relies on visual shorthand. Oh well. Guess I'll do what I can.
Puck 482
PHOEBRUARY VOTING INCENTIVE! A "NEW" VOTING INCENTIVE EVERY FEW DAYS!
Back in February of 2015, I declared the month 'Phoebruary' and ran a retrospective of a bunch of voting incentive images featuring our beloved Phoebe. Well, years have passed, and I've got many more images to explore, so get ready! Every few days I'll pop another Phoebruary image up - now with post-it note commentary! Try not to miss a one! This week it'll be all Valentine's Day stuff, so we're even in season!
A VOTE FOR PUCK IS A VOTE FOR PHOEBE!
As for this comic...
I realize now that framing a comic with a blind character is a little challenging in terms of visuals. One of the most important points of expression for a comic character is eye direction: it tells the reader about the character's point of focus AND the character's attitude. See Tyler's side eye in panel two, or Daphne's flippant eye roll in panel three. Blind people, though, don't do that. The pupils tend to remain relatively neutral in placement. That's ... difficult to work with in a comic where you have only four tight panels and a lot of the storytelling relies on visual shorthand. Oh well. Guess I'll do what I can.
To no-one’s surprise, Daphne does not seem to have thought this through: She struck a pretty good pose in panel 2 but in panel 3 tried lying to someone who grew up with her. Total fail.
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Hannah’s eyebrows should get extra points for doing the expressive work eyes and pointed ears both.
I will need to employ Hannah’s eyebrows overtime in the next bunch of comics.
Well, Daphne did describe her as legally blind. So, maybe she’ll present some eye movement. However I’m somewhat curious why Hannah’s hand isn’t shown on Tyler’s arm, as he’d by guiding Hannah around. Although, it does seem realistic.
I suspect, because Tyler is a nice, considerate guy, he knows that people who are blind or otherwise disabled for a long period of time (ie, most of their lives), have developed a degree of independence, and don’t really like it when other people come in act like they are helpless who can’t do anything.
Tyler is staying close to allow her to choose to use him for support if necessary, and she is probably using his proximity and movement as a guide anyway, they do seem to be almost touching, and Hannah probably has slightly heightened senses of touch and hearing.
That said, given the occasion, it would not be unusual for a couple to be holding arms.
I agree with everything you say, Thisguy. Though the ‘not holding arms’ thing is a bit of a tell. I mean, they’re not holding arms. Almost like they’re not a couple.
My primary experience with a blind person comes from my childhood friend’s mother. I never saw anyone leading her around by her arm. I think many blind people don’t like that sort of help and would rather get there on their own, but Tyler might have helped her on the way over. I dunno.
I did see she brought her cane along in a previous clip. So she might be fine without a guide. Hopefully it’s collapsible for the dance later.
Or, ya know, reinforced.
For the fight later.
Piece of rebar. Painted white. Now that’s something I’d love to see.
Has Daredevil ever used that? He should.
Panel Four: Phoebe covering her face.
PRICELESS.
It felt right.
Daffy’s new look does NOT seem to be “Blinding” (heh heh) TY to her LIES.
You are clever.
Still, it’s a pity Daffy’s attractive new look does not mirror her wretched soul.
It would take more than Phoebe’s wizardry at sewing to dress up that lump ‘o’ coal.
Well, you can gild a turd. It’s always something you can do. There’s never much point, though. Tends to be a terrible waste of gold.
I get the impression Hannah is … worried? Scared? As in “you said she wasn’t coming … that I would be safe.”
yep, that would totally explain the wide-eyed look she´s sporting…
Well, from what YOU know of Daphne, isn’t fear a vaguely appropriate reaction?
Daphne Abort Abort mission.
Sadly she will not as she has no shame.
Its been my experience that once you start digging your own grave, despite the small inner voice screaming at you to stop! desist! cease! QUIT!!! RUN AWAY!!!!, you find you just just can’t stop going deeper and deeper into the manure.
From my own experience, the panic usually makes you dig faster.
Shame costs extra.
I think developing a sense of shame is the point of tonight
It might happen. Fingers crossed.
I’ll bet Hannah wishes she could see that.
I think she’s experiencing enough of it for her liking.
I think it’s good that Hannah has the appropriate facial expressions for a blind person. Wouldn’t make sense otherwise. Given that, panel 1 doesn’t really make sense, because Hannah would have no idea which direction Daphne is in. Panel 2 makes more sense, because after Daphne spoke, Hannah would know where she is. Given that, I suspect that in panel 4 Hannah is hiding behind Tyler. Because Daphne is scary and you don’t need to be able to see to know WHY Daphne is there, and why Hannah is scared that Daphne showed up.
Tyler’s look in panel 4… I bet he is realising the irony of the situation
There is irony here, but I don’t think it’s sweet for Tyler. It’s more annoying at this point.
I used to be friends with a guy who was legally blind (we lost contact after he moved). Whenever I said something, his eyes would go towards the direction of my voice, even if he couldn’t actually *see* me. I recall asking him about it at one point and he replied with something among the lines of “[He] figured it’d make sense, even if [he] can’t see [me], [he] assumed that’s what people that can see does.”
…I had no argument to it and let him continue with it.
In regards to the comic, I did love how Phoebe goes from “Okay, doing some damage control…” to “AAAAAAAAAND we just blew it”.
As for Tyler, I for some reason imagine Tyler asking Hannah out, she asks him why he didn’t go with Daphne and he just said something vague like “She hates those types of events” or something like that.
It sounds about right, given what she says.
All of your assumptions and thoughts ring true to me.
Damn she looks hot
Well, that WAS the idea. But then she had to ruin it by talking.
Well, it hasn’t hit the fan yet but…~opens an umbrella to avoid the possible crap storm~
You show excellent foresight.
Actually, according to NASA blueprints for their space toilets… it’s supposed to hit the fan.
“I THINK that’s Daphne over there.” Might be one of the other dog-girls that attend this school, who can say?
Well, it’s a testament to Daphne’s physical transformation that, even given her unique physiology, Tyler still has some level of doubt as to whether it’s her.
She DOES look quite different from usual …
Huh, just realised that Tyler is dressed almost exactly the same as I was at my prom. Great taste in clothing there, buddy. 😀
Great stylish minds think alike.
With regards to the hover text. I particularly like Einstein’s explanation of relativity for the layman. “When you spend 2 hours with a beautiful woman and it seems like 2 minutes, but you put your hand of a hot stove for 2 minutes and it seems like 2 hours, THAT’S relativity.”
That makes me think that the best “two minutes” of his life were spent with Marylin Monroe…
(According to legend, anyway)
I am not familiar with that legend. But it sounds … legendary.
Einstein. Smart guy.
I hope Daphne continues with a charm offensive. It’s so much more interesting than scratching and hair-pulling. 🙂
Charm offensives can be the most offensive type of offensive.
Tyler kinda looks like a priest in the last panel. Is that intentional?
Not intentional. But he DOES have the moral high ground.
Strange . . . I’m sure Hannah’s eyes are the same size throughout, yet I’m also sure her eyes are larger in the last panel . . .
I am NOT sure that her eyes are the same size in every panel. My characters’ eyes have a bad habit of changing sizes.
I add, I voted for Puck and saw today’s picture of Phoebe. Two remarks. One, very well done. Two, Phoebe . . . I have no idea where it is and I wouldn’t count on anybody besides Puck telling you where to find it. Frankly, I can’t imagine it could make your current whatever (if people want to know what they can go vote) any more impressive.
I thank you for the vote. And for the enticing tease-filled message that might prompt other people to vote.
No one else said anything, but it’s gotta be said. Tyler actuallly looks pretty good with the black shirt and white tie!
I tend to agree. Not too shabby, really.
By the way, shouldn’t it be “*the* prom,” not just “prom?””
‘Prom’ is seldom preceded by ‘the’ in common parlance. Not anymore, at least. You would say, “I’m going to the dance,” but no ‘the’ for prom. It’s partially due to the fact that there is only ever one prom at a school (at least for any given grade), so it stands as this monolithic singular cultural event that needs no definite article to clarify it. So just like one would not say, “I’m going to the Mardi Gras,” one would not say, “I’m going to the prom.”
“Once you told me, long ago / to the prom with me you’d go.” —Marty Robbins. And I’ve always heard it with a “the” in front.
I was thinking it was another Canadian thing, maybe imported from Britain. One of those things where the “the” is dropped.
(Then again, if my high school held a prom, I never heard about it.)
Just glancing at some American sites concerning prom, I have concluded that ‘prom’ (no ‘the’) is not just a Canadian thing, but a standard use nowadays. Check this out: http://promsie.com/homecoming-vs-prom-differences-that-you-really-need-to-know/ ‘Homecoming’ (which is NOT a Canadian thing and doesn’t really exist up here) seems to have gone the same direction in terms of its usage. It is technically ‘the homecoming dance’ but American kids tend to talk about it merely as ‘homecoming’. Prom used to be a cute short form of ‘the promenade dance’ but kids don’t know that anymore. Now’s it’s just ‘prom’. The article I linked to uses ‘prom’ without the ‘the’ almost exclusively. And given the teen girl vibe of the site, I think they’re up on the lingo. (I particularly like the featured articles on how to apply duct tape to certain parts of your body to get the best look out of your dress.)