Gun Roswell

WRITING ----------------------------- When I was working on Act 2, I realized I was missing something integral to the Star Wars franchise— a massive ass alien with tendrils. I needed the attempt at getting into the capital to go horribly wrong, and this was the perfect solution.

Say hello to "Nosey", a name provided by @pinetree-thetooka. A native species that feeds on the same metals used for the city's infrastructure. These metals are seen on the planet’s surface but can also be naturally found encasing gas pockets. This gas itself reacts with the planet’s dirt/rocks, causing them to form metallic hardened layers over periods of time. This is what forms the cube-like structures seen in the environment. These gases are useful for their strong magnetic properties. Nosey's frequently consume the metals that are underground, using it's sensitive tendrils to detect magnetic and chemical changes.

It's so amusing how much they fill out the lore of the world, even though they just came into existence a chapter ago. The beauty of making shit up. For the chapter itself, I struggled a lot in writing and organizing what would happen in the story. Especially when it came to visualizing what, when, and where everything and everyone is.

Then at some point, I kept throwing 'trolley' questions at @pinetree-thetooka to get some inspiration on who should be chucked out and how each person would react. Eventually, I finally found a clear narrative I wanted to follow after multiple redrafts. I'll show them all after the end of the next chapter. Here are a few scrapped snippets I can share.

DESIGNING THE TRAIN ------------------- I wasn't particularly experienced with drawing vehicles up until this point. My earliest attempts involved tracing 3D trucks and live studying nu-class attack shuttle models. I've discovered that designing a vehicle was a whole different ball park. How do you create a unique train design while keeping the essence of a train?

The idea of a magnetic, 2-layered train was appealing to me. Using various images on Pinterest and Google as reference, I broke the train down into essential visual pieces: - The face of the train - The body of the train (Carts) - What moves the train? - What does the train move on? Other secondary considerations included connectors, human navigation, and cargo containment.

Applying real engineering logic sacrifices a lot of the design features that help provide sci-fi vehicles their sense of uniqueness. I realized this after the third attempt at drawing a cool looking train. AT-AT's/Walkers are constantly made fun of for their 'unrealistic design,' but you recognise them as distinctly Star Wars because of their design. These designs may receive ridicule, but they are also the heart of the architectural and mechanical motif of Star Wars, OSHA violations, and all. That's a good design in the art of story telling, "scientifically grounded" or not [though if your narrative is grounded in “realism”, this is a different story]. I think my concern about my designs not being 'realistic' negatively impacts my motivation to draw since I’m fussing over details. I think I can make the design more 'grounded,' but there will always be the one really smart engineer who can point out all the flaws and economic costs of using magnetism as a propelling system. All this done in a single reddit post lmao. Backgrounds, buildings, and props are characters themselves that help you feel included in the world and story you're telling. I'm still learning how to apply this with my current artistic capacity, but it's a good start! I'm excited to have to... draw... more trains—

DRAWING THE TRAIN --------------------------- I should've considered the fact that I was going to have to draw this train multiple times at various angles, positions, and featuring panels that revolve around it’s structure.

With such a challenging task ahead, I decided to try out an old strategy I used for Trigun so see if it would work with my current skillsets. I am almost never satisfied with my first composition arrangement, but in my previous strategy [using a new canvas for every page], I would be able to move pieces around and see it in it's entirety. Plus, I wouldn't have to go through the pain of copying and pasting the draft sketch onto a new canvas.

I do think thumbnailing is a useful technique, especially if you like everything compiled together. It allows you to see how the pages relate to each other. I do use it but for contexts like animation so I know it works; comics for some reason didn't.

Then there was the train I had to draw. It was definitely a struggle, but it was needed. I see drawing as a work out sometimes; working out underworked muscles (e.g. vehicles, landscape, perspective) is an absolute pain at first, but the more you do it, the more developed those muscles get. Eventually, it gets easier doing the exact same thing you thought was hard once. Background characters are still a pain, but it's not as bad anymore since I've improved in creating silhouettes and when to save time on detailing the characters.

Sometimes, I forget that this cigarette stub series is my practice comic. This comic was designed for me to make mistakes by throwing me into the deep end in and better prepare me for comic making for my original stories. Finishing this chapter made me feel like I was one step closer to being able to achieve my goal in skillsets. Very excited!

PAGE TAKEAWAYS -----------------

I was the most proud of this page! I had a visual of the lifting head of Nosey as they open their mouth to let out an incoherent, alien screeching. I needed to have Caper and pivots perspective while also showing the perspective of the monster to show how small they are. I also wanted to give the feeling of being consumed through panels. At first I had no idea how to visualize this but I went all out with the composition sketch this time to make sure I got the vision on lock.

I think the one thing I wish I had done better was to make the screeching more visually distinct to show its loud volume. Unfortunately, I didn't want to sacrifice the visuals of the head of Nosey. Overall, I think it best captures the visual feeling I had envisioned in my head while drawing this scene.

This page was the most tedious. This is where copy and paste came in to my aid. All the lineart (everyone running/the guns) were copy-pasted in some way. To avoid visual repetitiveness, I colored each person individually to mask my shortcuts and make it look more authentic. It was a good practice of learning shortcuts to save time on comic making. Time is limited, and learning how to minimize it is important; your hours drawing each page add up.

OVERVIEW ------------------------ Overall, good start! Reflecting on this chapter, I think I could've been more creative with some of the page's paneling. Unfortunately, I’m not experienced enough in drawing vehicles to utilize all its features to innovatively create impactful and intense panels. I will have more chances later this Act to try again, and I look forward to testing my abilities. BONUS ART:

They worked in comfortable silence. Harold was finishing up by cross-checking the information from their latest case to close the file, while John was bent over a Glock 19 at a work table, disassembling it with surgical precision to clean it. He loved this ritual and the satisfaction of knowing that no matter how urgent the situation, he would be ready.

"The firing pin shows slight signs of wear," John said without looking up, his deep voice breaking the silence. "Nothing serious, but it's better to prevent it from getting stuck."

He knew Harold wasn’t interested in any of this, but he took a mischievous pleasure in providing this kind of detail just to get a little dig in from his boss and now lover. It was a little game between them, just like John’s habit of asking trivial questions to learn more about Harold's life.

However, tonight, he received no response.

No "You can't do that anywhere else," or "How is that going to help me with what I'm doing?" 

Nothing.

Just silence.

John looked up and gasped in surprise.

He often arrived at the library to find Harold asleep at his desk, but this time, Harold had fallen asleep while John was there and was sleeping soundly.

He was slumped over his desk with his head resting on his crossed arms and was surrounded by files, his deep, steady breathing indicating how soundly he was sleeping.

John gently placed the parts of his gun on the cloth, taking care not to make any sudden movements.

To say that John was astonished would be an understatement. For a man like Harold Finch, whose life was so secretive and who was so distrustful of the outside world, to fall asleep in such a vulnerable state while John was there was a sign of unfathomable trust.

John suddenly realized that he had never experienced anything like this. The feeling of being a place where someone could finally close their eyes without worry.

He got up as quietly as possible and went to fetch the woolen blanket he had seen in the corner of the library. He returned to Harold’s side and gently draped the blanket over his shoulders. Harold let out a soft sigh and continued to sleep peacefully.

John returned to his work table, finished assembling his weapon, and stowed it in the safe. Then he came back and sat in the same spot. He pushed his chair back, rested his feet on the table, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair. 

He continued to watch Harold, basking in the calm of the moment, which was so rare in their lives. Gradually, weariness overcame him, and he eventually tilted his head back and sank into sleep, his eyelids closing on the sight of the one he had sworn to protect. 

He was jolted awake by a strange sensation, like a gentle caress on his cheek. 

He opened his eyes and saw Harold standing before him. Like John, he looked a little disoriented; his hair was tousled, and there was a mark from the fold of his shirt on his cheek. He had probably just woken up. 

John sat up with a grimace, his neck protesting the awkward position in which he had slept.

"Did I sleep for a long time?" he asked, his voice slurred from sleep.

Harold replied, "I couldn't say. I just woke up myself."

John glanced at his watch.

"What? I slept for half an hour!"

Harold raised his hand and ran his fingers through John’s hair, brushing it back. Still not quite awake, John could almost have purred at the gentleness of the touch.

"Well, Mr. Reese," Harold murmured, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "you clearly don't see me as much of a threat if you can sleep like that with me in the room."

John laughed softly.

"I could say the same thing to you, Harold. After all, I’m technically the threat. And yet, you fell asleep like a child in my presence."

Harold’s hand paused in John’s hair, and their eyes locked. He gently tugged at John’s hair teasingly.

"Nonsense," he murmured, a small smile playing on his lips. "I know you'd never hurt me. I trust you completely."

John gasped in surprise. Realizing it was one thing, but hearing it said out loud was another. It wasn't so much the words as it was the absolute conviction with which they'd been spoken. 

Seeing John’s trouble, Harold didn’t look away. He slid his hand along John’s face and gently cupped his chin.

"Did you doubt it?" he asked, his voice turning serious. "I see. You really did doubt it. Oh, John, I know I’m secretive and keep my life under lock and key. It’s a habit I’ve developed to protect myself, but not from you anymore. With you, it’s different. I have absolute trust in you. I’d put my life in your hands without hesitating for a second."

With his thumb, he traced the curve of John’s lips, which had remained slightly parted in surprise.

"And if you don't believe me," Harold added with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "I'll be forced to use much more coercive measures."

Before John could reply, Harold leaned forward and captured his lips in a deep kiss, as if he wanted to pour every ounce of love and trust he felt into it.

John stood motionless for a moment, his eyes wide with surprise, before letting go and surrendering to the kiss. His hands instinctively reached for Harold’s shoulders and pulled him close. The kiss went on and on until they had to pull apart to catch their breath. Harold whispered, "Was that convincing enough?"

John let out a small, stifled laugh before wrapping his arms around Harold’s waist, burying his face in his lover’s stomach as Harold ran his fingers through his lover's hair.

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the moment. 

And because I can’t resist a bit of analysis...