Statements to Tom #1

[Tierra Y Libertad]

Jan 23, 2009 16:35:34 GMT edzepp said:

Jan 23, 2009 16:08:40 GMT fjodor said:

There are now more than 1,000 forum members. Congratulations!

Huzzah! Bacon sandwiches and Cokes for everyone!

Not really.

I have been loving the last few pages of this chapter. Page 8 (or number 512 if I'm not mistaken) is stunning.

Unclean flesh is only for the Gentiles. Can we have bagels with lox and cream cheese too?

Tom is a B. A. M. F.* Es Moro continudo. Cheke-leke. Chevere(I dunno what slang term you have for "cool" in Spain.)




*Can't spell it out 'cause Tom doesn't like that kind of language on his forum. Note that this is an acronym, not chatspeak.

[todd]

I saw the recent interview you did on Twitter (the Gunnerkrigg Court forum at TVTropes linked to it). I especially liked your description of Annie as "genderless" with the apparently more tomboyish Kat being actually the more girl-like of the two. (Annie also strikes me as first and foremost an almost-stoic delver into strange events who just happens to be a girl.)

[Babble-jargon Bill]

And for that matter what about that Harry Potter statement Tom! That ought to get some hate mail, but I can't really say whether I agree or disagree with you, I haven't read the series.

By the way, Gunnerkrigg Court is one of the best works of literature I have ever read. It's tied with Watchmen as my favorite graphic Novel of all time (even though it's still technically a web-comic).

[Rasselas]

Could anyone link to the interview?

[nikita]

www.archaiasp.com/voya_siddell_interview.pdf

About Harry Potter. I read the books 1 through 5 or something but it eventually got really boring due to the predictable pattern that came with the one school year per book rhythm.
School starts, new teacher for magical creatures, quidditch championship, of course something weird happens the second half of the year, climax, potter saves the day, end of book.
Tom said that people who call GC a rip-off probably haven't read GC, HP or both. I agree.

Part of the fascination with fantasy novels is exploring a new world. That novelty wears off eventually and you better have a really interesting story by then.

The non-predictability is really one of the reasons that makes GC interesting for me. Of course, it's predictable at times, but this is something that cannot be avoided when a series of events doesn't fit on a single page.
I'm almost a bit afraid it could get boring now that a number of big secrets have been revealed. We now know how the forest and the court were divided, what magic is, the creation of the robots..
but I think we still have enough secrets left to explore.

For something different: Nice drawing Tom! BUT tinyurl makes it hard to see the image because it redirects to your space which in turn redirects to the main page. So people never get to see the image or the real URL.

[imaginaryfriend]

Feb 11, 2009 1:27:26 GMT nikita said:

Tom said that people who call GC a rip-off probably haven't read GC, HP or both. I agree.

I second that. To people not from the UK who are unfamiliar with boarding schools there is a surface similarity between GC and HP. Comparisons any deeper than that turn into contrasts. Don't worry about it.

Post Script: If you ever have free time to waste, then the forum Rules of Play could use something about not critiquing others' stuff in the fanart thread unless the artist invites the critique, since the cautions about that are buried.

[picaro]

Thanks for doing the comic Tom

I was up early this morning and reading it really made me giggle before I went to my lecture. Seriously do you post that early every day? Kudos to you then, I hate mornings.

[Xeeron]

Sometimes I start to read a book in the evening and can't let go of it till I get to the last page in the middle of the night. This is the first time that has happened to me with a web comic, props to you. Though I was less happy when my alarm rang the morning after ...

[auilix]

Good article!
I hate to say it, but I'll have to agree that GC reminds me of Harry Potter (although, yeah, wtf is up with "girly harry potter"? ...so far, antimony is far more tough than whiny hp, hahah.. I just realized HP is a female writer writing a boy lead chara, and GC is a male writer writing a girl lead chara... perhaps that's why I don't really feel "girly" out of this story). Hear me out, I am not at ALL saying Tom has borrowed from it or even been vaguely inspired by it. The major things that really remind me of Harry Potter are
1) the classic-ness of the story (specifically to Harry Potter 1). Both stories deal with deep themes of loss and struggle as seen from a child's mind, that they both transcend their "fantasy" or "scifi" roots (although the later HP books were definitely less classic and more plot driven than anything)
2) the uniqueness of it - i know it's odd to say that as a comparison, but both stories quickly and effectively set up a very fantastic and unique world, and they do it in such a truly believable and understandable way.
3) friendship. probably my favorite part of both HP and GC are the realistic and beautiful friendships. To me it seems really rare to find a story of children who have real human relationships. Annie and Kat and Harry and Ron/Hermoine are just so believeable and understandable. You feel as if you're right there with them, feeling their excitement, joys, and sadnessess. Btw- A Handful of Dirt was my absolute favorite chapter for these reasons - it was so simple yet effective in really showing us Annie and Kat as best friends.

anyway sorry if this offended anyone. I am just trying to say, there are some deeper comparisons the two share beyond the surface look.

[warrl]

Feb 12, 2009 1:07:36 GMT auilix said:

Good article!
I hate to say it, but I'll have to agree that GC reminds me of Harry Potter (although, yeah, wtf is up with "girly harry potter"? ...so far, antimony is far more tough than whiny hp, hahah..

GC and HP are two instances of a whole genre of British literature that is pretty much lacking in the US: the school novel. They are similar in the same sense that two random American westerns or two murder mysteries are similar: same genre, similar circumstances, and a few specific roles that pretty much have to exist in the story because of the genre.

[todd]

Tom's mentioned (as I said above) that he sees Antimony's actions as driven by her character rather than by her being a girl, and even used the term "genderless" to describe her. She might look "girly" on the surface level (long hair, make-up, dresses with long skirts), but her behavior is another matter. (Her favorite toy is a stuffed wolf, for example.)

I wonder if Tom's seeing Annie as "genderless" is one reason why she never displays any romantic tendencies or crushes (unless she really *is* in love with Kat - and I think they're just good friends in a platonic way).

[Uncle Putte]

As an off-shoot of the question of the relation of panic disorder and Zimmy's condition, I have to state that I find it to be propably the easiest to relate to depiction in popular culture. Not to even mention the eye for detail. This guy is sharp.

I rather dumped this reply over here, since the question thread seemed big enough already without such clutter.

[Klex]

As much as I respect Kat's opinion on the subject, I'm fairly certain that the best thing ever made by the Prodigy is the beginning of Climbatize

[Azeltir]

We're sorry for asking too many body-snatching questions!

Ben

[KudoS]

I have to say, much as I love almost all your characters in the series, the one that I really squealed over was the use of Moddey Dhoo. I've always thought of the Black Dogs as such interesting myth, and horribly underused in the many fantasy novels I've read.

Although it did have me scrambling for a good hour trying to remember the title of a short story that I'd found ages ago that was about a Black Dog. All I was able to recall was that the dog was called the Wisht Hound and changed into a woman to take revenge on a sorcerer who'd stolen her bone. The girl who helped her was a bit like Antimony, actually.

It'd be great to see Cait Sith make an appearance opposite him somehow, but of course the mythology is up to you. You're making me want to go back and read all my textbooks from Humanities, oi. I'd forgotten that I'd never finished getting through the Epic of Gilgamesh.

[KudoS]

Feb 11, 2009 3:32:58 GMT imaginaryfriend said:

Feb 11, 2009 1:27:26 GMT nikita said:

Tom said that people who call GC a rip-off probably haven't read GC, HP or both. I agree.

I second that. To people not from the UK who are unfamiliar with boarding schools there is a surface similarity between GC and HP. Comparisons any deeper than that turn into contrasts. Don't worry about it.

I haven't read anything more than a chapter of Harry Potter (I honestly couldn't stand it after that) and even I could tell that they're barely even comparable. Tom's stuff is much better. ;D

[ceallaso]

I know you have heard this before, but Tom, I just have to say again that Gunnerkrigg Court is an excellent comic, never mind webcomic. It was, in fact, the webcomic that took me off of my "all webcomics are terrible" tirade. Also, it has been a great source of inspiration for me, actually pushing me towards putting an honest effort into drawing. So for that, and for getting me back into webcomics, I would like to accept my thanks.

Next, I would like to say now that, should I reach a position where it is possible, I will support any endeavors you might have to create a Gunnerkrigg Court animation. It may not be the most meaningful statement, but I felt it necessary to put it out nonetheless. I hope that at some point, I have a chance to make true on it.

[Uglyhead]

Knock 'em dead in the upcoming interview, Tom. It's just a newspaper, after all, it's not like they're from The Internet or anything.

[jdskeleven]

Your comic has demonstrated that dialogue without contractions can work. (Previously I thought this was a lie perpetrated by writers of dubious ability. Now I know better.)

[Azeltir]

Wonderful strip today. Simply marvelous.

Ben

[Klex]

Happy birthday, Tom
What exciting things have you done today, apart from eating beans ?

[Uglyhead]

You seem to be doing large elaborate panels, like the one today with all those monsters, more and more often these days, Tom. I imagine they must be somewhat more challenging than "normal" pages, but it's always great to see something big and new and different. Thank you for putting in the effort.

[taboo]

I'm getting pretty close to starting my own webcomic, so I've been reading around alot and I found yours to be the most inspirational. I have to say, I just loved seeing your sketches of Zimmy in your DeviantArt after reading GC. It was really interesting to see how much life a comic can breathe into a character.

[Dentrala]

Tom, for the creation of boxbot, you are terrible.

However, this comic has just bumped aside xkcd and Lackadaisy for that super-special favorite webcomic spot in my heart. I hope you realize the awe-inspiring ramifications of that. I love your characters, and I love your art. And Mort. ;D

[duohimura]

Hey Tom,

A friend pointed out GC to me about last Tuesday, I want to say, and I said "eh..." and read the first chapter because it involved the main character declaring that the logical solution to her problem was to build a robot. I was, at the time, more or less thinking "Oh joy, another webcomic with crazy random happenings. Well, I've got nothing better to do." I then proceeded to marathon all that there currently is of the comic over the next 2-3 days, overtaking my friend in the process--it would have been a solid 2 days if not for that pesky school orchestra concert I had to be in.

Suffice it to say, pleasantly surprised doesn't begin to cover how I feel about GC. It's pretty much blown every other remotely-serious webcomic I'm following out of the water, but seeing as that's only a pool of about 3, let me reiterate in a blunt fashion: your work is awesome.

I think, right now, what I'm really enjoying about GC is your way of storytelling. I mean, your characters are great fun, and your artwork reminds me a little of Amulet (which is a beautiful comic, so in a good way), if only because Annie and Amulet's Emily both have red hair and you both use similar coloring techniques on characters. But I really admire how you've taken all these individual, small events and made them weave together into larger mysteries so seamlessly, as if every chapter's events can be resolved within that chapter and leave something to contribute to the overall plot at the same time. For the most part, I really like how you've balanced comedy and drama as well, into a story that can get dark but is ultimately centered on heartwarming displays of THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP (or LOVE? Honestly, as much as I'm willing to buy into yuri-shipping I'm going with the former on this one) and such.

And I guess I ought to mention the characters too, if only to say that I think one of the greatest strengths you have here is that you, as you put it (roughly), "forgot to put in a character who says 'I don't think this is such a good idea,' at every opportunity." Your characters work in and around conventions in ways that give them the best of both worlds, I think, and make watching them interact really enjoyable. On that note, Mort and Smith have perhaps THE GREATEST single-panel interactions I think I've ever seen. Honestly, I don't think a greeting/goodbye has ever cracked me up quite so much as that.

At the risk of coming off as going overboard on the praise thing, I will say that I thought there were a couple of narrative hiccups (something about when Annie starts crying about her mother early on seemed really abrupt and out of nowhere, and the fact that the shadowy guy was kind of ignored and never brought up again...), and your fight scenes have the odd panel or two which is hard to follow. But Watchmen has narrative hiccups (ugh Tales of the Black Freighter) and Yasuhiro Nightow (Trigun) draws confusing fight scenes. And overall, GC has been a fantastic read so far, and I'm looking forward to what comes next (not so much to seeing it one page at a time, but such is the price of impatience).

And uh... yeah, I tend to go overboard in post length. Sorry 'bout that, but when I'm really impressed by something I tend to like to talk about it at length... <_< >_>

Oh, and as a PS, if I may throw in a question (probably already been asked, but)... where does Annie get all her yellow lipstick? Also -why-? I mean, really, yellow? (Honestly, it took me a really long time to notice just how bizarre that was...) Is she hoping Kat will eventually draw the beak connection? (Okay, I know I said I thought of their relationship as purely a friendship thing, but I couldn't resist that one)

[todd]

I noticed your mention of seeing a "Gunnerkrigg Court Volume One" at W H Smith's, and wanted to tell you how that brought back memories: when I was a boy growing up in England I visited the local W H Smith's several times (and even bought a lot of my Asterix books there).

[warrl]

Duohimura -

Oh, and as a PS, if I may throw in a question (probably already been asked, but)... where does Annie get all her yellow lipstick? Also -why-? I mean, really, yellow? (Honestly, it took me a really long time to notice just how bizarre that was...) Is she hoping Kat will eventually draw the beak connection? (Okay, I know I said I thought of their relationship as purely a friendship thing, but I couldn't resist that one)

Your monitor is noticeably off adjustment in color. Her lipstick is a light brown. You might want to color adjust your monitor and/or your graphics card. A search for "color adjustment monitor" will turn up several alternative sources of guidance.

From playing around in Paint (there's a clue that I'm not really good at this) it looks like the color stats for the most-common brown in her lips are approximately: Red 160, Green 160, Blue 80, Hue 40, Saturation 80, Luminance 120. (Paint won't actually let me set that precise combination for some reason.)

Oh, and there are a few slightly-darker-brown lines in her lips, plus the black lip-edges that aren't necessarily quite at the edges. Tom IS good at this.

[ding]

Interestingly, it registered as 186 154 93 for me, or #BA9A5D in hex.

Oh wait, that isn't interesting at all! ;D

[duohimura]

Well, I suppose you could take it as being a light brown if you were so inclined. I don't perceive it as a -bright- yellow, so my monitor may be not-so off and it's simply a slightly ambiguous color, brown being a sort of dark orange/yellow in computer terms. My computer -is- a little weird in that its natural setting before I installed a video card was extremely dark, though, so my compensating for that may sometimes do funny things to color, though I've never noticed it before except for the occasional brown/gray debate (which sounds weird but in some cases it actually is a difficult call). I guess if I ever get the print copy of Orientation I'll find out if the monitor is substantially off, though (I've never much noticed it with anything else I've been able to compare, like watching a DVD on the computer versus a TV set).

Though I have to say, if it's not meant to be yellow I feel like one of the biggest mysteries of GC has been stripped away from me... XD (Does Tom dislike emoticons too or just LAUGHING ON LINE etc?)

[tezzle]

I am very much addicted to this comic. It's just choked full of creativity you don't see in a lot of webcomics, and even legit books & stuff. I'd rather read seven big books about these characters than ol' Harry Whats-his-lightning-bolt-scar-face. it only reminds me of it because it's a fantasy comic dealing with magic. Other than that, it has everything good Harry Potter didn't have, and excludes all the crap about it I don't like.

Also, I'd also like to state that whenever I hear the song "Little Ghost" by the White Stripes, I think of Mort. No real reason for it. Just figured I'd share that.