Chapter 3: Page 27
Yeah, hey, you know what? Who needs escape plans? Those are for the movies, where people plan things. Dak doesn’t plan, Dak just does stuff and sometimes it works. And sometimes he gets punched in the face! Also, bringing up the canid king this way to a soldier, even if the king is an effete empty shirt stacked up against his generals (well… general now I suppose) you don’t go cursing them.
I mean, probably. Maybe you can. I wouldn’t do it while I’m being tortured/imprisoned beneath one of their military garrisons, is all I’m saying.
So we’ve brought up King Janus before — the canid king and de facto leader of Aisling. Of course, there’s a spectrum of effectiveness when it comes to royalty, and as we learned in chapter 2, the wider interpretation here is that Janus tends to follow his generals’ lead and isn’t very effective on his own.
Something like this would be known amongst the rank and file, but still, there’s a time and place to insult a king and a loyal foot soldier isn’t going to stand for that nonsense in his house.
For guest art this week, I wanted to share this wonderful piece of artwork that Elson Wong (aka Darkspeeds) posted onto Twitter a little while ago:
It’s Quin and Dak escaping! Looking at that sword, it looks like Dak’s gotten over his fear of blood in his bid for survival! It also looks like Quin might’ve used that quarrel in a more physical quarrel with a guard? These two are pretty badass here, aren’t they? Elson did a pretty awesome job!
I love the lighting and color here — it’s very gritty, befitting both the environment and the bedraggled state of our heroes. I can’t speak as to how the real escape attempt goes down just yet (we’ll find out in the coming weeks), but it’s always fun to see readers capture moments and alternate possibilities in artistic form.
Thank you for the amazing work, Elson! And also thank you for posting up the process images for this, including the incredible initial sketch:
Priceless :)
“and in that moment, that’s when the lowly Canid soldier realized he done goofed”
~ BWD Chapter 3 Narrator
This is prolly just me being immature, but I cant help but think how WWE this whole scenario page feels to me XD Quin would be like Christian and Dak be Edge I can totally see it!
Also Elson you’re renditions are always beautiful, so full of life, great use of both texture and color and….those faces :I
“Done goofed is a phrase which here means a grave mistake, or blunder. A blunder is sometimes shorthand for “blunderbuss,” which is a type of pistol meant for use at very close range. It is something our brave heroes could use right now, but as gunpowder has not yet been invented in their world, they will have to make do with only a crossbow bolt and their fists.
Here, the phrase “done goofed” is used to describe the canid soldier’s foolhardy attack on Dakkan. For unbeknownst to our wolfish friend, the “bushtail” is on the verge of working himself free of the wall. He will know soon enough, I think.”
How do you know pistons and gunpowder haven’t been invented yet in that world? So far, we have only been shown a single measly peninsula! There could be space-faring civiliations in other parts of that world for all we know!
If they had space travel, they’d have advertising. (Technological progress has its priorities, you know.) And there’s not a single McDonalds billboard anywhere in the comic. So I think it’s a safe bet there’s no space travel.
Unless they’re only advertising to the moon colonies, I guess. Some kind of exclusivity deal?
Oh, I’m assuming that they don’t have gunpowder yet based on the prologue.
We only see medieval-age weapons, plus on the polcan page, Alex notes that they are the only race to use bronze for armor, weapons, and decoration. The way I figure it, if one of the races is still using bronze, technology hasn’t advanced enough to have gunpowder.
Plus I really, really just wanted to channel Lemony Snicket :)
Hey, Quin’s about to jump rope in that last panel.
Er, jump chain? Wotever.
Which will quickly turn into a lighthearted game of Throttle the Guard.
Been loving all the recent pages, especially some of Quin’s expressions, which I think have been some of his best in all of “BWD” so far.
Ditto, I’ve really liked the color use and pacing in these last few pages. Good form, good form!
Plan working or getting punched in the mouth basically means there’s fifty-fifty odds of either happening, and Dakkan likes those kinds of odds!
I’d say Dak getting punched in the face is helping the plan to also work – the guard is now VERY distracted from what Quin is about to do to him, and also Quin probably just got a nice adrenaline boost and extra motivation to yank the chain out of the wall ASAP. Seeing your best friend being abused does that for you.
OH! OHHHHH!!!!!
*ahem…* anyway…
I love the page! considering Quin chipping off the mortar holding his chains earlier, I’d say he could use the chains to choke the guard into submission. rule 3 of Tesque– everything’s a weapon!
I love the guest art! props to Elson for a wonderful job!
Also, is it my imagination, or is this the very first page on which the thumbnail has been “animated” to show the different stages toward completion? Very nice touch there!
Also also, neglected in my first post to compliment Elson on his wonderful guest art. Nice work!
Also also also, “OH THAT DOES IT!” Sounds a bit modern for a medieval wolfie, but I’m not complaining! Another great “BWD” Supporting Character Moment! And now let the memes commence!
One meme, as requested:
https://imgflip.com/i/1pe975
Good work there, Fourth! And now don’tcha know, I’m hungry for a biscuit!
Any other takers? (For the meme, not the biscuit … )
Ask and ye shall receive.
“Page not found.” :(
grumblegrumble. http://sta.sh/01lzm5a26jkb This should work.
YESSSS this gave me and Rachel both a hearty chuckle :)
Very funny, Saraa!
Very nice page, and I’m glad to see we’re finally getting to a point where we can get out of this cramped and dusty cell and to a more interesting environment- though with a title like Outcasts of the Western Deep, I do wonder how successful this escape attempt may be.
I’m currently studying for a degree in Sequential Art- hoping for a career in comics- so I really appreciate seeing Rachel’s entire process for her pages with this update and has made me think a bit more about my coloring process already. I’d love for you guys to continue doing it in future updates.
It’s now dusty with mortar dust, if nothing else!
Thanks, Airan! Yeah, I was surprised to see Rachel put the gif together — it’s a very cool alternative to the usual thumbnail/wip we post! There might be a more detailed post on her tumblr later, so keep an eye on that :)
I certainly will :) Thanks for the reply
Looks like you might’ve gotten ‘quarrel’ and ‘arrow’ mixed up in the description.
I don’t believe so, Mica! Quin was shot by Rhosyn with a crossbow bolt (also called a quarrel, which is perfect for double entendres)!
Ah, yes. Looks like Quin is going to strangle the guard after all.
Props for making this scene different than most and having Quin escape in the heat of the moment instead of carefully sneaking up behind the guard.
Love Elson’s picture. Quin and Dak are beaten and bloodied but they look like they’re ready to take on every Canid left in Deltrada.
Oh dang. Quin just might have to kill another one…what a nice mess this has turned into. The alliance between these two nations wasn’t too strong to begin with, was it?
This web-comic has gotten me thinking a lot about the world we live in. Honestly, most of the time it has been very depressing. Though I think that I would rather think about the terrible and cruel things of our world today, than to pretend it’s not there. The word “powerless” received a new meaning for me, but it’s because individuals like myself think so that things like in this page here, are still very much alive for us.
Well it’s pretty clear at this point that the guard is about to be strangled, so the question now is, will he die or only pass out? (And will we find that out next page?) I’m guessing that at this point Quin will just strangle him until it’s sure that he’s unresponsive, and whether he’s dead or not by that point will be left to fate.
I think ideally they’d try to just make him pass out, gag him, and lock him in Dak’s chains after they use stolen keys to unlock their wrists,because killing the guard would make them look worse than simply knocking him out and tying him up.
All that to say… would it be considered acceptable in their world to kill a member of an allied nation, if the reason was that it aided your escape from unlawful imprisonment (and probable murder) by one of the leaders of said nation?
I guess either way, Sunsgrove and Aisling won’t be on happy terms once Quin and Dak get home. Tosch will have some explaining to do, which he could have avoided if he had succeeded in killing them. I guess we’ll see how far “Kenosh started it” gets him. Maybe he’ll just dissolve the alliance himself at this point?
Its strangling time.
Also, neat question mark blood.
I’ve been browsing your deviantart page, and I’ve just gotta ask– is Slipstream everoino to make an appearance in the Western Deep?
Hi Annie! I don’t believe Slipstream was ever intended to appear in Western Deep, no. Rachel can probably answer this better than I.
Slipstream was a vague character concept that only really floated around Dakkan’s Redwall period. I think I remember her being *very* briefly considered to be pulled into the story as Dakkan had, but we both forgot about her quickly. There just wasn’t much to her.
This is old art, but here: http://jeri-june.tumblr.com/post/146458443365/thought-of-this-while-going-through-the-concept
Perhaps Slipstream ran afoul of a certain jealous cream-colored Canid?
It’s alternate universe reincarnation. Obviously.
Man, just when Dak thought he was never getting punched again! Hope his sass supply had time to refill before another oozing.
Oh well, that guard was one to talk with getting back at Dak for his retort. As if his fuse, let alone his life, wasn’t short enough. Looks like I was right that he is going to get his. With Quin off the wall, that should be the moment the Canid slip-up happens!
Yes! Yes! Kill him! Give in to your rage! Yes! Haha!
To be fair to the guard, that’s a pretty solid uppercut XD
Dewit
Am I reading this right that this guard was the one who tortured Dak earlier, while Tosch interrogated him?
Yes. Same one.
Yay! Fanart feature! :D
A-hem, as per usual, my apologies if I don’t seem to make a presence on the website but I do read what you guys write and thank you for the feedback as well as the insights beyond the scope the pictures and dialogue on every update. ^^
I could gush all day about the series and how it’s progressing so far but I’m sure it’d put you all to sleep, so instead I made a video as thanks! Enjoy it! ;)
Just fantastic. Perfect, really.
Thank you very much for the laugh, I needed it.
If I may give some Construction Crititiviness (TM) I think wolf-Feyn is growling too loudly while Dakkan is speaking in that scene. I can’t hear what Dakkan is saying.
I think it would go better without the growling.
Is that what we’re calling this guard now? It’s quite fitting, if so.
I just noticed that when Quin stands up, you can see the bolt on the floor if you look carefully.
Janus does plenty. Remember that time he warned us about Mannimarco?
Now wrap the chain around his neck pull hard enough if you can just to knock him out if thats not pissible well then you got murder on your list