Chapter 4: Page 61
This page has so many fun little details in it! The script insinuated a little bit in the way of Rook-related shenanigans here, but as is occasionally the case, Rachel is always free to reinterpret the minor details if it means a tighter or more engaging scene.
So, for example, the original script for this scene thus far was originally written in the following way:
Rook spins around on his ostrich. A bolt CLANGS off his bronze chest armor, knocking him clean off the bird. HE RECOVERS, throwing himself between the tents, ducking in and out to lose his pursuers. He snags a heavy cloak to change his silhouette. He’s old hat at this.
Two canid soldiers run past him, but there is HOWLING in the air. Reinforcements. He doesn’t have much time.
You can already tell that some details have been altered and/or improved upon. The beat with the canid soldier grabbing the random felis passer-by really only works in this tight a scene if there’s just one clear pursuer, so focusing on a single soldier here makes more sense than two. The suspense of knowing whether or not it’s Rook at first is also a classic bit of misdirection that Rachel’s applied brilliantly here.
Rook’s whole “Don’t look at me I’m just a lump!’ move also reminds me a lot of this famous scene from The Two Towers:
Also, can we agree that “canid guard sneezing” may be one of the best 2-panel beats Rachel’s ever concocted?
To quote Rachel as she was starting to solidify this beat: “another entry for the fun-stuff-I-get-to-image-search-for-this-comic list: ‘wolf sneeze’ X)”
In other news, work continues on the brand new beat-by-beat panel view experience for the upcoming digital release of Beyond the Western Deep: Vol 2 on Amazon/Comixology. Using their Kindle Create app, I’m able to generate a near-infinite number of custom beats on each page, letting individual lines sit with the reader, focusing on props or character actions in the desired viewing order, and all sorts of other cool things!
Because one of Rachel’s hallmarks is to stretch actions across panels and outside of their boundaries, a typical panel-to-panel presentation just wouldn’t do the comic justice, and that was one of the big issues we had with the original release by our former publisher.
Now that we’re going in ourselves and focusing on the beats we want to focus on, in the order we want them presented, we’re much happier with the presentation and think this version really does merit a new viewing even for folks familiar with the website or hardcover versions!
See you all next week!
Did she just throw that passer-by to the ground between panels 5 and 6? What’s wrong with just letting go? What a dick!
I’m beginning to think these canid army types might be bad ‘uns.
Language, Trees! This is supposed to be all ages after all. ;)
I think the felis just sunk to the ground after the soldier let go, he’s probably shaken up. However, I agree that in general (hur hur horrible pun)the canid seem rather callous.
In other, less accusatory observations:
The comic conveys very well that the soldier can’t smell Rook due to the storm blowing sand up her nose, but did Rook purposefully hide near the string of garlic to mask his scent? That’s a really cool detail!
I like that you can clearly see the garlic on the foreground in the two previous establishing shots.
I hadn’t noticed that at first! Clever Rook!
That’s a great idea, but since the soldier sneezes only after sniffing the cat, I’d guess she was allergic to cats. Poor thing won’t be able to scent much with a stuffed-up nose.
Ha! You know that never occurred to me.
I don’t know if it’s more horrifying or hilarious that there may be a whole demographic of people on Dunia who are just straight up allergic to felis. Does that mean the felis have to choose hypoallergenic diplomats?
Quando ci vediamo quillan capitano ed è il soldato dakkan.
The collaboration is interesting. I was surprised that the script was such an overview, and not a page-by-page, panel-by-panel breakdown like you usually see in the comics industry. It shows that there’s a lot of trust between the two of you.
Incidentally, at first glance, I misread the howling as “ACHOOOOOOO” and I don’t know how to feel about it.
‘Twas the sneeze that echoed around the world!
What made him sneeze? Allergic to cats?
Quando fate il fnaf dice night Freddy d anni