Page 1062…
Happy Monday all!
I hope you had a great weekend.
Tomorrow…we’re back to Dreamland. YAY!
And also…is it clear that Dan is whispering?
I used smaller fonts. But for some reason…I’m unsure that’s obvious enough.
New Vote incentive.
Designs for Titania. Nastajia’s mother.
Hope you like.
Oh…and for those of you interested in the Dreamland MOVIE…
I’m popping up early drafts of the intro of the movie script on our Facebook Fan Page.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Hope you have a great week!
Scott
Going on from what I said last week, I have a feeling he’s gonna get his wish…but not in the way he’d like to…
nice call 🙂 we’ll wait and see then ^^
I don’t think the fact that Dan is whispering is very clear, personally. I’ve seen some people do it effectively by using a dashed border (rather than solid) around the speech bubble, and also using a lighter weight font in addition to using the smaller size. The bold text kind of takes away from it, though I understand those are the words he puts stress on.
it wasn’t obvious to me that he was whispering, but i don’t know how you could make it more apparent, other than have him say something aloud/in regular font first and then start whispering.
i wonder what determines how long alex is away? the situation? when he was falling with felicity, he had to have come back the same moment or else she would have died – and he did. maybe the same thing will happen this time, if nastajia is really in danger.
Nope, it’s not obvious he’s whispering. Maybe if there were other, normal-sized text on the same page it would work, but because there’s not, there’s no context so we can’t tell it’s supposed to be different.
As already suggested, I recommend giving the speech bubbles dashed outlines. That’s a common way to convey whispers in comics.
I don’t know if anyone else sometimes hears different words when TDC characters speak, but here’s what I heard for April 1st, Page 1060. Let me know how you like this version
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/5455/20100401alternate.jpg
OK folks, now that we have the name of Alex’s school, Donnabrook University, we need an appropriately intimidating mascot! Post your ideas! Nothing copyrighted, please. Here’s a few to get started.
Rabbid Weasels
Fighting Slime
Pugnacious Physicists (oooooh, now that’s a scary one!)
Dead Poets
Salted Squid
Staplers
Armored Snails
Mulch (for the Groo fans out there, but the t-shirts won’t exactly be a best-seller!)
Gender-Neutral Scouts
Roast Pork
Tipsy Turtles
Actuaries
Wow… it’s amazing how the whole sequence pulled together with the light framing Dan on his bed. Great artistry.
I agree that a lighter font or maybe italics would help to emphasize his whispering, but the focus is awesome in these panels, how Dan settles in the light and Alex is in the dark… haha I could gush on about the symbolism! I think I really appreciate this because previously you said you meant to close the door… I’m glad you didn’t. 🙂
Or perhaps even… a lighter COLOURED font :O
Try using a medium gray to dark gray instead of the black font. If that page is opposite the previous page in the book then the smaller font is more obvious. But grays on white is…softer, less-contrasting, like a whisper.
Poor Dan having to wait in the sidelines. Although I’m betting his wish will bite him in the butt if Nicodemus is somehow able to get to him.
I also did not find that it was obvious he was whispering, which I think in part was due to the perspective in the panel being wider than usual. The smaller font wasn’t particularly noticeable as relating to Dan’s voice so much as just fitting into a larger scene. Dashed speech bubbles are an effective way to indicate whispering, but may only work for those who read other comics.
The whispering question aside, this chapter has been interesting and I am looking forward to Alex’s trip back to Dreamland.
No, it was not obvious at all that Dan was whispering. I agree with the other posts to encapsulate the whispering in a dotted line speech bubble, and also to color the font gray. If you do both, it might be clearer. Since there is no spoken dialog on this page, it is difficult to discern that the font you used is smaller than usual. If it were in print with the prior page or next page alongside it, clarity might not be an issue. Using both the dotted line whisper bubble and the gray font should not only make it clear, but also should allow the page to maintain its clarity when standing alone as above.
I think that as well as putting a dotted line in and making the font gray you could also downsize the bubbles.
no, dan doesn’t appear to be whispering. agree with asia’s suggestions. standardization in speech bubbles across comics and graphic novels DOES make it easier to get what’s going on…
I agree that if the font were the same size, yet a lighter shade, it might seem more like whispering.
If we’re voting from that list, I’d say Rabid Weasels.
I’m not sure how well this would actually work, but you could try making the whispered text slightly grayer. Not so gray that it’s illegible, but just enough so that it’s obvious it’s not black.
Wow. Dan is truly selfless. All of a sudden he forgot all about Nicole and thinks only of his brother again…
I don’t know about Dan’s whispering – on a single page it probably doesn’t work, but in the book this will be a double page, so there will be text on the other side. In comparison to that it might become clear. I somehow noticed that the text is smaller, so I automatically thought he was talking in a lower voice. But it seems from the comments so far that I was pretty much the only one doing so… ^^;
Flying Corpses
Dyslexic Pretzels
Constipated Broccoli
Acetylcholinesterases (cuz there’s a med school)
Zombies
Rodents of Unusual Size
Hissing Eels
Brook Trouts
Antidisestablishmentarianists
And i finally caught up! Can’t wait for the next page! Awesome comic.
Maybe italicize the font?
I don’t think I agree with making the bubble smaller. That, with the smaller font, may lead to questions why you made it so small.
Maybe have him say the first line “go save her alex” and then think the other lines?
It was not clear to me that Dan was whispering, although it would make sense. Is it possible within the rendering program you’re using to do dotted lines on the speech bubbles? That’s usually what I see in comics to represent whispering.
Add me to the list of folks who did not know that Dan was whispering until reading your comment.
Also, I’m loving the light effects! Although, I’m not sure the diagonal lines on Dan are that effective?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha
You forgot Salted Slugs. 😛
Great.
Thank you all!
I’ll post when I update it.
You’re the best!
must be really frustrating for dan! all he can do is “sit and watch” and he must feel extremely helpless!
Guess I’m too late, but I agree with everybody else and their suggestions.
In the mean time *huggles Dan*
Nodnod. Gray font for whispering. Like everyone says. XD
No, not obvious at all. Something like italics or the dashed border might make it easier to figure out, like everyone else says
Or you could make the balloon slightly transparent…
Yeah, I wouldn’t have known he was whispering. Making the word balloon slightly transparent usually works for me.
Ok, now I get the stripes on Dan. They are from the window, same ones that are falling across Alex’ bed.
There are days I regret giving up caffeine!!!
If you make the whole text italic – I think it might help.
didnt know he was whispering
Egads! How could I have forgotten the Rodents of Unusual Size? 🙂
Maybe someone out there has the graphic ability to make a Donnabrook University logo for their favorites of these suggestions. That way we’d be deciding on the best/funniest of the pictures, rather than just the names.
That’s what I was thinking.
Italics just feel like whispering to me …
Don’t forget to VOTE, everyone! We’re a little behind in the standings right now*, but we should be able to make the top 5! Maybe if everyone who reads this comment clicks on the word “VOTE” …
* Currently #11, about 350 votes out of #10 slot and about 1500 votes out of #5 slot …
Wow, I think I’m the only one in the crowd who DID read this as if Dan was whispering. But it’s probably because I do the very same thing in my comics. Yet I also make the word bubble transparent when this happens. Since you have borders in your bubbles, I go with what the majority is saying– a dotted border might help the small text.
Aw, I love Dan. He’s such a good, trusting brother.
Actually, the time that passes in Dreamland while Alex is away is controlled by variations in a barely understood quantum particle, the Pre-Logy Omnidirectional Tetryon. These particles are the only known matter (energy?) to freely travel between the waking world and Dreamland, and are suspected to be directly related to the passage of rare items such as the sword/necklace and the message bag between the realms. Pre-Logy Omnidirectional Tetryons are related to Chronotons, and seem to be attracted to (and clump around) events of great significance or importance; hence the reason Alex seems to arrive back in Dreamland at the time he most needs to do so, whether it may seem that way to him at the time or not.
Pre-Logy Omnidirectional Tetryons are usually abbreviated P.L.O.T.
Welcome, fellow Dreamer!
Be sure to show Scott your appreciation by going to TWC and voting: http://topwebcomics.com/vote/4274/default.aspx
(And he sells the print version of The Dreamland Chronicles, too … 😉 )
Feel free to come back every day and contribute a witty comment or two to our august community!
I like dotted line speech bubbles for a whisper.
I understood he was whispering right away.
So if you wake up really upset about something, it’s easy to force yourself back to sleep immediately? 🙂 (hoping he has to struggle with this issue a wee bit 🙂 )
Not entirely obvious to me he was whispering… perhaps italics or a grayish color… Or making it a thought bubble instead of a speech bubble…
With your style, I’d suggest using a translucent speech bubble to show whispering. Preferably without a border.
Erm…The clock shows 04.05.
Is it noon (and Alex is making his siesta) or early morning (and we suppose that Dan had a LONG night with Nicole…)?
For whispering, you could use the less opaque balloon, but I usually use a font with upper and lower case characters. THIS DOES NOT WHISPER VERY WELL, NO?
I’ve never been a fan of dashed speech balloons. I was going to say use a gray-tone for the font, but italics seems promising. Maybe gray-tone, with italic for emphasis instead of bold?
I know a few comics that have used translucent speech bubbles for standard speech, just so you can see the art. Doesn’t preclude you from using it here for whispers, though.
yes and while Alex is in Dreamland Dan may sneak over to Nichole’s room and finish his kiss… and to update Nichole on Alex’s problem/issue who knows but the devious mind of Scott!
1st: Happy Belated Easter to all who selebrate! ^-^
2nd: Thanks for more on the script! Totaly awesome! “And please…try not to shoot our unicorns.” “Can I keep him?” LOL sooo funny. It’s like a script for a play, COOL! OMGosh, Act 1 Scene 1 totaly rocks.
3rd: Although I could not quite tell he was whispering, it didn’t seem like he was talking very loud. But I went onto Microsoft Works Word Processor and here are some that might work:
Angsana New 16 Font. Comic Sans MS 10 Font. Tempus Sans ITC 12 Font. Vijaya 12 Font. Eras Light ITC 12 Font. Shonar Bangla 12 Font. EucrosiaUPC 16 Font. Arabic Typesetting 14 Font. Cordia New 14 Font. DilleniaUPC 16 Font.
Don’t know if they’ll do what you want, but they kinda seem like whispering to me.
hmmm, looked more like 1:20ish to me, but that still means a really long night with nicole.
It wasn’t clear to me. Why not small fonts + italics? Or use a different font. Something thin.
Also….. oooooooo is this foreshadowing? Does Dan get his wish?
or if you used a squiggly, light colored border, although that gives it a more creepy feeling than anything lol
YES!!! YES!!! R.O.U.S! I VOTE!
Maybe you could put it in parentheses.
I’m all for he Shrieking Eels, personally…
Nice one. 🙂
In my experience, whispering is usually depicted by *very* small text: Not just smaller than usual, but *significantly* smaller than usual; and this usually works pretty well, though it can be a problem for those with less-than-perfect eyesight. To cater for the latter, the text in the speech balloons can be repeated immediately below the cartoon, at or near the top of the author’s commentary.
I’ve had some luck with putting a small font in a larger word bubble so there is a larger margin between the words and the border. It looks like you’ve done that a little, but it’s kinda subtle. I would keep the text same size, but make the balloons bigger. Don’t worry about blocking the pictures since you have a few reference panels.
I agree that the dashed border would probably convey whispering the best. Smaller text works better when it’s adjacent to regular text; by itself it looks kind of like a typesetting goof. A lighter colored font might be hard to read, and italics imply emphasis, perhaps urgency. I recommend the dashed border for whispering.
No, it’s not really clear that Dan is whispering, maybe try making the bubble in dashes for lines? ——
I LOVE this page. I didn’t notice he was whispering at all, but it came across as quietly speaking, anyway.
Post-soviet feminism loving dragon skulls.The Welsh ones
The text and word balloon here does not come across to me as whispering, though I assumed he was, given that he’s speaking near/to a sleeping person. I recall a strip some time back where the whispering was much more effective, I think when Felicity was sick. Small words and large balloons seem to be the key. The words here just seem too big to look like whispering in my opinion.