Page 1263…
Happy Monday, All!
Hoping to do 5 pages this week.
Fingers crossed.
🙂
Hope you enjoy the week. And thank you for reading!
Scott
Also…
Have you downloaded our new iPad app?
It’s totally free. And it has The Dreamland Chronicles in it!
Please check it out!
Worst comment to make to the enemy, ever…
That is hands-down one of the best-lit pages in the comic. Well done!
Yes, the comment is a bit corny, but the image is deserving of a wallpaper
Now Nicodamus has the ‘hostage’ option.
She’s gorgeous!! Please please please let her be the one to kill Nicodemus!!
Yeah it is one of those tacky comments, that only the situation that they are done in makes them epic.
badass!
No pressure, Alex.
Alex thinks, “Note to self – do not break up with Elvish girl until done with Nick.”
This is definitely one that would make a nice wall-paper.
To be honest, “I fight for that scantily-clad elf chick” seems a little less noble than “I fight for this glorious nation in its entirety”.
Note to self: Do not break up with hot elvish chick if I want to LIVE.
Fixed that for you. 😉
Yeah…but its a lot more believable. I mean, men the world over do stupid things because they think the chicks will dig it. 😉
I was thinking the same thing… this isn’t what Nic would like to hear…
Kicking his ass with style
That’s kind of selfish… and sweet at the same time 🙂
“He fights for me” could also be read like “he fights for peace”, as in “he fights for us”.
Great – Hostage option.
As well as an opportunity for another Princess Bride joke in the near future, because we don’t if Alex is even still alive. =/
…great. Dragon now kidnaps princess, cue every other game and movie made.
SUPER ALEX BROTHERS.
Is this before or after the ‘Note to Self: Ow, my head!’
Epic picture 🙂
Awesome image. Reminds me of a line from In the Courts of the Crimson Kings: “My girlfriend is so going to kick your butt.”
I bet the wallpaper or poster is even more epic! 😀 *hint* *hint*
And “Ouf, my teef – *ptui-RATTLE! ptui-TINK! ptui-TONK!” ;D
Ah yeah. I forgot to mention. Those chest scars will carry over to the Real World. Probably the headache and the lost teeth too. I’m sure Dan and Nicole will be terrified.
And Alex will just go “Cool! I’m scarred from fighting a DRAGON! Gotta show these to my kids… if I EVER manage to attract and keep a woman, that is! Doh!”
Truly that’s one of the best panels of any coming I’ve seen, perhaps ever. Amazing work on this one Scott. 😉
I do concur. In fact, may just be my most favourite page, at least in recent memory.
Of course, she could be a little to far away for Nic and Alex to hear what she said. This could be one of those moments where she is looking at Alex and just thinking out loud! Or shouting it, in the rain, amist all the sounds of rubble and all.. you get my meaning 🙂
And obtw.. NEW DESK TOP!! 😉
AWESOME page!!!!!
Whoa – conceited much? Seriously, what a vain, self-absorbed thing to say. Does Alex really think she is more important than the whole rest of the world? Should she brag that he does even if it is true? It cheapens everything. Is Alex really incapable of noble sentiments?
OMG What a page.
And of course he fights for you. *I* would fight for you.
I suspect Alex really does fight for Dreamland, but she IS Dreamland, to him. This echoes something I’ve written, actually.
I also Agree. Best lit page I’ve seen. Hooray dramatic lighting.
Also.. Yes. That will get Nic to come after you… Of course.
Wouldn’t that be a problem in a G rated comic? Death can’t be shown.
Two possibilities.. One, Alex actually has told her that in private. Two, Maybe she’s just trying to get Nic off Alex.
Ditto. Awesome page, Scott! Lots of opinions on Nastajia’s statement, but really, I think Alex IS fighting for her. He’s fighting at her side and on her behalf, because her world is under siege from a usurper. He’s fighting because he loves her, and freeing her world and finding her folks are vitally important to her. He’s fighting for Dan, too, I think, but yes, he’s fighting for ‘Staj. Right or wrong, as that pretty blacksmith from A Knight’s Tale said, “It’s very romantic.” ^.^
But it WILL get him off Alex.
agreed. i don’t like her speaking FOR alex, though clearly he needs that at times, but here she should have let him answer. and she must know that alex loves all of his friends in dreamland, even if his feelings for her are more powerful and of another nature. i don’t agree with her answer – or understand her reason for giving that answer. to draw nic away from alex? let alex duke it out, he can handle it!
agreed – it is exceptionally beautiful. probably better with no text than this text, but…we’ll see what happens.
I don’t know that he’s handling the pummeling well actually…I think he needs a respite to be able to get his body bent back the way it’s supposed to be.
Is it G rated? Or is it PG? We’ve seen a little blood from fighting…and there are those scary wraiths…
I don’t think it’s that conceited…or that unlikely. Our dear little Alex is still new to the “noble” thought processes that he’s been displaying of late. Besides, I think that this makes Nas look like a posessesive and territorial lady (but in the B.A. kind of way…not the creepy stalker lady kind of way). I’m in favor of this statement from her. 😛
Well said!!
Alex: noble what?
Aww. My heart flittered when I read this. What a sweet & powerful page!
aaaaaaaaaaaah
so sweeeeeet
Hey all!
Just an FYI…there’s more to this sentence tomorrow.
It’ll make more sense when she finishes the sentence.
🙂
Glad you liked.
I agree! And it makes poor Alex looks stupid too =/ Hands up guys who’d like their wife/gf to #1 constantly save their ass w/out their consent and then #2 tell their bully/enemy that they weren’t nearly as noble as previously thought, they’re just infatuated w/ her and she’s really the one in charge
but still, this is a beautiful page =3 and i giggled when i read it =P
I’ve got to say, this is a pretty bad-ass page.
This…won’t turn out well.
kinda arrogant to say.. I’ll wait for her next sentence.
great image, though.
Shouldn’t she be drawing the arrow on the top of the bow? It looks look the arrow should be falling away from it as is…
I hate to be ‘that guy’ but why is the wind whipping her hair, her dress, but the rain falls straight down… kinda blew it for me…
Yeah, Scott! I felt that the next sentence from Nastajia would be “I fight for Dreamland.”
And much later will Alex reflect on Nicodemus’ words, that Alex truly does not fight for Dreamland, but for Nastajia? Does this lead him to the conclusion that Daniel is rightfully the one that would fight for Dreamland and should rightfully be King?
I have to agree with others about this panel. It may well be one of the very best of the lot to date. Nancy says it is, “without a doubt.”
Do Elves do things differently? I’m not obsessive enough to go back through every panel to verify, but a “normal person” right-handed archer would have the arrow on the other side of the bow.
Everyone commenting is correct, this panel must become a desktop! Please, add to the panel so we have the proper proportions.
thanks for sharing your wonderful talent with us, Scott.
bobbi
maybe not the actual “Kill Shot” with blood and guts, but killing is allowed… look at lion king
Absolutely! This page soooo needs to be a wallpaper. Minus speech bubble. I have no problem with the dialog in the story, but it would detract from a poster/wallpaper.
Naj is pulling a classic Green Arrow pose. But looking so much better 🙂
Considering Alex should really have a broken jaw right about now, I think we can let it pass this time. 😛
I want this as a wallpaper, but the arrow is on the wrong side
I’m betting the sentence continues: He fights for me! He fights for Kiwi, for Paddington… etc. She starts naming his friends. He isn’t fighting for some abstract ideal- he’s fighting to save the people he loves.
Very nice scene. Great pose, lighting and depth of field. This is powerful in the single image of Nastajia. This also could have gone the other way, with all the other supporting heroes right behind her in the background. It could still go that way, but this is a more power statement the way it is, Nastajia fighting for her man, who is fighting for her.
It’s very obviously the truth, though. Not smart, as it tells Nico exactly how to deal with Alex, but the only member of the cast who does smart is Daniel. And it’s certainly in character!
I was going to suggest that Nastajia may be asserting that SHE is the leader of the attack, not Alex; he fights for her in the sense that he fights under her command. A more dramatic way of saying, “Hey look! Over here! I’M the one you want! Pay attention to ME so that Alex can go get his sword!” But I think Rafe’s post below is probably what will actually happen.
Really, I think the truth is all of the above. Yeah, Alex’s motivations are partly noble, but c’mon. Look at her! I don’t think it takes anything away from him to say that an attractive elf princess is a significant part of a young, red-blooded male’s motivations.
Nastajia is still moving into position. She just shot the first arrow in mid-stride, and for this pose, she just landed into her crouch, and the hair and cloak are just catching up.
It’s magic. 🙂
Awesome picture!
I bet Nico is probably thinking something like “But… you don’t even scales! Or a proper tail! Or anything! Hairless apes are just so gross!” 😀
Hear hear!
and also: Great page! 😀 It would make an awesome wallpaper and/or poster.
Yeah but Alex didn’t move in the first panel of the last page. probably too stunned and too injured from Nick whaling on him. Nick would have probably kept pounding on him till he finally died. Nastajia just saved his life. Yeah, Nick will undoubtedly go after her and try to falcon punch her halfway into Dreamland’s crust but at least this gives Alex a brief respite and certainly enough reason for adrenaline to get up and kick some dragon scales. Maybe find the sword and give Nick another scar for his collection.
Okay! POSTER MATERIAL!!!!
Nobody brought up the other debate? This could possibly be the one and only time I’ve ever heard her call him Alex, not Alexander. Stupid schoolwork is stopping me from checking it out now.
oops. Fixed that.
If I’m in the process of getting my tail totally handed to me, and I can’t even remember my name for all the rattling my brain is doing inside my head…?
*raises hand* ;o)
This is an awesome page. I agree that her statement here seems a bit arrogant, but then again, “elf” and “arrogant” are almost synonymous, and she has clearly shown her haughtiness before (especially when dealing with Nicodemus). Also, it is a very true statement, as she is the one that convinced Alex to do this in the first place. He fights because it is the right thing to do, but more than anything, he fights for her (especially since he can’t get a date in the real world, so this is all he’s got).
Yeah, I think the poor guy’s unconcious!
Ha! Joey beat me to it. I was going to say “Lion King,” too! Death is totally allowed in G-rated stories. As a matter of fact, it’s good for kids…gives them a safe place to think about and ponder death. I will say it’s not usually the leads who die, but death is not disallowed for G-rated stuff.
I like that, Robert. That makes more sense to my brain that she is stating that she’s the one in command, and she’s the one Nick should be fighting. Very cool.
May not be the greatest line in the universe, but it is sure to get Nicky’s attention.
I can’t get over how her cape looks like a fruit-roll-up. OwO
She’s in a pretty precarious position- depending on how much power is behind that shot, she might end up careening off the post she’s perched on.
Of course, this is a fantasy story. The laws of physics and gravity only come into play when it’s crucial to the plot. 😀
I think this is the best page you’ve done yet!! Love it! 🙂
Really? Having to save his girl right now is probably just what Alex needs to finally make him stick his sword into that dragon’s brain.
This page is so hot. That’s all really.
So excited for where this chapter is going!
Yep. Arrow is definitely on the wrong side of the bow. Still an epic picture!
As for what Staj says here, I don’t see it as that arrogant. My sense is that the next words out of her mouth will be “And I fight for him!”
Well done – forget the story… just a brilliant image. Superb.
Yes, if anyone needs proof on that look up the legends on Helen of Troy.
Are iPad’s really that popular? I know only maybe 1 person with an iPad, and that’s a work colleague. No iPad, no use for an iPad app.
Gordon
Technically she’s holding the arrow wrong, it should go on the inside. But it’s Dreamland where people can fly, so physics are obviously not really the point here. 🙂
…This seriously has to be the coolest panel ever.
If he wasn’t held firmly down beneath the dragon’s paw, perhaps. But right now, he’s not sticking anything.
I so want a poster of this page.
Hee. XD
Hmm, Dan avatar? Well, I guess the random generator ignores gender, go figure. =P
Awwwww! That’s so sweet in a very corny way!
I will always remember this as the day Nastajia almost called him Alex then. 🙂
My uncle loves Apple (Macbook, Mac desktop, iphone, ipod classic) yet I’ve never seen him with an ipad.
awesome page would love it as a wallpaper.
Crowning Moment of Awesome
20 million sold last year.
And they just came out with the new one.
Thank you all!
You’re way too kind.
🙂
So, as I was reading through the comments, I kept hoping someone would say this, because it was exactly what I thought when I read it.
It’s the money issue, I think. I don’t have $500 or so to spend on an Ipad when I already spent $2400 on a macbook pro that I NEED for work/school. (Need the power for 3D renders, ’nuff said)
…maybe when I get a full-time job and have graduated? lol
Too true, Drop. However, I think Scott, of all people, could pull it off. And probably lampshade it in the process.
GREAT PAGE!
And I loved the dialogue too despite what others have said
The rain does look odd, though…
Maybe her next line is “And I fight for HIM!” as she rapid fires that bow right into Nic’s scaly hide.
But (A) I’ll believe 100% “College-age young man fights for scantily-clad Elf Chick”. And (B) in a way that makes it more personal. This isn’t someone fighting for some ideal, they’re fighting for a PERSON, and what that person values because it’s important to them — and THEY are important to you.
And (C) as someone else points out, she could easily follow up with “And I fight for HIM!”, which would be a one-two shot in the arm for Alex’ fighting mojo.
Thanks. It’s actually kinda eerie the way that echoes a major factor of a novel I have in current submission.
I’m betting with those who have said the rest is “And I fight for HIM!”, which will complete an awesome couple couplet, and let her give him one more either right IN, or right between, the eyes.
And if Nick HURTS her, Alex will DESTROY him with the Dreamland power that he’ll finally stop THINKING about using and just GO with it.
She spent one character point on “dramatic wind effects”. Duh.
That’s a good alternative. And she could name them and then demand “And what do YOU fight for, Nicodemus? For greed? For power? For GUILT, to erase your betrayal? None of these will save you!”
OMG this is an epic page!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great stuff man way 2 kool!
On the bow and magic arrow. The arrow is not on the wrong side, however the bow is tilted quite a bit the wrong way. I expect this is done for artistic reasons to make the picture more dramatic. If N held the bow and arrow correctly we would not have a good view of her face. She is not holding the noch like you would on a physical arrow, but it is a magic arrow – no noch, no vane, no feathers. Everything here adds to the dramatic effect and clarity of this single panel. Its a masterpiece.
Each statement punctuated with an arrow of course. Followed up at the end by an entire quiverful of arrows. That way Nic doesn’t get too close, and gets a face full of arrows.
Wall paper maybe?
…considering that he’s EMBEDDED in cobblestones, a broken jaw doesn’t quite describe the massive damage done to his body. “Pancake” is closer to the right term.
…Good magic armor.
Bravisimo
epic splash page of nast. O.O
Just went back and the lighting is nice, but the arrow is way wrong, can’t be shot that way, the clothing is blown but the rain isn’t. I am afraid this picture does need some correction.
Or his head ripped off of him for her insolence.
that does make sense.
People, she’s an elf.
hot dam! wow! this really puts the war of TDC into context and perspective. awesomness scott!
well, the cloak can be explained with her doing a massive leap to that balaster and it still doing its “gotta settle to gravity now” routine.
Nice call.
Loving this page as much as the rest.
Why isn’t her eyeline following where the arrow is pointing?
rebound… say “and the people of dreamland” or something.
Epic ‘Staj ass-kicking page!!
Wallpaper please!
Fave page Yet
-Even over that Menacing Paddington cover/splash earlier
heart just fluttered – stuff just got *Real*.
WOW. This page is so epic and beautiful I can’t get over it! This has to be one of my most favorite pages ever.
Hell hath no fury like a pissed-off elf.
They have special planes in Hell for pissed off elves.Also for just pissed elves
He’s only MOSTLY dead …
😉
… and we have a new top contender for most appropriate avatar EVER …
😉
First off, AWESOME page. She is totally channeling Ollie Green here (Green Arrow for those not up on their archers of awesomedom). The badass version of Ollie.
As to the “dumb thing to say” crowd, I believe she’s doing her best to pull Nico’s attention away from Alex so he has a chance to get his feet under him again. Not speaking Alex’s heart for him.
They just don’t make elf princesses like that anymore… except here. 🙂
Orrrrr… it could be the perfect one for Alex down there to hear…
Nas: “Hey, wakey-wakey… I’m about to become a target”
Al: *Gains a level and fully heals* “RRRARGH!!!”
Also:”that’s Tr0n; he fights for the users”
…I fight for pony.
Yes he dose princess
Absolutely beautiful page, and I vote for the desktop version, too!
:-]
Okay, I’ve been reading the archives, but not writing because I’m still 2 years behind, but I LOVE THIS PAGE! It’s truly excellent artwork. >_<
Now that is awesome dialouge! Go Nastajia!She’s aware of Alex’s motives, I don’t think she’s speaking on his behalf, I think she’s speaking as one with him