Penciled Deja Vu Page (Patreon)

     Here's another page from the Deja Vu one-shot, "Fall Colors". It's actually the page before the last one I posted; Deja uses the distraction of flashing her headlights to set up one of the scarecrows for a kick to the head. Because this was never published, I used the joke again in Far West: "Hole in the Head"... but in that scene, Meg's headlights had no effect on the ogre, so she had to flash the well-endowed waitress's goods to get the effect she wanted (for anyone who hasn't read it or doesn't remember).

     As usual, while cleaning this page for posting, I couldn't help noticing all the screw-ups. And that made me wonder: why are mistakes so evident in hindsight, especially with the distancing effect of time. This isn't limited to artists; we all experience it. Many writers will set a project aside for extended periods in order to return to it with fresh eyes, to figure out what needs to be fixed. It's very frustrating, because how often in life do we have the luxury of setting something aside and coming back to it at our leisure? Comics sure as hell don't allow for it. I once considered doing an illustrated novel online, posted chapter-by-chapter rather than waiting until the whole story was finished. Someone may already have tried it, but this writing-without-a-net model is terrifying to any rational writer. All manuscripts need revision--and I don't mean merely correcting typos. There are always things you realize down the line should have been done differently; details forgotten; elements you realize needed to be set up earlier. I can't imagine an outline so tight that revisions wouldn't be necessary. The impulsive side of me thinks it might be exhilarating to try, but the rational side knows it would be a nightmare.