Cootch Gremlins (Patreon)

This next comic is on ~*yeast infections*~ Haha, it's Saturday and I've still got two more pages to pencil and ink of this monster six page comic. I'll get 'er done by Sunday. I've gotta! 

But! In the interest of procrastinating, here's the evolution a panel went through yesterday. 

SCRIPT: Doctors know best. You'll either be prescribed an oral medication, like Diflucan, or recommended an over-the-counter treatment like Monistat or Gyne-Lotrimin, which is a cream or ovule you insert straight up into your vagina with a thin tube. 

#1 First I drew Lil' Erika standing there like a chump, holding pills in one hand and a box of Monistat in the other. BOOOOOOOOOOORING. Plus, the objects in hand were so small, they wouldn't have registered to the reader. Trying to make it more visually interesting, I added in those large, over-sized medication applicators shooting off their creams and ovules on the left. 

#2 I knew drawing over-size props was a step in the right direction, so then I drew Lil' Erika SITTING on the pill container, with pills spilling out. Better, but the two elements (Character and applicators) were still too isolated from each other. Interaction between all these pieces would be much more interesting for the reader to look at. 

#3 That's when it hit me-- I could make a Yeast Infection Medication THRONE. Ah-hah! Yes! The pill container stayed the same and then I used the applicators as... uh... is there a word for the fancy, decorative backing of a throne? AND THEN I was like "Oh man! I could make the ovule applicator my royal baton! (Again, what's the real word for that? It's not "scimitar"...) YES. BAM. NAILED IT. 

#4 It was Friday (yesterday!) and this was only page four of six, so I had to get it sent off to Matt ASAP so he could start coloring it. I inked it up and sent it off, even though I had this nagging feeling I could have done something a bit more 'fun' with it.... 

#5 Today, Saturday, as I was mentally composing this Patreon update I was suddenly struck with inspiration. The throne panel is amusing, but very stationary. I'm literally just sitting on some props, there is no action at all. I got to wondering, how could I have incorporated movement into this panel? Maybe had the applicators shooting off their medications and ovules while I sat there, like fireworks around me? Wait, shooting applicators... WHAT IF LIL' ERIKA WERE USING AN APPLICATOR LIKE A BAZOOKA TO *ACTUALLY SHOOT* A COOTCH GREMLIN*???????? 

*(Cootch Gremlins are the visual representation of yeast infections in this comic) 

AUUUUUGGGGHHHHHHHH FUUUUUUUUCKKKKKK. 

It's too late now, Matt already colored the page yesterday and I don't have time to redraw this panel and have him re-color it while we've both still got two more pages to get done by Sunday. 

Ah well! That's the nature of deadlines-- you get it to "good enough" and then when you're outta time, that's it, you gotta ship it out even if you could probably do a better job with just a bit more time. 

Anyway, have a happy weekend! You already know how I'll be spending mine; illustrating yeast infection information ;)