Comic Sketches: January 2020

Not too much for this month, considering we took a well needed break. 

Working on multiple projects at once, including making animations, can really wear you out! Especially when you're sort of used to spoiling yourself with at least weekly updates. 

These next few updates past this point though, will usher VE into kind of a new era of itself. I described it in newsposts as us "leaving the honeymoon phase". From here forward, VE is essentially done with its introductions and will instead focus on a consistent forward momentum with its plot. From within The Game itself, to additional lore, to connecting with Snowbound Blood proper.  

But for now, we still have the last of our loose ends to tie up. Or rather, half-knot and leave to be put together into one big rope chain in the future.

We see Taz lose her PsyOP/chucklevoodoo here. Something that Vilcus mentions only happens to those who either share a similar power, or is too close or comfortable with who they're trying to utilize it on when they talk to a younger Taz. 

It's a small detail, but the impact is rather large considering that Taz is kind of cursed with it being consistently active. The only one we knew her Intimidation powers didn't work on was Albion, but now through the framework of Taz and Arcjec's prior relationship, it further punctuates the fact of just how close they really were. And effectively, still can be despite everything. 

Fun Fact: the original hero designs you see in the final product were sketched out first by Heather (which you can find here), and were then redrawn by me! Arcjec is still, in essence, a part of myself. He was created initially as a self insert when I was 13, so we felt it was only right for him to carry over my art style. 

I mandated that Albion needed to wear pink in her design. I actually wanted her to be MORE colorful than she actually was, representing the entire spectrum of Star Children emotion colors on her in some way. But while I am good at character design, I am not good at color picking. So we opted that out.  

I thought it was very important to show that Albion used to think she knew how to dress and compose herself on her own, before she subconsciously became more and more like The Exemplar. 

Taz and Arcjec are dressed as Maka and Soul from Soul Eater! Which is Tazjec adjacent, I feel. They're meeting Brendan Fraser, who is noted in Jentha's introduction as being Repiton's most popular and best actor. I really do have a soft spot for his work.

We see Arcjec enjoying Lunchables here! As well as Taz giving us another incarnation of the classic VE disgust face. One that I'm sure every member of the cast will get eventually. 

Arcjec is also drinking Sprite, as it is one of the few sodas on Repiton to not have some sort of medicinal effect. It's like their water, since Repitonian's literally do nothing that utilizes water if they can help it.

This one was actually a reference to a very very very old roleplay me and Heather did when we were young, where Arcjec goes to visit Taz and Minkmom sizes him up before begrudgingly taking him over to Taz for observation. 

Minkmom was supplied as a sort of watcher by the Mirthamanaics, which Vilcus lightly mentions. But over time her and Taz have that sort of symbiotic relationship that trolls with natural lusii tend to gain. She's just there like: "Are you sure you want this? Are you REALLY sure??"

Taz and Arcjec are seeing Black Parade-era My Chemical Romance in the final product! Which I've talked about at length before saying that MCR and VE are intrinsically linked. MCR disbanded on 3/22 of 2013, and announced their return on 10/31 of 2019. Which is known to Vast Errorians (VE historians) as the Ellsee day, and the day [S] Ellsee: Enter dropped.

Also MCR is just a really raunchy band name in a Repitonian context. It's super funny. I'm sure they would both be pumped that they're back, if they ever broke up on Repiton. Which they did not.

Speaking of not utilizing water, Repitonian pools are made of a chlorinated Jell-o type substance. Some people thought it was sopor slime, which is understandable given the green look of it. But nah, not the same thing. This does mean pools come in various colors though! I actually wanted it to be like a red or an orange at first, but it didn't really come off right.

The Rock was a present that Arcjec got Taz for Yulepassing confirmed! Now you can retroactively look back and see why she has such a strong connection to it, even holding onto it for moral support. You can do the same thing with the Ferocity Weaver during her entry as well.

A lot of questions about this picture in particular. There are definite answers for them, and I've touched upon why in various Tumblr asks. But I think what I want to mention most is that there are also definite reasons as to why Sova, Jentha, Occeus and Calder are not here for this moment. We'll be exploring those reasons in the future, on top of the timeline/knowledge discrepancies we put into play.

With this short we know that the Harbingers Of The Alpocalypse's hideout is among the ruined city that Jentha lives in somewhere. We can also make the assumption that Edolon can't go through these portals, since he doesn't even make the attempt to do so. "What about Mutt or Rogi?" you may ask. They're kind of exceptions, as they're specifically linked to the player in question. But like Haniel said, even bringing them in is sort of frowned upon.

Hmmm, seems as if the Compecado are being utilized for something... Something different than Lefty...

This rift is known as 'The Abyss', which was first mentioned in SBB Vol. 3. In the final product, you can see the REVISED COPY of The Vivifier's book at the altar. Further linking the events of the game with the events of VE proper, especially when you consider the events that must have transpired to open The Abyss in the first place. 

Pozzol did mention "sacrificial proceedings" in SBB Vol. 7, and we have seen skewed views of Edolon cutting open the neck of another troll both in [S] WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM and in the Chamber Cultist track art from Vast Error Vol. 4.

These two are just hilarious, nothing more to say. I love how we utilize a mix of art and taken imagery for Repitonian celebrities. Not that Homestuck proper was a stranger to this, it's just always funny. Especially when you're connecting two people who have NOTHING to do with each other in real life.

And that's everything for January! Sorry it was a bit smaller than usual due to the break, I tried to make up for it with a little bit more commentary! February onward will probably yield a lot more to look at.

See you next month!

- Austin