#798 – it’s here in my brain

I was going for a bit of corny 90s kid (?) iconography describing their imaginations - really the only objects that don't fold into the pastels here. This page went through a few color passes, IIRC; Valerie and I exchanged some ideas about boiling down the potlights and room shapes into their essence, and in the end she decided to remove the borders entirely, and create this wonderful dreamlike blur. I love that the lights still manage to hit Mar a little bit.

We're seeing through Jane's eyes here, when she has the easiest time looking at Marigold: when she's detached, in her own thoughts, not looking back at Jane. It's almost voyeuristic? I wanted Jane to fall in love with Marigold across time, to see a child and a tired woman, someone she concurrently loved 20, 30 years from now - just completely swept away. At this point she can't even rationally picture herself being a part of this person's world, but it's just too enticing not to try.

I think I should've presented the last panel bigger, and that gets in my craw. Part of a larger problem of displaying the comic at a slim, Tumblr-friendly size that I eventually couldn't stand anymore. I'm still very happy with the posing, the way Jane appears to still be in motion as she draws back.

12 thoughts on “#798 – it’s here in my brain

  1. That last panel is so good. I actually kind of like the scaling here. It's understated, but it still has the weight it needs.

  2. I really love the last panel, the motion and the scaling are both striking. To me it read like – this is a whole new thing now, this is huge, buuuut is it really? They’re both in uniform and about to go back to work, it’s only big in their heads for a bit but everything around them is normal. It’s a sudden jarring reframing from Jane and then both of them to the bigger picture of the bar, and that contrast makes it so human.

  3. I love the second last panel. It's a moment that's so important to them but not at all to the people around them.

    1. YES! the zoom out gets me everytime. It sort of accentuates how world shattering it is for the reader. On one hand, its the fulfillment of a webcomic 'ship youve had for a while, one the other, its just two people in a bar. But then reality snaps back and we're permitted to fully revel in the excitement. Love love love the framing here and everywhere. I also love Mer's eye drawing switch between 7 and 8. It always struck me as masterful. Bravo all over again Gran.

  4. oh I remember feeling so much happiness and disbelief when this page came out, I was giddy about jane and mar throughout the rest of the chapter!! i wasn’t doubtful about the building chemistry between them but after so much bait and switch in general media regarding queerness, my hopes weren’t extremely high. thanks for proving me wrong meredith!

  5. When aren't the early stages of a relationship voyeuristic though, amirite

  6. Iconic page

  7. There's so much to love in these pages but Mar's "You gotta be fucking kidding me" face in panel two is an overlooked gem.

    1. low key one of my favorite panels in OP

  8. The backgrounds in this entire arc do so much storytelling. I'm learning a lot from the commentary, and it's clearer than ever how great the collaboration was between the two of you.

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