NOT QUITE TERRESTRIAL
#6
Writer's Commentary
Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? I have to admit, it took way too long
with this issue. Origjnally, we were supposed to take a small break after
the first arc was completed. However, it took a bit longer after it would
seem due to other commitments and our busy schedules.
Issue #6 is a strange one for me, as I wrote it well over a year ago. {dixey}
was in fact still with us when I finished the script (issue #6 was the only
reason, in fact, she even considered maybe staying because at the time she
was hooked on Kindle). But it was also written before September 11, which
is significant in considering certain events of the issue.
Cover
Usually we have a fairly good idea what to do for a cover, but for this issue,
I didn't know what should be drawn. I knew that I wanted the Space Needle
on it, because, in my mind, it's an even more important character in the
story than Kindle is. But at the same time, this was going to be the issue
that would kick off a series of Kindle stories, which meant we needed her
on it too. So Tigrr threw together this great cover, which I think is absoulutely
beautiful. Props go to Ruyi for the idea of flooding the cover's colors with
flames, which I think make the cover look sorta like the poster for Die Hard.
Putting a date on this page was something I really didn't want to do but
knew had to be done. I don't like putting in narration of any kind in these
stories unless they're coming from the characters themselves, as in the case
of Sierra's diary in issue #1 and the newspaper clippings in issue #3. However,
it was too small of a thing to have narration be used, so I figured I'd just
break my standard rule for this. I'll probably do it again when we hit arc
3.
Page 1
This page, along with page 3, were originally drawn by Netlady. However,
she never did pages 2 or 4 due to time restraints and I really didn't want
to have an alternating artist for the first four pages, so I had Ruyi redraw
the pages. This page, Ruyi will tell you, she did really quick, but I think
it looks great. The door all by it's lonesome seems sorta surreal, but neat.
The apartment number was sort of important to me, as it's a slight Biblical
reference to John 3:16. NQT isn't Biblical as I'm not a strongly religious
person, but I've been trying hard to put philosophical and religious allusions
(and not just Christian, I'll note) thoughout the series as we're slowly
building up to something big in the final arc.
Page 2
NQT #6 takes place in May of 2001 rather than July of 2000, like NQT #1-5.
Although this may seem strange, dates are important, as arc 3 will take place
in 2012. Because Sierra and Matt have now been finished with high school
for well over a year and have no plans of going to college, it was important
to me to give them careers that might represent who they are as people, but
at the same time wouldn't pay great. Sierra I gave the job as a telephone
psychic. And for those of you who wonder if psychics really work from home,
they do; they simply plug into a network (it's similar to what Neve Cambpell's
character does in Scream 3, except she's working for a different type of
hotline). Matt's job, although not displayed in this issue, has changed to
being a carpenter.
Page 3
It was Ruyi's idea from the beginning that the montage would be done using
old scenes from other issues rather than the artist drawing the scenes. Netlady
drew her version that way too, but it was at Ruyi's suggestion, and she carried
it on in her page. In the script, I had written a lot of new scenes, like
a burnt dog and stuff. However, it was thought that it would be best to give
only a little bit of new stuff; thus, the pic of the abusive father. I would
love to dive into her character eventually, do a story about her childhood.
I think that would be awesome.
Page 4
On the tv is a scene from the movie Amelie. In the movie, she dressed up
like Zorro at one point to help someone. That's sort of what Sierra does
in this issue.
It was important to me that Sierra and Matt not have shirts on in this page.
In theory, they're about to have sex, and I just wanted to confirm for the
reader how far their relationship had reached since issue #5.
Page 5
Jacob Bond has been a good friend of mine for a while. In fact, for a time
he was supposed to be the sole artist on issue #1. So when {dixey} left the
series, I asked him to join the group and he jumped at the chance.
This page was done twice by Jacob. He was disappoined quite a bit with the
initial page as he felt it didn't represent his natural style. So he redid
it. The same goes for page 6.
Page 6
This is the same suit Sierra stole from Shawn's guard in issue #4. This is
also the last time you will see Sierra in that suit as she will decide in
the end that being a super-hero in nonsense and doesn't work.
Page 7
Not much to say here. Jacob had to redraw Kindle's smile as I felt the initial
one seemed joyful and not sinister. But otherwise, no big story goes with
this page.
Page 8
I absolutely love it when an artist's rendition of a page completely surprises
me, and this page is such a page. I had imagined a shot of Sierra flying
from far away, then a close up of a person being thrown out the window. But
Jacob came up with something that I feel plays way better emotionally. It's
very cool.
Page 9
I had forgotten to tell Tigrr that Matt drives a truck since he's a carpenter,
so she had to redraw this page. I had to grovel for forgiveness. Also, enjoy
the license plate. Tigrr gets a kick out of doing stuff on those, it would
seem.
Page 10
I know this sounds egotistical, but I just love the dialogue I did in this
page. I know it's not great dialouge, but I think it plays nicely.
Page 11
Great page. Not much to say other than the fact that I struggled over what
sound Sierra should make when she pukes. I actually thought it would be great
for her to throw up. Sierra isn't a hero yet. She's not ready for something
like this and especially not ready to see something like that.
Page 12
This page was supposed to have lots more dialouge. Lots. But I think it's
one of Tigrr's best pages yet for the series, so I really tried hard not
to contaminate it. It was also supposed to be the point, in theory, where
everyone would run for the elevator. However, I miscommunicated this in the
script, so neither Tigrr nor Glock have anyone escaping.
Page 13
Glock's pages. It's sorta interesting in her pages, watching Sierra. Since
Glock didn't show her eyes, most of her emotions are conveyed by her hands
and mouth instead. I dunno, it's sort of interesting to me. I love the last
panel in this, too. I think Glock does a good job showing that, if Sierra
did fight, Kindle would probably still win.
Page 14
This page caused me problems. Like I said, I hadn't conveyed well enough
that everyone should have escaped. So when Glock turned in the original version
of this page, everyone was there and Sierra was escaping out of a window,
leaving them there to die. I couldn't get ahold of Glock at the time to fix
it and for a while I didn't know what to do. I then realized that if I blew
up the last panel just a bit, cropping out the window opening, it would look
instead like Sierra was running. So... problem solved. At least temporarily.
I'm hoping Glock might evenually have the time to redraw the last panel properly.
Page 15
This page caused me problems an an obviously different level. I'd actually
had this page in mind since first deciding NQT should be in Seattle. I had
no clue what it's purpose should be, but it made sense to me action wise.
I had read an intereview with I believe Erik Larsen but I could be mistaken
in which he noted that the reason his comics seem so much more real in some
sense is because in his comics, real monuments are destroyed, and that connects
to people. So when we decided Kindle should hold people hostage, I figured
this would be a great way to end it.
Then September 11 came. I won't go into my emotions about that day, cause
I think everyone in America felt the same way. A week or two later, though,
I became concerned over whether this page would be considered inappropriate.
I asked the crew what they thought, whether it should be cut or not. And
although everyone thought it good to give thought about the topic, everyone
agreed that, since our readership is low and since we would not be out for
a while anyway, that it would be fine. Still... the page does send an entirely
different tingle down one's spine than I had intended. But it's still a nice
looking page.
Page 16
Oh my God, she's alive! Alive! Yeah, I know, the chances of her surviving...
are almost non-existent. But who cares. She'll return. The arc continues.
This is Glockgal's last issue, saddly. It's really a shame she's leaving,
because she had such a huge hand in the development of the series. It's going
to be a shame to not be working with her any longer.
Pin-Up
Ruyi (and, in case you haven't caught on, Ruyi is Marie Yuen. Marie's not
her real name) drew this on a whim when summer began cause, as she put it,
every comic needs a swimsuit special. Definately great coloring.
Well, that's all for now. Come back for next issue!