Sunday, 07/31: Fire the works.
a.k.a. TAGS Full page #8
Black and white: black India Ink on paper as originally published.
This full page strip was originally published in a July issue of monotony, the newsletter I created and ran for about a year to have some place (and schedule) for a comic strip. The subject of fireworks best correlates to Independence Day, however the Sunday date landed on the last day of July.
Yes, the dates were a bit arbitrary. Usually the daily strips were in a series of six consecutive days. At least they were always paired for consecutive days, none landing on a Sunday. The full page editions fell on a Sunday, as they should, following a series of four or six dailies.
Panel 1: Such a poor execution. In Monster’s right hand is a small American flag. In his left, a book of matches, from which he has flicked and struck matches which flame up in mid air.
Panels 2-9: Having drawn this for black and white reproduction, the panels alternate rendering styles to emphasize the initial bursting of fireworks contrasted with moments of less intense colored blooms falling with trailing pops and crackles. The contrast also suggests the lag between seeing the explosion and hearing its thunderous clap. I probably should have written the quoted comments in bubbles.
Panels 10-13: Casting Monster as a demanding twerp was less my intention than for him to be in the Charlie Brown role. P.11 should be “But…”; p.12 Monster continues to stand alone with smoke wafting in; p.13 Monster says, “Gats.”
This strip also features Tanya (otter, 4th appearance), Tom (griffin, 2), Suzie (deer, 4)
