Somnivore

Discuss Scott McCloud's current online comic project. Be sure to check out <a href="http://www.scottmccloud.com/comics/mi/mi.html">the latest improv</a>!

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Post by Guest »

The guy seems like an Anti-Sandman (I'm thinking of the original nursery-tale Sandman who makes people go to sleep by sprinkling sand in their eyes, not Morpheus). Sandman brings sleep, Somnivore brings insomnia. Somnivore probably steers well clear of Sandman - a thrown bag of sand can really hurt.
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Re: Beware the switch

Post by Tim Tylor »

NatGertler wrote:I think the oddly-placed light switch is more important than we realized. Is it the switch that someone turns off towards the start of the piece? But, wait, it's on again in the morning, before anyone tries to wake her up! So if it was turned off, who turned it on? And if it wasn't turned off, what does it operate that was left on all night???
Probably a setup like that in my room, with two lightswitches at different places. The light is on if the switches are both up or both down, and off when they're in opposite positions. So there's a logical explanation (there usually is, with a little ingenuity). :D
PS: I'm "Anonymous" above - forgot to log in. Sorry.
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Post by Scott McCloud »

I didn't even notice the lightswitch position until now. I did use the same linework as in the earlier panels. Surprised that just changing the colors and such wound up taking the whole hour. Adobe Illustrator can be a bear sometimes.

As for the switch, I guess it was a bit weird to put one by the window. Though the one Mommy turns off is probably on the other side of the room though the on position isn't *necessarily* a mistake. ^^
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Post by Michael Patrick »

Surprised that just changing the colors and such wound up taking the whole hour. Adobe Illustrator can be a bear sometimes
Have you tried illustrating in Flash instead of Illustrator? It doesn't have as comprehensive a toolbox, but certain tasks (like altering colors) are a heck of a lot easier. Plus, you can easily import and export between the two.

I think Flash is much more intuitive for drawing, too.
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Post by Scott McCloud »

Actually, I'm figuring a lot out this week and Illustrator is getting easier now. Especially when it comes to colors.

Flash, for what I'm doing, would be far more difficult I'm afraid.

The Right Number, in fact, was drawn in Illustrator and then imported *into* Flash.
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Post by Otis_Frampton »

Scott, I think this is one of the best things you've done. I know it's just an "improv", but it's beautiful.

Can't wait to see the conclusion.

-Otis
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Shawn I

Now THATs creepy

Post by Shawn I »

The soulless response of the young girl in today's panel has got to be the creepiest thing I've seen in any Morning Improv yet.

-Shawn, returning to lurk mode.
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Agreed...

Post by Cyborg Caveman »

Anonymous wrote:The soulless response of the young girl in today's panel has got to be the creepiest thing I've seen in any Morning Improv yet.

-Shawn, returning to lurk mode.
So far Somnivore has been disturbing in ways none of the other strips can uite match. Personally, after the "I don't know" panel I was expecting a sequence of panels all with the girl at various ages sitting at the same table, all following a certain pattern.

"What do you see in that boy?"

"I don't know."

"How could you wreck the car?!"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you're pregnant?"

"I don't know."

And so on. But I have to say that "What makes the most money" is a pretty damned disheartening answer all by itself. Out of the mouths of babes, eh?
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Scott, how could you?

Post by wansley »

The effect of the Somnivore is more hideous than anything I could possibly have imagined. That sweet, innocent, young girl has been turned into a (gasp) Republican!
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Post by Shig »

In the event of a somnivore attack:

1. Remain calm.
2. Do not attempt to go back to sleep.
3. Call a somnambulance.
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Re: Scott, how could you?

Post by Rip Tanion »

wansley wrote:The effect of the Somnivore is more hideous than anything I could possibly have imagined. That sweet, innocent, young girl has been turned into a (gasp) Republican!
That's not so bad. Hey, it could have been worse. She could have said she wanted to grow up to be just like Hillary Clinton. Or Martha Stewart. Or Celine Dion. Or Jenna Jameson.

Of course, that last one is only hideous if she's YOUR daughter.
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Post by Tim Tylor »

This is interesting. I half-expected the "money" frame to be the end of the story, but suddenly we're off somewhere else.
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dreams

Post by kaos_de_moria »

Rip Tanion wrote:
wansley wrote:The effect of the Somnivore is more hideous than anything I could possibly have imagined. That sweet, innocent, young girl has been turned into a (gasp) Republican!
That's not so bad. Hey, it could have been worse. She could have said she wanted to grow up to be just like Hillary Clinton. Or Martha Stewart. Or Celine Dion. Or Jenna Jameson.
hmm... no... i guess if she wanted to be like hillary clinton or if she wanted to become president of the united states, that would be a dream. to do, what makes the most money is basically a rational answer without any "dream" factor". i guess what the somnivore did, is to steal all her dreams, the one you have when you sleep and the one you have when you're awake. and if there's nothing she or her dreams can do about it to become free again, she'll end up like schmidt in "about schmidt" or how the movie was called.

i love the guessing game,
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Re: dreams

Post by Rip Tanion »

kaos_de_moria wrote:i guess if she wanted to be like hillary clinton or if she wanted to become president of the united states
I guess that's a shorter answer than "I want to marry a clod who becomes President of the United States; sit back while he make a fool of himself; and then try to become president myself."
kaos_de_ wrote:i guess what the somnivore did, is to steal all her dreams
Looks like he stole her toys.

Hmm, on second thought, he did steal her dreams, because it seems that she dreams about toys.

That would actually support her seemingly materialistic character. The object of adult greed is money...and lots of it. The object of greed for children is toys...and lots of 'em.
"Park the beers, and grab the smiles. It's flight time." - LtCdr. J. Robert "Bobby" Stone, USN (R.I.P.)
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Re: dreams

Post by kaos_de_moria »

Rip Tanion wrote:Hmm, on second thought, he did steal her dreams, because it seems that she dreams about toys.

That would actually support her seemingly materialistic character. The object of adult greed is money...and lots of it. The object of greed for children is toys...and lots of 'em.
*g* OK, i didn't really want to speculate about the panels in progress, because it's even more difficult then to talk about the actually finished panels.

i just wanted to note, that what you see in the progress panels is probably not her dream because

a) it's day
b) she cannot sleep

therefor i guess we're somewhere in the somnivore head or something... creepy

but we'll see tomorrow *g*

kaos
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Re: dreams

Post by kaos_de_moria »

kaos_de_moria wrote:
but we'll see tomorrow *g*

kaos
or maybe not...
does anyone understand the new panels by now? they have a bit more "when luna smiles" flavor then the previous. does luna come to defeat the somnivore? *g*

hurry scott, give us more panels, can't stand the tension :-)

kaos
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Post by Rip Tanion »

Nah, I think you're on the right track with the stolen dreams.

Looks like Somnivore steals the dreams, and then buries them in the yard; like a dog burying his purloined (sirloin?) bones.

Looks like we need to dig Luna up.
"Park the beers, and grab the smiles. It's flight time." - LtCdr. J. Robert "Bobby" Stone, USN (R.I.P.)
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Re: dreams

Post by Alexander D. »

Rip Tanion wrote:Hmm, on second thought, he did steal her dreams, because it seems that she dreams about toys. That would actually support her seemingly materialistic character. The object of adult greed is money...and lots of it. The object of greed for children is toys...and lots of 'em.
I'm going to disagree here -- while toys are simply greed trophies for some kids, for others they serve as the focal point for imaginitive thinking. Given that this little girl imbues her toys with personalities, I'm thinking she's among the latter -- in her world, toys aren't just objects, they're her friends.

Which, I would think, just makes her dreams all the sweeter in flavor, if you happen to be a hungry Somnivore.
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somnivore finished?

Post by kaos_de_moria »

AFAIRemember the new title should be chosen when the actual MI is finished. now the new title is published... does that mean this MI is finished? no solution? no revenge? no truth? :-?

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Re: somnivore finished?

Post by Greg Stephens »

kaos_de_moria wrote:does that mean this MI is finished? no solution? no revenge? no truth? :-?
The ending works for me. But that's not to say that there couldn't be room for another story exploring this idea futher.
Good morning! That's a nice tnetennba.
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didn't have the last panel before...

Post by kaos_de_moria »

...so i didn't actually have the ending. no the ending is actually great, because the somnivore HAS to steal/eat other ppl's dreams, otherwise he is not able to have nice dreams himself. it's like stealing food before starving. i guess insomniacs would do the same if they could...

i actually like the ending... :D just a bit worried what will be with the poor little girl :-?

kaos
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Post by Christopher Lundgren »

Greg Stephens wrote:The ending works for me. But that's not to say that there couldn't be room for another story exploring this idea futher.
Ooh, you know, that's a nifty idea. So far each improv, once completed, has been locked away for good. It would be neat to use new titles every once in a while to revisit some of the old stories. I know the improvs are all self-contained, but it seems like some of them have good potential to be fleshed out with additional... umm... issues.
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Post by losttoy »

I would agree that this comic could be lengthened to flesh out the story ... but as a quick improv it is pretty cool.
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Post by NatGertler »

I know I'm supposed to be weirded out or saddened by her question... but hey, it's just a question. Just a bit of figuring out how the world works.

To recognize that you may want some things that aren't merely job satisfaction, and that some things take money, does not mean that one is without dreams. Heck, I'd say that the most ruthlessly greedy people I know all have had dreams... they may be despicable dreams (as opposed to the casual cruelty of the young lady's dreams), but they are dreams nonetheless.

But then, when I was a kid I wanted to be in advertising when I grew up. Instead, I'm a writer/publisher; I've actually become somewhat more pure in my adulthood.

But it is a fine work. It does promote conversation, and not merely about light switch positioning.
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