Annotated 16-12
Boy, was this page a “happy little accident.” Like I said, we did not have any plans to transform Penk into Harky’s successor at this point. In fact, we were sort of thinking the opposite: focusing too much on the leaders of the World’s Rebellion risked making it seem less a movement of the people and even Auraugu was a living legend; we needed someone ordinary, a counterpoint to the “working-class adventurers” we advertised our protagonists as being. But the way Harky says “…Visions” in panel 4 and the little halo of white around Penk as he departs sure looks like some pretty graceful foreshadowing now that I’m reading it again.
Phil had a different meaning altogether in mind for that frame. Harky is a bit perturbed by the nature of the visions he’s received, almost as if he can sense HR pulling his strings from another plane of existence. It’s hard to convey that visually, but it was John’s call to have him looking meaningfully at Penk as he says the word, rather than looking up to the heavens in uneasy puzzlement. Perhaps he intuited where this plot might be going before we did.
John brought a lot of ideas to this page, actually, especially its magnificent use of sunlight and the comical reactions of Penk’s listeners as he– as far as he knows– discovers his entire life’s purpose.
You know, I always wondered about that gauntlet that Harky wears. I would intuit that it’s to compensate for the fingers he lost to Byron way back when, but from what I understand of trolls that doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t he simply regenerate the lost digits, given time?
Harky is (somewhat rightfully) superstitious. Maybe he burned off those fingers to avoid the taint of the berserker curse?
Maybe after having his fingers cut off once, he thought it a wise investment to protect his main hand. I mean just because you can regenerate your fingers doesn’t mean it’s fun.
I don’t think they regenerate so much as heal really fast. So if both a troll & a human get the same laceration on their arm, the troll will heal it much faster than the human. But if they lose a limb, neither of them are getting it back.
Visions explains a lot. The Wood Elves were never friends of the humans, but for whatever reasons never sided with Harky’s rebellion. It always seemed strange that he would attack and alienate a potential ally
I just noticed that the goblin in the last panel has an “I (heart) (World’s Rebellion)” coffee mug.
same here.
I for one rather like the “I love the world’s rebellion” mug. as we all know it isn’t a proper movement if there isn’t themed merch.
Ah this answers my question a few updates ago regarding the ways HR will manipulate the course of this war!
I would never have guessed Penk’s development was an accident had you not told us. It all seemed pretty organic and slotted right in.
I’ve always read the ‘visions’ panel the way Phil intended it, but I can certainly see the foreshadowing you mention.
John revealed to be the real HR.
ssshhh… nobody’s suppose to know that. ;-)
“No, I LOVE having a loud-ass thunderbox constantly booming behind my head, why do you ask?”
You’re telling me NO ONE noticed one of the Fuzzy People is…shaving?
On second glance, maybe it’s just shampoo being brushed in.
Pretty sure he’s brushing his teeth.
Yeah, those look like bristles. Besides, if that’s a razor, their sharpening skills are … very bad. And that seems unlikely.
Along with his entire muzzle.
‘e ‘az vewwy vewwy big teef!
Re: the alt text: I mean, he is. Quite enthusiastically.