The author feels it's important to note that tis comic is the sequel to Boogey Dancing which can be found here http://www.drunkduck.com/Boogey_Dancing/index.php?p=4455 but the comic up for review is the second part, as it is the author's most recent work. Feel free to read the first part if you'd like to grasp the entire plot.
http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=111378
Comic Review
DD Review Thread Boogey Dancing: Monkey Pot
Eggbert
at 8:32AM, May 23, 2007
(offline)
posts: 360
joined: 1-7-2006
last edited on July 14, 2011 12:19PM
Kohdok
at 9:00PM, May 23, 2007
(online)
posts: 776
joined: 5-18-2007
I made the choice to read this as a stand-alone, as many new readers would find themselves doing so and I must say that as a stand-alone, it works pretty well, though some mysteries still remain for me. I must confess it isn't the image I had in mind when I heard the title "Monkey Pot".
Story: The story itself is fairly well conveyed and I understand a lot, as the visual and verbal images explain a lot. You can tell what kinds of bonds the characters have and how they develop. Then again, the whole idea of a person's closet leading to another universe is a bit cliche, as is the idea of that universe being the KISS universe (You must forgive me, but that's how it looks to me...). It lends itself to that stereotype pretty well, however. The story is fairly interesting with a nice balance of action and dialog.
Story: Good
Technical Construction: As for the actual construction of the pages, that's where I begin to see some holes. The line art is pretty good and you draw clothes (And half-naked male torsos) better than I can (Something I am working on). However, the coloring job, while shaded well, has a lot of gaps and is inconsistent in places. It doesn't look very clean, and if you do it in color, cleanliness is often expected as a result. If you wanted to leave it dirty-looking, it tends to look better in black and white with maybe one or two more colors. Also, the grammar is a little off and the text looks like it was put on with a typewriter, with lots of running into the lines of the speech bubbles as well as many misalignments; one of my biggest no-nos. There are a few grammar mistakes here and there, but mostly mis-spellings.
Technical: Fair
This comic is doing pretty good on its own, sequel or not. If you explained what the human girl achieved in the past a little bit, that would be even better. Your rating match is pretty good, as well, mostly for the language.
My really big suggestions are that you clean up the color and not add the words with a typewriter and use a program like Photoshop instead,(Heck, even MS Paint will do if it's just text)while paying attention to the lines and it will be much better.
Story: The story itself is fairly well conveyed and I understand a lot, as the visual and verbal images explain a lot. You can tell what kinds of bonds the characters have and how they develop. Then again, the whole idea of a person's closet leading to another universe is a bit cliche, as is the idea of that universe being the KISS universe (You must forgive me, but that's how it looks to me...). It lends itself to that stereotype pretty well, however. The story is fairly interesting with a nice balance of action and dialog.
Story: Good
Technical Construction: As for the actual construction of the pages, that's where I begin to see some holes. The line art is pretty good and you draw clothes (And half-naked male torsos) better than I can (Something I am working on). However, the coloring job, while shaded well, has a lot of gaps and is inconsistent in places. It doesn't look very clean, and if you do it in color, cleanliness is often expected as a result. If you wanted to leave it dirty-looking, it tends to look better in black and white with maybe one or two more colors. Also, the grammar is a little off and the text looks like it was put on with a typewriter, with lots of running into the lines of the speech bubbles as well as many misalignments; one of my biggest no-nos. There are a few grammar mistakes here and there, but mostly mis-spellings.
Technical: Fair
This comic is doing pretty good on its own, sequel or not. If you explained what the human girl achieved in the past a little bit, that would be even better. Your rating match is pretty good, as well, mostly for the language.
My really big suggestions are that you clean up the color and not add the words with a typewriter and use a program like Photoshop instead,(Heck, even MS Paint will do if it's just text)while paying attention to the lines and it will be much better.
highest rating so far has been #11 in comic books, #13 overall. It's pageviews are almost half a million!!
Croi Dhubh
Holy f***ing win!
last edited on July 14, 2011 1:19PM
Mina_Lunga
at 10:35PM, May 24, 2007
(online)
posts: 29
joined: 1-5-2006
I agree with most of Kohdok's points, with the following modifications:
(a) I suggest NOT trying to do your text on a computer. For one thing, you already stated quite clearly in your author's comments that you will never, ever do this and I hardly feel like trying to persuade you. For another, computer text would not look like anything other than a slapped-on affair given the style of the rest of the page. What I WOULD suggest is working on your hand-lettering, since the typewriter style is clumsy, lends itself to errors, and not particularly aesthetically pleasing. By doing hand lettering you could better fill your balloons, give emotion to your text, and even give the characters distinct fonts.
(b) Although your comic flirts with several major cliches it doesn't feel as though they are all that supports the story. I was reminded of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie: every cliche you can pull out, and yet transcending them to be thoroughly enjoyable.
(c) Stick with your artistic style, but refine it (something that I am sure you are naturally doing as you work on your comic). The anatomy you use is often awkward, and it looks as though you do not always plan where characters are going to be before you start drawing, resulting in some pretty odd physical contortions.
(d) You're great with your colored pencils, but don't be afraid to branch out into other coloring media. Sometimes from experimentation comes great discoveries - perhaps you will find styles in plain ink, or watercolor, that you can exploit to your advantage. Changing media can evoke mood.
(e) You're plots are cripplingly episodic. I mean, Sarah becomes a rock star of the Boogey realm, gets kissed by a hot prince, and the -poof!- everything seems to reset. Time for the next story. . . being episodic is fine, but when things just get dropped and switched like that it makes it feel as though the characters are never going to change in the story. To maintain interest there must be conflict, and that conflict must transform them. Even if it's just a little bit.
Whew! Anyway, I enjoyed reading your story and hope that you continue to draw/write it!
(a) I suggest NOT trying to do your text on a computer. For one thing, you already stated quite clearly in your author's comments that you will never, ever do this and I hardly feel like trying to persuade you. For another, computer text would not look like anything other than a slapped-on affair given the style of the rest of the page. What I WOULD suggest is working on your hand-lettering, since the typewriter style is clumsy, lends itself to errors, and not particularly aesthetically pleasing. By doing hand lettering you could better fill your balloons, give emotion to your text, and even give the characters distinct fonts.
(b) Although your comic flirts with several major cliches it doesn't feel as though they are all that supports the story. I was reminded of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie: every cliche you can pull out, and yet transcending them to be thoroughly enjoyable.
(c) Stick with your artistic style, but refine it (something that I am sure you are naturally doing as you work on your comic). The anatomy you use is often awkward, and it looks as though you do not always plan where characters are going to be before you start drawing, resulting in some pretty odd physical contortions.
(d) You're great with your colored pencils, but don't be afraid to branch out into other coloring media. Sometimes from experimentation comes great discoveries - perhaps you will find styles in plain ink, or watercolor, that you can exploit to your advantage. Changing media can evoke mood.
(e) You're plots are cripplingly episodic. I mean, Sarah becomes a rock star of the Boogey realm, gets kissed by a hot prince, and the -poof!- everything seems to reset. Time for the next story. . . being episodic is fine, but when things just get dropped and switched like that it makes it feel as though the characters are never going to change in the story. To maintain interest there must be conflict, and that conflict must transform them. Even if it's just a little bit.
Whew! Anyway, I enjoyed reading your story and hope that you continue to draw/write it!
last edited on July 14, 2011 2:02PM
Chris chris
at 11:03PM, May 24, 2007
(online)
posts: 86
joined: 1-9-2006
Lol! I really enjoyed reading the two of your reviews. XD I'm taking quiet a few things into consideration, but they always bring me back to what people were saying the FIRST time I was reviewed. They hated my handwriting, they hated the use of different medium; so there for the longest of time I was heavily considering what the hell to do for this comic. XD Color pencils became my favorite, and I've only been working with them for a good year and a half now. I've recently discovered The Colorless blending pencils. Those work like a charm! @.@
Thank you for the human portion thought! I was shaking my head about that quite a bit! But nobody ever really complained or commented about it so I wasn't sure what the hell I was doing. The way I work is I see it in my head, just an image of what I see and I work toward it. It kinda does it still frame way so it probably looks really funky to everyone else. X3
But thanks a bunch! I now know what to frikkin' focus on!
Thank you for the human portion thought! I was shaking my head about that quite a bit! But nobody ever really complained or commented about it so I wasn't sure what the hell I was doing. The way I work is I see it in my head, just an image of what I see and I work toward it. It kinda does it still frame way so it probably looks really funky to everyone else. X3
But thanks a bunch! I now know what to frikkin' focus on!
last edited on July 14, 2011 11:42AM
Miruku
at 1:46PM, May 25, 2007
(online)
posts: 69
joined: 1-18-2006
Boy, it's been a while since I've done a review...
I didn't read the previous storyline, but I have to say I did enjoy this one by itself.
The art doesn't have any major flaws and is improving naturally as the comic progresses. The colored pencil looks great and gives it a unique feel. Sometimes I wish there were a little more detail work, but the colors are generally so bold and the colored pencil has so much texture that it really doesn't matter.
As for the writing, I think it's great that so much is being shown rather than told, so there isn't a ton of exposition like there often tends to be in stories with fantasy worlds. So we get the gist of what's going on but it isn't spelled out for us and there's still a little bit of mystery about it to keep us interested.
As for what seems to be the topic of much debate, the text: I think it works well but could use some...adjustments? I don't know exactly how it's done but it looks like you're typing out the text on the typewriter and then drawing around it. The problem that seems to come up on occasion because of this is that the text gets covered up. The only other way I could think of to do it would be to do the typing and drawing on separate sheets and then cut the text bubbles out and attach them to the comic part. That might not work very well, though, and it would be a little more work. I guess I'd just say plan ahead more carefully.
Other than that, the typos and odd grammar are the only distraction, really, and that can easily be fixed by taking a little extra time to double check text and maybe getting someone to spell/grammar check for you.
I thought you did a particularly good job with the whole flame-y scene where he's scaring the little kid, both artistically and story-wise. And even though this isn't normally my kind of comic, I think I'll be reading it from now on.
I didn't read the previous storyline, but I have to say I did enjoy this one by itself.
The art doesn't have any major flaws and is improving naturally as the comic progresses. The colored pencil looks great and gives it a unique feel. Sometimes I wish there were a little more detail work, but the colors are generally so bold and the colored pencil has so much texture that it really doesn't matter.
As for the writing, I think it's great that so much is being shown rather than told, so there isn't a ton of exposition like there often tends to be in stories with fantasy worlds. So we get the gist of what's going on but it isn't spelled out for us and there's still a little bit of mystery about it to keep us interested.
As for what seems to be the topic of much debate, the text: I think it works well but could use some...adjustments? I don't know exactly how it's done but it looks like you're typing out the text on the typewriter and then drawing around it. The problem that seems to come up on occasion because of this is that the text gets covered up. The only other way I could think of to do it would be to do the typing and drawing on separate sheets and then cut the text bubbles out and attach them to the comic part. That might not work very well, though, and it would be a little more work. I guess I'd just say plan ahead more carefully.
Other than that, the typos and odd grammar are the only distraction, really, and that can easily be fixed by taking a little extra time to double check text and maybe getting someone to spell/grammar check for you.
I thought you did a particularly good job with the whole flame-y scene where he's scaring the little kid, both artistically and story-wise. And even though this isn't normally my kind of comic, I think I'll be reading it from now on.
last edited on July 14, 2011 2:02PM
Anatak
at 2:39PM, May 25, 2007
(offline)
posts: 106
joined: 2-25-2006
Art
Well, lets see.. You could work a little on the anatomy of the characters, a lot of the time they seem to have sorta small bodies and/or large heads, this may be due in part to the anime influence but the head to body ratio seems to fluctuate from time to time. You do include backrounds often which is nice, and it makes the character's anatomy errors stand out less, and I personally like the colored pencil look you use. I feel you do a good job with the shading and coloring and that it makes the comic much more interesting to look at, and it also helps detract attention from the anatomy problems.
One issue I do have with this comic (and anime in general I suppose) is that all of the men look like women. I know its a sort of a trend in the anime style to do this and a lot of people dont mind it but some people such as myself do, and it is fairly distracting. A lot of the character models seem the same, or very similar, and couldnt be told apart were it not for different clothes/hair. So I'd advise just trying to come up with different shapes for body structures when you introduce some new characters, for instance, some people are fat, some people have big/wide jaw, some have broad shoulders, others have squinty eyes, or thick eyebrows, or a big nose. You know, just try mixing it up a little would be my advice for that issue.
Something else I noticed is that every once in a while, the Borders and/or speach boxes would get a little sloppy.
Sloppy speach bubbles
I realise that it can be difficult doing it all by hand (trust me, Ive tried it myself) but if you can, try to clean those up a bit on the computer, even a basic program such as MS paint would work.
Finally, I noticed you have a tendancy to only show characters from the torso/shoulders up, which gets boring to look at after a while.
Same view in every panel
I'd suggest trying different angles and perspectives a bit more. I know it takes a lot more effort and time but the results will really help suck the reader into the comic world, you know?
So overall for the art, I'd simply suggest working on anatomy and anatamical consistancy, varying the character models a bit more, trying to employ different angles and perspectives a bit more, and cleaning up the speech boxes/borders a bit.
Dialogue
The dialogue seems to be a high point of the comic for me personally, I think the dialogue is well thought out and seems natural and flowing. Other than a few spelling errors, I think the dialogue is okay as it is.
Characters
Overall, the characters seem rather likable, though a little shallow... I feel they kind of get caught in a couple cliches, for example, I feel Sarah is a bit, uh... Mary Sue-ish I guess? She seems a bit like a stereotypical anime girl, cute, emotional, happy for the most part, but still a little angsty when things get dramatic. It seems like the same mold Ive seen so many times before, she just bores me.. sorry. It just seems like she lacks any depth, any real personality, she seems flat. I think if you give her some sort of issue or something for her to overcome, she can evolve as a character more easily, but currently she just seems like a doll, with no motivation, no reason for existing.
Jean seems to have slightly more depth, being the prince of Boogey land(?) he does act sort of high and mighty with a sort of arrogance a prince might have, which is a good thing. He also balances out the hinted arrogance with the compassion he seems to feel for Sarah, which makes him more a likable character(you know, as opposed to being viewed as an arrogant jerk). It feels like his character is a bit more fleshy you know what I mean?
So my overall suggestion for the characters would be to simply flesh them out more, perhaps introduce another character or two to the cast. All of this will be much easier once the story gets moving along, which brings me to the final critism.
Story
Okay, so far, Jean broke into Sarah's room after a seperation of 10 years. They have a party, and Jean makes Sarah's dream come true and she sings in a concert. Then this old forgotten Mr. Floppers shows up who cant scare people, Sarah forces Jean to show Mr. Floppers how to scare people. Big monster randomly attacks them, Jean gets beat up, Sarah gets hurt, Jean prepares to go Super saiyan.
I really think it would help this story if there was some kind of overall goal or issue that the characters had to overcome. The characters could then slowly become more fleshed out as the story progressed. Right now it doesnt seem like there is any real direction this is headed, seems like anime filler with no relevance to the story... It is crucial to add some sort of plot in order to keep your readers interested. So, I really think you should work on developing the story more, and avoid anything that is not relevant to the plot for a while, it will give the characters a chance to be more fleshed out, and will improve the overall quality of the comic.
Now, I don't want you to get the wrong idea and think that I hated your comic or that I was way to harsh and am mean. If I didnt find your comic in the least bit amusing, I would not have read it all. It's all just constructive criticism and is ment to be taken as such.
Have a nice day.
Well, lets see.. You could work a little on the anatomy of the characters, a lot of the time they seem to have sorta small bodies and/or large heads, this may be due in part to the anime influence but the head to body ratio seems to fluctuate from time to time. You do include backrounds often which is nice, and it makes the character's anatomy errors stand out less, and I personally like the colored pencil look you use. I feel you do a good job with the shading and coloring and that it makes the comic much more interesting to look at, and it also helps detract attention from the anatomy problems.
One issue I do have with this comic (and anime in general I suppose) is that all of the men look like women. I know its a sort of a trend in the anime style to do this and a lot of people dont mind it but some people such as myself do, and it is fairly distracting. A lot of the character models seem the same, or very similar, and couldnt be told apart were it not for different clothes/hair. So I'd advise just trying to come up with different shapes for body structures when you introduce some new characters, for instance, some people are fat, some people have big/wide jaw, some have broad shoulders, others have squinty eyes, or thick eyebrows, or a big nose. You know, just try mixing it up a little would be my advice for that issue.
Something else I noticed is that every once in a while, the Borders and/or speach boxes would get a little sloppy.
Sloppy speach bubbles
I realise that it can be difficult doing it all by hand (trust me, Ive tried it myself) but if you can, try to clean those up a bit on the computer, even a basic program such as MS paint would work.
Finally, I noticed you have a tendancy to only show characters from the torso/shoulders up, which gets boring to look at after a while.
Same view in every panel
I'd suggest trying different angles and perspectives a bit more. I know it takes a lot more effort and time but the results will really help suck the reader into the comic world, you know?
So overall for the art, I'd simply suggest working on anatomy and anatamical consistancy, varying the character models a bit more, trying to employ different angles and perspectives a bit more, and cleaning up the speech boxes/borders a bit.
Dialogue
The dialogue seems to be a high point of the comic for me personally, I think the dialogue is well thought out and seems natural and flowing. Other than a few spelling errors, I think the dialogue is okay as it is.
Characters
Overall, the characters seem rather likable, though a little shallow... I feel they kind of get caught in a couple cliches, for example, I feel Sarah is a bit, uh... Mary Sue-ish I guess? She seems a bit like a stereotypical anime girl, cute, emotional, happy for the most part, but still a little angsty when things get dramatic. It seems like the same mold Ive seen so many times before, she just bores me.. sorry. It just seems like she lacks any depth, any real personality, she seems flat. I think if you give her some sort of issue or something for her to overcome, she can evolve as a character more easily, but currently she just seems like a doll, with no motivation, no reason for existing.
Jean seems to have slightly more depth, being the prince of Boogey land(?) he does act sort of high and mighty with a sort of arrogance a prince might have, which is a good thing. He also balances out the hinted arrogance with the compassion he seems to feel for Sarah, which makes him more a likable character(you know, as opposed to being viewed as an arrogant jerk). It feels like his character is a bit more fleshy you know what I mean?
So my overall suggestion for the characters would be to simply flesh them out more, perhaps introduce another character or two to the cast. All of this will be much easier once the story gets moving along, which brings me to the final critism.
Story
Okay, so far, Jean broke into Sarah's room after a seperation of 10 years. They have a party, and Jean makes Sarah's dream come true and she sings in a concert. Then this old forgotten Mr. Floppers shows up who cant scare people, Sarah forces Jean to show Mr. Floppers how to scare people. Big monster randomly attacks them, Jean gets beat up, Sarah gets hurt, Jean prepares to go Super saiyan.
I really think it would help this story if there was some kind of overall goal or issue that the characters had to overcome. The characters could then slowly become more fleshed out as the story progressed. Right now it doesnt seem like there is any real direction this is headed, seems like anime filler with no relevance to the story... It is crucial to add some sort of plot in order to keep your readers interested. So, I really think you should work on developing the story more, and avoid anything that is not relevant to the plot for a while, it will give the characters a chance to be more fleshed out, and will improve the overall quality of the comic.
Now, I don't want you to get the wrong idea and think that I hated your comic or that I was way to harsh and am mean. If I didnt find your comic in the least bit amusing, I would not have read it all. It's all just constructive criticism and is ment to be taken as such.
Have a nice day.
last edited on July 14, 2011 10:52AM
Chris chris
at 2:56PM, May 25, 2007
(online)
posts: 86
joined: 1-9-2006
Wow, Anatak... that is probably the best review I've ever gotten. Thanks. The story is just starting out and it is a LONG storyline, so I'll work on the progress and correct some things.
Thanks a bunch, both of you. ;)
Thanks a bunch, both of you. ;)
last edited on July 14, 2011 11:42AM
MagickLorelai
at 6:17PM, May 27, 2007
(online)
posts: 320
joined: 1-20-2006
I was NOT expecting this from a comic where "Monkey Pot" is in the title. Hoo, this is a good thing. The concept seemed interesting enough from the first page, so I was compelled to keep reading.
Story: There are several cliches that beg to burst the plotline, but they're executed well enough that it doesn't render the comic unreadable. It's a cute storyline, and easy enough to follow without being too simple. I didn't read the precursor, but the way this is being written, you don't NEED the prequel to understand the story. I agree with someone else, that the forward momentum picked up in the chapter where Sarah sings and gets kissed completely drops off at the start of the next chapter. Even when the direction changes in a story, you can't lose the momentum. Story gets a 2.5/5.
Art: I'm a fan of anime, but there are some shoujo cliches that buzz me the wrong way. Every male(except one) in your comic is handsome, effeminate, with long hair, and great body. Every female is beautiful, with the same body type. The anatomy is okay, but there is room for improvement.
I know you swore that you didn't want to do text or coloring on the computer. The coloring is fine, but the quality is not publishable, which is something you were considering in the notes at one point. The text is awful. Misspellings, arranged poorly, constantly not centered in the bubble, it really detracts from the overall art. The placement of text in a comic can effect the rest of it. Even if you're not comfortable or feel it looks awkward to do it on the computer, try it. Or, practice hand-lettering. Because of the sloppiness of the text and some of the art, I'm afraid it gets a 2/5.
Overall, that's a 4.5/10.
I liked the story idea, and think it has a LOT of potential. The art itself isn't all that bad, but since I was considering a lot of factors, that brought the score down. I'm probably going to keep an eye on this myself now. :) Good luck with this.
Story: There are several cliches that beg to burst the plotline, but they're executed well enough that it doesn't render the comic unreadable. It's a cute storyline, and easy enough to follow without being too simple. I didn't read the precursor, but the way this is being written, you don't NEED the prequel to understand the story. I agree with someone else, that the forward momentum picked up in the chapter where Sarah sings and gets kissed completely drops off at the start of the next chapter. Even when the direction changes in a story, you can't lose the momentum. Story gets a 2.5/5.
Art: I'm a fan of anime, but there are some shoujo cliches that buzz me the wrong way. Every male(except one) in your comic is handsome, effeminate, with long hair, and great body. Every female is beautiful, with the same body type. The anatomy is okay, but there is room for improvement.
I know you swore that you didn't want to do text or coloring on the computer. The coloring is fine, but the quality is not publishable, which is something you were considering in the notes at one point. The text is awful. Misspellings, arranged poorly, constantly not centered in the bubble, it really detracts from the overall art. The placement of text in a comic can effect the rest of it. Even if you're not comfortable or feel it looks awkward to do it on the computer, try it. Or, practice hand-lettering. Because of the sloppiness of the text and some of the art, I'm afraid it gets a 2/5.
Overall, that's a 4.5/10.
I liked the story idea, and think it has a LOT of potential. The art itself isn't all that bad, but since I was considering a lot of factors, that brought the score down. I'm probably going to keep an eye on this myself now. :) Good luck with this.
last edited on July 14, 2011 1:50PM
JillyFoo
at 6:46AM, May 30, 2007
(online)
posts: 623
joined: 1-2-2006
I really like this series. I've read the prequel. I understand what's going on. It reminds me of the old 80s movies with the puppets and gothy guys like dark crystal, never-ending story, or the labyrinth.
Scott so makes me think of that cool troll king in the labyrinth.
I think it could have been possible to have the two comics together like the 3-year gap in the manga Naruto, but you know tastes. Apparently the title Monkey Pot is important to the plot of the sequel so we'll leave it at that.
The art is 80ish or Hot Topic rock starish. This style follows the 80s fantasy theme (I think the story is in the present time though.)
Comparing the two, MP is more developed and the main girl Sarah seems more a part of the story instead of being along for the ride as she was for the previous. I liked the Rock star scenario in which she played a key role in MP.
I don't think the story is cliché. I only have seen any story about boogiemen way back. For me it brings back memories of the late 80s and early 90s(my childhood ;_;) back when we thought puppets were hi tech. Maybe the messy traditional medium styles makes me think of that too. The only recent thing I've seen that's somewhat like this is monsters Inc.
Author does a good job showing the relationships between the characters. It's not star wars's Anakin and princess where they just suddenly love each other. The prequel sets up the relationship and they kind of meet all over again. Scott and Sarah have their disagreements and fights and many embarrassing moments too.
One thing I should say is this comic has wonderful costume/character designs. You'd think you'd seen all the Goth styles and grow tired of it, but this comic has a lot of variety and fresh multiple costumes for different characters. Even a few cool hairdos too.
About lettering: It's too bad you don't want to use a computer for lettering. Mina does have a good idea going with going back to handwriting. but If you really think you can't brush up on your handwriting maybe you can have someone you know with good handwriting do it for ya.
Scott so makes me think of that cool troll king in the labyrinth.
I think it could have been possible to have the two comics together like the 3-year gap in the manga Naruto, but you know tastes. Apparently the title Monkey Pot is important to the plot of the sequel so we'll leave it at that.
The art is 80ish or Hot Topic rock starish. This style follows the 80s fantasy theme (I think the story is in the present time though.)
Comparing the two, MP is more developed and the main girl Sarah seems more a part of the story instead of being along for the ride as she was for the previous. I liked the Rock star scenario in which she played a key role in MP.
I don't think the story is cliché. I only have seen any story about boogiemen way back. For me it brings back memories of the late 80s and early 90s(my childhood ;_;) back when we thought puppets were hi tech. Maybe the messy traditional medium styles makes me think of that too. The only recent thing I've seen that's somewhat like this is monsters Inc.
Author does a good job showing the relationships between the characters. It's not star wars's Anakin and princess where they just suddenly love each other. The prequel sets up the relationship and they kind of meet all over again. Scott and Sarah have their disagreements and fights and many embarrassing moments too.
One thing I should say is this comic has wonderful costume/character designs. You'd think you'd seen all the Goth styles and grow tired of it, but this comic has a lot of variety and fresh multiple costumes for different characters. Even a few cool hairdos too.
About lettering: It's too bad you don't want to use a computer for lettering. Mina does have a good idea going with going back to handwriting. but If you really think you can't brush up on your handwriting maybe you can have someone you know with good handwriting do it for ya.
last edited on July 14, 2011 1:08PM
tiff15
at 8:30AM, May 30, 2007
(offline)
posts: 15
joined: 4-27-2006
Story:
Basically, Id say the story is very intriguing and interesting. you let the reader explore and discover the world of boogey monsters along with Sarah. Scott is a facinating person and you portray him with a flair and elegance that I have not seen in many other comics. although the story does not make it self clear right away, (i.e. http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=111382 ) you do an amazing job of pulling the reader along and making them beg for more (case in point: http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=121085 ) so Id say a 4/5 for Story .
Art:
although the art of 'Monkey Pot' is a bit rough in the begining, and it definately could use some evening out on some of the panels sizes, the colorful cast and visually enticing worlds are a treat in and of themselves. however, there is too much of a good thing, and ocassionally the art can distract from the story. for example,: (http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=209666 ) you cant really tell whats happening after Scott says 'come on' and the characters seem to blend in with the background. heavier shading could help fix this problem. 4/5
Dialouge: please dont take this the wrong way, but was this written on a typewriter? in some spots you can tell where text was erased (http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=120424 http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=122983 http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=144878 ) a bit confusing at some points (http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=120424 why did Sarah start crying at the last panel? why did Scott say his name was 'Jean Patrick'? and why did scott leave in the second to last panel?) but otherwise it does what dialouge is supposed to do...move the story along. Scott's exposition (http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=122983 ) could have gone into farther detail, but it was a nice taste of Scott and Sarah's past. all in all, an average peice of work with plenty of room for improvement. 4/5
All in all, 'Monkey Pot' is a interesting comic with facinating characters, a well thought out storyline, and witty dialog. although there is room for improvement (such as text spacing and distincting of past and present) 'Monkey Pot' is definately a entertaining read and well worth it.
Basically, Id say the story is very intriguing and interesting. you let the reader explore and discover the world of boogey monsters along with Sarah. Scott is a facinating person and you portray him with a flair and elegance that I have not seen in many other comics. although the story does not make it self clear right away, (i.e. http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=111382 ) you do an amazing job of pulling the reader along and making them beg for more (case in point: http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=121085 ) so Id say a 4/5 for Story .
Art:
although the art of 'Monkey Pot' is a bit rough in the begining, and it definately could use some evening out on some of the panels sizes, the colorful cast and visually enticing worlds are a treat in and of themselves. however, there is too much of a good thing, and ocassionally the art can distract from the story. for example,: (http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=209666 ) you cant really tell whats happening after Scott says 'come on' and the characters seem to blend in with the background. heavier shading could help fix this problem. 4/5
Dialouge: please dont take this the wrong way, but was this written on a typewriter? in some spots you can tell where text was erased (http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=120424 http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=122983 http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=144878 ) a bit confusing at some points (http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=120424 why did Sarah start crying at the last panel? why did Scott say his name was 'Jean Patrick'? and why did scott leave in the second to last panel?) but otherwise it does what dialouge is supposed to do...move the story along. Scott's exposition (http://www.drunkduck.com/Monkey_Pot/index.php?p=122983 ) could have gone into farther detail, but it was a nice taste of Scott and Sarah's past. all in all, an average peice of work with plenty of room for improvement. 4/5
All in all, 'Monkey Pot' is a interesting comic with facinating characters, a well thought out storyline, and witty dialog. although there is room for improvement (such as text spacing and distincting of past and present) 'Monkey Pot' is definately a entertaining read and well worth it.
last edited on July 14, 2011 4:30PM
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