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<title>Melody and Macabre Recent Updates</title>
<description>The last update of the comic.</description>
<link>http://www.drunkduck.com/Melody_and_Macabre/</link>
<language>en-us</language>


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<title>End of Melody & Macabre (Memento Mori)</title>
<description><![CDATA[Indeed.

I had many ideas on how to do this page. I'd considered either a zoomed up or panned out
view of Melody and everyone in the snow, but someone else suggested an image of Melody
smiling. I'd sketched it out, then I saw a different recommendation, regarding an old
piece of art I did based on the series. I found it very fitting, given the subject
matter, and said "Damn the ambiguity" and drew it anyway.

See... for a while I'd played with the idea of the MM cosmology, and whether or not it
should actually be in the story (so as to keep the question of what the afterlife really
is like). I'd considered, however, that the universe is not unlike an hourglass
(referring back to the hourglass motif within each individual).

I'd assume that in the top of the Hourglass is what some could call Paradise, or Eden, or
Heaven. The Origin of all souls. In the middle-ground, the little piece where all the
sand passes through, is the world we perceive to be real. But in the bottom...

A vast desert, gleaming with the souls of the deceased. Above in the heavens, the souls
of the yet-to-pass shine like stars. And when a soul dies, it passes down like a falling
star. So was the art I drew, and so is this new page.

Despite the other bit of the suggestion - that Melody stand with him - I think the
original version with him alone is a bit more poignant, and addresses the fact that
despite what the Boogeyman may think, she was not special, any more than Samael, or Simon,
or Ace.

Remember your mortality. You are but a human, full of faults and not to challenge the
Powers that Be. Know your place, mortal, for while you revel in your victory, tomorrow
could be your last day in this world. 

In short, memento mori.]]></description>
<pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<link>http://www.drunkduck.com/Melody_and_Macabre/?p=602902</link>
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<title>Memento Mori, Page 10</title>
<description><![CDATA[Sorry...

I hope I did that last panel good enough.  I kinda wish I did a LOT of pages a lot better than I did.  If I could, I'd probably go back and redraw about 90% of the entire series.  XP

So, I think that's actually the harshest swearing I've actually had throughout the series.  But it kinda fits, given Ace's bad history with Death.

What history is that?  Why, I'm glad you asked!

...I can't tell you.  If I get to the sequel, it'll be fleshed out, I promise.

(It's really more of a spinoff, though... Ace will be the main character, though many of the characters from this series will return.)

Anyway, this one.  At one point, I actually started getting some watery eyes when doing the last panel.  I'm good now though.

I'm still not entirely sure what I want to do for the back cover page, but I know I want it to be special, not just the reverse of the cover page for this Scene.  Since it's supposed to be the back of the entire series.  Ah, I'll think something up.

I wish I knew what else to say... again, I'm sorry.

I knew a lot of you liked the series, and I hope you will all try and read my other stuff.  I have EpicSaga coming back next week, hopefully, though I'll technically be on break to work on the new non-MM series.

...I should really do more Time Hobo, I really do love them but I've been so caught up in this stuff.  So I've really only done... like... three comics of that.

Um... so yeah, stick around for tomorrow.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<link>http://www.drunkduck.com/Melody_and_Macabre/?p=602599</link>
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<title>Memento Mori, Page 9</title>
<description><![CDATA[Keep telling yourself it was all for the best.

So hey, you remember that apparently superfluous story Simon told? Turns out, it actually explained the whole thing with FiFi all along. You can't add something to nothing, after all.

It makes me wonder if all those people were actually supposed to die, though.

Anyway, so here we have two seemingly conflicting reasons why Death did what he did. Of course, a bit of compassion every now and again wouldn't be unheard of - he's made by us, after all - but when you think about it, without Melody, he couldn't have led his little game of chess to its intended outcome.

Makes you think, huh?

So, I actually had two pages here. I accidentally misread my own page numbers and had two labeled 299 (this is, in all technicality, page 299, excluding bonus comics and coverpages). As such, I had two scripts, both ending with Ace making some insult and Death knocking back another.

I think one involved the suspicion that Ace was just jealous because Death would never pet him.

It's all good though, I combined the two unfunny parts to make an amusingly uncomfortable moment for Simon and Ace.

Don't leave just yet! We've got one more page, and I intend to have a completely NEW end-coverpage, unlike the other 29 chapters (and DdlM).

Also, Sunday I'll give a teaser image for my new series, which I'll also post on that comic's page for something of an intro, haha.

I um... have no life.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<link>http://www.drunkduck.com/Melody_and_Macabre/?p=602103</link>
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<title>Memento Mori, Page 8</title>
<description><![CDATA[Please don't stop reading yet.

So yeah... remember that time when Melody asked if she was going to die?  And he denied it?  He... kinda lied.

...And yet, didn't.  At least... not after... um... well, he'll explain it.

I tried playing with a few hints regarding her condition throughout the series... feel free to spot 'em, they're kinda obvious when they do show up, like her obvious shortness, and... well, let's move on to happier subjects.

Art!  I copypasted a bunch in this, which is good, because I really didn't want to do this page.  It's not that it's too depressing for me - though it is - I've just been having a really crummy week.  No proper sleep due to the dog barking and whatnot, plus I don't think bananas agree with me anymore.  I really hope I didn't inherit my dad's allergy to 'em, that'd suck.

But yeah, I got it up.  I should've added a bit more snow on Panel 4, I think.  And it bothers me that it's a bit hard to properly do snowflakes around Death... they can be mistaken for his eyes.

Anyway, um... sorry.  I'm proud of you folks who called it early on, though I gotta say I did consider not taking this route.  It's kinda why I ultimately decided to save the orphans...]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<link>http://www.drunkduck.com/Melody_and_Macabre/?p=601856</link>
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<title>Memento Mori - Page 7</title>
<description><![CDATA[Wow, he actually said her name.

In my original plans, Samael's real name would have been revealed. But I don't think it's important enough. What is important is another name fact - throughout the series (as near as I can tell) Death has never said Melody's name. In fact, at one point I had written that he would, then thought not to, as it would make this a bit more poignant.

What I'd also originally planned was for Simon to have a breakdown (let's face it, he just killed a man), but let's face it... I don't have the room, so I'll support my current decision by pointing out that Simon's a bit out there to begin with. He barely even reacted (or at least, just a split second after shown) when Samael tackled Ace.

I'd intended to put some punctuation marks above Simon and Ace's heads in the last panel, but... meh.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<link>http://www.drunkduck.com/Melody_and_Macabre/?p=601364</link>
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