Dance with the Devil
on 03/02/2015
at 12:00 am
I think what we have here is a failure to communicate! People seem to have forgotten the subtle nuances of basic human interaction these days. In this case, when the opportunity arises for a little judicial parley, all courtesy is thrown right out the window! What could be the purpose of this little confab between the two Sonya’s? Keep it right here to find out! Have a great week – Jim
If I was Sonya, I think I would have some trouble calming down if a scimitar got anywhere near me! I’m interested to see what the proposition is. Could it be a convention costume competition where they cosplay as the sandworm from Dune (sorry, its a ‘Chuck’ joke)?
http://remote.lohudblogs.com/files/2009/07/sandworm-1.jpg
Haha…it takes two to tango (in a sandworm costume)
That final panel makes me feel so dirty, in a tingly kind’a-excitin’ way. Love the shading & detail, really makes it feel like she’s right next to my ear, growling “Giddy-yup!” 😛
Also, very nice dynamic framing. Really sells the action. I don’t recall you using that before, unles maybe somewhere in the BarWench archives ..?
Yeah, I agree 3Xp4t, that last panel looks great with the shading! Oh, and I just noticed in the first panel, I hope those aren’t Sonya’s flying broken teeth shards, and just shoe mud instead D: That would hurt just a little!
Thanks guys! It’s possible I tried this somewhere in BT. I know I tried to experiment a little in that strip to make it dynamic!
Actually, the second is working for me, but I’m sort of expecting Black to produce some rope and start box-tying Red’s arms.
I’m kind of imagining a halter and reins…
…And I could retitle the strip to Fifty Shades of Crimson 😉
If I may be so bold as to suggest ..?
Fifty Shades of Crimson might work a good bit better as an entire story arc. Perhaps shelve that idea and polish it up on weekends to script out a 3 or 5 strip arc and make it a recurring gag theme, either as part of her personality or an inescapable trope that relentlessly pops up. Or both. You’re already halfway there with the comic as a whole, you might as well own it and celebrate it. 😉
I think I can recommend another anime that is semi-related to that idea. Not an S&M/lusty sort of thing. More a theme of a girl who ain’t too bright who gets into some bizarre situations, and comes up with equally bizarre, usually naked/bathroom humor and somewhat dimbulb solutions. The humor is ,,,quirky, at best, most of the time. Very Japanese and often just strange &/or painful to watch instead of funny. With that warning …
• http://bakabt.me/details.php?id=178181
If you’re into these sorts of things (weird animations, especially Japanese anime), I can keep dropping a few oddball recommends your way. I’ve spent years in the community and have watched a large segment of the offerings at bakaBT. So long as I have an idea of what tastes you have/might be interested in, I’ll do my best to mention a few with a decent chance of being amusing & entertaining for you.
Bondage doesn’t require S&M, and similarly S&M doesn’t actually require the Sub to be in bondage as long as the Dom (and/or assistants) have sufficient strength and leverage to hold the Sub in place.
Having said that, 50 Shades of Crimson would work as an idea or recurring trope for me too. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I want this to turn into another Hentai.
Thanks for the suggestions guys! Trust me when I say, that’s not where this is going. It really was just a joke, I’d like to think that my Sonya is made of sterner stuff and that she has a little more self respect than “whatever her name is” from that godawful book and movie. I hope that doesn’t disappoint, but I’m sure there will be plenty of action, story and lovely ladies to keep things interesting! But as always 3X, keep your comments coming. You always provide full value. As an aside, I have been considering a second feature here. Still developing the idea and you might hear more soon!
Jim, someone’s not clear about something, and I’m desperately hoping that it’s not me.
You see, to me, bondage can be a demonstration of absolute trust in your partner in a healthy relationship (which I think is very different to the book referenced in your last).
Maybe it’s my bad for drawing Dark Sonya the way I did..leather and belts and the situation in the second panel, but I really wasn’t looking for a lesson in the nuances between S&M and Bondage. It’s not a world I care to delve into, but to each his own. The Fifty Shades of Crimson was really just an offhand joke…trying to be funny.
Let’s not get into the pros and cons of that lifestyle here.
Ummm ,,, ummmmmmm!! *tries desperately not to full panic*
UUHHHMMMM!!! Jim, PLEASE continue to draw Dark Sonya this way! At least on occasion! 😯
*OMG! OMG! OMGOMGOMG!! What WAS I thinking??! Note to self: be far more careful with your wording!*
More seriously, my intention was to suggest a line of jokes & humor to parody & satirize the 50 Shades meme. I’m pretty sick of it myself, actually. And, not that it should at all take over the strip. Just thought if the trope popped up once in a while to ambush Sonya for a punchline here & there.
Sort of a “WTF?? THIS? Again? Why is it haunting me?? What even IS it?”
But, I have confidence in your creative ability. I’m sure you already have plenty of material to cover. Not that I want more material to cover the ladies up any more than it already does … 😉 I’ll always drop suggestions & thoughts as they occur to me. If there’s any inspiration in them, of course feel free to mine them, or ignore. It’s all intended in goof fun; no intention to direct or demand anything.
Although, should I ever dig myself out of the disaster that is my life these days, I’d certainly discuss commission work, some day, when I can afford the luxury.
You’re too hard on yourself, 3X. I really wasn’t upset or judging, it’s just not a conversation I wanted to get into on this forum. My friend said it best regarding that lifestyle (I’m paraphrasing here), “When it’s a billionaire tying you up and abusing you it’s romantic and exciting, if it was a guy in a trailer park doing the same it’s a case for CSI!” I grew up with a single Mom who worked two jobs and was harassed by d-bags on a pretty regular basis, so I have short patience for people who want to keep women down and I can’t understand the appeal of giving up your self respect in such a way. If any guy (or gal) approached Sonya wanting to tie her up, I know she would react with great affront and rightly so. She is a strong, independent woman with self-respect! Some would call me a hypocrite because I draw sexy women, but I believe a woman or anyone for that matter, should be able to dress or express themselves in any way they want without being judged or harassed or threatened in a sexual way. It’s up to us as men to teach our sons and young men to respect ALL people, not just women and the world would be a much better place. (And there would be less people like Bill Cosby, Jian Gomeshi and ‘Christian Grey’ to sully men’s reputations. As a man I hate these guys. It paints us all with a bad brush)
BTW, I’m sorry to hear things are going bad for you. I hope things begin looking up for you soon.
As for commissions, I’d be glad to do a drawing up for you. You are one of my steadfast fans and I could send you some prints I have hanging around free of charge. Originals I could cut you a deal, if you’d like. I’ll drop you an email.
That’s all cool, man. Thanks.
As far as Sonya getting tied up, I don’t see that happening. I do see someone (semi-)creepy suggesting it and Sonya tying them up. Or some other such misunderstanding, maybe even with someone with good intentions, or just observing weirdness as it happens between other people around her while Life is Happening.
But, subject is a bit exhausted at the moment. I don’t intend to revisit it unless some comedic, genius-level inspiration or gag or (hopefully) funny comment occurs. I think that panel #2 here is pretty brilliant. Good art, perspective, excellent gag … just the nature of the gag also had other “dangerously” suggestive undertones. A hazard that will be difficult to avoid given the name and some of the content of the comic.
And, I wouldn’t want you to avoid any such “hazard.” I’m a guy who loves seeing strong beautiful women, thus one of the reasons I’m here. That’s a lot of what I meant by “own it and celebrate it.”
As far as art for me, that’s a wonderful offer. I’d want to think that through a bit. If I was to ask for a specific commission, I’d want something in the form of a large, high-quality wallpaper for a computer screen that could be made available to everyone. It’d be enough for me to have the honor of describing something I like, but I’d feel better if the work also went into increasing the content of your site and maybe helping to promote it.
A couple of ideas have crossed my mind as I read your comments and typed this up, and I realize that I don’t really know Sonya all that well … I’ve just really enjoyed the comic for what it is to date. I’d want something evocative of her personality, plus canon enough to contribute overall to the big story. Need to mull that over, re-read the archives, and observe a few more installments to triangulate better.
We can certainly hook up by email and take other details up that way. The address I use in these comments is a “throw-away” persona to add a layer of insulation against the Internet, so I’ll make sure to get you my real identity once we connect so nothing goes astray. Now that I poke about the website, I don’t see one I can send to you at, so feel free any time. No hurry. I tend to be much more about the journey rather than the destination. 🙂
Turns out one of my favorite webcomics did a hit on the 50 Shades meme that was very much along the lines of what I originally had in mind. First link is the setup, second link was the follow-up with the relevant punchline:
• http://somethingpositive.net/sp03042015.shtml
• http://somethingpositive.net/sp03062015.shtml
Thought that might be chuckle-worthy, especially if you’re familiar with the strip and it’s extremely black humor. Randy has a genius way with words & life.
Personal note: if you sent an email, I didn’t receive it. The address is bit tricky to type (I mistype it regularly myself, even after nearly ten years), so if you did/do send one off to me, double-check spelling. And, you’re “in it” now … 😉 I have several ideas I’ve been mulling over. Would enjoy the opportunity to discuss them and evolve them into something you’d find interesting to do. Take it easy!
Sorry 3X, I had to approve this post manually for some reason, probably because of the links.
I haven’t got around to shooting you an email yet…I’ll get around to that soon and we can figure out a way to get some of those prints out to you. TTYL
Well, at least it’s not an offer she can’t refuse.