The Lords of Law, Gods of Chaos strips were submissions to Dragon magazine back in the 1980s, by a couple of friends of mine who definitely influenced me. They were passionate and talented, and this looked like it was the next step in their lives. Except that they didn’t get the gig. Instead, one went on to become a beloved performer, and the other a beloved high school English teacher. Good lives.

But seeing those two pool their talents and put something together was inspiring to me, and it’s what drove me to make comics of my own. So we’ll be presenting these for the next 8 weeks, as adventures based in Imperial Urth while we rebuild our buffer.

Then comes another chapter featuring everyone’s favorite pixie, so stay tuned...

COMMENTS

The Lords of Law, Gods of Chaos strips were submissions to Dragon magazine back in the 1980s, by a couple of friends of mine who definitely influenced me. They were passionate and talented, and this looked like it was the next step in their lives. Except that they didn’t get the gig. Instead, one went on to become a beloved performer, and the other a beloved high school English teacher. Good lives.

But seeing those two pool their talents and put something together was inspiring to me, and it’s what drove me to make comics of my own. So we’ll be presenting these for the next 8 weeks, as adventures based in Imperial Urth while we rebuild our buffer.

Then comes another chapter featuring everyone’s favorite pixie, so stay tuned...

COMMENTS

Well, that brings to a conclusion the saga of Giant Girl Adventures: Against the Giants. It’s been a long story to tell, spanning literal years. But, thing is...

When we started the book, Koen was still handling the art chores. He was experimenting and starting to break up the dialogue over smaller panels, as I had a tendency to write one big panel and put a wall of dialogue over it. He was right, I learned, but that’s not the point.

With Dee drawing the book, it’s taken on a very distinctive look of its own, and it is one that she and I are both very fond of in form, appearance, and drama they can impart. Koen’s production designs guided a lot of our storytelling, but when it comes down to it, we plan to publish this in dead tree format. This saga is great, and we want to present it to a wider audience. We’d prefer that Dee draw the cover, and it would be disconcerting for folks to not see her artwork inside.

We tell you all of this because as ZZ Top sang, we’re gonna double back again.

We’ll be running some old strips- Lords of Law, Gods of Chaos. These were submissions to Dragon magazine back in the 1980s, by a couple of friends of mine who definitely influenced me. They were passionate and talented, and this looked like it was the next step in their lives. They didn’t get the gig. Instead, one went on to become a beloved performer, and the other a beloved high school English teacher. Good lives.

But seeing those two pool their talents and put something together was inspiring to me, and it’s what drove me to make comics of my own. So we’ll be presenting these for the next 8 weeks, as adventures based in Imperial Urth.

We’re doing this to buy us time to get ahead on the pages, because our buffer is shot.

We’re going to try to get through the retelling of the beginning of the story as quickly as we can. But this is what we’re doing right now, so unfortunately we have 35 or so pages to get through of retelling. Going back to the beginning and retelling the story right up until they attack the hill giant tree fort, which was where Dee picked up.

Ideally, as Koen already designed a lot of this and we don’t have to reinvent the wheel, this should go quicker. So we’ll be using the buffer time for the extra Pixie Girl Adventures story- because you demanded it! We’ll publish that for you, then we’re doubling back.

We are going to see if it is possible to work faster, but no guarantees while we retread and redraw the tale. After all, you readers already know the story, and this isn’t exactly a prequel.

But it will be ever so worth it.

So, stick around. It’s still going to take us some time to get through all of this, and there will be a few more answers along the way, we promise. And we’ll still give you a little more original story before we kick off the reboot- and here’s a little something to keep you reading until then.

COMMENTS

Epilogue and Finale

Some of you guessed it, some of you did not, so here it is- a circle that goes round upon itself.

“If not for me, Giant Girl would not exist. If not for Giant Girl, I would not exist.”

Flynna’s wee bebeh will grow up to be a power greater than anyone could have imagined, who will fulfil his destiny to aid in his own creation. Predestination paradox ahoy! I loved the idea that Ronni refusing to just watch events unfold, but become actively engaged, was a turning point for her. And as with so many of her actions, the ramifications are far greater than she knew.

We also see Ali Kazaam, back on Urth, perhaps a bit older and wiser, now committing to something, and to someone- a lesson somewhat shared by Ronni herself on Urth. As well, we see Britomart, who believed she was not meant to understand love, contemplating it, perhaps for the first time, as she watches him with the newborn child, borne of the union between two tragic lovers of a legendary dying race.

Ali’s mom showed him who his son would have been, borne of a union with Veronica Kane, heir to her reality altering powers in addition to his family’s bloodline of witchcraft. Because in that reality, she would not have surrendered Jhor’dhunn’s power back to him, but kept it for herself, still trying to master it. With which the Witch would have helped, of course, and said power would have been mastered by their son.

But Morgan’s backup plan was Elspeth Chesterfield, and she knew exactly how much it would motivate him to show him that cheerful, innocent and golden-haired child he would father with the Hand of Vanu.

It’s all about the bloodlines for the witch, doncha know.

The Witch’s saga has yet to play out as well, because that’s all part of that ‘war amongst the stars’ Ali relayed to Swann, which of course has not yet come to pass for us. But Ali’s destiny is here, in this magical realm, beside the beautiful paladin to whom he lost his heart. Which will soften her brittle manner, and in turn, make him a better man.

Thus it brings us to the end of this saga, which has certainly taken quite a while to present to you. Next week we’ll begin something new, and we hope you’ll stay with us as we pay homage to the past, and lay the groundwork for the future.

We hope you have enjoyed our tale of high fantasy, starring our flawed and hopefully relatable  superheroine.

DEE’S NOTES

This single, massive story was designed to be many things from the get go. But the biggest thing, really, is a turning point. Ronni was one thing when this story began, and now she’s something new, and a lot closer to the ideal of being a hero she’s always striven toward yet also actively fought against. She’s learned to make stronger connections, open her heart, and learned to take responsibility for her incredible power. She’s a changed character, and I am very excited to have been a part of that growth.

We laid out the breadcrumbs for this reveal a LONG time ago, and I’m giddy that at least a couple of folks sussed out where we were heading with the reveal. And like Sabrina, I LOVE cyclical time paradoxes. I love that the Witch runs everything as a master of the Xanatos gambit concept, and always sees how any eventuality can benefit her. I love imagining the life of a young Jhor’dhunn, growing up as a precocious, curious uber-magical kid hearing all the wonderful tales of his heroic and mighty savior, Kane.

Working on this issue had been a joy, and I hope you all have enjoyed this story as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you.

And now, in true Giant Girl fashion, let’s see what’s bigger and better over the horizon. ;)

COMMENTS

Epilogue: Urth

You didn’t think we were just going to walk away from the Urth storyline and characters, and just leave you hanging, did you?

Yeahhhhhh, you did.

But have no fear! We were determined to bring some closure to the Urth characters, some more than others. And yes, I know, Ali Kazaam is here, while, paradoxically, he is locked in his mother’s pocket dimension. Ronni wasn’t the only one who can do the impossible, and at a point in the future, now you know there will be a reconciliation. When that comes to pass, Ali will be sent back to finish his journey through the portal, to catch back up with the party and aid them in their darkest hour. Now you know. You don’t know how (and it won't come out for quite some time, given our publishing schedule), but you will note his outfit is a bit different, and that holds some small clue in and of itself.

Not like the Witch knew what she was doing all along as she moved people around like pieces on a chessboard. Lord Duncan called for the giants to be ‘humbled at the feet of mankind, so they would never rise up thusly again’. As Stratonimbus leaves the realm of man, the giants become myths and legends, instead of the scourge of humanity. Much like the goblins, who will never again threaten the humans of Urth in the numbers they once commanded.

Kane the Titan changed the landscape of the magical realm, paving the way for humanity to flourish. As if that was a certain someone’s plan all along.

In his record, Swann relays to us a tale told to him by Ali Kazaam, which makes him something of an unreliable narrator. I love the fantasy versions of starships his mind conceived. An Upshots Award to anyone who recognizes Kane’s somewhat clunky pose as the homage from an iconic 80’s comic cover.

Yes yes, we know, not enough Lexii the Pixie. Patience...

DEE’S NOTES

Zod, I really missed drawing these buggers.

I mean, while the last few months have been all Ronni and Stanley for me, the MAJORITY of my time on the title has been, in essence, a team book featuring these characters. It was really good to get a smidge more time with them in this fun little denouement to our adventure.

From an artistic standpoint, this page was both a lot of fun and a lot of work sussing out how to get SO much info into just one page. Particularly that top panel that would be, for most other comics, a double page spread all on it’s own. But GIANT GIRL ADVENTURES isn’t most other comics. ;)

COMMENTS

Low Profile ain’t her style

Back on the streets of L.A.- because of course you can enter The Agency HQ in one city and emerge in another- Ronni takes a moment to consider. Because she still would like to help the friends she left behind, but she has no way to reach them. Sure, she might have used her reality altering powers to try, but she might just have torn a hole in both universes trying. As mentioned, she lacked subtlety. And while Jhor’dhunn might have sent her back, as he said- THIS world needs a Giant Girl.

A thought for Lexii, because like the rest of the party, the little pixie affected Ronni more than she’d care to admit. Separated by dimensions and time flows, they are lost to one another now. But in their short time together, Lexii made a huge impact on Ronni's life, and now the big girl has to learn to live without her. Which saddens her, but Ronni has no choice but to move on.

So she takes a moment to consider that maybe she could lay low, take her time and acclimate to the world again. Or maybe she could make it well known that the big girl is back in town, and that anybody who wants a piece of her can come take their shot. In the end, she started out as the lady in red, because she was drawing that attention to herself, for more reasons than one. So she returns to projecting that larger-than-life image, because in her heart, that’s who she is, and always will be.

You will note, we did not declare this to be the last page. Because this saga is not quite finished.... So stay tuned.

DEE’S NOTES

Another page I’ve been looking forward to drawing since I started on this comic and read the script. I knew I wanted the shot to be iconic and fun and decided to also make it a call-back. Note the little girl pointing, as the same as the one in the FIRST piece I ever created featuring Ronni: THIS piece, of what was originally nothing but fan art, that started this collaborative ball rolling. ;)

COMMENTS

Walk with me

As Dee pointed out in conversation with me, it would have been easy for Agent Alpha to ride her butt and give her crap. Instead, he is honest with her, and lifts her up a bit. He admires her tenacity, and gives her respect in more ways than one. Even just addressing her by her chosen name, rather than as ‘Agent Girl’ is an acknowledgement of his own stance on their relationship.

He chose to give her a break rather than allowing her to destroy herself, because he had high hopes for her. How many of us will look for that kind of support our entire lives, especially from older male authority figures?

After her adventures on Imperial Urth, Ronni’s come back to mend fences and take responsibility. And discovering that life gets a lot better when you act like an adult and take accountability.

DEE’S NOTES

A classic walk and talk is a good, if brief, way to add a little bit of a breather to the moment after such cosmically epic revelations. Artistically, I wanted to make sure the backdrop was familiar from the flashback, and enjoyed the addition of the woman carrying a big ol’ stack of papers as a nice moment of reflection for Ronni. “There, but for the grace of Jhor’dhunn go I.”

COMMENTS

This world needs a Giant Girl

To me, this page pretty much speaks for itself, and Jhor’dhunn says it all. Of course, he also explains why Ronni using the alter reality power she ‘borrowed’ from him produced such catastrophic side effects when she used it, and offers her a little advice. I asked for a cosmic entity, and Dee delivered with her usual flair.

You gotta admit, he’s oddly fond of her. The reason for that will be explained in just a few more pages, so hang in there, dear readers...

Also, this world needs A Giant Girl. Which, as Displace has casually mentioned, there are more worlds, and more Giant Girls. But we'll leave that can of worms for another day...

DEE’S NOTES

COSMIC!! I have to say, that I adore getting to play with all the cosmic fire and over-the-top Kirby Krackles that come off of Jhor’dhunn. It was tricky to make the dark swirls of eternity BRIGHT, but I hope it comes across properly.

COMMENTS

Surprise!

Turns out Jhor’dhunn isn’t mad after all, and he hints at a deeper connection that makes no sense to Ronni (nor us, as readers) at this point. Patience, dear reader- all will be revealed, and soon. We’re just getting there a page at a time. We’re almost at the end of this saga, we promise!

DEE’S NOTES

I really adore doing this kind of cosmic, Jim Starlin stuff here on Jhor’dhunn, and it’s a really interesting challenge to pull off in black and white. Also tricky to pull off is making him look happy and smiling without a mouth to speak of. Getting Ronni’s poses in those first two panels was very tricky and DID require me filming myself on my phone for reference to get a handle on, but I think it worked well, and I always enjoy portraying Ronni’s emotional range.

COMMENTS

THE THING IS DONE

We really should have made this 2 pages, but we couldn’t leave the fans hanging for an entire week. Maybe in the print edition, it will be.

Look, Lieutenant Dan! Magic legs!

DEE’S NOTES

Indeed. We’ve learned over the time we’ve worked on GGA together that each page is a balance between what will look good as a finished PAGE and what will have good pacing for a weekly webcomic. As two pages, this sequence would have looked GREAT but also have been maddening to wait for.

Artistically, there is a LOT of inspirations at play here in this particularly cosmic chain of events, and I had a blast drawing them. Betcha can’t guess all the influences we drew from in making this scene, but you are welcome to guess ;)

COMMENTS