The new art style

[Raphite1]

I was initially optimistic that I would soon get used to the trident-hands. Four strips on, they're more difficult to ignore than ever.

It's not like they're ruining the comic for me or anything, and I'm sure the Giant has thought the design change through too thoroughly to be dissuaded by a few stray subjective complaints, but I really wish they would go away.

My thoughts exactly. The upgrades to detail, perspective, layering, etc have all been absolutely amazing and really bring the story to life, but dang those weird fleshy hands just continue to stick out...

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Vaarsuvius prepared several castings of Alter Ponytail this morning.

[Kaento]

As much as I enjoy the detail in the new art, I have to agree with many of the people in this thread that the fleshiness of the trident hands makes them look very strange to me, and since the beginning this is the first time that I have noticed anything particularly strange about the art in this comic.

[dtilque]

I don't have time to read more than a couple pages of this thread, so sorry if someone's pointed out these details before.

1. The Green Hilt: There's now a row of three Xs on it. No doubt meant to be a leather thong wrapped around it to aid grasping. Roy did say he might lash it to his hand, but perhaps he added this instead. Or maybe we're supposed to assume it was this way all along.

2. Shoes: Besides seeing shoes in perspective, they now bend when people walk. Did everyone suddenly grow ankles? Next thing you know, they'll have knees and elbows...


ETA: It's not ankles, but rather metatarsals/phalanges that everyone now has. And this is something that wasn't in the Julio Scoundrel comic in SS&DT.

[Porthos]

I don't have time to read more than a couple pages of this thread, so sorry if someone's pointed out these details before.

1. The Green Hilt: There's now a row of three Xs on it. No doubt meant to be a leather thong wrapped around it to aid grasping. Roy did say he might lash it to his hand, but perhaps he added this instead. Or maybe we're supposed to assume it was this way all along.

This is a carryover from what is seen in the Gygax Mag strips, FWIW. It's presumed to have always been there, but now it's being seen as a level of added detail.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

This is a carryover from what is seen in the Gygax Mag strips, FWIW. It's presumed to have always been there, but now it's being seen as a level of added detail.

Sort of like Elan's clasp, then?

[Cleverdan22]

I disagree. The new art style looks great. Font's good too.

Same here. I gotta say, I'm honestly really surprised by how many people are upset about it. It's practically a strict upgrade.

[thereaper]

I'm in the "love everything except the hands" camp.

I'll survive.

[konradknox]

I don't have any complaints about new art style, except it does in fact seem to slow down the comic production to one page per week. Which is always sad, cause, you know, comic is amazing.

[Smolder]

You know what might help those hands look more like hands and less like pitchforks? Palms. The fingers split apart at the wrist, which just looks weird.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I'm still in the "love everything about the new upgrade camp". The hands, while a little strange, aren't really that distracting or odd to me. I barely even notice them when I read a new update for the first time.

[Grogmir]

Just checking in to say, still lovin' everything but the new Tridents.

[martianmister]

It's fine if you can ignore their lego hands.

[A random person]

I think that simple lines for arms are better.

[rodneyAnonymous]

I agree. Parts of the upgrade I like, parts I strongly dislike, net dislike. Pretty sure it's not just because it's different than before.

[Codex]

I don't have a problem with the hands. They're just thicker than usual, and aren't even that big a change. I LOVE the new look for spells though. The Cone of Cold is one of the best art sequences in the comic, after the Snarl's introduction.

[Zulwarn]

I honestly haven't noticed the hands until reading this thread; now noticing them it just seemed weird for a couple of seconds.

[dehro]

+1 on the weird hands. they're weird.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I still barely even notice the hands, unless I'm really scrutinizing the art.

[Avian Overlord]

Just posting to say that I like the new hands.

[Keltest]

I don't mind the hands any more, I still think Roy and Durkon need to have armored elbows, otherwise they just lookr like theyre wearing shirts with pauldrons.

[Bulldog Psion]

I don't mind the hands any more, I still think Roy and Durkon need to have armored elbows, otherwise they just look like they're wearing shirts with pauldrons.

Problem is, in order to have elbow cops, you need elbows.

[Keltest]

Problem is, in order to have elbow cops, you need elbows.

hence my discomfort.

[ChristianSt]

Somehow I have the feeling that this thread will not die, and when the next art style change happens, there will be a lot puzzled forumites questioning what the hell this thread talks about, since the first 20 pages have nothing to do with the then current changes.

[rodneyAnonymous]

Well, forum posts are datestamped.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I think that Durkon and Roy should have armored arms, otherwise they kind of look like they are wearing skin-tight shirts. That's pretty much the only thing I don't like about the new style.

[Darth Paul]

For the first time I don't have to peer at the screen to find the hands. I like 'em. It seems a natural evolution to me.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

For the first time I don't have to peer at the screen to find the hands. I like 'em. It seems a natural evolution to me.

I'm really starting to wish we could do polls just so we could ask "do you like the new hands" and see what kind of responses we get.

Also, did this thread get necro'd?

[zimmerwald1915]

Also, did this thread get necro'd?

Nope, the would-be reanimating post just squeaked in under the one-month deadline.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Nope, the would-be reanimating post just squeaked in under the one-month deadline.

2014/05/09 - 2014/07/08 is a bit more than a month, isn't it?