Today is March the 21st. The 80th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (unless it's a leap year, then it'd be the 81st day of the year), the day that Emperor Heraclius returned the true cross to Jerusalem, the day of the first Comic Con... so many important things happened on this day! But the most important of them all is the publishing of the first volume of 'The Laconic Student's Dilemma', exactly one year ago today!
So many things have happened since this remarkable day. Angelina got a new job, this website became a part of the great 'dot net' club, and its appearance became more labyrinthine and complex! And, of course, Hong & Anton are still stuck in a seasick land all weepier. They're still trapped in Magdalena's evil realm of dreams, with no possible hope of getting out! Damn you, Fairy Mary Mag! Hong still hasn't gotten to unleash their purely epic powers, and we still don't even know who Anton's mystery ex-lady is (rumor has it that her name's Catherine Whitehall). But we will all know when it is time for us to know. Life has been a rollercoaster lately, and I do admit to neglecting this comic more often than I should. But the third volume is a long time coming and it will come soon! I swear it.
Also in this past year, the characters have evolved in both appearance and mannerisms! Ganz schnell! Look quickly!
Hong's first appearance in volume one...
...to my most recent drawings of them
In the beginning, Hong was going to be some sort of super-genius, and I mean even smarter than Anton. I had also planned for them to be female, but I also wanted them to be male. Due to my indecision, I decided to make them have both male and female characteristics, having a nonbinary/genderfluid protagonist seemed cool since it's reflective of my identity as a real person. They were going to be a lot meaner, and some of that is still reflected in my early writing with them. They're still VERY immature and a prankster (poor Anton is the unwitting target of most of their pranks...), but they're also a lot nobler, which is more befitting of a protagonist. Not saying they're a perfect angel, though! They are also still leaps and yards smarter than Anton in a multitude of ways because they go outside and interact with people while Anton hides away with his books and watches the world go by on his lonesome. Hong is most certainly not an idiot, but they lack common sense due to their naïveté. They'd lose their head without Anton and Jodie around! And speaking of Anton...
Anton's first appearance in volume one...
...to my most recent drawings of him
As for Anton, he was going to be a lot more crude. He still swears like a sailor, but his manner of speech has been rapidly infected by purple prose. Someone described him recently as a begrudging romantic due to his patterns of speech, and I can't say I disagree! I like writing from his point of view because he's so fucking pretentious and detached from the real world. He has a deep inner world of thoughts, and he dislikes nearly everyone. Hong is different. Hong has main-character syndrome, therefore no one can hate them. It's impossible! Anton's personality hasn't changed much, he's still the same bitter, agoraphobic pedant he's always been. I think the thing that's changed most about him is his appearance. He's become more masculine-looking, mainly because I'm better at drawing men now. I think. He looks A LOT better now. My old art of him makes me cringe very hard.
As for the other characters, like Jodie, Magdalena & her little mini-me, and Anton's ex-girlfriend... there is MUCH more in store for these guys. They'll all get their moment in the sun in future volumes. I have a lot more planned for Anton's ex especially. She is going to be VERY important later on.
So anyways, in the meantime, I'm working on a secret-special project to commemorate this historic event. I had planned for it to be done today, but I cannot upload it in its unfinished state...
Here are some snippets from it. I hope you enjoy this exclusive sneak-preview.
I can't wait to finish it. It looks super cool so far.
"First, we pecked at its beady eyes,
Then we bit through its beating bleeding heart.
We ripped out its sharp and spiny teeth, but-
That vicious wily beast refused to go down without a fight!
It roamed the barren earth violently searching for what it couldn't see,
Gaping eyeholes cast aglow by the stinging light of morning sun,
Its patchwork bloated corpse finally collapsing at the first drop of rain in the black night.
Although its body is long gone, the laconic student's dreams will never die."