The Optimist

Author notes

Page 39

Kristen Gudsnuk

on Sept. 2, 2009

guhh…

idk why, I feel kinda shitty about this page. I showed it to my mom, like, "check out that cray-zay last panel, is it too cray-zay?" and she was like, "jesus Kristen what are you drawing this kind of stuff for." And I explained that X happens and so this has to happen, and she was like, 'well people read your comic for the art, not the story.'

whaaaaa??!! idk where she gets these inSANE ideas *wielding knife* what do you guys think??!!

Anyway, I showed it to my sister and she said it was good in a bad way, and showed a measured sort of apprehension toward me, as if I was a ticking time-bomb. Then I farted. How did she know? She did the tooth-baring smile!! AND BIT ME! NOW I HAVE RABIES. We are a mess. (OK she just hijacked my comp and changed everything I wrote. lol!)

Anyway, I've always felt self-conscious about sincere, dramatic moments- like, if I fail at those, it's so much more embarrassing because of all the clunky, wasted effort that's put into heightening the drama. That's why I generally offset them with some sort of winking gesture (it's like a nervous tick or something!). For instance, before, when the father is like "JADWIGA!" and she hides behind Kazimieras in a kind of comical way… I intentionally put that in to sort of make the moment less dramatic. I wish there was something I could do on this page to poke you poor, disturbed readers in the ribs. At the same time, I don't think it's possible to do this comic 'right' without any high-tension moments. So I've just gotta suck it up, swallow my pride, and maybe spit out some of my misconceptions. But be gentle to me about this part, because I am not very smart. (LOL KATHRYN'S WORD CHOICE NOT MINE!!!)