It's going to depend on what spells the other guy has left.
[Webcomic] The Order of the Stick thread
- Thread starter Piotyr
- Start date
North_Ranger
Staff member
... uh-oh.
He'll...he'll be okay, right? They'll just sit down and have a beer together and work things out, right?
What exactly was evil about the Lizard Cleric? Have we SEEN him do anything worse than raise a few zombies?
This may not look good for the little guy, but I think lizard breath is too honourable to kill an enemy who can't defend themselves.
You never know... the cat might be just a bit too bad ass to fight.
Huh? Can someone explain to me what this means?
1. Malack is a vampire, so his "children" were actually just vampires he turned.
2. Belkar is officially soon to "draw his last breath ever", and vampires don't breathe, so...
2. Belkar is officially soon to "draw his last breath ever", and vampires don't breathe, so...
Ah, I didn't know Malack was a vampire. Thought he was just a lizard...wizard...guy.
That is the other thing that this comic confirms. He says he's passing on "the gift of his master", and missing the company of "others of his ilk", and thus he'll "make more children"
It'd be hilarious if his alignment went in the opposite direction, as vampire turns often do, only his goes to Lawful Good. 
That would officially be the greatest thing ever.It'd be hilarious if his alignment went in the opposite direction, as vampire turns often do, only his goes to Lawful Good.
North_Ranger
Staff member
Plus there's the whole issue of Malack needing "a special diet", being wary of the idea of adoption because he wants "that special bond"...
Non-spoilered matter: holy crapmuffins on a stick, didn't see THAT coming!
Dave
Staff member
Think about this, though. The sheer fucking planning that went into this! How long ago was it announced about Belkar? I mean, we all assumed the easy way out and NONE of us saw this coming! Sheer bloody genius. And they are stick figures!!! Can you imagine someone with Scott Kurtz's artistic talent with this level of storytelling? Boggles the mind.
Dave, there is a LOT of artistic talent going into those simple, iconic images. Just because it's simplified doesn't mean it's not great.
Dave
Staff member
I agree and disagree at the same time. I think that the style fits the comic and that the figures are expressive, but I don't think for a second that the art is wonderful. The comic survives because of storytelling and characters, not the art.
I can't imagine this comic being drawn in any other way or style. In fact, by drawing the characters and setting in a simplistic, iconic manner, it actually boosts the storytelling. With just a few lines drawn in different angles, Rich is able to evoke dozens of emotions, if not more. As I've said in the past, Rich is fantastic in playing with the medium of comics itself on a number of occasions.
Burlew has plenty of artistic talent that he shows in the comic. Stick figures are a conscious choice, not a necessary evil.
Yep.[DOUBLEPOST=1361223830][/DOUBLEPOST]
Not to disparage you, Dave. I see where you're coming from. Stick figures are seen as "cheating" when drawing. Rich is known for his storytelling and for his simplistic artistic style, but make no mistake: His use of color, his devotion to the work, his talent with layout and flow all show that the stick figures are indeed done by choice. If anything, it is a testament to his ability to stage and execute that he is able to make these stick figures as expressive as they are. Much like XKCD or Samurai Jack*, I would instead say that his use of stick figures is "minimalist," not "simple."
--Patrick
*There's an episode titled "The Princess and the Bounty Hunters" that should explain what I'm talking about. It goes through many different styles of animation throughout the episode, but the story never suffers, not even when it devolves into what look like crayon drawings.
I fucking called it.
As an example straight from this very comic, take a look at
Mr. Scruffy, and how much you can tell about his relationship with Belkar just from his expressions and movement.
It's amazing how much expression that art style can get across with seemingly simplistic art.