3571 – Tall Tales
Hang in there! I’ve got a new strip scheduled for tomorrow!
-Rich BK Morris
EDIT – Just a thought I’d share with you guys.
So for a long time now, I’ve been playing with the idea of doing another comic.
I know I’ve done a bunch of Doctor Who fancomics/crossovers and things, and I still want to do those too, but they’re all single-story concepts. I haven’t had a lot of time for ANY of these, let alone muse, but hear me out and let’s pretend I’m still producing like I used to way back when.
Obviously you can see by YAFGC that I have a love for the Fantasy genre and love to play in that world. But I also grew up as a huge fan of science fiction, in particular the wild and often silly “sci fi” mulch of the 1960’s – 1980’s. Star Trek, Star Wars, Space:1999, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Starlost, UFO, bla bla bla. All that stuff.
So for a LOONG time I’ve wanted to do a comic parallel to YAFGC, set in the same world, but in the distant future. At least, distant in relation to Glon and Lucas and all of our YAFGC heroes. At a time when they’ve developed space travel (don’t start bringing up “Spelljammer”, I was never a fan of that supplement and despite its origins and influences, YAFGC is NOT D&D – YES there are flying Spelljammer ships in YAFGC, but they’re just flying ships. Not proper spaceships.) They fly spaceships, they make contacts with aliens, they join a collective of planets and cultures… and have adventures akin to the old space sillies that I love so much. With a cast of descendants from YAFGC’s heroes, plus aliens and robots and laser guns and spaceships… time travel… sexy skintight spacesuits… you know what I’m talking about.
If I’m able to keep drawing (and obviously keep up with YAFGC, I love it much) would there be any interest in this concept? Any feedback?
-Rich BK Morris
Well, she starts to look very Billy Bones.
On the other hand loyable, we call very loyable that woman wasn't
You got that right! Heheheh
If you're correcting typos, it should be "their" in the fourth panel, and "inn" in the eighth.
I try when have a chance. Thanks for the info.
Ah, all lies, right down to the title of captain and her name, I would wager. And my guess is she left a fake map with the old crew when she jumped ship.
Yeah, I suspected she was evil… well, I mean, I know "evil" doesn't exist in this comic, but well, I'm not sure what else to call this.
She's naughty! Very, very naughty! No cookies for her!
Greedy, fallible…
She may have been in dire straits when she arrived at the inn, but her situation is vastly different from the one which brought the Stewards!
t!
Thought we were doing Redfox, turns out it looks more like Treasure Island.. Could we split the difference and final do Rufus the Red?
Definitely not a reference to Redfox, I'm afraid. I'd never heard of it. I had to look it up. But what I saw looked AWESOME! I wanna read that now.
As for Rufus the Red, are you referring to the character from Betwitched? Or William Rufus II, son of William the Conqueror. I can't figure out how either of these fits. But it was fun looking them up!
Sez: Thought we were doing Redfox, turns out it looks more like Treasure Island.. Could we split the difference and final do Rufus the Red?
Yeah, I'm not one of the cool kids, so I don't know who Redfox is (although I do know that RedWALL wouldn't fit this narrative), but yeah, it's giving off some RLS vibes at this point.
That said, I trust Mr. Morris is going to have something up his sleeve that will engage us all.
It's apparently a British 1-off comic story (ripped off of the Dark Phoenix saga) set in a fantasy world and the main character is a short barmaid who gets pulled into adventure. It sounds awesome from what I saw.
Well, it is not unprecedented that Rich takes elements form other mediums – Lich of the Rings, The Axe in the Rock, The Great Bardic Challenge to name a few stories like that… But, thats it. He only takes elements, than gives them a new form and puts them into his own stories, so in the end we have a fine blend of paying homeage, parody and original YAFGC, all delivered through an excellent story-telling.
So, I am sure, even if it feels pretty much like Treasure Island now, we will embark on a different journey.
That's correct. Here's the funny thing about and a glimpse into how my brain works. I often do this when I'm stumped for story ideas. If I have no idea what to do next, I'll look at some literature or a movie or something I've enjoyed that I can adapt, and force that into the mix. Once I've started, I'm often inspired enough (or more like the characters themselves take over the narrative) to divert into something entirely YAFGC-ky.
There's actually far more than you know influencing the stories, not just TV shows, movies, and books, but also RPG's I've run or played in, other comics I've written or read…
In this case, while I've read Treasure Island a few times, and seen a fair number of adaptations, my direct inspiration for this is the Muppet Treasure Island movie, probably the best adaptation yet. Though, it's funny to think of "Black Sails" as a direct prequel to the Muppet version! Heheh
I was getting the Treasure Island vibe as well. Having (more recently) read the original cover to cover, my first thought was, but changing it with the onboard cartographer coming to the inn and not the quartermaster. But looking forward to seeing exactly where it's going here in the YAFGC world.
Can't remember the Muppet version to save my life. This story is one of the most redone and generally known for it (unlike Brewster's Millions, original was pretty different from the only other version I've seen- the movie with Richard Pryor- yet there were a number of other versions).
I've also read the original Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Another that had many versions later and well nigh all of them completely veer off from the original as far as the nature/relation of Jekyll and Hyde to each other. Which is a shame, because I think the original is more interesting.
Interesting!
I found a bunch of classics available cheap at a bookstore some time ago so I grabbed a bunch that I felt I really should have read. I got through Frankenstein and Dracula which were a bit of a struggle (ADD +movie addict) but the Picture of Dorian Grey really surprised me. I wasn't able to get very far into it, but what I read went on and on and on and never got to the painting I knew (or thought) the book was about.
I guess it's like the original Mad Max movie. Everyone KNOWS Mad Max is about a cop who goes on a revenge rampage after bad guys kill his family. But the family doesn't get killed until the last few minutes of the film!
And now she can't pay for your hospitality, but she's willing to sell you the map! For cheap!
See, it's right there on Noweyr Island in the Sucker's Archipelago, near Foolmark's Reef.
I wonder how many mapmakers found that they can sell their maps for much higher price if they include some X in secluded spot.
The ones in Minecraft sure figured that out.
Meanwhile, Captain Fang stumbles on the treasure, digs it up, walks off wearing a nifty new necklace with all the other treasure just lying out in the open.
I think Fang would have eaten half of it. Some of it he would have set free, and the rest of it would be given proper names and addresses before he threw them a kayak party with a big cake and a straw hat full of jelly globes.
Redfox was a "very" independent Fantasy comic (not a one-shot, it went around 20 issues, and one collection). The base "origin" is that Red was a tavern maid, who was trained and eventually swapped places with a much older and very worn adventurer (the former adventurer took her place, and eventually marrying the keeper, was implied). Bring a worn-out heroine to an inn, and old memories click..
"Rufus", OK that's a deep one. That WAS one chapter only (in a one-shot anthropomorphic comic, NOT Critters or Albedo). It was setting up a classic Pirate Swashbuckler story were the heir to a perfume-making family and a local tomboy/fencer were set to be on some sort of collision. Unfortunately, never continued, too bad it had Xanadu vibes..
Hey, Drew. Long time no see.
Hey Dave, still in C-bus (Reynoldsburg actually). Working the cloud
I've been in Amarillo for about a decade now, got tenure (such as it is) at the local community college. Yeah, Texas, I know. Definitely makes me miss Columbus, though. (Mostly missing Laughing Ogre.)
Well yes, by one-shot I meant one story and no more. It did take 20 issues to get through. Still it sounds awesome, I'll try to find it somewhere. Who knows, I may pay tribute to it in YAFGC sometime.
As for "Rufus", I'm curious about that too. If you've got links or a lead on where I can find these, I'd welcome the education.
Redfox was always tough to source, as it was a British Independent (this was long before webcomics. I wouldn't put it in quite the same bin as your work, but likely a related one. The first collection "The Book of Redfox" isn't very pricey (10 bucks used on Amazon) there's also "The Demon Queen". Most of the stories are Red and her battle buddy/heterosexual life partner Lyssa "The Axe" (a runaway Princess) doing dungeon crawl stuff. Or stealing items from the Blackened Sons of Set, (as opposed to the splinter "Blacker Sons of Set" and all the others).
Rufus was in Albedo #11 (was wrong) was a one-shot as it turned out, I think real life got in creator Monica Livington's way (she had a career at the edges of comics, mostly as an inker) This was to be her story, but never had a chapter 2.
I tend to think of stories like these as the spiritual ancestors of Web Comics.
BTW. One bit I remember from Redfox was a rough one-page with Red sitting in a chair with her hands in her hair (getting the 80s big hair look) in her "Civies", not her bustier and boots outfit. Asking "Does this sort of thing really sell comics?"
Ha! It looks a lot like the art style of Phil Foglio's "What's New With Phil and Dixie" from Dragon Magazine!
Fun fact: I shared some airtime with Phil on a podcast a little while ago. Good times!
I saw that Phil mentioned you in some storefront or another in Mechanicsburg, will have to dig up that podcast. I've met him 3 or so times (he occasionally makes one or another Convention), also one of his collaborators used to host a group of us who eventually became the OSU Anime Club. He was pretty tied in with the Critters crowd back in that day, not so much Albedo (I checked, Livingston never did inking on any XXXenophile, a LOT of the Eclipse etc. Crowd did).
Well. That’s a real blast from the past.
Redfox inadvertently got me into SF fandom closing on 40 years ago… Got one of covers hanging on my wall – first bit of comic art I bought 😉
Ended up working with one of the inkers a few years later – he was doing the photoshop and page layout at a small publisher I worked for. Lost contact with the artist, still in touch with the writer.
In other words, she betrayed her crew
Ayup.
Evil may not exist as a religion or for races\species, but I myself, for myself, would still apply it to individuals or at least their actions. Not saying SHE is, but her expression doesn't help. Betrayal of her shipmates isn't cool. It does make me wonder why she is so free with her tips.
Intriguing story line, BK 😁
Yeah, that's interesting. The WORD "Evil" and therefore the concept of it exists in Our World YAFGC. But there's no absolute status of it in any particular species or race, I don't think. I played with it as the ludicrous Alignment concept it was way back in the beginning, where the Beholders are definitely "EVIL CREATURES ™", but their motivations and goals are all but indistinguishable from "GOOD CREATURES ™" like Humans and Elves. In fact, I'd say some of my Humans and Elves are clearly MORE what we would call "EVIL" than the "Evil Creatures ™" we've met.
The joke being that a selfish asshat Human can cast Protection From Evil on himself and be protected from a compassionate, caring Hobgoblin. Because the terms "Good" and "Evil" sorta mean nothing in terms of actual morality. But I've long since strayed away from making gamerules jokes like "Order of the Stick". They're not my forte, I prefer making my worlds believeable and real. And so "good" and "evil" have taken on more of an obfuscating double-talk like in our real world than as a DM/Player role-playing aid like in the RAW.
EDITED TO ADD: I think in Our World YAFGC, Drow and Goblins and Beholders who are truly evil act that way more because they’re told culturally that they’re supposed to. Not because they’re inherently bad creatures. Some of them (Like the long mourned and beloved Arachne) really enjoy being horrible to people. Others do it because they know they’re supposed to if they want to fit in.
Agreed on all you said, excepting the RAW, because I don't know what that is lol (my brain's not working much lately with words or names)
I"d also add 2 items: 1, about doing "evil actions to fit 8n", unfortunately too true IRL as well 🙁
2, i'd expect 'evil' creatures get so categorized also by including any that want to eat you, even just for food purposes, like snakes, spiders, bears,
(and owlbears), etc
Anne McCaffrey made an interesting distinction about dragons eating herdbeasts: need, not greed. I've always liked that, and try to apply it to a variety of different situations (like spiders +shudders+) and cats. Not that i see them as evil, just instinct driven. But how others perceive them- and why.
This is part of why i love your webcomic and the comments – so many intriguing and diverse topics get discussed! (And the puns, of course ) Hugs and cookies to all of you!
Yes! Agreed! It's funny to me to consider predators as evil when they're just doing what they have to do to live. It becomes a moral issue if the predator is self-aware or sentient and they learn that thier prey food is self-aware or sentient. Then you've got to reconsider.
Like when Bob eats the Harpy. That to me would be an evil act. He didn't HAVE to eat her, and he went to lengths to lure her down to his lair to kill and devour her. But even that seems debateable. I mean, what else does he have access to in the caves HE lives in?
And then what about predators eating other predators?
RAW=Rules As Written.
Evil and Good are things you do not things you are inherently. Yes, Evil can corrupt you and evil-doers who enjoy what they do, definitly are Evil tm. And people who sacrifice themselves to help strangers are definitly Good tm. But I have always refused the concept that any creature other then fiends or celestial might be inherently good or evil.
hi
Hello.
Sci-fi YAFGC? Yes. All the yes. 🥰
Excellent! Thanks! Been working on some designs and stuff. I'll see if I can upload some of my doodles.
"would there be any interest in this concept? Any feedback?"
Yes. Yes, there would be interest.
Wonderful! Thank you!
YAFGC in space! I'd love to see that. 🙂
I don't even need it to be connected to YAFGC. 'Created by Rich Morris' alone sells me on it.
This is true for me as well.
t!
Ditto. Assuming there are boobies jk
I don't have the tv\movie background many of you probably have, but I read and prefer the golden and silver ages of sf writing. And maybe this will get me to watch some I've been meaning to.
Regardless, if it's by you and your already planning on some silliness, I'm all for it. I've been curious cuz i know you've mapped the history of yafgc thru the space age.
Besides all that, if it's something YOU would enjoy, GO FOR IT 😀