Podcast: Digital Strips review of Pepper&Carrot
In the episode 539 of the Podcast "Digital Strips" (the first webcomic podcast!) Pepper&Carrot had a long review (starting at 4:00min to the end at 21min). I loved the review and all the cool feedback. Thank you very much for all the nice words and how you noticed all the little efforts I put into each episodes (the credits, the muted episodes, etc). I spent a very good time listening it!
I also agreed with a critic about the pose of Camomille (the Racoon girl of the Hippiah magic) on the last panel of episode 22. I admit I haven't put a lot of thought in it and the tail and skirt was looking a lot as she was showing her bottom to the audience... Mea Culpa; I think I just wanted to only depict for her a 'Marylin' pose, seducing audience with roses and winds under. I understand the uncomfort and I felt it too when I saw it after listening the show. That's why I decided to commit a fix about it and re-render all languages with the fix (art-pack krita files updated too). It's already all online. This feedback was really useful and you were right: it is totally not in the tone of Pepper&Carrot. I hope the change feels better. Thank you again for the feedback!
11 comments
Hey David! Thanks again for creating such a fun, imaginative, and expertly crafted comic for us to enjoy. I love the change and hope you are happy with the new image. As long as you, the creator, are happy, I have no real issue with either depiction of Camomille. I can't wait to read more as the episodes continue! Best of luck in the future!
Hey Jason; thank you again for the Podcast and your nice words!
Thank you for the feedback on the fix I pushed to this episode; and don't worry: I'm really happy with the change (I even really liked to have a look at the source artwork of this file from 2017 and fixed few other shading issue here and there). This part of Camomille pose was really unecessary to the story; and the full panel is still totally balanced in composition. https://www.peppercarrot.com/0_sources/ep22_The-Voting-System/hi-res/en_Pepper-and-Carrot_by-David-Revoy_E22P10.jpg
I'll follow your podcast!
That's funny, I didn't notice it either - but now it definitely seems the new picture is more inline with the comic. Although, to be honest, Saffron's pose did bother me - she's almost naked... We didn't really get to know the other two witches, but even though Saffron is very (perhaps sometimes over-) ambitious I didn't get the impression she'd be willing to degrade herself in such a manner just to win a contest. And something about the fact all three remaining contestants chose to do so gives off the wrong impression - instead of highlighting the faults of the voting system (e.g. by showing that people who aren't willing to do this lose simply because they're not trying to be pleasing but try to do something good) it gives the feeling this is something women tend to do, even though I am sure this wasn't your intention.
But anyway, that was just one episode. And the rest are really wonderful, so thanks :)
Yes, I understand. The message is mainly to reveal about how a system of vote affects the content and encourage sometime deviation of moral behavior. Something anyone can see on every large content platform nowaday.
I'm fine with Saffron; I kept a lot of clothes in my opinion; she has way more clothes than woman in bathing suit every kids see on TV or in holidays (but in some culture; showing belly buttons or seeing shoulder is taboo, so I understand it depends the POV).
Also, I'm doing my best to keep Pepper&Carrot kid-compatible; but I don't have a target audience as modern marketing does: slicing ages and target products for them. When I write, I do it for the 5 to 126 y/old.
Yes, I see what you mean... Still I am worried that perhaps some people will get a very different idea about the message of the episode, but perhaps that's impossible to avoid (at least with somewhat delicate issues like this).
True. But it's also common in everything nowadays so, as an artist, I try to not put too much importance to this. It would only freeze my creativity and censorship talking about any topic. I know what I have in heart and trust that. Of course, this will not prevent hard-core feminists to get a confirmation bias with this panels. The one against racist can even push the things and see Saffron has won because she was whiter than the two others. Antidemocratic will find in this story a reason why you need to remove vote. etc... etc... And nothing in this is right. So, If a group wants to hard critic my ideas and hurt Pepper&Carrot; they'll find in the content what they want to do so. Same for a group who want to say good things. It just depends what poeple got in heart for a starting point. Someone jealous? They'll fight this way. Anything can be deconstructed to serve a purpose. xD
Yes, I understand what you are saying. I respect that. I'm not really worried about people who try to find faults with the comic - you can always find faults with pretty much anything - but with people who do like Pepper and Carrot and were put off by that. But that too is impossible to avoid, perhaps... So I don't think you should be upset about it or anything. And hopefully if there are such people they'd be able to put this one episode aside (or they'd really be missing out!).
Hehe, yes. That would be perfect. And will come the time I'll write episode showing that I'm truely Feminist, anti-racist, LGBT friendly in a way that will let no doubt about any ambiguity for my followers who still doubt about that xD. Maybe as I did in the past about the episode with an ecology message where Pepper recycle and clean the soil around the house. The story will guide me; next episode is a silent one with a message about "The cloud".
Can't wait!
You should of left the tail. Don't give in to the censorship of your art. The left must not win.
Hey William, I'm not a victim of censorship. I just corrected a detail because I received a detailed argument that I found intelligible, detailed, honnest and I'm someone open to opinions from outside my point of view. This process is called constructive criticism and artist can choose to amend a piece and correct it.
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