In the Hall of the Octopus 3
I really like these characters. I have a pretty good sense of who some of them are already. I hope I can do more with them at some point in the future.
Without this page even making it online yet, a couple of people have already asked me the same question as Grandfather Octopus. Why is most of the crew women? My answer is that I’m not sure? Maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time? Maybe I like that it’s an unexpected development in a story that is pretty clearly modeled on epic adventure fantasies like The Odyssey, Conan the Barbarian, or Lord of the Rings? Maybe I didn’t feel like drawing an entire comic without any women in it, especially as I’d like to eventually write this into a much longer graphic novel? Or, as likely as any of those theories, maybe it’s because I work mostly in elementary schools in a small BC town, and most of the First Nations people I know (at least the adults) that I could potentially use as inspiration for characters happen to be professional, motivated, independent women. I think I’ll go with that last one the next time someone asks.
Whatever the reason, I’m sure it’s something that is both valid to the story and to the Northwest nations’ odd treatment of women and in no way related to the fact that it’s easier to differentiate women from each other than men in most comic-style line art.
I love the panel where they are all about to punch him.
I am about to guess that they are mostly all his cousins.