SoD guest appearence? Very minor SoD spoiler.

[Adama]

I read Start of Darkness yesterday, and noticed something I was wondering if others had, and whether I was right about it. Very very minor spoiler, if at all, but protected nonetheless.

Start of Darkness, page 21, panel 2. Right hand side, facing away from the reader's point of view. Is that Vaarsuvius? Elven ears, headband, V's style of haircut... harder to tell without it being in color, but it sure as hell looks like V. And it's in the library of an archmage, so you can understand why he'd be there.

[hamishspence]

it's been mentioned a few times.

Main problem with the theory is that it was quite a long way back- wouldn't V have still been in training with his master? Its possible V was sent to attend a lecture though.

[Optimystik]

Quoth the Giant: "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." Not too many ways to draw elven wizard stick figures, I suppose.

[FabuVinny]

This elf does actually look like V, though. From behind and in black and white, but still...

I think it's feasible but whether it actually affects anything is another matter. Mostly, it depends on whether V's master and/or Fyron's son have a future role in the story.

[derfenrirwolv]

It looks like him*. Theres no reason it can't be. I'm sure given 80? years of training V got sent out on an errand or to do a 2 week corespondence course, possibly in illusion, go on a field trip, bring a parcel somewhere for his master, or go on vacation.

But no reason it has to be him either.

[Darius1020]

Quoth the Giant: "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." Not too many ways to draw elven wizard stick figures, I suppose.

True, but having said that, Rich could've drawn the elf in several other ways that don't look exactly like a main character. So I think Rich wanted people to think it might be V, even if it isn't.

[Nimrod's Son]

Quoth the Giant: "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." Not too many ways to draw elven wizard stick figures, I suppose.
When Rich said that, he was talking about characters bearing a superficial similarity to each other. We see Vaarsuvius from behind very clearly here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0483.html), and the elf in SoD is the exact same image - only smaller and in monochrome. There is no way Rich could have placed that figure in the scene and not thought, "Hmm, that'll make people think it's Vaarsuvius".

And since we know that he doesn't exactly chase after unwarranted speculation, that does rather suggest he wanted people to think it's V, surely?

[Dr.Epic]

it's been mentioned a few times.

Yes it has been and to paraphrase Optimystik there are only so many ways to draw stick figures before they all look the same but then again V does have some unique features not as easily repeated as others.

[Nimrod's Son]

It's the exact same image. I cannot stress this enough.

Rich places characters in a scene from templates, either unaltered (if it's a perfect fit) or edited to fit the scene (if the character needs a brand new pose, for example). It's likely that a lot of minor characters were drawn by editing the template of another character rather than starting from scratch (see the green celestial (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0193.html) who resembles Haley), which sometimes leads to speculation about the two characters being related. Which in turn lead to Rich making his exasperated comment about not reading too much into superficial similarities.

BUT: The elf in SoD differs from Vaarsuvius ONLY in the fact that it's greyscale. The size of the parting in his hair, the amount that his ears stick out on either side, the placement of his cloak and headband: all EXACTLY the same as Vaarsuvius. It was placed in that scene from a template and left unaltered. I find it hugely unlikely that it's supposed to represent a completely different character who's actually dressed in blue or something.

[Ancalagon]

In fact, I'd say it's probably some joke by Rich. A camoe, of you want.

Yes, he creates figures from templates but that he would create a Vaarsuivus-like figure in *that particular location sounds* a bit more unlikely than the possibility he either made a joke for himself and over-analysing readers (it'd be a cameo in that case) or that it will mean something later (which I find unlikely, as the dealings with the Fyron-past seem to be over and completed).

[Irbis]

The size of the parting in his hair, the amount that his ears stick out on either side, the placement of his cloak and headband: all EXACTLY the same as Vaarsuvius. It was placed in that scene from a template and left unaltered. I find it hugely unlikely that it's supposed to represent a completely different character who's actually dressed in blue or something.

Nope. The Elf in question has gray hair, grayish cloak, iron headband. He look far too different to be V, close, but no cigar :smallamused:


A camoe, of you want.

A what (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canoe)? :smallconfused:

I knew elves liked wood, but to such degree...

[Nimrod's Son]

Nope. The Elf in question has gray hair, grayish cloak, iron headband. He look far too different to be V, close, but no cigar :smallamused:
:smallconfused:


BUT: The elf in SoD differs from Vaarsuvius ONLY in the fact that it's greyscale.

[Ron Miel]

:smallconfused:

I think he's joking

[Nimrod's Son]

It's hard to tell. If so, it's a joke that only works by deliberately ignoring half of what I said, hence my confusion at the use of the word "nope".