Any else's 1st thought....

[AlaskaOOTSFan]

....when they see a page-and-a-half OOTS comic is "I can't wait to get the book to see what Rich puts under the 1/2 page"?

[F.Harr]

Not quite, but pretty close.

[littlebum2002]

I've been looking through the archives, and it looks like the answer to that question is usually "another half page in the next comic"

Of course, I haven't yet purchased the books, so I don't know how many extra strips there are, but at least until the next step comes out and we know it doesn't finish the page, we shouldn't assume anything.

[Porthos]

I've been looking through the archives, and it looks like the answer to that question is usually "another half page in the next comic"

Yep. Usually but not always. If the comic isn't filled out on the next page what usually happens is that space is left either for commentary or some neat little bonus extra. Like an advertisement for Goblin Dan's and stuff like that.

For the record, so far in Book 5 there have been three strips that have not filled out on the next page:

#827 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0827.html) (1/2 page)
#839 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0839.html) (1/2 page)
#841 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0841.html) (3/4 page)

[Caex]

My first thought is either a hope that that extra space will be left to some commentary or imagining what kind of twist the next comic will fill the page with.
EDIT:

Yep. Usually but not always. If the comic isn't filled out on the next page what usually happens is that space is left either for commentary or some neat little bonus extra. Like an advertisement for Goblin Dan's and stuff like that.

For the record, so far in Book 5 there have been three strips that have not filled out on the next page:

#827 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0827.html) (1/2 page)
#839 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0839.html) (1/2 page)
#841 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0841.html) (3/4 page)

Thanks for doing that legwork (or, I guess, digit work) on this. Now I am looking forward to that bonus material.

[Ted The Bug]

I was wondering about the 3/4 page thing, and how that's gonna be worked out. Were there any of those in the earlier books?

[Bulldog Psion]

I don't look forward because I know there are just 2 more books. Which makes me sad. :smallfrown:

[Porthos]

I was wondering about the 3/4 page thing, and how that's gonna be worked out. Were there any of those in the earlier books?

From 'mainline' continuity? Not exactly where there was a comic that took up 3/4th of a page and then wasn't followed up on in-strip. Most of the 'oddball' pages have been directly worked into a flow of a book.

For example, when Roy was knocked off the zombie dragon in 442 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0442.html), the last panel of the comic took up about 1/4th of a graphic novel page. It ended up being part the layout of the 'infinite canvas' strip where Roy died.

Similarly, the last panels of 500 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0500.html) and 510 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0510.html) were both carried over to the top of the page of the next strip.

In 518 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0518.html) Haley was, literally, blasted into a blank page.

There also was a Dragon Mag strip that was something like 1/8th normal size, but that was worked around with by surrounding it with commentary.

Finally there have been others where the layout in the book is different that in the comic (the first panel of 430 is a gorgeous two page spread, for instance (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0430.html)).

[SavageWombat]

Which suggests that Rich should design a strip that's half a page left-to-right (instead of top-to-bottom) so that he can have commentary on the side.

[Porthos]

Which suggests that Rich should design a strip that's half a page left-to-right (instead of top-to-bottom) so that he can have commentary on the side.

I'm not sure I follow you. He's had commentary on the bottom of pages before. Usually the commentary isn't for THAT specific strip, but the chapter as a whole. He just uses the convenient space available.

[littlebum2002]

From 'mainline' continuity? Not exactly where there was a comic that took up 3/4th of a page and then wasn't followed up on in-strip. Most of the 'oddball' pages have been directly worked into a flow of a book.

For example, when Roy was knocked off the zombie dragon in 442 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0442.html), the last panel of the comic took up about 1/4th of a graphic novel page. It ended up being part the layout of the 'infinite canvas' strip where Roy died.

Similarly, the last panels of 500 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0500.html) and 510 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0510.html) were both carried over to the top of the page of the next strip.

In 518 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0518.html) Haley was, literally, blasted into a blank page.

There also was a Dragon Mag strip that was something like 1/8th normal size, but that was worked around with by surrounding it with commentary.

Finally there have been others where the layout in the book is different that in the comic (the first panel of 430 is a gorgeous two page spread, for instance (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0430.html)).

I've already read the prequel books, but I'm waiting for the strip to end before I buy and read all the other books, but this has been killing me ever since I read that strip, so...

How is Roy's fall shown? Is it just cut up and split over multiple pages? Or done sideways like a centerfold? (not like I would know what those are or anything...) That's the one thing about the books that I've never been able to figure out.

Also, thanks for the heads up on 518. I never noticed that before! I must have always just looked at the strip itself, because I thought the lightning hitting the edge was the end of the strip!

[Porthos]

I've already read the prequel books, but I'm waiting for the strip to end before I buy and read all the other books, but this has been killing me ever since I read that strip, so...

How is Roy's fall shown? Is it just cut up and split over multiple pages? Or done sideways like a centerfold? (not like I would know what those are or anything...) That's the one thing about the books that I've never been able to figure out.

It was something like this, over two pages:


PAGE ONE:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXX Modified XXX
XXX Last Panel of 442 XXX
XXX W/ Only Xykon XXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXX Roy XXX #443 XXX #443 XXX
XXX Fall XXX Cont XXX Cont XXX
XXX ing XXX XXX XXX
XXX in XXX XXX XXX
XXX #442 XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXXStart XXX XXX XXX
XXX of XXX XXX XXX
XXXComic XXX XXX XXX
XXX #443 XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


PAGE TWO:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXX #443 XXX #443 XXX #443 XXX
XXX Cont XXX Cont XXX Cont XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXXSPLAT!XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXX XXX
XXX XXX XXXTHUNK!XXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You read the 'top' panel of Xykon flying away, then down each of the successive panels, left to right.

[littlebum2002]

Awesome. Now my curiosity is satisfied until the strip is complete and I get the books.

[SavageWombat]

I'm not sure I follow you. He's had commentary on the bottom of pages before. Usually the commentary isn't for THAT specific strip, but the chapter as a whole. He just uses the convenient space available.

Yes, which is why he needs to have a page that's strip-on-the-left and commentary-on-the-right. As described above.

[Porthos]

Yes, which is why he needs to have a page that's strip-on-the-left and commentary-on-the-right. As described above.

OK, but why? Why is Comic on the Left/Commentary on the Right intrinsically better than Comic on the Top/Commentary on the bottom?

[SavageWombat]

OK, but why? Why is Comic on the Left/Commentary on the Right intrinsically better than Comic on the Top/Commentary on the bottom?

Because he hasn't done it yet, duh.

And a diagonal strip would be hard enough even without the commentary.