After reading this I know what you’re thinking … especially those of you who were looking for more Soldiers Angels and/or Blackfive references. Not to worry. The SA and V-IT toons will be back next week.
And who knows? Maybe you’ll even get a cartoon version of some of the Soldiers Angels ladies next week. Not that anyone has asked to be made into a cartoon or anything.
You might even see … gasp … an appearance by Major Z himself!
You know how it is when a curmudgeon like me gets on a roll. Just call me Parkay.
Oooo, Parkay and Arkay. We could be twins…..
Yeah, I know. Put away the Benedryl and back away from the keyboard..sigh.
I’m a Military Broadcast Journalist. I LOVE the story lines with the military reporters!
I truly enjoy how you incorporate suggestions from the field into your work… Good way to keep it fresh! I spent a few minutes reviewing your previous work and I can see you get better, funnier and more topical each day! I notice you’ve left off some themes while beefing up and creating others. I love Lucky. Sorry to see he got ‘demoted’ to E5. What shame is next for our favorite cannon-cockin’ rabbit? a COMMISSION? God forbid! And what will happen next to C.J.?
I can tell you this, Damon… many of your readers will never write… never give you feedback. But your work is widely read and widely appreciated. Me? I’m a fan of DBS and will be for the long-haul.
Jim Boyd
http://www.cooljim.com
Proof I’m nuts: http://www.trooptube.tv/videos/3102
SIDE NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS:
Damon, your son is “a newly minted E5.” Lucky the Rabbit just got promoted to E5. What does that mean?!?
Your strip has dropped from its honored place on my site. All that is there now is a message that it can’t load. How can I get it back?? To quote Dan Rather… “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?”
Heh, AND your name is Bryan which happens to be my middle name as well as the name my family calls me by.
We’re like the three stooges … only there’s just two of us.
Backing away from this keyboard too.
Jim!! Battle buddy! Where have you been!?!
You’re right about the link between Lucky and my son. Not just coincidence. As for CJ, I’m thinking about sending him “Green-to-Gold” in order to explore some of hurdles our soldiers face on the college campuses these days. OR I might send him to OCS. I dunno. My wife says I should have him become an E5 so that he and lucky can still room together.
I’m not sure why the strip dropped off your site. Some of the folks that use blogspot had to get an exception from the admin to let my broadcast thru again (see @WOTN on twitter or War on Terror News site, he’s dealt with this concerning my site too). If you’re on blogspot that might be the case with your site as well. I’ll get my code diva to check it out and get back to you.
It’s good to hear from you Jim. Keep contact this time, eh?
Damon,
I respect your strip, your characters, the strip’s development and your story arcs. So my suggestions are just what they are… suggestions.
You would be wise to listen to your wife on SO many levels. Mostly, ‘If mama ain’t happy, no one’s happy.’
But also I believe you should listen to your wife because… she is right! Keep CJ and Lucky together. They are the hard-nut core that around which your strip is beginning to coalesce. To bust them up would be like the hit show Seinfeld ’spinning-off’ a new sitcom based on the George Costanza character… and it would promptly bomb. (Old reference: The breakup of Lewis and Martin also comes to mind.) You’ve found your magic with Lucky and CJ. Don’t bust them up. Your wife is right. They speak to the broad and vast majority of your audience.
If you want to highlight an Officer’s plight via OCS, ROTC, the Academy or a direct Commission, then bring in someone else for that. I understand that you were once an Officer and you want to tell their story… I don’t fault you for that. I too was once an Officer and it IS a story worth telling. But don’t sacrifice your strip’s soul… don’t cut out your strip’s heart for the questionable gain of telling another, different story that will only appeal to 20% of your audience (Officer ranks are somewhere around 20% or less of Soldiers).
Let me ask you this… Have Lucky and CJ achieved a level in your mind where they can now ‘dialog’ on their own? Like it seems as if they speak to each other and others in their world without you creating what they say? As if you were just sitting in the corner and writing down their conversations on a dog-eared, top-bound spiral notepad?? That’s the MAGIC and character life writers strive for! Splitting these two up means you smash that magic and your job will become much harder (maybe impossible) trying to re-create that magic with other characters. So my suggestion? Story arc them apart on occasion as you are doing (everyone needs a break from their ‘battle buddies’) but basically keep them together. Never lose sight of your ‘bread and butter,’ Lucky and CJ. Let other characters develop and tell your other stories.
Lucky an E5? Lucky is so practical, smart and cynical, it’d be fun to watch that E5 go to his head as he goes on a ‘power-surge!’ I’ve (and most other Soldiers) seen it happen, that formerly common-sense people get a little rank and spin out on a ‘power-surge’ so very often! It’d be funny if Lucky let the E5 go to his head and in his power-surge he loses his ability to be practical, smart and cynical! He becomes a ‘mini-me’ of that short, idiot garrison Sergeant that occasionally makes an appearance! Especially when CJ calls him out on it!! What fun, fun, FUN!!
Also, the old saying goes: ‘The fastest way to make E4 is to… make E5!” There’s a reason rank in the Army is hung on Velcro. Enough about Lucky. I don’t want to steal your thunder on that account.
So here, for what they are worth, are my suggestions. It will be a long time before I again write such a long-winded email. But, like many other of your strip’s fans, I’ll continue to read every day.
Jim Boyd
http://www.cooljim.com
Its good to hear from you again. Even if you promise not to be long winded anymore I’m glad you plan on sticking around some. I hear your suggestions loud and clear. You’re not the first one to make such comments … though typically they are made off line. I’m really mulling things over now. I guess you’re the only one willing to go on record! LOL! (well, other than my wife of course)
BTW, heads up – there is another entertainment offering in the works that involves myself and a couple of other known military cartoonists. Stay tuned.
ps: Nice gravatar. Good likeness.