So, I think this may be the first time I’ve used a sketch day for a deleted scene. Not sure how often I’ll do this, because Sketch Days don’t tend to get the same amount of views as regular updates and this is essentially a comic page. But just this once and we’ll see how it goes.

So, my original drafts had a short scene with a gigantic Crook and Selkie’s Betta in the dream sequence. I decided to cut it so the dream sequence can focus on more important bits, and the Crook/Betta scene always felt a bit random and unnecessary to me. I intended for it to help transition to the next scene (clip-clop clip-clop clip-clop…), but I think even without this scene it transitions as well as a mad scientist’s castle suddenly becoming a southeast american desert backdrop can transition.

I like the “suspense build up” of this strip personally, and as a fan of non-sequiturs I love the “They will crush you with their magnificent dancing hooves!” line. But as a whole the scene isn’t really necessary, and I’d rather move it ahead.

There is a literary phrase I stumbled on to thanks to TVTropes called “Kill Your Darlings”. It means that if there is a scene you love so much that you insist it absolutely MUST be included in the story, there is a very good chance you are not viewing the scene objectively, and it is in the story’s best interests for you to step back, take a fresh look at the scene, and edit or cut it as needed. This is one of those scenes for me.

Kill your darlings, or they will crush you under their magnificent dancing hooves.

Today's edition of the Secret Commentary is empty, because Dave failed to come up with something for it.