Excessive media references are excessive. (Director Commentary clarifies this for the non ATLA fans.)
Considering this list of baby names, I may as well and just go ahead and officially confirm the fandom speculation that, yes, Suko is named after Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. XD For this reason the baby's name was originally going to be Asu La, but... well, it's an unlucky name. XD For those unfamiliar with the Last Airender franchise, the names listed are all sarnothi pronunciations of ATLA character names. Suko = Zuko Tai Li = Ty Lee Kio Shi = Kyoshi Bei Fon = Bei Fong (Toph's surname)
Not being familiar with The Last Airbender, is Nei Li also a ATLA character?
I sure hope Selkie decides to take the name Nei Li, I personally like it better than Selkie, and given that her parents may indeed be dead, it would be a nice tribute to them.
Nei Li isn’t the name of a character from A:TLA unless I’ve missed something.
Nah, it isn’t
It COULD be the name of a very minor character. It would fit with the Asian naming scheme. At least they’re not naming her Asu La…..
Nope. Sarnothi names are not derived from ATLA characters, only this baby list.
There is no Pohl or Sai Fen, for example, in ATLA.
Aww, it’s like her name. I wonder if she’ll start calling herself Nei Li after this.
Not gonna lie, I laughed super loud when I was reading the names
I love that you slip these references in there ^^
I have to ask: Are Dr. and Mrs. Pohl fans of Avatar? Or just Dave?
Yep. I chose not to have them specifically state it to avoid tangents.
If Bei Fon is a common sarnothi name, does that mean it’s an actual sarnothi name that just happens to serve double duty as a fandom reference? Or is A:TLA a cultural fad among sarnothi?
This is probably a bit too much background info, but it’s more of a personal joke to myself along the lines of, “Everyone and their momma loves Toph, pick a different character to reference for the name”.
B-but Toph’s so awesome :O
Ahaha, so that said, I can probably assume in-universe it’s a similar joke on their part.
Just so you know, kelp is a salt water plant. If the Sarnothi are fresh water swimmers I suggest “Indian Fern” or “Madagascar Lace.” Either one looks close enough to pass for what you’ve drawn.
OK, now it would be amusing (though somewhat of a distraction) for Todd to say “Did you say kelp? I thought you folks needed fresh water” and Pohl responding “Oh, nice catch, I’ve gotten into the habit of calling it kelp because most people have never heard of Madagascar Lace”.
(But then again, “most people” wouldn’t be in a position to have the conversation in the first place, so, never mind…)
It would also depend if they’re cold water or warm water swimmers. Some plants don’t fare well in cold water.
It could just as easily be artificial kelp. 😉
(I didn’t realize kelp was saltwater only though… my bad)
BTW Technically, all animals start out as eggs, even humans. What makes the difference is how the eggs are protected and nurtured.
I’m grinning like an idiot at your ATLA references. Thank you for making my night… morning… thing. It’s 2 am and I should really go to bed.
If you’re a little under the weather or dragged down, maybe you should drop back to two a week. As I’ve been telling others lately, it’s only my own selfish desires that make me want to see something new every time I click on a webcomic…in the great scheme of things, you won’t be letting me down if you dial it back and keep the quality up…
I don’t find any thing selfish about expecting an update to be delivered on time and in the expected condition. Don’t be like that. 🙂
It’s also reasonable to expect that artists will occasionally have to adjust schedules to deal with activities outside the comic (or even to schedule convention appearances). There’s only one comic I know of that maintains a consistent schedule and doesn’t ever skip – Schlock Mercenary – and he’s got a smaller comic (except Sundays) and has maintained a decent buffer (like a week’s comics drawn ahead of time).
I certainly don’t want to see Selkie get as slow as Freefall, or as update-shy as Lackadaisy Cats, but you could certainly slow a bit if you need to. Goblins recently dropped to a middle ground (one comic every five days, since once a week was too slow and twice a week too difficult to produce). Sluggy Freelance adjusted their schedule and the artist is about to take time off for thumb surgery and recovery. And Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic, for years a daily even if the update was a one-shot joke, took a hiatus and has reduced schedule so that the comic wasn’t crowding out his actual job.
So you’ve got leeway. Use it if you need to.
Also, as an aspiring webcomic artist myself, I love seeing the uncolored strips. And I should point out that in at least one comic I know (Freefall), the artist draws a black-and-white but lets fans color his work, which is an option you might at some point consider if it gets too difficult to maintain schedule.
I like the idea of fan-colored comics! Wouldn’t want it as a “color this comic as the official update” though. I’d still want to do the coloring myself. But posting color-free lineart alongside the regular update might be fun.
Oh also meant to say, I feel like meeting the schedule I have set is an obligation of sorts, which is why the last two weeks have bugged me. I like the current update schedule, I just need to put a bit more effort into making my deadlines consistently. Taking a step backward to two-a-week schedules is a last resort in my mind.
Oh and to be frank, I NEVER want to go back to the 2 a week schedule so long as I can help it. I write at a glacial pace as is. XD
Half a comic is better than none. It still progresses the story. Do what you have to do, your comic is worth waiting for.
i dunno, if you ask me, i see color^_^
Where IS that Suko running off to?
Probably just to play. He’s a 2-year-old, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t *walk* anywhere.
Right. Out of comic pages now.
Gotta find another webcomic to read.
Congrats on finishing the archive binge. 🙂
Scroll down a few inches!
I hadn’t expected that an unhatched child would be called an infant, but I suppose it works. And I’m glad one of the Smiths asked the gender question.
Oh, and a belated thumbs-up for creating the sarnothi equivalent of a handshake — I did something similar in a story of my own (which I might someday finish…)
I love Suko’s expression on the middle right panel, and how he splits the scene the instant mom lets go of his hand. 😀
First time poster.. long time follower.. Sarnothi may be fresh water.. but like eels may breed in salt water. Salmon do the reverse. So, kelp it may be, like the SARgasso sea.
Somehow I missed this the first time around. Its awesome that you are an avatar fan