23 11337

Transcript

The party is walking down a large tunnel of white marble bricks. Candle sconces are set at regular intervals.

KELTAN: Wow …

IPOLA: Tell me, Keltan, what year were you born?

KELTAN: Umm … it was in the fifth year of the reign of the old king, I think.

IPOLA: Kendrik’s year five. So about 27 years ago.

KELTAN: Yes, ma’am.

PANEL 2

IPOLA: It was in the fourth year of his reign that the spell that kept the Tower of The Moon outside time was broken and I became queen. So it’s a fair assumption that you were conceived right around that time.

PANEL 3

MENTL: Ohhhh … Wow.

ZONA: What?

MENTL: Stop me if I’m wrong, Mom-In-Law, but if I remember the story right, there was probably a lot of magick uncorked at that time, right?

PANEL 4

IPOLA: Oh, yes. The tower had held onto much of the ancient power of the Moon Tribe for over three thousand years, and when I opened that door it triggered more than we had any idea of at the time. I can’t say for absolutely certain, but I think that this tunnel and the chamber we’re headed to also was concealed by the same spell and came back into time that day.

PANEL 5

KELTAN: Wait … so you knew about it all along?

23 11337

The Race Of Giants – Page 1236
Posted on February 26, 2022 by jedraft

23 thoughts on “The Race Of Giants – Page 1236”

  1. Joe Fonebone

    Wow, they all look so different. Zona’s new hairstyle really softens her features. At the same time, both hers and her Ipola’s chins look quite a bit larger, and Ipola’s lips are quite thin. Keltan, he looks like a completely different individual. I’m curious as to how Zona keeps her Boobs in that top. Must be adhesive.

    1. Lora

      Yeah, it will take some time getting used to these new looks.
      But the story is as interesting as always. 🙂

      1. Joe Fonebone

        True enough, although some alacrity would be nice.

  2. Shyster

    Less “knew” and more “suspected “I think.

    1. jedraft

      Quite so.

      🙂

      Warm regards,
      JED

  3. Lora

    Oh, don’t get me wrong; if I hadn’t had context I don’t think I would have recognized this new Ipola or Keltan as being Ipola and Keltan. The looks *are* quite different from what we’re used to and Ipola seems to be de-aged from her previous look, so without context I might have guessed a relative instead.
    Zona is also looking more childlike (part of that may be the new hairdo), so all of it will take some time to feel natural. I guess that’s the issues you run into with CGI; newer software comes out, old one has to be replaced, and you have to start over with new models making it very hard to match previous looks.

    Give it a few months and we’ll probably have gotten used to the new looks, so it will only look jarring during archive dives.

    1. Lora

      Speaking of archive dives … I can’t see pages older than page 1184 except for maybe three pages at the beginning. I’ll admit I didn’t check all of them, but it’s something to look into.

      1. JE Draft

        Lora,
        As a workaround to the issues I’ve been having for some months, I compiled a PDF document with the entire archive. See the link at the top of the page, but here it is also:
        https://barbarianprincess.com/images/ArchiveII/Archive.html

        Warm regards,
        -JED

  4. Lora

    Thanks, took a look at the first couple of years. 🙂
    Just so you know, there’s parts missing from the first year. Maybe something went wrong making the pdf. From what I could see we’re talking maybe two pages from around Zona’s campfire or half pages at least.

  5. JE Draft

    Thanks for the heads-up.

    Fixed. 🙂

    Warm regards,
    JED

    1. Lora

      You’re welcome. 🙂 Archive diving is fun, but time consuming. 😉

  6. Just_IDD

    I’m having some weird viewing issues from my phone. I can’t zoom the image out farther than the default load size unless I open the images on its own page.

    Secondarily https just crashes completely and doesn’t fall back to http

  7. Just_IDD

    Ok that is odd. The image reloaded correctly after I commented.

  8. Just_IDD

    I think I figured it out….ill just chalk it up to broken site weirdness..

    Visiting https://barbarianprincess.com/ the whole page loads is larger than the screen width. I only see about 60% of the page and can’t zoom out, but can zoom in.

    After I comment, the page refreshes to https://barbarianprincess.com/comic/the-race-of-giants-page-1236/ at which point the page loads full width and I can zoom in to see the image and text properly.

    I guess I’ll update my link to point at. https://barbarianprincess.com/comic/ and drop to the current page though the archive.

    1. jedraft

      Just_IDD,
      So sorry for the technical issue!
      Glad you at least found a workaround.
      Warm regards,
      -JED

  9. Calisto01

    I want to see the new faces in more normal light, a lot of the contours and slight features may appear distorted in the ruddy light of the torches. Some 3d art programs still have issue with “natural” light. It isn’t that I don’t like the new look, but it is something to get used to.

    1. jedraft

      Well, you already saw Liri, Emmon and Tula in the scene before this one. But because I am an nice guy I just put up three “studio” style portraits of Ipola, Mentl and Zona on my Facebook page.

      https://www.facebook.com/TheChallengesOfZona/photos/pcb.4943892845646185/4943889845646485/

      Warm regards,

      -JED

  10. Deceptobot

    So what was happening when Liri and Emmon were conceived… I mean, besides *that*, obviously?

    1. jedraft

      Deceptobot,
      A very good question. Tula speculates that the spell is intelligent, and seeks out what it has been designed to consider “best candidate” situations.
      This isn’t canon, yet, but she is the smartest person to study it, so far.
      Warm regards,
      -JED

  11. claude bishop

    My need for consistent Character Identity craves the original features of or leading characters in this saga. This is 51% of the reason began following this tale. These new portrayals lack emotional display in their new faces. Empathy and Passion and Curiosity are muted from the original cast faces. Plus, upon returning here to catch up on the Saga the original Cast was Unrecognizable. Going with an economic choice in artist has been the fall of so many a great long running Saga. i.e. Conan, Red Sonya, Krull, Tarzan, The Phantom, in my opinion. I feel Very Strongly about dropping this saga from my reading list due to the absence of recognizable Heroes of this story. altering the look of the Orc twins would diffidently be a Game Breaker for me. Please return the Original Visage of the Illustrated leading Characters along with their emotional display in their faces. ( Zona, her mom and sister. now resemble Nordic Crossdressing Lumberjacks.) The Beauty, Strength and Rich Expressions are gone. My rating of 5 stars has dropped to 1.5 stars carried only by the script. If the original Artist is unable to return I suggest Frans Mensink as viable substitute. Peace Love Dove I’m Out

    1. jedraft

      Claude,
      I *am* the original artist. 🙂

      “Challenges Of Zona” uses CGI-based artwork, most of which, up to this point, has been done in Poser 3D.
      I have been transitioning the characters to new 3D models for nearly two years, since I decided to use these particular models to make Zona an animated series. Sample art and WIP video has been posted on this page multiple times, as well as on Facebook. All the new art on my Patreon page is using these models, and has been for about a year. I have been tweaking Zona, Tula and Ipola all that time, always edging closer to the original character design from 2006, which is my personal fave, and this is as close as I can get, without driving myself nuts.
      But honestly, they have gone through changes of model before, at least twice. Zona was originally Daz’s Victoria 3, then for a couple years she was Victoria 4 (including her mom and sister). Mentl was transitioned from Daz’s Michael 2 to Michael 4 for that same period, and at that time some folks had trouble adjusting to that “new” look. Now I am no longer using Poser, but Daz Studio and Genesis 8 and Genesis 8.1 models, which are the latest and most realistic and versatile models available and which have the most support from Daz.
      Frankly, I can’t think of any comic other than the zombie strips like “Alley Oop” and “Nancy” which have not gone through sometimes drastic changes in character design and style over the years. Have a look at “Questionable Content” ‘s archive for a particularly dramatic example.
      I differ from you in what attracts me about a webcomic. In my own case, the art is here to tell the story, not vice-versa. I love making the fun and dramatic images, and they are vitally important, but the story is always what is most important about my project, and that’s what I am going to focus on.
      I have invested a lot of time and money into this, and with regrets, I cannot do what you ask, and don’t wish to. If Zona loses you as a reader as a result, I am very sorry, and of course we’ll miss you.

      Warm regards,
      JED

  12. claude bishop

    Thanks for the explanation. I am guessing my beef is with the software. I am guessing aesthetics and flexibility with animation do not necessarily go hand in hand. It has been a good read though. the story is solid, Kudos! Me being a freehand airbrush artist i tend to get annoyed with software art. Great Tale, keep up the good work. peace love dove I’m Out

  13. calisto01

    Thank you for the link. I was right (from my point of view). they do look much more natural in normal light. Ipola looks the most like how I remember her, Mentyl has changed but personally I never took too much time absorbing his face. (my brain says “I’m a guy, he’s a guy, move on. I guess) Zona looks very nice but her face seems more smooth somehow. I always remember her with high cheekbones that I do not see in the new look. There is nothing wrong with the new look and I don’t mean to criticize but that is, for me, the biggest adjustment to the look. And of course it may well be that as I see more of her in future pages I will see more familiar features. (so long as I can keep looking up) 🙂
    Oh and the new software does a great job with the metal textures. The bracers look fantastic.

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