The Next Comic: Speculations and Hints

[Spidrift]

Giz has now mentioned on Twitter that there will be a new twice-weekly Webcomic set in the Ma3 universe.

This has me a little puzzled, because I very much understood that all the current comics were ending (and a little hastily too) because they weren’t making money and so the team couldn’t justify the effort. Unless the new comic is going to be Patreon-backed, or has some other form of support, I don’t get why it won’t have the same problem. Oh well, I guess we may find out more in a couple of weeks.

As to the hint about the comic itself — well, we have a picture of the comics shop and of Jung. Unless this is misdirection, I guess that a story set in and around the shop is implied. Jung has always been terribly underused, Giz identifies with Ramona for obvious reasons, and I guess that the shop needs a new assistant now that Zii is running away to join the circus. Beyond that, well, I can dream about a lot of guest appearances by Ruby, no longer weighed down by a title-based obligation to play off Dillon.

But it may be misdirection.

[rogermart]

This has me a little puzzled, because I very much understood that all the current comics were ending (and a little hastily too) because they weren’t making money and so the team couldn’t justify the effort.

This is true for Sandra on the Rocks and Dangerously Chloe (and SDB indirectly because Giz took side projects leaving her unable to update it), but in Ma3 case Giz clarified she wasn't ending it because of the money, but because she planned it that way (10 volumes, 12 at best).

[Spidrift]

So far as I recall, the hints were more for ending around the 12 volume mark than 10, until we suddenly started get official the-end-is-nigh announcements for all the comics. And frankly, the ending of Ma3 has felt rather rushed in a lot of ways. So it feels to me like they’re all being finished now for much the same reasons.

Though one could also say that Pixietrix just aren’t terribly good at endings...

[vampire hunter D]

Even if it was planned to end at 10, the ending could wind up feeling rushed. Unless every aspect of a story is planned and oulined beforehand, writers will tend to find they dont have time to cover everything before the end. Dave seems prone to this. So they either rush the ending, or extend the run. Since it seems Pixie Trix cant really take the latter option due to time and money issues, they accelerated things towards the end.

This isnt a criticism btw. Just how dtorytelling seems to work to me.

[Spidrift]

Or to put it another way, one could say that Pixietrix just aren’t terribly good at endings. Possibly because they don’t plan their plots out very much (if at all), which is okay when you’re running a string of gag-a-day sitcom strips, but when you develop pretensions to a long-term plot structure, it gets you in a mess, and when you try to end it...

To be honest, that’s almost the opposite of how storytelling works. Storytellers work to structures, even if they improvise around them. It’s jesters who perpetually improvise everything. Two honourable professions, but not the same.

[samtheman]

I would have to agree with Spidrift. It's pretty obvious the creative team writes these comics by the seats of their pants and that's not how traditional storytelling works.

As for the next comic, I'm hoping certain characters that had been absent from Ma3 for a while will make an appearance or better yet play a substantial role in the next comic. *cough*Kiley*cough*Jung does need a new petite countercandy girl to replace Zii.*cough*

[rogermart]

I like the way you think samtheman.

[samtheman]

It's just very wishful thinking on my part. The next comic is probably going to focus primarily on Jung, Ramona, and maybe Ruby with her Yaoi club. Getting Kiley to replace Zii as the new counter candy girl would take a lot of contrived coincidences and asspulls to make it happen unfortunately.

[rogermart]

Of course is wishful thinking, but i like it nevertheless.

[brasca]

It's just very wishful thinking on my part. The next comic is probably going to focus primarily on Jung, Ramona, and maybe Ruby with her Yaoi club. Getting Kiley to replace Zii as the new counter candy girl would take a lot of contrived coincidences and asspulls to make it happen unfortunately.

As much as I'd like to see Kiley back I don't think she'd be so hard up that she'd need to take a counter candy girl job. I'm still hoping she has a penchant for yaoi and will join Ruby's club.

It will be interesting to see what stories they can come up with set around the comic book shop, but I'm wondering if this will be available on this site or Patreon.

[Spidrift]

We have some initial answers to some of those questions.

[samtheman]

I'm still hoping she has a penchant for yaoi and will join Ruby's club.

It pains me to say it but Kiley ain't coming back. Even if the creative team states that she'll return that comment is going straight into my Lying/Trolling Creator bin. Let's move on with the new counter candy girl Zadie shall we?