Oculama

A wonderful first showing, and it's obvious that you know your way around a comic! The colors are muted, but not drab, and the weathering effects on your colors similarly help keep them interesting without having to have too strong of shading.
The story is also a lot of fun to see as well, though there is a lot of exposition which makes the overall direction of the plot a bit muddy. I had to reread a couple of times to figure out the means that both characters were using to set up their confrontation, but when it actually happens, it's some sweet revenge indeed.
Overall, though, it's a lovely comic and I can't wait to see more of your work!!

A concise setup and knockdown, but this time it's the good monkey who loses out. Really enjoyed the blackspotting, weathered textures and midcentury-style lettering here!

Having the frog be the single color that sticks out from the black and white does a great job in helping to pick it out, though I wish that the speech balloons stuck out more from its surroundings.

Still, I really enjoyed how this was a short, cohesive episode - a mere day in the life of Samuel.

Jumpin' Jehosaphat!
Pen, the art is nice and fun. You got good expressions and know where to put things in the frame. There's good clarity here that tells the story and the close ups are dramatic when needed. You have some sketchy line art in here but its generally not to distracting as it gives the comic kind of a old school pulpy feel to it. Some of the backgrounds make things feel muddled cause some of the detail on the trees (like in pg 2) sort of overpowers the characters a bit. But that could be fixed up with maybe some bolder outlines on the apes themselves.
Kaz, The Story in this was fun. You did a good job of showing the slick and slimy personality of your guy as he inhabits the simple country (but corrupt AF) lawyer to a tee. The (what could that be?) trick he does at the end seems a little cheap though. I saw it in princess bride but there it was more comedic and the it didnt work due to the guy's ego and inability to read his opponent correctly. Here its kinda seems like a cop out imo. Guess Banto should have spent years building immunity to his own frog's poison.

Another mysterious stranger wanders into the tournament!

Well this kicked butted. I think this comic out of all the others this round really landed with the western themes. And the apes were pretty nice too. I like what you did with the environments here. Having a mix between the eastern looking landscapes mixing in some western tropes to give it kind of a sukiyaki western vibe to it. Also appreciate the detailing in the back grounds with the linework, makes things looks nice and crisp.
While the story is basically a tried and true western trope you told it well and had good pacing that made it feel authentic to western. I liked the idea that Emmanuel was the one who wrote the stories that made Banto out to be this legendary villianous figure. He controlled the populace with his western propaganda until one stranger finally had enough. Also thought the crow translator was a nice touch.
Solid work all around.

What a fun little romp! I enjoyed this a lot. Always a fan of the pengogo art style. A lot of panels are very readable but some could really benefit from a quick grey toning or using more fully black spotted elements to help readability. Could use a little more polish/clean up (I know you were balancing two OCTs tho, impressive in it's own right).

I love the little squeeze of the frog its a fun way of using Bantos own friend against him and made me giggle. I do wonder if we could've seen a more clever take down of the mountain ape to cement how truly clever ol' Sam is. Either way, great job you two~ :)

A great start to a newcomer in the OCT world! This comic feels really fleshed out, and it's clear a good deal of work went into the art. There are some small things in the art that could be sorted out, some compositions feel really well done (A lot of the mountain scenes) but then there are some that feel a little more ramshackle (the placement of the apes in the "The Pale Ape returns" panel). However the colours are fantastic, good saturation, and I love the glow effect in a lot of places.

The writing of this as well as the flow of it has a real western movie feel to it, you really caught the genre. I love the way the world feels like its been moving before we got here, especially in the characterization of both apes. Banto has a routine, and clearly has a background in the world by being summonable through ape carving. Sam also has a background working propaganda for god knows how long to make Banto and the Capuchins seem like people no one will miss.

Overall fantastic job! Can't wait to see more comics from you :)

There is something about this comic that doesn't quite work. It's fine, but it's very flat -- you could or perhaps should have shown more of each individual's personality or story in this comic. I find it a shame in a single-elimination tournament to not allow the opponent's character to "shine" when you presumably eliminate them. I also find the ending quite lacking -- why would Banto's frog buddy be toxic? Why would Banto, warrior as he is, not realise what Samuel E. Annuel has done?
Your art is fine, typical of what I see from you as a comic artist. I would love to see you care more about the "form" of the characters you depict. It feels unfinished, quick, undercooked. You might lack fundamentals.

Great work on this comic. It's very 'there will be blood' - fantastically "western". Oddly, you two have managed to create very similar stories, but perhaps that's the power of a good matchup. I really like that you turned Samuel E. Annuel's biography against him, I think you managed to depict both characters really well. Your art does falter in some locations, which I think to an extent comes down to attempting to mimic the art style of your opponent's reference sheet, but there are moments of 'insecurity' where the line quality or art style shifts quite a lot. I know you don't have ages and ages to work on this comic, but it'd be great to have an overall more consistent final product. Be aware, also, that this is nearly a critique for the sake of a critique, your comic is a feast for the eyes.

The black and white art style didn’t really work for me, it felt a little bit flat. Once the two characters met, the story seemed to rush ahead, and I felt like there wasn’t enough time to really get to know them. The ending, where your character kills the little frog, really upset me and didn’t really seem necessary. There’s some potential here, but the fast pace and tone just didn’t quite connect with me.

The artwork in this comic is absolutely stunning, with a unique style that really brings the world to life. The world building is rich, and I love how the story focuses not just on the main character, but also on the friends he relies on. It gives the characters depth and makes their relationships feel real. The pacing is spot on, keeping you engaged throughout. A fantastic comic that truly stands out. Excited to see what Banto does next.

Pengogo – I really like your art style! Those sketchy inks aren’t easy to pull off, but you nailed it. The way Samuel took down Banto was downright diabolical: using his best friend Mr. Ribbs of all things? Brutal. I also appreciated the subtle coloring on the frog; it was a smart way to highlight its importance without overdoing it. I wasn’t entirely sure if Mr. Ribbs also perished after the deed… if so, that adds a whole extra layer of tragedy. Well done!

Dumfwog – Wow, this comic is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The art style reminded me of classic Japanese prints, which fits Banto’s theme so perfectly. I loved poring over all the beautifully drawn details. I also really appreciate how each primate looks unique and recognizable by species; it makes the world feel rich and alive. You did a great job weaving Samuel’s and Banto’s individual backstories into a compelling classic good vs. evil tale. It was engaging from start to finish. Great work!

He may just be a simple country lawyer, but he means business! Fantastic dialogue here, every line from Samuel is dripping with poisonous charm. I love the detail of the three monkey statue. I see from this comic and Samuel's character sheet that you've implemented a bit of a photobash style, i think it looks nice, but only appearing in the first page makes it not be as aesthetically cohesive as it could be, you should either make sure theres more photomanipulation elements on every page or none at all, thats just me tho. There are plenty of plain white bg elements in this comic alone that could have been spruced up with a bg photo.

Now that's an intro right there. Great art - especially the color palettes on those first handful of pages are lush and tasteful. A really strong story and character motive in under 12 pages (not counting the cover!). The conceit of having Samuel be the one to have spread the backstory of The Pale Ape is a fantastic way to implement an opponent's character into your world, and i love his fate at the hands of those he abused, tall about justice. There's just so much attitude in this comic, its really stupendous, and i hope you can continue to bring this level of quality to the future rounds.

Really dig this match up. These two worked so well across both comics in such different ways. I also especially enjoy your inkwork. ITHINK I also see a bit of photobashing which if so is such a clever move and flows into your style really well. The splotchy spot blacks really add some grit and character to your events as they play out. If there was one note I had it'd be a desire to see more of your background work. The top of the mountain environment elements were really captivating (I especially dug the see no evil monkey trio) but most of your paneling was composed of medium to close shots so I feel we couldn't get a good look at the type of land Samuel was so hot to acquire. Granted this is just nitpicking as the comic was really great, but showing off more of the subject of whats being coveted I think would've added an extra punch.

This comic totally feels like I walked into a comic store picked up an issue that caught my eye and contained a story and work made by a small team. Its not often you see this kind of polish and production value in a tournament with a breakneck deadline, so color me impressed with how stellar this comic looks. You clearly had a vision and style you wanted which I think was executed brilliantly. There are so many elements in here that brought a smile to my face- the capuchin's letter the carved idol and call for aid is such a good scene setter for the events that play out. Great nod to our 'pale ape's infamy and bad propaganda being likely a language barrier. I liked the way that was got around with the Odin-esque crow.

Pengogo, the art for this feels different than your usual work and in a positive way. It feels like indie British comics from the 80s in the best possible way. It's hard to describe, but it has this rough zine quality and it looks really gorgeous for it. On top of that, the writing was snappy, punchy and really showcases a side that we haven't seen yet from Kazar. Both of you did a tremendous job together and the next time the Double Trouble Tournament comes around, you better enter together for it, because you make a great team. Great work!

The Eastern Monk influences really worked out positively here. For a while, I've felt the combination of primate and cowboys is a mix of flavors that doesn't really mesh by itself. However, your addition of Eastern Monk became the gap for me that bridges the entire idea together and makes it a unified whole. To that end, there's a desperate need to see you do more with BANTO and to see how much further you take this concept. For your first time on Oculama, this is an amazing showing. Fantastic work!

I gotta say I love every part of this comic's art. It's everything I want my art to be someday, from the paneling to the expressions and media mixed backgrounds it's just fantastic. Of course the writing is also well done, you really get an understanding of what Sam is like and he's such a refreshing character to see. The one crit I have is that it's not very clear if Sam got anything out of this. I'm unsure if the conversation implied that Banto being alive was the only thing preventing the mountain from being sold but as the comic is now it just kind of seems like Sam killed him out of spite. Of course this isn't meant to be the end of the story and perhaps that will be elaborated on should Sam continue in the tournament. Loved this comic!

This is my favorite death in the tournament, really brutal and cathartic. Sam is one of those characters that really stands out in a death tournament setting and I think you handled that really well, I'm a sucker for stories about long standing rivalries. Out of all the comics yours feels like the most traditional western, with just enough mysticism to be a fresh addition to the genre. It's an incredibly solid entry. As for crits the confrontation is over a little too quickly for it to have a satisfying payoff and while that can work with a classic western standoff scenario, the panels are a little too small and cluttered for it to leave that impact. It only stands out to me so much because the rest of the comic is so well done. Really enjoyed reading this one!