Oculama

You have me really feeling for poor old Jack (the one with the mask, not the clown) in this one. Plopping a character with such ordinary, yet highly relatable stressors into the zany toon-on-toon violence of this comic was a great storytelling choice. His magic tricks for the bystanders and for Montalban were great high-points for the comic, and Jack delivers a healthy dose of humor and relief both :)

The introductions for KJQ and Ara are REALLY nicely done; and I like the dynamic between characters that's implied with them and Montalban; I do wish they had had a slightly stronger presence in the comic; both feel more like background elements than proper players in the comic, and it can feel a bit awkward how they lurk in certain panels w/o the other characters acknowledging them.

The finalized pages here are really tremendous; there's a deft hand here with the line weights and colors that go miles in enriching the world of the fair/ circus. The use of simple shapes to create the lighting is absolutely jaw-dropping, and a bit of illustration work I want to print out and put up on the wall. You've also done tremendous work on the detail of the finished pages. The tightline of detail to clarity is walked masterfully here.

This one's got ENERGY! right out the gate, the introductory panels for each character here are standouts: from Jack's haplessness to Ara's boundless bunny energy to Montalban's stage presence, each establishing shot nails the character in question. Even KJQ's lumbering onstage followed by a grumpy unmasking feels so true to the character I can't help but applaud. And then, of course, the unveiling of stickman as the show devolves into chaos all around KJQ - a great reveal that works SO WELL as a tentpole to the cartoon explosions going on around it.

The main area of improvement I'd venture here would be re: use of the opponent's character. While entertaining, Montalban and Jack feel a bit like they are present only to facilitate a setting for the comic. The gags with them at the beginning and in the final panel are still very strong, but leave me wanting a bit more of their respective antics ;)

Solid coloring throughout this one. I especially dig the great glowing effects you got off Montalban, and the explosions/ fire lighting towards the end. And the sight gags are SO GOOD; the stickman reveal, of course, is tremendous, but more understated is Jack running off with a charred Ara. VERY funny, and a reminder that a grumpy boss can still be a good one.

WOW the line weight and color work on this is immaculate, the play with lighting especially is so good at conveying the atmosphere of the piece. The setting overall feels really lived in, you get a feel for nearly every character right away and the way they live their life. I think the comic had a little trouble blending KJQ's unique movement into the grounded paneling style (although page 14 is a standout,) and Montalban's colored lineart felt like it could have been pushed farther to blend with the comic, but overall the balance between silly comedy antics and the real emotional weight of Jack works well.

This comic is so expressive and full of life, I love the way every character moves. They all have their own weight and unique way of expressing themselves, while still reading easily and immediately. The plot too is ridiculous in a great way, it never stops for even a second and always has a new idea to show off. The color work on the backgrounds can feel a bit limited compared to the characters, which can be an unfortunate distraction, but it's not a consistent problem. Also this is entirely me but the bomb blows KJQ and the painting closer to itself, like some sort of magic xylophone. This reads like a fully contained animated short, a real treat to behold.

THAT FUCKING TRIANGLE COLORING DOEEEE I AM ALMOST CERTAIN THAT WAS YOU DOOOEEE YOU CAN NOT HIDE FROM ME DOOOEEEE but YEAH JACK is BACK for the first comic ever!!

The fucking star spangled magicianry is so fitting for this comic because it feels fucking MAGICAL i swear to GOD the look on this comic could carry an entire series on its own this comic is dripping with life and polish and it really elevates the reading experience, Bravo Bravo. I simply cannot wait for more

Such excellent usage of the cartoony and lively matchup to its fullest potential, ENCORE!!!

I love this comic's completion and level of polish, its not often there is a fantastic, finished product across a round like this, especially with the amount of pages yall had to pull through at the last second, and i really love the visual gags with Jacks magic and the same-mind kinda thing between the two where YEAH JACK OF ALL TRADES GETS TIED UP FOR RANSOM

Jack is BACK for the first time maybe and i really appreciate a dynamic of Big Boss and Dragon Right Hand Man that Adores Them. the only real complain i had was that they coulda been used only sliightly more, with the gag with the stickman? that was a really funny reveal but something about it felt like, an abrupt conclusion, but overall still a magnificent work!

Let me just say my jaw dropped when I saw those first few pages. You guys melded your styles together so well and everything looks cohesive. Just absolutely gorgeous work.

Layouts where overall very good and the plot and set up.*chef kiss* Just a really solid story.
My only real complaint is I would have loved to see it completely finished and I really do hope you both submit a completed version after the voting period is over because this is really really lovely.
I just want to say I really want to read more of these two from you guys, this is a fun pair!

Thank you both and i look forward to reading more from you guys!

You guys really nailed this one. This is a Gorgeous round one comic and really well written. I had a blast reading it. Shen's coloring in this really complimented Footini's line work.
That page five shuffle sequence? the giant explosion? This was a really pretty and solid looking comic. I'm really impressed with how this came out!
All characters shined in the story, contributed something to the over all plot, the story looked great and I had several good laughs.
Thank you both so much, this was a lot of fun and honestly I don't really have any notes beyond that. Solid work!

I really did like the art style here. It was very colorful and dynamic, very fitting for both of your characters.

However it is a shame that it kind of got really sketchy after page 12 to the point where It lost some clarity. But you did pick it up for the last 2 pages which was nice.

Also some of the speech bubbles do cover up a lot of the nice art you have.I guess just be aware of that in the future.

You guys did some very nice world building between King Jack and Montalban. I just love the fact the two gangster OCs get to face each other off. I get the sense that the world is lived in.

I really did get a sense that this is Jack of All's story. It’s clear that he’s out of his depth in this situation but I'm rooting for him! I’m invested in how Jack will handle this internship with Montalban and the sticky situations he’ll find himself in.

Overall I think you guys have made a solid opening act for this story with a very nice colorful artstyle!

I also loved the Jack Gag! It was pretty smart to tie it into the plot and put a dumb smile on my face.King Jack not knowing how to do a card trick was also pretty funny.

The art was pretty nice. I liked the colors you guys used and it made the characters stand out more.

I thought it was pretty clever to have King Jack try and save one of his goons from Montalban. Though I am a bit confused why Montalban has Stickman to start with?
However I liked seeing a more kinder look of Jack in this comic. Like he really cares about his goons. Like good for him. Looking out for his guys.

I guess my only nitpick would be more interactions between Jack and King of Jack? Both Jack and Montalban become sort of background elements during 6 and 7 as Ara throws bombs at them.

Again I think the two gangster Ocs facing off against each other was very fitting for both of you. It's nice to see that Montalban and King Jack have a history with each other.

Overall this was a pretty neat comic with some fun jokes!

Gorgeous colors!!! I am utterly obsessed with the angular lineart and the way you've done the shading, and the speech bubbles are just so appealing to look at. I love the conceit of the carnival/magician rivalry and the way you build up the characters; Jack works really well as a relatable protagonist character. As maybe a bit of a nitpick, I like that Montalban has a distinctive way of speaking but I wonder if he might be getting a bit too verbose for the comic xD. Overall though this is such a treat to look at and a super entertaining over-the-top cartoon battle!!

Wonderfully funny comic with a great crime/heist sort of setup!! The jack disguise is super funny, I love Ara as narrator, and I'm living for all the wacky expressions and poses. Also loving all the toony slapstick influences here, the bomb labeled Plan B, Ara getting burnt to a crisp, etc. For future comics, I think it might be really effective if your panelling got a bit more dynamic at times to match the energy levels of your drawings, which are really great. I also think your colors hit an incredible balance of being really fun and bright but not overwhelming, plus the use of textures really bumps it to the next level!! I'm taking notes!!

This stylized color work is in a word- stellar. The angular inks and pointy color gradients is a really captivating look combined. I even dig the lineless color work you add in to mix it up and allow characters and important elements to pull away from the backgrounds.
If there was one thing I'd make note of its your transition of events. It took me a bit to realize that Monty changed the explosives' timer to a cuckoo clock, of that they had a hand in it at all. We go from page 5 to page 6 without much in the way of cause and effect.
What was great was seeing such a creative take on sound effects. That 'splash' on page 15 made me smile and even more so the intensity blasting Ara and KJQ out of the panel. I'm so bummed you two didn't get to finish, but what was up for show definitely shone bright. Great work

It is so great to see Oculama as a new stage to show off this talent of color. The palettes for characters and backgrounds are so unexpected and follow the intensity of mood and events that play out. Even the silly details like a mailbox right outside a mouse hole in the wall are those personal touches I especially love to see. Definitely a comic to check out for those of us curious on color theory in storytelling. I especially liked your take on your opponents! Even though Jacks face is a mask, you did a superb job of honoring that but still affording moments to emote with it but still make it look static and 'fake' if that makes sense.
Also this is my first introduction to Ara and I have to say she is utterly charming. She could've run the risk of chewing too much of the scenery, but she didn't overstay her welcome and let the actual story play out as she did her bit. It was overall a really nice balance of character and story I fully expect to see out of both of you individually, its just made that much more mighty whe n you combine forces. Stellar work

PHEWWW BOI you guys went hella hard in this comic! and I mean HAM to clarify your colors/story/fun factor were all amazing I loved how much I laughed at all the different things going on through out. special giggles mention to jack ejector buttoning his wallet and the great panel break when Ara and Jack got splooshed out the comic literally. I cannot state enough how much I enjoyed this comic and the unique style of how you drew the characters and represented them was a great mix of comedy and conflict I look forward to the next comic from yall!

I know I said it in the other review but PHEWWW BOI you guys went hella hard in this comic! and I mean HAM to clarify lol. I thoroughly enjoy seeing how both of your styles combined into this comic in style and art! I think you did a great job conveying how clever KJQ can be and made respect for comin to bust out his buddy! AND ANIMESHEN! YOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUU agh I love Ara Ara so dang much it hurts Im always in for anyone who is a Fan of plan Bomb everything! also a great rep in both of these of Montalban in both of these kudos to giving all these characters a chance to shine in this amazing comic!