Free Spirit "I Love Bread" Talkback

[Peter Paltridge]

Can Winnie and the Harpers survive a normal, average, typical Airplane Ride From Hell? Find out this week!
http://www.platypuscomix.net/freespirit/index.php?issue=15&page=1&seriesID=13

Originally "I Love Bread" was supposed to run first, followed by "Substitutiary Locomotion," so Winnie could play off her hatred of airplanes that had already been established.

Jessie's obsession with Cagney and Lacey here was inspired by a subchannel that's been running four-hour blocks of it on Sunday evenings all summer. My verdict was that it was a good show, but I couldn't imagine anyone Jessie's age actively seeking it out. Hence why she's revealed to be following the reruns so intensely. It's just such a Jessie thing to do.

 

[Dsneybuf]

This story had interesting setup, but I guess it felt hard not to use too many of the stale jokes regarding airplane flights?

 

[Peter Paltridge]

This story had interesting setup, but I guess it felt hard not to use too many of the stale jokes regarding airplane flights?

No, the second half is already written and there's not a single "airplane food" joke in it. But all my drawing time has been devoted to the October BANG issue (coming soon, but not soon enough).

I'm behind on so much crap, it's painful. I devote my day to getting something done, but I still go to bed guilty over all the things I DIDN'T get done. I wish I could just drop a quarter into some kind of box and buy an extra hour of daytime whenever I need it.

I suppose, in a way, I'll soon get that extra hour for one night -- but the tradeoff will be watching the sun set at 4:30 PM for several months, which is always depressing.

 

[twilicorn]

I devote my day to getting something done, but I still go to bed guilty over all the things I DIDN'T get done. I wish I could just drop a quarter into some kind of box and buy an extra hour of daytime whenever I need it.

I know that feel bro

 

[Dsneybuf]

Well, I update my own websites so rarely, that I don't think I should complain about how long new material takes to appear on this one.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

http://www.platypuscomix.net/freespirit/index.php?issue=15&page=10&seriesID=13
This isn't shaded yet, but I want it out today, so the finished pages will just gradually appear as they're completed. And I'm signing it 2017 because I'm stubborn.

One thing I've had to learn in all my years of writing is how to deal properly with Honeymoon Syndrome, which is the name I've given to the rush you feel when you think you've written something good. It's blinding and can affect your art poorly. When you first write a story you're enraptured with it and everything feels perfect. But if you let it sit a while, and come back to it later, you'll notice imperfections you didn't catch before. Due to deadlines and everything, avoiding Honeymoon Syndrome isn't a luxury many writers get to enjoy. That's why we all write things we regret, and we all commit hackery.

So the fact that I rarely had time to work on this story improved it quite a bit. I came back to it after finishing BANG #15 and all of Robb's dialogue was reworked and became much funnier. I came back again during Christmas and Winnie and Jessie got sucked into the turbine, which wasn't a complication in the original.

Now, after so many months, you'll finally know where the title of this story came from! For those who aren't familiar with the ad, just Google "Oprah Weight Watchers" and you'll be bombarded with it.

Also, it's a real episode:

It got some attention too because back in those days it was unusual to threaten a main character with a horrible disease. The show was never a ratings winner, but stunts like this would give it publicity, which kept it on the air.

 

[twilicorn]

One thing I've had to learn in all my years of writing is how to deal properly with Honeymoon Syndrome, which is the name I've given to the rush you feel when you think you've written something good. It's blinding and can affect your art poorly. When you first write a story you're enraptured with it and everything feels perfect. But if you let it sit a while, and come back to it later, you'll notice imperfections you didn't catch before. Due to deadlines and everything, avoiding Honeymoon Syndrome isn't a luxury many writers get to enjoy. That's why we all write things we regret, and we all commit hackery.

I've had that feeling before when going back to writing my TV show idea. Now I have a name for it!

Also, it's a real episode:

It got some attention too because back in those days it was unusual to threaten a main character with a horrible disease. The show was never a ratings winner, but stunts like this would give it publicity, which kept it on the air.

Well at least (I hope) that wasn't based on a real person unlike that Alf thing.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

All the shading is now finished, so the story has been formally announced on social media.

 

[pacman000]

Would've read this sooner, but I forgot "I Love Bread" was about air travel.

Funny. Tho I must admit I like air travel. Much faster than a road trip. And you get to see clouds up close and personal. That's cool.

I've heard airlines were more accommodating in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Regulations were loosened in the early 80's (the US government ethier licensed more routes or stopped requiring routes to be licensed,) more airlines were founded, and they all chased each other to the bottom. On the plus side tickets are cheaper, but that cheaper price can't pay for the same old service level.