Comic #972: Run Keydar Run (Patreon)

I knew I wanted to make a comic about releasing in the wrong spot and having an awful run back. Originally I was going to start with Keydar releasing and each successive panel showing him running back, but I couldn't think of a punchline. So I ended up making the setup into the punchline and it worked a lot better.

Initially I had Keydar making it back to the raid in the final panel, drenched with sweat, and Krom would say something like, "Whatever you do, DON'T release here, the run back is awful." However, I knew I wanted Keydar to say something, maybe, "Yeah guys," or "good call", or something like that, but everything I picked just seemed to water down the punchline. I also had a version where another character was dead and Krom was telling them not to release, and Keydar was telling them, "YEAH IDIOT" or something like that.

Eventually cutting to Krom and having him just ask if Keydar released while there was a skeleton on the ground felt like a good reveal.

I really wanted it to feel like Keydar was traveling a long distance, so I felt I needed to have a real variety of backgrounds for all four panels.