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British Webcomicker Shifting Style! Are His Artistic Tendencies At War With Themselves?

Much as disturbing celebrity news begs to find a webcomics angle, it just ain’t there. Fortunately, John Allison brings us a point of artistic discussion.

In the current Scary Go Round story (Chapter 30: Beyond the Veil), Ryan takes the lead to seek out his beloved Natalie (and a nice turn of story, too — Ryan’s been somewhat under-served for a while now). The story was interrupted just as Ryan discovered that the way to seek out Natalie in the land of wind and ghosts is to go there himself via near-death experience. The interruption was for a guest week so that Allison could recharge his creative juices (forgive the mixed metaphor), and resumed two days ago.

Note that Allison has shifted the look to his (too rarely seen) hand-drawn style, which gave a nice contrast to the previous portion of the story: Ryan’s dead, and everything looks different. But then comes today’s update, and there’s Shelley and Amy in the world of the living, looking all hand-drawn. Hmmm. There goes that theory.

Whatever the reason, looks like we get organic Allison goodness for some while, until the siren song of Illustrator calls him back (which, if nothing else, provides the toolset to do absolutely gorgeous work like the back cover to the forthcoming Book Four).

I count it as a blessing that all of Mr. Allison’s art styles are magically delicious.

Unlike, perhaps, placentas.

It sickens me that John A can switch between such delectable styles with apparent ease. I struggle to pick between hand-drawn love and Illustrator-based vector-goodies.
Damn The Englishman.

The cool thing about it is that I didn’t really notice the change right away. Perhaps it was the guest week in between, but I didn’t really become fully aware of its hand-drawn goodness until I had gotten towards the end of Monday’s strip.

I think that says a lot about his ability.

Tom just gets weirder and weirder — I find it amusing how the writer suggests that there’s a benefit to eating placent… it curbs Postpartum depression, etc. … Yeah, if Katie Holmes were to eat it. But Tom? Wtfs..

All that aside, Allison has gone au natural in chs. 24 & 25. I personally prefer the stunning Illustrator graphics, but either way, he’s absurdly talented. And I want to marry him. :)

Yes, the man is brilliant! But how many times has he done this now? I think that the real news is the fact that you’re reporting it. Honestly, what is up with that? Should webcomickers start to send you press releases upon the completion of their seventh consecutive sneeze?

Seven consecutive sneezes sans allergies are quite remarkable!

John Allison is a master of both formats, but the vibrant colors and thick lines of the hand-drawn comics are pure goodness.

i have always preferred his hand drawn stuff to his illustrator, but all the same i think i’ve taught myself more by futile attempts at copying his illustrator work than any other way. i’ve actually exchanged a few emails with him about this, and he’s said that he’s convinced the universe hates his handdrawn work, but he enjoys doing it more, especially the backgrounds. personally i wish he would combine the mediums, and with his current character designs they have become more and more similar to one another. maybe he’s working up to that? one can only hope.

To be frank, Scary Go Round hasn’t been on my regular rotation for quite some time precisely because Allison’s been in his Illustrator mode. Gary’s alt text in the thumbnail mentions the better shape of Amy’s head in hand-drawn mode, and I fully agree. I’ve never cared for character heads and facial expressions in their Illustrator versions. I’m sure others will reasonably disagree, and that’s fine; this is a fine point of taste. In any case, this news brings out the happy in me.

Now if I were to mention my secret belief that Allison’s scripts are better when he draws the strip by hand, I would have a difficult time explaining and defending it, so I’ll keep that one to myself.

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