Odysseus

[Perry Holley]

Just wanted to say 'congratulations' on your run of Odysseus The Rebel. Very well done, and very enjoyable.

[Steven Grant]

Just wanted to say 'congratulations' on your run of Odysseus The Rebel. Very well done, and very enjoyable.

Thanks. I've been taking a lot of heat from the purists - yes, there are ODYSSEY purists out there - but it was lots of fun to do and it turned out pretty much as I wanted. Glad you enjoyed it.

- Grant

[bartl]

Thanks. I've been taking a lot of heat from the purists - yes, there are ODYSSEY purists out there - but it was lots of fun to do and it turned out pretty much as I wanted. Glad you enjoyed it.
That is thoroughly weird. I would have considered myself to be an Odyssey purist; I just thought that you worked backwards, starting with the myth, and looking at a story which could have led to the myth. I was somewhat reminded of the movie, BIG FISH, which I also enjoyed.

Now, as an ARCHERY purist, I had a bit of a problem with the stringing of the bow scene, but, luckily, if you have 6 archery purists reading the story, that's a lot.

[Steven Grant]

That is thoroughly weird. I would have considered myself to be an Odyssey purist; I just thought that you worked backwards, starting with the myth, and looking at a story which could have led to the myth. I was somewhat reminded of the movie, BIG FISH, which I also enjoyed.

Now, as an ARCHERY purist, I had a bit of a problem with the stringing of the bow scene, but, luckily, if you have 6 archery purists reading the story, that's a lot.

Yeah, I had that conversation too, but also having been an archer of some mild skill in the course of things, I'm completely aware it was ludicrous. But I wanted something ludicrous; as we had already established the character wasn't especially a man of superhuman strength, and was a trickster, the stringing would make the most sense if, rather than brute strength, it was a trick no one else would even ever think of. I mean, hell, anyone can string a bow the way they're really strung...

- Grant

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Now, as an ARCHERY purist, I had a bit of a problem with the stringing of the bow scene, but, luckily, if you have 6 archery purists reading the story, that's a lot.

Well, there's another two or three abouts on CBR!

It was pretty funny once when they talking about an advance image of Green Arrow - the way he was pulling the bow was just wrong... hanging upside down on a fire escape to shoot it was fine, but the way he held the bow... wrong.
(It gave me a nice 'I love comic books' feeling).

[Inkthinker]

I liked the bow-stringing, it was a neat "trick".

I was a little disappointed that your artist didn't follow the script more closely (at least, the script as it appeared in the alt-text), because I think you described some cinematic material that didn't carry over as well as it could, but it was a pretty epic story and a really fun read.

Are you going to do another (webcomic)?

[bartl]

I liked the bow-stringing, it was a neat "trick".
Well, for the non-archers among us (or those who never had an experience with a composite bow), it is virtually impossible to string a composite bow with just arm strength; you need to add leverage and often extra strength. And they were not native to ancient Greece. Problem is that the method Odie used in the comic was not a great method. These days, for the few archers that still use composite bows, there's a device called a "bow stringer"; a longer cord that attaches to the ends of bow. You step on the middle of the cord, and lift the bow until the arms are close enough together to put on the string.

However, before that, the most common method used (which had the danger of damaging the bow if not done right) was called the "Step-Through" method. With the bow more or less vertical, you put the bow behind your back, with the string in front. You push forward one arm with your leg, while pushing through the other arm with both hands. Here's an illustration: http://www.yewtreearchery.co.uk/images/stringing.jpg (it's big, so I'm not putting it on the page. And does anybody else think the guy looks like W?).

Mind you, it's not as visually impressive...

[Steven Grant]

Are you going to do another (webcomic)?

If someone pays me to do one or a really spectacular artist volunteers to draw one on spec, sure.

- Grant

[Steven Grant]

Mind you, it's not as visually impressive...

Also, pretty much anyone can do it. They teach six year olds to do it. It's the method I learned, and the only ways you can really damage the bow with it is to bend the bow too far to slip the loop over the notch, or to drag the bottom notch along the ground while you're stringing and bust that notch off.

Though I suppose complete fumbling idiots could invent other ways if they really put their minds to it.

- Grant

[Inkthinker]

I've only used recurve bows, but I learned the step-through as well (is it me, or does the guy in that illustration look like our ex-fearless-leader GW?).

I'd never seen someone do the behind-the-back bit, so it struck me as unique. Everything is new to somebody.

[Steven Grant]

I've only used recurve bows, but I learned the step-through as well (is it me, or does the guy in that illustration look like our ex-fearless-leader GW?).

Dunno... in the illustration, does he wind up shooting himself in the foot with the arrow?

If you're talking about the "behind-the-back" string job in the story, as far as I know, it was unique. Only an idiot would try to do it that way, at least in real life...

- Grant

[bartl]

(is it me, or does the guy in that illustration look like our ex-fearless-leader GW?)
Note that I asked it first.

[Inkthinker]

Duly noted. Let the record show that I do not read as closely as I should.