September 9th, 2009
Reunion
Wow, our first glimpse of Charles in what seems like months! I missed him. And if you still haven’t gotten your fill of the big guy, don’t worry – he’ll be back in full force next week!
Today is 09-09-09, which is extra cool because TX Comics is debuting brand new material!
Ramón Pérez & Rob Coughler’s ButternutSquash joins the TX ranks!
Eric Vedder’s Aardehn officially launches today, with fifty strips in the archive!
And Eric Kim’s new series Streta is here and it’s beautiful!
Please give the new recruits a welcome over at TX Central and let us know what you think…
September 9th, 2009 at 8:48 am
What a great series of panels. Good to see everyone back.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:19 am
The subtle expressions are exquisite. Wordless panels = powerful impact. Heart. I missed Charles too!
September 9th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:09 am
I absolutely adore panel three. :)
September 9th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Welcome back, Charles! We missed you!
September 9th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Wait – I thought Townsen was dead? :( this is a reunion with their mother or something? or did I miss something – and it is Townsen??!!
September 9th, 2009 at 11:59 am
wonderfulest
September 9th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Makes me so happy, good sir. Then again, all your work gives me Teh Happeh. Bless you continually for sharing it with the world.
Waitin’ on the book, babeh!
September 9th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
@ Ben – These are Townsen’s brothers coming home to their mom.
@ Karl – Simply beautiful.
September 9th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
So sad, mommy waiting for the last puppy to arrive…
September 9th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
there are so many important moments in this strip. acc’s eyes in panel five being one of them. thanks.
September 9th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Awesome!! Looking good my friend!!!
September 9th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Another great entry in the story. The wordless storytelling is amazing; the amount that is “said” in the last three panels in particular is amazing!
September 9th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Poor Clara. Though the reunion is a happy one, there’s definitely a glaring absence. I don’t think she blames Charles, though. If anything, I think she realizes that she’s not the only one who lost someone dear when Townsen died.
Wonderful work, Tom, as always.
September 9th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Fantastic. One of the things I love about this strip is Charles’ role as a gentle natured righter of wrongs.
September 9th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Another fine piece. I particularly like, what I presume to be an exchange of looks between the mother and Charles. She seems to be asking “Where’s Townsen?”, hoping for an answer and Charles, by disappearing, tells her all she needs to know, while at the same time, Charles’ inability to deal with the question and subsequent egress, gives rise to a feeling of helplessness that is truly palpable. I’m overanalysing s***, aren’t I? ;) Great job Tom, absolutely wonderful :)
September 9th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Charles looks happy, that makes me happy… now I feel all warm!!!
September 9th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Karl – sounds like you had a great convention – you earned every plaudit thatg you received from the fans in attendance .
We will all miss Townsend – not only did his mother – but also Charles got the closure that they needed – as did we . Thank you .
September 9th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
This strip made me think of Christmas.
Did the summer just whip by? – did it even happen?
Oh well, merry get-togethers! Great strip Karl!
September 9th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Yep… ACC is definitely back in form…
September 9th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
(sorry, in case that was unclear – that was a compliment!)
September 9th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Aww… I miss Townsen!!!
And I know it’s been said before, but this artwork is incredibly beautiful. Thank you.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
I’m also reminded of Nickel Creek’s “The Fox”:
“He ran till he came to his nice warm den
And there were the little ones 8, 9, 10
Sayin’ Daddy, Daddy better go back again
It must be a mighty fine town-o…”
September 10th, 2009 at 1:54 am
Thats a sight for sore eyes…
September 10th, 2009 at 6:37 am
Karl, i love your work! Like others have said here, the expressions wordlessly conveyed here are nearly palpable, and incredibly touching. What’s got me thinking though, is whether our dear departed Townsen was some sort of (unknowing) sacrificial figure…he certainly inspired Charles’ journey to bring back his brothers, but was he possibly looking for them himself when he first met Charles? gotta go back and re-read!
September 10th, 2009 at 7:51 am
What’s interesting me here are the very different readings of the strip from the community here.
My initial reading was that Clara didn’t see Charles. That he disappeared from view as she looked over. Rereading I see she is already looking, but is it reproachfully, ie “Where is my other son”, or is it sadly, ie “we have all lost someone here”, or is it, “are you coming? or going” …
I’m interested in the silence of the scene too. You have to assume everyone here (except Charles at least) can talk. So then the silence means that the scene has had the mute button pressed on it. Because this reunion could never actually BE silent … could it. So why? Pathos? It works if that’s the choice.
I loved this Karl, thank you. You put so much soul into your work, it’s honestly a joy to share in that.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Welcome back, Charles!
Seems all I can think of to say is how wonderful everything you do is, Karl, but I don’t wanna say nothing at all, so yeah, wonderful will have to do.
Let me know if you get tired of endless praise, lol.
September 10th, 2009 at 11:30 am
I…I think I have something in my eye. Excuse me….*runs off*
September 10th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Wait, is that the mother looking back, or one of the brothers?
September 10th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
I’m still in the denial stage about Townsen. I just can’t accept it.
September 10th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
@Kar: I don’t think even Zombie Townsen is in the cards any more.
September 10th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
AS, I’m not yet ready to strike my tent on the banks of the Nile. I’m hoping for some sort of manitou spirit designation or something still.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
@Kar: Heh, I’m reminded of a scene in one of the Discworld novels where this excessively friendly dog dies, and is SO happy to meet Death. Bones! Fetch!
I can see Townsen so ANNOYING the folks in the spirit plane they kick him out back to the World.
September 11th, 2009 at 7:49 am
I like how Charles can do the whole sasquatch disappearing thing. He seems so clumsy you’d think he couldn’t pull it off.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Yep, yep. Don’t underestimate Charles. He doesn’t say much, but he’s got hidden depths.
September 11th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Yay! I swear, man, tears almost every time with your work.
September 13th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
I think this is one of the pups looking back – in panel 4 it looks like the mother is still in the cave.
Either way, I am in love with this story.
September 14th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Fabulous as ever.
September 14th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
I believe its the brother looking back at Charles before he dissappears, if you notice the other two siblings are still greeting their mother in the background.
Hopefully he’ll decide to join CC on his journey.
This needs to be made into an animated series!
September 15th, 2009 at 10:39 am
@Alex: Ooh, I do think you’re right.
September 15th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
The scene alone empowers you that even if his true goal is to save the ‘world’ as he knows it, there is a bond that can never be severed even as his innocence is taken away. Friendship and promises. He wordlessly agreed to help Townsen find his brothers, and even with a wish that could stop his quest, he did the most pure hearted thing he could. In the end, even when the three brothers are back, he cannot commiserate with her but only be happy for her. ( the mother ) He completed Townsen’s wish because it became his own. To see them happy was enough to strengthen him to move back to his own. No more traps, no more shots. Townsen was as much a symbol of Charles’ innocence as is his silent nature. Townsen is alive and well, in Charles and in his brothers every step of the way.
September 16th, 2009 at 10:43 am
So beautifully moving.
Gorgeous.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
@roocifer – thanks for the clarification