Panel 4: Here, another tragic Empowered example of the perils of drawing a figure that’s largely cut off by a panel border. Visualize, if you will, the absurdly long line that Emp’s right leg would have to trace in order to connect with her (unseen) right hip. As I said in my previous commentary, “Oof.” Once again, this blunder occurred because I didn’t draw Emp’s figure in full on a separate piece of paper first, before cropping it for the final artwork. Instead, I tried—and, conspicuously, failed—to draw her figure solely within the limits of the panel, which directly spawned the wonky anatomy. Very difficult to puzzle out the correct proportions on a human figure that’s being cut off laterally by a panel border, as opposed to transversely with, say, a figure’s lower legs cropped off by a gutter. Best not to even try that, and instead always default to drawing the full figure separately—or at least to do so on key shots like this panel’s Emp image.

Also, note the extreme degree of Thugboy’s commitment to wearing sunglasses at all times, given that rocking mirrorshade aviators whilst going down on Emp seems a rather bold choice. Then again, as I used to say about—ahem—“unrealistic” flourishes in my version of the Dirty Pair, “I’m sorry if this one discordant note spoiled the air of otherwise documentary-like realism that you must assume I was striving for.”

Furthermore, note that Emp’s willingness to leave the lights on in these circumstances is at least mildly controversial, as some friends of mine have found this unlikely for someone as insecure and body-image-plagued as our heroine. (Others disagree—including the person from whom I derived this particular bit of Emp peculiarity.) Personally, I like the idea that Emp is able to overcome at least some of her insecurities in the bedroom during “sexy time” with someone she loves and trusts, if you’ll pardon the sappiness. 

Panel 5: Not sure that “Danielle” has remained a great choice for the “self-proclaimed exhibitionist” that Thugboy apparently slept with, given that the name has been plummeting in popularity ever since its peak as a baby name in 1987 (according to the one “name popularity” site I bothered to check with). 

-Adam Warren