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Fur, scales, fins, or feathers, everyone has a story!

Getting Stronger 5

Transcript

Lia stands in front of Michelle and chuckles, "Hehe! I get it. You're not going for cheerleader or supermodel. But a small change can make a big difference." She asks, "Ever thought of having your nails done?" Michelle holds her hand in front of her, curling her fingers, and looking at her nails, saying, "Err, I wouldn't want to chip something while lifting." Lia continues, "Maybe a new outfit! Something more flattering than just gym shorts and a jersey?" Michelle glances down at her own clothes, tugging at the bottom of her shirt and says, "I dunno. They're not fancy, but they're comfortable." Lia says, "Earrings! You could probably fit several pairs up there!" Michelle clamps her hands over her ears and worriedly says, "I am NOT letting anyone punch holes in my ears!" Then Lia points at Michelle and eagerly says, "Wait, what about your hair?" Michelle runs a finger through her thick long hair and says, "...What about it?" We then see Michelle seated in a chair as Lia pulls a hairbrush through her hair. Michelle is gritting her teeth, her eyes wide open and a single tear welling in the corner of her eye as she shouts, "MOTHER--!!" The rest of her words are censored by random symbols. Meanwhile, Lia looks sympathetic and says, "Sorry! So sorry!"

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◀ Flying on Fumes

Lark says…

Lark

We all must suffer for our craft. That, or make others suffer.

Behind the Scenes

This page marks the first time in Aww, Feathers! that a character has ever been shown swearing. Scandalous, I know! Or maybe it doesn’t count since it’s depicted using grawlix? (Fun fact for those who may not know: “grawlix” is the term for those random symbols that are used to show that someone is cussing without actually showing the cuss. The more you $#&!@-ing know!)

I know it may seem silly to even be talking about this, but humor me! From when I first started Aww, Feathers! I’ve been determined to keep it family friendly. That goal is even subtly hinted at in the title of the whole comic! “Aww, Feathers!” is itself a replacement swear of sorts for the big bad f-bomb itself!

Side note, but have you ever noticed how many replacements there are for the f-word? Freak, fetch, flip, fudge, frick, fekk, frikka-frakka… or is that just a Utah thing? But I digress…

I gotta admit, showing Michelle swearing, even in a way that’s merely implied felt a bit “edgy” to me at first! But I think it’s an effective way to communicate that she has a bit of gruffness to her personality, without (hopefully) offending those who don’t want to see actual swear words in an ostensibly family-friendly comic. And besides, designing that word balloon was really quite fun! 😆

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Published:  Sep 3, 2024