Children of Winter pg. 4/4
Added 2023-08-17 08:19:42 +0000 UTCYou could say "But that chick looks EXACTLY like Luna!" and you'd be absolutely right :D But I can explain it, I swear! First of all, as I mentioned earlier, I had an incredibly short time to create this comic from scratch, and I'm not going to lie, I thought I could save a lot of time by taking a character I drew a lot and changing it a bit to fit this story. And that brings me to the other one, the antlers, because I definitely wanted to give the Queen of Winter a simple set of antlers with icicles dangling from them, like a simple crown. Plus, Luna was white and blue by default, and what other colour would I have given the Queen of Winter :D So that's how Luna got a small role in this comic. Plus, I was able to draw Luna as very nice by default, which again suited the ambiguous story and message of this story.
I was under the impression that children (especially if they read books) are not so stupid that they wouldn't understand a more nuanced story. And I thought a little punchline was necessary for every short story, hence the Queen of Winter, who turns the villagers into undead out of sheer altruistic goodwill because she thinks it will save them from the horrors of life, while the villagers are on the complete opposite opinion :)
I've written a lot more about these few pages than I usually do under my drawings, but I think the excitement I felt about the competition and the soul-destroying race against time to finish it in time left a pretty deep impression on me :D I hope you enjoyed this little story, and I hope I get the chance to do more like this in the future ^^
Comments
This is so sad. It reminds me of the Little Match Girl. Oh no... I'M STARTING TO TEAR UP. AND NOW I'M CRYING!!!!
Stone Quillian III
2023-08-24 06:01:06 +0000 UTCDamn, that's sad.
theasschazz
2023-08-19 00:53:06 +0000 UTCIt's such a simple idea, but the design choice of having the snow pull up from the ground to form her dress is brilliant.
Nick R. Kupila
2023-08-18 13:43:05 +0000 UTCThanks :)
Thomas WXYZ20
2023-08-17 18:20:49 +0000 UTCI didn't expect Luna to moonlight as the Queen of Winter. I guess her role in The Tree of Life doesn't pay much, heh. Good to see that the Queen of Winters is a lot more benevolent than the folk tales made it seem like. Though the boy is not technically dead, he is granted a new form which somehow gives immunity to things he was told to fear. However, at the cost of the things he currently holds dear close to him and the warmth of mortality. What a dark yet strangely hopeful little comic.
StumpedMoose
2023-08-17 17:38:20 +0000 UTCLike the idea of the Queen as a preincarnation of Luna.
Abbie Hunt
2023-08-17 17:28:09 +0000 UTCEchoes of Mark Twain's "The Five Boons of Life". I suspect a child who has lived a short, hard life and presumably has already lost his father is going to be a lot more accepting of the value of the Queen's gift than someone in comfortable late middle age who lives in the largest house in the village.
Abbie Hunt
2023-08-17 17:23:32 +0000 UTCThe boy should have at least been allowed to say goodbye and embrace his mother and sister one last time
FurryBunnyj
2023-08-17 16:37:26 +0000 UTCIs it canon in the Tree of life universe ? And if it was, would she be a god like Luna and the others ? Or would she be neither from chaos or order, like an independent order of spirits on the edge of reality ? Would Luna consider the Queen of Winter's actions as bad ? Anyway it was super cute comics ! Amazing work !
Grog
2023-08-17 15:55:23 +0000 UTCthis is so cute, but remindes me of the fours seasons of pokemon from unova, does have more godesses like Luna?
Rainorld
2023-08-17 15:10:57 +0000 UTCWell that's a gradual turn to the grim especially with her saying that he will reunite with his remaining family eventually. I do love this concept of someone who genuinely believe that they're doing the right thing of giving immortality when in reality they're hurting people. It brings this interesting question of whether you want to live forever or enjoy your short time on Earth. I also like the idea that she will never meet the villagers as a whole because she can't be out in the sun and any villager walking at night with freeze to death. Actually this brings a very important question. What would happen if she met a villager that rejects her immortality? What if a villager don't want to abandoned their family to the cold and don't want to live forever weighing down by regret. Would the Ice Queen accept their wishes and let them die or would she force them join the kingdom against their will. It makes sense for the kid to join since he wants to escape from all that suffering and figured the kingdom is equivalent to heaven, but what would happen if there's a villager filled with hatred against the queen for killing their world and would try to attack her the moment they meet her? What if the Ice Queen met her version of Nigel?
AdmiredRain28
2023-08-17 14:28:29 +0000 UTCI love the Queen's design, yes it's similar to Luna but there is an entirely different air to it, pun intended. But honestly, she seems more like a compassionate grim reaper, gentle but resolute. I also love that unlike Luna, she actually has big eyes with pupils, making her seem more inter-personal and adorable. I'd love to see her interact with one or more of her counterparts, seeing their own ideas, maybe even with a person that they've taken in this similar way, representing their personality a little. I love the innocence of the child too, What would a child do if they died in an unfamiliar place or not knowing it at all? Anyway I like the call back to when children stories were dark and that without context the Queen seems more like a temptress than a kind hearted creature of the cold. Beautiful work^^
QQQQT2
2023-08-17 13:59:47 +0000 UTCI sure hope his mom and sister will be okay...
Mr_TTerevel
2023-08-17 12:32:18 +0000 UTCBeautiful comic, I like how gentle and comforting she is in her efforts to turn the village into undead creatures
Apathy Gremlin
2023-08-17 11:38:00 +0000 UTCWow, this has to be my favourite shortest story, it has certainly left my brain buzzing with theories especially due to the striking similarities between The Queen of Winter and Luna. I couldn't help but think of the elemental gods and goddesses from the Tree of life and I recall Luna saying that she "recreated" life on the planet. My current theory is that Luna was once the Goddess of Ice who grew to love mortals and was saddened how some die young so perhaps broke some ancient rules to keep everyone immortal but this lead to a tragedy where Luna learned the hard way that everyone living forever is not a good idea and thus through whatever means became the 2nd Goddess of Life so while she couldn't keep everyone immortal she now had the power to make sure everyone had a long and meaningful life, hence why we see her acting as a healer and doing her best to guide kids.
Thomas WXYZ20
2023-08-17 11:18:04 +0000 UTCShe's not evil... but she is misunderstood, this Queen of Winter. Especially when her (and her "children's") inability to tolerate both *light and heat* make it very, very difficult for the two people to actually talk to one another. It's a weird sort of altruism she's displaying here, but to hear her explain it, it makes sense... but considering how mysterious she is, it also makes sense that the villagers fear her.
pj wolf
2023-08-17 10:42:40 +0000 UTCI couldn't help but be reminded of the Hans Christian Anderson story "The Little Match Girl", albiet with a little less dire sitiation.
Mr_TTerevel
2023-08-17 09:57:58 +0000 UTCThis is sad but kind of a wholesome ending, really great short comic and can't wait to see more of these. Great work Zummeng
DiDiDi-X
2023-08-17 09:54:09 +0000 UTCI think there is something both hilarious and beautilful in the contrast between "you're going to reunite with your sister and mother soon enough" and the implication that the mother will die of the fever and the sister will probably venture into the tundra like her brother and end up freezing to death like him
Myhairhasamindofitsown
2023-08-17 08:59:49 +0000 UTCThat is awesome. That is really cool, when you show something like Great Evil and then turn it at 180°. Bravo!
Tera Staler Teler
2023-08-17 08:52:11 +0000 UTCNicely done. Has a wholesome yet slightly horror tone when you think about how people are preserved when they become undead depending on when they were turned. That along with the passing of time will make things interesting in the future. Queen of Winter can always be Luna's sister or something, can share clothes lol X3
Viro Veteruscy
2023-08-17 08:43:34 +0000 UTC
