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Distressed damsels: Unpublished EMPOWERED commissioned story(?)
🕑 Added 2019-08-07 13:00:03 +0000 UTCTrying out that new Patreon "image gallery" function with this week's DiD post, folks. Will it work out? Let's find out together!
The pages above are from a commissioned story—well, scene, at least—for a kindly benefactor who didn't mind a sketchy, unfinished "vignette" format, sans backgrounds or non-damsel detail. He was looking for a few pages of Emp "laid low" by a drone, possibly of Advanced Restraint Research derivation. Alas, I have no scan of the first page, in which the ARR drone clamps onto the face of an unsuspecting Emp and gases her unconscious, before detaching (and taping) as seen in the initial page above.
Like most of these commissioned episodes, the scene just sorta cuts off at the end of the pages, as I'd piled up enough content to fulfill the required parameters. (Either that, or an actual, pagerate-based comics job had come along.) This drone scene is a bit of bridge between actual DiD comics work and the loose sketch sets I'll eventually be posting here, as some of my regulars were fine with figure-only vignette formats like these. (Besides, let's be honest: most folks were interested more in sexy damsels than backgrounds or proper comics storytelling.)
UPDATE: Found myself oddly annoyed by the missing first page, so I quickly sketched it from memory below:
As with many of these unpublished Emp sketch sets or "pseudo-comics," poses from the pages above wound up reused in Empowered proper. Off the top of my head, at least three reworked poses can be seen in vol. 10's Le Chevalier Blanc story. Can't you spot 'em below?
Attentive readers may notice that Le Chevalier's garbled French was even more garbled and, uh, French-ier in this earlier draft of the vol.10 story, as I rewrote his dialogue with a series of quite literally last-minute revisions for the published version. (Someday I'll likely do a post showing both the original and edited versions of this linguistically controversial episode.)
BTW, I do hope that DiD aficionados appreciated the heavier-than-usual dose of damsel-y imagery in vol. 10, as I was trying to make up the the relative paucity of such content in the upcoming Empowered vol. 11. (The unplanned, years-long gap between volumes 10 and 11 made this once-brilliant plan not as clever an idea as I originally thought, alas.) There is some DiD material in that book, but given that this installment is a single long, frantic, 200-page action scene, I just didn't see many opportunities for conventional distress; Lord knows the volume's grueling ordeal features considerable, indeed overwhelming physical and emotional distress but, with a few notable exceptions, it ain't distress of the sexy, damsel-y kind.
Of course, when I dared mention this fact online, a few DiD fans immediately informed me in no uncertain terms that they only bought Empowered for the bondage content, which was a tad disheartening. One might hope that I might've bought myself some slack by the last twelve years and 2500-odd pages worth of comics featuring DiD imagery, but apparently not (he typed, teeth gritted just a tad).
Then again, suppose I might as well ask you Big Spenders of the higher tiers: Do you, in fact, buy Empowered only for the DiD content? Interestingly, over the years I've heard from a surprising number of DiD fans that they just can't appreciate seeing Emp getting tied up, as they've come to sympathize with her too much. Come to think of it, one of my more generous regular commissioners switched over to wanting only non-Emp DiD material, for just such a reason.
Comments
Joe Crawford
Funny, smart, well drawn, comic-and-SF-trope sendups, *Cyberpunk*, and beautiful women? And it all coheres as a story? DiD is not really the thing for me.
KranberriJam
I had read a bit of your stuff years ago (ex-friend had your DP books, but wouldn't let me read or borrow them because "they weren't for reading" .... wtf?) so when I saw the first Empowered on the store shelves, I bought it, sight unseen (due to being wrapped). I love most kinds of sexy stuff so the DiD is a great bonus, but man, it's really the story and characters that have made me a fan of everything you've done. I could continue, but I feel all the previous comments say it all already.
Adam Warren
Thanks for the thoughtful reply-- and, of course, the generous support as well!
Adam Warren
Thanks much for the kind words (and support)! Honestly, I'd assumed that most of the DiD commissioners compartmentalized similarly, but was surprised by the number who didn't. (Nonetheless, I'd say that the latter are still a relatively small fraction of the DiD-friendly readership, though.)
Adam Warren
Excellent! And thanks much for the extra-generous support!
Adam Warren
I should say that one of the key commissioners for early Emp was REALLY not down with ball gags, hence their fairly rare appearances in the series; I've had surprisingly few requests for 'em since, oddly enough.
Adam Warren
Glad to hear it! And, for the record, the phonetic English alphabet was Unifon, a real(-ish) thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unifon
Adam Warren
Gotta admit that I feel twinges of guilt myself on occasion, and I'm the one putting down those lines on paper!
Adam Warren
Re: that closing sentence: Well, that's the hope, but I sometimes wonder how well I'm pulling off the balance. Thanks much!
Aidenke
Like some of the other people here, the big draw for me was "Adam Warren does a original book about a superheroine" and it's the reason I've stuck around as long as I have. The DiD content is a huge plus, but the engaging and likable characters, the clever world building and the art style is what got me thru the door. It's the character work that I sell other people on when I'm trying to get some new people reading too. The DiD-portion is a strong part of that personality, but it's only one note in a chorus of reasons to enjoy this story!
Phillip Donnelly
DID was never the appeal to me! I just liked your style in Dirty Pair and Gen13 and was interested to see you do your own original universe! The sexy stuff is a bonus, of course, but I love reading the stories, too!
Malcolm
DiD content is the draw, but your comic is great, but that’s what makes it a must read. Also is there a reason you almost never use an actual ball gag and what needs to be done for that to ever change 🙏
PixelThis
I'm here for the story and art. I've been following your stuff since DP in the 90's. I don't care one way or the other about DiD content really.
James
i like the things you write, but i adore the things you write and draw, because they include so much thought and depth -- minuscule example, but the phonetic alphabet you created in what, Sim Hell, maybe? and which kept popping up in DP, Scissors, Paper, Stone, and that Cannibal Sun xmas card -- i buy anything with your name on it for the density of ideas per page. DiD isn't my bag, but i'll keep buying Empowered as long as you keep making it because it's got Adam Warren ideas running throughout: the g-d Maidman, mayfly, throwing-vs-driving the car, and, praise be, the Caged Demonwolf (plus, basically anytime Emp gets tied up it's just a prelude to a whuppin' anyway, which is enjoyable too)
Eric
The Damsel in Distress content is a draw for me, but the story and art itself are also fun. Her world, her troubles, and her life have me caught up in wanting to see more. And in truth I was both amused by the times when she addressed the reader and was miffed with us for "enjoying her distress" and actually felt a tiny bit guilty. Because I do like the character enough, and think of her as a "Good person" enough, that making her unhappy triggers a tiny twinge of guilt, even though I am quite aware she's just lines on paper artistically arranged.
SuichiTanaka
While I enjoy the DiD content in the books, I'm attached to the story more than anything else. The witty banter, the wild characters, and the emotional ride of seeing Emp struggle against her 'superiors'. As someone with a pretty strong ability to compartmentalize, seeing Emp, or any other character I empathize with, in a state of DiD doesn't bother me. They're two separate things to be enjoyed in different ways and times. I see the DiD stuff like a pinup or fanservice; it doesn't reflect on Emp as a character nor effect how much I love her.
andrew
I buy Empowered for the Adam Warren content. The DiD stuff is just a cherry on top.
J.
In all honesty, the DiD content is a huge draw. But you've more than earned any and all respite from it. It's your book, and those who truly support it will buy it for the story and beautiful artwork! Besides, this excellent patreon damsely goodness more than mitigates the lack of it in the upcoming volume!
Ghrolath
I absolutely love it, and would practically sell a kidney to see more like it lol! If you ever open to commissions, I'm all in. In response to your question about DiD content, I was definitely drawn in by it, but continued reading because I was drawn in by the characters. I think the way you handle DiD in the actual series is well balanced, and doesnt detract at all from the general tone of the story.
