The Better Part of Valor
Aug 24, 2016
Creator
Übel is a monster. This is not me being funny. He's a fucking monster.
He is purposefully designed to be the representation of the worst that humanity has to offer. He is, in point of fact, comically evil.
That said, The man often pictured with Übel is his assistant. We call him Standing Man in the script, and also around the office. When Bill and I created him we honestly didn't think much about him. He was someone in the room to respond to so that Übel wasn't just talking to himself.
Clara, she who is our colorist and letterer, saw something in Standing Man that we never did. Clara is of the opinion that Übel's assistant had to be more than just a man, standing or not.
I give her almost no input on colors, because I am both lazy and indecisive.
I'll explain.
So, when art lands on her computer she makes a bunch of choices, shows them to Bill and I at which point we either grunt consent before turning back to our drawing boards or say something stupid like, "Could it be more blue?" Clara, bless her heart, humors us and calls us geniuses and makes it exactly as goddamn blue as it needs to be without asking us what the fuck we were talking about.
Clara, at some point, said something like, "Standing Man, well-okay, what I mean is, wouldn't it be cool if Standing Man was...I don't know, mythic?" (That is totally how you talk, Clar-bear. Prove I didn't.)
I think, in our vast wisdom, Bill and I said something like, "Okay. Whatever. Did you see where I left my good sharpie?"
I'm sure Clara showed us the all gray Standing Man, at least she usually shows one if not both of us the pages before they go live. We probably just nodded and then consumed chicken wings until we hated ourselves.
I have never been more glad that I don't take a huge role in all parts of the sausage getting made. I love the way Standing Man turned out. I love the private backstory it implies.
Nice work Clara.
Ralf Halt
Co-owner
Head writer
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Top comment
He seemed so harmless, naiive in fact, possibly unaware of his evils, right up until just now. Übel needs to be removed from the gene pool.
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