Plot Motivation in Practice

For each important feature of the Cerebus transition [G], two comics have been chosen out of the four example comics. One comic has been chosen to help exemplify how to do the element correctly, and one to show how the element can be done poorly or what the pitfalls are. For Tone Meshing, the comic that does this well is Sluggy Freelance [G], and the comic that does it poorly is Roomies [G].

Sluggy Freelance

Sluggy Freelance has excellent plot motivation. Almost always, storylines, and especially serious storylines, have their roots in something that came before. For example, the recent storyline That Which Redeems [G] (which is heavily serious) has its roots in a storyline [G] began more than six years prior, which has been continued about once a year.

This was especially true with the earlier serious storylines. Vampires [G] resolves lingering issues from The Affair [G], which itself began with The Search for Sam [G]. The Search was a silly, funny plotline, The Affair had somewhat more serious elements, and Vampires was the most serious storyline Sluggy had done to date. But because it began in a plot that was similar to what the strip had done before, it didn't seem as jarring.

Onwards to discuss Roomies