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Weekly talkback for Gilda And Meek And The Un-Iverse! Read an issue and discuss it here!
Here is my weekly article.
THE PIRANHA AND THE FOURTH WALL
One of the things I am adamant about is that none of the characters ever break the Fourth Wall, or address the reader, or talk about themselves being fictional and part of some sort of "production". The Narrator is allowed to address the reader, because even though he relates the story, he isn't a real part of it. I do everything in my power to keep the reality of the story intact.
This might confuse people about the Piranha. Early on he takes bites out of the corners of comic book panels, and he often snuggles and swings from word balloons. Isn't that breaking the Fourth Wall?
It's skirting up against it, but not quite. Mostly because the Piranha doing that services a story conceit. I like to play it that although the Piranha is a little kid, he's an old soul. He is still a child, but around chronologically 50-years-old. He's a kid, but still older than the other characters besides Dr. Raggleworth and Gabrielle. And one of the things I try to show with the Piranha is that as a goofy as he is, there is a wisdom attached to him, often a surprisingly sad and cynical one that you don't expect. His line in "Destiny's Prisoner", "I'm not looking to spend hours on this," speaks to that idea. It's why he's the one member of the group Bernadette refuses to bash, and always invariably regrets doing so when she breaks her own rule there.
I always play it that the Piranha is the only character in the story who understand they exist in a comic book. He doesn't EXACTLY understand that is what is going on (although he has his suspicions). But he actually sees the panels and word balloons, and he's the only person in the story who does. He doesn't know he's fictional or being observed by an unknown reader (and he doesn't know the Narrator exists) but he has a better grasp of how the rules of The Un-Iverse work than any other character. And that is deliberate, rather than a mistake.
The Archive on BlogSpot
https://gildaandmeekandtheuniverse.blogspot.com/2020/02/welcome-to-gilda-and-meek-and-un-iverse.html
Latest Issue:
Lace Doilies #8 "Bad Timing" (Un-Iverse #63)
https://gildaandmeekandtheuniverse.blogspot.com/2023/10/8-lace-doilies-bad-timing-un-iverse-63.html
Here is my weekly article.
THE PIRANHA AND THE FOURTH WALL
One of the things I am adamant about is that none of the characters ever break the Fourth Wall, or address the reader, or talk about themselves being fictional and part of some sort of "production". The Narrator is allowed to address the reader, because even though he relates the story, he isn't a real part of it. I do everything in my power to keep the reality of the story intact.
This might confuse people about the Piranha. Early on he takes bites out of the corners of comic book panels, and he often snuggles and swings from word balloons. Isn't that breaking the Fourth Wall?
It's skirting up against it, but not quite. Mostly because the Piranha doing that services a story conceit. I like to play it that although the Piranha is a little kid, he's an old soul. He is still a child, but around chronologically 50-years-old. He's a kid, but still older than the other characters besides Dr. Raggleworth and Gabrielle. And one of the things I try to show with the Piranha is that as a goofy as he is, there is a wisdom attached to him, often a surprisingly sad and cynical one that you don't expect. His line in "Destiny's Prisoner", "I'm not looking to spend hours on this," speaks to that idea. It's why he's the one member of the group Bernadette refuses to bash, and always invariably regrets doing so when she breaks her own rule there.
I always play it that the Piranha is the only character in the story who understand they exist in a comic book. He doesn't EXACTLY understand that is what is going on (although he has his suspicions). But he actually sees the panels and word balloons, and he's the only person in the story who does. He doesn't know he's fictional or being observed by an unknown reader (and he doesn't know the Narrator exists) but he has a better grasp of how the rules of The Un-Iverse work than any other character. And that is deliberate, rather than a mistake.
The Archive on BlogSpot
https://gildaandmeekandtheuniverse.blogspot.com/2020/02/welcome-to-gilda-and-meek-and-un-iverse.html
Latest Issue:
Lace Doilies #8 "Bad Timing" (Un-Iverse #63)
https://gildaandmeekandtheuniverse.blogspot.com/2023/10/8-lace-doilies-bad-timing-un-iverse-63.html
