This is the end…my only friend, the end.
As one of the writers, naturally, I’ve known this moment was coming for a long time. Heck, I’ve even had this page scripted, drawn, colored, lettered, and aged sitting in my inbox for over a month. Regardless of all that though, sitting here now trying to find something to write about McGinty’s death, I’m still struck with a palpable twinge of SADNESS.
As I’ve pointed out before, McGinty and Deveraux’s entire existence in the first place is one big happy accident. After we finished the first 8 pages of the first DDD story, Secret of the Beaufort Sea, it was a few months before we started production on the rest of the story. In the interim, Danilo mentioned that he had become fond of a couple of the “background” crewman he had drawn into the first 8 pages – the big red-head and the slightly smarmy looking guy with the bandana. He asked if it was possible to work them into the story in more prominent roles. Immediately, our imaginations were off to the races making up personalities and back-stories for Danilo’s creations. We decided that they would be best friends, a couple of scoundrels, each with a nearly unintelligible regional accent. In short, the comic relief – our versions of Artoo and Threepio (I’ll let you guys decide which is which). Over the course of three stories and nearly 100 pages, they’ve slowly moved from the background and into the forefront, and now it is their story and their friendship that forms the emotional core of Pitch Black Day.
Underneath all the action, horror, and shenanigans one of the big themes of PBD is the power of FRIENDSHIP. It’s a theme close to our hearts, as it is life-long friendships that form the core of The ThreeOneFive. Early in the story McGinty and Joe throw caution to the wind and risk everything to go on what amounts to a suicide mission to save their friends. In the end, Joe was able to save Doc and earned a happy reunion. Unfortunately, the boys in orange were not so lucky. When he destroyed Dracula’s rocket, McGinty saved his friend from the stain of being culpable in mass murder. He saved Deveraux’s soul, but in doing so he paid the ultimate price. It is just about the most heroic death one could muster…not that it is any consolation to Deveraux.
Rest in Peace, McGinty. You will be missed.
Speaking of being missed, I’m sorry to say it but this will be the last DDD page by Danilo Guida for a while. Danilo has another commitment to see through and consequently he will not be available to draw more DDD adventures until 2015. Fear not though, in the meantime we’ll all be in the very capable hands of his friend, Smilton Roa Klaassen, the sensational artist of The Cajun Caper. Anyway…
Danilo – Thank you, my friend, for all of your phenomenal work up to this point. Never forget that you are the heart and soul of the Deep Dive Daredevils, and while you are away make sure to keep your pencil sharpened because we have BIG plans for your homecoming in 2015!
Welp, in honor of McGinty there will be no shilling this week, but I think it goes without saying, make sure to stop by NEXT WEEK for the EPILOGUE to Pitch Black Day.
Anyways, till next week!
-Matt-
I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar.
Also: Orange is the new red?
And: Now one has greater love …
Bingo. Three great quotes – technically, one is an allusion – in a row. Reached a new level of pretentiousness, didn’t I?
To Danilo: You did a great job with all of PBD. But my favorite thing is what you did with Abigail; you really made me want to take her in my arms and console and comfort her. And maybe, later, were I u … ooops … well, that’s another great Wash line, but it would be very inappropriate to quote here in its entirety (fade to black, right now, please).
Pretentious? No. A discerning and thoughtful reader? Yes!
Can’t wait for your thoughts on the next story. Thanks again for reading, Timothy.
Good Bye Big Lummox (I mean McGinty). I just knew it wouldn’t be a completely happy ending.
Awesome Work Danilo (and the rest of the DDD team)! Please post a link to any other projects you work on!!!
Somewhere in the Darkest Pits of Hell, Dracula has been forced to shave off his mullet, wear ill fitting lederhosen, and listen to Little Orphan Annie sing “The Sun will come up tomorrow” 1,000,000,000 times in a row, with only B-flick film critics and TV lawyers for company. As McGinty looks down on everyone, play his harp (or bagpipes), eats Haggis, and drinks beer. Thus we can find some consolation for our grief.
Forced to shave off his glorious mullet in the after life after it was burned away so viciously on the mortal coil? Not even the devil could be so cruel!
Anyway, at moments like this I realize how lucky we are to have readers like you, T. Gatto, who have been here since the beginning. Thanks so much and I can’t wait for you to see what is next!
Thanks both!
You know how Mc Ginty came up? First I just wanted to draw a fat man for the crew, and as I was drawing him I thought “What about a fat Sean Connery”? So I put him those big eyebrows, and then, being an scotish I colored him redhair with red cheecks. For Deveraux I just thought about a thin guy with prognathism, and the rest came by itself alone…
I´m going to miss drawing him.
“Fat Sean Connery?!” I never saw that before, but now that you say something it is so obvious.
It seems like I learn something new about our comic every time you comment. HA!
Can’t wait to see what you think of the next story…make sure to stop by and let us and the readers know what you think.
Thanks again, my friend!
Sure I will!
Smilton had already shown me some pages, and they rock!
Ah!
Here you can see the project I´m workin on… It´s in french, but you can enjoy looking at the art. It´s called Les Damnés (the Cursed, the Damned)
http://www.sandawe.com/fr/projets/les-damnes-1
Good luck on your project I took a look at the link and it looks damn good from a storyline prospective.
This is a rather sad page in the chapter, I figure everyone knew a named character wasn’t going to make it though honestly after falling off the missile it was pretty clear who. It doesn’t make it any less sad though and of course the obvious question comes up. Who will keep deveraeux in line?!
Maybe his next best friend can be Jack the Ripper?
Deveraux could team up with Abigail Singer: Southern Beau (of sorts) plus Saxon Tart. Compare e.g. Remmington Steele. Most likely the villains won’t take them seriously enough – at their peril. UST and ship-tease galore!
This week may mark McGinty’s ending, but it is just the BEGINNING of Deveraux’s story.
wow! Pitch Black Day has been a great ride, can’t wait to see what comes next!
Thanks, lutzad!
Glad you to hear you enjoyed PBD. Hang on to you hat though because the next story couldn’t be more different, but that’s part of the fun…
I can’t think of anything to say except…you’re a hero, McGinty; I salute you! Rest in peace.
Hey crazyman, I was waiting for your take on this page! Couldn’t have said it better myself.
I’m gonna miss the big guy. He’s the one that looked the most like me. Also, I love building and fixing things, when my hands aren’t hurting too bad to hold the tools.
Yeah, I’m gonna miss him too.
Though McGinty may be gone, I can assure you he is NOT forgotten. McGinty’s presence (or lack of) looms large over the next story. I think I typed his name in the script for the upcoming story more times than in any other single Chapter.
And, hang in there Speedy. Hope you feel better.
Another amazing comic comes to an end. Absolutely brilliant stuff, and I still love the weekly Tuesday update, I look forward to it every time. Well done, you’ve made a whole experience out of these comics and it is very engaging indeed.
Thanks for your kind words, Timmagio!
We put a lot of thought into making sure that each week’s page delivers something worth making the trip every week, while it also serves the larger tapestry of the story.
Some weeks we do better than others, I think, but I am glad to hear that you look forward to our updates every week. We’ll keep putting up pages and doing our best if you keep reading, and that’s a promise!