Coming Soon!

Perfectly preserved, living in a state of suspended animation.

Change and decay are strangers to her, and radiation cannot affect her. In a Midwestern silo, Still Life managed to do it -- freeze Gigi Gutierrez inside a cryo-tube.

With previous Pretty Vacant stories, a plot twist like that would have ended Gigi’s tale immediately. Yet with Pretty Vacant: Final Repose Part I, the alluring ex-athlete’s freezing serves as a logical stopping point.

A two-part story is liberating! One can build upon previous stories and give them a new feel. More pages for characterization are available, especially in the cases of Hans and Mindy. And everything can build up to a menacing cliffhanger!

A two-part story is also hindering! One has to be careful not to lose the reader with the added pages. Characters can still be crowded out (how did Diane only appear in one panel?), and balancing explanation with action is tricky...

... but doable!

Pretty Vacant: Final Repose Part Two is coming soon, and the fun doesn’t stop, even if the conclusion takes place halfway around the world!

Best,
John Villalino

Note: This was supposed to be my opening post for the 2012, but it didn’t turn out that way. Damn my low self-esteem and David Beckham!