Figuring out how to end this amazing fight was no doubt not an easy task. That said, I’m feeling letdown by the ending. After what may have been an hour long brutal, back and forth, all out brawl, ending by a leg-scissors submission felt anti-climactic and not a great fit. Something like the winner throwing a final flurry of punches leaving the loser unable to continue might have been more in keeping with the hateful intensity of this fight and western theme. I also felt they recovered too quickly, realistically, from such a long, grueling battle. I could see a saloon girl and the doctor breaking into the room to work on the fully exhausted and physically damaged duo, with maybe a more subtly implied indication of their rematch. I know it’s after the fact thinking and initial reaction. Maybe I’ll think differently after I process it more.
I wanted Clara to win because I know the Slip Gun story you based this fight on, but I can also see having Sarah win plays better into their rematch scenario, where I think you would have Clara winning. Still, it’s hard to accept changing the basic ending of the original story. But that’s just my purest thinking I guess.
Overall though, this was a phenomenal piece of work and arguably the best female brawl artwork story I have come across, maybe even more so than Gypsy Fight Remake, which was also amazing. I think a key reason for this is how well you made use of their trashing the entire room, fighting over and through just about all of the furniture. That really fueled intensity. I’ve never seen a better room destroying fight. It was so fitting too for a western style brawl.
You’ve earned a well-deserved break. Nevertheless, I’m already anxiously awaiting your next project.
That’s a fair assessment of the ending I guess! I think my aim was trying to balance things so the moves used in the fight didn’t become repetitive. Submission moves like scissors hadn’t been used up until this point and I figured after such a long gruelling scrap, it would be enough to make one of them quit!
As for a speedy recovery, I didn’t really want it to get boring with frame after frame of talking, so I tried to keep it concise. In hindsight, maybe the doc and Sadie bursting in would’ve added a bit more drama. (Would’ve also probably made my laptop explode with adding too many characters in the scene!)
As to the winner, that was a tough decision too. I had messages wanting both Sarah and Clara to win. In the end I went with Sarah, only as it served to make Clara even more driven to get her revenge in a rematch.
It’s tricky to please everyone. I try to include as much as I can to cover what people want to see, but there are so many different interests in this fetish that it’s impossible! I’ve had people wanting more biting/less biting, more blood/less blood, a draw/no draw, to the death/not to the death! All in all, this was an inspired by piece, not a direct remake of Slip Gun.
You’ll be pleased to hear that I actually made two endings, so Clara wins in the alternate one. I want this version to have its day in the sun for a while (as it’s my preferred one) and then I will release the alternate ending if people want it, so they can choose their own adventure!
I’m totally fine with constructive criticism, it only drives me to refine my artwork and storytelling! Glad you enjoyed most of it! More art soon. T&N
