WIP: It is difficult to make sure swords aren't accidentally dicks

How do you do a badass sword pose without sending all the wrong signals?

One of the great visual tropes of the Western is to have a character display their holstered gun prominently, as a signal that shit’s about to go down.

It’s a threat disguised in a whisper.

As it turns out, it’s really hard to replicate this trope with a sword and not make it a dick.

In fact, it happens more than you think.

No judgments, but Ronin Digital Express ain’t that kind of comic.

So I’ve had to come up with all these creative ways for him to hold the sword.

I can’t hang it, because that’s a permanent dick. He can’t hold it at his waist, because that’s hand holding a dick.

So what I did was borrow from Toshiro Mifune’s character in Seven Samurai, and have the Green-Eyed Ronin carry his sword slung over his shoulder. The bonus is that this aids in the silhouette being distinctive, a critical feature of character design.

(Look, there’s a sword dick right there, goddamnit).

Stop looking at me funny, this is a real thing!

STOP.

Hell, anyhow…

So here’s the script direction for a panel from an upcoming episode of Ronin Digital Express:

Supposed to be a big, cool hero moment, right?

Here’s my initial thumb:

And I felt, this was pretty damn good.

For 24 hours.

I went back to ink it, and I fucking panicked.

I re-drew the arm on the fly, holding up the sword as if to say, “look, here’s a weird branch I found.”

That didn’t sit right either. Plus it’s just a bad fucking face-melted drawing.

So, now what?

I want him to look cool and mysterious. I can’t really have a sword hanging from the belt like a Western demands, and I don’t want him vaguely holding up a sword as if to say “look, a stick,” while his face melts.

SO, I opt for this:

Sure, the action in the arm is a little weak. The pose, not the most dynamic or “bad ass” as the writer demanded.

The shadows over the eyes could possibly ring creepy, instead of mysterious and cool.

It’s not perfect. But it’s also not a dick.

It’s a compromise.

I wish we didn’t live in a society where casual sword hangs are judged by perverts to be dicks, but I’m the kind who works with the world he has, not the world he wishes.

So, if you occasionally run into a lackluster sword pose as you enjoy Ronin Digital Express, you’ll know the reason why.

Because the creator can’t stop thinking of dicks.