Act 1, Scene 21 – “On it like a sonnet.”

Notes on Sonnet 78

If there’s inspiration to be found, the Lady is on it like a sonnet.

Sonnet 29 is one of the cartoons I’m most proud of, and I always intended to do more – but never came up with an idea that I really liked. I knew I wanted to avoid the sonnets becoming a “pause for pathos”, so whatever I did with the second one, I knew that it had to be funny. As it turned out, the answer was right under my nose all along – I already had this cartoon devised without the verse, but sonnet 78 fitted in nicely and had the effect of making it feel more specifically like a Zounds.

The previous sonnet was the first time I drew the Lady, and looking back, I was surprised to see how much her design has evolved over subsequent appearances. (including one that was drawn later but published first…) I think she’s still recognisably the same character, and I certainly don’t intend to go back and change her debut to more closely match the others, but its interesting to see how she’s developed, and in many ways, is still developing. I wasn’t very happy with the art for her last appearance in scene 18, but in this latest one I think she’s never looked better.

So, two down, 152 to go…