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amazildoessomethingstupid · 5 years

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Character Re-imagined: Sandy

Well kids, we’re still doing our time for artist hiatus crimes so let’s move on to the next chapter! Chapter 100: High Expectatio-

OH FUCK RIGHT, I’M SO SORRY I DID NOT FORGET ABOUT YOU SANDY! I SWEAR!

Okay, for those who haven’t dug too into this rant series. A while back, I did a half-rant on the chapter Model Girlfriend, which of course was the chapter where Sandy came back to Roseville for a day. I ended up not really finishing it because I found most of the talking points that I’d use, and the complaints I had with the chapter, weren’t necessarily with the chapter itself as much as it was with the characterization of Sandy. And my problem with the characterization was more to do with how I wrote Sandy in comparison to how the canon wrote her. And simply saying that my problem with a character was that she wasn’t how I wrote her just isn’t a fair critique by any measure. And no matter what people may think about the rants, the one thing I don’t want the rants to be perceived as, is unfair.

So I decided that I would do something similar to what I had done before, which was a Character Revisited which was for Paulo. Where I talked about Paulo’s characterization before Boy Toy and how much of a difference was done to his personality, and demeanor in the recent chapters specifically Table for One (Actually, is it still technically “recent” if these chapters are 3 years old? Man this shit is long). Anyway, I wanted to something similar for Sandy but be more of a Character Reimagined, talking about what I ended up having to do with the character and how I wrote them for January and False Idol. It was SUPPOSED to be after the Pit Stop but I kind of forgot about it, and uhh…

I got distracted. But nonetheless, we’re here now so let’s dive right into it. This is Sandy Re-imagined.

So if we’re going to talk about my Sandy, and her development as a character we of course have to start with January, and January’s take on Just Beautiful. And if you don’t know what January is, I’m not going to get too into it but it’s essentially my fancomic which is a faithful (as possible…) alternate take of the whole January arc, following the timeline from December to Happy Hour. And at its rough and rebellious beginnings, it was very run and gun in terms of writing. I didn’t care as much about building characters outside of setting scenes, and focusing on Lucy and Susan…until…

I had to do Just Beautiful. A chapter that I hated, featuring a character that I hated, that was centered around a ship I didn’t care about, and had little effect on what was happening in the story aside from just making Mike remorseful, because of…

Yeeeah back then, I figured out that Sandy is more of a plot device, than an actual character (an opinion that still holds water today, and I swear to god I will get to that chapter). So I really did not care about her, or give her character any thought until I had to do this segment for January. Because, I cornered myself to do the chapter and realized something… “Hey, fuckface! You’re a writer! You don’t think this is interesting or fun? Then just make it interesting and fun for you!” Sandy is such a blank slate of a character that I could kind of do anything I wanted for her outside of what’s established, and since there wasn’t much established it meant I had to…

Get creative! The first part of writing Sandy was tackling the issues I had with her character in comic, specifically how little we know of her personality, how she interacts not only with Mike, but with people outside of her relationship. How does she take to adversity, how does she tackles problems, what problems does she face, how do they conflict with her relationship, and how does her relationship clash with that? And in January I couldn’t really dive too deep into that, especially because the story isn’t about her; it’s about Lucy. But I wanted to at least give something, or hint at that with her little scene just to show that there is at least something there. But more importantly, I wanted to establish one very key feature about Sandy. Something that I felt the comic left out, and it seems will never come true.

Sandy feels the distance too. If you look at the scene in January, this is the one bit of dialogue (except on bit at the end) between Mike and Sandy that isn’t directly from the canon to stick to the canon. And It is the main part of Sandy that I keep at her core because it is one of the one things we knew about Sandy which is that she loves Mike (aaaaand then Model Girlfriend came along and threw a wrench into that…) but at least for me this is what makes up Sandy. And since we’re talking about Sandy as a character I am going to spoil False Idol quite a bit, because False Idol is essentially a story about finding out about Sandy. Who she is, what her life is like, and how Mike plays into that. But one of the main things about Sandy, that I changed about her is brought up in this one bit in January.

Sandy doesn’t tell anyone about Mike. The more I thought about how little we know about Sandy as a person, the more I thought about how little Mike knows about Sandy as a person. Which helped to expand her character more as a person. Looking at Model Girlfriend the whole idea of “Mike really doesn’t know Sandy as a person” was realized…but taken to a more bitter end. Whereas I still held onto the idea of Sandy really loving Mike, but she doesn’t share that with anyone. She keeps her romantic life separated from her co-workers and classmates, which is also touched on in False Idol.

And more importantly, it goes both ways. In this way, there’s a lot more intrigue and options in Sandy’s character. Why is she keeping Mike a secret? Why did Sam have to steal Sandy’s phone to find this out? Is she ashamed of people knowing Mike’s her boyfriend or is there something more? And Why haven’t we heard anything about these guys? And the answer is something I won’t tell you, because that’d be too much of a spoiler, but what I will say is, that at her core the main statement I want to define Sandy is this: Sandy loves Mike. She loves him as much as Mike loves her. BUT when creating a character, and understanding a character there is one big factor to consider which I found the most fun in writing Sandy and what elevated her into a character that I found myself very engrossed in as a writer. To the point where even after 3 years I am still dedicated to writing her story in False Idol! And the one thing to always remember is that no matter what as strong, complex, or emotional your character is. They are only as interesting as the environment you put them in. That’s why if you look at the Just Beautiful scene in January, the first time we see Sandy say anything, before she sees Mike; the first interaction we see to give us an idea of how she is outside of Mike is her talking to her best friend.

Sam! Who has grown on me like an aggressive tumor, and will probably be the death of me. The big part about writing Sandy and trying to make this character more interesting was building the environment around her. Brainstorming ideas, and thinking about what her life is like outside of Mike. There is a joke song I wish to make someday parodying Avenue Q and BCB, called There is Life Outside of Your Plot Line, and that’s basically what I wanted to explore with Sandy. Specifically her and the models. It’d be easy to assume that the modeling business is cutthroat, and her coworkers are bitchy people, and it’s so taxing, and she hates it, and all that jazz. But I wanted to take it in a different direction where her work environment isn’t actually that bad. Her co-workers are nice and down to earth people, with their own personalities and viewpoints. The first model to get expanded on like this of course being Sam, and her dynamic with Sandy. This is where of course False Idol comes in and brings out that world more. To give us a better understanding of the kind of people that Sandy hangs around with. But in order to flesh that out I’d need more than Sam which is why in False Idol!

We get a slew of new characters! In order: Charlie Hartman, Daniel “Dan” Mercado, Samantha “Sam” Cartwright, Ashley “Ash” Clements, Alice McCarthy, and Jason “Jay” Cartwright. Oh and sadly I couldn’t fit him in here, but I would be doing my man a disservice by not mentioning him,

Tyrone the lovable meathead beefcake! The only one who I didn’t make a last name for. Because he doesn’t need it. He’s just Tyrone. Although I can only take half-credit for him, because he’s more of a shared joke between me and a friend that we both had a lot of fun working on. All of these characters help to build the setting and world that Sandy lives in, with their own different personalities. Sam being a spunky, rebellious, and surprisingly mature scamp; Alice being a very prideful, conceited, yet down to earth, and caring person; Ash being a grounded soft, cute, but hardened and smart girl. All of the characters help to give us an idea of not only Sandy, but an idea of what she deals with and the people she associates with. And one important thing about these characters, is the fact that I deliberately wrote it to where not one of these characters were assholes. I didn’t want to fall into the trapping of having Sandy’s life outside of Mike be some like horrible mean world and Mike’s her only escape, or make it where “Oh little did we know that Sandy’s suffering from this one HORRIBLE MESSED UP THING! SO NOW YOU HAVE TO FEEL BAD FOR HER AND SYMPATHIZE WITH HER OR ELSE YOU’RE AN ASSHOLE!” No, I wanted Sandy to have a fairly average life. So if you were thinking False Idol was gonna do some fucked up heel-turn like “OH BOY, LITTLE DID YOU KNOW THAT SANDY IS ACTUALLY A DRUG ADDICT AND WHORED HERSELF OUT TO GET THE JOB!” I’m sorry that’s not happening…Actually, fuck you I’m not sorry because that’s fucked up I’m not going there. AND I SWEAR TO GOD IF TAESHI DOES SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE IT TURNS OUT OH NO, SANDY HAD SOME FUCKED UP SHIT GOING ON WE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT AND NOW WE ARE FORCED TO FEEL SAD! I am going to be fucking fuming mad.

The main thing I wanted to do when writing Sandy, given how little we know about her and the setting she is in. Is to show this setting she’s in and give us an idea of what her life was like. I wrote Sandy and False Idol, in a way where you can look at her and the characters that surround her and feel like there was another comic going on at the same time. And we’re just coming in after they’ve gone through their own different mini story arcs and this is some big moment in their story too. I mean imagine if Mike suddenly went missing, running away from home and then Sandy comes to Roseville to get answers. And then she learns more about everyone, and all the stuff Mike’s been through…

Actually that’d be pretty damn cool honestly. Damn. Taeshi should steal that. That would be fucking awesome and turn this ship around quick…sigh…if only. Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is this.

Sandy is a character that I hated. She was a character that I did not care about at all, and didn’t think anything of. I saw her in the comic as a plot device and nothing more. But with creative thinking, care, and love for the comic I reinvented her to be more than that. To be a good character in her own right. With her own message, with her own story to tell. And I believe she has the potential to be just that. To be more than what she is. I didn’t want her to be a lie, or a complete fake of what Mike thought she was. I wanted her to be nice, caring, wholesome, naïve, mature, a little selfish, sneaky, clever, but full of love and surrounded by love and support. She loves her friends, she loves Mike, she loves her job.

And to see her in canon I just…

I feel disappointed to see her as nothing but a plot device to stab the reader in the gut with and make them feel bad. I wish she was more. More than an enigma, more than a bitch, more than another person to make Mike feel bad. Sandy could’ve been better. She could’ve been so much better. And I just wish Taeshi did better.

As someone I looked up to, as someone who inspired me… I wish she’d be better than me.

#Bittersweet Candy Bowl #rant

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