LO$ 9

[HATHAWAY@stsci.edu]

>"Fredrik Ekman"  
Subj:	Life of $crooge 9

>One detail only; check the sun in the last few
>panels. I can't really get it into my head how the angle of the sunshine
>coming through the window can be correct compared to the scene of the
>castle from outside. Details, details... 


I haven't seen it of course, and expect a long wait ..., but I'd like 
to comment on the whole subject of showing Sun/Moon in drawings.  
Getting the sun right is usually a lot better handled (I'm talking 
of ALL comics - books and strips here) than is the moon.  While I 
cannot recall any examples in Rosa's fine work, in general, artists 
almost never correctly portray either the phase of the moon, and 
in particular the position of it with respect to the horizon OR the 
illuminating sun.  It is usually thrown in just as a device to show 
"it is night", even though in an impossible aspect.  Perhaps 
if the general public realised that the moon is up during the day 
just as often as it is up at night, and that it is lit up by the 
sun, and does not glow by itself, then we might see it less abused. 

A classic example of the wrong phase was Doonesbury's strips on 
the start of the Gulf War.  He continually showed the full moon 
(rising at sunset?) on the western horizon, night after night.  
The start of the war was specifically staged to go at the Dark 
of the Moon.  There were strong military (visibility for the foe) 
and cultural reasons why it went off as it did (if they waited 
another moonth they would hit bad weather and then Ramadan - nobody 
wanted a war during the (lunar-determined) holy month.)  


But that is a quibble - most artists show either a full moon, 
regardless of the true time of month or the setting point of 
the sun, OR a crescent with the horns pointing TOWARDS the sun - 
clearly impossible, or some such weirdness.  I commend any one 
who takes the time to do it right, and forgive some odd perspectives 
if forced by the demands of the scene.  It is the gratuitious use 
of a clearly inappropriate moon that bugs me.  As I said, I do 
not recall any such errors by Rosa - and I examine all lunar 
depictions - so he has probably gotten them right so far.  
(I can't remember the treatment in the "24-Carat Moon" - anyone 
have it handy?)  (Leaving aside the impossiblity of the orbit.)  

W. Hathaway