Random Stuff 3 - Curious Comics Response

[quinara]

I don't know why I persist in wandering over to Whedonesque every now and then, but I happened to come across one of the preview images for the Angel and Faith comic and discussion about whether or not it actually looked like London. I have to say, I wasn't feeling it - but I found it interesting trying to pin down exactly why that was. And so, with my thesis done and handed in and a yawning afternoon of mindless nothing ahead of me, I started dabbling with my ancient copy of PSP4 and altering everything that niggled at me. Outside of a mawkish curiosity, I don't have much interest in A&F as a comic, so it was more of a London fandom enterprise than anything, but I'm interested to know what people think places the scene and what doesn't, especially if it's different to what I think...

This is the actual frame:


And then I faffed with it (to a low production value):


I think the main thing that struck me, apart from the roads (and the fire hydrant and the signage) was how busy the architecture was on buildings that were clearly very small, and seemed to me like they had to be an ultra-tiny little row of terraces, squeezed into the space beside the graveyard. And then it seemed like no way could one of them be a shop on its own.

What are your thoughts? Do you even think it looks dramatically different?

Comments

[via_ostiense]

The fire hydrant looks like a Chicago fire hydrant--don't know if the extra-short variety is used in other places in the U.S., or in London, but I've only seen them in Chicago. And the signs, yeah, and that blob next to the street lamp in the top panel, I think that's supposed to be a mail drop box, and it definitely looks like a U.S.-style one rather than a pillar box.

[quinara]

That's interesting about the fire hydrant. I find it hard to tell the difference, because the big joke here is that the UK doesn't even have fire hydrants as street furniture - we have signs to it, but actual access to the water main is under a flat metal plate built into the pavement - so hydrants all kind of look the same to me (and have a definite 'American' vibe). Completely out of place here!

I wasn't sure what that blob was meant to be - it looked a bit like another hydrant, so I got rid of it, but that's interesting if it's a post box. Definitely not a pillar box. :D

[next_to_normal]

that blob next to the street lamp in the top panel, I think that's supposed to be a mail drop box, and it definitely looks like a U.S.-style one rather than a pillar box.

Huh. See, I thought it was a trash can - and they don't have them in London (or at least they didn't back when I was there) because of terrorism, so that stood out to me as American.

The fire hydrant does look rather short, but I didn't realize that was a specific style of hydrant (having never been to Chicago!). I figured it was just sloppy art. :)

[quinara]

See, I thought it was a trash can - and they don't have them in London (or at least they didn't back when I was there) because of terrorism, so that stood out to me as American.

You do get rubbish bins in London still (they're more rare in stations these days, and often (IIRC) will be a clear plastic bag you can see inside when they're there), but they don't have blobs on the side. Thinking about it, the shadow still would have worked if I shaved that off the side, because the placing would make sense.

[next_to_normal]

Haha, I just remember walking around London (this was back in 2004) and being like, "WHY IS THERE NO PLACE TO DISPOSE OF MY TRASH?? IT'S LIKE THEY WANT ME TO LITTER!"

[quinara]

:D You're meant to put it in your bag and take it home... *nods piously*

[via_ostiense]

Trash can, mail drop box -- I wasn't sure what it was, honestly, because it just looked, well, blobby, to be honest. An Americanism in any case, it seems!

Fire hydrants in California and everywhere I've been except for Chicago are usually taller than the one depicted in the comic panel, perhaps a third to half again as tall. For some reason, Chicago uses shorter hydrants that are quite aggravating because it's hard to see them when driving by looking for a parking spot (it's illegal to park in front of a hydrant and block it).