When I was drawing this, I was thinking how hard it is to draw people swimming–and also thinking that this was the first time I’ve had to tackle it. But, mid-process I realized that’s not correct. I have indeed drawn someone swimming before when I worked up this five-page sample for a Count of Monte Cristo graphic novel adaptation proposal that, alas, never when anywhere.

Joost’s line from the previous page, the “What the sea wants…” bit, and the general confusion over Bulloch swimming  is a reference to something that’s mentioned way back in the first chapter and I kind of worried about it. I, though, (maybe mistakenly) assume that people reading my comics are reading them closely. I see so many comics that over-explain things that I actively try to avoid doing so myself. Also, I adhere to the old “Chekhov’s gun” principle: If I put that bit of information in there back in Chapter One, you can be pretty sure I’m gonna do something with it before the story’s done!