Where were you when the lights went out? – Chapter 2, Strip 342

Some people think anything can be achieved with effort and determination, but, sometimes, you just wont succeed until you’ve stopped trying. And for a B-movie villain, whose every plan and effort is doomed to failure from the very beginning, not trying might the only road to success. (And Akuns, naturally, will henceforth forever deny that he wasn’t really acting on purpose. Given his status as a tyrant, don’t expect the truth to show up in any history books for the forseeable future, at least not on his planet*.)

Panel two: in B-movies, lightbulbs always flicker at length before burning out, much like they don’t typically do in real life. I guess that’s partly for atmospheric reasons, partly to make clearer what’s going on (although some scriptwriters won’t take any risk and have a character verbally comment on it in addition). Naturally, the intention would be to cut all or most of the set lights at the precise moment the on-screen lightbulb ‘burns out’ – and just as naturally, B-movies tend to give or take a second. Or five. (Note: this type of flickering light is not to be confused with flickering neon signs, another B-movie staple.)

More on Monday.

*And not on our planet, as well. Akuns’ planet is the biggest market for textbooks in the solar system, so publishers always try to accomodate his curiculum as far as possible. >_>

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