"Strings and Picks,
Thick and Thin"

Transcript
Page 1. Panel 1. Up close view of the cockpit of the String Wing. Hugh Mann is in the pilot's seat and the Amazing Maryam is seated behind him. She says, "Alright, Hugh Mann, hit it." Panel 2. Inset of Hugh Mann pulling a lever labeled "shrink." Panel 3. The World On A String. Volume 3 Number 3. CC BY-SA Ken Alleman 2020. The String Wing shrinks down to a tiny smudge at the bottom of the panel. Panels 4 through 7. The String Wing approaches a guitar neck, which appears as an enormous slab of wood suspended in a great emptiness. A question mark block hovers nearby. Maryam leaps from the String Wing, hits the block, and a ladder expands out of it. Panel 8. She climbs the ladder to get a close-up view of the guitar neck. A giant guitar pick, held by giant thumb and forefinger, is displayed in front of her. It reads "1.0 millimeters." Panel 9. Maryam says, "I want to see this one hit the strings." Panels 10 and 11. The pick winds up and descends.

Page 2. Panel 1. The pick rigidly hids the string with a powerful "boom," leaving the string shaking in its wake. Panel 2. Maryam says, "Let's see the other one." Panels 3 and 4. Similar to before, another pick winds up and descends. This pick is labeled "0.5 millimeters." Panels 5 and 6. This pick grabs onto the string for a split second and flexes before letting go, once again producing a "boom." Panel 7. Maryam says, "Good. Let's examine the string itself."

Page 3. Panel 1. A pick hits the string, produces a "boom." Panel 2. Maryam says, "These heavy gauge strings snap back right away." Panel 3. Text reads, "One quick string change later." Panels 4 and 5. Once again, a pick hits the string. This time, the string grabs onto the pick for a split second and bends before letting go, once again producing a "boom." Panel 6. Maryam, perched thoughtfully at the top of the ladder, says, "So lighter picks or strings hang on before letting go." In the background, the String Wing approaches.

Page 4. Panel 1. Hugh Mann holds up a sign that says, "Which combo sounds best?" Panel 2. The String Wing is still tiny, but growing in relation to the guitar neck. Maryam says, "Intrinsically, I don't think it makes a difference." Panels 3 and 4. The String Wing, though not full size, is much bigger yet. We are starting to see the person holding the guitar. Maryam says, "The difference is how it feels to play. Try them all!" Panel 5. The String Wing is now full size, big enough that only the landing gear is visible. Next to it stands MacCormac, the person with the guitar. She says, "The more comfortable you are, the better you'll sound!"

Page 5. Text reads, "Volume 3 is something of a milestone. Completed across two years and two decades. The scrips were all written and thumbnailed in 2019. The artwork was started in 2019 and finished in 2020. The last page of volume 3 number 1 was the last work of 2019. It was penciled and inked on December 31st, a good way to close out the first of perhaps many years. The World On A String will return with volume 4. Thanks again for reading. Ken, creator of the World On A String, 1/24/2020. TheWOrldOnAString.KenAlleman.Org. An art piece closes out the page, titled "A Night At The Dot-Pera." The three Dots, appearing in fancy dress, stand on an ornate staircase with balconies of people in the background.

Page 6. Panel 1. MacCormac tells Maryam and Hugh Mann, "Come on, y'all. Let's go home." Panel 2. The String Wing is parked outside of String House. The three of them go inside. Overhead, unnoticed in the sky, looms the silhouette of Ed, promising, "See you in volume 4."

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