LJ Idol, Topic 2: Uphill, Both Ways, Barefoot

[teaberryblue]

PASTA AND BEANS

Panel 1:
My Grandma tells this story:
(picture of grandma)
Grandma: When I was a little girl, during the Great Depression...

Panel 2:
MONDAY
(picture of Li'l Grandma, eating pasta and beans with a content expression)

Panel 3:
TUESDAY
(picture of Li'l Grandma, eating pasta and beans with a neutral expression)

Panel 4:
WEDNESDAY
(picture of Li'l Grandma, eating pasta and beans with a slightly discontent expression)

Panel 5:
THURSDAY
(picture of Li'l Grandma, eating pasta and beans with a sad expression)

Panel 6:
FRIDAY
(picture of Li'l Grandma, eating pasta and beans with an irritated expression)

Panel 7:
SATURDAY
(picture of Li'l Grandma, eating pasta and beans with an angry expression)

Panel 8:
SUNDAY
(Great-Grandma Josephine is at a closed door.)
Great-Grandma: Come out for dinner, Rose!
Voice from behind the door: NO!

Panel 9:
(Great-Grandma is talking to the door)
Great-Grandma: Why not, dear?

Panel 10:
(Li'l Grandma, in hysterics)
L'il Grandma: I HATE PASTA & BEANS!

Panel 11:
(Great-Grandma is looking annoyed)
Great-Grandma: Well, then, it's lucky we're not having pasta & beans.

Panel 12:
(L'il Grandma opens the door and comes out)
L'il Grandma: We're not? What are we having?

Panel 13:
Great-Grandma, from off-frame: BEANS & PASTA!
(L'il Grandma, holding a spoon full of pasta & beans and looking mortified)




This post is for therealljidol topic 2, Uphill, Both Ways, Barefoot.

Previous Weeks:
topic 0, Introduction.
topic 1, Empty Gestures.

Comments

[stormkitty.livejournal.com]

Love it! :)

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Man, you're like supercommenter! I am so impressed.

[cheshire23.livejournal.com]

So so cute! Funny but a little sad too if you stop and think.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Yeah. My great-grandfather owned a bar, which was one of the few things that didn't do so badly during the Depression (at least after Prohibition was lifted!), so they were never really hungry but my grandmother still to this day won't eat pasta and beans.

[lovewas.livejournal.com]

Cute. :)

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[estelwen.livejournal.com]

Once again, you knock my socks off with your awesome post. Well done!
I, too, grew up on these types of stories (since my family is from New England, they usually included salt pork and beans).

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

This is Italians in coal mining country in Pennsylvania! But yeah, there are a bunch of these stories. My grandmother still won't eat pasta and beans.

And thank you so much!

[astraevirgo.livejournal.com]

This reminds me of youtube videos I was watching about things cooked during the depression! (http://www.youtube.com/user/DepressionCooking)

And yeah, pasta and peas is definitely one of the recipes.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

This was pasta with lima beans, I think! But I imagine that is just dependent on the location.

That video sounds fascinating! I will watch it when I am not at work.

[banyangirl1832.livejournal.com]

Oh man, that's hilarious! Love it.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

[boxsofrain.livejournal.com]

Very cute! This is a great way to secure fans and keep everyones attention. =)

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Ahaha thanks! I actually signed up for LJ Idol because I want to do a regular webcomic and I thought this would be a good way to get some prompts that would force me out of my comfort zone. So far it is working!

[savyakoshka.livejournal.com]

I am totally loving these! This cracked me up.... I think my grandfather had a vaguely similar story about his mom trying to convince them as kids that what they were eating each night was in fact, different every time... LOL

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And that sounds like a really good one. It contrasts so much with the picky kids of today whose parents are trying to convince them that what they are eating is the same as something else they like.

[ladymako71.livejournal.com]

ahhaahahaha! Love it!

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[rougebaiser.livejournal.com]

I love it! This actually reminds me of what my mother always says about cod. She had it so much as a child, almost every day, that even now she can tell the difference between cod and haddock in fish and chips, and can't stand to eat cod. I'm curious, what kind of beans go into pasta and beans?

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

I think whatever beans you have, but in this case it was lima beans. Pasta e Fagioli, which literally means pasta and beans, is a kind of soup made with small macaroni and cannelini or kidney beans that is really yummy, but here my grandmother was actually talking about pasta mixed with beans, not the nommy soup.

And wow, that's a lot of cod. My mom prefers haddock, too.

[whirled.livejournal.com]

pasta fagioli is actually one of my favourite soups at an italian restaurant I used to work at. :)

I loved this comic, especially the expressions on your grandma's face! I've never been forced to eat the same stuff repeatedly (or forced to eat anything at all), so I'm always fascinated by other people's childhood stories of what they had shoved down their throats. I have a theory that I eat almost anything now because I *wasn't* forcefed stuff when I was younger. ;)

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

This wasn't pasta e fagioli-- this was literally pasta and beans (lima beans), no soup! I'm a big fan of pasta e fagioli. Actually, I'm a big fan of pasta with beans, too. It's jut my grandma who has the chip on her shoulder about it!

Thank you so much! I had fun doing the expressions. I was always expected to taste everything at the table but if I didn't like it, I could leave it be, and I'm the same way-- I'll eat everything. Although my dad was never forced to eat anything and he is still the pickiest man alive.

[rattsu.livejournal.com]

... but... but... but... the beans are not cute! They are sad beans. So I guess that this proves that you can draw food that is not cute.

Still, love it!

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

THAT OR MY PEN IS BROKEN.

[shadowwolf13]

LOL Love it!

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[applespicy.livejournal.com]

Hee! My dad would do something like this, I just know it. Great entry! I love your comics.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

My dad was a super picky eater! Thank!

[scapegoat.livejournal.com]

Love this!! I was definitely hoping for a comic this week.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

There will be comics every week, unless for some reason I don't have access to a scanner or my tablet! Thanks!

[cacophonesque.livejournal.com]

I really like the change in the POV. This is probably one of my favorite comics you've done so far, because it feels the most narrative. The images and the text were married well, and it felt like both were needed in order to progress the story.

Also, your art is improving! Now that you've taken on this particular style, I can see the refinement that has gone on over the past few weeks. It's hard to articulate, but it feels more polished.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think I am getting more confident with it-- I don't have to think about HOW to draw certain things anymore; I've created the language and now I can just kind of go to town with it. This IS different from most of the other comics because it has a fourth wall-- the others have mostly talked to the audience. So it is more narrative.

Thank you!

[crissykitty.livejournal.com]

Haha - my mamaw has a similar story, but instead of pasta & beans, her dad would give her the choice of 'taters & beans, or beans & taters'!

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Aw! I think that must be the non-Italian version!

[plastrickland23.livejournal.com]

Yep...It's all perspective. Great job! P.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I had fun making it!

[beautyofgrey.livejournal.com]

LOL. I think I have done this to my children at some point. I love your comics!

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Hee! Thank you so much!

[faerie-spark.livejournal.com]

This is adorable. Love the unique presentation.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I am having a lot of fun making these.

[kandigurl.livejournal.com]

Haha, I heard similar depression stories, where dinner was the same thing all week, when it finally changed to something else, and then they had THAT for another week.

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

I think this went on for months! There is a second half to this story where I think an uncle came to her rescue, but I don't remember it!

[phoenixejc.livejournal.com]

hahaha!

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Hee, I am glad it made you laugh.

[brand0new0day.livejournal.com]

Haha, awesome! I was looking forward to "reading" your entry, I love your comics! <3

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks! I am glad you do!

[onda-bianca.livejournal.com]

Brilliant! I wouldn't be surprised to see your comics syndicated in all the newspapers...

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Aww! Thanks, but unlikely! I am a syndicate editor, actually. I don't do ANYTHING according to syndicate standards!

[solstice-singer.livejournal.com]

Lol. I don't think I would like pasta and beans either. Pasta on its own is good though. I'll skip the beans!

[zia-narratora.livejournal.com]

Oh I love pasta and beans! It is nommy.