I love Feral’s “action” words. shake shake
Oh…okay. Just accept it. Great Meela. Very trusting.
Feral looks so awkward in the third panel…. and so very sad in the last.
*cries*
Hezo all. Since the forums have now gone bye-bye, this seems to be the only place to post this. I was thinking about Feral’s injury and started to do a bit of research on vocal cord damage. I eventually ended up e-mailing this awesome guy on youtube known as QuietBob97 who had his vocal chords removed and has really interesting informative videos on his account about the matter. Here’s the correspondence. Hope you guys find it as interesting as I did!
————————————————-
Hi QuietBob! Firstly, I’d like to thank you for your useful, informational, and funny videos! They really helped me understand more about vocal chords and the human voice in general.
What brought me to your sight was oddly enough curiosity evoked while reading a web comic. One of the comic’s two main characters is mute, and I started to wonder whether he could make any sound at all, like the snoring noises and grunts that he rarely vocalizes in the comic. The poor guy seemed to have recovered from a failed attempt at someone slitting his throat (understood from the scars he has) and the injury rendered him voiceless. From the videos I’ve seen of yours, that would qualify as loss of voice from trauma, I’m sure, but looking at the area where the scars are, I’m curious as to what was the specific reason he lost his voice.
The scars are around his Adam’s apple, (you can see the drawing here if you’d like –> http://www.straysonline.com/2008/02/page-32/) would qualify as his larynx, I think, but I’m still unsure on some things. Would a wound like that be deep enough to damage the vocal chords permanently? Would he still have use of his voice box, as you do? I know it’s a bit silly as he’s not real, but I’d appreciate any insight you have time to give! BE WELL!
————————————————-
Hi, Shina:
I’m glad to answer your questions. (By the way, that’s an interesting name. Tell me about it? I’ve never met anyone named Shina.)
I guess the first question is, what caused him to lose his voice. If he were struck in the throat, his larynx could be crushed. That would make it difficult to breathe and probably would result in his larynx being removed. From the drawing, it appears that he still has his larynx. (If it had been removed, he’d have a stoma – an opening at the base of his neck through which he would breathe.)
A cut to the throat in that area, particularly above the Adam’s apple would certainly damage the vocal cords, perhaps severing them. So let’s assume that he’s had his vocal cords cut by a knife. Depending on the wound, they might be repairable, but would leave him with a husky whisper, most likely. If the cords were completely severed, then they would probably be destroyed and he would be left with a wounded larynx with no vibrating mechanism. In that case, you might say that his larynx or voice box is purely “ornamental”…air would pass through it but speech would be silent.
For example, my vocal cords were surgically removed. When I speak without my electronic larynx, my lips move, but there is practically no sound at all, so you have to read my lips.
I’ve always been puzzled by people who assume that because you have no voice, you must write. It’s really much easier to communicate verbally, with or without a voice. Of course, having a set of vocal cords does make it so much easier!
Hope this isn’t too much info. Feel free to ask any other questions that you think of. If you wish to hear my voice in real time, let me know and we can setup a Skype session. I think it’s a different experience actually speaking with a voiceless person and trying to understand their speech than watching a video, however I’ve tried to describe as best I can what it’s like to no longer have a natural voice. I’ve also found that it helps to have a sense of humor about my voice (and lack thereof)!
Thank you very much for sharing that :) I admit we didn’t really research real mutes before diving into this, but I hope we’ve done right with Feral.
I agree that most people assume someone who can’t speak would have to write, but I’ve worked hard to avoid that with Feral. In fact, the only time he’s had to write to communicate is when he told his name, something I think would be hard to get across otherwise. For the most part we have readers tell us that they sometimes forget Feral can’t speak, so I guess we’re doing okay :)
Thanks again for sharing, it was interesting to read!
I won’t lie, this page is what really hooked me. At first Feral’s all. RAWR, I can take guys down by kicking them in the head! Then you see his wounded side.
Oh gosh…that expression in the last panel says so much.
Eee! Okay so I randomly came across your comic a long time ago. I read through it and for a long time now I couldn’t remember the name I just remembered the mute hunter. I found you again via top webcomics and I’m so happy!
Feral…that expression..I’m not tearing up… *sniff*
Glad I’m not the only one…. *cries*
I want to hug him!!! *sniff*
Poor lupie!
WAAAH!!!!
Oh Feral!
-cries even more-
oh my go- WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!
Counter-guilt trip activated.
This comment^^ X3
I love Feral’s “action” words. shake shake
Oh…okay. Just accept it. Great Meela. Very trusting.
Feral looks so awkward in the third panel…. and so very sad in the last.
*cries*
Sorry for all my comments, but I have to wonder…what did Feral’s voice sound like….?
I’m sure it was an attractive voice ^_^ How could it NOT be?
ikr that hunk has gotta have a good voice
Imagine Bobcat Goldthrait, with a frog in his throat :P
MEELA!! Shame! You are the mean one now.
and now we are left to wonder…how exactly did /that/ happen? owo I sense a story.
His expression in the first panel: PUH-leeze
Hezo all. Since the forums have now gone bye-bye, this seems to be the only place to post this. I was thinking about Feral’s injury and started to do a bit of research on vocal cord damage. I eventually ended up e-mailing this awesome guy on youtube known as QuietBob97 who had his vocal chords removed and has really interesting informative videos on his account about the matter. Here’s the correspondence. Hope you guys find it as interesting as I did!
————————————————-
Hi QuietBob! Firstly, I’d like to thank you for your useful, informational, and funny videos! They really helped me understand more about vocal chords and the human voice in general.
What brought me to your sight was oddly enough curiosity evoked while reading a web comic. One of the comic’s two main characters is mute, and I started to wonder whether he could make any sound at all, like the snoring noises and grunts that he rarely vocalizes in the comic. The poor guy seemed to have recovered from a failed attempt at someone slitting his throat (understood from the scars he has) and the injury rendered him voiceless. From the videos I’ve seen of yours, that would qualify as loss of voice from trauma, I’m sure, but looking at the area where the scars are, I’m curious as to what was the specific reason he lost his voice.
The scars are around his Adam’s apple, (you can see the drawing here if you’d like –> http://www.straysonline.com/2008/02/page-32/) would qualify as his larynx, I think, but I’m still unsure on some things. Would a wound like that be deep enough to damage the vocal chords permanently? Would he still have use of his voice box, as you do? I know it’s a bit silly as he’s not real, but I’d appreciate any insight you have time to give! BE WELL!
————————————————-
Hi, Shina:
I’m glad to answer your questions. (By the way, that’s an interesting name. Tell me about it? I’ve never met anyone named Shina.)
I guess the first question is, what caused him to lose his voice. If he were struck in the throat, his larynx could be crushed. That would make it difficult to breathe and probably would result in his larynx being removed. From the drawing, it appears that he still has his larynx. (If it had been removed, he’d have a stoma – an opening at the base of his neck through which he would breathe.)
A cut to the throat in that area, particularly above the Adam’s apple would certainly damage the vocal cords, perhaps severing them. So let’s assume that he’s had his vocal cords cut by a knife. Depending on the wound, they might be repairable, but would leave him with a husky whisper, most likely. If the cords were completely severed, then they would probably be destroyed and he would be left with a wounded larynx with no vibrating mechanism. In that case, you might say that his larynx or voice box is purely “ornamental”…air would pass through it but speech would be silent.
For example, my vocal cords were surgically removed. When I speak without my electronic larynx, my lips move, but there is practically no sound at all, so you have to read my lips.
I’ve always been puzzled by people who assume that because you have no voice, you must write. It’s really much easier to communicate verbally, with or without a voice. Of course, having a set of vocal cords does make it so much easier!
Hope this isn’t too much info. Feel free to ask any other questions that you think of. If you wish to hear my voice in real time, let me know and we can setup a Skype session. I think it’s a different experience actually speaking with a voiceless person and trying to understand their speech than watching a video, however I’ve tried to describe as best I can what it’s like to no longer have a natural voice. I’ve also found that it helps to have a sense of humor about my voice (and lack thereof)!
All the best,
Bob
This is amazing. Thank you so much for providing so much insight!
thank you for not only asking the nice fellow but thats awesome of him to reply. I found it very informative! :)
Thank you very much for sharing that :) I admit we didn’t really research real mutes before diving into this, but I hope we’ve done right with Feral.
I agree that most people assume someone who can’t speak would have to write, but I’ve worked hard to avoid that with Feral. In fact, the only time he’s had to write to communicate is when he told his name, something I think would be hard to get across otherwise. For the most part we have readers tell us that they sometimes forget Feral can’t speak, so I guess we’re doing okay :)
Thanks again for sharing, it was interesting to read!
That’s so true I forgot he couldn’t speak until seeing this page again!
This is a very high-quality reference for this sort of damage. The writer in me thanks you.
aww thats why he cant speak. *sniffle*
I honestly don’t see how this scene is so sad. I never-WAAAAAAH!! *sniffle* cry.
Feral looks so insecure in the third panel :( and DAT FACE in the last panel ;A;
I won’t lie, this page is what really hooked me. At first Feral’s all. RAWR, I can take guys down by kicking them in the head! Then you see his wounded side.
Oh gosh…that expression in the last panel says so much.
You posted this on my birthday X3 HaloOkami
Well, happy belated birthday!
Feral looks so cute in the third panel <3 HaloOkami
Feral lookin’ very…feral, there. ”Where’s the way ouuut?” Poor guy.
Ah, his voice was silenced.
Eee! Okay so I randomly came across your comic a long time ago. I read through it and for a long time now I couldn’t remember the name I just remembered the mute hunter. I found you again via top webcomics and I’m so happy!