UPDATE: Still plogging away at the finale. Going to add the Epilogue at the same time, therefore the delay.
——————————————-
Here is the Anders Loves Maria finale part 1.
Thanks to everyone that followed the birth live on Twitter this evening. That was grand! 
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December 10th, 2009 at 2:27 am
Oh my goodness gracious…
Well, I can’t say that was unexpected, ’cause, you know… But, that was unexpected.
I can’t wait for the next update!
December 10th, 2009 at 2:30 am
BABY! =D =D =D
Poor Maria, not able to feel anything and freaking out!
Can’t wait to find out gender and name!
Hooray!
December 10th, 2009 at 2:31 am
Why did he have to lift up his shirt?
December 10th, 2009 at 2:33 am
Oh man, so excited for the end! This comic has been EXTREMELY well done!
December 10th, 2009 at 2:35 am
The fact that [s]he has daddy’s cowlick made me d’awww. Absolutely adorable. Can’t wait for the next chunk!
December 10th, 2009 at 2:37 am
WHOA! Lots of panels on this one, love it!
December 10th, 2009 at 2:37 am
AWWW! ICKLE BABY HAS ANDERS BANGS!
I hope Maria’s all right! I’ll be on pins and needles till next update! Well not literally of course…
December 10th, 2009 at 2:38 am
Oh dear, the Tina thing is still up in the air, though. Oh well, this was so worth the wait.
December 10th, 2009 at 2:41 am
THANK YOU SO MUCH !! great job as always ! no one has any right to complain now. you have given us enough to last us quite some time ! Thanks again Rene ! You rock !
December 10th, 2009 at 2:48 am
But why does the baby have So Much hair? It’s even got a hairstyle!
December 10th, 2009 at 2:51 am
I’m so excited about this!!!! I can’t wait to see how this ends. There are so many things that either need to be resolved or left unsaid. No matter how this story ends I just know that it has been a fantastic ride and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. Cheers to you, Rene and the remarkable work you’ve accomplished here!
December 10th, 2009 at 2:53 am
is the next update the last?
im going to sob when it’s over
December 10th, 2009 at 2:58 am
What a beautiful baby! Also, love the view of Anders right before he wakes up.
December 10th, 2009 at 3:03 am
@diana
they have him lift his shirt so the baby can feel his heartbeat. its comforting to the baby, usually its done with the mother, as the newborn is used to her heartbeat, but maria is out of sorts, so she is not functioning normally, so anders is the next best thing to the mother. skin-to-skin contact is important for bonding, both with mother and father.
December 10th, 2009 at 3:12 am
Anyone else here remember the “Dying Dandy” painting? That is Anders’s expression right before he wakes up.
December 10th, 2009 at 3:12 am
ickle baby is so metal!
anders is lifting his shirt to give the baby skin-to-skin contact. it’s said to help with bonding.
December 10th, 2009 at 3:15 am
i just noticed the pic of anders sleepin is exacctttltyyy like the painting he saw where he saw himself in the other sleeping guy..idk if that makes sense! but it looks so similar: P
December 10th, 2009 at 3:15 am
I hope Maria is not dead
December 10th, 2009 at 3:22 am
is anders the dying dandy?
<3 this is so beautiful. oh my gosh.
December 10th, 2009 at 3:22 am
Sooooo good, and totally worth any wait. I love the way you draw expressions!
December 10th, 2009 at 3:22 am
Soooo good, and totally worth any wait. I love the way you draw expressions!
December 10th, 2009 at 3:35 am
My nephew had that much hair at birth too.
Thanks, Rene!
December 10th, 2009 at 3:51 am
I nearly cried. With tears and everything.
Wow.
December 10th, 2009 at 3:51 am
I’ve been waiting so long for this and it’s awesome ^-^ It was definitely worth the wait for have the pages all in one go and actually better to wait for the pages all at once.
You did an awesome job!
December 10th, 2009 at 4:04 am
Oh man! This was so exciting! I loved it! I cant wait to see the finale!
December 10th, 2009 at 4:11 am
anders killed two birds :/
December 10th, 2009 at 4:22 am
Yay…happy for both!
Hope you’re also doing good…
December 10th, 2009 at 4:31 am
that baby is throwing the horns
December 10th, 2009 at 4:42 am
I’m glad I’m not the only person that is pessimistic enough to think that Renee may have offed Maria…. it would leave us with a very three men and a baby vibe….
December 10th, 2009 at 4:43 am
wow… this is just breathtaking. The first third’s color was so rich, then the lovely line work in the second third, and then the warmth in the lines in the last bit… but all of that became irrelevant, as I saw that darling baby…. and worry about Maria!
My hat is off to you!
December 10th, 2009 at 4:47 am
You’d think Anders would be happier.
December 10th, 2009 at 4:49 am
My brothers and I were all born with chin length hair. Kind of odd and highly unusual that the epidural made it so she couldn’t feel anything. This has been a great story!
December 10th, 2009 at 4:58 am
lovelovelove that baby is sooooo cute
December 10th, 2009 at 5:06 am
At 10 cm and full effacement, the baby shouldn’t have needed to be a ceasarian. Breach babies never get that far, and you can tell that ahead of time anyway with an ultrasound. The only other reason is the health of the mother or the baby… but I’m hoping it’s just dramatic license!
Also, anathesia affects everyone a little differently. The thing with the legs may have also been from the baby’s shifting downwards putting pressure on the nerves to the legs. My wife had quite a bit of numbness in the lower legs and feet with our second baby (10.5 lbs!)
December 10th, 2009 at 5:08 am
What the balls, finale? I’m excited and sad.
December 10th, 2009 at 5:14 am
OMFG!!!!!
the whole strip frightened me and killed me!
I guess it is just the perfection on the feelings showcased!
I felt like nervous for a moment XD!
I can’t wait :O!!
Completely worth the wait!
Don’t rush Rene and congratulations
December 10th, 2009 at 5:21 am
This was a wonderful surprise. Thanks for the update, I love love love this series.
December 10th, 2009 at 5:33 am
Aaron: I think he’s in a state of awe.
AWESOME AMAZING FANTASTIC YAY BABY MARIA ANDERS AWESOME
So glad it wasn’t broken into two strips. That would’ve killed me. Also very sad that the comic is ending. Anders and Maria better still be together.
December 10th, 2009 at 6:11 am
The doctor looks giddy in the ninth panel.
And I’m betting on the baby being a girl.
December 10th, 2009 at 6:39 am
I didn’t think that Rene might kill off Maria until I read some of the comments… Oh god, please don’t kill Maria, please please please. At least Tina doesn’t have a child that would go motherless if she got hit by a train, but Maria? Nooo D:
But anyway, thanks so much for the update, Rene! You’re so great with expressions, but you know, that baby almost looks angry, heheh.
December 10th, 2009 at 6:43 am
I like how the baby has Anders’ hair and Maria’s angry, but adorable, face….
December 10th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Here’s a grown man sitting on the train fighting to hold back the tears.
Thank you Rene!
Love, love, love…
December 10th, 2009 at 7:51 am
Aw man, I guess Maria is going to end up with Anders. Rene pulled him out of the doghouse and made Bjorn look even more like an ass
Oh, well. Pregnant Maria was so adorable!
December 10th, 2009 at 7:51 am
Aw man, I guess Maria is going to end up with Anders. Rene pulled him out of the doghouse and made Bjorn look even more like an ass
Oh, well. Pregnant Maria was so adorable!
December 10th, 2009 at 8:01 am
They didn’t do the C section because the baby was breach did they? It seemed to me that they managed her epidural poorly and she didn’t have enough feeling to push effectively which is why she became exhausted. When she could no longer push the babies heart rate dropped and that is why they had to take the baby. I know someone who went through just about the exact same thing with her birth.
Skin to skin contact is said to be able to regulate an infants body temperature.
I am due in a week and a half and this made me so exited to see my husbands face when our twins get here
December 10th, 2009 at 8:15 am
There is so much to love about today’s comic. I guess my favorite part is the perspective when Maria is feeling her stomach, but there’s so many great panels!
December 10th, 2009 at 8:41 am
wow. that was really amazing. an incredible mix of wonder and absolute terror, and relief. is it weird that i was kind of glad (from a story perspective) that it wasn’t as easy as they make it look on TV? this was so much better than having to watch the miracle of life.
December 10th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Thank you so much, Rene. I followed these as you updated them on twitter, and it is absolutely GORGEOUS. Anders’ expression makes me think to much of the kind of thoguhtful, amazed expression that my little one got when she was born. jsut that momnet of ” wow.. this.. this is my baby” perfect caprute of the emotions.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:32 am
I discovered this story a while ago and it moved me so much. I am so excited/sad that it’s ending…
The story is familiar to my life and the ending, equally unknown.
Thank you for bringing this story to life.
I wish you happiness and for everyone around you as well.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:39 am
When I saw Anders as the Dying Dandy at the end there, it was like, look, that Anders is dead now, he’s woken up and now we can move on to Papa Anders.
I don’t think Rene would be so cruel as to off Maria. No reason. And there would have been a lot more commotion. Maria is a tiny little thing as it is, she’s probably just out of it.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:23 am
I think the fact that it’s “she hasn’t woken up yet!” rather than “she hasn’t woken up yet…” is a good sign that Maria’s fine.
December 10th, 2009 at 11:59 am
I’ve never commented before, but this page was brilliant – pretty much the same thing happened to my wife – absolutely knackered, gave epidural so she could sleep, heart beat dropped and was prepped for an emergency c-section, and then the baby popped out… I didn’t faint though… Because my wife wasn’t well, pucking from the drugs etc, I did skin-to-skin with our daughter, and even to this day she’s more of a dadies girl and will snuggle up to my chest to hear/feel my heartbeat – the birth was probably the best day of my life, and the worst for my wifes…
We had twins about 2 years later, and they were delivered by planned c-section – my wife loved it, so felt totally in control, whereas I felt totally useless and out of the loop.
@Almostmummy, good luck, enjoy your twins, and remember, it’s ok to shout at people who ask you ‘was it buy one get one free’ or ‘double trouble’ etc. also… it does get easier… eventually…
December 10th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
This comic is amazing Rene
I’m so so so excited for the final parts but it just hit me there that when you’ve published the last strip that means ALM’s finished!
Please publish a book!
December 10th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I LOVE this! Anders has finally grown up- you can see it in his face in the third panel. And that baby is all kinds of awesome… like someone else said, she (I’m thinking it’s a girl-the doctor called the baby ‘sweetie’) has Anders’ hair and Maria’s angry little face!
December 10th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
rene, you continually astound me with your work. your drawing is beautiful, and you have incredible mastery over expression, portraying feeling and action elegantly and with ease. long-time reader, first time poster… just had to let you know how much i admire you and your art!
i can’t wait for the next installment <3
December 10th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Rene, you are my god.
December 10th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
AWWWWWW MAN! I WAS WAITING FOR SOOO LONG FOR THIS! baby’s finally heeere!! i really hope everything’s fine with Maria tho.
December 10th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
The baby’s on a blue blanket, so I’m thinking it’s a boy. Or maybe the hospital doesn’t do that until later?
December 10th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Great, just beautiful. Well done Rene.
December 10th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
That baby is the best baby.
December 10th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
AAHH!!
Wow. That was great!
December 10th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
if the babies name is maria i get a gold star
December 10th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Seeing all those strips, and the coming ones, will be a nice holiday present.
December 10th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I was following these as they were being released on Twitter last night, and I had to fight back tears all the way. Is it strange to feel so emotionally attached to fictional characters? I feel as if two close friends of mine have just had a baby.
Anyway, well done, Rene. You’re such a talented artist, and this was worth every minute of waiting. Can’t wait for the finale!
December 10th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
R.I.P MARIA
You were funny, energetic, forgiving and full of vigor.
You left this world bringing life into it, although at the cost of your
own, no less noble a feat.
You leave behind a loving husband and newly born child.
random friend’s and Bjorn.
Keep on Rocking Maria…
You were awesome…
December 10th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Totally worth the wait! Thank you for such beautiful artwork!
December 10th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
So…like this is the end, like THE end? I don’t want THE end, I love this comic and just started reading a month ago! Anyway, this new addition was worth the wait! It’s really well drawn and fantastic as usual! I can’t wait to see what happens with Tina.
December 10th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
dr.Doom: anders and maria are not married…<:O
December 10th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
I called Maria’s death in the last update’s comments section, but Rene didn’t post it. Seriously though, this is bringing some of you to tears? It’s a cartoon baby. get a grip.
December 10th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
How touching! I hope commenters are wrong about Maria’s fate.
However, I need to point out a typo. “Ceasarean” should be “Caesarean”. After all, it’s named after Julius Caesar, whose name was originally pronounced “KAISAR” (like “Kaiser”), not “SEA-SAR”.
December 10th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
That baby is totally throwing the horns there.
December 10th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
absolutely amazing and wonderful
December 10th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
So glad to see a fresh update, I got really wrapped in the story. Hope Tina is going to be OK and that Anders grows up a bit. Yeah! Yeah! I KNOW it’s a webcomic, but by golly, what a good series! Cheers.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Renee, if you’re going to end the story soon, can we please have some indicator that Anders has, you know… learned a damn thing? Matured? Anything? Otherwise I fear for his kid’s welfare and sanity.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed this strip, Rene. Really love your art, the plot, character development…you’ve done a great job.
Best wishes on the “final final” and here’s hoping you keep up the good work.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I gave birth to my first child 7 weeks ago, so this strip hit close to home for me… I didn’t have to have a c-section, but somehow I can relate to not knowing what things should feel like, and the “omg, i’m having a baby, I’m having a baby…” moment. I love this strip!
Thank you!
December 10th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
i love this strip. it breaks my heart to see maria have an intervention led emergency cesarean, just like my first child birth experience. maybe the next time she has a child she could listen to her inner mother and have a home birth???
i am so happy to see the kangaroo care with Anders and the baby. VERY beautiful.
please please please, if Maria wakes, have her be a nursing mother, nothing worse than seeing the over use of uneccessary bottle feeding.
December 10th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Just flashing back to seven months ago, fortunately we didn’t end up with the C-section! Fantastic comic Rene, thank you.
December 11th, 2009 at 12:58 am
Huh, the newborn is sporting a shaka.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaka_sign
December 11th, 2009 at 1:05 am
@mammabrownbear: i know, right?
December 11th, 2009 at 1:12 am
OH, RENE! this is so WONDERFUL!
hgblghbglghgbhlghglbhlghblhgb!
that baby is just gorgeous, and the art here is stunning.
can’t wait for the next update!
much love. <3
December 11th, 2009 at 2:15 am
YAY for BABY!!!
December 11th, 2009 at 2:30 am
whoa, on board with the “saw it coming but not quite today” crowd. great update!
December 11th, 2009 at 2:51 am
I’m kinda scared at how quick the birth process was in these panels – leading me to believe something bad might happen to Maria, hence the quickness. I hope not. And as much hate as Tina gets, I’ve personally REALLY enjoyed the dynamics of her character. Tina > Anders
And to the person commenting as to why some of us may cry and it being lame… I’ve cried quite a few times following this comic. Some of it I can relate to. It’s so real.
December 11th, 2009 at 2:55 am
Absolutely loving the doctor’s character
this strip is just so good I’ve got goosebumps! It was probably a mistake to show this to the boyfriend though, now he’s planning to go ‘orthisorthisorthisorthis’ on me when the time comes. Really good job Rene and good luck on the finale!
December 11th, 2009 at 4:13 am
lol the baby looks like Maria when she’s angry! i love how you handled the medical language with the bars!!! hehehe ingenious!
December 11th, 2009 at 4:13 am
and this is why girls dont do epidurals! you have to feel the birth!!!!
December 11th, 2009 at 4:35 am
The dandy died.
Maybe Anders woke up a different man.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:23 am
OMG! OMG! FINALLY, after SUCH a LOOOOOONNNNGGGGGG wait.
Damn! I love your comic.
Though it’s in the “finale” stages right now, can’t we make an exception and have “post-finale” comics afterwards? *grinning sheepishly*
Thank you very much, Renee.
This comic is one of those small things that make my day every single day, even when there were no updates [oh, this is just to tease you a bit. Cheer up! You have such a blessed, beautiful life ^_^].
(Never thought that my comments matter much, that’s why I just read in silence. But, now…. Oh my! It’s so dramatic! I’M being dramatic! heheheheh….)
December 11th, 2009 at 6:56 am
effin finally!!
December 11th, 2009 at 7:35 am
@zac, hope to hear from you on this thread. Shame that some folks gave you a hard time on the previous update. Wish I had loyal fans like that for my own webcomic. But got to admit, ALM is top notch! The artwork is amazing too. Thanks Rene!
December 11th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I think all the death talk is depressing and premature. The nurse just said she hasn’t woken up yet. I mean, usually with c-sections, the mother is awake, but maybe she was just so worn out from the experience that she went to sleep after seeing the baby. we have no idea how long poor Anders was out cold… I don’t think Renee would kill Maria. Besides, I think the nurse would have said something more than that she hasn’t woken up yet.
December 11th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
I’m worried.. will Maria wake up eventually..?
December 11th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
FINALE?!?!
Uff da.
December 11th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
@Michel, some of us gave him a bad time because we didn’t want impatient people to influence how Rene wrote or paced the story.
December 11th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Sweet, baby’s keepin’ it metal.
My heart feels swollen.
December 11th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
@Naoko, true and a good point, haste makes waste. All the same, I find that when you get a set of favorite web comics, the addiction makes the wait difficult. Cheers!
@Tara, except this looked like an emergency c-section, so I think the protocol is to put the patient under completely. (Happened to my wife for our first kid, scary stuff but it all worked out OK). Cheers!
December 11th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
I love that you had Anders and the baby do skin-on-skin. I can remember that moment with absolute clarity in each of my children’s births – when their bodies and mine were first in contact, first feeling each others’ warmth. Thank you for reminding me.
December 12th, 2009 at 2:17 am
Wow! congratulations Renee. A<3M is one of the first webcomics I started reading, so thank you.
December 12th, 2009 at 3:46 am
For all you death-mongers out there…the comic is called Anders LOVES Maria…not Anders LOVED Maria.
I think it’s a baby girl! But I have no idea what the heck they are going to name it…can’t think of anyone in the comic who would be a namesake, so it would have to be an original name.
December 12th, 2009 at 4:08 am
Man, I don’t understand people and babies. Glad I’m never having one.
The accidental throwing up the horns is pretty cool though.
I do rather worry that the possibly 10-12 pages we have left to this isn’t enough time to prove that Anders matured enough at all to not just fuck anything with a hole in it.
Also, the whole Bjorn and Tina bit being fleshed out to a conclusion is something I can’t see happening in this span of time, how sad.
December 12th, 2009 at 6:39 am
Wow… just WOW.
And as a dad who was present for both my sons…. WOW. Feelz for Anders.
WELL DONE, RENE.
December 12th, 2009 at 10:03 am
I.. I. I… Rene, I’m speechless. Amazing, amazing, AMAZING!!!
December 12th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Long time reader, first time commenter…
So cute, so truthful, but gosh I hope Maria is okay…this is the only webcomic ever to which I have ever felt an emotional connection (and I really don’t care how redundant hat sounds.) So, no matter how it ends, good job. Good. Freakin. Job. And I will throw in a HELLA in case anyone from Cali stumbles upon this, as I did, about a year ago. Glad you’re feeling better Rene!!!
December 12th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
@sppppppppppfk
ROCK ON LIL ANDERS/MARIA! HARDXCORERAWK!
He’s a’gonna be a rock star like his almost Daddy was
December 12th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
WOOHOO! BABY! GOOD TIMES!
…hope maria is gonna be ok though
This has been an absaloutley fantastic comic- it was real and gritty and hilarious and beautiful all at the same time! i wish you all the success in the future Rene xxx
December 12th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I’ve had to read this once every day to fully soak it in. Please Mara, don’t die… and now for some reason I keep having dreams that I just gave birth to a kitten.
December 12th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
did anybody else notice that the baby is already into metal?
on another note, wonderful comic. most webcomics are just daily jokes, but this one had a story, with character development, and an emotional connection for the reader, and i care about how this is going to turn out damn it. and that is extraordinary.
December 13th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Congratulations Anders and Maria!
December 13th, 2009 at 12:37 am
That’s a grumpy looking baby! And is he giving the devil horns sign? lol! I see trouble in his future
Great comic tho. I’m glad (& a little sad) we’re nearing the end.
December 13th, 2009 at 1:02 am
For everyone that’s saying Maria is dead, if you read the last panel – it says “She hasn’t woken up yet”. I doubt very much that she’s dead.
December 13th, 2009 at 3:09 am
@La Boheme – Maybe it’s a baby girl and Maria dies so Anders names the baby after her, and Anders loves Maria (The baby)? xD
December 13th, 2009 at 3:26 am
has it occurred to any of you that “she hasn’t woken up yet?” can also refer to the little bundle of joy he is holding now? or is it just me???
December 13th, 2009 at 5:17 am
YAYY!!! Baby looks like Anders!
December 13th, 2009 at 8:09 am
@Miange, the “she hasn’t woken up yet” seemed to be in response to Anders asking where Maria was. I’m pretty sure he meant Maria.
December 13th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
@Mindy, after seeing all the death comments, I thought the EXACT same thing about naming the baby Maria and so on and the like.
We’ll see huh? =P
December 14th, 2009 at 12:57 am
Rene, are they ever gonna introduce the lilla pojke to Frau von Silfersked? Just a bit curious, ya know…
December 14th, 2009 at 4:00 am
So worth the wait. So very worth the wait.
and awwww it’s got Ander’s cowlick <:3
December 14th, 2009 at 6:50 am
hah, what race is this baby? He’s so much darker than his parents!
December 14th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Beautiful! This makes me sooooo happy. I’ll be really sad when the story ends, but I can’t imagine it going any other way. Great work Rene!
And PS I would so totally buy a book!
December 14th, 2009 at 8:59 am
@Dominique
His race is “human”
December 14th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Beautiful. Awesome. Brilliant. I had tears in my eyes by the end! This was well worth the wait.
December 14th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I frickin love panels 17 & 18 (where Maria is feeling her stomach). I remember being that pregnant!! I too, had a c-section, and it wasn’t until almost 4 hours later I got to see my little boy, with the getting stitched up & recovery and whatnot (so I’m sure Maria’s fine).
December 14th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
@Dominique
Baby is most likely caucasian. Most (not all) caucasian babies are born darker skinned and their skin changes to a lighter tone as the child ages. Usually they become pale by about 5-6 months old.
December 15th, 2009 at 12:37 am
Nice job!
But… this baby has like… mega long arms and legs. Looks like she gave birth to a 5-year-old. ^^”
December 15th, 2009 at 12:51 am
oh god please don’t let maria die…..
December 15th, 2009 at 1:04 am
Love love love. The art, the dialogue, everything is great.
I’m excited to know the gender.
December 15th, 2009 at 2:04 am
LOL I LOVE the doctor!! I want him if I ever have kids!
December 15th, 2009 at 9:48 am
@ Dom
Also keep in mind that the baby just attempted to struggle through a deep spelunking cave, only to be pulled from it last minute; it’s probably rather flushed form the exertion.
This is a really beautiful piece Rene, perhaps one of your best. It’s creatively engaging, emotionally capturing, and very pleasing to look at. I love how you’ve progressed and transformed the strip throughout the years. The fact that you have so many fans who are so active in their support as well as in their interest of the story development is a testament to your work. I very eagerly await the next strip, as I’m sure does everyone else, and look forward to whatever you do in the years to come. The life outside of ALM that gives you the inspiration to write such captivating characters is by far more important, as it’s that very life that makes you such a wonderful artist. Be a mom. Be a woman. Be a bum, whatever makes you happy. The great thing about the internet is that it will always be here when you want it. <3
December 15th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
All I can say is that this is an astoundingly beautiful culmination of all the work you’ve put into Anders Loves Maria. I can’t wait to see the rest!
December 16th, 2009 at 4:50 am
This reminds me of my son. He had a full head of hair and use to cuddle up next to my husband and I’s bare skin. Thank you for making this one so long, was not expecting it at all. Also very excited about all the unanswered questions. I wonder why they have not picked out names earlier?
December 16th, 2009 at 11:54 am
This is gorgeous. The lighting, the movement, everything is perfect, and it looks so good all together. Thank you. I have for the first time started painting my own graphic novel/comic/whatever, and at 6 of 17 pages, I have greatly increased appreciation of you/what you do.
December 16th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Rene:
Everything was more wonderful than I could have ever imagined. I loved
the tension with the scene with Anders during the operation. It’s perfect with the doctors speech bubbles, them talking but not being able to understand it. Of course, the baby is beautiful and perfect, I got chills just seeing Anders hold it. Can’t wait until the next/last installment; it’s been wonderful to read your work. Thank you for all your hard work and creativity. I will miss Anders Loves Maria, but it was a great story.
December 16th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Did anyone else notice the baby is throwing up the metal horns?
SO CUTE!
December 17th, 2009 at 12:21 am
Mannn, ALM and DAR ending at the same time… I have the sad. But I’m thankful that they aren’t just petering out and disappearing like some of my other favorites over the years! And I’m definitely curious as to how Rene will tie this package up, ohoho.
December 17th, 2009 at 12:21 am
Argh, I can’t decide whether I want to know the ending or whether I want the comic to never end at all.
But the one thing I know for sure is I LOVE SPECULATING!
I predict Maria will not only survive, but also make off with to start a highly successful metal-mariachi-band. Anders will be left in such a state of shock he will end up as Tina’s sex slave, and Björn and Johan will spontaneously discover their love for each other and go back to the country to raise the baby as their own.
The suspense, Rene! The suspense…
December 17th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Rene, is Johan pronounced like Joe-han or Yo-han? I’ve always pronounced it with a Y sound, but I’ve heard some people do use the hard J… I’m not sure where the difference comes from, different areas or languages? Bah.
December 17th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
@Naoko
In Swedish, Johan is pronounced something like Yoo-(H)ann, with stress on both syllables, but with the first syllable somewhat longer in duration, if that makes sense. As far as I know (I’m Norwegian), the name is pronounced Joe-han only in English, and only sometimes.
December 18th, 2009 at 5:14 am
@Naoko you’re right! i was half asleep when i looked at that panel again and left the comment about who “she hasnt awoken yet” was referring too! lol i didnt even see anders ask the question.
December 18th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
The epidural thing happened to my sister. She couldn’t feel her legs at all. They kept flopping to the sides. She wouldn’t be able to push that way (can’t bear down if you have legs that dont work). So the doctors turned the epidural off so that she could get some feeling back before she had to push. They apparently had it up way too high.
Can’t wait to see the rest of this story!
December 18th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
I wonder when we’ll get the next installment. A week till xmas.
December 19th, 2009 at 12:27 am
Congrats on getting so far! The end is in site and as sad as I will be to see this series come to a clsoe, I’ll also be excited to see what comes next!