PA Comic, 3rd of January 2013

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Gabe’s been exposing his heir to the Lord of the Rings movies, made timely by the release of The Hobbit, and we were able to snare a strip from the second film. That may end up being the only redeeming feature of their return, because Gabriel the Younger could not possibly be more bored.

My cohort was able to enjoy the films, but an effort to “skip ahead” and find out what happened in the books was stymied by the books themselves, and how (diplomatically speaking) “thorough” they are. Like, if you’re into leaves or whatever. Lots of good material for the leaf enthusiast. If you are eight, you may well wonder why you are looking at people running on a hill instead of playing Minecraft. So his father could watch the movies, but not read the books. The son isn’t especially interested in either.

You have to wonder, right? Were these forced viewings any more compelling than when our own fathers produced a baseball from nowhere, and a mitt from some equally mysterious place, and said that we should care?

No, of course not; never. Obviously. The things we like are actually cool.

But that tracks pretty solidly with my own experience, at my house; it won’t surprise you to learn that I don’t think videogames are a social ill, or worthy of the moral panic that currently surrounds them in and outside of the industry. What I will say is that videogames are, in entertainment terms, an Apex Predator; nothing else compares to them, minute for minute, they deliver brain chemicals at an unprecedented rate. They’re pure HFCS, and the other things you fill a life with don’t deliver those squirts with the same regularity. It’s a matter of acclimatization for people maturing in this environment. In the end, I can say with confidence that books are right out, and movies; dubstep and porn gifs will be all they have left.

(CW)TB out.

(i have no idea what they're saying)

KalTorak

Maybe if those horses act cool, Shadowfax will show them the meaning of haste.

Godfather

Holy shit I laughed waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too hard at this one

Alpha268

I dont get it.

Ryan A. Elliott

I now very much love Dennis.

Coinage

Is that last sentence of the news post not supposed to upset me...?

TychoCelchuuu

No.

McFodder

Loved it. Given that my better half enjoys both the company of horses and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I think this is now her favourite PA strip.

Franko

be cool Dennis

Chris FOM

Great strip, and I understand why now, but it does feel 10 years out of date.

Dirk2112

Tell Gabriel the Younger that he is not alone and being 8 has nothing to do with it.

Lavender Gooms

It's not often I actually laugh out loud when reading comics, but this is one of the few.

It helps i've been waist-deep in Lego Lord of the Rings for about a week now.

jothki

Aistan wrote: »

It's not often I actually laugh out loud when reading comics, but this is one of the few.

It helps i've been waist-deep in Lego Lord of the Rings for about a week now.

I hate how it lets you ride horses at a few points in the story, but then refuses to let you spawn them in free roam.

Lucascraft

I haven't played the Lego LotR game, but if it's anything like the Star Wars games, there are "character missions" and "vehicle missions" and the two don't really intersect.

Cambiata

Chris FOM wrote: »

Great strip, and I understand why now, but it does feel 10 years out of date.

The LotR books were written over 60 years ago, actually.

But I don't think classics have a shelf life. If this comic were about the original Star Wars, would you consider it out of date?

marsilies

Cambiata wrote: »

Chris FOM wrote: »

Great strip, and I understand why now, but it does feel 10 years out of date.

The LotR books were written over 60 years ago, actually.

I don't think the scene in question appears in the book.

But I don't think classics have a shelf life. If this comic were about the original Star Wars, would you consider it out of date?

Typically, Penny Arcade is very topical in their jokes. When they make Star Wars comics, such as a few days ago, it's in reference to, or inspired by, a recent piece of Star Wars merchandise (novel, video game, tabletop game, etc...). This comic just seems out of place, is all.

Cambiata

If you mean the line "Shadowfax, he is the lord of all horses, and he has been my friend through many dangers" yes actually, that is a direct quote from the book (although Gimli should be in there somewhere, but maybe it was just too hard to frame him in the panel).

If you mean the lines in the third panel, no those didn't come from the book, but neither did they come from the movie.

Mr. Putter

doublepost

Mr. Putter

No, it's a movie line. The passage in the book runs;

The Lord of the Rings III.5 'The White Rider'
[L]ifting up his head [Gandalf] gave a long whistle. So clear and piercing was the note that the others stood amazed to hear such a sound come from those old bearded lips. Three times he whistled; and then faint and far off it seemed to them that they heard the whinny of a horse borne up from the plains upon the eastern wind. They waited wondering. Before long there came the sound of hoofs, at first hardly more than a tremor of the ground perceptible only to Aragorn as he lay upon the grass, then growing steadily louder and clearer to a quick beat.
'There is more than one horse coming,' said Aragorn.
'Certainly,' said Gandalf. 'We are too great a burden for one.'
'There are three,' said Legolas, gazing out over the plain. 'See how they run! There is Hasufel, and there is my friend Arod beside him! But there is another that strides ahead: a very great horse. I have not seen his like before.'
'Nor will you again,' said Gandalf. 'That is Shadowfax. He is the chief of the Mearas, lords of horses, and not even Théoden, King of Rohan, has ever looked on a better. Does he not shine like silver, and run as smoothly as a swift stream? He has come for me: the horse of the White Rider. We are going to battle together.'
Even as the old wizard spoke, the great horse came striding up the slope towards them; his coat was glistening and his mane flowing in the wind of his speed. The two others followed, now far behind. As soon as Shadowfax saw Gandalf, he checked his pace and whinnied loudly; then trotting gently forward he stooped his proud head and nuzzled his great nostrils against the old man's neck.
Gandalf caressed him. 'It is a long way from Rivendell, my friend,' he said; 'but you are wise and swift and come at need. Far let us ride now together, and part not in this world again!'
Soon the other horses came up and stood quietly by, as if awaiting orders. 'We go at once to Meduseld, the hall of your master, Théoden,' said Gandalf, addressing them gravely. They bowed their heads. 'Time presses, so with your leave, my friends, we will ride. We beg you to use all the speed that you can. Hasufel shall bear Aragorn and Arod Legolas. I will set Gimli before me, and by his leave Shadowfax shall bear us both.

which book also reveals that the non-grey horse is called 'Arod', though 'Dennis' is funnier.