The New Comic Thread for Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Antimatter

yeah, thanks Oliver.

joelfinch

Grath wrote: »

joelfinch wrote: »

This is poor storytelling, for my money.

what money? Are you unaware that teh pennies arcade is free?

If English is not your first language, allow me to direct you to this link:

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/for+my+money

If you are simply a literalist pedant, please prepare yourself for the shocking news that words have accepted meanings beyond their literal definitions.

Grid System

What if he was being sarcastic?

Darkness Mundus

This really was a magical set of new comic threads to read.

The personalities were just wondrous. (Not the comics, however)

ooooooooooooooooooetc

joelfinch

Grid System wrote: »

What if he was being sarcastic?

Gosh, you're right, I took his message too literally!

Zing!

Dog

If English is not your first language:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sarcasm

Grid System

joelfinch wrote: »

Grid System wrote: »

What if he was being sarcastic?

Gosh, you're right, I took his message too literally!

Zing!

Oh, shit, what if you're being sarcastic!?

Big Red Tie

those guys need some burn cream for that sick burn the leader just doled out

Crashmo

It started out iffy for me, but I really loved this by the end. Here's to hoping for more in the future.

joelfinch

robothero wrote: »

If English is not your first language:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sarcasm

Thanks dude, I laughed out loud

Ah, robothero, you're my robot... hero...

Dog

No problem bro.

Abracadaniel

Great blog post, Oliver. Very cool comic and despite some disagreements you and Becky did a bang-up job.

Tarranon

Druhim wrote: »

Grid System wrote: »

robothero wrote: »

And maybe the amount of energy produced through petrification is a direct correlation to the age of the victim?


What now, brown cow.

Shouldn't they send really old people then (not necessarily the ruling cabal, either; the village is sure to have some other old people)? Or if it's an inverse relation, infants?

I'd buy your petrification process theory though. It actually makes sense, if you think of it as a means of draining energy from the victim. He turns from something alive and energetic into something wholly immobile and dead.

like several others have said, it's fantasy
a wizard did it
you're debating the logic of magical mythical creatures

this is like debating whether Solomon Grundy or Thor are stronger or whether Wolverine could beat The Flash

I have a problem with this line of thinking, dru. There is a difference between a fantastic setting and one that doesn't have internal consistency.

I'm not saying that this one lacks that, but I don't think it's fair to look down on people that are trying to feel the world out.

Darkness Mundus

Just swell gee golly.

Speed Racer

Oh god the D&D Lookouts thread

UGH

Aneurhythmia

joelfinch wrote: »

Smart Hero wrote: »

The scoutmaster hesitated when the basilisk had the blonde kid pinned. He was supposed to let the kid die as was their agreement with whatever mysterious forces dwell in the forest. Upon seeing the rest of his 'students' rally to aid the blonde boy, he changed his mind and helped them to kill it, against the elder Lookout's wishes.

I completely get that this, or something like it, is the intended story. But it comes out of nowhere.

There are enough pieces for us to be able to assemble something like a coherent story around them ourselves, but the fact that we have to is precisely why it's not good storytelling.

My entire point is that the "twist" is slapped on. A good twist would be if at least some signs were there all along and we didn't notice them until afterward, eg.

- significant glances between the elders as the boys set out (or any mention of the elders at all)
- any mention before the attack, however cryptic, that the blonde kid is the chosen food item
- the leader is the only one who *doesn't* get attacked by the basilisk

When the leader gets knocked out, and then jumps up at the first opportunity and kills the beast, that doesn't scream conspiracy to me, it's exactly what I'd expect him to do.

This was like a whodunnit where it turns out to be a character we don't even meet until the last page.

Or, it was like five pages of an introduction.

Dog

Speed Racer wrote: »

Oh god the D&D Lookouts thread

UGH

That's just depressing.

altmann

This series as done by these people is dumb, the art is sucky, the writing is shitty and I am right and you are wrong.

Druhim

Tarranon wrote: »

Druhim wrote: »

Grid System wrote: »

robothero wrote: »

And maybe the amount of energy produced through petrification is a direct correlation to the age of the victim?


What now, brown cow.

Shouldn't they send really old people then (not necessarily the ruling cabal, either; the village is sure to have some other old people)? Or if it's an inverse relation, infants?

I'd buy your petrification process theory though. It actually makes sense, if you think of it as a means of draining energy from the victim. He turns from something alive and energetic into something wholly immobile and dead.

like several others have said, it's fantasy
a wizard did it
you're debating the logic of magical mythical creatures

this is like debating whether Solomon Grundy or Thor are stronger or whether Wolverine could beat The Flash

I have a problem with this line of thinking, dru. There is a difference between a fantastic setting and one that doesn't have internal consistency.

I'm not saying that this one lacks that, but I don't think it's fair to look down on people that are trying to feel the world out.

except that's not what they're doing
they're applying their own rules to a fantasy setting
"wait, if the basilisks turn the boys to stone then what are they eating?" is making an assumption about the fantasy world that's unwarranted
it's assuming that the writers aren't telling a logical story, when it's a fantasy setting and the potential explanations are both countless and internally consistent

Abracadaniel

altmann, that's a paddlin' if a mod sees it

Darkness Mundus

/facepalm

joelfinch

Aneurhythmia wrote: »

joelfinch wrote: »

Smart Hero wrote: »

The scoutmaster hesitated when the basilisk had the blonde kid pinned. He was supposed to let the kid die as was their agreement with whatever mysterious forces dwell in the forest. Upon seeing the rest of his 'students' rally to aid the blonde boy, he changed his mind and helped them to kill it, against the elder Lookout's wishes.

This was like a whodunnit where it turns out to be a character we don't even meet until the last page.

Or, it was like five pages of an introduction.

I would take the point if this was a graphic novel, or a regular novel, but we all knew the format going in - it was spelled out explicitly that this would be a five page comic in total.

Whatever other worldbuilding aspirations the story has, it still needs to be satisfying within itself. For me it was a rough ride.

altmann

What? How? I'm stating my opinion. I've already said as much in various other threads. What else do you want? Can no one disagree with this shit or they get modded?

Darkness Mundus

altmann wrote: »

What? How? I'm stating my opinion. I've already said as much in various other threads. What else do you want? Can no one disagree with this shit or they get modded?

Positive opinions require only smileys

Negative require strict essay-style debates with dru up there.

NotASenator

altmann wrote: »

What? How? I'm stating my opinion. I've already said as much in various other threads. What else do you want? Can no one disagree with this shit or they get modded?

When did you move to CA?

Druhim

Darkness Mundus wrote: »

altmann wrote: »

What? How? I'm stating my opinion. I've already said as much in various other threads. What else do you want? Can no one disagree with this shit or they get modded?

Positive opinions require only smileys

Negative require strict essay-style debates with dru up there.

tell me, how does it feel to be so stupid and wrong?

101

Speed Racer wrote: »

Oh god the D&D Lookouts thread

UGH

jesus christ.

That is the nerdiest thing. Someone actually asked why the had badges ready to be distributed if the boys were ment to be a sacrifice.

god damnit

EDIT: druhim don't ever change.

Dynagrip

101 wrote: »

Speed Racer wrote: »

Oh god the D&D Lookouts thread

UGH

jesus christ.

That is the nerdiest thing. Someone actually asked why the had badges ready to be distributed if the boys were ment to be a sacrifice.

god damnit

EDIT: druhim don't ever change.

if they're truly servants of the forest they should care about conservation.

Give a hoot!

Darkness Mundus

Druhim wrote: »

Darkness Mundus wrote: »

altmann wrote: »

What? How? I'm stating my opinion. I've already said as much in various other threads. What else do you want? Can no one disagree with this shit or they get modded?

Positive opinions require only smileys

Negative require strict essay-style debates with dru up there.

tell me, how does it feel to be so stupid and wrong?

Thank you.

altmann

OK I'll break it down for you:

Comic #1:

(go back and look at Gabe's drawing and compare)

Art: Why is the forest half made out of stone and gray? in the first comic it's GREEN. Does the basilisk turn plant and tree gray too?


Text:

SM: quietly for the beast is near...
How DO you look upon a basilisk? (tells us to be quiet, then asks them all a fucking question ... right)

This foul day may yet find you earn your badges. (this sentence, is it me or does it sound like a 12 year old wrote it?)

I'm sorry boys (why, WHY is he sorry? I'm sorry too, because this makes no sense. Is he sorry because the chicken attacked? It would be nice to know. )

101

altman god damnit.

darleysam

joelfinch wrote: »

Smart Hero wrote: »

The scoutmaster hesitated when the basilisk had the blonde kid pinned. He was supposed to let the kid die as was their agreement with whatever mysterious forces dwell in the forest. Upon seeing the rest of his 'students' rally to aid the blonde boy, he changed his mind and helped them to kill it, against the elder Lookout's wishes.

I completely get that this, or something like it, is the intended story. But it comes out of nowhere.

There are enough pieces for us to be able to assemble something like a coherent story around them ourselves, but the fact that we have to is precisely why it's not good storytelling.

My entire point is that the "twist" is slapped on. A good twist would be if at least some signs were there all along and we didn't notice them until afterward, eg.

- significant glances between the elders as the boys set out (or any mention of the elders at all)
- any mention before the attack, however cryptic, that the blonde kid is the chosen food item
- the leader is the only one who *doesn't* get attacked by the basilisk

When the leader gets knocked out, and then jumps up at the first opportunity and kills the beast, that doesn't scream conspiracy to me, it's exactly what I'd expect him to do.

This was like a whodunnit where it turns out to be a character we don't even meet until the last page.

Wait what? You mean the bit where he says "I'm sorry boys" or the bit where he's clearly standing by looking like he's not fussed about the basilisk about to maul the kids, or how there's a stark contrast between him being knocked down (not out!) but then being agile as a snow leopard (thanks Planet Earth!) when it comes to taking the thing down?

Yeah, I think you missed those, sunshine.

altmann

I love you too.

Aneurhythmia

joelfinch wrote: »

Aneurhythmia wrote: »

joelfinch wrote: »

Smart Hero wrote: »

The scoutmaster hesitated when the basilisk had the blonde kid pinned. He was supposed to let the kid die as was their agreement with whatever mysterious forces dwell in the forest. Upon seeing the rest of his 'students' rally to aid the blonde boy, he changed his mind and helped them to kill it, against the elder Lookout's wishes.

This was like a whodunnit where it turns out to be a character we don't even meet until the last page.

Or, it was like five pages of an introduction.

I would take the point if this was a graphic novel, or a regular novel, but we all knew the format going in - it was spelled out explicitly that this would be a five page comic in total.

Whatever other worldbuilding aspirations the story has, it still needs to be satisfying within itself. For me it was a rough ride.

But you're basically asking them to hold your hand through the subtext.

Prolegomena

Maybe someone should produce a heavily annotated version for the more challenged readers.

101

Prolegomena wrote: »

Maybe someone should produce a heavily annotated version for the more challenged readers.

Sound the champion horn

Abracadaniel

altmann you a dumb dumb. The final comic explains his 'I'm sorry, boys.' pretty succinctly.

The confusion you're having is because while yes, each comic was released on a separate day, they tie together much more tightly than the average standalone strip from Gabe and Tycho.

Druhim

basically most of the people in SE are able to intelligently interpret a certain level of ambiguity in a comic and make reasonable sense of it whereas most of the people in G&T need the series Buckleyd for them

NotASenator

Druhim wrote: »

basically most of the people in SE are able to intelligently interpret a certain level of ambiguity in a comic and make reasonable sense of it whereas most of the people in G&T need the series Buckleyd for them

You old people always generalize.

Munkus Beaver

Eh, I see the makings of a good story but it's just too rushed here.