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PA Comic: Wednesday, Dec 14, 2011 - Scalzification

13

Posts

  • TarranonTarranon Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    Gosprey wrote:
    I think this thread is useful feedback for Gabe & Tycho. A reminder that despite the evidence of benevolent and good-feelingness generated by Child's Play and the aura of rarified awesome that they walk in daily, most Penny Arcade fans definitely retain a misanthropic comedy mindset, and are reading it because they don't find Family Circus funny.

    speaking personally i love moments of warmth and sincerity mixed with humor

    they're just better when they're well earned and usually in a serial format

    it's really hard to do on a three one off.

    Tarranon on
    You could be anywhere
    On the black screen
  • Saint_DipsetSaint_Dipset Registered User regular
    None of you guys understand this comic because you're not a parent yet!

    *condescendingly rolls eyes*

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • SejarkiSejarki Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    Henroid wrote:
    Tarranon wrote:
    it is just a bad time to be making nerdy 'the reference is the joke' jokes

    backlash, yo

    A bad time huh? Did something happen to make it a bad time?

    Just yesterday we had Scott and Kris release "My Fandom Is Like Voltron." It makes fun of references for the sake of references and such. So yeah, together there's an odd juxtaposition, if nothing else.

    I was mainly put off by the non-PA nature of the guest comic. There's no acknowledgement of this comic being on Penny Arcade in any form. I demand some good audience pandering. And if it's not going to be specifically a Penny Arcade (Tycho/Gabe) centric affair, it should at least be focused on video games.

    Sejarki on
  • TleilaxuTleilaxu Registered User regular
    Maybe this comic just isn't for you.

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  • GaslightGaslight Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    Tleilaxu wrote:
    Maybe this comic just isn't for you.

    In all seriousness, you're right: it's just really not a style of humor which the Penny Arcade audience usually appreciates and certainly not what we've come to expect. Unfortunately for all concerned...it was posted on the PA website.

    That said...alright, yeah, kind of a crappy guest comic. We've had those before. The creators were doing Tycho and Gabe a favor and they deserve some appreciation for that even if we don't like the result. There's really no need to keep raging about it or rage about others raging about it, may as well just move on and see what Friday brings.

    Gaslight on
  • TleilaxuTleilaxu Registered User regular
    I'm praying it's Jeph Jacques on Friday, but I'm evil.

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  • SabreMauSabreMau ネトゲしよう 판다리아Registered User regular
    Tleilaxu wrote:
    I'm praying it's Jeph Jacques on Friday, but I'm evil.

    This would actually be excellent.

  • TurambarTurambar Independent Registered User regular
    Not to be rude, but this is the worst birthday comic

    Steam: turamb | Origin: Turamb | 3DS: 3411-1109-4537 | NNID: Turambar | Warframe(PC): Turamb
  • RehabRehab Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    So in summary . . .

    The Good: This comic has raised 1,000 dollars for charity thus far!
    The Bad: The comic itself and its reception.
    And the Ugly: The comic has ruined someones birthday!

    Rehab on
    NNID: Rehab0
  • OptyOpty Registered User regular
    The sudo joke is definitely directly referencing XKCD but it's extremely awkward, forced, and unnatural for her to pull it out there. There's a lot of things that could be done to the third panel to make it flow better, such as making the sudo joke an explict callback to where she's reminding him of a previous time she got him to do something for her via nerdy references or to have her try it again to let her stay up past bedtime and him replying it only works once.

  • godmodegodmode Southeast JapanRegistered User regular
    edited December 2011
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSL4cmFW_GU

    (Seriously, I know it's a weird thing to fixate on, but her hands throw me off. That one literally grows to the size of her head...and it just looks so...meaty)

    godmode on
  • GospreyGosprey Registered User regular
    Gaslight wrote:
    There's really no need to keep raging about it
    Wait, who raged?

  • FalxFalx Registered User regular
    Turambar wrote:
    Not to be rude, but this is the worst birthday comic

    It's ok, your mother and I don't know your real birthday anyway. You were adopted.

  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Gosprey wrote:
    I think this thread is useful feedback for Gabe & Tycho. A reminder that despite the evidence of benevolent and good-feelingness generated by Child's Play and the aura of rarified awesome that they walk in daily, most Penny Arcade fans definitely retain a misanthropic comedy mindset, and are reading it because they don't find Family Circus funny.

    That or sometimes a bad comic will come up in the series and it's not a sign of things going south or anything being done wrong and is instead your taste just not being fulfilled temporarily.

  • theResetButtontheResetButton Registered User regular
    Opty wrote:
    The sudo joke is definitely directly referencing XKCD but it's extremely awkward, forced, and unnatural for her to pull it out there. There's a lot of things that could be done to the third panel to make it flow better, such as making the sudo joke an explict callback to where she's reminding him of a previous time she got him to do something for her via nerdy references or to have her try it again to let her stay up past bedtime and him replying it only works once.

    Also, perhaps fewer uses of the word "daddy". I figured out it was his kid at the point that it said "...WHEN MY KID WAS 8.]" 3 times in one panel and 5 times in total felt a bit excessive. I haven't read Scalzi's books, but surely he must be better at dialogue than this?

    Keep honking: I'm also honking.
  • C12VTC12VT Registered User new member
    For someone familiar with Scalzi, the funniest part of this strip is definitely in the background... the infamous Unicorn Pegasus Kitten!

  • Alfred J. KwakAlfred J. Kwak is it because you were insulted when I insulted your hair?Registered User regular
    isn't this meme kind of old now

  • RaketemenschRaketemensch Registered User regular
    Wow, you people are some incredibly negative mofos.

    These forums are incredibly bitchy, and it seems that people who *aren't* bitchy leave, because, really, <bitchy>, until there's nothing left here but bitter, angry posters.

    Kinda sad, really.

  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Wow, you people are some incredibly negative mofos.

    These forums are incredibly bitchy, and it seems that people who *aren't* bitchy leave, because, really, <bitchy>, until there's nothing left here but bitter, angry posters.

    Kinda sad, really.

    Not really how it works.

  • RehabRehab Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    Worse are the people who make huge sweeping generalizations like that without considering the context or bothering to see if it actually has any merit outside of whatever thread they happen to be in. A lot of people here know each other personally as friends/acquaintances and there have also been plenty of community projects and the like. Hell, there are multiple Secret Santa threads going on right now in which a number of people are showing generosity to people they likely don't even know. Not to mention sincere advice being given out in the Help/Advice corner and a number of other things I could mention. Also, I could name several posters still here who are very good-natured.

    There are an overwhelming majority of people who happen to think a guest comic is bad in an area meant for discussion about the guest comic. So what?

    Rehab on
    NNID: Rehab0
  • POKÉMON MASTER WT SHERMANPOKÉMON MASTER WT SHERMAN i can make this march and i will make georgia howlRegistered User regular
    Wow, you people are some incredibly negative mofos.

    These forums are incredibly bitchy, and it seems that people who *aren't* bitchy leave, because, really, <bitchy>, until there's nothing left here but bitter, angry posters.

    Kinda sad, really.
    i'd be less inclined to negativity if the comic were good

    vQ77AtR.png
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  • fortyforty Registered User regular
    Wow, you people are some incredibly negative mofos.

    These forums are incredibly bitchy, and it seems that people who *aren't* bitchy leave, because, really, <bitchy>, until there's nothing left here but bitter, angry posters.

    Kinda sad, really.
    what is this post

  • Alfred J. KwakAlfred J. Kwak is it because you were insulted when I insulted your hair?Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    a bitchy post about bitchy posts ... how very meta

    Alfred J. Kwak on
  • RehabRehab Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    The man had us all figured out on his very first post. Of the bitchiness, therein, to which we are all host.

    Any good that remained here is now but a ghost. Its now all just a . . . Comedy Central Roast?

    Rehab on
    NNID: Rehab0
  • PikaPuffPikaPuff Registered User regular
    Kagera wrote:
    I don't like the idea that a girl comic character has to have girl accessories to be identified as a girl. Does it even matter if the kids gender is identifiable?

    Is this trolling? Am I being trolled now? Yes, people who make comics should draw well enough so that the viewer knows what they're looking at. I don't see what "right on" gender politics has to do this. I like comics where I can identify the gender of the characters. Maybe I'm old fashioned.
    The kid is 8. Maybe I don't know kids well enough, but don't boys and girls look the same at that point? You shouldn't be able to identify the gender without some kind of clothing sterotype. Or maybe an adam's apple? I dunno. I don't think the kid's gender matters for this comic.

    On another note, I agree that I like this comic as long as I imagine the third panel (sudo joke) didn't exist.

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  • agilemaniaagilemania Lyon EstatesRegistered User regular
    Scalzi wrote:
    Jesus Christ. I make a shout-out to @xkcd in yesterday's PA strip and some dip all but accuses me of plagiarizing the line. #MissThePoint
    So that was an intentional nod to xkcd. I still think it felt a bit forced, but at least he knew that.

  • AJC delle Marche esqAJC delle Marche esq __BANNED USERS regular
    PikaPuff wrote:
    Maybe I don't know kids well enough, but don't boys and girls look the same at that point?

    You're a master of the understatement. The answer to your question is "no". Boys look different from girls. Even at eight years of age.

    Let's look at some comic eight (or so) year olds. Then you try to guess the gender. See how many you get right.
    i050617famcirc.png

    Answer:
    Girl
    932240-susie_derkins_large.jpg

    Answer:
    Girl
    Lucy_van_Pelt.png

    Answer:
    Girl

    I'm sick of dealing with these tags so I'll stop at three. But they're all girls and immediately identifiable as such. Whoever drew this guest comic drew an eight year old girl who looks like a 14 year old boy. It made for a confusing read. I got to the third panel still thinking it was a boy. Then I saw "daddy" repeated like six times and said "wait a minute...this is probably a girl...right?" And in doing so, the comic lost any momentum it had. I didn't care about the big payoff anymore. I was too busy trying to identify the gender of the so-called banana man (banana woman?).

  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    When I said to quit being jerks I meant it. When you're taking time out of your life to collect a bunch of pictures of girls in comic strips to make some asinine point about a comic strip you happened not to like and also working out the best way of phrasing it so that you sound like a massive prick it's time to re-evaluate how you spend your leisure time.

    You didn't like the comic. Fine. In an amazing turn of events, that doesn't give you an unimpeachable mandate to be a tosser.

  • SticksSticks I'd rather be in bed.Registered User regular
    I like to think tube spends a large part of his day coming up with colorful ways to tell people they are not being nice.

    Also, that second picture....totally thought it was a boy before I read your spoiler. Seriously, what about that picture identifies her as a girl?

  • AntimatterAntimatter Devo Was Right Gates of SteelRegistered User regular
    I assumed girl just because long hair. It's not the best comic but it's far from the worst PA has ever hosted.

  • Piggy ChimpPiggy Chimp Registered User regular
    What a charming scene! The ice cream looks tasty...

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  • RehabRehab Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    Sticks wrote:
    Also, that second picture....totally thought it was a boy before I read your spoiler. Seriously, what about that picture identifies her as a girl?

    You aren't familiar with one of the staple characters (Susie) from Calvin and Hobbes? Shame, that is easily my favorite traditional newspaper comic by a longshot. Its also one of the few I've seen that can do sentimentality and humor well at the same time, you should look into it.

    In any case, I would say the hair makes her pretty easy to identify as a girl.

    Rehab on
    NNID: Rehab0
  • AurichAurich ArizonaRegistered User regular
    Sticks wrote:
    I like to think tube spends a large part of his day coming up with colorful ways to tell people they are not being nice.

    Also, that second picture....totally thought it was a boy before I read your spoiler. Seriously, what about that picture identifies her as a girl?

    I would agree that Susie looks the most boyish, with her overalls and boyish haircut. The other are wearing dresses and have girlish hair styles. I think someone made a point about needing feminine props to identify female characters.

  • FlametopFlametop Registered User new member
    Personally, I thought it was cute. But then I'm an old lady . . .

  • GaslightGaslight Registered User regular
    Aurich wrote:
    Sticks wrote:
    I like to think tube spends a large part of his day coming up with colorful ways to tell people they are not being nice.

    Also, that second picture....totally thought it was a boy before I read your spoiler. Seriously, what about that picture identifies her as a girl?

    I would agree that Susie looks the most boyish, with her overalls and boyish haircut. The other are wearing dresses and have girlish hair styles. I think someone made a point about needing feminine props to identify female characters.

    Can we just make this a Calvin & Hobbes thread?

  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    No.

  • GaslightGaslight Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    Aw, but everybody would be so much happier and less argumentative. Oh well, looking forward to seeing what we end up with for tomorrow's comic...for better or for worse.
    Lynn Johnston guestcomic. Just imagine it.
    Actually, don't.

    Gaslight on
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    Gaslight wrote:
    Aw, but everybody would be so much happier and less argumentative. Oh well, looking forward to seeing what we end up with for tomorrow's comic...for better or for worse.
    Lynn Johnston guestcomic. Just imagine it.
    Actually, don't.

    And that's how the dog died.

    What is this I don't even.
  • HorseshoeHorseshoe Registered User regular
    i am hoping for a paul southworth guest comic

    dmsigsmallek3.jpg
  • TleilaxuTleilaxu Registered User regular
    Horseshoe wrote:
    i am hoping for a paul southworth guest comic

    That's not how you spell Michael Lopp.

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