WCT: Aug 3-7, 2009

[Lin]

I would just like to point something out.

The man in the monocle and the tophat? The bartender. He is Darren, of Dernworks. He be awesome.

EY YO DERN.

Jeph paid $150 in the Webcomics Auction at Connecticon on his own auction item for the privilege of drawing him. XD

[The Duke]

If I walked into a bar and everyone started clapping, I would take a bow.

[LeeC]

i'd grin, embarrassed, and wave.  then go up to the bar and get a drink.

[nichidani]

yeah, that's probably what i would do. i'd like to say i would do something brave like bow, but i know in reality i would just kind of smile awkwardly and go down a few shots so i could forget how mortified i was.

[bicostp]

Oh boy, just what someone with severe social anxiety needs: to be the center of attention in a public place full of strangers. 

At least she didn't run out of the bar screaming.

[bhtooefr]

Anyone else not get the comic via RSS?

[Blyss]

Marigold got major points from me for opening that door. 

As Jimbo undoubtedly would have put it, "woooo!!"

[NeverQuiteGoth]

Oh boy, just what someone with severe social anxiety needs: to be the center of attention in a public place full of strangers.  

At least she didn't run out of the bar screaming.

If it were me I would go into a catatonic state until people stopped looking at me, and even then I probably wouldn't be myself for the rest of the night. Running out screaming would be plan C.

... you don't want to know about Plan B.

[LeeC]

yeah, that's probably what i would do. i'd like to say i would do something brave like bow, but i know in reality i would just kind of smile awkwardly and go down a few shots so i could forget how mortified i was.

haha exactly!

now if everyone in the bar was dressed like the bartender (or for the time period for the ladies) and this happened I would just be utterly confused. ... damn now I want a top hat and monocle.

[The Duke]

I've always wanted a top hat and monocle.  This just solidifies my desire.

[wargrafix]

great comic. However, I can say that Faye is one of the more annoying characters around.

[slinkyindieninja]

I have social anxiety and the worst part is before. I'd be just like Marigold, except there would be more scenes of me walking away from the bar and around the block a few times, possibly all the way home to have a panic attack, then back and around the block a few times. When I finally went in and found the people I was meant to meet I'd be completely fine. Even with the cheering. I'd just laugh it off and be okay. Until afterwards, when I'd go into super analysing mode. Maybe. I'm getting better at stopping myself doing the social post-mortems. SA isn't just shyness to the max, it's certain bits of certain situations that trigger it, and you don't have to be shy as well.

There is finally a QC character I can relate to! After 5+ years of reading! Not that I couldn't relate to the others, but they were all so different from me.

[Switchblade]

yeah, that's probably what i would do. i'd like to say i would do something brave like bow, but i know in reality i would just kind of smile awkwardly and go down a few shots so i could forget how mortified i was.

See, I'm an egotistical motherfucker sometimes, so I'd respond with a jaunty salute and then rent one of those fancy suits.

EDIT: then again, I wouldn't have spent half an hour dithering in the street....

[Lise]

HAHA, I think it's funny and endearing how Marigold has a crippling fear of bars/strangers. I like where the comic is going.

[ysth]

great comic. However, I can say that Faye is one of the more annoying characters around.

Does she feel challenged for position as most in mental ill health?  (Hannelore doesn't count; she really has been coping so well with her OCD that it doesn't come out much with other people.  Animals, on the other hand...)

[Delirium]

Oh boy, just what someone with severe social anxiety needs: to be the center of attention in a public place full of strangers.  

At least she didn't run out of the bar screaming.

If it were me I would go into a catatonic state until people stopped looking at me, and even then I probably wouldn't be myself for the rest of the night. Running out screaming would be plan C.

... you don't want to know about Plan B.

Set something on fire?

[Hezor]

Oh boy, just what someone with severe social anxiety needs: to be the center of attention in a public place full of strangers.  

At least she didn't run out of the bar screaming.

If it were me I would go into a catatonic state until people stopped looking at me, and even then I probably wouldn't be myself for the rest of the night. Running out screaming would be plan C.

... you don't want to know about Plan B.

Set something on fire?

Sounds good enough to make it plan A.

[Is it cold in here?]

Given that the earth never opens up to swallow you when you actually need it to.

[IlGreven]

Ah, teetotaler in a bar.  How many people will try to buy her a drink to "get her to open up," I wonder?

[Jimor]

Anybody who tries anything will have to get through Dora first! <SMACK>

[akronnick]

Marigold, honey, if you want a Mountain Dew, Goddammit, get a Mountain Dew!

LIVE HOW YOU WANNA LIVE, BABY!!!!

If, on the other hand you want a beer, but are unfamiliar with your choices, Marten will totally hook you up!

[Zombiedude]

There is a typo in there. It should be called MTN DEW.

[AnkhWL]

I feel so bad for Marigold. Not to mention I am exactly like her. I want to try out different beers but have NO IDEA HOW TO ORDER. I also have a mild case of social anxiety, so that doesn't help either. I don't want to look like a total ass at the bar or a newb.

Poor, poor Marigold. This is also one of the few times where I would call Faye a bitch. I normally don't think that (and frequently agree with her), but I think her comment was really uncalled for, and would definitely cause someone like me to just gtfo of the bar.

[Fhqwhgads]

Somebody get the poor girl a Sam Adams Summer Ale. 

Also: Faye getting smacked by Dora was my favorite moment of this comic.

[Shadic]

I don't typically say stuff like this, but this comic was kinda cute. Marten's so damn clueless and nice that he works really well with just about every female in the cast, I think. And the fact that he accidentally makes Marigold look kinda... Well, out of her element.

...I have no idea what I'm trying to say. I LIKED IT. THERE. 

[AngryCallCenterAgent]

http://xkcd.com/1463x.png

Just wanted to share this in case somebody doesn't have the Twit feed from the home page.

FUNNEH.

P.S. Oh, and Google Translate is also funneh, it stated that Fehlerbrauerei meant "Error Brewery" in German. O.o

[evilbobthebob]

Also: Faye getting smacked by Dora was my favorite moment of this comic.

Yes  That was awesome. Plus, after a little search: http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/read.cgi?id=20090807&tid=3192595 is a little chat about the meaning of a certain Fehlerbrauerei kugelschweiss. The conclusion seemed to be "Failbrewery Ballsweat"

[Valisk]

Incidentally If any of you are ever in Cleveland and want to drink at a bar like this.. .

Seek the Bier Market on west 25th you wont be disappointed.

All they play is indie music and the beer is good.

[Border Reiver]

Beer is good - but I suspect that Marigold may need a training beer - say, a Dragon Stout.

[LeeC]

hahaha I like how Marigold is blushing in the last 2 bannels.  First because she orders a soda, and then because she doesnt know beers.  Its cool marigold, if you dont know just say   .  Makes me think of when I took my younger brother into a bar about a week ago.  This was his first time in a bar and he was just sitting there. I went up to him (I had about 8 different drinks in me at the time) and said to him "Don't tell me your the only guy to go to a bar and not buy a drink!" handed him a $20 bill.  "What should I get?" he asked.  "Look at the different label tabs, or just get a guiness."  Being that I had one in my hand at the time (drink number 9), though probably not the best drink to start with.  Psh and after the hard work me and some people did to smuggle him into the bar(him 18, me 23).  haha.  But nah I didnt say it all angry like faye, mine was jokingly and motivational to get him to expereince a bar.

my shannenigans are cheeky and cute, fayes shannenigans are cruel and tragic.  Which doesnt make them shennenigans at all...EVIL shannenigans.

drink up marigold, and losen up.  Have fun and it wont be so bad.  

[innermoppet]

I want to hit Faye too. I know she can be a meanie but I've never really considered her a bully. I've always seen her as someone who mocks those who can take it or who ask for it. She likes to push boundaries which I get. Even Hannelore was much more equipped to handle Faye's meanness than Marigold. She's clearly skittish and shy and it's vicious of her to be such a bitch to someone so ill-equipped to handle it. Plus it's like shooting fish in a barrel. It doesn't take any creativity at all to mock someone so damn... mockable. I want Hannelore to go off on Faye before the end of the night and give her back some of her own.

[nichidani]

this is how i feel in exotic restaurants. i WANT to try new things, but i don't want to look like an idiot or get something i hate. i also feel the same way about beer. i don't like cheap american beer, so i am skittish to try anything else. and who wants to embarrass themselves in a bar? (a: not me, or marigold)

marigold should just get a fruity-ass mixed drink. it's like koolaid with added social lubrication.

[philharmonic]

Oh man "fail ball sweat" oh you mean Kokanee :p I felt compelled comment. Basically even though I'm kinda tuned into the beer culture ie read the articles, watch
the other Micheal Jackson (Beer Hunter) reruns etc. I still get a little nervious (oh god my spelling again) at the beer store. The thing is I've found that even though
I should know better it usually comes down to being adventurous and trying all kinds of beers. That being said I recently bought a six of Central City's Red Racer IPA.
It was loaded with hops (says so on the can). I'm ashamed to say it but I didn't like it. The bizzare thing is the last IPA (Alexanders) i tryed was really good. So now i'm
really confused. Top that off my bud's pal was in town and he hands me this green can (forgot what brand) beer with lime in it. Tried that and was ok but it basically tasted like "fail ball sweat"  NOW WITH LIME !!! Great lets have 2 more of those. Next time I'm gonna stick with my usual Cream Ale but see if there's any brands I haven't tryed yet. Or better yet do eenie meanie minie moe in the German import section. That and hope its "yellow" (unfiltered wheat ale perhaps).

[Mr_Rose]

Yeah, the thing with beers/ales/stouts is that while they fall into categories like IPA, individual brewers will have individual results based on their ingredients (up to and including the water they use) and experience. And with a category as generic as IPA (for India Pale Ale i.e. that which is hopped to fuck and back in order to not go stale on the boat to India [from England]) your mileage may vary by a lot - initially, IPA were literally beers with three or four times more hops than usual (hops are a natural antibiotic) but then returning soldiers and merchants found they had developed a taste for this previously report only gunk and then people started brewing with the final super-sour taste in mind and a whole new market was born.

[Juniper Jade]

Again, I can relate to Marigold. The poor girl! I want to give her a hug!

[NeverQuiteGoth]

Mountain Dew is teh nerd booze

[Is it cold in here?]

Faye did that after Hannelore told her explicitly in advance not to be mean to Marigold, and right after Dora had dropped a broad hint that being mean to Marigold would be out of bounds.

Oh, my. If Marigold doesn't know her way around alcohol, introducing her to it could go horribly wrong.

[Juniper Jade]

Faye is mean to everyone she just meets. It's like a compulsion or something.

[LeeC]

this is how i feel in exotic restaurants. i WANT to try new things, but i don't want to look like an idiot or get something i hate. i also feel the same way about beer. i don't like cheap american beer, so i am skittish to try anything else. and who wants to embarrass themselves in a bar? (a: not me, or marigold)

marigold should just get a fruity-ass mixed drink. it's like koolaid with added social lubrication.

hehe blue moon and dogfish are great! and I'll try different sam adams drinks anyday.  I find that if I go to a bar and I dont recognize any of the beers to ask the bartender and they generally can make a good suggestion for you.  Also going to the beer and bourbon festivals are a great way to try new beers...and whiskeys! 

yeah come to think of it, my first drink in a bar wasnt a beer.  It was a red headed slut (good)  then an alien orgasm (lemony), and jager bombs.  I think I tried other stuff too that night but it was a blurr.  21st birthday rocked!  But I agree with you nichidani, start off with something fruity.  It looks to me like this is Marigold's first time in a bar.  I honestly wondered if she was of age in todays comic because of how scared and unsure she seemed, but then again its been awhile since my first bar expirence, it did remind me of my brother though haha.  Plus she does hace social anxiety.  I just hope she has fun.  Which is the name of the game!

now i feel like listening to the "Fuck you im drunk" song.  OoO its friday, maybe I'll head to rocket bar.

[Kugai]

Get her started on Steinlager then move her on to Guinness   

[Ghanima Atreides]

Meh, I guess I'm the only one who didn't think what Faye said to Marigold was ZOMGebil!! It's not like she said "Mountain Dew in a beer bar, haha that's so lame!" or whatever, she only remarked it was an odd choice to make, but in a forward manner.

[Tuitsuro]

Spoilers:  It turns out Marigold gets really uninhibited after a few. 

[Delirium]

Meh, I guess I'm the only one who didn't think what Faye said to Marigold was ZOMGebil!! It's not like she said "Mountain Dew in a beer bar, haha that's so lame!" or whatever, she only remarked it was an odd choice to make, but in a forward manner.

Still a damn insensitive thing to say to someone way out of their social depth. Faye really needs to start developing as a character.

[Ghanima Atreides]

*shrug* I don't see what's so insensitive about it. It wasn't mocking, it wasn't an accusation. If anything, Marigold needs people who treat her like a normal person, not walk on eggshells around her.

 In fact, what bothered me was that Dora already singled out Faye as the "mean one" even before she said anything.

[Aurjay]

a good beer to start on and definitely fruity would be Lambic Framboise. little expensive but it tastes nothing like beer. also to help her shyness it has more alcohol content than most reg beers

[Delirium]

*shrug* I don't see what's so insensitive about it. It wasn't mocking, it wasn't an accusation. If anything, Marigold needs people who treat her like a normal person, not walk on eggshells around her.

 In fact, what bothered me was that Dora already singled out Faye as the "mean one" even before she said anything.

are you serious? she had trouble just walking into a bar. there's a time for eggshells, and this is it.

[Beaten by Nuns]

Anyone else notice that Marten is wearing his infamous Sweatshirt? Didn't he and Dora frame it because it was old and smelled of french fries?

[St.Clair]

Oh look, someone who feels the same way I do about beer.
Mind you, these days I don't think much better of Mountain Dew... gimme a Barq's or A&W root beer, or something citrusy of the Sprite/7-up or Squirt variety.

[Delirium]

Anyone else notice that Marten is wearing his infamous Sweatshirt? Didn't he and Dora frame it because it was old and smelled of french fries?

An earlier comic stated he had more.

[akronnick]

And there's no possible way that he went to a store and bought a NEW black hoodie.