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...much less naughtiness. Nothing I wouldn't show a nun.

...about what's gone on so far. Nothing more than #1081, please.

...nothing further. #1098 is the absolute outer limit. Anything further is too porny.

...everything! Quit toying with us, Jeph! Give us the Full Monty!

...whatever best contributes to the story. No more and no less.

...a specific nuanced approach which I will detail in my post below.

[RevxlvingDxxr]

My mistake. I have seen the error of my ways. Every work of fiction should display more "natural, regular parts of human life." You know what else would be great? If there were some Calvin and Hobbes strips where Calvin has grown up to become a somewhat "slow" trucker, and Hobbes is a stuffed animal in every panel. Great character growth, there.

Snark aside -- what I'm trying to say is that every work of fiction, from web comics to novels, is driven primarily by characters. QCs characters have changed so much that they're essentially unrecognizable. Yes, great, they're much more three-dimensional now, they're overcoming their crippling anxieties and having adult relationships. But you know what? There's plenty of that present in every-day life, so I can hardly consider it entertainment. QCs old punchlines entertained not because they were comedy gold, but because they seemed like something those awkward characters might have said and laughed at. The comic is definitely very different now...

I guess those of us who don't get to see the boobies too often in real life might be digging it, though.

[StMonkey]

Hey, I see my fair share of boobies and I still think these strips are rather entertaining. But at least as far as the strip changing goes, I don't think the strip has changed all that much, just that the relationships between the characters has grown. When the strip starts, Marten knows Pintsize and Steve, and just meets Faye. Faye already knew Dora and Dora kinda knew Raven, and evereyone acted like they were acquaintances, which they were. I know when I meet people, the beginning of the friendship is kinda awkward but relaxed and humoured. As we watch the characters grow closer, like in real life, more serious talk can be spoken rather than indie cred comparison and fart jokes. I think if we had caught onto Martens life a year earlier, it would have stayed the way it started. Instead the comic starts with a twist of fate for two people and their circle of friends.

But hey, ya know, boobs.

[bunnyThor]

All I can say for sure is that this is an awful lot of furor over boobs which we don't actually see a majority of.   

They'll be calling this the Partial Boob Uproar of '08.

[WriterofAllWrongs]

Snark aside -- what I'm trying to say is that every work of fiction, from web comics to novels, is driven primarily by characters. QCs characters have changed so much that they're essentially unrecognizable. Yes, great, they're much more three-dimensional now, they're overcoming their crippling anxieties and having adult relationships. But you know what? There's plenty of that present in every-day life, so I can hardly consider it entertainment. QCs old punchlines entertained not because they were comedy gold, but because they seemed like something those awkward characters might have said and laughed at. The comic is definitely very different now...

Yeah, man.  I hear you.  I preferred when the characters were totally unrealistic and I couldn't relate to any of their crazy traumas and obscure references to now, where the jokes are more well-rounded and the art style is much less crude and the story is actually interesting to follow. 

[Rocketman]

If you didn't get the obscure jokes in early QC, you will think recent QC is better. If you got the obscure jokes before, you will think it used to be better.

I didn't get the jokes and I still like older QC a bit better. Too many of the characters piss me off now.

[RevxlvingDxxr]

@ Writer: I'm sorry, I don't get it.

It's the SAME story that is employed by any halfway popular TV drama. Here are some people, they spend a great deal of time trying to relate to each other sexually. Someone's in love, someone's just hooking up, someone is maybe in love with the wrong person, someone maybe wishes they were in love. I mean, we could dress QC characters up in some scrubs and hospital gowns and call it Grey's Anatomy. I don't care how many boobies there are or aren't. I do care that when you click the "cast" link, about half of the character descriptions are completely inaccurate now -- because character concepts have been abandoned in favor of the homogeneous mess that QC has become.

What's there to like when you can turn your TV to almost any channel and see the same exact "plot twists?"

[mehmeh]

If you didn't get the obscure jokes in early QC, you will think recent QC is better. If you got the obscure jokes before, you will think it used to be better.

I did get the obscure jokes in early QC, and thought they were funny, but I thought that both of the punchlines of the last two comics were amusing as well (I particularly thought the id joke was clever). I guess that I connected indie humour with smart, witty humour, not necessarily only obscure bands.

My first comic was 183, I think. There was a Douglas Adams joke, an Insane Clown Posse joke, and a ninja joke all in one strip. Pretty glorious, really.  But the next few comics were about Faye leaning in, looking like she was going to kiss Marten, and instead passing out, head butting his boyparts, and vomiting. Pretty much relationship-oriented with no real indie-rock humour again until 233 (There were two mentions of the word "emo" and a week of guest comics in there, but I'm not count either).

So, 2 jokes that the average mainstream non-indie rock fan wouldn't get in 50 episodes. I flipped through the last 40 comics, and I'd say we could find the same or perhaps more (again ignoring the week of guest comic strips). For instance, "Army of Me" ep 1183 might count, "Bang your Head" ep 1173 perhaps,  Merzbow in 1177,  definitely. Plus, all sorts of smart jokes about psychology, history, literature, etc. that many won't get but are really funny if you get the reference.

What's there to like when you can turn your TV to almost any channel and see the same exact "plot twists?"

And that's where I disagree with you. "Raccon pogrom," "an id is a terrible thing to waste," a greeting card based on a Quiet Riot song, all brilliant jokes that you aren't going to get on Grey's Anatomy or Friends. Yeah, relationships are a pretty natural part of life, so they appear in all forms of media, but QC has still maintained something special. Every week on the WCT there are people finding out new things because of Jeph's intelligent style of humour. It doesn't have to just be about indie bands to keep up the indie spirit.

[RevxlvingDxxr]

@ mehmeh:

Holy crap! Did you just... respectfully disagree? Have I fallen into some sort of alternate interwebs, where people aren't uniformly terrible?

Point well made and all. I suppose I'm just worried that this is the beginning of a disturbing trend: more boobies and less cleverness. And, once again, I do think I liked the characters more when they were less "realistic." I mean, Faye was almost some kind of emotionally disturbed superhero, dominating most of the conversations she was in with her wonderfully cynical sense of humor...

Granted, she seems to have developed healing powers instead, as evidenced by her chest.

[Border Reiver]

Nah, you're on the right internet.

Generally this site is reasonably polite and well mannered, much like the other forum I usually visit.  To be honest, if it was all really catty I'd probably leave, or just not get involved.

On topic, I don't think that we've seen anything risque on this site yet.  Blankets, hands, bras, or underwear have covered the naughty bits, and to be frank that's OK with me.  I don't need to see the "nudity" for titilation purposes in a comic.  I have my imagination if I really need to see that.

[bunnyThor]

On topic, I don't think that we've seen anything risque on this site yet.  Blankets, hands, bras, or underwear have covered the naughty bits, and to be frank that's OK with me.  I don't need to see the "nudity" for titilation purposes in a comic.  I have my imagination if I really need to see that.

For some of us, the goal is not titillation, but verisimilitude.

It's as if Marten got shot in the leg while the gang was walking home from the bar, and we never see any blood. In fact we never see the wound at all, because it's conveniently hidden behind mailboxes, trees, interposing characters, and dialog balloons.

Then the next strip, we cut to the emergency room, where Marten is all stabilized, bandaged, and being released, and everyone says "Wow, that was something else!"

(And then of course, since this is QC, it gets talked about for the next 30 strips, with everyone trying to discern the meaning of it all and/or blaming other people for their own behavior during the crisis, intercut with a few strips featuring antics by Hanners, Pintsize, and Winslow.)

-----

The whole point is purely theoretical because Jeph has said on multiple occasions that he not drawing any of the "naughty bits" ever, but it's always fun to trot it out and have a good discussion on the subject. 

[Econoline]

On topic, I don't think that we've seen anything risque on this site yet.  Blankets, hands, bras, or underwear have covered the naughty bits, and to be frank that's OK with me.  I don't need to see the "nudity" for titilation purposes in a comic.  I have my imagination if I really need to see that.

You forgot the beer bottles.

Actually, that one was a pretty funny way of hiding things...and hiding Faye's nipples with Sven's hands was, arguably, a clever compromise between nudity and prudery. But the whole "covering-people-with-blankets-during-&-after-sex" cliché strikes me as stupid--or at least silly--and gets very old very fast. (In those instances Jeph might as well have drawn black "CENSORED" bars covering the naughty bits.)

[dr. amy legit esq.]

in America views on sexuality are really polarized, either you adore it or you detest it*

*By which I mean depictions of sexuality as well as views on what is acceptable within sexuality**

**Because honestly, who isn't a slut in their own little fantasies?***

***I mean really, just think of the last thing you thought of while jacking it.****

****people can't even bend like that, dude. Come on.

See, that's why I love this most recent page--we're all sluts, deep down, and we know it...;P

[MC]

I read the comic to read a story. i don't read the comic to watch cartoon porn. And I might be a little weird but if people are turned on by naked cartoon characters than I say that's pretty sick. Frankly I'm pissed that QC is getting a little bit explicit.

[Border Reiver]

So I probably shouldn't mention that as an eight year old, I cheered for the hunter.  I like venison.

[Border Reiver]

Just following A Modest Proposal.

[Rygar]

@anyways:  Veal is great.


I support nudity for story support.  Superfluous nudity would come off as contrived.

New Orleans, USA

[Switchblade]

All I can say for sure is that this is an awful lot of furor over boobs which we don't actually see a majority of.   

They'll be calling this the Partial Boob Uproar of '08.

Will there be T-shirts? maybe a commemorative tote bag?

[bunnyThor]

All I can say for sure is that this is an awful lot of furor over boobs which we don't actually see a majority of.   

They'll be calling this the Partial Boob Uproar of '08.

Will there be T-shirts? maybe a commemorative tote bag?

There will be t-shirts, but if you ever take the t-shirt off, you will need someone behind you to cover your nipples with their hands.

[Is it cold in here?]

Here's a bizarre, fucked-up reason for agreeing with the way Jeph has chosen to do things.

If we play the game of thinking of the characters as if they were real people, how would we treat them? Well, we probably wouldn't stare at them in the locker room.

Artfully concealing the R-rated bits is a way of preserving the dignity of non-existent people. And heaven knows their dignity is already compromised enough! Getting stuck in air shafts, flipping out on someone's lawyer, making a suicide joke to Faye ... these fictional people need every little bit of respect we can spare.

[eronsynth]

Firstly: It's Jeph's comic, and as someone who runs a creative business as well I'm going to say about mine - if you want to start and manage something, build it from scratch and be the one making it grow and develop, THEN you can start making the Big Boy Decisions. Until then, shut your yap. And since I take that stance with my business, I'm going to avoid telling Jeph what he should and shouldn't do.

Personally, I'm not offended in the slightest by nudity. I don't think it has a place unless it's supported by the story. If his strip turned into the guest panel a few weeks back that was all about the boobies I personally probably wouldn't continue reading the strip BUT I'd still not be criticizing him or his right to draw whatever the hell he damn well pleases.

There's some comments that characters are "unrecognizable" from their original personas. From a literal standpoint that's semi-true (Jeph's artisitic ability has matured quite a bit and the characters now look MUCH different from the originals), and from the intended meaning of that statement I'd say it's very true.

Like real people, the characters in the strip have changed over time as a result of their experiences. At the strip's beginning, most of the characters barely knew each other and we've been seeing them get to know each other better. Some regulars have been pushed to the back burner, and some less-used characters have become prominent (most notably hanners) - Just like how things frequently happen in real life.

Just because simpsons, family guy and south park don't ever change (seriously, how long are those kids gonna be fourth graders?!?!?) doesn't mean that the QC characters shouldn't. I think I'd actually be more annoyed if they stayed static and you could tune out for a month at a time, come back and have them making the same indie band joke they made as you were leaving. Jeph's story evolves as its told and for the most part, that's a Good Thing. I *KINDA* wish the "cast" page got updated slightly more often just to keep it semi-current - but does it really matter? I visit to read the comic - the cast page just helps people adapt to it quicker.

Getting back to topic: So far, I can't understand why anyone would be offended at the amount of skin shown. Aside from the possibly offensive concept of sven's hands being the thing that's covering them up, there's no more skin shown than what's common on normally, socially acceptable TV - even in the comparatively puritan USA. As far as the sexual nature of things, it's still within PG-13 bounds (and possibly pg even) - and the name *IS* Questionable Content. Ultimately, if you don't like it, don't read it - that would make Jeph either change the style OR decide that he wants to continue doing it his way with a smaller reader base, but I have a feeling that it wouldn't shrink THAT much anyways... I for one am not going to stop reading it unless it just devolves into SexFest 2008 OR if the storylines get too boring and I'm just not interested anymore. And even if that happened and there was a mass exodus, there's a good chance other people who aren't interested in the current format would like the new one and it'd balance out anyways.

In short: Jeph can do what he wants. If you don't like it, find another comic that suits you... there's hundreds of them out there...

[Rocketman]

BEEG AMERICAN TEE TEES

[Switchblade]

No, Roman.. no. I have to go...  Roman, we went to the club last night.... Fine, we'll go look at some tee tees...

[bunnyThor]

Firstly: It's Jeph's comic, and as someone who runs a creative business as well I'm going to say about mine - if you want to start and manage something, build it from scratch and be the one making it grow and develop, THEN you can start making the Big Boy Decisions. Until then, shut your yap. And since I take that stance with my business, I'm going to avoid telling Jeph what he should and shouldn't do.

[...]

In short: Jeph can do what he wants. If you don't like it, find another comic that suits you... there's hundreds of them out there...

Why does someone always trot this out and show it off like it's a brand new pony?

We know that we are not telling, and should not be telling, Jeph what to do. Really. We do.

What we are doing is discussing what our preferences would be for our own idealized QC. It's no different than any other daydreaming, like "If I won the lottery..." or "If I could have any superpower..." or anything along those lines. The only difference is that in this forum, daydreaming about QC is both sanctioned and on-topic.

We are having a QC discussion in a QC discussion forum. We are well within the Terms of Service. Unless you are a mod, stop telling us not to discuss it.

[Man-Eating Eggplant]

Can I tell you not to discuss purple-coloured sticky notepads?

[himynameisjulien]

To quote 18-year-old pro skateboarder whose name I forget, "titties are tight".

[Nodaisho]

I was somewhat surprised when I saw the comic in question, just because it seems further than Jeph has gone before. There were beer bottles blocking them in the past, which cover even less, but that isn't someone touching them.

Oh, and I found something entertaining. Check the comment on the comic here: http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=108

I would say it has gotten more risque. Not that Jeph can't change his mind, but it is just interesting to look back at what someone said years ago and see how much of it came true.

[mustang6172]

I'm content to keep reading no matter how much or how little nudity Jeph uses.  It's just the waiting that I can't stand.  If he would just come out and say, "this is where I will set the limit," that would be great.

[ifoundmystar]

Here's a bizarre, fucked-up reason for agreeing with the way Jeph has chosen to do things.

If we play the game of thinking of the characters as if they were real people, how would we treat them? Well, we probably wouldn't stare at them in the locker room.

Artfully concealing the R-rated bits is a way of preserving the dignity of non-existent people. And heaven knows their dignity is already compromised enough! Getting stuck in air shafts, flipping out on someone's lawyer, making a suicide joke to Faye ... these fictional people need every little bit of respect we can spare.

I agree wholeheartedly. I like the covering up, because I feel like I can relate these characters to other people in my life. Like my brother. And if I ever had to see his wang, I'd vomit. And choke on said vomit. And maybe die. So, if nudity MUST be present, fine, I understand. But so far so good.

[bunnyThor]

Here's a bizarre, fucked-up reason for agreeing with the way Jeph has chosen to do things.

If we play the game of thinking of the characters as if they were real people, how would we treat them? Well, we probably wouldn't stare at them in the locker room.

If they were real people, we probably wouldn't follow them around every day and watch their every interaction.

But they aren't, and we do, so your reasoning is highly suspect at best. 

[Vendetagainst]

If they were real people, we probably wouldn't follow them around every day and watch their every interaction.

Obviously we have two very different ideas about what constitutes a healthy social life.

[Sylens21]

I agree with the hot chick.