Topic: I'm calling it right now: long-distance relationship. (Read 20582 times)

TheTrojanVabbit · « **on:** 14 Oct 2011, 00:16 »

I signed up just to call this one. It's totally obvious. Padma has already intimated that her move to LA might not be permanant; she might move back once her grandmother dies. They'll go for the long-distance relationship, which I can tell you from experience is a terrible idea. To have but not to have is absolute torture. This will allow Martin to have a girlfriend (because it's about bloody time) but still be miserable (because that's what drives the comic).

VonKleist · « **Reply #1 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 00:24 »

Naw, no way.

20 bucks says it´s no gonna happen!

snubnose · « **Reply #2 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 02:36 »

So far all Padma did was accepting Marten as a friend.

She has not shown any interest into him as a boyfriend.

She is probably completely oblivious to Marten just as she was to Elliot.

Welu · « **Reply #3 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 03:46 »

Marten's had a girlfriend for most of the strip so it's not really "about bloody time". He's getting there but still not totally over his last relationship.

I'd guess they might stay in contact online or phone if Padma needs someone to talk to about her grandma, but she has tSB crew for that if she needs it. She's shown to hang out with Renee if she feels she can't talk to Elliot. Although if she's moving to take care of her very sick grandma, then I doubt a new serious friendship, nevermind a romantic relationship and moving away from her family, would be on her mind, especially after her grandma dies which could be weeks, months, years away.

Paranoid · « **Reply #4 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 03:51 »

Personally I think Jeph's setting Marten up to hope for something to happen between the two of them, just to have the rug pulled out from under him when she turns to Elliot during a time of crisis.

TinPenguin · « **Reply #5 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 04:01 »

Eh, it's not like Marten is in love with her, as far as the comic implies. He's just attracted to her, because why not? She's a friendly, pretty lady. But she's moving away. Bummer. Too bad.

I think the lesson Marten learned from chasing someone across the country would probably also apply to his willingness to embrace a long-distance relationship.

Carl-E · « **Reply #6 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 04:02 »

Quote from: Paranoid on 14 Oct 2011, 03:51

Personally I think Jeph's setting Marten up to hope for something to happen between the two of them, just to have the rug pulled out from under him when she turns to Elliot during a time of crisis.

Gaaah, you're really living up to your name...

Soulsynger · « **Reply #7 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 04:08 »

Quote from: TheTrojanVabbit on 14 Oct 2011, 00:16

They'll go for the long-distance relationship, which I can tell you from experience is a terrible idea. To have but not to have is absolute torture.

And I can tell you from experience that it is an awesome idea if you handle it with care and ease. It was the most comfortable relationship I've ever had.

Quote from: TheTrojanVabbit on 14 Oct 2011, 00:16

This will allow Martin to have a girlfriend (because it's about bloody time) but still be miserable (because that's what drives the comic).

Woah, if Marten were real, he'd bleed from his eyesockets after reading this one. Harsh truth, man, harsh truth.

@Paranoid:
Nah, that'd be too cheezy for Jeph. Padma would surely turn toward Rene or Faye...

Black Sword · « **Reply #8 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 06:48 »

Quote from: Carl-E on 14 Oct 2011, 04:02

Quote from: Paranoid on 14 Oct 2011, 03:51
Personally I think Jeph's setting Marten up to hope for something to happen between the two of them, just to have the rug pulled out from under him when she turns to Elliot during a time of crisis.

Gaaah, you're really living up to your name...

To be fair to Paranoid, Jeph wrote in his tumblr thingy that he has written out any possibility of Marten's happiness. Of course, the possibility exists he is not being [ur=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LyingCreatorl]truthful[/url], or may just be teasing us.

Paranoid · « **Reply #9 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 07:01 »

Quote from: Carl-E on 14 Oct 2011, 04:02

Quote from: Paranoid on 14 Oct 2011, 03:51
Personally I think Jeph's setting Marten up to hope for something to happen between the two of them, just to have the rug pulled out from under him when she turns to Elliot during a time of crisis.

Gaaah, you're really living up to your name...

Why thank you.

Quote from: Black Sword on 14 Oct 2011, 06:48

To be fair to Paranoid, Jeph wrote in his tumblr thingy that he has written out any possibility of Marten's happiness. Of course, the possibility exists he is not being truthful, or may just be teasing us.

Yeah, pretty much my thoughts. While I expect Jeph was kidding (slightly!) about his comment, I also can't help but notice that if ever there was a perfect example of the woobie in Questionable Content, Marten would be it.

Kugai · « **Reply #10 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 13:02 »

Marten will end his days as a single, lonely, crotchety old grouch sitting on the porch and yelling at the kids to get off his lawn.

Is it cold in here? · « **Reply #11 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 13:27 »

Or Faye could finally go Five Fingers of Death on him.

SomeCanadianWeirdo · « **Reply #12 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 13:38 »

Nah, Marten will end up with Tortura. They will have lots of wild sex and many children.

Mr_Rose · « **Reply #13 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 14:49 »

Quote from: SomeCanadianWeirdo on 14 Oct 2011, 13:38

Nah, Marten will end up with Tortura. They will have lots of wild sex and many children.

But he will never be truly happy knowing that Steve "got there first."

wrwight · « **Reply #14 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 16:11 »

OR, Marten could be stuck forever in his 20s, along with the rest of the main cast, like Family Circus or The Simpsons or Garfield, etc. It's hard for me to tell if any of the characters have aged, 'cause the art changes so much.

DSL · « **Reply #15 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 18:47 »

The QC Circus? I can see Pintsize doing the dotted -line path through mayhem and Hannelore having two invisible clones, Not Me and Ida Know.

wrwight · « **Reply #16 on:** 14 Oct 2011, 23:10 »

Hah! I totally want this to be drawn now. It's too bad I have no skills of an artist.

idontunderstand · « **Reply #17 on:** 15 Oct 2011, 00:06 »

I can say from experience that long-distance relationships don't have to be miserable in the least. It might make Marten miserable though.

TinPenguin · « **Reply #18 on:** 15 Oct 2011, 02:41 »

You're right, they don't have to be. But speaking from my experience, long-distance relationships do pretty much suck when neither partner has much in the way of money. And a librarian and bakery worker probably aren't exactly rolling in it. Combine that with the fact Padma will be busy looking after Grandma, and it's not going to work out well.

In general, they also work best when the couple have been together (or at least known each other) for a while. If you're just starting out getting to know someone, trying to keep a relationship together over long-distance is difficult.

Kugai · « **Reply #19 on:** 15 Oct 2011, 12:45 »

Yeah, but it will probably turn out that Padma's Grandma is actually a wealthy socialite who lives on Russian Hill and has more money than God and Padma is her favorite relative and leaves half her fortune to her along with the private jet.

akronnick · « **Reply #20 on:** 15 Oct 2011, 13:59 »

Maybe if Sven was interested in Padma, but this is Marten we're talking about.

Penheart · « **Reply #21 on:** 15 Oct 2011, 17:30 »

Jeff probably is trying to bridge the gap so that both we and Martin can feel over Dora and Martin and not to actually start a new relationship. Really don't think I love the thought of Padma and Martin. I don't know why but I think that they would work better as friends.

TinPenguin · « **Reply #22 on:** 16 Oct 2011, 06:10 »

Just occurred to me that one portmanteau of their names could be "Parten", which is fitting, since partin' is what they'll be doing.

wrwight · « **Reply #23 on:** 16 Oct 2011, 06:13 »

So, would either "Madman" or "Madmen" be a possibility here as well?

pwhodges · « **Reply #24 on:** 16 Oct 2011, 09:37 »

Quote from: Penheart on 15 Oct 2011, 17:30

Jeff probably is trying to bridge the gap so that both we and Martin can [...]

We like to have names spelt correctly here, please. Marten, not being real, might not care; but Jeph is real, and does like his name spelt right.

themacnut · « **Reply #25 on:** 16 Oct 2011, 16:08 »

Nah, there will be no girlfriend for Marten anytime soon, long distance or otherwise. Marten has had lousy luck with romantic prospects all through the comic and Padma's no exception, what with her overall obliviousness, his "rivalry" with Elliot, and her impending move.

Dora's no exception either; sure it started well, but ended badly.

Soulsynger · « **Reply #26 on:** 17 Oct 2011, 02:51 »

Quote from: themacnut on 16 Oct 2011, 16:08

Nah, there will be no girlfriend for Marten anytime soon, long distance or otherwise.

Not sure if this comic can keep its readers if Jeph decides to keep Marten out of romantic trouble/drama for a longer time...
Also not sure if this Marten can keep its composition if Jeph decides to keep it out of oggling material and/or hopeless romantic trouble/drama for a longer time...

idontunderstand · « **Reply #27 on:** 17 Oct 2011, 03:29 »

Aw come on. They're going DANCING. You know what means, right? Right?

...

BUTTSEKS

Or yeah, no. No. Beh.

Soulsynger · « **Reply #28 on:** 17 Oct 2011, 04:25 »

Quote from: idontunderstand on 17 Oct 2011, 03:29

...

BUTTSEKS

Or yeah, no. No. Beh.

Ladies and (especially) gentlemen: The butts disease has started spreading. Lock up your pets and children!

idontunderstand · « **Reply #29 on:** 17 Oct 2011, 13:39 »

OH GOD DAMN THIS DISEASE

Kugai · « **Reply #30 on:** 17 Oct 2011, 13:43 »

SOMEONE NOTIFY CDC!

DSL · « **Reply #31 on:** 17 Oct 2011, 16:16 »

Just: Turn the other cheek.

Lubricus · « **Reply #32 on:** 18 Oct 2011, 05:01 »

Quote from: DSL on 17 Oct 2011, 16:16

Just: Turn the other cheek.

You don't mean buttcheek, do you?

Carl-E · « **Reply #33 on:** 18 Oct 2011, 05:57 »

Really?

Blackjoker · « **Reply #34 on:** 19 Oct 2011, 07:01 »

Quote from: Soulsynger on 17 Oct 2011, 02:51

Quote from: themacnut on 16 Oct 2011, 16:08
Nah, there will be no girlfriend for Marten anytime soon, long distance or otherwise.

Not sure if this comic can keep its readers if Jeph decides to keep Marten out of romantic trouble/drama for a longer time...
Also not sure if this Marten can keep its composition if Jeph decides to keep it out of oggling material and/or hopeless romantic trouble/drama for a longer time...

While I'm guessing you're just joking Marten starting a new relationship hits a rather large logistical snag. It involves adding another female member to the cast. That in and of itself isn't a bad thing but it leads to an inevitable problem, if the relationship lasts for any given period then said character will begin to form bonds with other people in the cast and also become liked by at least some of the forum. If the relationship fails then Jeph has added another new character that he has to write for and plot for. Marten is, at least in theory, the main character of the strip (though these days it seems that it's more ensemble with Marten and the characters directly linked to him primarily receding a bit IE Steve) and while drama in his life can make a good story it can also create frustration on the part of the readers. The closest I've come to giving up on the comic where when Martens mother came to visit him after the breakup, in fact that arc caused me to pretty much come to the conclusion that personal esteem and ambition were pretty much shouted and humiliated out of Marten at a young age.

benji · « **Reply #35 on:** 19 Oct 2011, 10:06 »

The logistics of adding new characters didn't stop Jeph from adding an entirely new setting (The Secret Bakery) with several characters who have featured heavily in several story lines. I doubt he'd let it stop him from introducing more characters if the story demanded.

PS. Marten's romantic trouble was introduced as a theme in #3. It has pretty consistently been a theme ever since. I would be surprised if Jeph decided from this point on that this comic just wasn't about that.

themacnut · « **Reply #36 on:** 20 Oct 2011, 21:14 »

Oh I never said Marten would never have any more romantic troubles or drama. It's just that his romantic troubles and drama would mainly be about his inability to get another girlfriend. He'll come so close, only to have the possibility snatched away at the last second like Lucy with Charlie Brown's football.

benji · « **Reply #37 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 09:39 »

I'm guessing that's where the current arc is going. Because of the Dave thing, Marten won't make a move on Padme before she leaves. She seems impulsive enough to make a move on him, but (a) she would probably only want something casual, since she's leaving and just looking to have some fun in the meantime and (b) if she does make a move, Marten may be too flustered to say yes.

pwhodges · « **Reply #38 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 09:50 »

Dave?? Do you mean Elliot? (and it's Padma.)

DSL · « **Reply #39 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 10:02 »

Quote from: themacnut on 20 Oct 2011, 21:14

.... He'll come so close, only to lose his nerve and watch the opportunity fade away like Cleveland Browns football.

FYP.

Carl-E · « **Reply #40 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 10:04 »

Marten wasn't directly "in" on the Dave thing. That was Steve and Meena.

benji · « **Reply #41 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 10:36 »

I mean Elliot. I just took a Hebrew midterm. Every proper name looks like either David, Moshe, or Avraham to me.

idontunderstand · « **Reply #42 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 12:10 »

Elliot is more like Goliath to me.

jwhouk · « **Reply #43 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 13:20 »

Except without the potty-mouth, long beard and bad attitude.

Kugai · « **Reply #44 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 16:45 »

Quote from: idontunderstand on 21 Oct 2011, 12:10

Elliot is more like Goliath to me.

I thought he looked more Human than Gargoyle

*Sticks hands in pockets and wanders off whistling innocently*

IMMANotListening · « **Reply #45 on:** 22 Oct 2011, 06:16 »

Going back to Marten for a second:

I don't think it'll lead to a long-distance relationship. At least I hope it doesn't. I know Marten's pain is one of the main driving points of the comic but if anything, this should be a valuable and growing experience for him...hopefully. He'll definitely have romantic troubles and drama but I don't think he'll be jumping on the relationship band wagon anytime soon.

idontunderstand · « **Reply #46 on:** 22 Oct 2011, 08:14 »

I'm sad to say your references (?) are completely lost on me.

GeoCorn · « **Reply #47 on:** 23 Oct 2011, 11:53 »

In real world time it's probably only been a couple months since he split with Dora... So I can't imagine him ready to get in another relationship yet, long distance or otherwise. But I certainly hope Jeph was joking about Marten's happiness.

pwhodges · « **Reply #48 on:** 23 Oct 2011, 12:05 »

Before he wrote The Talk, Jeph had a plan for the future and ending of the comic, in which The Talk cleared the way for Faye and Marten to get together. The Talk, and the realisation that he now wanted to keep the comic running as it was now his main source of income, changed all that, so that he now lets the story develop as it seems to want to (in his mind); this is explained in the Afterword of Volume 2.

I suspect that the remark about there being no chance of happiness for Marten was more that he couldn't see it coming from the way things stand, with a memory of the feeling that if Marten did get finally settled that comic would have to end. In fact this is no longer true, of course, as there are now so many other characters; the comic could quite naturally shift to developing their stories instead, maybe with a happy Marten dispensing wisdom in the background.

Kugai · « **Reply #49 on:** 23 Oct 2011, 16:43 »

Hmmmm

Marten as the wise old sage of the QCverse - An interesting thought

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: I'm calling it right now: long-distance relationship. (Read 20582 times)