Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

MARTY. DANCEY. NOW.

1 (0.9%)

I'll have one of whatever he was...

0 (0%)

SAVE YOURSELF!

0 (0%)

Make it two.

2 (1.7%)

That's it, lil' bird. Spread your wings and fly!

2 (1.7%)

...Straight into a jet engine.

2 (1.7%)

Dual Conversations!

1 (0.9%)

Magnets or double-sided tape?

3 (2.6%)

"I always just REACT to things, you know?"

1 (0.9%)

The "does this dress make me look fat" thing

2 (1.7%)

DJ Tai Fighter does good!

0 (0%)

Secret Wine!

1 (0.9%)

Keep you up all night with his mischief.

2 (1.7%)

Hanners Muzzles Faye!

10 (8.5%)

YELLING!

14 (12%)

Band Talk.

0 (0%)

Oh, who are we kidding? TEH KISSES!!!!!!!!!11!!!

76 (65%)

Total Members Voted: 108

[NotAwesomeAnymore]

Ma'am (and I believe I'm using the right pronoun there, if not, my apologies), you can call it annoying all you want, but it won't make it any less true.

Men have a more linear "get from point A to point B" thought process. Women, in general, aren't as concerned about getting from point A to point B as they are about how they feel about point C.

I don't read that as anything other than saying women are logically impaired.

[VonKleist]

How many of you (besides me) thought Padma and Marten's hands are too close not  to be touching?  Yeah, they're off screen, but c'mon...

Hehe. I mostly try to keep from reading too much into stuff like that, but yea, that got me too!

[Throg]

So Faye calls Tai "small one", to her face, with a head pat, and no one's hollering "ZOMG CONDESCENSION!" ?     

Chances are looking good Marten might possibly get a bit lucky -- if Pintsize / Faye / Dora / the need for a punchline / Eliot / Steve doesn't screw it up. 

On second thought, the odds are stacked against the poor dude...

[Is it cold in here?]

Does Hannelore have superhuman reflexes due to genetic engineering? Angus said he'd literally never seen a human move that fast.

I think I see the root of some disagreement: if the correct answer to "Does this dress make me look fat?" were "Don't worry, dear, you look wonderful" then it could be chalked up to mastering social skills. For those who have been fortunate enough to be spared it, and decent enough not to come up with it on their own, there's a variant that involves taking offense at any possible answer.

[Black Sword]

It seems Marten has become genre savvy enough about his role in Jeph's universe (aka cosmic plaything) that he knows his creator will grant him neither reprieve nor mercy. Which is too bad because I really wanted Marten to get some sweet, sweet Padma loving.

Poor Marten. *pats poor lad on the back*

EDIT: Wait one angry-thread-filled-with-gender-rants-and-recriminations minute, where did Tai go? Our little polyamorous friend declined to join in shenanigans fueled by secret wine?!?! I cannot approve.

[Soulsynger]

Ma'am (and I believe I'm using the right pronoun there, if not, my apologies), you can call it annoying all you want, but it won't make it any less true.

Men have a more linear "get from point A to point B" thought process. Women, in general, aren't as concerned about getting from point A to point B as they are about how they feel about point C.

I don't read that as anything other than saying women are logically impaired.

[ ... ] there's a variant that involves taking offense at any possible answer.

I disagree with jwhouk. Any generalizing theory defeats the purpose of the discussion at hand... which in turn ultimately seems to be searching for a generalizing theory... to me, by logic, this entire discussion is (and always was) senseless/absurd now ... °_o

Aaaaaaand I'm out.

edit:
Why is Tai always gone? ...

[iduguphergrave]

Jeez guys. A character doesn't need to be in every single panel  for us to know they're there. Jeph established Tai was there with the first two panels and figures we're smart enough to just assume she's there from then on. I guess he overestimated some people. Why should he waste time drawing her if she has no reason to be in the panel?

[stoutfiles]

So Faye calls Tai "small one", to her face, with a head pat, and no one's hollering "ZOMG CONDESCENSION!" ?     

Chances are looking good Marten might possibly get a bit lucky -- if Pintsize / Faye / Dora / the need for a punchline / Eliot / Steve doesn't screw it up. 

On second thought, the odds are stacked against the poor dude...

Well, she said it as a compliment and she's physically taller and larger than Tai.  I would also argue that girls don't mind as much being small, if Faye was referred to as "fat one" by a skinnier character she wouldn't take it as well.  Guys in general don't like being called "lil guy", especially by girls.  Might as well just say "you're pretty pathetic and I'm not attracted to you at all".  Unless adults that are comparable to little kids is a turn on, lil guy is not a compliment.

If Padma does hook up with Marten it would be pretty slutty of her, and crappy of her since word would get back to Elliot.  "Hey, I don't like you, but I slept with that guy you confessed your secret to and who advised you to confess your feelings to me.  Haha!"  Then again, I don't think much of her anyway so whatever.

[Dust]

Also, Tai is the only sober person in today's strip!?  

She finally beat the Sucker Rule.

And Hanners seem to know what's next in Panel 4.. more evidence for her Time powers.

[Is it cold in here?]

Dora called Tai "my favorite tiny person". If Tai's not offended, then I'm not.

[Method of Madness]

Re: "Does this dress make me look fat?"

I think we can all agree that there's at least one wrong answer: "It's not the dress."

[Interlude]

If Padma does hook up with Marten it would be pretty slutty of her, and crappy of her since word would get back to Elliot.  "Hey, I don't like you, but I slept with that guy you confessed your secret to and who advised you to confess your feelings to me.  Haha!"  Then again, I don't think much of her anyway so whatever.

I don't think there's any reason to bring Elliot into this. It's between Marten and Padma. On the other hand, I have no idea why anyone would act as if he's either going to get "lucky" or he's NOT going to get "lucky" due to some ill-fated intervention. (Or because Jeph likes toying with him.) They barely know each other. They have only participated in a few activities outside of her work environment. None of these have even been official dates. We have no idea what she is thinking, and she has shown no clear signs of liking Marten in that way. (I'm not saying that she doesn't, but right now it is all speculation.) Not to mention the fact that she is moving. So why on earth would anyone be pushing for them to have sex? Luckily, Marten does not have that attitude. I think he would be happy just having a special moment with someone he likes. I do hope he gets that, even though I really don't like Padma.

[Soulsynger]

Is it just me or is anyone else seeing something - for lack of a better word - "romantic" in that look Marten and Padma exchange in Panel 1? (Or is she looking past Marten to where speech is happening? I'm not sure.)

[cesariojpn]

Secret wine.......lemme guess, Faye has a huge glass bottle in her closet with fermented dollar store grape juice and bakers yeast in it with a retort?

[Overkillengine]

Here I thought this was just perfectly normal stuff to gripe about. I guess I just imagined all those women complaining about how inexpressive their men were, how stubborn and unwilling to directly ask for help etc etc. I must be off my meds.

Count the postings in this thread complaining about women. Then count the posts in which there are "all those women complaining" about men. Oh wait, there's only my single posting. The "normality" of this complaining seems rather skewed, don't you think?

See, always asking questions we can't answer.

Hee hee...    On the contrary, it is a question you don't need to answer!

Well, please keep in mind the conditions under which the dialogue you are referring in this forum is occurring. This is a place where a male might possibly be able to vent frustration at seemingly illogical/arbitrary expectations for communication with the opposite gender - without facing undue castigation for daring to be anything other than a confident alpha male; like they would if they expressed the same frustration in a face to face encounter. Also, demographics bias or something. It's possible there might just be a lot of male readers of this comic, who knows?

Many men have to live with the fear of screwing up communication with a woman and not getting to even express it in any manner considered socially acceptable [for a male] in "real life" on a constant basis; so there can be quite an outpouring when they are finally in a situation where consequence is far more lenient; after all, one can just make another forum account.

Also, more big words to make me feel smarterer. 

So I'll use the oft referred to example: You could be with one of the sweetest, most wonderful women you've ever been with.....who also happens to be 5'0" and 300 lbs, and she'll still ask that damned question, which forces a man to either lie, evade, or hurt her feelings. Yes, we can understand the intent of the question, but the execution is borderline sadistic. That's what is so frustrating to so many of us- there are far better ways to get the desired results from us without doing that.

[pendrake]

For comic #2054...

1. Hah, another "gag" gag for Faye.  I could get used to this running gag (as funny humor, you perverted minds who thought such "other" things even before finishing reading this).

2. The "gag" gag was made even funnier by Hannelore being the one to do it this time.  It is great to see Hanners able to be so bold against our southern punching belle.

3. Three out of four characters now have drunk bubbles. We know Tai does not handle her drinking well, and the four are heading back to Marten & Faye's place for "secret wine"...  One or more characters may be headed towards a pantless morning...

4. @Soulsynger...  Looking at panel #1 again, it could go either way.  Marten is looking at Padma, yes.  But Padma could be looking at either Hannelore or meeting Marten's eyes.  Only Jeph knows for sure.  And Tai may not be gone, but the rum always is.

5. And I just saw Jeph's Manga Studio fun-draw with a Fart-chan "shoujo"(?)in his Tumblr.  Stupid Shinji, confessing to a worshipper of Warhammer's Khorne gets you naught but unsatisfying slaughter.  Confessing to one of Slaanesh on the other hand...well, still slaughter (welcome to Warhammer, Fantasy &/or 40,000), but at least you might get some pleasure out of it.



6. "Does this dress make me look fat?"

 a. Yes, it does!  Remove it immediately, for we must have torrid sweaty sex to erase its image from both our minds!

 b. No, it does not.  Remove it immediately, for now we must now have torrid sweaty sex.

 c. Yes, it does.  This is good, for no others may have temptful, desirous thoughts about you but me.

 d. No, it does not.  [while tightly encircling her with both arms from behind] Change into one that does, for you are mine.

 e. Yes, it does.  I leave the room now to go slay the fashion designer whose dress has impugned your figure and honor.

 f. No, dear.  It makes me look fat.  *breaks down, both-hands-covering-face sobbing* baaaa huh huh huhhh...waaah huh huh uhhh

[TRVA123]

It bothers me that the people in the gender discussion seem to be looking at everyone as a woman (or man) first, and as a person second.

People are different. Some people play mind games, some people don't. I don't think this is restricted to either gender. I've known both men and women who thought differently, or from a very emotional perspective, just as I've known women and men who are highly logical. I don't associate their thinking modes with their gender.

While there are some things that society pushes on a person's gender, just as there are some things society pushes on a specific race or nationality, I don't think its fair to say that that behavior is part of a persons nature. (is it true that white people, by their very nature, can't dance? or that men, by their very nature, can fix cars?)

There probably is a fair amount of women who ask "does this make me look fat?" because they've been told by society that "you're a women, and women ask this question" But there are also women who ask that question because the structure of the dress might not be that flattering to their body, and they want a second opinion. Preferably the opinion of someone who has seen them in a variety of settings and who isn't selling the dress to them.

[Tova]

On the topic of Hannelore's reflexes, it seems to me that Hannelore saw what was coming back in panel 4. She is preparing the gag in the very next panel. Why else do you think Marten is thanking her? He saw it coming as well.

[Overkillengine]

Re: Gender discussion

It is what it is.

I don't like it either, thus why I take the effort to try to explain why asking someone a question they will get punished for answering truthfully, untruthfully, or not all, is not exactly the most constructive way to obtain the desired results.

Yes, it would be nice if man knew his woman well enough to know ahead to time what the desired result is when she asks such a thing. Just as it would be nice if a  woman knew her man well enough to not need to ask in the first place.

But neither gender is born able to read minds. Which confounds the whole thing when different individuals are seeking different results with the same question.

---------

OK, time to get on topic for the comic: Hannelore's timing for saving people from even more embarrassment at Faye's hands is wonderfully impeccable. Is it part of her psychic powers?

[Near Lurker]

Count the postings in this thread complaining about women. Then count the posts in which there are "all those women complaining" about men. Oh wait, there's only my single posting. The "normality" of this complaining seems rather skewed, don't you think?

It's a webcomic forum.  Count the posts that are by women, and square it.

[StevenC]

It took me some time to notice that the last panel is not two panels next to each other. So I was asking myself why Marten thanked Hanners before she did anything.

[Tova]

It took me some time to notice that the last panel is not two panels next to each other. So I was asking myself why Marten thanked Hanners before she did anything.

Ooops! I only just realised that myself. 

[GeoCorn]

I really don't think Faye needs any more alcohol in her system today... lol

[Kugai]

On the topic of Hannelore's reflexes, it seems to me that Hannelore saw what was coming back in panel 4. She is preparing the gag in the very next panel. Why else do you think Marten is thanking her? He saw it coming as well.

Hmmmmm.  Does that make them FayePsychic?


And one has to be grateful for Hanners reflexes.

[idontunderstand]

Concerning genders, mind reading and whatnot...

Most couples expect the other to understand stuff implicitly, male or female. One example... my girlfriend asked me to "think about dinner", which I did. What she didn't say, and what she actually meant, was: "plan dinner, go grocery shopping and make dinner", which I didn't. Another example: We were sitting on the couch, and I wanted her to give me the playstation controller so I could play some playstation, so I said "I feel like playing some playstation", by which I actually meant: "can you hand me the controller", since it was laying right next to her and I couldn't reach it. In both cases it ended with us feeling that the other was selfish, careless, etc... but it was just that I expected her to think like me, and she did the same. Which is a pretty serious mistake. She doesn't play playstation and I don't (I shamefully admit) often make dinner.

On the whole though, I'm pretty sure women on the whole communicate less straightforwardly and more through unspoken things that both parties somehow take for granted, than men do. I don't know why, it might be that society expect girls to communicate like that and expect men to just straight up say what they want, but it's the truth. I wouldn't necessarily say it's biological.

And the "let women be women and men be men" sentiment really smells worse than a dead racoon in a sauna. Let's leave such ideas where they belong: In the 1930s.

[Akima]

On the topic of Hannelore's reflexes, it seems to me that Hannelore saw what was coming back in panel 4. She is preparing the gag in the very next panel. Why else do you think Marten is thanking her? He saw it coming as well.

I wondered that too, based on Hanners' facial expression. Whether she was simply reacting to the "stuff Pintsize in the cupbord" remark, or foreseeing trouble ahead. Either way, Hanners still moved very quickly. She didn't get any "off-screen" time to prepare. The reading order of the speech-bubbles in the last panel is a bit tricky, especially with that strong vertical line in the middle tending to direct the eye down from Padma's line to Marten's, but I can't think of another layout that would work better.

[Tova]

Yeah, I agree that there probably isn't a better layout - it was just that vertical line that fooled me into thinking it was two panels.

[Is it cold in here?]

Generalizations about any group which includes both Paris Hilton and Marie Curie are doomed from the start.

[jwhouk]

Ma'am (and I believe I'm using the right pronoun there, if not, my apologies), you can call it annoying all you want, but it won't make it any less true.

Men have a more linear "get from point A to point B" thought process. Women, in general, aren't as concerned about getting from point A to point B as they are about how they feel about point C.

I don't read that as anything other than saying women are logically impaired.

No, they aren't, just as men aren't "feelings impaired". In the US, at least, men haven't been "taught" to be concerned about feelings, just as (it seems, anyways) that women haven't been "taught" to have a linear thought process.

A lot of the problems that come up from this issue, though, do tend to diminish when people talk to each other - without judging or jumping to conclusions.

(Psst: don't go there, I'm a counselor. Really.)

[jwhouk]

How drunk will Marten get?
Dancing Fool Drunk.    - 19 (23.5%)
Drunker than Faye.    - 8 (9.9%)
Sucker Rule Violation Drunk.    - 10 (12.3%)
Attempted Makeout with Faye Drunk.    - 6 (7.4%)
Attempted Makeout with Tai Drunk.    - 6 (7.4%)
Hospitalized (trying to drunk makeout with Hanners).    - 5 (6.2%)
Everclear drunk.    - 1 (1.2%)
Raven drunk (two Shirley Temples).    - 7 (8.6%)
Waffle House drunk.    - 10 (12.3%)
MOAR BUTTS!!!!!1!!1    - 9 (11.1%)

Total Voters: 81

[Carl-E]

Secret wine.......lemme guess, Faye has a huge glass bottle in her closet with fermented dollar store grape juice and bakers yeast in it with a retort?

Have you ever smelled something of that sort?  It would not  be a secret. 


Tai's probably packing up, and will meet them at their place later for wine...

...aaand who knows what she'll interrupt. 

[Tova]

Perhaps a bottle of rosé instead.

[iduguphergrave]

Secret wine.......lemme guess, Faye has a huge glass bottle in her closet with fermented dollar store grape juice and bakers yeast in it with a retort?

Have you ever smelled something of that sort?  It would not  be a secret. 


Tai's probably packing up, and will meet them at their place later for wine...

...aaand who knows what she'll interrupt. 

I'm guessing Faye's wine is somewhat akin to this.

Probably learned how to make it in prison, too.

[jwhouk]

And yes, we have a new poll.

[Tova]

That's remarkably symmetrical. Probably won't be that way much longer, though.

[Overkillengine]

That's remarkably symmetrical. Probably won't be that way much longer, though.

I felt compelled to vote on the center one for that very reason.

Must...keep...symmetry.

And now someone had to go and ruin it. *eye tic*

[Method of Madness]

It is what it is.

Am I the only person who hates this phrase?  Anytime someone says this about something inconvenient or undesirable, it never fails to come off as saying "sure it sucks, but since I'm not willing to do anything about it, you shouldn't be either."

[Overkillengine]

I hate the situations that make me use it more.


And it's not a lack of willingness, more like a lack of ability to change anything on a meaningful scale and not really knowing where to begin as well.

[jwhouk]

Perhaps a bottle of rosé instead.

Good, someone picked up on the reference.

"Marten and Dora were out the door-a already in the summer of 20-oh-five..."

EDIT: Oh, and you guys really should go look up International Exports Ltd. in Milwaukee. It's a fun place to go.

(click to show/hide)

(If you can find it)

[Wreck Smurfy]

Yeah, I agree that there probably isn't a better layout - it was just that vertical line that fooled me into thinking it was two panels.

I must admit, I read the strip this morning, didn't get it, and had to come back this evening. I throw myself on the mercy of the court that I've been feeling pretty crappy all day.

[akronnick]

Secret wine.......lemme guess, Faye has a huge glass bottle in her closet with fermented dollar store grape juice and bakers yeast in it with a retort?

Have you ever smelled something of that sort?  It would not  be a secret. 

Especially after the huge glass bottle explodes.

[Dust]

Secret wine.......lemme guess, Faye has a huge glass bottle in her closet with fermented dollar store grape juice and bakers yeast in it with a retort?

Have you ever smelled something of that sort?  It would not  be a secret. 

Especially after the huge glass bottle explodes.

That's when it becomes a Chateau Surprisé.

[Vurogj]

How many of you (besides me) thought Padma and Marten's hands are too close not  to be touching?  Yeah, they're off screen, but c'mon...

As an aside, in the sketch layer for panel 4 (or 5? the last panel anyway), Padma was stood slightly further away from Marten. I have to assume Jeph moved her over when he realised what her arm was pointing directly at...

[jwhouk]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Responses like that are ... nah, won't go there.

Anyways - I do wonder what the "secret wine" is. Shoulda put "Grape Kool-aid" as an option.

[Moonsaves]

Perhaps it's a nice bottle of chianti.

With some fava beans.

[snubnose]

Dialogue in a scene is always read left to right, top to bottom.

So if a dialogue box is, as in the last panel, at the bottom, it happends last.

[Soulsynger]

I don't think people are comic-reading impaired since yesterday, they just mistook a set of straight lines in a panel for a gutter and read accordingly. (comic gutters... a topic I think Jeph found one of the most elegant solutions I've found on the web to.)

[guayec]

is anyone looking at the ustream channel where jeph is drawing? omg omg omg omg!!!!  

[pwhodges]

Jeph did warn in the chat that a spoiler was coming up - though at the time the stream wasn't streaming at all...

[pwhodges]

Good idea; note the second quote in my sig...  Not that sense is what will come, I suppose.