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Whatever happened to Pintsize?

41 (37.6%)

Faye's story v.2.0.?

21 (19.3%)

Student, Girlfriend, Librarian or some combination of all three? Claire's Dilemma?

11 (10.1%)

How do you come back from firing your best friend?

20 (18.3%)

Something completely new (give your idea in a comment, plz)?

0 (0%)

"Marten, how would you feel about having three dads?"

16 (14.7%)

Total Members Voted: 99

Voting closed: 04 Feb 2015, 06:23

[Aziraphale]

By the art, the only possible explanation is that is his bedroom door. Or possibly another door in their small apartment that we have never seen (I don't think we've ever seen the wall the the left of the couch), but that option seems unlikely. (maybe its the rumpus room).

[ASB84]

I'm honestly surprised by how many people here have complained about Claire and Marten's "saccharine" relationship.

It's a different kind of relationshio Marten's ever had, yes. I say let the man be happy, I don't think we've ever seen him in a relationship that good. Neither has he ever started another relationship without major drama (Dora and Padma). This time, the problem is elsewhere.

In a similar, although MUCH smaller, situation of Marten helping Faye, Dora freaked out. Claire is giving him complete support. That right there is what an awesome relationship is.

As part of the minority who has expressed that opinion, I'll try to elaborate, though I obviously can't speak for my fellow posters who do hold similar views.

I don't disagree that the relationship is different. I think that it makes perfect sense, is true to the characters and the situation, and it's nice to see these two characters happy. No argument here.

What I'm referring to is my tastes as a reader. I don't like to think of myself as jaded, and I can appreciate some cuteness and heartwarming moments as much as the next person, but in the case of the date arc...it was just a bit too much. Too cutesy-poo, a bit too corny and saccharine. I'm not saying it's wrong or that others can't enjoy that, but it's a matter of taste, and for some of us, it Tastes Like Diabetes (to borrow the title TV Tropes has coined).

It's not about not wanting Marten to be happy, or thinking that it's inappropriate, or anything like that. I can certainly appreciate the context and why the arc was like that, but I still found it off-putting because it was just too cutesy for me. AprilArcus also used the word "tedious", and I'd be inclined to agree with that, too. Like I said, not every conversation has to be deep, not every arc needs to be serious and dramatic, but that arc - which ran for over a week - seemed to eschew any meaningful character development or humour in favour of cute picture after cute picture. And a lot of people loved that, so fair enough. I acknowledge that I'm in the minority here. But nevertheless, it was too much cutesy for my tastes.

To sum up, it's not about the relationship itself, but the presentation and storytelling, and personal tastes/preferences as a reader. It's the same as other readers not liking the Yelling Bird strips, or being more annoyed than amused by Pintsize's antics, or having an aversion to Faye and/or Dora. While I enjoy the fact that comedic works can be heartwarming, profound, and provide interesting commentary in addition to being funny, there needs to be balance and above all, humour should be used to cut through the treacle lest it become too sappy. For me, the date arc ended up feeling too sappy and (to borrow April's word once again), tedious. Not because it didn't make sense or because it dared to show the characters being happy, but because the way it played out didn't suit my tastes as a reader.

For the majority who loved it, fantastic. By all means love the hell out of it. For those of us who it didn't appeal to or wanted something more substantial, it wasn't our favourite arc. Can't please everyone.

[hedgie]

I think that I'm finally willing to properly weigh-in on whether or not they're "moving too fast".  Granted, when they got together, they said that they'd be taking it slow, and one or both may have hesitation as to it being Claire's first time.  But really, they have the right to change their minds, same as any real people. 

Now, there would be some amusement if Pintsize hung the "Happy Arbor Day" banner prematurely, but I just hope that the next time we see them, there is either squee, or character-growth, or both.

[Aziraphale]

Likewise not speaking for everyone on the forum who liked it, but at least for me their relationship rings true in some respects. I've had relationships where I fell irrationally hard for people I knew probably about as well as Claire and Marten know each other (and some where I fell for someone I knew much less than that). In the early going, sometimes it is saccharine, because you're still at the stage where there's things you don't know, and the things that will eventually drive you nuts are still endearingly quirky. They'll have their bumps in the road soon enough, I'd wager. But just like couples in my day-to-day life -- whether they've just gotten together and are still in the honeymoon phase, or they've been together for donkey's years but still haven't forgotten what they love about each other and can still be silly/saccharine/dopey around each other from time to time -- if I see somebody who's happy where they are, with whomever makes 'em happy, I figure why not roll with the punches? Life's too damn short to be serious all the time, or to begrudge someone else whatever happiness, joy, or simple contentment they can find.

Just my $.02 worth.

[ASB84]

Likewise not speaking for everyone on the forum who liked it, but at least for me their relationship rings true in some respects. I've had relationships where I fell irrationally hard for people I knew probably about as well as Claire and Marten know each other (and some where I fell for someone I knew much less than that). In the early going, sometimes it is saccharine, because you're still at the stage where there's things you don't know, and the things that will eventually drive you nuts are still endearingly quirky. They'll have their bumps in the road soon enough, I'd wager. But just like couples in my day-to-day life -- whether they've just gotten together and are still in the honeymoon phase, or they've been together for donkey's years but still haven't forgotten what they love about each other and can still be silly/saccharine/dopey around each other from time to time -- if I see somebody who's happy where they are, with whomever makes 'em happy, I figure why not roll with the punches? Life's too damn short to be serious all the time, or to begrudge someone else whatever happiness, joy, or simple contentment they can find.

Just my $.02 worth.

Absolutely, and I don't dispute the realism of the situation. I just have a different take on whether that arc was enjoyable to read, based on my personal taste.

[WareWolf]

I may be stating the obvious here, and it's probably been stated before, but:

Jeph Jacques  is a goddamn genius storyteller. He can  get people so involved in his stories and his characters that they get into arguments (or at least vigorous discussions) about them. As a storyteller myself*, I am truly in awe.



*ten novels, five traditionally published and five self published. Im also the father of a trans kid, so I won't identify myself any further until they say it's okay.

[jmucchiello]

The hallway does not have chair rail,

Panel 1, behind Claire is a chair rail and I'm pretty sure she's standing in the hallway outside the apartment.

[explicit]

I think the way he develops characters is a lot better than his storytelling. Not saying his storytelling is bad or anything, but the strength of QC has always been about the characters to me. They seem real and they're relate-able. When I think about the comic I think, "I can't wait to see what the characters do next" not, "I can't wait to see where the story is going." It's a subtle difference for sure and ultimately leads to Jeph being great at what he does regardless, but I just wanted my opinion on that to be shown (don't throw rocks at me).

[AprilArcus]

I don't like any of the purely happy, uncomplicated relationships in the strip. Dale/Marigold or Dora/Tai or Penny/Will either. Marten/Faye, Marten/Dora, Faye/Sven, Faye/Angus, even the mostly offscreen Tai/Experiments-in-non-monogamy all feel more interesting to me, because there is both attraction and conflict; push and pull. Witness:

• Faye wants Marten but misses her chance with him because she can't get over her fear of rejection and abandonment.
• Dora wants Marten but can't convince herself that he wants her back.
• Marten likes Dora but can't cope with her hot personality and is sort of just going with the flow instead of actively seeking out what he wants.
• Faye craves Sven physically but can't stand his personality.
• Faye establishes a connection with Angus that is superficially pleasurable and emotionally distant enough to be in her comfort zone, but not actually safe or fulfilling in any way.
• Sven falls for Faye in a way that completely contradicts everything he knows about his role in relationships.
• Tai craves monogamy, but pushes herself to be in open relationships because it's the cultural norm she's immersed in.

These are dynamic relationships. There are two forces in conflict, both strongly felt, and not easily resolved. They produce a lot of interest and drama whenever they are on-panel. Whereas...

• Wil wants Penny and he just needs to get over himself and ask her out.
• Penny wants Wil but doesn't respect him unless he has a job, so he gets a job, and now she respects him.
• Marigold wants Dale and Dale wants Marigold and Momo sets them up and they fucked like rabbits.
• Tai wants Dora. Tai asks Dora out. They have a lot in common and get along great.

These just don't hold up. They are one-note; there are no layers or contradictions or anything to dig through as a reader.

Marten and Claire were on the first list from strip 2205 to strip 2808. There was a lot to talk about! Marten was Zen and Claire was firey. Claire was driven and Marten was a slacker. Marten was musical and Claire didn't really appreciate his taste. Claire was way into Marten physically and terrified to make a move. Marten was experimenting with casual sex and being miserable about it. They seemed like a good fit on some levels and a bad fit on others, and so it seemed like there was some dramatic potential.

Since 2808, all the tension has gone out of the relationship. Claire seems to have lost most of her personaity. All pull, no push. I don't object to the relationship on principal because I don't think it needs to be written that way, but that's what we're getting so far.

[hedgie]

There's nothing from preventing any of these relationships from going sideways.  Clinton would obviously be a potential thorn in the the side of Claireten, and with Dora/Tai, it still may be in the "honeymoon period".   Dora still has her control issues, even if she's working on them.

I think the way he develops characters is a lot better than his storytelling. Not saying his storytelling is bad or anything, but the strength of QC has always been about the characters to me. They seem real and they're relate-able. When I think about the comic I think, "I can't wait to see what the characters do next" not, "I can't wait to see where the story is going." It's a subtle difference for sure and ultimately leads to Jeph being great at what he does regardless, but I just wanted my opinion on that to be shown (don't throw rocks at me).

It's a slice of life comic, so the characters and world-building tend to *make* the story, rather than some epic plot.  It's like I could probably outline the whole plot of "Totoro" in one sentence, but it'd be seriously selling the film short.  It's the character interactions, and the world that really create the piece.

[explicit]

Yeah, I wanted to use the phrase slice-of-life but haven't gotten around to it. Also, everyone keeps telling me to watch that, but I never have as of yet.

And as far as the relationships go I agree with what Hedgie was alluding to. Just because things haven't gone bad does not mean they won't. Also, there's only so much you can put into the story, lots of characters have basically been written out because there's already too little time to go around.

[Omega Entity]

The hallway does not have chair rail,

Panel 1, behind Claire is a chair rail and I'm pretty sure she's standing in the hallway outside the apartment.

Pretty sure that's the floor, a piece of molding, and the back wall of the hallway, judging by the ceiling line.

[AprilArcus]

Just because things haven't gone bad does not mean they won't.

I don't want things to go badly for Claire and Marten, I want to see their relationship illuminate something new about them.

[TieDyeKat]

Of course, that's completely ignoring the obvious issue of Claire being a ginger.

I hope Marten has his medical insurance up to date, I seem to recall him being a bleeder.

 

What a cutting remark.  How spicy.

[Half Empty Coffee Cup]

Marten and Claire were on the first list from strip 2205 to strip 2808. There was a lot to talk about! Marten was Zen and Claire was firey. Claire was driven and Marten was a slacker. Marten was musical and Claire didn't really appreciate his taste. Claire was way into Marten physically and terrified to make a move. Marten was experimenting with casual sex and being miserable about it. They seemed like a good fit on some levels and a bad fit on others, and so it seemed like there was some dramatic potential.

$10 says this comes back with a vengeance at some point.

[HannahRose]

I don't like any of the purely happy, uncomplicated relationships in the strip. Dale/Marigold or Dora/Tai or Penny/Will either. Marten/Faye, Marten/Dora, Faye/Sven, Faye/Angus, even the mostly offscreen Tai/Experiments-in-non-monogamy all feel more interesting to me, because there is both attraction and conflict; push and pull. Witness:

• Faye wants Marten but misses her chance with him because she can't get over her fear of rejection and abandonment.
• Dora wants Marten but can't convince herself that he wants her back.
• Marten likes Dora but can't cope with her hot personality and is sort of just going with the flow instead of actively seeking out what he wants.
• Faye craves Sven physically but can't stand his personality.
• Faye establishes a connection with Angus that is superficially pleasurable and emotionally distant enough to be in her comfort zone, but not actually safe or fulfilling in any way.
• Sven falls for Faye in a way that completely contradicts everything he knows about his role in relationships.
• Tai craves monogamy, but pushes herself to be in open relationships because it's the cultural norm she's immersed in.

These are dynamic relationships. There are two forces in conflict, both strongly felt, and not easily resolved. They produce a lot of interest and drama whenever they are on-panel. Whereas...

• Wil wants Penny and he just needs to get over himself and ask her out.
• Penny wants Wil but doesn't respect him unless he has a job, so he gets a job, and now she respects him.
• Marigold wants Dale and Dale wants Marigold and Momo sets them up and they fucked like rabbits.
• Tai wants Dora. Tai asks Dora out. They have a lot in common and get along great.

These just don't hold up. They are one-note; there are no layers or contradictions or anything to dig through as a reader.

Marten and Claire were on the first list from strip 2205 to strip 2808. There was a lot to talk about! Marten was Zen and Claire was firey. Claire was driven and Marten was a slacker. Marten was musical and Claire didn't really appreciate his taste. Claire was way into Marten physically and terrified to make a move. Marten was experimenting with casual sex and being miserable about it. They seemed like a good fit on some level and a bad fit on others, and so it seemed like there was some dramatic potential.

Since 2808, all the tension has gone out of the relationship. Claire seems to have lost most of her personaity. All pull, no push. I don't object to the relationship on principal because I don't think it needs to be written that way, but that's what we're getting so far.

On the other hand, Claire and Marten really haven't been together that long, and are likely still in the "OH MY GOD THIS NEW RELATIONSHIP IS SO NEW AND AMAZING AND NEW" stage, so it's not surprising that everything still seems to be rainbows for them. As for Claire's perceived personality changes (I personally don't see them, but I guess other people do), she's probably trusting Marten to navigate the ship out of the port, so to speak, and so is letting up on the "push" part, at least for a while. I suspect that if/when we ever do see friction between Claire and Marten for whatever reason, she'll be all kinds of assertive, and possibly a little bratty, which will no doubt collide with Marten's chillness. (For now though, I'm quite happy with the squee inducing material thank you very much.)

Tai and Dora aren't necessarily a no drama couple either. We haven't seen what's going to happen between them with the whole Sven thing yet. We don't know how Tai will feel about that, and chances are that it may very well be their first major fight. We shall just have to wait and see.

As for Maridale.. well they just seem made for each other, literally. Most people know at least one perfect match couple in their lives, who if they fight, never fight for long, or over anything truly significant. I suspect that that's the case with Maridale. Their insecurities and hobbies alike all fit so perfectly together, that it's hard for friction to develop. They're also not really main characters, and much like Penny and Wil, we haven't seen much of them beyond the occasional sighting of Dale at CoD, or Marigold with Hanners. Frankly, we don't really need to see very much of them. Short of major drama, they're simply not important enough that Jeph needs to display every single little tiff or disagreement that they have.

In short, just give it time, you'll get your character conflict eventually. I think that a lot of people tend to forget that even though it's been months for us in real time, it's only really been a few days for the characters of QC, so if there's a lack of drama, or cuteness, or whatever, the drought will feel a lot longer than it actually is. Plus, we've been getting all the drama we need already from the Faye/Angus ark for the last.. oh wow, around 80 pages, with the occasional interlude for Claireten cuteness. Additional conflict would have just made things overly complicated imo. I suspect now that the Fangus fallout seems to be nearing its end though, next up will be Faye/Sven, and/or Dora telling Tai about her decision about Sven, and Tai's reaction. Heck, we may even get Claireten drama (though I sincerely doubt it this soon into their blossoming relationship that Jeph has clearly been setting up since the wedding ark, at the very least).

For now though, all that we can really do is wait, and remember that not everything has to be love triangles, polyamory struggles, and/or sexual cravings all the time for it to be interesting.

[hedgie]

Well-put.  You expanded on the point that I was trying to make, and said it better, and more in-depth.

[Kugai]

Quite frankly, I think a lot of you here are trying to overanalise things.

Sometimes, life just happens - good or bad.  Yes, we try to control things as much as possible, and most of the time it works out, but sometimes things sneak up on you without you realising it and smack you right in the face.

Nothing wrong with that, nothing right.  Just the way things go sometimes

Why shouldn't things in Jephs fictional world, which is for all intents and purposes, a 'Slice o' Life' comic at its most basic level happen the same way as well.



OK, Philosophical Rant over with.

[hedgie]

Some of us who have seen the comic early got bored and started navel-gazing?

[AprilArcus]

Quite frankly, I think a lot of you here are trying to overanalise things.

Why, I never!

[HannahRose]

What's wrong with over analyzing? Making simple things complicated can be a ton o' fun sometimes.

[TheEvilDog]

Marten and Claire were on the first list from strip 2205 to strip 2808. There was a lot to talk about! Marten was Zen and Claire was firey. Claire was driven and Marten was a slacker. Marten was musical and Claire didn't really appreciate his taste. Claire was way into Marten physically and terrified to make a move. Marten was experimenting with casual sex and being miserable about it. They seemed like a good fit on some levels and a bad fit on others, and so it seemed like there was some dramatic potential.

$10 says this comes back with a vengeance at some point.

Yeah, I'd like for them to be happy and to gain something positive from this relationship, but at the same time, I just can't see them lasting.

Warning - while you were typing 2 new replies have been posted. You may wish to travel back in time and eliminate the competition

[ReindeerFlotilla]

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[Zebediah]

Quite frankly, I think a lot of you here are trying to overanalise things.

That's what bandicoots do best! 

[greywolfe]

Quite frankly, I think a lot of you here are trying to overanalise things.

I apparently have the self control of a monk not to make a bad spelling pun here...

[hedgie]

I thought that bandicoots were canonically best at transporting people through hell.

Edit:  And the fun thing is the spelling pun works both in US and Commonwealth English.

[Emperor Norton]

The hallway does not have chair rail,

Panel 1, behind Claire is a chair rail and I'm pretty sure she's standing in the hallway outside the apartment.

Pretty sure that's the floor, a piece of molding, and the back wall of the hallway, judging by the ceiling line.

Yep.

[Mr. Black Licorice]

I think the way he develops characters is a lot better than his storytelling. Not saying his storytelling is bad or anything, but the strength of QC has always been about the characters to me. They seem real and they're relate-able. When I think about the comic I think, "I can't wait to see what the characters do next" not, "I can't wait to see where the story is going." It's a subtle difference for sure and ultimately leads to Jeph being great at what he does regardless, but I just wanted my opinion on that to be shown (don't throw rocks at me).

BOO - HISS! *throws rocks* 

[Zebediah]

I thought that bandicoots were canonically best at transporting people through hell.

No, that's just a hobby.

[Mr. Black Licorice]

What's wrong with over analyzing? Making simple things complicated can be a ton o' fun sometimes.

I can understand and appreciate this when it comes casual interactions... but when it comes to dealing with the public at a professional capacity, complicated can turn hair gray.

[Omega Entity]

What's wrong with over analyzing? Making simple things complicated can be a ton o' fun sometimes.

I can understand and appreciate this when it comes casual interactions... but when it comes to dealing with the public at a professional capacity, complicated can turn hair gray.

Forget gray hair. It's 'break out the anti-anxiety meds and anti-depressants' for me 

[hedgie]

Same here.  I tend to take a rather big cocktail of both, +mood stabilisers.

[SubaruStephen]

What's wrong with over analyzing? Making simple things complicated can be a ton o' fun sometimes.

I can understand and appreciate this when it comes casual interactions... but when it comes to dealing with the public at a professional capacity, complicated can turn hair gray.

Forget gray hair. It's 'break out the anti-anxiety meds and anti-depressants' for me 

In my case it's cause for hermitism

[Rghfrgl]

There's nothing from preventing any of these relationships from going sideways.  Clinton would obviously be a potential thorn in the the side of Claireten, and with Dora/Tai, it still may be in the "honeymoon period".   Dora still has her control issues, even if she's working on them.

I think the Tai and Dora drama seeds have been planted when she didn't tell her about Sven. Tai being a escape from her life instead of part of it.

[AprilArcus]

I think the Tai and Dora drama seeds have been planted when she didn't tell her about Sven. Tai being a escape from her life instead of part of it.

It's been a hundred strips since then! I'm ready for the other shoe to drop.

[Neko_Ali]

I think the Tai and Dora drama seeds have been planted when she didn't tell her about Sven. Tai being a escape from her life instead of part of it.

It's been a hundred strips since then! I'm ready for the other shoe to drop.

The Shoe of Damocles?

[Coffee_Kaioken]

 I suspect that if/when we ever do see friction between Claire and Marten for whatever reason, she'll be all kinds of assertive, and possibly a little bratty, which will no doubt collide with Marten's chillness.

The first thing coming to mind is her seriousness about working in a library vs. Marten's attitude of "It's a job, I'm just going with it". I'd worry if someone just as passionate about libraries walked in one day.

[jwhouk]

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

...Didn't I say that about three pages back? 

[hedgie]

Claire's a library nerd, Marten's a music nerd.  Sometimes *not* having some things in common at the basic level is healthier for relationships.  If two people for whom "it's just like fucking a mirror" get together (personality-wise, not looks), it tends to exacerbate certain flaws.

[Zalder]

Comic's up, and there's nakedness!  Man that girl is freckly.

[TieDyeKat]

Well buddy.

[jwhouk]

Comi...

Oh.

Uhm, well.

Yeah.

Nice use of hair and panel framing.

[jwhouk]

...

[vforvancouver]

What happened to Claire's eyes in panel 2?

[valkygrrl]

Eerie flashbacks to my first time.

Also, she was wearing pink shorts under her dress?

[Isyrion]

I.....uh.....oh screw it.  AWWWWWWWWW that is to damn sweet and adorable. 

[TheEvilDog]

Cue the deafening by squee In three, two, one

[Ph2]

Heh, butts.

[hedgie]

Gawds, nudity and sexy times and it won't fucking load?  Whyyyyyyyyy?

[jwhouk]

...

Uhm.

Wow.

Yeah.

I do notice that Marten's eyes never leave hers.

(Oh, and she's looking down in panel 2...)