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Tai - Pot

11 (13.8%)

Sven - Luuurrrve

24 (30%)

Marten - Zen

3 (3.8%)

Dora - Coffee

5 (6.3%)

Jim - Muffins

6 (7.5%)

Sam - Cane Toad Secretions

10 (12.5%)

Hannelore - Antiseptic Mouthwash

14 (17.5%)

Dale - Maple Syrup

7 (8.8%)

Total Members Voted: 74

[ASB84]

Count me in as someone who's glad to see a complication with Dora and Tai. And no, not because I hate happiness, or that I want nothing but drama, but narrative requires some form of conflict or complication, and we're picking up some dangling plot threads.

As far as Dora's attitude towards Sven and Faye are concerned, I haven't changed my mind. I think she went overboard with Sven, but have no problems with the way she handled the situation with Faye. To her point about her hand being forced, I think that's true of Faye, but not Sven. Faye messed up, and Dora was forced to make a tough decision. Not so much when it comes to Sven, though it doesn't help that his character was dumbed down a bit, seemingly to make a point about entitlement. A valid point mind you, but it did come at the expense of some established characteristics.

As for her reaction to Tai...I'm kind of in two minds. Dora obviously isn't handling her current situation well and snapping at Tai is her fault...mostly, sort of. I also think that Tai didn't exactly choose the best tact to broach the subject, pushing Dora's buttons in the process and inadvertently opening some fresh wounds. It's not necessarily a bad thing that she forced the issue, but that approach can backfire spectacularly. Dora wasn't right here, but she was provoked, albeit with good intentions.

Finally, I love the beat panel and the punchline; in my head, Dora is saying that very dryly and deadpan.

Dora completely ignored Tai's feelings and didn't even seem to realize they existed.

Agreed, though I think Tai is doing the same thing, to a certain extent.

[Kugai]

I think the next person on the Emotional Crash Train will be Dora.

Don't know why, but I just get the feeling that things are coming to a head with her as well.

[Aziraphale]

Mmm yummy Naan.

I don't know, but not denial. She's not pretending nothing happened, she's not refusing to acknowledge she made a choice, she's not even refusing to deal with problems. She's actively deciding that there are things she should not have to deal with. Specifically, other people's shit.

You've never walked away rather than get dragged down?

I've walked away before, but I'm not in the habit of burning bridges. I understand not everybody has the same pain threshold (and I also know mine's sometimes higher than perhaps it should be), but I guess the way I look at it, if someone's important enough to me that they're in my life to begin with -- and here I'm talking friends and close family -- I'd probably tread more carefully than she's done, even if (when) I've decided I needed some distance.

I think that Omega gets at something that was nagging at me as well:

With Dora, I think her continuingly pushing people who she feels undermine her authority is all tied into her control issues. Think about it. Sven seems to constantly cross the line where it comes to Dora and how she thinks he should behave. Faye crossed the line in regards to the employee-employer relationship, disrespecting the rules (and Dora) by her actions.

She feels out of control where it comes to them. However, by her actively pushing them away, it puts her in control of the situation in her mind, and forces -them- to come to -her- if they want to beg forgiveness from her.

Sven and Faye (the latter to a lesser extent) have done some really assholeish things. No argument there. But Dora's actions seem like those of someone who's been asked, or asked themselves, which is more important: control, or people. There's a similar dynamic there with Hannelore, at least as I read it. But both of them, faced with similar fears (and a massive overlay of anxiety issues and OCD on Hanners' part), come to drastically different conclusions: Dora maintains control, even if it means pushing away people who've meant a great deal to her, whereas Hanners is always -- albeit often tentatively -- reaching out to people, even though you know that on some level you know the control would be more comfortable, and surrendering that often freaks her out.

And think about how different their relationships are as a result; Dora stands to alienate people who love her because they disappoint her because she sets up situations and expectations where they're almost certain to disappoint, while Hanners has tended to draw people like moths to a flame because she generally takes people -- even people like her mother, who's no prizewinner -- as she finds them. Consciously or not, they seek out certain people and experiences that reinforce exactly what they were looking for, and are either terribly disappointed (Dora) or pleased (Hanners) by the results. Neither, however, should be surprised.

Of course, all of the preceding is colored by my own life and experiences; yours, and the interpretation that results, may vary.

[Elder Sign]

Ah, Dora.  I guess we can always count on her to shoot herself in the proverbial foot, even after making a logical choice.

First Faye/Angus, now maybe Dora/Tai ... is it just me, or is Jeph actively wrecking existing relationships in order to devote yet more squeetime (squeentime? ) to Claire/Marten?

Warning - while you were typing a new and probably better-reasoned reply was posted.  You may wish to conform better to local prevailing opinion in your first post.

[Aziraphale]

I think the next person on the Emotional Crash Train will be Dora.

Don't know why, but I just get the feeling that things are coming to a head with her as well.

Looks it; everything we've seen of her in her last several appearances points to that, and today's strip is either the beginning of things coming to a head, or yet another time that the Drama Genie gets corked back in the bottle, only to reappear -- larger and more imposing -- later.

[Is it cold in here?]

Could Dora be any further in denial?

I don't think denial is the right word.

Trying to just live with the things that bothered her didn't work, she kept losing her cool with Marten. Setting boundaries for Sven regarding the people around her didn't work, he's a grown man, he doesn't have to listen to her. So now she tries withdrawing from/pushing away the people who are upsetting her. From Dora's perspective that's a rational enough progression and it isn't as if she pushed Faye away forever. The door is still open.

Oh and by the way, thanks for the breadsticks photo, breadstick hentai is going to replace tentacle hentai as the stuff of my nightmares.

Well analyzed. "Denial" isn't the right word.

Where things went wrong from my perspective was when Tai said she was worried. Tai doesn't need to be pushed away as far as we know. Someone less rigid would have hugged Tai or talked things out. Rigidity isn't denial, it's often a necessary survival tactic, but it does compromise one's connection with reality in some of the same ways that denial does.

[Rghfrgl]

First Faye/Angus, now maybe Dora/Tai ... is it just me, or is Jeph actively wrecking existing relationships in order to devote yet more squeetime (squeentime? ) to Claire/Marten?

Depends if Marigold's baby Hanners dream was prophetic!

[cesariojpn]

She feels out of control where it comes to them. However, by her actively pushing them away, it puts her in control of the situation in her mind, and forces -them- to come to -her- if they want to beg forgiveness from her.

And the breakup with Marten was because.......he didn't want to be the bitch of the relationship?

Well, everyone who's been complaining about to much Clairten squee and not enough drama... there is your bomb.

Without drawing up too far into that mess, the biggest complaint i've seen about the last several Clariten strips was it was too ridiculously perfect. A little friction would've been okay in the discussion, to show that even thought the two of them are liking each other, there are gonna be some speed bumps here and there. That, or just shave off some of the dialogue and combine two strips into one strip and throw out another one of them.....I dunno, hurling puns while watching RWBY.

[TRVA123]

I really don't know what Dora means by Sven "forcing her hand". It makes a little more sense in regards to Faye, but there are so many other ways to phrase that.

She could have said "I can't get pulled into their drama right now" or "I've decided that Sven is toxic, and the thing with Faye is still too raw to talk to her now" Either of those things would have made more sense than "they forced my hand".

I am glad that Tai left when Dora snapped at her, but I also expect Tai to initiate the make-up talk. I don't see Tai as letting Dora stew in her own juices for too long. A heartfelt talk about boundaries (and maybe about Dora's motivation for the Sven thing) would be nice and refreshing.

[Tova]

If Dora continues to push away people who upset her, she will live a very lonely life.

[ReindeerFlotilla]

First Faye/Angus, now maybe Dora/Tai ... is it just me, or is Jeph actively wrecking existing relationships in order to devote yet more squeetime (squeentime? ) to Claire/Marten?

What the Antoine Fuqua?

They had what I believe is called "a spat." Not even a big one. I believe it is a bit early to claim Jeph is clearing the decks, and most illogical.

After all, happy couples have had the least screen time when they don't include Marten. It would be counter-productive, at best, to introduce drama that takes screen time away from Marten/Claire in order to make more time for Marten/Claire. For example, the two strip Chekov's gun of Dora keeping the Svenectomy from Tai was resolved with an off hand comment indicating that Dora simply told Tai and she accepted it.

It remains possible that Tai is upset her out of pure altruism, but it seems more likely that Tai's feelings were hurt, because she wasn't talking about what she seemed to be talking about at the end. And Dora admitted fault. Perhaps it is even obvious to Dora what Tai was talking about.

If this actually ends in a break up, it will be due to Dora having issues, pure and simple. This is not so much a drama bomb as it is a small firecracker.

[TRVA123]

It remains possible that Tai is upset her out of pure altruism, but it seems more likely that Tai's feelings were hurt, because she wasn't talking about what she seemed to be talking about at the end. And Dora admitted fault. Perhaps it is even obvious to Dora what Tai was talking about.

I was following you right up to this paragraph, then you lost me. Can you elaborate?

[ReindeerFlotilla]

Would it kill you to open up...

Look at the body language.

It seems possible that Tai was feeling the need for emotional connection, and Dora was obviously--in word and deed--being closed off.

Would it kill you to lay off...

In that context this is not a rejection of the inquiry. It is a rejection of Tai.

[ZoeB]

"Dragons live forever, but not so little boys".

My song is nearly over
All good things have their ends
But there are new beginnings
And Dragons find new friends
Puff plays with Suzie Alice
They laugh and have great fun
And Suzie's great-grandfather
Was Jacky Paper's son

(For those like me who prefer happy endings)

[BenRG]

Oh wow, Dora! Yeah, okay, Tai could have chosen a better way to handle this (pushy and tactless is in character for her) but she is right to worry about how defensive Dora has been - not trying to solve problems in her relationships but just trying to edit them out of her life. We've known since the time Dora was dating Marten how emotionally screwed up she has been by people hurting her. However, this was quite an insight into just how great a toll it's taking on her happiness.

Tai's reaction: "Would it kill you to open up a little?" seems, to me, to indicate a possible chilling of her relationship with Dora. Maybe, what has happened with Faye especially (IMHO, a permanent breach with Sven was inevitable) is a symptom of her increasingly withdrawing emotionally from everyone. Tai has handled this correctly by just backing off and letting tempers cool and come back to the issue later on. My worry is that Dora's issues may make her break up with Tai because, on a subconscious level, it seems less emotionally difficult. "Arguing with Tai hurts, so I need to cut her out of my life so I'm not hurt by it!"

It's quite possible that Dora is going to join Faye in the list of those who have finally got to come to terms with her demons and rebuild her life.

FWIW, I'm hoping that Tai and possibly Dora also make some kind of silly public reconciliation gesture. All the rest of the cast will be standing around wondering what the hell is going on. It would be a happy resolution that is in-character for Tai and maintains the general atmosphere of the strip.

[Reaver]

Dora completely ignored Tai's feelings and didn't even seem to realize they existed.

Tai did the exact same thing to Dora, ignoring her pain and instead implied she needed to lighten up and open up more to two people Dora feels have hurt her.

[CasAttack]

I knew strife between Tai and Dora was coming.

Thing is, Tai and Dora are opposites in truth. I figured this incident would highlight it best; for Tai, being drunk at work probably wouldn't have led to an immediate termination. Claire and Marten both pick up on Tai's general lack of giving a crap as long as people are doing their job and Claire has a very valid point about it being difficult to deal with someone who isn't passionate about their job. Dora on the other end has been easygoing as far as bosses go, but she owns a business, and being a business owner is such a precarious situation.

I feel it is a little unfair of Tai to have said what she did. Sven and Faye are two people, not "a lot", and I think it should be easy to see how Dora's feeling guilty and now alienated (even if by her own doing). Dora shouldn't have snapped of course, but I'm surprised there wasn't a little more effort made on Tai's part to crack Dora's shields.

[snubnose]

I just realized that Faye has been optimally positioned to get back to Sven. 

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN !!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOES !!!

[Akima]

But Dora's actions seem like those of someone who's been asked, or asked themselves, which is more important: control, or people.

Presenting a dichotomy like that is odd. "People" seems to be being defined as people other than Dora. Doesn't "people" include Dora? Are not her interests just as important as those of Sven and Faye? Is Dora being offered the same sort of consideration that people seem to be asking of her?

Dora completely ignored Tai's feelings and didn't even seem to realize they existed.

Tai did the exact same thing to Dora, ignoring her pain and instead implied she needed to lighten up and open up more to two people Dora feels have hurt her.

Just so. In both cases.

Oh wow, Dora! Yeah, okay, Tai could have chosen a better way to handle this (pushy and tactless is in character for her) but she is right to worry about how defensive Dora has been - not trying to solve problems in her relationships but just trying to edit them out of her life.

I'm not sure how Dora can "solve problems in her relationships" with Faye or Sven. Faye didn't come to work drunk, and drink on the job, because of Dora. Sven didn't become a douche because of Dora either. I'm not saying that some form of reconciliation is impossible, but I don't think either relationship has problems that can be solved.

[cesariojpn]

I knew strife between Tai and Dora was coming.

That, or it was a knee-jerk response to the Clariten complaints and it got pushed forward a bit.

[brown paper bag]

I said it before and I'll say it again: Dora is written to be as mean-spirited as possible and I don't think Jeph knows what to do with her anymore. Dora's character hasn't even displayed any real happiness since the days when she first flirted with Marten, and that period I attribute to a writer who didn't yet know how to portray realistic women. Almost all of Jeph's female characters started out as complete head-cases, but all of them except Dora have displayed positive character growth and development. Even Faye is trying to be a better person. Dora just treats her friends, lovers and family like shit and then runs and hides and cries when she's called on it. Come to think of it, when viewed in that light, Dora might be the most accurate and realistic portrayal of women that Jeph has ever written.(IICIH speaking. By the time I read that sentence, the author was already banned. But it's not too late to say that gross misogyny will be prevented in an inclusive space)

[valkygrrl]

Dora just treats her friends, lovers and family like shit and then runs and hides and cries when she's called on it. Come to think of it, when viewed in that light, Dora might be the most accurate and realistic portrayal of women that Jeph has ever written.

Excuse me sir, you seem to have dropped your fedora.

[BenRG]

But Dora's actions seem like those of someone who's been asked, or asked themselves, which is more important: control, or people.

Presenting a dichotomy like that is odd. "People" seems to be being defined as people other than Dora. Doesn't "people" include Dora? Are not her interests just as important as those of Sven and Faye? Is Dora being offered the same sort of consideration that people seem to be asking of her?

You're presenting a feature as a bug. The whole point of this argument is that Dora is creating the dichotomy, not others. She doesn't want to deal with her brother's entitlement issues. She doesn't want to take the initiative to rebuild the bridges with Faye. She seems to need to set the terms of her every interpersonal interaction. With her troubled (bordering on abused) background, this need isn't surprising. However, empathy for her troubles and understanding that Tai isn't exactly brilliant at getting through walls doesn't in any way change the fact that Dora has her own troubles to address.

Dora completely ignored Tai's feelings and didn't even seem to realize they existed.

Tai did the exact same thing to Dora, ignoring her pain and instead implied she needed to lighten up and open up more to two people Dora feels have hurt her.

Just so. In both cases.

Not entirely. As I've already said, Tai was clumsy about it but she clearly recognises that Dora is hurting and wants to help. It's just that Dora is not willing to allow anyone to see her pain and, as always, turns it into anger that she directs at those closest to her emotionally and, therefore, the ones she identifies as the greatest threat to her sense of total self-reliant control.

In Tai's defence, this is probably the first relationship she's been in that has had any emotional depth to it. All her prior relationships seem to have been polygamous and based mostly on lust and social hierarchies in the dormitories. She probably really is feeling her way in the dark in the current situation.

Oh wow, Dora! Yeah, okay, Tai could have chosen a better way to handle this (pushy and tactless is in character for her) but she is right to worry about how defensive Dora has been - not trying to solve problems in her relationships but just trying to edit them out of her life.

I'm not sure how Dora can "solve problems in her relationships" with Faye or Sven. Faye didn't come to work drunk, and drink on the job, because of Dora. Sven didn't become a douche because of Dora either. I'm not saying that some form of reconciliation is impossible, but I don't think either relationship has problems that can be solved.

She does it by reaching out.

Sven is Sven but I haven't seen any evidence of him being 'toxic'. Thoughtless and selfish but he genuinely cares for his sister and, if his timing with Faye sucked, there is no reasonable cause to believe he knew she and Angus were in trouble. That was just bad luck and I think Dora went off the deep end for no reason other than her entrenched resentment of "the more favoured son".

If Dora had said to Tai something like: "I want to still be Faye's friend but she is in a bad place now and I have to be careful; if the timing is bad, I could ruin our friendship forever," then I wouldn't have blinked. Dora is right to believe that any bridge-building must be when Faye is in the right place, emotionally. However, the way she put it, it made it genuinely seem that she was indifferent about Faye and that the ball is in her court about whether she wants to be Dora's friend. If I were Tai and I heard my SO describe one of their best friends in such a dismissive manner, I'd be worried too.

In the end, the most important line is: "Would it kill you to open up a little?" Tai feels that Dora is also editing her out of her life, in emotional terms. No amount of sex can get over a lack of emotional intimacy and Dora not being willing to share her emotions with Tai, especially after something as traumatic as what happend with Faye, is a bad sign

[KevxD]

Tai did the exact same thing to Dora, ignoring her pain and instead implied she needed to lighten up and open up more to two people Dora feels have hurt her.

My interpretation was Tai wanted Dora to open up to her

[brown paper bag]

Excuse me sir, you seem to have dropped your fedora.

Think about it for a minute. Jeph writes women who treat others like garbage all the time. Faye started out as a physically abusive bitch. Oh, and she dumped her boyfriend as soon as he tried to assert his needs. Tai tried to steal Marten's girlfriend on numerous occasions and had the audacity to snap at him when he called her out for dating Dora almost immediately after the breakup. Marigold was a constant asshole to a man who was practically a stranger because of his choice of MMO faction. Hannelore was a stalker on horse tranquilizers. Padma was Dora's shitty personality with a palette swap. Emily... Emily's whole personality is of someone who needs to be put somewhere safe and comfortable where she can't hurt herself.

You know, it's practically a Freudian statement by Jeph that the only girl he can imagine giving Marten a fair shot is functionally a dude(IICIH again. This all happened while I was asleep or away. That sentence was also over the line). It has the lingering scent of misogyny around it.

[hedgie]

Faye had her "wake-up" call after she woke up in the hospital.  Maybe this is time for one for Dora.

And Claire isn't a dude, but that's one for the mods.

[pwhodges]

You know, it's practically a Freudian statement by Jeph that the only girl he can imagine giving Marten a fair shot is functionally a dude. It has the lingering scent of misogyny around it.

Global Moderator Comment

You're on the edge of a precipice, and the soil is crumbling under your feet.

"functionally a dude"

First, Claire is a woman, always has been, and always will be.
Second, even considering your incorrect implication here, we don't know that, and never will.
Third, it's not our business to speculate on.
Fourth (and every other number), go to the Trans* thread in Discuss and learn something about what you're saying before it's too late.

[Emperor Norton]

Tai did the exact same thing to Dora, ignoring her pain and instead implied she needed to lighten up and open up more to two people Dora feels have hurt her.

My interpretation was Tai wanted Dora to open up to her

Bingo. I'm not sure how anyone interpreted that as Tai thinking Dora needed to open up to Faye and Sven.

Tai is annoyed that Dora is compartmentalizing her life away from her. Dora mentioned this before to Faye I believe in that she didn't want to include Tai in her drama because that is where there is no drama in her life.

The problem is, that really makes it seem like Dora does not take the relationship very seriously, since she isn't actually sharing her real life and feelings with her. And that is what Tai is asking for in this strip. And Dora shoots it down.

[Doc]

If it's not perfect, it's bad.

[brown paper bag]

Administrator Comment

This forum is a private place; responses like those spoilered below will not be tolerated. The reasons have been given many times and in many places, and even in the rules and stickies.

(click to show/hide)

First, Claire is a woman, always has been, and always will be.

In terms of identity, yes. Identity alone doesn't change the functional parts.

Second, even considering your incorrect implication here, we don't know that, and never will.

By the way the reveal scene is written, the the pre-op stage is implied by Claire's eyes pointed at the floor and general body language of resignation that the worst reaction will happen from Marten.

Third, it's not our business to speculate on.

No, you really mean that you don't allow the right to voice any speculation. Have the integrity to admit it. Forum moderators don't as yet have the power to deem what is thoughtcrime and punish accordingly.

Fourth (and every other number), go to the Trans* thread in Discuss and learn something about what you're saying before it's too late.

I know what it means to be trans. Any trans person is going to need a thick skin that can deflect far worse than anything I could say if they are to survive in this ignorant hateful world.

Administrator Comment

A second administrator chiming in. For those who are new here, please understand that those rules have a lot of thought and research behind them.

[Lubricus]

I know what it means to be trans. Any trans person is going to need a thick skin that can deflect far worse than anything I could say if they are to survive in this ignorant hateful world.

Sir, you live in a sad, sad world. Happily, other people interpret it differently.

[explicit]

I think the world's pretty nice... And people have tried murdering me (that's not hyperbole), so I think that gives a bit of weight to my opinion...

Thinking the world is already a bad place is no excuse for acting like a dick.

[bhtooefr]

No, you really mean that you don't allow the right to voice any speculation. Have the integrity to admit it. Forum moderators don't as yet have the power to deem what is thoughtcrime and punish accordingly.

No, you do not have that right in the context of a privately run forum: http://xkcd.com/1357/

Also, there are other interpretations of that scene. We don't know which one's correct, there are ways for any interpretation to actually fit, it's incredibly rude to speculate (and hurtful to trans people that have a lot of shit to deal with), speculation is not allowed here, and Jeph will never say what her status in that regard is.

[hedgie]

No, you really mean that you don't allow the right to voice any speculation. Have the integrity to admit it. Forum moderators don't as yet have the power to deem what is thoughtcrime and punish accordingly.

*cough* https://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,30194.0.html
*cough* https://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,25614.msg992602.html#msg992602

It's generally acceped practice to I dunno, *read* the FAQs and rules, and abide by them.  It's you're complaining about visiting another country, after being *given* a list of important rules and cultural considerations, then complaining when the local coppers take you in after you've broken them.

Administrator Comment

Thank you, well put. But it's more like having the locals put you on a plane back home.

[brown paper bag]

No, you really mean that you don't allow the right to voice any speculation. Have the integrity to admit it. Forum moderators don't as yet have the power to deem what is thoughtcrime and punish accordingly.

No, you do not have that right in the context of a privately run forum: http://xkcd.com/1357/

Rights are granted by the powerful to themselves and to the powerless. They don't exist as an objective thing. Of course I'm willing to be "shown the door" for what I say in place of honest disagreement and discussion. Doesn't prove anything beyond the fact that the powerful will initiate force against the powerless if the powerless say something uncomfortable and upsetting, regardless of whether there might be something worth talking about in it.

[explicit]

So everybody, what did we learn?   

[pwhodges]

regardless of whether there might be something worth talking about in it.

It's been talked about plenty, in the appropriate place - which I pointed you to.

[Aimless]

That is just the dumbest argument. People are sexually harassed in this hateful world, should we therefore allow milder sexual harassment on the forum? People are robbed in this Crappy world, should we therefore allow theft? People are abused in thousands of different ways in this terrible world, should we therefore expect them to let us just pee on them a little bit when they visit us at home? Would you accept being abused, robbed, defiled etc in your own home and without your consent? If your would, maybe you have a problem but you can't use the dickishness of other people in other contexts to justify Crappy behavior here. Now get with the goddamned program.

[Consilium]

And people have tried murdering me

Story time?   

[bhtooefr]

So everybody, what did we learn?   

Don't leave a brown paper bag full of shit on the doorstep of the QC forums?

Back to the comic, Tai probably doesn't even know why Dora's compartmentalizing away from her. Conversely, Dora doesn't seem to really get that Tai wants to date all of Dora. There's some real communication problems in that relationship.

And, I'm wondering if a breakup between Tai and Dora might make Dora realize that maybe, just maybe, therapy might be a good idea to go back to.

[hedgie]

Of course, I'd want to be nowhere in the proximity of said bag when it's hit with a banhammer, nor deal with the aftermath.

[Traptin]

You know, it does sort of make me sad that Jeph didn't ever do the one thing with Pintsize which would make things really interesting - find a character who is completely unphased by his crass humor, and can actually up the ante on him.  Every character I can think of has basically reacted in horror to Pintsize at one point or another.  It would be great to see his reaction if someone actually took the bait.  He might be left speechless.

Hasn't this already happened with Marten's mom in 1829?  Granted, we don't see Pintsize's reaction to her reaction to get goatse'd.

I didn't know what "goatse'd" and "goatse" were. So I googled pictures. Oh my God my eyes can't unsee can't unsee Noooooooooooooooo

[explicit]

And people have tried murdering me

Story time?   

Oh that is a horrible story! And best left to other parts of the forums, I believe I let some out here and there. Seeing as you asked and not wanting to get into it much in the WCDT, I'll simply say it was an (attempted) invasion of my home and I was beat over the head repeatedly with a rifle.

But we can move on now that no one is trying to be a jerk anymore.

[bhtooefr]

Hasn't this already happened with Marten's mom in 1829?  Granted, we don't see Pintsize's reaction to her reaction to get goatse'd.

The scary thing about that comic is that the Goatse guy's name really is Kirk.

[CM_albion]

Ok Jeph, we get it, Dora has issues, we understand!

you don't need to keep making her fuck up her own life to prove it too us.
Dora is a character i've always loved in this comic, but since the marten breakup she's been becoming more and more...bitch*. there was an upswing in non-bitchness when she got with Tia, but she's been crashing back down HARD in recent months.


*her laying off faye was entirely justified though, don't hold the action against her, just the way she dealt with it.

[bhtooefr]

People do realistically go into self-destructive spirals like Dora's doing. Or, like Faye was doing.

[ysth]

I didn't know what "goatse'd" and "goatse" were. So I googled pictures. Oh my God my eyes can't unsee can't unsee Noooooooooooooooo

[Consilium]

I didn't know what "goatse'd" and "goatse" were. So I googled pictures. Oh my God my eyes can't unsee can't unsee Noooooooooooooooo

I feel like "diet coke and mentos" and "gaping orifice" are two very different kinds of discovery.

[LeGrande]

Nat's been written out of the strip, according to this.

In that same sentence, he said he wrote out any chance at happiness for Marten. Since Jeph obviously changed his mind about that, there is a possibility that some of the minor characters would come back from their bus trip.

I've always envisioned those characters coming back on the very last strip, whenever that is. Either as a cameo, or maybe only Sara comes back and strips 12-present are just a dream: Marten wakes up, the strip is drawn in the early first style. (Explained: as Marten dreamt, things got more vivid and colorful in his mind.)  Marten learns from his dream that he should be bolder, and he asks Sara out. She says yes, and they walk off in the sunset hand in hand as the iris closes.

It would be a cheesy ending, but one I'd approve of. 

[Consilium]

He's also said that he's very much opposed to the "it was all a dream" trope, for what it's worth