THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: bunnyThor on 20 Mar 2011, 20:18
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Some folks will call this heresy. I call it character discussion.
From time to time, Jeph runs out of things he wants to do with a character and they go away. Some, like Raven, leave with an explanation of where they have gone and why. Others like Amir or Sarah, just disappear one day and never show up again.
From the current cast, which character do you most hope Jeph will weary of and put on the shelf for an indeterminate period of time? Feel free to explain the merits of your choice, that's what the thread is for. And don't worry about potential problems with "group dynamics" or "focus of the strip" or "plot consequences". Go with your heart instead. Who do you want to see erased?
(And no saying "I love love love them all!" One of them has to bug you more than the others. Be honest.)
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I don't really like this business of writing out characters.
Pintsize is the character I dislike the most, but I guess he gives Jeph a break from human drama now & again.
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Closely related thread from a while back (http://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,22805.0.html).
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Unfortunately, the person I was going to vote for here has her name misspelled...
Cosette (not Collette) is currently my least favorite character. Not so much for her "fundamental characteristics", whatever those may be (the "cursed" gag seems to have run its course) but more because of her most recent appearances. Her possessiveness of Steve while concurrently cowing him just hit too close to home - one of my first girlfriends in college, and we'll just leave it at that. :-P
Edit: After posting I finished reading that other thread, and noticed that Jeph locked it. I guess we need to tread here with care - there were a few people who were pretty flippant in that other thread. Now, BunnyThor likes being contrarian, but he makes a good point - and I think giving your reasons (without being nasty for the sake of nastiness) may keep this thread from lockdown.
Maybe not.
We'll see, I'm gonna leave this up.
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I'd honestly rather see some characters on the bus back into town. I really liked Dale and Amir, and I want an update on Deathmole (maybe see them jam w/ Sven?)
But, to actually answer your question: Probably Martins Mom. For some reason this recent visit from Ms. Reed just rubbed me the wrong way, which is funny, as the first time she visited I liked her a lot.
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You forgot the "Luv 'em all" option.
Obviously I don't like all of them equally, but I will not vote for a removal of any of them.
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I chose Colette because I have no idea who she is, so I doubt I'd miss her even if she were written out....
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As can be seen from the previous time it ran, this thread is likely to end up simply as a recitation of all the characters being disliked in turn. The former thread happened to get locked when it descended to mild sexual innuendo, but my guess is that Jeph was going to lock it anyway because of the accumulation of negativity towards each of his creations.
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Edit: After posting I finished reading that other thread, and noticed that Jeph locked it. I guess we need to tread here with care - there were a few people who were pretty flippant in that other thread. Now, BunnyThor likes being contrarian, but he makes a good point - and I think giving your reasons (without being nasty for the sake of nastiness) may keep this thread from lockdown.
(moderator)
One thing I'd advise is keeping the discussion in terms of what the readers prefer, as BunnyThor started the thread. Changing that into telling Jeph what to do would be a clear foul.
(/moderator)
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As characters by themselves, I'd say Steve and/or Cosette. But as they are in the storyline, they're all pretty vital at the moment. And Steve has gone through his disappearance(s) and reappearance(s). Since the comic of Cosette's introduction she has been pretty creepy overall in my opinion. But there needs to be more development in her before I could really decide that for sure.
So, for now... none.
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I would probably say Steve, myself. After he got dumped and disappeared for god-knows-how-many comics, I can't say I really missed him.
I wouldn't mind actually seeing Raven make a comeback, though. She was cool.
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Cosette was the easy choice just cause she's new and I'm not attached to her yet--I wouldn't care too much if she were written off.
I personally am bored by Pintsize's antics most of the time (my reaction whenever there's a robot-only update is "oh dammit, a filler comic"), but I don't think he could go without QC losing a rather major part of what it is. So I wouldn't really go that route.
I would actually.... kind of like it if Hannelore or Angus were to disappear. I'm very nonchalantly disposed towards Hannelore--I don't dislike her, but don't particularly care about her either, and all the adoration of her on the forums (and the way the comic itself seems to demand that we LOVE HER) kind of pushes me the other way. I'm not saying I'd want her spitefully gone, but I might well find QC refreshing without her and the by-now predictable "Hanners-is-creepily-cute" stories.
Angus? I LIKE him. I really do. But not as much as I liked Sven. So I want more Sven. And I find that as a couple, Faye and Angus...don't interest me as much as they did before they were a couple. I found Angus more fun before, when he was pestering Faye than being smoochy with her. (And I cringe saying that because I'm against the idea that you must maintain UST in fiction and that happy couples can't be fun to watch/read about.)
I might not mind if Tai disappeared, either. She's fun and I actually would LOVE to see her pursue Dora (and have that be more of a storyline than Dora just saying "thanks but no thanks"), but she's enough of a tertiary character that if she were written off, I wouldn't be particularly heartbroken.
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I am surprised at the backlash against Cosette; I find her charming! Perhaps she just hasn't worn out her welcome with me yet.
Penelope, on the other hand? Oh, please, yes. I have never liked her. She's like Faye without the charm or the essential violence, the "hot-blooded" aspect Faye pulls off so well. Instead, she's just abrasive, demanding, seems mean-spirited when she's interacting with almost anyone but Wil, and has the whole anti-theistic "I will tell you what is right to believe!" attitude on top of it all. Ew. GTFO.
Wil can go too. He's nowhere near as bad, but...Eh. Just don't care about him that much.
Oh, and Dale. One-note gag characters get old quick.
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Pintsize, mainly for the dick move on Marten regarding his porn folder and him being a dick afterwards (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1812) and generally ratherdispleasant (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1850).
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Originally voted for Marten to get kicked off the island, but would like to change that to Marigold.
Marten because, well, it would probably be the best thing that could happen to him as long as he's in the strip. Marigold because... you ever watch a show or movie where a character is in a situation/talking on a subject in a very stupid manner and you start feeling this "Oh fuck, shut the hell up you idiot! Jesus Christ what the fuck were you thinking?!" feeling (it was a staple of the show Friends)? That's the feeling I get whenever Marigold does anything in the comic.
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I usually change the channel when it reaches that point on TV.
Never really had that feeling with the comic, though.
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Angus maybe. I don't mind him as a character, but it seems like he put an end to Faye messing around with her relationships to other people, especially guys. At the moment, my impression is that they live happily ever after. "That was it". But who knows what's yet to come.
Also Cosette, each time she pops up I can't help but just think "god, woman" without being amused like I usually was when I thought that about Faye, for example. But since she's not around that often she doesn't really annoy me (yet).
I find Pintsize to be the most unpleasant character by far and wouldn't want him around me or anyone I love...or maybe not even around anyone at all. But I also found his cruel jokes and random actions simply hilarious on many occasions, so I really don't want him to be gone from the comic.
Actually I don't have an incredible urge to make any of the characters vanish. And I like Penelope. She's so misguided in her belief to know everything. I smiled really hard at this (http://questionablecontent.net./view.php?comic=1289).
Also, more Sven, please.
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I don't think there's anyone in the QC cast I'd really want to give the bullet. But if you backed me into a corner and made me choose, it would be Cosette.
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Collette, since I have no idea who she is.
And if you meant Cosette, I'd still buy her a bus ticket.
Before she burns the town down.
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And if you meant Cosette, I'd still buy her a bus ticket.
Before she burns the town down.
Isn't a bus company in the state that'll take her anywhere. Not after last time.
Goddamn unions and their "reasonable expectation of safety at work" rules. :P
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I may have a bit of a contrarian streak in me, but I started this thread with good intentions. After all, it gives a chance to talk about the characters that provoke us, who are just as valuable as the characters that please us. Besides, any thread about favorite characters just ends up as a Hannelore love-fest.
Unfortunately, the person I was going to vote for here has her name misspelled...
Yah. My bad. Fixed.
You forgot the "Luv 'em all" option.
Nope. Didn't forget. Left it out on purpose. These aren't your kids. You don't have to pretend you love them all equally. Jeph obviously doesn't love all his characters equally, or else some of them wouldn't have disappeared.
But for those who want to avoid even the false implication of negativity, let me rephrase:
"Which character would you prefer to see removed to allow more screen time for the other (slightly more excellent) characters?"
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Well played, sir!
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Angus never has been interesting to me. Not saying he's a bad character, just that I've never really been interested. I don't care about him with Faye, and that's kind of his only hook into the story. If that were to disappear or even just happen offscreen while Faye's story became about the espressauri and reconnecting with art? Wouldn't miss it a bit.
Before the breakup, I'd have quite possibly gone with Dora. Now, though, it would feel like she only got half her arc: her defenses and false security have been totally stripped away so she's a bit of a neurotic wreck, and she's beginning the process of building herself back up to be a stronger, healthier person. She can't leave until she's built herself back up.
I can agree with writing out Cosette and/or Steve (although if Steve goes, there's no reason to keep Cosette).
Writing out Hanners means probably writing out Marigold - without Hanners, Marigold doesn't really have any connection to the rest of the cast but Angus. I want to see more of Marigold's growth away from being a friendless reclusive shut-in - I don't want to see her quit WoW or suddenly prefer to spend every night at the bar with friends or anything that would represent a radical personality shift, but I would like to see her gain some self-confidence and become happier.
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I don't want to see her quit WoW or suddenly prefer to spend every night at the bar with friends or anything that would represent a radical personality shift, but I would like to see her gain some self-confidence and become happier.
One of those things will not happen without the other (namely gaining self confidence and becoming happier not happening without at least quitting WoW).
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I'd like to see Hannelore put on a bus, with an Airbus A380 hitting said bus right as it reaches the city limits.
I've explained myself before.
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I'd have to say Penelope, and probably for the same reason everyone thinks.
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Wil is essentially useless, both as comedy, and in relation to the other characters.
Marigold is a close second, but at least she has interactions with Hannelore and Sven that move things forward for all three as characters.
Wil hasn't done shit since he got hired at the bar.
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I'd still say Cosette, but Wil and Penelope are a close second. With a return by Raven, I think Dora, Faye, Hanners and her could run CoD just as well as the current staff does.
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Wil hasn't done shit since he got hired at the bar.
That's why he wasn't on the list. Like Penelope, he's practically gone.
I personally would like to see the departure of Angus. He's elbowed his way into a lot of screen time, and he's done very little with it.
Of course if he's gone, then Marigold needs a new roommate. Maybe have Lydia come back and move in instead. Or even Raven. Or Jimbo! That might be an interesting dynamic. :evil:
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Hey? I voted for Collette. Now you changed the name without resetting the vote count. That's cheating :police: :-D :police:
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Huh. Faye and Sven are least disliked characters right now, according to the poll.
Would not have guessed that would be the case a year ago.
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Cosette.
ELLEN WAS PERFECT FOR YOU STEVE YOU DIRTY ASSHOLE
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ELLEN WAS PERFECT FOR YOU STEVE YOU DIRTY ASSHOLE
No, no, just no.
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Fascinating. (I couldn't actually see the poll until I registered, and I did not expect to see the results that appeared!)
I'm actually quite fond of Cosette, but probably because she has a sort of endearing insecurity - as opposed to Marigold, whose self-defeating low self esteem I can only handle so much of. That said, Marigold doesn't earn my vote to go away... that was actually Tai, who despite having a pleasant personality is someone I have the greatest difficulty relating to.
I actually really like Penelope as a counter to both Faye and Dora at CoD, and would love to see more interactions with her now that Hanners and Cosette are in the mix.
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Wil. I despise people like him, who think hard work is something that "other" people do. Mommy and Daddy probably paid for his schooling too, the putz.
Ahem. Sorry. I think I may have violated a rule there.
I also wouldn't miss Cosette much, like many others.
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I don't think it will happen, and I would have been sad if it did, but when Marten and Dora broke up, I thought there might be a possibility that Marten would leave the comic.
The scenario I thought about involved Marten re-evaluating his situation in Massachusetts, finding that he was not happy with his situation, and without his relationship with Dora, he had no real reason not to go back to California, leaving the comic to focus on the progress of the ever expanding secondary characters.
With the inclusion of the Secret Bakery story, I don't think that is what Jeph has planned.
(And without Marten, there would be no Pintsize, so what would be the point?)
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I don't think it will happen, and I would have been sad if it did, but when Marten and Dora broke up, I thought there might be a possibility that Marten would leave the comic.
That's funny, because when I first read the Dora/Marten break-up, I saw it as the first step in Dora's quiet exit from the strip. I wasn't sure how it would work with her owning CoD, but it's always seemed to me that Marten and Faye were the core of the strip, and everyone else was peripheral.
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Realistically, I'd see Dora fading into the background more than I would Marten.
I still say Cosette's got a long way to go before she can be considered a solid cast member. I mean, "Steve's Girlfriend" is the kiss-of-death for cast members in this strip.
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I don't think it will happen, and I would have been sad if it did, but when Marten and Dora broke up, I thought there might be a possibility that Marten would leave the comic.
The scenario I thought about involved Marten re-evaluating his situation in Massachusetts, finding that he was not happy with his situation, and without his relationship with Dora, he had no real reason not to go back to California, leaving the comic to focus on the progress of the ever expanding secondary characters.
With the inclusion of the Secret Bakery story, I don't think that is what Jeph has planned.
(And without Marten, there would be no Pintsize, so what would be the point?)
That's pretty much what I thought, that Marten would leave for a while and try to think about what it was he wanted. He might have returned, but then again, the thought of seeing Dora could have just resulted in him going "Fuck it! I'm staying in California" and there could have been something of a reboot for Marten and Pintsize.
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I still say Cosette's got a long way to go before she can be considered a solid cast member. I mean, "Steve's Girlfriend" is the kiss-of-death for cast members in this strip.
Which is sad, because I always prefer Steve's girlfriends myself. :|
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Of course if [Angus] is gone, then Marigold needs a new roommate. Maybe have Lydia come back and move in instead. Or even Raven.
Perhaps Raven and her little black book could help Marigold come out of her shell. . . :angel:
On-topic: Vespavenger or Pizza Girl.
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I still say Cosette's got a long way to go before she can be considered a solid cast member. I mean, "Steve's Girlfriend" is the kiss-of-death for cast members in this strip.
Which is sad, because I always prefer Steve's girlfriends myself. :|
I was never really thrilled with Ellen, although she could keep up wit hthe rest of them fine. But I really liked Meenah - at first. She really could've developed into a solid part of the cast. It still feels weird how that whole arc-ending just got thrown up after a long absence. Sure, it made sense and worked, but it was really kinda dissatisfying.
[/two cents]
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I feel like we should get rid of Marten, he is the most shallow character of them all, having no real depth or emotion to his character and really is just a crutch holding jeph back.
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Hmmmmmmm.
I want Raven back. :D
Weird poll. No waffles. But I really cant think of any character I would like to throw out of the Comic, so it would be Waffles for me.
Cosette (not Collette) is currently my least favorite character.
Cosette is nothing short the ideal girlfriend for Steve. They have both funny shortcomings.
Penelope, on the other hand? Oh, please, yes. I have never liked her.
Penpen is the ideal girlfriend for Wil. That works so well because they are so opposed to each other.
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I feel like we should get rid of Marten...
He is kinda the Zeppo isn't he?
(Although the the thing about Zeppo is that the movies without him were never quite as good.)
I was hoping that when the Secret Bakery was introduced we were going to see the focus of the comic move away from CoD (and effectively Dora, Fangus, Penelope, Sven, Wil) and onto Marten, Steve, Ms Tapiruphobe, Marigold and Shiny New Secret Bakery People.
That being said, I totally voted for Pintsize. I get that people like different things and it's impossible to please everyone, but the robot/roomba stuff always feels like filler to me, although I recognise that it's really a necessity to have that option in order to update every weekday.
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Weird poll. No waffles.
For the same reason there's no Randy. THEY ARE BOTH ETERNAL.
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What the hell does everyone have against Cosette?
Honestly, I love all these characters too much. Even Dora. Cosette... I guess she does seem kind of one-note, but Hannelore would be my first pick rather than Cosette, except that it would torpedo a lot of the cast.
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None of the characters are boring, I'll say that much. Although I don't think I'd really care to see Cosette become a main cast, I can hardly say she's worn out her welcome.
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The thing is, Marten is one of the main lynchpins of the comic. Compared to everyone, he is the everyman, the balance for all the wackiness. If he were to go, there would still need to be a "Marten"-esque character needed to help even out the likes of Hanners, Marigold, even Faye.
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Ahh, so he's the Forman.
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I'd honestly rather see some characters on the bus back into town. I really liked Dale and Amir, and I want an update on Deathmole (maybe see them jam w/ Sven?)
But, to actually answer your question: Probably Martins Mom. For some reason this recent visit from Ms. Reed just rubbed me the wrong way, which is funny, as the first time she visited I liked her a lot.
Have to concur here.
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If Marten left, Angus would have to step into his shoes - and I don't think he could.
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If Marten's the Forman, then is Angus the Hyde? (Which, of course, would make Steve the Kelso and Cosette the Jackie, but there is no Donna).
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Had to google the reference. I don't watch that 70's show, I had a hard enough time living through the 70's...
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I'd get rid of Hannelore.
It's not because she's popular. It's just that I very rarely find the strips that involve her to be funny. Her OCD as a running gag gets old after awhile, and I just find her obnoxious. She's just too naive for me to take her seriously. I find her to be too much of a woobie where you're supposed to go aww poor Hanners she's afraid of germs again.
Obviously, Jeph would never get rid of her since he's so fond of her. Oh, well.
Anyway, I really hope Dora doesn't end up getting relegated as a minor character like Penny. I feel her character is well-developed, and I like her brand of humor.
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Just out of curiosity, has anyone tracked the 90 strips since "the breakup" as to how many have had Dora appearances? I'm thinking it hasn't been many, relative to how it had been the 90 previous.
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I was bored.
Since comic 1801;
Dora has appeared in 14 comics
Marten - 49 comics
Faye - 33 comics
Hanners - 31 comics
Tai - 13 comics
Angus - 18 comics
Marigold - 9 comics
Veronica - 17 comics
Sven - 5 comics
Padma - 11 comics
Not every character (such as Cosette, Wil or Steve) was included, and guest/filler strips were not included either.
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Had to google the reference. I don't watch that 70's show, I had a hard enough time living through the 70's...
I suppose that makes sense. If you ever change your mind, though, don't bother watching season 8, that season never happened.
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I chose Angus. I really don't like him as a "person". I realize that he's not real, but I've known a few guys like him, and they always rub me the wrong way. Faye genuinely disliked him at first and was really rude and unpleasant. Angus just kept coming back again and again, despite the insistence of Faye that he was unwelcome.
To make matter worse, he came to bother her at work, where she didn't really have any way of avoiding him. To me, that shows a huuuuge disregard for boundaries that is a big red flag.
Based on the writing, I'm clearly supposed to have rooted for him, or at the very least, not thought of him as a creepy stalker. But I can't - he shoved his way into the story, despite obvious attempts to get rid of him, and that defines his personality for me. He doesn't want to take "no" for an answer when he decides he wants something. It's not malicious, which honestly makes it worse. It's harder to call him on it.
Overall, I like most characters. Even Sven. He reminds me a lot of a friend. Sort of a dick, but you knew that when you got into it, and he never makes any effort to change, or tells you that he will be. But he's not enough of a dick to stop hanging around him. What he did to Faye was SHITTY, and she was right to pretty much hate him afterwards, but other than the cheating bit, I didn't think he was so bad.
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You forgot the "Luv 'em all" option.
Obviously I don't like all of them equally, but I will not vote for a removal of any of them.
Agreed.
Also, in various threads I've seen many people express a dis-taste for Pintsize. I have to say, I REALLY like AntrhoPC characters and the mechanic they provide to QC, especially Pintsize. Of course I may be a bit biased here. I'm a robotics geek, and love the concept of the characters as much as the characters themselves.
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Pintsize is one of the easiest characters to just not include for a while, so even if Jeph got tired of him to that extent, I can't see why he'd outright dump him from the comic.
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I couldn't see anyone except a minor character going away. Hannelore is adorable, Marten is the main character, and Pintsize is good when the comic gets too serious.
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Faye. I honestly have no idea why people like Faye. I disliked her from the beginning and still do, despite everything she's been through. It just doesn't excuse what she did to Marten, and how she's treated people all along. She's just a terrible person and has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I would argue that she was created to be disliked, but apparently people here don't agree.
I also know she's not going anywhere. So I will have to continue to tolerate her presence in the story. Blegh.
I also cannot believe anyone wants Marigold gone. She is probably the only reason I put with with Faye's bitchiness...because she's in the comic too. :)
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(yawn)
Also, the Modify button exists for a reason, no need to double post.
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(yawn)
You sound tired. Maybe you should have some coffee or something. :-D
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I get why someone might not "like" Faye or any other character, but I'd call her an important character for any number of reasons -- half of the relationship, for example, around which much of QC was based at the start. We Americans seem to need to "like" the characters in our stories, so even the champion puppy-kicker of all time has to have some sort of redeeming quality. I remember a handful of 1980s British TV comedies that made it onto American cable channels for a while -- something named "Shelley" and, of course, Patsy and Edina of "Absolutely Fabulous" come to mind -- whose appeal as characters were built around their absolute lack of appeal as people. Before that, John Cleese's Basil Fawlty was thoroughly unlikeable as a person, though brilliant as a character in a story. But I don't want to confuse with "like-ability" with a character's importance to a story.
Would I like having a Faye around me in real life? Can't always say yes. Would QC as a story suffer from her absence? I think so.
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Part of me feels like I should excuse it because of what happened to her, and also a bit hypocritical because I can be the same way (but not out loud like she is), but still. When she called Hannelore "crazy" and trampled over Marigold's feelings, and led Marten on, and threw Pintsize against a wall, threatening to bash her sister's head in, calling Raven dumb...it just gets really old after awhile. I just can't stand her. I don't think she's really gotten that much nicer. A girl who was sarcastic and occasionally mean who was even slightly less irritating than Faye would have been nice.
And the way she didn't want Marten with any other girls while leading him on? Yeah. That was a great example of why I do not like her.
I know my opinion isn't popular, but that's not really the point. :)
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And the way she didn't want Marten with any other girls while leading him on? Yeah. That was a great example of why I do not like her.
It's also a great example of why she needed (and got) help. Even she knew it was an effed up thing to do.
Can't say that for a lot of real life people.
And, as a character, she may well have the largest amount of positive growth; she has gotten less violent, she is less callous towards her friends, and is much more stable than she was before, not to mention finally being able to connect with another person.
Nice? Hell no, she's a barista.
A good character in the story?
Hell yeah!
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"Barista" is an anagram for "is a brat".
Criticism of Faye is well grounded, but I can't agree that she has no redeeming qualities. Her crowning moment of awesome (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1802) was selfless, brave (how many people would talk like that to their boss?), and loyal to both of the parties to the breakup.
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But her criticism of Dora is somewhat hypocritical (I thought), given how she herself treated Marten in the past. At least Dora gave Marten a chance and didn't lead him on. And interestingly enough, Faye was kinda the reason they broke up.
I'm not gonna pretend that Marten didn't act like an idiot about it for a long time (he did), but what Faye did was plain messed up.
I do think the comic could be fun and go on fine without Faye. Just because she is occasionally nice or occasionally sees the error of her ways doesn't mean she has any redeeming qualities.
I am going against the grain here, but I like Penelope. She's smart, funny and interesting, in my opinion. Also, she was so sweet to Wil when he had no clue how to ask her out. She gets picked on for being shy, which is something I can totally relate to. I'd be in favor of getting rid of Faye and developing Penelope's character more. :D
And I think Wil is adorable.
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"Barista" is an anagram for "is a brat".
Criticism of Faye is well grounded, but I can't agree that she has no redeeming qualities. Her crowning moment of awesome (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1802) was selfless, brave (how many people would talk like that to their boss?), and loyal to both of the parties to the breakup.
Counterproposal for crowning moment of awesomeness, specifically panel 4. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1744) Fake edit: I went to tvtropes to check the 'actual definition' of the CMOA, started to wander and found they also cited 1744. I swear I'm not just parroting them :psyduck:
On the subject of redeeming qualities, I don't know that it's really that important, as long as the character has entertaining qualities. Faye can be pretty unbearable, but they all are at times. The only two characters I would remove completely at this point are Veronica and Cosette. I wouldn't mind if Veronica were present as the voice on the other end of the phone, but the last visit put me off daily viewing for a while. Cosette doesn't really bother me but she doesn't really bring a lot to the comic and I think she'd be the easiest to ditch.
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I agree, Senator, on the WTF confrontation being half of Faye's CMOA; the coffeeshop scene was simply Act 2, Scene 1 of said CMOA.
And (if I interpret some responses to my earlier post correctly): I didn't mean say the Pugnacious Peach had no redeeming qualities; she has many, chiefly characterized by a fierce, if occasionally clumsy, loyalty to a few select friends. I meant to say we American media consumers feel the need to like our story characters.
Heading back to the heart of the topic: if I were to say which character I wouldn't mind seeing off at the bus depot, it would be based on whether I thought the character contributed to the story line. I'm not going to say, if only because Jeph does seem to find something for everyone to do, often in ways that surprise and confound the forum, at least to the extent the forum admits to being confounded.
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I apparently voted with the majority here. Cosette hasn't had any personal development. She's literally a running gag of perpetual stooges-like foils in anything she does. I don't hate her. I'd just like to see her disasters as smaller, more reasonable, and not quite so constant/only-thing-we-see-of-her.
Not every character has to have drama or even backstory. She's just a little too unrealistic.
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Penelope bothers me as an atheist, it's people like her that make us all look bad. I know that was just that one storyline a couple years ago, but we really don't see her that often so it's what I remember her for.
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Today's strip reminded me that there is one QC character I definitely would not miss. RANDY! I f*@$ing hate the bugger. I want it on the bus, under the bus, steamrolled over, stake driven thru its heart, and the remains incinerated in a nuclear furnace.
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Shyeah!!!
Like that would make a difference!
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Warning: Incoming opinions.
I outright dislike Pintsize, so that's who I voted for.
I'm also still pretty irritated with Dora and I almost voted for her. But that's probably because I never warmed up to her in the first place. I honestly would not be very upset if she were to exit the strip.
I like Hannelore but I would love to see something slightly different done with her other than "lol OCD".
I would like it if Marigold at least TRIED to work through some of her hangups. Right now, she seems pretty content to just be miserable and that kind of bothers me.
However, I think that Sven actually has a lot of potential to be a decent human being, so maybe my opinions are invalid.
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A piece of personal advice:
Never, EVER discount the value of your own opinions!
Let people disagree. The way you feel is yours and yours alone.
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I will disagree about pintsize. Only because I belive an anti-social character is important as a contrast to the humanity of the other, more (likable) characters.
Check into Shakspere's use of 'clowns'.
I would not ever want something like him in my house neigborhood state.
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I do agree that Dora has worn out her welcome. Grow-up or get lost!
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I think Dora's problem is that she didn't have any time to be a girl when she was growing up. That's just me, though.
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I dunno - "princess spooky-spell" is pretty good evidence that even when she was being a girl, she wasn't like the other girls. Some kids like being different just for the sake of being different, and they never really connect with their peer group. Some don't connect for other reasons - family, or (in my case) frequent moving.
I don't know if she never had the opportunity, or if it was more along the lines that, faced with her peer group, she decided not to play along.
Either way, it definitely leaves a personality that has problems!
Especially when she finds herself a teenager who's "in" with a group that just wants to use her for access to Sven. A group like that would only be able to exploit someone who's fairly naive and inexperienced, so again, it's evidence that she never really ran with her peer group. And being exploited like that definitely leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
Regardless, her relative importance in the comic is definitely fading, and I think it may continue to do so until she's only a bit player, "the coffeeshop owner", in the lives of our merry band. No bus, just a slow walk across the bridge to Amherst.
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I am not sure how I feel about Dora at this point. I would find her unapproachable in real life. I wouldn't want to get rid of Hanners or Marigold as they are the girls I relate to the most and I would feel more connected to (if they were real).
I do feel bad for Dora being used because her brother's hot. That's shitty. I think it left her jealous of him a lot, and feeling resentful, which is totally understandable. That's probably why it pissed her off when Faye got involved with Sven.
Still, Dora and Faye...I just don't connect with them. But Dora is at least nice sometimes, where Faye is just an out and out bitch.
I like Pintsize, he's the cutest little perv ever.
I also think that people should be allowed to express opinions here without getting rude comments. If you don't agree with someone, just don't reply. :)
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Would it be too much to ask which major character is likely to be put on a bus first?
Because despite the obvious (Dora), I'd wonder who would be in the second row of the bus.
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Not to be a smartass, but how would you define major character? Have Marigold and Angus gained this status yet?
Modification: And if such a status can be gained, it can be lost, which means that Dora has been demoted to supporter (if she was ever really more than that).
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I'm going to go against the trend and argue Hanners is a lot smarter than she may appear to be. In Comic 978, she discusses the Multi Worlds Theory of Quantum Mechanics. I don't know a lot of people who've ever heard of that theory, none the less can name it. While I genuenly believe she doesn't understand all of the sexual humor, I sometimes wonder if she knows more than she lets on.
As for Dora, I don't hate her, and I'd like to see her come back. She did make a serious of increasingly big mistakes, but I think part of the human condition is realizing those mistakes (even if it takes a while), righting wrongs and bettering yourself.
Pintsize is good to keep around for comic relief.
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Method of Madness makes a good point. The focus of the story is always shifting, and characters (major or otherwise) come and go.
For a brief period of time, Penelope and Wil were major characters. Definitely supporting cast, now. I'd put Angus as a major, but that's an upgrade based on his and Faye's relationship. Before he was seriously pursuing a relationship with Faye (and we saw more of his "home life" with Marigold), he was definitely just a running gag (I know, some people still gag when he's around...).
On the other hand, I'd argue that Steve has always been a supporting character. Even in the arcs with Meenah or Cosette, he didn't really have the feel of a major character. I'm not sure why, though. Perhaps because we never really saw him change or grow in any way, he was just always... Steve.
Jeph has said that he has more ideas than he has time to explore, and so you never know when a character may be brought off the back burner to be focused on, have their story told, then put back or relegated to the dustbin of college Amherst allosaurus intestines history.
It's really a wait-and-see proposition!
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Okay, "Major" character was a mis-statement.
I've always believed that in any ensemble work, there are several levels of characters:
- Primary or Main characters
- Secondary or supporting characters
- Tertiary or Recurring characters
- Guest characters/One-shot characters
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Either way, what Carl said still holds, as Angus was recurring at best for a while, but has worked his way up to at least supporting, if not primary. Also, Dora was primary for a while, but has probably slipped down to supporting.
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Penelope. She's a buzzkill.
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I sometimes wonder if she knows more than she lets on.
Yeah, she does. She may have serious OCD and anxiety issues, but come on. She's not five.
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I remember when I was younger, people told me I shouldn't talk so smart or I won't have friends. I wonder if she has any of that going on.
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True enough.
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I'd say Dora, not that i dislike her but as long as Marteen is the main character I prefer him alone. I mean QC is not real life, I don't want to see Marteen in a stable and happy relationship, buying a flat, having children and so on.
And I'd prefer to see more stories with Steve, they are usually more fun. I'm not that misogynous but sincerly there are too many female in QC and actually only one true lesbian :-D
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While this might sound a bit odd, Marten. Not putting him on the bus to get rid of him but sort of more him going on a personal odyssey or something similar. That and to see if his problem is merely that fate where he lives hates him or if his destiny in fact is entirely averse to being seized.
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Although I voted Cosette, I'm more interested in discussing Pintsize's role within the comic.
He started out as an obvious comic foil, and has pretty much remained the light relief as QC moved onto other matters. Pintsize can't interact with the drama side of things, so instead we get little cutaways of him with Winslow and Roomba, or brief stories about his chassis. There can be no character development, not really, so if he's stale and annoying he's going to stay stale and annoying.
That said, he's been in the comic since strip one and there's a lot of sentimental attachment there. Is sentiment a good enough reason to keep a character around? Should characters stay by default or go by default?
Can anthroPCs fall in love? That would change everything.
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Although I voted Cosette, I'm more interested in discussing Pintsize's role within the comic.
He started out as an obvious comic foil, and has pretty much remained the light relief as QC moved onto other matters. Pintsize can't interact with the drama side of things, so instead we get little cutaways of him with Winslow and Roomba, or brief stories about his chassis. There can be no character development, not really, so if he's stale and annoying he's going to stay stale and annoying.
That said, he's been in the comic since strip one and there's a lot of sentimental attachment there. Is sentiment a good enough reason to keep a character around? Should characters stay by default or go by default?
Note that they are listed on the TV Tropes page "The Artifact": "an unfortunate situation where a character or gimmick seems to no longer fit with the mood or design of a story according to a writer, but is kept because there seems to be no way for the writer to get rid of them without causing some serious disruption".
Oh, good find, and totally accurate. Though I do think there's potential for him to progress, even if it'd involve taking a couple of risks with the little guy on Jeph's part.
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I'm going to go against the trend and argue Hanners is a lot smarter than she may appear to be. . .
As for Dora, I don't hate her, and I'd like to see her come back. She did make a serious of increasingly big mistakes, but I think part of the human condition is realizing those mistakes (even if it takes a while), righting wrongs and bettering yourself.
Pintsize is good to keep around for comic relief.
All of the above.
I loved that strip where Hanners was daydreaming about particle physics, ultimate questions, deep thoughts, and when (Dora?) asked what she was thinking: "Oh, nothing." And on the date with Sven, she outlined an impressive first-approximation analysis of heterosexual dating dynamics, assigning realistic weights to important abstractions...! Someone once suggested she's probably the most intelligent character in QC; I agree.
And yet she can be embarrassingly naive about people, like that classic 1702 with Angus riffing double-entendres; Don't Break the Spell! :laugh:
I liked Dora a lot, early on, her flavor of snark was delicious, and she had an edge of maturity over Marten and Faye, but... it seems she jumped on Marten too quickly, and has regretted it ever since.
And I love Pintsize's full-tilt pervy subversiveness! :evil: And yes, he's been in the comic since STRIP 1 - how many can say that?
On-topic, Veronica's second appearance soured and embittered me; and Cosette seems like a walking disaster with bad karma. Will Steve survive?
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As much as I like Pintsize, it seems Jeph just uses him when he doesn't feel like writing a "real" strip that day.
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As much as I like Pintsize, it seems Jeph just uses him when he doesn't feel like writing a "real" strip that day.
Yeah, the ongoing fun and drama strips do have a more tangible reality, but i like his alternate realities too: YB, Sweet-tits, Pintsize/Winslow/Momo, HannerDad (I hope we get to see some of HIS wacky hijinks!)
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Marigold -- If she were to stop her whole "I'm different and no one understands me" thing, she could add a lot more to the story. As of right now, she's a little too steeped in her own isolation, though she's totally in control of it.
Tai -- She's so inyoface all the time and it bugs me a little. Plus, it bothers me how quickly she jumped on Dora after the breakup. Kind of lacking respect for Marten, eh?
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Like Dora vs Faye, then? (Except Tai's missed out, so far.)
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I meant Tai going rather quickly after her friend (and employee) Marten's ex, like Dora went rather quickly after her friend (and employee) Faye's "not-quite-ex". Very comparable, I'd say, though the differences are apparent (Tai failed, for starters). And Faye and Marten both accepted it, in their different ways.
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I voted Angus, not because I dislike the character, but because he doesn't seem to have a purpose. Personally I don't Faye and him going anywhere, or at least anywhere interesting and I'd rather lose the character than go through another OMG-breakup-drama storyline.
Who knows though, maybe Jeph will surprise me with something.
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Angus' "purpose" in the strip is to give Faye an opportunity to recover from her inability to deal with a relationship. He also demonstrated someone with the same matng dance as Faye (snark as an attractive quality). Plus bringing Marigold into the strip, but that may be incidental - Jeph clearly planned Angus, I don't know about Mari.
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(Tai failed, for starters).
Maybe.
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Angus' "purpose" in the strip is to give Faye an opportunity to recover from her inability to deal with a relationship. He also demonstrated someone with the same matng dance as Faye (snark as an attractive quality). Plus bringing Marigold into the strip, but that may be incidental - Jeph clearly planned Angus, I don't know about Mari.
Whether he planned it or not, I'm glad he did.
I want her back... *pouts*
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Don't worry, she'll be back at some point. Even Steve keeps coming back...
It just may be a while before Jeph's lens turns back her way.
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My lens is always turned her way... :-D