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Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: BenRG on 06 Dec 2015, 10:56

Title: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: BenRG on 06 Dec 2015, 10:56
You can tell that I didn't have any original ideas for the poll, don't you?

As for the strip this week, I'm thinking that we're going to see phase 2 of Tai's attempt to get Dora out of her indecision loop. I've not a nasty feeling that, as usual, poor Marten is going to be drafted into helping Dora sort out the drama that is her life. Again. If things go that way, I've got an idea of him getting together Faye, Hannelore and Sven so they can jointly knock some sense into her head. This will lead to... catharsis, especially for Faye. It might also lead to some unexpected outcomes for several characters.

BTW - The thought of May working at CoD as a sort of Synthetic Faye does appeal to me. Her interaction with Hannelore 'The Daughter of God' Ellicott-Chatham may also be an interesting character arc.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: swapna on 06 Dec 2015, 11:47
Well, I hope Marten isn't drafted, for four reasons:

one:   Dora has Tai now, and she can work things through with her. She should, because Tai is actually much better for her than Marten
two:   Since the Hospital-Faye incident, I'm having a lot less faith in Martens decision-making skills
three: It's getting old.
four:   When Dora sees that Faye is better off than if she hadn't fired her, it might lead to all kinds of complicated emotions.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Kugai on 06 Dec 2015, 11:49
The mayhem caused by May at CoD will be world ending

And I think we'll finally see Dora at her Therapist - with Tai dragging her there by her ear.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Tova on 06 Dec 2015, 12:35
You can tell that I didn't have any original ideas for the poll, don't you?

It's my favourite poll in awhile, actually!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 06 Dec 2015, 15:30
Well I'm calling shenanigans this week.

Either that or more discourse from the players of this little show.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: chaospersonified on 06 Dec 2015, 16:39
I'm in favor of May becoming the resident Faye-placement at CoD.

I'm only slightly more optimistic as to what that would mean than Kugai.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: osaka on 06 Dec 2015, 18:38
So, Comic.

I can already feel Penelope tell Emily "well, it's how we do the hirings here. You can ask Dora about my training day".

Also for some reason we're back to comic number 3104.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Spiritz on 06 Dec 2015, 18:39
Wow, this is the first time I've liked Dora in a while.  Also, really like how Penelope looked in the comic. 
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Stoutfellow on 06 Dec 2015, 18:47
Is it just me, or does Cosette look like she has terrible posture in panel 1?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: osaka on 06 Dec 2015, 18:50
In panel 5 too, now that you've mentioned it.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: hedgie on 06 Dec 2015, 19:00
Dora may have a messed up personal life, and serious issues, but yeah, she knows how to make the right decisions WRT her business.  Pen2 is the only sane choice for manager (Dale is too new, Hanners might not be able to do with the anxiety, and Cosette is a walking disaster area), and Hanners is certainly fastidious enough to learn the roaster.  And hell, if Pen2 can be press-ganged into employment, so can Emily.  Which is an excuse for Jeph to keep her regularly in the comic, now that the summer internship is over.

And, I'm sorry other QC characters, Hanners in panel four ensures that she will be the most adorable cast member for quite some time.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: dreed on 06 Dec 2015, 19:10
hanners can handle books of multi-national mega corp.  Roaster isn't going give her single challenge.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: SomeCanadianWeirdo on 06 Dec 2015, 19:12
Knowing some of Cosette's misadventures I wouldn't be surprised if she has weird posture as a result of one of them.

I wonder if Raven won't make a re-appearance, and we'll see a battle between her and Emily for the final CoD position.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Tova on 06 Dec 2015, 19:36
Dora embraces crowdsourcing!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: hedgie on 06 Dec 2015, 19:56
Knowing some of Cosette's misadventures I wouldn't be surprised if she has weird posture as a result of one of them.

Her terrible posture also might be the result of trying to look smaller.  Okay, I'm tall, and she's rather short, but I do notice my posture frequently get worse when I'm anxious, just from trying to hide from whatever it is that is bothering me.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Somebody on 06 Dec 2015, 19:57
Please note, "everybody" doesn't include Raven.

Also, really like how Penelope looked in the comic.
Seems like she's had a redesign. She looks... wrong somehow.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: cesium133 on 06 Dec 2015, 20:00
If Everybody doesn't include Raven, then is Raven not Somebody?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Deadcoder on 06 Dec 2015, 20:12
Well, we know Raven cuts back her hours for the school year, and we know that school is back, since the librarian internships have ended and everyone is all summery, so maybe Raven is back down to the rank of "Coworker we never see unless Jeph feels like it because he got tired of her and there's a reason not to have her in here right now". Emily will fill the role of Raven until next summer.

On a related note, I would have broken the position of Ass. Manager into two cheeks: one for pen^2 and one for hanners. Penelope would handle the scheduling and admin work. Hannelore would deal with the accounting and inventory. We know Hannelore kicks ass at counting stuff and doing finances, having done both for her previous and possibly second job.

Holy shit. I just realized: Raven and Emily are meant for similar roles. Does that mean we will one day loose Emily? VERY NO!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Carl-E on 06 Dec 2015, 20:37
hanners can handle books of multi-national mega corp.  Roaster isn't going give her single challenge.

It's not a matter of being a challenge, but of having someone "particular" enough to ensure that a precise and delicate roasting process is carried out to the letter.  If Dora's to trust anyone with her "secret" process, Hanners is really the only choice. 
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: chaospersonified on 06 Dec 2015, 21:08
I AM 112% IN FAVOR OF EMILY HAVING A NEW JOB AT COD
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Kugai on 06 Dec 2015, 21:12
Indeed.  Hanners will be very particular in following Doras instructions.

Penelope really is a good choice for the AM job.

And it seems that Emily now has a paying job.  Timings everything it would appear.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Dust on 06 Dec 2015, 21:25
"Now I know we had a flighty brunette working here... well, Emily's standing there, so I guess she'll do."
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: scandina on 06 Dec 2015, 21:45

Also, really like how Penelope looked in the comic.
Seems like she's had a redesign. She looks... wrong somehow.
I'm pretty sure it's the hand. The hands have been getting shrunken for a while now, but it hasn't been that bad until Penelope this comic.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: hedgie on 06 Dec 2015, 21:46
"Now I know we had a flighty brunette working here... well, Emily's standing there, so I guess she'll do."

And Emily *does* know how to make a banana smoothie.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: celticgeek on 06 Dec 2015, 21:52
The staff looks somewhat concerned at the announcement of the "Staff Meeting" in Panel 1.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Penquin47 on 06 Dec 2015, 22:33
I don't know what it is about the art today, but I cannot look at Penny and not see a younger blonde Veronica Reed.  I can't put my finger on why.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Omega Entity on 06 Dec 2015, 22:44
The staff looks somewhat concerned at the announcement of the "Staff Meeting" in Panel 1.
I imagine it'd probably be due to the fact that Dora's never called a staff meeting outside of the announcement of Faye climbing the managerial ranks (that we're aware of. At least, not that I can recall - someone correct me if I'm wrong, please). If it's something that rarely happens, it tends to make people nervous. It always does me when a meeting is called (our store doesn't have them often), but that may be attributed to my anxiety and general paranoia regarding screwing something up.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: oeoek on 06 Dec 2015, 22:51
Yesss, Emily joins the force, making the specials on the blackboard real, with a possible return of the hammered down banana smoothie...

I love panel 1, with the troops standing to attention!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: J on 06 Dec 2015, 23:05
i'm alwayse happy to see emily. but is it me, or is there something slightly off  about her face in that last panel?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Omega Entity on 06 Dec 2015, 23:26
Her eyes might be a little wonky. But then, that seems to be happening a lot lately.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: HiFranc on 06 Dec 2015, 23:38
The staff looks somewhat concerned at the announcement of the "Staff Meeting" in Panel 1.
I imagine it'd probably be due to the fact that Dora's never called a staff meeting outside of the announcement of Faye climbing the managerial ranks (that we're aware of. At least, not that I can recall - someone correct me if I'm wrong, please).

Wasn't there that time that she called a meeting to think up ways of bringing in more business that led to accusations of mutiny?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Yhelta on 06 Dec 2015, 23:39
COD hiring policy has converted completely to the "press gang" model. You walk into that shop, you might have a job before you leave (regardless of your intent for being there). :)
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: BenRG on 06 Dec 2015, 23:45
Dora is obviously one of those managers that doesn't let piffles like whether or not someone actually works for you to impact on the details of a reorganization! Fortunately, Emily loves spontaneous, so this won't be too much of a problem in her case. Now comes the hard part: teaching her to make and serve real stuff, rather than the imaginary things that she thinks the shop serves!

Yeah, both Penny and Cossette's body language is interesting. Cossette looks so anxious that I suspect that she thought that Dora was announcing lay-offs. Meanwhile, Penny seems genuinely shocked at her promotion! She probably (wrongly) thought that it was a popularity contest.

Meanwhile, only Hannelore would gain childlike joy from the thought of being allowed to operate the coffee roaster!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 06 Dec 2015, 23:58
COD hiring policy has converted completely to the "press gang" model. You walk into that shop, you might have a job before you leave (regardless of your intent for being there). :)

Welcome, new person!

Maybe they can use that as part of their marketing. "Not only will we treat you with contempt, we may enslave you as well."
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Somebody on 07 Dec 2015, 00:13

Also, really like how Penelope looked in the comic.
Seems like she's had a redesign. She looks... wrong somehow.
I'm pretty sure it's the hand. The hands have been getting shrunken for a while now, but it hasn't been that bad until Penelope this comic.
Actually, looking back, it's three things:
1) Her hair - and hair colour - have changed (she used to be blonde-blonde, closer to Hanners' colour than here. Now she's strawberry-blonde and almost into red).
2) She's being given what looks like heavy mascara now. Possibly also top-heavy glasses frames, it kinda blends in.
3) Her (three-quarters) profile has been softened. Granted, that's partially general art evolution, but it adds up.

EDIT: Compare her in Dora's last promotional announcement, f'rinstance: http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2524
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: theMarc on 07 Dec 2015, 00:34
Hmm, if Emily joins the wage slave team of Coffee of Doom...

Well, Between there being two people with naturally dark hair on staff, and Faye not working there anymore anyway, Cosette can now probably get away with not dyeing her hair.
...How the hell do I still remember that?  It wasn't even a plot point; it was a joke in a single strip... (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1718)
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 07 Dec 2015, 01:18
Is it just me, or does Cosette look like she has terrible posture in panel 1?

To be fair Cosette looks like she's fallen out of bed.
Which given previous form, wouldn't be out of the norm for her.

Also, with regards to the comments about character models looking off, do remember that Jeph has switched drawing tablets and is still getting used to the new one. And as he has said before, give him two weeks, the art will have changed.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: BenRG on 07 Dec 2015, 02:33
So... am I the only one who think that we're coming to an end of an era? Specifically the summer that began with Marten and Dora breaking up and the Interns arriving at the library something like... what, 1500 to 2000 strips back? Jeph really seems to be tying off the loose ends and setting up for the next phase of the story.

What might that phase be? 'Growing and Healing', I think. Specifically, Faye and Dora confronting their demons (with Bubbles possibly as a sort of an extreme-foreground reflection of this in a far less subtle way). Maybe Claire confronting the 'growing up' angst of deciding to move out of her mother's house. Also, possibly Emily getting acceptance for her weirdness (thank to Coffee of Doom where everyone, staff and customer alike, is weird). Additionally, maybe Sam having to deal with the reality of a cheerfully not-evil stepmother and Veronica realising that having a daughter isn't the "sugar, spice and all things nice" deal that she always thought it would be.

Well, Between there being two people with naturally dark hair on staff, and Faye not working there anymore anyway, Cosette can now probably get away with not dyeing her hair.

We probably need a mini-poll about how many here think that Jeph has forgotten that Cossette dyed her hair brown for the job.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Method of Madness on 07 Dec 2015, 04:46
Yeah, but wasn't her earlier color dyed? Maybe she was just dyeing it back to her natural hair color and just kept it since.

And speaking of her earlier color, that is what Penelope's hair reminds me of. New Penelope looks kinda like old Cosette.

Also 3104 again :parrot:
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 07 Dec 2015, 06:26
I hope Veronica doesn't try to treat Sam the way she's treated adult Marten.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: 94ssd on 07 Dec 2015, 06:36
For those wondering if there are actual places with the same laid-back attitude about hiring as Coffee of Doom, let me tell you the story of how I got my current job.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: BenRG on 07 Dec 2015, 06:42
I hope Veronica doesn't try to treat Sam the way she's treated adult Marten.

There is a huge difference between what you can get away with in how you treat your sexually active adult son and how you treat a barely-pubescent girl. That said, everything I've seen suggests that Veronica didn't do a very good job with keeping young Marten separate from her vocation and that scarred him in some ways. Does Veronica regret that in hindsight? Could Sam ultimately be the beneficiary of her attempt to be 'Mama Veronica Mk2'? Might she go too far in the other direction? That is one of the stories that Jeph may choose to tell.

FWIW, I can see her being a very laissez-faire mother figure (and, indeed, a willing co-conspirator to help Sam go behind Jim's back if she thinks he's being unnecessarily restrictive). However, I also thank that she would be one who is very strict about keeping control of a relationship and not taking stupid risks or going further than you'll feel comfortable with the next day based on a passing moment of lust. After all, she's probably had associates or even friends in the sex industry who have ruined their lives in such a manner and I have no doubt that she'd allow it to happen to anyone she cares about.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Nepiophage on 07 Dec 2015, 08:09
I imagine it'd probably be due to the fact that Dora's never called a staff meeting outside of the announcement of Faye climbing the managerial ranks (that we're aware of. At least, not that I can recall - someone correct me if I'm wrong, please). If it's something that rarely happens, it tends to make people nervous. It always does me when a meeting is called (our store doesn't have them often), but that may be attributed to my anxiety and general paranoia regarding screwing something up.

There was one before. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=835) Very typical of Dora the Control Freak
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: pwhodges on 07 Dec 2015, 08:38
Pen2 is the only sane choice for manager

I take you you mean Pen2:

(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/evangelion/images/1/17/Pen_Pen.png/revision/latest?cb=20120305232828)
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Omega Entity on 07 Dec 2015, 08:40
I imagine it'd probably be due to the fact that Dora's never called a staff meeting outside of the announcement of Faye climbing the managerial ranks (that we're aware of. At least, not that I can recall - someone correct me if I'm wrong, please). If it's something that rarely happens, it tends to make people nervous. It always does me when a meeting is called (our store doesn't have them often), but that may be attributed to my anxiety and general paranoia regarding screwing something up.

There was one before. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=835) Very typical of Dora the Control Freak
Fair point. Though Penelope was the only one present at both meetings, that explains the less-nervous expression on her face.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Method of Madness on 07 Dec 2015, 10:09
I imagine it'd probably be due to the fact that Dora's never called a staff meeting outside of the announcement of Faye climbing the managerial ranks (that we're aware of. At least, not that I can recall - someone correct me if I'm wrong, please). If it's something that rarely happens, it tends to make people nervous. It always does me when a meeting is called (our store doesn't have them often), but that may be attributed to my anxiety and general paranoia regarding screwing something up.

There was one before. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=835) Very typical of Dora the Control Freak
It took over 2000 strips but Penelope finally gets to be Ass Manager.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Method of Madness on 07 Dec 2015, 10:15
Yeah, but the "witch" calls it a dye job.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: ischaemia on 07 Dec 2015, 10:29
Did anyone else see some strips early? I saw one with Emily at SMIF Library already talking to Tai and Claire, perhaps sometime yesterday, but it's gone now. Strip numbers were 3106, and 3108. 3107 wasn't up then, and that page looks the same now. D-do I have future vision?

Edit: As an emissary from the future, expect a super cute rendition of Claire to come. I suppose, however, you didn't even need me to tell you this; this path was inevitable.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: marsman57 on 07 Dec 2015, 11:10
No Raven = lame comic.

Edit: And that's saying a lot because I really like Penelope.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Welu on 07 Dec 2015, 11:17
I wonder if Penelope will have anything more to say about the position. Dora didn't offer it to her privately, like Faye. Doing it loudly in front of the rest of the staff is very grand but I wonder if she has any thoughts or compromises she'd like to express when given the chance.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Somebody on 07 Dec 2015, 12:00
...the Interns arriving at the library something like... what, 1500 to 2000 strips back?
http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2203
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 07 Dec 2015, 13:23
Wow, nearly three years ago.

I wonder if Penelope will have anything more to say about the position. Dora didn't offer it to her privately, like Faye. Doing it loudly in front of the rest of the staff is very grand but I wonder if she has any thoughts or compromises she'd like to express when given the chance.

That's an interesting point. It puts Penelope on the spot, but is also more open.

Let's see how this goes.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: theMarc on 07 Dec 2015, 15:06
Yeah, but the "witch" calls it a dye job.

Her natural hair color might be red or black.  But, regardless, my main point still stands: Cosette can have whatever color hair she wants, now!  The world is her oyster!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: firevisor on 07 Dec 2015, 15:55
I miss Raven...
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: TheCollector on 07 Dec 2015, 16:29
Man, I never noticed how short Cosette is, it's adorable, which fits since she mostly is such. :3

Also, does anyone else find her now light blue eyes perfect? I love her with them. :3
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Blyss on 07 Dec 2015, 17:07
Yet another employee shanghai'ed.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: TheCollector on 07 Dec 2015, 17:45
Also, does anyone else think that Penelope's new design actually makes her more distinctive? I think she looks amazing.

And if you ask me, I kinda think it makes her look more English, I dunno if she is, but with lines on Finishing Schools and stuff like that I've always thought she may be from the UK. Unless her birth place has been said and I'm either wrong or correct, lol.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Welu on 07 Dec 2015, 18:00
I don't think her home place has been said in comic because the QC Wiki doesn't have info on it, but considering her religious upbringing (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1288), I doubt she was born in the UK.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Dust on 07 Dec 2015, 18:14
Given her roots as a pizza-themed vigilante, I want to say Chicago.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 07 Dec 2015, 18:30
That's deep.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Tova on 07 Dec 2015, 19:17
I dunno, I thought it was cheesy.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: neurocase on 07 Dec 2015, 19:17
That's deep.
I was waiting for someone to dish out that pun.

In other news: comic! It seems Penelope has her work cut out for her. Though Dora's sudden shift to such a laissez-faire attitude after the events of the past week or so of strips is a little odd, to say the least.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Lioness on 07 Dec 2015, 19:23
Wow, talk about going from one extreme to the other (Dora's shift in management style)!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: ThinksTooMuch on 07 Dec 2015, 19:24
I have viewed yesterday's comic several times, and despite my best efforts I find myself utterly unable to view Hanners in today's comic without going *squeak* as some kind of involuntary response.  My roommate has gotten progressively more confused, since I am not typically the source of such noises. :-)
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Somebody on 07 Dec 2015, 19:35
Also, does anyone else think that Penelope's new design actually makes her more distinctive? I think she looks amazing.
I'm sure that's the intent (well, that or JJ forgot to check his colour palette!), but I'm not sure it actually does...

Wow, talk about going from one extreme to the other (Dora's shift in management style)!
It's been five minutes. Give her another five (and a decision by Penelope she doesn't like). 'Sides, Penelope's whole rant is showing she takes the job seriously.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: QuestionableIntentions on 07 Dec 2015, 19:44
I would have preferred May.

The clashes between her and everyone would have been epic  :lol:
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: osaka on 07 Dec 2015, 19:46
I wonder how can Penelope say, with a straight face, that such things don't happen. Like, go back to your own hiring lady. Those things happen. And the "victims" of such "accidents" (for lack of a better word) eventually get promoted to Ass. Manager.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Method of Madness on 07 Dec 2015, 19:48
Penelope was hired very much on purpose. More on purpose than most, actually.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Tova on 07 Dec 2015, 19:48
I wonder how long this new relaxed attitude will last.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Method of Madness on 07 Dec 2015, 19:52
She's going to take a relaxed attitude toward work and watch the baseball match. The Nye Mets are her favorite squadron!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: MrNumbers on 07 Dec 2015, 20:09
Dora can't seem to do things in moderation, can she?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: HiFranc on 07 Dec 2015, 22:40
I wonder how Penelope would react when she remembers that being Assistant Manager has perks (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=735)?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Kugai on 07 Dec 2015, 23:14
Welcome to the Dora Bianchi School of Management.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: BenRG on 07 Dec 2015, 23:36
You know, I actually think that this will work. Penny is sane enough to counteract Dora's infrequent episodes and seems to know "what cannot be done", a rare and valuable management skill. Seriously, I think that the shop needs someone to take charge of things when Dora gets anxious or melancholy.

As for Emily, has anyone bothered to ask how Dora knew her name? I'm wondering if they have been talking when Emily comes in for a 'Smoothie' so that Dora knew that Emily wanted to find a new job to keep her in Northampton. I've got a feeling that Dora has been meaning to hire Emily for a while. Besides, she's ideal to be Raven Mk2.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: themacnut on 07 Dec 2015, 23:49
I wonder how long this new relaxed attitude will last.

Until Penelope makes a decision Dora doesn't like. Then Controlling!Dora will be back with a vengeance. I wonder if Penelope's new position will survive this first clash.

Meanwhile, Dora has done a good job of passing on the stress of running the shop (of managing the employees, anyway). That is true delegation. Well done, Dora, well done.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Zebediah on 08 Dec 2015, 04:13
As for Emily, has anyone bothered to ask how Dora knew her name?

No, since they met way back at the lake house party.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Lubricus on 08 Dec 2015, 04:16
Plus, she's pretty much a regular customer these days.

Where else would she get her "banana smoothies"?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Neko_Ali on 08 Dec 2015, 04:55
And she works with Tai. Even if Dora isn't that close to the circle of friends anymore, I'm sure she still hears all about them
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: swapna on 08 Dec 2015, 06:51
Well, I hope Penelope doesn't forget to ask for a raise, or demand one. It hasn't been mentioned with Faye, and the additional responsibilities warrant one. Also, it would be absolutely necessary to have some  savings, since Dora is not very loyal to her employees.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: BenRG on 08 Dec 2015, 06:56
Well, I hope Penelope doesn't forget to ask for a raise, or demand one. It hasn't been mentioned with Faye, and the additional responsibilities warrant one. Also, it would be absolutely necessary to have some  savings, since Dora is not very loyal to her employees.

Dora's given her control of the budget for salaries; that call is now hers! :evil: Seriously, so long as it isn't extravagant and doesn't significantly impact the cash flow of the business, I'd expect Dora to rubber-stamp it.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: sitnspin on 08 Dec 2015, 08:03
Not very loyal to her employees? She's fired one person during the entire course of the comic and that person was drunk on the job.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: War Sparrow on 08 Dec 2015, 08:51
Ah, the freeing feeling of "that sounds like a you problem"

I doubt it will last long. One does not create a successful small business by not caring about it, and for all her flaws, Dora cares very strongly for her business. In fact, I sort of wonder if Dora is behaving this way to see if Penelope can handle the stress of assistant manager, and giving her the chance to back out now, before she is in over her head. Not the way I'd have done it, but..

Or she is in the middle of a tiny manic episode, and when it's over will wonder what the hell she has done.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 08 Dec 2015, 09:06
since Dora is not very loyal to her employees.

Really?

Dora tends to consider all her employees friends, especially Hanners and, still to some extent, Faye. Not to mention that when Faye was fired and ended up in hospital, Dora kept Faye on the books long enough that the shop's insurance would cover Faye's medical expenses.

Dora might be abrasive at times, but she is a person who has limits, like every one else. That she reacted in such a way to Faye drinking on the job is the fact that Faye went over that limit. Same with everyone else, if Dora explodes at someone, they've pressed some serious buttons in Dora's psyche.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Case on 08 Dec 2015, 10:44
Dora discovers the powers of delegation. And shiny new Artwork!

I'm so gonna keep this new kitten ... (wanders off, searching for a basket ...)
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: swapna on 08 Dec 2015, 12:05
since Dora is not very loyal to her employees.

Really?

Dora tends to consider all her employees friends, especially Hanners and, still to some extent, Faye. Not to mention that when Faye was fired and ended up in hospital, Dora kept Faye on the books long enough that the shop's insurance would cover Faye's medical expenses.

Dora might be abrasive at times, but she is a person who has limits, like every one else. That she reacted in such a way to Faye drinking on the job is the fact that Faye went over that limit. Same with everyone else, if Dora explodes at someone, they've pressed some serious buttons in Dora's psyche.

Faye fucked up, once in the long history of CoD (yes, there were other problems, as usual with Faye, but Dora never indicated that those were grounds for firing), and she was Assistant Manager for a while now. Instead of giving her the chance of cleaning up her act, she's fired on the spot. I consider that disloyal - Dora owes a lot to her, including more business. I know that the hire-and-fire practices are a little different in the US, but still. And keeping her on health insurance for a day or so afterwards? I can't believe that you would lose your health insurance with your job, but if you did, it would be downright barbaric to leave your 'friend' with crippling debt in addition to losing her job, especially if it doesn't change anything for you.

She considers her employees friends? Well, depends. When she hired Hanners, she said it was a bad idea to hire friends, and while there was a joke afterwards, I don't think she considers Penelope a friend (she promoted her based on 'seniority', and without asking her if she wanted the extra responsibility first. And without training her.)

Also, she makes no effort to train her employees beyond basic coffee-making. Tai at least tried to give Marten extra responsibility, to prepare him for a better job.

I'm not saying she's a fundamentally bad person, she just doesn't take care of her employees very well. Which I consider disloyal.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Pilchard123 on 08 Dec 2015, 12:31
Instead of giving her the chance of cleaning up her act, she's fired on the spot. I consider that disloyal - Dora owes a lot to her, including more business.

Pretty sure - though I don't have links - that she'd been warned about the drinking before.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: hedgie on 08 Dec 2015, 12:34
Yes.  Her attitude towards casual booze at CoD seemed to take a shift into the "no way in hell" territory after Faye started crawling into the bottle post break-up.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: swapna on 08 Dec 2015, 12:37
Instead of giving her the chance of cleaning up her act, she's fired on the spot. I consider that disloyal - Dora owes a lot to her, including more business.

Pretty sure - though I don't have links - that she'd been warned about the drinking before.
Well, this is also the shop that had 'emergency burbon' under the counter, so there are very blurry lines here
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: osaka on 08 Dec 2015, 12:39
For lack of a better word, it was more the "quality" of the fuck-up than the quantity of them. Faye showed up drunk, intending to get even drunker, and lying to her boss about such state and intentions. It's also a public-facing job, and one where you operate dangerous machinery (even if nothing's lethal). To top it all off, she was warned about showing up drunk before.

Dora took a harsh route, but I remember a good portion of the forum saying they would've done the same in that situation. I honestly would have.

Warning - while you were typing, scraping and re-typing your comment the point has been evaluated in similar ways. You may wish to stop trying

Dammit forum y u do dis

Well, this is also the shop that had 'emergency burbon' under the counter, so there are very blurry lines here

Said "emergency bourbon" was always used on very specific situations and when closed to the public. Like having Marten and Steve re-enact a passionate kiss.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Kugai on 08 Dec 2015, 13:46
Dora did have a sort of relaxed attitude to her staff, and Faye was her closest friend.  She was willing to tolerate a fair amount from her and the others, but Faye eventually reached even Doras limits. 
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Zebediah on 08 Dec 2015, 13:49
Faye fucked up, once in the long history of CoD (yes, there were other problems, as usual with Faye, but Dora never indicated that those were grounds for firing), and she was Assistant Manager for a while now. Instead of giving her the chance of cleaning up her act, she's fired on the spot. I consider that disloyal - Dora owes a lot to her, including more business. I know that the hire-and-fire practices are a little different in the US, but still. And keeping her on health insurance for a day or so afterwards? I can't believe that you would lose your health insurance with your job, but if you did, it would be downright barbaric to leave your 'friend' with crippling debt in addition to losing her job, especially if it doesn't change anything for you.

Do we really have to hash this out again after we did it in so much detail after Faye was fired? Yes, in the US most people have health insurance on employer-sponsored health plans, so if you lose your job you also lose your health insurance. It does not matter whether you believe it or not, or like it or not - that is the way it is. Also, Dora was  taking a huge risk in keeping Faye on for even a day after she fired her - if her insurance provider found out they would have been within their legal rights to drop CoD's entire insurance plan, leaving Dora and everyone else at CoD without insurance. Again, yeah, it sucks that they can do this, but that is how it is.

There have been some recent changes to health insurance law in the US that have mitigated some of these issues but not gotten rid of them altogether. But overall it still sucks. Please take that into consideration before you condemn Dora for a structural problem with the US health insurance system.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Kugai on 08 Dec 2015, 13:50
I don't really think that this has to be rehashed again
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: swapna on 08 Dec 2015, 16:54
I don't really think that this has to be rehashed again
Agreed. I was just explaining why I consider Dora not very loyal to her employees.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Perfectly Reasonable on 08 Dec 2015, 17:28
I miss Raven...

It's pretty definite now that Raven has been Put on the Bus to Mandyville. Jeph was never quite sure what he wanted to do with her. (A guest comic made a joke about this, with a switch in her arm.) Emily is Raven 2.0.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Method of Madness on 08 Dec 2015, 18:50
I refuse to believe that she's gone for good.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: neurocase on 08 Dec 2015, 21:35
Comic's up. I'm not dealing with how cute Claire looks. Also I typed "Claire cute looks" the first time, so that was clever.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Penquin47 on 08 Dec 2015, 21:44
Claire's hair is adorable in this one.  I want Claire's hair... but where are her glasses?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: neurocase on 08 Dec 2015, 21:47
Claire's hair is adorable in this one.  I want Claire's hair... but where are her glasses?

To quote the news post:
Quote from: Jeph
Claire got contacts! Or she's just bumping into everything.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: RetroRefractive Noodle on 08 Dec 2015, 22:05
Not very loyal to her employees? She's fired one person during the entire course of the comic and that person was drunk on the job.

NO KIDDING -- Real world job would have fired Faye long ago for any number of things she did.    Dora is loyal to a fault,  she put up with quite a lot in the name of being a friend.

And quite frankly sometimes friends have to kick friends in the butt.  Been on both sides of that myself.  :)
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Kugai on 08 Dec 2015, 22:10
Marten certainly knows how to push Tais buttons here.  He definitely does know her well.

Now she has to do the Assessment Forms while dealing with Dora.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: BenRG on 08 Dec 2015, 23:14
With Tai's new 'do and Claire switching to contacts, it seems like it's 'all change aesthetic' at the library. Seriously, Claire seems to only need her glasses for reading; maybe she's decided to do without today? It does make her seem different, though; younger like a pre-grad. Maybe she feels the need to be 'student' rather than 'librarian' today?

Emily is cute here. She really seemed to think that she needed a reason to come to Northampton to hang out with Claire!

Finally... Well, Tai may be the boss but it's clear to me who does the managing at the library! Penny could learn a lot from Marten's example!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: mad hands murphy on 09 Dec 2015, 00:08
I enjoyed seeing Tai discomfited

I still hate her ugly haircut though
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: J on 09 Dec 2015, 01:20
jeph is trying some new things with layout and composition here. fewer/bigger panels, tighter shots on character faces from lower angles. i likes it.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Tova on 09 Dec 2015, 01:53
I enjoyed seeing Tai discomfited

I know what you mean! Because she knows, deep down, how fortunate she is to have a friend who knows her so well, right?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: BenRG on 09 Dec 2015, 02:04
I know what you mean! Because she knows, deep down, how fortunate she is to have a friend who knows her so well, right?

It never ceases to fascinate me how many younger sisters Marten has. I'm not sure if it's just a talent on his part but he has all these young women who really do seem to have this emotional place in his life. He's their adviser, confessor and, sometimes, their guardian. He sometimes even finds himself protecting them from themselves. Tai is an excellent example here. She knows that Marten is right to ensure that she doesn't forget to do the evaluations but she's still an annoyed little sister because her big brother has manipulated her into doing work when she'd prefer to be doing something fun.

Regarding Claire in panel 2... My impression was that she's nervous because she's lying to Tai and she's the sort of woman who doesn't like lying to the boss, even when it is to both parties' benefit!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Satan on 09 Dec 2015, 02:41
What the hell happened, the art in this one is incredible. Jeph is knocking it out of the park recently.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: HannahRose on 09 Dec 2015, 04:32
CLAIRE IS SO FUCKING PRETTY OH MY GOD I CAN'T EV-

Error 404: Hannah not found. She may have run off squealing like a teenage girl while flailing her arms everywhere, or she may have fainted from pure joy. Please try again later.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: dexeron on 09 Dec 2015, 05:34
Seriously, let me second (third? fourth? What are we up to by now?) everyone else's sentiment.  Just awesome art today (I am also loving Tai's new hair) and cutest Claire E. V. E. R.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Omega Entity on 09 Dec 2015, 07:28
CUTEST CLAIRE EVER.

(http://i.imgur.com/bi2cbAr.jpg)
That's actually the panel I dislike in today's comic. Her hair is way too flat to her head in that one compared to the other panels, so it just doesn't reflect the sheer volume of it that we know she has, and I don't care for the way her face looks either. I think it's because her eyelashes are going the wrong direction on her right eye (our left). It makes her look like one of those old cartoons back in the 50s.

Love her hair in other panels, though, and her expression in panel one makes her look really pretty, IMO.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Reaver on 09 Dec 2015, 07:50
Dora's attitude of "Sure I can, it's my shop! Handle my sporatic decision baii" Is just as bad, if not worse than her controlling every aspect  :facepalm:
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: ischaemia on 09 Dec 2015, 08:24
Edit: As an emissary from the future, expect a super cute rendition of Claire to come. I suppose, however, you didn't even need me to tell you this; this path was inevitable.
WAS IT NOT AS I SAID
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: bhtooefr on 09 Dec 2015, 08:46
Or maybe Hanners yelled at her really loudly.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Endellion on 09 Dec 2015, 15:23
Is it just me or has Claire had a haircut?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: hedgie on 09 Dec 2015, 15:49
What the hell happened, the art in this one is incredible. Jeph is knocking it out of the park recently.

Jeph is getting more familiar using Manga studio for doing the comic (I think previously, he was just using it for colour and PS for everything else).  I'll assume this is the point where his new workflow is really working for him.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: MooskiNet on 09 Dec 2015, 16:03
Whatever it is, it is definitely working for him.  The last few days look like the work of someone who's just pushed themselves past a barrier, especially his line art.  Continuing to push yourself after more than twelve years and three thousand pages is pretty damn impressive.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Gladstone on 09 Dec 2015, 18:47
Joke's on Claire, though--the timeline's so borked, this Friday was last week.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Perfectly Reasonable on 09 Dec 2015, 19:01
Cute girls bumping into things for the Win!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Method of Madness on 09 Dec 2015, 19:22
Joke's on Claire, though--the timeline's so borked, this Friday was last week.
Arguably this Friday was a decade ago.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: mustang6172 on 09 Dec 2015, 19:38
Between school and library duty, Emily won't be getting as many hours as Penelope so that should work out...  For about a week or two.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: dreed on 09 Dec 2015, 19:54
Art is indeed really sweet.


Faye sas was one of the things which made Caffè of Doom popular.   Without it won't Dora lose part of her clientele?
Budget wise it sees wages expenses will stay the same although might be a slight increase which was the point in the beginning.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Perfectly Reasonable on 09 Dec 2015, 19:57
Give that girl an MBA! (I didn't say which girl... )

Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 09 Dec 2015, 20:28
Didn't Pennelope say once that she had trouble with math? Might be a handicap for her new responsibilities, though with Hannelore available to help she can get through some rough patches.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: RetroRefractive Noodle on 09 Dec 2015, 22:34
What the hell happened, the art in this one is incredible. Jeph is knocking it out of the park recently.

Clearly Canada has done something to him.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: BenRG on 09 Dec 2015, 23:36
Yes, Penny, Dora sometimes runs the shop on luck rather than preplanning. Don't knock it; it works. Maybe she's just one of those people who have an instinct for these things. Still, she's kind of distracted at the moment, what with trying to decide whether to start therapy or not, so it might be a good idea to keep an eye on where things are going!

Is it just me or has Claire had a haircut?

Yeah, she seems to have cut it from butt length to mid-back length. Probably just routine maintenance that she does twice a year or so.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 10 Dec 2015, 01:51
Give that girl an MBA! (I didn't say which girl... )

Or at the very least, a calculator.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: dragonspike on 10 Dec 2015, 06:20
Of course this will work out. There are now the exact same number of employees at each pay scale as there were before Faye was fired, assuming Hanners isn't getting a raise to go with her roaster-training. Think about it - one employee was fired. One employee was hired. There was one Ass Manager before, there is one now.

The only difference is that Dale is getting more hours, but we don't know how many. It may only be a couple extra hours per week, especially when you factor in that Cosette will be working fewer hours now that school is starting up. This is unlikely to seriously cut into CoD's profits, assuming it wasn't on the brink of failing before. And the last time Dora hired a new employee (Dale), she admitted that the shop was doing fine, she just liked the extra income from putting in more of the hours herself. So Dora may be taking a small personal paycut, but that's a reasonable tradeoff for working fewer hours - we've never had any indication that she was struggling financially.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: BenRG on 10 Dec 2015, 06:26
The only difference is that Dale is getting more hours...,

Those are to cover Dora doing less, IMO. So, a lot depends on the hourly rate Dora pays herself (if she handles it that way). It's possible that Dale, being very much junior to her, may get a lower rate so him doing the hours will wind up less expensive in payroll terms. Dale won't mind; just being able to quit another of his hell-spawned other jobs will make him a happy man.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 10 Dec 2015, 09:31
Welcome, new person!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Timemaster on 10 Dec 2015, 09:57
Jeph is getting more familiar using Manga studio for doing the comic (I think previously, he was just using it for colour and PS for everything else).  I'll assume this is the point where his new workflow is really working for him.

Manga Studio 5 (aka Clip Studio Paint, it´s the same software) is very good. My daughter uses it for her manga. Especially in combination with Jeph´s Wacom Cintiq it is extremely poweful. Just take a close look at the lines in the last strips.
The art has definitely improved the last weeks. I like it very much.
By the way, for the next five days Clip Studio Paint is offered for 70% off. I just got a mail withe the offer.

I think Penelope looks absolutely gorgeous in the last strips. She featured the strip rarely the last years. Maybe she will appear more frequently. I like her role as the voice of reason here. It´s a nice change of pace for QC, a little more real world feeling.
And I like women with glasses.   :wink:

TM
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Kugai on 10 Dec 2015, 11:43
Of course this will work out. There are now the exact same number of employees at each pay scale as there were before Faye was fired, assuming Hanners isn't getting a raise to go with her roaster-training. Think about it - one employee was fired. One employee was hired. There was one Ass Manager before, there is one now.

The only difference is that Dale is getting more hours, but we don't know how many. It may only be a couple extra hours per week, especially when you factor in that Cosette will be working fewer hours now that school is starting up. This is unlikely to seriously cut into CoD's profits, assuming it wasn't on the brink of failing before. And the last time Dora hired a new employee (Dale), she admitted that the shop was doing fine, she just liked the extra income from putting in more of the hours herself. So Dora may be taking a small personal paycut, but that's a reasonable tradeoff for working fewer hours - we've never had any indication that she was struggling financially.


You make the points I was thinking of when I saw this.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: DSL on 10 Dec 2015, 12:28
Is Hanners' wealth known to anyine besides Marten and Faye? I wonder if Jeph's ever toyed the idea of Dora asking Hanners in as an investing partner, not just a caffeine slinger? (Mama Beatrice is right out, I know; I remember the storyline in which Dora rebuffed Queen Bea's unsubtle offer to make CoD into a Starbucks-crushing coffee empire.)
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: hedgie on 10 Dec 2015, 12:56
I think it's safe to say that anyone who knows her full name knows about the money.  Even Sam was told about the orbital bombardment app. 
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Nepiophage on 10 Dec 2015, 15:07
Dora certainly knows. Hannelore made Dora make up with Sven by threatening to buy the building and turn CoD into a junk food outlet. Also Beatrice (Hannelore's mother) offered to finance a chain of CoDs to be run by Dora.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Somebody on 10 Dec 2015, 17:04
Of course this will work out. There are now the exact same number of employees at each pay scale as there were before Faye was fired, assuming Hanners isn't getting a raise to go with her roaster-training. Think about it - one employee was fired. One employee was hired. There was one Ass Manager before, there is one now.

The only difference is that Dale is getting more hours, but we don't know how many. It may only be a couple extra hours per week, especially when you factor in that Cosette will be working fewer hours now that school is starting up. This is unlikely to seriously cut into CoD's profits, assuming it wasn't on the brink of failing before. And the last time Dora hired a new employee (Dale), she admitted that the shop was doing fine, she just liked the extra income from putting in more of the hours herself. So Dora may be taking a small personal paycut, but that's a reasonable tradeoff for working fewer hours - we've never had any indication that she was struggling financially.
Or, to put it simply:

Manager: Dora->Dora->Dora
Ass. Manager: Faye->Dora (covering)->Penelope
Barista (full-time): Penelope->Penelope->Dale
Barista: Hanners->Hanners->Hanners
Barista: Cosette->Cosette->Cosette
Barista: Dale->Dale->Emily
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Tova on 10 Dec 2015, 18:47
I can't actually comprehend why it took so long to happen.

Well, I can - because Dora - but, you know. It's about time.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: sluthy on 10 Dec 2015, 19:30
Comic.

Subtle differences make Claire look COMPLETELY different.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: J on 10 Dec 2015, 19:32
wow, claire looks like a completely different character in panel 2
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Method of Madness on 10 Dec 2015, 19:38
Quote
I guess I'm drawing lips on everyone again[/img]

I guess that's it. Dang, though.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: solemnwar on 10 Dec 2015, 19:46
Hoo boy, that second panel Claire... I really think Jeph should've redrawn that one. Not only does she look like someone else, she looks *unbelievably creepy*.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: HannahRose on 10 Dec 2015, 19:47
I demand to know what product Claire has been using in her hair.

(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/12321140_1063988666967660_318061136837508843_n.jpg?oh=11667b9c04d319b079b648ad031f7b56&oe=56EA28BE)
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12321172_1063988710300989_6973160816192896115_n.jpg?oh=d87190a7af1877a4868b39a9505f77e9&oe=56DA97AA)
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Method of Madness on 10 Dec 2015, 19:47
Creepy? How?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: bhtooefr on 10 Dec 2015, 19:48
Why do I think Claire's panel 2 face resembles an earlier version of Cossette's?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: sluthy on 10 Dec 2015, 19:49
The lips are the main difference, but something about the eyes too, are they smaller? Panel 2 looks quite...un-Jeph-like (not bad though, just different)? Especially standing next to regular Emily. Maybe just trying something different in Manga Studio.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: TheRedMaiden on 10 Dec 2015, 20:02
Yikes, that doesn't even look like Claire at all. I loved her look because she was adorable without being "conventionally" pretty. This one looks like a model who's cosplaying her or something. I'm glad Jeph's improving his art, but she looks like a generic background character now. Where did the personality of her dorky look go? Where's her hair poof? Does she even have an overbite anymore? What the heck happened to her eyes? I hope this is just an experimental look and Jeph goes back to a style closer to how she looked a couple comics ago, because this just....isn't Claire.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Gladstone on 10 Dec 2015, 20:12
Her overbite is still pretty prominent in the third panel, but I have to agree with the rest of that assessment.  That doesn't really look like Claire.  The lips especially.  ESPECIALLY THE LIPS. 
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 10 Dec 2015, 20:18
Anyone who likes it is welcome to use the phrase "As frustrated as Claire's comb".
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: chaospersonified on 10 Dec 2015, 20:20
I know some people would use this as an example of Tai being a fuckhead stoner, but you are the people who dislike her and therefore disagree with me, for your own equally valid reasons. I see this as an example of Tai working smart, not hard. Emily is happy, do not be pissed off on her behalf.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: K1dmor on 10 Dec 2015, 20:22
 Just a quick edit for comparison, Claire and Emily without lips:
 
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Omega Entity on 10 Dec 2015, 20:32
See, they look like themselves there. I like 'no lips' better.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: RetroRefractive Noodle on 10 Dec 2015, 20:34
Ok I think I know what happened.

Jeph was killed by a rabid beaver third week after moving to Canada,  and Canada didn't want to enrage us (the fanbase) with the tragic news.   So they developed an AI based on Jeph's tweets and news-posts and attached it to a plotter... then uploaded his story notes for the next five years.

I mean no other explanation makes sense here, the art has improved by several orders of magnitude in a very short period of time.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Shjade on 10 Dec 2015, 20:44
...so you're saying you think an AI would be a better artist than Jeph? >.>

Srs though, this page, particularly Claire in the first panel (the flair on that hair, my gosh), is really great.

Awesome work!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: HannahRose on 10 Dec 2015, 20:58
I know some people would use this as an example of Tai being a fuckhead stoner, but you are the people who dislike her and therefore disagree with me, for your own equally valid reasons. I see this as an example of Tai working smart, not hard. Emily is happy, do not be pissed off on her behalf.

She's also probably going to make a real one to send off, if she hasn't done so already, and this was probably just to make Emily happy. :P
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: hedgie on 10 Dec 2015, 21:03
Emily is also a computer science student who took this internship to sniff old books.  It's entirely possible that as far as she's concerned, she doesn't *need* this for future employment.

Edit:
Yikes, that doesn't even look like Claire at all. I loved her look because she was adorable without being "conventionally" pretty.
Her spectacles add a lot to her adorkable charm.  And I think that the more self-confident, post-piercing Claire is moving away from that image in comic, and not just because of Jeph's changes in the art style.  I'm not sure what I think about it all yet, myself, but I don't think that all of these changes have solidified yet. 
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: improvnerd on 10 Dec 2015, 21:21
Emily is also a computer science student who took this internship to sniff old books.  It's entirely possible that as far as she's concerned, she doesn't *need* this for future employment.

I agree. Plus, Emily even got a gold star!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: improvnerd on 10 Dec 2015, 21:22
The last time evals came up, BTW:

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2944
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Heranje on 10 Dec 2015, 21:58
Honestly I think this is an example of Tai knowing her employees well and catering each evaluation to what they need - Claire of course wants a detailed, extensive eval because she's that kind of person, whereas Emily is probably much happier with her GOOD JOB (star sticker) than she would be with an evaluation similar to Claire's. Putting all that effort into a detailed evaluation for Emily would be wasted time - I could just imagine her sad-facing at Tai until she put a gold sticker on it.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 10 Dec 2015, 22:01
If Emily has a faculty advisor then a prudent responsible manager in Tai's position would send the real evaluation there directly.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: SubaruStephen on 10 Dec 2015, 22:30
I have to admit, I don't like the way Claire looks in today's comic.

Lips (outta nowhere) and no glasses make her look like someone else, someone distinctly not Claire.

K1dmors lip-less version of the comic FEELS right.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: K1dmor on 10 Dec 2015, 22:38
 Thanks.
 I added some glasses to see if there was any difference, specially in the second panel.
 
(click to show/hide)

Disclaimer: I don't mind Jeph's new style, this is just for fun.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: J on 10 Dec 2015, 22:45
Creepy? How?

while i wouldn't use the word 'creepy', it's a lot closer to photo-realistic than any of the other panels, giving it a bit of an uncanny-valley effect.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Penquin47 on 10 Dec 2015, 23:24
One reason for the difference in their evals: Claire is a Library Science student who takes this seriously and intends to be a librarian.

Emily is a computer science student who likes the smell of old books.

Emily probably does not care if the library science people are impressed or not.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Undrneath on 10 Dec 2015, 23:30
Thanks.
 I added some glasses to see if there was any difference, specially in the second panel.
 
(click to show/hide)

Disclaimer: I don't mind Jeph's new style, this is just for fun.

That proves definitively that it really is the difference of taking off her glasses that makes Claire go from adorably cute to drop dead gorgeous.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: BenRG on 10 Dec 2015, 23:34
Tai has clearly learned a key rule of retail: To have customer satisfaction, one must tailor the product to the customer! She knows what Claire and Emily individually want and she has given it to them! Emily, especially, is over the Moon! :-D

Lips (outta nowhere) and no glasses make her look like someone else, someone distinctly not Claire.

I've got to agree that Claire's new lips make her look like a totally different character. That said, Jeph manages to make her look on-model despite the lips in panel 3, so I have hope that he can get the character redesign right with time and practice.

P.S.:
The lips work fine on Emily but not on Claire; don't ask me why! Maybe they need to be done thinner and less obvious.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: anahata on 10 Dec 2015, 23:40
Even without the lips and with the glasses, Claire's face looks rounder and fatter in the second panel. Earlier drawings are all skin and bone. It's almost as if she had put on weight.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Channelore HellicottAtham on 11 Dec 2015, 01:09
Has Claire had plastic surgery as well as lasik??!  :claireface:
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: BenRG on 11 Dec 2015, 01:30
Has Claire had plastic surgery as well as lasik??!  :claireface:

Marten won the lottery; he's been buying both Pintsize and her incremental upgrades. Wait until you see Pintsize's new quad-rotor heli-drone mode!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: DSL on 11 Dec 2015, 03:13
Everyone, Jeph says.
Pintsize?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Rghfrgl on 11 Dec 2015, 03:34
Not sold or against lips at this point.

Panel 2 is weird.

Panel 1 is super pretty.

Glad hair shadings back.

Left side of Claire's hair looks better. Right side looks too much like Tai's left.

It's cool to not always be wearing glasses, but I don't want to see them gone for good because it is a cute look.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Arancaytar on 11 Dec 2015, 04:46
Now that I read that note I'm going to be aware of everybody's lips in this comic for at least a few weeks. :P
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: pwhodges on 11 Dec 2015, 05:36
It used to be so simple!  Men - no lips, women - lips.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Lubricus on 11 Dec 2015, 05:54
I guess I can stop wondering what Jeph will do if Claire ever decides to wear lipstick...  :lol:
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: marsman57 on 11 Dec 2015, 06:10
Comparing her look in the intern introduction to today, I can safely say that HRT has been very kind to Claire.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: bhtooefr on 11 Dec 2015, 07:59
Except, canonically, she started HRT years before she was introduced, and it's only been a matter of, what, a couple months or so since then?

I'm pretty sure this is art evolution, combined possibly with differences in how she's carrying herself. (There's also been speculation in the past that she was being drawn more attractively because the camera was from Marten's POV, and he was perceiving her as more attractive, but that isn't the case right now, Marten's not even in the scene.)
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: A Duck on 11 Dec 2015, 07:59
While I'm not particularly fond of the lips, I have to say I'm extremely impressed by Jeph's art this week. Must be all that maple syrup.

Comparing her look in the intern introduction to today, I can safely say that HRT has been very kind to Claire.
I think that's just art evolution, hardly 3 months passed in-universe since Claire was introduced.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: TheRedMaiden on 11 Dec 2015, 08:15
I like the glasses edit, but there's still something super jarring about her eyes. Here's Claire the last time she was seen before the art change: http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3087

Her eyes are almost completely circular. Here they look smaller and have the pointy edge like Dora's eyes or Penelope's eyes. It just doesn't make her look like Claire and she looks more like a base character model (IMHO) that is dressed up as her.

Didn't even notice the lips on Emily, but on Claire they just do not work.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: toffee-skye on 11 Dec 2015, 12:01
aw man, i saw the art today and thought "oh wow, i really like this!"

all the ladies having lips again adds.. i really don't know how to put this without sounding like an asshole, but it makes QC feel like a graphic novel. i like the cartoony style, but re-including details like that adds a kind of depth i appreciate. for some artists the crux of detail is whether or not they add in fingernails, but i guess for QC and Jeph it's lips. it balances Jeph's relaxed style (i.e. his doodles on tumblr) with a more proportionate style i really dig. the hair looks freakin' great on all counts too.

maybe i'm just a sucker for pseudo-realistic art. i like the definition of Claire's chin being more subtle. beforehand she's always been somewhat emblematic of Jeph's Everyone Has A Pointy Chin phase (good example here (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2443) and here of Claire (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2445)) which i've always found a bit jarring (maybe it's envy) because it made everyone look a bit gaunt.

tl;dr: the art's a nice change of pace!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: TheRedMaiden on 11 Dec 2015, 12:51
The art's definitely good, but I feel like it takes so much away from Claire's character. Can you really imagine that Claire face dropping some sick puns?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Kugai on 11 Dec 2015, 13:16
My guess is she actually has done a proper one for Emily but has, as Heranje said, sent it off to her Adviser and given that one to Emily.  She may be a bit of a Stoner, but deep down she really does know how to do her job properly or I doubt she would have lasted as long as she has in it.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Nepiophage on 11 Dec 2015, 13:18
I really preferred the old Claire with glasses. Maybe I'm just a stick in the mud.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 11 Dec 2015, 14:26
With regards to the art, if you don't like it, wait two weeks. It'll probably have changed.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Method of Madness on 11 Dec 2015, 14:36
I definitely wanna see new Claire with glasses. I'm sure that'll happen.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: K1dmor on 11 Dec 2015, 17:25
Can you really imagine that Claire face dropping some sick puns?

 (http://i.imgur.com/E9urpEa.png)(http://i.imgur.com/YZhGHNq.png)
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: hedgie on 11 Dec 2015, 18:31
I definitely wanna see new Claire with glasses. I'm sure that'll happen.
That *would* be nice, but I don't know how much it works with post-piercing Claire.  Hopefully one day, her eyes may be sensitive enough where contacts won't work, and we'll see it.

And I might be the first to say that I like this look a bit more than her old (so far, that might change).  I think that it makes her more Claire, and less "girl Clinton".
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Method of Madness on 11 Dec 2015, 18:33
What does her piercing have to do with her glasses?
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: hedgie on 11 Dec 2015, 18:46
In and of itself, nothing.  But she is certainly changing herself, but in a less comically horrible way as her brother.  Right now, she seems to be sticking with the contacts (like she wore at the wedding), and viewing her eye accessories as just that, a fashion thing.  The septum piercing is simply an indication of the "new, improved, self-confident Claire".  I don't think that she's really going to try and redefine herself as a person, but it's more of a difference in how she carries herself.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Giant Speck on 11 Dec 2015, 21:36
First panel Claire looks like Linka from Captain Planet with red hair.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Detachable Felix on 12 Dec 2015, 03:45
First panel Claire looks like Linka from Captain Planet with red hair.
OH MY GOD that was my first thought too!


Also, Welcome!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 12 Dec 2015, 04:38
Ah crap, now I see it too!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Giant Speck on 13 Dec 2015, 03:28
Bwahahahahaha!
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: co149 on 13 Dec 2015, 18:29
Thank you for lips!  Lips reduce grimness and make drama more fun!  More lips!  (Yes, I registered just to make this comment because Lips Are Important!)  :D
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: DSL on 13 Dec 2015, 19:44
Claire and Emily both seem a little less wide-eyed, too.
Title: Re: WCDT 7th-11th December 2015 (Strips 3106-3110)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 14 Dec 2015, 05:42
Welcome, new person and lip advocate!