"Other":
Marten wakes up one day and finds it's all been a dream ...
You know, I guess that's the last we're gonna see of Millifeulle, which is kind of a shame...That depends entirely on what other upgrades she'll want to attract/keep his attention - she's already proved she's willing to change her chassis/configuration to get attention. Her boobage isn't anywhere close to Faye's size, so there's at least one other set of implants, maybe more if she steps up in sizes instead of going for "dayum" all at once. Then, depending on what his fetish(s) is/are, there could be more. She doesn't have real lips, since her face is a screen. Does that mean a head transplant? And can UR do one?
b) he's part of a simulated reality run byThe Spookybots, and Yay et al are "merely the protrusions into our dimension of vast, hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings"
There was no attemptShe tried. She just wasn't super good at it.
You know, I guess that's the last we're gonna see of Millifeulle, which is kind of a shame...That depends entirely on what other upgrades she'll want to attract/keep his attention - she's already proved she's willing to change her chassis/configuration to get attention. Her boobage isn't anywhere close to Faye's size, so there's at least one other set of implants, maybe more if she steps up in sizes instead of going for "dayum" all at once. Then, depending on what his fetish(s) is/are, there could be more. She doesn't have real lips, since her face is a screen. Does that mean a head transplant? And can UR do one?
OTOH, she's a researcher, possibly even a grad student. So maybe this was the wad shot and if she doesn't get him, we'll see her moping around...
There was no attemptShe tried.
She tried.
What makes you think so?
Oh look, Claire's attempts to manipulate someone's life again.
Am I the only one who likes that Marten is happy not pursuing his dream job? A reality of a lot of people's lives is that they work in a job that isn't their passion/dream job to pay the bills. But in fiction it's always about "pursuing your dream job" and non dream jobs are "holding you back" or always completely awful, instead of a perfectly decent way to get your bills paid.
TBH, I've been waiting for this storyline literally since they started dating - the mismatched ambition levels were there from the very start.
I'm not holding my breath, TBH. We've repeatedly seen hints of this storyline surface, only for Jeph to return to his favourite character(s) du jour.
I guess I'm too long-term of a reader to not immediately think of 1795. (https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1795)I started reading QC a few months of our time after this, and I think it's a different situation. So no, my mind didn't jump there, since the dynamic is different.
I guess I'm too long-term of a reader to not immediately think of 1795. (https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1795)
Take that as you will; this is just my feeling.My immediate reaction was: "So long Marten and Claire." I infer she's got a job offer somewhere, hasn't told Marten yet, and is looking for a good way to tell him to get ready to pack up, 'cause she's going. If Marten gets excited about going to school for instrument repair or whatever, and there's a school near Claire's new job, then it's *his* idea to move and Claire isn't in the position of saying "move if you want to be with me.".
Yeah, I saw this coming a long time ago. They have never really been a good match as far as ambition and life plans are concerned. There are actually two conflicts that are coming up here. The first, which everyone has caught on to, is that Claire is ambitious about what she wants to do for a career, and she doesn't understand that Marten isn't. The second conflict is that Claire believes higher education is essential to pursuing career goals, because it was for her. I think, in Marten's case, even if he were to pursue becoming a repairman of musical instruments, he would balk at going to school for it.
I had a similar conflict with an ex years ago, and I think it was a part of why we broke up. She had a master's degree. I had only a 2-year degree. She used to tell me that I "have to" go back to college, it was not acceptable for me not to have a better degree.
This comic really hit me in the PTSD, mostly because my ex pulled the same stunt on me. This is not how you do it.
This comic really hit me in the PTSD, mostly because my ex pulled the same stunt on me. This is not how you do it.
Crappy move on their part then. Hope it's not too bad for you.
Without something changing, Marten - the strip's original character - will continue to slide into background irrelevance.Marten has been irrelevant for a long time. Pretty much the only time we see him now is from Claire's POV.
Apparently (and I'm hoping somebody in the cast comes along and reminds Marten of this) Marten has forgotten his actual dream job. You know, the part where he's in a band and actually makes and plays music.And writing a music blog. Come to think of it, when was the last time we saw Marten even hold a guitar?
Welcome, new person!Sadly, that's just how it is for many bands and musicians.
I was expecting Marten to mention Deathmole when Claire asked her question. The drummer is back in town, Sven could be vocalist, and it would fulfill him.
I wonder if he doesn't think of it as likely to produce enough income to be an answer to a question about a "job".
She phrased in a way that could be taken as a hypothetical question.There was no attemptShe tried.
What makes you think so?
Well it looks like we're up for another discussion about whether or not Marten's coasting along is a issue or not... :meh: :meh: :meh:
Am I the only one who likes that Marten is happy not pursuing his dream job? A reality of a lot of people's lives is that they work in a job that isn't their passion/dream job to pay the bills. But in fiction it's always about "pursuing your dream job" and non dream jobs are "holding you back" or always completely awful, instead of a perfectly decent way to get your bills paid.
A job you like well enough, with colleagues you get along with, with work that stays at work (leaving your evenings and weekends free for hobbies or friends) - this is seriously undervalued in my opinion.
I'm not holding my breath, TBH. We've repeatedly seen hints of this storyline surface, only for Jeph to return to his favourite character(s) du jour.
... A job you like well enough, with colleagues you get along with, with work that stays at work (leaving your evenings and weekends free for hobbies or friends) - this is seriously undervalued in my opinion.
I agree with you. It bothers me that Marten, who has a job, an apartment and pays his bills, is seen as somehow not an adult.
... one or two unexpected surprises such as a basement in which Faye and Bubbles can experiment with spare parts.
Personally, in terms of the central cast moving, my favourite option is for Claire's mother to decide that the house is too big for her so goes apartment hunting. It just turns out that she can easily make the rent on the Reed/Augustus/Faye/Bubbles/Pintsize apartment and it is ideal for her. Meanwhile, the house is all paid up and the main cast can easily meet its relatively modest costs. So, we have a Moving Day and the main cast are suddenly operating out of a much larger building that may have one or two unexpected surprises such as a basement in which Faye and Bubbles can experiment with spare parts.
Marten has been irrelevant for a long time. Pretty much the only time we see him now is from Claire's POV.
This comic stopped being Marten focused a loooooong time ago
I don't think that people want Marten and Claire to move out but it's just that a lot of readers find it difficult to imagine Claire getting a job within reasonable commuting distance from Northampton.
MxPx is still together, but they all work day jobs to keep the lights on. And that's an all-too common story.
No, Claire wants Tai's job.Tai spent that blackmail to get Marten a raise. She has her job legitimately as far as I can tell. Once she finishes her graduate studies, who knows?
(And Tai's job security is the blackmail material she has -- suppose that goes away?)
No, Claire wants Tai's job.Tai spent that blackmail to get Marten a raise. She has her job legitimately as far as I can tell. Once she finishes her graduate studies, who knows?
(And Tai's job security is the blackmail material she has -- suppose that goes away?)
the only place you can do this unless you are much richer than (most of) our cast is a table in the front room...
I've long felt that Marten is in many ways Jeph's self-insert
[...]
'guitar repair guy' is a bit of a specialist field
Oh look, Claire's attempts to manipulate someone's life again.
I guess I'm too long-term of a reader to not immediately think of 1795. (https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1795)Thank you for making me binge through 250 old strips. It's not like I wouldn't have anything better to do.
... Sven could be vocalist, and it would fulfill him.AIUI Sven is one of the top songwriters in the country music scene. WTF would he want to play in a little local amateur band?
He writes country songs for money, but he didn't say what style the song was that he actually cares about (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4100). Since the people he approached didn't like it, maybe he would be interested in collaborating with Marten's band on something like that.... Sven could be vocalist, and it would fulfill him.AIUI Sven is one of the top songwriters in the country music scene. WTF would he want to play in a little local amateur band?
I've been wondering if we've been misreading Marten all along. He isn't passive, he's just really good at constructing worst-case scenarios and so he's staying in 'safe' territory where there are no serious risks of failure. I can certainly empathise as that's one of my personal greatest weaknesses. It would certainly explain a lot about him if he wasn't just loathe to change but was genuinely afraid that he'll screw up if he does!
Also sheesh I would be Claire too, the best thing in a relationship is helping each other grow and build each other up. Marten needs someone to say hey I know you can do more, you just have to want it.
Sometimes you don't realize what you really can do until you are literally thrown out the nest and realize you can fly.
Therein lies the rub. Yes, helping each other grow in a relationship is a good thing. That's not what with Marten and Claire are doing, not in this instance. Claire is not-so-subtly forcing Marten down a path, that frankly, he's not ready for, that he will never be ready for.
From the first time I saw today's strip (yesterday on Patreon), I've been wondering if we've been misreading Marten all along. He isn't passive, he's just really good at constructing worst-case scenarios and so he's staying in 'safe' territory where there are no serious risks of failure. I can certainly empathise as that's one of my personal greatest weaknesses. It would certainly explain a lot about him if he wasn't just loathe to change but was genuinely afraid that he'll screw up if he does!
Maybe all Claire really needs is to show belief in him and his dreams and he'll feel better about pursuing them.
Have you read "Harry Potter and Methods of Rationality (https://www.hpmor.com/)"? Being prepared for worst-case scenarios is one of Harry's core goals in this fanfic.
Personally, I think Marten is with Claire because she's trying to push him a little. Because he knows he kinda needs it a bit.
I guess I'm too long-term of a reader to not immediately think of 1795. (https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1795)
As it has been mentioned, another "Claire manipulates someone" story.I honestly disagree, I see Claire being supportive of Marten to accomplish more objectives in his life, to pursue his goals and not to stay stagnant in his current position, after all as much as we wish to stay in a job we currently have, or keep our current situation as it is to stay in a relatively "safe" life, it won't last forever, we have to move on at some point and try our best to strive for even greater opportunities.
I see this ending in one of three ways;
- In tears.
- In a lesson learned.
- Marten Reed, Instrument Repair.
And frankly, I can't see the last happening.
I don't know, I just can't stand Claire anymore. There's just something about her that sets me on edge. Actually, its not some nebulous something, its her manipulative and controlling nature. The fact that she seems to know whats best for everyone else even though its clearly apparent that Claire barely has any clue about her own life.
Finally, people have often wondered if Pintsize has a job. I'm wondering if Jeph is just kidding in the footer text or if that is Pintsize's job. If it is, I'd laugh if he was by far the most professionally successful person in the apartment!
Sometimes I wonder if I'm a broken person, since so much of my internal experience seems to just not match at all with what I see other people experiencing.
I know people seem to like the triumphant feeling of setting a goal and working to achieve it, but I have no freaking clue how they have goals. How do you get yourself to feel strongly enough about something to think you'd actually want to do it?
Sometimes I wonder if I'm a broken person, since so much of my internal experience seems to just not match at all with what I see other people experiencing.
Finally, people have often wondered if Pintsize has a job.He hawks his processors during downtimes, something May can't do and is still bitter about.
I'm wondering if Jeph is just kidding in the footer text or if that is Pintsize's job. If it is, I'd laugh if he was by far the most professionally successful person in the apartment!Notary Public isn't that lucrative. And keep in mind that a notary can be called to court to help prove signed documents. Can anyone imagine believing Pintsize if he said he saw something happen?
I'm wondering if Jeph is just kidding in the footer text or if that is Pintsize's job. If it is, I'd laugh if he was by far the most professionally successful person in the apartment!
Notary Public isn't that lucrative. And keep in mind that a notary can be called to court to help prove signed documents. Can anyone imagine believing Pintsize if he said he saw something happen?
It depends if his memories can be faked. If they're as good as a recording of events, then his personal reputation is almost meaningless. Beyond the judge spluttering: "Him? You were literally so badly off that you had to go to him?!?"Agreed, though how you'd get those memories exposed in a court situation remains a question. I suppose if Pintsize can aim his laser pointer, he could simulate a TV on a blank wall. Then all he'd have to do is keep snippets of the ID process and the actual document signing for later cases involving questions. But, of course, the ability and desire to create a deepfake isn't beyond him...
a "content is not enough for me. Either I'm happy, or I'll die trying" situation.
Marten does.a "content is not enough for me. Either I'm happy, or I'll die trying" situation.
That's why it's called Questionable Content — everyone's basically content, but they don't quite accept it ;)
My cousin was married to a manipulative woman. He was a nurse, damn good at his job and passionate about it, but she kept telling everyone how he was going to go to medical school and become a doctor and make somebody of himself.
When she *finally* got it through her head that, while he left nursing to become an EMT he was not going to medical school... hello divorce papers.
Claire is asking Marten what he wants. She's pushing him to do it, but at least she's pushing him to follow *his* ideas instead of conforming to hers.
I've long felt that Marten is in many ways Jeph's self-insert
[...]
'guitar repair guy' is a bit of a specialist field
About two years ago it just happened, that one million subscriber YouTube channels were rarer than Nobel Prize laureates. I.e. by this measure, one million YouTube subscribers is more prestigious than the Nobel Prize. This may have changed since then, I didn't have a chance to check.
So, combining this with the parallel that BenRG has laid out: How many 'guitar repair guys' are there in the world? How many webcomic artists are there in the world? It's easy to count the former. How would you count webcomic artists? How about only those, who do it full time? Maybe only those with 1000 daily hits on their site? 10000 hits per week?
How would you count webcomic artists, if you wanted to compare this occupation with another?Oh look, Claire's attempts to manipulate someone's life again.
The word "manipulate" usually has a negative connotation. I've never understood this sentiment. All people affect lives of others around them. People are not isolated from outside influences.
Of course, effect of all people is different. Both in who it covers, and the impact's magnitude. Some affect whole countries, some affect only their family. Some reach into your soul, others you forget the next moment.
Why do people think that Claire's influence is somehow bad?
Claire isn't being manipulative. She's concluded that her best life is with Marten. And she wants to be sure his life isn't one of regret and dissatisfaction. Claire is a very focused and driven person, and Marten provides a kind of anchor, a counterweight to that. She also realizes he can be more.
Interesting hes wanting to talk to Steve about this and not Dora, Faye etc.
I recall a while back saying that one of Martens issues is that he doesn't have enough male friends (for exactly times like these) and that having both male and female friends is better for you than friends of one gender only (which I still stand by)