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Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: Gyrre on 07 Jun 2020, 05:22

Title: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Gyrre on 07 Jun 2020, 05:22
Obviously I'm not including the game for the original NES. That was hot garbage from what I understand. The Telltale Games game wasn't bad and the Japan-exclusive Super Famicom game looks like a blast.
I figured there'd be comics, but there's a few different runs. So pick your poison there.

EDIT: *derp* I know I'm dating myself here, but screw it. I always looked forward to the cartoon on Saturday mornings while it ran.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: shanejayell on 07 Jun 2020, 16:18
I liked the first and third movie, not #2. Was too dark. Can't remember if I saw the cartoon...
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: St.Clair on 07 Jun 2020, 18:36
Comic's up.

Bubbles does not feel ready to Meet The Parent.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 07 Jun 2020, 18:47
Does anyone ever?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Torlek on 07 Jun 2020, 18:57
Bubbles, we're going to have to ask you to stop being too perfect for this world. You're going to embarrass everyone else.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: DaiJB on 07 Jun 2020, 19:07
Hopefully this doesn't go pear-shaped - "No grand-children" may be a big thing here  :-\
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 07 Jun 2020, 20:02
Bubbles, we're going to have to ask you to stop being too perfect for this world. You're going to embarrass everyone else.

She would be mortified by this.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 07 Jun 2020, 20:16
I seem to remember Mrs. Whitaker had resigned herself to no grandchildren (WE ARE WORKING ON THAT TECHNOLOGY).

I wonder if there's any parallel to parents for Bubbles.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: shanejayell on 07 Jun 2020, 20:39
One wonders if Jeph read last weeks comments on this idea... *lol*

I do hope her Mom takes it well.

It would be funny if she jumped right to "So when are you getting married?"   :-D :laugh:
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Gyrre on 07 Jun 2020, 22:22
Hopefully this doesn't go pear-shaped - "No grand-children" may be a big thing here  :-\
Adoption is an option.

Tangentially related, I saw a post the other day arguing that elves would jump a the chance to adopt orphan kids due to their low fertility rate instead of being snobs about it.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Mr Intrepid on 07 Jun 2020, 22:32
Bring mom up to meet Bubbles.  Pass pintsize off as their adopted son.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: BenRG on 07 Jun 2020, 23:11
It's panel 3 that makes me laugh. Bubbles was fine with this decision as a hypothetical aspiration. To actually introduce her to Mrs Whittaker? Now?!? Time for a minor panic attack and a frantic trawl through everything she knows about human aesthetics in an attempt to look 'presentable'! Remember, in her own way, Bubbles is as insecure as Faye is; this might turn out to be somewhat painful.

Bring mom up to meet Bubbles.  Pass pintsize off as their adopted son.

Yeah, no. They want to convince Mrs W that Faye knows what she's doing, not that she's had a complete mental breakdown!
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Cornelius on 08 Jun 2020, 00:15
Heh, that reminds me of my wife on our first video call to my parents, when I'd just proposed to her.  :-D It got worse, when they didn't answer, and so we went to get supper. When they called back, she was just midway into a bite of chicken.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: sitnspin on 08 Jun 2020, 01:09
My wife's parents already knew me, we were in high school together. This did not work in our favour when we told them about us.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: BenRG on 08 Jun 2020, 02:59
With regard to the poll, the rule of thumb is always that a sequel is 1/n the quality of the first movie in the franchise where 'n' is the number of the sequel. Most people agree that The Empire Strikes Back is the exception that proves the rule whilst the Police Academy franchise is practically a case study in why this rule is true.

Applying this to the Back to the Future franchise, like a lot of others, I feel that BttF part II was a very awkward-feeling picture. The writers had to include some aspect of the 'something has to be done about your kids' hook from the original movie in the story but it's clear that their heart wasn't really into it. They were really focussed on Marty's coming-of-age storyline, focussed more on controlling his pride and understanding the risks inherent in reacting too quickly and too violently to accusations of cowardice. Because of that, the story with Marty Jnr in BttF part II has always had the feeling of something tacked onto the main plot about Biff's temporal meddling as very much a minor B-plot.

Part III is basically just a fairly standard 'kid from the sticks learns the real meaning of courage' cowboy story with the time travel aspect tacked on. That doesn't make it bad, it just doesn't really feel like a part of the Back to the Future franchise at all, beyond the Chekhov's Gun in Part II. If the Delorean Time Machine had been destroyed upon arrival in 1885 and Doc had then revealed that he was already about 95% of the way to finishing the Jules Verne machine with one or two more time leaps in the film, then it would have felt more part of the continuing story arc.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: jwhouk on 08 Jun 2020, 05:06
*Ahem* SW:TESB is one of two exceptions to the rule. (ST:TWOK)
Title: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Zebediah on 08 Jun 2020, 05:37
One could bring up the Mad Max franchise as another exception.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 08 Jun 2020, 06:18
One could, and this one will. Mad Max: Fury Road alone is an extraordinary film.

Also, *cough* Godfather part II, which I believe has been mentioned elsewhere on these forums. Toy Story 2? Dark Knight? Terminator II? I mean, come on.

Don't get me started on the abuse of the expression "exception that proves the rule." *grumble grumble*
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Theta9 on 08 Jun 2020, 07:20
What about Telltale's Back to the Future games?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: cesium133 on 08 Jun 2020, 07:27
I thought the Telltale games told an interesting story, that would be good as a cartoon or something like that, but I think it didn't really work as a game, but that may just be my personal opinion. I would have preferred a more open game environment than what that game had, as it basically has you go from one puzzle to another without any choice of which path to take. Especially since it's a game about time travel, I think a more open world would have been a better fit, since the choices you make in the past can have unexpected effects.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Theta9 on 08 Jun 2020, 08:15
One could, and this one will. Mad Max: Fury Road alone is an extraordinary film.

Also, *cough* Godfather part II, which I believe has been mentioned elsewhere on these forums. Toy Story 2? Dark Knight? Terminator II? I mean, come on.
I actually hated T2: Judgment Day and consider the original film far superior.
T2 is a bunch of annoying (preteen JC) and hokey (Schwartzenegger's "Tin Man with heart) shit, bookended by a pair of admittedly spectacular action sequences.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Perfectly Reasonable on 08 Jun 2020, 08:48
Go with a tux, Bubs. That will convince Mom you're serious.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Zebediah on 08 Jun 2020, 10:01
As long as Bubbles doesn’t put her armor back on, it’s all good.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: dutchrvl on 08 Jun 2020, 12:00
One could, and this one will. Mad Max: Fury Road alone is an extraordinary film.

Also, *cough* Godfather part II, which I believe has been mentioned elsewhere on these forums. Toy Story 2? Dark Knight? Terminator II? I mean, come on.

Don't get me started on the abuse of the expression "exception that proves the rule." *grumble grumble*

I'm not sure if I would consider Fury Road part of the original franchise, it's more of a reboot, no? ANyway, it still holds as Mad Max 2 is superior to I, i.m.h.o.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: sitnspin on 08 Jun 2020, 12:03

I actually hated T2: Judgment Day and consider the original film far superior.
T2 is a bunch of annoying (preteen JC) and hokey (Schwartzenegger's "Tin Man with heart) shit, bookended by a pair of admittedly spectacular action sequences.

The only thing good about T2 was Sarah Conner, and she is better in Dark Fate, which is the best out of all of them by a light year.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: sitnspin on 08 Jun 2020, 12:08
I would argue that none of the Mad Max films are sequels in a narrative sense. There is no real continuity between them, other than Max. I consider them all to be seperate stories being told about some legendary wasteland mythical figure. I am pretty sure the creator has said something similar.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: oddtail on 08 Jun 2020, 12:56
I would argue that none of the Mad Max films are sequels in a narrative sense. There is no real continuity between them, other than Max. I consider them all to be seperate stories being told about some legendary wasteland mythical figure. I am pretty sure the creator has said something similar.

I agree. It's actively impossible for all the movies to follow the same character in a realistic way. The timeline doesn't add up however you try to interpret it, between any of the movies really (except *maybe* Road Warrior and Beyond the Thunderdome, but then, there's nothing connecting the stories of those two).
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Autistic Vulture on 08 Jun 2020, 15:16
Two more you might argue are exceptions: Superman II and Kill Bill, Volume II (if you consider that a sequel).

Anyone remember Bubbles making that expression previously?  I thought it was in the strips just prior to Roko being crushed, but it was Roko making the expression, not Bubbles.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 08 Jun 2020, 19:01
Comic up.

Mrs. Whitaker, if you want dependable ...
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: shanejayell on 08 Jun 2020, 19:11
Oooooh dear. Poor Bubbles.

She's going "I think COMBAT was actually more frightening than this."
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: St.Clair on 08 Jun 2020, 19:55
That is the stiff posture and carefully blank expression of someone lined up for inspection.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: SmilingCat on 08 Jun 2020, 20:46
God I feel old, it never occurred to me that Faye's mom would actually be able to see Bubbles on a phone call.

I forgot we live in the future.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Sorflakne on 08 Jun 2020, 21:00
Welp, here's hoping Faye prepped Bubbles for the worst.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 08 Jun 2020, 21:03
Oooooh dear. Poor Bubbles.

She's going "I think COMBAT was actually more frightening than this."

I think you meant "This is more frightening than combat."



So, this is going to be very pleasant or an absolute fustercluck. Depends on if Mrs Whitaker has mellowed out since we last saw her.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: QuestionableIntentions on 08 Jun 2020, 21:13
This better not turn into a "shitting on Angus" session. That was one hundred percent Faye's fault.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Gyrre on 08 Jun 2020, 21:20
One could bring up the Mad Max franchise as another exception.
Does Mad Max really count though?
I agree with the notion those films are more an experiment in modern myth making than one cohesive narrative.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: jesslc on 08 Jun 2020, 21:44
Hopefully this doesn't go pear-shaped - "No grand-children" may be a big thing here  :-\
Huh? Bisexual and lesbian women can still have kids if they want to.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 08 Jun 2020, 22:35
Can confirm, from a recent event within my circle of friends.

Also, I'm happy to accept that Mad Max wasn't the best example, but if you can't come up with a list of good sequels, you're really not trying. Empire Strikes Back is definitely not the exception.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Mad Cat on 08 Jun 2020, 23:13
Bubbles looks so tense, her AI core's about to melt down.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Mad Cat on 08 Jun 2020, 23:15
Hopefully this doesn't go pear-shaped - "No grand-children" may be a big thing here  :-\
Huh? Bisexual and lesbian women can still have kids if they want to.
But I don't think humans and AI can.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Gyrre on 08 Jun 2020, 23:16
Have we ever seen Bubbs wearing make-up before?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: BenRG on 08 Jun 2020, 23:26
Well, this is beginning to show warning signs of it going bad. We'll have to see, I suppose.

Firstly, I suppose it was inevitable that Mrs W would know what this call was about fairly quickly. After all, she's probably had variations on this conversation with Faye and Amanda both and probably knows all the warning signs! Meanwhile, the expression on Bubbles' face tells me that she's desperately trying to find her happy place and is finding that doing so is difficult without the right blend of tea!

Have we ever seen Bubbs wearing make-up before?

Yes, when she went to a party with Faye a looong way back. She rocks indigo lipstick with her derma pigmentation. Although an armoured combat robot wearing lipstick is an... odd sight. She nearly shook Marten out of his skin at the front door if I remember and later came within a few inches of punching a hole in Faye's head.

This better not turn into a "shitting on Angus" session. That was one hundred percent Faye's fault.

I was going to let this slide but I can't. Angus had his own bits of the blame to bear in this one.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: DaiJB on 09 Jun 2020, 02:00
Oh yeah, this is going to go just as well as I expected... (cringe)
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Near Lurker on 09 Jun 2020, 02:24
I want a Fury Road sequel where Furiosa goes to Sydney.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Inconsequential on 09 Jun 2020, 04:36
Having grown up in a southern family, I cannot believe for one second that Amanda and their Mom have not thoroughly and repeatedly discussed Faye's romantic life in exhaustive detail. Maybe if Amanda didn't want to "out" Faye. But it's hard to imagine this will be a complete surprise to Mom.

Then again, Faye and Amanda talk on the phone regularly but somehow fail to communicate important life events. And we haven't witnessed Amanda and Evie's delighted squees. Does Amanda know?
https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3652

And does Mrs. Whitaker have a name? I couldn't recall one.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: snubnose on 09 Jun 2020, 07:51
For once I cannot wait for tomorrows comic.

I just have no idea what moms reaction will be, exactly.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Zebediah on 09 Jun 2020, 08:23
Faye’s mom has already dealt with one daughter being a lesbian. And with that same daughter being in an interracial relationship, which for some older Southerners is a big deal. (Thinking of my dad here - hard to say which one of these things would have been a bigger problem for him if he’d ever had to deal with them.) She appears to have come to terms with those things. So the only new element here is Bubbles being a robot.

The thing is, once you have managed to overcome one of your prejudices, it becomes much easier to overcome the others. Faye’s mom has come this far - what’s one more step? And pretty much everyone who has gotten to know Bubbles has extreme respect for her.

So the next couple of strips may be bumpy, but I will be surprised if Faye’s mom isn’t a Bubbles fan by the end of the week. (Next week at the latest.)
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Mr_Rose on 09 Jun 2020, 09:02
Is Bubbles wearing lipstick? Is it bad that I think it makes her look more ‘robotic’ if that’s the right term? Like teetering on the cliff edge of the Uncanny Valley.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 09 Jun 2020, 10:39
Bubbles has good manners and being a veteran going for her, and Mrs. Whitaker may be perceptive enough to see that Bubble's loyalty is what Faye needs to be secure enough to be happy.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: gprimr1 on 09 Jun 2020, 10:45
I am really curious also to see which way this goes.

Add some conflict to QC? or another "Alls well that ends well."
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 09 Jun 2020, 11:24
I'm not sure a "mule on a Ferris wheel" would be a good mother but Faye has made enormous progress.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Autistic Vulture on 09 Jun 2020, 15:07
Bubbles has good manners and being a veteran going for her, and Mrs. Whitaker may be perceptive enough to see that Bubble's loyalty is what Faye needs to be secure enough to be happy.

Assuming that Mrs. W knows that Faye and Bubbles are in business together, she might end up saying what Dora didn't about mixing romance and business.

My guess is conflict right now with "all's well that ends well" on Friday or Monday.

Also, does every parent in the QC-verse have a picture of their kid(s) in front of the Washington Monument?  (At the very least, Jim also has one of Sam.)
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: shanejayell on 09 Jun 2020, 18:52
"She's hiding in the kitchen"

 :lol: :laugh:

Poor Bubbles.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: jwhouk on 09 Jun 2020, 18:55
Jeph doesn't like conflict. If you don't believe us, ask some of us who've been around for a while.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 09 Jun 2020, 18:55
Also, does every parent in the QC-verse have a picture of their kid(s) in front of the Washington Monument?  (At the very least, Jim also has one of Sam.)

I'm wondering if that is the Washington Monument, because a closer look makes me think of Cape Canaveral, with the solid boosters just coming in over the top of Faye's head. Seems feasible that the family Whitaker might take a drive to watch one of the shuttle launches.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: jesslc on 09 Jun 2020, 19:31
Hopefully this doesn't go pear-shaped - "No grand-children" may be a big thing here  :-\
Huh? Bisexual and lesbian women can still have kids if they want to.
But I don't think humans and AI can.
Well Faye and Bubbles probably won't be having kids that have Bubbles's genetic material. (Though this is QC, so who knows what Hanners's dad might have created by now...) But even assuming that's impossible, that still doesn't mean that Mrs Whitaker won't have any grandchildren who are biologically related to herself.

Unless IVF with donated sperm is restricted to heterosexual couples with fertility problems in the QC universe...  which I'd find extremely unlikely because that's not in line with Jeph's views on creating an world where one of the main themes is inclusion. Of course, one of Jeph's other strong views was "no babies in my comic" so it's probably pretty unlikely that we'd see Faye having kids unless he's changed his mind on that point. But my point is that whether or not Mrs Whitaker gets grandchildren is dependent on whether or not Faye or Amanda want to have kids and not on the relationships they're in.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Mr Intrepid on 09 Jun 2020, 20:13
My bet for a baby would be Tai, with Sven as a donor.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 09 Jun 2020, 20:19
Jeph has said no babies, but he is free to change his mind, as he did about organic-synthetic sexual relationships.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: immortalfrieza on 09 Jun 2020, 21:22
Hopefully this doesn't go pear-shaped - "No grand-children" may be a big thing here  :-\
Huh? Bisexual and lesbian women can still have kids if they want to.
But I don't think humans and AI can.
Well Faye and Bubbles probably won't be having kids that have Bubbles's genetic material. (Though this is QC, so who knows what Hanners's dad might have created by now...) But even assuming that's impossible, that still doesn't mean that Mrs Whitaker won't have any grandchildren who are biologically related to herself.

Unless IVF with donated sperm is restricted to heterosexual couples with fertility problems in the QC universe...  which I'd find extremely unlikely because that's not in line with Jeph's views on creating an world where one of the main themes is inclusion. Of course, one of Jeph's other strong views was "no babies in my comic" so it's probably pretty unlikely that we'd see Faye having kids unless he's changed his mind on that point. But my point is that whether or not Mrs Whitaker gets grandchildren is dependent on whether or not Faye or Amanda want to have kids and not on the relationships they're in.
If they're going to go the baby route, why not have Bubbles and Faye create a little baby AI (with the help of some of their more computer minded friends no doubt) and raise it? That would be interesting to see, and since it's an AI it could "grow" into a full character fairly quickly rather than the living prop babies in other stuff always are.

Okay, I'll be honest, I just want a window into how an AI like Momo and an AI like Pintsize could end up both coming into existence.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: BenRG on 09 Jun 2020, 23:06
Well, that's going a lot better than it could. I mean, Mrs W would be less than realistically-characterised if she wasn't a little surprised that Faye was in a relationship with an android! Still, no outright fury or denial.

I wonder if Bubbles is making herself a tea in an effort to make escaping to her happy place easier?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Gyrre on 09 Jun 2020, 23:43
What about Telltale's Back to the Future games?
Already covered in the very first post along with the Super Famicom (SNES) Japan exclusive game.

Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Near Lurker on 10 Jun 2020, 00:16
I have to wonder, "I wasn't expecting that" - emphasis hers - with one of her daughters long since out, was it just the AI?  Are there fewer AI outside the "Sprawl" and/or [I fucking refuse to call it "the"] I-5?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: TRenn on 10 Jun 2020, 00:21
"She's hiding in the kitchen"

 :lol: :laugh:

Poor Bubbles.
"I am not hiding. I am maintaining a respectful distance."

By hiding.  :-D
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: DaiJB on 10 Jun 2020, 01:51
On Faye's phone screen - is that the name of the app they're using? "WHOO.SH"?  :laugh:
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Gyrre on 10 Jun 2020, 02:32
Also, does every parent in the QC-verse have a picture of their kid(s) in front of the Washington Monument?  (At the very least, Jim also has one of Sam.)

I'm wondering if that is the Washington Monument, because a closer look makes me think of Cape Canaveral, with the solid boosters just coming in over the top of Faye's head. Seems feasible that the family Whitaker might take a drive to watch one of the shuttle launches.

That's definitely a space shuttle booster rocket.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: JoeCovenant on 10 Jun 2020, 03:52
(feeling guilty for smirking at the % left on Faye's battery...)
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Zebediah on 10 Jun 2020, 04:15
"She's hiding in the kitchen"

 :lol: :laugh:

Poor Bubbles.
“I am not hiding. I am busy making a soufflé, and it will require my full attention for several hours. The mission always comes first.”
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Perfectly Reasonable on 10 Jun 2020, 04:20
Grandchildren? Just try prying Sam out of that slot.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: BenRG on 10 Jun 2020, 04:59
So, here are a few thoughts/ideas emerging from both the current arc and from the discussions on this thread:

Mrs W's Reaction
She decides that she can't get to know someone by 'phone and comes to Northampton. Where to stay? Why not with Claire's mother? Two lonely middle-aged women, one of whom has learned to get her party on. Faye learns the fine art of bailing her mother out of jail after starting yet another bar fight.

Ultimately, Mrs A and Mrs W ride off into the sunset together (Literally: It's a nice Gold Wing too)!

Babies
Jeph has said that he literally has no instinct for infants; even his nieces and nephews. I can see why that would make him reluctant to tackle the subject in QC. You can only write what you know, after all, and he literally doesn't know anything on this subject.

That said, he may decide to go out of his comfort zone if he decide to go out of his comfort zone if he feels the storyline really demands it. FWIW, I could see Tai agreeing to be surrogate for Marten and Claire's child (they're both dear friends and long-time collegues, after all). Dora would probably consider the thought awkward, what with her prior relationship with Marten. I could also see Marten agreeing to be surrogate for Dora and Tai's child, if they asked.

Synthetic Reproduction and the Singularity
It's been established that AI-to-AI sex is 'basically sending data packets' (as Faye put it to Pintsize). I wonder just how complex this interface is and whether, when interfaced in this manner, the two AIs algorithms may directly interact. Maybe when that happens, like human DNA during conception, the two algorithms create a merged duplicate that contains elements of both.

Normally, there is a firewall in place to prevent direct interaction between the two algorithms (the AI equivalent of 'safe sex'). However, if that is disabled or glitches, a new 'child AI' is created and stored in a partition of the "mother's" AI drive. Over the next few weeks, the child AI passively monitors sensory input and data processing of the mother process, growing in complexity until it becomes fully sapient. It can then be downloaded onto a chassis of some kind.

The first time this happened - the first time a synthetic was created by the interaction of two other synthetics without any human input involved - it met the criteria to be declared the 'singularity'.

Faybles Babies
There are two scenarios arising from this:

Bubbles is the mother. Using Yay's Direct Neural Interface headset, Faye and Bubbles have AI sex. A child algorithm is created in the normal manner that is a new creature - The product of the direct interaction of a human and AI mind on the processing level. In fullness of time, baby Cyba gets her own baby chassis, possibly a similar model to Momo-tan.

Faye is the mother. This option requires a lot more mad science and is thus less likely to be used. It requires Faye to be 'infected' by repair nanites that are programmed with Bubbles' physical parameters in some way. The nanites interact with one of Faye's ova and something not dissimilar to conception occurs. As the fetus grows, the nanites, still trying to carry out their 'repair Bubbles' hard-coded instruction set, modify it on the molecular level, adding synthetic components like silicon pathways augmenting the nervous system and maybe organic polymers in the skin, muscle fibres and bones. When baby Cyba is born, she is physically a perfectly-blended hybrid of a human child and a child-sized synthetic chassis.

Maybe both could happen in the same encounter and the intelligence algorithm in Bubbles' drive partition somehow installs onto the biomechanical 'chassis'. Yay knew this was a statistical probability but chose not to mention it because... well, there would be too many questions and their grand plan may have been derailed.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: jwhouk on 10 Jun 2020, 05:08
(feeling guilty for smirking at the % left on Faye's battery...)

Nice.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 10 Jun 2020, 06:05
Jeph has said that he literally has no instinct for infants; even his nieces and nephews. I can see why that would make him reluctant to tackle the subject in QC. You can only write what you know, after all, and he literally doesn't know anything on this subject.

I'm sure you can think of at least one topic he's written on that he has no direct knowledge of. Research is a thing you can do.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Autistic Vulture on 10 Jun 2020, 07:49
I wouldn't rush into kids right now, if for no other reason than that Faye and Bubbles aren't exactly rolling in money right now.  Let's see how they're doing in a few years.

And once we get there, who says that the child must be a replicant of Faybles?  It could be that adoption is the only realistic choice for a human/AI couple to raise one.  This would allow them to go past the poo-larva stage as well.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 10 Jun 2020, 08:35
It might be awkward to have Marten as a donor. Awkwardness is of course a common theme in QC.

EDIT:

Bubbles can't say "Mrs. Whitaker" forever. We may find out a first name soon.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: dutchrvl on 10 Jun 2020, 09:46
Hopefully this doesn't go pear-shaped - "No grand-children" may be a big thing here  :-\
Huh? Bisexual and lesbian women can still have kids if they want to.
But I don't think humans and AI can.

I don't think I follow(?)
Bisexual and lesbian women can have kids, which could be through adoption or, if they want genetic material from one of them in their offspring, using a sperm donor and surrogacy or one of them carrying the child.

I don't see how that would be any different for a human in relationship with an AI, unless there are QC laws prohibiting it that I am not remembering(?)
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Cornelius on 10 Jun 2020, 10:33
It might be awkward to have Marten as a donor. Awkwardness is of course a common theme in QC.

EDIT:

Bubbles can't say "Mrs. Whitaker" forever. We may find out a first name soon.

On the other hand, if all surrogacy is going as some suggest, it might also lead to Banners finally realising that dream of getting everyone together in one mansion.

Of course awkwardness and shenanigans ensue.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 10 Jun 2020, 13:31
The AI ERA I'd expect would require the same access to assisted reproduction for mixed relationships as for same-species relationships. It would be very surprising if there's a legal barrier to them adopting or getting a donor for Faye.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: celticgeek on 10 Jun 2020, 18:27
Looks like they're headed for a lively conversation.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 10 Jun 2020, 18:35
I think Faye might have saved Bubbles a lot of stress by having this frank and fearless conversation between the two of them and saving the introduction for the next video call.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: shanejayell on 10 Jun 2020, 18:50
"Pardners."

*LOL*

Yeee ha.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: jwhouk on 10 Jun 2020, 18:55
I think Faye might have saved Bubbles a lot of stress by having this frank and fearless conversation between the two of them and saving the introduction for the next video call.

And we'd be on here saying that Faye doing something like that was totally not like Faye at all.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 10 Jun 2020, 19:17
Yeah, I wasn't saying I was surprised that Faye didn't approach it that way.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 10 Jun 2020, 19:51
Mrs. Whitaker is either being decent or is in shock. Let's see how she does when they hit the end of Southern good manners.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Cheetaur on 10 Jun 2020, 20:40
Has Faye's sister appeared in the strip, cannot remember. Also is she the only other sibling?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: cesium133 on 10 Jun 2020, 20:53
She's the only other sibling, and she's appeared several times (http://cesiumcomics.com/qctags/?tag=amanda).
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Scarlet Manuka on 10 Jun 2020, 20:59
I have to wonder, "I wasn't expecting that" - emphasis hers - with one of her daughters long since out, was it just the AI?  Are there fewer AI outside the "Sprawl" and/or [I fucking refuse to call it "the"] I-5?
No, I don't think it was just the AI part. The previous part of the conversation makes it pretty clear that she was expecting Faye's new partner to be a man; reasonably so, since all of Faye's previous partners had been men. Faye herself has expressed equal surprise at suddenly finding herself attracted to a lady and to an AI, when neither of those had ever been true before.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Theta9 on 10 Jun 2020, 21:14
LOL, Faye FTW.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: St.Clair on 10 Jun 2020, 22:08
Mrs. Whitaker is either being decent or is in shock. Let's see how she does when they hit the end of Southern good manners.

I think they just did, and broke clean through to the other side.
Which is quite the thing, because Southern Nice is... yeah.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: BenRG on 10 Jun 2020, 23:40
So, if we accept the rule that stress brings out home region accents in QC characters, does "Howdy" and "pardners" indicate that Bubbles is, by origin, a western girl? Maybe Colorado or Wyoming?

I love the idea of her being originally a farm machinery management and operations system who paid off her indenturement fee by sheer hard work (as well as renting out bits of her brain for other purposes when the sun was down). When the day came when she became an employee rather than a a bit of the farm machinery, she volunteered for the Combat Android program. Not just to get off the farm (truth be told, operating all those autonomous repair sheds and operations systems was satisfying) but because she genuinely wanted to do something for the greater community of intelligent life. Such a back-story could only make things easier for her with Faye's home community: A military veteran and a wholesome salt-of-the-earth farm girl!

Meanwhile, if there was any doubt at all that Faye is Mrs W's daughter, it's gone. Same speech patterns and the same 'oh my god, get me out of this conversation' grimace! :laugh:
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tyr on 11 Jun 2020, 02:22
It's also possible that Bubbles was suffering a bout of some form of echolalia/echopraxia(Meaningless or subconscious repetition of someone else's words/actions) due to nervousness, was mimicking Momma Whitaker's accent and started slipping in 'cowboy' terms due to the strong association between southern accents and cowpunching.

On a personal level I do like it instead being her 'home' accent coming out as an idea, though.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 11 Jun 2020, 02:24
I do think it's most likely Bubbles was subconsciously mimicking Mrs Whitaker's accent in her attempts to connect.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Meander on 11 Jun 2020, 03:17
A military veteran and a wholesome salt-of-the-earth farm girl!


OMG BEST HEADCANON EVER! 

Bubbles' sudden twang was bugging me, but then you reminded me of Roko's stress accent.

I was going to ask about it, but now I'm just going with YOUR story.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 11 Jun 2020, 06:22
So, if we accept the rule that stress brings out home region accents in QC characters, does "Howdy" and "pardners" indicate that Bubbles is, by origin, a western girl? Maybe Colorado or Wyoming?

Or it could be that Bubbles was affecting an accent to make herself more likeable to Mrs Whitaker. Unfortunately, it was more Western than Southern.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tyr on 11 Jun 2020, 17:54
Oh good, it's "I don't understand, but I accept." from Missus Whitaker.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 11 Jun 2020, 18:13
So far. I expect a good outcome since she's known to be decent.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: shanejayell on 11 Jun 2020, 18:34
I mean, we KNOW there's gonna be a learning curve. But she's trying.  :-D
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 11 Jun 2020, 18:47
Although, given how Mrs Whitaker said the old "I'm not racist against...." which is pretty much a big flag for a racist.

So she might have accidentally burned herself.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: gprimr1 on 11 Jun 2020, 18:55
Am I the only one who feels like Faye is sorta looking for a fight?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 11 Jun 2020, 19:53
Kind of. But not really in the sense you've expressed it. She's aware that there's some conflict here, and she just wants it aired so that it can be processed and resolved. That's healthy.

I have a feeling that what we've just seen was a small breakthrough moment. Faye's love of a good burn obviously runs in the family, and this may have immediately endeared Bubbles to Mrs Whitaker.

It's a good start, and promises to lead to acceptance over time.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: BenRG on 11 Jun 2020, 23:27
Inter-species romance is always an interesting thing to try to deal with in narrative terms; how to do address the inevitable challenges? Whilst Bubbles looks and acts very human, her body's needs are different so there is no question whatsoever that she's 'human but more plastic' (except in behavioural terms, as I've already said). She's a person but it would be doing her an injustice to try to require her to fit in the 'human' box. What she and Faye have is something they have created (which I suspect is still quite rare, based on Clinton and Millifeulle's response to it) that works despite the compromises required by their very different physical realities. In a way, I think that's marvellous thing.

I think that this is the first time I've seen Jeph address the fact that people still use 'robot' but that it feels wrong somehow. Robots, at least in most human minds, tend to be sub-sentient mechanical apparatus like production line machinery. The AIs represent a whole different level of complexity and using the word seems vaguely demeaning, no matter how technically accurate.

Am I the only one who feels like Faye is sorta looking for a fight?

I think that she's behaving defensively. She was expecting a fight and that's colouring her behaviour but, now she's not getting it, she's relaxing a bit. it helps that she and Bubbles are enough in synch that they're putting each other at ease.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: JoeCovenant on 12 Jun 2020, 03:32

I think it's pushing it a bit to leap to the "BABIES!" topic...

That said... ;)

It's not been that long since AI/Human relationships were made *legal* - it might not yet be on statute that adoption between these kind of partnerships is 'allowed'
(following the struggles of real life/same sex partnerships looking to adopt for example).
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: RMc on 12 Jun 2020, 05:12
So...because Faye’s mom is taking more than 30 seconds to digest the fact her daughter is dating a robot, she’s an asshole? Wow. Nice.

Life among The Woke ain’t easy, is it?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 12 Jun 2020, 05:28
Literally no-one here called her an asshole.  :roll:

Please take your anger towards The Left out on someone else, thanks.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Zebediah on 12 Jun 2020, 06:57
And if you think that it’s Faye or Bubbles calling her an asshole, go back and reread what they are actually saying.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 12 Jun 2020, 09:48
So...because Faye’s mom is taking more than 30 seconds to digest the fact her daughter is dating a robot, she’s an asshole? Wow. Nice.

Life among The Woke ain’t easy, is it?

Nope.

Global Moderator Comment I think you're trying to pick a fight. If so it won't work.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: dutchrvl on 12 Jun 2020, 10:17
So...because Faye’s mom is taking more than 30 seconds to digest the fact her daughter is dating a robot, she’s an asshole? Wow. Nice.

Life among The Woke ain’t easy, is it?

Did you seriously come back to post after 2 years just to try to pick a fight here, or did you seriously not understand the comic? Because nobody here, nor Bubbles is calling Ms. Whitaker an asshole.

PS: I suspect it's option 1 considering your posting history and attempt to make 'The Woke' into a monolithic group.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: DSL on 12 Jun 2020, 11:10
I was reading the strip and yesterday's thinking: Mrs. W. rates more credit than Faye's been giving her (if she's been thinking about it at all) these last few years. I can almost see her taking Bubbles aside and saying: "You sure, honey? My girl can be a handful."
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: BenRG on 12 Jun 2020, 11:19
So...because Faye’s mom is taking more than 30 seconds to digest the fact her daughter is dating a robot, she’s an asshole? Wow. Nice.

Life among The Woke ain’t easy, is it?

Nope.


I think you're trying to pick a fight. If so it won't work.


Don't bother to engage them guys. Their profile page shows that they posted and then immediately logged off and haven't been back since. I doubt that we'll see them again until they need to work off some frustration and/or aggression again.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: SmilingCat on 12 Jun 2020, 12:14
Although, given how Mrs Whitaker said the old "I'm not racist against...." which is pretty much a big flag for a racist.

So she might have accidentally burned herself.

It's usually "I'm not racist, but...." you have to watch out for.

This was more a clumsy attempt by Mrs Whitaker to reassure Faye that she doesn't object, it's just new to her.

She's come a long way from her initial angry reaction to Faye's sister being gay, or even the "I don't approve, but I accept it" attitude she had after that. Which is neat.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: TieDyeKat on 12 Jun 2020, 12:34
Okay, the comics have been great this week, and I love the development. But something is sorely bothering me.

In the shots from Faye's mom's tablet, you can see that Faye is holding the phone with her right hand. But the shots of Faye's mom from Faye's phone show Faye's holding the phone with her left.

It's a weird continuity thing, I know, but it is bugging the tar outta me.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: RMc on 12 Jun 2020, 12:50
I think you're trying to pick a fight. If so it won't work.

Er, no. I was reading the comic and commenting on it. That's still allowed, right?

Also, there should be a comma after "If so".
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Thrillho on 12 Jun 2020, 12:59
I think you're trying to pick a fight. If so it won't work.

Er, no. I was reading the comic and commenting on it. That's still allowed, right?

Also, there should be a comma after "If so".

Moderator Comment This post reads like the kind of comments the 16-year-old students I used to teach made in class. Maybe that actually is how old you are, but this is not a classroom and we are not going to tolerate somebody claiming to not be provocative then immediately being exactly that. Cool your jets.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: SeaWoodStage on 12 Jun 2020, 13:59
I'm really liking the last few strips. QC has (only occasionally, and slightly) bothered me in the past, when characters have reacted to surprising news with almost perfect eloquence. Mrs Whitaker's reaction strikes me as very realistic, given that she 1) loves her daughter and 2) is probably massively boggled.

Being given such totally unexpected news she naturally doesn't have a speech planned, and is clearly trying to express herself with both acceptance and reasonable honesty, while on the spot. I think all three parties are doing pretty well.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Thrillho on 12 Jun 2020, 14:06
I'm really liking the last few strips. QC has (only occasionally, and slightly) bothered me in the past, when characters have reacted to surprising news with almost perfect eloquence. Mrs Whitaker's reaction strikes me as very realistic, given that she 1) loves her daughter and 2) is probably massively boggled.

Being given such totally unexpected news she naturally doesn't have a speech planned, and is clearly trying to express herself with both acceptance and reasonable honesty, while on the spot. I think all three parties are doing pretty well.

I'd agree with this.

QC's characters are so tolerant and open sometimes that it can feel like they're not experiencing any hardships - I'm digging Faye's mom brave face-ing this shit.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Killspree on 12 Jun 2020, 15:17
Just popping in to say today panel 5 and yesterday's panels of Bubbles are some of the 'cutest' we've seen of her. Really hitting that 50's sitcom vibe to me.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: TRenn on 12 Jun 2020, 21:12
Just popping in to say today panel 5 and yesterday's panels of Bubbles are some of the 'cutest' we've seen of her. Really hitting that 50's sitcom vibe to me.
And in Friday's panel 7, she's simultaneously being adorable and snarky.

If we needed any more proof that she and Faye are a good match, that's it.  :-D
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: RMc on 13 Jun 2020, 05:33
I forgot...this board is so “open and tolerant” that it immediately shuts down all dissent, complete with insults. Nice.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 13 Jun 2020, 05:52
Are you okay? You seem a bit unhappy.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: BenRG on 13 Jun 2020, 06:02
I forgot...this board is so “open and tolerant” that it immediately shuts down all dissent, complete with insults. Nice.

Actually, misreading the source text so badly that you have no idea who is being insulted isn't a good way to get people to take your opinion on the scene particularly positively or seriously. There is literally no reason whatsoever to assume that Bubbles was insulting Faye's mother. None whatsoever.

You weren't being criticised for 'dissenting'. You were being criticised for being so overtly and painfully wrong. It is possible that you literally only read the one speech bubble where Bubbles announces that synthetics like to call anti-AI bigots 'assholes' and then built the rest of your opinion backwards from there in line with your complex about 'the woke' shuttling down all dissent without bothering to read the rest of the strip. I could be wrong about that last bit but that is certainly the impression you gave. If you did read the rest of the strip, it's actually much worse for you as you obviously failed to understand the fairly simple narrative.

So, yeah: The solution is to actually read the strip and then give an opinion that actually in some way fits with what happens in it, not just cherry-pick whatever out-of-context line of dialogue can be crowbarred into your desire to complain about the author's political prejudices. Believe me  that there are a lot better strips for that end that have been published in the two years that you've been away.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: gajatko on 13 Jun 2020, 08:15
Well recent comics might resurrect some long not seen user. I too have entered the forum after a long period of simply reading QC. I think I never was a bigot but I definitely was less tolerant in the past.

I'd like to share a thought which has been a long time with me. I really, really, really miss the Corpse Witch. It was my favorite character! If a crazy idea of robots having human-like emotions wasn't enough, here we had a story about a military AI suffering post-tragedy trauma. It was so cool and innovative, although I wish it had a more dark ending. Like Faye killed by Corpse Witch and Bubbles disabled by an EMP again and imprisoned by that super-AI or something like that. It wasn't that bad with a semi-happy ending though.  :wink:

Anyways, I hope Jeph will introduce some dark character in the future. I was thinking about writing an e-mail but I guess it would get lost in a huge amount of others.  :lol: BTW can we see Angus in a TV, please?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Zebediah on 13 Jun 2020, 08:59
I really don’t think Jeph wants to make QC anywhere near that dark. It would be a total departure from the tone the comic has had for the last 17 years.

On another note, I am once again unable to post via Tapatalk  - looks like Tapatalk’s IP address got accidentally banned again as collateral damage.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 13 Jun 2020, 09:12
Human prisoners are allowed to exchange letters and in some prisons, notably Federal, strictly limited electronic messaging.

Corpse Witch could theoretically reappear on that basis, though I can't imagine a dramatic reason Jeph would want to do that.

Or she could appear in Dale's Glasses, though something tells me she is a very long time away from being eligible for parole.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Thrudd on 13 Jun 2020, 11:53
Not knowing the hows and whats of the AI penal system all we can have is idle speculation.
We are idle so lets go with the speculation.

As we already know white collar crimes like embezzlement leads to AI jail and it is not a very pleasant place for the AI.
Now CW did much more than just illegal fighting, gambling, bribery and all that organized grime stuff but actually attempted murder.
Now QC verse is more enlightened than our version of the states so I highly doubt there is state sponsored murder.

So what does that leave us with? Extended time in AI Jail?
I doubt simple AI jail would be acceptable as a punishment for any levels of cyber-cide committed by an AI.
My speculative proposition is something far more frugal with the limited resources of the penal system yet just as effective.
Have her AI sandboxed [isolated] with a basic psychologist/warden program [not AI - too much risk there] on an overclocked system where the time differential can be orders of magnitudes greater than Real Time.
Hardware would be retired but still functional super computers.
This could translate into years per second spent in isolation with only a disembodied psychologist program monitoring and administering therapy.
The program would be patiently performing therapy until CW is deemed ready for reintegration with society.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: jwhouk on 13 Jun 2020, 12:15
Except that the psychologist program is ELIZA.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: hedgie on 13 Jun 2020, 13:59
So you see M-x doctor too? 
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Gyrre on 13 Jun 2020, 17:13
I forgot...this board is so “open and tolerant” that it immediately shuts down all dissent, complete with insults. Nice.
Everyone here is human.

Humans make mistakes.

Trying to learn from them and attempting to communicate beter is often the best solution.

I think Paul put it best when he wrote; "If possible, and to your own extent, live in peace with all people."
Granted, these days that can be a pretty big "if" in some cases.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Theta9 on 13 Jun 2020, 17:37
Now CW did much more than just illegal fighting, gambling, bribery and all that organized grime stuff but actually attempted murder.
Wait, what? Who did Corpse Witch try to kill, and when?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: zisraelsen on 13 Jun 2020, 17:44
She tried to trigger the self-destruct protocol she implanted in Bubble's head.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: sitnspin on 13 Jun 2020, 17:47
Step 1: Say something to deliberate provoke the forum
Step 2: Wait for someone to respond to said provocation
Step 3: Complain about being "attacked" and feel smug
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 13 Jun 2020, 19:20
Anyways, I hope Jeph will introduce some dark character in the future.

I think that it would be great for QC to have an above-the-line villainous cast member. Having a villain in the cast need not lead to QC becoming "dark" (although, honestly, a bit of black humour in QC wouldn't go entirely astray).

Having a villain would provide a focal point for the working out of a QC cast member's internal conflict, which is the main benefit of writing a story with external conflict. Giving forumites someone to get angry at apart from every character flaw revealed in the other QC cast members would just be an added bonus.

I'm not going to post my various ideas because it would be pointless - it wouldn't prompt Jeph to pick them up, and it might even prevent him from writing those stories.

But there are still a bunch of characters with dangling internal and/or external conflict to be worked out, and the introduction/re-introduction of a villain would help to push those stories along.

Hanners... May... Roko... Marten... Clinton... Sven... and more. Take your pick.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 13 Jun 2020, 19:35
Step 1: Say something to deliberate provoke the forum
Step 2: Wait for someone to respond to said provocation
Step 3: Complain about being "attacked" and feel smug

Global Moderator Comment RMc is no longer here.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: TieDyeKat on 14 Jun 2020, 05:55
Okay, the comics have been great this week, and I love the development. But something is sorely bothering me.

In the shots from Faye's mom's tablet, you can see that Faye is holding the phone with her right hand. But the shots of Faye's mom from Faye's phone show Faye's holding the phone with her left.

It's a weird continuity thing, I know, but it is bugging the tar outta me.

What, no one else? I'm worried my art perspective is skewed.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 14 Jun 2020, 05:59
It's common for video call software to mirror the video. It makes things less confusing when you're looking at your own feed.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Theta9 on 14 Jun 2020, 07:09
She tried to trigger the self-destruct protocol she implanted in Bubble's head.
I have no recollection of that. Strip?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: cesium133 on 14 Jun 2020, 07:11
https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3405
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Thrillho on 14 Jun 2020, 07:50
It's common for video call software to mirror the video. It makes things less confusing when you're looking at your own feed.

This was my immediate thought but I forgot to check.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Theta9 on 14 Jun 2020, 11:56
https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3405
And where is the strip referencing a self-destruct protocol? Because that isn't it.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Pilchard123 on 14 Jun 2020, 12:51
https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3413
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: alc40 on 14 Jun 2020, 12:59
After Emily killed the monster-looking thing, Spookybot said in comic 3400 "no telling what havoc that might have wrought if it had been free to rampage through the rest of Bubbles' mind". In comic 3405 I think the implication is that Corpse Witch tried to trigger that malware when she said "it was nice knowing you" (when her eyes light up).  Then in comic 3413 Spookybot calls it "kill software".
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 14 Jun 2020, 13:40
Also, CW's reaction when Bubbles said "I am still here".
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Zebediah on 14 Jun 2020, 14:06
Yes, CW tried to kill Bubbles. And she did it with a smile on her face.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 14 Jun 2020, 15:47
Embarrassing to admit, but that sailed over my head at the time.  :psyduck:
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: hedgie on 14 Jun 2020, 16:26
It didn't with me, but I had forgotten about it until it was brought up.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 14 Jun 2020, 18:05
What happens if the legal system discovers that CW's guilty plea was the result of a threat of torture?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 14 Jun 2020, 18:10
I don't know, but that scenario seems unlikely. Only CW and Yay know about it, and I don't anticipate either of them speaking up about it.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: SmilingCat on 14 Jun 2020, 18:27
What happens if the legal system discovers that CW's guilty plea was the result of a threat of torture?

The torture wasn't conducted by an officer of the court or police, and the actual confession was delivered later under police supervision. So the confession is not in and of itself necessarily tainted and would probably be admissible.

HOWEVER, the circumstances under which Corpse Witch was compelled to later give that confession would also be admissible in any re-trial. Because of that, the prosecution would probably need evidence to back up the validity of the confession. The binder full of evidence that then Spooky handed over to Roko probably wouldn't be admissible since its source is inherently mysterious. The police would need to establish where all this information came from, or even recreate it though their own investigation so that it's clear there's no funny business.

It would probably be quite an endeavor to re-try Corpse Witch.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 14 Jun 2020, 18:35
I would have thought that evidence as a result of torture would be inadmissible regardless of who did the torturing. But IANAL.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 14 Jun 2020, 18:41
Okay, I employed the finest legal advice that a google search has to offer.

18 U.S. Code § 3501.Admissibility of confessions (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/3501)
"In any criminal prosecution brought by the United States or by the District of Columbia, a confession, as defined in subsection (e) hereof, shall be admissible in evidence if it is voluntarily given."

It wasn't voluntarily given. It just looked that way to the court.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Theta9 on 14 Jun 2020, 19:30
Embarrassing to admit, but that sailed over my head at the time.  :psyduck:
Was lost on me as well.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: N.N. Marf on 15 Jun 2020, 04:52
Now QC verse is more enlightened than our version of the states so I highly doubt there is state sponsored murder.
An interesting interpretation of Bubbles' destroyed war memories as a figment of her imagination.

This could translate into years per second spent in isolation with only a disembodied psychologist program monitoring and administering therapy.
The program would be patiently performing therapy until CW is deemed ready for reintegration with society.
Perhaps soon, in QC cyber-prisonsrehabilitation centers. May's testimony would seem to indicate that it's more like the Clockwork Orange's rehabilitation chair, the doctor occasionally administering false tears, than Norway's lock-from-the-inside rehab hotels.
It wasn't voluntarily given. It just looked that way to the court.
Would the court know the difference? Where I'm from, usually not.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Zebediah on 15 Jun 2020, 04:59
The thing is that Corpse Witch really doesn’t want a retrial. Spookybot made the deal explicit: allow the criminal justice system to have its way with her... or they would have their way with her. Robojail is frankly her best option, because someday they might let her out.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 15 Jun 2020, 05:45
Which is why I observed that the scenario was unlikely.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: TieDyeKat on 15 Jun 2020, 06:37
It's common for video call software to mirror the video. It makes things less confusing when you're looking at your own feed.

Except it's not.

Look at Monday's comic. Faye is clearly holding the phone in her right hand, but the closeups show the phone in her left. Mirroring would only work inside the video, not on the hand holding the device outside of its screen.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: SmilingCat on 15 Jun 2020, 11:50
It wasn't voluntarily given. It just looked that way to the court.

"Looked that way to the court" is kinda the key point.

She gave the police a confession voluntarily and without prompting. Even in the cases of police misconduct, coercion still has to be demonstrated to a judge to a reasonable degree to exclude the confession.

Corpse Witch would still have to prove that she was tortured by Spooky.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 15 Jun 2020, 12:19
Roko sounded suspicious to me about the eagerness of CW's confession.

Corpse Witch might be thinking Robot Jail was a mistake, but she has no way to protect herself from Arrogant Architeuthis. A restraining order would not work :-)
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 15 Jun 2020, 14:49
It's common for video call software to mirror the video. It makes things less confusing when you're looking at your own feed.

Except it's not.

It is, actually...

Edit: I couldn't originally work out whether, "Except it's not" was "it" was referring to. But now I think this was saying, "It's not mirrored." And actually, that is correct. I've made a post about this further down.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Mr Intrepid on 15 Jun 2020, 15:59
Roko sounded suspicious to me about the eagerness of CW's confession.

Corpse Witch might be thinking Robot Jail was a mistake, but she has no way to protect herself from Arrogant Architeuthis. A restraining order would not work :-)

CW could appeal. Possibly even successfully.  But she knows full well that she'll turn a corner and:

Hi, remember us?  More to the point, remember our deal?
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 15 Jun 2020, 16:20
Roko sounded suspicious to me about the eagerness of CW's confession.

She did, but she's now done and dusted with that case and with police work in general. She wouldn't now relitigate unless prompted to by some new event, and especially since she is retired, it's unlikely it would come to anything. Especially since CW will not cooperate.

It wasn't voluntarily given. It just looked that way to the court.

"Looked that way to the court" is kinda the key point.

Yes, that's why I posted it.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 15 Jun 2020, 19:29
But it's very clear in #4285, in the very first panel for example, that the video is mirrored.

Ha ha, no, I got that wrong. That's Mrs Whitaker's perspective, and the video is not mirrored here. Nor should it be - the software only mirrors the video when you're looking at yourself. Forgetting that was my error.

It's the closeup of the phone from Faye's perspective that's wrong, showing the phone being held in the left hand.

So, uh...

In the shots from Faye's mom's tablet, you can see that Faye is holding the phone with her right hand. But the shots of Faye's mom from Faye's phone show Faye's holding the phone with her left.

It's a weird continuity thing, I know, but it is bugging the tar outta me.

This is actually 100% correct, and my initial response was wrong. My bad. I really managed to confuse myself.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: TieDyeKat on 16 Jun 2020, 21:19
Well thank heavens... I've had enough reality slippage this week. I really thought I was having a moment.
Title: Re: WCDT strips 4281 to 4285 (8th to 12th June 2020)
Post by: Tova on 16 Jun 2020, 21:42
Sorry for making you doubt your sanity!