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4 panels of embarrassed silence

18 (20.7%)

Running away for ever

1 (1.1%)

Bitter recriminations

2 (2.3%)

Hugs for closure and acceptance

25 (28.7%)

Make-up makeout!

4 (4.6%)

Rest of cast jump out shouting "Surprise!"

3 (3.4%)

We see something happening in the party

4 (4.6%)

Tai rushes out and shoves Marten aside

8 (9.2%)

AnthroPCs

9 (10.3%)

Jeph has his first day off for years, & no guest strip either

13 (14.9%)

Total Members Voted: 76

[Tiogyr]

Just read today's comic. I feel like I'm having Flashbacks.

Wow. I'd forgotten all of this. Go to the link and read forward a bit and you'll see what I mean. Hanner's could be a bit of a hard a$$ back in the day. I kinda miss that.
Dora had her "big talk" with Jeff, which makes sense since anyone else is too close to the situation and friends with Marten. And while Marten did have his drunken moment he lost out on the wisdom of Jim, the Redneck Writer. I think "Mopy" Marten may need a testosterone intervention at this point with Steve, Jim and maybe Wil, all of whom are far enough removed to see things Marten can't. Or maybe just Hannelore, since she was his first psychoanalyst.  

Jim and Jimbo aren't the same person? Jeff isn't any character's name that I've noticed?

(unless that's the joke you're going for)

[NotAwesomeAnymore]

I am in favour of officially and permanently changing Jim's name to Jeff.

[Border Reiver]

I'm simply in favour of saying, "Mr. Jacques, well done.  Intelligent, thoughtful and well-drawn with a hint of decent humour at the beginning.  This is why I read your comic."

Second?

[daryljfontaine]

I'm simply in favour of saying, "Mr. Jacques, well done.  Intelligent, thoughtful and well-drawn with a hint of decent humour at the beginning.  This is why I read your comic."

Second?

Sure.  Also, I posit that ladies' bosoms are rad.  Do you agree?

D

[Baeronvonbleat]

Before it felt like Jim was an older version of Marten... and now I'm convinced it's him just older and wiser.  <.<  I also disliked him as he was a threat to what I still see as hope for Marten and Dora... but all's forgiven!

[jwhouk]

Before anyone goes off on Dora again: The hug isn't unusual for her. Take a look at how she responded after her first "date" with Marten back in 228.

She's still far from being able to "date" again, but she at least realizes this now.

A bit too bad, considering Jim would be a good recurring character to have in the strip.

[Tiogyr]

Jim and Dora not dating now means he cannot be a recurring character?

[jwhouk]

Just read today's comic. I feel like I'm having Flashbacks.

Boy, now that you mention it...

Jim and Dora not dating now means he cannot be a recurring character?

True... but a pairing would have elevated him to Angus-level status (IOW "dating a primary cast member").

I'm betting he'll still be around whenever Marten is at TSB or some such thing.

By the bye: anyone think this might put a damper on the business relationship?

[cesariojpn]

By the bye: anyone think this might put a damper on the business relationship?

Baking Soda instead of Baking Powder.........

[idontunderstand]

Great comic. They worked it out, and part ways as friends.  
I'm a bit baffled that they both seem ready to openly talk about the idea of a later relationship though, but maybe I'm just immature..

[Carl-E]

By the bye: anyone think this might put a damper on the business relationship?

Baking Soda instead of Baking Powder.........

No, no - Jim wouldn't sabotage his own baking like that. 

I really doubt that establishing themselves as friends instead of potentially more (it was  only a first date, after al) will harm the business agreement. 


Might even help a bit. 

[NotAwesomeAnymore]

Alarmingly similar to 509... But I don't think Jim's reaction was particularly Marten-ish, actually. I mean, he'd just gone on a date with someone he didn't know well and couldn't have been emotionally invested in. She confides in him about her issues, a situation in which a person usually tries to be sensitive to prevent it from getting more awkward. Then she says it's not gonna work, not in a bitchy way, not while mistreating him. I mean, I can't think of him reacting any other way that wouldn't seem childish, tantrum-y and like he was obsessed with her.

[Tiogyr]

By the bye: anyone think this might put a damper on the business relationship?

Maybe if Jim were still a teenager/20-something himself, but on his part I'd be surprised if it did (if it does at all, it will be due to Dora freaking out, not Jim). Plus it's not like the way Jim is reacting is all that surprising.

It was a first date, the only people that would react horribly to how Dora was talking at Jim's age on a first date would be someone that is unbelievably immature. Most people have figured out by that point that first dates don't actually matter that much in the scheme of things and don't invest themselves that much in them.

[westrim]

Well, at least one of them is a responsible adult. *Harrumphs*

On the topic of the Marten/Cosette thing, I think it entirely likely that he would have mentioned it later on, as part of dinner chat or somesuch. Notice that she ambushed him about it immediately after he entered. What was he supposed to do, run into CoD yelling "Dora, guess what! A girl actually asked me out, isn't that crazy!?" But instead she asks obviously loaded questions and he does the logical but dumb for human interaction thing of shutting down until he knows what the questions are loaded with. And she asked that way despite already knowing that his being asked out was an abject failure, so she already had nothing to worry about. So in terms of openness, she failed by asking about the topic that way, and what he did was only a reaction to her deception.

[Tiogyr]

Well, at least one of them is a responsible adult. *Harrumphs*

On the topic of the Marten/Cosette thing, I think it entirely likely that he would have mentioned it later on, as part of dinner chat or somesuch. Notice that she ambushed him about it immediately after he entered. What was he supposed to do, run into CoD yelling "Dora, guess what! A girl actually asked me out, isn't that crazy!?" But instead she asks obviously loaded questions and he does the logical but dumb for human interaction thing of shutting down until he knows what the questions are loaded with. And she asked that way despite already knowing that his being asked out was an abject failure, so she already had nothing to worry about. So in terms of openness, she failed by asking about the topic that way, and what he did was only a reaction to her deception.

I don't know, it makes sense to me that someone with a history of backstabbing boyfriends would freak out over their current boyfriend lying to them (about any subject). Not saying it's right, but it does make sense.

[Mr. Doctor]

Before I just accepted him as a ok character. But now I really like Jim... 

[wushi]

AhhhhHH!  Doobl!

A little late, but for anyone interested, Cliff Burton and Tom Araya are the bassists for Metallica and Slayer, respectively.  The author of the Dallas Times obituary posted on Doobl! is Burton Araya.  Interpret that how you will   

[Mustakyy]

Everyone say it with me now...

D'AAAWWWWWW

...now let's get to the f***ing party!

Truly, this is once again clearly a D'AAAWWWWW-moment  (today's comic got a diehard cynic like me to smile quite broadly).  Nicely handled situation, Jim.

I'm simply in favour of saying, "Mr. Jacques, well done.  Intelligent, thoughtful and well-drawn with a hint of decent humour at the beginning.  This is why I read your comic."

Second?

Totally.



And now, something completely different (the parrrtyyyy!). 

[iduguphergrave]

Finally you've made a good decision, Dora. I'm really glad it worked out this way; Dora needs a friend much more than a lover right now.

[Schmorgluck]

Dora needs a friend much more than a lover right now.

Somehow, worded like this, it reminds me of Dale Cooper's speech to Audrey Horne.

[westrim]

Finally you've made a good decision, Dora.

Eh? She didn't make a good decision, he made a good decision. She just went along with it.

[TheEvilDog]

Dora needs a friend much more than a lover right now.

I would have said she could have done with a swift kick up the ass, but yours works too.

[Tiogyr]

I would have said she could have done with a swift kick up the ass, but yours works too.

For a second there I thought you said "dick" and not "kick"... 

[lepetitfromage]

The comic linked above, where Marten's mother demands he apologize to her, and his friends, for his behavior, came across to me as a response of emotional exhaustion. He just got out of a bad breakup in a long term relationship, and his own mother was sneaking off from dinner with him to call his ex and check on her. Arguing with people, yelling at people, being upset - those are all emotionally draining. I think, at the end of the night, the point when this event occurred, he just wanted to go home and sleep. He was done dealing with his mother, and done thinking about Dora. I think it's unfair to use that as an example of a weak self-will.

Suddenly I feel I jumped to conclusions. I didn't mean to use that as an example of weak self-will, so much hmm...

An example of how Marten responds to his parents, showing us how he has become the way he is?

I don't even know if that sounds plausible anymore. 

I think it's accurate to an extent. What got me in the linked comic actually had more to do with wondering if part of Martens passivity might also just be a kind of defense mechanism. Marten has been described as a Manatee on Coedine, and that does sorta fit in some ways but I think it's also worth noting that he does have pretty fair reserves of internal resilience. The problem I had with it was that his mom knew he was at a low point and yet seemed to want to rub salt in the wounds when she showed up, and was in fact much nicer to him when she showed up for a general visit and things were going relatively WELL for him. Martens situation with his dad seems to have been better but I figure there might have been a bit of bitterness when his dad came out and his parents divorced. From what it sounds like the divorce wasn't very amicable though the two eventually reconciled to being friends. I don't know how much it says about Marten per se, but it does seem that he's quite used to being ignored or put upon by those around him. I also want to point out that it was the always snarky Faye and the sometimes imbalanced Hannelore that really did try to help Marten feel better and make things better for him.

This post got me thinking a little more about Marten's relationships with his parents....if you think about it, both of them seem to have made really big, fairly out of the ordinary decisions (or at least ones that have the ability to impact a very impressionable child/teenager). His mother was a porn star and his parents divorced because his dad came out. Both pretty intense things to deal with- that Marten had no choice but to accept if he was going to have a good relationship with either. Maybe his "sit-back-and-do-nothing" attitude stems from that? Although, I'm not sure if he ever alluded to his actual reactions/responses to the divorce. Anyone know for sure? This could just be me over-analyzing, but it's just too damn fun to give up.


oh. and i spent the last hour and a half reading every page on google about doobl. Thanks, Tiogyr. I'm quasi-convinced it was a hoax, but I'm aching for some closure!!
(and simultaneously embarrassed that I became that obsessed with it for that long)

also- yay for Dora and Jim being responsible adults!! It's refreshing  

[Is it cold in here?]

Marten has hidden behind humor in describing his reactions to the divorce (conversation with Tai, I'm too lazy to look up the strip) but has used the phrase "bitter recriminations".

[stoutfiles]

Finally you've made a good decision, Dora. I'm really glad it worked out this way; Dora needs a friend much more than a lover right now.

The night isn't over; they might hug for longer than normal, get excited, and then head into the apartment.  Maybe just Jim will get excited and force himself on her.  We just don't know what will happen!  I think we should wait till the night ends before we start throwing compliments.

[Varian7]

Today's comic strongly reminded me of 1769 with Sven and Hanners

http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1769

[Tiogyr]

I hope that's not a "Paging Dr. Freud!" thought, you're having. 

[michael28]

I'm simply in favour of saying, "Mr. Jacques, well done.  Intelligent, thoughtful and well-drawn with a hint of decent humour at the beginning.  This is why I read your comic."

Second?

yeah, exactly.

[westrim]

 Maybe just Jim will get excited and force himself on her.  We just don't know what will happen!  

As serious as the comic can be at times, I really doubt it'll ever board the rape train (express service to Cerebus Syndromia).

[stoutfiles]

 Maybe just Jim will get excited and force himself on her.  We just don't know what will happen!  

As serious as the comic can be at times, I really doubt it'll ever board the rape train (express service to Cerebus Syndromia).

After a popular gaming webcomic (Eh, it's ok), CAD, had a plotline involving a miscarriage, I never assume what artists will or won't do.  Tiogyr could back me up on this, perhaps.

[wrwight]

Everyone say it with me now...

D'AAAWWWWWW

...now let's get to the f***ing party!

Truly, this is once again clearly a D'AAAWWWWW-moment  (today's comic got a diehard cynic like me to smile quite broadly).  Nicely handled situation, Jim.

I'm simply in favour of saying, "Mr. Jacques, well done.  Intelligent, thoughtful and well-drawn with a hint of decent humour at the beginning.  This is why I read your comic."

Second?

Totally.



And now, something completely different (the parrrtyyyy!). 

Couldn't have said it better. Definitely looking forward to getting back to the party.

[Border Reiver]

I'm simply in favour of saying, "Mr. Jacques, well done.  Intelligent, thoughtful and well-drawn with a hint of decent humour at the beginning.  This is why I read your comic."

Second?

Sure.  Also, I posit that ladies' bosoms are rad.  Do you agree?

D

All in favour?


The addendum to the motion before the committee will be decided at the next meeting so that it may be considered in further detail and after exhaustive studies in camera.

[akronnick]

I agree that the amendment is a delicate question and that further study is required.

I volunteer to lead a fact finding delegation and to report its findings to the committee of the whole.

[Carl-E]

I think we can all agree on this without a fact-finding mission. 

However, confirmation of the facts is always a good thing...

[Tiogyr]

After a popular gaming webcomic (Eh, it's ok), CAD, had a plotline involving a miscarriage, I never assume what artists will or won't do.  Tiogyr could back me up on this, perhaps.

As depressed as Jeph may be before today, I hope he never reads this comment (because being put on the same level as CAD ought to be pretty damn insulting).

[stoutfiles]

After a popular gaming webcomic (Eh, it's ok), CAD, had a plotline involving a miscarriage, I never assume what artists will or won't do.  Tiogyr could back me up on this, perhaps.

As depressed as Jeph may be before today, I hope he never reads this comment (because being put on the same level as CAD ought to be pretty damn insulting).

CAD is popular much like Jersey Shore is popular.  I never said it was good.  I just mean that an artist whose livelihood depends on a comics success will sometimes throw a curveball in their comic.  Another example, Jim Davis with Garfield. 

http://teaching.zachwhalen.net/comics/content/when-funnies-arent-so-funny-anymore-or-week-garfield-died

[Tiogyr]

The irony there being that they were the funniest Garfield comics outside the ones on that meme site that removes the character of Garfield from the comics altogether.

[Dust]

I agree that the amendment is a delicate question and that further study is required.

I volunteer to lead a fact finding delegation and to report its findings to the committee of the whole.

I trust there will be slide-shows?

Finally you've made a good decision, Dora. I'm really glad it worked out this way; Dora needs a friend much more than a lover right now.

Oh great, now I'm going to have Texas in my head all day. But hey, good for Dora.

[Skaltura]

I think it's great how Jeph managed to turn Jim into a really likeable character (well, at least to me) in the span of three to four strips. I must confess I was skeptical at first, but he turned out to be a good guy.

[michael28]

But Dora's objection wasn't that he was flirting with Cosette (because he wasn't) - it's that he wasn't open with her about the incident.

Well, I've gone back and read that comic, and to me it seems like Marten just didn't think that getting asked out by a girl was such a big deal. I mean, he refused pretty quickly, and explained that he was seeing someone at the moment. It was all pretty diplomatically dealt with and took less than 15 seconds out of his day. Maybe he didn't even remember it properly by the time he came to CoD later that day.

I mean, you might be right, but I don't think that Marten was deliberately trying to hide it from her. I reckon it's easy to say things like this in hindsight, because when you're panicking you say a lot of stuff that vaguely forms excuses. Maybe that's just me.

To clarify - my point here wasn't that Dora was right to object; it was that she wasn't objecting to him flirting, so it wasn't hypocritical that she was also flirting. (Wonder what she'd have said if Marten had said "That isn't out of the ordinary! Girls in the library ask me out all the time! Just like guys ask you out all the time here!" ?)

Man, I'd like to live that kind of life ^^

[CEOIII]

I'm sure I'm not the first saying this, but I'm saying this anyway: She hasn't had this exact same conversation with Marten WHY?

[TheEvilDog]

I'm sure I'm not the first saying this, but I'm saying this anyway: She hasn't had this exact same conversation with Marten WHY?

Probably because the penny only dropped yesterday.

[NotAwesomeAnymore]

I've compared Dora's insecurities about Faye to Steve's insecurities about Dave before, and now I'm going to bring up this. In the next strip Cossette even pulls the "I'm WITH YOU. I'm not interested in any other guy." AND THEN a few strips later he talks shamelessly about going to a stripclub in front of Cossette. Hmmmmm.

My question is whether he generated as much heat as Dora did when that happened, and if not, why not? I think Steve's outbursts seem more acceptable than Dora's because he appears to be a simpler dude (maybe only because he's a dude D:), but really they have very similar symptoms. Dora's behaviour automatically seems much worse and scarier because we know she has some kind of psychological scar.
Take, for example, a girl who drinks a lot and sleeps around. And then a girl who drinks a lot and sleeps around whose best friend died while her neglectful parents went through a messy divorce. Suddenly drinking a lot and sleeping around seems less okay, no?

[TinPenguin]

I'm sure I'm not the first saying this, but I'm saying this anyway: She hasn't had this exact same conversation with Marten WHY?

Have Marten and Dora actually seen each other since they broke up? I can't recall.

[jwhouk]

After a popular gaming webcomic (Eh, it's ok), CAD, had a plotline involving a miscarriage, I never assume what artists will or won't do.  Tiogyr could back me up on this, perhaps.

As depressed as Jeph may be before today, I hope he never reads this comment (because being put on the same level as CAD ought to be pretty damn insulting).

CAD is popular much like Jersey Shore is popular.  I never said it was good.  I just mean that an artist whose livelihood depends on a comics success will sometimes throw a curveball in their comic.  

I wouldn't even put CAD on the same level as Jersey Shore.

I'm sure I'm not the first saying this, but I'm saying this anyway: She hasn't had this exact same conversation with Marten WHY?

Have Marten and Dora actually seen each other since they broke up? I can't recall.

Only in RK Milholland's warped mind.

[pwhodges]

Have Marten and Dora actually seen each other since they broke up? I can't recall.

No.  Marten psyched himself up to go into CoD, but it was the day she was off moving apartment.

[Method of Madness]

I still don't get the CAD hate.  Aside from that stupid storyline (which I should point out was four years ago), it's a generally amusing video game comic that I'm not ashamed to admit I read thrice weekly (and who can hate the yearly Space Archaeologist sagas?)  It's not on the level of QC or xkcd, but to say it's Jersey Shore bad seems absurd.

Back on topic, the handshake leading into the hug reminded me of this (I don't think anyone mentioned that one yet, if so, sorry.)

[westrim]

In the QC discussion thread for a limited time only: other comic strips!

[mary tyler murder]

I don't get the Jersey Shore hate. Aside from that one punch in the face, it's a generally amusing show that I'm not ashamed to admit I watch weekly (and who can hate the yearly Snooki does Belly Shots sagas?) It's not on the level of Road Rules or Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but to say it's Ctrl-Alt-Del bad seems absurd.