Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

Being a bio-droid WOULD be pretty awesome.

Hopefully not chunky soup.

People are indeed far worse than anything they create

I for one welcome our new waffle overlords

[cesariojpn]

Yup

If your gonna use my trademarked yell, it's YUUUP!

[ecstaticjoy]

What does Jeph's tattoo say in 2066?

[Is it cold in here?]

It is the beginning of "Fear is the mind killer".

[snubnose]

I wished there would be some kind of link between personal messages and the message they would refer to because honestly, I totally fail to manage that connection.

What does Jeph's tattoo say in 2066 ?

Good question, we'll have to wait another 55 years to find out ! (SCNR)

[pwhodges]

What does Jeph's tattoo say in 2066?

It is the beginning of "Fear is the mind killer".

Also, that's the second line - the first is up under the shirt sleeve.

I posted a link back up the thread to a photo of it IRL, in the earlier discussion of it.

[Indicible]

And Momo went bankai on Clinton.

Does anyone get the feeling his encounter with Hanners is anything but coincidental?

Subsidiary question: how does Momo conduct the discharge through her body without burning her clothes?

[Delator]

Ugh. I thought we'd seen the last of Clinton.

Wake me when he's gone.

[pwhodges]

how does Momo conduct the discharge through her body without burning her clothes?

Easy - her clothes are woven through with conductive fibres.  Anyway, now we know that she has the same zapping ability in this chassis as in the previous one; we should be glad, I guess, that Pintsize is an old enough model not to have it, though the laser (now removed) was in a similar class.

[cesariojpn]

Subsidiary question: how does Momo conduct the discharge through her body without burning her clothes?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unstable_molecules

[Arancaytar]

I guess she didn't hit him with full power. Clinton's socks are still on, and he was not even a meter away, let alone 100.

[Tova]

Well, with that comic, we can tick another item off the QC forum-goers wish list.

Love the electric discharge effect in the second to last panel.

[Overkillengine]

Also, since one can receive a nasty electric shock without burning clothes; it is also likely possible to give a shock without incinerating your garments.

[Baka no Kami]

Huh, I've been reading QC for a couple of years and never noticed that Hannelore's last name was Ellicott. That's the street I live on.

[TinPenguin]

Damn, Clinton, you got creepy written in your genes, ain'tcha? You're like a friggin' moth to a flame.

[AnAverageWriter]

In all fairness, it seemed to me like his interests were more rooted in the "new tech" way, and not in a "I want to boff momo" kind of way. From his viewpoint she is just a new toy, akin to the latest other gadgets that pop up from time to time.

[Mr_Rose]

In all fairness, it seemed to me like his interests were more rooted in the "new tech" way, and not in a "I want to boff momo" kind of way. From his viewpoint she is just a new toy, akin to the latest other gadgets that pop up from time to time.

And thinking of people as 'new toys' isn't creepy as all get out?

[Skewbrow]

So the moth named Clinton keeps circling his personal porchlight.

I guess we should call it progress that he recognizes his action as creepy on his own. Even though it was a bit late to do much good.

[Mr. Doctor]

I give him credit for knowing that he was creepy. Better than nothing. I honestly like the guy, he just needs some...  help.

[Carl-E]

In all fairness, it seemed to me like his interests were more rooted in the "new tech" way, and not in a "I want to boff momo" kind of way. From his viewpoint she is just a new toy, akin to the latest other gadgets that pop up from time to time.

And thinking of people as 'new toys' isn't creepy as all get out?

New robot  toy.  And what was creepy was ignoring the sentient AI that is in the chassis before touching the "new skin"

Least you could do is ask, dude.  

[NotAwesomeAnymore]

Hannelore's the perfect person to help Clinton with this. She's a recovering creeper too 

[pendrake]

For comic #2068...

1. It was highly unlikely the character of Clinton would be scrapped that easily.  Jeph worked upon designing Clinton far too much for that to happen.  Personally I like the original concept of a female Clinton, which was later used as Marten's creepy hairdresser, who is likely to have been a one-shot character.

2. I do think this meeting is actually happenstance (well, as happenstance as can be with someone scripting their lives... ) rather than Clinton semi-stalking Hannelore down, since it appears that the girl-trio are just walking along out on the street.

3. Hannelore's light-blue outfit is a cute one.  I thought it was the same as back in #2065, but it is a different top and shorts, as opposed to a dress in #2065.

4. Momo was a great punchline character for this strip, more so since she never said a word.  Her charge-up and expression in panel #5 was really done well, art-wise.  Pity Samantha was not around to see the punchline panel #6 .

5. And curious fascination or not, if someone I do not know comes up to me and starts feeling me up, even if it were a hot chick (perhaps especially so, because that is far more suspicious), I have zero qualms about knocking them flat on their back to the ground.

6. Warning - While you were typing, in terms of Civilization V turns, enough new replies were posted to have erected The Great Wall of China.  You may wish to review your post, before the next epoch begins.

[Paranoid]

I give him credit for knowing that he was creepy. Better than nothing. I honestly like the guy, he just needs some...  help.

Agreed.  I can see me getting annoyed with him after a while if he stays like this, but it could be interesting to watch him develop if he instead tries to learn some social graces.  And he could do far worse than ask for help from an ex-stalker, an ex-shut-in, and a walking social protocol database.

Also, I have to say, I LOVE Momo's expression in the last panel.  Yeah, I know I kind of like Clinton, but you have to admit: dude did deserve that.

[AnAverageWriter]

And thinking of people as 'new toys' isn't creepy as all get out?

Robots aren't people.

I can just imagine some random person angrily, furiously typing something in response to that, but...

Setting aside our own world's drastic technical limitations in terms of AI, even in the QC world, if AnthroPCs were considered "people", then there would be quite a few instances where legal action would have been warranted- the very concept of the buying and selling of an AnthroPC, for starters, as we see in this comic where Momo thinks her "owner" wants to get rid of her and bursts into tears. I don't even have to mention the instance after instance of Pintsize being ripped apart, pummeled or dismembered, for some offense or another, with no repercussions to the owner at all.

Pintsize himself has claimed in prior strips past that AnthroPCs don't have equal rights.

What does that say about the QC Universe?

Are these people or are these pets?

Can people be sold on eBay if they misbehave?

[Throg]

Soooo...(geez, I gotta start listing reactions like pendrake).

A. Clinton was able to spot Momo as an Idoru, an Anthro-PC, right off the bat? No talking, no vocal cue, no visual cue; her seams covered by clothes. How did he know immediately?

B. Was Jeph referencing a particular store in Northampton with the whole 'Bad Art!' / 'Touristy Bullshit!' store?  

C. Was that an Azumanga Daioh reference (the shoe getting knocked someplace inaccessible?)

D. Warning - while you were typing   Does EVERYONE here post right before work?

[pwhodges]

Before work?  It's my lunch break.

[Skewbrow]

Agreed.  I can see me getting annoyed with him after a while if he stays like this, but it could be interesting to watch him develop if he instead tries to learn some social graces.  And he could do far worse than ask for help from an ex-stalker, an ex-shut-in, and a walking social protocol database.

That idea has ... potential. I don't think that Jeph will write any major story arcs about it, but an occasional strip or two may come. Danielle Corsetto has recently touched the subject of educating awkward/creepy guys at least twice.

[NotAwesomeAnymore]

Robots aren't people.

Nope, they're not. Doesn't make sense if you have AI to program them like people, since people suck. Doesn't mean they're not in some way sentient. The QCverse, like the real world, has major sentient-being rights issues. In fact, part of the problem in the QC-verse is probably that robots are objectified and other-ed, and therefore more susceptible to abuse. I think the treatment of Pintsize is chilled vibes tho, since if he were a real person he'd be jailed for life.

[Welu]

I like Clinton sort of, in the same way I've always liked creepy/awkward guys in fiction because I find them hilarious. Clinton seems to be learning though.

[Akima]

Can people be sold on eBay if they misbehave?

People can be sold, though not on e-bay, if they are female...

Hanners is on the fashion cutting edge in a shorty jumpsuit? Actually, she is probably the best-dressed of the QC girls. Except when she forgets to put her pants on. I love Momo's blue lightning effect. And yes, Clinton, you were being creepy.

[AnAverageWriter]

People can be sold, though not on e-bay, if they are female...

Now we're getting into a whole other ball of wax; human trafficking, "mercenary marriage", sexual slavery and such. You know as well as I do that I was referring to what we would consider the generally liberated QC world and not a place where women are the property equivalent of a ham sandwich. As far as I am aware, civilized societies consider human trafficking and nonconsensual marriage to be abhorrent and degrading, an affront to freedom and equality.

[Jabberwocky]

That idea has ... potential. I don't think that Jeph will write any major story arcs about it, but an occasional strip or two may come. Danielle Corsetto has recently touched the subject of educating awkward/creepy guys at least twice.

Jeph and Danielle ought to collaborate on a crossover strip where it's revealed that Clinton, Jim, and Tucker were college roommates or somesuch.  Ayuh.

Warning - while you were typing...

Oh for the love of--

[jwhouk]

how does Momo conduct the discharge through her body without burning her clothes?

Easy - her clothes are woven through with conductive fibres.  Anyway, now we know that she has the same zapping ability in this chassis as in the previous one; we should be glad, I guess, that Pintsize is an old enough model not to have it, though the laser (now removed) was in a similar class.

Just telling from the "before" panel, I suspect the TZAP! comes from either her ponytails or her face. She can probably direct it appropriately by pointing the tails at the assailant, or she can concentrate where the discharge should go on her skin... which would be doubly-bad for Clinton, since he was grabbing her with his bionic hand.

I'm surprised that his hand didn't end up launching into a suborbital trajectory. (Either that or get shocked back to the year 1955 with the "other" Marty...)

[SomeCanadianWeirdo]

I can't be the only person who started reading today's strip and said "Go get him, Momo." 

I would imagine Clntion recognised her by hair colour, facial features, and other visual cues that are common to that body.

[jwhouk]

I give him credit for knowing that he was creepy. Better than nothing. I honestly like the guy, he just needs some...  help.

Agreed.  I can see me getting annoyed with him after a while if he stays like this, but it could be interesting to watch him develop if he instead tries to learn some social graces.  And he could do far worse than ask for help from an ex-stalker, an ex-shut-in, and a walking social protocol database.

Also, I have to say, I LOVE Momo's expression in the last panel.  Yeah, I know I kind of like Clinton, but you have to admit: dude did deserve that.

I notice in that one comic that Momo's charge-up came from the head as well.

[lepetitfromage]

Hannelore's the perfect person to help Clinton with this. She's a recovering creeper too  

yes! i absolutely agree with this. i can imagine that there was a lot of conversation back when Hanners was introduced about what a weirdo creeper she was and now everyone loves her. i can't see him evolving as much as she did (and not nearly as fast) but i've always had a soft spot for Clinton. he's such a weird little guy but i feel like he has so much potential to really become an interesting fixture in the comic. i love that he is completely fascinated by everything that he comes across- he kinda sounds like a lot of us in the WCDT

[AnAverageWriter]

I would imagine Clntion recognised her by hair colour, facial features, and other visual cues that are common to that body.

Indeed- the fact that he picked her out on sight as an "Idoru Platinum Deluxe" means that he's pretty versed on the AnthroPC range.

[jwhouk]

I would imagine Clntion recognised her by hair colour, facial features, and other visual cues that are common to that body.

Indeed- the fact that he picked her out on sight as an "Idoru Platinum Deluxe" means that he's pretty versed on the AnthroPC range.

Well, that probably was what most of his graduate studies were about. Doing a lot of research on human-APC interactions means he sees a lot of APC's.

[Throg]

Significant, powered ponytails? All kinds of Azumanga Daioh shout-outs around here.  

Poor Clinton: doomed to be a walking punchline (acts creepy ==> gets taser'd/slapped/abused).  Although his 'crush' on Hannelore was more tech-nerd-based, rather than sexual attraction; he practically ignored Hanners this time around compared to, um, feeling up Momo.

[kent_eh]

I would imagine Clntion recognised her by hair colour, facial features, and other visual cues that are common to that body.

Indeed- the fact that he picked her out on sight as an "Idoru Platinum Deluxe" means that he's pretty versed on the AnthroPC range.

Well, that probably was what most of his graduate studies were about. Doing a lot of research on human-APC interactions means he sees a lot of APC's.

Exactly. He''s a total Cybernetics nerd.
He will probably be able to recognize any new model chassis, and most of the significant historical ones since the introduction of Antrho-PCs

The same way a car nerd can identify the make/model/year of some exotic European sports car without ever having been in the presence of one.

[Border Reiver]

Or guys like me can tell you what era the Warhammer minis were cast in - don't judge me.

Even if Momo doesn't have "rights" per se, it's still polite to ask the permission of the owner before fondling their property.

[AnAverageWriter]

Even if Momo doesn't have "rights" per se, it's still polite to ask the permission of the owner before fondling their property.

Of course. To use a quote that I KNOW is going to somehow get misunderstood by someone somewhere- you don't go petting a stranger's dog unless you feel like getting bit.

[Wreck Smurfy]

I would imagine Clntion recognised her by hair colour, facial features, and other visual cues that are common to that body.

Not to mention that bright red irises aren't exactly common among humans.

[specter177]

Even if Momo doesn't have "rights" per se, it's still polite to ask the permission of the owner before fondling their property.

Of course. To use a quote that I KNOW is going to somehow get misunderstood by someone somewhere- you don't go petting a stranger's dog unless you feel like getting bit.

I tend to think of the APC-Human relationship as kind of a step between pet-human and human-human. They are sold in stores like pets, but have more personal rights than pets. Also, wasn't there a comic where they mentioned an AI Equal Rights Amendment?

[AnAverageWriter]

I tend to think of the APC-Human relationship as kind of a step between pet-human and human-human. They are sold in stores like pets, but have more personal rights than pets. Also, wasn't there a comic where they mentioned an AI Equal Rights Amendment?

It was mentioned, then I do believe quickly dismissed.

[NotAwesomeAnymore]

People can be sold, though not on e-bay, if they are female...

Now we're getting into a whole other ball of wax; human trafficking, "mercenary marriage", sexual slavery and such. You know as well as I do that I was referring to what we would consider the generally liberated QC world and not a place where women are the property equivalent of a ham sandwich. As far as I am aware, civilized societies consider human trafficking and nonconsensual marriage to be abhorrent and degrading, an affront to freedom and equality.

Uh, all of those things were once considered normal, and those societies considered themselves civilised.

[AnAverageWriter]

Uh, all of those things were once considered normal, and those societies considered themselves civilised.

And so were leeches, holes in the head and the belief that a tall man in a carriage pulled the sun across the sky every day. Fuck relative morality, we're not living in 1576 anymore. I'm not going to dismiss thousands of years of societal progress just because some asshole living in a hut somewhere still thinks it's fine and dandy to sell off his daughter to an old fat guy.

[snubnose]

I thought we'd seen the last of Clinton.

Me too.

No such luck.

5. And curious fascination or not, if someone I do not know comes up to me and starts feeling me up, even if it were a hot chick (perhaps especially so, because that is far more suspicious), I have zero qualms about knocking them flat on their back to the ground.

I dont think personal attractiveness (which also depends upon own perception, by the way) would matter at all with this. Ugly or beautiful, people are people.

A. Clinton was able to spot Momo as an Idoru, an Anthro-PC, right off the bat? No talking, no vocal cue, no visual cue; her seams covered by clothes. How did he know immediately?

Obviously its not perfect.

Can people be sold on eBay if they misbehave?

People can be sold, though not on e-bay, if they are female...

And from poor countries.

Slavery violates §4 of the human rights.

[TinPenguin]

Fuck relative morality, we're not living in 1576 anymore. I'm not going to dismiss thousands of years of societal progress just because some asshole living in a hut somewhere still thinks it's fine and dandy to sell off his daughter to an old fat guy.

Oh wow, is that a platinum deluxe straw man? It's so lifelike!

[Yarin]

im still waiting for the reveal when we learn that Clinton is actually an anthro pc who thinks he's human

[Yarin]

I'm surprised that his hand didn't end up launching into a suborbital trajectory. (Either that or get shocked back to the year 1955 with the "other" Marty...)

+ 1 for bttf reference