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Training champion wolfhounds

Training champion wolfhound breeders

Barista

Drill instructor

Publishing her own educational videos

Country music singer

Satanic librarian

Regular librarian, like Clarice

Personal trainer for Hannermom

Silly silicon sylph

[DrBear]

Well, with QC and Jeph, change has been a constant. I did think for a moment after seeing this one that there had been a guest comic for the day.  I am just wondering if Pintsize will get bigger eyes as well O_O

[Thrillho]

Thank God I agree with you. Disagreeing with someone with a Hobbes avatar would've broken my heart.

[GarandMarine]

Take a lesson from the Canadians - there's always time to be polite.

(click to show/hide)

Unless you're playing hockey, then it's no more Mr. or Ms. Nice Country.

I have had a Canadian player apologize for checking me into the boards AS he was doing it.

Hanners should have learned by now not to take crap from customers. I can think of a couple of appropriate responses:

• Are you talking to me, or to the phone?
• Sorry, no habla Starbucks
• This isn't Italy and we aren't Starbucks
• (click to show/hide)

  

When I was working as a barista right after I got out of the Marines, I actually told a customer "Sorry, no habla Starbucks" when she gave me an order for something in starbuckese at approximately mach 2. I was fully expecting an ass chewing from my manager after she left with her drink, but apparently that customer is a constant pain in the ass and the only way to handle her is getting in her face a little.

Fuck I hated that job.


On the art change, I for one welcome our new loose and easy overlords. The characters are still them, and if the art's a little easier on Jephizba, Troll Master General, then I can dig it.

[MrCorvin]

I do acknowledge that the early strips were quite cartoonish as well, but I'd argue that they were built upon an entirely different kind of humor, which eventually evolved significantly to that of today. So now (in my opinion) we have a cartoonish art style clashing with the more realistic, "modern" writing, perhaps resulting in the dissonance I experienced at Marigold's previously mentioned reaction. My question is: will the writing now evolve to create unity with the art? Of course, I may be an outlier in my reaction, as well, and no change in the writing may be needed.

However I would like to point out, he had gone so far as to redraw them for the book to give them a more "current" look.

It as if the art is drawing around May then May going around everyone else. It was really a bit of a culture shock from comic 2762 to 2763. I'm not a huge fan of the current style, it just looks too anime to me. We'll see if it starts to affect enjoying the comic storyarchs. That would make me a sad panda.

[Aziraphale]

Thought I'd throw my 2 cents in.  As an artist myself, I've always preferred the expressionist style.  However, it seems to me that much of the appeal of a comic like this is its ability to draw the reader INTO the setting.  We're interacting vicariously with these characters.  Thus, I think a more "realistic" style is more conducive to that appeal.  The expressive style is fun and all, but it kind of breaks down the connection to the characters.

Just my opinion, of course.

That's just it; I don't mind the style elsewhere, but here it seems like it would get limiting very quickly. One of the things that "works" about Jeph's artwork -- especially in the last few years' worth of strips -- is what he's been able to get out of facial expressions, in addition to (or sometimes in place of) his dialogue. When your characters look perpetually shocked or on the verge of copious weeping by default, it tends to limit your options a bit.

PS: Yes, I'm aware it's his strip and he can do as he damn well pleases (and will do so). Just my opinion.

[Pilchard123]

Incoming Hannelore self-assertion! Duck and cover!

You need to be more friendly!

[DonInKansas]

I'm definitely not a fan of the huge anime eyes, but I also prefer the original chain smoking long haired Hannelore to all of the other iterations. 

It's Jeph's comic; he can do what he wants.  One man's opinion and all that.

[Loki]

You need to be more friendly!

Yes, Morale Officer! Thank you, Morale Officer!

[Shjade]

Oddly enough, I find the new art style less expressive than previous.

Compare panel 4 of http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2763 with panel 4 of http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1636 for instance. I realize the situations are different, maybe the levels of distress are different, but just look at those two faces. Comparing those two, the new Hanners face is just so...flat.

I'm sure in tradeoff the new style is a lot easier/less stressful to draw, which is definitely important when you're drawing five strips a week - you need to be able to balance technique/effort with your time and energy to actually produce work without having a breakdown, so even if this seems like a step (or two) backwards artistically, that's not to say it's entirely without merit. Life is, at times, compromise.

[FunkyTuba]

I like the idea that a character's relative size and shape and features can vary panel to panel according to what's going on. Perhaps not as much as in full-on anime, but adding that to QC would ,I think, enhance the experience for me.

[Rghfrgl]

I'm definitely not a fan of the huge anime eyes, but I also prefer the original chain smoking long haired Hannelore to all of the other iterations. 

Chain smoking kills. You don't want to kill Hanners....do you?

[Zebediah]

Be careful how you answer that question. Answer it wrong, and May will want to have a word with you.

[Kugai]

@Akima - That's a French Coffee Press, not Toothpicks.

I was referring to the first panel of 2763.

Incoming Hannelore self-assertion! Duck and cover!

Ahhh.  OK


*Runs to nearest Fallout Shelter*

[Wetman]

Marigold has an hourglass figure now lol

[Zebediah]

Well, she has been getting more exercise. For certain values of "exercise".

[freeman]

Marigold has an hourglass figure now lol

And all those sexy stuff hormones seem to have done good for her pimples.

[Somebody]

Okay, weird... art-wise he seems to have backed up a bit on Hanners, but much less so on Marigold...

[SomeCanadianWeirdo]

Regarding her figure and acne I'd suspect it's more a case that with an improved social life Marigold also has an improved diet.  She was all but certainly living largely on giant size Slurpees and Pocky before meeting the gang.

[T]

Marigold has an hourglass figure now lol

And all those sexy stuff hormones seem to have done good for her pimples.

What about her teeth?

[Somebody]

Marigold has an hourglass figure now lol

And all those sexy stuff hormones seem to have done good for her pimples.

What about her teeth?

It's not her teeth, it's her top lip. Like a stick of Blackpool Rock, Dale dissolves a bit more of it every time he kisses her.

[Aziraphale]

Finally realized what Marigold's new appearance reminds me of.

[TheBiscuit]

Whatever Hannelore is about to do, she doesn't get to. This is not something you get to do to a person.

Tell your friend that a new relationship is exciting and great but that's no reason to completely abandon your friends? Yes, yes it is something you get to (and should) do to a person.

The person who demands your attention at the expense of an exciting new relationship isn't your friend and never was. They're just a selfish person who doesn't care about your feelings.  If the relationship was months old they might have a point, but at this early stage, it's normal to want to spend all your time with the person you're dating. Those first few weeks of inseperability are precious.

Remember how slow QC time goes? How long d'ya thing Mari's been dating Dale? I'm thinking it's been maybe three weeks, probably less. If you're not spending all your free time with someone new when the relationship is only three weeks old, you probably just aren't that into them. After twice or three times that amount of time it is good to emerge and see your friends again, who (if they are reasonable, and actually care about you) will have made allowances, just as you have or would for them.

[Loki]

The person who demands your attention at the expense of an exciting new relationship isn't your friend and never was. They're just a selfish person who doesn't care about your feelings.

Or, you know, someone unexperienced with having friends. Particularly friends getting into relationships.

Hanners has seen what? Two couples in her circle of friends get together? Marten+Dora and Faye+Sven (and the latter hardly counts as your stereotypical couple)? She most certainly never experienced the stage you describe herself and can judge only from the limited observance she has plus whatever cultural osmosis she had (which at this time probably amounts to Magical Love Gentlemen, which might not discuss the problem at all.)

Hanners is clingy and suffering from divorce child syndrome, yeah. Selfish and not a friend*? Hardly.

*Disclaimer: You of course can pick your friends however you like, and if Hanners' behavior would disqualify her from being your friend, so be it. I am trying to explain why someone would disagree.

[pwhodges]

However I would like to point out, he had gone so far as to redraw them for the book to give them a more "current" look.

The redrawn strips were done because he had lost the high-res copies that were needed for satisfactory printing.  He redrew them in his current style because, well, that's how he then drew.

[Shadic]

I'm pretty meh on the art right now. I'm sure he could clean it up quite a bit (And hopefully make Marigold look less like Bugs Bunny), but the last few comics themselves have been very uninteresting as well.

Granted, Marigold and Hanners have turned into some of my least favorite characters at this point (And comics exclusively featuring them is a big reason why), but I guess we'll see.

No hate, just hope things change. Also wish Jeph best of luck with the doc, hopefully it helps.

[Janet_Yellens_yellin]

I do think that it is likely that once Jeph gets more comfortable with the style, it'll better fit the tone.

[Storel]

Would it annoy you all terribly if I said that at 48 I still have a full head of hair? And it's turning pure white. I am going to look awesome when I'm old. 

Would it annoy you all terribly if I said that at 52 I still have a full head of hair, and it has hardly any gray strands at all? Seriously, you can't see any gray at all from a slight distance. My father still had a full head of hair when he diead at age 72, and it was still salt-and-pepper, with at least as much pepper as salt. I think I'm taking after my dad. 

My beard, however, is another story. It started going gray at least ten or fifteen years ago and now has noticeably more salt than pepper in it. I'm told this is pretty usual for beards, which is why "graybeard" has approximately the same meaning for male humans as "silverback" does for male gorillas...

[KOK]

I have not had any strong reactions to the new drawing style one way or the other until now, but 2765 is just not up to Jeph's standard. Marigold especially seems hurried and unfinished.

To reiterate the obvious: I have no right to complain. This is a free comic. Jeph can do what ever he pleases.

[TheBiscuit]

Hanners is clingy and suffering from divorce child syndrome, yeah. Selfish and not a friend? Hardly.

You are what your behaviour makes of you, in my opinion. Hannelore is not really behaving as a friend. She's behaving as someone who values her own needs over and above those of her supposed friend. I'd perhaps be saying something completely different if I thought the relationship was more than a few weeks old, of course. After the intial intensity subsides, it does become inconsiderate of a person to not find time for their friends.

It really is a perfect symmetry. In the early stages a friend must make allowances for the newly-in-love to be wrapped up in romance, while after the early stages, the other friend must make sure to find time for social activities involving their other friends. It is furthermore symmetric in that a group of friends will take turns at these roles, as each of them finds romance.

This is merely a part of my philosphy of friendship, I don't mean to pretend it is universal. I'm speaking for me.

I do appreciate that Hannelore has limited experience of friendship, but I just don't know how much that should matter. It still doesn't seem to me like the right way to go about things, and as I said... only a person's actions really matter, to anyone else. I'm really not that sympathetic to the Hannelore character, myself. It's probably apparent, but I'm one of the few readers who isn't crazy about her. She's fun at times, but... I don't think of her as a person who would be good fun to associate with.

I am trying to explain why someone would disagree.

You're succeeding with your explanation. I'm not saying I buy into it, but you've made your point well enough. We just disagree. That should be OK - unless you think I'm stating my opinions in a way which is problematic. That was never my intention. I have very little difficulty in understanding the other points of view, but they're just not ones I can entirely share.

It does occur to me though that maybe all this could be explained if more time has passed than I was aware of - or even if Jeph has himself simply lost track of the passage of time in the comic to some extent. Is it just my imagination, or are there more currently active plot threads than is typical for this comic? Seems like it, but I can't be sure.

With regards to the art style, I had barely noticed the change until I read this thread. I noticed that it was different, but I had not fully become aware of all the various characteristics of this current style. I find that I'm starting to dislike it entirely based on things that you folk have brought to my attention. I wish I'd continued ignoring it.

[Barmymoo]

Rubbish. It's not ok to spend every waking minute with a new romantic partner and entirely ignore all your friends until you need them again. If Marigold can't spare an hour to hang out with the people who supported her and cared about her while she was lonely, miserable and not very pleasant to be around, she is the one being selfish and shouldn't be at all surprised if she comes back in a couple of months when the Dale-gloss has rubbed off to find that she doesn't actually have any friends any more.

[Shteevie]

I dunno if JJ reads these threads regularly, but I wanted to voice my support for this new art style, the idea of experimentation and growth of his art in general, the addition of another robot character to the story, and the acquisition of new brain meds.

I am interested, on a personal level, if Jeph may feel that the change to the art is related to, a consequence of, or at least influenced by his brain med situation, but of course this is his own personal issue and I don't expect any kind of response [I don't even plan on asking him directly]. However, many artists throughout history have had linked experiences of mental health and artistic expression, so I feel that this may possibly be the case here as well.

Back to lurking on the forums and enjoying the comic!

[mawile]

I like this new art style a lot more now that Hannelore's eyes are, ah, more normal sized. That was really the only thing bothering me (though, to be fair, we've only seen three characters, so it's possible JJ might work out the kinks with other characters as well).

[Mad Cat]

Mar-Bear's overbite seems a lot more pronounced lately, but then, I am migraining like a mofo ATM, so it could be a perceptual problem.

[KOK]

It is not. It really is. That is: it is not a peceptual problem, the overbite really is more pronounced.

[techkid]

It was a little jarring to see the artwork change overnight, I will admit. But meh, I adapt quickly.

On the Marigold/Hannelore interaction: Going back to #2674, Marigold was pretty abrupt with Hanners when she asked to hang out. Instead of apologising and trying to work out something to benefit them both, she pretty much went for a straight-up "No!". Not hanging around with Hanners does not make Marigold a bad friend, but her handling of the conversation does a little.

[ASB84]

Long time reader, first time poster. Apologies for such a cliched introduction!

I too found the change in art a bit jarring and sudden, and I'll have to admit, it's not exactly to my taste. However, it seems like it's been scaled back a bit in the latest strip, so it may be just a case of Jeph refining the new style. In any event, while I may not love the new look - yet, anyway - I certainly respect Jeph's right and need to evolve his style and experiment. Having run a gaming site elsewhere on the Interwebs for a number of years, I'm very much aware of what it's like to unveil a new look, only to have people tear it apart and not give it a chance because it's new and different.

Bottom line, I still like the characters, the humour, the story arcs, and my Defeat Awkwardness t-shirt, so I'll keep reading and hopefully the new style will be refined and grow on me.

As for the current arc...I'm with the folks who are on Hanners' side in this one. Yes, we should all be respectful when our friends are in a new relationship, give them their space and understand that they're not going to be able to hang out as much, but still...well, it's not cool to totally ignore your existing friends either, nor is it inappropriate to miss a friend who's kind of MIA due to a new relationship. It's all in how you handle the situation.

In that respect, I think that's where Marigold is at fault. As techkid alluded to, she was pretty blunt in her rejection of Hanners' invitation, which is pretty in-character as Marigold does lack some social graces. Hanners has been a pretty considerate (and patient) friend to Marigold; being bluntly rebuffed like that was callous. I think the way they both handled the situation in the latest strip was spot on, the way good friends can handle an awkward situation between them.

[zioninavision]

However, many artists throughout history have had linked experiences of mental health and artistic expression, so I feel that this may possibly be the case here as well.

Something like this was not mentioned directly in relation to the new art style but slightly; 

I thought I was getting burned out on the comic but it was just because I had gone too long without drawing Hannelore

After more days, I still really like the changes!  It does feel like they are painted cels from an old traditional animated series.  Artists of all mediums have expressive periods similar to Picasso's.   This must be the start of a good one from a core artistic sense because every kind of reactions seems present.

[TheRedMaiden]

I guess May will want to become Hanners' companion (or disciple?), and move in with her. This will cause complications. Winslow will become jealous (is it even legal to have a threesome companionship?), and Hanners might not even be interested in a close relationship with May.

May's going to find that basic model humanoid PC her dad sent her forever ago in the closet, believe Hanners to be a robophile, and shenanigans will ensue.

[Wetman]

Ok I like THIS style a bit better. It kept some of the stronger lines from the previous two comics but brought back the actual body types that make QC more realistic. The last two comics had little body type difference besides bust size\shape and height, while this time you can see Hanners and Marigold have gone back to their individual body types. I like that the new eye details were kept but the iris' were made smaller with this new comic. I think that was the only thing that made it look "anime," since the actual size of the eyes have been large for awhile now. This recent comic is more like JJ's gradual progression of his art style and works perfectly, since it adds new elements while keeping some of the old.

I say this most recent comic's new style is a great balance.

[Barmymoo]

What I really like is the fact that Jeph is continually evolving his style and doesn't just phone it in with each strip. That shows he's staying engaged, which is the most important thing, and also keeps us engaged. Even if you (anyone) don't like the recent art change, the fact that you've noticed and commented on it proves that it is doing so.

[FunkyTuba]

Long time reader, first time poster. Apologies for such a cliched introduction!

Welcome New Person!

Hanners is clingy and suffering from divorce child syndrome, yeah. Selfish and not a friend? Hardly.

You are what your behaviour makes of you, in my opinion. Hannelore is not really behaving as a friend.

I think it's simpler than that. Hanners and Marigold had a dynamic going where Hanners felt entitled to call Marigold out on her anti-social tendencies. Marigold was appreciative of that then. I think Hanners is tapping into that reservoir of previous understanding, perhaps for selfish reasons, but imo a friend relationship should include some provision for "dude, wtf, we used to hang, what gives?"

[Zebediah]

Hannelore is in the right here. It's not healthy for Marigold to hang out with Dale to the exclusion of all her old friends. Sure, she'll have less time for her friends, and I think Hannelore gets that. But no time at all? Not good. At the rate they're going, May has it right - they'll burn out and break up quickly.

[vforvancouver]

Wel, I just want to say that today's (Friday the 8th) art is the style I like the most. Save for Marigold's teeth in the last panel, they seem odd, like something from Archie. The eyes are not that big ad Thursday and Wednesday; now they match the rest of Jeph's style quite nicely.

[Method of Madness]

I can't imagine Dale having any other reaction to "I'm gonna hang with Hanners tomorrow" than "cool, have fun".

[Kugai]

I hope that Marigold doesn't break Hanners with all that sexy talk

[cesium133]

[TheEvilDog]

With regards to the recent discussion of the art style, I really don't have anything to say, so I'm just going to go with something even better.

I like bacon.

[Method of Madness]

Me too, TED. Me too.

[Carl-E]

[Vax456]

Hi JJ.

I've been reading QC since around comic 700-800 or so and this is my first time posting here.  I'm posting for the first time because I wanted to voice my opinion on the last couple strips. 

First of all, like other posters, I got some serious whip-lash from the sudden change in the strip.  I remember the other times QC's artwork took a dramatic change, but the difference is all the other times QC's artwork changed, I would say something like "Oh neat, he's changing up his artstyle again".  This time around, I said to myself, "Whoah!  Okay, wow!  That was... whoah, I wasn't expecting that..."  At first, I thought it was the artwork, but after reading the most recent strips several more times, there's some other dramatic changes going on here I wasn't consciously aware of.

The biggest change that happened in the last couple strips is the Tarantino-like smalltalk is gone, and the tone has been changed to... I don't know how to describe it... a rated G sitcom?

These last couple strips weren't anything JJ hasn't tackled before, it's just the way it's being tackled that's giving me whip-lash.  I'm all for the new art style.  It just needs a couple tweaks.  And really, how many art changes has JJ made that were perfect the first time?  I don't think any art changes were made that didn't require a bunch of tweaking before he got it "just right".

This time around, the comic is sorely lacking the dialogue and pacing.  The dialogue between Hanners and Marigold went from "I miss hanging out with you" in one pane, to "Am I a bad friend?" in the next.  I think that comic needed two more panes with just a couple more sentences to really flesh out that arc.  I think I understand where that reaction came from, and it was with Marigolds last fight with Momo.  Looking at Marigolds history so far, I think that reaction is in-character and a legitimate one (in the QC universe at least).  It just needed a couple more exchanges between Hanners and Marigold to build up to that reaction.  And then the punchline at the end needed a bigger punch-in-the-face.  Maybe after Marigold and Hanners reach an understanding and hug, then a moment of silence for a bit... and then "I really hope you don't mind talking about some sexy stuff, 'cause I got lots of sexy stuff to talk about." --- with Dale standing right there looking mortified and May... being May.

I'm all for a change in QC's art style, even if I don't like it.  There were phases of QC's art style that I didn't like, but I kept eagerly reading through them anyway because the characters and dialogue more than made up for it.  But this time around, I sense a great disturbance in the force.  I find your lack of butt-disease disturbing.