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Pugnacious Peach Pugilistic Punchout

Claire Crimson Cheek Continuation

Marten Mainly Mumbles Methodiclly

Steve Swallows Serially

Battling Bianchi Battlezone

Tai Terrorizes Tall Twin

Jeph Jacques Japes

Waffling Waffles Wander Wonderingly

Butts

[Rghfrgl]

 At 15 pages a genie appears to grant a wish. Be very careful how you word it however, as it's a monkeys paw thing and he'll screw you if he can.

[TheEvilDog]

At 15 pages a genie appears to grant a wish. Be very careful how you word it however, as it's a monkeys paw thing and he'll screw you if he can.

"The genie will answer one question and one question only."
"Each?"

[Half Empty Coffee Cup]

So... wish for one (or any number of) "do what I mean" wish(es), then?

[Smashwidget]

At 15 pages a genie appears to grant a wish. Be very careful how you word it however, as it's a monkeys paw thing and he'll screw you if he can.

"I wish for Marten and Claire to get into a stable, healthy relationship within the next 50 strips."
okay guys let's look for loopholes in this wish now, because I think this is what we want, yes?

[Half Empty Coffee Cup]

Loopholes: The next strip could be the final strip of the comic. No stipulations were made regarding the other characters, who may all suffer.

The only way out is wishing for wishes that don't get subject to being fuddled with.

[Fenriswolf]

Now, Gabby and Emily's races are very relevant to their (imaginary) life experiences, but I still was extremely confused by the "three token characters" thing. It's not like there have never been POC in QC before. I just... don't think it's super weird that you'd have three interns of different races, and trans status that is nobody's business and not relevant to her schooling?

As for the coming out, I didn't see that as unnatural. It makes sense to casually drop things into conversation wrt to being gay (this is in fact a tactic I use to make it clear I'm bi/pan) because it's something that is going to involve other people. Your friends are going to know/need to be accepting of your partners. Whereas being trans doesn't actually change anything about how you behave, and only matters in terms of your safety and potentially if you're going to date someone. It doesn't necessarily determine how much you flirt/who you flirt with, how you dress, or anything external. When I have told friends about my gender-questioning it has been in a determindly "this is just a thing about me, not a big deal" way, but it has also been private and is not something I want everyone to know and treat me differently/interrogate me about.

TL;DR: I think the coming out seemed natural and the character introduction didn't seem forced.

[Fenriswolf]

Oo, I'll add my vote to your wish, Smashwidget. I wasn't really shipping anybody before but I sure am now. SOCUTE. 

[Smashwidget]

Loopholes: The next strip could be the final strip of the comic. No stipulations were made regarding the other characters, who may all suffer.

The only way out is wishing for wishes that don't get subject to being fuddled with.

"...and that the strip doesn't end within the next 1000 pages."
Because who cares if the other characters are messed with?  If everything was all hunky-dory for everyone, then the strip wouldn't really be readable.  Ah need muh dramas.

EDIT:  Actually I think we should just wish for the genie to go away without messing anything up.  Because World Peace would most likely involve total genocide of the human race, and I've got nothin' else.

[reicreature]

I didn't necessarily see a problem with the introduction of the interns and we've had Amir, Padma and Dale who aren't white and of those characters  Amir and Dale have had some spot light time beyond their introduction.
Granted, that isn't saying a heck of a lot for diversity, but the interns didn't strike me as tokenism.

I'm kind of disappointed that we haven't seen more of Gabby as a character but she hasn't been eaten by an Allosaurus yet, so who knows.
 
The introduction of a new character that ends up going no further than a couple of strips is pretty common to slice of life type comics as well as other serial story telling mediums.  Some characters just don't inspire as much at first or they never get beyond an outline, sometimes they're popular but their arc is static and the story moves in another direction. Penelope, Will, Raven and Steve (among other characters) just aren't always around.

[Platypodes]

Regarding Claire's coming out to Marten, I don't think the phrase "coming out" would even be a phrase if it weren't common for people to flat-out tell other people, "I'm ____."  Even among open-minded friends like the folks in QC, it's often at least a sorta big deal to say it, and often more comfortable for people to say it and discuss it than drop casual references and wonder what people are thinking.  Since Claire was Marten's new friend as well as QC's new character, it made perfect sense to me that we learned she was trans by way of her coming out to Marten.

The real Northampton is 87.7% white, so I don't think Jeph's all that off-base with the racial mix in the strip.  A few other folks we've seen in passing, by the way: Meena, Renee, Bailey, Doctor Corinne.  Hey, it's been too long since we've seen Doctor Corinne.  She was awesome.  ("'Just go out and band some dude' is one of the phrases you will never heard a psychiatrist say. Other such phrases include 'I think the heroin is doing you a lot of good,' and 'jesus, no WONDER your mother never loved you.')

[TheEvilDog]

Bear in mind as well that by most webcomic standards, Questionable Content does have a fairly sizeable regular cast and a limited amount of space to work with. Now each character is going to be unique, but at the same time, each fills a certain role and unfortunately, there will be a certain amount of overlay. For example, in the case of the library staff, you have Marten - who might be considered the straight man to the shenanigans going on there. You have Tai - the sometime stoner/sometime level-headed boss. Claire - sometimes prone to acting rashly and something of a jerk at times. Emily - Well, she's Emily, 'nuff said. And finally, you have Gabby - Who compared to Emily and Claire, is the straight man of the interns. So one might imagine that strips featuring just her and Marten might be relatively boring. This isn't saying that Gabby was a poorly created character or simply written out, but I can see from Jeph's perspective why she might be difficult to work with and there's only so much you can do with a character before you have to give them a rest. You can see with quite a few other characters, most famously Raven.

[Alphawolf55]

I didn't necessarily see a problem with the introduction of the interns and we've had Amir, Padma and Dale who aren't white and of those characters  Amir and Dale have had some spot light time beyond their introduction.
Granted, that isn't saying a heck of a lot for diversity, but the interns didn't strike me as tokenism.

Now look at how all those other characters were introduced, they came up as individuals and they came up through their daily lives, vs the interns that were all introduced in the same panel, felt like a harem introduction and just so happened to have each one of them part of a group not represented in the comic while giving minimal personality so far (Except for Clare who became a fan favorite and thus more screen time)

[GarandMarine]

Only thing I can say:

GODDAMN I CAN'T WAIT FOR MONDAYS COMIC.

Preach it brother!

Can I just say that I'm incredibly jealous of both Marten and Claire, and what they're sharing, right now?

Srsly.  This comic is giving me some serious flashbacks (and some pangs) to a time when things were new and nervous and exciting.

I am beyond jelly. Which is kinda why I want it to go well! Let me live vicariously through your characters Jephizbah!

*sob*

Gods I'm so alone.

[bjams]

I'm fairly certain that Jeff is just trolling us.

[Zwammy]

I'm gonna go off to work tonight, come back home, log in, and we'll be up to 15 pages, won't we?

Well, seeing that yesterday I logged out and it was at five pages compared to the 13 pages when I logged on today, it's quite possible. I could've done without sqeeeeezing past all the squee piles forum goers left lying around, though.

Thoughts about the latest developments? Wow, too much heavy lifting. I'm taking the wait-and-see route, because I don't like to get my exercise by jumping to conclusions. I am leaning towards Claire reading a bit too much into what a tipsy Marten is doing, but hey, it's all good. Let's hear it for Monday! (Whoa, never thought I'd say that!)

[Smashwidget]

I'm gonna go off to work tonight, come back home, log in, and we'll be up to 15 pages, won't we?

Well, seeing that yesterday I logged out and it was at five pages compared to the 13 pages when I logged on today, it's quite possible. I could've done without sqeeeeezing past all the squee piles forum goers left lying around, though.

Thoughts about the latest developments? Wow, too much heavy lifting. I'm taking the wait-and-see route, because I don't like to get my exercise by jumping to conclusions. I am leaning towards Claire reading a bit too much into what a tipsy Marten is doing, but hey, it's all good. Let's hear it for Monday! (Whoa, never thought I'd say that!)

squeeeeeeeee

[Srxjo]

I'm gonna go off to work tonight, come back home, log in, and we'll be up to 15 pages, won't we?

Well, seeing that yesterday I logged out and it was at five pages compared to the 13 pages when I logged on today, it's quite possible. I could've done without sqeeeeezing past all the squee piles forum goers left lying around, though.

Thoughts about the latest developments? Wow, too much heavy lifting. I'm taking the wait-and-see route, because I don't like to get my exercise by jumping to conclusions. I am leaning towards Claire reading a bit too much into what a tipsy Marten is doing, but hey, it's all good. Let's hear it for Monday! (Whoa, never thought I'd say that!)

That is a saying i didn't expect anyone to ever say and if Jeph feels trollish i forsee Mondays comic being Steve eating some cereal or drinking on the couch or something for all the panels, if that happens i can just imagine next weeks chat haha.

And i'm with you on the whole waiting and seeing thing, it can be fun to think of the possibilities and the outcomes but in the end it all comes down to what Jeph has planned/feels like when it comes to what happens in the story only time can tell and this comic is what makes me hate the weekends, waking up checking the website and then thinking to myself "Fuck... It's the weekend so no comics". Though no matter what happens i bet Jeph is enjoying the cliffhanger he left us with, knowing that so many people are really getting into his story and torturing them .

[TheEvilDog]

I just had a horrible, horrible idea for a twist to this story, but I won't say it on the forum because I'll probably jinx it.

[Stoon]

How come we haven't seen Gabby in like, forever?

[Rghfrgl]

 He's not said anything, but I think Jeph's problem with Gabby is he made a stereotype sassy black woman. Not because that was what he set out to do, but because he can't help but sass.

[Smashwidget]

He's not said anything, but I think Jeph's problem with Gabby is he made a stereotype sassy black woman. Not because that was what he set out to do, but because he can't help but sass.

I dunno, I think you're applying stereotypes where there are none.  She seems pretty normal in the five (this is an exaggeration) strips she appears in.  And I don't think any character of Jacques' can help but sass.

[Nepiophage]

EDIT: Also, I think it's the general consensus that the media is wrong about everything else trans related.

The last three words are redundant.

[Is it cold in here?]

Remember when Hannelore came back from her practice date with Sven? She had to deal with friends who were looking to find problems, and finally exclaimed "Why can't you just be happy for me?" or something to that effect.

Let's just be happy for Marten and Claire. Whatever the future holds, we will always have the Moment of Perfect Cuteness.

[Jazzmaster]

Remember when Hannelore came back from her practice date with Sven? She had to deal with friends who were looking to find problems, and finally exclaimed "Why can't you just be happy for me?" or something to that effect.

Let's just be happy for Marten and Claire. Whatever the future holds, we will always have the Moment of Perfect Cuteness.

Yeah this so much.

Embrace the ups and downs of life, there is no such thing as SECURITY in this world.

People love to latch onto their idea of security and ever-lasting but that shit is not guaranteed to anyone  Understand that SHIT HAPPENS and you'll be better off overall, even if it doesn't always feel like it.

[FunkyTuba]

At some point Faye will walk through in her underwear on her way to the bathroom and there will be some kind of tension to break... For now, just enjoy the squeeee.

[neurocase]

At some point Faye will walk through in her underwear on her way to the bathroom and there will be some kind of tension to break... For now, just enjoy the squeeee.

Given how quietly eager she seems to be to make this match, I think she'd sooner take a leak in one of those mason jars before risking interrupting whatever they're doing by leaving the room.

[NilsO]

I miss Emily. I guess Marten also will start thinking about her when he gets sober.

[pwhodges]

Many people's complaints about the limited appearance of some characters might (just might) be lessened if Jeph wrote ten strips a day...

[Smashwidget]

Claire and Marten in tiny hats would make me the happiest boy in the world.

[neurocase]

I miss Emily. I guess Marten also will start thinking about her when he gets sober.

I can't pretend to have any understanding of your certainty that he feels anything beyond the platonic for Emily, or vice versa. Not taking a dig, I honestly just can't grasp it.

[Jazzmaster]

I miss Emily. I guess Marten also will start thinking about her when he gets sober.

I can't pretend to have any understanding of your certainty that he feels anything beyond the platonic for Emily, or vice versa. Not taking a dig, I honestly just can't grasp it.

Well Marten is not really a guy with a lot of options, so to be perfectly honest he's less likely to turn down ANY girl who gives him any form of attention.

To put it another way: remember when Claire and Marten went to the wedding and he was all like OMG CLAIRE WAS SNUGGLING ME, but he had no indication of real attraction to her?  Same thing seemed to happen after Emily gave him a peck on the cheek, and he even gave the same speech as Claire.  The one about intern-librarian relationships being a bad idea.

TL;DR people make decisions and rationalize them later, not the other way around. So we'll see what happens.

[reicreature]

He's not said anything, but I think Jeph's problem with Gabby is he made a stereotype sassy black woman. Not because that was what he set out to do, but because he can't help but sass.

I thought the problem was that she was too much like Faye.

Someone before this post also mentioned that Gabby is kind of a level headed straight man to the intern comedy trio and that can be less interesting to write.

And someone before even that mentioned how Dale was kind of a background character for a long time before he became a fairly significant character.

At any rate, Gabby might come back later or become a spy and disappear for two years

[Smashwidget]

I miss Emily. I guess Marten also will start thinking about her when he gets sober.

I can't pretend to have any understanding of your certainty that he feels anything beyond the platonic for Emily, or vice versa. Not taking a dig, I honestly just can't grasp it.

Well Marten is not really a guy with a lot of options, so to be perfectly honest he's less likely to turn down ANY girl who gives him any form of attention.

To put it another way: remember when Claire and Marten went to the wedding and he was all like OMG CLAIRE WAS SNUGGLING ME, but he had no indication of real attraction to her?  Same thing seemed to happen after Emily gave him a peck on the cheek, and he even gave the same speech as Claire.  The one about intern-librarian relationships being a bad idea.

TL;DR people make decisions and rationalize them later, not the other way around. So we'll see what happens.

As I once saw on the Wikipedia article on rationalization, "Humans are rationalizing creatures, not rational ones." -some famous philosopher guy or other, I pay zero attention to names 

[reicreature]

Many people's complaints about the limited appearance of some characters might (just might) be lessened if Jeph wrote ten strips a day...

I'm just trying to convince Jeph to show us what Gabby is doing for Monday's update.

What?
It worked for Steve fans.

[Detachable Felix]

Mein Gott. 

When I last saw this thread, it was 8 pages in. I am not reading back through all these replies.

[lovethemix]

1. Mad props to all the trans* people who have to put up with this shit daily, and still try to educate and open minds.
2. Thanks to the mods who're trying to keep this forum a decent place.

I've been reading since 06? 07? The first time I lurked the forums was after Claire came out. I was really excited, but also sad bc of all the trolls and transphobic shit.

Hopefully this thread will turn around.

3. Squee. I like Marten, I like Claire, I think they could have a nice thing. I'm assuming Steve will be eating cereal come Monday, but I hope this all ends posi.

[hakko504]

Mein Gott. 

When I last saw this thread, it was 8 pages in. I am not reading back through all these replies.

You should. It's been an interesting ride.

[pwhodges]

Note also that another page-worth of posts about dating and prejudice has been split out to the Discuss! forum.

[ankhtahr]

1. Mad props to all the trans* people who have to put up with this shit daily, and still try to educate and open minds.

This. So much this. I have so much respect for anybody who has to deal with this kind of shit their whole life, and then is still able to objectively explain things. Thank you folks.

[lovethemix]

Apologies if that came off as patronizing  . It's naive, but I've kinda used QC and it's community as a moral compass, coming from a privileged position.   

[ZoeB]

A thought experiment. Pretend for just a minute that Claire had a more usual childhood and adolescence.

Exactly what difference would that make to your feelings about the comic?

Claire's a late bloomer. She had no idea that anyone could feel this way. Her reaction? To snuggle in total bliss, acting without thought, entirely on instinct. She's discovered things about Life that most know a decade earlier, and discovered things about herself too. Things she never suspected. My own experience here is recent enough so that I can remember what an eye-opener it was.

If things get more serious, have no fear that the comic will cease being QC if Marten's found Ms Right. Claire still has anxiety issues. Then there's Veronica. Then there's OMG CLINTON!!! If Claire did not exist, it would be necessary to invent her if Marten was to find is mate, but QC was to continue.

Jeph was very canny getting Claire's nonstandard background out of the way early, it could have proved a distraction from the more important issues of character growth and healing that we're getting into now.

If the Claire/Marten ship sails, there will be more, not less, story material about the Life and Times of Marten.

p.s. Squeee

[ZoeB]

Apologies if that came off as patronizing  . It's naive, but I've kinda used QC and it's community as a moral compass, coming from a privileged position.

It didn't. It's fine. It came off as a rather kind and thoroughly human thing to say. Thanks!

Now onto more important things. Imagining the kind of wedding dress Claire might want. I think.. something so traditional it's outrageously over the top might actually work for her. Something she might allow herself to consider by then, and she has the looks and the hair to carry it off.

Of course it might only be a dream, figuratively if not literally. But a happy one, a growing one no matter what eventuates.

[Half Empty Coffee Cup]

A pair of horses are pushing a cart down the road. When asked why, they said "neigh", but meant "Somebody just put it in front of us, I don't know why. It'd be easier to pull the damn thing." Seriously, though, marriage speculation? I'm rooting for them too, but, seriously... those horses are going to get tired. Then they'll drop dead and some smart aleck is going to come along and start beating them.

[reicreature]

Claire's a late bloomer. She had no idea that anyone could feel this way. Her reaction? To snuggle in total bliss, acting without thought, entirely on instinct. She's discovered things about Life that most know a decade earlier, and discovered things about herself too. Things she never suspected.

This reminds me of the convo with Clinton after the wedding arc where she talks about being cautious but still going out living life and taking risks...which struck me as a very cool of her and that made me like her a lot.
She just seems the type that wins at chess without thinking too hard about the strategy.

[ZoeB]

Seriously, though, marriage speculation? I'm rooting for them too, but, seriously...

I at least have an excuse. The one time I was in a remarkably similar situation, we ended up engaged within a few weeks, married after a sensible 1-year delay. It's our 34th anniversary in February.

[hedgie]

Marten and Claire don't seem to regard anything in their medical histories as an elephant in the room. It's entirely their place to decide.

There *is* something about Claire's medical history that may be of relevance here, and it isn't the one that people have been screeching about.  Girl takes Ativan.  That's not the kind of medication that responsible doctors hand out lightly, due to the fact that benzos are highly addictive, and can be rather dangerous.  Her anxiety issues might be enough that in a few strips, she'll be running whilst screaming from Marten, and not because of anything he's done.  Or that they otherwise torpedo the potential boat here. 

And if anyone wants to fuck with me for saying that dating people with anxiety issues may be difficult, I say bring it.  I have those kind of issues personally, and take several drugs, including Clonazepam for them.  I may not know much about trans* issues, but I know a lot about anxiety, and how if it's not fully managed, it can destroy relationships or even prevent good ones from happening in the first place.

[Orkboy]

Marten and Claire don't seem to regard anything in their medical histories as an elephant in the room. It's entirely their place to decide.

There *is* something about Claire's medical history that may be of relevance here, and it isn't the one that people have been screeching about.  Girl takes Ativan.  That's not the kind of medication that responsible doctors hand out lightly, due to the fact that benzos are highly addictive, and can be rather dangerous.  Her anxiety issues might be enough that in a few strips, she'll be running whilst screaming from Marten, and not because of anything he's done.  Or that they otherwise torpedo the potential boat here. 

And if anyone wants to fuck with me for saying that dating people with anxiety issues may be difficult, I say bring it.  I have those kind of issues personally, and take several drugs, including Clonazepam for them.  I may not know much about trans* issues, but I know a lot about anxiety, and how if it's not fully managed, it can destroy relationships or even prevent good ones from happening in the first place.

I got the impression from the time she mentioned it that it wasn't a regular thing, and she only took it when she really needed it.  Is Ativan an "as needed" medication?   

[hedgie]

Yes.  It's highly addictive, so people who aren't drug-seekers, and doctors who aren't catering to such are *very* careful to make sure that it isn't taken unless needed, as in going into major freak-out mode without it.  I'm on a drug in the same class, and whilst due to the severity of my anxiety issues, I *do* tend to take it most days, it's still an as needed thing, or something I take before going into situations where I know I'd have a major freak-out without it. 

Edit:
I actually got switched to Klonopin(Clonazepam) from Ativan(Lorazepam) because the former has a much longer half-life, and since I do need to take it rather frequently, it's better to take a drug that I only have to take once a day than one I have to take 3x/day, due to the possibility of it causing dependency. 

[ankhtahr]

Which is why I'm quite happy to not have been given Lorazepam (Ativan) for my panic attacks, but Opipramol, a tricyclic antidepressant with immediate effect, on a per need base. I am extremely scared of anything that could make me addicted.

[hedgie]

As am I, which is one of the reasons I got switched to a *stronger* benzo, which is less addictive due to its much longer half life.  Then again, if we were going to scale anxiety on a scale from "normal" to "Hanners", with Claire somewhere in the middle, I'm much closer to "Hanners" in severity.