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Six Million Dollar Man

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Deus Ex

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Robocop

Jason X

Star Wars

[flondrix]

Does Jeph blog about the comic anywhere?  I was wondering if he has said anything about why he switched to Hegre style for the last two panels of the previous comic.

[TheEvilDog]

Obviously for the lulz to emphasise the awkward derpiness of the moment. Much like the anime sweat drop and the pain spheres of when Cosette was the waitress after she awkwardly ask Marten out.

A joke, nothing more.

[Is it cold in here?]

Even I am starting to wonder whether Bubbles might be in denial at this point.

It would be totally in character if Bubbles is having feelings she doesn't recognize or acknowledge.

[brasca]

Well Clinton would be easy enough, but unless Faye has an EMP gun I don't think Bubbles would go down that easily. 

[Truec]

Does Jeph blog about the comic anywhere?  I was wondering if he has said anything about why he switched to Hegre style for the last two panels of the previous comic.

Pretty sure he was just repeating the joke from 3520.

[BenRG]

Something tells me that the most disturbing take-away from this conversation, at least for Bubbles, is just how difficult it is to persuade a relative stranger that she and Faye aren't in some way intimate! Basically, what Clinton has said is an equivalent of: "You mean she isn't your girlfriend? Wow! Who knew? I mean, from your behaviour... Nah, forget it!"

Jeph's footer is interesting too. I get why Faye would be angry with Clinton but why with Bubbles too? It's the first time he's officially stated that Faye's feelings are a bit ambiguous on the matter to the point where she might be upset by Bubbles loudly insisting that they're 'just friends'.

Does Jeph blog about the comic anywhere?  I was wondering if he has said anything about why he switched to Hegre style for the last two panels of the previous comic.

A few months back on Twitter, Jeph said that he was going to use more 'cartoony' styles to reflect astonishment and other exaggerated reactions.

[Is it cold in here?]

It is illuminating to reflect that Clinton's reaction may be a common one that the new business partners and close friends will have to deal with again from others.

[Is it cold in here?]

Notice that Clinton is OK with the idea of an inter-species romantic relationship. Not completely OK, because then he would never have said "No judgement from me!". OK enough to ask normal questions like how long the misconstrued  relationship has been going on.

Given his fascination with AIs Clinton may be more accepting than average. On the other hand he didn't treat Momo as a person at first.

[swapna]

Hmm, poor Bubbles! But then again, not sure what that diagram would look like.
As to Faye's sexual preferences: yeah, both Pintsize and Dora harassed her, and Tai expressed open attraction (before the whole Dora/Tai relationship) but turning them down doesn't mean she wouldn't consider a relationship with ladies, or lady AI for that matter.
(not all bisexuals are as flirty as Dora)

I would really like a Faye/Bubbles relationship - they're both interesting characters, and the whole thing had a very slow buildup, so it's believable. I also don't think that the whole friends becoming lovers thing would devalue their friendship; it just would work so much better since they already know and trust each other way more than they do anybody else.

Notice that Clinton is OK with the idea of an inter-species romantic relationship. Not completely OK, because then he would never have said "No judgement from me!". OK enough to ask normal questions like how long the misconstrued  relationship has been going on.

Given his fascination with AIs Clinton may be more accepting than average. On the other hand he didn't treat Momo as a person at first.

I think he's quite fascinated by the concept and he doesn't strike me as a bigoted person (he's an ass, a stalker and very annoying, but he seems quite open-minded)

[Is it cold in here?]

The other interesting thing there is that inter-species lovers are commonplace enough that it was the first conclusion someone would jump to.

[bhtooefr]

Not completely OK, because then he would never have said "No judgement from me!".

Is that necessarily so?

After all, he could legitimately be saying that he's not judging the relationship that he presumes they have, and that it's safe for Bubbles to admit it to him.

[Penquin47]

It is illuminating to reflect that Clinton's reaction may be a common one that the new business partners and close friends will have to deal with again from others.

Only friends close enough to note that Bubbles is "sleeping" in Faye's room, which is probably why Clinton was so quick to jump to that conclusion, I would think.  Yes, Momo slept in Marigold's room until she got her own, but that was different - and Clinton was never there to see Momo coming out of Marigold's room, either.

[MrNumbers]

Not completely OK, because then he would never have said "No judgement from me!".

It's interesting you say this; I interpret that simply as being conscious that other people might have a problem with it, and Bubbles defensiveness is misinterpreting him as coming from that place.

[BenRG]

Being a geek about all things AI, he probably knows Bubbles is in a combat chassis and thus wishes to assure the being quite able to pulp him that he doesn't disrespect her or her sexuality!

[Case]

Comic's up and I definitely think that Jeph is taking a not-so-subtle dig at shipping and how people misconstrue interactions. 

That would be so out of character for him ... 

[Tub]

Looking at the scenes where Bubbles is plugged in in Faye's bedroom, I think that the cord is not a phone charger, but more akin to the removable cords on hotpots and electric kettles.

Yeah. As far as we can see, it's a cable, and it goes into an outlet. A regular power cable (like on your extension cord or your desk lamp) is the obvious interpretation.
We don't know her age, but Bubbles' chassis was probably designed before usb chargers became ubiquitous; especially in war zones.

The human body will on average require 100W of energy. Bubbles may require more (she's larger and heavier), or she may require less (advanced technology, lack of expensive organs like a digestive tract). She certainly has a higher peak power output when doing physical feats, but for the average output on a day in the shop, 100W seems like a reasonable ballpark.
Overnight charging with a 1000W power supply would be fine, and any residential socket can easily provide more than that.

Does Jeph blog about the comic anywhere?  I was wondering if he has said anything about why he switched to Hegre style for the last two panels of the previous comic.

He's used that style before, usually in situations where he's trying to give the characters a cute look in a cute situation.
He blogs on http://jephjacques.com/ and he has a twitter account at https://twitter.com/jephjacques , if you feel like stalking. But he doesn't talk as much about the comic as he used to.

Even I am starting to wonder whether Bubbles might be in denial at this point.

Denial about what exactly? She seems to be very aware of her affection.

Some posters seems to have a desire to put their relationship into strict categories, where the difference between the friendship-category and the relationship-category is sex. It's not that simple..

It's undoubtedly true that faye and bubbles are the most important persons in each other's lives right now. It also appears as if neither is interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with someone else at this point, because they're both getting what they really need right there, right now.
Neither of them is well versed in standard human courtship rituals, so they'll need to do their own thing, and figure out what they want and where to go from here. Looking back at their relationship so far, how they've grown together, they keep doing so with small steps, not giant leaps. Which really isn't surprising, because giant leaps tend to scare Faye away..

Whether physical intimacy is one of the next steps remains to be seen, but even then there are small steps to that, before they figure out how to equip faye with the required usb ports.

[flondrix]

Something tells me that the most disturbing take-away from this conversation, at least for Bubbles, is just how difficult it is to persuade a relative stranger that she and Faye aren't in some way intimate! Basically, what Clinton has said is an equivalent of: "You mean she isn't your girlfriend? Wow! Who knew? I mean, from your behaviour... Nah, forget it!"

He just saw Bubbles walk out of Faye's bedroom in the morning, a bedroom with only one bed.  Keep in mind that middle-class white Americans from places where the real estate market is not insane find it odd that any grownup would share an apartment if they weren't banging--that's why so many fundamentalists thought Ernie and Bert had to be gay.  Now, Clinton lives in a Massachusetts college town where real estate is insane and apartmentmates are common, but even in Massachusetts non-banging apartmentmates tend to have their own bedrooms or at the very least their own beds.  Faye and Bubble's living situation is not normal for people of their cultural background who are not banging, so banging seems to be the more likely explanation.

Put another way, if I saw Wonder Woman walk out of Black Widow's bedroom in the morning, I would leap to the same conclusions that Clinton did and you would have a very hard time convincing me otherwise.

Jeph's footer is interesting too. I get why Faye would be angry with Clinton but why with Bubbles too? It's the first time he's officially stated that Faye's feelings are a bit ambiguous on the matter to the point where she might be upset by Bubbles loudly insisting that they're 'just friends'.

Well, Bubbles stepped in it with "Must I illustrate a diagram for you?"  Faye might be upset that Bubbles hadn't shut Clinton down more forcefully and immediately.  Plus, the wrath of someone like Faye tends to be more like a flashlight than a laser pointer.

Does Jeph blog about the comic anywhere?  I was wondering if he has said anything about why he switched to Hegre style for the last two panels of the previous comic.

A few months back on Twitter, Jeph said that he was going to use more 'cartoony' styles to reflect astonishment and other exaggerated reactions.

Thank You!

[flondrix]

Given his fascination with AIs Clinton may be more accepting than average. On the other hand he didn't treat Momo as a person at first.

That's not acceptance, that's fetishizing.

[flondrix]

The other interesting thing there is that inter-species lovers are commonplace enough that it was the first conclusion someone would jump to.

We have yet to see such a couple, and according to Momo it is uncommon. 

[flondrix]

Not completely OK, because then he would never have said "No judgement from me!".

It's interesting you say this; I interpret that simply as being conscious that other people might have a problem with it, and Bubbles defensiveness is misinterpreting him as coming from that place.

I'm with "Is it cold in here?" on this.  The statement "No judgement from me!" is someone making a point of how tolerant they are, implying that they think the person to whom they are speaking is doing something that must be "tolerated."  At least, that is how such a statement is used in sitcom-ish media, which this comic sort of is.

[TinPenguin]

Jeph sets 'em up, and he knocks 'em down.

[shanejayell]

Poor Bubbles.

And yeah I think it's a poke at the shippers. Still cute tho.

[JimC]

Put another way, if I saw Wonder Woman walk out of Black Widow's bedroom in the morning, I would leap to the same conclusions that Clinton did

BUt that's because you live in a rather strange hyper sexualised and affluent society. Even when I was young sharing a bedroom was not uncommon - almost universal among college students - and two males or females sharing a double bed in case of no better alternative wasn't held to imply a sexual relationship. The amusing part of a society that is desperate to appear non-judgemental and accepting - and in which shipping is an almost universal custom - is that the result is to assume sexual relationships where none exist.

[emeraldphantom]

I don't totally understand why everyone keeps talking about this possibly being a gay thing....... Bubs is an AI......... there is no real gender. If bubbles got a different body SHE could suddenly be a HE.


Literally Bubbles is nothing more than a consciousness in a replaceable robot body.

Jeph has long established that AI's have definite gender identities.  And I would assume that a female AI in a male chassis would have the same body dysphoria as a trans person.

 When?

[flondrix]

Put another way, if I saw Wonder Woman walk out of Black Widow's bedroom in the morning, I would leap to the same conclusions that Clinton did

BUt that's because you live in a rather strange hyper sexualised and affluent society.

It has nothing to do with the comic, but I feel the need to rant about this.  Which societies are not hypersexualized in your reckoning?  The ones where girls are married off at 13?  The ones where women are stoned to death for showing an uncovered ankle?  The ones where used panties can be purchased out of vending machines?  The ones where where women are routinely raped on public transit?

Yeah, I get that people in poor and/or crowded countries share bedrooms and even beds.  But I don't see how you can claim that Americans are any more obsessed with sex than people everywhere else.

[flondrix]

Jeph has long established that AI's have definite gender identities.  And I would assume that a female AI in a male chassis would have the same body dysphoria as a trans person.

 When?

The issue was first brought up in comics 346 and 347.  As someone pointed out, the AIs we have seen replace their chassis have continued to "present" as the same gender. 

[Case]

BUt that's because you live in a rather strange hyper sexualised and affluent society.

It has nothing to do with the comic, but I feel the need to rant about this.  Which societies are not hypersexualized in your reckoning?  The ones where girls are married off at 13?  The ones where women are stoned to death for showing an uncovered ankle?  The ones where used panties can be purchased out of vending machines?  The ones where where women are routinely raped on public transit? Yeah, I get that people in poor and/or crowded countries share bedrooms and even beds.  But I don't see how you can claim that Americans are any more obsessed with sex than people everywhere else.

Then and again, basing one's argument on contrasting America with Pakistan et. al. burdens it with the weakness that the 'World outside the US' ^TM contains a few places that are not Pakistan. ('false dilemma')

But since I'm a denizen of the "world outside the US", you'll have to take my word for it, I'm afeared ...

(Incidentally, Pakistan is the global record-holder in the discipline of leeching pron ...) <- Not true

[TinPenguin]

Put another way, if I saw Wonder Woman walk out of Black Widow's bedroom in the morning, I would leap to the same conclusions that Clinton did

BUt that's because you live in a rather strange hyper sexualised and affluent society.

It has nothing to do with the comic, but I feel the need to rant about this.  Which societies are not hypersexualized in your reckoning?

Using an adjective to describe a noun does not necessarily imply an opposite version of the noun exists.

[Thrillho]

The ones where girls are married off at 13?  The ones where women are stoned to death for showing an uncovered ankle?  The ones where used panties can be purchased out of vending machines?  The ones where where women are routinely raped on public transit?

Yeah, I get that people in poor and/or crowded countries share bedrooms and even beds.  But I don't see how you can claim that Americans are any more obsessed with sex than people everywhere else.

Moderator Comment

Tread lightly.

[JimC]

I'm not at all sure that an obsession with sex is at all the same sort of thing as hyper sexualisation of society, but never mind. If you go back to my post though, its really relating to changes in my lifetime within the society I live in, which does not appear to me to be at all the sort of thing you are ranting about. Perhaps as good an example as any of those changes is that where I live 50 years ago sex with a 15 year old girl and a 16 year old boy were both equally illegal, and by and large both regarded as equally OK, if slightly creepy, by the liberal factions who felt society needed changing. Nowadays around here the first is regarded as a far greater evil than it ever was back then, and the second is not illegal at all. And to add to that today's society is currently engaged in aggressively seeking out and punishing those who were *not caught* engaging in the former, and in delivering legal pardons for those who *were caught* engaging in the latter. I have absolutely no idea what society will consider right and wrong in 50 years, and have no intention of being here to see it, but I think it almost certain that those of you who will be there will find some equally odd changes in attitudes.

[flondrix]

Then and again, basing one's argument on contrasting America with Pakistan et. al. burdens it with the weakness that the 'World outside the US' ^TM contains a few places that are not Pakistan.

I had a few different countries in mind, including a couple that were not majority Muslim.

[Case]

Then and again, basing one's argument on contrasting America with Pakistan et. al. burdens it with the weakness that the 'World outside the US' ^TM contains a few places that are not Pakistan.

I had a few different countries in mind, including a couple that were not majority Muslim.

196 of them?

https://www.countries-ofthe-world.com/all-countries.html

"All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?" ('Overwhelming exception')

[OldGoat]

I had a few different countries in mind, including a couple that were not majority Muslim.

'Most anyplace with a literal and/or authoritative spin on an Abrahamic religious tradition will have an unhealthy take on human sexuality.  Repress it and the creepy starts seeping out.

[TheEvilDog]

*sees thread*

You know what, I think I'll go over waaaaaaaay over there and look at the thing.

[Case]

*sees thread*

You know what, I think I'll go over waaaaaaaay over there and look at the thing.

[TheEvilDog]

Yeah, pretty much what I was thinking.

[Emperor Norton]

Not completely OK, because then he would never have said "No judgement from me!".

It's interesting you say this; I interpret that simply as being conscious that other people might have a problem with it, and Bubbles defensiveness is misinterpreting him as coming from that place.

I'm with "Is it cold in here?" on this.  The statement "No judgement from me!" is someone making a point of how tolerant they are, implying that they think the person to whom they are speaking is doing something that must be "tolerated."  At least, that is how such a statement is used in sitcom-ish media, which this comic sort of is.

This is ridiculous and the kind of comment that basically makes people turn to "well fuck, nothing I can say is going to be taken at face value, so why the fuck should I try". I'm poly and bi. I have used the phrase "no judgement" to describe my thoughts on other people's relationships that are INSIDE THE VERY THINGS I DO, as they weren't aware of my sexuality at the time. It means literally that. No Judgement. The only other thing that it means is that "while there are other people who might have a problem with it, I do not" to make sure that they feel comfortable with me.

Assigning other motives to it is just... why do we require such high bars for people communicating that they can't even say basically "I have no problems with your relationships" without them being accused of having problems with your relationships.

[Case]

(Incidentally, Pakistan is the global record-holder in the discipline of leeching pron ...)

This appears to be BS (cf. upthread)

[USS Martenclaire]

Yeah, pretty much what I was thinking.

I'm with the badger on this one.

[jwhouk]

Boy, I haven't seen a WCDT get this close to locking in years...

[TheEvilDog]

Boy, I haven't seen a WCDT get this close to locking in years...

Last time I remember that happening was when Claire revealed herself to be Trans.

Either that or shortly after the Dora/Marten breakup...

[Pilchard123]

[Nepiophage]

Does Jeph blog about the comic anywhere?  I was wondering if he has said anything about why he switched to Hegre style for the last two panels of the previous comic.

Freudian slip!

[Tova]

Even I am starting to wonder whether Bubbles might be in denial at this point.

Denial about what exactly? She seems to be very aware of her affection.

Some posters seems to have a desire to put their relationship into strict categories, where the difference between the friendship-category and the relationship-category is sex. It's not that simple..

If this was in reference to me, then let me simply reassure that that this is not even remotely true. How you came to this conclusion is completely beyond me.

[OldGoat]

Boy, I haven't seen a WCDT get this close to locking in years...

As a gay friend once observed, "It sounds like everybody needs a good piece of ass and a couple of Valium."

[Kugai]

"And that's when she stuffed me in the garbage bin Officer."


Whether or not Jeph goes down that route or it just leads to Faye and Bubbles having 'A Talk' is, in the end, up to Jeph.  We can speculate, but that's all we can do until he brings this Storyline to it's inevitable conclusion.

[Gyrre]

Sorry, I meant "definitely not mainstream American" and I think you hit it on the nose with Tintin.  Thank you.  But the real quesiton is, why?  I know cartoonists homage other artists styles all the time,  but Tintin is not a comic I associate with a scene like this.

Okay, I'm kind of disappointed with the whole forum right now.

The answer is obvious; Jeph's been watching a bunch of anime lately.

[Kugai]

But that leaves the question

Which ones???

[Magniras]

Literally any harem anime ever.

[MrNumbers]

But why doesn't Bubbles, being the largest friend, simply eat the others?