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More hijinks from Sam and inadvertently gets in the way.

Punchbot falls to pieces over the repairs.

Pintsize arrives for his weekly defrosting.

Jeph moves onto a different storyline.

Steve and Cosette eat a new type of cereal.

Something something humorous and witty comment.

[skatecyclelee]

I forsee legal trouble.  An underage worker?  Plus, anti AI-discrimination laws probably mean sprays are subject to the same health dept regulations as tats.

I would think it would depend of a spray is considered on the same level as a tattoo or not. I would guess they are more akin to face paint in that they are temporary and only last as long as you want them to. Unless the marker does stain their skin more permanently then it does a human's skin. 

I might guess something like engraving would be more like a tattoo.

[Akima]

Punkbot. His name is Punkbot. [/headcanon]

Catchy!

I am having a hard time not bursting out laughing and my coworkers are nearby so I now have to label your posts nsfw.

[swapna]

The first thoughts that popped to mind when I read this: Are they going to charge for Sam's work? Is that ethical? They'd have to make up a price on the spot? They'd have to pay Sam then, right? It'd be under the table, because she's only 14. Is Sam going to then work more for them? What about school? Do they offer "Spray Times", which avoid school hours then? "It's Tagging Weekend! Our local artist is here to spray your chassis!" Maybe it could be more than just Sam? Maybe they could set up a venue for local spray artists? What would Sam think about her work being sold? What would Sam think about other artists potentially taking over her spot in spraying other robots?

Now I'm the one over thinking this comic...

I'm just going to assume that this Spray is either free (Punchbots was, presumably, since he didn't ask for it), or the ladies are just going to give Sam the money under the table. For future Sprays: I think if it's gonna be any more than "Sam does it whenever she's in the mood and around", Faye's going to take over. She is a pretty good artist - she studied art in college, and while she mostly does metal and welding, she would still need to be good at sketching/drawing. (and we know she is, since she managed to draw herself topless at the bottom of a coffee cup, and it was so good/accurate/sexy that Sven blushed when he saw it). They just didn't think of offering it.

On another note: Punkbot loves authentic mistakes in his spray - maybe because an AI can't make these mistakes, and it's perfectly the same every time they draw?

[OldGoat]

Excellent Jeph!  I didn't even see that coming!  Invented slang is often strained, but "spray" is perfectly believable - I knew exactly what Punkbot was talking about right away.

Mohawk-robo made an interesting comment regarding authenticity. You'd think another robot would make some excellent sprays/tattoos bearing in mind their abilities (like perfect precision and so on). I'm probably overthinking it but I find it endearing that he wants that error on his body, understanding the beauty of more organic, human art. It could be a subconscious desire to look more like humans with all our faults.

Spot on.  It may even be fully conscious choice.   An AI artist would default to photo-realistic images, so work by a meat-artist would be more be seen as more desirable to express individuality. 

I wonder, is "spray" any aftermarket hull decoration, or does it mean exclusively work done by a human artist for an AI?  I think we'll soon find out.

It sounds like Sam's school is amenable to alternative educational experiences.  The UR shop may become her classroom for a few hours every week, and Punchy will certainly know how to get around child labor laws by socking funds away for Sam in something like MEFA in lieu of paying her.   And our Wild Child gets at artistic outlet.

[Storel]

Comic!

Also, a robot using a fax machine!

A sentient robot using a fax machine

For all we know, Punchbot may have a fax built into him, so that when he says "Fax me the invoice" he literally means "fax it to me", not "fax it to my standalone non-sentient fax machine". I mean, he's an accountant -- imagine how much time that could save him!

[hedgie]

Hmm.  I wonder if it was internal what the effects of a black fax would be on him.

[Storel]

Hmm.  I wonder if it was internal what the effects of a black fax would be on him.

Hmm... You mean if it were completely internal and he could simply "see" in his mind whatever was faxed to him? Good question.

I was imagining that he has an output slot somewhere so the arriving fax would simply emerge from his body. As an accountant he probably has to have a hardcopy for his files, so that an auditor doesn't have to access Punchbot's own internal memory. Or perhaps he receives the fax and stores it in internal memory and then sends it to his wireless fax receiver/printer for output? Or, for security reasons, would he have to go back to his desk and plug a network cord into himself -- hidden behind one of his "ears", perhaps -- so he could output it more securely?

[Shjade]

As with the holo-doctor, why does one of those robots use a tablet? I think the most egregious examples are the cyborgs and androids from Ghost in the Shell that interface with computers through keyboards like this.

I assumed the point of the manual interface in that scene was to avoid neurally interfacing with the entity that could hack minds.

Basically this. Directly connecting to a website would open you, yourself, up to all the potential threats that would otherwise only be directed at your mobile device if you decided it was more convenient to do it yourself all the time. Considering the list of potential threats in online spaces only seems to be growing over time, that sounds like taking unnecessary risks with potentially catastrophic consequences.

Security issues aside, I would think it's also good for compartmentalization: maybe you don't want to occupy your personal processing power with a given task, so leave that to your tablet/laptop/whatever while you focus on what's more important to you. I realize an AI would be capable of far broader and better multitasking than humans, but that doesn't mean they'd always WANT to be operating that way on everything they do.

And who knows, maybe the tactile interface satisfies a certain need in itself. A sense of anchoring in your own body in maintaining separation between the You that is walking down the street, navigating the web via tablet, and your far-flung consciousness navigating the greater world around you via increasingly networked connections throughout your society.

[DaiJB]

  May is gonna be so pissed - a tweenage girl can get a job at the repair shop, but she herself can't offer them anything more useful than her incredible dancing skills...

[Perfectly Reasonable]

Sam knows the word 'ectothermic'! So she -reads- about snakes too.

How does Punkbot see what she's doodling?

[dreed]

At first I thought Faye was a bit unfair taking a cut from Sam payment.

Assuming the guy tipped 20 percent Faye took 9 buck's for work Sam did at zero cost to the business.
And that's good exposure for the business.  Word of mouth.
Additionally it might arise to some child labour regulations breach.

But then again.  Good lesson for Sam.  About how business world operates.

[Storel]

At first I thought Faye was a bit unfair taking a cut from Sam payment.

Assuming the guy tipped 20 percent Faye took 9 buck's for work Sam did at zero cost to the business.
And that's good exposure for the business.  Word of mouth.
Additionally it might arise to some child labour regulations breach.

But then again.  Good lesson for Sam.  About how business world operates.

Well, if it weren't for the repair shop, Sam would never have had any opportunity to do either of those sprays. So Sam owes them something.

Basically, it's like how hair stylists who can't afford to open their own shop rent a chair in an existing hair salon. They do the work, but they have to give the salon a cut because without the salon, they wouldn't have any work.

Also, I doubt Faye took any of the tip, because he gave the tip directly to Sam. So Faye only took five dollars out of the twenty.

[Reaver]

Yeah, but it sounds like she didn't even get to keep her tip, AND the marker was already hers, so they basically charged for her standing in their garage, and took her tip :I

Salons do not take your tips.

[Storel]

What makes you think they took her tip?

[Akima]

It's hard to be sure. Punkbot pays $20 plus tip, though the size of the tip isn't specified. I have no idea what is customary with tattoo-artists, but let's say 10% for the sake of argument, so a total of $22. Next Faye is contemplating the money and offering Sam $15, so unless she's already slipped the tip to Sam separately off-camera, it does look as if she's just giving Sam $15 out of the $22 total (68%) and keeping 32% for the shop.

Jeph says: "Sam deserves a bigger cut IMHO", so I guess that is canon.

[BenRG]

Okay, any doubts that were raised yesterday about Sam being 'exploited' are gone. She's savvy enough to realise that she's stumbled backwards onto a money-spinner and she's already thinking ahead to her future business prospects!

Meanwhile, Bubbles is realising that she may never understand the Teenage Mind!

P.S.: I love Faye's expression in panel 2. This is one of those panels when Jeph really lets the feelings of the characters shine though. You can see how much Faye loves Sam and how proud she is that she's growing up to be an artistic personality.

[Neko_Ali]

No, I don't think Faye kept the tip. Punkbot specifically said the tip was for the artist. Taking the tip would be outright theft as well as an exceptionally crappy thing to do to a friend. And $15 plus tip is pretty good to doodle on someone's back with a sharpie. To be honest, it's probably a better deal that most tattoo artists get when they're working out of someone's shop. Space rental, utilities, advertising and insurance isn't cheap.

[Storel]

It's hard to be sure. Punkbot pays $20 plus tip, though the size of the tip isn't specified. I have no idea what is customary with tattoo-artists, but let's say 10% for the sake of argument, so a total of $22. Next Faye is contemplating the money and offering Sam $15, so unless she's already slipped the tip to Sam separately off-camera, it does look as if she's just giving Sam $15 out of the $22 total (68%) and keeping 32% for the shop.

Hmm, you may be right. Initially I interpreted "Here's a little extra for the artist" as meaning he had already paid Faye and was just handing over the tip, but now I see he first says "You said twenty bucks, right?" Which means he hasn't paid Faye yet, because he wouldn't need to verify the price if he'd already paid. So maybe he did give Faye the $20+tip, and she gave $15 of that to Sam.

That still doesn't mean Faye kept the tip. If the tip was, say, $5, then Faye passed on the tip plus ten dollars from the twenty-dollar fee -- a 50/50 split, which doesn't seem unreasonable.

Edit: Also, I like Sam's "They're not tattoos, they're sprays. Learn the terminology." Yeah, Faye, jeez!

[oeoek]

Sam knows the word 'ectothermic'! So she -reads- about snakes too.

 Oh yes... take a look at her bookcase (I love these details).

[BenRG]

I was reading some old strips a few minutes ago, most notably 3162 and 3163. Then I also factored in the similar levels of sass as well as fascination with robot anatomy and metalwork and then, suddenly, it all became very, very clear to me. Jeph has been making it quite clear since Dora and Faye baby-sat her at Coffee of Doom several hundreds of strips ago: Sam is Faye's mini-me. The affection that Faye shows her is for a surrogate baby sister and you can see a lot of it in the current arc.

I can't help wonder if a lot of Bubbles annoyance and confusion is partly because she's having a hard time dealing with Faye Mk2 in a different chassis!

[JoeCovenant]

Edit: Also, I like Sam's "They're not tattoos, they're sprays. Learn the terminology." Yeah, Faye, jeez!

I'm more impressed that this was all foreseen!

Since when is drawing on someone with a permanent texta a tattoo, anyway?

It's NOT a tattoo...

"It's a SPRAY, duuuuude!"

 

[sitnspin]

No, I don't think Faye kept the tip. Punkbot specifically said the tip was for the artist. Taking the tip would be outright theft as well as an exceptionally crappy thing to do to a friend. And $15 plus tip is pretty good to doodle on someone's back with a sharpie. To be honest, it's probably a better deal that most tattoo artists get when they're working out of someone's shop. Space rental, utilities, advertising and insurance isn't cheap.

When I was starting out, I pretty much worked for just tips.

[gopher]

At my Favourite local tattoo place the owner get's 50% of all fees, and none of the other artists think it is unfair. Mind you he does have a world wide rep, people fly from the US for a session with him.

[BenRG]

I'm not sure if this is correct but, according to some on the SubReddit yesterday, Sam is legally old enough to work in Massachusetts, so long as Union Robotics is a properly-registered place of work (and I can't see Punchbot having skimped on the paperwork). Because of ths, so long as Jim and/or his ex-wife agree, there is no reason why Sam cannot work after-school and possibly weekends, even if only on a by-commission basis.

Naturally, if she develops a rep amongst the local Synthetics as THE hull inker, the fact that she is only available for a dozen or so hours a week will make it harder to get an appointment and, naturally, that having a Genuine Sam Bean that much more a status symbol amongst the robo-hipsters.

[Technoir]

Sam, robo-tattoo artist.  Wonder what Jim will think of her new career?

Skullmaster Sprays, Exclusively at Union Robotics!

"Friggin' sick!" ~ Greybot
"It IS much better!" ~ Punchbot


there's gotta be some sort of "Now! Weekly" style community paper or circular, catering to AI's, that they could advertise in...

[Zebediah]

They could put an ad in the Valley Advocate. That ought to cover it. It's read by all hipsters, robotic or otherwise.

[Dave H]

I can't help wonder if a lot of Bubbles annoyance and confusion is partly because she's having a hard time dealing with Faye Mk2 in a different chassis!

I read Bubbles' expression as more confusion than annoyance. She's used to working with AIs and disciplined humans. And Faye, who might not be all that disciplined but who tries to not let her turmoil splash onto others too much.

Anyway, I'm sure Sam's personality is a new experience for Bubbles, and she's trying to figure out how to respond. Good thing she's developed a lot of restraint.

On another note - if a spray is a tattoo on a robot, would a temporary spray be a decal?

[Technoir]

Sam, robo-tattoo artist.  Wonder what Jim will think of her new career?

Skullmaster Sprays, Exclusively at Union Robotics!

"Friggin' sick!" ~ Greybot
"It IS much better!" ~ Punchbot


there's gotta be some sort of "Now! Weekly" style community paper or circular, catering to AI's, that they could advertise in...

PS...... Jeph, another good T-shirt design there.  flying skullbird with "HECK"  above and "Friggin' sick!" underneath.   

[TheEvilDog]

I'm not sure if this is correct but, according to some on the SubReddit yesterday, Sam is legally old enough to work in Massachusetts, so long as Union Robotics is a properly-registered place of work (and I can't see Punchbot having skimped on the paperwork). Because of ths, so long as Jim and/or his ex-wife agree, there is no reason why Sam cannot work after-school and possibly weekends, even if only on a by-commission basis.

Naturally, if she develops a rep amongst the local Synthetics as THE hull inker, the fact that she is only available for a dozen or so hours a week will make it harder to get an appointment and, naturally, that having a Genuine Sam Bean that much more a status symbol amongst the robo-hipsters.

You do realise for that to work, Sam would need to have a great deal of maturity and attention, when currently it seems like Sam has the attention span of a ADHD rabbit that is stuck in a room full of shiny objects.

[JoeCovenant]

I'm not sure if this is correct but, according to some on the SubReddit yesterday, Sam is legally old enough to work in Massachusetts, so long as Union Robotics is a properly-registered place of work (and I can't see Punchbot having skimped on the paperwork). Because of ths, so long as Jim and/or his ex-wife agree, there is no reason why Sam cannot work after-school and possibly weekends, even if only on a by-commission basis.

Naturally, if she develops a rep amongst the local Synthetics as THE hull inker, the fact that she is only available for a dozen or so hours a week will make it harder to get an appointment and, naturally, that having a Genuine Sam Bean that much more a status symbol amongst the robo-hipsters.

You do realise for that to work, Sam would need to have a great deal of maturity and attention, when currently it seems like Sam has the attention span of a ADHD rabbit that is stuck in a room full of shiny objects.

Hard cash has an almost UNCANNY ability to focus teens, though...

[Technoir]

I'm not sure if this is correct but, according to some on the SubReddit yesterday, Sam is legally old enough to work in Massachusetts, so long as Union Robotics is a properly-registered place of work (and I can't see Punchbot having skimped on the paperwork). Because of ths, so long as Jim and/or his ex-wife agree, there is no reason why Sam cannot work after-school and possibly weekends, even if only on a by-commission basis.

Naturally, if she develops a rep amongst the local Synthetics as THE hull inker, the fact that she is only available for a dozen or so hours a week will make it harder to get an appointment and, naturally, that having a Genuine Sam Bean that much more a status symbol amongst the robo-hipsters.

You do realise for that to work, Sam would need to have a great deal of maturity and attention, when currently it seems like Sam has the attention span of a ADHD rabbit that is stuck in a room full of shiny objects.

Hard cash has an almost UNCANNY ability to focus teens, though...

True dat, yo.  My autistic nephew will talk your face off about whatever his obsession-of-the-week is, but if you offer to buy one of his creations just to shut him up, he instantly switches to business mogul mode.

[SotFX]

You know, I wonder if this is pretty much the temporary tattoo version of a spray. With the "real" thing being more of the things like the artwork airbrushed on vehicles and walls in our world.

[OldGoat]

Depending on the goods or services produced and the facilities needed, 25% may not be a bad cut.

I would love to be able to take 50% of every invoice that gets paid out of Owner Equity (what I have invested in my business) and move it into Owner 2017 (my own personal pocket).  (No doubt Punchy has spent some time off camera explaining to Faye how this works.  Bubbles, being AI, would get it the first time through.)  For most small businesses it doesn't always work that way, though.

[Rincewind]

Artists doing airbrush work or pin-striping on vehicles can put a layer or two of "clear-coat" over it as protection.  Although, the more ephemeral nature of the sharpie-work might be part of the appeal to people living in a metal chassis. 

[hedgie]

Edit: Also, I like Sam's "They're not tattoos, they're sprays. Learn the terminology." Yeah, Faye, jeez!

I'm more impressed that this was all foreseen!

Well done.  I would have beaten you to it, but that would have involved cheating.

[Agar]

Given Pintsize's reputation, I could see him doing "Sprays" as well. But Just as a trendy pop up and specializing in just drawing dicks. I don't know if he would be helping Faye in the shop or if he would be a rival shop, but either way it would be hilarious to have someone have the line: "That's the third call! Everyone keeps asking for a Pintsize dick!"

[ChipNoir]

I'm not sure if this is correct but, according to some on the SubReddit yesterday, Sam is legally old enough to work in Massachusetts, so long as Union Robotics is a properly-registered place of work (and I can't see Punchbot having skimped on the paperwork). Because of ths, so long as Jim and/or his ex-wife agree, there is no reason why Sam cannot work after-school and possibly weekends, even if only on a by-commission basis.

Naturally, if she develops a rep amongst the local Synthetics as THE hull inker, the fact that she is only available for a dozen or so hours a week will make it harder to get an appointment and, naturally, that having a Genuine Sam Bean that much more a status symbol amongst the robo-hipsters.

You do realise for that to work, Sam would need to have a great deal of maturity and attention, when currently it seems like Sam has the attention span of a ADHD rabbit that is stuck in a room full of shiny objects.

Hard cash has an almost UNCANNY ability to focus teens, though...

It's also a matter if she has ADD, ADHD, or is simply extremely enthusiastic and energetic. Money does absolutely nothing for cases like mine.

The thing with ADD and ADHD is that we (I have ADD personally) actually can have some pretty extreme focus. The problem is that it absolutely has to have immediate and apparent rewards that we feel we can achieve. If we can (or are taught to) conceptualize the idea of a long term goal, we can spend an insane amount of time on one activity. It's called Hyperfocus, and it's the kinda shit that can lead kids into burying hours in WoW or building insanely large structures in Minecraft in survival mode.

Where we tend to run into trouble is when it's a project that isn't point A to Point B. If we don't see an end in sight, we kinda tend to get bored, and try to find something else to sate our need for novelty. That's why a lot of people with ADD and ADHD have a terrible time with school, since there's such long term goals and very little external reward for accomplishing good grades. An A on a paper doesn't mean very much to me, but a completed project does. I imagine for someone like Sam, if she does have this kinda of alternative learning style, completing an art project is the reward. If the project doesn't have a definitive end goal in sight, we'll fracture our attention, drifting from project to project in hopes of finding something that DOES sate our need for competition, and before we know it we have NOTHING done.

So Sam can probably excel at this new little side job, as long as she's allowed to do what she wants, and it all gets done in the same appointment. She would of course need guidance (And maybe medication) if she wants to become a serious artist and go after long term goals. It really is about the environment you're raised into and the skills you're taught to manage the different way of thinking. I'd be curious to see how she reacts to an AI that wants a specific commission that might not suit her tastes. If there's a learning opportunity, it'll be that one.

[comicalArchitect]

This has nothing to do with anything, but I just came up with the craziest theory. What if Spookybot hacked into Faye's toaster (we've seen the concept of AIs-as-toasters show up a million times) and burned down her apartment because it was important for some reason that she move in with Marten?

[ChipNoir]

This has nothing to do with anything, but I just came up with the craziest theory. What if Spookybot hacked into Faye's toaster (we've seen the concept of AIs-as-toasters show up a million times) and burned down her apartment because it was important for some reason that she move in with Marten?

*Brain shortcircuits*

[Perfectly Reasonable]

"Always tip yer artist"

Now I want to see Punkbot showing off his new spray to his buddies.

[Gyrre]

Cattle truck? You mean the sack-trolley?

sack barrow in (at least SE)  brit.

Also called a "dolly" in much of the Mid-West.

[Rincewind]

Cattle truck? You mean the sack-trolley?

sack barrow in (at least SE)  brit.

Also called a "dolly" in much of the Mid-West.

Named after the First Lady Dolly Madison, who used one to rescue precious art works and such from the burning White House, back when the Canadians torched it.  (This probably isn't true.)

[zisraelsen]

"This power I feel... it is intoxicating."
"Bubbles, you're a 7-foot tall bulletproof war machine."
"Yes, but I did not command skulls until this moment."

[Mordhaus]

I figuratively died laughing. Bubbles joke and then Faye saying USURPER! was the funniest thing I have read in 2017. It reminds me of some old movie but I can't remember the name.

[Wildroses]

Does anyone else find it very suspicious that Sam goes to a school that lets her not go if she's having personal development and life experience? Personally, I think she's racing to school to be picked up by a parent so they don't know she didn't go that day. Maybe she's going to get busted when Bubbles gives back the Skullmaster mask to her Dad via Marten. "It's from the day Sam spent at our robot repair shop... No, not a weekend, it was one of her personal development and life experience days...I'll just let myself quietly out while you are screaming at Sam..."

[BenRG]

It isn't often but occasionally we see Bubbles's very fey sense of humour at work. I wonder how long she'd been calculating whether or not this little quip would work? That said, Sam's skull mask seems to have this effect on women. Remember when Dora spent an afternoon wearing it? She seemed to enjoy it! There may be a sense of personal power acquired from bearing the mantle of The Skullmaster!

On a side note, I'm wondering if Jeph's comment text, "!!!" is just letting us know what should have gone in the speech bubble at the end of Faye's cry of 'USURPER"?

[Gyrre]

On the note of ADD & ADHD meds; 'along with therapy'. For any sort of psychological neurodivergence that can be treated with meds, therapy should also be part of the treatment. It helps us learn coping techniques for when we either forget or run out of meds.

I haven't had to take any meds for my ADD for 5 years thanks to those techniques. Unfortunately for some, this isn't really a long term option.

[traroth]

That was really unexpected!

[Neko_Ali]

Whelp.. of any possible imagined scenarios... That wasn't one of mine.

[oeoek]

Somehow the proclamation 'I am the Skull Master' is slightly less worrying when done by a 14 yo girl. When a huge battle bot makes this claim, I might be inclined to take a step back before trying to make fun of it.