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The Liberation of Bubbles

43 (54.4%)

Beatrice Goes Too Far (Tilly's Introductory Arc)

2 (2.5%)

Union Robotics

14 (17.7%)

Claire Moves In

3 (3.8%)

The Chronicles of Brun

9 (11.4%)

The Life Trials of Clinton Augustus

6 (7.6%)

Renee - More than Alt-Faye

1 (1.3%)

Other (Please specify in contents)

1 (1.3%)

Total Members Voted: 76

[BenRG]

Note to Mods - The strip numbers in the Subject line are the correct ones by the number of strips published - Jeph said that he is going to change the strip number of today's strip from 3641 later

Okay, we're into a new year so, I've decided to wrap up our review of last year with a 'best storyline' poll. My favourite, after some thinking about it, was the storyline that crossed over the end of 2016 and lasted some way into 2017 - Bubbles escape from Corpse Witch's control. Although I found the ending rushed and felt that it missed some opportunities, especially with Emily's involvement in Bubbles' virtual mindscape, it was the single story that I really cared about and was impatiently waiting to see what happened next.

What do you think?

Onto today and it looks like Hannelore has plans for Tilly. I wonder if she's decided that her legedarily-disorganised and  random father needs a PA? I mean, I get the impression that he needs help to remember to take his meds... and probably eat and sleep as he is the archetypal monomaniac mad scientist!

Oh, and in world-building, we now have a canon name for the family company: Ellicott-Chatham Enterprises (ECE). Something to remember for the future!

[mercykills]

One half of the fandom is placated by the plot devi....I MEAN, Tilly getting a happy ending and the other half is calmed by them getting shot into space to be heard from nevermore?



Shrewd, Mr. Jacques.....very shrewd.

And thus the Great Stalker War came to an end...but as with all wars, there were no winners, just those satisfied, in the thought, that they had lost the least.

[MrNumbers]

Station's going to get a buddy!

[Bad Superman]

"If We Don't Own You Yet... We Will!"
 - Motto of Ellicott-Chatham Enterprises

At least they're honest about it...

[Mordhaus]

 I'm gonna send her to outer space, To find another race.

[brasca]

Ellicot-Chatham Enterprises motto is similar to Globo-Chem's "We own everything so you don't have to"

This may seem like a good outcome for Tilly (and all of their detractors), but they might also be marooned in orbit and forced to watch cheesy movies as some kind of experiment. 

[traroth]

"If We Don't Own You Yet... We Will!"
 - Motto of Ellicott-Chatham Enterprises

At least they're honest about it...

That slogan is sure to make the company so popular!

[SmilingCat]

So Hanners wants to send Tilly to the largest collection of emerging technology in the known universe.

Tilly's dad has been encouraging them to take up corporate espionage.

I see no way that this can go hilariously wrong.

[Skewbrow]

HNY All!

No "strings" attached, Hanners?

[hakko504]

No "strings" attached, Hanners?

You don't need strings in space: things stay the right way up anyway.

[BenRG]

No "strings" attached, Hanners?

You don't need strings in space: things stay the right way up anyway.

Actually, space is very good for challenging your entire preconception of the term 'right way up'.

[TheEvilDog]

So Hanners wants to send Tilly to the largest collection of emerging technology in the known universe.

Tilly's dad has been encouraging them to take up corporate espionage.

I see no way that this can go hilariously wrong.

........Yep.

 

[Bollthorn]

Happy New Year everyone!!

Also, SPAAAAAAAAAAAACE ^_^

[SomeCanadianWeirdo]

Happy New Year everyone!!

Also, SPAAAAAAAAAAAACE ^_^

Which isn't as good as FAAACE! (Context for those who don't know.)

[Skewbrow]

No "strings" attached, Hanners?

You don't need strings in space: things stay the right way up anyway.

Actually, space is very good for challenging your entire preconception of the term 'right way up'.

Ok, so my attempt at a pun failed. Ho-hum.

Story arc of the year? I was torn between liberating Bubbles, and its follow-up, the Union Robotics. Looks like I made the minority choice. I guess my decision was swayed by the fact that UR is about both Faye & Bubbles looking for their place.

[JRDelirio]

Well, it does provide a more elegant solution to putting a sympathetic character on a bus than just making them disappear to be presumaby eaten by the allosaurus.  And it allows us to keep Tilly, like Station, safely in reserve and conected to Hanners for any future time they may fit the story.   


... about "If we don't own you we will"... Hannermom's name is Beatrice, right?  The IRL Beatrice Corporation used to run ads back in the 80s pointing out how many of our everyday brands they actually owned.  Hmmm...

[OldGoat]

... about "If we don't own you we will"... Hannermom's name is Beatrice, right?  The IRL Beatrice Corporation used to run ads back in the 80s pointing out how many of our everyday brands they actually owned.  Hmmm...

Dear God, what did she put in the Butterfingers back then?  (Nestles owns them now.)

[ChipNoir]

The answer to Tilly has clearly been to fire them into space.

At least Hanner's is nice enough to give her a rocket with a habitable interior and a place to land and live after. More than a lot of people would give them.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

4D space is -my- favorite. We get an extra regular polyhedron!

[brasca]

So Hanners wants to send Tilly to the largest collection of emerging technology in the known universe.

Tilly's dad has been encouraging them to take up corporate espionage.

I see no way that this can go hilariously wrong.

........Yep.

 

Jeph previously stated Tilly would be a terrible spy so if you don't believe they wouldn't betray Dr. Ellicot-Chatman out of sheer loyalty then believe that they'd botch it up within a day and lose little to no secrets. 

[TheEvilDog]

Who said you'd have to be good at being a spy to get the job done?

[blt]

I have to imagine (assuming that their father isn't as inept as they are), that Tilly would be an easy person to manipulate into accidental spying though. 

Just get them spooled up and excited talking about their day "helping" at work and you're sure to get more than you need from the deluge of cool things Dr. E-C is up to.

[shanejayell]

Shoot them into space... space suit not required. 

[A small perverse otter]

4D space is -my- favorite. We get an extra regular polyhedron!

Yeah, and all the cool semiregular ones, too!

Pity things get so regularly boring further up.

(ETA: That was badly worded; it sounds like I'm complaining about the thread. In 5D and above, there are only 3 regular polytopes, and they're really dull: the simplex, the surface of the box, and the dual of the surface of the box.)

[Bad Superman]

One half of the fandom is placated by the plot devi....I MEAN, Tilly getting a happy ending and the other half is calmed by them getting shot into space to be heard from nevermore?

One has to wonder if this was the plan all along, or a kind of plan-B-type decision based on the rather mixed reception of the character.

[St.Clair]

Ellicot-Chatham Enterprises motto is similar to Globo-Chem's "We own everything so you don't have to"

This may seem like a good outcome for Tilly (and all of their detractors), but they might also be marooned in orbit and forced to watch cheesy movies as some kind of experiment.

(la la la!)

[BenRG]

New Comic Up!

Yeah, I guessed that Dr John was one of those super-genius types who need to be kept alive by others, especially when they're chasing up a Shiny New Idea^TM.

Tilly...? Tilly! Whoa there, kiddo! Don't oversell yourself; being 'enthusiastic' is good but being 'fanatical' makes some bosses a bit nervous! Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure that panel 3 tells us just what Hannelore really thinks of Tilly, even though she is being nice to them because, let's face it, that's who she is.

[Bad Superman]

I wanted to write something like: "Damn, Tilly, calm down!"

But then I remembered comic no. 3626:
http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3626

[BenRG]

Something that I've just noticed whilst re-reading the strip: There is a rare confirmation today of the season in which the strip is set. Grey skies and leaves on the sidewalk in the park so it's currently early Fall.

[WoaLG]

I liked the pizza delivery drone. I am disappointed that it was repurposed.

[traroth]

This story arc is taking forever. Climb in that rocket already, Dummy! Chop chop!

That excruciating slow pace is really starting to trample on my nerves...

[WoaLG]

This story arc is taking forever. Climb in that rocket already, Dummy! Chop chop!

That excruciating slow pace is really starting to trample on my nerves...

Is anybody else experiencing the bizarre phenomenon where the more you see people complaining about Tilly on the forums, the more you actually like them?

[Tova]

Yep.

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure that panel 3 tells us just what Hannelore really thinks of Tilly, even though she is being nice to them because, let's face it, that's who she is.

So, what do you think Hannelore really thinks of Tilly?

[BenRG]

Yep.

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure that panel 3 tells us just what Hannelore really thinks of Tilly, even though she is being nice to them because, let's face it, that's who she is.

So, what do you think Hannelore really thinks of Tilly?

Seriously, seriously annoying and, worse, so lacking in self-awareness that they don't realise it unless it is rubbed in their face.

[Welu]

Is anybody else experiencing the bizarre phenomenon where the more you see people complaining about Tilly on the forums, the more you actually like them?

Yeah, same here. They're still low on my personal list of how much I like each character, but I also never felt as strongly negative as some have expressed.

[mercykills]

This story arc is taking forever. Climb in that rocket already, Dummy! Chop chop!

That excruciating slow pace is really starting to trample on my nerves...

Is anybody else experiencing the bizarre phenomenon where the more you see people complaining about Tilly on the forums, the more you actually like them?

Well, contrarians exist on every topic imaginable. Soooo, of course.

But, seriously, this plot device running around in some poor person's skin can go the route of Poochie, now.

[Rincewind]

If Ellicot-Chatham Enterprises ever gets that holo-projector tech down to light-bee size (like in Red Dwarf) there'll be some rather strange looking folks wandering the streets.

[shanejayell]

Good luck Tilly!

Don't forget to write!

Actually, forget to write. Please. 

[Is it cold in here?]

"Mr." Ellicott?

[Thrillho]

I don't normally ask this kind of question, but who on the space station is going to pay Tilly for this? I can understand all amenities being covered, but what about earning actual money.

[TheEvilDog]

Presumably Station, considering he was able to give the Lieutenant shares in the company.

[TinPenguin]

I don't normally ask this kind of question, but who on the space station is going to pay Tilly for this? I can understand all amenities being covered, but what about earning actual money.

If your amenities are covered, you don't need actual money. But I don't doubt that if Station can offer them the job, he can get them on the paylist, too.

[OldGoat]

Presumably Station, considering he was able to give the Lieutenant shares in the company.

IIRC those shares were a portion of his own considerable personal holdings in the company, so it would have been a private transaction. 

But, yes, other than the USAF security detail and a flight ("platoon" to ground-pounders) or two of human and AI techs to physically turn wrenches, everyone on board is under operations in some way, shape, or form.  That's what keeps the facility's life support plant down to a size that makes the activity economically viable.  Absolutely, Station would be in charge of payroll and accounting along with all the other myriad support activities on the station.

[Thrillho]

I don't normally ask this kind of question, but who on the space station is going to pay Tilly for this? I can understand all amenities being covered, but what about earning actual money.

If your amenities are covered, you don't need actual money. But I don't doubt that if Station can offer them the job, he can get them on the paylist, too.

It's not about need, I'm thinking of want. Unless Tilly is an extraordinarily dedicated communist.

[jwhouk]

I suspect Station is more or less in charge of hiring decisions, and only has to run it past Dr. Dad to get approval.

[Morituri]

I suspect that one of the first tasks Station gives "assistant" Tilly will be to get a stack of paperwork to Dr. Ellicott for signatures.  One of which, of course, will be an operating budget, with a subschedule "payroll", with a line item "personal assistant for Dr. Ellicott."

Entirely routine.

[Tyr]

I suspect that one of the first tasks Station gives "assistant" Tilly will be to get a stack of paperwork to Dr. Ellicott for signatures.  One of which, of course, will be an operating budget, with a subschedule "payroll", with a line item "personal assistant for Dr. Ellicott."

Entirely routine.

in other words, almost EXACTLY what Beatrice did to Hanellore.
"Hey,here's a personal assistant!" only they also have paperwork to prove that Hannerdad approved it.

[OldGoat]

I suspect that one of the first tasks Station gives "assistant" Tilly will be to get a stack of paperwork to Dr. Ellicott for signatures.  One of which, of course, will be an operating budget, with a subschedule "payroll", with a line item "personal assistant for Dr. Ellicott."

Entirely routine.

in other words, almost EXACTLY what Beatrice did to Hanellore.
"Hey,here's a personal assistant!" only they also have paperwork to prove that Hannerdad approved it.

Almost, but not quite.  There are two major differences. 

• Hanners and Station are doing it in good faith/sans rationalizations, and
• John will welcome the help.

[Mr_Rose]

Also, there’s already someone doing the same job, who doesn’t necessarily want/need to, on top of all their other duties.
At the very least if Science Dad spills tea on Tilly they won’t short out. Probably.

[Tova]

Yep.

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure that panel 3 tells us just what Hannelore really thinks of Tilly, even though she is being nice to them because, let's face it, that's who she is.

So, what do you think Hannelore really thinks of Tilly?

Seriously, seriously annoying and, worse, so lacking in self-awareness that they don't realise it unless it is rubbed in their face.

Isn't that what you think of them?

I don't think Hanners' feelings about Tilly are purely negative. Obviously she finds Tilly's over-enthusiasm trying, and she hasn't even tried to hide that here.  But if you feel that Hanners' feelings about Tilly are of pure dislike and that she's simply lying about it it to be "nice", then I guess you think less of Hanners than I do. I don't think Hanners would be so dissembling.