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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

[Is it cold in here?]

I think a delivery of creativity that was meant to supply everyone in an entire village all got installed in BenRG.

[Morituri]

I think a delivery of creativity that was meant to supply everyone in an entire village all got installed in BenRG.

BenRG was riffing on a shipment of creativity that was delivered a few years past to Alan Moore - who does indeed snort village-sized doses of the pure uncut stuff on a regular basis.  With, so far, only moderate side effects...

Incidentally, you should read "Watchmen".  It is extraordinarily good.

[Morituri]

See, Hanners can't play her role right now in QC, because her character-actor has another gig - and it's gonna take up a LOT of her time for the next three to four years.

Hm.  Probably because I don't do TV anymore, but I don't recognize that actress. 

I had not really envisioned Hannelore as looking like that though.  I'd pictured her as being more - well, haunted-looking, jittery, unhealthily thin, and completely unable to use makeup due to OCD "AAAGH THERE'S SOMETHING STICKING TO MY SKIN" reactions.  This actress isn't unhealthily bony, she has a face that looks like it's accustomed to smiling, her makeup is perfect, and the skin around her eyes shows no signs of stress or missed sleep. 

Even given green contacts for the role and a very different makeup job, I don't think she could look the way I imagine Hannelore.

[Zebediah]

She's also from Yorkshire, so the accent's all wrong for Hannelore.

[Mr_Rose]

You watch guys, Hannelore is going to come back as a waterbender.

Then one day, after another ‘date’ with Sven, she will reveal the horrifying truth:

(click to show/hide)

she also learned to blood-bend. 

As for today’s strip, is that possibly Amanda’s girlfriend behind her?

[WareWolf]

On the other hand, now we can speculate on the adventures of Hanners abroad.

It's entirely possible we won't need to speculate, because there may be some story arcs about her and Winslow. Has Jeph said he's writing her out?

[WareWolf]

Unexpected. Interesting tho.

I'm actually sorta sad we wont see more of Winslow at the community center. That looked interesting...

Yeah, that's a bit unfair. Winslow was starting to find his own thing, here. Hannelore is behaving like an owner, not like a friend.

How do you know?  Hannelore could’ve asked and if he said no then she’d find another alternative, but Winslow might want to travel and this is a chance in a lifetime.

Or Winslow may have volunteered without being asked. He loves Hanners, too.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

Riding out of nowhere to right wrongs. Sara and her allosaurus. I am tempted to commit fanfic.

[SmilingCat]

As for today’s strip, is that possibly Amanda’s girlfriend behind her?

Maybe her fiancée. Maybe we're getting a storyline about Amanda's wedding and Faye overcoming deeply ingrained prejudices she didn't even know she had.

By which I mean Amanda's Fiancée is from Maine, and Faye can't handle her sister marrying someone from the godless north. 

[Bollthorn]

NOOOOOO kitten Hanners!! ;____; Please don't keep her and sweet lil' Winslow away for too long!!

... Also Hanners is from Yorkshire? When did that happen?

[shanejayell]

BenRG, you totally need to fanfic Questionable Watchmen. 

[jwhouk]

Hm.  Probably because I don't do TV anymore, but I don't recognize that actress. 

Hint: Blue box, wanders the universe, sometimes brandishes a beeping stick called a "sonic screwdriver"?

[DaiJB]

On the other hand, now we can speculate on the adventures of Hanners abroad.

Not going to speculate about any scenario specifically, but I can see a number of categories into which Hanners' adventures may fit:

1) We get a series of amusing vignettes of Hannelore's misadventures, kind of like Wil and his road-trip;

2) We see occasional updates, like Raven's college exploits or unexpected one-off re-appearance at Coffee of Doom;

3) Hannelore goes into an extended hiatus - we know she exists, but she's gone off to live another life - "that character who used to be in QC", like Angus;

4) The allosaurus gets another meal 

[TheEvilDog]

NOOOOOO kitten Hanners!! ;____; Please don't keep her and sweet lil' Winslow away for too long!!

... Also Hanners is from Yorkshire? When did that happen?

Hanners isn't from Yorkshire.

They were referring to the fact that the actress taking over the role of the Doctor in Doctor Who is from West Yorkshire.

[Morituri]

Ah.  Is that what the Umpth incarnation of Doctor Who looks like?

[Neko_Ali]

Hm.  Probably because I don't do TV anymore, but I don't recognize that actress. 

Hint: Blue box, wanders the universe, sometimes brandishes a beeping stick called a "sonic screwdriver"?

She's Mary Poppins, y'all!

[TheEvilDog]

And River Song is Ms. Frizzle.

[Penquin47]

Hi Amanda!

So... Faye/Bubbles has been a thing that has been teased/speculated about, and we're having a surprise return visit by Faye's lesbian sister... might we be seeing Faye become aware of Bubbles' more-complicated-than-just-friendship feelings for her and doing some soul-searching with the help of her sister who's been through questioning her sexuality?  Even if Faye/Bubbles doesn't end up being canon at the end of it, for whatever reason (Faye isn't attracted to women in general, or robots in general, or Bubbles in specific, or Bubbles's feelings, while more than just friendship, aren't actually romantic or sexual in nature, or both, or something else entirely), it would be an interesting story and I can see Jeph wanting to tell it.

[Delator]

lol...Faye's face in that last panel.

Reminds me a little bit of Yelling Bird.

[Gyrre]

Nice lampshade, Dora.

[Gyrre]

See, Hanners can't play her role right now in QC, because her character-actor has another gig - and it's gonna take up a LOT of her time for the next three to four years.

Hm.  Probably because I don't do TV anymore, but I don't recognize that actress. 

I had not really envisioned Hannelore as looking like that though.  I'd pictured her as being more - well, haunted-looking, jittery, unhealthily thin, and completely unable to use makeup due to OCD "AAAGH THERE'S SOMETHING STICKING TO MY SKIN" reactions.  This actress isn't unhealthily bony, she has a face that looks like it's accustomed to smiling, her makeup is perfect, and the skin around her eyes shows no signs of stress or missed sleep. 

Even given green contacts for the role and a very different makeup job, I don't think she could look the way I imagine Hannelore.

Fun fact; some folks get frown lines instead of smile lines.
(Trust me, I've got them.)

[cesium133]

Hi Amanda!

So... Faye/Bubbles has been a thing that has been teased/speculated about, and we're having a surprise return visit by Faye's lesbian sister... might we be seeing Faye become aware of Bubbles' more-complicated-than-just-friendship feelings for her and doing some soul-searching with the help of her sister who's been through questioning her sexuality?  Even if Faye/Bubbles doesn't end up being canon at the end of it, for whatever reason (Faye isn't attracted to women in general, or robots in general, or Bubbles in specific, or Bubbles's feelings, while more than just friendship, aren't actually romantic or sexual in nature, or both, or something else entirely), it would be an interesting story and I can see Jeph wanting to tell it.

Amanda would be just tactless enough to blurt out "When's the wedding" in reaction to seeing Faye and Bubbles interact, forcing them to stop avoiding the topic. It's perfect.

[Storel]

I'm surprised that Amanda is still doing that two-toned hair. Wouldn't she have gotten tired of that style ages ago?

Then again, Jeph may have been afraid no one would recognize her if she didn't have it.

[Gyrre]

I'm surprised that Amanda is still doing that two-toned hair. Wouldn't she have gotten tired of that style ages ago?

Then again, Jeph may have been afraid no one would recognize her if she didn't have it.

Some folks just stick with what they like.

[RMc]

Last time on QC:

1) Hannelore accosts her supposed master-of-the-Universe mother and...suffers absolutely no consequences whatsoever, because if she did, fan girls would burn down the internet and boycott Deathmole merchandise.
2) Finally realizing that Tilly is about as popular as a rat in a dark elevator, Jeph puts the poor lad/lass on a bus, er, spaceship. Good riddance.
3) And Jeph, desperate for something, *anything* to make readers forget one of the most unreedeemably awful storylines in QC history, drags out the old TV sitcom warhorse "long lost sibling of main character suddenly shows up, wacky hijinks ensue". Geez, what's next? Gilligan ruins their chances of getting off the island?

Next time on QC: Incest robot threeway! (Or more boring dialogue, your choice.)

[TheEvilDog]

Last time on QC:

1) Hannelore accosts her supposed master-of-the-Universe mother and...suffers absolutely no consequences whatsoever, because if she did, fan girls would burn down the internet and boycott Deathmole merchandise.
2) Finally realizing that Tilly is about as popular as a rat in a dark elevator, Jeph puts the poor lad/lass on a bus, er, spaceship. Good riddance.
3) And Jeph, desperate for something, *anything* to make readers forget one of the most unreedeemably awful storylines in QC history, drags out the old TV sitcom warhorse "long lost sibling of main character suddenly shows up, wacky hijinks ensue". Geez, what's next? Gilligan ruins their chances of getting off the island?

Next time on QC: Incest robot threeway! (Or more boring dialogue, your choice.)

1) There's two things that could have happened if Beatrice had Hanners arrested for "accosting": (a) Bad publicity which could kill the deal with Tilly's father that Beatrice was trying to broker. Which would be somewhat humiliating to Beatrice. And (b) If Beatrice had Hanners arrested, that would kill any relationship between them. As it is, there's a sliver of a chance of reconciliation.
2) There's constructive criticism and then there's destructive criticism, seeing a lot of the latter here. So what makes Tilly "unpopular"? Hmm? What could Jeph have done to improve their reception? Instead of poking holes in the boat, try suggesting ways to patch things up.
3) We've just had a heavy storyline on par with Faye's descent into near fatal alcoholism, Marten and Dora's Break-up and the "Talk". Its also been one of the longer storylines, which means that people need a cleansing of the palette, so to speak. So yeah, we're going to get a funny few comics.

Look, the Tilly storyline was a giant misstep by Jeph, but it was also a story that needed to be told to facilitate the next step in Hanners' own story. And its clear that it went on a little too long. But there's no reason for barely concealed insults towards Jeph. And there's certainly no need to insult fictional characters, because, well, they're fictional.

[sitnspin]

*remembers when someone insulted the comic and then announced they were leaving only to come back a year later to once again insult the comic*

[TheEvilDog]

That was last week, wasn't it?

Oh, but I miss those heady days when there was (semi)intelligent discussions about the comics.

I miss those days. I really do.

[Tova]

I for one hope that Jeph continues to periodically challenge his readers.

[Elder Sign]

I'd really like to think that the "travel the world" thing means we'll get occasional tangents of wacky Hanners/Winslow adventures in places around the world, but the way that Jeph treats characters who are out of focus, it seems to me there will be absolutely zero updates outside of maybe a namedrop or two, and we'll be lucky to ever see either of them in the strip again at all -- unless Jeph gets really, really bored with his remaining existing cast members and the new ones he introduces in the meantime.

It just particularly rankles me, as a reader, because we had this awesome moment of Hanners breaking free from her mother's malign influence -- and then poof, gone, no real payoff or reunion allowed, the author just said "your arc's done, I don't need you anymore, bored now, buh-bye", and out the door they go into the trashbin.  And for good measure, let's send her off via "white person goes travelling the world to find themselves", as if that weren't already cliched deeply enough in fiction and real life.

I'm a little surprised Claire moving in is so low.

It might have something to do with the degree of Claire-centricity being at or close to saturation levels, at least since she and Marten started their relationship.  I highly doubt I'm the only person who finds Claire as a character irritating to no end.

[Akima]

*remembers when someone insulted the comic and then announced they were leaving only to come back a year later to once again insult the comic*

We've had a few of those over the years. It's a weird behaviour; kind of like dogs coming back to eat their own poop.

Look, the Tilly storyline was a giant misstep by Jeph, but it was also a story that needed to be told to facilitate the next step in Hanners' own story. And its clear that it went on a little too long. But there's no reason for barely concealed insults towards Jeph. And there's certainly no need to insult fictional characters, because, well, they're fictional.

I don't know that I'd say "giant misstep" (I'd reserve that for, say, throwing in a miscarriage, or something...), but I'd entirely agree otherwise.

I for one hope that Jeph continues to periodically challenge his readers.

Hear hear!

[Gyrre]

The usual thoughts about where someone like Hannelore would go to meditate and process her thoughts makes me think of a temple in the Far East, but it could also be neat to see her climbing Machu Picchu or visiting the Pyramids or Stonehenge or something like that. I actually would find it very interesting if Jeph shows more about where she goes and what she does during this excursion, how she reacts to the different culture and see the characters she might meet along the way, see her get her hands dirty working in a strange place, and somehow doesn'ta have a massive freak-out about germs and flees for the safety of home, etc.

#FollowHannelore #WhereverSheMayRoam

As I understand it, any ancient site with a resonant frequency of A major or F# is a great place to meditate. Maybe Hanners could bribe some guards to let her and Winslow  into the Queen's Chamber at Giza by themselves. Or she could visit some of the ancient sites of Egypt that aren't on the tour. There's a megolithic temple at the top of a small mountain, for instance.

[Tova]

Wherever she goes, I don't think we'll hear any updates until she returns, because I think she'll digitally unplug.

Be patient and trust that the wait will be worthwhlie. There are plenty of other stories to be told in the meantime.

[Thrudd]

I for one hope that Jeph continues to periodically challenge his readers.

Hear hear!

Though next time maybe he will sidestep the, hilarious to some, fish slap dance.

(click to show/hide)

[Shjade]

Just one note about this one:

1) Hannelore accosts her supposed master-of-the-Universe mother and...suffers absolutely no consequences whatsoever, because if she did, fan girls would burn down the internet and boycott Deathmole merchandise.

Gotta say, I find it pretty funny that this bullet point simultaneously mocks "fan girls" who overreact to things in this webcomic not going the way they imagined while also holding up Hannelore's mother as "supposed master-of-the-Universe" when, as far as I can tell, only Beatrice fans seem to think of her that way ('cause the comic sure as hell doesn't support that interpretation of the character), and said fans are the only ones making a big burn-down-style fuss over her deciding not to do something horrible to her own daughter.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

I am pleased that no one in the forum disputed Tilly's right to be NB. (Other than the pronoun difficulties.)
Tilly got on our nerves in other ways.
Not up on Steven Universe, but I'll point to Haruhi of Ouran Host Club as a sympathetic NB character.

Hannelore has discovered a part of herself that does not fit her self image. (She used the Voice.)
She has to explore who she really is before she can trust herself with others.
(A chat with Veronica might be useful.)

[Morituri]

Bear this in mind: someone whose childhood bed features leather straps that were used to keep her from self-harm may have a differently informed perspective on discovering an angry and possibly violent part of her personality as an adult.

I don't regard Tilly's story as a misstep, giant or otherwise.  You guys, maybe, see a character you didn't like and a personal development arc for Hanners and the character shipped off to space, and you consider that character somehow 'used up' or 'over.'   This is not how it works.

I see a character who is more interesting than first appearances indicate, on several points, being placed in a situation in which further stresses on and developments with that character are inevitable and, quite probably, interesting.

Jeph is laying groundwork for multiple future stories - both Hanners' development and dealing with uncomfortable parts of herself, and something involving Station, Tilly, and Dr. Ellicott.  That isn't a misstep, and Tilly isn't a mistake.

[Tova]

I agree with all of this.

It was also, for me, an interesting demonstration of the power of initial impressions.

[traroth]

How to summarize my impression? I'm not here for drama, I'm here for lols. Ok, that's oversimplifying. But you get the idea...

[Tova]

Oh, yes.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

My initial expectation was that Tilly's rad research skills would be the means for foiling Beatrice's scheme.
Shall I tell you about my initial expectations for Last Jedi?

[Tova]

I personally have found that the best way to kill any film-watching experience is to walk in with expectations. I go to some trouble to avoid them for that reason. I don't mind watching a trailer, so long as I'm confident it will give nothing away. If I do happen to see a trailer in the cinema that gives too much away, then I don't bother watching it. I definitely avoid fandom predictions and such.

[Is it cold in here?]

(A chat with Veronica might be useful.)

That is entirely brilliant.

[hakko504]

To admins: Since Hannelore now have left the comic, should we possibly find a new subtitle for this forum? 'Hannelore & Claire Squeee factory' doesn't seem quite appropriate anymore as there won't be much squeeing over Hannelore until she returns.

[JoeCovenant]

To admins: Since Hannelore now have left the comic, should we possibly find a new subtitle for this forum? 'Hannelore & Claire Squeee factory' doesn't seem quite appropriate anymore as there won't be much squeeing over Hannelore until she returns.

Hanners hasn't *left* the comic, though.
And I think the title alludes to *their* Squeee-ing...
Not ours *over* them...?