Topic: WCDT strips 4421-4425 (21-25th December 2020) (Read 36685 times)

BenRG · « **on:** 20 Dec 2020, 00:17 »

So, this poll was suggested by Marco in last week's WCDT and I liked it so much that I decided to adopt it and post it. All credit to them for the original idea though!

You know, I don't know if I'm the only one but I got tired of the worn-out 'joke' (mostly appearing on the subreddits but starting to spread to here) to laugh about Marten being 'a new character' or 'who is that guy who looks like Dora?' Really, I think that the first thousand times were enough. In an attempt to help the forum get out of its collective system, I thought that we could semi-seriously talk about Marten and how to view him in today's QC. Feel free to give joke answers, if you must.

As for me, I remember when he was the main character in the strip and his adventures (and misadventures) making the transition from college graduate to stable adult were one of the things that originally attracted me to Questionable Content. That said, I'm no nostalgia addict and I understand that Jeph and the themes of the strip have moved on from him. That said, you'll excuse me if I remember the 'good old days'. (Wanders off, muttering about how music was so much better when I was younger.)

[EDIT]
Corrected strip numbers

Gyrre · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 02:14 »

"Character necro"?

Tova · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 02:47 »

Clare?

BenRG · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 03:25 »

Quote from: Gyrre on 20 Dec 2020, 02:14

"Character necro"?

Bringing back an old character because you haven't got any new ideas. See also: "Phoenix, Multiple resurrections of (The X-Men)"

DaiJB · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 04:57 »

"Other" (One way or another, I'm gonna make this a tradition)

:

Marten is the guy who wakes up late one day, after sleeping off a bender after being laid off from his dead-end job. He then realizes that he has dreamed his entire life since that point in time.
He then says 'Hey, that makes a pretty good story', writes it all down and sells it to a budding cartoonist named Jeph Jacques, before heading back to California to study guitar maintenance and repair...

Perfectly Reasonable · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 06:26 »

Quote from: BenRG on 20 Dec 2020, 00:17

(Wanders off, muttering about how music was so much better when I was younger.)

-I- was so much better when I was younger.

Sven, drink more spathe ham.

Pilchard123 · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 10:14 »

Quote from: DaiJB on 20 Dec 2020, 04:57

"Other" (One way or another, I'm gonna make this a tradition) :

Marten is the guy who wakes up late one day, after sleeping off a bender after being laid off from his dead-end job. He then realizes that he has dreamed his entire life since that point in time.
He then says 'Hey, that makes a pretty good story', writes it all down and sells it to a budding cartoonist named Jeph Jacques, before heading back to California to study guitar maintenance and repair...

Isn't that how The Hobbit came to us?

Farideh · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 12:17 »

Other: Marten is the guy who was the main QC character for a long time. Things have moved on, Marten has become a secondary character, and Jeph drags him out every so often to remind people how it all began (and also to be supportive of Claire).

Also: my apologies. I did make the 'who is that mysterious dark-haired gentleman' joke in the last WCDT thread, being unaware that it was a tired trope. I won't do it again

Case · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 12:29 »

Quote from: Farideh on 20 Dec 2020, 12:17

Also: my apologies. I did make the 'who is that mysterious dark-haired gentleman' joke in the last WCDT thread, being unaware that it was a tired trope. I won't do it again

I think that if 'referring to a tired trope' were a mortal sin hereabouts (or even frowned-upon-ever-so-slightly), there'd be a ... well, I reckon the eyewitness-reports would likely involve the term 'biblical'.

Tova · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 12:56 »

Yeah, one person's tired trope is another's delightful spathe ham. I mean, running gag.

Farideh · « **Reply #10 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 13:10 »

I did see a few 'it stopped being funny 5 years ago' comments.

Tova · « **Reply #11 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 13:39 »

Hey, humour is subjective. Can't please everyone.

To me, spathe ham was born unfunny, but I don't think that's going away any time soon. And "spathe ham" is almost nine years old (check the poll results).

Edit:

Just for the heck of it, here is spathe ham's origin.

shanejayell · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 18:52 »

New comic!

Amusingly, my school library actually had several adult books (porn) that I assume they ordered accidentally.

mneme · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 19:21 »

I'll never get tired of cute robots blushing!

Re Marten, he's still a main character. It's just that he's not -the- main character because QC has accquired lots of other main characters along the way, and he hasn't had a story focused on him since...I think since he started dating Claire? But QC has a constantly shifting focus as different storylines follow different protagonists. Hannelore hasn't stopped being a "main character" just because she went away and came back; we're talking about robots now but of course both Maarten and Hanners have significant robot connections; it's just that currently we're in a Brun plotline (and of course Brun was a secondary character for a long, long time before Jeph decided to tell stories from her POV). That said, it would be nice to have an updated spelling post that included newer main characters (and secondary characters) that have names easy to misspell (or not, just for standardization).

So, how connected is Brun's fascination with Millefueille's body and her fascination with clocks?

Tyr · « **Reply #14 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 19:53 »

I'd say that it is more accurate that Brun has a fascination with complex mechanical systems, and thus Clocks and AI Chassis are equally interesting, but current 'hyperfocus' is an outgrowth of this being a new frontier. Plus, this time, the complex mechanical system is intelligent, can talk back, and wants to Learn With Her.

Case · « **Reply #15 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 20:14 »

Millefueille, you ... :BuCAAAAAWK!:

Gyrre · « **Reply #16 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 20:24 »

Quote from: BenRG on 20 Dec 2020, 03:25

Quote from: Gyrre on 20 Dec 2020, 02:14
"Character necro"?

Bringing back an old character because you haven't got any new ideas. See also: "Phoenix, Multiple resurrections of (The X-Men)"

Wouldn't this be more of the bus coming back into town (or whatever it's called)?

Quote from: Case on 20 Dec 2020, 12:29

Quote from: Farideh on 20 Dec 2020, 12:17
Also: my apologies. I did make the 'who is that mysterious dark-haired gentleman' joke in the last WCDT thread, being unaware that it was a tired trope. I won't do it again

I think that if 'referring to a tired trope' were a mortal sin hereabouts (or even frowned-upon-ever-so-slightly), there'd be a ... well, I reckon the eyewitness-reports would likely involve the term 'biblical'.

This seems relevant;

Quote from: Alan Davies

So you're telling me a cliche comes from a stereotype?

Gyrre · « **Reply #17 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 20:26 »

Quote from: Tyr on 20 Dec 2020, 19:53

I'd say that it is more accurate that Brun has a fascination with complex mechanical systems, and thus Clocks and AI Chassis are equally interesting, but current 'hyperfocus' is an outgrowth of this being a new frontier. Plus, this time, the complex mechanical system is intelligent, can talk back, and wants to Learn With Her.

And potentially feels they might be moving a touch too fast.

DaiJB · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 21:06 »

I love Brun's innocent expression as she asks her question - meanwhile, mortified Mille is instantly aware of what Momo is implying...

There's a relentlessly horny mind hiding behind Momo's friendly, but proper, exterior!

Farideh · « **Reply #19 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 22:45 »

Momo sure is a horny little weirdo

BenRG · « **Reply #20 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 23:13 »

I suspect that Millifeulle may have just outed what's going on in the back of her mind. It does remain fully in-character that Brun hasn't realised the implications of all this!

Quote from: shanejayell on 20 Dec 2020, 18:52

Amusingly, my school library actually had several adult books (porn) that I assume they ordered accidentally.

My school art room had books on things like tattoos and other forms of body art and drawing the human body from life that could be considered 'porn' if you squint. Looking back it does remind you that sex (and what you find arousing) is mostly in the mind and so subjective that it's sometimes hard to draw the line.

awkwardness · « **Reply #21 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 23:25 »

Quote from: shanejayell on 20 Dec 2020, 18:52

New comic!

Amusingly, my school library actually had several adult books (porn) that I assume they ordered accidentally.

If they offer live nude art classes or have a human sexuality course or multiple courses, I doubt it was by accident...

St.Clair · « **Reply #22 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 23:32 »

Back when I was a young-un, it was books and magazines on photography. (Sometimes sculpture, also.) Plus catalogs, etc etc.
Of course, this was the Old Days, pre-Internet, before they piped the pr0n directly into your house along with the water and electric.

By the time I took a drawing class in college, the combination of being able to access that stuff legally and the vast difference in context meant that when we did have live models, they rapidly stopped being people (I mean that in the nicest way, honest) and became merely an interesting/challenging combination of lines, curves, contours and shadows.

Tova · « **Reply #23 on:** 20 Dec 2020, 23:59 »

They're highly technical.

cybersmurf · « **Reply #24 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 00:08 »

Quote from: Tova on 20 Dec 2020, 23:59

They're highly technical.

Will there be pictures?

snubnose · « **Reply #25 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 00:09 »

Great, I pressed "show results" instead of "submit"

grumble grumble grumble

Tova · « **Reply #26 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 01:45 »

You can click "voting options" to go back and vote.

Marco · « **Reply #27 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 03:40 »

Quote from: BenRG on 20 Dec 2020, 00:17

So, this poll was suggested by Marco in last week's WCDT and I liked it so much that I decided to adopt it and post it. All credit to them for the original idea though!

You know, I don't know if I'm the only one but I got tired of the worn-out 'joke' (mostly appearing on the subreddits but starting to spread to here) to laugh about Marten being 'a new character' or 'who is that guy who looks like Dora?' Really, I think that the first thousand times were enough. In an attempt to help the forum get out of its collective system, I thought that we could semi-seriously talk about Marten and how to view him in today's QC. Feel free to give joke answers, if you must.

As for me, I remember when he was the main character in the strip and his adventures (and misadventures) making the transition from college graduate to stable adult were one of the things that originally attracted me to Questionable Content. That said, I'm no nostalgia addict and I understand that Jeph and the themes of the strip have moved on from him. That said, you'll excuse me if I remember the 'good old days'. (Wanders off, muttering about how music was so much better when I was younger.)

Thank you for elaborating on my idea! Which wasn't original, by the way - I just parodied another poll. Besides, it's a variation of that worn-out joke (I never get tired of a joke, as my kid gently reminds me every 24 hours or so).

Zebediah · « **Reply #28 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 04:23 »

Quote from: shanejayell on 20 Dec 2020, 18:52

New comic!

Amusingly, my school library actually had several adult books (porn) that I assume they ordered accidentally.

My junior high school library had a sci-fi book that contained a chapter with a highly detailed account of oral sex, which I’m pretty sure that no one but me knew about.

Wingy · « **Reply #29 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 05:25 »

Quote from: DaiJB on 20 Dec 2020, 21:06

There's a relentlessly horny mind hiding behind Momo's friendly, but proper, exterior!

I fail to understand how this is a bad thing?

BlueFatima · « **Reply #30 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 07:09 »

OMG! I so miss working at a university library! Our “horny vault” was called “Special Collections.” It had really old works and some amazing photographs, but also Playboy and Penthouse. They actually were legit used for research by some students/professors. Of course there were horny people, but special collections was a separate room from the rest of the library that you had to sign in with an ID to visit. It was temperature controlled and had special lights with no access to bathrooms. All works were kept in there explicitly.

Of course, we had plenty of things in the main area horny people could access. Some German magazines are quite...racy. Anytime, something would regularly start to be ripped up or worse (you don’t want to know) we would petition to put it into Special Collections. I worked in Serials (magazines) and repairs. It was incredible what people would find to be exciting. Every night we closed one of us had to scout the bathrooms. The mens room often had books and magazines in it!

Despite all that, I really do miss it. When COVID ends, I am considering looking for a part-time job at a library. I may have just been lucky the one time I worked at one, but it was such a good environment. It didn’t pay anywhere near what I can make doing ad design, but it just felt like it fit.

snubnose · « **Reply #31 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 07:22 »

Quote from: Tova on 21 Dec 2020, 01:45

You can click "voting options" to go back and vote.

Ooooh cool ! So its not like other forums when you click on the see result you "voted" and can never vote

great, thanks !

Perfectly Reasonable · « **Reply #32 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 09:06 »

I ... never knew.
Um, Claire -- What got you interested in 'Library Science'?

BenRG · « **Reply #33 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 09:10 »

Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 21 Dec 2020, 09:06

Um, Claire -- What got you interested in 'Library Science'?

Well, we know that Emily was attracted by "the smell of old books"!

cybersmurf · « **Reply #34 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 09:34 »

I wonder if there are two closets next to each other, connected through a door which can only opened from one side ....

Skewbrow · « **Reply #35 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 09:55 »

Quote from: Farideh on 20 Dec 2020, 22:45

Momo sure is a horny little weirdo

Momo's been horny for quite a bit longer.

At one point linking to that script was a running gag in this forum. I just want to do my part of the necroing.

FreshScrod · « **Reply #36 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 13:04 »

I'm a bit off put by the way I've seen the idea expressed, about "proper" people being "horny little weirdos" or like the old strip where Dora is teased after her kinky musing. It's not that I think it's incorrect, but I think it's not framing it well. I like to compartmentalize different parts of my life, so that I have a "proper" public personality, but my impression is it's implying some sort of sexual repression, which isn't necessarily true.

Quote from: BlueFatima on 21 Dec 2020, 07:09

It had really old works and some amazing photographs, but also Playboy and Penthouse. They actually were legit used for research by some students/professors.

I wonder how much of that research was also "research" - I read somewhere that nurses don't really get any special pleasure from seeing naked bodies at work (except maybe at first) because they see too much of it, maybe something like that?

Quote from: cybersmurf on 21 Dec 2020, 00:08

Quote from: Tova on 20 Dec 2020, 23:59
They're highly technical.
Will there be pictures?

If not, they will have to make-do with more primitive visual aids, as they say in the ed-biz.

Quote from: Tyr on 20 Dec 2020, 19:53

I'd say that it is more accurate that Brun has a fascination with complex mechanical systems, and thus Clocks and AI Chassis are equally interesting, but current 'hyperfocus' is an outgrowth of this being a new frontier. Plus, this time, the complex mechanical system is intelligent, can talk back, and wants to Learn With Her.

I would say they're interesting in the same type of way, but my impression was was robots > clocks (the bold, meaning "much more").

Wingy · « **Reply #37 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 16:47 »

Quote from: Skewbrow on 21 Dec 2020, 09:55

Quote from: Farideh on 20 Dec 2020, 22:45
Momo sure is a horny little weirdo

Momo's been horny for quite a bit longer.

She gets it from Pintsize.

shanejayell · « **Reply #38 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 18:00 »

Quote from: awkwardness on 20 Dec 2020, 23:25

Quote from: shanejayell on 20 Dec 2020, 18:52
New comic!

Amusingly, my school library actually had several adult books (porn) that I assume they ordered accidentally.

If they offer live nude art classes or have a human sexuality course or multiple courses, I doubt it was by accident...

No i mean straight up erotic novels. I never told the librarians about them. It was a SF series with lots of sex...

Mr_Rose · « **Reply #39 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 18:39 »

Okaaayyy, that was certainly a thing.
Good to know that Marten and Momo are forming a solid friendship though.

Zebediah · « **Reply #40 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 18:59 »

I mean, given the usual shenanigans at Smif, it's an honest mistake.

Farideh · « **Reply #41 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 19:05 »

I can't blame you Marten

Oenone · « **Reply #42 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 19:21 »

Quote from: shanejayell on 21 Dec 2020, 18:00

Quote from: awkwardness on 20 Dec 2020, 23:25
Quote from: shanejayell on 20 Dec 2020, 18:52
New comic!

Amusingly, my school library actually had several adult books (porn) that I assume they ordered accidentally.

If they offer live nude art classes or have a human sexuality course or multiple courses, I doubt it was by accident...

No i mean straight up erotic novels. I never told the librarians about them. It was a SF series with lots of sex...

Was it Piers Anthony?

shanejayell · « **Reply #43 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 19:47 »

No it was actual erotica. *lol*

ANYWAY.

Marten, do you REALLY need to look at the robosexual book? Seriously?

Gyrre · « **Reply #44 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 20:55 »

Quote from: Farideh on 21 Dec 2020, 19:05

I can't blame you Marten

Queue Marten issueing a Paultin-esque 'huhn' for tomorrow's first panel.

Farideh · « **Reply #45 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 22:18 »

Quote from: Gyrre on 21 Dec 2020, 20:55

Quote from: Farideh on 21 Dec 2020, 19:05
I can't blame you Marten

Queue Marten issueing a Paultin-esque 'huhn' for tomorrow's first panel.

Could you please explain? This reference went so far over my head, it's in orbit by now.

awkwardness · « **Reply #46 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 22:45 »

...damn you, Jeph! If he continues this joke I'm going to have to watch Reading Rainbow again

Oh and I wonder if Tai knows about the Horny Vault too...and if she's the one who actually named it that

BenRG · « **Reply #47 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 23:23 »

This strip could lead to a lot of interesting places in terms of possible character arcs and maybe even inter-character tensions. However, I have to say that I find it more likely that it is a one-off joke. Either that or Marten, guilt-stricken, will confess to Claire who will admit that she and Emily used to sneak in there during the lunch break and has read most of the seriously weird stuff already. Claire will recall that, for some reason, Emily kept on saying: "I bet that tickles!"

I really think that they're going to have to get Momo a date because, at this rate, she's going to have some kind of hardware failure due to build-up of tensions!

Farideh · « **Reply #48 on:** 21 Dec 2020, 23:36 »

True, Momo could literally blow a fuse.

badbum61 · « **Reply #49 on:** 22 Dec 2020, 00:14 »

I have to admit, I didn't recall Momo working at the Smif library, and was about to ask "who is this new AI character who looks so much like Momo?"

#meta

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Poll

How to view Marten Reed?

Author Topic: WCDT strips 4421-4425 (21-25th December 2020) (Read 36685 times)