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Faye

Hanners

Dora

Claire

Emily

Marigold

Momo

May

Brun

Renee

Roko

Melon

Millefeuille

Beepatrice

Sam

other

please do not interrupt unicorn grove

[Gyrre]

Bubbles is obviously the most intimidating.
I was waffling as to whether I should include Raven, Penny, and Cossette, but they haven't shown up in quite awhile. Ditto for Corpsewitch.

I'm well aware that I'm probably spacing on someone. Almost forgetting Sam is why she's so far down the list.

EDIT: adding the orange text

[WAYF]

The comic is setting it up like Clinton is about to have a personal revelation about how he should behave towards Elliott in a relationship, which would be conducive to him going back to the bakery and confronting Elliott directly (as Tai did for Dora so many strips ago), but he, uh, kind of already made plans for a date then left the bakery. He's not going to go back for another week or so at least.
So I think this week is going to involve Clinton accidentally developing feelings for Willow, because that seems like a very near-at-hand way for him to screw things up.

[shanejayell]

Comics up!

If it helps Willow, Faye has (mostly) stopped being physically threatening.

[awkwardness]

OK this strip had me thinking about dogs: the big ones that I've come across are mostly timid and friendly while the smaller ones are vicious and wild. Bubbles is a sweet and nice person while Faye is a raging beast unless reined in by someone...

Sorry if it's a bad comparison, but it's just how my mind works.

[hedgie]

OK this strip had me thinking about dogs: the big ones that I've come across are mostly timid and friendly while the smaller ones are vicious and wild. Bubbles is a sweet and nice person while Faye is a raging beast unless reined in by someone...

That’s because generally speaking, people who have say, Rotties, or Great Danes know that they have to be well-socialised and trained.  Most people with over-grown rats swear blind that little “muffykins” couldn’t harm a fly, despite the tiny beast being a terror straight from the pits of hell.

[Gyrre]

OK this strip had me thinking about dogs: the big ones that I've come across are mostly timid and friendly while the smaller ones are vicious and wild. Bubbles is a sweet and nice person while Faye is a raging beast unless reined in by someone...

Sorry if it's a bad comparison, but it's just how my mind works.

At least she's not the equivalent of a chihuahua.
"I know you can easily crush me, so I will make sure you know that I'll make my death as difficult as possible."

[BenRG]

I'm sort of waiting for someone to actually call Willow out to her face as the random girl following Clinton out and doing random things. I mean, she's even stopped badgering Clinton about Elliot now. She's just hanging out with Clinton (and being a bit of an embarrassment to him) because... Well, that's the thing and I think what will define where this goes in the long run.

I've got to say that the current momentum of the arc seems to be towards Clinton and Willow in bed  together with a huge foreground caption: "Mistakes were made!"

[SmilingCat]

I voted Emily as second (really first) most intimidating, on the grounds that at least one of her random hijinks required government intervention.

People being big or angry is old hat, it's hard to prepare for someone randomly ending the world because she thought of a new way to make coffee.

[DaiJB]

I voted Emily as second (really first) most intimidating, on the grounds that at least one of her random hijinks required government intervention.

Makes sense! It's like playing Skyrim or Oblivion - there's a whole pantheon of demonic Daedra who are all pretty scary - but the really scary one is also the totally random one - Sheogorath, Prince of Madness...

People being big or angry is old hat, it's hard to prepare for someone randomly ending the world because she thought of a new way to make coffee.

But the coffee would be to die for! (and we probably would  )

[notStanley]

Did not read down far enough before voting, assumed Faye was in 1st place.  Though that does require some knowledge beyond first visual impressions.  Then voted for Hannelore, because while rare, when she does assert herself, you will stand down.

[Farideh]

My choices:

- Faye (for obvious reasons)
- Dora (she will put a spell on you if she can)
- Melon (you will never know what she's going to do. Chaotic good!)

OK this strip had me thinking about dogs: the big ones that I've come across are mostly timid and friendly while the smaller ones are vicious and wild. Bubbles is a sweet and nice person while Faye is a raging beast unless reined in by someone...

Sorry if it's a bad comparison, but it's just how my mind works.

That sounds about right

[Thrillho]

OK this strip had me thinking about dogs: the big ones that I've come across are mostly timid and friendly while the smaller ones are vicious and wild. Bubbles is a sweet and nice person while Faye is a raging beast unless reined in by someone...

That’s because generally speaking, people who have say, Rotties, or Great Danes know that they have to be well-socialised and trained.  Most people with over-grown rats swear blind that little “muffykins” couldn’t harm a fly, despite the tiny beast being a terror straight from the pits of hell.

Pretty much exactly this.

Most dogs are a reflection of their humans. Many people who get a small dog get one because they think they're easier to look after. They aren't necessarily, for one, but it's also commonly used as a reason to not train your dog at all, because if you can physically pick them up and take them away from a confrontation with another dog, or a human, why bother training them to not do that?

Not many people get big dogs and then keep them for long enough to badly train them. You wouldn't be able to - they're too smart and too strong and you'd just end up with everything in your house eaten by them when they were bored.

[hedgie]

Often, they don’t do even the picking them up and carrying them away, until I threaten to kick the obnoxious rodent that is attacking.  If you want a pet that’s small and doesn’t need much training, get a cat, FFS.

[pwhodges]

And the thing is that dogs (unlike cats!) take to training, because they want to please.  They actually enjoy being taught and learning to get it right, and having a real relationship with their humans - it's just the owners (some, that is) who are either too lazy or too ignorant to get that.

[shanejayell]

New comic up.

Faye clearly is NOT into philosophy.

[Farideh]

Faye is contradicting herself. If there is no deeper meaning to sprays than 'Sam likes to draw cool shit on robots', then how could a human getting a spray be 'culturally appropriative'?

[Tyr]

In my opinion, a 'spray' on a human's prosthetic is no more culturally appropriation-y in the abstract than a human scribbling on their own arm with ink. Furthermore, forbidding a human from decorating their prosthetic with a spray would be a slippery slope.

If a Human isn't allowed to apply ink to their prosthetic's dermal because that's an AI thing, should humans be allowed to have dermal covering on their prosthetic at all? That's literally an AI's SKIN! In fact, should humans be permitted prosthetics of that style at all, seeing as that arm or leg or hand or foot is using components that could embody an AI, and HUMANS have appropriated it for their own use!

Now, there's murky territory in human 'sprays' to be sure, e.g. a human who wants a permanent spray to restore a design that was lost to an injury (e.g. the design ran from their spine down both arms and their right arm below the elbow in a car crash) need permission from the original artist for the design to be restored, but is it expected that this is a service tattoo artists would need to perform (at the normal rate? prorated as a 'touch up'? I don't have any tattoos, myself, so I don't know if that's a thing) , or would you get permission and then go to a spray artist?  If someone with an extant prosthetic wants a tattoo, would they need to go to a special shop for a combined spray/tattoo artist or a collaboration?

[Sorflakne]

Uh...so if I were in the QCverse, and I drew on myself with a marker or pen while bored at work or a friend drew on me for fun, that'd be appropriating AI culture?

[Gyrre]

And the thing is that dogs (unlike cats!) take to training, because they want to please.  They actually enjoy being taught and learning to get it right, and having a real relationship with their humans - it's just the owners (some, that is) who are either too lazy or too ignorant to get that.

And bad pet owners (generally) seem to have a trend of being lackluster parents to boot.

[awkwardness]

In my opinion, a 'spray' on a human's prosthetic is no more culturally appropriation-y in the abstract than a human scribbling on their own arm with ink. Furthermore, forbidding a human from decorating their prosthetic with a spray would be a slippery slope.

If a Human isn't allowed to apply ink to their prosthetic's dermal because that's an AI thing, should humans be allowed to have dermal covering on their prosthetic at all? That's literally an AI's SKIN! In fact, should humans be permitted prosthetics of that style at all, seeing as that arm or leg or hand or foot is using components that could embody an AI, and HUMANS have appropriated it for their own use!

Now, there's murky territory in human 'sprays' to be sure, e.g. a human who wants a permanent spray to restore a design that was lost to an injury (e.g. the design ran from their spine down both arms and their right arm below the elbow in a car crash) need permission from the original artist for the design to be restored, but is it expected that this is a service tattoo artists would need to perform (at the normal rate? prorated as a 'touch up'? I don't have any tattoos, myself, so I don't know if that's a thing) , or would you get permission and then go to a spray artist?  If someone with an extant prosthetic wants a tattoo, would they need to go to a special shop for a combined spray/tattoo artist or a collaboration?

Why would they need to get permission from the artist to redo a tattoo that they paid that was on their body? They don't own you, they don't own the artwork that they put on you. WHy should they have any say in someone getting their lost limb inked to fix what is essentially a broken piece of art?

They have no right to your body at all, it's your body. They can refuse to touch-up someone's work or they can alter it to make it original as is tradition among artists, but they have no right to refuse to allow you to go to someone to fix a tattoo that was damaged by the loss of a limb...

[awkwardness]

Uh...so if I were in the QCverse, and I drew on myself with a marker or pen while bored at work or a friend drew on me for fun, that'd be appropriating AI culture?

Adding on, wouldn't temporary tattoos be in the same basket as drawing on your skin? Wouldn't henna be the same despite it being older and wider use than inking?

[QuestionableIntentions]

So first Faye gets all indignant about "cultural appropriation" but as soon as they actually reflect on it and try to puzzle it out she insults them and acts like a bitch?

[Tyr]

They don't own you, they don't own the artwork that they put on you.

Actually, tattoo artists are permitted to copyright their designs. When you receive a tattoo, you have purchased a print of the design in the medium of ink on flesh, and have a license to display that specific print. Recreating the design itself in another medium, e.g. ink on synthetic dermal, could be construed as outside of fair use. The artist would not sue our hypothetical crash victim, but rather the studio/body shop that recreated the design without permission.

[BenRG]

I think that we have a tiny insight into Faye's current financial situation that, as much as she approaches it negatively, her first hope is that Clinton is going to spend some money! Then, of course, too late, she realises that she's hit his 'nerd' trigger and gets out as he and Willow start talking weird stuff about philosophy.

I do agree with Jeph's essential point about art here, though: Sometimes art means more to the one who consumes it to the one who produces it. To them, it may be a living whilst, to you, it may be a deep insight into the human condition! On the other hand, this is definitely one of those times when his attempt to use AIs as an allegory for human minorities breaks down. Humans have been doodling on themselves using temporary materials for millennia. If anything, it's the AIs culturally appropriating humans!

[Gyrre]

I think that we have a tiny insight into Faye's current financial situation that, as much as she approaches it negatively, her first hope is that Clinton is going to spend some money! Then, of course, too late, she realises that she's hit his 'nerd' trigger and gets out as he and Willow start talking weird stuff about philosophy.

I do agree with Jeph's essential point about art here, though: Sometimes art means more to the one who consumes it to the one who produces it. To them, it may be a living whilst, to you, it may be a deep insight into the human condition! On the other hand, this is definitely one of those times when his attempt to use AIs as an allegory for human minorities breaks down. Humans have been doodling on themselves using temporary materials for millennia. If anything, it's the AIs culturally appropriating humans!

Would the AIs necessarily be a minority stand-in in this instance? This is a potential question that could come up in a society similar to ours with true A.I.

EDIT: I suppose my point is —to paraphrase— sometimes an AI is just an AI.

For example, can you think of any circumstances in which a human might identify with Blues' (Protoman's) story from the Mega Man games? The closest example I can think of would be someone who was put up for adoption seeking out their birth parents and finding out that they actually got together and had more kids.

(click to show/hide)

I'm Not the Breakman
Sometimes I can’t see the blue through the red
Hard to see the good through your trail of dead
You say you’ll do all you can to save them
Killing your own won’t make you human

I woke to turn this man to cinder
Circuits afire as I remember
Again I hear a promise spoken
My rage repairs what once was broken

They lost me
Forgot me
Made you from parts of me
If you’re The One
My Father’s son
Then what am I supposed to be?

You say these things you do are what you choose
This thing you call your will I call a ruse
We follow our path, we walk the program
I’ve accepted the machine I am

I wear a mask to hide what’s been erased
How do you kill a man who has your face
My heart is gone there’s only fire
I’ve met my maker and the man’s a liar

They lost me
Forgot me
Made you from parts of me
If you’re The One
My father’s son
Then what am I supposed to be?

What am I?

I had a name
My father called me Blues
He tore my heart from my chest
To give to you
I’m not broken
I’m not the Breakman
I was the first

I am the Protoman!

They lost me
Forgot me
Made you from parts of me
If you’re The One
My father’s son
Then what am I supposed to be?

What am I supposed to be?

Make Your Choice
So we finally meet
Two prodigal sons in the eye of the storm
You say that you stand for peace
But you're the one geared for war

I'm unlike the others you've seen
I'm free from the failings of humanity
I've seen the end
And you are the key my friend

How can there be peace while two sides stand
You're a machine who calls himself a man
You fight for a dream that can never be
Your arguments are noise
It's time to make your choice

And what of you
The shadows can't hide the rage in your steel
You say you don't care at all
But if he died tell me would you feel

You wait for the choice to be made
You're afraid your purpose has been taken away
If you side with me
I will show you the way

How can there be peace while two sides stand
You're a machine who calls himself a man
You fight for a dream that can never be
Your arguments are noise
It's time to make your choice

You've been here before
How can there be peace
You know what's in store
You're just a machine
Mankind is obsolete
You're dreaming
History will repeat
This could be the last time
One last time

You fight for a dream
That can never be
Your arguments are noise
It's time to make your choice

How can there be peace while two sides stand
You're a machine who calls himself a man
You fight for a dream that can never be
Your arguments are noise
It's time to make your choice

Melody From the Past
The detonation shook the walls
It was coming down
The empty halls filled with flame
And everything was burning to the ground
I called your name, I tried to warn
But you didn't hear
You were torn
Between the hero and your fears

And I wish that I could be The One
To finally show the way
And I wish that I could be The One
Who knew just what to say
But I know that there is nothing
I could ever say or do
Because you're The One
The doctor chose you to be his son…

If I was standing where you are
I think I would have done what father wants
But now I know what I'd become

He said to me that I would be
That I would be the Light when they couldn't see
That what they need is a machine
That would give them hope
That could keep them free
That when they'd fall still he would stand
A savior built by human hands

It seems so strange, so very odd
A hero's father could be so very flawed…

An apology so sorry for the man he was
For the father he couldn't be
That I would not be what I was built to be
If I had a heart it would have broken to see his face
To see my family
And The One who took my place

There is a song I hear
A melody from the past
When I woke for the first time
When I slept for the last
You are The One
The hero who will stand
Do not blame father
He is only a man

What was filled with rage finally understands
Man is not without mistake
Unlike that which he builds from his hands
Though my fate is broken my path I cannot see
Though you are the chosen
I'll make my own history…

There is a song I hear
A melody from the past
When I woke for the first time
When I slept for the last
You are The One
The hero who will stand
Do not blame father
He is only a man

EDIT: *derp* Forgot the other two songs that go with the one in the spoiler to complete Blues' story arc in Mega Man 3. Fun fact, that first one was actually arranged from the 'Weapon Get' jingle.
EDIT 2: For context, Melody From the Past is the one I was hyperfixating on at the time of posting this. The songs are in order of character development, BTW.

[JoeCovenant]

Clinton at ease in the presence of someone he can actually hold a conversation with for more than 2 minutes?

Seems like a better partner to me than a dude he's not even sure he likes 'that way' (Baka)

[Potato Farmer]

I've always found the cultural appropriation issue somewhat iffy and this instance is even shakier than most.

[Magniras]

Are AIs a minority? Based on comic representation they don't seem to be, but that could just be because of the cast.

[Thrillho]

Given the prevalence of queer folk in the group, I wouldn't assume they represent the mainstream culture of the world Jeph is curating.

[frumbustigan]

Nice to see the cultapp cult is even more irrational and just as hostile in qcland as it is in real life

- robots aren't appropriating human tattoos
- humans are appropriating from robots, who we oppressed by I don't know, creating them and then not oppressing them?
- it's okay to hurl accusations, but considering the accusation thoughtfully makes you a nerdthinking nerdoverthinker

Perfectly reflective of how dumb this discourse is in reality.

[Gyrre]

I've always found the cultural appropriation issue somewhat iffy and this instance is even shakier than most.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a good illustration of what cultural appropriation is.

Note that while Jack is well-meaning, he doesn't ask any of the Christmas Town locals about the meaning of any part of what he sees in Christmas town.

[Farideh]

Comic's up.

Willow is starting to remind me of Booster.

[Wombat]

Looking at certain parts of this strip makes my back hurt.

[Case]

"Of course, as Foucault said: 'Vous m'avez malcompris. Vous êtes idiot' "

(My sincere apologies to the resident Francophones)

[Is it cold in here?]

who we oppressed by I don't know, creating them and then not oppressing them?

They were treated as property early in the strip, even having their bodies modded without their consent. Momo referred to a long civil rights struggle. We've seen May encounter hiring discrimination that had nothing to do with her criminal record. There's an AI ERA now because it was needed.

None of which, of course, turns a temporary tattoo on a human into cultural appropriation. I don't know what Faye was on about there, unless Jeph had her say that to give Clinton a chance to nerd out.

[Gus_Smedstad]

I'm a little late, but...

I'm pretty sure it's just a dozen AIs or so who have heard of Sam's drawings and like them. Sam's "sprays" are not part of anyone's culture, it's just a local fad.

That, and what's already been said. People have been drawing on themselves for as long as there's been people. Permanently or otherwise. When I was 10, my friends and I scribbled on each other with magic markers. It's a kid thing to do.

[sitnspin]

I think certain people in this forum forget that just because a character says something doesn't mean it is something the author believes or agrees with. The characters are not the author.

[Oenone]

I'm a little late, but...

I'm pretty sure it's just a dozen AIs or so who have heard of Sam's drawings and like them. Sam's "sprays" are not part of anyone's culture, it's just a local fad.

That, and what's already been said. People have been drawing on themselves for as long as there's been people. Permanently or otherwise. When I was 10, my friends and I scribbled on each other with magic markers. It's a kid thing to do.

I think it’s a popular thing, but that Sam is in particular a very local artist doing it. It’s not like it’s a secret you can draw on yourself, so I’m sure other people have monetized that.

[Gus_Smedstad]

I'm pretty sure when Sam first started doing the drawings, it was considered new and unusual by Bubbles' and Faye's clients. I'm not sure, though, and I failed miserably at looking up the first strip where her drawings were introduced.

[Gyrre]

I wonder how long Jeph's been sitting on that postcomic text.

They don't own you, they don't own the artwork that they put on you.

Actually, tattoo artists are permitted to copyright their designs. When you receive a tattoo, you have purchased a print of the design in the medium of ink on flesh, and have a license to display that specific print. Recreating the design itself in another medium, e.g. ink on synthetic dermal, could be construed as outside of fair use. The artist would not sue our hypothetical crash victim, but rather the studio/body shop that recreated the design without permission.

Always ask questions and read the posted signs.

[Penquin47]

I asked a friend in the tattoo industry about this, and she said that no, your tattoo is yours.  You can stop work mid-tattoo and go to another artist and have them finish it, if you'd like.  The artist might get upset, but there isn't really anything they can do to stop you.  Same principle would hold for having it repaired later by another artist.

[Beast_Reborn]

I've always found the cultural appropriation issue somewhat iffy and this instance is even shakier than most.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a good illustration of what cultural appropriation is.

Note that while Jack is well-meaning, he doesn't ask any of the Christmas Town locals about the meaning of any part of what he sees in Christmas town.

What's the problematic part of Jack's plan in Nightmare Before Christmas? Is it really the fact that he adopts the trappings of Christmas without understanding their meaning? Or is it, you know, the kidnapping?

[SeattleCrochetWoman]

I think certain people in this forum forget that just because a character says something doesn't mean it is something the author believes or agrees with. The characters are not the author.

Exactly! I took Faye’s comment as just Faye saying something she wasn’t even sure she agreed with, possibly to be snarky, because Faye does that sometimes.

[Morituri]

I remember fake tattoos that came in packs of gum.  It was a design on paper, printed with some special kind of ink.  You dipped the paper in water, put it on your skin, and let it dry, which took something like two minutes.  Then you peeled the paper off and there's your tattoo.  Which lasted, basically, until the next time you got it wet.

We thought it was cool, and we started making stencils to draw cool designs on ourselves with magic markers.

We had no idea we might be appropriating AI culture at the time. 

[sitnspin]

I've always found the cultural appropriation issue somewhat iffy and this instance is even shakier than most.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a good illustration of what cultural appropriation is.

Note that while Jack is well-meaning, he doesn't ask any of the Christmas Town locals about the meaning of any part of what he sees in Christmas town.

What's the problematic part of Jack's plan in Nightmare Before Christmas? Is it really the fact that he adopts the trappings of Christmas without understanding their meaning? Or is it, you know, the kidnapping?

Both.

[awkwardness]

They don't own you, they don't own the artwork that they put on you.

Actually, tattoo artists are permitted to copyright their designs. When you receive a tattoo, you have purchased a print of the design in the medium of ink on flesh, and have a license to display that specific print. Recreating the design itself in another medium, e.g. ink on synthetic dermal, could be construed as outside of fair use. The artist would not sue our hypothetical crash victim, but rather the studio/body shop that recreated the design without permission.

The loophole is if they haven't filed for copyright protection or if their copyright doesn't cover new media: like synthetic skin. And if they were "protecting their copyright" they would never allow anyone to alter their designs- yet it's done every day by tattoo parlors, especially for tattoos that are botched. You don't see any of them suing other artists over the alterations of their designs, the only time they sue is when they can make a buck off of someone who is famous and whose likeness is going to be used. But even then, they have to actually file the copyright which most can't be bothered to do.

And if they go after someone because they are recreating artwork that was damaged because of a loss of limb they are scumbags. It's one thing to "protect their art" but it's another to be emotionally heartless. If they tied to go after an artist for recreating artwork on a lost limb they would end up blackballed and shunned. It's horrible business.

[Gnabberwocky]

All my attention is drawn my the fact that Faye is telepathically controlling the arm she's holding to point at Willow. I know it's just a small easter egg, but she is remotely making a mechanical object move without manipulating it. I can't focus on anything else.

[awkwardness]

I asked a friend in the tattoo industry about this, and she said that no, your tattoo is yours.  You can stop work mid-tattoo and go to another artist and have them finish it, if you'd like.  The artist might get upset, but there isn't really anything they can do to stop you.  Same principle would hold for having it repaired later by another artist.

Your friend might want to take note: this actually is a real case that's winding its way through the courts right this moment and is continuing onward. The artist has a lot to lose, not just any wrestlers alongside the recipient

[Scarlet Manuka]

I'm pretty sure when Sam first started doing the drawings, it was considered new and unusual by Bubbles' and Faye's clients. I'm not sure, though, and I failed miserably at looking up the first strip where her drawings were introduced.

She drew on Punchbot's temporary patch just to make it look awesome. Then the next thing we know another robot walks in and asks "is this the place doing the sprays?". So the name and concept clearly predated Sam's involvement, but it does seem like there wasn't really anyone local doing them before Sam got into it.

[Penquin47]

There's a difference between recreating the artwork for a video game and recreating it on the person for whom the tattoo was designed.  For one thing, the person who has it recreated on their new prosthetic arm is not financially benefitting from the art without sharing with the artist.

This is a lot more akin to "I own a print of a portrait of some famous person.  It got damaged in a tornado and now part of it is missing.  I'm going to pay my artist friend to redo the missing part as close to the original as possible."  Or "I learned something about this famous person and now I despise them, so I'm going to deface the portrait by gluing googly eyes on and drawing a mustache and adding ridiculous blotches to their face."  You own the print.  You can do whatever you want to it.

(The first analogy doesn't hold up perfectly - after all, it would probably be cheaper and easier to just buy a new print than to try to have the old one restored - but still useful.  While going to the original artist would be the polite, preferred thing to do to have your tattoo redone, it may not always be feasible for various reasons.)