Grrl Power #115 – Reservations for two
This page was tough to write because of the set up. I don’t have an audience advocate involved. That is, everyone in the room is smart and fully informed of what the situation is, so there’s no one to ask leading questions that the others can answer without it sounding like exposition for the benefit of the readers. But I’ve been re-watching Buffy with the wife who’s never seen it and I was reminded by the great and mighty Whedon that sometimes smart people sometimes say funny, leading or irreverent things if they’ve been put wrong footed by one of the other characters or are distracted by secondary plot elements. (We just started season 4, haven’t gotten to Hush yet.)
Besides, this page has two of my favorite pictures of Sydney so far.
Also please enjoy the new Halloween themed vote incentive. The one with Dabbler is almost done but I’m not thrilled with some of the background work on it. I’ll let you guys know when it’s available on the DA page.
Edit: Updated image with 5 o’clock shadow and the cigar smoke. I always forget the smoke.
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I must admit, abusing the power that comes with the badge doesn’t really seem out of character for Sydney, but we’ll have to wait and see.
I once saw a couple cops using their siren to get to Shoneys, where they promptly came inside and sat down for a meal. Abuse happens, but if it’s limited it’s far better than someone considering it open season to do what they want.
I agree.
Besides: she may be a “spaz”, but she’s still shown herself to be quite responsible. Pushing forward to get Comic Con tickets is a far cry from trying to take over the world.
Is that supposed to be Code Geass reference?
Besides, wouldn’t she be in the dealers’ area anyway, being a comic book store owner?
Oooh, that’s a damn good point!
But luckily this is just a mental image of another character. lol
That is an image from Max’s mind and she may not see the connection.
She probably doesn’t know the connection. They’ve been asking her about the orbs, not where she works.
It was part of the background briefing that Zeph gave at the beginning, while Sydney was waiting out in the hall.
That’s disturbingly common, more than a few cops abuse their authority.
Hell, there was a case of a TSA agent flashing his badge before sexually assaulting a woman. It is undetermined if he seemed to think that having the badge meant he could do whatever he wanted, but it certainly seemed to be the case.
With the PPO, there might not be any bodies!
Bup, bup, bup, only if you’re hip. ;P
It’s Bip!Bip!Bip! GP.
Nope, it’s bup bup bup, go back and read #88 again.
Bip! Bip! Bip! sounds better. ;)
so she does take things of the list
Only when totally dead or destroyed! Check!
Regrettably, checking things OFF the list is only speculation by Zeph
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I cannot accept,
And the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people
I had to kill today because they pissed me off.
Also, help me to be careful of the toes I step on today,
as they may be connected to the ass that I may have to kiss tomorrow.
I’ve seen that somewhere before, but I forget where.
Make a great T-shirt.
The first part of that was 2/3 of the Serenity Prayer. The last line is a little different than the original.
Hiding bodies is coming from a later misquote.
The second part comes from a widely quoted adage, but I have not found its origin:
Be careful whose toes you step on today;
they might be attached to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow.
Only her roommate would REALLY know where the body’s are buried. That’s what roommates are for, to help bury the body’s, so you don’t end up one. ;-)
Only true friends will help you bury the bodies. Being a roommate is not an automatic on that.
Like they say…..
“A good friend will bail you out of jail. A true friend will turn to you while in the cell and tell you that was AWESOME!”
Try living with someone like Miss Sidney, YOU. MUST. BE. A. TRUE. FRIEND. Or you wouldn’t survive.
Typo panel 1 bubble 2:
“It’s another thing to arm that spaz and unleash
ingher on the public.”Alternate grammar fix: “It’s another thing arming that spaz and unleasing her on the public.” Take your pick, depending on how ‘correct’ you want the use of tenses to be (not that I would know which is more correct in context).
I know that “spaz” can be seen by some as offensive, but I’d leave it in unless anyone actually complains. I think it’s fairly clear that it’s coming from a character who’s not used to mincing his words, whose political correctness isn’t perhaps the most up to date, and who is probably being a bit hyperbolic at this point.
Also some of the language in the comic will definitely be a politically incorrect, especially coming from Sydney. I think it will be part of her arc going from causally throwing out stuff that others taking exception to and now suddenly being on a diverse team and also in front of news cameras quite a bit. Besides the team is largely comprised with soldiers and they’re not always known for competitive sensitivity, so she won’t be the only one with colorful vocab.
That people in the strip are like just about everybody else in that they will not always be ‘politically correct’, I definitely go with.
But Zeph’s use of the word “spaz” seemed rather “off” to me. Up to now, he has come across as being rather formal and and very precise in his speech, and “spaz” is not exactly a scientific description or anything. I could easily see General Faulk using “spaz” as a matter of course. Max, possibly not at all – may well have had that word used on her a few times in her geek days.
Yeah, but then he got to know her.
No, you’re right, this page was tough to write, trying to get people to use the right words to set up the jokes correctly, and also coming off the previous page where everyone but Zeph had already chimed in, it definitely could have been planned better. The problem was that I knew what jokes I wanted but I sort of edited the 3 pages separately which is a really bad habit. I need to plan out whole scenes in advance better.
For info, I am not into political correctness and, in particular, Sydney’s language makes me laugh. But, as you expressed some dissatisfaction yourself, I thought I may mention the following. Not as a suggestion to alter the dialogue, but as a heads up, so that you know it is a problematic word.
Zeph is a “retired explorer” and therefore presumably cosmopolitan. Depending on how well he knows the British, he may be aware that “Spaz” is considered a pejorative term, on the other side of the pond. Used to derogatively refer to people with Cerebral Palsy (a shortened version of “Spastic”).
Tiger Woods managed to cause gross offense by using it. So something to bear in mind if you intend to publish in the UK in due course.
In a private meeting, with just Americans present, this may not concern Zeph. On the other hand, if he spent a lot of time with Brits, he might habitually replace it with “maniac” or something like that.
Personally it does not bother me, given that its meaning in America is innocuous, fairly punchy for the joke and it would be hard to find an alternative term that captures both her physical and mental… eccentricities.
George Bernard Shaw once said “England and America are two countries separated by a common language”. There are quite a few things the Americans say as part of their everyday language which could be offensive to us Brits, for that matter us Brits probably say things which offend the Americans.
I saw a chat show a few years back where an American actress mentioned how she and her husband were taking shagging lessons (it’s a type of dance), based on the laughs it got she guessed it meant some else over here.
I would ask why one needs lessons to learn how to Shag, But then I remember the assholes that came here in the 1600s.
I have learnt that, when speaking to an American girl, with a cat on her lap, that you should not ask if you can stroke her pussy.
Actually, I stand in error (yet again) as Max uses the word “spaz” here. In her defence, it IS because Sydney is being especially …… Sydney.
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/366
Should be fixed now. Mixed tenses are how you know there was a lot of editing. :)
Really, the only thing that they can do is try to train her and instill some self-control.
OTOH, she hasn’t yet (that we’ve seen) mis-used her orb-granted powers in private life. Her innate “Breath of Fire” attack and tounge-based judo, on the other hand…
Hush is the single greatest television episode ever created.
The list, is actually a death note.
she’s going need some apples then
If the list is a Death Note then I would be afraid, very afraid since she has lots of filled ones back at her place. She also seems to show precision and focus when writing in them, which makes me think she writes small to save space.
maybe she’s coming up with some creative and ingenuous methods of dieing, unlike some of the villains from the 60’s batman, making sure there’s no way to escape
I could SO imagine Sydney abusing her badge to get into ComicCon. And her naughty-face in panel 5 is just priceless. XD
However, I’m confused. Since when are the Archon folks considered “cops”? I thought they were an active military branch, not police. So they wouldn’t get badges regardless.
Also, it’s time for everyone’s favorite game, “Find the Mistakes”! The contenders this week are:
a. Panel 1: “unleashing” should be “unleash”.
b. Panels 2 & 6: clean-shaven General is clean-shaven.
You have a very good point. Under the Posse Comitatus Act, U.S. Armed Forces security folks (who are also nationally accreditied police officers) cannot act as police outside of military bases except when in “hot pursuit” or when a declaration of suspension of civil rights (usually a part of a martial law declaration) has been issued by Congress. While technically, this only includes the Army and Air Force, the Navy and Marine Corps have adopted it by regulation. The Coast Guard is the only one exempt due to their specific duties.
@DaveB – this doesn’t invalidate your story, just make sure you explain what thier authority is and how they co-exist with the PC Act to satisfy the nit-pickers :)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_police#Limitation_of_authority_and_jurisdiction
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act
Oh, the National Guard is exempt as well, but they need to be activated by the state Governor first…
Well that’s a key point. They’re playing with the technicalities. Posse Comitatus specifically names the Army and Air Force, and the Navy and Marines have internal guidelines, but Archon, being a new branch, is obviously not mentioned in the act, nor do they have internal guidelines like the Navy/Marines. In fact their charter specifically outlines their authority and limitations, “Internal Defense” being their primary function. I’ll get into it a little more during the press conference, but that’s basically the bulk of it.
Any requirements for Archon under Posse Comitatus would have been added in the legislation creating them. If no requirements were added…they don’t fall under it. They could add themselves by regulation like the Navy and Marines did of course but if they choose not to I don’t see how they are playing with a technicality. If they weren’t created by legislation then technically everyone still belongs to their parent organization and would still fall under their regs (i.e. Army would still be disallowed under PC).
not a problem everyone who finishes training gets sworn in as a US Federal Marshal. Or have regulations state that when in operation they are equivalent to US Marshals. And yes Marshals can deputize .
“In August 2002, the U.S. Marshal Service deputized 79 Coast Guardsmen, giving them and their immediate subordinates the authority to make arrests on shore. That trial program was an attempt to boost the service’s legitimacy on land as a U.S. law enforcement agency. “
Coast Guard had been a Enforcement Agency for years and does not fall under PC at all partially because they had Law Enforcement as part of their mission to begin with. And since you don’t stop being a soldier because someone deputized you Army, Air Force, Marine and Navy personel would stil be such and couldn’t utilize the powers a Deputation would give them and still be Active Duty.
Exactly. Noting also that it is a common thing for USN ships doing anti-drug patrols to be “deputized” or seconded to the USCG for the duration. From all accounts, this takes little more than a formal exchange of signals.
Actually, when a USN ship is conducting law enforcement duties, they are usually accompanied by an embarked detachment of Coast Guard personnel. Navy forces can chase down, monitor and follow any suspected illegal activity, but they are not authorized to make any kind of arrests; that’s why they carry Coast Guard onboard when anticipating those kinds of activities.
(I’ve done three counter narco-terrorism deployments, so I’m fairly familiar with the proceedures.)
Soldiers aren’t trained as law enforcement, they are trained as soldiers. Attempts at using soldiers as law enforcement usually end badly. So having the CG personnel on board is probably a good idea just for ensuring things are handled correctly, even without worrying about legal authority.
At this present time is Posse Comitatus even been used? I seem to recall military forces being used off base on US soil over th past 10 years in relation to the boarder.
I wonder what the ARC psychiatrist will say when Sydney is being evaluated. Remember them? Professionals in their fields. None of those in the room have that training and experience.
Both psychopaths and sociopaths aren’t “nut jobs” they understand the society’s right and wrong. They just don’t care, for them if they squash people either violently or through other means is hunky dory to them. No feelings, no remorse, no PTSD effects for them.
Also, the reason the US Coast Guards now participate in air intercepts over the US? Legally the crew in the helicopter crew can make a “Shoot” call on the spot if needed, while the Air Force or ANG pilot has to get orders.
Posse Comitatus has various exceptions, under specific circumstances. Such as if troops are needed to quell civil disorder.
there’s something everyone seems to forget, it’s your comic, your creation, your would, your rules, if you want Archon to have ID badges, they have ID badges.
They call it Arc-Swat. I’m guessing it’s a federal agency that has been set up to police supers who misuse their powers.
At least that’s what she said in the interview.
There are a few ways around this.
The most likely one is an exception granted by the congress.
Another one is the president ordering them to act.
Doesn’t the list have “The list” in white on the cover?
Grrl Power mistake! CONGRADULATIONS!
comments mistake! it’s CONGRADUATIONS…
…
… >.>
… <.<
…it's congratulations…
Zaph doesn’t know there IS a blank booklet you can buy with THE LIST written on it. Which might outsell T-shirts.
It’s Zeph, and there seems to be no way to correct a comment…
It’s only fair. Dave has to put up with us seeing his mistakes so he gets to see ours.
Keep in mind that the panels with Sydney are just from the imagination of the various people in the room. They may not have noticed the printing on the cover when it fell from her pocket as Dabbler spun her around.
Last panel — Sydney as Light Yagami…
Oh Christ, now I have in my mind the image of Sydney getting her hands on a Death Note. THE HORROR! THE HORROR…!
I’ll take this triple-omega-spicy potato chip… AND EAT IT!!!!
Sydney is looking for a whole bag of those (assuming really spicy) chips, because she is still so hungry. Yes, looking at hot guys can distract you for a while, but other appetites need to satisfied as well.
plus she’s drooling now as well, which will only speed the need to feed
Very true, but I was actually making reference to this scene from Death Note.
Hah hah taken completely out of context, that scene is… confusing to say the least.
Light Yagami is also a genius and takes on the mantle of avenging angel with the power of life and death. It warps him in terrible ways. Most people if not anyone human can take such absolute power and not be damaged by it. Ego gets too much food in that area and grows larger than Godzilla.
My inner fanboy got big sparkly eyes at the very thought!
Thank you for that. He hasn’t been the same since seeing ‘Legend of the seeker’.
Looks like Dabbler won’t be the only on needing a handler. Although the cast page says she becomes more introverted with the extra attention.
Looks like Dabbler won’t be the only on needing a handler.
depends on who’s doing the handling and where she’s being handled
So, by looking at the comic-con pics, Sydney can make the orbs circle the back of her head as opposed to just around it? I guess that makes them a little less noticable.
Don’t forget that the Comic-Con panels (and the final panel) are just people’s imaginations. #86 (the cliffhanger prior to revealing the orbs – still a favourite wallpaper of mine) shows that that such is subjective to the individual’s imaginations and need have no bearing on their reality. A useful way for Dave to keep us laughing, but without (necessarily) establishing canon.
It also allows continuity to be ignored. If they do not visualise “The List” typed on the notebook, then it will not be on it.
Finally, it both stops Sydney from having to manifest herself at Dave’s workstation, to practice Tongue-Fu on him, for having another page without her in it, and allows us our fix of the cuteness that is Sydney!
Yeah I’ve realized that half the funny stuff that happens in the comic is fantasy, but hey, almost all the funny stuff in Dream On or Ally McBeal was too.
Dream On, now that’s going back a ways.
They’re having problems keeping up. Yes, she is that keen on getting a ticket.
Panel 7 made my day. Touchy-feely Maxima! :O
Besides everyone should know that burying a body is the WORST way to get rid of one.
Seems to work pretty well for them on Misfits…
Oh, yes, The best way is to find a concrete pad that’s fairly fireproof then wrap the body in cloth that has been doused with kerosene or diesel fuel and light that on fire. This will cause the fat in the body to start burning like a candle and raise the local temperature to the point that bones burn without actually damaging the concrete. And yes I read too many crime reports…
Chemically inert container and sulfuric acid.
teeth and hair.
I saw a CSI where they put a body in a barrel an filled it up with desel fuel and burned the body.
Bottom of the Lyoko computer lab’s freight elevator shaft.
*Waits to see if anyone gets the reference*
Code Lyoko is a French animated television series created by Thomas Romain and Tania Palumbo. The series centers on boarding school students Jeremie, Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd who travel to the virtual world of Lyoko (found in a supercomputer housed in the basement of an abandoned factory near the school — to fight against a sinister and deadly multi-agent system named XANA and prevent him from taking over the world)
The series features both two-dimensional animation and CGI.
Not bad. Wiki’d?
Betcha didn’t know there’s a fifth season coming out, replacing the 2d animation of the real world with LIVE ACTION.
Barrel full of lye; buried in concrete
Better to incinerate, ground up into dust then spread it all around. But be very careful all the bones are reduced to particles first. Best to do it in a crematorium so that the bodies can be lost with the rest of the legitimate ones.
If you live on the coast, throw out some chum, wait a half hour then feed the sharks. Or if you live in a area with gators they work just as well.
for syd grab it with tentecle fly out over large body of water and drop fron several 1000 ft
pigs.
I think it was “lock, stock and two smoking barrels” ( a gangster movie set in London) one of the gangsters said you need a lot of pigs, starving them for about a week then just drop the body in their pen, they’ll eat anything.
Fact is stranger than fiction. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19796224
It was also in the movie “snatch” where they said something along the lines of 16 pigs to eat a 200 pound body in one sitting. On my grandfathers farm they raise goats for sacrifices, and have to dispose of the remains. Their are ways to get a body to decompose, bones and all.
that may of been the one I was thinking of, I knew one was the sequel, just could remember which one
If they are not sociopathic when they join the coppers surviving the crap they do at the least makes them develop sociopathic tendencies simply as defence or coping mechanism.
They have to not be affected by the feelings of others, they spend their day manipulating others, physically and emotionally while enduring the same in return. They have to deal with people who heap vile abuse, lies and contempt on them. They have to deal with people who don’t want to do what they are asked who may try and pull any manner of stupid irrational crap on them.
Being in the coppers is rough. It’s very hard on “regular” people, ever tried drinking with coppers?
A well trained (or leashed as you put it) sociopath would be a useful addition to the team as they would be more likely not to crumple under stress.
Sydney being a spaz ie unreliable is more of a concern.
Makes it seem like there are inhibitors on those collars the way they go on about leashing.
BTW super-awesome character development for Zeph. I am sure the girls and the boys will all make him worry about the end of the world and other murphy’s law sounding disaster scenarios, as a joke, once in a while.
I’ve seen a character like that in Buffy I think? And I like it.
Yeah I get the impression that Zeph has seen some pretty dire stuff in his day. His fantasies seem to go to dark places.
Yeah…”The harvest begins!”
I still want that on a shirt! ;-)
As Friedrich Nietzsche once said “….if you gaze into the abyss the abyss gazes into you” he also said “Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster”
And Dakuan from Ninja Scroll said “In order to fight a demon you must be a demon!”
“Bodies? What bodies? I was just … having a barbecue in the woods! That’s right, just roasting some meat! Not doing anything suspicious at all!”
Even if she is officially a sociopath, that’s not a problem unless she forgets to act ‘normally’. It matters little whether the actions are automatic or conscious, as long as they happen. If anything, you’d want a good sociopath or two on the team, someone who can make tough choices without getting too emotionally involved.
Regarding sociopaths, I wanted to work in “It’s not like we don’t have one or two on the team already” but I couldn’t make it fit. Someone being a sociopath doesn’t mean they’re automatically a serial killer, but if they do kill someone, they probably don’t feel too bad about it.
I read somewhere that a sociopath knows the difference between right and wrong, and what their doing maybe wrong, but they don’t care.
I as a Diagnosed Sociopath can confirm that.
You certainly cannot do better than looking to Buffy for tips! As a body of work, I would say that it is the best set of TV series ever made. With Hush and the musical being pretty much the best of the best. although I do love the messing with the audiences minds that is done in the episode where Buffy does not know if she is in a mental hospital deluding herself that she is a superhero or not
One of Joss’s tips that I can see translating directly to the comic medium is action scenes. How he always tries to split up any combat involving multiple individuals, into separate areas. So that the director (or artist) need not have to deal with the complications of what is going on in the background, and can give full attention to each small skirmish in turn. Now that the cast list has a bunch of heroes, such scenes will probably come in due course.
Pfft! So much for my attempt to put stuff in spoiler mode. Guess I shall have to actually look up how to use tags.
I edited it a little but I wasn’t sure what part you wanted to have spoilered. I think pretty much everyone knows about the musical episode.
Ahh, thanks. Although I wasn’t trying to put anything in bold, it was just an inept attempt to see if that was a prefix to the spoiler tag. Given that my previous attempt did not work.
Mostly it was just for your wife’s benefit actually, as I know she is involved in the comic too. I guessed that many of your readers would be familiar with Buffy. And those few who were not, will have forgotten my comments should they eventually became enlightened. I just did not want to give any clues about either of the episodes I mentioned that might detract from her enjoyment, given that you are re-watching it together.
By odd coincidence, I know another Dave, a novel writer, who has also been introducing his wife to Buffy by watching it together.
[spoiler] Half the delight of the mind bending episode is the audience realising how they themselves have bought into the weird “reality” (aka suspension of disbelief) and that the episode makes them re-appraise how they view such reality. [spoiler]
Feel free to hide my last paragraph if your wife has not already seen my previous. I shall have a trawl back through the archives and see if I can spot where you initially introduced the spoiler tag, to avoid future probs.
The spoiler tag is like HTML, you have to close it with a (bracket-slash) Let me see if this works:
<spoiler> Spoiled text here </spoiler> It also works with brackets. [spoiler] Spoiled text here [/spoiler]
Perfect, just what the vet ordered! Because this could either be imagination or a BIG spoiler:
A couple of days back, in the cast list at the top of the page, I saw Sydney in what looked suspiciously like a white wedding dress!
Or at least, as much as you can see in a thumbnail portrait. By the time that interpretation had filtered through to my conscious mind, I had already moved on to another page. And, needless to say, that image has never appeared again, in your seeming never-ending gallery of portraits! Without which I have no way of knowing if it was an astute observation, or Freudian wishful thinking.
Of course, I have no wish to know any of the story before it happens! I just thought I would mention spotting it.
Way back near the beginning of Sydney’s interview, she pictured herself marrying Wolverine. That is where that picture probably came from.
Oops, that link appears to be empty. I meant to go here.
That will explain it! Glad I was not hallucinating.
Nope Yorp. You’re just mad. After all, “If you wasn’t mad, you wouldn’t be here!”
” Cause we’re all mad you see ha ha ha ha” Woah childhood flashback!
heh
You guys reminded me of one of my mother’s favorite songs :)
“They’re coming to take me away! HaHa!”
“To the Happy Home! With trees, and flowers, and chirping birds, and basket weavers who sit and twiddle their thumbs, and they’re coming to take me away! HaHa!”
whats wrong with being in a mental hospital deluding yourself that your a superhero living a life full of action and adventure saving the world, when the alternative is a boring reality?
Absolutely nothing. If it was not for the bastards in white coats trying to “cure” you!
Which reminds me, I must go back, to Paragon City. We only have until the end of the month, until the world ends!
Until Greg House comes by and takes you out of the hospital for a day and you try to prove you are a superhero by flying off a parking garage.
Then reality behaves like a bitch and convinces you that your not, but if you can solve the problem of the sudden deceleration you’ve got nothing to worry about
just spread your wings or use a controlled tk field
Ha I know why the general is clean shaven. He is participating in no shave November!
Looks like Sidney made quite an impression on Zeph. Aside from trying to hit Dabler over the head with a chair, which was understandable, considering Sidney suddenly saw het true form, she looked more restrained then both Dabler and Maxima.
Maybe Zeph allready has his hands full with those two, and is playing it very save right now when it comes to recruiting.
Last panel Sidney = pure WIN!
Since we saw her put the orbs on the list (before she got to the bank), I’m not worried that she might be hiding bodies. . . human ones, anyway.
Maybe she used to have more orbs but then they got on the list one time too many…
she used to work for the mob as part of a clean up crew
Maybe Sidney also wants to plant a tree. At night…
I dunno, she could have a real zeal for agriculture or something. >.> <.<
Oh hey look at that, first look at the “Halo” choker.
He’s right, that is the first official appearance of Sydney’s/Halo’s Choker.
Oh flip is she finally doing the list?! I’d better hide!!
It’s a good thing Zeph’s “bodies” comment is spoken as a whisper (broken speech balloon border), implying he’s talking to himself/thinking out “loud”. Otherwise, I’d be disappointed with him as head of Arc-Light. Given Archon, they could easily dig up any police mysteries where Syd lives or has been and check if there’s a link to her, thanks to and even despite her abilities.
I mean, they already checked her criminal record, her medical record and are currently following up her out of country trips. Syd’s personality may not make a good impression on most people, but Zeph is just prejudging her.
Yes, I’m aware that Zeph’s comment is this update’s joke, but still.
Just because you were never caught, dosn’t mean you havn’t done anything.
Look at the BTK serial killer, his reckord was spottless, and look at what he did.
I’m not talking about sociopath Sydney being caught.
I’m talking about if there are suspicious incidences where Syd has been that can be linked to her and will serve as an adequately suitable red flag for Archon in regards to recruiting her.
Just a small forest fire when she tested the PPO. Oops, sorry about that.
Which was neither malicious nor intended. How would she know her PPO was that powerful?
Anyway, Archon can track down stuff like that. Zephan’s not so much worrying about the consequences of making her a part of her team as over-reacting to her personality.
just because she was there, doesn’t mean she did it. have you noticed how many times Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes just “happened” to be there when there was a murder?
Again, I’m not saying they should use stuff like that to *prove* anything, just that it can indicate anything suspicious on Sydney’s part.
It’s not to *convict* Sydney; just give Archon’s heads any sign that Sydney should not be on the team. Better safe than sorry.
Also, sure, just because someone just “happened to be” at a crime scene does not mean they’re guilty- but it doesn’t mean they’re innocent either. In fact, still means they’re among the most likely people to have done it. It’s not illogical to narrow the search to them first.
Sydney is ADHD and OCD at some level not a sociopath and she is more than likely using hte list as a means of controlling her anger on the plus side the training they will give here is help her with the ADHD some as for the angry she will learn to focus it to the correct targets.
Plus, The List is a good way of intimidating others.
Yes it does have the effect as well.
Dave – excellent work on the last panel! Not only a good maniacal-Sydney face, but the well-balanced sense of action, and portrayal of Zeph’s imagination. Bravo-Zulu!
Hmmm, the question I have (disregarding the fact that the SDCC panels are merely Maxima engaging in speculation) is why a public member of Archon would need to BUY a ticket to get in, rather than having a guest pass and escort. Let’s just chalk that one up to Maxima’s inexperience in the world of fandom.
Arianna’s PUBLICIZING the team, and by logical extension, its members, including merchandising their images, costumes, items, weapons, and noted accessories. Why can I see Sydney getting REALLY into being a celebrity judge for things like chili cook-offs and hot food competitions?
OH MY GOD!! That would probably be Sydneys dream job come true. Maxima might be into it herself,but grumble about it just to keep up appearances.
As in Maxima’s appearances at the discussion panel on how having real superheros is affecting society (1 – 2 pm Saturday), and to sign autographs (3:30 – 5 pm) and appearing as a judge in the costume contest (8-10 pm). ;)
Third prize goes to Cassandra Wells as Romanadvoratrelundar #1. Second prize goes to Coco I can’t read the last name as Power Woman and first prize goes to Sydney Scoville as “Halo.” Hey, wait a minute!
Yeah I would imagine Comic-Con would give an actual superhero the red carpet treatment.
There is just one problem with that picture of Sydney forcing her way through the line at SDCC: She would have to be Picking up her badge to be pulling that stunt. SDCC went completely online Registration a year or two ago. There is no more walk up Registration like at conventions in the rest of the US due to the fact there is no room at SDCC.
They are overcrowded badly yet they don’t want to move.
“Bury Time Capsule Filled with Human Bodies”, maybe.
I have just one question, who is this “Tim e. Capsule” that she buried.
Hah hah.
if your asking obscure questions, how about William Posters, why is he being prosecuted?
https://www.sangrea.net/free-cartoons/law_bill-posters.jpg
Archon Evacuation Vehicle = Arc Ark
Archon Super K9/Werewolf unit = Arc Bark
Archon Early Detection Unit = Arc Hark
Archon Glee Club = Arc Lark
Archon Insignia = Arc Mark
Archon Internal Affairs = Arc Narc
Archon Valet service = Arc Park
Archon Power Service = Arc Spark
Archon Leader = Arc Stark
Archon Relaxation area – Arc Ade
thanks for the giggle when reading that list . A+
Possibly:
Archon Physics Research Unit – Arc Quark
Archon Marine Unit – Arc Shark
Store Employees- Arc Clerks (British pronunciation “clark” )
all mobilised by trans-arc-ic
So… when Dabbler is around, it’s Arc Fark? (NSFW)
And I’d say the Insignia branch would be Arc Wear; the Arc Mark group is the laundry. ;-]
… Arcoroc is the dish suppliers, perhaps…
Goddammit I’m going to be laughing out loud at Arc-Bark all day and people will think I took the wrong meds this morning. I’m going to have to make a note of these for later. (With appropriate credit of course) Like Sydney’s Arc Burger’s comment, it’s probably not the last Arc ______ joke that will come up.
I know exactly where I could use Arc-Bark too. Damnit I wish I could produce these 5x a week.
do a kickstarter!!!!!!
For what? “I’m trying to afford my own Korean sweatshop to do inks and coloring for me, support my kickstarter!”
Everyone who donates x amount get one of the merch they fund. Sort of pay now get merch later plan. Figure out how much you need to do a run on said product and set that as a goal.
Opps! Thinking of merch but might still work for hiring help.
I’ll win the Lottery one day. then get that warehouse full of slave, er.. I mean qualified people to help with your comic.
I suspect arc-dark will want to read what’s on THE LIST. They’d rather a new name, but you take what you can get.
i like max’s look in panel 7
Second to last panel. Max looks less severe than usual. It’s a good look for her. But then i always had a teensy crush on her.
I’de love to see the bottom image of sydney as an avatar.. XD…
Great comic as always.. and really they shouldn’t worry! Like any good comic fan.. she probably heeds the words of Ben Parker!
You’re welcome to clip it out for your own use. I’m using it on twitter now. :)
I just want to know if there is a notebook out there that says ‘The List’ and if not I see a fund-raiser incentive here.
I dunno, but i saw some years ago a Death Note-branded notebook.
I love the expression on Sydney’s face in the last panel!
I feel like I should recognize the guy standing beside Princess Leia in panel 4. Who is this guy supposed to be?
Also, is that Joel shaking his fist in panel 5?
I think the balls are trailing behind Sydney just because she is running so fast and are trying to catch up..
Do you mean Goku as a Super Sayan, or the self-portrait of Dave on the left (Leia’s right)?
If you are referring to the guy in the black t-shirt, my first thought was that it’s a guest appearance by the author, Talthos of “Complex Actions”. And the Whovian in front was one of the ladies from “Worsted for Wear” (can’t remember her name though). I didn’t even remember Dave being in this strip before.
My first thought, when I noticed him myself, was a Hitchcock style cameo. I recalled the mugshot under #38 https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/209 . Perhaps with a haircut and beard trim? Perhaps not.
I was a bit short on time making this page because of the crowd scenes, so I may have dropped the ball a bit on slipping in cameos there. Unfortunately all the people in the crowd are just first draft backgrounders.
Also the orbs are trailing Sydney partially because she’s moving quickly, but from a practical standpoint I didn’t consider the problem of making a shirt character with stuff floating over her head all the time, meaning she covers up the face of anyone standing behind her, or in this case, they’d be blocking out the ComicCon poster.
G’damn, nice page!
I have to admit, I have a rather curious question: We’ve seen Sydney portrayed as a nutjob, a psychopath, a lunatic, a social outcast, a nerd, a geek, and an obsessive deviant.
Are you going to ever portray her eventual sensitive/vulnerable side? I’m curious to see how she acts when the shields aren’t up.
umm sorry to say this is her sensitive/vulnerable side we have been seeing
“I totally forgot he was there!” “i’m so hungry” vulnerable
Yeah there will definitely be moments where we see Sydney cooled down a bit, but mostly as a way to contrast the silliness. I’m not going to kill off her favorite pet or anything, but she’ll round out a bit as the story goes on.
Sorry, can’t resist:
Sydney shows up to work one day in tearful deep blacks of morning, and over the course of a few hours manages to rope everyone into a beautiful and heartfelt funeral for her pet goldfish, goldy. At the end she somberly stalks into the local pet store, knowing that no fish will ever replace her beloved pet in her heart, but that she should move on.
The salespeople in the pet store lead her to a special tank they have set aside just for her, because she goes through fish so fast.
what do you mean a nutjob, a psychopath, a lunatic, a social outcast, a nerd, a geek, and an obsessive deviant? that’s her on a “good day”, do you really wanna be in the same room, the same building, the same city, the same country when she goes completely ape shit?
Actually yes provided I am at that point a friend or better yet a loved one. Destruction is always more interesting than construction.
quote polgara “be carefull emperor there is a lot of valuable fragile stuff around artwork, antiques, walls, the city.”
I’ve gotta say I so far do not see her being a Nutjob, Psychopath, Sociopath or lunatic although that last is highly possible just because of the eccentricities.
I think Sydney is well-and-truly established in the public eye as a nutjob. Refer her performance on the news – specifically the whole “I’m on fire” thing.
That’s a point, Arianna wants to pass Sydney of as a superhero!
It might be easier to knock a hole in a brick wall by banging her head against it
Heckuva time to discover one’s latent superpower. :)
A nutjob, a psychopath, a lunatic, a social outcast, a nerd, a geek, and an obsessive deviant all walk into a bar …..
What? Heard that one? :D
Well you are referring to the same person in each case, right?