Grrl Power #156 – Guerrilla plug
Going by the old Marvel RPG system, they could also be Remarka-balls or Incredi-balls.
Sydney may be a nut but she’s not stupid. “Don’t mind me, just casually demonstrating my powers over here… Bam! Plug!”
So Grrl Power is officially 3 this week. Well, late last week. The first comic went up on August 23, 2010. I almost hesitate to mention it just because it sort of highlights how little has happened so far. I mean… a lot has happened, but not in terms of story progression. It has made me start to replan some future scenes. Try to find ways to streamline them without losing anything. Cut down on the proliferation of character introductions, stuff like that.
I suppose I should celebrate the 3 year anniversary by starting to get serious about merch and stuff like that. As such I’ll try and get that seal shirt done. Hopefully I’ll have it up sometime this week, I just have to figure out Zazzle, since that seems to be a better deal than CafePress.
Oh yeah, and the TGT Tournament is still going on. Down to the semi-finals! As always your vote is appreciated!
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I kind of assumed being allowed to hype the store was her condition for joining.
Really? I assumed that it was simply that she would still have time to WORK there.
Yay for the 3 year anniversary! And we are STILL in the first 24 hours of Sydney’s day…
I really really think that you should get Arianna to train Sydney with the clicker. Have a Dabbler’s Science Corner describing Pavlov’s Dog’s or something.
That assumes the clicker actually works on Sydney. Personally, I think the clickers are a bad idea in the first place. If nothing else, even if they work, they provide a way for enemies to turn the person wearing them against ARC, either through emotional manipulation (“Sure, ARC tells you I’m a bad person, but at least I’ve never made you wear something like that.”) or overriding them.
the clicker looked to only affect the cameramans ear piece i don’t think it actually affected her person.
Agreed. I took it as being something similar to a dog-whistle. Dabbler clearly has superior hearing to humans (we have seen her, from the other side of the conference room, overhearing Sydney whispering to X) and it is reasonable to suppose that includes hearing at a frequency that is beyond the human range.
Failing that, it could simply be an electronic communicator, linked in to Dabbler’s cybernetic commuications. We know that she uses that, instead of the collar or pip-boy, which the rest of the team rely on.
Either way provides a handy way to communicate discreetly with Dabbler. But has the flaw that modern sound equipment might be able to pick it up too. Either as interference or directly, if set up to detect and translate frequencies that are normally inaudible. With the former being more likely, than the latter, for news conference crews. Especially if they are using electronic communication.
I seriously doubt Dabbler would tolerate humans attempting to use a direct control device on her. And her reaction would be very different to the amusement we saw. But it is wholly consistent with cheekily ignoring a sonic communication.
If anyone says Sydney is losing her marbles, well with THOSE marbles it’s impossible to lose them. (-;
Just curious since I don’t read that many comics online, is there a record for the longest day? If so is Grrl Power anywhere near it? Just curious, cause I have no idea. Related question: Is there a record for longest flashback? Happy third once again Dave. :)
He’s not even close… Girl Genius I know took something like five years for one day of in-comic time, and there might be longer ones out there.
The Mansion of E took three years to tell the story of “the day that everything changed”.
Just stopping by to vote for top comics. That first panel keeps making me laugh. The “Dot com” and the grin gets me every time.
So… How much caffeine to give her speedster abilities.
Not much… I’d say, maybe two or three 2-liters of Mountain Dew.
Even before Ioun Stones was mentioned in the comic or by commentators, I have to admit that it was the obvious, immediate thought that crossed my mind too. But to be a bit less obvious, I also think of how electrons orbit an atomic nucleus & come up with Ions (highly charged particles)…All of the orbs’ powers do indeed display energy-based effects, which would coincide well with the nature of ions.
Haleorbs, Orb~bits, plot holes (like donut holes, but less fattening), wonder bubbles, MAR-Balls, spher~oids (pronounced like ‘steroids’)… (I like orb~bits, personally)
Bubbles have a rainbow effect off of them. Biofrost bubbles? We get back the alteration, but strengthen the spectrum theme. All whilst avoiding any childish humour. Mmm, ok, Sydney might not go for that.
I’m with you. orb~bits sounds perfect. they are orbs, each contributes only a bit of her power, and they all orbit her.
How ’bout “Flying Brick Spheres”? I know it’s a bit wordy, but somebody’ll get the joke…
Sydney is fit for more than just being relegated to history books and museums! If you are to follow the Space Shuttle analogy to it’s current role. Otherwise an apt comparison though.
Umm why is Maxima suddenly in her normal attire, when a few strips ago she was in her officer’s attire?
Because she excused herself to go prepare for a demonstration. As she is likely to be the one doing the display, in quite a physical manner, her formal uniform would not be appropriate. So, whatever else she may have done as well, she has also changed.
Do not forget that there was a montage, so an unspecified period of time has elapsed, as various individuals have bent the ears of the press corps. And Maxima has super-speed, so could probably have changed, in a phone box, in the blink of an eye. If she so wished.
I gotta say, I knew she’d blow the interview. What idiot thought it was a good idea to show her up at a press conference without extensive training? Don’t they remember what happened literally earlier the same day?
Actually they have been very clever. This way the media get to see what an omnishambles she is, fresh off the street as a civilian. So whatever training they manage to instil in her, can only be an improvement. Even they only get to improve her to a standard where she can impersonate a regular citizen for a short while, that will really impress the general public.
Plus it gives them protection from potential future litigation. This way no one can claim the army drove her insane.
Considering how often the orbs have achieved the “List”, I would think that Sydney privately calls them the “Assholes”.
I fully endorse this statement.
How about referring to them as a single unit and just call them the Halo.
They should also add in the number of orbs and refer to them as ‘Halo 7’. Then when a certain game company has made three more sequels, Sydney can say ‘Sorry you can’t call it that. The name is taken. Although I will license it back to you if you agree to include me as a character in the game. (and I get to have the official world release event at my store)’
What about Halo and her “little friends”? As in, “Say Halo to my little friends.”
That is awesome… and terrible :D
Your comic is cute and quirky with interesting characters, which I like. But nothing it happening, which is becoming tedious. You’ve got to start multitasking the story more.
Basically the scenes you have been doing are all single aspect situational side scenes and there has been almost nothing involving actual plot, drama or character advancement. You only get 3-4 panels a month. Every panel should advance something and setup something in addition to whatever else it is doing. The situational side scenes should be wrapper not the package.
For example the current “press conference” is pointless. We don’t need inane babble telling us what we already know about the characters. Its just talking heads and frankly it can’t see an actual pseudo military press conference going like this. Also the message seems to be “we have dangerous powers and are mildly insane so don’t worry.”
You could have cut it down to a lead in scene of them starting with halo immediately zoning out from the boredom and then cut straight to the pandemonium when halo wakes up from her boredom stupor to start chasing some invisible guy no one else sees or something.
You seem to be shooting for the action sitcom angle. The sitcom aspects are established. Time for some action. Remember, don’t tell us what you can show us and show us in the midst of something happening. And once established, like the noodle bit, have it comeback unexpectedly.
I vaguely recall Dave mentioning that he was worried about the press conference running to long. That didn’t stop him from running if for 3 months. Regardless, I’m enjoying the press conference.
Ummm, are you reading the same comic as me? Have seen plenty of all 3 (there have been that deal with Harem having an ‘off-the-choker’ chat with that Deus guy for drama, Sydney has been constantly advanceing as a character, not to forget already seeing more from Peggy and Ari’s PA than you would in ‘mainstream’ comics, as for plot? maybe you have bypassed it in your haste/desire for ‘action’ but this whole thing so far has been a flashback to Sydney’s first day)
There are plenty of fast-paced ‘action’ comics out there (both on and off the web) that have pretty much zero substance, personally am enjoying that Grrl Power is focusing so much on the substance and can wait for the action, knowing that it will happen eventually
Damn, how does that ‘quote’ thing work? Was supposed to have “there has been almost nothing involving actual plot, drama or character advancement.” as a [blockquote cite=] (and yes, used the lessthan/greaterthan arrows)
Blockquote format: http://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1011/comment-page-1#comment-43307
Oh, thanks, have the remember just “blockquote” (DaveB may need to fix the ‘NOTE’ part below the comment box then, if possible)
In 3 years we have had the group meet, had a meeting, had a meal and had part of a press conference. There as been a single villain who did nothing and one group traitor who is already exposed to us with zero suspense.
That’s pretty thin on the plot side of things for 3 years.
For the characters maybe a day or so has gone by. Nothing except goofing off has happened so no drama and no development.
I found this comic pretty close to day one and I can see some real potential so I keep coming back but just potential can only take it so far. The parts are all there. Its time to do something with them.
At this rate I’ll have died before they hit the end of the week.
It’s funny. Don’t bring heathen science into this.
We are NOT calling them Sleepy, Sneezy, Happy, Dopey, Grumpy, Doc, and Bashful.
At least not officially.
not sure if anyone else brought this up, but wasn’t the wrist computer thingy on halo’s left arm at the beginning of the comic?
Dingleberries?
How does Orbital(s) sound?
Ah I forgot I posted this before… Still think its a good name tough.
How old IS Arianna? She has just implied that she is in her forties…
If it is a comment that appeals to 10 year old or teenage girls, I would say 30s rather than 40s.
How about calling them ‘Spheres of Influence’? Since that’s what they do… Influence reality.
“Options”. Like the things that trail you in Gradius :D
A quick comment on the “how little has been done in three years” – I’m a new reader, and I find the hilarity (of which there is plenty) enough to justify the slow progress with the story.
It would be upsetting to miss a load of character intros, because they’re often quite funny.
That said, maybe the people who joined you more than a couple of months ago disagree…
Nope, we are still here and loving it.
Just thought I should tell you… But when I try to reach this page, I kept being redirected to here: mypageresults(dot)com/etc
Possible hack attack?
I had to hit the stop load button to be able to read this page and comment before I was redirected again…
Also, this was supposed to go on the latest page… But I get redirected from this one too…
Yeah it was the COH widget. It’s been fixed now. Thanks for the heads up.
Those two mystery orbs.. I think the Sydney we see is actually a solid hologram/simulacrum with full sensory perception, created by one orb. The other orb is a point-to-point transmitter, connected to the mother system where the real Sydney controls it from a protective cocoon. Ofcourse, Sydney doesn’t KNOW that…
Let her out of your basement! She belongs to the world!
My vote for naming the orbs would be for “Ioun Stones” – from the ever popular (in geek culture) D&D game. Or perhaps my second fave: “materia” (from FF7). Other thoughtful names could be “motes”, “thought bubbles”, “sources”, or “quirks”.
Sydney sure has a lot of quirks.
………PIPBOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ding ding ding.
Maxima: “You know what? Forget it. You’re under arrest, Scoville.”
she likes amaz-balls but none of the other names people suggested?