Grrl Power #298 – Catchup
And we return to the hilariously spartan comic shop. Actually, my local store, Zeus Comics in Dallas doesn’t have every inch of the walls plastered with posters, but usually when I think of a comic shop, I think of one like in The Big Bang Theory, where no wall is visible, the counters are lousy with toys and there are characters standees in all the remaining spaces.
I hate drawing crowd scenes. I blame the writer. :/ I’d prefer not to have to draw them but at the very least I need to establish the crowd, then I can get away with just drawing the fringe of it. Oh and if you could, ignore the fact that the tube is probably too small for all 7 orbs. They’re smaller than the diameter of the tube, so they can fit in there like o°o°o°o, whatever that’s called. Wavy I guess. Still it’s a stretch. Comic book physics am I right?
I haven’t drawn Joel in about 4 years, it’s a little jarring seeing the difference. I’m glad to get the chance to bring him up to date, though I guess since yesterday he’s taken some vitamins and cleared up his jaundice.
Here’s the link to the new comments highlighter for chrome, and the GitHub link which you can use to install on FireFox via Greasemonkey.
SuperheroThey're super, thanks for asking!
Meatspace ComicSeriously these are awesome. Check 'em out!
Not UpdatingNo longer updating or only updates sporadically, but definitely worth reading.
SeriouslySeriously you guys. If you like Grrl Power the check these out.
"Mature"Mature subject matter and occasionally something explicit but usually safe. Can't guarantee the ads are safe though.
Dongs Ahoy!Full frontal and backal. Lots of skin, sex on some or all pages, explicit or otherwise.
Is it bad of me to hope Joel will go:
“Advent of superheroes?! Not again…” turns around pulls a weird device out of thin air “This is Codename RANDOM authorization Mumble-jumbo. I need extraction at my location.” A portal opens in midair and he swaggers through with parting words “Enjoy the madness people. To think I came to this realm for peace and quiet…”
You need to write your own web comic, I would read this!
Thanks but I cant draw to save my life.
Writing’s easy. It just takes lots of time. But there are definitely people who will read prose on the internet.
Exactly. If there was decent artist who would be willing to give the spawn of my sick mind a shot, I’d be writing all my free time away.
The author/ artist for Too Much Information can draw to save his life, but his comic has run for years and years. He uses 3D modeled characters, you just need a powerful enough computer, the money/ programing knowledge to get models for EVERYTHING you put in the comic, and enough time/ patience to pose everything, fix expressions, and adjust where models overlap/ don’t touch.
plenty of good webcomics tha the art is ”bad” that are super good. as thunt said once, art will get better in time, what matters is to get out there and STAY out there. you’ll get seen eventually.
examples outta my head? schlock, giants in the playground, starfall, twokind, goblins,
gimme 30 seconds more and the list gets a lot bigger lot. you can see the art is not that great but most of em got better as they draw. hell even dave, even tough hi art was already pretty good when he started this, got a lot better over time.
its all about consistency and being out there
( also, YEAHH!! JOEL is back! Love that guy)
Dragon Doctors, xkcd (on purpose bad in that one), Honey Badger and Friends, Magical Misfits, all examples of bad art with good storytelling. Good storytelling will win out over beautiful art just about every time.
Agreed.
Slight nit-pick on XKCD mind (whilst noting your caveat). I feel that the word ‘bad’ is misleading. I appreciate this is a subtle distinction. But I believe it fairer to characterise it as purposely “simplistic”, rather than “bad”.
A similar distinction would be drawn for L.S. Lowry. Who trained as a professional artist, and then chose to revert to a child-like style, likewise choosing matchstick figures. I do not know, but perhaps Randall’s style was even an homage to, or inspired by those paintings.
That said, the early art, in XKCD, was that of an amateur, and has progressed significantly. So your example was well chosen for the thread.
Sorry, I should point out I was agreeing to the sentiments that good storytelling can overcome bad (or simplistic) art. I am not actually familiar with all the examples listed, so I can only accept Opus the Poet‘s judgement on those.
On the other end of the spectrum, I recommend Spindrift to anyone just based on the art (good story too) no matter what they like to read.
I usually pass by the relatively poorly drawn comics on the first pass or two. After the art has improved or I’ve seen enough good recommendations I’ll actually start reading it. XKCD and OOTS are both in the second category.
I would rather he just take a jab with stick figures or whatever he can draw. So far those types of 3D models you buy and pose or whatever hurt my eyes worse than squiggle vision cartoons. While Order of the Stick makes them happy. Maybe its a case of the closer to “real” looking you get the harsher the human brain will judge it. *shrugs*
A version of the ‘uncanny valley’ perhaps?
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UncannyValley
This is why an “invasion of the body snatchers” type of gets to so many people…The less that someone can visually distinguish the difference between “actual human” & “hostile creature,” the more frightened they get. Strangely enough, it was Hollywood with their “alien invasion” movies that were acting as a metaphor for “communist invasion” fears that were prevalent from the ’50’s & onward; visually-speaking, it’s impossible to determine what an individual person’s motivations are.
Wait, so he’s responsible for supers in that world? o_O
More like he’s the one who has to keep them locked up if they go Reckless Good or Villainy Evil or just Chaotic anything.
Why haven’t either of them said the magic words?
BUY SOMETHING OR GET OUT!
sales are down, man. get to it.
Ah yes, as per my previous page comments about Sydney and her euphemisms, refer to here:
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/147
It’s interesting looking back on the comic you linked, man has Dave upped his game with the artwork.
I find it to be a particularly fine page. Full of character.
And you’re not at all biased…
;-)
hey i just noticed yorp is on that page lol
Exactly what I was thinking. These people are taking up space that could be used by PAYING customers. They’re also blocking the door, which I’m certain is a clear fire hazard.
Paying customers? Nerds? At this time of day? Morning is when nerds go to bed. things shoulc go totally nuts again around 3p-6p when the pasty arise and seek our mental nourishment.
Nod. I get my pulls on a lunch break swingthrough, and they are often just opening up. I don’t think the stores are even open in the mornings.
The objects Sydney and Joel are holding, along with the objects on the floor and counter, support the idea that they are not open yet. If anyone outside is not with the press, they’re likely there to be first in line for opening time.
Except the fact that the press is in the store with them argues for the store being open. Most businesses will leave the customer entrances locked until they are actually open. Otherwise, thise means that either Joel or Sydney willingly allowed them in while the store was closed.
Even though it may be unwise to put Sydney in charge of marketing, at least she can contribute…
:D
I am unfamiliar with those euphemisms.
Personally, though, getting back on topic, I insist on getting up at the crack of noon. The crack of Dawn is strictly for bedtime.
Jaundice? I thought he had Indian or Pakistani heritage.
Yeah, on this page. Though not on any he has appeared on before.
I was thinking that on the early comics. Here he looks more European.
Then again Sidney was a lot more pink in those so the difference was bigger.
Similarly, I was thinking Persian/Kurd
Whatever his ethnicity, he doesn’t slash didn’t look yellow to me
Stylistically, the visual shock to me about Joel is not so much the change in art style as it is the relative change in person size to the people Sydney usually hangs out with. Seeing an ‘average’ person instead of someone large enough to have their own gravitational field looks somehow off.
Although, I see that Joel seems to have enough strength to have done some renovations since ‘yesterday’. He has changed the window posters, removed the wall shelves behind the counter, added another glass case to the checkout area, a new bookcase in the front corner, and swapped out the bookshelf in the middle of the store https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/168
P.S. I think they should search the those reporters before they leave. The cash register is missing.
Quite, you.
I am enjoying the silly. Don’t ruin it with trivialities like major renovations and physical continuity
Quiet*
I two thought that post looked wrong. Well done four picking out the subtle error. Not too mention you chose your name well to.
four?
*sorry, OCD made me do it :)
Your ODC missed the ‘two’ :P
How’s that O.C.D. coming along, O.B. Juan?
It’s C.D.O. That’s the same thing, but the letters are in alphabetical order, as they should be.
+1
+2
“It’s C.D.O. That’s the same thing, but the order of the letters makes no sense, as they should be.”
Fixed.
I may need to revisit the backgrounds before too many other new pages go up. :P
But, not the background characters, right?
*worried look*
Don’t worry your little furry tail Yorpie, DaveB would never do anything to you :D
Poodle cut
Poodle cut
Poodle cut
Poodle cut
Poodle cut
Poodle cut
Arent there rules about the press being able to do something like this? This is a place of business, and they are blocking the only way in or out. Buy something or/then gtfo people! And sydney needs to plug in her wrist communicator fast so she can call up arianna and try to get this handled.
What is strange that there are only reporters and no “normal” people with mobiles (and the cameras in there).
Look through the window. There are probably police controlling the crowds, to prevent a tragic crushing incident. The media will have waved their “PRESS” passes. Sydney will have waved her “ARCHON” ID (or the paper one she drew up herself, last night in MS Paint).
The police will have looked at her ‘pass’ strangely, and asked her what that is all about. The media will have then said “It is ok, she is with us”.
Sydney and media through cordon. Customers and fans stuck outside. Waving money and those camera phone thingys, respectively.
Or she would have waved her ‘I’m the owner of this place’ card
Don’t see any indication of police doing crowd-control, just more papaleeches blocking the entrance and windows
Look outside your own window. Ok, you may only see legs, out of the hobbiton windows, but that is just the part of the queue which reaches the Shire! It has wrapped around the globe at least three times. Sherpas are having too ship in medical supplies, where it passes through the mountains.
You need to be able to extrapolate from the clues we get.
Sadly privacy laws are badly lacking word wide and, besides which, this is a store open to the public, so they do have the right to enter.
Fortunately the owners also have the right to eject them, if they feel they are being disruptive. Should the media object, they could call the police, who could lay charges of obstructing the peace (or local equivalent law) if they returned, once told that they were no longer welcome, I imagine that would also lay them open to charges of trespass and possibly harassment or stalking (depending on whether that jurisdiction has laws covering such).
All the above is academic though. Sydney invited the press, by means of her advert (with the tentacle, at the press conference). She and Joel need the publicity.
She didnt say, “Hey everyone, I work here, come and make sure no paying customers can enter!” She said, “This is my business” to demonstrate how her violatorb works.
Public relations 101. Keep the press off your lawn at home but, when it comes to business, you must instead keep them sweet. The lawn incident shows them in a bad light, so will probably not get much screen time. But, what happens in this shop, that will. And they have a perfectly legitimate excuse for following her invite.
Everything which happens will be shown a lot. And if they can get payback for loosing face on the lawn, they might bleed it for all they can. Sydney is right to keep them on her side. If they can have a nice feel-good factor story, from this, they will instead run with that happily. And the comic will get endless publicity from that. And every re-run
A few minutes, or hours, worth of pandering to the press now, can ensure that they have the shop full for life. Ok her status as a super hero will likely do that too. But this is letting the fans know that she has a comic shop. Suddenly this will be more of a go to place than Forbidden Planet!
Unless they piss off the press. Then the feature will be about the ranting maniac. And will edit it to show her in the worst light possible. They may barely even mention the shop itself. Not such a good result for business.
“…so they do have the right to enter.”
But they do NOT have a right to “obstructing normal business operations.” A lot of people wind up on the loosing side of lawsuits in court over that.
I’m thinking Arianna already has her hand in this, just because the police seem to be on top of it. I’m guessing she sent them an update last night, and the po-po have been on site since first light. The reason Arianna is not there, yet, is because she worked hard through the night and needs some sleep before she addresses the idiot masses…er…the good folk of the city.
Unfortunately, the mass idiots are already in the store
um… in this entire page i do NOT see ANY police… how did you come to the conclusion that they seem to be in control? and i’m pretty sure that the police are not going to be jumping at the word of some random lawyer over the issue of crowd control at some geeks comic shop, to them it’ll be just a null concept compared to keeping regular crime under control… yes, after Archon is more recognized and established, sure, but right NOW, barely 24 hours later, nope… too many of the movers and shakers in whatever field you care to mention, are probably STILL denying the existence of supers in general, as well as the fact of how many of them have ALSO not seen the news yesterday? and how many may or may not have blown off that supposed “update” even if they DID get it in time? yeah, the cops may show up eventually, but not right away.
Your points are well argued. I do have one bit of circumstantial evidence though, which may go to support the presumption of good policing (other than the obvious one that no rabid fans have managed to slip in yet).
Clearly there will be massive crowds gathered outside (and that we do have evidence for, from the silhouettes, albeit that we can only infer how many more there are behind those). Yet Bear, doing his traffic report was indicating that things are clear (although possibly he may have been about to qualify that with an exception, but was interrupted).*
If so we have massive crowds, in a commercial section of town, but with minimal traffic disruption. Which could imply the presence of a quick thinking police chief, having anticipated the reaction of fans to Halo’s advert. Whether or not he believed that supers were real, he was still a good judge of mob mentality.
* Of course, if the traffic copter had spotted a bit of trouble, with crowds forming, it may well have been heading to that spot (or heading away from it, having assessed that it was not a major problem).
So that would go to explaining why Sydney, in trying to get to the shop, happened to come across a traffic helicopter. No co-incidence. Her actions are already starting to have an impact on the daily lives of people in her city!
I love how the “POP” sound effect is in the same panel where his eyes pop out.
July 25 2011 was the last time he was drawn. The huge tracks of land comic.
Joel: “….This is going to be good for business.”
At least, that is what he should say at some point.
Only if customers can actually get into the damn STORE! I mean look at that crowd of reporters! There are filling the inside, the doorway and lined up outside as well!
Yeah, gonna be hard to keep an eye out for shoplifters in a crowd this size if they can get them past the reporters. Sydney should casually float outside and lead the reporters far enough away so that some of the customers can get in then say that the first 25 customers, or whatever is reasonable, get an autograph from a real superhero. They need some volunteer handlers/bouncers for all of this. I wonder if some of their friends/loyal customers are in the crowd and can be deputized/groomed for future jobs at the soon to be happening comic store? Well, hopefully no one gets crushed.
COMIX!!
Oh be quiet you. You were made possible by bad business advertisement
*curls up guiltily, and makes sad puppy-dog eyes*
“Gives Yorp a scooby snack and a bowl of beef gravy”
I’m wondering how different these comments would have been if the doggy hadn’t been featured.
We would have lots of comments from “That Flying Rescue Guy” or “The Repackager”…
Heck, if that happened, I would not have this yummy gravy, and scooby snack!
*double checks lab report, ensuring that they incorporated combined products analysis too, repeats lab document verification procedure*
Thanks, DR. REVENGE!
You welcome
“Turns a way with an evil grin”
(whispering into Dr. Revenge’s ear)
Did you make sure to add enough Brain Bleach™ to completely wipe out all memories?
“Whispered reply, Not all we still want him hose trained.”
hose =house
So that explains why I widdled in DR.REVENGE ‘s drink! Subliminal chemically-induced conditioning, gone wrong. I guess that can happen if you make a typo, when mixing chemicals, or the like, via computer control.
Sorry bud, I had no self-volition!
Didn’t drink it anyway, Evil Overlord Rule whatever.
When having a drink with opponent and you leave for whatever reason get a new drink when you get back.
On the other hand, would someone want to shoplift from a superhero with THAT many cameras around?
Would someone want to shoplift from a superhero who knows Tongue Fu (both physical and verbal) plus has seven spare balls floating around their heads? o_O
So Joel completely phases out reality when he gets home with his books and toys. I guess I can see that. But to forget about his friend AND business partner disappearing after she said she was going to be debriefed/interviewed/whatever by a unknown super of unknown official affiliation. He likes supers and comics right?? …
I can see why Sydney feared government sponsored vivisectionists. She needs more after work hanging out friends so people can at least track when she was last seen. Maybe with the new two job arrangement will fill enough of her calender to keep tabs on her.
I am not big into comics (a tiny bit more into web comics but not like I read all the “greats” there either) but I find myself intensely curious about the post to the farthest left behind Joel in the third panel. Anyone have a lead on that one? It looks like a woman with reddish brown hair in a suit is holding a man in a suit up in the air but not necessarily in a negative way.
If Sydney had been captured and dissected, Joel would probably have noticed when she didn’t show up next morning. Friendship!
given Sydney’s police record he likely assumed the police would be by to verify anything with him after they finished getting her statement. she knows he has a habit of forgetting his phone in the office. and lets face it he could be one of those people like me who rely on their twitter feed for much of their news.(though owning a comics store one would think he’d have noticed a big reveal about supers and looked into it especially after the conversation he had with Sydney before she went to the bank.)
Dude! I own that shirt! I would love to see what he thinks is going to be in the tube before the reveal.
Meh. We already did that joke.
Isn’t there some kind of law against media types just barging into your place of business like that?
Also,they said the business wasn’t doing that good… couldn’t they make a shop policy “buy something of get out/no loitering for more that 45 minutes” ? (45 minutes because it takes me at least that long to just browse the comics for 1 genera in any given shop. A place like Forbidden Planet in London on the other hand … well that will make me drool over the merchandise alone, I’d need to re-hydrate ever now and again…. yeah I’d say a good 4 hours just for the merchandise … the comics… they may as-well charge me rent… )
Sydney invited the world. The world could not fit in. So the nations of the world sent their eyes and ears, the media.
She invited customers, not leeches hoping to get a new Syd-byte (a special form of ‘sound byte’)
it could be argued that as she said “dot com” she only invited the world to check out the website
Idk about specific rules, but this is a private place so Sydney and Joel have the right to throw them out if they want to
OOOOO! A comic book store that doesn’t insist that you buy something if you have prepaid for browse time. Not a bad idea.
Oh, is Joel talking about the comic Saga written by Brain Vaughan and drawn by Fiona Staples? ‘Cause the answer to Sydney’s question at that point is “friggin’ amazingly”.
Yeah. I bought the first trade but I’ve yet to read it. :/
It’s really good. I’m kinda sad I don’t get the issues as they come out, but such is life. It was really cool to see a nod to it though. (I like the comic book store stuff since I’ve actually worked at such a place.)
The mere anticipation of the upcoming reveal was is the most squee-inducing thing I’ve experienced for ages. What with the announcing of the valve VR and a good couple of StarMade updates, that’s saying something.
Dave,
I don’t do facebook so am posting this here. Hope you see it.
Reading your comments about how time consuming converting photos to use in your strips I thought of a couple of apps that I have seen that might help. I am not an artist or cartoonist so forgive me if these don’t come close to being useful. I am only trying to help. [These apps are not expensive but were giveawayoftheday offerings in the recent past and probably will be offered again. I haven’t used them. I just remember seeing them offered.]
Photo to Sketch Converters:
===========================
Sketch Drawer:
https://www.softorbits.com/photo-to-sketch-converter/
InstantPhotoSketch:
https://clipping-path-studio.com/instant-photo-sketch/
Online version:
https://instantphotosketch.appspot.com/
HTH
BTW, where do you get your inspiration for Sydney’s cursing talent?
I generally tend to avoid using filters like that, but I’m not wholly against it. My concern with filters has to do with just slapping a filter on someone else’s photo and using it. If it’s a tiny detail in the background or it’s used for intentional homage I think it’s ok, but I wouldn’t want to feature a filtered picture like that for the background of the previous page for instance.
I find most comic and game shops usual fall somewhere between the spartan look of “Event Horizon Comics” and the completely covered of “The Comic Center of Pasadena” Anime Pavillion & Comics did while the y were still open, Wizard’s Wall and Famous Faces & Funnies certain did be fore they changed locations (and probably still do). I’d imagine HeroWiz might (but today’s the first time I’ve heard of them). Da Video Guy is a little more Spartan the EHC but he operates out of the local Flea Market.
Its unclear to me if the tube moved itself into position using orbpower or if Sydney did it manually, but I am attributing Joel’s eyebuggery to the fact that after Sydney has dodged, lied, and generally avoided discussing its contents forevah, she is now opening it. And that she has hordes of press following her.
Joel runs a comic shop, and thus gets to skim the fertile imaginations of a host of storytellers, so the possible contents conjured up by ARC here.. https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/468 are probably tame compared to what he’s pictured in his darker moments.
There isn’t enough to tell what Joel is holding in his hand, and we could default to it being merch, but given that Sydney is his partner, I’m going with it being one of a series of folders he’s prepared in advance. Titles include ‘Press shows up about Sydney’ ‘Police show up about Sydney’ ‘NSA shows up about Sydney’
Given his chilled behaviour in all earlier scenes, barring his “Don’t open the merchandise”, I feel Joel would be surprised, but not freaked, at her preparing to reveal the contents of the tube. However, you are right in saying that it would be heightened by the implications carried by the presence of the media.
Would that cause eye-popping though? In my mind the eye-popping is the thing which tips it, to saying that Sydney’s hands stayed in the positions they were in the previous panel. Whilst tubey ‘swished’ into her awaiting hands.
Further corroborated by the abruptness of Joel cutting himself off mid-sentence. It happened real fast!
…
And thus the seed of the most epic standoff in Sydneyverse was planted! Could Arianna overcome the destiny and survive in the wake of her most dangerous arch-nemesis, Joel the Imperturbable?!
…
Stay tuned!
i got a way to drum up business for the store!! full private interview with each $100 purchase!! and because of her powers she can make sure that it’s truly private by having the shield fill the room and block the door.
Check out the interview prices that celebrities charge. To give you a hint, $1,000 is laughable to an A-list celebrity, , compared to their normal appearance fee.
Your price is fine for a comic shop owner. Sydney though is A-list now though.
Your sentiment is great though. We do not like our heroine being worried for her financial security! And that sure would keep the
pestspress, at bay!Yorp is correct, plus I am betting that Sydney’s contract with ARCHON has issues with unstructured interviews.
Then why didn’t ARCHON post security outside the shop?
Not in their job description. That’s what the police or private security firms are for.
So, providing security to their newest recruit, and Hero of the Restaurant Rumble, is not in their best interests?
The police are trained to deal with this sort of thing. Archon may ask them to provide security and expect them to cooperate. Besides, everyone in ArcSWAT is feeling a little battered this morning. Sydney has proven quite capable of dealing with surprises.
If that was the entire ArcSWAT, then they are in trouble
Always believed that was just one squad or unit
Personally I think what we saw in the restaurant is the lot. Works does tend to invite everyone. Although it is not inconceivable that each squad was doing it’s own thing (especially if in remote cities). So what you are saying is possible. However you would have thought that the press conference would have mentioned it?
Also consider the rarity thing. If there were super SWAT teams elsewhere, that would dramatically change their figures. They would have the majority of known supers on their payroll.
Of course, if you are envisaging other non-super SWAT teams, working under the Archon banner, then yea, that does sound highly plausible. I have said, in the past, that Maxima (or the General) may well command other non-super units, in addition to being the commander of this unit.
Equally though such may simply remain under regular police command, but be given special training on how to delay and monitor super threats and then to interact with the super SWAT unit, when it can get there. And maybe there will be a mixture of both. Some under police command in individual cities. And some reporting direct to Archon, to handle crowd control and the like. As you suggest here. (Yay! I guess I could have just said “yea, you are right”)
Personally, I suspect that regular units, under the Archon banner, would be given a separate identifier from that of a SWAT team. They would be at severe risk if a foe mistook them for being the main SWAT unit. Or if they got accidentally ordered to respond, by someone misunderstanding a command to ‘send SWAT to deal with that’.
Was thinking maybe that Maxi had more than one team she was in charge of, and these were just the SuperSWAT, or maybe they each have their own team of non-SuperSWAT
Yea, I am down with the former, as a possibility. The latter though, I doubt. For why, see Arianna. She incorporates a variety of real-world roles. Far more than would be realistic in a strictly real-world organisation. She would (literally) need super powers to do all those jobs simultaneously, to the degree that would be needed for this organisation.
Which is absolutely fine. The story is about the supers in ArcSWAT, so composting all of the dull non-super jobs (spies, snipers, magical researchers and hackers are not dull) into one person is a good way of representing those functions. Whilst keeping the bulk of the characters as being the interesting ones.
Arianna can then stand shoulder to shoulder with the supers, simply by wearing so many hats. Ok, maybe just the top of the highest hat, to Anvil’s shoulder.
As such, I feel that Peggy and the Space Marines represent the on-team non-supers that you are suggesting. Whilst embedded teams of non-supers do make good real-world sense, I cannot see DaveB wanting to regularly draw squads of such. Not when one or two Space Marines can shorthand the same.
And, when he does have a particular story, or character, need for a bunch of cops or soldiers, he has plenty of organisations (or other units in Archon) to draw upon.
So, yes, I agree with your thinking as being fully realistic. But I think that artistic licence will not see it playing out the way you envisage.
And justification can be made for that. For instance the life-expectancy of any normal cops (even with appropriate training) constantly in such danger, will be frighteningly short, unless they are truly extraordinary individuals. And we already have those on the team, in the form of Peggy (and, as Dave has hinted, the Space Marines).
Yeah, at most conventions you can pay hundreds just to have your picture taken with relative B/C list celebrities. Autographs can go for $50-$100.
Hmm…
The place DOES look spartan. However, going aaalll the way back to comic #4, the place looks a lot bigger and fancier (it even has a second floor, it looks like!). Are we to assume that Syd and Joel renovate or move into a new shop in the next few months?
considering that Sydney is now a celebrity, it’s all but certain that they are not going to have issues with sales in future ( unless it’s an issue with having too many sales and having issues keeping stock levels up) it’s almost certain they move to a larger place. (a shop that would likely have to close in six months is not going to be as large as a shop that is likely packed)
that will become a very true statement in the FUTURE, but we’re commenting on the (no offense Dave) Glaring continuity error of the layout of the shop from “yesterday” to “today” comic-time… (even though it is a flashback) the shop where Sydney was playing with her gaming group was in the future, so it’s OK to be different, but since this is still immersed in the flashback, it should be the same as the first few strips…
either way, no big deal for me, I’m just getting antsy for the next strip (and ultimately the book too)
XD Yeah, I’d probably be in the same situation as Joel. I watch netflix rather than broadcast tv, and don’t even have a cellphone – google voice is cheaper. Though admittedly, if something like THAT happened, probably at least one friend would notify me via skype.
Still, something like this would be plastered all over reddit, facebook, twitter, comments on superhero webcomics, general discussion on every forum… front page of every newspaper…
Not to mention that the reporters are probably clamoring “Joel, how long have you know that Sydney has super powers?”
If you loose your suspension of disbelief, it is always worth saying such. It is constructive feedback for Dave. But, here is my take, on your points.
Joel was ‘carried away’ reading last night. Back when that was my primary addiction, the computer would not even get turned on if I was swept away by a novel. It sounds like Joel would be the same. And shop keeper’s have to get up early to open up.
Again that early start comes into play. Plus there is a heck of a lot that needs to be done before a shop is ready for the customers. All that must be finished before he will allow himself time to relax.
And the shop will have been all too quiet of late, if the business is failing. he probably saves reading that until such a time. My guess is that there is a newsagents nearby, and he probably does not even pop in there, until Sydney is providing cover for his first break.
For a behind-the-scenes-look, see Cpt. Obvious‘s post (a number of comments down, in that thread).
Joel my boy you are a geek after my own heart and that is a really big shoe falling out of the sky right now.
A year been waiting for this for a year now woohoo.Poor guy is about to get blindsided on national TV.
Yup really big shoe.
Oh snap. Zeus? I go there! I didn’t realize you were local!
Yup! To be fair I only swing by about once every 8-10 weeks to pick up my subscriptions (Gold Digger mostly)
Next time, I am guessing you might find some unexpected extras in your stack.
• “Please ask Dave B. to sign this, I am a great fan.”
• “Are you married? Check out this photo, of me in my bikini. My cell number is on the back” *
• “Check out this photo of my Maxima tat!”
* Get it?
You will find a gold digger, in your stack.
I don’t think there’s much gold to dig on webcomic money.
Would be cool if there was though
Well I think the Penny Arcade guys might disagree.
But then again I guess they’re what you’d call an outlier.
I wouldn’t want to traumatize him or the owners with pictures of a 39 year old man in a bikini. Need Dave to keep making comics, and I don’t want to get banned from the store.
ROFL. Actually, you are by no means alone in that area. We know there are numerous fans in Dallas. Let alone the rest of Texas. And I am sure that I am not alone, amongst the wider fan base, in passing through there periodically.
My mind’s eye had a curvaceous redhead of a more suitable gender. Now, thanks to you, I instead have to look for a bottle of brain bleach! And I will have to be real careful with it. I do not want to risk spoiling the happy place!
“Hands Yorp a Mind Wipe towelette for stubborn but hard to reach memories.”
*Readies the wire brush…
Looking back at
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/163
I realized that one of the other answers Sydney gave is actually true as well.
Well, partially. There’s only one PPO in there, so it’s a singular ‘Weapon’ of Mass Destruction.
Heh. True.
Considering we have no idea what two of the orbs do, it may well also include a portable dialysis machine.
ROFL.
Poor granddad, she must have spilt his urn over, at some point!
And you don’t need to plug it in. :)
Sydneys profinity for profanity should count as a weapon of mass destruction.
That, and her lunch.
thats just crowd control. i’m sure had she made some breakfast there wouldn’t have been a swarm of reporters camping her spawn.
If she didn’t have the flight orb, it’d only work once or twice.
After that, you’d get reporters in hazmat suits, or, at the very least, gas masks.
mass distraction?
Well, that tube suddenly got short.
We needed a mini-comic for today with Max looking at her watch and saying to the general “I don’t know where she is. She should have been here for training an hour ago.”
Well, I would suspect that Archon wouldn’t push Sydney that hard today. They already know that she’s a partial-owner of a local business & would need to make arrangements to manage her time. ARCSwat doesn’t seem like a “standard” military unit in how new recruits would be trained…As in making her a virtual prisoner for 8 weeks! It’s more probable that they’d allow her more leeway for her “normal” life than that.
Yea, she’d probably get some part time training.
Like 3 days in the week regular stuf (work, life, ect), the rest of the week training.
Militairy or not, in the end she is more important to them than the other way around. It’s not like the regular army where there is an endless supply of young adults joining up, there are only so many combat capable supers
I hate to say this but this might happen to me. I unless its on reddit or slashdot I don’t always here about some things right away..
Sounds True.
heck, if it isn’t on the radio at work (that i can’t turn off because it’s annoying (c)RAP) i practically NEVER hear about stuff.. heck it was TWO DAYS until i heard that Leonard Nimoy died… and that was only because somebody on facebook posted about it and i follow them… I’ve had a cellphone since 2008, but i only have a TOTAL… TOTAL mind you of 30 HOURS of use on it. i just don’t talk to people much… no TV, i get all my shows that i want to watch on DVD/BD and play them on my PC, no newspaper, and haven’t missed them for even longer… i CARRY the cell everywhere so i can GET calls anytime, but I’m kinda a loner, so nobody initiates calls TO me either… so Joel not having heard about it is not a stretch of reality in any way, shape, or form, in my mind…
After not seeing Joel for hundreds of pages… he looks different! Yay for art style evolution?
i wonder how Tony will react after all the hullabaloo about whats in the tube and now her balls are on TV for everyone to see.
At least for Sydney, it’s not a case of Indecent Exposure…Unless she starts using her Lighthook more like a Hentacle or Moslestorb. Nah, Sydney’s closest example of Indecent Exposure would more likely be all verbal.
;)
Herrem dressed in fruit costrumes based on hair colour and hair design.. Lets all go to the drive in.. Er sorry.. This inane random comment is brought to you by popcorn I mean school work….
wanna fanta?
Can anyone else remember when Fanta was simply ‘orange’?
Not I. But the purple ‘grape’ Fanta was my favourite drink, as a kid. Whilst it was nowhere near as easy to find as the orange, I cannot remember a time when there was only orange. Of course, even today, you can order ‘Fanta’ and expect to get orange. So, even given my differing experiences, I can see where you are coming from.
Given that you are a Harem fan though, I would have expected you to like all the various flavours of Fanta!
Not saying don’t like all the flavours, just can remember when Fanta was simply one flavour (can also remember when Lucozade was a concentrate and had to be mixed with water or lemonade)
In nerd news today would be the 15th birthday of the inventor of instant ramen, 安藤百福 (Momofuku Ando),
This advert brought to you by the Saotome School of Martial Arts.
You may take it as read the Ranma would be suitably disgusted at bowing to commercialisation, just for another year’s free supply of noodles.
It is proof of my nerd-dom, I thionk, that I caught that reference BEFORE reading the spoiler, despite not having read that particular manga in at least three years…
Congratulations: + 3 on your nerd score.
You mean 105th, I assume. He isn’t a teenager anymore.
Gah! between the 0 key being iffy (time to hit it with compressed air again) and not remembering proofread again (it was just before before my afternoon catnap) I missed that.
105 k got it
105,000 years old?
You dropped a zero there it’s the 105th completion of a lap of the local star.
Starving college students the world over slurp a bowlful in his honor.
Speaking of people we haven’t seen, but were introduced like Chekov’s Characters, was Tony and his half sister/cousin Olivia. Will we ever see them again?
Yes.
Not to mention, Yorp’s Walker
at/at or at/st ? did you mean the one with the chewed up tennis balls on the feet?
I resent the implications that I chew balls, play tennis and have a foot fetish! And you better not start casting nasturtiums at the nice lady who takes me for walkies either! She has allergies.
Used to love eating nasturtiums, used to have them growing outside our fence
hmmm can I think of any other walkers? ohhhh GERWalk of macross fame, and a texas ranger!
And then there’s That Flying Rescue Guy!
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/85
He is fictitious!
So possibly, yes.
I thought it was the flying cameraman who was fictitious. The flying rescue guy is for real, but couldn’t get on tv.
Oops, you are totally right! We see the camera guy referenced so often, that I guess I had forgotten the other guy, or merged them into one. Sorry Kedamono. No idea how likely that one would be to recur. It seems unlikely, but Dave is great at pulling off the unexpected.
The odds are fairly low, whilst the story remains in the city. Especially as the team has several fliers, so would probably not need to call in a specialist. But, if book three features a villain, with a lair in the Rockies, then he could well feature.
The half-siblings though I am confident about. Sydney fancies one. And the other is a member of her regular gaming group, by the end of the flashback. Moreness is practically obligatory for those.
I guess that’s one of those shows that sound good, on paper or in the conference room, but just never seem to “take off.” For some reason, it just doesn’t seem to “fly.”
If this page were just the first three panels, it would be entirely worth it.
+1
That is a complete story / joke right there.
It does need the rest of the page, actually, for the feel DaveB’s going for. Just those three panels would be too cliche for this comic, variations of that joke have been used many times in many places, to the point where even though it made me laugh, it felt awful familiar. He had the perfect setup, so it was worth using; it very much fits the context; but he needed the rest of the page.
Very true. It does stand alone, but is much stronger as part of the whole.
However it is still worth noting that this is a two-parter comedy page. The top half providing a laugh every time I re-read it, without fail. The second providing a chuckle, but building up to a “WHEEE!”, of anticipation, as tubey gets “SWISHED” around. Combined with still more chuckling, at Leon’s eyes bulging at that.
Joel looks like he needs a cup of coffee before he needs updating. He still has the thousand yard stare of someone who hasn’t woken up yet, or is channeling Napoleon Dynamite; haven’t been able figure out his expression yet.
Joel also seems to have took a big hit to his appearance score, or maybe the more detailed art just isn’t doing him any favors. He was pretty cute in the old art, but those first two panels make him look like Sheldon Cooper. eck.
Ignore the t-shirt and imagine that it is actually Stuart the Comic Store Guy (nice to meet another non-fan of Shelly :D)
Personally, if I was Sydney, I wouldn’t pop open the tube, and I wouldn’t tell him what happened. I would just say: “You know what? Screw it; it’s more fun this way.”
Seriously, I would milk this for ALL THAT IT IS WORTH.
“Any channel, Joel, any channel at all! Hell, you could have even seen me on C-SPAN.”
“You were on C-SPAN? Sydney, what did you do?!”
“What? Me? I didn’t do anything! Well, except I did choke a man nearly to death.”
“What?! WHO DID YOU CHOKE THAT GOT YOU ON C-SPAN?!?!”
Then I’d have some fun with the orbs.
Wait for Joel to go to the bathroom, and whip out the telepresence orb, go hide outside with the copy-me in the store, and wait for Joel to accidentally bump into me.
Except, Sydney is not like that
Hmm. THat last suggestion she’d probably like. Whether she’d have the patience for the follow-through is another matter – she’d probably either go walk through him to make the point or realize two minutes in that ‘oh yeah, that ability is classified…’ and make a ‘rush for the bathroom’ to make the switch back to her normal self without anyone noticing.
Nothing to stop her from doing that gag later, and not just with Joel (can you imagine the hi-jinks if she starts playing that with both Harem and Dabbles and Harem and Harem and Harem and Harem? :D)
never thought he’d visibly age so much, the updatedness of his character makes him seem like he’s in his late thirties-early fortie, wheras in the beginning of the comic, with the well toned stomach and killer looks, mid twenties.
Check his hair in the early comics. In addition to the bald spot he was greying around the temples. It’s there in these new ones too.
XD It’s because older people are hard to draw. Including things like minor wrinkles (aka 30’s-40’s) without transforming the character into the elderly (70’s on up) takes massive skill. And patience. And walks to drain frustration.
Yea, I would say that I took the various clues about him as being meant to be interpreted as “Leon is somewhat older than Sydney, and thereby the more experienced partner.” Giving some insight as to their relationship. This updated art just felt that it fell in line with that impression, rather than being a change in age category. It simply narrowed the range from “older,” to allow a more specific estimate.
I’ve been in Sydney’s position. When you come out as a superhero to someone you love, the results can be… mixed. I suspect Joel’s going to react with, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner!?”
You’ve… come out as a superhero before?
This isn’t specifically related to todays comic, I just had to mention that the new vote incentive is off the hook!
1. I have, on occasion, lost myself in a series of books for a weekend, and purposely turned the phone off, refused to turn on the tv or radio, but played CD’s instead, on my stereo. My friends get annoyed at this behavior.
2. In panel 4, Sydney’s head looks all wrong. The shape appears off, but, mostly, the left bang is not high enough and is hanging directly in front of Sydney’s face, instead of bracketing the face.
… He DID ask her yesterday (AKA like four years ago) what was in the tube. Now he shall find out.
Actually, Olivia asked her yesterday. He merely recounted all the times he asked before and and asked her to promise it wasn’t dangerous or illegal.