Grrl Power #313 – This measures an eight on the Sydney scale
No, Sydney… just no. You don’t go barging in whatever room you like in a military facility. She’s done some bone headed things in the past. This may top the list. Well, it’s in the top ten anyway, this is Sydney we’re talking about here.
There was a tiny part of me that wanted to make the last panel Sydney just looking over her shoulder and going “Oh, hey.” but Sydney’s not quite that sedate.
Maxima’s not the most regimented commander in the armed forces, still, I assume Sydney’s in for about a million hours of night watch or whatever would happen in this situation. It may be unprecedented.
Normally to get a slot in the Who’s Who, someone has to have a speaking part on the page as well as be introduced in the comic by name. I thought it was ok to make an exception in this case. General Faulk’s aide speaks but hasn’t been named, which is ok because I haven’t thought of a name for him yet. He’s the same guy from way back on this page, though now that I look like it I realize his hair is the wrong color… and the wrong style… and his shirt is different. Ok, maybe it should be a different guy. I really should not rely on my own memory for reference.
Colors on this page provided again by Keith. This time with far less touch up on my part.
Edit: Many people have already pointed out that this would probably never happen due to layers of security in a facility like this. Yes, you’re probably right, but in my defense, this isn’t a classified meeting taking place. It’s a North American-Super-Mutual-Defense-and-Public-Relations type meeting, as evidenced by Arianna being in attendance, as well as (and I don’t expect anyone to recognize them) the press secretaries of the US and Canada. (and probably Mexico, but I ran out of room) So slightly lower security on the room. Besides Sydney’s already made it through all the other security, and there was just the one door in her way. Maybe the aide came out to greet her.
As far as using recognizable people like this, yes it can create a problem with “comic time” later on, but that’s just the nature of comics. Besides, this is supposed to be our Earth now, just with supers going public. Also this gag wouldn’t have worked well if I had just drawn some statesmanly looking guy with an arrow saying “President” pointing at him.
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Actually I didn’t think that it was so far stretched that Sydney might get in, but I don’t see an explan as to on for why she didn’t just bring it through the same Harem relay that she received orders from whi ml en at the comic store. If she didn’t want Harem to know the exact reason why she shouldn’t have to come in (and even for Sydney, that seems a little weird) she could have just referenced her contract generally. So, even for Sydney, letting it get this far seems a little off to me.
You obviously don’t have AD/H/D. One aspect of having it is the opposite of the stereotypical distractibility: hyper focusing. We become so focused on something that we get a little crazy before we realize that we’re hyper focused. It’s useful at times, but usually not.
Yeah. If something catches our attention enough, we tune out the rest of the world. And depending on what it is that’s got our attention, we might also go a bit “Mad Scientist.” See the webcomic Girl Genius for more details on how we behave when that happens.
I’ve done this with TV/movies, video games (it’s really bad with Minecraft), books, webcomic archive binges, Legos / Mindstorms / Kinect, sometimes homework, and some experiments.
It gets to the point where someone has to shout at me to break through.
Shout? when I hyper-focus on a book physical contact is required to break concentration. That or it gets too dark to actually see. I’ve become pretty careful about making sure there are certain conditions when I do dive into a thicker volume so I don’t have a case where I’m looking up from the last page and going, “6am? didn’t I open this at 7pm last night?”
To all above. True, I do not have (or at least not been diagnosed with) AD/H/D. But even given that that can happen, since Sidney came to the comic books shop, it does not appear that she’s been a hyper focused state the whole time. She has shifted attention in a non “bright shiny” sort of way a few times. Also, now that I thought about it, SHE brought up having to go in to ARC for training even though it was new comic day before Harem popped in. It still seems off.
Right, and she’s probably been obsessing about it internally the whole time, letting it build up till she just let’s it all out, without really noticing everything going on around her… That’s how it works for some of us!
I feel so left out, not having any psychological or behavioral disorders or conditions which give me superpowers :(
I have to stop checking this comic for updates at work… I nearly got in huge trouble because I broke out laughing so loudly as I scrolled down the page. Ha! I wish my blunders were as epic and story-worthy as Sydney’s.
Or maybe not… I’d probably melt into a puddle of shame in her position.
I’m having the exact same problem. Almost got in trouble trying not to laugh at the second-to-last panel. XD
Gives a whole new meaning to NSFW.
Sydney may just melt into a puddle on the next page.
…Wait for it…
Ugh. I go to one of my webcomics and there’s Harper’s face staring out at me.
Way to ruin my day.
I know what you mean. But it’s not Dave’s fault that Harper is still in power. :(
Not still in power, was ever in power (this flashback brought to you by the letters F T and W, and the number 2011)
Maxima has a look on her face that says: i now have 6 door busters to deal with. For gods sake people do none of you understand the meaning behind The term “closed door meetings?”
To be fair, if you’d lock the door it might help though I would not bet on it.
Not powered types who might not even NOTICE an inconveniently-locked door – eg. t-ports, phasing abilities or plain old super-strength..
Did something like that once. But I was in Norway & didn’t know the guy I was telling off my cousin’s property was the Crown Prince. He’s now the king there, & I still blush when I think about that.
My father went to school with Viscount Linley, the next earl of Snowdon, and 17th in line to the throne of England. He got him suspended for smoking. 40 years later I met him in a London nightclub called Annabels and he says how much I look like someone that he went to school with and buys me a drink. I spent the whole evening fearing he’d put two and two together.
Laughing…too…hard…*pauses to gasp for breath* Thanks DaveB, I really needed a good laugh today!
I really like your avatar.
Then you might also like her Deviant Art pages. Hint: Linked to her name here.
Thanks!
In order to future proof the gag, you might want to introduce the president earlier in the comic.
Future proof? What the hell are you talking about?
It means to ensure that the gag will continue working in the future. In this case when nobody realize that that guy is the at the time president.
It’s already future proofed. The trappings of the office do not change with administrations. Look at the background. The national flags and the presidential seals should be enough. If it isn’t, the US one says “President of the United States” in big bold letters!
Besides, go read some Doonesbury or Bloom County. Practically every other strip had topical content and they are even more readable and pertinent today, 30-40 years later. In fact, even more so as they have passed the test of time. Politicians and people haven’t changed a bit.
I’m pritty sure people will still know who Obama was in a few years.
Also it’s already explained in the who’s who that he’s the Prez.
It’s also pritty clear to people who don’t know who this guy is that he’s the boss. The big screen is kinda an indication.
This complaint is like saying that a movie with a persident doesn’t work because it’s not the current real life president, and people will not get that he’s the president
So who is this Obama guy anyway, RobK?
Idk, I hear that he was some big important guy over on the other side of the ocean
Are you sure? Obama sounds like a made up name.
Given that the dollar dropped 25% of its buying power his first term & he has added more to the national debt than all previous presidents combined he will be remembered as Argentina remembers Peron.
I’m literally dying with laughter. XD
My condolences to your friends and family.
Pander to Assassination Team Alpha: No need to terminate target TonksM. He has taken himself out with hilarity. Over.
Was it Obama that admitted new comic day is the most important day for any comic store? Now I see the arrow that says <–Processing Voice and have answered my question.
I like to think of it as the Secretary of Defense saying it. Way funnier that way.
Given that Obama is a known collector of Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics I’d have to say it was him saying that.
Spidey, I knew about, but Conan? Neat.
I…. really can’t see Obama liking Conan comics.
NotObama is just like. I love this.
Oh man…I am so glad my office door was closed when I read this. I’m still snickering over it.
I wonder where the Prez is at.
D.C. and Ottowa are both EST but the time shows the Canadians being an hour ahead while the Mexican President, who should be in Mexico city which is CST and should be behind D.C. , is showing as being in same time zone as Obama.
So maaaybe someone was back in Chicago for his own Free Comic Day when the meeting was called. :P
I was about to point that out, glad I’m not the only geek who thought to check the timezones there.
Also, as far as security, it’s not like the various presidents are actually THERE in the room, so it’s not quite as serious a security breech as it could have been. Does lead to the question though – with all these supers running around, do any of them work for the Secret Service? Because if they don’t, they’re pretty much begging for trouble from any bad guy supes with an agenda…
Back when (someone) was explaining about supers (possibly Maxi or Ari during the Press Conference) they mentioned that they did have Supers in the Secret Service (that’s one of the reasons why it is the ‘Secret Service’ and not just the ‘Security Division’)
No sympathy for stupid oddballs who doesn’t know what subordination is.
Yea, how dare those people that have zero training in how the militairy works!
They should automaticly know how the militairy works and adjust to it
On the other side of the coin, it’s almost never a good idea to just barge into the office of your boss when someone has told you not to.
In short, this is a screw-up most places (and could be a fairly big one most places). What makes it truly epic is where she works and what was going on behind the door. But her lack of military knowledge doesn’t excuse a lack of basic workplace etiquette.
Considering that she’s a small business owner along with her business partner, she’s unlikely to have a grounding in that kind of business etiquette to start with. She’s reacting like she would if her business partner had done something that torqued her off.
Training has nothing to do with it. Common sense and rudimental discipline. If you don’t have even that shabby set you fail not only as a “small business owner” but as a human being in general.
Fundamentally, this is a good thing. The realization that Archon is the dog and USG is the tail will make all parties involved stronger in the long run.
The fact that it turned out to be the pres on the line is a nice exclamation point, but everything you need to know about the situation is in the top 3 panels.
Obama: “It’s good to see a small business owner asserting their rights.”
Sydney: O_O “Yeah… I’ll be outside if you need me, Mr. President, Sir, Sir President… Outside…”
…. Trying to kill myself with a pencil.”
I half expected you to list the President’s executive superpowers in the little side bar.
Omg, Dave! Do it! Being President TOTALLY counts as being a super!
… I apologize for my over assertive outburst. It didn’t occur to me how annoying and demanding that could appear until after I posted it. (You should still do it!)
To paraphrase The Revenant from PS 238…
“Political power is the best superpower.”
Nieto and Obama both look highly amused…
Harper is incapable of emotion. Being a robot and all.
I thought he was supposed to be one of those Lizard people…
He’s a Canadian, not a robot. Canadians are capable of emotion.
Like…. polite happiness about their superior beer and maple syrup. And mild displeasure if their favorite hockey teams don’t win.
But seriously, I love Canada. It’s one of my favorite states in the USA.
Any Canadians reading this, don’t hit me!
(eh, who am I kidding, they wouldnt anyway)
*checks Pander into the boards* hah!
I’m assuming ‘checks into the boards’ is some sort of Canadian hockey talk. I don’t have my Canadian to English translation book. Could someone from Alaska or something be an interpreter please?
“Well, with her on the team I guess they won’t end up becoming some kind of unapproachable sentinals on pedestals. And if nothing else, she’s hilarious.”
Best. Gag. Ever.
I think my favorite part is how General Faulk ain’t even mad.
He’s used to this kinda thing, working with Dabbler and Harem all day
He would have to be, wouldn’t he?
You can tell just from the expression he makes. Fourth panel is a “see? This is the kind of crap I’m dealing with on a daily basis.” And then the fifth panel is “Oh god here it comes.”
Pretty certain that Max is going to be mad enough for all of them.
Hey it’s the Harperbot!
“This unit does not understand. What is this obviously poor biological doing here? I was assured no biologicals of the lower classes would be present.”
And all the non-Canadians won’t get any of that. ;)
I don’t get it.
Our ‘beloved’ Prime Minister is utterly lacking in personality and anything else that would mark him as human, thus he gets dubbed the Harperbot at times.
He has also acted like he thinks he should be a King, not an elected representative that is accountable to the people, nor bound by law, procedure, and the constitution. This is displayed by nearly narcisistic level behavior, a disregard for parliamentary procedure, questionable electoral practices, a tendency to passlaws that are clearly doomed to fail constitutional challenge, generally high handed behavior, and so forth.
And he has also shown a distressing lack of concern for average Canadians, seemingly catering to the rich, racist level disregard for a large number of murders of aboriginal woman, fiscal irresponsibility (while claiming the opposite), and aping the fear tactics of American Republicans.
I’m sure there are Conservative party supporters (or as I call them; Americans) who would disagree with every point I made, but its telling that those are a shrinking number.
That said, I have no complaint about him being in the comic, he is the current PM so it is appropriate, and D.B. caught the likeness quite well.
as a fellow canadian… i can sadly back this up.
1) Sorta sounds like Obama with the ‘ignoring parlimentary procedure’ thing :) He is, however, the President of ‘cool.’ I admit that.
2) In the US, the Conservative Party and the Republican Party are two different parties, just like the Green Party and the Democrat Party are two different parties. There are also a bunch of other parties, like the Libertarians (which I am). It’s just the Democrats and the Republicans are the two major American political parties, and people who might otherwise vote for one of the smaller parties invariably wind up voting for the larger ones, since we don’t have coalition governments in the US like they have in most other democratic countries that evolved after the US version of modern Democracy did. For those who are not from America, but are from democratic parliamentary-based countries, the US Democrats are very much like the ‘Labor’ party in most parliamentary governments, while the US Republicans are like the Liberal party (in most parlimentary governments – or at least in the UK and Australia). I know. It sounds weird, but classic liberalism is more like Republicanism (mixed with Libertarianism), while the ‘labor’ party stances are almost identical to the modern Democrat party.
3) The Democrats currently have the lead on aping fear tactics (at least domestically). The foreign fear tactics are largely from stuff like… well stuff that’s actually happening. Politics lesson is over for now. Back to the funny.
4) Are you SURE that he’s the Prime Minister? I’m relatively certain that Canada is a state in the U.S. Unless that’s one of those secrets I wasnt supposed to tell the Canadians. In which case I’m totally lying, Canadians. You’re your own country. I promise. :)
Am I the only one wondering why a day walking Nosferatu with hair is standing behind Obama? Also Sydney might want to consider opening that tube in .3 seconds and seeing if telepresence can be reversed.
Since most everyone else on the wall has been labeled, I guess it is time to point out the US Secretary of Defense in 2011, Robert Gates. https://www.biography.com/people/robert-gates-40993#secretary-of-defense.
I am unaware of any vulnerability to sunlight or garlic, but he probably shares the same fatal weakness admitted to by Sydney (and most other people) of having a stake driven through his heart.
Beheading might slow him down as well, remember.
If she actually has a clause limiting her availability on a given day and she was still called in, it’s Maxima’s fault (as her boss) for violating it. Sydney should not care that she’s interrupted a meeting with the president. Sydney is non-military and things like this can happen.
Why wasn’t the door locked requiring key card access at a minimum?
Are you being sarcastic? Its Maxima’s fault that Sydney disobeyed the guard and used her powers to bypass him?
Well. It’s not her fault nobody told her there was probably a conference call going on that she wasn’t cleared to be in or know about.
Is it Max’s fault? Well, kind of.
https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1679 (refer panels 7+)
Don’t stress too much on the security lapses at Archon. The laws of reality work slightly differently in the comic-verse. The later questioning of the guard will reveal:
General Faulk: “Why do we even bother to have you posted here when you allow people to enter at any time?”
Guard: “No sir, not at any time, only when it is funny.”
So glad you didn’t use a pic of Angela Merkel, because she’s so ugly and doesn’t deserve to be in this comic.
Let’s keep politics out of this
I’m pretty sure that’s not politics, just mean.
WHAT
But she makes the funniest faces:
https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/extra_3/extra8188_v-original.jpg
https://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/12/10/34/2656007/6/920×920.jpg
or do a picture search yourself
Body shaming only exists for those the SJWs hate.
Yay priorities. In other news National Comic Day goes Global.
They really should have expected this:
First they talked about her nature just yesterday, they know she is undisciplined, and not exactly overflowing with respect for authority. And more.
Second, if they did indeed have a deal that she would be allowed to work the store on mornings and new comic day, then Max – and especially Arianna – should have known better, and that Sydney might react poorly.
And third, why was Max so insistent on getting Sydney in if Max was going to be in a video conference by the time Syd got there anyway?
As someone with a tendency to let his mouth get him in trouble, and a mild disdain for authority, I can understand where Sydney is coming from. I’ve spoken up in meetings when my bosses would rather I didn’t – we now have a somewhat mutual agreement that I don’t need to attend most meetings anymore.
Now take Sydney who is very sure of herself in many things, very brash, beyond impulsive, is a civilian with little respect for authority, smart but not wise (doesn’t think things all the way through), and something like this is a certainty.
Dude! Obama is siding with Sydney. DUUUUUUUDE…
Geek solidarity is a thing.
It sure does not hurt to have the commander-in-chief speak up for you.
Great job, Dave, you really managed to capture the looks of Obama, Harper etc.
I’m surprised there haven’t been more people here commenting on this.
He can do a good likeness when he wants to.
I wonder if this will be where maxima draws the line
OMG! DID NO ONE NOTICE THAT THE PRIMINISTER OF CANADA IS ALSO PART OF THE CONFERENCE?!?!?!!?!?!?
OMG! DID YOU NOT READ ANY COMMENTS BEFORE YOU COMMENTED???!?!?!!!??
Night watch nothing, she’d be cortmarshaled for sure!
Fortunately for her it looks like Obama is a comic fan so she may get off easy. Minus the few straght hours of Max tearing her a new one.
Can’t be court-martialled if you are a civilian
Sydney hasn’t been a civilian since she signed that Archon contract just yesterday afternoon…
…but then again, Dave hasn’t yet shown us Sydney taking the Oath of Office required of ALL US military personnel (& literally EVERYONE actually IN government, on both State & Federal levels). Of course,she may have done that right after signing the contract, but it’s not official until the Oath of Office is administered.
Dave didn’t show us Sydney negotiating the “new comic day” clauses in he contract, either. Or actually signing it, for that matter – we just saw her reaching for the pen. The oath, like the signature, was probably just one of those myriad of details that happened “off-screen”.
Thank you for including Canada and Prime Minister Harper. Far too often everyone forgets about us and him. Sadly, that includes our own media… we see him ten, maybe fifteen times a year on the mainstream news…
There is a reason they are so forgettable you know…
That’s because he gets the job done without the public attention seeking of his southern neighbour
Point of note: Like someone in particular who thrives on attention regardless of whether or not it was earned… (cough, cough, Nobel Peace Prize, cough, gag)
Harper is quite attention seeking, its just that the media is dominated by America who barely acknowledges the rest of the world exists.
A reason who are forgettable?
Prime Minister Harper, and Canada in general.
I can feel for Sydney here. I’ve felt exactly what she’s feeling right now…except right here, this is a thousand times worse. I can actually feel the proxy embarrassment waves radiating from the page. If she hasn’t melted into the floor by the next page, I’ll be impressed.
Just wondering, can Sydney’s projection go through walls and locked doors? I know we have seen people and other things pass through her like a hologram but when she turns on the power we see the little wisp thing shot out of the orb. I was wondering if that can be stopped if there is no opening for it in.
From what I gather, Sydney has to see where she’s actually going to initiate it, but can use it to navigate into places she can’t see from where she’s standing. She could probably make her projection move through walls & such, using the sights/sounds that her projection transmits to her.
if there ever was a time for Sydney’s true power to work, it was now…. https://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1011
That is interesting, Sydney is able to grab just the forcefield ball from her tube. As I recall, all the other times, she had to have them all in orbit around her head to use them.
I love Obama’s bemused smile :D
I half expect this to turn out to be a prank by Dabbler and Harem. I suspect they may have set up the whole incident of Sydney walking in on a call with the president.
As someone who had occasion to speak to Obama live and in person a couple times (before he was Prez) I can confirm he is adept enough at off the cuff remarks to actually do this.
Oh its that guy! What’s he called. Kind of sounds like the comic creator’s name. S’right on the tip of my tongue…
Been Larding is dead though
I’m just imagining Sydney emitting this tiny little squeak in the panel showing the Presidents and other dignitaries.
“…eep.”
But yeah, I’m starting to get the feeling that Harem’s “message” was bogus, and more of a way to get back at Sydney for clobbering her when they first met.
Again, Dave, thank you at making this comic timely and entertaining continuously as compared to some other webcomics that I want to like more but either A: take way too long to update or B: go frigging NOWHERE with the story. If I ever get to meet you at a convention, that will be awesome.
‘Timely’? You do know that it is still set in 2011, don’t you?
Timely means updated reguarly