I don't quite get today's "Questionable Content" strip

[astro]

Re today's strip. He's trying to comfort her after his rejection of her advances the previous night. Makeup hug - he holds her gingerly - he tries to disengage - her arms move from his waist up to his chest - then surprised look - then he holds her more tenderly.

Is she doing something out of view? Why the surprised look? What subtext am I missing here?

[MsWhatsit]

At first, she's in a loose embrace with him, but in the next-to-last panel she's gripped him tightly, and then in the final panel, she is crying, as indicated by the movement lines around her head (which IMO are too subtle and easy to miss).

[Kamino Neko]

She's pulled him into a suddenly tighter hug, and, in the last panel, appears to be sobbing into his chest.

[Saltire]

JEEZ Jeph why you gotta be such a downer

[WOOKINPANUB]

I don't mean to speak for Astro , but I don't get it either and no one's really explaining the meaning. I've never seen this cartoon, so not knowing the characters or the storyline, my first interpretation would be that the guy has suddenly, surprisedly found himself turned on by her.

[MsWhatsit]

I'm not familiar with the cartoon either, but it seems to clear to me that these are two characters that share a friendship; the previous night, the woman came on to the man, who rejected her. Today, they are discussing it: She reveals that she is hurt and upset, and he tries to comfort her by saying that he wants to be her friend, but nothing more. She initially agrees with this, they embrace, and then the embrace turns into her sobbing into his chest, which is what causes the look of surprise on the man's face.

I'm not sure there's anything more to explain.

[Munch]

Originally Posted by WOOKINPANUB

I don't mean to speak for Astro , but I don't get it either and no one's really explaining the meaning. I've never seen this cartoon, so not knowing the characters or the storyline, my first interpretation would be that the guy has suddenly, surprisedly found himself turned on by her.

QC isn't really a "one strip at a time" kinda strip. Individual installments aren't going to make much of any sense at all. MsWhatsit nailed it.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Munch

QC isn't really a "one strip at a time" kinda strip. Individual installments aren't going to make much of any sense at all. MsWhatsit nailed it.

Especially the ones with Hannelore. Unless you know Hanners's suite of neuroses, it's going to be a bit puzzling.

[Miller]

There isn't really anything to "get" here: there isn't a punchline to this strip. In the last couple panels, Marigold has had another breakdown and is sobbing into Angus's chest. I expect this is a setup for tomorrow's strip, which will in some manner involve Angus agreeing to help Marigold over come her crippling social anxiety and awkwardness.

[Yllaria]

It may or may not help to know that Marigold and Angus are roommates, so they can't just avoid each other until the awkward goes away. Marigold made advances while drunk, after Faye left. Faye had been there drinking with them and she's the one that Angus likes, although Marigold may not know it. Marigold is an online gamer who has only recently started interacting with people outside of her room.

[Tom Tildrum]

Originally Posted by Miller

...which will in some manner involve Angus agreeing to help Marigold over come her crippling social anxiety and awkwardness.

But not by banging her, let's hope. That would totally mess her up.

[squeegee]

Originally Posted by Miller

...which will in some manner involve Angus agreeing to help Marigold over come her crippling social anxiety and awkwardness.

+1, my call as well, but I would write that as "help her find a boyfriend."

And Angus' ain't banging Mar Bear, Tom Tildrum, that's been made clear. So thank goodness we don't have see Angus in his He Man boxers, nor Marigold in her Batz Maru frillies.

[BrotherCadfael]

Originally Posted by squeegee

+1, my call as well, but I would write that as "help her find a boyfriend."

Well, there are those of us still rootin' for Mar-Bear and Hanners...

[Electric Warrior]

Originally Posted by BrotherCadfael

Well, there are those of us still rootin' for Mar-Bear and Hanners...

As much as I'd like to see that myself, the strip has made specific reference to the fact that it's never gonna happen... I also think Hannelore is pretty straight if not asexual.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Electric Warrior

As much as I'd like to see that myself, the strip has made specific reference to the fact that it's never gonna happen... I also think Hannelore is pretty straight if not asexual.

Not so much asexual as ewwwwsexual.

[HazelNutCoffee]

Aw Marigold! Sweetie, I know how you feel. I swear that strip made me tear up a little.

[Little Nemo]

Well, there are those of us still rootin' for Mar-Bear and Hanners...

And there are some of us that are hoping to see Hannalore and PeeJee get together.

Okay, maybe that's just me.

[The Controvert]

Originally Posted by Tom Tildrum

But not by banging her, let's hope. That would totally mess her up.

In my interpretation of the strip, Marigold is blowing Angus. Yep, full on blow job. Now, whether Angus is hung like his namesake, or he has a mutant chest penis... well that's just up to the individual reader's interpretation. As it should be.

[astro]

Re Marigold, the strip artist really does make her pretty repulsive as he keeps drawing her with an unattractive face, then adds lots of blackheads and acne due (assumedly) to poor hygiene based on her history of not taking care of her surroundings or herself. If she's that slack with simply cleaning her skin I don't think Angus would be in for a treat if they did hook up if she smells like she looks.

[squeegee]

Re: today's (4/14) strip -- Yay, Roomba babies!

[kittenblue]

I've never seen the strip before...yep, she doesn't want to let go of the hug, then starts crying.

[BrotherCadfael]

Originally Posted by Little Nemo

And there are some of us that are hoping to see Hannalore and PeeJee get together.

Okay, maybe that's just me.

Who's PeeJee????

[squeegee]

Originally Posted by BrotherCadfael

Who's PeeJee????

Apparently another indie comic thing. See here, seventh character. I've heard of Something Positive, but don't follow it.

[Kamino Neko]

PeeJee's from Something Positive.

Also, being rather Hanners-like in the current arc, and getting all squicked at the idea of someone masturbating to the thought of her.

[Giles]

Originally Posted by astro

Re today's strip

Since a day has passed, the URL in the OP now refers to a different strip. The OP was about the strip now at this URL (which is rather more permanent).

[tr0psn4j]

Just seemed like a hug she wouldn't let go of. Therefore, making it awkward.

But the crying thing makes more sense now.

[Little Nemo]

Who's PeeJee????

As others have noted, PeeJee is a character from the webcomic Something Positive. My joke was that there are shippers there who want her to get together with another character Davan, much like the shippers in QC want Hannelore and Marigold to get together. In both cases, the writers repeatedly state it's never going to happen.

[outlierrn]

Wow, and here's a whole 'nother world full of people with hopes and dreams I knew nothing about, I'm such a hermit, I must get out more.

[Cliffy]

Originally Posted by astro

Re Marigold, the strip artist really does make her pretty repulsive as he keeps drawing her with an unattractive face, then adds lots of blackheads and acne due (assumedly) to poor hygiene based on her history of not taking care of her surroundings or herself.

Marigold has two beauty marks on her face, but since she's started hanging out with the others and has become more social, the acne has gone away -- presumably because she's washing more often.

--Cliffy

[astro]

Originally Posted by Cliffy

Marigold has two beauty marks on her face, but since she's started hanging out with the others and has become more social, the acne has gone away -- presumably because she's washing more often.

--Cliffy

Either the red spots are acne/pimples or the black spots are. You can't call both "beauty marks".

[tr0psn4j]

Yeah it looks like she has two moles. They're really distracting sometimes.

[Cliffy]

Originally Posted by astro

Either the red spots are acne/pimples or the black spots are. You can't call both "beauty marks".

Does not compute. When first introduced, Marigold had a bunch of dots on her face. Now, she consistently has the two -- the others have mostly disappeared. Because the first two are permanent, and the others were acne that has since cleared up.

--Cliffy

[EvilTOJ]

Did anyone else think of the movie Batteries Not Included when they saw the baby Roombas?

[BigT]

Originally Posted by EvilTOJ

Did anyone else think of the movie Batteries Not Included when they saw the baby Roombas?

I forgot completely about that movie! It would be a good pickme up next time I'm in a bad mood.

Also, this QC strip seems to be a bit ADD. It's jumped from girl who wants a boyfriend to roombas to girl who makes coffee grinding, expresso crapping robots.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by BigT

I forgot completely about that movie! It would be a good pickme up next time I'm in a bad mood.

Also, this QC strip seems to be a bit ADD. It's jumped from girl who wants a boyfriend to roombas to girl who makes coffee grinding, expresso crapping robots.

All of these people are friends or at least acquaintances. The girl and guy from the first strip mentioned in the OP are roommates, and the guy is stuck on the girl who built the espresso-pooping tyrannosaurus. That girl works for the other dark-haired girl, who's the girlfriend of another guy who once was stuck on the tyrannosaurus-builder, and the blond girl with the roombas is their upstairs neighbor and friend.

In other words, yeah, it's a little ADD but if you've been following the strip for a while it's less so.

[Ferret Herder]

Originally Posted by jayjay

In other words, yeah, it's a little ADD but if you've been following the strip for a while it's less so.

It doesn't help that the creator doesn't have a cast list (or at least, one in an obvious place) on his website. I had to check out the Wiki article to get a run-down on these people and why intelligent robots are an unremarked-upon part of the strip.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Ferret Herder

It doesn't help that the creator doesn't have a cast list (or at least, one in an obvious place) on his website. I had to check out the Wiki article to get a run-down on these people and why intelligent robots are an unremarked-upon part of the strip.

Heh...Marten's AnthroPC was in the very first strip. Intelligent robots/anthro-computers are practically background flavor now.

[badbadrubberpiggy]

Originally Posted by jayjay

Heh...Marten's AnthroPC was in the very first strip. Intelligent robots/anthro-computers are practically background flavor now.

I can never decide whether to be sad or happy they don't really exist.

I mean, Pintsize is funny when someone else is dealing with him - but would you want one living with you?

[Kamino Neko]

I wouldn't want Pintsize...but I wouldn't mind Marigold's AnthroPC...she seems pleasant enough.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by badbadrubberpiggy

I can never decide whether to be sad or happy they don't really exist.

I mean, Pintsize is funny when someone else is dealing with him - but would you want one living with you?

I'd have to disconnect him from the DSL and lock him up at night, or I'd never get the machine oil stains out of the sofa or my credit cards cleared of the pr0n site subscriptions...

[Enright3]

I'd never heard of this strip until today... now I've wasted a few hours reading through the old strips. This one is a gem: http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=165

#165 Entitled "Hi Mom"

[astro]

Originally Posted by Tengu

I wouldn't want Pintsize...but I wouldn't mind Marigold's AnthroPC...she seems pleasant enough.

Well....except for that one time.

[Enright3]

I know have to update my previous post to say; "I've wasted a few days reading every strip." It's an awesome comic. I really enjoyed seeing how the artwork got better and better; to the point where I'd now have to enter some of the characters into a "hottest comic chicks" contest.

[kaylasdad99]

Welcome aboard.

If you haven't done the same thing with Something Positive, you'd better check your day-planner before you start. That's gonna be a project, too.

[BrotherCadfael]

It is an awesome comic. My daughter is in grad school, and claims to personally know every member of the cast.

[tr0psn4j]

Originally Posted by kaylasdad99

Welcome aboard.

If you haven't done the same thing with Something Positive, you'd better check your day-planner before you start. That's gonna be a project, too.

I guess I'll read that tonight. Oh boy, I have 3 years of comics to read.

[Little Nemo]

Actually Something Positive started in 2001. And it's run pretty regularly so you have a lot of reading ahead of you.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by BrotherCadfael

It is an awesome comic. My daughter is in grad school, and claims to personally know every member of the cast.

Does she mean as "types" or does she actually know the people the characters are based on. (I assume you mean Something Positive, but I may be wrong)

[Little Nemo]

Does she mean as "types" or does she actually know the people the characters are based on. (I assume you mean Something Positive, but I may be wrong)

She could know the actual people. Milholland has said that several of the characters were based on his friends and family.

[kaylasdad99]

Originally Posted by tr0psn4j

I guess I'll read that tonight. Oh boy, I have 3 years of comics to read.

What Little Nemo said.

PROTIP: Milholland puts the comic on hiatus near the end of the year, and even labels the last strip of the year as such. If you want to keep it manageable, just take a break (at least) every time you come across a comic that ends with "End of Year X"

That will be the end of 2002 (since the comic opens in December of 2001). Like this.