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

[Bosstone]

Originally Posted by Tom Tildrum

Except that she's telling Marten about it this week.

And notice that she starts by saying when she began transitioning, not who she was beforehand.

[Leiko]

I like that Jeph managed to time the new info nearly perfectly for Transgender Day of Remembrance.

[Miller]

Originally Posted by Tom Tildrum

Except that she's telling Marten about it this week.

Is she? So far, she hasn't said anything about herself before she transitioned.

[Tom Tildrum]

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what Bosstone was getting at when he or she said that Claire's previous male identity was no longer relevant to her in any way, but it just seems to me that the fact that Claire is telling Marten that she previously had a male identity means that she thinks that that has some relevance to understanding who she is now, at least as between close friends. She didn't have to tell him that she's transitioning, after all.

[Munch]

Originally Posted by Bosstone

From a character standpoint, there's really no benefit in assigning her previous life a name, as it's not relevant in any way to the character present in the comic. The only way it would be relevant is if she had been in the strip before pre-transition.

You don't think that it would be in-character whatsoever for Emily to ask completely inappropriate and awkward questions the moment she finds out? Okay.

[Jonathan Chance]

And protective brother for the win! Well done.

[Munch]

Originally Posted by Leiko

I like that Jeph managed to time the new info nearly perfectly for Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Just a coincidence, according to Jeph.

[Bosstone]

Originally Posted by Tom Tildrum

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what Bosstone was getting at when he or she said that Claire's previous male identity was no longer relevant to her in any way, but it just seems to me that the fact that Claire is telling Marten that she previously had a male identity means that she thinks that that has some relevance to understanding who she is now, at least as between close friends. She didn't have to tell him that she's transitioning, after all.

No, she didn't, but it's the kind of thing you share when you're being honest. The point is, the transition is when life began for Claire, and the old identity doesn't matter any more. She'll talk about history and maybe what she and Clinton were like as children, but when she looks back she'll be seeing herself as a young girl, not a young boy.

Originally Posted by Munch

You don't think that it would be in-character whatsoever for Emily to ask completely inappropriate and awkward questions the moment she finds out? Okay.

Doesn't mean they'll get answered.

[Miller]

Originally Posted by Munch

You don't think that it would be in-character whatsoever for Emily to ask completely inappropriate and awkward questions the moment she finds out? Okay.

That's assuming she ever finds out.

[Leiko]

Does Emily's mom look a lot like Marten's mom to anybody else?

[Munch]

Originally Posted by Miller

That's assuming she ever finds out.

I think that assuming Jacques won't delve into a discussion of transgender relations and issues using two brand new characters that he's introduced that involve a) a transgendered individual and b) a nosey socially-clueless person - both of whom are coworkers who are also joining the same social circle - is pure naiviety. Add in the fact that he's set up Clinton as a sibling eager to rise to the defense of his sister in the face of any perceived slight, Jeph would extremely tone-deaf to not take advantage of the opportunity. His Twitter feed has also indicated that he's spent a considerable amount of time researching the issue, wanting to get it right and not misrepresent the transgender community (which received, according to him, a ton of support), I'd be blown away if he just sweeps the issue under the rug without creating some sort of conflict.

[Little Nemo]

Really trivial question. But is Pintsize eating a Slim Jim?

[Skammer]

Originally Posted by Little Nemo

Really trivial question. But is Pintsize eating a Slim Jim?

That was my interpretation, after having to take a careful look.

[squeegee]

slim pocky

[Little Nemo]

Originally Posted by squeegee

slim pocky

Do Pockys come with individual wrappers?

[MegaBee]

Originally Posted by Little Nemo

Do Pockys come with individual wrappers?

The ones that size do.

[Little Nemo]

Okay, so a Pocky is a possibility.

It was the colors - brown stick, yellow wrapper - that made me think Slim Jim.

[Maggie the Ocelot]

I think Slim Jim.

[Chef Troy]

How does Pintsize hold things, anyway? He doesn't have fingers -- just those blobs on the ends of his stubby little arms. Are they sticky? (eewwww.)

van der Waals forces?

[Munch]

I vote Slim Jim as well.

[AndrewL]

Originally Posted by Chef Troy

How does Pintsize hold things, anyway? He doesn't have fingers -- just those blobs on the ends of his stubby little arms. Are they sticky? (eewwww.)

Something like this, perhaps?

[Chef Troy]

Originally Posted by AndrewL

Something like this, perhaps?

Oh my lord that is SO AWESOME!

(it's a video of a universal gripping appendage for a robot arm that looks just like Pintsize's "hands" that is basically a balloon filled with particulates the consistency of coffee grounds -- inflate it with air, and it will flow around an object of any shape; suck the air back out and the particulates jam together around the object, which can then be picked up.)

Did you click onto the next video that shows it throwing darts?

[AndrewL]

Originally Posted by Chef Troy

Oh my lord that is SO AWESOME!

(it's a video of a universal gripping appendage for a robot arm that looks just like Pintsize's "hands" that is basically a balloon filled with particulates the consistency of coffee grounds -- inflate it with air, and it will flow around an object of any shape; suck the air back out and the particulates jam together around the object, which can then be picked up.)

Did you click onto the next video that shows it throwing darts?

Yep.

Given the remarkable robotics technology demonstrated in the QC universe, I expect Pintsize's limbs are using something a bit more sophisticated than a balloon full of plastic powder. Maybe some kind of electric-activated memory foam that can flow round an object then selectively harden to grip it, or something else to the same effect. I'm more wondering at how and why he's eating at all.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by AndrewL

Yep.

Given the remarkable robotics technology demonstrated in the QC universe, I expect Pintsize's limbs are using something a bit more sophisticated than a balloon full of plastic powder. Maybe some kind of electric-activated memory foam that can flow round an object then selectively harden to grip it, or something else to the same effect. I'm more wondering at how and why he's eating at all.

He has a Mr. Fusion?

[squeegee]

Originally Posted by Maggie the Ocelot

I think Slim Jim.

You win!

[terentii]

Watching NCIS right now ... and the strip in question was just repeated EXACTLY, frame by frame, by McGee and Gibbs's/Tobias's ex-wife.

FREAK-Y!!!

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

Wait wait waitaminnit...

Marten's mom's dialog in this strip was completely different this morning. Jeph has taken out all the stuff about children, rendering the strip title meaningless. Did he decide that he doesn't want her to be unaware that Claire is trans?

[Kamino Neko]

Here's his explanation.

In short, the joke was supposed to be about Marten's mom being broody, but since it could have come off as a joke about Claire being trans, which he didn't want, he changed it.

[squeegee]

Originally Posted by Biffy the Elephant Shrew

Wait wait waitaminnit...

Marten's mom's dialog in this strip was completely different this morning. Jeph has taken out all the stuff about children, rendering the strip title meaningless. Did he decide that he doesn't want her to be unaware that Claire is trans?

The original doesn't seem to be online; how did it read previously?

[Kamino Neko]

Mrs Reed was in full-on 'gimme grandkids!' mode, and talking about what beautiful babies Claire and Marten would make, then said the wedding was making her broody and went off to the bar.

[ekedolphin]

You think Claire's got a thing for Marten? She's been hanging out with him quite a bit, she thinks Marten's dad is attractive (bringing back memories of Dora going "Oh my God, you're gonna be so hot when you go grey!"), and you could practically see an exclamation point over her head when Mrs. Reed did the hard-sale for Marten as prime boyfriend material.

(Of course, she would also be embarrassed about that if she didn't have a thing for Marten).

[lyssla]

Originally Posted by ekedolphin

You think Claire's got a thing for Marten?

It certainly seems that way, doesn't it? Unfortunately for the Claire/Marten shippers, I'm not getting the sense that it's reciprocated.

OTOH, Claire could just be enjoying spending time with one of the few people she's out with aside from her family. It would be totally natural for her to develop a crush on Martin, who is non-threateningly cute (as opposed to the more overtly masculine and blush-worthy Steve) and who responded so ideally to her coming out, but I doubt that it goes any further than that. And even if Claire could overcome her terminal case of awkward, I doubt that she'd be willing to risk her friendship with Martin by making a romantic overture.

Is it just me, or is the high percentage of recent strips ending with Marten making some exaggerated expression a little off-putting (e.g. 2380 and 2388 for particularly extreme examples)? I know Jeph's used similar effects in the past, but I don't recall him being quite so obvious about it. It's getting to the point where it's distracting me from the comic.

Relatedly, I don't get Claire's expression in panels 3 and 4 of 2385. I mean, I get the "joke" (such as it is), but what the heck is going on with her eyes?

[Mr. Miskatonic]

Rolling into the back of her head, I'd say.

[Folly]

Originally Posted by lyssla

Relatedly, I don't get Claire's expression in panels 3 and 4 of 2385. I mean, I get the "joke" (such as it is), but what the heck is going on with her eyes?

I think they've just rolled back into her head. Just see the whites.


ETA. Oops. Beaten to it. I had this tab open a while.

[squeegee]

You know, I've been wondering the same thing. In 2388, Claire goes all blushy at the thought of Marten in boxers. In 2390 again she's blushing failing to tie his tie, but Marten also blushes a little in panel 5.

I don't know what that adds up to except "where's Jeph going with all this blushing?" I think it isn't going anywhere, and the blushing is all about social awkwardness, not sexual attraction. But, wow, so much blushing, and you wonder why and what's up, right?

[Jophiel]

In regards to the tie, I saw it more as "Rage blushing" than awkwardness. Marten is embarrassed towards the end about her inability to tie it after she just chided him for not being able to do so. So it's a lot of blushing but easily answerable blushing.

[Ferret Herder]

Yeah, I think that was rage. She just got done chiding him for not remembering how to tie his tie, only to fuck it up royally when attempting to tie it for him.

[prettydorky]

Can anyone tell me who the people are (Marten's dad's friends) in today's strip?

[Munch]

Originally Posted by prettydorky

Can anyone tell me who the people are (Marten's dad's friends) in today's strip?

Was wondering that myself. His signoff of "If there is an artistic equivalent of name-dropping, I am certainly guilty of it." makes me think that most of them are comic artists. The QC forum has some suggestions (page 3 link) - I don't recognize any of the names.

[Mister Rik]

If the guy with the ponytail is indeed Mall Santa from GWS (and I'll admit the resemblance is hard to argue), I find that a really odd choice for a cameo. Unless Jeph has some inside information, there hasn't been any indication in GWS itself that Mall Santa is anything more than a tertiary character introduced for a particular storyline.

[Leiko]

For anyone not following the link, the consensus was shorter guy with beard is Charlie Stross, tall guy is Mall Santa from GWS as listed above, short-black-hair lady is Holly Black, and redhead lady is Cassandra Clare.

[ekedolphin]

Best wedding ever. "We are gathered here today..." "Have you the ring?" "You're now married." Bing, bang, boom. NOW LET US EAT CAKE~!

[Kamino Neko]

I agree with Stross and Clare (having ID'd them independently myself), and have no idea who Holly Black is, so I can't say one way or the other, but I really don't think the black guy is Mall Santa 2013.

Not because I don't think he's going to be recurring - he's had major rolls in 2 arcs, so far, and just having him disappear after this one, the way things are going with him and Jamie would be terrible narratively, and totally out of character for both of them - but because he's proportioned all wrong.

He's taller than Marten, and relatively thin*, whereas Mall Santa is only a little taller than that relative to Jamie* (not one of the taller characters in GWS) and quite broad.

Not that Jeph is particularly consistent with heights, but 'tall character vs short character' is generally maintained, and Mall Santa only has about half a head on Jamie, whereas this guy's got about a quarter of a head on Marten. (Which could, depending how much attention Jeph was playing mean anything from he's about to the same height, to he's about half a head taller - either way, significantly taller than Jamie would be.)

[Little Nemo]

Is the site down for everyone today or is it just me?

[Folly]

It's down for everyone. His blog says that the site was recovering from a denial of service attack.

[squeegee]

Yeah, DDOS attack; 'been happening off and on (mostly on) for a couple of days.

[Little Nemo]

Okay then. So I guess when I say I don't get today's strip, I'll mean it in a new way.

[Ferret Herder]

Ellen, the DJ at the reception, is famous in electronica; Tai is a gigantic fan and was jealous of seeing Marten's pic at the wedding with her. He saved the day by bringing Tai a personally autographed CD of the reception music mix.

[Achren]

Originally Posted by Little Nemo

Okay then. So I guess when I say I don't get today's strip, I'll mean it in a new way.

He's got the strips up on his tumblr.
Also, site's back up.

[Ferret Herder]

Originally Posted by Achren

He's got the strips up on his tumblr.
Also, site's back up.

I read the "don't get it" post while on the run - the site was actually back up at that point so I assumed it was a complaint about not getting it due to music unfamiliarity or something.