# Penny Arcade - A Boy Must Learn (explain please) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 11, 2010, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030 "2010-05-11T11:12:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/1 "2010-05-11T11:12:23Z")
Well the guys finally got around to doing their own version of the Lookouts comic, and I like it but I’m just not sure I really get it. Here it is, > **[A Boy Must Learn, Part One - Penny Arcade](https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/04/26/a-boy-must-learn-part-one)** > > Videogaming-related online strip by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins. Includes news and commentary. Can anyone help out and explain what’s happening panel by panel. Much appreciated. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/2 "2010-05-11T11:50:38Z")
I don’t know about panel-by-panel (because I don’t think there’s that much to it). But the Lookouts go into the forest to hunt this giant owl walking thing and one of the kids gets slurped. The End. I think Lookouts is quite possibly the dumbest idea PA has ever run with. Between the absolutely horrid guest strips they ran about a year ago and this new failure, I think it’s time to retire the Lookouts. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/3 "2010-05-11T12:19:47Z")
I think it’s a combination of LARPing and tag football. Page 1: Lesson combined with play. The leader is pretending to be a beast and is chasing the boys. There are 4 boys (seen previously) with different colored hair (brown, black, red, and blonde). The red haired boy is assisting the blonde. Most people are smiling, including the adults. The only exceptions are Red and Blonde. Page 2: The leader is closing in on Brown but is attacked from behind from the defiant Red while Blonde cowers behind. Again, smiles except for Red and Blonde. Page 3: The leader turns and chases Red and Blonde. The scene shifts to a winter scene with only Red but a real monster/winter king. We can understand it as the emotions of Red (he pretends/acts as if the leader IS the monster - you know, LARPing). Page 4. Brown and Black then call off the monster to draw it away from Red, but are then being chased by the Winter King. Page 5: The leader chases after Brown and Black but stops when he sees they are too far to catch now. Blonde is hiding behind a tree next to him. Then Red and Blonde attack the leader from behind. Again, playful fun. Page 6: The boys are attacking as if they are actually killing the Winter King. Red holds out a blue ribbon (the life of the monster? - the tag football reference I made at the beginning). The leader then displays the blue ribbon of Red. That last scene is a sad scene where we pretend Red has died to kill the Winter King. This also works if its not LARPing but shadowing real events in the future. I like the idea of Lookouts, but the implementation leaves me mostly confused and underwhelmed. There is a great story there, but they haven’t found it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/4 "2010-05-11T12:27:18Z")
I think all of the winter/monster scenes are imagined versions of the real scenes. The “Jester” is the kid who manages to take the flag of the teacher, but at the end the teacher reveals he also got the kid’s flag, thus the Jester “died.” It looks to me like the teacher is in the very last winter panel, which shows it is imaginary. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/5 "2010-05-11T13:29:08Z")
It’s training. “A boy must learn.” It’s not too hard to understand, but I’m not a fan of artsy. I much prefer stories laid out in a more straightforward manner. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/6 "2010-05-11T15:51:54Z")
> [@Wolverine](#): > > I like the idea of Lookouts, but the implementation leaves me mostly confused and underwhelmed. There is a great story there, but they haven’t found it yet. I agree. In its defense, at least it sucks a lot less than the first try with that guest artist. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/7 "2010-05-11T16:15:31Z")
I sort of like it. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/8 "2010-05-11T16:19:05Z")
I don’t think the snow scenes are imaginary. We’re seeing two scenes, interpolated together: training to hunt monsters, and the actual hunt. The hunt ends up playing out just as the training did, with the red headed boy striking the killing blow, but dying in the process. Just to buck the trend in this thread, I thought this was a damned good story. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/9 "2010-05-11T18:17:47Z")
I was confused about this at first, as well. But I agree with **Miller** ’s interpretation. It explains why one sequence is in winter and the other in spring/summer. It also explains the melancholy of the final panel. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/10 "2010-05-11T18:28:04Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I don’t think the snow scenes are imaginary. No, they are imaginary. The proof is in the final panel. The teacher is imagined as a monster in most of the snow scenes, until the final panel when he appears as himself. Obviously this would not be possible if the snow scenes were real. The teacher would not even be there. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/11 "2010-05-11T18:28:13Z")
“Four go up, but three come back.” Four go up as boys, but one comes back a man, older and wiser? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/12 "2010-05-11T18:28:43Z")
Yeah, I agree with **Miller** as well. The non-winter scenes with their leader are practice. The winter scenes are real, coming after the practice, and the result of the practice session foreshadows what happens in the end - the redhead and blond leap onto the Winter King, with the redhead dealing the fatal blow but also dying in the process. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/13 "2010-05-11T18:30:33Z")
> [@Carmady](#): > > No, they are imaginary. The proof is in the final panel. > > The teacher is imagined as a monster in most of the snow scenes, until the final panel when he appears as himself. Obviously this would not be possible if the snow scenes were real. The teacher would not even be there. The **final** panel is a winter scene, with only three boys in it. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/14 "2010-05-11T18:32:49Z")
Why is one of the figures so much taller than the others in the final panel? It looks like the teacher and the two kids he was just shown with. I suppose it could be 3 kids, but none seemed that much taller than the others. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/15 "2010-05-11T18:34:31Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > The **final** panel is a winter scene, with only three boys in it. Shoot. I didn’t even notice the seasons. :smack: Agreed with you and **Miller**. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/16 "2010-05-11T18:45:12Z")
> [@Carmady](#): > > Why is one of the figures so much taller than the others in the final panel? > > It looks like the teacher and the two kids he was just shown with. > > I suppose it could be 3 kids, but none seemed that much taller than the others. I think it’s supposed to be the thin dark-haired boy - check out the 2nd panel of page 4. In the last panel of that page, he seems more bent forward while running, making the height difference not seem like much. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/17 "2010-05-11T18:47:35Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I don’t think the snow scenes are imaginary. We’re seeing two scenes, interpolated together: training to hunt monsters, and the actual hunt. The hunt ends up playing out just as the training did, with the red headed boy striking the killing blow, but dying in the process. After re-reading the series I agree with this version. Makes for a better story, too - but I still don’t care for Lookouts. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/18 "2010-05-11T18:48:26Z")
I liked it. FWIW, I don’t think the winter scene is supposed to be real, its what the boys imagine the real “fight” that they’re training for would be like. The kids in the winter scene are wearing the same clothes (shorts!) as in summer, they appear to be the same ages (and in the Lookout world, monster fighting seems to be the realm of adults) and you’d think if they had a training exercise where a plan resulted in the “death” of one of them, they wouldn’t use the exact same plan when fighting the real monster. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/19 "2010-05-11T19:34:48Z")
> [@Carmady](#): > > No, they are imaginary. The proof is in the final panel. > > The teacher is imagined as a monster in most of the snow scenes, until the final panel when he appears as himself. Obviously this would not be possible if the snow scenes were real. The teacher would not even be there. I assumed that was the teacher, too, and that he’d simply shown up too late to help with the fight, or something. But I think **Ferret Herder** is correct: it’s not the teacher, but the dark-haired kid. Compare his height to the round headed kid in panel two of [this page](http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/5/3/) with the silhouettes in the final page. He’s a bout a head taller in both of them, give or take a bit for perspective. Now take a look at [this page](http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/5/5/), where the kids are tackling the teacher. He’s easily twice their height in that panel. There’s no way that silhouette is the teacher. It’s way too short. Besides, if that silhouette is the teacher, then we’re missing two kids from the final panel: there are four Lookouts fighting the Snow King. We can pretty clearly make out the roundheaded kid, and the other short figure is the blond with the cowlick. The third figure could be either the red head or the black haired kid, based on the shape of his head, but since the preceding panel is the red-head getting “killed” in the training game, it’s probably the black haired kid standing there, and all three are looking down at the body of their friend. Lastly, if that is the teacher in the final panel, that’s pretty much proof that the winter events are _not_ a fantasy. In the alleged fantasy scenes, the teacher isn’t a teacher: he’s a giant snow owl leopard thing. So he should not appear as a human in any of the winter scenes. If that’s him in the last panel, then the monster has to be something else - most likely, an actual monster that just killed one of the kids. > [@Simplico](#): > > FWIW, I don’t think the winter scene is supposed to be real, its what the boys imagine the real “fight” that they’re training for would be like. The kids in the winter scene are wearing the same clothes (shorts!) as in summer, they appear to be the same ages (and in the Lookout world, monster fighting seems to be the realm of adults) and you’d think if they had a training exercise where a plan resulted in the “death” of one of them, they wouldn’t use the exact same plan when fighting the real monster. The flashback is taking place in the fall, so the fight in the snow is probably only two or three months later. I wouldn’t expect the kids to look older. Not sure why they’re still wearing shorts in the snow, though. Artist oversight, perhaps? The fact that the same kid got killed in both the exercise and the real deal doesn’t invalidate the plan. I mean, look at the size of that thing: if you can take one of those down and only lose one guy, then you’ve got a pretty good plan going for you. I also got the strong impression that they aren’t inventing the plan themselves, but are instead learning the traditional, time-tested method of hunting and killing one of those things. I assume that any other way they could have tried to take it down would have resulted in a lot more of them getting killed. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030/20 "2010-05-12T05:08:07Z")
Quick post in support of the winter scenes being real: in the last Lookouts comic, another boy died, turned to stone by the basilisk. The theme of the Lookouts is boys being forced into real danger so that they can become men, and casualties are a very real thing; a necessary evil/sadness. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-arcade-a-boy-must-learn-explain-please/539030.md?page=2)