# Sandra and Woo webcomic -- interrupted plots? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899 "2015-05-26T20:06:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899/1 "2015-05-26T20:06:27Z")
Any love for Sandra and Woo here? [It’s a fun little webcomic](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Webcomic/SandraAndWoo), updated once or twice a week, somewhat irregularly. Nice art, witty situations, interesting characters. I linked to the TVTropes reference, not to the [actual strip](http://www.sandraandwoo.com/), because of the allusion to “Aborted Arc” as a trope. S&W seems to have a lot of this, and I was wondering if anyone else noticed (or cared) or could help me figure it out. Very recently, the strip opened up a new post-apocalyptic world, and showed us…Smoky Bear. A guy rescues him, and the Bear tells us that it was he who caused the world’s downfall. He was teaching kids about forest fires… End of arc. Hunh? It came outta nowhere…and went nowhere. Over the months, I’ve seen several other examples of a plot line that is introduced, developed a little, and then allowed to drop. Is this some dramatic form I’m not familiar with? (The modern Dick Tracy comic strip also seems to have problems with hurried, tacked-on endings, such as when Silver Nitrate and Sprocket developed a deadly sibling rivalry in the very last strip of a story, and she tries to kill them both. No reason for it, and, when they come back later, there’s no reference to it whatever.) ---
**Author:** ![Quercus\_alba](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quercus_alba/32/4061_2.png) [@Quercus\_alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus_alba)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899/2 "2015-05-28T02:45:23Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Any love for Sandra and Woo here? [It’s a fun little webcomic](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Webcomic/SandraAndWoo), updated once or twice a week, somewhat irregularly. Nice art, witty situations, interesting characters. > > I linked to the TVTropes reference, not to the [actual strip](http://www.sandraandwoo.com/), because of the allusion to “Aborted Arc” as a trope. S&W seems to have a lot of this, and I was wondering if anyone else noticed (or cared) or could help me figure it out. > > Very recently, the strip opened up a new post-apocalyptic world, and showed us…Smoky Bear. A guy rescues him, and the Bear tells us that it was he who caused the world’s downfall. He was teaching kids about forest fires… End of arc. > > Hunh? It came outta nowhere…and went nowhere. Over the months, I’ve seen several other examples of a plot line that is introduced, developed a little, and then allowed to drop. [In the specific case you reference](http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2015/05/18/0684-smokeys-big-blunder/), the child he is talking to is Larissa, who is infamous in this strip for many things, especially [pyromania](http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2015/02/12/0658-sponsor/). (Hence Sandra’s look of fear). ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899/3 "2015-05-28T02:56:35Z")
Yeah, that’s not an aborted arc, it’s a silly short one. The only aborted arc I can think of is the one TV tropes mentions about Larisa’s secret. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899/4 "2015-05-28T03:18:46Z")
Okay! Thanks! That makes sense now. I didn’t recognize Larissa, and so the joke whooshed right over my head. (With Larissa, that’s probably safest.) I definitely love the strip, but I guess I’m too “linear” to get some of the humor. The sequence where the hyper-feminist teacher came in, was obnoxious for a few strips, and then went away (or was taken out and killed?) was weird. It just went past so quickly. Hi, here’s a new character who is a total jerk…and six strips later is disposed of. Microhumor. I just needed to have it explained. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Quercus\_alba](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quercus_alba/32/4061_2.png) [@Quercus\_alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus_alba)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899/5 "2015-05-29T03:58:26Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Okay! Thanks! That makes sense now. I didn’t recognize Larissa, and so the joke whooshed right over my head. > > (With Larissa, that’s probably safest.) > > I definitely love the strip, but I guess I’m too “linear” to get some of the humor. The sequence where the hyper-feminist teacher came in, was obnoxious for a few strips, and then went away (or was taken out and killed?) was weird. It just went past so quickly. Hi, here’s a new character who is a total jerk…and six strips later is disposed of. > > Microhumor. I just needed to have it explained. Thanks! Actually, I kind of prefer the mini-arcs to some of the other comics where I need a “Readers’ Reference Guide” to keep characters and relationships straight over a six month arc. (“Dumbing of Age” I’m talking to you, here! Was that Roz or Billie or Marigold…and who used to sleep with who?) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899/6 "2015-05-29T04:39:22Z")
**Quercus alba** : Grin! That’s for sure! I’ve been following Freefall for a year now, and don’t have any idea what the hell is going on. I’ve been following Girl Genius from the beginning, and don’t know what’s going on…but that’s more by Phil and Kaja’s intentional design than bad scripting! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899/7 "2015-05-29T05:40:48Z")
> [@Quercus\_alba](#): > > (“Dumbing of Age” I’m talking to you, here! Was that Roz or Billie or Marigold…and who used to sleep with who?) Marigold? Either I’m missing a joke or you’re even more confused than you think? (Marigold’s from Questionable Content.) And who used to sleep with who is a pretty short simple list… Dorothy/Danny Billie/Alice (probably - definitely had a relationship…whether it was sexual isn’t confirmed) Joe/Roz (may be ongoing, probably not) Sal/Jason (possibly going to return, quite unethical) Even current relationships are pretty simple… Danny/Amber (mildly complicated by Amber’s secret identity and Danny’s budding attraction to Ethan) Ruth/Billie (unethical and unhealthy, but straightforward aside from the ‘uh, are we lesbians?’ _shrug_ thing) Joe/Penny (probably…also unethical, but straightforward) Mandy/Grace (not actually confirmed, but too heavily implied to to not be) Sarah/Other Jacob (at least until the batteries drain, and Joyce goes on an adventure to keep her from getting more \>\_\>) The whole point of Amber/Ethan is that it didn’t happen. Becky’s relationship with her Andersen roommate never got past smoochies. Billie’s attempt to seduce Danny failed. None of the others have known romantic/sexual ties. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899/8 "2015-05-29T08:40:57Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Any love for Sandra and Woo here? [It’s a fun little webcomic](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Webcomic/SandraAndWoo), updated once or twice a week, somewhat irregularly. Nice art, witty situations, interesting characters. I prefer their [Gaia](http://www.sandraandwoo.com/gaia/) webcomic. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus\_alba](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quercus_alba/32/4061_2.png) [@Quercus\_alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus_alba)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899/9 "2015-05-29T12:29:33Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Marigold? Either I’m missing a joke or you’re even more confused than you think? (Marigold’s from Questionable Content.) > … Definitely the latter. The blonde intellectual chick with glasses. See, I’ve gone and named her Marigold in my head just to keep her straight.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899/10 "2015-05-29T12:35:16Z")
Dorothy. … Yeah, I think Dorothy’s the only one who fits that description. Lots of girls with glasses, lots of blondes, lots of brainy girls, but I think Dorothy’s the only overlap on all 3… ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899/11 "2015-05-29T17:43:45Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Marigold? Either I’m missing a joke or you’re even more confused than you think? (Marigold’s from Questionable Content.) > > And who used to sleep with who is a pretty short simple list… > > Dorothy/Danny > Billie/Alice (probably - definitely had a relationship…whether it was sexual isn’t confirmed) > Joe/Roz (may be ongoing, probably not) > Sal/Jason (possibly going to return, quite unethical) > > Even current relationships are pretty simple… > > Danny/Amber (mildly complicated by Amber’s secret identity and Danny’s budding attraction to Ethan) > Ruth/Billie (unethical and unhealthy, but straightforward aside from the ‘uh, are we lesbians?’ _shrug_ thing) > Joe/Penny (probably…also unethical, but straightforward) > Mandy/Grace (not actually confirmed, but too heavily implied to to not be) > Sarah/Other Jacob (at least until the batteries drain, and Joyce goes on an adventure to keep her from getting more \>\_\>) > > The whole point of Amber/Ethan is that it didn’t happen. Becky’s relationship with her Andersen roommate never got past smoochies. Billie’s attempt to seduce Danny failed. None of the others have known romantic/sexual ties. Don’t forget Dorothy/Walky who are currently dating. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-and-woo-webcomic-interrupted-plots/720899/12 "2015-05-30T02:32:49Z")
Oops. I originally had Dorothy/Walky, but edited to make the post easier to read, and forgot to put them back. :smack: