It's not like I was hoping for an apology from Skipping Out creator Eric Schlegel. But I'm still disappointed to see that after all the hate I - and a handful of others, on Tumblr - directed at their trans hate fest earlier this year.. has had zero impact. If Schlegel saw it, he's made no mention, and there's definitely been no note on trans issues that might make things somewhat better or more understandable. Meanwhile, the comic is drudging on in its usual style. The strips are less and less frequent in coming, and the characters and plot are going nowhere. Oddly, the header keeps changing now and then even if there's no new strip.
Another comic that never changes is Questionable Content. Actually, there was a rather ambitious and successful visual thing with the camping trip a while back, but out of the main characters, only Marten was there. I just don't feel much for Padma or her niece or this new guy whatshisface. It almost seems like Jeph Jacques gets sick of his characters and discards them to show us some new people. The new characters are then faded out into a small role or disappear completely, while new ones take over. In fact, the only real exception seems to be Hannelore. This has been going on since the beginning of the strip. (See also: Sven, Jimbo, Raven, Penelope, Tai, Faye's sister, Marten's band, etc.)
It's been my pet peeve for a long time, but I've really almost quit reading QC. Its incoherent time frame and narrative structure has gone on for so long that it's become a thing. It's like, the QC style, and this is not a style I particularly like. Either Jacques is not my kind of author, or he doesn't know at all what he's doing with the comic.
Showing posts with label questionable content. Show all posts
Showing posts with label questionable content. Show all posts
Monday, October 17, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Questionable Bodies
This week in QC: Jeph Jacques decides to stop drawing Marigold's AnthroPC Momo as an adorable little chibi, and turns her into another thin girl instead. BLAH. As if that isn't bad enough, we get a dose of the old "if you're not skinny, you're fat" crap. So Marigold should just exercise more and eat better, and she'd be skinny like Dora and Hannelore, right? Now where have I heard this before? Oh yeah, every single time Faye's eating is mentioned.
Sometimes I get an overpowering urge to rewrite a comic. So here we go.
Momo: "If you are unhappy with how you look, you could eat better and exercise more."
Marigold: "Right, that would solve my body image issues. Thanks for the tip."
Or maybe:
Marigold: "You know what, if you get an attitude, I can take your chassis back and switch it to a fat one."
Or even:
Marigold: "Well, but I like eating and don't like exercise. I'm still allowed to have bouts of low self esteem, right?"
Anything other than "That's so much work!" See, it's all about willpower. Thin girls are thin because they work hard, and chubby girls are chubby because they don't do anything about it. As soon as you pick up the slack and start exercising, you get skinny, simple as that. It's particularly ironic that Momo, who did absolutely nothing to earn her figure, is saying this.
The problem with how women - and men too, as a matter of fact - are depicted on QC is twofold:
1. everybody is skinny, apart from a few people, so their slight chubbiness stands out as an anomaly. This is the opposite of how things are in the real world. There are quite a few skinny people, of course, but they're not the norm, and a girl of Faye's or Marigold's size wouldn't raise any eyebrows.
2. Every time Jacques tries to address body image and beauty ideals, he ends up being an ass about it. I'm not sure if he means to be; probably not. I'll admit that it's a really difficult topic to write about, and it's hard not to make some generalizations, since we do live in a culture where skinny is seen as both healthy and ideal. But I do feel like he should look into the issues a little bit before he writes about it. I'm tempted to say "no female body, no opinion", but I won't, because men can and do understand the pressures women are under.
If, by any chance, I've misinterpreted Jacques and he actually means to say "it's tough to be a chubby girl when everyone else is skinny", I have this to say: learn to write outside of the box of "skinny girl lectures chubby girl about lifestyle". I remember one sweet conversation Faye had about her body with Marten, but every time she brought it up with the other girls, she got this same attitude (including Penelope dragging her to the gym for a torture and taunting session). The question is why Faye chooses to hang out with such bitches.
Last time I dared question the brilliance of Mr Jacques, I got a mob of angry QC fans attacking me for a month, including snide comments on the comic's forum. So if you're a fan and think this is unfair, argue your point in a calm manner. I'm not going to publish flames.
Sometimes I get an overpowering urge to rewrite a comic. So here we go.
Momo: "If you are unhappy with how you look, you could eat better and exercise more."
Marigold: "Right, that would solve my body image issues. Thanks for the tip."
Or maybe:
Marigold: "You know what, if you get an attitude, I can take your chassis back and switch it to a fat one."
Or even:
Marigold: "Well, but I like eating and don't like exercise. I'm still allowed to have bouts of low self esteem, right?"
Anything other than "That's so much work!" See, it's all about willpower. Thin girls are thin because they work hard, and chubby girls are chubby because they don't do anything about it. As soon as you pick up the slack and start exercising, you get skinny, simple as that. It's particularly ironic that Momo, who did absolutely nothing to earn her figure, is saying this.
The problem with how women - and men too, as a matter of fact - are depicted on QC is twofold:
1. everybody is skinny, apart from a few people, so their slight chubbiness stands out as an anomaly. This is the opposite of how things are in the real world. There are quite a few skinny people, of course, but they're not the norm, and a girl of Faye's or Marigold's size wouldn't raise any eyebrows.
2. Every time Jacques tries to address body image and beauty ideals, he ends up being an ass about it. I'm not sure if he means to be; probably not. I'll admit that it's a really difficult topic to write about, and it's hard not to make some generalizations, since we do live in a culture where skinny is seen as both healthy and ideal. But I do feel like he should look into the issues a little bit before he writes about it. I'm tempted to say "no female body, no opinion", but I won't, because men can and do understand the pressures women are under.
If, by any chance, I've misinterpreted Jacques and he actually means to say "it's tough to be a chubby girl when everyone else is skinny", I have this to say: learn to write outside of the box of "skinny girl lectures chubby girl about lifestyle". I remember one sweet conversation Faye had about her body with Marten, but every time she brought it up with the other girls, she got this same attitude (including Penelope dragging her to the gym for a torture and taunting session). The question is why Faye chooses to hang out with such bitches.
Last time I dared question the brilliance of Mr Jacques, I got a mob of angry QC fans attacking me for a month, including snide comments on the comic's forum. So if you're a fan and think this is unfair, argue your point in a calm manner. I'm not going to publish flames.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
My Everest.
So it's Guest Strip week on Questionable Content. I hope it ends soon, if this is the guest artists' best effort. WTF is "My Everest"? Is it supposed to say Mt Everest? Are we body-shaming Faye again? Wouldn't Hannelore know that the buttHOLE is small even on a big butt? There are so many things wrong with this. On the other hand, the fans of the strip must feel right at home, because the dialogue, setup and punchline really sound like Original QC. This travesty was brought to us by Dave Willis, and I didn't click on his comic link, because I've seen enough.
Although I did really like this guest strip by Dave Kellett (are they all called Dave?), which poses the question "why do we never talk about how weird it is that there are all these flippin' robots around???" Yeah, why don't they? Is the strip supposed to be set in a possible future, or in an alternate present? (I guess, by the indie bands mentioned, an alternate present time where nothing but the robots is different from our world.) I wish Jacques explored this, or lost the robots if all he wants to do is relationship stuff and indie band references. It just seems a bit gratuitous.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Slices of Life and Other Issues o' the Week
This week in Questionable Content: Marten realizes he must be... a townie. I'm not sure why that matters, and I came to ponder on how often QC actually does strips where Marten says he's not something and the others say he sure is.
If Jacques wanted to do something fun and new, why not go meta? The kids love meta these days. Watch an episode of Community and learn! Make fun of why Marten goes out for coffee every day. Make him question the need for such a routine. Have him pick up some new hangout and be all "Hmm, this doesn't really fit this strip". It's the lack of taking this sort of risk that makes the strip boring to me.
Edit: revising this post, I realized the strip kind of went meta with introducing the "bizarro coffee shop". Not only do the employees look like the regular cast, they also act the same. So Jacques kind of is making fun of his own concept. It was fun - for one strip. But making them regulars, which seems to be happening, kind of kills the joke.
Edit 2: flipping back through the strips to find the first bizarro coffee shop one - I realize many, many strips start with the word "so". As in, "so you really lived on a space station", "so I think Cosette will move in with me". It kind of suggests this constant stream of dialogue and events, but I suspect Jacques uses it to remind his readers of story strings he hasn't addressed in the last few months.
Slice of life must be hard, because picking the slices to present is the biggest problem. Which brings us to American Elf: Uh, yeah, people have dreams about other people's genitals. It's just a little creepy if you dream of your kid's penis and then tell the whole world. Or is it? Kochalka seems to have this childlike innocence about genitalia, poop, and various other things that grown ups generally don't talk about. I love his childlikeness, but I guess I draw the line at these taboo topics. Should I? Am I being a prude? Why do I always question myself when I criticize Kochalka? He's not a god. Please don't show your kids' genitals in your strip, people. I know it's not meant sexually, but eww, and what if some kids from his school read it? Moving on.
After such deep and disturbing pondering, Buttersafe gives us more Robot Cat, and I really don't have more to say than - hee, so cute! He looks just like my kittywitty! *coos* (Is being a pet owner mushing up my critiquing skills?)
Marc Johns gives us 100 % natural arm hair. I... :D Johns' talent is, above all, relating random things to each other in a funny way. Not a lot of comic artists know how to do this. It must mean his brain is a little weird and jumps into weird places all of a sudden. I love that.
..while Sinfest's strength is making fun of cultural phenomena and people's silly beliefs. "I'm back. And I'm buff." is so perfect.
At Abstruse Goose, we have a very sad bee story. I love the level of detail their language has.
Question Duck finds his match: Answer Chick! Awesome. Ah, I see this is in fact a guest strip by the author of Roby's Sprites! I realize I don't know what sprites are. I'm such a comics noob. I should look into this and make a separate post. Maybe the sprite-related Question Duck gives some clue.
If Jacques wanted to do something fun and new, why not go meta? The kids love meta these days. Watch an episode of Community and learn! Make fun of why Marten goes out for coffee every day. Make him question the need for such a routine. Have him pick up some new hangout and be all "Hmm, this doesn't really fit this strip". It's the lack of taking this sort of risk that makes the strip boring to me.
Edit: revising this post, I realized the strip kind of went meta with introducing the "bizarro coffee shop". Not only do the employees look like the regular cast, they also act the same. So Jacques kind of is making fun of his own concept. It was fun - for one strip. But making them regulars, which seems to be happening, kind of kills the joke.
Edit 2: flipping back through the strips to find the first bizarro coffee shop one - I realize many, many strips start with the word "so". As in, "so you really lived on a space station", "so I think Cosette will move in with me". It kind of suggests this constant stream of dialogue and events, but I suspect Jacques uses it to remind his readers of story strings he hasn't addressed in the last few months.
Slice of life must be hard, because picking the slices to present is the biggest problem. Which brings us to American Elf: Uh, yeah, people have dreams about other people's genitals. It's just a little creepy if you dream of your kid's penis and then tell the whole world. Or is it? Kochalka seems to have this childlike innocence about genitalia, poop, and various other things that grown ups generally don't talk about. I love his childlikeness, but I guess I draw the line at these taboo topics. Should I? Am I being a prude? Why do I always question myself when I criticize Kochalka? He's not a god. Please don't show your kids' genitals in your strip, people. I know it's not meant sexually, but eww, and what if some kids from his school read it? Moving on.
After such deep and disturbing pondering, Buttersafe gives us more Robot Cat, and I really don't have more to say than - hee, so cute! He looks just like my kittywitty! *coos* (Is being a pet owner mushing up my critiquing skills?)
Marc Johns gives us 100 % natural arm hair. I... :D Johns' talent is, above all, relating random things to each other in a funny way. Not a lot of comic artists know how to do this. It must mean his brain is a little weird and jumps into weird places all of a sudden. I love that.
..while Sinfest's strength is making fun of cultural phenomena and people's silly beliefs. "I'm back. And I'm buff." is so perfect.
At Abstruse Goose, we have a very sad bee story. I love the level of detail their language has.
Question Duck finds his match: Answer Chick! Awesome. Ah, I see this is in fact a guest strip by the author of Roby's Sprites! I realize I don't know what sprites are. I'm such a comics noob. I should look into this and make a separate post. Maybe the sprite-related Question Duck gives some clue.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
QC Rant O' the.. Month
(I'm sorry I haven't been posting much. I got a new job this month. Will resume posting again now. I think. No promises.)
Hey, remember Pizza Girl? She was in QC, like, two or three years ago! She delivered pizza and had a mask on. And Faye has this theory that Penelope is Pizza Girl! Apparently lots of people are writing Jeph to bring her back. And now she's back! For one strip! Which doesn't bring anything new to her character at all.
Also, Tai invites Marten to a party, but Dora is also coming. Instead of just showing us the effing party, we're given awkward dialogue about how it may be awkward that Dora and Marten are at the same party after their breakup. Weak punchline at the end is like a dot on the I. I know it's slice of life, but some slices are not worth showing.
I just realized I haven't read QC all week. I only checked all strips today. Does this mean I'm finally getting rid of my "must read even if I hate it" issues?
Hey, remember Pizza Girl? She was in QC, like, two or three years ago! She delivered pizza and had a mask on. And Faye has this theory that Penelope is Pizza Girl! Apparently lots of people are writing Jeph to bring her back. And now she's back! For one strip! Which doesn't bring anything new to her character at all.
Also, Tai invites Marten to a party, but Dora is also coming. Instead of just showing us the effing party, we're given awkward dialogue about how it may be awkward that Dora and Marten are at the same party after their breakup. Weak punchline at the end is like a dot on the I. I know it's slice of life, but some slices are not worth showing.
I just realized I haven't read QC all week. I only checked all strips today. Does this mean I'm finally getting rid of my "must read even if I hate it" issues?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Ye Olde Favorites: a Rundown
I think there's a fine line between "amusing but inappropriate sidekick" and "dirty little sidekick who brings nothing at all to the strip", but Pintsize in Questionable Content has managed to frequently cross that line. See also: today's strip. How would Marten fuck him? How would that even... what... eww. Why is Pintsize's only role in the strip to provide even more dumb sex jokes? I don't get it. I hope this storyline ends with him leaving the strip, but I'm not holding my breath.
The "bros shooting hoops" storyline in Sinfest fails to engage me. Maybe it's because I'm not a bro, but it's just not very original. I'm not saying every strip has to be all about religious thematics, but I guess it's why I read Sinfest, because I tend to be bored by the more down to earth strips. (Except for the pet strips, which I love.)
T-Rex creates a new language. I love how Ryan North takes something everybody (well, every nerd) has thought of sometime, and t-rexes it into something deliciously herpy-derpy.
Buttersafe is being awesome and original in Tuesday's strip: veiny origins. I cannot tell you how much I adore Veiny Dog. It's just so RANDOM. Which makes it brilliant? Well, not necessarily, but come on. It totally is. I also love how there are human-like creatures and then - the dog, the highest step of evolution. Awesome.
A very cool math strip at Abstruse Goose. It actually reminds me of Röyksopp's video "Remind Me", with all the graphs depicting a typical day of work for a British woman. Anything in life can be shown in math form. That's both cool and a little sad.
The "bros shooting hoops" storyline in Sinfest fails to engage me. Maybe it's because I'm not a bro, but it's just not very original. I'm not saying every strip has to be all about religious thematics, but I guess it's why I read Sinfest, because I tend to be bored by the more down to earth strips. (Except for the pet strips, which I love.)
T-Rex creates a new language. I love how Ryan North takes something everybody (well, every nerd) has thought of sometime, and t-rexes it into something deliciously herpy-derpy.
Buttersafe is being awesome and original in Tuesday's strip: veiny origins. I cannot tell you how much I adore Veiny Dog. It's just so RANDOM. Which makes it brilliant? Well, not necessarily, but come on. It totally is. I also love how there are human-like creatures and then - the dog, the highest step of evolution. Awesome.
A very cool math strip at Abstruse Goose. It actually reminds me of Röyksopp's video "Remind Me", with all the graphs depicting a typical day of work for a British woman. Anything in life can be shown in math form. That's both cool and a little sad.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Hey Look, I'm QC Ranting Again!
I'm being confused by Questionable Content again. When I first saw yesterday's strip, I had no idea who the blonde girl is. (It must be Penelope, right? I had forgotten about her.) And isn't that guy the one Fay is dating?
Today's strip: we see the guy Faye is dating, who looks almost exactly like yesterday's guy, except without mustache. OK then. I can't remember either of their names. Also, men without frail jawlines and strong cheekbones do exist. QC has one of the worst cases of "the whole universe is skinny" that I've ever seen.
This highlights some of the character problems with QC:
-way too many recurring characters
-too many pairings and breakups
-confusion about who the main characters are; Penelope was on the strip every day for a while and then disappeared, ditto Raven
-if Marten is the main character, why is his breakup with Dora not the main plot? They still haven't even spoken to each other since their very brief breakup argument. I'm beginning to suspect that Jacques just got tired of Marten and Dora and decided to break them up and be done with it.
I wonder if I could sum up all the characters and plots going on right now. Let's see.
Hannelore: has OCD and crazy rich parents, is cool. Lives above Faye and Marten.
Marten: broken up with Dora, works in the uni library with Tai, lives with Faye. Used to work for some boring office job and left the job to work part-time and follow his dream, but we still don't know what that dream is. Plays in a band. Oh and his mother is a porn star (S/M) and his father is gay and about to marry his longtime partner.
Faye: lives with Marten, works at Café of Doom with Dora, dating this guy in today's strip. Goes to therapy bc her father killed himself. Has a possible alcohol problem, although she hasn't been drunk in ages.
Dora: lives with her brother Sven, owns Café of Doom, broken up with Marten. Goes to therapy bc she has some issues, but no idea what.
Sven: pines for Faye, ladies man, lives with sister Dora. Was a pop star and had some temp come in and help her with songwriting but that plot was completely dropped.
Penelope: dates this poet guy and... ???? Works in Café of Doom still?
Tai: is bi, works with Marten, can't remember what else
Steve: Marten's friend, dates some jealous girl, had an alcohol problem but doesn't now, used to date underaged Ellen
Raven: used to work at Café of Doom, was emo/goth/whatever, dated a homeless guy and is now studying physics or sth.
Pintsize: Marten's AndroPC. Likes porn, porn and porn. Makes inappropriate comments. Is mostly boring.
Can't remember the name: Hannelore's AndroPC.
Marigold also has a Chibi-style one. Oh yeah, I forgot about Marigold.
Marigold: Lives with Faye's boyfriend. Socially awkward, nerd, plays videogames. Unrequited love for roommate. Not much else to say.
Also, there used to be hipster talk about music, but that's pretty much over.
Am I missing something?
Today's strip: we see the guy Faye is dating, who looks almost exactly like yesterday's guy, except without mustache. OK then. I can't remember either of their names. Also, men without frail jawlines and strong cheekbones do exist. QC has one of the worst cases of "the whole universe is skinny" that I've ever seen.
This highlights some of the character problems with QC:
-way too many recurring characters
-too many pairings and breakups
-confusion about who the main characters are; Penelope was on the strip every day for a while and then disappeared, ditto Raven
-if Marten is the main character, why is his breakup with Dora not the main plot? They still haven't even spoken to each other since their very brief breakup argument. I'm beginning to suspect that Jacques just got tired of Marten and Dora and decided to break them up and be done with it.
I wonder if I could sum up all the characters and plots going on right now. Let's see.
Hannelore: has OCD and crazy rich parents, is cool. Lives above Faye and Marten.
Marten: broken up with Dora, works in the uni library with Tai, lives with Faye. Used to work for some boring office job and left the job to work part-time and follow his dream, but we still don't know what that dream is. Plays in a band. Oh and his mother is a porn star (S/M) and his father is gay and about to marry his longtime partner.
Faye: lives with Marten, works at Café of Doom with Dora, dating this guy in today's strip. Goes to therapy bc her father killed himself. Has a possible alcohol problem, although she hasn't been drunk in ages.
Dora: lives with her brother Sven, owns Café of Doom, broken up with Marten. Goes to therapy bc she has some issues, but no idea what.
Sven: pines for Faye, ladies man, lives with sister Dora. Was a pop star and had some temp come in and help her with songwriting but that plot was completely dropped.
Penelope: dates this poet guy and... ???? Works in Café of Doom still?
Tai: is bi, works with Marten, can't remember what else
Steve: Marten's friend, dates some jealous girl, had an alcohol problem but doesn't now, used to date underaged Ellen
Raven: used to work at Café of Doom, was emo/goth/whatever, dated a homeless guy and is now studying physics or sth.
Pintsize: Marten's AndroPC. Likes porn, porn and porn. Makes inappropriate comments. Is mostly boring.
Can't remember the name: Hannelore's AndroPC.
Marigold also has a Chibi-style one. Oh yeah, I forgot about Marigold.
Marigold: Lives with Faye's boyfriend. Socially awkward, nerd, plays videogames. Unrequited love for roommate. Not much else to say.
Also, there used to be hipster talk about music, but that's pretty much over.
Am I missing something?
Monday, February 7, 2011
Monday Familiars
I was going to do one of those "browsing through Webcomics List" posts, but the list is down, once again. Well, I've always got my favorites...
Brainless Tales: Concatenate. Cats will not let you do that though! At least mine won't. As soon as you touch the tail, it gets all rigid. Try to make a braid with another tail, and he'll bite you. I guess it would be too adorable to be real...
I may have said it before, but I worry about James Kochalka when I see strips like this. But maybe we all get those moods. The point is, he chose to cuddle with Oliver, and that's beautiful.
Regular sex puns and flirtation - unfunny. Flirtation dissected scientifically by Hannelore - FUNNY. More of this please.
The true meaning of superbowl, according to Sinfest. I shouldn't read this strip when I'm hungry. *goes and fries some bacon*
Is this gay comic anti-trans? Or is it just some gay man in-joke? Is it talking about transsexuals or transvestites? Huh?
Thank god for Rooster Tails. The real super hero - binary challenging gender identity! Could. not. be. more. awesome.
Brainless Tales: Concatenate. Cats will not let you do that though! At least mine won't. As soon as you touch the tail, it gets all rigid. Try to make a braid with another tail, and he'll bite you. I guess it would be too adorable to be real...
I may have said it before, but I worry about James Kochalka when I see strips like this. But maybe we all get those moods. The point is, he chose to cuddle with Oliver, and that's beautiful.
Regular sex puns and flirtation - unfunny. Flirtation dissected scientifically by Hannelore - FUNNY. More of this please.
The true meaning of superbowl, according to Sinfest. I shouldn't read this strip when I'm hungry. *goes and fries some bacon*
Is this gay comic anti-trans? Or is it just some gay man in-joke? Is it talking about transsexuals or transvestites? Huh?
Thank god for Rooster Tails. The real super hero - binary challenging gender identity! Could. not. be. more. awesome.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Multiple Monday Musings
Shameless nepotism: my boyfriend Toby discusses Question Duck briefly in his tumbrl. I don't have much to add, so just linkage!
This week's QC has involved some new backgrounds, a singing fairy princess, and a café populated by dark-skinned doppelgangers. I'm really not sure what to say. In one way, it's a change of pace; it shows Jacques wants to develop the strip, and he's clearly worked hard on this. I may gripe about the stories, but I'll never claim he just doesn't bother with the strip. The backgrounds look alive and colorful, there's something new to look at, which is enjoyable. On the other hand, although I laughed at the fairy princess, I'm still not sure if this takes the comic far enough in a new direction.
xkcd is being awesome: The world according to Americans, and the nananana chart. I love how Finland is a part of "Scandanavia" on the map. The nanana chart reminds me of how xkcd introduced me to Katamari Damacy and its amusing, cheerful Japanese pop soundtrack.
Sinfest did a silent Sunday, which I always love. There's quite a lot going on, though, so it took me a while to get. I love today's strip even more; right-wing Christian militia madness and Sarah Palin. I sometimes wonder if Tatsuya Ishida is really vehemently against Christianity, or just approaches it with this intellectual, yet warm irony. The strip can be read both ways.
On the subject of religion: don't apply way too much logic or your head will explode. Also on Kinoko Fry: the good dog, the bad dog and the ugly dog. :D
Finally, Buttersafe ponders on the moth's attraction to a flame. I found the philosophical pondering fascinating, more so than the silly punchline. I recently had a conversation with someone about how elks walk under cars because they can't comprehend how fast a car moves. The ones who learn how fast cars move tend to die. So it's impossible for them to warn the other elks. Maybe this is also true of moths?
This week's QC has involved some new backgrounds, a singing fairy princess, and a café populated by dark-skinned doppelgangers. I'm really not sure what to say. In one way, it's a change of pace; it shows Jacques wants to develop the strip, and he's clearly worked hard on this. I may gripe about the stories, but I'll never claim he just doesn't bother with the strip. The backgrounds look alive and colorful, there's something new to look at, which is enjoyable. On the other hand, although I laughed at the fairy princess, I'm still not sure if this takes the comic far enough in a new direction.
xkcd is being awesome: The world according to Americans, and the nananana chart. I love how Finland is a part of "Scandanavia" on the map. The nanana chart reminds me of how xkcd introduced me to Katamari Damacy and its amusing, cheerful Japanese pop soundtrack.
Sinfest did a silent Sunday, which I always love. There's quite a lot going on, though, so it took me a while to get. I love today's strip even more; right-wing Christian militia madness and Sarah Palin. I sometimes wonder if Tatsuya Ishida is really vehemently against Christianity, or just approaches it with this intellectual, yet warm irony. The strip can be read both ways.
On the subject of religion: don't apply way too much logic or your head will explode. Also on Kinoko Fry: the good dog, the bad dog and the ugly dog. :D
Finally, Buttersafe ponders on the moth's attraction to a flame. I found the philosophical pondering fascinating, more so than the silly punchline. I recently had a conversation with someone about how elks walk under cars because they can't comprehend how fast a car moves. The ones who learn how fast cars move tend to die. So it's impossible for them to warn the other elks. Maybe this is also true of moths?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
QC Rant O' The Week
Maybe I give you coffee, maybe I give you PUNCH IN THE FACE. OK, I did laugh at that, and the blood splattered on the window pane. Today's strip offered some fun new visuals. However, as always with QC, I have a pet peeve to pick at. This time it's the idea that Marten has to find a new regular coffee shop. I've always hated this cliché on sitcoms: how the protagonists have to meet somewhere outside the home, so they pick a favorite coffee shop and get every breakfast, snack and dinner there. No matter how broke or unemployed they may be, they eat and drink out all the time. The reason, I always thought, is that you only have to make so many sets. Sitcoms are usually done with a tight budget. No such constraints in comics.
I can see the point of Marten visiting Dora's Café of Doom, because, well, he'd get a friend discount. Also, a busy entrepreneur may not have a lot of time to sit at home with him. But he is doing what, part-time work at a uni library? How much could he possibly make in a month? Surely not enough to sit in coffee shops all the time, drinking overpriced beverages.
The funny thing is, I wouldn't gripe if Marten's new hangout was Mars or a weird temple for an unknown deity, or something else that's creative. It just bugs me that Jacques borrows sitcom clichés for his setting, banter and events at times. Comics don't have to resemble sitcoms.
This was my QC rant of the week. Thank you for reading.
I can see the point of Marten visiting Dora's Café of Doom, because, well, he'd get a friend discount. Also, a busy entrepreneur may not have a lot of time to sit at home with him. But he is doing what, part-time work at a uni library? How much could he possibly make in a month? Surely not enough to sit in coffee shops all the time, drinking overpriced beverages.
The funny thing is, I wouldn't gripe if Marten's new hangout was Mars or a weird temple for an unknown deity, or something else that's creative. It just bugs me that Jacques borrows sitcom clichés for his setting, banter and events at times. Comics don't have to resemble sitcoms.
This was my QC rant of the week. Thank you for reading.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Utterly Random Notes.
QC this week: OK, Marten's mother's reaction to Dora is surprising. But since I always find something to criticize - Dora's physique is very odd. Firstly, her breasts seem to vary in size; they look much bigger than they should in panel 3. She's almost two-dimensional in panel 2, so there's no way her breasts would be that large. Also, if the shirt is long on her, as it is in the other panels, it should not rise that high in panel 1.
Question Duck, on the other hand, continues to be adorable. Goldfish crackers! And - what is polyester made of? I love the duck's smile in panel 2, like he doesn't care if his master is dozing off at the computer. He's there, ergo, a question might be asked! It's the attitude of every pet. "Oh, you're here? Good. FEED ME." Only Question Duck feeds on questions.
Pets may also cyber-embarrass you, like on yesterday's and today's Sinfest.
I feel like I should think of more to criticize and not just bash QC all the time. Frankly, I do think Sinfest's four-panel style is a bit small and cramped for a webcomic. Webcomics can break form, because they don't have to be confined by the newspaper strip space. But the stories have been consistently good again lately, after a short slump, so I don't really want to complain.
The girl in this comic is just like my boyfriend. He will have no under 192 kbps. No wonder he often identifies with xkcd. I'm becoming nerdier because of him, though; as soon as he showed me this strip, I knew what they were talking about. I like the signs saying "Sale!!!" "Sale!" and "Sale?" I feel like there might be a hidden mathematical joke there - something about them being decreasing or.. hmm? Maybe I'm overthinking this. (like a true nerd might!)
We are the red umbrella. This Marc Johns reminds me slightly of Russian children's books my mother would read to me (no, she's not Russian, she just knows Russians). If you haven't seen any, think of "Worker and Parasite" on the Simpsons. Just about that jolly and cheerful illustrations. So - negative connotations, but the red umbrella is really pretty awesome in its randomness. Except that now I'm relating it to the Soviet Union, and Worker and Parasite, and it seems to really make sense why it's a red umbrella, and why there's the we spirit. Oh dear! I don't mean to ruin the comic for everyone.
In a similar vein, Kinoko Fry continues to amaze and confuse me. There's Submameen and... an octopus with Rubik's Cubes and an eyepatch with an eye... You can click on "random" below, but every strip seems equally random and genius. This is like something out of my dreams. (Not that my dreams are genius.) (Well, why be modest? They are. Holy mental fireworks, Batman.)
Question Duck, on the other hand, continues to be adorable. Goldfish crackers! And - what is polyester made of? I love the duck's smile in panel 2, like he doesn't care if his master is dozing off at the computer. He's there, ergo, a question might be asked! It's the attitude of every pet. "Oh, you're here? Good. FEED ME." Only Question Duck feeds on questions.
Pets may also cyber-embarrass you, like on yesterday's and today's Sinfest.
I feel like I should think of more to criticize and not just bash QC all the time. Frankly, I do think Sinfest's four-panel style is a bit small and cramped for a webcomic. Webcomics can break form, because they don't have to be confined by the newspaper strip space. But the stories have been consistently good again lately, after a short slump, so I don't really want to complain.
The girl in this comic is just like my boyfriend. He will have no under 192 kbps. No wonder he often identifies with xkcd. I'm becoming nerdier because of him, though; as soon as he showed me this strip, I knew what they were talking about. I like the signs saying "Sale!!!" "Sale!" and "Sale?" I feel like there might be a hidden mathematical joke there - something about them being decreasing or.. hmm? Maybe I'm overthinking this. (like a true nerd might!)
We are the red umbrella. This Marc Johns reminds me slightly of Russian children's books my mother would read to me (no, she's not Russian, she just knows Russians). If you haven't seen any, think of "Worker and Parasite" on the Simpsons. Just about that jolly and cheerful illustrations. So - negative connotations, but the red umbrella is really pretty awesome in its randomness. Except that now I'm relating it to the Soviet Union, and Worker and Parasite, and it seems to really make sense why it's a red umbrella, and why there's the we spirit. Oh dear! I don't mean to ruin the comic for everyone.
In a similar vein, Kinoko Fry continues to amaze and confuse me. There's Submameen and... an octopus with Rubik's Cubes and an eyepatch with an eye... You can click on "random" below, but every strip seems equally random and genius. This is like something out of my dreams. (Not that my dreams are genius.) (Well, why be modest? They are. Holy mental fireworks, Batman.)
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Purely Visual Notes.
Sinfest: I love the thought (speech?) bubble with the shocked pig.
QC: Child-Marten doesn't really look like a child. I like his crazed look in the dinosaur costume though. It's interesting how masculine his father looks, but then even his mother looks more masculine than him.
Hanna V gets ready for a dangerous climb - to the bus stop. I can tell you it's only a slight exaggeration. Lots and lots of snow this winter.
Marc Johns has a very sad Christmas tree.
Abstruse Goose is so nerdy, even a Christmas tree is a mathematical concept.
Quality beats quantity, at Stuff No One Told Me. Just because it's so cute. I must say, those clouds or puffs of smoke always remind me of farting. I'm sure they're not meant to represent farting, but if you live in the same house with my father for a while, you will see this sort of thing everywhere.
QC: Child-Marten doesn't really look like a child. I like his crazed look in the dinosaur costume though. It's interesting how masculine his father looks, but then even his mother looks more masculine than him.
Hanna V gets ready for a dangerous climb - to the bus stop. I can tell you it's only a slight exaggeration. Lots and lots of snow this winter.
Marc Johns has a very sad Christmas tree.
Abstruse Goose is so nerdy, even a Christmas tree is a mathematical concept.
Quality beats quantity, at Stuff No One Told Me. Just because it's so cute. I must say, those clouds or puffs of smoke always remind me of farting. I'm sure they're not meant to represent farting, but if you live in the same house with my father for a while, you will see this sort of thing everywhere.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Grumpy Fluey Comics Reader.
And now for my weekly Questionable Content rant! Possibly even grumpier than usual, due to my extended flu.
Marten's mother is in town - this calls for more penis jokes! And the waiter looks so much like Dora that I completely misread the first panel. I thought they were at Café of Doom, the mother was non-subtly bringing up the breakup, and Dora was meekly trying to serve them and not cause a fuss. But, of course, it's not Dora - Café of Doom doesn't serve food, and the haircolor and -style are different. Silly me! This is Dora as we last saw her. I had forgotten her hair was purple, but then this was a few weeks back. I mostly like the way the characters look (faces more so than bodies), but they need to look more distinctive.
Marten's mother is in town - this calls for more penis jokes! And the waiter looks so much like Dora that I completely misread the first panel. I thought they were at Café of Doom, the mother was non-subtly bringing up the breakup, and Dora was meekly trying to serve them and not cause a fuss. But, of course, it's not Dora - Café of Doom doesn't serve food, and the haircolor and -style are different. Silly me! This is Dora as we last saw her. I had forgotten her hair was purple, but then this was a few weeks back. I mostly like the way the characters look (faces more so than bodies), but they need to look more distinctive.
Then they meet Tai. Apparently Marten's Mom and Tai have some mutual sex-thing going here that is pretty creepy. This is the only strip where even a mother's visit is only prelude to more sex jokes.
Will the Marten/Dora breakup lead to something? Or will they just keep talking about it ad nauseam and then get back together? Will there be more awkward sex jokes out of nowhere, while Mom's in town? Will she stay in town? Will Marten drink again? Will we see Dora talk to the psychiatrist?
All this and a lot more in the next episode of SOAP.
Will the Marten/Dora breakup lead to something? Or will they just keep talking about it ad nauseam and then get back together? Will there be more awkward sex jokes out of nowhere, while Mom's in town? Will she stay in town? Will Marten drink again? Will we see Dora talk to the psychiatrist?
All this and a lot more in the next episode of SOAP.
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Usual Suspects.
Question Duck is truly touched by a film about ducks. (I'd say it's Nils Holgersson's travels with the ducks, but I don't know if that's known outside of Scandinavia.) Some strips ago, the comic broke form. The question is answered, the answer is simple, and the duck says something in return that isn't a question. I think I've finally figured out what this comic has been doing: they travel all over the world, the duck's owner was doing some humanitarian aid project, etc. and the duck is always there, unfazed by the circumstances, and asks an unrelated question. Perhaps the questions are related, after all - there could be more here that I've been missing. It's a very fascinating comic with a unique voice.
What's wrong with America, and what's right about Sinfest, all in one Sunday strip. Awesome.
Sometimes I worry about James Kochalka. But then I have those nightmares/feelings in sleep too. I think.
Nothing at all has happened in the past week of Questionable Content. We know Marten's mother is coming because it was pointlessly foreshadowed a week from Friday, but after that there's just been drinking. Marten and Dora broke up, and it seems to have made the strip duller. Kind of like Ethan getting married on Ctrl+Alt+Del made the strip even tireder. Not sure about this filler strip. The thing is, I love Randy. He's hilarious random and awesome. But Yelling Bird is just a cheap bird who screams obscenities, and I think that joke got old a long time ago. Randy is fresh and new. Lose Yelling Bird.
There's something really sad and touching about this Buttersafe. It's a morbid comic, but morbid and beautiful sometimes go together.
What's wrong with America, and what's right about Sinfest, all in one Sunday strip. Awesome.
Sometimes I worry about James Kochalka. But then I have those nightmares/feelings in sleep too. I think.
Nothing at all has happened in the past week of Questionable Content. We know Marten's mother is coming because it was pointlessly foreshadowed a week from Friday, but after that there's just been drinking. Marten and Dora broke up, and it seems to have made the strip duller. Kind of like Ethan getting married on Ctrl+Alt+Del made the strip even tireder. Not sure about this filler strip. The thing is, I love Randy. He's hilarious random and awesome. But Yelling Bird is just a cheap bird who screams obscenities, and I think that joke got old a long time ago. Randy is fresh and new. Lose Yelling Bird.
There's something really sad and touching about this Buttersafe. It's a morbid comic, but morbid and beautiful sometimes go together.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
A Completely Regular Post.
(No, this is not a Thanksgiving special. Finland doesn't celebrate thanksgiving, so I refuse to give thanks for anything and will just resume as usual.)
For some reason, I can't see the last few days' American Elf. Maybe it's taking a hiatus or just acting up for me. But I keep seeing this strip and I love it so much. Oliver is now three. He thinks - or jokes - that this will make him a Daddy. As if all "big boys" are Daddies. So cute! Also, I've been reading the strip about since Oliver's birth or a bit before. I think the pregnancy and birth were a part of what sucked me in, actually. It's strange to see him grow, because it marks how time passes. Yet it's such a short time and that's his whole life. I have these same feelings about relatives' kids, but it's strange I feel the same about a child I've seen in pictures maybe twice. Yet I've watched him grow. I feel like I know James and Amy, Eli and Oliver, but I may not recognize them if I saw them somewhere in person. What an odd feeling.
Dora and Marten broke up. It might or might not be permanent. To be honest, I don't feel much. Marten and Dora - meh. Marten and Faye - meh. Marten and Hannelore? Now that would be something! I just think the girls on the strip are habitually mean, dominating, and hard on him. Hannelore may be the only one who's truly kind. Marten deserves better than Dora. OMG, I'm talking like I actually care about these people. Maybe my cold, hard QC hater's heart is actually red hot lava from the inside?
..Nah. Moving on.
I loved this Abstruse Goose, but it bugs me that the dogs look so much like Dogbert. Is that intentional?
Ascension 3000 Cross Jetpack. Sinfest is usually fun, but when it gets truly blasphemous, it's amazing.
Question Duck reminds us that even while doing charitable work, there's room for questions. (Also, I like that one of the charity people is black. It's not like "white man helps poor black people.)
I'm confused by Selkie. Apparently it's a girl who's alos some kind of animal who was adopted by a human vegetarian. But she doesn't eat any plants and only eats meat. Hmmm. I flicked back quite a few strips and still not sure what I think. I'ts a very intriguing idea. I find Selkie's way of talking a bits annoyings, because ofs everys words endings withs s. It stops being cute after one strip. But I'm not sure if it's meant to be cute. An interesting strip.
Wombania: like the art, very cute. Besides that - jokes that fall flat, fat jokes... Sigh. What's the point of cool art if you're just going to do general three-panel pun stuff?
What You Don't See: another mixed review. Beautiful. Sooo cute. Huh? And the latest one - kinda forced dialogue. I tend to prefer dialogue where there are silences and things you don't say. I didn't get a very good feel of the characters on a quick flick, but this might be a good thing. Will check it again.
Tweep. Looked at several strips, didn't get it. It seems like it might be a cool, creative strip. But I'm not SURE. It seems to deal exclusively in snapshots, with no text at all. Intriguing.
For some reason, I can't see the last few days' American Elf. Maybe it's taking a hiatus or just acting up for me. But I keep seeing this strip and I love it so much. Oliver is now three. He thinks - or jokes - that this will make him a Daddy. As if all "big boys" are Daddies. So cute! Also, I've been reading the strip about since Oliver's birth or a bit before. I think the pregnancy and birth were a part of what sucked me in, actually. It's strange to see him grow, because it marks how time passes. Yet it's such a short time and that's his whole life. I have these same feelings about relatives' kids, but it's strange I feel the same about a child I've seen in pictures maybe twice. Yet I've watched him grow. I feel like I know James and Amy, Eli and Oliver, but I may not recognize them if I saw them somewhere in person. What an odd feeling.
Dora and Marten broke up. It might or might not be permanent. To be honest, I don't feel much. Marten and Dora - meh. Marten and Faye - meh. Marten and Hannelore? Now that would be something! I just think the girls on the strip are habitually mean, dominating, and hard on him. Hannelore may be the only one who's truly kind. Marten deserves better than Dora. OMG, I'm talking like I actually care about these people. Maybe my cold, hard QC hater's heart is actually red hot lava from the inside?
..Nah. Moving on.
I loved this Abstruse Goose, but it bugs me that the dogs look so much like Dogbert. Is that intentional?
Ascension 3000 Cross Jetpack. Sinfest is usually fun, but when it gets truly blasphemous, it's amazing.
Question Duck reminds us that even while doing charitable work, there's room for questions. (Also, I like that one of the charity people is black. It's not like "white man helps poor black people.)
I'm confused by Selkie. Apparently it's a girl who's alos some kind of animal who was adopted by a human vegetarian. But she doesn't eat any plants and only eats meat. Hmmm. I flicked back quite a few strips and still not sure what I think. I'ts a very intriguing idea. I find Selkie's way of talking a bits annoyings, because ofs everys words endings withs s. It stops being cute after one strip. But I'm not sure if it's meant to be cute. An interesting strip.
Wombania: like the art, very cute. Besides that - jokes that fall flat, fat jokes... Sigh. What's the point of cool art if you're just going to do general three-panel pun stuff?
What You Don't See: another mixed review. Beautiful. Sooo cute. Huh? And the latest one - kinda forced dialogue. I tend to prefer dialogue where there are silences and things you don't say. I didn't get a very good feel of the characters on a quick flick, but this might be a good thing. Will check it again.
Tweep. Looked at several strips, didn't get it. It seems like it might be a cool, creative strip. But I'm not SURE. It seems to deal exclusively in snapshots, with no text at all. Intriguing.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Monday Delights, Part 2
Hey, it looks like Jacques is actually doing a "Marten deserves his privacy" storyline. Maybe I misjudged him? Nice to see Marten defend himself for once, and Dora get told. We'll see where this goes, but I'm positively surprised.
Kinoko Fry reminds us of the perils of giving your pet too cute a name. Have you considered that he may not want to be named "Cinnamon"? I loved every little detail in this comic, from the nightcap on the mushroom to the sun chasing the moon away, to everything else. Awesome.
Rooster tails reminds us that imagination is awesome, even if it can make you anxious. Again, love the details, and I can definitely relate... (In fact, my boyfriend sent me this link when I was overthinking/anguishing stuff).
The Oatmeal: Why I don't cook at home.The Oatmeal's particular style of hyperbole is awesome. It's like the scientific formula of just the right amount of hyperbole to make it funny. This is also my experience of cooking at home. I love the recipe with its bison exercising and relaxing techniques. And I know it's probably not meant to be fat acceptant, but I loved that scare-tactics news item in the beginning.
Kinoko Fry reminds us of the perils of giving your pet too cute a name. Have you considered that he may not want to be named "Cinnamon"? I loved every little detail in this comic, from the nightcap on the mushroom to the sun chasing the moon away, to everything else. Awesome.
Rooster tails reminds us that imagination is awesome, even if it can make you anxious. Again, love the details, and I can definitely relate... (In fact, my boyfriend sent me this link when I was overthinking/anguishing stuff).
The Oatmeal: Why I don't cook at home.The Oatmeal's particular style of hyperbole is awesome. It's like the scientific formula of just the right amount of hyperbole to make it funny. This is also my experience of cooking at home. I love the recipe with its bison exercising and relaxing techniques. And I know it's probably not meant to be fat acceptant, but I loved that scare-tactics news item in the beginning.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Humorless Feminist Strikes Again.
I keep not wanting to write about QC, but it keeps pulling me back in! Look at this. Marten doesn't want to share his porn preferences with his girlfriend and their roommate in a PUBLIC PLACE. Shock horror! Let's go and search thru his computer to see what he likes!
Is Dora and Marten's relationship supposed to be positive and mutual? Because it comes off as pretty abusive. Being a humorless feminist, I don't think Marten needs to be the one to "wear pants". But he does need to have some say in what matters are private and his own. Otherwise, what is the relationship? Is he Dora's toy?
If we need to see what kind of porn Marten likes, here's an idea: show Marten watching porn. It doesn't have to be public to every single person in the strip universe. The viewers can see it.
On the other hand, you could just forget about it, because it's hardly character development. Unless I'm really misjudging Jeph Jacques and he's building up for a big Marten/Dora showdown about privacy and equality. Which would be kind of awesome. I doubt it though.
The strip's juvenile obsession with sex is pretty tired. If they're so OK with sex, why can't they shut up about it? I know they're supposed to be rude baristas and all that, but I think it's in poor taste to discuss masturbation and porn loudly at a café. It's just obnoxious and self-indulgent. "Aren't we cool about sex, if u don't like it then u r a prude."
Is Dora and Marten's relationship supposed to be positive and mutual? Because it comes off as pretty abusive. Being a humorless feminist, I don't think Marten needs to be the one to "wear pants". But he does need to have some say in what matters are private and his own. Otherwise, what is the relationship? Is he Dora's toy?
If we need to see what kind of porn Marten likes, here's an idea: show Marten watching porn. It doesn't have to be public to every single person in the strip universe. The viewers can see it.
On the other hand, you could just forget about it, because it's hardly character development. Unless I'm really misjudging Jeph Jacques and he's building up for a big Marten/Dora showdown about privacy and equality. Which would be kind of awesome. I doubt it though.
The strip's juvenile obsession with sex is pretty tired. If they're so OK with sex, why can't they shut up about it? I know they're supposed to be rude baristas and all that, but I think it's in poor taste to discuss masturbation and porn loudly at a café. It's just obnoxious and self-indulgent. "Aren't we cool about sex, if u don't like it then u r a prude."
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Things I Liked Today.
I did enjoy this fan fiction parody at Questionable Content. Much more than I enjoyed the actual storyline, which mostly featured awkward sexual stuff. But then there was this strip, where Tai instructs Marigold on how to show, not tell. I think most fanfic writers need a guide like this. And I must admit - I really like the fact that Marigold is a writer of terrible fan fic. (Although I'm not sure if that's just part of the nerd stereotype these days, like taped-up glasses or loving Star Trek.) I also like knowing Tai writes good fic and has trouble getting Marigold to get what makes a fic good. The storyline, ultimately, is tired because it's about sex or rather lack thereof. But there were good things.
I find sexual content in American Elf vaguely disturbing. It's a natural part of every person's life.. I'm not a prude.. I think it's because I read the strip for the childlike stuff. So it's a bit like watching Winnie-the-Pooh and suddenly switching to, I don't know, Anal Intruders 4. (I did enjoy that joke though.)
Wonderfully random stuff from Marc Johns again. I'm linking to the main page because I can't pick my favorite one today, and because, ultimately, if you click that link a year later, it's probably still wonderful and random. I love his way of thinking so much.
Sinfest is back to doing awesome stuff. Serioustron needs cartoonists, don't drink and draw.
Finnish, but mostly visual: Norpatti goes out with the old man. I.e. the old cat she's taking care of. <3!
Also - the florist panther. Lovelovelove. Especially since it's drawn in this super-serious style.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Cranky Feminist Comics Reader
"Once you hit that, all other girls seem flat". I know I'm just a fat humorless feminist (like many QC readers told me when I last dared complain about size issues in this comic). But honestly. There are so many offensive layers to this. In the QC universe, Faye is the only buxom girl, so possibly the others feel flat because they ARE. None of the other QC girls have even realistically small boobs, so this might actually be the problem. Faye is about average, with an hourglass figure - not fat, or really even chubby. On the other hand, not all guys like big breasts. Not all girls like being objectified, either.
Once upon a time in another blog, I criticized the depiction of Faye as the only "chubby" girl in QC and the way her body is constantly played for jokes - not hatefully, but it's an issue and it marks her as different. I was ridiculed at the QC forums (where I chose not to respond) and flamed at my blog for about two weeks. Feisty readership. Jacques responded - possibly without reading my blog - that "every time some girl complains" about this, we apparently ignore how Faye is a SEX OBJECT. Even if she's chubby. To my mind, this does not mean equality, or respect, or realistic depiction of female bodies. But if Jacques thinks it does, that explains a lot. I know he means well, but this is what happens when an artist completely ignores issues like sexism and objectification of women. It's a hot mess.
Casual Fur Day recommends "keeping your bitch on a leash". Yes, I get it, it's about dogs. That doesn't mean it's funny or appropriate. And what about this lewd-looking publicly breastfeeding cow? Breastfeeding: all about sexual titillation! Domestic violence: funny!
"Outlandish humor" is author Mr E's own definition of his style. It looks more like "outrageous" to me. We're meant to find it funny because it's so wrong yet so true! Well, it's not true. But of course, I'm just a humorless feminist if I don't find this funny.
It's also offensive to men, of course. Hey, your son has no digestive tract, head or limbs! Oh great, less work for me. Then there are racist overtones. And ha ha fat people who eat too much, you don't even need a joke or pun really, just show how in denial they are! It's almost so outrageous that I considered not mentioning it, because this type of reaction might be exactly what they're looking for. "Look at me, I piss people off! Woohoo! I'm cool like those South Park guys!" You know what, you're not. And when they just go out of their way to offend people - they're not either. (South Park does have good social commentary and parody sometimes though, which this comic doesn't.)
Once upon a time in another blog, I criticized the depiction of Faye as the only "chubby" girl in QC and the way her body is constantly played for jokes - not hatefully, but it's an issue and it marks her as different. I was ridiculed at the QC forums (where I chose not to respond) and flamed at my blog for about two weeks. Feisty readership. Jacques responded - possibly without reading my blog - that "every time some girl complains" about this, we apparently ignore how Faye is a SEX OBJECT. Even if she's chubby. To my mind, this does not mean equality, or respect, or realistic depiction of female bodies. But if Jacques thinks it does, that explains a lot. I know he means well, but this is what happens when an artist completely ignores issues like sexism and objectification of women. It's a hot mess.
Casual Fur Day recommends "keeping your bitch on a leash". Yes, I get it, it's about dogs. That doesn't mean it's funny or appropriate. And what about this lewd-looking publicly breastfeeding cow? Breastfeeding: all about sexual titillation! Domestic violence: funny!
"Outlandish humor" is author Mr E's own definition of his style. It looks more like "outrageous" to me. We're meant to find it funny because it's so wrong yet so true! Well, it's not true. But of course, I'm just a humorless feminist if I don't find this funny.
It's also offensive to men, of course. Hey, your son has no digestive tract, head or limbs! Oh great, less work for me. Then there are racist overtones. And ha ha fat people who eat too much, you don't even need a joke or pun really, just show how in denial they are! It's almost so outrageous that I considered not mentioning it, because this type of reaction might be exactly what they're looking for. "Look at me, I piss people off! Woohoo! I'm cool like those South Park guys!" You know what, you're not. And when they just go out of their way to offend people - they're not either. (South Park does have good social commentary and parody sometimes though, which this comic doesn't.)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
A Cranky Comics Reader, Part 2
Today's Questionable Content strives to answer the age-old question:
You know, there could have been plot, or character development, or something funny, but when you have such a popular comic, these kinds of juvenile ideas must come first. Most of the readers are adolescent boys (mentally or physically), after all.
Jesus, Marvin, how many setup strips do you need for the joke "Marvin's Dad is a giant nerd"? I know that when you have to do seven strips a week, thinking of a new drawing and joke for each one is a bit of a chore. But you know, that's what they pay you for. Doing the same exact joke three or four days in a row, with almost the same picture over and over is just... the reason why newspaper comics are dying.
(x, why) bores us with yet another pun that has to do with math. It's just not very clever, or funny. I'd like to give some points for originality - I haven't seen this idea before. So I will give points for that. But the jokes in this comic always sound too much like "I am now going to be funny. Wait for it.. here it comes! Now laugh!"
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