Thanks, Rich

[tcrudisi]

I just wanted to say thank you for the great comics. I always knew I liked OotS, but the last strip made me realized how immersed into it I am. The best books always have that one protagonist that I want to die, and my burning hatred for them consumes me until it happens or the book ends. When I found that character with OotS, I realized that this is more than a comic strip - it's now a great novel with comedy mixed in.

So: Thank you. I appreciate the excellent work you do with the comic.

[JaxGaret]

Who's the protagonist that you want to die?

Just letting you know that if you say Belkar, I'll be sorely disappointed in you.

[Beans]

Who's the protagonist that you want to die?

Just letting you know that if you say Belkar, I'll be sorely disappointed in you.
Maybe it's Celia.

[Optimystik]

Who's the protagonist that you want to die?

Just letting you know that if you say Belkar, I'll be sorely disappointed in you.

I don't think it's possible to hate Belkar at this point. I used to hate him, so I should know.

Celia, on the other hand... :smallyuk:

[JaxGaret]

I went back and read the OP's post, and I facepalmed at myself. Pretty obvious that they were speaking of Celia.

Couldn't agree more btw.

[Quorothorn]

Hmm...I dunno. The Lord of the Rings does just fine without any protagonists I want to strangle ('course, LotR is Just That Awesome). But aside from that, I do seem to acquire a hate-figure for each universe I observe (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SesquipedalianLoquaciousness). You have a point, tcrudisi.

Of course, for me it's probably Eugene in OotS, not Celia (or even Miko, really: I mean, she IS dead now, dead and moved out of the plot).

[JaxGaret]

Hmm...I dunno. The Lord of the Rings does just fine without any protagonists I want to strangle ('course, LotR is Just That Awesome).

Not even Boromir?

[Berserk Monk]

Yeah. Thanks for the comic Rich. While the current arc is kind of annoying with Celia, OotS is an original story with original art. I realize while it is only a stick figure comic, a lot of work goes into it, and I'm sure you're rarely thanked for the work you do, so this going from one D&D art student to a former, thanks for the comic and the laughs.

[TheBST]

I think tcrudisi is confusing the word 'protagonist' for the word 'character'.

But yeah, that kind of engagement with fiction is a rare and wonderful thing.

[Quorothorn]

Not even Boromir?

Boromir pulled his own weight, and I never really disliked him.

Edit: Denethor came close, however.

[JaxGaret]

Boromir pulled his own weight, and I never really disliked him.

Edit: Denethor came close, however.

I was going to say Denethor, but he doesn't really count as a "protagonist", does he?

[Quorothorn]

I was going to say Denethor, but he doesn't really count as a "protagonist", does he?

If Celia does, Denethor probably does. Which is, erm, debatable.

[The Minx]

Denethor was not a protagonist. He was at most a major character. Same with Celia.

[Glyde]

Not even Boromir?


I actually felt for Boromir. In fact, I shed a tear or two when it came down to it. The first time I saw the movie (I watched the movies before I read the books, oh well.) I didn't have any sympathy at all. However, the added scenes certainly made me like his character.

[derfenrirwolv]

re Borimir


We have a ring of unstopable power. We can use it to crush the evil wizard, or we can hope a pair of midgets can sneak past giant spiders, nazgul, and the entire orcish army...

It turned out he was wrong, but i realy felt for him trying to make what seemed like the more sane decision.

[Quorothorn]

re Borimir


We have a ring of unstopable power. We can use it to crush the evil wizard, or we can hope a pair of midgets can sneak past giant spiders, nazgul, and the entire orcish army...

It turned out he was wrong, but i realy felt for him trying to make what seemed like the more sane decision.

True, but you have to remember also that the Ring is a ridiculously corruptive force, only getting worse in its insidious effects the more personally powerful you are (Gandalf is afraid of what might happen if he so much as touches it once, and so is Galadriel). You use it, and you end up like Sauron: no ifs (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CooldownHug), ands (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HeroicWillpower), or buts (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight), you're gone.


Also, Boromir's death scene is one of the most touching ever (both in the books and the movies). Hard to hate someone who went out valiantly defending Merry and Pippin despite getting turned into a pincushion.

[JaxGaret]

re Borimir


We have a ring of unstopable power. We can use it to crush the evil wizard, or we can hope a pair of midgets can sneak past giant spiders, nazgul, and the entire orcish army...

Which the Council Of Really Smart And Good People Who You Should Listen To told you multiple times not to covet, and that the only way to destroy it was to sneak it past the nazgul and the orcish army.


It turned out he was wrong, but i realy felt for him trying to make what seemed like the more sane decision.

Meh. I never had much sympathy for Boromir. In the end he did the right thing, though.

IIRC he was portrayed much less sympathetically in the books, no?

[WinterSolstice]

/Agree w/OP
I'm sure everyone here thinks it, but...
Doesn't get said nearly enough:smallbiggrin:

[texascarl]

Agreed. Thanks, Rich. Oots rocks.

[Llama231]

Mucho, mucho, much, gracias!:smalltongue:

[Lerky]

Indeed, it's never occured to me to give Rich thanks. I make avatars and occasionally I make comics so I realize it can be a pain to do sometimes. But this is truly and epic comic. So bravo, Rich, glad you made this comic:smallsmile:

[Linkavitch]

Not even Boromir?

Don't you remember his last, final act? Slaying dozens of Uruk-Hai and finally getting slain by, like, four arrows? (Well, three in the film, but the actual book just says 'many'.) That is just kick-awesome.

[Trixie]

Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli were almost as bad, thought.

A fine people to have in a battle nearby, but I wouldn't borrow them one broken cent :smallannoyed:

[maxon]

Not even Boromir?

For me, Boromir was the only interesting character in LOTR - or the only vaguely human one. All the other characters were either good and noble or evil and depraved. One tone, either way. Ah well, characterisation was never Tolkein's strong point.

[Optimystik]

Hmm...I dunno. The Lord of the Rings does just fine without any protagonists I want to strangle ('course, LotR is Just That Awesome).

How could anyone read LotR - or better yet, watch the movie - and not want to strangle Frodo? Hell, if it weren't for Sam I don't even think he'd have made it to Bree much less Mount Doom.

[JaxGaret]

How could anyone read LotR - or better yet, watch the movie - and not want to strangle Frodo? Hell, if it weren't for Sam I don't even think he'd have made it to Bree much less Mount Doom.

True, but he gets a pass because he's the Ringbearer. He's actually holding the darn thing.

It's enough that he lasted as long as he did without becoming enthralled.


As to Boromir, yes, he was a good fighter, and a good leader of armies, but I didn't really find any personally redeeming qualities to him beyond that - he was far too arrogant and self-important. I'm talking of the Boromir of the books; the movie Boromir was much more sympathetic.

[Rotipher]

How could anyone read LotR - or better yet, watch the movie - and not want to strangle Frodo?


Meh. I was too busy wanting to smack Gandalf -- or better yet, JRRT -- for missing the obvious: if the Eagles could fly Frodo and Sam away from Mount Doom at the end, why couldn't they have flown them there in the freakin' first place? Sure, it would've made the story too short to actually do it that way, but seeing an explanation for why they couldn't would have been nice.

[hamishspence]

the usual answer is- Ring- Corruption- halflings are the only creature with even mild resistance. Men and the Nine? Corrupted fairly quickly. Gollum? 500 years and no fading whatsoever.

Though no-one knows exactly what Ring would do to an Eagle.

Added to which, the Mordor Air Force might be a serious inconvenience to speeding eagles- that is, if Sauron had put the Nine on Fell Beasts as soon as they got back to Mordor.

[Optimystik]

True, but he gets a pass because he's the Ringbearer. He's actually holding the darn thing.

It's enough that he lasted as long as he did without becoming enthralled.

My theory is that they're just too unsophisticated for the Ring to get a tendril in edgewise.


Meh. I was too busy wanting to smack Gandalf -- or better yet, JRRT -- for missing the obvious: if the Eagles could fly Frodo and Sam away from Mount Doom at the end, why couldn't they have flown them there in the freakin' first place? Sure, it would've made the story too short to actually do it that way, but seeing an explanation for why they couldn't would have been nice.

That part I do understand - the skies simply weren't clear until (a) Sauron had lost a nice chunk of his forces at Gondor (including his ace pilot, the leader of the Nine), and (b) he was further distracted by Aragorn and Gandalf showing up at his doorstep. Had the hobbits flown straight there while Sauron was amassing his armies, they and the eagles would've both ended up in a 10-piece bucket.

[Rotipher]

Sauron's "air force" was still busy combing the Shire in search of a Baggins, when Gandalf sent the four hobbits off to start their journey. If the wraiths' pursuit could be slowed down (twice) by a river in the way, how could they have gotten back to Mordor to pick up their flying mounts in time to intercept Eagles? There's no indication that anyone but the Nazgul could control those reptiles in combat, else there'd surely have been 'orcs on wings' in Sauron's army.

As for the corruptive effects of transporting the Ring, carrying a Ringbearer was safe enough for Sam, in the final push up Mount Doom. Frodo was also carried by Strider after he was injured, IIRC, again without the influence of the Ring being passed on. Finally, even if an Eagle had felt tempted, it's kind of hard to wear a ring if you don't have any fingers.

[hamishspence]

and Boromir didn't have to touch the ring, just see it, once, at the council, to be tempted. Though it is ture that Eagle + Hobbit makes more sense than Eagle alone on the "carrier of Ringbearer is less vulnerable than Bearer to corruption" principle.

The ring adjusts size (hinted at in book, shown in movie) Eagle talons are fingerish enough.

[Trixie]

Finally, even if an Eagle had felt tempted, it's kind of hard to wear a ring if you don't have any fingers.

You Fail Biology Forever.

I'd link to TvTropes up here, but with the messed forum format here I'm not sure how to do that :smallsigh:

[OOTS_Supporter]

ON TOPIC(Sortof): Celia doesn't get any respect I guess.

I am still wondering how she hasn't pulled her own weight by helping the party on numerous occasions, even if she sidetrackted them, but made it easier to raise Roy (at least in a time factor)

ON TOPIC: But, yeah, thanks Rich. This is awesome.

[Iliad]

Meh. I was too busy wanting to smack Gandalf -- or better yet, JRRT -- for missing the obvious: if the Eagles could fly Frodo and Sam away from Mount Doom at the end, why couldn't they have flown them there in the freakin' first place? Sure, it would've made the story too short to actually do it that way, but seeing an explanation for why they couldn't would have been nice.

I had a debate about this once

Problem a) Eagles are very proud. They will only help when they feel like it.

Problem b) Eagles themselves cannot carry it, at least because the ring will corrupt and the other reason being they can't really walk into a volcano. So they have to carry hobbits.

Problem c) Two midgets slowly walking can hide. An Eagle is quick but still has about as much stealth as well a humongous flying bird carrying two midgets.

Problem d) Which means Sauron will spot them. The eagles will be make it from the black gate to Mount Doom, but when and where do they stop before that. And with the element of surprise and stealth gone Sauron can just deploy some of his army near Mount Doom.

Problem e) I dunno, the Nazgul's flying monsters? You know the ones who can specifically scream so horribly all animals **** their pants and flee? Woops there goes frodo falling to the ground as the eagle ****s himself and runs away.

Problem g) When were the eagles supposed to fly with the Ring? Cause even if the eagles agreed to such a proposal, which seems a bit unlikely, they could only start from Rivendell by that time the Nazguls were back at Mordor with their flying monsters.

Problem h) The Ring could just pull an Isildur and "slip off" just when the Eagles were flying over Mordor. Oh woops, there goes the world!

Problem i) As you can see it's just unfeasible and much too dangerous. The whole point was stealth and surprise. Without them even a couple of eagles would get owned against Nazguls, their flying monsters whose scream would finish the quest there and then, I dunno-archers? and Sauron's gaze, though I'm quite sure that was only in the movie.