Yet another fantasy gamer comic: discuss

[hamishspence]

yafgc.shipsinker.com/

I've just been reading it- and I am impressed. The art style remains me of both Whats New with Philo & Dixie, and Zogonia, but its got something of its own.

Any comments on it?

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Yet Another Fantasy Gaming Comic (http://yafgc.net)

It's one of my favories, and I'm suprised more people don't comment on it.

The "Story Arc" section of my original post was starting to bug me, since it was so out of date.

I also like comics from the monster's point of view, but that's just me. I liked "Monsterquest" from Dungeon Magazine from WAY, WAY back in the day!

[hamishspence]

yup. I also liked the OOTS-styled strip as well.

[Midnight Lurker]

See also, from the same author, "The Ten Doctors (http://comics.shipsinker.com/)," a Doctor Who megacrossover comic. :smallcool:

[Johnny Blade]

It's one of my favories, and I'm suprised more people don't comment on it!
Eh, you know, it is one of my favorites, and given its consistent daily update schedule, which feels almost unreal for a webcomic, it might actually be the one that I ultimately get the most enjoyment out of - although I don't really keep track, that old problem with quantifying value, you know :smallwink: -, but it doesn't really lend itself well to lengthy discussions, I think.

Although I really would be interested in hearing people's opinions about where Glon might end up after the current arc.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

yafgc.shipsinker.com/

I've just been reading it- and I am impressed. The art style remains me of both Whats New with Philo & Dixie, and Zogonia, but its got something of its own.

Any comments on it?

You should make the website a hotlink. Copy the address, highlight with the cursor, click on the globe and chain, paste the link in the popup box, and your're done.

Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Webcomic (http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/)

[hamishspence]

haven't done it before- that was why- so just cut-pasted address.

[WarriorTribble]

I like it. It's my new Dominic Deegan. :smallsmile:

[Dallas-Dakota]

Hmm, thenks for linking!
I've just read the first few panels and I'm thinking its great!

[TheSummoner]

To be fair, Karak (the Hobgoblin King), won the final round of the tournament without cheathing... he defeated arguably the best fighter (she was evenly matched with the only other person who stood a chance) with nothing but his own skill... well more accurately with nothing but his own brute strength, but the point is he didn't cheat in the finals.

I was rooting for Captain Fang myself... he would've made a wonderful king, living by his age-old motto "My feet taste like a pineapple."

[Gez]

The scorched goblin skulls in today's strip (http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/index.php?strip_id=983) crack me up.

Edit: problem fixed. (The URL for strip 983 was 984...)

[Solmage]

Best comic ever, and the one I get the most enjoyment out of. I love the various diverse characters, and so far I've really liked all the various plots.

[Morty]

It's a very neat comic. I like showing things from monsters' perspective and implying that hatred between "civilized races" and "monsters" is little more than mutual prejudice, as shown in the bar fight in Drostardy.

[Fredthefighter]

Yep, I've read it all the way through and there has not been a single comic in it that has disappointed me. Simply amazing with a continuity in quality.

[Gez]

Every 100 pages, the strip is in full color (rather than just sketched as usual). I guess we're close to the climax of the Karak arc...

[JVWest]

I read a few strips, enjoyed them, and bookmarked it. Then, upon reading this thread, I realized this sucker is actually DAILY. That's impressive. The Holy Grail of webcomicing.

In order to do my comic daily I'd have to just post one panel each day or something.

Definitely going to read a few of these each day at lunch.

[Kurald Galain]

It's really amazing.

The art is very well done (a far cry better than most webcomics).

It does both gag-a-day and lengthy storylines well, and intersperses the two.

It manages a huge cast without many of them feeling left out or out of place.

It has an original premise, and original characters that are not just "humans with a mask on". Admittedly some of the characters are cliche, but that seems to be intentional and tends to come with a twist, and is way better than some mary sues I could mention.

And not only does it update every day, it has done so incessantly for almost three years.

All in all, you'd be hard-pressed to find a webcomic that can match YAFGC in overall quality.

[PhantomFox]

It's really amazing.

The art is very well done (a far cry better than most webcomics).

It does both gag-a-day and lengthy storylines well, and intersperses the two.

It manages a huge cast without many of them feeling left out or out of place.

It has an original premise, and original characters that are not just "humans with a mask on". Admittedly some of the characters are cliche, but that seems to be intentional and tends to come with a twist, and is way better than some mary sues I could mention.

And not only does it update every day, it has done so incessantly for almost three years.

All in all, you'd be hard-pressed to find a webcomic that can match YAFGC in overall quality.

I just finished the gigantic archive trawl, and you took the words right out of my mouth. I hope to aspire to match his characterization if I ever get this one project off the ground.

[Mando Knight]

All in all, you'd be hard-pressed to find a webcomic that can match YAFGC in overall quality.

Not (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/ootslatest.html) really (http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/)... I (http://drmcninja.com/index.html) read (http://girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php) several (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/).

[Felius]

I find today's punch line quite refreshing and nice, though it might be because I just had read Dominic's strip before going to the YAFGC...

[Dallas-Dakota]

Personally, captain Fang is my favorite character and my hero.

I just love him!

[TheSummoner]

Oh god yes, Captain Fang is the greatest!

[Felius]

I'm fan of the theory that Captain Fang is actually Pun Pun and is just screwing around the YAFGC verse...

[teratorn]

Oh god yes, Captain Fang is the greatest!

Arachne is the best, that thing with the nut-cracker...

[Fredthefighter]

Believe it or not, my favourite characters are Bob the Beholder and The Chimera.

[Kurald Galain]

Not (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/ootslatest.html) really (http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/)... I (http://drmcninja.com/index.html) read (http://girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php) several (http://www.schlockmercenary.com/).

No fair, you just listed the other five of the Six Best Webcomics Evar :smallbiggrin:

Still, I must say that of the six criteria I mentioned, each of the comics you mention doesn't quite match up in one of them (e.g. Irregular really isn't too great at art, Doctor McNinja doesn't do gag-a-day, and so forth). Well, except for Girl Genius, which is simply made of awesome.

[Gez]

Only Schlock and IWC could be compared for the update schedule, though.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

For The Horde!

Come on! You know you were thinking it!

[High-Chancellor]

I feel bad that everyone seems to always like this comic so much, but I can just never get into it.

I think my major obstacles are probably my hatred for Bob, and the fairly bland characterization. Much of which seems to consist of stereotypes and evil=cool/good=dumb jokes.

Maybe I just need to give it a fourth or fifth chance though.

[Kurald Galain]

I think my major obstacles are probably my hatred for Bob, and the fairly bland characterization. Much of which seems to consist of stereotypes and evil=cool/good=dumb jokes.
I'm afraid you haven't read much of it, then.

Bob features in only a few of the arcs, and in most of those he tends to be in the background.

The strip has several characters that are evil and not cool (e.g. Gren's parents, Cuddles, and for that matter Glon) and many that are good but not dumb (e.g. Owen and Lucas, Cadugan and especially Clover).

Plus the strip really blurs the line between good and evil. Is Bob really evil? What about Maula, Chimera, Charlotte, or Wolf? How about Cuddles or Nike, or especially Turg? Is Dewcup really good, or just simply selfish? What about Cadugan?

Really, where YAFGC invokes cliches, it does so intentionally, and it frequently avoids them. Its characterization is much more rounded and less cliche than other fantasy webcomics like DD or Goblins.

[teratorn]

Its characterization is much more rounded and less cliche than other fantasy webcomics like ** or Goblins.

** cough cough please no comments on the dreaded one cough cough **

I like the way the drow are so amoral, more so than evil. I too was as a bit put off by Bob, but the more "adult" (not just the sexual innuendo) character of the strip interested me. That's why I don't advertise it in the OOTS thread, I still remember a 10 year old talking about evilgasms there.

[Gez]

Karak is already deposed, so now my guess for the colored strip n°1000 is Runt's coronation.

[Johnny Blade]

Coronation group shot seems rather likely, which is why I feel compelled to say that it will feature Glon, and maybe Arachne, instead. No, I don't know why.

[sun_tzu]

I feel bad that everyone seems to always like this comic so much, but I can just never get into it.

I think my major obstacles are probably my hatred for Bob, and the fairly bland characterization. Much of which seems to consist of stereotypes and evil=cool/good=dumb jokes.
I definitely get what you're saying...But to be fair, the evil>good thing kinda goes away once the comic starts giving a larger role to human characters.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

And all's well that ends well, and all that. Meh... I'm wondering what the next story line will be. Honestly, I found this arc kind of boring.

I don't know why, maybe it's because most stories have been centered around smaller groups, while this was Rich's first effort at an "Epic Storyline."

Charlotte has been sold off into slavery and seems ripe for her own adventure, Wolf is also a slave, but not likely to stay that way for too long... Lolth likes his butt. :smallbiggrin:

So. what's next for storylines? We've already done the "Lost Son returns home," a "Dungeon Crawl" and an "Epic War."

[Morty]

Maybe Bob will become the king of the Beholders as it's been predicted by the current one? Or would it be his brother, who is also named Bob? It'd be kind of hilarious if Gren became the queen of the goblins, but it's not likely to happen.

[Tempest Fennac]

Considering how Lolth likes Wolf, I found it strange that the queen would do that (of course, Lolth may end up buying him, which would make her happy). I liked the story; while it wasn't as funny as other archs, the more serious tone helped due to where Rich was heading with it. I wonder how far into the future the next age will be?

[TheSummoner]

I smell the Drow reclaiming their rule over the black mountain... considering it was their primary reason for helping the humans, I think its the most likely plotline to follow next.

[Gez]

Likewise for the Orcs...

[Jayngfet]

Am I the only one who smells a timeskip?

[TheSummoner]

No, I considered the possibility too, but I'd personally prefer to see the Drow reclaim the mountain.

[Gez]

Well, in the meantime we've got "slice of life" stories with weird D&D critters from old editions. Piercers, flail snail, and I don't recognize the beetle but it looks like it's some construct thing.

[Gez]

It was merely a giant fire beetle.



Meanwhile, Glon is becoming sleazier than ever before. Meanwhile meanwhile, in The Ten Doctors, Four demonstrates how to obnoxiously pretentious in a charming way.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

But do you think Glon will STAY sleazy? I thought that when I saw this morning's strip, but I'm ALSO thinking that if her current boyfriend is part ogre, Glon will forl like a cheap suit.

Afterall, there are plenty more girls where that one came from! (At least, that's how it's worked before.)

I think Glon needs something a tad more... productive... soon. And that might be the beginning of our next arc.

[Ascension]

I'm personally hoping for more LucasxCadugan shiptease, but it seems very likely that they'll be out of the limelight for a while.

...

Have I mentioned I am heterosexual today? (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday)

[Tensu]

I origionally felt the same way as Chancellor, but I got more into the comic as characters I could relate to more, like Eric, Lucus, and Runt, started playing larger roles.

I disagree that the characters are shallow or stereotyped, most of them are plenty multi-dimensional.

Sometimes the letters are hard to make out or the guidelines for the faces haven't been fully erased, but all that is trumped by the fact that the comic has updated daily faithfully for years! and it's not like the art is bad. It's quite excellent.

the stories have been very good. I espicially liked the marriage of king Eric and the Rise of King Lewie. Lewie had both a very believable fall and a very believable "redemption", which is a lot more than more famous writers have managed. *glares at George*

However, I can't stand the comic's drow. especially Charolette(sp?). I'm hoping getting sold into slavery was a way to write her out of the comic even though the odds are slim to none.

also the comic is a little too heavy on... shall we say... "fanservice" for my tastes.

While it's a no-effort to make a good non-sequitur character, it's hard to make a memorable one. Captain Fang stands out in that I suspect he may be actually very competent. the only fights he's ever lost have been because his back was turned, and the only reason his back was turned was because he found something more interesting than those pathetic excuses for opponents. It's not that the acorn was anything special, t was just that it was of more interest to him than such a laughable excuse for a kingdom!

[Jayngfet]

I wonder how the Harpy mother gets on with the other Underground denizens. And stat wise, how long would it take for a couple of harpies to kill this guy? Or is he powerful to kill them all assuming none of them have class levels.

[Gez]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Oh, this page (1020) is just perfect. Muppet Sam the Eagle as lord of the Kenkus...

[Johnny Blade]

He certainly does not approve of her nudity.


EDIT: Man, I really should've checked the new update before writing this post.

[Tempest Fennac]

It was suggested during the bit with the undead pirates that Fang is incredibly formidable (I can't remember which comic that was, though). I thought it was amusing with the Kenku leader as well.

[Morty]

Oh man. That was both completely unexpected and awesome.

[Lissou]

I know it's oldish now, but...

Strip 1000 was on my birthday. I really like it, and actually for a second I thought it might be the end of the strip, or kind of an end.
Like, I thought maybe the strip would go on years later or with different characters or something.

Anyway, I really like Lucas and Cadugan together. Now I'm also curious about WolfxCadugan though. It's not like Wolf would mind, he's done it with Gon and possibly others.
So... I'm torn apart. Looks like we're going to see some more Cadugan though so I'll stay put.
(I still prefer Lucas. Plus, that solves the wife thing).

I also like this comic, but it's... "too fast"? I mean, I know it's not going to make sense, and it's weird to say something updates more often, but I prefer reading comics that I know I can buy in book form. This series... Not really, not until it's done at the very least, and it's going fast enough that it would cost too much anyways.

Also, I really like the art, and I actually prefer the black and white sketchy strips to the "special event" coloured strips. I think they look better.

I also like how the strip doesn't have a set size. It allows for more or less story depending on the author's time/ the story and so on. This way it can cut at a right place.

I wouldn't rate it as high as OOTS or Goblins, but I really like it. But to me, it's more of a "cheap" enjoyment, while the others are on a deeper level. For instance, when I read YAFGC, whether it's true or not, it feels like the story is made up as he goes. When I read OOTS or Goblins, I know it's thought through, and it makes both the anticipation and the reading so much better.

It updates often enough that it's easy to miss an update though, but it's not like it's a problem since I have a link to the archive page and the link colour tells me instantly which strip(s) I haven't read yet.

[Tempest Fennac]

I don't really class making stuff up as you go along to be a problem; if noting else, it at least means you havent wasted time thinking up things which then turn out to be impractical (admittedly, I tend to DM on the fly due to how I often work better that way).

[Lissou]

I don't really class making stuff up as you go along to be a problem; if noting else, it at least means you havent wasted time thinking up things which then turn out to be impractical (admittedly, I tend to DM on the fly due to how I often work better that way).

Oh, it's definitely a matter of taste. I just feel like made-up-as-you-go story don't give me the same level of enjoyment and anticipation. I don't know what's happening next but... neither does the author. So why try and guess? It's not already planned, could be anything.
Also, made-up-ad-you-go has a chance of writing yourself into a corner (when it's done bad) or not getting anywhere (even when done right). YAFGC is a bit like that to me. The plots don't really have a conclusion. It's an elephant giving birth to a mouse (do you have that expression? Means lots of build up, and then nothing happens).
It's enjoyable but you can't really expect anything from it, you just take what you get. I don't like "made-up-as-you-go" as much, be it comics or series.
Of course, it's even worse when it's a "made-up-as-you-go" in which the author changed regularly. Then it's not even consistent with itself.

The are always exceptions, of course. Gag-a-day and things who aren't supposed to have any consequences are obviously made up as you go (Calvin and Hobbes, The Perry Bible Fellowship) and, well, that doesn't make them less good. Some very good things can also come up with someone who's good at it, when they use previous events well.
But to be able to do that, you need to leave hints here and there that you can reuse, which means not reusing some of them, and have them for no reason at all.

So, to put it in a maybe clearer way, "made-up-as-you-go" is to me an entertainment that has you as purely the audience. You just watch (read) and shut up. Planned stories have you more as an actor, since you can pick up hints, guess what will happen and so on.

Of course, if you have ideas a long time before you put them into place, it doesn't mean you'll do a good job of implementing them, or that the ideas will be good. CAD's infamous arc is an example of a pre-planned idea that reads 100% "made-up-as-you-go".
OOTS on the other hand is a good example of a pre-planned story that is obviously pre-planned, as early as strip 15 with the first reference to future strips. (Doesn't mean each individual strip needs to be 100% prewritten with all the dialogue and such, of course).

[Tempest Fennac]

I've never heard that expression before (thanks for giving it to me, though :smallsmile:). I never noticed anything that indicated YAFGC is unplanned (I always knew OotS was). Which CAD plot were you refering to? (I've only read a few of those comics.)

[Gez]

Oh, it's definitely a matter of taste. I just feel like made-up-as-you-go story don't give me the same level of enjoyment and anticipation. I don't know what's happening next but... neither does the author. So why try and guess? It's not already planned, could be anything.
Also, made-up-ad-you-go has a chance of writing yourself into a corner (when it's done bad) or not getting anywhere (even when done right).

I remember Rich Not-Burlew saying he had a big buffer of YAFGC strips because he can draw them pretty quickly, that they write themselves up, and that he does have a lot of stories to tell in his head. So I wouldn't worry too much.

His cast of characters is also large enough to switch to another group if the muse gets tired of the current storyline.

[Lissou]

I've never heard that expression before (thanks for giving it to me, though :smallsmile:). I never noticed anything that indicated YAFGC is unplanned (I always knew OotS was). Which CAD plot were you refering to? (I've only read a few of those comics.)

There was a storyline that basically involved Lilah getting pregnant, then having a miscarriage, cancelling the wedding. Later on, through a weird series of events, she thinks Ethan is cheating on her, then ends up apologising to him for ever doubting him and reacting so badly to her miscarriage, and they get married.

Buckley stated that he had planned the whole story years ahead and was very excited to finally tell it. It still felt very random and didn't make much sense.


I remember Rich Not-Burlew saying he had a big buffer of YAFGC strips because he can draw them pretty quickly, that they write themselves up, and that he does have a lot of stories to tell in his head. So I wouldn't worry too much.

His cast of characters is also large enough to switch to another group if the muse gets tired of the current storyline.

I definitely think he's a good artist, and I'm not too worried about that either. I do enjoy YAFGC. And I don't actually know if it's planned or not, what gives me the impression it isn't it that there doesn't seem to be a continuity to the story or even the stories within the strip.
It doesn't make me want to read back because I realise some even had been foreshadowed, and when a storyline ends, I don't feel like all the previous events had been shown to prepare the reader to the conclusion, if I'm making sense.

I do enjoy the comic, and I like variety, I wouldn't like all webcomics to work exactly the same way. As I said, it's a matter of personal preferences. I feel less deeply involved emotionally in YAFGC. I don't have as strong wishes for things to happen or not to happen, it's more a "wait and see" feeling. That's why I consider it a "lighter" form of entertainment for me, as opposed to OOTS in which every strip provokes strong emotions, worries and wishes.

It also doesn't feel like YAFGC already has a real "end". It's everyday life for many characters, and that much is neat, but it could stop anytime, without really having a conclusion, which can be frustrating. Alternately, it could also go longer than it should since it doesn't have a plot to follow, and lose in quality from running for too long (we're not there yet though).
I like how, in OOTS (yeah, I'm using lots of oots examples :P), I'm expecting some characters to appear at some point (SoD spoiler or Elan's father), some things to happen (how and when will Belkar die? What about Durkon?), and therefore I'm comforted in about how long is left, well there is no information one way or another in YAFGC.
The story could end with Cadugan being single and in the woods, it could end with Cadugan being with someone. It could have Cadugan be with someone for a while, then break up. It could stop at nearly any point in the story, baring a few strips to wrap up a current arc, if any.
It could have ended at strip 1000, for instance.

Anyway, that's what I meant. Doesn't mean I don't enjoy reading it :)

[Ascension]

Which CAD plot were you refering to? (I've only read a few of those comics.)

The pregnancy thing. It got messy. And I got ninja'd.

When it comes to plotting, I for one prefer improvisation, especially when it comes to webcomics. The internet gives creators the opportunity to interact with their audience in an unprecedented manner, allowing the product to be tailored to better suit its consumers. It also seems a bit more natural to me to have things flow spontaneously rather than follow a set course. There should be some skeletal framework of a plot if you plan to have a plot-heavy comic, of course, but what happens between the major points... the flesh to the plot's bones, I suppose... I think it's nice when that's a bit more fluid.

It's definitely a personal opinion thing, though, and I certainly don't begrudge you your opinion.

[Tempest Fennac]

Thanks for the explanations. I see what you mean about how it could end at any point, though. Hopefully it won't for an age (considering how most of the characters, at least in my view, are good, there is at least a lot the authour could do with them*).


*While I class Charlot as slightly irritating, that Troll Healer is the only character I don't like. It's mainly because he was such a non-entity in the Arabian plot and the fact that he was there solely because they needed a healer, which is ironic considering how I'm often like that from RPing and real life perspectives :smalltongue:.

[Johnny Blade]

Who needs plot when you can have a displacer kitty? :smallbiggrin:

[Tempest Fennac]

Ironically, it looks as though the kitty may be at the centre of a new plot. :smalltongue:

[Gez]

Rich Morris has been in the mood for pets, apparently. After displacer kitty, now something about familiars? Inky is cute.

[Tempest Fennac]

It's pronably not the most practical familiar, though. Squids aren't mentioned as Familiars on http://crystalkeep.com/d20/rules/DnD3.5Index-Creatures.pdf , but octopuses are and they grant a +3 to grapple checks, which may be useful sometimes. (I know that won't ever be refered to outside of April Fools comics, but it's still fun to check these things. :smalltongue:)

[Ascension]

New Look: Two Thumbs Up. :smallbiggrin:

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Which Doctor is that? Nice to see a crossover between his two comics. I should read the Ten Doctors, but that's one of those Doctor Who things. My Doctors are/were Tom Baker, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. I don't know the others, and Hulu still hasn't discovered the BBC.:smallfrown:

[Gez]

Which Doctor is that? Nice to see a crossover between his two comics. I should read the Ten Doctors, but that's one of those Doctor Who things. My Doctors are/were Tom Baker, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. I don't know the others, and Hulu still hasn't discovered the BBC.:smallfrown:

That's nine, the one just before Tennant. Which means that it's Christopher Eccleston. :smallsmile:


And I've never watched any Doctor Who stuff, but still read that comic. It's not that difficult to follow even without having all the background knowledge about the setting. (Though I did have to follow a link here (http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/) a couple of times.)

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Um... This might seem like a silly question, but does anyone know when Rich posts the strip? I was up around 5:00 CST and ended up with a blank page when I checked this morning... No yesterdays strip, no background, no links to other sections of his site. What causes that?

I always liked playing bards (although I always sort of went with the "rock star encouraging his buddies" approach), so I'm really liking where he's going with this one.

[Gez]

Um... This might seem like a silly question, but does anyone know when Rich posts the strip? I was up around 5:00 CST and ended up with a blank page when I checked this morning... No yesterdays strip, no background, no links to other sections of his site. What causes that?

No idea, but it's fixed now and the new strip is there.

Edit: Explanation can be found here (http://comics.shipsinker.com/2009/04/11/the-10-doctors-page-227/#comment-18503).

[Weimann]

Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic is indeed a high quality read. It has interesting characters, impressive art which seem to be inspired by Disney (even if the earlier ones had text bubbles that were hardly readable, which annoyed me) and well planned story lines. I won't pretend the NSFW style doesn't appeal to me either. And the 7-days-a-week update schedule is just wonderful.

My favourite characters are probaly the Bloodhand family; they are on top of things, and Glon's luck turning in such a drastic way when he enters the mountain is one of the best parts of the comic, in my mind.

Great stuff, indeed.

[Gez]

Am I the only one to discern a slightly different style when he's drawing real people? The traits are a bit less abstract, a bit more detailed it seems.

[Morty]

Am I the only one to discern a slightly different style when he's drawing real people? The traits are a bit less abstract, a bit more detailed it seems.

Yes, it seems to be the case. Probably simply because when portraying real people, he's got a real model instead of a picture in his head. It should be noted though, that Lady Marion looks more abstract in 1st panel than in the 4th one. Also, am I the only one whom Lucas in today's issue reminds of Guybrush Threepwood?:smallconfused: It's kind of weird.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Well, this little mystery seems to be shaping up nicely!

[Johnny Blade]

You know something's wrong with you when you change your name ... and pick Wayland.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Um, that's not the end, is it? I'm thinking someone close to Rich has just passed away, and it's a memorial...

[Gez]

Um, that's not the end, is it? I'm thinking someone close to Rich has just passed away, and it's a memorial...
It furiously look like one, isn't it? But nah, it's not actually one.


Sorry gang!
This is a tribute to a campaign that I played in that finished 10 years ago today. In it I played Eric of Drostardy, the Great Grandfather of the one here who married Clover. Pado is another PC (who, in the timeframe of YAFGC would be very old.) The other shorter lived PCs are already passed on and the longer lived ones (the Dwarf, Theorie and Edrimore -seen earlier as Edrumore in "The Axe-in-the-Rock") came to visit.
Nobody's died in RL! It's just a special anniversary comic. Perhaps a little MORE moving than I intended!
http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=750

[Felius]

It furiously look like one, isn't it? But nah, it's not actually one.


http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=750

Yeah, the guy's good!

[Lord_Drayakir]

I like it, mostly, except I absolutely loathed the bard storyline. LOATHED.

Otherwise, it's a brilliant comic, which I think more people should read.

[Arakune]

I like it. It's my new Dominic Deegan. :smallsmile:

With the diference it doesn't suck!

[Johnny Blade]

This gnome reminds me of someone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Gummer). :smallbiggrin:

http://www.burtgummer.com/images/gross1.gif

[Radar]

This gnome reminds me of someone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burt_Gummer). :smallbiggrin:
(...)
And the land shark is quite fitting, isn't it? Well, as much as one of the most absurd fantasy mosters can fit anywhere.

[teratorn]

And the land shark is quite fitting, isn't it? Well, as much as one of the most absurd fantasy mosters can fit anywhere.

It's working quite nicely. Is this just one of many? Will they eat penwick... penforth... pinhead.. pinwheel... er whatever.

[Johnny Blade]

Penworth, his name is Penworth.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

And no, I don't think so... Or did the graboids ever eat Burt Gummer? I didn't see all of the episodes. I always thought he made it to the end.

I liked Michael Gross in that role... It was such a departure from the (former) hippy dad in Family Ties. :smallsmile:

[Johnny Blade]

Tremors spoiler:
They did eat him, but he survived.

[teratorn]

"Please, Clover call me gummer..." I loved this whole sequence.

Edit: no need for a new post, apparently this comic isn't very popular. "Pentilt Wanderbutt!" Best one yet.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

"Please, Clover call me gummer..." I loved this whole sequence.

Edit: no need for a new post, apparently this comic isn't very popular. "Pentilt Wanderbutt!" Best one yet.

Meh... I think a lot of people read it for the monsters, and not the "Surface Dwellers." And now that the strip had returned to Black Mountain, we might have a bit more activity on the message boards...

[Tiger Duck]

I read it every day, I just never have anything to contribute.:smallsmile:

[Captain Six]

Yeah, I've always liked this comic. It's one biggest flaw (or maybe what makes it unique) is its ever shifting narrative focus. Weren't Gwen and Bob the main characters? I can't remember if those names are right, it's been a long time since they've shown up. Glon is another contender but he took a while to show up and seems to be fading out, it focused on humans for a while, now halflings... The whole world seems to be the main focus of the story, reading it hoping for specific characters is a fool's bet. Heh, I almost forgot that entire ark out of the blue about the lich guy.

[Gez]

Weren't Gwen and Bob the main characters? I can't remember if those names are right, it's been a long time since they've shown up.
You've Erfworlded the gobw... goblin girl: Gren. :smallwink:

In other news, Dungeon Keeper.

[Morty]

Yeah, I've always liked this comic. It's one biggest flaw (or maybe what makes it unique) is its ever shifting narrative focus. Weren't Gwen and Bob the main characters? I can't remember if those names are right, it's been a long time since they've shown up. Glon is another contender but he took a while to show up and seems to be fading out, it focused on humans for a while, now halflings... The whole world seems to be the main focus of the story, reading it hoping for specific characters is a fool's bet. Heh, I almost forgot that entire ark out of the blue about the lich guy.

I, on the other hand, enjoy the shifting focus. It's what allowed the comic to get to over 1000 strips without becoming repetitive.

[Wraith]

In other news, Dungeon Keeper.

I spotted that too. I really hope this one is a plot, and not just a one-off. DK is one of my all-time favourite games, and more webcomics should mention it! :smallbiggrin:

[Captain Six]

I, on the other hand, enjoy the shifting focus. It's what allowed the comic to get to over 1000 strips without becoming repetitive.

I've always enjoyed it too, I probably could have worded what I said better. I just know that there are some people out there who would take issue to that. But then what are webcomics for if not appealing to narrow audiences.

I was also surprised how fast naked boobs became casual. I often forget the nudity when I show the comic to someone or open it at school, realizing I probably shouldn't have...

[Morty]

Huh. I don't remember any tentacles with eyeballs in DK. Then again, I haven't played it for very long.

[Dark Faun]

Meh... I think a lot of people read it for the monsters, and not the "Surface Dwellers." And now that the strip had returned to Black Mountain, we might have a bit more activity on the message boards...
It's the absolute opposite for me. I never could stand the half-orc (especially that he refused to stay dead), the drows, the goblin, the beholder or any other mountain dweller, whatever their names are, with the exception of Mr. Izquxxisquid and his Illithid buddies (never Mind Flayers :smallwink:). I care only about the surface dwellers, particularly Cadugan and Lucas. :smalltongue:


Heh, I almost forgot that entire ark out of the blue about the lich guy.
Who? :smallwink:

[Zanaril]

I found the henpecked Lich funny, but other than that I have to agree. I wouldn't say I can't stand them, but they got a bit boring.

[Dark Faun]

To be fair, I was exaggerating. Glon's the only one I can't stand because I find nothing admirable or funny in him, which his resurrection and the amount of power he holds solely because of who his mother is doesn't help. I find the others merely irrelevant, occasionally funny (such as when Bob ate the harpy who was flirting with him), though like I said, I liked the Illithids (and the lich and Cuddles, as well, now that I remember them).

[Zanaril]

Also, didn't Glon's hand get cut off (again)? How did he get it back a second time if they chucked away the genie lamp?

[Johnny Blade]

Okay, somebody explain this (http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/index.php?strip_id=1179) to me please.
Did he convert and is now possessed or what's going on here? :smallconfused:

[Wraith]

I'm guessing that he's been possessed (after being dragged to the Dungeon Heart where the Keeper was lurking), or like most denizens of the Black Mountain he's Too Kinky To Torture (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TooKinkyToTorture) and is off home after a relaxing afternoon with scantily clad Dominatrixes, but we're being led to believe otherwise.

[Gez]

Bwahahaha! (http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/index.php?strip_id=1182)

[Johnny Blade]

His face in the last panel is perfect. :smallbiggrin:


I'm guessing that he's been possessed (after being dragged to the Dungeon Heart where the Keeper was lurking)...
So I guess you were right.
By the way, was that a part of Dungeon Keeper I (which I've never played)?

[Wraith]

The "Possession" spell could be cast on creatures that you control'd, and then you (as the Dungeon Keeper) could wander around your dungeon and attack things that you came across.

You could also do it on enemy creatures that you had captured and 'converted' by dropping them in the torture chamber, which I assume had just happened to the Hobgoblin King.

[Gez]

I love the concept of the badass middle-aged, widowed orc mamma. Amidst a sea of lithe and limber action heroines that practice waif fu, it is refreshing.

[Morty]

Looks like the author isn't going to end the comic anytime soon.

[Johnny Blade]

I didn't even realize there's a new comic up today - the feed still directs me to yesterday's.

Anyway, I'm tempted to say that now may be the time for Glon to show what he can do...but then again, how often did I think that before? :smallbiggrin:

[Gez]

Strip 1201 is even better than strip 1200. When Rich Morris cleans his sketches, they're incredible. I especially like the art in the "fleeing bugbear king" panel. Awesome.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

So, um... Who's the scar-faced beholder? Last we saw Bob, his face was baby smooth and happy!

[Wraith]

I think it's the Beholder King, who we met waaaaaay back in the archives and proclaimed Bob destined for greatness. It'd be easier to tell if someone else was in the panel with him, because the BK is huge compared to everything else.

Did anybody else really enjoy the last arc? I seldom see cross-overs that have such well connected plot relevence, let alone comedic ones with video games :smalltongue:

Very impressive, Mister Morris :smallsmile:

[Dark Faun]

I liked Cuddles' cameo in yesterday's comic. :smalltongue:

[Johnny Blade]

I see a lot of men that all got hairier palms after Glon started his harem in today's last panel.


Did anybody else really enjoy the last arc? I seldom see cross-overs that have such well connected plot relevence, let alone comedic ones with video games :smalltongue:
Yeah, I liked it too.

[Rustic Dude]

Yay for violent intimidation!

[Gez]

Indeed, she surely do not expect them to follow anyone else.

[Morty]

The ways of orcish politics never get old.

[Gez]

Jone is creepy-cute.

[teratorn]

Jone is creepy-cute.

Nah, just creepy. I hope she's a fast runner.

[Gez]

Momma Orc is bitter.

And her daughter is a biter.

[Johnny Blade]

http://bayimg.com/image/kaeamaacb.jpg


Also, an arbitrarily high sum of internet currency says she's not Glon's love interest.

[teratorn]

Also, an arbitrarily high sum of internet currency says she's not Glon's love interest.

But he may become hers. Poor young girl saves handsome... imposing... whatever... wounded prince.

[Johnny Blade]

Yeah, I can see that. I already almost feel sorry for her.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

She does make an interesting contrast to Glon. But Glon seems interested helping out Glon, while Jone seems a bit more altruistic.

Wonder where this will end up?

[Mando Knight]

At this point, I just feel sorry for the poor li'l half orc, what with the mayor's son picking on her and then using racial prejudices against her.

[Kurald Galain]

Wonder where this will end up?

In Glon's harem, presumably...

[Surfing HalfOrc]

In Glon's harem, presumably...

I'm hoping for better than that!

Still, she has that "Little Matchstick Girl" vibe going for her. Maybe things will turn out better this time around.

[Gez]

This development is disturbing.

[Gez]

Just noticed the horrible, horrible pun in the name of the girl. Jone Half-Orc.

[Brother Oni]

Jone Half-Orc = Joan of Arc?

Sorry, I'm really bad at seeing puns...

[Dark Faun]

If this is the case, she's doomed. We all know how the maid of Orleans ended. :smallfrown:

[Mando Knight]

...Momma Bloodhand's going to make the rest of the mountain regret that they made her Queen.

[Gez]

Jone Half-Orc = Joan of Arc?

Sorry, I'm really bad at seeing puns...
Well, yeah. Jone 'a'f Orc, Jane of Arc...

...Momma Bloodhand's going to make the rest of the mountain regret that they made her Queen.
Starting with Glon. :smallbiggrin:

Heh, he seems to like the idea after all. Anyway, the parallelism between Jone (who the pointy-nosed slimeball want to turn into a prostitute) and Glon (whose job, as he puts it, is to make babies to wealthy people's daughters) is interesting.

[Lost Demiurge]

Heh, I'm loving the way this strip dodges the usual tropes.

The poor, Disney-esque royal heir who's forced into an arranged marriage, rebels and runs away/goes off on a quest/does something to find his true love...

Vs. Glon.

"So, I gotta knock up royalty? I can keep the harem, right? Sure!"

[Drakyn]

We haven't seen exactly what the wife's going to look like yet, though. Given the rest of her relatives, I can think of two options.

1: Surprisingly attractive.

2: AAAAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!

[Dark Faun]

Why am I expecting Jone to be half Goldkeeper?

Can't say I'm happy with the idea of Maula Bloodhand achieving complete dominion over the black mountain and Glon getting everything he wants without any inconvenient though; I never liked them. :smallannoyed:

[Morty]

Can't say I'm happy with the idea of Maula Bloodhand achieving complete dominion over the black mountain and Glon getting everything he wants without any inconvenient though; I never liked them. :smallannoyed:

Nobody says it's all going to go smoothly, you know.

[Johnny Blade]

Why am I expecting Jone to be half Goldkeeper?
Because it's the obvious thing? :smallwink:

There's also the irony of being expelled under/due to the rule of one Quaff the Drunkard and then having to work in a run down pub in Lowlife City.

[Gez]

We haven't seen exactly what the wife's going to look like yet, though. Given the rest of her relatives, I can think of two options.

1: Surprisingly attractive.

2: AAAAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!

Well, no that we see her, she's definitely not 1. But keeping in mind she's an orc, she's not 2 either. Less than the Rockjaw girl.

[Morty]

I wonder whether Jone is mute or just very shy. And now that's she's a blacksmith's apprentice and apparently happy with it, her chaces of being dragged into orcish politics increase.

[Dark Faun]

Indeed. And I can't help but feel that the nice blacksmith may be murdered by the noble who wants to prostitute Jone's mother for providing more reasons to refuse his proposal. :smallfrown:

[Jayngfet]

You know, I'd like to believe she gets a happy ending. But I KNOW she's going to wind up Glons forced wife/harem girl. We'll get some unfunny torture porn for a few years 'til she either dies or escapes and needs to divide screentime with the other characters/has to deal with a situation that is completely different from the one we LIKED her in.

[Drakyn]

I don't think the first thing I'd think, as a mildly depraved noble, when confronted with a girl with razor teeth, would be "Hmmm! That needs to go in the seraglio, because I am always at my best protected from physical injury when naked."

[Jayngfet]

I'm not sure what's going on in todays strip. Orc weddings seem less like a coherent ceremony or ritual and more like a series of disjointed and unrelated acts.

[Johnny Blade]

Well, we're seeing more than one wedding at once here:

Panel 2: Red Orc music/dance...maybe. Maybe just a second setup panel, since everything seems to happen at the same time. The drummers might be Bloodhands, actually.
Panel 3: Shadowtalker music/dance.
Panel 4: Rockjaw music/dance.
Panel 5: Shadowtalker ritual, featuring Glon's bride.
Panel 6: Red Orc ritual, featuring Glon's bride.
Panel 7: Rockjaw ritual, featuring Glon's bride...presumably.

No real idea what exactly those rituals symbolize.

[Dark Faun]

I'm liking Glon a little more now that he has shown remorse about the idea of attacking human cities.

His wives promise to be interesting characters and, possibly, foils.

[Jayngfet]

I'm liking Glon a little more now that he has shown remorse about the idea of attacking human cities.

His wives promise to be interesting characters and, possibly, foils.

Yeah, now that things aren't going swimmingly Glon actually seems like he'll be cool rather than filler.

[Jayngfet]

Raise your hand if you think Jone gets kidnapped during these so called raids.

Raise your hand if you hope she's going to put up one hell of a fight and cave in skulls.

[Rustic Dude]

Yay for going all orc on his ass!.





Reminded me a LOT of Dominic Deegan. Creeepy.

[Jayngfet]

I wholeheartedly support this development and endorse it completley.


Wait, if she does this odds are bad things happen to the actually likable halforc. Damn, that sucks.

[Johnny Blade]

Yay for going all orc on his ass!
Yeah, I look forward to this. :smallamused:


Although I don't think that rape will be involved.



Of course, there might be more orc going on than she's planned.

[Jayngfet]

You know, I think Glon shouldn't have pulled this off NEARLY as well as he did. We don't see him with much experience at lying, And it's not like he's totally confident in this.

[Johnny Blade]

Well, he does have some diplomatic experiences (http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/index.php?strip_id=988).


Also (http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/index.php?strip_id=975), heh (http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/index.php?strip_id=976). :smallamused:


EDIT:

Just noticed the horrible, horrible pun in the name of the girl. Jone Half-Orc.
Just noticed that this may turn out to be very, very relevant.

EDIT II: Given the Henry V (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_V_of_England) quote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_V_%28play%29) that today's title is...I didn't catch that at all before being reminded of the pun. :smallbiggrin:

[Morty]

Satisfying as it may be to see Ms. White Eye go all orc on Ms. Cooper's ass, I'm pretty sure that she'll wind up in jail or worse.

[TheSummoner]

He got what he asked for... Orc mating just happens to be incredibly violent... Like Orc everything else.

[Johnny Blade]

Satisfying as it may be to see Ms. White Eye go on orc on Ms. Cooper's ass, I'm pretty sure that she'll wind up in jail or worse.
Right now I think she's going to try and shift the blame on the wannabe pimp, like "Oh my, but he told me you wanted it the orcish way.".
And then she was also smart enough to meet them at her own house, so if they go to the authorities, they'll have to explain what they did there.

Whether it really works out or not is another story, of course.

[Radar]

The situation gets rather... awkward. :smalleek:

[TheSummoner]

Should I be surprised? Really... I'm not sure if I should or not.

[Johnny Blade]

I'm not really surprised, but I didn't see this coming. I thought that this whole situation was intended to be a bit more, well, serious.

[Kurald Galain]

I'm not really surprised, but I didn't see this coming. I thought that this whole situation was intended to be a bit more, well, serious.

This in a comic that stars a goblin dating a beholder... :smallbiggrin:

All of it is firmly tongue-in-cheek, and that is entirely intended.

[Jayngfet]

I'm surprised that I'm surprised that I'm not entirely surprised.

[Johnny Blade]

All of it is firmly tongue-in-cheek, and that is entirely intended.
Nah, not all of it. I mean, sure, the arcs usually end on a rather light note, but I thought it was serious time again. Well, not yet, apparently.



Oh yeah, as for today's comic: This one, I did see coming. :smallamused:

[TheSummoner]

Indeed...

Most people seem to think Jone is going to get abducted. Heres my prediction...

Jone + White Eye do as much as civilians can possibly be expected to do to help during such an attack. Despite this once it is all said and done they're both subject to more abuse thanks to what happened.

[Johnny Blade]

Actually, I'm pretty sure that you're right, due to the Henry V reference in the name of this strip (http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/index.php?strip_id=1240) and the pun that is Jone's name.

Of course, there'll be some other stuff going on besides this (if it isn't simply a red herring), but I don't think an abduction is upcoming.

[TheSummoner]

Heh, I didn't put nearly that much thought into it, I merely thought the whole abduction thing was too obvious.

[Jayngfet]

Love Jone's sheer horror in this strip, obviously mom didn't tell her what orcs are famous for.

[TheSummoner]

Greatest. Battering Ram. Ever.

[hamishspence]

its certainly an interesting style.

I wonder what's likely to happen next?

[Rustic Dude]

I found today's short but hilarious. :smallbiggrin:

[Rustic Dude]

Double post, but...Jone in the last panel has put new standards of creepyness.

[TheSummoner]

Her going for the weapons, regardless of intent or outcome, is only going to make things worse for them if they can't get the hell out of there and fast.

[Morty]

I love how Crowler continues to be a complete boophole.

[Gez]

Her going for the weapons, regardless of intent or outcome, is only going to make things worse for them if they can't get the hell out of there and fast.

She's not going for the weapons, she's going for the blacksmith. He's her only friend after all.

[TheSummoner]

She's not going for the weapons, she's going for the blacksmith. He's her only friend after all.

Thats not what the humans are going to say =P

[Johnny Blade]

Well, she'll probably pick one up either way. Not that she'd need it with that jawbone of hers.

Say, Glon hasn't lost his hand in quite some time, has he?


Double post, but...Jone in the last panel has put new standards of creepyness.
I guess she's supposed to be cute in her ugliness. But...well, can't always work.

[Zanaril]

Say, Glon hasn't lost his hand in quite some time, has he?

I don't even remember him getting it back the second time...

[Dark Faun]

He probably forgot he'd lost his hand so it suddenly popped back into existence.

I predict a big no when the blacksmith dies and a very peeved Jone.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Well, she'll probably pick one up either way. Not that she'd need it with that jawbone of hers.

Say, Glon hasn't lost his hand in quite some time, has he?

He probably got it regenerated.

[Johnny Blade]

Okay, seriously, he asked for it.
And that line was close to begging for death.

[Tempest Fennac]

The idiot Genie regenerated Wolf and Glon's hands when Arachne realised he couldn't count to 3 so he didn't know how many wishes he owed to Charlotte. The the lamp ended up in Captain Fang's hands, which resulted in Arachne throwing it away after Fang wishes for a load of nonsensical things.

[Dark Faun]

Saw it coming.

I hope Jone avenges him.

[Tiger Duck]

I'm thinking Jone and her mother are blood hands.

[Jayngfet]

Saw it coming.

I hope Jone avenges him. By biting both Glons hands and his reproductive organs off.

Fixed. This is kinda his fault. I'm of the opinion he buckled WAY too fast. He took the word of three women he met a few days ago TOPS and buckled to their way instantly, as opposed to giving any thought to an alternative. He seemed a touch too eager to lead everyone into battle, nothing he's done shows him as being such a fantastic liar.

[TheSummoner]

That sure was a fitting sound effect...

[Radar]

Beware the nice ones indeed (http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/index.php?strip_id=1250).
I wonder about something else: why did momma Bloodhand allow Glon go out on a raid? It isn't worth it in the long run. Or what happens next, if Glon didn't run those plans through her beforehand?

[Rustic Dude]

That girl's muscles are fueled only by pure Phlebotinumtm

[VariaVespasa]

River Tam, is that you?

[Radar]

That girl's muscles are fueled only by pure Phlebotinumtm
That, or we will be suprised by the other half of her half-orc heritage. :smallwink:

[Felius]

Fixed. This is kinda his fault. I'm of the opinion he buckled WAY too fast. He took the word of three women he met a few days ago TOPS and buckled to their way instantly, as opposed to giving any thought to an alternative. He seemed a touch too eager to lead everyone into battle, nothing he's done shows him as being such a fantastic liar.

Well have quite embraced his orc inheritance. He had some lingering feelings for the humans, specially those of his old village/realm, and for his adopted brother, but not enough to not be willing to lead a raid into some village that was not directly affiliated with the above.

[Radar]

On Jone's strenght and the spike again:
Chekhov's Gun (http://yafgc.shipsinker.com/index.php?strip_id=1229) anyone? :smallcool:

[VariaVespasa]

That, or we will be suprised by the other half of her half-orc heritage. :smallwink:

Given her build and the teeth I've been sort of thinking troll, myself.

[Jayngfet]

Well have quite embraced his orc inheritance. He had some lingering feelings for the humans, specially those of his old village/realm, and for his adopted brother, but not enough to not be willing to lead a raid into some village that was not directly affiliated with the above.

That isn't the issue. The issue is he's flipflopping. One second he needs his wives pressuring him to raid and the next he's rallying the troops and charging like he's always liked the idea.

[TheSummoner]

I wouldnt call it flipflopping... hes just playing the role hes been thrown into.

"Do this or your army will get bored and kill you" is pretty strong incentive to do something. For his own sake, he not only needs to make them respect his authority but make it appear that the things he does are of his own choice and not because they have sway over him. He can't afford to show that kind of weakness.

[Jayngfet]

I wouldnt call it flipflopping... hes just playing the role hes been thrown into.

"Do this or your army will get bored and kill you" is pretty strong incentive to do something. For his own sake, he not only needs to make them respect his authority but make it appear that the things he does are of his own choice and not because they have sway over him. He can't afford to show that kind of weakness.

Yes but how does he immerse himself is what I'm saying. We see no faltering from his first time doing this, and its implied nothing from the speech to the attack or the hours march in between. For someone who's reluctant and probably doubtful as hell this doesn't seem to be a logical set of expressions.

Though it seems he really didn't expect the raid to be so bloody based on todays page.

[Felius]

Yes but how does he immerse himself is what I'm saying. We see no faltering from his first time doing this, and its implied nothing from the speech to the attack or the hours march in between. For someone who's reluctant and probably doubtful as hell this doesn't seem to be a logical set of expressions.

Though it seems he really didn't expect the raid to be so bloody based on todays page.

It's kinda not his first time raiding a human village. Back in time, he had raided his home village and kidnapped the girl he had a crush on. (then when he realized she wanted commitment, dumped her outside his door. :smalltongue: )

[Jayngfet]

It's kinda not his first time raiding a human village. Back in time, he had raided his home village and kidnapped the girl he had a crush on. (then when he realized she wanted commitment, dumped her outside his door. :smalltongue: )

There's a big difference between being civil with people you know then carting off the person you hate yet lust after, and leading an army and taking everything that isn't nailed down.

[TheSummoner]

He was probably expecting something more along the lines of

"Ok, we go in, steal whatever isn't nailed down and most of what is, the humans scream and flee in terror, we walk off with a few wenches, call it a day and I keep my head tomorrow"

[Jayngfet]

He was probably expecting something more along the lines of

"Ok, we go in, steal whatever isn't nailed down and most of what is, the humans scream and flee in terror, we walk off with a few wenches, call it a day and I keep my head tomorrow"

Of course I wonder how long such a tactic could work. Eventually they manage to mount a resistance and the army blames the person who's leading the charges.

[Jayngfet]

Ahaha Racism. Clearly these orcs know and are allied with those orcs, no matter what actual evidence suggests.

[Gez]

Well, actual evidence don't suggest much. They probably brought back Gruzz's corpse, so there's no trace that she killed one of the attackers with one of her knives. Same for the one that was spiked by Jone.

[TheSummoner]

Considering the situation, I think they might actually be in better hands having gone with/been taken by the orcs...

[Jayngfet]

Considering the situation, I think they might actually be in better hands having gone with/been taken by the orcs...

Wait, it's better to be executed than to be taken in for questioning?

[Justyn]

Wait, it's better to be executed than to be taken in for questioning?

Considering that they were accusing her treason, and in most real life societies, treason is met with the worst that the society is willing to do to you: like being drawn and quartered, being beheaded is not all that bad by comparison.

[TheSummoner]

Not to mention the fact that the punishment the orcs are about to deal out is for something she actually did...

Or that (assuming no intervention) her death would be much quicker and much less painful than what the humans would likely do.

[Dark Faun]

I wonder if we'll find out that queen Maula Bloodhand used to know Mrs White Eye...

[Jayngfet]

It's not that the societies changed, it's that we're dealing with Mary Sue bloodhand. I'm getting annoyed that Maula has to do everything. Could one prisoner from a battle she had nothing to do with REALLY not be solved by someone else?

[Gez]

I don't see much merit in labelling Maula Bloodhand a Mary Sue. As a middle-aged orcish matron, she'd be quite atypical. She's not young, she's not pretty, she doesn't have strange magical powers, she doesn't have a sassy talking pet, her eyes don't change color, etc. All she does have that fit the bill is "noble bloodline" and "kickass warrior", these two traits are far from enough to be a Mary Sue. As for the orcs going to see what she thinks of the situation, well, duh, she's their queen, that's part of her job description. It was either her or the local cleric of Gruumsh, and no such character has been introduced yet since these orcs have not been depicted as being very religious anyway.

Mary Sue characters in that comic? You'd have better chance looking at Arachne (but she has been taken down a few pegs since, fortunately), Runtherd (but that was part of the Sword in a Stone parody) or that pirate chick Giovanna (but we haven't seen her in a while).

[Dark Faun]

It's true I'm glad we haven't seen Arachne and Giovanna in a long time.

Poor Mrs White Eye though. I find myself hoping Jone will kill Maula Bloodhand now. Violently and painfully.

[Kurald Galain]

It's not that the societies changed, it's that we're dealing with Mary Sue bloodhand.

To echo what Gez said - how's that again? She's not even been in the picture for most of the comic, neither is she portrayed as extremely sympathetic, and nor does she enter a relationship with whatever the author's favorite character might be.

[Drakyn]

I think that sue in this case is being used to refer to the "overpowered/author's pet" case, not the "I AM THE PERFECT GIRLPRINCESS WORSHIP ME CUZ IMMA SO UNJUSTIFIABLABABALY PERSNICKUTED" version of eld. That said, I agree that she doesn't really fit the bill here. If you compare arachne, giovanni, and bloodhand, you'll find that a large portion of what gives them glares like that is that they're all very, very competent and surrounded by people that range from "adequate" to "my shoelaces, THEY DO NOTHING."
And yeah, I'm glad that Arachne got depegged and Giovanni vanished. At least bloodhand isn't meant to be superhot in addition to competent. "Aging, competent battlemonarch whose current position makes a good deal of sense" is less vexing than "hypercompetent sarcastic hotty" to most people.

[Gez]

I think that sue in this case is being used to refer to the "overpowered/author's pet" case, not the "I AM THE PERFECT GIRLPRINCESS WORSHIP ME CUZ IMMA SO UNJUSTIFIABLABABALY PERSNICKUTED" version of eld.

Actually, I thought the definition used there was "character that I don't like gets some spotlight and this annoys me".

An essential trait of Mary Sues is that everybody loves them (often, even the villains do, in a twisted way) and approve everything they do. (See Dominic Deegan for a perfect example.) Maula gets respect for her lineage and battleprowess, but not the universal love and unconditional approval a Mary Sue would get.

[Drakyn]

Pretty much. And no, I will not see Dominic Deegan. You buggers made me see it in the first place, and one archive trawl is more than enough.

[Dark Faun]

Is it wrong that I understood today's strip as Glon seeing Jone as a pet? :smalltongue:

[Gez]

Is it wrong that I understood today's strip as Glon seeing Jone as a pet? :smalltongue:

Given the "maybe when she's older", it's actually less wrong that understanding it as him seeing her as an adoptive daughter. Not that marrying your pets is right.

[Jayngfet]

Ahaha, I gotta say I love Glons misguided assumptions and good intentions. It's funny how he's both not far off and gets it so wrong.

[TheSummoner]

Ok... I know Maula doesn't have the same near-omniscient point of view we do, but...

Orc from a human village taken prisoner for killing a raiding orc.

Prisoner orc claims dead raider orc got between her and her child.

Half-orc child "liberated" from same human village.

Its not that hard to put together.

[Arakune]

Ok... I know Maula doesn't have the same near-omniscient point of view we do, but...

Orc from a human village taken prisoner for killing a raiding orc.

Prisoner orc claims dead raider orc got between her and her child.

Half-orc child "liberated" from same human village.

Its not that hard to put together.

Maybe she did put thogether? We still need to wait a bit.

[Dark Faun]

If she did, she didn't show it.

Jone looks very cute, and happy (which makes me happy :smallsmile:), but I feel sorry for her (however stoic) mother. :smallfrown:

Who, by the way, needs a first name.

[Jayngfet]

I'm getting some "why so serious" vibes from Jone in the last panel, as in they decided to FORCE a smile on her face, which I wouldn't put past an orc to be honest.

[Johnny Blade]

Is it wrong that I understood today's strip as Glon seeing Jone as a pet? :smalltongue:
You know, it feels more and more like that to me. :smallamused:

[Jayngfet]

You know, it feels more and more like that to me. :smallamused:

Likley it's getting harder and harder for him to see people as people. He can have any girl he wants weather or not she wants, anyone who disagrees with him is killed by mom, any loss he's had has been regained up to and including wishes. At this point his mom dotes on him so much she's prolly seen as a sort of vending machine, while his childhood friends are now so far away and below him they don't even register.

It's completely in character for him to de humanize everyone and anyone.

[Felius]

Likley it's getting harder and harder for him to see people as people. He can have any girl he wants weather or not she wants, anyone who disagrees with him is killed by mom, any loss he's had has been regained up to and including wishes. At this point his mom dotes on him so much she's prolly seen as a sort of vending machine, while his childhood friends are now so far away and below him they don't even register.

It's completely in character for him to de humanize everyone and anyone.

Also, note that he didn't really HAD much of childhood friends either. So, yes, it's quite in character for him dehumanize (deorcise? demosterize? desapientize?) all others.

[Johnny Blade]

He also hasn't exactly been shown to take many things all too seriously in the past, from his feelings for that barmaid that vanished quite quickly when she wanted some commitment on his part all the way up to warmongering for fun.

[Jayngfet]

Also, note that he didn't really HAD much of childhood friends either. So, yes, it's quite in character for him dehumanize (deorcise? demosterize? desapientize?) all others.

He had Those Two Guys (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThoseTwoGuys), who he hasn't seen more than once since his initial visit.

All in All Glon strikes me as a sniveling person who buckles easily. He didn't bother so much as thinking about rescuing Clover despite her begging, he buckled easily and without hesitation to the prospect of raiding, and he doesn't appear to have that many friends in the mountain either. Every person he's had contact with is either his mom, a one night stand, or his harem. The more he does this the more he has to justify them as being less, making it ok to go further, justifying it more. Seems like he's caught in a cycle, he starts having fantasies about raping a barmaid and beating up a couple of guys because they were jerks to him, now this.

[Mando Knight]

Seems like he's caught in a cycle, he starts having fantasies about raping a barmaid and beating up a couple of guys because they were jerks to him, now this.

Getting the barmaid in bed with him willingly, and having the authority to beat up any couple of guys that are jerks to him? :smallwink::smalltongue:

[Dark Faun]

I... didn't exactly get the point of today's strip. :smallconfused:

[Johnny Blade]

Me neither.
Maybe Glon's hand is in some danger. Maybe it's just professional interest.

[small pumpkin m]

I... didn't exactly get the point of today's strip. :smallconfused:

I didn't notice until I'd seen it three times. Look at the knife in the third panel, then look at it in the fourth panel.

[Wraith]

Wow, I missed that the first time - She straightened the serrated edge with her fingers?

That's pretty cool. And going by today's strip, she might end up as a Blacksmith's apprentice to the Cyclops brothers. Looks like being kidnapped and taken to the Black Mountain could be the best thing that ever happened to Jone :smallsmile:

[Dark Faun]

I'd noticed that the first time, but I dismissed it as impossible, and then the teeth of the blade came back in the next strip.

[small pumpkin m]

Hey, so it does. I guess it just wasn't a particularly interesting page.

[Dark Faun]

Was that Lolth? I never noticed she was so tall.

The fact the goblin having his fingers crushed smiles makes me laugh. :smalltongue:

[Felius]

So, surprise it's so big? Surprise because they are very good tools? Some other reason for surprise?

[Kurald Galain]

Was that Lolth? I never noticed she was so tall.

Being a goddess, she's however tall she darn well pleases :smallbiggrin:

[Drakyn]

Plus, Jone is shortish and Glon was still partway through coming up the staircase. Still damned tall though.

[Gez]

At last, plot resumes. Don't think I could endure much more "Jone stares at a metallic thing and nothing else happens" episodes. Now instead we have a much better "Jone stares at a stone thing and something happens." :smalltongue:

[Felius]

So, Jone's Half-god?

[Radar]

So, Jone's Half-god?
Well... that would explain, why Lloth didn't like her from the first sight. And this unnatural strenght of her as well.

[Johnny Blade]

At last, plot resumes. Don't think I could endure much more "Jone stares at a metallic thing and nothing else happens" episodes. Now instead we have a much better "Jone stares at a stone thing and something happens." :smalltongue:
Yet, I'd prefer everything but the last two words to be scratched.

I'm really not getting behind Jone's character. Am I supposed to have some sympathy for her? Because, honestly, she's just a bit lot too stupid, silent and apparently schizoid for that.

[Morty]

Yeah, I can't say Jone works for me either. I don't really see where is the author going with her.

[Drakyn]

Yet, I'd prefer everything but the last two words to be scratched.

I'm really not getting behind Jone's character. Am I supposed to have some sympathy for her? Because, honestly, she's just a bit lot too stupid, silent and apparently schizoid for that.

Maybe the author's trying to make a point about Joan of Arc. Or maybe she's just very creepy.

[Johnny Blade]

Oh yeah, the Joan of Arc thing. I still wonder if that was just some red herring or foreshadowing. It was a bit too subtle for the former, I think.
(At least I like to believe that it was subtle since I wouldn't have gotten it without this very thread here.)

[Drakyn]

Well, Jone Half-Orc just heard the voice of a god in her head. I think we're moving out of the subtleties now.
I was just as clueless about the name hint as you were.

[Dark Faun]

If Jone is a Joan of Arc knock-off, then who's the English and who's the French? Please tell me the French aren't the Black Mountain folks. I don't want them to win. I like none of them.

As for Jone, meh, she doesn't interest me anymore. The only character I liked since her introduction other than her early self was the smith, and he died.

[Johnny Blade]

Well, there was that other hint with a more-or-less Henry V quote in the title of the strip where Glon instigated the raid. Meaning the Black Mountain Orcs would be the English.

Yet, Jone hears an orc god now.

At least that doesn't really fit together...yet.

[Felius]

Well, there was that other hint with a more-or-less Henry V quote in the title of the strip where Glon instigated the raid. Meaning the Black Mountain Orcs would be the English.

Yet, Jone hears an orc god now.

At least that doesn't really fit together...yet.

On the other hand, she is hearing the the god of the orcs, not the humans, the humans would probably try to kill her on sight right now. Also, I've been thinking about she being a half god, it isn't that likely, at least not with the orc gods. I mean, she is a half-orc, and all indicates that the orc gods are, well, orcs (at least in appearance).

And she is being well treated by the orcs right now, much better than she had been ever treated before. Unless she sees her mother being tortured, she's going to be VERY loyal to glon, he marrying her or not.

And even if it comes to be, I don't see the orc side capturing and torturing her, even if she does turn on them. Not that they aren't evil, but Glon would probably stop it before it, as he probably empathize with her as the first other half-orc he have ever seen. Although she would likely die anyway, just with less historical parallels.

P.S. No, I'm not trying to dispute that the orc side is evil, including Glon and Mama Bloodhand. They are so.

[Felius]

Sorry 'bout the double post, but as my last one is about 1-2 days old... Anyway, awfully nice of the queen of the mountains to give personal weapon lessons to her. Might count as her relaxing non-sexual off-time, maybe?

[Gez]

I wonder when will Jone finally find that these people who are being so nice with her have her mother in jail and tortured.

[Johnny Blade]

Professional ethics seem to be an important part of this arc.

[Dark Faun]

That was beautiful.

[Johnny Blade]

And that was kinky.

[TheSummoner]

It had to be The Fox... it had to be him :smallbiggrin:

[Jayngfet]

So, does this make Jone a foxy lady





































*crickets*

[TheSummoner]

Does the fact that I found "It happened a lot in the brothel" hilarious make me a bad person?