Talk about Significant Word Choice

[Math_Mage]

772 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0772.html): "You--GAH! Fine! Just sit in here and let the bugs eat you! I'm sure that will really impress Mom! You'll excuse me, of course, if I just go fix the world while you rot!"

In light of recent developments, I'm wondering what narrative significance the Giant intends for this to have. Likely all will be revealed in future strips, of course. Just starting to speculate. :smallsmile:

[cloudland]

Are you speculating that Geoff killed Ian in the desert?

[Finagle]

It was a reference to Ian's parasite infestation, caused by the unsanitary conditions in the prison. It was referred to several times during the Empire of Blood storyline. There's no more to reveal, it was just a joke intended to unsettle the stomachs of easily upsettable people. Because the author just loves doing that for whatever weird reason.

It has nothing to do with the scarab beetles eating the Draketooth corpses. These corpse-eating insects are a device meant to show how cool the desert theme (and therefore Egyptian [what is this 'Egypt' you speak of?]) is as well as show that only 20 minutes have elapsed since illusion dispelling and beginning of luncheon. Although insects can barely see and find their way by smell, and the smell was overpowering, so that's kind of a plot hole but oh well let's all pretend scavengers have use the same senses as we do.

P.S. parasites can only feast of the blood of moving, living creatures; corpse-eaters don't bother you until you stop moving and start smelling delicious (i.e. not just dead, but rotten).

[Math_Mage]

Are you speculating that Geoff killed Ian in the desert?

Not at all.

Just think--who have we seen recently that isolated themselves from the world out of paranoia, left wives and mothers stranded elsewhere, and ended up rotting and bug-eaten?

At the very least it's foreshadowing of what happened to the Draketooths. I'm still wondering if there's some connection between Ian and Girard's clan, and where Ian decided to hole up with Geoff.

[martianmister]

Ian should be a honorary member of Draketooth clan.

[Jaros]

Wait, Haley saying "let the bugs eat you" and "stay in here and rot" were foreshadowing for the slaughter of the Draketooth clan?

[Fish]

More like, this is to show how Ian is like the Draketooths; Haley later has an epiphany that the Draketooths would refuse to cooperate out of spite, just like her father.