Typo in OOTS 1016

[Gollwyn]

Hi Giant!

Long time reader, first time poster. There's a small typo in panel five of OOTS#1016 - King Dvalin is accidentally called King Davlin by the High Priest of Thor (iirc who that priest is). Not sure if that's meant to be there or not, but thought I would point it out.

Also, just a note - I've been reading for many years (and own all but the latest book, no one loved me this xmas!), and I continue to be astonished by your work. It is a great source of enjoyment and inspiration for my own campaigns, in particular I find your treatment of Paladins to be the best I've encountered in any fiction. I'm also a huge fan of your take on DnD vampirism.

In conclusion, just so well done, Giant. Thank you.

~Gollwyn

[KorvinStarmast]

... in particular I find your treatment of Paladins to be the best I've encountered in any fiction. I'm also a huge fan of your take on DnD vampirism. Try "Three Hearts and Three Lions" by Poul Anderson for primal paladin fiction. Try also the Song of Roland, classic Paladin story.

Then look at the D&D paladin, look at Faramir, for a different take ( a lot like the Oath of the Crown new mod for 5e with less magic).

[rodneyAnonymous]

There's a small typo in panel five of OOTS#1016 - King Dvalin is accidentally called King Davlin by the High Priest of Thor (iirc who that priest is).

That is not the high priest speaking, it is Thor himself speaking through the priest. It's also not a typo, it's just Thor getting the demigod's name wrong.

[Peelee]

That is not the high priest speaking, it is Thor himself speaking through the priest. It's also not a typo, it's just Thor getting the demigod's name wrong.

I don't remember the Giant stating anything to that effect. Especially when Thor is trying to appease Dvalin, not caring enough to get his name right seems a bit ridiculous compared to the simpler typo idea.

[The Glyphstone]

I don't remember the Giant stating anything to that effect. Especially when Thor is trying to appease Dvalin, not caring enough to get his name right seems a bit ridiculous compared to the simpler typo idea.

It's not that he doesn't care, it's that Thor is a moron. This is a well-established fact of his character in the comic, so it seems perfectly plausible.

[Peelee]

It's not that he doesn't care, it's that Thor is a moron. This is a well-established fact of his character in the comic, so it seems perfectly plausible.

Yeah, but to the extent of not knowing a name that was just said? That's stretching it a bit too much for me.

[Darth Paul]

Yeah, but to the extent of not knowing a name that was just said? That's stretching it a bit too much for me.

I call it a toss-up. On the one hand, it may easily be a typo. On the other hand, it may be the equivalent of being told, in the middle of a stressful situtaion, that "Rupert" will help out, and replying, "I'm glad you're here, Rueben!"

Were you deliberately insulting Rupert, or was there so much already on your mind that you misheard Rupert's name? (It doesn't help that you have a cousin named Rueben, and had just been thinking earlier that a Rueben sandwich would be great for lunch... maybe with steak fries and a Coke...) (I've ridden this example about as far as it can go before it breaks down, haven't I? But it's the kind of thing that happens to me in real life.)

[hroþila]

Seriously?

It's a typo. Nothing wrong with that, no need to come up with far-fetched theories.

Phonetically, "Davlin" and "Dvalin" are worlds apart.

[Dr.Zero]

It's not that he doesn't care, it's that Thor is a moron. This is a well-established fact of his character in the comic, so it seems perfectly plausible.

The idea of Thor being a bit like a good version of Xykon "ehi, you dwarven-king-guy-whose-name-I-cannot-remember" is funny in its own.

Anyway very, very, very likely it is a typo.

[Darth Paul]

Seriously?

It's a typo. Nothing wrong with that, no need to come up with far-fetched theories.

Phonetically, "Davlin" and "Dvalin" are worlds apart.

So are "Rueben" and "Rupert".

But I agree it's probably a typo, that may or may not be fixed in the print version.

[Vinyadan]

I think it's a typo, mainly because people usually misremember names which they aren't familiar with. But Thor seems to be in very strict connection with the dwarves, so it would be weird for him not to know their names, unless Dvalin really is unusual.

[hroþila]

So are "Rueben" and "Rupert".
Not at all. Both "Rueben" and "Rupert" have a very similar structure, LVCV(L)C*. They both start with R and have the same stressed vowel in an open, light syllable. Meanwhile, "Dvalin" and "Davlin" have very different structures: "Davlin" has a closed stressed syllable (dav-), which gives it a completely different rhythm, whereas "Dvalin" starts with a consonant cluster and an open syllable. They could hardly be made any more different just by moving one letter around.

*C=consonant; V=vowel; L=liquid

[goodpeople25]

It could be that Thor has always called him Davlin, maybe due to a mixup and then sticking with it he or doesn't feel like figuring out how to pronounce Dvalin (i myself say Davlin in my mind most of the time) and the comic changing it to Davlin. And after how many years of thinking that way him hearing the name pronounced properly out loud probably wouldn't change how he said the name.

[Darth Paul]

It's amazing to see where we're going with this, considering that it probably IS simply a typo. This really speaks to the love and investment we have in the "reality" of the comic's world.

I recall participating in the heyday of Trek fandom, and the lengths we would go to to account for the continuity errors of a series that ran for 60-odd episodes in the 1960s. If only we'd realized that the Enterprise ran on the same principle as the Mechane; she travels at the speed of drama. Warp speed had nothing to do with it.

[rodneyAnonymous]

It's interesting that, for so many people, the simpler and default explanation (in the absence of convincing evidence that it was intentional) is that the author made an error.

[Peelee]

It's interesting that, for so many people, the simpler and default explanation (in the absence of convincing evidence that it was intentional) is that the author made an error.

When the error is as trivial as a simple transposition typo, yes. I don't really see how that's interesting, especially considering there have been typos in the past. It's not a statement of belief in the inherent incompetence of the author, after all - it's a simple, common mistake that I'd wager the vast majority of computer users occasionally make.

[rodneyAnonymous]

I don't really see how that's interesting, especially considering there have been typos in the past.

There have been intentional "errors" in the past, too.

[Peelee]

There have been intentional "errors" in the past, too.

Indeed. However, there is a difference between "bloodwart" and "Davlin." I've not seen any theories suspecting a separate demigod has taken over and only Thor knows it, for instance. Or, as Occam would put it, do you really believe that an intentional setup with no forseeable payoff is simpler than the dude making a common typo?

[Vinyadan]

Indeed. However, there is a difference between "bloodwart" and "Davlin."

The bloodwart one was really well made, given that it's kind of hard to tell a from o in the comic's font, and older jokes like Ray/Roy or the Bozzok-Bozzak problem.

Besides, springing from Dvalin (Norse) to Davlin (which for some reason sounds really like a Welsh or Celtic name to me) gives me a strange feel of setting shift. And Dvalin can also be read a traverse homage to Tolkien.

[littlebum2002]

Indeed. However, there is a difference between "bloodwart" and "Davlin."

Well, yeah. One is a tea made of blood and warts, the other is almost the name of a Demigod.

[Theodoriph]

Haha...I noticed this when I first read the comic, but put me in the camp of the people who chalked it up to Thor being Thor.

[Peelee]

Well, yeah. One is a tea made of blood and warts, the other is almost the name of a Demigod.

Fine, two differences