OOTS #275 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

Sorry about the delay, I got swamped with a different writing project last night and didn't start this until late.

More crayons...

[Hurlbut]

Awesome man. No worry about delays we all have them and they always get better of us.

[Lightman]

I liked the art and the story, but to be honest, this one was only mildly funny...

[Carrion_Humanoid]

Great comic, G!

D'oh, Red it 1st and now im third. But still . . .

FIRST PAGE WOOT, its such a honor!

[Zaku_III]

"Dude, don't taunt the God-killing abomination."

Nice, Loki.

Anyway, this holes concept worries me.

[soni]

uh huh... act all big and tough now that the deicidal Snarl is trapped.... LOL

Was that a young Shojo?

[Zantetsuken_Kokoro]

Alright, I suppose Shojo really does have a point about weakening the fabric of reality. :p

[Kusai]

A+ for plot progression and storytelling
C for funny

Nice read though!

[Flash]

Woot! A whole week of crayon filled plot expositiony goodness... each and every day! (Starting to feel a bit spoiled.)

Cheers!

[Caledonian]

There's nothing funny about this comic. Nothing at all.

That's not a problem.

[Setsu]

Very good one! I see a hint on how the paladins came to be. :)

[Albion]

Was that a young Shojo?

Isn't he referred to as "Soon" - Or is it the word "soon" and I just didn't get the sentence structure? (a bit sleepy to be honest, quarter to 3AM here)

I actually loved good ol' Thor taunting the god-killing abomination. ;D

[Gralamin]

nice job giant!
Edit 3: after eraising the last two edits I just want to say:
that you can find Soon in comic 196. and this was just great

[Hurlbut]

A+ for plot progression and storytelling
C for funny

Nice read though!
I always feel that Comic Stripes does not have to by funny all of the time.

[Hoseki]

Hmmm...

'Mijung!' Oh, poor Soon. :'(

First page, yay!

[Hermes]

Sometimes one has to forget the funny in order to tell a good story. Of course, I'm really into this story, so I might even say great story. Awesome job Rich, and no worries about the delay.

[TheLastOfTheFallen]

This one was definatly a bit more serious in tone than other ones. Totally allright, totally a good thing.

And I'm still in tears: "Dude, don't taunt the god-killing abomination." :D That one is so going on my list of all time favorite quotes.

[DarkMonkey]

Heh, Loki and Thor are priceless.
"Dude, don't taunt the god killing abberation."

It's story and funny!

[JamesPicone]

I think we know what the gates are for, now.

I love the crayon style, Giant. This series of strips is really good.

So now the question is, why can't they rebuild the gates?

[diapsid]

soon...why does that name sound familiar? Was there a Soon mentioned before that I've forgotten? Anyhoo, awesome comic, I'm still loving the crayon, and I like how the snarl is fitting into oots-world now


Edit: I was right! i checked through the archives and wer have seen Soon before...hmmmm

[Jayus]

Edit: I was right! i checked through the archives and wer have seen Soon before...hmmmm

Is he not one of the adventurers of old?

Man, I love finding out that my world is just a transdimensional prison! Where do people fit in? It seems like the world would have been better without people with the ability to mess with the fabric of reality.

[xrestassuredx]

Isn't he referred to as "Soon" - Or is it the word "soon" and I just didn't get the sentence structure? (a bit sleepy to be honest, quarter to 3AM here)
When we first met Shojo, it was suggested in the forums that he looked like Soon from an earlier strip. The first picture of Soon didn't look anything like Shojo, but this new one does. Actually, this Soon looks more like Shojo than the first picture we saw of Soon .. :-/

[afarrell]

This does explain why Soon looks so... focussed in the diary.

[Theodoxus]

I wasn't sure how I'd say this... so I guess I'll go the inquisitive route...

It's a literary hazard to come up with a new story - elements of past tales pop up all the time. Like how the Snarl reminds me greatly of Lord Foul from the Thomas Covenant books - imprisoned by God into the fabric of the earth itself - unable to escape until the Arch of Time is shattered.

I doubt that is where you were pulling the ideas from, Giant - which is why I mention it - 'nothing new under the sun' and whatnot.

All that aside, I'm really enjoying your take on the creation story for your universe. It's nice to see gods who are like their human counterparts - all full of silly sayings and personal concern.

Although dark, I found it humorous - but I think Belkar's the best character in the Order... so you know where I'm coming from ;)

Keep up the great work!

Theo

[Evik]

awwww poor Soon
losing his love to a giant Snarl
so tragic :'(
no wonder he got pets to keep him company

[saraswati]

Just wanted to chime in to say how much I love the crayon work strips this week. Cool story idea, like the plot. But really I just love the idea of the crayons for the "world-shattering backstory". It kind of reminds me of cave paintings, which seems somehow appropriate. Also, I agree with others that Giant does some fun art stuff with his crayon-osity.

Also I appreciate the mixing of tragedy with humor. I enjoy the mixed strips as much as the purely funny ones. The killing-of-loved-onesbefore-ones-eyes made me sad. Right after I laughed at Loki's line. Rock on Giant!

On a more inquisitive note, I wonder now if Xykon knows what the gates do, or not? How does it benefit him to destroy everything? (Note, answers to these musings may fall under the heading of "predictions", so maybe give them spoiler tags or mask them).

BTW: although the SNARL is clearly a horribly fearsome thing of deific destruction, I am also pretty sure my cat horked one up this morning. I had no idea my cat was so bent on world destruction!

[Ugly_Panda]

Isn't this implying that Chaos is inherently evil? Great comic, though. The crayon style is just plain awesome.

[Mattaeu]

I enjoyed the strip today; it was indeed wonderful storytelling. However, what I loved most was:

...continues tomorrow!

so awesome, i shall return tomorrow.

[hunisu]

Another great strip today. No worries on the delay, gives me something to do at work!



BTW: although the SNARL is clearly a horribly fearsome thing of deific destruction, I am also pretty sure my cat horked one up this morning. I had no idea my cat was so bent on world destruction!

I, too, had a cat hork up one of these snarls at one point. But then again I have a feeling all cats are bent on world destruction.

[flamestrike]

I love the feel of this comic as it develops! I have to say I've become a dedicated fan.

With the plot interspersed with humor, the comic strip is taking on a tone similar to that of Robert Asprin's Myth series. I hope you take that as a compliment! (I do!) Actually, I think the tone fits a comic strip format better, and this strip's feel meshes so well with the art format that I think this is one of the most promising webcomics out there.

Keep up the good work!

---flamestrike!!!

[Eva_of_Sirrion]

Isn't this implying that Chaos is inherently evil?

Seems that way. How very Moorcockian of The Giant. ;)

[Bakta]

awwww poor Soon
losing his love to a giant Snarl
so tragic :'(
no wonder he got pets to keep him company

hmmm, who said losing?
it may explain the creation of undead or other nastyness, flumph excepted


That said, I still think the snarl is just another name for BARNEY.

The colour, The colour

[luilupino]

Incredible !!! As the story goes on so rises my fan level for Rich...
* I always knew that: The truth is out here.


This does explain why Soon looks so... focussed in the diary.

No, this does explain why he's so focused on his cat...

And Rich, don't worry about the delay... this kind of things just happens

[Yahoo_Serious]

Well, I suppose there's Chaos, and then there's earth-shatteringly evil Chaos.

Both Thor and Loki are supposed to be Chaotic, right?

[soozenw]

rich, you are keeping me on my toes! and i can't get enough of the crayon!

awesome. ;D

[Quixote]

I don't understand why some of you people are so determined to mention every time you don't think the strip is funny.

???

I mean... he's not actually trying to be funny here. It's like criticising The Simpsons for not being scary enough. Personally I just think you're kicking puppies... you like puppies, and you've had a lot of good times with puppies, but one day it wants to eat or sleep rather than play, so you kick it.

It's impossible to force comedy out of every situation... so here's a challenge: someone rewrite the last two panels so that they become 'funny'. If you can't do it, don't complain.

[Godhand]

Most Excellent. A strip meant to progress/flesh out the plot and it still has a good one liner.

Poor Soon, did anyone else notice Soon said elven lands? Maybe well run into the elven cleric lady soon.

[reyarteb]

After 275 strips and countless laughs I HAD to register just to say.....

"Dude, don't taunt the God-killing abomination."

AWSOME DUDE!!!!!!!!

This is now my ALL TIME favorite quote in the D&D/OoTSverse.

Thank you Giant.

[Vernal]

And I'm still in tears: "Dude, don't taunt the god-killing abomination." :D That one is so going on my list of all time favorite quotes.

Sigh, I was SO focused on the exposition that I didn't even notice the gods mocking Snarl....

Shows great writing by The Giant (or my lack of any Spot ranks).

Oh, and a gentle mocking of some posters in this thread:

WOO! Third page! ;D

[Eva_of_Sirrion]

Well, I suppose there's Chaos, and then there's earth-shatteringly evil Chaos.

Both Thor and Loki are supposed to be Chaotic, right?

If you buy the Deities and Demigods interpretations of their alignments. That book also says Zeus is CG. That drew an eyebrow raise from me.

[Amalthea]

Wow. Just Wow.
I laughed AND teared up at this one.
And then I laughed again because "Dude, don't taunt the god-killing abomination" keeps running through my head.

Poor Soon. No wonder he looks so stern in that picture.

And I love Thor and Loki, they're so funny.

[Amalthea]

If you buy the Deities and Demigods interpretations of their alignments. That book also says Zeus is CG. That drew an eyebrow raise from me.

Why? The Greek Gods were all chaotic, meddling, and manipulative. Except maybe Hephaestus.

[The Lady Auneredra]

I love how Thor is portrayed as stiff and perhaps brash, while Loki is more laid-back and free-tongued. Like, "free-tongued" meaning that he speaks more modernly and without guard over his words.

[PhoenixInferno]

That that its life or death or anything, but I think stylistically, it would have been way cool if the crayon look and the Illustrator were overlayed in the last panels.

Still a good episode though.

[Eva_of_Sirrion]

Why? The Greek Gods were all chaotic, meddling, and manipulative. Except maybe Hephaestus.

I'll give you the meddling and manipulative, but it doesn't necessarily follow that they're chaotic. Anyone who plays in the Forgotten Realms knows groups both mortal and divine can be both lawful and meddling all at once.

[fwiffo]

OK... Looks like Soon is from Azure city. And he had his beloved Mijung (I presume it is first name, I googled for it and it seems like it is used this way) killed by Snarl.

And the knowledge of world creation is kept secret by the gods, yet Shojo knows it. And Shojo went to all the trouble and sent his best double-O agent to get OOTS.

I don't think it is actually a prediction to connect the dots.

[zibeck]

Shows great writing by The Giant (or my lack of any Spot ranks).


Wait, I think you just failed your spot check.

[Duraska]

These are great. I just hope Friday's comic isn't just a single panel with Shojo saying "haha, just kidding, i made it all up!" :)

[Odd_Thomas]

good job giant. i loved the part where the snarl just looked at the perfectly woven fibers in confusion.

[Lord Fullbladder, Master of Goblins]

gotta be said. i liked this one better than the previous.


Almighty Power = birth defect

Unholy creation bent on your destruction = all the money in the world

"Dude, don't taunt the God-killing abomination." = Priceless.

Also, the only reason Soon himself would have shown up here (in my opinion), would be if Ol' Wrinkly up on his high-and-mighty, holier-than-thou throne is in fact Soon!

[phlip]

I don't understand why some of you people are so determined to mention every time you don't think the strip is funny.

???

I mean... he's not actually trying to be funny here. It's like criticising The Simpsons for not being scary enough. Personally I just think you're kicking puppies... you like puppies, and you've had a lot of good times with puppies, but one day it wants to eat or sleep rather than play, so you kick it.

It's impossible to force comedy out of every situation... so here's a challenge: someone rewrite the last two panels so that they become 'funny'. If you can't do it, don't complain.

I don't see anyone complaining about the lack of funny in today's strip, mostly people have been commenting that the strip is still awesome without it...

[metawidget]

"Dude" coming from the mouth of a major deity or doctoral candidate always amuses me.

I am enjoying the ride immensely... and know that even after (or even during) the Summon Plot Exposition there'll be much afoot, with the trial and the Belkar/Miko battle, and assorted antagonists regrouping out there... So much to look forward to. May my DMing reach something like this level of richness...

[Zeekar]

Uhm, guys, I know I'm just a Pixie here and everything, but I think all the talk about who Shojo might be and the final fate of Mijung and stuff falls into the spoilers/speculation category, and hence doesn't belong in this thread . . .

I'm just sayin'.

I agree that "Dude, don't taunt the god-killing abomination!" is one of the all-time great lines.

[ref]

I can't believe it's page 4 and noone translated Haley yet. So, without further ado:

Haley: Huh?

[Mr._Blinky]

Great strip, and one of my new favorite one-liners to boot!

I love the crayons by the way. ;D

For those of you who are complaining that it wasn't funny, I don't really think it was supposed to be. I mean, somone's loved one was slaughtered by an insane evil god before his eyes. If you can think of any way of making that funny, you are a sick and twisted puppy-kicker.

[Hurlbut]

I can't believe it's page 4 and noone translated Haley yet. So, without further ado:

Haley: Huh?Ooh can you translate the entire transcript from the time she spoke in gibberish to now?

[Mr._Blinky]

Why do I get the feeling that Loki is the deific equivalent of a teenager? ;D

[Flak_Razorwill]

Ha ha.

"Deicidal."

It's kinda like Homer Simpson built a model rocket with the help of nerds, so it was an awesome super model rocket. With a hamster pilot.

At the launch site, he said something like, "Man will reach out to the heavens and punch the face of God!"

[Tetralemma]

Ooh can you translate the entire transcript from the time she spoke in gibberish to now?

Hurlbut,
Try this thread: What Haley said (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=comics;action=display;num=1132355002 ;start=0)

And my actual favorite line of this strip was "guh." It just sounded like the perfect thing to say when one is gutted by surprise by an extra-dimensional god-killing abomination.

[Eva_of_Sirrion]

"Dude" coming from the mouth of a major deity or doctoral candidate always amuses me.

Ph.Ds and ABDs up in the great white north don't say dude? No wonder it's so cold up there, y'all too uptight.

/me is a Ph.D who uses both dude and y'all with extreme prejudice. ;)

[Quixote]

I don't see anyone complaining about the lack of funny in today's strip, mostly people have been commenting that the strip is still awesome without it...

Yes, but... why is it even noteworthy? "This strip is good despite not being funny" is still like saying "The strip is lacking, but we like it just the same".

And I wasn't referring just to this strip, I've seen a lot of whining about the strip over the last couple of weeks. I mean, it's not like Rich doesn't read these forums, he's right there looking at us. You don't go up to someone on the street you've never met and say 'you're not as well dressed as you were yesterday'. It's just... tactless.

???

[Delemental]

Another long-time reader registering to say how much I've enjoyed the strip, and the current plot exposition. And the crayons!

I had another observation to make, but it could fall into the category of 'spoiler', and not wanting to have my first post be my last, I'll refrain, other than to say it has something to do with #204.

(Besides, I'm sure that what I noticed has already been noted and discussed on the forums long ago - seems like no detail goes unobserved around here.) ;)

[Finwe]

I wasn't sure how I'd say this... so I guess I'll go the inquisitive route...

It's a literary hazard to come up with a new story - elements of past tales pop up all the time. Like how the Snarl reminds me greatly of Lord Foul from the Thomas Covenant books - imprisoned by God into the fabric of the earth itself - unable to escape until the Arch of Time is shattered.



Actually... it does sound a lot like Foul in the Covenant books. Maybe V's doily was made of white gold? ;)


Great comic, by the way. Poor Soon :(

[jttm80]

Hope this hasn't been addressed before, but there was a grammar mistake in the first panel (second box).

"understand the the pattern"

[WNxArrakis]

I've written a bunch of stories that people said sounded so much like the "XYZ" or "poem X"

most ideas are done and to make something up is very hard.

First time posting, finally decided to do it. Great Strip Rich

Arrakis

[Scion_of_the_Light]

Remember guys, Soon is not necessaily Shojo. There might be a difference of some kind.

Great comic. I love Loki.

[Invariel]

Hope this hasn't been addressed before, but there was a grammar mistake in the first panel (second box).

"understand the the pattern"

I'm sure that Shojo, being rather venerable and talking to cats is not beyond having a very minor, mostly imperceptible stutter. Rich simply wished to secretly insert that fact for the extremely astute. ;) Great work.

Or, maybe it was a typo.

[Devils_Advocate]

"Some even raised up their own gods, like the evles and the goblins." I know a few people wondered about how Vaarsuvius's elven god of knowledge fit in with the mentioned pantheons, but I don't know if anyone but Rich remembered Xykon mentioning Redcloak's "evil goblin deity". Yay for internal consitsancy! (I'm guessing this refers to mortals who acended to divinity?)


Isn't this implying that Chaos is inherently evil?
I don't see it as implying that at all. One can't reasonably make that inference just because one very powerful entity happens to be very evil and very chaotic. Note how Shojo begins this account: "At the Dawn of Time, there was chaos." Surely there wasn't anything inherently evil about the universe's initial state of untapped potential.

In any case, chaos isn't the same thing as Chaos, just as law isn't the same thing as Law. Though the Snarl would certainly seem to qualify as Chaotic Evil.


Why? The Greek Gods were all chaotic, meddling, and manipulative. Except maybe Hephaestus.
Why would you assume that Eva was questioning the Chaotic part? I tend to agree with those in the last comic thread who said that the Greek gods were pretty amoral. Not that I'm a big expert on Greek myth, but based on what little I know...

I suspect that quite a few D&D gods are only loosely based on the original sources. And, of course, the gods in OOTS are only loosely based on myth and popular conception, and any similarities to gods in sourcebooks are probably largely a matter of similar interpretation of the same material.

[Deuce]

Isn't this implying that Chaos is inherently evil?. . .

Not so much Evil as just Very Very Dangerous. Total chaos would be "every molecule of your body exploding at the speed of light" - that's bad, but not actually evil.

[xyzchyx]

Gah.... 5 pages and nobody has brought it up....

Still, somebody has to...

Is the Giant proposing superstring theory here, by any chance?

[Gnomish_Armorer]

Another long-time reader registering to say how much I've enjoyed the strip, and the current plot exposition. And the crayons!

I had another observation to make, but it could fall into the category of 'spoiler', and not wanting to have my first post be my last, I'll refrain, other than to say it has something to do with #204.

(Besides, I'm sure that what I noticed has already been noted and discussed on the forums long ago - seems like no detail goes unobserved around here.) ;)

I think I know what you're getting at... well spotted!
Great comic by the way, keep the crayon coming!

[Eva_of_Sirrion]

I suspect that quite a few D&D gods are only loosely based on the original sources. And, of course, the gods in OOTS are only loosely based on myth and popular conception, and any similarities to gods in sourcebooks are probably largely a matter of similar interpretation of the same material.

I was indeed contending more the C part than the G part of Zeus's alignment as presented in Deities and Demigods. It's hard to pin an alignment on a mythical character, divine or mortal, with so many facets to his personality (some of which may be more historically accurate than others).

[Gralamin]

I was indeed contending more the C part than the G part of Zeus's alignment as presented in Deities and Demigods. It's hard to pin an alignment on a mythical character, divine or mortal, with so many facets to his personality (some of which may be more historically accurate than others).
Huh. never thought I would see someone question how chaotic Zeus is. hmmm he lies a great deal, he constantly cheats on his wife, and see anything about Zeus.

[PhoeKun]

Ph.Ds and ABDs up in the great white north don't say dude? No wonder it's so cold up there, y'all too uptight.

/me is a Ph.D who uses both dude and y'all with extreme prejudice. ;)

Really? I'd always thought the accepted vernacular was "y'all're too uptight." Must depend on where you hail from.

Anyway, this comic was probably the best so far this week. Thor was as fantastic as ever, and the last panel... well, just plain wow. Poor Soon, poor Mijung...

Also, that's a very pretty name. Nice choice, Giant.

EDIT: Also, it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful the various women in this comic manage to look despite being essentially sticks. The guys are all well-done, too, but I've no real eye for male beauty.

[Caledonian]

Every time I look at a new comic, I think back about all the people who complained Rich couldn't draw.

And I laugh inside. I laugh a lot.

[enigma]

I see a bit of spirograf art in the creation of the ordered world. I *heart* spirografs!

And I *heart* The Giant!

Enigma

[theKOT]

Huh. never thought I would see someone question how chaotic Zeus is. hmmm he lies a great deal, he constantly cheats on his wife, and see anything about Zeus.

Not too mention his "wife" is his sister. He also watched the gods fighting each other(Illiad) with glee. Hephaestus ftw!

[spite48]

I love creation myths. This one is really solid. It borrows common themes, and then adds some new ideas.

Nice.

[Tharr]

Oh no Mijung the inventor of the tile game died.
Priests could always bring her back alive.
Hey people elfs and goblin dieties were in page.
V dieties of whats under that robe.
Thog does a dance of orc kind.

[ElansGroupie]

Hi. New here, but I just had to create an account to share this.

The highly appreciated taunting line reminded me of a Giles line from Buffy (To anyone who watches)


Giles: Don't taunt the fear demon.

Xander: Why? Can he hurt me?

Giles: No, it's just...tacky.

[Tyrmadris]

Weeellllll..... the gods still haven't quite redeemed themselves yet, though at least they managed to have the Snarl sit there whilst they trapped it. Again, not a tough plan, and one that was quite easy. ;)

Haven't read any of the Covenant series, but am well versed with Moorcock and King. In fact, this one comic reminds me a lot of the Dark Tower series... the gates are like the Beams, and should they fall, Chaos will destroy everything. It's clever, though, since Rich's version has the positions of the Gods and Chaos reversed (in the DT series, Chaos is on the outside, while the creator god waits within the Tower at the center).

I most certainly likey. ;)

[humanpylon]

Dude, don't taunt the God-killing abomination is definitely on my top 10 list for quotes. So is Loki a "surfer dude" a teenager, a stoner, or perhaps all of the above?

[theKOT]

Dude, don't taunt the God-killing abomination is definitely on my top 10 list for quotes. So is Loki a "surfer dude" a teenager, a stoner, or perhaps all of the above?

To me he looks like the rock-star-wannabe type, but maybe thats just cause I play guitar.... yeah, probably ;).

[Aiani]

Great comic and I am getting very spoiled now with there being a new one everyday. It's crazy but I was feeling really sad for the characters at the end of the strip. That looked painful.

[PhoeKun]

Weeellllll..... the gods still haven't quite redeemed themselves yet, though at least they managed to have the Snarl sit there whilst they trapped it. Again, not a tough plan, and one that was quite easy. ;)


You're one tough critic. What, might I ask, may the deities do to redeem themselves?

[phlip]

Yes, but... why is it even noteworthy? "This strip is good despite not being funny" is still like saying "The strip is lacking, but we like it just the same".

And I wasn't referring just to this strip, I've seen a lot of whining about the strip over the last couple of weeks. I mean, it's not like Rich doesn't read these forums, he's right there looking at us. You don't go up to someone on the street you've never met and say 'you're not as well dressed as you were yesterday'. It's just... tactless.

???

In DCF Rich said that when he ran with the Linear Guild arc, it was mostly the response he got that convinced him he could get away with not putting a joke in every strip - strips that further the storyline are just as good.

It's not "The strip is lacking, but we like it just the same", it's "The strip not having a joke doesn't make it lacking" - if we show that the jokes aren't the only thing driving the strip, then Rich won't jeopardise the story trying to make it light and funny all the time.

As for the whining about the comic in general - you can't please everyone with every strip. Every strip will have its dissenters. Unfortunately there are people who think that one "bad" (in their view) strip means the strip is going downhill, and there are people who will dislike many strips in a row. Claims that the comic is going downhill are nothing new, and nothing unique to OotS.

[ElfLad]

We know them now by the regions that worship them.


Zeus, Ares, and the gods of the East

Question: If the Greco-Roman gods were killed before anybody was there to worship them, how did they come to be known as Eastern gods? Were they resurrected, or is this just a gaping plot hole?

Retcon time.

Oh, and today's comic is great. I always loved the more plot-focused comics, and this is no exception.

[PhoeKun]

Question: If the Greco-Roman gods were killed before anybody was there to worship them, how did they come to be known as Eastern gods? Were they resurrected, or is this just a gaping plot hole?


Answer: There was only one direction left.

[n11]

Anyone else get a chuckle over the modern day chinese food container on the picnic blanket?

[theKOT]

Anyone else get a chuckle over the modern day chinese food container on the picnic blanket?
Yeah, That was the funniest part in my opinion. poor poor soon. :'(

[Vampire_Boy]

You know, now that we know more about the purpose of these gates (or at least can make better educated guesses) and have a better idea of what they mean by 'weakening the fabric of reality', I'm even more apalled about the lousy job the Sapphire Guard did in protecting those gates in the first place. How could they not do a thing to prevent this, if they were pretty much the only ones in the world to know the importance of the gates?

[manscatha]

Yeah, That was the funniest part in my opinion. poor poor soon. :'(

Me too. In fact I came here just to see whether anyone else had noticed it. Hee.

[Tharr]

Gate what are these gates from the shadow thing.

[Espher]

Scary thought.

Comedic Spoiler Speculation: The cat is totally the reincarnation of his beloved. Har har.

[Friv]

Isn't this implying that Chaos is inherently evil? Great comic, though. The crayon style is just plain awesome.

Nah. The Snarl isn't the embodiment of chaos; it's the embodiment of discord and disagreement. In essence, it is the embodiment of Chaotic Evil. Yay destruction!

[Lilly]

Question: If the Greco-Roman gods were killed before anybody was there to worship them, how did they come to be known as Eastern gods? Were they resurrected, or is this just a gaping plot hole?

Retcon time.

Oh, and today's comic is great. I always loved the more plot-focused comics, and this is no exception.

Well there was a world for a while before the gods of the east were killed by the snarl, so they would have been worshiped and named etc.

[Istielthia]

At first I was all "Tee hee, that's funny."

But then... "Oh! Oh no, that's so sad!"

I think its the mark of a true artist when they can make you giggle and tear up the space of five seconds.

[Winged One]

At first I was all "Tee hee, that's funny."

But then... "Oh! Oh no, that's so sad!"

I think its the mark of a true artist when they can make you giggle and tear up the space of five seconds.
True. Although my laugh wouldn't really be represented by "tee hee," but you know what I mean.

[Piedmon_Sama]

Hey, my own very first post! Jawesome!

Mr. Burlew/Giant, you've been doing a great job with your strips. I know you hear that a lot, but I hope every compliment you get encourages you to keep going.

It's been just great getting a strip a day this week. We're being positively spoiled, thanks for the work. Order of the Stick is beyond megafantasticawesome and I'll have more substantial things to say when I'm more settled in (like when I've got an avatar and stuff.) Thanks again!

[WTFWWD]

I love the crayons being used to show the story. It helps show that the old crazy man is really childlike. I wonder what the new gods think of the old god's messup. I also wonder what's up with the eastern gods- Are the eastern people all godless heathens?

[Jothki]

I have to wonder what the Snarl will look like when the art style goes back to normal.

[Knight13]

I just noticed something. In #196, Xykon says that he had already discovered two of the 5 gates. Dorukan's (the one Roy destroyed) and Lirian's (the elf chick in 196). He also says that Lirian's gate was accidentally destroyed in a forest fire. Now, why didn't the Sapphire Guard detect the destruction of that gate and send someone to investigate? Also, considering the seemingly overwhelming importance of these gates, why did they send a total of ONE paladin after the oots?

[thatwolfguy]

I had another observation to make, but it could fall into the category of 'spoiler', and not wanting to have my first post be my last, I'll refrain, other than to say it has something to do with #204.

oooh, good call!

i was just thinking, if soon and shojo aren't the same person, how does he know about the picnic? see, he knows because he was there, because he is soon - unless it's just part of the legend...

by the way, how can people say this strip wasn't funny? i counted like at least 5 jokes, and as funny as the line "dude don't taunt..." was, i thought he was going to say something about him kicking the planet which would have also been funny, but probably not as funny as "don't taunt the god-killing abom."

keep up the good work giant - and thanks for the bonus strips

t.w.g.

[SnowBear]

Definitely funny…the fact that the picnic featured Chinese take out was a very nice little touch.

[Nikolai_II]

It's been just great getting a strip a day this week. We're being positively spoiled, thanks for the work.

Well, he made a promise to that effect almost a year ago - it is nice to see that he finally found time and story to pick up on that.

And what an exposition. Standing ovations from me..already ;D

[afarrell]

Is the observation about 204 (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=204) the same one as 260 (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=260)? :)

[Count-Tyr]

Great strip giant...Why cant i find where it mentions his name is Soon is that just taken for granted or am i failing a spot check...
*Edit* Dont worry, there it is...had to take 20 :)

[Methuselah_Amakiir]

I love how the drink bottle changes color from green to blue, as it's knocked off the picnic mat. Chaos must be pretty badass to do that.

The plot thickens...

[Blackeagle]

Like how the Snarl reminds me greatly of Lord Foul from the Thomas Covenant books - imprisoned by God into the fabric of the earth itself - unable to escape until the Arch of Time is shattered.


It reminds me of Monte Cook's world of Praemal (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnD_CGT_001.asp) which functions as a prison for the Galchut.

[Alfryd]

Isn't this implying that Chaos is inherently evil? Great comic, though. The crayon style is just plain awesome...
I don't like crayonage as much as the illustrator work. I might tentatively say that it seems to have accelerated Rich's workflow, though.

I am curious as to what fundamental difficulty there was in resurrecting Mijung. Not high-enough level? Strapped for cash?

I'm even more apalled about the lousy job the Sapphire Guard did in protecting those gates in the first place.

Also, considering the seemingly overwhelming importance of these gates, why did they send a total of ONE paladin after the oots?
We don't know what kind of resources were available to the SG in the first place.

Now, why didn't the Sapphire Guard detect the destruction of that gate and send someone to investigate?
What makes you think they didn't?

[manscatha]

I am curious as to what fundamental difficulty there was in resurrecting Mijung. Not high-enough level? Strapped for cash?


We don't know she wasn't resurrected, do we... but it's also likely that death-by-snarl makes resurrection impossible. Doesn't it devour souls?

[Gwain]

I am curious as to what fundamental difficulty there was in resurrecting Mijung. Not high-enough level? Strapped for cash?

hmmm, maybe being killed by a god-killing abomination makes impossible to be resurrected by any means?

just realized that at least 3 first posters and Lurker like i am wrote on the daily dscussion thread to say how nice was the "crayon saga"

Keep up the great work, Giant :*

edit: ups, manscatha wrote it faster than me :x

[Adeptus]

We don't know she wasn't resurrected, do we... but it's also likely that death-by-snarl makes resurrection impossible. Doesn't it devour souls?

That would indeed seem obvious.

The crayon style is totally awesome. Rich must be doing the originals in a fairly large size to get the black crayon lines so neat.

Oh, and I hope that the mods ruthlessly and quickly delete the posts of all those AOL-style "Yey, first page!" fools.

[U2QueenBee]

"Flash, don't heckle the supervillain!"

That's all I could think of with this one.

But yeah, this Snarl thing is pretty scary. Poor Elan...if he actually understands what he's done he's going to feel terrible.

[Dhavaer]

It reminded me of the Halloween Buffy episode with the fear demon.
"Xander, don't taunt the demon god."
"Why? Can it hurt me?"
"No it's just... tacky."

BTW, U2QueenBee, I adore your avatar. It's great.

[KerPow]

Hmmm, I must have missed the part where Mijung actually dies ??? though I must admit that is the likely end. :'(

p.s. I love the crayons! ;D (and the chinese food lol)

[Oorlof]

I have to admit, when Shojo launched into the whole exposition, I thought about skipping OotS for a while. The whole Azure Guard/Miko-plotline feels so much longer (or should I say drawn-out?) than anything the Order's done before, that it was starting to bore me. The whole crayon/strings-thing cured all that. Good job. Updating once a day doesn't hurt either ;D

[rosebud]

I have to say, I love not just getting daily strips, but double-size daily strips. Tres cool. :)



Sometimes one has to forget the funny in order to tell a good story.Yup. I do find the people complaining about it being not funny funny, though.

Also, the word "deicidal" is pretty fun, in a sick sort of way. Not to mention the "whump!" and Loki's retort.


So now the question is, why can't they rebuild the gates?Hey! Who's the wizened graphic designer dispensing daily strips? You? Didn't think so. Now pipe down! ;)


Like how the Snarl reminds me greatly of Lord Foul from the Thomas Covenant books - imprisoned by God into the fabric of the earth itself - unable to escape until the Arch of Time is shattered.Ever read the roughly three millenia old story about the Titans? They were overthrown and imprisoned. In Tartarus, well below the Earth and Hades. I haven't read Thomas Covenant yet, but he doesn't sound particularly new. Heck, Shakespeare was The Bard, but he "borrowed" all his stories. It's his craft and added inventions that make them masterpieces -- and fertile ground for later works to "borrow" from.


why I mention it - 'nothing new under the sun' and whatnot.Dude, none of them did their story in crayon! :D


so here's a challenge: someone rewrite the last two panels so that they become 'funny'. If you can't do it, don't complain.Snarl breaks out briefly, ripping into the bodies of all those people who complain how Rich's crayon strips aren't funny enough. That would be funny, yes? ::)


That book also says Zeus is CG. That drew an eyebrow raise from me.He killed his father Cronus and continually cheated on his wife Hera. That doesn't strike me as Lawful. I'd be fine to hear neutral, though.


Dude, don't taunt the God-killing abomination is definitely on my top 10 list for quotes.So, that list has, like 100 entries now? I'd have a hard time getting to 10.

[Max_Sinister]

Yes, that was probably the most serious strip so far... but it had several comical moments, too, so no need to complain.

I like how V understands everything Shojo says - it's a bit like listening to Einstein, and V is the type who can understand anything Einstein wrote where others go "Huh?" and even smarter people like frex Roy only can say "Yes, I've got the impression that Shojo / Einstein understands what he says".

[Marller]

So, the Elven and Goblin gods are younger than the Northern,Southern and Western pantheon (who are it seems worshipped mostly by humans, . ;)

I wonder if they told the younger gods about the snarl or were they left unknowing too.

[Amalthea]

Oh no Mijung the inventor of the tile game died.

You mean Mahjong.

[YenRug]

It seems I must be rolling natural 20's on my Spot Checks today, as it seems no-one else has noticed this typo in the strip:

"How do you like that, you deicidal manicac?"

[barongas]

All this crayony niceness is good and everything... But I crave the Belkar/Miko showdown! I've been a bit off since I read the first strip with them, It's too much!

[Taliesin]

Do not taunt the god-killling DM!

[Eldhrin]

It seems I must be rolling natural 20's on my Spot Checks today, as it seems no-one else has noticed this typo in the strip:

"How do you like that, you deicidal manicac?"

I was just thinking that, but then I took too long to check and you posted it first!

Glad to know I'm not hallucinating it.

[luilupino]

Ok, I just got a question; Why on earth would such a important thing have a self destruction rune ?????

[estradling]

Ok, I just got a question; Why on earth would such a important thing have a self destruction rune ?????




The self destruct was on the castle. We really have no idea what the destruction of the castle did to the gate (Or the fissure that we assume is behind the gate).

Even if the gate was destroyed the fissure now has several tons of rubble on top of it.

[Deuce]

The self destruct was on the castle. We really have no idea what the destruction of the castle did to the gate (Or the fissure that we assume is behind the gate).

Even if the gate was destroyed the fissure now has several tons of rubble on top of it.

Hmmm . . . it would take more then a pile of rubble to make me feel safe from that thing - were I a stick figure living in that universe (which I am not, by the way).

The burning question for me is why were the gates so fragile? I mean an exploding castle and a forest fire take them out?

[Istielthia]

Hmmm . . . it would take more then a pile of rubble to make me feel safe from that thing - were I a stick figure living in that universe (which I am not, by the way).

The burning question for me is why were the gates so fragile? I mean an exploding castle and a forest fire take them out?



Why, so OoTS could have a grand adventure, of course! ;)

[SimonMoon5]

And he had his beloved Mijung (I presume it is first name, I googled for it and it seems like it is used this way) killed by Snarl.


And, interestingly, almost all the other Oriental* influences so far have been strictly Japanese (with the exception of the 12 animal-gods), whereas Mijung is clearly not a Japanese name.

Yeah, yeah, it's just a show strip. And any resemblences to real-world stuff is purely coincidental.

* Yeah, yeah, I know we're not supposed to use "Oriental" anymore. We're supposed to use "Asian". But "Asian" covers so much more, like Russians and Indians (from India; not Native Americans), none of which I want to include.

[KaosDevice]

OotS FTAGHN!

I'm digging the yarn/Lovecraft vibe. Who woulda thunk it?

What alignment is the Snarl anyway do you think? Chaotic Evil? Chaotic Neutral and just in a really, really bad mood?

And does that make the jail of reality a Lawful Neutral or Lawful Good construct?

[estradling]

The burning question for me is why were the gates so fragile? I mean an exploding castle and a forest fire take them out?



The gates appear to have been made by Durkon's group. This means made by mortals, which in turn leads to limited skills, and resources

[whitemane]

What can I say...

Great story!
Not so great humor...
But one of the best one-liners I've ever heard... "Dude, don't taunt the god-killing abomination." ROFLMAO

So does this mean that great Banjulhu is trapped with Snarl? Just a thought...

[Deuce]

The gates appear to have been made by Durkon's group. This means made by mortals, which in turn leads to limited skills, and resources

*ahem* Dorukan's Group.

Durkon's group is the OotS.

</nitpick>

[The Doctor]

Ok, I just got a question; Why on earth would such a important thing have a self destruction rune ?????


I go for narrative inevitability.

[BurntOfferings]

BTW: although the SNARL is clearly a horribly fearsome thing of deific destruction, I am also pretty sure my cat horked one up this morning. I had no idea my cat was so bent on world destruction!

I, too, had a cat hork up one of these snarls at one point. But then again I have a feeling all cats are bent on world destruction.
My wife's cat also horked one up this morning. That cinches it. Cats are obviously living portals to the prison dimension.

[Sebastian]

I just noticed something. In #196, Xykon says that he had already discovered two of the 5 gates. Dorukan's (the one Roy destroyed) and Lirian's (the elf chick in 196). He also says that Lirian's gate was accidentally destroyed in a forest fire. Now, why didn't the Sapphire Guard detect the destruction of that gate and send someone to investigate? Also, considering the seemingly overwhelming importance of these gates, why did they send a total of ONE paladin after the oots?

And why they put a self destruct mechanism near a gate should not be destructed for ANY circumstance?

[Ego Slayer]

Just gotta say that I love the art for the current and last new comics. ^_^

[Belmorn]

I totaly love this crayon style

[Greebo]

And why they put a self destruct mechanism near a gate should not be destructed for ANY circumstance?

Standard Overlord (good or evil) screwup #132

[Jacklu]

Personaly, I find the idea of taunting the "god-killing abomination" fits Thor's personality quite well.
I love the crayon style a lot! ;D

[eugee]

That was... AWESOME.

Having only recently discovered OotS, I spent a day at work reading the whole archive in one sitting. After such an onslaught of kick-arse comic, I've felt like a starving man in the desert compared to the feed I was getting. But this story here is just fantastic!

Hell, this is like a really good basis for a game world!

As far as this comic being funny? I find it quite humorous to see the gods "normalized" into beings that say, "Dude, don't upset the god-slaying demon." That's just classy. :)

[Gary_Schaper]

Also, considering the seemingly overwhelming importance of these gates, why did they send a total of ONE paladin after the oots?
Empirical evidence suggests that only one was required.

As they used to say in Texas:
"You only sent one Ranger?"
"You only had one riot."

[Kresalak]

I believe that Loki meant "abomination" literally. If you've ever read the Epic Level Handbook, the Snarl fits the profile of an Abomination perfectly. Godly screw up? Check. Evil alignment? Check. Hates it's deific creators? Check check and check.

I now return to my regularly scheduled lurking.

[Gary_Schaper]

I'll give you the meddling and manipulative, but it doesn't necessarily follow that they're chaotic. Anyone who plays in the Forgotten Realms knows groups both mortal and divine can be both lawful and meddling all at once.
"Yes, and I would've gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you meddling gods."

;D

[Gary_Schaper]

That was... AWESOME.
Hell, this is like a really good basis for a game world!

I would shell out for a World of the Stick D20 book in a heartbeat.

A final observation about the strip: I loved Vaarsuvius' choice of metaphor in explaining Shojo's technobabble to Haley. Like a translation into Roguese. :)

[Yobgod]

Just popping in for a quick answer to someone's questions from a few pages ago...

I wonder what the new gods think of the old god's messup.

The elven Gods are most likely smugly superior about it. "Well at least -we- never released a God-slaying monster and destroyed the universe." Then again, maybe the old Gods never brought it up...

I suspect the Goblinoid gods could care less. The gods of the orcs probably spends most of their time giving the gods of the goblins wedgies.

I also wonder what's up with the eastern gods- Are the eastern people all godless heathens?

The Eastern People of the first reality worshipped the Eastern Gods, but those gods and every single soul in that reality were devoured by the Snarl. The new reality was created without the Eastern Gods (since they were all dead), and therefore there are currently no "Eastern People" at all in the current reality.

Wherever you are, there will be people who live to the east of you, but that doesn't make them Eastern People... the world is round people...

[Sylvius]

Well there was a world for a while before the gods of the east were killed by the snarl, so they would have been worshiped and named etc.


The gods of the south would have known their names. They probably passed on the story to Shojo.

[Deuce]

Wherever you are, there will be people who live to the east of you, but that doesn't make them Eastern People... the world is round people...

Round sure - but is it 2-D or 3-D?

[Starbuck_II]

I don't like crayonage as much as the illustrator work. I might tentatively say that it seems to have accelerated Rich's workflow, though.

I am curious as to what fundamental difficulty there was in resurrecting Mijung. Not high-enough level? Strapped for cash?

We don't know what kind of resources were available to the SG in the first place.
What makes you think they didn't?
Did your referring to SG remind anyone of Star Gate?

Now I'll think of Miko as SG1 (S Guard 1)

Maybe, the Snarls killing was a soul stealing entity. If the soul if trapped it can't be raised (Trap the Soul spell).

But I rather liked these comics. Crayon...I appreciate it more.

[Mystery_Cat]

Um... can we have 'Dude, don't taunt the god-killing abomination' on a t-shirt?

Please please please...?

[Wrecan]

And why they put a self destruct mechanism near a gate should not be destructed for ANY circumstance?


Who's to say the rift didn't manifest in a castle that already had a self-destruct mechanism in it? (And that's why they put the sign on it telling people never to activate it.)

[omikapsi]

Am I the only one who thinks that 'weaved' looks a little odd in the first panel, shouldn't it be 'wove'?

Otherwise, a fine comic.

"...multiple coterminous dimensions, thus blocking the only vibrational frequencies..."

Vxv indeed.

More evidence that V understands what Haley is saying.

[Amalthea]

Who's to say the rift didn't manifest in a castle that already had a self-destruct mechanism in it? (And that's why they put the sign on it telling people never to activate it.)
This is a very good point. So good that I'm expanding on it in the Sealed Predictions thread.

[Leveller]

Am I the only one who thinks that 'weaved' looks a little odd in the first panel, shouldn't it be 'wove'?

Otherwise, a fine comic.

"...multiple coterminous dimensions, thus blocking the only vibrational frequencies..."

Vxv indeed.

More evidence that V understands what Haley is saying.


Anyone would've understood that. Even I did ;D

[The Glitter Ninja]

Wow, terrific strip! I'm chewing my own foot off in frustration here, I can't wait for tomorrow's.

[Greebo]

Vxv indeed.

More evidence that V understands what Haley is saying.
Say, out loud, the word: "Huh?", with inflection that represents that you don't understand WTF someone has just said but don't want to be rude. Note that the pitch will rise noticably, over a very short period of time.

Now say, out loud, "Vxv" with the same inflection.

Now just grunt with the same inflection.

Get the idea? :)

[WojtekPod]

Standard Overlord (good or evil) screwup #132


Actually, it's even higher on the list (http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html) - see #9. ;D

WojtekPod

[Baldknight]

This comic gets better and better.

I've been reading it for a while and I think it is one of the most creative and interesting comics around and now this crayon story is just fantastic.

[Eriol]

Actually, it's even higher on the list (http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html) - see #9. ;D
rofl. That's great!! I hadn't seen that before.

[Nasrudith]

This might just might be considered a spoiler so. Highlight to read.
The self destruct gate could be used to trap the snarl if it breaks through

[Darius Midnite]

Wow..
Amazing good strip...

Dramarific!

[rwald]

Speaking of past literary works with similar themes, the idea of an evil (well, CE) being trapped in the fabric of space-time, then accidently released by mortals who must then jury-rig a block on the holes in reality, reminded me of the Wheel of Time mythology. Of course, that one has the whole cyclic nature of reality, which isn't present here, but still, the resemblence is interesting.

And yes, I know Jordan wasn't the first to come up with the idea, all authors borrow from the works which went before them, etc. I'm just saying that the "breaking the seals to the Dark One's prison outside of space" thing is remeniscient.

[Ryltar_Swordsong]

Who's to say the rift didn't manifest in a castle that already had a self-destruct mechanism in it? (And that's why they put the sign on it telling people never to activate it.)
#196 says Dorukan built that castle, presumably because the rift was already there.

[Blaznak]

I'm just liking the name "Snarl". My daughters get "Snarls" in their hair and they are both tough and painful to remove. Often they call them "Darn Snarls" or "Dang Snarls". I now know their origin and have much more sympathy for them. For now I know: Each day they are fighting an extradimensional deity of hate and chaos.

:)

[Caledonian]

And why they put a self destruct mechanism near a gate should not be destructed for ANY circumstance?

Because if you had to choose between destroying the gate that bars the Snarl from entering our reality, and letting the gate fall into the hands of an evil person who seeks to open the gate and let the Snarl through, destroying the gate is the better option.

[hillhome]

Personally I enjoyed the little box of chinese take out food on the blanket! That cracked me up when I saw it for some reason...

[Lostdruid]

The thing that got me laughing was the Chinese carry-out boxes on the picnic blanket... I am easy to please I guess.


Edit: LOL I post and someone jumps in to steal my thunder...

[WNxArrakis]

Now Here's something interesting.. why is there suddenly wind when the claw comes out? the guy's cloak is blowing and the picnic has been blown away. how'd that happen?

Arrakis

[Amalthea]

Speaking of past literary works with similar themes, the idea of an evil (well, CE) being trapped in the fabric of space-time, then accidently released by mortals who must then jury-rig a block on the holes in reality, reminded me of the Wheel of Time mythology. Of course, that one has the whole cyclic nature of reality, which isn't present here, but still, the resemblence is interesting.

And yes, I know Jordan wasn't the first to come up with the idea, all authors borrow from the works which went before them, etc. I'm just saying that the "breaking the seals to the Dark One's prison outside of space" thing is remeniscient.

The Snarl is cooler than the dark one. MUCH cooler.

In fact, The Order of the Stick > The Wheel of Time series.

[Doug_Lampert]

Standard Overlord (good or evil) screwup #132

I assume that Xylon added the self destruct when he took over the castle because ALL evil lair's blow up after the villian is defeated and they ALL have self destruct methods.

Similarly that's probably why Elan hit it.

[Leveller]

The Snarl is cooler than the dark one. MUCH cooler.

In fact, The Order of the Stick > The Wheel of Time series.

Yes, beacuse there arent 20 oots that are just the same thing over and over.

[PhoeKun]

The Snarl is cooler than the dark one. MUCH cooler.

In fact, The Order of the Stick > The Wheel of Time series.

Absolutely. Of course, comics tend to be better than over-stretched fantasy novels in the long run anyway, but still.

[Lightman]

Any news on the strip, Giant?

[Tharr]

So the groundhog saw his shadow no comic today.

[Popkorn]

oh youre all so lucky

we dont have a groundhog day in germany

How was it?

Because the only thing what i know from this day is the Movie ;D

and then i can understand why its no oots today :)
Im going to bed now its 11:20 pm

good night all :)

[Leveller]

wtf is groundhog day and why wouldnt OotS be coming out because of it?

[Tariskat]

Now Here's something interesting.. why is there suddenly win when the claw comes out? the guy's cloak is blowing and the picnic has been blown away. how'd that happen?

Arrakis

That is probably the force of the rip in Space; the force of it created a little wind, or a little ripple of force. Like someone running by you, and you can feel the wind/air bouncing off them.

[theKOT]

wtf is groundhog day and why wouldnt OotS be coming out because of it?

Groundhogs day is when we celebrate the day our ancestors revolted against their evil rodent overlords. You see they drew their strength from their shadows and if a groundhog saw his shadow it would result in his powers being extended 6 more weeks in a winter of discontent, kinda like the white witch. It also has an awesome movie named after it.

[Espher]

[...] so here's a challenge: someone rewrite the last two panels so that they become 'funny'. If you can't do it, don't complain.


Simple. Have Mijung's last speech bubble instead originate form Snarl with the dialogue being:

"Tag, you're it."

[Zeekar]

Groundhogs day is when we celebrate the day our ancestors revolted against their evil rodent overlords. You see they drew their strength from their shadows and if a groundhog saw his shadow it would result in his powers being extended 6 more weeks in a winter of discontent, kinda like the white witch. It also has an awesome movie named after it.


Or, somewhat less fancifully - Groundhog Day is a minor holiday in the United States based on a bit of folklore. The basic idea is your standard confusion between correlation and causation: winter ends when the groundhogs come out of hibernation, ergo, the groundhogs coming out of hibernation causes the end of winter. But groundhogs are notoriously skittish - so if it's bright and sunny when they pop out, and they see their shadows, they'll get scared and run back into their burrows - and presumably go back to sleep. And therefore we'll have six more weeks of winter.

Why six weeks? Not clear. But it is true that bright and sunny (but cold!) winter days tend to happen closer to midwinter than the end of winter, so if it's such a day on Feb 2nd, the cold weather might last a wee bit longer than average.

Anyway, there are festivals and such built around this tradition. The first officially designated Groundhog Prognosticator is a groundhog named Phil in Punxatawney, Pennsylvania, the many-generational descendant of the original Punxatawney Phil who debuted in the 19th century. The setup for the amazing Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day" is that Murray's character, a weatherman, is going with his team to cover the festivities in Punxatawney.

Incidentally, Phil saw his shadow today, so the prediction is for a long winter.

[The Giant]

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

OK, folks, it looks like I will NOT be able to get the strip finished and posted by midnight. My other writing deadline this week so kicked my ass that I haven't even started scripting yet, and 5 hours is not really enough to get everything done.

There will be a comic probably by tomorrow morning, and what was going to be the Friday comic will show up on Saturday (when there wasn't originally going to be a new comic anymore). Monday, we should be back to normal schedule/art style.

[NEO|Phyte]

understood.

[Lightman]

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

OK, folks, it looks like I will NOT be able to get the strip finished and posted by midnight. My other writing deadline this week so kicked my ass that I haven't even started scripting yet, and 5 hours is not really enough to get everything done.

There will be a comic probably by tomorrow morning, and what was going to be the Friday comic will show up on Saturday (when there wasn't originally going to be a new comic anymore). Monday, we should be back to normal schedule/art style.Thanks for telling us, Giant. Also, if you feel overwhelmed, just blow it off. It's free. We can't complain.

[Winged One]

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

OK, folks, it looks like I will NOT be able to get the strip finished and posted by midnight. My other writing deadline this week so kicked my ass that I haven't even started scripting yet, and 5 hours is not really enough to get everything done.

There will be a comic probably by tomorrow morning, and what was going to be the Friday comic will show up on Saturday (when there wasn't originally going to be a new comic anymore). Monday, we should be back to normal schedule/art style.
All right, we can wait.

[Sylvius]

Thanks for telling us, Giant. Also, if you feel overwhelmed, just blow it off. It's free. We can't complain.

We can complain. Many people do.

We can't complain justifiably, but we can complain.

[tlelaxue]

Thanks for telling us, Giant. Also, if you feel overwhelmed, just blow it off. It's free. We can't complain.

I beg to differ. COMPLAIN!!!! COMPLAIN!!! COMPLAIN ABOUT THE COMIC NOT BEING UP!!! COMPLAIN!!!!! btw <3 giant!

[The Giant]

Thanks for the understanding. The fact is, I wasn't supposed to be doing this five-days-in-a-row-in-a-style-that-takes-longer at the same time as a writing deadline for the Spooooooky Wizard, but unfortunately that's when the story in the strip got to where it needed to be. I considered delaying it for another week or two, but that felt like needlessly drawing the trial out, and I didn't have any really good ideas for how to do that anyway.

[spite48]

I am feeling so good about the comics this week that I am going to opt for not complaining: to anyone; about anything.

Next week I will resume complaining as usual: to just about everyone; about almost anything.

[Omniplex]

Thanks for the update Giant. Now I can stop checking the comics section every 5 minutes.
Anyhow, Groundhog day is awesome. and I quote, "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear,There'll be two winters in the year." That's where it comes from. The movie was filmed in my hometown, so the whole town goes nuts every year. It's a good movie though. Bill Murray is really funny.

[Euphemism]

The little crayon Chinese take-out boxes are the freaking WIN.

[SirGalrim]

The Giant, you are the best!
Carry on wonderfull work big fella!

(I can complain elsewhere :) )

[humanpylon]

Thanks for the understanding. The fact is, I wasn't supposed to be doing this five-days-in-a-row-in-a-style-that-takes-longer at the same time as a writing deadline for the Spooooooky Wizard, but unfortunately that's when the story in the strip got to where it needed to be. I considered delaying it for another week or two, but that felt like needlessly drawing the trial out, and I didn't have any really good ideas for how to do that anyway.

Just out of curiosity, what is your other writing project? I'd definitely be interested in reading that as well when it is published.

[Tim_Tylor]

No worries. This story's worth waiting for. :D

[Arcy]

Do not taunt happy fun snarl.

[jackal59]

Being lazy, I'm not going to read every page of this thread and the previous ones to see if anyone's complimented Rich on the artwork this week. Besides, even if every other post has done so, I'd want to say it anyway.

So... beautiful artwork, Giant, to go with the depth of the backstory.

[Caledonian]

If Giant needs to take an extra day, that's what he needs to do. It's the price of quality - and it's well worth waiting for.

Plus, y'know, it's free.

Of course, if the Giant is two days late, I'll need to release the ninja death sprites with their pointy doom-from-above to wreak a terrible vengeance, but that goes without saying.

[ref]

oooh, obscure The Sims reference!

[theKOT]

There will be a comic probably by tomorrow morning, and what was going to be the Friday comic will show up on Saturday (when there wasn't originally going to be a new comic anymore). Monday, we should be back to normal schedule/art style.
Hold on, so we get a shorter wait over the weekend? nice! I'm content... for now!!!!!!;)

[greatscott]

That is probably the force of the rip in Space; the force of it created a little wind, or a little ripple of force. Like someone running by you, and you can feel the wind/air bouncing off them.

Wouldn't you normally think the wind would go the other way? The air is in the world. If the snarl is in a void then the air would be sucked into the void causing the wind to go towards the crack.

If there is some gas in with the snarl that escapes when the crack is open, then the wind would go away from the crack, but it seems likely to be visible or stinky or something lol. Go go green gas cloud from the crack or something!

GS

[Lilly]

oooh, obscure The Sims reference!


What's the obscure Sims reference?

[Flash]

Why six weeks? Not clear. But it is true that bright and sunny (but cold!) winter days tend to happen closer to midwinter than the end of winter, so if it's such a day on Feb 2nd, the cold weather might last a wee bit longer than average.




Six weeks is the standard length of time on your average rodent's alarm clock for the "snooze" button.

[Wanderlust]

Haven't read all the pages of this thread, but I gotta say the fact that they were picknicking with 'to-go' boxes of chinese food was perfect.

[Podkayne]

This was an awsome comic. Lots of crayon, longer comics, and "Dude, don't taunt the god-killing abomination." Life doesn't get much better than this.

[Reptile]

Just out of curiosity, what is your other writing project? I'd definitely be interested in reading that as well when it is published.

Well, since Rich said it's for the Spooooky Wizard (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=32) (*cough* (http://www.wizards.com/)), I suspect he won't be able to give too many details until it's published...

Glad to hear the update about the schedule, Rich--I don't particularly mind if the comics aren't daily (or 3/week, etc.) as long as I know when to expect them. :)

[Tomada]

Yep, knowledge is power.

And Rich, you just made us powerful enough to wait till the next OOTS! Just by showing up and telling oots will be up tomorrow, I am well and it's just a deadline problem.

And...
Rich, can we get to love you more?

MAN, you just made CRAYON DRAWINGS just for this little webcomic! I'm just... ah! I love you!

Can we get a Crayonazed OOTS or something? Please? You know we all would buy it and you would be 'filthy richy'! A lot of shinys!

[Flak_Razorwill]

What's the obscure Sims reference?

Dis bow iss fraduchay un wobes desch now! Meeta boola! Okeedoo!

(I don't see it.)

[Devils_Advocate]

Y'know, if you think about it, Loki's line is really pretty good advice.


So, am I to take it that you're (still) planning to produce 5 double-length comics in one week, Giant? That's pretty ambitious, if so!

[announcer voice]Oh no! Now Rich has been sidetracked by another project! Will he succeed in posting another two additional comics before Monday, thereby setting a new personal record? Can you feel the excitement?! [/announcer voice]

I wonder if Rich is producing these so quickly in part because he's enjoying working in crayon? ;) These comics look like they'd be fun to draw! And I'd think that it might be neat to try something different than one's usual drawing style, just for a change of pace. Maybe.

[theKOT]

I wonder if Rich is producing these so quickly in part because he's enjoying working in crayon? ;) These comics look like they'd be fun to draw! And I'd think that it might be neat to try something different than one's usual drawing style, just for a change of pace. Maybe.
He said it took longer to do, So not really. Just the plot exposition that might get old over 2 weeks.

[Tharr]

Loki a stoner.

[Godhand]

"What's the obscure Sims reference? "

Im with Lilly on this one, (not because shes hot...wait I mean of course because shes hot) what is this Sims reference?

[theKOT]

There will be a comic probably by tomorrow morning, and what was going to be the Friday comic will show up on Saturday (when there wasn't originally going to be a new comic anymore). Monday, we should be back to normal schedule/art style.
Hmmmm, I hope the Giant gets enough sleep! Otherwise Mr.Scruffy might turn into a giant space cat, and the fourth wall might be broken again. Then again, I get the impression that his sleep schedule is pretty crazy anyway.... hmmmm

[Tharr]

Hope the comic does show.

[glonner22]

First time poster :) Big OOTS fan. I really have to say I like what you've done with the crayon. An interesting twist, but well drawn and constructed. A great talent, Mr. Burlew. Thanks for sharing it with your fans!

[Alfryd]

Empirical evidence suggests that only one was required.

As they used to say in Texas:
"You only sent one Ranger?"
"You only had one riot."
http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/index.html


Now I'll think of Miko as SG1 (S Guard 1)
That... is actually quite clever.


Or, somewhat less fancifully - Groundhog Day is a minor holiday in the United States based on a bit of folklore.
You ruin *everything.*


There will be a comic probably by tomorrow morning, and what was going to be the Friday comic will show up on Saturday...
That is quite acceptable. Carry on.

[ekedolphin]

Here's something I found interesting-- Shojo said that the goblins and the elves (emphasis mine) raised up their own gods. So, essentially he's saying that whatever god V is worshipping doesn't exist-- or that's how I read it, anyway.

And I don't think Soon and Shojo are necessarily the same person. Perhaps the reason Shojo knows about the Snarl and his prison dimension is because the gods couldn't abide having their followers killed whenever the Snarl tore a hole in its prison. So the gods passed down the knowledge through the Sapphire Guild, and maybe there are other groups on different continents that were designed for the same purpose.

The next question I'd have would be whether or not Xykon knows about all this. And if he's trying to control the gates in order to free the Snarl and attempt to control it, or if he's doing it for some other diabolical reason.

Anyhoo... great comic Giant, as always. You've got a rare gift, I'll say that.

[Reborn]

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

OK, folks, it looks like I will NOT be able to get the strip finished and posted by midnight. My other writing deadline this week so kicked my ass that I haven't even started scripting yet, and 5 hours is not really enough to get everything done.

There will be a comic probably by tomorrow morning, and what was going to be the Friday comic will show up on Saturday (when there wasn't originally going to be a new comic anymore). Monday, we should be back to normal schedule/art style. Thanks for the heads up Rich :)

[Lyc]

Hmmmm, I hope the Giant gets enough sleep! Otherwise Mr.Scruffy might turn into a giant space cat, and the fourth wall might be broken again.

Well think of it this way - Grown man, doing drawings with crayons, telling stories about hideous monsters just out of sight, worrying that a Spoooooky Wizard will smite him if he continues to reveal hidden secrets, lots of stress, so those nice young men in their clean white coats have come to take him away! ;D

Yes I am joking people, so please dont get narky.

[Tariskat]

Wouldn't you normally think the wind would go the other way? The air is in the world. If the snarl is in a void then the air would be sucked into the void causing the wind to go towards the crack.

If there is some gas in with the snarl that escapes when the crack is open, then the wind would go away from the crack, but it seems likely to be visible or stinky or something lol. Go go green gas cloud from the crack or something!

GS

Well, I didn't get the impression the snarl is in a void. It doesn't really say that, in the last comic, but maybe that's what some of the big words mean. ;) However, isn't it just as reasonable to think that the Snarl has the same air that the world has? It may not be the same pressure, I suppose, but the rip was sitting there for at least a few seconds, maybe minutes, and it 'depressurized'. Make sense?

[MagFlare]

Here's something I found interesting-- Shojo said that the goblins and the elves (emphasis mine) raised up their own gods. So, essentially he's saying that whatever god V is worshipping doesn't exist-- or that's how I read it, anyway.

Ever read Pratchett's Small Gods? Apart from those gods who were present at the beginning, I think the deities of the OotSiverse start out as ideas and are gradually raised to godhood as they develop larger followings (see here (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=80) for evidence).

So it's not really correct to say that the elven and goblin gods don't exist - they're just manufactured.

[chiles]

I think it's also important to point out that even Banjo, who was conceived in Elan's mind for Gods sake, could produce a small grey cloud and a little lightening over Roy's head. It's only a matter of enough people believing... even if it is a sock puppet...

Chiles

[Harold_Greycloak]

Why are these people given Korean(Mijung) and Chinese(Soon) names when everyone else in Azure city so far has a Japanese name? Likewise, why in the world are the Chinese Zodiac animals a pantheon? Everyone else gets real gods, but the Asians get a bunch of generic non-god animals? I bet there are a whole lot of people who want to be "Baba, Preist of Sheep", or "Doodledoo, Preist of the ****". Come on, even Deities and Demigods (or Legends and Lore for you young whippersnappers) has several different Asian pantheons, so you don't have to do any real research. No one would recognize Hachiman, but no one recognizes Marduk either.

[Comassion]

1. To address your question about names, there's no Oriental country seperation in OOTS (What is this 'Japan' you speak of?). So in the Southern lands, people may just have various Asian names.


2. The Chinese Zodiac makes for a fine pantheon. As readers, we've all at least heard of them (if only from reading it on a placement at a restaurant). And as a bonus, there's a fair amount of folklore surrounding the Zodiac that's reached the US, giving the 12 Zodiac gods their own stories and personalities, just like Thor and Zeus. I can't imagine a better-known set of gods that would fit an Oriental setting, not having access to the Dieties and Demigods handbook.

[Amalthea]

No one would recognize Hachiman, but no one recognizes Marduk either.
On the contrary, there were quite a few people on the boards that recognized Marduk. To the extent that they quibbled over how he had 4 eyes and 4 ears, not 4 eyes and 4 arms.

[whitemane]

Loki a stoner.




I don't think Loki is a stoner so much as a surfer... (And yes, before I get someone correcting me on the point, I am well aware that Loki was originally the Norse god of mischeif.)

[MagFlare]

Plus: having the Chinese Zodiac signs as gods is a funny idea.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Aye. It has to do with Euro-American cultural bias. Schools in America and Europe teach American and European history. We still learn about Middle Eastern civilizations, such as ancient Babylon, since they've had such an impact on our culutre throughout history (being the Cradle of Civilization and all.) China, JHapan, and the rest of East Asia on the other hand, tends to get skipped over a lot in our formal history classes, since it doesn't relate as directly to our own modern cultures.

[JohnnyONeal]

1. To address your question about names, there's no Oriental country seperation in OOTS (What is this 'Japan' you speak of?). So in the Southern lands, people may just have various Asian names.


2. The Chinese Zodiac makes for a fine pantheon. As readers, we've all at least heard of them (if only from reading it on a placement at a restaurant). And as a bonus, there's a fair amount of folklore surrounding the Zodiac that's reached the US, giving the 12 Zodiac gods their own stories and personalities, just like Thor and Zeus. I can't imagine a better-known set of gods that would fit an Oriental setting, not having access to the Dieties and Demigods handbook.
What he said. Also, it's funny. After all, mish-mashing Asian cultures to create an "Oriental" area is a longstanding tradition in D&D. And using the zodiac animals as gods is priceless!

Honestly, this origin of the world stuff almost makes me want to start my own OOTS-inspired campaign. Maybe Rich will release an OOTS sourcebook (designed for slightly tongue-in-cheek adventures) when the comics come to an end.

[Tomada]

The True answer for the zodiac gods, though, is that they aren't gods for real people.

You know that Zeus, Thor, Loki, etc aren't really worshiped in the world right now, right?

BUT, if Rich put Budda as a god in the south pantheon, man, there would be people complainning everywhere. Because there ARE people who worship then TODAY and there are really a lot of those people.

[Reaver225]

I bet there are a whole lot of people who want to be "Baba, Preist of Sheep", or "Doodledoo, Preist of the ****".

Reaver, Priest of the Tiger! Now that's cool.
And anyway, what's wrong with being a Priest of Sheep?

[Ikvar]

The True answer for the zodiac gods, though, is that they aren't gods for real people.

You know that Zeus, Thor, Loki, etc aren't really worshiped in the world right now, right?

BUT, if Rich put Budda as a god in the south pantheon, man, there would be people complainning everywhere. Because there ARE people who worship then TODAY and there are really a lot of those people.

1. Buddha is not a God; Buddhism is a teaching/philosophy that people try to live by.
2. The Nordic Gods are still worshiped and acknowledge as a religion in Denmark.

... Hey look, my first post! ;D

[prometheusx]

Honestly, this origin of the world stuff almost makes me want to start my own OOTS-inspired campaign. Maybe Rich will release an OOTS sourcebook (designed for slightly tongue-in-cheek adventures) when the comics come to an end.

That would be awesome. I want to see the maps of Nowhere, Somewhere, and Anywhere.

[prometheusx]

Sorry for the double:

This once a day series makes me confused as to what day we're on. Any chance the comics might be somehow marked with their post-date?

Thanks.

[Laman_Stahros]

2. The Nordic Gods a still worshiped and acknowledge as a religion in Denmark.

... Hey look, my first post! ;D

Not just in Denmark. I have a number of friends here in the US that follow that pantheon and it is recognized by the US military as a valid religon. But, all of my Thor worshipping friends love OotS. ;D

[plommon]

1. Buddha is not a God; Buddhism is a teaching/philosophy that people try to live by.
2. The Nordic Gods a still worshiped and acknowledge as a religion in Denmark.


And sweden!

[Sylian]

And sweden!
You're sure about that?
I do recall that I've seen a page about that, but I just dissregarded it. Why would anyone want to worship the nordic phanteon? Doesn't make sense...
Undrar hur de reagerar på den här texten jag skrivit nu på svenska? Heh. ::)
What do the "vikings" or whatever these people do?
Why do they belive in that?

[Tariskat]

You're sure about that?
I do recall that I've seen a page about that, but I just dissregarded it. Why would anyone want to worship the nordic phanteon? Doesn't make sense...
Undrar hur de reagerar på den här texten jag skrivit nu på svenska? Heh. *::)
What do the "vikings" or whatever these people do?
Why do they belive in that?

Forgive me if you are being sarcastic. But that's like asking why the Catholics worship "God" or someone from the Middle East worships Allah. Because they do. It fits with their view of the world, they were raised with that, whatever. So, why not worship Loki? It does just as much good as going to a Lutheran church every sunday.

[Sylian]

Forgive me if you are being sarcastic. But that's like asking why the Catholics worship "God" or someone from the Middle East worships Allah. Because they do. It fits with their view of the world, they were raised with that, whatever. So, why not worship Loki? It does just as much good as going to a Lutheran church every sunday.

No, it isn't the same thing. Christians and muslims are raised with their religion, and their god isn't as violent as the Northen gods. I've never yet met someone who worshipped any of them, atleast I don't think I have. Why would anyone want to worship Loki?

[Flak_Razorwill]

Well, it's better than the jedi knights. Dang census standards.

[Tariskat]

No, it isn't the same thing. Christians and muslims are raised with their religion, and their god isn't as violent as the Northen gods. I've never yet met someone who worshipped any of them, atleast I don't think I have. Why would anyone want to worship Loki?

Well, granted, I've never met someone who worships Loki. I have met someone who worships Thor and one of two of his buddies. I didn't ask her about them, or how she came to worship them.
And I just have to throw this in: didn't the Catholic God let his son be lashed and crucified? Isn't that at least a little violent? And yes, I know that it was necessary, etc., but still.

[Hurlbut]

2. The Nordic Gods are still worshiped and acknowledge as a religion in Denmark.


Yepper, a follower of Freya here. 8)

[Deuce]

I had a friend in college who worshiped Thor. Of course he'd been hit by lightning twice (lived through it both times). Not sure if that made him a good worshiper or a bad worshiper?

I suppose Rich could choose any Deity and find someone out there who follows him/her/it/them. So I'm OK with the choices, as it's a little more accessible then having him make up totally new gods no one's ever heard of (Hi, I'm Bob - High-Priest of DjdsgjaoR).

[humanpylon]

Well, granted, I've never met someone who worships Loki. I have met someone who worships Thor and one of two of his buddies.

Thor...isn't that the Thcandanavian god of acheth and painth?

*Ducks barrage of rotten fruit*

[plommon]

You're sure about that?
I do recall that I've seen a page about that, but I just dissregarded it. Why would anyone want to worship the nordic phanteon? Doesn't make sense...
Undrar hur de reagerar på den här texten jag skrivit nu på svenska? Heh. ::)
What do the "vikings" or whatever these people do?
Why do they belive in that?

Jo du visst finns det svenskar som praktiserar asatro. Visserligen ofta med vissa new-age-element, midvinterblot och andra sorters blot förekommer inte sällan. Men det finns även rent asatroende..

There are sweeds who worship that faith. Often combined with some New-Age influenses, midwinter sacrifices are quite common aswell as other sacrificual rituals. But theres also pure believers..

[Sylian]

Does worship of viking gods count as a religion these days?

I was just wondering why people would want to worship them, and how they found their faith.
If that's against the rules, I'm sorry.

[Sylvius]

My girlfriend was raised Norse pagan - it's still around.

[SimonMoon5]

I bet there are a whole lot of people who want to be "Baba, Preist of Sheep", or "Doodledoo, Preist of the ****".

Hmmm... Could you save money on buying a holy symbol that way? Oh, wait, it's a bird, never mind.

[obfuscateandy]

just sounds slightly odd that people would still worship norse mythological gods, just on the fact that in its own mythology, they are all doomed and such.
perhaps im not aware of all the facts, but i was under the before mentioned impression.....

Also, is it just me, or did the god selection remind you of age of mythology?...they had the norse gods, the greek gods, and the animal gods.....however i was saddended by the lack of the egyptain gods, but i think they might be copyrighted...lol

[Tomada]

1. Buddha is not a God; Buddhism is a teaching/philosophy that people try to live by.
2. The Nordic Gods are still worshiped and acknowledge as a religion in Denmark.

... Hey look, my first post! ;D



OK, my bad.

But you got what I meant

[Lilly]

The Fairy Modmother: Please no discussion of real-world religions. Since the pantheon that includes Thor and Odin is still a practiced religion, please keep all discussion of it relevent to what is presented in the comics.

Thank you