OOTS #253 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

The new comic is up.

For the record, with the new procedure of one-thread-per-comic, please don't start that thread until the comic is up. If anyone wants to complain about how late that comic is, start a "complaining about how late it is" thread, and leave the official comic thread to only discuss the actual comic when it materializes. Not predictions of what that comic will be, only reactions to what actually goes up. Thanks.

[Deleran]

I think the linear guild should kill overhyped pop culture figures more regularly.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Ok, was that supposed to be Harry Potter? I've never read a single one of the books or seen the movie but somehow I got the impression it might be... ;)

Edit:
Ok, spoiler hidden.

[Falkus]

Oh, that was great. Hahahaha. I loved it.

[wolf_mage]

Shhh, don't give away the joke. Let's see how many people get it.

And: ha ha. :P

[Duraska]

In the interest of keeping a secret that everyone probably already knows, my post is hidden, highlight to read:



OMG No!!

Now Voldemort is totally gonna rule the world. Nice going Thog.

Hmm... I'm thinking Thog's battle axe might be a horcrux... nah...

Hermoine would be a good anti-Miko character by the way. Both are headstrong and intelligent. Both have a deep respect for the rules. However, Hermoine wants to please everyone, whereas Miko prefers to carry out her duty (and should anyone stand in her way, she kicks butt without taking names). Oddly enough, Miko is my favorite OOTS character and Hermoine is my favorite H.P. character (well... besides Lupin).

Actually... the anti-Miko would be Professor Umbrage (spelled wrong I think).

[Duskrider_Moogle]

Winner.

...That was gratifying.

[rwald]

So, contextually, "Stoppus Badguyus" means "Hold Half-Orc (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=66)"? And I wonder if PotterGardener's spell failed because of the following law of the OotSverse:


In OOTS land, you just need to be able to speak the name of the spell to count as a verbal component. It doesn't matter what language that name is in. V is speaking Lizardese, but he can still say "Feather Fall".

...unless Fake Latin counts as a language.

Also, is it bad that I recognized Harry based on his scarf?

[thecoweyed]

Oh, man. Oh, man. I hit the 'comics' link, then pulled up an AIM screen, and when something NEW popped up, I nearly shrieked.

It really didn't help matters much that my AIM screen was covering the "Warthog's" head, so the first thing I saw was the bottom half of the top right panel... Harry Potter and Guy In Blue Robe.

My first thought?

"Oh my GOD, they're recruiting Harry Potter and Black Mage!"

Then I pulled down the AIM screen.

"Wow, no wonder we never saw Black Mage's face."

Then I read the comic.

"Aww. Well, they should still totally recruit Black Mage!"

TCE

[Winged One]

Nice. I actually like the books, and I still think this one's hillarious. [d&dnerd]Somebody needs some shorter command words for their wand of Hold Person. ;)

Oh, and sorry about the thread I started.

[tarlen]

OMG No!!

Now Voldemort is totally gonna rule the world. Nice going Thog.
What on earth are you talking about?

Thog clearly killed Larry Gardener at Warthogs, and that strip was obviously not related to any other popular fiction world in any way whatsoever.

He's his own character, just like Sherry Bobbins, Ricky Rouse and Monald Muck.

;D

(This post brought to you by Obscure References 'R' Us, the number 4, and the color Blue)

[Duraska]

What on earth are you talking about?

Thog clearly killed Larry Gardener at Warthogs, and that strip was obviously not related to any other popular fiction world in any way whatsoever.

He's his own character, just like Sherry Bobbins, Ricky Rouse and Monald Muck.

;D

(This post brought to you by Obscure References 'R' Us, the number 4, and the color Blue)

Sorry, I meant "Lord Waldemart." :)

Oh, and also I meant to say "Mermoine", "Rupin", and "Gumbrage" in my previous post. :)

They're legally distinguishable! Legally! 8)

[RBloom0566]

Okie-dokie! ::)
I waited up till after Midnight for a hack on Harry Potter?
Sheesh.
I'm going to bed.

[Wunderhund]

Truly awesome. This is exactly the kind of thing I think about when reading the referenced series. ;D

[Midnight Son]

Bwaahahahahahahaha! Die you fake wizard wannabe! Is it bad that I want the bad guys to win in the Harry Potter movies. Great filler comic, Giant.

[Democable]

Giant..........*just bows* you are THE MAN!!!

[watermammal]

Personally, I thought the best part was Nale's explanation of 'tagonists. I thought that was very appropriate. The question I now find myself asking is, what kind of tagonist am I?

[MReav]

Thank you Rich. There are times when I wanted to do that.

Take that you overpriviledged jackass.

Now, we just need Slitheryns that aren't all a bunch of back-stabbing, evil, incompetent (when not Voldemort or Snape) boobs.

[Duraska]

Miko would totally kill all the Slytherins. That's why I love her so. :)

[SovS]

Seriously #253, just made me forget how much I was resenting the giant for the whole miko debacle...

Go thog! I say rez him and do it again!

[thatwolfguy]

yeah, i second that. i just want to say THANK YOU

yes i happen to love the HP series, but this was great!

...warthogs, i love it!

[Vampire_Boy]

They killed Har-... Larry Gardener! MY HEROES!!! :D :D

Maybe now they'll take Hermione as their wizardess? That would be fun! :D

[watermammal]

I would love to see "Ted" and "Forge" join the Linear Guild. You wanna talk about loose morals and a love for getting into trouble, heh. They always scared me the most.

[The_Shadow]

Sorry, I meant "Lord Waldemart." :)

Wow!! Who knew WalMart had been evil for THAT long? ;)

[MReav]

Miko would totally kill all the Slytherins. That's why I love her so. :)

Of course, there all a bunch of evil, incompetent, inbred boobs.

Unfortunately, there aren't enough Smite Evils in a Fist of Raziel to deal with all of them.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Nah, they're totally going to recruit <obvious prediction deleted>. Anyway, let me just say

Bwahahahahaha!

A Potter parody might be just slightly dated (we know pretty much all the jokes already), but that doesn't make the little emo getting chop-sui'd any less funny.

Also, Nale is now my hero after the "-tagonists" explanation.

[demonfey]

Do it again! Do it again!
Personally, I think there's a bit of troll in Harry and Larry. It would explain how they keep getting up when they should just stay down already!

[rwald]

Also, Nale is now my hero after the "-tagonists" explanation.
But wasn't the point of the explanation that he isn't a hero? *ducks*

[MasseJoark]

Personally, I thought the best part was Nale's explanation of 'tagonists. I thought that was very appropriate. The question I now find myself asking is, what kind of tagonist am I?



For an answer to that question, check:
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=silly;action=display;num=1126691604; start=0

If you answer any type of "Evil" You are probably an "AN" and if you answer any type of "Good" you are probably "Pro" <smiles>

Oh and I thought the 'tagonist reference was a mistake. I read that sentence twice before going on just in case I missed something... Loved the comic!!! Love the Po.... errr Gardner too!

MJ

[watermammal]

For an answer to that question, check:
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=silly;action=display;num=1126691604; start=0

If you answer any type of "Evil" You are probably an "AN" and if you answer any type of "Good" you are probably "Pro" <smiles>

It was really more of a redundant question, as I always figured myself Chaotic Good, and therefore pro. However, did enjoy the quiz and verified, yes, CG. A little shocked at the high number of LG and CE, as those are both extremes, but that is a thread of a different color.

[Murphy]

Note to self:

Poorly mangled latin and questionable logic are not the best way to take care of enemies not directly related to one's own storyline.

[xyzchyx]

I get the distinct impression that there is an abundance of anti-harry potter people here.

[watermammal]

I get the distinct impression that there is an abundance of anti-harry potter people here.

Ditto. Which I found a little strange given the basic fantasy setting of both. It's like finding a room full of Texans who don't like meat...just odd.

[Grey Watcher]

Personally, I like the Harry Potter books, and the movie adaptations. Of course, that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good parody. I forget who said it, but it's very true. The best parody is done with a genuine affection for the original. (Actually, that might have been Anna Russell, a great comidienne who's subject of choice was opera. :dons a Valkerye hat and proceeds to be very noisy:

[Asfrith]

This made me laugh so hard... I love the HP series, but this was just great...




Wow!! Who knew WalMart had been evil for THAT long? ;)

What, you didn't? ;D

[Maelin]

Ditto. Which I found a little strange given the basic fantasy setting of both. It's like finding a room full of Texans who don't like meat...just odd.

Well... I'd say it's more like finding a room full of wine connoisseurs who don't like the five-dollars-a-bottle stuff.

Harry Potter is not good fantasy. It's written for kids and the storylines, characters and themes contained are consequently cliched and predictable. Which is fine if kids are reading it, but adults are supposed to be more discerning. There are swathes of adult fiction authors who get ignored by their target audience, which instead turns to trying to convince themselves that the kiddies' books they read instead aren't lame.

So no, personally I'm not a big fan of the old HP.

Fantastic strip today, Rich.

Maelin

[evileeyore]

Okie-dokie! ::)
I waited up till after Midnight for a hack on Harry Potter?
Sheesh.
I'm going to bed.
I was up till almost two (admittedly playing Diablo II) and I must concur.

I like the 'tagonists' joke, but the Harry Potter spoofing is way overdone in the comic industry.

On a side note.. Giant what is up with all the 'prediction deleted's that suddenly popped up? Is there some sort of moratorium on predictions outside of the 'Predictions' Thread?

Well slap my ass and call me Sally! How did I miss the new sticky up at the top there? Damn my rapid click mouse for not slowing down enough to notice it...


Harry Potter is not good fantasy. It's written for kids and the storylines, characters and themes contained are consequently cliched and predictable. Which is fine if kids are reading it, but adults are supposed to be more discerning. There are swathes of adult fiction authors who get ignored by their target audience, which instead turns to trying to convince themselves that the kiddies' books they read instead aren't lame.
I must disagree. Harry Potter is not sophisticated fantasy, but it is good.

Yes this comes from a 'conniseur'. I like my fantasy dark, gritty, and light on the magic. Give me The Black Company and Game of Thrones any day. A nice side order of old Conan and some Thieves World for desert. Now don't get me wrong, I can unwind with the high flying masters of fantasy as well. Some Earthsea, Lord of the Rings, The Urth of the New Sun, Chronicles of Amber, etc... but I do prefer my 'fantasy' to be elfless.

Harry Potter falls into the crowd of 'mind candy' books for me. Its a fun, quick, light read but its not something I'll savor.

Right now frankly Rowling is making me far happier than Jordan is. Damn Wheel of Time.. 'trilogy' my ass...

[Beelzebub1111]

I always wondered how the Harry Potter type wizard would fair in a D&D universe...aparantly not so well...

[Publius]

Well, I'm one of those who likes the Harry Potter series (hate the movies, though), and I laughed at the comic.

For the record, I personally think the series is much better than a lot of the garbage certain popular fantasy authors are turning out. I won't mention any names, or any wheels, or any times....

[demonfey]

Only reason I don't like Potter is because they've just become so...emo wannabe. Not quite emo, but close.

[Krytha]

Well... I'd say it's more like finding a room full of wine connoisseurs who don't like the five-dollars-a-bottle stuff.

Harry Potter is not good fantasy. It's written for kids and the storylines, characters and themes contained are consequently cliched and predictable. Which is fine if kids are reading it, but adults are supposed to be more discerning. There are swathes of adult fiction authors who get ignored by their target audience, which instead turns to trying to convince themselves that the kiddies' books they read instead aren't lame.

Maelin

And the rest of the Fantasy world isn't lame? The VAST majority of it is softcore pr0n for nerds and the writing is (more often than not) trite and laughable. Ever read Naked Empire? Hmmm... how many times can I fit the word "agony" into this chapter? How many synonyms for "agony" can I fit into this chapter now that my editor is crying in a corner? You may dismiss Harry Potter, but I find it to be much better than the cookie-cutter drivel that is mainstream. It is telling that many, many adults would rather read Harry Potter than whatever J. Henderson has decided to turn out this year.

Of course, great literature comes in many guises. I'm not saying that people should not read Rowling over Richler or Zahn because they can't be compared. Different strokes for different folks and all that. Ugh...

[triffid]

"More discerning". ...Yeah, right. ::)

Reading books indended for kids does not make anybody automatically intellectually inferior. And, for that matter, the intended audience of a book does not automatically define the originality, creativity, artistic integrity, literary value, storytelling, or any other bloody thing about it.

[deletes rant; maybe a topic elsewhere is in order ;D]

Not, mind you, specifically pertaining to the Harry Potter series, which I will refrain from making any comment on other than that I do enjoy reading the books.

With regards to the actual comic itself, however, it's growing on me. It's the juxtaposition, I suppose. Two things which really don't go together going together... it works. And the stick figure HLarry is cute. ;D

I wait with bated breath to see who (or what) they're going to have to consider next, whatever it is. ;)

[Kish]

There are swathes of adult fiction authors who get ignored by their target audience, which instead turns to trying to convince themselves that the kiddies' books they read instead aren't lame.
Erm...

"Lame" sounds much better applied to a book people don't care to read than to a "kiddies'" book that adults do care to read. Would you care to define your terms?

[MReav]

I get the distinct impression that there is an abundance of anti-harry potter people here.

I'm not so much anti-Potter. I like the stories, but there is a definite "the only reason we can do this and others can't is because we're main characters" bias to it. I have the same feeling about Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Seeing the precocious scamp admit it before getting axed was somewhat entertaining to me.

[Shatteredtower]

I'll agree with Evileeyore's assessment of variety in fantasy, though I do think part of the problem sometimes is that people think that a maturing taste changes, rather than expands. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that growing up involves putting away most of the things we liked as a child.

I haven't read the Harry Potter stuff merely because I couldn't work up the interest to start. This strip didn't change that, though it has inspired me to dig out Neil Gaiman's Books of Magic again. Timothy Hunter was pretty amusing at times.

[Deleran]

I get the distinct impression that there is an abundance of anti-harry potter people here.

I'm not against the books, which I find decidedly mediocre, so much as the way people obsess about it and talk about it like its the best thing since sliced bread.

[Kelmon]

Did anyone notice that Thog now wears the same shoes as Roy?
...err...I mean...has always worn the same shoes as Roy? ;)

[humanpylon]

Have to say I am a big potter fan (mainly because when I was that age I would have loved to have lived in their world...minus the dark wizards and murders of course). Having said that this comic made me laugh my ass off because it is such an easy target to spoof.

On another note: I have a house plant that I named Harry Potted. :)

[tyr]

I'm a potter fan and this is still funny. I find myself trying to justify the flaws in Rowlings' works that the comic pointed out.

Incedentally, I hate the movies too but I think number 4 is a huge improvement, a few minor irritations notwithstanding.

[retnuhytnuob]

Hm. a preemptive mercy slaying. ;D Had Larry not been "taken care of"... the rules lawyers would have stepped in and taken him, which wouldn't be pleasent either for him or for the Linear Guild.

Besides... that joke already came back in http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=65

The parody strips seem somewhat hit/miss with this crowd... without any apparent relevence to how well the parodied item is known/loved.

Anyway, it's refreshing to get a glimpse of some of the "main" vilians now. I still can't belive that Miko's been with the group for 1/5th of the strips so far... but then, I've only recently adjusted to this being 2005, and that will soon change. ^_^

[Kingrat]

Larry Gardener!

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[phil_the_tame_goat]

The Voice of Mod: Yeah, like THAT'S not going to get you banned. ::)

Post deleted for violating at least six of the Rules of Posting regarding personal attacks, flaming, trolling, etc.

[munehiro]

great strip... i saw the "gardener" movie a week ago. blearp :)

sorry for the gardener fans... i prefer oots ;)

[Taelas]

Huh. Well, that was a disappointment. :-/

Oh well. Can't be pleased every time! (First time it happens.)

[mossfoot]

HOW DARE YOU?!

As a fan of Harry Potter, both the books and the movies I have to say this:

BRAVO! ;D

Seriously, I may be a fan of HP (the books, and the sauce!), but that strip was nevertheless spot on in every way.

Badly mangled Latin... tee hee... :D If you're gonna mangle Latin, it might as well be in a cool way ;)

"Te hostes contundere, prae te eos depellere, et lamentates te cognatorum audire."

Far more suitable for OOTS (or perhaps just Thog... maybe Belkar)

[The_Great_Dane]

And the rest of the Fantasy world isn't lame? The VAST majority of it is softcore pr0n for nerds and the writing is (more often than not) trite and laughable. Ever read Naked Empire? Hmmm... how many times can I fit the word "agony" into this chapter? How many synonyms for "agony" can I fit into this chapter now that my editor is crying in a corner? You may dismiss Harry Potter, but I find it to be much better than the cookie-cutter drivel that is mainstream. It is telling that many, many adults would rather read Harry Potter than whatever J. Henderson has decided to turn out this year.

Of course, great literature comes in many guises. I'm not saying that people should not read Rowling over Richler or Zahn because they can't be compared. Different strokes for different folks and all that. Ugh...

Excellent post! Ten thumbs up!

From a literary viewpoint most fantasy writing is in fact, crap.
Filled with endless repetitions of themes and characters (are you listening, Salvatore?) they never explore anything new, but regurgitate what has been succesful in the past. Yuck!
One of the reasons I love Oots is that Rich gives the royal boot up the backside to many of the cliches in fantasy, and it's almost always a joy to see.

As for #253....meh.

It feels bit too much like a statement of: I'm the right kind of nerd, and you're not. Maybe it's just overexposure to Potter-jokes, but this one didn't really do that much for me.

[Archonic Energy]

Hm. a preemptive mercy slaying. Had Larry not been "taken care of"... the rules lawyers would have stepped in and taken him, which wouldn't be pleasent either for him or for the Linear Guild.

i was thinking that i was waiting for V to call the lawyers in during the fight AGAIN (it would have been a good running joke)

[Ilover_Juventad]

Psh, I come home late and a bloody thread's four pages long. That was hilarious, Giant! Really, of all the jokes.. :D

-IJ

[Lasombra]

The Voice of Mod: Yeah, like THAT'S not going to get you banned. ::)

Post deleted for violating at least six of the Rules of Posting regarding personal attacks, flaming, trolling, etc.

wow, impressive!

[Winter_Wolf]

Well 253 didn't really do it for me. Not the evil chortle nor happy chuckle, but it was still satisfying on some level. Take that, Scrawny Wizard-boy! Although I do like _Prisoner of Azkaban_ (the movies adaptation). But then, I like Gary Oldman.

Thog is THE MAN though.

[Rusty]

Wahaha. It's all funny because it's true. :)

[RecurringDream]

<Death to obnoxious HLarry comment>

| |
\O/
[]
||
_/ \_

AND IT'S GOOD!!

</Death to obnoxious HLarry comment>

[colonel_blood]

Hello all. Long time lurker first time poster.

I just had to get myself a profile in order to say this:

Bravo sir. Bravo.

[Xander77]

P Of course, that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good parody.Agreed. Have you seen any good parody's lately?

[Dark_Stalion]

Beautiful, that was just beautiful. {wipes tear from eye} The giant is a genious, and none can dispute that. I only read HP when my brains not working. Its a good muscle relaxant. first 2 films were um... perhapse I shouldn't use words like that. Since then I have managed to avoid seeing them, though no doubt my friends will eventually manage to contrive to drag me off to the 4th. Personnaly I haven't seen many HP parodies, so this is still fresh to me. Obviously I'm not looking in the right places.

[JessmanCA]

<3 Thog

[ashdog]

Best. Comic. Ever.

[Shatteredtower]

The parody strips seem somewhat hit/miss with this crowd... without any apparent relevence to how well the parodied item is known/loved.

Buit not to how little amusement value we find in them.

The Giant works hard and is generally amusing, but I find strips like this a bit of a low point and a distraction. I don't mind having the fourth wall sold for scrap, the references to rules and the company that owns the right to them, but that all plays to the strip, whereas I find things like the Monty Python and Harry Potter references play away from it, at least when they're a major focus of an entire strip, rather than a throwaway line or two in a single panel.

That's my take on it, but I won't begrudge others for finding it a high point, as long as it's kept in moderation. It's a small thing to endure for the strip's better moments.

Edit: Though after reading the Giant's latest thread on this board, I'll admit that strips such as today's can also be a necessary evil. Please don't break your Giant.

[Alfryd]

I note with dismay the continued absence of lion-maned women paladins. I mean, what, otherwise is the point to a fantasy setting?
Fixation? Nonsense!
Oh well. I suppose a prolongued hiatus was predictable.
You do realise you'll have to include a Voldemort reference now. Look what you've brought upon yourself!

[Electric_Monkey]

Wahey! Smitus Pecocious Childus!

[Ladoran]

Of course, that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good parody.

Why does this sentence make me think of Monty Python's "Now, nobody likes a good laugh more than I do... except, perhaps my wife... and some of her friends. Oh, yes, and Captain Johnson. Come to think of it, most people like a good laugh more than I do, but that's beside the point!"? I know this is not the intended idea of the sentence, it's just my demented brain :-). Sentences taken out of context are fun.

I really like todays comic, it made me laugh out loud. Good thing nobody but me was at the office. And i like Harry Potter, easy to read and light entertainment.

[Ilaun_Undil]

I was wondering if anyone liked Larry. Oh well I guess books about magic and dragons should be more realistic. I mean when was the last time you used "Stoppus Badguyus"

[Fire_Wolf]

OMG, they killed Harry!

You b-- wait, that was actually funny... Nice job! :D

(And yes, I am a hardocre potter fan - so there)

[DeathQuaker]

You do realise you'll have to include a Voldemort reference now. Look what you've brought upon yourself!

Heh. Maybe that's who the LG will hire. ;)

But my vote is Hermione. I want to see her rant off about magic versus V rant off about magic. :)

I mean, after all, V's FIRST opposite was a rip off of a popular fantasy character....

(None of this is meant to be taken in seriousness.)

[powner]

Larry Gardener (aka the potmaker/smoker) : curse you.. you vile fiend. I warn you I'll go invisible.
V : what good whould that do I have see invisibilty on.
Larry Gardener : now, you see me now you don't
V : ......
Haley : well that was fairly pointless I can still seee his feat
V : fireball.
Larry : aww shucks you just made my stash light up...

[ref]

Heh... We'll see if they hire someone at warthog's... I have a personal favorite... but since she's very hated, I won't say... People isn't fair ;)

OTOH, I need to ask PLEASE, Whatever you do, NO SPOILERS ON BOOK 6. Thanks. I'm still waiting for a translation to my native language, and that will be still a couple of months from now... :(

I guess this cut-away will take 30 or so strips... it took 80 strips to find them, should take 80 strips to bring them back... but again, what do I know? :P

[The_Great_Dane]

Larry Gardener (aka the potmaker/smoker) : curse you.. you vile fiend. I warn you I'll go invisible.
V : what good whould that do I have see invisibilty on.
Larry Gardener : now, you see me now you don't
V : ......
Haley : well that was fairly pointless I can still seee his feat
V : fireball.
Larry : aww shucks you just made my stash light up...

Please put [SPOILER] in your post.

[Flak_Razorwill]

Holy Crap, you just killed a kid!

EDIT: Wow, luckily Dumbledore's just a myth. Or dead.

*Laugh*

[Annalia]

One thing. "stoppus badguyus"

[zibeck]

New members of the Linear Guild...

REVEAL YOURSELVES!

[watermammal]

Harry Potter is not good fantasy. It's written for kids and the storylines, characters and themes contained are consequently cliched and predictable. Which is fine if kids are reading it, but adults are supposed to be more discerning. There are swathes of adult fiction authors who get ignored by their target audience, which instead turns to trying to convince themselves that the kiddies' books they read instead aren't lame.


I absolutely respect your opinin, I just don't agree with it. I think you are right in that kids helped launch HP. I also think you are right in that there are fantastic authors who don't get read, maybe even because HP gets so much press. But if you have read the books (not saying you have or have not), most people I have spoken with found the plots surprising and engaging, the characterization and depth unending and the writing style enjoyable. Do I like other authors as well? Of course. If you don't like the HP series that is wonderful! That is what is great about this wondeful world in which we live...choices and the power of the almighty dollar/euro/yen etc.

Not trying to convince you, just putting in my two cents worth. And def not trying to start a flame war. As I said, I really do respect your opinion, I just don't agree with it. Voltaire rocks.

[Vhesper]

Please put [SPOILER] in your post.


I don't know if you need to put a [SPOILER] in a post that makes up lines in a confrontation that will never happen because Larry is dead. :D

[Bakunin]

What Harry Potter -HAS- that a great deal of fantasy doesn't have is that it's simply wonderful storytelling. There are tons of good fantasy authors out there, but how many of them actually appeal to your -average- child? Not everyone is going to be in to R.R Martin or Kay or whatever fantasy author happens to be your treat. Harry Potter is a kid's book that happens to appeal to adults because it's so well written.

Overhyped? Of course it is, but it got to that point on its own merits. I like Harry Potter... don't love it, but I do like Harry Potter. What it does is that it takes tired, predictable stories and characters and then gives them to us in a very fresh, very approachable way. Unpredictable and challenging? Of course not. It's a freakin' children's book.

Beyond that, the BIG thing it has done is that thanks to the popularity of the books a generation of kids that wouldn't be reading have been turned on to books, and fantasy in particular. Maybe when they're old enough to appreciate mature themes they'll start reading the authors you like so much.

Still, comic was hilarious.

[watermammal]

The Voice of Mod: Yeah, like THAT'S not going to get you banned. ::)

Post deleted for violating at least six of the Rules of Posting regarding personal attacks, flaming, trolling, etc.

Heh, you're such a tease, Giant.

[Shiremaid]

I mostly agree with Bakunin on HP, great story telling is what draws me to it.

But, to be on topic, I liked this comic, it was cute

[Samiam303]

The Voice of Mod: Yeah, like THAT'S not going to get you banned. ::)

Post deleted for violating at least six of the Rules of Posting regarding personal attacks, flaming, trolling, etc.

Wow, I don't think I could break THAT many of the rules in one post even if I tried. ;)

[Omellette]

Well... I'd say it's more like finding a room full of wine connoisseurs who don't like the five-dollars-a-bottle stuff.

Harry Potter is not good fantasy. It's written for kids and the storylines, characters and themes contained are consequently cliched and predictable. Which is fine if kids are reading it, but adults are supposed to be more discerning. There are swathes of adult fiction authors who get ignored by their target audience, which instead turns to trying to convince themselves that the kiddies' books they read instead aren't lame.


Let's just say that I wholeheartedly disagree with this statement, and leave it at that. While I respect your opinion that it's not to your taste, I disagree with the notion that it's not GOOD fantasy. You just don't like it.

Despite that, I LOVED todays' comic! Then again, I love all pop culture references, and it's a reflection back to the "breaking the 4th wall" ideal that was more prevelant in the earlier strips...

:-)

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Great stuff. We should kill more annoying pop culture dudes. We've already taken down dr'zzle and now potter. Who should you take down next?

[Ego Slayer]

Larry Gardener! That was AWESOME! ;D

[zibeck]

The Voice of Mod: Yeah, like THAT'S not going to get you banned. ::)

Post deleted for violating at least six of the Rules of Posting regarding personal attacks, flaming, trolling, etc.

Now I really want to know what she said.

[Starla]

Bwaahahahahahahaha! Die you fake wizard wannabe! Is it bad that I want the bad guys to win in the Harry Potter movies. Great filler comic, Giant.

:P I accidently click the modify button when I want to quote people. Good thing I am not a mod.

I have a good friend that would like Oots and she will be done with her mission soon and be able to read it. I am pretty sure that she would want the Linear guild to win too.
Her favorite disney character: Maleficent (the bad fairy from Sleeping Beauty)
Her favorite disney quote: "They're a disgrace to the forces of evil" (from the same movie)

[Marller]

Hehe, that teacher could be Mr. Snape , err Mr. Nipe. ;D

[thecoweyed]

Great stuff. We should kill more annoying pop culture dudes. We've already taken down dr'zzle and now potter. Who should you take down next?

Okay, time for me to show my ignorance...

Who was Dr'zzle supposed to be?

I didn't get that at ALL.

TCE

[bosssmiley]

Okay, time for me to show my ignorance...

Who was Dr'zzle supposed to be?

I didn't get that at ALL.

TCE


You kidding right? :o

It was a parody on R.A.Salvatore's 'misunderstood Drow anti-hero' Drizz't Do'Urden, a "Forgotten Realms" character singlehandedly responsible for more ham-fisted fanboyish cliched PCs than LOTR and Wolverine of the Xmen combined.

Oh, regarding comic #253. I move that we change the name of the series:


Order of the Stick Thog
Since the much-needed execution in effigy of the mind-warping primal evil that is H'ahre Phohta our green-skinned hero is *the* star of the OOTS show.

Viva Thog! Ice-cream and puppies for all! ;D

[Grey Watcher]

Okay, time for me to show my ignorance...

Who was Dr'zzle supposed to be?

I didn't get that at ALL.

TCE


V's old Linear Guild opposite, ZZ'dtri (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=65), was a parody of a character created by author RA Salvator, named Drizzt Do'Urden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drizzt), who wielded a pair of scimitars. His is quite famous, and has inspired many players to create what some would call "homages" and what others would call "rip-offs". Such characters are often built without regards to roleplaying, and simply created to be as outrageously powerful as possible (not a hard thing, since Drow have some incredible stat boosts to start with), in an attempt to "win" the game. The result is that it's hard to tell which is more common, Drizzt fans or people who are sick of Drizzt.

[Ashbless]

Excellent post! Ten thumbs up!

From a literary viewpoint most fantasy writing is in fact, crap.
Filled with endless repetitions of themes and characters (are you listening, Salvatore?) they never explore anything new, but regurgitate what has been succesful in the past. Yuck!




There is a famous quote that covers this, and it applies to ALL genres in books, but is probably quite lenient towards TV shows...

"STURGEON'S LAW: "Ninety percent of everything is crud."
It is derived from a quote by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, who once said,
"Sure, ninety percent of science fiction is crud. That's
because ninety percent of everything is crud."

Another word is often used instead of crud, but you get the idea.

[zibeck]

This thread is getitng off topic, but I feel I should comment.

The reason why author's like Bob Salvatore reuse character's like Drizzt (some would say to death) is because that's what sells, plain and simple. And I bet 9/10 so-called Drizzt haters out there buy the book as soon as it hits the shelf.

[zibeck]

There is a famous quote that covers this, and it applies to ALL genres in books, but is probably quite lenient towards TV shows...

"STURGEON'S LAW: "Ninety percent of everything is crud."
It is derived from a quote by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, who once said,
"Sure, ninety percent of science fiction is crud. That's
because ninety percent of everything is crud."

Another word is often used instead of crud, but you get the idea.

There's a corellary to this law with regards to Internet messagboards and the like. In such cases, 100% of everything is crud.

[Doug_Lampert]

This thread is getitng off topic, but I feel I should comment.

The reason why author's like Bob Salvatore reuse character's like Drizzt (some would say to death) is because that's what sells, plain and simple. And I bet 9/10 so-called Drizzt haters out there buy the book as soon as it hits the shelf.
Possibly, I don't hate the character, but then I've never read any of his books and never played with anyone who tried to make a clone.

Based on descriptions (which I had encountered prior to this comic) I think he's silly. But that's a different matter. I suspect hating the character requires a level of emotional investment which is only reached by exposure, either direct or indirect.

[thecoweyed]

... Oh. No, I never knew that. No, I'm not kidding.

Thanks for explaining, though :)

TCE

[ObadiahtheSlim]

This is just a thought. Did thog just make his will save when Larry tried to cast hold person (or possibly use a charge on his wand)? Did Larry just not finish casting the spell before Thog used his great axe to finish him off?

If it was a charge on the wand, all he would have to do is say the comand word (Stoppus Badguyus) to cast it. Then again he may not have used it on Thog and instead used it on Sabrine who is not shown on panel.

[Geech000]

*snip*
Viva Thog! Ice-cream and puppies for all! ;D

Huzzah!

Great comic. I like the HP books but it was still fun to see silly Larry get the axe. I would like to see more of Thog too.

[DeathQuaker]

This is just a thought. Did thog just make his will save when Larry tried to cast hold person (or possibly use a charge on his wand)? Did Larry just not finish casting the spell before Thog used his great axe to finish him off?

We could say that Thog either took an attack of opportunity (he wasn't quite close enough, but this is a comic so we can interpret loosely) or that he had readied an action to attack as soon as Nale signaled. In either case, Larry clearly failed his concentration check.



If it was a charge on the wand, all he would have to do is say the comand word (Stoppus Badguyus) to cast it. Then again he may not have used it on Thog and instead used it on Sabrine who is not shown on panel.

Or he used it on Nale, for that matter, who I imagine has quite a high Will save.

[sarcasticmuppet]

Harry Potter is not good fantasy. It's written for kids and the storylines, characters and themes contained are consequently cliched and predictable. Which is fine if kids are reading it, but adults are supposed to be more discerning. There are swathes of adult fiction authors who get ignored by their target audience, which instead turns to trying to convince themselves that the kiddies' books they read instead aren't lame.

Have you thought, just for a minute, that maybe more people are reading HP because it's *better* than most of the adult fantasy stuff out there? And besides, a popular book only helps to boost sales of similar books in a genre, why else do you think they get all the "If you like x, try y" ads in bookstores and on Amazon?

In many ways children's lit has to be much better than what's written for adults, because children are the *most* discriminating audience. They won't be swayed by anything less than a solid plot with fascinating characters. Period. They won't read so-called "literary" works because the writing style gets in the way of the story.

Harry is as fully realized in my mind as Frodo, Arya Stark, Ender, and all the other characters I've met and fallen in love with in all my years of reading good books.

I can understand the 'hate everything that's popular' mentality, I really do, but HP and the LotR crazes have paved the way for a greater acceptance and appreciation for good fantasy and sci-fi, wether in book or movie form. And for that, everyone should be at least a little grateful.

Anyway, great comic Giant. I was disappointed Friday to see Nale instead of Xykon (:wub: Xykon), but I got a kick out of today's parody. :)

[Daavi_Tues]

Baron Von Mod: Join the club of people that have had their posts deleted, because they broke rules.

Insulting other posters is against the rules.

[Chumbaniya]

I'm a little tired of Harry Potter parodies, but #253 was actually more sophisticated than most as well as a lot funnier and more accuracte.

As for Harry Potter, I think dismissing it due to its popularity is pretty immature; it's obvious to anyone (excluding those who have read no other decent books in their lives, which would be a fair percentage of HP's younger audience) that the plot, themes and characters in the Harry Potter books are cliched and simplistic, but since they are intended as childrens books this is expected and somewhat required in order to hold audience attention.

Despite this, which is a valid criticism, I think it's undeniable that the books are written very skillfully - while I am under no illusions as to the simplicity of the books' themes, I find that they have a definite effect on the reader and whenever a new book comes out, I find myself reading from start to finish pretty quickly, which is testament to the quality of the books; they can even enthrall someone who is fully aware of the number of flaws in the material. Most of the time I feel very strongly against the majority of popular culture, but in this case blindly hating books based on very little experience of them would be foolish. Sure, HP is hyped up way too much, but that only reflects on the fact that the majority of the population has a simplistic taste in literature (possibly because they have read very little else) not on the quality of the books.

[MrNexx]

Based on descriptions (which I had encountered prior to this comic) I think he's silly. But that's a different matter. I suspect hating the character requires a level of emotional investment which is only reached by exposure, either direct or indirect.


I had a serious Drizzt hate for years because of fanboys who would pop up, babble about how cool he was, and insist on playing drow in an otherwise normal game. (I loved to point out that, according to the 2nd edition PH, all elves used the same rules, so they could play their drow... but it would just be a funny looking elf who everyone hated.) I actually refused to read anything about Drizzt until earlier this year, when I read the Dark Elf trilogy, and enjoyed it.

[zibeck]

Says the guy with the Drizzt avatar.



Possibly, I don't hate the character, but then I've never read any of his books and never played with anyone who tried to make a clone.

[RBloom0566]

Only reason I don't like Potter is because they've just become so...emo wannabe. Not quite emo, but close.

I confess ignorance and request edification.
What is an "emo?" ???

[Demosthenes]

Well with regards, you know what they say, "Mockery is the sincerist form of flattery"
Oh wait, I think it's "Flattery is the sincerist form of mockery"

Bah

[RBloom0566]

wow, impressive!

Behold! The Might Boot of Expulsion!

[Ragnarok]

Thank you Giant for that, I needed it. Also, could we get a t-shirt of Thog chopping "Larry Gardener?" I would buy at least two.

[Jevanyn]

Well with regards, you know what they say, "Mockery is the sincerist form of flattery"
Oh wait, I think it's "Flattery is the sincerist form of mockery"
The original proverb is "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." But in this age of relentless defense of intellectual property, my favorite variation is more apropos: "Plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery."

But I wax verbose. Now I think I'll wax it over here.

[Caledonian]

Thank you Giant for that, I needed it. Also, could we get a t-shirt of Thog chopping "Larry Gardener?" I would buy at least two.
Although parody is a pretty good defense against copyright infringement, I suspect The Giant doesn't want to attract the undue attention of Rowling's lawyers.

[Drerek]

I've been waiting for the death of Ha....uh.....Larry Gardener for years too. Thanks Giant. Well written.

And to be completely fair, I did see the first two movies and they were okay. Started to read the first book but just couldn't get into it.

[DOOM2099]

My whole family watches the movies again and again. This absolutely made my day. I can't stand the whole phenomenon.

And it's good to see the linear guild again. Thog likes puppies and ice cream. That is hysterical.

[Drerek]

We could say that Thog either took an attack of opportunity (he wasn't quite close enough, but this is a comic so we can interpret loosely) or that he had readied an action to attack as soon as Nale signaled. In either case, Larry clearly failed his concentration check.

I would say Thog got a surprise round action since Larry wasn't expecting Nale to order Thog to attack. Thog is always ready for such an order. :)

And since the wands are used to cast every (or just about from what I've seen) spell and don't seem to be spell specific, I'd say it's just part of the somantic components to Larry's spell, or a focus item, and therefore provoked an AOO.

[Annalia]

There's something I'm not getting.

What does the boar head on the Professor stands for?

[Baron]

Just thought I'd post a question to those that have given fairly rude critisism of the latest comic.

Why?

Before you answer, I'd like you to consider the following. Rich is doing writing these comics because he wants to. He does not get paid to do so. In fact it cuts into time where he could be writing stuff that may earn him cash.

He will be the first person to accept fair and considered comments upon his comics, but some of this, dare I say it, is far from being fair or considered. :(

I personally found this comic funny. The wordplay, parody and twist in the ending were entertaining. All done in the compact page long form of a comic. It brought a smile to my face. As far as I am concerned that is a job well done on Rich's part.

I am looking forward to the next one.

Baron

[Demosthenes]

The original proverb is "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." But in this age of relentless defense of intellectual property, my favorite variation is more apropos: "Plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery."

But I wax verbose. Now I think I'll wax it over here.

Yes, I know that. It was a joke, albeit a poor one at that.

[Ragnarok]

There's something I'm not getting.

What does the boar head on the Professor stands for?
Say the name of the school backwards.

EDIT: I mean by syllables.

[watermammal]

I confess ignorance and request edification.
What is an "emo?" ???

I will second request for edification. I too am ignorant of "emo." I did first look through the rest of the posts just to make sure no one answered.

I join you in ignorance RBloom!!!

[xyzchyx]

There's something I'm not getting.

What does the boar head on the Professor stands for?

Warthog (n): A wild African hog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) that has two tusks and wartlike growths on the face.

[watermammal]

Okay, here is what really needs to happen. Giant needs to contact Rowling personally and make arrangements for Thog to play a less than minimal role in the next HP movie/book. Maybe he is a good guy, maybe he is a bad guy, or maybe he is one of those characters with which Rowling likes to initially confuse the reader (Lupin, uh, Canin).

Oh the marketing bananza!

[Seraph]

Only reason I don't like Potter is because they've just become so...emo wannabe. Not quite emo, but close.

it's the diet coke of emo. just one calorie, not quite emo enough.

[bluish_wolf]

I will second request for edification. I too am ignorant of "emo." I did first look through the rest of the posts just to make sure no one answered.

I join you in ignorance RBloom!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo_%28slang%29

[watermammal]

it's the diet coke of emo. just one calorie, not quite emo enough.


So what some people are saying is that they don't like HP because they are too much into/like the DC 1980s music scene? Okay, now I am seriously confused. I get that it is slang for something, I just can't figure out what. Is emo equivalent to poser or something? Please no one flame me, just really have no idea.

thanks

[watermammal]

Wait, does emo mean emotionally overwrought? Would the term drama queen be the same thing? If so, then excellant...now I have something else to call some of my coworkers.

[mossfoot]

I can't believe some people are actually "violently" angry about something that takes a slam at Harry Potter. Give me a break. Seriously.

I can't think of anything that I hold near and dear to me that I would get upset about it being made fun of.

[Seraph]

So what some people are saying is that they don't like HP because they are too much into/like the DC 1980s music scene? Okay, now I am seriously confused. I get that it is slang for something, I just can't figure out what. Is emo equivalent to poser or something? Please no one flame me, just really have no idea.

thanks


emo is the new goth, only instead of vampires and candles it's bad music and cutting yourself.

[Annalia]

Warthog (n): A wild African hog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) that has two tusks and wartlike growths on the face.

Thanks! That shed some light on my ignorance.

[Spuddly]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!!!!

That was the funniest OotS Ever.

[Swordster]

Right now frankly Rowling is making me far happier than Jordan is. Damn Wheel of Time.. 'trilogy' my ass...

LOL!!! True enough...and then he goes and writes New Spring before Knife of Dreams...wouldn't it be wonderful if that series started going somewhere?

On topic, I loved the strip. There can never be too many Potter parodies. I like the books, a good relaxing, quick read, but they are really fun to make fun of, and this was masterfully done.

Personally, I would like to see another fantasy icon butchered. I won't list them because Rich doesn't like that, but a couple of the fun ones have already been mentioned.

Great comic Rich!

[Krytha]

Darn... I go away for a little while and miss a bunch of offensive posts. RGRHRGREFFICIENTMODTEAMRGHRGRHRR!!!

[Adolfo]

Hm... 6 years= 6 books??

[Annalia]

Hm... 6 years= 6 books??

I think he means that in the six books, Larry stays six years at warthog.

[saraswati]

1) I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks HP is somehow conveniently "similar" to Gaiman's Timothy Hunter from Books of Magic. And that Books of Magic was much better writing.

2) What made #253 funny was IMHO that Giant was spot on in calling the HP books on their weaknesses.

Now a confession: The only reason that I know that the HP books are incredibly repetitive and coincidental in their plotlines and that the characters do, indeed, forgive the hero for his very stupid behavior is that I have read every single one.

My sincere wish is that the Linear Guild will go recruit a cleric, return to the school, rez larry, and give him another axeful! It's just so satisfying.

[Kish]

Hm... 6 years= 6 books??
Each of the Harry Potter books chronicles one year at the wizard school Hogwarts.

[Krytha]

1)
The only reason that I know that the HP books are incredibly repetitive and coincidental in their plotlines and that the characters do, indeed, forgive the hero for his very stupid behavior is that I have read every single one.

My sincere wish is that the Linear Guild will go recruit a cleric, return to the school, rez larry, and give him another axeful! It's just so satisfying.

I believe they have already replaced Hilgya and a wizard was their last unfilled position.

Also, please explain how Rowling's books are repetetive? Is it because they feature the same characters over and over again? That Voldemort just refuses to lose? Kindly predict the ending (and process) of the Seventh book. The sixth one left me hanging and I NEED to know how it ends. What I see as convoluted must be as clear as day to one such as you.

[bluewurm]

thank you, thank you, thank you for killing harry potter, i HATE that character and wish you would ressurect and kill him in a new and fun way at the end of every strip.

[sakusha]

Thanks! That shed some light on my ignorance.

Since I'm going to assume some people still don't get it after that, think of it this way:
In the books the characters attend Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Larry Gardener attended Warthog's School of Wizardry and Sorcery.

Everyone get it now? =) Not trying to be mean, just clear.

[Mas_Sinoda]

Haven't read any of the other posts, but...

Is this the first time that The Giant has ever openly made fun of parody'd something? Is this the start of a series of spoofs? Oh, and I love Stopus Badguyus!

This has truly brought Harry Potter to a new light in my eyes... Thank you once again Giant, oh great one...

I've been running around the house yelling "STOPPUS BADDGUYUS!!!"

[Electric_Monkey]

Each of the Harry Potter books chronicles one year at the wizard school Hogwarts.

And, of course, if the Warthog guy hadn't corrected himself, Jones and Rodriguez would have realised he was talking about a fictional character created by somebody else and hauledhim off for violation of spoooky copyright.

[thecoweyed]

Thought....

When Harry... Larry, rather, is giving his first panel's worth of 'resume,' and Nale comments that it's 'promising,' he's obviously commenting on V's attribute's as compared to Larry's.

But the last item on the list, seen in that light, gave me some pause.

So my question:

More emotionally mature: V or Larry? (I totally almost typed Laary, too.)

I know, I know, Larry = whiny brat. But V hasn't proven herself to be especially emotionally mature in the past, either.

Mon bisous,

TCE

[Kini]

My favorite part was when Larry was telling them how everything related to his past. Always.

It was so right on, it made me laugh out loud. ;D

[IonStorm]

And since the wands are used to cast every (or just about from what I've seen) spell and don't seem to be spell specific, I'd say it's just part of the somantic components to Larry's spell, or a focus item, and therefore provoked an AOO.

* First, as the Giant has pointed out, OOTS doesn't follow the strict spell casting rules. E.g.
...In OOTS land, you just need to be able to speak the name of the spell to count as a verbal component...* Second who knows what hybrid OOTS-HP world Larry is was living in.
* Third it is unclear what spell he was trying to cast.

However if we neglect the above and assume that he was attempting to cast hold person/monster, then Larry could have been using the normally required small, straight piece of iron as his arcane focus and not a wand as has been assumed.

[tarlen]

Is this the first time that The Giant has ever openly made fun of parody'd something?
I can't remember any parodies he has done, but he has done take-offs of some other well known comedy skits (can you parody a comedy??)

Monty Python Cheese Shop:
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=136

Abbot & Costellos Who's on First:
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=226

It's all good. ;D

[Eloco]

meh.... Im looking forward to getting back to the clever stuff again.

[Matuse]

Yea, but it isn't "most" events, it is EVERY SINGLE ONE. Literally nothing in those books happens that does not directly relate to Harry.

I like the HP series quite a bit, but I'm by no means blind to its flaws, and it does have many.

[watermammal]

And, of course, if the Warthog guy hadn't corrected himself, Jones and Rodriguez would have realised he was talking about a fictional character created by somebody else and hauledhim off for violation of spoooky copyright.

Ahh, yes. Jones and Rodriguez. Two brilliantly created characters. I do hope to see more of them in the future and maybe these next several strips will give us that opportunity.

Speaking of lawers, I think this was discussed elsewhere, but will the lawers descend on Miko, do you think, for attacking Belkar via his alignment? Maybe they could do a 2-for-1 special? Would Thog like fries with that?

[Kish]

Yea, but it isn't "most" events, it is EVERY SINGLE ONE. Literally nothing in those books happens that does not directly relate to Harry..
Depending on how you mean that, I'm going to have to say either untrue or a style decision. If you mean literally nothing happens that doesn't relate to Harry--no, I'm afraid that's not true. Avoiding spoilers, the romances of certain adult characters in Books 4 and 6 don't directly relate to Harry, just off the top of my head.

If you mean we don't learn about anything Harry doesn't learn about, that's a style decision. Rowling writes almost entirely from Harry's point of view; the Order of the Stick jumps between viewpoints and, due to fourth wall humor, kind of gives the audience their own separate viewpoint. If the Order of the Stick was written in the style of the Harry Potter books, we would learn of Xykon's recovery when Roy does and not before. That doesn't mean Redcloak would not have Slay Livinged the hobgoblin priest, just that it wouldn't come up in the strip. Neither style is inherently better or worse than the other, just different.

(I hope that was enough OotS content to keep this post--eek, I nearly said "this strip"--from being off-topic. I think we're all walking on dangerous ground, though.)

[Krytha]

I like the HP series quite a bit, but I'm by no means blind to its flaws, and it does have many.

Well... no series is perfect anyway... Some are of better quality than others but no one is the god of literature. While I enjoy Rich's parodies (technically, isnt the entire comic a parody of AD+D?...) the harry potter thing has been done... in flash, in fic, in film... well, you get the picture...

And I'm aching to get some Xykon... or continuation of Miko-nossity...

[watermammal]

And I'm aching to get some Xykon... or continuation of Miko-nossity...

All I am saying is, that must have been one hell of an evilgasm! He is STILL recovering!

[Krytha]

All I am saying is, that must have been one hell of an evilgasm! He is STILL recovering!

Maybe it's still ongoing and no longer PG-13...

[boschdevil]

I look at it like this: I'm doubting that Rich has a lustfull love or a bitter hatred of the subject matter parodied - it just seems to fit into the joke and the story that he wanted to portray. It's like when he actually didn't have the spell "Speak with Dead" do exactly what the D&D rules said. Was it wrong then? No. The end result was to have be humorous, and that was the point of the comic and most comics for that part.

Now for the most part I agree with the Linear Guild's opinion of the subject matter, but I think it would be a stretch to say that I cn now conclude that I completely agree with Rich's opinion on the matter just because he displayed as much in the comic.

By the way, Rich, I really liked the comic today and actually I loved the sorceror/associate degree joke from the comic most of all.

[Grey Watcher]

Yeah, I got a kick out the Associate's Degree line. Personally, I think that Nale's dialogue shines a lot more than Larry's. Maybe I'm overanalyzing, but I think that the bit about pro- and antangonists goes a little deeper than Nale's Evil and Larry's apparently Good. After all, any high school English teacher will tell you that protagonists aren't always good guys and gals. But Rich is very right in that Larry's a protagonist and Nale's an antagonist. In Larry's world, events and circumstances center around him, whereas in Nale's world, he's pretty clearly set up as a force to impede someone else, namely the Order of the Stick.

[Shatteredtower]

Now to be fair, yes, I too thought Nale's pro/an assessment was clever and well-placed. I still didn't care for the rest of the subject material for the same reasons I didn't care for the Monty Python or Abbott and Costello routine strips. They were clever, but not to my taste. I can dislike a good thing, which neither makes my personal preference wrong nor the thing you enjoy any less enjoyable or the effort you put into it any less meaningful.

On the subject of the Gaiman's Hunter vs. Rowling's Potter, however, I will note that while I enjoyed the former but couldn't get more than three pages into the latter, I agree with Mr. Gaiman that the resemblance between the two characters is superficial, at most a display of a recurring character design. Potter is not a Hunter rip-off, and it would be a shame if people saw it as a rip-off in the other direction.

Your tastes and mine differ, Baron, just as my tastes and the Giant's differ on this point. I'm certainly not going to begrudge him for the periodic strip that does not suit my tastes, especially if it is well-received by many other people, but I still don't care for it for the reasons I gave: I feel it plays away from the world he's created, rather than into it. That's fine for the throwaway lines (such as the one about the wardrobe malfunction, acknowledging an unintended coincidence of timing on the Giant's part), but not (again, in my mind) as the focus for an entire strip.

Insightful? Oh, certainly. Well crafted? I think so -- but those points and others have been praised and lauded by the majority of posters here for the last eleven pages. If there's been a negative review that survived deletion, it's mine, so I'm at a loss to understand the Baron's response. What is it that you find rude about this criticism, Baron?

[Krytha]

What is it that you find rude about this criticism, Baron?

It's not that he finds YOUR criticism or criticism in general to be rude, but there were posts which were offensive. Your post is just criticism, theirs included (I'm assuming here...) insults and slurs and probably broke a few FAQ rules, hence their deletion and apparent invisibility.

See, it's just hard to see what the Baron found rude if they were deleted before you could see what was written. In any case, the point is moot.

[Jades]

As an avid non-reader of Harry Potter, but an avid reader of Torg Potter I greatly enjoyed this.

I've stopped reading fantasy books, at least the more current ones. I think that there is a certain quality that lacks in them. This isn't to say that they aren't good, I just don't enjoy them as much as I enjoy Tolkien, Lewis, or Abrams (not necessarily fantasy, dang Shardik was good.)

I keep up with parodies only so that I can talk with friends about them. Hehe... Thorpe is a skunk and stank is a thorpe...

[vegetablevoice]

I'll second (third, whatever) the laugh @ Associate's Degree, and the "agonists" line. Why? 'cuz I got a Master's degree in theatre, and the Giant managed to cover HP, dramatic theory, and academic politics all in one strip.

Sweet. :)

-VV

[cyper]

Just had to post today to say this -

Great comic today! :D

every line in it is made of pure truth and comic genius

Keep it up Rich!! you the man :)

[ref]

Meh, I can't safely read this thread anymore.

[Redeagle]

Yea, but it isn't "most" events, it is EVERY SINGLE ONE. Literally nothing in those books happens that does not directly relate to Harry.

I like the HP series quite a bit, but I'm by no means blind to its flaws, and it does have many.

Umm. It may be just me, but I kinda expect a book to focus on events affecting the Main Charecter.
I mean, after all a Book called "Harry Potter and the XXXX" would be expteced to follow the story of how XXX affected Harry, wouldn't it?

[Drerek]

emo is the new goth, only instead of vampires and candles it's bad music and cutting yourself.

LMAO, best definition for it I've ever seen.

[Grey Watcher]

...so I'm at a loss to understand the Baron's response. What is it that you find rude about this criticism, Baron?

Trust me, there were a lot of things wrong with those posts, and the fact that they were critical of the strip wasn't one of them.

But yeah, I'll admit, this isn't the best OotS. I did get a kick out of it when I first read it, definitely, but it doesn't hold up to repeated readings the way the others do. And, I think, Larry's dialogue lacks some of the comedic punch of the other characters. So basically, my assessment is, not his best work, but still quite good. :)

[watermammal]

So basically, my assessment is, not his best work, but still quite good. :)

I would agree, but would add this: Not even the Babe hit 'em all out of the park. Not even the Bears win every superbowl. Not even Angelina Jolie is the hottest woman on the planet in every movie she makes...wait, maybe scratch that last one.

[Dubyamn]

Yea, but it isn't "most" events, it is EVERY SINGLE ONE. Literally nothing in those books happens that does not directly relate to Harry.
Actually the main events in 4 1/2 out of the 6 books have nothing to do with Harry.
Book 1: Voldemort regaining his old body. Only once does he try and remove Potter from the equation and even that was a piss poor attempt. Harry was only involved in the main plot because he decided to go after whoever broke in.
Book 2: Voldemort's spirit trying to regain a body. The events transpiring had literrally nothing to do with Harry. Once again Harry forced his way into the plot.
Book 3: Sirus who was wrongly convicted trying to seek out revenge on the man who framed him. Harry was there because they followed Sirus after he grabbed the rat.
Book 4: This one was completly and totally about Harry.
Book 5: Only about half of the main plot actually involved Harry. The first half of the book was Voldemort trying to get the Phrophecy through other means that didn't involve Harry. Only when Voldemort realized that Only he and Harry could remove the prophecy did the plot involve Harry.
Book 6: Draco Malfoy trying to kill Dumbledore and Dumbledore trying to find the Horcruxs. and the Horcruxs only tangentially involved Harry.

[Dubyamn]

Yea, but it isn't "most" events, it is EVERY SINGLE ONE. Literally nothing in those books happens that does not directly relate to Harry.
Actually the main events in 4 1/2 out of the 6 books have nothing to do with Harry.
Book 1: Voldemort regaining his old body. Only once does he try and remove Potter from the equation and even that was a piss poor attempt. Harry was only involved in the main plot because he decided to go after whoever broke in.
Book 2: Voldemort's spirit trying to regain a body. The events transpiring had literrally nothing to do with Harry. Once again Harry forced his way into the plot.
Book 3: Sirus who was wrongly convicted trying to seek out revenge on the man who framed him. Harry was there because they followed Sirus after he grabbed the rat.
Book 4: This one was completly and totally about Harry.
Book 5: Only about half of the main plot actually involved Harry. The first half of the book was Voldemort trying to get the Phrophecy through other means that didn't involve Harry. Only when Voldemort realized that Only he and Harry could remove the prophecy did the plot involve Harry.
Book 6: Draco Malfoy trying to kill Dumbledore and Dumbledore trying to find the Horcruxs. and the Horcruxs only tangentially involved Harry.

[Leveller]

What's that accociate joke about? I get the joke about how strange it is for sorcerers to be in schools, but what's and accociate's degree?

[Akiosama]

Great job, Rich! Thought it was well done. Slightly off-topic for OOtS, but well done nonetheless.

In regards to the HP discussion, while I like the series, it can be cliched and trite at times, and not all of it is good (I could probably have skipped Book 5), it's good enough to be worth reading IMHO. Like others who have mentioned certain wheeling authors not putting out much good work either, fantasy is really about taste. That which might be good to you is not good to all. (As for HP being just for kids, I leave up to you. As far as books go, the series has some stuff in it that I find to be far from children's material. And if you consider it children's material, then Ms. Rowling's not pulling the punches when it comes to death aspect of the books should be commended.)

That being said, while it's not great or epic fantasy, I feel that it's at least good reading. There are, as has been mentioned on this thread before, many authors who write "grownup" fantasy and churn out loads of complete junk. For example, while I like SOME of his work, when was the last time Piers Anthony came out with anything truly worth reading? Robert Jordan? David Eddings? Terry Goodkind? All have done SOME good stuff, but a good percentage of all their material is neither really great nor epic. And they're considered to be "good" or at least "bestselling" fantasy authors. Heck, when was the last time George Lucas, writer of one of the greatest sci-fi fantasy series in existence, either written or approved something truly good for his series?

Really, the only truly important question to ask yourself is not "Is it literature?" or "Is it for kids/adults?" but "Did I enjoy it?" [This goes for RPGs too.] Civilly, let everyone else have their own opinions. They're only opinions, not facts.

[Except for those who put down OOtS. Death to all who oppose the Giant! 8)]

Well, enough off-topicness for now.

With all that being said, excellent comic once again, Rich. Those that can't laugh at themselves, or the stuff they like, being made fun of, need to really lighten up a bit.

And for the record, in case anyone wanted to know, I'm Pro-antagonist. ;D

Just my 2 pence, for the HP-creating Brits.

Game on!

Akio

[demonfey]

Pratchett still turns out good stuff, though.

[evileeyore]

What's that accociate joke about? I get the joke about how strange it is for sorcerers to be in schools, but what's and accociate's degree?
AA is useless degree

An associates degree is a 'one year' degree. The most basic college level degree aside from a technical certificate (and possibely more useless than a tech cert if thats where your schooling is stopping).

An associates is only usefull for going on to a 'real' degree like a BS (a bull****), an MS (more ****), or a PhD (piled higher and deeper).

Keep in mind the IMO level of my posts--EvilE

Well shucks. I just ran smack dab into the word censor...

[phil_the_tame_goat]

The Voice of Mod: Let's try this again.

[evileeyore]

Delete the original, delete the quote.
Whoa... dude that was totally the warning shot across your bow.

You ain't got the guns to take on the Admin and win. Just lay low till the heat is off.

[phil_the_tame_goat]

Deleted/

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I don't know a thing about Harry Potter but it still amused me. Dunno why anyone would have a problem...

As for you Phil, don't let the boot miss on your way out... ::)

[zibeck]

What's that accociate joke about? I get the joke about how strange it is for sorcerers to be in schools, but what's and accociate's degree?

It's a two year college degree, as opposed to the four year bacheler's degree.

[Keebler]

Mangled latin and questionable logic is right! This is hands-down one of my favorite comics. Hey Potter, here's some latin for ya; Lapidibus Magus!

[mastroyo]

I hate this censorship! At least delete the entire post so i don't have to wonder 'what he(she) said'... ;D

Well,on topic, i liked Larry Gardner a lot! (I mean, the comic...)

Wainting for todays, anyway. Just thought i should post...anything.

[watermammal]

Deleted/

Phil, I gotta hand it to ya', you have especially large cajones. What, is that like three times in one thread?

Okay, now I am actually curious, who holds the dubious record of most deletes/censors in one thread? And are they still among us?

[Alfryd]

Not even Angelina Jolie is the hottest woman on the planet in every movie she makes...
Be SILENT, Infidel! Profane not the name of the Holy One!

On another note, I think "Obstructo Malefactor" would have been the appropriate incantation at this point.

[evileeyore]

Be SILENT, Infidel! Profane not the name of the Holy One!

On another note, I think "Obstructo Malefactor" would have been the appropriate incantation at this point.
But that is just doggerel latin, not badly mangled and made up Latin.

[bosssmiley]

This is just a thought. Did thog just make his will save when Larry tried to cast hold person (or possibly use a charge on his wand)? Did Larry just not finish casting the spell before Thog used his great axe to finish him off?

If it was a charge on the wand, all he would have to do is say the comand word (Stoppus Badguyus) to cast it. Then again he may not have used it on Thog and instead used it on Sabrine who is not shown on panel.

You're over-analysing Obi'.

It was a simple case of Thog not having a clue about what the incantation was ordering him to do. He barely speaks Common, let alone Dog Latin. ;D

[Sc00by]

*sticks toe in thread*

Due to personal stuff I only read this thread this morning, so sorry for the late reply. I've also read this entire Thread (brain hurts)

The comic is great. Finally someone gets HP on his own where Hermyninny can't save him and hits him round the head with a large l;ump of metal! great Stuff (and I've read, and largely enjoyed all 6 HP books)

I just love some of the subtle humour that contunes to pop up in OotS, but would request that there is a post somewhere that explains some of the Jokes. I didnt' get the Assoiciates Degree thing, as (as far as I'm aware) they don't exist outside the US. And not everyone has the same frame of reference as everyone else. I have to confess that I have missed some of the subtle jokes in previous comics until I've read someone else's explination! Would be nice to have in the comic post a post from teh Giant with soem linkage to explain all the stuff that I'm gonna miss ;)

Anyway. Great stuff Gaint, keep up the good work, release another book, more revenue tends to calm frayed nerves and reminds you why you put up with all this stuff on message boards! ;)

[The Giant]

OK, so this is how these Discussion Threads will work: when there have been two comics posted after the comic discussed, that thread will be locked. That way we don't have a board filled with open reaction threads.