look-alikes

[Ron Miel]

Just a thought, but I can't help thinking that Girard looks a lot like Nale.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0196.html
(Not quite Elan on account of the goatee)


Do you think he'll turn out to be Elan + Nale's grampa?

[kpenguin]

The only thing in common is the goatee and perhaps the hairstyle. Note that the goatee is off in later strips. The hair color is different

Haley and Girard have the same hair color. Perhaps they are...

[Occasional Sage]

Just a thought, but I can't help thinking that Girard looks a lot like Nale.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0196.html
(Not quite Elan on account of the goatee)


Do you think he'll turn out to be Elan + Nale's grampa?

What similarity do you see, other than the goatee? Girard seems to be a red-head, but they do both have the lock of hair over their forehead. Other than that, I'm stumped. Please elaborate?

[d'Bwobsling]

Just a thought, but I can't help thinking that Girard looks a lot like Nale.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0196.html
(Not quite Elan on account of the goatee)


Do you think he'll turn out to be Elan + Nale's grampa?

Seems kinda... far fetched to be true

[The Extinguisher]

I've got it!

Girard is Haley and Elan's son, who traveled back in time to stop the Snarl the first time.

[Lupy]

I've got it!

Girard is Haley and Elan's son, who traveled back in time to stop the Snarl the first time.

Brilliant! And one of the V ninja's got him back in time.

I doubt he's anyone's relative though.

[David Argall]

We are talking stick figures. Just about everybody looks a lot like just about everybody else. And a lot of differences are clearly trivial for our current subject. Most of these "relationships" can't be rejected out of hand, but there is durn little evidence supporting them, and we know most of them will prove to be false.

[mikeejimbo]

I've got it!

Girard is Haley and Elan's son, who traveled back in time to stop the Snarl the first time.

Oh, that's better than my theory.

Girard is Haley AND Elan's grandfather, making Haley and Elan cousins

[Teatime]

I've actually thought of this before myself, that he does look like Nale. That and - it's the widely accepted theory that Lord Tyrinar (sp?) is Elan/Nale's father, and that he's the big baddy of the West - near where Girard's Gate is. Since each Order of the Scribble member is defending the gate closest to their home, that would mean Girard is more or less from the same place as Elan/Nale's supposed daddy.

Still farfetched, yes, but perhaps now a little less farfetched? Hey, it's progress.

[Admiral_Kelly]

I find the above poster's theory plausible. We never did see Elan and Nale's dad's face did we? Not to mention one Order of the Stick character's backstory does intertwine directly with the plot...

[celestialkin]

Well, but do you all really think the author would have planned that far ahead?

You're all making theories about a story's universe which is all still being created by one man (who I believe posts here). If it isn't in his head right now, then it doesn't exist in continuity I guess?

Now that I think about it, isn't this like the best possible position for fans of a fictional world's story/plot/background story/etc? You literally have the man himself who can answer everything, unlike lets say those who theorize about the 40K or D&D universes on any/all their countless boards on the net.

However, this did confuse me when I saw the sticky with him basically arguing with posters about the alignment of the character he created, is still working on, and probably has the copyright paperwork for next to his desk. :smalleek:

[Kaytara]

I think he's just related to Haley. There's no solid evidence, of course, but he has both the red hair and the roguish, practical attitude. "Honour, sh'yeah. That and a silver piece will get you a hunk of cheese."

Considering the time that has passed since the Order of the Scribble's adventure, he might easily be Haley's grandfather....

Of course, all of this has probably been debated to death before I ever joined the forums. XD

[David Argall]

Well, but do you all really think the author would have planned that far ahead?
Yup.
We have a story with a definite plot and ending. A sensible author plans this from start to finish before starting. [This does not mean the plan is kept. Harold Foster had the whole history of Prince Valiant laid out before the first strip, planning his death to be maybe 10 years ahead in real time. But the strip was too popular to end and after 70 years, Valiant is still decades away from his demise.] If you just write a strip as you go, you just risk terrible things happening to the plot.
In our case, our writer has said he had the finish in mind from the start. He introduces a belt of sex change in strip 9 and does not use it for over 200 strips. He mentions Haley's dad being in trouble in 131, and we may not see him before 731. He has an Oracle whose predictions have got to be planned before the predictions are made, and which are about events hundreds of comics in the future.
Now we know the plot is not set in concrete. The inn scene was radically changed for example. But the scene was just part of Miko's history, which had been planned to her last appearance before she made her first appearance. So we have a plot that is largely planned from start to finish.



However, this did confuse me when I saw the sticky with him basically arguing with posters about the alignment of the character he created, is still working on, and probably has the copyright paperwork for next to his desk. :smalleek:
While arguing with the author of a work is a dangerous activity, the idea the author has perfect knowlege is simply false on its face. The author is mortal and will make mistakes, sometimes quite glaring ones.
An example used here before was that if we start with an artist that can't draw a straight line, we are often unsure whether the artist meant a circle or a square. In such a case, we can tell the artist it doesn't matter which he meant. We have to judge based on what he drew, however little that is what he wanted to draw.
The same applies to a writer. He is stuck with what he wrote, whether or not that is what he intended to write and whether or not he realizes he could have written better.
Now if we look at our own case, we find wholesale belief one knows better than the author. But in all but trivial cases, there is no agreement on what the author should have done better. So we have a default assumption the writer is right in each of these cases, along with a default assumption that he is wrong in at least one of them.

[T-O-E]

Well, but do you all really think the author would have planned that far ahead?

You're all making theories about a story's universe which is all still being created by one man (who I believe posts here). If it isn't in his head right now, then it doesn't exist in continuity I guess?

Now that I think about it, isn't this like the best possible position for fans of a fictional world's story/plot/background story/etc? You literally have the man himself who can answer everything, unlike lets say those who theorize about the 40K or D&D universes on any/all their countless boards on the net.

However, this did confuse me when I saw the sticky with him basically arguing with posters about the alignment of the character he created, is still working on, and probably has the copyright paperwork for next to his desk. :smalleek:

The Giant has stated he knows how the entire comic will go and how the strip will end.

[King of Nowhere]

I always believe the order of the scribble to be "good opposites" of the oots:
Soon is Roy counterpart, but while Roy is more relaxed as a leader, Soon had a stick up his ass.
Lirian loves trees, and she broke the oath of never seeing his companions to stay with Dorukan.
Dorukan was much more involved in the world than V.
Of Kraagor we know little, to compare him to Belkar; they both believe in phisical might, but Kraagor seemed to have an optimized build, and probably he wasn't phsycotic.
Serini seemed to be much more open than Haley, that is always secretive about her feelings.
And Girard cast illusions like Elan, but Girard's illusions didn't suck, and he was probably much more intelligent than Elan.
So a similarity between Girard and Elan (remember, Nale and Elan are identical) could be due to that.

[NerfTW]

Well, but do you all really think the author would have planned that far ahead?


Not planning a general outline is the mark of a terrible author and the cause of many a meandering, banal plot.

[Ron Miel]

What similarity do you see, other than the goatee? Girard seems to be a red-head, but they do both have the lock of hair over their forehead. Other than that, I'm stumped. Please elaborate?


Most faces are just circles with dots for eyes and a line for a mouth. Hair styles are the way to tell them apart. Having the same lock of hair over their forehead is a pretty big similarity, don't you think.

Apart from that, they have the same dress sense, light chainmail over a coloured tunic, and a cloak.

I love the idea that he's Elan and Haley's son. I think that might even be a correct guess.

[Goofy]

Just because a belt of sex-changing was introduced in strip 9 and then used in strip 200 doesn't mean that when the Giant wrote strip 9 he knew what he was going to do with that belt in strip 200. It very well could, and probably was, an open-ended hook. Most major serial TV shows write like that because they're never sure how long something will last. If you never use the hook it's forgotten. If you use the hook it's some major revelation.

The Giant has said he knows the last panel. The Oracle predicted Elan will have a happy ending. Roy's dead. Haley's father was captured by an evil warlord. These are all things that can be used and abused in thousands of ways, none of which the Giant needs to know exactly in order to use.

Yes, the Giant plans ahead. No, not everything is planned ahead. That said, I have know idea whether Girard is related to Haley.

[ZFR]

How is this for a crazy theory:

Nale looks like Elan so Nale must be Elan's brother.