El Goonish ShiVe: Look! Squirrel!

[Vinyadan]

Uh, no. That's not how writing works. You don't have a line about Subject A, naturally transition into Subject B, and then suddenly jerk right back to Subect A immediately after establishing Subject B. That only leads to a chaotic, incoherent mess. Lines follow from one another. That's literally how sequential writing works.

That would be more convincing, if "that's why..." didn't answer a question Elliot asked five pages earlier, and a barely related scene of Justin thinking about sounds didn't follow. It's a fairly disjointed page overall.

I do think Grace is thinking about Tedd and Elliot, but that's mainly because of Elliot and Ashley immediately cuddling.

[Kish]

In the sense of wanting them to have a romantic relationship? Possibly, but I don't think that's the intent - Grace just wants everybody to be able to enjoy platonic cuddles.

Yes, this. Just as she needed it spelled out to her that other people associate nudity with sex, to her, the concept "I want my boyfriend to casually cuddle his best friend" isn't on the same planet as "I want my boyfriend to do anything sexual with his best friend."

[Gnoman]

Kind of want a dialogue free version of the last panel here. Tedd looks so happy.

[Fyraltari]

I'm surprised Tedd didn't say "the daughter of soemone in power" since they are feeling female at the moment.

[Celestia]

Dan's commentary about presidents made me realize that in the (less than?) one year of comic continuity, we've gone through three different presidents since the comic started. Bush hadn't even been in office for a full year when the first page was uploaded.

In any event, it's really weird to see these characters talking about college. It feels like they were just going to be in high school forever.

[Kish]

Susan should look into whether there's a fully abstracted way to throw money at "becoming more evil."

Fully abstracted being vital. "Donate to a generically evil temple" would work, "an evil cartoon who says he needs money to fund the slave trade" would not.

[Celestia]

Susan should look into whether there's a fully abstracted way to throw money at "becoming more evil."

Fully abstracted being vital. "Donate to a generically evil temple" would work, "an evil cartoon who says he needs money to fund the slave trade" would not.

In Fable, the good temple takes money donations. The evil temple takes human sacrifice donations and gives you money.

[Fyraltari]

In Fable, the good temple takes money donations. The evil temple takes human sacrifice donations and gives you money.

So they don’t take donations, then? They buy their sacrifices?

[Celestia]

So they don’t take donations, then? They buy their sacrifices?

Technically, you sacrifice the people, yourself, and the god, Skorm, fabricates money to give to you.

[Fyraltari]

Technically, you sacrifice the people, yourself, and the god, Skorm, fabricates money to give to you.

Ah I see, cutting the middle-man.
That wasn’t even on purpose.

[Mith]

I'm surprised Tedd didn't say "the daughter of soemone in power" since they are feeling female at the moment.

I think my read on that is that she is talking about Arthur's perspective rather than a general case.

[Vinyadan]

This is cool and all, but wouldn't it have been better to introduce Tedd's lab by introducing Tedd to the lab?

However, I have to say that, for all the recapping and confusing voice spellery (and wasting a page on having people swap places), I am enjoying this party. It's far less emotional than Grace's, but still very well written.

[Rater202]

I am pretty sure I called this latest development.

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at least, if Germahn interacts with Tedd in any conceivable way I did.

[Qwertystop]

Well, this was a shocker. I applauded when I read it.

[Celestia]

This is cool and all, but wouldn't it have been better to introduce Tedd's lab by introducing Tedd to the lab?

However, I have to say that, for all the recapping and confusing voice spellery (and wasting a page on having people swap places), I am enjoying this party. It's far less emotional than Grace's, but still very well written.

We already knew Tedd was getting a lab, though. We were there when Arthur told her.

[Mith]

I am pretty sure I called this latest development.

Spoiler

Show

at least, if Germahn interacts with Tedd in any conceivable way I did.

Spoiler

Show

I would just like to say that Dr. Germahn looks amazing in the last panel

[Fyraltari]

Aaaaand Arthur is already treating this as a competition rather than something to co-operate about. Typical.
I hope he at least told his counterparts in other governments what was up.

[Radar]

Aaaaand Arthur is already treating this as a competition rather than something to co-operate about. Typical.
I hope he at least told his counterparts in other governments what was up.

We must not allow a magic resistance gap!

As for the reveal, if the comics was darker than it is, then I would find dramatic organ music very fitting for this scene.

[Celestia]

Aaaaand Arthur is already treating this as a competition rather than something to co-operate about. Typical.
I hope he at least told his counterparts in other governments what was up.

I mean, based on what we've seen, this world is more or less just like ours but with magic. It's not going to end with a big, happy, My Little Pony cuddle hug. Unfortunately, assuming that other countries will use magic as a weapon is a very rational position to take. Because they probably are.

[Gnoman]

Aaaaand Arthur is already treating this as a competition rather than something to co-operate about. Typical.
I hope he at least told his counterparts in other governments what was up.

https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2018-02-28

Almost the entirety of his motivation for setting up Tedd's lab is that Tedd is "the only seer I know of that is not a foreign child". In retrospect, it is pretty obvious that he was thinking of national security implementations from the beginning. This is only rational, given his earlier analogy of widespread magic being akin to giving every "man, woman, and child on Earth a loaded weapon".

Even taking the "high magic area" currently surrounding this town into consideration (which makes spells more potent), what we've seen people able to do suggests the possibility of WMD-class spells. Arthur's being completely reasonable here.

[Fyraltari]

I’m sorry but no. ‘My country first, screw the rest of you’ is generally a terrible attitude to have, but the circumstances here make it even worse.

They are on the eve of a colossal paradigm shift everybody need to prepare for civilians everywhere having access to magic, this is the time for every government to pool their efforts together in order to limit the damage. Petty nationalistic squabbles gettting in the way of that is a tremendous waste of time that would most likely result in great long-terms damages.

This is especially bad since every nation had so far apparently managed to co-operate in order to hide magic. Now is not the time to throw the teamwork out of the window.

[DeTess]

I’m sorry but no. ‘My country first, screw the rest of you’ is generally a terrible attitude to have, but the circumstances here make it even worse.

They are on the eve of a colossal paradigm shift everybody need to prepare for civilians everywhere having access to magic, this is the time for every government to pool their efforts together in order to limit the damage. Petty nationalistic squabbles gettting in the way of that is a tremendous waste of time that would most likely result in great long-terms damages.

This is especially bad since every nation had so far apparently managed to co-operate in order to hide magic. Now is not the time to throw the teamwork out of the window.

I don't disagree that it's a bad attitude to have, but let's be honest here: it's incredibly realistic. Countries that manage to get their magic defenses in order first will have an advantage in the subsequent development of magic as well, because they don't need to regulate it as heavily, as well as in any conflicts that arrise. Furthermore, they could then sell their knowledge to their 'allies' as well.

[Fyraltari]

I don't disagree that it's a bad attitude to have, but let's be honest here: it's incredibly realistic. Countries that manage to get their magic defenses in order first will have an advantage in the subsequent development of magic as well, because they don't need to regulate it as heavily, as well as in any conflicts that arrise. Furthermore, they could then sell their knowledge to their 'allies' as well.

I didn’t say otherwise. I even said Arthur’s position was typical.

Bottom line : I’m not sursprised, just disappointed.

[Kish]

For my part, I'm glad that "more interested in keeping secrets than helping people" hasn't been memory-holed to the point of Arthur suddenly being just as benevolent at Tedd's father.

[Fyraltari]

After last comic I thought there was a scene change so I was a little thrown aback by Arthur’s choices of visual aid for a moment.

[Lamech]

This is only rational, given his earlier analogy of widespread magic being akin to giving every "man, woman, and child on Earth a loaded weapon".

Worse, only the awful types are more likely to get weapons and more likely to get the nasty weapons.

I do feel it is unfair to call Ted's idea the worst she's ever heard. Or she hasn't heard very many bad ideas.

[Anonymouswizard]

Worse, only the awful types are more likely to get weapons and more likely to get the nasty weapons.

I do feel it is unfair to call Ted's idea the worst she's ever heard. Or she hasn't heard very many bad ideas.

To be fair, by my understanding, Tedd's goal is closer to making commercially available wands than having everybody awaken, but that's not clear to Diane who IIRC has exposure to the more dangerous side of magic.

Which has it's own problems, even if wands with destructive spells are regulated, but has significantly fewer problems than having everybody awaken. It's probably also affected by Tedd being used to honestly pretty harmless transformation spells, so their view is probably closer to 'once we can raise everybody's magic resistance to avoid uncosential zapping we can sell Hedgehog forms'. And we don't have any evidence that wands help one awaken, but until we have proof otherwise it's possible that destructive, or worse mind-effecting, spells will begin to become more common.

So probably not the worst idea, but still pretty bad until magic is better understood.

[Rater202]

To be fair, by my understanding, Tedd's goal is closer to making commercially available wands than having everybody awaken, but that's not clear to Diane who IIRC has exposure to the more dangerous side of magic.

Which has it's own problems, even if wands with destructive spells are regulated, but has significantly fewer problems than having everybody awaken. It's probably also affected by Tedd being used to honestly pretty harmless transformation spells, so their view is probably closer to 'once we can raise everybody's magic resistance to avoid uncosential zapping we can sell Hedgehog forms'. And we don't have any evidence that wands help one awaken, but until we have proof otherwise it's possible that destructive, or worse mind-effecting, spells will begin to become more common.

So probably not the worst idea, but still pretty bad until magic is better understood.

If Wands help people awaken, we know that what you're doing when you "level up" can influence what kind of spells you get as much s your personal nature does.

If someon'es idea of magic is based on playing around with harmless transformation wands and they leveled up their magic by playing harmless transformation wands, then chances are they're getting harmless transformation spells.

If not, then it still normalizes magic and give people the idea that it's harmless, which could result in people who are on the fence morally getting spells that aren't as problematic.

[Radar]

The way I see it, anyone can cause serious harm and destruction with commonly available items, yet very, very few people try that. For one, most people are not sociopaths, but even those that are, think of the consequences as those kind of deeds are severly punished. The more dangerous would be subtle spells like mind reading and control. Clever and manipulative people can be dangerous even without magic. If they got spells reflecting their personality and desires it could cause huge problems. It is also a matter of being able to catch magic criminals and so on.

And even if it was possible to ramp up everyones magic resistance, it is not nearly enough, since it is very easy to circumvent it: magical explosives could still destroy buildings and being buried under ruble is not at all magical. Simple telekinesis could be used to slip some poison or mind-altering substances to someones food or drink and so on. Remote viewing spells like Sarah's do not even rely on affecting humans and are still dangerous in wrong hands.

It is always possible to adapt to new circumstances as humanity did for thousands of years, but this takes time and there will be a lot of unforseen problems coming up.

[Rater202]

I want the Elliot panel as a reaction image.

I know he's supposed to be mad but it just makes me think he's achieved grumpiness critical mass.