The Legacy of Dominic Deegan: The Unending Snark

[random11]

I don't think they are trying to manipulate him (mainly because he has very little to offer)

I think it's just two factions with ideological differences about how to use the information, and who to share it with.
In a way, Snout is being used, but just as a captive audience with no previous knowledge about both of them, so both sides use him more to prove they are right than to actually USE snout.

It's like having two friends who argue about politics or any other subject, and they are both trying to convince you about a subject you don't really care about, but what they are actually doing is just argue between each other and you are just the excuse to reopen the subject.

[PraetorDragoon]

I actually like these last few pages. It makes things less straightforward and it feels like Snouts deafness is actually adding things to the story.

[random11]

I actually like these last few pages. It makes things less straightforward and it feels like Snouts deafness is actually adding things to the story.

I kind of dislike this whole dramatic showdown since it's kind of pointless and we all know they will travel together by the end of this part of the story (pretty much in any media with only a few exceptions, not restricted to this comic).
Still, I recognize that is is necessary since the alternative is just being friendly after one stern look by Snout.

However, I don't see how Snout being deaf helps any of this, especially since the diary is used and they pretty much use ink instead of speech bubbles, it could probably go the same route if it was a regular conversation with only minor changes.
The only exception is this page, where NOT knowing the slur words makes it both more dramatic and funnier at the same time, and much better that the usual alternative of modifying known words by a letter or two.

Update

I do like the dramatic banging on the table, but I keep asking why was it such a big secret the witch had to be so vague about it in the first place?

[Celestia]

That's why the Ink Witch hates Avacado? Seems rather petty, honestly.

[Traab]

That's why the Ink Witch hates Avacado? Seems rather petty, honestly.

No, I think I understand this if we look at it a bit deeper. Lets say that you and I are both looking for the meaning of life. You are looking for it to share with everyone, I am looking for it because I want to know. Normally that wouldnt be an issue for us, however, I also dont think anyone else should know and I am actively going around taking any information that could lead to the meaning so nobody else can locate it. Thats what arduak is doing, he is taking the info and making it impossible for others to learn the answer, or at least he seems to be trying to, which means if he succeeds, the ink witch and her crew will never be able to discover the answer themselves.

[Vinyadan]

It's also possible that access to the Dreamscape or lucid dreaming is a path to power that Arudak doesn't want to share. In general, someone who puts chloroform on your face to steal from you isn't someone I consider nice.

Also, do the stains cover the Heart of Magic? I remember that it was important and emitted a lot of light, but nothing else.

[Celestia]

No, I think I understand this if we look at it a bit deeper. Lets say that you and I are both looking for the meaning of life. You are looking for it to share with everyone, I am looking for it because I want to know. Normally that wouldnt be an issue for us, however, I also dont think anyone else should know and I am actively going around taking any information that could lead to the meaning so nobody else can locate it. Thats what arduak is doing, he is taking the info and making it impossible for others to learn the answer, or at least he seems to be trying to, which means if he succeeds, the ink witch and her crew will never be able to discover the answer themselves.

That's assuming that the "legacy of Dominic Deegan" is, in fact, that valuable rather than just a historical curio. Now, we, as the audience, know that's obviously going to be the case, but wht would the characters possibly believe that? If there is a reason, we haven't been given it. As far as we know, this is all about Aramaic wanting an advantage in their monthly Trivial Pursuit games.

[Kantaki]

I'm not sure Ardy is the bad guy.
Okay, knocking Snout out wasn't exactly nice, but if he was actually as bad as the Ink Witch implies wouldn't he have removed him from the playing field in a more permanent fashion?
As for taking the pages, well, they were his originally.

And as long as we don't know what knowledge Ardurak wants to keep to himself we can't judge how bad that is.
Might be he considers it too dangerous, be it by itself or in the wrong hands.
The ink witch might be the type who thinks all knowledge should be available to everyone, including how to summon world-devouring horrors from beneath the starry void.

[Celestia]

I'm not sure Ardy is the bad guy.

It's not like he blew up Snout's house or anything.

[Kantaki]

It's not like he blew up Snout's house or anything.

Wasn't that the ink witch?
Or at least her ink-airship.
I admit I'm still not entirely clear on that sequence of events.

[Celestia]

Wasn't that the ink witch?
Or at least her ink-airship.
I admit I'm still not entirely clear on that sequence of events.

Yeah, that's my point.

[Kantaki]

Yeah, that's my point.

My bad.
I read that as sarcasm.
Hence my confusion.

[Traab]

That's assuming that the "legacy of Dominic Deegan" is, in fact, that valuable rather than just a historical curio. Now, we, as the audience, know that's obviously going to be the case, but wht would the characters possibly believe that? If there is a reason, we haven't been given it. As far as we know, this is all about Aramaic wanting an advantage in their monthly Trivial Pursuit games.

I just threw meaning of life in there at random. Its clearly important enough to both the ink witch and arduak that they are going through with this, and if its important to the ink witch, that explains why arduak going out of his way to make sure nobody else can find the answer would make her so angry. We have no way of knowing if either side is right because we dont know what the big reveal actually is or what its ramifications could be. For all we know, outside the wild edge, dominic deegan is scryer jesus and the focus of a world wide cult with multiple sects. So discovering ANYTHING about him could trigger religious wars that will engulf the multiverse. On the other hand, this could all be over a game of trivial pursuit where arduak and ink witch cant agree what the answer actually is. What matters right now is understanding that this is clearly very important to these two people and part of the story will be learning exactly why.

[Vinyadan]

A gag-a-day comic centering on a deaf guy, called That Deaf Guy: http://www.thatdeafguy.com/?p=99 (from the complete comics thread).

I got the impression that the writer is really deaf. Obviously very different in setting and intent from DD, but I thought it was worth a look.

[Kantaki]

A gag-a-day comic centering on a deaf guy, called That Deaf Guy: http://www.thatdeafguy.com/?p=99 (from the complete comics thread).

Great comic that.
The scuba diving one is pure gold.
Mostly because that kind of logical brain misfire happens to everyone.
My most memorable stunt was thinking I couldn't open the Emergency exit of my school's chemistry lab. Because it was always closed and didn't have a door handle on the outside.
I was inside.

[Celestia]

I don't know what Mookie was going for in that last panel, but Ink Witch is definitely giving Snout the bedroom eyes.

[random11]

I just threw meaning of life in there at random. Its clearly important enough to both the ink witch and arduak that they are going through with this, and if its important to the ink witch, that explains why arduak going out of his way to make sure nobody else can find the answer would make her so angry. We have no way of knowing if either side is right because we dont know what the big reveal actually is or what its ramifications could be. For all we know, outside the wild edge, dominic deegan is scryer jesus and the focus of a world wide cult with multiple sects. So discovering ANYTHING about him could trigger religious wars that will engulf the multiverse. On the other hand, this could all be over a game of trivial pursuit where arduak and ink witch cant agree what the answer actually is. What matters right now is understanding that this is clearly very important to these two people and part of the story will be learning exactly why.

I think it's somewhere in the middle.
If it was perceived as a trivial matter, no one would care.
But if it was something like a major religion, then most likely there would be more than one person chasing the lead, and that person would DEFINITELY have more information about DD and his books.

Not sure about Arduak, if he is working alone and if he only cares about this piece of information, but as for the witch, it looks like she is part of some organization.
So I guess it's something like an organization looking for information about magic of the past, following leads that might or might not lead to something.
the pages Arduak had were just one lead of many things they are looking at, and until something proves it's worth the chase, the ink witch is working on this lead alone.

Update

Appropriate response: Sure, but can you tell me more about the ink witches and their goals?
Likely response: That depends, will I still see you naked in my dreams?

[Celestia]

Who just drinks a random liquid without even bothering to read the label?

I really don't like this page, though, as I guarantee you this will never come up again. Here we have a potential solution to Snout's deafness, but because he drank earwax remover, instead, he's just never going to come back. Now of course, it's entirely possible that she's just a snake oil salesman, anyways, but this is a world with magic, so unless that's made explicit, we have to assume it would have worked. So, from now on, whenever Snout's deafness causes any sort of problem or inconvenience in the plot, just remember that it's now been rendered entirely pointless because of a dumb joke.

This is peak Mookie.

[random11]

Who just drinks a random liquid without even bothering to read the label?

I think he got confused between deaf jokes and blind jokes.

I really don't like this page, though, as I guarantee you this will never come up again. Here we have a potential solution to Snout's deafness, but because he drank earwax remover, instead, he's just never going to come back. Now of course, it's entirely possible that she's just a snake oil salesman, anyways, but this is a world with magic, so unless that's made explicit, we have to assume it would have worked. So, from now on, whenever Snout's deafness causes any sort of problem or inconvenience in the plot, just remember that it's now been rendered entirely pointless because of a dumb joke.

This is peak Mookie.

I'm less harsh here.
Yes, I know, I'm also surprised. Maybe it caught be in a good mood or it's just too hot to be angry.

Anyway, the way I see it is that the "potion" is just an earwax remover and the "cure deafness" is just a commercial for it (which technically does sort of cure a specific type of hearing loss in some cases), so I didn't take it seriously as a potential cure from thew start.
As a result, the only thing I had to be angry about is him just gulping it without thought (btw, how did he pay?), which isn't worth the effort to be mad about.

[babaGAReeb]

is there more orc rape?

[Celestia]

I'm sure magic is probably at play here, but it's physically impossible for a one-winged creature to fly. It's just so distracting.

[lord_khaine]

I'm sure magic is probably at play here, but it's physically impossible for a one-winged creature to fly. It's just so distracting.

Your making the faulty assumption that it is in fact one-winged, just because you can only see one wing

Anyway. That comic was strangely funny. I found the expression on the "badass" winged guy hilarious.

[Kantaki]

I'm sure magic is probably at play here, but it's physically impossible for a one-winged creature to fly. It's just so distracting.

Of course he can't fly with one wing
That's why he's tumbling.

[Celestia]

I know I've said this s bunch, but it is rather suspicious just how frequently Mookie comes up with an excuse to get Snout naked, especially with how these excuses just keep getting flimsier and flimsier.

[random11]

I understand.
Similar to the "travel in the wild zone" updates, Mookie wanted to take a little break and slow things down.

The thing is, that it started with "I need to clear my head".
This could have been a perfect opportunity for just views of the city with Snout in the picture looking distracted.
I was even about to compliment this update, which had much better art than usual.

And then came the "jokes".
One could be forgiven, maybe running into the bull while distracted instead of running from the "potion", but all these one after another breaks the intended atmosphere.

[Celestia]

...This comic is totally leading to a Snout/Ink Witch/Audrak three way, isn't it?

[Kantaki]

Wait.
Just one moment.
Orc guy is actually young?

No, seriously, I thought he was a old man.

[Gez]

I was even about to compliment this update, which had much better art than usual.

That's because Mookie has discovered a new way to grow as a webcomic artist: tracing some GIS result. For example, what happens if you do an image search for "small park"? One of the results is this thoughtful article that comes with a very striking picture of a charming little park.

Now I'm going to leave another link here for your perusal: Edward Hopper's Nighthawks.

[Celestia]

That's because Mookie has discovered a new way to grow as a webcomic artist: tracing some GIS result. For example, what happens if you do an image search for "small park"? One of the results is this thoughtful article that comes with a very striking picture of a charming little park.

Now I'm going to leave another link here for your perusal: Edward Hopper's Nighthawks.

That's definitely not a tracing job. The perspective and shapes are way different. He just used it as a reference image. I'm not one to defend Mookie's art, but I will defend his credibility.

[random11]

I'm pretty much as far from an artist as you can get.
I know tracing is a thing, I know it's sometimes used in comics by certain artists, and I know that it's debatable whether to consider tracing "real art" or not.
But I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between traced and inspired without being told, and I certainly wouldn't be able to find the matching source or even to think about looking for one.

Despite all that, I think that we can all agree that regardless if it was traced or inspired, it still required WAY more effort than the usual art, as well as leading to better looking results.