Questionable Content XX: XXX?

[Wraith]

Welcome to the latest installment of discussion threads for Questionable Content, a M-F "slice of life" comic in which life is defined by coffee, robots, Butts Disease, and spontaneous metal interludes.

You have been warned.

Links To The Past:

Spoiler

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Questionable Content 1
Questionable Content 2: Espresso With Extra Scorn
Questionable Content 3: Ironically Quite Popular
Questionable Content 4: Attack of the 60-Inch AnthroPC
Questionable Content 5: Suffers Occasional Outbreaks of Butt's Disease
Questionable Content 6: Murder Mode
Questionable Content 7: Will Work For Makeouts
Questionable Content 8: OMG I SHIP IT!
Questionable Content 9: To Kill a Yelling Bird
Questionable Content 10: La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo
Questionable Content 11: It's Like Seeing a Unicorn
Questionable Content 12: Artificial Unintelligence
Questionable Content 13: It's YOU Who Is The Dork!
Questionable Content 14: I Deserve A Fancy Butt Emblem
Questionable Content XVI: Yes, Butt
Questionable Content XVII: "My Brain Is Trash And I Live On The Internet"
Questionable Content XVIII: "That's only sort of good news"
Questionable Content XIX: Give Jeph Just A *Little* Credit, Here
Questionable Content XX: XXX?

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Last time on Questionable Content: So you remember that poorly-defined job in that terrible place full of horrible people? Perhaps surprisingly, Claire decided that yeah actually, I want a piece of that.

To celebrate, she's having the lamest party in the world that's being attended by some of the most physically irritating and mentally child-like idiots that we could find. And Hannelore. We still like Hannelore.

[Beelzebub1111]

Oh, I'm sure this spin-off with new characters will work out and we'll see them forever down the road. Like the Friends spin-off that starred Joey. (Or maybe they'll get forgotten about once jeph finds a new toy to play with like he did with that mean girl with a crush on Clinton's boyfriend and her autistic roommate)

[Cikomyr2]

Oh, I'm sure this spin-off with new characters will work out and we'll see them forever down the road. Like the Friends spin-off that starred Joey. (Or maybe they'll get forgotten about once jeph finds a new toy to play with like he did with that mean girl with a crush on Clinton's boyfriend and her autistic roommate)

Dont worry. Turns out they'll move to Seattle to have a radio show, but turns out their brother is way better at everything.

[Wraith]

Props to Jeph; That first panel is an unusually detailed and well-scaled perspective. It highlights not just Ayo, but also exactly what she's looking at in a way that QC doesn't normally do. It also includes Willow's boobs which... fine, whatever. B+, good effort and execution but could be more original.

On the downside... It's 6 panels of Ayo being scatterbrained and insecure, so that she can be talked into trying weed. I struggle to care about any part of that sentence.

The best we can hope for is that Liz pukes on and/or headbutts Clinton in the nuts. A call-back to an old joke for the new generation, but this is one hell of a drag to get that far....

[Rodin]

I find the weed storylines some of the most boring in the whole comic. I don’t want to sit there and watch someone get high in real life, why would I want to in a comic?

The previous boozy equivalent storylines generally had funny stuff related to it, like reverse-strip-Scrabble. The weed ones thus far have been “haha, aren’t high people funny?”

[Ionathus]

I find the weed storylines some of the most boring in the whole comic. I don’t want to sit there and watch someone get high in real life, why would I want to in a comic?

The previous boozy equivalent storylines generally had funny stuff related to it, like reverse-strip-Scrabble. The weed ones thus far have been “haha, aren’t high people funny?”

The previous equivalents were helped a lot by, as you said, other things happening in the scene.

Faye, Dora, Marten, and Hannelore being drunk at their apartment was fun because they had fun banter, or they got up to shenanigans. The fact that they were drunk wasn't the comedy, it was a force multiplier on the comedic content (or at least a reason to push them towards funny actions).

But every story in a similar vein recently has had the intoxication as the attempted source of comedy, like you said. Which is just not funny on its own -- and wouldn't change if you swapped the weed for alcohol. Granted, high people are a lot more navel-gazey than drunk people, in my experience, so it's possibly worse. But the basic mechanics of the scene are just lazier and less developed. "Ha ha intoxication" doesn't have a lot of staying power.

[Rodin]

The previous equivalents were helped a lot by, as you said, other things happening in the scene.

Faye, Dora, Marten, and Hannelore being drunk at their apartment was fun because they had fun banter, or they got up to shenanigans. The fact that they were drunk wasn't the comedy, it was a force multiplier on the comedic content (or at least a reason to push them towards funny actions).

But every story in a similar vein recently has had the intoxication as the attempted source of comedy, like you said. Which is just not funny on its own -- and wouldn't change if you swapped the weed for alcohol. Granted, high people are a lot more navel-gazey than drunk people, in my experience, so it's possibly worse. But the basic mechanics of the scene are just lazier and less developed. "Ha ha intoxication" doesn't have a lot of staying power.

Yeah, come to think of it the booze party on Cubetown was a similarly damp squib. Other than Liz sexually harassing the security guard lady and an unnecessary scene of Liz on the toilet I don’t even remember what the topics of conversation were.

[Beelzebub1111]

"I'm so pitiable but don't pity me. Also, Show me naked photos of your partner without their consent. Also, in case you forgot, I'm Dutch."

This conversation is all over the place, but I prefer it to "lol weed".

I think it's feels like Jeph is randomly remembering personality traits of his characters and injecting them randomly at the ends of conversations. Like "She's sad I should express those feelings. Oh Right! She's a gremlin who's also a bit of a sex pest but in like a funny way because she's a girl. Also she's from the Netherlands and has an accent, I just remembered that but only have one panel of dialogue left. I can make that work. I'm a genius who doesn't need to draft my scripts. Just let it flow from pen to page."

[BRC]

I think I've figured out why this, and other recent drunk/party scenes don't work compared to the ancient ones from the Coffee of Doom days.

In the old QC, the characters were friends. Much of the run time was spent with them doing mundane activities and bantering back and forth. That was the comic's bread and butter. Two or three characters passing the time by making conversation.

As a result, when they all got together and got drunk, that same dynamic would continue, only the characters are drunk now. They'd be goofier and more open with each other, they'd let their guards down a bit more, their snappy comebacks would get lost a bit in a boozy haze, but it would still be funny, because the interactions were all rooted firmly in these characters, who had been established and developed with enough subtly that they could bounce off each other in this way.

Consider this page I got to randomly:

https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=978

It's dialogue heavy, and very driven by the central joke, but each character's voices are established well enough that they come through even with dialogue that's just the characters telling a dumb joke together.

Dora adding details to this hypothetical physicist-porno sounds different from Faye adding details sounds different from Martin adding details. Hannalore doesn't really participate in the joke, that's not her character, but she's comfortable joking with her friends and comments on it in her own voice and very much from her own perspective. It works quite well. We know these characters, they're hanging out trying to amuse each other, and in the process, amuse us, the audience.


I did a quick click through of this party, which has been going on for about 20 pages, and I don't think I encountered a single instance of the characters hanging out trying to have fun with each other. All dialogue and action has been, in some way, purpose-driven. Ayo and Claire are trying to manage the party, Iris is sulking but doing whatever Willow says, Liz is rotating between her three character traits (Horrible Gremlin, Uptight Scientist, European). Clinton is being pretty true to himself, but at no instance do we have the characters just kind of hanging out and trying to have fun with each other in a way that the audience can appreciate. They get drunk and high, but we're not getting drunk and high with them.

The closest thing I think I've encountered as far as "Characters hanging out" is this
https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5289
With Ayo and Claire's conversation. But even then it's a purpose-driven conversation, Claire is trying to understand Willow and Iris's dynamic.


And, like, there's nothing WRONG with purpose-driven comics. Even in the "Golden Age" they probably made up like 50% of all the individual pages, but those meandering banter-filled comics were not only what Jeph was best at writing, they also did a ton of work as far as defining the characters and establishing that yes, these people are friends who have a good time hanging out together.

As-is, everybody in this party is a collection of character traits and desires, but they don't feel like PEOPLE the way the older QC characters do.

That Seinfeldian "Nothing is happening but we're watching anyway" magic is gone.


While writing up this post, in the middle of the party we get this page:
https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5285

It's a cutaway to martin, Faye, and bubbles. And it feels a lot more natural than the party sequence. Three characters with well-established personalities and voices hanging out and letting those dynamics and voices produce some jokes.


I'm not saying Jeph needs to go back to the same 5 characters in a coffee shop forever. I think he just needs to let his characters be a bit more grounded for a while and act like they're genuinely enjoying each other's company so he can develop their voices beyond a list of personality traits.

[Beelzebub1111]

A hint of selfish gremlin behavior, then a pitiable backstory where we learn that she hasn't had arms since elementary school. (By the way it took me two reads to notice that she didn't have arms in the flashback. I was really confused).

Now this will he a good opportunity for clinton to share the story about the firecracker and for them to bond over childhood injuries.

If i were writing it I would iuse it as an opportunity to frame it as Clinton taking the hit to save Claire though she doesn't know it. Inspiring Luz to tell her arms story or if there is no story and she never had them and se talkscabout how annoying it is when people ask. Then it ends with liz giving claire a drunken punch in the arm with a "be nicer to your brother"

However this is unlikely. Because it would would mean addressing a flaw with claire

[Rodin]

A hint of selfish gremlin behavior, then a pitiable backstory where we learn that she hasn't had arms since elementary school. (By the way it took me two reads to notice that she didn't have arms in the flashback. I was really confused).

Now this will he a good opportunity for clinton to share the story about the firecracker and for them to bond over childhood injuries.

If i were writing it I would iuse it as an opportunity to frame it as Clinton taking the hit to save Claire though she doesn't know it. Inspiring Luz to tell her arms story or if there is no story and she never had them and se talkscabout how annoying it is when people ask. Then it ends with liz giving claire a drunken punch in the arm with a "be nicer to your brother"

However this is unlikely. Because it would would mean addressing a flaw with claire

The cat story just raises further questions. I’ve already questioned how the heck a super genius like Liz was in normal classes when she’s supposed to get two PhDs by 18 (which would necessitate being at university by what, age 12? 14?). Now we find out that she had no arms, and apparently no prosthetics either. How was Liz in the general school population? With no permanent assistant assigned to help with things like opening doors and taking notes and eating lunch and all the millions of things that are impossible with no digits?

[Mechalich]

A hint of selfish gremlin behavior, then a pitiable backstory where we learn that she hasn't had arms since elementary school. (By the way it took me two reads to notice that she didn't have arms in the flashback. I was really confused).

Now this will he a good opportunity for clinton to share the story about the firecracker and for them to bond over childhood injuries.

If i were writing it I would iuse it as an opportunity to frame it as Clinton taking the hit to save Claire though she doesn't know it. Inspiring Luz to tell her arms story or if there is no story and she never had them and se talkscabout how annoying it is when people ask. Then it ends with liz giving claire a drunken punch in the arm with a "be nicer to your brother"

However this is unlikely. Because it would would mean addressing a flaw with claire

Her having lost the arms in some sort of childhood accident is the more likely explanation, since a child with such a severe congenital disability is simply highly unlikely to have been born in The Netherlands in this century (this is simply a statistical observation, it is not intended to imply any sort of political judgment).

Also, I find it very strange to imagine Liz attending school without some kind of prothesis. Sure, maybe bionic options weren't available when she was a kid, but basic artificial hands have existed for centuries, and while they certainly have limitations, they are still powerfully enabling. The way she's drawn in panel 4 of comic #5298 she'd struggle to perform almost any task without considerable assistance. I mean, assuming the classrooms in whatever school she's in have doors, in order to sneak into the classroom with the cat she'd have to open the door using her teeth.

Everything about Liz is a mess. The whole lack of arms bit makes her social isolation on Cubetown even more inexplicable. Her situation pretty much mandates regular medical appointments to check the interface point and have her medication checked, and she's probably been in counseling for most of her life. This is the kind of person who, if she drifted into self-destructive seclusion, would rapidly trigger all kinds of alarm bells.

[Errorname]

The cat story just raises further questions. I’ve already questioned how the heck a super genius like Liz was in normal classes when she’s supposed to get two PhDs by 18 (which would necessitate being at university by what, age 12? 14?). Now we find out that she had no arms, and apparently no prosthetics either. How was Liz in the general school population? With no permanent assistant assigned to help with things like opening doors and taking notes and eating lunch and all the millions of things that are impossible with no digits?

I would assume some sort of fancy private school situation.

[Wraith]

I would assume some sort of fancy private school situation.

Apparently she went to school with a millionaire baroness/countess/whatever, which implies that Liz' family have the sort of money and influence needed to send their kid to a private school attended by low-level royalty - you don't get sent to that sort of school by money alone. For reference, a similar sort of school in the UK would cost £15,000 GBP per week not including optional fees (St. George's Ascot for reference - famously attended by some of our C-tier royal family).

Don't get me wrong, being born without arms entitles you to a LOT of leeway, but at the same time this "liz had a hard childhood uwu isn't she such a smol bean" kind of backstory is actively turning me against her - it's just so blatantly, nakedly an attempt to mine for sympathy that I feel like I should rebel against it. All I'm seeing is that she felt so entitled to pet someone else's cat that she cornered it in it's safety crate and made it lash out to defend itself, this isn't a good story about Liz!*

* Just to be clear, I'm exaggerating for comedic effect, and this should not necessarily be interpreted as petitioning for MORE mauling of disabled children. Well... not OTHER children, anyway....

[MoonCat]

Psst, at George's the fees for someone who boards all week are GBP 15,000 per term. You've multiplied the cost by 13.


That being said, while you can find posh people in most expensive schools (source: I teach in one), you can absolutely just get in on money alone, and with Liz's alleged brains she could definitely get in one with a combination of some money and possibly some scholarship awards. Somehow, all that is the least weird thing about today's strip.

But I'm still hung up on her trying to see a stranger's boyfriend's nudes, and how Clinton seemingly entertains the idea, and how Jeph seems to have no compunctions about Liz being a complete sex pest.

I think her harrassing Bubbles was so badly received he was forced to address it in-comic, but since then Jeph has not only considered it acceptable to ask the girls at the party to cover up to avoid another boob incident, but now has her doing this creepy garbage re. Eliot.

[geoduck]

Her having lost the arms in some sort of childhood accident is the more likely explanation, since a child with such a severe congenital disability is simply highly unlikely to have been born in The Netherlands in this century (this is simply a statistical observation, it is not intended to imply any sort of political judgment).

Also, I find it very strange to imagine Liz attending school without some kind of prothesis. Sure, maybe bionic options weren't available when she was a kid, but basic artificial hands have existed for centuries, and while they certainly have limitations, they are still powerfully enabling. The way she's drawn in panel 4 of comic #5298 she'd struggle to perform almost any task without considerable assistance. I mean, assuming the classrooms in whatever school she's in have doors, in order to sneak into the classroom with the cat she'd have to open the door using her teeth.

Re: the Netherlands, you think that Jeph does any sort of research before drawing these?

And when that comic originally appeared, it evidently had no depiction of the event, just Liz describing it. People then complained on Patreon about how could a cat-bite infect a mechanical arm? And so Jeph did a hasty backfill with her arms, which led to all the problems you list. (And to add one, the teachers let the cat-petting be limited to the popular kids?!)

I wouldn't be surprised if Liz is totally lying about all of this, and that other Hannalore doesn't even exist, or wasn't nearly the monster we've had described.

[Shogo]

It would seem she was in fact born with only her upper arms.

Still left wondering how she didn't have even the most basic of prosthetics.

[Beelzebub1111]

It would seem she was in fact born with only her upper arms.

Still left wondering how she didn't have even the most basic of prosthetics.

To be fair, petting a fluffy cat isn't something you could do with a prosthetic, or at least not in a way that would feel good for you or the cat. At the very least she should have had one on to open the cat box.

[Gnoman]

This prosthetic-bonding feels very natural and reasonable - it is pointless but very character-driven.

[Keltest]

It would seem she was in fact born with only her upper arms.

Still left wondering how she didn't have even the most basic of prosthetics.

Maybe she did. The really basic ones can be put on and taken off like anything else, so its possible she just didnt wear them all the time. Especially to get actual tactile sensation like petting a cat.

[Yuki Akuma]

This was a good strip. Tiny bit of world building - they use the same tests on prosthetic robot arms as we use for robot arms in reality, makes sense - and some character bonding. Was nice.

[Beelzebub1111]

This prosthetic-bonding feels very natural and reasonable - it is pointless but very character-driven.

I wouldn't call it pointless. Character is the bread and butter of this comic. This is a nice thing where we learn about the characters and the world. Honestly I have to say that this is the best page in weeks.

[Mechalich]

This was a good strip. Tiny bit of world building - they use the same tests on prosthetic robot arms as we use for robot arms in reality, makes sense - and some character bonding. Was nice.

Prosthetic robot arms, 'bionic arms' as the various companies hyping them seem to have chosen to go with, are no longer mere science fiction and exist, with limitations, as a real medical technology.

The ability to supply prosthetics for Liz, however, is science fiction, since if she truly was born without the neural pathways (which isn't how that works but whatever) there would be nothing to bond the interface too and some very substantial breakthroughs in nerve regeneration would be necessary to make that happen.

There's also the issue that, if Liz spent three years in time-consuming physical therapy - and good for her btw, that takes real dedication - how on Earth did she have the time to complete two PhDs by the age of 17? There's only so many hours in the day.

[georgie_leech]

Prosthetic robot arms, 'bionic arms' as the various companies hyping them seem to have chosen to go with, are no longer mere science fiction and exist, with limitations, as a real medical technology.

The ability to supply prosthetics for Liz, however, is science fiction, since if she truly was born without the neural pathways (which isn't how that works but whatever) there would be nothing to bond the interface too and some very substantial breakthroughs in nerve regeneration would be necessary to make that happen.

There's also the issue that, if Liz spent three years in time-consuming physical therapy - and good for her btw, that takes real dedication - how on Earth did she have the time to complete two PhDs by the age of 17? There's only so many hours in the day.

Maybe she spent the days growing nerves studying

[Keltest]

Aaaand were back to "haha, people doing drugs is funny, right guys?"

[Beelzebub1111]

Aaaand were back to "haha, people doing drugs is funny, right guys?"

Can't linger on anything interesting or character building for too long. People might start to set their expectations too high.

[Agi Hammerthief]

Aaaand were back to "haha, people doing drugs is funny, right guys?"

have you ever entertained the idea that „if you don’t think it’s funny, it wasn’t supposed to be funny.“ ?

[Rodin]

have you ever entertained the idea that „if you don’t think it’s funny, it wasn’t supposed to be funny.“ ?

In a gag-a-day comic one generally does expect an attempt at humor. If there isn’t meant to be a joke there would usually be something dramatic happening.

Seriously, if it’s not meant to be funny, what IS it meant to be?

Because to me this reads like the same “person tries something they don’t like” joke Jeph has recycled at least 3 times now.

[Keltest]

have you ever entertained the idea that „if you don’t think it’s funny, it wasn’t supposed to be funny.“ ?

Besides the fact that jeph has a tendency to chortle at pages like this in his little comment at the bottom, if it's not funny its... nothing. It doesn't develop characterization, it doesn't further the plot. It isn't interesting on its own merits.


Frankly, assuming a bad joke is the more charitable option. A bad joke failing to land is just a bad joke, not really a problem, but several pages of literally pointless content are a waste of his time and ours.