Girl Genius XXIX: A giant corkboard of continuity madness

[runeghost]

I usually just lurk here, but given the thread number I have to break cover to suggest Girl Genius: XXXenophile Edition.

The recent "Dance of the Seven Snails" did have a certain XXXenophile feel to it as well. And yes, such a perfect opportunity shan't come again. And the word itself is quite innocuous, meaning simply "an individual who is attracted to foreign peoples, manners, or cultures." (And for safety's sake I did some googling on that precise spelling and got mostly covers, which themselves aren't perfectly SFW, but no more so than the comic itself sometimes. See the aforementioned Appassonata Von Mollusc for a recent, prominent example.)

So yes, I suppose count me as a vote for Girl Genius: XXXenophile Edition. If we don't want to lean into the inevitable numbering of the 30th thread (I'm skeptical that, for example, Girl Genius: XXX But it's Ladies Night, is really any better), I'd put in anotherr vote for:
Girl Genius XXX: Why, then you would have Dreen.

[Shining Wrath]

If we aren't going to go with XXXenophile as a stand alone title, but with "XXXenophile: something clever", then I'd like Manga Shoggoth to repost all the nominations received for "something clever".

[Manga Shoggoth]

So yes, I suppose count me as a vote for Girl Genius: XXXenophile Edition. If we don't want to lean into the inevitable numbering of the 30th thread (I'm skeptical that, for example, Girl Genius: XXX But it's Ladies Night, is really any better), I'd put in anotherr vote for:
Girl Genius XXX: Why, then you would have Dreen.

I've put you down for XXXenophile with a side order of Dreen.

Depressingly, I had not noticed the inherent pun in "XXX But it's Ladies Night". Sometimes a XXX is just an XXX.

If we aren't going to go with XXXenophile as a stand alone title, but with "XXXenophile: something clever", then I'd like Manga Shoggoth to repost all the nominations received for "something clever".

I'm not quite sure what you mean here - The full list of titles (the nominations for "something clever") were in my previous post, albiet with the mormal prefix.

If you mean changing the prefix to "Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition:" then doing that now...

EDIT: And once he is drawing his own characters rather than the ones we are used to Phil drawing, Cheyenne's artwork is brilliant.

[Vinyadan]

It sounds like an odd turn for the Heterodyne Boys. They kept the Jaegers, after all, and it's not like they had been doing nice things previously. So it's possible that they had a mind of letting the monsters themselves in peace, maybe giving them new lodgings, and simply destroy what sounds like a massive torture field. Instead, the monster leader fought back. The (assumed) surprise could be because the monsters were still accepted by the people, in spite of their boss openly fighting the Heterodynes.

[Gez]

It sounds like an odd turn for the Heterodyne Boys. They kept the Jaegers, after all, and it's not like they had been doing nice things previously.

The Jägermonsters have a few things that set them apart from generic monsters: they're all volunteers and they're, despite their chaotic tendencies, quite organized since they're basically Mechanicsburg's elite troops. Bill and Barry grew up with Jägermonsters around them in the Castle. They knew them, and how they'd be loyal and obey them even if they didn't order them to go forth and rampage around.

Those other monsters, though? Zero guarantee on any of these points.

[Shining Wrath]

Vote: Girl Genius XXXenophile: Bigger on the outside than the inside.

[Willie the Duck]

Vote: Girl Genius XXXenophile: Bigger on the outside than the inside.

Ooh, "Girl Genius XXXenophile: Bigger on the outside and the inside"

[Manga Shoggoth]

Vote: Girl Genius XXXenophile: Bigger on the outside than the inside.

Already got you down for that - if I recall correctly you proposed it.

Votes at close of play (over here, at least...):

Spoiler: VOTES! (In Memory of Mad Cap'n Tom...)

Show

Title	Votes	Proposer and Voters
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Why, then you would have Dreen	2	HandofShadows, runeghost
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Oh! You're surprised! How charming!	1	Zazu Yen
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Where a Monster can Live Well	1	Ailurus
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: The Mutual Carnage, Shanty and Rum Society	1	Ailurus
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: But it's Ladies Night!	1	Manga Shoggoth
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Ooh--I do like a man who's still alive	1	Ellen
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Bigger on the outside than the inside	2	Shining Wrath, Kantaki
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Bigger on the outside and the inside	1	Willie the Duck
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Monsters are important	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Run them out of town	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Begone Churl or I shall Transfer Your Brain To a Spaniel	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Begone Churl	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Being Too Reasonable	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Desecrate a Sacred Relic	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Clay Tablet Romance Novels	1	Rockphed, Rakaydos
Girl Genius: XXXenophile Edition	9	TheStranger, Squire Doodad, Manga Shoggoth, Rhodin, Traab, The Glyphstone, wingnutx, InvisibleBison, runeghost

EDIT: Willie the Duck added...

[SZbNAhL]

The Jägermonsters have a few things that set them apart from generic monsters: they're all volunteers and they're, despite their chaotic tendencies, quite organized since they're basically Mechanicsburg's elite troops. Bill and Barry grew up with Jägermonsters around them in the Castle. They knew them, and how they'd be loyal and obey them even if they didn't order them to go forth and rampage around.

Those other monsters, though? Zero guarantee on any of these points.

We know that Barry got on with Franz, at least. Then again, he's more of a guardian than a rampager.

Already got you down for that - if I recall correctly you proposed it.

Votes at close of play (over here, at least...):

Spoiler: VOTES! (In Memory of Mad Cap'n Tom...)

Show

Title	Votes	Proposer and Voters
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Why, then you would have Dreen	2	HandofShadows, runeghost
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Oh! You're surprised! How charming!	1	Zazu Yen
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Where a Monster can Live Well	1	Ailurus
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: The Mutual Carnage, Shanty and Rum Society	1	Ailurus
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: But it's Ladies Night!	1	Manga Shoggoth
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Ooh--I do like a man who's still alive	1	Ellen
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Bigger on the outside than the inside	2	Shining Wrath, Kantaki
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Bigger on the outside and the inside	1	Willie the Duck
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Monsters are important	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Run them out of town	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Begone Churl or I shall Transfer Your Brain To a Spaniel	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Begone Churl	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Being Too Reasonable	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Desecrate a Sacred Relic	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Clay Tablet Romance Novels	1	Rockphed, Rakaydos
Girl Genius: XXXenophile Edition	9	TheStranger, Squire Doodad, Manga Shoggoth, Rhodin, Traab, The Glyphstone, wingnutx, InvisibleBison, runeghost

EDIT: Willie the Duck added...

Put me down for Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Clay Tablet Romance Novels. A good title has layers.

[TheStranger]

Put me down for Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Clay Tablet Romance Novels. A good title has layers.

While I still like the simple version, how about Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: In the Center of the Fleshyards?

[Divayth Fyr]

We know that Barry got on with Franz, at least. Then again, he's more of a guardian than a rampager.

I have a feeling at least part of the issue was that the monsters lived in the area where some terrible, terrible stuff went on - and likely participated in it...

And count me in the "Girl Genius: XXXenophile Edition" crowd.

[lord_khaine]

You only get this chance once.
Im also down for "Girl Genius: XXXenophile Edition"
Since the other titles can be used another time.

[Grim Portent]

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if the Boys had basically arrived in Mechanicsburg* full of righteous disgust at the legacy they had inherited and set about trying to destroy all the most egregious parts of the town soon after arriving. The events described don't even necessarily mean they had the Jaegers helping to raze the monster quarter, after all we know they disliked them, but if Bill confronted Jorbelox and got seriously injured then the Jaegers would have leapt in to protect him regardless of any orders to the contrary.

Presumably then once everyone calmed down a bit Bill and Barry actually spoke to the townsfolk and the monsters and tried to fit in a bit and maybe redeem things with words and kindness rather than fire, such as by making Franz his flying machine and other improvements to the town here and there, but eventually gave up on it because it was harder than going off and engaging in heroics. IIRC they barely spent any time in the town, preferring to run off on adventures and avoiding their legacy and leave the town in the hands of Von Mekhan and the Castle.

*Remember that their mother raised them elsewhere, which is the reason they turned out so different to their predecessors.

[Shining Wrath]

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if the Boys had basically arrived in Mechanicsburg* full of righteous disgust at the legacy they had inherited and set about trying to destroy all the most egregious parts of the town soon after arriving. The events described don't even necessarily mean they had the Jaegers helping to raze the monster quarter, after all we know they disliked them, but if Bill confronted Jorbelox and got seriously injured then the Jaegers would have leapt in to protect him regardless of any orders to the contrary.

Presumably then once everyone calmed down a bit Bill and Barry actually spoke to the townsfolk and the monsters and tried to fit in a bit and maybe redeem things with words and kindness rather than fire, such as by making Franz his flying machine and other improvements to the town here and there, but eventually gave up on it because it was harder than going off and engaging in heroics. IIRC they barely spent any time in the town, preferring to run off on adventures and avoiding their legacy and leave the town in the hands of Von Mekhan and the Castle.

*Remember that their mother raised them elsewhere, which is the reason they turned out so different to their predecessors.

In the history of world nobility I think there are many examples of "inherit title, become ruler of a place you have never lived, arrive and dislike it, try and change it". Most of them didn't end well.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Al votes and suggestions noted.

We know that Barry got on with Franz, at least. Then again, he's more of a guardian than a rampager.

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if the Boys had basically arrived in Mechanicsburg* full of righteous disgust at the legacy they had inherited and set about trying to destroy all the most egregious parts of the town soon after arriving. The events described don't even necessarily mean they had the Jaegers helping to raze the monster quarter, after all we know they disliked them, but if Bill confronted Jorbelox and got seriously injured then the Jaegers would have leapt in to protect him regardless of any orders to the contrary.

Presumably then once everyone calmed down a bit Bill and Barry actually spoke to the townsfolk and the monsters and tried to fit in a bit and maybe redeem things with words and kindness rather than fire, such as by making Franz his flying machine and other improvements to the town here and there, but eventually gave up on it because it was harder than going off and engaging in heroics. IIRC they barely spent any time in the town, preferring to run off on adventures and avoiding their legacy and leave the town in the hands of Von Mekhan and the Castle.

*Remember that their mother raised them elsewhere, which is the reason they turned out so different to their predecessors.

If I recall correctly, the boys were raised outside the Castle, not outside Mechanicsberg itself.

From the novels I get the feeling that of the two, Bill was the upfront "punch the evil until it surrenders" half of the twinship, while Barry was the more introspective and thoughtful of the two (remember, of the two of them, just the mention of his name sends Lucrecia into a panic.

Given that I can well see the boys attempting to obliterate the Fleshyards (and that appears to be the only part of town they did), but (especially Barry) still being on good terms with monsters such as Franz.

The novels do mention that it was a difficult transition, but sustained because the Jagers and the Von Mekkahns stayed loyal.

[Rakaydos]

Frankly I think it is tacky. If you prefer, I vote that we use arabic numbers in the thread title.

Girl Genius 30:...enophile Edition

[Rockphed]

Girl Genius 30:...enophile Edition

I'm Rockphed Istaria and I approve this thread title.

[TeChameleon]

Girl Genius 30:...enophile Edition

... that pun is bad enough that I love it automatically. It gets my vote.

[Squire Doodad]

As the "XXXenophile Edition" is a clear winner here, would it not be more prudent to make a new vote to decide which variant we should use?
For instance, I particular like "Girl Genius XXX: 'enophile Edition", as opposed to the less-continuity-compatible "Girl Genius: XXXenophile Edition" or "Girl Genius 30: XXXenophile Edition".


Also, to double check what's going on, because some of the phrasing made it unclear who knew who:
*In the time of the Heterodyne Boys, the Fleshyards and the Monster District - site of many crimes against humanity and immoral experimentation, from what I can tell - were ravaged by the Boys. Guildmaster Jorbelox fought against them, and lived, after which he fled to Rome.
*Doctor Hembelbrogg, the presumably current Guildmaster, saw the whole thing and survived, and then stuck around. The guild was relegated to cheap housing as no one had signed the charter.
*Snakkerjape, an unrelated monster, has not been to Mechanicsburg until recently (presumably he came in just after or before the time stop). I'm not sure if he and Hembelbrogg met while outside of Mechanicsburg (at which point the time stop went off) or if Hembelbrogg was caught in it. Regardless, he did know Jorbelox in Rome. Jorbelox was working as the Pope's Monster, and apparently told him to go to Mechanicsburg after he passed on.
*Snakkerjape met with Hembelbrogg, and is now part of the guild.

Agatha has signed the charter to fund the guild, but everyone is too busy rebuilding the hospital, and so we are at the ucrrent page.

[Shining Wrath]

One possible explanation for the returning key is that someone, somewhere, has the master version, and just makes a new copy as needed. But that would be boring and not Mad Science, so let's see what really happens.

Any building built on the site of the Monster Guild Hall falls down? Well, that sounds like someone is underground and disturbs the foundation. Can't have a proper Monster's Guildhall without unexplored labyrinths beneath it. And we already know from the Jagers that there are tunnels into and out of Mechanicsburg.

[Fyraltari]

I get the impression the "every building falls down" is like the "struck by an invisible hand" back at the fighting girl's tea, cake and rhum society. Everybody knows the monsters won't tolerate another building on that spot and will sabotage any attempt bu everybody chooses not to investigate.

[Shining Wrath]

I get the impression the "every building falls down" is like the "struck by an invisible hand" back at the fighting girl's tea, cake and rhum society. Everybody knows the monsters won't tolerate another building on that spot and will sabotage any attempt bu everybody chooses not to investigate.

If you know the monsters won't tolerate a building, why would you even try? Just to see if they are still around / paying attention?
Also, notice that they DO tolerate a gazebo. That's because the gazebo is one of them.

[Fyraltari]

If you know the monsters won't tolerate a building, why would you even try? Just to see if they are still around / paying attention?
Also, notice that they DO tolerate a gazebo. That's because the gazebo is one of them.

Not like actually everybody, but the vast majority of people, including what passes for police in Mecanigsburg, is what I meant.

Edit: Like, nobody in town would ever disobey the Heterodyne, right? But sometimes, buildings do fall down. So maybe if the buildings there just kept mysteriously falling down, then the Heterodyne would decide not to build a building there without anybody having to tell him not to. That way, nobody steps out of line, nobody loses face and it's all just fiiiiiiine.

[Vinyadan]

https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/com...?date=20071005

Another theory about the Boys acting like that: it's the effect that Mechanicsburg has on the Heterodynes. Which would be another reason for them not wishing to stick around.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Do I see someone in the background taking their snail for a ride? Snails - not just for racing!

One possible explanation for the returning key is that someone, somewhere, has the master version, and just makes a new copy as needed. But that would be boring and not Mad Science, so let's see what really happens.

If it were that sensible, I'd suggest Von Zinzer as the culprit.

As the "XXXenophile Edition" is a clear winner here, would it not be more prudent to make a new vote to decide which variant we should use?
For instance, I particular like "Girl Genius XXX: 'enophile Edition", as opposed to the less-continuity-compatible "Girl Genius: XXXenophile Edition" or "Girl Genius 30: XXXenophile Edition".

I'm going to stay neutral in the matter, although I suspect we are getting too close to that new thread time to do a big shift in the voting method.

For now I'm going to tally the votes as currently listed (Rakaydos - As yours got some clear votes I've added it to the list). If there is enough response on the board in favour I'll rejig the votes accordingly.

Current totals.

Spoiler: VOTES! (In Memory of Mad Cap'n Tom...)

Show

Title	Votes	Proposer and Voters
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Why, then you would have Dreen	2	HandofShadows, runeghost
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Oh! You're surprised! How charming!	1	Zazu Yen
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Where a Monster can Live Well	1	Ailurus
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: The Mutual Carnage, Shanty and Rum Society	1	Ailurus
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: But it's Ladies Night!	1	Manga Shoggoth
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Ooh--I do like a man who's still alive	1	Ellen
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Bigger on the outside than the inside	2	Shining Wrath, Kantaki
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Bigger on the outside and the inside	1	Willie the Duck
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Monsters are important	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Run them out of town	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Begone Churl or I shall Transfer Your Brain To a Spaniel	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Begone Churl	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Being Too Reasonable	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Desecrate a Sacred Relic	1	Rockphed
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: Clay Tablet Romance Novels	3	Rockphed, Rakaydos, SZbNAhL
Girl Genius XXXenophile Edition: In the Center of the Fleshyards	1	TheStranger
Girl Genius 30: ...enophile Edition	3	Rakaydos, Rockphed, TeChameleon
Girl Genius: XXXenophile Edition	11	TheStranger, Squire Doodad, Manga Shoggoth, Rhodin, Traab, The Glyphstone, wingnutx, InvisibleBison, runeghost, Divayth Fyr, lord_khaine

[Ibrinar]

I think this vote is gonna be decided by vote splitting, too many different suggestions will make it hard for any but the basic one to win.

[slayerx]

One possible explanation for the returning key is that someone, somewhere, has the master version, and just makes a new copy as needed. But that would be boring and not Mad Science, so let's see what really happens.

That wouldn't work, since the people who took the copies would still have it. For the mystery to work, the key they took has to go missing as well before a key is found in the dish.

Mad science answer? One of the previous heterodyne masters had trouble finding his keys one day and so he did the most sensible thing he could think of... he built an entire sub system into Der Kestle that's dedicated to finding and returning lost/stolen keys! Even when Der kestle was broken the sub system still kept working. People in mechnicsburgh lose their keys all the time but always eventually find them where they last left them and don't question it and thus do not notice. And the sub system always returns the guildhall key to the where the guildhall once stood

[Manga Shoggoth]

I think this vote is gonna be decided by vote splitting, too many different suggestions will make it hard for any but the basic one to win.

The rules, unofficial though they are, allow you to vote for more than one option, so there is no vote splitting as such.

EDIT: The last discussion on the matter was on Girl Genius XXIV: Ask Vit a Bit More Terror, around pages 47-48.

[Squire Doodad]

I would say Cheyenne is in his element here, keeping way from overly humanoid figures to both cover a different part of the world as well as to not have too much overlap with normal characters whom we are used to seeing in the Fogolio style.


Egon is a most expressive fellow.

[TheStranger]

I’m just thinking about how Van pulled one over on Agatha here. The Guild is one of those relics of the old Heterodynes that the Boys tried to purge, so getting her to renew it as routine paperwork that every Heterodyne has to do once is disingenuous at best, and it’s not an accident that he pulled it out when she was in a mood where she would sign it without much question.

Granted, Agatha probably would have signed the charter anyway as long as it doesn’t license the monsters to eat children or anything. She’s generally been shown as having a little bit of “old Heterodyne” in her. Which is exactly why Van needs to be careful about pulling this sort of thing too much, lest he be turned into a spaniel.