Morning 2012-12-10

[Wdot]

@Julie
Yes, the comic has gotten bloodier of late, but that is because of the focus. We now have two vampires in the picture. Before we had the GGGs who though supernatural were introduced as a bunch of drunk sorority girls... hardly a threat until we got to know them more and by that time we knew them enough that we were not threatened. Bud, Brandy and Jin probably don't need to eat, but when they do it's food people eat. (I'm grouping Tepoz in here.)

The next supernatural we meet is Phix in her sphinx form. She's scary, but after the riddle thing, acts more like an upper class aunt Tea anyone? When we finally find out what she preys on (demons) it doesn't directly affect us the reader. Do you know any demons and if you do would you begrudge Phix eating them? When she does something really horrific, it isn't to a human, but another sphinx and even so it was terrible.

However now we have vampires and all the things that go with them. They are here on earth, not The Library Realm. And vampires don't eat demons in some far away place that you and I can't get to. They eat/drink humans and their blood. Coming from Phix to Shelly they're mosquitos that she shouldn't feel bad about swatting. So you get the idea that they are plentiful and a nuisance (at least to the powerful crowd Monica runs with) but a dangerous nuisance to regular people. Also, we're shown something horrific right away about the vampires we meet. We didn't know Suzi very well when we see her eat someone. So as long as there is focus on these two, "There will be blood. " Milkshake anyone?

[Fairportfan]

Aaand that was part of why I was disturbed. I was having trouble deciding if it was McBride or Becky because of the donut comment.

The gun on the nightstand should have been a giveaway.

I was too disturbed to notice that kind of detail.

Suzi is, presumably, a trained law enforcement officer.

Leaving a gun on a nightstand that way (though i figure Paul did it for narrative reasons, to tip the character's identity) is generally considered a Bad Idea.

[Dave11]

@Fairport: Normally, I'd agree with you. Seeing what she is...I dunno. I'd assume she left it with the safety off and the chamber empty. For all we know, she has a good reason to want it available instantly.

[bmonk]

That's just... disturbing.

I know right? What kind of vampire hangs someone from their feet? All the blood's just pooling in his head. Hang by the wrists and cut the ankles, not the other way around.

true, the blood pools in the head, but there are advantages to it. All that's needed now is some kind of spigot with a tap and a sharpened pipe, jammed into the neck, piercing both carotid arteries.

Presto! Vampire beer-fest.

This also has the advantage of getting more brain-related proteins into the blood, for when vampires are having zombies over for a party.

[bmonk]

Unexpected color in the strip today.

What I find interesting is a vampire who feels the need to have a handgun on her bedside table. One would think anything a vamp couldn't deal with barehanded might not be fazed much by a .45 slug. But maybe they're silver bullets...

Maybe so. But, as a Federal Agent, she may be required to have a handgun, and to keep it with her when out of a secure facility.

[Boxilar]

Unexpected color in the strip today.

What I find interesting is a vampire who feels the need to have a handgun on her bedside table. One would think anything a vamp couldn't deal with barehanded might not be fazed much by a .45 slug. But maybe they're silver bullets...

Maybe so. But, as a Federal Agent, she may be required to have a handgun, and to keep it with her when out of a secure facility.

I think firearms may be a bit underrated in a lot of fantasy. We saw Pratt head into the warehouse in full professional cop mode with her Barretta at the ready. That tells me that firearms are effective on things that could otherwise overpower a vampire.

We know that McBride was strong enough to overpower and kill (and eat) an adult human male, but honestly, that wouldn't take much. If she had the proportionate strength of a big cat, coupled with her carnivore teeth, that'd be plenty to prey on humans.

Lily said vampires are at the bottom of the food chain, which means there are things out there that could take a vamp in a one on one fight that still might be vulnerable to a .40 caliber slug, especially if it were "enhanced" somehow.

[jwhouk]

@Julie
Yes, the comic has gotten bloodier of late...

"Of late"????

Oh boy, you are late for the party.

http://wapsisquare.com/comic/takenaway/

[illiad]

@Julie
Yes, the comic has gotten bloodier of late...

"Of late"????

Oh boy, you are late for the party.

http://wapsisquare.com/comic/takenaway/

erm, not much blood there... lots of menace, but no blood... I'm sure whouk meant 'actual' blood, not implied... :/

[jwhouk]

I would contend that if you start there and read that whole "QODY" arc, you'd see - there's been blood in this strip for some time.

Oh, and how about the cover of the third Wapsi book, "The Timekeeper's Daughter"?

[Boxilar]

Regarding the blood, or presence or lack of it through the run of the comic, I think what we have is genre shift

If you search for Wapsi on the internet, the tag line that pops up is "supernatural slice of life". I'd argue the comic has shifted away from that.

Early on it was straight up slice of life, and with the Introduction of Tepoz, it shifted to light modern fantasy slice of life. When the Golem Girls showed up, the modern fantasy got locked down. The GGs backstories made things more serious but in spite of the occasional horrific moment, I don't feel the comic crossed the PG13 threshold. It came close a few times, but remember, the horror benchmark for PG13 was a guy having his heart pulled out of his chest while it was still beating.

When we saw Phix kill and eat a rival in a moment of rage, I think we crossed the line into Rated R territory, and with the running theme of monsters trying, and sometimes failing, to control their base impulses, I'd say the genre has shifted, at least for a while, to Modern Fantasy Horror.

I'm personally okay with that, but I think the comic should be tagged for what it is.

This, of course, is only my opinion and may be taken for what it's worth. Bucket of warm spit, ext.

[illiad]

I would contend that if you start there and read that whole "QODY" arc, you'd see - there's been blood in this strip for some time.

Oh, and how about the cover of the third Wapsi book, "The Timekeeper's Daughter"?

nice..... only problem is, in the strips, you cannot see much in back and white... now if they were colored, I would def. buy a 'dead tree' one... :p

[bmonk]

I think firearms may be a bit underrated in a lot of fantasy. We saw Pratt head into the warehouse in full professional cop mode with her Barretta at the ready. That tells me that firearms are effective on things that could otherwise overpower a vampire.

I like that in Traveller RPG, firearms are still the most cost-effective and handy weapons around, in most cases. Similarly in Firefly/Serenity, which was so close to Traveller in spirit.

[Boxilar]

I think firearms may be a bit underrated in a lot of fantasy. We saw Pratt head into the warehouse in full professional cop mode with her Barretta at the ready. That tells me that firearms are effective on things that could otherwise overpower a vampire.

I like that in Traveller RPG, firearms are still the most cost-effective and handy weapons around, in most cases. Similarly in Firefly/Serenity, which was so close to Traveller in spirit.

In D20 modern, they reduced the effective range of the firearms to give the melee characters a chance. It didn't help. A Gunslinger with a pair of Glock17s and the two weapon fighting tree owned the combat in that system.

[Bathorys Daughter]

Regarding the blood, or presence or lack of it through the run of the comic, I think what we have is genre shift

If you search for Wapsi on the internet, the tag line that pops up is "supernatural slice of life". I'd argue the comic has shifted away from that.

Early on it was straight up slice of life, and with the Introduction of Tepoz, it shifted to light modern fantasy slice of life. When the Golem Girls showed up, the modern fantasy got locked down. The GGs backstories made things more serious bit in spite of the occasional horrific moment, I don't feel the comic crossed the PG13 threshold. It came close a few times, but remember, the horror benchmark for PG13 was a guy having his heart pulled out of his chest while it was still beating.

When we saw Phix kill and eat a rival in a moment of rage, I think we crossed the line I.to Rated R territory and with the running theme of monsters trying, and sometimes failing, to control their based impulses, I'd say the genre has shifted, at least for a while, to Modern Fantasy Horror.

I'm personally okay with that, but I think the comic should be tagged for what it is.

This, of course, is only my opinion and may be taken for what it's worth. Bucket of warm spit, ext.

Well, we didn't really see Phix eat her, but I agree. The point is not about what is going on so much as the turn the series has taken. We have had a LOT more real-time bloody slaughter and bloody aftermath than in the past. While the comic has had a dark overtone for some time now, it has not overwhelmed the story as a whole. Until now, that is. The sheer fact Paul has introduced vampires and all that goes with them, is a turning point. Especially one who is unrepentant in her past ways and continues to practice them. Not to mention graphically showing what happens when a loved character like Phix is found to be "flawed" in such a visceral way. Even that was happening to a non-human creature. We seem to have turned a corner many other series have. Wapsi had been unique in it's near absence of such things and a concentration on story strangeness. The "in your face" moments of the past were mostly in line with a jolting supernatural turn of events, not blood and guts. The bit of B&G that was shown was fleeting and a one-shot deal. Now it's arc after arc and doesn't seem like it's going to let up. In actuality, the stage is now set for more and more of the same. Maybe even werewolves joining in as antagonists. Given Justin's comments on them, they seem like a bad sort. It would be really interesting to see his Ex-WereGF turn up.

That being said, it would appear that, this time, the use of B&G is very different. Not murder or other savagery as before, but to do some sort of supernatural forensic work. Not unlike any other autopsy. She may simply be cleaning the organs at the moment. The morgue attendant gave her some enzyme cleaner after all. I suppose it's not something she can do with witnesses. Well, maybe she could but then she would have to eat them.

[Mark N]

That being said, it would appear that, this time, the use of B&G is very different. Not murder or other savagery as before, but to do some sort of supernatural forensic work. Not unlike any other autopsy. She may simply be cleaning the organs at the moment. The morgue attendant gave her some enzyme cleaner after all. I suppose it's not something she can do with witnesses. Well, maybe she could but then she would have to eat them.

Actually enzyme cleaner is used to clean crime scenes of blood so she would probably use it to clean her bathroom so no trace of blood can be found or, in her case, smelled. Under normal circumstances not much can get rid of all traces of blood as Luminol tends to prove. If she can't get rid of all traces then her morning shower is gonna make here real hungry with the scent of blood .

I am going to stick to my idea that this is a process to get info about our girl from some trace memory in her blood or body.

[Opus the Poet]

I can't believe NONE of you got the reference! =P

I got it, I just didn't have full access for the forum from the computer I was using at the time.

And I liked the commercial where he met himself coming home as he was leaving the best...

[Yamara]

Considering McBride has been doing this since at least the 1890's, she's hardly a "budding" vampire.

Looking closer, I'm very curious about the art print hanging in her bedroom. Not sure why. (also...are those SMURFS on her pyjamas??)

The wall hanging COULD be a city map...

Chi Rho page of the Book of Kells.

http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/a ... _large.jpg

So we're back to Ireland.

[jwhouk]

Well, she DOES have an Irish last name (McBride)...

[NOTDilbert]

Well, she DOES have an Irish last name (McBride)...

AHA! Another nickle dropped.....
Sean Connery played a man named McBride in the Disney movie, "Darby O'gill and the Little People", which featured Leprechauns, a Phooka, a Bain-Sidhe (Banshee), and The Black Mariah, driven by the Headless Coahman, which came to carry Darby off after he traded his life for his daughter's....
One of the first real movie scares im my young life.

[NOTDilbert]

Well, she DOES have an Irish last name (McBride)...

AHA! Another nickle dropped.....
Sean Connery played a man named McBride in the Disney movie, "Darby O'gill and the Little People", which featured Leprechauns, a Phooka, a Bain-Sidhe (Banshee), and The Black Mariah, driven by the Headless Coachman, which came to carry Darby off after he traded his life for his daughter's....
One of the first real movie scares im my young life.