Another time then 2012-10-26

[Fairportfan]

That's about 25 miles accross town from the Museum (Minneapolis Institute of Art). Tina's shop is somewhere in the vicinity.
Yay, for Google maps
https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Clin ... 2&t=m&z=12
Just a hop away for a vampire, apparently

As i said - a smile that makes you remember you are suposed to be elsewhere.

Somewhere far away.

Far, far away.

[Jürgen A. Erhard]

Specs forgot the "and a change of clothes!"

[TlalocW]

Prison for breakfast? They're not even seducing their way into men's (or women's) bedrooms? How disappointing.

[jwhouk]

1. Oak Park Heights is WAY on the other side of the TC area, almost due west from my location here in Wisconsin... Uhm, is Pablo trying to tell me something?

2. Minnesota Correctional Facility at Oak Park Heights is a "supermax" facility, similar to what we have at Boscobel on the other side of the river. That would be roughly 25-30 miles from the U of M campus. And I also think that they MIGHT figure out that their population of about 400 prisoners or so is being sucked dry of blood on a regular basis...

3. Doubt does NOT like it when someone tries to "steal her prey." Thus the protectiveness.

4. Hey, didn't someone ELSE in this strip spend some time up at Red Wing JCF? Wonder if she might have run into these two at some point...

5. I don't know, but I don't think I'd wanna go to a prison for blood. You know how much HIV/Hep A-B stuff might be in that stuff?

[jwhouk]

Prison for breakfast? They're not even seducing their way into men's (or women's) bedrooms? How disappointing.

Sorry, you're looking for "Pibgorn". This is "Wapsi Square".

[lake_wrangler]

Today's comic raises some questions indeed:

- Are the demons protecting Monica for her sake, or theirs?
- While it's been established that demons are not allowed to cause harm to anyone but their host, and that, only indirectly, Specs sure seems intimidated by Doubt... Are demons allowed to harm other beings, when they are supernaturals? Otherwise, there's not much dissuasion when there's no way to enforce it...
- Do all supernaturals see Monica's entourage?
- Would Shelly and Bud (who both qualify for the title of "supernaturals") have been aware of Monica's entourage, or do those only show up to people other than Monica's circle of friends? If they were able to see them, would they have known that they could not get hurt from them, or did they act out in spite of it?


Meanwhile, a random thought, on "dissuasion":

Imagine Elvis subbing for one of Monica's demons...

Elvis: Well hello, there, little layday!
Specs: Please, Sir, may I approach the Demon Shepherd?
Elvis: Sorry, little layday, but mah job is tuh dissuade shoe from gett'n near, even if'n ah have tuh step on you!

Voice-over: Ladies and Gentlemen, Monica has left the building!

Elvis: Well, little layday, my shift's done be over... what say you and ah take a little walk?
Specs: Sure, why not...
Elvis: Thank you, thank you very much...

*Drops a rhinestone into the pun jar*

[Atomic]

Perhaps, as the vampire girls seem to have a very rugged history, they may be on the staff of the prison! Strong, nearly invulnerable, and with pacifying skills to deal with trouble. Plus the occasional nip on the side. Sounds like a career match for an adventuresome pair in between expeditions!

[Julie]

Interesting that the vampires seem to classify a Level Five maximum security prison as a buffet. Guess these vampires don't need to have permission to enter (according to Phix), or maybe it doesn’t qualify as a dwelling.

I would venture that the prison itself is not a "dwelling" per the vampiric rules. The cells are probably the actual "dwellings." Or...if the prision is a dwelling, there's always the excersize yard where the meals...errr...prisoners are outside and easy to reach.

I hope you're right about the feeding yet not killing thing. It would be the only saving grace for them if they do feed on the prisoners. Otherwise I will be taking an instant and visceral dislike to these characters. Still, just because they are prisoners and bad guys would not excuse the vampires. At least to me it would not make it all ok. I'm hoping Paul has a better plot device than that given how he has treated the others who were merciless killers of humans yet are no longer. We can have sympathy for them in their present circumstance. I doubt we would have much for them if they were still murdering people. Even bad people. I wouldn't, anyway. That was an aspect of "Stranger in a Strange Land" that ruined the story for me (yes, I am anti-capital punishment too).

The vampires may be another group we have to view from a perspective of "may not have same moral or ethical standards as humans" like we had to view the sphinx (sphinxes?). If they are not created from humans, but are actually born as vampires, then they could have a very different societal structure than we do, in spite of their humanoid appearance. *shrug*

Also, the thing to remember is that humans are their food source. Saying that the killing of their food source is wrong is tantamount to saying that lions shouldn't feed on antelopes or zebras. Yes, I know that the arguement is supposed to be different because humans are a sentient species...and it may be because of that fact that they only kill prisoners (or maybe you and NotDilbert are right and they only take a little so as not to kill), but that doesn't change the fact that they are above us in the food chain. What you see as murder, they see as dinner. I don't feel like eating steak makes me a cow murderer (though I know some Vegatarian/Vegan folks who would tell me otherwise), and I'd be willing to bet that there are vampires out there in the Wapsi-verse who feel the same way about getting their nom on with a nice plump housewife.

[Julie]

Perhaps, as the vampire girls seem to have a very rugged history, they may be on the staff of the prison! Strong, nearly invulnerable, and with pacifying skills to deal with trouble. Plus the occasional nip on the side. Sounds like a career match for an adventuresome pair in between expeditions!

I was under the impression that the Vampire Chicks were not the same as the Dragonslayers. Certainly Specs is pictured with red hair and the approximate match on the dragonslayer squad was blonde...and Specs looks like she's the same height as her friend, whereas Blondie is definitely shorter than her friend. Then there's the dreads vs slick hair comparison...the possible differences in their hair types aside, they don't look like they have the same body types.

Yeah...I think the dragonslayers are another duo we'll meet someday.

[jwhouk]

1. As the prison near Stillwater is a Supermax, I don't think the rec yard is open air. The photo of the prison on its website here indicates a baseball field, but not much else.

2. There are, as of this posting, 432 prisoners being held at MCF-OPH. I think they'd notice if some of them had a huge loss of blood.

3. Seriously - prisoners? That'd be like dumpster diving.

[Mark N]

3. Seriously - prisoners? That'd be like dumpster diving.

That just cements the image of the vamps being lice in the supernatural food chain.

[as363]

What a shame - 2 days before the next installment - But we can worry this one like a dog with a bone. New Characters - new possibilities !

[kingklash]

Let me put my Speculatin' equipment on...

They may have adopted a position like Morbius The Living Vampire once did, and only feed off the Bad Guys.

Going to the prison doesn't mean they'll go drain a couple of cons, more likely flit about here and there, a shot or two of Purse-snatcher, a glass of Second-story Man, a quick nibble of that guy who beat his brother to death with a month-old pan of cornbread. No need to wipe out someone only because there isn't anyplace to run to.

[sheik]

The fact that Paul made a point of introducing, presaging by way of Phix, and even making a showcase illustration the existence of vampires makes me anticipate something more juicy involving the "mosquitoes" may be in the offing.

[Jürgen A. Erhard]

3. Seriously - prisoners? That'd be like dumpster diving.

That just cements the image of the vamps being lice in the supernatural food chain.

I'm thinking of "bottom feeders". If dumpster diving doesn't fit with bottom feeder, I don't know what would

[jwhouk]

You have a point.

Thing is - can anyone (mortal) actually see them?

Oh, and keep in mind, Monica never heard that little exchange between grandma Phix and her grand-daughter.

[Dave]

Let me put my Speculatin' equipment on...

They may have adopted a position like Morbius The Living Vampire once did, and only feed off the Bad Guys.

That might explain Specs' comment about "That's not us" (i.e. not being a bottom-feeder any more). She and Dreads may have adopted "ethical feeding" habits, not typical for most vampires.

Her comment about doubting that they'd ever killed anyone Monica knew is troubling, though. It means that if they've actually given up killing people for food, they did it within relatively recent years... or, that they still kill people, but only the sort that Monica probably would not be associating with.

... a quick nibble of that guy who beat his brother to death with a month-old pan of cornbread.

There's definitely poetic justice in that - letting the pone-ishment fit the crime.

(drops a well-seasoned iron pan into the Pun Jar)

[MrBill]

I see the 'Vamp Girls' more as objects of pity than anything else.

Phix described vampires as being like 'shitty mosquitoes' and something that Shelly could kill at any time without guilt. Even though the Vamp Girls are in awe of Monica, to them Monica is an 'apex predator' - who presumably might kill them at any time. Living in a world where you might be casually killed at any time simply for being what you are would be terrifying.

The Vamp Girls describe themselves as lowlifes, bottom feeders and lice - not exactly the the world view of someone with a carefree, happy life.

I think the Vamp Girls would try very hard to keep a low profile, targeting only those who won't be missed too much, and not killing any more often than necessary. If the Vamp Girls attracted any attention to themselves they would quickly find themselves being 'swatted' out of existence by a supernatural creature. I suspect that in the Wapsiverse a vampire's life is lived in fear and probably rather short.

As I said, I see the Vamp Girls more as objects of pity than fear.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Can normal humans see vampires in the Wapsiverse? In a few days we'll know for sure, but I suspect that the answer is 'yes' - Paul's picture of the Vamp Girls (Here) makes it look like they're dressed up for a rave. Unless vampires hold their own raves (which I doubt), I suspect that the Vamp Girls were dressed to attend a rave attended by normal humans - either for the entertainment (after all, they are in some sense young women), or with the intent of finding a meal.

-- Bill

[Dave]

I see the 'Vamp Girls' more as objects of pity than anything else.

Phix described vampires as being like 'shitty mosquitoes' and something that Shelly could kill at any time without guilt.

I'm also recalling that Phix seemed to be lumping vampires and werewolves into the same general category, and that Shelly had referred to Justin's contact with "trailer trash" paranormals as if they were "crackheads".

Vampirism has often been portrayed as an acquired characteristic, and something akin to a drug addiction in many ways. Ditto for lycanthropy - it's something which dominates the person so affected, and is beyond that person's control. "Even a man who is pure in heart: and says his prayers by night: may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms: and the autumn moon is bright"

Possibly, in the Wapsiverse, vampires and werewolves are seen as the paranormal equivalent of heroin and cocaine junkies... beings which have sunk into a lower form of existence and lost control of themselves. Rather than being empowered and made superior to humans by their paranormal natures (as sphinxes in particular clearly see themselves) they're enslaved by their paranormality... forced into "sub-human" behaviors in order to survive.

I wonder if there's a paranormal equivalent to methadone? Something like Joshua's potion perhaps?

[jwhouk]

As we've seen that Pablo likes to play around with mythology, I suspect there might be another reason why M's demons want to keep these two at arm's length.

They get one sip of that Phoenix blood, and...