Meet Tomorrow 2014-12-30

[Dave]

Yes indeed you have. Also as the author you are allowed to change anything about it as well. But I am impressed in all the different mythos based characters and types you have used. The only one I haven't seen is anyone from the kalevala.

The mermaid girls, Jesse and Krystle, might be from the Kalevala... they're definitely Finnish. The magic talisman that Nadette gave to Atsali might turn out to be the Sampo.

Whether Väinämöinen or any of the other hero-singers will show up in the Wapsiverse, I really kantele.

[AmriloJim]

Whether Väinämöinen or any of the other hero-singers will show up in the Wapsiverse, I really kantele.

I just heard a string instrumental version of an Eagles hit coming from the direction of the Pun Jar.

[Sgt. Howard]

I wasn't even one quarter into the lyrics when I thought to myself "Self?", I said... "Self?, thats gotta be tha Sarge..."

Well done man, well done.

My pleasure- this place is my primary anti-depressant. I (supposedly) SHOULD be on some form of SSRI meds, but I've noticed that nearly ALL of the mass school shooters were also on the stuff... combine that with the fact that I DON'T EVEN KNOW exactly HOW MANY GUNS or HOW MUCH AMMO I own... and my training... it just ain't gonna happen, OK? WAPSI does a better job, is non-prescription and requires no insurance BS... and I get to meet other weirdoes... er... 'free thinkers'.

[Sgt. Howard]

Yes indeed you have. Also as the author you are allowed to change anything about it as well. But I am impressed in all the different mythos based characters and types you have used. The only one I haven't seen is anyone from the kalevala.

The mermaid girls, Jesse and Krystle, might be from the Kalevala... they're definitely Finnish. The magic talsman that Nadette gave to Atsali might turn out to be the Sampo.

A few encounters with Huldre would be cool...

[AnotherFairportfan]

I am impressed in all the different mythos based characters and types you have used. The only one I haven't seen is anyone from the kalevala.

Shhh! You'll give him ideas!

[kingklash]

"More pie, Man-goat?"- TV's Frank, MST3K - Santa Claus

There's a "Satyr-day Night Fever" joke warming up in the bullpen somewhere along the way.

[Sgt. Howard]

"More pie, Man-goat?"- TV's Frank, MST3K - Santa Claus

There's a "Satyr-day Night Fever" joke warming up in the bullpen somewhere along the way.

... please tell me it does NOT involve Jacob in a polyester leisure suit...

[meisdadoo]

Ok where do you want the few thousand female satyrs I found???

I think grammar or semantics is the problem... Do tell, what is a female bull??? or a female goat???

I don't know what you call a female bull. . .but I have heard that the difference between a cow and bull is that a bull smiles when you milk it. . .

[Warrl]

Then there's the bovine equivalent of Playgirl...

The Satyr Dairy View.

(drops a coupon good for a lifetime magazine subscription in the pun jar)

Another webcomic with figures from many mythoi is Gunnerkrigg Court.

[AmriloJim]

"More pie, Man-goat?"- TV's Frank, MST3K - Santa Claus

There's a "Satyr-day Night Fever" joke warming up in the bullpen somewhere along the way.

... please tell me it does NOT involve Jacob in a polyester leisure suit...

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=14&p=42591#p42591

[oldmanmickey]

"More pie, Man-goat?"- TV's Frank, MST3K - Santa Claus

There's a "Satyr-day Night Fever" joke warming up in the bullpen somewhere along the way.

... please tell me it does NOT involve Jacob in a polyester leisure suit...

If you survive the fever then that means its time for "Satyr-day Night Live".

[illiad]

Ok where do you want the few thousand female satyrs I found???

I think grammar or semantics is the problem... Do tell, what is a female bull??? or a female goat???

I don't know what you call a female bull. . .but I have heard that the difference between a cow and bull is that a bull smiles when you milk it. . .

whaddaya mean you dont know???? you just gave the answer right there!!!

[zachariah]

I am impressed in all the different mythos based characters and types you have used. The only one I haven't seen is anyone from the kalevala.

Shhh! You'll give him ideas!

Good. Louhi would make an excellent problem to solve. Living in an alternate space like the library does. The Sampo causing disruptions in our reality. The girls will have to figure out how to fix/destroy it. I suspect the Sampo would be beyond the Titans abilities to destroy, or even to get to. Emil Petja wrote a similar story in "The Star Mill". Actually he wrote 4 books that basically cover the entire song cycle.

[Thor]

I'm still waiting for any reason to be shown why I should like this guy at all.

I don't recall anyone saying you should like him, but he's a part of the story now so - and I'm sorry if this is too blunt - either put up or shut up.

YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! YOU'RE NOT MY REAL DAD!

Seriously though, "Put up or shut up"? What does that even mean? Love it or leave it? Sorry, no. Not happening. Discussion forums are for the discussion and analyses of a particular topic--in this case Wapsi Square and its constituent parts. And one of those parts is the new guy. And discussion does not mean fawning over him like he's the hottest new flavor or the cock of the walk. It means taking him apart and seeing what makes him tick.

My question is a serious one: Why should I (or for that matter, any of you) like this guy at all? He's been in a week's worth of strips now, and he has yet to show an obvious positive trait. His defenders have steadfastly said "He's not as awful as you are saying!" Well, fine. Back that up. Tell me then. Shut me up with the evidence. What are this guy's good qualities? Or is he merely not awful? You are standing up for this guy . . . why? About the only thing I have gotten from others so far is that Atsali likes him, so we should too. That's not exactly persuasive, especially considering how in this very strip Jacob demonstrated that these two don't actually know anything about each other at all, other than race.

Is there any male in the Wapsiverse that meets with your approval?

Why sure! Let's pull out the list.

Best guy is obviously Alan. He's a good friend to his friends, has a puckish sense of humor, and is supportive without being a doormat. He's a strong match for Jin, and they seem to work well together.

Shelley's dad obviously cares for his daughter and knows how to handle her temper. He's not been in the strip as often as he could have been, but his effects can be felt from Shelley having grown up as well as she did considering her childhood traumas.

Dietzel is probably the sanest one in the entire strip. And he doesn't let his obvious high intelligence get in the way of him just being a dog. And considering all of Monica's drama that he has to contend with, he has the patience of a saint.

Kevin--despite all the negative points he gets for that thing on his face--is a nice guy. He's a nice guy without being a "Nice Guy"--a guy who is only nice because he wants to get into your pants, but he's too chickenshit to say so. Kevin is patient and loyal, almost to a fault. He's been a bit too passive and accommodating, but now that Monica has tossed him aside, I think he's going to figure out the difference between being helpful and nurturing and being an on-call security blanket.

Yummy T is a fun guy with a bit of snark and was used far too little IMO.

Tepoz is . . . um, a handy plot device? Yeah, not a lot to say about that guy.

Justin is just sorta there. Neither offensive nor enjoyable. He seems to be a useful counter to Shelley's tempestuousness, but doesn't really have enough other characters traits to stand on his own. He's functionally agreeable. He's the supernatural incarnation of Owen.

Darren was good in his role as a dispenser of sage wisdom and beverages, but he has since been supplanted by Tina in that function.

Roy really needed to appear. He sounded like a fun guy.

Seriously you're picking him apart like a hungry vulture, I could do the very same thing with almost any other character in the comic. They all have faults.

Yes, they do, but they also have their positive aspects, and usually you get a taste of both of those from the get-go. Take Atsali for an example. Within a couple of strips, we knew that she was helpful and enthusiastic, but a little too rash and deceptive. Or with Cricket, we found that she was strong and decisive, but brash and tactless. And in both those cases, we found out that there was more to them that we were first presented, but the characters had a good enough first impression that we were willing to wait to see how the onions were peeled.

With Jacob, we have learned that he is whiny and moody, but also presumptive and dismissive. Hunh? Where's the good qualities mixed with the bad? I can see why some people might be willing to glom onto him because they were like that when they were his age, but that isn't anything inherent in the character. And some might say that none of his characteristics are terrible, unlike Phix who goes around murdering in the name of societal expectation, but that doesn't change the fact that even if his faults are small and petty, his sum is still negative.

Maybe he's going to blossom into a great character and he's ready to explode with hidden virtues, but that's merely speculation. As he has been presented now, there's nothing to really recommend him.

[AmriloJim]

As he has been presented now, there's nothing to really recommend him.

Well stated... but I reserve the right to take a stance until I see a little more character. I appreciate the earlier comment that inferred his 'fight-or-flight' kinda-sorta kicked in when he dismissed 'Sali as a fix-up and her "none, you don't get any" retort shifted him to retreat. I will give him props for not escalating the exchange into a shouting match.

[Dr. Otter]

Maybe he's going to blossom into a great character and he's ready to explode with hidden virtues, but that's merely speculation. As he has been presented now, there's nothing to really recommend him.

I had a similar feeling, but I have an excuse--I have a teenage daughter and two more in the wings. It's my job, indeed my sworn duty, to dislike pretty-boys until they prove themselves.

[oldmanmickey]

Not only the sworn duty of a dad but a granddad as well. Even when they prove themselves i still dislike them on general principle since the objective of the pursuit of said daughter or granddaughter is not to stimulate intellectual conversation. I understand many poor boys are in need of education in this department but i do not wish them to use my decedents as the core curriculum.

[Dave]

My question is a serious one: Why should I (or for that matter, any of you) like this guy at all? ... With Jacob, we have learned that he is whiny and moody, but also presumptive and dismissive. Hunh? Where's the good qualities mixed with the bad? I can see why some people might be willing to glom onto him because they were like that when they were his age, but that isn't anything inherent in the character. And some might say that none of his characteristics are terrible, unlike Phix who goes around murdering in the name of societal expectation, but that doesn't change the fact that even if his faults are small and petty, his sum is still negative.

Maybe he's going to blossom into a great character and he's ready to explode with hidden virtues, but that's merely speculation. As he has been presented now, there's nothing to really recommend him.

I think the reaction you're getting (from a bunch of different people) reflects what I personally perceive as an attitude on your part: that you're coming across as judgmental and negative about Jacob, on very short "acquaintance" with the character. As you note, we've seen very little of him so far. You describe him as "whiny and moody", where "introverted, a bit shy, conflicted about his nature, and tired of having his family criticize and try to manipulate him" would be equally valid a description (I think). Your words suggest that you're primed to dislike him... and so I'll reflect your question

Why should I (or for that matter, any of you) like this guy at all?

and ask "Why should I dislike him when I know so little about him?" Why pre-judge him to such an extent?

Wapsi is not a strip where the new players show up with all of their characteristics tattooed on their foreheads. Quite to the contrary, I'd say that pretty much every significant character has been presented to us in a sort of emotional "dance of the seven veils", where we learn more and more about who they really are, and what really makes then tick, over a period of months to years. It was almost six months before we learned that Atsali (the "helpful and enthusiastic, but a little too rash and deceptive") had a strong big-sister relationship with Castela and wasn't willing to abandon her, and about a year before we knew that she had major concerns and powerful ethics about her powers as a siren. It was almost a decade before we learned a thing about Katherine's true strength of character.

So, I guess what I'm suggesting is that you cut the Jacob character a bit of slack, and see where Paul actually takes him. Maybe he will turn out to be a schlemiel (as you seem to suspect), maybe he'll show unexpected depths, and maybe he'll develop new strength of character as he matures. In any case, it's going to require time for this to develop and for us to learn who he truly is.

That's really no different than meeting people in real life... and we've been in Jacob's direct presence for about two minutes and (by my count) 129 spoken words including stammers. That is a really limited time-and-data-base with which to gain an accurate understanding of a person's character, unless you're a level-5 telepath or a demigod.

It's my job, indeed my sworn duty, to dislike pretty-boys until they prove themselves.

Indeed. In this case, though, based on what he and Randi have said, he isn't taking advantage of his pretty-boy status or doing the stereotypical satyr thing. On the contrary, he's deliberately turning away from playing that role.

Rather like Atsali, in fact.

[eee]

HARHARHARHARHARHARHARHARHARHARHARHAR!!! ... I guess she's got that 'shyness thing' under reasonable control now... OK, he's a Satyr... as others have noted... and not a young longhorn or anything else.

cue; opening strains "Get by with a little help from my friends"

<snip>

This was GREAT! But... Atsali? Singing?

Playing with fire.

On the other hand, the overwhelming popularity of some singers, past and present, MIGHT have a ready explanation. At least in the Waspsiverse.

Ahw...... And he's been so good with the mythologies so far. Satyrs don't have horns (they're 1/2 horse), so he'd be a faun (1/2 goat and with goat horns) or a descendant of Pan (also 1/2 goat).

Roman Mythology satyrs have horns, goat legs, and a large penis. Greek Mythology satyrs have horse ears, human legs, a large penis, and a horse tail. Both were depicted as lustful and sexually forward. Not to worry, I know my Mythology inside and out.

I'd question if any of those applied to Jacob, but I think that falls under the category of TMI.

With Jacob, we have learned that he is whiny and moody, but also presumptive and dismissive. Hunh? Where's the good qualities mixed with the bad? I can see why some people might be willing to glom onto him because they were like that when they were his age, but that isn't anything inherent in the character. And some might say that none of his characteristics are terrible, unlike Phix who goes around murdering in the name of societal expectation, but that doesn't change the fact that even if his faults are small and petty, his sum is still negative.

Maybe he's going to blossom into a great character and he's ready to explode with hidden virtues, but that's merely speculation. As he has been presented now, there's nothing to really recommend him.

Thank you for your interesting comments! Regarding Jacob, although he DOES seem moody and his comments to Atsali suggest stereotypical thinking and a lack of manners, I'm going to wait until we see more before deciding if he needs to be thrown under a bus. ATSALI thinks he's appealing; that would suggest there may be something there, unless she too is being stereotypical.

I don't like his hair style, though.

And those square eyebrows are giving me problems...

[Akeche]

Having a stereotypical view of someone is... common. Even those of us who would hope we'd simply look past the color of one's skin, will apply stereotypes somewhat until proven otherwise. It's the same idea in the paranormal world I think. In their world, Siren's are Man-Eater's(hopefully not in the literal sense) and possibly even have a bad rap in stealing away men from their current lover's. Just like for poor Jacob, it's believed that he's going to be a Horny Goat. I'm not sure whether Atsali even knew what he was prior to him mentioning it, so we may see just the same stereotypical view from her. Something akin to being surprised he isn't like that.