Demons: May 3-8, 2004
October 9, 2010 ~ 37 Comments
Most of my storylines degenerate into everybody just running around in a panic. And, eventually, drinking.
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In yesterday’s comments, people noted Dave’s surprising ability to keep running all over the place on these adventures without getting winded. This is kind of a subtle thing, but throughout much of Narbonic, Dave seems to be in somewhat better physical condition than you’d think to look at him. You see him toting around objects that look too heavy for him to lift, for instance. I had the idea that Helen tweaked his body a little back when she cloned him.
Plus he’s used to operating with smoker’s lungs.
I like the arrows in the first panel telling the characters which way to run.
This may be my favorite strip in this storyline, and yet it would be totally worthless without the NYAR NYAR NYAR. It always made me happy when I was able to make Mell’s odd vocal mannerisms work.
One of the downsides of having an awesome giant flat-screen Macintosh monitor is that now I can see all the smudges and blotches and pencil lines on these old strips that I couldn’t see back when I scanned them in.
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Just a plot strip to keep the story going. Too many plot strips in this storyline. I like the sweat drops shooting off Dave’s head, though. It’s always good when you can work in classic stuff like that. Also good: plop takes.
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Man, I draw flippin’ adorable demons. Also, that’s actually a nice shadow under Artie in the first panel.
Sure, I suck at drawing backgrounds in perspective. But I like how very in character for Helen this entire strip is. Especially the first panel.
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Heh.
Monday:
Dave doesn’t look like the fittest of guys – it’s a wonder he can still talk while running so much.
It’s a good thing Dave never took up smoking, or he’d really be in trouble now.
We really need to come up with some new tenses to handle subjective rather than objective perceptions of time…
On the verge of being eaten by the Malebranche, one can forgive Caliban for taking a Wzzz.
And it’s hard fleeing all over the lab in bedroom slippers!
“He saves worlds, rescues civilizations, defeats terrible creatures and runs a lot. Seriously, there’s an outrageous amount of running involved.”
I am awed by your subtlety.
Tuesday:
Mell is, of course, a force unparalleled in both Heaven and in Hell. She is a power so rare and singular that no one can ever know to safeguard against her until it’s too late.
Even if you know she’s coming, what can you do?
Leon: And “too late” is “the day Mell was born, if not before.”
Of course we all love Mell. I made my feelings plain way back when … (scroll down)
http://www.webcomicsnation.com/shaenongarrity/narbonic_plus/series.php?view=archive&chapter=35535
Plus he’s used to operating with smoker’s lungs.
But he never smoked! 🙂 Seriously, he is a six-foot twenty-something guy, and not all nerds are potatoes. Heck, I’m 43 and paunchy (and a smoker), but I’m still rather stronger than I look (or deserve, given my habits).
Calling all members of the Narbonic/Skin Horse commentariat. Do any of you plan to attend either the Alternative Press Expo on 10/16-17 or the Skin Horse book launch party on 10/23? After reading about the Narbonicons, I’d love to get together in the analog world. I’m leaning toward the 23rd, but I’m flexible.
I’ll be at the APE one day that weekend. I’m the large lady with the messy hair. 🙂
Heh.
Wednesday:
Mell’s lack of sentimental fealty to her human form will serve her well in both the future and the Victorian storyline.
Your book launch is on my birthday!
Heh.
Thursday:
Today’s punch-line isn’t just Helen being Helen – she’s intentionally shearing down Dave’s available timeframe even further, increasing the pressure to the point where Dave’s mind spontaneously ignites and the magic happens before his unseeing eyes.
It’s like they say: if you want something done, assign it to someone who’s already overworked.
…who’s being chased by demons and whose co-worker is a gun-totin’ psycho. Motivation. That’s the key.
Mell makes it sound like she does want a beard. Bad grammar, or desire to look like the dictator of a small nation?
@flipkat: Well, since Mell has already been the dictator of a small nation (of robots), let’s just assume it’s (A). And it’s not bad grammar if you’re hip enough to pull it off.
Of course, the real and authentic ruler of that small nation of robots (whom Mell was impersonating) does have a beard. Maybe a previously-unsuspected sense of perfectionism is showing here; Mell wants to do it again but get it right!
Having a beard would certainly make Mell a more convincing Dave for base-infiltration purposes.
You can’t say that there’s too much plot exposition in this sequence when there being a lot of plot exposition in the sequence is actually a plot element…
“And here’s where the plot has caught up to us, so as you can see the only place to go from here is for me to tell you what is GOING to happen, which would utterly spoil the plan, so I hope that you all can appreciate the extremely strange paradox in which we are currently entangled.”
“…we just wanted to know about the jammies. I still don’t get that part.”
“*Sigh* Ok. Fine. Lets start this again from the beginning…”
Friday:
What isn’t being told here is that Shaenon went on an unannounced four-month hiatus between yesterday’s strip and today’s, and this is a much-needed recap for the returning readers.
@Leon Arnott: Lies! How dare you imply a failing of the holy Garrity Work Ethic!?
[snicker]
Look, look, no, just think. They left me – an ordinary, superintelligent gerbil – to stop you – a gigantic horde of angry demons – whilst they ran off to save themselves… What do you think they would leave me with?
Q – very appropriate. Especially since they are depressingly stupid demons.
Stupid, stupid, demon creatures! (Hmmm … do they like quiche?)
“That makes me so mad…I think I’ll destroy their stupid teleporter!”
“Er–hold on a minute there….”
This is the best way to do a recap strip.
I like how David is fixing the teleporter with 3 screws and a magnifying glass. There’s MacGuyver and then there’s improvising.
Yes, but he probably has LOTS of duct tape.
I always figured that Dave, while starting out of shape, was whipped into somewhat better shape by all the running for his life and lifting. It’s only the rest of the time that kept him so shabby looking.