Comments on: Mad Science Is Decadent and Depraved: August 23-28, 2004

By: il biggo (biggo)

il biggo (biggo) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 21:31:46 +0000

As for the balloon in the second panel, it gives a sense of “speed”: we’re seeing the moment of Helen’s reply but we’re still hearing Dave’s voice. I thought it were a “narrative device” – or how the heck they’re called nowadays.

By: Sam Daniel (samhdaniel)

Sam Daniel (samhdaniel) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 21:31:45 +0000

@Shaenon: To me, the second panel is the one with the skewed perspective. The first and third panels play very nicely together....

By: Shaenon Garrity (shaenongarrity)

Shaenon Garrity (shaenongarrity) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 21:31:44 +0000

SPOILERS: When it comes to Dave's chance of surviving this particular timeline, Helen has some information Dave doesn't have. The teleporter technology still exists, and Helen knows Dave is going to invent it in the future, ergo he can't die yet.

I guess if Dave really thought about it, he might find Helen's blase attitude suspicious, but he's a little preoccupied right now.

By: Ed Gedeon (eddurd)

Ed Gedeon (eddurd) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 21:31:43 +0000

(TUNE: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" theme song)

REFRAIN:
    Speeding giant robot beetle!
    Speeding giant robot beetle!
    Speeding giant robot beetle!
    Hey, it runs on G4's! Apple power!

Robot bug is coming to attack!
There's a screaming guy that's clinging to its back!
As we watch it rumble and sway,
His word balloon gets blown away!

    (repeat REFRAIN)

There's naked Helen yellin' on the phone!
"Open up the hatch, Dave, don't just p*ss and moan!"
He's now forgetting his fear,
His nerdish instinct kicks into gear!

    (repeat REFRAIN)

By: John Campbell (jcampbel)

John Campbell (jcampbel) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 21:31:42 +0000

I love how long Dave manages to hang onto his cell phone while getting thrown through the air by androids and crawling around on top of a giant robot bug.

I also appreciate whatever decision process was involved in having Helen in a towel for this whole sequence.

And given a decade of Butterfly Effect, Dave can't be certain that Future Dave was ever in this particular mess in the first place.

By: Zarathustra's Id (zarathustrasid)

Zarathustra's Id (zarathustrasid) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 21:31:41 +0000

I believe that's called talking out your ear

By: Leon Arnott (l)

Leon Arnott (l) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 21:31:40 +0000

Saturday:

Dave shouldn’t be too confident in the future’s malleability. The only immediate thing that’s changed is his loss of a nicotine crutch. Does he really think that was the lynchpin to Future Dave’s success when he was in this mess?

By: Shaenon Garrity (shaenongarrity)

Shaenon Garrity (shaenongarrity) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 21:31:39 +0000

Oh, yeah, and I never bothered to turn that word balloon tail around. Sometimes it just isn't worth getting up in the morning.

By: James Rice (jhrice)

James Rice (jhrice) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 21:31:38 +0000

If this were my strip, I'd be more concerned about Dave's word balloon in the second panel.

By: Debbie Clandening (bygollydaily)

Debbie Clandening (bygollydaily) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 21:31:37 +0000

I love your little mouse.

Deb