Just got back from a long weekend -- I haven't read the comments that have been piling up, and I just read the two strips I missed.
Today's strip (Ding!) has got to be one of the top 10 PVP strips. If he sticks with these new versions of Francis and Marcie, and this was his way of evolving the characters overnight, Kurtz has pulled off a coup. This "level up" scenario is at once obviously perfect and unexpectedly awesome.
I've always hated that Francis was so young; now at 19 he's much richer -- both young enough to remain a scamp, but now old enough to get into real-world scrapes. (And old enough to let SK avoid a kiddieporn charge ;)
22 comments:
Today's comic was really great. The artwork was outstanding and I loved the pause before the punchline. I think I like these new older versions of Francis and Marcy. It's about time they evolved again.
I think the new Marcy is simply ghastly. Why does her neck insert so far back and up on her head? She looks like ET. And +20 awkwardness? As far as I can remember (and I only graduated college 5 years ago) 19 year old girls are anything but awkward. +20 sluttiness would have been much more appropriate :)
also, in the 2nd panel, where is the splash lighting coming from? It just doesn't seem to make sense where it falls on Marcy's body, face and dress.
I don't like the new Marcy's neck, but I do find this incredibly awesome. It's about time that they grew up a little bit. They're finally something close to my own age again.
Francis reminds me of Shaggy from scooby-doo.
Like I said before I like the new characters, but The Real FSM is right, Marcy head and body are in proportion, as seen in the 2nd panel, but there is a thinness in her neck that was present when pointed out. Looking back at older comics she had a thin neck, but it was hidden by her hair/sweatshirt, so when she changes out of wedding wear it may be less severe.
I do like her model though, she went from tom boy (last comic i think of her regular form was 4/29) to more feminine in the face. Also, note that she has thinner glasses as well, more fashion forward than her old self (at least from the 3 panels we've seen her in.) Btw are those techinically "pigtails" that she has?
Francis does have a Shaggy-esque quality (wow i made up a word) but that is also what college kids that age/weight look like, especially when they roll into class in there pajamas at 11am.
Btw I looked back at the 5/27 comic and Francis was wondering how long they've been gone, Marcy said "Not very long". I don't know if it was intentional but also a good comment on most guys "first time." Made me chuckle again upon re-read
I love the way this was handled, and I too hope they remain older like this.
But for the love of God, I hope Marcy isn't now pregnant allowing for Skull to return assigned to the new kid.
Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to Skull's return, just not through a Marcy pregnancy.
Skull leaving, Francis & Marcy aging. I'll bet Jade is pissed at how upstaged the actual wedding itself has gotten.
Yeah he does look like Shaggy.
did becoming college students has something to do with the websnark rant a while back.
I can see this go into two ways
pull the boy from scary go round who became a the Man when he had sex with Ether the goth girl but reverted back when he wasted all that man power
or keep them that way a very good excuse to revamp the art of old characters.
"19 year old girls are anything but awkward. +20 sluttiness would have been much more appropriate"
it is not the age the makes her awkward, it is the new lack of virginity and who she lost it with.
i've laughed out loud for the first time in a long time at today's comic.
great job scott.
Haha, that was unexpected! I definitely shared Francis' "Holy shit" reaction. Lo and behold, we've really gotten a couple of redesigned characters, just as the prophecies forwarned!
Unfortunately, Francis still has a button nose. That's my only complaint, even considering how Marcy's neck placement may resemble E.T.'s if you decide to look at it that way. The button nose is unbearable, though. That was the ONE thing I was hoping would change.
I'm curious about what reactions the other characters will have, or if it'll be played off as something already familiar to them (Either option seems fine). Also, I wonder if we'll see this "level up!" redesign pop up again, and if so, for which characters and for what reasons (I.e., the "reason" this time is that Francis and Marcy finally grew up. By, uh, doing it. That sounds like a terrible message for children when I put it like that, though). Maybe Cole will finally resolve his marriage issues like a man and "level up". Maybe Brent and Jade will have "leveled up" because they got married - or maybe they'll level up later when they have a baby. It feels like a one-time thing unique to Francis and Marcy, but it's certainly a good enough idea to bring back if Mr. Kurtz feels the need to.
And, speaking of "Ding!", the Ding! comics are still awesome.
"I'm curious about what reactions the other characters will have..."
My prediction: They'll notice the change, and they'll know it happened because the two had sex. Cole and Brent will scold them at first, but eventually they'll come around with Jade's help.
A silhouette in the third panel would have helped build up the drama of the final reveal.
anonymus, we saw the changes in the first two panels, a silhouette woiuld have been weird as it would have been unexplained,
I do like the new Marcy and Francis and I think aging the charterers was the right way to go. it just that i would have been way more impressed if Scott did blatantly rip off "Scott Prilgram" by Bryan Lee O'Malley. Scott prilgram used the exact same level up plat device way back in 2004. and in every volume since.
I think I should clarify my previous comment I am not saying that I think Scott Kutz stole the idea, I am sure lots of ppl have use that same plot device. Its just that my first thought was "Geez this is just like Scott Pilgram" which look a lot away from the impact of the comic.
If you do look at your first post you said you "ripped off" which typically means stolen
I didn't like it. Maybe I'm being way out there but making them older after they've had sex seems like a bad message to send to the children who read PVP.
"I didn't like it. Maybe I'm being way out there but making them older after they've had sex seems like a bad message to send to the children who read PVP."
I'm willing to agree with the way out there part ;)
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