Monday, August 4, 2008

We Have our Concerned Faces On

I'm curious as to where this is going (A Welcome Surprise).

Cole's line in the third panel is kind of conflicted -- Brent and Cole don't really have "come and hang out" faces on, but they do have "sit down and talk" faces, so I don't know what to expect. When last we saw Robbie he was throwing the gang out of his house (ending the wedding he was hosting), yet his immediate response to their visit is "Sweet!"

Sooo... Even if we're just conveniently forgetting their last encounter (this is a comic strip after all), this is what I'm curious about. Will tomorrow's strip be "hanging out" or "sitting down to talk"? If it's the former, why the long faces? If the latter, why is Robbie not part of the long-faced crowd?

Either SK is out of buffer strips or he has stopped uploading them ahead of time; I tried to peek. :)

47 comments:

Anonymous said...

I figured the long faces were because Robbie's giving them the full Monty...

Brett Schiller (Sage) said...

"A welcome surprise"

I liked today's strip and am looking forward to this storyline to see what Brent/Cole say and if the Robbie/Jase thing will be explored.

Also, the joke make me chuckle as Scott did a good job with the art showing him as a hairy schlub type character and the no pants thing is shudderific (with Cole's, simple solution offering too)

Btw reader, seeing it from that angle made me chuckle at it again :)

Brett Schiller (Sage) said...

Btw above was copied and pasted from two threads ago

Anonymous said...

That fourth panel doesn't really work. I get what Scott is trying to do, but it always looks bad when he does it.

Anonymous said...

Damn, FSM. You had to dip your chip in the fail salsa again?

Robbie was showing them his package! That's the fourth panel! That's the gag! That's the cause for concern!

I like you, I really do, but seriously now. Can you unclench just a little and get the obvious gags once in a friggin' while?

Ti Chan said...

Buttplug, I would like to point out that him being naked doesn't mean that Brent being misplaced makes sense. When I am in the presence of nude people, I generally don't begin to teleport into conveniently placed areas (aka, wherever put me in shot...)

Also, the faces DO seem a lot more serious than shocked. Shocked, or awkward (as in the last panel) would work with the "I'm seeing someone's unmentionables." They look as if they're ready to talk.

Which may be. I would like to point out that the new improved Mature Brent and Cole may be out to hash up the last encounter and see if they can't keep the friendship going with some well needed apologies.

One last point. I would like to say, Jase and Robbie have never been cleanly or responsible. Cole and Brent have also known them both for a long time. Could their lack of surprise about the nakedness simply be from familiarity?

John said...

"It's just been a long time since we've sat down and talked."

Yeah, a long time, like a few months ago (2 story lines? 3?) when you kicked us out of your house because we were destroying your property; or maybe the few months before that when we came over for a pool party?

If this is a Robbie/Jase story - as pretty much most people I'm sure expect - I'm looking forward to it, but why start this way? We've seen Robbie numerous times; why not start by approaching Jase (and his woman - the cause of the split between friends?).

Sorry but I'm a bit of a continuity stickler; I get irritated when characters forget/ignore past behavior. Especially the really recent past.

Anonymous said...

Buttplugg, your comment about "not getting it" would have had more resonance if you yourself didn't come off as completely clueless.

To wit:

1. FSM didn't have a problem with the 4th panel, a fellow anonymous did.

2. The 4th panel has little to do with the joke, it has everything to do with the fact that Kurtz is attempting to show Robbie walking by Cole and Brent in order to get Brent in the background.

Brett Schiller (Sage) said...

John
The problem is that PVP doesn't know what it is yet. Does it follow its continuity (which I think he will in this case) or just be more free form.

Let us know and we'll adapt we're smart people. :) its the sometimes yes, sometimes no crap that bugs us the most.

Ben Sunshine-Hill said...

FSM, I think you missed out on quite a few opportunities to be made sad by this strip.

It's just a poorly timed gag. There's no lead-up... through the last panel everything's just exposition. Suddenly they're upset that he's dangling out. What would have worked much better would have been little flinches and distractions on Cole and Brent's part that anticipated the reveal. "It's just--oh! uh, been... a long time since we've sat down and talked." Panel four could have Brent turning away a little and putting a hand up, rather than popping out like a meerkat.

Also, what's with the first panel positioning? I like the establishing shot, but are they talking from the balcony, or what?

Anonymous said...

I noticed the kinda strange placement in panel 4 also, which lead to this...

A welcome surprise: Remix

Another Whiner said...

Ha, Matt, that's great. Certainly got more of a chuckle out of me than the strip itself! (And also makes me realize that I can't count, since I was complaining about Bret in the 3rd panel in the other post.)

Bliff Structoid said...

Panel 1) Doesn't work because the roof is talking. Roofs don't talk last time I checked, right, guys?

Panel 2) Robbie would still be harboring a grudge about the wedding shit. Robbie would have expressed the grudge by shaving all his body hair. But look, clearly he's got chest pubes, so that's another screw-up.

Panel 3) "It's been a long time since we sat down and talked." If I recall, they were mostly standing up during the wedding. Continuity error! Are all the sandwiches making this guy lapse or what?

Also, Brent has this disgusted look on his face all the way through, but Kurtz should add projective vomit and hands covering faces to sell the gag. I know whenever I run into a naked guy at the gym, I scream NAKED GUY, GROSS, OH NO until he puts something on. That's just realism what I did there.

Panel 4) Brent is attached to Robbie's back like a little Kuatto. It's NOT perspective, because true foreground/background would involve a little box with an arrow that says "Brent is behind Robbie." Looks pretty flat to me.

Panel 5) Cole is pointing at Robbie's dick but from the point angle it seems that Robbie's cock is eight feet long. That is too long for a human dick.

Anonymous said...

well... I kinda removed brent from panel 3 to strengthen my gag... which is probably cheating.

it is pretty interesting that brent could be completely removed from this stip and it really wouldn't change anything.

Another Whiner said...

Yeah, I know, Matt, but I was still counting wrong. I meant to be complaining about panel 4.

And Bliff, I think you mean "projectile."

Anonymous said...

What were you saying about the effort people put into their posts, bliff? Gotta love it when trolls become hypocrites.

Brett Schiller (Sage) said...

And people complain about us not having a goodd sense of humor :)

I think it was a solid beginning strip in terms of a joke and actually leaves me wanting to see where the arc leads.

Brett Schiller (Sage) said...

Bliff doesn;t even read PVP so says his BLOOOOOG!

R.W.McGee said...

That was hilarious Matt. Better than the actual comic.

Anonymous said...

I've found that I check PvP more because it's a webcomic I've sorta grown up with. Does that sound weird? Anyway...
I check it because I care about the characters. Jade is one I can appreciate because she is/was a less cliched comic female. She had faults, she had shining moments. And that can be said for all the characters.
And there are still moments that make me laugh, or make me sad(not in the PVP makes me sad way), or make me smile. But I have to agree that recently the strips have faltered. The panda arc was atrocious. That made me frustrated because it could have been better. I know it could have.
So maybe this arc will be better. When the characters evolve, it usually is for the best. I never minded the "soap opera" aspect of the strip. It happens with continuity(however tenuous that is). And I have a feeling that's where this strip is headed.
And usually, after that, we get a panda attack.
But I've had enough pandas. Haven't you?

Anonymous said...

And Matt...
That remix is pretty hilarious.

Anonymous said...

Bliff is trying to become the next John Solomon, only without the funny.

Bliff Structoid said...

Oh no, my feelings!

Yeah, I care about this shit and so do you guys. Let's not play "who has the Sovereign Birthright to critique and who doesn't." Step 1 to acceptance: everyone is a hypocrite.

Anonymous said...

Bliff, get lost. The last thing we need is more Scott Kurtz fanbois derailing every conversation.

R.W.McGee said...

In Tuesday's strip confusion is replaced with inanity.

Anonymous said...

I actually laughed at Tuesday's strip. It's pretty funny.

Another Whiner said...

You know, from reading Bliff's blog I don't think he's a Kurtz fanboy. I think he's a serial troll. Likes to go to whatever place he finds where there's a group of people that all like/dislike the same webcomic/movie/book/tv show/etc. and take the opposite stance and NOT SHUT UP ABOUT IT. I've run across a few of his ilk and they are the worst possible part of the internet ever.

And Tuesday's strip seems to just be there. Didn't make me laugh, but I'm not even sure it was supposed to.

jglc said...

about your twitter... am I misreading, or didn't SK just mention it here?

Ti Chan said...

I really like this comic. It does unnerve me a little that Robbie's so unwilling to forgive Jase, yet will let their little wedding drama go without comment.

But I think that speaks for Robbie's desperation. He lost his closest friend. Cole and Brent ARE IT. He can't forgive Jase, he chose his girl over his friend, but he can forgive those two.

I am rather eagerly waiting the next strip. Lets hope it comes out nice!

(BTW, love the little chairs by the bar, and the details over all. It's really nice to see...)

Anonymous said...

I thought it was interesting people commenting on teleporting characters previously but Tuesday's must take the cake.

In the first panel, Cole is nearest with his head in the bottom left and Robbie off in the distance. By the third, Cole is stood right behind Robbie. The currents in that pool must be wicked strong.

paulsouthworth said...

Aren't characters allowed to move between panels?

I automatically assume Cole walked/swam around to be standing behind Jase in the second panel when Jase was talking to Brent. Comic strips do that a lot, because the guy on the left needs to talk before the guy on the right, and sometimes their positions in the previous panel don't work out.

Brett Schiller (Sage) said...

So Paul the smell of bullshit lead you back here?
:)

paulsouthworth said...

Don't cry for me, Argentina.

The truth is, I never left you :)

Brett Schiller (Sage) said...

Oh, what a beautiful mornin',
Oh, what a beautiful day.
I got a beautiful feelin'
Ev'rything's goin' my way.

Anonymous said...

Sage/Paul - can't you two just get a room instead of filling the threads with your pointless back-and-forths?

paulsouthworth said...

*tongue-kisses Sage while making extended eye contact with anonymous 7:28 AM*

Brett Schiller (Sage) said...

Don't hate us because we are who we are. Thread filler pride!

I love how I got called out like I was a troll, i can see how some people see we are wound a little tight.

Brett Schiller (Sage) said...

When you're a Jet,
You're a Jet all the way
From your first cigarette
To your last dyin' day.

When you're a Jet,
If the spit hits the fan,
You got brothers around,
You're a family man!

You're never alone,
You're never disconnected!
You're home with your own:
When company's expected,
You're well protected!

Anonymous said...

Kind of hard to convince people reading the site that it's not degenerating into the worse of the PvP forums when it's full of drivel from attention-seekers like you and Paul, Sage.

Paul regularly trolls and cavorts on here but I expected a bit better from you.

Brett Schiller (Sage) said...

Oh im just talking to paul, and my first comment was based off one of his twitter posts abou tthe site. Sorry I had FUN with the guy.

Post your address and ill send you $10 to make up for the disappointment I gave you.

BTW paul's post about the orientation of the characters is a good post. Since Robbie could have floated over to Cole.

The punchline was funny as the turn was quick and sharp and showed Robbies hurt I liked it overall.

Brett Schiller (Sage) said...

Id say Paul trolls sometimes, not at the time, when he doesnt he gives good incite into actually creating a strip. The first post is an example of that.

Anonymous said...

Sage, sorry to be a dick but this is bothering me.

Incite - to provoke to action.

Insight - A clear or deep perception of a situation; understanding.

The more you know.

I.M. Smort said...

Man, talk about Freudian slip though, right?

RUBES

Let's talk about PvP. Today's punchline was funny, because instead of saying "you sons of bitches", Scott used "sons a bitches". A clear misuse of grammar, but it's a much funnier way to say it.

Cole's slatternly manboobs? Also nice.

Brett Schiller (Sage) said...

ha hnm, id like to say I did that on purpose, but oops :) I can take it though, my profession is based in science not english, thanfully for myself :).

Anonymous said...

Paul's just pissed that his latest t-shirt design is a complete flop.

paulsouthworth said...

Was I pissed? Do I have a new t-shirt design?

Where am I?

Jai said...

Ahaha, Matt, your remix was hysterical. Great job! You made your take blend in very nicely with the actual strip.

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