August 18th, 2009
Page 300
Comics for August 18, 2009 - Page 300
|
|
 |
 |
Support Your Local Barbarian Princess!
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Jul | Sep » | |||||
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 | ||||||
| THIS WEEKS FEATURED |
 |
| FAN-GUY |
|
 |
|
| MustaphaMond |
| Willow Creek, CALIFORNIA |
|
| Are you in the market for a new or pre-owned boyfriend? Our special this week features an IT Consultant with a love for the outdoors. A Silicon Valley native, he grew up in San Jose before studying engineering in Sa....more |
|
| FAN-GAL |
 |
|
| Willowy |
| Austin, TEXAS |
| Have been a comic book reader my entire life, love everything Joss Whedon has done or will do (exception: Dollhouse - sorry Eliza), and Star Trek and Star Wars are in my permanent personal lexicon. Also love Western....more |
Home | Who We Are | Create/Update profile | My Account Portal | Member Search Scan
Chatrooms | Forums | Scan Image Banks | Scan Blogs | Scan Fan-Fic| The Dealer’s Room
Testimonials | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | FAQ | Contact Us | Advertise With Us | Site Map
Membership Upgrade | Help | Soul Geek Community Safety Tips | Convention Blog | SoulGeek Webcomics
Soul Geek Gurus | News Update | SoulGeekTV | Downloads, etc... | Who Are Our Mascots? | Be On SoulGeekTV
August 18th, 2009 at 1:20 am
Hurray for afterglow.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:31 am
So that was Tula´s secret “Fuck You” face in the last page?
Awesome.
Looks like Zona isn´t the only one who´s VERY fed up with our Princeling.
Her girly glee in that last panel is so hilarious.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:40 am
Tula’s ability to keep a straight face in that situation is nothing less then heroic. I do wonder, can she sense magick in Mentl all the time or just when he uses it?
August 18th, 2009 at 1:42 am
Oh man this page is so great, has me laughing at work. Thanks JED I needed that.
And it looks like Tula stepped in to keep Mr. Bully-P in one breathing piece, of well, but at least she is enjoying what happened. And yea if Zona gets any more happy about it I doubt they will be going anywhere for a couple hours… Well Tula may be looking for a place to take a nap…
August 18th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Well, I’m in love.
Tula get’s better and better with each panel she’s in.
I was expecting a ’serious business’ talk-down, but she just breezes by and savors it.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:51 am
I’m with Tula - savor the moment, just savor the moment. Cause, y’know, urtts or cranky royals may show up at any moment and spoil the fun.
August 18th, 2009 at 2:14 am
Bwahahah. Oh I just adore Tula. Heheh. Too perfect.
August 18th, 2009 at 2:41 am
I just Noticed that his Eyes and his HANDS were glowing two pages back.
Yeah. he almost killed the guy. Thank goodness the sisters were there.
August 18th, 2009 at 3:14 am
Poor Tula… Poor, poor Tula…
Her cheek muscles are going to be ACHING tomorrow, with all of that shhh-eating grinning she’s doing!
August 18th, 2009 at 4:54 am
AWESOME PAGE! That makes me so happy! I went back a couple pages just to see the look on his face again, and Tula is right - it’s priceless.
Now I just want to see what “an eathquake… in each of your fists!” looks like when used. I’m imagining superhero-comic-like punches that send people through walls or making craters when they land… except wiithout magic, I expect Pontagar would probably not survive something like that. I still want to see it, though!
August 18th, 2009 at 4:55 am
He he, what a nice page to go way with. Now I can live without webcomics for a few days.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:10 am
If he had an “earthquake” in each of his fists, then mentl is indeed VERY powerfull. I wonder if this is not the time for him to start writing his OWN lyrics !
August 18th, 2009 at 5:33 am
August 18th, 2009 at 6:09 am
The way Tula is clenching her fists, I think there’s just a little bit of her that would LOVE to punch Pontagar. She’s going to be giggling about this for ages.
August 18th, 2009 at 6:47 am
I very much enjoyed this page, it is clear by now that the only one in the group that understands just how powerful Mentl is, is Tula. I am tempted to say that Zona meant she was glad they did not fight for Mentl’s sake, which is why Tula interjected as she did, kind of saying, “I agree sis’ but NOT because of Mentl but because of Poltagar!”. In terms of Mentl writing his own material, while probably as effective, we have been shown how a single word in the lyrics or a little excerpt of a song can be enough to give the meaning to Mentl’s magick, so he probably has enough to work with in his repertoire.
Again, great page, the facial expressions are getting better and better and I am starting to think of these characters more like actors than drawings, great work.
August 18th, 2009 at 6:56 am
hahaha! Tula’s response is awesome! Zona is sooo happy with Mentl right now. It was a perfect response to the situation he was in, and though I still wish they’d have gone at it, the girls’ happiness makes it worth while to wait to see the fight!
August 18th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Hmmm I think that Zona is fully aware of what Mentl is capable of.
The only one who doesn’t quite seem to get it on this page is Mentl himself. Which I think is why Tula was so quick to tell him why she stopped the fight. Not because he is puny no no no, just the opposite in fact.
For the record I absolutely love how Tula is geeking out about this. ‘Tis funny.
August 18th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Gosh darn it I forgot to say how cool a war cry of “I have an earthquake in my fist!” would be.
August 18th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Loved the line… “but if we kill him, Mother would probably get mad.”
August 18th, 2009 at 7:40 am
I have been following this comic from the begaining and have enjoyed every one. This is the first time I have replied to one of the blogs so be gentle. First I want to say this page was so well done, the art and the over all story line was epic. Haveing the skinny little guy being the “strongest” in the party is a great turnaround. You did show a hint if his true power in the big melee earlyer in that he took out one of the huge lizard things the Urtts keep as hunting / war beast with one flick of the wrist, even Zona had to work alittle at it when she killed one. I can’t wait untill the next one keep up the good work… Wolff is watching
August 18th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Hey hey! 300 pages, congratulations, JED!
Awesome page. I love it how Tula just flips out after the Fire Tribers have gone. Also, earthquake in your fists? I want that.
August 18th, 2009 at 8:12 am
Oh wow, yeah 300 Pages! Great page, more insight into the ways of the sisters, and Mentl’s power…. Keep em coming JED! Oh and dont forget to Vote everyday folks!
August 18th, 2009 at 8:19 am
I believe this can be classified as an OMGLOL moment. *nods sagely*
But still, an earthquake in each fist? Mentl must seriously be packing some big-time mojo that even he doesn’t know about, and unless Ponty is as thick as a concussed Urtt, the prince probably’s going to realize that as he’s riding away, and his fury starts to ebb.
So the question is, will the tribe chieftans start asking questions about Mentl to Ipola? Particularly if he’s traveling with her eldest daughter? This shift in the Erogenian balance of power could cause some difficulties, particularly since it’s reported by the son of Ipola’s biggest rival in Erogenian politics, the leader of the Fire Tribe. And you all know about reports. It always depends on who is writing or speaking them…
This one little minute of hasty action could have repercussions in the distance that even our old buddy in the Otherwhen probably couldn’t see. Imagine Arrogand standing up in the middle of a tribal congregation and accusing Ipola of withholding vital aid (i.e Mentl) in the conflict against the Urtts, and not appraising them of these new developments, not to mention the near-murder of his eldest son, Pontagar. Could this all be a great conspiracy by the Moon Tribe to destabilize the Erogenian tribes and allow the Urtts to destroy them all?
Of course, he’d be talking out his ass, but not everyone there would know it, and it would major league influence what they’re thinking. Then again, this is mostly speculation, so we’ll have to rely on the tiny tidbits of information the almighty JED chooses to give us.
Either way, however….Ponty got PWNED ^_^
August 18th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Ooh! *Edited* Quote from Kung Fu Panda: “I see you like to chew. Perhaps you should chew…ON MY EARTHQUAKE FIST!” *Pow*
August 18th, 2009 at 8:30 am
But Ponty never saw Mentl use his power (or felt it, thanks to Tula), and I get the distinct impression the ladies did NOT tell him about it. So what does Ponty have to report? Just that the ladies were travelling with, and one of them was the lover of, a skinny, short, and to his mind, THOROUGHLY disrespectful little man?
Really, I don’t think he’s got more to say about it than that. If he says THAT much.
August 18th, 2009 at 8:35 am
Sleepin, I don’t think Ponty was even a little bit aware of Mentl’s ability or that he was about to get “quaked.” So I think Mentl’s power is still under wraps for the time being (unless, of course, one or both of the twins are magically perceptive, so we will see).
August 18th, 2009 at 8:42 am
I’m not so sure Ponty is aware that Mentl has magic, actually. Tula’s remark that he had “not a clue”, seems to support that.
August 18th, 2009 at 8:43 am
Or, at the very least, he has no idea how strong a caster Mentl is.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Remember when Vito described Zona as “so grounded in the material plane it’s hysterical” ? I don’t think Zona will have been aware of the magic building in Mentl’s fists, although she’ll have recognized the chanting from his tome of voice. As Pontagar is also a champion of his tribe, I doubt that he’s any more aware of the spiritual plane than Zona is. Only Tula will have been really aware of how much energy Mentl had stored up. As Lachesis says, I don’t think Pontagar knows anything about Mentl being an enchanter, so there won’t be a problem.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Yet another awesome page. I’m with Macnut and Hugh. No one else has seen Mentl in action. Thus leading to Ponty’s dismissal of Mentl. Mentl is not obviously cut of the same mold as everyone else. Like JED said in another two pages ago, Ponty would look right through Mentl’s glowing eyes. He wouldn’t understand the significance. Tula feeling the power, would want to stop the bloodshed for political reasons as Zona points out and to keep things from getting out of control and further out of balance.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:13 am
I’m delighted to find out how much Mentl HAD effectively buffed himself, whether he intended it or not.
Could it be that the reason Mentl’s magic is so strong is that he’s the only one who knows the ‘incantations’, their tonalities and rhythms (and their variants) in that world? What I’m thinking that for a type of magic, the more practitioners it has, the more it has to be shared among them. So if you take 2 types of magic, of equivalent pools of power, one with a single user, like Mentl, who can put power into a spell like throwing a river of magic into it, and another type, with 200 casters, who can throw magic around like using a fire hose. The fire-hose casters can be very powerful and effective, but they can’t match the sheer power of the RIVER of magic.
With a reasonable sized river, you could get tens of millions of gallons flowing past a certain bridge each minute, while with a fire-hose, you’d have problems moving more than a few hundred gallons per minute. (as checked on forums.firehouse.com in a discussion on flow rates in firehoses).
Tula, as a trained priestess, is able to sense the flows and power of concentrations of magic when there’s casting go on.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:15 am
YAY Page 300!!! And as always a great one. Tula’s expressions are priceless, ditto for Mentl on panels 3 & 4. Judging from the after action discussion, I think this pretty much settles whether or not fighting with magick is a no-no. The main concern seems to be that Pontagar didn’t get his head handed to him, literally, not the method as to how it was accomplished.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:17 am
WOW! Good job, JED. Didn’t see this one coming.
Very good wrap up of the situation!
Kudos!
August 18th, 2009 at 9:20 am
The last panel really brightened up my morning. Great work.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:35 am
I actually think that both Zona and Tula are equally aware of Mentl’s potential (hah, I rhyme!), and he doesn’t realize that they sense it. Pontagar would have taken a beat down, and Mentl’s secret would be very much revealed. It’s best to be kept quiet to a degree–bad enough the Urtts now know.
August 18th, 2009 at 10:44 am
That is NOT the reaction I expected from the ladies. I just started laughing ….
But I think Ga’Tor pretty well nailed it - this settles whether a fight of Muscles vs. Magick is a no-no. As far as Pontagar is concerned, Tula seems to feel that if the prince is stupid enough to bring a knife to a gunfight — one that he started — well, he asked for whatever happens to him.
Or as once was quoted to me - “If you seek the war, don’t complain of your wounds.”
August 18th, 2009 at 11:11 am
“Could it be that the reason Mentl’s magic is so strong is that he’s the only one who knows the ‘incantations’, their tonalities …”
In this case, it was earthquake strong because Mentl had more or less snapped. Vito had said earlier that magic was all about alignment of your will, emotions, etc., and that the songs Mentl uses were just a vehicle - an effective one, as we all know from personal experience, but a vehicle for magic rather than a new type. The beginning of that song had a lifetime of fed-up, bullied loserdom behind it, and by gods and stars, someone was going to pay.
I doubt Pontagar would have lived long enough to wonder what the heck switchblades and motorcycles were.
August 18th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Ok someone please tell me what song was Mentl getting ready to use.
“I dont want no Aggravation”? Are those the words to a song?
August 18th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Ok scratch that post on the song entry. I went 2 updates back to 298 and read through ALL the post and someone was kind enough to put a link to Nickleback song on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9DJ5ilPzi0
God I love this webcomic.
August 18th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Bluesdifuse, http://www.eltonography.com/songs/saturday_nights_alright_for_fighting.html
There’s a popular version by Nickleback, you can look it up. Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting.
An earthquake in each fist? Not QUITE what I was thinking, I was thinking more along the lines of him turning his hands to titanium as he hits.
August 18th, 2009 at 11:44 am
It’s great to know that the girls are behind Mentl just as much as everyone watching. And this page just made my day.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Just perfect reactions on the parts of all involved. Congratulations on your 300th strip, and here’s hoping for thousands more to come.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Well, so much for my theory that Tula and Pointyhead once had a relationship. Feel free to say “I told you so.”
As for “an earthquake in each fist” I assume that Tula was being metaphorical but yeah if Mentl had hit him Pointyhead probably would have flown off his feet and not stopped until he hit a tree. Which probably would have snapped his neck or spine. Not a good thing. And honestly, once Mentl cooled down it probably would have weighed on him too. Pontagar definitely deserves an asswhuppin’, but so far he hasn’t done anything to deserve killing or crippling.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Once again, I’m overwhelmed by the response, and so thanks to you all. To clarify a bit: Zona was loving watching the boys get tough, and so she was actually wanting, like some of you, to watch Pontagar get a beating (”Hey Coz! Herman’s gettin’ a beatin’! Let’s go watch it!” “Herman?! Yeah, I’d love to see Herman gettin’ a beatin’!” Points to anyone who gets the reference.) Therefore she was standing back to watch the show at first. Also, she didn’t feel and see the waves of energy that were pouring off of Mentl like Tula did, setting off alarm bells in her head. Still, Zona’s seen Mentl in action, and on a little reflection she wasn’t too sure there would be anything of Pontagar left if he was to cut loose like he’d done before. Tula, of course, was very sure there would be nothing of Pontagar left afterwards but a red stain and an extremely surprised Pontagar ghost hanging out and kvetching. (And she would naturally be the one who’d have to listen to him complain all the way to the Otherwhen about it.) Therefore, this is the only way it could have turned out well for anyone. Tula was able to chill him by applying a little Erogenian common sense and her big baby greens. The fact that she doesn’t like him has nothing to do with her acting “for the good of all and in accordance with free will” as we pagans say. Still, now that it’s over and her sacred as well as political duty is done she can indulge her private humor.
And here we are at page 300. Well, there’s still a LOT more story to tell, so while I appreciate it as a bit of a milestone, and gratefully accept your congratulations, it’s still just scratching the surface of where we have to go. Though, funnily enough, it’s the end of this particular beat and a good time to check in on other friends.
On Friday we find Tethik in the Bull Territory. Ladies, you wanted big, hairy men? You will have a surfeit of big, hairy men. As Stan Lee still says, “Excelsior!”
August 18th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
“Do as thou wilt, save none come to harm”
I think that’s a phrase in the witch faith that’s sorta like what you mean.
<..> GO GREENMAN!
August 18th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Great update, Zona is getting better and better with each page (never thought this is possible).
@AdamZero: Isn’t this one of Aleister Crowley’s laws?
August 18th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
JED; I loved that Bill Cosby story
*savoring the points*
Congratulations on 300 pages, and on your terrific and enthusiastic audience! Talent plainly carries it’s own rewards.
August 18th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
No, that wasn’t one of Crowley’s laws, as far as I know. It’s a basic Wiccan tenet: “An it harm none, do as thou wilt.” And it’s very restricting, actually, despite how it sounds. It always depends on how you define harm. I define it pretty broadly, and so basically the Golden Rule works as a corollary in my own life to set the boundaries of harm. If I wouldn’t like it done to me, then I think it would constitute harm to someone else and I shouldn’t do it. Now, higher moral problems arrive when Tula or anyone has to weigh the harm you do to in defense of others, so the whole “harm none” thing, while great in theory, doesn’t and can’t work perfectly. I’d have no compunction, as my characters don’t, of killing in defense of the innocent and defenseless. In a way, Zona did no harm to Pontagar. She actually did him a favor by balancing his cha in that situation, and with no lasting grudge.
August 18th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
WOW ! Moral imparatives aside…Great Job JED. this would be a good place to say “we have reached the end of the beginning” now “here is the rest of the story”
August 18th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Golden rule? You mean whoever has the gold makes the rules?
August 18th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
I think he meant the one that goes “Do unto others as you would have them Do unto you,” Sleepinin.
Of course I’ve always liked “An armed society is a polite society.”
Happy 300 JED!
August 18th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Just caught up to date. Found your webcomic from the last Webcomic Beacon. Great stuff, love the story line and the art. Looking forward to more.
August 18th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Ghost, um…titanium is actually a poor choice for weaponry. Yes, it’s very tough, but it’s also incredibly lightweight. Weapons function effectively as much because of their mass as their sharpness/shape. In the SCA, fighters can make almost any part of their medieval armor out of titanium, except the helm. The *mass* of the steel helm absorbs a good amount of the blow, because it takes more force to move a heavy steel helm than it does a light titanium helm. If the titanium helm moves easier, that means more of the force gets transfer to the head inside of it. Steel helm absorbs more of the shock of the blow before transferring it to the head inside.
Think of it another way: if you try to hit someone with a wooden dowel, it might hurt a little and leave a bruise. But if you hit them (and I do not recommend nor endorse hitting anyone) with a piece of steel rebar the same length and thickness…you can break bones if you’re not careful, and leave serious bruises even if you are.
Titanium makes uber-cool armor because it’s so lightweight (except for the helm), but not so good for a sword. …Unless you went for those huge anime/manga/Final Fantasy style uber-huge swords. Titanium would be the only practical way to be able to wield them in combat without their being too heavy to move, and their sheer size would give them the impact mass needed.
Adamantium (if it existed)…now adamantium is reputed to be heavy, dense, and tough. Adamantium fists would be dangerously cool…
Btw, it is speculated in geekdom that “mithril” is actually titanium. Think about it, uber-lightweight, uber-tough, excellent for making into a thin, lightweight, strong chain mail shirt (though knitting the links would be a bitch because titanium is indeed that tough)…
August 18th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Jean
Titanium has other problems as well, one being that you can’t fabricate it in the presence of free hydrogen. Bad Things happen to the alloys. They learned that one the hard way with the SR-71.
August 18th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
I’m surprised nobody’s done this yet, this being the 300th page and all. Let’s imagine another way the confrontation could have gone….
Ponty: You’re taking me on? Are you mad?
Mentl: (doing his best Gerard Butler imitation) Mad? I! AM! MENTL! (kicks Ponty down a conveniently placed pit).
Well, *I* thought it was funny. Congratulations on an awesome episode of an awesome series, JED! Keep it coming!
August 18th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Jean- Titanium? Hell, we can use aluminum. Cheaper. aircraft aluminum works wonders for shields and chainmail, even as our elbow and knee protection. but yeah, the steel helm (16 gauge minimum) is for the weight of it so that if a rising shot hits it, it wont fly off our heads. also if it takes a perfect shot from a duke, it wont crumple in on itself.
as for weaponry, it all depends on what style of sword. Katana? it’d work because the edge needs to be so damn sharp and keep its sharpness, but you wont see it because the metal doesn’t work the same way as steel.
As for moral philosophy- Rational pacifism- i WILL have peace, even if I have to kill you to get it.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Sentient Cheese, that sounds like Lawful Evil, Darth Vader style: “I will bring order to this universe, with my cold iron fists.”
But yeah, Harm is relative to a lot of things. Based on an innumerable plethora of other things.
My MO in that case, “Grab the girl. Run like hell. SHoot em if you gotta.”
August 18th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
Yes, Jean. I see your point. But I need some help on one thing. In baseball, for instance, it’s all about bat speed. The lighter the bat, the faster it can be swung. As a result more force can be transferred to the ball. Would that not be the same? The faster the sword is swinging, the more force applied and the deeper, more severe the wounds? (I knew I should have taken that Physics class in college.) I could be totally off base. I don’t know…..
August 18th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Congrats on 300! So, umm, when do we get into Snake tribe territory? Just cuz, umm, well, y’know…
August 18th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Hey Adam, try something more in the Judge Dredd line, “I AM the Law!”
Lol, but seriously, a question for y’all. We all know where Mentl comes from, and we know that Tula and Zona know. But do you think the Erogenian masses are going to know? Now, I figure odds are JED’ll adopt the old standby of “ignore it, they probably couldn’t care less”, but inevitably some tribesman (or woman, to be politically correct) will ask just where he’s from.
In my mind, I think by his appearance people will probably assume Kilvalian. Anyone else think so?
August 18th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
“An it harm none, do as thou wilt*”
The Wiccan Rede
“Do what thou wilt* shall be the whole of the Law, Love is the law, Love under will”
The Law of Thelema, Aleister Crowley
*Will
The “Will” both of these passages are making reference to is “higher will”.
In other words, these passages are asking for you to examine why you are here at this moment in time. What is you mission in life ….. Your one true “Will”. They do not indicate lower will (what you “want”).
Passage one is asking that you find your “mission” in this life time, follow it; and in its pursuit harm no one. Not even yourself!!! This is indeed a difficult tenant.
Passage Two Indicates that finding your one true Will is the whole reason you are here. Love comes second to this mission, but without love the mission itself is not possible. One must hold love as the basis of all creation. Creative energy is corrupt without the element of love, therefore it is not true Will. This is more of a statement and less a tenant, but no less substantial.
They both provide the foundation stones for the ethics within metaphysics. Without these thoughtforms…. Well let’s just say….. there are reasons we consider such tenants; and continue to consider them.
Be well;
Yet another fabulous page my friend!!!!! Gotta love Tulas face:-)
Nytsky
August 18th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Mine is Practica Pacifism: I won’t start a fight with you…but I will finish it, any way I have to.
August 18th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
JED I got it -
Thump-THUMP Thump-THUMP AHHHH Nooooo It’s the giant Chicken Heart I gotta smear JELLo all over the walls…”
Voompa voompa voompa - Ping . . . It’s the LORD…
Now that was real humor. I swear I laughed so hard I cried when I first heard some of his stuff.
August 18th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Lebbrin, that’s a different thing. Hitting a baseball with a bat is all about transfering the energy from the bat to the ball to make the ball fly far away. Punching with a fist or striking with a sword is about transfering the energy in such a way that it does damage to the target, rather than make that target move.
The same baseball bat which can hit a homer over the fence can also destroy itself, if it hits the ball the wrong way. The ball itself will no longer fly quite as far, because some of that energy was taken up in the destruction of one of the two objects connecting, being the bat. (Baseballs are very difficult to destroy because of the nature of their inner materials and the way they are constructed, which is why the bat ends up destroyed, not the ball.)
there is a trade-off, I will admit. It does no good to swing a telephone pile, because it takes a) a ruddy great Scotsman to toss a caber, and b) it takes him several seconds to heft it for a toss, let alone attempt to swing it. Conversely, while a skinny PVC pipe can be whirled around like a marching band baton…it’s not going to hit with nearly as much force as even the metal baton itself, never mind the telephone pole. The relatively slight speed difference between twirling a wooden dowel and a matching length of steel rebar is overshadowed by the mass of the steel versus the wood; even though the rebar will swing slower, it’ll still do more damage to a person.
It’s all in the application of what you’re swinging to what you’re hitting, and what effects you want to evoke.
August 18th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Er, telephone pole. Darn you, comment posting window, for being so small and scrolling so much, I didn’t that error! (And the uncapitalized start of a certain sentence for that matter…)
August 18th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
*catch. I didn’t CATCH that error! *headdesk*
‘M gonna quit postin’, now…
August 18th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
And the 200 MPH Shelby Cobra Super Snake CSX 3303
August 19th, 2009 at 3:35 am
Let’s split the diff between the PVC and a Telephone pole.
*does the math*
A burning Pinto going down a 30* hill at a starting speed, at the crest, at 70mph. Striking at the shallow between the level road and the hill.
August 19th, 2009 at 7:07 am
It would be interesting if the Erogentians, with all their free love/constricting laws concerning sex and sexuality, had certain hangups or imperfect ideals.
For example, I wonder what the Erogenians, in general, think about homosexual sex. Is that okay? Is it frowned upon? Maybe, with their extremely testosterone/estrogen-charged culture and bodies, they really really can’t stand the idea? That would be one place where the Erogenians and Kivalians come together in hatred and blindness.
There might be other hangups too…
I’m kind of hoping that everyone’s reaction to Zona and Mentl’s relationship is as extreme or even more extreme than Ponty’s. Solely for dramatic storytelling purposes, you understand! It’d be fun if I couldn’t predict everything the Erogenians feel about sex…
Don’t hate on me if this was already dealt with in the strip or something! I’m just speculatin’.
August 19th, 2009 at 7:08 am
Oh, and rock on, Tula! YEAH!
August 19th, 2009 at 7:25 am
In any case, about this discussion about density vs toughness of the material, keep in mind that the amount of energy a weapon will carry (the ‘punch’) will be proportional to its mass (or inertia, if you will, when swung) but proportional to its speed squared (ie. speed * speed). So, you need to strike a balance between the two to obtain the maximum energy delivered per blow. If a lighter Titanium sword allows you to swing much faster you might indeed be better off with a Titanium sword, if there is not much difference between your swing speed between Titanium and a different, heavier alloy, then you should go with the heavier alloy. This is not a single right answer problem, it depends on each specific person’s ability to swing really (and this is assuming equal sharpness, shape, and every other attribute).
August 19th, 2009 at 8:20 am
See, I knew I shoulda taken Physics. Thanks for the explanation.
Ans, yes, Tula Rocks!
August 19th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Think of Mentl as some kind of “natural” uber boxer. He has figured out how to “throw a punch” and it is a knockout every time, but since his opposition thus far has been amateurs (except for Gorshash who was sharp enough to react quickly), throwing haymakers has been good enough.
Like Tula says, Mentl needs training so that he will learn to use more than one “punch” with full force and defend himself at the same time. Control. The story of how he gets this control is one of the strong subplots, but once he achieves it he will be “stuck” fighting the most uber of opponents. Mentl with good control and training would have IMO punched out Gorshash and all his minions without the girls getting up at all. He might need to have a minute to get set. After all, you do have to *open* that can of Whupp Arse before you can use it……
August 19th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Moox: I strongly doubt the Erogenians have any hangups with homosexuality (at least not very strong) as such, considering Zona suggested a threesome with Mentl and another man earlier.
Congrats with 300, JED!
Also, I loved this strip because to me it illustrates the Erogenians acceptance of a certain level of aggression and chest thumping. It is not a risk averse society. At least that’s my overly broad interpretation of the reactions of two famous adventurers savoring a hilarous moment.
(As for the discussions on titanium for edged weapons, as noted above, titanium is not a good metal for a sword since it can’t be hardened properly. Also, mechanical energy isn’t the whole story for a weapon like that: Impulse is directly proportional to both velocity and mass, thus favoring a heavy weapon.)
August 19th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Heheheh I love the look on the girls’ faces. Mentl’s “Oh” moment of understanding is also good, as he is beginning to not only reealize he is drawing on his power unconsciously, but realize it’s not always the right response to dropkick your opponent and that finnesse is required (and he’d better learn some of it quick, before they get too much closer to Erogenia and he finds himself surround by chest thumping barbs who are going to see him as entertainment).
Great job JED!!
August 19th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Thanks again, everyone for a very stimulating flurry of discussion. (No, that was not a plug for “Jump Leads,” though it should have been. Read “Jump Leads!”) I think titanium is cool, but all I can think of in regards to that is Iron Man’s old nemesis, Titanium Man. As to homosexuality, Moox, sorry to disappoint, but in general they have no hangups about that at all. As I said, there’s plenty of situational bisexuality in their culture, especially among the young and unattached. True same-sex pairings are a fairly consistent minority that are just no big deal one way or another. Fox Tribe is a particular kind of crazy, and most Erogenians are just hoping Kurya dies soon so that they can return to some kind of balance. Now - what other hangups do they have? Well, like all of us they tend to fly off the handle from time to time, only with them it’s very much not a risk-averse behavior. If Ipola has gray hairs yet, it’s due to trying to keep a modicum of peace in dozens of villages and nine tribes of such a quarrelsome, physically - um - “expressive” people. And naturally individuals, families and tribes are going to be out of balance in their own particular way. All of which you will see. Eventually.
August 19th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
For those who don’t realize, Ga’Tor’s references re: “Herman’s gettin’ a beating” refers to the great Bill Cosby, one of the best comedians ever. I remember watching “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” every Saturday morning, and as I got older I also started listening to his routines. Wonderful talent, and a wonderful human being. Still breaks my heart what happened to his son, and unfortunately, it broke Bill’s too.
August 19th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Joe, Try and remember that most people out here are not old enough to remember “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids”. Let alone sitting eatting Fruit Loops, crosslegged into front of them on a Saturday morning! LOL
August 19th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
“I love to see Herman gettin a beatin!”
August 19th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
JE, of course you know best.
I didn’t really expect to find any sort of hangups about sex in the Erogenian culture, I was just wondering.
I can’t wait to see what this special brand of crazy that Fox Tribe has is all about.
I think that these warring tribes are going to be very interesting for us readers to learn about. I bet Mentl ends up wowing a lot of people with magic!
August 19th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Wulfram, I am not that old and I remember watching Fat Albert (Out on DVD for those of you who have never seen it). Saturday morning cartoons. Saturday afternoon creature feature, Having to wait for later sunday to watch the wonderful world of disney. and not a damn thing on all 6 of the other stations(pre cable) now 5000 cable stations so how is it any different today? Still have to wait around to watch any good shows ( had to get a DVR so I could record the ones I like ) and don’t forget Kunfu theather. I think i got off track somewhere? Damn did i get that old
August 19th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Kamatu, well put! First you must *open* the can of whupass, yes, I agree wholeheartedly–and some of these cans come with very confusing opening instructions…
August 19th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
It is a pleasure to see little sister fulfilling her moral imperatives and protecting her hotheaded fellow Erogenian from the result of his own actions. It would have been an unbalanced ending if Mentl killed him. He is a rude ahole as Mentl says, but does not deserve to die for it. He needs to live long enough to learn better.
Once the honorable needs of the situation are addressed it is always to fun to sit around the campfire and giggle at what happened and what ponder what almost happened. Pagans have to balance multiple paths and beliefs in ways monotheistic religons do not.
August 19th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Who wants to make a guess about how many readers will go back and look at the slap so they can join in Tula’s amusement?
August 19th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Moox, just below the title page there’s a list of subsections (Archives, gallery, etc). Click on the one that says Erogenia.
As for the Fox tribe specifically right now it’s Queen is a radical mahating lesbian, as bad or worse to men as the King of the Fire tribes is regarding women and more or less batshit crazy. She’s also real old and that why people are waiting for her to die so her saner daughter can take over.
August 19th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Ten o’clock! That’s when the monsters come out!
Mentl does not need to start writing his own lyrics, at least not just yet, maybe not ever. When I go back over the archived comments from JED, I can see now that his songs serve only to focus his will - the actual outcome is more according to his intent than to the literal meaning of the words. This means that he will choose songs that put him in the correct frame of mind. The lyrics, and to some extent the music, are irrelevant except how they direct Mentl’s will.
This is very different from Spellsinger (Alan Dean Foster). In that series, the songs often had unexpected results and/or side effects.
Now, I do think that Mentl could eventually start writing complete new songs, when he gets a much better grasp on how his magic works. For now, though - I mean, with the entire history of Rock to draw from? He has plenty of material. A tune for every mood. Plus it’s a lot of fun for us readers to work with known songs!
Going back over the archives, I can see some major dif
August 19th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Perhaps “irrelevent” is too strong. The songs have a default setting - which is why Mentl needs to work on focus.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Hi all;
Wulfram: “Joe, Try and remember that most people out here are not old enough to remember “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids”. ”
Urrrrrmmmm sorry??????
My early childhood memories consist of Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and Buggs Bunny! Later (after we got a color TV….. Yes; Technicolor!) I was fond of roadrunner.
A very offended wonder woman; who has not lost her power … just yet!
geshhhhhh (grummble grummmmbbbllle ggrruummbble)
Lets see “you” through a loso!
Wiper snapper!
August 19th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Urrmmmm……”Whipper snapper “…… so I need glasses too!
going back to OLD VILLE now…..
August 19th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
“Lasso”…… k, i am done now….. really!
August 20th, 2009 at 12:12 am
If you’re looking for volunteers to tie you up…
(In the comics, Wonder Woman “loses her powers” if she’s tied up by a man…for whatever weird mystical reason.)
August 20th, 2009 at 1:46 am
Even if a little late, thanks for the clarification, I wasn’t so sure about it.
August 20th, 2009 at 3:43 am
“Hey, hey, hey… it’s FFFAAATTTT Albert!!” One of the shows I loved. As well as the real Loony Toons and Disney shows. Also Hanna/Barbara shows where nice… Gloob and Gleep anyone? How about “Demon Dogs!”? Man I still remember so many of the old shows it is hard to believe, so I can’t be that old yet… can I?
And yes I am waiting to see what JED makes of the rest of Erogenia in 3d image format. (And I think I will read the information on Erogenia again while I wait.)
August 20th, 2009 at 8:25 am
Hi All;
Elfguy; Ummm maybe; are you really an Elf? *evil grin*
E: (In the comics, Wonder Woman “loses her powers” if she’s tied up by a man…for whatever weird mystical reason.)
I don’t remember this, or at least I don’t remember it in this way. I remember that ANYONE putting the golden lasso around WW weakened her. I remember her belt as the real power amplifier, If her belt was removed she became human (more or less) but was still more intelligent than most and so was able to escape (of course) and win.
Happy Thursday;
Nytsky
August 20th, 2009 at 8:52 am
I wonder….does anyone think Mentl’ll use tunes by Bob Marley? I think a few of those’d be decent for calming tunes XD
August 20th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
And if they removed her bracelets I believe she became a berserk killing machine.
August 20th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Actually, in the original, Golden Age comics, Wonder Woman lost her powers if her bracelets were bound together by any means. And given her creators somewhat… peculiar lifestyle, there probably was a bondage element involved, at least on a subcucious level.
August 21st, 2009 at 11:35 am
Dang - I swear it was accidental - I mean it really was - but I del’d about twenty of these comments from all topics. Literally clicked the wrong thing. If you lost a post, really sorry - there doesn’t seem to be any way to get them back in WordPress.
August 21st, 2009 at 3:49 pm
You know, I was just looking over the last few pages and i noticed the neck collers. the slightly different shapes on the ends and construction. Does this indicate anything status, occupation, birth month(?) or is it simply decoration.
every Erogenian we have seen seems to have one and they all have some similarities. So whats up with that JED?
August 21st, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Number one hundred!
Goodness, JE, don’t make us wait no more!
Also, Mentl is going to be hot stuff when the Erogenian ladies find out how powerful he is. Then, of course, there’ll be the laughter when it turns out Zona and he are together!
August 21st, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Hi guys;
John, thanks. Thanks for climbing on the soap box so that I didn’t have to. I am not sure I would have been as diplomatic or censored. Thank you for taking the time and energy to step fwd.
William Moulton Marston was an interesting fellow, and a highly intelligent one at that. Was there bondage in his past? I doubt it. People will create what they create for reasons of their own. He WAS Pagan (this is well known in my community) and he was also polyamorous (this too is well known) WW is a creation of his two loves put together into one person; his perfect creation of woman.
If you pay attention to the dialogue of (all) Wonder Woman stories it becomes clear that the Greco-Roman Pagan influence is cast into the very fabric of the story. With that said I do identify with her, and not because “I” chose her, but because she chose me (about 15 years ago someone made an offhand remark about my habits and way of being, they called me Wonder Woman, and it stuck) I feel honored to wear the name. I have to admit to feeling the scum and slime slide among these pages the last couple of days. I will pay better attention to my words (and yours as well); thank you for the lessons.
Does this indicate that I will slink meekly aside and allow the dialogue to be filled with an imbalance of destructive (and offensive) Yang energy (without its counterpoint to guide it); nope. It simply indicates that I am now better educated and some of my thought forms have shifted, especially those concerning respect.
As John has indicated, Zona is a strong (yin/Yang balanced) warrior. She has much to teach us; providing we are willing to be open to the lessons. Perhaps then we can begin to hold the possibility of balance. It is a nice thought. Where there is hope there is the challenge of change. Thank the Gods!
Nyt all!
August 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Guess it must be sunday, then… “Don’t give me none of your aggravation” - the Who - Saturday’s allright for fighting!
Keep up the good work!
October 28th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Tip o’ the cap on 300, and I raise my drink to you all on the next 300.
also, @MacGuyver - Nice one on the 300 reference. har har har