November 10th, 2009
Page 322
Comics for November 10, 2009 - Page 322
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November 10th, 2009 at 3:19 am
KAHN!!!
November 10th, 2009 at 3:21 am
Whoops.. KHAN, not KAHN.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:25 am
EE-heeheeheee!
You sneaky, sneaky artist! We knew it was coming, but…omfg, HERE and NOW? XD
November 10th, 2009 at 3:26 am
Oh my god.
You did it again, JED. You made me love a character. As I’ve said before, you’re brilliant with those tiny little revealing moments. And here, when the greatest swordsman in all Kivalia shows his uncertain side, I feel as though I’ve stepped to the brink of a gulf, wherein I can see his tortured soul. Beneath all the hilarious ridiculousness, he really feels strongly about something, and it’s eating him up from inside.
Just. Plain. Brilliant.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:05 am
And once again he ruins the bloody mood.
ASSHAT! *smile* but I gotta love the guy for his determination.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:36 am
He looks like a doll on last panel. Seriously this guy still alive mhahahahah
November 10th, 2009 at 5:01 am
And so again we see that persistence is the virtue of the incompetent. And that sometimes, even the incompetent may possess a certain charm of their own. Poor, poor idiot.
On the other hand, I suppose it is possible that even Yatta-ta has a part to play in all of this, that is, a part beyond that of merely being Zona’s punching bag. We shall see.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:45 am
LOL! I’m fighting hard to not laugh not loud here, since it would attract a little too much attention from the rest of the class.
Ah, Yatta-Ta is back. And he’s followed Zona all this way? Impressive. Wonder how this will go.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:58 am
I don’t think any of us expected him to show up again this soon. Well done. Also, great job on the expressions in the last few panels especially.
November 10th, 2009 at 6:44 am
“asshat”? that’s a new one one me, I know he was cut off but still what could start with “asshat”? Asshat might be my new favorite!
November 10th, 2009 at 7:16 am
You know, we’ve never actually gotten to see Yatta-ta wield a sword. Who knows, maybe he’s as good as he says he is…
…when he’s not talking, anyway.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:17 am
… Boy, they sure must grow them STUPID where he comes from. Also, persistent! Have to admire him just a weensy bit for that. But mostly, I agree with Mentl… he is, indeed, an asshat. Of supreme order.
Keep up the amazing work, J.E.!!!! ^_^
November 10th, 2009 at 7:47 am
He’s baaaack!
November 10th, 2009 at 8:02 am
Ow, Ow, Ow, Nobody accused barbarians of having good fashion sense.
Those Pants.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Yes! Whether he is a great swordsman or not, does not change the fact that we are looking at don Quixote’s long lost and slightly (even) more insane, long lost twin.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Dede,dede,dede, deduuu!
November 10th, 2009 at 8:33 am
WooT! You guys don’t get it, Yatta-ta can be the Inigo Montoya, both comic relief and solid companion.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:49 am
I love it, I love it …. ow ow ow, it hurts to laugh so hard!
Oh, the expression on Yatta-ta face in the last panel — !
November 10th, 2009 at 8:52 am
My name is Yatta-ta. You snubbed my challenge. Prepare to duel.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Oh, JED, you almost owed me a new monitor for this! Never drink Starbucks as the latest Zona page loads. Too much danger of coating the monitor with your drink of choice.
Excellent page my friend. I can’t wait to see how this turns out.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Love the eyebrows.
You know of whom I speak…
November 10th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Yatta may be an idiot, and very thick headed but I am almost willing to bet he can swing a sword well. He’s just to stupid to have lived this long unless he can actually use it.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:00 am
I kind of just want to see Mentl blast him. Take the challenge for Zona then just blast the guy into the next century.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Although somewhat consistent with Tethik’s treatment, I continue to have serious doubts about a society where it is okay to kill someone for showing up “uninvited.” Seems like foreign trade with such a society would be damn near impossible.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Well, whatever else he might or might not be, Yatta seems to be a pretty good tracker. It would be interesting if he *is* actually a superb swordsman. Seems the entertainment has already begun for the evening. XD I agree, he’s definitely channeling don Quixote.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:40 am
“Ass hat” indeed. Perhaps he should wear his ass as a hat… after Zona crams his head up there. Some people should just stop breathing.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Heh. Those pants indeed. JED, is this kind of your take on clan tartans? I’d like to think that notion went through your head.
Yatta-ta reminds me vaguely of a character from Robert Asprin’s “Myth-Adventure” series (RIP Bob!)…..Quigley the Demon-Hunter. Same kind of self-assurance and puffed-up belief in their ability. Same kind of cluelessness.
all in all, I’m looking forward to the next episode… dun dun DUNNN…..
November 10th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
A page on tuesday and the return of yatta-ta of ir-anis! Truly my cup runneth over.
I am really looking forward to what happens next. But still I can’t help but wonder, is that a hint of a smile on queen Ipola’s face?
Oh and Karadom, you forgot the hello. That’s the most important part.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
OMG! Not that guy again! LOL!
Asshat…that’s what I call my cat when he sits on my head at night when I’m trying to sleep.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
IncursionZero - Want me to edit it?
Funny.
Jean - Heh. Yeah. Yes, that little anecdote she was telling the kids? Foreshadowing.
Moox - Thanks. I hope I never create any character that is a complete cardboard cutout, no, not even Gorshash. And the older I get, the more compassion I have for others’ foibles - being so full of them myself.
AdamZero - Oh, yeah, determination? He’s got that. What else he’s got, besides an obvious dearth of clue, it’s hard to tell …
Zenla - Like Wile E. Coyote, he just keeps crawling out of the canyon, ordering a new suit, and coming back for more.
The Old Hack - I think it’s fair to say that Yatta-ta of Ir Anis has a part to play.
Lora - Nice to know that Zona’s contributing to the decline of your education.
LN - You realize it’s been two years of real time since his last appearance? Wigs me out just a little …
calisto - Oh, that’s an expression I picked up from these dang kids you read all the time on the Interwebs, and I liked it.
RedBeardJim - Is *anybody* as good as Yatta-ta says he is? Is that even possible?
ladygreensleeves - In this context he is a veritable duke of asshattery. Entertaining things are in the offing. Stay tuned!
Fred - Oh, yah.
Snowgods - You like it? That’s part of our new Fall collection.
Steinar - Quixote was a crazy old bird, but even in the original Cervantes, which was not remotely as romantic as “Man Of La Mancha,” you still liked him for his purity of purpose, however batshit loony it was.
Uhl - Uh - translation?
Kamatu - or he could be the clueless newbie in the party that gives away their position to the dragon. Or he could — ah, but I’m not tellin’!
Fatuncle - Glad you liked. There’s more of the same where that came from.
Kadarom - You forgot the “Hello!” at the beginning.
Lebbrin - See, that’s how you clean your monitor. Start with a coffee rinse …
Hmm… - I think so, and yeah, his face actually came out nicely distinctive.
Deris - “Ladies and gentlemen, Barivelli may look like an idiot, and talk like an idiot, but don’t let that fool you: He really *is* and idiot!” - G.Marx
Wolfgang - But where’s the fun in that? Oh. Oh, well, I see. THAT’s where the fun is …
Hugh - The Valley Of The Moon is not just another Erogenian village. It’s the seat of their government and the most sacred place in their religion. Like Lorien, outsiders do not enter without leave. That being said, if Tethik had been a trader, he would have simply said “My Name is Kalon of Fuln - the wool merchant. I have leave from King Tor to trade here.” They’d have given him a once-over, checked his baggage and sent him on his way. Trade is now very brisk between the Kivalians and the Erogenians, and apart from what they consider to be common-sense precautions, most Erogenians have no interest in hassling honest Kivalian businessmen. Kivalian wool in particular is different from the quivut that they get from their musk oxen. It’s more durable and elastic, though not as fine, and so has different uses. Dyes from Kivalia have brighter colors and their process is more color fast. Some colors, particularly lavendar and purple, can’t be got in the north because the particular plant doesn’t grow there. Big Erogenian exports are metals and finished tools, weapons and jewelry.
reddwarf - He never gives up, and it’s simply likely that, once he lost them to the nasty underground tunnels, he decided to go where he presumed they were headed - home.
firegoat - I’ve seen pictures like that …
Ramsay “RC” Cowlishaw - Oh, god, Quigley!! I remember him. Yes, Asprin is sorely missed. I read all of “MythAdventures,” can you tell?
Someguy - How could Ipola not be at least a little amused? yes, she’s trying not to laugh.
Black Ethel - Yeah, THAT guy again! Hopefully Friday will come with a new page to carry on this epic tale of asshattery …
November 10th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Nice. Despite the foreshadowing, Yatta-ta showing up came from so far out in left field for me that I couldn’t see it with binoculars.
Therefore engendering a big guffaw as soon as he showed up.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I LOVE the expressions on the guards’ faces, especially the redhead. “Um, your majesty, what do you want us to do with this nut-job? He seems harmless, but…” And Zona is priceless too. I think I’d be flinging myself around looking for a wall to bash my head on as well. Everyone else looks like they’re getting a good laugh out of it.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Y’know, we’ve never actually seen this twerp fight. I am curious to see whether he has anything to boast about. Cheers, man. Great page.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Has mother queen Ipola had her share of ‘fans’ like Yatta-ta?
November 10th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
BWAH HA HA! Wile E.-ahem, I meant Yatta-ta returns. Like everyone else, I did NOT see that coming. I also like that the Queen is amused by Yatta-ta- this bodes well for him despite Zona’s extreme irritation with his…persistence.
To add to JE’s response to Hugh’s comments about the Erogenian attitude towards intruders-remember, many people who show up somewhere uninvited tend to be up to no good (see Yatta-ta, for example). They may be looking to rob, steal, spy for an invading army, murder, or anything like that. In barbarian times like this, extreme vigilance only makes sense.
This is not much different from present laws in many US states that makes it perfectly legal to shoot dead anyone who breaks into your home. People who come into your home uninvited by anyone living there are usually up to no good and may be a threat to you and your family. You may not be able to wait for the authorities to deal with that threat…
November 10th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
JD - first, let me thank you for all of your detailed responses. You are extrodinarily kind to your readers in interacting with us like this. I hope you get something out of it too (I am sure that you do from posters like Jean).
Second, When Zona said “This sacred place.” I was clued in a little, but it is also a bit incongruous for two reasons. First, people are obviously living here. It’s a valley with livestock, cow droppings, out houses, etc. I understand that the entire valley could still be considered sacred, but it not exactly the inner sactum of the holy of holies (I figure that is in that tower on the cliff). Second, I don’t know whether the Erogenian religion is inclusive or exclusive. I would expect them to to be inclusive, but probably not proselytizing. If they are inclusive, it seems like they would want outsiders to visit their valley (if not the holy of holies on the cliff).
Third - if you do not want someone to enter somewhere, then you bar entry or eject them. Not kill them (at least not without a warning and letting them leave). I acknowledge there are circumstances (military invasion, being an Urt) where you would kill on sight.
MacNut - First comparing invading someone’s home at night with walking (or even sneaking) into a valley at daytime is a strecth to say the least.
Second, I live in Alabama and our guns laws are as probably as lax as any state (other than Texas maybe ;)). I am also a lawyer (but not a criminal lawyer). I am pretty sure it is NOT “perfectly legal to shoot dead anyone who breaks into your home.” “in many US states”. Generally speaking, there are a number of other factors that you have to prove before you have a case of justifiable homicide.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
I had a funny thought - who do you think would look more shocked, Mentl or Yatta-ta, if the following thing happened?
Yatta: “And once I defeat her, I can claim her virginity!”
Random Erogenian: “Her WHAT!?”
Ipola: “HA HA HAH HAH, this guy kills me!”
Zona in frustration: “Every man or woman that I have had sex with, would you please raise you hand!”
There is a, ahem, healthy show of hands.
Mentl looks shocked at first and then sheepishly raises his hand too.
November 10th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
MaxBigfoot - I love being able to surprise the reader! Thanks!
SamuraiDemonPuppy - That’s pretty much what I intended, yes. Very gratifying that it comes across.
vonFelsenheim - Thanks!
Matti - Ipola’s had more than her share of admirers, as well as, naturally, her share of enemies. As to those wanting to go toe-to-toe and conquer her in combat, the answer is no. Zonn, on the other hand, was pretty well pestered with them as much as his daughter. He never lost to any of them, either.
The Macnut - Well, as I always say, if you can make the gal laugh …
Hugh - All due respect, you’re really looking at this through a cultural bias. The Erogenian religion is neither exclusive nor inclusive. But it is a real aspect to all their daly lives, and so the idea of “sacred” is not the same as ours. It is nothing like modern organized religion in that the land and sky and water are all sacred - all part of the cha. The sacred valley, including the habitations, livestock (and their poop) are all sacred because they’re all connected, all part of the cha. There’s no “house of God,”no church or temple where the god “lives.” Moonhenge and the Tower Of The Moon are focus points, but they are no more sacred, or even, now, magickal, than the rest of the valley. The reason that they guard the place so zealously is because up to 25 years ago, they were in a nearly perpetual state of feud with one tribe or another and anyone coming in the day or night without leave was subject to death without trial. Now, you notice that they *didn’t* kill Yatta-ta. That’s because things are different now and he had a decent story. (”You’re what of who? Gaddaddaheah!”) But all Erogenians (and those who treat with them) know and respect each others’ boundaries and will take the time to openly declare themselves before setting foot inside if they don’t want trouble. The old ways die extremely hard, sometimes despite Ipola’s best efforts. Tethik was taking a huge chance with the Bull Tribe guards, though he also felt he could handle it macho-style, and as it happened he could.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
JED, I don’t think I’ve said this before, and I kick myself for it, but this must be said.
Your timing is IMPECCABLE.
Seriously, I spent a good five minutes trying to catch my breath from laughing after reading this one, and another thirty with hiccups.
But in all honesty, Yatta-ta has cojones that drag on the ground when he walks to try something like this XD
November 10th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Either that, or his powers of obliviousness are strong enough to get through even the Erogenian’s best defenses…
November 10th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
I’ve reached the end of the messages and I’M STILL LAUGHING! This is why I never bring beverages to the computer.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Oh, a suggestion, if I might? At some point, have him switch up and instead of constantly challenging her have him become a tagalong as he seeks to “prove himself” to her.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Heh, it’s not like I was learning anything today.
Just presentations of our projects before we finished last lesson in this class. 
And no exam, so why not spend my time reading Zona? lol.
Hmm, it could be fun if Mentl ended up stopping Yatta-ta with a song (there must be plenty of songs with the word ’stop’) and then get him to say what he’s really after. After that he could switch to say some words of wisdom to Yatta-ta and perhaps Yatta-ta could become a new (slightly annoying) tag-along.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Thank you!
November 10th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
No doubt you are correct that I am culturally biased. It is kind of hard to avoid. But I am curious. I had assumed that all the tribes worshiped the moon and earth goddesses (of course, here I am assuming that it is sacred to the moon goddess - perhaps it is only sacred to the Moon Tribe?). But if the valley is sacred to the goddess, then it would make more sense (to me at least) that this valley would have been sacred as a neutral ground as much as anything else.
“The reason that they guard the place so zealously is because up to 25 years ago, they were in a nearly perpetual state of feud with one tribe or another and anyone coming in the day or night without leave was subject to death without trial.”
One really wonders what progress they made in their “work in progress” during the first 2,975 years.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Hugh - Progress? Well, from a people who believed that it was their sacred right to dominate all the land and enslave or destroy it and all its inhabitants in order to fulfill their destiny as rulers of all creation to a people to whom the land, life and love are all sacred and all acts, great and small have consequences and must be balanced, and to whom wars of conquest (as opposed to blood feuds and self-defense) are literally forbidden by sacred edict? Compare that to Earth’s last three thousand years, and the Erogenians don’t come up too far short.
And to be technical for a moment, it was 3,231 years precisely from the fall of Shuach to the night that Ipola lifted the spell on the Tower Of The Moon. If my brother Steve is reading this, he may get the numerical significance.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
@Hugh: Well, from the girls’ little history lesson on the Bad Old Days of Erogenia, they have had a LONG way to go.
I would be totally amused if Ipola could keep a straight face while she said “Zona! Have you been leading this poor young man along?”
November 10th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Okay, even if they are not comparable (arguably, we are still in the “pre-fall-of-Shuach” period of our civilization).
But I am actually more interested in the first question. Is the Valley of the Moon sacred to all Erogenians (and the Moon Goddess) or just to the Moon Tribe?
November 10th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Kamatu: I was thinking something similar, but to me Yatta seems less “Inigo Montoya” and more “Joxer the Mighty,” based in large part on the one attribute both obviously share: nearly toon-level resiliance. Otherwise, neither would have survived ONE encounter with their respective warrior babes, much less a series of them.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
@Trickerston: “At some point, have him switch up and instead of constantly challenging her have him become a tagalong as he seeks to “prove himself” to her”
Oh I think that’s PRECISELY what JE has in mind here. Yatta-ta is going to end up being a tag-along, most likely at Queen Ipola’s insistence (the only way that Zona would put up with him), and neither Zona nor Mentl are going to be happy about it for a LONG while.
@reddwarf: “I would be totally amused if Ipola could keep a straight face while she said “Zona! Have you been leading this poor young man along?””
I’m sure Zona’s response would be equally amusing, involving lots of wild handwaving, ranting, and tearing out clumps of her hair. Poor Mentl may have to try to stop her from making herself bald. I think Yatta-ta’s got her at just about that point.
And JE, so you’re saying that if Mentl and popped up in Erogenia around 3,000 years earlier he’d have just as much to worry about from the humans as from the Urrts? If so that’s really saying something, seeing as how back on page 2 or so he mentioned nearly being burned at the stake due to the 21st century US Earth clothes he had on at the time of his arrival.
November 11th, 2009 at 12:13 am
Oh, WOW. With all the serious stuff going on lately, Yatta-ta showing up was like downing a pixie-stick after chugging a glass of sour lemonade. All the seriousness just made the silly that much better.
I can’t decide whether or not I think Yatta-ta is actually a skilled swordsman. On one hand, yeah, it would be a good offset to the constant bragging (”Yeah, I’m a braggart, but I can back it all up!”), but then again, he’s just got this whole Team Rocket thing going on. He shows up, annoys everyone with his latest stupid scheme/idea/plot a-la Wile E. Coyote, and gets the stuffing knocked out of him before the end of the next comic, only to return to rinse and repeat whenever we need comic relief. And actually being a competent swordsman would kinda ruin that, though at least he MIGHT be able to score some hot lovin’ that way, and maybe leave Zona alone.
Poor Zona… she wants to rip the bastard’s head off, and has the ability to do it, but can’t because it would probably offend the Cha. Maybe she should just let him duel her, saying that the challenge is a ‘duel to the death’ for the male participant… though that would constitute lying, since there IS no challenge… though she could probably START one, and just not advertise it XD. I’m sure Mentl wouldn’t mind, too, as long as he got to help fight any challengers. “You wanna bang my girl, huh? Well first you have to get by me, and you know that you Can’t Touch This.”
Also- random guess at the 3,231 thing:
That’s the number of days between your birth and your brothers’, making you 8~9 years apart?
November 11th, 2009 at 2:08 am
….o.o….oh good lord the man is in love
November 11th, 2009 at 4:38 am
@Hugh: Ahhh, you’re no fun anymore. *goes to work on removing antipersonnel land mines and automated flechette gun turrets from lawn and driveway, grumbling*
November 11th, 2009 at 5:04 am
I don’t see Yatta-ta as a tagalong. While I don’t know if his actual swordwielding skills are good or not (I suspect JED will play this one close to his chest until we’re all bushwhacked by The Truth Of It, one way or another), I don’t see Ipola as being stupid enough to saddle her daughter with a complete idiot. She does know her daughter well…and her daughters’–yes, plural, I’m including Tula in this one–patience thresholds and limits.
In fact, I’m sure Tula would step in to intervene if anyone did try to suggest making Yatta-ta a sidekick…out of pure concern for Yatta-ta’s safety.
Plus, Mentl would not put up with it. If you think he was in-your-face to the prince-heir of the Fire Tribe, how much more would he not put up with Yatta-ta’s BS, when the guy is clearly not a Personage Of Importance?
November 11th, 2009 at 5:39 am
T’renn - Joxer was who I had in mind too, especially when he dropped his act for a few seconds there. Beneath all the buffoonery, something real and painful lurks.
JED - I have to admit that I was drawn to this strip by the excellent rendering and the hot models, but once I started to see all the character development I was hooked forever. No throwaway characters - that is so rare. Equally rare is the personal attention you give to your followers. Well done, sir.
November 11th, 2009 at 6:42 am
You know just to add in a second comment here. Yatta-ta not sure if that is the whole name or just the given name. Looks really dressed up. I mean quite spiffy indeed. I kinda wish I had an outfit like that.
November 11th, 2009 at 10:06 am
@The Old Hack - LOL
@Jean - concur
November 11th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Like an unwanted cold-sore, Yatta-ta has returned.
Given that he’d have to have travelled through Urrt territory to get here (as our heroes did), it stands to reason he just might actually BE the greatest swordsman in his nation. He’s just puny compared to Zona.
November 11th, 2009 at 11:13 am
reddwarf - ye shall see.
Hugh - Yes, the Valley Of The Moon is a sacred place to all Erogenians, and the Moon Tribe are its guardian. Despite the different tribal totems, they all recognize and revere the role that Luna played in their history and continues to play.
T’Renn - I hated Joxer (even as I loved Ted Raimi’s work) because I felt that they never did enough with his character or history, except on very rare occasions.
The Macnut - What makes you think I have anything in mind at all? What makes you think I even have a mind?
And if Mentl had popped into the ancient Erogenian Empire’s heyday he would have had much more to fear from them than from the Urtts.
Aust - So, you’re referring to Yatta-ta as a pixie stick? Hm. Not sure how he’d take that comparison … Hell, he might like it, he’s that kind of a guy.
And good guess, but Steve and I are only a little over two years apart. No, it’s something else.
Hevaess - Heh. Well, he’s definitely in love with the sound of his own voice …
The Old Hack - No live ordinance in the forum! I mean it now. Dang fool kids …
Jean - This will all play out over the next few weeks, and I hope it will be entertaining for yez all.
Peregrin - Thanks so much. One of the advantages of this hobby is that I have the luxury of only writing the story I would like to read. And in every good fiction of any medium I have ever really liked, there are no cardboard people, no bad performances, no detail of story or character too small that it isn’t done fully. The glacial pace of only two pages per week is forced on me by my circumstances, but it also gives me the ability to constantly work and re-work the script - something that professionals very often don’t have the ability to do. And, I hope, that makes it a better product.
Someguy - You may have noticed that Yatta-ta never wears the same outfit twice. (”Why be boring?”) His current ensemble is what is, in the far south of Kivalia, called “Erogenian” style. Most folks in Ir Anis have never met an Erogenian in their native costume, and so the notion is that if you wear tight-fitting pants, boots, and a vest of some kind you look like one of the barbarians. Naturally they also wear a shirt, because - well - one must, in order to be decent. The fabrics and patterns are actually Sandakar, as Ir Anis is close enough to Sandak to have trade with them.
November 11th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Jim Farris - No, he did not travel through Urtt territory, for our heroes did not, either. Remember they were in Kivalia when they were waylayed. The underground was a nasty Shuach place that was infested with Urtts, but it was essentially a secret fortress, not an Urtt colony. And those Urtts would probably have left Yatta-ta alone or not even noticed him since their mission after Zona left Normos was to capture/kill the Erogenian champion, no longer to raid the Kivalians.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Great page, JE! Just one question, who is yelling “SANCTUARY!” in the third panel, and why?
Also, it seems Yatta forgot his sword.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
JED, I’ve *played* the melee master who couldn’t be bothered with anything but challenge and charge.
Party whispers among themselves how to set up to take down the gate guards. My character walks around the corner, says “Howdy fellas” and commences combat.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
All right, all right, JE. *sighs* But can I at least keep the siege ballista and the catapult if I promise not to load them?
November 11th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
NO! The ballista is mine!
(I’m having a scene from ‘Gamers’ on my mind now. Thank you).
November 11th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Swordmasterb - It’s Zona, in frustration.
Kamatu - Me, too. I get impatient.
The Old Hack - Why? What would you load it with? Bunnies??? Would you load it with bunnies?!!!
Lora - Never saw it. Was it worth watching?
November 11th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Swordmasterb: One of the guards is wearing Yatta-ta’s sword as well as his own. Which he’s supposed to do–guards *should* disarm anyone coming uninvited into restricted territory, at the very least. Heck, even in the SCA (medieval society, http://www.sca.org if you want to learn more), it’s tradition for anyone coming into the presence of someone holding a Court–king, queen, duke, duchess, baron, baroness–for that person to remove their weapons voluntarily. Only the guards and other sanctioned personnel would be permitted to retain their weapons, and usually some oath of fealty or service is expected before they can have that privilege. (I know all of this, because I’m often found in the role of those “escort you into Court” guard types.)
As for “Sanctuary”…I’m presuming that’s Zona yelling it–she wants sanctuary from being pursued by this idiot.
…Ya gotta give Yatta-ta credit for being persistent…
November 11th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
JED, if you have EVER played D&D…you have to–absolutely have to–watch “The Gamers”. Absolutely. Just don’t be eating or drinking anything, in case you choke while laughing. (You’re not allowed to die, you haven’t finished telling all of your stories. Thbpt.)
November 11th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
That was the theme music from “Poltergeist.” (”He’s BAAACCKK!”) As for Yatta Ta. “By the nuisance of asshat!” “I AM A NUISANCE!!!!” (Chorus starts singing) “YATTA” TAtata tataduhtatada, tadadata tata “YATTA, YATTA!” (Original “He-Man” Theme music.)
November 12th, 2009 at 1:06 am
Hack, may I make a suggestion?
Launch Yatta.
XD
November 12th, 2009 at 3:24 am
@Kaila:
“Where did he go?”
“He went yattaway.”
November 12th, 2009 at 3:39 am
World greatest swordsman……with out a sword…..not a weapon on him. I hope Mentl ask Zona ask this idtiot is not worth her time that he dispatch the nimrod. this would allow him to show the lack-wit that if he cannot defeat Zona Champion he is not worthy to challenge Zona. end result Mentl cuts loose and everyone get to see someone get flying lessons as he lunches out of the valley say to “rocket man”?
November 12th, 2009 at 4:57 am
Jean said it better than me. It’s absolutely hilarious even if you haven’t played D&D.
So filled with jokes and parody. Mmm…
But no; drinking while watching is NOT recommended.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:22 am
I think that Mentl shuld sing “Stop! In The Name Of Love” in order to save Yatta-tas life, before Zona kills him out of pure iritation.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:27 am
Quote: The Old Hack
“@Kaila:
“Where did he go?”
“He went yattaway.” ”
Thanks I need that so bad today… ;D
November 12th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Hack, I think that line officially tops my “And they must have passed VERY quickly” for Funniest Line of the Year ^_^
Kekeke…he went “yattaway”…..kekeke…..
November 12th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Rereading the comic, I felt somehow that there was something strange about Yatta-ta in those last two panels. For just a moment he seemed serious, and then he caught himself — “ah-HEM” — and reverted into brainless boob.
I am suddenly wondering whether at least part of all that foolishness is an act. If it is, he might be smarter than we’ve so far thought. A lot smarter.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
What I find interesting, which has received almost no notice, is that in a sacred place, Zona cried “Sanctuary!”. That seems like it might be an tradition insulating the one who cries out for sanctuary from pursuit of some sort.
It’s not that she’s scared of Yatta-ta, it’s that at this time she’s stressed and in desperate need of relaxation and time with her family and tribe. I imagine that the Erogenian tradition would be that she can claim sanctuary until she leaves the sacred area, or releases her claim to sanctuary. This may or may not extend this same protection to Mentl.
Just a thought, really.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Ramsay said
eh. Those pants indeed. JED, is this kind of your take on clan tartans? I’d like to think that notion went through your head.
Yatta-ta reminds me vaguely of a character from Robert Asprin’s “Myth-Adventure” series (RIP Bob!)…..Quigley the Demon-Hunter. Same kind of self-assurance and puffed-up belief in their ability. Same kind of cluelessness.
all in all, I’m looking forward to the next episode… dun dun DUNNN…..
Ah yes but Quigley actually was a competent Demon hunter his problem was once you got him talking rather than fighting you could beat him.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Something went throught my mind. You said that they import colors like purple from Kivalia, ’cause they don’t have the flowers used for it.
(And discovered by ‘accident’).
I find that interesting since purple is a synthetic color in our world.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
You guys crack me up. “He went yatta-way.” =D
The Old Hack - well, there’s more to Yatta-ta than you’ve seen so far - but then, that’s not very hard at all.
Lictre - There is a tradition of Sanctuary for Erogenians, but Zona is not seriously invoking it - she’s just frustrated.
Cherub - What do you think might happen if you got Yatta-ta talking? Pull up a chair …
Lora - purple is a naturally occurring color in a lot of plants, violets, purple basil, orchids and other purple or lavender-colored plants. The Phoenecians and Roman senators wore purple, as did medieval royalty. The sticky bit is that most vegetable dyes are very weak and fade extremely quickly. To get a really rich, deep purple that would stain well required a very few and relatively rare natural sources. Before chemical dyes were invented, it came primarily from a species of murex shellfish, which were difficult to obtain and so it became a status symbol, known as “royal purple.” But hybiscus flowers also yield a reddish purple dye, and in Southeast kivalia there is a species that yields a very deep purple that holds its color very well, even with repeated washing.
It sometimes scares me that I actually think of these things …
November 12th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
@Lora: on our world, the original true Tyrian/royal/imperial purple was actually extracted from a couple species of sea snail in the Mediterranean, thru processes probably first figured out by the Phoenicians (the two species actually produce a slightly different shade of purple - one more red-purple, the other more blue-purple — the finest purple garments are though to have been double dyed, using each of the dyes).
November 12th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Love those pants :p Really do :p
Btw, that dude in blond looks like a Manowar guy :p
Love Yatata in this part, fancy clothes too… Keep it up JE
November 12th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Interesting that he apparently knew he was courting death by coming there. And what he said during the brief moment of seriousface also has me thinking he’s chasing Zona for a reason other than stated.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Hmm, I like it that you think things through.
It’s good to do so. And now I can remember where that ‘other’ purple came from(from before synthetic purple). 
Nice.
I just remembered reading that purple was a difficult color to obtain and retain (after washing) before it was done synthetically. If you are to be wearing it you want it to be rich, right?
November 12th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Wow - finally made it through the comments so I can comment! (I don’t like to double-post, plus they are entertaining.)
So - how was Yatta able to follow them the whole way, showing himself when he wanted to, without once getting spotted when he didn’t intend it? Surely he didn’t just happen to run into them three times. And how was he close enough to keep track of them but not so close that he got caught up in - or even saw from what we can tell - the mess with the Urtts? That’s an awful lot of pure dumb luck.
November 12th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
“It sometimes scares me that I actually think of these things …”
The fact that you have thought of these things comes through even when you don’t explicitly mention them. It’s one of the things that keeps me coming back.
November 12th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
MaryLynne- True, but pure dumb luck is something that the purely dumb seem to have a lot of.
Kamatu- I’ve done the whole ‘Pretty and Strong but not too smart’ thing in tabletop myself. His name was Sir Seifer Albrecht Steinburg von Endori (a cookie to the first person who knows where I cribbed the name from), and he was a big, strong, prettyboy of a Knight who was leading a party of crown-appointed monster hunters into Werepire country. The first pack we see, instead of trying to ambush them like the others wanted, he steps forward and cries, “Foul beasts, come and meet your end on my blade!”, basically making himself the biggest target he could.
Fortunately, his Fortitude save was high enough that he didn’t contract lycanthropy, and his hit points were high enough that he was Still Alive, even after taking a beating from four Werewolf Vampire Spawn with Ranger levels. Of course, the suit of mythril full-plate and heavy dragonhide shield probably didn’t hurt any, either.
November 12th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
@MaryLynne - Like JED said earlier, he didn’t track them, so much as reason that Zona was heading home, and went directly there. He didn’t go through Urtt territory. Gorshash’s hideout was more of a hidden fortress than an actual Urtt settlement, and it probably wasn’t directly on their way - they were diverted there by Ginsha.
November 13th, 2009 at 12:37 am
for those that are wondering what “the Gamers” is like. Here is the home page of the creators of that video. http://deadgentlemen.com/ . I was curious myself about it since I never even heard of it until Jean mentioned it.
November 13th, 2009 at 1:17 am
(Sings like Elvis)
“Well a blessa mah-ah soul, what’s a-wrong with you, You’re ugly and your stupid and you haint got a clue! Who can you blame when you do such stuff, cause you’re Dumb! You’re all screwed up uh huh huh…yeah!”
November 13th, 2009 at 3:25 am
I think Yatta’s cha has been offended…just a thought.
November 13th, 2009 at 3:29 am
Um, I screwed up with my Name thing in the earlier post…I’m such a noob.
November 13th, 2009 at 4:20 am
Purple isn’t a synthetic color. They had it back in Ancient Greece. It’s derived from the shells of sea urchins.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:30 am
…Black was the near-impossible one to get and retain.
November 13th, 2009 at 9:12 am
From the subtle foreshadowing of a slightly desperate slip up in character I get the feeling Yatta is going to become a little more sympathetic soon.
Also, the expressions on the red-haired guard are just great.
I think Tula is starting to like his catchphrase, she underwent a complete expression page when that happened.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Kris, I hadn’t noticed, look at the expressions on all of the characters on the side. This is going to be interesting.
November 13th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Clearly the gods have touched this one…
*makes loopy finger motion near head*
Heh, and the lives of those are sacrosanct. Poor Zona.
November 13th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Yeah, Yatta does seem to have something much deeper going on there. If Ipola takes the girls away for a while for a conference, I can see Mentl and Yatta having some down time. Since Mentl is from our world - and a musician - he no doubt speaks fluent fruit-loop, so he may be the one to figure out what Yatta’s deal is.
November 13th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
99 one more post to 100!!!
November 13th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
100! Lol, can’t till your next update XD
November 13th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Ah, come on, now you are just goading us.
Anyway, I will concur to the people, who know more about color than me. I just read it off wikipedia, lol.
Uh, thanks for the gamers link! I originally saw it on a friend’s laptop.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
So true black was very rare and difficult? Now I think we see the real reason behind the War of the Ring. Gondor wanted Saurons dye formula!
November 13th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
*pfft!snortgrin* Okay, if I had been drinking you would soo have owned me a new laptop!
I can just see a fanfic/comic joke being made about that… Mmm…
November 13th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
True white was also difficult to achieve. Sauron wanted Gondor’s formula, too!
November 13th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Tricksterson, Jean, Lora: The only one who actually had both formulas was Gandalf, who inadvertently mixed them, and came out Gray …
November 13th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Naw, Gandalf just hated doing laundry. And “Gandalf the Gray” sounded better than “Gandalf the Dirty”
November 13th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
“Gandalf The Dingy?” “Gandalf the Brand X Detergent?” “Gandalf The 35% Less Whiter Whites?”
My personal favorite is “GoodGulf Greyteeth.” I’m sure someone here knows where that’s from. Same as “Frito Bugger”
November 13th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
what i loved was the mention of quiviut - hats off to JED for knowing about this rare and rarely known but much coveted fiber
November 13th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
“This is the One Ring, made by the Elves, who’d pawn their own mothers to grab it themselvev…”
November 14th, 2009 at 12:22 am
Goodgulf: Bored of the Rings. My favorite is the BallHog. As for Yatta-Ta, I’m wondering if he’s not quite what he appears to be, or doing wqhat he seems to be doing. It occurs to me that following Zona around, acting like a fruit-loop and challenging her is a really good way to keep track of her, and perhaps guard her from others in Kavilla a bit more serious about doing her in without her knowing it. And now, with whosname more or less usurping the throne, could he, too, be bringing tidings?
November 14th, 2009 at 12:43 am
…I have never seen either Gamers or Bored of the Rings, but I guess I’ll have to find them, and soon.
November 14th, 2009 at 1:45 am
The whole rhyme from “BOTR”:
This ring and no other was made by the elves,
who’d pawn their own mothers to grab it themselves.
If broken or busted, it cannot be remade,
If found, return to Sorhead, the postage is prepaid.
July 31st, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Love the “Sanctuary!”
September 26th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Yeah, rereading this strip definitely makes me wonder if ‘Yatta-ta’ translates as ‘Don Diego’.