Still, if Monica’s 4’11″, Ms. Phix has to be a hair or 2 over 7′…
I feel a strange urge to climb her…
Now I know how my shorter friends felt about my wife when we were dating…
She’s 6′ and came with a min. height requirement…
I think it stemmed from the trauma of seeing her prom photo…
She was slouching like a champ, but she still couldn’t help towering over her date…
Paul has already mentioned that Phix is about as tall as Brandi.
Given her penchant for wearing high heels, it just makes Phix seem abnormally tall.
I think it’s the perspective they are drawn at that makes Phix seem too tall for reality.
Nuts! My first guess was 7′, and I amended it below to a more realistic 6’6″. And I know Brandi is tall, but i thought she was only slightly taller than Shelly?
OK, now there’s a plot twist that never occurred to me.
Hi, Phix! We were wondering where you were! Looking good, lady!
Biker Matt: But is it a lie? It wouldn’t be the first time the Library had an annex in “real space”, according to Phix, and this would explain her visit to Monica’s office. And it explains, quite truthfully, why she introduced herself as an archivist / librarian, why she was talking to Dr. Fields, how Phix and Monica know each other, and how Monica has come to know some of the things that she does: she has been permitted access to a private, specialized collection, open to like-minded researchers.
All perfectly true. It just isn’t all of the truth.
And I suspect that when Phix has finished the annex, and Amanda or anyone else sees it, it will be “tiny”. The fact that it can be used to access something much, much larger will not be apparent to the casual eye …
Damn, but Paul can think rings around the rest of us, can’t he?
I’m more concerned that they may be at cross purposes – Nudge is advising Monica to take Amanda in to work with her, and Phix is trying to head her off. Who should Monica trust?
Holy crap! ow tall is Phix anyway? 6’9″? 6’10″? Whatever it is, she makes Monica look even smaller than she already is. This reminds me of the size difference between Human and Hobbits in the Lord of The Rings trilogy.
Of course, all this expostulation about what to tell someone about the Library is a bit moot since that someone (Amanda) is still in the room, which is presumably not large enought to be out of earshot………….
Heh..if there’s a greater Kryptonite on my heartstrings than a top-heavy girl, it’s a TALL top-heavy girl…
Like I always say, ‘That’s a long climb…but I’ve got rope!”
To what tiny archive library is she referring? The museum library? The library Phix runs? The town library? I don’t get it. Did Phix just suddenly appear? Walk in? Osmos through the wall? What? Is Amanda listening? Can everyone see Phix? Perspiring minds want to know.
When M first met Phix, the library of Alexandria was described as an annex of the great library Phix oversees. With the Alexandria’s destruction, the earthly connection with the great library was lost.
It seems Phix has found some humans worthy of access to her great trove of knowledge!
And centuries from now, people will remember the Great Library of Minneapolis…..
I’m not sure a Great Library is what Phix has in mind.
An archive stores historical documents and records. An archive library would be a collection of such records, organized for access, retrieval, and research, and since it was “tiny”, it would most likely be a specialized one, narrowly focused upon one subject. There are tens of thousands of such in the United States alone – private or semi-private archives of a composer’s works and life, the documents about a important public figure, records of a town, or a family, or at the upper end of the scale (an example you might be familiar with) a Presidential Library – libraries with a limited selection that contain the original sources for biographies, histories, and other research – documents and sometimes artifacts found nowhere else on earth.
I would guess, from the story so far, that Phix intends to have a renovated building housing a collection of documents concerning some of the things in which Monica has shown expertise – the middle Americas of the Pre-Columbian cultures.
As to Monica’s connection, her grandfather, Aaron Sullivan, adventured in the jungles there, and the archive contains a collection of his records (true, as Phix said a copy of anything printed ends up in the Library – and considering the age of the Library, that means manuscripts as well), and under the terms by which most archives obtain family records, his descendants would have access.
And as Phix said, Monica would guard this privilege closely – and so she has.
One of the interesting implications is that Phix intends to make a place in the Twin Cities, become more or less a permanent fixture.
My guess is that it is intended to support the work of the staff of the museum more generally. Monica didn’t need a more convenient location.
I’m wondering if Phix intends to use it to increase her contact with humans. She might intend to lock up the main library and work out of the archive location or split her time.
I gather that Phix can manipulate time. She may be able to be in both places at once.
And if she’s opening an annex, I would say she intends to have more to do with humans.
Gotta say i think the outfit Phix is wearing today looks better on her than the one she was wearing when she popped up in Monica’s office.
Trying to visualise Amanda’s reaction to Phix’s little riddle game if Monica took her to the Library. Probably a lot like mine would be (and i’m not nearly a professional photog):
Well, she banned herself to the library until recently. See Fairportfan’s link above. She never learned how to use doors.
I want to see Tina’s face! Hopefully on Friday. IIRC, she didn’t know about Phix, did she? She probably can sense that Phix is a sphinx. By trying to get Monica to take Amanda to the library, she was accidentally crossing Phix — probably not a good thing to do, normally.
tsk, I wonder if Phix’s human form is in any way restricted – like, is she even reeeeally wearing anything or just imagined herself in some way and so it came to be… ? Not so far fetched given the other characters’ abilities. Or it could be simply mind tricks. Anyway, I’d understand a sudden funny urge to tower over M in a motherly fashion
Why would Phix deliberately try to discourage Monica from bringing Amanda to the library? She hasn’t stopped her from bringing anyone else, unless her position outside the confines of the time loop allowed her to pick and choose those who would help destroy the calendar…
…on another note, if this tiny annex is going to be the new iteration of the Alexandria library, it should be quite impressive! Did Dr. Fields help phix secure the grant? Or is the story of the annex just what it appears…a cover to allow monica to not take Amanda??
I don’t think Phix is discouraging Monica; I think she is providing a cover for her. Monica intended to visit the Library (I’ve got to look up the word used to name it) and was stuttering and stumbling to explain why she didn’t want to invite Amanda; Phix’s comment explains that the archive is semi-closed for renovation and moving, limited in access when open, and implies that Phix, not Monica, is the one who determines access.
I believe it’s the other way around. Byblioteki is the ancient Greek term for a library, which passed into the Romance languages via Eastern-rite Christian scholarly connections. Byblos is the Greek word for book and a byblioteki is a place to store books.
I’d say that Phix discouraged Katherine here. Later she hinted that Monica needed to look elsewhere. (Monica found what she needed in her grandfather’s tapes, which were not at the library.) I really don’t understand much of what was going on in that scene, though. It’s not clear to me if Katherine is welcome back or not.
In any case, Phix wouldn’t want the library publicized and a photographer would naturally do that. Phix certainly discourages most visitors. The annex/archive might be different, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if Katherine digs up something for Monica there. I’m assuming it exists and Dr. Fields probably helped get the grant.
I agree with Fatuncle that Phix was supporting Monica, who was already resisting inviting Amanda, but that’s probably what you meant.
Hahaha!! Well, with the new full-page (for lack of a better term) format Paul’s using, I’m pretty sure both will fit in one panel. Not much space for anyone else, though.
I’d bet Lakshmi (and Phix too) would be delighted to finally be able to look somebody in the eye without tilting her head downwards.
When did Phix start Hulking out?
Seriously, though, Phix… Telling the poor girl to lie is a bad idea, given how such things tend to leak out anyway.
Hulking out?? You try spending several millennia as a flying lion and see what it does for your musculature!
(Sidelight: even in anthropo-form, Phix’s hands still look slightly paw-like.)
Still, if Monica’s 4’11″, Ms. Phix has to be a hair or 2 over 7′…
I feel a strange urge to climb her…
Now I know how my shorter friends felt about my wife when we were dating…
She’s 6′ and came with a min. height requirement…
I think it stemmed from the trauma of seeing her prom photo…
She was slouching like a champ, but she still couldn’t help towering over her date…
Hooray! Phix is back!
and she is as hot as ever
If Monica is five feet tall (or just under), what does that make Phix… seven and a half or so? Jesus.
Hehe, just think of the photo ops Amanda might think of with Phix!
I know I would…
Nothing wrong with tall women!
You mean a photo op like this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBEgD-lYJHM
Mercy!
Girl with a side order of girl…..
Paul has already mentioned that Phix is about as tall as Brandi.
Given her penchant for wearing high heels, it just makes Phix seem abnormally tall.
I think it’s the perspective they are drawn at that makes Phix seem too tall for reality.
Nuts! My first guess was 7′, and I amended it below to a more realistic 6’6″. And I know Brandi is tall, but i thought she was only slightly taller than Shelly?
OK, now there’s a plot twist that never occurred to me.
Hi, Phix! We were wondering where you were! Looking good, lady!
Biker Matt: But is it a lie? It wouldn’t be the first time the Library had an annex in “real space”, according to Phix, and this would explain her visit to Monica’s office. And it explains, quite truthfully, why she introduced herself as an archivist / librarian, why she was talking to Dr. Fields, how Phix and Monica know each other, and how Monica has come to know some of the things that she does: she has been permitted access to a private, specialized collection, open to like-minded researchers.
All perfectly true. It just isn’t all of the truth.
And I suspect that when Phix has finished the annex, and Amanda or anyone else sees it, it will be “tiny”. The fact that it can be used to access something much, much larger will not be apparent to the casual eye …
Damn, but Paul can think rings around the rest of us, can’t he?
I’m pretty certain Phix is referring to actual. local buildings in reality, not Phix’s Library. No mumbo-jumbo here…
And Monica standing under Phix reminds me of Luke Skywalker facing the Rancor. YMMV.;)
And I cannot wait to see Tina / Nudge’s reaction to Phix!!
I know, right!? Seeing a real-life Sphinx in full-colour AuraVision…there’s no telling what that’ll do to her.
I’m more concerned that they may be at cross purposes – Nudge is advising Monica to take Amanda in to work with her, and Phix is trying to head her off. Who should Monica trust?
Then again, she might pick the perfect order for a too-tall sphinx…
Holy crap! ow tall is Phix anyway? 6’9″? 6’10″? Whatever it is, she makes Monica look even smaller than she already is. This reminds me of the size difference between Human and Hobbits in the Lord of The Rings trilogy.
Phix for the save!
And, she gets to scope out Monica’s friends while she visits!
Hmm.. Monica is 4’10″, so Phix is easily 6’6″ at least! 6’10″ in heels easy…
But Monica’s not wearing a low-cut top, so how would Phix be checking out Monica’s fri…
Oh. You mean Tina and Amanda.
Of course, all this expostulation about what to tell someone about the Library is a bit moot since that someone (Amanda) is still in the room, which is presumably not large enought to be out of earshot………….
Just sayin’.
Of course, a little time stop takes care of everything.
Z
That’s why they’re both a little fuzzy around the edges in the last panel.
Z
Nah. They’re silhouetted against a bright window.
Since Phix is referring to Monica in the third person, she’s talking for the benefit of Amanda (and/or Tina…)
Heh..if there’s a greater Kryptonite on my heartstrings than a top-heavy girl, it’s a TALL top-heavy girl…
Like I always say, ‘That’s a long climb…but I’ve got rope!”
Word.
Why Monica! You look so surprised. It’s as if you didn’t know.
Phix ! So statuesque .
To what tiny archive library is she referring? The museum library? The library Phix runs? The town library? I don’t get it. Did Phix just suddenly appear? Walk in? Osmos through the wall? What? Is Amanda listening? Can everyone see Phix? Perspiring minds want to know.
When M first met Phix, the library of Alexandria was described as an annex of the great library Phix oversees. With the Alexandria’s destruction, the earthly connection with the great library was lost.
It seems Phix has found some humans worthy of access to her great trove of knowledge!
And centuries from now, people will remember the Great Library of Minneapolis…..
I’m not sure a Great Library is what Phix has in mind.
An archive stores historical documents and records. An archive library would be a collection of such records, organized for access, retrieval, and research, and since it was “tiny”, it would most likely be a specialized one, narrowly focused upon one subject. There are tens of thousands of such in the United States alone – private or semi-private archives of a composer’s works and life, the documents about a important public figure, records of a town, or a family, or at the upper end of the scale (an example you might be familiar with) a Presidential Library – libraries with a limited selection that contain the original sources for biographies, histories, and other research – documents and sometimes artifacts found nowhere else on earth.
I would guess, from the story so far, that Phix intends to have a renovated building housing a collection of documents concerning some of the things in which Monica has shown expertise – the middle Americas of the Pre-Columbian cultures.
As to Monica’s connection, her grandfather, Aaron Sullivan, adventured in the jungles there, and the archive contains a collection of his records (true, as Phix said a copy of anything printed ends up in the Library – and considering the age of the Library, that means manuscripts as well), and under the terms by which most archives obtain family records, his descendants would have access.
And as Phix said, Monica would guard this privilege closely – and so she has.
One of the interesting implications is that Phix intends to make a place in the Twin Cities, become more or less a permanent fixture.
My guess is that it is intended to support the work of the staff of the museum more generally. Monica didn’t need a more convenient location.
I’m wondering if Phix intends to use it to increase her contact with humans. She might intend to lock up the main library and work out of the archive location or split her time.
I gather that Phix can manipulate time. She may be able to be in both places at once.
And if she’s opening an annex, I would say she intends to have more to do with humans.
As to how she got in — any way she wanted. This is the third time she has appeared to Monica outside the library and she was always just there.
I can imagine how Dr. Fields showed he was worthy. *snerk*
yay phixx!
and doesnt monica look tiny
Saved By The Sphinx!!
As for reactions, Amanda’s probably won’t go far beyond “Damn, she’s tall!”
Does anyone know when Phix first started appearing in human form, instead of her half-griffin half-human sphinx form?
Looks as it it was here.
(And it looks like the software used here won’t allow a single-word link.)
Everyone is noticing how tall Phix is instead of
how deep Monica is.
Gotta say i think the outfit Phix is wearing today looks better on her than the one she was wearing when she popped up in Monica’s office.
Trying to visualise Amanda’s reaction to Phix’s little riddle game if Monica took her to the Library. Probably a lot like mine would be (and i’m not nearly a professional photog):
“WOW! I gotta get pics of this!
“Uhhhhh … Riddle? What Riddle?”
PHIX!!!
( Nuff Said. )
I’m confused – did Phix suddenly appear at Mucho Mocha?
Well, she banned herself to the library until recently. See Fairportfan’s link above. She never learned how to use doors.
I want to see Tina’s face! Hopefully on Friday. IIRC, she didn’t know about Phix, did she? She probably can sense that Phix is a sphinx. By trying to get Monica to take Amanda to the library, she was accidentally crossing Phix — probably not a good thing to do, normally.
Yes, it seems so!
Tina explosion in 3… 2…
She walked through the door.
Awww! And I bet she didn’t even use any flash powder!
She can fit through doors? Wow!
Phix!
(Had to say it for myself)
Hah! The Phix is in!
(Sorry. Had to say it. Will now get back to work transcribing car crashes)
tsk, I wonder if Phix’s human form is in any way restricted – like, is she even reeeeally wearing anything or just imagined herself in some way and so it came to be… ? Not so far fetched given the other characters’ abilities. Or it could be simply mind tricks. Anyway, I’d understand a sudden funny urge to tower over M in a motherly fashion
I loaded up Phix’s first appearance and measured against Monica – I get 5’11″ plus ~3-4″ heels for her.
Paul said, in an earlier comments section, that Phix was 6’4″ to 6’6″.
And the crowd goes wild!
Phix never totally shed the librarian/schoolteacher vibe, did she?
You think she has cookies with her?
I don’t see any purse. She wants to blend in, so she won’t be doing any obvious magic.
PHIX! ^__^
Yay! Snarky sphinx = love.
Exactly how tall is Phix when she appears in this form? I’m guessing 6’6″…and she looks smokin’ hot in that outfit. Wonder what’s left of the curator?
OK now that I’ve actually read the comments, i see I came in very late with this query. Txmystic for the whiff!
Why would Phix deliberately try to discourage Monica from bringing Amanda to the library? She hasn’t stopped her from bringing anyone else, unless her position outside the confines of the time loop allowed her to pick and choose those who would help destroy the calendar…
…on another note, if this tiny annex is going to be the new iteration of the Alexandria library, it should be quite impressive! Did Dr. Fields help phix secure the grant? Or is the story of the annex just what it appears…a cover to allow monica to not take Amanda??
Huury up, day, get gone so I can get an update!
I don’t think Phix is discouraging Monica; I think she is providing a cover for her. Monica intended to visit the Library (I’ve got to look up the word used to name it) and was stuttering and stumbling to explain why she didn’t want to invite Amanda; Phix’s comment explains that the archive is semi-closed for renovation and moving, limited in access when open, and implies that Phix, not Monica, is the one who determines access.
Biblioteki (as close as the Roman alphabet can render it), i believe.
Yep. Damn, I wish I had your memory.
Derived from bibliothec, perhaps?
FWIW, I think Brandi says it in Greek, here. In the title it is “bibliothiki”.
I believe it’s the other way around. Byblioteki is the ancient Greek term for a library, which passed into the Romance languages via Eastern-rite Christian scholarly connections. Byblos is the Greek word for book and a byblioteki is a place to store books.
I see now that it’s in the Latin alphabet in Monica’s balloon in the last panel, too.
Thanks! I was looking for that page off and on all day.
I’d say that Phix discouraged Katherine here. Later she hinted that Monica needed to look elsewhere. (Monica found what she needed in her grandfather’s tapes, which were not at the library.) I really don’t understand much of what was going on in that scene, though. It’s not clear to me if Katherine is welcome back or not.
In any case, Phix wouldn’t want the library publicized and a photographer would naturally do that. Phix certainly discourages most visitors. The annex/archive might be different, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if Katherine digs up something for Monica there. I’m assuming it exists and Dr. Fields probably helped get the grant.
I agree with Fatuncle that Phix was supporting Monica, who was already resisting inviting Amanda, but that’s probably what you meant.
Um, this was supposed to be a reply to txmystic…
That Phix; who would have guessed her human form was so comely
I have to say , I’ve really enjoyed the composition of the panels in the pages , recently . Good job Mr .Taylor .
I don’t mean to repeat myself , but I love what the style of the artwork , used to illustrate the characters , has evolved into .
Ok, Phix just grew a foot.
Now we have to see who the bigger one is. Our feline Phix or amazon Lakshmi.
I find it curious that Lakshmi and Phix have never been drawn in the same panel…
Would there be room?
LOL
Hahaha!! Well, with the new full-page (for lack of a better term) format Paul’s using, I’m pretty sure both will fit in one panel. Not much space for anyone else, though.
I’d bet Lakshmi (and Phix too) would be delighted to finally be able to look somebody in the eye without tilting her head downwards.
Hooray more Phix AND Amanda at the same time! Awesomeness!
By the way, I think Phix is intentionally “downgrading” the size of the “research library” in this strip.