The Sphinx (before lots of weathering and being recarved) was originally put there as a warning of the Chimera — and as a reminder of the futility and folly of creating things that can destroy the world (especially things with a mind of their own). Thus Jin and Bud are sitting on their own warning sign.
It’s also a reminder to behave yourself in the library. Sometimes the librarian can shush troublemakers really emphatically. But she makes good cookies.
From something that Tepoztecal said – and I’ll have to go looking for the strip – that was not an image of Phix, but rather, it was a representation of the Chimera, set up as a marker, a reminder, and a warning of the destruction visited upon the world by that weapon.
I just got a horrible thought (bear with me, ye who are up to date on the comic, I’m still reading archives). The Sphinx is a warning of the Chimera, and Phix is a sphinx — so what relation does she bear to the Chimera? Is she herself a warning? Or is she more like a prototype?
The Sphinx faces the horizon of east to greet the returning sun god Ra from his journey through Duat. It rejoices that the god has defeated the evil Apep in the underworld and left the balance of the world and the Field of Reeds safe again. It guards the tombs of the avatars of Ra – the pharohs.
A lot of my peoples used to set up their teepees to face the rising sun. Practical and symbolic. Meanwhile, watching the sunrise from that seat must be breathtaking.
I remember hearing and/or seeing in a documentary that nowadays the sun rises a little to one side of the sphinx. Someone modeled the angle of tilt of the Earth as it was around the time it was built and calculated that then the sun would appear to rise between the sphinx’s forelimbs and illuminate her face head on.
Okay, so call me crazy, but for some reason the way Jin scratches her head made my skin crawl. Probably because it made me think of someone with a dirty scalp…
You’ve never lazily scratched your head when you’re sleepy? It can be one of life’s little pleasures, and a way of saying, “not yet, my brain is still fuzzy”.
Google “Sphinx of Giza”, scroll down to the map view. If you switch to “street view” and click on one of the dots behind the Sphinx (the ones closer to the pyramids), you’ll get a selection of photos that look a lot like that last panel.
I suppose when you can instantly teleport your self every with a mere thought, you are always up before the sun; even if that means you have to poit yourself there to prove it.
I love that Paul didn’t paint out Cairo (which is literally a few hundred feet to the east of the complex). It’s sad but true – a highway passes just in front of the Sphinx.
Believe it or not, it rains in the Sahara. It even snows in the Sahara.
I was thinking snow, as it is clinging to vertical surfaces. Can’t tell from the texture; but it looks more like the action of windblown wet snow, than dry sand.
You gotta take stuff like whats in that link with about a 5 ton chunk of salt dude. Ive seen the pictures of that toast with Jesus on it and one time I saw “DEATH” spelled in my alphabet soup but that dosent mean im watching for the 4 horsemen(or would that be the 4 IHOP waiters?) and filling out my will.
yeah, huge chunk of salt… your brain is only trying to find a shape in random data…
Try this to convince your self…
tune your old (analog!) TV to a channel where there is NO signal, only random noise… stare at the the totally random dots for a while, and you will see patterns forming!! its just your brain trying to make sense of it…
Is there any real restrictions on the distance of the “poit”?
I would hate to see what happens if someone pops into the ISS by accident or even in the void of space.
From what I understand, there is no distance limit but you need to know where you’re going so people don’t poit unless they’ve been there before.
… and the stars my destination …
Ooh. Nice reference.
One of the best SF novels ever.
Quite Jaunty.
Um. Wow.
Think they’d be noticed?
This is one of those times that I’d wish this strip were in color. However, the b/w imaging is most excellent.
Then again — where’s Bud? The image on the top of the rock looks like Jin alone. (I hope it’s just that she’s below eyeshot and not falling…)
If she has fallen, worry about damage to the Sphinx, not Bud.
I was wondering the same thing.
Yeah, i try and get out there a few times a week myself, yep…
Thats one hell of a view. But why poit halfway around the world just to watch the sun rise. Just wait till about 5 or 6 AM and it will be there.
Because that’s a special place for Jin.
The Sphinx (before lots of weathering and being recarved) was originally put there as a warning of the Chimera — and as a reminder of the futility and folly of creating things that can destroy the world (especially things with a mind of their own). Thus Jin and Bud are sitting on their own warning sign.
It’s also a reminder to behave yourself in the library. Sometimes the librarian can shush troublemakers really emphatically. But she makes good cookies.
Looks like the backside of the egyptian Sphinx
I really wanna say something sarcastic, but I can’t
Yes, it’s the Sphinx of Giza.
Yeah, I go there to think all the time too.
Damn I wish I could teleport. I would be in wintery North America one day and decide to have lunch in Australia where it’s summertime.
Ever see the movie Jumper?
No, but my sister told me it was terrible. Did it include going to Australia?
Not that I can recall…. wasn’t that bad, really. Rent it and decide for yourself.
The book was better, but it’s pretty dated now.
I love the continuation from yesterday… a very nice bit of minimalist narrative, and a gem of an ‘other shoe drop’, so to speak
Well that last panel performed a significant readjustment to my mental picture of the last two pages.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
That is one gorgeous view! Good choice, Jin~
Wow. Quite the spot to watch the sun rise.
I wonder though what Phix would think of them sitting on her kinfolk’s head…
From something that Tepoztecal said – and I’ll have to go looking for the strip – that was not an image of Phix, but rather, it was a representation of the Chimera, set up as a marker, a reminder, and a warning of the destruction visited upon the world by that weapon.
That probably explains why Jin feels drawn to it. Also, there is the symbolism of the sun signifying a new day and life continuing.
Also, I won!
http://wapsisquare.com/comic/lionfacingeast/
And that’s the strip I was looking for. Or rather, the next one was.
I just got a horrible thought (bear with me, ye who are up to date on the comic, I’m still reading archives). The Sphinx is a warning of the Chimera, and Phix is a sphinx — so what relation does she bear to the Chimera? Is she herself a warning? Or is she more like a prototype?
You know, I never consciously thought about it before, but for some reason, I always pictured the Sphinx facing west. I do not know why.
I always had the idea that it faced north, because that is the way I’d keep seeing maps of the complex.
Here is a map showing it.
That map shows the Sphinx facing east.
Well there you go!
The Sphinx faces the horizon of east to greet the returning sun god Ra from his journey through Duat. It rejoices that the god has defeated the evil Apep in the underworld and left the balance of the world and the Field of Reeds safe again. It guards the tombs of the avatars of Ra – the pharohs.
A lot of my peoples used to set up their teepees to face the rising sun. Practical and symbolic. Meanwhile, watching the sunrise from that seat must be breathtaking.
“See the pyramids along the Nile……”
I remember hearing and/or seeing in a documentary that nowadays the sun rises a little to one side of the sphinx. Someone modeled the angle of tilt of the Earth as it was around the time it was built and calculated that then the sun would appear to rise between the sphinx’s forelimbs and illuminate her face head on.
Called it!
Abu al-hol… Father of Terror. How appropriate…
Wow…I…
Wow…
i wanna poit…
This is what I’d do if I could poit, but I wouldn’t eat a subway thing-sammich (Jumper reference)
Hey Pablo, kind of a sidebar here concerning your twit about recommended for you follow nag. Here is a link to a site with adblock plus instructions, even if you don’t use that you may be able to use the search terms in whatever browser/adblocker you use. http://blog.kitchenmage.com/2010/08/removing-twitters-recommended-user-to-follow-feature.html
oh, wow….
Okay, so call me crazy, but for some reason the way Jin scratches her head made my skin crawl. Probably because it made me think of someone with a dirty scalp…
I’ve got issues.
Don’t feel bad, that kind of bugged me too…
You’ve never lazily scratched your head when you’re sleepy? It can be one of life’s little pleasures, and a way of saying, “not yet, my brain is still fuzzy”.
At least we can be sure Jin doesn’t have lice. Trying to feed on what is basically a clay doll would probably be unsatisfying.
And Bud DID poit beside Jin voluntarily, Jin didn’t pull her to her. I thought so, but it is good to be sure of these things.
I new Phix had a nice form but daaaam, talk about junk in the trunk!
Where is she…. I can’t tell.
Looks like the Sphinx to me/
Ah some place I see…
Google “Sphinx of Giza”, scroll down to the map view. If you switch to “street view” and click on one of the dots behind the Sphinx (the ones closer to the pyramids), you’ll get a selection of photos that look a lot like that last panel.
Sweet ! Well , if one could poit anywhere , that’s as good a place as any to catch a sunrise .
I suppose when you can instantly teleport your self every with a mere thought, you are always up before the sun; even if that means you have to poit yourself there to prove it.
Oh, Hell Yes … great view of the sun rise.
I love that Paul didn’t paint out Cairo (which is literally a few hundred feet to the east of the complex). It’s sad but true – a highway passes just in front of the Sphinx.
I thought that was Giza in the distance?
I am really enjoying Paul’s background art as much as his character art — it’s a distinctive, and very pleasing, style.
I wonder if they’ve ever gone back to ancient Crete and told to get lost by King Minos?
*bows down before Paul Taylor*
Amazing.
She has excellent taste in poit!’s
Lovin’ the mood yesterday and today. Masterfully done.
And such a lovely place to watch a sunrise, too.
That’s snow, isn’t it?
No – dandruff
Fatuncle, honey, they’re on the Sphinx… In Egypt… at the NorthEast corner of the Sahara Desert….
It’s -sand-.
Believe it or not, it rains in the Sahara. It even snows in the Sahara.
I was thinking snow, as it is clinging to vertical surfaces. Can’t tell from the texture; but it looks more like the action of windblown wet snow, than dry sand.
Or it could just be the coloring, I suppose.
On Mars? Oh, maybe they aren’t at that sphinx.
(I’m not really sure how else to reply.)
No, not Mars, no one in sight is wearing Groucho nose glasses.
That link.
Wow.
BONG * coo coo * BONG * coo coo * BONG * coo coo
Your clock just struck 13, sir.
You gotta take stuff like whats in that link with about a 5 ton chunk of salt dude. Ive seen the pictures of that toast with Jesus on it and one time I saw “DEATH” spelled in my alphabet soup but that dosent mean im watching for the 4 horsemen(or would that be the 4 IHOP waiters?) and filling out my will.
yeah, huge chunk of salt… your brain is only trying to find a shape in random data…
Try this to convince your self…
tune your old (analog!) TV to a channel where there is NO signal, only random noise… stare at the the totally random dots for a while, and you will see patterns forming!! its just your brain trying to make sense of it…
Even better:
pop out one lens of a pair of sunglasses, put them on and look at the static.
OOooooooohhhh….
Ouch! Wouldn’t catching the sun in your hands BURN!
Interesting ‘photomanip’.