Why not? There’s a kid’s TV show called “Dog with a Blog”, where, yes, the dog has a blog that it updates. Seems reasonable to me in this Wapsi Universe
Smart enough to grow a set of opposable thumbs? Cause Dietzel apparently is. Also Wapsi Square started in 2001 when he was already fully grown, and flashbacks (or at least one) indicated Monica has already had him for some time (let’s say a year minimum) – that puts THIS Dietzel at nearly 17, compared to the usual bull terrier lifespan, of about a decade. I think we can safely agree, Dietzel is as paranormal as the rest of them.
Ettercap and dridder are both DnD options. Japan features jorogumo (but that name is kinda offensive), tsuchigumo (but she’s not a ground spider) and umigumo (but she neither lives by the sea nor can spit webs (yet)). Also, some franchises call them “Arachnes.” Personally I like ettercap!
human spider is usually referred to as a Drieder but… that’s usually ment in reference to upper half woman lower half spider, Much like Evil Spinnerette or Arachnae from Monster Masume.
She looked to be a jumping spider. While they’ll use silk for a drag line, they don’t really spin webs. (Posted under the wrong comment initially. Sorry Jayessell)
It’s like I said yesterday… “giant spider” was the obvious outcome… but it was too obvious. This, not so much… I definitely wasn’t expecting spider-girl…
@DJTsurugi: nah, i’m pretty sure that it’s been established that Dietzel is a male… that means he’s be a Dogboy… though if he shows up in Deadboy armor we’d have to start worrying if Rifts are gonna start opening up.
@DJTsurugi: Pretty sure this happened explicitly BECAUSE it wasn’t Dietzel that wore it. It would’ve done exactly what it was supposed to (return Dietzel to his original size) if he’d put it on.
As Gyrre already pointed out those are pedipalps. The’re built like small legs in spiders, but they are what makes up a scorpion’s claws. They have a lot of sensors, so you could think of them as analougous to insect antennae. Also its a good thing digit is a girl. In male spiders pedipalps used for… “special” purposes.😅 🕷
So first of all want to say that this webcomic is awesome. I’ve been a lurker here for years now; sorry its taken me so long to comment. Anyway, I am currently studying to be an arachnolgist (nerd speak for spider biologist) and I kinda specialize in the family Salticidae (nerdspeak for jumping spiders), so obviously Digit has been my favorite character since her introduction. I always figured this might happen, and pondering the implications of a human shaped spider is one of my favorite pastimes. You sir have made my dream a reality! Thank you!
I wonder if this was a fairy trick to turn Dietzel humanoid, and possibly hook Monica up with the most consistently loyal reliable and useful male she knows.
That actually makes sense, especially when you consider that Cricket apparently did not actually make the ring.
Cricket may be trying to become civilized, but her Fae connections made no such commitment.
well, in all respects, the talisman came with a disclaimer that it was made SPECIFICALLY for Dietzel and that it’s affects on anyone else couldn’t be estimated. I think it was offered in all sincerity
I spent all day at work afraid Paul would have left us on yesterday’s cliffhanger and just posted some St Paddy’s Day art today instead, and we’d have to wait until Monday to find out what happened to Digit. So glad he didn’t.
My guess is Digit is stuck that way, and Monica just became a sort of mom-by-adoption. Digit is already attempting human speech, and adapted pretty quickly to having half the limbs she used to, so she’s probably able to learn to fit in with the rest of the Wapsi gang.
My big question is: Normal, nonmagical spiders have a very short lifespan by human standards. Did Digit’s transformation into a near-human give her a longer lifespan?
She already seems to be pretty long lived to begin with, and I’ve been pondering why. I mean, she showed up some.. what.. three years ago in the storyline? My biggest suspicion is a side effect of the library, which is where we originally ran into her.. and apparently they spend a lot of time there.
Which is exactly why I wondered about her lifespan. 😀 After all Deitzel doesn’t seem to age that much, either, and he’s been around as long as the strip has, IIRC. And he’s enchanted and spends a lot of time at the library, too.
Hadn’t occurred to me, but makes sense given what I think I know about spiders. Dietzel’s a guy, right? Not sure now…will have to give a good look at the old strips again, which, come to think of it, I’ve been doing for about three weeks now.
By that logic, Digit should also have eight limbs and eight eyes. Notice she only has four each.
I’m wondering if she still has spinnarettes and can still produce webbing. (Yes, I know jumping spiders don’t spin webs, I just can’t think of a better term for the drag lines they do produce)
My personal theory is that Deitzel is, _and has always been_ MIB’s close agent on Monica. Jin had always known that M was important to the Calendar machine resolution, so had her watched the whole time.
Dietzel is an unusual dog even if you throw out the bit about him being magically palm sized. He has an almost human level intelligence. And if you consider his current size, his paws would be about the same size as Monica’s fingertips, perfect for operating electronic devices.
Dietzel has been “special” from the get-go: he could read the water cut off notice, he could open the fridge, pull out a water bottle and dump it on Monica in the shower, to rinse out the shampoo, he once gave her the finger, he can order pizza on his own, in Monica’s absence, he can open doors, he can watch movies and cry at the appropriate times (with Darryl, the bar tender), pointing to a refined understanding of the English language, which he demonstrated again when he first met Cricket in the library, when he was rolling his eyes at her statements about Monica and her. Understanding Monica’s need for exercise, he once rolled in fresh mud, and had Monica chase him. He is scared of chipmunks. He once put on four roller skates (the kind that attach to shoes), to have Monica roll him around (which she refused to do, on the grounds that she thought people would think she is nuts for doing so…)
By now, nothing much should surprise us about Dietzel.
Calista: “Ma’am… it hasn’t even been a full hour since I put that box in your hand. SERIOUSLY? You’re supposed to be my fucking ROLE MODEL!”
Manica: “I KNOW!”
Sigurther nailed it. Nice job dude… or dudette.
Also, poor digit.
That has *got* to be disorienting as hell. “WHERE DID MY LIMBS GO!?!?”
A kid sister for Monica!
Wowsers. Dietzel can compose, type, and send a text? That’s a magic dog.
I’m glad that my dog can’t do that, I already have enough trouble getting the kids out of the house.
He can also throw a mean middle finger, if you can recall.
I don’t think that was the finger. I think it was the arm. (The Italian salute. Bras d’honneur. Corte de manga. Botifarra. I can go on.)
How doe you think he would order Pizza when Monica was away?
Why not? There’s a kid’s TV show called “Dog with a Blog”, where, yes, the dog has a blog that it updates. Seems reasonable to me in this Wapsi Universe
He’s a bull terrier–they’re pretty smart. Stubborn and apt to go their own way and so not easy to train, but smart.
Smart enough to grow a set of opposable thumbs? Cause Dietzel apparently is. Also Wapsi Square started in 2001 when he was already fully grown, and flashbacks (or at least one) indicated Monica has already had him for some time (let’s say a year minimum) – that puts THIS Dietzel at nearly 17, compared to the usual bull terrier lifespan, of about a decade. I think we can safely agree, Dietzel is as paranormal as the rest of them.
it was back in 2001, dietzel can do many things a human can, just cannot speak.. 😀 😀
http://wapsisquare.com/character/dietzel/
use telephone, watch vid with a friend, whine about ‘the good sound of valves’ …. 🙂
He frequently goes on adventures by himself, and its texting that surprises you?
Where’d they get a shirt that fits?
Probably something stretchy that Monica had in her dresser.
So…being a magic spider…fae magic turned her into a near human?
(Is there a word for that?)
Let’s see Dietzel get some of that! (Temporarily)
Ettercap and dridder are both DnD options. Japan features jorogumo (but that name is kinda offensive), tsuchigumo (but she’s not a ground spider) and umigumo (but she neither lives by the sea nor can spit webs (yet)). Also, some franchises call them “Arachnes.” Personally I like ettercap!
Technically, Digit is now a ‘Para’ the same as Monica, Atsali, Castela and the rest.
I say that fits the ‘near human’ tag you are looking for. 🙂
human spider is usually referred to as a Drieder but… that’s usually ment in reference to upper half woman lower half spider, Much like Evil Spinnerette or Arachnae from Monster Masume.
A spare one in case Calista or one of the girls stopped by?
Something of Jettes?
You’re forgetting that Monica’s old 8 ball shirt was one-size-fits-all.
Ettercap, huh? I thought “attercop” was offensive to anybody. 🙂
Only in Middle Earth. The word comes from the Old Norse for … watch for it … spider.
In fact, they still use *edderkopp* in Norway today.
I’m thinking it’s going be entertaining the next time Digit goes to spin a web.
She looked to be a jumping spider. While they’ll use silk for a drag line, they don’t really spin webs. (Posted under the wrong comment initially. Sorry Jayessell)
I think she’s a jumping spider. They don’t spin webs, they just use it for tethers when they jump.
Well, it’s how it works for Spinnerette… http://www.spinnyverse.com/comic/03-31-2010
Congratulations Monica! You’re a mother!
Dammit, You beat me to it.
Depends. How old is Digit in spider years and / or in human years?
Dunno – but judging by the “Digit discovers yogurt” piece currently up on eBay she’s gonna be going to high school at Gryphon High…
Just wait until it is “Aunt” Amanda’s turn to babysit…
Or Aunt Shelly. Or Aunt Jacqui.
Aunt Katherine might be able to handle it.
this is infinitely better than what I thought would happen. ~<3
I was guessing ‘dog sized spider’ or ‘dog spider hybrid’.
It’s like I said yesterday… “giant spider” was the obvious outcome… but it was too obvious. This, not so much… I definitely wasn’t expecting spider-girl…
yeah, dog sized spider is where my mind went, new question though, would Dietzel have become a dog girl? ~<3
@DJTsurugi: nah, i’m pretty sure that it’s been established that Dietzel is a male… that means he’s be a Dogboy… though if he shows up in Deadboy armor we’d have to start worrying if Rifts are gonna start opening up.
@DJTsurugi: Pretty sure this happened explicitly BECAUSE it wasn’t Dietzel that wore it. It would’ve done exactly what it was supposed to (return Dietzel to his original size) if he’d put it on.
Digit kinda looks adorable ^_^
The four eyes and mandibles on the sides of her head don’t do much for me though.
I think those are meant to be her pedipalps (the smaller limbs to either side of the fangs).
Spider have chelicerae instead of mandibles. They still have maxillae, though.
As Gyrre already pointed out those are pedipalps. The’re built like small legs in spiders, but they are what makes up a scorpion’s claws. They have a lot of sensors, so you could think of them as analougous to insect antennae. Also its a good thing digit is a girl. In male spiders pedipalps used for… “special” purposes.😅 🕷
That was an interesting turn.
How is she (Digit) at jumping?
She is now a single mom with a small dog problem…
Jet should be fun to tell this all to.
Wonder how Jet is with spiders?
So first of all want to say that this webcomic is awesome. I’ve been a lurker here for years now; sorry its taken me so long to comment. Anyway, I am currently studying to be an arachnolgist (nerd speak for spider biologist) and I kinda specialize in the family Salticidae (nerdspeak for jumping spiders), so obviously Digit has been my favorite character since her introduction. I always figured this might happen, and pondering the implications of a human shaped spider is one of my favorite pastimes. You sir have made my dream a reality! Thank you!
<3
She’s a *lot* cuter than Barclay was during the de-evolution episode. *Brr!*
Methinks she needs a pair of glasses, though. Spiders are supposed to be eight-eyed.
You mean “broccoli”…
…somebody other than Katherine who can be “Spider Girl!”
Nah, that was Monica’s dream
Called it! Now, will Cricket and Digit become an Odd Couple?
Maybe that’s why Cricket is blushing. Digit is adorable though.
I didn’t see that coming.
It only makes sense that human Digit is cute, she was a jumping spider. They are pretty darn adorable.
La fille araignée est tres adorable!
I expected her to end up with a dog-sized spider and a spider-sized dog. But noooooooo.
Well, they are still half there 😛
Aaaaand, the WTF meter climbs another notch…maybe two.
I wonder if this was a fairy trick to turn Dietzel humanoid, and possibly hook Monica up with the most consistently loyal reliable and useful male she knows.
That actually makes sense, especially when you consider that Cricket apparently did not actually make the ring.
Cricket may be trying to become civilized, but her Fae connections made no such commitment.
well, in all respects, the talisman came with a disclaimer that it was made SPECIFICALLY for Dietzel and that it’s affects on anyone else couldn’t be estimated. I think it was offered in all sincerity
I spent all day at work afraid Paul would have left us on yesterday’s cliffhanger and just posted some St Paddy’s Day art today instead, and we’d have to wait until Monday to find out what happened to Digit. So glad he didn’t.
My guess is Digit is stuck that way, and Monica just became a sort of mom-by-adoption. Digit is already attempting human speech, and adapted pretty quickly to having half the limbs she used to, so she’s probably able to learn to fit in with the rest of the Wapsi gang.
My big question is: Normal, nonmagical spiders have a very short lifespan by human standards. Did Digit’s transformation into a near-human give her a longer lifespan?
She already seems to be pretty long lived to begin with, and I’ve been pondering why. I mean, she showed up some.. what.. three years ago in the storyline? My biggest suspicion is a side effect of the library, which is where we originally ran into her.. and apparently they spend a lot of time there.
Digit is now enchanted, so all bets for a normal lifespan may be off the table.
Which is exactly why I wondered about her lifespan. 😀 After all Deitzel doesn’t seem to age that much, either, and he’s been around as long as the strip has, IIRC. And he’s enchanted and spends a lot of time at the library, too.
Well, I at least didn’t know Digit’s gender until now…
It’s kinda been mentioned a few times
Hadn’t occurred to me, but makes sense given what I think I know about spiders. Dietzel’s a guy, right? Not sure now…will have to give a good look at the old strips again, which, come to think of it, I’ve been doing for about three weeks now.
Yes, Dietzel is a male.
Hmm, shouldn’t Digit’s pedipalps be on either side of her mouth?
That’s where they had been, weren’t they?
So, with all of the changes made to Digit’s anatomy, the precise location of the pedipalps is the one thing you find hardest to believe?
Yes, because those were left in, but moved from where they should be
By that logic, Digit should also have eight limbs and eight eyes. Notice she only has four each.
I’m wondering if she still has spinnarettes and can still produce webbing. (Yes, I know jumping spiders don’t spin webs, I just can’t think of a better term for the drag lines they do produce)
If you go back a couple pages, Digit is typically only seen with the same four eyes she has here
“Dietzel, *text* Cricket…” Dietzel can text?
Deitzel is abnormally intelligent for a dog, and can do many surprising things, and that was even before Monica became the Jaguar Girl.
Note Panel Four of this comic…
My personal theory is that Deitzel is, _and has always been_ MIB’s close agent on Monica. Jin had always known that M was important to the Calendar machine resolution, so had her watched the whole time.
How else would he order pizza?
OK, I didn’t see THAT coming…
And Dietzel can text? And understand english…?
Dietzel is an unusual dog even if you throw out the bit about him being magically palm sized. He has an almost human level intelligence. And if you consider his current size, his paws would be about the same size as Monica’s fingertips, perfect for operating electronic devices.
Dietzel has been “special” from the get-go: he could read the water cut off notice, he could open the fridge, pull out a water bottle and dump it on Monica in the shower, to rinse out the shampoo, he once gave her the finger, he can order pizza on his own, in Monica’s absence, he can open doors, he can watch movies and cry at the appropriate times (with Darryl, the bar tender), pointing to a refined understanding of the English language, which he demonstrated again when he first met Cricket in the library, when he was rolling his eyes at her statements about Monica and her. Understanding Monica’s need for exercise, he once rolled in fresh mud, and had Monica chase him. He is scared of chipmunks. He once put on four roller skates (the kind that attach to shoes), to have Monica roll him around (which she refused to do, on the grounds that she thought people would think she is nuts for doing so…)
By now, nothing much should surprise us about Dietzel.
He put a broom on his head to symbolise Bud’s “haystack hair” (her term).
I like the little Dietzel head poking up, in the first panel…
Wow. I totally didn’t see that coming.
This is one of those moments where I really regret that “Wapsi Square” is a Monday through Friday thing.
Awww, she makes such a CUTE little arachnoid! *SQUEEEE*
Wonder if she can still climb walls.
I wonder if she can still spin silk and jump a proportionally greater distance.
I also didn’t know Digit was Female! coolness!
Calista: “Ma’am… it hasn’t even been a full hour since I put that box in your hand. SERIOUSLY? You’re supposed to be my fucking ROLE MODEL!”
Manica: “I KNOW!”