Possible, maybe even likely. We all tend to reconize things in context to what we know. I don’t know russian. lol. Also when you google it as I did the WOW reference was the first one that was not a business or a person. Never did see one for the russian word. I think it might be different spelling from what google will reconize.
No, I think that’s Russian for “kitten”. Probably Lydia’s pet name for Monica. It makes more sense to me that way (although the Russian translation shows “e” instead of “ë”). Evidently Lydia’s Russian.
sigh… ok I have to admit that this is really making me… sorta go WHAT? I mean I know that Minneapolis is a rather large hotbed for freaky sh#$ (I live there) but shouldn’t the degree in engineering and all be enough to make this work?
the bra ninjas and making every single character turn into something supernatural begins to lose something in translation.
I don’t see it as all of the characters turning supernatural, just quite a large batch. I would imagine that if the supernatural was in the world and trying to stay off the ‘mundanes’ radar, they would tend to congregate together, either by design or freak chance. But the strip is listed as a supernatural slice of life after all.
Honestly, the one thing that bothers me about almost all present day supernatural fiction is that everything IS off the radar. If there really were so much going on in the present day I find it hard to believe that any organization, no matter how powerful or magical, could keep everyone in the world from ever finding any proof of it.
In the world of fantasy fiction it is important to remember one phrase “Suspension of Disbelief”. Without that you will forever be asking questions like how can a man fly and how do vigilantes not get arrested for braking the law. But if you want to know there is some fiction that does not hide the supernatural, just look at ‘Hellboy’ the comics. They are exposed in their world. The main reason for the secrecy idea in fiction is mostly to make the fantasy world fit into our real world. I have always found it to be a method of making the reader feel more in touch with the fantasy, making it just that much more enjoyable.
Yes, but some fantasy writing just makes it difficult to continue suspension of disbelief. When my daughter and I were watching “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”, we watched the vampire crawl up the side of a building with no problem – that’s what vampires do. But when Tom Sawyer jumped out of a moving car (galloping horse speed – 30 mph?) he landed on his feet, and we both shouted simultaneously “No way!”.
Same with that movie “Wanted”. I have no problem with genetic gifts, healing potions, and secret league sof assassins. But bullets aren’t going to fly in horizontal circles, no matter how fast you’re spinning the gun when you pull the trigger…
Lingerie ninjas don’t bother me. Paul plays sometimes with jokes and such that aren’t essential to the story. We may never get explanation for how Deitzle order pizza over the phone and opens water bottles, and that’s OK.
There is a grain of truth in that it is possible to curve a bullet. It just takes a machine moving at speeds no human could ever accomplish and the effect is minimal. Others can probably give more details but it is my understanding that Hollywood effed up Wanted. If I remember correctly the original story had a greater supernatural element that would have made the assasins’ abilities make more sense in context.
…. and honestly what do you think would happen, if these things were proved to exist, by the ‘freedom of info’ act?? some strange things have – psychics helping with murder inquiries, etc… many have refused to believe, and shortcomings found when they are tested in lab conditions, etc, BUT many inquiries have been successful due to psychic help.. keep an open mind.. 🙂
I think the real problem is the worry of mass panic by the more innocent people…
OR there is so much stupid talk about, people may just ignore it as yet another scam….
It has been used in many films, where the UFO is in full view, and people just think it is a film set, circus prop, etc… 🙂
In the world of self-centered individualism you find it hard to believe that people aren’t paying attention to whats going on around them? Unless it’s on Twitter, of the latest Google search or (heaven forbid) on one of the gossip or Hollywood star shows, people just have no clue.
In years past, yes it would have been harder to put things over on people as individuals because I think people paid more attention to their surroundings, less over-connecting communication helped since it was all location-ally directed.
I think another aspect of this is that people tend to see what they want/expect to see. If you expect to see nothing supernatural, then you probably won’t see supernatural events. Or at the least, you won’t interpret the events you do see as supernatural. If you expect to see miracles, then you’ll likely see miracles all about you. And more to the point, once you’ve begun interpreting what you experience in the light of your own prejudices, you’ll become increasingly entrenched in defending those prejudices as the only valid way to “see” things.
Of course our experience of the world is a bit more complicated than this thumbnail sketch, but this seems to be the way that most of us work. Some of us are more willing to entertain other viewpoints, perhaps even those contrary to our own. Our openness to these alternate interpretations is helpful to some people, threatening to others.
That Other Guy:
Have you seen Men In Black?? there could be evidence all around, that is ignored as ‘loony tunes’ or coverups… :/
try these… ::) http://youtu.be/NYglbymnihQ
my favorite in one of the book, is the SEP field… 😛
“invisibility?? no, no, that is too difficult, takes too much power!!! – a ‘Somebody Else’s problem’ Field is much better! – it makes the viewer not ‘bother’ to see it, its not their problem!! 🙂 “
Eddings uses this sort of thing in his works: different deities have different forms of invisibility, from bending light rays, to being unnoticed, to seeing-but-not-paying-any-attention. He also applies it to other magics, but don’t remember any specifically. Teleportation? Flying?
This is a “just for fun” week, branching into silliness and a little specialized fan service. Paul mentioned on Facebook Sunday giggling as he wrote/drew this week, then posted this status:
“If by this Wednesday’s Wapsi comic, you do not think that I’m a doofus, then you’ll need your doofus meter checked. =P”
I know this is a comic strip. I’m not attacking I’m critiquing.
One of the things that Monica was freaking out about Not overly long ago was how the supernatural did not exist. etc etc etc
Monica’s resistance to all things supernatural is/was one of the things that makes her a very real and believable character.
Paul’s artwork is phenomenal but it is his tongue in cheek goofy story with the occasional OMG moment of quasi dark horror that makes the comic fun to read.
All I’m saying is that THIS particular reader is thinking this strip may have been MORE fun had the focus been on how… even in a world of supernatural one still has normal things they have to do.. which is what the lead up strips more or less were with the skinny vs muffin top bits.
Either way I’m not going to stop reading. It’s still one of the best fantasy strips out there.
Poor Tina seems totally out of her depth… and there’s something supremely ironic in the fact that she’s the one on the receiving end of the espresso this time.
Nitpicking time : If they’re so unintrusive and dressed all in black, leaving mistress the only one with her face shown, we’re talking Bunraku and the helpers are Kuroko.
??? Can I invite them to my next…. ???? hmm… what can you invite them to when you have a wife?!? Well, Annie’s …. credentials… require similar effort as her cup size is at the far end of the alphabet…
Recalling our last visit to this shop, I get the feeling that “ambushed by ninjas” would have turned out VERY different with Shelly present instead of Tina.
You’re right: She be giving giggling squeeee’s right along side Monica. (Shelly’s already been to see Lydia, and would probably feel safe enough that it wouldn’t trigger a Shellynx response.)
On the other hand, when she went, she wasn’t in tune with her Spinx self, so now things would become a lot more instinctive.
Remember Justin and his friendly backside swipe, and the mid riff claw slash in return? Those Ninja’s might end up becoming the Canaries to Shelly’s Cat self.
… I really more meant if the Ninjas existed during Shelly and Monica’s first visit, and how Shelly reacted to threats at that time (i.e. paint-ball guy).
Yes! Give her some time! It was only last Friday that they became exercise buddies, and in comic time, it might have been yesterday. (It was at least one day, since they made appointment for the fitting) And they haven’t actually made it to the gym, or wherever, since they needed the proper, umm, accoutrements.
Not sure if the different font indicates that this purveyor of suspension-bridge technology is also a demon, or if it’s just done for humorous effect. Her lingerie ninjas certainly seem to have supernatural powers!
Nope, just a THICK Russian accent. And she is not supernatural in any way, neither are the Ninjas, they’re just “that good” at stealth. =) Let me repeat for previous commenters above, no supernatural stuff is going on in the bra shop.
Thanks for clearing that up, Paul. I, too, figured she was Russian, but I thought the choice of the shakey letters was to imply a gravelly voice, like that of a chain smoker.
And to this day, the League of Lingerie Ninja stand ready to do battle with the Evil Sock Gnomes, thwarting their dastardly plans to somehow profit from their scheme!
Even Tina totally goes “Huh, what??”
Confusing a supernatural aura-reading entity like her is a quite impressive feat for those non-supernatural ninjas!
That or she’s like our more serious/cynical readers and just going: “This doesn’t make any sense. Why would a bra shop employ ninjas? Why do ninjas still exist outside of fiction? Why do we keep hanging around Monica, when it turns out bad for us almost every time? And why do the size of our pants keep changing between panels?”
Tina is *well* out of her comfort zone, ever since the gauntlet was thrown… I dont think she has had time to even think, since then… no escape, M is pushing her hard… :O
Paul’s also solving a practical visual story telling problem: how do you show Monica and Tina getting fitted for sports bras in a fashion that is a. entertaining, b. does not have a dozen shots of their backs, and c. contains sufficient fanservice without doing gratuitous bare-breast shots? Answer: Bra ninjas. *chortle*
This is a very creative and cute way to avoid the ever-present changing room montage that everyone else employes. (My minds eye still sees the one from Xanadu that I saw in the 80’s)
🙂 Awesome. So does this mean the lingerie ninjas are part of the grand scheme of things and perhaps know more than just textiles and underwires?
Also, loving the carbon-fibre look of the upper cup of Monica’s bra!
Reminds me of the cover art fo the series of fantasy books, Chicks in Chainmail. But themn as exercise buddies they are going into combat.
Was that the brass bra guild before, after, or during the medical insurance scam. (if you haven’t read it, it’s a hoot)
loved that one!
That probably is actual carbon fiber, if not nanotube cabling
Reminds me of the suit from Crysis.
WOW?? WTF?? Surely not here!!!
WOW = World Of Warcraft. Though this scene does fit Kotehok.
I thought she was saying котенок, Russian for “kitten.”
Possible, maybe even likely. We all tend to reconize things in context to what we know. I don’t know russian. lol. Also when you google it as I did the WOW reference was the first one that was not a business or a person. Never did see one for the russian word. I think it might be different spelling from what google will reconize.
you need to try the other way round.. 🙂
http://translate.google.com/#auto|ru|kitten
No, I think that’s Russian for “kitten”. Probably Lydia’s pet name for Monica. It makes more sense to me that way (although the Russian translation shows “e” instead of “ë”). Evidently Lydia’s Russian.
Yep–котёнок means kitten, but wouldn’t Monica be a котёнкA?
sigh… ok I have to admit that this is really making me… sorta go WHAT? I mean I know that Minneapolis is a rather large hotbed for freaky sh#$ (I live there) but shouldn’t the degree in engineering and all be enough to make this work?
the bra ninjas and making every single character turn into something supernatural begins to lose something in translation.
that said… it’s still a cool strip 😉
I don’t see it as all of the characters turning supernatural, just quite a large batch. I would imagine that if the supernatural was in the world and trying to stay off the ‘mundanes’ radar, they would tend to congregate together, either by design or freak chance. But the strip is listed as a supernatural slice of life after all.
Honestly, the one thing that bothers me about almost all present day supernatural fiction is that everything IS off the radar. If there really were so much going on in the present day I find it hard to believe that any organization, no matter how powerful or magical, could keep everyone in the world from ever finding any proof of it.
In the world of fantasy fiction it is important to remember one phrase “Suspension of Disbelief”. Without that you will forever be asking questions like how can a man fly and how do vigilantes not get arrested for braking the law. But if you want to know there is some fiction that does not hide the supernatural, just look at ‘Hellboy’ the comics. They are exposed in their world. The main reason for the secrecy idea in fiction is mostly to make the fantasy world fit into our real world. I have always found it to be a method of making the reader feel more in touch with the fantasy, making it just that much more enjoyable.
Yes, but some fantasy writing just makes it difficult to continue suspension of disbelief. When my daughter and I were watching “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”, we watched the vampire crawl up the side of a building with no problem – that’s what vampires do. But when Tom Sawyer jumped out of a moving car (galloping horse speed – 30 mph?) he landed on his feet, and we both shouted simultaneously “No way!”.
Same with that movie “Wanted”. I have no problem with genetic gifts, healing potions, and secret league sof assassins. But bullets aren’t going to fly in horizontal circles, no matter how fast you’re spinning the gun when you pull the trigger…
Lingerie ninjas don’t bother me. Paul plays sometimes with jokes and such that aren’t essential to the story. We may never get explanation for how Deitzle order pizza over the phone and opens water bottles, and that’s OK.
There is a grain of truth in that it is possible to curve a bullet. It just takes a machine moving at speeds no human could ever accomplish and the effect is minimal. Others can probably give more details but it is my understanding that Hollywood effed up Wanted. If I remember correctly the original story had a greater supernatural element that would have made the assasins’ abilities make more sense in context.
…. and honestly what do you think would happen, if these things were proved to exist, by the ‘freedom of info’ act?? some strange things have – psychics helping with murder inquiries, etc… many have refused to believe, and shortcomings found when they are tested in lab conditions, etc, BUT many inquiries have been successful due to psychic help.. keep an open mind.. 🙂
I think the real problem is the worry of mass panic by the more innocent people…
OR there is so much stupid talk about, people may just ignore it as yet another scam….
It has been used in many films, where the UFO is in full view, and people just think it is a film set, circus prop, etc… 🙂
In the world of self-centered individualism you find it hard to believe that people aren’t paying attention to whats going on around them? Unless it’s on Twitter, of the latest Google search or (heaven forbid) on one of the gossip or Hollywood star shows, people just have no clue.
In years past, yes it would have been harder to put things over on people as individuals because I think people paid more attention to their surroundings, less over-connecting communication helped since it was all location-ally directed.
Not now however.
I think another aspect of this is that people tend to see what they want/expect to see. If you expect to see nothing supernatural, then you probably won’t see supernatural events. Or at the least, you won’t interpret the events you do see as supernatural. If you expect to see miracles, then you’ll likely see miracles all about you. And more to the point, once you’ve begun interpreting what you experience in the light of your own prejudices, you’ll become increasingly entrenched in defending those prejudices as the only valid way to “see” things.
Of course our experience of the world is a bit more complicated than this thumbnail sketch, but this seems to be the way that most of us work. Some of us are more willing to entertain other viewpoints, perhaps even those contrary to our own. Our openness to these alternate interpretations is helpful to some people, threatening to others.
Hide in plain sight still works – it really does.
Den, that’s true, and one reason Paul himself uses: as on the Jan 31 strip, when Shelly flies Justin to the hospital. Without a helicopter.
That Other Guy:
Have you seen Men In Black?? there could be evidence all around, that is ignored as ‘loony tunes’ or coverups… :/
try these… ::)
http://youtu.be/NYglbymnihQ
you have to read more scifi like douglas adams, men in black…..:)
my favorite in one of the book, is the SEP field… 😛
“invisibility?? no, no, that is too difficult, takes too much power!!! – a ‘Somebody Else’s problem’ Field is much better! – it makes the viewer not ‘bother’ to see it, its not their problem!! 🙂 “
Eddings uses this sort of thing in his works: different deities have different forms of invisibility, from bending light rays, to being unnoticed, to seeing-but-not-paying-any-attention. He also applies it to other magics, but don’t remember any specifically. Teleportation? Flying?
This is a “just for fun” week, branching into silliness and a little specialized fan service. Paul mentioned on Facebook Sunday giggling as he wrote/drew this week, then posted this status:
“If by this Wednesday’s Wapsi comic, you do not think that I’m a doofus, then you’ll need your doofus meter checked. =P”
Chill, dude. It’s a comic strip.
Fill the pun jar, please.
*grumble*
clink clink clink
I know this is a comic strip. I’m not attacking I’m critiquing.
One of the things that Monica was freaking out about Not overly long ago was how the supernatural did not exist. etc etc etc
Monica’s resistance to all things supernatural is/was one of the things that makes her a very real and believable character.
Paul’s artwork is phenomenal but it is his tongue in cheek goofy story with the occasional OMG moment of quasi dark horror that makes the comic fun to read.
All I’m saying is that THIS particular reader is thinking this strip may have been MORE fun had the focus been on how… even in a world of supernatural one still has normal things they have to do.. which is what the lead up strips more or less were with the skinny vs muffin top bits.
Either way I’m not going to stop reading. It’s still one of the best fantasy strips out there.
The lingerie ninjas are truly masters if they can leave Tina’s head as swirly as her eyes.
Poor Tina seems totally out of her depth… and there’s something supremely ironic in the fact that she’s the one on the receiving end of the espresso this time.
I’ll bet that’s the first time Tina’s heard THAT come out of somebody’s mouth and being directed at HER… most of the time that’s HER line to others
And now we know the gravely looking text is a heavy Russian accent. After all she just called Monica ‘kitten’. She must really like her.
Really? Russian Ninja’s, though I do admidt they are fast but come on. The bra does fit with the idea of a russian hero project quiet nicely.
I am not saying the ninjas are Russian, but the word “Kotehok” is a Russian word meaning kitten and is used as a term of endearment.
And I just realized that I missed your pun when I wrote my last post. I need sleep lolz
Hey, I’ve seen French ninja waiters. Russian lingerie ninjas aren’t that much of a stretch.
Also Irish ninja-doctors. I can’t believe I forgot that one.
I think I would prefer the Lingerie Ninja’s to the others.
Thank you. Saved me the trouble of tracking down the french-ninja restaurant myself.
Nitpicking time : If they’re so unintrusive and dressed all in black, leaving mistress the only one with her face shown, we’re talking Bunraku and the helpers are Kuroko.
except they are not Japanese, they are Russian???
Last I checked, ninja weren’t Russian either. They might be rushin’ around, but that’s another deal entirely.
[drops a star in the pot]
Russian woman, Japanese master maybe?
And if they are Russian wouldn’t they be Spetsnaz?
??? Can I invite them to my next…. ???? hmm… what can you invite them to when you have a wife?!? Well, Annie’s …. credentials… require similar effort as her cup size is at the far end of the alphabet…
well, there has been a few links / hints in the last few days… get enough bromide so you can get out of yer bunk for a while…. 🙂
OK, this is just goofy…
I want a poster of panel 3 all by itself…
Is it just me, or did Tina’s pants shrink between the last page and this one? They seem distinctly…narrower >_>
well, I think stress tends to do that… watch a video of ‘sex surgery’, I guess you might get the same effect!!! 😀
Haha I was going to mention the daisy dukes! Those look like they’d be Cameltoe City, in the district of Wedgiesburgh!
Of course the Ninjas Of The Lace Fist know the art, look at the shape of the coffee girl. You can’t dress someone else if you can’t find your own fit.
Poor Tina looks as if she’s had an ancient secret revealed to her that she wasn’t quite ready to be a party of just yet.
Which would be no small feat, considering the ancient secrets of which she’s been party already.
Recalling our last visit to this shop, I get the feeling that “ambushed by ninjas” would have turned out VERY different with Shelly present instead of Tina.
You’re right: She be giving giggling squeeee’s right along side Monica. (Shelly’s already been to see Lydia, and would probably feel safe enough that it wouldn’t trigger a Shellynx response.)
On the other hand, when she went, she wasn’t in tune with her Spinx self, so now things would become a lot more instinctive.
Remember Justin and his friendly backside swipe, and the mid riff claw slash in return? Those Ninja’s might end up becoming the Canaries to Shelly’s Cat self.
… I really more meant if the Ninjas existed during Shelly and Monica’s first visit, and how Shelly reacted to threats at that time (i.e. paint-ball guy).
That is some mighty fine woh-man-handling…
groan…
Applause, applause!
And for her next trick….
Watch her pull a bewb out of her hat!
Nothing up my sleeve!
…
“HEY!”
Sorry about that mister!
Must have took the wrong hat?
One wonders why a Master of Support Garments would require an “elite guard.”
Because we are talking about dangerous “weapons of mass distraction.”
Massive weapons of destruction?
Ah, which raises the spectre of Boob Terrorists. “Do not mock the Breast Jihad!!”
I’d link to the relevant QC comic, but I can’t remember which one it was & don’t have time to look for it.
LOL at Kinglash
Ninjas of the lace fist…
That Probably just got green lighted in Japan for a full 15 episode OVA. LOTS of fan service.
Series tend to fall into either 13 (half season) or 26 (full season). It is harder to sell a series outside of this range.
Yes! But who will direct the 3D Hollywood adaptation? Joss Whedon or Michael Bay?
Tickets going on reserve soon….
Russ Meyer
Justin Timberlake would have to co-star
I vote Joss Whedon, because Michael Bay seems to let his editors screw up the story of a film for the sake of special effects.
This is known as the “Piss off Troy Perkins” effect. (He’s the dept. chair for radio/tv/film dept, and has elaborated greatly upon this effect.)
Unfortunately, it will be Uwe Boll……….
Yikes. Tina really needs to lose that muffin or wear a different cut of jeans. It doesn’t look good at the moment…
well its only Wednesday… 🙂 🙂
Yes! Give her some time! It was only last Friday that they became exercise buddies, and in comic time, it might have been yesterday. (It was at least one day, since they made appointment for the fitting) And they haven’t actually made it to the gym, or wherever, since they needed the proper, umm, accoutrements.
Not sure if the different font indicates that this purveyor of suspension-bridge technology is also a demon, or if it’s just done for humorous effect. Her lingerie ninjas certainly seem to have supernatural powers!
apparently it is a gravely-voiced Russian… 🙂
Nope, just a THICK Russian accent. And she is not supernatural in any way, neither are the Ninjas, they’re just “that good” at stealth. =) Let me repeat for previous commenters above, no supernatural stuff is going on in the bra shop.
Nothing, except the Oriental Art of Bra-Jitsu, which is a closely guarded secret of the Lingerie Ninja.
Ah thanks 🙂 I was going by Maark30’s assumption.. 😛
Thanks for clearing that up, Paul. I, too, figured she was Russian, but I thought the choice of the shakey letters was to imply a gravelly voice, like that of a chain smoker.
Ah. So they do exist. Ninjas of the underclothes varity. This means there must be pirates. Love Tina’s expressions.
And to this day, the League of Lingerie Ninja stand ready to do battle with the Evil Sock Gnomes, thwarting their dastardly plans to somehow profit from their scheme!
Not very good ninjas. I can see one in the last panel.
well they are also trained in the art of ‘coffee therapy & relaxation’ for customers befuddled by the quick change… 🙂
The rest have mastered The Art of Not Being Seen, as taught to British Special Forces during the Python conflict.
Damn it Paul, now I want to make a Lingerie Ninja for my next Pathfinder character. Happy now?
Even Tina totally goes “Huh, what??”
Confusing a supernatural aura-reading entity like her is a quite impressive feat for those non-supernatural ninjas!
That or she’s like our more serious/cynical readers and just going: “This doesn’t make any sense. Why would a bra shop employ ninjas? Why do ninjas still exist outside of fiction? Why do we keep hanging around Monica, when it turns out bad for us almost every time? And why do the size of our pants keep changing between panels?”
Tina is *well* out of her comfort zone, ever since the gauntlet was thrown… I dont think she has had time to even think, since then… no escape, M is pushing her hard… :O
Yes, Paul. You are a doofus…and I love it! 😀
Oh…and I would LOVE to try one of Lydia’s sport’s bras…
Am I wrong for thinking this is all just too damn cute?! If so… I don’t ever wanna be right. ^___^
I think Mrs. the Poet would like one of her sports bras…
And the one handing Tina the espresso looks a lot like Gretchen in Ninja drag.
Paul’s also solving a practical visual story telling problem: how do you show Monica and Tina getting fitted for sports bras in a fashion that is a. entertaining, b. does not have a dozen shots of their backs, and c. contains sufficient fanservice without doing gratuitous bare-breast shots? Answer: Bra ninjas. *chortle*
This is a very creative and cute way to avoid the ever-present changing room montage that everyone else employes. (My minds eye still sees the one from Xanadu that I saw in the 80’s)
M is absolutely ADORABLE in that last panel!
Wouldn’t mind seeing that in color, btw.
if only MY bra shop was this awesome!