Mr. Toad’s wild ride, indeed. I cannot help but wonder why the big ‘Argh’ never hit earlier. The facial expressions are becoming quite brilliant, in my opinion. Yet another bonus to reading this amazing comic.
Color me unimpressed with Monica for the past few months of updates (or so). She’s throwing her arms and legs around like a kid having a temper tantrum about everything, or she’s making wild accusations (like when she started talking about her parents with Tepoz).
I dunno, I’m sure plenty will disagree but I’m sick of Monica needing someone (even her own Doubt) to talk her through every little thing that comes up in her path. Especially after they’ve just saved the whole freaking world. :/
It makes me wonder if the Monica we know and love is somehow diminished now that she is free of her freeloading demons? They were bad, sure… but they completed her.
Oh good. I’m glad they can still be shown outside of her. The demons were always such great art to behold. Not to mention comedic, as in the exchange which went something like “your ass is on fire” … [demon starts to say something] … “My ass is on fire!!” Yeah, well I guess ya hadda be there.
Yeah, Monica often gets on my nerves too — and today we see her in full blown Drama Queen mode (though this time she makes me laugh much more than groan – so satisfying to see life being inflicted upon her, ruining her little control freak plans). But on the other hand, Monica could so easily be written as a totally insufferable Mary Sue — that she has personality flaws (BIG ones) that make us want to strangle her from time to time is a good thing in the end, and Pablo does a great job keeping her away from Mary Sue territory.
Pablo’s writing and characterization is superb, I don’t doubt that. I just wish that Monica would show more than baby steps to her maturation. (But I pin that solely on the character and I wouldn’t want Pablo to take her out of character by forcing anything)
Well, I think Monida is much better once she gets going. She hates things that she doesn’t understand. This is new to her and she doesn’t understand it, yet, so she’s feeling like the world is just jerking her around. But yes, she is still a bit of a drama queen, too.
Personally, I think It can easily be taken, so long as someone can accept the situation on it’s own merits without passing judgement on the person in question,,,,
…in other news today, scientists are still baffled by what they dub “the scream”. At approximately nine am, people from all over the globe reported to hearing a loud, high pitched sound that can only be described as a women screaming in frustration. The sound has been calculated to have originated in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. Zoologists have confirmed that the sound was indeed produced by a living animal, and not by artificial means; this has caused much confusion in the scientific community as there is no known land animal in the world, let alone the mid west United States, that is capable of producing such a sound. We will continue to follow this story, and keep you up to date when further information is brought in. And now for sports.
Golf fans of Cougar Stone were disappointed today, when his winning shot was interrupted by that same scream. Paramedics reported that Sylvia Lawson, one of the attending fans, received a concussion from the golf ball. Stone has since apologized, but not before a litany of words to the sky. We apologize, but we cannot rebroadcast the entire phrase. “*Beep* *beep* son of a *beep* what the *beep* was that? Oh *beep*. FOOOORE!“
Reminds me of Pterry Pratchett’s The Last Hero – RIncewind comes up to the Patrician, and:
“I do not wish to volunteer for this mission.”
“Well, then, don’t,”
“You don’t understand – I’ve lived my life; I know how it works. I know I’m going, somehow. I just want to make it clear in advance that I do not volunteer.”
I had no idea what a chimichanga was so I looked it up in the Urban Dictionary. The only reference to a body part I could find was definition number 9. I am left wondering if this is what was meant.
Huh, I thought it was just one of those made up “restaurant mexican” words. But without specifically meaning that definition, the general area of #9 for either gender, or any ethnicity will do.
Did you mean “whenever?” Whether means something different than when. She wasn’t talking as if those were alternatives. She was just lumping them together, I think.
Take a deep breath, (remember to let it out, now) and repeat to yourself, “Serenity now, Insanity later.”
Personally, I think going to see Shelly, and having her hook her up with a big bowl of dried corn soup and a fresh, hot piece of frybread. It will put her in a better mood to deal with most anything.
Or, one of those Maple Bacon lollipops from that ad at the bottom of the page.
Bud was – and, i’m sure, in some ways, still is – the most damaged of the golem girls. (Yeah, i know, Jin’s haunted and she’s looney. But Bud understood her damage, Jin didn’t/doesn’t. And she was {and is} haunted by what happened because of it.)
But, when you get right down to it, she’s also the most resilient and sunny-spirited of the three, as well.
But her healing began when she went out and bought herself that little lamp – something all her own, that carried her back to a happier time.
And she cares the most – oh, Brandi is concerned and caring, and sometimes acts like a mother (or big sister) to Bud – but she has a sort of calm (usually) reserve. Bud actually gets involved.
Bud accepted help from Monica, and gave/gives it in return.
She’ll get M through this – kicking and screaming (more, that is), perhaps, but she’ll get her through.
I agree with everything you said. But I’ll also say that Bud is the least likely of the three to see the need to massage Monica’s ego. Monica said she needed to be told something, so Bud told her. Blam!
Brandi would handled it in a way that wouldn’t have upset Monica so much just because that’s her nature and Jin would normally choose what to say carefully as part of managing Monica.
The best, because it does not make Monica into a mushroom, but lays out what Bud has, even if it frustrates M to the demon realm and back. Which is where Bud recently did her little jaunt to “retrieve” the calendar machine remains.
Jin’s basic problem is that she had to put up a facade for so long, and then when she finally got to the ending she wanted (theoretically, anyways – namely, she got her mom back), it didn’t solve her problem.
And her problem? She wants to live “wherever she wants” – or, more appropriately, she wants to go home.
Every house ought to have a little padded, soundproofed closet where you can go and let out a good scream or three without the neighbors calling the cops. And kiosks on the street like there used to be pay phones. These designated screaming areas should be large enough to jump up and down in and have padded walls that body parts can be pounded/banged against without injuring them. The street kiosks would be coin operated. Four bits would buy you enough time for a snit, for a buck you could pitch a hissy fit, and for 2 bucks you could have a full blown temper tantrum.
I think the world be a nicer place — or at least a calmer one.
Gracias, Pablissimo, for the UFO Tees. I’ve preordered mine. How long do I get to enjoy the antici-
In the Navy, it’s called the “Scream Locker”. It’s location varies, but on my ship, it was actually an odd-shaped space above the engine room. You could go in there, beat on the bulkheads, scream obscenities, smash junk with a hammer or just go sit in the corner and cry. As long as the place was cleaned up when you came out and you did not have to report to sick bay, everything was cool. I used it only once; when I found out about my grandmother’s death eight months after the fact.
I interned one summer at a place that had a “scream room”. It was really just the room with the building air handlers so they figured nobody would be heard over the giant fans running.
They didn’t think about the screaming being carried out through the ducts until one day somebody actually used it for cream therapy. Sign was off that door the next day!
There’s a lot of criticism about Monica going on. Let me put things in perspective.
Ever since Tepoz first came to life, she’s had to deal with a lot of weird shit. She’s actually done so with a pretty good amount of grace, in my opinion. But there’s only so much anyone can take before they need to blow off some steam. The whole thing with the head-stabbing and the calendar machine was just a bit much for her usual calm and analytical mind to handle. I say, if she feels the need for a snit or three, she’s earned it.
When you’ve been manipulated by your closest friends into saving the world, there’s a portal to the world of demons in your belly, the god of alcohol and the sphinx of the library pops in and out again, you can’t tell anyone outside the circle and it looks like the madness might be starting all over again, screaming is just about the only thing you can do.
BAHHHHAHAHAHAHAH
Kicking and screaming indeed. ^_^
Something tells me she’s “had ’nuff”. lol
But, didn’t she want something to do?
Yeah. Yesterday she was kicking; today is the screaming. Right on schedule.
Does that mean tomorrow another shoe will drop, and she will get a clue as to what is about to go down?
Mr. Toad’s wild ride, indeed. I cannot help but wonder why the big ‘Argh’ never hit earlier. The facial expressions are becoming quite brilliant, in my opinion. Yet another bonus to reading this amazing comic.
LOL indeed! I can handle this — what do I do?
Indecision is the key to flexibility….
PS — Dig in my Heels….
Poor Monica. If anyone ever needed a vacation!
Typo: “heals” -> “heels”?
Thanks. 🙂 All fixed, just hit refresh.
Color me unimpressed with Monica for the past few months of updates (or so). She’s throwing her arms and legs around like a kid having a temper tantrum about everything, or she’s making wild accusations (like when she started talking about her parents with Tepoz).
I dunno, I’m sure plenty will disagree but I’m sick of Monica needing someone (even her own Doubt) to talk her through every little thing that comes up in her path. Especially after they’ve just saved the whole freaking world. :/
At the same time though, I’m sure she needs a loooong vacation before dealing with things she doesn’t like to admit exist. 😉
It makes me wonder if the Monica we know and love is somehow diminished now that she is free of her freeloading demons? They were bad, sure… but they completed her.
She’s not free of her demons. They just can’t come out and face her anymore.
They can still face her but no other demons can pass through her anymore.
Oh good. I’m glad they can still be shown outside of her. The demons were always such great art to behold. Not to mention comedic, as in the exchange which went something like “your ass is on fire” … [demon starts to say something] … “My ass is on fire!!” Yeah, well I guess ya hadda be there.
Yeah, Monica often gets on my nerves too — and today we see her in full blown Drama Queen mode (though this time she makes me laugh much more than groan – so satisfying to see life being inflicted upon her, ruining her little control freak plans). But on the other hand, Monica could so easily be written as a totally insufferable Mary Sue — that she has personality flaws (BIG ones) that make us want to strangle her from time to time is a good thing in the end, and Pablo does a great job keeping her away from Mary Sue territory.
Pablo’s writing and characterization is superb, I don’t doubt that. I just wish that Monica would show more than baby steps to her maturation. (But I pin that solely on the character and I wouldn’t want Pablo to take her out of character by forcing anything)
Well, I think Monida is much better once she gets going. She hates things that she doesn’t understand. This is new to her and she doesn’t understand it, yet, so she’s feeling like the world is just jerking her around. But yes, she is still a bit of a drama queen, too.
I just noticed how well the dialog in the center panel of today’s strip corresponds to the center panel of yesterday’s strip. Good job, Paul.
Plus she’s dealing with this sans coffee, I mean really, how much can a person take??
Personally, I think It can easily be taken, so long as someone can accept the situation on it’s own merits without passing judgement on the person in question,,,,
…in other news today, scientists are still baffled by what they dub “the scream”. At approximately nine am, people from all over the globe reported to hearing a loud, high pitched sound that can only be described as a women screaming in frustration. The sound has been calculated to have originated in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. Zoologists have confirmed that the sound was indeed produced by a living animal, and not by artificial means; this has caused much confusion in the scientific community as there is no known land animal in the world, let alone the mid west United States, that is capable of producing such a sound. We will continue to follow this story, and keep you up to date when further information is brought in. And now for sports.
Thank you Ziggy.
Golf fans of Cougar Stone were disappointed today, when his winning shot was interrupted by that same scream. Paramedics reported that Sylvia Lawson, one of the attending fans, received a concussion from the golf ball. Stone has since apologized, but not before a litany of words to the sky. We apologize, but we cannot rebroadcast the entire phrase. “*Beep* *beep* son of a *beep* what the *beep* was that? Oh *beep*. FOOOORE!“
Reminds me of Pterry Pratchett’s The Last Hero – RIncewind comes up to the Patrician, and:
“I do not wish to volunteer for this mission.”
“Well, then, don’t,”
“You don’t understand – I’ve lived my life; I know how it works. I know I’m going, somehow. I just want to make it clear in advance that I do not volunteer.”
Ground and center, Monica. Palms together, palms apart…
Remember, vulnerability means being open to surprises!
…and a cheap shot to the chimichangas…
I had no idea what a chimichanga was so I looked it up in the Urban Dictionary. The only reference to a body part I could find was definition number 9. I am left wondering if this is what was meant.
Huh, I thought it was just one of those made up “restaurant mexican” words. But without specifically meaning that definition, the general area of #9 for either gender, or any ethnicity will do.
Once again, I so dig Bud!
Just one small grammatical poi(n)t: I can’t help thinking Monica should say “Whether I dig my heels in…” rather than “When…”
Did you mean “whenever?” Whether means something different than when. She wasn’t talking as if those were alternatives. She was just lumping them together, I think.
I read it as meaning “No matter what I do,” hence “Whether”…
Wow, I didn’t know Monica could scream like Charlie Brown. 🙂
“Haunted Golem”? Oh boy.
Well, at least it’s hump day, Monica. Actually, she looks like she might be a bit haunted, herself. Maybe the wool itches.
Meanwhile, Kevin feels a sudden chill…
It feels like we are due for a comedic interlude. What’s the term for comedy inserted into a story to give the audience a break? I can’t remember.
Comic relief
Poor Monica … now she knows how us men feel when we say to our wives or girlfriends, “Fine. Just tell me what to do…”
Which is why one night stands are much preferred to wives or girlfriends. You don’t give away your soul in the process.
HEY now.
No–you just cut it in pieces and give it away a little bit at a time.
LOL Looks like Monica was right. This is the proverbial “other shoe.”
Bud rocks.
Period.
’nuff said.
Take a deep breath, (remember to let it out, now) and repeat to yourself, “Serenity now, Insanity later.”
Personally, I think going to see Shelly, and having her hook her up with a big bowl of dried corn soup and a fresh, hot piece of frybread. It will put her in a better mood to deal with most anything.
Or, one of those Maple Bacon lollipops from that ad at the bottom of the page.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm! Frybread !!!
Bud was – and, i’m sure, in some ways, still is – the most damaged of the golem girls. (Yeah, i know, Jin’s haunted and she’s looney. But Bud understood her damage, Jin didn’t/doesn’t. And she was {and is} haunted by what happened because of it.)
But, when you get right down to it, she’s also the most resilient and sunny-spirited of the three, as well.
But her healing began when she went out and bought herself that little lamp – something all her own, that carried her back to a happier time.
And she cares the most – oh, Brandi is concerned and caring, and sometimes acts like a mother (or big sister) to Bud – but she has a sort of calm (usually) reserve. Bud actually gets involved.
Bud accepted help from Monica, and gave/gives it in return.
She’ll get M through this – kicking and screaming (more, that is), perhaps, but she’ll get her through.
I agree with everything you said. But I’ll also say that Bud is the least likely of the three to see the need to massage Monica’s ego. Monica said she needed to be told something, so Bud told her. Blam!
Brandi would handled it in a way that wouldn’t have upset Monica so much just because that’s her nature and Jin would normally choose what to say carefully as part of managing Monica.
And, in the long run, Bud’s way of handling Monica is, i think, the best.
The best, because it does not make Monica into a mushroom, but lays out what Bud has, even if it frustrates M to the demon realm and back. Which is where Bud recently did her little jaunt to “retrieve” the calendar machine remains.
Jin’s basic problem is that she had to put up a facade for so long, and then when she finally got to the ending she wanted (theoretically, anyways – namely, she got her mom back), it didn’t solve her problem.
And her problem? She wants to live “wherever she wants” – or, more appropriately, she wants to go home.
Some how, oh comic artist, you have made this comic better for me.
So Jin IS , a haunted vessel .
Every house ought to have a little padded, soundproofed closet where you can go and let out a good scream or three without the neighbors calling the cops. And kiosks on the street like there used to be pay phones. These designated screaming areas should be large enough to jump up and down in and have padded walls that body parts can be pounded/banged against without injuring them. The street kiosks would be coin operated. Four bits would buy you enough time for a snit, for a buck you could pitch a hissy fit, and for 2 bucks you could have a full blown temper tantrum.
I think the world be a nicer place — or at least a calmer one.
Gracias, Pablissimo, for the UFO Tees. I’ve preordered mine. How long do I get to enjoy the antici-
pation of getting it?
I think they’re sent out shortly after the pre-order date. =)
In the Navy, it’s called the “Scream Locker”. It’s location varies, but on my ship, it was actually an odd-shaped space above the engine room. You could go in there, beat on the bulkheads, scream obscenities, smash junk with a hammer or just go sit in the corner and cry. As long as the place was cleaned up when you came out and you did not have to report to sick bay, everything was cool. I used it only once; when I found out about my grandmother’s death eight months after the fact.
If you went into a padded scream kiosk on a typical big city street, you’d probably have some interesting stains to blow up at.
I interned one summer at a place that had a “scream room”. It was really just the room with the building air handlers so they figured nobody would be heard over the giant fans running.
They didn’t think about the screaming being carried out through the ducts until one day somebody actually used it for cream therapy. Sign was off that door the next day!
Gaaaa! “scream therapy”
But weren’t you responding to my reply?
🙂
Loved the Charlie Brown scream – great angle on Monica that I don’t we’ve ever seen before lol
And we all know why she keeps going there – Tina’s coffee is the bestest!
and served with the advice you need – even if it is not so much the advice you want.
I expected the haunted golem routine; after all, what ghost around comes around!
Boooo!
There’s a lot of criticism about Monica going on. Let me put things in perspective.
Ever since Tepoz first came to life, she’s had to deal with a lot of weird shit. She’s actually done so with a pretty good amount of grace, in my opinion. But there’s only so much anyone can take before they need to blow off some steam. The whole thing with the head-stabbing and the calendar machine was just a bit much for her usual calm and analytical mind to handle. I say, if she feels the need for a snit or three, she’s earned it.
C’mon, guys, she’s only human.
When you’ve been manipulated by your closest friends into saving the world, there’s a portal to the world of demons in your belly, the god of alcohol and the sphinx of the library pops in and out again, you can’t tell anyone outside the circle and it looks like the madness might be starting all over again, screaming is just about the only thing you can do.
M’s new motto could be:
“When in danger, or in doubt,
Run in circles, scream and shout.”