Emo vampire should be an oxymoron: vampires are the ultimate cool characters, without feeling–and worse, are predators, like bats or cats, who “live” for the hunt, not for feelings.
We’ve already wondered if she’s ever lost a boyfriend to a sudden hatch malfunction. That’s just the kind of thing which would freak out Justin, too; I suppose the silver lining is that they know each other in a different way.
you don’t need to actually throw it in, you just need to put a tag on it that says who it belongs to… just like the Japanese forces were rumored to have done when they occupied the island in WW2…
Shelly seems to be confident that she knows what she’s talking about.
I presume Phix enlightened her.
If not, and Shelly is just telling it like it seems to her, there is going to be a lot of egg-on-the-face to clean up.
Shelly learned allot about the paranormal world while she was away at Time Forest Camp. She just didn’t learn how to control her Sphixyness too well since Phix didn’t want her to seem weak in front of the Apos.
I don’t think Shelly had any way of knowing that Bud would be particularly startled by meeting Justin.
Aside, of course, from the usual adrenaline-jolt of startlement which usually occurs when you find a policeman arriving unexpectedly on your doorstep when you aren’t awake yet.
Agreed in the coffee, though. Bud deserves a big mug… enough to help her realize that in her haste to protest her non-flakiness, she’s let go of the front of her bathrobe again. This isn’t the best way to project an air of calm, non-frantic reasonableness to a friend’s companion (although it’s a tactic which has definite advantages under other circumstances).
Please. Cthulhu isn’t that scary compared to some things in the wapsiverse. Two weeks after Phix took over as librarian, he checked out a book from the bibliothiki. He returned it a day late. No one but he and Phix saw what transpired, but he has slept with a night light ever since.
Looks to me kind of like a long, slender neck and flowing hair. The head and face covered by the dialog baloon. Even looks like a large fang just to the right of the baloon.
Hmmm, I guess I’m glad I learned more about the paranormal hierarchy.
I actually always thought that the GG’s were the most powerful characters in the cast. From what Shelly said, Sphinxes rank highest and thus rank over Golems (but wouldn’t deities rank over sphinxes?)
I guess that makes sense, since like Shelly said, Golems are creatures that were originally human like the “trailer park paranormals” (vampires and werewolves). But they’re the highest rank of paranormals that originated as humans.
Got to admit, if I’m reading this correctly, it’s WEIRD to think of our GG girls being the “upper lower-class” of the supernatural world.
I’d rank them a lot higher, but of course, I’m a mere mortal.
It is possible that being up in the paranormal hierarchy does not mean that you are more powerful, it just means that you are more in command. This may have more to do with laws of order than raw power.
But as far as why they are upper lower class because they are of human origin makes quite a bit of sense when taken in that context. Remember, even Jin has (or had) demons.
Well, the GGs can be considered to be basically human in their makeup… highly technologically boosted, of course, by being transformed / programmed into Golem form. They’re extremely powerful on a physical basis, and have some access to interdimensional abilities (poiting, using glyph gateways, etc.), but their intelligence and wisdom and psychology seems to be consistent with those of humans in general. Brandi is certainly wicked-smart, but not preternaturally so as far as we’ve seen.
We really don’t know what sphinxes are capable of, nor do we know the capabilities and limitations of those extradimensional visitors who have been seen hereabouts as gods (e.g. Amun, Shiva).
Consider what G’kar said about the First Ones, in Babylon 5. “They walk among the stars, vast and timeless… and we have as much chance of communicating with them, as an ant has with us. We know… we’ve tried… and we’ve learned that we can either stay out of the way, or be stepped upon.”
Some of the paranormals mentioned in Wapsi Square might possibly be of that calibre.
I think The Library counts as a paranormal object. I think that she was talking about paranormal “creatures” and paranormal “humans”. I suspect Gods and things would be counted as too powerful to be called “paranormal”.
Ahh. An object (with awareness and perhaps a personality) rather than a person. Makes sense… it explains Phix’s comment that she had spent many years in the Library and it hadn’t spoken to her. She didn’t know she had to initiate the conversation.
“M5 tie-in”
I wonder who (or what) contributed the Library’s memory engrams? Perhaps it is better not to know.
This may be the sphinx perspective on the world. Wouldn’t want to accuse Shelly of chauvinism, but she has been mighty isolated.
So some book-learned unexamined privilege. Very realistic.
I’m sure gods and demigods would have their own take on things. Nudge wasn’t very worshipful of sphinxes’ place in the hierarchy.
Keeping in mind that a basic golem is just Tepoz, the Chimera was like Cuba getting nukes: Castro didn’t really control them, and wound up generally isolated. The GGs can be shut down with the right word from the right person.
Speaking of which, someone might want to phone Monica now.
The way she put it may not imply a linear hierarchy. If I were to reword it as “Cougars are the apex predator, bobcats are middle ground, and wolves are the apex of canine predators” for example, it comes across differently.
All in all, in a knock down drag out, who would emerge? I would say the GGs. Like the sphinxes, they are very fast but also control much more raw power than them. I would think any golem could lay waste to an army of sphinxes in moments. Of course they might destroy the solar system and a portion of the local galatic suburbs in the process. I don’t think the demons would even enter into it.
You know, I have a feeling pointing out your spelling mistakes only makes them worse. I could understand not wanting to look illiterate, but I read vibe in your first comment without you saying anything. Now all I see is vobe.
And, as in most organizations, the actual power flow may have very little resemblance to the neat little boxes and lines on the chart. All is often not what it seems.
Hint to youngsters: always be especially nice to departmental administrators and facilities people. They usually work very hard, are often treated as glorified secretaries and janitors, and they have an amazing amount to do with whether you find your working environment pleasant or intolerable. They’ll appreciate being treated with respect.
I just remembered something: Sphinxes like order. They like everything to be in the right category. That’s why a sphinx is a good choice for librarian.
However, didn’t Shelly take delight in the fact that they couldn’t find a neat category for CLG? Now she’s talking about the paranormal world (and her friends) in terms of categories.
From what I remember of Shelly before Shellinx was that she evaluated beings on a scale of dangerous/safe. In this strip she sounds more like a lecturer/guide at a cross between a [Super]Natural History Museum and an Anthropology course.
Bud is portrayed as the nice and laughable loony… cool. he can see that she meant well… but: From my posts yesterday, I’m betting that the other side of the equation is applicable with Brandi… she comes out from the bathroom to see what the fuss is all about, and Justin flips out because she was one of those Psycho Chicks that loved(s) to abuse him… THEN we get one more series of WTF’s! and OMG’s!, from everyone concerned… just in time for a Friday cliffhanger, huh?!
Also, Brandi seems to have reacted to the violence done to her (and perhaps to some aftermath of her mysterious Deal with Someone) by adopting a “literally won’t hurt a fly” persona.
Yes, she’s on record as saying she doesn’t like herself, when she gets into a people-manipulating frame of mind… but even with that, I have real difficulty picturing her as a sexually sadistic Mistress Hurtzalot. It just doesn’t seem as if would be her style.
Ummm, yeah. That explains it.
Not really.
Reeallly convincing there, Bud.
Pho, so that WAS him responding with the other officer!
Awkward!
This is why first impressions are so important!
You without knowing Shelly’s background, seeing those arms in panel 2 tells you this is one gal you may not want angry at cha.
Check this out! Bud is on CNN. (hee-hee)
http://bit.ly/wjvcvJ
+1 Interwebs for you!
I read a loony comment on the “Drones Overhead” signs in NYC and couldn’t resist replying in Bud’s name.
Finally a good use for the news forums. Usually they only have trolls and uber-trolls.
Har Har! LOL, Wapsi GGs creeping into the Blogosphere!Sweet!
As did I.. Just couldn’t resist too.. If only for leaving several other commenters completely mystified.
Too funny. By Mogg’s silken breast, we’ll get Wapsi onto the National Stage yet!
LOL, who ever did that I’d love to shake there hand. That was awesome.
I LOVE Bud’s blushing sheepish grin in panel 1.
ALso the deathgrip on her robe.
I womder if the ‘brainstorm’ going on over Bud’s head in the background is actually visible to Shelly and Justin?
Doubt it. It looks like her.
She’s adorable! And I’m amused by tight grip on her robe which she’s forgotten by the next panel.
ROFL! when you actually meet OTB (or any other you have lusted over from afar… 😛 ) it tends to have that effect… 🙂
and ‘trailer park paranormal’ does not help the embarrassment… 😛
That the grin still manages to look sheepish with all those fangs is impressive; it’s dangerously close to wolfish.
“Intelligent”?
I’m gonna have to think about that one…
yeah!…. um, I know about things.. and , um, stuff…… (like most of the male posts from yesterday…) 🙂 🙂
Bud gets her wish!
To be able to change appearance, that is. She’s blushing!!
Quite frantic. Quite amusing. Quite adorable.
and Justin is… mutant? Empath? Timelord? Fae? his own HMO? Earth-2 Kryptonian?
You forgot sparkly emo vampire. But yeah, one of these.
No! There will *never* be vampires that sparkle in the Waspi-verse.
I really think that if Paul ever does go to that level it will be a dream and or an April Fools strip.
Even if we must immolate them ourselves. (I approve the measure, btw.)
Emo vampire should be an oxymoron: vampires are the ultimate cool characters, without feeling–and worse, are predators, like bats or cats, who “live” for the hunt, not for feelings.
Wait til it sinks in that he’s Shelly’s close companion.
Way to be a Debbie Downer.
wow! when are uk getting it??? it seems like a version of Victoria wood we have in uk! 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_mWaKoKLo8
Hey Bud! Show him your compartment! 😛
Not on the first date! She is, after all, a lady.
We’ve already wondered if she’s ever lost a boyfriend to a sudden hatch malfunction. That’s just the kind of thing which would freak out Justin, too; I suppose the silver lining is that they know each other in a different way.
“lost a boyfriend to a sudden hatch malfunction” gave me the mental image of the young man falling in, never to be seen again…
Don’t worry, OTB! Bud is nerfectly pormal in the Wapsiverse!
I wonder if he has ever noticed her fangs before?
>>>shakes pun jar<<<
You ain't getting away with that. The pun jar is used to MUCH bigger meals each week.
*throws in a stone coin from the island of Yap* CLUNK!!!!!
you don’t need to actually throw it in, you just need to put a tag on it that says who it belongs to… just like the Japanese forces were rumored to have done when they occupied the island in WW2…
Shelly seems to be confident that she knows what she’s talking about.
I presume Phix enlightened her.
If not, and Shelly is just telling it like it seems to her, there is going to be a lot of egg-on-the-face to clean up.
Shelly learned allot about the paranormal world while she was away at Time Forest Camp. She just didn’t learn how to control her Sphixyness too well since Phix didn’t want her to seem weak in front of the Apos.
Nobody is listening.
Hey, I’m not nobody!
Hey!, I’M Nobody… and if Nobody is perfect, then “I” must be PERFECT… Right?! 😀
Not cool Shelly. Startling Bud like a cat on a freshly waxed linoleum floor.
Give a girl a heads up or at least be decent enough to bring coffee.
I don’t think Shelly had any way of knowing that Bud would be particularly startled by meeting Justin.
Aside, of course, from the usual adrenaline-jolt of startlement which usually occurs when you find a policeman arriving unexpectedly on your doorstep when you aren’t awake yet.
Agreed in the coffee, though. Bud deserves a big mug… enough to help her realize that in her haste to protest her non-flakiness, she’s let go of the front of her bathrobe again. This isn’t the best way to project an air of calm, non-frantic reasonableness to a friend’s companion (although it’s a tactic which has definite advantages under other circumstances).
She needs this much coffee.
Want one of those. Want one of those very badly. Might even make Mondays worthwhile.
Boy, that comic sucks.
you read the whole thing?
The first chapter was enough to show me what a pile of steaming dung it was. Not to mention pushng my buttons.
There is ALWAYS something higher on the food chain. I’d start looking in the Chulthu Mythos.
And no, Cthulthu is not Stinky.
That’s only a one-way relationship. The Big C may not be stinky, bit is Stinky, Cthulhu?
Is there anything in the Chulthu Mythos that does not have tentacles? Seriously?
The victims don’t have them.
At first.
Yog-Sothoth and the Colour Out of Space don’t really inhabit physical bodies at all, as counter examples.
Please. Cthulhu isn’t that scary compared to some things in the wapsiverse. Two weeks after Phix took over as librarian, he checked out a book from the bibliothiki. He returned it a day late. No one but he and Phix saw what transpired, but he has slept with a night light ever since.
Two thumbs up!
I approve this message. 😛
WHAT is that behind Bud?
yeah, the dialogue balloon covers up something that keys into what Shelly is saying.
To me it looks like an illustration of the feeling in Bud’s mind at the moment, wincing at how dumb she acted around Justin.
Looks to me kind of like a long, slender neck and flowing hair. The head and face covered by the dialog baloon. Even looks like a large fang just to the right of the baloon.
I thought it could be a giant hallucinogenic mushroom! Either that or the Sword of Damocles.
It’s from this comic (assuming I do the linking right): Change of plans
Right. That’s it.
Wonder why that’s passing through her head right now?
Possibly “Ohmygod… is Shelly about to tell him that I ordered her to stab Monica right in the head?!? Did she already tell him that???”
Very good. That is, indeed, it. Now what brought it to mind right then?
It’s her cat going “phBBBBBbbb Ppbth!” 😀
You’re saying she has a tinfoil cat?
I put this in a post above – it’s the ‘brainstorm’ going on in her head – and is it visible to Shelly and/or Justin?
DJ, you’re my favorite person right now. 😀
No, it’s an illustration of what Bud did right before they first met.
Yep. Elmertfudd has the link above. “None of us but Shelly can move!”
Though I think that disco bowling ball is about to come dropping down on all their heads.
Awwwwwwwwwww…
Poor Bud!! XD
This is going to be a great week. <3
Hmmm, I guess I’m glad I learned more about the paranormal hierarchy.
I actually always thought that the GG’s were the most powerful characters in the cast. From what Shelly said, Sphinxes rank highest and thus rank over Golems (but wouldn’t deities rank over sphinxes?)
I guess that makes sense, since like Shelly said, Golems are creatures that were originally human like the “trailer park paranormals” (vampires and werewolves). But they’re the highest rank of paranormals that originated as humans.
Got to admit, if I’m reading this correctly, it’s WEIRD to think of our GG girls being the “upper lower-class” of the supernatural world.
I’d rank them a lot higher, but of course, I’m a mere mortal.
It is possible that being up in the paranormal hierarchy does not mean that you are more powerful, it just means that you are more in command. This may have more to do with laws of order than raw power.
But as far as why they are upper lower class because they are of human origin makes quite a bit of sense when taken in that context. Remember, even Jin has (or had) demons.
Well, the GGs can be considered to be basically human in their makeup… highly technologically boosted, of course, by being transformed / programmed into Golem form. They’re extremely powerful on a physical basis, and have some access to interdimensional abilities (poiting, using glyph gateways, etc.), but their intelligence and wisdom and psychology seems to be consistent with those of humans in general. Brandi is certainly wicked-smart, but not preternaturally so as far as we’ve seen.
We really don’t know what sphinxes are capable of, nor do we know the capabilities and limitations of those extradimensional visitors who have been seen hereabouts as gods (e.g. Amun, Shiva).
Consider what G’kar said about the First Ones, in Babylon 5. “They walk among the stars, vast and timeless… and we have as much chance of communicating with them, as an ant has with us. We know… we’ve tried… and we’ve learned that we can either stay out of the way, or be stepped upon.”
Some of the paranormals mentioned in Wapsi Square might possibly be of that calibre.
What really interests me is that Shelly has just implied that Bud is a golem. Is this new information to Justin, or had they already discussed this?
I’m kinda assuming this is just her throwing it at him.
“Alright she’s a golem. You keeping up or do I gotta write this down for you?”
So who was speaking as “The Library”? Was that a collection of Apotropaic sphinges, or something even higher?
I think The Library counts as a paranormal object. I think that she was talking about paranormal “creatures” and paranormal “humans”. I suspect Gods and things would be counted as too powerful to be called “paranormal”.
After all, Gods define what is “normal” in the first place.
Ahh. An object (with awareness and perhaps a personality) rather than a person. Makes sense… it explains Phix’s comment that she had spent many years in the Library and it hadn’t spoken to her. She didn’t know she had to initiate the conversation.
“M5 tie-in”
I wonder who (or what) contributed the Library’s memory engrams? Perhaps it is better not to know.
This may be the sphinx perspective on the world. Wouldn’t want to accuse Shelly of chauvinism, but she has been mighty isolated.
So some book-learned unexamined privilege. Very realistic.
I’m sure gods and demigods would have their own take on things. Nudge wasn’t very worshipful of sphinxes’ place in the hierarchy.
Keeping in mind that a basic golem is just Tepoz, the Chimera was like Cuba getting nukes: Castro didn’t really control them, and wound up generally isolated. The GGs can be shut down with the right word from the right person.
Speaking of which, someone might want to phone Monica now.
The way she put it may not imply a linear hierarchy. If I were to reword it as “Cougars are the apex predator, bobcats are middle ground, and wolves are the apex of canine predators” for example, it comes across differently.
That’s a good perspective.
Shelly’s mental doodles would be in Powerpoint now.
All in all, in a knock down drag out, who would emerge? I would say the GGs. Like the sphinxes, they are very fast but also control much more raw power than them. I would think any golem could lay waste to an army of sphinxes in moments. Of course they might destroy the solar system and a portion of the local galatic suburbs in the process. I don’t think the demons would even enter into it.
“I’m not a bumbling crazy cosmonaut! I swear I’m a perfectly strange and quite intelligent chimera!”
I must be tired–all I can think is how badly Shelly needs a necklace with that outfit… and I’m not even sure she does.
I was thinking a brush would be in order. I don’t think she was ready to entertain.
I think of those would be useless after a round of transformations.
We lose brushes with ordinary cats around here. And who want to lose a good necklace in an emergency?
I think that Bud’s more in need of a brush than Shelly.
And yes, Danzier. Shelly does rather look like she needs a necklace. It’s the deep V pattern on her shirt/dress that makes it feel that way I think. 🙂
OK, Necklace for Shelly and brush for Bud. Just keep talking, I’ll catch up.
Face it; she needs a towel.
As do we all.
Never leave home without yours!
Heh, Two line of conversation going on. And Shelly not having a clue. Gonna be a fun week.
Shelly got the supa-suit vobe goin’ in panel 2.
Vibe. Stoopid keyboard gremlins.
You know, I have a feeling pointing out your spelling mistakes only makes them worse. I could understand not wanting to look illiterate, but I read vibe in your first comment without you saying anything. Now all I see is vobe.
Nah…I read “vobe” the first time through and was confused. The corrections are sometimes handy. 🙂
That’s what happens when you don’t take proper care of your Fornit.
Oh maáan.. This whole situation is full of classic comedy-win… 😀 😀
I cannot help constantly snickering
When do the doors start slamming?
cue Yakety Sax
Hm, and Justin wants to check with ‘the cat’ just to make sure. Perfect lead-in for Brandi.
So was Justin wearing contacts that day he and his partner came to check out the explosion a couple years back?
Yes, that was Justin.
LUCY! You got some ‘splainin’ to do!
To quote the Joker: And here… we.. go!
Ah. Organizational charts. Always like things laid out neatly.
Sigh If only life was … .
And, as in most organizations, the actual power flow may have very little resemblance to the neat little boxes and lines on the chart. All is often not what it seems.
Hint to youngsters: always be especially nice to departmental administrators and facilities people. They usually work very hard, are often treated as glorified secretaries and janitors, and they have an amazing amount to do with whether you find your working environment pleasant or intolerable. They’ll appreciate being treated with respect.
Shelly, be careful, your sphinx side is showing.
I just remembered something: Sphinxes like order. They like everything to be in the right category. That’s why a sphinx is a good choice for librarian.
However, didn’t Shelly take delight in the fact that they couldn’t find a neat category for CLG? Now she’s talking about the paranormal world (and her friends) in terms of categories.
Humans like order too. we wouldn’t be able to remember… well anything really… without it.
From what I remember of Shelly before Shellinx was that she evaluated beings on a scale of dangerous/safe. In this strip she sounds more like a lecturer/guide at a cross between a [Super]Natural History Museum and an Anthropology course.
This is all just making me very sad for when the news get’s broken to Bud that Shelly and him are together 🙁
*sigh* Bud is really what we Dutch call “snoezig” (“snoo’zich” with a soft “z” and “ch”) = totally cute…
In thar first panel, I meant.
This is one of those times I’d LOVE to see this strip in color, because Bud would be about five shades of crimson right about now.
Yeah, Yeah… we all know you REALY wanted YESTERDAY’S strip to be in full color… but today’s would be good one, too! 😀
Spider sense tingling!!!!.
Rule of Comedic Law #6 dictates Brandi and Justin knows one another.
Rule of Sphinx Tragedy #2 says the same thing.
Bud is portrayed as the nice and laughable loony… cool. he can see that she meant well… but: From my posts yesterday, I’m betting that the other side of the equation is applicable with Brandi… she comes out from the bathroom to see what the fuss is all about, and Justin flips out because she was one of those Psycho Chicks that loved(s) to abuse him… THEN we get one more series of WTF’s! and OMG’s!, from everyone concerned… just in time for a Friday cliffhanger, huh?!
He may recognize her from somewhere (or she, him) but I doubt it would be that. One of the guards who confronted her that day in the nursery?
Except that Brandi has seen OTB before and did not seem to recognize him.
http://wapsisquare.com/comic/it-went-phbbbbbb/
You’ve got a good point there…
Also, Brandi seems to have reacted to the violence done to her (and perhaps to some aftermath of her mysterious Deal with Someone) by adopting a “literally won’t hurt a fly” persona.
Yes, she’s on record as saying she doesn’t like herself, when she gets into a people-manipulating frame of mind… but even with that, I have real difficulty picturing her as a sexually sadistic Mistress Hurtzalot. It just doesn’t seem as if would be her style.
Well that was the first time we saw Justin and the GGs together…
Just realized that Justin is in uniform; that’s definitely going to have Bud worrying about what this pair is doing together…
(I hadn’t really made the connection between Bud’s police-teasing and Justin until these past few installments. Sigh. Color me oblivious.)