Oh, and happy birthday to Selkie (Thursday 05/24) — I don’t remember if you’ve kept up with the tradition of showing us her growing-up pictures, but if so, we’d now be up to her 8th birthday, so only a few months younger than when she first appeared in the comic.
OK, I checked the archives and found her first 5 pictures at episodes #107½, #207, #326½, #479, #633 (the year 1 and 3 pictures were between two episodes). The year 4 image at #479 is a broken link. Years 6 and 7 should have been at episodes #780 and #932, but I didn’t see any posted there or nearby, so maybe that tradition stopped at 5.
Hi Dave,
I for one would be OK if you you pushback the next comic update to allow for a posting of the missing (and current) growing-up pictures. I wouldn’t want you feel bad for abandoning a tradition.
Oh wow! Happy Birthday to Selkie! Wouldn’t she be nine now? Amanda just had her ninth birthday, didn’t she? I thought those two were fairly close in age.
The *comic* is 8 years old now, and Selkie’s canonical birthday is the same as the comic’s — but in comic-time it’s still early 2011 (winter), and Selkie’s 9th birthday won’t happen until the comic progresses to May.
I try not to think too much about the comic’s timeframe being technically in 2011, to be honest. Keeping to that hard-and-fast would mean dating the comic’s content, effectively making it into a period-piece. And that isn’t the intent for the story.
I’ve been basically quietly ignoring the 2011 Problem and working the comic as if it were a sliding-scale timeframe that still allows for people to age.
Mikael, I don’t think hers is a dumb question as much as an emotionally based as Andi doesn’t do a lot of complex thought. She is NOT intellectually vacant, however, she seems to react more with than brain and prefers to use her heart to guide her through her life, instead of the grey matter. It’s not wrong to do, and she is honest about it — when given a choice–…
Yes, but it’s worth remembering that she has MUCH less information than we do. And, like many people, she’s got a tendency to group strange “others” under a single label. She finds it really hard to process the notion that those “others” have internal divisions.
I could cite a lot of examples from, say, contemporary American politics, but it’s hardly necessary. I’m sure everyone commenting here knows all about the differences between Sunnis and Shiites, and how the Kurds fit in, and how that all plays out in Turkey and Iran… and doesn’t at all expect a Moslem cleric from Indonesia or Chad to answer for Khamenei.
I know folks who would ask the question and hear the answer and immediately be like, “Oh. Right. Right, I knew that. *facepalm*” They just…didn’t think of it in those terms, even though the answer was right there. Heck, I’ve done that. I think most people have, at some point.
It’s also possible Andi is referring to things overall. The Sarnothi are a complex sentient species; they’ve likely been isolated from humans for thousands of years, so she could be asking “why now?” in that sense.
I’m pretty sure that Dave hasn’t told us whether the Sarnothi evolved on another planet, on this Earth, or on Earth of an alternate universe.
He might not even have the answer in his own headcanon, yet, after having abandoned the element-bender idea.
What’s more, it might turn out that when someone gets around to asking the Sarnothi academics, the answer is “We don’t know, either — all of our own research on that question has led to dead ends and even more questions.”
2: I would love if a variation on “…we actually aren’t sure, either. We’ve been here a really long time, so if we are aliens, we’ve forgotten it” (as sleepyrobin says) were the answer.
My dad used to say “The ONLY dumb question is the one NOT ASKED!”
while it may not be a ‘good’ question to YOU, but to the person ASKING the question it remains a perfectly valid one, and should therefore be answered as such.
“Why did you reveal yourselves so suddenly?”….gee. Andi. Critical thinking is still not your thing. I think it’s probably because they had no choice and there had been something terrible that happened. -___-
Ugghh. She can be even less tactful than a kid. And that’s saying a lot.
I… I… well… is this going to traumatize the world if I say Then’s statement in the last panel just sums up a random Tuesday night in the USA…? (the shooting wildly into the air part anyway.)
Isn’t Then lying?
I thought they hadn’t reveal themselves quickly cause the american government didn’t want it so. And now they don’t have the ”slow” option anymore.
It’s true that he thought the American government was being far too slow and cautious. He argued in favor of at least starting the process of integration… but I am pretty sure that this isn’t, even slightly, how he would have wanted it to be launched.
He’s not lying, he’s pointing out, somewhat wryly, that the reason it’s so sudden is the military coup in Sarnoth.
Dave? Off-topic, but tonight, I ate a fish eye. Because of this comic. It did, indeed, go pop in my mouth. It wasn’t bad, but neither was it good. I don’t think I’ll do it again.
But you made a small, very weird difference in my life today, and I thought you should know that. Thanks.
Being open-minded enough to give new experiences a shot is a character trait that will serve you well in life.
I love the scene in El Goonish Shive where Tedd (due to reasons too complex to describe here) decides to try calamari for the first time. His reaction seems similar to yours: http://www.egscomics.com/comic/2011-09-12
Will he hold out? CAN he hold out?? Tune in next week as *BZRRT!*
😀
THAT’S THE HISTORY ERASE BUTTON YOU FOOL!
Oh joy!
Oh, and happy birthday to Selkie (Thursday 05/24) — I don’t remember if you’ve kept up with the tradition of showing us her growing-up pictures, but if so, we’d now be up to her 8th birthday, so only a few months younger than when she first appeared in the comic.
OK, I checked the archives and found her first 5 pictures at episodes #107½, #207, #326½, #479, #633 (the year 1 and 3 pictures were between two episodes). The year 4 image at #479 is a broken link. Years 6 and 7 should have been at episodes #780 and #932, but I didn’t see any posted there or nearby, so maybe that tradition stopped at 5.
Oh God, I didn’t even realized I’d slipped on keeping up with that tradition. 😡 What have I done…
Hi Dave,
I for one would be OK if you you pushback the next comic update to allow for a posting of the missing (and current) growing-up pictures. I wouldn’t want you feel bad for abandoning a tradition.
Ugh….terrible point in the story for that….
But, we must uphold tradition!
I second Sonny’s suggestion.
Let’s see the pictures. Gotta keep that tradition.
You are a horrible creator and we shall never forgive you 😛
Oh wow! Happy Birthday to Selkie! Wouldn’t she be nine now? Amanda just had her ninth birthday, didn’t she? I thought those two were fairly close in age.
The *comic* is 8 years old now, and Selkie’s canonical birthday is the same as the comic’s — but in comic-time it’s still early 2011 (winter), and Selkie’s 9th birthday won’t happen until the comic progresses to May.
Ah. That makes more sense. 🙂
Wait it’s still 2011 in the comic? There’s still time to warn them about 2016 then!
There’s still time to warn them to not watch any new Star Wars movies, no matter how good the trailers look!
I doubt that will help… after all YOU were warned and it still happened.
I try not to think too much about the comic’s timeframe being technically in 2011, to be honest. Keeping to that hard-and-fast would mean dating the comic’s content, effectively making it into a period-piece. And that isn’t the intent for the story.
I’ve been basically quietly ignoring the 2011 Problem and working the comic as if it were a sliding-scale timeframe that still allows for people to age.
Something something Dumbing Of Age something.
I know they say there’s no dumb questions … but this was a dumb question.
Mikael, I don’t think hers is a dumb question as much as an emotionally based as Andi doesn’t do a lot of complex thought. She is NOT intellectually vacant, however, she seems to react more with than brain and prefers to use her heart to guide her through her life, instead of the grey matter. It’s not wrong to do, and she is honest about it — when given a choice–…
I meant more in the sense than the answer is obvious, the broadcast she saw literally spelled it out.
Yes, but it’s worth remembering that she has MUCH less information than we do. And, like many people, she’s got a tendency to group strange “others” under a single label. She finds it really hard to process the notion that those “others” have internal divisions.
I could cite a lot of examples from, say, contemporary American politics, but it’s hardly necessary. I’m sure everyone commenting here knows all about the differences between Sunnis and Shiites, and how the Kurds fit in, and how that all plays out in Turkey and Iran… and doesn’t at all expect a Moslem cleric from Indonesia or Chad to answer for Khamenei.
I know folks who would ask the question and hear the answer and immediately be like, “Oh. Right. Right, I knew that. *facepalm*” They just…didn’t think of it in those terms, even though the answer was right there. Heck, I’ve done that. I think most people have, at some point.
It’s also possible Andi is referring to things overall. The Sarnothi are a complex sentient species; they’ve likely been isolated from humans for thousands of years, so she could be asking “why now?” in that sense.
I kind of hope someone asks the question I would ask, “Are your people native to Earth or are you aliens from a crashed starship?”
But, they probably won’t. Not here. If we get the answer at all, more likely it’ll be bit by bit as the story unfolds.
(Repeating what I said in #1057)
I’m pretty sure that Dave hasn’t told us whether the Sarnothi evolved on another planet, on this Earth, or on Earth of an alternate universe.
He might not even have the answer in his own headcanon, yet, after having abandoned the element-bender idea.
What’s more, it might turn out that when someone gets around to asking the Sarnothi academics, the answer is “We don’t know, either — all of our own research on that question has led to dead ends and even more questions.”
1: I would love if one of the kids asked that.
2: I would love if a variation on “…we actually aren’t sure, either. We’ve been here a really long time, so if we are aliens, we’ve forgotten it” (as sleepyrobin says) were the answer.
I honestly didn’t realize that was Andi until you said her name. I thought it was one of Selkie’s classmates with dyed hair.
There are no dumb questions – only dumb people
I’m usually one to defend Andi buuuuuuut… that was an obvious answer…
My dad used to say “The ONLY dumb question is the one NOT ASKED!”
while it may not be a ‘good’ question to YOU, but to the person ASKING the question it remains a perfectly valid one, and should therefore be answered as such.
seems to react more with her heart, than her brain.
Sorry, faulty copy/paste, no sleep last night.
Politics, am I right mammals?
This feels like it’s taking a cheap shot at some countries, but I’m not sure which ones.
I can think of two in particular, both with heads of state that have ridiculous hair and even more ridiculous personalities.
“Why did you reveal yourselves so suddenly?”….gee. Andi. Critical thinking is still not your thing. I think it’s probably because they had no choice and there had been something terrible that happened. -___-
Ugghh. She can be even less tactful than a kid. And that’s saying a lot.
She pretty much is still a kid, that’s been her main defining trait and contrast to Todd so far I think – he grew up, she didn’t.
I… I… well… is this going to traumatize the world if I say Then’s statement in the last panel just sums up a random Tuesday night in the USA…? (the shooting wildly into the air part anyway.)
Hence ‘you know how it is’
Isn’t Then lying?
I thought they hadn’t reveal themselves quickly cause the american government didn’t want it so. And now they don’t have the ”slow” option anymore.
It’s true that he thought the American government was being far too slow and cautious. He argued in favor of at least starting the process of integration… but I am pretty sure that this isn’t, even slightly, how he would have wanted it to be launched.
He’s not lying, he’s pointing out, somewhat wryly, that the reason it’s so sudden is the military coup in Sarnoth.
I like Then.
Let’s see the pictures. Gotta keep that tradition.
Dave? Off-topic, but tonight, I ate a fish eye. Because of this comic. It did, indeed, go pop in my mouth. It wasn’t bad, but neither was it good. I don’t think I’ll do it again.
But you made a small, very weird difference in my life today, and I thought you should know that. Thanks.
Bravo!
(Claps enthusiastically)
Being open-minded enough to give new experiences a shot is a character trait that will serve you well in life.
I love the scene in El Goonish Shive where Tedd (due to reasons too complex to describe here) decides to try calamari for the first time. His reaction seems similar to yours: http://www.egscomics.com/comic/2011-09-12
Would I be correct in thinking Then’s name is pronounced with a soft “th” like in “thought” rather than a hard “th” like in “there?”
The distinction is subtle, but makes a difference between meaning…
I always thought it was pronounced as Ten (the H being used as a voiceless aspiration of air)
I hear it in my head as halfway between “ten” and “den”.