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[TheFerrett]

The latest comic, Animal Control, Part 1, can be found here. So what's your reaction to it, people?

[Roni]

Um, I PLANNED to write some commentary....but I was playing World of Warcraft. Oops.

This is the first strip that utilized my brand-spanking new Wacom tablet. Man, I love this thing. I'm still getting accustomed to how to make smooth, straight lines but I'm getting there. One hurdle is that I don't hold a pencil like a normal person. I suspect it is because my Mom initially taught me how to draw. She's left-handed, and I'm right-handed, but I hold a pencil like I'm trying to hold to like I'm left handed. Think of it like I'm trying to touch the writing tip to my wrist. Whatever, it works for me.

The thing is, I can't do that with the Wacom. I can't change the orientation of the pad, so I have to use more full arm movements. This is taking a bit to get used to and my hand tires quickly. Which is why I take a break and play Wow. I have a track ball so it uses an entirely different set of muscles. That's why I'm been playing so much. Really.

I'm not an addict.

[Dozer]

The artwork in this strip looks so awesomely refined... especially Izzy's expression in the last panel. This is one of those strips where text and artwork go together in a synchronous two-step, where you don't really know where to look and what to admire first. Very well done.

Also (as always) great punchline, especially with the heading -- which really makes me wonder what happens next, especially after seeing the preview Izzy.

[jfargo]

So, why the choice to blur out "fucker" in an earlier strip, but no such compunction about the f-word this time around? Was it because it was combined with "mother" and there are certain lines you'd just rather not cross? Curious.

The art has definitely taken a leap here, it's very crisp, and as Dozer said, refined. Keep up the good work!

(I think it's probably bad from my angle, however, that the thing I found funniest was the sidebar: "Ferrett says: Rank 25 vote now!" I have a messed up sense of humor though.)

[Czarzhan]

Regarding the conversation they were having: Amongst my group of friends, it's referred to as "friends, with BENEFITS"

[Roni]

[quote="jfargo"]So, why the choice to blur out "fucker" in an earlier strip, but no such compunction about the f-word this time around? Was it because it was combined with "mother" and there are certain lines you'd just rather not cross? Curious. [quote]

Actually, that was an accident. With Ferrett doing the bubbles, there's now a half dozen incrimental saves of each strip and apparently, the wrong one went up. Good catch, thanks.

In any case, how to handle swearing is something we're still working out. On one hand, we want the strip to be PG-13. On the other, we want to realistically capture relationships, including the way people talk to eachother. In my experience, when they're angry, it involves a great deal of cursing. Pixellating the words "Cops style" works as a gag, but it seems incongrument in a more dramatic context. We're still researching.

[jfargo]

Hmm. Are the forums supposed to be PG-13 too? Should I go back and dash out my f bomb, or don't we care too much about it here?

[Bruce_Richard]

[efbq]

The phrase used to be 'umfriend', as in 'This is my um... friend'
_________________
Lise
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/efbq/

[saaxton]

Eh. Is it just me, or does Izzy just not look quite right in this strip? I didn't even recognize her until panel 4 and the 6th just looks wrong to me somehow. If she hadn't said her name, I probably would have been grumpy at Tanner for seeing someone else. Then again, like Roni said, she's still working out the kinks on the new tablet.

Just wanted to add my 2 cents.

~Saaxton

[Roni]

[Roni]

[Ronfar]

A few comments.

1) Yay! The kitty's back!

2) The layout of the dialogue in this strip felt a bit weird. I kept wanting to read horizontally across the panels instead of down; it took me a while to figure out how to read it properly.

3) "Mistress" is definitely an appropriate term.

Edit:

4) The strip looked better with "fuck buddy" not blurred out. Really, the impact of the word "fuck" is absolutely nothing like it once was. Right now, going by my impression of most people's reactions, I'd say the most offensive word in the English language is actually the N word, not the F-bomb. Heck, if the Vice President can say "fuck" in public without causing much of a stir, should we really consider it "unprintable" any more?
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- Doug

[bateleur]

[Dozer]