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I think Dolash is blindly groping towards some form of a "Authentic/Unauthentic" dichotomy. Where there's some invisible and arbitrary rules of how to express something in a True and Meaningful way as opposed to a way that's "artificial" or "forced" or "pandering". One of those rules being apparently "don't acknowledge the problems out loud". All nonsense of course. Also it's funny to me(in a good way) that Zack's comic is already pretty good on this topic compared to a lot of poo poo and he still stops and thinks "I need to do better." Whitenoise Poster fucked around with this message at 05:34 on Apr 28, 2014 |
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Apr 28, 2014 05:29
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Yeah, that sounds more like it, and blindly groping is the right characterization. You're probably exactly right that this is too sensitive an issue to fumble around with, and if I can't construct a nuanced point about it I should let it drop. Regardless, it's definitely a good thing for Zach and any writer to make their stories more diverse where possible. Does that suggest the cast is going to grow some time soon? They were going to meet someone on the train before getting sidetracked, after all.
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Apr 28, 2014 05:54
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Dolash posted:Yeah, that sounds more like it, and blindly groping is the right characterization. You're probably exactly right that this is too sensitive an issue to fumble around with, and if I can't construct a nuanced point about it I should let it drop. Regardless, it's definitely a good thing for Zach and any writer to make their stories more diverse where possible. Going to pick up Agent Day, whom I keep thinking is wheelchair bound for reasons I cannot explain despite there being nothing to indicate this anywhere.
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Apr 28, 2014 06:32
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I'll be honest, the cast growing seems inevitable to me. He can't seem to stop himself from making new characters. He made so many from the start that his friends and himself make fun of him for it. It's basically the shounen trope he's gonna end up playing completely straight.
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Apr 28, 2014 07:05
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Unhappy Meal posted:Going to pick up Agent Day, whom I keep thinking is wheelchair bound for reasons I cannot explain despite there being nothing to indicate this anywhere. When talking to Grandpa Spender mentions that she's "physically disabled". I think we may have gotten one or two more hints/glimpses as well but I can't recall off the top of my head.
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Apr 28, 2014 07:19
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Roland Jones posted:When talking to Grandpa Spender mentions that she's "physically disabled". I think we may have gotten one or two more hints/glimpses as well but I can't recall off the top of my head. The alt text on that comic always completely ruins me.
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Apr 28, 2014 08:14
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Roland Jones posted:When talking to Grandpa Spender mentions that she's "physically disabled". I think we may have gotten one or two more hints/glimpses as well but I can't recall off the top of my head. In Paranatural that could mean anything up to "is actually a ghost", though. Doesn't get more physically disabled than being unable to interact with the physical world. An amputee with a spectral limb would be weird and intriguing, though. Also, please be okay today, Eightfold. 
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Apr 28, 2014 11:28
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New page. Eightfold status:
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Apr 28, 2014 12:24
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Not only are we going for Burger King Kid's Club style inclusionism, but we get dental hygiene PSAs!
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Apr 28, 2014 13:06
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Fried Chicken posted:Not only are we going for Burger King Kid's Club style inclusionism, but we get dental hygiene PSAs! The Aquafresh-sponsored "Importance of Flossing" arc will be spectacular.
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Apr 28, 2014 13:26
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but butt
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Apr 28, 2014 13:29
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Something tells me the version Eightfold has in mind has a few unpleasant details Isabel glossed over. What could it be? After this storytime, Eightfold's book is set to go flying out of the train, right? Are they having this chat in case Isabel isn't able to find it again? Or is Eightfold trying to buck Isabel up a bit since she's going to have to fight on her own for a bit?
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Apr 28, 2014 13:38
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Dolash posted:After this storytime, Eightfold's book is set to go flying out of the train, right? Are they having this chat in case Isabel isn't able to find it again? Or is Eightfold trying to buck Isabel up a bit since she's going to have to fight on her own for a bit? I think Eightfold is trying to tell Isabel that she could beat these guys up spectrally just as easily as with paper if she wasn't focusing on reaching the book; that she's relying on Eightfold too much and it's blinded her to that fact.
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Apr 28, 2014 13:41
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My personal theory is that the book's gone for good after this. Once it's out of the train, what happens to it? The train warps matter around it so that it doesn't get in the way, but after the train passes where the book falls, that ground closes up again. Poor Eightfold will be trapped dozens, if not hundreds, of feet underground, possibly forever.
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Apr 28, 2014 14:06
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Quite possibly the most poignant alt text ever
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Apr 28, 2014 14:10
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That is some pretty heavy phrasing there, Eightfold. She is selfless by instinct. A good person second by second. But that implies that aside from clutch reflexive action she is *not* generally a good person. Also that dog is getting REALLY close.
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Apr 28, 2014 17:38
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DreamShipWrecked posted:That is some pretty heavy phrasing there, Eightfold. She is selfless by instinct. A good person second by second. But that implies that aside from clutch reflexive action she is *not* generally a good person. "From second to second." As in, she's a good person every second that passes.
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Apr 28, 2014 18:05
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Preemptive RIP Eightfold
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Apr 28, 2014 18:16
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This whole conversation is a delaying tactic to make her getting the book impossible rather then incredibly unlikely so she doesn't try and get herself killed. Here comes the sad death. Bye Eightfold, too cute for this world.
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Apr 28, 2014 18:35
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The train's still in the forest, right? Eightfold could still land on Johnny or one of his crew.
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Apr 28, 2014 18:38
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Level Slide posted:The train's still in the forest, right? Eightfold could still land on Johnny or one of his crew. The train just dove deep underground, it reversed but it probably hasn't reached the surface yet.
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Apr 28, 2014 18:57
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Countblanc posted:Preemptive RIP Eightfold Nothing rips quite like paper.
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Apr 28, 2014 20:25
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DreamShipWrecked posted:That is some pretty heavy phrasing there, Eightfold. She is selfless by instinct. A good person second by second. But that implies that aside from clutch reflexive action she is *not* generally a good person. The point is that she can do the right thing as a reflex. We've seen people in Paranatural argue and worry about doing the right thing. Being able to skip all that nonsense is pretty special.
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Apr 29, 2014 01:17
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Yeah, ever since the first spirit world page this felt like goodbye to Eightfold.
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Apr 29, 2014 03:06
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There are so many redflags that the book monster is going to do something nasty to save itself.
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Apr 29, 2014 03:35
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As someone who just recently burned through this comic I gotta say you all are crazy to think eightfold is leaving. She pretty much only just got introduced in narrative time.
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Apr 29, 2014 06:10
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I also just read through this webcomic in a weekend, and was kinda disappointed when I found the thread and discovered all the links were broken so I couldn't keep up with the discussion. What I have read sounds interesting, like decoding that fake language interesting, but I'd have to put in real effort to understand everything. So... is there a wiki somewhere I can use instead? Or does anybody wanna recap their pet theories for a newbie?
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Apr 29, 2014 06:18
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Things that are true and not at all theories: Spender will go to the dark side and turn into a Naruto character. Johnny is going to end up with the most absurdly obnoxious power in existence. Possibly even being an excrementalist  Max dies in this chapter and is replaced by the real hero of this story, P.J.! 
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Apr 29, 2014 06:37
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mr. stefan posted:As someone who just recently burned through this comic I gotta say you all are crazy to think eightfold is leaving. She pretty much only just got introduced in narrative time. For all we know, Eightfold could be intended to be offed so that Isabel has a reason to hate Max.
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Apr 29, 2014 13:14
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I think the funny thing is that had Isabel not decided to show off today (in universe) how Eightfold can leave her book and what she looks like, Eightfold could probably have saved herself by ditching the book and paper-grappling onto the train.
KittyEmpress fucked around with this message at 19:06 on Apr 29, 2014 |
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Apr 29, 2014 17:23
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Tollymain posted:Things that are true and not at all theories: Wrong, we all know Johnny is getting that clone-plunger. An army of Johnnies being the guy he can hook you up with to get your kicks in the form of actual kicks is too important.
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Apr 29, 2014 21:01
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Tollymain posted:Things that are true and not at all theories: Wrong, Spender is going to turn to the dark side and turn into a Bleach character. TOTALLY DIFFERENT 
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Apr 30, 2014 03:48
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Anyone have any idea what all the hearts on the chapter 4 cover refer to? The rest of the imagery is pretty obvious now that we've (presumably) neared the end of the chapter, but the hearts, not so much. Spender's love of Mayview? http://www.paranatural.net/index.php?id=157
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Apr 30, 2014 05:21
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Well there are two types of hearts depicted: "organic" and pixelated. The pixelated hearts are almost certainly references to the skulldogs. Organic hearts? Dunno. Also I'm not sure that we've seen an obvious meaning for "Player 2 Start" yet, unless it's referencing Ed's video game at the very start of the chapter (and I doubt it).
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Apr 30, 2014 05:26
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I'd wager that whatever the hearts have to do with, it also directly has to do with "Player 2 Start". If I had to take a guess, it's that in the chapter's concluding pages we have characters playing a video game while the first hints at a romantic relationship are dropped. \/\/\/poo poo, gently caress my idea, that's probably it\/\/\/ Triskelli fucked around with this message at 05:42 on Apr 30, 2014 |
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Apr 30, 2014 05:39
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Countblanc posted:Anyone have any idea what all the hearts on the chapter 4 cover refer to? The rest of the imagery is pretty obvious now that we've (presumably) neared the end of the chapter, but the hearts, not so much. Spender's love of Mayview? The lady who's coming to watch Spender and Crew has Cupid Powers. It'll probably show up soon.
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Apr 30, 2014 05:41
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I think the hearts are a double reference to both Agent Day's cupid powers and video game health bars/extra lives. Pretty sure Player 2 Start is a reference to Isabel, with Max being Player 1. That's going off really old and poorly remembered Zack Talk though so we should wait till the end of the chapter to see if something else pops up.
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Apr 30, 2014 05:55
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ZenMasterBullshit posted:The lady who's coming to watch Spender and Crew has Cupid Powers. Oh yeah, good call. Man, this chapter is loooooong.
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Apr 30, 2014 06:55
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I sincerely hope that Eightfold survives, but I can see Zack having her die (or get stuck underground forever, which is arguably worse) in order to up the drama.
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Apr 30, 2014 08:00
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SlothfulCobra posted:For all we know, Eightfold could be intended to be offed so that Isabel has a reason to hate Max. I don't think Eightfold's intending to die, but I wouldn't be surprised if her dying ends up causing Isabel to hold a grudge against Max. That's a nice little bit of drama there. Also, maybe I missed it the first time through, but where did they mention Agent Day has cupid powers? That seems like kind of a weird ability to throw into the story. I do like the idea that "player 2" refers to Isabel, since she gets a lot of attention this chapter and makes/would make a strong second protagonist.
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May 1, 2014 06:12
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