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diveronarpg · 5 years

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Congratulations, VICTORIA! You’ve been accepted for the role of KATHERINE with an FC change to Magdalena Frackowiak. Admin Minnie: We've been waiting a long time for someone to turn Verona's best shot into a living, breathing being on our dash. Our Katarina is a force to be reckoned with, and not to be underestimated. It would be easy to capture her as a femme fatale, but you captured her layered depths, her spirit and her ferocity. Reading your application was like a breath of fresh air for all that Katarina could be and, with you in our ranks again, undoubtedly will be. We're excited to have you back with us again, and so excited to see Katarina take shape in your hands! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Victoria

Age | 23

Preferred Pronouns | she/her

Activity Level | On a scale of one to ten, maybe six? Higher on the weekends, but I work until six Monday through Friday and after that, I’ll be able to get a few replies done per day. I’m always around on Discord for plotting, though.

Timezone | EST

How did you find the rp? | I was friends with Rosey during DV’s first introduction in the rpc, didn’t get to apply, and kind of fell off from Tumblr for a LONG while before going back and forth between town rps and indie. Once I circled back around and found DV again, I’d applied for Santino Gallo with the fc change of Stephen James. However, I stepped away when I realised I wasn’t in the right headspace to invest so much time into a place like DiVerona, and now I’m back feeling a lot better and more confident about my writing.

Current/Past RP Accounts | here, here, and here

IN CHARACTER

Character | Katherine, Katarina Du Pont with a faceclaim change to Magdalena Frackowiak

What drew you to this character? | Admittedly, the process of how I chose Katherine was very much like playing a game of roulette. After making sure the cast list was filtered to all open roles, I blindly scrolled and clicked, ready to read whatever biography I clicked on. That was Caesar’s. And, though I did immediately feel for the man that had created and lost an empire, I had to read at least one more biography to be sure of my decision to pick one. The next time, it was Katherine. Katherine woke me up. Katarina Du Pont reminds me so much of what could be the hellspawn of two of my own original characters that I immediately knew yes– I could write her. I could get into her head, learn her, feel her so I could write her. Katherine feels real to me. She’s alive when I think of her, when I write about her. And that’s what led me here, to send in an application to write her.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? |

FOOL ME ONCE, FOOL ME TWICE, AND THEN A THIRD – A RECAP

They jeered at her. Back at the police station, from behind closed doors, with their backs turned and some had the gall to do speak ill to her face. Thrice now, she had been caught off guard and bested.

There was nothing fair in a war, after all, and just the same, Marcello’s fist had come flying out of nowhere the night that Cosimo had been shot. As luck would have it, it was but a third blow that had struck her to the ground. In retrospect, it was sheer and utter irony. Katarina was a detective with the police force and yet she had been caught off guard, flaw in her so-called constant vigilance found imperfect. Three punches, three blows and two had been to her head then she had fallen to the ground. She’d hardly put up a fight. It was a blow to her ego as much it had injured her physically– but she promised herself that she would get back at the bastard.

Next, it was the night at the Teatro Nuovo that Katarina found herself bested twice more. The witches had been hanged and Lillian’s assistant had immediately moved to help, but trying to preserve the crime scene as a cop, and protect the woman with the knowledge that Paola was dear and important to her best friend while chaos erupted in the theatre had her too spread out, focusing on three things at once.

Threes. Why would everything continue to occur in threes?

That she had been decked hard enough by Paola that the woman had slipped past her had been insult enough to her pride. Of course, it was forgivable in an instant, but that it would soon be twice in one night that Katarina could not forgive. A shake of her head and moment to catch her breath amidst the commotion was what she deemed more than enough.

But the night was not over yet, and while she sought her comrades, dodged and pushed against foe, a gunshot rang out over the din of the fray– and Katarina found herself face to face with Odessa Vernon. Once upon a time, she had been friends with her brother. Years and years ago, Lawrence might have been won to righteousness. But that was the past. And at present, Katarina had thought she would be a foe to fight past quickly enough to make sure those that were hers were safe. Yet, it was but another miscalculation on her part, having not expected the girl’s desperation to get past her. Stumbling to catch her breath and wipe at her bloody lip, she saw that it was her own sister that had succeeded– and that blow was worse than the injuries she had sustained, and Odessa had fled with.

JUSTICE SERVED - Three times she was bested in a fight. What good of a cop was she if she did not manage her duty? The virtuousness of her words, and righteousness of her gun beside her badge meant nothing if she could not survive the fight. Revenge was a fickle thing in her mind– but was it revenge, she pondered, or was it justice? She would bring justice to the man who had assaulted her in the alley as the Castelvecchio Bridge broke. Katarina would forgive as what was right when someone who was innocent and neutral only wished to do right. Yet, for the last transgression, the one who stuck out in her mind the most, Katarina wants justice in the form of a rematch. Another opportunity at Odessa. And, while her sister isn’t apparently entirely useless in a fight, the elder sister would prove once and for all somehow in some way that she was of the most value. With the task to protect Cosimo’s princessa, she knew there was no room for error. The princessa was doing good for others, and that goodness would not be ruined by the like of the Montagues.

A TRIFECTA - Three was a mystical, lucky number. A group of three made for the strongest formation, made for a strong formation for a building, and it would take three notable mistakes for Katarina to learn that her tongue and gun were nothing without a third skill in the trifecta. A triple threat was what they called it, and it was what she would be in this war. Her looks were hardly a weapon after all, and they especially were not one that she could count on. So, she would train. Katarina would learn better how to fight, would train to find that balance in warfare and learn to use it to her best advantage. The Du Pont girl was the best goddamn shot in Verona, with a tongue tempered to destroy at an even more devastating level. She would do best to complete the trio by honing her skill in hand to hand combat by training at Measure by Measure. Three skills like these put together would be perfect, and with that in mind she has pushed harder and more viciously than before to be as indomitable as she believed herself to be.

WHAT COULD BE BETTER? - But, what if she couldn’t? The seed of doubt had begun to fester as unwillingly as an ant an unwilling victim to a shoe, or child with a magnifying glass. And, oh, it burned in her mind. Try as Katarina might to quell her unbidden fear and dismiss it, the thought had come to mind and there it would stay, unforgotten and at the forefront of her thoughts when she lay sleepless in her bed. What, then? What else was there for her? What else could the woman with a bladed tongue do? The answer was clear before her one late night, and immediately she found herself leaping from her bed. Katarina was justice, righteousness rolled into a body that fought and felt viscerally to do all she believed needed to be done. Becoming a cop was no mistake, but perhaps just a moment on her path. It has been a month since she had begun to look more into the possibility, and the blonde has yet to confess to anyone that her current vocation might not be the best to suit her. Her pride in serving justice needed to advance somehow, and this just might be the way to do it.

SISTER DEAREST - An injured bunny might be able to hop to safety. But it should take care to not be caught, especially by a Kat. Increasingly and ever more still, the love for one’s kin has begun to truly leave her. Romulus and Remus. Cain and Abel. It has become unavoidable, the truth that neither could truly live their life in Verona to the fullest while the other remained. Brigette seemed more useless now to the Capulet cause now more than ever, and if given the order to extinguish a liability to Cosimo and his successor… Would she be able to carry out her duty? Justice would always be due when there were those who betrayed their loyalties, and righteousness would always win. Katarina herself did not cut corners, did not excuse herself above reproach. So, why should her simpering little sister be treated any better? For as long as she could remember, the younger Du Pont had been a thorn in her side, an unwanted connection and reminder that she would never be who her family wanted. But, that was the point of it all, Katerina would tell herself. The Du Ponts did not want a wolf. But, she was who they needed. Not a bleating sheep.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | No one likes a dirty cop, and they seldom survive when it comes to war, run aground by responsibilities to the Capulets and the badge and inevitably caught in the crosshairs. If the opportunity arises where it makes no sense for Katherine to survive– kill her.

IN DEPTH

Please choose between the interview or the para sample (or both, if you like!)

In-Character Interview: The following questions must be answered in-character, and in para form (quotations, actions written out if applicable, etc). There is no minimum or maximum limit for your response - simply answer as you would if you were playing the character.

What is your favorite place in Verona? | “The Cathedral.” The answer tumbled from her lips without so much a pause. The house of God worked twofold as the heart of Capulet business, and it was there where order and integrity flowed. Humans were flawed, were they not? Justice was not synonymous with peace, nor righteousness with divinity. But, God gave comfort and hope to the people, and it was only fitting that behind it all, the Capulets did God’s work to serve and keep warm their Verona. Just like the Medicis did once for Florence, the Capulets did so for Verona. “There is a certain sense of… Order to the place that is a comfort, a place where I can clear my mind and take a moment both at the beginning and end of the day to find peace.” Katarina’s words were lilted with the tone of a woman who had calculated every move she had and would make, steady and without an ounce of indecisiveness while her voice kept to a smoky yet calm sound, sliding pleasurably from her tongue. No one ever doubted the blonde’s conviction in her words, and why would they? She wasn’t a liar. The elder Du Pont loved order and rules, and by god, the way she lived her life was a direct example. It was after she gave answer she finally graced the other with a smile. “The Cathedral, it is beautiful, it it not?”

What does your typical day look like? | Her brow had arched somewhat, but the stoicness of her other features had yet not moved an inch. “My typical day?” Katarina had almost laughed. Almost. There was nothing ever typical in her day, in her life. There was no such thing as monotony in the lifestyle of a Capulet cop such as she. Sitting up straighter, the blonde’s arms fold one over the other, the small twitch at the corner of her mouth barely giving the possibility of a half-smile before it disappeared again as she spoke. “I wake up at four, turn on my kettle and make a sort of ‘tea’ for myself, consisting of lemon, apple cider vinegar, a few drops of liquid cayenne, and ground cinnamon and ginger. After a half hour of easy yoga, I make a protein shake before I work out with weights.” She seemed… Bored? Amused? The details of her life had never been asked about, and in her line of profession, the less people knew the better. But, perhaps, just this once, she would give details of her life. Her arm came out then, turning on the elbow to cross almost diagonally ahead of her, patting at the table gently per each of the next two steps in her routine. “I then get ready for work, and travel to The Cathedral before I make my way to the precinct. From there, the day to day differs. But, every night it is the same. The Cathedral, tea, and a bath before bed.” Katarina blinked once then, pausing from the monotonous way she delivered the broad strokes of the painting of her life. “The life of a cop can be very boring, I do promise you.”

What has been your biggest mistake thus far? | Her chin tilted downwards now, regarding them carefully with her crystalline gaze. In truth, her biggest mistake in her life had been wishing and wanting for a younger sister. What Katarina had wanted was a playmate, a comrade in arms that would be by her side. Yet with but a small age gap between them, the Du Pont girls could be no more different than oil and water. They did not get along– no, and they never would. “My biggest mistake in my life was not asking for a third sibling. Third time’s a charm, isn’t it?” It was a joke, mostly, a half-smile finally coming to fruition. It was no secret that she and darling Bunny did not get along. If Katarina could avoid her entirely, she would. And on a day to day basis, her little sister never came to mind– almost entirely forgotten with distaste until someone thrust that bitterness back to her mouth at the sound of her sister’s name. Or worse yet, the sight or sound of the younger woman herself. But it seemed almost sinister, with the way her head was tilted before Katarina brought her chin up with a haughty glance, words cutting and sure. “I don’t believe in mistakes. I believe that things happen for a reason, action and reaction, whatever path had been necessary to get there and to the destination are a part of life. What a mistake is, is a lesson to be learned from, and an opportunity to grow. Agree, or disagree?”

What has been the most difficult task asked of you? | This is the first time during the interview that she had furrowed her brows, head tilting to the side as she contemplated her answer. What was the most difficult task asked of her? Straightening once more, Katarina Du Pont had intertwined her lithe fingers together, seeming to toy with a few answers before one tumbled eloquently from her lips. “I do not recall ever having a difficult task asked of me.” As she spoke, a challenging glint came to her eyes, as if she were next to explain any or every task given to her and explain her case. Breezily, she continued: “Or rather, I can not say, retrospectively, that any task could be called difficult enough to stand out as the most difficult. My profession requires me to do what I must for the good of the people and for the sake of the law.” Who’s law? The Capulets? Verona’s? She wore a badge, toted a gun and around and yet– And, yet, she wore a cross ‘round her neck, spending time in the place of God that without question belonged to the Capulets. It did occur to her once that her vocation made her loyalty questionable. But, Katarina had never been one to lie. She could never be bothered to twist sly, pretty words like her sister. Brigette gave someone what they wanted to hear. And the elder of the two gave the incontestable truth. No matter how much or who it hurt. Facts would always be better than some addle-brained fiction after all. “ Does holding my tongue from time to time count as a difficult task? I assure you, even that does not happen often.”

What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues? | “If it were not the Capulets and Montagues, it would be another family,” Katarina shrugged, sitting back in her seat as she drummed her fingers once on the tabletop before continuing to speak. “We,” Was Katarina speaking for the police force or the Capulets? Who could know? “Protect the innocent and give justice for those wronged.” The blonde spoke with conviction, believing every word that fell from her lips without giving the other any reason to doubt her belief. She did what was right. The woman lived her life based on facts, evidence. There was no room in her mind for daydreams or pretending that the world around her was not a warzone. No, the blonde lived in the present, moving forward towards the future and whatever it might bring. “Living is war itself, is it not? We war within ourselves, push against the odds. I do not wish to see the uninvolved, the innocent people of Verona to be harmed. This place is my home– and what else am I to do than continue to live?”

In-Character Para Sample: N/A

Extras:

PINTEREST BOARD

#accepted #accepted: katherine

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readingwebcomics · 5 years

Text

Analyzing Questionable Content: Pages 51-100

No Faye, it only looks that way because he’s playing Final Fantasy X-2. Good God, I just realized that Final Fantasy X-2 is someone’s first experience with Final Fantasy. That’s a depressing thought. Although someone starting out the series with Final Fantasy XIII is probably way worse, now that I think about it. At least X-2 had fun.

…huh? Oh right, the comic. You sure you’d rather not listen to me write an essay on Final Fantasy, instead? I have this great point about how Final Fantasy IX has the most emotionally impactful narrative but as a game it only really clicks with long-time players of… no? Okay fine, let’s get back into QC.

The very next comic has Marten getting a tax return check for $1,100, and being the wise adult that he is, decides to spend that money on a new guitar. Tagging along, Faye brings up something that gives us new insight on her character:

And clearly didn’t bore her, considering how much of that information she retained. Here we have yet another example of a shared interest between these two, Marten clearly being into Guitars if he’s invested enough to blow a fat wad of money on it and Faye carrying around quite a bit of information on the instrument herself. I’ve made the point in the last post, but to reiterate – at this point in the comic, it’s clear these two are clicking as far as interests go. They can keep up with each other, can and have provided support for one another, and challenge one another… okay granted that last one isn’t entirely true, it’s clear Faye challenges Marten more than vice-versa, but still. There is a clear, acting relationship dynamic between these two, whether platonic or romantic. The reason why early QC works as well as it does is because these two have clear characters to them and their relationship FEELS real – they feel like people you’d know who’d really be friends – or maybe more than friends. This is Jeph’s character writing at… well I hesitate to call it at its best because to imply he peaked as early as the 53rd comic would be an insult to him as a writer, and I’m not looking to do that here.

I’m looking to do that a little bit later on in this part when we discuss Faye’s “character quirk.”

Before that however, we’re going to get a little bit on insight on Marten:

The story is elaborated on in a future comic, but here we get Marten’s backstory – traveling across the country for a girl, the relationship falling apart and leaving him stuck in this part of the country. This will go on to explain several of his character choices, including Pintsize (although that’s something we’re not going to approach until MUCH later on). It also further elaborates on Marten’s character as a whole: He doesn’t make many active actions as a whole, but when he does, it tends to shift the entire dynamic of how he lives. He decided he wanted to follow this woman across the country, and that action ended up completely upending his life. Could this be part of the reason why Marten is so passive? Does he skew towards this lifestyle because he’s been “trained” to take any kind of affirmative action as an intense, life-changing event?

While I’m not certain myself, and I have a damn good feeling Jeph wasn’t thinking that far ahead when writing Marten’s character, it’s an angle I’m willing to continue exploring as we further our journey down this comic’s history.

This comic was written in 2003. I’m half-tempted to believe Meme culture can be tracked by indie bands now. Wonder if there was any zeitgeist with neo-nazi indie bands ten or fifteen years ago then, if that theory holds true?

…I just made myself really, really sad.

Later on, Pintsize proceeds to eat a cake when he really shouldn’t – again – and we are gifted with… this lovely image.

Okay. I understand Pintsize is an AI, so it makes total sense for him to be able to be uploaded to a PC like this (ignoring for the moment modern commercial hardware can’t possibly support the resources necessary to maintain human-level sapience and ESPECIALLY not in 2003), but this is one of the freakiest fucking things I’ve seen from this comic. Mostly because at the time of writing we’re on comic 4000 and AI as a whole take an entirely different turn in the world of QC around that time, so… this is just kinda surreal to look at.

…We’ll get to AI in regards to QC’s universe later on when it becomes more relevant. Needless to say, it becomes one of the core “themes” of the comic as a whole.

The narrative reason for this turn of events is simple:

Pintsize is now in a new visually appealing model, capable of moving his joints around so he can do more than just stand around and talk!

…also one that has a horrifying government-level laser built into it! Believe it or not, this DOES become a relevant plot-point later and it’s not just for the sake of a gag. This is a great example of Jeph taking a tiny detail he may have originally written in as a joke and building off it to create conflict… although I’ll be getting more into that later on when it actually DOES become relevant.

Pintsize agrees to turn the laser off, and a few comics later Marten and Steve go to the bar to discuss their lives – specifically Marten’s love life.

Further showcasing of Marten’s passive nature and his straight-up lack of confidence.

Say goodbye to Sara everyone – for real this time, I’m fairly certain this is the very last time we ever see her. I could be mistaken, but I highly doubt it. Plus, while we don’t see it in detail we get enough information to gleam Steve as Marten’s exact opposite – charming without being overwhelming, confident without being cocky. Steve is just straight-up a cool dude, and it’s easy to see how he can easily get into relationships while Marten stays there floating along, too scared and/or passive to make the move that comes to Steve naturally.

Wait. Shit, I may have the hots for Steve. Abort, aboRT, ABOR-

I’m showing this in part to showcase the next point of conflict and also to draw attention to the new style Jeph is trying. He’ll do this throughout the run of QC, trying out brand-new styles to see what fits and what doesn’t. I’ll be including this in my comparison pictures at the very end of this post to give a clearer image of what changes and how he improves… although you can see even in this comic he’s struggling against old habits as Marten’s face in the final panel looks drastically different than in the rest, looking more akin to how he looked in older comics. That’s okay! Habits die hard, it’s worth applauding the fact that Jeph is trying. God knows I can’t draw to save my fucking life, so I’ll always support artists trying new things.

I’m mostly including this panel for two reasons: The fact that Faye’s stuck in the closet right now – if you don’t get why that’s funny, you will in about 3700 comics from now – and the way she’s talking. Do you notice something different about the “feel” of Faye’s dialogue? Keep an eye on it, I’ll try to include more panels of her talking from this point onward.

Anyway, Marten dismantles the previously established conflict by revealing he managed to get Faye’s prescription for her and got her a new pair of glasses.

Mark this as the second time Faye has actually displayed real physical aggression against Marten.

Again, depending on how much you know about AI in QC’s world from future comics this could either be a lot funnier or a hell of a lot less funny. Although… the subject of AI mortality would make for an EXTREMELY interesting plot point in more recent comics. Remind me to touch on that when we get further along.

Again: Pay attention to Faye’s dialogue in this comic, especially in that last panel. You’re noticing it, aren’t you? The fact that she sounds a little… different? Give me a little more time, I promise I’ll touch on it a little later.

Hey, guess what? It’s later!

Faye does not punch Marten whenever she says something nice about him. In fact, she has ever only assaulted Marten twice – both times for completely arbitrary reasons not related to her saying anything to or about Marten. Nor has Faye ever spoken completely without contractions, as you see she’s doing now. Later comics will go on to point out how odd it is that Faye only speaks with contractions when she’s drunk and dips into her southern accent… when we’ve seen in previous comics that she is capable of speaking with contractions and talking like a normal human being. This change has shifted the entire “feel” of every line of Faye’s dialogue, as she no longer “sounds” like the Faye we started the comic with.

These are both examples of a writing mistake that a lot of long-form regular updating writers make, be it fanfiction or daily comics – retcons. If you’re reading this, you most likely know what a retcon is. For the few of you that don’t, a retcon – short for retroactive continuity – is the practice of in later works of an ongoing series introducing a fact that changes what was previously established in previous works. This is most commonly seen in Superhero comics from Marvel and DC, but the kind of retcon I’m talking about is more common on smaller scale works, like fanfiction or unedited novels or ongoing RPs.

See, when the writer realizes they wanted to change up something, introduce a plot element that would require them to go back and change something previously to make it make sense and find that for whatever reason they can’t, they may go ahead and introduce the plot element anyway while assuring the reader that no, of course this element was always included. That’s what’s happening here – Jeph had an idea for a plot element he wants to include, realized he can’t exactly go back to older comics and change them considering it’s a regularly updated webcomic, and so decided to retcon these facts by introducing them like they’ve always been a part of things and assert their truth while continuing on.

Not that I can necessarily blame the man – in a situation like this, realizing there’s an important plot element that you want to work with but can’t due to you leaving it no room in what you’ve previously published, there’s not much else you can do besides either retconning things or accepting you can’t introduce that plot element and just move on. However, there are other ways you can work with this that abide by previously established continuity and lets you introduce a plot element you want to introduce. For example, Faye punching Marten: You could introduce it as something she feels more comfortable doing the longer she’s around him. Have more frequent comics of her following saying something nice up with a punch, let us see her actually assault him more, and draw a correlation between her getting more comfortable around him and her getting more physically aggressive – something Jeph does touch on later, so it is entirely possible to introduce this new dynamic without asserting things have happened that we clearly see haven’t happened.

…as for Faye not speaking in contractions however, that’s just stupid. It’s a gimmick for her character, plain and simple, without adding anything to her as a character. If you want something big to showcase she’s keeping herself restrained, just continue as you were, having her speak in a southern accent when she’s drunk. That works as a fun gag to attach to her character without seeming like a dumb gimmick. And I’m sorry to say… this whole “Faye doesn’t speak in contractions” thing? It’s a dumb gimmick.

Okay, now that I’ve gotten that all off my chest, let’s introduce ourselves to the new main character of QC…

This is Dora, the owner of the Coffee Shop that Faye works at. She’s a cool cat and (seemingly) supremely chill. She’s introduced as another secondary character like Steve, but will swiftly become a mainstay character and join what will become a growing ensemble cast.

Also, potential conflict is seeded when it’s revealed she’s totally crushing on Marten.

And if you doubt Faye’s assessment, let’s hear it from the woman in question herself.

Also say hello to Dora’s cat. The cat has a name, I just can’t remember it for the life of me considering the little fella joins Sara on that island eventually. But yeah, Dora DEFINITELY has the hots for Marten, sewing another potential seed for conflict later on – Marten and Faye are certainly in the “will they or won’t they?” phase, and here sits Faye’s own boss with a clear, vested interest in Marten. Will she make a move and push Faye to take action? Time will tell.

Jeph enjoys trolling his audience, and Marten is suffering because of it.

Dora goes on to establish herself in the reader’s minds by having a clear, distinct personality that bounces off Faye’s beautifully. They banter so comfortably with one another it makes it so much fun to read, which goes on to make Dora a more appealing character to the reader. The more she talks, the more you want to see her because she’s such a genuinely charismatic individual… which can further serve to establish her as a very real conflict in the potential Marten and Faye relationship. After all, what’s a greater spanner in the works of this “will they or won’t they?” relationship than a character who will gladly say “Yeah, I will” that the audience likes enough that they are completely on-board with seeing go through?

The most dangerous thing to a romcom relationship is a third wheel that a good portion of the audience prefers over the teased relationship, and that creates good drama.

(Also Sara’s name is spelled wrong but eh it’s not like she’s around to complain anyway)

…that said, Dora goes on to assure Faye that she has no intention of swiping Marten off his feet away from her when it’s clear Faye’s interested in him. Then again… the more Faye insists she’s not interested in him, the more likely it may be that Dora believes her.

True story, I found this concept so funny that in a campaign I ran a few years ago, I actually had one of the players – who was supposed to be stuck as a worker in a dreary 9-to-5 job that he’d desperately want to escape to go onto adventure – be labeled as the Office Bitch. My only regret is that I didn’t print out a real business card for his player. That either would have gotten a laugh from the table or gotten me punched.

This here is Scott, Marten’s boss. He’s a cool dude, but for reasons that will become evident later on we don’t see very much of him. At first, I thought he was going to end up being the future husband of Marten’s father – and if you haven’t read through QC yourself that sentence will probably completely catch you flat-footed – but looking it up later I found that Marten marries a man named Maurice, not Scott. I only thought they were the same person because they’re both blonde and the art style changes so much later on anyone could look like anyone else.

Actually, fun fact: I started reading QC when 2512 was the most recent comic, so before she was introduced I thought Faye and Marigold were the same person because of how drastically the art style changed and I only recognized “curvy white girl with glasses and brown hair”.

Anyway, Scott’s pretty chill and… yeah. Yeah, that’s pretty much it. He’s a chill dude to work for, and that’s probably the only reason Marten hasn’t outright quit his job yet. The worst job in the world can be made tolerable with a good boss, and the best job in the world can be made unbearable with an awful boss.

Further evidence of the lack of contractions hurting the way Faye’s voice comes across than anything else. Seriously, is it just me or does this not sound like Faye? Like, at ALL? I’m open to being told I’m wrong, just… seriously.

Aaaand here we have Steve officially having broken up with Sara. Also, it’s a small thing but like I’ve said, I’ll give Jeph credit where it’s due – that visible wince on Marten’s face is the most expressive any of his characters have been thus far. Good work man, I’m happy to see you improving with your art!

After drinking together, Marten and Faye decide to go to an all-night diner for some drunken late-night pancakes when we get this bit of information from Faye:

That is Faye, if you can figure out which of the two Martens your fist will connect with. But yeah, the fact that Faye speaks in a southern drawl while intoxicated went from a joke to actual character – she’s legitimately from Georgia and that’s her natural way of speaking. Which may raise the question to the reader, why does she repress that voice so much? Don’t worry – they touch on it in later comics. For now though, another round of applause to Jeph for slowly and organically creating new information about his characters.

Faye is clearly not telling the whole story – the lack of eye contact being a key indicator of just that. Still, we’re getting a little bit more information on her, and the fact that she kept her wording vague leaves a lot to still explore in her future. Needless to say… it was a LOT more than just her mother being over-protective that led her to moving up north.

Marten’s just kind of accepted his lot in life by this point. Although when I was first reading through these I honestly thought this was going to be the headbutt-into-crotch moment.

Once again, if you haven’t read through QC yourself that sentence made zero sense to you. I’m kind of giggling at the thought of someone reading that and doing a double-take, actually.

Finally, we have the last comic of this batch, setting up a bit of conflict for our next batch…

Wuh-oh! Marten walked in on Faye changing! One really nice detail is that you can see the scar on Faye’s chest right there in the first panel, which means Jeph had a LOT of Faye’s backstory already planned out while he was drawing this stuff. Which just leaves me to wonder… how far back did he have this planned? When Faye first showed up in the third comic? When he had her start speaking in a southern accent while drunk? When he decided to have her stop speaking in contractions? I’d love to ask him, but I know for a fact he wouldn’t give me the time of day. Oh well, either way: He’s got shit planned out, shit that we won’t see until Comic 500 or so, and that’s always good for a long-form comic like this.

Like last time, let’s do some quick comparisons between the first comic of the batch, the comic where Jeph made a clear and active effort to change the art style, and the last comic of the batch:

It looks like Jeph found a happy medium between the style he was originally going for and the newer style he tried to incorporate, keeping the relative size and position of the characters’ facial features while rounding out everyone’s faces, making things much less angular than previously. The bodies are also beginning to get some real texture to them, looking closer to real human bodies than stick figures with a shirt.

Overall, what did I think about this batch of comics? Well aside from my complaints about Faye’s lack of using contractions and the sloppy way Jeph tried to incorporate that into the narrative, I thought it was better than the first batch! Marten and Faye are getting into a comfortable rhythm with each other, and we’re falling in-line with that rhythm ourselves. We just met a new character who’s going to be a mainstay of the series and in the few comics she’s shown up in, she’s made her presence stick with the reader. Even if I didn’t know how important Dora would become, I’d be saying I’m looking forward to seeing more of her.

You know what time it is now? That’s riiiiiight! Data compilation time!

Between comics 51-100, the following characters’ proportional “screen time” as it were are as follows:

Marten: 46/50 – 92%

Faye: 45/50 – 90%

Pintsize: 12/50 – 24%

Dora: 8/50 – 16%

Steve: 6/50 – 12%

Sara: 2/50 – 4%

Scott: 2/50 – 4%

Dora’s Cat: 1/50 – 2%

And the grand total of each character’s screentime, not including non-canon or guest comics, from most to least time shown:

Marten: 91/100 – 91%

Faye: 83/100 – 83%

Pintsize: 27/100 – 27%

Steve: 14/100 – 14%

Dora: 8/100 – 8%

Sara: 7/100 – 7%

Jim: 2/100 – 2%

Scott: 2/100 – 2%

Raven: 1/100 – 1%

Dora’s Cat: 1/100 – 1%

Yes, I’m counting Dora’s cat among the statistics. I’ll change the name when I learn what the critter’s name actually is. Also, I was reminded that when the Secret Bakery becomes a thing later on in the comic there will be another character named Jim, with this particular construction worker being called Jimbo instead. I’ll change the name properly when he’s called “Jimbo” proper in the comic, don’t worry. I’ll be doing my best to keep this list from getting confusing… it’s in as much my best interest as yours seeing as I want to keep track of everyone properly.

Tune in next week when we see the exciting conclusion of this spicy “Marten happening to walk in on Faye undressing” drama! And Dora flashing someone. See you then.

#Questionable Content #Analysis #Long-form analysis #Faye #Marten #Pintsize #Dora #Steve

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