1/03/07: Acceptance

[Manawolf]

And I tell you again, some of the partners may not share that kind of love.  Dan's the longshot here, since he has shown a definite love for the ladies (then again you people may start thinking he could go bi), Abel's up in the air due to the fans and no answer on the subject, and Lorenda is the only one who Jyrras has actually shared some close kept secrets with (barring actually professing his love to her).  Jyrras is a socially meak individual, and so he is in a confusing time for him.

You people talk about a world where everyone treats each other equal and are very willing to express their feelings.  While that would be a beautiful world, it's not one that will happen anytime soon.

On a side note, Abel may blow Jyrras off due to the fact that he already has two kids.  Men aren't looking to get tied down so quickly with that kind of stuff.

[Netami]

I'm not saying it just happens right away. It'd take communication and commitment. I don't expect them to just "be" in a 3-way relationship and have it work. They'd have to talk and voice their opinions, which seems to be majorly lacking in this comic arc, and probably the focal point of the whole Jyrras emo drama right now.

Personally I think that Amber wouldn't even have a gay relationship in her comic, just to try to appeal to a norm. I'm not saying it's true, in fact it's sort of a silly thing to assume at this point in time. That's where my anti-prenotion spiel comes in.

[Caswin]

Abel's up in the air due to the fans

To be fair, well... I generally assume males to be straight until given explicit evidence to the contrary.  I rarely speculate that way.  But I placed him as "probably gay" almost on sight.

Dan's the longshot here

What happened to all the Jyrras/Kria support?

[Manawolf]

Another part of a multi relationship is that all the people in it have to like one another.  This is not happening soon if ever between Dan and Abel.  Lorenda is a bit more willing, being the half-breed and thus knows how it is to be on one side of the track or the other, and thus doesn't discredit others just because of their race.

Kria is not in this triangle.  That would only end in blood.  I'd say not even longshot, but a chance in hell, becaus Kria's already a demon.

[superluser]

what will Abel do when he finds out that Jyrras is gay for him?

I don't think he knows, since he slammed the door in Jy's face before he could work out what's going on.  Perhaps the solution is to send Abel to Jy's place and explain everything

I gotta agree with the ``doesn't know'' theory.  Abel would probably either have been less abrasive or would have confronted him about it.  In any case, I think the ``fluff tuft'' comment would be right out, unless he's trying to get Jyrras.

And even if Abel's gay, Jyrras doesn't strike me as his type.  Jyrras is a stoic, while Abel is a firm believer in emotional openness.  While the dichotomy might be fun, it seems less likely to actually be the basis for a relationship.

As for sending Abel over to explain it all, I don't think that would work.  First off, as I've said before, I think that catharsis is the best remedy here, and if Abel explains it all, Jyrras loses the opportunity for catharsis.  But that's if I were writing the strip, not Amber.

Two, I think that Abel is an insufficient surrogate for Dan.  Jyrras can't ask Abel about Dan's opinions, because Jyrras can't trust Abel to tell the truth here.  Even if he does trust Abel, he cannot afford to trust him here.  Even further, I suspect that Abel would say something like, ``He's right not to trust me; you shouldn't either,'' which Jyrras should recognize as the opposite of a tautology.

Jyrras can't ask Abel to explain the reasons behind Dan's feelings, and Abel can't explain what Dan's feelings of friendship are.

Unless Abel reads Dan's mind, and that's probably right out for now, since as soon as Abel does that, he's gonna find out about Jyrras, and Jyrras is probably going to be in the room when that happens, for maximum trauma.

You people talk about a world where everyone treats each other equal and are very willing to express their feelings.  While that would be a beautiful world, it's not one that will happen anytime soon.

Except in fiction.  Which is what DMFA is.

"...but I'm now required by the laws of my people to devour your soul."

Wait until Abel remembers what the procedure for devouring souls entails... 

[GabrielsThoughts]

I just noticed Dan's nose seems bigger than usual...is this intentional?

[superluser]

I just noticed Dan's nose seems bigger than usual...is this intentional?

That's your eyes playing tricks on you.  Dan's nose is ~13px wide in panel 1, while his face is ~52px wide.  That's a factor of 4  Compare 683 (chosen because it's a recent similar pose), where his nose is ~10px wide, and his face is ~43px wide, a factor of 4.3, not too much different (7.5%).

In panel 3, his nose is ~11px deep, while his head is ~65px deep (5.9).  Compare 678, where his nose is ~18px deep, and his head is ~99px deep (5.5).  That's larger (by 7.3%) than today's.

On the other hand, I suspect what you're referring to is the following:

Dan's eyes are ~13px apart today (measuring from the bottom inside corners).  In 683, they were also ~13px apart.  In today's strip, that's a ratio of 3.9.  In 683, that's 3.3.  That's a difference of 18%.

That's what I was saying before about Dan being off-model.  His eyes are closer set than usual.

Furthermore, I like this new model, and would like to see more of it.  Predators (like lions, wolves, man) have eyes in the front of their heads to track what they're hunting.  Prey (like cows, deer, sheep) have eyes on the sides of their heads to scan the area for predators.  I could read more into that, but I just think it makes Dan look cute.

[Valynth]

I just noticed Dan's nose seems bigger than usual...is this intentional?

That's your eyes playing tricks on you.  Dan's nose is ~13px wide in panel 1, while his face is ~52px wide.  That's a factor of 4  Compare 683 (chosen because it's a recent similar pose), where his nose is ~10px wide, and his face is ~43px wide, a factor of 4.3, not too much different (7.5%).

In panel 3, his nose is ~11px deep, while his head is ~65px deep (5.9).  Compare 678, where his nose is ~18px deep, and his head is ~99px deep (5.5).  That's larger (by 7.3%) than today's.

On the other hand, I suspect what you're referring to is the following:

Dan's eyes are ~13px apart today (measuring from the bottom inside corners).  In 683, they were also ~13px apart.  In today's strip, that's a ratio of 3.9.  In 683, that's 3.3.  That's a difference of 18%.

That's what I was saying before about Dan being off-model.  His eyes are closer set than usual.

Furthermore, I like this new model, and would like to see more of it.  Predators (like lions, wolves, man) have eyes in the front of their heads to track what they're hunting.  Prey (like cows, deer, sheep) have eyes on the sides of their heads to scan the area for predators.  I could read more into that, but I just think it makes Dan look cute.

....YOU THINK TOO MUCH!
*whacks with a mallet*

[Gildedtongue]

Oh, and I'm not sure if many of you are old enough to appreciate this, but...

Very, very nice reference to Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie in the title bar.

I've sung that a few times myself.

[superluser]

....YOU THINK TOO MUCH!

I think not.

There are at least two aspects of this series.  The words and the images.  Amber could just post the new strips in screenplay format, but I think that most people would miss the art.  I know I would.  So I think it's fair to talk about what makes the art so great.

And if it's valid to talk about what makes the art great, I think it's valid to talk about changes in the art, especially if the changes are likely to affect the audience's opinion of the art.

P.S. We need to talk about getting Destania's glasses back.
P.P.S. All post-Joel MST3K is travesty.  Attack of the the Eye Creatures FTW!

[ShiningShadow]

Right now knowing Dan he will tell Abel about Jyrass and Abel has to talk to him. This is going be tough on both of them knowing Abel he will tell Jyrass he's flattered but he's doesn't have the same feelings for him as Jyrass as for Abel. This is probably the best solution i come out so far. Let's wait for the next strip and see what develops.

[AmigaDragon]

And don't tell me he couldn't have kids with Abel or Dan, he's had two (or three) without *anyone* else being involved.

And besides, what about patches? Jyrras could give one of them a gender-swap patch. Or are the patches merely appearance-altering?

[Stygian]

Dan's Mow transformation would suggest that the patches are quite thorough in the change they induce. However, considering that they incorporate magic in their design and function, and considering what Amber has already said on gender-bending magic in Furrae, I expect that the change would be simply physical, but not essential, if you catch my drift...

[Valynth]

I think not.

There are at least two aspects of this series.  The words and the images.  Amber could just post the new strips in screenplay format, but I think that most people would miss the art.  I know I would.  So I think it's fair to talk about what makes the art so great.

And if it's valid to talk about what makes the art great, I think it's valid to talk about changes in the art, especially if the changes are likely to affect the audience's opinion of the art.

The way you posted it looked like you were trying to quantify the abstract process of drawn art, which by definition is reliant specifically on the artist's view point.

Trying to translate abstract concepts to physical dimensions will not always work.  Take for instance, the idea of maturity.  If everyone in the world suddenly became mature at age 21, there would be no alcoholism and rednecks would cease to exist.

As such, please don't explain the abstract process of drawn art using the logic of dimensions, especially when said drawings show process that would NOT be possible in a logical system.

[Netami]

Oh god... People are saying smart things.

[terrycloth]

Wait until Abel remembers what the procedure for devouring souls entails... 

So that's why death by Shonen Ai was on the wheel...

[Roureem Egas]

Jyrras is really a cubi?! 

[Valynth]

....Should I bother pointing out just how nearly impossible that plot twist would be to pull off?

[superluser]

Right now knowing Dan he will tell Abel about Jyrass and Abel has to talk to him.

Knowing Dan, he'd never divulge that information willingly, since he thinks it's something that Jyrras wouldn't want Abel to know, and he's got enough guilt about wronging Jyrras right now.  Also, Abel doesn't seem like the type to admit being flattered.

The way you posted it looked like you were trying to quantify the abstract process of drawn art, which by definition is reliant specifically on the artist's view point.

I'm not trying to quantify the process of drawn art, nor do I have any desire to do so.  Somebody just said that Dan's nose was bigger, and I said that it was an illusion, and provided evidence that that was the case.

As to art being reliant on the artist's view point, there is some truth to that, but it depends on the art.  Mondrian and Picasso have art that is highly dependent on the artist's view point, but at the other end of the spectrum, we have the Vitruvian Man (warning: Vitruvian Man is as naked as Leonardo da Vinci drew him), which is designed to be independent of the artist's view point.

While things like proportions are less important in more abstract art like that of Paul Klee, we have come to expect greater consistency in representational art, a point driven home by John Kricfalusi's episode of Yogi Bear.  Such consistency is common in most sequential art.

I really didn't want to get all technical about this stuff.  When I first mentioned it, I didn't mention the exact proportions, because I didm't want to get into the niggling technical details.

Now, if Amber wanted to change the style of DMFA to an abstract art style, I'd be all for it.  I love abstract art.  And as I've said before, I like the way she drew Dan in panel 1.

[Valynth]

The art form itself is dependant on the artist, therefore anything resulting from the art form is still dependant on the view point of the artist.

As to art being reliant on the artist's view point, there is some truth to that, but it depends on the art. Mondrian and Picasso have art that is highly dependent on the artist's view point, but at the other end of the spectrum, we have the Vitruvian Man (warning: Vitruvian Man is as naked as Leonardo da Vinci drew him), which is designed to be independent of the artist's view point.

There's a different terminology for those like "diagrams"  or "blueprints" (da Vinci's Vitruvian Man was designed specifically to show what dimensions people should strive to achieve to be in line with the rest of the universe.), but they are indeed a form of art based on logic and scientific reason.  My point is that this comic is based on humor which may or may not coincide with logic and reason dependant on the Amber's views.

[Caswin]

Kria is not in this triangle.  That would only end in blood.  I'd say not even longshot, but a chance in hell, becaus Kria's already a demon.

See?  Logic does have a place in love. :p

[ShiningShadow]

Well it's up to Abel to tell Jyrass how he feels about him.