05/02/2010 [DMFA#1113] Abel's brain broke

[Bjalf]

Hmm Amber seems to have smudged this comic a bit, if you squint a little you see this red discolouration around Dan's neck area. In fact, it seems to have surfaced in every drawing of Dan ever... Odd...

Naah, Dan can't be a redneck. He doesn't find his own sister attractive.

And OMG! They're (almost) wearing the same outfit! FASHION FAUX PAS!

This only applies if you're female or gay.

... oh wait ...    

[Lucheek]

Oh man. I love Abel's expression in the third panel. Its just...huzzahavahwaaaa?

Also, rock those Bellbottoms, Dan. Rock 'em.

[chaotik]

Putting the theme of Dan's competance or enforced-by-author- lack-therof aside.....let's not forget that Jyrras SEEMED to be fine, if somewhat repressed....and chronologically, like Dan said...one makeover session with a mind-reading, emotion-manipulating cubi later, he pretty much comes roaring out of the closet. I'd be suspicious too. And no, even though "teh ghey" is not some cumminicable disease....a cubi with an affinity for misery DID in fact seriously influence Jyrras's decision and just HAPPENED to lead Jyrras to confront multiple "crush-targets" that had no romantic intrest in him whatsoever...thus hightening his personal misery.


nothing suspicious about THAT.

the beauty of it is, Abel may not have even conciously known what he was doing............

[Sunblink]

Putting the theme of Dan's competance or enforced-by-author- lack-therof aside.....let's not forget that Jyrras SEEMED to be fine, if somewhat repressed....and chronologically, like Dan said...one makeover session with a mind-reading, emotion-manipulating cubi later, he pretty much comes roaring out of the closet. I'd be suspicious too. And no, even though "teh ghey" is not some cumminicable disease....a cubi with an affinity for misery DID in fact seriously influence Jyrras's decision and just HAPPENED to lead Jyrras to confront multiple "crush-targets" that had no romantic intrest in him whatsoever...thus hightening his personal misery.


nothing suspicious about THAT.

the beauty of it is, Abel may not have even conciously known what he was doing............

He tried something like that. It didn't work.

And he reached one conclusion.

Cubi can't emotion jammer Beings.

[candide]

Dan's kind of an idiot! The slightly homophobic dense/misinformed tough guy character always changes his point of views by the end though.

I wouldn't even say that it IS homophobic at all. 

Just because he hasn't got a clue what causes 'teh gay' in people, doesn't mean that he thinks it's BAD.  He.... just would rather continue fancying girls.

Hmmm.... Possibly, possibly...

OTOH, we know that Dan is a racist, by his own self-realization.  Maybe Amber's trying to show more of Dan's ugly/bigoted side...

Ha, wow.  I guess if I grew up without knowing any gay folks, I might end up thinking the same things, but.... man, I hope not.

You're not going to like what I'm about to say.  And it's not a statement against your character, Arcblade, but a statement of fact, empirically supported by personal experience.

People who grow up without knowing any LGBT-folks dont' end up thinking the same things that Dan's spouting in the comic.  They end up thinking things that are much worse.

[Ry]

I wonder if ignorance really is bliss. Maybe Dan could tell us.   

[Rambon]

I think someone really has to tell Dan that homosexuality is not a disease. It can't be caught  by air, water, physical contact, or any other way you can catch a disease.

Just you wait, some drug company will develop a drug for it (whether it works or not) and get legislation passed calling it a disease, requiring their drug to treat it.

And then the masses of gay-folk saying that the drug should be illegal and that they choose to be gay not that they are ill... etc. You get the idea.

[GenraCrimscon]

Dan's first time talking about gays-Third panel

How does this match with what he's been saying since he put that shirt on?  It's like he's a completely different person....Wait....
Crap, if Dan might be on to something here.    Nooo! Then the Republicans win! (No offense if you're a republican  )

[Ry]

And then the masses of gay-folk saying that the drug should be illegal and that they choose to be gay not that they are ill... etc. You get the idea.

I doubt that gay-folk would say the drug should be illegal. Forced usage of the drug should, however, be illegal. Even if a person is dying you can't force them to take treatment they don't want.

However- unless they also come upw ith a drug to cure heterosexuality, I'd have some issues with such a drug existing because in itself that's discriminatory.

[Baal Hadad]

*sigh*  I'm with Abel there....

Okay, first Dan's a racist, now he's a homophobe, and we already knew he was a sexist....

Does he have ANY saving graces left...? 

[Angel]

(face to the izz palm, palm to the izz face)

Dan...remember the flower-arrangement incident with Merlitz?

This should turn out interesting...

[GenraCrimscon]

Dan's first time talking about gays-Third panel

How does this match with what he's been saying since he put that shirt on?  It's like he's a completely different person....Wait....
Crap, if Dan might be on to something here.    Nooo! Then the Republicans win! (No offense if you're a republican  )

I was wrong, sorry.  Pretty sure this is the first time Dan says anything about gayness.  And he still seems mostly okay with it!

I think Dan just needs more reasons to dislike Abel, and anyway that Abel is trying to change Dan, either by changing hiim directly, or those he cares about.

[Jasonrevall]

Well I don't think Dan has anything wrong with anyone being gay. I think he has a problem with someone trying to turn him gay. Although I think he has a weird view of how people become gay. Just pondering the possibilities, not claiming to be right .

[Angel]

Well I don't think Dan has anything wrong with anyone being gay. I think he has a problem with someone trying to turn him gay. Although I think he has a weird view of how people become gay. Just pondering the possibilities, not claiming to be right .

I agree. This is less a matter of "I hate gays" and more a matter of "I hate Abel" on Dan's part. He doesn't trust Abel at all, though he's learning to be less racist about it, and we already know he hates being turned into something he knows he's not (or doesn't want to be). So, yeah.

[Congo Jack]

(face to the izz palm, palm to the izz face)

Dan...remember the flower-arrangement incident with Merlitz?

This should turn out interesting...

Funny you mentioned Merlitz.

[Baal Hadad]

This is why hatred brings one down.

He's so determined to hate Abel that he stoops to racism, homophobia, anything--just to have an excuse to hate him.

I hope he can see the light someday....

[Nino]

Dan's kind of an idiot! The slightly homophobic dense/misinformed tough guy character always changes his point of views by the end though.

I wouldn't even say that it IS homophobic at all. 

Just because he hasn't got a clue what causes 'teh gay' in people, doesn't mean that he thinks it's BAD.  He.... just would rather continue fancying girls.

Ah, you have a point! I think it does appear to be homophobic because Dan is basically saying that Jyrras was "normal" before and now he is aberrant because he's gay. I suppose technically though it is more normal to be straight - that is, the majority of people are heterosexual. It really depends if "normal" here has a negative connotation (which given the context he's using it in I sorta think this is the case) or if it's being used as a synonym for "typical."

There is sort of a dichotomy here between Dan's attitude before in the Jyrras conversation and Dan's attitude now. It makes perfect sense though - even if Dan did not feel completely comfortable with his friend being gay, he might have wanted to hide this in front of him so Jyrras didn't think he was a bigot. I think it's more that he just is trying to make Abel the scapegoat for every new problem or conflict that arises now because it's easy to blame someone you don't like for difficult issues.

Anyway I think it's the mark of a great writer to be able to make characters that have beliefs you don't agree with and not make them the "bad guy." This is one of my main issues with several comics actually (QC comes to mind especially) - every character is basically the same in terms of beliefs and morality and these reflect the author's personal biases and political beliefs. Consequently, the writing and character design come off as very shallow, to me at least. Props to Amber, especially for writing a main character who obviously is quite different from herself.

[Baal Hadad]

Just read Amber's note on the front page.

I hope no one thinks anything Dan is saying right now has anything to do with Amber's own beliefs (I never did).  She's done a great job of creating characters with distinct personalities, beliefs, histories, etc. that make them feel REAL (a rarity among webcomics that I've read).  I may comment on what the characters are saying, especially if I don't agree, but the fact that I'm addressing the characters and not Amber herself is to her credit.

In addition to which, I'm not addressing any of the creators of the characters from Furcadia (hence I'm not saying anything about Dan's creator).  In fact, I have to keep reminding myself that half the cast WERE created by different people in Furcadia.  I know that Dan's creator effectively "gave" Dan to Amber, but I also know not everyone gave her their characters but simply allow her to use them, and so I also hope no one with a Furcadian character takes offense to anything I say directed at the corresponding DMFA character.

[/soapbox]

[VAE]

Just read Amber's note on the front page.

I hope no one thinks anything Dan is saying right now has anything to do with Amber's own beliefs (I never did).  She's done a great job of creating characters with distinct personalities, beliefs, histories, etc. that make them feel REAL (a rarity among webcomics that I've read).  I may comment on what the characters are saying, especially if I don't agree, but the fact that I'm addressing the characters and not Amber herself is to her credit.

I wonder how does that even need a note - i mean , the characters have contradicting opinions and Amber cannot possibly hold a belief and its negation at the same time!
Not to mention the serious dichotomy between beings and creatures (law of the many vs law of the strongest) which is far more compelling.

Anyway I think it's the mark of a great writer to be able to make characters that have beliefs you don't agree with and not make them the "bad guy." This is one of my main issues with several comics actually (QC comes to mind especially) - every character is basically the same in terms of beliefs and morality and these reflect the author's personal biases and political beliefs. 

I dunno - i read QC myself, and it was sort of my favourite (a tie with XKCD) before coming to DMFA, and i do not find it so - if you think there are many divisions in beliefs as well, as in Penny actively hating religion, Will having an issue with manual work, Faye being just.. Faye,
Besides we must look at the bigger picture - DMFA is filled with beings and creatures from much more varied backgrounds , while QC is still mostly a comic about McJob holding hipsters, and some robots.
I think Jeff is still doing a mighty fine job there in terms of characterisation as myself knows even some IRL people who mightily resemble the characters... which is i believe a mark of sucess in this.

[Baal Hadad]

Just read Amber's note on the front page.

I hope no one thinks anything Dan is saying right now has anything to do with Amber's own beliefs (I never did).  She's done a great job of creating characters with distinct personalities, beliefs, histories, etc. that make them feel REAL (a rarity among webcomics that I've read).  I may comment on what the characters are saying, especially if I don't agree, but the fact that I'm addressing the characters and not Amber herself is to her credit.

I wonder how does that even need a note - i mean , the characters have contradicting opinions and Amber cannot possibly hold a belief and its negation at the same time!
Not to mention the serious dichotomy between beings and creatures (law of the many vs law of the strongest) which is far more compelling.

Exactly--that's my point.  Kattuccino mentioned already how too often, comic characters all have the same beliefs as the cartoonist, and that's not the case here.  That comment actually made me think of Peanuts, of all things--not saying anything against Peanuts, I happen to love it, but every single character in Peanuts hates coconut (as did Charles Schulz).  Heck, all the characters even looked the same.

But again, Amber isn't doing that, with either the looks or personalities, which is a sign of a good comic.

[Mrs_A_ZeTavia]

I personally would have reacted the same way Abel did to what Dan said........

You would think, however, that Abel would have learned by now that Dan doesn't always think before speaking......

[VAE]

Hmm, i would say that the coconuts were more an intentional humorous exageration - as in coconuts suck so much everyone just hates them

I personally would have reacted the same way Abel did to what Dan said........

You would think, however, that Abel would have learned by now that Dan doesn't always think before speaking......

I think you have the words in the wrong order - it should be "... that dan always doesn't think before speaking..."

[Mrs_A_ZeTavia]

You would think, however, that Abel would have learned by now that Dan doesn't always think before speaking......

I think you have the words in the wrong order - it should be "... that dan always doesn't think before speaking..."

Ah, touche my dead sir, touche!  You have my props for that one. 

[Failcakes]

Smooth move, ex-lax.


Dan never ceases to amaze me.
If blatant ignorance of the glaringly obvious was considered a power, Dan would be its master.

[Bjalf]

If blatant ignorance of the glaringly obvious was considered a power, Dan would be its master.

Captain Oblivious? With a cape? Nah, he's got wings.

[Scarydragon]

Only a webcomic can bring about this kind of debate. Who cares if Dan may or may not like gay people. Even characters in a comic are entitled to their opinions, however potentially politically incorrect they may be.

Keep going Dan, break his brain! Smush it with the power of unthinking ignorance.

Side note: Perhaps Dan is being deliberately thick just to piss off Abel? Naw... I just can't see Dan doing that. Someone else, maybe, Dan? Not really.

[VAE]

You would think, however, that Abel would have learned by now that Dan doesn't always think before speaking......

I think you have the words in the wrong order - it should be "... that dan always doesn't think before speaking..."

Ah, touche my dead sir, touche!  You have my props for that one. 

Ouch - the avatar is supposed to be cyborgified me... i should do a paper drawing - this one apparently isn't recognisable well

[Mao]

Only a webcomic can bring about this kind of debate. Who cares if Dan may or may not like gay people. Even characters in a comic are entitled to their opinions, however potentially politically incorrect they may be.

Bweeeheheh, but how else would I get my laughs if people didn't get worked up over this stuff?

Keep going Dan, break his brain! Smush it with the power of unthinking ignorance.

Side note: Perhaps Dan is being deliberately thick just to piss off Abel? Naw... I just can't see Dan doing that. Someone else, maybe, Dan? Not really.

In truth, I'm pretty sure that part of it is just to piss off Abel.  All of it?  No, I'm sure there's things he doesn't know and understand on the topic.

[Sunblink]

Well it's not that hard to imagine Dan thinking that Abel is gay.

After all, half the forum was convinced that Abel was gay before the soul-crushing strip 1084.

[M]

Only a webcomic can bring about this kind of debate. Who cares if Dan may or may not like gay people. Even characters in a comic are entitled to their opinions, however potentially politically incorrect they may be.

While of course all the characters have their opinions they are entitled to, I do care if Dan is a homophobe because his best friend is now gay. That's pretty much awkward central right there.

It's kind of sad Dan really doesn't think Jyrras is "normal" anymore. What kind of way is that to treat a friend? Even if he's only just pissy at Abel and trying to blame him for everything, it's still a pretty terrible thing to say.