Poor Billie doesn’t even get to squeeze out the littlest bit of cheerleader cred, does she? Just straight out being humbled from day one. But then how long can she subsist on denial?
Oh, Panel 2 looks like Dina’s staring not at the conflict center stage, but at Agatha’s overwrought tense pose. The background characters are always awesome in this comic.
Crap, with that transparent background I didn’t see the last two panels of the comic! My brain registered the fact that the upper edge of the fourth panel was followed by no edge-of-fourth panel as being the edge of the comic and mentally designated everything to the right of panel four as ads-or-whatever, such as lives on the right side of the Shortpacked! comics, and did me the favor of mentally editing them out. And so I literally did not see the last two panels.
It’s a good thing the first comment mentioned action lines, because after a “what the hell?” and looking back and forth over the comic five times, my brain finally realized what was going on and let me see the far right panels as being part of the comic.
I don’t think I like the transparent backgrounds much.
In sentence two I meant “no edge-of-fifth panel”, obviously. The lack of a frame around panel 1 is messing with my ability to count it as a panel – though my brain did at least let me see that one.
I love the blank uncomprehending expression on Billie’s face in it, by the way.
I’m trying to read it the way you did, and I literally cannot do it. The last three panels overlap, connecting them in very literal fashion (just like the first two). Also, the proximity of the border in the bottom panel draws the eye across the gutter, cuing the reader into the additional content. If anything, there’s more elements than usual that should have helped the flow.
As far as my psyche is concerned, the fact that the las- er, third-to-last panel overlaps Ruth’s hair doesn’t connect the panels; it explicitly sets the area in question as being beneath the comic. As in, that red bit is just page background, not anything relevant to the comic like an in-comic character’s hair. And because I’m slavishly accustomed to comics being curbed by non-comic content, I didn’t even register the last panel. Still don’t, really, perhaps due to reading the comic six times before seeing it; as far as I’m concerned panel 4 still seems like the end of the strip, with the other stuff tacked on and not feeling connected at all.
Now, I know it’s not my business to critique a free comic and obviously not everybody sees everything the way I do, but whatever artistic, stylistic, or story goal is being pursued by these transparent panels, I’m not seeing it, and I *am* seeing a cost in the ambiguity over figuring out where the comic ends and the comic begins. I mean, I guess the blue ‘whitespace’ between the ‘scott pilgrim action lines’ isn’t part of the comic now? Or is it? F’ if I know.
Meh, I know it’s not worth worrying about, but this transparency stuff has just basically ruined the delivery of the joke for at least one reader, and I thought it was worth letting the author know.
So the random background character’s name is Rachel? I checked the Walkypedia yesterday and couldn’t find anyone who looked familiar, but there was a Rachel without either an image or a link.
Also, Billie’s expression in the first panel is priceless.
Rachel was the woman Joe eventually ended up with in IW! She first appeared as a grocery store check-out girl that Joe unabashedly hit on, and was later revealed as his online chat buddy in a You’ve Got Mail style twist (he originally thought it was Robin). She turned out to be just as good with mechanics as he was and helped build Ultra-Car.
I haven’t been keeping up on the subscription strips, so I have no idea what happened to her after that.
Yeah, I called it either minutes before or minutes after Willis put up the tag for Rachel in the other comic. It was pretty fly, and I’ll never know which way it happened.
Yeah. I don’t understand where everybody thinks Ruth is gonna super-easily kick Billie’s ass. We’ve seen Billie hold up against a pissed-off Sal before.
Rtuh will beat Billie for one reason. Billie really doesn’t want to fight, well with fists anyway… Ruth however feels a need to show that she can infact rip out your femurs and beat you to death with them.
I’m probably the only one, but I’d really like to see Billie win this. Probably because I have no problem with excessively aggressive people, but smugness really irritates me.
Although, given the can of worms that beating up Ruth would open, I suppose Billie’s going to lose, Sal is going to appear and intervene before a conclusion is reached.
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Scott pilgrim action lines.
…you think Scott Pilgrim invented action lines?
Seriously think she was just saying the scene reminds her of Scott Pilgrim.
Hahaha. You ever *seen* a comic before?
Dumb comment is dumb
Unbeknownst to Billie, Ruth is the best fighter in the province.
Oh, THOSE action lines! I thought you were referring to actual lines of dialogue. “What?” and “I…uh…” are certainly lines Pilgrim would come up with.
Yeah. Turns out you’re just ignorant of basic comic conventions. Who woulda guessed?
Oh. Right. The people above me. Never mind.
i was really just kidding……
Nope. Doubt it.
I thought it was funny.
And that is how she gets you!
Attendance + 30, Ruth Level Up!
“No one puts Billie in a corner!”
Two seconds later . . .
Billie’s unconscious on the floor. Morale of the story? You don’t mess around with Ruth. (Feel free to tug on Superman’s cape)
Or mess around with Jim.
Ruth is more awesome everyday
Is Ruth going to dodge and lay her out with a Batman style “One Punch”?
Yes! Cat fight! Will Willis surprise us tomorrow with ripped clothes and bare boobies? Let us watch and see.
The action lines over transparency makes me shed a tear for the the old background behind the comic.
/shed
How awesome that would have been for me.
Yeah, I had to change the color of the lines last-minute when I realized that the previous brownishness didn’t work so well on the blue. Dang!
Poor Billie doesn’t even get to squeeze out the littlest bit of cheerleader cred, does she? Just straight out being humbled from day one. But then how long can she subsist on denial?
Dammit I want to see this Thunder-Thigh Action!
Billie will still be getting her ass beat though
Slipshine wanted to see said Thunder Thigh Action, too.
Oh, Panel 2 looks like Dina’s staring not at the conflict center stage, but at Agatha’s overwrought tense pose. The background characters are always awesome in this comic.
CAT FIGHT!
Yep. Billie’s about to take a page from Guy Gardner’s book.
RUUUUUUUUUUUUTH! I LOVE YOU RUTH!
I’m picturing a clothes-line myself, Billie laid out on the ground.
I’m pretty sure we won’t actually get to see what happens to Billie, aside from “pwnt”. Still, it’s funny to imagine various acts of violence.
No Punch!
Crap, with that transparent background I didn’t see the last two panels of the comic! My brain registered the fact that the upper edge of the fourth panel was followed by no edge-of-fourth panel as being the edge of the comic and mentally designated everything to the right of panel four as ads-or-whatever, such as lives on the right side of the Shortpacked! comics, and did me the favor of mentally editing them out. And so I literally did not see the last two panels.
It’s a good thing the first comment mentioned action lines, because after a “what the hell?” and looking back and forth over the comic five times, my brain finally realized what was going on and let me see the far right panels as being part of the comic.
I don’t think I like the transparent backgrounds much.
In sentence two I meant “no edge-of-fifth panel”, obviously. The lack of a frame around panel 1 is messing with my ability to count it as a panel – though my brain did at least let me see that one.
I love the blank uncomprehending expression on Billie’s face in it, by the way.
I’m trying to read it the way you did, and I literally cannot do it. The last three panels overlap, connecting them in very literal fashion (just like the first two). Also, the proximity of the border in the bottom panel draws the eye across the gutter, cuing the reader into the additional content. If anything, there’s more elements than usual that should have helped the flow.
As far as my psyche is concerned, the fact that the las- er, third-to-last panel overlaps Ruth’s hair doesn’t connect the panels; it explicitly sets the area in question as being beneath the comic. As in, that red bit is just page background, not anything relevant to the comic like an in-comic character’s hair. And because I’m slavishly accustomed to comics being curbed by non-comic content, I didn’t even register the last panel. Still don’t, really, perhaps due to reading the comic six times before seeing it; as far as I’m concerned panel 4 still seems like the end of the strip, with the other stuff tacked on and not feeling connected at all.
Now, I know it’s not my business to critique a free comic and obviously not everybody sees everything the way I do, but whatever artistic, stylistic, or story goal is being pursued by these transparent panels, I’m not seeing it, and I *am* seeing a cost in the ambiguity over figuring out where the comic ends and the comic begins. I mean, I guess the blue ‘whitespace’ between the ‘scott pilgrim action lines’ isn’t part of the comic now? Or is it? F’ if I know.
Meh, I know it’s not worth worrying about, but this transparency stuff has just basically ruined the delivery of the joke for at least one reader, and I thought it was worth letting the author know.
For what it’s worth, I saw it that way too.
So the random background character’s name is Rachel? I checked the Walkypedia yesterday and couldn’t find anyone who looked familiar, but there was a Rachel without either an image or a link.
Also, Billie’s expression in the first panel is priceless.
Rachel was the woman Joe eventually ended up with in IW! She first appeared as a grocery store check-out girl that Joe unabashedly hit on, and was later revealed as his online chat buddy in a You’ve Got Mail style twist (he originally thought it was Robin). She turned out to be just as good with mechanics as he was and helped build Ultra-Car.
I haven’t been keeping up on the subscription strips, so I have no idea what happened to her after that.
Judging by subsequent Shortpacked! strips, Rachel left him, driving him to be even more sex-crazed and toy-obsessive than ever before.
And holy crap, that IS Rachel. Awesome.
Yeah, I called it either minutes before or minutes after Willis put up the tag for Rachel in the other comic. It was pretty fly, and I’ll never know which way it happened.
FALLLLCCCONNNNNNNN…..
Yay! More Billie strips! Complete with “I was a cheerleader so I’m better than you” action!
I know I’m probably in the minority, but I’m rooting for Billie. Ruth needs a punch to her face.
Me too! Yay for the minority!!
Yeah. I don’t understand where everybody thinks Ruth is gonna super-easily kick Billie’s ass. We’ve seen Billie hold up against a pissed-off Sal before.
Rtuh will beat Billie for one reason. Billie really doesn’t want to fight, well with fists anyway… Ruth however feels a need to show that she can infact rip out your femurs and beat you to death with them.
Girls with glasses – HOT!
Two girls with glasses fighting – NOSEBLEED!
One’s a redhead and one’s Asian – FAINT!
Cheerleader Punch!!!!
I’m probably the only one, but I’d really like to see Billie win this. Probably because I have no problem with excessively aggressive people, but smugness really irritates me.
Although, given the can of worms that beating up Ruth would open, I suppose Billie’s going to lose, Sal is going to appear and intervene before a conclusion is reached.
i’m a little confused, does this strip take place within the other comics’ continuity or is it like an Else world’s thing?
It’s an entirely new continuity. Click “About” in the menu bar above the strip.
Ah, Should of noticed that >< hahaha, Thanks for clearing that up, Loving the comic!
Billie didn’t expect to get called out like that, did she?
second pannel is that this girl, http://itswalky.com/d/20030417.html so freaking looks like her
Man, Ruth is way into thunder-thigh action, it seems.
Anyone else hear a “DING DING!” sound effect between the last two panels? I know I did!