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I do not understand your strange, door-based humor. I mean sure, if it was a door slipping on a bananna peel or a door throwing a pie, but that door is definitely the straight man of the comic.
Really? You’re going down the “You do it, then” route? Just because I don’t have my own website doesn’t mean I don’t have anything to say. This is primarily a comedy series, so I think it’s reasonable to expect a punchline, or at least something happening by the end. Instead, the last panel is completely superfluous. Some of the comments here are more entertaining than the strip they’re about. It’s just not a good installment. I should have said “Needs a punchline”, because the strip’s the one lacking.
Being a humor strip doesn’t forbid it from ever discussing other topics in tones appropriate to them. Or, to put it another way: punch lines for the “Joyce was almost raped” storyline were similarly not present in every single comic. Or Joyce’s dream sequence with Ethan, on a similar note.
This isn’t the first strip without a punchline, it won’t be the last, and IMHO the final panel emphasizes Billie’s mood.
The “you make it then!” response you got was really silly and always is, but this complaint is not likely to produce changes, and if it’s a dealbreaker, you might want to read another web comic. Even Shortpacked isn’t always gag-a-licious.
But again, this observation is based on you wanting something you are unlikely to get in this instance, and NOT on the ridiculous notion that feedback has no place in an artist’s comments section.
I’m not saying every strip has to end with an actual joke, but something interesting should happen. The near-date-rape had tension, and Joyce’s dream was fascinatingly screwed-up. This has a faint character moment, followed by an anti-climactic picture of a door. Billie’s still walking away, I get it, what now? Don’t get me wrong though, one dull strip does not undo all the entertainment I get out of the series, and I do want to see where this part is going.
Yeah, but… is she just not knocking in passing? Or did she stop and stare at Ruth’s door for a while before deciding to walk away? Did she just happen to pass Ruth’s room on her way back from putting the moves on Daisy? Or did she come down here deliberately to confront Ruth, and then change her mind and not do it? I can’t tell!
Not quite. Look at the perspective on it. She’s walking to the left in the second panel, and then to the right in the third. She had to have turned around. Time is a factor, though. Did she turn around immediately turn around? Or did she reach her destination and then pass by the door again later?
The second panel is from the perspective of the door. Between panel two and panel 3, the perspective shifted around to the other side of Billie. This is part of what makes the scene difficult to interpret, as it violates the 180 degree rule.
The door behind Billie being visually indistinct from the one she’s looking at doesn’t help either, but if you know what you’re looking for, you can figure it out.
My guess: Billie’s immediate action to Ruth was anger. I’m pretty sure she hasn’t expressed anger at Ruth since then, though – even when describing the event to Daisy. So Willis may be trying to show that Billie hasn’t internally given Ruth any pardon in the time since – fury wasn’t just her gut reaction, it’s her state of mind.
Whether you think it was necessary clarification or not is another thing…
Maybe Ruth killed herself, and Billie is stomping around all mad hoping for Ruth to come out, and when she realizes Ruth is dead, she’ll be all sad like Juliette.
For clarity, I think perhaps the order of panels 1 and 2 would have been better reversed. Alternatively, I second the comment from DEG1377 earlier about the line of action; see the 180-degree rule.
I feel like prefacing that comment with ‘I don’t want to tell you your business, but’. It’s clearly untrue; I enjoy pretending that I know something about making webcomics. But it’s really the only opportunity to use that phrase.
On the one hand, this confidence/anger may be just a front, and she’s actually conflicted — perhaps not with her treatment of Ruth, but with newfound confusions about sexuality rising. On the other, she may be about to knock on that door and lay down ground rules for their interaction, prepared to leave if things go nasty.
On the one hand, I’d like to see something supportive happen between these two. On the other, I realize how boring it’d be if Ruth clung to the sort of vulnerable/desperate frame of mind she had in the last comic she saw her in, and Billie managed to help her with few complications…
Irrelevant to the story: That second panel is probably my favorite shot of Billie in the series. The stooped posture, the furious yet subtle expression, the shadows – for some reason, it leaves a strong emotional imprint on my mind.
The one time I decide to miss a strips release and go to bed is the time when a strip that continues the Ruth/Billie storyline is released. Ugh. Never going to bed before 12:02 on weeknights again.
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I GOT MY EYES ON YOU, DOOR
WELL, I GOT MY EYES ON YOU, BILLIE!
WELL I GOT MY BILLIE ON DOOR!
WELL, BILLIE GOT A DOOR ON MY EYE.
Billie’s wearing her heart on her FAAAAACE!
The Door’s gonna wear her femurs if she doesn’t turn back around.
Her femurs will turn into lemurs if her tenure of acting demure is over.
Her lemur’s manicure is sure to lure a pure-bred cow’s manure?
Well that escalated quickly.
This is your Billie. This is your Billie on a door. Any questions?
There’s a fetish for that.
Mike has a fetish for your mom…for a nickle
Seems someone’s having second thoughts.
Um…where’s the joke? <_<
I happen to find doors hilarious.
I do not understand your strange, door-based humor. I mean sure, if it was a door slipping on a bananna peel or a door throwing a pie, but that door is definitely the straight man of the comic.
Don’t be ridiculous. There are no straight men in Willis’ comics.
Ba dum tssh
That if she walks any farther, she is going to bump her nose on panel four’s border.
The Joke’s on you, panel 4 doesn’t have a border
It’s a Brick Joke. This is going to make sense later.
You don’t know that. You’re just making excuses.
Well, I’m just spit-balling here.
the door is about to try and makeout with her
She’s moon walking all the way.
I agree. Need a punchline.
You know what’s cool? The way that nobody cares what you need, and will continue to not care until you’ve drawn your own comic.
Really? You’re going down the “You do it, then” route? Just because I don’t have my own website doesn’t mean I don’t have anything to say. This is primarily a comedy series, so I think it’s reasonable to expect a punchline, or at least something happening by the end. Instead, the last panel is completely superfluous. Some of the comments here are more entertaining than the strip they’re about. It’s just not a good installment. I should have said “Needs a punchline”, because the strip’s the one lacking.
Being a humor strip doesn’t forbid it from ever discussing other topics in tones appropriate to them. Or, to put it another way: punch lines for the “Joyce was almost raped” storyline were similarly not present in every single comic. Or Joyce’s dream sequence with Ethan, on a similar note.
This isn’t the first strip without a punchline, it won’t be the last, and IMHO the final panel emphasizes Billie’s mood.
The “you make it then!” response you got was really silly and always is, but this complaint is not likely to produce changes, and if it’s a dealbreaker, you might want to read another web comic. Even Shortpacked isn’t always gag-a-licious.
But again, this observation is based on you wanting something you are unlikely to get in this instance, and NOT on the ridiculous notion that feedback has no place in an artist’s comments section.
I’m not saying every strip has to end with an actual joke, but something interesting should happen. The near-date-rape had tension, and Joyce’s dream was fascinatingly screwed-up. This has a faint character moment, followed by an anti-climactic picture of a door. Billie’s still walking away, I get it, what now? Don’t get me wrong though, one dull strip does not undo all the entertainment I get out of the series, and I do want to see where this part is going.
I don’t think this is a humour strip
I think she’s instead thinking wether to confront or report Ruth
patience , my friend……………………
Ain’t nobody got time for that!
You don’t need jokes. Storyline! Character development! Lesbians! That’s all I need.
She was expecting Dina to appear.
She wanted some of that Resident ASSistant.
She was gonna make a ResiDENT in it.
I hope the Resident isn’t EVIL.
I hope the EVIL isn’t DEAD
I hope the DEAD isn’t WALKING.
I hope you’re WALKING the LINE.
The whole floor could be directly in the LINE of FIRE.
Netflix’s selection of movies beginning with “fire” is surprisingly lame.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcVEOc7ZYgk
Billie just needs to HOLD the LINE.
LOVE isn’t always on TIME.
She shouldn’t be alone right now. If I were her I’d ask the FIRE to WALK WITH ME
Do we have to make our own jokes at this point?
Maybe she should FIGHT FIRE with FIRE.
I think you mean she should FIGHT FIRE with ST. ELMO’S FIRE.
And her feelings are alternating between FIRE and ICE.
(Yeah, I’m on skiing holidays right now. Why you asking?)
Yeah, I’d want to avoid her too.
I would’ve prefer to confront her.
Billie is still pissed off it seems.
Well, she’s currently confused rather to confront Ruth or to “confront” Ruth.
With her penis.
I think it’s the lack of any penises involved that’s confusing Billie.
Is she walking towards or away from the door?
Schrodinger door?
If we don’t get a resolution to this strip then she is both walking twords and away from the door at the same time.
I think the 180 rule was broken. Either that or she looked at the door and walked away. It isn’t super clear.
If you’re not familiar with it, here’s a link to wikipedia. It’s a filmaking term, but I guess it would apply to comics too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180-degree_rule
I can already feel myself bracing for a Friday cliffhanger.
It’s Ethan hanging on a real cliff to avoid berserking Joyce.
“That lousy door is making fun of me for being illiterate! What a jerk!”
Billie also hates “pull” and “push” doors. She only reads them after she makes a fool of herself.
Better than “solve the puzzle to open the damn” door.
Better than “Kill all the enemies who have done nothing but exist to open the” door.
“Midvale School for the Gifted.”
BILLIE GO IN RUTH’S ROOM!! grrr, the force is not with me T.T
I’m… not really sure what Billie’s doing here?
She’s torn between the desire to continue doing with Ruth and the desire to say “WTF Ruth?”
She is dramatically not knocking on Ruth’s door.
Yeah, but… is she just not knocking in passing? Or did she stop and stare at Ruth’s door for a while before deciding to walk away? Did she just happen to pass Ruth’s room on her way back from putting the moves on Daisy? Or did she come down here deliberately to confront Ruth, and then change her mind and not do it? I can’t tell!
Walking.
I think she’s just back from the newspaper office back to her room and passed the RA door.
I’m not sure I understand. Did she pass the door, then turn around to go challenger Ruth?
She shot a look of anger at the door and continued walking by it. That is the door in the final frame.
Took me a second to get, myself.
Ahh… Thanks.
Not quite. Look at the perspective on it. She’s walking to the left in the second panel, and then to the right in the third. She had to have turned around. Time is a factor, though. Did she turn around immediately turn around? Or did she reach her destination and then pass by the door again later?
The second panel is from the perspective of the door. Between panel two and panel 3, the perspective shifted around to the other side of Billie. This is part of what makes the scene difficult to interpret, as it violates the 180 degree rule.
The door behind Billie being visually indistinct from the one she’s looking at doesn’t help either, but if you know what you’re looking for, you can figure it out.
Don’t cross the Line of Action!!!
>__<
Hollywood does…
Hollywood does a lot of things wrong. Very frequently.
Actually that’s just the door across the RA door, so Billie just pass the hall once.
Okay I feel stupid, what is the significance of the lack of panel boarder on number four?
None too significant. Willis always has one panel frameless. It does work quite well here, as Billie has walked out of frame in this one.
Foreshadowing!
Sorry, I’ve been reading the ShortPacked comments a lot lately.
Little does she know that the door is staring back.
Well, as they say “The doors have eyes”.
Who says that?
Farmers.
Corn farmers?
Pepperidge farmers, and they do remember!!
Iowan corn farmers.
You guys don’t quit do you. lol
How plot relevant is glaring at a door? Shes mad at ruth but that was already established. This is just a three panel equivalent of the word very.
It’s a bit more complex than that, me thinks.
Well, you can say a lot without even saying one thing.
My guess: Billie’s immediate action to Ruth was anger. I’m pretty sure she hasn’t expressed anger at Ruth since then, though – even when describing the event to Daisy. So Willis may be trying to show that Billie hasn’t internally given Ruth any pardon in the time since – fury wasn’t just her gut reaction, it’s her state of mind.
Whether you think it was necessary clarification or not is another thing…
I think Billie was expecting to see Ruth out in the hall like usual.
yea, thats what i thought too.
That seems correct.
Ruth saw everything through the peephole.
Mm. I was expecting a sneaky ‘Ruth’ tag.
I’m bettin Billie misses Ruth hasslin her. thats why she stares at the door, which Ruth usually hang out near.
Oh look… a door… yay?
A kiss you can’t forget Billie? You can’t avoid what you can’t forget. You’ll have to confront it someday.
Please enlighten us to the perspective of this comic Mr. Willis!
I’ve had a long and confusing day I don’t need this!
See the diff between panel’s 3 and 4? Where it’s black bordered and not? Billie snuck into Ruth’s room inbetween there =D
You want the truth? YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!
In the super secret 5th panel, a tear drops from the peephole.
So the door (and stuff inside it) is an eldrith abomination?
The last panel is leaking through the fourth wall! Billie will appear in front of me in 3…..2…..1…..
Ambillievalence.
Maybe Ruth killed herself, and Billie is stomping around all mad hoping for Ruth to come out, and when she realizes Ruth is dead, she’ll be all sad like Juliette.
In the Walkyverse, you know how this will end up to be
All out brawl?
Next week next week next week next week next week next week …
WHOA LET’S SLOW DOWN HERE. This story is moving at an ALARMING pace…
I demand you go back to dinosaurs, Willis!
This comic is funnier if you read it right-to-left.
Go on, Billie. You want some of that hot red stuff. Go oooooonnnnn!
For clarity, I think perhaps the order of panels 1 and 2 would have been better reversed. Alternatively, I second the comment from DEG1377 earlier about the line of action; see the 180-degree rule.
I feel like prefacing that comment with ‘I don’t want to tell you your business, but’. It’s clearly untrue; I enjoy pretending that I know something about making webcomics. But it’s really the only opportunity to use that phrase.
She’ll be back. Nobody can resist making out with a cute redhead. She’s addicted already, she just doesn’t know it yet.
On the one hand, this confidence/anger may be just a front, and she’s actually conflicted — perhaps not with her treatment of Ruth, but with newfound confusions about sexuality rising. On the other, she may be about to knock on that door and lay down ground rules for their interaction, prepared to leave if things go nasty.
On the one hand, I’d like to see something supportive happen between these two. On the other, I realize how boring it’d be if Ruth clung to the sort of vulnerable/desperate frame of mind she had in the last comic she saw her in, and Billie managed to help her with few complications…
Willis writes the best soap operas ever.
You want the Ruth, Billie? You can’t handle the Ruth!!
Okay….I’m both ashamed I didn’t think of that first and awed by how awesomly perfect it is for this strip.
To you I give an internet and a lifetime supply of Ranch Doritos.
*Bows* I shall use them wisely and for the good of mankind.
Irrelevant to the story: That second panel is probably my favorite shot of Billie in the series. The stooped posture, the furious yet subtle expression, the shadows – for some reason, it leaves a strong emotional imprint on my mind.
Contextual spatial disorientation aside.
DOOR: “What do you think you are doing, Billie?”
Is Ruth avoiding Billie by staying in her room?
So by raise of hands, who ships Billie and the door?
The one time I decide to miss a strips release and go to bed is the time when a strip that continues the Ruth/Billie storyline is released. Ugh. Never going to bed before 12:02 on weeknights again.