Now, are we SURE that this Sal doesn’t have superhuman abilities? I mean, she can climb walls, is apparently way heavier than she should be, and seems to completely change body types every time she puts on her Amazi-Girl costume.
The DC Nation Amethyst of Gemworld shorts. Should be available on DC’s website, I believe, and if not I’m fairly certain they’re all up officially on Youtube and are certainly there unofficially.
It is entirely possible that she learned those climbing skills in a perfectly legitimate way (eg: her father moonlights as a jewel thief, and was going to pass his trade down to her, but then she held up that liquor store); the immovability is a result of Jason’s weakness and not her heaviness; and the body type thing obviously comes from… um… her genie. Yeah. That’s what the spider tattoo means. She has a genie.
Bet she has them stashed all over the campus as well. (Seriously, how has it come to the point where two consecutive Sal appearances have reminded me of Pinkie Pie? Is this the part where I type Damn You Willis!?)
I also love that Sal thinks she put up an “A”-worthy effort.
She may have given Jason an awesome time, but unless she did things I can’t mention right now because I’m on a public computer, she would’ve upgraded it only to a C… maybe a B.
Damn it, Sal, why are you this stupid. I mean, I don’t expect good judgement from, well, anyone but this is extra stupid. Did you think suddenly getting good grades will go unnoticed? or that not actually knowing how to do the work won’t backfire? Or that you’ll just sleep your way through every future math class? How did you ever get out fo religious punishment school?
this is Sal we’re talking about. there is no way to unsexy her, short of massive disfiguring. Only crazy Penny is sexier, IMHO. Love those crazy redheads.
My response to that question always is: It’s not the pants that make you look fat.
.
.
.
Much later, when I regain consciousness, I question why I always answer the question that way.
If someone immediately associates ‘strong’ as ‘masculine’ and takes offence to it, that sounds like their problem, not that of the person trying to compliment them :v
I think the idea that strong = masculine is less a problem than the accompanying idea that weak = feminine. Being strong should be a sign of bring an especially awesome human being, period.
Jason didn’t notice she was ‘robust’ in their previous more intimate engagement?
Between charging Jason from her seat, to his position, she had time for the hair tieback?
Guess that ‘secret homework assignment’ is out of the bag.
It only takes a few seconds to wrap a scrunchie around your hair, particularly if you’re not too picky about how it turns out. In this case, I imagine Sal just wanted it out of her face and somewhat contained.
She seems more like a reverse Pinkie Pie, to me. Hair’s straight and in control when she’s happy, and all kinds of super crazy when she’s mad.
Either that, or she’s reached Super Sal, augmenting her power tenfold. But that doesn’t make sense since she’s still got brown hair.
Sal, you should know better than this. Get him to agree to it in writing, then you’ll have him!
I mean, at least get a spoken promise out of him. Sleeping with him and expecting him to give you good grades afterward without saying what you want in concrete terms is just poor negotiation.
Really Sal? You honestly slept with him because you expected him to pass you for it? Really?
Ethics aside, you might have thought to make your intent a bit clearer. Assumptions only make an ass out of you and Jason! Guy can’t be expected to read minds. (Or violate the Code of the Bowtie)
Aaaaand ot but despite the fact that this gravatar is kinda fitting for this comment, is there anyway to change it that *doesn’t* involve having to get a wordpress account?
You can change it to another randomly assorted Grav by using another e-mail account for your comments. If If you’re unlucky, though, it’ll be the same one. I don’t know of any other way.
Thing number one: I’m sort of dissappointed Sal only slept with him for the grade. I thought she’d genuinely just stopped bothering and wanted to, uh, relax. Then again, I guess it kind of fits in with her using rampant violence to get what she wants, too–that’s also questionably ethical, but it works, so she doesn’t care.
Thing number two: Dear god that hair is fabulous. More of this please.
Thing number three: Compare Sal’s face in panel 2 with Jason’s face in panel 4. Soul-maaates!
Sal is…troubled! Is the best word I can use. Her goals are improved (or possibly the same? I don’t know if she was that intent on passing the class before Joyce poked her to do it, but it seems like the reason she’s so dedicated to passing the class out of her urge to prove that she’s not stupid or worthless) but her means are the same. I’m still pretty hopeful for her, though, since she seemed able to channel that furious dedication/stubbornness into studying for at least a while until she decided to take another way.
It feels pretty presumptous to assume she’s slept with people for rewards before, but on the other hand she seemed pretty casual about it. I just hope that Jason’s refusing to play along with this means she turns her raging fury unto the task of doing right the right way, rather than possibly attempting to blackmail him for the grade.
My opinion of them both fell pretty low when they did it. She was clearly expecting more than he was offering, and he should have seen this coming. If you’re going to break a rule, you need to consider the reason for the rule in order to avoid the consequences.
I’m convinced that this is the overall theme of the comic, and the reason for the title. All the relationships are based on poor communication and misunderstandings, because the characters are young and dumb. The fun will be watching the consequences unfold, and seeing if the characters can learn from their mistakes.
I’ve no idea of Willis’ intent with this story-line, but its dealing in BAD stuff. This confrontation illustrates two reasons each, but there are several reasons Sal shouldn’t have and at least 7 reasons Jason shouldn’t have. Their hookup was unethical AND unwise on both their parts AND he’s greviously unprofessional and if he ends up having his tushie tossed from the University then he earned it: GRAD STUDENTS HAVE NO BUSINESS SEXING WITH UNDERGRADS THEY ARE TA’ING–even if it looks consensual at the time.
I’m completely with you on Thing number one. Even going back to re-read the pre-doodlin’ events, it really looked to me like she just wanted an outlet.
“Then I’ll be back in ten minutes with your pink slip.” Our foolish teaching assistant’s only hope is to legitimately convince her that he at no point was misleading or taking advantage of her, and that she cares enough about him to agree not to paint him in that light to his employers.
Not really. I mean, the whole point here is that he is *refusing* to change her grade because they slept together; that’s exactly the opposite of what is a firing offense at most universities. The only possible wrinkle here is if she’s still seventeen, and he’s more than however-many-years-older that makes it statutory rape, and if that’s the case he has more to worry about than being fired.
This is a mess the school probably doesn’t want on their hands, even if they technically can’t fire him “for” it. If there’s nothing in policy (and there likely is, either a categorical prohibition or a vaguer rule), they’d probably just declare him “unneeded” if they got wind.
I find Jason’s expresssion in panel 2 fascinating. An flash of hurt, angry disappointment just before the dread sinks in. He knew that things had been about the grade all along, but had refused to believe it. This is the precise instant in which denial cannot be sustained anymore… Or am I reading too much into the panel? Anyway, I find that expression just as awesome as Sal’s sheer rage.
To me it’s “Wait, she thought she was bribing me for a grade? Oh shit.” I don’t think that until this moment he thought it was anything but a moment of passion.
… Where Penny, who had already assumed that we’re ‘bumping uglies’, or whatever quaint term you Yanks use, is currently holding office hours and you know what? Here is fine.”
re-read! so interesting to go back and see all of the comments about hair, given the race-related comics we see later in Family Weekend. I also find it remarkable the physical power that men, white men, express over bodies of women & WoC, which Sal FIRMLY rejects, so, fuck yeah to that.
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“roBUST”
I keep thinking “Black Daisy” now o_O
Bambalamb?
She really gets me high. Bambalamb.
But is she from Birmingham? Bambalam.
All the way down in Alabam’. Bambalam.
She’s so rock steady. Bambalam.
How are you guys living with yourselves…..
Well she’s shaking that thing. Bambalam.
…you’re all thinking of “Black Betty”.
We know what it was, but it sounded similar enough that we could make a joke, ya silly.
No internet for You!
Beat me to it.
+1
aka. raw bust.
She’ll roBust his face up if he doesn’t give her an A
Now, are we SURE that this Sal doesn’t have superhuman abilities? I mean, she can climb walls, is apparently way heavier than she should be, and seems to completely change body types every time she puts on her Amazi-Girl costume.
Her true superpower is the power of SCRUNCHY.
A power too often underestimated. I once [redacted] with the [redacted] right in his face!
I have to ask, what is your picture from, Regalli?
The DC Nation Amethyst of Gemworld shorts. Should be available on DC’s website, I believe, and if not I’m fairly certain they’re all up officially on Youtube and are certainly there unofficially.
And changes race when she puts it on too
It is entirely possible that she learned those climbing skills in a perfectly legitimate way (eg: her father moonlights as a jewel thief, and was going to pass his trade down to her, but then she held up that liquor store); the immovability is a result of Jason’s weakness and not her heaviness; and the body type thing obviously comes from… um… her genie. Yeah. That’s what the spider tattoo means. She has a genie.
She learned them getting out of the Catholic boarding school’s dorms.
I love your Emily icon. (That is Emily, right?)
She mutated as the result of using a mobile phone that leaked radiation.
She’s from the south. We can do anything.
woot!
Must…leave..straight line…alone…
I know, right?
Southerners DO things?
No, they can.
You can’t move da BLOB!
Re Panel 2: Now I’ve REALLY seen ANGRY! WOW!
You wont like her when she gets angry.
Makes her look like angry Walky.
Now that we’ve seen her with not-straight hair I can see how people would mistake them for each other.
She get’s roboust when she’s angry.
She gets kinky when she’s angry.
I’ve seen a cat! (The lines on her cheek are whiskers…)
“robust” is his nickname for her tits.
You better watch out Jason, or you will experience a stiff uppercut.
Followed by a pain indescribable by words.
Sal is a rock. She is an iiiiiiiiiii-iisland.
And a rock feels no pain. And an island never cries.
Bet she has them stashed all over the campus as well. (Seriously, how has it come to the point where two consecutive Sal appearances have reminded me of Pinkie Pie? Is this the part where I type Damn You Willis!?)
This is just sad. 😐
Right?
Sorry Sal, but Jason’s bowtie is a bowtie of principle it can’t allow Jason to give you an A for sleeping with him.
Because bowties are cool.
If he had principles, he wouldn’t have slept with her in the first place.
This.
The bowtie of principle came undone, preventing it from granting its power to him.
I also love that Sal thinks she put up an “A”-worthy effort.
She may have given Jason an awesome time, but unless she did things I can’t mention right now because I’m on a public computer, she would’ve upgraded it only to a C… maybe a B.
It kinda looks like something naughty is happening in the last panel.
Damn it, Sal, why are you this stupid. I mean, I don’t expect good judgement from, well, anyone but this is extra stupid. Did you think suddenly getting good grades will go unnoticed? or that not actually knowing how to do the work won’t backfire? Or that you’ll just sleep your way through every future math class? How did you ever get out fo religious punishment school?
Running away?
Yes, she ran away from school to go to college… that makes total sense!
Well…it’s like…running away from alcatraz to go to a state penitentary. I mean…it’s still prison but…way less brutal.
she slept her way out, I guess.
Damn horny nuns.
I can’t decide if this is hotter than her normal hair style.
I’ve concluded that they are both equally hot hairstyles.
this is Sal we’re talking about. there is no way to unsexy her, short of massive disfiguring. Only crazy Penny is sexier, IMHO. Love those crazy redheads.
Now that’s a rage face if I ever saw one!
Seems like, regardless of the context or circumstances, “You are robust” is one of those things that you never want to say to a woman.
That and, “Wow, you look much older than you actually are”. Or the ever popular “yes, those pants do make you look fat”.
“I can see how people might mistake you for your mother…”
On the phone. I never got to that part though.
“You smell like my grandma”
My, what a sturdy woman. –Judge Harry, Night Court
“I think the pants look fine on you.” And if you are lucky, she’ll never realize what you have been saying.
My response to that question always is: It’s not the pants that make you look fat.
.
.
.
Much later, when I regain consciousness, I question why I always answer the question that way.
A bit uncommon an iteration, definitely, but why is calling someone strong supposed to be a ‘don’t do it’ thing?
Perhaps it could be easily misunderstood to be hinting that she is masculine.
If someone immediately associates ‘strong’ as ‘masculine’ and takes offence to it, that sounds like their problem, not that of the person trying to compliment them :v
I think the idea that strong = masculine is less a problem than the accompanying idea that weak = feminine. Being strong should be a sign of bring an especially awesome human being, period.
I’ve heard robust as a synonym for “big”. Read: fat.
“You performed poorly” is probably another one of those things
Honestly, if she fails the text, and he gets fired, that’s not the worst possible outcome.
It’s going to end up with them having sex again, aren’t they?
Headcanon: Sal didn’t have her own scrunchy on-hand. She pulled one off the head of another student on her way down from her seat.
I can see that happening.
Her hair naturally tied itself back…with BLACK magic.
Ha ha I see wut you did thar 😀
You performed poorly…. And you didn’t do so well on the test either! 😉
http://www.hiyoooo.com/
Jason didn’t notice she was ‘robust’ in their previous more intimate engagement?
Between charging Jason from her seat, to his position, she had time for the hair tieback?
Guess that ‘secret homework assignment’ is out of the bag.
It only takes a few seconds to wrap a scrunchie around your hair, particularly if you’re not too picky about how it turns out. In this case, I imagine Sal just wanted it out of her face and somewhat contained.
I’m not 100% why, but Sal has never been as attractive to me as she is in this comic.
That creepy face staring at me is doing nothing to mitigate the ‘ew’ factor of that reply.
The correct term is “uplifted”, if I am to believe David Brin.
Most adorably severe expression in #3
She seems more like a reverse Pinkie Pie, to me. Hair’s straight and in control when she’s happy, and all kinds of super crazy when she’s mad.
Either that, or she’s reached Super Sal, augmenting her power tenfold. But that doesn’t make sense since she’s still got brown hair.
I don’t like Sal’s Robin/Roz hair. It makes uncomfortable.
makes ME* uncomfortable. Darn lack of edit button.
I don’t like it because I think it looks ugly.
Looks more like Lucy hair to me.
Sal, you should know better than this. Get him to agree to it in writing, then you’ll have him!
I mean, at least get a spoken promise out of him. Sleeping with him and expecting him to give you good grades afterward without saying what you want in concrete terms is just poor negotiation.
When you assume, you make an ass out of Yumi.
Heya Yotomoe! Better leave Yumi outta this or Ulrich is going to punch you in the face.
(I’m going to have to explain this, aren’t I?)
Why should he? It’s not like they’re dating. They’re just friends. Really.
Friends who really need to kiss already and do we have to get the singing crab and boat ride to spell it out for those two idiots?
Oh God, Sal, KEEP. THAT. HAIR!
This is very different from what’s happening to Sal and Jason right now over in Roomies!
He says “come with me,” but isn’t that what started this mess?
im still going with they end up getting it on again during or after the discussion.
This is, definitively, every grad student’s worst (Best? Worst. Worst best.) nightmare.
“because you performed poorly.”
OOOHHHH
This and the ‘Come with me’ comment above. Oh man, you people.
What do you mean, ‘you people’?
Is it bad that I’m going to donate to the kickstarter just on the off chance that the $75k reward is a Straight Hair Sal/Frizzy Hair Sal pairup?
Really Sal? You honestly slept with him because you expected him to pass you for it? Really?
Ethics aside, you might have thought to make your intent a bit clearer. Assumptions only make an ass out of you and Jason! Guy can’t be expected to read minds. (Or violate the Code of the Bowtie)
Aaaaand ot but despite the fact that this gravatar is kinda fitting for this comment, is there anyway to change it that *doesn’t* involve having to get a wordpress account?
It’ll change on its own eventually, once Willis changes the list of gravatars in pool.
I’m afraid not, I had to open a WordPress account to keep using my gravs.
You can change it to another randomly assorted Grav by using another e-mail account for your comments. If If you’re unlucky, though, it’ll be the same one. I don’t know of any other way.
Is this one of those things where someone asks “how do I get to the stadium” and three different people give three different answers?
“There is more than one way to skin a cat.”
Thing number one: I’m sort of dissappointed Sal only slept with him for the grade. I thought she’d genuinely just stopped bothering and wanted to, uh, relax. Then again, I guess it kind of fits in with her using rampant violence to get what she wants, too–that’s also questionably ethical, but it works, so she doesn’t care.
Thing number two: Dear god that hair is fabulous. More of this please.
Thing number three: Compare Sal’s face in panel 2 with Jason’s face in panel 4. Soul-maaates!
Sal is…troubled! Is the best word I can use. Her goals are improved (or possibly the same? I don’t know if she was that intent on passing the class before Joyce poked her to do it, but it seems like the reason she’s so dedicated to passing the class out of her urge to prove that she’s not stupid or worthless) but her means are the same. I’m still pretty hopeful for her, though, since she seemed able to channel that furious dedication/stubbornness into studying for at least a while until she decided to take another way.
It feels pretty presumptous to assume she’s slept with people for rewards before, but on the other hand she seemed pretty casual about it. I just hope that Jason’s refusing to play along with this means she turns her raging fury unto the task of doing right the right way, rather than possibly attempting to blackmail him for the grade.
I agree. Sal attempting blackmail would completely ruin my opinion of her. I’m hoping Jason manages to set her straight on that at least.
Oh, and thinking that screwing Jason for grades which would get him in a LOT of trouble because she couldn’t be assed to study didn’t?
My opinion of them both fell pretty low when they did it. She was clearly expecting more than he was offering, and he should have seen this coming. If you’re going to break a rule, you need to consider the reason for the rule in order to avoid the consequences.
I’m convinced that this is the overall theme of the comic, and the reason for the title. All the relationships are based on poor communication and misunderstandings, because the characters are young and dumb. The fun will be watching the consequences unfold, and seeing if the characters can learn from their mistakes.
I’ve no idea of Willis’ intent with this story-line, but its dealing in BAD stuff. This confrontation illustrates two reasons each, but there are several reasons Sal shouldn’t have and at least 7 reasons Jason shouldn’t have. Their hookup was unethical AND unwise on both their parts AND he’s greviously unprofessional and if he ends up having his tushie tossed from the University then he earned it: GRAD STUDENTS HAVE NO BUSINESS SEXING WITH UNDERGRADS THEY ARE TA’ING–even if it looks consensual at the time.
I’m completely with you on Thing number one. Even going back to re-read the pre-doodlin’ events, it really looked to me like she just wanted an outlet.
Old chap do you even lift heavy objects against the force of gravity?!
Knave, dost thou even hoist?
Only with a block & tackle… which has great story potential!
Space the dang clown already. He’s not human!
This isn’t the end of the story this week! Saturday update!!!!!!
Weeeee
Except Saturdays comic consists entirely of Jason struggling to move a furious Sal for six panels and failing. 🙂
“Rhghh…rhhhgg…hnngh! Grr…fnnhl…GRAH!”
“Ya need any help there, Big Ben?”
“Rgngh–hnfh. Help would be appreciated.”
“Tough.”
Panel 2…Sal will kill everything in her path!
Wait,.. This Group doesn’t have their powers?
Was I the last to know?
MEH.
What’s to take her aside and have a difficult conversation about? “You can’t screw your way to passing grades, here” takes, like, a second.
“Then I’ll be back in ten minutes with your pink slip.” Our foolish teaching assistant’s only hope is to legitimately convince her that he at no point was misleading or taking advantage of her, and that she cares enough about him to agree not to paint him in that light to his employers.
Not really. I mean, the whole point here is that he is *refusing* to change her grade because they slept together; that’s exactly the opposite of what is a firing offense at most universities. The only possible wrinkle here is if she’s still seventeen, and he’s more than however-many-years-older that makes it statutory rape, and if that’s the case he has more to worry about than being fired.
This is a mess the school probably doesn’t want on their hands, even if they technically can’t fire him “for” it. If there’s nothing in policy (and there likely is, either a categorical prohibition or a vaguer rule), they’d probably just declare him “unneeded” if they got wind.
I find Jason’s expresssion in panel 2 fascinating. An flash of hurt, angry disappointment just before the dread sinks in. He knew that things had been about the grade all along, but had refused to believe it. This is the precise instant in which denial cannot be sustained anymore… Or am I reading too much into the panel? Anyway, I find that expression just as awesome as Sal’s sheer rage.
To me it’s “Wait, she thought she was bribing me for a grade? Oh shit.” I don’t think that until this moment he thought it was anything but a moment of passion.
It’s getting increasingly hard to like Sal..
Jason is also getting increasi– okay i’ll stop there
pffff
“I thought I upgraded myself…”
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JlnlUJ99-Hs/UY-1VUlWuTI/AAAAAAAAAMo/fybvLbLfl7I/s1600/homepage.jpg
How long has “Buffer watch” been there?
Emergency ponytail!
“You’re comfortable here? Okay then, you just stand around here if you like. I’ll be in my office if you actually want to talk about this.”
… Where Penny, who had already assumed that we’re ‘bumping uglies’, or whatever quaint term you Yanks use, is currently holding office hours and you know what? Here is fine.”
Ohh no…..I hope Jason enjoyed having functioning testicles xD
Panel 2 implies he did.
Sal’s forehead kind of shrank in this one
PLEASE tell me Sal will keep this hairstyle for the remainder of the series.
re-read! so interesting to go back and see all of the comments about hair, given the race-related comics we see later in Family Weekend. I also find it remarkable the physical power that men, white men, express over bodies of women & WoC, which Sal FIRMLY rejects, so, fuck yeah to that.