Book 2 – Page 68

[Morni]

I wonder who the girl on the portrait is behind Jack and Wanda.

Sorry if it has been mentioned before. Maybe the chick Slately was into?

I'm assuming that's the old Dollamancy that Ace "replaced". I forgot her name.

Edit, went and looked it up. : Lady Shortcake, aka strawberry shortcake
http://www.erfworld.com/book-2-archive/ ... -08-26.png

[The.Healing.Mage]

Does anyone else find it significant that Wanda and Jack have pupils? Besides Parson and Jillian, I can't find any other characters with pupils. Wasn't there a theory a while back that had pupils as a connection to stupidworld? Or maybe the Wanda - Jillian - Jack love triangle has something to do with it? (But then why not Ansom as well?) Or maybe FAQ has something to do with it (but then why not Marie as well?) Or maybe it's something about free will. (But then why not Jojo as well? Actually this one seems on to something. The others simply aren't important enough story-wise to buck the existing Color Coded for Your Convenience policy.)

[The Bushranger]

Been reading the comic for awhile but wanted to register to say just how freaking awesome this comic is.
The last two panels are pure CMOA, of course, but it's panels 10 and 11 that really grabbed me. Because in them, Jack truly becomes "Parson Jr", I think - it's the moment where he truly realises the implications of "lateral thinking", and acts upon them - instead of waiting for the Warlord to arrive as planned through the portal, or giving up and moving on instead, he does "something very simple", that for Erf is "outside the obvious paramaters" - he simply goes to see what the holdup is for himself.

And that's awesome.

[the_tick_rules]

Classic Jack, I like the look on her face when Jack sticks his head out the portal

[RythanDark]

Given Charlie's apparent abilities to intercept/interfere with eyebook messages, Wanda messaging Parson right now seems like a Bad Idea.

[Aquillion]

Or maybe FAQ has something to do with it (but then why not Marie as well?

It's possible that Marie is from somewhere else -- she's black, too, and in general as far as I recall most cities we've seen have been racially homogenous in terms of what they produce. Assuming race isn't simply randomly assigned, you'd expect that a hermit kingdom like Faq would be racially homogenous if any place is.

On the other hand, a simpler explanation might just be that we shouldn't read too much into minor art details.

Given Charlie's apparent abilities to intercept/interfere with eyebook messages, Wanda messaging Parson right now seems like a Bad Idea.

At this point, Charlie knows what's going on (assuming he didn't already, of course -- it's very likely he did.) It's not like they're keeping it a secret.

[effataigus]

Does anyone else find it significant that Wanda and Jack have pupils? Besides Parson and Jillian, I can't find any other characters with pupils. Wasn't there a theory a while back that had pupils as a connection to stupidworld? Or maybe the Wanda - Jillian - Jack love triangle has something to do with it? (But then why not Ansom as well?) Or maybe FAQ has something to do with it (but then why not Marie as well?) Or maybe it's something about free will. (But then why not Jojo as well? Actually this one seems on to something. The others simply aren't important enough story-wise to buck the existing Color Coded for Your Convenience policy.)

There's been a fair bit of speculation on this topic... going many which ways. I'll limit this response to mentioning several weird observations that have come up from this talk:

1. Most Erfworlders lack pupils and sclera (eye-whites).

Exceptions include:
Pupils: Parson (sometimes)
Sclera: Parson, Jillian, Wanda, Jack, and Manpower the Temporary (Sometimes... I think each of these characters has been drawn without sclera, with the possible exception of Parson, at least once).

2. Parson seems to be drawn without pupils more often now than before.

My favorite theory from this is that sclera are a sign of a player character involvement... though this theory only holds any water at all if you assume that Manpower was just a placeholder for Parson.

[Beeskee]

Other than Holly Shortcake, there is another portrait we can't see entirely. It's in the panel where the one decrypted (Antium?) is asking if the bonus is worth waiting for.


Edit: I didn't even spot it until elecampane mentioned it.

[Ansan Gotti]

I keep coming back to this page over and over again. Such awesome art, such great dialogue.

[The.Healing.Mage]

Does anyone else find it significant that Wanda and Jack have pupils? Besides Parson and Jillian, I can't find any other characters with pupils. Wasn't there a theory a while back that had pupils as a connection to stupidworld? Or maybe the Wanda - Jillian - Jack love triangle has something to do with it? (But then why not Ansom as well?) Or maybe FAQ has something to do with it (but then why not Marie as well?) Or maybe it's something about free will. (But then why not Jojo as well? Actually this one seems on to something. The others simply aren't important enough story-wise to buck the existing Color Coded for Your Convenience policy.)

There's been a fair bit of speculation on this topic... going many which ways. I'll limit this response to mentioning several weird observations that have come up from this talk:

1. Most Erfworlders lack pupils and sclera (eye-whites).

Exceptions include:
Pupils: Parson (sometimes)
Sclera: Parson, Jillian, Wanda, Jack, and Manpower the Temporary (Sometimes... I think each of these characters has been drawn without sclera, with the possible exception of Parson, at least once).

2. Parson seems to be drawn without pupils more often now than before.

My favorite theory from this is that sclera are a sign of a player character involvement... though this theory only holds any water at all if you assume that Manpower was just a placeholder for Parson.

"Manpower The Temporary" would give credence to that. Remember, Rob inceptions his references and foreshadowing. WE HAVE TO GO DEEPER! And yeah, I meant sclera. Thank goodness you aren't my bio teacher. She'd boop my boop up. I meant to say that those four (now five with the addition of [cool shades] more manpower) are the only ones with sclera. Read all of my above speculation as if I'd written sclera, please and thank you. (And thank effataigus for keeping me honest!)

[BrotherRool]

Hat off to Jack.

I'm worried he's going to die now. He's too happy and useful. Narrative abhors contentment. If there was ever a side change Jack is probably the only one who could even make Parson sweat and more so as time goes on.

[gazes_also]

Or maybe FAQ has something to do with it (but then why not Marie as well?

It's possible that Marie is from somewhere else -- she's black, too, and in general as far as I recall most cities we've seen have been racially homogenous in terms of what they produce. Assuming race isn't simply randomly assigned, you'd expect that a hermit kingdom like Faq would be racially homogenous if any place is.

On the other hand, a simpler explanation might just be that we shouldn't read too much into minor art details.

.

While Faq was a hidden kingdom in Erfworld space, Banhammer attracted casters to come and philosophize with him, so it's quite likely Marie didn't originate there.

[BLANDCorporatio]

I'm worried he's going to die now. He's too happy and useful. Narrative abhors contentment. If there was ever a side change Jack is probably the only one who could even make Parson sweat and more so as time goes on.

My prediction is that Jack is going to stay alive, but that Wanda will want to DO SCIENCE and try the decryptacaster maneuver on our favourite joker. Resulting in the last pages of the book being a climatic battle between Parson and Wanda's puppets, like, say, Scarlet.

Does anyone else find it significant that Wanda and Jack have pupils?

There's been a fair bit of speculation on this topic... going many which ways. I'll limit this response to mentioning several weird observations that have come up from this talk:

1. Most Erfworlders lack pupils and sclera (eye-whites).

"Manpower The Temporary" would give credence to that.

The eyes are a window to the soul, they say. Eyes incomplete, souls likewise?

Spoiler: show

Nah, it's just char design with no under-meaning. Sorry

[The.Healing.Mage]

The eyes are a window to the soul, they say. Eyes incomplete, souls likewise?

Shameless plug: who else is superpumped for the next Dresden Files book dropping tomorrow. (If I call that a PSA, does that make it legit? )

Spoiler: show

Nah, it's just char design with no under-meaning. Sorry

Buh...buh...but... I liked that tinfoil hat! It was very shiny. (Now watch what you did. I hopes you're happy.) Nah j/k. But if not for Manpower, I'd have totally believed it was some subtle free-will/love signamancy.

[HandofShadows]

Does anyone else find it significant that Wanda and Jack have pupils? Besides Parson and Jillian, I can't find any other characters with pupils. Wasn't there a theory a while back that had pupils as a connection to stupidworld? Or maybe the Wanda - Jillian - Jack love triangle has something to do with it? (But then why not Ansom as well?) Or maybe FAQ has something to do with it (but then why not Marie as well?) Or maybe it's something about free will. (But then why not Jojo as well? Actually this one seems on to something. The others simply aren't important enough story-wise to buck the existing Color Coded for Your Convenience policy.)

The only Erfworlders we have seen with pupils are from Faq and may indicate a connection to stupidworld or someplace similar (Note I think Manpower haveing pupils may have been an art error). There is a good chance it has some relevence. Namely the peson that ruled Faq, Lord Banhammer. In the depiction of Banhammer that we have he is not small like the other rulers we have seen, nor is he the size of normal Erfworlders. Nope, he is a big a PARSON. http://www.erfworld.com/book-1-archive/?px=%2F082.jpg

[zilfallon]

i think she was telling Jack to enter the portal by saying "disband yourself" , which made me laugh a lot i love how Wanda says things.

Like...
Jack:"we should find leadership"
Wanda(after decrypting a warlord a moment after Jack talked): "found leadership"

i love the way she says these lines without showing any emotion on her cute face. And yes, Wanda is SOOOOOOOOOOOO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTEEEEEEEEEE...good job Xin.

[DoctorJest]

I wonder who the girl on the portrait is behind Jack and Wanda.

Sorry if it has been mentioned before. Maybe the chick Slately was into?

I'm assuming that's the old Dollamancy that Ace "replaced". I forgot her name.

Edit, went and looked it up. : Lady Shortcake, aka strawberry shortcake
http://www.erfworld.com/book-2-archive/ ... -08-26.png

Actually her name is Holly Shortcake (inspired by Holly Hobby and Strawberry Shortcake, presumably.

And she is the one Slately loved.

[DoctorJest]

i think she was telling Jack to enter the portal by saying "disband yourself" , which made me laugh a lot i love how Wanda says things.

No, Jack going to the portal was his exhibiting Lateral Thinking. "Disband Yourself" was sarcasm in response to the lamenting over Ansom, like a "oh drop dead" kind of thing. Jack going through the portal wouldn't disband him.

[Xenon]

i see something obvious here- we cant see jacks hands in the final panels. he can easily make a sign behind him to relay information quietly to wanda, perhaps even let her see what he sees. which is enough to quickly see the eyebook is a good idea right now... the math of this fight is a LOT more in parson's favor now.

[DoctorJest]

i see something obvious here- we cant see jacks hands in the final panels. he can easily make a sign behind him to relay information quietly to wanda, perhaps even let her see what he sees. which is enough to quickly see the eyebook is a good idea right now... the math of this fight is a LOT more in parson's favor now.

I think you're over thinking it. I don't think anything so convoluted is going on. Nor do I think Jack's head popped through instantly makes Parson's odds better.

If Jack manages to actually stack with Parson, then I think Parson will have a very good advantage, however. Stacked with four casters, including a predictamancer and a master-class foolamancer and all he needs to do it cross a portal threshold? Definitely to his advantage.