No Context Theatre: R2
*Updated*
And today I present the often-used palette cleanser between arcs: No Context Theatre.
Now I am going to type some things…
So first up, the last arc touched on a lot of things I have wanted to do for a while. I revealed some things about Carlos’ backstory, maybe started some new things with Dallas, introduced Josie, and laid a bit of groundwork on things with Trevor. A commenter pointed out that at the beginning of the arc I talked about full-page spreads and supers action but did not deliver that. He’s right. I didn’t. I got into this thread and once I got around the outer edges of it, I decided to not hint that much and dive right in. It DID change things and I should have said it was doing so sooner. I try not to do that too much but it happened. I am pleased with the arc. Full stop.
It is Gen Con week but I am not there for the second year in a row. It sucks but such is how things go sometimes. Maybe next year will see the return of d20Monkey & Dick Jokes. Maybe. That said, on the posting front I have this strip and then possibly one more for Friday to serve as a go-between before I drop right into the Andromeda-X in-game arc on Monday. As a side note, I think I will retitle this arc to something else to avoid confusion for folks who arrive looking for the Andromeda-X story arc.(update: I did. It is Old Wounds now thanks to Fred Hicks suggestion).
I am always learning here and my lesson with this arc is to just make the comic, make the changes I want to make, and keep teaser announcements to a minimum because life can happen and change all of your plans.
See you on Friday (update: I was in a car accident, so the next comic was posted on Monday).
HOVER-TEXT: You KNOW R2 has a Square reader for those cheap ass patrons too.
Brian, it has to be said. These are brilliant, heartfelt characters that I truly enjoy reading about.
…and then these No Context Theatre comics show up and makes me wonder if you skipped your meds today.
The strongest sense I get is that your imagination is like a well-maintained pool and that NCT are your backwash-the-pool days. They have to be done at some point, but JEEZ…
Nice restraining bolt
one cannot unsee the C3PO
AAAAAGH THE THONG-3PO
My thoughts exactly.
That one is going to haunt my dreams…
Possible arc title: False Starts, Old Wounds, and New Beginnings
I went with Old Wounds. Thanks, Fred!
Andromeda X-2: Last Mission+
I for one enjoyed the last arc. It went to some dark places, and wasn’t exactly “pleasant,” but not all stories are. Heck, I’d argue that the really good stories aren’t “pleasant,” at least not all the time. And if the comic gets too depressing (for whatever reason), I’ll stop reading.
That said, I’m grateful for the break, so that my feels and recover.
C-3PO, NOOOOOOO!!!!
Hey, man, you do you. I’m happy with all of the readings. But, like, there will be dick jokes sometime, right?
My problem is not with the arc. It’s that we were told it would be something else. Full page layouts? Anybody remember that? New superhero world,. That never started. It’s stalling. Also the amazing inconsistent behavior of the group. Brett literally brain freezes, and everyone is worried about the fragile kid who can’t take a joke. They make jokes. Mean ones sometimes, since comic one. It’s stalling. This week’s HONEST stall, I rather like.
I did make some changes to the overall pacing of the story once I got into it, but that happens every once in a while. I try to avoid those situations but I’ll be honest, I wanted to tell that story and once I got into it I decided to go all in. It’s a long game thing and I respect that you were ready for one story and planned changes that did not materialize in the arc. It let you down and I understand. All I can do from this side is try to keep that from happening again in the future.
Andromeda-X in-game arc starts next week and there will be full-page supers goodness. Maybe we’ll see you then? If not, I totally get it.
Right on man. I appreciate the response. You are much better with criticism than some of your fans. But they’re loyal and protective, and that’s not bad. Right on man.
It could be disappointing – but hey for what I’m paying to get really awesome story and good art, no way am I going to complain. And relate to so much to the people (and characters) it’s just great. And also, not predictable !!
I like where this story went, because it made the characters relate-able.
If I wanted just all game-time all the time I’d go read any of the comics that stay in the game world almost exclusively (there are some). I like this because I can relate. Do you know how many times I’ve had to cancel my sessions because I started having a panic attack/minor mental breakdown that morning because I was too overwhelmed by session preparations? It’s a Thing That Happens, and my players (most of whom are DMs themselves) have had to tell me multiple times that it’s okay, and that my mental health is vastly more important than whether or not we play that day. Seeing that reflected in your comics helps me feel normal or at least avoid feeling like it’s the end of the world if I don’t have a session for my group on the appointed day. If I thought my players were all feeling like Trevor was (in the last strip) when we didn’t play, the panic attacks would just be even worse when they do happen. The group at large seems totally okay with not playing, especially considering being supportive of Carlos’ mental health. It helps me (and probably others like me) to see things like that in our favorite media.
So, in the midst of all the dissing you seem to be getting for telling the story you want to tell, thank you for telling this story exactly the way you have. I came here looking for stories of a DM having the same troubles I was having as a new DM, (to find ideas for how to handle them) and I’ve never been disappointed.
Moments like the ones in the last arc remind us that these characters are human.
I like that we still have more to look forward to, and that the character depth and advancement was both genuine, and well delivered. Do I have to wait a little more to learn what kind of wildly inappropriate powers Brett conjures from his magical Santa Sack?
Yes.
Is it worth it?
Always has been pal, keep being awesome.
So what you are saying is..
These are the droids I am looking for 😀
Gotta Love the randomness and timing of the No Context Theatre! I honestly chuckled loud enough for my co-workers to give me an odd look from the other side of the office.
The writers will understand.
Sometimes you plan to do something, then the characters take over and it veers wildly off into something else. But it’s good to just follow that and roll with it, ‘cos sometimes it can really help the story move on.
Just do what you need to, ‘cos it’s worked out fine so far!
I’m hooked on this now, so I ain’t going anywhere 😉
(Well, apart from bathroom breaks and food shopping and the other distractions that Real Life puts in the way of the important stuff, of course…)
Brian, as you had shown in the previous arc, not everything goes the way you want it to. And as much as I appreciate the dice rolls and the dick jokes, life also contains drama and you show that in your stories. It shows that, even in a world with magic and Santa and Krampus, people are still only human, with the weaknesses and troubles that come with that.
On NCT: Jabba the Hutt would approve XD
I like how the story line ended up. Very emotional and good character development. Stories change over time and it’s cool you followed it through. Nice arc.
As someone who plays in a Star Wars RPG, this made me laugh so hard!! <3
If it is any consolation, I am not at Gencon either. Partly because I never heard of it until a few years ago, and this is the first year I’ve gotten interesting, and partly because I live on a different continent.
Art in general and story-telling in particular, don’t always go where we think they will. Don’t feel like you need to apologize for making your art.
For some reason my brain refuses to process stripper R2
You should consider yourself fortunate, then. And be thankful that Rule 34 has not completely destroyed your soul.
Do I like everything that happened in the last arc? No, but I understand why Brian decided to tell it, and it fits into the overall story. We’re all different people with different tastes, lives, and experiences, and there’s absolutely no way Brian is ever going to please every reader all the time. Whatever my objections or personal opinions on any given arc, character, or Alt-Text, I am completely behind Brian telling his story the way he needs to tell it and think this is one of the best webcomics out there and definitely the best gaming comic. It’s solidly in my Top Five, thus one I recommend to anyone interested in gaming or webcomics. (The other four are Sequential Art, GrrlPower, Oglaf, and Something Positive…some are NSFW, so take that for what it’s worth)
So, Brian, long as you keep writing D20 Monkey, I’ll keep reading. Any complaints I may make are minor compared to the enjoyment your comic has provided over the years past and to come.
I was in a car accident on Friday. So it delayed the post.