Update: I went back in to add Sam to the first panel and clean up the progression of Mel crying. Just to make things a little more defined.
Hey look! New hair Pops AND for Mel. I am kind of in love with Mel’s new do. I could have split this comic up over the course of a few days but to be honest, I am just as excited to get the story out there for the folks enjoying it.
If you’ve read from the beginning, you know Mel isn’t prone to breakdowns like this so the escalation of this situation must be hitting her hard. Donnie is just familiar enough and direct enough to ask the question, point blank.
Monday brings the answer from Mel. The past few strips have lit the comments up with folks BEGGING for legal action against Grey, Mel to wise up, and for Sam to die (I got a laugh out of that one and he made his case for why). Fine theories and opinions all. I will blanket reply with the standard: Wait and see.
If you are a regular commenter, you will notice that I have implemented the moderation system. Why? Well the short answer is that a small number of trolls worked their way in and got nasty with other commenters. I don’t mind folks taking shots at me. It’s the internet and I half expect it but I will be damned if I’ll sit by and watch the kind, conversational people be attacked. Fuck that. Not in my yard.
Holy Hell am I glad to have found and read this comic up to this page. I’m loving the overall story being weaved here and look forward to each new strip.
Thanks, Jim! That is always nice to read.
I know it’s unintentional, but in panel 7, it almost looks like Mel is cry-yawning. That aside, can’t wait to see where things lead next week!
Now I cannot UNSEE it. LOL. I will have to tweak that in the morning.
One option might be to have both hands over her face, parallel and fingers-up – best I can imagine the image, that looks more like ‘sobbing’
I agree. I’ll knock it out when I make it home. Drawing these huge pages takes a while and in the late hours, some things get past me.
Dammit. I cannot unsee it either!!
been wondering that myself
Yeah, been wondering that too. I’ve been hoping Brian would get around to answering why Mel, a total gamer-goddess, would even ASSOCIATE with a lumbering oaf like Grey. Seriously. The guy makes other “Bros” ashamed. But it looks like we’re gonna get our answer.
I’ll probably get yelled at, but I miss the old Mel. Every change makes her look more and more frumpy. She used to look like she could kick ass and take names. There was a fire in her look, you didn’t want to mess with her. Now she looks like she could blend in at Walmart.
Yeah– I think its bad as well– she pretty much now looks like Sam with Earrings– I think its a bad direction– but Im not the artist..
I mean in that bottom panel — it looks like one of those gender reverse comics where they give the male characters boobs…
Unless its the plan to make her look like Sam so in a future comic they can switch places one day..
I can’t please everyone and I am 100% okay with that.
This may also be a spoiler alert but believe it or not, it’s by design. She’s been down since Grey kicked Sam’s ass. Some have noticed it and I have tried very hard to work that into her look. Maybe it’s too subtle. Who knows. If things get resolved and turn around, you’ll see it in her dialogue and appearance.
Ahah layers of personality and subtlety of feelings and motive. Bravo sir. Ill admit i dont care for her new hair but if its her expressing depression and whatnot from what happened with her boyfriend and sam that it totally makes sense. Perhaps in time her old look will resurface as she heals but if this is whst it seems then i congradulate you on showing character growth and dev
Ahah layers of personality and subtlety of feelings and motive. Bravo sir. Ill admit i dont care for her new hair but if its her expressing depression and whatnot from what happened with her boyfriend and sam that it totally makes sense. Perhaps in time her old look will resurface as she heals but if this is whst it seems then i congradulate you on showing character growth and dev
Ok my phone freaked out n posted while i typed.. twice aparently.
Congradualte you on character growth and degelopment which im sure can be hard to dowhile still maintaining their original roles (after all if bret mattures completely how can he represent the gratting player that gets under your skin) good job again.
Oh and my original reason for posting a comment
That is the Best name for Fists i have Ever seen!
Ultimately I just miss the pink strip in her hair.
I actually picked up on the whole look related to Mel’s life being messed with. I just didn’t have my suspicions confirmed until this story arc.
Step One is to have her and Sam switch glasses. Seriously.
Nope!
is there a page missing? it feels like theres a page missing.
I for one would love to see the flashbacks for the stories behind the names of Pop’s fists! And in my head I see one written as Orc-Wrist, but that’s because I love crappy puns 😉
So we’ll know why Mel is dating Grey, at last! My money on an ancient Pharaoh’s curse.
Very excited about this storyline, and even more excited to hear about moderation! Your site is one of the few where I actually bother to read some comments after the strip. Let the trolls shout at their monitors, we don’t need to hear them. 🙂
Maybe he named his fists that because they glow blue in the presence of Orcs.
Still kind of alarmed that Grey flips out that easily at a guy who HE KNOWS hates his guts. Grey, you need help! That said. you’ve also Caused a Scene, threatened someone with physical violence, and been anything less that perfectly polite to shop staff, how is this ever OK?
Now I wanna see Pops go Mr. Miyagi on douchebro. I could imagine him easily dodging Grey’s fists while bouncing a d20 off of his head.
Go Pops go! I really am curious to see where this is going. I really want to know the answer to Donnie’s question.
Sadly, since I’m going to be travelling for work over the next few weeks, I’m not going to get much of a chance to keep up with webcomics… but, on the plus side, it means, when I come home, I’ll have a veritable bounty of comics to catch up on!
First time commenter, but I felt this to be the beginning of something important. I enjoy that we’re going to see why Mel is dating Grey (though I feel it’s likely for the obvious reasons that girls date guys like that. Possible childhood friend, he’s normally easy to deal with, he looks physically attractive, I feel like I can change him ect…ect.). I hope that afterwards they do break up causing Grey to get his head out of his @$$. Also I hope Sam takes pity on Dove for what just happened to the guy in the last panel.
However don’t, I beg you, don’t have a whole Mel and Sam get together thing. I mean I won’t stop reading if you do, but they did go through a whole “it’s better if we’re just friends” thing. However if that’s the way the story rolls (pun intended) then I can go with it too.
Also I get Bro Hammer, but not orcrist. Can anyone explain?
1st – dove was being a dick before Grey was involved. Not sure he needs to be kicked out of the event – he wasn’t the one being violent. Granted, he probably brought his cousin along for that reason. Or Grey asked to come along, hard to say.
2nd – Orcrist was one of the magic swords from the Lord of the Rings series. Read the Hobbit, it’s an easy, fun read. LoTR is a bit tougher a nut to crack, but rewarding.
I’ve read it before (and the side books save Children of Turin) I had just forgotten that. Thanks for the reminder.
Then you have read more than me. At some point I need to choke down the trilogy again, and then try to read the Silmarillion.
Yeah! For those who missed it:
“Orcrist”= ‘Orc-cleaver’
“Glamdring” = ‘Foe-hammer’ –> ‘BRO-hammer’
Brilliant!
Pops is gonna pwn a bitch!
Theories as to “why him”:
– Arranged marriage
– Grey was once a good guy (just a facade) and she thinks she can bring back that guy
– Stockholm syndrome
– Blackmail
and the least likely option as I know it’s an incredible stretch of the imagination:
– He’s got a huge penis.
My personal theory is none of these. I think he’s gay, or bi.
I think Grey is deeply ashamed of his own sexuality, and is over-compensating in a huge way.
Mel is trying to help him through it, because she knows that when he doesn’t have anything to hide, he’s actually a very sweet guy.
I’m reckoning that she still has feelings for Sam (possibly subconsciously) and chose Grey to try and make Sam jelous, but now she feels to scared to break it off with him, due to his enormous size and apparent short fuse.
Purely speculation, but remember if it is right, Bick Discuit called it.
This was very much hinted at when Sam first tapped the narrative.
This is indeed the question that a lot of us have been wondering since you introduced this diouchebag.
Can we continue the Grey/Vegeta parallels a little longer? If so, have his hair go blond next panel when he’s fighting pops.
Also looking forward to getting the answer.
Dammit. I was hoping the “why him” question was finally going to be answered today, you cocktease. For once, I can’t wait for a Monday.
“Bro-Hammer” slayed me. Why do I get the feeling that Pops hunted down Nazis in Argentina after the war. Putting them down with Fists of Justice.
Edge. Of. My. Seat.
We’re getting a lot of development in this arc already. I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.
Also… last panel: “KAKAROOOOOOOOT!!!”
DUDE!!! finally, calling mel out on the ‘riod freak 😀 nice…. I love this strip, and all the work you put into it.
There is very little in the world that makes me see red, drive me into a teeth-gnashing and blood-spitting frenzy, than seeing a bully in action. I know you have your story firmly in mind and know where you’re going with it, but DAMN it’s hard watching Grey get away with the shit that he does. Like many others, I’m dearly hoping for a comeuppance soon. 🙂 And not just because I’d like to see Sam and Mel end up together. Mostly because Grey is just such a Giant Walking Male Organ. Jackass.
Guess that’s a testament to your writing, eh? Creating characters that we really care about (Sam, Mel, Trev, Brett, etc.) and also ones that we really hate.
Looking forward to wherever this goes…..
cheers,
Phil
I really believe that Mel is trying to help Grey through something. Something he can’t fix on his own. He’s even more broken than Sam is.
I’m actually hoping we suddenly start seeing Grey sitting at the game table.
This has nothing to do with your comment, I just want to say major respect for the Mr Flibble avatar dude 🙂
Thank you. I love using it. Vault Boy used to be my standard, but this one has really grown on me.
Me too, I love “redemption” and how characters can go from “Dick” to Pal, like Darth Vader at the end of episode 6
Brian,
You’re my hero for disrupting the trolls and their behavior. Keep up the good work and continue to kick them OUT of the yard!
(Not sure what answer I’m expecting to hear, but as always, will tun in next time!)
Anna
So did Sam just get his ass kicked again or did Pops arrive just in time?
Pops stepped in!
Did I just miss Sam standing behind Pops, or did you do some editing?
It looks like he went back and “Lucased” his comic. At least this was for the clarity and no Jar Jar Binks! 🙂
This has nothing to do with your comment, I just want to say major respect for the Mr Flibble avatar dude 🙂
this was supposed to be a reply to someone, think I musta pressed a wrong button……
Only now do I see how “mmmmmeh I am evil see” Greýs hairdo is.
It’s like a flame. A fire from his soul, awakened.
to beat up some mean geeks BRO
Do you even crit
Random rant theory, mostly for fun.
Grey used to be a small geek gamer himself, maybe that is how he met mel. Then he had a run in with a bad group who killed him off in a bogus way. Grey wanted revenge against those who wronged him, started packing on the protein and pumping the iron and started hunting geeks indiscriminately. Now he is the terror in the night, he who dishes out a dark justice… BRO-MAN!
That also explains why when sam called him out last time, that he bulked up even more. His muscles are his shield, protecting his fragile broken gamer heart.
I can only picture Sam aking him, “What are you? What made you?”
Grey, “You did, and do…you all do…”
Interesting theory.
Another side theory is that he was a gamer guy, small, weak, got picked on by the bro-dudes. He then bulked up to fight back, but somewhere along the way he lost who he was, he became one of them.
I like this theory! It would be like Darth Vader’s classic “I am your father” revelation, putting a seemingly 100% villain in a new light, sowing sympathy amongst the hatred for the character. Like Sam in a previous comic, we’ll see him for who he really is, and pity him.
Thanks for sticking up for us commenters. I might be gruff, but I always try and be respectful, because I love both your work and my fellow commenters, even if I adamantly disagree with their opinions and the like.
So… fuck yeah, dude, keep it up.
For a moment there I thought he was going to whip out his `Enos`. great job on the panel. I am loving how this story is playing out.
Silence will fall, when the question is asked…
It’s all still waiting for you…the return to Karthun, the rage of the DM, and THE QUESTION…
Why him?
Why HIM!?
WHY…HIM!?!?
I love this comic!
Hey, I also realized this comic’s bigger! Way to set the stage!
I want to get in my time machine, go back to my friends watching the first season of “Star Trek: the Next Generation,” and tell them “Hear me, primitive ones! The day will come when it will be counted as cool to be hit in the eye with one of Wil Wheaton’s toenail clippings! Oh, and here’s a list of stocks you should be buying.”
I would just like to thank you for the Brohammer. The bane of Dude Bros since the dawn of like time and something you know bro?
For my birthday (on Tuesday!) I would dearly like Mel to dump the douche (i.e. something useless and harmful you stick up your twat), but will settle for the answer to the gnawing question… WTF is her heart stuck on him???
P.S. Loving this comic since I found it a few months ago… especially for your creative beholder-kin, and your blog entry about Pathfinder. That more than anything spurred me to check it out, as my friends and I embark on a RPG journey of discovery. Only played a couple of AD&D modules as a tween, but loving the richness of setting to be found in Golarion.
Must admit, am looking forward to when you release a Karthun sourcebook via Kickstarter (which you are secretly planning, and thus not discussing nor even acknowledging whenever it is brought up in the comments)…