Re: Nerd Boy, episode 257

In article <ai7dq2$128jlj$1...@ID-102694.news.dfncis.de>, "Joaquim
G�ndara" <cla...@lords.com> wrote:

>"llizard" <lli...@NOPOLLUTIONwildmail.com> skrev i meddelandet
>news:tnj...@4ax.com
>> In article <ai4jk9$uqekm$1...@ID-102694.news.dfncis.de>, "Joaquim
>> G�ndara" <cla...@lords.com> wrote:
>> >"llizard" <lli...@NOPOLLUTIONwildmail.com> skrev i meddelandet
>> >news:da9...@4ax.com
[snip]
>> >> The *point! laugh!* seems to be an spoonfeeding explanation for
>> >> readers who may be unable to make out Fanboy's expression.
>> >
>> >Nooonononono. I understand how it can be mistaken for spoonfeeding, given the
>> >unclear medium. The fact is that I've seen it in comics where the pointing is
>> >perfectly obvious; the index finger is simply accompanied by a *point!* sound
>> >effect. Similarly, I've seen the sound effect *stare!*.
>>
>> Just because it's in other comics doesn't make it any more acceptable.
>
>Just because you haven't read the other comics doesn't mean no one else has.
>I want to and need to draw inspiration from other comics.

It makes no difference at all whether anyone has read the other comics
or not. I would still say that *laugh* *point* in this instance was
unnecessary.

>> Either the drawing is selfexplanatory or it is not. In this case, in
>> context, it is clear that Fanboy is laughing at Nerdboy.
>
>Good. Then the sound effects shouldn't be a problem.

The sound effects detract from it. I see the words and immediately
think "Well, Duh... Yeh, I think I already knew that...." The sound
effects there just look to me like an apology for the medium. And I'm
well aware that small ASCII-art is extremely difficult to convey.

  _____|_____
 |\  |||||  /|
 | \ ||||| / |
 |  \|||||/  | 
 |  (-o,o-)  | ~---,
 |   \ c /   |      \_,^%---
 |   ,`-'.   |       />  \ Hey, I should know - my self portrait
 | .-\/@\/-. |   ___/ >    is the original IPOS (incomprehensible
_|/_________\|_ (# o) >    pile of sticks)
      /|\        '-~ /|^^
     / | \   ejm     | \ 

>> >> Hmmmm. It doesn't work for me. (How exactly does a *point! laugh!*
>> >> sound?)
>> >
>> >Actually, that's the whole point of it. It was supposed to be a joke. There
>> >-is- no *point!* sound! I'm not trying to be overly clear and explain that
>> >Fan Boy is pointing. There's been plenty of pointing in the comic strip
>> >without any explanations, why would I start now?
>>
>> And THAT is my point exactly (no pun intended). Why should you start
>> now?
>
>I haven't.

I believe that you have, by putting in those "sound effects". However,
it is clear that I am the only one who objects to the sound effects.
C'est la vie.

>> The extraneous *point* *laugh* detracts from Nerdboy's "OK, don't
>> answer that", which is the punchline (at least I thought that was the
>> punchline)
>
>A weak punchline, which I wanted to combine with a postpunchline joke,
>Calvin & Hobbes style.

The punchline isn't weak. The postpunchline joke would work better if
it didn't have the extra words to distract the eye.

But I sense that you have tired of my ceaseless nagging on this. From
now on, I will try to confine my comments on your strips that I find
funny to "oh wow that was fabulous" and perhaps attempt to say why I
think it works.

And speaking of #258, is there a reason that it is only on
http://nerdboy.xepher.net/ and not on http://nerdboy.port5.com/ ?

-- 
       ____                    llizard aka ejm llizard@idirec+.ca
      /| OO|                         
     | |.|||    ,^^%---  the only reason I've made suggestions                 
     |_|_bb|  _/>\  \    is that I see something quite good
       ---  ==  > \      that with a few tweaks could be great
     [_____]  __>,^     
ejm   |   |  //| |                    ASCII-art & ASCII-animation 
                           www.crosswinds.net/~llizard/ascii-art/

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