[sohmer]

I’ve never been one to discuss an arc while it’s in process, as I tend to believe that the sum is greater than the parts and that to fully express your thoughts towards something, it’s not a bad idea to wait until it’s complete.

With that in mind, this would make a good time to talk about last week’s TED arc.

I believe that the first and most important role of any comic strip is to entertain. Whatever the subject matter, whether the comic is a comedy or a tragedy, it must entertain. From my way of seeing things, that entertaining comes not only from telling a joke, telling a story, but also from encouraging debate.

Sometimes, getting people to talk about something or engage others in civilized disagreements can be even more rewarding than eliciting a chuckle or a full belly laugh.

To that end, Lar and I succeeded immensely with the arc, and I want to thank everyone who took the time to express their thoughts and opinions.

Which brings me to another point.

If a man expresses his opinion, he is not imposing his morality on you. He is, quite simply, expressing his opinion. By definition, it doesn’t matter if he is right or wrong in your eyes, this is what he believes. When Rayne got up on that stage, he was expressing thoughts and concepts he believes in.

Does it mean I agree with him? On certain things I do, on other things I don’t. As it happens, I write a comic strip with a rather large cast, with each character having their own beliefs and morality. Do I agree with all of them? Even when they contradict each other? Sometimes I fear it may turn me into a schizophrenic, but there it is.

And finally, the last thing I wanted to talk about, is ‘fuck’.

Indeed, you all noticed that for the first time in the history of this strip, the word was said without being bleeped out. More than anything else, it was an experiment. By never having used the word before, I felt that when we did use it once, it would make that much more of an impact.

I have no intention of using it again for a long time, but it was a device, and one well used.

Once again, I want to thank everyone who got involved in the discussions last week, and it’s an absolute pleasure to see people debate civilly. That alone made the arc worthwhile.

And now, there’s a mistress waiting for me downstairs with her siren call. I call her “Halo ODST”.

- Because I can.

Quote of the Day

“To find something, anything, a great truth or a lost pair of glasses, you must first believe there would be some advantage in finding it.
-Jack Burden, from All The King’s Men (2006)

[NochDguir]

well played Ryan well played. i hadn't even caught that you used Fuck un-censored, i wonder if it means i am jaded enough to not be bothered by it or just that forgetful....

right... SHINY! err i mean i really enjoyed the TED arc especially that you challenged us with homework in exchange for theoretical swag even if we don't get any gear i hope everyone else walked away from the forum boards a bit brighter and more hopeful for our future i know i did and will keep in mind as i get up everyday there are new challenges to face overcome and set on fire if needed (heh gotta take inspiration from Richard now and then)


-Because its funny and the highest form of respect
and because i can
Quote of the Moment

"Eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow may bring ye pissin on the pearly gates and wondering if heaven has beer"-Morgan Smith

[Snoof]

Today I must salute you Sohmer. Any thing that induces a not only a lively debate but also a civil debate on the internet should be applauded. You my friend have done both and at the same time have helped make people more informed.

I salute you
Andy

[pure3volution]

I must say that i love a good healthy debate, be it about anything. i think that if we can sit there and hear another person speak there opinion about a subject, even if we disagree, and not comment until they have finished, we help ourselves grow as a person, and as a people

and secondly, i don't like Halo ODST!!
it has a fair story but the game play just doesn't do it for me, and i think the only good thing about it is the firefight.
in other words, i was totally disappointed at bungie's newest installation.

[Prince Forte]

If a man expresses his opinion, he is not imposing his morality on you. He is, quite simply, expressing his opinion.

In this day and age, an opinion is not oft expressed aloud unless the one expressing the opinion has the intention of trying to sway others to his side, and not always peacefully. Very VERY rarely is anyone simply stating an opinion for the sake of it, and so the general populace has defaulted to an almost instinctive defensive mentality.

And let's face it, we have a lot of stupid people out there. We have a lot of opinions. Dare ye share your view of the world, you should expect some mud in the face for it.

[jynksie]

You've been doing your comic long enough and in my personal opinion, well enough, that delving into this kind of story arc fits in well with this character. He's an in your face kind of guy, so why wouldn't he have moments where he's in your face, making you think?!?

I think it's been well done, I may not exactly embrace TED, but I certainly don't feel preached at by having this arc done! I had to go back and actually reread the comic that he swore in... I guess having a wife who swears like a truck driver makes me oblivious to swear words!

[SeirX]

The whole `who the fuck are you` didn't get me so much as the facial expression that went with it.
A clear (from my POV) expression of disgusted anger..borderline violent-hatred?? ...
and the best part is..

He/You guys is/are right. Who are you?!
I see this in my gf's little brother on a very regular basis.
The bum has no job, lives at home, and expects other people to pay for his everything, to the point of outright telling them `hey, you need to buy me this`. (side note: I wait for him to tell -me- this, so I can respond `no, you need to get your ass a job, and buy it for yourself`.)

Kudos for you, for not making the whole TED thing preachy.. that must've been a fine balance, and you did it well(are doing it well).

[Hurricane Islandheart]

Congrats on a great arc! It certainly did its job to a "T" - and had the bonus of getting a few more people to look up the awesomeness that is TED.

[ShawnB]

Your absolutely right Sohmer; and I appreciate your candor. And I totally did not see the f-word uncensored; bravo. Its a interesting change. I've used TED in the classroom and my students always enjoy it. I thought it was a brilliant move writing wise and commend your story arc!

Thanks
Shawn

[dmh3000]

I have to say, Rayne wasn't as 'Rayne' when he was on that stage. Usually he's a little more 'in your face' when expressing his opinions. Last week, he explained his views in a rational way. He was professional, mature and stayed with the point, except for that one aside. But it worked and it worked well. So bravo to you both.

Also, I am glad you guys aren't going to use the f word until it becomes pointless, like on Penny Arcade, Ctrl Alt Delete, etc.

[chetmo]

...At least Ryan was checking to see if we hadn't fallen asleep on him....

Oh, Captain my captain, I follow where ever you lead... And grouse quite a bit about the accommodations while doing so!

[Le Diable Blanc]

HEY SOHMER, I WON HALO 3 ODST TREE WEEKS AGO, GOD BLESS THE PIRATES!


I want to see Rayne doing that, the noob...

[PepsimusP]

Frankly, while I understand what you were trying to do, I don't think it was one of your more well executed arcs. But, I can respect the need to experiment with your writing.

Contrary to what you say about the opinions not completely being your own, however... not quite buying that. Rayne was not acting "in character;" he was being used as a mouth piece. And the "debates" that were going on... well, I think they devolved into "must impress LICD staff" vs. "oh noes someone is wrong on the internet"

That said, I was glad to find the TED website--as an English teacher, I'm always glad to find creating thinking websites that I can use in the classroom.

[Dragonheart91]

Put simply, Fuck you. You contradict yourself by your own actions. Entertainment? No, it was bullshit. Badly written bullshit. I couldn't care less about whether or not I agreed with any of the opinions expressed. You are no political speaker, and it showed by the absolute lack of depth to anything you said during the arc. And as you said, the point is to entertain. You DID NOT do that.

You have your own comments and blogs to talk about anything you want such as the TED topics. That is perfectly fine. The comic is not the place for it, especially when it is REPLACING the entertainment instead of augmenting it.

So once again, as I type this for the second time ever, (I don't curse either.) Fuck you. Ruining something great for your own personal amusement against the wishes of your fans is not the way to entertain.

This post has been edited by Dragonheart91: 27 September 2009 - 11:57 PM

[chetmo]

And the "debates" that were going on... well, I think they devolved into "must impress LICD staff" vs. "oh noes someone is wrong on the internet"

I take offense at that as a registered libertarian, and one who supports EFF, as well as other causes to keep media free from government control. As a comic book aficionado, if not maven, I am very interested in concepts like creator rights and limits of copyright, as well as legislation that tries to extend copyright possession well beyond previously established limits for the companies (not the creators) that own the properties...

What I posted, I spoke from the heart. I am naive enough to accept on face value that others who post here, whether I agree with them or not, do the same.

If you're referring to some other debate I know nothing about, I apologize. But, I think you should be less condescending towards the "Wingman TED" discussion... And understand that it is a topic being debated constantly, at this moment in time.

[Quanta]

If a man expresses his opinion, he is not imposing his morality on you. He is, quite simply, expressing his opinion.

That'd be true if his words weren't being emphasised AND followed with a look of utter contempt. It suggests a judgment is being passed on those who, for various reasons--some which are valid, others which are total bullshit--obtained the song or other content through back alley means. It would seem Rayne needs to figure out what "tact" is, and apply it when he wants rational discourse and not just a bunch of people trying to defend their positions.

[Trevor Allen]

Frankly Sohmer, thank you for such a great arc. It was a great strip that really expressed a lot of what's wrong with America in such few strips. I especially like the Glenn Beck part. He makes me ashamed of the republican party, even though I know most are level headed and rational like myself. But everything in the strip was spot on.

Moving on, I know there were tons of submissions but are you anywhere close to selecting a top ten? I'm incredibly excited about this. I chose that video about social networking because my composition teacher has been shoving articles down our throats about how social networking is bad. Anyways i look forward to reading the top ten submissions. If you could repost them that would be great!

Keep up the good work Sohmer. Can't wait to bring you another Red Bull at GenCon next year.

[dahrken]

I think that arc was an immense success in regards to stimulation and response, I sat there and read a great deal of what people posted; in the end there was relatively few negative posts and a great deal of expression.

Well done guys.

[Dídac Lakofpauer]

I am sure now. As I posted on the strip forum, you have succeeded. If you wanted to make us smile through a TED talk, or either if you wanted to make your readers argue one against each other for P2P and copyright, you succeeded.

Even though it was not one of my favourite arcs, i must say i grinned a couple of times with it, and that it caused a lot of commentaries on the forum. I couldn't help but imagining the LICD staff sitting patiently and laughing.

I have to agree with some people who say that Rayne was a little out-of-character in the TED talk, at some points, but... overall, i cannot say i don't like this arc.

[Lord Ichijo]

IMO, I tend to agree that anything thought provoking is always a good thing. I think too many people have become far too complacent about the world around them, and what happens in it. TED is one example of the myriad avenues available to everyone with any type of access to the internet to try to crack the window into the world a little bit, and see what other people are talking about, and why. I greatly encourage anyone to research their own viewpoint on ANY topic whatsoever, truly dig to try to find out all the information available to them about it, and see if, in the end, they still hold that viewpoint to be true, in their own opinion, and most importantly, why they still hold that belief to be true, only now with a much more informed opinion.

An opinion, by the way, is just that. Everyone has one, they are entitled to them, and noone should be so egocentric as to believe that their own opinion is the one and only truth in the world. On the flip-side of that same coin, each person's opinion, ie. their perception/point of view, IS the only truth that they know, and they will defend it, sometimes blindly, because it is what THEY believe is true. For anyone, perception IS truth.

The key to any successful debate is to listen rationally, with an open mind, have your own facts straight, and be prepared to defend your side sane rationality. I have yet, as a soldier, ever seen an irrational debate ever end peacefully.

As Ryan said, he may/may not agree with some/all/none of the opinions provided by Rayne during the TED arc. Some appear to be taking exception to certain viewpoints put forth by Rayne during his rant on stage. Personally, I think a little of Ryan's own opinion/belief on certain subjects may have subconsciously (or maybe not so subconsciously) shown through on Rayne's rant, but again, it's just an opinion. You don't have to agree with it, or even like it. It's just an opinion. And, might I add, it's a CARTOON. Cartoons, even humorous ones, have been used for several thousands of years to place political issues in front of their audience. But cartoons remain exactly what they are: entertainment.

I might point out, also, that this is the internet. It's incredibly anonymous. If you should feel that anything in particular was pointedly said to specifically insult you, remember that. It's anonymous. Ryan doesn't even KNOW you, so please don't feel particularly offended that he may have said something you don't agree with (or even interrupted the flow of the cartoon, in your opinion). This cartoon is here, I think, to entertain Ryan as much as it is the rest of us. Otherwise, he wouldn't still be doing it after all of these years.

Oh, and Ryan, don't feel bad. Every author eventually puts a little of themselves into their work. It's natural.

End rant. This has just been MY opinion, and it's worth the paper it's printed on.