#018 Mission Critical

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blackrave

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Remember kids, if an imaginary creature calls you crazy, there isn't a single reason not to believe it.
 

BX3

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<spoiler=I believe this picture is appropriate>http://i.imgur.com/siivcYN.gif

Nice jerb, Rad... although he dooooes have a point.

Demagogue said:
I give us until the end of page 2 until someone goes on about how now Cory and Gray are mocking the mentally challenged...
I'm actually kinda surprise I haven't seen it yet here on in the FB comments. No, that's not me shit flinging, I was pretty much bracing for some kind of negative reaction when I saw the last 4 panels. Egg's on my face; I was wrong this time. Good on ya, guys.
 

IamLEAM1983

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Aug 22, 2011
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Mr.Mattress said:
Nicholas Killham said:
Erin needs a hug.
She also needs a Therapist, a Life Coach, and real friends.

Maybe Rad, instead of trying to dig her deeper into the hole, should be more encouraging of her to go outside and meet some people...
Imaginary friends aren't typically much more than coping mechanisms. If this particular take on Erin is schizophrenic, Rad's only concern and purpose is lending more weight to the constructed illusion. Erin isn't ready to face the world, so Rad reflects that, even if he seems to be the most supportive of the hallucinated characters thus far.

Gunny's Buzz Lightyear syndrome is just Stout adding some world-building to her constructed reality.
 

Godhead

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May 25, 2009
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Oh no, Erin was mean and Rad was mean back. Now Erin's feelings are hurt. My Capacity for compassion is rising tenfold!
 

Darth_Payn

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Ooooooooohhhhhhh, SNAP! Erin got TOLD! By a 90's 16-bit game character! So she HAS to know she's messed up by now!

I also like the use of TOY STORY terminology. Gunney's a "Buzz", so that means Rad is a "Woody*", I guess.




*Oh, don't laugh. You were all thinking it!
 

The Harkinator

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Jun 2, 2010
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The mission is critical, with volition political. I could question it, but I 'aint feeling too analytical.
 

ArcaneGamer

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Darth_Payn said:
Ooooooooohhhhhhh, SNAP! Erin got TOLD! By a 90's 16-bit game character! So she HAS to know she's messed up by now!

I also like the use of TOY STORY terminology. Gunney's a "Buzz", so that means Rad is a "Woody*", I guess.




*Oh, don't laugh. You were all thinking it!
Would that make Erin Andy??
 

Rad Party God

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Feb 23, 2010
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"I told him you're pretty critical too. You criticalize stuff all the time."

So... Erin is what you can call...

*puts on glasses*

A Critical Miss.

 

Darth_Payn

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ArcaneGamer said:
Darth_Payn said:
Ooooooooohhhhhhh, SNAP! Erin got TOLD! By a 90's 16-bit game character! So she HAS to know she's messed up by now!

I also like the use of TOY STORY terminology. Gunney's a "Buzz", so that means Rad is a "Woody*", I guess.




*Oh, don't laugh. You were all thinking it!
Would that make Erin Andy??
More like the Anti-Andy, since she talks to made-up people expecting them to respond.
 

Mr.Mattress

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Jul 17, 2009
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IamLEAM1983 said:
Mr.Mattress said:
Nicholas Killham said:
Erin needs a hug.
She also needs a Therapist, a Life Coach, and real friends.

Maybe Rad, instead of trying to dig her deeper into the hole, should be more encouraging of her to go outside and meet some people...
Imaginary friends aren't typically much more than coping mechanisms. If this particular take on Erin is schizophrenic, Rad's only concern and purpose is lending more weight to the constructed illusion. Erin isn't ready to face the world, so Rad reflects that, even if he seems to be the most supportive of the hallucinated characters thus far.
I guess that's true, but considering in Critical Miss, Link pretended to be some guy to help get her out of a rut (I liked that Arc, btw), I was imagining that Rad would be more like that: Someone who'd help her get out of her rut.

Then again, this is an alternate Universe. Maybe her psychosis here isn't as helpful..
 

Darth_Payn

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The Harkinator said:
The mission is critical, with volition political. I could question it, but I 'aint feeling too analytical.
Cause I'm the shooter guy, shooter guy
Laws of physics and logic need not apply.
I'm the shooter guy, shooter guy
As long as I got my wall, I will never Di-I-iiiiiieeee!
 

KenAri

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The last panel is unclear to me. I get the vibe that Erin is storming away from Rad and the mission, but Rad seems to be walking in the same direction as her. I'd think that Rad was following her to try and calm her down, but in the last panel his facial expression isn't really clear.

Is she storming off, or was the last line meant to read more like, 'Let's go get your stupid flag'?. Where Rad's coldness made her realise she's being off, so she decides to cooperate.

Obviously this'll probably be clarified in the next slip, but for now I'm unsure how to read.
 

The Material Sheep

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inu-kun said:
Well, finally a comic that's not a terrible joke, but yeah, Erin is kinda unlikable which was a problem from the very start, I don't have any reason to like her or feel sad for her.
That's kind of my issue with this series. Interesting concept, but Erin has so little in terms of redeeming qualities it's impossible for me to feel sorry for her. She totally deserved the comment that made her walk off, given how mean she'd been previously. Just kind of eh.
 

-Dragmire-

King over my mind
Mar 29, 2011
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Hmmm, bad confrontation there Rad. He'll die soon I think, probably get replaced by another imaginary character that confronts her on a different level.

Erin can't "die" alone until she gets rid of/kills off all her mental crutches.
 

Adam Jensen_v1legacy

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Sep 8, 2011
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These are quickly becoming my favorite thing on The Escapist. Yes, favorite as in more awesome than Zero Punctuation. I enjoy the art and the random thoughts of the artists and the kind of darkness beneath the humor. It's all so lovely and surprising each time. Critical Miss inspired me to start drawing again. I used to love drawing when I was younger. And I was quite good at it. Bit rusty now but I'm enjoying myself nonetheless.
 

NerAnima

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That was definitely harsh, especially since it's coming from Rad, of all people, but it's definitely not unwarranted; we all know Erin has been a bit of a *****, so it was only a matter of time before someone called her out on it.

I do find it interesting that he was willing to defend Gunny like that, though, and I wonder how she'll take being on the receiving end of the verbal vitriol for once.

...I think this was my favourite comic strip by you guys so far, honestly. Simply because there was some genuine character development from everyone involved. Maybe there are others that have done that, but I haven't seen it, so for the time being, definitely my favourite.