Nah, the Cure’s not about temporal challenge, it’s about mad genius. Which Imogene’s got, we’re told, though we haven’t yet had a chance to see her in action.
Now, me, I wonder whether the Cure always Cluelesses its victim. I don’t see a compelling reason why it would, but the known examples seem to point that way. Not that two’s a significant sample size.
Off topic, but right in time for Halloween: I’ve had an eerie recurring experience with Skin Horse for several months, and I wonder if it happens to anyone else:
I often save daily strips and comment threads, by copying and pasting them into a Word document. When I paste the lines I’ve copied, for some reason extra lines insert themselves that just say “.children,” with varying degrees of indentation.
Just lines and lines of “.children .children .children.” I wish it were a Doctor Who crossover, but it’s just massively creepy.
It’s an HTML thing. I had a look at the “page source” for yesterday’s strip, and the word “children” showed up in a few places, mostly where some folks replied to a comment (I had a hunch that was the case, that’s why I looked at the last comic). If I remember correctly, the replies are considered children of the parent comment, programming-wise. Didn’t see any “are you my mummy?” sub-code, so it’s probably nothing too sinister. 9 times out of 10.
Of couse, this was supposed to be a reply to outworldcats. There may be an otherworldly explanation for the way this comment section operates. Maybe HTML is mad science.
Freddie, you are not alone. Four was “my” doctor, but my first was also Peter Cushing. I saw Doctor Who And The Daleks on a local TV station somewhere between 1970 and 1972. I only discovered that it was an ongoing show later (1973 or 1974) when Jon Pertwee appeared in a blurb in Popular Mechanics with the Whomobile. I didn’t see any actual episodes until 1981 when I moved to Maryland and started watching Tom Baker on PBS.
I should have added, I have a high tolerance for cheesy special effects, because I grew up on the original Star Trek series. On a little bitty black and white T.V., no less.
…so… the Institute is devoted in part to research on The Cure, which we know is perfected by the time Unnamed Daughter is born to Dave and Helen.
The Institute is apparently run by Anasigma, which among other things takes the products of mad science and reverse engineers them so unmad science can make use of them. It also occasionally nearly destroys the planet with things man was not meant to know. And it creates bioweapons like U.N.I.T.Y., which we know from Word of Sarge is in part Mel’s DNA.
Narbonics Labs seems inexorably tied up with Anasigma, as a result.
Dave is the Mad Science Liaison to the Dave Conspiracy.
Mr. Green, in the extended series metaphor, is almost certainly the Wizard, he who grants hearts, brains, diplomas and Kansas, but not really. He is at the center, though he is probably not as powerful as he seems, instead manipulating things to his advantage.
Anasigma to date has not been seen to use gerbils. Ergo, Anasigma is probably not a front for Helen Beta Narbon. If Dr. Helen Narbon is involved, she is probably the Wicked Witch of the [geology], not the driving force behind Anasigma.
Mr. Green, therefore, is almost certainly a Dave.
Ergo, Dave Barker is Mr. Green.
Don’t look too closely at the logic. That’s how they get you.
An off-stage character in “Narbonic”, and one of Shaenon’s friends in real life. He is one of the five leaders of the secretive (but very chilled out) Dave Conspiracy.
Specifically, we know Helen sold Mell (and Dave)’s DNA samples. I don’t think Narbonic Labs are necessarily as tied to Anasigma as you think. The weirdest thing is that, somehow, the idea that Mr Green was Dave Barker has crossed my mind before and I don’t remember how I reached that conclusion.
I think it’s likely that Dave and Helen sometimes do contract work for ASig, unaware of their true intentions to destroy all mad science. That or, since they’re the two biggest baddest mad scientists out there, they’re just too confident to be worried.
I was thinking that he was an accomplice (or unwitting stooge). Helen wants to wipe out her rivals. Asig wants mad scientists gone completely. Since their goals more-or-less line up, Helen provides the means, assured that when the time comes she can deal with them.
Definitely 5 1/4 inch, the eight-inchers were bloody huge. I still have a box of them from when I was working with an IBM System34. They’re good for freaking out youngsters.
Found a couple in the logroom back in my navy days – never could figure out what was on them so disposed of in the classified shredder.
Also once had a smurf-job destroying classified HDD’s – including a set of 10″ or 12″ cakebox platters. Amazing how we went from dinner-plates to thumb-drives in about 30 years.
BTW – a Vice and a belt sander w/ 40 grit really did a number on the platters.
Imogene is both Temporally Displaced *and* a Mad Scientist. If she were administered the cure, she would merely be Temporally Displaced — but probably unable to percieve the fact. She’d be unable to compass the concept of Temporal Displacement, and thus would believe that the world around her was in fact the nice “normal” 1950’s.
Where did “temporally displaced” come from, anyhow?
According to the sign on the cafeteria door (http://skin-horse.com/comic/look-look-look/) they’re Temporally Confounded. I presume that this means that they imagine they’re living in an idealized version of whatever decade suits their insanity.
Seems that even though Tiger Lily and Debbie may be merely “confounded”, Imogene really is from a different era. She’s clearly confounded as well (since she doesn’t grasp that it’s not still the 1950s), but she really is displaced. If “Cured”, she would therefore realize that it’s now the present… but she’d remember being in the 1950s because she really was… but would be reality-blind to the mad science that propelled her forward… which doesn’t look like a stable mindset.
Reality blindness tends to be inherently stable. Anything that could potentially destabilize your view is just ignored or seen in a different way as it is. Then again, in here it was never shown to be as extreme as it was in Mundementia One, different worlds and all.
This cannot be good. Debbi’s been brainwashed. Starched, even. Our intrepid duo must needs break out before it happens to them, as well.
Changed hairstyles, too…
What effect would the cure have on Frog? She’s not temporally challenged, just misplaced.
Nah, the Cure’s not about temporal challenge, it’s about mad genius. Which Imogene’s got, we’re told, though we haven’t yet had a chance to see her in action.
Now, me, I wonder whether the Cure always Cluelesses its victim. I don’t see a compelling reason why it would, but the known examples seem to point that way. Not that two’s a significant sample size.
I thought The Cure were a goth band, not a mad science band. Now, The Cog Is Dead or Steam-Powered Giraffe, on the other paw…
This version has that as a standard side effect according to its inventor, Helen B. Narbon. She eventually fixes it.
Yup, she’s Clueless and clueless. She probably wouldn’t be even able to hear Sweetheart talking to her too.
I hope they’re able to take Debbie with them when they make their break for it. ^_^;;
What makes you think there’s a cure for the Cure?
There is one, but it’s worse than the disease
I’m sure there’s room in the trunk of whatever wheels they are able to buy/steal/build from spare parts*
*Yes, I know the last is most likely, but we have to add the first two for completeness.
Off topic, but right in time for Halloween: I’ve had an eerie recurring experience with Skin Horse for several months, and I wonder if it happens to anyone else:
I often save daily strips and comment threads, by copying and pasting them into a Word document. When I paste the lines I’ve copied, for some reason extra lines insert themselves that just say “.children,” with varying degrees of indentation.
Just lines and lines of “.children .children .children.” I wish it were a Doctor Who crossover, but it’s just massively creepy.
It’s an HTML thing. I had a look at the “page source” for yesterday’s strip, and the word “children” showed up in a few places, mostly where some folks replied to a comment (I had a hunch that was the case, that’s why I looked at the last comic). If I remember correctly, the replies are considered children of the parent comment, programming-wise. Didn’t see any “are you my mummy?” sub-code, so it’s probably nothing too sinister. 9 times out of 10.
Unless you really need the formatting – you could paste-special as plain text.
That should eliminate the hidden HTML outworldcats is referring to.
Another option could be to use the snipping tool and paste the whole thing as an image.
At least it wasn’t Weeping Angels.
But bring a gas mask remover, just in case
One of my favorite episodes, and I think Christopher Eccleston may be my favorite Doctor.
He was mine, but I believe Capaldi is edging him out. Such glorious snark! 😀
Those aren’t masks!
Then I hope this isn’t the tenth time. Thanks for the ‘splainer.
Of couse, this was supposed to be a reply to outworldcats. There may be an otherworldly explanation for the way this comment section operates. Maybe HTML is mad science.
MAYBE?
And I have to say, when any word starts mysteriously appearing, it’s dramatically creepy children.
Nah, HTML is not mad science… as long as you don’t try to parse it with regex.
Now that’s a classic piece of programmer humour if I’ve ever seen one
Didn’t xkcd cover this situation in one of its strips?
…*I* still listen to the Cure.
Me, too. Further evidence that Debbie has been, sadly, broken.
Lol!
Oh dear…
Continuing to rage quietly off topic: Fourth Doctor fan here, but my first was Dr. 1.5, Peter Cushing.
Freddie, you are not alone. Four was “my” doctor, but my first was also Peter Cushing. I saw Doctor Who And The Daleks on a local TV station somewhere between 1970 and 1972. I only discovered that it was an ongoing show later (1973 or 1974) when Jon Pertwee appeared in a blurb in Popular Mechanics with the Whomobile. I didn’t see any actual episodes until 1981 when I moved to Maryland and started watching Tom Baker on PBS.
Ah, Maryland PBS in the 80s; I grew up on Dr. Who and Monty Python from them. It was a glorious time to be a kid.
Alas, I have not been able to watch Classic Who. I consider Nine /my/ Doctor. He’s fantastic!
Older Dr. Who eps are an acquired taste, dependent largely on one’s tolerance for cheesy special effects.
I should have added, I have a high tolerance for cheesy special effects, because I grew up on the original Star Trek series. On a little bitty black and white T.V., no less.
Matt Smith fan here, since Doctor Who is entering the Narbonic universe.
“Keen Punchcards of Tomorrow” – that is an AWESOME phrase!
I resemble that remark
…so… the Institute is devoted in part to research on The Cure, which we know is perfected by the time Unnamed Daughter is born to Dave and Helen.
The Institute is apparently run by Anasigma, which among other things takes the products of mad science and reverse engineers them so unmad science can make use of them. It also occasionally nearly destroys the planet with things man was not meant to know. And it creates bioweapons like U.N.I.T.Y., which we know from Word of Sarge is in part Mel’s DNA.
Narbonics Labs seems inexorably tied up with Anasigma, as a result.
Dave is the Mad Science Liaison to the Dave Conspiracy.
Mr. Green, in the extended series metaphor, is almost certainly the Wizard, he who grants hearts, brains, diplomas and Kansas, but not really. He is at the center, though he is probably not as powerful as he seems, instead manipulating things to his advantage.
Anasigma to date has not been seen to use gerbils. Ergo, Anasigma is probably not a front for Helen Beta Narbon. If Dr. Helen Narbon is involved, she is probably the Wicked Witch of the [geology], not the driving force behind Anasigma.
Mr. Green, therefore, is almost certainly a Dave.
Ergo, Dave Barker is Mr. Green.
Don’t look too closely at the logic. That’s how they get you.
Where have we seen Dave Barker before?
An off-stage character in “Narbonic”, and one of Shaenon’s friends in real life. He is one of the five leaders of the secretive (but very chilled out) Dave Conspiracy.
Specifically, we know Helen sold Mell (and Dave)’s DNA samples. I don’t think Narbonic Labs are necessarily as tied to Anasigma as you think. The weirdest thing is that, somehow, the idea that Mr Green was Dave Barker has crossed my mind before and I don’t remember how I reached that conclusion.
I’ve occasionally wondered if Mr Green is Homeschool Joe
Not a bad idea.
I think it’s likely that Dave and Helen sometimes do contract work for ASig, unaware of their true intentions to destroy all mad science. That or, since they’re the two biggest baddest mad scientists out there, they’re just too confident to be worried.
Wasn’t Helen’s original plan for the cure to use it to wipe out rival mads? She could be letting Asig do the hard stuff.
This would be fun. Dave Davenport would be Mister Green then?
No, Mr Green is…
No… probably not… hmmm.
I was thinking that he was an accomplice (or unwitting stooge). Helen wants to wipe out her rivals. Asig wants mad scientists gone completely. Since their goals more-or-less line up, Helen provides the means, assured that when the time comes she can deal with them.
You’re right Anson – Mr. Green is a different character, and your scenario is more likely
No, Helen’s original plan was to use the cure to cure Dave, not as a weapon. That idea came later when she got worse after he left.
Back to digging that hole…
Hard to tell whether those are five inch or eight inch
Clark, judging from the size ratio to her hand, I’d say 5 and 3/4 inchers.
Definitely 5 1/4 inch, the eight-inchers were bloody huge. I still have a box of them from when I was working with an IBM System34. They’re good for freaking out youngsters.
Found a couple in the logroom back in my navy days – never could figure out what was on them so disposed of in the classified shredder.
Also once had a smurf-job destroying classified HDD’s – including a set of 10″ or 12″ cakebox platters. Amazing how we went from dinner-plates to thumb-drives in about 30 years.
BTW – a Vice and a belt sander w/ 40 grit really did a number on the platters.
@Anson: The Cure isn’t for temporal displacement or confusion, the Cure is for being a Mad.
It goes further than that. It inhibits your capacity to accept the implausible. It makes you what Jonah calls “clueless”.
Reality-blind.
Imogene is both Temporally Displaced *and* a Mad Scientist. If she were administered the cure, she would merely be Temporally Displaced — but probably unable to percieve the fact. She’d be unable to compass the concept of Temporal Displacement, and thus would believe that the world around her was in fact the nice “normal” 1950’s.
So, you’re saying that the Cure for her insanity would eventually drive her mad?
If she fractures the right way, Imogene might go right back to (ab)normal again.
What Ray said. Taking the cure would probably land her in an (sane) insane asylum.
Where did “temporally displaced” come from, anyhow?
According to the sign on the cafeteria door (http://skin-horse.com/comic/look-look-look/) they’re Temporally Confounded. I presume that this means that they imagine they’re living in an idealized version of whatever decade suits their insanity.
I was confused by this as well, so I dug back a bit in the comments, and found a link to Imogene’s introduction in Narbonic, with the Director’s Cut commentary:
http://www.webcomicsnation.com/shaenongarrity/narbonic_plus/series.php?view=archive&chapter=49469#strip5
Seems that even though Tiger Lily and Debbie may be merely “confounded”, Imogene really is from a different era. She’s clearly confounded as well (since she doesn’t grasp that it’s not still the 1950s), but she really is displaced. If “Cured”, she would therefore realize that it’s now the present… but she’d remember being in the 1950s because she really was… but would be reality-blind to the mad science that propelled her forward… which doesn’t look like a stable mindset.
Reality blindness tends to be inherently stable. Anything that could potentially destabilize your view is just ignored or seen in a different way as it is. Then again, in here it was never shown to be as extreme as it was in Mundementia One, different worlds and all.
Ah. One of those details that isn’t easily spotted.
Poor kid. She’d need to develop a whole new delusion to deal with the missing years and her biological age.
I’d been wondering that too. It’s a pity about her.
i’m still wondering if Debbi is actually an agent provocateur, to motivate them to escape…