@Rob “Decent” into madness? I suppose you could classify madness into “decent” and “indecent” forms…
At least no-one’s mistyped it as “descant” into madness (although since a descant is a counter-melody at a higher pitch than the main melody, mad caterwauling…) or “dissent” into madness (although that’s arguable… ).
Then again, in Narbonic you could possibly describe Dave’s approach to madness as an ascent!
I believe his muse needs, and gets, pretty much anything she asks for. Which is exactly as it should; muses are fickle things. One must lavish them with attention, loud music, alcohol and whatever other drugs one likes, as well as all sorts of shiny baubles and trips to exotic locales with too much dancing. Sortof like a mistress, only you actually have something to show for your effort when all is said & done.
It says a lot that the beginnings of Skin Horse can be regarded as “simple”, given that the other members of my family consider me insane if I try describing any ONE of the miriad of strange situations that turn up in any Skin Horse story arc.
(TUNE: “Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues”, Danny O’Keefe)
Please excuse the brief recap …
Story’s gone through so much crap,
That first-time readers cannot cope …
All ye who read, abandon hope!
We’ve got a zombie mind gone wild
Inside an over-cautious child …
She is the Chose One, for whom
Was kept the Mystic Stamp of Doom!
CHORUS:
Some plots we use, some we refuse …
Jeffrey Wells obeys his muse!
We started way back in ’08 …
Things were simple, things were great
When some transvestite shrink was tryin’
To psychoanalyze a lion!
But now the plot’s become so weird!
It’s worse than I had ever feared!
“Just wait ’til next time,” Jeffrey says,
“When Tigerlily runs for Prez!” (repeat CHORUS)
don’t know if you will see this comment but i am quite sure that Order of the stick breaks the floor and ceiling, at the very least i can remember them breaking the border. oh and then there is ‘A Loonatics Tale’ one of the characters not only slips between borders but completely leaves the medium.
>I’m now wondering what the name of the Muse of Web Comics is.
A long, long time ago, Mark Sachs of “A Miracle of Science” defined the muse of fanfics as “Malahelicon” combining “mal” for “bad” with the name of the place where the muses live, Mount Helicon. I suspect that Malahelicon does double duty for webcomics (and any other recently-invented media).
Oddly, none of the nine classic muses cover any kind of drawing or painting. But Thalia is the muse of both comedy and science, so she clearly inspires all strips about mad scientists.
Having been following Skin Horse since the beginning, I just wanted to tell Shaenon and Jeff how much I adore it. The tone of ‘beyond the impossible’ is very much shared with Narbonic, but the difference in focus makes it its own entity. Furthermore, having just started writing for a webcomic on my own, it amazes me how often and consistantly you guys can update. Me and my artist are still figuring things out, haha…oh god, I’m so in over my head.
The best part of this recap is that it doesn’t even mention trout possession or the steampunkesque robot army and repeating it would still get me weird looks from my closest friends.
Jeffery’s Muse needs an intervention, methinks. Or a visit to Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab.
I suspect that his muse needs a pat on the back for a job well done.
I also question whether this strip was ever simple.
This strip has always been a descent into madness waiting to happen (and I mean that in a good way
)
“descent into” ?
*deeper into
The strip’s decent (further) into madness has hit the bottom of the Challenger Deep and is picking up speed!
@Rob “Decent” into madness? I suppose you could classify madness into “decent” and “indecent” forms…
At least no-one’s mistyped it as “descant” into madness (although since a descant is a counter-melody at a higher pitch than the main melody, mad caterwauling…) or “dissent” into madness (although that’s arguable… ).
Then again, in Narbonic you could possibly describe Dave’s approach to madness as an ascent!
Ack. I really wish I could edit older posts…
I believe his muse needs, and gets, pretty much anything she asks for. Which is exactly as it should; muses are fickle things. One must lavish them with attention, loud music, alcohol and whatever other drugs one likes, as well as all sorts of shiny baubles and trips to exotic locales with too much dancing. Sortof like a mistress, only you actually have something to show for your effort when all is said & done.
mnem
Analyze THIS.
I love the slight frown of frustration on Shaenon’s face….
It says a lot that the beginnings of Skin Horse can be regarded as “simple”, given that the other members of my family consider me insane if I try describing any ONE of the miriad of strange situations that turn up in any Skin Horse story arc.
Methinks the Muse has been listening to quite a bit of Parliament lately….
(TUNE: “Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues”, Danny O’Keefe)
Please excuse the brief recap …
Story’s gone through so much crap,
That first-time readers cannot cope …
All ye who read, abandon hope!
We’ve got a zombie mind gone wild
Inside an over-cautious child …
She is the Chose One, for whom
Was kept the Mystic Stamp of Doom!
CHORUS:
Some plots we use, some we refuse …
Jeffrey Wells obeys his muse!
We started way back in ’08 …
Things were simple, things were great
When some transvestite shrink was tryin’
To psychoanalyze a lion!
But now the plot’s become so weird!
It’s worse than I had ever feared!
“Just wait ’til next time,” Jeffrey says,
“When Tigerlily runs for Prez!”
(repeat CHORUS)
Ed, you’re scaring me.
I’m now wondering what the name of the Muse of Web Comics is.
Eris, I believe.
That seems appropriate, at least for here.
Yay for fourth wall breakage!
Personally, I don’t count author inserts as 4th wall breakage, unless they’re interacting with the characters or something.
Personally, I’ve seen so much fourth-wall breakage in web comics that I’m actively looking for ceiling and floor breakage now.
don’t know if you will see this comment but i am quite sure that Order of the stick breaks the floor and ceiling, at the very least i can remember them breaking the border. oh and then there is ‘A Loonatics Tale’ one of the characters not only slips between borders but completely leaves the medium.
>I’m now wondering what the name of the Muse of Web Comics is.
A long, long time ago, Mark Sachs of “A Miracle of Science” defined the muse of fanfics as “Malahelicon” combining “mal” for “bad” with the name of the place where the muses live, Mount Helicon. I suspect that Malahelicon does double duty for webcomics (and any other recently-invented media).
I’ve been entertained from the start of this arc contemplating what “Research” Jeff and Shaenon must have had to do by way of preparation.
Oddly, none of the nine classic muses cover any kind of drawing or painting. But Thalia is the muse of both comedy and science, so she clearly inspires all strips about mad scientists.
And Thalia got an element named after her, so she definitely rules!
Having been following Skin Horse since the beginning, I just wanted to tell Shaenon and Jeff how much I adore it. The tone of ‘beyond the impossible’ is very much shared with Narbonic, but the difference in focus makes it its own entity. Furthermore, having just started writing for a webcomic on my own, it amazes me how often and consistantly you guys can update. Me and my artist are still figuring things out, haha…oh god, I’m so in over my head.
We still are unsure about Anasigma’s involvement or why they gave Dr. Lee this assignment in the first place.
My muse is named Agatha.
“The Blank Page” – http://www.oglaf.com/blank-page/
“Muse” – http://www.oglaf.com/muse/
“I go where the muse leads.”
To Glory or over a cliff, that is the question…
The best part of this recap is that it doesn’t even mention trout possession or the steampunkesque robot army and repeating it would still get me weird looks from my closest friends.
The look on Channing’s face makes me think he should be saying “This is totes a regular comic strip.”
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