Not sure if they’re keenly aware that “I just knew” is an insufferable and hackneyed plot contrivance and they’re trying to hint to the reader they’ll get to it later…?
…or if they genuinely just writing it off entirely here and aren’t going to bother to explain it ever, and we’re just supposed to close our mouths, smile, and nod.
Is this a neurotypical thing? Do neurotypicals always know how they know things, and never have emotions that can’t be explained rationally? Must be nice.
People don’t know how they know things, or why they feel things.
We’re pattern seekers who seize on things almost at random.
This is why sound reasoning is so important, and why it is so often rejected out of hand, because people hate it when they are wrong and will cling to a lie even when they know it is a lie.
People also reject any form of reasoning when they think another member of their social group who disagrees might be around.
Learning to accept cognative dissonance and think through it is one of the most important life skills you can have if you don’t wish to be That Guy who emits a constant stream of demonstrably false opinions from his noisehole.
It’s the aulistics be all over the place don’t worry about it. As for the reason gerbil here is seeing hearts igs cause he has the hots for latinos and genius good guys. So Sergio is Antonio linguistic detective but latino.
Ehh, I don’t think that has ever happened to me (going on 60-some years), and I’m not bitter and twisted. Or are you saying that if that across-the-room-instantly thing happens, that eventually leaves one bitter and twisted? Either way, it seems an unkind sweeping generalization.
As for this “being set up for 15 years”, this comic isn’t yet 13 years old, and while Artie comes from Narbonic, I’m pretty sure Sergio was introduced somewhere around the halfway mark of Skin-Horse, so…
Also they’ve literally never met that we’re aware of. Yes, something something alternate universe, something something “URL story”… I get it, there’s some foreshadowing of the characters being compatible / potentially getting together. But that’s totally irrelevant to the idea of Artie being struck with “love at first sight”.
Sergio originated in L’il Mel, and did meet Artie during that strip. That being said, he was a child in that so hopefully not a case of love at first sight.
I don’t know what’s in Shaenon’s mind, but I do know that (a) she plans long in advance; (b) in 2005 she had created both Artie and Sergio, both superintelligent characters, and given Artie a thing for latin men for no obvious reason other than as a throwaway joke; and (c) in 2006 she knew that Artie’s character development had a long way to go.
D Walker, there was also the alternate-timeline story where Artie & Sergio were shown to have an important relationship.
But if you’re actually asking: yes, I for one would appreciate if you would follow plan “just supposed to close our mouths, smile, and nod”. It’s very understandable that you (and others!) probably have a sore spot about “just knowing” from other literature — but give Shaenon & Jeff at least a few strips to explain before you start complaining that there’s no explanation!
Oh, I see you did mention the alternate universe. So you are aware of that. My experience of these stories is that the “alternate” realities (whether the penny dreadfuls, or little nemo dreams, or alternate universes) have all reflected aspects of the characters in a was that IS intended to be inferred into the main timeline.
If we get to the end of the plotline with no explanation yet, then by all means complain away — and I will join you.
But, whining before giving them even a chance is poor form. This is a time for patience and seeing where the story will go, IMO.
Given the amount of time/reality-hopping they’ve done and has been depicted in this comic, I’m not surprised at this. They already know each other. Or will. Or did.
Artie can be briefly acquainted with someone and figure out exactly what they’ll be doing in 24 hours. it’s hard to say what Artie can’t figure out essentially at first sight. Even if he can’t read Sergio, he knows that he can’t read Sergio, and that’s also remarkable.
A lot can happen in a short time to a mind exposed to another at a higher level. It’s a lot like what Panoptica definitely experienced when reading Jonah’s mind, assuming that Artie also dreams of passing the days together with his beloved in semi-benevolent tyranny.
I can just see it through Artie’s eyes – the helmet comes off in slow-motion. Sergio shakes his head, and his hair falls perfectly into place. There is a beam of light spotlighting him, and the background has mysteriously been replaced by flowers. Somewhere, there is an angelic choir providing background music.
They won’t extirpate them there and then; they don’t have surgeons wandering around the country looking for victims.
And besides, they’d only extirpate Sergio anyway. Despite his protestations, Sergio is Anasigma staff (he was working for them, and hasn’t resigned), meaning that he is actually eligible for it.
If everything works out, they’ll shoot Artie as per the original instruction. I don’t know if they have any special plans for Cinnamon.
And where is it written that only A-Sig personnel (current or former) can be extirpated? I suspect Mr. Green would happily extirpate anyone if he felt like it.
Now that you mention it, I do recall Sergio saying it, and I believe he was talking to Jonah. I still think Ira would not hesitate to do it to Artie if he had the chance.
“Do whatever you want to do and treat the results as if they were your intended outcome.”
This isn’t the place for political comments, so I will refrain from saying anything about Boris Johnson.
Dear Artie…won’t you come out today?
Dear Artie…he is here to stay.
The goons are gone, the coast is clear,
We’re all alone, and he’s right here,
Dear Artie…won’t you come out today?
Dear Artie…pick a form to be.
Dear Artie…come on and let us see.
You’re putting us all on the spot,
And Sergio is pretty hot,
Dear Artie…pick a form to be.
Come on out, out (out, out, out,)
(Out, out, out, out, out, out,)
Come on out, out (out, out, out,)
(Out, out, out, out out,)
Come on out…
Dear Artie…drag your butt outside.
Dear Artie…you’re no blushing bride.
There’s not much time, surmount your fear,
The Anasigma dudes are near
Dear Artie…drag your butt outside.
Dear Artie…won’t you come out today?
Dear Artie…he is here to stay.
The goons are gone, the coast is clear,
We’re all alone, and he’s right here,
Dear Artie…won’t you come out today?
—from “Dear Prudence,” John Lennon / Paul McCartney, performed by The Beatles.
If I may offer a (Mad) scientific explanation of the “Love at First Sight” phenomenon?
Beyond Ogden Wernstrom’s cogent observations that Artie is in any event a special case, we know our brains respond differently to an image we have seen before than to one we are viewing for the first time. That’s why showing a suspect crime scene photos is an infallible method of lie detection.
We also know bats are capable of reacting to objects in their flight path faster than the echolocation signal can return from the target, effectively foreseeing the future.
I submit that life partners become neurologically entangled (at the quantum level) by True Love. So the image of a loved one’s face can trigger recognition unbound by time.
Anecdotally supported by the film “Somewhere in Time” (1980). 😉
“When two great Saints meet, it is a humbling experience. The long battles to prove he was a Saint.”
Artie’s tortured “Argh!” in panel four reminds me of Charlie Brown’s pining after the Little Red Haired Girl.
Cats know what you want. They don’t give a hoot, but they do know. ^_^
Oh, they don’t have time for this; there’s an apocalypse going on. Just upend the dang cat carrier.
Not sure if they’re keenly aware that “I just knew” is an insufferable and hackneyed plot contrivance and they’re trying to hint to the reader they’ll get to it later…?
…or if they genuinely just writing it off entirely here and aren’t going to bother to explain it ever, and we’re just supposed to close our mouths, smile, and nod.
Meh. Unimportant.
Is this a neurotypical thing? Do neurotypicals always know how they know things, and never have emotions that can’t be explained rationally? Must be nice.
People don’t know how they know things, or why they feel things.
We’re pattern seekers who seize on things almost at random.
This is why sound reasoning is so important, and why it is so often rejected out of hand, because people hate it when they are wrong and will cling to a lie even when they know it is a lie.
I like the way you put that.
People also reject any form of reasoning when they think another member of their social group who disagrees might be around.
Learning to accept cognative dissonance and think through it is one of the most important life skills you can have if you don’t wish to be That Guy who emits a constant stream of demonstrably false opinions from his noisehole.
It’s the aulistics be all over the place don’t worry about it. As for the reason gerbil here is seeing hearts igs cause he has the hots for latinos and genius good guys. So Sergio is Antonio linguistic detective but latino.
You’ve never fallen in love at first sight? Never seen someone across a room and been instantly besotted? That would leave anyone bitter and twisted.
As for “plot contrivance”, you realise Shaenon has been setting this up for 15 years, don’t you?
Ehh, I don’t think that has ever happened to me (going on 60-some years), and I’m not bitter and twisted. Or are you saying that if that across-the-room-instantly thing happens, that eventually leaves one bitter and twisted? Either way, it seems an unkind sweeping generalization.
Ahh, I see the problem. You’ve committed one of the classic blunders – you’ve mistaken infatuation for love.
A projected imaginary relationship with someone you don’t even know isn’t love. People often delude themselves into thinking that it is, but it isn’t.
This, right here. :p
Sound bite version: Love at first sight doesn’t exist. Lust at first sight is pretty common.
It does. Reader, I married him.
As for this “being set up for 15 years”, this comic isn’t yet 13 years old, and while Artie comes from Narbonic, I’m pretty sure Sergio was introduced somewhere around the halfway mark of Skin-Horse, so…
Also they’ve literally never met that we’re aware of. Yes, something something alternate universe, something something “URL story”… I get it, there’s some foreshadowing of the characters being compatible / potentially getting together. But that’s totally irrelevant to the idea of Artie being struck with “love at first sight”.
Sergio originated in L’il Mel, and did meet Artie during that strip. That being said, he was a child in that so hopefully not a case of love at first sight.
I don’t know what’s in Shaenon’s mind, but I do know that (a) she plans long in advance; (b) in 2005 she had created both Artie and Sergio, both superintelligent characters, and given Artie a thing for latin men for no obvious reason other than as a throwaway joke; and (c) in 2006 she knew that Artie’s character development had a long way to go.
D Walker, there was also the alternate-timeline story where Artie & Sergio were shown to have an important relationship.
But if you’re actually asking: yes, I for one would appreciate if you would follow plan “just supposed to close our mouths, smile, and nod”. It’s very understandable that you (and others!) probably have a sore spot about “just knowing” from other literature — but give Shaenon & Jeff at least a few strips to explain before you start complaining that there’s no explanation!
Oh, I see you did mention the alternate universe. So you are aware of that. My experience of these stories is that the “alternate” realities (whether the penny dreadfuls, or little nemo dreams, or alternate universes) have all reflected aspects of the characters in a was that IS intended to be inferred into the main timeline.
If we get to the end of the plotline with no explanation yet, then by all means complain away — and I will join you.
But, whining before giving them even a chance is poor form. This is a time for patience and seeing where the story will go, IMO.
All I can say is that what happened to me on 5 October 1985 is very similar to what’s happening to Artie here, including not having the nerve.
Given the amount of time/reality-hopping they’ve done and has been depicted in this comic, I’m not surprised at this. They already know each other. Or will. Or did.
Artie can be briefly acquainted with someone and figure out exactly what they’ll be doing in 24 hours. it’s hard to say what Artie can’t figure out essentially at first sight. Even if he can’t read Sergio, he knows that he can’t read Sergio, and that’s also remarkable.
A lot can happen in a short time to a mind exposed to another at a higher level. It’s a lot like what Panoptica definitely experienced when reading Jonah’s mind, assuming that Artie also dreams of passing the days together with his beloved in semi-benevolent tyranny.
Given all the Wizard of Oz references in the comic, I feel like Artie’s choice of words in the second panel are significant.
Come to think of it, he lost his home recently too.
Hmmmm…..
He’s got a heart and a brain, though. Almost in excess.
Alfa Alfa and Echo Bravo appear to be lacking brains and heart.
Artie, he’s a cat, he doesn’t do polite
I can just see it through Artie’s eyes – the helmet comes off in slow-motion. Sergio shakes his head, and his hair falls perfectly into place. There is a beam of light spotlighting him, and the background has mysteriously been replaced by flowers. Somewhere, there is an angelic choir providing background music.
Then the other guys from Anasigma bust in and extirpate them all.
It involves walnuts!
They won’t extirpate them there and then; they don’t have surgeons wandering around the country looking for victims.
And besides, they’d only extirpate Sergio anyway. Despite his protestations, Sergio is Anasigma staff (he was working for them, and hasn’t resigned), meaning that he is actually eligible for it.
If everything works out, they’ll shoot Artie as per the original instruction. I don’t know if they have any special plans for Cinnamon.
Phoebe quit, and she got extirpated.
And where is it written that only A-Sig personnel (current or former) can be extirpated? I suspect Mr. Green would happily extirpate anyone if he felt like it.
It’s one of the things which was said about it in the comic over the years. I don’t remember which character said it or when.
Now that you mention it, I do recall Sergio saying it, and I believe he was talking to Jonah. I still think Ira would not hesitate to do it to Artie if he had the chance.
Cat behavior: Do exactly what the other party asked you to do, even if it’s not actually what they wanted you to do.
Also cat behavior: Do whatever you want to do and treat the results as if they were your intended outcome.
“Do whatever you want to do and treat the results as if they were your intended outcome.”
This isn’t the place for political comments, so I will refrain from saying anything about Boris Johnson.
When Artie does finally change, he will be notably without pants. And that should go over well with Sergio, I imagine.
Intellect, meet emotion. For once, try to play nicely together.
Dear Artie…won’t you come out today?
Dear Artie…he is here to stay.
The goons are gone, the coast is clear,
We’re all alone, and he’s right here,
Dear Artie…won’t you come out today?
Dear Artie…pick a form to be.
Dear Artie…come on and let us see.
You’re putting us all on the spot,
And Sergio is pretty hot,
Dear Artie…pick a form to be.
Come on out, out (out, out, out,)
(Out, out, out, out, out, out,)
Come on out, out (out, out, out,)
(Out, out, out, out out,)
Come on out…
Dear Artie…drag your butt outside.
Dear Artie…you’re no blushing bride.
There’s not much time, surmount your fear,
The Anasigma dudes are near
Dear Artie…drag your butt outside.
Dear Artie…won’t you come out today?
Dear Artie…he is here to stay.
The goons are gone, the coast is clear,
We’re all alone, and he’s right here,
Dear Artie…won’t you come out today?
—from “Dear Prudence,” John Lennon / Paul McCartney, performed by The Beatles.
Must have missed this. Simple, but nice!
… And as you have said, it’s harder than it looks.
If I may offer a (Mad) scientific explanation of the “Love at First Sight” phenomenon?
Beyond Ogden Wernstrom’s cogent observations that Artie is in any event a special case, we know our brains respond differently to an image we have seen before than to one we are viewing for the first time. That’s why showing a suspect crime scene photos is an infallible method of lie detection.
We also know bats are capable of reacting to objects in their flight path faster than the echolocation signal can return from the target, effectively foreseeing the future.
I submit that life partners become neurologically entangled (at the quantum level) by True Love. So the image of a loved one’s face can trigger recognition unbound by time.
Anecdotally supported by the film “Somewhere in Time” (1980). 😉
I would accuse Cinnamon of being catty but…