I suppose if you want to get really technical about it. But the Dave form was an anomaly. He can’t change into that form again (at least not without some unwelcome assistance from Helen). He can only change between his gerbil form and the one human form. So functionally, he’s only BImorphic.
Well, you’ve pointed out the distinction between “real” and “natural”, though your example is irrelevant, since that baby with the oddly squished head was still human.
Now I’m wondering if people shouldn’t be disturbed by how freakish I look now. I mean, if you look back a bit further than that, my “natural form” is two foetuses plus placenta. I’m less than a half person! It’s like the headless horseman only worse…
@Nix, no matter how far you go back, you were human. And unless you’re conjoined twins, you were only one fetus. And the placenta is not part of the developing human being. Didn’t you ever take a biology class?
@SVGeezer, he was created as a gerbil, ergo that’s his natural form.
Generally speaking intelligence is something you’re born with and develop, and it is subject to degradation.
Wisdom, on the other hand, is something that has to be hunted down, tested, often rejected as inadequate and then reacquired when nothing better is to be found.
I don’t recall what sage said it, but he said it repeatedly because it was true.
Seek Wisdom
It does not occur naturally.
Or in other words, wise men know themselves to be fools and fools think themselves already wise.
Not only would that definitely be me, but in a similar situation (not involving superintelligent gerbils, extralegal paramilitary operatives, lethal intent, or guns) I’ve actually done that. Popped out of hid
Popped out of hiding to correct the person looking for me because they knew I couldn’t help it I mean, not anything else having to do with that situation.
EB seems to have a touch of Mell’s thinking to him. When dealing with someone who can run rings around you mentally, just use the simplest possible solution. Chances are they didn’t even consider it.
Possibly. Or else whoever gave him that file had included a note suggesting that trick to get Artie to reveal himself, and Echo Bravo was just following the tip he was given.
Do I detect some playful self-mockery about how Narboniverse gerbils don’t really look like real world gerbils, but look more like jerboas and similar rodents?
Minor quibble, but genetic engineering means splicing genes, not breeding. Same end result, just WAY less random, with far fewer unintended consequences, and much faster.
Just kind of a pet peeve of mine that people still don’t understand the distinction, and that people still freak out about “genetically modified food” (the horror!), as if food that has been bred or cultivated is somehow ANY different, except for having had its genes modified in a much cruder manner.
Ok, but I can sympathize with Artie in the 3rd and 4th panels. There are some word misuses, fallacies, incorrect pop-sci/pop-history, and a few other things that drive me nuts, so I have to correct them.
So do the files tell them which form is Artie’s real form?
Bimorphic seems to imply the answer is “both and neither”
He did once turn into Dave, too.
So he’s TRImorphic?
I suppose if you want to get really technical about it. But the Dave form was an anomaly. He can’t change into that form again (at least not without some unwelcome assistance from Helen). He can only change between his gerbil form and the one human form. So functionally, he’s only BImorphic.
Technically he started life as the gerbil, so i’m going to call THAT his real form.
Incorrect. His *real* form is the one he’s currently inhabiting. (I’m pretty sure my real form isn’t a baby with an oddly squished head)
Well, you’ve pointed out the distinction between “real” and “natural”, though your example is irrelevant, since that baby with the oddly squished head was still human.
Artie’s natural form is that of a gerbil.
Now I’m wondering if people shouldn’t be disturbed by how freakish I look now. I mean, if you look back a bit further than that, my “natural form” is two foetuses plus placenta. I’m less than a half person! It’s like the headless horseman only worse…
“Artie’s natural form is that of a gerbil”
He is the product of Mad Science. Please define “natural”.
@Nix, no matter how far you go back, you were human. And unless you’re conjoined twins, you were only one fetus. And the placenta is not part of the developing human being. Didn’t you ever take a biology class?
@SVGeezer, he was created as a gerbil, ergo that’s his natural form.
And if you want to be really pedantic (like Artie), Helen referred to the gerbil form as his “normal phenotype”.
Question is, has he yet attained his final form? [cue ominous chanting]
I have to add this, since there was an understandable scientific mistake made here, seeing how new this discovery is. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/3-human-chimeras-that-already-exist/
Also he turns back into a gerbil when he falls asleep or is injured.
Don’t know. EB & AA seem to have only started to look at the files after they encountered the target.
Luckily for them, they didn’t need to read through the files to discover that Artie is an insufferable pedant.
We all have our weaknesses.
Pretty damn hot, though.
…love the old school manila folder, but where does he keep it?
Hammerspace.
(Duh!)
When your enemy is making mistakes, don’t correct them.
A famous corollary to that bit of wisdom. “If someone asks if you’re a god, you say YES!”
Intelligence and Wisdom are very definitely two different stats! ^_^
Generally speaking intelligence is something you’re born with and develop, and it is subject to degradation.
Wisdom, on the other hand, is something that has to be hunted down, tested, often rejected as inadequate and then reacquired when nothing better is to be found.
I don’t recall what sage said it, but he said it repeatedly because it was true.
Seek Wisdom
It does not occur naturally.
Or in other words, wise men know themselves to be fools and fools think themselves already wise.
Palenoue: I’m with you. Mistake of mine, often. Big mouth. and yeah, oh Great Barb.
Two different stats.
See it, friend, you can’t forestall Artie Narbon!
At the school kindergarten kid’s study hall, Artie Narbon!
Artie Narbon!
He’s a giant gerbil-man,
Maybe you can’t understand,
And he’s got his secret plans,
Artie Narbon!
Made with science misapplies, Artie Narbon!
Sleeps with lots of other guys, Artie Narbon!
Artie Narbon!
He’s much more than you perceive,
And he’s easy to misread,
He’s a new and better breed, he’s
Artie Narbon!
Well, well, well, he’s really kind.
Well, well, well, he’ll fake you…
Artie Narbon!
For irrational wealth, Artie Narbon!
You’d be funny if you’d be yourself with Artie Narbon!
Artie Narbon!
He’s a giant gerbil-man,
Maybe you can’t understand,
And he’s got his secret plans,
Artie Narbon!
Well, well, well, he’s really kind.
Well, well, well, he’ll fake you…
Artie Narbon!
See it, friend, you can’t forestall Artie Narbon!
See it, friend, you can’t forestall Artie Narbon!
Artie Narbon!
—from “Doctor Robert,” John Lennon / Paul McCartney, but probably mostly John Lennon.
Deep cut there. Bravo!
If what they play on the radio is any judge, they’ve forgotten what songs The Beatles put out as singles and what songs remained album cuts.
Applause!
Not only would that definitely be me, but in a similar situation (not involving superintelligent gerbils, extralegal paramilitary operatives, lethal intent, or guns) I’ve actually done that. Popped out of hid
Popped out of hiding to correct the person looking for me because they knew I couldn’t help it I mean, not anything else having to do with that situation.
EB seems to have a touch of Mell’s thinking to him. When dealing with someone who can run rings around you mentally, just use the simplest possible solution. Chances are they didn’t even consider it.
I was surprised to see that agent EB had that much thinking in him.
It’s on Friday and Saturday of this week of strips.
Interesting. Echo Bravo might be smarter than he acts most of the time.
Possibly. Or else whoever gave him that file had included a note suggesting that trick to get Artie to reveal himself, and Echo Bravo was just following the tip he was given.
Worth noting, he HAS managed to survive longterm employment by A-Sig.
Do I detect some playful self-mockery about how Narboniverse gerbils don’t really look like real world gerbils, but look more like jerboas and similar rodents?
(It’s the big ears and the fluffy tail “tassel”.)
Yeah, Artie is clearly just exasperated and fed up with people mistaking him for a kangaroo rat.
…or worse, a kangaroo mouse.
Well, they are genetically engineered gerbils, after all. (Maybe Helen liked the big ears and tail tassels, and selectively bred for that.)
Minor quibble, but genetic engineering means splicing genes, not breeding. Same end result, just WAY less random, with far fewer unintended consequences, and much faster.
Just kind of a pet peeve of mine that people still don’t understand the distinction, and that people still freak out about “genetically modified food” (the horror!), as if food that has been bred or cultivated is somehow ANY different, except for having had its genes modified in a much cruder manner.
okay but this is the cutest artie you’ve ever drawn though.
Hm. Are Echo Bravo and Alpha Alpha references to EB White and AA Milne? It didn’t occur to me until I saw people using the shorthand in the comments.
I had been thinking of Alpha Alpha as “Alfalfa”
Then she is likely to start a gunfight, with a knife?
So you must have missed all the comments back on last Wednesday’s strip.
And incidentally, AA’s name is spelled “Alfa Alfa”, so you weren’t exactly wrong with “Alfalfa”.
Maybe if she had that point of hair on the top of her head…
Ok, but I can sympathize with Artie in the 3rd and 4th panels. There are some word misuses, fallacies, incorrect pop-sci/pop-history, and a few other things that drive me nuts, so I have to correct them.