832 How It Ends.

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I was trying my best to figure out how I was getting traffic from Dumbing Of Age the last few days, because I haven’t advertised since the site has been all wonky. It took a while because the comments on that site weren’t loading for me so I couldn’t see the links. Wasn’t able to track it down until I looked at it on my iPod. It’s surprising how many people read comments there. DOA must have some really obsessive commenter’s.

Mostly I recognize the regulars here. About 30 or so people. Every so often I see similar usernames on other places and wonder if it’s the same person. On Shortpacked! and DOA I know they are because you’ve said as much, but also your voices are obviously you. I think I’ve seen some crossover fans on Wapsi Square too. Those sites seem to encourage discussion generally. Even if things deviate wildy. I like that sort of thing better than a forum because it seems cleaner to me. Things rarely deteriorate into posting image macros at each other. Several of the other comics I read that I think must have crossover readers only have forums, so I never see the banter.

Have you ever noticed the way that some people can’t like 2 similar things. Like it almost hurts them to even consider the idea? How can I explain it better…? Like hating Xbox, but loving Nintendo. Why can’t you enjoy both? If you had the money to get both would you still hate the one, or is it all based on monetary restrictions? If I had extra money lying around I might get a PS3. It’s the last thing on my list of game systems, but I don’t hate it because I can’t afford it. It just doesn’t have the games I wanted the most. I don’t feel the need to heap scorn on it though. (although I don’t like a lot of Sony’s business practices, but that goes back many years and is unrelated to the point I’m working out…)

Anyway, I’m thinking about this because I get that from time to time with other comics. Like they really Like Questionable Content, but fucking hate Between Failures. Like the world isn’t big enough for both comics. QC is the most common comic referenced in those situation, but I’ve heard it for others too. And now I’m starting to see it in reverse as well. Where people say they love Between Failures but hate whatever the other thing is. You can like both. Or like one and not get all ragey about the other. I like QC. I don’t want it to go away. I also don’t want to be told to go away. That is a series of thoughts that I had.

16 Comments

Funny you mention QC, since it’s one of my favourite comics that I’ve read for years. And yet, I was so hooked on your comic that I read the entire series all night. So I suppose not all of your fans are like that!

I like both Between Failures and Questionable Content. Then again I like almost all of the webcomics I’ve ever read. I usually find things to like in just about everything I read/watch/listen to, even if I’m not the biggest fan of it. Don’t know it it’s cause I’m more open to things or just cause I have a wide range of tastes but I usually find it difficult to out right hate anything. Everything brings something valuable to the table even if sometimes you don’t agree with everything that thing brings.

On another note I can really relate to the sentiment that Thomas is making in this comic. I’ve only broken up with a few people and been dumped by most. I have a bhad habit of going back to people that I’ve broken up with even if it isn’t the healthiest thing for me. I’ve tried being friends with exes but like Thomas states I still have that little voice hoping things will work out, till I realize how destructive that behavior is and finally just cut ties. Sometimes when I’m feeling especially pathetic I relapse though.

…Ok…not sad anymore…im kinda…glad it never happen then…and That proves it…Thomas is…well…too dumb to walk forward…

I’m here because of QC. And, I’ve gotten this far. But, I think we live in a competitive society. We forget that not everything needs to be a competition.

I resent the fact that you spy on my life and use it in your comic. But OMFG dude. good job on this one. Good job sir.

BF/QC reader too. I was actually introduced (5 days ago) to BF via QC and burned through the archives in 2 days before realizing that I had to WAIT for new comics (:-(

I like most webcomics. I’ve posted comments on a lot of them. I’ve been banned from a few.
Shortpacked was one of the few I was banned from, and as I tell the story I’m not sure whether it was due to my insisting that Thundercats is better than Transformers… or due to my suggesting that a certain character should have miscarried (a perfectly legitimate remark). In any case, that kinda soured me to Willis… not that I liked the dude much anyway, but anyone who gets butthurt over my commentary is kinda beneath my notice anyway.

QC is alright… if often a tad overrated. Not as bad as some of the haters proclaim though.
Wapsi Square has had its good points and bad points… but it seems to have been putting all its skill-points into shark-jumping and ass-pulling lately. It is a struggle to read it and still give a damn about anything that is going on lately.
Other webcomics…. well, you’d have to check on a case by case basis if anyone gave a damn for my opinion. I’ve been doing the webcomic thing since the late 90s though… so I’ve been around.

So far as Games Consoles are concerned…. up until the Dreamcast it was “Sega only”… then after that it became “anything except S*ny”… but now that the “XBox One” is released (i.e. the Microsoft Disaster) and I’m extremely reluctant to dip my toes into that horrendous mess, and the Wii U (which I own) is an utter flop with next to no games (Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is the only good title)… I’m somewhat at a loss as to what to do with myself.

I kinda feel like you are the comments version of reggie wherever you go… the way you put things at the very least rubs me the wrong way and can imagine it would do so to others.

There are version of his voice with every generation of readers. As the moderator of the comments I see them all. Don’t let them drive you away. Sometimes seeing the friction they cause leads to a deeper understanding of people.

Going back through the archive again (and barely skimming comments), I actually can’t figure out why I was so irritated back then. I mean, yes, 10 years isn’t a short time, but I haven’t changed too much, or I didn’t think I did. Looking at the date, I might’ve been in a bad place at that time so got bothered more.

Either way, it’s not so bad, and its a bit embarrassing seeing these snippets, especially when there are some comments I’m like “I *MUST* have said something to react to this!” …but I didn’t. And I hold true to that tradition because, I don’t know how many times I read through the series, but I still don’t make that comment I thought I would make if that makes any sense.

Hell of a comic crave, I do enjoy it a lot, I don’t think I’d ever be driven away from your work because of an external factor XD

The voice of hope has led more men to ruin than all the evils of the world combined. I know that feel, Thomas.

As to the hating something similar to something you like, I’ve been there. In my experience, once I break down and try the thing I’ve professed to hate, it’s become something I enjoy, and I realize (if I hadn’t already) that the “hate” I thought I felt was based on juvenile reactions to what I’ve heard from others (sometimes going as far back as to when I was a juvenile myself).

A specific example that comes to mind is Taco Bell. When I first began looking for a job in high school, one of the places I applied to was Taco Bell. They never called me in for an interview or anything, and I decided I hated them for it. (“Hated” may be too strong a word. Maybe “disliked” would be better, and then I played it up because it bugged some of my friends.) I’d never tried their food, and I decided I never would. I couldn’t hate McDonald’s for turning me down; I already enjoyed their food.

Many years and many jobs later, I wandered hungrily into a Taco Bell and actually liked their food. Suddenly that bias in my mind was gone, and another fast food option became available to me.

I’ve heard it said quite a bit that the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s apathy. As long as someone can still get you worked up, you’re not done with them. And yeah, I think (it’s been a long time since I started reading BF) I’m here because of QC as well. Both are great in their own right. I’ve found BF a bit more… intimate than QC (which is more humorous, imo), but both are great in their own right.

I very easily reach a conclusion ‘both is good’ in any percived conflict, to the point that in harem mangas i hope for the most hopeless end.
On the other topic, the one girlfriend i had, that dumped me for our friend, i still remember with fondness.
or maybe I’m just overall too apathetic, so i focus on Any positives to survive, oh well

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