Line #33 Webcomic/Fishbones


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fishbones_372.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:A story about [[ComingOfAgeStory growing up]], [[OnlyFriend friendship]], and sometimes [[TheMafia the mob]].]]
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4	->'''Ferris:''' Oh God. Am I drooling? Please let that be blood.
5	->''Several panels later...''
6	->'''Demos:''' You're bleeding.
7	->'''Ferris:''' [[SkewedPriorities Oh thank God.]]
8
9	''Fishbones'' began as a full-length novel for UsefulNotes/NaNoWriMo by artist [[http://jisukcho.com/ Jisuk Cho]], but recently it has been adapted into a webcomic. The comic, also written by Cho, keeps in line with the original story, but is drawn by [[http://www.gorgecomic.net/ Yuki S]].
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11	Set in 1999 in the fictional city of [[BigApplesauce Southport]] (not to be confused with the actual, fairly small town of Southport, NY), the story centers on [[SociallyAwkwardHero Ferris Levinstein]], a lanky, nerdy, Jewish private school kid with [[OnlyFriend only one friend]]: Demos Giorgetti, the local [[MafiaPrincess Mafia Prince]]. Whip-smart and snarky but lacking a well-developed sense of self-preservation, Ferris cautiously navigates a world in which his bullies get threatened by Demos's relatives, dead bodies lurk in the trunks of his family friends' cars, and cute girls steal his money only to treat him lunch a few days later.
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13	Hey, life can be confusing when your friend is in the Mafia.
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15	The comic updates on Fridays, but at Japan Standard Time, so Westerners are better off checking Saturday. You can read it [[http://fishbonescomic.com/ here]]. The comic has not updated since November 2017 with no explanation, though the site is still online.
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17	Not to be confused with Music/{{Fishbone}}.
18	-----
19	!!! Tropes found in this work:
20	* AllJewsAreCheapskates[=/=]GreedyJew: The bullies insult Ferris with this.
21	** But then, he does go on a pseudo-date with Julie to get back the measly ten dollars she stole... though in fairness it seems like he wants to avenge the insult to his pride more than anything.
22	* AllTheOtherReindeer: Ferris and Demos, for being nerdy and having [[TheMafia an intimidating family]], respectively.
23	* AssholeVictim: Mr. Gonyer, the insurance agent from [[http://fishbones.livejournal.com/29307.html the LJ sample chapter]].
24	** Invoked by Victor when Ferris sees his first body.
25	--->'''Victor:''' If it makes you feel any better, he was a very bad man.
26	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Seriously, don't threaten Ferris's dog.
27	* BluntYes
28	* TheBully: Three of them persistently pick on Ferris [[spoiler: until Demos puts them in the hospital]].
29	** BullyingADragon: The bullies know that Ferris has mafia friends, but continue to harass him.
30	* CatsAreMean: Rocco.
31	-->'''Rocco:''' Age 5. Likes: Gino, sleeping, being a dick.
32	* CaughtTheHeartOnHisSleeve
33	* ColdOpen
34	* DeadMansChest: Traumatizes a young Ferris.
35	* DeadpanSnarker: Ferris, with some overlap with JewishComplaining.
36	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: Stanley's description card.
37	-->'''Stanley''': Age 3. Likes: food, being fat, rolling around [[PerfectlyCromulentWord fatly]].
38	* DissonantSerenity: Kid-Demos talking about his missing parents.
39	* DogsAreDumb: Stanley.
40	* TheDon: Gino Georgetti
41	* DontYouDarePityMe: Julie, regarding her monetary situation.
42	* EverybodyKnewAlready: As Ferris puts it:
43	-->'''Ferris''': How [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] stupid do you think I am? You'd have to be blind not to realize that your family is ''in TheMafia!''
44	* {{Giallo}}: Apparently Sergio likes the genre.
45	* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: Most of the mafiosi chain smoke. Julie, too. Ferris, meanwhile, does not smoke.
46	* ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies: Demos attempts to walk out of Ferris's life the moment Ferris confronts him about his mafia connections. Ferris won't have any of it.
47	* JewishAndNerdy: Ferris.
48	* JewishComplaining: Ferris, with some overlap with DeadpanSnarker.
49	* KickTheDog: More like "pick up the dog and make [[SuchALovelyNoun vaguely threatening commentary]]," but still.
50	* ALighterShadeOfBlack: Victor and the other mafiosi are definitely not shown as doing positive things, but they definitely have the SympatheticPOV.
51	* LoonyFriendsImproveYourPersonality
52	* LoveCannotOvercome: Why Demos wouldn't tell Ferris about his not-so-secret mob family (and why he almost walked out of Ferris's life the moment he was confronted about it) - he expected Ferris to be (justifiably) scared enough to stop being his friend. Luckily for him, Ferris doesn't care.
53	* [[MafiaPrincess Mafia Prince]]: Demos
54	* NiceJewishBoy: Gee, [[DeadpanSnarker I wonder who]].
55	* NobleDemon: Victor, seemingly, especially in the LJ sample chapter.
56	* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Julie, of the "deliberately riling up" kind.
57	* OhCrap: Victor pulling a shotgun on the guys chasing Ferris.
58	* OnlyFriend
59	* ParentalAbandonment: Demos' mother is dead. No word on where his father is.
60	* PetTheDog: Sergio's treatment of Ferris on pages 52 and 53. Instant "awww" factor.
61	* {{Pyromaniac}}: Victor has a reputation for using fire as intimidation/against his enemies a lot, earning him the nickname "Ashes".
62	* RushedInvertedReading: Of ''[[UsefulNotes/CharlesDarwin The Origin of Species]]''!
63	* SkewedPriorities: Ferris, all the time. The obvious example is the page quote, but there's also the time he gets mauled by the three bullies, ''blacks out,'' and is injured enough to have to stay home from school. When Demos comes to bring Ferris his homework, this conversation ensues:
64	-->'''Ferris''': hiding his face with a pillow
65	-->'''Demos''': Ferris-- look at me.
66	-->'''Ferris''': muffled complaint
67	-->'''Demos''': snatches pillow Who did this to you?
68	-->'''Ferris''': long pause Is that my homework?
69	* SociallyAwkwardHero: Ferris.
70	* SympathyForTheDevil: Ferris toward the mafiosi.
71	* TheTriple: Every character bio's "likes" section.
72	* UnfortunateNames: Brian O'Brien, aka "Bob" (not that he appreciates the nickname).
73	* WideEyesAndShrunkenIrises: More or less Ferris's perpetual expression.

Context Webcomic / Fishbones