Line #74 Webcomic/OwMySanity


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ow_fraulein.png]]
2	->''Down they descended and created bodies, taking the semblance of women as their own''
3
4	->"Yeah, okay, hold on a second. Don't get your tentacles in a knot."
5	--> -- '''David Bartlett''', in response to a CosmicHorror asking him for a dollar.
6
7	''[[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/ Ow, my sanity]]'' is a webcomic by Adam J. Thaxton. It's a [[CosmicHorrorStory Lovecraftian]] MagicalGirlfriend {{Deconstruction}}, or [[http://mr-author.deviantart.com/journal/25233601/ as the author put it]], "stabbing the magical girlfriend genre with a rusty chainsaw". In other words, ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'' [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] Creator/HPLovecraft.
8
9	The main character is an art student at Miskatonic University named David Bartlett, [[TheWoobie whose life sucks]]. One evening he comes home to find his dorm-mates performing some sort of cultish ritual. HilarityEnsues, if you find [[FateWorseThanDeath the cult's hideous demise]] and getting kissed by an EldritchAbomination to be [[BloodyHilarious hilarious]].
10
11	See ''Literature/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove'' for a more lighthearted and comedic take on the same concept.
12
13	As of 3/9/11, the comic is [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20110309.html on hiatus]] so the author can work on [[Literature/TenGhost other projects]]. Thankfully, as of June 2017, Thaxton seems to be [[http://owmysanity.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-comic.html laying the groundwork to finish Book Twelve.]]
14
15	----
16	!!''Ow, my sanity'' contains examples of:
17
18	* AllLovingHero: Despite his [[KnightInSourArmor various]] [[UnluckyEverydude issues]], David is astonishingly kind and generous to just about everyone, including {{Eldritch Abomination}}s. Maybe this is why they haven't seriously harmed him yet. One even offered [[spoiler:to become his eternal bride and elevate him to godhood]] in return for his kindness. On the other hand, it may be that they see something special in him... [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100521.html the investigators certainly do.]]
19	* AllThereInTheManual: The author's [[http://owmysanity.blogspot.com/ blog]] and [[http://mr-author.deviantart.com/ DeviantArt]] contain useful details not included in the comic.
20	* AnimalisticAbomination: The Sleeper of N'kai [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100331.html when she's ready to fight]].
21	* AuthorTract: The TakeThat against (or {{Deconstruction}} of) the {{Tsundere}} archetype, [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100830.html delivered]] after a plain "GetOut" fails to convey his disgust.
22	-->I’m not really interested in someone whose personality can change that quickly, nor someone who’s deceptive enough to make it seem that way.
23	* BagOfHolding: Shubby's [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20101206.html dice bag]].
24	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor:
25	** ...especially when you're asking an elder god with very little understanding of humans, let alone human metaphors and euphemisms. When Nancy is summoned, she grants wishes to bystanders, but lethally misinterprets them. A cultist who wants to start a new Columbine shooting hallucinates one (only he's getting shot at instead of doing the shooting) and when he's killed, a lethal bullet wound appears in his head. One wishing that his brain was bigger (smarter) has his head swell to a fatally large size. One wishes for some killer sex and gets [[OutWithABang what she asked for]], if not what she wanted.
26	---> '''Dave''': I wish someone gave a crap about me for once.
27	** Narla hires a ride in exchange for "anything you want". The guy wants to never have to worry about bills again, which she considers an easy one. ''So'' many lovely interpretations of that...
28	* BedmateReveal: On the part of the author to the audience, when David casually tells [Narla impersonating Nancy] that Nancy kisses differently than she does. This is the first hint that David and Nancy's romance has progressed that far (although possibly it was just a callback to [[AMagicContractComesWithAKiss their first kiss]] combined with a bit of deductive reasoning).
29	* BewitchedAmphibians: The Sleeper [[spoiler:turns men into frogs]].
30	* BoyMeetsGhoul: Or [[EldritchAbomination herald of an alien god with a]] SugarAndIcePersonality, in this case.
31	* BluntMetaphorsTrauma
32	--> '''David''': You ate ten dollars.\
33	'''Nancy''': I ate pancakes!
34	* CatFight: We almost get to see an EldritchAbomination version of this trope between Nancy and the Sleeper of N'kai. David manages to break it up before it escalates beyond words.
35	-->'''Nancy''': I'll make that barbarian's scar seem like a gentle massage!
36	* CliffHanger: [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20110308.html The 03/08/2011 strip]] is immediately followed up with a ''Hiatus'' announcement. No new comics have come out in years.
37	* CoolBigSis: Shubby claims to be one.
38	* CuteMonsterGirl: [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100317.html The Sleeper of N'kai]], the Shoggoth, and [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100922.html Shubbie]], the "default" form of [[spoiler:Shub-Niggurath, "The Black Goat Of The Woods With A Thousand Young"]] (also BigBeautifulWoman and mom -- she has the right figure for what she is.[[note]]the "thousand young" part, not the "black goat" part. No malicious intent or insult towards the physique of the average goat is intended[[/note]])
39	* DarkIsNotEvil: Despite what they are, most of the Lovecraftian entities really seem to be more curious about how humans act than interested in eating them. Nancy herself is fairly nice, deciding to help Dave rather than kill him in order to study [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove his desire to be loved]]. The Sleeper is literally enamored of Dave for being kind to frogs and the forest. Shubbie seems genuinely amused by[=/=]interested in Dave and his relationship with Nancy. The only exception to this (so far) is the Shoggoth, and she seems to be more of a wild animal that needs to be trained than malicious.
40	* {{Deconstruction}}: Of the MagicalGirlfriend genre in general and ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'' in particular.
41	* DidYouJustRomanceCthulhu: Why yes, David did. Hell, he's building a harem of "things that should not be"[[TradeSnark ™]]. It's the entire basis of the series, in fact.
42	* DisguisedInDrag: The TabletopGame/DeltaGreen agent, in a particularly disturbing fashion.
43	* EldritchAbomination: [[http://mr-author.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2fh0d0 Thaxton's quite good at designing stuff that fits the Lovecraft ideal.]] [[spoiler:Well hello Nancy!]]
44	* EverybodysDeadDave: Nancy kills several cultists by [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor misgranting their wishes]] and sacrifices the rest for power to grant Dave's wish, leaving him the only person left alive in the entire dorm. (And he's named appropriately for this trope.)
45	* EvilIsNotAToy: Unless all of the cultists had a death wish, summoning Nancy really didn't work out well for them. Some of them didn't even get a wish since Nancy sacrificed them so she could grant Dave's wish instead.
46	* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: Some of the {{Eldritch Abomination}}s Dave deals with take the shape of human or humanoid females.
47	* GasLeakCoverup: As Dave immediately [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100218.html predicted]], this is [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100421.html used]] to [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100504.html cover up]] the deaths of the cultists.
48	** Even more so, he not only predicted that it would either be arson or a gas leak, but also [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100505.html what each possibility meant]]; "arson" would have meant the architects of the cover-up could get local police in on the hunt, whereas "gas leak" means that they either can't work with the police or don't want to confront him.
49	*** He's right on both counts; TabletopGame/DeltaGreen doesn't have government support and is hesitant to confront a "priest" of his "power". Delta Green is right as well - they're just unaware of the exact nature of his "[[HeartIsAnAwesomePower power]]".
50	* GenderFlip: Narla is of course one of the many Masks of the Crawling Chaos, although that's par for the course really. [[spoiler:For those who didn't immediately catch it though, the Sleeper is none other than Tsathoggua.]]
51	* GoneHorriblyWrong: All of the wishes Nancy granted turned out badly. Time will tell whether or not Dave's wish will follow suit. Although, given that he wished for ''someone'' to give a crap about him, one could argue that have that someone be an EldritchAbomination already counts as going wrong.
52	* GreenEyedMonster: Nancy doesn't want the Sleeper to steal Dave, although she [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100429.html doesn't recognize the emotion]].
53	--> '''Nancy''': When the frog was trying to make a pact with you. I felt something I didn't enjoy.
54	* HalfHumanHybrid:
55	** The Deep One hybrid who held the lottery in front of the bank.
56	** The Sleeper wouldn't mind having a bunch with Dave.
57	* [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe Half The Woman She Used To Be]] / MajorInjuryUnderreaction: Nancy, meet [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20101025.html Shoggoth]].
58	* HauntedHeadquarters: The Dyer house. [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100720.html It was cheap]].
59	--> '''Dave''': Abandoned.\
60	'''Agent''': [[LampshadeHanging And not suspicious at all.]]
61	* HeartIsAnAwesomePower: Played absolutely and ''literally'' straight. Dave has such good luck with {{Eldritch Abomination}}s due to his inhumanly intense empathy; this tends to confuse and intrigue them enough for them to not immediately eat his head, and by the time that passes, they're ''[[ChickMagnet smitten]].'' Unfortunately, it's ''[[BlessedWithSuck useless]]'' in interacting with other humans, as they use it as an excuse to treat him as a doormat. It also allows him to just roll with things that would cause others in the Franchise/CthulhuMythos to go stark raving mad.
62	* HumanityIsInfectious: As a result of her pact, Nancy is experiencing human emotions.
63	--> '''Nancy''': [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100430.html I want to 'like' more things.]]
64	* HumanoidAbomination: [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith They're usually not human, but looking like them for our sake]].
65	* HumanSacrifice: The cultists have [[spoiler:a girl who's already had her arms severed]]. A bloody knife and Nancy actually appearing pretty much confirm that this went all the way.
66	* HumansAreSpecial: According to the Mi-go. They're interested in us due to our ability to make leaps of logic, thinking of three without needing to think of two, as well as our incredible rate of development.
67	* HypocriticalHumor: [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20110113.html Can we not talk about me like I'm not here? Don't tell it this.]]
68	* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Each chapter name is a reference to a Lovecraft story; e.g. "The Case Of David Andrew Bartlet", "The Transition Of Nancy Alhazred", etc.
69	* IHaveToWashMyHair: In the conclusion of a TravellingSalesmanMontage in the introduction. [[spoiler:Said by a punk girl with a shaved head.]]
70	* ItAmusedMe: Pretty much why Shubby is hanging around. She can tell that the next year is going to be hilarious.
71	* InsultFriendlyFire: [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20101021.html Does Nancy consider Dave 'subsentient'?]]
72	-->'''Nancy''': This is not the sort of subsentient your usual methods will work on, priest. Let me deal with it.\
73	'''Dave''': What do you mean subsenti... oh.
74	* KickTheDog: Invoked by David, when he thinks telling Nancy to shut up was unnecessarily cruel.
75	-->'''David:''' That's like kicking a dog. Wow, I feel worse now. I kicked a puppy.[[note]]A puppy of [[Literature/TheHoundsOfTindalos Tindalos]][[/note]]?
76	* LivingBodysuit: Inverted. The Delta Green agent [[spoiler:wears a female EldritchAbomination as a disguise, apparently in an attempt to assassinate David]].
77	* LogicBomb: Dave makes a Mi-go faint by claiming everything he says is a lie, then saying something true. Apparently, this only works on ones that have very little experience with humans.
78	* LovecraftCountry: The comic takes place in Arkham.
79	* LovecraftLite: There are horrible {{Eldritch Abomination}}s (and people around Dave die horribly, and Nancy offers to kill people for him on occasion), but the creatures' reactions to Dave are far from hostile. So far most of them just [[DidWeJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu want to get to know David better]] or [[DidYouJustRomanceCthulhu propose in really creepy ways]].
80	** On the other hand, [[spoiler:the author has said on his blog that it's going to have "a Lovecraft ending." This might mean an optimistic one like ''The Dunwich Horror'' or the good ending of ''VideoGame/{{Eversion}}'', or it might mean a typical one with Dave and/or a bunch of other humans winding up dead/insane/transmogrified.(Besides, did he say ''who'' gets the Lovecraftian ending?)]] If so, the warm-and-fuzzy-ish beginning just makes things worse. [[spoiler:Since it's based on ''TabletopGame/DeltaGreen'', Earth is still doomed, but Dave and friends might not go mad, suicidal or primordial either.]]
81	** The author has called the webcomic his "[[http://mr-author.deviantart.com/journal/Ow-My-Sanity-232126957 thesis statement]]" on why the CosmicHorrorStory became LovecraftLite; [[HumansAreCthulhu Humans Are BECOMING Cthulhu]].
82	--->I have a poster. It's called "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot Pale Blue Dot]]," and it's got a passage by Sagan on it, and in reading it again, something profound struck me. Lovecraft's horror hinges on the idea that the universe just doesn't care about us. It was not made special. We are not even a footnote in the universe's history. At least, that's how Lovecraft saw it. This was a terrible notion in the 1930s, the most profound source of absolute horror that could be dredged up from the human consciousness and pushed out into a rainy Rhode Island street. Now we hand posters of it on our walls and post rambling, inane blog entries about it like it's the behavior of a new celebrity couple. Cosmic horror isn't scary any more. What was once the great fear of the age is now a joke.\
83	Not only that, we're about to start CREATING stars and universes ourselves. We're doing 1930s magic, but we're doing it better than the terrible things in his stories could do it. That's what's funny. That's why we giggle. We all know it, somewhere, subconsciously.
84	* AMagicContractComesWithAKiss: ...and the sacrifice of your dorm mates.
85	* MagneticGirlfriend: Nancy. Of all the girls after David, the Sleeper of N'Kai is the only one whose proximity to David is not due to her presence.
86	* MonsterRoommate: And landlord, and pet...
87	* MundaneMadeAwesome: Inverted with [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20110128.html a group of eldritch abominations]]... playing ''Call of Cthulhu''.
88	* MundaneUtility: One of the agents suggests that David might be using Nancy as an infinite soda supply.
89	* MurderSimulators: Made fun of [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100514.html here]].
90	* NatureLover: Dave rescues frogs and is fond of the forest.
91	* NeverNeedsSharpening: Dave spends three pages [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100630.html translating apartment ads]] for Nancy: "easy access to basement" means there's a hole in the floor, "close to the woods" means bats roost in the attic, "easy heating and cooling" means they removed asbestos and didn't put in new insulation, a "private atrium" is a hole in the ceiling, and "rustic scenery" means it's in Dunwich.
92	* NoodleIncident: The grey goose drill. It's also a ShoutOut to a Delta Green scenario involving an old nuclear power plant, a terrorism drill, and a [[Literature/TheHoundsOfTindalos Hound of Tindalos]].
93	* OddShapedPanel: Common, with eldritch backgrounds between panels.
94	* OverTheShoulderCarry: Dave carries an unconscious Nancy this way.
95	* PaintingTheMedium: Justified: When Shubby introduces the [[spoiler:shoggoth prod]], there's a helpful closeup of the [[spoiler:seal]]. Dave ''[[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20101203.html picks up the closeup]]''.
96	* PowerGlows: Eldritch power tends to glow certain colors, most commonly [[SicklyGreenGlow green]] or [[RedEyesTakeWarning red]]. Often combines with GlowingEyesOfDoom when the various monsters go into combat mode.
97	* SplashOfColor:
98	** The TabletopGame/DeltaGreen symbol.
99	** Nancy's eyes in her real form.
100	** Any time eldritch energy is used, such as [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20101101.html here]].
101	** Narla's tie.
102	* {{Spoiler}}: In-universe: Shubby apparently doesn't want to warn Dave about potentially amusing future events.
103	--> '''Shubby''': Forget it! Spoilers! Spoilers!
104	* StarfishAliens: Literally, with the two Elder Things.
105	* TheStoic: David. His BrownNote reaction to the {{Eldritch Abomination}}s he's seeing ''everywhere'' now is Dissociative disorder -- i.e., he's going to be as stoic as he can be...until his insanity finally catches up with him.
106	* StraightMan: The Mi-Go think like computers, and have no capacity for humor or imagination. They make for the perfect straight man.
107	* TakeThat: Possibly by the author against a [[{{Tsundere}} character archetype]] he appears not too fond of. [[http://owmysanity.blogspot.com/2010/08/david-is-dangerous-with-that-logic.html "Go David. Don't take no shit off dat tsundere wannabe."]] No telling if other tsunderes will appear later in the comic to better treatment, though.
108	* TimeTravel: Somehow, at some point in the comic's future, David will travel back in time roughly 5,000 years and rescue Egypt.
109	* {{Tsundere}}:
110	** Colette Pickman [[spoiler:was faking it to infiltrate Dave's house]]. [[http://owmysanity.comicgenesis.com/d/20100827.html Dave calls her on it]] in a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech. He knew she was either tsundere or faking (though he mistook her reason for greed), and didn't want either.
111	** Narla Hotep, according to the author's Deviant Art gallery.
112	* UnwantedHarem: The author has hinted at this. David seems to be accruing one made entirely of {{Eldritch Abomination}}s. It's not really there yet, but some chapter names and Thaxton's Website/DeviantArt gallery give us a peek at what's coming.
113	* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Nancy is bound to David until she understands what his wish was.
114

Context Webcomic / OwMySanity