The Great Nitpicky Live Blog of El Goonish Shive

Comments

MrAHR Since: Dec, 1969

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Gilphon Since: Dec, 1969

The Q&A are all annoying, I feel. They embody Shive's unfortunate tendency to over-exposit.

MrAHR Since: Dec, 1969

At least the later ones had some semi-interesting or plot-hole explaining info. This was just 60% jokes, 30% lampshading and 10% fanservice.

Cakman Since: Dec, 1969

391

Before I move further, I will point out that the final panel's "foreshadowing" of the events to come is hilariously narm-worthy. The only way that the ensuing arc will NOT be narmy is if the narration was totally serious, and the next arc starts out with Elliot awakening in a pool of blood, with the raped body of Grace next to him. Who did it? Was it him? He has no reccolection!
I know that Shive is going to allude to it in the upcoming Q&A session, but look at Ellen, Nanase, and Justin. Look at their hair. IT'S THE SAME! "M" That's their hair. "M"

392

It's funny because Tedd is wearing a skirt, and boys don't usually wear skirts.
There is no dress code, Dan. You drew these people.
Because, Sarah: You are nothing but drawings on paper. Dan could have you murdered, and then draw you alive and well again. You are drawings.
NO ONE THINKS THAT THE "PLAYA" GUY IS FUNNY.

393

Awesome. Tedd has the same hair style too. M.
I am almost positive that this is not a lampshade in the sense of "Dan Shive taking the piss out of himself," but literally Shive speaking through Tedd, angered by the fact that we can't tell his fake people apart.
Notice that, to convince us of how different they look, he draws them at slightly different angles, and has different facial expressions on the two of them.
Last I checked, Ellen does not always have angry smirk.

394

See, I like the direction he's going in here. I really do. And the annoying part about this strip is how he misses the timing of the joke. The characters should not continue explicitly stating that he's not doing it. It sounds too unrealistic, and makes it sound like he's forcing the joke. With that said though, he was at least going in the right direction. So at least he has that.

395

The picture of Catshive chasing the butterfly isn't bad.
But the "*crickets chirping*" line is. That's just a rudimentary failure. I don't get it. Why not draw a cricket chirping in the background, or at least just put "cheep cheep" instead? WHY DO YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN THE JOKE!?
And why is Sarah back to being dressed as a painter, by the way?

396

STOP EXPLAINING JOKES! STOP IT! STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT! WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO DO THIS?! DO YOU THINK THAT LITTLE OF YOUR AUDIENCE THAT THEY NEED EVERY LITTLE FUCKING GAG DRAWN OUT AND EXPLAINED TO THEM UNREALISTICALLY BY THE CHARACTERS INVOLVED?!
And of course. Why would Shive let himself get hit? He's much too cool for that.
You know, AHR occasionally jokes that if her characters actually existed, they would despise her. It's in the same vein as this, but she doesn't turn herself into an almighty God that rules over the heavens and earth. She has said that if they really existed, they would probably kill her. And the key here is "if they really existed." I still profess the belief that Shive is delusional, and a part of him really believes these characters to exist. That fucking "Cold day in hell the day I get mad at you." line to Grace still creeps me out to this day.

397

Oh, and now she's back to being dressed like a lesbian band member. Lovely.
And I do appreciate the mouth on Tedd now. This looks a hell of a lot better.
This strip would improve greatly if Shive had just left the dialogue out of the final panel. As it is, it serves no purpose, and does nothing but- what else?- Explains the God damn joke.

398

I actually find it amusing that the point of this strip is that Shive is presenting a plot line and expecting us to laugh because of how silly and ridiculous that storyline would be. In all actuality, it sounds EXACTLY like something that he would do.
In fact, how is finding a wand in a box any more ridiculous than a pair of extra terrestrials entrusting the building of a science-defying piece of technology to a twelve year old, and the twelve year old succeeding in not only building the technology, but being able to modify it so it works on humans as well? The friggin wand story sounds PLAUSIBLE. Wands work on magic, and magic hinges on the suspension of disbelief. The other plot works on science, which hinges on logic and common sense, neither of which this comic has.

399

I want Amanda to never be in this comic again. Or Doctor Gherman. The man is, for all intents and purposes, a rapist. And we're suppossed to just go along with it and laugh. Fuck him, and fuck Dan Shive.

400

GOOD THING HE WROTE "CLOCK" ON THE OBJECT IN THE ROOM THAT CLEARLY RESEMBLES A CLOCK. OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST.
God, I hate Grace. We get it. You're kawaii. You're a victim. Dan Shive is a misogynistic douche bag trying to hide behind the veil of a feminist. Just move on already.
The Teddy Bear annoys me more than anything. It's all just a clusterfuck of Shive frothing as he screams "FEEEELLL BAD FOR HERRRRRRRRR" at us.
Are you sure you want to put "click" when Tedd's father clicks the light switch on? Are you sure you don't want to put "sound of light switch turning on"?