Girl Genius

Taking, yes. Whipping up gadgets to examine without touching...

Well that means he will whip out a lot of spy tech that we find in kids' toys just to get some glimpses.

In a crazy neo-high tech world with death rays but without phones, this would be a wonderful way to ease the mind of your beloved that you're still alive and kicking. Nice touch. And I have to confess I didn't notice it missing until this panel.

Zeetha is the daughter of Klaus and the sister of Gil. If it turns out that there is somehow a relationship between Higgs and Klaus (unlikely, yes) it could mess these two up badly.

@Geoduck Ah, many thanks!

As to the present discussion, I'm getting increasingly curious about Skifander and its tech level. Do you suppose we'll ever get to see the place?

The Foglios have stated the story will go to Skifander eventually.

I'm already in my 60s. I guess this is something else I won't live long enough to see, if the current pace continues. Right now I'm just shooting for living long enough for the final reveal of what this whole time window is about and what happened to Bill and Barry.

That is a question: Why the heck is there no form of radio or phone? DK has an intercom system, and the Baron's air fleet used mirror signals, but no one -no one has tumbled to even the telegraph yet?

Granted, any system requiring fixed works would be half-toast by now, but there was nothing during the decade and a half of the Pax Wulfenbach? Nothing like a phone system in Paris so far? What?

Heck, a good wireless system would provide a good reason to strongly fortify strategic points where towers are/could be built.

There are hints that some form of long distance communication exits, such as the monks on the attacked train getting word that there is trouble all up and down the line so they can't go back. I agree that any fixed line would have problems, but we had the telegraph even on the wild frontier where Indians and bandits roamed.

The only thing I can think of is that this type of mundane communication requires cooperation and standards, and that seems to be in very short supply in a world of Sparks. Would the Girl Genius ham radio work by AM or FM or Ether Waves or Ground Waves or flying pigs? Each city and its Sparks would insist on their own method and couldn't help but tinker with the system until it stopped working.

edited 30th Sep '15 10:29:26 AM by JerryC

I wouldn't rule out radio. We've seen several communicating devices that could use radio.

But I think more importantly, we've seen several communicating devices that are far more advanced; one even incorporated, apparently, video, two-way communication, and robotics. On the previous page, we see what is apparently video surveillance. And the entire city of Paris is linked by a network of thinking engines...?

The tech just doesn't follow our history. And the Sparks' uneven advances kind of obviate the need, and quite possibly the desire, to do the backbreaking labor required for something like laying out wire for a boring old telegraph system. >shrug<

Eta: also that

edited 30th Sep '15 10:42:14 AM by mona.soyun

As far as I can tell, electronic devices are right out. No radio, no radar, no internal combustion engine. Dont know why. If the Foglio's actually have an explanation for that, tied into their world-building, I will be very impressed.

Some stuff on thought:

• Well it is a bit hard on the world building as one Spark or set of Sparks might have done it. Or at least the normal scientists in self defence.

• Several technologies require cooperation and while several devices do exist (combustion engines are on trains and possibly on several clank types), but the problem is that thanks to the loads of "random encounters" several pieces of infra structure go down the drain faster than someone's dinner after a big box on prunes.

• While several Sparks are working around and tinkering the infrastructure is not there for mass production for the common joes, Sparks have the valve to some degree on that.

• When looking for parts Sparks are likely to cannibalize something that they shouldn't and there goes some of the comms system.

• Several wandering monsters are around and locations that need protection are not well kept, Klaus did his best but unless the madboys calm down he couldn't bring the "golden age".

• Amongst other details and ideas that are lying around on why some techs aren't seen as much as they should be...

According to the radio traffic... There would appear to be radio.

Given the recognizable automobiles currently, I'm not convinced that the internal combustion engine is out, either.

New page

Oh Higgs...

Todays page!

Page is up!

(Higgs is the best.)

Edit: Darn .

edited 30th Sep '15 4:25:09 PM by scionofgrace

I am so grateful for Higgs!

Gil, listen to him. Higgs, keep being hyper-competent.

I just love seeing Gil getting all flustered and Higgs commenting on the social pattern like it's a nerdy social-skills problem and not a sign of scary-epic courtship!

edited 30th Sep '15 5:42:24 PM by ElfKid2.0

Ah... That was great. :D

I love Higgs! That was hilariously awesome!

I suspect Gil's "without" would have continued, "without Dad taking over and ruining everything." Hopefully the round in the Corbettite fortress gave Klaus some new perspective.

I LOVE THIS PAGE!!! Higgs seems to have developed a lot of 'parenting' skills useful around Sparks while serving for . . . how many generations of Heterodynes?

One of my about Higgs is that he's the nanny/designated bodyguard to baby Heterodynes.

I don't think just baby Heterodynes need a nanny or bodyguard... Sometimes I wonder how many of DK's defenses are for when a Spark has That Idea.

Each week.

Give it a few decades, Moloch fans, just a few decades...